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Ghulam |
Posted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 2:27 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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I did not care for "Parasite" as much as Billy did. The plot is unbelievable and contrived. Competent direction and high production values are not sufficient to save this movie. |
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Syd |
Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 10:10 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12901
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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Pain and Glory is one of those films featuring a life crisis of a director, this time by Pedro Almodovar and starring Antonio Banderas. Salvador directed a film 32 years ago and it has been restored and he and the lead actor haven't spoken since a falling out during the film, but they have been invited to do a Q&A after the restoration is screened. Salvador has seen the film and gotten somewhat reconciled to the film, so pays a visit to his lead actor Asier Etxeandia (a very good Asier Etxeandia) which initiates a series of contacts that get Salvador out of his isolation (for health reasons, but also depression) and rejuvenates him. Pretty much all the main performances are great (including Penelope Cruz as Salvador's mother), and everyone is surprisingly likeable. Almodovar's done films with more bite, but I had a really good time at this one. Banderas won best actor at Cannes for this film and I can see why. |
_________________ I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 4:42 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Pain and Glory is a good enough film, but Banderas's performance, competent and sensitive, is not IMO award-worthy. It's extremely low-key, very underplayed, occasionally verging on sleepwalking. Banderas is still a fine-looking fella, though. |
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Ghulam |
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 3:47 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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knox |
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 8:01 pm |
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Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 1246
Location: St. Louis
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Paywall. NYT has gotten quite strict about doling out samples to nonsubscribers.
Mo'less Brooklyn is great. It's not overlong. It's not noir, it is its own unique thing. Critics are asses. |
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gromit |
Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2019 1:56 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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Two options.
One, Simply stop the page from loading before the paywall comes crashing down. This is pretty easy for me, as China slows down access to int'l websites, and I need a proxy to get to NYT as well. So multiple layers of slowness serves me well. Seriously, I have to wait a few seconds before stopping the load.
For a fast connection, you can try clicking to a NYT link, reloading before or after the paywall comes down, and then stopping before that fully loads, while you have your cursor already on the load/stop button.
Two, and more simple.
After the paywall comes down. Simply right click anywhere on the page, save the page (best to save as HTML only), and then open the file from your computer and read the article in your browser. Pretty easy to do for articles you really want to read. |
_________________ Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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bartist |
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 8:22 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6954
Location: Black Hills
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Always a pleasure to watch Dame Helen at work and Ian is also fine, but there's a bit of sloppiness to "The Good Liar" that, well, I can't get into without getting spoilery. Nothing fatal to an enjoyable moviehouse experience. And an interesting shift in tone somewhere midway keeps one alert. |
_________________ He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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Syd |
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:49 pm |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12901
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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To my surprise (since I don't like watching car racing), I really enjoyed Ford v Ferrari. It's the mid sixties, Ford wants to become more attractive to younger car buyers, so they get the bright idea of buying Ferrari, which has won Le Mans four years in a row. When the offer is refused with insults to Ford and contempt for Henry Ford II, the latter gets pissed and declares Ford is going to win the next Le Mans. His designer is Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Shelby's choice for a driver is Ken Miles (Christian Bale), both of whom are fine, as is the supporting cast, including Tracy Letts as Mr. Ford.
It's worth noting that Shelby himself won Le Mans in 1959 in an Astin Martin,* which makes the references to James Bond a bit amusing. He had health problems which made him quit racing though he continued to design cars for decades.
*along with Roy Salvadori. I was relieved to discover each car has two drivers who spell each other. I was afraid someone would fall asleep at the wheel while going 220 mph. Shows how much I know about auto racing. |
_________________ I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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bartist |
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 8:28 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6954
Location: Black Hills
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F vF was the film we went to the plex to see. Circumstances changed, we saw TGL, plan to see FvF next week.
These new Golden Ticket franchise theaters are kind of annoying. The seats are comfy, for sure, but there are fewer of them in a given space because of that, so they sell out faster. |
_________________ He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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bartist |
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:56 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6954
Location: Black Hills
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Syd wrote: To my surprise (since I don't like watching car racing), I really enjoyed Ford v Ferrari. It's the mid sixties, Ford wants to become more attractive to younger car buyers, so they get the bright idea of buying Ferrari, which has won Le Mans four years in a row. When the offer is refused with insults to Ford and contempt for Henry Ford II, the latter gets pissed and declares Ford is going to win the next Le Mans. His designer is Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Shelby's choice for a driver is Ken Miles (Christian Bale), both of whom are fine, as is the supporting cast, including Tracy Letts as Mr. Ford.
It's worth noting that Shelby himself won Le Mans in 1959 in an Astin Martin,* which makes the references to James Bond a bit amusing. He had health problems which made him quit racing though he continued to design cars for decades.
*along with Roy Salvadori. I was relieved to discover each car has two drivers who spell each other. I was afraid someone would fall asleep at the wheel while going 220 mph. Shows how much I know about auto racing.
Had a similar surprise, also not one to follow racing. Haven't found cinematic zipping around in cars this exciting since "Ronin." I wasn't aware how long the film was until emerging from the theater and finding three hours had passed. Shelby lived to age 89, and 22 of those years with a transplanted heart. And was married seven times. The leaky valve alluded to in the film didn't seem to hold him back too much. It does make the fight scene with Bale more amusing. He won't engage in racecar driving because the doctor tells him his pulse can't exceed 130, but brawling in the street is okay I presume.
Maybe a cute bit of parallel there....Shelby redlines at 130, Miles redlines at 7000 rpm, both ignore the numbers. |
_________________ He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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billyweeds |
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 7:20 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Had a similar reaction to bartist on The Good Liar, but liked it a lot anyway. The story gets a bit over-complex in the second half, and even though I continued to enjoy the movie, I thought it got a bit too self-important for its own good. (SPOILERS preclude description here.) Mirren and McKellen make it fun all the way. I'd recommend it without in any way calling it great. |
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Befade |
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 3:59 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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Francois Ozon is one of my favorite directors. Especially Swimming Pool. He has taken a true story of a pediphile priest in France in By the Grace of God and created a multi-layered tale of 3 very different men who organize a support group of survivors who seek justice. Not a simple good guy, bad guy tale. Fantastic film. |
_________________ Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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gromit |
Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 8:41 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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Sight & Sound's 50 Best of 2019.
With a focus on indy and docs and even short films.
https://www.bfi.org.uk/best-films-2019
Interesting list.
I'd like to see these two I'd never heard of:
Honeyland Tamara Kotevska & Ljubomir Stefanov, Macedonia
Transit Christian Petzold, Germany |
_________________ Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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Befade |
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:50 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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I liked Parasite. Agree with Billy about how it switches genres. The first half is straight forward: the clever poor family infiltrates the home of the rich family. And the second half is like driving on switchbacks. You never know when it’s going to swerve next. Because I’m intrigued by the theme of class differences I picked up Snowpiercer. I guess the train has sections divided by class, and there’s a revolt to topple the dictator. But there’s too many scenes of crowds fighting each other....and if Tilda Swinton is supposed to add a light touch it didn’t happen for me.
Gromit.....I have seen about 5 films by the German director, Christian Petzold. I do like him. I think Barbara is my favorite. His main theme is alienation. |
_________________ Lost in my own private I dunno. |
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gromit |
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 1:55 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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I liked Barbara a lot. Petzold's muse, Nina Hoss is terrific, and it's a taut tale of East German spyocracy on a small scale
Phoenix is a bit more complicated/melodramatic, dealing with the Holocaust and love/betrayal. Petzold keeps his films focused and fairly lean without wasted time/subplots. |
_________________ Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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