Life - Reviews

Great to see that review or Rob's performance. That's for posting it, Whence. Yeah, I wish they had liked the whole of the film a little bit better, but I'm still intrigued.

Here is another review from a German article that a fan translated for Robert Pattinson Australia:

Translation: "Life" review http://www.critic.de/film/life-7714/ @RPAustralia

Life

With his fourth movie, Anton Corbijn has found himself: the story of Dennis Stock, a photographer brought to fame by his iconic pictures of a young James Dean, is an artistic self-reflexion.

In an essay for magazine "epd Film" Georg Seeßlen interpreted Anton Corbijn´s photographic and cineastic work as expression of a Protestant imprinting (in fact, both the director´s father and grandfather were pastors): "One might say, the Protestant image is more about depth than width, more reduction than abundance, more about the focus than the periphery." What is problematic as a general attribution, does indeed work as an approach to Corbijn´s visual language. Because "LIfe" also expresses a stance that features art as craftsmanship, almost in a demystifying way, be it photography or cinema.

Just like he did with his previous movies Control (2007), The American (2010) und A Most Wanted Man (2013) Corbijn comes up with wellbalanced, carefully and precisely composed images of austere beauty.

On the conditions of making art

“Life” is about young photographer Dennis Stock (Robert Pattinson), who works assignments on Hollywood´s red carpets, taking pictures of movie stars. At a party thrown by director Nicholas Ray he meets the charismatic “Jimmy”, aka James Dean (Dane DeHaan). Impressed by the latters demonstrative nonchalance, Dennis tries to convince his agent to land him an assignment for a photo feature of the yet unknown actor in prestigious Life magazine. Yet Dean, feeling pressured by the first signs of his looming fame and living more and more reclusive as well as Dennis´ own insecurities and dire financial situation keep getting in the way. The former is hesitant to accelerate his own commercial exploitation, the latter is dead-set on accumulating photos for his portfolio that will get him his own exhibition.

“Life”takes its time to reflect the economic as well as personal circumstances, under which art originates. Freelance photographer Dennis has to accept dull paid commissions that have nothing in common with the artistic vision he wants to explore. Once he discovers the embodiment of that vision in James Dean, he has to go through endless talks with the flaky youngstar as well as with his wary employers. Meanwhile, his personal life goes downhill: He´s estranged from his ex-girlfriend and their son due to his constant traveling and after a hasty tryst with a stranger, who had her eye on James in the first place, a few minutes later the girl cannot even remember Dennis' name.

“That kid is history”

Corbijn stages the moments in Dennis' encounters with James that made for those iconic photos not as a pinnacle of unique inspiration, but as seemingly casual snapshots, that nonetheless actually require a lot of work and patience. Consequently, “Life”offers no scenes of James Dean “in action” on a movie set or on stage. Press conferences, sobering phone calls with studio boss Jack Warner and nerve-wracking preparations for gala events make for a disillusioning insight into the movie business. Its conditions, “Life”suggests, offer no perspective for a rebellious prodigy such as James Dean but to rise fast and fall even harder.

DeHaan is wonderful, playing the actor as an obscure character, oscillating between apathy and impulsiveness, seemingly listless and lost between the different worlds of Hollywood, NewYork and Indiana. When James fails to show up for the New York premiere of Elia Kazan's "East of Eden", a smug Jack Warner, portrayed as a reckless entrepreneur, simply comments "that kid is history".

Finely tuned melancholy

"Life" clearly shows that Anton Corbijn is a photographer first and foremost and filmmaker secondly. Not only because he has a symbolic cameo as a photographer on the red carpet at the beginning, but because the audience is able to browse through the movie almost as if it were a collection of pictures. Calling "Life" de-dramatized would be taking the thought too far, but it does forego pointed climaxes in favor of a contemplative, more observing than involving imagery that is subtly accentuated by Canadian multi-instrumentalist Owen Palett's score. This approach is especially interesting because it’ s a poignant contrast to the heated, expressive esthetics that is so often associated with James Dean and his movies. Corbijn thus clears the path for another, slowed down perspective on the myth that is James Dean.
This makes "Life" a movie that, with its finely tuned melancholy and despite keeping a distance to its characters, is deeply moving.

--
http://tinyurl.com/k6hhn2d
Fear the man with nothing left to lose.

Thanks Tracy!

I find it odd that there is no mention of Rob's performance only commenting on Dane's. Although it sounds like
the critic liked the movie. So that is good!

I am wondering whether the US distribution is an issue because the movie does not show the charismatic
James Dean character who is idolized to this day but rather the man or 'flaky young star' that he was in real life, with the
HW machine doing the work behind the scenes? I recall one of the critics bringing this up during the Berlin
press conference, saying he was really surprised to see JD not portrayed as the 'rebel' that we remember him
as.

I kind of think the way Rob's EC character is still so ingrained in some people that they cannot seem to
differentiate between Rob the actor and this very iconic character he played for 5 movies.



Maybe so. But usually people like to see behind the curtain in that way. I guess we'll see when the film comes out.

--
http://tinyurl.com/k6hhn2d
Fear the man with nothing left to lose.

A German Life review, translated by a fan:

Emphatic portrait of cult figure James Dean and Dennis Stock, the photographer who portrayed him for Life magazine

When photographer Dennis Stock met the young actor James Dean, the latter had just wrapped „East of Eden“ and was in negotiations with Warner Brothers to take the lead in „Rebel without a Cause“. Stock gained the awkward, shy young man´s trust, spent a few days with him in New York and followed him to his family´s place in rural Indiana. From this period of time originate the most iconic pictures of James Dean: on rainy Times Square, at the farm, with members of his family. Anton Corbijn´s fourth work as a director, hardly a year after his Le Carré adaptation „A Most Wanted Man“, recounts their time together.

“Life” is a movie about young men at a crossroad in a world where they don´t seem to fit; a movie about artistic approach and the hardships and doubts an artist is met with. And on top of that it´s a beautiful movie about show business, en passant handing Ben Kingsley the opportunity for a smashing performance as Jack Warner.

But of course this movie indeed belongs to its young stars Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan, charged with the impossible task to breathe life into two icons. Both do splendidly, and one must salute Dane DeHaan especially: the way he finds Dean´s inner turmoil and makes the audience forget that he is not the real Dean, is in parts downright fantastic.

What makes the cool-artistic looking movie really interesting though, is he director´s mindset. At the beginning of his career as one of the most established contemporary photographers Corbijn had a lightbulb moment similar to Stock´s, when, in late 70ies London, he met and portrayed the then unknown band Joy Division and their lead singer Ian Curtis, who took his own life only shortly after. His photo of the band in a London tube station was for Corbijn what the pictures of Dean taken for Life Magazine were for Dennis Stock: a turning point.
So Corbijn narrating the story of an insecure photographer in search of his own voice means essentially baring a lot of himself and, mixed with the images of this very authentic movie, this makes for a thrilling experience.
After “Life” had its world premiere at this year´s Berlinale, critics put their heads together, unanimously stating that this beautiful movie should have been the festival´s opening film.

Source: Blickpunkt:Film
http://www.mediabiz.de/film/firmen/programm/life/152680 (only for registered accounts)
--
http://tinyurl.com/k6hhn2d
Fear the man with nothing left to lose.

Thanks Tracy! Last line is interesting. The European reviews posted on IMDB seem pretty strong overall.

I know, right, Sammie?

makes for a thrilling experience.
After “Life” had its world premiere at this year´s Berlinale, critics put their heads together, unanimously stating that this beautiful movie should have been the festival´s opening film.

I am loving this ratings: 4/5 stars!!!







Luna

I love the comment, but let's be real -- it's not true AT ALL. 

--
http://tinyurl.com/k6hhn2d
Fear the man with nothing left to lose.

How would you know whether it was true or not? The opening night film was Nobody Wants the Night, and it didn't win any prizes and it got a dismal reception from the critics. Variety called it "pallid and slumber inducing."

I can see the critics enjoying Life much more than that. At least the jazz score would keep them awake.
.