No Such Thing
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Movie Reviews of No Such Thing
Movie Review: Well acted, wished for a more upbeat ending
Summary: 3 Stars
Well acted, well crafted story abbout the way situations changed characte's life. I was hoping for a mor uplifting ending but I ma not sure it could have ended any other way.Movie Review: Hartley's folly
Summary: 2 Stars
Hal tries to do too much here and it doesn't cohere. While all his films have disparate elements that he brings together based on his character's psyches, pulling them into converging situations, here the convergence is much too contrived.The focus is lost because of the presence of too many reasons to make the film--media satire, the stupidity of man as revealed by history, Beauty and the Beast, man's place in the universe, meaningless intellectuals and scientists, et cetera, et cetera.
When a young woman reporter (Sarah Polley) finds out her fiance Jim was killed in Iceland, she travels there to find out what happened and encounters a foul-mouthed creature who admits to killing Jim and his colleagues. The monster speaks perfect English and rants and raves to the reporter about killing a lot of stupid human beings--either that or wanting to die himself. She convinces him to come with her to New York where he becomes a media darling for a day or two, then is subjected to intense scientific research. The monster is impervious to bullets and tells the reporter only one man can kill him...
This is really Hartley doing a comic book version of his own type of movie. Too bad, because there are some interesting elements here. For example, a pre-credit sequence reveals the monster immediately and has him spouting his typical vitriol; this works very well.
Aside from the plethora of themes tossed out willy-nilly, there are too many cliches in the film to really make it work. The dialogue thrown off by Helen Mirren's media boss is much too trite to contribute any real substance and while she's always an excellent actress, she tries hard to make this work and just can't do it. Similarly, Damian Young's research scientist spews lines that hark back to the dopiest 50s science fiction films. And the entire sequence when girl and monster first come to NY City is total cliche.
Additionally, the reporter was the sole survivor of a jumbo jet crash. The only reason to include this was to, ostensibly, establish more of a link between her and the monster--i.e., she's a media star for a short time based on freakish events, and he too shares the same brief spotlight because of his freakish appearance. But this link is much too tenuous; the reporter's survival of the accident really does not add anything to the film at all.
For the best Hartley film, see Henry Fool where his control is perfect. Another excellent film by him is Amateur. But this one is a misfire.
Movie Review: An inventive, but ultimately lackluster allegory
Summary: 2 Stars
This film reminds me of a quote by Oscar Wilde - "Religions die when they are proved to be true. Science is the record of dead religions." This movie seems to want to make this point, but it does so in such an obvious and annoying way that I can't help but see dead horses and big sticks.Sarah Polley and Robert John Burke deliver quality performances. However, the charactes they play are so contrived and two-dimensional that it's hard to take them seriously. Add this to the costume designer being held responsible for the changes they go through in New York (she in a Gaultieresque nightmare that would end any stylist's career, and he somehow fitting into an Armani suit and Prada shoes) with no apparent character work to back it up, and we're left with a train wreck of contradictory images that are impossible to justify.
I know this is supposed to be a modern fairy tale, but, as with most fairy tales, the reality of the characters' conflict has to be real. It is that connection to real life that sustains a fairy tale, and it just isn't there in this film.
There are some nice moments in the movie and some amazingly witty lines. It's just a shame that the last act ruins what was a compelling story.
Movie Review: Parts Of It Were Funny
Summary: 2 Stars
There were a couple of really funny scenes between the monster and Beatrice, and some parts of the "monster in us" motif that hit close to home, but No Such Thing just lacks the kind of energy to make me say "hmmmm, not a bad film" at the end. Some really nice cinematography and social satire, but ultimately it's not the kind of movie I'd recommend. Hartley tries -- he really does -- maybe that's the most redeeming value to be taken from No Such Thing.Stacey
Movie Review: Not Grimm Enough
Summary: 1 Stars
The cover of this DVD led me to believe that this would be a contemporary fairy tale--and yes, I thought it was entirely possible when the film first began. As the opening credits roll, we see the Monster dictating a bitter, cynical, morose message to the world. Afterward, we watch as a pretty, sweet young thing named Beatrice receives the taped monologue. Sarah Polley playing the blond-braided, dewy-eyed ingenue seems like Central Casting's idea of the perfect innocent heroine. I had high hopes for her in her ill-fitting dress and oversize coat bordering on being a cloak. I know Hal Hartley's other movies, and though I would never term them as family-friendly or fairy-tale-like, he does have a penchant for language, symbolism, and allegorical elements. Suitable style for a fairy tale, yes? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding no.The film tries to tackle the evils of a media-conscious society, the price people put on fame, the corruption of government research, and--cliched as it is--man's inhumanity toward man.
Why this diatribe had to be set in Iceland revolving around a girl and a Monster/Beast is beyond me. It's not a modern, hip take on "Beauty and the Beast." Robert John Burke who plays the Monster under layers of makeup and special effects does elicit laughs. His take on this creature is to present him as a mad, articulate drunkard who is still verbal enough to goad a bartender into pouring him another drink, even though he's about to get behind the wheel of a Corvette. Imagine Campbell Scott's portrayal of Roger Dodger, but have him morphing physically into Frankenstein. Burke is moderately mencacing, but his Monster is really much more like a pro athlete past his prime who can't retire. The Monster realizes he's obsolete and he's hanging on to his existence.
Sarah Polley's characterization begins well. She does seem pristine and brave, virginal and determined. However, with no narrative explanation, she begins to wear leather bondage-style dresses and totally loses connection with her original spirited young lady. Think Ariel the Little Mermaid meets Pamela Anderson Lee. It's a strange transition.
For a modern, refreshing, ultimately satisfying fairy tale, rent the DVD of "Freeway," where Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland effortlessly and chillingly enact Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. The Brothers Grimm have given the world volumes of blueprints for good vs. evil. Hopefully, better movies than "No Such Thing" will do justice to these age-old tomes. Father Flanagan, founder of Boys Town, was oft quoted as saying, "There's no such thing as a bad boy." Well, too bad that axiom can't be applied to movies. "No Such Thing" is dismally bad.