Discuss Okja
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Potential to be a Great Film Ruined
posted by EisWarrenSTAFFMOD on July 17, 2017 at 8:45 PM
I wanted to love this. I ended up hating it. I love some of the director's other films (especially The Host, Barking Dogs Don't Bite, and Mother) but this movie is just plain dumb. Who makes a movie about a girl and her pet an adult R rated film? It doesn't make sense to me. I actually thought it was a kids movie until the F word was dropped by Tilda at the beginning. Despite some awesome moments this film to me feels good off. If it were a kids movie it would have been great, but we end up with a scene reminiscent of a nazi concentration camp and crying farm animals... not to mention that " shocking" rape scene.... give me a break. You could still get your anti meat factory point across in a kids movie and it would at least be enjoyable in the end.
Reply by MirrorMask
on July 17, 2017 at 9:02 PM
The rating is to warn viewers about the content. I don't know how anyone could watch the trailer and not expect something sinister.
Reply by rudely_murray
on July 17, 2017 at 9:54 PM
It was a mixed bag. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. I tend to like Bong's movies but he does seem unwilling to settle on a tone, which is why I feel that the superb Mother is his best film by far. There, the sombre, dark mood settled early and never lifted, instead gripping like a vice throughout. The Host and even Memories of Murder were good films marred by clumsy attempts at goofy humour.
Okja was enjoyable, often visually arresting and, this time, the humorous parts did raise laughs (Jake Gyllenhaal's horrendous character the exception). But I agree that it was unnecessarily dark and unpleasant at times. Not that there's anything wrong with films going that way, but it didn't feel appropriate for what was otherwise a charming film.
The less said about I'm a Cyborg - the only one of his films I disliked - the better.
Reply by EisWarren
on July 18, 2017 at 5:02 AM
I'm a Cyborg but That's Ok? That is Chan-wook Park and is absolutely incredible! Mother is Bong's best by a mile....
Reply by EisWarren
on July 18, 2017 at 5:06 AM
Haha I watched trailer once and never paid attention to the rating which is my fault. Regardless, it's premise is that of a child's film and to me would have benefited from it- I'm all fir trying something different, but this was a mess. It does have its fair share of excellent moments
Reply by rudely_murray
on July 18, 2017 at 5:29 AM
Yes it was of course Park... thanks for the catch! I really disliked that film, though...
But we agree wholeheartedly on Mother. 😀