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March 28, 2024, 05:03:59 PM

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Memoria [Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2021]

Started by shagatha crustie, January 17, 2022, 11:54:53 AM

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shagatha crustie

Another glacial, meditative film from Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul, and his first English-language feature (although a lot of it is in Spanish). Tilda Swinton stars and is executive producer.

I'd seen two of his films before (Cemetery of Splendour and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) so knew what to expect. Which cannot be said for the audience at Vue on Saturday night; about ten people in the (small) screening, one walked out, the bloke next to my partner was fidgeting and on his phone and there was a couple on a date next to me who were clearly not loving it either. When I watched Uncle Boonmee a few years ago, I was drifting in and out of sleep in the third quarter, and then perked up for the denouement. I was cheered to find that Weerasethakul has actually said he's happy for people to drift off in his films and that they're supposed to have a soporific effect - in my case, it made the 'cave exploration' scene of Uncle Boonmee feel like a dream, or something half-remembered.

Another thing I like about Weerasethakul's films is that they're so slow and hypnotic, they create an atmosphere where diegetic and non-diegetic elements function and interact in different ways. When I saw Memoria, the audience member walked out in the middle of a particularly long and still shot, which actually had an enhancing effect. The moment the door banged shut behind them, the sound design began to stir, with the wind picking up and rain beginning to fall, and it was as if the walkout had 'activated' something. In Memoria, Weerasethakul seems conscious of this quality, and is deliberate and playful with it: a major plot point concerns sound design and the artificial construction of 'natural'/psychological phenomena, and there's a stunning scene with a jazz band playing live in a practice room.

What Memoria is actually 'about' overall, I'm not sure I could tell you. The premise is that Swinton keeps hearing a loud booming noise and is trying to find out why, but as the film goes on the nature of her investigations and discoveries become more and more abstract. For a good while I felt it was a comment on
Spoiler alert
climate change and/or the pandemic
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but my reading was confounded by the last half an hour or so, especially 'that' scene (if you've seen it, you'll know the one) which struck me as a bit of a forced, awkward tonal shift/frame break. Consequently I'd say it's my least favourite of the three films I've seen, but it's still a totally unique and stunning experience and deserves the praise it's getting in many quarters.

Any other viewers/snoozers?

peanutbutter

Quote from: shagatha crustie on January 17, 2022, 11:54:53 AMWhich cannot be said for the audience at Vue on Saturday night
Meant to go see it in a Vue on Friday for this very reason, one of the ones near me had over half of the seats sold last I checked so I was super curious.

I'll drag myself to it some day this week. I've liked the films of his I've seen but not enough to actively look forward to another one.

Magnum Valentino

Loved the look of the trailer and your comments have convinced me to go, so thanks. I'll maybe let you know how I get on if I've anything interesting to say (I won't).

Herbert Ashe

Saw this again yesterday after catching in November, and I found seeing it again v.rewarding.

I didn't pick up on any ~spoiler~ vibes myself, although the presence of familar Apichatpong elements (hospitals, undercurrents of past political violence, maybe at a push the pre-colombian remains) could suggest some universalist concern for what threatens humanity in that direction. He cut out some scenes that provided "too much detail", for example:
Spoiler alert
Tilda Swinton had recently lost her partner
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Snippets on rewatching:

- "what's this - man punches stomach hoodie dot bat" which before I didn't notice seems to hint forward to the stone's memory
- car alarm scene still very funny (YMMV - maybe as it reminded me of this)

Although I'm not a dogmatic "you have to see stuff in the cinema or it's not the same" type, based off my favourite Apichatpong's being the two I've seen in cinemas, I wonder if it's the case for him. So I do recommend trying to see this in a cinema, although it is available for 'renting' already. He's said he doesn't want it released on Blu-ray, but he might not have a choice in this - Mariano Llinas said that about La Flor, but that got a release.

Regards 'that scene' - if you haven't seen it, something in this direction has been on his mind:

Spoiler alert
AVC: You have a science-fiction project called Utopia that you've been talking about making for years. What can you say about that?

AW: It's a utopian project because it is so expensive. I don't know if I can manage, or if my producer can. It was something I dreamed up after Tropical Malady and other films that have this green jungle world. I want to talk about the transformation of civilization. I set up the film in this snow landscape, with the idea of the future being played by the old, aging actress from the old science-fiction movies that we grew up watching. It's like Uncle Boonmee, but about the dying of science fiction that we know of. The main setpiece of the film is the Starship Enterprise, dying in the middle of this snow landscape. And all these actresses, like Jane Fonda from Barbarella and other actresses, and from other science fiction, trying to trace back their own memory. Science fiction is the past, and things just keep changing. In the film, there is a storm that just keeps changing the landscape. There is a huge storm that just wipes out a mountain. It is a super special-effects film. [Laughs.]

https://www.avclub.com/apichatpong-weerasethakul-1798224451
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shagatha crustie

Quote from: Magnum Valentino on January 17, 2022, 01:18:02 PMLoved the look of the trailer and your comments have convinced me to go, so thanks. I'll maybe let you know how I get on if I've anything interesting to say (I won't).

Please do - would love to hear your perspective!

Quote from: Herbert Ashe on January 18, 2022, 12:03:33 PMSaw this again yesterday after catching in November, and I found seeing it again v.rewarding...

Really interesting, particularly re: the cut element. That would have been giving too much for a filmmaker whose films ask the viewer to be on a kind of receive mode. That there are spirits all around and time is laminar rather than linear has to be 'felt' by the viewer rather than dictated to them. Hence what seems to be his trademark shot with characters dwelling in the centre of a large, still, quiet frame where nonetheless you can feel much activity stirring if you zone in/out at the right frequency.

As for 'that scene,'
Spoiler alert
I would love to watch the Utopia film as he describes it but I didn't think it sat right at the end of Memoria. Perhaps he was impatient to introduce elements of his dream project but I'd have been happier with an ending of Jessica looking out the window and those gorgeous still shots of the jungle and darkening sky.
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Herbert Ashe

Quote from: shagatha crustie on January 18, 2022, 10:05:57 PMAs for 'that scene,'
Spoiler alert
I would love to watch the Utopia film as he describes it but I didn't think it sat right at the end of Memoria.
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Yeah, I get what you mean. It does feel a bit... generic, if that's the right way of putting it? Or it doesn't quite feel as if it exists in the world of the film. Compared, say, with Uncle Boonmee where e.g.
Spoiler alert
the appearance of the ghost at the start, whilst feeling other-worldly and uncanny, meshes perfectly with the texture of the film.
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