Went in with a open mind, knew nothing about the movie. Just in there for Alexandra Daddario. Some parts were cliched, wouldn't deny that. But the comedy worked. It was not boring, meanwhile it could have definitely been a lot better!
Have nothing to watch? Go for it.
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It should have been little faster
Okay so what's to say about this film that hasn't already been said...?
Let's do pros and cons...
Pros - Bill Murray being himself (all sarcastic and nonchalant); Scarlett Johannson being adorable, playing such a young woman struggling to find a direction in life; the coldness of a land where it is so foreign to our own, with strange customs and an impenetrable language; a cool soundtrack.
Cons - it takes about 10 minutes longer than I'd want to have the 'meet cute'; it offers up an image of men that isn't true - not every guy wants to f**k her just because she's there. This character did but that doesn't mean we all would; her actions toward the end are too cold, it doesn't gel with the rest of the film.
That said... it makes Japan a place to visit - and I'd imagine a hundred thousand Western tourists have used this movie to break the ice with a familiar face when visiting there.
I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the whole cast and I loved what it showed me of Japan. It could be a slightly faster pace with a little more storyline once they become pals.
For this part, I feel it suffers on rewatching and isn't aging as well as reputation would have you believe.
7/10
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@porteruk >it offers up an image of men that isn't true - not every guy wants to f**k her just because she's there. This character did but that doesn't mean we all would; her actions toward the end are too cold, it doesn't gel with the rest of the film.
I don't know what movie you watched because what you said has no bearing on what we see from Scarlet's character.
Good one. I appreciated, but the end doesn't seem realistic. After all, is worth watching.
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@lzcubasjunior but, it's based on a true story...
A well-made coming of age story Lady Bird takes an interesting look at the coming of age, parent-clash storyline. With well-established actors at the top of their game could this addition to a well-worn and frankly over-used Pantheon say anything new?
I have to be honest Lady Bird with all it is praise put me in mind of the Emperor’s New Clothes. It was good but I’ve seen it all before. I honestly feel that I was shown nothing new or anything that hasn’t been attempted before. This isn’t to say the efforts on display were bad, I’d say sadly just a bit ‘samey’ as a lot of other films.
Laurie Metcalf has rightly taken the plaudits as Lady Bird’s put-upon mother put other than this character, Lady Bird herself and her ‘best’ friend Julie, every other role, including Lady Bird’s dad, seems unwritten, almost unfinished, they drift in do what the story wants them to and drift out. In particular, the gay boyfriend seemed to be heading somewhere and then he more or less vanishes for a long stretch, shows up for a little scene and then is gone again.
In all honesty, it sounds as if hated Lady Bird. I did not. In fact like all Saoirse Ronan films, I enjoyed the acting and story. It is there was much I had seen before, the vulnerable dad, the overweight ‘unattractive’ friend, a troubled gay, the bitchy ‘cool’ clique. If I’m honest we’ve seen it all before, some better, some not so good. Lady Bird is interesting, sad, funny, well- made but in my view, it did not really say or show anything that has been before and many times too.If you watch this you’ll probably enjoy it but for me, Edge of Seventeen was better.
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I guess Greta Gerwig, who I have loved in Noah Baumbach's movies and who does a good job of directing here, has a good publicist and many friends in the industry - because this movie got so much attention, well deserved it was, but the superior and more genuinely affecting "The Edge of Seventeen" got great reviews from both audience and critics, but just kind of disappeared. Pity.
Review by Xiofire
Midsommar is a complicated beast. Those going for something as linear as Hereditary will be immediately disappointed by Midsommars somewhat convoluted plot elements and meandering pace. I sat in the cinema as the credits rolled by, deep in thought about what I just watched, and if it was any good. Nothing really sat well with me, and the film didn't really connect upon immediate completion, but I gave it time to digest.
Ari Asters two movies are very much at odds with each other. Hereditary slaps you with it's excellent presentation, pace, sense of dread and quality of acting on display. Then, upon further inspection, it's woven plot elements and symbolism shine through on subsequent viewing.
Midsommar is very much the opposite. The film almost dawdles in it's presentation and doesn't fully attack you with it's acting chops or narrative (although Florence is simply stunning in her portrayal of Dani). Midsommar more presents it's parts in a very matter-of-fact fashion, and then leaves it up to you to connect the dots of both the plot and what's on display. While there is far too much to unpack in this small comment section, I'd just like to detail some of my favourite themes on display in Midsommar, and why it went from a 6/10 during my cinema viewing, to a solid 8 - 8.5/10 upon reflection.--- LONG DISCUSSION OF SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT ---
One of Midsommars central parallels is the individualism/selfishness of Western life and it's stark comparison to the commune we are introduced to. Examples of this are: During the intro, Dani is going through the trauma of a suicidal family member and her boyfriend, Christian, is encouraged by his friends to abandon her in her time of need telling her to see her therapist as it's not his problem. Christian echos these sentiments directly to Dani about her sister, telling her to leave her alone as she is just doing this for attention. Upon arriving at the commune in Sweden, Mark is unwilling to wait for Dani to be ready to take shrooms. Josh, knowing of Dani's recent trauma involving death, subjects her to the suicide of the elders for his own thesis and research. Christian uses the situation to further his own academic efforts, much to the annoyance of Josh. Everyone is acting in their own self interest regardless of the emotional toll this takes on their friendships. This is a stark contrast to how we see the commune deal with distress, emotion and personal issues. When Dani sees Christian cheating on her, the female members of the commune bawl, weep, scream and cry along with Dani, literally experiencing her burden with her to lessen the load. As described by Pelle, the commune "hold" you during your distress, helping you cope and living through those emotions with you. This is further cemented by the scene earlier in the movie, shortly after Dani's sister commits suicide. We see Dani hunched over Christian's lap overcome with emotion, screaming out the pain of the loss of her sister. Christian is anything but present however, his eyes vacant as if he weren't there with her at all. This is possibly my favourite theme of the movie, as it really paints how alone we are in modern society regardless of how many people we surround ourselves with. How many people are actually there for us in our time of need? Sure, they might be physically present, but are they actually there, sharing our pain? It's truly terrifying to think about.
My other favourite theme is who is and isn't a bad person. I've seen many people online say they think Christian is a horrible boyfriend for how he treats Dani. While I can understand their position, I struggle to see how Christian is the bad guy for his actions. Christian finds himself in a dying relationship which he is mentally checked out from but decides to stay to help her through the grief of losing her parents and sister. Christian even goes as far as to bring her on vacation with him to help her through her trauma, even though he wants to split up with her. Would the audience have prefered Christian leave Dani right after she lost her family? That would have been MUCH worse. Do these actions warrant what happens to Christian? I don't think so at all. Christian is so misunderstood in this movie, I can't wait to see it again to draw more conclusions on his character. Is Josh a bad person for wanting to fully envelope himself in a foreign culture? Although we know it is largely for academic gain, Josh does seem to love learning about the culture of these people, wanting to see how they operate and know every intricacy of their faith. Does this warrant his murder for trying to document their sacred texts? Should an outsider be murdered for enjoying and absorbing someone elses culture and customs, or should they be thanked for their interest and passion? (Sidenote, I see Josh's character as a direct reflection of the usual racial stereotypes we see in movies of this ilk. Usually we see the white academic researching the savage native/minority tribe, but Josh is the exactly flip of this, which is a nice touch). Were Connie and Simon wrong for coming into another culture and expressing disgust at their customs? Should they have been so outwardly disgusted and vocal about their disapproval while being welcomed in by the commune? Sure it didn't warrant their ultimate fate, but this small subplot asks an interesting question about outsiders attempting to shape and alter other cultures and customs as it doesn't sit with their ideals.
Other small details:
While it's directly conveyed to the viewer that the red haired girl is attempting to cast a love incantation on Christian via pubes in his pie and runes under his bed, very little attention is given to the fact that Christians drink is a slight shade darker than everyone elses. From the tapestry we see at the start of the festival, we know exactly what the red haired girl has slipped into his drink :face_vomiting: Fantastic subtle horror/grossness.Pelle talks about how his parents died in a fire and the commune helped him through the trauma of that loss. After the ending, it's pretty clear the fire wasn't an accident, and they evidently died for some kind of ritual.
Artwork above Dani's bed at the beginning shows a girl with crown kissing a bear. While direct foreshadowing to latter events, it also asks the question if this was all fate. Dani's sister's final message reads "I see black now" (potentially a reference to The Black One) before killing herself and her parents. Were Dani's parents 72 and this was the end of their cycle? Was Dani's sister already a distant member of the commune?
Runes are scattered all throughout the film to foreshadow certain character arcs or add more meaning. My favourite hidden rune is the doors to the temple, which when open, make the rune for "Opening" or "Portal". Amazing attention to detail.
Yeah, this movie is much MUCH better on reflection and I absolutely cannot wait to see it again. I really hope Ari's 3 hour 40 minute directors cut is released so there is more to dissect. While not as immediately impressive has Hereditary, Midsommar definitely has the layers and complexity to be a slowburn horror classic.
EDIT: I am now 4 days out from my first viewing and I've not stopped thinking about this movie. I've become a frequent visitor of the films subreddit and have even purchased/listened to the films dread-inducing yet somehow joyous soundtrack a number of times throughout the days. I've been reading up on runes and their meanings, reading up set analysis for hidden meanings and any other small details others can find. A movie hasn't vibed with me like this for a long long time so to reflect this, I think it's only right I bump my score from an 8/10 to a 9/10. When I can get my hands on the digital download/Blu-Ray, I'm sure this might even go higher.
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@xiofire Outstanding, thorough review. I also sat through the credits to reflect on what I'd just saw. Although my companion was disturbed and disappointed, I found it fascinating as well.
Review by Xiofire
Midsommar is a complicated beast. Those going for something as linear as Hereditary will be immediately disappointed by Midsommars somewhat convoluted plot elements and meandering pace. I sat in the cinema as the credits rolled by, deep in thought about what I just watched, and if it was any good. Nothing really sat well with me, and the film didn't really connect upon immediate completion, but I gave it time to digest.
Ari Asters two movies are very much at odds with each other. Hereditary slaps you with it's excellent presentation, pace, sense of dread and quality of acting on display. Then, upon further inspection, it's woven plot elements and symbolism shine through on subsequent viewing.
Midsommar is very much the opposite. The film almost dawdles in it's presentation and doesn't fully attack you with it's acting chops or narrative (although Florence is simply stunning in her portrayal of Dani). Midsommar more presents it's parts in a very matter-of-fact fashion, and then leaves it up to you to connect the dots of both the plot and what's on display. While there is far too much to unpack in this small comment section, I'd just like to detail some of my favourite themes on display in Midsommar, and why it went from a 6/10 during my cinema viewing, to a solid 8 - 8.5/10 upon reflection.--- LONG DISCUSSION OF SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT ---
One of Midsommars central parallels is the individualism/selfishness of Western life and it's stark comparison to the commune we are introduced to. Examples of this are: During the intro, Dani is going through the trauma of a suicidal family member and her boyfriend, Christian, is encouraged by his friends to abandon her in her time of need telling her to see her therapist as it's not his problem. Christian echos these sentiments directly to Dani about her sister, telling her to leave her alone as she is just doing this for attention. Upon arriving at the commune in Sweden, Mark is unwilling to wait for Dani to be ready to take shrooms. Josh, knowing of Dani's recent trauma involving death, subjects her to the suicide of the elders for his own thesis and research. Christian uses the situation to further his own academic efforts, much to the annoyance of Josh. Everyone is acting in their own self interest regardless of the emotional toll this takes on their friendships. This is a stark contrast to how we see the commune deal with distress, emotion and personal issues. When Dani sees Christian cheating on her, the female members of the commune bawl, weep, scream and cry along with Dani, literally experiencing her burden with her to lessen the load. As described by Pelle, the commune "hold" you during your distress, helping you cope and living through those emotions with you. This is further cemented by the scene earlier in the movie, shortly after Dani's sister commits suicide. We see Dani hunched over Christian's lap overcome with emotion, screaming out the pain of the loss of her sister. Christian is anything but present however, his eyes vacant as if he weren't there with her at all. This is possibly my favourite theme of the movie, as it really paints how alone we are in modern society regardless of how many people we surround ourselves with. How many people are actually there for us in our time of need? Sure, they might be physically present, but are they actually there, sharing our pain? It's truly terrifying to think about.
My other favourite theme is who is and isn't a bad person. I've seen many people online say they think Christian is a horrible boyfriend for how he treats Dani. While I can understand their position, I struggle to see how Christian is the bad guy for his actions. Christian finds himself in a dying relationship which he is mentally checked out from but decides to stay to help her through the grief of losing her parents and sister. Christian even goes as far as to bring her on vacation with him to help her through her trauma, even though he wants to split up with her. Would the audience have prefered Christian leave Dani right after she lost her family? That would have been MUCH worse. Do these actions warrant what happens to Christian? I don't think so at all. Christian is so misunderstood in this movie, I can't wait to see it again to draw more conclusions on his character. Is Josh a bad person for wanting to fully envelope himself in a foreign culture? Although we know it is largely for academic gain, Josh does seem to love learning about the culture of these people, wanting to see how they operate and know every intricacy of their faith. Does this warrant his murder for trying to document their sacred texts? Should an outsider be murdered for enjoying and absorbing someone elses culture and customs, or should they be thanked for their interest and passion? (Sidenote, I see Josh's character as a direct reflection of the usual racial stereotypes we see in movies of this ilk. Usually we see the white academic researching the savage native/minority tribe, but Josh is the exactly flip of this, which is a nice touch). Were Connie and Simon wrong for coming into another culture and expressing disgust at their customs? Should they have been so outwardly disgusted and vocal about their disapproval while being welcomed in by the commune? Sure it didn't warrant their ultimate fate, but this small subplot asks an interesting question about outsiders attempting to shape and alter other cultures and customs as it doesn't sit with their ideals.
Other small details:
While it's directly conveyed to the viewer that the red haired girl is attempting to cast a love incantation on Christian via pubes in his pie and runes under his bed, very little attention is given to the fact that Christians drink is a slight shade darker than everyone elses. From the tapestry we see at the start of the festival, we know exactly what the red haired girl has slipped into his drink :face_vomiting: Fantastic subtle horror/grossness.Pelle talks about how his parents died in a fire and the commune helped him through the trauma of that loss. After the ending, it's pretty clear the fire wasn't an accident, and they evidently died for some kind of ritual.
Artwork above Dani's bed at the beginning shows a girl with crown kissing a bear. While direct foreshadowing to latter events, it also asks the question if this was all fate. Dani's sister's final message reads "I see black now" (potentially a reference to The Black One) before killing herself and her parents. Were Dani's parents 72 and this was the end of their cycle? Was Dani's sister already a distant member of the commune?
Runes are scattered all throughout the film to foreshadow certain character arcs or add more meaning. My favourite hidden rune is the doors to the temple, which when open, make the rune for "Opening" or "Portal". Amazing attention to detail.
Yeah, this movie is much MUCH better on reflection and I absolutely cannot wait to see it again. I really hope Ari's 3 hour 40 minute directors cut is released so there is more to dissect. While not as immediately impressive has Hereditary, Midsommar definitely has the layers and complexity to be a slowburn horror classic.
EDIT: I am now 4 days out from my first viewing and I've not stopped thinking about this movie. I've become a frequent visitor of the films subreddit and have even purchased/listened to the films dread-inducing yet somehow joyous soundtrack a number of times throughout the days. I've been reading up on runes and their meanings, reading up set analysis for hidden meanings and any other small details others can find. A movie hasn't vibed with me like this for a long long time so to reflect this, I think it's only right I bump my score from an 8/10 to a 9/10. When I can get my hands on the digital download/Blu-Ray, I'm sure this might even go higher.
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@xiofire Despite disagreeing with your take on Christian, I really like this review and agree with most of it. Thanks for expressing it so elegantly!
I would have to say it’s not one of my top movies despite how pleasant it was to watch. Now that’s not to say that it’s bad, quite the contrary. This is just a movie I would file under “what I’d watch if I wanted to see a nice, cute film in my free time.”
It is as the summary states; two childhood friends fall in love with each other.
Pros...
- None is the movie felt forced, even during the comedic moments.
- It was paced very nicely.
- The comedic moments were actually funny. They did have me laughing because they were well written. (This depends however on what you find funny. Me, I laugh at generally anything, so don’t take my word for it xD)
- The characters, in personality as well as how they deal with situations, are relatable.
- This film has some surprises for you. I won’t ruin them but there are some. And if no one told you, there is a certain actor who makes their entrance halfway through the movie so look out.
- Since this is a cutesy type of film, there is little to no drama. It’s nice being for how the film is, and it made the supporting cast all the more better in my opinion. I love Veronica and Mr. Kim by the way xD.
- The ending. It was truly emotional because it finishes the movie on a good note. It also gave the movie a nice finishing touch without just leaving everything off like that.Cons....
- If you’re looking for this movie to change your life, no. That’s not going to happen.
- Some of the parts were predictable.
- As I said, the movie is exactly what the summary says. There’s no real underlying plot that will make this movie beer into a different direction.
:asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol: (This wasn’t actually a con for me, but I’m listing it in case someone thinks the movie may be more than what it is.) :asterisk_symbol::asterisk_symbol:
- I wish I would have been advised that there would be some swearing, or someone’s butt was going to be shown xD.
Edit: So I got called out for being potentially narrowed mind because of this con, and they had every right to so I’m not going to bash the person. However I will say that I personally don’t mind any swearing, nudity, etc. But my grandmother lives with me and she on the other hand is not that accepting xD. So I listed this as a con in case anyone has children, grandparents, or anyone else that you don’t want to hear or see that just in case.loading replies
@musicsoul97 i think you have a great review. I definitely enjoyed your pros and cons but i do have a problem with your last con. At best this is rated a PG maybe PG13. This is definitely not a G rated movie. With that said you can not blame anyone or give a bad rating for swearing as under the rating guide lines, a certain amount of swearing to blood and violence is allowed per movie to dictated the nature of the film thus its rating of a PG/PG13 is warranted. Where I do see your point is NETFLIX as a company should divulge this information prior to the screening of the film.
With that said please don't be that person or should I say 1 of Million of ignorant young adults to bash a movie because it didn't not line up with your ideals. Yes you gave it a kind rating but if you continue to bash everything you see with a broad scope you will see the world in a very narrow aspect. Just a small thing to think about. personally its a semi decent Asian Rom Com. Yes a lot of movies try to prove a point based on real life. That has always and will always be a point. But if you look at everything in live that way your doomed to fail.
This is a waste of time. What a ridiculous movie.. I'm still not sure how I managed to finish it.
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In my opinion this movie deserves to be watched. I liked story, plot and soundtrack. I passed 2 hours without realizing it. The exat opposite of a boring movie IMHO.
This is a waste of time. What a ridiculous movie.. I'm still not sure how I managed to finish it.
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Something tells me you didn't understood this master piece.
