Mississipi burning
8.9/10
excelent one~
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Mississipi burning
8.9/10
excelent one~
Ikiru by Akira Kurosawa. Very rarely do films, especially so old, pull my heartstrings so forcefully and in such a meaningful way. I nearly cried at the swing-set scene.
The basic synopsis is that of a man who learns of his stomach cancer and tries to live his life to the fullest in the little time he has left, using several methods: hedonism, friendship, and, finally, compassionate action. He finds that compassion works best and his final goal in life is to, in working as a bureaucrat, clean up the municipal waste and make a park for the children.
It's one of those movies that I can watch in my worst hour and know that only death is the end. It reminds me of a little Buddhist aphorism I read once:
"Raj asked Buddha, "Reverend Sir, how come my mind wanders around to forbidden places and yours does not?" "Sir, how come I do back-biting and you don't?" "Sir, how come I don't have compassion for others, while you have?" All the questions that Raj asked were of similar nature.
Buddha replied, "Raj, your questions are good, but it seems to me that in 24 hours from now you will die."
Raj got up and started getting ready to go.
Buddha asked, "Raj, what happened? You came with such vitality now you are totally dismayed."
Raj said, "Sir, my mother told me that your words are true and are to be held in high esteem. So please let me go so that I may meet my family members, friends and others before I die."
Buddha said, "But there are still 24 hours. Sit, we will talk more."
Raj said, "Reverend Sir, please let me go. I must meet my people before I die."
So Raj left and went home. Met his mother and started crying. The word spread. His friends came; other family members came; neighbors came. Everyone was crying with Raj. Time flew.
Raj was busy either crying or counting the hours. When only 3 hours were left, he pulled up a cot and lay down. Although the Death had not yet arrived, poor Raj was kind of dead.
When only an hour was left, Buddha walked in.
Buddha said to Raj, "Raj, why are you lying down on the cot with your closed eyes. Death is still an hour away. And an hour is 60 minutes long. That's a lot of time. Get up, let us talk."
Raj: "Sir, what is it now that you want to talk? Just let me die peacefully."
Buddha: "Raj, there is still time and our talk will get over before the 'ordained' time."
Raj: "Okay, Sir . . . say what you have to say."
Buddha: "In the past 24 hours, did you curse anyone?"
Raj: "How could I curse anyone? I was all the time thinking about death."
Buddha: "In the past 24 hours, did you think or wish ill for anyone?"
Raj: "How could I do that? I was all the time thinking about death."
Buddha: "In the past 24 hours, did you steal?"
Raj: "Sir, how can you even ask that? I was all the time thinking about death."
Finally the Buddha said, "Raj, I don't know who has to die and who has to live. But understanding the ultimate truth can be very enlightening. All the questions you posed to me have been answered by yourself because of the awareness of death that you experienced during the past 24 hours. The difference between me and you is that you were aware of death for the past 24 hours, I have been aware for the past 24 years." (sorry that was a little long, but maybe it'll help someone understand the movie better)
The thing I didn't like about Ikiru was the sluggish eccentricities of Watsanube. They're understandable in relation to the theme, but I'm sure Kurosawa could have asked the actor to tone it down a little to make his film a little easier to watch all the way through.
9.5/10
hhaha...don't I know it; I can tell and also that you must go for the fatherly type. Of course, he is showing his age now, I think; to me last night, seeing him onstage, he seemed a bit thinner and maybe even a little frail; he has never struck me as that way before. He still has that amazing charm though. I think we both fall for that sort of thing. It is funny, when you get a crush on an actor, you recall all the roles he played and that is how you perceive him, not necessarily how, in reality, he/she looks today. I guess the part we like is not skin deep. It is the total persona.Quote:
Originally Posted by *Classic*Charm*
Doubt
6/10
Directed by John Patrick Shanley
With Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
I didn't rate this movie too high because I found it very slow moving for a great portion of the movie. And then the ending was such a disappointment. Grrrrr
Meryl Streep plays a very convincing cantankerous tough old nun. I think that this is the only positive thing that I could find in the whole movie -- Streep's acting.
Oh yes the music was great too! I think i saw Nick Cave's name??Quote:
Originally Posted by PoeticPassions
I'll let you know Janine what i think about it..i went to the theater yesterday to see the Wrestler but i realised that "The dust of time" by Theo Angelopoulos was on too and i watched this instead :D. It gets a 9/10.Quote:
Originally Posted by Janine
One of my favorites! I own it, and rarely watch it, so as not to dilute its beauty, but I have seen very few things on screen so touching! :nod:Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeruiah
A Place in the Sun 4/10
I wish I was Elizabeth Taylor (up until she she started looking like a cartoon and marrying someone new every three days).
I love "A Place in the Sun". Why the 4/10, *Classic*? I really thought it was a good vintage film; I have repeated viewing it; my library owns it. Elizabeth looked stunning in this movie. I believe she was quite young.Quote:
Originally Posted by *Classic*Charm*
Lost Boys Of Sudan
**This documentary film should be required viewing for every provincial-minded American pushing for tighter restrictions on legal immigration to the US. This film should also be viewed by every dreamy-eyed non-American who believes the US is the land of opportunity. Just watch it, a'right. ;)
Yes, she was around 21 if my calculations are correct. And yes, she was too beautiful for words. And that voice!Quote:
Originally Posted by Janine
It gets a 4/10 simply for Montgomery Clift's terrible acting. It kills me that he received an oscar nomination for it.
Walk the Line-- 9.8/10
We watched this yesterday for my niece's movie review assignment.
My sister fancy Johnny Cash *laughs*
I loved this movie and I own it now, eye. I thought it really depicted Johnny Cash, who I liked very much in my younger days. The story was well acted and very entertaining. I can imagine watching it again. I loved the way June and her family really turned Johnny around and got him straight again. Good flick and I would rate it the same as you did.Quote:
Originally Posted by eyemaker
Yes, I imagine your sister does fancy JC; or did she go for the actor playing him? haha
haha...*Classic*...so Clift drug poor Elizabeth down with your 4/10 rating. Come on, I didn't think he was that bad. I did think that E was absolutely beautiful and stunning in the car scenes. It made ones heart stop to see such young fresh beauty on screen. I love her in "National Velvet", of course. She is just darling in that film in my opinion and a rare young beauty as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by *Classic*Charm*
"Cold mountain" that was really good 9/10
The Reader - 8/10
[rec] - 8/10
Brick lane -6/10
Burn after reading - 7/10 (super funny and random)