Midsommar

Started by Jeremy Blackman, March 05, 2019, 11:56:11 AM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

WorldForgot

https://twitter.com/evansaathoff/status/1141177480113532928

https://twitter.com/HaleighFoutch/status/1141177723361976321

A lotta reviews remarking that it's "surprisingly funny" -- hell yes, Hereditary's best quality gets an expanded runtime  :twisted:

polkablues

It's only surprising because people haven't been paying close enough attention. Ari Aster's oeuvre is way more that of an absurdist dark-comic than a pure horror filmmaker.
My house, my rules, my coffee

WorldForgot


jenkins

QuoteAdmirable, ambitious and impressive, but ultimately aloof, "Midsommar" has its delights for sure, but it lacks the emotional depth to match the sharp insights it has into the evils of the ambivalent, wishy-washy relationship (run as fast as you can). In the end, with its notions of "new blood," Aster's "Midsommar" is a torch and a purge, asking the characters to set their pain on fire and liberate themselves from the abuse they've actively participated in. "Midsommar" is its own kind of horrific cautionary tale, a floral, psychedelic, "He's Just Not That Into You" for modern movie-going culture. About the excuses, we give ourselves to stay in relationships, and the crime of habit and dependency we often commit in broad daylight, Aster's movie is an intelligent argument against ineffectual relationships. I just wish I could love it back.

C+. i go there because they're into movies and i can be into movies, but they're not the final word no way. yet i do like when possible other perspectives are conveyed regarding a movie

Jeremy Blackman

I think I saw this under the correct circumstances: on a very hot, very sunny Sunday afternoon in the middle of summer. And I loved it.

Actually I sort of wanted to turn around and watch the next showing. On first watch, I could not stop trying to predict what would happen and when. The dread is nice to have, but the guessing game is not ideal, especially when tainted with a few spoilers. I want to watch this again and enjoy all of its twisted beauty, its perfectly-pitched humor, and its quirky delights.

Midsommar is better than Hereditary for me. It seems more consistently playful, and the silly stuff feels more baked-in. But it still does pack a hard punch in a few spots very similar to what Hereditary was capable of delivering.

This might be the film that finally pushes me over the edge into full spoiler purity for things I'm anticipating. I can't imagine what an unmitigated joy this film would have been going in cold. I should not have watched any trailers or read any reactions. Definitely saw a few things coming that I really should not have, especially the very end.

Jeremy Blackman

FYI, the music from the trailer is not on the soundtrack. Part 1 (violins) is the song "Disorder" by Haxan Cloak. Part 2 (the more scary music with the pagan breathing) is unreleased, but there's a loop of it here:



Something Spanish

The pageantry alone is worth a second viewing, it had a real spellbinding effect, especially that hallucinogen saturated final day of festivities, a block of moviemaking so impressive it makes revisits very worthwhile. I found it more emotional than funny, although I can understand how one would be inclined to chuckle at the absurdities of the rituals depicted. The communal concept of everyone feeling the pain of a single member was extremely moving. Definitely not horror driven, yet layered with disturbing vibrations wrought from its undeniably hypnotizing effects. The story was not nearly as impressive as the theatrics, Aster pulling it al off with sadistic aplomb. Jubilant a movie this weird that can rock an emotional core or two actually got released in theaters.

Jeremy Blackman


Drenk

I must say that I appreciated the ending of Hereditary, the strange ritual and the imagery he developed, and regretted that the movie wasn't really about that, about these crazy people, because I thought that he lost himself with the family drama—it didn't ring true to me. But the story around the ritual was fun, crazy, inventive. So I'm quite excited by what I perceive from Midsommar even if I have to keep reminding myself that I wasn't head over heels about Hereditary in order not to be disappointed.
Ascension.

Jeremy Blackman

Still thinking about this movie and want to see it again. It's just so much fun! Definitely my favorite film of the year so far. I think Midsommar is going to have a lot of durability, because it actually doesn't rely on horror. It's driven by characters and character relationships, and a lot of playful themes, and a whole lot of aesthetic and sonic beauty.


SEVERE SPOILERS

Letting this movie sink in is an interesting process—specifically, coming to terms with this being a happy tale with a happy ending. If we just skip over literal interpretations and view this as a fable, as we're clearly meant to, Midsommar is almost unambiguously happy. Dani purges herself of toxic people one by one. Almost more importantly, she's embraced by family and overwhelmed with empathy. It doesn't matter that the expression of empathy is over-the-top and ceremonial. It's so forceful that it becomes real. Which I suppose can be the point of ceremony.

You would expect the film to devolve into total chaos and horror, revealing the cult as wildly bloodthirsty and evil, but that is very intentionally not the case. There's not even a charismatic cult leader you can point to who's enforcing things. Instead, you feel like each event is a force of nature, coming about through the sheer power of ancient tradition. That's how the sex ceremony plays out. Dani discovers Christian's betrayal and runs, but the cult does not try to persuade her that it's right. Instead, they instantly surround her to accept and echo her feelings of grief—an ultimate form of validation.

Also did not expect Midsommar to be a referendum on masculinity and American culture, but it certainly is. Christian (the boyfriend) is the most fascinating one to me. He is the embodiment of toxic laziness and cowardice. He always takes the path of least resistance, to the detriment of himself and those around him. Christian doesn't break up with Dani, because it's easier not to. Christian doesn't tell her any kind of truth about his feelings or even his summer plans because it's easier not to. He procrastinates on his thesis and then leeches off someone else's idea (who is himself arguably a leech) because it's just easier that way. He goes along with the sex ceremony because it's easier not to resist—even his worst betrayal is done passively. And finally, I love how he's literally paralyzed in the end, having achieved his final form of supreme inaction, encased in a symbol of masculinity. Even while burning alive, he's unable to express his feelings.

Alethia

It didn't have quite the initial impact of Hereditary for me, but the more I sit with it, the more I think it's the superior piece of work. Florence Pugh is incredible, just born to be on the big screen, the best performance by an actress in a major film since Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread. I can't remember the last time I empathized with a character so much. I fucking hated - HATED - the boyfriend - and pretty much every man/boy/bro in the film - so

Spoiler: ShowHide
 not really
the ending, without giving anything away but still keeping it hidden, was quite unexpectedly satisfying, even downright celebratory.


Can't wait to see this again.

WorldForgot

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on July 09, 2019, 01:12:31 PM
It doesn't matter that the expression of empathy is over-the-top and ceremonial. It's so forceful that it becomes real. Which I suppose can be the point of ceremony.

And the point of cinema as ceremony! Which I think Ari Aster accents with diegetic music throughout, and the entire communal emphasis of the piece.

Dug this film plenty. When I rewatch it'll be for Florence Pugh's performance and its resplendent production design.

Something Spanish

Spoiler: ShowHide
not absolving Christian all the way, he's a hapless dope mostly, but there is a slight counter case if i may point out: Dani does come with mucho baggage, constantly freaking about her bi-polar sister family drama the BF Christian has to contend with and listen to ad nauseam, not to mention the few implications of a rather tepid sex life, he does a decent job hanging in there. he doesn't tell her about Sweden until the last minute, okay, a relationship faux pas, but she did recently lose her folks and it would make for a rough convo. he's totally spineless for jacking his friend's thesis, that's some horrible shit, but i don't think he's as bad as people are making him out to be. the whole deflowering thing? dude was under the influence of some heavy heavy stuff and didn't have much of a choice. not to mention Dani opts to have him burned alive as a repercussion.
sorry, had about 3 min to write that out.

WorldForgot

Spoiler: ShowHide
if you and your significant other can't lean on each other over "family drama" you're probz not in a healthy relationship... this movie goes to great lengths to highlight all the gaps in Christian's compassion... the sex hang up iz like, come on, your SO is not your personal sploosh towel (and in a comic Aster reversal, Christian is used for his sploosh harvest)

Something Spanish

Spoiler: ShowHide
it just seems like she's over the top in the family drama dept., even admitting to her friend over the phone in the beginning that maybe she's pushing him away with all her personal problems. he's a college kid, man, everyone has their limits of what they can deal with at that age. he's there consoling her over the tragedy in the beginning, making her feel comfortable among his friends that she's tagging along to Sweden. does C deserve Dani? probably not. does he deserve to be burned alive inside a hollowed bear carcass when she could have easily chosen a complete stranger to take his place? don't get it misconstrued, i'm team Dani all the way, just don't think C's as shitty a bf as a lot of the reviews and peeps talking about the flick make him out to be