Seen: June 30th, 2007
Format: Theater
Rating: 5
I'll start out by saying that you're probably no going to agree with me about this film. I saw it with three other people and was the only one who didn't find it sweet and touching.
Maybe I need to find a girlfriend.
This is a "musician" film. This is a fairly rare breed. These films tend to end up being period pieces in some respect because most music tends to become tied to the period that it was written or became popular. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it presents an implicit challenge to any film in this genre. Watch The Commitments and see how you feel about it now.
My problem with this films is its very strength. The lead, Glen Hansard, is a great talent. His leading lady,Markéta Irglová, is no slouch either. Together and apart, they make some very beautiful music in this film. The problem lies in the fact that this is all the film really has to offer.
The majority of the screen time is spent watching these two make music. From busking scenes to rehearsing scenes to recording scenes to touching scenes of shared inspiration. While these scenes are all great and moving, the film essentially becomes a series of intimate music videos, tenuously strung together with a very thin plot.
There's great potential in this plot. There are potentially interesting scenarios and characters, none of which really come to fruition because we're busy watching the next musical bit.
John Carney's inexperience as a film maker surfaces in other areas too. The feel of the film is that of a very personal documentary. This further distances the story, as we seem to be focused, again, on the music. Shots are fairly static and the compositions rudimentary. The coverage is almost non-existent. When we do get a cut in a scene to show it from a different angle, it's often obvious that it's from a different take. This feels jumpy and disconnected.
The leads aren't actors and it shows. Not that they don't try hard and do a decent job, but they don't become their characters. Most of Hansard's playing scenes are excellent, because he's just being himself and letting that come through on screen. But the non-musical scenes are rough and feel forced. Irglová does a slightly better job, but her character comes across as highly enigmatic. She seems plain, slightly strange and a bit reserved. Any passion that may drive her is hardly visible, even in the most emotional scenes.
I'm a Romantic at heart, and would love to give this full marks. It's been a fan favorite at festivals. It's very strong from a musical perspective, but as a film, it has a long way to go.
The Good: Beautiful Music
The Bad: Thin story
The Ugly: Musicians trying to act
No comments:
Post a Comment