Daniel, I am with you on this film.
Most moving and, like "2001," probably most prophetic.
We already know where science's beeping scanners are leading ("I'm sorry,
Dave.."). Let's hope we don't carry things as far as they are done in "A.I."
I quite believe Spielberg followed Kubrick's intentions here. Supposedly
Kubrick wanted Spielberg and his magic "touch" at the helm of this film all
along.
By the way, it is said that "A.I." will be the first non-Indy Spielberg film to
get the Blu-Ray hi def treatment-- this fall.
Would that "Empire of the Sun" would join it.
And one thing that can never be said about Spielberg is that he doesn't know
how to "handle" kids onscreen! Haley Joel Osment and Christian Bale to Henry
Thomas and Drew Barrymore..... well, the list is impressive.
Joe B in NOLA
--- On Tue, 7/14/09, Daniel Chia <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Daniel Chia <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [MOPO] FAVORITE FILM THAT YOU HAVE TO DEFEND
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 6:58 AM
Hi everyone,
My favourite film of all time is one that I always have to defend, and that is
Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence. This was the film that divided
critics, and stumped many filmgoers. However, it was to me a film that had so
much depth and undercurrents that it drew me, together with a motley group of
people from all over the world, from USA to England, from Singapore to
Netherlands, to an online forum as we searched for clozure from a film that
refused to leave us long after we had left the theatre. There were doctors
among us, authors, lecturers, film students and other professionals, but
something about the film drew us every day for 3 full years, as we discussed
the philosophical ramifications of this one film. It was amazing, but every day
for three full years, we all managed to discover new insights about the film.
It was just amazing discussing the film at depth.
I thought Spielberg's screenplay and direction were impeccable. Haley Joel
Osment's turn as the mecha child remains one of the most incredible
performances by a child actor, ever, and it was a shame he did not even garner
an Oscar nomination for it. John Williams' evocative score should also have won
the Oscar that year, and the cinematography for the film was beautiful.
Curiously, the third act of the film (which everyone said was pure
Spielbergian, mawkish and overly sentimental, and which apparently destroyed
Kubrick's original vision of the film) was actually filmed the way Kubrick
wrote it. Spielberg did not change the ending at all and filmed it as Kubrick
had outlined it in its 20 years of conception by the late auteur. And to me, it
was this very third act that gave the film its heart and soul.
8 years on since its theatrical release, I still cannot watch the film without
having a tremendous flood of emotions overwhelm me. And I know that I am not
the only one on MOPO who was similarly moved by this film.
As for its iconic movie poster, it still remains one of my favourite movie
posters of all time :)
daniel
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