Actually, a 7 minus. Because of missing out on true greatness. But gets my award for hottest nude scenes.
It has a very attractive DVD box cover. Image shown here. Reminiscent of the paintings of the old masters. I stumbled across it when researching Emily Browning checking up on her other work - I am a SUCKER PUNCH fan (I hear just about everybody else disses it, but I would never!), I liked her in it, and recommend that one highly - and when I learned about SLEEPING BEAUTY I was immediately intrigued, no, hooked - despite the strings and strings of overriding mostly negative comment I encountered here on IMDb. There's one guy here on the board post that even snickered about her feet, that was very off- putting, but I decided as I almost always do, check it out for myself, and am I glad that I did.
First off, Emily Browning. Who doesn't want her Dad to see this movie. Hell, made me want to see it even more! Okay, Emily's acting, her screen presence, there is nothing that can be faulted. She plays a difficult-to-fathom character. Described as emotionless. No way. That is quite wrong, you've goofed, film analysts. She shows emotion in the last scene with Birdmann when she starts sobbing uncontrollably. She is generally coolly in control, but it is quite clear that she is simmering underneath. Okay, the only bit of weak acting by her is in that scream scene, she couldn't maintain it convincingly, her acting fizzles out there. Right then, on to the fun stuff: as for Emily's physicality, she has one of the prettiest faces, think living doll, plus she is petite, slim, pert, natural, tiny (ahem) upper structure, but very, very well- formed. And with the fairest complexion. All over white. All over... Gee baby!
It is the most naked part in a mainstream movie. From the movies I have reviewed here, it takes over from CLOSER's Natalie Portman as the most intimate display by a lead actress. There's even a flash of pelvic thatch. Breasts small, not too small, very shapely, perky upright nips. She is like a child, only matured. An innocent doll. Who, lying supine, gets straddled by that naked disgusting threatening troll licking her face as if she's an ice-cream cone. (Which she kinda is, definitely vanilla by her skin color!) And that other guy, carrying her, dropping her? Wince-worthy! One long uninterrupted scene, didn't yell, remains seemingly out like a light, real trooper of an actress.
Strong content, the nudity. Brings to mind scenes from SALO, 120 DAYS OF SODOM, those down-on-the-floor kneeling in supplication 'servants' showing their bare backs, foot-soles and butt- ends. I think that's the most explicit nudity in any mainstream movie. Together with the slightly S&M-ey bare-breasted waitresses, there's enough for a legion of prudes to complain about all week long. Yet there's no sex. Thought the 'madam' was gonna jump her there at the end, but, okay, I misunderstood... :)
The movie itself? I have viewed it twice, I am actually still quite confused, have done some Plot research on Wikipedia to clear it up, now understand what I was supposed to understand. Lots of things said there doesn't balance with what I have just seen. Birdmann didn't die in her arms. Not in the IFC DVD release I just saw. I've even checked up again. So somebody on Wikipedia didn't pay proper heed. And what's mentioned as a funeral on Wikipedia sure looks like a garden party to me, glasses of beer and all.
Another scene baffling me: After having slept with that guy, as she gets dressed, an insistent knock on the door. She continues getting dressed, another knock. She then moves to open the door, the next moment, she is sitting there in the corridor, some other guy (who's he?) standing near her, as the first guy pokes his head past the door, as if he's the one responding to the knock. Some deleted scene there?
But many of the secondary characters were extremely sketchily presented. Like, who is that, and why are they...?
And why why why waste time with that old man telling that never-ending story that did not did not did not further the plot in the teensiest bit? Was it akin to product placement, the author of that book mentioned? If it had been to establish the old guy as an acceptable character, there'd have been plenty more economic ways. Simply an "I feel old and weak and dearly in need of this lovely young girl's presence" not that long-winded story lasting eight rolls of film, shucks, I had time to boil a cup of tea and let the dog go do his business (kidding, I don't have a dog).
The movie is way out of tempo with Hollywood fare. Initially, my first complaint was that there are way too little close-ups, almost everything was at a distance. There is also a certain meandering style, like this needed some discipline, some stronger direction, but then again, the cinematography in some scenes were very good, like paintings, for instance in that scene with the brutal man where she falls on the floor. Her marble-white skin on the green rug...
Generally, I am not going to say too much against it, save that there remained lots of room for improvement. They were on the right track here, but the real winner it could have been got clear away, but yet, a prize catch was netted.
It has a very attractive DVD box cover. Image shown here. Reminiscent of the paintings of the old masters. I stumbled across it when researching Emily Browning checking up on her other work - I am a SUCKER PUNCH fan (I hear just about everybody else disses it, but I would never!), I liked her in it, and recommend that one highly - and when I learned about SLEEPING BEAUTY I was immediately intrigued, no, hooked - despite the strings and strings of overriding mostly negative comment I encountered here on IMDb. There's one guy here on the board post that even snickered about her feet, that was very off- putting, but I decided as I almost always do, check it out for myself, and am I glad that I did.
First off, Emily Browning. Who doesn't want her Dad to see this movie. Hell, made me want to see it even more! Okay, Emily's acting, her screen presence, there is nothing that can be faulted. She plays a difficult-to-fathom character. Described as emotionless. No way. That is quite wrong, you've goofed, film analysts. She shows emotion in the last scene with Birdmann when she starts sobbing uncontrollably. She is generally coolly in control, but it is quite clear that she is simmering underneath. Okay, the only bit of weak acting by her is in that scream scene, she couldn't maintain it convincingly, her acting fizzles out there. Right then, on to the fun stuff: as for Emily's physicality, she has one of the prettiest faces, think living doll, plus she is petite, slim, pert, natural, tiny (ahem) upper structure, but very, very well- formed. And with the fairest complexion. All over white. All over... Gee baby!
It is the most naked part in a mainstream movie. From the movies I have reviewed here, it takes over from CLOSER's Natalie Portman as the most intimate display by a lead actress. There's even a flash of pelvic thatch. Breasts small, not too small, very shapely, perky upright nips. She is like a child, only matured. An innocent doll. Who, lying supine, gets straddled by that naked disgusting threatening troll licking her face as if she's an ice-cream cone. (Which she kinda is, definitely vanilla by her skin color!) And that other guy, carrying her, dropping her? Wince-worthy! One long uninterrupted scene, didn't yell, remains seemingly out like a light, real trooper of an actress.
Strong content, the nudity. Brings to mind scenes from SALO, 120 DAYS OF SODOM, those down-on-the-floor kneeling in supplication 'servants' showing their bare backs, foot-soles and butt- ends. I think that's the most explicit nudity in any mainstream movie. Together with the slightly S&M-ey bare-breasted waitresses, there's enough for a legion of prudes to complain about all week long. Yet there's no sex. Thought the 'madam' was gonna jump her there at the end, but, okay, I misunderstood... :)
The movie itself? I have viewed it twice, I am actually still quite confused, have done some Plot research on Wikipedia to clear it up, now understand what I was supposed to understand. Lots of things said there doesn't balance with what I have just seen. Birdmann didn't die in her arms. Not in the IFC DVD release I just saw. I've even checked up again. So somebody on Wikipedia didn't pay proper heed. And what's mentioned as a funeral on Wikipedia sure looks like a garden party to me, glasses of beer and all.
Another scene baffling me: After having slept with that guy, as she gets dressed, an insistent knock on the door. She continues getting dressed, another knock. She then moves to open the door, the next moment, she is sitting there in the corridor, some other guy (who's he?) standing near her, as the first guy pokes his head past the door, as if he's the one responding to the knock. Some deleted scene there?
But many of the secondary characters were extremely sketchily presented. Like, who is that, and why are they...?
And why why why waste time with that old man telling that never-ending story that did not did not did not further the plot in the teensiest bit? Was it akin to product placement, the author of that book mentioned? If it had been to establish the old guy as an acceptable character, there'd have been plenty more economic ways. Simply an "I feel old and weak and dearly in need of this lovely young girl's presence" not that long-winded story lasting eight rolls of film, shucks, I had time to boil a cup of tea and let the dog go do his business (kidding, I don't have a dog).
The movie is way out of tempo with Hollywood fare. Initially, my first complaint was that there are way too little close-ups, almost everything was at a distance. There is also a certain meandering style, like this needed some discipline, some stronger direction, but then again, the cinematography in some scenes were very good, like paintings, for instance in that scene with the brutal man where she falls on the floor. Her marble-white skin on the green rug...
Generally, I am not going to say too much against it, save that there remained lots of room for improvement. They were on the right track here, but the real winner it could have been got clear away, but yet, a prize catch was netted.