23. února 2017

Review: 20th Century Women - a rare piece of subtle art [9/10 A.S.]

1. 20th Century Women was a delightful surprise for me. I didn’t really want to go see it. The title didn’t appeal to me - who wants to watch a movie titled whatever- women? After the horror of "The Women" and the much, much better but still not very enjoyable Certain Women, I felt like I had it with whatever-women movies. Plus the description: "a single mom parents her teenage son along with two young women who help her " made me worry even more. And then I saw the name Greta Gerwig. Miss Gerwig usually makes me feel really irritated with movies she is in, since I find her performance insufferable. Not for a lack of talent, she certainly is a very talented lady, but something about her usual manners rubs me to wrong way. And its hard to say why. Maybe it is because more often than not she is cast as somewhat neurotic (and to me one-dimensional, therefore uninteresting) basket case. And I was afraid it was going to be the same this time around.

2. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong. On everything. The movie broke the spell of whatever-women flicks being bad. The description of the plot, while accurate, cannot communicate the beauty of the film and the depth of the characters portrayed in it. So: don’t be put off by it, there is no need. And no, you do not need to be a woman or a feminist, to enjoy the movie.  It’s a "normal" coming of age film. While the movie does mention the word “feminism“ quite often, it is not a "feminist" movie (certainly not in the misused scary way), and what’s more important - it can make fun of itself, its female protagonists and even feminism. A quality that, I find, the real-life examples of feminists often seem to lack. 


there seems to be a slight hormonal imbalance in this room


3. But the best surprise for me was Greta Gerwig. The same woman who made me walk out of two film screenings already (Frances Ha and Maggie’s Plan) was one of the best things in the movie. It seems that with her role of Abbie, the feminist, punker, friend and a babysitter in one, she was finally allowed to portray a character that wasn’t supposed to be irritating. She has made a step toward this in Jackie already, but completed the transition here in the 20th Century Women. I marveled in her beautifully calming yet plot stirring and powerful presence in every scene she was in.
 
aaaw, you like my movies?


4. Many talk about Bening’s performance in this piece. And don’t get me wrong, it was great. I especially appreciated her almost naked face, which I still find as enticing as it was in 1989  in Forman’s Valmont. But Annette Bening is simply wonderful in everything. She was awesome even in the shitty Women film that portrayed women as sad caricatures of themselves. The fact this 4 times Oscar nominated actress hasn’t won the award yet is ridiculous, and I believe 20th Century Women should have taken home more nominations than just the one for the best original screenplay.

Dangerous Liasions. Plus a cat.

5. Now, it is kind of ironic that such a marvelous film about women was written and directed by a guy. But in the end that doesn’t matter. Mike Mills brought us a powerful film, that had an amazing ensemble cast, where even Elle Fanning was given a chance to truly shine in a quality movie, after a series of questionable choices this talented actress (or her agent) has made.
 
California Dreamin'


6. When you consider this is only a third full-feature movie from Mike Mills, whose  previous work includes the (also semi-biographic) Beginners, a high-quality shtick about his father, a long time closeted gay, who only finds courage to come out in his late seventies, you have to admire how much got accomplished with so little experience in full feature movie making. The only other example I can think of from recent history is the revelation that is Tom Ford as a director, who’s Single man as well as Nocturnal Animals were both amazingly well done. And maybe it is no coincidence - because Mills also dabbles in design (albeit graphic design) and his eye for visual beauty shows in his movies as well.

whats wrong officer, the female is not driving, don't worry!

7. There is not much point talking about the plot of 20th Century Women. You must experience it for yourself. It’s a light drama with light comedy combined, its magical, gentle, yet powerful. A story about Dorothea, a single mother trying to do the best for her teenage son, I think describes it the best. One of the scenes closer to the end offers something unique and rare to see in movies these days: when Dorothea (Bening) explains to her teenage son Jamie why she did what she did, watch out for his answer. Spoiler: where the son says he was fine as he was, and he is fine being brought up by just a single mother. To me that was one of the highlights of the script, along with the reason that Julie (Fanning) gives as for why she has sex with (presumably so many) guys and the scene where young  Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann - what a clap back after the horrible Sinister 2) reads about female orgasms and other hard-core feminism stuff to his mother. Film: 8, Genre: 9. Entertainment value: 10

True romance. Minus the Bates motel weirdness.



8. What I didn’t like about this movie? Apart from its somewhat bland title? Nothing. For me it wasn’t too slow, for me it didn’t lack anything, it didn’t focus too much on a past era, and it certainly didn’t portray women as peripheral. Yes, it wasn’t some unique piece of filmmaking that would redefine cinematography or its genre, sure, but it was so well crafted and presented, and so endearing and human, that the word "art" really belongs to it in my eyes.

now everybody, repeat after me: menstruation


9. What I liked about the movie? The cast did a great job. Billy Crudup as Dorothea’s friend and tenant was a good choice. In a completely different role after his serious reporter in Jackie.  The cinematography was intriguing. (Sean Porter - Greenroom). The music in the movie was a big part of the movie's appeal for me, and not just because its set in the seventies and has a great soundtrack. I also enjoyed both the light and dark humor in the film. Be it talking about menstruation at a dinner table, in one of the least obnoxious scenes including menstruation that ever made it on screen, or when the teenage boys talk about how to make women cum and why it might be a good idea -  it always felt served at the right moment with just about right amount of cringe and laughter to go with it.

but...I dont even know what menstruation is...


10. Who is this movie for? For everyone who likes seemingly simple stories talking about seemingly simple matters from our everyday life. For those who liked the movie Paterson, (directed by Jim Jarmush) but wished it had a bit more humor in it. For those that grew up with single mothers. For those that have sisters. For those that have any women around them or were young once. For those that like the music from the seventies and want to see what life in California was like back then. And for those that just want to enjoy a good filmmaking for 2 hours, without realizing the movie really has 120 minutes.


where is my Oscar?

36 komentářů:

  1. Přísahám, že jsem četl A rare piece of subtle shit! A to o tom filmu nic nevím. Až budu mít čas přečíst si recenzi, přečtu si recenzi. Zatím jen hádám, že film zpracovává skutečné události, kdy se ze společnosti 20th Century Fox oddělila jednak skupina žen, která založila společnost 20th Century Women, jež se soustřeďuje na feministické filmy, jednak skupina žen, která založila společnost 20th Century Foxy Ladies. Uhodl jsem?

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  2. Sakra, mi to nekdo prepnul do cizi reci, hazim na to piece of subtle shit a du.

    OdpovědětVymazat
  3. Tyhle anglický experimenty prosím ne.

    OdpovědětVymazat
    Odpovědi
    1. Ale no tak…. no tak pisu jednu z deseti recenzi anglicky. no a co?
      Zrovna ty anglicky prece umis, ne?

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    2. Ajvngou: ty mas superschopnost uchazet se o nejvetsiho tydyta kterykoliv komunity.

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    3. Please go moku!

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    4. Najednou je corvus docela fajn clovek, vidte?

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  4. me nejvic dostal zpusob kterym nekdo dokazal vyjadrit neco jako "ty zensky to musely mit docela tezky" aby to nevyznelo nejen didakticky nebo tlacene ale naopak az dojemne; ta hudba delala dost asi

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    Odpovědi
    1. jo ta hudba me taky okouzlila. a prekvapilo me jak me ten film oslovil. jak pisu v recenzi, puvodne me nezaujal, skoro dokonce nazvem i nametem odpuzoval, prave protoze podobny pribehy mi vetsinou vyznej tlacene nebo nejak moralisticky. tohle byla fakt prijemna zmena.

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    2. © 1988 Didaktik Tlacenka

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  5. Jsem rád, že moje kvalitní komentáře mají takovou silnou odezvu. Něco dělám zřejmě dobře. Jsem rád součástí komunity.

    Okamih: Munko jsem neznal, urban dictionary vysvětlil, dík.

    Mýval: Já si nevšiml, že jsou tady anglický recenze, zatím jsem poctivě pročetl jenom leden, únor, březen 2016, takže to pro mě bylo takový nic moc překvapení. Anglicky moc dobře neumím, používám google translator a seznam slovník, takže je to pro mě celkem dřina něco přeložit, natož si takhle počíst. Tak příště už budu vědět.

    Anonym1: Makám na tom, ještě to není úplně dopilovaný.

    Spimfurt: Na tvůj report o nutriích tohle samozřejmě nemá.

    OdpovědětVymazat
    Odpovědi
    1. aha a proc ja mam pocit ze umis anglicky hodne dobre a delas dokonce titulky? mylim se?

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    2. https://cs.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veš_muňka

      snad je to neobratny pokus o trolovani a ne prvoplanova picusoidnost

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    3. Titulky (amatérský) dělám, ale já jsem spíš takovej samouk, co nemá ten skill, aby i po sedmi letech koukal na filmy bez titulků nebo četl bez škobrtnutí New York Times. V tom jsem pořád máslo.

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    4. jsi krestan? navstevujes nejakou komunitu krestanu?

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    5. Ajvngoue, jsi frantiskuv nepriznany bratr? Chytry, vtipny a hezky ste uplne stejne. Jako dvojcata.

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    6. ČO: Já roznáším Strážní věž.

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    7. stale jeste muzes byt krestan ktery se za to stydi; nebo ktery si mysli, ze dela humor tim, ze si mysli, ze mezi krestany a jehovisty je nejaky (podstatny) rozdil; jsi krestan a navstevujes nejakou komunitu krestanu?

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    8. Anebo je to velmi konkrétní odpověď na typ mého křesťanského vyznání. Teď nevím. Úplně jsi mě do toho zamotal. Ježiš...

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    9. Ja myslim, ze je treba pohlednout pravde do oci a priznat si, ze ackoli jehouni jsou podmnozinou krestanu (byt se zprasitelem pribitym na cool), sovetskej Ivanhoe to jeste na Straznou vez nedotahl a zatim jede jenom Probudte se! Coz byste ovsem udelat meli.

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    10. To nebyly notorie, ale undatry.

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  6. Bylo tady hezky.... samy prijemni lidi tu byli....

    OdpovědětVymazat
  7. Bavili sme se tu o filmech a o kozach a ted tady budem resit toho picuse. To je jak na horske draze, jen bez toho aby se aspon chvili jelo nahoru. Proste jen pad do hlubin.

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    Odpovědi
    1. neboj, v pondeli bude recenze na skvele Get Out, ve kterem je Milton z Office Space a k tomu prima gore, to ti urcite navrati chut do zivota.

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    2. Radeji bych sex, ale treba ta recenze bude lepsi. Nez sex.

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    3. Sex je pro n00by, pravej 1337 reloaduje nutrie-ondatry.cz co 5 minut a prudi ajvngoua. To je teprv ten pravej pozitek.

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  8. Odpovědi
    1. nutite mne do opozice….

      ajvngo - necht ti buh nadale zehna, jinde i tady, si vitan. minimalne do odvolani.

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  9. Ja si myslim, ze sem lezou jen ztroskotanci s koprem a ze by se to tu melo na primluvu zmocnence pro lidska prava zavrit.

    OdpovědětVymazat
    Odpovědi
    1. kopr je ale to co vsichni mame spolecneho, do toho nerejpej!

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    2. No prave. Kdyz vas vidim, tak se za sebe stydim.

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  10. pro mě za mě, ať jde ajvngou kam chce. hlavně ať tam neni internet, aby mě nemohl na mých oblíbených webech šikanovat svou přítomností.

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  11. to jako vole se ted tady povedou nejaky zasrany krestansky disputace pod kazdou reckou jo? fakin veda

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    Odpovědi
    1. To sis splet, fakir je muslim a veda patri k hinduismu.

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