MovieChat Forums > In My Father's Den (2004) Discussion > hard to watch

hard to watch

posted 19 years ago by sjoyd24
15 replies | jump to latest

I found this film very hard to watch. I am not a fan of any of the actors in the film and watched from a purely neutral point of view. I had heard it had won awards and was very good. I watched for it at the movies and when it was not released where I could see it, I purchased it on DVD. Right from the start I had to persevere with this film and only kept watching to see if it improved. From reading a lot of the comments on this board I found that most of you were confused and had trouble following the storyline. To me it was so slow and confusing it was a bit like pulling teeth. I did like the young girl who played the daughter and that was about it. I have watched Spooks and really enjoy it but not necessarily MM, I was glad when he left and like his replacement much better. It seems to me that some of you are just trying to like it because you are a MM fan and even that is not enough to make this film good. I am not the only person in my family and friends who I have lent it to to express these feelings, not one of them would watch it again.

[–] lucetta 19 years ago

Hi drurylane,

Well I am a Matthew fan, and I wanted to see this film purely because of him, I admit...BUT...I was not prepared to fall so in love with and be so blown away by the beauty, hope and tragedy of this film. I literally felt numb afterwards, and didn't talk for about half an hour!

Every performance is flawless, not least Matthew's...who is heartbreaking in it.

I must say I find it slightly insulting that you assume that every Matthew Macfadyen fan watched this film and is 'trying to like and understand it' purely for his input.

It is all a matter of taste, and everyone is allowed their opinion, but I don't think you should tar everyone with the same brush and assume that fans of Matthew Macfadyen view him as a piece of meat, not the fine actor he is.

I can understand if he is not to everyone's taste as an actor...I heard someone mention that he 'never breaks a sweat when he's acting'...and that's cool, Wouldn't discussing films on these boards be boring if we all agreed on the same style and form of acting?!!
But in my humble opinion, MM is a beautifully real, subtle and understated performer, and that is what I love about him...and that is what I love about his portrayal of Paul Prior.

Being a Johnny Depp fan also, I often come up against this prejudice that fans of an actor only like them for their looks and don't 'get' some of the films as they are too busy adoring their idol. Just wanted to say this, as it does offend me slightly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Mrs O Groany...your hair is on fire.'

[–] kriskorp 19 years ago

hey folks..... I just watched this film, and thought it quite incredible! (although I could be accused of having a bias, being a kiwi.)
And I didnt watch it for any of the actors. The thing that turned my head was realizing that it was a New Zealand Film,
Having enjoyed NZ scifi(Lord of the rings) And NZ Cultural (Whale rider). I was curious to watch something different again , and very glad that I did

[–] Lyndxe 19 years ago

I found this film to be truly incredible as well... I will admit that the only reason that I went and first saw it was because I was living in New Zealand at the time and was trying to absorb as much of the Kiwi film culture as I could. However, I totally fell in love and was captivated by this film. It is amongst my favourites. True, the script is a bit cumbersome and long in some areas, however, it ultimately pulls away from it's flaws with the talented acting, plot, and story line. Regardless, it's a brilliant film that deserves more exposure.

Also... NZ scifi(Lord of the rings)? Dude, I totally don't recall any sci-fi. Where was I, and what was I watching??!?

How cool is that?

[–] Trin22 19 years ago

This film won countless awards at prestigious film festivals all over the world. I don't think the film festival board committees are comprised of mindless Matthew Macfadyen fans. I first caught this at a film festival myself and was blown away by its richly layered narrative and dense symbolisms, not to mention its big heart forgiving and hugging all the hurt and torn souls. I agree it's not an easy film to watch but that doesn't automatically make this a bad film. The tough experience was certainly rewarding for me.

[–] inspired-kiwi 19 years ago

I agree - confusing doesn't mean bad. I love watching a movie and having to think about it. The fact that people want their questions answered shows that the film lingered in their mind which I think is a good thing. I would definitely watch it again, and I knew of none of the actors prior.

[–] kitty_kat__666 19 years ago

This will probably sound a bit weird, but when I watched this film I did feel like it was really slow and I was wondering why I was sitting there still watching. However when it got to the end, although I still felt like this, there was a certain satisfaction I had from watching it and I found that, Yes it was a REALLY good film. I'm glad that I've watched it and would readily watch it again!

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] dag_nabbet 19 years ago

What the heck has nationality got to do with it. I'm from Denmark, and I wanted to see it because of the good things I read about it. Not because it's from NZ. I only knew Miranda Otto from LOTR and that character could have been played by anyone.

It's a slow untwisting drama, not an action adventure like LOTR or a sappy sentimental cultural piece like Whale Rider. It's a depiction of a double tragedy in a rural society, a secluded world on its own. It has nothing to do with none of the movies you've mentioned. Make a decent comparison or don't make one at all.

If the narrative structure didn't come full circle there would be no reason at all to have one.

...if your hand touches metal I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you.

[–] MrsCarter 19 years ago

Hey dag nabbet, I totally agree with you. Also, I notice from your signature that you're a browncoat (sorry to thread nap folks). That explains your good taste!!

[–] dag_nabbet 19 years ago

:)

...if your hand touches metal I swear by my pretty floral bonnet I will end you.

[–] putthison 19 years ago

Never saw Forrest Gump and never will...

[–] adventurous 19 years ago

Not all movies are for all people. This is definitely NOT an action packed thriller. I think of it more as a dramatic thriller. I have heard the opinion that it was slow, but I enjoy movies with deeper meanings. I think this was the reasoning behind not releasing to region 1 initially (if they ever do release it to North America). Loved the story and the acting was quite remarkable.

[–] hppg 19 years ago

How interesting. I found it surprisingly easy to watch. I didn't watch it all in one go though, I often can't manage that with films due to time constraints. I am an MM fan and he was very good but I thought it was nice nonetheless. All the actors were pretty good, Emily Barclay sometimes a bit dodge but I really found it engaging, not too slow-moving most of the time and really good bits. I liked it way more than most other films, I can't explain it, I just wanted to be there.

[–] brissiemum2 19 years ago

Actually, I think that part of being a good film means that you are still thinking about it and questioning it hours, sometimes days after you have viewed it. It affects you to that point where it opens up debate and discussion with others also. That was certainly the case with this film for me. Although I followed most of the storyline (not all, but most)I was still discussing plot twists and interconnections of characters with my husband the day after I watched it!

From reading the board here though, I do notice that a few people have mentioned that they had trouble with some of the dialogue because of the accents. I don't know how much this might have affected some people's understanding of the plot, but might contribute to missing some more subtle innuendos! Just a thought!

[–] pjisdaman 19 years ago

As a kiwi i always get excited about and make an effort to watch NZ films, but i dont necessarily like them all.
IMFD IMO is an excellent movie, i for one would like to see more NZ films gaining recognition overseas, not just because they are directed by PJ (luv him of course) or because they "play the culture card".
I liked the fact that it was an interesting and unique story that could be set anywhere but just happened to be in NZ.
Dont get me wrong, i love whalerider et al but it is refreshing to see a kiwi film be successful without having to reflect what is only one part of our cultural identity.

"You can't deal with my infinite nature can you?"