Interesting rhythmic devices that seemed to counterpoint the surrealism of the underlying metaphor
Many people whose opinions I prize did not think highly of the Hitchhiker's movie, and I think that's a shame, for I am full of love.
For Martin Whatsit's pitch-perfect Arthur, for the pronouncedly American yet quite appropriate performances of all the secondary characters, for the brilliant Guide animation, for Ford trying to introduce himself to a car. For all the hilarious Ford/Arthur text subtext. For Ford and his hugging thing.
Also, for what is the best film design I have seen in, Christ, I have no idea how long. I thought Pirates was well-designed, but they just created this astounding low-rent, lived-in universe that looks just like it sounds on the radio series. They should back a truckload of Oscars up to somebody's door for that design.
So, Arthur, wossname, Martin Freeman. Anyway, he's great. I miss the hopping-mad volatility that Jones!Arthur had from the beginning of the first episode of the radio series--I think "Stop, you vandals, you homewreckers, you half-crazed visigoths, stop!" etc. was a real loss--but Freeman's sad-sack Arthur works for me too. Okay, of course the Arthur/Trillian subplot is dumb. C'mon, we saw them kissing in the trailer, we knew it was coming. At least it was based on something, for heaven's sake, and they didn't try to make us buy their magical chemistry by virtue of the fact that she was the only hot young dame in the movie.
And no, book!Arthur wouldn't have just up and chosen to leave the planet like that at the end. The things that happen to movie!Arthur didn't happen to book!Arthur. And, you know, Martin Freeman sells it if you just look at his face during the tour of Earth II. Earlier, when Trillian was being all like, look at this neat stuff blah blah blah spacecakes, it didn't do a thing for him, but when he's suspended in space in this little fucked-up space cherrypicker looking at an artificially created planet, his face just does this thing like, holy shit, things are happening that are more incredible than I could ever have imagined.
Anyway, I have the original memorized backwards and forwards in radio series and book form, and if I just saw the whole darn thing played out verbatim by people who interpreted the characters identically to Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern et al, well, I'm sorry, but I honestly would have fallen asleep. It's a two-hour movie, man, not a limitless expression of whatever DNA felt like rambling about that day. Let everyone except Arthur have American accents. Let Zaphod have a Stealth Head. Let Arthur shed his sandwich-making life and learn to appreciate the wonders of the galaxy guided by his love for Ford Trillian. Why the fuck not?
Also, John Malkovich rules the universe.
Also also, I have to assume that the reviewers who felt the movie was aimed at a low-intellect audience weren't sharp enough to catch jokes like the exchange between Arthur and Trillian at the fancy-dress party where they meet, after he's correctly identified her costume, featuring a long gray beard, as Charles Darwin.
Trillian: "At least you got it right, people keep saying 'Hi, Santa.'"
Arthur (pointing out the stuffed dog that she's carrying under her arm): "I would've thought the beagle would be a dead giveaway."
Clearly just the kind of humor aimed at the lowest common denominator, no?
For Martin Whatsit's pitch-perfect Arthur, for the pronouncedly American yet quite appropriate performances of all the secondary characters, for the brilliant Guide animation, for Ford trying to introduce himself to a car. For all the hilarious Ford/Arthur text subtext. For Ford and his hugging thing.
Also, for what is the best film design I have seen in, Christ, I have no idea how long. I thought Pirates was well-designed, but they just created this astounding low-rent, lived-in universe that looks just like it sounds on the radio series. They should back a truckload of Oscars up to somebody's door for that design.
So, Arthur, wossname, Martin Freeman. Anyway, he's great. I miss the hopping-mad volatility that Jones!Arthur had from the beginning of the first episode of the radio series--I think "Stop, you vandals, you homewreckers, you half-crazed visigoths, stop!" etc. was a real loss--but Freeman's sad-sack Arthur works for me too. Okay, of course the Arthur/Trillian subplot is dumb. C'mon, we saw them kissing in the trailer, we knew it was coming. At least it was based on something, for heaven's sake, and they didn't try to make us buy their magical chemistry by virtue of the fact that she was the only hot young dame in the movie.
And no, book!Arthur wouldn't have just up and chosen to leave the planet like that at the end. The things that happen to movie!Arthur didn't happen to book!Arthur. And, you know, Martin Freeman sells it if you just look at his face during the tour of Earth II. Earlier, when Trillian was being all like, look at this neat stuff blah blah blah spacecakes, it didn't do a thing for him, but when he's suspended in space in this little fucked-up space cherrypicker looking at an artificially created planet, his face just does this thing like, holy shit, things are happening that are more incredible than I could ever have imagined.
Anyway, I have the original memorized backwards and forwards in radio series and book form, and if I just saw the whole darn thing played out verbatim by people who interpreted the characters identically to Simon Jones, Geoffrey McGivern et al, well, I'm sorry, but I honestly would have fallen asleep. It's a two-hour movie, man, not a limitless expression of whatever DNA felt like rambling about that day. Let everyone except Arthur have American accents. Let Zaphod have a Stealth Head. Let Arthur shed his sandwich-making life and learn to appreciate the wonders of the galaxy guided by his love for Ford Trillian. Why the fuck not?
Also, John Malkovich rules the universe.
Also also, I have to assume that the reviewers who felt the movie was aimed at a low-intellect audience weren't sharp enough to catch jokes like the exchange between Arthur and Trillian at the fancy-dress party where they meet, after he's correctly identified her costume, featuring a long gray beard, as Charles Darwin.
Trillian: "At least you got it right, people keep saying 'Hi, Santa.'"
Arthur (pointing out the stuffed dog that she's carrying under her arm): "I would've thought the beagle would be a dead giveaway."
Clearly just the kind of humor aimed at the lowest common denominator, no?