Saw a wonderful movie today -- it's not getting a whole lot of press, unfortunately, or wide release, but if it's playing anywhere near you, I highly recommend it -- I was a little afraid it might be arty-farty and abstract, given how beautiful it is, but the good news is, not only is it gorgeous to look at, but the story is good! It's about a young girl in the hospital in 1920s Los Angeles (she has a broken arm, sustained picking fruit) who befriends another patient -- a stuntman in early Hollywood "flickers" who was injured in a stunt involving a horse. The stuntman is played by Lee Pace, of my favortie new show of last year, Pushing Daisies. (He was also in the wonderful Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day). And he's great, but it is the young Rumanian lead, acting in her first movie, who is truly amazing. The director, Tarsem Singh, said that he was waiting to start making the movie until he found the right girl -- and when he found Catinca Untaru, he knew it was time to begin. It often seems as if Lee Pace is improvising dialogue with her, it feels so natural and unscripted -- and indeed, I saw in an interview just now on Youtube that they were.
So, I forgot to mention the most important part of the movie -- that in the hospital, Roy tells Alexandria an epic tale of 5 warriors, and a large part of the movie is this elaborate warrior/fairy tale filmed all around the world. I mean, the locations!!! There are scenes on the Charles Bridge in Prague, and in the blue city, Jodphur, and in front of immense red desert dunes I assume are in Africa, and in piazzas in Rome, and islands in the Andaman sea, and a ton of other places I couldn't name. It's so beautiful, and so are the costumes and fantasy visuals. I mean, look at this trailer:
You have never seen such a coat as is worn by Charles Darwin in the movie:
Some more stills:
12 comments:
Good grief, those are pretty!
Oh WOW, I'm going to have to look and see if it's playing around here. It looks wonderful!
It looks MARVELOUS...I hope I can find it over here...Question for you: do you think it would be suitable for a 10.5 and a 9 year old?
NOOO!!! I am so jealous! It's not playing ANYWHERE in Asheville yet.
Really, I'm happy for you.
I swear.
(Sob.)
Hi Lizardek -- I'm not a great judge of what's appropriate for kids, but I think it would be, esp if they're kids that read some fantasy and stuff that might be a LITTLE dark. It was given an R rating but that's ridiculous -- it's way more suitable for kids than Pan's Labyrinth, there's no sex or nudity at all, and the violence is more stylized. It's a little intense, but I would definitely have brought my niece to it when she was 10. Also, it's funny and charming.
And Stephanie -- nyah nyah. Just kidding! I'm sure it'lll make it your way. I HOPE. It should totally be in wide release. It's better than the lame-o Golden Compass was!
I thought the movie was wonderful. I find myself thinking about it a lot since yesterday. The only thing I didn't like was that the Guardian of Popcorn did not live up to her duties. I'm surprised you are not trying to track down Darwin's coat right now. I esp liked the timing of the "I'm not feeling so well" line!
Oooh. Beautiful. I wanted to watch in slow motion to catch all the costumes. I'll have to watch out for this one!
Wow. That looks cool.
That black guy is Haaawt.
:)
Wow, some striking shots there. K.
It's not here yet, but I'll watch for it. I'm always looking for good movies, but find myself mostly disappointed.
OMIGOSH, I *have* to watch it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would never have heard of it if it weren't for you--why aren't they advertising more? And it's not in Arab places yet..at least, I don't think so. And that SUCKS.
But the aesthetic is..so weird & beautiful.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
for the heads up on this movie which I finally tracked down in Los Angeles.. no less.. it was difficult to find WHICH IT SHOULDN'T BE because it is just so MINDBLOwINGly wonderful and there is so much DREK on the main circuit.. .don't know how this one had slipped by me BUT i must
confer: well worth the hunt (and out on dvd in September)
topangamaria
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