MovieChat Forums > Mr. Nobody (2013) Discussion > Slightly OT: The word 'pretentious' shou...

Slightly OT: The word 'pretentious' should be banned.

posted 11 years ago by I_married_a_Dalek_twice
41 replies | jump to latest

I'm sick of reading this word in every damn thread/comment posted by someone who didnt like the movie. Not just this movie, every movie that takes a step towards being artsy, intelligent or thought provoking. It seems that there are people who automatically hate a clever, complicated plot for being "pretentious". This word has lost its meaning, its now merely an empty sound and an easy excuse for not bothering to think a bit more than American Pie makes you think. Again, this isnt about Mr Nobody, but any movie in history which suffered this stupid accusation. Of course everyone is entitled to believe whatever they want, but "pretentious" is usually much more a meaningless sound than a real arguement.

I guess that if you have a brilliant, poetic idea and want to make a movie, you have to be Tarkovsky, Bergman, Fellini or at least Kubrick, otherwise your movie will be "pretentious". Or are they pretentious too? Maybe all science, art and philosophy is pretentious.

EDIT: To prevent stupid replies from people who totally missed my point, let me say that I'm not comparing Mr Nobody or any other movie to the works of said directors.

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"I would only believe in a god that knows how to dance"

[–] mickeylbrown 11 years ago

Its not the subject matter that makes it pretentious, but the way they explore it. Tell me, how much Information about this film did you have going in? Did you go in blind not knowing it had anything to do with string theory?

[–] filipatrindade92 11 years ago

I watched the movie "completely blind" I had no idea what it was about but I had a lot of friends talking about it. It's now one of my favourite films and it took me 2 times watching to actually understand it (or at least, create my own perception of it) and that could be due to the fact that I had no idea for what I was going.

[–] lanzer22 11 years ago

Agreed. It's not much of a read when what's being shared is someone digging for similarities. Does that mean re-adaptations automatically scores a zero? I think this movie does have many flaws, but also executed many ideas with creativity and a high level of polish that puts many blockbusters to shame.

[–] The-ManWithNoName 11 years ago

I agree. The ironic part is that most of the philistines who overuse and misuse the word pretentious,.... Don't even know what it means.

[–] cableaddict 11 years ago

I think the word "philistine" should be banned.

It's really quite pretentious.

[–] The-ManWithNoName 11 years ago

Oh my word, you're so clever.

[–] kd4ml 11 years ago

I think my people may have been philistines. Now my feelings are hurt. Wah, Wah... Someone owes me an apology!

[–] jesatsu 11 years ago

Give back the Ark of the Covenant pls.

[–] douglasde-440-794760 11 years ago

After seeing some of the promotional material, and listening to the way some people talk about this film I would say pretentious is pretty accurate. Nearly saying that this movie somehow explains the meaning of life itself is quite pretentious.

Is it a good movie? Maybe. But when a movie and it's fans present it in such an overblown way it just puts me off. Like when I see something like The Tree of Life, all I can think is, "Now that looks like a self-important movie that's going to be incredibly boring."

Maybe it would be easier to accept movies like Mr. Nobody if there weren't so many movies before it that were complete garbage and sold themselves as artsy and thought provoking.

[–] ephemereality 11 years ago

But did you watch it? It does actually portray the meaning of life in its own way. It deeply explores a fundamental nature of the human condition and if one wants to look at it philosophically, the existential angst all humans suffer because of choices they must do in their lives. Of course, no piece of art can cover the entirety of the meaning of life, but it can cover vital aspects of it in a way that's original, creative and feels genuinely important. Mr. Nobody does that in my opinion.

This is actually what art is, pretentious or not. Good art should be pretentious to one degree or another. It means that the artist actually had a vision of something beyond the mundane life experience. There are films that try to be artistic like Memoirs of a Geisha. Great cinematography but really poor writing, and it tried to touch on a similar message Mr. Nobody did but ultimately failed. Memoirs of a Geisha is a film I'll remember for being pretty but not because it offered a genuine message about what life is about, though it could have had, if told so much better.

[–] DCI77 11 years ago

>>This is actually what art is, pretentious or not. Good art should be pretentious to one degree or another. It means that the artist actually had a vision of something beyond the mundane life experience.

Really?

[–] DCI77 11 years ago

I found Tree of Life not pretentious - though I can see why some would. In comparison to Mr. Nobody - it all its ambitions which I respect - Tree of Life is a simple story yet it carries much more resonance with me due to its simplicity and its holistic scope.

[–] thebe123-484-488327 10 years ago

Yeah. Tree of Life is one of my all time favorite movies. I actually have watched it several times and have the dvd.

By all counts with the subject matter and everything I should have loved Mr. Nobody, yet I couldn't attach to it emotionally or in anyway. I'm familiar with string theory and anything that has to do with multiverses is my thing.

Maybe I was just too tired when I decided to watch it. I was hesitant when I seen how long it was.

Tree of Life dug right inside the core of my being and filled my senses. Certainly much preferred the soundtrack.

I never want to hear Mr. Sandman again.

[–] Ssertorivs 11 years ago

Maybe it would be easier to accept movies like Mr. Nobody if there weren't so many movies before it that were complete garbage and sold themselves as artsy and thought provoking.

Yeah.... I think the word 'pretentious' can be applied to almost everything that comes out of Hollywood these days. Pretentious, shallow crap. So, OP, leave my language alone, please.

[–] jeskavandetta 11 years ago

I don't see what the problem is here. If a movie is pretentious that's just what it is - it's pretentious. That isn't even always a bad thing (I think all artists should strive to be more than what they are in order to create great work - often pretension just comes with the territory). It's a valid criticism regardless, especially when film makers forget to write a decent narrative for the sake of their "art".

I just don't understand some people's problem with that word. I mean really, if you'd thought that a movie you'd just seen was so clever then the opinions of the underlings who might call it "pretentious" because they "just didn't get it" shouldn't matter anyways.

[–] NotASpeckOfCereal 11 years ago

The problem is that at least 9 times out of 10, they're not using the word properly. It's that simple.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretentious

Be sure to proof your posts to see if you any words out

[–] DCI77 11 years ago

Or from dictionary.com

pretentious
adjective
1. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance, especially when exaggerated or undeserved: a pretentious, self-important waiter.
2. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.

So by going by that definition(s), if someone thinks the movie is trying to act or deliver a message that's grand - and it fails to deliver that message successfully - then I would guess that the word pretentious can be applied.

[–] DCI77 11 years ago

On the inter webs, especially in the "human condition/nature" crowd/artist circles, the word pretentious is mostly seen as a pejorative.

[–] jeskavandetta 11 years ago

...And your point is...?

(Assuming that that was in response to my previous post)

[–] DCI77 11 years ago

I don't see what the problem is here.

OP's subject title -

The word 'pretentious' should be banned.

2014: Whiplash, Cold in July, that Terrence Malick project set in Austin

[–] jeskavandetta 11 years ago

Oh, well if that was, like, a literal response to my not seeing what the "problem" was then thank you, Captain Obvious. =/

Of course by that logic, I guess the inherent problem is with people's perception of the word which really has more to do with those who would like to see a ban on the word "pretentious" and less to do with the validity of its actual usage (something I sort of touched on in my first post).
I just don't think people should let this sort of thing bother them as much as they do (it's just a word after all and a pretty harmless one at that). Making a whole thread to complain about it just seems silly.

[–] deacon_blues-3 11 years ago

I can certainly sympathize! People who are indeed pretentious never realize that they are. It must be stressful. Also, films that are grossly pretentious are never seen that way by the pretentious people who think that these films are so much more important than they really are.

[–] DCI77 11 years ago

I wouldn't say it's pretentious, but the movie tries hard to be deeply philosophical and intellectual in all its symbolism and all its choices, ironically.

Different choices leads to different paths and consequences. How revelatory. And this leads to "The Meaning of Life."

[–] MarshallStax 11 years ago

One definition of "pretentious" states, "making demands on one's skill, ability, or means : ambitious"

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretentious

And the core word, pretense is defined as "make-believe, fiction"

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretense

All Art is pretense.