I saw Greenaway's works The Belly of an Architect`, Prospero's Books` and above all The Cook the Thief His Wife and Her Lover` before this one and so I had to be disappointed. Trying to spot the numbers from 1 to 100 is a nice game but, to be honest, I didn't read about the numbers before I saw the film, so, of course, I saw some numbers but I didn't realize that there was a system behind them. Only when I watched the film again, I enjoyed looking for them.
Maybe, Peter Greenaway hoped that everyone would concentrate on the numbers instead of the film. The story is particularly weak, compared to the dense and powerful Architect` and Cook-Thief-Wife-Lover`. The women kill there husbands with such a calmness and casualness that even the viewer isn't shocked, although, in reality, it would be an exciting story: in this film, Greenaway's mannerism doesn't work. Still, with the Greenaway movies it's the same as with those of the Coen Brothers: they may not all be perfect, but they are always better than any other film by an ordinary` director. It seems like Greenaway's ingenious mind took a little break and allowed himself to play a little with the audience. Smut's games, for instance, are very creative; did Greenaway make them up himself?
I give Drowning by Numbers` 6 points out of 10. For Peter Greenaway that's really quite poor.
Maybe, Peter Greenaway hoped that everyone would concentrate on the numbers instead of the film. The story is particularly weak, compared to the dense and powerful Architect` and Cook-Thief-Wife-Lover`. The women kill there husbands with such a calmness and casualness that even the viewer isn't shocked, although, in reality, it would be an exciting story: in this film, Greenaway's mannerism doesn't work. Still, with the Greenaway movies it's the same as with those of the Coen Brothers: they may not all be perfect, but they are always better than any other film by an ordinary` director. It seems like Greenaway's ingenious mind took a little break and allowed himself to play a little with the audience. Smut's games, for instance, are very creative; did Greenaway make them up himself?
I give Drowning by Numbers` 6 points out of 10. For Peter Greenaway that's really quite poor.