Benefit
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2002
- Messages
- 5,193
I'm glad I finally got around to watching this beautiful film.
It's essentially the love child of Catcher in the Rye and Gatsby and does an absolutely phenomenal job of annihilating the super-rich American elite. Having grown up with a lot of people like Igby's family, it is my personal opinion that the children of extremely wealthy families are infinitely more warped than the worst middle class and poverty-hugging rascals out there. In general, vast quantities of money just seem to dehumanize people in a fundamental way. The film was beautiful in its treatment of upper class American society and the puncturing of the American Dream.
Aside from that general observation, the story is touching and manages to stay grounded in a coming of age story. It is extremely well constructed with terrific acting all around. I mean the casting for every single part in this film is of superior totemic quality like you'll find in only a handful of films ever made. Every single actor nailed their part. Who knew there was so much talent in the Culkin clan?
Naturally, acting is nothing if there's nothing to work with. The narrative and dialogue consistently flirt with perfection. Absolutely amazing characters across the board.
To round it off, the soundtrack is badass (though I wish in the closing montage they would have used the original and not a cover) and meshes perfectly with the film.
A super underrated but remarkable movie. I put it in my top 10.
It's essentially the love child of Catcher in the Rye and Gatsby and does an absolutely phenomenal job of annihilating the super-rich American elite. Having grown up with a lot of people like Igby's family, it is my personal opinion that the children of extremely wealthy families are infinitely more warped than the worst middle class and poverty-hugging rascals out there. In general, vast quantities of money just seem to dehumanize people in a fundamental way. The film was beautiful in its treatment of upper class American society and the puncturing of the American Dream.
Aside from that general observation, the story is touching and manages to stay grounded in a coming of age story. It is extremely well constructed with terrific acting all around. I mean the casting for every single part in this film is of superior totemic quality like you'll find in only a handful of films ever made. Every single actor nailed their part. Who knew there was so much talent in the Culkin clan?
Naturally, acting is nothing if there's nothing to work with. The narrative and dialogue consistently flirt with perfection. Absolutely amazing characters across the board.
To round it off, the soundtrack is badass (though I wish in the closing montage they would have used the original and not a cover) and meshes perfectly with the film.
A super underrated but remarkable movie. I put it in my top 10.
