All non-Nolan related film, tv, and streaming discussions.
Nomis wrote:Spert wrote:The Lost City of Z was a truly beautiful film that felt epic in scope yet maintained a very personal and intimate feel. We get to watch a man literally spend a life time chasing his dream to find something that perhaps doesn't exist.
It's very symbolic in that regard, but I found the film to be very beautiful both substantially and visually, with fantastic performances all around, and ultimately the craftsmanship on display from Gray was exceptional. Definitely one of the best films of the year.
So much this. The film also has one of the best final shots in recent film memory.
Probably the best final shot since Gray's last to be completely honest haha. The Immigrants final shot really is one of the most powerful I have ever seen in any film.
Logan had a really great final shot from this year also.
Joined:
June 2009
Location: La La Land
antovolk wrote:it's really been growing on me. I rewatched it recently and it cemented my feelings about it - there's something about the combination of the old-school adventure epic, Lean-esque grace, the visual style (especially when shown on 35mm) that just draws you in. A story like this told in a very understated yet visually bold way kinda got to me - while other top films may have individual elements which are stronger, this is an all-round great film.
What's visually bold about it?
Spert wrote:The Lost City of Z was a truly beautiful film that felt epic in scope yet maintained a very personal and intimate feel. We get to watch a man literally spend a life time chasing his dream to find something that perhaps doesn't exist.
It's very symbolic in that regard, but I found the film to be very beautiful both substantially and visually, with fantastic performances all around, and ultimately the craftsmanship on display from Gray was exceptional. Definitely one of the best films of the year.
In many ways, the film is about failures and of the constraints of its time. We see a number of characters not being able to achieve what they want whether its due to their age, experiences, or of the biases of the time and I think that is what makes the film feel even more powerful in its second half.
Do we see him spend a lifetime chasing his dream? The movie's murky and borderline contradictory about its timeline, but even forgiving the weird final time jump that doesn't really make sense 'cause Holland, we don't actually
see him anguish about finding Z in the same way we see and experience someone like Lawrence delve into his obsession. Fawcett doesn't go mad, he doesn't go native, he never acts outrageously or dangerously in order to find Z. His obsession is much more subtle and reserved and tucked away. He has a quiet desperation that's never pushed over the edge; that never has a real climax.
I don't know. I find that
a lot less interesting and less powerful than the alternative. There's just less conflict for me to invest in.
Joined:
June 2012
Location: stuck in 2020
Except that it doesn't have to be done the way you think is more interesting. There's something profound about Fawcett turning more inwards rather than outwards about his obsession. Besides, having it be a more quiet obsession
is interesting too.
It's set in a period not often portrayed in modern cinema or at least not in it's entirety or as real as possible. Yes it's a slow-burner but I think it's effective. Again, that final shot seals the film.
That's the thing - the way the story is presented is surprisingly inward and patient. So the payoff comes (in my experience with this film anyway) through your emotional reaction to it, rather than outwardly with what you see on screen.
The thing about the visuals here is that it's, yes, overall it's all set in a very murky and hazy atmosphere (which is something I dig personally), but within that stuff really pops at you. It's like what most recently Hoytema tried to do on SPECTRE but taken to another level here by Khondji. There's something otherworldly about it, despite being set in our world.
So Crazy just admitted he doesn't like subtlety. I'm not stunned.
Joined:
June 2009
Location: La La Land
antovolk wrote:That's the thing - the way the story is presented is surprisingly inward and patient. So the payoff comes (in my experience with this film anyway) through your emotional reaction to it, rather than outwardly with what you see on screen.
The thing about the visuals here is that it's, yes, overall it's all set in a very murky and hazy atmosphere (which is something I dig personally), but within that stuff really pops at you. It's like what most recently Hoytema tried to do on SPECTRE but taken to another level here by Khondji. There's something otherworldly about it, despite being set in our world.
I guess I kept waiting for the hook.
Why should I care about Fawcett?
What about his character is remarkable? I kept waiting for the moment where Fawcett showed that his choices were motivated by something deeper than wanting achievement and recognition for achievement and recognition's sake. What about the Lost City was meaningful specifically to him, and what does that say about his character and his
true motivations? I can't really answer that after watching the movie, and I struggle to really care much about him as such. I wanted to get into his head
more, but I felt constantly at arm's length. The hazy visuals didn't help on that front either, it was just another thing distancing myself from what was going on.
Joined:
June 2010
Location: All-Hail Master Virgo, Censor of NolanFans
The Lost City of Z was anything but bold visually.
And while the framing was indeed Lean-esque, everything else about it was... washed down and less vibrant. Which shouldn't be the case. It looked like a low-budget college semi-pretentious art flick that dwells too much on the past, forgetting to breathe a little on it's own.
Crazy Eight wrote:antovolk wrote:it's really been growing on me. I rewatched it recently and it cemented my feelings about it - there's something about the combination of the old-school adventure epic, Lean-esque grace, the visual style (especially when shown on 35mm) that just draws you in. A story like this told in a very understated yet visually bold way kinda got to me - while other top films may have individual elements which are stronger, this is an all-round great film.
What's visually bold about it?
Spert wrote:The Lost City of Z was a truly beautiful film that felt epic in scope yet maintained a very personal and intimate feel. We get to watch a man literally spend a life time chasing his dream to find something that perhaps doesn't exist.
It's very symbolic in that regard, but I found the film to be very beautiful both substantially and visually, with fantastic performances all around, and ultimately the craftsmanship on display from Gray was exceptional. Definitely one of the best films of the year.
In many ways, the film is about failures and of the constraints of its time. We see a number of characters not being able to achieve what they want whether its due to their age, experiences, or of the biases of the time and I think that is what makes the film feel even more powerful in its second half.
Do we see him spend a lifetime chasing his dream? The movie's murky and borderline contradictory about its timeline, but even forgiving the weird final time jump that doesn't really make sense 'cause Holland, we don't actually
see him anguish about finding Z in the same way we see and experience someone like Lawrence delve into his obsession. Fawcett doesn't go mad, he doesn't go native, he never acts outrageously or dangerously in order to find Z. His obsession is much more subtle and reserved and tucked away. He has a quiet desperation that's never pushed over the edge; that never has a real climax.
I don't know. I find that
a lot less interesting and less powerful than the alternative. There's just less conflict for me to invest in.
I wouldn't even say the film is really about obsession at all. It's about a man who starts off obsessed with status and reputation and learns through a conquest how little any of that matters. Gray plays his dream of finding the lost city as a symbol of him discovering his own purpose in life and what really matters. I don't think there was ever an intent to portray Fawcett as someone overly obsessed, but to rather portray him as a dynamic character who learns about many lessons in life as he grows.
Regardless, films about characters chasing their dreams shouldn't all have to be such in-your-face portrayals of dehumanization. Gray made a more subtle and intimate film about spirituality and emotion and disguised it as an adventure film.
RIFA wrote:The Lost City of Z was anything but bold visually.
And while the framing was indeed Lean-esque, everything else about it was... washed down and less vibrant. Which shouldn't be the case. It looked like a low-budget college semi-pretentious art flick that dwells too much on the past, forgetting to breathe a little on it's own.
Thats quite a hot take
Joined:
June 2017
Location: Holland
Allstar wrote:Hoyte is shooting the space movie.
Woah, awesome!
