Legends of the Fall

By

⭐ 7.5/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

This was a movie that Jess chose that I'd never heard of before. It's old, and it didn't review particularly well, but it does have Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins, so it's not like we're the first people to ever watch it. It's a movie about Hopkins and his sons moving to the wilderness in the 1910s, where they proceed to make some questionable decisions, especially when it comes to romance.

This movie is for sure a little silly. It's very dramatic, with lots of sweeping shots of Brad Pitt with flowing hair, while beautiful orchestral pieces swell in the background. The romances are super ridiculous, and there is lots of Indigenous pseudo-spiritualism that feels a little over-sincere.

However! There is still a little magic here that I couldn't help but be drawn to. First off, this movie is absolutely gorgeous. It's filmed in BC, but the setting is Northwestern US. The main characters live on a ranch, and every pan of it really filled me with a sense of yearning. Yearning! Rivers and horses and woodland and mountains, Gandalf, mountains! This movie also spans Europe, Africa, and has lots of scenes in developing frontier cities. This, along with that score, actually moved me a number of times.

This movie also seemed really grand. If it was a better movie, surely we'd call it a classic epic. It covers a lot of physical area, lots of themes, and spans the course of many years. I feel like it was inspired by the Godfather, especially with the themes of the downfall of once good people.

This is a long review for a movie I didn't totally love. But I'm a sucker for beautiful movies in this era (reminded me a lot of Red Dead 2) and also of movies with magnetic yet problematic characters. Good stuff. Maybe worth checking out if that appeals to you... But also maybe not.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

By
⭐ 6.5/10 (Originally written by Tim) Watched this for the first time because we wanted a comedy, and it was fine. I laughed a couple times, mostly at Paul Rudd, whose character was amazing. Otherwise its just a 2000s raunchy comedy. These Apatow movies are way too long for comedies, and the feel-good endings take too long to get to. I liked the idea of a fake NBC show that Kristen Bell stars in, and those clips made me laugh. Jason Segel is fine, and he fits the depressed guy thing they are going for here. I will never understand why the two women in this movie are so beautiful and the two guys are pudgy idiots. I guess I do understand, given the target audience for these movies. Another thing, they clearly were in Hawaii for filming a bunch of this, but then there are a couple scenes that are clearly using a green screen for the background. Pretty weird, since I assume they were in Hawaii, so maybe reshoots? Felt kinda cheap. Anyways, good for a couple laughs, don't ever nee...
Read more

July Reading Favourites

By
Image
Look at that cover! This is a YA horror book written by a trans Canadian author that knocked my socks off. A small town has secrets it's trying to hide, and after the death of a boy and a newcomer arriving, things start slipping out of control. It's a book about being trans or queer and living in a small town, and how a community creating a facade of a perfect town can backfire. Also maybe closing your eyes to anything that's "not your business" is not good actually! It's violent and full of rage, and I loved the way it played with time and perspective. Check the triggers, but if you're interested in reading it, I'd recommend going in blind without looking at reviews or a longer description! This is a short book of essays about ableism and disability justice, specifically relating to technological advances for disabled people. Most of the essays focus on a different type of technology for different disabilities (prosthetics, hearing aids, cures for aut...
Read more

Magdalene's Favourite Books of 2024

By
Image
In 2024 I read another ABSURD amount of books, and I will not be commenting on what that says about me, my decisions, or the state of my mental health. So I'm just going to go straight into my favourite books of the year! I've posted about a lot of these in my monthly faves, but now you get to see which ones made it to my favourites of the year list! They're in no particular order. A Pacific Islander-inspired fantasy with unique, refreshing vibes. Hanalei returns to her home island, Her childhood best friend is looking for a dragonfruit to heal his mother, and Hanalei will use her connection with the seadragons to help. Lucier has a pretty simple way of writing, but the story was fun and beautiful, and it really took me on an adventure. Sid is a Korean adoptee living in a very white town that is over a crack where magic can get through. One day a Guardian falls, releasing magic and zombies, and it becomes a fight to survive. This is such an interesting blend of fantasy and ...
Read more