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

[lazarus]

Well, where those elements are arranged and positioned, whether it's the blocking on the actual set, or where they're appearing in the captured frame, SHOULD be the responsibility of the director, as well as planning any camera movements. The cinematographer is responsible for carrying those decisions with the operators, as well as those aforementioned lighting/lenses responsibilities. I'd also point out that many directors will choose the focal length themselves.

Obviously not every director is Stanley Kubrick, but stylistically the films of Martin Scorsese have a similar visual strategy whether its Ballhaus or Richardson behind the camera.

 

[gump]

Luckily I managed to see Resnais' Les Herbes Folles/Wild Grass during my vacations, and what a treat it was. Resnais is such a masterful filmmaker and it is amazing to see him doing such great work at 87. Very good performance by André Dussolier. Emmanuelle Devos was beautiful as usual and Amalric was also good and funny. I'm becoming a fan of his since watching his movies with Desplechin. The editing in this film was inspired and very suggestive, and the last sequence of images is just magnificent. Highly recommended - I hope it will get a reasonably wide release in the US this year. And hopefully Resnais has a few more rabbits in his hat for the next years.

 

[UberBeaver]

The New World. 8/10. Been meaning to check this out. More of a love story than I expected, I was looking for more focus on the colony itself, but that's ok. Tended to move a bit slow with long stretches of just terrain, little dialogue. The end, however, was excellent, made the slow points well worth it.

Is it me or is Colin Farrell an awful actor?

 

[lazarus]

It's you.

Have you seen In Bruges?

 

[UberBeaver]

I have not. I'll add it to my list though. Sounds interesting.

It just seemed that he was semi-brooding in every scene. Angry - brood. Happy - brood. Sad - brood. Maybe it was jsut cause I didn't like the first part of the movie that much, I dunno.

 

[powerhour24]

The New World. 8/10. Been meaning to check this out. More of a love story than I expected, I was looking for more focus on the colony itself, but that's ok. Tended to move a bit slow with long stretches of just terrain, little dialogue. The end, however, was excellent, made the slow points well worth it.

Is it me or is Colin Farrell an awful actor?

Oy, the slow points are the point, Malick tries to be a poet with a movie camera, and makes transcendent films that don't appeal to many, each can be summarized in a synopsis that could attract a wide-audience, but they're not really about their plot points, he gets into the soul of his characters and their surroundings. I'm not a big fan of voiceover narration most of the time, but he uses it admirably.

And Colin Farrell is an excellent actor, and the world will start to see that now that he and Hollywood have moved on from attempting to turn him into a superstar. He's also one of the best of this generation at shifting accents. Particularly his American accent, I remember when I got the DVD of Minority Report (the first movie I saw him in) and started devouring the extras and heard him giving interviews in his native accent, I was shocked to find out he was Irish like that.

In Bruges
Cassandra's Dream
Tigerland
Intermission
A Home at the End of the World
Minority Report
The New World

Great performances, and a wide variety of characters.

I can't wait to see what he's done with Crazy Heart, Ondine, Triage, London Boulevard, The Way Back, etc.

 

[powerhour24]

oh and guilty pleasure, but I love Phone Booth, and he does a good job in that, and with his put on American Italian NYC accent.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Since today marked 37 years since the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry, my local television station aired 'Bloody Sunday', the event on which U2's song is based. Easily one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen. A definite must-see for anyone interested in Ireland/U.K. during the Troubles. (Or for anyone just wanting to understand the history behind one of U2's most famous songs).

And now they're airing Michael Collins, which will hopefully be just as good.

ETA: I just did some reading about the Bloody Sunday events and justice never was served so a second inquiry was ordered and the results are only expected in March of THIS year.

 

[powerhour24]

Paul Greengrass' unheralded masterpiece.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Yeah, it was phenomenal - I'm still shaken up by it and am reading everything I can on the subject.

 

[powerhour24]

And to think he built on that style so much more with United 93, with that film unfolding in disconcerting real time, truly one of the finest directorial achievements in history.

 

[corianderstem]

I was riveted by both Sunday Bloody Sunday and United 93. Both shook me up more than a little.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

What's interesting is that Bloody Sunday was originally a television drama and they only started showing it in cinemas after it was aired on t.v. in the U.K.

I wasn't aware Greengrass also directed United 93 - thanks for the heads up, will definitely check it out.

 

[powerhour24]

United 93 is a gutpunch, one of the most difficult films to watch, but the heart and craftsmanship makes it worth it. I saw it in theaters, and I rate it among my favorite film achievements but I've only viewed it once on DVD after purchasing it, to listen to Greengrass' commentary.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Don't think I can watch United 93 yet

 

[deep]

Edge of Darkness 3.5 / 10


Sad to say this is one lousy movie.

Some are comparing it to Taken from last year.

Taken was a decent movie. This is just bad, I found myself shaking my head 'no' several times during the movie.
The dialouge was so poorly written and executed.

I think this was a 5-6 hour BBC series, I have heard that was a good series.

This was a painful movie to watch.

Gibsons last two porno/bondage movies were more interesting to watch.
(That would be Passion and Apocalypto)

 

[mad1]

500 Days of Summer

I rate 6 outta 10

started well, was turning good, but ended shit.

Joseph and Zooey are good at acting, but Joseph totally stole this movie.

 

[u2popmofo]

The Hurt Locker - Maybe I was tainted by the opinions of a friend who's done tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq (He hated it and thought it was completely unrealistic. From what I've seen online, this is a common opinion of vets and people in the military), but I didn't like this nearly as much as I was expecting to. I've never been in the military, but even I thought it had a number of GLARINGLY unrealistic moments. Despite all of that, I enjoyed how tense certain moments were without the aid of Hollywood music, and any film that makes you think or talk it out with your friends afterward deserves some sort of praise. I liked it, didn't love it, and I'll probably be annoyed if it wins many awards.

 

[Jive Turkey]

My thoughts exactly, U2PM

 

[anitram]

The Hurt Locker - terrific. I really loved every bit of it. Felt very much like a dude movie, though.

This is It - really liked this too. Plays well on BluRay. The shows would have been amazing, some really cool choreography, the videos were also great. And even though MJ looked very thin, he still definitely had it. Very impressed.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Che - Benicio del Toro put in a stunning performance. I am not knowledgeable enough to critique it from an historical standpoint but it really felt like a labor of love to me, an amazing accomplishment, and while slow at times, I was absorbed in it for most of the 4.5 hours.

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Finally caught it at the discount theater this afternoon. I had a big smile on my face the whole time and LOL'd a lot.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Finally caught it at the discount theater this afternoon. I had a big smile on my face the whole time and LOL'd a lot.

Indeed, it was a great cussin' movie

 

[LMP]

Mumblecori?


Also, I was less than blown away by Tokyo Story, and feel like a cinemaposeur now. I just didn't think it was any better than Early Spring, which is supposed to be more of a minor Ozu work, and I'd probably prefer to watch the latter again. I was expecting some OMG masterpiece, and while I respected it, and was moved at times, didn't quite see the big deal. Especially compared to something similar like Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali, which very much lived up to the hype for me.

And it doesn't hold a candle to Ugetsu as far as I'm concerned.

I've fallen asleep both times I've attempted to watch Tokyo Story, and I have to do a presentation on it for tomorrow's class. I understand what Ozu's going for, and he captures the mundanity of real life extremely well, along with ideas on mortality and the sad state of modern family dynamics, it just never jived for me on anything below the surface level.

 

[bono_212]

Just saw The Lady Vanishes in class tonight. Suffice it to say, this could very well be my favorite Hitchcock film.

 

[lazarus]

I've fallen asleep both times I've attempted to watch Tokyo Story, and I have to do a presentation on it for tomorrow's class. I understand what Ozu's going for, and he captures the mundanity of real life extremely well, along with ideas on mortality and the sad state of modern family dynamics, it just never jived for me on anything below the surface level.

Don't write Ozu off just yet. I watched a couple more in that Late Ozu set (Tokyo Twilight and Equinox Flower), and they were both fantastic.

 

[LMP]

Don't write Ozu off just yet. I watched a couple more in that Late Ozu set (Tokyo Twilight and Equinox Flower), and they were both fantastic.

I don't intend to do that at all. I'll definitely see more of his work in the near-future. Great filmmaking, just didn't connect with me.

We'll see how Cronenberg's Dead Ringers does tonight.

 

[lazarus]

Enjoy, dude.

 

[I Move in Mysterious Ways]

I rented Saw 6 last weekend. I'd be surprised if they ever actually end this series. It feels like I'm waiting a year between episodes of an ultraviolent TV series.

 

[Saracene]

Up in the Air
Thought it was fantastic, and totally heartbreaking. Loved the cast and the opening credits. And George Clooney might be a bit too old for me but... damn

Bran Nue Dae
Very silly and cheesy, with some questionable acting (even from the vets like Geoffrey Rush) and they honestly could have found a more charismatic actor for the main boy part. Still, it was just so good-natured and irreverent that you couldn't help but warm up to the whole thing. And it made me want to travel to Western Australia again.

 

[powerhour24]

Just saw The Lady Vanishes in class tonight. Suffice it to say, this could very well be my favorite Hitchcock film.

Such a fun, kooky film.