comment #1

Eloi Manning says ...

It was absolutely excellent. I think Nick Hornby deserves the lion's share of the praise. His screenplay was fantastic.

This is exactly the kind of movie that should be made more often by smaller studios or independent wings. Accessible without being dumbed down. Intelligent and not just quirky for the sake of it. A genuine crowd-pleaser that doesn't sacrifice quality for mass appeal.

Top marks all round.

I mentioned it in a previous thread, but I think Olivia Williams was fantastic in her small role and the scenes between her and Mulligan were the most moving of them all really. "I'm sorry you think I'm dead" was a great line. And Rosamund Pike was hilarious. Dim-witted without hammering it home - she just had this glassy, dazed look in her eyes the whole time that really worked.

Mulligan was indeed excellent.

I don't think you overpraised it.

comment #2

Phreaker says ...

You were on the money.

comment #3

jesse says ...

I pretty much liked the movie; technically, Jeff, I'd say I think you overpraised it, but one of my most immediate thoughts after seeing it was that it will be really easy for this movie to get overhyped *or* underrated because of how small and simple it is, and that's too bad because that could obscure the movie's strengths. Mainly, the performances are all excellent, and the story is involving even though it isn't truly surprising, purely on the strength of the character relationships. In a weird way, it reminded me of Whip It, because both movies have contentious parent-child relationships that nonetheless aren't painted up with a lot of melodrama. I like that the Molina character is allowed to be sort of funny and likable and caring in his stick-in-the-mud way; no one ever pushes too hard. Even Sarsgaard makes his creepiness kind of subtle -- just the right balance. I agree, too, Eloi Manning, that Rosamund Pike is hilarious in it -- again, they have her play ditzy, but not really cruel or cartoonish. Really nicely done.

That said, it's not the type of movie I do cartwheels over. It doesn't really do or say much that would make me want to, say, watch it ever again. I might catch part of it on cable on a lazy afternoon because of the performances, but it's not a movie I feel a lot of personal affection for. So I can see someone going to see it after reading some of the more rapturous reviews and going: wait, that's it? A moderately intelligent coming-of-age story? It's not a jolt or a thrill -- and I don't mean that in an action-sensation type of way. It's just not something I hunger to talk about and watch again like A Serious Man or Brothers Bloom or Up or (sorry Jeff) Inglourious Basterds. Even if we're talking small-scale coming-of-age movies, Adventureland really got me in a way An Education didn't.

Still, it's worth seeing, for sure.

comment #4

ZayTonday says ...

No Wells, you have been vindicated.

comment #5

arturobandini2 says ...

I had doubts going in, based on the ho-hum trailer. And the Arclight really fucked me by losing my ticket order -- I ended up having to watch it from the far right end on the front row. But it won me over in about ten minutes. Smart script, flawless cast (whoever played Graham, the teenage dork, was excellent in such a bit part), brisk editing (no dull spots) and remarkable production design and period atmosphere. I only had two small nitpicks, which were...

...SPOILERS...

1. I've liked Sarsgaard in just about everything since Center of the World, but I thought he was miscast here. His British accent was just OK, and he came off more creepy than charming. That ultimately makes sense in the second half, but not the first. Yet I concede they probably needed an American "star" to get funding with an unknown lead, and he's probably the best we have to offer at the moment.

2. The final scene was the weakest in the whole film. Felt like a re-shoot, or a new tacked-on ending. It made no sense whatsoever to have the protagonist start narrating at *that* point; her lines didn't even make sense. She misleads potential new boyfriends about her past? Is that supposed to suggest character growth? Maybe it was intended to be ironic, but it was an icky note to end on. I guess they felt the need to wrap everything up at the actual Oxford location -- but I wish they hadn't.

comment #6

Mr. F. says ...

Am I the only one who has issues with Peter Sarsgaard? He's always come across as totally weak and ineffectual to me. Every performance of his just grates on me -- okay, he was fine in GARDEN STATE, I guess -- but in everything else he just acts like a complete wuss.

Knowing he plays someone in AN EDUCATION who's supposed to know how to charm the opposite sex is just laughable to me... I know the movie's getting good reviews, but really? He's not totally miscast in this?

comment #7

NotImpressed1Yet says ...

"Am I the only one who has issues with Peter Sarsgaard? He's always come across as totally weak and ineffectual to me."

I thought he was brilliant and scary as all get out in BOYS DON'T CRY. The mix of charisma and violence was pretty believable.

comment #8

erniesouchak says ...

It's a good performance and a good movie -- by Sundance standards, a GREAT movie. But "by Sundance standards" is a pretty big qualifier. I actually think I was most impressed by the production value.

comment #9

jbf81 says ...

BTW, the film did VERY well at the box office.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125528469166278769.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

comment #10

Eloi Manning says ...

In related Britflick news, The Damned United was absolutely fantastic. You're missing out on a great movie if you dismiss it because of its football theme. And besides, Europeans have seen enough American sports movies that it's a bit culturally arrogant to refuse to watch any about football. You don't need to be a fan of Texas high school football to enjoy Friday Night Lights. And you don't need to be a fan of proper football to enjoy The Damned United.

comment #11

dggunz says ...

Hasn't shown up in DC yet. Though I did get to see "A Serious Man," which was terrific.

comment #12

Gordon27 says ...

""Am I the only one who has issues with Peter Sarsgaard?"

I admit that I forgot he was in 'Boys Don't Cry', but I haven't liked him at all in anything since then.

comment #13

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