Pretentiousness alarm.

wigley...

I'm an American, and absolutely loved this movie, as well as "In July", go figure... :o/

Wigleywatsit,
I havn't seen the movie yet, but it was recommended to me by a good friend, whom is American, as am I.
I have seen the "ugly American" that you may be referring to, but there is a very large chunk of us that don't fit that stereotype. Quite the opposite in fact.
Not all of us are into large popcorn, diet coke and Transformers 2, haa. I like to refer to some types- those who believe we didn't walk on the moon and do believe that pro-wrestling is real.

Thank Goodness for the internet so we can better bridge the gaps of humanity and reconnect to ppl worldwide. We are all human beings and we can find the folks with which we resonate regardless of country, race, sex, religion, and personal lifestyle. Wars are waged partially over separatism. If we can learn to find what we all have in common we can work together for a better life for everyone. It's not necessarily Americans dear sir, au contrair... How about the Jerry Springer crowd?

I do know what you mean when you watch a movie that is so profound on so many levels both subtle and obvious, that speaks to your mind and soul. It enters your mind and you understand so many unique experiences to the human condition and life. You are moved and you have grown from watching it. Then, you read some sleepy headed zombie moron type cut it down right and left because they see 3 or 4 things they don't like and you couldn't get through to them with a rubber mallet. Their sensitivity level is obviously turned down to a 1 or 2. You are completely amazed at their thickness. Then they post these moronic opinions like they are gospel. I feel ya bro...

~Is it the food of love? Let it play~

I didn't like the movie.

I made this post as a warning to other people who might not either.

We've all got out own tastes, and we all like different movies.

I didn't insult those who like this film, I merely said that I did not.

I even added a disclaimer, tempering my own opinion against my unique circumstance.

I am a huge fan of movies. I watch a tons of them, and I have my pet peeves.

This movie did not carry me along. It broke what people refer to as "the suspension of disbelief" for me, and I didn't feel that the heavy subject matter was held up by the film-making.

Anyway, *beep* YOU, for judging me based on my opinion about this film.

You made a juvenile approximation of my character, and topped it off with a ignorant summation of Americans in general.

I like all types of movies. Why do you think I even saw this film? Here’s a hint: It’s not because I saw an ad for it on the side of my Pepsi bottle.

I just didn’t like this movie. That’s not a incitement of foreign films, independent films, dramas, high concept pieces, or anything else.

It's just my opinion, and that doesn't mean anything about me or Americans in general.

Pretentious? Yes. That's a claim I stand by regarding this film, and now liberally apply to you as well.

When are IMDB users going to realize that it's possible to dislike an acclaimed foreign/arthouse film without being a fan of Michael Bay and his ilk?

Talk about pretentious.

If wigleywatsit had the slightest intelligence at all, he'd know that the United States consists of more than 300 million people, nearly all of them from other countries, or descended from people of other countries.

It's really impossible to generalize about 300 million people, and only small-minded people would attempt to do it.

I'm American, and I and my American wife loved this movie!

That's a very stupid comment, based on the ugly American stereotypoe and the usual "go watch Transformers" easy shot.

And if you really think this pretentious movie is a masterpiece, well, I recommend you start seeing more decent, maybe classic movies ASAP.

Were your eyes "still soaking wet" after watching "Crash" or "Babel"? If so, I rest my case.

Hey, Wigley:

Don't generalize what "America" is and isn't ready for. You can't speak for an entire nation. I loved the film as well as other Americans I know. Believe me, many of us can't stand the commercial dreck coming out of Hollywood.

I can't wait for Akin's next movie either.

Take care, buddy,

Bill

Amen, Wigley... amen... but as someone else pointed it is certainly not fair to paint ALL Americans with the same brush and some criticism of the movie is valid.

"Why is "pretentiousness" used to describe almost every independent, slow, or drama movie now?"

I think many people use that term to describe a movie they either didn't understand or didn't like. I enjoyed the movie very much and even though I was waiting for the characters to "discover" their connections I quite liked the fact that they never did. It sort of suggests a cosmic unity that all of mankind shares, though we never realize, as we journey through the uncertainties of life. There were so many ways this movie could have taken the 'easy' way out and brought all the characters together in one joyful, heartfelt, full of redemption and regret, disneyworld, fairy-tale-like, dare I say pretentious ending and the fact that the producers resisted that urge made the movie seem more like REAL LIFE, at least, to me.

An excellent drama.


"But it isn't something you remember"....V1

Mate,...

I love foreign cinema,... And this film,.. But America has some of the best filmmakers working today.

Paul Anderson
Martin Scorsese
Quintin Tarantino
Terrence Malick
The Cohen Bros
David Lynch
David Fincher
Christopher Nolan
Clint Eastwood

And much more,... How many from where you're from Mate?

And lets not forget about some of the great ones like Hitchcock, Coppola, Robert Altman, Stanley Kubrick, and on and On!

Your right above poster, the dad did not kill himself, he was alive in Trabzon, went fishing, thats why his son was waiting for him on the sands of the beach.


As for the main poster, fair play, its your opinion but i think the whole point of everybody being connected was intentional, of course, and the fact that they didn't meet or know about the connections made it more interesting rather than pretentious in my opinion. Also the fact that there probably isn't too many german book stores in Istanbul made it a little bit more believable that she could have just stumbled in to the bookstore that was owned by one of the pivotal characters.


What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?

hell you are right rorylanelutter ....i had come across this thread before catching it at the Kolkata film festival...but reading the replies of others i thought you might indeed be of the michael bay type....

but now i know i shud have trusted you...its indeed pretentious *beep* the prostitute's daughter was really getting on my nerves with her bad acting...

lesbianism,stupid comments on EU,little street loafers smoking coke and shooting people,coincidences after coincidences...it has all the ingredients tht make for awards...those too poorly executed...

it almost ruined my film festival experience...but thank god for the kim ki duk films screened...kolkata film festival still remains my favourite time of the year...

"I'm a very jaded movie goer. I've probably seen too many movies, and I've got some pet-peeves that most casual movie watchers won't have developed."

In webster's dictionary, under the definition for pretentious, the above sentence is used, verbatim. Your hypocrisy is greater than your post, if that is possible.


"Don't Dose the One That You Love Most"

The emotion felt real and genuine to me, so I really wouldn't label it as pretentiouss myself.