• It is a very simple story (fatally so for many critics) told in pure style- extremely experimental visually
  • First off, there is a ton of parallel editing as the film is really a matching of two lovers who break up and come back together
  • Clearly influenced by gene kelly’s 1950’s era films and the demy musicals of the 60’s- specifically the umbrellas of Cherbourg. In that vein, it has much in common with la la land
  • The whole movie seems to float like few films since or before it (perhaps la la land, birdman, gravity, and a few before like rules of the game, rope and rear window– you lose time)
  • It’s a marvel of artificial lighting (set on the strip in vegas) and sound-stage work—some great venetian blinds scenes—it reminds me of the play scenes in mishima and some of the neon light work we’d see in peter greenaway’s the cook, the thief, his wife and her lover in 1989
  • Tom waits wrote the songs, does the vocals and did a wonderful job with the music in general- I wish there was more of it
  • Shot by Vittorio Storaro- one of the masters
  • A very inspired credit sequence with a detailed miniatures look at las vegas
  • One scene is split by foreground and background action but shot almost like a split screen. I’m not sure I’ve seen it before- it plays almost like one long beautiful dissolve
  • The entire film is one takes and lighting
  • Now for the problems and there are a few. The film stars frederick forrest and teri garr. They’re not up to the challenge. The writing isn’t the best and I could definitely do without the one out of place comic foil towards the end when forrest electrocutes himself
  • Top 5 of the year quality film
  • Must-See