The Film to Beat: 2010s

[lazarus]

Lance's favorite has changed so many times, all I can say is "chip off the old block".

 

[Lancemc]

Laz, I know you've given countless recs already, but once more, what would you say are the essential Rivette films to begin with? Think I'll dive in this week.

 

[LMP]

I didn't know it was going to be On Demand! Also I pre-ordered the blu-ray from amazon UK.

You have a region free player or is it a region free disc?

 

[Lancemc]

Region-free disc.

 

[lazarus]

Laz, I know you've given countless recs already, but once more, what would you say are the essential Rivette films to begin with? Think I'll dive in this week.

I don't recommend going into most of these without reading a little about the projects beforehand (though I saw C&JGB knowing nothing and was an instant convert), but here goes:

1. Céline and Julie Go Boating
2. Duelle/Noroît (a good primer for these at Duelle | Senses of Cinema, which I think you will find very enticing)
3. Le Pont du Nord
4. Paris Nous Appartient
5. La Belle Noiseuse (4 hours)
6. Love on the Ground (make sure to get the full 3-hour cut)
7. The Story of Marie and Julien
8. Out 1 (an 8-episode, 13-hour film that is essential but def not for Rivette beginners)

I think C&JGB is the quintessential Rivette film because of the narrative play and the creative editing, but Duelle shows a more poetic, sophisticated composition style that will give you a good sense of his range right off the bat.

Enjoy.

 

[Lancemc]

Excellent. I'll keep you filled in with what I watch.

 

[deep]

I'm planning to see it this weekend. This or Harry Potter, maybe both.

Since I camped out for Potter last week, I saw White Material last night.

Leaving the theater, I had expected it to be a little better than it was.
But after sleeping on it, I can say it is one of the better movies I have seen this year. A solid 7.5, IMDB has it at 7.3

there was a pretty good article in today's L A Times.

Claire Denis returns to French colonial Africa with 'White Material' - latimes.com

question for Lance about the movie, since you have watched it twice.

Spoiler

So in the last scene, Maria kills her ex-father-in law, to put him out of his misery?

and the article says, Lambert was her ex-husband with a second wife,
So Jose's mother, who left with friends on the motor bike was married to Lambert? or perhaps it was more of a common law situation?

 

[Lancemc]

Deep, glad you liked it.

Spoiler

It's an incredibly impressionistic film, like much of Denis' later work, so a lot of the characters' actions are rife for personal interpretation, all a part of the film's experience. Personally I felt Maria killed her ex-father-in-law out of a complex cocktail of emotions: grief for her fallen son (he dies whereas the sick, selfish old man survives), disappointment or frustration towards the old man (note her brief day-dream early on where she envisions him leaving the plantation to her), or possibly it's just a blind outpouring of rage - so bottled up from her years of working herself raw and achieving nothing or from being ejected from a land she loves that doesn't want her there, or just from willfully shielding herself from the truth of the oncoming violence for so long.

Lambert (Andre) had a child, Jose, with the first African woman we see approach Maria on the plantation, the one who leaves in a huff after complaining about Manuel (was that the son's name?) and his lazy work ethic - the woman who is about to leave in the truck to pick up Jose when Maria takes it to pick up workers instead. I'm fairly sure at least. I didn't get the impression Andre was necessarily married to this second woman, but he definitely fathered the child with her. I dunno. It's not necessarily clear, like most aspects of the film.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

 

[Lancemc]

Surprise of the century.

Nice to have you back GAF.

 

[purpleoscar]

Christmas vacation and the good movies arrive (or so we hope).

This has the most rewatchability for me so far.

 

[Lancemc]

Awesome.

 

[lazarus]

When I saw your name next to the thread I thought you had changed films again, Lance.

 

[Lancemc]

Probably not going to happen. Well, I might decide to watch all of Weerasethakul's films again in order this week, or at the very least I'm going to be rewatching Boonmee. Merely browsing through the film on my computer has rekindled some of the fleeting experience of seeing it the first time. Won't be surprised if it moves back to the top spot, but I made it pretty clear from the beginning a rewatch would make a lot of my initial thoughts on the film more clear, and that my love of it would increase considerably. As has been the case with every of Joe's films on second or third viewing. Otherwise my order of preference of my other favorites this year hasn't changed at all, and likely won't given what I have left to see.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

 

[PennyLanePHINS]

1. Toy Story 3
2. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2
3. DH: Part 1

 

[LemonMelon]

It All Ends 7.15 FTW

 

[lazarus]

I'll be very surprised if I wind up changing this before the end of the year:

 

[Lancemc]

My top three probably:

1. Certified Copy
2. Tree of Life
3. Mysteries of Lisbon

 

[purpleoscar]

Tree of life
9.5/10

This movie can make me feel better about life after it's over. It reminds me of how I feel after a good long meditation. You feel refreshed and renewed. It has lots of rewatchability. It shows the expectations of life, the fights with obstacles, & unpredictable twists and turns life gives you. The ego fights between husband and wife ring so true. Outstanding cinematography, decent acting and a nice editing flow. I don't agree with Sean Penn on the results. The results are gangbusters. It's true that Malick goes into Heideggerian territory where ego domination should be replaced with meditative wonder of existence. I think there is a happy medium for both without going to extremes of devoting 100% to external goods or 100% being like a monk. I would look at grace being a part of nature instead of seperate choices. Nonetheless most movies wouldn't cover 1% of this subject matter.

 

[deep]

there are (quite) a few people in your camp

a visually stunning movie, but an imperfect one for me, I'm with Penn

 

[Canadiens1131]

 

[Lancemc]

1. Certified Copy
2. Another Year
3. The Tree of Life
4. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
5. Drive

The top two are really interchangeable at this very moment, but I don't want to be overzealous.

Also really need to rewatch Lisbon some time soon, once I can get my hands on the 6-hour version on blu or something.

 

[lazarus]

I don't think that's happening. There's a boxed set from Spain that has the entire miniseries + feature film, but it's only on standard DVD.

I figure it will make it online at some point, may just have to settle for the theatrical on Blu-ray.

 

[Lancemc]

A friend of mine says a lot about this better than I would right now over here:

http://nextprojection.com/2012/01/07/review-once-upon-a-time-in-anatolia-2011/

 

[lazarus]

This is your new #1 of 2011?

Still need to catch it.

 

[deep]

according to this thread title
people are supposed to pick what they think is the best film of the decade, so far

that one is on my list to see,
A Separation is playing near by, I will see it this week.
Still waiting for a local run for Lisbon and Boomnee

 

[Lancemc]

This is your new #1 of 2011?

Still need to catch it.

Right now, certainly. Downloaded an uncompressed DVD rip for this viewing, so I'm sure I'll see it again once it comes to theaters here. I'll see where it lands after a rewatch. Right now though, I'm completely staggered. Sublime.

 

[gump]

Right now, certainly. Downloaded an uncompressed DVD rip for this viewing, so I'm sure I'll see it again once it comes to theaters here. I'll see where it lands after a rewatch. Right now though, I'm completely staggered. Sublime.

Spoiler

That autopsy scene is probably my favorite of the year.