Jump to content

Halba

Brooklyn | 11.06.15| starring: Saoirse/ Domhnall

Recommended Posts











7 minutes ago, tribefan695 said:

I feel like Ronan hasn't gotten her due yet. Hopefully this is the movie that finally puts her on the A list

If she hasn't it's mostly her fault. She passed on Scarlet Witch, a character Joss wrote with her in mind, for Star Wars, who passed on her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved this movie. Pretty much everyone I've spoken to who has seen it says they loved it. When people talk about loving a film as opposed to admiring it or liking it, it bodes well for both box-office and awards.

I posted in the awards forum that, for my money, Ronan gives the best female performance I've seen this year. She is utterly compelling in the role. I totally lost myself in her story and her character and I can't give an actor a bigger compliment than that.

She  not only deserves an Oscar nomination, she deserves to win.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites



My problem with it is that it's so ridiculously polished and sanitized. (From the start this is reflected in cinematography which makes every damn shot look like a postcard). Every step of the way it feels less like someone's real experience in a '50s America and more like their misguidedly nostalgic conception of what it would be like. Ronan is very good, but her character, despite being the lead, is one of the least interesting in the entire movie. 

Spoiler

Every challenge she meets (of which there are too few from the start) either gets resolved with someone's help in about 5 minutes or feels unmotivated and contrived (see the second Ireland stretch).

Even while watching it, I could think of a dozen more interesting versions of this story in my head; the real thing is pretty much the safest and blandest I could imagine. I'd much rather rewatch The Immigrant instead. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites





I'd say Actress is assured (and IMO the only nom that won't be bullshit). Picture is definitely possible, Screenplay is a long shot considering the competition but I could see it. Maybe costumes and/or production design, but that's a huge maybe. So anywhere from 1 to 5 noms I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Fair enough, it IS a sanitised version of the immigrant/torn between two lovers story, which in itself is nothing new. But it is also what most people go to movies for - to see attractive people living recognisable but not overly realistic lives. It's funny and sad, romantic and emotionally manipulative in an old fashioned movie way. It's this year's Philomena. And I predict that the public and Academy will love it and recommend it to their friends.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



I'm not against light and life-affirming movies on principle, but this is a movie that spends just about every minute of its runtime patting both its main character and its viewers on the back. It doesn't earn the right to be inspiring because there's never any conflict that feels real and worth giving a damn about. You can do so much more with an immigration story, or with a choosing-between-two-lovers story, than this movie ever attempts to do, and still end up with a successful and crowd-pleasing awards contender. This is just pointless fluff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



3 hours ago, Orestes said:

If she hasn't it's mostly her fault. She passed on Scarlet Witch, a character Joss wrote with her in mind, for Star Wars, who passed on her.

Too early to say whether passing on that role was a mistake. It's not exactly like there was much goodwill for TA2 in of itself.

No strong opinion of Ronan - she's obviously a talented actress but she doesn't make movies I've ever felt like watching.

Link to comment
Share on other sites





While watching this film I was captivated but not impressed until the third act which draws some gorgeous parallels to the beginning and really illustrates the similar plights of many immigrants. 

This film's main selling point is charm and it had plenty to go around. Ronan and Cohen are lovely and play real, normal people, which I love. 

I didn't realize how much I loved this film until a couple hours after I finished it and it had left a big smile on my face. 

I think there is just enough beyond the surface of the cutesy, charming story to really warrant this a pretty great film. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Guidelines. Feel free to read our Privacy Policy as well.