Discussion already going on here.
Tony Scott
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Mr Sausage
- Has Risen from the Grave
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:02 am
- Location: Canada
Re: Tony Scott
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colinr0380
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 8:30 pm
- Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK
Re: Tony Scott
Unstoppable was shown on UK television last night and I was pleasantly entertained by it. It might seem like damning with faint praise but I thought that the film was an object lesson in briefly sketchng in mostly likable characters through their actions which seems sadly rarely done these days.
I thought that there was a beautifully subtle condemnation of the world around the two characters on the train and the control centre who actually have a part to play in the action. You get the procession of slack-jawed gawkers gathering by the tracks to look on in excitement to get a chance to see a potential massive disaster play out. Something that is only further emphasised by that bloody annoying helicopter buzzing around the trains like a particularly annoying fly. I was constantly thinking that the film was going to have the helicopter crash or somehow impede our heroes from doing their jobs by its need to get involved in the story, but Scott never really pushes the film into taking a moral position on the news media or the gawkers (amusingly however he does give the incredibly annoying, in your face helicopter the last shot of the film!)
The film puts all the annoyances in place as if to make a particular point but never pushes on to actually make it. Which is something that could be incredibly irritating but this film is surprisingly skillfully made to make that lack of coming to a particular conclusion (while seemingly hinting at it heavily) quite fascinating!
Similarly with the girlfriend's character, the juxtaposition is set up between the Chris Pine character trying to call his girlfriend while she just lazes around at home refusing to answer him, which gets contrasted with the way that as soon as he is in the middle of a crisis (and has become a celebrity) that she immediately tries calling him only to find that he doesn't have time to pick up the telephone for her now! There feels like the implication that men usually have a good reason for not answering the telephone (usually because they are working), while the women choose whether or not to answer it on a whim. It also could be seen to be teaching the girlfriend a lesson in not appreciating Pine's character until it was potentially too late.
Yet this all gets resolved in a wonderfully happy ending, where all of these issues are brushed aside for a happy reunion! It is a problematic ending but handled in a very interesting way!
I thought that there was a beautifully subtle condemnation of the world around the two characters on the train and the control centre who actually have a part to play in the action. You get the procession of slack-jawed gawkers gathering by the tracks to look on in excitement to get a chance to see a potential massive disaster play out. Something that is only further emphasised by that bloody annoying helicopter buzzing around the trains like a particularly annoying fly. I was constantly thinking that the film was going to have the helicopter crash or somehow impede our heroes from doing their jobs by its need to get involved in the story, but Scott never really pushes the film into taking a moral position on the news media or the gawkers (amusingly however he does give the incredibly annoying, in your face helicopter the last shot of the film!)
The film puts all the annoyances in place as if to make a particular point but never pushes on to actually make it. Which is something that could be incredibly irritating but this film is surprisingly skillfully made to make that lack of coming to a particular conclusion (while seemingly hinting at it heavily) quite fascinating!
Similarly with the girlfriend's character, the juxtaposition is set up between the Chris Pine character trying to call his girlfriend while she just lazes around at home refusing to answer him, which gets contrasted with the way that as soon as he is in the middle of a crisis (and has become a celebrity) that she immediately tries calling him only to find that he doesn't have time to pick up the telephone for her now! There feels like the implication that men usually have a good reason for not answering the telephone (usually because they are working), while the women choose whether or not to answer it on a whim. It also could be seen to be teaching the girlfriend a lesson in not appreciating Pine's character until it was potentially too late.
Yet this all gets resolved in a wonderfully happy ending, where all of these issues are brushed aside for a happy reunion! It is a problematic ending but handled in a very interesting way!