Sunday, October 17, 2010

Program 43: Plan B

Love has so many surprises. Prepare to be charmed by the sweet and tender story of Bruno and Pablo as they journey to unchartered emotional territories in Plan B.

46 comments:

Unknown said...

I thought this movie looked like it would be great, & Michael also told me he thought it was my kind of film.

We were both right!

What a fascinating exploration of a relationship. Not the typical story, & so well told. The film made even the industrial blocky architecture look beautiful. And, of course, Argentineans have the best hair. How do they do that??

J O'Neill

Chris Mc. said...

I'm sorry but I was disappointed. I liked the premise and basic script but the execution left much to be desired. The direction and editing seemed amateurish. There were many pointless scenes that didn't contribute to the characters or plot. Judging by the number of people I could hear figiting I don't think I'm alone in feeling this went on way too long.

Also don't they have razors in that country?

Jim V. said...

I agree with Chris. This movie could have been edited down and made a really good 30 minute short. There were multiple gratuitous scenes and empty "art" shots. Thank goodness for caffeine, because otherwise the glacial pace of this film would have put me to sleep.

Michael G said...

I'm fully expecting all the comments about the slowness and the glacial pace of the movie (something that was pointed out in the film description). It's a challenging film and not an easy watch. But when one connects to the story, the pacing just becomes an integral part of Bruno's and Pablo's personal struggles and turmoils. Otherwise, it just becomes all tedious.

Woody said...

I'm not sure "glacial" is the proper term to use, as I'm pretty sure the glaciers moved faster...

Like Jim I think this would have made a better 30 minute short vs a 90 minute movie. There were plenty of scenes where all of the actors left the scene, and we got a shot of a stairway for 30 or 40 seconds. That's what an editing room floor is for people!

I did like the story, and there were times where holding the shot made sense. But it was so over done, in times where it didn't need to be, that it lost it's effect for the scenes that could have used it.

Even with caffeine I was falling asleep, which is saying something.

Stefan said...

For me, this was my least favorite film of this year's ImageOut. But please remember that that is JUST MY OPINION.

OK I'll stop shouting...

I just feel the film could have used better editing. I don't understand those long still shots...I really wish the director of this film could have been here. (I know Argentina is a long way from here, etc.) But if I could have gotten some inside form the director as to why the film was made this way, for all I know I may have been a little hard on him...

Michael G said...

I was dreading to read the ballots for this film as, honestly, this is one of my favorite films. But I do understand that it is not everyone's cup of tea. And it is way too slow for many. So I was pleasantly surprised that many people really found the film just as engaging, charming, and utterly romantic as I did -- even with the slow pace. Of course, there were those who hated it because it's too slow. But this is exactly why I love our ImageOut audiences -- very diverse, smart, and vocal. I appreciate all kinds of feedback. I can't wait to post the ballot comments.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
EXCELLENT! I loved i too, Michael!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. Beautiful. Heartfelt.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Most enjoyable! Life often does go slow as the movie's pace. And love is often slower.

DJ Minchella said...

From the ballots:
Just beautiful!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent! Great movie. The tension, sexual and otherwise, was the most unbelievably fabulous I've ever seen.

Screen resolution and aspect ratio were horribly off making it very stressful on the eyes.

Michael's response:
I didn't notice the aspect ratio being off.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent! A nice camera angle whenever the two men were in bed.

Bill W said...

From the ballots:
Very natural.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good.
Editing, Editing, Editing!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good. But a little slow moving -- dozed off a little in between.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good. A little slow but enjoyed it!

Terry S said...

From the ballots:
Good but a little slow.

Joe D said...

From the ballots:
A little slow, but adorable love story!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Okay ... I think I can see why so few festivals wanted to screen this film. It appears to be very unprofessional. The story is good. Yes, the charm is there, but the cinematography is poor. It could use better editing (what's with those still shots?) and better transitions ... something to tie it all together. Perhaps throw in a bit more music?

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Bad photography and sound. Good story.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Cute premise but way too slow.
Lots of it could have been edited out.
Bad cinematography. Needs a soundtrack!

Herb S said...

From the ballots:
Needs cutting to pick up pace. Tediously slow.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
I didn't dislike it as much as I should have. Atmospheric and interesting in a few points but slow.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Too slow! Too many random scenic shots that had nothing to do with anything -- not establishing anything.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Slow and pretentious.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
This was the longest 20-minute short I ever watched.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
I liked it but very tedious.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good.
Peter Pan!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good. Would have been excellent except a bit too drawn out. Great story ... enjoyed the suspense but too drawn out.

Tom C said...

From the ballots:
Enjoyed it very much. Slow was ok. Charming.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
That was a cute love story. It was, as Michael said, "Charming."

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
I liked it a lot. The long silences pulled you in as it forced you to contemplate the scenes with the characters. It felt like real time.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good. Sweet. Captured the inexplicable magic but really could benefit from editing out the long endless shots of buildings. Time to think is fine -- but buildings and empty facades do not advance the story.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good but pace was too slow. The portrayal of slowly discovering a love you didn't know you were capable of was very touching and believable. It was refreshing to have all the friends being understanding and not full of drama.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
I wish they could have extended the last scene. Great film!

Aatis L said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. THE BEST!!! They used time to create inner participatory dialog.

Alan Pehse said...

From the ballots:
I loved this. The long, slow takes created tremendous empathy with the characters. Kudos to the actors for being able to bring these long takes off so well.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Double Excellent!
A beautiful film -- well paced with believable characters. The photography and music were stunning! A love story with great intrigue. Thank you. This is my vote for the Audience Award!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. It was very sweet.
Pace = Love.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent! Slow but well done!

Jeffrey said...

From the ballots:
LOVED IT!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
This was our last movie. GREAT ENDING!

Jim Costich said...

From the ballots:
One of the best in the festival. It was dragged out but in reality it took that long to develop it realistically.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
This was really good! I loved the pace and the way they examined their feelings. It was thoughtful and deliberate.

Roger G said...

From the ballots:
"Charming," but in a good way.