The Last Five Years (The Movie, The Thread)- Page 2

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 2/13/15 at 10:39pm

This had an inordinate issue with distribution for an Indie, especially with Kendrick and Richard LaGravenese attached and considering the budget was almost nothing, this should have been an easy sell and your wrong when you say it had a distribution deal before TIFF because it didn't the deal happened AT the festival and at that point they had been wrapped for well over a year, the only reason Radius (a division of The Weinstein Company) is releasing it is because this is Harvey Weinsteins way of making it up to Jeremy Jordan for not taking him to Broadway with Finding Neverland, so it gets dumped in 30 theaters and direct to VOD.



Updated On: 2/13/15 at 10:39 PM

[jpbran]

Posted: 2/13/15 at 10:49pm

Jordan: the iTunes transfer seemed fine to me... Could def be PPV/cable weirdness.

I also agree with your assessment-- MUCH better than I'd expected! Had 50/50 low/high expectations for it, and it came off great overall IMHO. Teared up way more often than I'd have previously thought, and admired the majority of the cinematic translations from the light staging of the original. Was glad to give them my $15 to purchase the HD version on iTunes. Like supporting this little >$2m production that was made with more heart than blockbuster ambitions.

Was it mostly live-sung? Seemed to be most of the time... (In a good way; somewhere between the polish of Glee without its auto-tune excess, and the naturalism of Les Mis, without its occasional sloppiness.)

Some changes: "...cause I can't TOUCH her anyway" altered maybe to ensure a PG-13... "...people who cast Russell Crowe in a musical." Made me laugh; more timely for sure. (Might have been Pierce Brosnan if made 5 years ago.)

[rcwr]

Posted: 2/13/15 at 10:57pm

Jordan, I tried to watch it tonight on Comcast O.D. and the aspect ratio was SO terribly wrong that I stopped watching and am trying to get a refund. It was as if it had started out the correct ratio and then someone placed a hand on the left-side edge and a hand on the right-side edge and squished inwards.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 2/13/15 at 10:57pm

OK, I just finished watching the movie. Overall, I found it to be very enjoyable. The non-linear plot does get a bit hard to follow on film, but overall I think things came out pretty good.

The performances are great as is the chemistry between Jordan and Kendrick. They make the film rewatchable.

* On a side note, I watched it on AT&T Uverse and the aspect ratio was fine.
Updated On: 2/13/15 at 10:57 PM

[rcwr]

Posted: 2/13/15 at 11:00pm

Yes, it's mostly live-sung. JJ said that "If I Didn't Believe In You" is live-sung in one take. "Moving Too Fast" and the song they sing in the car on the West Side Highway (sorry, I don't know which one that is) are the ones that aren't live-sung, for logistical reasons.

[Platypus]

Posted: 2/13/15 at 11:36pm

It's interesting that a few people have said they would have preferred more dialogue...I was at the second screening at TIFF, when Richard LaGravenese and Jeremy Jordan did the Q&A. LaGravanese said that he tried to change as little as possible from the stage show, because he knew how possessive theatre fans are of their musicals. The entire theatre burst into cheers when he said this, and I am sure that if they had added more dialogue, people would be complaining that the show is intended to be sung through. In fact, he explained that the film did not have any script at all - any dialogue that made it in to the film was 100% improvised.

jpbran, both of your comments about changes were explained at the screening - for a PG-13 rating, you are only allowed 2 f-bombs, and LaGravenese left it up to JRB, and JRB had said "I want f****ing birthday!" so they had to sacrifice some of the others. Apparently Anna Kendrick took it upon herself to throw in the Russel Crowe line for fun and she was unsure if they would let her keep it in, but they decided to go with it.

[Michael Kras]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 12:20am

I saw this way back in September at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere, and the audience reaction was immense. It was a pretty special experience. I love the film so much... it's well sung, well acted, well directed, the orchestrations are great, and some of the challenges of adapting this odd musical to film were artfully dealt with. I still get chills thinking about how Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You was staged. Pretty inspired.

I do agree that the opposing timelines are pretty muddled in the film because, though it's kept non-linear as it is in the stage musical, the film itself is realist so there's nothing to indicate when and where we are in time. If you don't know the show, it's almost easier to just sit back and accept that the movie is simply jumping around in time, not having to consider the back and forward nature of the narrative. The impact isn't as strong but it's easier to handle that way.

Updated On: 2/14/15 at 12:20 AM

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 1:32am

Just finished watching the movie. I saw it with my 12 year old brother. First we saw the production with Katie Rose Clark on youtube. We always see the stage production before seeing the movie (jersey boys & into the woods). We thought the stage production was boring... but the music was good. First of all, we LOVED that the movie helped us understand the story better... well the lyrics in the songs.. It kind of felt like we were watching music videos for every song. It was really confusing. And STILL boring.. the only thing were we were like "OHHHH" was in the end when we put the pieces together.. were Cathie was wearing the same outfit from the beginning and the letter. Overall, I wouldn't see the movie ever again (completely). I tried so hard not to fall asleep.. and IM the theatre geek who begged my brother to see it with me. We both loved "A Summer in Ohio".. And Anna Kendrick was amazing. Rating: 6/10

[GroupAGroup1]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 1:59am

Just finished it.

It has the same problem a lot of movie musicals do: the filmmaking isn't heightened enough to go with the fact that everyone is singing onscreen. (It certainly won't convert anyone who's not "into" musicals, but leaving that aside.)

In this case, the filming/staging is *super* realistic and literal: not only could the cinematography be transplanted into a non-musical for the most part (which, just for one example, really botches the humor in "Climbing Uphill") but they take such pains to illustrate onscreen everything the songs are saying, the songs lose some of their emotional power.

Anna Kendrick was very, very good: her singing I've always had issues with (that belting, piercing nasal!), but it wasn't really an impairment here, and her acting is terrific.

(Then again, I never really bought her as the needy, emotional mess that Jamie paints her as. "No one can give you courage! / No one can thicken your skin!" Really? She seems decently confident to me: she's just not having any luck. So maybe that goes against her.)

Jeremy Jordan's Jamie is callow. That's pretty much all I picked up from his acting. He was the real weak link, and his two big, dark numbers ("If I Didn't Believe In You," "Nobody Needs To Know") were not handled for what they were worth.

Another movie musical that didn't need to be made. Not terrible, but it never really got down and *ugly* with the ugly emotions it could have played with.

(P.S. The fact that Jamie cheated at all: That gives "Nobody" enough power. Giving him more than one girl-on-the-side just makes it cartoonish.) Updated On: 2/14/15 at 01:59 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 6:23am

I really like it tremendously, stopping just short of falling in love. But that could change.

To whomever complained about her auditions, they were totally different auditions, for entirely different shows. This is where we see her build her confidence: THATS why they last one is her strongest -- she has gained that from him; for his belief in her.

I disagree that he is the villain. They (as in most relationships) are both at fault. She feels like a failure professionally, and somewhat resents his success. She doesn't want to be the happy little woman behind the man. He looks for something that makes him feel his success.

BTW: I watched on Comcast On Demand with no ration problems.

I loved the camera work, and I loved the two of them together.

Since I'm about to be snowed in (again!) I plan on watching it a few times this weekend.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 11:56am

I saw it last night with my husband, who knew from me that the timelines are opposite but didn't have any other knowledge about the show.

I really liked it. I didn't really like Anna Kendrick vocally (she straight toned way too often for me), but I loved her acting. She broke my heart in "Still Hurting." Thought Jeremy Jordan was good but nothing amazing. Granted, I'm not sure he had a lot to work with.

Does the stage show ever even say that Jamie is sleeping with Elise? I've only seen it once and it was a while ago. I know that Cathy accuses him of it at one point but is the woman in "Nobody Needs to Know" for sure supposed to be Elise? I thought it made sense for him to be sleeping with multiple women.

A few comments, otherwise:
- The story was extremely confusing to my husband and I imagine would be confusing to others who aren't familiar with the stage show. I know that they tried to give indicators of what time it was, but they weren't always easy to see.
- I loved what they did with "Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You" and I wish they had done that more with the rest of the film.
- I wish that "The Next Ten Minutes" had shown more of the wedding. I also wish that they had kept in Cathy and Jamie dancing because I always found that part so beautiful in the stage version.
- I get why they updated "A Summer in Ohio" to Skype but I think it would made more sense for her to be writing, say, an email.
- Still hate Jamie and find him 100% at fault. Okay, maybe like 98%. My husband hated Jamie even more than I did. He also has a huge crush on Anna Kendrick so I think he was a bit biased. He kept saying "Push him in the lake!" during "See, I'm Smiling."
- I didn't like the staging (or whatever you call it) of "Shiksa Goddess." I think it was distracting and the song makes more sense if Jamie sings it after his first date with Cathy--it's supposed to be right after/at the same time as"Goodbye Until Tomorrow," isn't it?
- I agree with the critics and everyone else who has been saying that "The Schmuel Song" dragged. However, it is like the one time I find Jamie not to be a tool so I'm not sure they should have cut it, either. Don't know the solution, I suppose.

Anyway, overall I really liked it. There were a few scenes that I loved and I am definitely going to rewatch them.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 12:08pm

I'd just like to ask - What musical DOES need to be made into a movie. Because the "I don't think it needed to be a movie" statement is always a weird one and makes no sense as an argument to not liking a film.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 1:14pm

I bought the film last night and I enjoyed it much more then I thought I would. It's a simple 90 minute film that I thought translated from the stage well. Both actors give great performances. I thought the vocals sounded great and they had good chemistry. All in all, I can't complain and I'll even watch it again.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 5:38pm

I thought the same exact thing, Jordan. In fact, does any movie HAVE to ever be made?

Finishing my second time, enjoying it just as much as the first viewing.


I never got to catch this on stage, and while I'd been listening to the music for a few days, the only thing I really knew about it was the timeline as well. I had no problems following it at all. I had to think about it, but I love movies that make me think.

(I love Shiksa Goddess exactly the way it was. It's exactly what the beginning of falling in love is like: falling hard and wonderously fast.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 5:44pm

I liked it and thought both stars were very good. My favorite part was A Summer in Ohio -- Kendrick sold the heck out of it! (My friend's favorite part was the Russell Crowe line. )

But did anyone else have trouble hearing Jordan over the music? It was a real issue for us. My friend said she barely understood a word of The Story of Schmuel. We could hear Kendrick just fine, but we couldn't start hearing Jordan clearly until about two thirds of the way through. I wondered if that was just a problem here, or if others noticed it too.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 6:01pm

This show is a musical blind spot for me, so I went into the movie last nightly mostly cold, just knowing the general plot and structure and some of the song titles. I thought it was pretty dreadful. Good performances, but that was about it. The camera work was nausea-inducing, and it looked sooooo cheap, like when they are standing around a receptionist's desk that looked like it was made out of stage flats. I'm glad that a lot of fans of the show are pleased, but I can't see myself ever revisiting this.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 11:17pm

I watched it last night. I went in blind only being aware of the story structure. I really enjoyed it. I think it is my favorite film of the year, so far. Loved the music and thought it looked really gorgeous. I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really liked it.

I rented it off of Amazon and everything looked fine on my computer. I didn't buy it because I wasn't sure if I would like it and didn't really want to shell out the $15 for something I wouldn't care about ever again.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 11:38pm

Please Mr Richard Ridge--if you are going to interview anyone[Jeremy Jordan], do it without a camera.
I feel only a straight jacket would keep all that wriggling under control.
I would like to READ your interviews but find them impossible to watch, or listed to [don't have to do either of course, and no longer do].

[East Village]

Posted: 2/14/15 at 11:47pm

I pretty much loved it too. It's a wonderful New York story but very much a movie you listen to rather than watch for thrills.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 12:21am

I overall really liked it more than I thought I would too and agree with most of you. I'd say the majority of the leads performances in the songs were great. They each had a few awkward acting moments but overall were strong.

My biggest issue came from some of the directing and camera angle choices. There was a moment in the wonderfully done by Jeremy Jordan "If I Didn't Believe in You" where the camera shots were HORRIBLE and the two of them could barely be seen in the frame and it was distracting. And "Still Hurting" just didn't do it at all for me. It usually is heart breaking but it seemed like the director didn't know what to do and it was just kinda stagnant. Also "Next Ten Minutes" they were so darkly lit and he was shooting them at weird unflattering angles. I dunno, it just goes to show it's not easy to direct a musical film and you have to have a very clear vision for the way you film the songs.

Jason Robert Brown's music is glorious on film and further proved to me why Parade deserves to be a film. I think there are definitely certain songs in the show that from a film pacing perspective JRB could've definitely cut a verse or two. Especially "Nobody Needs to Know" and "Schmuel" (which while it stopped the action, Schmuel showed some great chemistry between them and Anna Kendrick's little improvised bits were really funny)

"Goodbye Until Tomorrow/ I could Never Rescue You" was chill inducing and the moment where she starts walking down the stairs towards him and the lens flare happens was really beautiful.

I walked into the movie thinking "how the hell could THIS musical of all musicals work on film?" and walked out feeling like it improves upon the stage show in many ways. Especially in seeing them sing the songs literally to each other and Cathy is a much more sympathetic character on film.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 8:08am

Have to say i loved it, and i'm not a fan of the show.

Anna and Jeremy were outstanding, i far preferred her work here to Into the Woods, and i still liked her in that, this to me was an awards worthy performance by her, she tells you everything with a look, stunning. Jordan also did brilliant, his vocals wow, and he is a such a natural actor. I can't for a second understand any criticism aimed at this guy in this film, he matched Kendrick all the way, 2 of the best moments in the film came from him, i think this guy is the real deal, voice and acting, i'm rooting for him. Also i think he made Jamie less of a jerk, something ive seen many productions of the show do, his was much more likable.

I adored the 2 of them and fell madly in love with their relationship, something i never did in the show, that to me is the biggest success of all, that you actually care.

The direction was so simple, but that's perfect for this show, i know some are complaining about that (a few critics have as well) but i think to do anything above what they did would be a mistake,the simplicity is the beauty, i like the camera is almost sneaking around them, peeking at this doomed relationship.

Personally im going to say that this was far better than Les Mis, Into The Woods etc, a fraction of the cost and far more dynamic. And how great to see a movie musical where the leads can sing.

Updated On: 2/15/15 at 08:08 AM

[phantom8019]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 9:18am

I agree with Phyllis, though the show is not a blind spot for me. 10 years ago I was very fond of it, but as I grow older I find the characters, Jamie especially, to be unbearable.
I didn't think the movie took off until the last song--that sequence was very well done. I wish the rest of the movie were the same.
I also missed the two F bombs in the lyrics, but I understand removing them.
Also, not to nitpick, but is he really supposed to be some great writer--"the savior of writing"--or does he write crap novels like Twilight? The title of his book, which they flashed 200 times during the movie, was terribly cliched and nondescript: "Light out of Darkness." And the excerpt he read from the book could have been written by any 10th grade advanced placement English student.

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 2:01pm

We bought it last night on Dish ON Demand and the AR seemed fine.

Random Thoughts:

When listening to the CDs and the one live performance, I had felt the show was mostly centered on Cathy. The film seemed centered on Jamie. Jamie was more likeable to me - and the film made the breakup seem more of Cathy's fault for being needy to the point where she can't be supportive (of course, she does sing how she doesn't want to be the woman in the background). I think if the former Mrs. Brown didn't like the show when it first came out - she's really really really not going to like the film version.

Jordan almost redeems Jamie in If I Didn't Believe in You right up to the "I won't lose because you can't win" - and Kendrick's face at that moment is terrific in her reaction.

Jamie still is a shmuck - and is repugnant in No One Needs to Know. I understand the director's comments about sequing from meaningless sex from worshipers to a potential relationship with Elise - although even then Jamie sings that he has to be in love with someone. Well, shmuck, you have a pretty shiksa goddess who is in love with you, so if you HAVE to be in love with someone, then be in love with your F***king wife.

But, Cathy, for me, in this film version, is too weak of a character - and even Jordan in Shiksa Goddess just doesn't communicate to me what it is about Cathy that has him so enraptured and in love. It's not just that she's a Shiksa - there are plenty of shiksas out there - but this one in particular. I'd really would have loved for that scene to have started with them actually meeting before tumbling into his apartment.

This is probably the first time I liked the Shmuel number - the staging enlivened what for me is normally a pretty dry and draggy number. I thought it was great when Cathy asks incredulously "What? I'm Shmuel" and it made much more sense.

Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You was impressive. Wonderfully and creatively staged - and emotionally devastating. I thought it was nigh on perfect.

I understand some of accolades for Summer in Ohio - but it didn't live up to those accolades for me. I liked the Skype sessions especially where Jamie gets to see Wayne the snake. I thought Kendrick was cute - but I guess it also showed to me why Cathy is doing Ohio and not Off-Broadway.

There was something emotionally lacking in The Next Ten Minutes - I don't know what was missing - but it just didn't lead up enough to me to the "I Dos".

I didn't think this was as good as it could have been - but it's still very good.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 2:59pm

Just rented it on Vudu - apparently a thing my TiVo connects to - and it blew me away. Anna and Jeremy were fantastic. It was sexy, funny, beautifully sung and orchestrated. The fact that they show it in three weeks blows my mind. The fact that it was so low-budget blows my mind. The camera choreography aside, I can't remember the last time I saw modern-day NYC filmed so beautifully.

I will say that with lyrics so plentiful (for lack of a better word) and meaningful, I found myself wanting to get in every word, and with the film being opened up from just two people, I hoped for little breathers here and there so I could process what was going on, especially as the timeline muddled here and there. That said, I couldn't help but go to the ugly cry during the finale as soon as the sun hit them and they started singing "to each other."

All in all, I just about loved it, and hope that more smaller musicals will go the "indie route" to get made, so we can have more of them out there. I can just imagine In The Heights going this route, for example!

[ZiggyCringe]

Posted: 2/15/15 at 4:10pm

While I love Kendrick's "Summer in Ohio", what the hell was that choreography? According to the season board, they were doing "Sound of Music," "Porgy and Bess," "West Side Story" and "Fiddler." None of that choreography she was dancing with the boys belongs in any of those shows.