MovieChat Forums > Look Both Ways (2005) Discussion > unsophisticated melange

unsophisticated melange

posted 18 years ago by youngadam-4
19 replies | jump to latest

The film had some likable aspects. Perhaps too many for my taste. It felt as though the
writer/director was desperately trying to get us to feel the inner conflict of ALL of its characters.
Not once, a few times...but all of the time.

This is the job of television, not cinema.

The location of the train station was well chosen and I enjoyed Sascha Horler's performance as the pregnant friend.

I felt as though Justine Clarke's performance was wan. Her reactions to things felt forced, as though the director were trying to vocalise the themes of the film through her protagonist's expressions. I also can't believe that a director can make the wonderful Daniela Farinacci into an unbelievable presence.

I cannot understand the choice of pop music slapped over entire sequences. This is a lazy device, especially where the pop music comes from no place diagetic to the film and/or where the lyrics of the song feel embarassingly earnest.

That said, there is a breezy quality about the film that evokes the Australian heat and local attitude with originality. It does create an atmosphere of heat and sunshine. Especially with the usage of wonderful animation sequences that rescue the film from complete mediocrity, infusing it with passion and hand-crafted charm.

I am curious why the dialogue feels so overworked. "Who knows if there's a god? Like some guy sitting there up in the sky telling us what to do" or whatever the line was.

Perhaps one of the more embarassing moments was the friend returning home from cricket with a bunch of flowers to declare to his wife "I'm giving up smoking."

An anti-smoking commercial? A TAC ad with some tasteful animation? I had to leave the cinema at the 50 minute mark -- it was all too much.

[–] Cienna 18 years ago

An anti-smoking commercial? A TAC ad with some tasteful animation? I had to leave the cinema at the 50 minute mark -- it was all too much.

Nothing like an informed review. You didn't even watch the whole film. Why was that? Did you need a cigarette break?

Renée Zellweger Best Actress Oscar 2007.

[–] youngadam-4 18 years ago

are you serious? i "rarely" walk out of films. The last film was "always" by spielberg. (I also don't edit my message board comments. Requi

[–] youngadam-4 18 years ago

i also notice the amount of reviews you have in the message board. Could it be that you are related to the producer?

It's a shame, because the director's short films were fresh and beautiful.

[–] Cienna 18 years ago

I wish.

What I don't understand is why you created an account and your second post was about a film you haven't seen all the way through. Now that seems slightly odd.

Renée Zellweger Best Actress Oscar 2007.

[–] Cienna 18 years ago

I had to leave the cinema at the 50 minute mark -- it was all too much.

So what does that mean?

are you serious? i never walk out on films. The last film was "always" by spielberg.

Never? Are you serious? Don't you mean hardly ever? How can you write a review about a film you haven't seen all the way through. That's ridiculous. Why bother? Do you work for Philip Morris or something?

Renée Zellweger Best Actress Oscar 2007.

[–] gamn 18 years ago

interesting. I must say I got way more out of the film and at no stage felt the music over powering or the dialogue overworked. And far from being unsophisticated.

I agree the animation although innitally jarring added a depth and artistic edge to this film. But I'm confused that you found this film Breezy, infused with passion and hand crafted charm. Yet you left the cinema 50 minutes in? that seems a little odd. Perhaps another viewing on video is needed to see where the director was going with the character development.

as A side note also, I want my films(cinema) to show the inner conflict of the character. And as for this being the job of TV over cinema I think not. But our view differs and thats great.

[–] Cienna 18 years ago

At last! Careful you don't get accused of being related to someone involved in the film.

Plus, I thought Justine Clarke's performance was spot on. And the original poster didn't mention William McInnes.

You had to see the whole film to see how it all tied together. He missed the best scenes.

Renée Zellweger Best Actress Oscar 2006.

[–] gamn 18 years ago

I could only wish I had a connection in the film industry like that. they are golden connections, nevermind the hard slog it is hehe!!!

I found all the performances to be first notch, and if he left after 50 minutes... he has missed some of the best scenes in cinema over the past year.

His loss or was it a she... hhmmm the poster is forgotten already.

[–] Cienna 18 years ago

I wish you good luck!

I found all the performances to be first notch, and if he left after 50 minutes... he has missed some of the best scenes in cinema over the past year.

Me too. My favourite Aussie film. That reminds me, I must order the DVD. It surely must be for sale by now.

Renée Zellweger Best Actress Oscar 2006.

[–] gamn 18 years ago

it released on the 21/06/06 to purchase that is.

http://www.madman.com.au/actions/catalogue.do?webChannelId=2&comingSoon=1&sortKey=1&method=browse&pager.offset=30

sorry dont know how to do the link thingy! hope that takes ya to the site with info on it

[–] youngadam-4 18 years ago

Wow. I'll give you both the benefit of the doubt..... and say -- there must be something redeeming about the film. Like I mentioned, the animation was beautifully executed and dramatically interesting. If you want to see some recent cinema that is doing something interesting check out the following:

"Blissfully yours" and "Tropical Malady" from Thailand.
"La Nina Santa" and "Otra Vuelta" from Argentina.
"The Wayward Cloud" and "Three Times" from Taiwan.
"A perfect day" from Lebanon.
"L'amant reguliars" from France.

Look Both Ways is entertaining and moving for some -- but it doesn't hold up in it's pretensions to be cinema. You need to criticise it for what it was trying to acheive....and believe me, I love the simplicity and heartfeltness of say John Water's "Pecker" but "Look Both Ways" struggles enormously to acheive something fresh and brilliant. What transpires is closer to a newspaper clipping: devoid of humour, strangeness and whimsy...all the things I felt it was trying to capture. Perhaps I don't like being told everything by the filmmaker. I like to work hard to discern either a) the plot b) the themes or c) the overall intention, when I watch a film.

You just can't compare this (or other recent Australian fare EXCEPT "The Proposition) with stuff that was coming out five plus years ago. The phenomenal "Love Serenade" which really does transform banality into bent existential satire. Watch Ruth Cracknell and Kerry Walker in "The NIght, The Hunter". "Monkey Grip" "Broken Highway" "Starstruck" "Sweetie" "Life" "The Well" "Bedevil".......

[–] youngadam-4 18 years ago

Please also watch the director (Sarah Watt's) short film "Living with Happiness". It is absolutely incredible. The whole film is animated (say no more) and deals with the more complex thematic issues in "Look Both Ways" sans tawdry dialogue exposition and thematic signposting.

The short is almost Buddhist in it's sentiment: how can one be content with happiness -- and how much closer are we to having a sense of mortality when we flirt with danger? It's a wonderful short film... and if you like the feature, the short is like seeing the director's world view untainted by the meddling hands of bureacrats, ffc, afc.... demanding more and more expositiion.

[–] gamn 18 years ago

we differ in views totally!

thanks for the list of films to see though appreciate it! have heard a few good things about both three times and A perfect day and some not so good things about Blissfully yours and the Wayward CLoud... But that is all second hand abit like your view of Look Both Ways as second hand as you only viewed a portion of the film.

And believe me I have put my critical eye on the film and at the time that I saw the film in comparison to other films both locally and internationally it was far superior. And clearly the Best OZ film this year with Little Fish, Oyster Farmer and Wolf creek close behind. I found The Proposition a good film but not great.

I shall hunt out those flicks mentioned and try to see where your coming from.

[–] Cienna 18 years ago

Thanks for the film suggestions.

What transpires is closer to a newspaper clipping: devoid of humour, strangeness and whimsy...all the things I felt it was trying to capture.

I think I saw a different film than you did. I thought it had all that and more.

Renée Zellweger Best Actress Oscar 2006.

[–] Cienna 18 years ago

Thanks. Yes, to buy.

To do the link thingy, just put url and /url inside square brackets on either side of the web address. Where ... is the web address.

...

Renée Zellweger Best Actress Oscar 2006.

[–] dentonp-1 17 years ago

i agree wholeheartedly with the thrust of your opinion ("unsophisticated melange") ... ebert mentioned that it had a similar style to "crash", and I couldn't agree more, very lowest-common-denominator melodramatic stuff, tries way too hard

[–] Cienna 17 years ago

This film must have really got to you since this is your only post in a year's membership. Or do you like the words "unsophisticated melange"?

[–] bdogsquad 17 years ago

I don't want to incur the wrath of CrocodileTears (I have read all the messages attached to this movie). There were some pretty uhh...how should I say it, interesting interchanges. I will say that I recently (last night), rented this movie and watched it faithfully all the way through, and I was bothered by a couple of things.

One: the music seemed to me to detract from the movie. I guess it was the mood that the particular choices in the score created for me. Don't know, seemed to cheapen the overall experience for me. Also, the performances or the script, I don't know which, seemed a little trite to me as well. I liked the characters themselves, but their performances (whether hindered by a weak script or not) didn't resonate with me at all. I all comes down to the atmosphere that was created. I liked how I felt connected to the Australian summer (the ambience of everything), but I didn't really "believe" the performances by the actors, except for maybe the woman who's boyfriend was killed. All in all, the artistic aspect of the animation added between takes was cool, but served as filler to me in places. Anyway, yes I watched the whole thing, and no I didn't really like it.

By the way, I recently watched "The Proposition" as well. I liked it. I gave it to my brother to watch and they said that it was the worst film they ever saw. So, to each their own, right. I didn't really understand why they reacted so strongly about that film. They could have merely said that it didn't appeal so much to them, but instead, they said they "hated" it. Wow.

[–] Cienna 17 years ago

I don't want to incur the wrath of CrocodileTears (I have read all the messages attached to this movie).

When posting on IMDb remember bubble wrap is your friend