Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) by Brandan G — 05 Apr 2014

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - 9,5.

I've lost track on the number of times I've watched this reference work. This is an immensely vast and ambitious film and although I already loved it since early age, I was only able to comprehend it's full magnitude after seeing it numerous times across the span of several years. This film requires trained and cultivated eyes and ears to be fully appreciated. This work is greater than the sum of its parts, it's an essay about numerous philosophical themes expressed through some of the most masterful use of cinematic expression. Intemporal stuff and I love how it managed to evoke in me feelings of awe and fascination towards the unknown like no other motion picture did. Mandatory stuff!

I see lot's of people giving too much attention to the special effects and unfairly judging the movie without really understanding it. Special effects ought to be given little attention here, in fact it's not what's literally on the screen that matters, it's what it evokes/suggests. This movie is not about eye candy, (although it has some) this is a conceptually complex work that requires serious intellectual commitment to be truly appreciated.

My only niggle is that some acting looks slightly artificial, it becomes distracting sometimes, something I've come to notice throughout several Kubrick works. To me this film would be absolutely perfect with just a bit more naturalistic acting performances.