Oblivion: It's just that memorable

Expanded from my post on Flixster:

Oblivion is a visually gorgeous film with a terrific soundtrack by Anthony Gonzalez and Joseph Trapanese. Another great feature of the film is the CGI blending with "real" cinematography. This is seamless, rendering the futuristic desert-Earth über-realistic. Too bad the story itself is DOA, somewhat of a developing habit for Joseph Kosinski, who also has the visually stunning but weak story from Tron: Legacy to his credit. The narrative has the feel of too little butter spread over too much bread. The initial elements of the story develop at an almost Space: 2001 pace--deliberate, unhurried but also relatively non-explanatory. Apparently the director wanted to treat the viewer to an immersive experience prior to developing what is then a very rapid-paced story--so rapid that it leaves us scratching our heads. The subsequent action sequences have a forced, video-game quality with some almost laughable improbabilities. At one point one is forced to recall Matrix: Revolution. In the acting category, Tom Cruise doesn't actually disappoint. He renders no surprises and pretty much delivers the character we have come to expect over dozens of outings. The female characters, played by Andrea Riseborough (for British accent flavoring) and Bond-girl Olga Kurylenko are both also-rans unadorned with any troublesome complexities. The flashback scenes that explain all the relationships come too late for any genuine emotional engagement. The central plot device [spoiler alert!] involving the recall of a vessel that's been drifting in space for decades is left ludicrously unexplained. Many of these errors would have taken little to fix, but alas, the audience is left to its own devices for much of the movie. By far the film's greatest disappointment is the general neglect of heavyweight Morgan Freeman, who gets little more than a courtesy cameo in cool goggles and largely superflous black cape. Two and a half stars with all the star power going to the sound and visuals.

Review of Phantastes by George MacDonald

Phantastes by George MacDonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had attempted to read this book once or twice as a teenager, but for some reason it didn't capture my imagination at the time. I laid it aside and thought to pick it up from time to time, but never got around to it. Now, having read it, I'm disappointed that I let it go for so long. It's a late Romantic Era masterpiece. The narrative, like that of Lilith, is a story in dream state. If you're looking for a traditional three-act structure, go elsewhere. This work is more lyric than story, more song than tale. The imagery evoked by MacDonald is some of the richest in literature and the episodic scenes are achingly powerful. One can easily see the thread of influence on CS Lewis, who claimed that this book "baptized" his imagination. But the work stands alone, separate from the scores of people who lay claim to the power of its resonance in their thinking. It strikes a truly original chord.


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