It is a montage, but it's played low-key enough that it doesn't feel rushed. It's just us watching them work. I love the bit where Hunt is studying the senator's voice and mannerisms on film.
"Just don't chew it," and Cruise's reaction are hilarious, and one of my favourite lines in the film.
Yes, they feel *real*, and that's the big key. Morpheus' team and the M:I team feel like they are really friends just doing their jobs and talking. They aren't saying one-liners, they aren't spouting exposition, they aren't making quirky monologues, they're just talking.
I have a feeling these are characters that the writers, the actors, or (likely) both put a lot of effort into. Like, if you asked Kristen Scott Thomas about Sarah Davies, she probably could have (at the time, anyway) taken you from childhood to recruitment to how she knew Jim and Ethan. She could have told you how Sarah feels about each member of the IMF team. I believe that the Wachowskis knew who the Nebuchadnezzar's crew was down to their mitochondrial DNA. That's how we get such strong design choices (Switch's all-white vibe, Mouse's adorkable demeanour) and those design choices and acting choices make us feel like these people could be real and start relating to them.
It maybe is unfair to compare an action/superhero movie to a "classic vibe" sci-fi, but it makes your point well. The dialogue feels natural.
It makes me wonder what these films had in terms of rehearsal techniques and how the directors set the performers up? Was it just audition until they found perfect people?
Oh, speaking of casting: Kristen Scott Thomas and Emilio Estevez being reasonably known actors is a great tease for the act one "closer" results... you never see it coming.
But the casting is perfect in both films. Apoc has so few lines, but Julian Arahanga manages to be memorable.
The way they're shot matters, too. The look exchanged between Switch and Apoc while they're hooking Neo up, for instance.
I've been trying to think up more films that pull this off, this fast-fire empathy for a team in film, and there aren't many. I love the Ocean's Eleven team, but I don't find them as empathetic as the M:I and Matrix crews. Maybe they're too slick?
Maybe Star Trek? Thinking more about the original series here, but consider how little comparative screentime somebody like Sulu or Uhura get (vs. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy) against how much fans love them.
reply
share
acidraindrop (3055)
2 years ago
That's a good point. You're right. We know that actors often come up with these sort of backstories to fill out their actions, and interactions. But obviously the degree to which these things are fleshed out vary, with some input from both the actor and the direction. That's why the M:I montage works out so well. We feel like we're seeing a glimpse of who these spies are in the middle of their lives, a day on the job. I feel like actor selection is important but I do think a lot of it has to be written ahead of time for it to work (or a director who has this vision that he can share with his actors).
I don't know if you've seen the Before trilogy with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy but people have often observed that their acting seems like they're improvising. But both actors + the director have said over and over again that every look, every gesture, is completely scripted. And I think that adds a lot to the naturalness of it all.
I mean, think about any heist movie really. A good heist movie should have that. Like, I do love Inception. I love the quirks. I love the way they play off each other, and they all seem to have complex personalities. But their interactions don't give me the same reaction I do to the M:I crew, and I think I hadn't really noticed that until now lol.
I haven't seen the original star trek, but that would make a lot of sense. Like Firefly, right? That would explain why these stories would have such a strong legacy among fans.
reply
share
Ace_Spade (9350)
2 years ago
Agreed: it has to be there on the page or else the director and actors have (at best) an uphill battle. One of the coolest things about something like a film, television program, radio show/podcast, or stage production is that they are very much collaborative media. It's not like a painting where one person created it, it requires an array of artists (and a supportive crew) to build it all up.
I haven't seen the Before trilogy, and it's a big gap in my film viewing experience. I've heard great things. I'll watch it some day.
There are a few things like that, where it sounds improvised, but it's tightly scripted. I believe The Office, the UK version, is that way. Very little improvisation.
Of course, either way can work. Curb Your Enthusiasm is a brilliant show and they make up every line on the spot. But, the thing people forget is that Larry David has a really tight outline and has created brilliant characters (even if only exaggerated versions of his celebrity buds). Those two restraints allow the (talented) performers the room to make stuff up. Not to mention editing... (editors are unsung heroes).
I think improvisation gets too much credit for moviemaking. I think people like to imagine their favourite stars being fountains of artistry, just getting deep into character and rattling off whole scenes, but it doesn't work like that. When they do go way off-script I often find it detracts from the movie (a whole other rant I won't get into, but I think that's a major reason why The Green Hornet movie didn't work - Seth Rogan was improvising and encouraging improvisation in an action film that needs tight timing).
Good call on Inception: it's a great movie, but I don't get the "real people, good friends" vibe. I like the characters, but they don't have the vibe.
You're right to highlight Firefly. I think we see this kind of chemistry thing more on TV. I think they might put more effort into it because character relationships sustain shows over 10+ seasons, not just plot. I think this is why Friends is a great show. The writing is funny enough, but the obvious magic and love between the six leads is what makes it click.
reply
share
acidraindrop (3055)
2 years ago
Highly recommend the Before Trilogy. I found out about it very recently, noticed the gimmick, looked up the gimmick, but found that the movie is far more than that. Coming to know these two through these brief encounters is a delight. And I feel like they're some of the most genuine interactions of dyadic romantic relationships in a film.
The bit about Curb Your Enthusiasm is good point. Detailed storyboarding and backstories allow for effective spontaneity. Which kinda is related to what were saying earlier about having very naturalistic interactions. You're right, both methods can work.
Agreed about improvisation receiving too much credit. This is totally offtopic but this reminds me of how...and I'm no professional, but I do write poetry as a hobby. And many times when ppl are complimenting my writing, they usually presume that I was speaking from the heart or writing in a stream-of-consciousness way. But my better works are generally meticulously crafted. I'm sitting there, reworking the lines, the diction, to make sure I am expressing exactly what I want to express. And THAT is something that I think is worth lauding: deliberate expression isn't lesser simply because it's not spontaneous.
TV Shows also have the added benefit of actual real time too, I think. These actors are constantly working with each other, for far longer hours than a movie that wraps up in like a month or so. One of my favorite shows to watch is Leverage, which is honestly, not my cup of tea at all (not really into the quirk action/comedy genre), but I think it stuck on me so much because of the chemistry within the team. They really function like a found family and it shows, through their subtle expressions and playfulness with one another, and that value goes beyond anything that the story alone gives the viewer.
reply
share
Ace_Spade (9350)
2 years ago
The Before Trilogy is high on my list, yeah. Awhile ago, people on this site were talking (and arguing) about the best-ever movie trilogies and a LOT of people mentioned it. (For the record, my choice of top trilogy was the Three Colours Trilogy).
Great point about poems. Writing in general is misunderstood by a lot of people, too, who seem to assume every writer is Jack Kerouac, rolling a continuous sheet into a typewriter and banging a draft out over several sleepless days, but most books were crafted through many drafts and re-written extensively. They were also planned and thought out (in the mind if not on paper), and while spontaneous creation exists, it doesn't look like writer's block for seven weeks straight followed by a "Eureka!" moment and creating 600 pages of genius novel overnight.
I love that point you make at the end about what's worth lauding. We should celebrate dedication to craft and people who work hard at art, not just the (fictional?) mega-geniuses who make brilliant art in an afternoon.
TV shows do have more time, yeah. Maybe I'll check out Leverage if I get a chance. To me, that's the power (or mark) of great writing and a great production/cast: if you're watching it despite not being a fan of a particular genre.
reply
share
acidraindrop (3055)
2 years ago
Ooh! Three Colours has been on my list (I saw a list on social media discussing great cinematic trilogies lol).
Precisely about the whole spontaneous genius. I think the imagery of some talented soul erupting in greatness is just more exciting for people to imagine, rather than slaving over X time, hammering and hammering until something of acceptable shape has been formed.
It's definitely easy watching. Fairly saccharine. But I think the team of high tech conartists make for some exciting capers, even if it pushes the bounds of credibility in some cases XD
reply
share
Ace_Spade (9350)
2 years ago
It's a loose trilogy, with shared characters showing up in a couple cameos between films, but the beauty of those films is amazing. Each is great in its own way, although my favourite was Red.
Sudden onset genius is also a simple narrative. We don't want the tedium. There's a scene in LA Confidential (the film) where the detectives have to spend a lot of time sifting through files, and it's just drudgery. They're just going through folders looking for (I don't remember...a name...money trails... whatever) something and they can't "CTRL-F". It's not exciting. I love it. It shows how much effort and work needs to be done on a job. Not that I want every movie to be people looking through files or anything...
I think it's the same with narratives. We prefer "Brilliant actor burst on the scene out of nowhere!" Instead of "Person studies dramatic arts in high school, another three years at theatre school, plus classes on the side, and does community theatre and indie gigs for eight years before getting noticed enough to get a magazine cover." We also prefer, "I just wrote a novel last night!" to "It took me ten years from idea to finished book."
Maybe it's because people keep some little, fading orange coal of hope within them, like they think if those narratives are true then they might write that world-changing novel tomorrow, they just are a little too busy right now.
The hard work narrative is way better. You want to be a good detective? A great actor? A successful novelist? It's hard work.
Pushing credibility with high tech con-artists sounds fun. I don't need every movie to be realistic or anything...
reply
share
acidraindrop (3055)
2 years ago
Oh, I'd thought I'd responded to this. But yeah, definitely want to check out Three Colours. I like the idea of a loosely connected trilogy like that. And I'm assuming all three films share a general theme? Or is it more of, three distinct themes per the corresponding color?
Yeah, you've pretty much nailed it. Many people are drawn to that 'burst of genius'. At the superficial level, it is more exciting than the slog. But yeah, I definitely appreciate seeing the process too (I still gotta watch LA Confidential. I missed the timing when I was younger, and never went back to it). And it can be a breath of fresh air. I think I've mentioned this to you or someone else, but it's kinda like how I wish Mission Impossible films at this point weren't just about the end of the world. I like having that sometimes. But it's also nice to see what IMF might do for a "typical" job. It's not as exciting as Tom Cruise trying to avert a nuclear explosion but I think it'd be fun to see still.
Hmm, good call on the idea that people might have "some little fading orange coal of hope". I never quite thought about that. That probably plays into it too.
Yeah, I'd definitely give Leverage a shot. You'd probably get a feel if you like it after the first episode or two.
reply
share
Ace_Spade (9350)
2 years ago
There are some themes, like love and loss, that go through all three films, but they definitely have different vibes and their own aspects of life that they explore. It's hard to explain; if they weren't "a trilogy" officially, one might not connect them, but they also make so much beautiful sense as a unit.
Spy movies get really fun with low(ish) stakes. Life and death, of course, but I observed awhile ago that a lot of my favourite spy movies are almost contained within the world of the spies. In From Russia with Love (my favourite Bond), they're stealing decoder machines, playing cat-and-mouse with honeypot traps, and engaging in the dance between MI6, Soviet intelligence, and SPECTRE. What happens if our heroes lose? The balance is off, I guess, but it's all spy-world. Civilians wouldn't be affected (or, they would, but abstractly - like, "SPECTRE with power is bad") Same with Mission: Impossible. The NOC list isn't valuable to anybody except spies, as an offensive or defensive tool. They're inner worlds. Then there are films like The Lives of Others...
All that is to say, "Yes, I would rather like to see more typical jobs and routine." In the Intelligence world, even routine is fascinating.
The best way to take care of that orange coal is to do something right now, of course, but most people ignore it and let the hope turn to smoke. The time to follow a dream is now.
I'll add Leverage to the list. Thanks for the recommendation!
reply
share