Wednesday, September 16, 2009

9 (no spoilers, I promise!)

Ok, maybe not review so much as visceral gut reaction. Jake and I went to see 9 over the weekend with our friend Ann. The two of them were practically giddy about getting to see this computer animated flick, but I had hardly heard anything about it. I knew it was wee burlap critters. Slightly creepy wee burlap critters. I had NO idea what I was getting myself into.

As the movie started, I was immediately taken into it, but in a way that I couldn't react to what was going on. I was speechless, slack-jawed, staring intently at the screen and listening with every part of me. And I can't explain why. There is no specific thing that I can point out or tell you about that hit me with such strength. I am not even sure if I liked the film.

I compared it, in it's impact on me, to Pan's Labyrinth, a film that I also saw in the theater; a film that also made me weep uncontrollably. Leaving the theater after Pan's Labyrinth, I was asked if I liked the movie, and my immediate response was tears. Angry, sad tears. For three hours. My reaction to 9 was more immediate and in the moment - the last few scenes of the film had me weeping, but for reasons I couldn't vocalize. I was able to compose myself while leaving the theater, but with a feeling of complete catharsis and calm.

We discussed the movie on our drive to Ikea (another blog post for another day) but I'm still not sure I entirely understood it, or even liked it. I'll have to give it another shot. It's definitely something I could recommend to others, if even for psychological curiosity I have to find out other people's reactions to it.

1 comment:

A. Batzer said...

Thank you, Tim Burton. This is what he does.