movie review!
Aug. 30th, 2009 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dragonlady7I know, I never watch movies.
While at Liesl and Dave's, we watched The Brotherhood of the Wolf.
I had heard it explained, years ago, as a French movie about werewolves, or something. I think I had it confused with another movie. So I spent the whole thing waiting to find out that The Guy Who Turned Out To Be The Villain was turning into The Beast, and it threw me for a huge loop when... well, it's spoilers, but it's probably safe to assume that anyone who wanted to see the movie probably did already, as I believe it's several years old now.
At any rate. I was pleased that the Astonishing Plot Twists turned out to actually not be the ones I predicted-- though a little disappointed when, upon Love Interest's appearance, in slow-mo, she did turn out to really be the love interest-- "Love interest!" I said, when they slow-mo'd her face, and Liesl laughed and said, "Yes."
Other than that it wasn't too predictable.
But the plot wasn't so much with the great. Nine tenths of the movie was like, Oh, it's kind of historical with a bit of perhaps fairy tale-esque elements. And then the last tenth was like, Oh look! It's the Bone Sword With A Chain In It! And also we're just not going to explain why there are all these Tuchux in 1764 France. (I swear to God, they were just straight-up, unexplained Tuchux. There was, like, a two-second bit of dancing where it was like, Oh maybe they're supposed to be gypsies? But no. And ok, I'm not just an idiot-- there really were only like ten of them, and they took turns being killed by the various heroes in successive scenes. It's not like they even tried to make it seem like there were more than ten of them.)
So I wasn't much on the plot. And the characters-- I mean, bonus points for the Love Interest not just being cold-hearted, but instead actually just a practical woman with no time for idiots and fools. But really, a ninja Mohawk? I was actually way more OK with it before they got specific and explained what tribe he was supposed to be from. And I can't say why, but it really totally bothered me when suddenly he was half-naked, tattooed, and had painted his face. The tats and paint looked just like those drawings of Hurons from early American explorers' engravings. And I thought it was weird that the face part was just painted on. I don't know why that bothered me more than the fact that he was a ninja, but it kind of did. It's not like he wasn't awesomely scenic with his shirt off, he just sort of squicked me with the Now I Put On My Warpaint bit.
I sort of didn't empathize with the hero at all, either.
As Z pointed out, the movie was basically a ninjified version of Tim Burton's Legend of Sleepy Hollow, only with a wolf animal thing and lacking, well, Johnny Depp. Fronsac or whatever his name was not only had bad hair, but also, well, I just didn't care about him all that much. He was kind of a dick. I badly wanted the Love Interest, after his, you know, spoilery detail that sort of takes him out of the picture for a while-- well, I wanted her to just take over and solve the mystery and be the hero, and was sadly disappointed when she only got tragically circumstanced instead. So that was a downside.
But I did love the movie. Why?
The clothes.
OMG.
Beautiful.
The 1760s were a beautiful era in France. And Love Interest (I don't even remember her name, I'm not being coy) wore some totally hot outfits. There was a scarlet riding habit that I covet badly, which she wore very well, but there was also a ravishing blue taffeta number, I believe a robe a la francaise, with panniers and everything that I am going to possess one day. One day soon.
I also liked how the finale sort of bit had a woman wearing a chemise a la reine, a slightly later fashion. Beautiful detail. Blue sash and all.
And the men had gorgeous frock coats, foppish ones and practical ones and all. I wanted those. I will have one of those. Someday.
So, it's kind of a frock flick, I suppose. There were a lot of beautiful visual details. I enjoyed it immensely. Too bad I didn't find the hero sympathetic or hot.
OK it also would've been cool if the Mohawk Ninja sidekick had taken over and been the hero instead of just being all mystical and useful at ass-kicking. But alas. Also his outfits could've been nicer.
While at Liesl and Dave's, we watched The Brotherhood of the Wolf.
I had heard it explained, years ago, as a French movie about werewolves, or something. I think I had it confused with another movie. So I spent the whole thing waiting to find out that The Guy Who Turned Out To Be The Villain was turning into The Beast, and it threw me for a huge loop when... well, it's spoilers, but it's probably safe to assume that anyone who wanted to see the movie probably did already, as I believe it's several years old now.
At any rate. I was pleased that the Astonishing Plot Twists turned out to actually not be the ones I predicted-- though a little disappointed when, upon Love Interest's appearance, in slow-mo, she did turn out to really be the love interest-- "Love interest!" I said, when they slow-mo'd her face, and Liesl laughed and said, "Yes."
Other than that it wasn't too predictable.
But the plot wasn't so much with the great. Nine tenths of the movie was like, Oh, it's kind of historical with a bit of perhaps fairy tale-esque elements. And then the last tenth was like, Oh look! It's the Bone Sword With A Chain In It! And also we're just not going to explain why there are all these Tuchux in 1764 France. (I swear to God, they were just straight-up, unexplained Tuchux. There was, like, a two-second bit of dancing where it was like, Oh maybe they're supposed to be gypsies? But no. And ok, I'm not just an idiot-- there really were only like ten of them, and they took turns being killed by the various heroes in successive scenes. It's not like they even tried to make it seem like there were more than ten of them.)
So I wasn't much on the plot. And the characters-- I mean, bonus points for the Love Interest not just being cold-hearted, but instead actually just a practical woman with no time for idiots and fools. But really, a ninja Mohawk? I was actually way more OK with it before they got specific and explained what tribe he was supposed to be from. And I can't say why, but it really totally bothered me when suddenly he was half-naked, tattooed, and had painted his face. The tats and paint looked just like those drawings of Hurons from early American explorers' engravings. And I thought it was weird that the face part was just painted on. I don't know why that bothered me more than the fact that he was a ninja, but it kind of did. It's not like he wasn't awesomely scenic with his shirt off, he just sort of squicked me with the Now I Put On My Warpaint bit.
I sort of didn't empathize with the hero at all, either.
As Z pointed out, the movie was basically a ninjified version of Tim Burton's Legend of Sleepy Hollow, only with a wolf animal thing and lacking, well, Johnny Depp. Fronsac or whatever his name was not only had bad hair, but also, well, I just didn't care about him all that much. He was kind of a dick. I badly wanted the Love Interest, after his, you know, spoilery detail that sort of takes him out of the picture for a while-- well, I wanted her to just take over and solve the mystery and be the hero, and was sadly disappointed when she only got tragically circumstanced instead. So that was a downside.
But I did love the movie. Why?
The clothes.
OMG.
Beautiful.
The 1760s were a beautiful era in France. And Love Interest (I don't even remember her name, I'm not being coy) wore some totally hot outfits. There was a scarlet riding habit that I covet badly, which she wore very well, but there was also a ravishing blue taffeta number, I believe a robe a la francaise, with panniers and everything that I am going to possess one day. One day soon.
I also liked how the finale sort of bit had a woman wearing a chemise a la reine, a slightly later fashion. Beautiful detail. Blue sash and all.
And the men had gorgeous frock coats, foppish ones and practical ones and all. I wanted those. I will have one of those. Someday.
So, it's kind of a frock flick, I suppose. There were a lot of beautiful visual details. I enjoyed it immensely. Too bad I didn't find the hero sympathetic or hot.
OK it also would've been cool if the Mohawk Ninja sidekick had taken over and been the hero instead of just being all mystical and useful at ass-kicking. But alas. Also his outfits could've been nicer.
