tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post6853460938893546320..comments2024-03-29T07:03:32.119+13:00Comments on Cinematic Paradox: Under the Radar: Higher Ground and Sleeping BeautyStevee Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-51505051225075962262012-07-22T14:53:10.662+12:002012-07-22T14:53:10.662+12:00Thanks for finally writing about > "Under ...Thanks for finally writing about > "Under the Radar: Higher Ground and Sleeping Beauty" < Loved it!<br /><i>My website</i> - <b><a href="http://watchavengersearthsmightiestheroess2ep13.blog.com/" rel="nofollow">Watch The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Season 2 Episode 13</a></b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-9499691798096904882012-07-11T15:14:14.244+12:002012-07-11T15:14:14.244+12:00I know, I felt like we needed an explanation for t...I know, I felt like we needed an explanation for that. And I wish that we'd seen Lucy seeing what happens to her. Or something more than just the last 20 minutes of the film.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-23565021322762902272012-07-11T15:13:23.267+12:002012-07-11T15:13:23.267+12:00I'm glad that someone else agrees with me!I'm glad that someone else agrees with me!Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-34514557286920534342012-07-10T03:50:26.322+12:002012-07-10T03:50:26.322+12:00Sleeping Beauty really got on my nerves. I love Em...Sleeping Beauty really got on my nerves. I love Emily Browning, and she was wonderful and very brave for doing this film. But I hated how they offered no explanion as to why Lucy was doing all of this. Yes she needs money, why? What would posess her to take a job like this? There were just too many unanswered questions for me.Brittani Burnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975067259283007280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-5862663484672805622012-07-09T19:48:13.219+12:002012-07-09T19:48:13.219+12:00I completely agree with you about sleeping beauty....I completely agree with you about sleeping beauty... i wanted it to be so much more, but in the end I hated it!!Scott Lawlorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494245383368638698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-65665863455834837322012-07-09T15:07:03.405+12:002012-07-09T15:07:03.405+12:00Yeah, I think her performance in Higher Ground is ...Yeah, I think her performance in Higher Ground is my favourite of hers to date. Which is kind of a big deal.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-21507904609038043642012-07-09T15:05:26.774+12:002012-07-09T15:05:26.774+12:00The Hunter is really quite good. I enjoyed that mo...The Hunter is really quite good. I enjoyed that movie.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-39477787582222609212012-07-09T15:04:59.971+12:002012-07-09T15:04:59.971+12:00EXACTLY!EXACTLY!Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-91840945162114271512012-07-09T15:04:33.188+12:002012-07-09T15:04:33.188+12:00I totally get where you're coming from, but th...I totally get where you're coming from, but the film was just missing so much other stuff that it never quite clicks.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-20307332774105197752012-07-09T15:00:25.110+12:002012-07-09T15:00:25.110+12:00Yeah, there were a few interesting ideas floating ...Yeah, there were a few interesting ideas floating around in it - which is why I found it so hard to decide whether I liked it or loathed it.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-13198237598832563332012-07-09T14:58:43.729+12:002012-07-09T14:58:43.729+12:00Yeah, I definitely think I'm on the dislike ro...Yeah, I definitely think I'm on the dislike road with Sleeping Beauty. <br /><br />I'm glad that someone else allows the word 'pretentious' in cinematic context! I just think that a whole lot of people get offended because of how true that word rings to them. Hell, I can be pretentious sometimes but I don't complain. <br /><br />Definitely give Higher Ground a go. Vera Farmiga is awesome.Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-81085448239164344462012-07-09T14:55:33.256+12:002012-07-09T14:55:33.256+12:00I guess you should check out Sleeping Beauty. Whil...I guess you should check out Sleeping Beauty. While I didn't like it that much, there's a bit in it that's worth talking about. Plus, the way it is made is just how you like it.<br /><br />If you like Vera Farmiga then Higher Ground is a must!Stevee Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12284769251750574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-60091174396239017292012-07-09T14:36:23.783+12:002012-07-09T14:36:23.783+12:00I loved Higher Ground; thought Farmiga's perfo...I loved Higher Ground; thought Farmiga's performance was her best yet. It was a refreshing take on faith and religion. As you said, they're not often explored and film, and when they are, often with a pretty strong viewpoint one way or the other.Clayton W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07685040835987672052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-62911472061890886192012-07-09T05:51:39.150+12:002012-07-09T05:51:39.150+12:00*Julia Leigh, mixing her up with the equally great...*Julia Leigh, mixing her up with the equally great Andrea Arnold.The Movie Wafflerhttp://www.moviewaffle.blogspot.ienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-42285409608214998542012-07-09T05:49:07.179+12:002012-07-09T05:49:07.179+12:00Sleeping Beauty is sitting in my top 5 of 2012 and...Sleeping Beauty is sitting in my top 5 of 2012 and I can't see it being dislodged anytime soon. I'm looking forward to seeing The Hunter this week as it's based on a book by Julia Arnold, the writer-director of Sleeping Beauty.The Movie Wafflerhttp://www.moviewaffle.blogspot.ienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-65421450882392417312012-07-09T01:26:52.306+12:002012-07-09T01:26:52.306+12:00I think the use of the word "pretentious"...I think the use of the word "pretentious" is perfectly legitimate. :-) Film makers need to know that artsy techniques don't substitute for other attributes, such as character development and good storytelling. And I think there's a difference between something like this (though I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty) and a minimalist movie like Drive or Shame. In Drive and Shame, the filmmaker really knows his story and characters -- and they are rich and fully developed -- even though we don't implicitly see this on the screen. Nevertheless it shines through in the film making and the actors' performances.Stephaniehttp://eclecticbooksandmovies.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-59485423425080299112012-07-09T01:03:20.620+12:002012-07-09T01:03:20.620+12:00I'd offer in defense of SLEEPING BEAUTY and th...I'd offer in defense of SLEEPING BEAUTY and the way it annoys you with its "grey grey grey, cold cold cold, but never anything to connect with" might be part of what I feel Browning's point to to denude the cinematic sex of any mystique or prettiness of even pleasure (vicariously felt). It's like that opening scene with the only "penetration" in the film which is so awkward to watch and the not aesthetic men Lucy sleeps with - as if to say (in, indeed, an artsy) this is how dull sex, and the worship of it, is.<br /><br />Of course, I can't indict you if it doesn't work for you. (Curious you bring up SHAME, though, because I ended up discussing them in tandem earlier in the year because I find them so similar - in their attempts to some degree).Andrew K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01104647944747041277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-91906926146147798302012-07-09T00:52:10.381+12:002012-07-09T00:52:10.381+12:00I don't really disagree that Sleeping Beauty i...I don't really disagree that Sleeping Beauty is pretentious but somewhat inaccessible though it is, I still found enough interesting ideas floating around to like it. I had much bigger problems with Higher Ground.Bondohttp://moviereviewwarehouse.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-58635518103061379852012-07-09T00:02:38.310+12:002012-07-09T00:02:38.310+12:00A work mate linked me to this resource. Thanks for...A work mate linked me to this resource. Thanks for the information.<br /><i>Have a look at my blog post</i> ... <b><a href="http://binsadelaide.com.au/" rel="nofollow">Mini Bins Adelaide</a></b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-3212783613488560812012-07-08T22:26:07.210+12:002012-07-08T22:26:07.210+12:00Man, more than half a year has passed since I saw ...Man, more than half a year has passed since I saw Sleeping Beauty, and I have to tell you: while I was not really sure about this film then, now I really dislike it, too. And I totally agree with you on Emily giving a fantastic performance, great looks of the film, but its complete and utter pretentiousness. Besides, I don't see nothing bad in the cinematic use of that word... Like Sleeping Beauty was pretentious and bad/average, while Tree of Life was pretentious (really, you can't deny that) and good/great. Anyway, the point is: no heads lopped off please! :)<br /><br />As for Higher Ground, we've had it here for like two days in terms of some wee festival, but although I was excited about the film and stuff, I decided not to go, but of course I'm looking forward to watching this. Farmiga FTW.Lesyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11785171567540455637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2587775651487578742.post-54727886690779532132012-07-08T21:35:55.366+12:002012-07-08T21:35:55.366+12:00I haven't really been interested in either of ...I haven't really been interested in either of these films, and Sleeping Beauty (while I've yet to see it) does sound like a load of shit. I hate that a film like it has had such a wide release because I know a lot of people will judge arthouse cinema based on it. I hope they don't, because there are films miles better than I imagine Sleeping Beauty is that can also be called arthouse. That said, what you've described about the visual style and direction of the film sounds like something I would love, so who knows?<br /><br />As for Higher Ground, I really like Vera Farmiga so I might give that one a shot.Tylerhttp://magnoliaforever.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com