Sunday, August 28, 2005
Crash N' Pulp
I went to see Crash last night at the campus cinema.
Wow. Great movie. Paul Haggis' is one heck of a writer (he also wrote Million Dollar Baby) and his directorial debut indicates that he's here to stay. The story weaves effortlessly between the lives of people of various races in LA, and shows how their lives connect and "crash" with each other. It's definitely one of the few films I've seen in recent years that deals with the problem of racism so well and so masterfully. In fact, off the top of my head it's the only film I've seen which deals with racism in general, rather than racism of a particular race. Sure, we've all seen movies about the discrimination of African-Americans. But what about Hispanics? What about Persians? This movie shows us that blacks aren't the only people affected by racism - the problem goes much wider than that.
The movie has a large cast of characters, and Haggis manages to develop most of them. There are a few characters that aren't quite as fleshed out as much as I would have liked, but they're developed enough so that we understand their basic motivations and thoughts. And speaking of the characters, the actors do a very good job. Sandra Bullock manages to hold her own, surprisingly, against people like Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon. Terrence Howard is most likely going to have a very promising career in Hollywood after this and his supposedly magnificent performance in Hustle and Flow. Even Thandie Newton, who was probably the weakest cast member, does well enough that there are very few instances we question her character.
The film also works well in terms of mood. At its core, it's an intense drama, and yet some of the dialogue and characters had people rolling with laughter. Which is good. Some of the moments in this movie are extremely dramatic (read: tearjerker), so the comedy needed to be really funny in order to balance that out. Haggis is a skilled enough writer to make that happen. He's also smart enough not to have all of the characters meet the same fate. I wouldn't call this movie a downer, but I wouldn't call it a happy movie either. Some of the characters find tragedy, others find redemption. This movie is at times extremely dark, and yet manages to pull off moments of spirituality that are breathtaking and refreshing to see in a Hollywood picture.
If you're looking for a good drama that has something important to say about how we relate to other people, check out this movie. It's the most perfect blend of drama, comedy, realism and the miraculous that I've seen in a long time. My only complaint would be that its most dramatic scene (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it) is too long before the end of the movie, and as a result the rest of the film isn't as emotionally exhilarating. But pacing problems aside, Paul Haggis is a force to be reckoned with.
After the movie, I came back to the room and saw Pulp Fiction.
I now have seen and own all of Tarantino's movies. And you know what? This one's the best. There's a reason this movie is on every single list you see that talks about the Best Films of the 90s. Lots of people thought this movie should have beaten Forrest Gump for Best Picture, and for good reason. Forrest Gump is a great movie, but on the whole Pulp Fiction might be slightly better.
I now understand more than ever why people consider Tarantino to be the king of dialogue. The dialogue in this film is some of the best I've ever heard. Only with Tarantino would two hitmen talk about how McDonalds in France is different from McDonalds in the USA. Only with Tarantino would people dying actually be some of the film's most entertaining moments. Only with Tarantino would someone quote the Bible before blowing someone's brains out.
My parents wouldn't let me see this movie before I went to college for the simple reason that it has 260 f-bombs. Did it really have that many? Tarantino's dialogue sounds so incredibly natural that most of the time I barely noticed when someone swore. It doesn't take very long to get used to the way these characters speak. I can't remember another movie off the top of my head where constantly swearing didn't flow so well. I've always said that if the script or the characters call for it, then swearing shouldn't be discouraged. It's only when it seems unnatural or out of character that I have a problem with it, from a filmmaking perspective. With this movie, the profanity is placed so well within conversation that at times it seemed more awkward for the characters not to swear. That's how effective it is in regards to the characters.
One thing that surprised me about this movie was that it added an element of spirituality that I wasn't expecting. By the end of the movie, one character has had what appears to be a life-changing revelation. Some people say that Tarantino's movies are pointless pieces of trash that glorify violence, but I disagree. There is more going on beneath the surface if you're just willing to step back and look.
This movie really is a cinematic landmark. The script is astounding. The directing is nearly flawless (note to self: long shots are good). If I had to rank Tarantino's films, this one would be at the top. This is Quentin at the top of his game.
And now, before I finish posting, here is a weird video that will drive you crazy: http://www.durp.net/grandaddy-nature_anthem.php
People have too much time on their hands.
Quote of Da Moment:
"Nobody's gonna hurt anybody. We're gonna be like three little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda what's Fonzie like?"
--Pulp Fiction
"It's just black people demeaning other black people, using that word over and over. You ever hear white people callin' each other 'honky' all the time? 'Hey, honky, how's work?' 'Not bad, cracker, we're diversifying!'
--Crash
Wow. Great movie. Paul Haggis' is one heck of a writer (he also wrote Million Dollar Baby) and his directorial debut indicates that he's here to stay. The story weaves effortlessly between the lives of people of various races in LA, and shows how their lives connect and "crash" with each other. It's definitely one of the few films I've seen in recent years that deals with the problem of racism so well and so masterfully. In fact, off the top of my head it's the only film I've seen which deals with racism in general, rather than racism of a particular race. Sure, we've all seen movies about the discrimination of African-Americans. But what about Hispanics? What about Persians? This movie shows us that blacks aren't the only people affected by racism - the problem goes much wider than that.
The movie has a large cast of characters, and Haggis manages to develop most of them. There are a few characters that aren't quite as fleshed out as much as I would have liked, but they're developed enough so that we understand their basic motivations and thoughts. And speaking of the characters, the actors do a very good job. Sandra Bullock manages to hold her own, surprisingly, against people like Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon. Terrence Howard is most likely going to have a very promising career in Hollywood after this and his supposedly magnificent performance in Hustle and Flow. Even Thandie Newton, who was probably the weakest cast member, does well enough that there are very few instances we question her character.
The film also works well in terms of mood. At its core, it's an intense drama, and yet some of the dialogue and characters had people rolling with laughter. Which is good. Some of the moments in this movie are extremely dramatic (read: tearjerker), so the comedy needed to be really funny in order to balance that out. Haggis is a skilled enough writer to make that happen. He's also smart enough not to have all of the characters meet the same fate. I wouldn't call this movie a downer, but I wouldn't call it a happy movie either. Some of the characters find tragedy, others find redemption. This movie is at times extremely dark, and yet manages to pull off moments of spirituality that are breathtaking and refreshing to see in a Hollywood picture.
If you're looking for a good drama that has something important to say about how we relate to other people, check out this movie. It's the most perfect blend of drama, comedy, realism and the miraculous that I've seen in a long time. My only complaint would be that its most dramatic scene (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it) is too long before the end of the movie, and as a result the rest of the film isn't as emotionally exhilarating. But pacing problems aside, Paul Haggis is a force to be reckoned with.
After the movie, I came back to the room and saw Pulp Fiction.
I now have seen and own all of Tarantino's movies. And you know what? This one's the best. There's a reason this movie is on every single list you see that talks about the Best Films of the 90s. Lots of people thought this movie should have beaten Forrest Gump for Best Picture, and for good reason. Forrest Gump is a great movie, but on the whole Pulp Fiction might be slightly better.
I now understand more than ever why people consider Tarantino to be the king of dialogue. The dialogue in this film is some of the best I've ever heard. Only with Tarantino would two hitmen talk about how McDonalds in France is different from McDonalds in the USA. Only with Tarantino would people dying actually be some of the film's most entertaining moments. Only with Tarantino would someone quote the Bible before blowing someone's brains out.
My parents wouldn't let me see this movie before I went to college for the simple reason that it has 260 f-bombs. Did it really have that many? Tarantino's dialogue sounds so incredibly natural that most of the time I barely noticed when someone swore. It doesn't take very long to get used to the way these characters speak. I can't remember another movie off the top of my head where constantly swearing didn't flow so well. I've always said that if the script or the characters call for it, then swearing shouldn't be discouraged. It's only when it seems unnatural or out of character that I have a problem with it, from a filmmaking perspective. With this movie, the profanity is placed so well within conversation that at times it seemed more awkward for the characters not to swear. That's how effective it is in regards to the characters.
One thing that surprised me about this movie was that it added an element of spirituality that I wasn't expecting. By the end of the movie, one character has had what appears to be a life-changing revelation. Some people say that Tarantino's movies are pointless pieces of trash that glorify violence, but I disagree. There is more going on beneath the surface if you're just willing to step back and look.
This movie really is a cinematic landmark. The script is astounding. The directing is nearly flawless (note to self: long shots are good). If I had to rank Tarantino's films, this one would be at the top. This is Quentin at the top of his game.
And now, before I finish posting, here is a weird video that will drive you crazy: http://www.durp.net/grandaddy-nature_anthem.php
People have too much time on their hands.
Quote of Da Moment:
"Nobody's gonna hurt anybody. We're gonna be like three little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda what's Fonzie like?"
--Pulp Fiction
"It's just black people demeaning other black people, using that word over and over. You ever hear white people callin' each other 'honky' all the time? 'Hey, honky, how's work?' 'Not bad, cracker, we're diversifying!'
--Crash
# posted by Andrew Johnson : 8/28/2005 02:36:00 PM 
