I saw the original theatrical release of this film when it came out and I was blown away by it. I finally saw this version on Netflix Instant the other day and it was just as striking as the first version I saw. The film holds up well and it gripping in places, in places it sags a bit but overall it's still very good. The only quibble I have with it is how Coppola treats western women in this film. They are all pure sex objects who exist solely to titillate and to show their bare breasts.
At times this film is visually stunning and almost like a modern renaissance painting, at others it's repellent and disgusting. I found it overall kind of off putting. It made me hate restaurants and gourmet cuisine and it almost made me dislike Helen Mirren. Director Greenaway seems only to want to shock in this film and really that's not enough to build a film on.
Serviceable documentary on the life of Hunter S. Thompson. It was a little too heavy on the whole 'Oh the 1960's were paradise but the 1970's were awful' schtick. Overall, if you don't know much about Thompson then this would be a good place to start learning about him.
This film should be required viewing for any one even remotely considering a career in acting because it shows the business of acting for what it is, a hard incredibly difficult way to make a living. The men profiled in this film have been working actors for years and still they find it a struggle o make a living. And it's even worse for women because of sexism and ageism in the film and TV business.
No comments:
Post a Comment