Review of Syndromes and a Century (2006) by Jared L — 10 Jan 2011
Though I did not care for Weerasethakul's Tropical Malady, the continuing stream of positive reviews of his work led me to give this a chance. I'll admit, the director succeeds in some respects.
His meditative camera-work shifts and zooms in at incredibly slow speeds. There are no quick cuts. There is no urge to pan to characters speaking off-camera. Weerasethakul slowly ponders nature and provides beautiful views of Thai architecture and statues.
Even his examination of cold, institutional environments like hospitals and dentists' offices are as compelling as the photographic work of Edward Burtynsky. Visually, there is much to digest. However, when it comes to developing a story, dialogue, or eliciting great performances, the director stumbles.
All of the actors provide simple, often dull or subdued performances. But, they have little to work with. The choice of soundtrack is also questionable. Especially in the final scenes, the music is dark and foreboding, for little reason.
This film ends up being Lost in Translation without the romance.
This review of Syndromes and a Century (2006) was written by Jared L on 10 Jan 2011.
Syndromes and a Century has generally received positive reviews.
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