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| inlareviewer |
 Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 1:31 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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billy, your antipathy to Cassavetes and Perry is well-documented on these pages, but, not sharing that antipathy, that's all right. Yes, Mr. Charles was, essentially, wasted, because he was so connected with La Silverman, pro- and con-, and it would have just given the whole thing another layer had we had a bit more of his interaction/complicity with her crises.
As for her, I too would be torn over the SAGGY ballot, partly because Brie got to me first, and, of course, because she's a revelation. Transcendent, in fact, and she and Master Tremblay remain my Tandem Turn of Last Year. But then, Our Girl Sarah is ALSO a revelation and transcendent, the performance without spot or blemish. There are whole passages that are now engraved on the brain pan, after one viewing, and all because of her focused, seamless commitment. She'd be marvelous in Chekhov, am suspecting, and would kill to see her play Hedda. Just saying.
Brooklyn is really lovely, an Old School fillum that doesn't pander or resort to melodrama, and Ms. Ronan is my other favorite Leading Lady of 2015 -- carries the movie without a false note, fortunately, since the whole thing is her character's journey, both literally and figuratively. Have been advised to catch Trainwreck, which conveniently just popped into the Netflix queue, so will certainly snag it some time. Love that Amy Schumer, and Bridesmaids made me snort coffee through my nose, so very good to hear. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 3:29 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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The Big Short has a good cast. I particularly liked Carell and Bale. The film does a good job of making a possibly dry subject seem vibrant. But I wasn't really a fan of the pop culture montages, or the 4th wall breakages or the punk rock soundtrack. I liked some of the humor, such as Baum the fund manager talking to a stripper about her many mortgages while she works. (And now I'm blanking on my second example...). Guess I could add the early "job interview" scene.
I think the important part is the way the banks and ratings agencies were all in bed together and fraudulently mislabeling financial products. And as this became so standard and systemic, no one even really bothered to care just what was in the MBS's or CDO's, as long as they sold and commissions kept coming in. It's a good film, and kept my interest, though the style is not really a fave of mine.
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Might as well add a sidenote about eccentric personalities in the workplace. In the film, Bale's character doesn't wear shoes in the office, and one subordinate tells the new guy that Bale hasn't spoken to him since he was hired by Bale.
When I worked as a lawyer in a big NYC firm for a short while, if I had to work late, I preferred to go home, have dinner and take a few hours off and then come back in and maybe work 10:PM to 2:AM or whenever. So one midnight I ran into a partner walking around in his socks and we talked for a few minutes. He seemed normal except for the lack of shoes. Said he just didn't care for them. Liked to work at night to avoid distractions.
When I mentioned this to someone the next day, they were amazed that I met and talked to that partner. Seems that he was considered a legendary weirdo and that some lawyers who had worked there for several years had never met or even seen him. And here I was in my 2nd month or whatever and already I was chatting with the recluse without shoes. It was odd how the story went around about me chatting with the ghost partner, with some folks saying they'd only seen his shoes outside his door a few times and that was all. I think some young lawyers weren't even sure if the guy really existed or was just some firm legend. |
Last edited by gromit on Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:27 am; edited 1 time in total
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| yambu |
| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 4:07 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2004
Posts: 6441
Location: SF Bay Area
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Brooklyn is a wonderful tale about a plain young Irish woman who comes to 1950s Brooklyn to begin a new life. There are touches to tell you where you are, but the locus is not the focus. A simple story requires strong acting, and this has it. The heroine has no one to rely upon but herself, as two ardent suitors pull her from one country to the other.
There is a little Italian kid who has two short scene stealers: "I'm only eight years old. I don't know about kissin' and stuff." |
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That was great for you. How was it for me? |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 6:51 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 1949
Location: Lawrence, KS
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| Re: Brooklyn; What yambu said. Truly beautiful from start to finish. |
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"And take extra care with strangers/Even flowers have their dangers/And though scary is exciting/Nice is different than good." --Stephen Sondheim |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 8:02 pm |
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014
Posts: 278
Location: Winnipeg: It's a dry cold.
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| Same here! |
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Big bang, shmig bang; still doesn't explain how anything starts. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 8:43 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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I thought Joy was entirely fine.
Jennifer Lawrence is very good in the lead. Really convincing early on as a harried mom. The odd family dynamics and put-upon existence are a fine enough set-up. Not sure why I wasn't more engaged. I think the tone didn't really work for me. A lot of scenes seemed imitative of other films and it didn't really cohere. For some reason it reminded me at times of Big Eyes -- the tone I guess.
I'll poke around and read some reviews. But it seemed just okay to me. Watchable and forgettable. I did like the version of I Feel Free which popped up some towards the end and then got play in the end credits. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2016 9:36 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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I was surprised to see that Theeb, the Jordanian desert trek/revenge film made the Oscar short list for Best Foreign Film. Though I'm pretty sure that list of 10 gets pared down to 5 in the next stage, before actual final voting occurs. Theeb was a good film, great desert scenery, a coming of age film, some moral dilemmas, survival, set during WWI.
My Top 10 so far for 2015 (note: I've only seen 13 films ...)
1. Steve Jobs
2. Hard to Be a God
3. Love & Mercy
4. Rocks in My Pocket
5. Theeb (Jordan)
6. Stanford Prison Experiment
7. The Big Short
8. Joy
9. Trumbo
10. Down Low |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:13 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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Gromit...you and I are fairly in sync for favs. I liked Steve Jobs, The Stanford Prison Experiment, and Love and Mercy. Except: Paul Dano only. Not John Cusack.
I wonder if anyone else has seen Tangerine. That's an interesting film. I may have passed through my transgender phase however....... |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:41 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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| Say a bit more about Tangerine. I was wondering about that. The dvd hasn't turned up here yet, so I haven't had to decide, but was wondering if that was worthwhile. Sounded interesting. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 5:46 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Tangerine was shot on an iPhone and looks it. It's an overacted, campy piece of dreck which for some reason has captured a gullibly p.c. hunk of the market. The transgender choices I would recommend are the great series Transparent on Amazon and the lovely rom-com Boy Meets Girl, available on DVD. Both completely transcend their genre and become universal. Tangerine annoyed me no end. Full disclosure: Boy Meets Girl was written and directed by my own stepson Eric Schcaeffer, but you gotta trust me on this: I would have liked it anyway. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 9:37 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| RIP Alan Rickman. |
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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed? |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:36 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12940
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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whiskeypriest wrote: RIP Alan Rickman.
Great actor. I remember thinking he would be the perfect actor to play Sirius Black in the Harry Potter movies if he wasn't already the perfect actor to play Severus Snape. But he had so many great roles. |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:37 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6965
Location: Black Hills
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| Bad week for being 69 and British. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 7:22 pm |
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014
Posts: 278
Location: Winnipeg: It's a dry cold.
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| Sorry he died also. An excellent actor in all ways. |
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Big bang, shmig bang; still doesn't explain how anything starts. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:34 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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I thought Tangerine was a very engaging film. Vivid, fast moving, colorful. Characterizations of the denizens of the back side of LA. The friendship of 2 black transgender women the focus.
Transparent didn't grab me at first. Then it really did. Then it didn't when all the sweet relationships that were forming fell apart. I especially liked the female rabbi. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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