Another month, another forum for discussion of all your recent watches.
A small sampling of the films I hope to discuss this month include 2 Days in Paris, The Lost Weekend, Dan in Real Life, Rio Bravo, No Reservations, Cassandra's Dream amongst others...
16 comments:
I really watched these in Feb, but who cares haha?
Frailty: Very much liked this one and was impressed with Bill Paxton as director. The story was interesting and had just enough twists and turns to make it good. And what's scarier than a bloody axe toting God fearing 7 year old?!
Kids: I was kind of scared to see this film. But I went against my better judgment and did anyway. And now I'm kind of sorry I did. I understand why the film was made and I understand the point of it but it was almost too shocking for me (and it takes a lot for that to happen). I guess I just prefer movies that address tough topics to be handled with a little more compassion.
Rambo. Every bit as stupid and violent as you would expect, just not nearly as fun. The fourth film in the series, and only the latest attempt by Sylvester Stallone to become relevant again, Rambo’s bare-bones title is plainly misleading. First Blood this is not. Instead, it’s another one of Stallone’s glorifications of carnage with Rambo leading the way… this time coming to “accept” who he is, which at this point looks like a decrepit overstuffed version of his former self (the idea of using flashbacks to those previous pictures make the character almost unrecognizable in Stallone’s current HGH-ed state). Plus, how can you make a film about a 60-year-old man killing an army’s worth of men and not have a sense of humor about it? Ultimately, it all erupts into a conclusion so blindingly violent it’s almost unfathomable. This isn’t entertainment, this is genocide overtaking genocide. D+
Jumper: Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Probably because I was blinded by Hayden Christensen's hotness. I vaguely recall the acting to be less than stellar and Jamie Bell being the high point with his comical one-liners. And they left it open for a sequel...whaaaaaa?...I'd be surprised if they made it but Hollywood never ceases to amaze me.
The Last Mimzy: Just not good. I suppose the idea was kind of neat but the execution was just bad bad bad. Would not recommend this to anyone.
Punch-Drunk Love: Well I was mostly interested in this because it was writen/directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and I was impressed with There Will Be Blood so I expected a little bit of the same greatness despite the drastic difference in theme. I was disappointed though. It was just a really really odd movie. I liked the underlying idea of love empowering you and what not but the actual storytelling was very muddled. I just couldn't get invested in the characters or the story for that matter. There was hardly any connectivity between the audience and the characters and even less it seemed between the characters themselves.
The Reaping: So forgettable that I almost forgot to mention it...and I watched it last night. It's not exactly terrible but offers nothing but a little heightened sense of anxiousness. At least for me. Maybe I'd have felt differently if I were more religious?
Raising Arizona Oh how I love the Coen brothers! This film was really fun even if it is in a "I'm not supposed to be enjoying seeing the kidnapping of a child so much" kind of way. Hunter and Cage are both endearing in their misguided attempt to help the Arizonas (and themselves). I loved when they get the kid for the first time and Hunter breaks down bawling "I just love him SO MUCH!" Hahahaha and of course the stolen Huggies sequence was great too.
Becoming Jane: So boring I left the room after 20 min....and I never do that especially if a movie is free. I didn't even walk out on Ghost Rider so you know it had to be pretty damn boring.
I Am Legend: Yet again, disappointed. (This was a crappy couple of weeks of movies for me) It wanted to be so much more than it ever could be. Plus the idea was already done and done much better in 28 Days Later. I had a lot of "give me a break!" moments (and not the enjoyable KitKat kind).
Enchanted: Oh my goodness....probably the most cheese I've ever consumed in one sitting in my LIFE! And yet shockingly enjoyable. Amy Adams and James Marsden did a bang up job of nailing the stereotypical fairy tale characters as real live humans and the writers/cartoonists themselves did a good job of poking fun at the genre as well. Just so way over the top that you can't help but enjoy yourself.
Yes, I had to delete the previous comment because I have an unnatural need to get my facts right and confusing John Ford and Howard Hawks has got to be some sort of film lover's no-no.
Sullivan's Travels. My overdue introduction to Preston Sturges, Sullivan's Travels is about the perfect storyline for a film geek like me. A Hollywood director who is known for making comedic, feel-good pictures (think Frank Capra) decides he wants to make a picture about the poor and desolate, the underprivileged, and to better understand their situation he needs to spend time as a tramp with only ten cents in his pocket and "looking for trouble." He finds some, but he also finds Veronica Lake (another welcome introduction) and a deeper understanding of the importance of laughter. A-
Rio Bravo. I read somewhere that this was Howard Hawks’ rebuttal to High Noon, a film all about how an honest man is abandoned in his time of need and sent off to face death – in the form of three deplorable outlaws – alone. In Rio Bravo, John Wayne can’t bat the help away quick enough after arresting a nefarious murderer and having to deal with his brother and hired guns. It's a wonderful tale of comraderie and standing up for your friends and what's right in the face of great adversity (a common Wayne theme). John Wayne continues to amaze me from performance-to-performance (who knew he could be funny?). Plus Hawks is just a master at unfolding his stories. A
Bringing Up Baby. The other Howard Hawks film I saw this past week is about as different from Rio Bravo as you can imagine. This one is a rapid-fire dialogue-driven romantic comedy featuring Cary Grant (playing totally against type) and Katherine Hepburn (playing totally with type). Grant's surprisingly nerdy (he wears glasses!) and non-debonair Dr. David Huxley is on the eve of his wedding when he meets the well-meaning but hopelessly bungling Susan Vance (Hepburn). From the time they meet until the end it's pretty safe to say that everything around them will fall to pieces as a new relationship blooms. There are moments when the film seems to run in circles (and its disregard for David's wife makes it feel less fun than it should be), but overall it's a wonderful little film and an example that Hawks had no problems crossing genre boundaries. B+
Southland Tales. Southland Tales is such a confounded mess of ideas that it has no rhythm, no direction to head in because it’s too busy heading off in a million directions at once. And because of that, all it can amount to is a bunch of dead-end roads, leaving thoughts underdeveloped or uncovered (this film would have either been better served as a mini-series or having not existed in the first place). The story, which is way too involved and complicated to get into with any depth, revolves around a screenplay that predicts the end of the world, time travel, and a post-apocalyptic future vision of L.A. (this all happens after a nuclear explosion rocks the first scene). The film is so wide-reaching and random that director Richard Kelly has to spend the first ten minutes trying to explain just what the fuck is going on... and you still have no idea after that. The Rock, Seann William Scott and even Justin Timberlake are fine or good, but why the overwhelming SNL presence? If Richard Kelly was testing to see if they can act... they can't. C-
August Rush. This is every orphan's fantasy movie... an entire picture about a kid whose parents 1) don't know he's alive (definitely not kidding), 2) end up missing him desperately, and 3) to which he has an inhuman (musical) connection with. Keri Russell is about the only part of this film emerging with any dignity intact and that's more from her leftover Waitress goodwill than anything she does here. Freddie Highmore is the same hopeful-faced blank slate he's been in every other film, Jonathan Rhys Meyers yet again proves why he should not be tormenting film screens everywhere and will SOMEBODY please physically restrain Robin Williams from appearing onscreen again? Please? Somehow music leads them altogether in the first place, keeps them apart when the script calls for it and leads them back together in the end. You know how this movie ends before you even start it. D
License to Wed. I know, I know, I know! Leave me alone. Screw Robin Williams! I'm tired of giving him chance-after-chance-after-chance. This man has single-handedly made me sit through RV, Man of the Year, The Big White, House of D, Robots AND The Final Cut in the last 3+ years. And they're ALL awful. License to Wed is more of the same stupid Williams mugging for the camera. He makes dick jokes out of religious sayings (to children no less), looks desperately in search of a laugh and never once acts like a normal human being. Plus, has Mandy Moore turned against me too? Where is the young actress from Saved that I defended? This is her third bad-to-terrible film of 2007 alone. She IS the female Robin Williams at this point. I don't know WHAT I was thinking. Supposedly John Krasinski is in this film too, but I was probably too busy pelting myself in the face with hammers to notice his performance. Just a flat out terrible movie, the type that should give hope to every aspiring filmmaker out there that they could do better... D-
Feast of Love. The type of relationship drama that I would have liked to see succeed, except for the fact that it's message is completely terrible. It's depressing, crap-on-love storylines keep you entirely at arm's length and the one relationship that gets you invested doesn't even come close to paying off (it's 100% impossible to love this film). You're so put off by the way these people react to and treat one another that it's hard to realize you're watching a rare Hollywood story about honest-to-God adult relationships. But if this is the type of untrustworthy, tragic and pessmistic marriages we all have to look forward to in the future (this is the type of story you write after your marriage dissolves and you feel hopeless)... personally, I don't want one. And I couldn't imagine anyone else wanting one either. C-
Life of Brian. I've always felt that Monty Python's films were more of the chuckling kind than the laugh-out-loud type... but that doesn't discount Life of Brian for being what it obviously is, a clever and dry retelling of the story of Christ that does a lot to send up the religious aspects and stories we've all heard before. How Brian (stepping in for Jesus) comes to have this following in and of itself is funny (and so is John Cleese in pretty much any incarnation). Heck, when I think back on the bits (the Romans entering the secret hideout and not being able to find any of the 'disciples' despite them hiding under every possible surface or blanket, the public stoning, the "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" crucifixion finale)... maybe this movie is more enjoyable in hindsight than it is while watching? Whatever the case, I need to find "Brian Song" for my Myspace. B
I'm going to try to be quick here.
Vantage Point- gimmicky with a predictable twist, but had enough style to keep me engaged. Wait for rental.
Be Kind Rewind- whimsical and just impossible to dislike. Gondry may not write the best screenplays, but he comes up with wonderful stories and knows how he wants it to look. I think he just needs someone else to write the dialogue and structure the story.
Diving Bell and the Butterfly- among the best of the year
Wind that Shakes the Barley- even better. I like me Irish Kin more than my French.
Semipro- Ferrell still is a hoot at times, but he needs to surprise us now. Everything he does isn't predictable in a very manic way. Some good supporting work here, but still only for die hard fans is it a must see. Wait til DVD.
Darjeeling- Brother stories are always relatable for me, so unsurprisingly I liked this one a lot. Not perfect, but hits all the right notes and got fairly dramatic at points. Not a big fan of the whole mother sequence, but I still enjoyed it very much.
Charlie Bartlett- your opinion of this film rests solely on the lead. You either will like Charlie, or you will hate him. I liked him a lot and found Anton Yelchin to be quite a great actor. Downey Jr is classic here.
10,000 BC- I felt like I was sitting down for that long. That's how boring this film is. How do not have a sabretooth tiger attack sequence. I thought that would have been obvious. Apparently Roland Emmerich likes to keep my expectations of him low.
Bank Job- this completed my British caper trilogy that Guy Ritchie started by didn't finish. I loved the story and the cast. Had me excited and engaged throughout.
Spiderwick Chronicles- good looking FX with a good cast, but there is a lot of random things going on here simply for the sake of being weird. Seth Rogen voices a creature who seems to have no purpose except he eats birds. Nothing else about him is integral to the plot or the story. In the end, that is he key characteristic. Weird film, but had me somewhat enjoying the randomness of it all.
Never Back Down- I don't know why I saw it, but dammit I didn't regret it. The story is MTV Karate Kid, but the cast was charming and I liked for once that we see the wise old teacher isn't perfect himself. He learns a thing or two from his pupil. I actually enjoyed myself and felt myself invested in the story. At the climax, the theater started clapping and I almost (ALMOST!!!) joined in.
Doomsday- another film with a lot going on, but it reminded me of Road Warrior and Escape from NY, and it got that vibe down pat. This film is not for everyone, infact most won't like it, but it sure as hell was made for me. I had a blast. Good set pieces, good concept, great violence...good flick.
Horton Hears a Who- what a wonderful film. Just a real pleasure to see that Dr. Seuss can be done right and done great. Great use of big talent voices without being overbearing, wonderful visuals, heartfelt messages...Going to give Wall E a run for his money. (I predict here and now that Wall E will get a Best Picture nom though, thats how good I think it will be)
Shame- great Ingmar Bergman film about how a couple react and change during war. I don't think Sweden has ever been to war, but it was still riveting to see the outcome here. Max von Sydow gives a great performance as a shy husband who turns 180 at the end. Liv Ullman has the most beautiful eyes even in B&W. Powerful stuff.
Cries and Whispers- this is what I was expecting when I stared watching Bergman. Extremely harsh drama with really weird scenes about sex or violence. The film is about a sister on her deathbed from cancer as her two sisters visit her and her maid attends to her every need. Great acting and moving story at times, but there is a scene here where a woman takes glass and cuts herself in her chacha and starts to smear the blood all over her face. What do say to something like that? Not one I really want to revisit, but still worthwhile.
Through a Glass Darkly- story about how mental illness affects those closest to us even as much as it does to the patient. Wonderful performance from Harriet Andersson and company. Not his flashiest, but still among Bergman's most affective. I'm so pleased to have discovered his work even if it was after his passing.
You just went and covered 16 movies that you've recently seen... and I've seen a grand total of 3 of them?!? Dammit man, I need to get to the theater more often. I don't know how you fit them all in though (and, again, the free tickets don't hurt either).
Of the ones you mentioned I liked Darjeeling, Diving Bell and Barley as well and will eventually see most of the others you rattled off (although there's next-to-no chance I sit down for Never Back Down, I'm sorry, applause or not).
The ones I'm most looking forward to seeing that you mentioned are probably The Bank Job, Be Kind, Rewind and all the Bergman... but I just got finished with my first Fellini so I'm trying to hit all the famous European directors (after Antonioni and Bergman) before I settle down with one. What can I say? I'm a choosy man.
Wow, chachi...I echo Brian's sentiments. I thought I watched a lot of movies...I think it's just impressive you've seen so many recent releases (but I understand you sort of have an 'in' so that explains a lot).
Be Kind Rewind: I didn't NOT like this film. I think I was expecting it to be different than it turned out to be. The story was pretty cute and there were some funny/tug at your heartstrings moments but over all I was kind of bored with it. Jack Black can usually make me laugh by just sitting there but his character was a little too much on the kooky weird side and not enough on the kooky funny side. Plus it doesn't help that Mia Farrow bugs/creeps the crap out of me.
Brokeback Mountain: Well I've finally seen it and I have to say that one of the downsides of seeing a movie after it's been made fun of is that moments that are intended to be poignant turn into inappropriate laughter (ie. "I wish I could quit you"). But I digress. The cinematography was no doubt some of the most beautiful I've seen (much like Into the Wild) and I could almost smell the crisp clean mountain air. Kind of made me want to go to Wyoming haha.
The whole cast put forth a tremendous effort and I was very impressed with them as many of the supporting cast were not people I had previously regarded as 'serious' actors (Hathaway or even Williams). Gyllenhaal did a smash up job but the star of this film was Ledger. His ability to play a character with so many conflicting emotions running through him was amazing. And this is the first time I'd really seen him in such a demanding role. It's selfish of me, but I'm even more sad he's gone now that I know how truly gifted an actor he was and how there won't be any more opportunities to witness him in action.
The Fog: Haha! Tom Welling is hot.
Don't see "Silk." Brian warned me about this one because it went straight to DVD and I hadn't seen or heard anything about it. Buuuut, being that I'm a sucker for romance, I watched it anyway. Surprise, surprise, I only got through about half of it. Complete waste of time.
Kiera Knightly is good for the short screen time she gets, but the look alike Dicaprio actor is just painful to watch. This movie is basically silent because there's very little dialogue, so you have to cast an actor who's great at showing emotion and varied expressions. He can't pull either. This film felt very amateurish.
Also, is it just me or does it seem like 99% of movies today center around adultry? Is that the ONLY plotline we can think of that's going to entertain audiences today? What does that say of our society?
Brian says usually there's SOMETHING you can find in a movie that's worthy of noting. Again, I can say the scenery. I'm not giving credit to the cinematographer though. The world is just simply beautiful so they really don't have to do much. This film earns one star.
Bee Movie: Jerry Seinfeld's first big project since the tv series ended and I will say that I was slightly sligthly disappointed. I can't exactly pinpoint what it was about it that didn't work for me but I didn't find it nearly as funny as I expected. And the end with the plane landing on the flower of bees kind of made me gag at the cheesiness of it all.
That aside, it was a very cute movie. I really enjoyed all the plays on words and how they transformed the hive into a mini metropolis. I was really pleased with all the voices they used too.
Worth a watch but not too memorable for me.
Alien: Clearly the film that all other space thrillers have been modeled after. I saw a lot of elements from Alien that I've seen in films such as Event Horizon and even Sunshine.
The beginning is pretty slow and the scary parts were not entirely scary due to my modern movie desensitized consciousness, but I can definitely see how it would have been terrifying to the late 70s/early 80s crowd haha.
The special effects were pretty good too for having been pre-computers (minus the baby alien running around after he pops out of the guys stomach...I actually laughed out loud there).
I'm looking forward to Aliens!
Bridget Jones' Diary: I really enjoyed this just as everyone else did. I found myself laughing out loud throughout. So many great lines and awkward situations and I think there's nothing funnier than awkwardness. Clearly this movie was right down my alley :)
Alright, since I enjoy getting responses to my own recent watches and topics, I figured I should reciprocate… even if I haven’t seen many of your guys’ watches.
My bridetobe - Silk interested me when I first heard about it (Keira Knightley and Michael Pitt?), but then I kept waiting for its theatrical distribution. By the time I noticed it had been dumped direct-to-DVD, the warning flags were coming out all over the place. I would have watched it anyway with you sweetie, but I’m also not upset that I don’t have to see it anymore either.
and Rebecca - Like I said before Be Kind, Rewind is on my to-see list. Missed it in theaters, but I’ll catch up with it as soon as I can. With Jerry Seinfeld responsible for it, Bee Movie looked promising before it came out… then it came out flat in the reviews and I haven’t built up the interest to pop it in the DVD player yet. Might watch at some point. The Fog Wait, I don’t understand… for what purpose did you watch this film? No, really. C’mon, least you could have done was watch Carpenter’s version. Alas, that one doesn’t have Tom Welling in it. Brokeback Mountain is one of the best movies of the 21st century thus far (screw you Crash!, I’m still bitter). Bridget Jone's Diary is great (between this and Love Actually I say the British make much better - at least recent - romantic comedies. And Alien is a very methodical science fiction movie that bears more of a resemblance to 2001 (although without as much to say) than it really does to Aliens, which itself is more fun. Good film, but not a personal favorite of mine either.
Man you guys really underplayed the brilliance of Alien. That is my personal fav of the bunch and one of the best scifi films period. Anywho...
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon- this is a horror satire/spoof that pengin turned me on to. The first two thirds are great and totally spoof the genre better than Scary Movie did. But sadly the last third goes for the horror part and fails. But still very interesting. Plot is about a documentary crew that follows Leslie Vernon as he gets things together to take seat as the new slasher king including picking out his virgin girl who may outsmart him. Pretty funny stuff.
Heavy Metal- recent South Park ep paid homage to this crappy animated cult film so I had to revisit it again. It still sucks, but certainly earns its cult status by being an utterly unique experience. Vignettes tell the history of the Loc Nor, a alien orb, and how it has ruined the lives of so many before. Tons of cheesy nudity and violence with a killer soundtrack. How could I not watch it.
The Flower of My Secret- put a hold on Bergman to visit Pedro Almodovar and his Filmspotting Marathon. His films are quite melodramatic, usually with many female players (he finds them more complex than men). This one tells the story of a author who finds herself wanting to make a switch from writing trashy novels to making literature that makes a statement, all while balancing her love life. It was good, not great. Didn't pack enough punch for me, not memorable enough. Still worthwhile to see the basic structure that Almodovar has.
Live Flesh- another one of Almodovar. Better than the last. Film noir tale about a recently released convict who accidentally shot a cop into a wheelchair, and now takes love lessons from the cop's partner's wife, whom the cop use to have an affair with himself, but he has since moved on to the convicts ex. Talk about twisted. Still very stylish with great performance including a young Javier Bardem as the paraplegic cop.
All About My Mother- fantastic work from Almodovar about a mother who loses her son in a car accident and now wishes find happiness again. This movie involves a pregnant nun with AIDS, many transexuals, and productions of A Streetcar Named Desire. Yet very relatable and very captivating. Best I've seen from him yet, but I hear that the best is yet to come.
Good God man, see a movie that I've seen. Haha. 0 for 5 on those too. I do have 4 Almodovar films, but have yet to watch any of them. I'll get to them sometime soon though...
Predator: Yes, slowly but surely I'm catching up on 80s action mainstays.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie for everything that it is. Ahhnold at his best. "Get to the choppa" is one of my new favorite catch phrases and that whole hunter being hunted scene with him setting the traps and covering himself in mud?! Yes, a classic indeed.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: I very much enjoyed this one as well. It was a long movie but for some reason it didn't drag too bad (and it could have). The choreography of those fight scenes must've been intense and while the 'flying' over the rooftops and scampering up walls was a bit uh, how do i put it?...well it was just obvious they were attached to harnesses, the overall piece was done very well. Ang Lee is 2 for 2 in my book.
First off, I have no idea how you'd gone this far without seeing Predator. That's like never seeing Rocky. ::GASP:: But should we not talk about that?
Anyways, Predator is probably the purest form of testosterone-fueled entertainment (and borderline awesomest movie every made... yep, I said awesomest). I used to put that movie on before going to bed at night and just revel in the total unapologetic machismo. Dutch is a personal hero of mine. C'mon, it's a movie with a couple tree trunks of men toting enormous weapons and destroying a jungle to kill an alien creature that is hunting them. It doesn't get better than THAT. Haha. Awesomest.
Meanwhile, if you want to get all intellectual on me after my Predator rant, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a great movie as well... and about as opposite end of the action spectrum as you can get. I really need to revisit it to remember the key aspects to the story, but those visuals will always stick in my mind. A gorgeous film. The best of its kind that I've seen to date.
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