The Leisure Class

[Muffyn]

Have now made it another twenty minutes in. The car crash was perfectly adequate for the needs of the story. (As anyone with a knowledge of post-production might have predicted.) It came across as serious enough to put a scare into the characters, which is what it needed to do. A flipover would have been diminishing returns. The (boring) scene that followed the crash, with the two brothers alone in the car getting real with each other, felt just as motivated by the crash we saw as it would have by anything more spectacular.

I almost felt like Jason didn't understand that adding the sound to the crash would make it seem more dramatic.  At the same time, I agree with you.  If the crash had been worse, the feel of the following parts of the movie would have been way off.  

 

In looking back on the movie it had the same problem so many RomComs have - why would these two people get married?  They are both attractive.  She is from a moneyed family.  Beyond that, he acts like her father, with whom she has a poor relationship.  He talks down to her and treats her like a child.  She is an accomplished person who would probably be able to attract many potential suitors.  They may want to pretend that this behavior is only appearing now.  However, it was evident before the crash so it had to have been on-going.  So why does she need the one daddy picked out?  

 

After the big fallout, it still doesn't make any sense as to why she would marry this guy.  They now know he's a bit of a grifter who has lied to her and her family throughout their relationship.  She is in the public eye, so his background may well be scrutinized.  His brother is a disaster waiting to happen.  There would be less fallout from calling off the wedding than from choosing to associate with these brothers.

 

Adding to the characters acting in nonsensical manners, why would car pooping, hooker hiring brother chose to try to disrupt the wedding?  He made an appearance and was offered a substantial sum to leave.  If his brother marries into money, the trough is much deeper for the future.  He should have cut and run, thereby guaranteeing the long con.  

 

The greatest acting, directing, cinematography in the world could not salvage this poor of a script. 

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the film!

 

Should You Kick Back With The Leisure Class?
Or is Project Greenlight's fourth-season film a stiff?

[Milburn Stone]

Did anyone else notice that one of the production company logos in the end credits was Duly Noted, Inc.?

[biakbiak]

That's the name of Effie's production company.

[jamblastx]

I found it ironic that most of the stuff that they stressed over ad nauseum on Project Greenlight were non-issues and did not de-rail this movie in any way. For example:

- The location - House looked fine and I could easily buy that the whole thing was in Connecticut rather than California

- The lighting - the movie's continuity with the events happening over one day was believable

- film vs digital - Seriously Jason....you fought tooth and nail over this?! NO ONE would have cared other than you. Plus the main purpose of a comedy is to make the audience laugh and not notice the grainy aspect of film vs digital.

- The car crash - Sure it was a little weak and why would the Cadillac have been parked there? But the movie didn't totally suck because you didn't get the flip of big kaboom of a crash.

The movie was de-railed because it is supposed to be a comedy and there is nothing funny about it....brief flickers of mild amusement at best. And as a drama...well quite frankly, who cares since there is nothing compelling about these characters to make me either like or dislike them.

[Milburn Stone]

That's the name of Effie's production company.

 

What I'm wondering...Since "duly noted" was a spontaneous utterance from Effie in the series that then became something of a "signature" for her, did she create/name her company sometime between the filming of the reality show and the finishing of the movie? Was her deal with Project Greenlight that her company would own a piece of the movie (in addition to whatever salary she would draw as a producer)? If she was some kind of stakeholder in the process (as opposed to being simply a hired hand) that makes me understand her role in Project Greenlight in a somewhat different way than I did.

[Rlb8031]

What I'm wondering...Since "duly noted" was a spontaneous utterance from Effie in the series that then became something of a "signature" for her, did she create/name her company sometime between the filming of the reality show and the finishing of the movie? Was her deal with Project Greenlight that her company would own a piece of the movie (in addition to whatever salary she would draw as a producer)? If she was some kind of stakeholder in the process (as opposed to being simply a hired hand) that makes me understand her role in Project Greenlight in a somewhat different way than I did.

It was not a spontaneous utterance. Effie noted that its something she says all the time as a way of responding politely when other language might be warranted. It's whatever, an eye roll, and a big f you all rolled up into one. She talked about it being a phrase that she picked up as a military kid. I think it (and the naming of her company) predate PG by a lot. In her interviews I think she says she got $900 for actually being on PG as she didn't expect that the show was going to be about her. She received her normal producers fee and points on the movie (which means that she can afford to eat between now and her next gig, but nothing more - is HBO going to even run this movie twice?)

Edited November 6, 2015 by Rlb8031

[BeatrixK]

Finally was able to watch the finished product.  Definite Chinese Dinner movie:  I know I've seen a movie - I just don't feel like I've seen a movie.  It was really flat...story wise:  Never gave much of a shit about any of the characters, so how they ended up was beyond my point of care.  Seriously -- all the fuss for THAT story?  I felt like it wanted to go somewhere...but just couldn't.

 

I dunno -- granted...I SERIOUSLY hated Mann by the end of the series, so that certainly didn't help.  But, even my SO, who hadn't seen an episode, kept asking me 'Is something going to happen soon?'  So I felt like it wasn't just my seething Jason disdain clouding my judgement.

 

Overall, I give it an overwhelming 'Meh'.

[BK1978]

It's worse than I expected.  OMG, those belly laughs we saw when the producers and staff were viewing the director's cut.  What were they laughing at?

 

My thoughts exactly, in fact that thought remained in my head throughout the movie.  I am so happy that people on here think the movie was utter crap.  Often times I think that certain movies or television shows are bad, only to have someone tell me that is because it was over my head.  Now I do have a feeling that if Jason was here he would say that to me but yeah this movie was one heaping pile of dog crap that was not remotely funny.

 

It amazes me that people like the Farrelly Brothers, Affleck and Damon would even want their names associated with this.  While watching this show I was expecting a very funny movie because I guess I bought the Jason hype of him being some sort of dark comedy genius.  Shame on me I guess because I should have realized this movie was going to suck. 

 

In regards to the car crash, it looked like a very awkward edit right when the car hit the parked car.  I cannot put my finger on why I feel that way but something did not look right about it.

[LADreamr]

In regards to the car crash, it looked like a very awkward edit right when the car hit the parked car. I cannot put my finger on why I feel that way but something did not look right about it.

Yeah, I thought so too. It looked like something was patched in, to enhance it or something. Can't define it exactly, either.

[Milburn Stone]

It's worse than I expected.  OMG, those belly laughs we saw when the producers and staff were viewing the director's cut.  What were they laughing at?

 

It's a tribute to the power of hope, personal involvement, and group dynamics to cause self-delusion. When even a seasoned pro like Len Amato, who's overseen many films before, can fool himself into seeing something on the screen that isn't there, it can happen to anyone.

 

Of course an alternate theory is that he knew it was a PoS and his positive reactions were all for the sake of reality-show consumption, but my money's on him actually thinking they had the makings of something. At least at the time.

Edited November 7, 2015 by Milburn Stone

[MiamiGuy]

What I'm wondering...Since "duly noted" was a spontaneous utterance from Effie in the series that then became something of a "signature" for her, did she create/name her company sometime between the filming of the reality show and the finishing of the movie? Was her deal with Project Greenlight that her company would own a piece of the movie (in addition to whatever salary she would draw as a producer)? If she was some kind of stakeholder in the process (as opposed to being simply a hired hand) that makes me understand her role in Project Greenlight in a somewhat different way than I did.

 

When she produced "Dear White People," which came out last year, her Duly Noted company is listed in the credits. i re-watched it recently and that definitely jumped out.

[Julia]

When she produced "Dear White People," which came out last year, her Duly Noted company is listed in the credits. i re-watched it recently and that definitely jumped out.

 

I love the 'duly.' It's like "with all due respect," where you leave as an exercise for the listener how much you actually think is due.

[candall]

Would it be possible to watch one of the PGL movies unaffected by the show?  Maybe it would be better to watch the movie first and then the show?

>waves hand< Me!  Me!  I have a bright shiny new HBO subscription and recorded The Leisure Class with no PG association whatsoever.

 

Review:  Fifteen minutes in, I changed the channel.  When the main character introduced his crazy unpredictable ne'er-do-well brother to his 1%-er fiancée as a classmate from some posh university, I opted out.  Slow, stupid and obvious plot:  yawn.

 

Then yesterday I stumbled onto a Project Greenlight marathon and I was jazzed because I had been obsessed with the original series.  (Fascinating process.  Made me loathe Shia Lebeouf, which turned out to be a pretty good call.) 

 

Hey, they're making that Leisure Class suckitude!  LOL!   I love a spoiler and this way I wouldn't be disappointed with the final product.  (See: The Battle of Shaker Heights.)

 

So, the marathon was time well spent.  I was reading the recaps as I watched.  Sarah D. Bunting's shrewd observations about ulterior motives and professional gerrymandering made for an entirely different experience than a dozen years ago, which was basically watching some guy try to get his movie made on a shoestring. 

 

We're all so much less naïve and (justifiably) cynical now.  Do you have to sacrifice either the show or the movie for one of them to be good and who's on which team?  How much can you support Effie's frustration--do you stop with "It's the job" or assign weights to various factors:  whether everyone deserves a little workplace appreciation, the hassle of wrangling a prima donna, the probability that she's been disrespected in the past due to race or gender, the possibility that it's happening again versus the guarantee that no one's fooled by the expression "Duly noted."   And when the lustre's been off the Ben & Matt apple for such a long, long time, why is it still so exciting when one of them shows up?

 

I loved it when one of the old wise producer sages said something like, "You only have 15 minutes to convince the audience they want to take the ride."  Hee.