What Movies Are You Watching Lately

[zenosparadox]

Starting to feel like peoples' reaction to the Green Knight depends a lot on whether or not they were familiar with the source material.

I’m interested in that as well - do you mean that those familiar with the romance tend to like or dislike it? I’ve read (and also taught) this poem several times, and found myself enjoying (and pleasantly surprised by) the changes. I actually haven’t found anyone who has read the poem to discuss the film with yet - my company at present is mostly just my wife, and I spent the hour after we saw the film pedantically enumerating the differences. Have you found that those who knew the source material have tended to dislike this adaptation?

 

[double00]

Starting to feel like peoples' reaction to the Green Knight depends a lot on whether or not they were familiar with the source material.

re-watched Watchmen the other night, had a similar feel

 

[Van Veen]

I’m interested in that as well - do you mean that those familiar with the romance tend to like or dislike it? I’ve read (and also taught) this poem several times, and found myself enjoying (and pleasantly surprised by) the changes. I actually haven’t found anyone who has read the poem to discuss the film with yet - my company at present is mostly just my wife, and I spent the hour after we saw the film pedantically enumerating the differences. Have you found that those who knew the source material have tended to dislike this adaptation?

To me, it's like opera. They print the plot synopsis in the program book for a reason. You get more out of it if you walk in having a general idea of what's going to happen. The plot is really just a vehicle for other artistic elements.

I feel like it's a movie I'd like a lot better on a rewatch, but I'm not really itching to rewatch it. I think there were legit problems with pacing.

Compare to Uncut Gems, where I didn't love it, but I understood it and felt like it was coherent.

 

[zenosparadox]

To me, it's like opera. They print the plot synopsis in the program book for a reason. You get more out of it if you walk in having a general idea of what's going to happen. The plot is really just a vehicle for other artistic elements.

I feel like it's a movie I'd like a lot better on a rewatch, but I'm not really itching to rewatch it. I think there were legit problems with pacing.

Compare to Uncut Gems, where I didn't love it, but I understood it and felt like it was coherent.

I agree that it was strangely paced, but I personally enjoyed the strangeness of the pacing. Knowing how thin the plot of the romance was - thin isn’t the right word, I suppose, but perhaps simple in the way of most allegory - I was worried they’d stuff it full of pointless LotR-inspired fantasy like they did, for example, with Snow White and the Huntsman. What the film is interested in is very different than the ”meaning” of the source text - the Gawain of the movie has absolutely no relation to the Gawain of chivalric romance - but that difference is precisely what made the interceding plot points, and the ambiguity of the ending, work so well for me. I wouldn’t have been as interested in the film if its Gawain had been the virtuous knight of legend. It just wouldn’t have made for a good movie, and I can’t see how the intervening quests could have contributed to the development of an already finished character, even though it does make for a good chivalric romance.

 

[Matt]

I spent the hour after we saw the film pedantically enumerating the differences.

Still married?

 

[zenosparadox]

Still married?

She’s much too good for me - not only am I still (inexplicably) married, but she also found my copy of the book in a box and has promised to read it. (Likely, of course, just to stop me from describing it to her.)

 

[Matt]

Any marriage that can withstand a pedantic enumeration of allegorical differences of intervening plot points of a contemporary cinematic interpretation of epic Middle England verse during a lockdown is strong enough to withstand anything good sir!

Mine made me watch Cruella in silence ?

 

[Usonian]

I agree that it was strangely paced, but I personally enjoyed the strangeness of the pacing. Knowing how thin the plot of the romance was - thin isn’t the right word, I suppose, but perhaps simple in the way of most allegory - I was worried they’d stuff it full of pointless LotR-inspired fantasy like they did, for example, with Snow White and the Huntsman. What the film is interested in is very different than the ”meaning” of the source text - the Gawain of the movie has absolutely no relation to the Gawain of chivalric romance - but that difference is precisely what made the interceding plot points, and the ambiguity of the ending, work so well for me. I wouldn’t have been as interested in the film if its Gawain had been the virtuous knight of legend. It just wouldn’t have made for a good movie, and I can’t see how the intervening quests could have contributed to the development of an already finished character, even though it does make for a good chivalric romance.

Absolutely agreed with this, i read the poem prior to watching it because i was so excited by the trailer. At first i was generally confused as to all of the changes, but i think had it been a direct translation it would have fell pretty flat. I liked how open to interpretation it ended up being, and rather than the idea of people always being noble and just, but having to work for it, was nice. It's definitely sitting well with me, although i did think the pacing was a bit strange in the last half. cinematography was great, and i love open ended movies i can interpret.

 

[Texasmade]

Any marriage that can withstand a pedantic enumeration of allegorical differences of intervening plot points of a contemporary cinematic interpretation of epic Middle England verse during a lockdown is strong enough to withstand anything good sir!

Please translate this to American for me.

 

[Matt]

Please translate this to American for me.

I like corn chips

 

[noob in 89]

Are you guys talking about this?

Sean Connery was excellent. Gawain’s haircut was beyond stupid.

IIRC, the movie was dull, but somewhat frightening. (The Cable Connection warned of ‘mature themes’). I didn’t read the poem ‘til later, and couldn’t shake that dopey haircut from my mind.

 

[hpreston]

Suicide Squad last night.

Good not great. Entertaining, but not game changing.... I give it a 7 out of 10

 

[King Calder]

Pretty much the anti-John Wick, very subversive in its approach to something that from the outset feels like a by the numbers revenge thriller. I found this to be really moving, with exceptional performances, beautiful scenery, and excellent music. Plus it comes in at a tight 90 to boot. Cage is phenomenal. Best new movie I’ve seen in a long time.

 

[Matt]

And he's on it...

 

[hpreston]

And he's on it...

Wow, wow wow, wow... wow