This project seems to be slowing down a bit over the last 4-6 months, with fewer films released less often – and fewer that really stick with me either. I see the team have many other projects in the mix, so perhaps the ongoing demands of this one means it goes to the back burner? Not sure, but sonnet 68 certainly feels like it benefited from the same creative drive as the others, but perhaps less time or energy to bring it home.
The sonnet laments the fleeting beauty of the cosmetic, and looks instead to the more timeless beauty which is deeper than the skin, and stands for longer. As such the use of the Gandhi statue in Union Square Park is a good choice of location because it allows the man himself to be the focus of the eternal style of beauty. Accordingly the main character looks to the statue but then also looks around at other people who represent the much more superficial side of beauty. This is a simple connection to the text, but it does work to bring out the meaning. I did feel it was a little obvious in how it did this, although it was not the only thing.
Sound is usually an issue in these films, and the use of ADR is often a savior. In this case I think they tried to make it work but didn't. The ADR is fine when it is over simple shots, however when linked to the actress talking (which is the point of ADR generally), it backfires because it highlights the lack of any other sound. It disconnects the words from the scene, and I found it disconnected me from the film. I'm no sound engineer, but more and more I appreciate the work of sound in films – particularly when I don't notice it, since the norm is that you only notice bad sound work. In this case the sound engineering broke me out of the film easily – helped perhaps by it being fairly simple to begin with, but still.
The sonnet laments the fleeting beauty of the cosmetic, and looks instead to the more timeless beauty which is deeper than the skin, and stands for longer. As such the use of the Gandhi statue in Union Square Park is a good choice of location because it allows the man himself to be the focus of the eternal style of beauty. Accordingly the main character looks to the statue but then also looks around at other people who represent the much more superficial side of beauty. This is a simple connection to the text, but it does work to bring out the meaning. I did feel it was a little obvious in how it did this, although it was not the only thing.
Sound is usually an issue in these films, and the use of ADR is often a savior. In this case I think they tried to make it work but didn't. The ADR is fine when it is over simple shots, however when linked to the actress talking (which is the point of ADR generally), it backfires because it highlights the lack of any other sound. It disconnects the words from the scene, and I found it disconnected me from the film. I'm no sound engineer, but more and more I appreciate the work of sound in films – particularly when I don't notice it, since the norm is that you only notice bad sound work. In this case the sound engineering broke me out of the film easily – helped perhaps by it being fairly simple to begin with, but still.