I'm Sorry But I'm Just Thinking Up The Right Words To Say, I Promise You
Ah Saturdays. I'm at the office, trying to get work done. Enjoying a little Napoleon Dynamite inspired When In Rome and Alphaville. I'm really a sucker for post New Wave happy-synth. Takes me back to the fourth grade.
Some quick thoughts on Napoleon: It's amazing how popular the movie is; it's like Dazed & Confused but perhaps even bigger. It's one of those definative cult movies.
I'm a little bothered that a few folks feel that the film is actually mocking the characters (and either enjoy it or don't, on those grounds). I suppose I'm bothered because while the characters are hilariously funny (as "dorks" if you will) there seems to be an enormous amount of affection for them from the filmmakers. I don't get the impression that the Hess' (director and co-screenwriters) actually felt the characters to be loosers, just incredibly endearing and appropriately virtuous (in certain ways) nerds, and perhaps no more so than you or I.
All that to say, I don't think the film is just a comedy but rests more comfortable in the same company of the new breed of film-makers like Wes Anderson and Sophia Coppola (although Napoleon Dynamite is nowhere near as good as say Rushmore or Lost in Translation), where they're immensely cynical and ironically, but still infused with this immense affection for nostalgia and community, in particular how those relate to self-understanding.
April and I are heading to see In Good Company today. I keep hearing good things.
Film | By Josiah Roe | 02:53 PM
Comments
It is very much like Rushmore and Bottle Rocket. Kind of a backwoods, public high school version of them in some ways. Mainly for how it presents friendship in such a positive way. It's a very sweet movie, poignant in many parts, and if it's nowhere near as good as Anderosn, I think it's important to remember this is his first film and was made on a shoestring budget. I hope to see more of him.
Posted by: scott cunningham at January 18, 2005 03:43 PM
Jumpsuits? Like in Bottle Rocket?
April and Alyssa and I watched that one night, after we all graduated from college, in the house April was housesitting at the time. It had a pool. Yes, it was that night. We went swimming.
Posted by: Krista at January 18, 2005 06:51 PM
> there seems to be an enormous amount of
> affection for them from the filmmakers
I should hope so! Having watched part of the DVD commentary, the film contains some definite elements of autobiography. Preston, Idaho is Jared Hess' hometown, and Preston High is his alma mater. One of the reasons I loved ND that it's so Idaho. Insulated, backwards, rural, behind-the-times...granted it's set in southern Idaho, and I've never been to southern Idaho, but southern & northern Idaho, while different, are both discernibly Idaho.
Posted by: jon amos at January 18, 2005 08:57 PM
> there seems to be an enormous amount of
> affection for them from the filmmakers
I should hope so! Having watched part of the DVD commentary, the film contains some definite elements of autobiography. Preston, Idaho is Jared Hess' hometown, and Preston High is his alma mater. One of the reasons I loved ND is that it's so Idaho. Insulated, backwards, rural, behind-the-times. Granted it's set in southern Idaho, and I've never been to southern Idaho, but southern & northern Idaho, while different, are both discernibly Idaho.
Posted by: jon amos at January 18, 2005 08:59 PM
Josiah, feel free to delete (this and) my first comment.
Posted by: jon amos at January 18, 2005 09:02 PM
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