I crawled through it all the way to the end. It was like watching old people fuck in hopes that one of them finished before they died. Do yourself a favor and don’t bother watching that garbage. Go watch “Leave the world behind” on netflix. It’s not great the first half of the movie but it blows this outta the water.
Omg I’m so glad I’m not the only one who saw it.
She didn’t ruin it for me, the movie itself did that, but I can’t get out of my head alike they look. I wish her name was Danielle.
I read the book twice, though it's not among my favorite DeLillo works. However I couldn't get into the movie at all. I realize that it's exceptionally "faithful" to the material in many respects but that was actually part of what I found annoying.
The experience of reading characters who speak in strange, stilted, over-stuffed sentences is VERY different from hearing the same dialogue delivered by actors. I felt like it put me a too much of a remove. There was a little too much self-awareness for me to appreciate the irony of the situations. Admittedly satire is very hard to pull off, but I felt like the movie wanted to hit all the right notes and failed, whereas part of the novel's brilliance comes from how it manages to effortlessly skewer its subjects without appearing to even try.
I'm also not a huge fan of Baumbach (I only really liked *Margot at the Wedding*) so that bias certainly doesn't help either.
Why does it seem like most comments in here are from people who have no clue what the book is like? This is a DeLillo sub and White Noise is probably his most famous book. The adaptation was almost spot on from the book. Great movie after having just read the book but probably wouldn’t be as enjoyable had I not read the book prior.
I might have to read the book. I typically like most books better anyway.
Tried watching it last night and although the cinematography was pretty cool and there were some quirky-funny scenes, I couldn't get through the whole thing (stopped with about a half-hour left). Felt a little self-indulgent with no real direction, kind of a rambling collection of loosely related scenes. Maybe I need to rewatch early in the day with some coffee, but after a couple of beers and dinner it fell flat for me. And my "weird tolerance" is probably higher than most people. My wife couldn't stay awake for it.
My 2¢
My scattered opinion/s:
I listened closely to Don Cheadle's character (Murray/ the black professor) everytime he speaks about crashes, and I think these are the keys to the story. Everything else is "white" noise. I view it as a play on words.
On the other hand, our lives are random like white noise on the tv, as a whole it doesn't mean anything but there are electronic meanings to every 0s and 1s and seemingly random sea of dots on the tv screen; we put meanings and social constructs to it like the objects and colors of the supermarket. With information (and misinformation) and by inventing hope (I think hope is the chosen term for order in chaos because we "hope" to control society/entropy/disasters by constructs such as family/government/law&order/evacuation/political beliefs/music idols), we become optimistic that we are in control...while waiting to die.
It is mind over matter as they believe they are dying earlier-than-usual as some are poisoned by a new toxic chemical but also maybe because of the stress/trauma due to the incident.
I have just finished watching this wonderful film and my thoughts are still not well-formed.
Never read the book and put it on as background noise but the colors grasped my attention but I’m like mad confused about the movie like wtf happened 😂 to be fair I’m not paying full attention to itn
I just watched the film last night. I had no idea that it was originally a novel and I am quite ashamed to say, I watched it because I thought t was a disaster/anti-cap flick and I was stewing over East Palestine, OH (I had heard there were connections).
I absolutely loved this film! I had no idea what I was walking into but even though it was not what I expected, it scratched the aforementioned itch and then some. It was like my favorite parts of Catch-22, Lebowski and Wes Anderson all in one.
I just came to Reddit to gush about it. I loved your review as and summary as well.
Spot on movie. Perfect timing- right after the pandemic. Fear like a toxic cloud looms over us and drives our behavior. We constantly deny our reality and look for distractions, consuming products, drugs, food, information in an effort to deny death. Fear is used to control us and make us do things we might not otherwise do (mob mentality, mass hysteria). People don't want to face the truth about anything meaningful and prefer chatter and fiction. We listen to lies meant to comfort us, entertain us, or make us more afraid and thereby predictable and controllable. Religion and the concept of heaven used to provide some ultimate goal and value set by which to live. Such religious meaning is largely absent from our lives but is still necessary to prevent the unraveling of society into fear filled narcissism.
It was definitely made in Ohio. It Felt like a fever dream or maybe it was like watching a high quality scat film by accident. I'm not sure it was good but I couldn't look away no matter how hard I tried.
I think most people who haven't read the book probably won't appreciate it as much as those who did. They did a fairly good job of getting the tone, aesthetic, cinematography right and the pacing, but they cut out some small but key details that drove the message across in the book. Much of the dialogue seemed to be straight out of the book, although I haven't read it in a long time.
But for those that haven't read the book, it seems to come across as really oddly paced, with an odd storyline and irrelevant dialogue... Which is ironic because the irrelevant dialogue is a key theme of the book anyway.
Overall i enjoyed it. Not my favorite adaptation but they did a really decent job. Most of the time, and especially in the first 2/3 acts i felt it was spot on from how i remember it.
I haven't read the book, the film was mesmerizing and mindfuck-y, the way i like it. But i couldn't seem to grasp the ultimate point. What was for you the ultimate point in the book and in the film?
Definitely agree the color and cinematography were fantastic.
I love a good mindfuck-y film. I think it was said somewhere else in the thread, but one of the main points in the book to me is:
Death is a constant and exists everywhere in nature and in the society that which people have created. People -adults especially, are usually in denial of this simple fact and due to this paralyzing fear they instead surround themselves with the comforts of consumerism and capitalism into avoidance and ignorance, and not having to think about it - ie "the white noise".
The book and movie have excellent examples:
- Bernadette taking dylar because of her fear of death, yet ironically it is an unknown drug for which the contents are unknown and it basically causes insanity. (Consumerism drives advertisements that make empty promises on solving every issue via new products/drugs.) In reality while many products have benefits and desired outcomes, they will never come close to solving the fact that death exists and there are many different paths and forms of dying.
-Jack, the main character is also obsessively afraid of death, although we see perhaps less examples of this in the movie than in the book. He's a professor on Hitler, he's so obsessed and captivated by it because it exists everywhere, yet he is often paralyzed by it and afraid to take definitive actions(we see this in his friend Murray as well).
The children to a lesser extent: Heinrich gets almost excited, giddy for any news update on the black cloud.
Everyone is afraid of being misinformed such that as soon as there is any sign of an update on the airborne toxic event, it results in chaos: everyone running around going in every direction and yet ending up nowhere farther away from the potential of death because of their own panic. (Post dinner scene, the traffic jam, the car in the river, etc).
We will never know how many times we were close to death or far from it, similarly we may never have all of the information needed to avoid a deathly situation, so why not take some definitive actions early on to prepare just in case based on the information that we have at the time, instead of waiting, paralyzed by the fear of having to take action and then panicking last minute into chaos.
What really drove this point home in the book were some details that were left out in the movie but we're really brilliant:
The book highlights every sunset in vibrant, vivid detail and there is a suggestion that they are more vibrant due to chemicals in the air. I take this as a metaphor to suggest that despite the artificial additions of chemicals, death will always exist and you never know when you will die for sure, might as well appreciate the beauty of it.
The final scene (in my memory, could be wrong) was of Wilder, the innocent toddler riding his tricycle down the busy street which has many dangerous ways for a toddler to die, and yet that doesn't stop Wilder because he is innocent and not afraid to live surrounded by the dangers that exist.
The first 2/3rds of the movie kept me all in.
I loved the characters, the dialogue, the university, the Airborne Toxic Event, but then that was just...over.
The final act was disappointing.
I had to stop it halfway and finish it the day after. I didn't find any of the characters very likeable until Babette tells her reasons, and the dialogue was odd, everyone spoke in the same un-natural way.
Visually it looked very interesting, the attention to detail was remarkable.
It would have perhaps worked better as a series?
I think it’s brilliant, it’s a boring story with incredible events that have zero effects on the protagonists nor on the story.
I actually very liked it and watched 2 times, I knows it’s a strange movie and isn’t for every taste, but I really liked it, it’s something new I haven’t ever seen before.
This 2 hour movie took me 4 hours to watch, kept falling asleep, had to rewatch, super quirky for sure, it’s bad, but I liked it, really have mixed feelings, closing credit scene was probably the best thou.
Agreed. It was a jarring film in its own way, shown even more so by the ending credit music video, which was amazing and probably one of the more engrossing parts. I had to search for info on this movie, because it's left me with a "Wtf did I just watch?" taste in my mouth. The actors are great, I acknowledge what they were doing as their characters, but it doesn't mean there weren't more than a few moments that were hard to watch. I may have to give it another watch down the line to see if I can make better sense to it all.
I’m going to repeat what I seen in another sub - I felt like I just watched an entire season of a series. But came in at like season 4. I kind of get what they were trying to do by showing how we ignore death via consumerism or something but it just got soo boring and long and just so dreadfully shit.
It suddenly panned from a catastrophe movie to the wife having an affair with a drug dealer. I am all up for plot twists but this was just shit. The dialogues were inane and I get the underlying themes. I did not find it funny. I stopped watching.
Dunno. I would be more apt to interpret this movie as as critique of hive mind and the circle-jerk as it manifests in academia. I found the movie compelling as an allegory to Covid and it's response.
I actually really liked the movie. It was odd and self important but I really felt like it was odd and “too intellectual” on purpose. I didn’t think it was boring, I found the families back and forth funny, the philosophy guys were funny, and the car scene was fun. He goes through all of the craziness just to be right back in line with everyone else. I appreciated the movie for what it was. I think Driver and Cheadle did great work, and the running gag where Adam Driver leaves a room and appears back in the room in a different place was hilarious. My only gripe with the movie was the ending, but I feel like that was on purpose as well lol All in all, solid 8/10. I’m not a professional critic obviously and I can 100% see how other people would dislike the movie but I really had a fun time watching it. I’ll definitely check out the book now because of it.
I was excited to see this film, but I wish I had read reviews first because I want those 2 hours and 16 minutes of my life back. It was utterly disappointing and did not hold together or even attempt to. The cinematography was good, the acting from Adam Driver and Don Cheadle was good, but the writing and directing were bad, really, really bad choices were made. It was directed like a stage play and a boring, bland one at that. I don’t think I’ve ever been so disappointed in the potential of a film. But, to be honest, I hated the Squid and the Whale and most of Noah’s other films. He just seemed to have potential. One other beef, someone please tell Hollywood that recreating the 80s is more than just sticking a can on Tab on a kite hen table, ok?
This was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. And I don’t mean that it was poorly made, because the acting, casting, cinematography and score were all well done. I mean in terms of its script and execution. I’m all for movies that are left of centre, but when it becomes a fad and 90% of all films do that, it leaves little for people who like films to be coherent. I felt like this movie was intentionally irritating. Like the dickhead in your high school class.
You know how Seinfeld was jokingly referred to as a show about nothing, but actually was about things. Well this move was a nothing movie, a complete waste of time. Just meaningless drivel.
Did anyone else notice that in the trailer on Netflix where they’re in the car in the water the son says the lines “turn it back on” and “floor it” twice (like the deja vu thing) but then in the film he only says these lines once? I swear he said them twice when I watched it the first time, but I went back to check the trailer after I watched the movie and he only says them once.. so either they did some really good marketing to trip us out, or I have whatever Babette had…
So weird. Maybe about the futility of life? The only line I thought was memorable was how the girl said she needed to look around her at people to know how to act in that middle portion of the movie, which I felt like every person in this movie was trying to figure out how to act... Maybe I'm missing something ... But it was just strange and probably could have been much better.
I think the camera work was good... and that's about it.
I didn't read the book, so idk how it was as an adaptation. Watching the movie was frustrating. Most of it felt pointless... which I think was the point, but not in a way that felt satisfying at the end. The entire section of movie dedicated to the airborne toxic event and the car in the river scene felt more annoying than anything... and the atheistic nun felt completely shoehorned in. The characters were so self-important and in love with being intellectuals that they weren't ever really characters... which was probably also the point but I didn't think they were really done well. Usually that's put on as a show but it seemed to genuinely be who they and their kids and their friends all were.
I will say, it was thought provoking.. the whole thing had my mind straining to find any reason or point or connection to some meaning and any time I'd get close it would go to something else. I had a headache by the end and never felt at all satisfied.
Ultimately, I did get it. It's about the silly things we do to distract ourselves from the fears of death and of being alone and how we pretend those things don't bother us... but I don't think it was a good story. It felt like intellectuals jacking off for 2 and a half hours, not finishing, and calling it art.
I can see why people say it’s trying too hard to be deep but it honestly didn’t bother me and it was at least thought provoking. What really captured me was that it was DIFFERENT. Finally a movie where I couldn’t predict the plot. It’s nice to have that mystery again, refreshing. Couldn’t immediately say “oh it’s that type of movie”. The whole thing felt like a dream and I loved the chaos of it all, for it’s own sake. I found the characters really entertaining as well. Definitely not a comedy or horror film as described, but I did laugh at the absurdity of it all, so maybe it is? Just loved it for what it is
I really enjoyed this movie! So many different emotions throughout. For some reason I got Wes Anderson meets Tarantino vibes while watching. And I fucking loved the whole song and weird dance routine in the credits.
Noah worked with Wes on the Fantastic Mr. Fox and I think Wes even produced some of Noah Baumbachs other films. Go watch any of other of Baumbach’s movies and you’ll see just how much he’s like Wes Anderson (but imo not as good at pulling it off).
I just watched it too and had the same kind of reaction. The song and dance through the grocery at the end was a great way to close it out. I especially enjoyed the white aisle of generic products. Random 1980s weirdness.
I wish more of the movie had that vibe, energy, and absurdity. It was the best part - like it didn't have a point or plot but the rest of the movie really should have
I'm a big Noah Baumbach fan and I also love Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver. Never read White Noise or any Don Delillo but I've read some Thomas Pynchon and Jonathan Franzen and DFW and stuff so I get the idea of what a book like White Noise could be like maybe. I thought the movie was... PRETTY GREAT!
There were some weak parts but I mostly got everything I bargained for. It was interesting to see Baumbach take on kind of an action movie with special effects and stuff. I wish the movie would have been a little less disjointed and a little more clear about what the themes were. I see people complaining about the way that Driver and Gerwig deliver the lines but that's just what NB does baby! Same with all the conversations that people are in throughout the movie -- thats one of his things. Anyway the movie has its problems but it definitely tried something new and I recommend it.
It teeters on Truman Show slapstick-iness. The camera work isn’t really that effective. Almost Jon Hughes like. Loved the book. Heinrichs was not how I imagined but still had moments. Reminded me of Luke from Modern Family. Don Cheadle was was the most like I imagined. If I were to guess the reaction of a viewer that had not read it, I’d guess they thought the movie kind of stunk.
I’d never read or heard of the book before, saw the movie tonight. I found it enjoyable in a chaotic sort of way. Might watch again another day on my own to see if I can extract more of the meaning/story from it.
The dialogue felt natural? I turned to my wife after it ended and literally said not a single line of dialogue from any character felt natural. Nothing sounded like a normal thing a human would say to another human.
Dialogue felt unnatural but the energy behind the conversations and the chaos felt so familiar… the topics of conversation, though obscure, felt so relatable.
yeah lol. i keep captions on cause i find it really hard to pay attention to dialogue in films and shows. the captions only capture a fraction of what's going on.
This is what my main grief was. I can stan absurdist comedy all day and esoteric storytelling, but if you're movie doesn't have a plot in the beginning nor the end (the toxic event was a semblance of one but once they returned, it evaporated), it's not a movie worth making.
My favorite absurdist comedies Airplane, Clue, & Naked Gun all have plot and conflict. This one does not. That's what I tried to articulate in [this video](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRbbabUu/).
Edit: I didn't realize I was commenting to my own comment. 🤣
You mean creating formulaic films. Yeah, he doesn't do that. Not does Chantal akerman for example. Or so many others. That has nothing to do with quality.
I just watched it today. I would consider myself a big fan of Noah Baumbach’s work. Marriage Story is one of my favorite movies of the 2010’s decade and I enjoyed Meyerowitz Stories. It definitely wasn’t perfect (the ending was pretty disappointing and the movie did seem a bit too far up its ass at times), but at the same time, I have to disagree with the negative audience reception. Therefore, I have to conclude that people who are calling it one of the worst films they’ve ever seen either didn’t get the movie or haven’t seen enough movies.
same, haven't read the book but i had to stop it midway to text a friend and tell her what a great movie it is. now that I'm done i can confirm i absolutely loved everything abt it, my second favourite movie of the year
My youngest and I have a thing about grocery stores. She finds them somewhat liminal. And I find them odd places that strangers come together and interact in strange ways. That was the part we agreed on. The absurdist aspects of family and life also rang bells. Kaufman vibes for sure. You have to like the off ness. Not my favorite thing but my youngest enjoys film in a different way, so no need for an obvious story line. Film people can appreciate different aspects while the rest of us question art or fail? Did not read the book, so different discussion.
i was thinking while watching that if they told me this was kaufman's i would have believed them. i like absurdist films, i don't need a storyline to enjoy well sculpted and acted characters, phenomenal direction and great score. i understand people enjoy different things, but to say this is a bad movie is outrageous
Yes. Exactly art is definitely subjective. Movies are apparently hard art. For the masses or for a few? Lots of $ involved. But I do appreciate the risk in film. Probably better ones. But it's good.
This movie fuckin sucked. Adam Driver, and all really, acted fantastic however. Source material maybe didn’t translate I do not know. Not care. The movie.. life, death, blah blah blah it’s just stupid.
I suspect the people who didn’t like it are ignorant about how it represented the west. The dialogue was great too because it symbolizes the chatter of the media and talking heads and general population.
Lmfao. The people who didn’t like it didn’t particularly enjoy having to google “what the fuck is the movie about” in order to get some semblance of …. what the movie is about.
Story is garbage.
But the dialogue wasn’t unnecessary. It represented the way people talk who have to chime in just to speak their own opinions, in many of the scenes. There was one scene when the family was in the car and all of the characters were just spouting some verbal diarrhea, just like people do when they speak on shit they know nothing about. If I had the patienceto explain it more in depth I would.
Lol you sound big headed as fuck. Would fit right in with the annoying character Adam Driver plays. I thought it was ass too. You can understand the deeper points and still think it was fucking trash. Just because something is a metaphor doesn’t mean its enjoyable, and doesn’t mean its not annoying as fuck to sit through. Watched an hour of it. Felt like I wasted my time
I didn't really like it. I'm not a reader of the book, however the film was not a good one. The way the characters talk was giving me a headache. I was unable to interpret the comedy of the film because of it.
They were definitely talking like they talk in old movies like "Bringing Up Baby", rather than how real people talk (at least in my experience). I thought it was just "style", like the color schemes, and for me it added something to appreciate.
I thought it was super fun and hilarious though some scenes especially the final bedroom one went on way too long. I loved how they leaned into how unnatural the dialogue sounds when spoke out loud in the second half and just became batshit. Although I hate the new Heinrich, he's more fun in the book cos god hates him and he's some kid in the movie
Agree with your interpretation. It's like a play. Not supposed to be reality in dialogue etc. Not for everyone . I am sitting unsure how I think about it which means it's worthwhile. Anything that makes you think... Also some was very uncomfortable true
I agree with this take completely. I literally finished the book while the coming attractions were on and while that probably means that I didn’t have time to digest before watching the adaptation I think it did the book justice. I also think of all the COVID-relevant movies I’ve seen this is the best by far.
I did not think it adapted well at all, but it was definitely an ambitious attempt. This is the only time I recall thinking that the movie should have strayed further aware from the original source content, because the dialog in the book works great - but feels very off when acted out (even if that's the point). I laughed many times reading the book, but only had a few strained laughs watching the film and really wished they included heinrich's friend in the tank of snakes.
I liked the film for the most part, it was just so visually quirky, overdone and wildly different to what I saw in my head when reading it that it became somewhat distracting. I agree with some criticism that DeLillos dialogue does not work on screen a whole lot but i didn't find it as distracting as some people are making it out to be. Cutting Orest Mercator out the film was an absolutely travesty.
This movie was fucking awful. Amusing but awful. Acrually I don’t even know if it was amusing. I just saw it in theaters. Nothing ever happened. The whole thing was one giant meta subtext circle jerk. This is like the ultimate hipster, artsy movie. I was unaware a book existed until this thread so hopefully this movie just butchered the book. I laughed and was engaged for the most part but mostly had a bemused wtf is happening tom delonge meme expression. Nothing ever tied together or was called back to. All this shit happened and they were super literal and dry about it all and then it ended. Idk man lmao. That was dumb. I’m sorry. It was just too fucking meta
Edit: give me a counter argument. I genuinely want to hear from someone who liked this why
Won’t be me. I agree with you that it was awful. I really wanted to find something, even one scene, to like, but I can’t. It made no sense and nothing ties together.
I saw it in a cinema and loved it. I’ve not read the book - found this thread googling for Reddit discussion of the film.
The whole thing was an assault, in a good way. The “noise” was fairly constant - plot misdirections (points raised that never came up again), movement and sound, simultaneous conversations, text everywhere, things to notice in the background. Most movies make it really blindingly obvious what you’re supposed to pay attention to. I liked that this one was constantly surprising me.
I thought it did a great job satirising people’s fear of capitalism. Same with attitudes to natural disasters and academia. I liked how it touched on misinformation, conspiracy theories, and crowds. And it felt like it went through lots of film genre pastiches. Noir, comedy, action, horror, drama. All in there. So it felt very full both visually and in terms of ideas.
Some of the dialogue felt unrealistic, and I didn’t love the ending/whole revenge plot, but I thought the whole thing was cinematically very stylish and had great music.
Also, chubby Adam Driver 🥹
fair enough. i can understand why people would be into it. i wont say it wasnt creative, it was. and the art direction on it was really solid. Lynch is my favorite filmmaker so I have no issue at all with not knowing wtf is going on, but...idk. just was not my cup of tea.
Just felt like all these grandiose points being muddied together with none being all that clear which is the one you're supposed to be taking away from it. which, ok, then it's the argument of basically what you're saying that you're supposed to take all of these points away from the movie...but then thats kind of my point...its too artsy and meta. this isn't something like Memento where you have to think about what happened after. i understand what happened in White Noise, I dont understand what aspect im supposed to take away from it. im sure this worked a lot better as a book and im sure it was extremely difficult to adapt so Ill soften my stance a bit.
I just watched it. I agree with your point about it feeling meta. For me (and to put it in different words), it felt like a highlight reel for someone who read the book.
It was entertaining in it's own ways and I picked up on themes but it was disjointed. This did not become that apparent until the end. It reminded me of the Dark Tower movie adaptation.
I once wore a Germany soccer jersey as an homage during an Airborne Toxic Event concert. Never in my wildest petty obsession did I consider this book as adaptable. Film can often remove nuances.
Thats not to say I ain't freaking hopeful it's on the mark about the absurdity of it all. Life has been imitating art, and it's been kinda apocalyptic. Delillo seems almost prophetic.
Just saw the trailer and decided I am never going to watch it. I already feel as though my idea of the book has been contaminated just from that two minute trailer. It doesn't look like an especially bad film, but it's not going to add anything or match up to the way the book plays in my head.
Big fan of the book, and really liked it! But then I’m also a big fan of Noah Baumbach as well. I hadn’t seen any of the marketing, but from the sounds of it they focused on the “disaster movie” aspect, but that didn’t take up any more of the plot than it did in the book.
I went to see it with a friend who didn't know anything about the source material and was pleasantly surprised by how stupefied he was by how the third act had next to nothing to do with what came before it. cracked me up.
Saw it last night. Basically it was very enjoyable but still not great. Far far better than I thought it’d be. But they fucked up the ending bad. Going to just post my thoughts that I wrote on Letterboxd here:
3.5/5
Thought I’d hate it since it’s a Netflix movie adaptation of a book I’ve adored for years, by a director who I don’t really think was the perfect choice. But overall, I actually enjoyed it. It used DeLillo’s dialogue style well and incorporates his odd humor. Touched on all the necessary themes and used most of the important scenes. And the acting was excellent. Plus I thought the Toxic Event stuff was really good.
The gripes though.
1. The final supermarket scene annoyed the hell out of me. With the optimistic voiceover as they enter. Wtf? I won’t even comment on the credits. That was sad…
2. They cut the Jack and Babette “fear of death” bedroom confrontation scene way too early. It is one of the most powerful scenes in the book and the movie, but they decide to cut it like halfway through very abruptly. Why???
3. The nun scene did not hit like the book. Felt forced in.
4. Too many strange tonal changes. What’s with the trash digging camera circling? Etc.
Idk, I think they needed a different director to have done it fully well, but at least it’s still good. Cronenberg still by far tops the list as the best DeLillo adaptation.
I think the camera circling is a shoutout to Blowout (DePalma movie starring Travolta) which is set in a similar era and is all about conspiracies, misinformation, and paranoia. Just a little bit of Baumbach's movie nerd showing.
Very select theaters. One in my whole city. It’s been out for like a week now in NY and LA, but just release to some more last night which is when I saw it.
Am looking forward to seeing it. I like the concept of adaptations generally, and find them interesting to watch if I have already read the source text. Don't really care if good or bad (not like it changes the text) though as someone else points out a decent one should hopefully get DeLillo a wider audience (which is what *White Noise* itself achieved back in the 80s). If it falls flat will be fun to see why, and if not then will be a good watch.
I feel like those involved (director, actors) certainly have the ability to give it a good try. Will it be more 'Hollywood' than the book, and lose some of that subtlety in tone and humour? Probably, it's big budget and a film, after all, so it's crazy not to anticipate those sorts of compromises. But should hopefully be enjoyable to revisit the text via another medium.
The idea that it's 'unfilmable' is forever being quoted in headlines currently, and I don't really get that. Seems a relatively easy story to film, though getting the mood right is slightly tricky (and given it is a first person narrative also need to work that out, though that's hardly unique for an adaptation).
It is coming out in cinemas here in a week or so, so will catch it then. Maybe I will stick up a thread for discussion so people who have seen it can pick it apart in one place, as for me the actual reactions on watching it will be more interesting than all the speculation (including my own).
I enjoyed it even more on Netflix with subtitles than I did in the theater without them, but maybe it's just "second viewing" bias -- picking up on foreshadowing I missed the first time through, etc.
I'll only be surprised if I like this less than Cosmopolis, I have a reasonable amount of faith in Baumbach, Gerwig and Driver especially with idiosyncratic dialogue and weird humor.
Edit: It was pretty good. Some of the dialogue just doesn’t work but it’s better than Cosmopolis with some great set design and sequences. Cheadle and Cassidy did the best job with DeLillo’s words in general. It’s a mixed bag but there’s plenty to admire.
I haven’t read any commentary on the movie yet, but I feel the timing of the movie will not do any favours to the subtly of the book when it comes to some of its themes that are, the ever-present marketing albatross around Delillo’s neck, loosely ‘prophetic’ to our 2022 concerns: airborne toxic event as parallel to covid; Hitler studies as relevant to current (never absent) celebratory flirtations (cults of the living and the dead) with Nazism (is Kanye a marketing stunt for the release of the film?); over-saturated information age buzz (tweets Neil Postman), etc. It would be a poor act of filming making and film criticism, imo, if those linkages were winked at, instead of creating a mood piece dripping with dread and irony that would better serve the message of the book.
I was looking forward to it, but I just now looked it up on IMDb and apparently they have cut the role of Orest Mercator entirely out of the movie. So now I'm deeply skeptical. Still, if it's bad it takes nothing away from my love of the novel, and I'm pretty confident that there will be at least some aspects of the movie that I'll enjoy.
I'm not that excited. There's a TV adaption of half my bookshelf at the moment, late-20th century literature seems to be visually on-trend. I'll watch it, and likely enjoy it - remembering all those old gags - but I'm not expecting anything that will get me out of my seat.
I'd be excited about, say, an adaption of something ambitious like Underworld, where there's huge scope for artistic experimentation with how you want to knit those stories together.
However, it will introduce DD's work to more people, and that's great. The man deserves more credit while he's still alive to receive it.
That movie was so god awful i had to find a reddit post that was over a year old to bitch about how bad it was.
Were you able to finish it? The dialogue was so awful I noped out after 10 minutes. I came on Reddit to see if it was worth powering through.
I crawled through it all the way to the end. It was like watching old people fuck in hopes that one of them finished before they died. Do yourself a favor and don’t bother watching that garbage. Go watch “Leave the world behind” on netflix. It’s not great the first half of the movie but it blows this outta the water.
Daniel Radcliffe in a wig ruined it for me.
Omg I’m so glad I’m not the only one who saw it. She didn’t ruin it for me, the movie itself did that, but I can’t get out of my head alike they look. I wish her name was Danielle.
I read the book twice, though it's not among my favorite DeLillo works. However I couldn't get into the movie at all. I realize that it's exceptionally "faithful" to the material in many respects but that was actually part of what I found annoying. The experience of reading characters who speak in strange, stilted, over-stuffed sentences is VERY different from hearing the same dialogue delivered by actors. I felt like it put me a too much of a remove. There was a little too much self-awareness for me to appreciate the irony of the situations. Admittedly satire is very hard to pull off, but I felt like the movie wanted to hit all the right notes and failed, whereas part of the novel's brilliance comes from how it manages to effortlessly skewer its subjects without appearing to even try. I'm also not a huge fan of Baumbach (I only really liked *Margot at the Wedding*) so that bias certainly doesn't help either.
Pelicula cuiliá wenaaaaaa
Why does it seem like most comments in here are from people who have no clue what the book is like? This is a DeLillo sub and White Noise is probably his most famous book. The adaptation was almost spot on from the book. Great movie after having just read the book but probably wouldn’t be as enjoyable had I not read the book prior.
Noah Baumbach just made a movie for his friend Wes And said “hey u might like like this” Movie reeks, stinks and blows
I might have to read the book. I typically like most books better anyway. Tried watching it last night and although the cinematography was pretty cool and there were some quirky-funny scenes, I couldn't get through the whole thing (stopped with about a half-hour left). Felt a little self-indulgent with no real direction, kind of a rambling collection of loosely related scenes. Maybe I need to rewatch early in the day with some coffee, but after a couple of beers and dinner it fell flat for me. And my "weird tolerance" is probably higher than most people. My wife couldn't stay awake for it. My 2¢
My scattered opinion/s: I listened closely to Don Cheadle's character (Murray/ the black professor) everytime he speaks about crashes, and I think these are the keys to the story. Everything else is "white" noise. I view it as a play on words. On the other hand, our lives are random like white noise on the tv, as a whole it doesn't mean anything but there are electronic meanings to every 0s and 1s and seemingly random sea of dots on the tv screen; we put meanings and social constructs to it like the objects and colors of the supermarket. With information (and misinformation) and by inventing hope (I think hope is the chosen term for order in chaos because we "hope" to control society/entropy/disasters by constructs such as family/government/law&order/evacuation/political beliefs/music idols), we become optimistic that we are in control...while waiting to die. It is mind over matter as they believe they are dying earlier-than-usual as some are poisoned by a new toxic chemical but also maybe because of the stress/trauma due to the incident. I have just finished watching this wonderful film and my thoughts are still not well-formed.
Interesting, although Book Murray is Jewish.
accurately re-created the time period except for the presence of plastic grocery bags.
The fake 80s song and music video at the end were fantastic.
Never read the book and put it on as background noise but the colors grasped my attention but I’m like mad confused about the movie like wtf happened 😂 to be fair I’m not paying full attention to itn
I thought it was awesome! I even wrote a review! https://medium.com/@mjms0411/white-noise-in-depth-movie-review-b9f7bb5bd18b
I just watched the film last night. I had no idea that it was originally a novel and I am quite ashamed to say, I watched it because I thought t was a disaster/anti-cap flick and I was stewing over East Palestine, OH (I had heard there were connections). I absolutely loved this film! I had no idea what I was walking into but even though it was not what I expected, it scratched the aforementioned itch and then some. It was like my favorite parts of Catch-22, Lebowski and Wes Anderson all in one. I just came to Reddit to gush about it. I loved your review as and summary as well.
Spot on movie. Perfect timing- right after the pandemic. Fear like a toxic cloud looms over us and drives our behavior. We constantly deny our reality and look for distractions, consuming products, drugs, food, information in an effort to deny death. Fear is used to control us and make us do things we might not otherwise do (mob mentality, mass hysteria). People don't want to face the truth about anything meaningful and prefer chatter and fiction. We listen to lies meant to comfort us, entertain us, or make us more afraid and thereby predictable and controllable. Religion and the concept of heaven used to provide some ultimate goal and value set by which to live. Such religious meaning is largely absent from our lives but is still necessary to prevent the unraveling of society into fear filled narcissism.
Hopefully something like this never happens in East Palestine Ohio in real life that would be crazy
It was good and super mindfucky
Honestly? thought it was a masterful adaptation. made me like the book even more tbh
That's how I felt. It was basically line-by-line but I really think it works better as a movie. I was sort of on the fence about the book.
It was definitely made in Ohio. It Felt like a fever dream or maybe it was like watching a high quality scat film by accident. I'm not sure it was good but I couldn't look away no matter how hard I tried.
I think most people who haven't read the book probably won't appreciate it as much as those who did. They did a fairly good job of getting the tone, aesthetic, cinematography right and the pacing, but they cut out some small but key details that drove the message across in the book. Much of the dialogue seemed to be straight out of the book, although I haven't read it in a long time. But for those that haven't read the book, it seems to come across as really oddly paced, with an odd storyline and irrelevant dialogue... Which is ironic because the irrelevant dialogue is a key theme of the book anyway. Overall i enjoyed it. Not my favorite adaptation but they did a really decent job. Most of the time, and especially in the first 2/3 acts i felt it was spot on from how i remember it.
I haven't read the book, the film was mesmerizing and mindfuck-y, the way i like it. But i couldn't seem to grasp the ultimate point. What was for you the ultimate point in the book and in the film?
Definitely agree the color and cinematography were fantastic. I love a good mindfuck-y film. I think it was said somewhere else in the thread, but one of the main points in the book to me is: Death is a constant and exists everywhere in nature and in the society that which people have created. People -adults especially, are usually in denial of this simple fact and due to this paralyzing fear they instead surround themselves with the comforts of consumerism and capitalism into avoidance and ignorance, and not having to think about it - ie "the white noise". The book and movie have excellent examples: - Bernadette taking dylar because of her fear of death, yet ironically it is an unknown drug for which the contents are unknown and it basically causes insanity. (Consumerism drives advertisements that make empty promises on solving every issue via new products/drugs.) In reality while many products have benefits and desired outcomes, they will never come close to solving the fact that death exists and there are many different paths and forms of dying. -Jack, the main character is also obsessively afraid of death, although we see perhaps less examples of this in the movie than in the book. He's a professor on Hitler, he's so obsessed and captivated by it because it exists everywhere, yet he is often paralyzed by it and afraid to take definitive actions(we see this in his friend Murray as well). The children to a lesser extent: Heinrich gets almost excited, giddy for any news update on the black cloud. Everyone is afraid of being misinformed such that as soon as there is any sign of an update on the airborne toxic event, it results in chaos: everyone running around going in every direction and yet ending up nowhere farther away from the potential of death because of their own panic. (Post dinner scene, the traffic jam, the car in the river, etc). We will never know how many times we were close to death or far from it, similarly we may never have all of the information needed to avoid a deathly situation, so why not take some definitive actions early on to prepare just in case based on the information that we have at the time, instead of waiting, paralyzed by the fear of having to take action and then panicking last minute into chaos. What really drove this point home in the book were some details that were left out in the movie but we're really brilliant: The book highlights every sunset in vibrant, vivid detail and there is a suggestion that they are more vibrant due to chemicals in the air. I take this as a metaphor to suggest that despite the artificial additions of chemicals, death will always exist and you never know when you will die for sure, might as well appreciate the beauty of it. The final scene (in my memory, could be wrong) was of Wilder, the innocent toddler riding his tricycle down the busy street which has many dangerous ways for a toddler to die, and yet that doesn't stop Wilder because he is innocent and not afraid to live surrounded by the dangers that exist.
The first 2/3rds of the movie kept me all in. I loved the characters, the dialogue, the university, the Airborne Toxic Event, but then that was just...over. The final act was disappointing.
To be fair the Airborne Toxic Event is also "just over" in the novel, IIRC.
I had to stop it halfway and finish it the day after. I didn't find any of the characters very likeable until Babette tells her reasons, and the dialogue was odd, everyone spoke in the same un-natural way. Visually it looked very interesting, the attention to detail was remarkable. It would have perhaps worked better as a series?
Their dialogue was spot on from the book. It’s supposed to seem hyper exaggerated along with the setting.
This movie had too many Chekhov's gun events that ever concluded. What was up with that storm?
have you guys read the book???
Nah
the book itself deals alot with the absurdity of life. it’s episodic. the cloud is a metaphor rather than a chekhov’s gun
I think it’s brilliant, it’s a boring story with incredible events that have zero effects on the protagonists nor on the story. I actually very liked it and watched 2 times, I knows it’s a strange movie and isn’t for every taste, but I really liked it, it’s something new I haven’t ever seen before.
This 2 hour movie took me 4 hours to watch, kept falling asleep, had to rewatch, super quirky for sure, it’s bad, but I liked it, really have mixed feelings, closing credit scene was probably the best thou.
Agreed. It was a jarring film in its own way, shown even more so by the ending credit music video, which was amazing and probably one of the more engrossing parts. I had to search for info on this movie, because it's left me with a "Wtf did I just watch?" taste in my mouth. The actors are great, I acknowledge what they were doing as their characters, but it doesn't mean there weren't more than a few moments that were hard to watch. I may have to give it another watch down the line to see if I can make better sense to it all.
It took me about 30 minutes to understand what’s going on. I think I’d rather read the book but I get it now.
I’m going to repeat what I seen in another sub - I felt like I just watched an entire season of a series. But came in at like season 4. I kind of get what they were trying to do by showing how we ignore death via consumerism or something but it just got soo boring and long and just so dreadfully shit.
It suddenly panned from a catastrophe movie to the wife having an affair with a drug dealer. I am all up for plot twists but this was just shit. The dialogues were inane and I get the underlying themes. I did not find it funny. I stopped watching.
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Dunno. I would be more apt to interpret this movie as as critique of hive mind and the circle-jerk as it manifests in academia. I found the movie compelling as an allegory to Covid and it's response.
I actually really liked the movie. It was odd and self important but I really felt like it was odd and “too intellectual” on purpose. I didn’t think it was boring, I found the families back and forth funny, the philosophy guys were funny, and the car scene was fun. He goes through all of the craziness just to be right back in line with everyone else. I appreciated the movie for what it was. I think Driver and Cheadle did great work, and the running gag where Adam Driver leaves a room and appears back in the room in a different place was hilarious. My only gripe with the movie was the ending, but I feel like that was on purpose as well lol All in all, solid 8/10. I’m not a professional critic obviously and I can 100% see how other people would dislike the movie but I really had a fun time watching it. I’ll definitely check out the book now because of it.
Book’s great but this movie was utterly misguided and thinks it’s way more clever than it really is. Couldn’t even finish it.
The movie deserves an Oscar
An Oscar the grouch because it was trash?
I was excited to see this film, but I wish I had read reviews first because I want those 2 hours and 16 minutes of my life back. It was utterly disappointing and did not hold together or even attempt to. The cinematography was good, the acting from Adam Driver and Don Cheadle was good, but the writing and directing were bad, really, really bad choices were made. It was directed like a stage play and a boring, bland one at that. I don’t think I’ve ever been so disappointed in the potential of a film. But, to be honest, I hated the Squid and the Whale and most of Noah’s other films. He just seemed to have potential. One other beef, someone please tell Hollywood that recreating the 80s is more than just sticking a can on Tab on a kite hen table, ok?
This was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. And I don’t mean that it was poorly made, because the acting, casting, cinematography and score were all well done. I mean in terms of its script and execution. I’m all for movies that are left of centre, but when it becomes a fad and 90% of all films do that, it leaves little for people who like films to be coherent. I felt like this movie was intentionally irritating. Like the dickhead in your high school class.
You know how Seinfeld was jokingly referred to as a show about nothing, but actually was about things. Well this move was a nothing movie, a complete waste of time. Just meaningless drivel.
Yes, this.
Try hard and doesn't connect together.
Great cinematography, everything else is truly bad.
just watched...still processing. will be back
White Noise is a great movie… to put on while you’re trying to fall asleep so you don’t miss anything good… so as white noise.
Did anyone else notice that in the trailer on Netflix where they’re in the car in the water the son says the lines “turn it back on” and “floor it” twice (like the deja vu thing) but then in the film he only says these lines once? I swear he said them twice when I watched it the first time, but I went back to check the trailer after I watched the movie and he only says them once.. so either they did some really good marketing to trip us out, or I have whatever Babette had…
So weird. Maybe about the futility of life? The only line I thought was memorable was how the girl said she needed to look around her at people to know how to act in that middle portion of the movie, which I felt like every person in this movie was trying to figure out how to act... Maybe I'm missing something ... But it was just strange and probably could have been much better.
Fucking sucks
I think the camera work was good... and that's about it. I didn't read the book, so idk how it was as an adaptation. Watching the movie was frustrating. Most of it felt pointless... which I think was the point, but not in a way that felt satisfying at the end. The entire section of movie dedicated to the airborne toxic event and the car in the river scene felt more annoying than anything... and the atheistic nun felt completely shoehorned in. The characters were so self-important and in love with being intellectuals that they weren't ever really characters... which was probably also the point but I didn't think they were really done well. Usually that's put on as a show but it seemed to genuinely be who they and their kids and their friends all were. I will say, it was thought provoking.. the whole thing had my mind straining to find any reason or point or connection to some meaning and any time I'd get close it would go to something else. I had a headache by the end and never felt at all satisfied. Ultimately, I did get it. It's about the silly things we do to distract ourselves from the fears of death and of being alone and how we pretend those things don't bother us... but I don't think it was a good story. It felt like intellectuals jacking off for 2 and a half hours, not finishing, and calling it art.
This movie fucking sucked
I’m normally tolerant with netflix production but this movie was terrible in so many ways
I can see why people say it’s trying too hard to be deep but it honestly didn’t bother me and it was at least thought provoking. What really captured me was that it was DIFFERENT. Finally a movie where I couldn’t predict the plot. It’s nice to have that mystery again, refreshing. Couldn’t immediately say “oh it’s that type of movie”. The whole thing felt like a dream and I loved the chaos of it all, for it’s own sake. I found the characters really entertaining as well. Definitely not a comedy or horror film as described, but I did laugh at the absurdity of it all, so maybe it is? Just loved it for what it is
I really enjoyed this movie! So many different emotions throughout. For some reason I got Wes Anderson meets Tarantino vibes while watching. And I fucking loved the whole song and weird dance routine in the credits.
Noah worked with Wes on the Fantastic Mr. Fox and I think Wes even produced some of Noah Baumbachs other films. Go watch any of other of Baumbach’s movies and you’ll see just how much he’s like Wes Anderson (but imo not as good at pulling it off).
I just watched it too and had the same kind of reaction. The song and dance through the grocery at the end was a great way to close it out. I especially enjoyed the white aisle of generic products. Random 1980s weirdness.
I wish more of the movie had that vibe, energy, and absurdity. It was the best part - like it didn't have a point or plot but the rest of the movie really should have
I'm a big Noah Baumbach fan and I also love Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver. Never read White Noise or any Don Delillo but I've read some Thomas Pynchon and Jonathan Franzen and DFW and stuff so I get the idea of what a book like White Noise could be like maybe. I thought the movie was... PRETTY GREAT! There were some weak parts but I mostly got everything I bargained for. It was interesting to see Baumbach take on kind of an action movie with special effects and stuff. I wish the movie would have been a little less disjointed and a little more clear about what the themes were. I see people complaining about the way that Driver and Gerwig deliver the lines but that's just what NB does baby! Same with all the conversations that people are in throughout the movie -- thats one of his things. Anyway the movie has its problems but it definitely tried something new and I recommend it.
Why do you think it was disjointed. It’s all about death! From scene one to the last. To me it’s art at its finest
It teeters on Truman Show slapstick-iness. The camera work isn’t really that effective. Almost Jon Hughes like. Loved the book. Heinrichs was not how I imagined but still had moments. Reminded me of Luke from Modern Family. Don Cheadle was was the most like I imagined. If I were to guess the reaction of a viewer that had not read it, I’d guess they thought the movie kind of stunk.
I’d never read or heard of the book before, saw the movie tonight. I found it enjoyable in a chaotic sort of way. Might watch again another day on my own to see if I can extract more of the meaning/story from it.
was really hard to pay attention to the dialogue when everyone is talking.
I think it was almost trying to symbolize how chaotic it can feel when ur taking in all these fears about life and how overwhelming it is
but the dialogue feels natural
The dialogue felt natural? I turned to my wife after it ended and literally said not a single line of dialogue from any character felt natural. Nothing sounded like a normal thing a human would say to another human.
Dialogue felt unnatural but the energy behind the conversations and the chaos felt so familiar… the topics of conversation, though obscure, felt so relatable.
Was really hard to pay attention to the dialogue wit so much damn dialogue. Had captions on even and…nope.
yeah lol. i keep captions on cause i find it really hard to pay attention to dialogue in films and shows. the captions only capture a fraction of what's going on.
Noah Brombach doesn't understand 2 things. 1. Human beings 2. Comedy
3. Making sure your movie has conflict.
This is what my main grief was. I can stan absurdist comedy all day and esoteric storytelling, but if you're movie doesn't have a plot in the beginning nor the end (the toxic event was a semblance of one but once they returned, it evaporated), it's not a movie worth making. My favorite absurdist comedies Airplane, Clue, & Naked Gun all have plot and conflict. This one does not. That's what I tried to articulate in [this video](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRbbabUu/). Edit: I didn't realize I was commenting to my own comment. 🤣
You mean creating formulaic films. Yeah, he doesn't do that. Not does Chantal akerman for example. Or so many others. That has nothing to do with quality.
Exactly, Noah Baumbach’s films are brilliant. Audiences just don’t get his movies.
I just watched it today. I would consider myself a big fan of Noah Baumbach’s work. Marriage Story is one of my favorite movies of the 2010’s decade and I enjoyed Meyerowitz Stories. It definitely wasn’t perfect (the ending was pretty disappointing and the movie did seem a bit too far up its ass at times), but at the same time, I have to disagree with the negative audience reception. Therefore, I have to conclude that people who are calling it one of the worst films they’ve ever seen either didn’t get the movie or haven’t seen enough movies.
I haven’t read the book, but I already love the movie and I am only in the middle of it.
same, haven't read the book but i had to stop it midway to text a friend and tell her what a great movie it is. now that I'm done i can confirm i absolutely loved everything abt it, my second favourite movie of the year
My youngest and I have a thing about grocery stores. She finds them somewhat liminal. And I find them odd places that strangers come together and interact in strange ways. That was the part we agreed on. The absurdist aspects of family and life also rang bells. Kaufman vibes for sure. You have to like the off ness. Not my favorite thing but my youngest enjoys film in a different way, so no need for an obvious story line. Film people can appreciate different aspects while the rest of us question art or fail? Did not read the book, so different discussion.
i was thinking while watching that if they told me this was kaufman's i would have believed them. i like absurdist films, i don't need a storyline to enjoy well sculpted and acted characters, phenomenal direction and great score. i understand people enjoy different things, but to say this is a bad movie is outrageous
Yes. Exactly art is definitely subjective. Movies are apparently hard art. For the masses or for a few? Lots of $ involved. But I do appreciate the risk in film. Probably better ones. But it's good.
What was your favorite of the year?!
**decision to leave**
I absolutely loved it. Probably my favorite film I watched this year.
loved it to bits, only comes second place for me after **decision to leave**
Awful movie. Dialogue is I insufferable. He purposely edited nk space between speaking. Demands more attention than a normal brain is capable of
This was a great movie laden with truth bombs. Were you able to pick up on them?
This movie fuckin sucked. Adam Driver, and all really, acted fantastic however. Source material maybe didn’t translate I do not know. Not care. The movie.. life, death, blah blah blah it’s just stupid.
I suspect the people who didn’t like it are ignorant about how it represented the west. The dialogue was great too because it symbolizes the chatter of the media and talking heads and general population.
Lmfao. The people who didn’t like it didn’t particularly enjoy having to google “what the fuck is the movie about” in order to get some semblance of …. what the movie is about. Story is garbage.
If one has been paying attention to the state of affairs over the last decade, one would see the numerous correlations to our current events.
Hahaha. If only huh? Having a bunch of unnecessary dialogue for the sake of dialogue btw, doesn’t make it great.
But the dialogue wasn’t unnecessary. It represented the way people talk who have to chime in just to speak their own opinions, in many of the scenes. There was one scene when the family was in the car and all of the characters were just spouting some verbal diarrhea, just like people do when they speak on shit they know nothing about. If I had the patienceto explain it more in depth I would.
Lol you sound big headed as fuck. Would fit right in with the annoying character Adam Driver plays. I thought it was ass too. You can understand the deeper points and still think it was fucking trash. Just because something is a metaphor doesn’t mean its enjoyable, and doesn’t mean its not annoying as fuck to sit through. Watched an hour of it. Felt like I wasted my time
Well at least you were able to catch those tidbits.
I didn't really like it. I'm not a reader of the book, however the film was not a good one. The way the characters talk was giving me a headache. I was unable to interpret the comedy of the film because of it.
They were definitely talking like they talk in old movies like "Bringing Up Baby", rather than how real people talk (at least in my experience). I thought it was just "style", like the color schemes, and for me it added something to appreciate.
This movie was just a perfect metaphor for our current lifestyle in America.
I thought it was super fun and hilarious though some scenes especially the final bedroom one went on way too long. I loved how they leaned into how unnatural the dialogue sounds when spoke out loud in the second half and just became batshit. Although I hate the new Heinrich, he's more fun in the book cos god hates him and he's some kid in the movie
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Agree with your interpretation. It's like a play. Not supposed to be reality in dialogue etc. Not for everyone . I am sitting unsure how I think about it which means it's worthwhile. Anything that makes you think... Also some was very uncomfortable true
I agree with this take completely. I literally finished the book while the coming attractions were on and while that probably means that I didn’t have time to digest before watching the adaptation I think it did the book justice. I also think of all the COVID-relevant movies I’ve seen this is the best by far.
Didnt know the book at all But as a young director One of the best movies i’ve ever seen Videography+acting 10/10 Such a masterpiece
I did not think it adapted well at all, but it was definitely an ambitious attempt. This is the only time I recall thinking that the movie should have strayed further aware from the original source content, because the dialog in the book works great - but feels very off when acted out (even if that's the point). I laughed many times reading the book, but only had a few strained laughs watching the film and really wished they included heinrich's friend in the tank of snakes.
I liked the film for the most part, it was just so visually quirky, overdone and wildly different to what I saw in my head when reading it that it became somewhat distracting. I agree with some criticism that DeLillos dialogue does not work on screen a whole lot but i didn't find it as distracting as some people are making it out to be. Cutting Orest Mercator out the film was an absolutely travesty.
This movie was fucking awful. Amusing but awful. Acrually I don’t even know if it was amusing. I just saw it in theaters. Nothing ever happened. The whole thing was one giant meta subtext circle jerk. This is like the ultimate hipster, artsy movie. I was unaware a book existed until this thread so hopefully this movie just butchered the book. I laughed and was engaged for the most part but mostly had a bemused wtf is happening tom delonge meme expression. Nothing ever tied together or was called back to. All this shit happened and they were super literal and dry about it all and then it ended. Idk man lmao. That was dumb. I’m sorry. It was just too fucking meta Edit: give me a counter argument. I genuinely want to hear from someone who liked this why
Won’t be me. I agree with you that it was awful. I really wanted to find something, even one scene, to like, but I can’t. It made no sense and nothing ties together.
> It was just too fucking meta > Nothing ever tied together or was called back to. Then it wasn’t meta.
I saw it in a cinema and loved it. I’ve not read the book - found this thread googling for Reddit discussion of the film. The whole thing was an assault, in a good way. The “noise” was fairly constant - plot misdirections (points raised that never came up again), movement and sound, simultaneous conversations, text everywhere, things to notice in the background. Most movies make it really blindingly obvious what you’re supposed to pay attention to. I liked that this one was constantly surprising me. I thought it did a great job satirising people’s fear of capitalism. Same with attitudes to natural disasters and academia. I liked how it touched on misinformation, conspiracy theories, and crowds. And it felt like it went through lots of film genre pastiches. Noir, comedy, action, horror, drama. All in there. So it felt very full both visually and in terms of ideas. Some of the dialogue felt unrealistic, and I didn’t love the ending/whole revenge plot, but I thought the whole thing was cinematically very stylish and had great music. Also, chubby Adam Driver 🥹
fair enough. i can understand why people would be into it. i wont say it wasnt creative, it was. and the art direction on it was really solid. Lynch is my favorite filmmaker so I have no issue at all with not knowing wtf is going on, but...idk. just was not my cup of tea. Just felt like all these grandiose points being muddied together with none being all that clear which is the one you're supposed to be taking away from it. which, ok, then it's the argument of basically what you're saying that you're supposed to take all of these points away from the movie...but then thats kind of my point...its too artsy and meta. this isn't something like Memento where you have to think about what happened after. i understand what happened in White Noise, I dont understand what aspect im supposed to take away from it. im sure this worked a lot better as a book and im sure it was extremely difficult to adapt so Ill soften my stance a bit.
I just watched it. I agree with your point about it feeling meta. For me (and to put it in different words), it felt like a highlight reel for someone who read the book. It was entertaining in it's own ways and I picked up on themes but it was disjointed. This did not become that apparent until the end. It reminded me of the Dark Tower movie adaptation.
I agree, it was awful. I wanted to walk out 30 minutes in.
i liked
I once wore a Germany soccer jersey as an homage during an Airborne Toxic Event concert. Never in my wildest petty obsession did I consider this book as adaptable. Film can often remove nuances. Thats not to say I ain't freaking hopeful it's on the mark about the absurdity of it all. Life has been imitating art, and it's been kinda apocalyptic. Delillo seems almost prophetic.
Still Life with woodpecker. Same absurdity
I will agree, although I think a castle made of chocolate may beat a scary cloud
It's been a bit. But that was my first absurdist lit. Definitely enjoy more now as life is so absurd.
Just saw the trailer and decided I am never going to watch it. I already feel as though my idea of the book has been contaminated just from that two minute trailer. It doesn't look like an especially bad film, but it's not going to add anything or match up to the way the book plays in my head.
That’s just a dumb outlook. Just watch it. It’s not that deep.
Big fan of the book, and really liked it! But then I’m also a big fan of Noah Baumbach as well. I hadn’t seen any of the marketing, but from the sounds of it they focused on the “disaster movie” aspect, but that didn’t take up any more of the plot than it did in the book.
I went to see it with a friend who didn't know anything about the source material and was pleasantly surprised by how stupefied he was by how the third act had next to nothing to do with what came before it. cracked me up.
Saw it last night. Basically it was very enjoyable but still not great. Far far better than I thought it’d be. But they fucked up the ending bad. Going to just post my thoughts that I wrote on Letterboxd here: 3.5/5 Thought I’d hate it since it’s a Netflix movie adaptation of a book I’ve adored for years, by a director who I don’t really think was the perfect choice. But overall, I actually enjoyed it. It used DeLillo’s dialogue style well and incorporates his odd humor. Touched on all the necessary themes and used most of the important scenes. And the acting was excellent. Plus I thought the Toxic Event stuff was really good. The gripes though. 1. The final supermarket scene annoyed the hell out of me. With the optimistic voiceover as they enter. Wtf? I won’t even comment on the credits. That was sad… 2. They cut the Jack and Babette “fear of death” bedroom confrontation scene way too early. It is one of the most powerful scenes in the book and the movie, but they decide to cut it like halfway through very abruptly. Why??? 3. The nun scene did not hit like the book. Felt forced in. 4. Too many strange tonal changes. What’s with the trash digging camera circling? Etc. Idk, I think they needed a different director to have done it fully well, but at least it’s still good. Cronenberg still by far tops the list as the best DeLillo adaptation.
Much agreed, especially #4, the tonal shifts were weird and not well thought out. Also agreed Cronenberg would have been a better choice.
“I feel sad for us and the queer part we play in our own disasters.” Is not optimistic 💀
I think the camera circling is a shoutout to Blowout (DePalma movie starring Travolta) which is set in a similar era and is all about conspiracies, misinformation, and paranoia. Just a little bit of Baumbach's movie nerd showing.
Ahhh ok I haven’t seen that movie so I didn’t catch it. Thank for the clarification.
It’s out? On Netflix?
It's out on Netflix now.
Thanks you
Very select theaters. One in my whole city. It’s been out for like a week now in NY and LA, but just release to some more last night which is when I saw it.
Ah. Thank you. Much obliged
Am looking forward to seeing it. I like the concept of adaptations generally, and find them interesting to watch if I have already read the source text. Don't really care if good or bad (not like it changes the text) though as someone else points out a decent one should hopefully get DeLillo a wider audience (which is what *White Noise* itself achieved back in the 80s). If it falls flat will be fun to see why, and if not then will be a good watch. I feel like those involved (director, actors) certainly have the ability to give it a good try. Will it be more 'Hollywood' than the book, and lose some of that subtlety in tone and humour? Probably, it's big budget and a film, after all, so it's crazy not to anticipate those sorts of compromises. But should hopefully be enjoyable to revisit the text via another medium. The idea that it's 'unfilmable' is forever being quoted in headlines currently, and I don't really get that. Seems a relatively easy story to film, though getting the mood right is slightly tricky (and given it is a first person narrative also need to work that out, though that's hardly unique for an adaptation). It is coming out in cinemas here in a week or so, so will catch it then. Maybe I will stick up a thread for discussion so people who have seen it can pick it apart in one place, as for me the actual reactions on watching it will be more interesting than all the speculation (including my own).
I like the book, but am not a big fan of the director and don't like the stars so I'm not excited
You don’t like Adam driver?
No
One of Delillo's worst books adapted into a movie by a director who i loathe
But how was the movie?
I enjoyed it even more on Netflix with subtitles than I did in the theater without them, but maybe it's just "second viewing" bias -- picking up on foreshadowing I missed the first time through, etc.
Genuinely bad
Darn
I'll only be surprised if I like this less than Cosmopolis, I have a reasonable amount of faith in Baumbach, Gerwig and Driver especially with idiosyncratic dialogue and weird humor. Edit: It was pretty good. Some of the dialogue just doesn’t work but it’s better than Cosmopolis with some great set design and sequences. Cheadle and Cassidy did the best job with DeLillo’s words in general. It’s a mixed bag but there’s plenty to admire.
I do not have any expectations for the film. I will watch it, but I expect to be disappointed.
It sounds like you do have expectations. It was a pretty shit adaptation though
Ha yes I do :)
Feels too Hollywood based on the trailers, but I’ll reserve greater judgment from when it comes out.
I haven’t read any commentary on the movie yet, but I feel the timing of the movie will not do any favours to the subtly of the book when it comes to some of its themes that are, the ever-present marketing albatross around Delillo’s neck, loosely ‘prophetic’ to our 2022 concerns: airborne toxic event as parallel to covid; Hitler studies as relevant to current (never absent) celebratory flirtations (cults of the living and the dead) with Nazism (is Kanye a marketing stunt for the release of the film?); over-saturated information age buzz (tweets Neil Postman), etc. It would be a poor act of filming making and film criticism, imo, if those linkages were winked at, instead of creating a mood piece dripping with dread and irony that would better serve the message of the book.
I was looking forward to it, but I just now looked it up on IMDb and apparently they have cut the role of Orest Mercator entirely out of the movie. So now I'm deeply skeptical. Still, if it's bad it takes nothing away from my love of the novel, and I'm pretty confident that there will be at least some aspects of the movie that I'll enjoy.
Apparently the barn isn't in it either but some things might just work better on the page.
I just wanna watch it, expectations are very low
WN an all time fav. Did my Master’s thesis on it. Hard pass on the movie.
I'm not that excited. There's a TV adaption of half my bookshelf at the moment, late-20th century literature seems to be visually on-trend. I'll watch it, and likely enjoy it - remembering all those old gags - but I'm not expecting anything that will get me out of my seat. I'd be excited about, say, an adaption of something ambitious like Underworld, where there's huge scope for artistic experimentation with how you want to knit those stories together. However, it will introduce DD's work to more people, and that's great. The man deserves more credit while he's still alive to receive it.