The Killing of a Sacred Deer
The first half of Yorgos Lanthimos' new film The Killing of a Sacred Deer is more boring than anything else; it quickly lulled me into a state of impassivity, and as a result, all of the weight and consequence of the film's second half fell flat. Lanthimos seems to have utilized more creativity and originality for The Lobster, but even then, as Jeff rightly points out, his effort from 2015 mainly set out to satirize something that doesn't even exist.
I also agree with Brandon's point that Martin's punishment does not fit Steven's crime. While it's certainly unethical for a surgeon to drink before a procedure, Martin's brand of justice is completely overblown, and there isn't a single character in the film who acknowledges that fact. All it takes for Ana to turn on her husband is to see the autopsy report. Apparently the autopsy provides conclusive evidence that Steven killed Martin's father, and yet, there's no mention of any kind of performance review or vocational repercussions (unless I completely missed it).
Much of the dialogue came off as lazy. Sure, Lanthimos has his own style and way of directing actors, but the actual dialogue was either too dull or so confounding that it defied humor. I went back and forth on that spaghetti scene and I'm still not sure if it was either hilariously bad or so unnecessary that it didn't require a reaction.
I also vacillate on Barry Keoghan. I hated his character in Dunkirk, and I'm not sure I like him too much better here. At times he's definitely up to the challenge of giving the type of performance that's required for a character like Martin, but I don't find him to be very compelling. But I'm no different, Barry, this post isn't very compelling. I mostly agree with what Jeff and Brandon have to say and I don't have the energy to put more thought into this film. I didn't enjoy it and aside from Biblical easter eggs, I fail to see what it has to offer (I did enjoy reading your post, though, John).
I rank Killing of a Sacred Deer right below Spiderman: Homecoming and above Lady Bird on my full 2017 list. Out of 22 crappy films seen, I rank it #17. I mostly agree with you guys that it's a stupid movie. I was just definitely more engaged than you all and wasn't bored by it at all.
ReplyDeleteAbove Lady Bird, eh? LB is easily in my top 5 so far. I'd be interested to read what you hated about it. I skipped out on the Andrew Garfield Spiderman movie(s?) but I kinda liked Homecoming. Tom Holland was a great casting choice.
DeleteOh, and nothing I've written so far has anything to do with KoaSD and really, most of it is purged for my mind right now. Not being bored by it is key. It was slow movie to start that didn't set any groundwork. When the shit finally hit the fan, I felt nothing. And part of that also has to do with the way Lanthimos directs his actors and Barry Keoghan's performance. The more I think about Barry, the more I don't like him. That probably makes me a jerk but I can live with it.
I'll write a "roundup" post at the end of the month listing and commenting on stuff that I've seen. I was pretty sick the other day and distracted myself with Lady Bird, Meyerowitz Stories, Shape of Water, Daddy's Home, and Black Mirror.
DeleteI thought that Lady Bird was fine, but that there are better 80s versions of the same movie.
Bishop Barron liked Lady Bird: https://youtu.be/7YJ0HgjbD8U
I find myself nodding along, agreeing with him, and still finding the movie stale instead of a breath of positive fresh air.
I find the Gerwig-Baumbach axis fairly poisonous. Gerwig was at her best at the service of Whit Stillman, who is a master compared to Gerwig or Baumbach.