This film left me utterly cold. I just could not work up a second of involvement after the very, very good opening scene of the Rite of Spring riot.
I really like Mads Mikkelson (sp) so I was disappointed. He's not in many movies that I am likely to see.
there must have been something about Igor or Coco that could have made for an engaging film.
I did feel for the spurned, tubercular wife. That just made it all the more painful to watch.
There was a lot of beautiful-to-look-at design, but that certainly couldn't rescue this movie from being more annoying and disappointing than engaging (they even failed to really get across the excitement legend tells of, relating to the Sacre premiere, though I did enjoy seeing what there was of the staging and choreography). Pretty incredible, given the fascinating lives and milieus of these two legends. As far as their 'romance' goes, someone else here used the phrase "perfunctory couplings," which expressed it perfectly. Quite a let-down.
shareI feel the same.
It fails in the "pretty to look at" category, too. IMO they carried the black and white too far. Practically every room of her house had b&w decor. It's just too much. Instead of feeling arty and innovative, it comes off sterile and false. It's too emotionless. It reminds me of Madonna's black and white phase: contrived and pretentious.
I like arty films, but this one falls short. It tries too hard to be arty; it sacrifices too much for the sake of artyness and comes off hollow.
I really like Mads Mikkelson (sp) so I was disappointed.
You don't have to like the characters to find them interesting.
"I'll book you. I'll book you on something. I'll find something in the book to book you on."
Its a realistic portrayal - the real Igor Stravinsky had many ongoing affairs whilst married to his ill wife, he was just as much of a selfish cad in real life.
I really felt for her too, especially if she really had to go through that in real life. Bad enough having an affair, cheating on your dying wife is worse and doing it in the SAME house that she and your kids are in is just plain sick!!!
Never have i seen a film with two incredibly vile, self-centered characters.
Ashmi any question
I felt pretty much the same way. The set designs were achingly beautiful (which is only one of the reasons why I kept watching) but their romance seem devoid of any pleasure apart from carnal one. Too many artfully posed erotic scenes and not enough motivation as to why they enjoyed each other company.
Nicole Kidman is heavier on eyeshadow than emotion - The Paperboy Review, Variety
Just saw this again today and really tried to look at it critically. However, it did not improve. I agree with the posters on this thread. It's lovely to look at but the story and the characters bored me. Whatever the real people were like, this film shows them as colossally self-absorbed egotists who didn't give a damn who they hurt or ran over. It's great that they were successful in their day. However, I have quite a nice collection of classical music--nothing by Stravinsky. I never wore Chanel No. 5 because too many other women wore it everywhere. I never like participating in fads, so I haven't contributed much $$$ if at all, to those people who have made fortunes by launching fads.
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"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??!!"
Maximus Decimus Meridius
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They were simply unlikeable characters. There was no true substance behind their relationship and were quite selfish about it, especially Coco.
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".
I loved this film! Especially the scenes with Rites of Spring. Well, the entire film was brilliant. Coco and Igor were not the most consciencious, but I guess that's life. However,as much as I loved the film,I could find very little mention of Coco in any biography of Stravinsky. . . . which leads me to believe that there was a lot of artistic license taken with this film.
shareMe too. ..really thought I would like it but it left me completely cold. didn't care about the characters. It was a study of quite a bland relationship in an exquisite house. Coco looked stunning but also very unkind and very cold. Stravinsky? Mads was ok but again quite cold. I guess the goal of this movie was to set Chanel's style to music. Bit pedantic really.
share