MovieChat Forums > Savages (2012) Discussion > Did anyone care about any of the charact...

Did anyone care about any of the characters?

posted 11 years ago by killampeter
20 replies | jump to latest

I love movies with flawed characters that you care about, but this movie was completely saturated with characters that I found dull and shallow.
They lathered us with the "Feel sorry for me because I never new my daddy", or "They killed my_____ so sympathize with me".
Sorry, but the writers have no connection to creating interesting believable characters.
Maybe if they were a little deeper they could understand true character writing.

[–] DrFong 11 years ago

I liked Elena. The rest I didn't care one bit for. I liked the ending where everyone died better.

[–] Prismark10 11 years ago

They were not really nice characters apart from Ben who wanted to save the third world!

Its that man again!!

[–] highway_demon_77 11 years ago

Yes, Esteban. I liked his 2 minute sidestory with Del Toro's character. They could have gone more into this, instead of O whining for almost through the whole movie.

...they mostly come at night... mostly.

[–] gorkee 11 years ago

They all deserve to die.

The Afghan boy, the sugardaddy blonde and the educated idiot - a cartel's bullet should be put into the head of each. The way the blonde ("O") was brutally raped by Lado and didn't even remember it was cool and humorous, but she had it way too simple.

Entire "marijuana & open sexual relationship" trio didn't deserve to stay alive.

But if anyone had to be left alive, I'd leave Lado (B. Toro), Dennis (Travolta) and Elena (Hayek). They'd be put to prison and that's it. When you watch their performances, it seems as if Lively, Kitsch and Johnson can't do much else but go away, disappear from the film ...

... and fade out.

[–] highway_demon_77 11 years ago

^this. I asked myself almost every scene, "Again, why should I care about them?".

...they mostly come at night... mostly.

[–] gorkee 11 years ago

+1

The main trio is too stupid to live or for anyone to care.

Ophelia: she is from a gated community, "her rich daddy didn't care about her much" and she doesn't understand "how can those French bitches eat so much and stay so skinny!"

Afghan boy: I can't stand his "Shoot with RPG first, ask questions later" or "Bravo! There's Charlie everywhere!" attitude.

That botanic: he is even not a man, but more like some sexually frustrated pussy. He can "make a Blake Lively come by merely pimping up the dope chemistry".

That's why I don't even believe the narrator (Ophelia's voice), when she said that they smoked weed and got laid all the time. He couldn't even *beep* a water bucket or himself alone, let alone "O".

[–] highway_demon_77 11 years ago

Usually Oliver Stone delivers, but in case of Savages it seems to me he tried vey hard to appeal to a specific demographic group - the weed-smoking, videogaming (single) male age 18 to 28. If made right it can work of course, but like you described the trio, they are not characters but generic archetypes.

...they mostly come at night... mostly.

[–] gorkee 11 years ago

I couldn't agree more with you.

Now, a few days or a week later, I kind of think that Savages are not so bad. But only because of Travolta, Del Toro and Hayek who save the movie.

I liked the scenery of California, Indonesia and Tijuana (there is just something incredibly cool about that famous border crossing and flag of Mexico nearby, at least for me, since I come from EU and haven't been to US yet).

The beaches, surfers and sea remind me of Point Break a bit.

[–] highway_demon_77 11 years ago

there is just something incredibly cool about that famous border crossing and flag of Mexico nearby

That's the thing, I expected a exotic and gritty thriller with lush colors and the scenery you described, and in that point the film delivered. Every film of Stone is visually stunning and deserves to been seen at least once.

And actually I recommended that film to friends because of Del Toro.

...they mostly come at night... mostly.

[–] phantom_pixie 10 years ago

Nope. I just did not give a sh*t about any of them. I rather liked the idea that they all died at the end. It made more sence considering what morons they were.

X ~We are the people our parents warned us about

[–] Lagertha8 10 years ago

Yes, I liked Ben, Chon and O, and I loved their non-traditional relationship.

[–] Satchmos_Chillun 10 years ago

I agree with the posters who said all of the characters were somewhat unlikeable, however, I did care a tiny bit for Elena (Hayek). Even though she was a ruthless drug dealer, her maternal emotions for O were interesting, and made her sympathetic to me. I guess Elena started to care more for O because her own daughter shunned her, and Elena therefore felt lonely and unloved. Good writing, there. Not enough to save this film's script though.

[–] Okeelani 10 years ago

It's such a tired and cliched complaint about movies.
"Waaaaaaa, I didn't CARE about any of the characters."
Who gives a *bleep* if you cared for them?
And where is it written that anyone NEEDS to necessarily care about them for the story to still work? Who wrote that rule?
Did anyone care about any of the characters in "Cape Fear"? In "Scarface"? In "Leaving Las Vegas", etc, etc, etc.....
You didn't care about any of the characters? Who cares.

[–] DirtyReplicant 10 years ago

^im down with this sentiment

Who replaced John Mclane with an out and out *beep*

[–] spidercage 10 years ago

I care.

[–] chas437 10 years ago

Agree, and its a valid criticism of the film.

Its a typical Oliver Stone mess, and the actors cast are just not very strong. The exception is Salma Hayek.

I'll take Punctuality

[–] red_skin123 10 years ago

Not every movie needs likable characters, but this movie intended their characters to be likable, and they were all flat, boring, uncharismatic, and shallowly written/portrayed.

This is not an antiplot film filled with realistic characters, it's quite over the top and cartoony, and it definitely wanted you to like their main characters.

[–] psdhart 10 years ago

I only liked Ben

[–] babywyatt30 10 years ago

I loved the main characters and I think the film was a beautiful fantasy (chick flick) action drama. Maybe it is more so for a younger group but I am young and I did like. It's 2 hot rich guys whom are completely different and gorgeous and into this 1 chick who doesn't have a care in the world. If you are over 35 and/or conservative,Chances are you won't like this movie.... Otherwise you secretly wish you had the balls or capabilities to be with two Gorgeous Men and mentally have them the way O did.

[–] TheBeardedWonder 9 years ago

If you are over 35 and/or conservative,Chances are you won't like this movie. Otherwise you secretly wish you had the balls or capabilities to be with two Gorgeous Men and mentally have them the way O did.

-Haha as a liberal under 30 that literally just made me laugh with how silly that was. Are you saying every man and woman who is under 35 and not conservative wants to bang and control these 2 guys all the time? What the hell are you even talking about.

'Get yourself a real dog. Any dog under 50 lbs is a cat and cats are pointless' - Ron Swanson