REVIEW: LOVE EXPOSURE

i wholly agree, and i wish i’d made the effort to see this on the big screen, it’s an extraordinary experience even on dvd.

there were times i wished it were more polished but i think that would have definitely taken away from what it ultimately is, pure gonzo filmmaking. just as the comedic elements work brilliantly with the more tragic sequences, the rough around the edges framing fuel the more lush shots such as the scenes in the van and at the beach. the last time the line "give it to me" is uttered i felt an absolute gut wrench, particularly looking back on how far i’d come with the characters.

it’s a film i’m not gonna forget and look forward to revisiting, as there’s just so much to take in on a first viewing.

do you have any information on when and where this is being released?  i remember hearing about this when it played at fantastic fest and I really wanted to see it.

Dammit, I have got to see this, thanks for the review and heads up. I just saw Sion's "Cold Fish" and it really really messed me up, so I am ready for this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxenderby 

do you have any information on when and where this is being released?  i remember hearing about this when it played at fantastic fest and I really wanted to see it.

 

It is playing for a week at The Cinefamily in Los Angeles. And I think it will have a few single-day screenings in a couple other cities. But really not any kind of organized release. I think all these theaters specifically asked for it.

I thought the first 80 or 90 minutes were incredible. The introduction of the 3 main characters (in each of their respective chapters) had me on the edge of my seat as to what would come next. The story flew by at an amazing pace (the montage-like nature of the editing with the constant background music reminded me of what makes something like Scorsese's Casino breeze by so pleasantly).

Then they started to lose me with all that Miss Scorpion mistaken identity stuff, before bouncing back with the development of Aya's master plan.

And then...the last hour was excruciating. Besides the pace grinding to a halt, it felt like that huge, intriguing set-up amounted to so little, particularly for Aya's character. And while I was willing to forgive the low-budget, amateurish nature of the production (those fight scenes were pretty weak) as the story was humming along earlier, the actors simply didn't have what it took to sell the big, dramatic scenes in the last hour.

That said, I'd still encourage people to watch this film at least once, simply as an ambitious novelty. It was certainly a much more interesting ride than slogging through a generic film that plays it safe the whole time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempus 

That said, I'd still encourage people to watch this film at least once, simply as an ambitious novelty. It was certainly a much more interesting ride than slogging through a generic film that plays it safe the whole time.

I agree. This is one to see just for the experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempus 
Then they started to lose me with all that Miss Scorpion mistaken identity stuff, before bouncing back with the development of Aya's master plan.

And then...the last hour was excruciating. Besides the pace grinding to a halt, it felt like that huge, intriguing set-up amounted to so little, particularly for Aya's character. And while I was willing to forgive the low-budget, amateurish nature of the production (those fight scenes were pretty weak) as the story was humming along earlier, the actors simply didn't have what it took to sell the big, dramatic scenes in the last hour.

That said, I'd still encourage people to watch this film at least once, simply as an ambitious novelty. It was certainly a much more interesting ride than slogging through a generic film that plays it safe the whole time.

I sort of felt the same way, particularly about the somewhat wasted character arc for Aya. Actually, even at four-ish hours, I felt it would have seriously benefited from being even longer, which, I hope, would have helped to sell some of the more ridiculous shifts in character the film tries to posit. (Allegedly, the film was six hours long and then cut down to size by festival distributors? I don't have a source for this, however, other than the internet rumor mill.) Though I didn't have a problem with any of the tonal shifting, as I quite admire the guts and talent it takes to pull that sort of thing off successfully, I want the people I am supposed to be (and, for the most part, was) invested in for such a long ride to be at least believable within context, even if not realistic.

Ultimately, and I'm not sure if this is a mark of success, failure, or both, but I felt far more sympathy for and satisfaction from the complicated relationship between the priest and his, erm, lady friend than anything regarding the teenage mains.

But is it ambitious and admirable and worth seeing? Certainly. Although I could do with a damn sight less of "Bolero" for what that's worth.

This is on free UK film channel Film4 tonight, I'm looking forward to it!

So this might have retroactively become my favorite movie of 2009. It's a dizzying, exhausting, awesome, and totally unique ride. If there really is a six-hour version, I want to see it. Now.

I must admit I didnt watch it until about 6 months after it being on TV but when I did I loved the film. Didnt seem like 4 hours at all as the whole thing just has so much energy..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whiteboy Jones 

So this might have retroactively become my favorite movie of 2009. It's a dizzying, exhausting, awesome, and totally unique ride. If there really is a six-hour version, I want to see it. Now.

Same here. This is one of the most vital feeling films I have seen in a long time. I was quite surprised and delighted how gracefully the tone shifts were handled, going from a wacky teenage romance one minute to a rumination on the addicting nature of ones guilt in dehumanizing religious cults. This needs to be on blu-ray, dammit. Despite some set-backs with the digital cinematography, this is a miraculous achievement by a very talented filmmaker.