Film Festival Reviews. Part 3.
We’re seeing FIVE movies tomorrow and see Susan Sarandon live, followed by two more movies on sunday. I’ll try to answer emails as much as I can this weekend. :-)
The Limits of Control
I have absolutely no idea what this movie is about. Nihilism, maybe?
A man in a series of suits drinks espresso,
trades matchboxes, does’t speak spanish, and is not an american gangster.
Jim Jarmusch, the director, obviously
tries really hard to make a movie that means something. But in the end, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just flat,
and boring, and repetetive. Then again, I’ve got a feeling that’s the point.
Once I gave up and just accepted the
slow pace, the movie really started to blossom. The movie makes no sense at all to me on an intellectual level, but
it feels like it should. Like there’s something there. Perhaps I’m just overthinking it? I like this feeling, and
will see more of Mr. Jarmusch’s movies.
Best part: The audience was dead silent during the entire movie.
Worst part: They were probably sleeping.. It’s
boooring.
Score: 4/5
Ong Bak 2
After Elin saw that Ong Bak 2 was being showed, I hurried to see the first movie. Turns out I didn’t have to, as this
movie has almost nothing to do with the previous one. It takes place several hundred years before the events in the
first movie, is about totally different people, and has a much darker tone.
A young (noble?) child witnesses his
parents get murdered, and sets out to take revenge on the murderers. There’s lot of revenge and swords and bloods
and malice, but the fighting scenes are almost as well choreographed and enjoyable as in the first movie.
As a
Scandinavian viewer, I found many of the non-combat scenes strangely paced and didn’t understand much of the imagery
or the cultural references.
Best part: A big bad mean guy whips his hair around his neck for no reason other than it looks cool. And it
does!
Worst part: The good natured feeling of the first movie is gone.
Score: 2/5