No, I'd really like to see it. Thanks for reminding me! The last movie I saw was one I really didn't want to see, and it lived up to my expectations--The Manchurian Candidate. Let's just leave it at that...
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No, I'd really like to see it. Thanks for reminding me! The last movie I saw was one I really didn't want to see, and it lived up to my expectations--The Manchurian Candidate. Let's just leave it at that...
Is that the original or the new version? I like the original a great deal but I've yet to see the new one.Quote:
Originally Posted by nome1486
Watched Ikiru last night. (Yes, I'm on a Kuroswawa binge.) Great God what an amazing film! A stunningly good performance by Takashi Shimura (better than any Mifune performance, IMO), a beautiful script that's right from AK's heart, and lovely cinematography. 10! 10! 10!
We saw the Bourne Supremecy last night. Plot, intrigue, action, character depth; what more can you ask for? Although I have not read Ludlum, I understand the movies digress from the books extensively. They are, however, extremely enjoyable in and off themselves. :thumbs_up
It was the new one; I haven't seen the original, so I can't compare them for you, but they're probably not very similar.Quote:
Originally Posted by trismegistus
On the subject of Bourne Supremacy, I liked that one too. I thought it made much more sense than Bourne Identity.
tris,i'm glad there's another AK fan =). he's my fav director of all time. fav is still 7 samurai.
as for bourne sup, have any of you that have seen the films read the books? imho the books blew the films away. they completely removed carlos the jackal!
The House of Yes. It was a little goofy but ok, I'd give it a 7.
The Officer's Ward
A good exploration of what it means to have a facial disability, and a slight commentary on war. It suffers from a rather inconclusive ending and could have been more penetrating in its analysis of the evils of war. I guess I would give it 7/10.
Wicker Park
All I can say is bad, very bad...
I can't say he's my favorite. Visually I like both Malick and Fellini better, but AK was a true master. Definitely in my top ten. (That sounds like another thread starter.)Quote:
Originally Posted by JediFonger
Do you know Itami's work?
not yet i'm still working through my list in silent movies =).
I'll second the 7 samurai as his best piece. :thumbs_upQuote:
Originally Posted by JediFonger
Crazy/beautiful was the last film i saw,..in a way i was good coz they dnt try nd pack it with a whole load ov crap wich wudnt actually hapen, like they didnt try nd fit in big events to fill it like in other films, if you get my meaning, pritty good, 8/10
After Hours. I think it's an early Martin Scorcese movie, but not good. I'd give it 5 out of 10.
I saw King Arthur yesterday. I thought the plot was a big pile of fantasy and the dialogues were quite silly, but it's a nice movie to look at. 6/10
I watched two movies fairly recently to rate:
Chasing Holden caught my eye at the video store, being a sucker for Salinger. The film was about a confused adolescent with Caulfield-syndrome, so to speak, searching to meet Salinger. Rating: 6-7/10, a little cliché.
Amelie, a French film, I saw for nearly the 100+ time. It requires no words. Rating: 11 (yes,eleven) /10.
Last night I saw "The Village". It was creepy. I would like to say more, but I do not want to spoil it for anyone, by giving out any details.
And Mono- about Amelie I can only qoute Spinal tap "This one goes to eleven". Amelie is a wonderful movie. After the movie evryone in the audience left with big silly grins on their faces. They do not make so many movies that make you feel like that.
Today I went so see Hero, by Zhang Yimou.
I believe it's one of those rare films, the ones that choose to entertain the viewer, but at the same time succeed in delivering an opinion, a point of view, a message of some sort. As usual in this type of movies (that would be, oriental martial arts/sword battles/etc.) all the elements associated to the visuals are mindblowing. The moves, the special effects, the costumes, the landscapes, the use of colours, are all simply beautiful and top of the art, and pretty much win over those of their predecessors (e.g. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) IMHO. Perhaps, only the swords are a weak link, as they seem to be pretty common-occidental swords, nothing like the katanas I was expecting to see. But the movie's so good, you hardly notice, and even if you do, it isn't tough at all to ignore it and move on.
Unlike in most movies, the script isn't forced to deliver a message that has been thought ex ante, but instead follows its own path without altering it, so at the end any perception that is left is extracted from that free development, and not the other way round, albeit the fact that the movie chooses myth and legend over an historic perspective. It is an old maxim of mine (not original, of course, but adopted nonetheless) that a good (no, make that a great movie) never has meaningless dialogues. What is said is said for a reason, any reason (rational or irrational), and the actions across the movie are consistent with this. The plot is pretty much what anyone could wish for, as it's never lineal, never predictable. The actors perform extremely well, they don't seem to be characters, they are simply themselves, at least that was my perception. The formula of the movie is kinda like this: Rashomon + Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon = Hero, so if you liked any of those, chances are you'll like this one.
I give it 9 crisaors.
P.D.: Thanks Isagel for recommending this one. It took almost a year, but I finally got a chance to see it. :)
Isn't that, like, a buck-and-a-half American? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by crisaor
I´m so glad you liked it.
Right now I´m looking forward to "House of flying daggers". Friends have told me that it equals Hero. We´ll see.
crisaor, perhaps it's a language/cultural issue. i can understand mandarin fluently and i hate to burst your bubble but the message of hero is pretty clear. i also saw the 2 hour version (not the edited 90min version). the primary message is do not defy authority figure (eg communist china). this is why china wanted it to win "best picture" in the oscars. heh heh very funny.
Could be. Let me get my calculator... ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by trismegistus
I'll be waiting for your review Isagel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Isagel
I never said that it wasn't. But what seems clear to you or myself, differs for other people.Quote:
Originally Posted by JediFonger
Like I said before. You got almost an exact opposite of the meaning I got. You understood that it was comunist propaganda. I understood that there's not always a good and a bad side. Everyone has their own agenda and motivations. The movie employs a legendary view of history, and IMO, this is generally much more interesting. Besides, how the hell can you talk about communism, when there isn't a single reference to it in the entire movie?? (unless of course, the translation has been perversedly altered, and instead of saying how fast Jet Li's sword is, they're just saying convert to communism. Or, maybe that red dress is an alusion. Yes, that's gotta be it. Forgive me if I choose to stick with my own interpretation.)Quote:
Originally Posted by JediFonger
the chinese never say literally what they always mean. if they told you i love you and they really mean i wanna kill you, it's easier to kill you that way.
if you ask ANY of your chinese/taiwanese friends who understand the subtext of a wuxia movie they'll ALL tell you it's communist propaganda. don't take my own words for it =).
What??? Is this for serious??? Geeze.....Quote:
Originally Posted by JediFonger
I don't have any "chinese friends", but still, I'll obey and not take your word for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by JediFonger
Saw Alien vs. Predator a few days ago, and even though I went to the cinema with zero expectations, it turned out to give me negative utility. This is the worst piece of crap I've seen in the last years :flare:. I knew it wasn't gonna be good, but this is far worse than I hoped. The plot is practically nonexistant, the usual elements of the alien biology are turned upside down, the predators are pathetic, and the film fails to entertain the viewer 100% of the time. Being both an alien and predator fan (I'm more partial to the predator if anyone is curious) I couldn't wait to see it. Now, I wish I hadn't. This isn't worth seeing, much less paying anything for it. Ignore it, both in cinema and video. If it ever hits the TV, you should ignore it too, unless you want to waste 1 hour 20 minutes of your time.
I give it 2 crisaors.
:wave:
Runaway Jury,
Brain rollercoaster, very wierd plot twists wouldn't be surprised if its based on truth but I know its not, (i think :)) anyway, pretty good, big fan of John Cusak, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz (i think I spelt that wrong)
9/10
Exorcist 4, The Beginning. I"d give it a 7. Not the best horror movie, not the worst.
Van Helsing, liked it, was good.
Think I'd give it ... an 8.
On DVD: The Man Without a Past.
An amusing and well-directed film about poverty, love and identity. Some very amusing dialogue. Made me laugh at times. I don't feel that there is so much of a serious message in the film though. Still Kaurasmaki is definitely a director to look out for in the future.
I can't believe there has been a Lukas Moodyson season on BBC4 in the UK, and I didn't get to see any of them!! Mind you have seen Together and Lilya-4-Ever already, still would have been nice to have seen Show Me Love.
AP
I saw Strangers on a Train a few days ago. Alfred Hitchcock never ceases to amaze me. Easily 10/10.
Belly of the beast not very intelligent, cheasy graphics, and of course the throw away strip club scene. 2/10
I watched Tom Jones last sunday. I havent read the book version, so I dont know whether Fielding wrote it with the intention to make it as a funny story. It isntreally an interesting story, though there are some commedies in it. I noticed that this movie won some Oscars, including the best picture and scenario.
I gave it 7/10
Tom Jones is a huge rambling eighteenth century novel, filled with wit, humour and humanity. It was a big influence on Dickens apparently, and reading his Pickwick Papers, you can get a sense of similarity.
I believe Tony Richardson directed the film. He became famous through a group of writers and directors known as the Movement back in the 50's. They created an experimental style in theatre production and he moved on to films.
http://www.crankycritic.com/archive0...verbrother.jpg
10/10, this movie rocked... it was solid
Stan, is it just another rush hour, bad boy, type of movie again?
Farewell My Concubine
Every bit as good as the critics claimed when it was released. The story is poetic and is carefully poignant rather than melodramatic. Changwei Gu and Kaige Chen created visual magic together. Score was a major element of the film, and it was used masterfully. The whole production is a damn near perfect synthesis of all the elements of good cinema.
9 of 10
Yesterday, I just watched the first part of once unpon a time in America, it definitly is a masterpiece, I have to say it's the greatest America film I've ever seen and I've added it to my favorate list. I'll finish the second part of this movie tonight.
Before I watched ouatia, I saw another moive, the eternal sunshine of spotless mind, which was just published this early year. It's too a good film. I also recommend garden state, I watched it one month ago in theatre.
I saw a Spanish movie a few nights ago called Amores Perros (a translation I cannot make without closing the thread) - excellent movie; it reminds me if Quentin Tarantino directed a Spanish film. 9/10
Another foreign movie, German, I saw recently, Run Lola Run, I also fell in love with earns a 9/10 too.
I heard rave reviews for Amores Perros so I rented it, but I couldn't get past all the dog fighting. The storyline had me interested and I know the dog fighting was fake but I couldn't do it.
Mothman Prophesies : 82%
Austin Powers: the spy who shagged me..
I was utterly bored and it was the only decent thing on tv..it was pretty ok.. mm.. 75%ish
(watching Chocolat now..i like this better...but the thing is, the genres are totally different, but nonetheless, good movie)