Runtime: 138 minutes
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Geraldine Chaplin, Jonathan Pryce
From: Columbia
Not in my typical wheelhouse but still appropriate for the night of Valentine's Day. The fact that it played on Turner Classic Movies last night when I had nothing going on at the time was a reason why Innocence was viewed... in addition, there are some rave reviews here on Letterboxd. I am not as over the moon as others are; that being said, this was still very good and it was Scorsese at his most restrained.
A movie based on a novel concerning stuffy snobs in 1870's New York City & the obsession w/ being “proper” & “rigid” result in unrequited love after a man does the awkward thing of falling in love with his fiancee's cousin-that normally wouldn't be my bag. But all the talent behind & in front of the camera made this work and it was a very good film. As expected, this world was brought to life so well and I was compelled even if I shook my head at all those rich and prim people act like fools and follow absurd guidelines as to how they should live their lives. It was nice to see Michelle Pfeiffer show up and shake things up by refusing to conform; it was frustrating that Daniel Day-Lewis & his character recognized his true feelings and was too afraid to follow his heart... but that was the intended reaction. The performances of Day-Lewis, Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder are all great; Michelle's role was the most complex as she dealt with the pressures of high society being against her yet she did not want to ruin the relationship between her cousin and her husband to be.
For a measured movie that took its time and was full of dialogue, I was always captivated. Part of that was the script and part of it was how Innocence was shot. I have seen criticisms of how the camera moved around often and several times there was flashy editing-which was not kosher to some. I get it but it never became distracting... it was not unrestrained chaos, as if Michael Bay was given too much Adderall. Lesser directors and editors may have screwed that aspect up-along with the occasional Joanne Woodward narration-but no surprise that Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker nailed this aspect.
To be frank, most romantic pictures are or seem like as enjoyable as having bamboo chutes shoved up my fingernails! However, The Age of Innocence worked for me, even though I can understand the negative reviews as period dramas can be an acquired taste. Of course, later in 2021 I'll visit or revisit a few more of Marty's films, ones that are more in my wheelhouse.
No comments:
Post a Comment