Cure (1997)
Highly acclaimed thriller turns out to be one of those rare occasions where I find myself standing outside a film. It's extremely well-made, yes. K. Kurosawa is, on the evidence of this film, one hell of a director. He has a great sense of the cinematic; for instance, he knows just how long to hold shots and from what distance they should be held. As well, the premise is both extremely provocative and (to a certain point) carried out effectively. There's a lot of material (plotwise and thematic) to chew on here. But I mulled over what I'd seen for an hour-plus after the credits rolled, and as much as I chewed, I could coax nothing significant out from inside the film. It's a well-crafted and oft-disturbing film, yes... but it's also frustratingly opaque. The disparate elements here always seem to be heading towards some grand theme, but they never truly coalesce. The ending moments, thus, are futility defined: you know this should all mean something, but it really doesn't. All the dots are there, but when they're connected they don't make a picture. Still, some people love this film. So if it interests you, I urge you to check it out.
Grade: C+
Highly acclaimed thriller turns out to be one of those rare occasions where I find myself standing outside a film. It's extremely well-made, yes. K. Kurosawa is, on the evidence of this film, one hell of a director. He has a great sense of the cinematic; for instance, he knows just how long to hold shots and from what distance they should be held. As well, the premise is both extremely provocative and (to a certain point) carried out effectively. There's a lot of material (plotwise and thematic) to chew on here. But I mulled over what I'd seen for an hour-plus after the credits rolled, and as much as I chewed, I could coax nothing significant out from inside the film. It's a well-crafted and oft-disturbing film, yes... but it's also frustratingly opaque. The disparate elements here always seem to be heading towards some grand theme, but they never truly coalesce. The ending moments, thus, are futility defined: you know this should all mean something, but it really doesn't. All the dots are there, but when they're connected they don't make a picture. Still, some people love this film. So if it interests you, I urge you to check it out.
Grade: C+
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