Sunday
Desired qualities
I just finished watching Down by Law, and have mixed feelings. So: it's funny, and unpredictable, and the cinematography is beautiful. But a lot (not all) of the ways in which it's funny are just schtick, and while unpredictable is nice (one certainly can't predict from the setup even the vague outlines of the rest of the film) nonsense is also unpredictable, and I can't give the film too much praise just for that. But it's hard for me to understand some of the praise the film has received. I think this is mostly because the characters are (purposefully) underwritten. And it's really hard to make a great film in which the characters don't, and don't appear intended to be, inspire an emotional response. This is not to say great films have to be emotionally manipulative...well, actually it is, but not in the sense where manipulative implies the film is trying to cheat in order to influence your emotions. Rather, in the sense that the film desires such an effect. This post is incomplete in terms of explaining both the negatives and positives I perceived in the film, but I'm having trouble stating them anymore fully.
Also, Octopussy may have the worst of the Bond theme songs.
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Also, Octopussy may have the worst of the Bond theme songs.
