No (Pablo Larrain, 2012)

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Svevan
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2004 7:49 pm
Location: Portland, OR

No (Pablo Larrain, 2012)

#1 Post by Svevan » Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:45 pm

I'm having trouble putting my finger on Pablo Larrain's No, though I really like it. It arranges the authentic commercials from both sides involved in this political dispute, essentially side-by-side, so that one can both witness and judge the winners in each exchange. It's a pretty straightforward take on media politics, but offered enough cross-cultural recognition for me, as it made me think of our media-drenched political system. Obama shared the same savvy as the heroes in this movie. The commercials are funny and friendly, but does that mean they're more than just effective propaganda? What makes the story, and the movie remarkable is that it was a win for the left; the various assorted ad and politico types weren't expecting to win either, not in a dictatorship. Sort of a lesson in using the system rather than rebuking it. The reenacted video footage that gets about 2/3 of the screentime is more openly gorgeous and straining for honesty, making me appreciate the friendly world of authorial cinema much more than play-by-play politics.

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domino harvey
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: No (Pablo Larrain, 2012)

#2 Post by domino harvey » Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:29 pm

I thought this was a great film, one of the year's best, and probably the best film I've seen regarding the medium of advertising. There's some telling scenes early on when the youthful Gael García Bernal is trying to pitch the virtues of a positive advertising campaign and one of the many old men in the room loses his shit and just starts shouting obscenities at him-- the distance between the importance of the message and how the message is imparted is one of the film's key concerns, and it's an uphill battle for the old guard to see the value of positivity, especially in the face of the societal trauma its trying to impact. For Bernal, who opens the film praising one soda over all others as offering something different for society as a whole despite the fact that all sodas are essentially variations on each other, the key is selling people on a lifestyle, and morose graphics listing off the litany of charges against Pinochet won't sell democracy.

I had no idea going into the film that it was shot on academy ratio video so as to better blend its period footage with its narrative elements, but the effect is marvelous and seamless-- it becomes nearly impossible at times to differentiate between the real and the recreation, and one of the biggest jolts in the film finds the filmmakers presenting footage of a large rally and then panning over to Bernal on stage!

Also, good luck searching for discussion on this film if no one mentioned the director or star in the same comment!

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rohmerin
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 am
Location: Spain

Re: No (Pablo Larrain, 2012)

#3 Post by rohmerin » Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:12 pm

Gael is "the" definitive actor who can domain any Spanish accent, I mean, He does not imitate Castillian (Bad Education), Argentinian (Che's diaries) or Chilean (in No), he sounds and He is a Spaniard, Argentinian and Chilean. Viggo Mortsessen can do it with Argentinian (amazing his Spanish) but his Castillian is not so good.

No is the 4th Chilean film I've seen in my life and it's by far the best (Gloria will be my 5th).

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Kat
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2016 8:53 am

Re: No (Pablo Larrain, 2012)

#4 Post by Kat » Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:08 pm

I found this a wonderful film about a wonderful thing. Loved the use of video. Acting fantastic, story well told. I finally watched my dvd as Neruda was coming up, which pairs with it very interestingly - I hope (dare I hope) there are more projects like this to come from Larrain et al. I was struck in comparison to Neruda -
SpoilerShow
how the campaign was won with a positive message, one of possibility and wholeness in the face of, despite, what had been; in Neruda I was struck how in his poem he (understandably) calls for punishment - these themes, in terms of ways forward, seem very relevant.
No thread on Neruda yet - I find it stunning, superb, helpful.

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domino harvey
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Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: No (Pablo Larrain, 2012)

#5 Post by domino harvey » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:25 am

This film's been back in my mind a lot lately, and I can't be the only one thinking that someone needs to send a copy of this film to every key Democrat in the country as a reminder of how to get people to vote for their own self-interest...

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