Another Movie Thread - Because We Love Them So

[kandrathe]

And love it, I did

I understand it was a low budget movie, I guess that's why it's not a period piece they cost more...or...2016 will be more like today's political climate or what's left of it.

If you haven't read the book, this movie would be alittle hard to follow, it's not an action movie it is a movie of Words. I am looking forward to Part 2 & 3, I'm going to read the book again thanks to the Movie.

Favorite Quote: Ellis Wyatt's Sign on his property: "I am leaving it as I found it. Take over. It's yours"

My wife and I were able to get away on Saturday to see it too.

I agree that having read the book makes the film more understandable, but part of that I think is due to some misunderstandings with the characters. I think Dagny is a bit miscast although Taylor Schilling did an admirable job. It was other things like hair styles and costuming her in extreme high heels and tight skirts. From the novel, I envisioned her to be practical in almost all things. At the bridge scene especially, she should have been in at least some stylish overalls. In the novel, it was her take charge chutzpah, confidence and practicality in leading the building crews that made Hank fall in love with her. And, what is with the "saunter"? A practical Dagny would wear shoes that allow her to get her job done. I imagined that although she was born to a privileged class, that she remained unpretentious, and oblivious of haute couture. Dagny is described as more of an obvious diamond in the rough, where all but the discerning would find her somewhat plain. She would be out of place at an elegant dinner party, unless she was in the study with a gaggle of guys talking shop. Again, Hank was close to accurately acted too, but I would have made him more clearly a "stud". In the 50's he walked to work, in 2016 he'd have a treadmill in his office. In the novel, Lilian, his wife, often described him as her trophy husband, kept merely to lavish her with an excessive lifestyle. I imagined him to be more of an athletic type individual, but one extremely focused on the successes of his businesses. I think they nailed, Ellis Wyatt and Wesley Mouch though. I liked was they did with the "fast film" technique at the beginning, sort of inundating the audience with images and information to give context to the story so far... high energy prices, failing corporations, government bailouts, the pirate Ragnar Danneskjöld, the trouble with the airline industry, the prominence of Taggert transportation, etc. I had a little trouble with the 2nd 20 minutes of the film, where they were trying to introduce all the characters. I found myself trying to figure out and keep straight who the 8 to 10 secondary characters were. I think the growing relationship between Dagny and Hank could have been more obvious. Each scene should have shown they as professional, but letting their guard down just a little each time. For Francisco D'Anconia I thought immediately of an Antonio Banderas type character while I re-read the book. He needed to be much more suave (not smarmy), and oozing with effortless charisma. I don't think Jsu Garcia pulled that off.

I guess my biggest critique is that I'm uncertain the "philosophy", and therefore character motivation, is coming through clearly enough. The film could have done much to help expose the strong link between freedom and consumer choice. Either by monopoly, or by excessive government, its the removal of choice that crushes freedom. It's worse when politicians, and thereby government drive corporations toward monopoly (*cough* GE *cough*).

I did enjoy it, and it was a worthy low budget effort. But, I would have made different choices in adapting the screenplay, casting, wardrobe, hair, cinematography, etc. It's not an over polished "Hollywood" blockbuster, but I didn't expect it to be. I'm just happy it's coherent, and true to the book even if the *real* story remains obscured.