| 5th February 2008 02:40 AM |
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| FotiniD |
Just watched the film yesterday. In case you haven't heard, it attempts to show parts of Bob Dylan's life, centered around six of his personas.
I thought it was a great idea, and the result was aesthetically well-done but to be honest, I was tired and bored by the second half. It goes on too long and all the flashbacks and changes make it lack coherence. I don't know. The actors were great though. Especially Kate Blanchett, she plays a killer Dylan. Heath Ledger's part was good too, but it felt so weird, with what happened and all.
There's a Stones reference too: Kate Blanchet's Dylan is at a party and he goes on to introduce "Brian Jones, member of that groovy band". 
Did any of you guys catch it? What did you think?
Oh, and although I love much of Bob Dylan's music, I never really got why he has all this god-like treatment. Much too arrogant for my taste.
[Edited by FotiniD] |
| 5th February 2008 07:18 AM |
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| Gazza |
quote:
FotiniD wrote:
Just watched the film yesterday. In case you haven't heard, it attempts to show parts of Bob Dylan's life, centered around six of his personas.
I thought it was a great idea, and the result was aesthetically well-done but to be honest, I was tired and bored by the second half. It goes on too long and all the flashbacks and changes make it lack coherence. I don't know. The actors were great though. Especially Kate Blanchett, she plays a killer Dylan. Heath Ledger's part was good too, but it felt so weird, with what happened and all.
There's a Stones reference too: Kate Blanchet's Dylan is at a party and he goes on to introduce "Brian Jones, member of that groovy band".
Did any of you guys catch it? What did you think?
Oh, and although I love much of Bob Dylan's music, I never really got why he has all this god-like treatment. Much too arrogant for my taste.
must have translated difefrently in Greek. The line, as I heard it, was 'covers band'.
I liked the film (I think its mentioned more at length in the other Dylan thread), although it dragged a little in the middle. The music is excellent though, and the actors were very good - especially Cate The Great. Best film actress on the planet by some distance.
A Stones fan calling another act 'arrogant'? Surely not.
Arrogance is fine to some extent if you have some degree of genius to back it up with. The Stones have it. So does Bob.
[Edited by Gazza] |
| 5th February 2008 07:50 AM |
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| PartyDoll MEG |
I've given my opinion before, Fotini. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to buying it when it comes out. But then again, I like artsy fartsy movies!
I didn't see it as a biographical movie about Bob at all. To me the different characters portrayed different aspects of his personality and themes in his music and life as seen from the movie writer's perspective only. I loved the willy-nilly use of Bob's song lyrics and famous quotes throughout the movie...
Yes, it did drag a bit, especially in the middle. But I look forward to buying this movie and leisurely watching it, so I can see what I missed.
I was suprised at the critic rave reviews about this movie. It is not a mainstream film and most of the film going public would be bored to tears with it.
Cate was outstanding.
And as far as the being arrogant...
Gotta agree with Gazza! |
| 5th February 2008 08:15 AM |
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| FotiniD |
Yeah, yeah, I know we're sort of not allowed of using the term "arrogance" to describe other acts, well, what, with our not-so-humble favorite band, ok But for some reason I never got to appreciate Dylan as a character - his public image, at least. The songs are of course great.
Gazza, I could have sworn the line was "groovy" but maybe I remember wrong.
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| 5th February 2008 10:09 AM |
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| Nasty Habits |
It was definitely "cover band".
Personally, I disliked the movie quite a bit. But I have no use for Todd Haynes or his films. I understand why people would dig it, but geeze, if I can't relate to a move that is a big long tone poem fan letter to Bob Dylan than the film maker and I have no common ground in terms of how we approach a subject matter.
I thought that the stuff with Richard Gere was impossibly pretentious, Greil Marcusian falderal, and that the section with the dead guy trying to get along with his ex was like some boring 70s movie that could have starred Richard Dreyfuss at his weiniest.
Cate was the most fun of the Dylans (except for fat religious alternative "pressin' on" preacher Dylan, which along with Julianne Moore's Baez riff was easily the best scene in the movie). But I eventually tired of what I felt was a pretty limited schtick. Then again, real '66 Dylan, when he is not performing, bugs me too (see: Eat the Document). Speed freaks, when not doing their thing, are too jittery to be around, like poorly trained small dogs off leashes. Yap Yap Yap.
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| 5th February 2008 10:49 AM |
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| MrPleasant |
It was "groovy covers band", which was funny. Maybe the best line in the whole movie. |
| 5th February 2008 11:26 AM |
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| Martha |
What was missing the most in Todd's film (IMHO) was Bob's humor. It was so morose. I know Bob has his arrogance, but he is also very playful and witty and funny. Heck, he's even goofy at times. I remember seeing him turn to Donny at the first Chicago show this past fall and sticking his tongue out at him and laughing mid song, then turning back to the audience completely dead-pan. Now that's my Bob. There was none of that energy in this film. The more I thought about the film the less I liked it, Nasty, I felt a lot like you did about it.
I see there's a club date in the works (Texas) now for the spring tour.
xxoo,
MM
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| 5th February 2008 01:51 PM |
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| Nasty Habits |
Hey Martha - how's it goin'?
I saw a copy of the Asheville Orange Peel show on the Hunger City tracker the other day and thought of you!
What an "unbelievable" gig!
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| 5th February 2008 02:05 PM |
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| Martha |
quote:
Nasty Habits wrote:
Hey Martha - how's it goin'?
I saw a copy of the Asheville Orange Peel show on the Hunger City tracker the other day and thought of you!
What an "unbelievable" gig!
Hi Uncle Sweetheart! It's been a rough ride lately. I've had a family tragedy which took place on New Year's Eve. My nephew's fiance who was about to give birth to their son was hit head-on by a drunk driver as she was returning home (3-4 miles) from her Mother's. The baby was killed instantly. He weighed 6lbs 6oz. Danielle sustained multiple injuries, 13 broken bones, both legs and arms along with a broken pelvis and broken hip socket. She had skin graft surgery just yesterday on her arms. They had to take her uterus or she would have bled to death the night of the accident.
Chris and I drove back to OH for the baby's funeral. His name was Drew Aden and this was the saddest thing I've ever experienced. Bar none.
I was flattened emotionally by this horrible tragedy and am just beginning to regain some of my energy. It's good to talk with you. You always brighten my day.
That Orange Peel show was incredible. I was actually reliving that gig in my mind this past weekend while I listened to Time Out Of Mind. "Can't Wait" was one of my great Bob "moments". Wish I'd gotten the poster that night. But I have my memories. :-)
How's it going in your life? Great I hope!
xxoo,
Martha |
| 5th February 2008 04:12 PM |
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| Nasty Habits |
Martha, that is tragic. I am so sorry to hear about your family's loss. I hope you catch some good bounces in the near future.
Things here are swell - Trixie's teaching are going gangbusters, I can't keep up with all the DJ gigs I could get, I'm working with a couple of snazzy people on a couple of snazzy projects, and we made some major overhauls to our "operations" in the last few months that have seriously streamlined the whole system. Cutting overhead is the smart way to improving the bottom line, as the GOP will tell you!
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| 6th February 2008 09:24 AM |
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| Martha |
quote:
Nasty Habits wrote:
Martha, that is tragic. I am so sorry to hear about your family's loss. I hope you catch some good bounces in the near future.
Things here are swell - Trixie's teaching are going gangbusters, I can't keep up with all the DJ gigs I could get, I'm working with a couple of snazzy people on a couple of snazzy projects, and we made some major overhauls to our "operations" in the last few months that have seriously streamlined the whole system. Cutting overhead is the smart way to improving the bottom line, as the GOP will tell you!
Thank you so much. I'm in need of a good bounce to bring me back to the surface. Maybe I'll luck waaaay out and Bob's opening show in TX will take place in El Paso?!?. I know that's a long shot, but....I can get there. Fingers crossed.
Glad to hear that things are cooking with rice in your neck of the woods. I'll give you a call to catch up proper sometime sooner than later.
You are a peach my dear, a real peach. Love to Trixie from me!
xxoo,
Martha |
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