Fakeknowledge
Member
I think the first thing that needs to be said is Naomi Watts is absolutely incredible (and stunning) in this film, she cry wanks herself blind at one point. What a performance.
The second thing that needs to be said is what the fuck did i watch? This film is mad. I watched it late last night and i've been thinking about it all morning. I know i liked it, a lot, but i'm not sure what to make of it. I've got questions but i almost don't want to hear the answers as i feel i should probably watch it again before diving into other peoples interpretations.
This would be a really pointless thread if i did that tho so here's some random questions/thoughts. If you haven't seen it i'd highly recommend watching the film over reading on.
- The first thing i noticed was the acting/dialogue seemed a bit...off at times in the beginning, like stiff maybe? Betty in particular. I'm not sure how to describe it but it was immediately noticeable to me and i'm not a keen film buff by any stretch, it seemed intentionally very film-y, like Betty wouldn't have looked weird with a flowery dress or a red bow in her hair given her behavior to begin with. Y tho?
- The scene in the cafe about the nightmares: Besides scaring me shitless I don't understand the significance of this scene, given their conversation i thought it was maybe establishing that dreams can bleed into or become reality? That doesn't seem right though having seen the rest of the film. Those two characters in this scene only show up again fleetingly towards the end in the same cafe and yeah..don't get it.
- The audition scene had me like whoa.
- The theatre scene: I can't get over how good this scene is, for the performer to establish and then hammer home that everything you're witnessing is an illusion only to completely take your legs away with the exact same point mere minutes later was..genius, i don't know how else to put it, I don't think i've ever seen anything like that in a film before. Tbh to my own surprise i actually grew quite emotional when the singer collapsed, i felt sad and defeated but i can't really explain why. I might just be imagining it looking back but i'm sure i felt bad for Betty in particular as well, which would be crazy given what happens from this scene on wards and at that point i didn't know or understand much of anything.
- The scene immediately after, i rewound this scene because i along with Rita was wondering where the fuck Betty went. After rewinding it she clearly vanishes after placing the blue box on the bed, then the camera goes inside the blue box...and then whatness happens, it become overload at that point, I don't even wanna try and understand the stuff at the end until i watch it again.
Too many questions as it is. Why and what was the conspiracy involving the film about? What's the blue box about? Who's body do they find in Diane's house? Why is there a ghost cowboy? Why did the old couple at the end have to be so terrifying when i'm watching it alone at like 1am?
I need to stop.
What do you think of this film? Are there other films of a similar vein you'd recommend?
