Word: plot
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...lovely flower in an arid ethical landscape who wins the hero's heart and puts him in jeopardy. Here Ferris falls for a Jordanian nurse, Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani). In a movie like this, a love interest has two functions: eye candy for contrast and sympathy, hostage bait for the plot. (Yes, Mr. Ferris, you may kill many and risk your own life for your mission. But what if I told you we were going to, heh heh, rough up your girlfriend...
...hard that he spits a large wad of food onto a woman’s white jacket (without her noticing, naturally)—are so manufactured, outlandish, or cliché that they lose their link to reality and irritate rather than amuse. There are some mildly interesting plot twists involving the identity of Alison’s boyfriend and the emergence of Lawrence, Sidney’s immediate superior, as a convincing villain. Likewise, the always-engaging Bridges, in a loose play on legendary Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, is entertaining—though in truth this...
...white films; they highlight the pervasiveness of digital change. Perhaps the most arresting installation is “Lossless #3,” a highly pixilated and compressed version of John Ford’s classic Western “The Searchers.” The film contains neither plot nor dialogue, and the soundtrack mostly consists of eerie pitches that echo throughout the entire gallery. When a recognizable noise breaks through—whether it be a gunshot or a trumpet announcing the beginning of a march—the sound is surprisingly comforting. At times this coincides with...
...eyes to an unfamiliar art form.“Nuns! Now!” yelled an impatient audience member from the balcony, and the series host ended his lengthy introduction and began this film of witchcraft, torture, and rampant sexual urges in 17th-century England. In lieu of a plot summary, which would—trust me—be absolutely pointless, allow me to mention some choice moments from the film that emphasize its key aspects.The dialogue, dubbed in English from its original French, included choice lines like “A woman’s weeping is like...
...Conchords”) and a man decked out in tan flannel travel from Tokyo to Paris in another cardboard box. The deliveries of weapons labeled “mutiny” to a furry unicorn and a comely bear reveal the ultimate literality of this video; the plot sequence sticks closely to the lyrics, like a child’s storybook, though the video is made more complex and obscure by a puckish dark-humored whimsicality. Collectively, these elements are fitting for a New Pornographers’ video. A.C. Newman’s power poppy voice can either draw...