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| bartist |
 Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:43 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6965
Location: Black Hills
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The problems you have with Ex Machina strike me as the weaknesses generally to be found in robot movies. Attractive actors (Jude Law, Daryl Hannah, Vikander, et al.) often represent the face of robots and generate sexual heat, though I expect that the reality will be what that Japanese research team called the "uncanny valley" (worth googling, if you haven't encountered the concept). I thought "Her" was a bit more clever by completely skirting that issue and simply having a seductive voice.
As for Vikander's arms, maybe it was watching too much Riverdance.... |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:20 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| gromit--Agree with you about "Amy" to the letter. I found it so-whattish and borderline dull. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:33 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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Yeah, we see some of the situations Winehouse got into, but I didn't feel like I got to know her personality or got to know her as an artist. It just seemed that she had a singing talent, but couldn't escape the culture where she came from, and the drug culture she engaged in.
They do a rather sketchy job of explaining her musical influences and nothing really about exploring her musical choices -- beyond the generic observation that she wrote personal songs. I can't believe there weren't any interviews in which she talks about her art or influences or what she is striving for.
There is one (deleted extra) scene where producer Mark Ronson says that Amy sent him songs of early 60's girl groups -- without specifying which ones -- and told him she wanted to record something in that vein. So overnight he came up with the music track for her big hit, Back to Black. Then the next day Winehouse wrote the lyrics to it. I thought that was quite interesting because you can hear elements of The Shangrilas' Walking in the Sand, once you have that reference point. That was just about the most interesting part of the film.
And poking around, I noticed Amy also recorded a version of The Shirelles Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, which I have yet to hear.
Winehouse was charismatic and quirky, had a tragic stardom for a few years, and somehow the doc they made is kind of plodding and dull. My guess is that the filmmakers were too dependent upon her first manager Shymansky, the Winehouse family and Amy's friends, so it became a love note/farewell, instead of an interesting or insightful film.
I didn't realize -- and the film doesn't help in this regard -- how little Winehouse recorded. Just two albums were released, and the first was only released in the UK, at least until her breakthrough sophomore album. She released another dozen singles or so over the last 5 years of her life, and those plus scattered demos and outtakes have been compiled into two more albums. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 2:39 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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The Colombian movie "Embrace of the Serpent" is a powerful juxtaposition of Amazonian shaman way of life blending with nature and whiteman's acquisitiveness and exploitation. Excellent script, dialogue and acting from all performers. Was nominated for an Oscar, but lost out to "Son of Saul" (an equally deserving movie). It has won 16 international awards including the top prize at the International Film Festival of India.
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:19 am |
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014
Posts: 278
Location: Winnipeg: It's a dry cold.
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When I was in Medellin I didn't see Embrace of the Serpent because it didn't have English below the picture. When I'm back in Winnipeg I'll watch it if it will be running there.
Yesterday I saw The Brothers Grimsby with my son. What a wild movie that was! A few of the scenes were rather disgusting but I couldn't help laughing. It was a wild film that had lots of shooting and bombing etc, but it was actually a comedy with a lot of blood.
I really liked it, but my son Dylan didn't like it nearly as much as I.
There were a lot of interesting visuals. There were many other things in it that I didn't tell about, so you would see a lot more things being done.
If you see it, write about it on here. |
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Big bang, shmig bang; still doesn't explain how anything starts. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:20 am |
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014
Posts: 278
Location: Winnipeg: It's a dry cold.
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When I was in Medellin I didn't see Embrace of the Serpent because it didn't have English below the picture. When I'm back in Winnipeg I'll watch it if it will be running there.
Yesterday I saw The Brothers Grimsby with my son. What a wild movie that was! A few of the scenes were rather disgusting but I couldn't help laughing. It was a wild film that had lots of shooting and bombing etc, but it was actually a comedy with a lot of blood.
I really liked it, but my son Dylan didn't like it nearly as much as I.
There were a lot of interesting visuals. There were many other things in it that I didn't tell about, so you would see a lot more things being done.
If you see it, write about it on here. |
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Big bang, shmig bang; still doesn't explain how anything starts. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2016 11:59 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12940
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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Last edited by Syd on Sun Mar 27, 2016 12:00 am; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 12:00 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12940
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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I'm mostly happy with 10 Cloverfield Lane, in which a woman is injured in a traffic accident in rural Louisiana, and awakens to find in a dungeon locked to her bed (and hooked to an IV). John Goodman soon appears, and he explains that an apocalyptic catastrophe has occurred and that he has saved her life, and she's better be grateful, and she can't leave because the outside atmosphere is toxic. (She gets unlocked at this point. Apparently the lock was to keep her from panicking and running outside.) There's a third person, a handyman who has actually witnessed the attack, and is about her age, so she can manipulate him. The big question is exactly how stable the John Goodman character is, and whether the other two characters should try to strike out on their own.
The movie is an uneasy blend of claustrophobic psychological drama and end-of-the-world drama, and it certainly worked for me. I found it interesting that the paranoid theories of Goodman's character were true to a certain extent, but the plot comes down to whether he's more dangerous than the enemy. (I thought that the picture revealed a bit too much here; Goodman is quite sinister enough without adding extraneous subplots.)
Quite a good movie, pretty much a well-acted three-person suspense drama, not recommended to people with claustrophobia. It reminded me of The Descent in that respect. There's no attempt to reproduce the found footage conceit of Cloverfield (so little shakycam), and indeed, this is a thematic sequel which doesn't appear to be set in the same universe. |
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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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| Befade |
| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:22 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| I saw 10 C with a friend who wanted to go. Usually not my kind of film. I liked the actress. Had never seen her before. The contrast in the settings was well done....a dungeon, cell-like room and a homey fortress to sit around and play monopoly in. The main charge of the film is the suspense about whether the John Goodman character is a benefactor who's keeping people safe from destruction outside or an evil ogre who wouldn't hesitate to destroy the people inside. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 11:17 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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| I Smile Back didn't do much for me. Part of the problem is I didn't like the style much. At least it wasn't jittery handheld and tight close-ups, which I generally dislike, but it was in that vein, but more restrained. All of the men in the film seemed like jerks and were unsympathetic. A lot of it seemed familiar -- similar to Sherrybaby or Margot at the Wedding (or is that other wedding film I want to reference?) for example. Smile Back set things up but then went in a rather predictable direction. It also never really made it clear what her mental health issues were, but kind of lumped them together with the drug-taking. Not sure what the title refers to, except maybe the false face she tries to show to the world. It's a decent film, but needed more. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 2:10 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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Picked up Son of Saul and 99 Homes.
99H has a rather ugly generic cover so I nearly missed it.
Also, Aferim!, a Romanian film about a runaway gypsy slave in the 19th C. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:33 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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Son of Saul was an unpleasant film to watch. One reason was the scenes depicted the duties Jews were told to do in the extermination process at a concentration camp. The other was the main character's back was always in front of the scene....that is...until the end.
I liked 99 Homes. Maybe a B movie but it came across. I'd never been aware of Michael Shannon before. Now I'm ready to see anything he's in. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 11:53 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Son of Saul was not only unpleasant, it was nearly impossible to watch. But therein lies its greatness. It makes Schindler's List look like a day at the beach.
If you're going to be into Michael Shannon, do not miss--whatever else you miss--Take Shelter. It's his best performance IMO, and in a movie that is largely or completely forgotten. Incredible work. And Jessica Chastain is no slouch either. It's a pretty amazing film. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 5:24 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9016
Location: Shanghai
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99 Homes was pretty good. Shannon is terrific as a hard-nosed businessman. This seemed like a film in which some of the scams and intricacies of foreclosure could have been spelled out more clearly. It was a little predictable towards the end.
Minor Spoilage:
I thought it interesting that the guy who might screw up the 100 home-deal really was in default and was legitimately being foreclosed upon, but found a legal technicality to keep the bank at bay (essentially some of the paperwork hadn't been processed correctly).
It's interesting how while doing the foreclosures, there are shady/illegal opportunities to make some extra side money. I'm always amazed that people are often willing to cheat the gov't. The very size and bureaucratic nature of gov't make it unlikely that frauds will be uncovered, yet once you get caught, the gov't will find and punish you.
I think the film needed a few more scenes to flesh out some relationships and make some seems play more effectively. I liked the first 2/3rds and thought the later stages coasted a bit. 99 H's put me in mind of The Big Short. A technical financial film dramatized. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 12:30 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| Thanks Billy. I haven't seen Take Shelter. |
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