agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Aug 31, 2017 7:40:19 GMT
I LOVED IT!!!! While its not a movie for everyone it is beautiful, and has good performances and makes you think. I liked seeing the Ghost throughout the film and and how time didnt pass for him normally. Affleck did a good job in his few scenes, as did Mara. I wonder if Affleck played the ghost the whole time??? Not sure. The ending almost made me cry, also that Pie scene LOL. I can only imagine being stuck in the same place for an eternity WOW, I highly recommend it
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Post by joekiddlouischama on Aug 31, 2017 22:10:25 GMT
I LOVED IT!!!! While its not a movie for everyone it is beautiful, and has good performances and makes you think. I liked seeing the Ghost throughout the film and and how time didnt pass for him normally. Affleck did a good job in his few scenes, as did Mara. I wonder if Affleck played the ghost the whole time??? Not sure. The ending almost made me cry, also that Pie scene LOL. I can only imagine being stuck in the same place for an eternity WOW, I highly recommend it My feelings about the film are mixed ("decent," in my view), but A Ghost Story is somewhat memorable, as much as anything for the simple yet striking compositions of the white ghost towards the corner of otherwise dark frames. The film works as an allegory for loss, yearning, and regret. One can empathize with the ghost and feel his emotions quite a bit, especially his still watchfulness and protectiveness toward his former love, his jealousy when she embraces a date, and his eternal sense of loss when she ultimately leaves the home and moves on. Indeed, A Ghost Story is effective at rendering nearly tangible the emotions that people can only speculate about, namely the feelings that a deceased spirit might possess—if one is willing to make that leap in imagination. The film is at its best when it sticks to its idiosyncrasies, to what makes it different and almost purely cinematic—the simple quietude, the observant passing of time, the latent and ironic feelings about space. Conversely, the movie veers into shakier terrain when it fails to trust its virtues and tries to strike more conventional and expository notes. The party scene, for example, with that guy waxing philosophically about life, is disruptive, jarring, and needlessly expository— A Ghost Story was better off just sticking to its nearly silent ambiance and allowing viewers to think and feel for themselves. The late sequence, too, with the real estate agent feels a little forced to me, and the "circular construction" with the ghosts at the end might be a little too cute, a little too elaborate. Again, the movie is at its best when it trusts its distinctive aspects rather than worrying that it needs to build on them in order to reach audiences more directly. Also, while the film tries to create a sense of "real time," it goes overboard in the scene where the grief-stricken Mara character tearfully shovels down her porridge (or whatever she is eating; is it pie?). The scene feels overextended and reaches the point of diminishing returns. I would consider the movie more of a nice idea than a polished piece of work, but the strengths, in terms of the ghost's presence (whether he is in the shot or not) and silent emotions (untutored and unexplained) are gently magnetic. In those senses, A Ghost Story is both curiously intriguing and resonant. I also appreciate the fact that a contemporary supernatural film does not resort to any CGI or special effects—the same movie could have been made fifty years ago, so one is not distracted by gratuitous technology. (Of course, advanced technology has its place, and its benefits, in certain contexts.) My feelings toward the film are rather affectionate, but I wish that it could have maintained its purity a little more consistently. Thanks for the starting the thread, and if you have any thoughts on any of my specific points, please share.
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agentblue
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@agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 1, 2017 1:32:21 GMT
I LOVED IT!!!! While its not a movie for everyone it is beautiful, and has good performances and makes you think. I liked seeing the Ghost throughout the film and and how time didnt pass for him normally. Affleck did a good job in his few scenes, as did Mara. I wonder if Affleck played the ghost the whole time??? Not sure. The ending almost made me cry, also that Pie scene LOL. I can only imagine being stuck in the same place for an eternity WOW, I highly recommend it My feelings about the film are mixed ("decent," in my view), but A Ghost Story is somewhat memorable, as much as anything for the simple yet striking compositions of the white ghost towards the corner of otherwise dark frames. The film works as an allegory for loss, yearning, and regret. One can empathize with the ghost and feel his emotions quite a bit, especially his still watchfulness and protectiveness toward his former love, his jealousy when she embraces a date, and his eternal sense of loss when she ultimately leaves the home and moves on. Indeed, A Ghost Story is effective at rendering nearly tangible the emotions that people can only speculate about, namely the feelings that a deceased spirit might possess—if one is willing to make that leap in imagination. The film is at its best when it sticks to its idiosyncrasies, to what makes it different and almost purely cinematic—the simple quietude, the observant passing of time, the latent and ironic feelings about space. Conversely, the movie veers into shakier terrain when it fails to trust its virtues and tries to strike more conventional and expository notes. The party scene, for example, with that guy waxing philosophically about life, is disruptive, jarring, and needlessly expository— A Ghost Story was better off just sticking to its nearly silent ambiance and allowing viewers to think and feel for themselves. The late sequence, too, with the real estate agent feels a little forced to me, and the "circular construction" with the ghosts at the end might be a little too cute, a little too elaborate. Again, the movie is at its best when it trusts its distinctive aspects rather than worrying that it needs to build on them in order to reach audiences more directly. Also, while the film tries to create a sense of "real time," it goes overboard in the scene where the grief-stricken Mara character tearfully shovels down her porridge (or whatever she is eating; is it pie?). The scene feels overextended and reaches the point of diminishing returns. I would consider the movie more of a nice idea than a polished piece of work, but the strengths, in terms of the ghost's presence (whether he is in the shot or not) and silent emotions (untutored and unexplained) are gently magnetic. In those senses, A Ghost Story is both curiously intriguing and resonant. I also appreciate the fact that a contemporary supernatural film does not resort to any CGI or special effects—the same movie could have been made fifty years ago, so one is not distracted by gratuitous technology. (Of course, advanced technology has its place, and its benefits, in certain contexts.) My feelings toward the film are rather affectionate, but I wish that it could have maintained its purity a little more consistently. Thanks for the starting the thread, and if you have any thoughts on any of my specific points, please share. Nice review dude, I agree with most of your points. We both disagree about the party guys philosophy rant, I liked it and it added some much needed dialogue to the film. I agree with your other points and BTW she was eating Pie.
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Post by hi224 on Sept 1, 2017 2:30:54 GMT
Another movie I need to hopefully see.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2017 3:31:01 GMT
While I quite liked Ain't Them Bodies Saints, I just don't think I'll ever get around to see a Ghost Story. Sorry but watching Casey Affleck walk around in a bed sheet doesn't interest me.
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agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 1, 2017 7:25:17 GMT
While I quite liked Ain't Them Bodies Saints, I just don't think I'll ever get around to see a Ghost Story. Sorry but watching Casey Affleck walk around in a bed sheet doesn't interest me. You're missing out.
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Post by joekiddlouischama on Sept 3, 2017 5:37:41 GMT
While I quite liked Ain't Them Bodies Saints, I just don't think I'll ever get around to see a Ghost Story. Sorry but watching Casey Affleck walk around in a bed sheet doesn't interest me. Just to make an ironic point, Affleck does not walk around in a sheet so much as he stands around—point being that the film is less hokey, and more thoughtful and allegorical, than one might imagine. Of course, as "agentblue" indicated, whether Affleck is the one really underneath that sheet could be a question of considerable debate. If the director (David Lowery) proved sufficiently efficient, Affleck could have finished his work on this film in three days at the most, while a stand in played the ghost.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 12:32:15 GMT
While I quite liked Ain't Them Bodies Saints, I just don't think I'll ever get around to see a Ghost Story. Sorry but watching Casey Affleck walk around in a bed sheet doesn't interest me. Just to make an ironic point, Affleck does not walk around in a sheet so much as he stands around—point being that the film is less hokey, and more thoughtful and allegorical, than one might imagine. Of course, as "agentblue" indicated, whether Affleck is the one really underneath that sheet could be a question of considerable debate. If the director (David Lowery) proved sufficiently efficient, Affleck could have finished his work on this film in three days at the most, while a stand in played the ghost. Gotcha. I'll eventually get around to seeing this sometime . as I love Mara a lot as an actress.
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agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 3, 2017 17:11:18 GMT
Just to make an ironic point, Affleck does not walk around in a sheet so much as he stands around—point being that the film is less hokey, and more thoughtful and allegorical, than one might imagine. Of course, as "agentblue" indicated, whether Affleck is the one really underneath that sheet could be a question of considerable debate. If the director (David Lowery) proved sufficiently efficient, Affleck could have finished his work on this film in three days at the most, while a stand in played the ghost. Gotcha. I'll eventually get around to seeing this sometime . as I love Mara a lot as an actress. Yeah shes really good, she chooses interesting projects. Wish we had seen a dragon tattoo sequel.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2017 18:07:39 GMT
Gotcha. I'll eventually get around to seeing this sometime . as I love Mara a lot as an actress. Yeah shes really good, she chooses interesting projects. Wish we had seen a dragon tattoo sequel. agreed! I could have sworn Sony was moving forward with another Dragon Tattoo movie BUT David Fincher wouldn't be involved (which sucks). They work so well together. Hopefully they make another film together
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agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 4, 2017 1:24:42 GMT
Yeah shes really good, she chooses interesting projects. Wish we had seen a dragon tattoo sequel. agreed! I could have sworn Sony was moving forward with another Dragon Tattoo movie BUT David Fincher wouldn't be involved (which sucks). They work so well together. Hopefully they make another film together UGH they should have struck while the iron was hot, announced it a few days after the first one came out and released them in 2013/2014. Sony just pisses me off sometimes.
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Post by Nora on Sept 7, 2017 22:26:48 GMT
just saw this. While it was hard to watch during certain sequences (the non sugar no dairy vegan pie scene is one example) I did like it a lot. It certainly is not a movie for everyone and it is a hard to watch movie for people with ADHD like myself. I may have spaced out once or twice during the most "boring" scenes, may have to see it again.
Yes it was Affleck under the sheet the whole time. And apparently he really enjoyed acting while covered. And the director played the other ghost. Btw I loved the interaction of the ghosts and would be interested in seeing more of it.
interestingly enough WETA did the visual effects. It showed.
Rooney Mara claims she doesn't remember what she wrote on that little note though! the director told her to write "something meaningful to her". I guess we will never find out. I get the intention (each member of the audience can project whatever they feel onto the little paper) but I still wish we found out.
I really liked the music used in the movie. For sure want to hear more of that OST.
Didn't recognize Ke$ha on screen.
If you dont mind slow/silent movies where some scenes are in real time and not much happens, go for it.
It did remind me of Personal Shopper. And not just because both have ghost in it.
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agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 8, 2017 1:37:08 GMT
just saw this. While it was hard to watch during certain sequences (the non sugar no dairy vegan pie scene is one example) I did like it a lot. It certainly is not a movie for everyone and it is a hard to watch movie for people with ADHD like myself. I may have spaced out once or twice during the most "boring" scenes, may have to see it again. Yes it was Affleck under the sheet the whole time. And apparently he really enjoyed acting while covered. And the director played the other ghost. Btw I loved the interaction of the ghosts and would be interested in seeing more of it. interestingly enough WETA did the visual effects. It showed. Rooney Mara claims she doesn't remember what she wrote on that little note though! the director told her to write "something meaningful to her". I guess we will never find out. I get the intention (each member of the audience can project whatever they feel onto the little paper) but I still wish we found out. I really liked the music used in the movie. For sure want to hear more of that OST. Didn't recognize Ke$ha on screen. If you dont mind slow/silent movies where some scenes are in real time and not much happens, go for it. It did remind me of Personal Shopper. And not just because both have ghost in it. Who did Kesha play??
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Post by Nora on Sept 8, 2017 2:06:48 GMT
Didn't recognize Ke$ha on screen. Who did Kesha play?? she was one of the party goers when the obnoxious poser talked about art (not) surviving humanity. i think she even had a few lines.
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agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 8, 2017 6:36:55 GMT
she was one of the party goers when the obnoxious poser talked about art (not) surviving humanity. i think she even had a few lines. Oh dam I didnt even notice her, I felt like the only human they focused on in that scene was the bald philosopher guy.
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Post by Nora on Sept 8, 2017 20:39:49 GMT
she was one of the party goers when the obnoxious poser talked about art (not) surviving humanity. i think she even had a few lines. Oh dam I didnt even notice her, I felt like the only human they focused on in that scene was the bald philosopher guy. what did you think about his whole monologue?
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agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 9, 2017 1:33:21 GMT
Oh dam I didnt even notice her, I felt like the only human they focused on in that scene was the bald philosopher guy. what did you think about his whole monologue? I honestly forgot most of it but I agree with what he said. Like we as humans are just a small speck in the universe and yet we think everything revolves around us.
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Post by Nora on Sept 9, 2017 1:38:14 GMT
what did you think about his whole monologue? I honestly forgot most of it but I agree with what he said. Like we as humans are just a small speck in the universe and yet we think everything revolves around us. yeah, that part i can also relate to. the more i think about the movie the more and more i like it though. i will for sure be seeing it again.
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agentblue
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Post by agentblue on Sept 9, 2017 17:07:36 GMT
I honestly forgot most of it but I agree with what he said. Like we as humans are just a small speck in the universe and yet we think everything revolves around us. yeah, that part i can also relate to. the more i think about the movie the more and more i like it though. i will for sure be seeing it again. I cant wait til it comes out on digital download.
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Post by joekiddlouischama on Sept 13, 2017 9:13:51 GMT
Yes it was Affleck under the sheet the whole time. And apparently he really enjoyed acting while covered. And the director played the other ghost. Btw I loved the interaction of the ghosts and would be interested in seeing more of it. ... thanks for the note, and given the sort of movie that it happens to be (independent, low-budget), those choices makes sense. If a big Hollywood studio had grabbed hold of the script, the star and director probably would not have been playing the ghosts, and the ghosts may have been created with CGI, and instead of A Ghost Story, the movie may have become a remade Ghost (1990) ...
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