Is this the film version of Percival Everett's "Erasure"? Everett is a genius, and that book is a goddamn masterpiece. Even had a scene set at Crisfields, one of the few joints in DC I really loved. I had no idea the novel was being made into a film. Thanks, Roy! These film reviews are invaluable for a shut-in like me. If Fiction is a hit maybe they can do "A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond" next
I loved it. Any film that can make me laugh-out-loud - several times - is alright in my book. I agree that the story balance between life and "fiction" was a nice turn. It all felt absurdly real.
"leads us from rooting for the scam to rooting for its demise"
Reminds me of Breaking Bad, where my own emotions followed similar arc. Breaking Bad also made me realize that an author or filmmaker can make me root for ANY criminal, merely by making the criminal the protagonist. I'm easily manipulated that way.
reading this review makes me freshly remember how much i liked this movie - i agree that it makes it a richer movie that the logline plot is a complication in the larger family story, rather than vice versa. definitely one of my favorites this year.
Michael Creighton and Miriam Shor are doing the best amoral PR flack performances of the year, narrowly beating out Michael Cera and Kate Berlant as amoral PR flacks in "Dream Scenario."
Ohhh, I'll see if I can catch this one. I stopped reading this review because I like to go in cold (and read reviews a day post-watch, once I've had a chance to think on my own), but from what I did read, it sounds like it's got a setup similar to Bamboozled. Bamboozled was a mess, but buried in it are 2 or 3 perfect short stories, so happily I'll give this movie a chance to play out the idea.
Late reading this one, Roy, but I wonder how many younger -- that is, younger than old-ass me -- viewers will even get the joke of "Stagg R. Leigh." (I sincerely hope they didn't explain it. I'll be seeing this soon.)
You might notice that even something as brilliant as the original "The Producers" had no better ending than blowing things up—I always thought in connexion with that of Michael O'Donoghue's "How to Write Good" which suggested that if you're in a corner you can't beat 'Suddenly, everyone was run over by a truck.'.
Another fine review! If you've guessed right, we seem to be headed for a diverse and interesting slate of Oscar nominees.
The Fortune Cookie
2 marks. and spot on about its weak ending.
Now you got me more eager to see this thing.
Is this the film version of Percival Everett's "Erasure"? Everett is a genius, and that book is a goddamn masterpiece. Even had a scene set at Crisfields, one of the few joints in DC I really loved. I had no idea the novel was being made into a film. Thanks, Roy! These film reviews are invaluable for a shut-in like me. If Fiction is a hit maybe they can do "A History of the African-American People (Proposed) by Strom Thurmond" next
Thanks as always, Roy. This one is on the list. I hope you get around to doing Anatomy of a Fall, I saw that last night and was dazzled.
I loved it. Any film that can make me laugh-out-loud - several times - is alright in my book. I agree that the story balance between life and "fiction" was a nice turn. It all felt absurdly real.
"leads us from rooting for the scam to rooting for its demise"
Reminds me of Breaking Bad, where my own emotions followed similar arc. Breaking Bad also made me realize that an author or filmmaker can make me root for ANY criminal, merely by making the criminal the protagonist. I'm easily manipulated that way.
"no matter how far the fraudster pushes his fraud, either the system just swallows harder or fate clears a path."
Take a wild guess who this made me think of. Just livin' permanently rent-free in my head.
reading this review makes me freshly remember how much i liked this movie - i agree that it makes it a richer movie that the logline plot is a complication in the larger family story, rather than vice versa. definitely one of my favorites this year.
Michael Creighton and Miriam Shor are doing the best amoral PR flack performances of the year, narrowly beating out Michael Cera and Kate Berlant as amoral PR flacks in "Dream Scenario."
(The white people are all ridiculous caricatures, but turnabout is fair play.)
Do you think that's intentional?
Jeffrey Wright is great at playing conflicted multi-personalities - see “Westworld.” This one’s on the list.
Oh, this one I'll have to look for. Dammit, reminds me I need to watch Putney Swope again.
Ohhh, I'll see if I can catch this one. I stopped reading this review because I like to go in cold (and read reviews a day post-watch, once I've had a chance to think on my own), but from what I did read, it sounds like it's got a setup similar to Bamboozled. Bamboozled was a mess, but buried in it are 2 or 3 perfect short stories, so happily I'll give this movie a chance to play out the idea.
Late reading this one, Roy, but I wonder how many younger -- that is, younger than old-ass me -- viewers will even get the joke of "Stagg R. Leigh." (I sincerely hope they didn't explain it. I'll be seeing this soon.)
You might notice that even something as brilliant as the original "The Producers" had no better ending than blowing things up—I always thought in connexion with that of Michael O'Donoghue's "How to Write Good" which suggested that if you're in a corner you can't beat 'Suddenly, everyone was run over by a truck.'.