Tarn (13th Nov 2009 10:54)
I'm very much with Sollthar on this one. While it's a technically proficient piece, the story and narrative become a little lost in the mix of acting styles and tonal shifts.
There are lots of different types of comedy, and I'm not sure mixing pantomime-style theatre comedy with dark absurdity and moody deadpan works. As Sollthar touched upon: is this Coen brothers stuff, or Naked Gun, or a British TV sitcom? All of those wildly different styles are used, and I think each one counters the effect of the others.
I'm not sure if this is a problem with the source script or the way it came together tonally in the film. There's definitely a disconnect between what I'm getting from the film and what the film seems to want me to getting.
Sollthar (10th Nov 2009 12:45)
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I didn't really feel any awkward points in the different acting styles, which is a concern if there are.
What I was referring to was an awkwardness resulting of the mix of different acting styles - maybe it's also acting "talents" rather then style, I don't know. The boy for example acts very naturalistic, especially at the beginning. He has a natural line delivery while the mother already does way more "stage comedy" then him. The boys acting changes then in the second part where he plays out the fear rather pantomimish rather then naturalistic. The killer has another style I can't quite put my finger on. It's all very "naked gun" suddenly.
In total, I just feel the film doesn't know what it wants to be. It shifts from "silly comedy" to "deadpan serious" back and forth with a weird result and doesn't do the fact justice it tries to get humour out of something that isn't at all funny, but dark and twisted: murder.
As I said on MSN, I think the music again takes it down as it puts way too much effort into emphasizing it's a comedy with the whole comedy staccato brass thing. The different elements just don't sync with me.
Maybe this explains it. These are my thoughts while the film unfolds:
The opening of the film works brilliantly. Everything tells me, I'm watching a thriller of some sorts. Then the mother arrives and it all shifts. The mothers acting and the brassy music tell me "okay, it's a comedy" and a go with it cause the situation is rather absurd but funny. Being cought by your mother while breaking in: funny.
Then it shifts in tone again as someone arrives: We're getting serious again, both music and acting supports this. Obviously, I'm expecting they both get cought.
Then there's the weirdest moment in the whole film: A guy arrives, randomly stabs into his closet with a machete (not accompanied by any soundeffect by the way) and reveals a dead body. And here's where I'm getting really confused:
The music tells me this is comedy despite the fact a dead body is nothing funny. The killers acts like he's in a naked gun movie, smiling all the way, the two characters act scared - while rather pantomishly acted.
And I'm confused.
I can sympathize with the situation of "boy tries to break in, mother tried to get him back, both witness a murder" as somewhat funny in a fargoesque sense. It's funny in the sense that it's such a bad situation to be in and so absurd that I can laugh about it and shake my head. But the music being all "slapstick in your face look at how funny this all is" gives me the creeps, because those are two different styles of "funny" and the music just doesn't fit. What I see is not funny in that way. Witnessing a murder: not funny.
And from that moment on the characters stop being realistic - and that's the way they were introduced to me by the first minutes of the film - and dwelve into really weird. Everything is just plain odd from there on.
And so on. The film keeps shifting for me and the different elements just don't mix. That's what I mean.
That's what I mean. Technically, it's really really well done no doubt about that. But directing-wise, I don't get a sense that the film knows what it wants to be and sticks to it.
ashman (10th Nov 2009 11:12)
Hey Sollthar, thanks for the comments. There's a few things I'm not sure I agree with, it might be because I'm very close to the project. It would be great to get some feedback from others on these particular points you mentioned.
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There seems to be different styles all over the place and in every department and personally, I feel they don't connect. The classic comedy score and the rather awkward acting and noticeably different acting styles
To me the music feels suitible and compliments the visuals. I didn't really feel any awkward points in the different acting styles, which is a concern if there are.
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It appears to me as if there were about 6 different directors at work, all with different ideas and styles and all had a say in different scenes.
Again, not sure I agree, although some scenes had to have shots dropped due to time contraints and you're talking about the film as a whole. I may be missing what you're, and potentialy others, are seeing. More feedback on this please.
If we get similar feedback then it's something that needs to be addressed in the future. The films need to feel as one piece, not a mish mash of ideas and styles.
Thanks again for the feedback, much appreciated as always.
