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Annihilation |OT| A Shimmer Out Of Space [Spoilers]
- Thread starter More_Badass
- Start date
So what's with the tattoos some people randomly got after visiting the dude with the moving intestines? She said something about echoes....
The way this started out reminded me of smt strange journey. It kinda lost me at the end though I wasn't sure what the heck was going on.
Because the ending is a spineless disappointment, it shares that flaw with Interstellar. A smaller nitpick is that I can't stand how Denis Villeneuve shoots his characters. Almost never together on the screen and very close up, I don't know what's up with that trend but its awful.
I think Prisoners was mediocre as well. BR a bit better but still nothing to write home about.
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Was engaged for the duration of the film but I can't say I liked it too much in the end. I do want to like his films but I'm never sold on his characters.
I agree, but comparisons here are inevitable I guess given the broad science fiction label they share.
The ending was built up by clever editing right from the start, it's neither courageous nor spineless, and it certainly wasn't future human ex machina. Since a lot was happening inside protagonist's head, the film needed many closeup reaction shots. And Amy Adams did a terrific job at being the warm human link binding time and people. The super-closeups in flashbacks with her daughter successfully channeled the intimacy.
Well, you have convinced me.
People think that at the end we see the clone of Lena? Why? I, like most of people believe that at the end the real Lena comes out of the area and the reason why she is so strange after that is because she already has her DNA mixed with the weird thing, as she mentioned this fact earlier in the movie
i have a question, why does every single interesting and potentially great sci-fi movie have to ruin it with cringy and predictable human drama? 95% of the time it feels so forced, and always takes up way too much screentime. either it's someone's marital issues, father-daughter relationship, the loss of a child, a belly ache or whatever.. i can't take it anymore. GIVE ME MORE SCI-FI IN MY SCI-FI FFS. when i want human drama i will watch the Sopranos or something. god-damn-it.
i'm talking about Interstellar, Arrival, Gravity, this movie... it will never end, will it?
my god, when someone finally dares to make a sci-fi movie where the humans and their personal issues are not the constant center of focus, i will cry tears of joy and declare it to be the movie of the decade.
i'm talking about Interstellar, Arrival, Gravity, this movie... it will never end, will it?
my god, when someone finally dares to make a sci-fi movie where the humans and their personal issues are not the constant center of focus, i will cry tears of joy and declare it to be the movie of the decade.
also bear scene gave me nightmares ugjhhhsd
I don't understand this either. We literally see Lena walk out while the alien clone goes down the hole, fully ablaze from the fosforus grenade.
The movie goes out of its way to show that it is the real Lena who leaves the lighthouse.
It's almost impossible to create a compelling movie without "human drama". All the best sci-fi movies explore the unknown whilst having the limited human experience as the lens we see those events through.
The movie even alleviates this with Lena drinking water and placing the cup in front of camera. The same shot where Kane's glass was bloody in the beginning of the movie.
I understand your position. I would like to see pure sci fi, myself, but the dramatic bond is what makes us become emotionally invested in the characters on screen.
I think an even worse trend is the "forced selfless sacrifice" of characters who serve no other purpose but to die on screen to save our hero. The last 3 star wars have really overdone it in this regard.
I really dislike "tacked on" love stories. I think the only Big Hollywood movie I've ever seen without a love interest is The Adventures of Tin Tin. If you have the time, go back and watch the film to see "what a movie can be without love or romance". You'll start to feel... rushed.
Arrivals drama-backstory-arc was essential to the film, however.
1. It served to establish our viewpoint (mother who lost her child) would have a lack of self preservation in the face of alien beings.
2. It served the theme and sci-fi hook of time manipulation.
3. It served as the Shamalan-twist (it got me good)
4. It added its own scifsc conundrum ( is it better to have loved and lost than never loved at all... If you can see the future)
True, I do think it's the real Lina, but the lack of blood could be many things.
Don't forget clone Kayne stabilised after everything burned. He may very well not bleed from water too now.
Edit: also there was a pretty hard cut when she passed out pressed to the door, I could see that being the point where the "switch" happened if at all.
Something I'd like to discuss. The soundtrack was on point. Definitely one for the vinyl list. Well it would be anyway if they released it vinyl. Hopefully they'll release the vinyl soon because that soundtrack was incredible.
Great movie, I don't get the confusion some are having with the ending.
Entertaining it for a moment, even though she admitted to being changed by the shimmer its not established in the film she transformed enough to survive being burned long enough and have the knowledge to go in the hole and burn it all down.
Still would not make sense the real Lena knows what the incendiary grenade is, why would she grab it and hold on to it?
Entertaining it for a moment, even though she admitted to being changed by the shimmer its not established in the film she transformed enough to survive being burned long enough and have the knowledge to go in the hole and burn it all down.
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I mean we see the real Kayne kill himself due to the mental breakdown, but I do agree it seems less likely than real her getting out.
Just finished rewatching this again as the flatmate wanted to see it.
It's possibly better the 2nd time around but I gotta disagree with the "explaining" videos that say the water is mutating in the interview scenes. It's a fantastic movie and one that I really wanted to have seen in a cinema. You definitely will be able to read the scenes and understand the movie better the second time having watched and read some impressions etc online. The thing about the houses being a mirror was apparent on second viewing and of course having seen it online. Really fascinating movie and one of the best sci-fi cinema of the last couple of years. Natalie Portman is fantastic.
I didnt notice it until red letter media pointed out but that whole stretch of 20 minutes at the end with no dialogue and its more gripping than most movies out there. Man, this movie is good.
I'm trying to read the book RN as well, about 10 pages in. Actually interested to see where book 2+3 goes.
It's possibly better the 2nd time around but I gotta disagree with the "explaining" videos that say the water is mutating in the interview scenes. It's a fantastic movie and one that I really wanted to have seen in a cinema. You definitely will be able to read the scenes and understand the movie better the second time having watched and read some impressions etc online. The thing about the houses being a mirror was apparent on second viewing and of course having seen it online. Really fascinating movie and one of the best sci-fi cinema of the last couple of years. Natalie Portman is fantastic.
I didnt notice it until red letter media pointed out but that whole stretch of 20 minutes at the end with no dialogue and its more gripping than most movies out there. Man, this movie is good.
I'm trying to read the book RN as well, about 10 pages in. Actually interested to see where book 2+3 goes.
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its the real Lena who gets out - they clearly show the alien disintergrating and changing back to its old form - that said I think her journey in the shimmer has changed her DNA ; still doesn't fully explain the tattoo 100%.
Also in the Lena interviews; shes way more lucid than Kane was - the mirrors don't really have too much of a memory - she remembers everything. I do wonder if Lena features in book 2+3 and if they get into her story more. I guess i'll find out when I get to the book (NO BOOK SPOILERS PLEASE - I'd like to discover it for myself).
All great books, and some of my favourites.
Solaris (the book, not the films) is probably my number one when it comes to depicting aliens which are actually alien and will never be understood by human minds. A seemingly sentient planet-spanning ocean spontaneously giving rise to huge geometrical manifestations, apparently probes the psyches of the scientists investigating it as a response to their interactions, by conjuring up physical manifestations of their most repressed memories and experiences. Not being able to understand how or why of course frustrates their scientific mindsets greatly.
It's not even about whether water affected Kane or not, it was the writers/directors way of communicating with the viewer.
Are you complaining about the cheating part? Because that has a major role in the movie - it's not just to have more backstory to the characters, it has the point of show us why Kane did go on the mission - because he learned about his wife cheating on him - and then Lena went on the next mission because she did found out that Kane knew about her sleeping with her colleague - and probably the biggest theme of the movie is human self-destruct.. Lena had a great marriage but she decided to willingly lose it all.. all the characters on the mission were "broken things" who went on the mission with nothing to lose - one decided to destroy her marriage, one was an alcoholic, one was cutting her wrists, one went on the mission fighting cancer with the knowledge that she isn't going back from the mission an so on..
I've been trying to get this thread to discuss the tattoos but no one seems interested which is odd as I think they are both really obvious and also potentially key to understanding what's going on. Found this neat article about what they potentially mean:
http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-key-to-annihilation-is-in-the-subtle-tattoos
Super weird coincidence, literally just started reading Solaris as research for a project.
Damn it's good and uncanny as hell in terms of "the truly alien"
I believe Portman's character is still the original technically, but that she's had the other team members (and previous people in the shimmer) "refracted" into her, hence why she has the tattoo and her eyes are shifting colour.
Yeah, alot of the visual scenery reminded me of TLOU. Loved this film.
I get that they say nothing ever came back from the shimmer, but it seriously bugs me that they didn't directly address that by explicitly stating that someone has had the job of stepping inside and stepping right out, or throw in a boomerang, bounce a ball in and out by hitting a tree or plain old attach something to a string and throw it in and drag it out.
Edit: and if they were going to a light house, why don't send them in the sea route by boat or helicopter?
I think it could have been a better film if it didn't leave me with these kinds of questions.
Edit: and if they were going to a light house, why don't send them in the sea route by boat or helicopter?
I think it could have been a better film if it didn't leave me with these kinds of questions.
My first reaction was to apologise for spoilers, but then I realised that what I wrote is pretty much the blurb you might find on the back of your copy of the book!
Hope you enjoy it either way. If you want to read more of Lem on the subject of humanity's failure to communicate with the truly alien, try The Invincible, Fiasco, and His Master's Voice. I enjoyed all of them.
I didn't read all of your post once i realised you were going into spoiler territory :)
Nice, thanks for the recoms. The more the better for research.
Hey! Watched Coherence today because of your post. Enjoyed it, thanks!
I haven't read Embassytown but I will now. The other 2 book are on my top 10 SF list.
I also highly recommend The Invincible by Lem. It starts a bit slow but picks up fast.
www.amazon.com/Invincible-Stanislaw-Lem-ebook/dp/B00ILGUJEM/
and if you like that one give Fiasco a try:
https://www.amazon.com/Fiasco-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0156306301/
I think it all goes back to the idea of everything having a self destructive nature. She has this stable marriage, which she chooses to upset by cheating with her colleague.
Same, really interesting stuff.
I'd put Midnight Special on that list too.
Yeah Lena does mention a bruise on her arm when she's in the boat, which I'm guessing is what grows into the tattoo.
I havent seen anyone mention or explain the missing memory they have in the beginning either Their missing 3 days or so and thats why they cant get back out immediately, because they dont know the way back. I presumed that was when they were copy's, but I guess it could just be selective plot memory eraser.
it's stated that they've tried air and sea approaches but neither worked.
In the book the head of the Southern Reach (The Psychiatrist) is a hypnotist and places them under hypnotic suggestion. Film didn't really go into *any* of that but I wondered if that was a subtle nod towards that.
I loved the film. I like the books more still, but as an adaption to film I think they did it right and did it justice. Portman is a hell of an actor.
I was wondered this. When Portman brings up not remembering crossing the border and the weird time gaps, I thought for sure they kept the hypnotizing plot thread in, even though I knew most of the story had been changed.
OP
OP
You can't go wrong with Stanislaw Lem if you want utterly alien sci-fi, and stories that are trying to comprehend and understand something so truly alienI haven't read Embassytown but I will now. The other 2 book are on my top 10 SF list.
I also highly recommend The Invincible by Lem. It starts a bit slow but picks up fast.
www.amazon.com/Invincible-Stanislaw-Lem-ebook/dp/B00ILGUJEM/
and if you like that one give Fiasco a try:
https://www.amazon.com/Fiasco-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0156306301/
Another user mentioned to me that this is the period of time from them crossing the border of the Shimmer to when they wake up in the tents. Which is a fine explanation except in the book, Portman's character is meant to be wise to it so she wouldn't be confused. Also one of their team would already be dead.
Watched it, I really enjoyed the set design and creatures. Bit the script was half baked, and editing was needed. The flash back scene weren't really necessary, only the first was needed.