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Villette
Villette's stats
- Review count2
- Helpfulness votes1
- First reviewJuly 10, 2010
- Last reviewJanuary 23, 2012
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3
Villette's Reviews
Overall rating
3
/
5
A Peculiar Point of View
PostedJanuary 23, 2012
Villette
from DC
Meryl Streep does an excellent job of portraying what we will all--great or not--face as we age. This is an empathetic portrait of an aging woman and the indignities that extreme age bring. It is hardly, however, a portrait of an Iron Lady. That is, the title can be seen only as ironic. In fact, somewhat mysteriously, the movie focuses primarily on Thatcher's youth and age with only brief retrospective vignettes of the events of her days in power. She was a dynamic, incredibly strong and compelling leader; critical to restoring Britain's economic health and pride during trying times. And, I'm told, male world leaders found her irresistably attractive partly because of the power she wielded so effectively.
Because of it's perspective, this movie captured virtually none of her true strength and accomplishments--her legacy to UK, women, and global politicians that remains impressive. It's a shame to waste Streep's spectacular performance on this screenplay.
Because of it's perspective, this movie captured virtually none of her true strength and accomplishments--her legacy to UK, women, and global politicians that remains impressive. It's a shame to waste Streep's spectacular performance on this screenplay.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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Overall rating
3
/
5
Sacrifices Plot to Action
PostedJuly 10, 2010
Villette
from DC
This film has a hard time standing alone as much more than a series of tenuously connected events. Without either seeing the first film or reading the book many of the events and characters here have little meaning. Key characters like Mimmi--obviously hard to find a Chinese-swede with back hair and blue eyes-- looks like a long-haired night club hostess rather than an edgy, short-haired performance and martial arts professional. And she, like many of the characters, barely does a cameo. Salander's father, too--a figure of incarnate evil and deviousness in the books here looks more like a tired old man.
Key elements like Salander's brilliance and facination with math as well as her addictive exceptionally skillful hacking are glossed over. Aside from her fingerprints, the damning evidence tying her to the crime is never really clear. Abramsky is important enough that Salander stops in to see him after a year outside Sweden but then we never see him again. Moreover, the Bloomqvist/Salander connection and why he seems so motivated to find and clear her as well as his somewhat obsessive need to work in her apartment are not established here. The effect is that much of the action moves swiftly but we barely know why.
The first film was excellent at capturing the interior dialogue and tying it to fast-paced events making it a thoughtful, complex rendition of exceptionally complicated characters. This is a more mundane, action packed thriller, devoid even of the book's ironic humor.
See it if you aren't reading the novels, just to keep up with the characters, but let's hope the third film reaches the higher standard set by The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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