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watched the second Hobbit movie (Desolation of Smaug) with some friends on Boxing Day...
i know i shouldn't nitpick but i was pretty disappointed by it.
some parts like the dragon (Smaug) in the mines was downright awesome, and the images are visually stunning, but the opening of the film (conversation between the dwarf and Gandalf) already confused me, and the pointless show-offy-ness of the elf fight scenes, the lame introduction of the love interest (the elf Tauriel and the dwarf Kili)... sigh.
i was cringing at the soft-focus lovey-doveyness between them intercut with the action scenes. some guy behind us was snickering during those scenes. he knows what i'm talking about.
unfortunately, my friend ships the romance between Tauriel and Kili.
they showed the Fellowship of the Ring on tv last night. it reminded me of how that movie was really long as well... but it was quality stuff.
then i found a good 3-part interview on Wired dated 2012 where Viggo Mortensen is talking about acting and art... he was the main reason why i was such a big fan of Lord of the Rings.
Gilsdorf: For you, then, art is an everyday experience. What does art do? Why is art important?
Mortensen: Because when you don’t feel any connection to anybody or anything, then an emptiness can come that can sometimes make people feel like, well, what’s the point of going on living? A lot of people commit suicide, or become despondent, or angry, or hateful, or mistrusting, and nothing’s fun anymore. It can happen to people gradually without them realizing it’s happening and suddenly it’s like, Why am I so unhappy? Or someone just says to you, “Why are you so unhappy?” And you’re like, “Am I so unhappy?” “Yes, you’re unhappy.” “Shit, I didn’t realize that.” That can happen gradually.
Gilsdorf: Art combats that feeling?
Mortensen: What art does is it makes you feel alive and makes you feel like you’re connected. It doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to live beyond death or that you’re not going to be afraid to die. …. It just means that while you’re here, for whatever reason that you’re here, for however long that you’re going to be here, you have a choice to make something of that experience.
even though i like art, i don't make connections half as much as i should.
and there was another part where he said that even though we're all going to die, it doesn't mean that we should stop trying to learn and be generally awesome.
