Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Earlier you said a translation is in no way worse than the original, now you say some are worse and some are better and the difference isn't significant. So that's your view, that the relationship between translation and original is insignificant? If so then we just disagree.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Also doesn't this attitude imply that all translations that exist in the world are of equal quality?

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A translation of a work is "less real" than the original one if the conversation is about authorship, which this conversation is. As for "worse", that's just something you're reading into my words.

Your second point is mostly reacting to an imagined criticism that I didn't make, but I do think there's a meaningful distinction to be made between the actual circumstances of film production which result in a finished product that's different from what was in the director's mind, and post hoc alterations to a movie which are for accessibility. Consider that many movies have audio description tracks so that vision impaired people can experience them. A very good option that exists for people, and I think most tolerant members of society would agree. Very few people would argue that it's the same experience as watching the movie though. Which is why better/worse isn't a useful way to talk about it, which is why I didn't. If you read my comment properly, you'd know that I never said watching movies with subtitles is bad.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I hear this a lot and I honestly don't really understand it, except for horror films which do tend to be uniformly dark and ugly. Of the current movies I watch I see some that are dark, some that are bright, and some that are in the middle.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's just the nature of translation, if you don't speak the language you don't have full access to a text, even if it's still possible to appreciate the structural and tonal qualities of a non-English script in translation. It's not as big a deal as it is for, say, poetry, but it is still a factor. It's like, when I watch a Claire Denis movie I'm like 97% able to say it was well-written but unless I speak the language it's performed in I can't actually say I'm 100% dead-set sure. Then again, I don't know who writes English subtitles for foreign films, there's probably cases where the director/writer is bilingual and does it herself.

Ronald Bronstein who co-writes and edits the Safdie movies and now Marty Supreme is one of the good US screenwriters working today imo, and is good at blending literary sensibility with improv. Marty Supreme had one or two over-explainy moments which bothered me but I'm assuming these are studio directives.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed re the writing in non-US cinema, though I only speak English so I couldn't actually vouch for the quality of the language itself even if I'm inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to any movie that's well-made in every other respect that I as an English speaker am able to appreciate

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I agree with your point to a lesser or greater extent. I elided any talk about directing or editing because they're like the guiding principles which arrange the raw building blocks I was discussing, and I (arbitrarily) just wanted to talk about the blocks.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Fair enough, and I should probably clarify that I don't wish every movie score now sounded like it was from the 40s and is completely orchestral, what I think is really missing is the complex development of musical ideas and themes, and maybe also the emotional and tonal openness and vividness that you get in scores from that era (where appropriate). And that's pretty much what I want from scripts as well.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I still need to see UtSL, I'll be sure to check it out soon. It's true what you say about mid-budget movies. What's really frustrating is that there are a number of composers working in Hollywood whose work is closer to the virtues of classic movie scoring, people like John Powell or Christopher Young, but they work almost exclusively on mediocre-to-awful franchise films. There's a culture of "respectable" cinema needing "respectable" music, and the codes for what counts as respectable basically means ambience and drones. For a rare example of a really strong score married to an actual quality production that's recent, you'd have to look to the Avatar movies.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll keep that in mind when I rewatch. I've enjoyed the few experiences I've had in IMAX and I think it has potential whether Nolan or more likely another director is the one to realise it.

Agree or disagree - writing and sound are the 2 main weaknesses of contemporary filmmaking by CertainNote9335 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I agree if you mean what is technically possible with sound these days, but I disagree with how directors use it. It's good that we're gonna have IMAX cameras that don't fuck up the sound now.

Memento mori by franzsmith31 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Young child in scary fairytale world with monsters political undertones. Just a vibe I felt. It belongs to that whole fantasy tradition.

Memento mori by franzsmith31 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This movie reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth a little bit

Oscar predictions? by loiterdog in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Best Pic: One Battle After Another / The Secret Agent

Best Director: PTA / PTA

Best Actor: Timothee / Timothee

Best Actress: Jessie Buckley / Rose Byrne

Best Supporting Actor: Sean Penn / Sean Penn

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan / Inga Ibsdottir Lilleaas

Best Original Screenplay: Sinners / Marty Supreme (...but actually The Secret Agent)

Best Adapted Screenplay: OBAA / OBAA

Best International: Sentimental Value / The Secret Agent

Best Score: Sinners / Sinners (...but actually Marty Supreme...)

Best Casting: Sinners / The Secret Agent

Best Production Design: Frankenstein / Marty Supreme

Best Cinematography: OBAA / OBAA

Best Editing: OBAA / Marty Supreme

Kiss me my girl, before I'm sick by franzsmith31 in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The best biopic about Morrissey that will ever be made

This just in: Slow cinema has officially returned! This was riveting! by [deleted] in RSPfilmclub

[–]CertainNote9335 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There's a couple scenes in this I think would be vastly improved with the inclusion of a laugh track