I liked it! I just (finally) saw it (in 2020), and was struck by what seemed to have been a gutsy, straightforward adaptation of a tough novel to the screen.
On the plus side: Loved the technical production work. I was really struck by an amazing thing; an odd balancing of music against dialog: The tech folks must've worked something out with the director/producers where they agreed to do something starkly against standard practice: The music and dialog are at about the same volume level, but they worked it out so (I guess) timbre contrasts allow us to focus on dialog and make out what they're saying, just fine. This was surprising. Also, editing and occasional montage work was balanced and added an artistic flair.
The direction and acting was amazing. Below, I'll have some remonstrances about the story and its assumptions, but... this is one of those cases where direction and acting well nigh compel us to embrace a myth of an Ultimate Unconditional Love.
But what *about* those storyline assumptions?
Here's one way of putting it: Rousseau forwarded his myth of the Noble Savage. In his "Cannery Row", Steinbeck forwards a myth of the Noble Bum. Do you resonate with those myths? No? Yes?
In LLV, a myth is forwarded of a Noble Suicidaire (suicidal guy). Do you buy that?
To be fair, the myth is hazily articulated, to the point that it's a bit of a Rorschach: You decide what Cage's character is. Is his trajectory willful/volitional? If so, what's noble about that? Is he compelled by forces over which he has no volitional control? If that's the case, then upon what can he spar in a bid to showcase a nobility of spirit?
This is why I take away a few stars. It's that juxtaposition of the message of Unconditional Love AND the haziness of the Cage character's presumed plight that makes for a somewhat confused message. If you're going to show folks struggling, then at least I want light shed on something. And this contrast takes away from a claim of an insight payload.
But... even with those remonstrances in-tow, I can recommend this flick.
On the plus side: Loved the technical production work. I was really struck by an amazing thing; an odd balancing of music against dialog: The tech folks must've worked something out with the director/producers where they agreed to do something starkly against standard practice: The music and dialog are at about the same volume level, but they worked it out so (I guess) timbre contrasts allow us to focus on dialog and make out what they're saying, just fine. This was surprising. Also, editing and occasional montage work was balanced and added an artistic flair.
The direction and acting was amazing. Below, I'll have some remonstrances about the story and its assumptions, but... this is one of those cases where direction and acting well nigh compel us to embrace a myth of an Ultimate Unconditional Love.
But what *about* those storyline assumptions?
Here's one way of putting it: Rousseau forwarded his myth of the Noble Savage. In his "Cannery Row", Steinbeck forwards a myth of the Noble Bum. Do you resonate with those myths? No? Yes?
In LLV, a myth is forwarded of a Noble Suicidaire (suicidal guy). Do you buy that?
To be fair, the myth is hazily articulated, to the point that it's a bit of a Rorschach: You decide what Cage's character is. Is his trajectory willful/volitional? If so, what's noble about that? Is he compelled by forces over which he has no volitional control? If that's the case, then upon what can he spar in a bid to showcase a nobility of spirit?
This is why I take away a few stars. It's that juxtaposition of the message of Unconditional Love AND the haziness of the Cage character's presumed plight that makes for a somewhat confused message. If you're going to show folks struggling, then at least I want light shed on something. And this contrast takes away from a claim of an insight payload.
But... even with those remonstrances in-tow, I can recommend this flick.