Last night I decided to watch Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
So there's one thing - one thing - that keeps me from calling this the greatest movie ever filmed. There are two arguments between Stephen and Jack that are somewhat duplicative. I get why they're in there - it highlights the different personalities of the two leads. The reason why it doesn't totally work for me is these are discussions that would have happened ages ago, and they're a bit forced after how many years at sea together. It's just tonally a little discordant compared to the symphonic beauty of the rest of the film.
The attention to detail. The sound my god is there better sound in a movie? The action, and the calm before the action. The absolutely lived in feel of every centimeter of that ship and those characters.
Full disclosure, I'm a massive fan of the series, having completed 4 circumnavigations myself. But the film - which borrows heavily from the books Master and Commander, HMS Surprise, and The Far Side of the World (although I think the chase around the Horn is it's own thing - reminds me a bit of Desolation Island but he's in the Surprise, a weatherly ship, versus that horrible old Leopard, and he's chasing rather than being chased so I think other than having bad weather around the Horn the similarities are slim) is its own creature and a fantastic one at that.
10/10
Great movie, I watched it again in the last month (it had been years since I watched it) and enjoyed it just as much as the first time. I also have the book Master and Commander but I didn't realize that the plot of the movie comes from multiple books. I'll still give it a read.
I'll rate a few things I've watched recently, some of which are things I never saw before and some I watched again after several years. A lot of these came from a Criterion kick.
Master and Commander (2003) - 9/10. Great entry to the Dad Cinema canon, along with Gladiator, Braveheart etc. Really appeals to my general tastes but it's hard to get a 10. Maybe would have benefited from a bit more characterization of the crew, but it's obvious that the core of the story is the two leads.
Before Sunrise (1995) - 7/10 pulls off the gimmick well, never bored me, and the melodrama is acceptable for characters of that age.
Before Sunrise (2004) - 3/10 really shouldn't have been made. Let the original just exist as it was without answering the big question. I had not seen this before and had to laugh at how the characters aged. Hawke, despite coming off as an immature idiot before, became an internationally published author, while Delpy became the most stereotypical female European character I could imagine. The actors clearly thought too highly of their characters in the original. I have no plans to watch the third movie.
White (1994) - 5/10 I like the look of it, found the story kind of dull yet unrefined.
Red (1994) - 7/10 Looks really nice, well plotted and acted, no real issues at all.
Insomnia (1997) - 7/10 not shot as nicely as Nolan's but I prefer the lead character in this movie to the lead in the English one. Like the setting a lot.
Drive My Car (2021) - 7/10 I enjoyed it, though parts of it could have been excised for length. Shot very well in terms of how it looks but a few too many lingering shots, the central gimmick with the play works. Would have preferred a more overt look at the central relationship.
Ordet (1955) - 8/10 I liked the unique look with how they used light compared to many more drab looking black and white movies. Found it dragged, however it gained a few points for the ending. One of the most surprising, in a good way, endings I can remember.
Day of Wrath (1943) - 7/10. I really enjoyed it and didn't find that it dragged. Seems ripe for someone else to take a shot at it because there was meat on the bone left behind plotwise regarding the main character in my opinion. Sort of seems like a movie some of the A24 guys would make as a horror film today.
Despicable Me 4 (2024) - 3/10 I'm not really the audience for this one, which is fine.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) - 8/10 Enjoyed the cooking montages and the fairly light story. A critique could be that the youngest daughter is basically an afterthought in the story, but I also wouldn't like to see the movie dragged out.
The Way Back (2010) - 6/10. I have no recollection of this movie coming out, despite a strong cast and a known director in Peter Weir. The general plot is interesting enough, but a lot of the journey was just mundane. Can't quite put my finger on why that is honestly.
Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987) - 8/10 Really enjoyed this more than I expected. Didn't pour much sentimentality on a story that easily could have been doused in it. The kids weren't bad acting wise and the setting was executed really well.
Absence of Malice (1981) - 5/10 I can't even explain why I chose to watch this. Nothing special to see here and the way things get tied up at the end is not done in a particularly interesting way given what had been set up earlier. Field is a pretty bad actress, which lowered this from a 6 for me.
And Justice For All (1979) - 3/10 Almost went 2 but Pacino is pretty good. This is one of those hammy 60s/70s movie where they are trying to make a point about society but it's poorly thought out. The whole premise and how the characters act is ridiculous, and I don't even mean Pacino's famous out of order speech at the end. The way the judge acts throughout is bizarre, the way his partner acts is bizarre, and worst of all is the insane helicopter scene in the middle of the movie that feels like it will never end and adds literally nothing to the movie.
Six Degrees of Separation (1993) - 5/10 Will Smith is good, but despite what people say I don't think it's that much of a departure from what he was doing on Fresh Prince at the time. The attempts at comedy are pretty poor. Was more interested in Smith's character than in the yuppies.
Don't Look Now (1973) - 6/10 Love the setting, good performances, enjoyed the general tone of the movie. The ending is ridiculous however and I found it was shot somewhat poorly. Some wasted material because the highs were high.
Magnolia (1999) - 4/10. Paul Thomas Anderson is in my opinion the most talented director of recent history but he's wasting his time here. Most of these stories are not worthy of being put to film. Only really the stuff with Cruise could be saved, but he doesn't devote that plotline enough attention. Well shot and with solid performances, because it is Anderson, but ultimately a waste. Belongs with Licorice Pizza (though it isn't bad to that degree) as movies where someone should have stepped in and told Anderson that not everything he heard/thought about recently needs to be put in a movie.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - 6/10 not a bad thriller, certainly unique, and Lansbury is the highlight. Clunky at times though in terms of how it looks, plot, and performances.
Varsity Blues (1999) - 6/10 Absolutely a ridiculous movie with obvious flaws but I enjoy it as a sort of time capsule of how movies sometimes were at the time.
Barry Lyndon (1975) - 8/10 Definitely spectacular to look at, the plot is interesting enough, the characters are not however. I am fine with Lyndon himself being a bore but that she could augmented by the people around him being interesting. Still worthwhile and justified in its rise in appreciation over recent years.
Tender Mercies (1983) - 6/10 Debated going with a 5 but I'm more positive than negative toward the movie. A small movie that knows what it is. Performances are solid, story is nothing special at all but it's executed well. It would have been cliche but I still could have gone for a bigger ending of some sort.
