David Gordon Green's "Undertow"

[Mr. Merrill Lehrl]

Such a good movie.  Before I get to the good, let me just say:  all negative art used (the kid throwing the rock, the man running) was absurd.  The fact that Green can't even pull it off is enought to convince me that it should never ever even thought of being used in any legitimate movie again.

The lighting in the film really is a treat.  It's good to see a director take a minimalist approach, especially in these days, and is what really connects the movie with 70's filmmaking for me.  It has a natural feel to it, and I expect that much of it was indeed natural.  This should come as no surprise given Green's approach to production design.  The score was even better than I expected.

I disagree with detractors who say that the movie can't find a tone.  I think that combining an artistic style with a b-movie doesn't make for a muddled mess, but draws a softer border around the images.  It appeals equally to the hemispheres of my brain, you know.  I think this kind of filmmaking should be encouraged and pushed even further.  Film noir gets all the credit when such a theory is talked about, but I think it could happen in other areas as well.  Undertow was a good step in a direction that could only get better with focus.

I'm not going to call it a masterpiece, but it's a fuck of a film.

[Pozer]

"A FUCK OF A FILM!" ONE OF "THE BEST FILMS OF 2004."
-ROGER EBERT

[Chrisdarko]

. Not only was it boring, but you couldn't quite place what you were supposed to be feeling,

do you have to be told what to feel?

[Thrindle]

. Not only was it boring, but you couldn't quite place what you were supposed to be feeling,

do you have to be told what to feel?

Before you criticize me, maybe you should go read up on some of the comments I've made about "All the Real Girls".  It's no secret on this board that "All the Real Girls" is my favorite movie, and it's also no secret that I'm rather analytical and have "good" taste in films (even if I'm not a cinephile).  Get over yourself kid.  Before you try to be all Xixax Hardcore, post more than 12 times, and get to know who you're talking to.

[meatball]

Xixax Hardcore = crabby.

[Pozer]

Finally, FINALLY got to see it. To me, it is a masterpiece. Thank God for David Gordon Green. He paints such a beautiful picture and I loved the way he crafted this genre.
Such a blessing.

[matt35mm]

"All the Real Girls" is my favorite movie

It only took 2 years and 5 viewings, but it is becoming a favorite of mine as well.  Probably not my very favorite favorite, but pretty durned close.  And it's a huge influence on my own work.  I'm gearing up for a 6th viewing, as it ships from Amazon soon (yes, I only now just bought it).  It's my favorite DGG movie, and I love all three of them.  Green is definitely a favorite director of mine--especially influential at this stage in my life and filmmaking style.  Not that our styles are similar at all, really, but his process of making movies appeals to me very much, and I like the organic feel to his movies very much.  It's influenced the way I direct, I suppose I should say, with a lot of focus on atmosphere, tone, and just really allowing the audience to be absorbed to a real PLACE.

He has more fun with Undertow, which I like a lot, whether or not every little thing works.  It definitely benefits from repeat viewings, and I do think that it's just a very fun movie after you get past the odd bits and pieces.  It's also his funniest movie to date.  ("All right, y'all, eat some of this shit!")

[Mr. Merrill Lehrl]

Green is definitely a favorite director of mine--especially influential at this stage in my life and filmmaking style.  Not that our styles are similar at all, really, but his process of making movies appeals to me very much, and I like the organic feel to his movies very much.  It's influenced the way I direct, I suppose I should say, with a lot of focus on atmosphere, tone, and just really allowing the audience to be absorbed to a real PLACE.

I completely agree.

Watching his movies always reminds me how going further isn't always getting better.  He has this restraint which is really inspiring to me, the way he can be so particular and beefy and in some areas and then hold back in the areas that other filmmakers would explode with.  Such as, he sticks to his characters.  I fucking love filmmakers who stick to their characters.  He acknowledges the films that have come before him, but he chooses to not try and use them all.  He is creative with plot devices.  And he trusts low-key, naturalistic lighting, which you barely see any of these days.

[Pozer]

let me just say:  all negative art used (the kid throwing the rock, the man running) was absurd.  The fact that Green can't even pull it off is enought to convince me that it should never ever even thought of being used in any legitimate movie again.

I loved this. I totally thought he pulled it off. that whole sequence felt like a nice way to open the movie. maybe i liked it so, because it is a technique that maybe you'd see used in a pop gangster film or something, but never in a southern tale such as this. i can't really explain why, but it really worked for me.
why would you call it negative art?

[matt35mm]

let me just say:  all negative art used (the kid throwing the rock, the man running) was absurd.  The fact that Green can't even pull it off is enought to convince me that it should never ever even thought of being used in any legitimate movie again.

I loved this. I totally thought he pulled it off. that whole sequence felt like a nice way to open the movie. maybe i liked it so, because it is a technique that maybe you'd see used in a pop gangster film or something, but never in a southern tale such as this. i can't really explain why, but it really worked for me.
why would you call it negative art?

He means when the image actually converts to negative (the colors reverse).  Or like when he throws the rock it's (color change) THROW (color change) THROW (color change) THROW (color change) THROW.

[Chrisdarko]

Sorry man. Your right I should post more I wasn't trying to call you out or anything and I apologize if that is what you thought.

[Thrindle]

Sorry man. Your right I should post more I wasn't trying to call you out or anything and I apologize if that is what you thought.

Pssst... I'm female, man...  and I am uber sensitive of this thread, because on so many levels, I really wanted to love this movie... and I feel as though I didn't get the "point" which is shitty.  OH THE VULNERABILITY!

[meatball]

Thrindle, I'm always here for you.

[Chrisdarko]

sorry about calling u a man. And your right I don't know you or the ppl that post on here. I just have a lot of dumb friends that hate movies that make ppl have to think and i over reacted on the sight sorry again.

[w/o horse]

Sorry man. Your right I should post more I wasn't trying to call you out or anything and I apologize if that is what you thought.

Pssst... I'm female, man...  and I am uber sensitive of this thread, because on so many levels, I really wanted to love this movie... and I feel as though I didn't get the "point" which is shitty.  OH THE VULNERABILITY!

Hell, sensitive movies are my favorite thing in the entire world, you know.  A good movie that captures the human spirit makes any one of my days.  That being said, Undertow completely amazed me, because what I am even more than a lover of humans, is a lover of film.  Undertow was absolutely a fantastic genre film, and it also had DGG's relentless character designs.  For me it was sleeping with my wife and her sister.