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Capone Accepts An Invite To Join MARGOT AT THE WEDDING!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
I’m such a dummy, missing all the screenings of this. Even if I don’t end up liking it, I’m sure it’ll be worth seeing. Noah Baumbach’s just recently hit his stride as a filmmaker, and with this cast, I’ve been curious since the very first announcement. I’ll definitely be seeing this over the course of the long holiday weekend at some point...
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
You either dig writer-director Noah Baumbach (THE SQUID AND THE WHALE) or you don't. I guess I was unaware of this dividing line in the critical universe, but I've come to discover recently that it does in fact exist. And it goes beyond liking or disliking the cruel nature of some of his characters. Let's face it, it's tough to believe anyone would “like” the parental figures in Squid no matter how much you admired the brutal honesty of the screenplay. But some people even go so far to attack Baumbach's visual style. I've seen it described as “muddy.” Maybe there was something on the lens at that particular screening. And while I can't recall any camera tricks or spectacular visual flare that Baumbach has enriched his films with, I never really missed those touches since including them would have made no sense in the stories he was trying to tell.
What I do remember about his films is terrific acting, fiery dialog that makes nearly every scene an exercise in tension, frustration, and angst. I remember when I reviewed SQUID, I made it very clear the nature of the story may make watching the film a really uncomfortable experience for some, and I think the same holds true for his latest work, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING. Baumbach again tackles the subject of marriages (both ones about to be sealed and those coming apart at the seams), family, and the nature of being a misunderstood artist. I can hear the collective cries of self-indulgence now, but the fact is, Baumbach learned a thing or two about transitioning from relative obscurity to fame thanks to his last film, and he has a few things to say about that through the character of Margot (Nicole Kidman), a writer who is often accused of being autobiographical (she denies it).
Margot and her son Claude (Zane Pais) are in Long Island (although I'm not sure the location is ever specifically named) to attend the wedding of her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the unemployed artist Malcolm (Jack Black in a surprisingly strong dramatic turn, which is not to say the man doesn't make us laugh at times). What's odd is the Margot has left behind her husband and other son back in New York City, which immediately indicates something is amiss. But to Pauline, it also means that once again Margot is going to turn all the attention to herself. Margot is a difficult lady to like, and I think that's alright with Baumbach. Not only is she a spotlight hog, but she actively plants seeds of doubt and descent in the minds of everyone she comes into contact with. She thinks Malcolm isn't good enough to Pauline; she quietly lets slips to Malcolm that Pauline slept with a lot of men when she was younger. Secrets have no meaning in this family. Although the patriarch of the family is dead, there's a third sister and a mother (neither are ever seen) whose names are invoked often to put down people in their honor.
Margot is having an affair and has possibly left her husband for good. When he arrives on the scene (in a nice albeit brief turn from John Turturro), the tension is thick and miserable. All this being said, the film is also very funny at times, and not just because of Jack Black being on the case. Usually the laughs come thanks to Margot's appalling behavior. There's also a great sadness that runs through MARGOT AT THE WEDDING that manifests itself through the children in the film. As in SQUID, the children are treated as pawns, victims, and obstacles. Is there any hope they can come out the other side unscathed? It doesn't seem so. Claude is a sweet kid, and we almost wonder if he'd be better off anywhere but with her. Baumbach isn't really interested in answering these questions, and that is sometimes frustrating. But overall the film maintains as subversive tone that I found unique and fascinating. It's like you're peering into the window of a very fucked up family, and feel a little bit better about your own hardships. It's entirely possible that MARGOT AT THE WEDDING is just going to plain old piss you off, but that may not be the worse thing. Getting a reaction out of an audience may be preferential to Baumbach than getting no reaction at all. Enter at your own risk, but don't be surprised if you enjoy yourself more than you may be willing to admit.
Capone
You either dig writer-director Noah Baumbach (THE SQUID AND THE WHALE) or you don't. I guess I was unaware of this dividing line in the critical universe, but I've come to discover recently that it does in fact exist. And it goes beyond liking or disliking the cruel nature of some of his characters. Let's face it, it's tough to believe anyone would “like” the parental figures in Squid no matter how much you admired the brutal honesty of the screenplay. But some people even go so far to attack Baumbach's visual style. I've seen it described as “muddy.” Maybe there was something on the lens at that particular screening. And while I can't recall any camera tricks or spectacular visual flare that Baumbach has enriched his films with, I never really missed those touches since including them would have made no sense in the stories he was trying to tell.
What I do remember about his films is terrific acting, fiery dialog that makes nearly every scene an exercise in tension, frustration, and angst. I remember when I reviewed SQUID, I made it very clear the nature of the story may make watching the film a really uncomfortable experience for some, and I think the same holds true for his latest work, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING. Baumbach again tackles the subject of marriages (both ones about to be sealed and those coming apart at the seams), family, and the nature of being a misunderstood artist. I can hear the collective cries of self-indulgence now, but the fact is, Baumbach learned a thing or two about transitioning from relative obscurity to fame thanks to his last film, and he has a few things to say about that through the character of Margot (Nicole Kidman), a writer who is often accused of being autobiographical (she denies it).
Margot and her son Claude (Zane Pais) are in Long Island (although I'm not sure the location is ever specifically named) to attend the wedding of her sister Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the unemployed artist Malcolm (Jack Black in a surprisingly strong dramatic turn, which is not to say the man doesn't make us laugh at times). What's odd is the Margot has left behind her husband and other son back in New York City, which immediately indicates something is amiss. But to Pauline, it also means that once again Margot is going to turn all the attention to herself. Margot is a difficult lady to like, and I think that's alright with Baumbach. Not only is she a spotlight hog, but she actively plants seeds of doubt and descent in the minds of everyone she comes into contact with. She thinks Malcolm isn't good enough to Pauline; she quietly lets slips to Malcolm that Pauline slept with a lot of men when she was younger. Secrets have no meaning in this family. Although the patriarch of the family is dead, there's a third sister and a mother (neither are ever seen) whose names are invoked often to put down people in their honor.
Margot is having an affair and has possibly left her husband for good. When he arrives on the scene (in a nice albeit brief turn from John Turturro), the tension is thick and miserable. All this being said, the film is also very funny at times, and not just because of Jack Black being on the case. Usually the laughs come thanks to Margot's appalling behavior. There's also a great sadness that runs through MARGOT AT THE WEDDING that manifests itself through the children in the film. As in SQUID, the children are treated as pawns, victims, and obstacles. Is there any hope they can come out the other side unscathed? It doesn't seem so. Claude is a sweet kid, and we almost wonder if he'd be better off anywhere but with her. Baumbach isn't really interested in answering these questions, and that is sometimes frustrating. But overall the film maintains as subversive tone that I found unique and fascinating. It's like you're peering into the window of a very fucked up family, and feel a little bit better about your own hardships. It's entirely possible that MARGOT AT THE WEDDING is just going to plain old piss you off, but that may not be the worse thing. Getting a reaction out of an audience may be preferential to Baumbach than getting no reaction at all. Enter at your own risk, but don't be surprised if you enjoy yourself more than you may be willing to admit.
Capone
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She'll chop you up!Oh, that's not what this article is about...
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Two for two. I liked the Squid and the Whale a lot, so hope this matches up to it :)
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Damn you, you cheeky monkey.
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I've liked Kicking and Screaming since it came out and Squid was terrific.
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I'm sure there are people that love or hate Baumbach but i'm not sure that applies to this film. I enjoyed Kicking & Screaming and I loved, LOVED Squid & the Whale, hilarious, truthful, captivating, relatable (sic). Daniels and Linney were so great in that film and the writing was terrific. Was it uninterestingly shot - not that i noticed the story and performances were so great. But Margot At The Wedding is just a horrible, cliched, seemingly-never-ending waste of your time. It's not the characters aren't likeable (although Margot certainly isn't) it's that you never engage on any level with the goings on. It plays very falsely missing all that made Squid so good. I'll admit upfront I massively dislike Kidman but i've got past that for some of her films but i was hugely disappointed by Margot and i'm not one of Capone's so-called Baumbach haters. I shall still look forward to his next film but i shall try and banish this travesty from my memory.
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That's put me off my sandwich.
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trust a jewish lobster to bring up the squid and the whale...not having seen it, your scene description makes it sound... quite interesting.
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Although, I'm inclined to believe that the disconnect with the characters is somewhat intentional. This is really just one o' them 'snapshot' films, where you get a chunk of interesting characters without the real emotional investment because NOBODY learns anything. There's a certain level at which it works, but as fc said, it largely doesn't, and by the end, I don't care if Kidman's character gets on the bus or not, and the fact that it could have gone one way or the other and would STILL not be indicative of anything particular, makes it somewhat of a wash. I can't say I didn't like a lot of it, the interactions between the sisters was good, Black was remarkably restrained...but it's a whole lot less than the sum of its parts, and definitely doesn't have the strength of script that Squid does. So...what am I saying? I dunno. I may end up watching it again, but I really can't go out on a limb and recommend it to anyone.
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It's again going to piss a few people off. These are the people who insist that characters in movies be "likable" and that their news be "from Fox" and generally dislike anything truly good or useful in society.
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I'm on the fence. Loved Squid and the Whale, and really think Jeff Daniels should have picked up an Oscar nod for it. But the word coming back on Margot so far isn't good.
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Dude, "word" on Squid and the Whale was pretty mixed too. Noah Baumbach is a man on a mission to create some of the least huggable characters in film history. I mean, hell, it's a movie about crazy people. And Nicole Kidman's character is the craziest by a longshot. It's got phenomenal writing, excellent acting... a natural step forward from Squid and the Whale, in every way. Don't be on the fence. No fencing.
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Good point. I'll definitely catch it one way or another. Unfortunately, it's only playing downtown, and I'm trying to avoid the thanksgiving crowds here in NYC at the moment. But I'll probably squeeze it in (with a second viewing of I'm Not There) sometime this long weekend.
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I think this sounds stupid and I will not see it ever.
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Seems kinda silly to say I'm probably going to see it again, but that I can't recommend it. It really has stayed with me to some extent, so even though I think the script is clearly not up to the level of Squid and the Whale, and that ultimately I don't actually like the film...it really is probably worth seeing if you're on the fence about it, because even though I don't think the film is very effective, I'm not sorry I saw it either...how's THAT for a wishy-washy review? Yeesh. Too much wine. Never mind me.
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does that mean the characters fall down often? hyuk hyuk. loved squid and the whale...ill definitely check this one out
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Don't imagine that people not liking the film has anything to do with unlikeable characters. You can't pigeon-hole people who don't like a film you do any more than those who like something you don't. I don't assume that all people that like Harry Potter books are childish with no real sense of good literature. In fact I admire JK Rowling for getting a lot of children to actually read. I just don't get it. Margot was a movie I simply was bored throughout. It was made all the more disappointing by the fact i loved Squid and had high expectations. But no sane person dismisses a film due to lack of love for the characters some of the best films revolve around such characters and performances. The best film this year by a wide mile is There Will Be Blood and if you can find a more loathsome sociopath on film than Daniel Plainview since Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull I'd like to hear it.
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Mostholy: Jealous - I'm so pumped for I'm Not There. Is Cate Blanchett as fucking phenomenal as I imagine she is? Because I imagine she is. She's nearly as chameleonic as Dylan himself.
filmcoyote: I wasn't immediately pigeonholing everyone who dislikes this movie. I was immediately pigeonholing MOST people who categorically dislike Noah Baumbach movies or don't give them a chance. Because most people do, and for the same reasons: he doesn't write action flicks, no one explodes, and most of the characters are unlikable bastards. And thanks for bragging about how you've seen There Will Be Blood. We all think your dick is gigantic now. Yes, I'm sure it'll be the bee's knees (PT Anderson's pretty much my favorite working director), and yes the central character is obviously unlikable. But Noah Baumbach's singular approach to his characters - namely their singular TALKINESS and refusal to ever shut up about themselves or their inanities or how their talking about themselves reflects that bastard they're related to - it turns a lot of folks off. It's often "funny" but rarely (never) "fun." PT Anderson's characters, at least in his more recent movies, take their sweet time to blow up, and following their stories is OFTEN both "funny" and "fun" - Boogie Nights and Punch-Drunk Love moreso than Magnolia, but even Magnolia holds its own moments of grandiose whimsy. Baumbach's character fireworks show is feature-length, whereas Anderson lets characters simmer then pop later on. Anderson's is a far more traditional dramatic trajectory (though I'd argue he puts his own modern spin on it), and I think you could make a case that Baumbach's characters are more influenced by the stage (or David Mamet, or decades-long psychotherapy). I can understand you were bored by Margot, but I don't think that automatically negates my argument that most people just don't give any Baumbach movies a chance because of how he writes his movies. Look at how comparatively underground he still is - your point is a ship passing mine in the night, though our ships happen to be bobbing around in the same ocean. And your ship is bored. -
Reading your earlier posts, I think you may just not have understood the movie. I.E. Kidman's character is actually insane-slash-autistic, etc. etc. etc. And if you "hate Nicole Kidman" why the hell would you walk into a movie situation that guarantees you a solid 1.5 hours of her??? That's like a lactose-intolerant person sitting down to eat an entire wheel of cheese.
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than I had expected. Even darker than The Squid and the Whale which wasn't the nicest portrayal of divorce. In the end I enjoyed it but expect to be uncomfortable at times. Claude and his cousin are the only characters you don't absolutely hate by the end. I've never been a huge Nicole Kidman fan but here she does a wonderful job.
By the way, while we're talking about P.T. Anderson does anyone else think that Magnolia was his one misfire? Everything seemed so over the top, to the point of melodrama. -
There's a reason the term "family melodrama" was coined about 60 or 70 years ago. Magnolia fits in quite nicely there, but turns a lot of the aspects of melodramatic characters on their heads.
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