Being adorable and immensely likable go a long way. When you're those things and audiences will keep making your films successful just because you're in them, who needs a good filmography?
BTW, I hope that you're not counting Speed as "trash."
Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Movie-mber Edition
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Being adorable and immensely likable go a long way. When you're those things and audiences will keep making your films successful just because you're in them, who needs a good filmography?
BTW, I hope that you're not counting Speed as "trash."
Damn. Got me thinking. Can't remember the context but something about "suck face" was in there somewhere, wasn't it? Why my brain chose to remember that tidbit is beyond me, though.
THX 1138 (1971) directed by George Lucas
Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away, THX 1138 (Robert Duvall) works in a factory to produce android police. Like all other members of society, he is heavily sedated with drugs and is emotionally suppressed. His female roommate LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie) begins to substitute his pills and he begins to go into withdrawal and regains his emotions and desires, including sexual desire towards his roommate, something which is outlawed in this totalitarian society outside of sex for reproduction. He is under surveillance and then tried and imprisoned for his digression until he manages to escape with another inmate (Donald Pleasence) and a hologram actor (Don Pedro Colley). Shot in a very sparse and bleak way that has become pastiche in dystopian films these days and has strong acting from Duvall and his supporting cast, it is a captivating story and an early film made by a future blockbuster legend. Too bad that Lucas decided he was done with art house after this film and decided to put all his energy into blockbuster space operas.
Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away, THX 1138 (Robert Duvall) works in a factory to produce android police. Like all other members of society, he is heavily sedated with drugs and is emotionally suppressed. His female roommate LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie) begins to substitute his pills and he begins to go into withdrawal and regains his emotions and desires, including sexual desire towards his roommate, something which is outlawed in this totalitarian society outside of sex for reproduction. He is under surveillance and then tried and imprisoned for his digression until he manages to escape with another inmate (Donald Pleasence) and a hologram actor (Don Pedro Colley). Shot in a very sparse and bleak way that has become pastiche in dystopian films these days and has strong acting from Duvall and his supporting cast, it is a captivating story and an early film made by a future blockbuster legend. Too bad that Lucas decided he was done with art house after this film and decided to put all his energy into blockbuster space operas.
This is a coincidence. I've been meaning lately to watch it again and considered putting it on a few nights ago. I recall not liking it the first time, but that was 20 years ago and I may've been disappointed because of expectations. I'm interested to try it again to see if my impression improves.
Soul (2020) Directed by Pete Docter 6A
Stuck in life as a middle-school music teacher, Joe (Jamie Foxx), a wannabe jazz musician with talent, gets his big break. In his excitement, he falls down a manhole. Uh, oh. End of story? Nope, anything but. There is much to enjoy in Soul. I liked the Harlem milieu, a case of "about time" for Disney animation; Foxx convincingly creates a very likeable, against-type character; the celestial sections are brilliantly imaginative, an eclectic mix of world mythologies and philosophies; the technical perfection of the animation is dazzling. All of that makes Soul special. My problem was with the earth-bound bits of the movie which I thought were good, but not at the same level of imagination as the rest of the film. I also wonder who is the audience here? Would children "get"this and at what age? And I'm not sure of the message either, which to me was: hey, if you can't realize your dream, just sit back and appreciate all the wonderful little things in life. Maybe that's a message fit for a pandemic, but I'd rather not be feeding it to 10-year-olds just yet.
Sidenote: My favourite animated film of the year remains Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon.
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Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
Ah, see to me, the message was "the wonderful little things in life ARE the dream." Those are what end up making 22 want to "live," as it were. And Joe does realize his dream: he gets the touring gig playing with a big jazz name. But he still feels unfulfilled. I thought that was such a big (and great) swing for the movie, as it's saying happiness and purpose come from within: if you're looking for the next big thing in life (whether it's a job or whatever) to make you happy, you'll always end up feeling empty.
Yeah, not something I'd expect to connect with kids. Probably their most "adult" movie to date in that sense.
Yeah, not something I'd expect to connect with kids. Probably their most "adult" movie to date in that sense.
Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
I did manage to catch this, it's on Hulu! And.....personally I was not a fan, haha. The songs did seem to fit the tone of the film, which honestly was a pretty gloomy affair -- not just content, but visually as well. This resorted in the majority of the tunes being all mid/slow-tempo, with similar instrumentation, so there wasn't much to distinguish one from the other. I was especially surprised by the general lack of vocal "hooks" in the songs, which are staples of any musical, movie or otherwise -- some of them didn't even have traditional verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure, which again, is surprising given the fact they are 3-4 minute songs written ostensibly for that purpose. That does explain why the majority of them were, like Umbrellas, "dialogue-sung" -- very few times did a character use a full singing voice, which is quite rare for something that utilizes a common structure of musicals (and did make me wonder, why take the musical approach at all). Great lyrics though!
Musicals, whether on stage or film, tend to start with a song in order to set the reality of expectations for the viewer. The choice for Love Songs to just start like any other film, only to have the characters start into song without warning after things had already started rolling, was a bold choice in this sense, and one that didn't work for me, even though I knew it was coming.
And thus, funnily enough, the preferential criticism of wanting Umbrellas not be sung the entire time held true in the exact opposite fashion for me for Love Songs -- I think I would've enjoyed it much much more as a movie with no songs at all, as (unlike Umbrellas) the plot goes interesting places, and the content is handled with care. All these words probably make it seem like I disliked the film even more than I did -- I just wanted to make sure it was clear why I found the music aspect of it so disappointing!
aside: The homages to Umbrellas are absolutely there, you were spot on about that. The most obvious being the movies following the same 3-act structure, with each "part" (the departure, the absence, the return) being displayed on screen verbatim, the actress who plays Julie has her hair done up like Catherine Deneuve at the beginning (she gets a dolly shot of her own as well), and the latter's own daughter makes an appearance as a supporting character for good measure.
I really like your take. Makes me think it is more of a mixed message then.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Well, can't argue with any of this as its really personal preferences. Glad you managed to see it and I appreciate the articulated response! I like Honoré a lot and this film is my favorite of his, but it's true that the "musical" aspect might seem a little forced on it.
Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
I'm completely unfamiliar with his work. Which goes to say, thanks for the recommendation regardless, as it's always nice to experience films (or anything, really) you otherwise wouldn't have sought out yourself.
Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
Which also coincidentally reinforces your earlier point of "who is this for?" It's Pixar, but I can't see kids particularly enjoying this (Here's a feature that touches on exactly that, with anecdotal evidence: Does Pixar Make Kids’ Movies Anymore?)
It does open the larger question: if a movie "fails" it's target audience, do we knock it for that, even if it succeeds in other avenues, intentionally or otherwise? And I'm not even talking about Soul specifically at this point, just a more general musing that I'm wondering where others on here stand.
ItsFineImFine
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- Aug 11, 2019
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The Hunt For Red October (1990) - 8.5/10
-I actually like this more than Das Boot. Das Boot is more humanistic and feels more cohesive as a film but I felt way more attached to this film. Also feels like a more substantial film than Die Hard (also by the same director).
-I'm not a big Alec Baldwin fan in this role which was originally meant to go to Kevin Costner but the rest of the casting is great, even Sean Connery doing a Scottish accent throughout including when he speaks Russian is forgivable because he's great in his role
-The last 20ish minutes of the film maybe got a little too Tom Clancy....because it was based on a novel written by Tom Clancy but it still worked and the preceding two hours were even better
-I actually like this more than Das Boot. Das Boot is more humanistic and feels more cohesive as a film but I felt way more attached to this film. Also feels like a more substantial film than Die Hard (also by the same director).
-I'm not a big Alec Baldwin fan in this role which was originally meant to go to Kevin Costner but the rest of the casting is great, even Sean Connery doing a Scottish accent throughout including when he speaks Russian is forgivable because he's great in his role
-The last 20ish minutes of the film maybe got a little too Tom Clancy....because it was based on a novel written by Tom Clancy but it still worked and the preceding two hours were even better
Collective (2020) Directed by Alexander Nanau 8A (documentary)
A deadly nightclub fire at a club called Colectiv leads to a web of discoveries that exposes the malfeasance and corruption of Romania's entire health care system, not to mention the government that condones and profits from such lethal incompetence. Collective is the most riveting documentary since Senna. Think of it as similar to Spotlight, only filmed in real time as it actually happened. There are no talking heads or charts or other staples of documentaries; in fact, I actually lost track at one point that I was actually watching a documentary. Rather Collective looks and often feels like a fictional movie expose complete with polished camera work and fine editing. The narrative focuses on a dogged reporter whose small team uncovers layer after layer of criminal incompetence. Before later returning to the reporter at the end of the movie, Collective shifts the focus briefly to a freshly appointed Health Minister, a good guy, who tries to clean up the mess but finds himself nearly drowning in the sea of corruption that surrounds him. He's not there for long--the government that brought about the initial debacle is quickly and depressingly returned to office. Collective has a great deal of resonance beyond its borders, both in terms of showing how a free press can operate for the common good and in demonstrating the damage that a government can do when it relies on lies and corruption to deceive its citizens.
Best of 2020
1) Nomadland, Zhao, US
2) First Cow, Reichardt, US
3) Small Axe: Lovers Rock, McQueen, UK
4) Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Hittman, US
5) Collective, Nanau, Romania
6) Sound of Metal, Marder, US
7) Babyteeth, Murphy, Australia
8) Dick Johnson Is Dead, Johnson, US
9) Swimming Out till the Sea Turns Blue, Jia, China
10) Another Round, Vinterberg, Denmark
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Captain America: Civil War (2016) directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
A couple of months ago I began a project to watch the movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in order. I did not watch them when they were released since they didn’t appeal to me, but recently I’ve been feeling like I’m missing a significant cultural moment. So, I began watching them. Most of them so far have been of okay quality with a few misses and the odd gem (Guardians of the Galaxy), but I’ve felt I needed to put this project on hold because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore due to the sameness of the movies and their bloat. Well, wasn’t this the worst film for me to return to the project with after taking a month off. This film is overstuffed with characters and fight scenes with little downtime and it clocks in at a ridiculous two and a half hours (which felt like three and a half).
A couple of months ago I began a project to watch the movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in order. I did not watch them when they were released since they didn’t appeal to me, but recently I’ve been feeling like I’m missing a significant cultural moment. So, I began watching them. Most of them so far have been of okay quality with a few misses and the odd gem (Guardians of the Galaxy), but I’ve felt I needed to put this project on hold because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore due to the sameness of the movies and their bloat. Well, wasn’t this the worst film for me to return to the project with after taking a month off. This film is overstuffed with characters and fight scenes with little downtime and it clocks in at a ridiculous two and a half hours (which felt like three and a half).
Pranzo Oltranzista
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I'm in the same boat. MCU (and most modern DC) movies don't appeal to me (because of the subject, the CGIness, the sameness and the lengths), but I feel like I need to watch them eventually because of the social factor and the fact that people are always referencing them. I'm not looking forward to it.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Aren't you a huge Star Wars fan?
I don't understand. I'm a fan of the original trilogy, but definitely not the recent trilogy, which seems the most like Marvel movies.
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Pranzo Oltranzista
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Grizzly (Girdler, 1976) - Because I watched Prophecy, Prime really wanted me to watch this one too, so I did. Here we have the world's worst hunters going against the world's hugest bear in the the most boring showdowns of bear close-ups as countershots to morons in a forest. 2/10
The only interesting thing is the different variations of the poster as very nice parodies of the Jaws poster:
Some even having a "The most dangerous jaws on land!!!!" tagline.
The only interesting thing is the different variations of the poster as very nice parodies of the Jaws poster:
Some even having a "The most dangerous jaws on land!!!!" tagline.
Minari (2020) Directed by Lee Isaac Chung 5A
Minari is being heralded as the follow-up foreign language contender for best motion picture at the Academy Awards this year. Everybody loves this movie which is currently at 100% on RT. The movie does have subtitles and it is about a South Korean family, but there the comparison with Parasite ends with an exclamation point. While Parasite is an acerbic social commentary on class, Minari (a South Korean herb that can grow anywhere; get it, get it) is a very accomplished feel-good movie about how hard work and perseverance can lead to a small version of the American Dream. Set in '50s Arkansas, an exceptionally friendly, racist-free Arkansas at that, Minari traces the hardships and joys of a South Korean family of four who are trying to become farmers, to whom an eccentric but loving Grandma is shortly added (Thank god, there is no dog). The two kids in the family are charmers, especially the little boy from whose perspective much of the movie is seen. The mother and father have serious conflicts, which are never resolved as clearly as the movie thinks they are (in fact, the ending is something of a "huh?"). A wealth of perfect, little scenes, expertly photographed, help us to know these likeable folks and wish them well. The ensemble acting is first-rate. For the most part I was really charmed. This might be the best piece of pure Oscar bait that I have ever seen. However, Minari is so designed to please; so designed to give a message everybody can get behind about immigrants, hard work and the American Dream; and so uncritically reassuring, that I couldn't help feeling manipulated, like the movie was deliberately playing to the audience's emotional exhaustion and in the process reinforcing a myth whose reality was never as straightforward and wholesome as it is presented here. Call me a Grinch, but I can't recommend Minari. Many will love it, though.
subtitles with patches of English
Mr Jiggyfly
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Maybe it was ‘suck face’.
I’m going back like 30 years trying to remember, but I know for sure the kid was kind of crass and pissed off the old guy.
The kid being like that was the only thing I remember my brother and I enjoying.
It’s funny how life goes though, because I’d probably enjoy an emotional, dialogue driven movie like that now... whereas back then I was just hoping for Stormtroopers to jump out of the pond.
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
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Oooh. I think I'm guilty on this one.
But to balance that out I am always more than ready to bash The Avengers, which would be my vote for most overrated MCU movie.
RELATED. I rewatched Black Panther, a movie I have generally regarded as slightly overrated. I liked it plenty, but wasn't quite as bowled over by it as a lot of people. After rewatching though, I feel like I probably was giving it short shrift.
One thing that really stood out for me this time was the use of color. A lot of this movie really pops visually. WAY more than I thought when I saw it in the theater. I know this is on the newer end of the MCU spectrum age-wise, but I've definitely grown to appreciate the more self-contained movies like this one more than the sprawling connective ones (like Civil War). Black Panther is really nicely done across the board for the most part — direction, writing, acting. Didn't fully appreciate that the first time around. This is a rad adventure.
I still like the Bond-riffing parts. Clever. Jordan is a good, compelling villain. Bosman has the tough spot of being a kinda dull, good hearted hero, but pulls it off well. Stacked supporting cast. Winston Duke, Andy Serkis and Letitia Wright are my personal favorites. Even when it devolves to the inevitable giant battle, the action is pretty well done. The tech is cool. Panther v. Killmonger is a little bit into overly cartoony CGI. But overall it works.
Not sure if it would crack my MCU top 5 but it really might and would certainly be a lot closer than it was after the first time I watched it.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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BP's my favorite MCU film. The only thing I might like better (but that I don't think are more interesting) are some of the Netflix shows. I agree that the whole Avengers trilogy is pretty meh.
News of the World (2020) Directed by Paul Greengrass 5A
If you really want to see a Western, News of the World is serviceable, but certainly uninspiring. Tom Hanks plays ex-Union officer Captain Kidd (yeah) whose job it is to ride from town to town reading the news to crowds of folks who pay a dime each to hear it. Early on, he takes responsibility for Johanna, a German-speaking 10-year-old girl (she looks older) who Kidd finds wandering around in the bush in Native American clothing. He tries to ditch her, but does the right thing, just like Tom Hanks always does, and decides to deliver her to her surviving relatives who happen to live a long, long ways away. Their road trip is something of an odyssey with many challenges along the way. There is a strong True Grit vibe here with a little bit of The Searchers thrown in, too. Hanks plays his usual good guy for the umpteenth time, and, like always, he does it well. He and the kid develop a nice rapport, but most of their adventures feel stale and overly familiar. Nothing is very fresh or even marginally original. I swear the first shoot-out has been done 1000 times in cowboy movies with only minor variatiions. Plus, oddly, we actually find out very little about either character. It would be interesting to know why a former cavalry officer chose to take a job of going around the territories reading news to people, but the movie lays the unique occupation out there, but then does nothing with it. If you can't figure out the ending of the movie by the 45 minute mark, you are not having a good day.
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