zaikefilms
I actually just made an account so that I could give this movie some love. It is awesome. Stressful and uncomfortable as hell, but if you're down for some seriously artsy endurance-cinema, this one's for you.I could hardly tell you what the plot is, but it's never boring. It's slow as hell, but constantly surprising. Alverson "directs" and manipulates the viewer as much as the actors, leading us one way and changing lanes. It requires a willingness to engage with it, because it doesn't answer your questions or even suggest that there is an answer. The cliché "it's the journey, not the destination" definitely applies.It's entertaining as hell. It crawls, sometimes unbearably, but never stops moving. Every detail feels meticulous, but nothing seems to really matter.It's beautifully shot. Nobody seems to be mentioning that. If nothing else, it looks great. It takes place in the desert and manages to be slimy and claustrophobically sterile at the same time. Where most movies make the desert seem vast, this makes it feel like a sandbox. It's as hopeless as The Comedy, but much more empathetic, so you actually care how it ends. And it ends (relatively) big! I couldn't tell you the ending to most of the movies I've seen this year, but this one is going to stick with me.8/10 (probably not going to watch it again, though)
Liam Blackburn
What is entertainment? What possesses someone to want to entertain? Life can grind us down to the bone. It can buoy us at a special moment. We are in a constant battle against the stark reality of a barren world. A world full of sand. Sand and hills. Anima and Animus. The energy needed to move the seemingly immovable object is at a premium. Skeletons of aeroplanes, littered amongst the dunes. Lime green and tanned yellow walls. Colours affect our perception. Death and rebirth all in one day. A fly. Stuck to the wall. Hanging around. What's the point of even trying. To make any of you laugh. Do you even know what it takes to put on a show like this?!
temrok9
There is a thin line, in the world of independent cinema-and European and world cinema as well-between good intentions and an accomplished form that can work as a piece of art. The usual thing, especially in places of art festivals-such as the Thessaloniki film festival where I watched the film- is to meet films that are rather pretentious, wanting to look clever(one perfect example of the kind is the highly regarded by the critics Lobster, which may go as far as bare the title of the best European film of the year), or that through their pronounced emphasis on social situations demand to be taken seriously as movies about people -in contrast with exactly what? Robert Bresson's masterpieces could teach something to all those mediocre directors who claim a place in the history of cinema. So, when I encounter a film maker who has really the capacity to create a cinematic vision with virtuosity and precision I am very glad. This is, I believe, the case of the film Entertainment, which although not easy to enjoy, it is in my opinion a remarkable work of musical quality(it has a pace that is successfully maintained throughout the film) and a personality that is not the sum of its influences(perhaps David Lynch, David Foster Wallace among others?).All actors are perfect but the protagonist, I think, gives probably the best performance of the year.Surely it is a film that very few things happen, but they do happen in a context that is meaningful, in a form that shows that the director is a master of its means, despite the difficulty of the task. A rare experience, copious sometimes, of being in the margin, and what it is all about, strolling in the desert of our lonely damned hard seeking Entertainment souls.
MoviefanRMS
The previous reviewer is so right. I was also at the LA screening at Sundance NextFest tonight. The movie is boring, depressing and completely incoherent. Not one likable character. I walked out after 60 minutes and went to the bar downstairs.While John C. Reilly tried his best to save what little there was to offer in this movie, it still failed. ZERO plot. My two other friends who sat through the whole movie said it never got any better after I left.Save your time and money. Disappointed that it even made the NextFest list. The musical act that followed was just as incoherent and depressing.
AD
