Franchescanado posted:

This is my favorite movie of the year, so I'll elaborate on a few points.

First, Moondog's relationship with his wife isn't open. Moondog selfishly fucks anything and everything he wants, but it's brought up by his wife and daughter that he doesn't know about her and Lingerie, and it's preferred to keep it that way. He selfishly wants to remain loyal to him while he gets to be wild and free. Moondog is a narcissistic, and selfish, which is why seeing his wife with Lingerie is such a huge blow to his ego, and what leads to her death.

We are not supposed to pity Moondog. He is so numbed by self-indulgence, wealth and celebrity that he is no longer human. Everyone refers to him as an Other. He gets away with everything, or is rewarded for being the worst person imaginable. He is not necessarily a good poet, but he is a popular poet. He is creatively bankrupt, and only returns to writing because it is the only way to get access to his wealth, and to perpetuate this weird idea of Moondog as a person.

2019 was a year in film where class and wealth disparity were explored. Instead of showing class warfare (like Ready Or Not, Parasite, The Lighthouse, Us), instead we get to see the results of wealth with Moondog. He pretends to live among the common people, not because he finds solidarity with them, but because he is allowed to do anything he wants. Obese man playing a tuba? Knock his rear end in the water, Moondog. No one's gonna say anything about it, in fact, people may laugh with you! Have another beer on the house. His celebrity absolves him of his crimes. His wealth perpetuates his lovely actions without consequence.

Structurally, the film is a picaresque story, with Moondog as the central rogue character, bumbling through various situations. He meets a Nu-Metal fan who believes he can be the worst person imagineable, because Jesus already died for his sins, bro! He meets an entrepreneur who preys off of tourist culture. His best friend is a major drug dealer, and he gets involved in trafficking because it promises free weed. He doesn't learn a drat thing from any of it. Why should he? He's Moondog. He's already rich and famous. There is no room is his drunk and stoned head for life lessons. He is incapable of growing, and the structure reflects that, as does the genre of "stoner comedy".

As for the dialogue coverage, it's pretty unique. It can be distracting, but our perspective is with the stoned Moondog. It also creates an interesting tapestry with the many different takes. Harmony Korine doesn't do much improv in his films; all the dialogue is scripted, but he allows a lot of freedom in their delivery, and how the shots are executed. I thought it was pretty awesome, but that's to taste.

Like all Harmony Korine films, it's very polarizing. The dude doesn't care about broad appeal. This is as straightforward as he's gonna get.