THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS: A work of misunderstood genius

Oct 28, 2012

A work of misunderstood genius

"Warner Bros. could have bragging rights with the top two films this weekend (based on Friday's grosses), but the reality is they can't be too happy with the poor performance of "Cloud Atlas." The Wachowski siblings/Tom Tykwer collaboration actually came in #3 for the day (just under $3.5 million). But with weak reviews (Metacritic score 54), an audience response of C+ on Cinemascore and a reported $100 million budget, this looks like it is headed for cult status rather than hit...."

I give it ten seconds before some critic decides that poor box-office is the authentic stamp of misunderstood genius... my money's on Brody... possibly Thomson.... wait... this just in... Andrew O'Hehir on its "dazzling tapestry".

4 comments:

JeremyOctober 28, 2012 at 3:54 AM
"Genius never appreciated in it's time" and all that.

I saw this movie so you didn't have to, Tom. There are people coming out of this movie talking about it was a transcendent experience, this incredible epic, tears streaming down their faces in disbelief at it's wonder.

I'm not here to tell them they're wrong, but shit...I wish I saw the same movie they did.
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GaithOctober 28, 2012 at 8:47 AM
Like any patriotic American, I can't read the phrase "misunderstood genius" without thinking of Calvin and Hobbes:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w77/Jay_photos_bucket/CalvinHobbesMisundestoodGenius.gif
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joyjoyOctober 28, 2012 at 10:22 AM
I just got home from seeing "Cloud Atlas." I am still buzzing from the exhilaration of feeling like *finally* somebody *trusted* me with a different kind of cinematic "writing."
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David EdelsteinNovember 1, 2012 at 1:44 PM
Don't fall into the trap of judging movies without seeing them based on others' reviews (even mine). That is the very definition of prejudice and no critic should be prejudiced against anything or anyone--not even Sylvester Stallone. Clear your palate and go. (PS: Cloud Atlas is ludicrous, but don't take my word for it.)
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“A master-class‑–immersive, detailed, meticulous, privileged inside-dope… Tom Shone is the king of critical cool.” — Craig Raine

“An up-close and personal look at one of Hollywood’s most successful directors…This erudite book is packed with extensive, expansive discussions about Nolan’s films… insights into what he was trying to accomplish with each film; and the movies, directors, books, art, architecture, and music that influenced him…. Fans of Nolan’s films will find this revealing book invaluable.” — Kirkus, starred review

R E V I E W S

"What makes the book worth taking home, however, is the excellent text... by Tom Shone, a film critic worth reading whatever aspect of the film industry he talks about. (His book Blockbuster is a must).... Most critics are at their best when speaking the language of derision but Shone has the precious gift of being carried away in a sensible manner, and of begin celebratory without setting your teeth on edge." — Clive James, Prospect "The real draw here is Shone’s text, which tells the stories behind the pictures with intelligence and grace. It’s that rarest of creatures: a coffee-table book that’s also a helluva good read." — Jason Bailey, Flavorwire

"There’s a danger of drifting into blandness with this picture packed, coffee-table format. Shone is too vigorous a critic not to put up a fight. He calls Gangs “heartbreaking in the way that only missed masterpieces can be: raging, wounded, incomplete, galvanised by sallies of wild invention”. There’s lots of jazzy, thumbnail writing of this kind... Shone on the “rich, strange and unfathomable” Taxi Driver (1976) cuts to the essence of what Scorsese is capable of." — Tim Robey, The Sunday Telegraph

"A beautiful book on the Taxi Driver director's career by former Sunday Times film critic Tom Shone who relishes Scorsese's "energetic winding riffs that mix cinema history and personal reminiscence".' — Kate Muir, The Times
"No mere coffee table book. Shone expertly guides us through Scorsese’s long career.... Shone shows a fine appreciation of his subject, too. Describing Taxi Driver (1976) as having ‘the stillness of a cobra’ is both pithy and apposite.... Fascinating stuff." — Michael Doherty, RTE Guide"An admiring but clear-eyed view of the great American filmmaker’s career... Shone gives the book the heft of a smart critical biography... his arguments are always strong and his insights are fresh. The oversized book’s beauty is matched by its brains”— Connecticut Post

“The film book of the year.... enthralling... groundbreaking.” — The Daily Telegraph

“Blockbuster is weirdly humane: it prizes entertainment over boredom, and audiences over critics, and yet it’s a work of great critical intelligence” – Nick Hornby, The Believer

“Beautifully written and very funny... I loved it and didn’t want it to end.” – Helen Fielding

“[An] impressively learned narrative... approachable and enlightening... Shone evinces an intuitive knowledge of what makes audiences respond... One of those rare film books that walks the fine line between populist tub-thumping and sky-is-falling, Sontag-esque screed.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Exhilarating.... wit, style and a good deal of cheeky scorn for the opinions of bien-pensant liberal intellectuals.” – Phillip French, Times Literary Supplement

“Startlingly original... his ability to sum up an actor or director in one well-turned phrase is reminiscent of Pauline Kael’s... the first and last word on the subject. For anyone interested in film, this book is a must read.” – Toby Young, The Spectator

“A history of caring” – Louis Menand, The New Yorker

“Smart, observant… nuanced and original, a conversation between the kid who saw Star Wars a couple dozen times and the adult who's starting to think that a handful might have sufficed.” – Chris Tamarri, The Village Voice

"A sweet and savvy page-turner of a valentine to New York, the strange world of fiction, the pleasures of a tall, full glass and just about everything else that matters" — Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story and Absurdistan

"A cocktail with bite. I downed it in one" — Helen Fielding, author of Bridget Jones's Diary

"A deft, witty satire which casts its sharp eye over the absurdities of addiction, recovery and contemporary New York" — Marcel Theroux, author of Far North

“Laugh-out-loud funny” — Toby Young, author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

"Tom Shone's superb debut is a wise and witty examination of literary celebrity, Anglo-American mystification and the cult of recovery. Shone's prose sparkles: his humor detonates smart-bombs of truth" — Stephen Amidon, author of Human Capital

“A cutting comic debut” — The Sunday Times

“Clever, witty, acerbic, warm” — Geoff Nicholson, author of Footsucker

"A sharp, funny, and ultimately touching debut novel" — Library Journal Reviews

"One of the few novels set in Manhattan that gives you a true feel for the city” — James Wolcott, Vanity Fair

"A splash of cynicism, a dash of self-doubt, and a good measure of humour.... In the Rooms is an entertaining page-turner about humanity, with plenty of hilarity" — The Economist

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS

Oct 28, 2012

A work of misunderstood genius

4 comments:

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THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS

Oct 28, 2012

A work of misunderstood genius

4 comments:

THE NOLAN VARIATIONS

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BEST MOVIES of 2018

B O O K S

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R E V I E W S

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My Life In Pictures: 1967-2012

Popular Posts

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