Though I should add that Avengers is probably the weakest thing Whedon has done. Still, I get uncomfortable when people give Christopher Nolan the same regard here that they do over at r/movies. He makes decent films! A couple really good ones, too. But that's it.

Whoa, let's not get crazy here. Dark Knight Rises is clearly more of a commerce "movie" than cinema. I mean, at least Joss Whedon tried something—continuing along from his television auteur work—with Avengers. Nolan is just repeating himself, to diminishing returns (albeit with a fantastic cinematographer).

I think it's about as successful as the first Iron Man, though can you think of any complex visual elements or interesting shots? I mean, at least Thor had Kenneth Branagh and Avengers had Joss Whedon. Favreau has a very workmanlike, functional, ugly style to his filmmaking. Outside of the criticisms of the muddled…

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for adding to what I said, and for the compliment, @avclub-1881baeccb7399f3452cd7f37cdb2b29:disqus .

I assume you're coming at the same point from a different angle, i.e. generational concerns. I haven't seen any of Enlightened yet. Could you non-spoilery elaborate?

Well, there was his handjob comment, which might be more forthcoming than you're painting him as. You can do with that what you will.

Sorry if this has been talked about before. I can't keep up with you wonderful people.

This is exciting.

Hated A.I.? One of Spielberg's best films?

Kind of conflicted on this one.

No, that's available. I think it compiled the first story arc, which is the first 3 or 4 issues IIRC.

@avclub-e439d0f35374e0b7c21ca09c52f76ab9:disqus @avclub-7851f550004023870904d9f1f37eb09f:disqus  The (roughly) last half of the season was much less interesting and much more stereotypical. Less theatrical, more predictable—not just in terms of plot points but emotionally and in its moral exploration. Performances…

Glad to hear it. I just started ASOS after ACOK and it's really good so far. Various friends' opinions have book 2 or 3 as the best of the series and since I thought book 2 was fantastic, I'm looking forward to finishing up this one.

Haven't posted on here since I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree and let my depression get the better of me, and it's a day late. Hopefully the Commentariet circulation hasn't become so lightning fast.

250-300, yes. Is that the most strenuous point for everyone? Also, it's one of my favorite books.

Goddammit, that pool scene. I wish I had time to say something more about how this episode got to me more than any other Sopranos episode, but yeah.

Goddammit, that pool scene. I wish I had time to say something more about how this episode got to me more than any other Sopranos episode, but yeah.

"Sometimes film criticism is about digging into the nuts and bolts of
shot construction and talking about how meaning comes from what a
director chooses to show and how he or she chooses to show it."

"Sometimes film criticism is about digging into the nuts and bolts of
shot construction and talking about how meaning comes from what a
director chooses to show and how he or she chooses to show it."

I wouldn't say the film is "about" that or any one thing specifically, just that it fails hard at some of the things it attempts to explore.