a movie to divide

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2018)

It really all depends on what you want out of a movie. even within the narrow confines of movies that work entirely on the basis of metaphor, do you want that metaphor front and center like this or do you like it lurking in the background as in most Kubrick films. i wanted to hate this movie going in, but found myself oddly enjoying it while still recognizing it's flaws. It's unbending fidelity towards being metaphorical, combined with it's inability to quite perfectly work out the kinks of that metaphor, and it's habit of taking it's self so seriously makes this a movie that would be perfect for Mystery Science Theater 3000 to lampoon. The whole thing hovers precariously on the precipice of total ridiculousness but in my opinion manages just barely not to go over the edge into farce. The surrealistic nightmare that unfolds in the last 15 minutes might just be gut wrenching enough to keep the whole thing from falling apart. 7.5/10