Double Review, Garden State and Constantine
Garden State
I didn't find Garden State particularly enjoyable, but I didn't exactly find it a waste of time. In some ways I sort of felt the film as more of a small documentary of someone's few days of being at home with strict rules of recording everything, exciting or not. It was interesting watching the film because it sort of reflects how life is in Fort St. John, moreso the fact that it shows a bunch of people who have set up shop/life in their hometown, faced to live in it in some form or matter. Whether it be sucessful, a complete loser or a person just biding their time until they leave.
The problem with this film, (which is also refreshing) is that it's so anti climatic. There's no real jumps or bumps on this venture of this person, but a series of events which otherwise never put the characters in any real difficult situations or choices, except at the end. But the end again is one that has been played out so much, that even being different or in this case being normal has become cliche. However the emphasis is on how real the characters are, basing them on weird little antics and some real life situations.
***.5/*****
Constantine
Well the verdict is in, and I particularly enjoyed this film. I don't really know much about Hellblazer in general, other than the scant experience I had with Constantine in the Sandman tradepaperback. And I'm a sucker for the occult. But what I found interesting about the film is that it was approached more as a film, than a comic book adaption, more that anyother comic book adapted film that I have viewed. Often when comics have been adapted, there is more of an emphasis on copying/translating the art of the comic, than creating art with the camera. And I feel that Constantine has kinda balanced between making a good film and a good comic film.
What I also found interesting about the whole film is that I think it struck a really great balance between humour and more serious parts. The thing with comics is that they have this inherant comedy in all forms of their writing. Whether it be dark, sort of twisted or just cheesy, it's interesting to see this comedy because in the comic universe, they are taken deadly serious. In the film, I find it interesting that some of the more humourous moments translated into that kinda humour. Not necssarily appropriate but not especially cheesy. Much like how a hero spits out a one liner that we think is cool, yet pathetic in real life, Constantine has taken movie universe humour and applied it to this film.
Ultimately I thought it was a good film, but not so great that it deserves anymore than what I should assign it because it entertained me. I do realize that some of the dialogue is pretty horrible, that fans can be pretty much angry at the translation, and that sort of brings down the score a bit. But I can't be really that bias.
***/*****
Garden State
I didn't find Garden State particularly enjoyable, but I didn't exactly find it a waste of time. In some ways I sort of felt the film as more of a small documentary of someone's few days of being at home with strict rules of recording everything, exciting or not. It was interesting watching the film because it sort of reflects how life is in Fort St. John, moreso the fact that it shows a bunch of people who have set up shop/life in their hometown, faced to live in it in some form or matter. Whether it be sucessful, a complete loser or a person just biding their time until they leave.
The problem with this film, (which is also refreshing) is that it's so anti climatic. There's no real jumps or bumps on this venture of this person, but a series of events which otherwise never put the characters in any real difficult situations or choices, except at the end. But the end again is one that has been played out so much, that even being different or in this case being normal has become cliche. However the emphasis is on how real the characters are, basing them on weird little antics and some real life situations.
***.5/*****
Constantine
Well the verdict is in, and I particularly enjoyed this film. I don't really know much about Hellblazer in general, other than the scant experience I had with Constantine in the Sandman tradepaperback. And I'm a sucker for the occult. But what I found interesting about the film is that it was approached more as a film, than a comic book adaption, more that anyother comic book adapted film that I have viewed. Often when comics have been adapted, there is more of an emphasis on copying/translating the art of the comic, than creating art with the camera. And I feel that Constantine has kinda balanced between making a good film and a good comic film.
What I also found interesting about the whole film is that I think it struck a really great balance between humour and more serious parts. The thing with comics is that they have this inherant comedy in all forms of their writing. Whether it be dark, sort of twisted or just cheesy, it's interesting to see this comedy because in the comic universe, they are taken deadly serious. In the film, I find it interesting that some of the more humourous moments translated into that kinda humour. Not necssarily appropriate but not especially cheesy. Much like how a hero spits out a one liner that we think is cool, yet pathetic in real life, Constantine has taken movie universe humour and applied it to this film.
Ultimately I thought it was a good film, but not so great that it deserves anymore than what I should assign it because it entertained me. I do realize that some of the dialogue is pretty horrible, that fans can be pretty much angry at the translation, and that sort of brings down the score a bit. But I can't be really that bias.
***/*****
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