You know we haven't been watching many movies these days, so it pains me to finally get around to a review and have it be a major bummer. But, alas, I can't recommend that you rent "Schultze Gets the Blues" unless you are suffering from severe insomnia. Oy, how I tried to like this movie. It took me five nights to watch the whole thing (only 114 minutes), and I now regret the entire thing. I kept thinking that something was bound to happen, mais non. Schultze retires from his job in a rural German salt mine, discovers Cajun music, takes his accordion to Texas, and dies. The End. I have left nothing out.
I saw it a couple of years ago after reading good reviews of it. My reaction was identical to yours.
Posted by: the nag | May 29, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Sorry about your movie experience. I watched Atonement over the weekend. Was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
Posted by: Deb C | May 29, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Ugh. I hate that. It's just as bad as reading a lackluster novel. The older I get, the less patience I have for wasting my time on movies or books I don't enjoy. I can't tell you how many books I don't finish these days. Life is too short.
That said, "Lars and the Real Girl" and "Juno" were both great movies we recently watched via Netflix.
Posted by: califmom | May 29, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Loved "Lars and the Real Girl." Still waiting for "Juno."
Posted by: Deb C | May 30, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Playing catch-up on all my favorite reading ...
I absolutely loved the movie. So okay, it was a little slow, but I really got sucked in by the whole "you can teach tricks to an old dog" concept. I felt that Schultze's interactions with others were portrayed brilliantly! I really felt the struggle he had with language barriers, the triumph of learning something new and the heartache of knowing his friends didn't understand him. Who couldn't relate to his uncertainty about stealing a boat or to the joy of making a new friend?
I guess I watch movies the same way I read books. I want to be in there ... right next to the characters ... experiencing everything they encounter.
I watched it in one sitting. I'm not suggesting you watch it again but maybe watching it in segments didn't help.
Posted by: Jeananne | June 03, 2008 at 02:32 PM