A lot to live up to, that Cormac McCarthy book (see review, posted earlier).
The good news is that the film delivers on expectations...
It is a meticulously faithful rendition/interpretation, with only a couple of cinematic-licence type add-ons (NOT Hollywoodisms).
The acting is impeccable, with Viggo Mortensen playing an Anti-Aragorn role with great dignity, humanity and vulnerability (though there are at least 3 Aragornisms in the story line!), and young Kodi Smit-McPhee cast superbly in the role of the boy.
Complaints have been heard from some quarters that there is too much flashback - I enjoyed the flashbacks and for me they added powerfully to a sense of loss and farewell to memories.
And the soundtrack!
Assembled by Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds sidekick Warren Ellis, it subtly takes us along the emotional road,using piano, subdued strings, sound effects (whooshing and whispering) and one short section of drums and animated strings underscoring a fast-action scene.
Visually the work is stunning - dead pine forests, echoed by dead telegraph poles, powerful but toxic waterfalls and rivers,brooding thunderclouds and the desolate, grey, zombified Ocean.
This is the team that brought us The Proposition, a bleak Australian western, which I guess I'll be ordering from Fatso soon!
It's not by any stretch of the imagination a "happy" movie - you will need to devote your time to watching it (2 hours, AND read the book FIRST, as with LoTR and Schindler's List/Ark) - and there is no taste of Hollywood in it (yay!), so if you bring an open but sobre sensitivity to it, you will be richly rewarded indeed.
In a sane world, this movie would be highly honoured with movie awards, etc....
10/10.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Gerald, I enjoyed the book- skim read it while waiting for Joy in a shopping mall! I'm saving the DVD for a suitable day here in Doha- rainy days don't come often.
ReplyDeleteFor good reads try The Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larsson. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who played with Fire and THe Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest. Enjoy.
Alan
Have heard that the movie of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is good also.
ReplyDeleteYes, hard to imagine rainy days in Doha.
Do you think "Dune" might be more applicable to your environ?
G.
The NYT was so-so about the film. Felt the heroine was not given enough chance to develop her character as the book would expect. Also that film was plodding in its effort to stick to the novel.
ReplyDeleteYou might be right about Dune being applicable its been in the mid 30s much of the week so far. No sand storms though.
My feeling was that there was just enough of Charlize Theron in the movie - in the book, the woman is pretty much sketched in. Some reviews felt there was TOO much woman in the movie. Clearly a debatable issue - I loved the flashbacks and felt there were just enough.
ReplyDelete