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| billyweeds |
 Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:56 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Another very possible Best Actor nominee is Matt Damon, who is stunning in The Informant! |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:59 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| The House of the Devil is a really well made horror movie with a retro feel. Set in the 80s and steeped in 80s culture references, it skirts camp and goes straight for the scares. Cult horror stars Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov are Addams Family types who hire appealing Jocelin Donahue to babysit Woronov's mom for the night in a house miles away from everything. Check out the title and you know what to expect but, courtesy of Ti West's expert direction, not how to expect it. Creepy, spooky, tense, and mucho fun. |
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| lissa |
| Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:13 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2148
Location: my computer
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| billy - so glad you enjoyed Up. I also think it brings a lot of new elements to an animated film (can we actually even use that term anymore? This is so far removed from standard animation...). It brings elements of maturity to a film that should not only be marketed for the younger set. It fast became one of my favorite films of all time. Breathtaking graphics, heartfelt story, and the acting was top drawer. Hope it wins something big this year! |
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Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarfs aren't happy. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:00 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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broke my all-time record. Saw all three movies today. Will rest, then review.
New York, I Love You; A Serious Man; and An Education |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 6:34 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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lissa wrote: billy - so glad you enjoyed Up. I also think it brings a lot of new elements to an animated film (can we actually even use that term anymore? This is so far removed from standard animation...). It brings elements of maturity to a film that should not only be marketed for the younger set. It fast became one of my favorite films of all time. Breathtaking graphics, heartfelt story, and the acting was top drawer. Hope it wins something big this year!
Lissa--Gotta admit that although I did in fact enjoy Up it is not one of my favorite films of the year and not even my favorite animated film (that would be Sita Sings the Blues, and I have great hopes for Fantastic Mr. Fox).
Fantastic Mr. Fox, in fact, is getting some of the best reviews of the year, much better than those for Where the Wild Things Are, which it seems to resemble in its children's-movie-better-suited-for-adults-than-children vibe. Wes Anderson hasn't gotten this good a response since his Rushmore debut. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:07 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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Anderson's first film was Bottle Rocket.
Watched the animated 9 last night and enjoyed it a good deal. I liked the look and mood of the film. Would be good to see on a big screen. There might have been too many action sequences and occasionally they weren't so clear. But I thought each of the characters were well-delineated, though you could see where some of these types were borrowed from.
I liked how they didn't explicitly explain why there were nine of them, why there were twins, etc. I came up with a theory for that, cause that's what I like to do. I liked how the evil machines looked straight out of War of the Worlds. The ending wasn't my favorite, but I did like that it was brief and to the point.
The film is just 80 minutes long and I could have done with a little more. But this was definitely interesting looking and should be good fun in a theater. Maybe a little bleak for young kids, but most here can probably take it.
I'd like to see the original 11 minute short film on which this was based. Hopefully it'll be included on the actual Dvd release and I can see it then. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:16 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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gromit wrote: Anderson's first film was Bottle Rocket.
Right you are. But the rest of my statement stands. |
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| lissa |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:35 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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| Yes, The Fantastic Mr. Fox shows a lot of promise - I'm also optimistic. |
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Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarfs aren't happy. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:49 am |
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Quote: I'd like to see the original 11 minute short film on which this was based. Hopefully it'll be included on the actual Dvd release and I can see it then.
I liked the short better than the movie itself. Very strange little film, especially since you don't have the background so have to guess what's going on. |
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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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| lissa |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:57 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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| Found this on YouTube - seems to be that 11-minute film (shouldn't it have been 9 minutes?), the original 9. The 2009 release is due on DVD December 29th. |
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Statistically, 6 out of 7 dwarfs aren't happy. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:53 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Has anyone heard of "Harry Brown"? My Brit friend says it's pretty good but she preferred the Clint Eastwood vigilante. I looked it up on the web and found that it's a new Michael Caine film in which he's a pensioner living on a gritty urban housing estate who decides to solve the gang problem on his own after some kids kill a friend. Seems to have gotten very good reviews in the UK, but with only Caine and Emily Mortimer for star names, I'm wondering if it'll even open here. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:06 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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carrobin wrote: Has anyone heard of "Harry Brown"? My Brit friend says it's pretty good but she preferred the Clint Eastwood vigilante. I looked it up on the web and found that it's a new Michael Caine film in which he's a pensioner living on a gritty urban housing estate who decides to solve the gang problem on his own after some kids kill a friend. Seems to have gotten very good reviews in the UK, but with only Caine and Emily Mortimer for star names, I'm wondering if it'll even open here.
It played the Toronto Film Festival to disastrous reviews. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:06 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| actually, Harry Brown received some decent reviews. I haven't read any reviews calling it a "disaster". |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:22 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Marc wrote: actually, Harry Brown received some decent reviews. I haven't read any reviews calling it a "disaster".
From Toronto's "Daily Film Dose"
Guest Review by Greg Klymkiw
A new vigilante picture starring Sir Michael Caine as the title character, a senior citizen who cleans up the scum in his neighborhood whilst avenging the murder of an old pal should be music to the ears of most movie-goers. It certainly was to mine. But as this turgid, poorly paced, humourless, somewhat pretentious and far too precious picture un-spooled, all I kept thinking was: “Oh no, say it isn’t so!” As hard as I tried to like the picture, it was pretty much impossible to muster any enthusiasm.
The screenplay by Gary Young (“Shooters”) is serviceable enough. It opens with some brutal violence, lays the groundwork for Harry’s seemingly mild mannered character (an ex-Marine as it turns out, who served Britain in Ireland during the “troubles”), efficiently stacks the deck for the audience to enjoy watching our title hero take out all the filth and paints several vivid portraits of youth run amuck that are guaranteed to convert even the most liberal sensibilities to the noble cause of vigilantism (or send them running for the door in disgust at how lower class kids are portrayed as vicious irredeemable psychopaths who deserve only death).
The problem lies mostly with first-time feature director Daniel Barber, whose previous work includes television commercials (always a bad sign) and an Academy Award nominated short film (no real guarantee of talent). The clichéd bleach-bypass-ish lighting that contrasts with the deep, semi-noir-ish deep blacks is not without mood, but there’s no real imagination to the compositions – no urgency, no real edge. The cutting is even more by the numbers and lacks the same kind of drive and build-up that made a lot of the 70s crime pictures so intense.
The picture that comes immediately to mind is Mike Hodges’s stunning 1971 crime and retribution thriller “Get Carter” (which also starred Caine), but even the mere thought of that picture’s relentless nastiness serves to constantly remind us of how little oomph “Harry Brown” has.
“Get Carter” is a rollercoaster. “Harry Brown” is the kiddies’ car ride.
All that said, Sir Michael handles himself magnificently and his restrained, intelligent performance comes close to saving the movie. His depiction of seeming stoicism that is ultimately unable to hide the sadness in his eyes when he gazes upon a photograph of his long-dead daughter or his Alzheimer’s-afflicted wife or his best friend who expresses fear and anger at being harassed by neighborhood thugs is powerful and moving. As the indignities are heaped upon Harry, we can see the anger dancing and flickering in his irises – a guarantee that much carnage will follow.
In spite of Caine’s performance, though, the movie is pretty much a slog. Barber metes everything out at a snail’s pace and appears to do so in order to give the movie the sort of weight he clearly hopes will raise it above a simple vigilante picture. It’s this precious, holier-than-thou attitude towards the material that destroys all potential for entertainment value. Clearly, the director wants us to question our reactions to the proceedings, but all we end up questioning is why in hell the movie is so boring? Why is their no nastiness to Caine’s actions? Where’s the relish the director should be taking in all the displays of carnage. And while I am thankful to Barber that he does not resort to the fashionable, but annoying and lazy herky-jerky style of shooting and cutting the action – he often hangs back and lets things play out naturally – it’s the overall pace of the picture and attitude of “I’m above exploitation” that affects the picture’s ability to involve us.
Great vigilante movies get under our skin by forcing us to cheer the actions of the person who seeks retribution so that maybe, just maybe, we WILL genuinely question our own reactions to the violence as it is being perpetrated. They do this by bringing a pulp sensibility to the material much like Hodges did in “Get Carter”.
The only straw of entertainment value to grasp at is Caine’s terrific performance, but it’s simply and finally not enough.
One especially annoying speed bump in the movie is the performance of Emily Mortimer as a homicide detective who is investigating the murder of Harry’s old pal and begins to suspect that our hero is the person committing a series of killings amongst the neighbourhood’s underworld. Not only is she miscast, but her dour demeanour is singularly unattractive and we long for one of the thugs to erase her completely from the proceedings.
“Harry Brown” commits a cardinal sin – it tries to gussy itself up as something it isn’t. This has produced a picture that MIGHT appeal to a politically correct minority who can pretend they’re NOT watching the movie for the carnage and would normally not be caught dead in a theatre showing a kick-ass vigilante picture, but all the rest of us – who like our action straight-up (morality be damned!) get supremely short-changed. That said, however, Sir Michael is great, and that, I suppose, is not to be sneezed at.
“Harry Brown” is playing at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and will be theatrically released by E1 Films.
More to come. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 2:25 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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This is a far from responsible film and, save the honourable inclinations of DI Frampton (Emily Mortimer), whose by-the-book philosophy is actually rather annoying, there is little principle here. Even Harry isn’t entirely virtuous. The forlorn figure of a lonely old man is sure to evoke sympathy, but while his guns blazing brashness certainly settles the score; the films excessiveness will leave you lost and in the end cold to Harry’s cause.
From "Eye for Film" |
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