Mass - Thoughts after I watched it.

[thunder]

I watched Mass yesterday morning, and I am glad that I travelled across the country to see it. Here are some thoughts about it, and there might be some spoilers, but I don’t really think this is a movie that will get spoiled much. If you have seen the interviews, clips and trailers, and read a couple of reviews, you will know most of it already. I'll try tp not spoil it too much though...

The beginning of the movie is the people at the church getting the room ready and discussing with the therapists how to arrange things. I thought this was a very good start, since you really get a feeling that this isn’t just some random meeting, and that the meeting is quite risky and can go both ways for the people involved. When the meeting begins, it’s quite awkward at first, and then nothing goes as anyone of them planned, and it’s slowly building up the tension even more. Even if it’s only four people talking, it feels like a lot is happening, and it almost felt like a thriller at times. I was wondering when is one of the going to explode and leave the room or something. Then when the explosion comes, it takes everything in a different direction, and they all end up somewhere completely different from where they started. The end of the movie didn’t feel like the end of the story, but it was still a good place to stop.

The acting is incredible, and they all deserve all the prices they can possibly get. I’ve seen a most of Jason’s work and I kind of know what he is capable of, but this showed so much more of his skills than a lot of his other work. I hope a lot of people will see this and see how good he is.

[Anniemouse]

This project sounds mindblowing.

[Marie]

Well said Thunder! The entire cast was brilliant. I would also put this among Jason’s best moves.

[thunder]

Now I can wait patiently for the theatrical release in Norway. I need to digest this for a while, but will definitely see it again.

[servalan]

Thanks for the review, Thunder.

[Hilary the Touched]

Sounds brilliant, Thunder.
I'm afraid I've quite gotten out of the habit of seeking out movie screening info since the pandemic... but it sounds like something so intimate might benefit from the experience of seeing it on a small screen. What did you feel was the effect of seeing it in company with other viewers?

[thunder]

It was 11 am, and not a lot of people there, probably around 20. It was very quiet, like people were afraid to breath too loud. Quite intense. When we left, everyone just stood up quietly and walked out wihtout talking. We didn't start talking before we were outside and walked back to the city centre. It was hard to find owrds or where to start talking about it, I think.

I'm glad I saw it on a big screen with proper sound. Don't think I would have gotten the same experience seeing it streamed on my computer, even if that would have been good too.

[Anniemouse]

I finally got to see it this afternoon after tracking down a DVD copy from the US.

Here are my thoughts ...... Spoilers.

First my thoughts on the performances, direction and writing. I think this is the closest I have seen to a perfect movie in years. The acting was staggering (do not get me started on the movie missing out on award nods as I will scream) as was the script and directing. I wish Fran had left the camera an Jay/Jason at the end of his meltdown. That felt the only misstep. Taking the camera outside felt odd

It did not feel stagey and it felt like that space could hold those meetings.

I was shaking when Jay recalls what actually happened to Evan and the other victims. Their names seemed to meen so much to me and I felt ill when Jay talks about the last moments of Evan's life and at the tape at the crime scene. You could feel the pain of them all and I cried.

I have spejt some time trying to work out if the meeting actually helped?. I think in the cases of the mothers yes it did; but the men seemed in very different ways to actually display more of the lasting damage.

Jay to me seems more broken perhaps he has just started to grieve properly. Notice that he is the one unable to move when the choir starts to sing in the church and he looks utterly lost. Richard seems as cold and remote as when he entered the builing. This perhaps gives and insight into what the family dynamic in their house was like. When we have the silence it was Richard that broke it and moved on and watching everyone click back into some form a civialised reality was concerning. It felt like everyone had their guards back up.

I felt we we were watching four people now on very differnet jouneys and I worry for Jay and Gail's marraige. Jay is a broken man leaving that place.

When the lights came on at the end was that place a school. Also was that kid Alec; Hayden's friend.

I feel like an emotional wreck. I am left wondering if I could forgive after such an event.

I hope that more people get to see this.

Jason and the others were just sublime.

[thunder]

Thanks for your review, Annie. Glad you finally was able to see it. I agree it's one of the best movies Jason is in.

[Anniemouse]

Couple of other thoughts. Notice how the men talk over their wives at the begining and how that changes. The more I think about the stairs leading to the choir could represent so many things but Jay is just lost.

You could write a 20,000 word essay on this movie.

How the voters could ignore this movie makes me livid.

[Hot Wheels]

I finally got to see it this afternoon after tracking down a DVD copy from the US.

Here are my thoughts ...... Spoilers.

…I wish Fran had left the camera an Jay/Jason at the end of his meltdown. That felt the only misstep. Taking the camera outside felt odd….

…Jay is a broken man leaving that place….

…Jason and the others were just sublime.

Maybe Jason’s emotions really overcame him—I believe he inferred as much when he read the script—and taking the camera off him was a kindness….

[thunder]

I read in an interview with the editor that the first edit had only Jason's voice in that scene, with the field image all they way through. But the test audience said that they needed to see Jason's face in the scene. So they changed it with the field image in the beginning and the end of it. I also have think they should have kept the camera on Jason all the time... wondering if it had some other reason.

Jason's forehead is acutally a bit "dirty" in the scene, like he had touched his forehead with dusty fingers or something. Maybe that's what they tried to cover up?

[Anniemouse]

I will have to check that scene for the 'dirt'. You know that field that appears at the point of Jay's meldown. What is the building in the field. As the lights come on at the end. Is it the school? or something else as there was a solitary ribbon on the fence.