You Were Never Really Here (2018) dir. Lynne Ramsay starring Joaquin Phoenix

this blew me away. one of the most gripping and cinematic movies I've seen this decade. reminded me of Good Time - the speed, the music, the city - but this was so much more mysterious and masterful. I think it's a masterpiece, rare example of pure cinema and style over story. so well edited and rhythmically dynamic. jonny greenwood's score is great, and the sound design throughout the movie is stunning. apotheosis of joaquin phoenix disheveled and mumbling. and my friend saw posters for it and thought it was a sequel to I'm Still Here.

I basically hated it lmao

the incessant flashbacks rendered it the opposite of "mysterious", it's a blessing they were cut way down from the initial cut but I'd have greatly preferred none at all.

Did you see an earlier cut? I liked how quick and insubstantial the flashbacks were, nothing was really clear at all. I didn’t get an understanding of his childhood or his service at all. I only knew he was a vet because I heard going in. All the stuff with the kid and the suffocation/plastic bag was really interesting.

No I just heard there were more flashbacks in the initial festival cut or w/ever

i saw this yesterday and thought it was really restrained considering the subject matter. i thought the way that the flashbacks hinted at the violence and trauma and sadness were really effective when contrasted with his current situation. score/sound design was also very effective. on paper the description of this movie sounds like it would be lurid but it wasn't (imo) at all. lynne ramsay did not let me down.

her next movie should be We Need to Talk About How You Were Never Really Here

RT if you agree pic.twitter.com/Pygh7PniXu

— Eric Allen Hatch (@ericallenhatch) May 1, 2018

i thought the way that the flashbacks hinted at the violence and trauma and sadness were really effective when contrasted with his current situation.

This was pretty effective, with another career-best Phoenix perf, but I'm still thinking about the use of the girl -- whether it's sentimental.

A lot of people seem really enthused about this, but I don’t know if I’m ready to trust her after Kevin.

I'm a fan, loved lots of things about it, but also feel that none of this work without Phoenix being at his usual great.

The sound editing in particular was phenomenal.

Was frequently pulled out of the movie by the overly insistent soundtrack. I blame Jonny Greenwood.

I liked this but did not love it. it's certainly unique. I was confused about what was happening because of Joaquin's (lack of) diction and by the fact that the father of the girl and the senator looked very similar. I had to read a plot summary after it lol. I actually spent 2/3rds of it not liking it then changed my mind at the scene with the mother and the lake, which I thought was very beautiful.

My friend and I exchanged "What the fuck was that?" looks right after this finished. Can't say I enjoyed it, whatever you take "enjoy" to mean; I enjoy Taxi Driver.

I must have an allergy to Ramsay, as I disliked this almost as much as did Kevin. The whole "ironic" use of old pop songs--including fucking "I've Never Been To Me"--is so OLD that I have no idea who she thinks she's impressing.

reading some of these comments makes me think I should see this film again, it really didn't stick with me, I don't remember being drawn in at the time and can barely remember anything about it now

I watched it last night - I'm an enormous Ramsay fan and I was basically in clover for the first half, but the spell was broken by the switch to security camera bit, and the old-pop use, and the film kind of unravelled from there for me. I felt the senator / dad / girl thing was difficult to parse and his relationship with his mother didn't quite gel in the way it was clearly intended. And the "level boss fight" framing of the last 20 minutes was tiresome.
She's still a stone genius and can tell stories in a rarely-achieved purely cinematic way, but I felt this needed better source material or something. Phoenix is a bit of a gift because he can conjure up gravitas and mystery even where there isn't any, and I think Ramsay leaned on him a little too much.

I loved this you are all wrong

except me i loved it

saw it last night, loved it, wish I'd seen in the cinema to be fully immersed

sound design was fantastic, there are about 9 seconds total of flashback, and I hope liking Greenwood scores never leads to me deciding Radiohead are any good after all

watched it again and I guess I'm immune to this film

ooooooweeeeeeee
https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/lynne-ramsay-new-movies-jennifer-lawrence-joaquin-phoenix-1234898017/

I'm really intrigued by the new one.

Yeah, this is how you cut a trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y6yG4SgFew

new one is a bit of a mess and the CGI (?) forest fire is lame but jennifer lawrence is excellent (channeling gena rowlands) and love the bits about the joy of music being played really fuxking loud

Saw this yesterday, kind of OK but a bit superficial and I didn't find her breakdown very convincing. Also too many shots of spiritual horsies galloping around (one is too many tbh). Were there spirit animals in A Woman Under the Influence? I recall there being none whatsoever.

getting savaged in reviews unfortunately

I thought it (Die My Love, that is) was really good. A tough watch, despite the decent amounts of dark humour. Was slightly surprised to realise that it was the first Lynne Ramsay film I've seen.

Did you see it at the Nitehawk Prospect Park?

It's not an interesting mess.

One good thing about this film: the dog gets it

JR&Bs... no, I'm in Lynne Ramsay's home city of Glasgow.

I think that dog had men’s mental health

I also acknowledge that women may appreciate what Ramsay depicts better than guys would.

Did anyone see "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You"? I don't want to cry trend, but between this, that one and last year's "Nightbitch," lotta actor showcase moms on the verge of a nervous breakdown movies.

I also acknowledge that women may appreciate what Ramsay depicts better than guys would.

I didn't know If I Had Legs I'd Kick You was out... I love Rose Byrne. think I'm going to have to wait for streaming for that though

No Lynne Ramsay or Jennifer Lawrence thread...Took out MUBI for three months, actually put it to use by watching Die My Love. Not sure what I just saw--was this about pregancy, writer's block, depression, cabin fever, or what? I kept waiting for something that would point me in the right direction. (Sometimes I want that, sometimes I don't; in any event, either it didn't come or I missed it.) The four principals (or three, plus Nick Nolte) were very good, and the soundtrack has "Kooks" (been waiting forever for that to be used well) and John Prine, so I'm glad I took the time to watch it, even it ultimately came up a little short for me.

i think it was great myself

It's the kind of film that puzzles me and lingers in my mind afterwards.

a miss. an actor’s showcase, and lawrence, pattinson, and spacek all do well with what they’re given, but a nothing story. pretty funny to learn after reading some reviews that ramsay was miffed that people seemed to see it as a postpartum depression story (which it is) — maybe write some dialogue and we’ll get the idea better!

re: DIE MY LOVE

It is indeed a miss.

I haven’t watched a Ramsay film since Morvern Callar because her subject matter and what I read or hear about the films keeps putting me off. Die My Love is in the same category for me. I loved Ratcatcher and liked Morvern, but at this point is there really a case for her as a major filmmaker? If so, what’s the one best post-Morvern film I should see?