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In American Beauty fashion, a voice over simply tells us that Walter is depressed and crushed by the world. Normally I might have an issue with this. Why is Walter so depressed? We aren’t told. He just is. Presumably weltschmerz (only the Germans would have a single word for that). But I bought it, fully, because staring into Gibson’s haggard face and perpetually wet eyes I saw deep sadness. It is frankly kind of shocking that this was something he shot before his scandal broke, because the parallels between Walter trying to change his family’s impressions of him via a puppet has pretty obvious metaphorical echos with an actor trying to change the public’s view of him with a movie. As it is, it is just a convenient coincidence.
I agree with this, but I'd argue that Lester B is more fully-fleshed out than Mel's Walter. Walter gets voice-over and a montage. Lester gets many scenes showing WHY he's a defeated man before his mid-life crisis transformation. I don't think Walter gets enough of an origin story before the puppet takes over, even if I can admit that "real life" Mel fills in some of the gaps.
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For a while everything seems to be going aces for everyone, until it becomes clear that Walter isn’t just being silly – he’s seriously fucking crazy.
And this movie gets much darker than I expected. It could have gone into "everything's ok" after waking up from the fight (a reset feel-good ending of sorts), but instead they go with the "everything is NOT ok" theme. Not sure if it's earned, but it's
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
FIGHT CLUB (or EVIL DEAD 2)
ballsy.
I think Porter's story serves to show a pattern in the depressed men of that family, but the story about Walter's father does that just fine. Not quite sure what Porter's arc has to do Walter's plot beyond reconciliation, healing, getting out of vicious cycles, and discovering who you are, etc? It's a tad muddled.
The psychosis and puppet elements reminded me (obviously) a bit of REGARDING HENRY meets DUMMY (with shades of PERMANENT MIDNIGHT and MAGIC).
And I thought Mel's Beav voice sounded like Ray Winstone.
Edited by DARKMITE8 - 12/29/11 at 11:49am
This movie was pretty awsome if u like the 80's B horror. Its on Netflix
Where the hell are u gonna find gravey flavored condoms in any other movie ...........huh............... I LOVE U TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was very excited to see the American Reunion movie. I saw American Pie just after college and remembered it was quite funny. Jim, Michelle, Oz, Heather, Stifler reunite for their high school...
this is the song to have fun on.
