Local Hero - musical

[Stanko]

I started watching the LH movie again not long ago, and I had to switch off after only a few minutes in. I don't  think the acting is very good, and the movie itself feels very dated. I'm honestly quite surprised MK wanted to spend so much of his time on this.

i can understand your trouble! You miss the villain, because there is no such in this movie that you could point at!

Not sure what you are trying to say here? Anyway, the story is ok, kind of a David v. Goliath theme, and of course the locations are gorgeous, but when I tried to watch it again, after many years since the first time, I feel the movie hasn't aged well. I am much more critical to movies now than I was when I was a teenager, and I honestly don't have the patience to sit through what I feel is a poorly acted movie. This is only one man's opinion, and your milage may vary.

Ok, you have every right, of course.
(I was looking for a sarcastic reply there tbh, that's all.) 
I just disagree on your take that is poor acted. Look at it as if it's a sort of fairy tail in its essence if you like, it might change your opinion.
Regardless David and Goliath example, it's not the same, there is no a bad "guy" like Goliath in the movie, no one gets killed in the movie either (except the rabbit  ) and we all know how Goliath ended, and what David did 

[dmg]

Ok, you have every right, of course.
(I was looking for a sarcastic reply there tbh, that's all.) 
I just disagree on your take that is poor acted. Look at it as if it's a sort of fairy tail in its essence if you like, it might change your opinion.
Regardless David and Goliath example, it's not the same, there is no a bad "guy" like Goliath in the movie, no one gets killed in the movie either (except the rabbit  ) and we all know how Goliath ended, and what David did 

Well, the oil company is Goliath and the villagers are David.  As I said previously it is very much in the vein of the Ealing films and they used the same theme.  Local Hero is surely inspired by the Ealing films such as Whisky Galore and The Maggie. Perhaps even Went the Day Well, although that is English based.

[hunter]

Ok, you have every right, of course.
(I was looking for a sarcastic reply there tbh, that's all.) 
I just disagree on your take that is poor acted. Look at it as if it's a sort of fairy tail in its essence if you like, it might change your opinion.
Regardless David and Goliath example, it's not the same, there is no a bad "guy" like Goliath in the movie, no one gets killed in the movie either (except the rabbit  :-) and we all know how Goliath ended, and what David did 

But now you are mixing 'storyline' and 'acting'. The storyline, or plot, is fine, although not very original. I just feel the performance by actors was that good, and that is always a dealbreaker for me. But maybe I should give it another try.

[hunter]

Giving it another shot just now. I'm 15 minutes in (MacIntyre is at the lab in Scotland where the girl is diving into the water). It's just as bad as I remembered. It's like a bad made-for-TV movie. The acting is not flowing, and there is no chemistry between the actors. Peter Riegert in the main role has NO charisma! Dustin Hoffman would have been a great choice. Plus there is this "hollow", stilted feel to the dialog. I'll watch to the end, but this will be hard.

[Stanko]

be aware of a man that paints the name of a boat though, he appears grumpy as hell!
 

[hunter]

Finished the film just now. It does get better in the second half, i.e. after one hour (!). It has its moments, some subtle comedy going on at times, but overall I don't think it's a good movie. The idea and message are good, but the production feels very low budget.

Curious how they have adapted this to work as a musical.

As for Mark's soundtrack, the melodies are gorgeous of course, but the production feels very dated now, and they way the music was used in the movie, it felt a bit obtrusive.

I think a remake, with better writing (dialog) and direction, could make it a lot better.

By the way, Ben, the old man on the beach, reminds me of David Knopfler.

[Stanko]

 
Well said!
I also hope you enjoy it overall!
Who caresses the budget anyway?

p s.
I assume the movie grows on you!!

[dmg]

Finished the film just now. It does get better in the second half, i.e. after one hour (!). It has its moments, some subtle comedy going on at times, but overall I don't think it's a good movie. The idea and message are good, but the production feels very low budget.

Curious how they have adapted this to work as a musical.

As for Mark's soundtrack, the melodies are gorgeous of course, but the production feels very dated now, and they way the music was used in the movie, it felt a bit obtrusive.

I think a remake, with better writing (dialog) and direction, could make it a lot better.

By the way, Ben, the old man on the beach, reminds me of David Knopfler.

Is a low budget necessarily a bad thing?  Probably it is a good thing in that it concentrates the core values of a production into characters and direction and away from stars and special effects.

Perhaps we (not me) are used to watching C21st films shot mostly through annoying blue filters within a few weeks then spending six months in post-production.  Back when LH was made films were lovingly crafted by real people.

[dustyvalentino]

Each to their own but the critical consensus after nearly 40 years is that the film is a classic.

The well respected film critic Mark Kermode recently recorded a commentary with director Bill Forsythe, presumably for a bluray rerelease to coincide with the musical.

[dustyvalentino]

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/local-hero-1983

4/4 from Roger Ebert, the most famous and respected film critic who has ever lived.

But at the end of the day it's just one man's opinion and I respect different views.

[hunter]

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/local-hero-1983

4/4 from Roger Ebert, the most famous and respected film critic who has ever lived.

But at the end of the day it's just one man's opinion and I respect different views.

Remember though that that review is from 1983. I think that matters.

[dustyvalentino]

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/local-hero-1983

4/4 from Roger Ebert, the most famous and respected film critic who has ever lived.

But at the end of the day it's just one man's opinion and I respect different views.

Remember though that that review is from 1983. I think that matters.

It may matter to you. In my opinion the overall standard of film making has got worse in the last 35 years, not better.

Again, each to their own.

[hunter]

Is a low budget necessarily a bad thing?  Probably it is a good thing in that it concentrates the core values of a production into characters and direction and away from stars and special effects.

Perhaps we (not me) are used to watching C21st films shot mostly through annoying blue filters within a few weeks then spending six months in post-production.  Back when LH was made films were lovingly crafted by real people.

By "low budget" I didn't mean the lack of special fx and stars, rather that the movie has a 'B movie' feel to it. The sound of the dialog, for instance, was quite strange at times. The kind of sound you get when shooting with a hand-held camera and using the in-camera mic. That kind of thing.

I'm a fan of shows such as Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, which obviously feel more contemporary, but the overall quality (acting and production) simply is higher. In my opinion of course.

[hunter]

In my opinion the overall standard of film making has got worse in the last 35 years, not better.

I respectfully disagree.

[quizzaciously]

Each to their own but the critical consensus after nearly 40 years is that the film is a classic.

The well respected film critic Mark Kermode recently recorded a commentary with director Bill Forsythe, presumably for a bluray rerelease to coincide with the musical.

I have a very strange relationships with this movie. I saw it when I was a kid and I downloaded this movie via eMule (remember this thing?). Yes, I'm a pirate, but what's more interesting is that I just love the movie. I remember all the characters, quotes, the rabbit, telephone booth, final scene, great Burt Lancaster's character. But I don't want to watch it again! For some reason for this movie it would be much better to remain in my memory. The same thing with Charles Dickens, I love his characters and stories, but for some reason I don't want to read it again. It's once-in-a-lifetime experience

And of course Wild Theme is one of my near at hand, ready to go cry inducing cure to heal my soul, one go the best melodies ever written.