MovieChat Forums > Vodka Lemon (2003) Discussion > Terrible and boring piece of shi .te

Terrible and boring piece of shi .te

posted 19 years ago by Tron1276
9 replies | jump to latest

Wow, this film is just plain awful...90 minutes of long takes of "reflective silence"...puntuated by scenes of "absudity" (an old shi.tekicker rides down the hill on a yellow bed; WOW!...the same song plays in the bus OVER and OVER; HILARIOUS!...a man suddenly gets shot; INSANE ABSURDITY!...the two uninteresting "leads" ride down the road on a piano; AMAZING!...roll credits, congrats to you mate, you just wasted 90+ minutes, give yourself a pat on the back for being arty and daring and acting like you enjoyed the film even though you know you hated it!...). The best comment I heard after a screening at the local indie theatre where I work was "It seemed like a waste of film to me."...I think that pretty much sums it all up...

[–] lhommeinsipide 18 years ago

Okay...I think you should stick to the Farrelly Brothers. Why did you even watch this film?

[–] Tron1276 18 years ago

One, I hate the Farrelly Brothers, so no. And Two, I watched it because I like to watch every movie that shows at the theatre-The Vickers Theatre-where I work. There have been some great films this season: "3-Iron", "Me and You and Everyone We Know", "The Squid And The Whale", and others. There have also been bad films: "VODKA LEMON", "The World", and a few others. I mostly enjoy the unique films I see, but I did not like "Vodka Lemon", that's all there is to it...So calm down, sir, and stick to "Dukes of Hazzard".

Say NO to censorship!!!

[–] lhommeinsipide 18 years ago

3-Iron is the best film I've seen this year. Kim Ki-Duk is an absolute genius - Bad Guy is his only faux pas so far.

[–] Tron1276 18 years ago

My favorite film this year as well. I even started a post about it being my favorite..."Spring, Summer..." and "The Isle" are sublime masterpieces.

Say NO to censorship!!!

[–] lhommeinsipide 18 years ago

They're actually the only other Kim Ki-Duk films I've seen apart from 3-Iron and Bad Guy...

I'm desperate to see his earlier films, like Crocodile and Birdcage Inn. There are clips of both films on the extras on the DVD for The Isle.

I also want to see Samaritan Girl and The Bow, his most recent films. It'll be at least another year before we get either over here in Britain - why can't they just give these films theatrical releases?!

[–] raulvaldivia 18 years ago

Well, I liked it...it is pure reality....it's like you were wittnessing what's going on down there....that's it...no special effects, just people going through some terrible times....completely broken.....somebody watching this looking for Hollywood is not the place to be....this is the life of those people today, right now, right there....

[–] gterterian 18 years ago

Sorry, you did not like "Vodka Lemon", but your harsh comments are not very constructive or insightful. I never want someone's opinion censored, but your opinion is not helpful, it is simple and crude. Perhaps it is a cultural thing (I'm guessing you're American, but I could be wrong). To appreciate the film (and I am not recruiting you to do so) you must understand the historical/cultural/political backdrop.

Maybe the film is like the equivalent of an "inside joke", because it assumes the viewer either knows a bit about post-Soviet life or is willing to understand it. If you think you can handle it, take two shots of ice cold vodka and watch it again. I can explain most any scene for you if you want to know . . . for example: (1) the song in the van is relevant (a French song called "tombe la neige" (the snow falls) . . . about an endless cycle of longing . . . i.e. the two main characters and their spouses) (2) the horseman could be a reference to the village where the film was shot (Bash-Abaran was a famous battle of Armenian independence and the horseman could be General Dro) (3) the selling off of all material objects mirrors what many have done to stay alive after the USSR fell (4) the refusal to sell the piano is a clinging on to hope/life's beauty despite the bleak forecast (5) the shooting is not some sudden, obscure thing, it was a matter of honor, literally a Kurdish thing (6) all the youth leaving, all very post-Soviet

Many films from Soviet times use this type of stark cinematography and symbolic references (e.g. Sergei Parajanov's "the Color of Pomegranates" was famous for anti-Stalin references that were "hidden"). Anyhow, I guess you know quite a bit about films and we all cannot agree on whether something is good . . . its all subjective in some sense, but I LOVED this film and would recommend it to anyone who knows about the USSR, its republics and life in remote areas of the world with their own traditons . . . or for anyone who cares to know.

[–] kimberlycshields 18 years ago

Yes, maybe his comments are not constructive, but neither is your projection that he must be American. I just finished spending a year completing my MSc in Global Politics International Relations and writing a dissertation on the Bush Administration's Imperial Agenda. In this year I have studied Hollywood's global effect on foreign film markets. I am a huge fan of foreign film, and the single saddest reflection after my study is that most Americans will not have the opportunity to see foreign films, as most foreign films cannot compete in their own indigenous circles, let alone the US. Instead of supposing that his crude reaction automatically indicates that he is American, perhaps you should try to point out other films he/she might enjoy, or the reasons why you found Vodka Lemon exceptional. There are over 250 million Americans in the world. Our nation is a melting pot comprised of the most multicutural diversity in the world. So when you negatively stereotype all Americans in the same ignorant category as the Neo-Cons in Washington, you are doing a great disservice to actual debate, ignoring reality, and quite frankly making yourself appear less than intelligent.

[–] lmelk 18 years ago

kimberlycshields, what are you complaining about? gterterian did not stereotype americans, it seems to me. Rather, he pointed out that this movie does have a remarkable amount of in-jokes, and this might well be the reason why people outside former-USSR (as is the case of americans) tend to find it boring. Far from "ignoring reality", as you say, he was offering some clues to read it. And his comment was more respectful than yours. Gterterian's comment *is* all the more interesting, anyway, because many american movies, as you yourself certainly know, are burdened with lots of american in-jokes, and yet people around the world see them and enjoy them. That's just because american culture is very frequently exported, and lots of non-americans understand *even* the in-jokes. But what happens when we don't get them? To me (I'm italian) facing a culture I know nothing of (such as the armenian one) is often a rewarding experience, also if I just don't understand most of it. Not understanding makes me want to know more, and in the meantime I enjoy the visual imagery. A lot of people, when meeting an unknown culture they don't immediately grasp, are simply annoyed, and sometimes shout their frustration in web forums, like the angry chap who started this one. Many of them, yes, are americans. Many americans *do* have a problem in coping with the multicultural diversity of the world, just as many russians or chinese, or iranians, or italians do. The sooner we all get rid of this, the better.