tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925606367227514818.post7695104810557106491..comments2024-03-27T15:36:10.416-07:00Comments on Film Reviews from Two Guys in the Dark: Fences, Hidden Figures, Lion, Miss Sloane, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Passengers, Jackie (and a little bit about Hacksaw Ridge) Ken Burke; Pat Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18358623927080966157noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925606367227514818.post-23423849748584635192017-03-27T15:40:30.341-07:002017-03-27T15:40:30.341-07:00Hi Jason, I do think that Fences is cinematic, alt...Hi Jason, I do think that <i>Fences</i> is cinematic, although maybe I've not yet explained fully what I mean by that, although I've tried (the quote you cite above is from my Jan. 4, 2017 review; did you also read the other one [<a href="http://filmreviewsfromtwoguysinthedark.blogspot.com/2017/01/fences-monster-calls-road-to-well.html" rel="nofollow">January 12, 2017</a>] where I go into a little more detail on this concept?). I agree <i>Fences</i> isn't "cinematic" in the sense of lots of editing, dramatic camera camera angles, active moving camera, and/or dynamic uses of depth-of-field to juxtapose foreground and background (so that it doesn't fit either the montage tradition of Eisenstein nor the Realism tradition so favored by Andre Bazin). <br /><br />However, like the other famous plays set to film that I note in my reviews--which I also doubt would would considered all that "cinematic," despite being lauded as great films--this one puts its emphasis on dialogue (very theatrical, I admit) but also (for me, at least) puts that dialogue (enhanced by a lot of impactful closeups) into the context of a stand-alone cinematic experience (rather than just filming a stage play in real time) that I feel is riveting to watch, forcing me to confront the emotional crises the various characters are experiencing in a manner that moves me as much as any more-dynamically-cinematic film that I've ever seen. <br /><br />As for Denzel hamming it up, I think that's just his accurate rendering of a larger-than-life character as written by August Wilson (I admit I've never seen the play but have watched clips of scenes from it featuring Washington and James Earl Jones, both of whom won Tony awards). Anyway, I'm still enamored of it, sorry that you aren't.Ken Burke; Pat Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18358623927080966157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925606367227514818.post-65719849742404089232017-03-25T17:39:33.753-07:002017-03-25T17:39:33.753-07:00Hi Ken – we agree to disagree on Fences, such a sh...Hi Ken – we agree to disagree on Fences, such a shame as we are usually very in sync! How has this happened?! lol You note in your review this will be looked upon “for the lessons it can offer in the highest achievements of cinematic art”…but you don’t go into detail as to how (is there another review to come? If so, I would love to read it). I didn’t feel it was very cinematic. I wish I had Washington on stage in this as I think he would have blown me away but, on film, I just cringed at his shameless screen hoggery. It upended the film for me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086556104270849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925606367227514818.post-5722994259427858502017-02-13T12:38:32.107-08:002017-02-13T12:38:32.107-08:00Hi rj, Thanks for the digestion and for your remar...Hi rj, Thanks for the digestion and for your remarks on the films involved. KenKen Burke; Pat Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18358623927080966157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2925606367227514818.post-44450313588523336852017-02-11T20:37:46.198-08:002017-02-11T20:37:46.198-08:00Quite a group of Ken Burke reviews to digest in on...Quite a group of Ken Burke reviews to digest in one sitting. My ordering, high to low: Lion (excellent), Fences (also excellent but really smacks of Broadway show on film), Hidden Figures (better than the trailers lead you to believe), Hacksaw Ridge (very good even if formulistic), Passengers (decent popcorn movie), Jackie (could have been stronger), Miss Sloane (have not seen it but I still like it better than)...., Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (even the star wars fanatics I know were not impressed, but if you need scifi try Dr Strange).rjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13025728540081089210noreply@blogger.com