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| Befade |
 Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:15 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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Where do you read Zacherak? (I don't follow critics much.)
Smoot..........As to the ending of The Night Listener..........SPOILERS....I think when we see Toni Collette's character talking to a real estate agent we realize she has made up every single thing, including her blindness. |
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| chillywilly |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:29 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8250
Location: Salt Lake City
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Befade wrote: Where do you read Zacherak? (I don't follow critics much.)
Salon.com. You can normally get a day pass for free simply by watching an ad by a sponsor. It takes less than a minute most times and there's some really good articles out there as well. |
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Chilly
"If you should die before me / Ask if you could bring a friend" |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:35 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: AZ
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| Thanks for the info, Chills. |
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| smoot |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:35 pm |
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Joined: 28 Jul 2006
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SPOILER
"The Night Listener"
Befade wrote: Where do you read Zacherak? (I don't follow critics much.)
Smoot..........As to the ending of The Night Listener..........SPOILERS....I think when we see Toni Collette's character talking to a real estate agent we realize she has made up every single thing, including her blindness.
I got that part - I guess I was just waiting for a twist that never came. When Bobby Canavale pointed out that the voices sounded the same, and Robin Williams figured it out, then that's pretty much it. Robin Williams confronts Toni Collette, The End. I guess the fact that Toni Collette wasn't really blind is sort of a twist, but not really.
I guess I'm just wondering what's interesting about the story. The kid doesn't exist, she made the whole thing up, fine. Is that all? If so, it just felt like there should have been something more to it than that.
I enjoyed the movie as I was watching it, but when the credits rolled I just felt like they either left something out or didn't put enough thought into the ending. Maybe I'm just so accustomed to thrillers having a twist/zinger at the end that I'm looking for them where they aren't and don't need to be? |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:47 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: AZ
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| Maybe the fact that it was based on a true story prevented a zinger. One possible zinger would be that Robin Williams was a pediphile and had a history of tracking down sick kids and bringing them into his lair. |
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| smoot |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:12 pm |
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Joined: 28 Jul 2006
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SPOILER
"The Night Listener"
Befade wrote: Maybe the fact that it was based on a true story prevented a zinger. One possible zinger would be that Robin Williams was a pediphile and had a history of tracking down sick kids and bringing them into his lair.
Exactly - I figured it was going down some road like that - or maybe Robin Williams had a split personality or something, I don't know.
Maybe I was waiting for something like that because it didn't make sense to me that Williams would be doing all the detective work on his own. I mean, Joe Morton is the publishing exec who gave the book to Williams in the first place, and the publishing company is investing in the manuscript with a profit motive, so once the possibility of a hoax becomes apparent, wouldn't the publishing company just hire a professional investigator to seek the kid out?
Whatever the case may be, it's not like I was rooting for someone to be a pedophile or the lack of a pedophile disappointed me or anything. It just seemed like some twist of any nature was in order, or at least a bigger twist than "she's not really blind" or "there is no kid - she just made him up." |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:24 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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billyweeds wrote: Joe--Somewhere along the line we had a breakdown of communications re Zacharek. It's true I sometimes--maybe more than sometimes--find her Kaelisms annoying, maybe even insufferable. But there are many, many times I think she's one of the best critics operating today. Today's love letter to Viola Davis was one of those times.
Gotcha. Thanks. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:25 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
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Location: Houston
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Befade wrote: Maybe the fact that it was based on a true story prevented a zinger. One possible zinger would be that Robin Williams was a pediphile and had a history of tracking down sick kids and bringing them into his lair.
I think the end credits said that the story was "Inspired by true events" which is about as close to fiction as one can get without calling it that.
I have no idea how to respond to your bizarre second sentence. It kinda freaked me right out, to be honest. |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:25 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Norman, OK
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| Hi, smoot! Welcome to the group. |
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| Nancy |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:28 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4607
Location: Norman, OK
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Wade,
Thanks for the review of Little Miss Sunshine. I've been wanting to see that one since I saw the trailer.
I'm currently annoyed because an art museum in Oklahoma City showed Kinky Boots last night, and I didn't find out until afterward. I've been wanting to see that one too. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:28 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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| I too thought World Trade Center is good but not great. (SPOILERS) The first 15 or 20 minutes starting with an ordinary dull day, to loud noises and vibrations, to the police driving down to and entering the WTC are very impressive, comparable to United 93, The nuclear scenes of the two officers stranded by the collapsed structures is ordinary, no better than mine disaster movies. Some of the family scenes are contrived, and some other family scenes are superb. The juxtaposition of a small story of two guys against the larger story of a momentous historical event is handled fairly well. The themes of the police brotherhood and caring are very good. I thought the dialogue is poorly written. Sound effects are excellent Zacharek's favorite scene with the black woman is good, probably a must after the Crash Oscar. On the whole I thought seeing this movie was a satisfactory experience. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:06 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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I also was reminded of mine disaster movies, Ghulam.
WTC was my least favorite 9/11 movie - after 9/11 (the international film) and United 93.
What impressed me at the beginning everything technical - the seamless recreation of the location, flawless CGI, terrific early morning lighting effects, etc. You're right about the sound design. I was less impressed about the family scenes.
Maria Bello's blue contact lenses were a bad idea.
SPOILER---------
Note how they help to make her eyes devoid of true expression which comes thru in the rest of her face. I am puzzled why Stone and company decided to do this. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:21 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: AZ
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Earl wrote: "I have no idea how to respond to your bizarre second sentence. It kinda freaked me right out, to be honest."
I was just responding to Smoot's idea that the plot should have had a twist at the end. That seemed a possibility. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:41 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| My reaction to WORLD TRADE CENTER was purely emotional. I cannot review it objectively. It broke my heart. Made me cry. And made me very proud and in awe of the bravery of the New York Cops and Firemen who went into those buildings. I recommend WTC without reservation. I also give mucho credit to Oliver Stone for directing the film with restraint and respect. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 12:12 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
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Marc wrote: My reaction to WORLD TRADE CENTER was purely emotional. I cannot review it objectively. It broke my heart. Made me cry. And made me very proud and in awe of the bravery of the New York Cops and Firemen who went into those buildings. I recommend WTC without reservation. I also give mucho credit to Oliver Stone for directing the film with restraint and respect.
I kept feeling that this was HOW I was supposed to react to the film...and felt terrible that it didn't move me more for all the reasons I stated in a previous post.
During the entire film, I remembered my travels in 2002 with the young widow of one of the dead heroic firemen. I thought about her and her husband the entire time I watched the movie. They were the "perfect couple" and had such a bright future ahead of them.
It's hard to try to watch a film _objectively_ while at the same time having it pull at your heartstrings every moment.
There is no question that it was an extremely difficult film experience. |
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