Review the Last Movie You Viewed Part VI: Satisfying the A-R crowd

[lazarus]

Knew you'd love it, Lance.

I hate to say anything against Tony Leung, but I have to say I was so blown away by Leslie Cheung here, I think he may be the best actor out of Hong Kong, maybe even China as a whole. Which makes his suicide a few years ago even more tragic.

 

[Lancemc]

I think you may be right. He was mesmerizing here. A wonder. My point before was more to the point that I was equally blown away by what Tony and Maggie were able to achieve with significantly less screen time.

What I might be most satisfied with is how I finally have that missing keystone in his early career. It really feels like thematic and artistic segue between Days of Being Wild and Chungking/Fallen Angels that it was formally. It sort of sheds new light on all his work that came before and after it.

 

[deep]

^^^ One of the only two kinds of responses to that film I've seen so far.

and the other response

how wonderful the emperor looks in his new clothes.

 

[deep]

Låt den rätte komma in


7.8 / 10

Let the Right one In

is like no other vampire movie that I have ever seen. It is smarter, scarier and more nuanced. It doesn't feel like a thriller, it feels like literature.

The film, which details the bizarre misadventures of a pair of pre-teen star crossed lovers, one of whom is an androgynous vampire, is phenomenal in almost every regard. The details of young Oskar's (Kare Hedebrant) life are spot on. Stuck in that incredibly painful period of post-childhood, pre-adolescence, Oskar is aware of girls, but has no idea how to contend with them. He is small for his age and is brutalized by other boys as a result. He's terribly alone and collects news clips of violent crimes as a way of letting out his rage. One day a strange young girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson) appears on the playground. They become fast friends and things begin to look up for Oskar. Eli even (innocently) spends the night on occasion.

Meanwhile, we are privy to some things that Oskar doesn't know. As it happens, Eli's caretaker is a serial killer of the most brutal order, desanguinating his victims into a bucket. Soon, Oskar comes to realize that his new friend is a bit more than she seemed at first.

 

[mad1]

so, I saw like 10 mins of this Hill Have Eyes movie.

I turned and the part where those two eejits go into the trailer and hurt that girl and shoot that girl and all the while this dude is getting burned outside.

the make-up, the plot - everything was extremely laughable for the short time I saw it.

proof that these types of movies really are bollox.

reminds me of that massive other bolloxy movie - Shoot Em Up.

anyone else seen it? OMG!

 

[Lancemc]

Synecdoche, New York
This cast is great, there is some good film making here. The parts do not add up to a good movie. I imagine this movie will get many thumbs ups from people that want to like this because of his past good writing.

I think Charlie Kaufman needed some one to save him from himself.

Ok, just got back from this. Going to go see it again next weekend, because it really requires another viewing. I can't say I agree with you here deep. If anything, watching this makes me sort of disappointed that Kaufman waited this long to start directing his own screenplays, mostly because if he had started earlier this film would have been a bit more visually daring to match its narrative daring. Looking back on his past work, I almost feel as though filtering his writing through other directors was likely diluting something in the process. There's a reason this film is much less mainstream and accessible as all his earlier works. Honestly, unique as his screenplays are, it's hard to get more hip than Spike Jonze or Michel Gondry's collaborations. The music video influence is really strong in filtering Kaufman's ideas into easy-to-swallow (though admittedly often brilliant) pieces of cinematic pop culture.

I think to say that fans of this film are likely only praising it because of Kaufman's past resume is fairly dismissive. Watching this I was reminded of Godard of Lynch or filmmakers along those lines, who fully embrace and likely revel in the whole-sale rejection of traditional film narrative. And while Kaufman isn't nearly the visual craftsman (yet) as either of those two, what he's done here shouldn't be discounted because it's new. I'm not willing to say yet whether or not it's a total success, but the film stands as a remarkably personal experience, and while it has clearly suffered some cuts for distribution purposes (what films don't though these days?) it very much feel like the film Kaufman wanted to make. And to say it's a failure at this point is likely premature if not flat-out inaccurate, because I also don't think many people aside from Kaufman himself really understand what all of its goals were.

It also reminds me a great deal of Coppola's supposed "disaster" from last year Youth Without Youth which received even stronger negative response, which I ultimately felt was completely unwarranted in much the same way.

 

[lazarus]

Finally got around to it, Lance.

The funniest and saddest film I've seen all year, as well as the most profound, and at this point, I think the best. Manages to blend the creative concerns of Adaptation with the soul-searching of Eternal Sunshine, without sacrificing any of the meta qualities that made those so great.

One point I disagree on is the direction. Personally, I think Kaufman's is a better frame composer than Jonez OR Gondry, and doesn't come off as amateurish or gimmicky. It's much more classically done, and I appreciate it more because of that.

Funny that you mention Godard and Lynch, because I don't think either of them have been capable of this level of raw humanism.

Other than that, I can't really elaborate on what you've already stated so well.

 

[Lancemc]

Wow. I'm really glad you liked it. I know you were a bit cautious going into this one (which doesn't mean pessimistic of course).

And now that I've had a few days to let it stew, I'm coming around on Kaufman's directing work as well. I do think I mentioned how Jonze and Gondry's works was very MTV-music video style, since that's where they began, and I think their style suited Kaufman's other scripts to a pretty good extent. And like I said, I'm glad neither of them really got their hands on this piece in particular, because something essential would have been greatly lost.

I still think the signs of this being his work directoral effort show here, and I'm sure as he continues to direct (hopefully) the films will look a bit more confident and visually interesting. He really stuck with a limited repertoire of camera work and framing concepts here, and as you said it works splendidly. I have no real qualms with his direction, just that there's still a lot of room for growth to match his writing.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Rachel Getting Married - The actual storyline gets tiresome but the rest of the movie is spectacular, from the cinematography to the fine cast to the excellent nonstop music. It kind of felt like I was a fly on the wall at an actual wedding and a real family. Oh, the drama. But it was colorful and visually wonderful with lots of little surprises. TVotR's Tunde Adebimpe was charming and endearing as the groom, and I'd like to marry the best man please, thank you. And it's been way too long since we've seen Debra Winger.

 

[lazarus]

Yeah I wanted to see that. Just so much stuff out I haven't made time yet.

I heard Anne Hathaway is a revelation, and may figure heavily in the awards season. Is that a fair estimation?

 

[joyfulgirl]

Yeah I wanted to see that. Just so much stuff out I haven't made time yet.

I heard Anne Hathaway is a revelation, and may figure heavily in the awards season. Is that a fair estimation?

Anne Hathaway was really, really good. I just wanted to smack her and then hug her. I felt her pain. She definitely captured some depths we hadn't seen before in her work.

 

[LMP]

Anne Hathaway was really, really good. I just wanted to smack her and then hug her. I felt her pain. She definitely captured some depths we hadn't seen before in her work.

Not even the ones reached in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement?

 

[Lancemc]

I wanted to sex Ann Hathaway throughout the duration of Rachel Getting Married. Even though she was a royal bitch. Maybe that's why.

 

[mad1]

Armageddon was on again, this movie, yes, exudes tons of patriotism - but apart from really dumb scenes, it is an enjoyable action job.

however, again, the painful-to-watch Affleck ruins pretty much all scenes he is in, take the room scene they are all being tested in, every other actor has natural flow, and then Affleck comes up with this sh*t about 'okay so you want to test me' (or like that) and its like watching a kid appear among a group of burly dirty men and trying to be one, and it seems so wrong.

or the feckin scene they pull this machine apart. NASA stand back and watch.

ugh, so many silly tightened scenes.

Liv Tyler looks so gorgeous in it thou.




SpeedRacer - not what I thought it would be, instead felt like I was watching a 2 hour advert for a fun ride at the Epcot Centre at Walt DisneyWorld, and the end credits, and even if you had fantastic eyesight, you would still need a magnifying glass to see credits at the end and I HATE movies like that!

I did fancy the hell out of Racer X thou.

 

[joyfulgirl]

More thoughts on Rachel Getting Married...I just talked to two colleagues who saw it over the weekend and they both absolutely hated it, lol. All the things I liked about it were precisely the things they hated about it. I guess it's one of those movies you're either going to connect with, or not. Their main complaint seemed to be that they didn't like any of the characters. I guess I have trouble appreciating that line of criticism because you don't have to like characters for them to be real, although I suppose it can make a film less enjoyable. Addicts are self-absorbed and self-destructive, and the people around them are always in a state of reacting to them, and it's all quite dysfunctional. That's the way it is, and the family dynamics were pitch-perfect, I thought. I actually did like everybody, even when they were annoying - they were all flawed but basically good people dealing with difficult circumstances.

One of my favorite little scenes involved a competition between the father of the bride, and the groom, loading the dishwasher. I pointed it out to my friends as a little gem of a scene that seemed so real to me that it could have happened in one of my friend's families (my family wasn't that interesting but some of my friends grew up in really colorful, creative environments like that). My friends, however, thought it was completely absurd and would never happen in real life, and should have been cut from the movie, lol.

I guess the movie did go on too long, but I mostly enjoyed everything going on around the family, in the background, the way the hand-held camera moves through the room allowing the viewer to be a voyeur and an eavesdropper, observing everyone. And the performances were all really great. It's not hard to imagine that the writer Jenny Lumet grew up in an environment like this. Still, I guess it isn't for everyone.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Okay, now I'm obsessing. My colleagues are acting like I know nothing about film because I liked Rachel Getting Married and only in another universe could it ever be compared to the great Robert Altman. Whatever. I did manage to prove, however, that the dishwashing scene was based on an actual experience:

That dishwasher scene in 'Rachel Getting Married'? Inspired by real life - Los Angeles Times

A crucial scene in "Rachel" involves a dishwasher-loading contest, in which the father of the bride and the bridegroom battle against the clock to discover who has the better dishwasher-loading moves. According to Jenny Lumet, the scene is based on an event she witnessed in the late 1970s, when she was 11.

The legendary, late choreographer Bob Fosse was hanging out at the Lumets' New York apartment. "Bob was this glamorous, elegant guy," she said. "He was dressed all in black, with his sweater over his shoulders, smoking a cigarette." Sidney projected a different image. "My father was usually wearing a sweatsuit stained with vinaigrette."

Fosse watched Sidney load the dishwasher. At one point Fosse said, "You know, if you put the containers from Zabar's [the New York gourmet shop] in the top rack, you'll have 10% more room for other stuff in the bottom."

Sidney's reaction came swiftly and in the form of a classic unprintable command. Jenny recalled that for the next hour, the two men loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, testing the Fosse technique for dishwasher loading.

"It was really disturbing," she said, caught unawares by the fact that grown men could become so combative about a mundane domestic task. Who would imagine that two serious American artists could also be dishwasher geeks?

They also violently hated the father character who I absolutely loved and found heartbreaking. Please, someone else hurry up and see this movie and validate my reality.

 

[lazarus]

The image of Fosse involved in this is hilarious beyond belief.

But it makes me want to watch All That Jazz again, instead of rushing out to see RGM.



I will soon, though. Promise.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Isn't it? I knew it must have really happened but the real story turned out to be way better than I could have imagined.

All That Jazz

 

[Lancemc]

The dishwashing scene was easily my favorite part of the film. To transition so fluidly and convincingly from a tone of utter joy to one of extreme melancholy... excellent.

 

[joyfulgirl]

What did you think of the film overall? I looked but didn't see a mention of it.

 

[LMP]

Pineapple Express was incredibly entertaining and pretty much what I expect from any Apatow produced film nowadays. Rogen and Franco were awesome, but it was Danny McBride who stole the show for me... like he does in everything I see him in.

I think it did a better job of ripping on the buddy comedy genre than Hot Fuzz did a year back... but they both had different sensibilities, so I can't compare the two any more than that.

 

[Lancemc]

Slumdog Millionaire

Packed press screening... with a lot of regular enthusiastic film buffs filling out the theater. Everyone seemed to love it.

It's pretty much what you'd expect if you've read the synopsis, seen the trailer and maybe read a review or two. And it fairly successfully fulfills the promise of its concept. A lot of beautiful little vignettes, the earliest flashbacks being far and away my favorite. They really made the slums feel horrifyingly dangerous and slightly magical at the same time. I'm also happy to report some of the most captivating child performances I've ever seen... the best in the film actually (the youngest set I'm referring too... as the three leads all have 3 different actors portraying them at varying ages). Stylish, well shot, great soundtrack. Very moving at points, and equally disturbing in others. But when it comes down to brass tacks it's really just a pretty standard romance dressed in a peculiar design, which is perfectly fine, though I can't help but feel there is so much more story here that could have really taken this film to greater heights.

I can't say it's my favorite Boyle film. I'd probably rank it just slightly below 28 Days Later, which I feel is a much more focused and aesthetically successful film than Slumdog. Though the former lacks some of the magic of this film, and suffers from a marginally weakened third act. I'd also rank Slumdog about a solid point above Sunshine, and if I were to assign a rating (which I shall now do)... I'll have to settle on an 8/10. It's really a highly enjoyable picture, and I don't see many people leaving disappointed. Should be a real crowd pleaser. Probably my third favorite this (admittedly weak) year too behind Man on Wire and Synecdoche.

 

[lazarus]

Lance are you still in the D.C. area? There's a restored film opening there soon called Lola Montes that you really should see in the theatre. It's the final film of Max Ophuls, a European director who, like many others, moved to Hollywood and made films here, but then he moved to France and made some of cinema's greatest films (three of which were just released on Criterion DVD).

Here's a good write-up by auteurist Andrew Sarris:

http://www.observer.com/2008/arts-culture/oph-ls-proves-prophet-prodigious-lola-mont-s

and a retrospective article about Ophuls:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/movies/25raff.html

 

[Lancemc]

I've noticed that. I'll definitely check it out if I have the time. Not familiar with Ophuls works itself, though his reputation certainly precedes it.

 

[LMP]

Låt den rätte komma in


7.8 / 10

One of the best horror films I've seen in a long, long time, if you can call it that.

When it gets released in the US, it needs the subtitle "Suck It, Twilight." Seriously.

There's actually a US remake coming next year from the director of Cloverfield. No matter how it turns out, we'll still have this awesome gem of a film, but it'll be interesting to see what direction he takes it.

 

[lazarus]

That kid looks like the albino brother of Danny from The Shining.

How do you say "redruM" in Swedish?

 

[LMP]

Fernando.

 

[deep]

I am sure the U S remake will suck, big time.

I say see this one.

and if you don't like sub-titles,
well, you will never see the majority of the best movies ever made.


I do think near the ending, the pool scene is a bit over the top.

but, even with that it is still a great film.

 

[LMP]

I am sure the U S remake will suck, big time.

I say see this one.

and if you don't like sub-titles,
well, you will never see the majority of the best movies ever made.


I do think near the ending, the pool scene is a bit over the top.

but, even with that it is still a great film.

That one shot with Oskar underwater and all of the craziness happening around him was sublime and totally made up for any OTT at the end for me. Man, I have a feeling this will stick with me for a bit.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Iron Man

Disappointed. Didn't do it for me like I thought it would. It just lacked something. And it lost me pretty early on in the caves. With cameras on him at all times and people monitoring those cameras, how the hell was he able to build a fucking Iron Man suit without anyone realizing that he's not building the missile? Yeah, it's a comic book movie. Maybe people should stop making fucking comic book movies. Shit. Anyway, Gwyneth you were fine. But you can do a lot better. The action was boring, I didn't give a shit about any of the characters, and I won't see the sequel.

The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

The story of a classic figure in American history, beautiful to look at, superbly acted (especially by the two leads), a suffocating sense of dread hanging over every scene. Guns, horses, old west dialogue, Nick Cave, guns. I didn't want it to end.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

A lot of fun and a truly original and one of a kind movie...but it's not anything I'll want to revisit anytime soon. Some of the songs were great ("What's This?") and some of the songs were shit. It looked gorgeous but wasn't the Tim Burton "masterpiece" I had heard about. The way the story played out and resolved itself left something to be desired.