Offer sucks, "Off the Black" doesn't
Yes, we got an offer on the house, an offer so low and insulting it hardly merited a response. However, our realtor wrote up a counter-offer, a reasonable one, and we will see. I seriously doubt that we will get a deal out of this.
While I was whiling away the day doing not much, I decided to watch Off the Black again, this time listening to the music, especially the Townes Van Zandt songs. I had requested it from Netflix this time; previously I had caught it on TV. I was puzzled by small differences. One scene I remembered (when the Nolte character brings a ladder to the kid removing toilet paper from his trees and rooftop) was missing. At the end, the credits showed less music and only one TVZ song, "If I Needed You." I am certain there were at least three on the TV version.
So I decided to watch it again with the director's commentary (James Ponsoldt, writer & director). He mentioned that he had selected songs from singers with tragic lives, and that the TVZ song "If I Needed You" was prominent because it expressed so well the longing for connection and the difficulty finding it between men, who find it nearly impossible to express themselves emotionally. He described the film as a love story, platonic love, between the two men, young and old. Along the way he mentioned that the version shown at Sundance (2006) was a little different. To save money, songs were eliminated from the version shown commercially. The melody of "If I Needed You" was sprinkled through the film, with the full song sung by TVZ at the end. Other songs included were minimal, sometimes only a very short segment. That explains it. I was probably watching it on the Sundance channel and saw the original version.
I loved this film -- very quiet, subtle, tender, and profound. Ponsoldt's love for it came through strongly in his commentary -- location selections, casting details, spontaneous scene changes instigated by actors and others, the music. I've read some unenthusiastic reviews, and I heartily disagree. This is a fine film for those who love to dwell on details such as Nick Nolte's giveaway eyes, body language, & bed hair; Trevor Morgan's distrust and trust betrayed; the comedic dance between Nolte & Hutton. Priceless!
While I was whiling away the day doing not much, I decided to watch Off the Black again, this time listening to the music, especially the Townes Van Zandt songs. I had requested it from Netflix this time; previously I had caught it on TV. I was puzzled by small differences. One scene I remembered (when the Nolte character brings a ladder to the kid removing toilet paper from his trees and rooftop) was missing. At the end, the credits showed less music and only one TVZ song, "If I Needed You." I am certain there were at least three on the TV version.
So I decided to watch it again with the director's commentary (James Ponsoldt, writer & director). He mentioned that he had selected songs from singers with tragic lives, and that the TVZ song "If I Needed You" was prominent because it expressed so well the longing for connection and the difficulty finding it between men, who find it nearly impossible to express themselves emotionally. He described the film as a love story, platonic love, between the two men, young and old. Along the way he mentioned that the version shown at Sundance (2006) was a little different. To save money, songs were eliminated from the version shown commercially. The melody of "If I Needed You" was sprinkled through the film, with the full song sung by TVZ at the end. Other songs included were minimal, sometimes only a very short segment. That explains it. I was probably watching it on the Sundance channel and saw the original version.
I loved this film -- very quiet, subtle, tender, and profound. Ponsoldt's love for it came through strongly in his commentary -- location selections, casting details, spontaneous scene changes instigated by actors and others, the music. I've read some unenthusiastic reviews, and I heartily disagree. This is a fine film for those who love to dwell on details such as Nick Nolte's giveaway eyes, body language, & bed hair; Trevor Morgan's distrust and trust betrayed; the comedic dance between Nolte & Hutton. Priceless!
posted by Cranky Ol' Lady at 11:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home