very pretty. but the script was giving chatGPT. the actors did their very best with that, often transcending it. None of the strange family dynamics (which the film was primarily focused on for the first hour) are meaningfully commented on in the end.
Soderbergh seems to have cared only about the editing and cinematography, AND HE ATE WITH IT!! But at great storytelling cost, I fear
A startlingly lucid dissection of how we got here. So much of our collective postmodern absurdism, nihilism and existential dread is pinned simply on “capitalism” — which I do think is accurate — but Hypernormalization is a much-needed analysis of the specific mechanisms & catalyzing events for that process. It’s helpful. The found footage was transfixing and the editing was perfect. I learned a lot and found myself rewinding to hear quotes a second time or pausing to look up Wikipedia…
I Was a Simple Man is a hypnotic meditation on colonization, death, and the timelessness of human relationships with natural environments. Intricate, intentional shots and scoring allow us to experience in our bones what Masao experiences. It feels more like a collection of dreams than a structured narrative — in the most beautiful and provocative way.
Check out my full thoughts here
