Dawn ,'Never Leave Me'
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So I just watched The Grey on DVD. I thought there was a lot good about the movie, but ultimately I am bothered. (Plot spoiler -->) Six guys survive a plane crash only to be killed by wolves. How is that a plot? This is the same problem I had with My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A woman falls in love and gets married. Not a plot.
I guess I'm just baffled that these were log lines that got sold somehow.
Did you read the article I posted on plot without conflict the other day? Does it fit that template? If so, is that failure?
I mean, is it appropriate and can it be fulfilling, if they were working to a different rhythm, but no less deliberate, and no less expressively written?
Oooh, very interesting. I think I'd need to see an actual Kishotenketsu movie to understand the application better.
I don't *think* The Grey qualifies. It doesn't quite fit the form, and there's plenty of violence (though I guess Kishotenketsu doesn't *preclude* violence). I mean, there's plenty of obstacles in The Grey, it's just that none or almost none are overcome. (incredibly vague plot spoiler).
I think My Big Fat Greek Wedding might be closer to the Kishotenketsu form, as it seemed to have no conflict at all.
And to be clear, I did like The Grey, there's just something about it that sits weird, and I suspect that was intentional on the part of the filmmakers.
I thought there was plenty of conflict in MBFGW, as well as character change and growth. It just didn't involve death or explosions or things crashing. It was all interpersonal and interfamilial, and was resolved rather gently. I wouldn't say there wasn't a plot. There was more going on than just a woman falls in love and gets married. It was just a sweet story of a particular time in someone's life.
Yeah...I do think they missed an opportunity because the family conflict was neutralized so easily, but, you know, I don't have a big hit like that...what do I know? But Toula does grow and change.
I would have liked the movie a lot less if there had been more family drama/conflict. Then it would have just been a soap opera.
A PSA from Gary Oldman: [link]
That's hilarious.
That makes me want to hug Ray Allen. Which isn't really the rarest of urges for me, but still.