Knight of Cups - New Terrence Malick

It goes without saying that the trailer for Malick's upcoming Knight of Cups which will premiere at 2015 Berlinale looks absolutely gorgeous. Really can't wit to see this and hoping that it'll get a decent release over here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC-3rnv_b3o

the_monkey

Natalie Portman ?

I'm out ...

johnny_ultimate

the_monkey wrote: »

Natalie Portman ?

I'm out ...

You would miss the latest film from one of contemporary cinema's most distinguished, experimental and brilliant filmmakers because you don't care for one of the actors (and Portman has reliably turned in committed, compelling performances whenever she has been given good enough material, as subjective an assessment as that may be)?

I never understand people who refuse to watch a film because they dislike one of the stars. I know a lot of people who point blank refuse to watch anything with Adam Sandler and while he has made some truly terrible films he's also been in some truly amazing fare such as Punch Drunk Love. Malick could cast his next film using pop stars and I'd still be counting down the days to see it and to miss out on Knight of Cups, which looks spectacular because you dislike Portman is only punishing yourself.

Since the trailer went live I must have watched it 50 times, it's just a truly mesmerising two minutes and hats off to anyone who sells their film with a audio clip of Charles Laughton reading Plato.

FortuneChip

Looks splendid

the_monkey

OK maybe it's a bit much - I actually love that film V for Vendetta one of my favs and she was great in that.

It's just she bugged me a little in Black Swan - dunno why.

Beano

Christian Bale - Check
Cate Blanchett - Check
natalie Portman - check
a fantastic soundtrack - check

i'm in.

ricero

The camera style is very off putting for me in that trailer. I'm out and I'm a big bale fan

Roar

Looking forward to the inevitable Dark Knight of Cups mashup trailer.

The Strawman Argument

Deleted User wrote: »

I never understand people who refuse to watch a film because they dislike one of the stars.

Especially when it's a Terrence Malick film, there's a genuine possibility that every single clip of her in the film was in the trailer

ricero wrote: »

The camera style is very off putting for me in that trailer. I'm out and I'm a big bale fan

Might wanna keep away from all recent Malick if that's the case.
...although if you really liked the New World, I wouldn't dismiss this one on the basis of a trailer.



I should be a bit wary after To The Wonder (which wasn't that bad) but Bale and Blanchett are great, the soundtrack sounds genuinely interesting and Malick's made some of my favourite things in the world ever so how could I be anything but excited?!

johnny_ultimate

I like the way there seems to be smart use of different camera formats in the trailer. The 'cruder' digital cameras seem to be used for the more chaotic and unhinged scenes contrasted to the more traditional look for more serene scenes, and I think those sort of lower fidelity, lighter cameras are a comfortable fit for Malick's drifty aesthetic. Curious to see how it works out in the full film, but would be refreshing to see a cleverly motivated experiment with different camera types.

e_e

Based on that trailer I can't help but wonder if Malick has watched Spring Breakers and Enter the Void.

tunguska

Oh yes...........Theres nobody who makes films like Malick, he's just operating on a different level to pretty much everybody else. Its like his movies tap straight into my soul.

e_e

The only film recently that gave me that intangible Malick vibe was Upstream Color.

AnonoBoy

ricero wrote: »

The camera style is very off putting for me in that trailer. I'm out and I'm a big bale fan

Really though if you don't like Malick it doesn't matter who's in the film - it's his style that triumphs.

I think that Malick is one of the few filmmakers whose work you don't watch but experience.

the_monkey

The Strawman Argument wrote: »

Especially when it's a Terrence Malick film,

I'll have to stop you there ...

Halloween Jack

Malick made a shrewd career move in going awol for all those years. Granted his career a mystique that, badlands aside, his work doesn't deserve...

JP Liz V1

Beano wrote: »

Christian Bale - Check
Cate Blanchett - Check
natalie Portman - check
a fantastic soundtrack - check

i'm in.

Plus Jason Clarke and Nick Offerman are also in the cast

charlie_says

Well made trailer. Doesn't give much away.

I'm in two minds about Bale though, not in this just in general. He just rubs me up the wrong way somehow.

johnny_ultimate

Halloween Jack wrote: »

Malick made a shrewd career move in going awol for all those years. Granted his career a mystique that, badlands aside, his work doesn't deserve...

Unpopular opinion though it might be, I definitely think Badlands feels like a 'rough draft' of what he would go on to do. It's an excellent film, no doubt, but I'd put it above only To The Wonder and perhaps The New World (which I've been meaning to revisit). There's just something about the style he has adapted since Days of Heaven onwards that really appeals to me - the ethereal mood he establishes, the poetic dancing of the camera, how fluidly everything comes together. Badlands is a superb and complex film, but for me it just doesn't sink its claw in in the same way as DoH, The Tree of Life and The Thin Red Line.

Falthyron

The Dark Knight of Cups - Coming 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTeSVV5mDIk

tunguska

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Unpopular opinion though it might be, I definitely think Badlands feels like a 'rough draft' of what he would go on to do. It's an excellent film, no doubt, but I'd put it above only To The Wonder and perhaps The New World (which I've been meaning to revisit). There's just something about the style he has adapted since Days of Heaven onwards that really appeals to me - the ethereal mood he establishes, the poetic dancing of the camera, how fluidly everything comes together. Badlands is a superb and complex film, but for me it just doesn't sink its claw in in the same way as DoH, The Tree of Life and The Thin Red Line.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing myself about Badlands. I really like it and all but it just seems almost like Malick's Graduate thesis compared to what was to follow. Thin Red line for me.........It was on RTE the other night and I only intended watching the pacific island scenes at the start but watched the entire thing in the end. Its a film thats like the cinematic equivalent of food for the soul.

MfMan

the_monkey wrote: »

Natalie Portman ?

I'm out ...

Come back, come back. Brian Dennehy is in it......

Shiraz 4.99

To the Wonder is the only Malik piece I've ever turned off, smell the fart acting only cuts so far without substance.

I have high hopes for this as there appears to be a story present.

Frank O. Pinion

Anybody watch this yet? Full Blu-ray is available. It's getting mixed/negative reviews, such as, "it's like a two hour Calvin Klein Obsession commercial", and "at this point Malick is parodying himself."

saintsaltynuts

Has anybody watched this had to turn it off after an hour.

Tony EH

Have to admit to not being a Malick fan. Yes...we exist! Apart from 'Badlands' and parts of 'The Thin Red Line', I can take or leave any of his films.

I'll probably give this a spin at some point, but I won't be killing myself to get to it any time soon. I've just been burnt by Terry too many times.

Right Turn Clyde

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

You would miss the latest film from one of contemporary cinema's most distinguished, experimental and brilliant filmmakers because you don't care for one of the actors (and Portman has reliably turned in committed, compelling performances whenever she has been given good enough material, as subjective an assessment as that may be)?

Deleted User wrote: »

I never understand people who refuse to watch a film because they dislike one of the stars. I know a lot of people who point blank refuse to watch anything with Adam Sandler and while he has made some truly terrible films he's also been in some truly amazing fare such as Punch Drunk Love. Malick could cast his next film using pop stars and I'd still be counting down the days to see it and to miss out on Knight of Cups, which looks spectacular because you dislike Portman is only punishing yourself.

Since the trailer went live I must have watched it 50 times, it's just a truly mesmerising two minutes and hats off to anyone who sells their film with a audio clip of Charles Laughton reading Plato.

I know I'm very late to this but that's an astonishing failure to recognise a bit of banter.

Howard the Duck

I'll refuse to watch this movie as i think Malick's movies are rubbish pretentious tripe. Probably an unpopular opinion here.

Sudden Valley

Watched this yesterday. A truly beautiful film which, for the most part, lacked any engaging characters. I wouldn't place much of the blame on christina Bale, his character was written quite blandly. Definitely a film that is good, only in short doses.

indough

I saw it in the cinema and found it to be bloody awful, but as a fan of Malick's work I will probably give it another shot anyway.

Rjd2

Is this out legally to watch anywhere, all the reviews and here as well not positive.:(

Sad Professor

Rjd2 wrote: »

Is this out legally to watch anywhere, all the reviews and here as well not positive.:(

The German Blu-ray is out but it's region locked. It's unlikely to get a theatrical release.

http://www.amazon.de/Knight-Cups-Blu-ray-Christian-Bale/dp/B01423S9US

Right Turn Clyde

Sad Professor wrote: »

The German Blu-ray is out but it's region locked. It's unlikely to get a theatrical release.

http://www.amazon.de/Knight-Cups-Blu-ray-Christian-Bale/dp/B01423S9US

Really? You think that's because of the poor reviews?

Sad Professor

Right Turn Clyde wrote: »

Really? You think that's because of the poor reviews?

No, just too arthouse and probably not worth the expense.

e_e

Howard the Duck wrote: »

I'll refuse to watch this movie as i think Malick's movies are rubbish pretentious tripe. Probably an unpopular opinion here.

Nope, calling Malick pretentious on here is like shooting fish in a barrel.

LuckyLloyd

Don't really see anything "pretentious" about films like Days of Heaven or Tree of Life. Ambitious, unyielding, uncompromising and complex would be more apt. But there's no doubt that there's substance and genuine intention behind his work.

Right Turn Clyde

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Don't really see anything "pretentious" about films like Days of Heaven or Tree of Life. Ambitious, unyielding, uncompromising and complex would be more apt. But there's no doubt that there's substance and genuine intention behind his work.

I agree. Google defines pretentious as "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed."

In that respect I don't think any of Malick's films are pretentious, even To the Wonder, which I felt like walking out of. His films and the subjects he chooses are of importance and I think they can carry his preferred style.

I think self-indulgent is a more apposite way of describing Malick in negative terms. To the Wonder showed him indulging himself to the point where the film suffered. It was almost as if he was trying to out-Malick himself. I've heard some critics describe Knight of Cups as Malick parodying himself. Well that began with To the Wonder. I feel that he's totally won over by the idea of 'the Malickian'.

Decuc500

Rjd2 wrote: »

Is this out legally to watch anywhere, all the reviews and here as well not positive.:(

I think it's out in cinemas here in March. Why worry about reviews?

e_e

Right Turn Clyde wrote: »

I agree. Google defines pretentious as "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed."

In that respect I don't think any of Malick's films are pretentious, even To the Wonder, which I felt like walking out of. His films and the subjects he chooses are of importance and I think they can carry his preferred style.

Yeah Malick is way too sincere and open-hearted to be called pretentious imo. Moreover the films don't really impose any sense of importance on the audience, they're purposefully abstract enough to give back whatever the individual viewer brings to it. If Malick wanted to appear important I'd say he'd be way more visible in the public eye and especially preach to everyone what the films are supposed to be.

Tony EH

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Don't really see anything "pretentious" about films like Days of Heaven or Tree of Life. Ambitious, unyielding, uncompromising and complex would be more apt. But there's no doubt that there's substance and genuine intention behind his work.

It's an easy label to throw at Malick, for those that want to dismiss him without too much insight into why they wish to in the first place. But that goes for numerous directors.

However, parts of 'The Thin Red Line' can definitely be labeled as such and it's infuriatingly so at times. Having Southern hick grunt 20 year olds, with barely the education to string a coherrent sentence together wax lyrical about the nature of man, nature and cruelty fits the bill. Frankly, I feel the film would have been a far, far superior picture if the voice overs were deleted completely as their content is eye rolling. The film's visuals tell the story perfectly well.

That said, 'The Thin Red Line' is probably the film of his that I've watched the most.

LuckyLloyd

Tony EH wrote: »

It's an easy label to throw at Malick, for those that want to dismiss him without too much insight into why they wish to in the first place. But that goes for numerous directors.

However, parts of 'The Thin Red Line' can definitely be labeled as such and it's infuriatingly so at times. Having Southern hick grunt 20 year olds, with barely the education to string a coherrent sentence together wax lyrical about the nature of man, nature and cruelty fits the bill. Frankly, I feel the film would have been a far, far superior picture if the voice overs were deleted completely as their content is eye rolling. The film's visuals tell the story perfectly well.

That said, 'The Thin Red Line' is probably the film of his that I've watched the most.

Do you think lower educated working class people were unable to coherently articulate their experience in the wars of the 20th century? I would consider that a somewhat elitist point of view.

Tony EH

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Do you think lower educated working class people were unable to coherently articulate their experience in the wars of the 20th century? I would consider that a somewhat elitist point of view.

They simply wouldn't have spoken in such a way as presented in 'The Thin Red Line'. By and large, in any case.

That's script speak. It's not what some kid born in the 20's would have spoken like. The words uttered in the voice overs are at complete odds to the average marine of the time. They weren't philosophers. They were kids from largely rural backgrounds who joined up or were drafted into a war they barely understood. They weren't Cant or Sartre. They were John Joe and Billy Bob who would have had a primary education at best, assuming their families managed to get through the depression of the 30's without pulling them out of school.

Frankly, the voice overs are terrible and completely unrepresentative of the average GI in 1943.

vidor

Decuc500 wrote: »

I think it's out in cinemas here in March.

Link? I was under the impression that it wasn't getting a release here.

Decuc500

vidor wrote: »

Link? I was under the impression that it wasn't getting a release here.

Apologies, you could be right. It was the US release date in March I saw.

Technocentral

Decuc500 wrote:

Apologies, you could be right. It was the US release date in March I saw.

Odd that IFI wouldn't show it?

Sad Professor

Technocentral wrote: »

Odd that IFI wouldn't show it?

It's not just us, it's the UK as well. Distributors sometimes decide it's not worth the cost of releasing a film, even on Blu-ray.

Technocentral

Sad Professor wrote: »

It's not just us, it's the UK as well. Distributors sometimes decide it's not worth the cost of releasing a film, even on Blu-ray.

Its not like they have to go to the expense of striking a 35mm print anymore, just make a digital file, they show some totally obscure stuff in the IFI by non name directors, crazy that a well established one can't get a screening in Ireland or more so Britain. :mad:

Belial

Tony EH wrote: »

They simply wouldn't have spoken in such a way as presented in 'The Thin Red Line'. By and large, in any case.

That's script speak. It's not what some kid born in the 20's would have spoken like. The words uttered in the voice overs are at complete odds to the average marine of the time. They weren't philosophers. They were kids from largely rural backgrounds who joined up or were drafted into a war they barely understood. They weren't Cant or Sartre. They were John Joe and Billy Bob who would have had a primary education at best, assuming their families managed to get through the depression of the 30's without pulling them out of school.

Frankly, the voice overs are terrible and completely unrepresentative of the average GI in 1943.

Terrence Malick in Not-A-Realist-And-Has-Never-Been Shocker! :pac:

Sad Professor wrote: »

It's not just us, it's the UK as well. Distributors sometimes decide it's not worth the cost of releasing a film, even on Blu-ray.

It's getting a UK/Ireland release on May 6th.

Chain Smoker

Technocentral wrote: »

Its not like they have to go to the expense of striking a 35mm print anymore, just make a digital file, they show some totally obscure stuff in the IFI by non name directors, crazy that a well established one can't get a screening in Ireland or more so Britain. :mad:

Isn't the reason that some bigger name filmmakers occasionally slip between the cracks more down to whoever owning the rights being unwilling to negotiate with distributors at the level demand allows? Whereas more obscure non-English language films often have EU subsidies and **** like that to back them up?

iirc two of my favourite films from recent years, The Immigrant and the Spectacular Now, both got no release in the UK and Ireland at all.