Review of Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) by Djakeir — 04 Feb 2019

Velvet Buzzsaw is a very self aware film that almost uses the context of the movie to pre-emptively discredit any bad critique regarding it. This then allows Dan Gilroy to go all out and go so extremly over the top that leaves you dazed.

I have never before seen a movie where you question yourself whether you liked it or not and the answer you reach is neither. Dan Gilroy has successfully managed to achieve something quite extraordinary here in the audience response, in that we now understand truly what the point was behind the film.

That point being that art is divisive, it shouldn't be put down to either good or bad, it should be witnessed by as many or as few people as possible, somewhat undoing the damage of commercialisation and scrutiny of art.

Dare I say the movie, never sems to reach a climax because that has to come within the viewer. That being said, not everyone thinks about movies when the credits role and therefore, on a surface level te movie has flaws, it is quite shallow and lacks relatable emotions but then again isn't that not the impression we get from art elitists.

The horror element isn't really there and I don't think extreme horror could work as it would be too disjointed from the cartoonish aspects. The movie is paced in a way that hardly gives you a break to refocus which can sometimes be tiring.

The saving grace, ultimately, to this movie that makes the almost 2 hour running time enjoyable is the amazing cast. Rene Russo, Toni Collette and John Malkovic add an element of bitterness that helps to create the atmosphere of the exclusive art world.

I do have slight problems, with Zoe and Natalia's performances in the sense that they came across outweighed and outperformed by their colleagues. Billy Magnussen, I felt could have been given more scenes to elaborate on his borderline obsessive connection with the Dease art.

And finally Jake Gyllenhaal. Do I really need to say anything more. At this stage do we even need to question Jakes' performances. Again he proves that he is a rare talent who has a real passion for every aspect of the industry of film making and adds so much to every scene and every movie that is lucky to have him star in.

Many people were on the the fence about this movie but Jake is the common factor that pushes it to an overall good rating. My only slight annoyance is with comentors who are now saying Jake is delivering consistenly over the top and whacky characters.

To which I can tell them to go and watch wildlife so they can actual present informed opinions. Lets talk about the elephant in the room, Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroys' previously (highly) successful project with Jake.

It was inevitable that comparisons were going to be made between the two films, but they were so different that I don't think it is appropraite to compare them. Would I have prefered a darker more realsitic thriller about the artworld? Yes.

And yet I wouldn't change Velvet Buzzsaw because, why change a movie to be more like a previous movie just because it was successful. It is that kind of formulaic approach to movie making, that whilst does good in the award season, offers nothing to be commended.

In conclusion, the orginality, acting and overall lasting affect of this movie should be commended. This film has tapped into multiple genres and new aspects of opinions that have been previously unexplored.

That kind of bravery and orginiality deserves respect.