[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Maybe you're just not in a fucked up family.

Not everything needs a plot to be engaging.

[davenotdead]

little miss sunshine is pretty great...makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. and carrell and arkin are hilarious....but don't compare it to Tenenbaums, as that is one of the greatest things ever.

[king_buzzo]

tenenbaums were gay. i hate these kinda movies.



i hate new movies they're absolutely talentless

[luxinterior]

Originally Posted by SpectralJulianIsNotDead

Maybe you're just not in a fucked up family.

Not everything needs a plot to be engaging.

My family is so fucked up, probably much more than most here. And I'm seeing what passes for "fucked up" in these movies and it's nothing like the real thing. But that's beside the point, because you're basically saying that for a movie to resonate with someone, they would've had to gone through something similar to what the movie is portraying. And that is complete bullshit. A great movie (or even just a good movie) wouldn't have those boundaries. I've never seen a movie that comes close to telling a story close to that of my own family's, but I have many favorite movies that I consider to be great movies. I'm just asking for a little more originality, and vision.

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

My favorite movies are the ones I can relate to the most. Not neccesarily the events, but the way the characters feel.

[luxinterior]

That's almost exactly what I'm trying to get across. The problem is that I'm seeing more and more movies that try to portray dysfunctional families as they really are, as well as the sometimes alarming events that have taken place that contribute to that dysfunction. Unfortunately, most of them fail miserably because the characters don't react honestly. Of course the script writer can sit down and think of a dozen clever ways in which Character X can respond in any given situation. That's part of the problem though, when you have these filmmakers who set out to realistically portray things like the breakup of a family, drug addiction, taboo relationships, etc, and yet their characters are more subhuman and unbelievable than ever. Each filmmaker usually has their own agenda, their own shtick, that they rarely challenge. This is before they even start writing/making their movie. The film suffers because of it, because the film is much bigger than the person who sat down and wrote the script. It's just an overall feeling that I get when I've watched the movies that I mentioned earlier. Like the characters were lifeless.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by luxinterior

I didn't really like the Tenenbaums movie either now that I think about it. It wasn't completely horrible, but there have been a lot of movies made of late that are in a similar vein, that being the OH GEE LOOK AT HOW QUIRKY OUR FAMILY IS, HOW WILL WE EVER COPE vein. Or maybe I'm the only one who is sick of seeing this act as a substitute for an actual plot.

but hey it wasnt about the weirdness it was just very funny! oh funny funny. and a great soundtrack too. i loved that movie. of course it was all a big joke.

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Royal O'Reilly Tenenbaum (1932-2001) Died Tragically Rescuing His Family From The Remains Of A Destroyed Sinking Battleship

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

I'm very sorry for your loss. Your mother was a terribly attractive woman.

[Alex's Trip]

Originally Posted by luxinterior

That's almost exactly what I'm trying to get across. The problem is that I'm seeing more and more movies that try to portray dysfunctional families as they really are, as well as the sometimes alarming events that have taken place that contribute to that dysfunction. Unfortunately, most of them fail miserably because the characters don't react honestly. Of course the script writer can sit down and think of a dozen clever ways in which Character X can respond in any given situation. That's part of the problem though, when you have these filmmakers who set out to realistically portray things like the breakup of a family, drug addiction, taboo relationships, etc, and yet their characters are more subhuman and unbelievable than ever. Each filmmaker usually has their own agenda, their own shtick, that they rarely challenge. This is before they even start writing/making their movie. The film suffers because of it, because the film is much bigger than the person who sat down and wrote the script. It's just an overall feeling that I get when I've watched the movies that I mentioned earlier. Like the characters were lifeless.

I don't think that you can say that for The Royal Tenenbaums though. None of it was at all realistic. A family full of geniuses? A professional tennis player, a playwright, and a business man all at very young ages (and a mescaline addicted author, if you count Eli Cash). None of that was supposed to be realistic, and neither were the issues in that family.

[luxinterior]

Originally Posted by Alex's Trip

I don't think that you can say that for The Royal Tenenbaums though. None of it was at all realistic. A family full of geniuses? A professional tennis player, a playwright, and a business man all at very young ages (and a mescaline addicted author, if you count Eli Cash). None of that was supposed to be realistic, and neither were the issues in that family.

I know enough families who basically breed success to say that the situation of the Tenenbaum family wasn't what motivated me to to call it a movie that tries to be realistic but fails. When I say realistic in this case, what I mean is that the problems they face in the movie are ones that aren't too often portrayed in more mainstream movies. And because there's rarely anything "real" about blockbuster movies, when you do find a movie that actually does talk about family dysfunction of whatever type, it's often praised for its realism. And that movie was mainstream enough for me to be able to compare it to big box office movies. So take for example the issue of incest in that movie--it's not a topic you hear a lot about in the really popular movies, but that doesn't mean a movie is being "unrealistic" if it addresses the issue. What I'm talking about, when I'm referring to realism, isn't so much the situations the characters find themselves in, but rather how they react in those situations. So I really couldn't care less about them being a family of geniuses or whatever, and still having a shitload of problems, because that's fine and doesn't really have an impact on the realistic qualities of the movie as I see it. It could be set in space for all I care. I just didn't feel for the characters, is what it comes down to. Yes, I know it's supposed to be a dark comedy, or whatever, but I've seen enough of those in the past to know when it works and when it doesn't work. The Royal Tenenbaums didn't work for me. And that other movie with the long title definitely didn't work for me either.

[davenotdead]

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou? I like this one less than Tenenbaums...but Bill Murray is a genius, the funniest man in showbusiness, and arguably the best actor out there....at least Top 10.

[krastian]

Originally Posted by SpectralJulianIsNotDead

I'm very sorry for your loss. Your mother was a terribly attractive woman.

Exactly......Tenenbaums was a great movie.



"But I have high blood pressure!!!"

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Originally Posted by luxinterior

I know enough families who basically breed success to say that the situation of the Tenenbaum family wasn't what motivated me to to call it a movie that tries to be realistic but fails. When I say realistic in this case, what I mean is that the problems they face in the movie are ones that aren't too often portrayed in more mainstream movies. And because there's rarely anything "real" about blockbuster movies, when you do find a movie that actually does talk about family dysfunction of whatever type, it's often praised for its realism. And that movie was mainstream enough for me to be able to compare it to big box office movies. So take for example the issue of incest in that movie--it's not a topic you hear a lot about in the really popular movies, but that doesn't mean a movie is being "unrealistic" if it addresses the issue. What I'm talking about, when I'm referring to realism, isn't so much the situations the characters find themselves in, but rather how they react in those situations. So I really couldn't care less about them being a family of geniuses or whatever, and still having a shitload of problems, because that's fine and doesn't really have an impact on the realistic qualities of the movie as I see it. It could be set in space for all I care. I just didn't feel for the characters, is what it comes down to. Yes, I know it's supposed to be a dark comedy, or whatever, but I've seen enough of those in the past to know when it works and when it doesn't work. The Royal Tenenbaums didn't work for me. And that other movie with the long title definitely didn't work for me either.

You must just be heartless. I feel for all the characters.

How are the reactions unrealistic? When Eli almost kills his kids, Chas chases him down and tries to beat the shit out of him. I've done the same for much smaller offenses.

When Richie finds out that Margot is with Eli he punches through a window. I've punched walls when I've been angry, my older brother punched a wall and broke his hand, my little brother punched through a window.

Chas being completely cold to Richie's attempted suicide isn't unrealistic either. There are lots of people like that.


And even if you don't find it interesting- the movie is beautifully shot frame by frame, the soundtrack is killer, the jokes are funny, etc.

Although Rushmore is my favorite.

[luxinterior]

Originally Posted by SpectralJulianIsNotDead

You must just be heartless.

You say that as if I've shot a man just to watch him die.

It's a movie...and not a very great one at that, along with the others like it.

Perhaps I'm just a right-minded person.

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Originally Posted by luxinterior

You say that as if I've shot a man just to watch him die.

What do you mean as if? You know you did.

[luxinterior]

Fuck, you saw that?

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by SpectralJulianIsNotDead

You must just be heartless. I feel for all the characters.

cmon man, don't be a tithead. did you know hitler used to cry at the opera? then he went on to burn 6 million jews. a reaction to a work of fiction or a performance has nothing to do with being "heartless". if you followed luxy's posts more often, you'd realize you're talking out of your asscrack.

anyway for whatever reason she didn't like the movie-- a loss because that movie kicks ass and it's fucking hilarious-- not for whatever portrayal of "dysfunctional" situations but the absurd fantasies that the characters live & wes anderson usually portrays.

for "realistic" fucked up shituations you have to get into the documentary field and we know there aren't many "mainstream" documentaries. but i'd suggest hm let's see no im too sleepy right now. i remember this italian documentary where the dude was a slasher-- he'd cut his own belly whenever he felt like shit about something. and he was a real person i mean not some... oh i am TOO MUCh in need of coffee to be writing anything right now...

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Sarcasm !@#$%!

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by SpectralJulianIsNotDead

Sarcasm !@#$%!

god damn im particularly stupid this morning. its the lack of coffee. im doing my best to catch up with the world but my fucked brain refuses. COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

i waited too long, see, this morning. had to walk to the coffee shop. by that time imbecility had encrusted its claws in my brain.

that's it, im done for the day. i give up on achieving any sort of mental clarity. i should go get drunk instead. a lunch of beer and whiskey it is.