This week I'm going to give you a topic: Southland Tales. Discuss.
I watched this film earlier in the week and found myself fascinated and horribly confused. It is the most bizarre film this side of Brazil and The Fountain. I have to say that I just don't get it, but my confusion does not make it a bad movie. The story is what I find confusing. Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson) has amnesia and is living with porn star Krysta Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar). They write a screenplay about the end of the world and planetary slow-downs but it's not actually a screenplay and is really Boxer's memory. Meanwhile, WW3 is going on and an extremist neo-Marxist organization is trying to bring down the conservative government and a new type of fuel called Fluid Karma has been invented. Yeah, it's hard to follow, I know. Add to it Roland Taverner (Seann William Scott) and his twin brother (or is he?) and you've got the making of a complex storyline. The cast is pretty cool, though, and includes everyone from Justin Timberlake and Mandy Moore to Shawn Wallace, Curtis Armstrong, John Larroquette, Miranda Richardson, Kevin Smith, and half the women from SNL.
Because I still find this film fascinating despite my apparently inability to fully comprehend it, I want to spend this week hearing from all of you. If you've seen Southland Tales, please chime in to the discussion. What do you think Director and Writer Richard Kelly is really saying here? (Besides the obvious that war with the Middle East would be bad.)
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Um, yeah...I have no explanation for that film in terms of its content, but I want to talk about its creation. I have a new term for the new year, "M. Night Syndrome". M. Night Syndrome is my term for unchecked artistic hubris carried out by an individual who once combined otherworldy brilliance with worldy practicality. An M. Night Syndrome sufferer once made increadibly good things earlier in their career, only to be labeled as a genius. The act of labeling has given this individual free reign to persue any "clever" idea that strikes them and disreguard the execution of that idea. I still stick to my guns when I say that the original theatrical release of Donnie Darko is the film of the decade so far. However, the director's cut is muddled and burdened by excessive metaphysical explanations. Mr. Kelly was prone to suffer this syndrome but was obviously kept in check by someone or something. The fact that Southland Tales begins with a 20 minute explanation of current geopolitical situation is enough to let us all know that Richard Kelly has been bitten by the M. Night bug. I think this film is an attempt to critique the insanity of the Bush administration but much like Kerry's 04 campaign it fails to compromise with an era where the unreal became so real that reality had no voice.
LOL - M. Night Syndrome. That is too true.
Haven't seen Southland Tales, so can't comment on it.
But I didn't think The Fountain was that confusing. Yes, the floating bubble part was weird, but otherwise, I followed pretty easily.
Has anyone seen The Jacket with Adrian Brody? That's another weird one.
Nope, haven't seen Southland Tales. But as an aside...isn't it interesting the direction Sarah Michelle Geller's career is going in? Buffy and some teen pics, the Grudge, and now this? She's taking an odd path.
Heather and I had a long conversation about the Fountain about a year or so ago. I didn't think it was hard to follow, but there were things that didn't make sense (for no good reason). I wanted to ask the director questions at certain points just to understand what he meant because I felt I wasn't getting everything. Visually, a very attractive movie though.
I completely see the "M. Night Syndrome." What surprised me about "Southland Tales" is how much I enjoyed watching the film despite its extreme lack of coherence.
Jennica, I really like the way you put it about "The Fountain." It wasn't confusing on a grand scale, but some of the points in the story could have used a bit of explanation. However, unlike "Southland" I think viewers were supposed to question "The Fountain." I truly believe that film's interpretation greatly depends on one's own worlview and personal experiences whereas "Southland" is just confusing.
Yes, SMG's career is an interesting one. She was great in "Southland," though. And I haven't seen "The Jacket" yet.
I have not yet seen The Fountain and I am equal parts eager to see and avoid this film after reading these posts.
I have mixed feelings about M Night Syndrome. I feel cheated for buying the new Ben Folds album (he's got it bad). But then we live under a culture industry that tends to refine and polish every single one of its products to death. And by death I mean no life, no creativity, no quirkiness, no possibility for failure (which of course cheapens success), and no possibility that they might miss some target demographic. The world is full of safe choices, maybe its films like Southland Tales that keep us honest.
I would submit that Ben Folds showed signs of M Night Syndrome years ago. I'm not too familiar with his new CD, but tracks like "Narcolepsy," "Valuable Possession," and that one with the woman talking on his answering machine came out quite a few years ago. Still, Ben has written some of the most beautiful and piano-filled songs I've ever heard though, so I can keep forgiving. :-)
I also think one can recover from M. Night Syndrome. For example, I could not listen to the Harry Connick Jr. CDs of the mid-to-late '90s, they were so horribly experimental and weird. But now he's more or less back on track with swing and big band. So it is possible to recover from artistic hubris.
That gives me hope.
Songs for Silverman had at least two or three good songs on it. "Landed" is maybe one of the best songs he has ever written. But Way to Normal only has "Cologne" which might have been a B side on Whatever and Ever Amen. Maybe "The Five" kept him in check but now he has free reign. Also, after his third divorce Way to Normal is borderline mysognystic to the point of even making my uber-hetro male friends uncomfortable.
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