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| whiskeypriest |
 Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:18 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| Never seen it. But then, my episodic TV viewing is pretty much limited to sporadically catching reruns of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Glad to see he's had work. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:08 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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New York, I Love You
Of the three films I saw this one is the easiest to review............because it wasn't very rich or rewarding. The perspective is on unusual romantic relationships in the city. There is a multitude of directors and actors. Some scenes are daytime, most are night. It's worth seeing for the rare appearance of Julie Christie as a singer in Paris and Shia LaBoef as a physically challenged valet. She is beautiful as always......and the unanswered questions about this scene linger. Another pleasant surprise was Robin Wright Penn conversing with Chris Cooper on the sidewalk where they are both taking a smoke break. (Alot of sidewalk smoke breaks in this movie.) Two Asian actresses I had never seen had interesting roles. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:53 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 2621
Location: Houston
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Befade wrote: New York, I Love You
Of the three films I saw this one is the easiest to review............because it wasn't very rich or rewarding. The perspective is on unusual romantic relationships in the city. There is a multitude of directors and actors. Some scenes are daytime, most are night. It's worth seeing for the rare appearance of Julie Christie as a singer in Paris and Shia LaBoef as a physically challenged valet. She is beautiful as always......and the unanswered questions about this scene linger. Another pleasant surprise was Robin Wright Penn conversing with Chris Cooper on the sidewalk where they are both taking a smoke break. (Alot of sidewalk smoke breaks in this movie.) Two Asian actresses I had never seen had interesting roles.
The Julie Christie/John Hurt/Shia LaBoef segment was easily the most puzzling of all of them. It's actually kind of hard to spoil since I'm not sure what happened in it. (Can't say more without really spoiling it.) But it certainly had lush visuals and sound in it. While trying to discover more about it on the internet, I learned that the late Anthony Minghella conceived the story and was supposed to direct it.
Just as with Paris, Je T'Aime, there were segments I liked, segments I loved and a couple I found just ok, but there were none I disliked.
The Paris movie waited until the very end to show the audience that some of the characters from different segments knew one another and had intersecting plot lines. The New York movie, on the other hand, allows some of the characters from one segment to float briefly in and out of another segment. I prefer the New York way because it gave me the feeling that one segment flowed easily into the next. The transitions in this one were seamless.
I'm looking forward to the other three cities lined up in this project: Rio, Shanghai, Jerusalem.
http://www.citiesoflove.com/
Will we see Gromit as an extra in the Shanghai film? I hope he'll tell us where and when to look. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:04 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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Quote: Just as with Paris, Je T'Aime, there were segments I liked, segments I loved and a couple I found just ok, but there were none I disliked.
Earl, this is a nice way of describing it.
There is a sense going in that nothing in the film makes any sense. Then two hours later, one wonders how the time flew by. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:19 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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District 9 is a pretty crazy ride.
I was a little overwhelmed by the rapid-cutting to various talking head and news stories to start the film. I liked the goofy off-beat lead character who kept making me think of The Office and Shaun of the Dead.
A pretty wild ride, with lots of racial touchstones for South Africa (and elsewhere). A few things I was left unsure of. How did the humans understand the alien-speak? Why did the aliens succumb so easily and pathetically if they are so strong and have such powerful weaponry and technology?
Towards the end, the film got a little too much into action overdrive for my taste, but that's probably just me ... and my 31 inch TV.
I'll go back and see what others have said.
I thought District 9 was a clever and in-your-face kind of dystopia. A different take on a hunted-man, apocalyptic film.
Well worth seeing. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:16 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:13 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 5911
Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
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That's it; I'm getting house the house, otherwise I'll just sit around worrying about stuff all day.
I'm thinking Where the Wild Things Are, because I *did* like the book as a wee lass and I let The Internets talk me out of The Men Who Stare At Goats (and A Serious Man seemed a little too heavy for where my head's at right now).
And pay no attention to that stack of DVDs in the corner... |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:21 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| I'd be curious what you think of Where the Wild Things Are. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:36 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:27 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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lady wakasa wrote: That's it; I'm getting house the house, otherwise I'll just sit around worrying about stuff all day.
I'm thinking Where the Wild Things Are, because I *did* like the book as a wee lass and I let The Internets talk me out of The Men Who Stare At Goats (and A Serious Man seemed a little too heavy for where my head's at right now).
And pay no attention to that stack of DVDs in the corner...
A Serious Man is one of the funniest movies of the year, and one of the saddest. But funny? You bet. I'll bet it's ten times funnier than Where the Wild Things Are. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:54 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| Where The Wild Things Are is not a comedy. It has funny moments, but overall it is melancholic, wistful, dreamy. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:31 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
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Location: Lawrence, KS
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Halloo, ThirdEyesters: After The October From The Planet Hell and The November That Promises To Be Worse, a few quick observations before racing out the door to see the stage version of Mary Poppins (which is sort of cinema themed, so that's all right):
For efficiency's sake, I tend to start in Oscar-watching with the in-house granddaddy of awards show blogs, LAT's The Envelope, not least because most other sites can be linked from there, or if not, then via the sites that are linked there:
http://theenvelope.latimes.com/
The previous site cited is interesting to be sure, and they've got their facts right, but really, as never before since 1939, it's a bona-fide crap game as to what will be included/egregiously overlooked this year, because virtually every single film that either (a) got raves, (b) turned a profit, (c) grabbed a piece of the zeitgeist and/or (d) is being released in the never-more-stuffed Christmas push is planning a major campaign for those extra 5 slots on Racso's slate. It could get really ugly, actually, since the downside is that the thinnest percentile of voters could land a film that only a sector loved, or that all the people went to without it really being of top quality, not only in the nomination mix but all the way to the top. At present (and, coincidentally, still tied for my favorite of year thus far), Up and The Hurt Locker, are virtual shoo-ins (Up may get the double-nod in fact, Best Picture and Best Animated Feature, because it's that highly regarded, though The Fantastic Mr. Fox is making instant in-roads), as are also Precious, Star Trek (yes, that's right), the upcoming Invictus, Nine, and Up in the Air,, considered fairly well poised to make the cut. An Education and A Serious Man, District 9 and Julie & Julia (yes, befade, I know, it's overdue, but soon, soon, am trying to be really precise with the ingredients, they matter, they dooo, they absolutely doooo), Where the Wild Things Are and Inglourious Basterds, Public Enemies, The Informant!, and, of all things, It's Complicated, have mega-major campaigns and dollars in the works, and that's only off the top of my head. It's gonna be a zoo this year, already is, in fact. The Lovely Bones and Avatar are going to open small and huge, respectively, and neither of them is inconceivable to be either included or omitted from the final 10. Am not sure Single Man or Young Victoria will do better than lead performance nods, if that, but there's certainly associative quality there. Again, however, quality is going to mean something very different at this year's Gold Bald Man With A Sword derby, because of the opened-up playing field. Plus, the essential procedure of #1, #2 and (sometimes) #3 choices skewing the nominations has not been announced as having been revised, which means there's going to be a wild array of entries for Price-Waterhouse to weed out, since Best Picture is nominated by the whole shebang of members in that, um, film society, so, seriously, we ain't seen nuthin' yet.
Short takes:
Despite a certain vague ambivalence about Where The Wild Things Are going in -- probably because Mr. Jonze both succeeds in expanding the Sendak vision to a real-world playing field and over-rigs the narrative to ladle a tad too many current attitudes into its edit-happy, darkly washed-out dreamscape -- once it was underway, it veritably sent me. It isn't really like anything else out there. The craftsmanship and technical work is off-handedly astounding, the sense of a kid's perspective and attitudes unflinching, and the ending made me sniffle uncontrollably, so there you have it. Plus, there's La Keener, whom I would enjoy merely hearing of while mentioned in passing, the kid has the right ferocity/sensitivity/awkwardness, not to mention Mr. Gandolfini, Ms. Ambrose, ad infinitum. It certainly will end up somewhere on my still-congealing assessment of favorite films of 2009.
Quite enjoyed The Men Who Stare At Goats,, especially the film-stealing Jeff Bridges and those delightfully straight-faced goats. Don't think it's anything for the ages, and the Ewan McGregor character didn't exactly convince -- yet it's a tad unsettling how much of it might be fact-based. It made me laugh a lot and think a lot afterwards. Can't say I see a major directorial career in Mr. Heslov's future, though. However, it's always nice to see Clooney, the Chanel of Heartthrobs, having himself a wacky old time.
Although Capitalism: A Love Story really ought to have been an epic mini-series, given the scale of its subject -- also, am starting to get inured to the stock footage/hokey-jokey tactics Mr. Moore deploys -- it is in some ways his most affecting provocamentary yet. It's clearly, deeply, personally felt, certainly even-handed for Michael, obviously current-day trenchant, and its key sequences and ripe sense of historical context carried me past some elements of kitschy-corn and over-simplification.
Otherwise, This Is It is incredibly vivid and compelling, rather unexpectedly so, I must say. Whether it's a vindication or valedictory or a gloss-over or a cash cow or what, I'm sure I cannot say, and that's another discussion altogether, anyway. As a movie experience, it did make one wonder just how loopy Jacko was at the end -- he's in complete command of craft, talent, faculties and project here, relaxed and upbeat, and all I could think, repeatedly, was, "What a unique artist, what a troubled cautionary life, what a premature loss." It's actually a fairly good documentary/concert film, to boot.
Oh, and the restored Red Shoes left me transcended and a grateful mess, reminded anew of why it's one of my favorite films ever, ever, everrr -- its own unique masterwork. Walbrook remains iconic -- "He hess. No heart. Thet mehn," says Ludmilla Tcherina, with reason -- Moira Shearer mortally exquisite, Massine amazing; well, indeed, all the cast and elements, even the excessive or dated aspects, are of a piece with the overarching structure -- it's a ballet film quite specifically scripted, shot and dramatically conceived as cinematic counterpart to, oh, say, a Petipa scenario, replete with divertissements, pas de quatres, variations, etc. -- marvelously overblown and meticulously particularized all at once, in the grand manner. And even were none of that the case, the digital Technicolor exhumation and replication is absolutely jaw-dropping, breathtaking, heart-stopping, supply your own superlative adjective -- in its presence and impact. "Why do you want to dance?" "Why do you want to live?" "I don't know, but I must." "That's my answer, too." Bless Powell & Pressburger, et al. Put on the red shoes, Vicky, and dance for us again.
Off to have a spoonful of sugar, step in time, feed the birds and wanly marvel at what's happened to the stage musical. inla out.
Gotta sing, gotta dance, gotta edit |
Last edited by inlareviewer on Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:23 pm; edited 7 times in total
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| mirgun |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:15 pm |
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Joined: 23 Oct 2009
Posts: 165
Location: New York City
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Marc wrote: Where The Wild Things Are is not a comedy. It has funny moments, but overall it is melancholic, wistful, dreamy.
I just came home from seeing "Where The Wild Things Are." Before i got home and before reading Marc's post , I called him up and said the same exact thing, that, this movie made me melancholic,sad and I think I was teary eyed almost throughout the movie. I remember Marc saying that he had babies crying in the theater. Well, the audience in NY had some children but they were well behaved.The guy next to me in a suit, chomping on the popcorn and crunching the fucking bag is another story. Finish the damn thing already!
This is definitely not a children's movie, while they might enjoy the creatures .Jonze creates a unique and surreal world,yet ultimately real. Full of emotion and unpredictable actions of the creatures and the mess of the world is conveyed and indicative of what, we, as humans feel. Trying to find happiness, security, love is indeed a challenge.
At the beginning,we see the boy's relationship with his mother and it's very touching and intimate. The scenes where he plays outside in the snow and the neighbors gave me a flashback to when we lived in Cleveland, in a similar looking neighborhood.When he runs away to where the wild things are, it is devoid of color and artfully done. I have to research how the creatures were made, I thought they were incredible.This movie made me ..feel, made me melancholic, made me sad ,made me happy..All in all, I give it a thumbs up, if you've seen it,what do you think? |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:36 pm |
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mirgun wrote:
At the beginning,we see the boy's relationship with his mother and it's very touching and intimate. |
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| mirgun |
| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:42 pm |
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Joined: 23 Oct 2009
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Location: New York City
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Syd wrote: mirgun wrote:
At the beginning,we see the boy's relationship with his mother and it's very touching and intimate. I was thinking the same thing about the very end of the movie.
yes, I thought so too actually. there seemed to be some kind of...understanding... |
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