Luca Guadagnino's Challengers
- Thread starter Finn
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Jark
PLUMP and RIPE
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- Oct 27, 2007
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I didn't share my thots yet but this was absolutely TREMENDOUS. I saw somebody say that this was exactly the kind of movie we need more of - original story, middle brow, mid budget, not Oscar bait, no creative limitations. and I agree.
apart from being incredibly good fun I thought it also posed some interesting questions and addressed some themes not often addressed in cinema - how do boys and men navigate intensely close male friendships? did Patrick also have some sexual desire for Art, or was it all just about maintaining their power dynamics? can you live your dreams via somebody else? has Tashi ever loved Art, or is she just pushing him to the max because she was never able to do it herself? why IS passive, meek Art so incredibly sexy, and could he please drip his sweat all over me?
some of the plotting was shallow but I felt the themes were weighty enough to overcome it. stunning soundtrack, incredible camerawork (that one shot of the final tiebreaker shot from below the court as if it were a swimming pool... fuck), excellent pacing, and a slightly ambiguous climax that doesn't reflect how tennis actually works but does loop back to what Tashi says early on about those few seconds where the competitors are connected. is that what she wanted for them? is that why she cheers?
10/10. a big slay. so much so that one woman in my screening had an actual seizure and they literally paused it, kicked us out, rewound the film and went again. maybe she couldn't handle the massive quantity of muscled thigh on display
apart from being incredibly good fun I thought it also posed some interesting questions and addressed some themes not often addressed in cinema - how do boys and men navigate intensely close male friendships? did Patrick also have some sexual desire for Art, or was it all just about maintaining their power dynamics? can you live your dreams via somebody else? has Tashi ever loved Art, or is she just pushing him to the max because she was never able to do it herself? why IS passive, meek Art so incredibly sexy, and could he please drip his sweat all over me?
some of the plotting was shallow but I felt the themes were weighty enough to overcome it. stunning soundtrack, incredible camerawork (that one shot of the final tiebreaker shot from below the court as if it were a swimming pool... fuck), excellent pacing, and a slightly ambiguous climax that doesn't reflect how tennis actually works but does loop back to what Tashi says early on about those few seconds where the competitors are connected. is that what she wanted for them? is that why she cheers?
10/10. a big slay. so much so that one woman in my screening had an actual seizure and they literally paused it, kicked us out, rewound the film and went again. maybe she couldn't handle the massive quantity of muscled thigh on display
rhythmbandit
User
Mike really had a glow up post West Side Story.
This was CRAP.
Was this supposed to be FUN? It was NOT fun.
Zendaya's character was fucking miserable and annoying. In fact I didn't care about ANY of them or their motivations (some nice flesh though I'll give you that).
Every time there was a dramatic scene that could have got me more engaged LOUD MUSIC suddenly came in and took me out of it. I could barely hear the fucking dialogue. It was SO DISTRACTING.
The EXCRUTIATING ENDLESS DRAWN OUT SLOW MOTION close-ups during the final match. I just wanted it to END.
And then it DID…just…end.
I did not know this was the Call Me By Your Name director. It SORT OF MAKES SENSE.
Was this supposed to be FUN? It was NOT fun.
Zendaya's character was fucking miserable and annoying. In fact I didn't care about ANY of them or their motivations (some nice flesh though I'll give you that).
Every time there was a dramatic scene that could have got me more engaged LOUD MUSIC suddenly came in and took me out of it. I could barely hear the fucking dialogue. It was SO DISTRACTING.
The EXCRUTIATING ENDLESS DRAWN OUT SLOW MOTION close-ups during the final match. I just wanted it to END.
And then it DID…just…end.
I did not know this was the Call Me By Your Name director. It SORT OF MAKES SENSE.
Debbie Jellinsky
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- Jan 22, 2012
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- 2,015
Poor Luca, can't find a distributor for his new AI movie and gets bad reviews on Moopy 
How much more can she take?
I wasn't a fan of this movie either.
How much more can she take?I wasn't a fan of this movie either.