what´s all the fuss about this movie?!
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Lantana
trashystuff — 23 years ago(February 07, 2003 01:42 AM)
i cant understand why this movie got such acclaim. i love quiet and slow movies that concentrate on characters, not on twisted plots, action or anything pushing, but this one what qualities does this movie have? the characters are realistic, ok. everybodys depressed, wow! but that level of realism makes them absolutely boring und uninteresting to watch. same with the plot. is there a plot?
!!! SPOILER !!!-
an overanxious lady falls off a cliff and theres a man
with a bad concience plus everbodys lives are beep.
thats it, thats all. why make a movie about it?
heres another great concept: my life - a 12hour film
about a guy standing behind a counter at mc donalds,
handing out chips n coke. "WOW it was SO REALISTIC!!!
WHAT A DEEP MOVIE! lets nominated for some prices.
-SPOILER END-
when i watched this movie in a sneak preview i was quite sure id never ever hear one single word about it for imho its one of the weakest flicks i have seen in years. so if anyone could please explain me what i missed to share everones excitement for im really confused, honestly! -
radicalmedia — 21 years ago(April 02, 2005 12:25 PM)
Actually, TRASHYSTUFF quite clearly stated that they liked slow character dramas.
Dont see FAST AND FURIOUS.
Check out Immamuras THE EEL, Langs THE WELL, Brooks JAPANESE STORY, Bergmanns PERSONA, Altmans THREE WOMEN and IMAGES and SHORT CUTS, Fritz Langs M, Cassavettes A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, SHADOWS, FACES, MINNIE AND MOSKOVITZ, OPENING NIGHT, Fellinis NIGHTS OF CABIRIA, Allens INTERIORS, ..
Lantana is at best a televison movie. Not a bad one. A good tv hour. Thats why it didnt get into any respectable European film festivals. -
tayfun — 23 years ago(February 25, 2003 12:23 AM)
next time you watch a film, imagine yourself behind the camera, imagine yourself acting in place of all the characterssee if you can come anywhere close to making yourself look as if you are feeling what they are feeling, see if you can make your eyes and your face look depressed, suprised, boring, shocked and all the things you say you find boring in this movie..and imagine yourself as the director and see what you can come up with to say to the actores to make them act the way they do
go and see a blockbuster rubbish if you want to be entertained with a brainless movie next time.. -
Katholik — 23 years ago(March 03, 2003 06:37 AM)
Eh, That's not fair at all - this film was boring, lackluster and lacking in any realy good acting.
Not liking it does not doom you to a life of enjoying brainless blockbusters, I know thats not my taste at all and this still did nothing for me. -
holerj — 23 years ago(March 10, 2003 01:21 PM)
Fair point, the acting was good. However, good acting on its own does not make a good movie. What is the movie experience? Is it to see extraordinary events and extraordinary people? Well, Lantana had neither. Is it too see a great story? The plot is what you'd expect in a 30 minute TV series episode. So all we are left with is a film about relationships. Now that would be OK if you connect with it, if you see something of yourself in one of the characters then maybe you will like it.
I'm not a fan of dumb Hollywood films but are we happy if this is the alternative? It is better than the latest Hollywood teenage horror/comedy but it is not good enough to get too excited about. I'm not saying it was bad but I'm not saying it was very good either. In 10 years time how many people will even remember it when trying to think of their favourite films? -
Howlin Wolf — 21 years ago(March 23, 2005 06:02 AM)
So all we are left with is a film about relationships. Now that would be OK if you connect with it, if you see something of yourself in one of the characters then maybe you will like it.
and some people certainly did; maybe you just didn't
That which is not yet, but ought to be, is more real than that which merely is. -
radicalmedia — 21 years ago(April 02, 2005 12:30 PM)
EXCUSE ME!
I am a fan of Pressburger, powell, Bergmann, Fellini, Cassavettes, Vardaand more. This film is not an intellectual exercise. IT is an expositional obvious tv drama! There is nothing original about these performances or the framing. No personal vision of the auteur (which was clearly demonstrated in his previous film BLISS) OBVIOUSLY ten years in advertising has blanded his personality. I would rather have seen TRASHY STUFF direct this terrible script.
If you want a list of good films..Ill give them to you. But dont berate somebody for having a very clear instinct that this is not Cinema.
Cannes Venice Berlin and ROtterdam film festival all agreed with TRASHYSTUFF. So maybe you can learn a thing or too. -
GoodFella1980 — 23 years ago(April 02, 2003 05:28 AM)
So what do you prefer?
XXX - the Vin Diesel crap or Armagaddeon - the whole lot crap?
If you want bang-bang movies treat yourself to some Swedish porno movies. I think you don't have the class to watch movies like Lantana. If your work at McDonalds suck, then JUST QUIT THE BLOODY JOB! WOW! is that too hard to muster? -
radicalmedia — 21 years ago(April 02, 2005 12:38 PM)
so now somebody has to watch a TELEVISION drama like Lantana to have CLASS? What sort of class are we talking about? Middle class? I would rather watch A SWEDISH PORN anyday. At least its epic, funny, sexy, bizarre and hopefully ORIGINAL!
Where is the poetry? Where is the nightmare? We are seduced by a TV TAWDRY COP SHOW DRAMA then our lives must be pretty safe and ordinary MR PRANAVAN.
Or maybe you have 007 ON your numberplate and you go round houses at night waking up the neighbours.This is crap.
GOOD CINEMA: check out: POWELL, IMMAMURA, FASSBINDER, COCTEAU, BUNUEL, GODARD, CASSAVETTES, RUIZ, ALMODOVAR, ALLEN, HARTLEY, HAYNES, BOGDANOVICH, PRESSBURGER, OZU, KIORASTAMI, KAURISMAKI, FELLINI, PASOLINI, FOSSE, RUSSELL, SCHLESINGER, VARDA, DEMY..AND MORE. -
scvls — 20 years ago(December 31, 2005 05:53 AM)
"epic, funny, sexy, bizarre and hopefully ORIGINAL! "
I wouldn't call those to be important for a good movie or if you want, cinema.
if the film succedes to convey it's message with what it's given, I think I'll be happy with it as a movie is a medium, not something to measure the director's originality -
jerieg — 23 years ago(April 03, 2003 10:27 AM)
Maybe when some time passes, and you have had relationships with people that involve more discussion than "do you want fries with that", you may come to appreciate Lantana, or at the very least, understand it a little better.
I am not saying this was a great film, I felt that it bordered a bit on Magnolia-gimmicky, but Lantana was involving and interesting to me, because of, and not in spite of, the fact that the characters lead lives that seem to be boring, uninteresting, and depressing.
Those are facts of life that everyone can relate to on some level of experience, and those who choose not to at least see some semblance of themselves within any of these characters are simply unwilling to see any reality at all. -
radicalmedia — 21 years ago(April 02, 2005 12:41 PM)
Magnolia was not great either. but stop taking the piss out of his job at MC DONALDS you middleclass twat? His instincts for good cinema are in fact correct.
This film was not accepted into any reputable festivals like CANNES or Venice..the europeans hated itand I personally think that the drama in this movie is overly earnest and cinematically unadventurous.
If i wanted "personal" tawdry cinema like thisI would read a self help book called Speed Healing or Emotional Molecules. Id rather get the facts from a scientist. Cinema is meant to be crazy, epic, nightmarish, inexplicablelike good art. -
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glumpy_99 — 22 years ago(May 28, 2003 04:21 PM)
Interesting. I'm a twenty year old Aussie who has 'never been involved in a long-term relationship' and I still loved it. The characters were fascinating, and the story reveals its many hidden depths and layers, (as do the characters) on repeated viewing. A comment further up said who would remember this film in ten years. I think for its weaving of plots, the tightly packed narrative, (it fits more into 108 (or thereabouts) minutes than PT Anderson (who I respect as a film-maker) could manage in his occasionally interesting, but ultimately overblown and bloated 180m.+ opus MAGNOLIA) and its outstanding performances by a gallery of talented Aussie actors, LANTANA will certainly be remembered as a landmark Australian film, and, (prediction:) one of the first great films of the new millenium, (right behind TOMCATS(!).)
That's my opinion. What interests me is that my 40+ year-old father saw the film, having been married for 20+ years (naturally!) and his opinion reflected some of those expressed here; his first comment after seeing it was, "But it was just so SLOW! Nothing happened! Who wants to see some p*ss-ant bores farting on about relationships!" What I think the missing link is, and why some may miss the brilliance of the film, is a disinterest in personal relationships. My father isn't interested in 'relationship' movies; I think he prefers movies about externalised concepts, not necessarily Michael Bay blockbusters.
I think if you are disinterested in the way human beings relate to each other, you're not going to find much to satisfy you in this film, and it has nothing to do with your place of work, or age, (although I wouldn't recommend it to very young people,) and to say that is to arrogantly disrespect another's point of view, and be virtually worthless as a participant in film discussion.
Glumpy. -
Arithon — 22 years ago(June 07, 2003 07:15 PM)
Glumpy 99. As to whom are you refering to as being arrogantly disrespectful? It does amaze me that a movie with so little exposure can cause so many emotions and thoughts to pour forth. Perhaps if you posted a question to the person(s)that piqued you so much, it is probable you will receive an answer. Truly, there must be a valid reason for such answer(s). And yes you are correct, this film is not for everyone, particulairly those of a young age.
Failte!
Arihton