So I’m watching the third episode of The English Teacher today, and the main character (an English teacher, you will not be surprised to learn) doesn’t want to work with one of his colleagues on a project, so he asks his principal to “unpair Harry and I” and he is AN ENGLISH TEACHER WHAT THE FUCK.
I’m going to lie down now. (Not lay down!)
Personally, I found it lacking. There were funny moments and poignant ones (Elisabeth readying herself for a date) but I found it a bit obvious in what it wanted to accomplish whilst also being wholly underdeveloped in terms of character and plot (so many inconsistencies). This might be intentional, but to have women evacuated of any and all character and to be reduced to bodies whilst also ostensibly sharing a (non-existent) consciousness weakened the space for critique and exploration. This felt very much like male-approved feminist film rather than one which could play-- whilst still moving into the excess which I had no problem with.
Perhaps, though, it was the length. A film that long that is fundamentally an empty spectacle needs to minimise a run time that demands nuance and more interesting forms of experimentation.
The number of programmes in which an ostensible genius or educator comes out with the worst and most annoying errors is TOO MANY. I have been known to have outbursts over that one.
In my point of view, EVERY character was ‘underdeveloped’ because they’re all essentially symbols. The main character is a woman (women?) but all the male characters are similarly single note as well. Dennis Quaid’s producer/executive is nothing more than embodiment of the toxic male gaze. I’m not sure if he even has a name!
It was written, directed, and co-produced by Coralie Fargeat. Which isn’t to say women can’t be “not feminists”. God knows we have enough examples on the TV to know that these days. But her previous film Revenge was very much a more feminist take on old 70’s rape/revenge exploitation. So, at the very least, we probably aren’t out of line saying her intent was a feminist commentary on societal beauty and aging standards. If she failed to get there for you, fair enough.
I know I often enjoy films that don’t appeal to a majority of folks, but given the (mostly) very positive sentiment I’m reading about the movie, now having seen it, I’m surprised that I seem to be the only one here who really liked it.
I scream at the tv over the first, yell at my PIC over the second. All seems rather easy. And yet.
I watched a charming and interesting flick on Prime, SOMM Cup of Salvation. About an Armenian American wine maker and his daughter to make wine from Iranian grapes.
I get what she was doing. It just didn’t work to make it interesting to me (compared with other feminist work I watch). It was just too obvious for me, and the running time meant I had to spend a lot of time with an idea that didn’t develop and where everything was pretty much the same, only squelchier. Similarly, spending that much time with empty characters (concepts, as you note) gets boring , especially when there’s no interesting in digging into the ideas. Surface level all around for me, I’m afraid.
Us, on Prime with Tom Hollander was a 4 part series. Just caught it recently. He’s good in everything he does.
When my son was here we watched Wolfs (is that an acronym?) and The Instigators. He enjoyed them, I enjoyed Brad. I’m watching Slow Horses, Lady In The Lake and Presumed Innocent. I have read all the books. H/Jack will be next.
My mother frequently warned me not to feed my brain images I didn’t want to revisit for a lifetime. It came home with several passages from a popular author. While I have assiduously avoided his subsequent writing, I own his deranged descriptions.
Everything we read and view stays in our brain and can affect dreams. Garbage in, garbage out.
Seems more like garbage in, the end.
We watched it last night and greatly enjoyed it, although I was surprised by the director’s choice to basically emulate the male gaze for pretty much the first part of the movie.
That said, the second part more than made up for it.
We watched Cuckoo this past weekend with Hunter Schaffer and Dan Stevens. I really liked it, but I thought the ending was weaker than the premise.
Us too, and we really enjoyed it! I’m trying to figure out where I know Deirdre McConnell from - she looks so familiar, but I don’t think I’ve seen anything she’s been in prior to this except for Eternal Sunshine and a few tv shows that she did a single episode of.
It looks like she was in the Daredevil series for a few episodes, but I’d have to go back and see the episodes to see if that’s where she seems familiar from for me. Looks like she is one of those actresses who gets steady work in a lot of little things (and good for her!).
And I am always thrilled to see Cristin Milioti, who I love in everything she does.
I don’t know who you are referring to, but I am reminded of a description in Stephen King’s “Christine”. Almost 40 years and I can still come up with an image of the car’s original owner.
Which one, The Substance or Revenge?
