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JR,
JR wrote -
"It's not Truffaut or Fellini or even George Cukor or Frank Capra, but what
is these days?"
Isn't that the point in a way? And isn't it a shame?
Not that every director can't have a miscue - but there doesn't seem to be
a standard of excellence anymore. Perhaps I'm too cynical.
There seems to be an attitude of - "That's good enough - that works"
Perhaps that's, in part, why this is the worst year for box office -
EVER!
Glenn
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2005 12:22
PM
Subject: Re: [MOPO] 2 bits worth of War
of the Worlds
Kirby,
It seems you answer your own question. Aside from a few nits picked, you
admit the film is a fine one. So yes, everyone over 11 years old should see it
-- and on the big screen with the big sound which really add a huge amount --
despite the small flaws you point out (and with which I agree for the most
part). None of them are significant enough to seriously detract from the
overall effect of the film. It's not Truffaut or Fellini or even George Cukor
or Frank Capra, but what is these days?
--JR
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, July 04, 2005 8:53
Subject: Re: [MOPO] 2 bits worth of War
of the Worlds
What hyperbolic drugs did you take? Did we see the same
picture?
It's an OK sci-fi pic with exceptional special effects, and a
terrific
performance by a child actor. Cruise soldiers thru capably
and assures
the producers they will get their money back. Tim
Robbin's sequence
almost pointless. Suspension of disbelief issues
aside, these three are
the ONLY guys with a car? And where are all
these people walking to
and why?
Visual effects, yes.
Emotional effects, no. As I said in my little
review, it
is
successful at finding the DREAD note in the beginning parts of
the
picture.
The tripod snout snooping around bit in Robbin's house is
tedious,
however. The
sentiment at the end feels false to
me. Cruise does not do male bonding
well, that we know of, and I
thought the whole father/son turf wars
typical of Spielberg.
When they
arrive at the grandmother's house, it's practically
thanksgiving
day.
Spielberg is better at setting things up than playing them out,
in my
opinion. Both
physically (blocking actors, using locales)
and dramatically. The
endings are usually
disappointing.
The ending of this film is typical: Gene Barry walks
out of the
house
like some avuncular presence.
Special effects in films are
so omnipresent today than when truly vivid
ones appear,
it stands out.
It is true that this whole picture looks terrific.
Spielberg's
films
usually do. And arguably he has done this old war-horse
justice.
But films start with a script. And while this is not
the worst script,
if the producers had cared
as much about the words
these actors should say and the actions they
should make as they
did
about the tripods, then your statement below might not require so
much
suspension of disbelief.
Just about everyone over 11 years
old will see it, but should they?
Really?
Kirby
On Jul 4,
2005, at 2:52 AM, JR wrote:
> I thought the first two-thirds of
the picture a flamin' masterpiece.
> Just about everyone over 11 years
old should see it. It is dynamite
> film-making and creates visual and
emotional effects I don't think any
> other film has ever achieved to
this extent.
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