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jeremy
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:04 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 6794 Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)
I quite enjoyed Ricky Gervais' opening monologue at The Golden Globes, but felt his material got weaker as the night wore on. Too many of his jokes were laboured and for me too safe; he has become Hollywood edgy. Though NBC would have winced at a couple of his barbs.

Pleased for Scorcese, who is always gracious, as was Christopher Plummer, who won in what was probably thestrongest category of the night. In marked contrast to some of their younger brethren, actors of a certain age seem to have ther ability of delivering nicely modulated acceptance speeches that hit just the right note - neither too gushing nor obviously underwhelmed. I believe the emotion shown was genuine, but it can't but help to have spent decades delivering well-crafted lines. As George Burns famously said, "The secret of acting is sincerity. If you can fake that, you've got it made."

Some of the autocue reading was abysmal and Madonna's acceptance speech (the HFPA must have done a deal with her) was full of cringing self-regard. I'm sure we were all pleased to learn Michelle Williams puts her daughter before her career, it will give her someone to blame when it all goes pear-shapted. It most be so hard being a successful actress...

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marantzo
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:13 pm Reply with quote
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Madonna, self-centered? I can't believe that.

Christopher Plummer is top notch in almost every role I've seen him in......except for one of the worst movies I've ever seen and what had to be his worst performance ever, as a bum called Shitty, that's right Shitty, just like the movie. Where the Heart Is. You have to see it to believe it. Even then it would be hard to believe that it was ever released.

See this movie, you will never thank me.

When my late wife and I saw it she had to leave because it was so bad. I wanted to stay because I wanted to see how much worse it could get and she went out to wait for me in the lobby and I wasn't disappointed about it's descent so deep in the toilet that by the end it had traveled through the entire sewer system.
grace
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:12 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 11 Nov 2005 Posts: 3210
For a minute there, I thought you meant the Natalie Portman/Ashley Judd vehicle (also awful) released in 2000. On IMDB, even the Customer at Gas Station and Birthday Party/Wedding Guest (uncredited parts) were listed, and Christopher Plummer was nowhere to be found. It took me a minute to find the 1990 debacle to which you refer. Now I feel like I must watch it.

Last night Madonna struck me as totally wooden in the delivery of (what I took to be, maybe it was scripted) her own joke. That's pretty bad.


I liked The Artist. Nothing avant garde; no major plot twists; and G-d forbid, it has good buzz - but I thought it was a simple story, beautifully told.


Last edited by grace on Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:02 pm; edited 2 times in total
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carrobin
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:31 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 7795 Location: NYC
I liked "Beginners," and I was happy to see Plummer win--and enjoyed watching Ewan McGregor cracking up at his "dirty Hibernian scene-stealer" insults. (But what did Kelsey Grammer win for? Is there really a show called "Boss"?)

I saw "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" today. Liked it a lot. The gray and murky Cold War ambiance was beautifully and subtly rendered, and although I'd have liked a bit more clarity in identifying the characters, the plot's elaborate twists weren't too hard to follow. (As a longtime fan of Cold War British spy stuff, both fiction and nonfiction, I'd seen the original TV series but didn't remember much about it.) Loved seeing John Hurt again in a meaty role, but both he and Gary Oldman looked ancient--that's okay for Hurt, but I'm not accustomed to seeing the boyish Oldman as a dried-out OAP. He was excellent, though, and I'd like to see him up for an Oscar. Colin Firth deserves a Supporting vote too.

The film ends with a perfect setup for a sequel, but unless the film gets more notice, I'm not expecting a "Smiley's People" feature anytime soon.
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grace
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:01 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 11 Nov 2005 Posts: 3210
carrobin wrote:
(But what did Kelsey Grammer win for? Is there really a show called "Boss"?)

It's a political drama on the STARZ channel. Gus Van Sant is an Exec Producer. (Unless that was a rhetorical question......)
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carrobin
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:35 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 7795 Location: NYC
grace wrote:
carrobin wrote:
(But what did Kelsey Grammer win for? Is there really a show called "Boss"?)

It's a political drama on the STARZ channel. Gus Van Sant is an Exec Producer. (Unless that was a rhetorical question......)


Seriously. I never even heard of it. But the Starz channel is in outer space, as far as I'm concerned.
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bartist
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:08 am Reply with quote
Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6941 Location: Black Hills
Quote:
I'm sure we were all pleased to learn Michelle Williams puts her daughter before her career, it will give her someone to blame when it all goes pear-shapted.


I've missed your snarking, Jeremy. As for the quality of Gervais' jokes declining as the show wore on, was that actual booze in his glass, as he claimed?

Carro, if you found John Hurt looking ancient in TTSS, check out Melancholia. He's competing with Keith Richard there, in terms of corrugatedness.

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carrobin
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:24 am Reply with quote
Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 7795 Location: NYC
I didn't realize John Hurt was in "Melancholia." Now I really want to see it.
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shannon
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:56 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 1628 Location: NC
carrobin wrote:
I didn't realize John Hurt was in "Melancholia." Now I really want to see it.


Only barely.

Thrilled with Plummer's win. Beginners came out so long ago, I always forget about it during "best of the year" conversations, but it really is. Loved it.

Also thrilled with Clooney and The Descendants' wins. And that War Horse wasn't even nominated for anything.
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billyweeds
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:16 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City
Plummer never would have been even considered for that performance if he weren't named "Christopher Plummer."
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bartist
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:52 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6941 Location: Black Hills
Spit-take!!

And yes, per Shannon, it's not exactly wall-to-wall John Hurt in Melancholia, so I don't want to raise false expectations for you, Carro. But it's worth seeing, anyway, even if it only "hurts" a little.

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gromit
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:05 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 9005 Location: Shanghai
Another Earth is basically Rabbit Hole, with the focus on the driver, but with a background akin to Moon.
I liked the idea and the lead actress.
I found myself wanting to like it more than I did.

I never mind quick backstories and papered-over explanations, but it seemed like the film could have used some re-write. It's a bit odd that no one questions how the planet got there, or what it means if the planet keeps getting closer, as it seems to do throughout the film. Or this out-of-nowhere idea that synchronicity of events stopped somehow, maybe, at the moment the two planets could see each other. But also, small things like the dumbass brother asking if she got any tattoos, as though her family has had no contact with her for 4 years. (and it should have been five years, like the Bowie song ... and later, the mention of ashes to ashes made me think of Major Tom ...)

The characterizations seemed faulty. The girl is too obviously smart and pretty. But maybe that works -- since she had everything going and is now traumatized. But the guy seems nothing like a Yalie and composer. He should be like billy, but seems more like the father of her dumbass brother. And then that he'd pass rigorous training and be allowed to go, despite being prone to frequent headaches and fits of rage ... Just seemed that things needed to be tightened up.

Anyway, it's interesting and I liked the attempt.
I believe we are supposed to think about the past as well, as the wise old Indian represents a vestige of an earlier meeting of two civilizations, which didn't really go so well for the unknown half of the equation. And I'm not yet sure of the implications of the ending. If she had a ticket to go to Earth 2, does that mean her doppleganger also had a ticket to Earth 2 (= our Earth 1)? Earth 2 girl is certainly better dressed -- is she actually doing better, or maybe just for the journey? And he would be meeting himself on Earth 2, so even if his family is alive there, they would already have him there and he would be a pretty big nuisance ...

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bartist
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:35 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6941 Location: Black Hills
Just how many planets-violating-our-personal-space films are out there, for heaven's sakes?

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gromit
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:13 pm Reply with quote
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 9005 Location: Shanghai
I thought it was interesting that they placed the auxiliary Earth close to the Moon. Then as it remained there I realized that it was somewhat necessary, otherwise the other earth would basically look like the moon and be kind of dull, at least until it got close and appeared Big.

I kind of place Another Earth with The Beaver. A bit of an oddball approach to a family drama/ personal problem. Interesting, but not willing to deal with the implications inherent in their own design.

I liked them both well enough, and for now both are in my Top Ten ... largely because I haven't seen that many '11 films.


Last edited by gromit on Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:50 am; edited 2 times in total

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marantzo
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:31 pm Reply with quote
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Two movies that i will never see.

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