Medium Cool

Is it just me, or did Forster look a bit like Josh Hartnett in this? Anyhow, as a time capsule this is no less than a well-deserved classic. However, if you're the demanding type like me who wants a good story to go with the semi-documentary bits, you're pretty much shit out of luck. The extended scene in the black people's apartment was very good, though - hands down the best part of the film.

A really interesting movie and pseudo documentary about the social situation in the US in 1968. Forester does a good job of carrying the movie through its shifts in tone and the entire thing is full to the brim with commentary on society and journalism. The whole thing never completely comes together though, leaving a very good but not quite great movie.

The closest comparison would be a dumbed down Godard, but it's a sincere effort that captures something about the political mood (i.e the chaos and confusion) of its turbulent time. The mix of film and faux documentary is very effective, and Wexler alternates between these modes with reasonable skill, blurring the lines between them. The media commentary remains relevant, generally, although the hyperintensified digital media world of today inevitably requires a more sophisticated critique.

Seems a little preachy and quaint after all these years, but the cinematography is great and the scenes of the riots in Grant Park are as thrilling today as they were then. A great experiment, but not a great film.

Interesting and innovative first half--managing to tell a story and keep it going without really having any characters in the conventional sense. Second part is less successful, trying to incorporate regular-type story into the mix. Of course the final couple minutes is classic--right down to the iconic last shot.

I like the ending.

There's a lot of fascinating facets about this film. Haskell Wexler writing and directing a spookily prescient screenplay, the Godardian flourishes, the blend of fiction and documentary, the Zappa music, the racial observations and commentary on the media. It's got a lot going for it and makes for an interesting portrait of the time. But occasionally Wexler's ambitions run amok, and certain moments are far too clever, too much of a wink at the audience. Nonetheless, a rather good watch.

This film has the late 1960's written all over it. There are some slow spots and there is not much of a conventional plot. But there are some interesting moments and scenes. Robert Forster is good in his role. Overall I would recommend this film.

This is the first 60s movie I see that uses Mothers of Invention's songs as soundtrack.

Well made and extremely daring for its time. Shame the actual plot bits aren't great and conclude so disastrously.

Ahead of its time by a few years, this has full-on docu-drama, social unrest, and political conniving, making it a very authentic and revealing film of its year (carried by an appropriately cool, yet detached Forster), which all leads up to a revolutionary (though tad overlong) sequence mixing the fictional with the reality.

Perhaps the purest film ever made about the 60s, as well as the truest fiction film ever made. An exciting and daring portrait of 1968, beautifully shot and edited, with startling relevance even after 45 years. A masterpiece. "Look out, Haskell. It's real!"

# 975

Weird.

Before people say a movie, “Perfectly represents our time!” they should probably set a stopwatch for 50 years from now and film in a riot. Let’s be clear: the story sucks and our two main characters who’ve never met yet are in an early scene together. But somehow, Haskell knew what was going on was important enough to document right the fuck now and used every vanguard technical and filmmaking trick he had in his arsenal to capture it. You can still hear, “Look out, Haskell! It’s real!” Sure is.

unbelievably shot. felt "there" and utterly suspended throughout. plot ends nonsensically.

Em honra de Robert Forster (1941 - 2019). Tá realmente MUITO quente pra assistir filme e eu devia estar mesmo tomando cerveja em algum lugar com ar condicionado, só estou encarando esse porque o Robert Forster realmente merece. Aquela inserção falando de Godard e o poster de Belmondo no meio do filme não estão lá à toa,. esse filme cheira a cinema combativo francês de fins dos anos 60 de cabo a rabo e é muito feliz em aplicar o estilo na ebulição de 68 que também se deu nos EUA. Blu

Great cinematography. Somewhat polemic script. Good acting. Lame ending.

This got on my nerves after a while.

#865

Medium Cool is full of moments where we see or hear something that plugs into what we're truly thinking, disconcertingly enough, at times when what we're thinking seems to obviously be something else. In Medium Cool, we respond to these things and, some forty years later, aren't quite sure what's real and what's not.