D-Nasty often writes wonderfully worded long posts about … well … whatever he wants. Yesterday, however, he wrote a 50-word summary that perfectly encapsulates Vincent Gallo’s latest … well … whatever — The Brown Bunny. In fact, it so completely represents the film, that depending on how you read it, it’s also a great review. BUT — Big spoiler alert: If you actually take the 30 seconds to read his post, it will absolutely give away potentially the only actual interesting element of the story/narrative and the entire “twist” of the film.
Meanwhile, Filmbrain finally saw Gallo’s exercise in self-admiration and posted his thoughts which were basically exactly what I figured they would be; like the Great Grambo, he loved it. Although he does note that the film is neither a “masterpiece, nor is it even a great film,” he seems to believe that it is “easily one of the best films of 2004.” No offense to Filmbrain — I generally value his thoughts and writings — but I think he’s just a member of some cult which has collectively drunk the Kool-Aid, going into a Gallo film with some weird sense of awe for the “artist” that they will defend the choices whether they make sense or not. Filmbrain’s usually well thought-out analysis and arguments are missing from this review, and obviously I disagree with much of what he has to say (and I have expressed such in admittedly overlong detail in his comments). Meanwhile, as the apocalypse film’s release approaches, I still believe I wrote a relatively balanced appraisal of the film, at least coming from someone who does not appreciate neither Gallo’s “talents” nor his penis. I don’t even hate the film; or at least not all of it. And I’m actually itching for someone to give any defense of the movie that goes beyond “it’s art” or the blatant surface meanings of everything in it — “the journey is as important as the destination”: duh! — at least in response to the reading I’ve given it.
Out of Focus 