A decent historical/drama, but the whole idea of having dreamy camerawork with a mumbled voice over and ethereal background music should be left to the professionals.
~ There is nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster.
Disagree. In fact, think it gives TM a run for his money. Further, I thought originally Malick was involved. Seems like his kind of film.
"You can just stand there, ... and let him kick your ass!"
--Sensei Terry Silver Karate Kid III
mumbled voice over? The narrator was as clear and eloquent as I've ever heard. The characters on the otherhand...
"The stronger that any light shines, the darker the shadows around it grow."
Totally disagree. I'd say it's better than anything Malick's ever done, for that matter, with the possible exception of The Thin Red Line. And the narration is crystal clear, as if it were being read by a historian. Maybe there's something wrong with the audio on your copy of the movie, because the soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is terrific, too.
shareMalick is the poor man's Malick, I'm afraid.
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Thank god Malick didn't direct this. I can only imagine the pretentious crap it would have become:
Robert Ford and Jesse James twirling for 50 minutes before the assassination:
Jesse James: "Death, I embrace you. It is the way of life, it is the way of nature, the way of God, the way of grace..."
Robert Ford: "Father.....Mother....where are you? Mother... I give myself to you..."
Jesse James: "We are colors. Eternity...blue....green...yellow....Father...."
Robert Ford: "Mother..."
Jesse James: "Life....always so close to death. I am a flower...where are you love?"
Robert Ford: "Show me love, like water falling down from the sky...falling...falling....mother?"
Zee James: "For f...'s sake...shoot him will ya!!!!"
LOL, totally agree with that tom, I used to really like Malick until I saw 'Thin Red Line'. A director has to know the difference between whether he is making a movie or making a navel-gazer.
Life is always intense for a repo man.
Nope you are wrong. The narrator was eloquent with nice distinct voice. He voice didn't mumble at all. This movie is masterpiece.
shareThe difference is that Andrew Dominik can actually tell a story.
shareThe difference is that Terrence Malick neither wants nor cares to tell a story, in the traditional cinematic sense. You're missing the point.
shareNo I have not missed the point.
Terrence Malick neither wants nor cares to tell a story
It's one of Malick's most appealing qualities for me. You really are missing the point - and some truly incredible cinema.
shareThe ending is good and effective, but what comes before is sufficiently miserable that the whole really isn't better than decent.
Poor pacing, fragmentary nature (the poor cutting of is evident), lack of genuine feeling or emotion (until the ending sequences that is). For great lengths of the film one might dare to use the dreaded word "pretentious" - it wants to be something but can't quite pull it off.
Anyone who thinks this movie is trying to be a Malick film really needs to stop getting hung up on pretty nature shots and actually pay attention to the structure of both films.
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