Reviews

Dear Mr. Wes Anderson, Firstly, thank you. What a sweet, beautiful film you have (yet again) created. I will remark that this is the most "Wes Anderson" of your films; you have further cemented your own private genre. The characters was touching, the film was inspiring. Thank you.

That said, I have a bone to pick. I noticed that about 90% of the shots in this film have a slight tilt to them. And additionally, most of that 90%, the tilt is to the right. What I mean is, if you are looking at the horizon line in a given shot, the horizon on the right is slightly higher than the horizon on the left. It's not the case for the entire film... but it is the case for most of it.

What's the deal? At first I thought it was a projection issue where I saw it last night at Arclight Hollywood. Or maybe it was my perspective in the theater (theater-right). But then, upon returning home after thoroughly enjoying your film, I watched the trailer on my computer to confirm or deny my theory. And alas, in most of the shots, I see there is a subtle tilt to the right (though it's harder to notice on a smaller screen). It is most notable when there are man-made structures involved. Such as fences or banisters or walls where you can see the edges.

What happened here? For someone who so carefully stages his scenes in a highly symmetrical fashion, I was shocked to discover this imperfection(?). I can't say it removed me from the film: it didn't. I was mesmerized by the story. However, it was like a subtle itch that never went away during the duration of the viewing.

I'm guessing this mistake was result of a preoccupied camera operator / steadicam operator with a subconscious bias to the left. And that such mistakes would be difficult to catch on playback monitors on set. However, I find it hard to believe that this issue was not spotted in the viewing of dailies. I am curious to see if you have a response to this. If do, I would appreciate it greatly if you submitted said response to blakekhodges(at) gmail.com - my email.

Again, I was once again extremely pleased with the film you have given the world. I expect I will be viewing the film again and again, and recommending it to more of my friends. As for the shot-tilt, we can't expect every film to be technically perfect, although, considering your aesthetic style, I almost do. Anyhow. Thank you again, and please keep up the great work. If you're ever back in LA from your travels, feel free to drop me a line and we will grab a delicious coffee. Thank you.

Sincerely, Blake

P.S. If, for your next film, you decided you'd like to try and broaden your style palette, I would not be opposed.

I don't write too many reviews on here, but I felt I had to after seeing the "5.5" rating (03-13- 2012) on IMDb. What the hell is up with this? In my view, "Undefeated" deserves an easy 10 out of 10. I believe 'Undefeated' could easily have been the best picture of 2011. Period.

I just saw the film a few days ago. Disclaimer: I HATE football movies. I couldn't care less. Until I saw 'Undefeated.' Yes, it got my attention after winning Best Documentary after the Oscars. I was almost reluctant to go see it (I work in documentary filmmaking), but when I did, I was absolutely floored. Like, tears in my eyes as I exited the theater floored.

'Undefeated' isn't really a football movie. It's a documentary about an impoverished community that rallies around their highschool football team to try and turn things around, to try and lift their hopes, spirits and dreams. It's a film that shows the real struggles of real people that you care about. It's about young men redefining their lives after spending years in prison. It's about young men fighting to escape the abject poverty they were born into. It's about young men trying to prove that they can find success if they try hard enough. And of course, you have the Coach who pursues his impossibly vision of turning this failed football team around, by becoming a father figure and using inspiration as his primary tool.

The thing that makes all of this truly special, is that these are REAL PEOPLE. This is not some scripted Hollywood blockbuster starting the latest pop-culture stars. 'Undefeated' cuts deep into real emotions and isn't afraid to expose us for who we are, for better or worse. This is stuff of high-drama that tops even the best of scripted films.

'Undefeated' makes 'The Artist,' look like a Coke commercial. It makes 'Midnight in Paris' look like a Saturday morning cartoon. 'Undefeated' is true drama. True emotion. Real life. It pulls you in with charming fascinating 'characters', and it pulls you along, feeling every rise, every fall, every victory, every setback. If you have a heart, you will cry. For sadness, and for joy. This film has it all. Of all the movies released in 2011, this is the one that counts.

Love everyone involved in this film. Great premise, subject matter, themes, subjects, etc. Too bland. Too Boring. Too wordy. Too long. I mean really, I'm massively interested in psychology, in cinema, in Cronenberg, but there was still not enough to grab me and keep me interested the entire time. Too much reliance on the same rare sources of conflict. Jung to Spielrein, Jung to Freud, Jung to himself, his wife that never gave a crap about what was going on. At a certain point I didn't care any more. Not enough juice. What I did love, however, and what I always give bonus points for, is RISK. Got to hand to the whole gang there. A risky movie to make, no matter how you cut it. Sure, there's the obvious things like Knightley's performance, but when you think about it, this entire story/subject matter is a risky one to take on for a major motion picture. So kudos for the effort. Unfortunately, I wasn't' quite sold on the entire delivery.