Ranking every main(ish) character, in terms of their big dick energy:
1. Rollergirl- A1 confidence to ride around on roller skates. And to keep them on at all times shows a ton of commitment. She is also just trying her best out here, and wants to get a better education, and to go through life receiving the respect she deserves. Which is most definitely big dick energy.
2. Maurice T.T. Rodriguez- Everybody loves him, and he loves everybody. Extremely motivated to…
“Out there, children play soldiers... In here, soldiers play like children.”
Intersections of class, race, language, culture, and nationality converge in a more literal intersection that is a German prison camp. A war movie without war. Grand Illusion is unconcerned with battle scenes and explosions. Rather, it is focused on the interpersonal relationships that are cultivated. Overcoming, and succumbing to the boundaries that circumstance have set for it’s characters. Each must trek their own path, trudging their way through impossibly deep snow on their way to freedom.
This shit is absolutely world class.
It's been years since i've seen this, but I watched it so many times growing up that every needle drop, every shot, every line of dialogue was instantly recognizable. It made me feel as though I had truly seen it yesterday. Also, I think Lindsey Lohan gives one of the most legitimately impressive performances of all time.
I never know how to feel about these types of period pieces. Some I love, and some I just can’t fully get into in the same way. I love Orlando, Marie Antoinette, The Favorite, Little Women, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire; but movies like Atonement, and Sense and Sensibility, seem to leave something to be desired for me. Perhaps it has something to do with how dramatic they can become. Nevertheless, there is lots to enjoy here, and some genuinely thrilling moments of romance.
There’s no director who’s movies I get absolutely lost in like Sean Baker’s. He is able to build worlds that feel so genuine and so authentic. Filled with compassion, and caked in layers of complexity. Littered with characters who as my brother pointed out, are hilarious, but not to the point where they become parodies. There is no ill intent in their portrayals. It all feels lived in, and yet there is a sense of removal from the space. Like we have been thrust into this environment to observe. Not necessarily to judge or criticize, but to witness the multiplicity of humanity.
Lanthimos has such a unique voice. With a tone and atmosphere unlike any other director i’ve seen. It’s eerie and riveting, and so off-beat to the point that the absurdity becomes easy to laugh at. It’s enjoyable even in it’s bleakest moments because of this.
