In today's climate, we do tend to pile on hate. And, this had A TON heaped on it. For what reason? I'm not completely sure. The plot is thin, the dialogue hammy, but...the actors involved are just that...involved. The commitment to deliver bad lines well is a craft and art in itself. And to Stone and Cooper's credit, they do that. If you look at Cameron Crowe's movies, this is typical of most of his films. Low on story, HUGE on heart. And that isn't a bad thing in a really cynical world. These movies should exist. It's a movie world. It has zero basis in the reality crap we see on t.v. nowadays. THAT'S precisely what I took from it. Crowe's world isn't suppose to be raw...it's suppose to be Hollywood-ized. And people hate that. Why? Again, you'd have to see where we are in society now. These are beautiful people, doing beautiful things in a beautiful world. That's long passed us. So it's seen as nostalgia. Not a bad thing. Just a bad thing when you try to pin it in some reality.
Granted, I did feel Cooper's casting was off. Not because he doesn't have the chops. But someone that handsome who's portrayed to have deep flaws doesn't ring completely true. Originally Ben Stiller was involved. And it would've been a far more interesting choice. Or say someone like Seth Rogen, who could pull off the wounded soul thing. But for critics to destroy it in the way they did, I think speaks more towards maybe not even seeing the movie and relying on what other critics have said. Or just reading the synopsis.
Do I want to like a Cameron Crowe movie? Not really. His projects like "Singles" or "Almost Famous" don't age well. But for this film, you get a straight forward romance with nothing new under the sun.
Granted, I did feel Cooper's casting was off. Not because he doesn't have the chops. But someone that handsome who's portrayed to have deep flaws doesn't ring completely true. Originally Ben Stiller was involved. And it would've been a far more interesting choice. Or say someone like Seth Rogen, who could pull off the wounded soul thing. But for critics to destroy it in the way they did, I think speaks more towards maybe not even seeing the movie and relying on what other critics have said. Or just reading the synopsis.
Do I want to like a Cameron Crowe movie? Not really. His projects like "Singles" or "Almost Famous" don't age well. But for this film, you get a straight forward romance with nothing new under the sun.