Splendor
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Movie Reviews of Splendor
Movie Review: Fun, cute, and very entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this movie. For once the portrayal of a menage a trois was funny. The actors were all really good, and the plot twisted enough to make the movie really good.I definitely recomment this movie to anyone in the mood for a romantic comedy!!!Movie Review: Doom Generation meets Threesome!
Summary: 5 Stars
Gregg Araki has done it again! Spledid, opens up the true meaning of love. This movie shows how corny and powerful the heart can be, especially when threes a company! If you love Araki, you will laugh, cry, moan and rave about this movie!Movie Review: Absolutely Flawless
Summary: 5 Stars
Another masterpiece from Greg Araki! If you like Nowhere or Doom Generation even a little bit, go out and get this one immediately! One of the funniest, most twisted, romantic movies ever made.Movie Review: What's that you say Ms. Robertson
Summary: 4 Stars
I was not conscious of "Splendor" being a Gregg Araki film when I started watching it but after the first two sequences I was thinking: "this is great directing-who did this"? While the technique screams "Araki", as does the casting of Kathleen Robertson, the narrative is so conventional that you find the combination hard to reconcile. I loved an earlier comment that "Splendor" is like a John Hughes remake of "The Doom Generation.
Although Araki is paying homage to the great screwball comedies of the 1930's: "Topper", "It Happened One Night", "The Awful Truth", and "Bringing Up Baby"; the style and substance of "Splendor" is closer to Mike Nichols' "The Graduate" (not to mention an amusing parody of the "Graduate's" climatic wedding scene).
Kathleen Robertson has the Rose McGowen part in this version of "The Doom Generation" and is generally well suited to the role. I have not decided yet if Robertson is in McGowen's class as an actress, or in the class of her fellow Canadians Mia Kirshner and Sarah Polley. Robertson was excellent in "Maniac Mansion" and "Beverly Hills 90210", but these were similar roles that appear to mirror her own cool and detached personality. One thing that is clear is that she was a great choice for Ariki's trademark close-ups. Anyone perceptive enough to close the camera to face distance when shooting McGowen, Robertson, and most recently Michelle Trachtenberg has a eye for breathtakingly beautiful visuals.
The premise does not really have enough substance to sustain a feature although it might work as a half-hour television sit-com (see "Three's Company"). When the premise becomes tired the story brings in a new character, Eric Mabious; and the film self-destructs, killing time until a decent ending sequence. A tip-off that a screen writer has limited life experience to draw from is having cast and crew occupations for the characters. Robertson's character is an aspiring actress and Mabious is directing her in a made-for-television drama. His character is so hopelessly one-dimensional and painfully pathetic that I was convinced that he had a sinister side (what was with those blue contact lenses) that would eventually manifest itself. But this does not happen, maybe Araki had something interesting in mind and abandoned it in re-write. Mabious becomes a non-factor (see totally irrelevancy) and his scenes were simply inserted as padding to get this thing up to feature length.
The bottom line is that Araki fans will be a little disappointed with "Splendor". It is very conventional, it isn't much of a story, and the good banter is limited (although Kelly MacDonald has fantastic dialogue in all her scenes) . But if your Araki appreciation is more for his directorial talents (casting, mise en scene details, camera movement and placement) and his post-production originality, you will find "Splendor" measures up very well to his prior work. The morning after scene early in the film simply blows away anything similar from any director.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
Movie Review: Cute, enjoyable romantic tale.
Summary: 4 Stars
`Splendor' is a wonderful film by indie director Gregg Araki, who with such films as Nowhere, The Doom Generation, and Totally f***ed up, has been dubbed "The God of Alternative Gay Teen Cinema." The film opens on Halloween night at a costume party, where out heroine, Veronica, an aspiring actress (is there any other kind?) meets her Prince Charming (literally), Abel, a freelance rock critic, after he accidentally runs into her. As their eyes meet, the two realize that they are destined for each other. As Veronica begins to walk away, due to protests from her lesbian best friend Mikey, Abel asks for her number and she gives it to him. Less than five minutes later, Veronica sees the gorgeous drummer of the band playing at the party, and they immediately have sex, without even an introduction. It isn't long before Veronica is steadily dating the two men, with their permission of course. The two men know that they are sharing the same woman, but they have never met each other. When Veronica invites Abel to one of Zed's concerts, the two men run into each other and complications arise.
This film deals with a daring topic and I wish that more theaters had shown it during its theatrical run. Surprisingly, the film isn't very explicit, but I think that Araki wanted to focus more on the romantic, emotional side of a threeway relationship rather than the sexual aspects, which the film does quite well.
This movie was very enjoyable and somewhat different from the corny romantic comedies out there, although the end did manage to take that route. The script was fresh and funny, and the performances were great. I love Kathleen Robertson and its been good seeing her in such daring roles lately. Johnathon Schaech was terrific as always, and Matthew Kessler, who plays Zed, is one of the sexiest actors I have ever seen. This is one I can watch over and over and I am eagerly anticipating whatever will come next from this great director. Highly recommended for those who want to see a slightly different romantic comedy.