Into the Woods Official Movie Thread- Page 202

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 10:45pm

Just for the record, I only vaguely knew about original stage version and later revivals but I had never seen it anywhere. I just knew the topic and the theme..so I was prepared without knowing very much at all and not knowing the music at all.

And count me as someone who loved the movie - without knowing the source material. So the previous statement "I would have hated this film too if i hadn't already been in love with the source material" does not hold in my case. I saw it again within the week and bought the CD right away.

I went with a bunch of people; some who had loved the show previously, others who never knew the show at all and others like me, were in between. And everyone enjoyed it...even the one person who didn't realize he got dragged to a musical..LOL. No one thought it was perfect, what is?...but basically everyone was impressed with the overall presentation, the casting, the mood, etc.

The time lapse between act 1 and 2 didn't bother me. I always felt there was a reasonable amount of time that lapsed before the wedding took place - baby was born, Jack's mother had time to shop and get a new wardrobe & appreciate the riches. They could have stated a longer time went by but I was fine the way it was done.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 10:57pm

I think Rob Marshall is very right that every ballad you add after another one in a film has a diminishing effect. There are three ballads that cap off Into the Woods on stage and smartly they decided to put No One is Alone as the most important one in the limelight and Children Will Listen brilliantly felt less like "here's another ballad" but scoring the moment cinematically.

And I don't think "It Takes Two" is disposable. You absolutely are rooting for these characters hell or high water at the end of it.

[sarahb22]

Posted: 1/12/15 at 11:27pm

When I say it's disposable, I guess what I mean is, if it was my decision and I had to decide between 'It Takes Two' and 'No More', I would ask myself 'Which song is more central to the theme of the story?' and cut the other one.

"It Takes Two" is adorable, but you could accomplish the same cuteness with dialogue, if you feel you have to go that route. That "We're getting along so well!" sentiment isn't MORE deserving of a song than the much more complicated sentiment of "No More" is. Reducing "No More" to four or five lines of somewhat trite dialogue ("Don't be like me!") trivializes it. Sondheim said it so much better.

I'm not sure what Rob Marshall means about ballads and diminishing effect. It didn't diminish "Sound of Music", which had three ballads one right after the other toward the end of the movie: Climb Ev'ry Mountain, Something Good, and the reprise of Edelweiss. The songs slow down because something important is being said, because the audience is being told to be quiet and listen.

"No More" is an important song. It starts off as a dialogue between the Baker and his father, in which the father talks about the folly of running away from your responsibilities, and ends with a soliloquoy by the Baker that's a plea to the universe to quit giving him sh#@! when he's trying to be a decent father. It could have been very powerful and relevent in the movie, and it's a shame they cut it.

[beilis32]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 12:19am

Well I thought it was really good! The best parts were the baker and his wife, Jack, and the princes doing Agony. I also liked the brief A Little Night Music reference and how the part with rapunzel's prince going blind and being cured was played straighter than I have seen in the original version.

[J_Jammer]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 1:26am

Eh...I didn't leave thinking the second half was MEH or choppy.

Yeah I realize that there were songs missing (my favorites) but I was forward they weren't going to be there. I was prepared.

I blame whatever research Disney did to think that truncating fans' favorite moments in the second half.

Which is why I stand by what I think they should ALWAYS do with musicals to movies...do a stang-length version for fans and a theater-length version for those who rather not sit for 3 hours.

They might have to spend millions more to do that, but it would be worth it. They do this with albums.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 2:33am

J_Jammer - I like the idea of alternate versions, but two questions - would you want them to both be shown in theatres or just home media releases? Also, do you think a second, more direct adaptation would be as successful (or help)? While it's a great idea for the fans and the work itself, I wonder how it would affect the business side of things.

[sueb1863]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 6:26am

Agree that they really should have included No More, and made it a lot more clear as to what was going on in that scene. Is the Baker's father dead or alive? Was he just wandering around and the Baker met up with him? Or is he dead and a ghost? They don't even tell you that.


By the way, came across this on Twitter:

Big Ol' Looming Yeen ?@Fuzzypaw 18h18 hours ago
The people at Starbucks are singing Agony from Into the Woods! I think @ArtideFox would approve, hehe~

Yeah, nobody likes this movie and nobody's going to see it... Updated On: 1/13/15 at 06:26 AM

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 7:39am

For what it's worth, everyone I know who's seen it going in with little or no familiarity with the show and/or who are not musical or theater fans generally have really enjoyed it.

And not only do you look at the total box office as a measure of its success, but at the end of its third weekend, it still had an under-50% decline. That's legs, and that's an indication of good word-of-mouth.

[sarahb22]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 7:59am

"Big Ol' Looming Yeen ?@Fuzzypaw 18h18 hours ago
The people at Starbucks are singing Agony from Into the Woods! I think @ArtideFox would approve, hehe~ "

Wow, that's cool! I wonder if anybody got cell phone footage of it? Sondheim in Starbucks...

Updated On: 1/13/15 at 07:59 AM

[James885]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 9:31am

It's interesting to see the wide disparity of responses to the film. About 20 minutes ago two of my coworkers were discussing it and one of them described it as 'long and boring' and the other mentioned how he thought the music was dull and how creeped out he was by "Hello Little Girl", describing it as 'pedophile's song at a theme park.'

As for me, I finally saw it and thought it was good but not great. Agree that the second half was rushed and one or two of the monologue-y songs almost stopped the movie in its tracks. Loved Emily Blunt and Chris Pine. Meryl was decent.

Updated On: 1/13/15 at 09:31 AM

[marknyc]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 5:29pm

Had to share the phone call I got from my 90-year-old mother last night. I told her I loved the film, so when her senior center chartered a bus to go see it she went (she loves musicals).

She hated it! "Too many lyrics, too much yelling, too much singing - it was like an opera!" She said all the seniors there also hated it.

So is ITW a generational thing? I honestly thought she'd love it.

[Len6677]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 6:08pm

^^ Reminds me of how when I saw it, there was a group of old ladies behind me. Some in their 80s, probably. They all liked it except one, who said there was "too much commotion" in it, haha. One of the other ladies said she had previously seen a performance of ITW on stage and thought the movie was a lot better.

My mother loved it. She's not that old, though (60s).

[sarahb22]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 6:43pm

As we get older, our cognitive abilities slow down and it becomes harder to follow stories, especially ones that move fast. My guess is that's what happened here; all the fast motion, rapid-fire lyrics and "commotion" became confusing and hard to follow for the elderly ladies, leading to frustration and an ultimate decision of "I hated it."

[Musical Master]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 7:38pm

I thought that while yes, act 2 did get chopped up compared to act one. At least the dark bite and root of the concept of act 2 is still there thanks to Rob Marshall's direction and James Lapine's screenplay.

I might see it again this weekend and get the second viewing out of the way before it's gone in my nearby theaters.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 7:44pm

There's a lot going on in the film and every little action has a consequence later on in the movie. It would be easy for someone of a certain age (whether young or old) to miss something

[Showface]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 8:39pm

"Is the Baker's father dead or alive? Was he just wandering around and the Baker met up with him? Or is he dead and a ghost? They don't even tell you that. "


I saw the film twice, and I think it was pretty clear both times his father was a spirit of sorts, or possible just a figment of the Baker's imagination so he could comfort himself. This is obvious because as the Baker was walking you just here VO of his thoughts as he talks to his father inside his head. Then, you see the father appear to talk to the Baker for about 30 seconds, then he disappears.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 8:50pm

I understand why elderly people might have a problem with at least the first 15 minutes. There's a frenetic energy with the interweaving of the different musical themes and quickly paced exposition and it escalades intensely when everyone heads into the woods. That's not a fault of the show at all but some things are just not for some people ultimately

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 1/13/15 at 9:34pm

Also, I must mention that Instrumental Into the Woods Album that was released

what a FANTASTIC FABULOUS idea. Made my day. It's just such a magical listen after being so used to the paired down and even more paired down the orchestrations would get for this show over the years. One day when Broadway decides to invest in larger pit orchestras again to have a lush live string section for this show as well as more brass will really be incredible.


I was thinking too wouldn't it be amazing to have this entire film cast perform this live at the NY Phil like they did Company and Sweeney Todd recently and have Paul Gemignani conduct? And then they could film it for PBS? After the financial success of the movie I think Sondheim would jump at that idea

It would be a great opportunity to also have the cast sing all the songs they cut from the show, as well as "She'll Be Back" and maybe even "Rainbows"

Updated On: 1/13/15 at 09:34 PM

[sarahb22]

Posted: 1/14/15 at 8:04am

It's a great idea, but I'm not sure how some of the cast would sound singing live. A few are accomplished singers, most of them are not and would probably rather not perform those difficult songs live in front of an audience. I can't see Meryl Streep agreeing to it, for instance. It's one thing to spend days laying down tracks in a controlled studio environment; quite another to sing the whole thing live over the course of a few hours. It would be a little much for someone who isn't trained in musical theater.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 1/14/15 at 9:10am

I saw it yesterday and really enjoyed it. I do agree that act 2 was a little fast compared to the rest, but it was a good interpretation. I actually liked it better than the production at Shakespeare in the Park.

And am I just weird or did anyone else tear up during No One Is Alone? It's odd because I know the show, but never felt that while watching the Original cast taping or a live production.

[binau]

Posted: 1/14/15 at 4:51pm

"imdb and Rotten Tomatoes are not the "be all, end all" nor the ultimate authority on movies.

So many people put too much stock on websites whose numbers are easily manipulated by anyone who can log in and post whatever the hell they feel like it "just because"...
"

I disagree that the numbers can be 'easily manipulated'. There are so many ratings that you would have to create A LOT of accounts (hundreds or thousands) to manipulate the ratings. Plus, given that the numbers might actually influence box office results if they were easily manipulated I am sure that studios would try to do this. The Into The Woods Score, down to 6.7 now - is not going to be good for word of mouth, unfortunately.

I don't understand it, and for now am going to dismiss negativity and condescendingly assuming that Into the Woods is simply 'too good' for much of the general public, whose expectations of a simple children's 'Disney' movie are not being met (not joking).

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/14/15 at 6:39pm

Does anyone else feel like the "Lament" is terribly underplayed? Especially since the time difference in the acts is shortened?

I understand they changed Rapunzel's leaving the story, but...the witch seemed so different from the first half. "Stay with Me" is amazing to watch because of how emotive she is, with her eyes alone. You can see how worried she is about losing her daughter and the scary possibilities in the world.

Yet, when there's an angry giant about town, Rapunzel rebels against her and rides off without any idea of where she's going or if she'll ever see her again, there's barely a reaction. Just sort of, "oh, shoot."

It seems very inconsistent to me but I wonder what you all think. I don't buy the, "her stakes were lowered drastically" because her biggest fear (which we see in SWM) finally comes true.

Maybe I'd find it more appropriate if she had more than 3 seconds to breathe and take in what happened....but that goes for the entire second act of the film, I guess.

[Bucky Builder]

Posted: 1/14/15 at 8:06pm

Yup, That song is supposed to be The Witch's mental and emotional break, and it was underplayed in the film. By doing that it causes Last Midnight to be less effective. Yes I agree the main problem with the 2nd half is nothing and no one was able to breathe..But I OBVIOUSLY don't understand that things have to be adapted (meaning: changed) for a film medium, so take my words with a grain of salt..
Updated On: 1/14/15 at 08:06 PM

[sarahb22]

Posted: 1/14/15 at 9:32pm

Check out this video I found on YouTube - I guess it was taped at a coffeehouse talent thing on Jan. 10. The sound is pretty bad, one of the singers isn't that great, but listen to the audience reaction. They know the song and like it, and unless it's an audience of Sondheim fans they know it and like it because they saw the movie (or at least that part of it). I think that's pretty cool.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtYb7vFllHE

[Showface]

Posted: 1/14/15 at 9:37pm

No, I found that song very effective in the film. Same with Last Midnight. It's not "underplayed" as it fits in with the new context of the scene.

In the play, the Witch is the over-protective mother (who wants to be loved and wants Rapunzel to love her). However, her over-protectiveness led to the craziness and eventual death of her daughter.

In the movie, the Witch is the over-protective mother (who wants to love and personally, I found Meryl's portrayal far more motherly and lovingly than other Witch's which isn't a bad thing for actresses who didn't do it---I just prefer Streep's portrayal/interpretation of that). However, her over-protectiveness caused her daughter to hate her for that, and caused her daughter to leave her for another.


This is VERY effective, especially considering how much the Witch truly loved Rapunzel. I see many people arguing, "if Rapunzel is still in the world, the Witch could have just searched for her--deeming Last Midnight pointless". That is an argument I strongly disagree with. Rapunzel left on a fast moving animal going who knows where. All the while, the Witch knows the only person she loves--now hates her, and is never going to embrace her, nor does she want to see her again. The Witch also has a giant to worry about, and a certain "Jack" to capture. The Witch had a lot on her plate. Streep's "Lament" was very well performed.


"Maybe I'd find it more appropriate if she had more than 3 seconds to breathe and take in what happened"

Well, she did. She had an entire song. In the DVD, she will have an entire two songs ("She'll Be Back")



Also, when Rapunzel leaves the Witch we see how devastated she is. When the Witch re-appears with Jack see almost seems like a different person. She's no longer "sad" and "remorseful"...it's almost as if the Witch turned all thoughts of Rapunzel off---almost as mechanism to stop the grieving. Then, in Last Midnight, all of her emotions boil up. These "nice" people blame her--she's "The Witch"--her daughter has left her, and for all she knows her daughter has died in the hands of "her prince"--also, The Witch has no one to love.

_____________

This was handled brilliantly! Very touching...Bravo!