| Overall Grade: |
A- |
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| Story: |
B+ |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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Yes, You Should See This
by (movies profile)
Jan 26, 2006
Anybody who likes movies that require attention spans should see this. Yes, it's slow. Yes, the story is a little far-fetched. Yes, I'm sure lots of people fell asleep. Everybody who stayed awake got a real treat. It takes the Coen brothers to successfully bring a dead genre back to the spotlight without killing it. Oh, and the cinematography was to die for.
Essentially, this movie is about a barber in the summer of 1949 who watches his life softly crumble in front of his eyes. Billy Bob Thorton gives a great performance because he refuses to overact his role. Most of the movie he is wearing nearly the same expression and dragging on the same cigarette, but it's perfect. I would've been disappointed if he had been expressive and, well, expressive. He isn't. That's the genius.
This movie seperates itself from most of the tragedies of our time because it is tragic without being angst-ridden. It is lonely, hollow, empty, and very cold. However, it isn't maudlin or weepy (*cough*Titanic*cough*). I guess producers today assume that the audience either wants to laugh their spongy heads off at fart jokes or cry their eyes out at some lame, self-aware tragedy.
It was really great to have a movie that wasn't: 'Wait, we need a theme. Hmm... yeah this'll work: THEME SMASHED IN YOUR FACE! did you get that? good! Let's move on!' I'm not saying that I understood this whole movie, but I do think many of the negative reviews are going to be from people who completely missed any point there could've been. |
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