Friday’s post.
Awesome. If you’re reading the
blog, it’s FRIDAY. If you’re reading the
subscription it’s SATURDAY and even better.
If you’re like me (which you aren’t, sorry) then it’s THURSDAY which isn’t
as good as Friday but I’m on the train home so it’s almost that good. And, back in the day, Magnum P.I. was on Thursday
nights. Then it was Friends and
Seinfeld. What is it now? I haven’t had T.V. in years.
Which brings me to an interesting observation. I enjoy reading screenplays as much as
watching movies. Sometimes, like today,
probably more than the movie itself. I
read Before Midnight on the
recommendation that it was truly terrific.
Um. Terrific, unless you are
Jason Everett Bear, is subjective and I didn’t think it was terrific. I thought it was okay as a read and never
plan to see it. Why? Nothing happens. Which is to say that plenty happens, but not
visually so it shouldn’t actually be a film.
It reminded me very much of a short story.
As a short story it was good. Nearly the entire film is dialogue. I’m talking 95% of the text is dialogue, the
other 5% is scene headings and character names.
There’s a smattering of ‘R’ material including language and almost sex,
but I suspect that’s only there so people will watch it. You could certainly cut it and still have
exactly the same conversation.
It’s two conversations, really. A running dialogue between the protagonists
and a dinner party that kicks off the second act. Okay, a third. The opening scene introduces us to Jesse
during a lopsided conversation with a character we never see again.
It’s a fairly banal conversation too. They mostly affect airs and try to sound
profound but then drop to clever and crude.
It’s meant to emulate real life and they discuss real life quite a
lot. Mostly about how real life is
nothing like a fairy tale and people don’t really fall in love forever and isn’t
everything in the world all messed up?
(Of course they don’t say ‘messed’ up.)
The voice of dissent from that world view was not very
strong and the closing scene never really answers the question although we know
precisely how the main characters feel.
I myself absolutely believe in forever love and found the idea that it
was a crock to be supported only by selfishness and a hedonistic desire to experience
bliss every moment, always right, always the hero, and always with something better
just at the next table.
Silly. Any cocaine
addict will tell you that high is relative and when you’re high you aren’t
trying to get high. It’s not being high
that makes being high seem so good. You
can’t feel appreciated unless you’re felt unappreciated first. And emotion needs to be refreshed. Like Judo.
You want to control someone with a joint lock? Don’t keep the pain on. Ramp it up and then back it off. Otherwise your opponent will get used to it
and kick your butt.
So the script itself was well written and read quickly and,
if the format was adjusted a bit, might appear in The New Yorker or The
Atlantic. The characters were well
drawn and the voices were very distinct.
It was impressive, actually. But
dull as film. Talk, talk, talk.
And it was depressing.
I’m sorry if you love it. Just
wasn’t my cup of tea.
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