A perfect film…
Posted on February 12, 2008
Filed Under Dallas Jenkins |
I read this today from Roger Ebert:
Now what do I mean when I say a film is perfect? I described Atman’s “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” as perfect, that’s what I mean. A perfect film is serious or funny or anything in between, but in its way it owns wisdom about life, and we learn something from it. Our attention is fully engaged by it. If we are movie critics, our notebooks rest forgotten in our hands. It is cast so well that the roles fit the actors like a second skin. It has dialogue that functions to accomplish what is needed, and nothing more; it can be poetry, prose, argument or bull—-t, but we believe the characters would say it. There is not an extra or a wrong shot. The compositions make everything clear but not obvious, and they work on an emotional level even if we’re not aware of it. And when it’s over we know we’ve seen one hell of a film.
I think that’s great. I’m posting it in my notebook and everywhere I can. Fulfilling the above paragraph will be my goal.
Comments
4 Responses to “A perfect film…”
Leave a Reply
was roger ebert referring to No Country For Old Men when he made this comment?
Ebert said: The first is “No Country for Old Men,” by the Coen brothers, and the second is “Rendition” by Gavin Hood.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070908/FILMFESTIVALS03/70908002/-1/filmfestivals
Yep. I was pretty surprised he said that about Rendition; I didn’t recall a huge critical response.
I would agree with him regarding “No Country for Old Men”. I’ve seen it 3 times now and I love it a little more every time. I haven’t seen “Rendition” but I haven’t heard good things about it.