Transit

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🎙️ EPISODE 300: 01.24.2021 *Review starts @ ~ 2:12:50 This film seems to hang upon a conceit that, no matter how I try to see, is inherently broken. Based on Anna Seghers's 1944 novel of the same name and adapted to be set in the present, it's a film about the beginning of a dangerous, fascist state. That's all well and good, but thing about the world in 1944 is that I don't think I need to tell you what was happening in the world (of Eastern Europe) in 1944! The greater context of WHAT'S HAPPENING in THIS WORLD was lost on me, wasn't properly laid out. I get that maybe it's a WWII story set in modern times only the Germans are on the ones hiding, looking for refuge?? The French are the Nazis now?? What the hell is this film's politics beyond fascism sucks dude and could ostensibly happen again, at any moment, anywhere. OK. Maybe I'm just super dumb and am missing something right in front of my face, but this one didn't work for me at all.

Granted, if this hadn't been based on a book from 1944, or if I just simply was unaware of that information, would my interpretation/opinion be different? Kind of impossible to say, I guess. The movie was a tad boring on its own merits, and employed endless voiceover narration which felt way too stilted and literary. I think this is the kind of paint-by-numbers foreign film which is going to register very high grades across the board with the certified boomer critics, leading to a completely undeserved mid 90s % Rotten Tomatoes score. But in reality, for various reasons, it's actually kinda bad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

*** part of THE BIG EPISODE 300 EXTRAVAGANZA wherein I reviewed 36 movies, mostly live reads of critiques I wrote between 2009-2012. But this one was one of 6 that I watched and wrote recently, OK??. ***

THE 36 MOVIES REVIEWED DURING EPISODE 300

30 MINUTES OR LESS • ALEX BAG: UNTITLED FALL '95 • AWAY WE GO • BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD • BEING ELMO • BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM • THE BROTHERS SOLOMON • A BUCKET OF BLOOD •
THE CAMPAIGN • THE CENTER OF THE WORLD • CHRISTMAS ON MARS • THE CHRISTMAS TREE • CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. • (500) DAYS OF SUMMER • A FIELD IN ENGLAND • FUNNY PEOPLE • GET HIM TO THE GREEK • GIGANTIC (A TALE OF TWO JOHNS) • INCEPTION • JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME • LEAVE NO TRACE • MAN ON WIRE • MIDNIGHT IN PARIS • MONEYBALL • MOON • MUTUAL APPRECIATION • POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD • RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES • SLEEPWALK WITH ME • SOME DRINKING IMPLIED • TIM AND ERIC'S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE • TRANSIT • TO ROME WITH LOVE • THE WICKER MAN • WINTER'S BONE • YOUTH IN REVOLT

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 300P - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 300R ⫸

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