One of the films that grew my appreciation, nay, my tolerance for the beauty of black and white film. [It begins as tolerance, you know, then it blossoms.]
Lee is a pleasurable little cliche of an idealist and a writer that wants to be a writer. The right woman is right around the corner! Purpose, I must have purpose in life! Art, true art!
Look, the first time I saw it, I thought Brannagh was doing a Woody Allen impression, then I realized he's just acting. You will probs make the same mistake as me.
Judy Davis is such a treat, she just fuckin goes for it, man.
It's been a year since I wrote about a film I watched and I don't know what my purpose here is, lol!
OK, let me focus. I must say something about black and white film. B&W results in a greater focus on the film and the characters itself. There is less to be distracted by. I think this is true. You are relieved of sensory overload. It is like if you drank soda with every meal and then you got sick and didn't eat for three days and then you had a crusty crust of baguette and you realized that a baguette, yes just a baguette, could explode with flavor. And then you realize, what the fuck is soda??
OK, my outlook on this film has changed in the past couple years. I have seen it perhaps 3-4 times. I am still charmed by it but boy do I feel bad for Lee. Wildly, he seems to be doing alright towards the end but the guy has just thrown everything good out of his life for these ideals, ideals that you'd figure a man in his forties would have perhaps reconsidered by then. But maybe that's when it happens? Bah, I don't know. He just seems so trapped, I relate to this.
Winona Ryder's line about the pasta. "...... No. Penne." Fuckin great writing there.
I hate to admit it but Ebert's review on this might hit the nail when he says it feels like a bunch of unused bits and ends mashed together by Woody. I think I still like the film but it does feel like there is a little something missing. BAH!
And you know, I've got to say, DiCaprio is just brilliant here. He's fucking good. It's so easy to think that these big names, this heavy hitters, are just pretty faces with a bit of charisma. But the guy can fucking act. I just believe him on screen.