High-Rise
Every December 31st, I put together a Top 10 list. As an obligation to tradition, I also highlight a few of the absolute worst as well. In assembling my worst, I realized that I never wrote a review for my least favorite production of 2016.
At the time, it was such a horrible experience that I just wanted to forget I ever even saw it. However, if I’m going to castigate the film, I do owe it the courtesy of presenting why I hated it so much. I still have no desire to pontificate about the drama. but I did discover a critique by Rex Reed that kind of summarized my disgust. His brand of criticism often verges on vitriolic hyperbole. In this case, he got it completely right.
And so, I offer his appraisal of my least favorite movie of the year:
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Rex Reed reviews the cinema.
Source: The Class War of ‘High-Rise’ | | Observer
December 29, 2016 at 1:37 pm
That was an interesting read. Nowhere near as vitriolic as I was perhaps being led to believe, but yeah he didn’t seem to like it. Aw, sad face. Every body is supposed to like the same movies as me! 😉 I really liked the random, brutal chaos of High Rise. It wasn’t supposed to make sense. But yeah, it really, really, really doesn’t make a lot of sense.
December 29, 2016 at 1:56 pm
It reminded so much of a movie I saw back in 2008 called Blindness, directed by Fernando Meirelles. That was the worst film I saw that year and I was having post traumatic flashbacks as I saw this.
December 30, 2016 at 7:12 am
It had the ‘look’ of quality because the cinematography was good, but that was about the extent of my enjoyment.
December 29, 2016 at 4:02 pm
I agree about “High-Rise”, but even watching the trailer you can guess that it is going to be a lot of pretentious style over substance. My least favourite of the year will undoubtedly be “The Neon Demon”. What a disappointment. Btw, I think “Blindness” is pretty cool despite its faults, he? I love the concept in the film, but having said that I AM very biased since Jose Saramago is my favourite author 🙂
December 30, 2016 at 5:47 am
The Cave 🙂
December 30, 2016 at 7:15 am
It’s funny you mention The Neon Demon because I never wrote a review for that either, but for a different reason. I was led to believe it was terrible so I skipped it at the theater. Much later I watched it on Netflix and ended up really enjoying it. Surprise! Ha ha.
December 30, 2016 at 8:06 am
Yeah, that’s funny. I thought it would be the best film of the year or something lol, well…The only thing I found enjoyable there is the ending and only because it was one of the most ridiculous things I ever saw. If I didn’t know any better I thought they didn’t finishing cutting or editing the movie.
December 30, 2016 at 5:47 am
I liked reading ‘The Cave’ but have not read ‘Blindness’ nor seen the film nor seen ‘High-Rise’. I respect both of your opinions; I find it a unique proposition to check out both films to gauge where I sit. Mark, thanks for sharing the review for your worst of the year. Looking forward to what you think was best.
December 30, 2016 at 6:43 am
Cindy, have you read Saramago’s “Death with Interruptions”? I think you will like it. Very deep and philosophical. I also read “the Double”, and I think both Saramago’s “Blindness” and “The Double” are better than the respective films. I have started reading “The Cave”, but because I only have in Spanish, all I understood for now was that there is countryside, an older man and a younger man 🙂
December 30, 2016 at 7:18 am
Thank you Cindy. Stay tuned, my Top 10 will be posted sometime on December 31st!
December 30, 2016 at 3:06 pm
I was working on a top 10 list but man my memory is bad!!
December 30, 2016 at 9:49 pm
Yeah, I use http://www.boxofficemojo.com/ and click on Release Sched. to refresh my memory.
March 7, 2017 at 8:31 am
I didn’t care for High-Rise either. I was especially turned off by its pointless cruelty and violence toward animals. So many other movies have said the same thing in a smarter way, without being such a depressing slog. Definitely on my worst-of list too.
March 8, 2017 at 7:09 am
Luke Evans was in 2 of my least favorite 2016 releases. The Girl on the Train was the other. Doesn’t bode well for his upcoming Beauty and the Beast, but I’m keeping an open mind.