Just finished Red Road. Good choice.

 

I loved the first half of the movie. Great set up and a very interesting way to introduce the story. I actually found myself more connected to the developing story because I had no idea where it was going or why she was watching him, and I caught myself really concentrating on the footage just so I didn't miss anything.

 

There was a really gloomy, foreboding mood over the movie that made it almost uncomfortable to watch, but not to the point that I didn't enjoy it. Being from Scotland I didn't struggle with the accents as much as some others may have and I think they did an amazing job of depicting what life is like on those kinds of estates. So often filmmakers get it so wrong and it ends up being an overly cliched, almost charicatured version, but they did a fantastic job here.

 

As for the performances, they were excellent. I tend to find that the acting is so much more natural in movies like this. It was filmed almost like a documentary, not like a movie at all. That kind of filmmaking lends itself to a different kind of performance from the actors, and they did a great job.

 

There were definitely two distinct halves to this film, but I feel like they did a good enough job of trying to use a technique that almost mirrored the view we got from the CCTV cameras. It connected the scenes and, as another poster already said, it brought things full circle at the end.

 

So, it's definitely not for everyone, and the scenes mentioned above (I really need to figure out how to do spoilers in my posts) were gritty and harrowing, and pretty graphic, but it's a well made movie with great, natural acting. It's easy to see why a film like this goes quietly under the radar, but it's definitely worth a watch.

Just finished The Truman Show having never seen it before. It was a pretty enjoyable viewing and as Iz mentioned, I appreciated what it was doing. I loved the flashback scene on the beach with Sylvia and the interview that was done with Christof. The ending works very well too I thought, with his last words and the viewers finally switching channels, I didn't feel it required anything more. The glimpses of the viewers watching Truman were really good, I loved the different elements coming together such as them, the 'product placement' that took place particularly with Laura Linney's character and the way we saw the backstage crew feeding lines to an actor at one point. It felt very well cast, Jim Carrey worked very well as the lead.

 

I'd give it eight out of ten but although I loved different parts and aspects of the movie and appreciate the theme, I wouldn't say I LOVED the movie as a whole, there was just something getting in the way so I wouldn't go back to it time and time again. But it's a 'classic' very well-known movie that I hadn't previously seen and now I have so ^_^.

I watched The Truman Show again last night. God it's absolutely fantastic. What a great movie.

 

I don't think I fully appreciated the messages it was trying to get across when I watched it for the first time years ago. The entire end sequence and the conversation between Truman and Christof is stunning. And the very last scene still speaks volumes about how we become so obsessed with reality tv stars until we decide to look for something else. Then, we just forget about them and move on.

 

I know for a fact that I'll go back to this movie many times over the next few years. It's an absolute gem.

 

So that's both films done. Both great. This thread's a bit quiet though, no?

Edited January 22, 201411 yr by PaulM1983

Yes TOO quiet...

 

Having seen both a few times now, i would definitely support the argument that they grow with repeated viewings. Obviously with the nature of this club it's often difficult to arrange even a single viewing, but the way that they both oddly work there is a lot to be gained from re-watching if anyone gets the chance.

 

'The Truman Show' in particular, i never realised quite how ahead of its time it is. Enjoyable on the surface with plenty of clever montages and hints, but in the grand scheme of things i think it came just before the big reality boom really took off (particularly in the UK) - but correct me if i'm wrong on that. It's almost a scarier concept than 'Red Road' in that the entire world knows more than you, and makes me feel quite insignificant when i think about it. A very important film, perhaps more important today than on the day of its release? Carey is brilliant, his toned down "character" doesn't verge on annoying and he plays the Everyman really well. I agree with the post above about the futility of the reality-star; although predictable for me, it's a very clever ending and a nice way of closing the chapter on something that seemed so significant to everyone's lives in the film.

 

'Red Road' as i've mentioned briefly i enjoy A LOT. It's the reverse of TTS in that it's a much more dilapidated setting and the cameras obviously have different purposes. Good to hear from Paul that it's actually quite a realistic portrayel of life in these estates as films often over-glorify their lives or completely offer an unrealistic representation of the "poverty". I'd say it's wonderfully acted throughout; the film forms part of a series of films whereby the same actors/team are used and so it would be interesting to see the follow-ups (if they've even been produced yet :unsure:). Jackie particularly sums up perfectly the under-rewarded heroine and there's something really compelling about her character (and Clyde's too, though his is mostly a mystery that is over too quickly as someone said). Even when she acts in unwarranted manners, i still feel sympathy for her when i probably shouldn't. I adore the way what we see in the cameras become a reality in some moments (the final scene particularly as i mentioned), and the relationship between Jackie and her viewing (fondling the dial, looking up into the camera when in danger) is really quite powerful and probably the most apt representation of this meta-cinema theme.

 

I prefer 'Red Road' of the two (9/10 vs 8/10), but both are significant films i think particularly with those overtly aware of the camera. I think the issue that some people have highlighted with 'Red Road', in that the reveal isn't as shocking as you thought, is perhaps due to the camera technique - you almost get completely desensitised to what's happening because they merely become figures on a screen and you're repeatedly made aware of this.

I need to remember to watch both, got 10 minutes into The Truman Show and got side-tracked.

Sorry all, been so bloomin' busy lately I haven't had time, will watch Red Road and get my thoughts in tonight.

I've seen The Truman Show quite a few times so I watched Red Road last week (and kept forgetting to review it ooops). I might watch Truman again and write something for that, but for now all I have is a crappy post on Red Road. :D

 

I REALLY enjoyed the first half. I love the whole idea of surveillance (obviously not supporting it per se, but I just find the whole thing bizarrely interesting) and it worked really well for a while. For some reason I clicked that

Clyde had killed her daughter and husband

as soon as she took out the newspaper clippings she had of him in her flat, so perhaps that took away from the second half of the film a little bit because I knew why she was following him and why she did what she did. I still enjoyed it and the setting was excellent (seedy estates mmmm). What I found a little weird about the film was the sex scene. It by no means weirded me out and I wasn't phased by it, but it just seemed out of place. I know that with the style of the film it wouldn't had made much sense to 'fake' it or edit it in such a way to make it less graphic, but it still came across as too in-your-face.

 

I agree with Bal in that I felt oddly sympathetic towards Jackie, even if she was a bit dark and twisty (the condom thing eewww) and I was hoping for her to get a happy ending but I guess that would be far too obvious. I also loved the girl from London (can't remember her name) and you could tell that she was perhaps out of her depth in that estate. I just wanted to buy her a train ticket and send her back south.

 

I think I would've enjoyed it a lot more had it kept the surveillance style throughout the film as, like I said, the second half didn't excite me much because I knew what was going on already. Overall though, a great film that I'm really glad I got the chance to see. I'd give it an 8 for the intrigue. Perhaps it's worth viewing again. I might add a few things in if I get the chance to rewatch it. ^_^

What I found a little weird about the film was the sex scene. It by no means weirded me out and I wasn't phased by it, but it just seemed out of place. I know that with the style of the film it wouldn't had made much sense to 'fake' it or edit it in such a way to make it less graphic, but it still came across as too in-your-face.

I don't think i've quite made full sense of the sex scene either. I'm not sure if it's completely misplaced like you say or if it's the most daring/essential part of the film. It's obviously borne out of her need for revenge towards him, and the lengths she'd go to getting it but what a way to show this. I always find it difficult to watch after being so used to seeing them from a distance (similarly when they're dancing together in close proximity), as well as the subject matter of course.

I do plan on doing this at some point over the weekend! Probably Sunday. But hopefully earlier.

Warning: this review is rather TL;DR and there will be very few points that haven't already been mentioned.

 

-x-

 

The Truman Show: I saw this a few weeks back for the first time, was always one of those classic movies that I'd never seen and I'm glad I have now. The film was very enjoyable and I think did a very good job of masking its very dark subject matter with a light hearted feel. Jim Carrey was excellent in this - he's done so many comic roles that I can see some find him hard to take seriously, but Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind showed he can, and so did this as far as I'm concerned. You really were rooting for Truman all the way through and I also thought the movie did a good job of building up to a great climax as I

just wasn't convinced he'd be able to escape

 

 

The movie had a great premise definitely, still very much relevant today as it was back then - the concept of everyone watching someone and the whole life being a fabricated reality is just so true these days - I mean just think about it - fake friends/family (hi social media), product placement fitted in just about everywhere (well, look around you), all your memories/worst fears being public to everyone etc. The whole concept of

a man in the sky pulling the strings is also slightly scary, think conspiracy theories etc.

It says a lot that after

The show 'ends' that the audience then frantically look for something else to watch, the whole cycle just continues.

 

 

In terms of what could've been improved, I wasn't massive on the ending in general

As Iz said, I would've liked maybe a bit about what happened after he got out, and if anything, the ending may be misleading in terms of hope for this 'prisoned' life being over as if anything it became more and more possinble afterwards what with Big Brother and all, but I couldn't have wanted him to fail all that said, as he was far too likeable and it wouldn't have fitted in with the tone of the film

 

 

Overall, this was a great film with an excellent premise, I think I'd give it around an 8.5. I think it did a great job of projecting a really quite horrifying Orwell-esque world of constant surveillance but masking it with that eternal hope and little bit of tapping back to humanity even in the technological age. It was a 'hopeful dystopia' if you will.

 

Red Road: I'd never heard of this prior, so I was intrigued after watching it I'm feeling a bit...mixed.

 

I liked the concept of a constant surveillance, and like The Truman Show, it documented a very scary concept of someone watching us with all the power but unlike that which used humour, it glossed it over with a real sense of realism. I mean if you were in her shoes and you saw a man like that from your past, would you resist the sense of using that power to track him? For this reason, I thought the main character was very good, she was very natural in her role. The whole cast were good actually. The film did a really good thing of taking something natural (I mean it actually exists) and making it seem like a terrifying concept, again the 'man pulling the strings' feel.

 

However, I feel that the concept could've been taken further and it wasn't. For a start, it could've at least been twenty minutes shorter as some scenes didn't feel all that necessary. Plus the big reveal at the end just didn't come as all as surprising as it could've been, probably because by this point the film had dragged on a bit too much. I did like others find the accents a bit hard to comprehend at times, but that's not necessarily a criticism as they were necessary as part of the film. I felt fairly indifferent about the

sex scene

, it was possibly one of the most explicit I've seen, yet, like Cal, I wasn't convinced it was really needed.

 

I loved the naturalistic feel of it and all, but I do feel that, as per the points I mentioned above, it could've been a lot better. I'd give it a 7/10 I think. In terms of what sort of dystopia it is and a comparison to The Truman Show, I feel instead of showcasing a fantastical world which is still has extremely dark undertones, it offers a reflection of modern day humanity and surveillance, so may not seem like a dystopia or a hidden message, but I think if you look deeper, it questions you of the things we don't often realise about ourselves, and the things about the world we don't often think about.

Edited January 23, 201411 yr by Chez Walrus

'Hopeful Dystopia' is an interesting way of summarising 'The Truman Show'. But then i'm not sure how hopeful i actually find it. Do we really know where he's heading at the end & if he'll make it? But i suppose given he'll go from being the biggest name on the planet to seemingly forgotten by all it's quite a bitter ending to the whole "reality"-saga so in that sense it's quite uplifting in that it removes those barriers.

 

Going to be prepping for the NEXT instalment very soon so try and watch on and comment if you have time :D

I will definitely try and make time to watch 'Red Road' this week (got time off college so no excuses)!

I will be watching these this week. I've got them queued up!

'Hopeful Dystopia' is an interesting way of summarising 'The Truman Show'. But then i'm not sure how hopeful i actually find it. Do we really know where he's heading at the end & if he'll make it? But i suppose given he'll go from being the biggest name on the planet to seemingly forgotten by all it's quite a bitter ending to the whole "reality"-saga so in that sense it's quite uplifting in that it removes those barriers.

 

Going to be prepping for the NEXT instalment very soon so try and watch on and comment if you have time :D

 

I mean 'hopeful' in the sense that it's not the sheer terror that's projected in the somewhat 'classic' dystopia such as 1984/Brave New World etc., in that there's still a sense of freedom that can be achieved for humanity despite the world they live in. Although the ending scenes after it perhaps detract from that message, when it just shows the 'cycle' kinda continuing

with finding something new to watch etc. showing a certain shallowness

 

I watched 'The Truman Show' for the first time (ever) the other day and I enjoyed it. Didn't quite "love" it, but I did really like it, all the same. The concept was original and unique, as well as it feeling very fresh and current. I knew it was an old-ish film, but I was shocked to find out it was actually released in 1998! I was thinking it was more 2006/7. Quite possibly my favourite Jim Carrey role since 'The Mask' (which I need to see again at some point), mainly because I find Jim Carrey pretty annoying and an actor who depends too much on his "funny" facial expressions, but he was definitely a lot less annoying in this.

 

I loved the little love story they had going on and how they went about it all and also his "trophy wife", being used for advertisement and product placement was pretty genius. It is scary how realistic it is and I honestly could relate to it in so many different ways.

 

07.5 out of 10.0

 

Very charming, likable and lovely. A very good film, that should be recommended to people.

Right then, I had seen The Truman Show a number of times before, but not for about 10 years probably and actually watching it again I liked it more than I remember and also viewed it very differently. I haven't read what anyone else has said really, so I'm sure much of it's the same as has been said so apologies for that. First off, it was a very entertaining film on a basic level, well paced, well structured and written. It also features what I think is easily the best Jim Carrey performance, I know most of the time he plays ludicrously over the top characters, but this felt just as real and believable from him. Loved Laura Linney and her knowing nods to camera for the product placement, which as both funny and also quite telling about how things work on US TV.

 

Thematically I picked up on a lot more than I remember having done so previously. Truman as the wide eyed, niave, almost childlike (or at the very least young teenager) at the start, desperate to fit in but throughout the course of the film he realises that actually he doesn't have to fit in and he is free to be who he wants to be. I guess Christoff is supposed to be like a diety almost, but I also started to think of him as viewing Truman as his own child (assuming he doesn't have any of his own, an inference I also made) and then he lashes out/is angry/disappointed when he tries to leave and break away from what he wanted for him. Then there's the whole voyeuristic, reality media thing too, which was very well done. I do think a lot of people now have this weird desire to know about every detail of the lives of the famous people they view on TV/film, and also obviously on the myriad of ''reality'' shows. That's obviously a dangerous thing, both for the people and for the people on the show, which I thought was handled well at the end especially with the guards like ''lets find something else to watch'' and of course the general feeling of the viewers living through Truman.

 

So yeah, overall I'm going to give it an 8.5/10

 

Red Road

 

So yeah, this was an odd film. I like the idea behind it and the general 'you are being watched' (which I can now only say in the voice of Michael Emerson) aspect of it, but it was too long and the big reveal was incredibly obvious from about half an hour in so I was just willing it to happen/be over. I think the sex scene, despite being pretty intense, fitted the feel of the film quite well. Too often I see sex scenes on TV and they are just stupidly tame and pointless, but in a film as 'real' as this I'd have felt cheated with it being done in any other way really. Kate Dickie did some excellent work and really sold the character and her motives and desires to me, though again, it was kind of wasted due to the other aspects of the film. I can't say it's something I'd ever want to watch again really, it offered an interesting glimpse into the power the people behind the CCTV have and how they can wield it for good, or for bad, but yeah it was a long, LONG slog of a film really. 5/10

ROUND 2 will be coming as soon as next week!

 

We'll be accepting any ideas for themes/films via PM so if you have any particular interests please do get in touch. This thread will remain open while new ones run for anyone that re-watches or wants to add to the discussion at any time. Thank you for the response to the films so far, hope you've enjoyed them.

 

We will also be building up a bank of films that go with this theme for any further viewing so if you have any suggestions for that too, feel free to post here or via PM again :D