EPISODE 361: BETWEEN THE CRACKS
In this episode, Tyler and David discuss some lower profile movies of 2013 that deserve a look.
Recent Theatrical Reviews
Recent Home Video Reviews
COMMENTARIES
PREMIUM EPISODES
In this episode, Tyler and David discuss some lower profile movies of 2013 that deserve a look.
Tags: battleship pretensiondavid baxpodcasttyler smith
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That was me, that was me!!! #amazeballs #GuestAppearance
David, your opening rant was great! However, unlike you I really responded to The Way, Way Back. Out of curiosity, why did you hate it? Also, how could you hate Rockwell’s character?
It’s the screenplay. It’s both thin in terms of characters and way overwritten in terms of dialogue. Rockwell’s character is the chief example of that.
– David
Yeah, I can see what you mean there. That’s how I viewed the world as kid though, so I guess it just resonated with me personally. I’m not very objective. What did you think about Rockwell’s performance though? (I loved him, and he’s one of the best and most underrated actors working today.)
Sorry, add “I think” before the “he’s one of the best…” part when your reading it. I don’t want to seem like anybody who doesn’t share my opinion is wrong.
Personally i think he’s great, especially in Moon but i hated him in this film, the whole manchild thing was hard to watch.
I especially liked the part where a bunch of people CHEER ON THE PROTAGONIST when OTHER PEOPLE PUPPET HIM into dancing. Really summed up the profound terribleness of that film.
I’ll admit that was the worst scene of the film. It was terrible. Oh well, looks like I’m in minority here.
Wasn’t “Totes Amazeballs” the title of that song from The Lego Movie?
David, just when you pull me in (Drinking Buddies is my #10 for the year) you push me away (Short Term 12 is my #2). I say this as a genuine compliment and with slight frustration: When it comes to film criticism, you and Armond White are kindred spirits.
I love Short Term 12 too but if we all did we’d get a slew of terrible sequels, Short Term 13 anyone?
I feel like I have to ask what you mean by The Bling Ring “doesn’t judge its characters”, ’cause the sense I got was that while the actual direction of the script is at least trying not to judge, the construction of that script and the narrative itself were far from generous.
We only ever get a sense of these people as shallow and artificial (excluding maybe the Watson character’s breakdown as the police force her into the car), and I feel like while we understand why it is that they’re able to feel entitled to the things they want, we’re never given any real sense as to why they actually want them- the attraction feels entirely arbitrary and abstract in the moment.
I’m also really bothered by the faux-legitimacy of the home-schooling scene, which is mostly just adapted form the person the character’s based on’s reality show, despite the fact that the Vanity Fair from which the film is adapted specifically mentions that the show’s producers took an active hand in feeding the characters lines.
I guess ultimately I felt like the film itself gets kinda caught between wanting to truthfulness and truthiness, but there’s enough invention in there that I feel like more could’ve been done to humanise the kids it seeks to analyse.
Sorry for the mess of a comment, I saw the film like ten months ago and have just badly paraphrased a discussion I had from then here.
(I’m also sorry if this comes across as an attack, I’d legitimately love to hear you guys’ take)
I think the kind of “humanization” you’re looking for would tip too far in the other direction. I’m glad the film didn’t pass judgment but if it went too far in an attempt to make the characters sympathetic, it would be coddling both to them and to the audience. Maybe these kids really don’t have any humanity beyond what we saw.
– David
Good stuff, guys. I was glad to hear You’re Next and Drinking Buddies get some love.
Also, as of yesterday These Birds Walk is on Amazon Instant and iTunes (and probably other places) for rental or purchase. So, thanks for the recommendation, David, even though I’m definitely in the camp that thinks you’re wrong about Short Term 12.
I’m glad you explained The Secret I didn’t know what it was an actual book, I just thought it was something Leslie Mann’s character made up herself. I’m more with Tyler on The Bling Ring I do think the editing is different, not only that but also the soundtrack is very different, the cinematography (although she always changes that) use of different film stock. I really think Sofia was trying something different with this one. She was definitely trying to capture the essence of this decade and I think she succeeds. I’m happy that it’s the movie you dedicated most time to in this episode 🙂 Definitely in my top ten for the year.