tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post5928618766633441802..comments2023-11-05T02:01:53.847-06:00Comments on Antagony & Ecstasy: FEAR AND LOATHING IN SAN FRANCISCOTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09491952893581644049noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-43481562151565070592011-06-15T09:17:26.487-05:002011-06-15T09:17:26.487-05:00Great observations by all here. The only thing I c...Great observations by all here. The only thing I can add is a personal one; Jeff Bridges is the most underated actor alive today. Even though he got his oscar for "Crazy Heart", his early work is so remarkable. He wraps his own psyche into each character seamlessly, honestly. He's stated this is one of his favorite performances. Great story telling by Mr. Weir, Rose Perez is fantastic. A true ensemble piece from the music to the cinematography. Bravo.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10116364629120611599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-83671739353221247342010-08-14T15:11:34.811-05:002010-08-14T15:11:34.811-05:00This is a great essay, Tim. Weir is one of my favo...This is a great essay, Tim. Weir is one of my favorite directors, too (I'm planning on doing a series on him this fall leading up to the release of his latest picture), and FEARLESS is one of my very favorite films from the Australian auteur. You're right about the bizarre opening, which almost immediately displaces the viewer and lets us know that what we're about to see is not your typical "near death" message film.<br /><br />I also love how delicately Weir handles the relationship between Bridges and Perez; there's nothing overtly sexual going on, and I think that's what stings so deep with his wife: it's something so much deeper and more intimate that he's sharing with this woman who is not his wife. I love how Weir shows that that kind of pain is much more devastating than had the film devolved into a banal "will he, won't he" type film where we don't know whether he's going to leave his family or not.<br /><br />I also loved the Tom Hulce character. What a dick! <br /><br />God, just thinking about this film makes me want to watch it again. I think some people get uneasy with the film because of melodramatic it is. But man, that ending -- the final flashback where he's talking to his friend on the plane, and the scene with the strawberries -- gets to me every single time. It's beautiful, and prior to that moment Weir and his fantastic actors have been slowly building these quietly devastating moments of human drama, and it all comes together to form the perfect emotional crescendo; balancing the poignant with the melodramatic perfectly.Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-26741025046827494252010-08-13T11:56:19.309-05:002010-08-13T11:56:19.309-05:00Thank you for this review! Fearless has always bee...Thank you for this review! Fearless has always been one of my all-time favorite films. And, just to show how a great film can have meaning on many levels: in my experience, this film addresses the psychological issues faced by people after they've been through what's generally called a "near-death experience" far better than any other source I've encountered.Matthew The Astrologerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10333186620060372667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14812333.post-42365679517449413742010-08-12T20:58:38.154-05:002010-08-12T20:58:38.154-05:00Nice piece, Tim. For all its various flaws I'v...Nice piece, Tim. For all its various flaws I've been drawn back to this one repeatedly, particularly for the way it brings everything together at the end, like an orchestral crescendo (figuratively and literally, with Jarre's lengthy closing piece). And I don't even have a nagging fear of flight. Nice to see someone else finding something special in it.Jeff Pikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17148737647138431543noreply@blogger.com