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Post by stama on May 22, 2010 12:56:03 GMT
Last night I was watching the movie after another (everything I say here has been said here). It's a psychological excursion into one particular sad life, in which everyone suffers. (At least the one unaffected by these problems inspects some, difficult to work with patients to psychologists and psychiatrists ...) This is not a movie, this is reality. Only a small part of you lives in this reality, the rest of it can comprehend. Certainly not in film form, because watching 90 minutes of film is something different than when the same cut-out 90 minutes of your real life.(This is not my case, I have a sweet life! ;D). When you meet a character from this movie, what would you do? And you could not do anything? You turned your back (and then be able to see your face in the mirror)? Or maybe you have submitted a helping hand ... If the creators of this film, read our lines, so they were very happy with his work, I think that is exactly what they were.
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Post by reformeddruid on Jun 15, 2010 4:34:06 GMT
I finally got to see this movie. I agree that the acting is very good. Albert doesn't seem to OCD to me. He seems to have an aversion to all things Nancy. In the movie he says he goes to prostitutes, so he isn't that concerned about catching anything. He seems to interact with other people just fine, he just doesn't care to interact with her. She told the therepist that he was already not really hearing her before they even got married (talking about adopting, he said he was hungry for chinese), she married him anyway. We never get a back story on Albert, so we don't know what's up with him. To me everything about him seems fake, the house that he thinks is great is all fake wood, fake panelling, fake wall paper, horrid carpet, fake paintings on the walls every where. The one thing real in the whole place is the picture of them together on the table as you come in. Every thing is also vacuum packed to keep it perfect and pristine, that's all Albert's doing, because Nancy's little corner with the computer is the only area of the whole place that looks lived in. She so much wants to be normal, but this is impossible with Albert, she's just another part of his fake life. He doesn't want anything normal from her or with her, you see this in the fact that he doesn't call the police to report her missing or even look through her emails for a clue to where she might be, he doesn't seem to want to be responsible for anything. The killer shows up to tell Albert what happened to fulfill a wish Of Nancy's, she wished that Albert could feel the pain he had given her, in the end he does.
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Post by kissmekate on Apr 6, 2011 13:43:24 GMT
I just finished reading through this thread and want to thank all of you for your insights and thoughts on this very demanding and depressing film. What you wrote mirrors some of my own thoughts and adds some very interesting new angles, so I'll re-watch some time soon, paying closer attention to some details. (And thanks, too, for the funny parts Albert and the rubber duckie just being one of them ) I felt very very depressed at the end, and yes, also sorry for Albert, although he had treated Nancy so coldly. I do think he married her to tick off one more item on the list of things to do for a man in his position, never bothering to try and understand her ... or maybe he really was unable to relate to the fact that she could only find pleasure in pain. I must also admit that I can understand why someone would walk out of this film. I have hardly ever seen a film with such a depressing atmosphere, I was feeling really downcast after watching. The bleak colours, the loveless relationship, the ugly furniture, the overall lack of warmth and empathy - all that makes me shudder when I think of it. The switching between past and present was quite confusing, too. But I agree that this is a piece of superb acting both by Maria Bello and by Rufus. I was utterly fascinated by the fact that this Albert character should be so totally unappealing to me. I mean, this is RUFUS, for God's sake, and he looks absolutely unattractive, something I would never have dreamed of saying (most of his baddies were kind of seductive and even the not exactly pretty Thomas Clarkson has a kind of good-natured likeability to him). The hair, the clothes, the pale face with an ever-strained, unsmiling, mirthless expression ... part of it is probably due to the cold lighting, but it's amazing how Rufus manages to embody this disturbed character so well that he appears downright ugly sometimes. This ability to morph into all kinds of persons with so much empathy and credibility is absolutely stunning and one thing that sets Rufus apart from many, many actors, even some of the big names.
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Post by joyceinva on Apr 6, 2011 18:25:12 GMT
II felt very very depressed at the end, and yes, also sorry for Albert, although he had treated Nancy so coldly. I do think he married her to tick off one more item on the list of things to do for a man in his position, AND KMK also said: Yes - I think you hit the nail on the head in saying that Nancy was just one more thing on Albert's to-do list. Wife? Check. Children? um, optional, so no, X that one out. The scenes at the award dinner were telling. He feels free to ignore her, play with his phone, but SHE has to be there, be attentive because it's a work function that's important to him. As to the unattractiveness of Albert - the mark of a true actor. Everyone made a big deal of it when Halle Berry and Charlize Theron appeared as unattractive women for a movie. That is was so brave of them. But for them, it was merely a matter of make-up. Rufus on the other hand, made himself unattractive with his acting.
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Post by annachibi on Jul 2, 2011 5:31:49 GMT
Did a little live-blogging as I watched this. I'll just put a bit of a summary of my thoughts here: This movie is brutally honest in its portrayal of human relationships, which I rather like. Not a lot of movies do that. It doesn’t smooth over how people can just hurt each other without thinking when a relationship goes sour. It’s not easy to watch, but it’s how it really happens. I enjoyed it for what it was, and I certainly give props to the writers and everybody involved for having the guts to make a movie like that. Cold, hard reality is not a pleasant thing sometimes. Not a movie I would watch again, but I’m glad I did, just for the experience. Unfortunately, none of the characters seem to know how to stop things from just spiraling out towards that ending. Not that I would have, either. It's just very sad. I know Albert is not a likeable character, but I think Rufus still managed to show us a glimpse of his humanity, especially there at the end. In the hands of a less talented actor, Albert would simply come across as an a**hole. And I must say, he has some serious balls for playing a character like that. Other people would have shied away from such a role! (Also, did anybody else laugh when he was shoving the peas onto his fork? I may be the only one lol) But now I really need something happy.
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Post by robela on Jul 2, 2011 7:06:57 GMT
Did a little live-blogging as I watched this. I'll just put a bit of a summary of my thoughts here: This movie is brutally honest in its portrayal of human relationships, which I rather like. Not a lot of movies do that. It doesn’t smooth over how people can just hurt each other without thinking when a relationship goes sour. It’s not easy to watch, but it’s how it really happens. I enjoyed it for what it was, and I certainly give props to the writers and everybody involved for having the guts to make a movie like that. Cold, hard reality is not a pleasant thing sometimes. Not a movie I would watch again, but I’m glad I did, just for the experience. Unfortunately, none of the characters seem to know how to stop things from just spiraling out towards that ending. Not that I would have, either. It's just very sad. I know Albert is not a likeable character, but I think Rufus still managed to show us a glimpse of his humanity, especially there at the end. In the hands of a less talented actor, Albert would simply come across as an a**hole. And I must say, he has some serious balls for playing a character like that. Other people would have shied away from such a role! (Also, did anybody else laugh when he was shoving the peas onto his fork? I may be the only one lol) But now I really need something happy. Entirely agree Anna! I have watched twice and enjoyed much more the second time because read more into it. Agree the acting was good - Rufus superb, but not likeable until the end when you have to feel for him!! Very brave film and probably underrated because difficult to understand!
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Post by walt on Jul 5, 2011 12:36:34 GMT
I must confess, when I saw the trailer to DN, at first I thought I would never bring myself to watch it. But having read about it and especially having seen the screen caps my interest in the film prevailed. I was struck by the superb performance and Rufus' talent to portray Albert - so different from any role I had ever seen him perform.
And I was very surprised that this film offered me some unexpected insight, too: a dear friend of mine often complained about the mess her private life is ( her problems are completely different from Nancy's) - and I was often crestfallen that all my efforts to help her were in vain. After one of Nancy's interviews with the psychiatrist I realized that as long as my friend herself would not learn and carry through her decisions, all my support would be of no avail - and that it was not my fault that I cannot help her. So thanks to DN (and of course Rufus - I would never have seen this film if it were without him) I do not reproach myself any longer about this.
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Post by megagem on Aug 9, 2011 20:43:43 GMT
Just finished watching it. This is probably the only film I've banned myself from looking into any areas that could contain any spoilers. All I saw previously were Stama's screencaps, the trailer, and a short summary (which contained no real spoilers). I haven't been so gripped with a story in a long time. I was immediately taken in by the characters (love that the first character shot is of Rufus...well, the back of his head) and their stories. I immediately felt for Nancy. **(WARNING: This is the bit that gets personal, feel free to skip if you want)** I have a history of mental illness in not only myself, but also in my Dad's family (there's a long history of it), and I have a lot of friends with a history of it as well as some going through it as I type this, so anytime I see a character who has been traumatized and has become mentally damaged because of it, I immediately sympathize, because although my personal issues were nothing like Nancy's (nor were they caused by the same reasons), I feel a small sense of connection. I know that deep sense of feeling like I'm not being heard, that I'm all alone, the way your mind can make you believe horrible, untrue ridiculous things you'd never before believed or thought you'd believe. Things that make no sense at all. I know what it's like to experience that deep want to end it all. For it to all be over. To be released. To take my own life. Thankfully, I also figured out how to rid myself of it all without taking the plunge into darkness and taking my life. I found a strength I didn't know I had and I haven't had the need for any medications since then, nor have I had any problems whatsoever for just over four years, and I don't intend to have any more problems. Sorry if that was too personal for some of you. And now back to the review... So, since I felt this about Nancy, I thought, well, Rufus must be the "bad guy" in a sense. I should know by now to never make such assumptions. While Albert was indeed incredibly insensitive at some times, I ended up feeling for him just like every character Rufus plays. Albert had his own set of problems (he definitely had forms of OCD) as well as having to deal with Nancy's every day. At first I'll admit, I thought well, he's the clean-cut uptight guy who'll never understand her or what she's going through and he probably won't try to. Then I realized, Nancy will never understand what he's going through either, nor will she ever try to. Nancy's so far down in her issues and expresses them both personally in secret and out loud for all to hear. Albert keeps them bottled-up inside, both his own issues and having to live with Nancy and her issues. He tries to hide these emotions. Push them away with his golf obsession and his work, which I've found ends up making things worse for the person. I ended up caring very deeply for him (especially as he's slowly worrying more and more about Nancy, then finally at the end as he's reading all her messages so he can know who she really was). I wanted to know more about him and I wish there was more of a backstory. Nothing filmed, necessarily, just explained in conversation, like how Nancy's history was explained. Rufus is so perfect at what he does. He makes you want to sit down and urge Albert to pour his heart out, then give him a lovely snuggle afterwards. Then I was surprised to find myself feeling for Louis as well when a little bit of his backstory surfaced. I liked that in the end there really was no bad guy except the tortured minds of the three main characters. The story between Nancy and Louis was fascinating to me. I knew in the end there would be feelings between them, but I kept getting the idea it would be mutual, when, in the end it was mostly him falling in love with her. As they would to anyone else, the scenes where he caters to her needs disturbed me, but not enough for me to turn off the dvd (nor would I have walked out of the theater!) I appreciate that it wasn't graphic. One thing I felt was missing as well was the history of Albert and Nancy's relationship. If Nancy has been damaged for so long, what brought them together in the first place? I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Like many of you have said, the washed-out atmosphere is perfect as is the acting (although Jason Patric reminds me so much of my 10th grade choir instructor). I've liked Maria Bello since seeing her in Shattered with Gerry Butler; and of course, as always Rufus gives it his all and is perfect as usual. I loved the close-ups of his beautiful face May I just add that I love your rants, Tipou. The list of Rufus sex-scenes on page 2 had me clutching my sides. It was just what I needed after seeing this film!
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Post by megagem on Aug 10, 2011 7:42:20 GMT
I know Albert is not a likeable character, but I think Rufus still managed to show us a glimpse of his humanity, especially there at the end. In the hands of a less talented actor, Albert would simply come across as an a**hole. And I must say, he has some serious balls for playing a character like that. Other people would have shied away from such a role! (Also, did anybody else laugh when he was shoving the peas onto his fork? I may be the only one lol) Oh I definitely did! The man loves his peas!
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Post by welshdragon on Aug 10, 2011 11:11:58 GMT
Have just gone back to page 2 to read tipou's post about Roof's sex scenes - so funny! I'm laughing out loud in the office - my colleague thinks I've lost the plot!
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Post by kissmekate on Aug 10, 2011 11:27:35 GMT
Thanks for your impressions of the film, Meg. I really have to re-watch that one (when I feel up to it). I had totally forgotten about tipou's insightful analysis of Mr. Sewell and his sex scenes and got a good laugh out of it this morning
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Post by kygal on Aug 10, 2011 12:50:24 GMT
You are a brave lady Meg. I dont have any personal experinces with mental illness, but I do have a co-worker who has depression and is well controlled on meds. This is a difficult movie to watch. I think all the actors were wonderful in their roles. I also felt sorry for Albert and Nancy at the end. Cant say I liked any of the characters, which wasnt the point of the movie. I just prefer happy endings. Being a Rufus fan, I have had to learn to focus on wonderful acting and not necessarily a fairytale type of ending. I really would love for him to do a romantic comedy!
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Post by anyother on Aug 10, 2011 19:59:22 GMT
I had totally forgotten about tipou's insightful analysis of Mr. Sewell and his sex scenes and got a good laugh out of it this morning That was a surprise, very funny Tipou ;D. The bit in which there was speculation as to the sex scenes in TPOTE was hilarious in retrospect - and I think we have indeed been lucky in that (cave, cave, cave etc ).
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Post by megagem on Aug 10, 2011 21:00:34 GMT
Thank you, kygal. It's something I'm not afraid to talk about because more often than not I end up finding someone else who's either suffering from something similar or managed to overcome it. In my college public speaking class one of our assignments was to make a speech about a cause we believed in and I picked various causes to do with mental health. I told my story and at the end of it, three of my classmates (all varying in age) told me they had either dealt with it in the past or were going through it. My story was relayed to a few students who were absent that day and one of them wound up seeking help for similar issues to my own that thankfully had not gotten out of hand, but were threatening to. I'd rather help someone else by telling my personal story than holding back (as though I'm embarassed about it) and leaving someone to continue to suffer. I'm actually quite thankful it happened to me. I'm now a much stronger person because of it, I live life as full as I can, and with my story I'm now able to maybe help a few people. What could be better? I also agree that Rufus needs to be in a romantic comedy but not one that's predictable or too sugary; but also not one that so unpredictable or unsugary that it may as well be drama.
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