Dennis D. McDonald (ddmcd@ddmcd.com)consults from Alexandria Virginia. His services include writing & research, proposal development, and project management.
This is definitely a movie to see in the big screen. It’s not just the detail, it’s the vast scope of the landscapes presented — keeping in mind that all of this is supposed to be taking place inside the head of an 11-year-old girl!
Speaking of stunts, it is interesting to compare what’s on display here with a Buster Keaton movie like The General which was released on February 5, 1927. That movie involved an extended locomotive chase along with amazing stunt work that still make one’s jaw drop.
I wonder what Keaton would think about this movie?
It’s an oddly sterile middle class urban future that’s presented here and one where all annoying visual corners seem to have been knocked or sanded off.
The bond between the two characters is never clearly understood. Master and pupil (as the title implies)? Or two dissimilar peas in a pod, one reflecting the other?
This is not your typical Stathan action movie. I enjoyed it along with the excellent direction and beautiful nighttime photography. The thick English accents are a bit tough to follow at times but if you just follow the movement and the eyes you’ll be fine.
When all is said and done, though, this is Peter O’Toole’s movie. The sensitivity of his performance is amazing to watch. We are fortunate to have a record of such performances
Ari Folman’s THE CONGRESS is a feast for the eye and the imagination. On it I hereby bestow my coveted ONE OF A KIND tag though I must admit that some of the other films in that category seem now to pale in comparison with Folman’s masterpiece.
One thought that popped into my mind at first about Fallen Angels was “style over substance.” That’s simplistic. Yes, there’s a ton of style here. There is also a lot of substance. It’s just that the substance is not the feel-good or warm-and-fuzzy type; at times things get really dark. How the movie is photographed supports that. But it’s a movie well worth watching.
I’m glad I saw this film, it’s a pleasure to see something that’s grounded in reality but sufficiently fantastic to the point where the dividing line between the two becomes blurred.