Word: dullness
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...back of the stage. Set and lighting, in fact, hold Ibsen's character-oriented play to a high-wire of beauty. Piping classical music brings out a gracile quatro of stage hands between acts one and two: They lay out light-cobalt platforms which in turn absorb a dull, icy lighting scheme. As the A.R.T.'s actors quickly sketch their tragedy (an uber-fable about ambition and hubricguilt), its stagecraft is relentlessly Scandinavian, so that the dark, philosophically neurotic A.R.T. paradigm feels like nothing more than atypical (or stereotypical) Norwegian aesthetic...
...defeating Yale, Harvard captured the Ivy League Championship, which had virtually been in its possession since the beginning of the year. The glitter of a new trophy, however, cannot dull the pain of losing the national championship to Princeton last weekend...
...abstract idea, as in "I am weary of the world's gifts, the world's/ stipulated limits," she fails to illustrate adequately her points or make the reader feel them. Poor in images, her unsentimental poems are easily forgotten. Her form, occasionally (seemingly arbitrarily) rhyming, of dull everyday speech does little to enhance her words. Although she completely penetrates and bursts the peephole perspective of sexual resentment and idealistic angst, her from seems to lag behind. It is clear but uninspiring; perhaps beautiful but not in a way that fits. Allusive and chronically understated, her images betray a lingering strain...
...same time every other relationship in the movie blossoms. Paul Newman shines as Costner's father. His eyes sparkle with mischief, and his wisecracks crackle like spitfire as he schemes to bring the reluctant pair together. At his age, even he has more star quality and charisma than his dull son. His scenes are a welcome relief from the awkwardness of the lovebirds. Costner and Penn are both able to display more emotion and authenticity in their affection for the sarcastic patriarch. In their separate scenes with Newman, both suddenly become more lively, even almost interesting. Despite the welcome antics...
...critics praising this pseudointellectual, overindulgent mess? Terrence Malick makes his return to the industry he left 20 years ago with this WWII drama which not only is thunderously dull but also completely hollow. Instead of giving us involving drama, Malick shellshocks us with a 3-hour, superficial Discovery Channel special. But the big disappointment is the script--Malick's dialogue is not only empty but just plain silly. Visually stunning, of course, but a resounding failure...