Magic made this movie about magic.

Rating: 10/10 (6 July 2015)

Nice to see good work go pop for a change. My only reservation at calling this 'a real creative work' (there's very few of these in audio/video, at least that I've heard of) is a question I should have to ask if this IS a real deal: lots of the 'working actor' level is written in cliché. Of course, this fits in this kind of realism (frequently Spanish). The probability is that it is on purpose, whew, I can keep my inspiration from this film. There is a lot of it, though. The casting of Keaton cries out as he is ALWAYS FUNNY, and Galifianakis (who I've never liked in a movie) ditto; they're surreal from the get-go. >>>>> Best hand-held EVER. Combined w/the 'painterly' 'live' mix (lots of single quotes, this guy is ALIVE) it becomes a kind of 3D swim. >>>>> Inarritu planned the action-painting, instead of 'finding' it amidst years of pre-planning preparation more usual by actioners. Audio/video makes for a kind of tight milieu because of the whole history of the gestalt; kind of a modal-guard in place. Of course, the planned structure/tactics allowed for all kinds of spontaneity, so, more than enough air to fly. >>>>>> I hope this film stimulates like "Pulp Fiction" cause we sorely need for this kind of A/V to proliferate. >>>>> The binary system we live in would be awfully dull but for a number of treats in the mix, such as '2 for 1', e.g.. Being binary, triads abound, both outside and within the 'set'. However one can find this trick of transcendence in the box of Kracker Jax will always pay off. Being in one set is a necessary limit to allow for seeing outside the set which is 1+1 making a third, a triad which allows you to move on to the next level (finding the origination outside the set within the set itself, self-reference, another hot concept). All this SOP for creativity. >>>>> Levels woven by hand-held and various other segues, brilliant. Kudos to El Negro! >>>>> I especially loved the study of modes as useful in making the levels. Modes are so great, so are modals. "Everything is alive!", allows for subtlety using the components of modes, styles. It allows for 'corny' dialog, clichés, etc. You almost have to use them in this kind of environment. >>>>> Best of all was the layer of the spiritual (Inarritu's fiery Mexican trumping the shiny metal of the USA). >>>> I create this way and know it well. Lovely to see it done so well. I was inspired by it; that's what creativity does. (I particularly enjoyed the nose shot: pride.) Similarities to "Vanilla Sky".