cobl04
45:33
What about Shine a Light
Movie Reviews part 13: How many movies will Jessica Chastain star in?
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Lancemc
Blue Crack Addict
Soooooo, Wong Kar-Wai's The Grandmaster(s) is viewable in less-than-strictly-legal means now, in a decent HD rip with English subs. I have hugely mixed emotions regarding this right now. It's a film I've been waiting for more or less for six years now, and by the time I watched this the other day, especially not expecting to have such an opportunity any time soon, and given the mixed reception is got abroad (though it saw good commercial success) and through festivals, I wasn't really sure what my expectations should have been either.
Firstly, the production on this was a fucking mess by all accounts, even moreso than usual for Wong, and moreso than even on 2046 and just as protracted. It also feels like nobody was entirely sure what this film needed to be, given its now well-worn subject matter and commercial prospects/responsibilities as a huge mainland genre production. At some point this film was likely 4 hours long. Almost has to have been. I know for a fact it's been cut down a few times since it was first screened, first abroad then at the festivals and now here I think. It now runs just a smidge over two hours. A parallel as such occurred to me about half way through this to Leone's Once Upon a Time in America. What I'm watching here feels like what I'd expect the original theatrical cut of that film plays like (though this is anything but in strict chronological order). Essentially fragments that don't quite work from a much larger likely masterpiece.
So much here comes off perfunctory or aloof (Chang Chen's character appears three times here in scenes that have almost zero connection to the rest of the film... it's simply baffling and not in the way some of the smaller shards in 2046 don't quite connect, this film doesn't share that film's structure or memory-dream logic in the same way), it's sometimes incomprehensible, and as a result a lot of emotion is drained out of this. But oh my god, this is nearly Wong's most beautiful film. It's simply staggering, and in it's present form still both completely operatic yet close-up and impressionistic. Maybe his most impressionistic film even, but part of that is the aforementioned fragmenting in cutting it down. But not all of it. It's insane. And wonderful. And I'm sure I still love it, and desperately desperately need a three or four hour version of this to emerge, even an extra half hour could easily turn this into one of his best films. Though as it stands it's much closer to being his worst, sadly.
Anyway, near the end of the film, Deborah's theme from the same Leone film scores a long montage, and the whole messy project makes some sort of crazy sense, and the emotion and pure cinema all comes rushing back. Wong's still one of the very best.
Firstly, the production on this was a fucking mess by all accounts, even moreso than usual for Wong, and moreso than even on 2046 and just as protracted. It also feels like nobody was entirely sure what this film needed to be, given its now well-worn subject matter and commercial prospects/responsibilities as a huge mainland genre production. At some point this film was likely 4 hours long. Almost has to have been. I know for a fact it's been cut down a few times since it was first screened, first abroad then at the festivals and now here I think. It now runs just a smidge over two hours. A parallel as such occurred to me about half way through this to Leone's Once Upon a Time in America. What I'm watching here feels like what I'd expect the original theatrical cut of that film plays like (though this is anything but in strict chronological order). Essentially fragments that don't quite work from a much larger likely masterpiece.
So much here comes off perfunctory or aloof (Chang Chen's character appears three times here in scenes that have almost zero connection to the rest of the film... it's simply baffling and not in the way some of the smaller shards in 2046 don't quite connect, this film doesn't share that film's structure or memory-dream logic in the same way), it's sometimes incomprehensible, and as a result a lot of emotion is drained out of this. But oh my god, this is nearly Wong's most beautiful film. It's simply staggering, and in it's present form still both completely operatic yet close-up and impressionistic. Maybe his most impressionistic film even, but part of that is the aforementioned fragmenting in cutting it down. But not all of it. It's insane. And wonderful. And I'm sure I still love it, and desperately desperately need a three or four hour version of this to emerge, even an extra half hour could easily turn this into one of his best films. Though as it stands it's much closer to being his worst, sadly.
Anyway, near the end of the film, Deborah's theme from the same Leone film scores a long montage, and the whole messy project makes some sort of crazy sense, and the emotion and pure cinema all comes rushing back. Wong's still one of the very best.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Wow.
I feel like I should wait, but then I read the International version is going to be shorter.
I feel like I should wait, but then I read the International version is going to be shorter.
Cactus Annie
Refugee
Gangs Of New York, Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada and Slumdog Millionnaire are just a few films that I can think of right now which I'd thought they'd be much better than they were.
The Stuff and Jeepers Creepers, are just a few films that I can think of right now which I'd thought wouldn't be as good as they turned out to be.
The Stuff and Jeepers Creepers, are just a few films that I can think of right now which I'd thought wouldn't be as good as they turned out to be.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Jeepers creepers is surprisingly good.
Lancemc
Blue Crack Addict
Leviathan is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's Stan Brakhage, Weerasethakul mysticism, Blair Witch and the Old Testament rolled into one. But I guess it's nothing like any of that too. It's remarkable. Hasn't been a more daring blending of documentary and avant-garde aesthetics in years.
To the Wonder is maybe my second lest favorite Malick (above Badlands). It feels like he's already running out of visual ideas in these relatively contemporary settings between the last two films. This has nothing like The Tree of Life's wild free-association and reach back into primal and personal memory. Yet it's also more cohesive in a way, more structured, and more effective with certain things. It's really powerful in the first half and near the very end, but I found myself pretty restless during the middle-second half.
Both will have a place somewhere in my 2012 wrap-up piece, the former considerably higher than the latter, sadly.
To the Wonder is maybe my second lest favorite Malick (above Badlands). It feels like he's already running out of visual ideas in these relatively contemporary settings between the last two films. This has nothing like The Tree of Life's wild free-association and reach back into primal and personal memory. Yet it's also more cohesive in a way, more structured, and more effective with certain things. It's really powerful in the first half and near the very end, but I found myself pretty restless during the middle-second half.
Both will have a place somewhere in my 2012 wrap-up piece, the former considerably higher than the latter, sadly.
IWasBored
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My second favorite of all time, only because Taxi Driver is sitting at the #1 spot. Not on a favorite Scorsese list, but on a favorite all-time list. Haven't watched either in a couple years, but I've enjoyed both more every time I've seen them. Plus, Gangs is the only movie I've ever gone back to see a second time while it was still playing in theaters (I think there was one other time I saw something twice before it was out on video/DVD but I recall being dragged to it by friends and can't remember what it was).
But I watch maybe a 19473819263th of the films you guys watch (I've probably watched 10 movies in the last 5 years, so that fraction seems appropriately small enough). And my brother jokes, all too accurately, that unless a film was either directed by Scorsese, written by David Mammet, or based off a comic book or some other book I read, I probably won't watch it. So with my limited and pedestrian inability to discuss cinematography, I'll just end this here and leave people like Laz to explain why the montage at the end was awesome. I fucking loved that movie.
IWasBored
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Hell, even I like Mean Streets.
I didn't want to hate the age of innocence, because 1) Scorsese 2) Daniel Day-Lewis 3) killer set/costumes/look of the thing. But for being so much shorter than Gangs of Ny, it felt twice as long and I can't imagine being more bored (although I blame that on the source more than anything, I guess. Fuck you, Edith Wharton).
Kundun is still like one of three or four Scorsese I haven't seen, which one of these days I should fix.
OP
OP
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Zero Dark Thirty: 8/10 Finally saw this one. The beginning and middle parts are foreplay but the ending was masterful. My heart was pounding despite knowing what was going to happen next. How everything registers in Maya's face when the mission is completed was brilliant.
GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
Spring Breakers is fucking ridiculous and I loved it.
The two (yes, I said two) different Britney Spears tribute sequences are up there with my favorite things I've ever seen committed to film.
Franco is hilarious. My favorite thing he's done since Pineapple Express. The lead girls all look really good, no surprise there, and are only occasionally annoying. Hudgens being the worst offender. And the
ending is great.
The two (yes, I said two) different Britney Spears tribute sequences are up there with my favorite things I've ever seen committed to film.
Franco is hilarious. My favorite thing he's done since Pineapple Express. The lead girls all look really good, no surprise there, and are only occasionally annoying. Hudgens being the worst offender. And the
reverse Scarface homage
Primer
I like to think I see the general template. You push a stone with the best of intentions, it starts rolling slowly downhill, and by the time it picks up a full head of steam you realize it's out of control and wherever it crashes leaves the emotional wreckage behind. So exactly how many times Abe and Aaron loop into themselves with a failsafe box in a failsafe box is of somewhat arbitrary complexity and a fine narrative for Shane Carruth to show off his talent splicing it all together, and I see the movie's style following the function that not even they're quite sure of what's happening, so the audience isn't either. Carruth does well letting the last half of the film marinate in that sense of dread.
But
I'm wary of confusing technical feats of plotting with overall excellence. It's fine for the narrative thread to become unstuck in time, but it's a big problem that Carruth treats who Rachel is and the double-cross double cross, two key emotional facts/moments that really need to be emphasized and underlined, as two more pieces of info to be thrown into the blender amongst the rats upstairs and cell phone metaphysics. So it all washes past me, and checking the plot description online I don't doubt it all fits together in retrospect, but Primer is a movie, not a Wikipedia entry. I don't need to fully get the narrative cause and effects on a first watch, but there should be some emotional arc/pull in Primer that isn't quite there. What I saw was an expertly crafted, empty box.
I like to think I see the general template. You push a stone with the best of intentions, it starts rolling slowly downhill, and by the time it picks up a full head of steam you realize it's out of control and wherever it crashes leaves the emotional wreckage behind. So exactly how many times Abe and Aaron loop into themselves with a failsafe box in a failsafe box is of somewhat arbitrary complexity and a fine narrative for Shane Carruth to show off his talent splicing it all together, and I see the movie's style following the function that not even they're quite sure of what's happening, so the audience isn't either. Carruth does well letting the last half of the film marinate in that sense of dread.
But
I'm wary of confusing technical feats of plotting with overall excellence. It's fine for the narrative thread to become unstuck in time, but it's a big problem that Carruth treats who Rachel is and the double-cross double cross, two key emotional facts/moments that really need to be emphasized and underlined, as two more pieces of info to be thrown into the blender amongst the rats upstairs and cell phone metaphysics. So it all washes past me, and checking the plot description online I don't doubt it all fits together in retrospect, but Primer is a movie, not a Wikipedia entry. I don't need to fully get the narrative cause and effects on a first watch, but there should be some emotional arc/pull in Primer that isn't quite there. What I saw was an expertly crafted, empty box.
Practicing my pullquotes 
CrashedCarDriver
Refugee
Speaking of Jessica Chastain
Going through her IMDB filmography, she was on Veronica Mars
Its amazing how one of the most well known actresses can have such small beginnings, I barely recall her being on Veronica Mars, for me Veronica Mars was Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni from Just Shoot Me, Amanda Seyfried and later on Aaron Paul
Going through her IMDB filmography, she was on Veronica Mars
Its amazing how one of the most well known actresses can have such small beginnings, I barely recall her being on Veronica Mars, for me Veronica Mars was Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni from Just Shoot Me, Amanda Seyfried and later on Aaron Paul
No spoken words
Blue Crack Supplier
Primer
I like to think I see the general template. You push a stone with the best of intentions, it starts rolling slowly downhill, and by the time it picks up a full head of steam you realize it's out of control and wherever it crashes leaves the emotional wreckage behind. So exactly how many times Abe and Aaron loop into themselves with a failsafe box in a failsafe box is of somewhat arbitrary complexity and a fine narrative for Shane Carruth to show off his talent splicing it all together, and I see the movie's style following the function that not even they're quite sure of what's happening, so the audience isn't either. Carruth does well letting the last half of the film marinate in that sense of dread.
But
I'm wary of confusing technical feats of plotting with overall excellence. It's fine for the narrative thread to become unstuck in time, but it's a big problem that Carruth treats who Rachel is and the double-cross double cross, two key emotional facts/moments that really need to be emphasized and underlined, as two more pieces of info to be thrown into the blender amongst the rats upstairs and cell phone metaphysics. So it all washes past me, and checking the plot description online I don't doubt it all fits together in retrospect, but Primer is a movie, not a Wikipedia entry. I don't need to fully get the narrative cause and effects on a first watch, but there should be some emotional arc/pull in Primer that isn't quite there. What I saw was an expertly crafted, empty box.
Practicing my pullquotes
You depress me.
GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
Friends, I saw the EVIL DEAD remake.
There were a number of individual things that I liked about it, but it really wasn't very good.
It's hard to follow up Whedon's CABIN IN THE WOODS. They shut it down with that. I mean, CITW was basically an EVIL DEAD spoof, and it had so much fun with all of those conventions, and it ends up that watching something like this just felt a bit stale.
I love Jane Levy, though. Her performance was strong, and it's what I will take away from everything. She's great.
There were a number of individual things that I liked about it, but it really wasn't very good.
It's hard to follow up Whedon's CABIN IN THE WOODS. They shut it down with that. I mean, CITW was basically an EVIL DEAD spoof, and it had so much fun with all of those conventions, and it ends up that watching something like this just felt a bit stale.
I love Jane Levy, though. Her performance was strong, and it's what I will take away from everything. She's great.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
The silent and black & white Blancanieves comes on the heels of the success of The Artist, but I think it's a far greater accomplishment, in all aspects.
Writer-director Pablo Berger takes the Snow White myth and brings it back to the darkness of the original Grimm's Fairy Tale, but at the same time places it in the modern world of 30's/40's Spain. Making bullfighting a key element of the story is also a unique, refreshing choice.
The music, which is basically wall-to-wall, is impeccable, as is the photography.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HanTDiiZLpg
Writer-director Pablo Berger takes the Snow White myth and brings it back to the darkness of the original Grimm's Fairy Tale, but at the same time places it in the modern world of 30's/40's Spain. Making bullfighting a key element of the story is also a unique, refreshing choice.
The music, which is basically wall-to-wall, is impeccable, as is the photography.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HanTDiiZLpg
OP
OP
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Looks interesting!
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Saw Oz the Great and Powerful today, better than I was expecting based on reviews.
Saracene
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Oblivion
This didn't get amazing reviews or anything but I was in a mood for some post-apocalyptic sci-fi. It was visually gorgeous - I can never get enough of gloomy, desolate yet beautiful landscapes - but it was also something like a greatest hits compilation of sci-fi tropes and other (better) movies. Tom Cruise puts in an engaging lead performance but sadly doesn't have much chemistry with the gorgeous Olga Kurylenko; I also had a bit of a laugh when Jaime Lannister popped up unexpectedly in a small part
This didn't get amazing reviews or anything but I was in a mood for some post-apocalyptic sci-fi. It was visually gorgeous - I can never get enough of gloomy, desolate yet beautiful landscapes - but it was also something like a greatest hits compilation of sci-fi tropes and other (better) movies. Tom Cruise puts in an engaging lead performance but sadly doesn't have much chemistry with the gorgeous Olga Kurylenko; I also had a bit of a laugh when Jaime Lannister popped up unexpectedly in a small part
Zero Dark Thirty
As a New Yorker who remembers 9/11, knew those who lost loved ones and my brother-in-law was part of the clean-up, I was kind of expecting this movie to be...I don't know, awesome to see UBL be killed.
In a way it was, but I felt it was kind of flat in some ways. I wish it was more explained why Maya wanted to hunt for UBL at the beginning of the movie. It was like she walked in all set to get him without any reason. Was it patriotism? Did she know people who died on 9/11? Obviously, when her own friends were killed that fueled her need to kill UBL.
But she was certainly focused and determined, and that was cool about her. Such dedication! The recordings from the WTC at the beginning brought back the memories of that day, and that made me want to feel relief that UBL was killed. I did in a way, that he was defeated - but in truth, his mission hasn't been, as we see what happened in Boston.
Anyway, it was good.
As a New Yorker who remembers 9/11, knew those who lost loved ones and my brother-in-law was part of the clean-up, I was kind of expecting this movie to be...I don't know, awesome to see UBL be killed.
In a way it was, but I felt it was kind of flat in some ways. I wish it was more explained why Maya wanted to hunt for UBL at the beginning of the movie. It was like she walked in all set to get him without any reason. Was it patriotism? Did she know people who died on 9/11? Obviously, when her own friends were killed that fueled her need to kill UBL.
But she was certainly focused and determined, and that was cool about her. Such dedication! The recordings from the WTC at the beginning brought back the memories of that day, and that made me want to feel relief that UBL was killed. I did in a way, that he was defeated - but in truth, his mission hasn't been, as we see what happened in Boston.
Anyway, it was good.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Part of what was so great about the ending was how hollow the victory seems to ring.
joyfulgirl
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Absolutely.
I'd posted some review early on by a journalist I admire who was one of the people who was adamant that ZDT was pro-torture propaganda. Well, I finally saw the movie and was once again reminded that the kneejerk ideologues on the left can be as stupid as the ones on the right.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Yep.
Shameful treatment of the filmmakers.
Shameful treatment of the filmmakers.
Jive Turkey
ONE love, blood, life
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Saw Oblivion on opening weekend. Saracene is spot on. Also, it felt like about half an hour was missing from the middle; the part where I start to care about the characters and where it builds toward a climax. It looked amazing though... Maybe worth seeing just for the visuals (except the stupid underground wasteland aesthetic that we've seen a million times before)
a subtle and moving exploration into the sacred and profane.... quietly devastating
a subtle and moving exploration into the sacred and profane.... quietly devastating
No spoken words
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Any creatures?
Jive Turkey
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No. It was a bait and switch 
Not that I want to turn this into a FYM-style debate about Bin Laden, but I was speaking from personal experience. The beginning of the movie brought back the memories of that day for me, and I'm glad the recordings were shown on a black screen with no images, or that would've been too much.
While I did feel some relief that UBL was killed two years ago, I also wasn't completely relieved because Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups are still active, hence why I mentioned Boston.
And I also agree this movie wasn't pro-torture. Just because a movie depicts something does not mean it supports it.
Jive Turkey
ONE love, blood, life
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Which Way is the Frontline from Here?
Had a chance to see this one at Hot Docs yesterday afternoon. Very powerful look at the life of photojournalist Tim Hetherington. Beautifully made by his friend and colleague Sebastian Junger. Found myself getting choked up in parts. And it ends on a very poignant note. Highly recommend checking this one out
Had a chance to see this one at Hot Docs yesterday afternoon. Very powerful look at the life of photojournalist Tim Hetherington. Beautifully made by his friend and colleague Sebastian Junger. Found myself getting choked up in parts. And it ends on a very poignant note. Highly recommend checking this one out
monkeyskin
Refugee
Star Trek Into Darkness
Really enjoyed this, even more so than Iron Man 3 (which was a vast improvement on 2). Loved the way it opened in the tradition of the best Speilberg / Lucas adventures, with the Enterprise already on a mission that's just turned to shit before jumping straight into the main plot. Couple of explosions and another action scene and BAM, we're off into space on a revenge mission. I'm not really a Star Trek fan (seen most of the original crew movies on TV over the years) but I dug the 2009 film. This was is even better for my money, with all the set up covered it just races through action scene to plot point to action scene all the way to the end. As entertaining as this is, it does mean that certain characters do little but look pretty, while the few character scenes feel forced in their slowness and are always brought to an end by an offscreen kaboom. I'm also not at all sold on the ending, it was fun to watch but the writers clearly had no idea what else to do. On the plus side, Sherlock is awesome and easily the films MVP. Worth a look.
Once Upon a Time in America
First time on the blu. Still as sumptuous in its visuals and heartbreaking in its emotions as ever, which is no mean feat considering the savagery on display in certain scenes. I found myself comparing it to The Godfather Part II as I also rewatched that last month, not to put one above the other but to enjoy the different routes they take on similar themes and plot points (multiple time periods, the rise of empires / cities, betrayals, political trouble and the complete destruction of once dear relationships). But my absolute favourite parts of Sergio Leonne's film are the period transitions. Whereas Coppola kept his subtle in moving between Vito's rise and Michael's loss of his soul (which are fine and work in the film), Leonne gets to indulge in the memory / opium dream angles and design some gorgeously cinematic transitions. If I had to pick one, it would be old Noodles reminiscing of his youth, spying on Debra through the wall. Just pure joy to watch. I love this film.
Really enjoyed this, even more so than Iron Man 3 (which was a vast improvement on 2). Loved the way it opened in the tradition of the best Speilberg / Lucas adventures, with the Enterprise already on a mission that's just turned to shit before jumping straight into the main plot. Couple of explosions and another action scene and BAM, we're off into space on a revenge mission. I'm not really a Star Trek fan (seen most of the original crew movies on TV over the years) but I dug the 2009 film. This was is even better for my money, with all the set up covered it just races through action scene to plot point to action scene all the way to the end. As entertaining as this is, it does mean that certain characters do little but look pretty, while the few character scenes feel forced in their slowness and are always brought to an end by an offscreen kaboom. I'm also not at all sold on the ending, it was fun to watch but the writers clearly had no idea what else to do. On the plus side, Sherlock is awesome and easily the films MVP. Worth a look.
Once Upon a Time in America
First time on the blu. Still as sumptuous in its visuals and heartbreaking in its emotions as ever, which is no mean feat considering the savagery on display in certain scenes. I found myself comparing it to The Godfather Part II as I also rewatched that last month, not to put one above the other but to enjoy the different routes they take on similar themes and plot points (multiple time periods, the rise of empires / cities, betrayals, political trouble and the complete destruction of once dear relationships). But my absolute favourite parts of Sergio Leonne's film are the period transitions. Whereas Coppola kept his subtle in moving between Vito's rise and Michael's loss of his soul (which are fine and work in the film), Leonne gets to indulge in the memory / opium dream angles and design some gorgeously cinematic transitions. If I had to pick one, it would be old Noodles reminiscing of his youth, spying on Debra through the wall. Just pure joy to watch. I love this film.
