We're in the voting-for-March-film-club-feature phase right now, and the category is of course Oscar nominees. I'm forwarding all your reviews to our esteemed founder, in case she has not seen them.
I learned a bit about bits. The naughty bits and horsing around aside, it seems true too often the nuance overshadows the thing or event itself. Catcher in the Rye a prof said made too big a thing about a little bit of homosexuality, a touch of mink. You can dress up a crisis but you can't take it out for its paces if some kid or elder says, Where's animal? I see no animal here! It happens all the time. One fella's felon is another community's Robin Hood.
Am I wandering in the weeds away from the party again? Who's holding my beer?
“The sun is always over the yardarm if the mast is underwater.”
(I went in late last year for a series of medical tests. These were preceded by a few questions, including “Do you smoke?” “No.” “Do you drink?” “Anyone who hasn’t been drinking since January isn’t paying attention.” “I’m going to put that down as a 𝘺𝘦𝘴.”)
Thanks as always Roy. I've resisted watching this film BECAUSE of all the comparisons to Malick, whose work I generally find incredibly tedious. But I like Joel Edgerton and of course William H. Macy, so...
I'm surprised that Edgerton didn't get nominated for best actor - he's in almost every frame and it's a quietly moving performance. I was kind of pulling for him to hook up with Kerry Condon's forestry worker, although that certainly would have been cliche and made it a lesser film...but damn, I felt for the guy, and wanted to see him overcome his trauma.
This is definitely one I look forward to seeing now. Thanks. Great review. I never heard of it till this. Even the spoiler makes me look forward to confirming your view of it.
As for Malick, I'm with SundayStyle. I enjoy the skills of the parts, the fabric in stretches, but the stitching, and what is this thing and when is one expected to wear it? I prefer whole cloth nonsense.
As a cynic, I expected not to like this one much. I was also skeptical of the pretty visuals near the start! But it resists almost all of the usual Oscar-bait stuff, stays true to itself, and in the end I enjoyed it and was happy I watched it.
Thanks, Roy. The Denis Johnson novella that the movie is based on is a little gem, maybe 125 pages. I've been afraid to see it translated to film. I worry that the tension between the expansiveness of the subject and the brevity of the writing would be lost. But based on your review, I'll give it a try.
I’m hoping this isn’t “Tree of Life” meets “There Will Be Blood” because those are two films that stand alone in my memory and I don’t want them superceded. The story sounds a lot like Alice Munro, which is also a good thing. One quibble: if I were cutting trees in the forest and I met Felicity Jones, there is no way I would leave her to go to work away, no matter how good the pay.
Years ago, during long rides through the Illinois/Iowa countryside, my mind did wander to thoughts of stopping at the next farmhouse to ask for a drink of water and the door being answered by Meryl Streep.
Reminds me a little of Overstory, that novel about people and trees. There's a character in that who might be a bit like Granier, a Vietnam vet who gets a job planting trees in forest clearcuts and then becomes a radical Defender of the Forest, I'll just say it doesn't end well for him (or really any of the other characters in that novel, be they human or arboreal)
This is a great bit!
You praise the firm restraint with which they write –
I'm with you there, of course:
They use the snaffle and the curb all right,
But where's the bloody horse?
Roy Campbell
"On Some South African Novelists," lines 1-4 - Adamastor (1930)
We're in the voting-for-March-film-club-feature phase right now, and the category is of course Oscar nominees. I'm forwarding all your reviews to our esteemed founder, in case she has not seen them.
Finally, an impact!
Next you'll be getting offers to endorse the Wallace Flo-Rite Pen!
I hadda goog this and gotta say it brought up some interesting results...
Well, let's just say Roy is no Waldo Lydecker, but he's gettin' there.
Also, I'm guessing "Flo-Rite" either got you ads for prostate-shrinkers or ads for Progressive Insurance.
Roy might be an influencer!
Or a space cowboy. Should we make him an astronaut? Far out!
If only he was Russian (Cosmo is so much cooler than Astro).
I learned a bit about bits. The naughty bits and horsing around aside, it seems true too often the nuance overshadows the thing or event itself. Catcher in the Rye a prof said made too big a thing about a little bit of homosexuality, a touch of mink. You can dress up a crisis but you can't take it out for its paces if some kid or elder says, Where's animal? I see no animal here! It happens all the time. One fella's felon is another community's Robin Hood.
Am I wandering in the weeds away from the party again? Who's holding my beer?
Slow down, lad, the sun's not past the yard-arm.
I have not yet begun to defile myself or Western Civ. Giddyup!
“The sun is always over the yardarm if the mast is underwater.”
(I went in late last year for a series of medical tests. These were preceded by a few questions, including “Do you smoke?” “No.” “Do you drink?” “Anyone who hasn’t been drinking since January isn’t paying attention.” “I’m going to put that down as a 𝘺𝘦𝘴.”)
I specifically sited this party right smack in the middle of the weed patch, so it's all good!
Seeing this and thinking, "unrecorded last words of Dutch Schultz".
"Why, no, I'm not Italian, why do you ask?"
Thanks as always Roy. I've resisted watching this film BECAUSE of all the comparisons to Malick, whose work I generally find incredibly tedious. But I like Joel Edgerton and of course William H. Macy, so...
I think the word you were struggling for was "contemplative."
No. It really wasn't.
I'm sorry, did you mean "atmospheric"?
Toss a red-'n-white checked cloth on the table, shove a candlestick in an old chianti bottle and VIOLA!
I'm surprised that Edgerton didn't get nominated for best actor - he's in almost every frame and it's a quietly moving performance. I was kind of pulling for him to hook up with Kerry Condon's forestry worker, although that certainly would have been cliche and made it a lesser film...but damn, I felt for the guy, and wanted to see him overcome his trauma.
Anyway, another good review, Roy!
I thought about that myself. And you're right.
That's funny, my aging and weathering makeup is also extraordinarily effective but not as subtle and not done by Zoe Taylor.
Well there's yer problem – you been leavin' yer makeup lyin' around the yard!
I'm silvering, like cedar siding
Hi Ho!
This is definitely one I look forward to seeing now. Thanks. Great review. I never heard of it till this. Even the spoiler makes me look forward to confirming your view of it.
As for Malick, I'm with SundayStyle. I enjoy the skills of the parts, the fabric in stretches, but the stitching, and what is this thing and when is one expected to wear it? I prefer whole cloth nonsense.
As a cynic, I expected not to like this one much. I was also skeptical of the pretty visuals near the start! But it resists almost all of the usual Oscar-bait stuff, stays true to itself, and in the end I enjoyed it and was happy I watched it.
My sediments exactly. A happy surprise!
Sedimentation is the new emo.
It's a darn shale
Precipa - – – – –
tation...
Thanks, Roy. The Denis Johnson novella that the movie is based on is a little gem, maybe 125 pages. I've been afraid to see it translated to film. I worry that the tension between the expansiveness of the subject and the brevity of the writing would be lost. But based on your review, I'll give it a try.
I’m hoping this isn’t “Tree of Life” meets “There Will Be Blood” because those are two films that stand alone in my memory and I don’t want them superceded. The story sounds a lot like Alice Munro, which is also a good thing. One quibble: if I were cutting trees in the forest and I met Felicity Jones, there is no way I would leave her to go to work away, no matter how good the pay.
Fair point!
"if I were cutting trees in the forest and I met Felicity Jones, there is no way I would leave her to go to work away, no matter how good the pay."
This reads a little like a wishful think – you plannin' to change careers just on spec?
Years ago, during long rides through the Illinois/Iowa countryside, my mind did wander to thoughts of stopping at the next farmhouse to ask for a drink of water and the door being answered by Meryl Streep.
Sterryl Meep is what I calls 'er.
No, I met my love while still doctoring.
Oh I met my love while still doctorin'
Twas a merry day in May
But she liked not the room that I locked her in
Broke the window and ran away
Then I opened a practise in Laramie
In hopes of my fortune to make
She finally agreed to take care 'a me
In trade for a sizeable stake
So we came to a sort of agreement
'Pon a reasonable evening in June
I erected a house out of cement
She managed avoidance of swoon
As a Wisconsinite, "cutting trees in the forest" leads you dangerously close to Sean Duffy territory.
If I met Duffy in the woods I’d ignore him, just like when he was living a couple of miles away. He’s no lumberjack, he’s a logroller.
"You, sir, are no lumberjack"
Them's fightin' words in the Northwoods!
They can't get the wood, you know...
Reminds me a little of Overstory, that novel about people and trees. There's a character in that who might be a bit like Granier, a Vietnam vet who gets a job planting trees in forest clearcuts and then becomes a radical Defender of the Forest, I'll just say it doesn't end well for him (or really any of the other characters in that novel, be they human or arboreal)