I'm going to go back and finish "Don't Look Up". I can't remember why I stopped watching it early in the movie, but it sounds like the perfect movie for this weekend. Maybe in the middle of the pandemic I couldn't take one more thing that spelled doom even thought it was a comedy? But I'm more up for it now. I've added "Melancholia" to my list too. Thank you.
Ah, but the Ariana Grande (not usually a fan) moment and her ridiculous dress nails the way that any true form of resistance and protest is instantly appropriated by the entertainment industry, repackaged, and turned meaningless. It IS excruciating but it's also perfect satire. I laughed out loud at that (sadly). Amen to the rest of this piece. I cried as well, even though I consider DiCaprio an altogether doughy and peculiarly vacant lead.`
I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch Don’t Look Up yet, having been aware of it since it came out. I work in climate policy as my day job (it makes the climate anxiety a little more manageable, to know that I’m doing something to make it less catastrophic), and it just feels like something I don’t need to watch somehow...
I 100% agree with you. I loved this movie for how painfully funny (and horrifying) it was. Like some others have commented, I was surprised at the time that so many people DIDN’T like it. I chalk that up to the same American exceptionalism you talk about. In fairness... you’re right about the third act. Maybe folks didn’t stick around for the final few moments, or got stuck on that weakness.
Also, Lars Von Trier is an absolute lunatic and I love him.
oh, i grudgingly concede he is a good actor. i want to see "killers of the flower moon." and i allow that my distaste is influenced by his dating extremely young women, which is really none of my biz.
i didn't watch the movie at the time cuz i knew its premise and couldn't deal on top of covid, and dicaprio gives me the icks almost as much as t.c. (TOTALLY with you there). but now it's in my queue. loved melancholia. and love jennifer lawrence. thanks for bringing this up, i appreciate cultural and political fodder as much as writing advice!
So glad to have a friend in the anti TC club- we are a small group. I have to say, I've never "gotten" the Leonardo thing (as in, so many people thinking he's one of the most gifted actors of our time) but I really liked him in this a lot. He's believable as a fuddy duddy Midwesterner and there is a scene where he has the most realistic breakdown I've ever seen. Give it a chance and let me know what you think!
I did see it when it came out -- and I think the last scene (or maybe it was post-credits) made it delicious. That and Meryl Streep. Interestingly, it came to mind recently when I put together a synopsis of an alternative history screenplay about a world in which gays are the only members of the population who do not get AIDS. They base a vaccine on the gene that confers same-sex attraction, and six months later, all the straight people become bisexual. And then it definitely veers into social satire, and I thought, OMG you're writing an Adam McKay movie. (It may be a novel.)
I was also surprised the film didn't get more attention than it did when it was released. It was well-done (though I agree about the third act) and so on point. Horrifying and funny at once. Since you brought up the sub, I was aghast that it received worldwide attention when the Greek migrant tragedy got almost nil. I thought that spoke volumes about us.
It's funny that you say you totally missed this one when it came out. I felt like everyone in the climate realm was talking about this film non-stop back in 2021! Have you read about Mckay's new non-profit venture Yellow Dot (yellowdotstudios.com)? From the site: Can mocking loathsome sociopaths help unfuck decades of nefarious propaganda and inspire a critical mass of humans to save life on earth? Let’s find out.
I didn't know about it, no! And I was very much offline during the pandemic because the news freaked me out. Still though, I run in a crowd of movie buffs and no one mentioned it or talked about it. We were under a rock!
Ok, love that you’re writing about Melancholia, such an underrated film. Despite LVT’s #metoo behavior, Melancholia also directly inspired my forthcoming book, Acid Christmas and I thought about this movie a ton while writing the book and rewatched it. Then basically wrote a variation of the film, but with an endless snowstorm instead of a planetary collision and at an airport instead of a mansion, with strangers instead of family.
And Don’t Look Up was enjoyable and funny, but I actually needed more Timothee Chamalet. 😂😂 He was my favorite part!
I really enjoyed it when it came out. Well, as much as one could enjoy its dark satire. Like Courtney I cried and it was way too meta for me during COVID. Unlike Courtney, I connected it to climate change and/or COVID.
I couldn’t agree more about this film. I saw it when it came out and was stunned when about half my friends either hated it or were indifferent to it (the other half loved it as much as I did). I can only think that most people find it so unsettling that they can’t process it. It’s incredibly dark because it is so on point in identifying what is happening in our culture that is normalizing even the most horrendous possibilities, whether it be the accelerated effects of climate change, the rise of fascism, or arming 5 year olds for their own protection in school. I found it piercingly funny as a satire but also horrific. I was truly surprised it didn’t get more positive attention, too.
Thank you so much for sharing. It's important, I think, to remind Americans that we aren't the center of the world, that in fact, a whole lot of the world is doing things better and safer and smarter than we are!
I'm going to go back and finish "Don't Look Up". I can't remember why I stopped watching it early in the movie, but it sounds like the perfect movie for this weekend. Maybe in the middle of the pandemic I couldn't take one more thing that spelled doom even thought it was a comedy? But I'm more up for it now. I've added "Melancholia" to my list too. Thank you.
Just prepare yourself-- Melancholia is TOUGH. Disturbing but beautiful film.
Thanks for the heads up, Courtney. I'll make sure I'm in a solid headspace before I hit play.
Ah, but the Ariana Grande (not usually a fan) moment and her ridiculous dress nails the way that any true form of resistance and protest is instantly appropriated by the entertainment industry, repackaged, and turned meaningless. It IS excruciating but it's also perfect satire. I laughed out loud at that (sadly). Amen to the rest of this piece. I cried as well, even though I consider DiCaprio an altogether doughy and peculiarly vacant lead.`
He is so doughy! And you're right- it is great satire but it lasted a loooong time.
I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch Don’t Look Up yet, having been aware of it since it came out. I work in climate policy as my day job (it makes the climate anxiety a little more manageable, to know that I’m doing something to make it less catastrophic), and it just feels like something I don’t need to watch somehow...
Add “Elysium” as the sequel to Don’t Look Up...think of it as ‘what happens after the strike and ruination of Earth by the 1%.
Oh wow. Sounds super disturbing.
I 100% agree with you. I loved this movie for how painfully funny (and horrifying) it was. Like some others have commented, I was surprised at the time that so many people DIDN’T like it. I chalk that up to the same American exceptionalism you talk about. In fairness... you’re right about the third act. Maybe folks didn’t stick around for the final few moments, or got stuck on that weakness.
Also, Lars Von Trier is an absolute lunatic and I love him.
oh, i grudgingly concede he is a good actor. i want to see "killers of the flower moon." and i allow that my distaste is influenced by his dating extremely young women, which is really none of my biz.
i didn't watch the movie at the time cuz i knew its premise and couldn't deal on top of covid, and dicaprio gives me the icks almost as much as t.c. (TOTALLY with you there). but now it's in my queue. loved melancholia. and love jennifer lawrence. thanks for bringing this up, i appreciate cultural and political fodder as much as writing advice!
So glad to have a friend in the anti TC club- we are a small group. I have to say, I've never "gotten" the Leonardo thing (as in, so many people thinking he's one of the most gifted actors of our time) but I really liked him in this a lot. He's believable as a fuddy duddy Midwesterner and there is a scene where he has the most realistic breakdown I've ever seen. Give it a chance and let me know what you think!
I did see it when it came out -- and I think the last scene (or maybe it was post-credits) made it delicious. That and Meryl Streep. Interestingly, it came to mind recently when I put together a synopsis of an alternative history screenplay about a world in which gays are the only members of the population who do not get AIDS. They base a vaccine on the gene that confers same-sex attraction, and six months later, all the straight people become bisexual. And then it definitely veers into social satire, and I thought, OMG you're writing an Adam McKay movie. (It may be a novel.)
Have a wonderful vacation. J'espère en Bretagne.
I was also surprised the film didn't get more attention than it did when it was released. It was well-done (though I agree about the third act) and so on point. Horrifying and funny at once. Since you brought up the sub, I was aghast that it received worldwide attention when the Greek migrant tragedy got almost nil. I thought that spoke volumes about us.
VOLUMES. I agree. Truly sickening.
It's funny that you say you totally missed this one when it came out. I felt like everyone in the climate realm was talking about this film non-stop back in 2021! Have you read about Mckay's new non-profit venture Yellow Dot (yellowdotstudios.com)? From the site: Can mocking loathsome sociopaths help unfuck decades of nefarious propaganda and inspire a critical mass of humans to save life on earth? Let’s find out.
I didn't know about it, no! And I was very much offline during the pandemic because the news freaked me out. Still though, I run in a crowd of movie buffs and no one mentioned it or talked about it. We were under a rock!
Ok, love that you’re writing about Melancholia, such an underrated film. Despite LVT’s #metoo behavior, Melancholia also directly inspired my forthcoming book, Acid Christmas and I thought about this movie a ton while writing the book and rewatched it. Then basically wrote a variation of the film, but with an endless snowstorm instead of a planetary collision and at an airport instead of a mansion, with strangers instead of family.
And Don’t Look Up was enjoyable and funny, but I actually needed more Timothee Chamalet. 😂😂 He was my favorite part!
We can agree to disagree on TC ;)
I really enjoyed it when it came out. Well, as much as one could enjoy its dark satire. Like Courtney I cried and it was way too meta for me during COVID. Unlike Courtney, I connected it to climate change and/or COVID.
I'm certain that was what the director intended (climate change/COVID metaphor). Lots of different threats to choose from that the US mostly ignores!
I couldn’t agree more about this film. I saw it when it came out and was stunned when about half my friends either hated it or were indifferent to it (the other half loved it as much as I did). I can only think that most people find it so unsettling that they can’t process it. It’s incredibly dark because it is so on point in identifying what is happening in our culture that is normalizing even the most horrendous possibilities, whether it be the accelerated effects of climate change, the rise of fascism, or arming 5 year olds for their own protection in school. I found it piercingly funny as a satire but also horrific. I was truly surprised it didn’t get more positive attention, too.
I WROTE ABOUT IT. I loved it, totally different reaction to it. It's in the prologue of next book lol. Let's discuss. But let's not discuss TC.
I missed it! I was under a rock I guess! Share the link here.
It was one of my first. It's down because it's the prologue lol.
We can swap in person. xo
YES please. Have fun camping 💓💓💓
Thank you so much for sharing. It's important, I think, to remind Americans that we aren't the center of the world, that in fact, a whole lot of the world is doing things better and safer and smarter than we are!