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First Reformed (Paul Schrader/Ethan Hawke new thing)

Started by Z, July 14, 2018, 07:21:30 AM

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Z

This is out in the UK now, it's getting the best reviews of Scharder's career since... Affliction? Going to see it later today.

I like Schrader a lot, he tends to almost always overreach by either a bit or a lot but he's willing to fall flat on his face. It's apparently the first film he's written in over a decade so I am a bit wary that the glowing reviews are largely just people happy to see a new full fledged Paul Schrader film (i.e. interesting and bold but messy) as opposed to it legitimately being a potential career best.



So yeah, anyone see this, want to see this, or just want to rant a bit about Paul Schrader?

Z

So this was pretty good, I thought, maybe my second favourite film of 2018 so far. It's shot in 4:3 which allows for a lot of really nice interior shots.
Although the character is 46 I fully see it as Ethan Hawke's first attempt towards transitioning into playing old men and I think he done a great job.
I think it might be a perfect entry point for Schrader's own films on the whole tbh (Blue Collar ain't much like his others so I wouldn't suggest it), once you try and explain the ways he kinda sucks. It's very much in line with his usual tropes and overly tidy premises but the location choices, the lead performance, the direction in general... he seems to be about as on form as he can be.

There's one scene in particular that is classic Schrader over-reaching* and I thought it was totally unnecessary to get across the point it was going for, also have some slight issues with the ending.


*A friend of mine completely shat on the film because of it, I get why especially when you've not seen much by him. If you want to prepare yourself for it's shitness, here's a semi spoiler environmentalist psychedelic visions

Shit Good Nose

I've not seen this yet, but Schrader is such a frustrating director.  He's capable of incredible work - Blue Collar and Affliction, as you mentioned, as well as Hardcore and Mishima - but equally seems happy to shit out the dreadful stuff he's been shitting out for the last ten years.  I really struggle to get my head around the fact he still considers Dominion to be an important piece of work, when everyone who has seen it knows it's barely better than Renny Harlin's go.

Anyway, this looks and sounds good and the overwhelming positive comments so far are encouraging.

Z

It's the first one he's written in a decade (he wrote dominion, mind). I do think the overwhelmingly positive reviews are partially because a lot of critics went in ready to forgive a fucking horrible moment or two.

I remember years ago seeing loads of shots of Mishima and being really excited about seeing it, only to be hugely disappointed by how they were all pinned together. I bet I'd like it way more now.


Also, might just be the day that was in it, but there were 3 people at my screening and the ending ain't gonna garner much word of mouth buzz, so it'll probably be out of cinemas within 2 weeks.

Shit Good Nose

It's only showing in the tiddlers around here and looks like it'll be gone by this Thursday.

Mishima is brilliant.  Possibly his best film.  Give it another go.

chveik

The Canyons was awful. One of the worst films I have ever seen.

amputeeporn

Quote from: chveik on July 14, 2018, 10:57:31 PM
The Canyons was awful. One of the worst films I have ever seen.

One of those films with an interesting production story, though. Glad it exists for some of the coverage of it.

Find Schrader a spotty but admirable director, and he's generally pretty honest about his stinkers. Love hearing him interviewed.

Noodle Lizard

This was fuckawful, I thought.  Aside from the odd decent-but-no-more-than-that film, I don't think Schrader's got it in him.  It's kind of baffling that this is the guy who wrote Taxi Driver, which is still one of the best screenplays I've ever read.  The Canyons, as has been said, is legitimately one of the shittest films ever, and the idea that it's the product of two very talented writers in their own right is absurd.  Fascinating how conceptual talent really doesn't translate practically sometimes.

Z

To me, it's really obviously a script from the guy who wrote Taxi Driver; Taxi Driver just happened to be a perfect setting, premise and period in time for the kind of things he tends to be drawn towards (coupled with a director who knew what to do with it).

Were you hating it throughout or did it gradually fall apart for you?




Schrader's a scholar first and a filmmaker second, I wouldn't be too surprised if he thought this himself. I'd love to hear some of his commentary tracks on other people's films sometime.

zomgmouse

This was breathtaking! Was my favourite film of the year until I saw Climax and now I have a very tough decision

I usually don't like films about priests and churches but this was too good. Obvious comparisons with Bergman's Winter Light perhaps - grappling not so much with faith in god but faith in humanity. Shows such elegant, cold restraint, and a deft interweaving of a fairly depressing tone with some properly shocking moments. I enjoyed Hawke in this and to a lesser extent Seyfried but overall it was the way it was all put together which impressed me. Kinda shocked it's not been getting more attention on here. I feel like the release has been tragically muted.