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| Ghulam |
 Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 2:31 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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I, Tonya did succeed in making me revise my opinion of her 180 degrees. Good performances to boot.
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:21 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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3 Billboards is interesting and has a lot going for it.
It goes a bit over the top at times.
And sometimes goes in for quirk and mystery as though it wants to be Lynchian, which I think makes the tone wobble and sidetracks from the story at hand. There's some good awkward dialogue and the amped up situations interconnect well. I liked that everyone had a good and bad side. Though I didn't really believe that everyone goes in for easy and casual forgiveness. Well, everyone but the central character. I liked the weird ambiguous ending.
I'll have to see how the film sits with me after I think about it some more. But an interesting work. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 1:47 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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Underwhelmed by Lady Bird.
It was too episodic and formulaic and small scale.
Plus I don't really care for films about people arguing.
The Russian nominated/short-listed best foreign film Loveless is around, but seems it's mostly about a middle aged couple bickering, so i haven't picked it up yet (and might not).
I didn't get much out of Lady Bird. It was okay. Sort of limited. Not memorable. It lacked depth. |
Last edited by gromit on Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:09 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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| Befade |
| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:31 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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I used to think of Tonya Harding as a joke. Little girl skaters going "Whaaa and Why, Why". I, Tonya is such a forceful film that that image is erased. For me the bottom line is that a red neck girl, abused or not just doesn't have the poise to be fawned over by the US skating association. It didn't matter how talented, how strong, how amazing her skating was she didn't fit the image of the star American athlete.
I'm thinking of Bruce Jenner and O.J. Simpson. America wants to put its athletes on pedestals. These days I think we're confused about who to admire. |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 10:01 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12929
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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gromit wrote: Underwhelmed by Lady Bird.
It was too episodic and formulaic and small scale.
Plus I don't really care for films about people arguing.
The Russian nominated/short-listed bets foreign film Loveless is around, but seems it's mostly about a middle aged couple bickering, so i haven't picked it up yet (and might not).
I didn't get much out of Lady Bird. It was okay. Sort of limited. Not memorable. It lacked depth.
I've seen seven of the best picture nominees. The Post. The Shape of Water and Phantom Thread are all excellent and would be worthy winners. Three Billboards, Lady Bird, Darkest Hour and Call Me By Your Name aren't in the same class. I'm figuring Guillermo Del Toro will get director for The Shape of Water and Phantom Thread Picture, but it could easily be the other way around or any other combination. The Post only got two nominations, so it's out of contention.
I was pleased to see Woody Harrelson get an Oscar nomination. His was my favorite performance in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. |
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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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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 11:23 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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Befade wrote: These days I think we're confused about who to admire.
We admire rich people, especially billionaires. And celebrities. And most people who get on TV.
Note: Trump checked all 3 boxes ... |
Last edited by gromit on Thu Feb 01, 2018 3:40 am; edited 1 time in total
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 11:33 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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| We just saw PT. Beautifully shot, acted, but I didn't warm to it much. Claustrophobic and somehow isolated. Will sleep on, maybe see how it sits after a day or two. I always like Leslie Manville. Best pic? Dunno, have to wait till the sadomasochistic mushrooms wear off... |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 11:53 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12929
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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bartist wrote: We just saw PT. Beautifully shot, acted, but I didn't warm to it much. Claustrophobic and somehow isolated. Will sleep on, maybe see how it sits after a day or two. I always like Leslie Manville. Best pic? Dunno, have to wait till the sadomasochistic mushrooms wear off...
It's an exercise on the premise that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. |
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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: Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:18 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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He he!
(Possible spoilers ahead)
Maybe part of my reservation is that the three main characters are all so isolated from others (we really have no idea where Alma came from, there is no sign of friends or family) that the narrative functions more as a fractured fable than anything else. While that approach can help clarify and distill emotional lives, in this case I felt almost suffocated. And, a personal side note, I have had severe food poisoning. My worldview, after surviving, is one in which no one would let himself repeat the experience. DDL's choice, at the end, is credible only in allegorical terms. Admire the film for how unexpected those final twists are, and its overall originality. I could say the same about PT Anderson films generally. Guess DDL decided drinking your milkshake wasn't enough. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 12:40 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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| Gromit.......total confusion |
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Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 12:43 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 3:17 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 2:13 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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Coco was fine. Nice look, nice colors, pretty good story.
Not sure how a boy just knows how to play a guitar first try (though I'm not musical) or how skeletons disassemble and reassemble without a hitch. I liked the fake old film clips and the songs, and the tough old grandmother. The brightly colored weird animals didn't seem too relevant, but maybe I missed the explanation (spirit guides or somesuch). Liked but didn't love-- but it was mostly engaging and the pace was good. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 6:05 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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Meyerowitz Stories was okay, but mostly seemed padded out.
It took effort to believe the characters were who they were supposed ot be. And the film is filled with actors I don't usually like. It also seemed like a Woody Allen film with upper class white folks talking and bickering a lot in NYC. There wasn't much to the female roles. Seemed like Baumbach didn't have much to say and was rehashing his earlier work/already retold life. Most of the dramatic flourishes were contrived and felt phony. Actually I can't think of anything I liked about it, but it was watchable. Just felt rather re-tready. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:22 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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Not sure if it's me or the films, but can't think of another year where I'm so ambivalent/unwilling to try out new films.
The Post -- I can't generate enthusiasm, and dislike Streep.
The Shape of Water sounds dopey. Maybe I should learn more about it.
I, Tonya -- I'll probably get to this. But could easily skip it and still have a full life.
Suburbicon -- nearly bought it tonight but haven't heard one good thing about it, and the dvd cover was crappy to boot. Went with Darkest Hour instead.
OKJA -- looks kind of annoying.
Loveless -- husband/wife bickering in Russia
Can't even recall what else I avoided.
Otherwise, were there actually 5 films released last year with WONDER in the title?
Wonder
Wonderstruck
Wonder Wheel
Wonder Woman
Prof. Marston and the Wonder Women
What was that all about? |
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