The release of The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a perfect opportunity to revive one of the several blogs I never have the time to update, although at least I don't have to worry about the future of my "franchise." ;) Having read tons of absurdly venomous reviews of Carter and Spotnitz's latest endeavour, having witnessed the collective foot stomping (Carter didn't give us aliens, Anderson and Duchovny look older, what a cheap film) I have to say it's not only the quality of the "civilian" viewing public that is going to the dogs these days. Critics/reviewers/bloggers are not exactly paying attention, either. Does that come as a surprise? Hardly. Hasty judgments, blurb-like hostilities, proud ignorance: that is the everyday reality on the websites devoted to film.
A couple remarks I posted elsewhere, after the first viewing of the film:
http://community.idealistshaven2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29148&page=2
I'm not at all surprised it produces such extreme responses. I sort of admire Spotnitz and Carter’s courage. Mind you, it doesn’t seem to be paying off now, with the avalanche of bad, oftentimes needlessly aggressive reviews and comments, but give our movie some time. In the world obsessed with youth, glam and all things spectacular, TXF: IWTB dares to offer you something very down to earth, ostentaiously modest, acknowledging the passage of time, yet ultimately strikingly true to the heart of the show.
Ten years ago, in The X-Files: Fight the Future I saw two absurdly glamorized characters who were truly afraid to believe. In TXF: IWTB Scully and Mulder are back, finally allowed to be four-dimensional human beings, to deal with their obsessions, insecurities, remorse and love, to really talk. And I feel like spending more time with them. 9 months ago I wouldn’t have believed it to be possible. I thought the new movie would be like the trailers I saw today in the cinema: all for pseudo-scary horrors or s-f productions - the massive yawn-inducing nonsense that passes for entertainment nowadays.
Quoting oneself is always embarrassing, so here's are some new material, or rather a couple of observations after the second viewing:
- The film gels much better: the editing and cinematography seem very well-thought and consistent, though not particularly earth-shattering.
- At times I had a feeling I'm watching a sort of auteur take on the series as such. I do not necessarily mean all the winks for the sake of the faithful X-philes, or the fourth wall breaking scene after the credit. It's more about the way the central motif of the series, the issue of scepticism and believing, has been presented here. Carter's cameo in the film (the director is sitting in a thoughtful pose, embracing a white urn in one of the hospital scenes with Scully) pretty much illustrates how he approached his most well known product: as something close to heart and personal. And I greatly appreciated it.
- It struck me even more than the first time how well the main characters are written and played by Anderson and Duchovny. Anderson, in particular, gives a gut-wrenching, layered performance which is on par with some of her best work in films such as The House of Mirth and Straightheads. She gives the film an emotional gravity and effortlessly, it seems, makes even the more questionable lines work. That the actress does not grace the big screen more often speaks volumes about the cluelessness of the US film industry. That she will appear in Ibsen's A Doll's House in Donmar Warehouse next year proves to me not everyone is clueless about her acting talent.
A couple remarks I posted elsewhere, after the first viewing of the film:
http://community.idealistshaven2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29148&page=2
I'm not at all surprised it produces such extreme responses. I sort of admire Spotnitz and Carter’s courage. Mind you, it doesn’t seem to be paying off now, with the avalanche of bad, oftentimes needlessly aggressive reviews and comments, but give our movie some time. In the world obsessed with youth, glam and all things spectacular, TXF: IWTB dares to offer you something very down to earth, ostentaiously modest, acknowledging the passage of time, yet ultimately strikingly true to the heart of the show.
Ten years ago, in The X-Files: Fight the Future I saw two absurdly glamorized characters who were truly afraid to believe. In TXF: IWTB Scully and Mulder are back, finally allowed to be four-dimensional human beings, to deal with their obsessions, insecurities, remorse and love, to really talk. And I feel like spending more time with them. 9 months ago I wouldn’t have believed it to be possible. I thought the new movie would be like the trailers I saw today in the cinema: all for pseudo-scary horrors or s-f productions - the massive yawn-inducing nonsense that passes for entertainment nowadays.
Quoting oneself is always embarrassing, so here's are some new material, or rather a couple of observations after the second viewing:
- The film gels much better: the editing and cinematography seem very well-thought and consistent, though not particularly earth-shattering.
- At times I had a feeling I'm watching a sort of auteur take on the series as such. I do not necessarily mean all the winks for the sake of the faithful X-philes, or the fourth wall breaking scene after the credit. It's more about the way the central motif of the series, the issue of scepticism and believing, has been presented here. Carter's cameo in the film (the director is sitting in a thoughtful pose, embracing a white urn in one of the hospital scenes with Scully) pretty much illustrates how he approached his most well known product: as something close to heart and personal. And I greatly appreciated it.
- It struck me even more than the first time how well the main characters are written and played by Anderson and Duchovny. Anderson, in particular, gives a gut-wrenching, layered performance which is on par with some of her best work in films such as The House of Mirth and Straightheads. She gives the film an emotional gravity and effortlessly, it seems, makes even the more questionable lines work. That the actress does not grace the big screen more often speaks volumes about the cluelessness of the US film industry. That she will appear in Ibsen's A Doll's House in Donmar Warehouse next year proves to me not everyone is clueless about her acting talent.
No comments:
Post a Comment