Sunday, October 30, 2005
Saw II and Closer
Went to see Saw II today.
I am now officially a Saw convert.
I know a lot of people who loved the first one. Personally, I just thought it was fair. The acting was overdone, and the structure was some of the worst I've seen. But the ending was awesome and it made me squirm, so it's not a horrible movie. Even so, once I heard they were making a sequel that was going to be released only around a year after the original, I was cynical. If you only spend a year making the sequel to a movie that was only so-so to begin with, the final product is probably going to really, really suck, right?
Wrong.
Saw II is surprisingly good considering how rushed it was made. Nearly miraculously so. Although it's not perfect, it fixes nearly all of the major flaws of the original. Sure, a lot of the twisted little "games" aren't as twisted this time around, but they're still pretty disturbing. And yeah, the original had some great character interaction that's kind of lost when you add so many new characters to the mix, but things could be a lot worse. The acting didn't make me laugh out loud. The structure was nailed down perfectly. And it feels a whole lot like the original in terms of tone and atmosphere, which is surprising considering that there was a new director on board (and this is his debut film at that). The main point of this movie is to make you squirm, and it succeeds at that. A few situations feel a bit forced, but others are just about as sick and disturbing as those in the original.
I've said it once, and I've said it again: Saw is a rip-off of Se7en. This movie didn't change my mind. You've got your serial killer doing really disturbing things in order to make a moral statement. You've got said disturbing situations and lots of blood. You've got your twist ending that makes everyone go, "Dude, that's messed up." There's a whole lot of similarities. And yet, that's not necessarily a bad thing if done correctly. One thing I really liked about the sequel over the original is that we finally get a chance to delve down deep into the motivations of the main bad guy. Sure, it's a lot like Se7en. But that doesn't make it any less interiguing or creepy.
Random comment: that girl from 7th Heaven is in it. Has she done anything else?
Fans of the original: don't worry, the ending of Saw II is just as unexpected and awesome as the ending of the first one. And don't worry, it leaves things wide open for yet another sequel. I'm fairly confident that this movie is going to do much better than the original at the box office, which will ensure that Saw III is made some time in the future. It appears that we could finally have another horror franchise on our hands (by franchise, I mean horror series spawning at least 4 sequels). After seeing the sequel, I don't think that's a bad thing. There is a lot of potential. If the makers spend a little more time developing the script and fixing all the little flaws, this series could be fantastic gruesome fun.
Oh, and I was right, Mason did laugh during a whole lot of it. There's just something not right with him at times.
After the movie I came home and wrote all but the conclusion of my English paper that's due next Thursday. Oh yes. I'm good.
Then it was time for Closer. I had heard some people say this movie was excellent. I had heard others say it was terrible.
My verdict: closer to excellent.
This movie really surprised me with how good it ended up being. It's an "adult" relationship movie - in other words, it's all about adultery and affairs and lies and deception. The script is fantastic - there were tons of great lines I found myself wanting to go back and hear again just so I could try to decide whether or not I agreed with them.
Also: Clive Owen is officially the man. This is definitely his best performance that I've seen. I know now why he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar (as was Natalie Portman, who is also excellent). He stole the show for me. He plays the most morally corrupt, perverse, despicable character I have seen in a very, very long time. I found myself wanting to scream profanities at him. As Mason bluntly put it, "Good God, this guy is such a dick!" And he really is. Man, oh man, if only you could kick movie characters where the sun don't shine...
This is the kind of movie I could easily watch over and over just to try to figure out the details of what the writer is trying to say. This is a movie about truth and lies, and the structure and character complexities are fantastic. In many scenes I found myself thinking, "What is this character's motivation for saying that? Is he/she lying? Is this actually what he/she truly feels?" Emotion-wise, it's extremely complicated, but that ends up being very good, because you know what: love is complex. And that's without the sex thrown in.
It's sorta funny. Yesterday when I saw my mom she commented on how for a while she had worried that I was watching all these movies about sex, and how that might tempt me to actually have sex. I'm positive that's not the case, but I couldn't figure out why until now. I've got it.
The movies I've been watching aren't comedies. They aren't teen sex-romps about how promiscuous sex is the coolest thing in the world. Even Kevin Smith movies - if there's one thing Chasing Amy showed me, it's that extramarital sex can lead to a lot of really messed up problems. Same with other movies, and this most recent one. These are serious dramas that take sex seriously and show how it influences us and can harm us if we're smart and careful with it. If anything, seeing these movies makes me less likely to have premarital sex than if I hadn't seen them. In fact, let's just forget pre-marital sex, and say all sex period. Closer has some pretty messed up, complicated problems going on related to sex.
If anything, it made me think to myself, "This whole sex thing is way too complicated. Celibacy seems like the way to go."
Note to all readers: if you ever find me in a situation where I am about to give into sexual temptation, go rent Closer and make me watch it again. I shall immediately repent of my evil ways and walk once more on the path of righteousness. You'd have to be a moron to do something like that after seeing this movie.
So...yeah. Maybe it might actually be in my best interest to watch more serious dramas all about love and sex.
Sex drama watchers of the world, unite!
Quote of Da Moment:
"Where is this love? I can't see it, I can't touch it. I can't feel it. I can hear it. I can hear some words, but I can't do anything with your easy words."
--Closer
I am now officially a Saw convert.
I know a lot of people who loved the first one. Personally, I just thought it was fair. The acting was overdone, and the structure was some of the worst I've seen. But the ending was awesome and it made me squirm, so it's not a horrible movie. Even so, once I heard they were making a sequel that was going to be released only around a year after the original, I was cynical. If you only spend a year making the sequel to a movie that was only so-so to begin with, the final product is probably going to really, really suck, right?
Wrong.
Saw II is surprisingly good considering how rushed it was made. Nearly miraculously so. Although it's not perfect, it fixes nearly all of the major flaws of the original. Sure, a lot of the twisted little "games" aren't as twisted this time around, but they're still pretty disturbing. And yeah, the original had some great character interaction that's kind of lost when you add so many new characters to the mix, but things could be a lot worse. The acting didn't make me laugh out loud. The structure was nailed down perfectly. And it feels a whole lot like the original in terms of tone and atmosphere, which is surprising considering that there was a new director on board (and this is his debut film at that). The main point of this movie is to make you squirm, and it succeeds at that. A few situations feel a bit forced, but others are just about as sick and disturbing as those in the original.
I've said it once, and I've said it again: Saw is a rip-off of Se7en. This movie didn't change my mind. You've got your serial killer doing really disturbing things in order to make a moral statement. You've got said disturbing situations and lots of blood. You've got your twist ending that makes everyone go, "Dude, that's messed up." There's a whole lot of similarities. And yet, that's not necessarily a bad thing if done correctly. One thing I really liked about the sequel over the original is that we finally get a chance to delve down deep into the motivations of the main bad guy. Sure, it's a lot like Se7en. But that doesn't make it any less interiguing or creepy.
Random comment: that girl from 7th Heaven is in it. Has she done anything else?
Fans of the original: don't worry, the ending of Saw II is just as unexpected and awesome as the ending of the first one. And don't worry, it leaves things wide open for yet another sequel. I'm fairly confident that this movie is going to do much better than the original at the box office, which will ensure that Saw III is made some time in the future. It appears that we could finally have another horror franchise on our hands (by franchise, I mean horror series spawning at least 4 sequels). After seeing the sequel, I don't think that's a bad thing. There is a lot of potential. If the makers spend a little more time developing the script and fixing all the little flaws, this series could be fantastic gruesome fun.
Oh, and I was right, Mason did laugh during a whole lot of it. There's just something not right with him at times.
After the movie I came home and wrote all but the conclusion of my English paper that's due next Thursday. Oh yes. I'm good.
Then it was time for Closer. I had heard some people say this movie was excellent. I had heard others say it was terrible.
My verdict: closer to excellent.
This movie really surprised me with how good it ended up being. It's an "adult" relationship movie - in other words, it's all about adultery and affairs and lies and deception. The script is fantastic - there were tons of great lines I found myself wanting to go back and hear again just so I could try to decide whether or not I agreed with them.
Also: Clive Owen is officially the man. This is definitely his best performance that I've seen. I know now why he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar (as was Natalie Portman, who is also excellent). He stole the show for me. He plays the most morally corrupt, perverse, despicable character I have seen in a very, very long time. I found myself wanting to scream profanities at him. As Mason bluntly put it, "Good God, this guy is such a dick!" And he really is. Man, oh man, if only you could kick movie characters where the sun don't shine...
This is the kind of movie I could easily watch over and over just to try to figure out the details of what the writer is trying to say. This is a movie about truth and lies, and the structure and character complexities are fantastic. In many scenes I found myself thinking, "What is this character's motivation for saying that? Is he/she lying? Is this actually what he/she truly feels?" Emotion-wise, it's extremely complicated, but that ends up being very good, because you know what: love is complex. And that's without the sex thrown in.
It's sorta funny. Yesterday when I saw my mom she commented on how for a while she had worried that I was watching all these movies about sex, and how that might tempt me to actually have sex. I'm positive that's not the case, but I couldn't figure out why until now. I've got it.
The movies I've been watching aren't comedies. They aren't teen sex-romps about how promiscuous sex is the coolest thing in the world. Even Kevin Smith movies - if there's one thing Chasing Amy showed me, it's that extramarital sex can lead to a lot of really messed up problems. Same with other movies, and this most recent one. These are serious dramas that take sex seriously and show how it influences us and can harm us if we're smart and careful with it. If anything, seeing these movies makes me less likely to have premarital sex than if I hadn't seen them. In fact, let's just forget pre-marital sex, and say all sex period. Closer has some pretty messed up, complicated problems going on related to sex.
If anything, it made me think to myself, "This whole sex thing is way too complicated. Celibacy seems like the way to go."
Note to all readers: if you ever find me in a situation where I am about to give into sexual temptation, go rent Closer and make me watch it again. I shall immediately repent of my evil ways and walk once more on the path of righteousness. You'd have to be a moron to do something like that after seeing this movie.
So...yeah. Maybe it might actually be in my best interest to watch more serious dramas all about love and sex.
Sex drama watchers of the world, unite!
Quote of Da Moment:
"Where is this love? I can't see it, I can't touch it. I can't feel it. I can hear it. I can hear some words, but I can't do anything with your easy words."
--Closer
# posted by Andrew Johnson : 10/30/2005 01:06:00 AM 
