Review The Movie You Viewed Part VIII: Lance's Mom Takes Manhattan

[No spoken words]

It was you, wasn't it?

Shameful, interrupting Boner like that.

I'm at the other end of the spectrum, believe it or not. I'm a pretty respectful fan.

I did see U2 perform in Yankee Stadium, though. That was pretty special. I know that a few "Let's go Yankees" chants were started that night.

 

[impy13]

Just watched Synecdoche, New York last night.

Well, I loved it. I certainly need a 2nd viewing to completely understand everything, but I just know that I was entranced from start to weighty finish.

I cannot remember the last film I saw that blended humor and sadness so well.

After watching I looked at some RT reviews, and it was pretty polarizing. Rex Reed, that clown, said it was the worst film ever, which speaks volumes for him. Others, like Ebert, Manohla Dargis, etc, truly loved it.

For kicks I looked back at how interlanders liked it, and it was again mixed, but it was easy to predict who would have liked it, disliked it or dismissed it.

Anyway, I found it to be fascinating.

Glad you enjoyed it. I was safely in the absolute adoration camp.

Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make; you can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won't know for twenty years. And you may never ever trace it to its source. And you only get one chance to play it out. Just try and figure out your own divorce. And they say there is no fate, but there is: it's what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead or not yet born. But while alive, you wait in vain, wasting years, for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right. And it never comes or it seems to but it doesn't really. And so you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope that something good will come along. Something to make you feel connected, something to make you feel whole, something to make you feel loved. And the truth is I feel so angry, and the truth is I feel so fucking sad, and the truth is I've felt so fucking hurt for so fucking long and for just as long I've been pretending I'm OK, just to get along, just for, I don't know why, maybe because no one wants to hear about my misery, because they have their own. Well, fuck everybody. Amen.

 

[No spoken words]

I loved that speech, yes.

I also love films that try to demonstrate what artists go through, be it in direct or abstract fashion.

 

[lazarus]

Quite possibly my favorite film from last year.

Have only seen it once, though.

 

[No spoken words]

I want/need a 2nd viewing, but will wait until I've moved.

 

[Lancemc]

I enjoyed reading the script more than watching the movie.

 

[impy13]

A Goofy Movie

Solid, but I could have used more Powerline.

 

[the tourist]

A Goofy Movie

Solid, but I could have used more Powerline.

Who's your favourite possum?

 

[LMP]

This kills me:

 

[impy13]

Week = made.

 

[u2popmofo]

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans - You may find this shocking, but this movie wasn't great.

 

[No spoken words]

Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans - You may find this shocking, but this movie wasn't great.

What's wrong with you?

 

[u2popmofo]

What's wrong with you?

The movie was evil as it promoted the occult!

It was actually a bit better than I was expecting, but still not good.

Anyways, just added Synecdoche, New York to my Netflix queue. Not sure how I completely missed that it was Kaufman related.

 

[No spoken words]

This kills me:

This is soooo fucking good.

 

[impy13]

A few questions about A Goofy Movie:

Isn't linking teenage mischief to crimes punishable by electric chair extremely flawed logic when there is no evidence to support it?

Was Powerline allegorical for Michael Jackson?

How did they get home after the Powerline concert with a car that beat up?

So is Goofy supposed to be a dog or what?

 

[Saracene]

Young Victoria

The story is rather slight and plodding, but Emily Blunt (who I liked since Devil Wears Prada) gives a strong charismatic performance and I thought Victoria's romance with Prince Albert was quite moving. And the movie is just gorgeous to look at - costumes, palaces, etc. I love my costume drama eye-candy

 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Balibo

Very, very heavy going - and certainly hard to watch at times - still I suppose it is a story that had to be told to keep the legacy of the Balibo 5 going.

 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

A few questions about A Goofy Movie:

Isn't linking teenage mischief to crimes punishable by electric chair extremely flawed logic when there is no evidence to support it?

Was Powerline allegorical for Michael Jackson?

How did they get home after the Powerline concert with a car that beat up?

So is Goofy supposed to be a dog or what?

You need to earn the right to learn the secrets of 'A Goofy Movie'.

When the time is right you will understand.

 

[the tourist]

A few questions about A Goofy Movie:

Isn't linking teenage mischief to crimes punishable by electric chair extremely flawed logic when there is no evidence to support it?

Was Powerline allegorical for Michael Jackson?

How did they get home after the Powerline concert with a car that beat up?

So is Goofy supposed to be a dog or what?

No, but seriously. Who's your favourite fucking possum?

 

[u2popmofo]

It's never a good idea to put "fucking" and "possum" next to each other in a sentence when speaking with a Texan.

 

[the tourist]

It's never a good idea to put "fucking" and "possum" next to each other in a sentence when speaking with a Texan.

 

[loudnoises]

The Grey Zone

This movie is very heavy hearted and emotionally taxing. The subject (the Sonderkommandos, a group of Jewish prisoners who operated the crematoriums and were given special privlidges in concentration camps because of it during the Holocaust) is very depressing and mind boggling. The movie itself was pretty interesting, sometimes it got bogged down with a lot of taxing dialogue but other than that its an excellent movie (and a true story!)
That being said, it is a very hard movie to watch.

 

[UberBeaver]

Coraline - 8.5 / 10. Liked it a lot though I found the plot a little light at times.

 

[deep]

^ is better than 9

9 = 6

 

[impy13]

Deep has been listening to Axis: Bold as Love.

 

[UberBeaver]

I just watched Shoot em Up again, and man, I love that movie. 9/10.

 

[Lancemc]

The Informant!

I find THE BERGH!'s films so difficult to describe. This one is very clearly an evolution of his post-DV career, and I believe just from watching it that he used the same camera he employed on The Girlfriend Experience. The effect here isn't as aesthetically stunning, but the over-saturated, high exposure DV creates a gloriously (and maybe paradoxically) retro visual ambience, complemented curiously old-fashioned mise-en-scene and self-conscious 70's sit-com/genre style. I won't dare describe the musical score, because it's such a joy to discover as the film goes on.

Tonally, I'd say this is very much a happy cross between The Girlfriend Experience, Out of Sight, and Ocean's 13. And the script is fucking brilliant. I wasn't familiar with the true story here going on, and it was an unexpected joy watching such masterful screenwriting unfold layers of lies, truths, half-truths and refreshingly subtle exposition through the minutia of performance of mise-en-scene. The film marks a break from the chronology-skewed structures of THE BERGH!'s last few films, but it's still considerably more complex than perhaps any narrative he's yet tackled (barring a few possible exceptions of films I haven't seen yet).

Matt Damon's character is one of the filmmaker's finest screen creations, and Damon's most rewarding performance to date. The film is deliberately leisurely in revealing what is truly going on within this man's head, and as the story is ostensibly told from his perspective, the layers of his delusions/manipulations/mental illnesses(?) lend to a glorious narrative construct. And it's very funny. And very timely. And very pretty. And surprisingly poignant, much in the same way the otherwise stoic and observational Che films close (comparatively brief to its length) in moments of quiet humanism.

So ultimately... I wouldn't place it in the absolute top tier of THE BERGH!'s work, as the material really only lends itself so much creative expression (that sounds way more dismissive than I mean, but I'm struggling to find the right words here, as I suggested in the beginning), but it certainly contributes to the filmmaker's excellent track record and continual growth as an artist. He hasn't failed me yet, and I absolutely can't wait for what he brings next.

 

[lazarus]

Nice write-up. Just curious, which THE BERGH! films have you not seen? I have Kafka on laserdisc and King of the Hill in Region 2, neither are available here. The former is not considered one of his better ones but has a great cast and is quite a trip, and the latter should have become an American classic. Well worth getting from Amazon.uk.; a used copy will run you around $12 U.S., including shipping.

 

[Lancemc]

I still need to see those two and Full Frontal. The latter of which is on its way from Netflix.

 

[the tourist]

Just got back from seeing 9. Creepy stuff going on there. Burlap robot snake?