In prepping to write a review on Whit Stillman's indie talk-fest "Metropolitan" I glossed at the "Memorable quotes" page on IMDb and found some pretty amusing quotes. It's a bad sign when reading the dialogue is infinitely more interesting than hearing and seeing it on the screen.
"Metropolitan" concerns itself with a group of "downwardly mobile" Park Avenue college students who meet up in an apartment after attending debutante balls to discuss philosophy, literature and economics amongst each other. Its more interesting than it sounds but not by much. Within the group blossoms an admiration between outsider and admitted socialist Tom (Edward Clements) and shrinking violet Audrey (Carolyn Farina). Chris Eigeman, Taylor Nichols, Allison Parisi, Dylan Hundley and Isabel Gillies roundup the rest of the pack.
Earning an Oscar nod for its original screenplay, "Metropolitan" delivery is ultimately muzzled by lazy directing, amateurish acting and lackadaisical plotting. Nearly all the characters are milquetoast and bland and their multiple stories and conflicts pile on yet lack any real tension. The dialogue while clever is stilted, abrupt and overtly formal stunting the actors from giving their words any subtext. Here's a notion: film is a visual medium therefore instead of telling the audience what a character is thinking maybe you should show it.
The film might have made more of an impact if it took more satirical jabs on the entitled class of self-described "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie" but while the satire is present, it at points becomes too slight that a less savvy viewer might think the film promotes social stratification and bourgeois snobbery. Many American conservatives blogs have pegged "Metropolitan" as a conservative film much to the confusion of the director.
Its odd in a way that a film whose dialogue is so terse can make such a muddled point. But then again, in the words of one of the film's characters "I've always planned to be a failure anyway."
http://theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com/
"Metropolitan" concerns itself with a group of "downwardly mobile" Park Avenue college students who meet up in an apartment after attending debutante balls to discuss philosophy, literature and economics amongst each other. Its more interesting than it sounds but not by much. Within the group blossoms an admiration between outsider and admitted socialist Tom (Edward Clements) and shrinking violet Audrey (Carolyn Farina). Chris Eigeman, Taylor Nichols, Allison Parisi, Dylan Hundley and Isabel Gillies roundup the rest of the pack.
Earning an Oscar nod for its original screenplay, "Metropolitan" delivery is ultimately muzzled by lazy directing, amateurish acting and lackadaisical plotting. Nearly all the characters are milquetoast and bland and their multiple stories and conflicts pile on yet lack any real tension. The dialogue while clever is stilted, abrupt and overtly formal stunting the actors from giving their words any subtext. Here's a notion: film is a visual medium therefore instead of telling the audience what a character is thinking maybe you should show it.
The film might have made more of an impact if it took more satirical jabs on the entitled class of self-described "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie" but while the satire is present, it at points becomes too slight that a less savvy viewer might think the film promotes social stratification and bourgeois snobbery. Many American conservatives blogs have pegged "Metropolitan" as a conservative film much to the confusion of the director.
Its odd in a way that a film whose dialogue is so terse can make such a muddled point. But then again, in the words of one of the film's characters "I've always planned to be a failure anyway."
http://theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com/