Have you seen this Swedish movie called As It Is In Heaven? Everybody raves about how great it is. It got nominated for best foreign film, and has been playing at Cremorne Orpheum for longer than any movie in Australia ever. The truth, though it may hurt, is that it is not a good film.In a nutshell, we have a very dull, unattractive main character, who is some disgruntled conductor bloke, who finds himself in a small town trying to teach an amateur choir of misfits and quirky characters, who are slow to take to this high falootin' city guy. Yawn. So yes, basically it is just The Mighty Ducks Join The Choir.
If you look past the 'feel-good'ness of this movie, and the heart warming 'pathos', you can see it for what it is -- a two hour Hallmark card in Swedish.How many movies fit this formula-- big time coach reluctantly tries to mould small time team in to greatness in time for big competition. Chapter skip to finale, where a panel of hard nosed judges stand applauding the little engine who could. No thanks.
My Grandma insisted that I watch it, and organised a viewing night at my place, and also roped in my sister. Now get this. Midway through, the female lead decides to get her kit off, and is parading about in the nuddy. Not just topless, but bottomless as well.So put yourself in my position-- I am sitting watching full frontal nudity with my wife, my sister, and my grandma. Not good, valued reader, not good at all.
11 comments:
Benno, Benno, Benno.
I loved the movie and so did kel. It was certainly not the typical feel good ending you might normally see from the drivel i like to watch.
He was not good looking, yes. Perhaps Brad Pitt or George Clooney may have satisfied your need to watch beautiful people. I think there was a little more message behind the drama associated with the choir and their individual stories had a some substance. A bit of social commentary goes a way to helping a film and the nudity, well, I for one can't comment on your levels of discomfort but unless you would like a repeat of another Jane Austen tale, then yes, people in love will act irrationally and so silly things.
Now, the ending....bitter sweet in the washup, but perhaps, he should have lived and he and jenny blonde boobs could have started their own choir on the hill in swedeville with all the kids they had living happily ever after?
top movie, i had a cry.
man up and feel some emotion young scribe....
I still love ya Beej.
Your arguement only proves the movies poopness.I don't need to watch beautiful people, but if you are going to have an old, pock marked dude as yr protagonist, at least give him a bit of charisma so we don't hate him.
And you missed my point on the nudity. My problem was not the nudity but with watching it with my 87 yr old grandmother.
And you say there's a message?? If there was one, it was a very icky one.
I have heard so many rave reviews of this movie I've felt guilty for not seeing it yet. Maybe I'll leave it a while longer.
I loved Les Choristes and I don't think any choir movie could top that one.
The movie's poopness?! Lol...Ben, I was going to make some deep, profound social comment but has forgotten it the moment I read that sentence. You and Pete can respectfully disagree...on ALL the movies that you watch.
AY
You are seriously harsh!
I haven't even seen the movie and I like it :)
well Bonnie, don't let my oppinion stop you. If so many people thinks it's great, well, I am probably the odd one out. But still, my point is that just because a movie makes you weep doesn't mean it's a great film. I just don't like when something is so formulaic, and well, contrived.
AY- I think the more Pete and I disagree in our movie tastes, the more general harmony there will be in the world.
Ali- Somebody has to be harsh or else you get all sorts of evils just being accepted as beautiful and touching. Anne Geddes, for example.
That said, go see the movie everyone, you'll all probably love it. But don't come crying to me when you wake up one day feeling like somebody has been pulling your strings the whole time.
I have a movie for you: 4 months, three weeks, 2 days. Not one hallmark moment, not one smidgeon of pathos, not one beam of sunshine in it ...
Won the Cannes Palme d'Or last year - and if it doesn't make your blood run cold, nothing will.
But you see Ali, it is not that I don't like heartfelt stuff and pathos, and warmth. I love it. What I hate is when it is manufactured and shoved down your throat. 'Oh, here comes the heartfelt bit, so bring in some swelling music to underscore it, and zoom in close on the character with the quiverring chin.' It's too noticable, and therefor feels fake. If something is touching, it can stand alone without trying to wring every bit of soppiness from it.
To go with the Anne Geddes arguement, babies are amazing little creatures. Take a nice photo of one, and it will be touching. You don't need to dress it up in a bee suit, stick on antennae and perch them inside a giant flower.
:) OK, I am with you on the Anne Geddes point. I adore my nieces, but I have this horrid photo of them with wreaths on their heads surrounded by sunflowers and fairy wings and whatnot. And now I find myself speechless as I can't comment on the film cause I haven't seen it!
But, seriously, I mentioned 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days because it is a very powerful film - even though terrible. It deals with heart-wrenching material in all it's bleak, bleak reality. There are moments when there is no music, the set's so dark you can hardly see it, the "no nonsense" approach is chilling ... and in the ending is just, well, miserable. But it's real.
I might check that movie out, but to be honest, it sounds like the sort of thing I steer clear of. I find stuff like that way more disturbing and upseeting than all the horror movies I watch. Those are not real, and I can separate myself. But this sort of thing sends me spiralling in to despair.
So I guess to sum up, I want real emotion, not overblown emotion-- but I need the story to have some sort of hope, or else it feels like being put through the wringer for nothing.
Yes, I hear you. That is why Sleeping with the Enemy scared me witless - real life horror.
But I have a film for you: Once. I just watched it and sooo loved it. Lots of harmony singing for you.
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