Well a good "Its all f***ed" story, doesn't sell without its nice rosey ending, traditionally.
I know that sounds cynical, but its true.
I do love Schindler's list though and do find myself noting that to be an anomally in the "Spielberg being better on stuff he doenst care about" theory of Dr.Kermode's.
Which was an interesting POV actually. Although, on Schindler's List I don't entirely agree with him, although he makes a good point. I felt SL showed a good balance between nazi ruthlessness shot in an almost non-caring documentary style (which IMHO was brilliant), but also showing how people can rise above themselves in great tribulation. In fact, that's WHEN people rise above themselves. The ending was quite mushy, but that's just a Spielberg trait these days. Unlike Jaws or Raiders or even Close Encounters, which had this short ending, not really resolving everything (Jaws: they still have to swim home, Raiders: what happens to the Ark, the research and whatever, where does that leave Indy?, Close Encounters: Neary leaves and what happens to the others). Lately he tends to clean everything up in a mushy way. Minority Report had that too... although luckily it was very short.
I thought it was super smooth en pretty much flawless. And quite political for Spielberg as well. His subtleness in that scene with the old cleaner on the flightline, with that great mass of armed policemen, was incredibly striking... Simple, small but a very clear statement. It doesn't need a lot of music and mush to make a point. Shows he does know what he's doing.
Nobodys perfect. 😛
I admit I liked a lot of it.
The things that f***ed me off out of it, were Dakota "feed her to the martians, already" Fanning, Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise's irritating and invulnerable son- the luckiest f**k alive to be bought back against all odds at the end, the director Steven Spielberg for centering the movie on them.
Apart from those points it was a good movie.
It was allright, but I expected a bit more of it myself. The first 45 minutes were great, as usual with Spielberg. Even the first 20 minutes of KOTCS is at least bearable. But after that it just goes off a bit, trying to find modern angles on Wells' novel. Like the Tom Robbins bit. On itself a nice scene, but it doesn't take us anywhere. Nor does it lead Cruise to take a larger look on man's downfall. All he cares about is just his kids. Very Spielbergian, but also quite superficial. If anywhere the theme of man's vulnerability and perhaps need of humilty was fitting to work out, like Wells did, it was after the Robbins scene... but no. Alas.