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OleannaRating:
Release Date: 16 September, 2003 Retail Price: $19.98 OUR Price: $11.97 You SAVE: $8.01! Cast: |
Oleanna Reviews
From a movie-fan point of view...
I titled my review as above only to distinguish the fact I am in no way an intellectual. This was unnecessary of course for anyone who had read any of my previous reviews. Not much insight, little education, but rich in opinion.
For this three-act play by David Mamet transformed to film by Mamet I offer my movie-buff-opinions on three facets of the movie version of 'Oleanna' and include a personal insight I question.
Mamet, having penned the tale, was the obvious choice as a director. We know of course he must have attained what he desired. Unfortunately, as film fans many viewers migh possibly be more receptive to Mamet's attempts to portray 'real-life communication' if he had allowed actor's to deliver his beloved interruptions as just that - interruptions. In everyday conversation when people interrupt and talk over one another there are no 'silences' between the words we interrupt. Our conversations explode into one long flow of dialogue. Multiple words of one participant are overlapped and drowned out by the other speaker's interrupting words. Most of us recognize it because we nearly all do it - often. Mamet's attempt felt annoying to me because the effort for realism (the interruptions) was interrupted itself by the silences he directed into the script. But hey, he is the author, the director, the expert. I am just a talker who gets interrupted often, rightly so most of the time. He did get one interruption accurate, that darn telephone. It was as real on film as in our lives and I yearned for Macy's character to just unplug the thing!
Acting ability is so easily recognized when there are only two characters for comparison and an extremely challenging script as a common opponent. The so often undertreated, extremely talented William Macy is hands-down the superior thespian in this match. His ability to strictly conform to Mamet's restrictive formula and still manage to give definition, life, emotion, and humanity to the professor unfortunately served to spotlight the lesser acting talent of Debra Eisenstadt in her role of Carol, the student. Eisenstadt's delivery of Mamet's stilted words were particularly irritating in the first act (I personally yearned to smack her); perhaps the major reason some reviewers only made it through a small portion of the film before throwing in the towel. An unfortunate decision on their part leading to their being cheated of the heart of the argument ultimately unfolding on screen.
"whichever side you take, you're wrong", the tag line for this film is interesting in that while the story is guaranteed to make the viewer 'think' about the opposing sides, we seem to 'remain' on the same side at that end as we were at the beginning. Throughout the previous reviews, the reader could easily discern the 'professor' from the 'student' by the content of the review itself without the inclusion of the statement of the obvious 'as a professor/teacher' or 'I am a student'. Our predilection for 'pulling for' or 'mentally defending' our own stance throughout the film no doubt makes 'Oleanna' much more interesting and personal for each viewer. While the unfolding of events exposes the pros and cons of the beliefs of each stringently drawn stereotypical character, viewers seem to ultimately discover their urge to mentally enter the fray and root for 'their' side.
It goes without saying, given this being the work of David Mamet, this is not an action-packed shoot-em up, techno-rich experience. There is a reason however why some reviewers alluded to being drained and tired at the end of this film. It encompasses the viewer in a mental wresting match that invigorates the thought processes of the viewer to such a degree that we are challenged to participate, encouraged to interrupt with our own thoughts and ideas, and just as frustrated at the interruptions to our participation as the characters on screen. I highly recommend this film to anyone loving a good argument. No, it isn't 'Inherit the Wind' or even the more personal 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'. It is however a debate on higher education, women's rights, personal ambition, and communication in today's world without many of those specific 'words' being spoken. No blatant bandstanding, no catch phrases. Just two people engaged in a personal interchange on many of today's hottest topics which involves the viewer to a degree that we recognize the battle, pick our side, and pull for all we are worth, often finding personal kernels of thought just for ourselves.
Possible spoilers if you haven't yet seen the film. You might consider stopping here and coming back to read later.
My questionable personal insight? Having read the previous reviews, it struck me I read a lot into this play that apparently wasn't there. As the events unfolded I deducted that Carol's group was 'women' in generally, not a specifically formed social group. Also, I felt that the entire first act and specifically her personal actions were an act on her part. As Carol revealed herself a more vocal, less confused and more specifically directed person, I felt that the professor had deliberately been 'set-up' from the git-go. She had a plan and knowing his personality she had designed that plan feeling confident he would 'fall right into' her contrivance. The hanging around, refusing to leave, writing it all down such didn't seem 'normal' and 'natural' for the character she was vocalizing. But, it is pretty clear I am in a minority of one on this, based on the other reviews. That fact however is the down-fall of watching films alone and the beauty of a thought-provoking film, it gets your gray-cells marching and allows them to explore in all sorts of directions.
so mad at the end of the movie it aint funny
aight this review has spoilers, this is for the people that saw this film and were appalled like me and wanted to see what others thought of it,
first off, i know some people and the box cover says, who's right and whos wrong yada yada, aight what total bull.
the retarded chick ( im callin her that cause she's a friggin retard) was out to get the professor from the start, and once he slapped her, he should have went all the way and killed her. its something she deserved for the backstabbing that she did, and the rape? cmon . i tell u i never saw this guy's movie before, but i give him props for gettin me mad as hell at the end of the movie, wish the girl would have died thuogh
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