I am dead serious. I cannot stand unmerited pretension (in books, film, people...anything, really), and 21 Grams is a horrible, horrible film.Luke wrote:prfsnl_gmr wrote: If there is one thing I cannot stand in film, it is unmerited pretension. That is why I consider "21 Grams" the worst movie ever made.
You know your comment can come off as sarcastic, but I think you are being more than honest.
Even if you are being sarcastic, I think your "unmerited pretension" comment deserves merit.
Your comment also made me think about the polar opposite of unmerited pretension. Off the top of my head TRAINSPOTTING and SNATCH offer a robust and perverse bonus of intelligence without being pretentious.
Yes, they are both bold, progressive, and over achieving films, but not once do they down play the intelligence of the screenwriting or pander to the audience (I bet $100 Mr.Dish absolutely can not stand when movies do nothing other than try to make fanboys happy).
TRAINSPOTTING & SNATCH:
Perfect? No. Splendid? Yes. Well written and produced? Ab-so-lutely.
That "everything is connected" phase that Oscar bait films went through a few years back produced some truly execreble films, and 21 Grams is the worst of them. The plot is absurd and misfortunes pile up on each of the main characters like a ridiculous Greek tragedy (...to the point of hilarity, actually). Worst of all, however, the movie had the audacity to think it had something to say about the human condition. It didn't. It didn't even come close. It simply hope that we, the audience, would take it at its word. Rather, it was the film equivalent of the dumbest person in a lecture raising his hand, making a really long, really heatfelt - but nonetheless, really stupid - statement that completely misses the point and does nothing except highlight the volunteer's ignorance. The film serves as proof that merely presenting a narrative out of order and running the film stock through filter does not make it good or intelligent.
My general reaction to the film is best summed up by this quote from Billy Madison, which - while incredibly dumb - lacks even a hint of pretension and is at least somewhat enjoyable:
"[21 Grams], what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
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