r/TrueFilm • u/a113er Til the break of dawn! • Dec 13 '15
What Have You Been Watching? (13/10/15)
Please don't downvote opinions, only downvote things that don't contribute anything.
We're finally going to be automating these so I'll be taken over by some robot. Ex Machina is happening people WAKE UP. Really it just means it'll be more consistent time-wise so don't give the automaton a hard time. Any and all robo-insensitive language will result in an insta-ban.
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u/morningbelle Dec 13 '15 edited Dec 14 '15
Heart of a Dog (Laurie Anderson, 2015)
I pensively meandered with this personal story of loss, love, time, and surveillance. I’m new to Laurie Anderson, and what seemed to start as an art student’s overwrought project evolved into a pretty darn moving account of remembrance. Quirky but never vacuous and dreamy while grounded in real life--the very white ash from Twin Towers is mentioned, for example--Heart of a Dog is a generous and welcoming invitation to an individual’s interiority.
Slow West (John Maclean, 2015)
I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed this story of a young Scottish teenager who heads to the American West to find his idea of love. There are several downright beautiful scenes, such as when Silas and Jay pass a group of musicians, a fireside conversation with a man named Werner, and an absinthe-induced morning after in a low river. This is a meandering adventure movie that makes the West feel fresh with encounters with not only with Native Americans, but also Swedes and French-speaking musicians. I found myself charmed by how the movie concludes, which ties a heartwarming bow around an otherwise capacious movie with a little bit of everything (humor, violence, dreams, etc).
Tangerine (Sean Baker, 2015)
Surprisingly enjoyed this movie too! It takes its time unfolding, but once the intersections come together, this movie feels like both a colorful snapshot of a world I haven’t seen on film--the lives of transgender sex workers in L.A.--and, to a lesser extent, a story about what gets people off. Enjoyed the very memorable car wash scene!!
Hitchcock/Truffaut (Kent Jones, 2015)
A film featuring filmmakers gushing about filmmakers talking to each other. I love how David Fincher and James Grey spoke of Hitchcock more technically, whereas Olivier Assayas and Arnaud Despelchin attempted instead to pin down the director’s concepts. Assayas, for example, beautifully spoke of Hitchcock’s “theory of space.” I wouldn’t really say I learned anything from this documentary (aside from, however implicitly, this movie reinforces how moviemaking is by and large a boys’ club--seriously, couldn’t Jones have interviewed a filmmaker of color or a woman? Then again, Hitchcock is famous for being a filmmaker obsessed with heterosexual male desire. On the other hand, there was a part early in the doc where credit is given to Hitchcock’s wife. And Grey ponders for a bit on Vertigo from Kim Novak’s character’s perspective). Rather, I’d say it makes me want to watch movies even more. And read Hitchcock/Truffaut!
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Dec 13 '15 edited Dec 15 '15
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzack
"Children movies are allowed to be more creative than adult ones" is a well worn adage, but it's true -- Shaun the Sheep Movie is one of the latest examples of that. It's a stop-motion animated film about a sheep attempting to rescue its his owner from the big city, and, moreover, its told entirely without dialogue, which separates it even more so from other children movies. I liked the movie quite a bit. As always, it's refreshing to watch something that competently does something different, and that it's pretty damn funny helps out as well. The film also has some stuff going on under the hood; while Shaun the Sheep Movie's plot consists of an aborted attempt to skip a day of work spiralling out of control, it refreshingly doesn't turn into a parable about the importance of dutifully doing your job. Rather, it embraces the necessity of just taking some days off every once in a while and not letting the daily grind consume you, which fits in much better with the joyous nature of the film and, even ignoring formal considerations, is a much better outlook anyways. Above all, though, in another case where this is probably helped by being a children's film, Shaun the Sheep Movie is heartwarming. Really fucking heartwarming. The film's about a bunch of characters who love each other and goes all out on all the mushiness that comes with that -- and its wonderful. "It feels so good to know two [er, several] people/So in love/So in love." The film isn't afraid to show the affection its characters have for one other, making them even more believable, and it is very infectious—by the end of the film, I found it impossible to not love them as well.
Also, Feels Like Summer, that wonderful Beach Boys-y ballad -- Best Original Song of 2015? I think so.
★★★1/2
A Very Murray Christmas (2015) directed by Sofia Coppola
A Very Murray Christmas is a sweet little film. As one can gleam from its poster, it, while not wholly glum, isn't overly joyous in a bogus manner and is very restrained. The story is straightforward as can be. The rest of the cast follows Murray's typical subdued expression, and they mostly sing plainly. The musical numbers are humble, generally only accompanied by some gentle piano tinkling, and none too much effort is put into seamlessly working them in or forcing the humor. The photography, the set design, the costuming, and such are elegant but simple. Even what should be the exception to this, the dreamland Murray heads to after passing out, keeps the form by not being near as ostentatious, if at all, as it could be. It's a refreshing change from the commercial extravaganza one expects from a Christmas special. A Very Murray Christmas just feels like a bunch of folks hanging out, making the best of a situation. Paradoxically, by allowing itself to be a little rueful and not trying to make us feel anything, the special feels like it really does want you to have a merry Christmas.
★★★
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Dec 13 '15 edited Dec 13 '15
Who knows where can I get a seashell-shaped e-reader?
About Elly Asghar Farhadi, 2009: I shouldn’t have skipped the theatrical release of this, because I loved it. It reminded me of how many times I’ve failed to get interested in Tokyo Story, and Farhadi’s approach isn’t even that different from Ozu’s (perhaps an influence?) but I find Farhadi’s movies much easier to get involved in. I think I’d rather watch another movie by him than Kiarostami and Makhmalbaf too - they are held in higher esteem, but when all three make films of modest means, Farhadi’s feel the most effective for me. He shows the influence of big political problems on regular people's behavior in such a natural way. Although About Elly shows tragedy bringing out the worst in people, it also shows them rushing headlong into danger when someone else is in trouble, all without possessing strength or special abilities.
Brooklyn John Crowley, 2015: Generally, if Saoirse Ronan is in a movie, it is worth watching. Better second half than first half: New York CIty immigrant experience tales get stale even when done as handsomely as this. Going back to Ireland makes the story something more. Ellis’ Irish boyfriend is unappealing, leaving little doubt about the right choice for her to make, but I’m allergic to the movie-style romance she has in New York anyway. Am I the only one who thought Jessica Pare was Anne Hathaway?
It’s Such a Beautiful Day Don Hertzfeldt, 2012: The problem with watching so many artist-driven movies is that you realize just how many magna opi there are about mortality on the lists of essential movies. After you’ve seen enough of them most start feeling too similar even when they’re as audiovisually unique as It’s Such a Beautiful Day. I don’t really need more new favorite movies about death, okay?
It Follows David Robert Mitchell, 2015: The Babadook was the best-directed horror movie in my least favorite genre in awhile, but I was surprised by how much people took to it at the time. I also complained recently about how the appalling Crimson Peak was more interested in startling that audience that frightening them. I liked It Follows a good deal more than both: clever control of the frame and clever control of perspective, changing rapidly in scenes and becoming ambiguous at the right times, puts real fear back into the horror genre and makes it one of the most creative genre movies of the year of any kind. It’s a bummer that even in this movie, the scenario and scare technique is so predictable. Modern horror movies think they have to do the same stuff every time and they really don’t. But at least it’s done right. Not glossing up the monster demonstrates the kind of restraint Crimson Peak needed for example.
That’s not all there is to it, either. I like how men and women respond so differently to the threat in the movie. The guys come up with procedures that lead to getting laid and an ultimately futile confrontation with an unstoppable force, while figuring women can pass along the curse more easily. But of course, from the female perspective, it is not that easy at all, plus the added vulnerability of a female protagonist who receives more from sex than she bargained for. I also liked that it’s a teen movie that depicts teenagers as sometimes very dumb but basically reliable. You’re not rooting to see them get hurt for once.
EDIT: all four of these movies heavily feature oceans.
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u/EnglandsOwn Dec 14 '15
I had the opposite reaction to Brooklyn, in that I though once she goes to Ireland it made the film much weaker. Partially, because her new boyfriend is as you said unappealing, but also because I genuinely thought it set-up the relationship and her new lifestyle in a promising way. I was excited that it was just starting to get somewhere (her telling her NY boyfriend that she loved him was a moment that I thought worked so well), but then the momentum died even if it did make the story more interesting. I just think this was one of those cases that more interesting, was not exactly better. The humor died after that point and so did the narrative of her gaining confidence and ultimately the second half (although perhaps more interesting) is still yet another example of an age old love story of having to pick between two lovers.
Having said all that I don't exactly know where I would've wanted the film to go had it not followed her going back home. I thought it could've at least explored the titular setting much more than it did though.
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u/EnglandsOwn Dec 14 '15 edited Dec 14 '15
Amy Asif Kapadia, 2015 - This was the first documentary I watched this week and I was underwhelmed by it mainly because I didn't think it did anything that creative with the form, which would be fine especially if it went in depth about the story of Amy Winehouse, but I don't think it did that either.
Best of Enemies Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon, 2015 - The subject matter of the second documentary I watched this week was a little more interesting than the first, but otherwise you can just re-read that Amy "review" if you want my take on this.
My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn Liv Corfixen, 2015 - Although aesthetically ugly and much more of a mess than the first two documentaries, the subject matter being about both filmmaking and a director I admire, was more interesting to me. And because it operates like a good behind the scenes featurette I found it more enjoyable.
Creed Ryan Coogler, 2015 - Of the 2015 films I've watched this year (43 and counting) this is the feel good movie of the year and the most cathartic one. I wrote more about it on my letterboxd and how it had some impressive timing that delivered great moments that were quickly ruined (for me), but ultimately it still worked as a great sports movie and a surprisingly great entry to an old franchise - sound familiar for this year?
Far From Heaven Todd Haynes, 2002 - Man, everyone watched this movie this week in this thread. I guess they were watching it in anticipation of Todd Haynes' new film Carol (as was I). I haven't seen all of All That Heaven Allows, but I am in the middle of it and the similarities are certainly all over the place. I enjoyed this film, though I think emotionally I felt a little removed from it because of its intentional artifice which I still enjoyed even if I didn't quite understand its purpose (I had the vague idea that its a way of showing us something in a way that would've spoke more to the people of the time it was about, but that seemed a little too simple and unrealistic and I'm still not sure what effect that's intended to have on anyone).
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u/isarge123 Dec 13 '15 edited Dec 13 '15
Late posting again today but here we go:
Had one of the best weeks I've ever had. I figured that I should knuckle down and try to watch heaps of different films before I (hopefully) become obsessed with Star Wars 7 next week. As always, I'd love to discuss any of the films below, and if you have any further viewing suggestions they would be greatly appreciated!
Brief Encounter (1945) - Dir. David Lean:
A beautiful tale of forbidden love that fondly reminded me of Lost In Translation. The film couldn't possibly work if the two lead performances weren't good, and luckily they're fantastic: emotive and richly nuanced. For most of the film, their romance is physically expressed in subtle but meaningful gestures, such as the brush of a hand or the flicker of an eye, and it's consistently believable and authentic. 9/10
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962) - Dir. David Lean:
It was interesting going from Lean's short, small-scale story about forbidden love to a very long film that is practically unmatched in its scope and visual splendour. This proves that Lean was an excellent filmmaker regardless of the size of his project. And I'll admit it: this was my first time watching Lawrence Of Arabia in its entirety. And what a fantastic entirety it is. I was obviously expecting great things, but I was still surprised by how truly fantastic Peter O'Toole's performance as Lawrence (and his character's development) was. My fears about the length quickly proved irrational, as I soon forgot about the immense running time because everything presented on screen was so compelling and impressively helmed. The Blu-Ray transfer is jaw-dropping. 10/10
High Society (1956) - Dir. Charles Walters:
High Society is a musical reworking of The Philadelphia Story with a great cast including Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Celeste Holm. All the cast members are in fine form and the songs are seamlessly integrated and well performed, even if they aren't all that memorable. It's not particularly special, but it's fun and very easy to watch. 7.5/10
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928) - Dir. Carl Dreyer:
Contains what may be the finest dramatic acting I've seen in a silent film and some bold uses of cinematic technique. The use of jarring, disorienting close ups and editing in the scene in which Joan is confronted with the torture device was incredible. 9.5/10
Marnie (1964) - Dir. Alfred Hitchcock:
A relatively under appreciated Hitchcock that I was pleasantly surprised by. Tippi Hedren occasionally overacts, but is mostly brilliant as Marnie, a compulsive thief and liar with a deeply rooted fear of the colour red, thunder and the touch of men. Sean Connery is her simultaneously charming and creepy employer who tries to help her confront her fears and thieving ways, in a career-best performance that makes me wish that Connery had worked with Hitchcock more often. What unfolds is an emotionally intense but ultimately touching thriller with a powerful revelation. It has some implausibilities and inconsistencies, but it's still certainly recommended. 8.5/10
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) - Dir. Satashi Kon:
A refreshingly different, moving and meticulously constructed Christmas tale, with some excellent visuals and editing. Satashi Kon is really impressing me as a filmmaker, he's one of the only animation filmmakers I've seen who fully utilises the medium. 8.5/10
Chariots Of Fire (1981) - Dir. Hugh Hudson:
It's convincingly acted, well shot and Vangelis' score is rousing and deservedly iconic. A totally decent and entertaining film, but it never really transcended standard biopic material for me. 7.5/10
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Dir. Irvin Kershner:
I hadn't seen this in a few years so I figured I'd revisit it before The Force Awakens (I still can't get over the fact that in less than three days there's a new Star Wars coming out!). I'd forgotten just how good looking these movies are, and not just in terms of visual effects. The cinematography is actually quite visually compelling and the production design holds up seamlessly. The performances are better than the first film, the production value has been raised and it hits harder on an emotional level. However, as much as I like to make fun of the prequels for their laughable dialogue, this one still has a couple of cringeworthy stretches. Apart from that though, I have no complaints. 9/10
Jaws (1975) - Dir. Steven Spielberg:
It really is a marvel that Jaws turned out as good as it is. It's a film with a b-movie premise that's hugely elevated by excellent craftsmanship and compelling characters. Certainly one of my favourite Spielbergs, alongside Raiders, Minority Report and A.I. Also, another fantastic-looking Blu-Ray. 9.5/10
Wild Strawberries (1957) - Dir. Ingmar Bergman:
A warm and wise tale of a geographical and spiritual journey, full of heart and featuring an astonishing lead performance. Apologies for the short review but I don't think I can verbally encapsulate how much I loved this film. 10/10
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) - Dir. George Roy Hill:
As a huge western fan, I was sadly underwhelmed when I first saw this. After giving it a second chance I still don't think it's absolutely brilliant, but it has much more going for it then I first gave it credit. The performances, dialogue, editing, Conrad Hall's legendary cinematography and the classic, banter-ous relationship between Butch & Sundance are all excellent. I love the sequence in which they attempt to rob a Bolivian bank, forget what to say in Spanish, go back home to rehearse and come back, only to still have to glance at notes. I still have a few issues with it though, notably the poor handling of Katherine Ross' character and the triangular romance, both poorly developed aspects of the film. Nonetheless, it's a fun and technically competent romp. 8/10
The Graduate (1967) - Dir. Mike Nichols:
I'd heard countless things about how great it was but I was still blown away. I've really liked everything I've seen from Mike Nichols so far, but this blew them all out of the water. Not only is it hilarious, impeccably acted and sharply written, but I was totally stunned by the excellent editing and visual storytelling. There were frequent moments where I stopped and went frame by frame to interpret the genius and imaginative cutting and I found the many visual ideas conveyed by the cinematography quite inspiring as a budding filmmaker. I haven't been able to get it out of my head, and I have a strong feeling that I'll be re-watching it countless times. Also, I now understand the finale of Wayne's World 2! 10/10
So overall a mammoth week. I'm seeing Terrance Mallick's Knight Of Cups tomorrow, and I'm really excited! Has anyone seen it, if so I'd love to know what you thought?
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u/ABothersomeMan Dec 14 '15
Bit late to the party but I'll post anyway. Didn't watch as much as I usually do this week.
Face In The Crowd (Elia Kazan, 1957)
What a great film this is. In a similar vain to Meet John Doe this film tells the story of a man who gains celebrity status basically overnight and how it affects him in the long run. This film is so so relevant today some 60 years later. It seems Kazan and Schulberg (the writer) were able to predict society and the state of the media with such accuracy. This is also the feature film debut of a gorgeous Lee Remick. If you liked Meet John Doe you'll definitely like this film. I'm surprised this film isn't more well known. 8/10
Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)
Cast and crew commentary
For the most part this commentary was just some anecdotes about the filming and writing process from some of the actors and writers without any real relevance to what was on the screen. The best bits were when Scorsese or Ballhaus (the cinematographer) would jump in and explain how they did a shot or some of the lighting choices. These technical details I find the most interesting when listening to commentaries so I wish there was more of that, but overall still a great commentary and worth a listen.
Talk To Her (Pedro Almodóvar, 2002)
I am very conflicted about this film. The film was well done and the story was told in an interesting way but there were some things that just don't sit right with me. Firstly, this film features a bull fighting scene in which a real bull was harmed. I really don't think this is okay and thought we had moved on from this sort of thing. I am unable to conjure any sympathy for the character that gets injured participating in this activity. Then there was the second instance in which I feel the film was trying to evoke sympathy for a character that does something which is really quite unforgivable. If anyone else has seen this film I'd like to know how you felt after watching this. Maybe some of this was kind of the point of the film but I don't know. 7/10
Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, 1995)
While I found this film mildly enjoyable I'm not really sure I 'got' it. Some of Jarmusch's other films would definitely be in my top X of all time so naturally I thought I'd love this one too. I guess I was a bit disappointed I didn't like this a whole lot but I guess with every director there will be some films that you just don't connect with. The best part for me was seeing Robert Mitchum, one of my favourite classic Hollywood actors, in the part of a grumpy factory boss. Hearing him thunder out his lines is always a treat for me. 6/10
The Major and the Minor (Billy Wilder, 1942)
Nice little comedy movie by Billy Wilder. His first US movie in fact. Pretty funny movie full of some rather awkward situations. So far I've liked all the Wilder films I've seen, I hear there are some bad ones but I'm avoiding them for the moment. Ginger Rogers is adorable, as usual.
Highlights for me were a rather smooth pick up line involving the German invasion of France. Another great moment was seeing a school of girls imitating the Veronica Lake look.
I enjoyed this as much as Wilder's later, more well known comedies so would definitely recommend it.8/10
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (David Zucker, 1988)
After a long and stressful day I needed something easy to watch, this was definitely the thing for that. Usually I'm not big on spoof movies but I think I may only be basing that on the crap that they call spoof movies in recent times.
The gags in this movie went so far beyond ridiculous which made them all the more funny. I think it was clever in knowing just how long to keep a gag going so that it didn't lose its effect. There was also a lot of stuff here that I haven't seen done in other movies. There were also a lot of subtle jokes here that I don't think everyone would immediately notice. My favorite example of this was when Leslie Nielsen walks around the set for a wall rather than walking through the door like the rest of the actors.
Definitely recommend for a good laugh. Will be watching the sequels at some point in the near future, I can only hope they're as good as this one. 8/10
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee,2000)
Quite liked this film. Good story and very well shot. American films really need to take lessons from films like this for how to shoot action sequences. There were many martial arts sequences here which were shot in such a superb way that it was always coherent and you actually have a sense of space. Another great thing about this film was all the fantastic scenery and sets. Some really nice looking temples and exteriors were used. 7/10
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Wallace Worsley,1923)
Pretty good silent film. Lon Chaney really is the man with 1000 faces. He's completely unrecognisable in this role. I read that there are still some scenes missing from this film, it kind of seems that way as there is a character who serves no real purpose to the story. I also thought some of the title cards were a bit awkward at times. I'm guessing this was because they were directly taken from the Victor Hugo novel. Pretty interesting film, glad I watched it. 7/10
I've also been slowly getting through the documentary series The Story of Film: An Odyssey which is really fantastic and has added quite a few titles to my watch list. If you're subscribed to this subreddit you're almost certain to love it.
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Dec 13 '15 edited Dec 14 '15
Didn't have much time to talk about the movies.
Lincoln (Steven Spielberg, 2012)
Overall it was pretty dull. The performances were all good except for JGL. I still think Joaquin Phoenix should've gotten the Oscar ahead of DDL.
3/5
Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996)
Really hilarious yet dark movie. Ewan McGregor is great. I love the quick cut editing with the music. Really looking forward to Porno now.
4.5/5
The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
Really suspenseful crime film. Obviously most people have seen it or know about it already. Hopkins is great. Jodie Foster was good. It was a much slower pace then I was expecting, but I still very much enjoyed it.
4/5
Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick)
Kubrick's final masterpiece. This reviews from people on this film seem to be split down the middle. Some say it was bad due to Kubrick dying shortly before the final cut. Some say it's his best work ever. While I don't think it's his best film, it is still an amazing one. Kubrick managed to capture one of the most believable on-screen relationships between Cruise and Kidman. I realise they were together outside of the movie, but he somehow managed to get them to show that same affection on screen. The score was brilliant and tense. Towards the end I couldn't take my eyes of the screen.
4.5/5
Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2014) Rewatch
A modern masterpiece. I adore everything about this film. From the brilliant performances, to the set design, to the intense music.
5/5
Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002)
PTA somehow manages to make someone I despise, give one of the best and heartbreaking performances ever. This movie broke away from Kubrick's ensemble cast and intertwining story lines that we see in Boogie Nights and Magnolia. We just focus on Adam Sandler's character.
4.5/5 (Was tempted to give it a 5, maybe after rewatch)
The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011)
What the fuck happened. The Tree of Life is one of the most beautifully shot movies I've ever seen. The movie itself left me with a sense of sadness and emptiness by the end. Malick managed to make a movie that consisted of limited dialogue, leave a huge impact on me. I don't think there was one scene where two characters actually had a conversation that really impacted the storyline. The movie was not about Brad Pitt's family I think. I am really not sure though. I'll have to watch it again. 4.5/5
Inside Out (Pete Docter/Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015)
How is this suppose to be one of the best Pixar movies ever made? For me it is not even close to Ratatouille, Wall-E, Toy Story 1+2. There were some funny moments. "Forget it Jake, it's Cloudtown." was funny. Other then that it didn't seem like anything special.
2.5/5
Crimson Peak (Guillermo del Toro, 2015)
The amount of effort put into this movie was amazing. Every single scene was designed to perfection when it comes to costumes, sets and locations. Overall it was definitely one of the better films I've seen this year. Jessica Chastain was also great in it.
3.5/5
Burn After Reading (Coen Brothers, 2008) Rewatch
While the characters fell like a Coen Brother movie, the rest of it doesn't. I don't mean it's a bad thing. I enjoy different movies. This movie definitely has one of my favourite endings of all time as well.
4/5
The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
How does PTA do it. Even though he only has 7 films, you can see how he has progressed as a film maker. I have seen all of his films and love all of them. He started of making these fast paced movies with huge ensemble casts and intertwining plots. His more recent movies have been slower paced, focusing on one or two people. Joaquin Phoenix and PSH give some of the best performances that I've ever seen. Everything about this film was amazing.
5/5
The Drop (Michael R. Roskam, 2014)
A solid crime story with good performances. The movie itself was fairly slow paced. At times it felt a little too slow paced for the story it had. The performances are all solid with standout ones from Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini. The best part about Tom Hardy is his physical acting. With very limited words, you are able to find out the type of character that Tom Hardy is. Just by the way he walks and how he handles himself. I enjoyed how gritty it was and did not shy away from anything, but did not get to ridicules.
3.5/5
Dope (Rick Famuyiwa, 2015)
It was dope I guess. I thought all the characters were interesting and most of the actors gave good performances. The only problem I had with it were some of the themes that it was trying to push on you. Especially at the end when it turned into a Scorsese film and he just threw everything on you. I enjoyed the plot. It was fast paced and I was interested in seeing what was going to happen next.
3.5/5
Munich (Steven Spielberg, 2005)
It was alright I guess. It was well shot and had some intense scenes. The rest of it just fell short. I felt it was a little too long. It also had one of the worst sex scenes I've ever seen. I liked how they didn't hold back from the violence.
3.5/5
Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho, 2003)
One of the best crime films I've ever seen. It had a great plot and script. The film was well shot. It managed to capture a sense of hopelessness and fear. The performances were all great and every character was believable. I enjoyed how some of the moments were comedic, yet it was able to keep it's dark tone.
5/5
Miller's Crossing (Coen Brothers, 1990)
A beautifully shot film. Especially in the forest scenes. The performances were all good. It had the right level of Coen brothers ridiculousness.
4.5/5
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u/I2ichmond Dec 14 '15
I think Birdman is the most overrated film in a while. It truly lacks subtext.
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u/FloydPink24 Dec 13 '15
The Apartment dir. Billy Wilder, 1960 – Rewatch. A perfect comedy screenplay, wryly written and performed and, just like Some Like It Hot, not afraid to make light of touchy subjects. Clever direction and choice of dispensing information – I think it’s quite clear why Hitchcock liked this one so much because the touch with the broken mirror is something totally out of his rulebook. 5/5
Bridge of Spies dir. Steven Spielberg, 2015 – Liked it quite a bit. Probably the best of the films I’ve seen this Oscar season (which tbf isn’t that many). It just oozes class; really slick, intelligent filmmaking from guys who are absolute pros at what they do (Spielberg, Kaminski, Hanks). There are an impressive number of cinematic/image-based sequences here in what is a very wordy, lawman’s script and it’s good seeing Spielberg using the camera so visually again. Beautiful opening sequence. Also thought it was tremendously well shot by Janusz Kaminski with the use of contrasting colour palettes and the choice of lighting. Shooting on celluloid gave it a real kind of grit in the grain as well that added to the nostalgic overall picture. Looks like there could be some really great work this year across the board cinematography wise; Sicario was really striking and I expect Lubezki to pull out the stops, Robert Richardson shooting on 70mm will be quite something too. 4/5
Tropic Thunder dir. Ben Stiller, 2008 – Painfully unfunny, really lame comedy with plenty of satirical references to other movies and general celebrity nonsense. Probably funny if you’re thirteen. 1/5
Lawrence of Arabia dir. David Lean, 1962 – Oh man, this is why I watch movies. Absolutely jaw-dropping. I was very impressed with the sound design (cruelly underappreciated given how good it looks image wise) and how it created this personification of the desert and the heat. It’s also extremely well cut together and there’s always this sense that Lean’s thinking as an editor at all times when directing (sweet jesus that match cut). Lots of really bold choices. I think Ebert nailed this when he said how it has much more in common with something like 2001 than Bridge on the River Kwai; it deals in thinks that are not communicable any other way than through image and emotion and suggestion. 5/5
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u/crichmond77 Dec 13 '15 edited Dec 13 '15
Star ratings are out of five. Responses welcome.
The Phantom Carriage (1921) - ★★★
The Phantom Carriage may contain the best visual effects for its time of any film I've seen. And what's more, they're essential for the story and used just the right amount.
Visually, this film is impressive. The usage of variously colored tints conveys visual information easily and quickly while the usage of spotlight lighting and isolated framing creates a sense of timelessness, as if we're looking at a series of moving portraits. Unfortunately, this lighting method also leads to a lot of overexposed shots.
The narrative is told almost entirely through flashback, but the alternating perspective of those flashbacks and muddled chronology make it more than fine.
The pacing is, as Matt Glasby so hilariously puts it, "slower than death itself," and the outcome is entirely predictable thanks to this essentially being a more Gothic, Swedish version of A Christmas Carol. The message of the film is pretty overt: don't be a dick; it'll come back to haunt you.
The alcoholism angle is approached interestingly: at some points it feels like the Raison D'être for Sjostrom, and at other points it feels like a mere byproduct of some more ubiquitous human evilness. In one scene, a man attempts to take one sip of beer and is told by Edyth: "Don't be pulled under." Kinda over the top, especially because said dude almost immediately neglects his drink, walks out, and accepts Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into his tender heart, thus avoiding the wicked path of the alcohol-imbibing sinner. I get that it's the 1920's, but things just aren't that black and white.
Greenberg (2010) - ★★1/2
Noah Baumbach always engages me in his films, whether or not I like them much (generally I do), and for that, I'm appreciative. Greenberg is no different in that regard.
Characters dealing with depression, disillusionment, or aimlessness are staples in Baumbach's canon, as are awkward conversations and sudden urges to travel irresponsibly. In a lot of ways, this is more of the same. And yet, this film feels very different. It's more detached from its characters and its script, the motivations of the characters herein are not nearly as evident, and Greenberg himself is certainly the most unlikable person Baumbach has penned.
The problem for me is that although there are obvious reasons for Greenberg to be in the place he is and there are obvious reasons someone would lash out at others if they had this personality and this situation, Greenberg is neither intelligent enough to justify his impressive self-absolution in the face of obvious fault nor fleshed out enough for the complexities of his mental illness to mesh with our viewing.
Instead we get a man who is obviously at least somewhat intelligent, at least somewhat creative, and currently at at least somewhat of a crossroads, who is a LOT more than somewhat of an asshole. There just aren't enough redemptive moments between the assholery for us to empathize much or for us to buy that the people around him still put up with him, much less like him.
There are Charlie Kaufman-esque moments scattered throughout the film, in which mundane reality and everyday conversation is unmasked for the double-and-triple-meaning connotations of interaction we all realize are there after the fact: A woman you're sitting with who's anxious about the waitress taking her order is in fact a woman who wants to stop sitting with you as soon as possible. When these moments happen, they're fantastic, but they're much scarcer here than in Kaufman's work, or in films like The Squid and the Whale or Frances Ha.
James Murphy's music isn't exactly highlighted, which is a bit of a disappointment, though the soundtrack is otherwise pretty fun.
Stiller gives a good performance, although there were a few moments that felt strangely under-performed. Gerwig is fantastic as always.
I wish Baumbach had done more with the camera and the editing here. As is, it serves more as a distraction than an enhancement.
Animal Farm (1954) - ★
What awful shit. I feel like anyone giving a good review to this film probably lives by the rule that animated films are immune from criticism.
Let me start by saying that I don't think the original novella this is based on is deserving of its rarefied status. It's not bad by any means, but it's not doing anything particularly interesting. For its time I'm sure it was forward, but now instead of being prophetic it's just rehashing in a fairly straightforward manner.
But I digress. Regardless of how you feel about the novella, this 72 minute piece of shit is hard to swallow. There's literally not one instance of dialogue. Again, in a film comprised of cartoon animals, there is NO DIALOGUE. The closest we get is an interjection by one of the pigs during the other's speech. Most of the story is driven forward by dry, thoughtless voiceover that adds nothing in the way of framing and only serves to describe what we can already plainly see occurring in the animation.
The animation itself ranges from unimpressive to dreadful, with every character absurdly similar in appearance to the work's view of them. If you've never read Animal Farm, you can still tell who the "good guys" and "bad guys" are thanks to who's got a constant frown on their face and who doesn't. And of course the puppies go from being cute little puppies to being snarling, black figures that resemble the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts more than any animal.
The film is painstakingly similar to the events of the novella, which would normally be a good thing, but in this case they're so concerned with being true to what they're adapting they forgot to fill in the gaps with their own art. And the one thing they do change is the ending. Boy, that's really the cherry on top. Animal Farm's memorable, dark ending is totally foregone with some bullshit, "sound the trumpets and stand up against communism thing" they tack on.
It's amazing that over 72 minutes this film manages to be so boring, unoriginal, unfunny, and utterly incapable of provoking thought or emotion.
Bad Santa (2003) - ★
I hated every minute of this. Came decently close to the ultra-rare 1/10 rating. If anyone wants me to go into detail about all the things I hated, just ask.
Spring Breakers (2012) - ★★★1/2
My first experience with Harmony Korine. Spring Breakers has and will continue to completely alienate most viewers, and that's totally understandable from where I'm sitting. Even if it weren't for the repetition of lines and moments, the odd color tones, the somewhere-in-between-reality-and-pretend-reality style of acting, and the oddball editing, specifically the gun-cock-laiden scene transitions, the focus of the film itself and the manner in which it not only refuses to tone down the excess it focuses on but actually even ratchets it up (holy fuck that was a run-on sentence) is unnerving and difficult to get a read on.
There are the obvious forays into the subjects of hedonism, moral decay, nihilism, and emptiness, but there are also some more buried tangents concerning race relations and the role of religion in modern society. I don't wanna give Korine more credit than he deserves here, because this is not exactly a tightly knit work, and at least on first viewing it's hard to say whether he has much to say or just wants people to soak in the images and let it ferment.
I haven't felt this unsure about my reaction to a film since Eraserhead, and to me that's a good sign. Definitely one that needs re-watching.
Re-watches:
The LEGO Movie (2014) - ★★★★ (Seen twice)
The Birth of a Nation (1915) - ★★★ (Seen twice)
Star Wars (1977) - ★★★★ (Seen 10+ times)
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u/R1otous Dec 14 '15
Force Majeure (2015, dir. Ruben Ostlund) 5/5
A family holiday goes awry when the father is forced to confront his character flaws.
I thought this was superb. The stark, static shots and the white landscape provide the ideal backdrop for this relationship in crisis drama. Full of tension and completely relatable dialogue. I actually watched the second half with my nine-year old stepson (who came home from school halfway through) and he happily sat for around an hour watching, reading the subtitles, and asking questions about various aspects of the plot every so often. I was impressed that he sat patiently through a subtitled film which I guess shows how engaging it is.
It's A Wonderful Life (1946, dir. Frank Capra) 3/5
Guardian angel helps a man realise his life has been worthwhile in this holiday classic.
I think the tradition of watching It's A Wonderful Life is more of an American thing, but it's easy to see why. Relatively straightforward message about the richness of friendship and the corrupting power of wealth, acted wonderfully by James Stewart. I guess I was disappointed because I had high expectations, I thought the first hour or so was kind of ponderous and it took a while to get to the point. The climax however, is great. My stepson watched all of this one, he said he liked it but I don't think it was a hit with him in the way some of the older stuff we've watched together has been.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015, dir. Matthew Vaughn) 3/5
Rough-edged London teenager adopted into gentlemanly intelligence agency in action packed spy film tribute.
I didn't actually realise this was a Matthew Vaughn film when I sat down to watch it. When I looked it up some 30 minutes in however I wasn't surprised. Knowing nods to Bond, Bourne, Jack Bauer and even Men In Black, standard spy film plot, some mind blowing set pieces. This was a whole heap of fun but a couple of plot elements really bothered me, which stops me from giving this a four.
Before Sunrise (1995, dir. Richard Linklater) 5/5
Strangers who meet on a train wander around Vienna one evening and fall for each other in the process.
I've given this film 5/5 although it's hard to say why, but I thought it was mesmerizing. I've had similar experiences in my life so I guess I can completely relate to the premise, which helps. But there's just something about two great actors with obvious chemistry wandering around a beautiful city that meant I could barely take my eyes off of it. Even though it was 1am and I was already tired when I put it on. Hadn't seen it before, desperate to watch the sequels now.
His Girl Friday (1940, dir. Howard Hawks) 4/5
An enthusiastic newspaper editor recruits his ex-wife to help him break a story.
The dialogue in this film is wonderful. The plot is a little convoluted at times and it degenerates into farce on occasion but the script plus two great lead performances make this one work.
Star Wars (1977, dir. George Lucas) 5/5
The Empire Strikes Back (1980, dir. Irvin Kershner) 4/5
Return of the Jedi (1983, dir. Richard Marquand) 3/5
A young farmer is thrust headfirst into a galactic war between forces of good and evil.
There's not much to say about Star Wars that hasn't already been said. I rewatched the trilogy partly to reacquaint myself with the story ahead of The Force Awakens, partly because my wife had never seen them, and partly because I spending the weekend dressed as Obi Wan at work for a Star Wars day and I want to, ahem, "research my role."
I've lumped the three films together here but they all really work as standalone films, which I think helps with their appeal. You can watch Empire without seeing the previous instalment and still feel immersed in the story, the struggle, and the universe. I actually think that A New Hope is a better film than Empire Strikes Back but there's not a lot in it. A New Hope is such a brilliant little film though, and easily one of the most important ever made.
Return of the Jedi is my least favourite of the three, I think in part because it doesn't offer a huge amount that is different from the first two, and what it does do different has aged a lot. It looks very of its time. Jabba's dance party looks like a Muppets movie, or Labyrinth or something. It feels too much like a kids film in many places, but it does provide a pretty satisfying ending to the trilogy. After not having seen these films for years, and never being that big a fan anyway, I'm now actually pretty excited for The Force Awakens.
Bridge of Spies (2015, dir. Steven Spielberg) 5/5
A New York lawyer defends a Soviet spy and goes on to negotiate a tense prisoner exchange between the US and Soviet Union.
There's a certain expectation of what a Spielberg/Hanks film is going to be like, and this met every one of them without seeming formulaic. Mark Rylance is a stand out in his role as the captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, and seems like a decent bet for an Oscar win. The Coen Brothers' sharpening of Matt Charman's script, particularly in the latter stages, helps the film shine. There are few better ways to spend a Friday evening. Really enjoyed this one.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999, dir. George Lucas) 3/5
Young Anakin Skywalker is recruited by two Jedi Knights who believe him to be the chosen one.
I was surprised when I got home from work this (Sunday) evening when my wife suggested this as our evening viewing, given that she was disappointed with Return of the Jedi. I don't really know what to say about this film, I saw it in the cinema when it was released but hadn't seen it since, and it was really hard to care about all the political stuff. Some cool visuals and concepts but it turns into an animated feature eventually and a lot of the CGI takes you out of the film. I've given it 3/5 but I'm not suggesting that it is as good a film as Return of the Jedi, rather that I enjoyed roughly the same amount.
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Dec 14 '15 edited Dec 14 '15
Quiet movie week otherwise and I know this isn't r/truetelevision but i've been enjoying The Knick, Fargo & Bloodline far too much to watch more movies that i otherwise would have
El Norte (1983) Gregory Nava ★★★★ 1/2
Fantastic and compelling movie about a brother and sister escaping persecution from the Guatemalan government. Acting performances from the two siblings were great and for a 1983 movie this was a pretty richly colourful and well shot movie, it's definitely deserving of a criterion release. Movie of the week!
The Lunchbox (2013) Ritesh Batra ★★★★
On recommendation of Indian cinematic realism, i tried this one out and it was really enjoyable about a tiffin delivery gone-wrong that ends up being an anonymous letter exchange between two people from different walks of life. Both performances were great, there's something about irfan khan's (from life of pi) well-spoken and articulate presence that captivates.
Marrakech Express (1989) Gabriele Salvatores - ★★★★
This is quite an enjoyably heart-warming and light-hearted road movie slash adults reuniting after childhood to rescue an old friend caught up in trouble in Morocco, italian film.
Sheltering Sky (1990) Bernardo Bertolucci ★★★★
One glimpse at the cover and screenshots is compelling enough to warrant a viewing of this beautifully shot meditation on travel. Contains a few weak plot directions but otherwise it's quite an enjoyable and subtle film exploring identity and culture, isolation and death.
Crimes & Misdemeanours (1989) Woody Allen ★★★1/2
Nowhere near as perfect a meditation on ethics and 'karma' as the acclaimed Match Point, but it was an enjoyable film none the less.
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) Werner Herzog ★★★
Constantly compared with Apocalypse Now but i just could not get into it. I know there is an element of forgiveness that comes from a small budget but this just felt like a student film project, irrespective of it's pensive meditative ambience delving into the far reaches of the mind and human insanity and the isolation of a foreign landscape, it just felt comedically amateur.
Midnight Express (1978) Alan Parker ★★
The premise was interesting but the delivery was awful, terrible acting and an awfully racist undercurrent. Was surprised to see the villain from Kindergarten Cop as the protagonist but after an hour realised why he was in the role.
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u/skywalkingluke Dec 13 '15
In Another Country (2012) This is the story of three different Anne’s, all of whom are french film directors and played by the same woman. But Anne(s) are only characters in a young girl’s screenplay, which she’s writing to pass the time. The stories take place in Mohang, a seaside town and are filmed so realistically, it’s hard to remember that it’s a movie and not a quasi documentary. There are digital zooms and moving cameras awkwardly to capture the right frame. The sounds of the sea and wind are harsh against the microphone and all the images are crisp and clean - no cinematic wash. The characters drift between believable and not. I was annoyed by all of these elements when the movie started, but by the end, I loved them. I haven’t seen any other Hong Sang-Soo movies, so I don’t know if this is how he films, or if it’s a reflection of the young girl’s scripts. Either way, it’s a quirky movie with heart. 7/10
The Passenger (1975) The longer I think about The Passenger, the further it flows away from me. I want to grab onto to something, but there’s nothing solid. Jack Nicholson plays the role of the British-American outsider perfectly and lets the film unravel around him in such a strange way that the viewer is left to go along with it. The plot could have been hammered into a thriller, but Antonioni doesn’t do that. I’m not sure what to call it, but it drifts. I don’t think I’ll be able to put it properly into words for a long time; I can’t properly fit it into an “out of ten” scale either.
Elena (2012) I think I love Zvyagintsev. I’ve only seen this and Leviathan, but both are such powerful, controlled movies about the darkness of humanity and modern life. Elena is about greed, family, love, class, all rolled away and hidden in plump retired nurse Elena. How could she be anything but kind? Zvyagintsev creates a family drama that slowly reveals itself, completely objectively. The camera only ever follows characters, the score repeats the same piece over and over which changes depending on its context. There’s a beauty found in the cold wash of modern Russia and in the darkness of the characters. I think there’s a lot to be found from the opening and closing shots: the crows have left the barren tree by the end of the movie. 10/10
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) Ever since watching Crash, I can’t help but being strangely attracted to young James Spader, and somehow I’ve never seen a Soderbergh movie. So, this was perfect. The movie is enticing and sexual dragged me into it completely. I want to give credit to the script and the actors for creating such well-rounded characters, but I feel as though there are some hidden tricks in the directing that really pulled me in, but I can’t point out. It was a strange combination of a Hollywood drama and an art film. There are some gorgeous close-ups which only make the mid and wide shots that less beautiful. I guess that’s one of the movie’s themes though. You don’t really know anyone until you get intimate enough to be vulnerable and see their vulnerabilities. 9/10
I just signed up for Letterboxd and I'd love to follow some other Truefilm users to grab recommendations from! https://letterboxd.com/wessex/
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u/Inception_025 Dec 13 '15
Welcome to Me directed by Shira Pivan (2015) ★★
Kristen Wiig gives a really good performance here, as a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins the lottery and starts a talk show about her life. Other than that, the rest of the movie is very in the middle. It’s not good, not bad. Just totally average. The humor never makes you laugh, just cringe, and sometimes smile. It’s a very uncomfortable comedy. And even though it’s so uncomfortable and the humor is at expense of the protagonist, it’s sweet. It has a heart, but it’s just a little dull and uninteresting.
The Wolfpack directed by Crystal Moselle (2015) ★★1/2
A decent documentary that could have been so much more. I liked this film about 7 kids who grew up locked away in an apartment in Manhattan, learning about the world through movies. It’s a very interesting subject, and it lends for some very strange moments, as the subjects of the doc don’t really understand how to act in social situations. They’re all very strange people, forgivably of course, but strange none the less. My complaint about the film is how generic the style of the doc is. The style of this doc should reflect the subjects, and when you have subjects as weird as this, why make a very ordinary, cookie cutter doc? The best moments in the film come when we’re watching them reenacting their favorite films. They should have used more of those scenes to help tell the story in a creative way. I don’t know, just my opinion. It just felt very generic in approach.
Danny Collins directed by Dan Fogelman (2015) ★1/2
This movie is just way too much of a generic heart warmer. It’s all cliché, it’s all stuff we’ve seen a billion times in every single “reconnecting with a lost child” movie. Its goal is to make us smile and tug on our heart strings, and though I did occasionally smile, I never felt emotional during this film. It was just so predictable and honestly dull. Al Pacino and Bobby Cannavale were both great, I’d go so far as to say that this is a comeback from the usual stuff Pacino has been doing recently, he does a very good job in this film, and Cannavale is very well cast as his son. But everything around them was just so generic and dull. I’m surprised the same guy who wrote Crazy Stupid Love, which subverted so many clichés and genre tropes did this, which fell into every cliché possible.
The End of the Tour directed by James Ponsoldt (2015) ★★★★
My first great movie of the week! I loved The End of the Tour a lot, it’s everything people have been saying it is and more. This film is just about a conversation between two very interesting people. Two brilliant minds talking for days. One of them successful, one of them not. But they both want the life that the other one has. The two men are both so interesting to think about, especially David Foster Wallace, expertly portrayed by Jason Segel. David Foster Wallace is so compelling because he’s so intelligent, so full of life, and yet he’s just so deeply sad. He’s found success but he doesn’t want it, he just wants to be left alone in his small town Illinois house with his two big dogs. It’s really a great film. It’s so well written, the acting is great, and James Ponsoldt has finally fulfilled the potential that I’ve seen in him since I saw Smashed. Now I just need to crack open my copy of Infinite Jest that’s been sitting on my bedside table for months now.
The Peanuts Movie directed by Steve Martino (2015) ★★★
When this was first announced, I was so skeptical. Actually, I was skeptical all the way until it had good reviews and it was in theaters. Now, seeing it, I can’t believe I was ever skeptical at all, this movie is awesome. I’ll focus mainly on the animation style, because that’s what sold it most of all for me. The combination of CG and hand drawn 2D animation here really makes it unique and charming. The faces are all drawn on, the hearts in the air are all drawn, and the dirt cloud coming off of Pig Pen is drawn on. It adds another layer to the film’s animation, and it makes it stand out as one of the most creatively directed animations this year. The film as a whole deserves the praise it’s getting, I’ve never paid much attention to the old Charlie Brown movies, but this has me wanting to go watch them. You know what? I’ve decided to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas soon.
Film of the Week - The End of the Tour
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u/awesomeness0232 Dec 14 '15
Amarcord (Federico Fellini, 1973)
This is one of those movies that I bought, it sat on my shelf for a month, and then when I finally got around to watching it I couldn't believe how long I'd let it sit their. Rather than rely on a tight narrative, Amarcord was a pretty loosely structured, but beautifully crafted autobiographical work from Fellini. It was such a perfect portrait of life and growing up in the way that it was fun and lighthearted, yet it forced you to remember that life can be difficult and sometimes tragic.
Rififi (Jules Dassin, 1955)
Like Amarcord, this one was on the shelf for a while, and also like Amarcord I can't figure out why. I loved this heist tale because, unlike modern heist movies, it really focused on showing you the planning and execution of the heist. It didn't try to be overly flashy or glorify the lifestyle of a thief. It provided a protagonist who the audience knows from the beginning to be less than moral, and tells the tale of desperately seeking wealth through the least noble means possible. The final sequence was breathtakingly well executed, and I absolutely loved this film as a whole.
The Red House (Delmer Daves, 1947)
I hadn't even heard of this old mystery movie before the night I watched it, but once I found out it starred the great Edward G. Robinson, I was hooked. It was far from perfect, and the quality of the DVD transfer I watched was atrocious, but it was still a pretty fun and exciting thriller. Robinson's performance was incredible, as he manages to be sympathetic even in a film where he is indisputable the "bad guy".
Mon Oncle (Jacques Tati, 1958)
I continued pushing through my new Tati box set here. This one was just so fun and charming. While Tati's goofy physical humor is always funny, I found the most hilarious part to be his ridiculous family. Watching his sister turn the fountain on and off as guests came and went, and desperately try to preserve her rock garden had me laughing hysterically. His masterful set design really started to come out in this one as well.
The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)
This one was on my list of shame for a long time. I'd seen almost every other important (and a few unimportant) Hitchcock movie. Well, now I've seen it and I can't believe I'd missed it for so long. It was masterfully shot and dripping with suspense. It was interesting how Hitch really pushed the deep focus in this one, with many scenes of characters talking in the foreground, and others listening in and reacting in the background. It immediately became one of my favorite Hitchcock movies, and I can't believe I missed it for so long.
Sisters of the Gion (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1936)
Mizoguchi is hands down my favorite Japanese director, and this movie really shows many of the reasons why. He is as good at any filmmaker ever has been at displaying human emotion. Here we see two sisters, both Geishas. One of them values love, the other wants only to find patrons to support her and her sister financially. It really shows what a person will do to try to get by in the world and what lengths a person will go to to protect those they love, even if it's to a fault.
Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach, 2012)
I think I'm at the right time in life to have watched a movie like this. If I were any younger, or too much older I'm not sure I could've related to it. However, as a young person who is fresh out of college and not totally sure what I want to do with my life or how to make a good living, I really connected with the struggle the characters went through. It was also an interesting tale of friendship and jealousy. My biggest issue with the movie was that the characters had a tendency to be a little too self absorbed. I connected strongly with the message, but the characters, particularly Frances and Sophie, could be a little alienating at times.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (Lewis Milestone, 1946)
I was drawn into this one by the cast. I mean, how could a movie with Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas NOT be good? Well, they've proven that conclusion correct for the time being. Overall, this was a very intriguing mystery film. It had a way of constantly shifting which characters were sympathetic, and who was the antagonist, without really utilizing any major plot twists. All of the characters were inherently flawed, but it's interesting to see who the truly evil ones are. It was also an interesting role for Kirk Douglas, and not exactly the tough guy I'm used to seeing him portray.
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Dec 14 '15
Spotlight-2015- Was on the fence about seeing this and so freaking glad I did. My favourite movie to go see if you are ADHD of 2015. The dialogue is sharp and rewarding if you follow it. The story builds perfectly and is very interesting. It's really sad too, but doesn't feel that way. Makes me just miss reporting like this, although I don't try and actively read investigative journalism.
Spoiler I loved how it touched on the motivations of the priest, but ever so briefly and thoughtfully. a lot to love about this movie, but I really appreciated this among other small things.
10/10
Return to the 36th Chamber AKA Return of the Master Killer(such a badass title) Pretty good, seemed like a retelling of the first movie, but with more comedy. I suffered a brain injury the last couple months, so a lot of kung fu feels good to get me going.
7.0/10
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u/thelastknowngod Dec 14 '15
Ghost in the Shell
I'm not really into anime at all but I was looking for some hard scifi and this kept coming up. I thought I'd give it a go. Really glad I did. Fantastic film even though the ending was pretty disappointing. It wasn't a bad ending it just kinda.. stopped without any resolution. I might check out some others in the series.
Little Children
Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson are married parents having an affair. It's not a complicated film or even that heavy hitting.. the plot is really simplistic but their acting made it worth watching. I'd give it a solid "yeah that was alright."
Adrift in Tokyo
Was hoping for more of a My Dinner With Andre kind of film. This kind of fell flat to me because it never really seemed like it knew what it wanted to be. The film tries to force an emotional connection between the two main characters but it failed for me because it was interspersed with cartoonish people and jokes. Some of the characters were so unbelievable that it really pulled me out of their world.
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Dec 14 '15 edited Dec 14 '15
New here and late to the post, I have recently watched Bone Tomahawk(2015) S. Craig Zahler, slow burn but I enjoyed the tension and performances.
Unbreakable(2000) M.Night Shyamalan, a very unusual film that I found very engaging, one of Bruce Willis's strongest performances and the story was unlike any film I had previously seen.
There will be blood(2007) Paul Thomas Anderson, firstly the obvious incredible performance by Daniel Day Lewis who never disappoints as well as Paul Dano, loved the story, it was a long film but never felt taxing on me and overall I enjoyed it thoroughly.
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u/montypython22 Dec 13 '15 edited Dec 13 '15
I saw a lot (and I mean, a lot of movies)—new, old, and everything in the middle.
Ranked in order of preference, I’d love to expand my thoughts on any of these:
I ❤ Huckabees (David O. Russell, 2004): ★★★★1/2
This joyous, absurdist, oft-hilarious, pop-philosophical love-letter to everythingness from the Master of (Un)Controlled Rage, David O. Russell, is the movie Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love tries to be.
The plot, such as it is, is a BMW winding up and down the streets of David O. Russell's mind with a reckless abandon, paying no mind to the safety of us, the passengers inside. Roger Ebert says the movie doesn't care about you; perhaps it's more accurate to say the movie doesn't care to change anyone's minds about anything. It is an entity that, like most philosophical text, exists as-is in an irritatingly convoluted structure that takes some work and patience to crack.
But the work does pay off. if you’re charmed by the humor in Russell’s bizarre Katzenjammer jamming of symbols (tuna sandwiches, existential detectives, Tippi Hedren, and mud-sex-scenes), one comes out of I Heart Huckabees not frustrated or confused, but downright elated at its profound hilarity and unconventional soulfulness. It provokes belly-laughs and squeals of delight the likes of which I haven't experienced in a while. It sets itself out to be utterly unconventional in its approach to its fractured characters, who meld and mesh into one another like the raging torrents of a Cassavetes film channeled into an openly plastic screwballsiness. It teeters on the edge of incomprehensibility so often you wonder at what point will it falter. In my view, Russell never trips up. It is entirely appropriate that the film itself be as confusing, convoluted, and Big Sleep-ian as the philosophies our heroes are trying to wrap their heads around. It merges content with style in a (dis)harmonious fashion that makes Russell's film an artistic triumph.
For more on why I ❤ I ❤Huckabees, read on in my longer Letterboxd review here.
Woman They Almost Lynched (Allan Dwan, 1953): ★★★★★
Allan Dwan's proto-feminist Woman They Almost Lynched is an obscure, insane Western that must be seen to be believed. It is so bizarrely female-empowering, frenzied, politically stimulating, uplifting, and downright radical for a Classical Hollywood picture that its very existence defies all known perceptions of what the misjudged decade known as the 1950s must have looked like. For those who think that a black-and-white B-movie western riddled with cliches galore couldn't be more forward thinking than any of the movies released in 2015, think again. Dwan's film is proof positive, not only because of its subversive overtones, but because of its undeniably modern viewpoint.
Two women--a Lemonade Lucy fresh off the stagecoach, and an ostensibly evil harlot who beds all the boys in the saloon and whose two sharp-shooters tantalizingly dangle off her gunbelt like two dildos ready to strike--face off against each other during the Civil War in a jerkwater town on the Arkansas-Missoui border where a staunch-faced female reigns supreme as mayor. Much of the drama comes between the interactions of the women, whom you feel are only being asked to tear each other's throats out because the men demand catfights round-the-clock. Ultimately, however, the girls gotta stick together, and come together in inexplicably crazy ways.
For more on what makes this crummy B-picture a delight, read my Letterboxd review here.
Zero de Conduite (Jean Vigo, 1933): ★★★★1/2
About time I finished up with Vigo’s sadly small filmography. Among his films are the finest, subversive, and elated treats cinema has to offer. Here, we have the granddaddy of all youth movies. From midget schoolmasters to slow-mo pillow-fights to the kids taking over the school, Zero de Conduite is a series of sketches in the lives of youth that remains poignant and moving today.
Joy (David O. Russell, 2015): ★★★★1/2
Joy to the world: a new O. Russell movie!
I am reviewing this for my school's paper, so I got to see this in an advance screening in San Francisco. As a confirmed O. Russell fan, let me just say it: I love it! Nota bene, filmmakers of today: THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE A BIOPIC THAT DOESN’T JUST REGURGITATE FACTS YOU COULD HAVE LEARNED FROM THE SUBJECT’S WIKIPEDIA PAGE.
The haters will hate, but we don't have to listen to their anti-auteurist, cynical cries. The truth of the matter is that O. Russell is consistently one of the most interesting American directors out today, and here with Jennifer Lawrence he makes his most mature film, one that slyly takes the piss out on commercial America and middle-class values through Russell's kinetic, neo-Hawksian bombast. More words soon.
Taris (Jean Vigo, 1931): ★★★★1/2
Says more about beauty and the human condition in 9 minutes than most directors can muster up in 90 minutes.
Reviews of Taris will inevitably note its stop-motion high-jinks, its technical trickery, and Jean Vigo's slick approach to an otherwise lite-banal subject: the celebrated-of-his-day (now forgotten) French swimmer Taris. But a cursory glance of these reviews (both on Letterboxd and on the larger Interwebs) don't satisfy me. Why? Because almost all of them are content with diminishing Taris's bold, philosophical accomplishments, instead labeling it as "Good, but of course it's just a dress rehearsal for L'Atalante." While of course L'Atalante remains Vigo's magnum opus, Taris clarifies, to a shocking degree and in a limited amount of time (a mere 9 minutes), what it means for the artist to put his faith in the hands of God.
For more on this nine-minute masterpiece, read my longer Letterboxd review here!
Un Chien Andalou (Luis Buñuel, 1929): ★★★★
This movie doesn't care about you. It doesn't care that you try to figure out its meanings. (Which it has a multitude of, but none of which are in any way valid.) Buñuel and Dali spit in the face of traditional entertainment, and we perversely join them in his fun. So begins a career of the world's greatest put-on artist: a man (Buñuel) who mercilessly mocks his society (and, by extension, us) and who does it with such zest that we can't help but fall in line with his cackling madness.
Luis Buñuel resembles the cantankerous Mexican/Spanish/Latino grandfather who smokes and drinks an awful lot, recounts the most luridly obscene dirty jokes imaginable to the human mind, and is a master racounteur of nonsensical stories and tall tales that probably never happened. The only difference is that Buñuel the Mexican Grandpa secretly knows more about Freud, dreams and the things that drive us wild with desire than all the professors and psychoanalysts and thinking intellectuals in the world combined.
The Seventh Victim (Val Lewton producing, Mark Robson directing): ★★★★1/2
Val Lewton’s most depressing film. When it starts, a schoolteacher investigates the mysterious disappearance of her sister Jacqueline. When it ends, the world has been turned inside out. You realize Val Lewton has sucked you into his world of ambiguity and chills more than you expected. It rambles along nicely like a mini-B-movie version of The Big Sleep—the plot dances in and out of coherence—then it suckerpunches you with an ending that ranks among the most breath-taking (literally) moments I’ve ever experienced. I had to rewatch it three times just to make sure how I thought it ended was indeed how it ended.
Gloria (John Cassavetes, 1980): ★★★1/2
Weirdest fuckin' Cassavetes film ever.
Gloria is a walking contradiction: a mainstream action flick directed by John Cassavetes. And no, it's not like Killing of a Chinese Bookie, which, though drawing on noir and action genres, is still recognizably a transitory and loosey-goosey independent film by a maverick. Gloria, by contrast, defies all conventional explanation. A traffic jam of filmic modes—Cassavetesian independent acting, conventional buddy-buddy comedy, 70s feminism (Gena Rowlands as an ex-gun moll who kills more people in this movie than Bond and Blofeld combined), cherubish wisecrackin' sidekick (an irritating little boy played with precosciousness by John Adames)—Cass’s yarn shouldn't work, and yet it surprisingly holds up.
For more on where Gloria fits into John Cassavetes’ larger oeuvre, read my Letterboxd review here.
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u/montypython22 Dec 13 '15
Far from Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002): ★★★1/2
Alternate title: Imitation of Sirk.
Certainly high-quality, and yet....there's something utterly plastic about Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven, his admirable effort to revive the halcyon days of Sirkian/Nick Rayian 50s melodrama. Let's not kid ourselves: this movie serves as a bona-fide introduction to the world of Sirk for many younger/un-cinephilic viewers. We can't necessarily fault it for existing as a tribute to the Master of Tears, nor can we chide it for falling short of Ol' Sirk's standards. (There's no way in hell Haynes thinks it should, either.) But nevertheless, there's something downright off about the entire affair: does updating Sirk for the whippersnappers contribute any interesting conversation beyond the obvious "Look at me, I've seen All That Heaven Allows and Imitation of Life a bajillion times and I'll show you the extent of my knowledge of them!" ? Does it have any worth beyond skillful imitation?
For potential answers to those questions and more, read my very long Letterboxd review here.
Legally Blonde (Robert Luketic, 2001): ★★★
Legally Blonde is a Tashlinesque satire that misses most of its marks but remains tangentially interesting with its bizarre brand of feminism and its garishly hotpink, adorable-aggressive protagonist Elle Woods (a pug-faced Reese Witherspoon). Ignoring some trite anti-gay jokes (Elle thinks a witness is gay simply because he commented on her fashion tastes. AND THE MOVIE PROVES HER RIGHT), and ignoring a hilariously ineffectual "Be Yourself!" bend-n-snap music video tossed into this sugary smoothie of a flick for no flipping reason, Legally Blonde takes on the air of female empowerment without doing much to address its rather hypocritical high-class milieu. Elle Woods's salvation, ultimately, is her money and her class, but the filmmakers hilariously expose the corrupt nature of the American justice system through Elle's triumph over evil owing to her bougie knowledge of perming and preening. It is a moment both incredibly ludicrous and lucid. If only Legally Blonde fully committed to its occasionally subversive tones--Elle's move-in day, the Harvard admissions board-meeting, and Elle's annoying "aw-shucks!" chihuahua-mascot are all elements reminiscent of master loon Frank Tashlin's 50s comedy masterpieces--we could have had one of the greatest modern satires of the 21st century. As it stands, it certainly is a rock-sure entertainment, but give me Cher Horowitz from Clueless over Elle Woods any day of the week.
I also re-watched two of my favorite movies with friends who have never seen them: Brian De Palma’s Blow Out (1981, ★★★★★) and, perhaps more relevant to my generation, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood (★★★★★+). The astounding depth of quality in Linklater’s opus becomes clearer and clearer with each re-watch. He directs his actors in such a way as to allow the most mundane nuance in their voice to register with the immediacy of an intricate sonata. One of my favorite scenes, a minute-long conversation which doesn’t last a beat longer than it needs to, involves Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke) making banal chit-chat with his mother-in-law, Olivia’s (Patricia Arquette’s) mother and Mason Jr. and Samantha’s grandmother, at her front door. Their exchange is one of hesistance. We’re watching people who are afraid of letting silence fester and so must go to painstaking lengths to make the other think they’re interested in them, when in fact Mason Sr. couldn’t give less of a damn that the grandmother loves teaching, or that Mason Sr. went to Alaska. “You’re here to stay?” she hostily questions him. “Yes,” he curtly answers back, his voice caught between awkwardness and fear of the future where he’s an actual father-figure to his kids. The moment is naturally ruptured when the kids come out and go with Mason Sr. But the film is peppered with such moments, and they only serve to confirm Boyhood’s endless re-watchability and mundane beauty, which goes beyond the shrill cries of “DAE 12 YEARS?” that the haters will inevitably lob against it. Like The Graduate, Boyhood is a movie that will mean one and one particular thing only to 2015 audiences—“this movie captures my childhood! This movie nails living in the 2010s!” etc. But only in a few years, after we’ve gotten some distance from that awkward and screen-festered decade of Instagram and smartphones, will we understand how deep the rabbit-hole of Linklater’s generous-subtle direction goes.
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u/RevoltingSlob Dec 13 '15
Die Welle (2008). It's a German political drama for those who don't know. I really liked the concept and execution. It wasnt a perfect movie but it definitely kept my attention and was really well done. I was told to watch it by my history teacher in high school 3 years ago. I'm glad I waited until now because I was an immature little shit then.
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u/a113er Dec 13 '15
Deconstructing Harry Directed by Woody Allen (1997)- Alex Ross Perry’s Listen Up Phillip had enough Woody Allen in it to see but until seeing this one from ol’ Woody I hadn’t realised how much Perry was directly inspired. It’s like he took the acerbic darkness of the opening scene of this (and Eric Bogosian) and turned that into a feature length film. Oddly enough I think I preferred Perry’s portrait of the jerk-bag writer and those in their life, but that’s only because Allen’s film ends up becoming a little bit of a retread. As almost always with Allen this film is fun, funny, and thoughtful. This was also his first (I think) R-rated film so there’s an extra layer of authenticity to this story of a writer facing all those in his life he’s drawn from for his writing. When he’s throwing out f-bombs in the midst of a messy argument it feels closer than we’ve ever been to seeing unfiltered Allen as he is. But this new layer of personal reflection brings Allen back to territory a little similar to Stardust Memories. Formally this is far from that Fellini homage but by the end there’s significant crossover and the comparison doesn’t help Deconstructing Harry. Compared to the honest reflection of Stardust Memories this ends up feeling more (near-literally) self-congratulatory and shallow. In Stardust he’s looking at his own ego but here it seems to have taken over a little. This is in stark contrast to the new depths of self-loathing he reaches here. It’s a strange combination of the self-loving and self-hating. As is often the case it’s still a good watch and he packs a surprising amount of depth in a small running time even if it slowly lost me bit by bit as it went on. If you’ve seen it I’d recommend watching the trailer just to see a studio sell a completely different film based on a short sequence at the end of this. I loved stuff like Robin Williams’ out of focus actor, there is still plenty great here to be had, but it’s not quite among my favourites of Allen’s.
Phoenix Directed by Christian Petzold (2014)- Phoenix has a number of elements that could’ve resulted in a much less interesting and affecting film, leaving us with something more portentous than impactful. It’s got a big dramatic (near melodramatic) premise, it’s set in the landscape of Post-WWII Germany dealing with big issues, and has a throwback nature to it. In a way it’s like a Tom Hooper film if his films had the depth and beauty they act like they have. It’s like a reverse-Vertigo in some ways, but feels more like a modern version of post-war melodrama than Hitchcock’s work. Like a lot of aspects of the film the throwback nature to it is one of a light touch. Petzold imbues the film with the look and rhythm of some of these older films but never so much that it becomes a pastiche. Even though the film has a killer premise I don’t think I’ll divulge it here because it takes a little while to reveal itself. Everything about the story would have many other actors and director going as big as possible to wring as much drama out of it as possible but Petzold keeps things restrained until just the right moment when everything is released in one of the best endings of the year. Since seeing the film I re-watched the ending 2 or 3 more times until the rental ran out. Rarely do I do that but rarely is an ending this sublime. It’s a near literal mic drop of an ending. It’s also one I’d kind of had spoiled for me the day I watched the film yet little impact was lost. I’m so glad I gave this film a go as it looked one way and while it skirts close to that it never crosses over. At every turn it was a film of richness and constrained beautiful sadness. Its throwback nature goes beyond making things look nice or whatever, it feels like a real reclamation. Like it’s making up for the stories that went untold after the war, the things we looked away from, the strength that got less due than the forceful kind. I really loved this film, it’s definitely going to end up somewhere on my end of the year list. U.S. folk can check it out now on Netflix I believe and it’s really worth it.
A Room With a View Directed by James Ivory (1985)- My first Merchant/Ivory production and while they ain’t no Archers they make a pretty good period drama/adaptation. Though more cinematic it feels like it’s in the same milieu as the BBC Pride and Prejudice adaptation and stuff like that with a dollop more passion. Both stories also have a connection in their characters as both are about young women in a rigid repressed society who don’t realise who they truly love. Ultimately though in comparing them it doesn’t do A Room With a View too kindly and you can really tell which women’s perspective was actually written by a woman. Overall it’s a decently enjoyable romance drama thing mainly because of the supporting performances from the likes of Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Denholm Elliott, Daniel Day Lewis, and Simon Callow. Daniel Day Lewis in particular is fun to see as he’s more comedic than he usually is now as he’s playing a bit of a dweeb. Ultimately though the romance was what failed to fully grip me because it only feels intermittently present. It’s the kind of film about emotions where you don’t really know how people feel until they say so which isn’t completely gripping. Some folk’ll certainly get more from it than I did as it was mainly light pretty fun for me.
La Notte Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (1961)- Antonioni was my gateway into European art cinema and very quickly I realised how many standard European art films fall under the heading of “Antonioni-esque”. That distanced still step-outside-of-reality feeling, that feeling of deflation, wasn't necessarily born with Antonioni’s films but I think he did establish it as a particular mode of European art cinema. It’s a testament to his films that they’re not lessened by the many imitators nor are they any less fresh. La Notte is textbook Antonioni. He’s looking at the bourgeoise, the ennui of modern life, often through an architectural lens. But what he does better than some of his pretenders is that it’s not as dull for us as it is for them. Evoking ennui through stillness and boredom doesn’t seem like a particularly brilliant tactic to me, because ultimately why should I care about something a film can barely muster the energy to care about. Even though I don’t actually dislike Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere as much as some folk (generally I quite liked it) I did find its representation of an empty life to be almost equally empty, a film that evokes “Well yeah” more than a true revelation. La Notte’s a film of many different flavours though. We follow two very subtly different perspectives and by the end the film has captured the vast difference in the life of the modern man and that of the modern woman. Both are observers but only one gets watched back. Both are beguiled by a growing sense of emptiness yet both are very different forms of it. One sees little, one sees plenty but gets little from it. For a film about a crippling sense of emptiness it is rich, so I’m looking forward to delving into the essays in the Masters of Cinema blu-ray. No Antonioni film has been as immediately enjoyable and complete as Blow-Up (though that needs revisiting) but this was still riveting. In some ways I still feel myself growing into his films, like I preferred this to Red Desert but I think that’s more to do with me than the films. Last thought: Marcello Mastrioani has the best “I’m not sure I think that/I said that” face on the planet.