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| billyweeds |
 Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:12 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Saw a fine and very scary little independent film last night called Martha Marcy May Marlene, whose title made me think going in that it was probably the story of a woman with multiple-personality disorder--but no, it's something much more disturbing. A young woman joins a cultish community and loses touch with her family and arguably any claim on sanity. Other spoilerish things happen, but I won't tell. It's a keeper, directed expertly by newcomer Sean Durkin and featuring excellent performances by unknown Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of the Olsen twins), British Hugh Dancy, John (Winter's Bone Oscar nominee) Hawkes, and--particularly--Sarah Paulson as the leading character's concerned sister. This was a hit at Sundance and is getting major distribution, so I expect you'll be hearing more about it. Go--but be warned, it's an often chilling ride. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 5:43 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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Interesting,
Hadn't heard of it,
And those Oldsen Twins were getting too old for me, good to know there's a fresh young Olsen ... |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:23 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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gromit wrote: Interesting,
Hadn't heard of it,
And those Oldsen Twins were getting too old for me, good to know there's a fresh young Olsen ...
She's nothing like her older sibs. The younger Olsen is a fine and nuanced actor. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 8:30 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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| I know the guy who runs the arthouse here -- just wrote him and put in a vote to bring MMMM here. Sounds fascinating. Hawkes is always popping up in indies, always good. My daughter is friends with his niece, and I'm still trying to parlay that into a FTF meet and greet. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:19 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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billyweeds wrote: Saw a fine and very scary little independent film last night called Martha Marcy May Marlene, whose title made me think going in that it was probably the story of a woman with multiple-personality disorder--but no, it's something much more disturbing. A young woman joins a cultish community and loses touch with her family and arguably any claim on sanity. Other spoilerish things happen, but I won't tell. It's a keeper, directed expertly by newcomer Sean Durkin and featuring excellent performances by unknown Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of the Olsen twins), British Hugh Dancy, John (Winter's Bone Oscar nominee) Hawkes, and--particularly--Sarah Paulson as the leading character's concerned sister. This was a hit at Sundance and is getting major distribution, so I expect you'll be hearing more about it. Go--but be warned, it's an often chilling ride. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:35 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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Ha! To facilitate recall of this film, I have constructed a simple mnemonic to help you all in recalling the precise title:
"Graham Playground West Dietrich"
You'll thank me later. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:58 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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Well, I finally saw a movie today. If not for you guys, I'd have chosen "The Ides of March," but y'all had talked me into "Drive."
And you're right. Beautiful film, blood spatters and all. Sometimes it reminded me of "Road Warrior" with new cars, or "Batman" in Hollywood, but it's as original as anything one can find in a theater these days. Ryan Gosling is perfect for the role--I've always considered him nondescript, but that works for a stunt man who drives getaway cars on the side; you don't want a memorable face. Yet his face became so subtly communicative, as if you could almost read his thoughts (and he seemed to be thinking a lot). And you could tell that he really loved a real life-or-death chase. Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman (hey, we left him out of the ugly-actors competition) are also perfect, one so pleasantly charming and one so brutal, both deadly. Loved the strippers in the dressing room, watching Gosling torture their boss, looking like store manikins waiting to be dressed. Loved pretty much everything about it, in fact.
Incidentally, there was only one "coming attraction" that attracted me--"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." I didn't even recognize Gary Oldman as Smiley. Johnny Depp looks like he has fun in "The Rum Diaries," but I don't want to see the film. The "Martha...Marlene" trailer didn't appeal to me much either. I'll wait for the spies. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 2:13 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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I mostly liked Tree of Life.
The boys growing up with the hard-nosed Dad is the heart of the film and is told in an impressionistic manner reminiscent of pre-adolescent memory.
I mostly liked the camera movements and jumps in time. Found the mother quite fascinating to watch on her own terms and as a counterpoint to Pitt's harsh Dad. The boys faces were quite interesting (as was flame-haired Mom with the dimpled chin).
I thought Pitt's performance was a little uneven.
The Penn stuff seem a bit shoehorned-in and somewhat awkward. The shiny skyscrapers seemed designed as a harsh contrast to his rural boyhood, but I'm not really sure to what purpose. I didn't care much for the music and sound, which seemed a bit overwhelming and irritating at times.
I didn't really like the placement of the cosmic sequence, as I hadn't gotten in tune or involved with the film enough by that point. I also was a bit put off by the rising religious themes which then clashed with a more diffuse spiritual tone.
I probably would prefer to see a more condensed film just on Pitt's immediate family, dropping out the cosmic stuff and Penn. That stuff seemed fairly superfluous. And I usually prefer films to be shorter. |
Last edited by gromit on Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:07 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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Quote: I mostly liked Tree of Life.
Yeeeessssss!
Seems like everyone, pro-TTOL or con, felt the film could have been shorter.
Carrobin -- liked your review, esp. calling attention to Gosling's being "subtly communicative." |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:25 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Gosling has the best deadpan since Buster Keaton. They both speak volumes. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 11:14 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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Bought a heap of docus today.
I believe 3 of them are quite new:
Page One: Inside the NYTimes
Beijing Taxi
Muammar El_Qaddafi: The King of Kings
The other two:
The Great Rift (A BBC Earth doc on East Africa's Rift Valley)
Churches: How To Read Them
(and excellent BBC doc which I've seen before -- highly recommended)
I'm kind of excited ...
________________________________________
Other docs I've recced before:
FACING ALI
Last Train Home
Up the Yangtze |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 9:22 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Clooney overload alert: Saw The Ides of March the other day. (Pretty good, not great.) Caught up with The American on HBO last night. (Stunningly photographed but a bore.) Tonight will be seeing The Descendants. (Hoping for an upsurge.) |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 9:59 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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Saw the good-not-great Ides last night and thought the standout there was ER Wood. Couldn't quite make sense SPOILERS of the ending....surely the father would be screaming for an autopsy and investigation. Chemical abortion drugs are not given in an amount you can OD on, and the mixing-w/alcohol thing sounded bogus. She's 20. I mean, c'mon. There would be a homicide investigation, and there would be DNA testing. In an autopsy, they would find not only that she had been pregnant and had an abortion, but since she died only a short time after her abortion, there would be sufficient traces of fetal tissue remaining for DNA testing. In such suspicious circumstances, they would test. And the shit would hit the fan blades of a jumbo jet. Though Gosling has her cellphone, investigators would check her phone records and find the 2:30 AM calls (and others) from Clooney, and would absolutely get a court order for a mouth swab from him.
END SPOILERS
But if you can just overlook all that, then the film does provide a rather restrained set of well-acted scenes from a stellar cast. I could have easily waited for video. |
Last edited by bartist on Sat Oct 15, 2011 10:16 am; edited 1 time in total
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 10:11 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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bartist--First, you should really put the SPOILERS in white. They're too easily read.
Second--I fully agree with you on acting honors belonging to Evan Rachel, with second place going to Marisa. Interesting that in a male-oriented movie, the best acting turns should be by the women.
Third--Hadn't thought about the substance of your spoilers, but I think you're on the money. Of course, I didn't think about it when I was seeing the movie, but there were several other weaknesses which took precedence for me. It's an okay flick, but definitely video-worthy. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2011 5:18 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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Whiteout dispensed, thanks. I remember seeing The American not that long ago, and how it was hyped as as lush and European and the obligatory cafe scenes with a bona fide European saying philosophical things to the American, and zzzzzzzz. Yeah. The ending confused me, so they got that part right.
Have high hopes for The Descendants, being a Payne fan. I recognize that it's a non-rational belief system, that the guy who made such films as Citizen Ruth, Election, and Sideways can do no wrong. |
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