grraston, johnny killed river phoenix!!
Man, this film was SSSLLLOOOWWWWWWWWWW due to a BBBBOORRRRIINNNGG SCRIPT... with EXTREMELY MESSY DIRECTING...
Eg.
When Johnny's character, is it Raphael or something, is walking with his son somewhere (bus stop?)
Johnny's head and neck keep going off and on camera like they were filming it on a raft in stormy seas or summin'... F-IN' HELL, JOHNNY!!!! Its simple: KEEP ACTORS HEAD IN FRAME (unless necessary not to)... c'mon, lil more effort please.
I was fed up by the end of this film, no actually, i was fed up about 10 seconds into this film, but the ending shot was HORRIBLE and stayed with me all sodding night... URGH.. what happened to the typical 'hero escapes and lives happily ever after' scenario?!??!?!?! If there is one thing good about this film is that its f-in' miserable... and possibly terribly unrealistic; why would you knowingly go to your own death without any promise you'd get the cash reward for your family?! DUH!! Bit suicidal, me thinks... or just desperate, so a gamble.
Theres also these RRRREEEAAAALLYYY long shots eg. at that party and the camera just rolls across everyone, INCLUDING Johnny... you're supposed to roll across THEN stop and focus on the main one and then they're supposed to do something fitting to the story... not just glide passed them like they're and extra or '''supporting artist''' or whateva.
I understand his feelings, but he should have released this inda US... sure, it would be humiliating, but he's, seemingly, the kinda guy who doesn't give a sh*t if you like him or not... AAAANNNDDDD, wot about the actors and everyone involved?! He deprived the humiliation for them or just made it worse by chickening out AAANNNDDDD directors put their reputations on the line everytime they make a film, like actors, producers, writers and everyone else recognised; he took this film on, it should really have been his obligation to follow it through.... but maybe, if i was him, i'd'a scrapped everything but the last shot and released that... well, if i was him, i'd have chickened out, so that doesn't make any sense.
I hope he directs another film soon, maybe this time going the full way ie. not cutting corners...
Johnny, GET A GRIP and a PLAUSIBLE SCRIPT and possibly John Williams for the score and you'll be onto a winner!
reply
share
ThePhantomReporter
16 years ago
You said it, vanessa. This film was meaningless tedium and looked more cheap and lazy than Paris Hilton. Just goes to show that if you give Depp money and let him do his own thing he'll f-ck it up. He needs Tim Burton to hold his hand or a reference point for his performance. No wonder he had to start doing commercial films, because this movie represented what was happening in this phase of his career i.e. weak and going nowhere.
reply
share
RuthClaudette
16 years ago
haha, more cheap and lazy than paris hilton! yep! I just don't think he really knew what he was doing... hence the cut corners and bad script - but he's been in enough films since to have learnt something from his own past bad experience (i hope)... he may have been thinking alot of tim burton when he was directing, and this would have certainly altered his ability to judge things with initiative and whateva, but possibly not...
weak and going nowhere, yeah... he has mentioned that his life never really had any meaning until he had his first child, that was post the brave, wasn't it? maybe it was like a mid-life crisis type thing as he desperately tried to give justification for his life...
reply
share
ahmed-hanaa
15 years ago
The guy is not a good director and no one said he is but he is one hell of an actor who can hold himself up with any director. And why people seem to forget that after Pirates he made movies that were far from commercial like Finding Neverland, Sweeny Todd and THE LIBERTINE (FAR FAR FAR FROM COMMERCIAL)
reply
share
Sauvage_98
11 years ago
He needs Tim Burton to hold his hand or a reference point for his performance.
needs TB? loool! some of his very best performances weren't directed by tim.
No wonder he had to start doing commercial films
he started doing these family movies so that his kids can watch them.
this movie represented what was happening in this phase of his career i.e. weak and going nowhere.
he did masterpeices like Donnie Brasco,Fear and Loathing in LA,Sleepy Hollow,etc in this 'weak and going nowhere' phase of his career.
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it."
reply
share
prettymaryk
16 years ago
Okay, I've figured you out - but I'll rant anyway:
Firstly, Johnny Depp did not "kill" River Phoenix, although this is irrelevant. Phoenix OD'd. The fact that he did it outside the Viper Room has nothing to do with Johnny, wouldn't you agree?
Stop critisizing camera angles. Seriously. If you can do better, DO IT. Seeing as you can't remember the character's name, the locations or anything at all, you obviously didn't try very hard to watch, did you? You probably just got out the popcorn and realized you couldn't eat it because you had to *think* and then decided you'll hate the film.
I don't know if this is one really really big joke, and if you're just laughing at us all, but frankly: "hero escapes and lives happily ever after"? What movies have you been watching - 40 Year Old Virgin? You obviously have completely missed the point of the film, because he got the money *before* coming back to be killed. That's how he managed to buy the toys, the TV, the food. They don't just grow on trees. Really. And wow, he's desperate? How could I not realize?! *please note sarcasm*.
You understand his feelings as to not releasing the film?! He didn't realease it because of people like you - sadly, much older people and people with shiny cards with their names on it. And there, you just admitted personally to being a hypocrite. I'm very happy for you.
And finally: John Williams for the score? Would you possibly like a flying bicycle in there somewhere as well?
reply
share
MidknightBlaze
16 years ago
well damn, i'm glad somebody said it!! completely well said prettyMaryk
I mean, seriously, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with this film. John did excellent work like he always have, his directing only helped. i mean, what's so "sloppy" about it? Everything's turns out in perfect shape. people hating on this film must always be into the fast-paced, the action and don't want to take it slower and focus on real emotion Depp delivers here. More people could obviously relate to Raphael before Jack Sparrow. (Another great character though no doubt)
Man... its just gets on my nerves sometimes, even though it really shouldn't since opinions on films vary, but this film gets dissed for no reason. people really are missing the point I guess. also must add I see no problem with the camera work of this film- it hits him from a distance to capture that soul-lous wandering quality, close ups on the face to really feel the emotions in their eyes- the filming of it is all good in general, I just wish that Greg Mcdonald had made a sequel (at least for ralph's kids ) or JD made another one.
in closing, true JD fans, when ya watch one of his movies, (particularly of the early and mid 90s) don't always expect something extremely fast-paced or something that will blow your mind with graphics, sometimes its about character study. For those emotional aspects that relate to us. (a fact that goes along with The Brave, What's eating Gilbert Grape, Dead Man and others)
McCarthy: the final measure of bravery is to stand up aganist death.
reply
share
carmelaparker
16 years ago
I don't think it was well directed (and it pains me to say it) but it is a wonderful film, nonetheless. The acting by everyone is superb, and though the editing and direction is a little creaky, it is still a film that moves me to tears no matter how often I watch it.
Wonderful - I would recommend it to anyone, but it will mean more to someone who is used to watching films based on character and quality rather than shoot-outs and CGI.
reply
share