Comments on: Hollywoodizing Revolutionary Road http://blog.spout.com/2008/12/05/hollywoodizing-revolutionary-road/ Daily coverage of what is truly interesting in the film world Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:03:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: John http://blog.spout.com/2008/12/05/hollywoodizing-revolutionary-road/#comment-117948 John Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:20:38 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8004#comment-117948 First: I apologize for my grammatical mistake. I've had a killer headache today. When I recently saw Quantum of Solace with my girlfriend, during it she said "why does it all look like a watch commercial?" And when I've watched the trailer for Revolutionary Road, I've thought "why does it all look like an advert for Restoration Hardware?" The production design and cinematography of Mad Men fits because it's a extension of what those characters do for a living. It advertises the type of fantasy that Don Draper and company are trying to sell. Now I haven't seen Revolutionary Road, but it seems like production design functions in two ways. First, to recreate the era, but also as another example of a pristine yet empty 'look' that Hollywood prides itself on, just like the 'watch-advertisement look' of the most-recent James Bond films (or like Sam Mendes' previous film Road to Perdition). Are my suspicions correct? First: I apologize for my grammatical mistake. I’ve had a killer headache today.

When I recently saw Quantum of Solace with my girlfriend, during it she said “why does it all look like a watch commercial?” And when I’ve watched the trailer for Revolutionary Road, I’ve thought “why does it all look like an advert for Restoration Hardware?”

The production design and cinematography of Mad Men fits because it’s a extension of what those characters do for a living. It advertises the type of fantasy that Don Draper and company are trying to sell. Now I haven’t seen Revolutionary Road, but it seems like production design functions in two ways. First, to recreate the era, but also as another example of a pristine yet empty ‘look’ that Hollywood prides itself on, just like the ‘watch-advertisement look’ of the most-recent James Bond films (or like Sam Mendes’ previous film Road to Perdition).

Are my suspicions correct?

]]> By: Filmbrain http://blog.spout.com/2008/12/05/hollywoodizing-revolutionary-road/#comment-117938 Filmbrain Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:48:53 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8004#comment-117938 It's just the attitude of it all that fills my head with violent thoughts. Heaven forbid someone should a bit acidic...... More spoon-fed sweetness for us all. Hell, even AUSTRALIA was tweaked to give us a happy ending! I'm gonna go drink whiskey and watch HUSBANDS. It’s just the attitude of it all that fills my head with violent thoughts. Heaven forbid someone should a bit acidic……

More spoon-fed sweetness for us all. Hell, even AUSTRALIA was tweaked to give us a happy ending!

I’m gonna go drink whiskey and watch HUSBANDS.

]]> By: Karina Longworth http://blog.spout.com/2008/12/05/hollywoodizing-revolutionary-road/#comment-117937 Karina Longworth Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:42:57 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8004#comment-117937 John: I want to save a full exploration of this for my review, but a) RR is as over-designed as MM but, and I think probably rightly, where MM is over-designed for glamour, RR is over-designed for plainness; and b) RR is not as interested in ambiguity and subtext as I would argue MM is. But then, some people read MM as being completely shallow, so this may be up for argument. Filmbrain: I don't think RR is bad (and it's certainly not as disappointing as some of the year's more ambitious end of the year releases), but until the last 20 minutes or so (which are devastating), it takes the language of the book much more literally than I think it should. John: I want to save a full exploration of this for my review, but a) RR is as over-designed as MM but, and I think probably rightly, where MM is over-designed for glamour, RR is over-designed for plainness; and b) RR is not as interested in ambiguity and subtext as I would argue MM is. But then, some people read MM as being completely shallow, so this may be up for argument.

Filmbrain: I don’t think RR is bad (and it’s certainly not as disappointing as some of the year’s more ambitious end of the year releases), but until the last 20 minutes or so (which are devastating), it takes the language of the book much more literally than I think it should.

]]> By: Filmbrain http://blog.spout.com/2008/12/05/hollywoodizing-revolutionary-road/#comment-117936 Filmbrain Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:36:00 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8004#comment-117936 I've had a particularly shitty day, and reading this has made it that much more worse. I’ve had a particularly shitty day, and reading this has made it that much more worse.

]]> By: John http://blog.spout.com/2008/12/05/hollywoodizing-revolutionary-road/#comment-117935 John Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:24:57 +0000 http://blog.spout.com/?p=8004#comment-117935 Yes, but I still want to know how it compares to Mad Men? Has the success of the show have any effect on Revolutionary Road? Yes, but I still want to know how it compares to Mad Men? Has the success of the show have any effect on Revolutionary Road?

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