Replies:
- The Matrix sequels were overrated and generally don't stand the test of time, but the original Matrix was a solid piece of pop philosophy sci fi action and really resonated with the culture of it's time.
- The Dark Knight was an excellently conceived movie, but I think everyone kinda looks at it with ruby glasses on account of Ledger, I'd agree. I don't think it would have been a poor movie, lacking him, but he really stole the show. I think if it wasn't for his standout performance, the Dark Knight would be received in a manner more akin to Batman Begins or DKR - top shelf, but not a classic.
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My own:
- Donnie Darko. It really struck me as the sort of movie people loved to call edgy and strange, without really being familiar with the breadth of what's out there in fringe cinema. I didn't feel it did anything that I hadn't seen done better in movies I felt more deserving and on some level had a disdain for felt like a vibe of "approachable edginess", which to my mind, is not edgy. Around when it came out, a lot of friends and acquaintances wouldn't shut up about it being the bee's knees and so deep and how the rabbit was the creepiest thing ever. Once you've seen some Cronenberg, Lynch, Miike, Waters, Tsukamoto, Gilliam or Jodorowsky, then maybe your words will carry some more weight for me. This probably makes me sound like an elitist prick, but it can't be helped. It was a GOOD movie, mind.
- Crash, the 2004 movie, not Crash the 1996 JG Ballard / Cronenberg oddball film. As others said, Oscar bait - set it in Hollywood's own self obsessed land of enchantment and tell some "hard truths" about racial tensions and stereotypes. Like I keep qualifying, it's not BAD, but honest to god it has nothing to actually SAY on the subject, other than "here, look how horrible this is and how paranoid it makes people". There's a few inverting character arcs, but mostly it just muddles around in unpleasantness before calling it a day. American History X has problems of the same kind, but at least it's got a (anti)hero's journey for the main character and also takes a deeper look at how beliefs and actions can affect a broader family.
- Hurt Locker... Does tension really well, but just gets so much factually wrong for something aiming for gritty realism, from ROE to uniform inaccuracies to generally misrepresenting the effects of PTSD and generally drifting with pacing and plot.
Those are some of my gripes. I hope I've explained them adequately and I respect that with something like this, personal opinion DOES carry a lot of weight, since we're talking inductive content analysis. Hope the read is worth your time. Cheers.
