Review the last movie you viewed (NO LISTS) IV

[Lancemc]

Tsk tsk, Laz. 3-minute rub-job through the jeans >>>>> Greater than the most important motion picture of all time.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Against my better judgment, I finally saw Juno since it was the only nominated picture I hadn't seen. I absolutely hated every minute of it. I almost walked out but then I got obsessed with how much I hated the dialogue and I continued to sit there to see how bad it could get. I am astonished that it is even mentioned in the same breath as the other nominations. The worst movie I saw during the last 12 months.

Oh, and I also hated it.

 

[Lancemc]

Then you must not have seen very many movies this year. I wasn't crazy about Juno, but damn, there were tons of worse titles this past year. How many did you see?

 

[joyfulgirl]

Then you must not have seen very many movies this year. I wasn't crazy about Juno, but damn, there were tons of worse titles this past year. How many did you see?

I generally don't see bad movies--or, rather, movies that are widely panned. I'm not one to go see every release, I see the ones that reviewers and friends generally liked, except for the occasional film that I sense I might like regardless of what everyone else thought. So I'm sure there were worse movies in the theatre, I just didn't go see them. I see a lot of movies--but I don't keep a running count.

I think the thing that bugged the most about Juno is that the dialogue was well-suited for a sitcom, not a feature film. Thirty minutes of that snappy, clever dialogue where you can see the writer carefully going over every single word to make sure it's as clever as it can possibly be regardless of whether people really talk that way or not, is quite enough. I find it simply astounding that it is considered worthy of an Oscar nomination.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Then you must not have seen very many movies this year. I wasn't crazy about Juno, but damn, there were tons of worse titles this past year. How many did you see?

Okay, so I was curious about how many movies I saw during the last 12 months. I almost said I go to the theatre almost every week but I wasn't sure if that could be right or not. But I pulled up this list of top movies from 2007, and did a quick count. Of the first 150 movies, I saw 43 of them, and not every movie I saw was in that top 150 (like, Romance & Cigarettes, for example, which I loved). So I was close. And Juno was the only one I actually hated...well, now that I think about it, maybe I hated Knocked Up a little bit more. I completely blocked that one from my consciousness until I looked at this list.

http://movies.toptenreviews.com/list_2007.htm

*quickly does the math* spent over $300 on movies last year, at matinee prices though many I saw in the evening

 

[Lancemc]

Interesting. Good for you then. I do agree that Juno is no where near an awards-quality film though. There are numerous others far more deserving of its spot in the nominee list.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I thought it was a great year for film. Comedies, though, in general are not my favorite genre, although there are certainly some notable exceptions.

 

[LMP]

How can you see if I've seen it yet with your head up your ass?

 

[No spoken words]

I thought it was a great year for film. Comedies, though, in general are not my favorite genre, although there are certainly some notable exceptions.

Name, then, please, your Top 5 comedies of all-time. For my edification, if for no other reason.

 

[joyfulgirl]

How can you see if I've seen it yet with your head up your ass?

Are you talking to me?

 

[joyfulgirl]

Name, then, please, your Top 5 comedies of all-time. For my edification, if for no other reason.

of all time?? Really? That's hard. I porbably can't do "of all time" but I can do "off the top of my head" though not right now. The top 5 will include Annie Hall and perhaps even some shameful Hugh Grant guilty pleasure.

 

[LemonMelon]

Are you talking to me?

With Lance nearby, I highly doubt he was.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I didn't think so although I was going to respond that even though my head's up my ass in fact I do remember that he's seen Juno and enjoyed it, ha.

 

[No spoken words]

of all time?? Really? That's hard. I porbably can't do "of all time" but I can do "off the top of my head" though not right now. The top 5 will include Annie Hall and perhaps even some shameful Hugh Grant guilty pleasure.

Of all-time would be nice, but, even if it's recent vintage or top of your head, that'll suffice.

Annie Hall

 

[LMP]

Are you talking to me?

No, no, Laz or Lance. Take your pick.

Annie Hall ftw.

 

[lazarus]

You pick, Friendo.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Against my better judgment, I finally saw Juno since it was the only nominated picture I hadn't seen. I absolutely hated every minute of it. I almost walked out but then I got obsessed with how much I hated the dialogue and I continued to sit there to see how bad it could get. I am astonished that it is even mentioned in the same breath as the other nominations. The worst movie I saw during the last 12 months.

Oh, and I also hated it.

Wow, Joyful, that seems a tad harsh.

Yes, I completely agree, at times the dialogue felt *very* written. But it came and went in spurts. And, when it was full-blown unrealistic, it was distracting.

But I felt there was much more to the movie that more than made up for those spurts of unrealistic dialogue. I thought the plot, pacing, and above all, acting were all great. So many of those actors conveyed so much outside of the dialogue.

For me the movie had heart. And not cheesy, saccharin, sappy heart. But real, genuine, cathartic heart that flowed from the plot and characters. And that is the reason I liked it a lot.

Is it Oscar worthy? I'm not sure. I'm kind of against only deep, meaningful, solemn movies that take themselves so seriously being the only films that are deemed "Oscar worthy". It'd be nice to get some more comedies or quirky films in there.

I agree there were a lot of great movies last year. And I think Juno definitely belongs somewhere on that list.

 

[LMP]

I think the dialogue in Juno contributes to its oh so quirky and offbeat little world it creates for itself, not our own. Even if you dislike the dialogue, it stays consistent throughout and supports the world it helps create, if that makes any sense.

I enjoyed it for what it was, even if it wasn't something I'd see myself doing or saying every day, you know?

 

[lazarus]

I enjoyed it for what it was, even if it wasn't something I'd see myself doing or saying every day, you know?

See yourself doing what, impregnating high school girls?

 

[LMP]

You're just jealous that you can't anymore... well, legally.

 

[lazarus]

Is that...legal?

I will MAKE it legal.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Wow, Joyful, that seems a tad harsh.

Yes, I completely agree, at times the dialogue felt *very* written. But it came and went in spurts. And, when it was full-blown unrealistic, it was distracting.

But I felt there was much more to the movie that more than made up for those spurts of unrealistic dialogue. I thought the plot, pacing, and above all, acting were all great. So many of those actors conveyed so much outside of the dialogue.

For me the movie had heart. And not cheesy, saccharin, sappy heart. But real, genuine, cathartic heart that flowed from the plot and characters. And that is the reason I liked it a lot.

Is it Oscar worthy? I'm not sure. I'm kind of against only deep, meaningful, solemn movies that take themselves so seriously being the only films that are deemed "Oscar worthy". It'd be nice to get some more comedies or quirky films in there.

I agree there were a lot of great movies last year. And I think Juno definitely belongs somewhere on that list.

Okay, you make some good points, and obviously most people seem to agree with you. I couldn't get past the overwritten self-consciously clever dialogue to connect with the heart underneath--I just got bored. I don't know if I can say that a movie that is this wildly loved could be overrated but it sure feels overrated to me.

 

[lazarus]

You aren't wrong, joyful girl.

People just want to feel like they're in on the joke.

The script comes off as very amateur, which isn't surprising considering the source. What's funny on a blog doesn't necessarily translate to the screen.

Page's ability to find the humanity of Juno in the second half, and Garner, are what save this film from being really crappy. It's still tonally all-over-the-place and could have benefitted from a better director.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Well, I am reluctant to use the "overrated" word when millions of people resonate with something I didn't like. I'm not sure if people just want to be in on the joke or if they're truly into it, if not everything about it then parts of it. The theatre I was in was packed with people howling laughing at every joke and, I sensed, getting weepy at the end. Who am I to dismiss that? All I can say for sure is that it missed the chord in me that it struck in everyone else.

I agree with you about the second half--much better than the first--and Jennifer Garner's character melted my heart a little bit,which means I have to revise what I said earlier. I guess I did feel some heart in it after all. But not all that much.

 

[No spoken words]

Well, I am reluctant to use the "overrated" word when millions of people resonate with something I didn't like. I'm not sure if people just want to be in on the joke or if they're truly into it, if not everything about it then parts of it. The theatre I was in was packed with people howling laughing at every joke and, I sensed, getting weepy at the end. Who am I to dismiss that? All I can say for sure is that it missed the chord in me that it struck in everyone else.

I agree with you about the second half--much better than the first--and Jennifer Garner's character melted my heart a little bit,which means I have to revise what I said earlier. I guess I did feel some heart in it after all. But not all that much.

I've yet to see it, and, likely won't until it's on cable/satellite.

Do not forget to post a Top V comedies of some variety, I'm always curious to see what makes people laugh. At your leisure, of course.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I've yet to see it, and, likely won't until it's on cable/satellite.

Do not forget to post a Top V comedies of some variety, I'm always curious to see what makes people laugh. At your leisure, of course.

Okay...now, there's no way these can be my all-time favorites because there are too many great comedies I haven't seen in a long time. Maybe if I watched "Some Like it Hot" or "Young Frankenstein" again they would still make me really laugh but it's been too long since I've seen them and I don't know if they'd still be that funny to me. But I'm not very good at picking all-time favorite anything partly because my memory sucks and partly because...well, it's just hard.

But, here are some movies that always make me laugh a lot, and every time I'm channel-surfing and one of them is on, I stop and watch it all the way through and enjoy it all over again.

1. Annie Hall - I mean, it's just the best, right?
2. Manhattan
3. The Graduate
4. This is Spinal Tap
5. About a Boy / High Fidelity tie (just to pick something from the last decade though I'm sure there are better ones that I'm not remembering)

More recently, I saw Knocked Up because I really loved 40 Year Old Virgin--so charming and real--but I hated Knocked Up.

 

[No spoken words]

But, here are some movies that always make me laugh a lot, and every time I'm channel-surfing and one of them is on, I stop and watch it all the way through and enjoy it all over again.

1. Annie Hall - I mean, it's just the best, right?
2. Manhattan
3. The Graduate
4. This is Spinal Tap
5. About a Boy / High Fidelity tie (just to pick something from the last decade though I'm sure there are better ones that I'm not remembering)

More recently, I saw Knocked Up because I really loved 40 Year Old Virgin--so charming and real--but I hated Knocked Up.

That's a great list of 5, nice. I actually prefer Manhattan over Annie Hall, but by a small margin. Spinal Tap is the gift that keeps giving, still really freaking funny. I love quoting it. I like About a Boy and High Fidelity as well, though, probably prefer the latter. Both are great books by the same author, though.

I agree 100% that 40 Yr old Virgin was better than Knocked Up, but did enjoy Knocked Up.

Thanks for doing this, sorry to put you on the spot.

 

[joyfulgirl]

I did good? Whew.

 

[No spoken words]

I think so. Lance and Laz could waltz in here and say otherwise, though, if either of them dislikes Spinal Tap, I will fight them.

 

[lazarus]

I like Spinal Tap, but it wouldn't be in my Top 5.

1. Bringing Up Baby
2. Annie Hall
3. Caddyshack
4. The Big Lebowski
5. Fletch

These are the 5 that I laugh at the most, not necessarily the best "films". I'd probably have Young Frankenstein up there as an alternate.