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Post by Derrick on Jul 28, 2010 8:18:13 GMT -5
During an interview done in conjunction with the release of his new movie SALT starring Angelina Jolie, director Philip Noyce defended fellow director Paul Greengrass's extensive use of the 'shakycam' technique (aka 'editing by stealth) saying "Well, for me, given how much we now rely on our home video cameras as a record of contemporary life, "shakycam" is 90% of our day-to-day reality." Agree or disagree?
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Post by grubl on Jul 28, 2010 14:37:00 GMT -5
I hate to say any one way to shoot a movie is the only way or the correct way to do it. For instance I think Woody Allen made good use of a shakey camera in HUSBANDS AND WIVES, but, having said that, it is a mistake the vast majority of the time. Particularly in action films. It's a short cut and a cheat.
And that excuse by Noyce is ridiculous. Real life doesn't begin or end in two hours either. Nor is it projected on a screen. That is a weak statement.
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Post by Eddie Love on Jul 28, 2010 18:36:27 GMT -5
I really like Greengrass' work, but just don't get the thinking where his Bourne pictures are a gigantic leap in quality over Doug Limon's original. In fact, I think there's some critical reverse engineering going on, as THE BOURNE IDENTITY wasn't much of a critical hit when it came out and, indeed, was preceded by some pretty negative buzz. (It was do-or-die for Damon who was coming off BAGGER VANCE and ALL THE PRETTY HORSES.) I think some critics were playing catch up when they heaped praise on Greengrass, as though Limon's work hadn't set the table.
Where the Bourne pictures are thrillers with some real world political undercurrents, GREEN ZONE was a real world story, served up entirely as a thriller. This is why, for me, it didn't work -- the excessive use of shaky-cam just compounded the problem. Not sure why Noyce would serve as an apologist for it, his reasoning being pretty weak.
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Post by Eddie Love on Jul 28, 2010 18:43:22 GMT -5
For instance I think Woody Allen made good use of a shakey camera in HUSBANDS AND WIVES, but, having said that, it is a mistake the vast majority of the time. A friend of a friend walked out of H&W and threw up on the sidewalk. What I can't stand is the pseudo documentary style of the American OFFICE, where they constantly cut to different cameras and it completely undercuts the point that this is a documentary. |
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Post by grubl on Jul 28, 2010 20:31:39 GMT -5
Personally, I found everyone of the BOURNE pictures to be completely forgetable. They went through me like water. That THE OFFICE show is another piece of overrated drudge. It seems like the same joke over and over and...
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Post by Derrick on Jul 28, 2010 22:44:14 GMT -5
For instance I think Woody Allen made good use of a shakey camera in HUSBANDS AND WIVES, but, having said that, it is a mistake the vast majority of the time. A friend of a friend walked out of H&W and threw up on the sidewalk. What I can't stand is the pseudo documentary style of the American OFFICE, where they constantly cut to different cameras and it completely undercuts the point that this is a documentary. I can't stand THE OFFICE. It's a show that's too impressed with itself and forgets that it's a comedy which means it's supposed to be funny first and everything else second. Strangely enough, even though I cannot stand Steve Carrell in THE OFFICE I thought he was absolutely terrific in the movie GET SMART, a big budget version of a TV show that was a lot smarter, a lot more hipper and way more funnier than it had to be. |
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Post by james on Jul 29, 2010 6:35:03 GMT -5
Disagree. I love The Office. I've been working in offices since college, and that show captures my experiences, only taken to a level of gleeful absurdity. My only complaint (and I'm not sure it even is one) is that the character of Jim is (sometimes) posited as the likable moral center of the show, and I don't think he is. He's much less likable than most of the rest of the characters, and has a hipster detachment (and a cruel streak) that sets him apart from the rest of the group.
There's one scene in an episode from last year that sealed my love of the show. The set-up is that there are rumors that the Scranton branch of the company (which is where the show is set) may be closed because Dunder-Mifflin is having financial difficulties. Michael (Steve Carrell) knows this, and comes up with the idea of having everyone in the office play one of those "murder mystery" games where each person plays a character. Jim (John Krasinski) refuses to play along and tries to get Michael to "break character" (the character he's playing in the game) and pay attention to the office's problem. This goes on throughout the episode. Near the end, Jim, still refusing to play the mystery game (everyone else in the office is), once again tries to get Michael to acknowledge the potential office closing, because he thinks Michael is ignoring the problem. Michael finally breaks character and says "They need this, Jim." (Playing the game is taking their minds off of the news that they might be losing their jobs, at least for a little while). Deciding he's right, Jim finally starts playing his character in the game (and the look of surprised delight on Steve Carrell's face when this happens is priceless).
Scenes like that, and there are plenty of them throughout the series, are the reason why The Office is a much better show than dreck like Two and a Half Men. As far as I can tell, there are only three episodic shows on television right now that acknowledge this country's economic problems - this one, and Hung and Treme on HBO (which are also great).
James
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Post by grubl on Jul 29, 2010 8:54:46 GMT -5
I still think that it (THE OFFICE) is very self-conscious and one-note. But I'll give you HUNG. That is usually very good.
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Post by Eddie Love on Aug 2, 2010 21:06:09 GMT -5
So, I saw SALT and can see why Noyce would stick up for Greengrass, as there's one shake-tastic chase finish that's straight out of BOURNE ULTIMATUM. If you're truly averse to shaky-cam, you may want to stay away, as SALT is a shaker. (I don't have an issue with it in principle -- what I'm more sick off is the trendy, hip slow motion that suddenly speeds up and then slows down again shtick you see so often these days.)
I enjoyed SALT. It put me in mind of what a 24 movie could look like. A rarity these days -- it's actually too short. I wouldn't have minded it going on for another 15-40 minutes.
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Post by Derrick on Aug 2, 2010 22:25:24 GMT -5
So, I saw SALT and can see why Noyce would stick up for Greengrass, as there's one shake-tastic chase finish that's straight out of BOURNE ULTIMATUM. If you're truly averse to shaky-cam, you may want to stay away, as SALT is a shaker. (I don't have an issue with it in principle -- what I'm more sick off is the trendy, hip slow motion that suddenly speeds up and then slows down again shtick you see so often these days.) I enjoyed SALT. It put me in mind of what a 24 movie could look like. A rarity these days -- it's actually too short. I wouldn't have minded it going on for another 15-40 minutes. You and Patricia think alike. Halfway through the movie she leaned over and said to me; "It's a lot like '24', isn't it?" And I kinda like going to see a movie and not having to devote half a day to seeing it. SALT was a nice, stripped down action thriller with no fat on it whatsover. |
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Post by Eddie Love on Aug 8, 2010 13:35:26 GMT -5
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Post by Derrick on Aug 10, 2010 0:38:22 GMT -5
Funny thing is this: I've actually seen some romantic comedies recently that I actually like. And romantic comedies is a genre I can easily do without but MADE OF HONOR, MUSIC AND LYRICS and especially FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL were all romcoms that not only made me laugh but honestly engaged my brain and emotions. I attribute it to the fact that all three movies are told primarily through the male point of view. I've also seen THE PROPOSAL and even though that was told from the female point of view I still liked it a lot. But that's because Sandra Bullock has an absolute genius for making even the most tired and played -out romcom conventions seem fresh and funny. |
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