The story appears simple on the surface, but is revealed, especially after multiple viewings, as more multi-layered and textured than Cassavetes at his best. Ostensibly it concerns a 14-year old Catholic girl, Wynne (Agutter) growing up in this post-modern wasteland, who develops a crush on her much older adoptive brother (Marshall)- a crush which perversely deepens and grows into infatuation once she starts to believe he is the local sex killer. This is in itself an idea that makes you sit up and jolt, but as the narrative develops, it continues not necessarily along a linear path but in several confusing and fascinating directions: the family's history, (detailed effectively in chilling flashback during an improvised seance) is a chequered one, and has suffered at least one major relocation and upheaval in the last ten years. At the crux, however, it's the depiction of socialal changes that make I Start Counting so fascinating and elevate its language far beyond the confines of the standard horror film. The major subtext- that teenage girls were maturing more quickly than before, and developing full sexual and romantic appetites (even if in thought rather than deed) but were not possessed of enough discretion to make the right choices- was a step forward for a genre in which its young females had previously been portrayed as bimbo victims (Cover Girl Killer and The Night Caller spring to mind), but not one that all viewers would necessarily agree with. But most striking of all, and possibly the most enduring image which the viewer will take away with them, is of the masterful symbolism with which director Greene invests every shot. Every inch of the Kinch family's world- their house, their walls, their TV, Agutters underwear, bedroom furniture and toys, Sutcliffe's clothes, Marshalls van, the local Catholic church, their town centre, their record shop) - is painted a bright, scintillating white- a white which, by inference, is slowly becoming smudged and corrupted with the dirt of the outside world. White also symbolises, of course, purity and innocence (two qualities Catholic schoolgirls are supposed to hold dear), and it is into this world of innocence that the ever-present red bus (a symbol of violation and penetration), conducted by the lecherous yet similarly juvenile Simon Ward, makes regular journeys. The allegory is further expanded in one scene where Agutter believes she sees the Christ figure in church weeping blood: by the time we acknowledge it, its gone, but the seed has already been planted. Rarely in a genre production has the use of colour and background been so important or effective in creating a uniformity of mood. I Start Counting is as near-perfect an end to a decade as one could hope for, and exactly the kind of film people should be making now- which is, of course, exactly why they never will. A genre essential. by D.R.
两个小时几乎就是为了这个结局，力量确实到位了。
非常喜欢！加一星给Penélope女神，她与小女主的邂逅某种意义上是和二十多年前关于我母亲的一切中两位女主间所缔结的女性同盟的延续
#阿莫多瓦
剧本问题有点大，如此黏合两个故事的结果就是两个故事都讲不好：当下的故事狗血；历史的故事空洞无力，缺少了点厚重。这部从剧本到布景到镜头都不够精细，有点像赶工之作。
至于克鲁兹的演技么，实在没啥好说的，已经想不出啥精巧的语言去夸赞她了。但其中也看出了一种“美人迟暮”的感觉，欸。
【千影计划102】
#94th Oscar#+#78th Venice#最佳女演员 整体水准依旧 历史探寻和女性情感连结的有些勉强
{★★★} 交错历史与现实中寻觅与失去血亲的创作瓶颈期产物，我感谢阿莫多瓦还没忘记怎么把一个平淡似水的故事讲出热情与曲折，尽管这次的热情、多是半凉的，这次的曲折、多是冗赘的。铭记历史之罪自然应该，不过下次最好也铭记抖一抖低廉的画面质感。
居然不只是女性关怀，还加入一些历史的见解，故事的口吻依旧还是很阿莫多瓦，记忆与思考，痛苦与荣耀。但这次剧情有点断裂，主线太过于表面，导致后面的升华略显突兀。
两条平行的故事线，一个对乱葬岗的挖掘和对历史的回顾，一个是两个抱错小孩的母亲的纠葛，将母亲这一主题上升到国家历史层面多少有些刻意，但又算始终契合整体脉络。交错的人生未来，殊途同归的历史根源。Penélope Cruz真是超美！
冇感情冇灵魂只有爽，从头到尾铺满打戏，文戏单纯走过场。尽管这类片是基于情境而非情节，但两个钟头内不停换景，景随人打，就像数个回合的擂台战，实在疲，而且我永远不必担心主角的处境。
两个单身妈妈抱错娃，睡一起，终究释怀归还，事由乱葬岗起，事终乱葬岗现
6.3 结尾才揭晓平行的另一层含义以及基因技术的作用，但中间的奇情和头尾之间太格格不入了
还是高级，虽然感觉是一个片子中夹了另一个片子，但满满的平行影射真的很好啊，演绎也细腻，家居也美丽
阿嬷的电影必须要讲极其狗血的故事，不狗血不要钱。然后在里面加上奶油一般腻死人的爱，对谁都爱，让你都不好意思不爱。
狗血归狗血，好看也确实是好看，硬是将抱错孩子的老套桥段拍出了惊悚片的观感。结尾挖掘乱葬坑的一场戏，更是将“平行母亲”的概念从两个现代女性身上，扩展到了几代为人母亲的女性的苦难遭遇。ps：片中的男性角色，算是沦为了彻头彻尾的工具人。
然而最后还是要男性来帮扶和补足，甚至“再生一个”来平复。
一个想要包涵西班牙血腥历史的雄心勃勃故事，可以被阿莫多瓦拍成这样，你就知道一个好的导演艺术家没有什么是做不到的，只要他有表达的冲动，他就有艺术的角度和巧思。女主角佩内洛普·克鲁兹奉献了充满血肉却又令人心碎的母亲形象，她的孩子被抱错了，又猝死了，而她怀中婴儿的母亲是个未成年的少女，她又爱上了她，这复杂纠葛的关系如此令人震惊，在片中却能如此顺理成章，使人陷入情爱和母爱双重折磨之中。这失去孩子的母亲，大概也象征着失去了一段血腥历史的真正的西班牙，而那个未成年母亲的残缺处，则意味着她就是那遗忘历史的新时代的人间化身。阿莫多瓦在人与人的关系与情绪的表达上已经到达大巧若拙的境界，看着平铺直叙，其实全是了不起的掌控力。它虽没有《痛苦与荣耀》般摧心，但小情感和大情感结合能做到如此百折千回真是腕力不凡。
第一次觉得老莫想要表达的“母爱”是如此的空洞，太像挂墙上的圣母油画了，以小见大显得毫无温度，以至于目光全部投入到欣赏各种美轮美奂的家具装潢，植物的绿，窗帘的花，抱枕的黄，厨房的红，配色真是绝。
第3500-不管是不是大师的作品，我只能知道自己有什么感受，只能说还凑合。
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