10-18-2012, 10:03 AM
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Say that three times fast.
This won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, and I'm losing all confidence in my ability to judge aesthetics. I didn't like it at all. Not even a princess getting wham-bammed by a big catfish could save this one for me. The jungle settings were gorgeous. It's such a feast for the eyes to have the screen filled with a hundred shades of green. But I really wanted more to happen. The first ten minutes looked promising when this ox moved its head, but then things slowed way down.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul (say that three times fast) has clashed big time with the Thai censorship board, and many prominent figures in art and cinema (including Quentin Tarantino) have given him their support. I suspect this might be influencing the success of his films at festivals (he's a cause de celebre).
This is not my first brush with Apichatpong Weerasethakul (say that three times fast). It turns out that during my Netflix freefall into madness (watching hundreds of movies over a two-year period) I caught Mysterious Object at Noon. I mean, how can you go wrong with a title like that? It was conceptually based on the exquisite corpse game of the surrealists. The thing is, the surrealists actually believe in action. I generously gave that movie 2 stars (mostly based on the title).
What Apichatpong Weerasethakul (say that three times fast) is probably best known for is Tropical Malady (2004), which supposedly blends action with gaiety. You know, two guys meet in the jungle and have a gay time amidst mysterious cattle mutilations. Something like that. But I seriously doubt saucers and aliens ever show up, so I'm not going to show up either. I had always intended to give it a try, but now I'm thinking there are bigger catfish out there to fry (sorry, Princess).
Say that three times fast.
This won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, and I'm losing all confidence in my ability to judge aesthetics. I didn't like it at all. Not even a princess getting wham-bammed by a big catfish could save this one for me. The jungle settings were gorgeous. It's such a feast for the eyes to have the screen filled with a hundred shades of green. But I really wanted more to happen. The first ten minutes looked promising when this ox moved its head, but then things slowed way down.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul (say that three times fast) has clashed big time with the Thai censorship board, and many prominent figures in art and cinema (including Quentin Tarantino) have given him their support. I suspect this might be influencing the success of his films at festivals (he's a cause de celebre).
This is not my first brush with Apichatpong Weerasethakul (say that three times fast). It turns out that during my Netflix freefall into madness (watching hundreds of movies over a two-year period) I caught Mysterious Object at Noon. I mean, how can you go wrong with a title like that? It was conceptually based on the exquisite corpse game of the surrealists. The thing is, the surrealists actually believe in action. I generously gave that movie 2 stars (mostly based on the title).
What Apichatpong Weerasethakul (say that three times fast) is probably best known for is Tropical Malady (2004), which supposedly blends action with gaiety. You know, two guys meet in the jungle and have a gay time amidst mysterious cattle mutilations. Something like that. But I seriously doubt saucers and aliens ever show up, so I'm not going to show up either. I had always intended to give it a try, but now I'm thinking there are bigger catfish out there to fry (sorry, Princess).
I'm nobody's pony.
