Muse by Craig Ranapia

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Muse: Reel Life: Pliéing Turkey

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  • Thomas Beagle,

    How about giving this article a little spell check and edit? Here's some words to search for: confortable, teeling, remian and serriously

    There's also something missing at the start of the para that begins "reminds me".

    New Zealand • Since Nov 2007 • 50 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Thomas Beagle,

    Great minds think alike. :) I don't know how the frig it happened, but I reverted to an earlier draft and posted it due to human incompetence. The internal sub-editor has been taken out the back of the woodshed for a good thrashing.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Thomas Beagle, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    I also must compliment you on your use of:

    In an earlier draft of this review, I complained that...

    Referring to an earlier version of your own work in the very work you're referring to is... somewhere between brilliant and the wankiest thing I've ever read. :)

    That said, I do like your article and agree that Black Swan was basically lacking the "why should I care about this" factor.

    New Zealand • Since Nov 2007 • 50 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Thomas Beagle,

    somewhere between brilliant and the wankiest thing I've ever read. :)

    Aww, that would hurt my feelings if it wasn't true. Seriously, I've got a five thousand word rip on Natalie Portman tucked away for future use but she's not the problem here. I can't imagine anyone doing more with such an under-characterised snivelling drip of a role.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • ange wither,

    What a great review, thanks for posting it.

    Think I'll still see the movie as planned, but at least if I hate it I won't have that dreadful alienating feeling of being the only viewer with that experience.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 54 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to ange wither,

    No, thank you Ange.

    I won’t have that dreadful alienating feeling of being the only viewer with that experience.

    At the screening I attended, someone starting giggling hysterically about the point Mila Kunis tried to stick her head up Natalie Portman's twat (you have to be there) and couldn't stop. If that happens to you, just breathe through it m'kay?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    Well Craig, once again our mileage differs! While I don't disagree about the plot being overblown and melodramatic, Portman, Kunis, Hershey et al., really made it work, for me anyway. It's different in tone from The Red Shoes, and less original. but I don't think it's a turkey, at all. I found it beautiful and engrossing.

    I remember seeing Michael Powell interviewed about The Red Shoes, he said, "It's all about dying for your art...", and the interviewer asked, "And would you die for your art?", to which Powell replied, "Oh, yes!!". Lovely man.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I thought it was a fine film apart from the use of CGI. That should be reserved for silly sci-fi where it belongs.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Lilith __,

    Well Craig, once again our mileage differs!

    Very good. Keeps me honest and staves off the kind of boredom that leads to arson and random cattle mutilation.

    And while I'm being honest (with the usual caveats),, review aggregators strongly suggest you're not the only one. I've also come across quite a few people - particularly women -- who get the film on a level that I don't. They're not automatically wrong or stupid, just because I don't get it.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Also, to be vulgarly commercial for a moment: Even if the reviews were uniformly dire, Oscar bounce or no, a US$170m + worldwide gross off a $13m budget isn’t a bad ROI for Fox Searchlight.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Leopold,

    And apart from that how was the ballet work? Only reason I'd see it

    Since Jan 2007 • 153 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Leopold,

    For a film centred around the barely contained chaos of a (so we’re told) make or break new production fora company past its prime, there’s remarkably little of it – but to be fair, I don’t think Aronofsky was that interested. As I said, far be from me to speak ill of Natalie’s baby-daddy but Benjamin Millepied’s competent but uninspired choreography was a lot less interesting than the way Matthew Libatique shot it. For once, hand-held wobble-cam had a purpose beyond giving me a migraine.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    A well-written review, Craig and do tend to side with you in respect of the displays of excess, and the not totally convincing slide into madness. But I do wonder if it might be a gender thing. My beloveds (wife and daughter) responded to it more strongly than I, for the themes of self-harm and hysteria resonated with them, in respect of how many teenage girls behave.
    Still, Aronofsky does have a thing about self-harm cf Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • ,

    Not sure that this is red-blooded enough for me.

    Since • posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to ,

    Not sure that this is red-blooded enough for me.

    This should be good. Can I get front row seats?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • David Herkt,

    Fun review, Craig. You made my 8.30am moment on the net before I settle down to real work… You had a relish there that I enjoyed, particularly around here on Public Address, where lately it’s been a bit like everyone is trying to resurrect the too much repeated tone of the twee wee Steve Braunias, now that we’ve finally lost our Weekend dose of that Celebrator of Kiwi Sentimentality. The only fun thing about Braunias was that tendency to self-destruct and that pithy use of the vernacular in emails. I also observe that no-one has commented about Mr Braunias’ double-happy duplication of his ‘employment difficulties’ with the Listener, where a similar vituperative streak with correspondents – except with Peter Wells there – got him offed from the masthead. But I digress, thanks Craig, you gave me pleasure at an hour of the day I usually experience with a desire for something stronger than coffee.

    Auckland • Since Sep 2007 • 53 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to ,

    Not sure that this is red-blooded enough for me.

    What's not red-blooded enough? The review, the thread, or the film?

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    Haneke did it much better:

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • Tim Michie,

    Ah, The Red Shoes - lost Best Film to Olivier's Hamlet.

    So if not Portman, who would pick Craig?:

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
    Nominees:
    Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right (2010)

    Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole (2010)

    Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone (2010)

    Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)

    Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine (2010)

    Winter's Bone was great but I've not seen Blue Valentine and Rabbit Hole.

    Auckward • Since Nov 2006 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    Even if the reviews were uniformly dire

    No, that wouldn't be accurate, Craig. Black Swan has had good reviews in -- locally -- the NZ Herald, Sunday Star-Times, Dom Post (Graeme Tuckett), Waikato Times (Sam Edwards). Overseas, good reviews from Sight and Sound, Roger Ebert, Richard Brody, David Edelstein in New York magazine, Andrew O'Hehir at Salon, Peter Travers at Rolling Stone, Peter Bradshaw at the Guardian and Manohla Dargis at the New York Times. And there's bound to be others I haven't read. Not to say their opinions are worth more than yours, but let's be fair about its reception.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,

    What's not red-blooded enough? The review, the thread, or the film?

    Suggest you look over --------------> there.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart, in reply to philipmatthews,

    Philip, Craig didn't say the reviews were uniformly dire. He said " even if they were", aftter saying "And while I'm being honest (with the usual caveats), review aggregators strongly suggest you're not the only one."

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • James Butler, in reply to philipmatthews,

    Even if the reviews were uniformly dire

    No, that wouldn’t be accurate, Craig.

    You missed his cunning use of the subjunctive “were” :-) He did link to rottentomatoes upthread…

    Edit: Emma, snap.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    Gotcha. Didn't make sense to me, but okay.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to recordari,

    Suggest you look over --------------> there.

    Well, I was looking earlier, but I see it has progressed somewhat. Actually, for what it's worth, mine was a genuine enquiry. The person's wording is ambiguous.

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

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