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What a great poster!

Great poster. I will never watch that film, though.

Matt wrote:Great poster. I will never watch that film, though.

Why not? I'm not a fan of Diablo Cody but this is easily her best script, thanks to having an unlikeable screw-up of a main character.

There's already Oscar buzz for Patton Oswalt's supporting performance. I'm so happy to live in a world in which I had the opportunity to type that sentence.

Wasn't there also Oscar buzz for his leading performance? I doubt it will ever translate into actual gold. Because of the Reitman connection maybe a nom, but never a win.

My love for Charlize "Tiny Teddy" Theron trumps my disinterest in Cody so I already had an interest in the film, but that poster actually piqued it a little more.

knives wrote:Wasn't there also Oscar buzz for his leading performance? I doubt it will ever translate into actual gold. Because of the Reitman connection maybe a nom, but never a win.

Why so defeated over something that hasn't happened yet?

I think it looks pretty good. *dodges projectiles*

My fiancee wants to see this film for the sole reason that we once stayed at the hotel in the opening shot of the trailer.

Everyone Gets Old, Not Everyone Grows Up: The Diablo Cody Story

Explain

Diablo Cody gets old when you've grown up.

Matt wrote:I will never watch that film, though.

I cut him (and her) some slack for Juno and nearly gave up after Up in the Air...but I think Reitman could pull off a good screwball comedy, as long as he spares us his shallow and ridiculous perspectives on "meaningful" issues.

hearthesilence wrote:...but I think Reitman could pull off a good screwball comedy, as long as he spares us his shallow and ridiculous perspectives on "meaningful" issues.

I wouldn't say this one's shallow but it definitely isn't a screwball comedy at all, no matter what the poster or trailers say.

It's started screening, and early word is very positive. Sounds like it's a pretty dark character study with some wry humor. There's no "redemption arc" for Theron's character. "I'm of the mind that assholes don't change," says Cody. It also sounds like Patton Oswalt (who compares the film to Five Easy Pieces and The Conversation) is indeed an early favorite for Best Supporting Actor.

It's at least a step up for both Cody and Reitman (which isn't difficult after the execrable Juno and insipid Up In The Air), and I suppose it's brave to have what passes for an unlikeable central character these days in a studio movie, but ultimately this just isn't meaningful or inspired enough to really warrant much excitement. Theron is game, although still spectacularly beautiful even when "haggard," but neither writer or director have the depth to really flesh out her character, and thus as a study it falls somewhat short of satisfying. Even Oswalt's flawed Big Fan covered vaguely similar ground with greater insight. But at least it's short - barely an hour and a half - and doesn't outstay its welcome.

Saw the trailer. Looks good. Not sure why he would compare it to The Conversation, though.

Wait, is Charlize's character or Patton's character supposed to remind us of Bobby Dupea and Harry Caul?

If it's the Charlize character, I suppose that self-absorbed perma-adolescence is to this decade what aggressive social nonconformism and Nixonian paranoia were to decades prior.

Here's the full quote:

Patton Oswalt -- who is fantastic in the film and delivers a performance you might not expect out of him -- noted that it's a reminder of films like "The Conversation" or "Five Easy Pieces" (the sort that often screen at the New Bev), which were dedicated to further embedding characters into who they were at the start of the film, rather than offering a traditional Hollywood yarn with lessons learned and a dramatic arc.

"I am of the mind that assholes don't change," Cody said in the Q&A. "And also, people in general don't necessarily change in the dramatic way we see them change in the third act of movies." She then gave credit to Reitman for fighting for the integrity of that aspect of the film.

Just because Theron's character doesn't really change throughout the course of the film doesn't mean this is anything like The Conversation or Five Easy Pieces.

The comparison is only to that one aspect which they do (if the descriptions of YA are correct) share. It's not a statement of quality but of likeness. Rats is like Jaws on the animals attack front even if it's no where near the quality for example.

Jeff wrote:Here's the full quote:

Gotcha. I haven't seen The Descendants yet, but the contemporary master of that type of '70s New Hollywood-style characterization is Alexander Payne (and Jim Taylor).

rs98762001 wrote:Just because Theron's character doesn't really change throughout the course of the film doesn't mean this is anything like The Conversation or Five Easy Pieces.

Did you read the quote? No one is contending that because there's a similar trajectory to the characters' arcs, that this is a DIY picture about a dickhead piano prodigy

I saw this today and found myself relating to Mavis' character more than I'd like to admit. Theron was fantastic, I'd put her right behind Dunst's performance in Melancholia for the year. Oswalt was good but perhaps a little overrated considering all the accolades he's been receiving. I loved it though.