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21 Grams Rebalanced

Gatos

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ssj said:
Rebue:

Nonlinear storytelling can make for great entertainment—take Pulp Fiction. But the degree of fragmentation also matters. Pulp Fiction's nonlinearity worked because its fragments came in big enough chunks.

21 Grams, in its theatrical incarnation, was as fragmented as a puzzle on the floor of Mr. Plinkett's dungeon. For that reason, it took me almost half an hour into the movie to become invested in its characters.

Gatos's version is a masterful retelling of the same story. Aside from a few well-selected scenes at the beginning of the movie, the story is told from A to Z, and it works very well. Inarritu's atmosphere of pain and disintegration are still there in this linear version, but, my knowledge of the story notwithstanding, I felt I got my bearings sooner while watching Gatos's version.

Viewing both the theatrical and rebalanced version of 21 Grams would be instructional for any student of film. No longer does one have to wonder what it would be like to view a chronological version of the director's vision, because Gatos gives us a highly refined alternative. I offer my highest recommendation for this edit.

Hey ssj, glad you were able to make it through the theatrical version and happy that you enjoyed my edit of the film!

You bring up an excellent point about nonlinear storytelling in film. I never really thought about it in terms of how big the chunks are, but totally makes sense. The smaller the pieces the harder it is to decipher whats happening. As you mention it works so well in a movie like Pulp Fiction because the chunks are big. Another example is a movie like Memento, where a scene ends where a previous scene began and, as they mention in one of the special features, they made a point of showing the exact same scene, not one with slightly altered dialogue or angles, because they wanted to make sure the audience had a clear reference point to maintain their bearings.

I appreciate you taking the time to write a review.
 

jswert123456

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Ok just watched this, even though its been years since i saw this i remember the basic storylines.
but this was breath of fresh air and a very new perspective.
i enjoyed it alot, transitions were flawless.
and from the moment it began i was invested in theses chrecters and even to the end, i wasnt
sure how it was gonna end.
congrats Gatos, job well done.
 

Gatos

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jswert123456 said:
Ok just watched this, even though its been years since i saw this i remember the basic storylines.
but this was breath of fresh air and a very new perspective.
i enjoyed it alot, transitions were flawless.
and from the moment it began i was invested in theses chrecters and even to the end, i wasnt
sure how it was gonna end.
congrats Gatos, job well done.

Thanks jswert! Thanks for watching and I'm glad you liked it!
 

Gatos

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jswert123456 said:
still need some help in footage needed.

I'm not sure what you are referring to. Regardless, a thread about a fanedit is not the place to ask for help. I've responded to your PMs in the past when you've needed help. You should try that again.

The fact that you posted the above leads me to believe you posted a comment about my edit in return for help. Whether I'm right or wrong it doesn't matter. But 1) You don't need to barter for help, just ask nicely and explain clearly 2) posting for help on a thread that is about a faneditor's piece of work is off-topic and bad form IMO. Just my two cents.

And despite all this. You can still PM me if you need help. In the future you have to be a little more clear when you're posting and messaging members on here.
 

jswert123456

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gave the review because i loved the edit.
no problem.
i just know i was warned for asking for tech help in PM"s before
so was trying to avoid that.
 

Gatos

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jswert123456 said:
gave the review because i loved the edit.
no problem.
i just know i was warned for asking for tech help in PM"s before
so was trying to avoid that.

And AGAIN another off-topic post in this thread. Wow. You're a native English speaker right?! I said you could PM me.
 

jswert123456

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yes ive mentioned several times before im an american born and raised in tx.
i was just clarifying why i gave the review and why i was avoiding PM's.
sorry.
 

Gatos

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jswert123456 said:
yes ive mentioned several times before im an american born and raised in tx.
I was just clarifying why i gave the review and why i was avoiding pm's.
Sorry.


and a third off topic post in this thread! This guy is on a roll!!!!!!!!
 

jswert123456

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ok i dont know how to answer. you asked me if I'm a native English speaker? i answer and im told it off topic.
wouldnt it be off topic for you to have asked me that.
 

Gatos

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jswert123456 said:
ok i dont know how to answer. you asked me if I'm a native English speaker? i answer and im told it off topic.
wouldnt it be off topic for you to have asked me that.



*Face Palm*, the destruction of this thread is complete
 

Neglify

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Thread was closed temporarily but all is good now.

Move along.
 

njvc

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Review:

"The structure simply doesn't let any of the characters build an arc of growth or despair; aside from being confusing, the narrative locks us out." - from Roger Ebert's review of 21 grams.

21 grams revisited justifies its existence on that quote alone.

It's been several years since I watched the original movie - it sits on the shelf in the "maybe another night" department. This is heavy material, and as Gatos knows, I have taken my sweet time to get around to finally watching and reviewing this edit for the same reason. You have to get your head into the right space to enter this movie, knowing what awaits you.

Having said that, I'm extremely glad that I finally did watch this edit. Without the 'lock out' that Ebert described, we are arguably more present with the characters, and more lost in their stories. Without the editing artiface that causes us to consistenty be reminded we are watching a story from a distance, we are now able to follow the natural flow of events. We can 'go on the journey' with the characters, and share their discoveries and revelations as they occur.

At this point, I should point out that I think the non-linear style in the original works equally well, but for different reasons. The fragmented model is arguably more poetic, and has to find a rhythm in a less traditional sense. It's a collage of hugely emotional and intense moments that we piece together - like a dream, as discussed in the lunch date scene between Watts and Penn. But from the point of view of relating more directly and personally to these characters and their stories, Gatos' version draws you right in, in a way that the original perhaps doesn't allow.

As for the balance of scenes, they work beautifully. Nothing feels out of place or missing. The pacing is spot on, and the impact very intense. This movie is a sledgehammer, but you feel grateful when it hits you in the face. The acting is so amazing, the music incredible, the cinematography the perfect balance of gritty, light and dark.

Technically, the editing is pretty much invisible save for two notable audio changes between scenes (but to be honest, I imagine there were many more potential moments like this that Gatos was cleverly able to avoid!). There was also a slight lip sync issue in the scene at the hospital when Watts receives the bad news. But this only lasted for a minute or so, and was nothing major.

Well done Gatos, you've offered a powerful alternative experience of an already powerful film that can proudly sit beside the original on the shelf. 10/10
 

Gatos

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njvc said:
Review:

"The structure simply doesn't let any of the characters build an arc of growth or despair; aside from being confusing, the narrative locks us out." - from Roger Ebert's review of 21 grams.

21 grams revisited justifies its existence on that quote alone.

It's been several years since I watched the original movie - it sits on the shelf in the "maybe another night" department. This is heavy material, and as Gatos knows, I have taken my sweet time to get around to finally watching and reviewing this edit for the same reason. You have to get your head into the right space to enter this movie, knowing what awaits you.

Having said that, I'm extremely glad that I finally did watch this edit. Without the 'lock out' that Ebert described, we are arguably more present with the characters, and more lost in their stories. Without the editing artiface that causes us to consistenty be reminded we are watching a story from a distance, we are now able to follow the natural flow of events. We can 'go on the journey' with the characters, and share their discoveries and revelations as they occur.

At this point, I should point out that I think the non-linear style in the original works equally well, but for different reasons. The fragmented model is arguably more poetic, and has to find a rhythm in a less traditional sense. It's a collage of hugely emotional and intense moments that we piece together - like a dream, as discussed in the lunch date scene between Watts and Penn. But from the point of view of relating more directly and personally to these characters and their stories, Gatos' version draws you right in, in a way that the original perhaps doesn't allow.

As for the balance of scenes, they work beautifully. Nothing feels out of place or missing. The pacing is spot on, and the impact very intense. This movie is a sledgehammer, but you feel grateful when it hits you in the face. The acting is so amazing, the music incredible, the cinematography the perfect balance of gritty, light and dark.

Technically, the editing is pretty much invisible save for two notable audio changes between scenes (but to be honest, I imagine there were many more potential moments like this that Gatos was cleverly able to avoid!). There was also a slight lip sync issue in the scene at the hospital when Watts receives the bad news. But this only lasted for a minute or so, and was nothing major.

Well done Gatos, you've offered a powerful alternative experience of an already powerful film that can proudly sit beside the original on the shelf. 10/10

Thanks for the review njvc! I'm glad you finally got to watch it and glad that you enjoyed it!
 

NewDeli

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I went to see Biutiful (2010) at the pictures last year. Look forward to watching your edit of this one.
 

tehwallaby

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I've just submitted my review of this fantastic edit.

EDIT: Read it here after the spoiler break.
Now, I haven't seen the, uh, Unbalanced version of 21 Grams, but I can't imagine it being better than this edit.

I was experiencing the narrative for the first time with 21 Grams Rebalanced, and the journey I was taken on was mindblowing. I can assume that some credit should go to the filmmakers, but the nuance of meaning feels as though it owes much to the chronological retelling.

Technically, this was a superb edit. The audio and video quality was top-notch, and played in great quality on my TV. More importantly, though, the editing of Rebalanced was some of the best I've ever seen. If I hadn't downloaded it myself, I would have had no idea this was a fan edit and not the original film. The editing was invisible, and I mean that in the best way possible.

This was not just one of the best fan edits I've ever seen, but one of the best films I've ever seen.

All criteria get a 10/10 from me.
 

ssj

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if you've enjoyed this version of 21 grams, please remit honoraria to gatos via his paypal account, and only in multiples of US$50, please.



<i kid, i kid!>
 

Gatos

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tehwallaby said:
I've just submitted my review of this fantastic edit.

Thanks for that review tehwallaby! Very very kind words and high praise. I'm glad you enjoyed the edit.
 
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