NewMaxFranklin
08-31-2001, 10:34 PM
I wasn't sure what I was going to go see today. Nothing seemed very interesting. I ended up seeing "O." If you din't know, "O" is a telling of Shakespeare's "Othello," set in a Prep-school. I went in with relatively high expectations, and walked out somewhat disappointed.
I haven't read Othello. So I judged the film on it's own terms.
The preformances were strong, especially Mekhi Phifer, the actor who played "O" (Oden/ Othello.) But overall it falls flat and leaves the viewer dissatisfied and blank.
On the technical level, it's not well crafted either.
-Possible Spoilers Ahead-
There is a love scene between the Mekhi Phifer and and Julia Styles characters that ran long and felt largely unnecessary, save it's first and last few moments. A lot of the possibilty for impact was spoied by the fact that we don't see...anything. The whole scene plays like a game of "hide the nudity," like something out of a daytime soap.
-End Spoilers-
The characters also seemed to be talking quite a bit about their feelings, when they should already be obvious to the audience. Everything was spelled out too much. Also some scenes seemed alone and onto themselves. And some characters appear and dissapear with little function, making the film seem uneven.
I doubt the average viewer will find a character in the film to relate to and sympathise with. The characters who are supposed to come off as sympathetic, seem only pathetic and foolish.
I wouldn't see it again. C-
I haven't read Othello. So I judged the film on it's own terms.
The preformances were strong, especially Mekhi Phifer, the actor who played "O" (Oden/ Othello.) But overall it falls flat and leaves the viewer dissatisfied and blank.
On the technical level, it's not well crafted either.
-Possible Spoilers Ahead-
There is a love scene between the Mekhi Phifer and and Julia Styles characters that ran long and felt largely unnecessary, save it's first and last few moments. A lot of the possibilty for impact was spoied by the fact that we don't see...anything. The whole scene plays like a game of "hide the nudity," like something out of a daytime soap.
-End Spoilers-
The characters also seemed to be talking quite a bit about their feelings, when they should already be obvious to the audience. Everything was spelled out too much. Also some scenes seemed alone and onto themselves. And some characters appear and dissapear with little function, making the film seem uneven.
I doubt the average viewer will find a character in the film to relate to and sympathise with. The characters who are supposed to come off as sympathetic, seem only pathetic and foolish.
I wouldn't see it again. C-