Reviews, critics, etc..

[Helen8]

From The Jewish Daily, Forward.com:

Jason Isaacs Draws a Line in the Sand
Actor Transitions From Harry Potter Wizard to Nazi-Era Psychiatrist

As Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, Jason Isaacs shimmers with pale Aryan-looking evil. As Michael Caffee in the Showtime series “Brotherhood,” Isaacs is a violent and mentally unstable gangster. In Vicente Amorim’s new film, “Good,” opening on December 31 and set in 1930s Germany, you might expect Isaacs to play a Nazi.

Full article:

http://www.forward.com/articles/14830/

[Helen8]

From the New Jersey Star Ledger:

'Good'? Not so much

Jason Isaacs -- Lucius Malfoy from the "Harry Potter" films, here minus his Edgar Winter wig -- has several good scenes as the Jewish friend that Halder abandons on his way up.

Edgar Winter wig

Complete article:

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/inde ... _much.html

[catloveyes]

Quite an interesting and introspective article....thank you Kim!!

Hugs,
Kate

[Angel Tavington]

More articles, cool! Thanks Kj and Helen!
loved this movie...




~me

[Gillian]

Holden's review is deeply flawed. First of all, he's judging these characters based on his own retrospective hindsight -- an advantage no one had during that period and which has been pointed out numerous times by both Jason and Viggo. Second, he's complaining about the fact it centers on a "nonentity", which is precisely the point -- to see and experience this journey along with two men who were probably very representative of the German population at that time. Third, I saw no evidence of Haldir's shoddy treatment of his mother. Fourth, and let me quote ...

Isaacs’s performance is the strongest in the movie, but he cannot overcome the primness of dialogue that underplays his terror and outrage as the world closes in around him

I don't know what fucking movie this guy saw, but it wasn't the same one as me. Maurice's dialogue is hardly prim. In fact, he rarely (if ever) minces words.
Trust me, there was no mistaking his outrage, and it lent much to the gravitas and emotional turmoil displayed by Jason's character.

And what's with the English accent crap? Was not the clipped pronunciation used to indicate similar class distinctions evident in 1930's Germany? And while I'm on it, I noticed a similar British lilt (to Viggo's speech) when he played Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, not that I see any complaint there.

And last ...

These interludes in the film are so fleeting they barely register, and the devastating comparison between imaginary music soothing an anxious soul and actual music played amid apocalyptic horror is lost.

Not in the film I saw. In fact, the whole audience was stunned into silence as the weight of Haldir's revelation finally came crashing down.

[Sea Lion Woman]

Wow . . . The New York Times' Stephen Holden savaged it . . .

That even hurt me. Damn...but at least he praised Jason's perf.
I think he should've gone on and on about his performance.

[Hilary the Touched]

Yeah, I was a little puzzled by that guy's take . . . "Halder" (nice LoR slip there, Gillian) "was an academic, so he should have seen and accurately interpreted the writing on the wall." Uh . . . like all those other people in Germany did?? Like people in the U.S. when Shrub first declared war on Iraq? Yo, dumbshit, that's how Hitler rose to power--not by radio-hypnosis or something--real people making real excuses or justifications or simply turning the other way. Taking advantage of people forced to pawn their possessions or surrender their homes to the bank, and being selfishly grateful at their own enrichment from others' misery.


As for Halder's mother, well, his behaviour in the play (haven't been able to view the movie yet) is sort of passive/aggressive. He doesn't exactly abandon his mother, but he turns his annoyance at her increasing enfeeblement into the novel that so endears him to the Party. When a hot young student throws herself at him, he convinces himself that he deserves a mate more in keeping with his rising position, rather than the scatty housekeeper he married (and, from what's implied in the script, took from a potential career as a musician). And so on. He engages in a series of betrayals, all of which he can justify to himself, until he turns around and sees just where this sequence of self-forgiveness has landed him.

[kjshd05]

I had a conversation today bout the reviews, and so far, I'd say they
were split, 50/50....

[Gillian]

his behaviour in the play (haven't been able to view the movie yet) is sort of passive/aggressive.

That's probably a better description, although I'd say it's more like frustration, similar to what many who care for parents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's experience -- a feeling of being overwhelmed, at watching somebody they love disappear and knowing there's absolutely nothing they can do about it, and just generally having to deal with whatever weird or embarrassing comment comes out of their mouths. I wouldn't call it shoddy behavior though. He doesn't mistreat her, and their last scene together is actually pretty poignant.

As for Haldir's wife, yes, she's definitely scatty and very musical, much to the detriment of everything else. She's more concerned with practicing than she is with keeping house, or cooking a family meal or helping to take care of Haldir's mother, so there's definitely an element of selfishness with her too.

Actually, I should read the play, just so I can see the differences.

[LadyLucius]

I think the great strength of the film is that it makes you question what your actions in similar circumstances would be.

In the film, the first time Halder is called to the Chancellery he is clearly frightened and worried about the reason he is being summoned. I grew up in a country where people were routinely 'disappeared'. Either you agree with the people in charge, or you and your family can suffer horrible consequences. Hitler imprisoned, tortured and murdered multitudes of good Germans who tried to stand in his way - many of them before the war officially started. Halder is weak, and seduced by personal benefit, but I also understand that the alternative might have involved a cost that he couldn't afford to pay. He had a bad marriage, but with two kids and demented mother to care for, he had some difficult choices.

And even if you are vocal and shout and jump up and down about what is going on, often no one is listening. Before the Iraq war a million people marched in London to tell the government not to do this. And guess what years later we're still there. Does standing up and doing something count for anything? These are the sort of questions that this film makes you ask. It might be a little savaged by the critics (morons), but I loved it.

LL

[Helen8]

Does standing up and doing something count for anything?

Yeah. A vitriolic visit from someone who attacks your every word.

[LadyLucius]

Oh! Sorry Helen I wasn't trying to be vitriolic. I just think that the movie really makes you think hard about not only what happened then, but about what is happening in our world now.

One of the things I noticed at the NY showing was how many people had a personal story to tell, and how the film brought their stories out. Many people have experience with repressive regimes, totalitarian states where their lives were being affected by government, or specific people in authority. It gives them a chance to tell their stories. However, at the end of the day, will it change anything? I'm a skeptic on that particular question.

LL

[Helen8]

Oh, Susan!! That was so not directed at you, Luv.

[Hilary the Touched]

I'm with you, Susan . . . I participated in demonstrations down on the National Mall in D.C. just before the invasion, as well as spending a day writing frantic e-mails to every elected official I could think of (and an hour that night in the emergency room with what was diagnosed as a panic attack), and we all know how effective that was.

[Marie]

I agree with what is being said about Good being an example of behavior today. I stood up to all my friends and said I was voting for Obama but I found it interesting that a lot of people I previously thought of as strong said they had not made up their minds yet and this was even right up to the election. Then after the election they "proudly' stated that they voted for Obama and had supported him all along. It seemed to me they would have said that about whoever got elected! It showed a real need to conform to whatever looked like the majority opinion. I have not seen Good yet but it opened my eyes up to how people can be "led" about if they are not careful. The vote to support the war in Iraq was another huge example. The Dems who voted for it were afraid to have it look like they did not support the troops.

Oh well this is not the political thread so I'll pipe down....