6.3.06

光影筆記本57/Caché

I left the cinema feeling perhaps i could not appreciate films like this one. I'm sure some think it's marvellous, and it's liked by perhaps nine out of ten; film critics whose stuff I read every weekend already said they thought highly of it. But...

But I couldn't really see where the point of this alleged 'masterful piece' is, and my biggest problem is I find that I care very little about any of the characters, not even sympathising the children, as I usually do. It's not that I can't see they're suffering, I can, but I need to know more about why, what's wrong, and what next. OK, some say the film's politically complex, and the historical event(s) should be taken into consideration. However, apart from domestic violence and the man's isolation, and some indirect/direct verbal assaultive confrontations, I don't see much tracing of those factual matters being dealt with using cinematographic language to provide explanation of any level.

It did make me rethink about some issues like racism, privacy issues, and the relationship between inner fear and personal weakness owing to some childhood traumas; it is arresting and special, but I don't think I would have missed anything if I hadn't seen it at all. Why do I feel this way? I don't know... 'Nerve-janglingly uncomfortable'? No, I didn't feel that, either...


I think I'm going to try and get some free tickets to our opera house for Puccini's La Bohème..

3 comments:

jennywren said...

Hiya Wanyu

Yeah, I totally know what you mean. At least you are brave enough to say you didn't like it~~ I can't even do that, I just say it's good (probably because the critics do). However, i didn't enjoy it or really see why it was so great, and like you I didn't particularly like the characters. But I guess there are good parts if we look beyond all that. What annoyed me the most was the ending (hardly an ending, really!)

Can you get me free tix too for La Boheme? I love Puccini.

Richard said...

I really enjoyed the film! I thought it was gripping the whole way through, well acted and really cleverly shot (the points where it wasn't clear if you were watching the real film or one of the videos).

I didn't like the characters much either, but that doesn't mean I'm not fascinated by them (I liked the Talented Mr Ripley, after all). I thought Juliet Binoche was a bit too hysterical, but that's the script's fault and not hers.

The ending initially disappointed me and annoyed me a lot, but only because I wanted to know what had `really' happened. But eventually it just made me think about the issues the film addressed, rather than being dependent on the story.

Not that I'm saying stories aren't important.

Anonymous said...

Jens,
BBC just wrote and said there're two tix to La Boheme under my name! 17 March that is! You've got to come back to see it with me!

Richie,
i like what you said that 'the point is where it wasn't clear if you were watching the real film or one of the videos'
but it's just a director's trick...