Recent movies I've enjoyed ...

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Roy Hersh
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Recent movies I've enjoyed ...

Post by Roy Hersh »

I've seen three recently that were noteworthy:

The Visitor - a wild ride of a film that is an interesting tryst and well done character exploration with sub-plots of friendship, an interesting pair of lovers, maternal instinct, coming alive from a near death like state and post 9-11 America with one view of its illegal immigration responsiveness. Don't worry, there were no spoilers in that last sentence.

Angels in the Dust - A documentary about a white South African couple who invest their life savings in building a school and shelter for abused and unhealthy children from the burbs of Jo'berg.

Things We Lost in the Fire - A woman's husband has a needy friend that becomes very close to their family. He is a heroin addict and you need no other details. Halle Berry is fantastic in her role and Susanne Bier, once again, shows her astounding level of talent, as director.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
Todd Pettinger
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Re: Recent movies I've enjoyed ...

Post by Todd Pettinger »

I watched "Happy Gilmore" tonight on CBC, where half the movie was edited out for content and commercials... does that count? I can;t even remember the last movie I got to see all at once. Stuff recorded off the TV and watched in 15 minute chunks seem to be the norm in our house.

Oh wait... No, I saw "No Country For Old Men" a couple of months ago while on the plane. It was terrible. Maybe I missed the point, but I thought it was a waste of time (and that says a lot from a guy stuck in a metal tube for four hours!!!)
Mike Grammer
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Re: Recent movies I've enjoyed ...

Post by Mike Grammer »

My recents...I finally got around to seeing Across The Universe. I think I've identified what bothers me about Julie Taymor's movies. They're all self-indulgent. In Titus, it was intolerable. Here? Go right ahead, works just fine. The choreography is wondrous, the musical arrangements are terrific (and yes, the actors all sing and sing well)...and she gives us colour. In a world largely devoid of it, it is nice to see. The story is loosely La Boheme around the Vietnam War protest, all set to Beatles Music. What I wound up thinking is that this is what Rent should have been if it had been done properly. Right thumb up, though not top echelon.

Also saw There Will Be Blood, as I forlornly hoped that this, the last of the nominees I hadn't yet seen, would redeem the Academy. Alas no. It's certainly an interesting character study. And Day-Lewis is tops for money as always. But nothing really goes on and the rest of the characters and acting leaves him stranded. Plus it is soooo sloooow in getting anything done. There are times and circumstances (Sous Les Toits du Paris comes to mind from this past year) where that absolutely works. It doesn't here. Didn't suck, but I wasn't enthralled either. Up to you.

Todd, I gave No Country for Old Men a middle grade. I liked it better than many Coen films I've seen and there were some good things---their economy of cinematography works very well here and Bardem really was phenomenal. But I felt they stretched the material they had very thin. And the part with Woody Harrelson was completely unnecessary.
Moses Botbol
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Re: Recent movies I've enjoyed ...

Post by Moses Botbol »

Saw "Gone Baby Gone" last night and was a good take. Anything with Ed Harris is sure to decent at a minimum. Paints a lovely picture of Boston to all those who would like to come here for an offline... :hello:
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Roy Hersh
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Re: Recent movies I've enjoyed ...

Post by Roy Hersh »

I've been on a movie kick lately.

PERSEPOLIS - an animated film, striking done in black and white shows the life of a young girl growing up during the Iranian Revolution. The politics of the country are morphing at the same time she is going through family and life changes. I truly had my eyes opened by this movie which is so well done. Her mother's voice, supplied by Catherine Deneuve.

Speaking of Catherine Deneuve, I happened to pull out INDOCHINE and watched it this past weekend, for only the 2nd time. I saw it when it first came out on video (yes VHS) but had no memory of what it was about. Wow, what a great view into the French-Vietnamese strife of the 1950s, along with a trysted love story, and political adventure too. As complex as a great 1945 Croft VP, if you've never seen this movie (and especially if you enjoy looking at Deneuve) this is a stunning film.

Last night's film, SLING BLADE was decidedly slower than either of the above, but every bit as compelling. Billy Bob Thornton does an amazing job as the slow and steady Karl Childers. I realized Doyle was Dwight Yoakam (sp?) but it wasn't until today that I found out his father was played by Robert Duvall. A bit slow at times, but that didn't bother me, it did not take a rocket scientist to figure out what was eventually going to happen, but watching the lead up to that was riveting.
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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