The first thing to praise is the use of natural lighting and intermixed exterior shots of the garden and house- it’s stunning photography from beginning to end and you need the full film to realize. Every scene is carefully naturally lit with candles and exteriors- it gives you pause at first just how different it is to almost every other film
Wonderful use of the landscapes and trees including the Spanish moss like QT in Django unchained
The narrative is plain and subtle- you could argue that sofia the screenwriter let down sofia the director. She’s never been one to be huge on narrative but I wish it would either focus on the the characters or more or being just atmospheric and photographically and almost experimentally driven (which it was, and it was well done- but she doesn’t drive it all the way home and go for it on most occasions (final shot and a few others aside). Again, i really loved the film but it seems caught half way between a film like goodbye, dragon inn or the work of Apichatpong Weerasethakul and more of a beautiful southern soapy potboiler (almost like a civil war set gone girl — the siegel/eastwood 1971 version is much more engaging)
The cast is good- but it’s not a major achievement for any of the 4 principals (dunst, kidman, farrell, or fanning)
Not on par with marie antoinette but the costume work is splendidly done
After one blush I wish it were also more of a meditation on celebrity like all over her previous films were- I guess there is a little bit there with the elitism of the women (captured in a picturesque final tracking shot)
Heyy @Drake
“The cast is good- but it’s not a major achievement for any of the 4 principals”
In your 1971 you hail Geraldine Page as one of the year’s best so with another actress than Kidman, does this character has a shot at being one of the 2017’s best. Maybe Frances McDormand Or Holly Hunter (her voice would definitely haunt this movie).
@M*A*S*H- Interesting. I’ve only had one pass at this film but upon recollection would not want to recast Kidman. I actually think her elegance fits Sofia’s visuals more so than Hunter or McDormand. I think she just put less of an emphasis on it being a character study than Siegel did in his 1971 version.
Heyy @Drake
“The cast is good- but it’s not a major achievement for any of the 4 principals”
In your 1971 you hail Geraldine Page as one of the year’s best so with another actress than Kidman, does this character has a shot at being one of the 2017’s best. Maybe Frances McDormand Or Holly Hunter (her voice would definitely haunt this movie).
@M*A*S*H- Interesting. I’ve only had one pass at this film but upon recollection would not want to recast Kidman. I actually think her elegance fits Sofia’s visuals more so than Hunter or McDormand. I think she just put less of an emphasis on it being a character study than Siegel did in his 1971 version.
Kirsten Dunst gives the best performance of the film. I strongly believe it’s one of her best performances.