PontifiKate

In a World…

Idea? Check. Look? Check. Script? Often good, often meh. Overall execution? …Mostly. With that said, I mostly really recommend “The Island” starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. I saw it the other night and even though the movie is significantly flawed, I am still giving it a lot of thought. Actually, the premise is so fascinating that I'm not really surprised that I am thinking about it this much. It was almost an excellent movie. Almost. (I hate it when they’re almost great!)

The film was mostly flawed for indulgences. Indulgence in stupid jokes. Indulgence in unbelievable action sequences – and action sequences by definition are already unbelievable. I think that, generally speaking, the makers just didn’t give the viewer enough credit. There were a lot of stupid lines that to me communicated, “Get it? …Get it??” Yes, we get it. And there is a way to write those lines that affirms the same information for those not as in tune with the plot without making the rest of us aware that you’re worried about the public not being able to follow the plot. *sigh*

On the flip side, the movie also didn’t take advantage of opportunities I thought they had been setting up to flesh out information the viewer may be curious to know or see (i.e. make what is already a cool story even cooler). There could have been some really satisfying conclusions to certain plot points which they instead just kind of tied up with string with a little, “…ta da.” Disappointing.

So, why do some movie makers choose to surround themselves with yes men and people who lack judgment in the exact same ways that they do? Seriously, this movie could have been awesome, but instead I will just have to groan through the groan-worthy parts whenever I watch it – not just for the groans themselves, but because I wish I had been a story consultant, or whoever has the job of fixing/tightening a film project. It’s a tragedy that simply wouldn’t happen if the director had the humility to accept a little advice and not indulge every inclination unchecked. Oh, the human ego! (And speaking of ego, yes, I am aware that I am a wanna-be movie snob. I think I know a few things about films that I may not in fact know.)

posted by Kate @ 11:16 AM