Rarely has a filmmaker utilized such gorgeous photography, gorgeous locations, and gorgeous people to create a film so pretentious, amateurish, and mind-bogglingly dull. Watching "Made in U.S.A." is like watching an entire can of the world's most beautiful paint drying.
I want to like Godard. I really, really do. But the only one of his films that I've even come close to truly enjoying was "À bout de soufflé." (Back in school I went to great efforts to see "Alphaville," and after finally getting hold of a VHS copy and viewing it, I was just left wondering what the big deal was). If I didn't have respected film critics and historians to tell me otherwise, I'd be of the solid opinion that Godard was just an amateur whose lack of traditional skills in his art just happened to coincide with the anti-establishment feeling of the day. In other words, he hit it lucky a time or two.
"Made in U.S.A." is interesting to watch as a "thing," but impossible to watch as a movie. It would make wonderful video wallpaper. It's as though Ed Wood had hired the best European cinematographer available and improvised a movie with a bunch of his drinking buddies.
I want to like Godard. I really, really do. But the only one of his films that I've even come close to truly enjoying was "À bout de soufflé." (Back in school I went to great efforts to see "Alphaville," and after finally getting hold of a VHS copy and viewing it, I was just left wondering what the big deal was). If I didn't have respected film critics and historians to tell me otherwise, I'd be of the solid opinion that Godard was just an amateur whose lack of traditional skills in his art just happened to coincide with the anti-establishment feeling of the day. In other words, he hit it lucky a time or two.
"Made in U.S.A." is interesting to watch as a "thing," but impossible to watch as a movie. It would make wonderful video wallpaper. It's as though Ed Wood had hired the best European cinematographer available and improvised a movie with a bunch of his drinking buddies.