A Perfect World

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A Perfect World - 13/3/2013 3:09:33 AM

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Sigh - 13/3/2013 3:09:34 AM

JohnChard

Posts: 176
Joined: 22/10/2009
From: Birmingham

Little character development or action?!

Boy did Mr Salisbury walk into the wrong movie and left through the wrong exit door. It just comes off as someone who went in expecting an Eastwood/Costner actioner and got stung by something deeper and more rich in narrative strength. To say there is no character development is foolish, the key parts are the man and boy on the lam, and they are beautifully written and performed.

It’s still the most under rated work of Eastwood the director and Costner the actor, one of the best films of 93, in fact, one of the best films of the decade. 9/10

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RE: A Perfect World - 13/3/2013 1:34:44 PM

Vitamin F

Posts: 558
Joined: 6/10/2005
From: Norn Ireland, so it is

Haven't watched this in years! Must give it a go this weekend.

Damn, that IS a rather harsh review. I'd agree that Dern is very much the 'token' female to fill that gap and does bugger all, but as for the target audience..? Surely the fact that it's a "murderous con on the lam" film that ISN'T reliant on gratuitous violence or non-stop cussin' makes it available to a pretty broad church. That's a positive, not a negative.

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RE: A Perfect World - 14/3/2013 12:56:01 AM

JohnChard

Posts: 176
Joined: 22/10/2009
From: Birmingham

The Dern conundrum?

I kind of agree to a degree about the token point, but she gets to really pull the trailer pursuers into the mindset of Butch, she has a couple of crucial scenes by way of dialogue. Is she (Dern) wasted? Yes, definitely, but her character does serve a purpose.

Hope you get to see it again soon, I revisited it two days ago as part of a 1993 appraisal and it still knocked my socks off.

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RE: A Perfect World - 18/3/2013 1:00:37 PM

Vitamin F

Posts: 558
Joined: 6/10/2005
From: Norn Ireland, so it is

Well I watched this again...and retract my criticism of Dern. This isn't just a token role at all, and the fact that it's a female role is perhaps irrelevant as it could just as effectively be a young, male rookie trying to prove himself against the old guard. Dern is actually quite superb with what she's got to play with - watch how confident she is during that first tete-a-tete with Clint in the caravan, like how she sits with her legs spread.

Still think this is great lightweight entertainment - not too hard on the emotions when it could easily have taken a much heavier tone, simple story with very decent if hardly original dialogue and characterisation, all the characters get their wee moments to shine, and overall it's very polished if not very profound.

Basically it's a case of "well, what's not to like here?"

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