Nope (Jordan Peele)

Gusser09

Awful crap. I'll never get that time back again.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546354#Comment_119546354

I think he's a director who may ultimately benefit from a good editor or collaborator; someone who'll pull him aside and say, Jordan, you gotta tighten this up. Misdirection only works if there's a smart pay-off: The Prestige is, IMO, one of the better recent examples of the misdirection carried off with aplomb (to the extent the script literally told you the misdirect was a misdirect)

Three films in and it's plainly obvious the man has both a healthy imagination for interesting concepts - and the clout to lens in with a degree of stylishness. While the hype might be excessive - so are those weirdly eager to sledge him into the ground.

But no doubt, for me, his scripts are just a dog's dinner every time; crying out for a steady hand to whip them into shape. Wouldn't be the first director whose writing benefitted from outside influence. But I'd prefer spectacular failures to mediocre non-entitles every time; there's just more to talk about, more to dissect and discuss.

Fysh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119545795#Comment_119545795

Given the degree to which you seem to enjoy moaning about Peele (to the extent of still blaming Peele for what you see as the flaws of a film directed and co-written by Nia Dacosta, on the basis that Peele was also a co-writer) I'm not sure why you'd even say you're thinking about watching this. Why not swap the hate-watching for something you think you might like?

StringerBell

Really liked the first 2/3rds of the movie just felt it went on a bit too long at the end maybe, no issue with the insanity of it just became a little bit tedious and was happy when it was over.

Didn't hate the female character as seems to be a common complaint.

Probably a 7/10 for me overall as I felt it was a bit meandering in parts but also had some wonderful moments.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546983#Comment_119546983

That film that you speak of "Candyman" was very much his project in terms of acquiring it, "re-booting" it, absolutely setting its course and tone and it would be facile to suggest otherwise and the actual issue with that was the absolute clumsiness of the writing which he was directly involved in - in terms of "subtext" (as if lol) that was total Brick-to-the-face and which left the very much afterthought (to the "subtext") and comically under-developed characters as hollow and as memorable as a dried-out husk and a ruined IP (not for the first time) in its wake.

I've every right to comment on the "Peele issue" - that's a tired old line about go watch sometime you like.

I consider Peele to be over-inflated, over-rated and the completely dumb director comparisons (and more) thrown out there by not a few portions of the media pathetically rabid to appear "on-the-pulse" are more than faintly ridiculous.

His "rise" if you want to call that is more a result of the "culture wars" than actual merit, especially considering anything after "Get Out" (which I've said several times was decent, but nevertheless not much more than a "Stepford Wives" rehash) and that's something worth commenting on imo

Any film can have a "nice idea" or a "nice shot" here and there but equally most people judge a film on the overall impression and if something comes across as having significant flaws then most judge that not to be a good film.

johnny_ultimate

Went to see this again over the weekend and liked it even more second time around.

A lot of the pleasure is just the craft of the thing. The way the film visually explores several of its key motifs (looking, perspective, cameras) is fascinating: it opens with a POV shot (of an image both traumatic and inexplicable) and concludes with an extended set-piece that is built entirely around the characters' gazes being weaponised - both to their advantage and disadvantage. It's a spectacular finale full of imaginative staging and SFX, but I do appreciate how it's built upon the thematic and aesthetic sensibilities established previously.

The soundtrack also stood out a lot this time - the way it grows to incorporate more traditional western soundtrack tropes until it goes all in at the very end. Particularly love 'The Run' track, which plays alongside a wonderfully strange chase sequence.

https://youtu.be/Ilp7qHb9U-A

What's interesting to me about the characterisation is that while most of the characters are in their way chasing fame or glory, the film isn't really judging them in the way we might expect from films of this type. Yeun's character is the best example of that...

Spoiler Warning

Here's someone who has seen the effects of exploitation first hand, and been witness to a traumatic spectacle. He has gone on to exploit that trauma himself, through his memorabilia room (which he 'usually charges a fee' to access) and of course the big Star Lasso Experience. But I think Peele treats him sympathetically, and that close-up shot as he realises **** has gone terribly wrong comes across as a sad, genuine tragedy rather than just deserts.

Lots of good writing on the film knocking around from a whole bunch of perspectives and interpretations, but really think this NYT review nails a lot of what I liked about it:

“Nope” addresses such matters in a mood that feels more ruminant than argumentative. The main target of its critique is also the principal object of its affection.

Anyway, appreciate a lot of people didn't or won't like the film for very valid reasons - I personally agree the pacing is fairly messy - but I gotta say it's maybe the first Peele film to really stick with me. I liked those first two films, but this one has just lingered with me in a really satisfying way. One of my favourite films of the year so far.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119547924#Comment_119547924

Re. Yuen's character, honestly I think that's just bad writing that none of that ever really came across in my viewing. Like in some films where the response is, "oh well, you need to have read the novelisation / comic for that to make sense"; no, you really shouldn't have to. It should be right there, threaded like cloth.

I'd never advocate hitting the audience over the head with a hammer, but there's a balance as well; in my previous post arguing for a voice over his shoulder, Peele needed to revise how the film gave that information across - and how it tied into the main plot. What you say makes a lot of narrative sense - but having literally seen the movie 2 days ago, its memory still fresh, none of that came across in what I saw. Logistically, it was a mess, and when the shoe dropped, closing that subplot's door it left me deeply unsatisfied. Still does, knowing how it was meant to come together; cos I didn't see it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119547743#Comment_119547743

I've every right to comment on the "Peele issue" - that's a tired old line about go watch sometime you like.

"the Peele issue"? Dude. You have every right. It's just at this stage, ach. Like. We get it. You really really really don't like Jordan Peele; think between this and the Candyman thread it's got to a stage where it's like ... maybe it's worth just putting him in a box, shrugging one's shoulders and going c'est la vie? Especially if you're not even going to watch his films out of a sense of cinematic curiosity?

Wouldn't mind but as "culture wars" is obviously something that sticks in your craw, and ignoring the suggestion his fame is only due to social pressure: this is his least "about another thing" movie. And as I said myself already: I do think Peele is overrated, so I'm no fan - but I don't get the determined sledging either.

I'm still not ruling out the fact Peele took your lunch out of the office fridge one day - and you won't let that bástard's win for that 😂

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119548261#Comment_119548261

a bit of a facetious and projecting tone there to be honest

I simply abhor the unmerited polishing of turds as it is as repugnant as the image of same.

It's a valid dynamic to discuss

We can't say who else might or might not get be losing out on opportunities due to this sort of "phenomenon" but it's safe to say that there is a ripple effect just as there is on a larger scale with the MCU DCEU toilet clog that has altered the cinema landscape

I've seen all the "works" excepting this one which I haven't - I will probably do so at some point.

The revenue numbers say that I'm not the only one.

Fysh

Sure, but perhaps it could be a dedicated thread (maybe even one where you also talk about other directors where the same effect applies?) rather than just you wading into every thread about productions that Peele is anywhere near to Tireless Rebutter your way through the conversation like a snowplow.

I'm genuinely interested in what people didn't like about this film, because it makes for interesting conversation. (And I equally get that, if you really disliked a film, you probably also don't want to spend more time dwelling on it, which is fair enough).

But...You haven't seen it. So you can't really comment on that, and instead you're wanging on about other stuff (box office, someone else's review - as long as it's negative, whatever) to give you excuse to play the Emperor In The Nip card, or whatever du jour equivalent you want. It's just boring. It's not a new conversation, it's just you being The Pub Bore about your favourite subject. Again.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119535634#Comment_119535634

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119548674#Comment_119548674

nobody is stopping you and nobody did stop you when you asked your question about the "third act"

nobody so far has bothered to answer.

so that is (so far) your answer.

I don't think that my few comments have stopped people seeing the question.

film performance and the nature of ratings, critic response is a common if not ubiquitous topic for any any box office film discussed on boards.

there is an undeniable further element connected to Peele as alluded to which is also going to come up.

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119548261#Comment_119548261

Important to stress that the shoe doesn't drop in this... literally speaking 😆 (sorry, couldn't resist!)

Each to their own of course, but I think the Gordy / Jupe subplot here is basically a decoder ring for the entire film: Peele opens on it for a reason, and how it reflects, differs and ultimately blends into the main UFO plot underlines a lot of the thematic concerns and ideas afoot. The whole concept of taming / exploiting wild animals for entertainment's sake is an idea woven into the story throughout, and in the Jupe story we see that playing out with unfortunate, unforeseen consequences at the two different points in the character's life.

Spoiler Warning

The fate of Jupe and the fate of OJ are entirely different... and OJ's very different response to the alien creature (including his refusal to use horses as bait) is part of that. They've both experienced trauma, but take different lessons from their experiences.

As I mentioned in my previous post, it'd be easy to cast Jupe as a villain. But a warm, charismatic performance from Jeun and the smart editing choices Peele made when it came to inserting the flashback sequences is where I found it easy to feel sympathy towards the character even when he made a fatal bad decision to use Jean Jacket and Lucky for the purpose of spectacle. To me, that decision ultimately emerged from his inability to fully process the trauma that has haunted him - there's one moment where his smile drops and it briefly cuts to a close-up of his younger self, which suggests for all the bravado he's still kinda broken.

For me, what I liked about it is all within the film itself rather than anything extra-textual - and I wasn't aware of the real-life event that inspired that subplot until I read up about it afterwards. Of course, the reference adds further clarity to the film (especially why Peele settled on 'Oprah shot' as a descriptor). But again the subplot works for me with or without that context.

Whether the emotional core of the Jupe subplot worked for you, well to be fair that's absolutely going to differ from viewer to viewer. It worked for me, and I was impressed it did when Yeun has, by my count, only three scenes / sequences in the film (alongside the two pivotal flashbacks featuring the younger version of his character).

One of the things I do particular like about the film is that it leaves open plentiful room for interpretation - it's happy to indulge a bunch of ideas even if it doesn't necessarily offer tidy resolutions to a lot of them. I can easily see and indeed understand why that would leave this feeling like a frustrating, underwhelming experience for many. And yeah I've heard people validly express their disappointment that there's not really much in the way of a clear thesis here. Personally, I felt the loose ends and rough edges made it a richer film on the whole, opening a lot of threads for me to untangle even if they don't all wind up offering traditional answers. But hey, what I saw as a text full of fascinating ideas can easily be someone else's unfocused mess :) TBH, if the execution and filmmaking wasn't as strong as it is here I could have easily fallen on the other side myself - on a pure technical and entertainment level I was engrossed both times around.

KerryM9

What a mediocre movie, kind of pointless indulgence of the director. It contained nothing novel in premise, what it did contain was of minimal interest really, and yes the way it tells the story was a little novel (visually and stylistically etc as opposed to the content) but that just isn't enough to make a good movie.

one armed dwarf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119528682#Comment_119528682

I watched this and this captures my feelings perfectly I think. (first two lines is all I meant to quote, I'm not used to new boards.ie)

Peele's films are still enjoyable imo, but I think he is elevating the importance of subtext too much. I think the best allegorical-based films can still be appreciated at the surface level and have a lot to offer to all sorts of audiences. This feels a bit too clever for its own good, even if the message itself is really interesting and some of the key scenes amazing to watch

It's maybe the most uneven thing I've seen in a while. What ends up happening is even tho it's a very fun pastiche of film influences coming together to convey a message the entire construction feels over-written and under-edited, or not given enough scrutiny somewhere along the line. The message is smothered by poor execution to the point that the pastiche is reduced to an empty patchwork of poorly explained ideas

I bet it's better on rewatch, but I can't be that charitable to it on my first viewing of it. Much worse than Get Out at least

Homelander

I wanted to like this film but I was disappointed. I wouldn't go so far to say it's bad, it really isn't - there's great moments, it's very well made, and like his other films, you do have to admire the ambition to do something different.

But the end result is uneven, it feels too indulgent. Get Out was an absolute blast, Us was reasonable (though I think I appreciated the ambition more than the end product) but Nope fell short of what I was expecting in terms of quality.

Still, again, absolutely not a bad movie. I'd say it's not even mediocre. But just not quite there. I'd say it's at still least deserving of a 6/10 - a movie definitely worth watching, but not one I'd be actively recommending.