Topic: The King is Alive

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Posted at September 27, 2009, 12:02 pm:


The King is Aliv
Maybe it was just the mood I was in but I thought this was excellent. It's not the sort of thing I will seek out (a mostly depressing commentary on human nature) but I tuned to IFC, there it was and I was captivated for the duration.
It seemed to me all the actors were at the top of their game, a notch above typical Hollywood fare. Some I was familiar with, like Bruce Davison and Jennifer Jason Leigh, others I was not. Everyone was really good and shame on me, I had never heard of this movie.
Film aficionados will be familiar with the following, I wasn't...Dogme 95. My understanding is that's a style of moviemaking that adheres to a certain code, like natural lighting, natural sound, using actual locations, etc. I wasn't even aware of it while watching the movie but it worked to good effect.
The plot is "A busload of people (about 10 or 12) drive off course and are stranded in an abandoned mining village in Nimibia, Africa." The seriousness of the situation soon becomes apparent as food and water are in short supply. During their few days there, the hardship of the situation begins to reveal "the real core" of their beings and relationships. Sometimes that "real core" stuff can be preachy and annoying but not here, it seemed genuine.
And here's another part of the plot that never would have drawn me to the movie if I hadn't stumbled upon it... one of the passengers is a former actor and knows his Shakespeare and suggests they perform King Lear to pass the time. The one thing I got out of that was...live the part. In one scene, the "amateurs" were clumsily saying their lines, then the "pro" said some lines. The others sat in stunned silence. I think at that point they understood the stark difference in "reading" lines and living them. Toward the end of the movie, the amateurs had been through so much and had so little reason to wear their "masks" anymore, that they were saying their lines more like the pro. They had begun to live the words
Some movies may delve into issues on one, two or even three levels. This one has too many levels to count. If you're in the mood for a quality, in depth and sometimes disturbing character study; this is a good bet
For me, this was an undiscovered gem.


Original of the message was taken from http://www.movieforums.com/community/

Replies:

Thanks for the thoughts on The King is Alive

This film actually sounds like an interesting watch.


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