Miracle at St. Anna

[rach2jlc]

Saw Spike Lee's new movie last night... good, but not great. COULD have been great, but there were some things that were either never resolved, too drawn out, or just started and then let to fizzle out or come from nowhere.

Had some moments in it that were truly exceptional and really quite wonderful (I won't spoil it for you, but you'll feel these moments the second you see them). Unfortunately, though, there were also some parts that were corny almost to the point of being sentimental, farfetched to the point of being ludicrous, or just plain unnecessary.

Performances were, overall, pretty good (especially between the kid and the soldier)... though the dynamics between each of the main characters sometimes became caricaturish, as though Lee forgot sometimes that he was making a war movie and instead had to also make some timely/relevant social commentary instead of just telling his story.

In any case, definitely better than the usual Hollywood WWII fare, but not exceptional. When it was on, it was on... but it seemed like it just couldn't completely come together to be as good as it COULD/SHOULD have been.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Can you tell me wtf the statue head is about?
I don't care if you spoil it...make the font white so other people have to highlight to see it.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

Can you tell me wtf the statue head is about? I don't care if you spoil it...make the font white so other people have to highlight to see it.
It doesn't ruin anything to tell you what it is.. I mean, I can tell you in general what it WANTED to be, but it, too was something that really never was treated in a way that the full IMPACT of it could be appreciated. Basically, it was a part of a bridge that got blown up and that one of the characters picks up as they march through Florence. He's very superstitious/religious and thinks it gives him good luck to carry it. After the war is over, another character keeps the head, I suppose as a way of "remembering" what they went through. But, again, the symbolic value of the head in the movie could have been better exploited.

 

[limping_decorum]

The best actor was killed in the first 15 minutes.

That sucked.

See it as a matinee.

 

[chorse123]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

Saw Spike Lee's new movie last night... good, but not great. COULD have been great, but there were some things that were either never resolved, too drawn out, or just started and then let to fizzle out or come from nowhere.

Had some moments in it that were truly exceptional and really quite wonderful (I won't spoil it for you, but you'll feel these moments the second you see them). Unfortunately, though, there were also some parts that were corny almost to the point of being sentimental, farfetched to the point of being ludicrous, or just plain unnecessary.

Performances were, overall, pretty good (especially between the kid and the soldier)... though the dynamics between each of the main characters sometimes became caricaturish, as though Lee forgot sometimes that he was making a war movie and instead had to also make some timely/relevant social commentary instead of just telling his story.

In any case, definitely better than the usual Hollywood WWII fare, but not exceptional. When it was on, it was on... but it seemed like it just couldn't completely come together to be as good as it COULD/SHOULD have been.

This reads like a review for just about every single Spike Lee movie, or at least the half way decent ones. I like Spike, or like that he's a troublemaker, but he's not nearly as good as he could be. I thought Inside Man was brilliant.

 

[mr monty]

Originally Posted by limping_decorum

The best actor was killed in the first 15 minutes.

That sucked.

See it as a matinee.

No, this post sucks