gdp's Comments

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Project Nim

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:38:36 +0000

Agreed that Marsh is clearly a great storyteller and that this was never anything less than highly watchable. But somehow I felt like the subject/set-up of this film promised more than it ultimately delivered - a bit like the experiment itself. It was a 4-4-3 for me... http://wp.me/p1dHvM-lj

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : A Separation

Tue, 5 Jul 2011 19:20:08 +0000

Inteesting that you noticed a 'moment of sympathy for the police interrogator' - this film reminded me of last year's Of Gods And Men in that it was sympathetic to all of its well-rounded characters. There was no enemy 'other' for the audience to oppose and so it truly made you think. Great adult filmmaking, 3-4-4 for me too: http://wp.me/p1dHvM-hI

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Life In A Day

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:24:52 +0000

The fact of this film's existence is interesting in itself, and I also enjoyed many of the individual clips. But in terms of a whole piece of cinema, I'm not sure how successful it was - there was a lack of narrative (other than 'day passes') and therefore tension, so in the end it just felt a bit like an actual YouTube session - albeit quite a good one. It also reminded me in form of Christian Marclay's 'The Clock', which was on a whole other level...

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Censoring The Centipede

Wed, 8 Jun 2011 15:44:53 +0000

Hi Anton - interesting piece and I agree with your general sentiment that banning art is basically never a good idea. There are a million good arguments against it. I enjoyed your picking up on the BBFC's odd linguisitc gymnastics too - what is a "fanciful risk" anyway?? Picking up PPH's point, clearly there is an imagined 'other' involved in any censorship judgement but I'm interested in the (apparent) jump you then make to how this other is "constructed, typically in elitist terms, on the basis of social or class marginality." There's doesn't seem to be anything in the BBFC text suggesting this specifically - are you saying class status is involved in any constructed 'other' figure, or that there is something particular about this case?

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Le Quattro Volte

Tue, 31 May 2011 11:25:03 +0000

Nice thing about this film is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. Warm and witty, and didn't outstay it's welcome. I was charmed!

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Attack The Block

Fri, 13 May 2011 09:33:29 +0000

I basically agree, especially about the missed opportunity re: the block as setting (here were my thoughts http://wp.me/p1dHvM-cP) although I guess it was more 4-3-3 for me. I didn't ever feel that the 'sketches' were expanded into proper characters, or at least not successfully. A such it felt a bit lightweight... albeit a fun ride.

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : How I Ended This Summer

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:53:38 +0000

Saw this today and have to say I found it pretty hard going. I liked the set-up: ramshackle hut, nearby radioactivity, radio static galore - but for me there just wasn't enough going on to justify its 2-hour plus length. I know it was all about what went unspoken / failure of communication etc etc... but I didn't feel I knew or particularly cared for either of the characters. I preferred Pavel Lungin's The Island last year - similar setting, similar pace and tone, but much nuttier.

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : The Silent House

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:51:42 +0000

Ha! Yes... I suppose, in my defence, I'm not using Herzog's words strictly to interpret his film (which would indeed elicit a withering look from Barthes) but to answer our wider question of whether the filmmaking process in and of itself carries any more than trivial interest. Whether it's worthwhile doing a one-shot film if it makes no discernale difference to the final work. You're right though, we're splitting hairs :)

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : The Silent House

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:05:28 +0000

...In the case of Silent House, the existence (or otherwise) of seamless cuts during the pitch black bits is not nearly so crucial. Sufficient illusion can be created - we literally can't tell the difference when watching - so there's nothing at stake other than the story of making it. Ask someone like Barthes (‘Death of the Author’) and he’ll tell you that that’s of no consequence at all; dwelling on the circumstances of the creation of a text, or the intention of the creator, will only limit your interpretation. You might disagree with Barthes, of course. And you may well be right re: camera hard drive add-ons - just reporting what I'd heard (and am equally technically ignorant!).

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : The Silent House

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:05:08 +0000

Interesting, Anton! Re: Fitzcarraldo, I would offer a slightly different interpretation: that Herzog dragged the boat over the mountain because he had the final product in mind, rather than the 'legend' of his making it. He didn't think he'd be able to create sufficient illusion with special effects to achieve what he wanted, and was so keen for cinemagoers to genuinely believe in the fiction of his story that he made it into reality. At least that's what he tells us in interviews. Cont...

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : The Silent House

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:01:32 +0000

Anton - did you hear Mark Kermode on Radio Five Live claiming that Boyd Hilton had found out the type of camera used by Hernández and phoned the manufacturers to ask what the maximum possible length of shot was. Apparently it was shorter than the film (minus coda). Anyway, whilst the answer is intruiging as trivia, ultimately it makes no difference to the final product whether it really was one take or just appeared to be so. If anything, if it really was then the filmmakers have caused themselves a lot of unneccessary bother.

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Essential Killing

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 10:02:06 +0000

I thought it threatened to be dull but got better as it went on, culminating in that beautiful final shot of the white horse. By this point the film had discarded realism / the chase-thriller genre to become something much more interesting and mystical. DDB - I'd say there was definite intensity in Gallo's wordless but engrossing performance. The closing image to which I refer is at the bottom of this post - http://shotthroughawindow.wordpress.com/2011/04/0...

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Cave Of Forgotten Dreams - Werner's World

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:51:16 +0000

Interesting that the article above mention's Herzog's "ashen expression" and you remember the look "in his eyes". I wasn't so sure and went back and watched the clip again - in fact you can't see his eyes at all, and only a small portion of the side of his face is visible from behind. Shows what a powerful piece of cinema that is - our minds fill in the rest...

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Archipelago

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 11:48:48 +0000

I think you have to be in the right mood. Clearly it's slow (indeed everything about it is barefacedly 'arthouse') and for the first 20 minutes or so I was worried, but I think if you give it a chance it gradually pulls you in and ends up being quite powerful. I'm referring especially the blazing row, which was... wow. Interesting to wonder whether the director's intention is that you necessarily 'enjoy' it. I'm not sure it is. Should it be?

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Animal Kingdom

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:11:57 +0000

Saw this last night and liked it a lot, although probably wouldn't place it quite so highly. Loved the slow-mo bits, loved the dark humour. Grandma Smurf a truly memorable character. Frescheville was the slight let-down for me - an interesting face but he didn't really do much with it apart from look blank throughout. I know 'emotional detachment' was his thing (as set up by those brilliant first two scenes) but really, I wondered whether what he was doing counted as acting...

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Scene Focus - Irreversible

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:58:40 +0000

A great film - blew me away when I first saw it. So vigorous and dynamic, yet somehow it teetered on the edge of being appalling... and then 'Enter the Void' was. Don't know whether Noe started it, but is it me or is that bit from Beethoven's ‘Symphony N° 7′ everywhere in cinema at the moment? The 'Kings Speech' and the 'Of Gods And Men' trailer are examples I remember recently...

Little White Lies - Independent Film Magazine : Never Let Me Go

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:51:24 +0000

Good review and I had the same thought as you about the possibility of the clones' "essential inhumanity". For me that was what was most disquieting - the lack of rebellion/struggle, somehow amplified by Romanek's downbeat, muted style. Attempt to elaborate here: http://shotthroughawindow.wordpress.com/2011/02/1...