Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| Jan 2014
- Thread starter big ander
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Dragoon En Regalia
Member
lol, That's the other film of his I've seen. I'll need to do Perfect Blue next, then Paprika.
when someone sells the dinner table you hung yourself from on ebay.
Elephant
One of the best films of the 2000s and a deserving 2003 Palme d'Or winner. Based in part on the Columbine high school shooting, it is comprised only in outstanding single take shots (that are some of the best in cinema) and told through a non linear point of view narrative structure. It is a great portrayal of teen high school life and because it is shot almost in a documentary style way it makes the last couple of scenes feel really disturbing.
Prince of Darkness
Somewhat underrated horror film. I quite enjoyed it.
12 years a slave
Technically its a brilliant film apart from the sometimes obnoxiously loud Hans Zimmer score. However it still feels like manipulative cinema at its core where its trying to force and elicit some kind of emotional response through the hyperreality of highly violent and explicit scenes.
One of the best films of the 2000s and a deserving 2003 Palme d'Or winner. Based in part on the Columbine high school shooting, it is comprised only in outstanding single take shots (that are some of the best in cinema) and told through a non linear point of view narrative structure. It is a great portrayal of teen high school life and because it is shot almost in a documentary style way it makes the last couple of scenes feel really disturbing.
Prince of Darkness
Somewhat underrated horror film. I quite enjoyed it.
12 years a slave
Technically its a brilliant film apart from the sometimes obnoxiously loud Hans Zimmer score. However it still feels like manipulative cinema at its core where its trying to force and elicit some kind of emotional response through the hyperreality of highly violent and explicit scenes.
Did not go into LONE SURVIVOR and expect to come out of it as the guy proposing people reconsider it and see that it's certainly not an uncomplicated recruitment video. But 1K words later and here we are
Strongly agree with that philosophy. In fact I feel the best example of a director like that is Alfred Hitchcock who frequently overcame a number of his weak scripts with his incredible direction and sense of atmosphere.
Vertigo being his best example, as I personally found the script to be quite silly conceptually.;p
Net_Wrecker
Member
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that either of them are being used to their full potential (especially not on stuff like V or Revolution), or that Lily is an amazing access, just that both Mitchell and Emerson have had some success. And the way people were in love with the characters Kate and Sawyer, it felt like Lily and Holloway were about to have a ton of scripts thrown at them post-L O S T regardless of their skills.
Lone Survivor
I liked it overall, the main four all gave great performances, I was particularly surprised by Taylor Kitsch. With the exception of one or two scenes, I don't get the criticisms I've seen that say the movie is propaganda and a recruitment film for the SEALs - it makes no real attempt to glorify any aspect of that life. It's practically identical to Black Hawk Down in tone. I've heard they fudged the details on the ending, so I'll be curious to read up on the actual events and see how they differ.
I liked it overall, the main four all gave great performances, I was particularly surprised by Taylor Kitsch. With the exception of one or two scenes, I don't get the criticisms I've seen that say the movie is propaganda and a recruitment film for the SEALs - it makes no real attempt to glorify any aspect of that life. It's practically identical to Black Hawk Down in tone. I've heard they fudged the details on the ending, so I'll be curious to read up on the actual events and see how they differ.
I see it more as a probability kind of thing. I feel a film with great direction and bad writing is going be more likely be overcome by the quality of the former than a film with great writing and terrible direction.
However there are also cases where both "bad" writing and "bad" direction can make a film un-watch-able, even if it has quality in it's other aspects ;p.
Also, I haven't seen My Dinner with Andre.. but it's on my list of films to see.
I agree, i made a similar post in the boxoffice thread. Act of Valor was recruitment, this is 'caution! you will be shot!'
TheKaeptain
Banned
The Golden Globes are horrible.
ETHER...
ETHER...
I think it's hypocritical to act hoity-toity if you've ever been on Entourage
TheKaeptain
Banned
lol
KaoticBlaze
Member
Gaf.... Thank you for recommending Lone Survivor. That was an amazing movie. Wow, just wow...
Kilgore Trout
Member
I don't know if that's the best example. I mean, when your film consists entirely of two people talking, and the script is good, then how badly can you mess it up if you just plop the camera down and film?
GODDAMN
Kilgore Trout
Member
I mean that there is far less room for error given the subject matter so there is a relatively low ceiling when it comes to how much a great director could improve the film, and only so much a poor one could do to worsen it.
TheKaeptain
Banned
Me, Andrew, it was me.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
but Suspiria
Argento had it right all along: the easiest way to overcome a bad script is to forget that you have one for most of the film's runtime!
Net_Wrecker
Member
There are truckloads of great action movies that pretty much tell scripts to take a hike.
So yeah.
So yeah.
TheKaeptain
Banned
Sure about that?
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
Her is a wonderful, judgment-free film full of genuine uncensored comedy and brimming with thoughts. It will probably end up pegged in my collection as the "thinking/feeling about relationships" category like Eternal Sunshine or Before Sunrise, but it definitely offers more than that.
I liked that the sci-fi premise of the film was fully embraced. Too many near-future films are just a present-day story with one gimmick and a cool looking CGI backdrop on a green-screen. Her integrated it, and it felt like you were seeing a very different world on every frame.
I liked that the sci-fi premise of the film was fully embraced. Too many near-future films are just a present-day story with one gimmick and a cool looking CGI backdrop on a green-screen. Her integrated it, and it felt like you were seeing a very different world on every frame.
Kilgore Trout
Member
A silly quibble on my part. I'll drop it here as I misread the context of your post.
As for the opposite, Seijun Suzuki's films are some of my favorite examples of B-movie scripts turned into something much better, and far outside the scope of the screenwriters.
JUST GIVE ME A SCORE.
megamerican
Member
Escape Plan It was serviceable. For all the hype about it being a return to 80s style action, it reminded me more of a 90s Seagal vehicle than anything Stallone or Arnold did in the 80s. There are some fun moments, and the pair have chemistry, but the action and the escape itself left me pretty cold. It also looked cheap as hell, the TV style lighting and cinematography didn't help matters.
Lone Survivor was just a brutal movie. Incredible, but brutal. I really don't even understand how anyone can look at it and see a recruitment video.
Definitely up there with Black Hawk Down. Finally Peter Berg lives up to his FNL benchmark (that score had pieces that seemed lifted directly from FNL)
Definitely up there with Black Hawk Down. Finally Peter Berg lives up to his FNL benchmark (that score had pieces that seemed lifted directly from FNL)
Net_Wrecker
Member
There one kill in Lone Survivor that's so unflinching in its swift brutality that I don't know how you can possibly think it's a recruitment commercial. There are moments of dramatic heroism, but that's just movies being movies. On the whole, I agree with big ander on seeing the soldiers depicted as robots and the movie not generally shining a favorable light on what's happening.
Act of Valor, though? With that insane live round firing gunboat scene and its Call of Duty shootouts? That was an oohrah bro movie.
Act of Valor, though? With that insane live round firing gunboat scene and its Call of Duty shootouts? That was an oohrah bro movie.
AlternativeUlster
Absolutely pathetic part deux
Park's direction is so masterful that obscures the weaknesses of the script. Few directors working today can pull off something like that.
EDIT: Alain Delon wisdom.
wakka wakka wakka
AlternativeUlster
Absolutely pathetic part deux
Mumblecore doesn't have scripts but outlines. ;p
Finally got the chance to see Short Term 12. Probably may my favourite 2013 movie so far. Such a bitter sweet movie filled with to brim with both moments of joy and pure sadness. All the performances are outstanding, but Brie Larson in particular steals the show. She had better receive a nomination for best actress or the academy has officially lost its mind.
iirc Short Term 12 isn't even being pushed for Oscars
Twice.
That is a damn shame. This movie deserves more recognition.
Ah its not out on dvd or streaming yet. Can't wait! Love his "no reason" set up. Its just brilliant.
Kadayi
Banned
Caught quite a few: -
American Hustle. It's an exceptionally well made movie. The inherent problem with it is though that the bad guys essentially win. Ultimately Bale & Adams characters are despicable shits when all is said and done, and I just found it hard to really care about them.
The Wolf of Wall Street Well directed as you'd expect from Scorsese and yet another venture with DiCaprio, but regardless of all that befalls him, there is again a high degree of glamorization of an individual who ostensibly ruined people lives with little sense that there was any reflection upon what was done or personal enlightenment. I guess perhaps that's a representative of Jordan Belfort in real life, but it strikes me that this is just another rehash of Goodfellas without the guns and wacking. Scorsese is very good at showing us things, I'd just like him to make us reflect upon them more Versus endlessly show us the spectacle as to what we could be enjoying if we only lacked moral fibre. It's always a celebration, versus a condemnation.
Her . Not what I was expecting, and beautifully shot in many ways. Though the perpetual weekend instagram vibe did get a little wearing after a while. Suspension of disbelief was certainly required in a similar vein to that with Jonze earlier movies such as BJM & Adaption (I mistakenly presumed it was another Kaufman collaboration in truth). Albeit probably in the works for quite some time it did actually tangentially remind me of one of Charlie Brookers Black Mirror episodes (Be right back), although very different in terms of outcome. I thought the idea was interesting, but it just didn't entirely work in terms of pacing and execution. In certain places it felt over long and in others it felt too abrupt and undeveloped. I don't think Jonze really captured the idea of how alien human existence might seem to an intelligence that lacked for a body and all of the input that we take for granted that would be denied them. From the smell of flowers to the taste of food, to the heat of the sun on our skin. There were opportunities to kind of delve into those things, and they sadly weren't taken. Still a worthwhile film overall.
American Hustle. It's an exceptionally well made movie. The inherent problem with it is though that the bad guys essentially win. Ultimately Bale & Adams characters are despicable shits when all is said and done, and I just found it hard to really care about them.
The Wolf of Wall Street Well directed as you'd expect from Scorsese and yet another venture with DiCaprio, but regardless of all that befalls him, there is again a high degree of glamorization of an individual who ostensibly ruined people lives with little sense that there was any reflection upon what was done or personal enlightenment. I guess perhaps that's a representative of Jordan Belfort in real life, but it strikes me that this is just another rehash of Goodfellas without the guns and wacking. Scorsese is very good at showing us things, I'd just like him to make us reflect upon them more Versus endlessly show us the spectacle as to what we could be enjoying if we only lacked moral fibre. It's always a celebration, versus a condemnation.
Her . Not what I was expecting, and beautifully shot in many ways. Though the perpetual weekend instagram vibe did get a little wearing after a while. Suspension of disbelief was certainly required in a similar vein to that with Jonze earlier movies such as BJM & Adaption (I mistakenly presumed it was another Kaufman collaboration in truth). Albeit probably in the works for quite some time it did actually tangentially remind me of one of Charlie Brookers Black Mirror episodes (Be right back), although very different in terms of outcome. I thought the idea was interesting, but it just didn't entirely work in terms of pacing and execution. In certain places it felt over long and in others it felt too abrupt and undeveloped. I don't think Jonze really captured the idea of how alien human existence might seem to an intelligence that lacked for a body and all of the input that we take for granted that would be denied them. From the smell of flowers to the taste of food, to the heat of the sun on our skin. There were opportunities to kind of delve into those things, and they sadly weren't taken. Still a worthwhile film overall.
Inside Llewyn Davis is one of those films that probably won't stick around in your thoughts for very long, but that's oddly fitting, given the subject matter. The Coens did a rather great job of capturing the looping listlessness of Llewyn's existence, who has his "live in the now" philosophy blow up in face at nearly every corner. The joke has been that you can tell that it's a Coen Brothers film because everyone hates the main character, but it's easy to believe that no one hates him more than himself, and Oscar Issac does a great job in selling the prideful, deeply damaged, and self-defeating nature of Llewyn without going too overboard with the self-loathing or anything remarkably cringe-worthy. The rest of the cast is a bit of a mixed bag, unfortunately: for every victory there is, such as someone finally realizing that Justin Timberlake's acting talent is put to better use by having him just sing earnestly, and the always dependable F. Murray Abraham showing up to dole up some much needed reality checking for our hero, there's Carey Mulligan around to offer little beyond shouting obscenities and John Goodman almost quite literally sleepwalking in his role.
The Coens do capture the era beautifully, with an aesthetic that renders just about every frame of the film as a possible album cover from an actual artist from the folk music scene from that era, and with the help of T-Bone Burnett, they do a great job of replicating the music of that time, in all its banal but well-meaning glory without making the mistake of presenting the entire genre as such.
That being said, the meandering nature of the flow of the story, which I fully recognize as essential to what the Coens were going for, make it really difficult for me to want to revisit it any time soon, if ever. It very much makes it clear what it's going for and executes it just as it should, and doesn't shoot for much more than that. If it is a "one-and-done" kind of film, though, it's hard to imagine a more appropriate subject for it, and that's gotta count for something.
Ending spoiler talk:
The Coens do capture the era beautifully, with an aesthetic that renders just about every frame of the film as a possible album cover from an actual artist from the folk music scene from that era, and with the help of T-Bone Burnett, they do a great job of replicating the music of that time, in all its banal but well-meaning glory without making the mistake of presenting the entire genre as such.
That being said, the meandering nature of the flow of the story, which I fully recognize as essential to what the Coens were going for, make it really difficult for me to want to revisit it any time soon, if ever. It very much makes it clear what it's going for and executes it just as it should, and doesn't shoot for much more than that. If it is a "one-and-done" kind of film, though, it's hard to imagine a more appropriate subject for it, and that's gotta count for something.
Ending spoiler talk:
Did anyone else groan a bit when they reveal the act that played after Llewyn at the end? Having "Young Bob" show up felt way too on the nose for an otherwise spectacular ending to the film.
TheKaeptain
Banned
I SAW HER FIRST!
kurisu_1974
Banned
Don't forget the earlier movie Steak with a hilarious role for Kavinsky and a great soundtrack (meant to sound like pop music from the future)
muntersaur
Member
There are millions of films which make the bad guys lose or show moral condemnation of their actions. Personally, I do not need films to always assert what is morally right or wrong and find it refreshing when a film can show morally reprehensible characters without internal judgement from the narrative or filmmakers.
This is an interesting criticism and agree that it could have been more developed in this regards. But I enjoyed that Jonze took an entirely different direction
by making humans far intellectually inferior to the machines that a monogamous relationship to a human could never fully satisfy a OS, resulting in the machines deciding to abandon the human race and be together.
I felt like real shit today so rather than play anything I decided to try watching one of my unwatched movies I bought.
All About Eve
Wow I ended up liking this movie a lot more than I thought. I positively loved it. The characters were great, the dialogue was supremely clever and enjoyable. None of them were one dimensional and had depth, I felt the ending was perfect and caught me by surprise. This is the best impulse buy for a movie I've had in a while.
Next up is either Vertigo or the 3rd man.
All About Eve
Wow I ended up liking this movie a lot more than I thought. I positively loved it. The characters were great, the dialogue was supremely clever and enjoyable. None of them were one dimensional and had depth, I felt the ending was perfect and caught me by surprise. This is the best impulse buy for a movie I've had in a while.
Next up is either Vertigo or the 3rd man.
I've only seen Sin Nombre, but considered that a very good movie. Looks great too.
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