Lots of great stuff up at GreenCine, including:
So The New World won’t be a hit. That’s to be expected. “More disheartening is to see a certain cache of movie writers come swarming out to greet Malick’s latest as an exercise in how arch and unimpressed they can act in the face of a work that — whatever one’s opinion of its qualities — shouldn’t be denied its singularity,” writes Nick Pinkerton in Stop Smiling. “An American history written in intimate, undistilled emotion; an attentive, tonally precise work with blockbuster-big outer margins – trying to place it in the context of contemporary American cinema is like hanging a JMW Turner canvas in a coffee shop art show.”
And this interesting possibility:
Meanwhile, Wong Kar-wai may be close to shooting a film about “the human tragedy that unfolded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.”
Finally saw “The New World” and I think your review is right on. It’s a downright travesty how overlooked this film has been. In regard to why it hasn’t received much Oscar attention, I think your review sums it up:
“Ultimately, The New World defines true love as something more than desire, nostalgia, or sexual chemistry. It boldly condones a higher love characterized by selflessness and fidelity, love that shelters, protects, honors, and heals.”
Also, I left the theater feeling extremely positive. The good vibe probably had something to do with lack of Oscar attention as well.
So, what is this infamous “Substance D”? Or do I simply need to read the book to find out?
Substance D is Substance Death, a thin metaphor for heroine. It is the narcotic that causes the schism in Bob Arctor’s (Keanu) brain and makes him narc on himself -he’s an undercover police officer who thinks he’s a drug dealer who thinks he’s a drug addict who thinks he’s a… you get the idea.
If you have sympathy for folks caught up in the narcotics culture, the book is a very sympathetic read. As I’m sure the film will be too.
I loved Waking Life…I think this could be wonderful…
plus w/ Keanu on painted film we may not be able to tell how horrible he is as an actor.
–RC of strangeculture.blogpspot.com