Night Watch at the Esquire

[kybearfuzz]

After work, I decided to head to a local comic book shop and then catch a matinee of Night Watch (Nochnoi Dozer) at the Esquire.

Despite an intriguing preview and some friends who told me that they couldn't wait to go see it (including my buddy Stewart, Kentucky's resident Scotsman), I was greatly disappointed. The movie is Russian made and the movie has subtitles. While there are some impressive special effects in the film, the story is confusing and the jerking camera motion with quick scene shifts made me a bit queasy. I felt like I had been dropped into the second or third movie of a series without any background. The movie introduces characters, settings, etc. with no reference to their importance. The story and its plot are just not very cohesive.

I always gauge how good a movie is by the number of times I check my watch during the film. If the movie doesn't capture my attention and interest, I find myself looking to see how much time has passed and how much I have left. I looked at the time at least 10 times during the film, wondering when it would end. I actually thought about leaving in the middle of it. This is supposed to be the first in a series of films about the characters. Oh well...

Did I enjoy it? Hardly, but the M & M's were tasty.
Would I watch it again? Only if Jeremy Piven asked me to see it with him.
Buy the DVD? As a gag gift maybe, but for myself, never.

Comments

[truebrixon.livejournal.com]

There has been a lot of hype about this movie, it is unfortunate that it doesn't seem to be able to live up to any of it. BTW, that is exactly how I gauge my interest in a movie. I check my watch a lot in movies that are dragging or that I find boring!

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

I'd be curious how others view it...

... and I think it's a natural thing to do, to look at your watch and wonder how much longer you have before the movie is over. However, it works both ways, I've been known to check my watch to see how much more movie I have when I am enjoying it too... just not as often.

STILL ... foreign films are worth supporting.

[anziulewicz.livejournal.com]

I tend to doubt this film will make it to West Virginia, but if it did I'd go see it, even given the generally mediocre reviews, because moviegoers in the United States tend to insulate themselves from foreign films, let alone RUSSIAN films. Hell, when Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was in the theaters, box office employees were often instructed to make it clear that the film had subtitles, since American moviegoers tend NOT to like them. Given my choice, I prefer a film to be subtitled rather than dubbed.

Anyway, I'm glad you went to see this film, and I appreciate the review. Most of what I've heard said about this film is that you have to appreciate it on it's own terms, and be aware that much of the weirdness has to do with Russian folklore.

[prisonbitch.livejournal.com]

a friend ordered the dvd from the UK last year and loves it. he's looking forward to seeing it on the big screen now that it's been released in the US. one guy at work told me it got 8 out of 10 in some review he read. I was going to see it today (with my straight boyfriend), but he just called to say we had to postpone till tomorrow.

Re: STILL ... foreign films are worth supporting.

[mikiedoggie.livejournal.com]

I had a slightly more positive review of the movie than Mark but I think his criticisms were valid. There's a lot of jerky editing, which was a stylistic choice. It doesn't work for everyone. Plus, the writing really doesn't stand up on its own as a separate film; perhaps when the other parts come out it'll look stronger. But as it is, there are some characters brought up and dropped, and one of the two main plots at the end of the movie actually becomes sort of filler unless there are ramifications in the next two movies.

I'd still recommend seeing it, but its very different in structure and pacing than most movies I've seen.

[tarotcub.livejournal.com]

i'm getting very worried about seeing this movie

I saw the trailer for it some time ago (I think the release date had changed a few times?) and I have been so pumped up about seeing it, but I have unfortunately been hearing not so great review about it, but I have hear one rave review of it.

I'll probably go and check it out anyways, but I just keep fretting that I'm going to be disappointed.
Maybe I should just keep watching the trailer over and over again and be satisfied with that.

Re: STILL ... foreign films are worth supporting.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

I don't mind foreign films really. Thought I prefer subtitles to dubbing, they are distracting in the film.

I guess I had other expectations of this film, though it seems to have already garnered a cult following of its own.

[kybearfuzz.livejournal.com]

Well, to each his own, some people seem to like it, some didn't (like me), but you may see things in it that I didn't. :)