- Sure, it’s always somewhat disappointing when a film with a director behind it capable of Safe, Far From Heaven and Carol, doesn’t live up to those works. Dark Waters, as strong as it is, is not going to be listed as one of the better films of the year like those previously mentioned efforts from Todd Haynes. The artistic ambitions here aren’t that grand and the material not as suited to Haynes’ talents.
- However, it is certainly worthy of the archives and a very good film, nonetheless. It is a smart and well-acted class action lawsuit procedural drama. If you just read the synopsis you may think this has a ton in common with Todd Haynes’ Safe – but this isn’t the atmospheric mood piece Safe is. The focus here is the story- the hero (played by Mark Ruffalo) and the villain (Dupont). Ruffalo is strong in the lead- he’s in nearly every scene, and Bill Camp comes off well as a West Virginian farmer. I thought Anne Hathaway struggled a little as Ruffalo’s character’s wife.

There is a lovely green tint and lighting scheme– impressive work from Haynes—from the gas station to the bar. It does, sadly, disappear altogether for 15-minute stretches at a time. At the 112-minute mark deep into the film there is a sideways camera angle shot of an emerald hallway in the law firm

A great frame with Ruffalo buried in a row of briefcases
- I’m an absolute sucker for John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as Ruffalo’s character (from West Virginia) drives around his hometown

Undoubtedly, any film in this drama sub-genre will remind you have Soderbergh’s Erin Brockovich and Spotlight a bit. Although Haynes’ achievement here doesn’t sniff Pakula’s—there’s even an ominous shadow in the parking garage scene that has to make any cinephile think of All the President’s Men.
- Unlike Pakula in his paranoia trilogy- Haynes doesn’t luxuriate in the atmospherics here.
- There are still moments (though few and far between for a Haynes film) of visual panache. The main one is the lights across the window in the car when Ruffalo is driving. The same shots are in Carol – it is luminous—and a stylistic trait of Hayes at this point. Haynes, his go to- DP Edward Lachman and production designer Hannah Beachler (fresh off Academy Award win for her work in Black Panther) mostly keep it pragmatic (Haynes is clearly servicing the story here first) but they can make the outside of a Benihana look beautiful with the reds and greens

DP Edward Lachman (Far From Heaven, Carol, Virgin Suicides) and production designer Hannah Beachler (fresh off Academy Award win for her work in Black Panther)

together with Haynes they can make the outside of a Benihana look beautiful with the reds and greens
- Lachman has worked with Haynes before (Far From Heaven, Carol) and even in the genre before (Erin Brockovich) and has an impressive work without Haynes (The Virgin Suicides) on his resume
- Recommend but not in the top 10 for 2019
Sorry for asking this here, but this is your more recent upload and I want to know what you think about Kiarostami, especially The Wind will Carry Us because Rosenbaum has it one of the 10 best films of the 90s and if i remember right one of the 10 best ever.
@Cinephile. Thanks for the comment. Kiarostami is a tough one. I’ve seen 6 or 7 of his films– Taste of Cherry is his best (and his only film in my top 500 of all-time) — it is constructed so well from a film form standpoint. The one I’ve really tried to wrap my head around is Close-Up because it is #86 on the TSPDT consensus list and I think it blurs the line so much with documentary that it has to be categorized as such (and I don’t do documentaries).
I’ll have a page dedicated to Kiarostami soon but I do not think he’s one of the great auteurs of the past 30 years like many critics do. Perhaps that will change with closer study. I did not think Ozu was worthy of his lofty rankings until early in 2018 when I watched most of his work over a 2-3 month period.
@Drake, thanks for answering, I’m on your side about him, also I wanted to ask you what some of your favorite critics are, above I mentioned Rosenbaum but he is overrated I think, he is underrating a lot of American Masterpieces and ( because of his love for everything outside America) he is overrating a lot of foreign stuff.
@Cinephile — Glad we’re on the same page with Kiarostami. Hmm- yeah I haven’t read much from Rosenbaum. I like Ebert- his work is available and he’s a great writer. Andrew Sarris is/was very important to me as I am a full believer in the auteur theory. His book “The American Cinema” I read over and over. I like Peter Travers from Rolling Stone. Justin Chang has become a favorite of mine. I also find that I’m almost always in agreement with Jeffrey Anderson from combustiblecelluloid if you go to Rotten Tomatoes a lot. I read Film Comment and my favorite podcast is probably The Rewatchables.
I am pretty much finished with my 2019 films. My Top 10 would look like this.
(1) The Irishman.
(2) Ad Astra.
(3) A Hidden Life
(4) Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
(5) Uncut Gems.
(6) The Lighthouse.
(7) Midsommar
(8) Marriage Story.
(9) Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
(10) Monos.
1917 and Parasite are kinda unlucky to miss out. Great year this has been. Monos is the one film which has not been getting enough hype. Fantastic film, and am willing to put my neck out for it.
Malick, Tarantino and Scorsese. Wow.
@AP. Thanks for sharing. I am so jealous! I’ve yet to see 1917 (January 10th), Uncut Gems (I’ll get to it this week) but A Hidden Life and Portrait of a Lady on Fire do not have a release date near me yet. That’s very exciting to see it on your list. Why do you think A Hidden Life isn’t showing up on many top 10’s? It is tied for #30 here https://www.metacritic.com/feature/critics-pick-top-10-best-movies-of-2019?ref=hp
Your top 10 is awesome. We’re going to have a ton in common. I thought Monos was very strong– but I would have it closer to #15 right now for me
2019 has been special. Usually I’m not this enthused about my #9-12 films. I’m not sure 2019 has a Roma (big easy to identify masterpiece) but it does feel like there are 8 films or so worthy of the top 5 and 12 or more worthy of a top 10.
It is a funny thing really. I would not have been able to watch most of these films where i am settled. I got to travel a lot this year, and watched most of these in different places. There is no greater joy than travelling, and watching movies.
I think The Irishman is that giant masterpiece- ahead of even Roma. Astra and A Hidden Life would also qualify as Masterpiece. I think Time is the most important factor in evaluating films. You have got to let the films breathe, and see how they hold up. I am very excited by the prospect of going through 2019. It feels like we have something very special here.
I found one which has A Hidden Life near the top.
https://www.the-american-interest.com/2019/12/27/the-top-ten-films-of-2019/
A lot of films on that Metacritic list should come down with time. That being said, Malick has always been very divisive. The usual criticisms: Lack of Plot, Beautiful Images and pretentiousness apply here as well. I have seen various lists with no Tree of Life in the Films of the Decade. Where do i even begin with that.
A Hidden Life has generally favourable reviews. It has better MC score than The Thin Red Line for now. A Moral Dilemma is at the center of it, Malick stretches it to the end. Squeezed the Lemon completely, a bit too much even. It is a War film but the film is about our protagonists, first and foremost. They live in isolation of the world, but at the same time are victims of it. It is based on a real story but is Malick’s film. You can never ignore that. There is a lot happening here, will be easier to discuss once you have watched it. I absolutely loved it.
Have you read this? A Great Read on Malick and Tree of Life
https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/will-terrence-malick-ever-really-finish-the-tree-of-life.html
@AP– thanks again for the comment. That’s cool about traveling and catching films in different cities. I’m a homebody and catch almost everything in the same theater.
I wholeheartedly agree that time is crucial when talking about masterpieces. Roma just made my jaw-drop throughout the running time of the entire film and no film in 2019 does that…
As far as A Hidden Life– yes- a few critics have it in their top 10 but if you go back to A Tree of Life in 2011 it was the runaway film of the year from critics (in the #1 slot on the same composite metacritic list)– this isn’t the same. I was just wondering if you had a theory.
Thanks for sharing the vulture article. Fascinating. I look forward to seeing and discussing A Hidden Life. He is one of the all-time great auteurs.
Hey Drake. Are you planning on viewing on possibly reviewing they SnyderCut of Justice League. some of the shots look really transcendent and well arranged, not just for a superhero flick. the first one by joss whedon was garbage of course but whedon is a tv show stylist, not a movie maker. he doesn’t understand visual motifs and is a complete hack… i mean the snyder cut is 4 hours so i am sure there will be some bad but im also expecting a lot of good…
@D.W.Griffith- interesting– I saw some of the reviews. I may do this at some point
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