truemythmedia
This movie really is kind of a 'meh," for me. It has couple of shining lights, Annette Bening's (20th Century Women) and Corey Stoll's (House of Cards) performances for one, but overall, there just isn't much to grab the attention here.
JEF7REY HILDNER (StoryArchitect)
I saw THE SEAGULL last night at Tower Theater here in Sacramento, California. I'm glad I did. The agony of love, the agony of art . . . the pleasure and pain of human relationships and the joy and trauma of creativity--the tragic comedy of unrequited work & love. How could I not love it? I'm the sweet-spot of their target audience: a heartbroken artist.This smart, entertaining, soul-searching riff on Checkhov's play by screenwriter Stephen Karam and director Michael Mayer looks and sounds beautiful on film.I burst into a catharsis induced cry at the crucial moment, the thematic climax of the story, blissfully blindsided by the storytellers' beautiful insight into what it takes to be an artist. Once again, I experienced the power of art to lift me up and help me soar when my wings feel clipped or I feel shot down.My Silver Knight Rating of THE SEAGULL--White Knight (Form): 7.5Black Knight (Story): 8.0= Silver Knight (Form & Story): 7.757.75 CamerasThe Silver Knight Rating scores a movie's level of play in what I call the Chess Game of Art. (See my IMDb commentary on ARRIVAL.)
xopollo
This was one of best artful camera work, soundtrack, acting and directing I have seen in a long time. All women's characters are in the foreground and are so well developed, so different, so rich, so interesting ... with something peculiar about each one of them. The camera was seeing every woman with love.... bravo!Annette Benning is such a vulnerable, profound, complex, genius and tender comic. Please crown this regal actor - she is perfection...Costumes!!!! Spectacular... - Oscars due!!!! Exquisite execution.... eye candy... The garments are big players in this film. >> Appreciate what an important role a bustier plays in the scene where Gorina is begging her lover to not leave her: touching, funny, embarrassing, sexy, paradoxically perfect. The men were terrific too, and in the ensemble, I did care about all of the characters. The Seagull delivers to the viewers pure tender pleasure to revel in human drama of love while allowing them to chuckle at least a dozen times in the comedy of life.
rockman182
We get a nice double weekend of Saoirse Ronan this month with The Seagull and On Chesil Beach (for film lovers who scope out the lesser heard of films). On Chesil Beach is the film that I'm really anticipating but The Seagull was the first stop. Went in blind to this one without even seeing the trailer. The film is based on the Russian play of the same name, by Anton Chekov. Not sure how faithful the film is to its literary source but I was mixed on the presentation in the film.The film is about an aging actress and her lover who go to visit her brother in the summer. Her son is a struggling playwright who struggles to strive for his moms acceptance. He is in a relationship with a young neighborhood girl (played by Ronan). She falls in love with the lover of the aging actress, who himself falls for her. That might have been the worst explained synopsis I've ever written. Its much easier to understand while watching the film.The film posts great set design, cinematography, and costume design. The film looks of its locale and time period. I'm not familiar with any of Michael Mayer's work but I'm sure his background in theater direction helps with the aesthetics of the film. The film also boasts a rather terrific cast. Along with Ronan we get a very good Annette Bening and an unfortunately underutilized Elisabeth Moss. There is slight humor here and there which bring chuckles but overall its not so easy to care for the labored love of the characters or their relationship.I guess for me I wasn't a gigantic fan of the source material and found it hard to place the importance of the adaptation of this story. It's still very respectably made and well acted, it just isn't something that spoke to me or left a lasting impression. Moss was one of the better characters (along with her lover) and they don't get enough screen time. Its often fun but not always compelling, unfortunately.6/10
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