O špatném filmu, or Netflix Fails to Come Through
Ok, I just watched the most depressing movie ever. It's called Zurek, and I seriously do not recommend it, at all. There was not one single redeeming feature to this movie. It wasn't even a tearjerker -- it moved past the point of poignancy, right into the territory of they're beating up a retarded girl, for fuck's sake. Hell, it was past saving in the first five minutes. Also: ugly Polish people having ugly, ugly sex. Ulch.
And it's not like I don't love a nice dark Slavic movie. But damn. This was not a movie. It was just a succession of Bad Things Happening to People You Don't Identify With. Jeez.
Also, the whole thing was filmed in very low light, and the colors were all washed-out. I know, arty, but in this case it just accentuated the despair, like what, have they never heard of a sixty watt bulb in Poland? And dammit, I've lived at that latitude, or thereabouts; it's not that dark in winter. It's...lovely. But that's beside the point.
Also beside the point is the fact that the Polish itself made it more of a downer for me personally. I love Poland, and in fact have had only awesome experiences there, but after a year and some of Czech immersion, Polish sounds to me like a Czech speaker who has been repeatedly punched in the mouth, so that the words are basically running down the speaker's chin. Not pleasant listening. (In fairness, I should add that my obsessively Pole-ophile comrade last year, Depressed Michael, asserted that Czech sounds to Poles like the speech of little children, all high-pitched and squeaky. And I can see that. But I still prefer it.)
So. Not a feel-good movie of any kind, even for me, and I love dark movies. Hell, I thought Requiem for a Dream was good, even though it put me into a three-day funk. This wasn't even dark, though. It was plotless. It was just pain, with no reasoning or justification.
Ok then. Now I need to drink more beer. And watch Tender Mercies, or possibly All the Real Girls. To get the taste out.
Also, during college I owned a movie called Raising Victor Vargas. And now I no longer do. Give it back, dammit.
And it's not like I don't love a nice dark Slavic movie. But damn. This was not a movie. It was just a succession of Bad Things Happening to People You Don't Identify With. Jeez.
Also, the whole thing was filmed in very low light, and the colors were all washed-out. I know, arty, but in this case it just accentuated the despair, like what, have they never heard of a sixty watt bulb in Poland? And dammit, I've lived at that latitude, or thereabouts; it's not that dark in winter. It's...lovely. But that's beside the point.
Also beside the point is the fact that the Polish itself made it more of a downer for me personally. I love Poland, and in fact have had only awesome experiences there, but after a year and some of Czech immersion, Polish sounds to me like a Czech speaker who has been repeatedly punched in the mouth, so that the words are basically running down the speaker's chin. Not pleasant listening. (In fairness, I should add that my obsessively Pole-ophile comrade last year, Depressed Michael, asserted that Czech sounds to Poles like the speech of little children, all high-pitched and squeaky. And I can see that. But I still prefer it.)
So. Not a feel-good movie of any kind, even for me, and I love dark movies. Hell, I thought Requiem for a Dream was good, even though it put me into a three-day funk. This wasn't even dark, though. It was plotless. It was just pain, with no reasoning or justification.
Ok then. Now I need to drink more beer. And watch Tender Mercies, or possibly All the Real Girls. To get the taste out.
Also, during college I owned a movie called Raising Victor Vargas. And now I no longer do. Give it back, dammit.
posted by ridley at 10/21/2005 08:38:00 PM
8 Comments:
req4dreem: a swift kick in the teeth, where you enjoy the salty taste of the blood in your mouth....
'All the Real Girls'?! To be fair, I don't remember the movie that well. But based on what I can remember: double *ulch*. ('Raising Victor Vargas', on the other hand, was a lovely film. Unfortunately, I haven't seen your copy of it in about 2 years. )
--Catherine
re: three day funk, don't ever EVER watch Trainspotting and Requiem back-to-back, without stopping either the TV or your alcohol intake.
bad idea. Trust me.
YOu thought Trainspotting was bad. I live in Scotland! Every day I have to walk past the ten or more junkies how just sit around the student housing doped up on the Black-tar-heroin. However, I can see why they like the stuff, if I grew up in a country where you see the sun once or twice a year, injecting drano into my vains wouldn't seem so bad. Also, good God Catherine! Write back with all the gossip; i.e. is Big John engaged? Oh I like that. Every one pass it on.
re: Raising Victor Vargas...
I didn't take it, honest.
And if you see my copy of "X-Men: The Movie," please tell it that mommy misses it and wants it to come home.
If Big John's engaged, I think we need to file a class action suit for breach of promise.
Yeah...I don't where that came from either.
requiem and trainspotting in the same day would have me lying on the floor in the fetal position for a week. however, it would be an appropriate way to end elliott smith memorial month.
Haven't seen Trainspotting or Zurek, but an imaginary dollar says "Pelle the Conqueror" wins, hands down, in the depressing category...
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