I walked into the theater showing Beau is Afraid on Saturday night explaining to my friend that we were in one of the greatest film eras in history. I walked out wondering if cinema was dead. As we found our seats, I told him how lucky we were to be alive at a time when a young filmmaker like Ari Aster could get tens of millions of dollars for what promised to be a pure and uncompromised artistic vision. I walked out thinking that something has gone very, very wrong in the industry of film.
Apr 21, 2023·edited Apr 21, 2023Liked by Noah Gittell
Noah, this review is certainly more than the A24 trolls would give you credit for on Twitter. I am not much a fan of Ari Aster's films, nor the celebrating of balls over courage (or an intentional lack of both, which can also be entertaining.) Triangle of Sadness falls in this category for me, as does Aftersun, on which I have to disagree on the navel gazing front. As the father to 4 daughters who have grown up and started creating their own lives, the entire film seemed to naval gaze and made no sense narratively as an exploration of memory. I'm not interested in Beau is Afraid, but I may have convinced myself to watch it — thankfully, with your critique — I'm happy to save my 3 hours.
Noah, this review is certainly more than the A24 trolls would give you credit for on Twitter. I am not much a fan of Ari Aster's films, nor the celebrating of balls over courage (or an intentional lack of both, which can also be entertaining.) Triangle of Sadness falls in this category for me, as does Aftersun, on which I have to disagree on the navel gazing front. As the father to 4 daughters who have grown up and started creating their own lives, the entire film seemed to naval gaze and made no sense narratively as an exploration of memory. I'm not interested in Beau is Afraid, but I may have convinced myself to watch it — thankfully, with your critique — I'm happy to save my 3 hours.