The Loneliest Planet (Julia Loktev, 2012)

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franco
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
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Re: The Films of 2012

#1 Post by franco » Wed May 02, 2012 7:29 pm

ianthemovie wrote:Julia Loktev's The Loneliest Planet - probably my favorite of the festival and could very well end up being one of the best of the year for me. Stunning use of long takes and very, very minimal dialogue make this slow going, but as you settle into its rhythm it becomes fascinating. There's a rather sudden dramatic shift at one point, after which the relationships between the three characters (a pair of engaged hikers and their guide) get even more interesting. An exquisitely subtle film. The editor was also in attendance and gave a very chill, entertaining Q&A afterward. Highly recommended.
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So I take it that you don't have an issue with the last 20 minutes or so. Personally I would really like to have them cut out. Without that whole thing in the end, this would have been my favourite film last year. I just find it stupendously cliched to have the woman be seduced by the guide. I was dreading it would happen all the way along and was so disappointed when it did happen.

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warren oates
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 12:16 pm

Re: The Films of 2012

#2 Post by warren oates » Wed May 02, 2012 7:41 pm

Either one of you see Loktev's previous feature Day Night Day? Intriguing premise somewhat thinly strung out, I thought. How does the new one compare?

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franco
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Re: The Films of 2012

#3 Post by franco » Wed May 02, 2012 8:01 pm

I missed Julia Loktev's previous movie, after being discouraged by a number of unfavorable reviews. As for The Loneliest Planet, I wouldn't describe the premise as thin or the movie as strung out. On the contrary, I'd say it could go as long as it wants. If certain things didn't happen in the movie, it would have been my favorite last year.

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hearthesilence
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Re: The Films of 2012

#4 Post by hearthesilence » Wed May 02, 2012 11:00 pm

ianthemovie wrote:I thought I would weigh in on a few of the more memorable films I saw this past weekend at IFF Boston.

Julia Loktev's The Loneliest Planet - probably my favorite of the festival and could very well end up being one of the best of the year for me. Stunning use of long takes and very, very minimal dialogue make this slow going, but as you settle into its rhythm it becomes fascinating. There's a rather sudden dramatic shift at one point, after which the relationships between the three characters (a pair of engaged hikers and their guide) get even more interesting. An exquisitely subtle film. The editor was also in attendance and gave a very chill, entertaining Q&A afterward. Highly recommended.
I was thinking about seeing this at the NYFF last fall but I missed its sole screening there - apparently, IFC's picked it up and it's opening later this year so I will definitely check it out!

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Murdoch
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The Loneliest Planet (Julia Loktev, 2012)

#5 Post by Murdoch » Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:40 pm

In a year with its fair share of depravity, Loneliest Planet contained for me the year's most disturbing scene, if rivaled closely by Django and Killer Joe. But while those films' most disturbing scenes existed within generally fast-moving and witty narratives, this film's slow pace and silence make its momentary disturbance stick out all the more. What's interesting is that there are so many complaints about the film's length, but the longer the time we spend watching the couple meander aimlessly through fields and mountains the greater the force of the incident, and if it occurred early in the film it would have lacked much of its power.

Which is not to say that I think the film is an all-out masterpiece, as its latter half struggles a bit with dealing with the aftermath.
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Particularly the fiance's attempt to comfort Bernal with their conjugation game afterwards and that make-out scene between her and the guide. The latter I saw coming and hoped it wouldn't happen since it felt very artificial, like we were being force-fed the idea that the couple's relationship is destroyed.
But overall, the way the incident punctuates the film made me rather forgiving of any flaws it carried with it and will probably stick in my memory for some time.

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mfunk9786
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Re: The Films of 2012

#6 Post by mfunk9786 » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:18 pm

Funny you bring it up, Murdoch; I watched The Loneliest Planet the other night. I was a bit puzzled by the warm reception for this film, as that incident was literally all that happened for the entire film - and a far more interesting piece of work would have come from a discussion about what took place. I just can't accept the idea that something like that would happen without any of the three people involved apologizing, forgiving, or clarifying what the hell was even going on that led up to it. It's a painfully slow piece of work without the typically enrichment that would normally come from a highly praised arthouse picture that moves like molasses. Its insights into human behavior are shallow at best, and we're essentially left with some particularly quiet and dull strangers' travel photos.

It would have made a great 20 minute short film, but it's an awful two hour feature.

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Murdoch
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Re: The Films of 2012

#7 Post by Murdoch » Wed Jan 02, 2013 5:35 pm

The strange thing is that for the most part I agree with you and it is overwhelmed by the kind of filmmaking I usually hate (pretty people doing nothing in pretty places for long stretches). The second half of the movie fails to adequately build on the tension between the couple and could have been trimmed a great deal. I guess what clicked for me was the idea of the film more than its execution; being stranded with these people for long stretches with this single incident all that really happens in this isolation such that it's the only thing they can really think about. For lack of a better reason
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using one's significant other as a human shield, despite the brevity of the action, was such a contrast to the kind of male-as-protector behavior that I'm used to in, well, anything that it just caught me off-guard and shook me to the core. It is perhaps the ultimate act of cowardice so having it exist in isolation made it all the more substantial for me.
If I watched it again my reaction would be drastically different since going in I had no idea what the film was about so when something did happen I was shocked both by the fact that something was happening as much as by what was happening. Still, I can't argue with the detractors since I think it contains significant flaws in its execution.

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mfunk9786
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Re: The Films of 2012

#8 Post by mfunk9786 » Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:39 am

Murdoch wrote:The strange thing is that for the most part I agree with you and it is overwhelmed by the kind of filmmaking I usually hate (pretty people doing nothing in pretty places for long stretches). The second half of the movie fails to adequately build on the tension between the couple and could have been trimmed a great deal. I guess what clicked for me was the idea of the film more than its execution; being stranded with these people for long stretches with this single incident all that really happens in this isolation such that it's the only thing they can really think about. For lack of a better reason
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using one's significant other as a human shield, despite the brevity of the action, was such a contrast to the kind of male-as-protector behavior that I'm used to in, well, anything that it just caught me off-guard and shook me to the core. It is perhaps the ultimate act of cowardice so having it exist in isolation made it all the more substantial for me.
If I watched it again my reaction would be drastically different since going in I had no idea what the film was about so when something did happen I was shocked both by the fact that something was happening as much as by what was happening. Still, I can't argue with the detractors since I think it contains significant flaws in its execution.
What took away from the big moment for me was that it was
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largely instinctual. It'd be one thing if Bernal had done something to hang his fiance out to dry that required any thought at all, but the idea that he followed an incredibly base human instinct (that granted, not everyone would have done, but does it make it any worse/better that he did?) doesn't carry much intrigue along with it for me.
It seems like much ado about nothing to me, especially the further I get away from it. Positively puzzled by its reception - this is the sort of film that more critics should be willing to slap on the wrist for not digging deep enough into its supposed subject matter - not give that effortless three-star film festival capsule review to because they feel like they're supposed to like it. There's nothing wrong with taking a little art film to task the way you would a blockbuster and at least asking yourself questions about how much substance it really has and whether it could have achieved its goal more effectively.

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Murdoch
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Re: The Films of 2012

#9 Post by Murdoch » Fri Jan 04, 2013 1:30 pm

mfunk9786 wrote:What took away from the big moment for me was that it was
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largely instinctual. It'd be one thing if Bernal had done something to hang his fiance out to dry that required any thought at all, but the idea that he followed an incredibly base human instinct (that granted, not everyone would have done, but does it make it any worse/better that he did?) doesn't carry much intrigue along with it for me.
It seems like much ado about nothing to me, especially the further I get away from it. Positively puzzled by its reception - this is the sort of film that more critics should be willing to slap on the wrist for not digging deep enough into its supposed subject matter - not give that effortless three-star film festival capsule review to because they feel like they're supposed to like it. There's nothing wrong with taking a little art film to task the way you would a blockbuster and at least asking yourself questions about how much substance it really has and whether it could have achieved its goal more effectively. It would have been much more effective if it had focused on her instead of trying to strike a balance in portraying the couple.
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If someone pushed you in front of a gun to save themselves would you be as forgiving? For me it was because the reaction was instinctual that made the scene so fascinating. That his first instinct is to grab her says a lot, even though it was almost unconscious in how instantaneous it was with the drawing of the gun, it was that quickness of action that stuck with me. The trauma from having a loved one use her to try to save himself is a fascinating topic, and would it would devastate me if my fiance were to do the same.

Which is why the second act was such a disappointment since the fiance actually attempts to comfort Bernal later on with their conjugation game only to turn to the guide later. It didn't offer the best portrayal of her since she simply jumps into the arms of the next strongest guy and it didn't capitalize much on this trauma she experienced, almost rendering it a non-event with her attempt to comfort Bernal.
I haven't read anything about it and only watched it on Netflix streaming, so I don't have a gauge for the reception, but I see it as an interesting failure more than anything else.

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mfunk9786
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Re: The Films of 2012

#10 Post by mfunk9786 » Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:21 pm

I wouldn't hold something done as reflex against someone, no. Maybe I'm crazy, but the way that scene was acted, it was clear that it was Bernal's animal instinct, not the way he feels, considering that he immediately corrected himself. And if there's such a complex thing going on there from Julia Loktev's perspective, do the extra work and write a script where your characters interact with each other about what happened

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Murdoch
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Re: The Films of 2012

#11 Post by Murdoch » Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:55 pm

Yeah, the film is all set-up and no payoff, and which side of the fence you fall on depends on whether you are fine with what amounts to an empty promise.

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