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| gromit |
 Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:29 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9008
Location: Shanghai
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I've never had a chance to see MBL. But I'm currently reading a largely autobiographical novel by Andrea Ashworth (Once in a House on Fire), in which she relates her upbringing with an abusive & alcoholic stepfather, an abortive move/escape to Canada, and then returning to grow up and go to school in Manchester, raised by a single Mum in the 70's. The reason I mention it is that her real father was Sicilian, and her and her sister are darker-skinned than the average pasty English kids. So they have to put up with a prolonged and nasty series of taunts about being "dirty Pakis" and generally there is alot of discrimination and hate towards Pakistanis from the working classes throughout the book.
I've also never seen the Grifters. But I'd gladly re-watch High Fidelity and participate in some talk on that. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:29 am |
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| The Grifters is a tour de force. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:57 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 2621
Location: Houston
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marantzo wrote: The Grifters is a tour de force.
Does "a tour de force" mean "the next movie in our discussion" in Canadian French? |
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"I have a suspicion that you are all mad," said Dr. Renard, smiling sociably; "but God forbid that madness should in any way interrupt friendship." |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 3:24 pm |
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A belated, "NO!"
Stephen Frears' record is hardly unblemished. As I was flicking through the channels today I stopped at one of the movie channels that had just started running some opening credits. After seeing a few names, I muttered, "Oh no, not "Mary Riley" then I saw the director's name, Stephen Frears. I'd completely forgotten. I saw about 20 minutes of it a few months ago. It's unwatchable. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:51 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 2621
Location: Houston
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I'm in no position to complain about tardiness after the length of time it took me to get to My Beautiful Laundrette. Lovely to see this thread active.
I remember liking Mary Reilly at the time, but haven't seen it since its original release. For some weird reason I often make the mistake of thinking Neil Jordan directed that one. Maybe it's because Michael Collins came out at approximately the same time and both have Julia Roberts speaking with an Irish accent. I would definitely need another viewing to discuss it any more than that.
The other two Frears titles that were most recently mentioned here were The Grifters and High Fidelity. I've seen both in the last couple weeks. I'm ready to go on either one. Are we live again? |
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"I have a suspicion that you are all mad," said Dr. Renard, smiling sociably; "but God forbid that madness should in any way interrupt friendship." |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:09 pm |
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| Well on life support anyway. We'll have to wait till after the weekend to see if the site can go off life support or if the plug should be pulled. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:22 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 2621
Location: Houston
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marantzo wrote: Well on life support anyway. We'll have to wait till after the weekend to see if the site can go off life support or if the plug should be pulled.
I hope it can stick around a little while longer. I'm out the door for the evening in a few minutes, then in the morning there's Federer/Nadal, in the afternoon there's Away From Her and then after that some errands to be dispatched. I'll try to jump start something tomorrow night, but you may end up calling T.O.D. Wish we could call House. |
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"I have a suspicion that you are all mad," said Dr. Renard, smiling sociably; "but God forbid that madness should in any way interrupt friendship." |
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:51 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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I'd love discussing and re-viewing The Grifters again. As for High Fidelity, I watched it a month or so ago. I think there might be some room for more The Queen discussion, too, since its recent DVD release.
It's up to marantz on this one. |
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It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
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| Earl |
| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:51 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 2621
Location: Houston
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The Grifters
It was a pleasure to revisit The Grifters after so many years.
I had forgotten (or, more likely, maybe never noticed back in the early 90's) that Elmer Bernstein composed the score, which does a splendid job of setting the noir mood right from the opening credits. Generally I don't care for shots which call attention to themselves because it usually feels like the director showing off. Takes me right out of the story. But in this case I enjoyed the freeze-frame shot of the trio at the beginning as a way of introducing us to these characters.
Huston, Cusak and Bening are perfectly cast as Mother, Son and Lover. Interesting to notice (with the help of closed captions, which I find increasingly useful for things like this even though I don't have a hearing problem) that a police siren could sometimes be heard faintly in the background when Huston was onscreen in scenes with Cusak. It was almost as if Frears was sending subtle signals that this woman represented danger. In fact, the movie holds up wonderfully on a second viewing because there are tells throughout which give away the movie's hand. Amateurs like me don't see them the first time around, but pros would spot them right away.
The supporting cast is well-rounded with superb character actors like J T Walsh, Stephen Tobolowsky, Henry Jones. And Pat Hingle, as the fearsome mobster Bobo, is a terrifying presence in the few minutes he is onscreen.
My only complaint might be that I wanted to see more of the flashback stuff involving the old grifter that mentored the teenage Cusak. But perhaps the story did its job if it left me wanting more, so that's a small quibble. |
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"I have a suspicion that you are all mad," said Dr. Renard, smiling sociably; "but God forbid that madness should in any way interrupt friendship." |
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| ehle64 |
| Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 11:09 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 7149
Location: NYC; US&A
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That score is KEY, I agree. I've packed The Grifters up in me sack and will hopefully get a chance to re-view up in PTown, til then, TA!
p.s. J.T. Walsh was so freakin' cool. I miss his presence. |
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It truly disappoints me when people do something for you via no prompt of your own and then use it as some kind of weapon against you at a later time and place. It is what it is. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:34 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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I miss him, period.
An Elmer Bernstein score has me curious. Curious enough to add The Grifters to my queue.
I'm falling asleep. But thanks to whomever mentioned it. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:51 am |
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Elmer Bernstein has been a favourite of mine ever since I was a kid. I had the soundtrack of The Man With the Golden Arm (now among the disappeared), best thing about the movie.
The Grifters for me is one of the great gritty movies of all time. I didn't even realize that Bening was the girl till I saw the movie a second time. As was said, the cast was perfect. The movie is a terrific ride and a very disturbing one with an ending that can only be described as emotionally gut-wrenching.
A portrait of two amoral women and a guy who is in their world but really doesn't belong, just as his mother points out. Grifters are a petty, ugly bunch. Huston gives a performance that illustrates just how ugly they can be. Frears directs this movie in a way that is so clear eyed about its subject matter that you can't see this movie without understanding exactly what is up on the screen. Bening is the consummate conniving slut. Cusak, for all his grifter training is actually at sea in this world. Nothing good can come of it. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:18 am |
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Site Admin
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12894
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| Isn't it about time to archive this forum? |
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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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| Earl |
| Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:19 pm |
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Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 2621
Location: Houston
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Syd wrote: Isn't it about time to archive this forum?
Agreed.
I would like for it to have continued, but there wasn't enough interest to sustain it. |
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"I have a suspicion that you are all mad," said Dr. Renard, smiling sociably; "but God forbid that madness should in any way interrupt friendship." |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:03 pm |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 2428
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just wanted to make a contribution for continuity sake. we didn't have one in february OF THIS YEAR, so i didn't want to miss another month's excitement...
i figure if i post a howdy message daily that by the time we get to the average post total of the other specialty fora, this one can run another 2+ years... |
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