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Flow: A+; A Complete Unknown: A; Gladiator 2: B+; The Count of Monte Cristo: A_ (I feel two ways about this one).

Posted by: Goodvibe61 (a.k.a goodvibe61) on Jan 06, 23:23 in response to tealfan's post So Who Saw What Last Week?

The Count of Monte Cristo: As a stand alone, 3 hour or so entertainment, this movie is fantastic. It moves along. It tells a (the) gripping story, perhaps the greatest story of them all, in a way that connects. It's a ravishing production, the performances are uniformly solid. 


So: on the one hand this film is a solid A, and it's one of the best films of 2024 in terms of storytelling. 

On the other hand: 

The Count is one of the greatest novels of all time, if not THE greatest. I first encountered it when I was in the middle of getting my grad school MA in lit. However, we were assigned an abridged edition, which i consumed and loved. And I promised myself that one day i would break out one of the more highly regarded unabridged translations and revisit this. It took me a dozen years or so, but I did get back to it and it was really then, on that second reading of the unabridged, that the novel became one of my all time favorites. I mean, it really packs a wallop. It's an emotional bulldozer. It's got so many balls in the air, you're mesmerized at the genius of the juggler. And it all comes off at the end, and you're just wiped out from it all. 

My point is, this story is BIG. I mean Proustian big. War and Peace big. Infinite Jest big. If you're a reader, you know what I mean. And this story has lots of fans. Take my word for it. Or search reddit as one example, and I think you can find multiple pages solely about that story. That gives you an idea of how popular it is. 

For the purists out there that love this story with all their hearts, this version again cuts out so much stuff, and plays with one of the major, MAJOR parts of the ending, the purists and going to be extremely disappointed with the film. I get that; from that perspective I was disappointed it with it too. That's why I'm giving it an A-. 

At the end of the day, I just appreciate that people are out there doing their best to tell this story. It's a staggeringly human tale, the ultimate story of love, tragedy, and how people CHANGE. It's such a great story. 

Don't be intimidated by the size of the book. Sometimes you just make the adjustment to what your going to get read over a certain amount of time. It's the equivalent of reading 4-5 decent sized novels. It's that big a book. But it's worth it. The book doesn't have the reputation it has by accident. It's been copied, ripped off, and made into an endless number of adaptations for a reason. If you haven't read it, and found this movie interesting or moving, give that book a try. It's really something. But watch this version and accept it for what it is, and I believe it can be heartily enjoyed and be found to be quite powerful and moving. 


So Who Saw What Last Week? tealfan Jan 06, 09:54

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (C)...The Fabelmans (A-)...minus coz I felt like it ended abruptly...Prisoners (B)...Cop Land (A)...The Fall Guy (A) tealfan Jan 06, 09:55

abruptly, after three hours {nm} uncle michelle Jan 06, 10:18

aftrer all that, I wanrted to see him make his first movie (or TV episode at least) tealfan Jan 06, 11:13

A Complete Unknown (C+ looks gorgeous, completely devoid of any insight at the core) {nm} uncle michelle Jan 06, 10:17

tho it did make me finally watch Don't Look Back (A). {nm} uncle michelle Jan 06, 10:37

TCM or some other way? That's how i scrolled through it last week. {nm} goodvibe61 Jan 06, 16:31

Criterion Channel streaming (it's pretty much always on there afaict) {nm} uncle michelle Jan 06, 16:34

The Apprentice (A) Disturbing and Award Worthy, Canary Black (B) - first 15 min was awful but then it righted the ship, Arcane S2 (B+) {nm} Initech Jan 06, 10:18

Fall Guy (B+) I'd watch a sequel {nm} Initech Jan 06, 10:20

Nosferatu (A+), Wallace and Gromit: VMF (A-), Thelma (B+), The Maltese Falcon (B), Cuckoo (C), {nm} mexgoer33 Jan 06, 10:43

Flow (A+) {nm} WorkinMan Jan 06, 11:28

Nosferatu (B+), Funeral Parade of Roses (A-), Once Upon a Time in the West (rewatch, but always, always A+) {nm} numbersix_99 Jan 06, 11:31

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (A), Coup! (B-/C+), The Wild Robot (A), Juror #2 (B+) {nm} gsquared Jan 06, 11:43

Juror #2 C+, Carry-On D- (unintentional comedy saved it from a F), Landman Incomplete - bad show, guilty pleasure, great actors {nm} jonjon Jan 06, 14:10

Juror #2 (C-), One Love (D), The Shining (A+) {nm} tatoufan Jan 06, 16:39

Flow: A+; A Complete Unknown: A; Gladiator 2: B+; The Count of Monte Cristo: A_ (I feel two ways about this one). Goodvibe61 Jan 06, 23:23





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