tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post6058113075753955710..comments2022-03-24T16:11:50.124-04:00Comments on The Man From Porlock: Fight the Future (Avatar and Southland Tales)Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-38259984564756220872009-12-28T22:02:13.626-05:002009-12-28T22:02:13.626-05:00Ed, you may be the most passionate and persuasive ...Ed, you may be the most passionate and persuasive defender of <i>Southland Tales</i> out there. The casting was one of the things that initially kept me from watching it for so long -- you see all those names together on the same marquee, and you instinctively believe the movie is as bad as the critics say -- but it turned out to be inspired, and you make a good case for why they're all there.<br /><br />There are a million different things going on in this movie, but everyone and everything share the same energy, and I got a happy buzz watching it.<br /><br />(Incidentally, another great Richard Kelly musical number: the "Sparkle Motion" dance sequence from <i>Donnie Darko</i>. Rob Marshall could learn something from that film and <i>Southland Tales</i> about choreography and editing or lack thereof.)<br /><br />I don't know if Kelly needs to be tamed, but I would like to see what he could do with a little focus. I think Martin Scorsese defined the art-vs.-commerce argument best: "You make one for them, and then one for you." (And, even then, his efforts with DiCaprio don't even come close to his body of work with De Niro.) While I don't want Kelly to sell out his own talent, I fear his becoming marginalized even more. Sci-fi nearly always has special effects, and that means higher budgets than the norm. If he hopes to continue working in that genre, he's going to have to compromise in some way.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-74875081239347768722009-12-28T09:48:48.781-05:002009-12-28T09:48:48.781-05:00Great post, and I'm glad to see such a thoroug...Great post, and I'm glad to see such a thorough analysis of <i>Southland Tales</i>, which obviously I love despite all its messy excesses — which, yes, are definitely part of the plan as well, since the film does mimic the structure of modern media infotainment. I think it's actually Kelly's best film yet, his most powerful and ambitious statement, better than <i>Donnie Darko</i>'s comparatively straightforward suburban sci-fi and better than the uneven but entertaining <i>The Box</i>, which starts as though it's going to follow through on its conventional thriller set-up and then gets increasingly nuttier the longer it goes on.<br /><br />I totally agree that Kelly should do a musical, incidentally. That Killers/Timberlake lip-sync sequence is wonderful, as is Rebekah del Rio, appearing as one of many hat-tips to David Lynch. But the best thing about the movie is its casting, or more specifically the way Kelly makes what seems like ridiculous stunt-casting seem natural and even brilliant. The Rock is surprisingly great, suggesting that he could be a marvelous comedic actor if only he'd forsake the lame kiddie movies. (I recently saw a trailer for a movie where, I kid you not, he gets turned into the Tooth Fairy; it's starting to seem like that old <i>South Park</i> joke about improbable comedies: "Rob Schneider is... a stapler!") Gellar is equally excellent, in her own way, because her wooden blandness is a perfect fit for a porn star who has ambitions to be a media mogul. Is there any more truly modern character? The casting turns out to be both ludicrous and absolutely perfect, calling attention to how absurd our notions of celebrity are. It's a movie about a culture, a slightly exaggerated version of our own, where everybody's on TV or wants to be, and it's populated with exactly the kinds of low-level actors who exist on the fringes of TV and stardom.<br /><br />As for Kelly's future, I only hope that he's able to keep making the kinds of movies he wants to make, but that seems increasingly unlikely. <i>The Box</i> was marketed as his attempt to go mainstream after the drubbing he received for <i>Southland Tales</i>, but it's anything but mainstream, and it's another flop under his belt. On the other hand, while a little populism might help Kelly sell more tickets, I don't think it'd necessarily be good for his art. What I like best in his work is the sense of unfettered imagination, the sense of an artistic mind slinging paint wildly onto canvas, furiously developing multiple ideas and images at once. <i>Southland Tales</i> may ultimately hang together as a narrative, however incomplete it is in many details, but its overall impression is of a messy, scattershot assembly of moods and ideas. That's what's great about it, and about the best moments in Kelly's other two films. I don't know if I'd want to see him tamed, though a serious taming is probably the only way he'll be able to continue making these kinds of movies in Hollywood.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-8526223950256356422009-12-27T19:34:03.576-05:002009-12-27T19:34:03.576-05:00Another thing I like about "Southland Tales&q...Another thing I like about "Southland Tales" is Kelly regards Iraq War veterans with a surprising amount of compassion (especially through Seann William Scott's moving performance). There are a lot of satirical jabs in this movie, but never aimed at them. "Pimps don't commit suicide" is its admirable message, about which I'll say no more.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-82194020431751671002009-12-27T18:55:19.837-05:002009-12-27T18:55:19.837-05:00Hokahey - good observation on Sully's conditio...Hokahey - good observation on Sully's condition. It does make his experiences more exhilarating for him, and by proxy the audience.<br /><br />"Southland Tales" is quite a mash-up. You have to wade through some sludge to get to the good stuff, but I thought it was worth it. Will be curious what you think.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-51074625403181166712009-12-27T18:00:10.890-05:002009-12-27T18:00:10.890-05:00I've seen Donnie Darko (not impressed) and The...I've seen <i>Donnie Darko</i> (not impressed) and <i>The Box</i> (I enjoyed it) and now your comparative analysis here intrigues me to see <i>Southland Tales</i>. Sounds like the quirky type of movie I like.<br /><br />I like what you say about <i>Avatar</i> - how Worthington provides "a low-key, emotionally direct center." I was impressed by his presence in this movie, and making him a paraplegic was a clever device, making his surrogate life as a wild and free Na'vi all the more exhilarating. I also agree that <i>Titanic</i> - as will <i>Avatar</i> - loses much on the small screen. But watching it recently, I was still touched by the convincing chemistry between DiCaprio and Winslet and I was still engrossed by the historical detail.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-50622679081991129262009-12-27T12:04:08.134-05:002009-12-27T12:04:08.134-05:00Speaking of compromise, that may have been what re...Speaking of compromise, that may have been what resulted in the ham-fisted narration and exposition in <i>Southland Tales</i>. Reportedly the movie was a complete trainwreck in its original form, and Kelly went back and re-did Timberlake's voiceover to make the plot more "understandable." Still, for all its hash, the film make an astonishing amount of sense by the end. And there are some thrilling sequences and images. Ed Howard mentioned that <i>Southland Tales </i> is all about information overload, and I agree with him that Kelly's tonal change-ups are largely deliberate in keeping with that theme. It's certainly not a film for everybody, and part of me wishes he made it with a little more discipline. Yet I also think the creative freedom Kelly gives himself and his actors takes them to some interesting places.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-12533373853963762222009-12-27T11:52:45.855-05:002009-12-27T11:52:45.855-05:00I know the fanboys are annoying, but try to tune t...I know the fanboys are annoying, but try to tune that shit out when you go see <i>Avatar</i>. I also highly recommend seeing it in IMAX 3-D, if at all possible. Like I wrote, I have a feeling the basic mediocrity of the movie will be more apparent in the traditional format. It was clearly made in such a way to take advantage of the "immersive experience," and admittedly does so with a gusto that's hard to resist. (At least for me, a newbie.)<br /><br />Good point about Cameron's gifts as an action director. I didn't really touch on it, but he's one of the few filmmakers around who lets action setpieces unfold in a way that's coherent and exciting to watch (e.g., the aerial combat sequences in <i>Avatar</i>), rather than chopping it up to bits. And his emphasis on character adds a little more weight that you'll get from Michael Bay, the new George Lucas, et al. I probably exaggerated JC's screenwriting abilities a wee bit. He has a tendency to unnecessarily repeat scenes and add to the bloat. At the same time, I think some critics make too much of his dialogue problems; it was kind of an earsore in <i>Titanic</i>, but does a corny line now and then really matter in a movie like this?<br /><br />What I miss in Cameron's movies is a sense of his personal worldview. I get his politics, which are as dippy in <i>Avatar</i> as they were with the "nukes are bad" message in <i>The Abyss</i>. But <i>The Abyss</i> also has the defining scene of any James Cameron movie: When Ed Harris tosses his wedding ring down the toilet, then reaches down to fish it out. You're right that Cameron seems more compromised now; the odd thing, with no studio heads daring to tell him what to do, is he's compromising himself.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450775188328918558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211112229982829419.post-28765566103731241882009-12-26T18:20:06.726-05:002009-12-26T18:20:06.726-05:00This is a great article and I do understand why yo...This is a great article and I do understand why you chose to tackle both of these filmmakers at the same time.<br /><br />I do plan to see Avatar eventually, preferably once the hype and, let's face it, the entire film community calms down and I can approach it with some level of objectivity. What is about movies like this that bring out mass hysteria over the internet?<br /><br />I do think you hit on the issues I have had with previous Cameron films. For all of his strengths in creating truly dynamic cinema, his need to appeal to wide audiences tends to ground the potential ambition in his work. Although you shouldn't use a budget to criticize a director's work, I do wonder if running his budgets so high results in his work feeling so compromised. It is frustrating because he is one of the better action directors out there but he has yet to make anything resembling a truly great film for me. <br /><br />I wish I could share your affection for "Southland Tales". My feeling about the film is that it occupies a middle ground. Either I feel Kelly should have written a far tighter narrative or just gone completely off the rails. Both would have been preferable the muddle he actually wound up with. <br /><br />The film seems to be comprised of disjointed scenes and then sections where Kelly tries desperately to patch it all together with narration and exposition. I feel the entire movie suffers from Kelly's lack of vision. He seems indecisive about story, tone, his willingness to engage politically, how to direct his actors and even visual style. I can't really get behind it being considered an inspired mess because the writing and filmmaking are a bit too shoddy for me to forgive, considering the surer hand he had for "Darko".Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05571206086671634525noreply@blogger.com