Reviews

This is a film of astounding power, exquisitely crafted and magnificently acted. Complaints found here, that the film is too "slow" or that the characters are "unsympathetic," speak only to the sadly limited perspectives of the reviewers. The pacing is in fact exquisite. Yes the characters act badly, trapped in worlds not of their own creation. But this is the whole point. It is the stuff of tragedy. Julianne Moore is magnificent in this role. Probably the best performance of her life, which is saying a great deal indeed. Eddie Redmayne is every bit her equal as the tortured son. I think perhaps a stronger actor than Stephen Dillane could have made a bit more out of the role of Brooks, but his performance is good, and does not detract from the magnificence of the whole.

2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my favorite films of all time. I knew the sequel couldn't come close to the original, so I never had a burning desire to see it. Now that I have, I can honestly tell you that the distance between Earth and Jupiter is less than the distance in quality between the two films. This is one of the lamest pieces of crap I've ever laid eyes on. It reeks of studio idiots interjecting their encephalitic "ideas" at every turn. Moronic voiceovers, vapid plot devices (the engineer chosen to go on the mission, requiring a spacewalk to Discovery is afraid of heights?? egad!! what genius thought that one up?!?), I could go on for pages, but what's the point? Spaceballs was more realistic.

Criticising Harmony Korine for failing to provide a "story," as at least one reviewer here does, is like complaining that Kurt Vonnegut didn't write soap operas. Perhaps these people ought to confine themselves to commenting on things they understand. While Mister Lonely is no Gummo (imho one of the greatest films ever made), it is enthralling. It is radically different from anything else Korine has done: full of whimsy and color, humor and peculiar optimism. It is a mark of his genius that he is able to pull off something so profoundly different from his earlier work. Yet it retains his signature. Casting Werner Herzog as the priest was particularly inspired.