2017
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
I am at the mercy of my Amazon Subscriptions, as I am picking out what movies to watch based on what's available for free. This would definitely not have been a top pick for me. Personally, I like my science fiction to come with a little humor, Douglas Adams- or C3P0 -style, otherwise I find it rather dull. Now I fully recognize that this is simply a matter of taste, and I resolved to be as objective as possible with this film. But sweet Jesus, it was 164 minutes.
Ryan Gosling plays K, a replicant tasked with "retiring" older models. He discovers a box on one of his missions that contains the remains of a replicant who died during a c section, thus proving that replicants can reproduce. K is ordered to kill the child to hide the truth. K also has a special sweetheart, a la the movie Her. A movie I haven't seen yet, but imagine is quite superior to this.
I will spare you my unabridged rant on the endless remakes and reboots that Hollywood is hellbent on pursuing, but suffice to say, I saw no real reason for this story. I suppose the effects are better, but just like the original Blade Runner, it was a total snoozefest, with boring, handsome actors looking grim for hours. I would guess the running time is exceptionally long because every character takes a dramatic pause before they speak. I suppose this is a way of giving weight to dialogue that is supposed to be mindblowing but is actually rather mundane.
Just totally unnecessary. Harrison, man. Have a some self respect. You're not a mascot.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Because his character was blind, Jared Leto wore opaque contact lenses. So I guess he is pretty bad at acting then? God, that guy is obnoxious.
A much longer take of the Pale Fire scene was filmed, where Gosling read out loud an eight minute staccato dialogue, but it was cut. Oh thank Zeus.
Yes. Bad, boring, grim, just NO.
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda.. This could be something that bonds us.. Yes, this was a tedious leaden lump of a film .. or divide us as I like the original.
ReplyDeleteI actually liked this one. But then, I am also a huge fan of the original Bladerunner. I only have two complaints: that super annoying need in Hollywood to make sequels of anything and that I watched it on a tiny screen on a plane. Not the right place. There is a lot of ambiguity, which it has in common with the original.
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