All of Us Strangers

[danb]

I find that a lot these days; period dramas with modern sensibilities & actions that simply would not have happened at the time set.

[mkb]

Feb 2, 2024 12:29:00 GMT danb said:

I find that a lot these days; period dramas with modern sensibilities & actions that simply would not have happened at the time set.

There's a real danger in historical pieces that the revisionism that erases homophobia and racism (or squarely assigns any such attitudes to obvious villains) will completely distort future understanding of how life was.

Playing old movies from uncensored sources, it can be a revelation and fascinating as to the attitudes that existed (and that presumably were even then seen through a modern prism contemporary to the time of production).

Interestingly, some older attitudes are not quite as shocking as critics would have you believe.  I revisited Disney's "Song of the South" a few years ago, and I think I could make an argument that it was actually quite progressive and likely to help rather than hinder social cohesion.  I enjoyed it regardless, just as much as I did as a child.

Last month, I rewatched the first of the three On the Buses movie spin-offs.  I was surprised at how there's a strong feminist strand throughout.  All the misogynistic male characters are roundly shown to be fools, and only Stan, who tries -- sometimes awkwardly failing -- to be inclusive and respectful of the female characters is written to be a likeable antihero.  There's some fascinating cultural history on show, and it's well worth a watch if you want a glimpse of how Brits were thinking, at least publicly, in the 1970s.

[amyja89]

I certainly felt the revisionist vibes with Jamie Bell's father character specifically, something about Claire Foy's mother rang a little more true to me (though admittedly through the lens of coming out to my own mum as a lesbian in the 2010s so significantly distanced from any of the awkward/uneducated AIDs related tangent concerns).

[rumbledoll]

Watched the fiilm on a quiet afternoon last week and still can’t get it out of my head (as much as the ever haunting Always On My Mind). I found it unique in a way.
The film itself is so eerie, I can’t pin down the genre even. It’s nothing I’ve seen and being slow and meditative it lures you in, crawls under your skin to stay. I cried buckets and thought that every single performance is so intuitive, so sincere. All of them ring true, sometimes too true, especially Foy’s. Gosh this woman gets me every time.. just sublime.
It’s hard to express the experience of watching the film and describing how it makes you feel vocally cause it’s so much about what you perceive on subconscious level, it by-passes your brain and stings right into your very soul.
I don’t think it’s an Oscar material, it doesn’t fit the mould.
But not every film deserving an award really needs one.

I second that thought about making it into a play. Yes please! No need to re-cast it, too

[danb]

In the simplest possible terms it feels like you’re watching a dream with all of the emotions, disappointments and elation that dreams can bring with them, or just the visions of a drowning man.

[jr]

www.theguardian.com/film/2024/feb/05/what-does-all-of-us-strangers-say-about-being-gay

Really interesting piece. I'm afraid I agree mostly with the negative comments but still worth reading what other people think.

[mkb]

Feb 6, 2024 13:39:34 GMT jr said:

www.theguardian.com/film/2024/feb/05/what-does-all-of-us-strangers-say-about-being-gay

Really interesting piece. I'm afraid I agree mostly with the negative comments but still worth reading what other people think.

Appreciate the link to that article. Some very interesting takes from all of the writers.

Despite it's flaws, All of Us Strangers is essential viewing.

[marob]

Finally saw it earlier this week. Really liked it, but wasn’t particularly moved. Beautiful ending though, have had The Power of Love stuck in my head ever since.

Interesting to read some of that criticism. When Looking was on it was criticised for not being all things to all people. Feels like more of the same.

[rumbledoll]

Thanks for the article. Even though it’s full of valid criticism (well, subjective we all are) and lists things that didn’t worked for a particular individuals I must strongly disagree with the idea that your experience should be identical to the one movie characters are having in order to be moved.
I consider myself a straight woman growing up in the 90s in a completely different country with its own traits but I do connect to this film big time. Some themes are universal such as making a move to get out of your shell, letting your parents see the whole of you, a phrase being thrown at you 30 years ago that still haunts you and so on.

[gcbf]

Wow, I am surprised some people were left unmoved. I only saw this recently but was completely captivated. As someone who's lost a parent, the idea of reconstructing them to play out healing fantasies was very real. I do agree with some of the criticisms about Paul Mescal's character, though - some of those choices didn't feel necessary. Andrew Scott incredible as per

[Someone in a tree]

I liked the performances but I didn't feel anything. Prior to watching it i knew nothing about it, as the story unfolded I thought I should be feeling something as both my sister and partner have died but no.

[danb]

Feb 12, 2024 19:02:02 GMT rumbledoll said:

Thanks for the article. Even though it’s full of valid criticism (well, subjective we all are) and lists things that didn’t worked for a particular individuals I must strongly disagree with the idea that your experience should be identical to the one movie characters are having in order to be moved.
I consider myself a straight woman growing up in the 90s in a completely different country with its own traits but I do connect to this film big time. Some themes are universal such as making a move to get out of your shell, letting your parents see the whole of you, a phrase being thrown at you 30 years ago that still haunts you and so on.

Completely agree. You don’t need to have experienced a scenario to feel empathy/emotion with it.

[justfran]

Streaming on Disney+ from 20th March

[theatrefan62]

Mar 13, 2024 10:37:01 GMT justfran said:

Streaming on Disney+ from 20th March

Also out to own digitally now.

I thought this was brilliant. Broke me emotionally a few times. The scenes with his parents are so perfectly written and acted. I think the marketing of it as a gay love story has done it a slight disservice, its so much more than that. If anything the 'love story' is secondary.

[n1david]

Mar 13, 2024 21:04:19 GMT theatrefan62 said:

I think the marketing of it as a gay love story has done it a slight disservice, its so much more than that. If anything the 'love story' is secondary.

I don't think this is how it was marketed, but the way the media picked it up as a love story between two of our most zeitgeisty actors, Scott and Mescal, did definitely attract an audience that wasn't expecting a more complex and sophisticated story.

[theatrefan62]

Mar 13, 2024 21:29:58 GMT n1david said:

Mar 13, 2024 21:04:19 GMT theatrefan62 said:

I think the marketing of it as a gay love story has done it a slight disservice, its so much more than that. If anything the 'love story' is secondary.

I don't think this is how it was marketed, but the way the media picked it up as a love story between two of our most zeitgeisty actors, Scott and Mescal, did definitely attract an audience that wasn't expecting a more complex and sophisticated story.

Hmmm the poster and tv ads put a lot of focus on the couple

[danb]

Gave this another watch now that it’s on Disney. I found it equally as moving, and dreamy and just a beautiful exploration of grief and loss. It’s like the visual equivalent of one of those sound waves graphics you can buy of your favourite song. A vibe, rather than a straightforward linear narrative with 10/10 performances from all. (Especially Claire Foy. I had Scott pegged as my mvp on first viewing, but watching everything play out on Foys’ face is heartbreaking as she comes to terms with her son.)

[justfran]

I watched this a few days ago and add me to the many fans. Andrew Scott was brilliant as usual, as were Claire Foy and Jamie Bell. Paul Mescal was ok but for me, didn't give as strong a performance as the other three. I also found it difficult to understand some of his lines and felt it was noticeable he wasn't using his natural accent. 

A really moving, well made film so there's probably things I will spot on a second viewing. Quite a few tears shed. A strong four stars from me.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler - click to view}
From early on, I thought there was something not quite real about Paul Mescal's character so I wasn't surprised by the ending.


. 

[Marwood]

Not sure if it will get a UK release but the Criterion Collection have announced they will be releasing this in September (although given everything about it is British, I would be surprised if it’s a US only release)

[marob]

Jun 17, 2024 17:51:46 GMT Marwood said:

Not sure if it will get a UK release but the Criterion Collection have announced they will be releasing this in September (although given everything about it is British, I would be surprised if it’s a US only release)

You never know with these things, but it’s been released here on DVD and Blu-ray today, so that would point to them not bringing it over here. Which is disappointing as it’s a 4k set with extras.

[limestarburst]

Feb 2, 2024 12:15:15 GMT mkb said:

Four stars for me, but I so wanted it to be five.

Despite being a gay man with a 70s/80s childhood, I didn't feel much resonance, and I was not as emotionally invested in proceedings as I should have been. I felt Adam's response from his parents was more wishful thinking and felt like contemporary 2020s parental understanding rather than realistic 1990s, but that's ok as the character is desperately seeking catharsis.

mkb I think you're right about the wishful thinking aspect of it. Like, maybe Adam's parents could have eventually had these conversations with him and come to this understanding with him if they had lived. But because they died so young, they never got to go through that growth. So Adam spends the film trying to speedrun through that whole relationship arc because he doesn't know how long they'll be around.