Blade Runner 2049

[Drenk]

SPOILERS


I don't understand what is going on with Jared Leto. And the weird resistance thing at the end is really too much—even on a plot level, you don't need them for Gosling to try to rescue Ford. Everything with the prostitute and Joi is very sloppy and akward. The overlong scene with Ford's daughter can be the example for what I mean: good idea shown in an interesting way but overlong and almost mechanical in its execution...I was so embarrassed with the Joi scenes too...But that's more a Villeneuve problem I have. I liked Arrival, but Villeneuve is like a cold, distant, maker of great images.

Then: I loved the fight scene between Ford and Gosling. When it's about Gosling thinking he is the child/has a soul or when he learns that he is not, the movie is thrilling.

[WorldForgot]

SPOILERS
I liked Arrival, but Villeneuve is like a cold, distant, maker of great images.

"There's a little of every artist in their work."

[Lottery]

SPOILERS

I actually really liked the Joi relationship stuff in this movie. It was pretty unconventional and kinda touching and really added to Jo's desire to be more. It was pretty upsetting when she 'died' and one of the best moments in the movie is when he sees the giant hologram advertisement after he returns to LA.
Also ties into the how much is simply programming, how much is real thing.

I think Gosling did an excellent job of portraying a replicant gradually wanting to be more than just a replicant, it's superbly crushing when he realises that he isn't the child. Towards the end he does absolutely 'downtrodden' and 'driven' really well. Good actor.

The resistance stuff was a bit sudden, yeah but it kinda works with the ending- assuming they don't do something silly and have another sequel. It's open ended and hopeful in a way. That said, the final shot of the film really irked me.

Leto's presence in the film was a bit odd. It should have been one of those brief yet powerful performance and while he looked pretty damn cool, he just didn't make that much of an impact (though Dave Bautista managed to in his single scene). He also just drops out of the film towards the end after his the interrogation scene. The idea of the character is great but the film either couldn't flesh him out properly or provide him with a worthwhile concluding scene.

And Drenk, regarding what you said about a vision of the future from 1982, I personally am glad that they logically proceeded from the world presented in the original. It feels believable and it possibly would have been a disservice to both films by diverging too far from some of the aesthetic/conceptual ideals of the original.

[mogwai]

SEMI-SPOILER

I thought Deckard was going to die at the end. But Joe/K did die at the steps or did he? 

[csage97]

SEMI-SPOILER

I thought Deckard was going to die at the end. But Joe/K did die at the steps or did he? 

POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS POST

My interpretation was that he didn't.

I loved this movie. I liked the near-three hour run time because it allowed for full immersion into the visual world. My hat goes off to Roger Deakins; the lighting was fantastic, and I loved the soft monochromes. I appreciated the pacing of the story as well and that the film wasn't overblown with action scenes. A user above said that they thought the Joi scenes were embarrassing; I get that, but, ehh, it's science fiction, and it's not like the whole world design isn't super out there, so it didn't bother me at all. (Edit: The user was Drenk.)

The only thing that I didn't think was good was Jared Leto's character .... Just kind of too weirdly sinister and cartoonish, so much that it became tacky. I think Joi's character bordered on this level of tackiness, but didn't go as far as Leto's character with it. That's something I always fear about movies like this: That they indulge in this kind of campiness. On the whole, though, I think Villenueve avoided it enough, and the main story and visuals were aplenty enough to keep everything afloat.

[Drenk]

SPOILERS


The Joi scenes are embarrassing because they are overlong, the actors are bad in them (even Gosling, yes), and Her did it in a fantastic way a few years ago. I mean, the whole sex scene with a "robot" through a human body is a great scene in Her. In this one you have to watch Gosling being stoic for what seemed to be ages while random hot actress number #45—and it suits the character that she is random hot actress #45—is trying to act like she in a soft porn scene.

[Robyn]

SEMI-SPOILER

I thought Deckard was going to die at the end. But Joe/K did die at the steps or did he? 

That's a semi spoiler?

[Alexandro]

I can see that the film is overlong and there are some scenes which scream "cut me a little you fuck"... but man... this was trippy as hell. I don't think I've had this feeling of being in some kind of trance with a movie for a long time. Because that's the real thing here, the feeling. The combination of all those fantastic images with the sound and the music and the sense of loss and mystery. That weird feeling of witnessing a sentient being slowly blooming... I don't know how to explain it but it was tense, for me, the whole film. I was bathing in what it made me feel more than anything, even though I kept second guessing myself about wether I was understanding every bit of information. About half way through I was like "am I really following everything here? there's a lot going on! fuck, this is another beautiful moment!"...

in short, I understand the complaints... but damn it if I can't wait to see this again on IMAX and submerge into it like I'm taking LSD and being extra aware of every thing around me like I'm an android in a journey of self discovery.

[Drenk]

Yes, there is a meditative state in this movie that I appreciate. (Even it doesn't work all the time.)

[csage97]

I can see that the film is overlong and there are some scenes which scream "cut me a little you fuck"... but man... this was trippy as hell. I don't think I've had this feeling of being in some kind of trance with a movie for a long time. Because that's the real thing here, the feeling. The combination of all those fantastic images with the sound and the music and the sense of loss and mystery. That weird feeling of witnessing a sentient being slowly blooming... I don't know how to explain it but it was tense, for me, the whole film. I was bathing in what it made me feel more than anything

in short, I understand the complaints... but damn it if I can't wait to see this again on IMAX and submerge into it like I'm taking LSD and being extra aware of every thing around me like I'm an android in a journey of self discovery.

Yeah, I'm in agreement with these feelings, except I don't think it's too overlong. I guess I just have patience for long runtimes if they're able to create an atmosphere and a world to be sucked into, which I think this film achieved on the whole. (I really despise the quick pace and quick cuts of modern blockbusters.) However, I DO agree that some scenes could have been cut. I can concede to Drenk's view about the Joi scenes ... but I also think they provide the necessary fulfillment of giving Gosling's character some human characteristics that viewers can identify with. If this plot thread were entirely cut, I feel like we'd have a sort of Drive protagonist on our hands, but without the do-gooder nature and the with knowledge that he's also essentially an android ... which would reduce his human traits and run the risk of the having the audience feel that he can't be identified with enough. BUT, I'm open to the idea that the Joi scenes could have been different and better in their execution. The writers and director could've shown Gosling's human side in a completely different way that maybe wouldn't induce cringe in the way Drenk is experiencing it .... So I can totally sympathize with you there, Drenk.

There's a scene with a de-aged actor/character and it's the best de-aging special effects I've ever seen. I wasn't sure if it was CGI or an eerily similar actress at first, it just looked good. Makes Rogue One's CGI/de-aged characters look like trash.

Totally agree. I thought BR2049's special effects were at times outstanding and at other times quite good in the sense that their being apparent didn't make it a deal breaker for me. But man, I was totally disappointed with The Force Awakens' CGI. Totally killed the immersion of the film for me and instantly felt dated/characteristic of an era where Blockbusters are overly reliant on shitty computer effects. Huge disappointment. But then again, I didn't have massive hopes for a Star Wars reboot anyway.

Maybe it's getting too off topic, but I thought the trailer for Last Jedi looked terrible (the editing was good, but the content from the film just looked ... blah).

[Drenk]

SPOILERS

I must say that I also dislike the Joi scenes because everything else about K's "awakening" is interesting—the fact that he thinks he is more than a replicant and then his disillusion...The whole trope about wanting to be touched when you are a robot—when it's done without an ounce of warm or through Gosling's empty eyes makes me cringe, yes...

The idea of Gosling as a replicant with the memories of a human being is quite interesting and quite moving at the end.

[BB]

I feel like this movie raises an interesting question about the extent to which context matters when it comes to the quality of a film. To me, it's a MIRACLE given the modern studio system (if this does well and the general public demonstrates a taste for it, some real interesting films could get made), but agree that it's not perfect. Most movies of this scale don't even seem to try to try for perfect. And you never know what might have been studio mandated. The runtime almost definitely given that most people won't leave the house for anything less than two hours.

The same thing seems to be happening with The Florida Project, with people online getting pretty nit-picky. These are good films! Real deal adventurous, interesting films!

[Drenk]

I feel like this movie raises an interesting question about the extent to which context matters when it comes to the quality of a film. To me, it's a MIRACLE given the modern studio system (if this does well and the general public demonstrates a taste for it, some real interesting films could get made), but agree that it's not perfect. Most movies of this scale don't even seem to try to try for perfect. And you never know what might have been studio mandated. The runtime almost definitely given that most people won't leave the house for anything less than two hours.

The same thing seems to be happening with The Florida Project, with people online getting pretty nit-picky. These are good films! Real deal adventurous, interesting films!

Yes, but it is being spoiled to still be picky when a movie is worth discussion? I did think about it. It's true that most movies on this scale aren't even trying. That said, even if I, personally, think the movie is messy, the mere fact that I am writing a lot about it here is a sign that they have done something.

[Fernando]

LOVED IT.

Pretty much agree with what Alexandro said, although the length was fine for me.


Give all the awards already to Deakins.

[jenkins]

like with mother! i can't dislike it without betraying some of my core principles, so i won't dislike it. absolutely the feeling of this movie will resonate with me, and that is indeed a quality i cherish. plus yeah it's got all the candies of cinema and Deakins should win all the awards. on top of that it's set in the future and they saved the snow scene for last.

one can keep in mind that i like Blade Runner and still i've watched that movie without liking it. because the thing is my life isn't sitting inside there. the people i know aren't sitting inside that movie. so for me the feeling is a place and not a person. and some days i'd rather visit a park than see my friend, but parks are everywhere and friends are rare. if The Florida Project was multiplex i'd've seen it instead and it'll have problems sure, but they'll be human problems. that's my jam and y'all know it.