Tachii said: Casual guardians of the galaxy. Loved it so much I will probably watch it again in theatres. Didn't expect the comedy to be that good. GOTG was too good. I really think we have a new Firefly on our hands with that one (and yet ironically out of all the Marvel Studios movies, Joss Whedon DIDN'T directed Guardians Of The Galaxy when it seems right up his alley but whatever) as much as I enjoy these Avengers movies. I'm even excited for more Guardians Of The Galaxy |
| Guardians of the Galaxy was one of a few movies this year that was better than it had any business being. It's an interesting case for me because I actually agree with a lot of the criticism I've seen of it, but it doesn't damage my opinion of it very much. The only criticisms I did disagree with were that the violence was hypocritical given that the theme was fighting loss (they didn't inflict violence on anyone unprovoked), and that the world was ugly/uninspired (I thought it was a fitting choice for the movie). But even if I don't think it's a really great film I would still support one that has an actual structural backbone and is funny without being cynical. I did think The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was a really great film, however. I'm going to do something I really hate to do, because I feel like it steals credit from the person who made the film, but I really feel like it's the easiest way to describe this one, so know that I mean this in a purely descriptive way: It was like what I imagine you would get from a movie written by the Coen brothers and directed by Wong Kar-Wai and Paul Thomas Anderson. It was actually directed by Andrew Dominink, so all my praise goes to him. |
| Yah that comedy element mixed with spacefaring really reminded me of Firefly, and how I really need to finish Firefly (saw the movie years ago and didn't know it was a continuation of the TV show, lol) Not sure what you mean about violence is hypocritical? I just take for granted violence in general isn't exactly a rational thought. Heh. |
| It was someone saying that the movie has comedic violence and that's hypocritical because the theme is the main characters confronting loss and it laughs when it's inflicted on others. But like I said, I didn't agree with that because the comedic violence was all reactionary and laughing at loss was part of what they were doing early in the movie anyway. |
| Heh. I just saw Amazing Spiderman 2. God the villains in this series are so... "edgy". Jamie Foxx's character was so... unstable as well as Harry's. Like they have the emotional intelligence of a small child. Ugh. And I was kind of spoiled to the ending but ugh, was depressing. I'm glad they at least didn't end at just that part though. Oh well, I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely though. Han Zimmers my fav. |
| Saw The Raid 2; it was a strange beast. The first few minutes had some odd directorial and editing choices which just kind of throws you in the middle of all these different events and cuts away and jumps back to and fro and it was a little hard to follow at first, and then as things start going, the plot and the politics get really convoluted with so many factions and individual characters being shown and clashing all over, but when I read over the plot summary it kind of evened itself out more and ultimately it is rather elaborate to a degree as some really complex gang war, so it was still rather satisfying though. I'm not sure if there was much of it in the first movie to my recollection, but I will say that there was a bit too much usage of slow-mo for very small scenes that came off as rather weird. In a few ways it is also very different from its predecessor. Plotting aside, there's less permeating tension all throughout, and it's more of a balance of dialogue and action (then again, seeing how this doesn't all take place in one big apartment anymore, I guess it might not innately be as suspenseful the whole time, but then Mazinkaiser SKL was like that so...) so it doesn't totally feel like a sequel to the original's minimalist style (which still worked for me) in that respect. Then it also feels a little cornier or perhaps 'anime-y' in some smaller bits; there's a few characters who seem a bit more out of place compared to all the regular goons - one is a deaf woman who uses two hammers for fights and her brother who wields a bat and baseballs and uses these one-liners during his fights (like asking the person he's attacking to throw his ball back). This is also seen in the big sort-of final battle with the assassin who incapacitated Rama earlier - they have a really intense fight (10 straight minutes of exchanges with no dialogue) but it gets a bit ridiculous in how much damage the assassin (and even Rama probably) can take. The assassin gets cut up dozens of times and keeps moving like nothing even touched him and it just kept going on and on and on until Rama stabs him right through the chest and digs the blade upwards. With that said, I think it creates some logic gaps in favour of style by having most of the characters use melee weapons or fists in the end when others have had guns, and Rama solos the whole damn building with his fists and the occasional weapon counter, idk. I guess I'd give it around the same mark as the first (for different reasons obviously) but I'm still on the fence if that is my absolute score and if I prefer 1 or 2 more. |
| ^ Had similar feels for that one. I felt it got way more ridiculous than the first one did, as how much damage the MC can take. It was also just weird our MC after taking so much damage with the early fights still had enough to face the "strongest" guy as well. The ending also made me go on IMDB to read what other people thought about that guy's behaviour at the end of the movie. Felt it was kind of random and off character. Can't really give the same rating for the first movie though. Overall it felt the second tried to actually have a story, yet failing to become anything better than the first one did, while the first didn't have any pre-conceptions about how little the story was to the movie and highlighted the action all the better. |
| Watched La Dolce Vita today. My second Fellini after 8½. I liked 8½ quite a lot but struggled to get through it - not something I really hold against it though. It was never intended to be entertaining. La Dolce on the other hand I enjoyed more as it went along. It could have gone for four hours and I would have loved every minute. Stunning cinematography, sets, everything. Visually the film is a marvel. The soundtrack is gorgeous too. But what I loved most was the character of Marcello. I've never seen a character so thoroughly developed. So despicable yet so compelling. And the final scene is just perfect. Amazing stuff. |
| I still need to see both of those. I have seen Synecdoche, New York, which I've heard is similar to 8½. If you've seen it, is that true? And if so, to what extent? Also, I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy again, and I saw this not long after: http://www.vice.com/read/what-the-fuck-is-going-on-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy-805 I don't mean to be the defensive comic book movie fan, since I'm not even that big a fan of comic book movies or even this movie, even though I like it a lot. But is this what passes for criticism now? Aside from the fact that most of this stuff is just unexplained rather than actually illogical, none of it has to do with character or theme, both of which actually existed in a Marvel movie for once. Some of it even flat out ignores both those things even though it's relevant to the question being asked. I know this is hardly relevant, but this kind of stuff just really pisses me off. It's being lazy under the guise of being critical. This isn't making an effort to search for flaws, it's shrugging off the effort to search for explanations. I can't even imagine watching a movie this way, considering you could probably do this for any movie that wasn't some surreal mindbender. |
| haven't actually seen Synecdoche so can't help you there. 8½ is a series of dreamish sequences, some more bizarre than others. There's no overarching story. It's essentially a collection of memories and fantasies of the main character. Anyway yeah, as a big fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, that article is pathetic immature crap. Only a couple of the questions asked are worth considering - the rest are nitpicking. |
| Heh I also went to see Guardians again. Still loved it. Pretty excited for the next Marvel movies. I recently read a criticism about how Thanos aren't being displayed as all that intimidating in the Marvel movies but he's just there to possibly be a villain in the future movies so I don't really care whether he needs to appear intimidating in these movies. |
| Ordered a few Criterion films and have been doing a bit of a marathon viewing of them today (still in the midst of it). My first watch was Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's Black Narcissus. This movie threw me for a loop. It starts out as a mild story about a convent of nuns trying to open a school and share Christian teachings in the Himelayas and there are a lot of bumps in the road, but there is still scarce drama early on. Things like a troublesome yet wise and charming bachelor sullying the superior nun while charming another, one of the nuns remaining ill, the children being initially paid to go to school instead of on their own volition and the inclusion of a young male general and a trouble-making girl of a low caste trying to woo him stir the pot and provide some challenges for the women. Interspersed throughout are small flashbacks of the superior nun's reflections on her failed love affair prior to becoming a nun and trying to stay true to her faith. With some of the nuns starting to waver, it brings up the suspicion that maybe their head nun sent them to the Himelayas for a final rite of passage to weed out those who may concede from their faith to freedom, and the very conservative drama and nostalgic, romantic teases gives off the impression that it just might end up happening to the women. And it does...kind of. I don't want to spoil, but the movie starts to take a very big shift in tone, and it actually becomes a horror story around the last quarter, and it is quite convincing. The striking music, the chilling transformation of one of the nuns and the great cinematography create a perfect marriage of suspense and dread and it totally subverts the romantic elements and cliches it was teasing at for something quite unexpected and ultimately quite powerful. I really like the character dynamics played at with its mirrors and foils, the leveled message about devotion and freedom which kind of reminds me of Fight Club of all things in its subjectivity plus the rich production values and dark ending. Great stuff. After that I watched Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven and I'm still contemplating it at the moment. It may perhaps be one of the greatest movies I've ever seen (my friend claims it is his currently) but it is not like anything I'm used to. The plotting is incredibly sparse for the most part and is very elliptical in its execution. A lot of the movie is slice of life activities and leisure, but there's also a love triangle, a conspiracy and a journey for atonement and escape. There are no real heroes or villains in this movie, simply different walks of people caught up in each other's lives, but if you were to label them in a more orthodox way, Bill (Richard Gere) would be the protagonist while the farmer is the antagonist, but really Bill is more of a sinful character than the farmer, but there are some more intricacies to his actions. The film is very much like Only God Forgives in some of its themes and minimalist nature, but my reactions towards them feel somewhat different. Only God Forgives is slow and slight, but each scene is important to the plot from start to finish and all the nuances make things more gradually enriching whereas Days of Heaven revels in the mundane for long periods of time and just creates some serene nature pieces and then has a few big moments with more immediate plot and poetic allegory every once in a while and more towards the end, so it feels more like a mood piece with occasional spurts of big events with great impact and poignancy, but it is still weighty nonetheless. The ending is bittersweet but still rather redemptive and soothing; it made me think of Bebop and how people call its ending cathartic which it didn't feel like to me personally, but then Days of Heaven is kind of what I was looking for out of it (heck, to be honest I'm still unsure if I feel Spike's death is totally warranted, but I have a few more episodes to rewatch still). But yeah, it was very unique but the editing and style was a bit alien to me at first, so I have to think about how much I enjoyed the movie. Lastly (half way through the 6 movies I ordered) was Babette's Feast. It too was a little odd to digest at first with the unorthodox narrative and very slow pacing, but the payoff was quite nice. It starts off rather indulgent yet very lax and dry with its 19th century folk story and then finishes on a very long dinner scene, but that scene unfolds so well and delivers so much heart and revelation that it just feels so uplifting. I initially found the main "conflict" a bit hokey at first, with it being old people being bitter and fearing heresy at that point, but again, visually so many little revelations blossom from that dinner scene and there's just so much humanity, passion and small triumph to be had from it with its embrace. Feelings of regret, rejection, rigid-mindedness, indifference, etc start to fade away as the meal starts to warm the souls of those bitter men and women which warmed me right up as well seeing them all regain some life and happiness from it all. Very tender and moving stuff; its subject matter and style won't be for everyone and you very much need to be patient, but it is a splendid treat for those who can tolerate it. |
| I'll probably make Black Narcissus my next Powell/Pressburger movie then, although it does sound a lot different from The Red Shoes. |
| Went to go see A Most Wanted Man. Very good stuff, about on par with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I may have even liked it better than that, if only because I knew better what to expect this time and therefore found it easier to follow. I also watched Wild Strawberries, which was also fantastic. I was surprised it ended up reminding me more of Tarkovsky's Mirror more than Bergman's own Persona, but it got to me on a deeper level than either of those movies (which is saying a lot). |
| So I got through the latter half of those Criterion films, and it was...well, an 'odd' experience to say the least. It went: Breaking the Waves, In the Mood for Love and Still Walking respectively. Things went very strange with Breaking the Waves first off; the cinematography was quaint and charming, using a documentary style framing and single camera shooting to capture a lot of the events, starting with the wedding at the beginning to make it very personal from the get-go, and there was a lot of intentional film grain to really solidify it, and it sucked me right in to the nuanced, pleasant and raw little moments. The grain is removed every now and then for more graphic or ponderous scenes to even things out more which helps the eyes adjust to the earthy palettes and set composition coupled with the grain which was helpful, and all of that elevated the content which was felt very tender, unscripted, uniquely quirky and again, raw, especially the core romance of Jann and Bess and their ardent, passionate love for one another. The plot moves at a VERY slow pace, with the main conflict not coming into the picture until about an hour into the nearly 3 hour movie, but we see the two of them try to deal with Jann's work separating them and being lovelorn due to it, particularly Bess who has attachment issues from some past circumstances. Then we get to Jann's requests for Bess after he is hospitalized and things start to take off. Jann asks Bess to go out and experience love and tell him the stories of it to give him a feeling of existence as Bess tries to place Jann in the body of each person she makes love to, but seeing Bess' inability to properly coax people because her existence has now become almost symbiotic with Jann's, I assumed each task she'd be given would gradually help her become more of an independent woman and 3-dimensional character with desires and interests of her own as she grows and is able to move on from Jann's worsening conditions and to find a new love while dealing with principles of commitment enforced by her faith; in that way I also assumed it was going to also be a kind of criticism of poorly characterized women in male-created fiction and a restructuring of womankind and identity, and that was instilled in my mind for around 2 hours and 15 minutes into the film, so I was absorbed in it but was tested by the challenging pacing and the brutal struggles Bess endured in her journey, only for things to turn out completely different in a mere few minutes, soiling my interpretation and leaving me utterly frustrated for the finale of the film. It was just so crushing feeling the potential in the direction I ASSUMED it was going in the whole time and thinking it would be this very redemptive and rewarding piece that felt like it was leading to something perfect the whole time and only to realize von Trier's vision was totally different and that things weren't adding up. But with that said, I still think it could be perfect in my book, I just have to see it under a different lens, it was my fault for misinterpreting it to such a degree. The film is not about feminist restructuring, moving on from a spouse's death and finding new love while becoming more of a person and more liberal, but rather about finding a personal, unyielding faith in one's partner and one's beliefs and breaking out of rigid, dated and ultimately corrupt dogmas of certain sects or general collective religions (and still against misogyny with the rebellion against that same Calvinist group.) So what I thought would be Bess' rebelling against the church by becoming an outspoken woman who is not merely a part of the person she marries becomes her rebellion against their idea that her marrying outsider Jann will get her condemned to hell by the ministers and such. What I thought was Jann using Bess' loyalty to him to come out into her own was actually more of a mix of pure manipulation coupled with trying to help Bess feel secure in her marriage and in Jann's increasing illness, etc. The ending has a bit of a surreal element to it which--in my disillusioned state--seemed corny and stupid, but in retrospect taking into account Trier's vision, is actually quite beautiful and rewarding. So yeah, while I still have to sort this film out in my mind, if you go in with the actual mindset I addressed, you may end up finding a harsh but rewarding odyssey that is a work of powerful, innovative filmmaking. Following suit in that same frustrated mentality, I sought respite in Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love which wasn't as straight forward as I assumed it would be and I yet again totally misread it and ended up even more upset. With that said, it could be my disturbed state of mind coupled with watching it at night immediately following Breaking the Waves that I disliked it, but I kept picking up on the wrong cues and had trouble following the narrative through all my mistakes and ended up getting a big headache and left confounded. What threw me off were the constant echos, duality and repetition plus what I thought were hints that the respective spouses of both couples kept subtly hinting at them being one in the same, so all of the trips to the noodle shops, the mentions of being "too polite" constantly and all of the repeated scenes in different outfits had me thinking it was some big existential tale, but the whole time I couldn't get enough solid footing to find mounting evidence and substance to support it, so my head just kept spinning and I couldn't revel in the nuanced interactions and increasing conflict with feelings of love and of restraint. But one thing's for sure, the production values were INCREDIBLE for this thing; it looks absolutely marvelous, but I'm sure at this point that everyone and their dog has said that all before. In retrospect I will probably love the movie and its themes, as even now I'm bringing to mind Kure-nai and one of its ideas about romance and that one shouldn't fall in love simply out of convenience of circumstance, proximity and prior relations, and that was one of the things I loved about the series in that not everything had to be concluded at that stage in Shinkuro's life, he was a mere 16 and he didn't need to make any decisions about true love just yet and it doesn't tack on some ideal pairing by the end. Nonetheless, we see in this film that borne from these dire circumstances that a genuine love does seem to emerge through all of the easy circumstantial empathy of being left behind and their emotional and cultural boundaries both self-imposed and government enforced are challenges to overcome and not everyone is able to take that leap from distance to togetherness; the immeasurable rift between victory and defeat. It is an uncompromising and beautiful melancholy that permeates the film and is a heavy emotional jab in the heart, but it's one I personally have to think about, but I really think a lot of people could love this movie, and it is very apparent that still many already do. After sleeping things off to start fresh on a new day, I wrapped things up with Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walking which filled me with that real simplicity I needed to sort my head and start anew. I still feel a sliver of hesitation giving this one a perfect score so easily seeing how I've seen very few family portrait films, but it was simply bliss in itself and hit all the right notes. The film follows a day in the life of a Japanese extended family where an elderly couple has their offspring come to their home for a day to commemorate the anniversary of their eldest son's tragic death; the younger brother has married a widow with a son and is trying to solidify their relationship and try to connect with her son while the daughter is thinking of moving into the parents' house with her husband and two kids to watch over their final few years. The film has no real central conflict, it is really just a meditative anecdote on a day in this family's life and the dynamics of all the family members swaying to and fro and seeing all the subtle changes and intricacies between them as individuals and when around certain characters. No ultimate revelations are achieved, no definite conclusions are met, we just see fragments of different parts of their lives, and hell, I guess you could say what true story could perfectly capture every thread of various lives with perfect closure? This movie insists on just relishing in the small beauties of each little moment, and that in itself makes it feel so wholesome. We see small foils and mirrors of personality across certain characters and how each of them weighs their values differently, and all of this too reminds me of Kure-nai, but instead, Still Walking insists on not impeding on these differences of beliefs as opposed to the former being about being progressive-minded for a humanist sake. Some of the things some characters do will seem bitter or vain, and they will have their differences but there won't be arguments over them, simply acceptance of how they are, especially given the stages in their lives. Matters of individuality, heritage, forgiveness and more are thrown about but thankfully mostly understated and subtle in the grand scheme of things, and it leaves you to contemplate all of the different infrastructures and places within said infrastructures affect how each character approaches something, kind of like the age old "nature vs nurture" argument. Is it because of Japanese pride that the mother still holds contempt for the life her dead son saved in his stead (and to begin with) or is it her personal view? Questions like these are scattered throughout and left ambiguous. We learn small bits about the family's connections more and more throughout the film to simply help understand some of the motivators for feeling inclined one way or another, but allow time to set its course beyond the film. The film may also feel ultimately somewhat bitter in those more conservative stances because some of the ideals of the elders are very much a testament to their demographic and lineage, as we see both that difference between the figures in the movie, and more subjectively, in myself as a North American Caucasian young adult seeing things somewhat differently, but again, the characters are still redeemed in other moments where they are simply bonding together and making more positive connections before things close off. The movie even ends with a bittersweetness of the old couple passing away through the narration as the movie starts to end, but I still enjoyed the good little times with both of them. There were some regrets in not being able to fulfill certain little dreams with them before the end, but everyone has those regrets when a loved one passes away. The themes of family and the whole direction are very much Japanese, and Kore-eda being touted as the successor to Ozu, the most "Japanese" of Japan's directors certainly affirms it, but there are so many other little themes about succession and such, along with most people naturally having some sort of familial connections makes it quite a universal movie nonetheless, and Kore-eda's refined grace makes this movie a wholly empathetic and wonderful little tapestry for all to enjoy. Great stuff. |
AngelsArcanumAug 19, 2014 5:27 PM
AngelsArcanum said: This sounds right to me. It was actually what you said happened before with regard to the suggestions that they were the same as their spouses that initially hooked me. There's that scene where they go out to eat and each asks the other to buy something for their spouse the next time they go on a business trip. It was subtly romantic, but it ends with them both admitting that they don't really want what they asked for because their spouses already have such items; it was essentially Chow saying to Chan, (and vice-versa), in a materialistic and therefore culturally acceptable way, that he wants a relationship with her and specifying that he doesn't see her as his spouse.Nonetheless, we see in this film that borne from these dire circumstances that a genuine love does seem to emerge through all of the easy circumstantial empathy of being left behind and their emotional and cultural boundaries both self-imposed and government enforced are challenges to overcome and not everyone is able to take that leap from distance to togetherness; the immeasurable rift between victory and defeat. The most romantic thing about it to me was how these people would find any excuse to be together. They even go out to dinner to reenact how they think their spouses where cheating on them. That's an incredibly flimsy and absurd reason to go to dinner with someone, but these people who feel like they can't be together will take it if it means they can be around each other longer. It's also certainly true that it gets at the idea that not everyone can make the leap from distance to togetherness. The repetition you mentioned, combined with the use of slow-motion in the scenes where Chan is walking through the market, to me reinforced the idea that their attraction was a genuine love. There's repetition and constant shots of clocks, but when they're together they feel the passage of time has stopped. They're drawn to each other because in a culture that celebrates routine and materialism they make each other feel like they can do things outside of those boundaries. It might be culturally ingrained in them not to make the leap, but their humanity persists and is nurtured by the tentative romance we're shown in the movie. It sounds like you were pleased with it overall, which I'm glad of considering how easily I was willing to call it one of my all-time favorite movies after watching it. I certainly hope you do love it more if you revisit it. |
| Saw Under the Skin. I'm stumped. |
| I watched three movies recently, Don't Look Now, Days of Heaven, and A Certain Sacrifice. Don't Look Now was excellent. Really great filmmaking. But jeez, it's depressing. I just felt awful after watching it. Days of Heaven was also great; as a western it's even more unconventional than The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, but it still works because it understands one of the basic themes that westerns tend to engage with and approaches it in an original way. Ennio Morricone is the man. A Certain Sacrifice was the worst piece of garbage I've ever seen in my entire life. It is fucking miserable. Don't watch it. |
PopkaAug 24, 2014 7:23 PM
| The movie I last watched was Jan Švankmajer's Alice (Něco z Alenky). I've only ever seen some of his shorts before as well as Little Otik, but that was quite a while ago so it's due for a rewatch. I really adore surreal things in all forms which he's known for so I was instantly compelled by it. It blends live action in with the stop motion and has a very distinct style, lots of work was put into the feel of the set design. It's very dark, highly imaginative and dreamy as one would expect. The main reason why I wanted to visit this though is because I've been reading the book, it's fairly faithful to an extent with some events except with Švankmajer's twisted creativity present. There's also a few references to some of his shorts that I noticed with the meat and such for example. I suppose one of the things that could be considered a complaint is the repetitive close up lip/mouth shots, but it's a small thing overall. Highly entertaining watch. |
AngelsArcanum said: Saw Under the Skin. I'm stumped. That was an excellent choice of films. I wish I had all those in criterion editions. Days of Heaven is a personal favorite, I'm always rewatching it, the score and the photography always makes me crave for more. And I'm really fond of observing the lives of the characters. They're so small and helpless in that big scenery that's always at dawn or sunset. If you liked Still Walking, I think you should give Nobody Knows (Dare mo Shiranai) a try. In the Mood for Love is a good film, but honestly, I think you ruined the mood by watching it immediatly after Breaking the Waves. |
cielo_blue said: AngelsArcanum said: Saw Under the Skin. I'm stumped. That was an excellent choice of films. I wish I had all those in criterion editions. Days of Heaven is a personal favorite, I'm always rewatching it, the score and the photography always makes me crave for more. And I'm really fond of observing the lives of the characters. They're so small and helpless in that big scenery that's always at dawn or sunset. If you liked Still Walking, I think you should give Nobody Knows (Dare mo Shiranai) a try. In the Mood for Love is a good film, but honestly, I think you ruined the mood by watching it immediatly after Breaking the Waves. In retrospect I ended up loving Breaking the Waves and In the Mood for Love once I readjusted my mindset, especially with the former's take on feminism which threw me off at first, but now is quite moving when taken as a more melodrama element. I do wish to check out Nobody Knows though actually; it and After Life I'm told are Koreeda's other masterworks, so I'm itching to see them. As for Under the Skin, I think I should rewatch it and take notes this time around to kind of find some ground work, but I'm feeling it is around an 8 or 9/10, perhaps not quite a 10 like those other 4. |
| Saw how to train your dragon 2, so cute! Also woah at that weird movies website, nice reads all around. |
TachiiSep 27, 2014 8:57 PM
| Just saw Enemy. That scene at the end... wow. |
| Just saw Silver Linings Playbook on Netflix, I'm not even a romance type of guy but I thought it was pretty damn good. Had no idea Bradley Cooper could act that well, either. A good ol' 8/10 in my humble opinion but that could easily change on my next watch. |
| Watched The marriage of Maria Braun yesterday. I am not used yet to the style of Fassbinder, seeing that my previous experience with him is a really different one. The American soldier looks more like an underground satire, The marriage of Maria Braun however is a fictional biopic that looks very academic to me in the way it's narrated and directed. The only substantial similarity I can spot is the use of atmospheric soundtrack, though in the first case it was a stylish jazzy one that brought a completely different mood. Anyway, this was again a good experience. Not as fulfilling as the first, but with some points of interest on it. It is set in Germany during the post-WWII years, and tells the story of a woman who waits for his husband to come back from the front and has to survive alone. I think the strongest merit Fassbinder has is in the depiction of a female character who is, on the one hand, strong and admirable due to her ability to overcome the burdens and drive her life where she wants, and on the other, an arrogant opportunist who doesn't care about damaging people for her own good. This blend of apparently contradictory traits manages to create a great character study throughout. |
jal90Oct 10, 2014 2:56 AM
Tachii said: Just saw Enemy. That scene at the end... wow. I know right? Kaimon said: Just saw Silver Linings Playbook on Netflix, I'm not even a romance type of guy but I thought it was pretty damn good. Had no idea Bradley Cooper could act that well, either. A good ol' 8/10 in my humble opinion but that could easily change on my next watch. I think Bradley Cooper is great, and I loved him in American Hustle, but I wasn't a fan of SLP myself actually and I kept thinking I would love it; it's ironic because I kept telling my one friend that the movie would probably be great with its star-studded cast and premise but he seemed apathetic to it, and then he picks it up on a whim half a year later and likes it, I pick it up a few months after and don't lol. But some of the events felt rather manipulative and they milked the drama dry as such in places, some of the plot threads got a bit wonky (the letter was so obvious) and it just felt very unpolished in places to me. American Hustle I wasn't a huge fan of either, maybe David O. Russell isn't for me personally, but it seems there are lots of people who still loved those films; I'm forgetting most of my criticisms because it was a while back when I saw the film, but w/e. I'll do another update here soon I guess, just got work to do. Also, jal, that is like the creepiest pic of Tomoko and it is spooking me out this early in the morning where I am XD. |
AngelsArcanum said: Also, jal, that is like the creepiest pic of Tomoko and it is spooking me out this early in the morning where I am XD. I wanted some creepy Tomoko for a change, don't worry, I'll pick a new avatar soon. Haven't decided on the next one yet, though. My alternative wasn't much better |
| Watched Mulholland Drive. It was a lot more "normal" than I was expecting it to be, but it was still pretty strange. Either way I thought it was pretty great. I guess you could say that it sort of skimps on the characters aside from the central one because of the whole dream/reality angle, but I thought it worked as a character study of her at least and as a subversion of some of Hollywood movie's standard beats. I also don't think it did a bad job of summing up the other characters in the last 20 minutes. It was also a lot funnier than I was expecting it to be. If anything it's one of the best movies for the Halloween season. |
AngelsArcanum said: I think Bradley Cooper is great, and I loved him in American Hustle, but I wasn't a fan of SLP myself actually and I kept thinking I would love it; it's ironic because I kept telling my one friend that the movie would probably be great with its star-studded cast and premise but he seemed apathetic to it, and then he picks it up on a whim half a year later and likes it, I pick it up a few months after and don't lol. But some of the events felt rather manipulative and they milked the drama dry as such in places, some of the plot threads got a bit wonky (the letter was so obvious) and it just felt very unpolished in places to me. Understandable complaints, I can totally see someone not liking how certain things unfolded, even I cringed once or twice. But that Chris Tucker tho! I'll probably watch The Untouchables next, seeing how without it we wouldn't have Baccano (The Master Light Novel) so I feel I should check out what inspired something I love so much |
| @piegoose Yeah, I thought the spider imagery would be more inclusively explained, but once the film ended I was temporarily dumbfounded by that last scene and ending in itself, but I did heavily get the impression of some spider cannibalism allegory shortly thereafter after digesting the film and being able to remember that factoid, so I think it may have a hand in it. I have some (messy) notes on my laptop I could possibly bring up sometime though. |
| A few days ago : "Les Amours imaginaires", by Xavier Dolan. Well a bit of a surprise, since he's a young director, yet this is his second movie as a director and I must say he has a great potential. I appreciated some peculiar choices such as the slow-motion scenes and those where random characters spoke about their delusional past experiences (it remembers a lot similar scenes in "All about Harry"). Really awesome soundtrack. As for the plot it's somewhat basic, since it's centered on three characters and the development / interactions between them. Now, we have this guy, handsome as fuck who become the center of attention of two friends, Marie and Francis. Each of them tries to gain his attention and it's all about how each of them interpret from its own point of view actions, words, even simple glances. Well, to briefly summarize it, a quote from the begining of the movie, from Musset: "Il n'y a de vrai au monde que de dereaisonner d'amour." |
| Might as well start posting here, as I give a mini-review to every movie I watch over on Criticker (500 character limit), and then write a few additional sentences about it on Cinemageddon; Might be my last documentary for a while. They almost all leave me unsatisfied, even when they're not terrible. This includes I Know That Voice (2013) Various famous voice actors talk about voice acting. A disorganized mess. Firstly, outside of the greats, voice acting isn't THAT difficult. If it was, pure voice actors would be vastly better than regular Hollywood actors who made the transition, which isn't the case. (Hamill, Brittany Murphy, Katey Sagal, etc.) And many interviews here tend to be dumb, factually incorrect, and/or completely unfocused. They also miss discussing many interesting subjects. And yet...it was cool just hearing the people behind memorable voices tell anecdotes. Recommended if, like myself, you're obsessed with voices and talking. Then again, I would find a documentary on Toast Masters intriguing. If you're not that, stay far away. |
YoungVagabond said: Might be my last documentary for a while. They almost all leave me unsatisfied, even when they're not terrible. I'm a filthy fucking liar, and I got my just desserts; Hawaii: The Legend of Eddie Aikau (2013)- Part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series, examines the life of a legendary surfer and coastguard who died at the age of 31, as many surfers do, through a mixture of too much pride and stupidity. For fuck's sake, is it possible for an American documentary to tell the story of a remarkable non-white WITHOUT shoehorning some bullshit about the struggles of that non-white group, in this case supposed "marginalization"? Especially since it doesn't apply to the life of Eddie Aikau? Interviewing Aikau's youngest brother for the majority of the documentary was a bad idea too, since he is annoying as fuck. After about half an hour of this bullshit, I turned it off. Better off reading Wikipedia. |
| Alright, so I think I kind of exaggerated when I said I was stumped by Under The Skin; really, I had some tangible appreciation for and groundwork of what it was trying to say but was just thrown off by the direction it took and the occasional image, but 'The Great Beauty' on the other hand...I have no idea. I wouldn't know where to begin on it, there's just so much going on and I don't know if it's awful or great. |
| A slew of expiring Netflix movies made me finally watch Say Anything (1989)- Shifty loser guy wins the heart of a ridiculously perfect girl, iteration #452. When Holden Caulfield complained about "phonies", they couldn't have been more ridiculous than this movie. It opens with an actor well into his 20s speaking in a manner no 19 year-old ever has. The lack of realism continues throughout, without even being funny or interesting. And yet, because it features jaded, angsty characters complaining in the articulate, pop psychology language of a pretentious screenwriter, people lap this shit up. I feel like it was written by a precocious 14 year-old. |
| I'm generally a fan of John Carpenter, but this is probably the weakest film of his I've seen; Starmen (1984) Alien takes the body of recently deceased Jeff Bridges and is helped by (and obviously later has sex with) his widow Karen Allen. (Who was genuinely hot back then) Following "Escape from New York" and "The Thing", this was a disappointment. Went for way too much of melodrama, and not nearly enough action and comedy. Plus, if they didn't take themselves so damn seriously, I could overlook the simplistic narrative (humans are savage! The military AND police are sadistic, idiotic, AND incompetent!) and inane plot holes. (Where did that guy get an oil barrel and why would he willingly put a small army on his ass?) Doesn't help that this is half an hour too long. Not terrible, but not recommended, either. |
| Been wanting to watch this movie for the last seven years. Probably should have watched it then, when I was 20. American Psycho (2000) Christian Bale is Patrick Bateman, a privileged bastard in 80's New York, who dresses impeccably, moisturizes his skin better than most women, and loves carving up victims, especially prostitutes, occasionally sampling their brains. A silly cartoon, but a damn entertaining one. At times, it's a nearly perfect black comedy. Certain scenes are absolutely superb, like comparing the business cards or discussing Huey Lewis and the News. And yet, it feels less than the sum of its parts. It becomes slightly repetitive after the first hour, and despite one hell of a performance from Bale, the more serious ending doesn't work. The exposition sounds silly, and if Bateman were truly feeling that pain, he wouldn't say anything at all. Still a very good movie that I would recommend to everyone here, but it didn't live up to my high expectations. |
| Been meaning to watch "America Psycho". Not so glad to hear that it isn't is good as it is made out to be. >_< Kinda like my indifference to Requiem for a Dream maybe. |
 |
| American Psycho aims for a lot and doesn't always hit, but it does work very well as a comedy. I think I got more laughs out of it than anything else, and that's part of what it was going for, so overall I'd call it successful. I watched Kurosawa's High and Low yesterday. It's probably my favorite Kurosawa from what I've seen, even if it only beats Seven Samurai because the latter is a bit long for me. The way the whole first half is done in one room with a lot of long takes is really oppressive and claustrophobic in a good way. Much of the second half is done in styles that I wouldn't have expected from Kurosawa but it's no worse off for it. I can sort of see how this would be one of the Coen brothers' favorite movies. |
Quixotes_Solace said: Been meaning to watch "America Psycho". Not so glad to hear that it isn't is good as it is made out to be. >_< Kinda like my indifference to Requiem for a Dream maybe. Again, it's still a very good movie, and miles better than the overrated, mediocre Requiem for a Dream. I would recommend it to everyone here, regardless. But it has several significant flaws, and isn't the all-time classic I hoped for, either. Part of it that was my own exceptionally high expectations. |
| I just saw Nightcrawler too. Fun movie. I liked the part when Gyllenhaal says "I like to say when you're seeing me you're having the worst day of your life" and then looks directly into the camera. |
Piegoose said: YoungVagabond said: American Psycho (2000) It becomes slightly repetitive after the first hour, and despite one hell of a performance from Bale, the more serious ending doesn't work. The exposition sounds silly, and if Bateman were truly feeling that pain, he wouldn't say anything at all. What becomes repetitive about it? The killings, fancy dinners, partying, and even discussing 80's pop music. All of it. For instance, when Bateman first discusses Huey Lewis, it's marvelous. Part of the best scene of the movie. When he talks about Phil Collins and Genesis, it's fun and amusing. By the time he is discussing Whitney Houston, it is neither interesting nor funny. Piegoose said: Bale acts so unpredictably the in every next thing he does that it almost feels too random at times for me (not being a negative, but just showing my contrasted feelings to it being repetitive). Bateman's behavior is very repetitive. That's one of the main themes of the book. If you notice, the movie (and the book, too) ends the same way it began; with Bateman having lunch and chatting at a fancy dinner. Also notice how unflappable his morning routine is, even after confessing. His predictability is one of his most important character traits. The only real place where Bateman is unpredictable and displays change is in his killings, and that is only the book. It showed Bateman's murders growing increasingly fucked-up and elaborate, as he went from simple stabbings to horrifying tortures, genital mutilation, cannibalism, necrophilia, etc. of his victims. No, I don't mean that at all. I was referring to his internal monologue at the restaurant at the end of the movie. |
YoungVagabondNov 2, 2014 1:58 AM
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