04-23-2019, 11:03 AM
Not really Doom fodder, as there's no action scenes, and it's more character-based, slow-moving, about a small-town doctor increasingly concerned about the welfare of his nephew (his brother's parenting skills are suspect), and ultimately traveling into the countryside searching for the nephew when he disappears under mysterious circumstances.
If this sounds straightforward, it's not. There's a mystical, labyrinthine aspect to the later goings, where the doctor is interacting with people from his past, present, and maybe even future as he travels through a beautiful subtropical countryside.
The highlight of the movie is one scene that lasts 41 minutes. It's not perfect. How could a 41-minute shot ever be perfect. But it's hypnotic to watch, full of "how did the camera manage that without a break?" moments. Very ambitious, as the director seems to take all the things most difficult to put into a shot and does them all. So many people, speaking parts, settings, modes of travel, key emotional moments, reveals, you name it.
To my mind, the director has a valid reason to encapsulate all these things into a single scene, so it doesn't feel as gimmicky as, say, the Snake Eyes opening.
Again, really not a Doom movie, but might warrant some attention for this shot alone.
FYI, Gan Bi has a new movie out, Long Day's Journey into Night (2018), which is receiving high marks, and which oh-by-the-way includes a one-hour shot.
If this sounds straightforward, it's not. There's a mystical, labyrinthine aspect to the later goings, where the doctor is interacting with people from his past, present, and maybe even future as he travels through a beautiful subtropical countryside.
The highlight of the movie is one scene that lasts 41 minutes. It's not perfect. How could a 41-minute shot ever be perfect. But it's hypnotic to watch, full of "how did the camera manage that without a break?" moments. Very ambitious, as the director seems to take all the things most difficult to put into a shot and does them all. So many people, speaking parts, settings, modes of travel, key emotional moments, reveals, you name it.
To my mind, the director has a valid reason to encapsulate all these things into a single scene, so it doesn't feel as gimmicky as, say, the Snake Eyes opening.
Again, really not a Doom movie, but might warrant some attention for this shot alone.
FYI, Gan Bi has a new movie out, Long Day's Journey into Night (2018), which is receiving high marks, and which oh-by-the-way includes a one-hour shot.
