I should have expected this, really

[floatingleaf]

I just saw Vanilla Sky. And I am reminded, yet again, why I don't watch American movies anymore. Don't get me wrong: at first I liked it quite a lot, was captivated by the story, and couldn't wait to find out what really happened. Only to be confronted at the end by the same old, typical, patronizing, cliched, insultingly simplistic moralistic message that about 95% of Hollywood productions deliver. I mean, why? The plot really had potential. It could have been a good, gripping, realistic drama about a guy who loses his mind after a traumatic, disfiguring accident. Deep, meaningful, thought-provoking psychological stuff. Why add some ridiculous, phony, pseudo-sci-fi mind-fuck blabber at the end?... Just to reinforce the message that having casual sex with someone you don't care much about is wrong and immoral? Puh-leeease. People have random, meaningless sex all the time. It may not be very responsible, and yes, there is a risk of unrequited feelings developing in the process - but that doesn't mean it's a crime deserving of disfigurement or death. Most people get over it without committing murder or suicide. Now, personally I do feel that casual sex is pretty pointless, and I don't have any interest in it. But I wouldn't dream of enforcing this view on everyone else or claiming some high moral ground, suggesting that those who do engage in it are evil sinners. Which clearly proves I am not an American filmmaker... lol.

/random rant. At least I made a post about something OTHER than my own petty miserable problems, yay. I can sleep peacefully now. *sarcastic smirk*

Comments

[floatingleaf.livejournal.com]

It's not a bad movie. And Penelope is absolutely gorgeous, as usual. Even Tom isn't bad in it, and it's not him I have a problem with. It's just... at some point I stopped BELIEVING in the story, and it disappointed me so much. It was that whole ridiculous Life Extension crap. I mean, I thought I was watching a good psychological drama about real people, not some new version of Matrix or something.

Did you see the original Spanish film? I'm just curious how much they changed in the American version.

Anyway... I love your new icon. It's brilliant.:P

[illuins-lair.livejournal.com]

Oh I had no idea there was an original film at all!! Do you know the name of it?

Yeah, I suppose you're right in that its Matrix-ending isn't typically realistic. Though I think I never saw the rest of the movie in the way of a drama to begin with, so the Matrix-part was not that of a surprise, if I remember correctly. Maybe I should rewatch it again and try analyze it from a different prospective - it's always intresting to vision it from someone else's POV.

For the return of the quirky!self, there was a need for some new iconsies LOL

[floatingleaf.livejournal.com]

The original Spanish film was called Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes). I just found it on Netflix. Penelope was in it, too, with Eduardo Noriega (whom I definitely like better than Tom Cruise ;). I'm going to watch it and try to figure out why they thought it needed a remake.:P

[illuins-lair.livejournal.com]

Wha-at? Hmm.. If *she* was in the original part - why the hell did she approve to do a semi-copy of the same?? Beyond my imagination, but anyway..gotta find it then. *squeak-bounces*

[floatingleaf.livejournal.com]

If *she* was in the original part - why the hell did she approve to do a semi-copy of the same??

No idea. Maybe she wanted the story to reach a wider audience... or maybe they paid her better money in the US.:P