Vier Minuten
I started this movie expecting to hate it. I had read a review that said something along the lines of “this movie is not a movie to enjoy, just watch.” Well, that didn’t sound appealing to me. I’ve watched too many movies that in my opinion, people just pretend to “get.” I was afraid this would be one of those overly pretentious movies that people say you “should watch“ that leave me wanting to bang my head against a wall. I don’t understand the concept of not enjoying a movie if it is a quality movie. And if I don’t get something, I say so. Vier Minuten wasn’t at all like I was expecting. Bleibtreu and Herzsprung were phenomenal. The emotions didn’t feel forced. This movie has so much raw emotion and they handle it well. I’m anxious to watch more movies with these incredible actresses. I was completely drawn in. It is a very dark and emotional movie and is certainly a far cry from standard movies these days. I watched it over a month ago and it is still fluttering through my mind. The characters were frustrating and complex but somehow I wanted Jenny to have her sense of accomplishment. Jenny’s self-destruction was painful and the layers of why each woman became who they are both shed light on and confused the picture. Nobody was perfect. There were no “good characters” or “bad characters.” I didn’t feel like the movie was spoon feeding me how I should feel about them. Too many modern movies have no faith in the viewers and spell everything out to us. This was the highest quality “new” movie that I have watched in a long time. The good and the bad were jumbled together and complicated like they are in real life. This is the most cryptic review I’ve ever done but discussing the specific pieces would ruin part of the movie’s appeal, I think. As I’m reflecting on what to say about this movie I realize that removing pieces from this movie would be like taking pieces out of a puzzle. It doesn’t have the same effect. It manages to be frantic but slow and dark but hopeful. It is a whirlwind movie experience. I love that everyone will walk away with this movie with a different impression. Everyone will extract different parts that replay in their minds. I think that this is the first recently made “movie that makes you think” type of movie that I have enjoyed in a very long time. I credit that fact to their faith in their work. They let the movie lead you wherever it is you might go. They don’t tell you or push any specific idea on you.
And the last “vier minuten” or rather, four minutes?
Absolutely breathtaking.
"This is the most cryptic review I’ve ever done but discussing the specific pieces would ruin part of the movie’s appeal...."
ReplyDeleteTut tut--you can't ever say that to an English teacher--it's the equivalent of 'words cannot hope to convey'--but words are exactly the only tools you have! (Actually, you used that formula in your week 10: "Horrified doesn‘t begin to explain how I feel right now. ")
Like waving a red flag at a bull saying such things to an English teacher! We're nothing if not open to explanations!
;)
Teasing aside, this review feels very much like it's missing a first paragraph--the one that gives us a little about the movie's story and gestation. (On the other hand, I like your lead-in very much....)
Another day, I'd have you go back into this, sort out your thoughts, reorganize it, paragraph it, and figure out how to convey the movie's quality of real-life jumble without imitating it in the review. But here we are at today and words cannot convey how reluctant I would be at this point to load any more work on your back--or mine!
I agree that it needs wrestled with but I needed to post it to get that help. Sometimes I don't know what my struggle is and this was one of those times. I do want to rework it though.
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