06-04-2019, 03:13 PM
Boyhood (2014)
Reviews I've seen/read seem to be either sycophantic praise of the "greatest film I have ever seen!" variety, or negative reactions to those types of reviews. It's not one of the best films of all-time but I was glued to the screen for all 2 & 3/4 hours, enjoying all the fragile and sometimes trivial human moments, magnified by the unique viewing experience, created by the 12-year production. The title is a bit misleading because it's as much about the boy's sister and their parents growing pains. I can totally see why it would grate on some people though because there is no overall plot, no clearly defined character arcs, no real beginning and no real end. In fact, once I'd got into the laid back, eclectic groove of the piece, I was praying Director Richard Linklater wouldn't spoil the mood by copping out and artificially injecting some outlandish drama, or unbelievable action into the character's lives (he didn't
).
Days of Heaven (1978)
Terrence Malick's second film looks and sounds gorgeous. Every shot is a contender for the most beautiful thing ever captured on film, the dense soundscape hums with the power of nature and the music by Ennio Morricone/Leo Kottke is so evocative of the time and place. However, I felt the four characters were a bit distant and ill defined, so I didn't know what to take away from 'Days of Heaven' beyond the observation that "Fields of wheat, gently blowing in the breeze, lit by golden magic-hour sunlight, sure look pretty". My search for a Terrence Malick film that I can wholeheartedly enjoy continues.
Reviews I've seen/read seem to be either sycophantic praise of the "greatest film I have ever seen!" variety, or negative reactions to those types of reviews. It's not one of the best films of all-time but I was glued to the screen for all 2 & 3/4 hours, enjoying all the fragile and sometimes trivial human moments, magnified by the unique viewing experience, created by the 12-year production. The title is a bit misleading because it's as much about the boy's sister and their parents growing pains. I can totally see why it would grate on some people though because there is no overall plot, no clearly defined character arcs, no real beginning and no real end. In fact, once I'd got into the laid back, eclectic groove of the piece, I was praying Director Richard Linklater wouldn't spoil the mood by copping out and artificially injecting some outlandish drama, or unbelievable action into the character's lives (he didn't

Days of Heaven (1978)
Terrence Malick's second film looks and sounds gorgeous. Every shot is a contender for the most beautiful thing ever captured on film, the dense soundscape hums with the power of nature and the music by Ennio Morricone/Leo Kottke is so evocative of the time and place. However, I felt the four characters were a bit distant and ill defined, so I didn't know what to take away from 'Days of Heaven' beyond the observation that "Fields of wheat, gently blowing in the breeze, lit by golden magic-hour sunlight, sure look pretty". My search for a Terrence Malick film that I can wholeheartedly enjoy continues.