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i've seen the following films recently, here's my order of preference.hollywood endings. just a pleasant, enjoyable film from woody allen. i haven't seen many of his films in recent years, but judging by this film, i'm sorry i haven't been following his work. no one makes films like him, from his own vantage view. and it's great to have what he offers as an "american artist". the film gets a little rediculous it what happens to him as the actor in the film, but it's carried off, and the film is still enjoyable.
the others. i like this film. it's a good film but the ending makes it a very good film. a thought-provoking, and unforgettable type of film.
frailty. similar in plot twist to "the others". an interesting film. kind of rediculous in a way, but it's still engaging.
in the bedroom. another interesting film. a study in characters.
the above are worth viewing.
changing lanes. some interesting hings to think about. some interesting juxtapositions. but the personalities of the characters are a little too far gone for me. actually i'm a little disappointed as a fan of samuel jackson.
all about the benjamins. i like ice cube's films like friday and next friday. this film is not bad. it celebrates black culture a bit. i enjoy the characters. the music soundtrack is good, with good bass. i can take or leave this film.
monser's ball. it's alright. overrated to me. i can't see what she sees in that guy.
the wrong guy. a few laughs but this is a pretty awful film. i kind of stuck it out cause i just didn't feel like getting off the couch.
we were soldiers. i've just seen the beginning so far. it's still in the dvd player. it's the american film hero type of junk so far, and i'm sorry i rented it.
also i just saw "ranson", an older movie with mel gibson. it's a good action film with a good bad guy. i enjoyed it.
Follow Ups:
Those are my favourite films of last yearArtificial Intelligence : good, but I still miss Kubrick
Amores Perros (Mexico) : top 5
Before Night Falls (Cuba) : featuring Jonnie Depp
Beijing Bicycle (China) : Berlin films fest Grand Prize
Devil's Backbone (Spain) : one of a few good horror out there
Donnie Darko : if only Hollywood can make more this
Ginko Bed (Korea) : a korean fantasy tale
House of Mith (the) : feat. Julian Anderson, just like french novel I read in college
Malena (Italy) : by the director of Cinema Paradiso
Metropolis (Japan) : from the creator of Astro the Robot
Monster Bal : good, but a bit overrated
Muholland Drive : top 5, easily the best of last year
No Man's Land (Bosnia) : Oscar winner for best foreign film
Not One Less (China) : top 5, another reason why I'm a Zhang Yimou's fan, Public Prize, I don't remember in wich city
Nowhere to Hide (Korea) : weird
Sexy Beast : ganster film brom Britain, featuring (Gandhi)
Shadow Of The Vampire : a great perfomance by William Dafoe
Shoalin Soccer (HK) : Won best picture award in HK
Tunnel (the) (German) : top 5, Montreal film fest Public Prize
Violent Cop (Japan) : top 5, a violent ganster film from (Beat) Takeshi Kitano
...and those who are overated, or simply boring.Beautiful Mind : Oscar best picture, what a joke!
Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain (France): not my cup of tea
Kandahar (Iran) : consider by some as the best of Cannes, but it turn out to be a dissapointment
Lord of the Ring : a decent film with great visual effects
Ocean Eleven : decent
Memento : decent
Moulin Rouge : not my cup of tea
Time for Drunken Horses (iran) : decent
Vertical Ray of the Sun (Vietnam): not my cup of tea
i got to figure a way to find a dvd/video foreign film place around here. i haven't seen any foreign films in a long time, except for a french film. it was horrible. it made me appreciate the woody allen joke about the french in his movie. but i am a fan of foreign films.ai- i couldn't get past the first five minutes. totally uninteresting idea of a robot replacing a dead child, if that is the film. that theme and the "emotion" of the parents lacked any appeal to me.
monster ball- fair. only about 10 years behind in racial issues. i thought cinema was suppose to be leading edge. but i did like one aspect of it: how the financial stability of the main actor was protrayed, and how it was a significant factor. he eventually showed other stability too.
and the kid was a great character too. i guess it wasn't too bad.
If you haven't seen foreign films in a long time, you miss a lot of good films and that list from my early post is just those from last year ...and my taste!Me too, I don't like french films, even if I live in a french city, Montreal, and have been a movie lover for some years. In most french films, the caracters just keep talking from the beginning through the end without any suspence, that's what I call in french "du cinema de bavardage",. If you ask what category french fims belong, I would say; " the category Chat".
films form spain are really bad too. years ago they had a italian film festival first, and then a film festival featuring spain (and portugal, i believe). i enjoyed the italian one as usual, and i was looking forward to the films from spain. they were all terrible. lots of bravado in the films.i guess i saw some african films as a festival too and that was good, very enjoyable. and i thoroughly enjoyed an icelandic film festival that i went too, especially after just having visited that country.
nowadays, with kids and everything, i'm just not motivated to go out of my way for foreign and avante garde films, although they were the films that i truly enjoyed.
maybe i'll start checking it out again soon.
Just watched Monsters Inc. with the family last night. Regardless of how you feel about the story line, the audio/video production was amazing! Another movie that come to mind is Final Fantasy, so so plot, but great graphics.P.S. When your kids rent the monsters DVD, if nothing else, watch the animated short film "for the birds" on the bonus disc. Hilarious!
i had monsters, inc. here and didn't get a chance to see it.if those animations are as good as shriek, i'm in. i've seen shriek 2-3 times, and watched the after ending music scene many more times than that.
More like the quality of a computer game (Descent Freespace comes to mind)
I am a well known champion of that film...gray and fake??!!! Were you asleep? Sounds like you didn't get it at all, much less the subtext.I don't care what anyone says, LOTR/FOTR is one of the best adaptions of a book I've ever seen, a thrilling piece of filmamaking, and the best fnatasy film ever. Period.
I'm flameproof on this one.
Sheesh, some of these flicks are a year old.I'l agree about The Others and and I enjoyed Frailty.
It could never have gone that way. With a stranger, it's easy to say I won't pay. But for your very own child, here is one device that was overlooked--torture. All the kidnappers had to do was say--we won't kill him-but we will torture him--any parent would then pay up real quick.A more fun and light hearted Mel Gibson action romp is Payback--I was suprised to find it very entertaining.
mp
action or entertainment films are just that. i'm less critical of them. like collateral damage, of course, it's unreleastic.thanks for he recommendation of payback. it is on the same shelf as ranson, $1.00 dvd rental section and it includes a free candy bar! so i will probably check it out.
Just teasin'! :o)BTW, I agree with you about Matrix, but wholeheartedly disagree with your criticisms of Lord of The Rings; that film, IMO, captures the epic nature of Tolkein's vision and is nothing short of a masterpiece for the ages! I've discussed LoTR elsewhere in this forum and I don't want to cover ground already explored, so I'll just add that this is one of my favorite films in recent years and a highly enriching experience for anyone who loves epic storytelling and is willing to give it a chance. My hope and expectation is that the next two films in the trilogy will live up to the grandeur and scope of first one.
Of those you listed above I've seen Changing Lanes and would concur with you about the interesting juxtapositions, but differ slightly about being disappointed in Samual L. Jackson. I think he did a marvelous job of demonstrating the decline of civility when desparation is replaced forst by outrage, and then by pure rage. This film captured an truism about the childish incivility in our society that is all to real; when adults draw a line in the sand and behave vengefully, things can escalate quickly to deadly levels in our culture. This film, in spite of it's patently moral feel-good resolution that's more Hollywood than reality approached the ironies, misfortunes, irrational behaviors, class and ethnic differences of the main characters with a basic gut-level intensity and it did so honestly (i.e., through a suspenseful story with a simple premise). This is not a great film by any means, but a very good one that provides lots of food for thought.
:) :) :)
my son recommended lord of the rings to the point that i bought it when i had the opportunity, instead of renting it. i offered to trade it for his copy of matrix but he was not interested in the trade.i might have to give it another chance. i was only commenting about all the action in it, yet for some reason all that action did not have too much of an impressionable effect. i was guessing that there was an overreliance on computer generated effects and this somehow had a dulling on the effectiveness of the whole film. probably, enough real action scenes were missing.
regarding changing lanes, i was not dissapointed in samuel jackson, but in the role type cast for him. perhaps the types of personalities of the two characters was too "who gives a damm about there stupid personalities, stupid selfishnesses, and stupid anger" . the personalities were contrived along lines that do not interest me.
on a positive note, i do have to say it was a bit of a contemporary film dealing with contemporary issues, particularly racial issues. but it was certainly biased against the black character. it took the samuel character role to a very stupid portrayal, a waste really.
it's a totally stupid scene to think that the character played by samuel jackson would be holding the lug wrench with a smile while the other guy's tires go rolling off. perhaps people do get that stupid and angry but the whole affair is kind of moronic and uninteresting to me.
i'd rather watch something more potentially real. "frailty, by contrast, although more incredulous altogether, at least explores a real life situation of a father going apparently crazy, and the two children being at his mercy and having to deal with it. the human relationships were much more real to me.
similarly with "the others". a much more unreal film, yet the human relationships were better done, and the issues between all the characters at least keeps you guessing. but then the way the film winds up, it moves many issues to another level, and it really amkes you wonder about the afterlife, and even the rights, concerns, and priorities of the dead. :)
we were soldiers seems worse than i originally imagined. it is so bad that i can't even play it up to what i imagine to be war action. just put mel gibson in front of the camera, pair him with a wife, just any actress, and we are suppose to buy into it. the script is so pathetic. i guearantee i will not watch another second of this film before i take it back to the video store.
...when you're not tired.LOTR is not about "action" sequences. It's *not* at all a typical action/swords & sorcery, beat 'em bang up kill the bad guys and it's over kind of film. It's what happens *between* the action seqyences that's key, otherwise you son't understand the struggle or its resolution.
Like the book, LOTR the film is about how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely; about the passing of an age and the loss of innocence; about the nature of courage and the need for sacrifice; about friendship, loyalty, love and faith. It's a lament for a different, nobler age and sorrow at the devastation of nature by rmapant industrialization.
For starters. There's a good and evil thing going on too.
i'll definitely give it another try. with an open mind. but my son has it and i won't get it back for 2-3 weeks.i could definitely be wrong about this one film.
but maybe it's something you can get into and i will just not be able to do. "this ring, that ring, this is the most powerful ring", i don't know if i can get into the main premise about how a "ring" could control the couse of the world.
is "ring" some type of metaphor?
Saw Robin Williams yesterday in "One-hour Photoshop" (sic?), mainly due to your recommendation. Sorry, though I agree with a lot of your opinions on other films, this one wasn't worth the matinee entry (I am not asking for a refund...).
ATT: READ NO FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS FLICK!
First, the ending. Would any cops in their right minds first go to Robin's room and leave the "victims" alone all that time? No. A major mistake!
The darn thing took too long to get going. At least 20 minutes of sloooooow preamble, by which time I was daydreaming a bit.
It didn't help that the husband and wife are really tv-quality hacks. But the main problem, outside of pacing, is the director's lack of skill. It looks like he was assembling a collage of scenes, with no connection between them, either logically or stylistically.
And last, we get no reason for the psychopatholgy. None. I imagine the original script had Robin being a religious lunatic, but this was expunged for political reasons. After all, that level of prudery, carried to an obsession, must have religious roots, especially in our society.
I didn't find Robin's performance especially compelling, either. In eliminating his previous mannerisms, he left himself no palette to work with.
The plot was stolen from an upcoming re-make, anyhow. "The Red Dragon" takes the conceit of a photo shop and uses that as the springboard for a REAL story. If you haven't seen the original movie of the book (this movie had a trailer of the Hopkin's new version), called "Manhunter", I'd recommend it strongly. The Hannibal Lecter interpreter gives Anthony a some real competition.
Now, have you seen "The Interview?" This Australian film, now out on video, is the real deal. Chilling. Unforgettable.
Perhaps I'm also in the minority overall, although the 4 folks I viewed it along with were not very thrilled or excited. I don't believe they were going to tell friends to see it therefore.I don't believe it got a full movie house release across the country. Is it still playing??
For my wife, myself and several other friends who've seen this film we regard it as one of the year's best thus far! IMHO, Robin Williams turned in a creepy, entirely believable (Oscar caliber) performance; this is definitely going to be an addition to our growing DVD collection. As you warned folks of spoilers in your post, I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't seen or might be contemplating seeing One Hour Photo. Nevertheless, I think it's safe to say that you may have missed much of the film's nuances and subtext since the film really isn't about catching a serial killer as in Manhunter or it's remake Red Dragon. My suggestion would be to go to Rotten Tomatoes and read some of the critic's reviews there (i.e., over 80% positive across the board; that's out of over 130 reviews!). Now I'm not suggesting that all of the positive reviews are correct or that your impressions are wrong because it goes against the consensus, but some films just strike folks the wrong way some time; perhaps, in your case, this is just one of those kinds of films.BTW, if my wife weren't wrapped up working on a new novel I'd ask her to share her impressions of this film with you as well. She views films with a much more critical eye than I do from the standpoint of plotting, pacing, continuity, tension, character interpretation, etc., and it's rare when a movie impresses her to the degree that One Hour Photo has!
Thanks for the Aussie film recommendation; m'Shiela 'n I haven't seen The Interview yet, but crickey, we'll go on walkabout for it. :o)
G'day mate,
AuPh
to change the subject just a wee bit, was an excellent movie. The acting wasn't the best I've seen, no, but the random creepyness of the way the show played out was horrific-true horror. I think the subject matter and sense of helplessness that was an intregal part of Manhunter was missing in Silence of the Lambs. I didn't really care if they caught Hannibal L. The movie was always "watched" and never "felt" with me. It was too much of a spectacle.BTW
Did your wife like In Dreams (Annette Benning)? Just curious--I thought the movie took some bold chances and came out ahead.
mp
We usually like Neil Jorden's films and Annette Benning's acting, but as bold as In Dreams strives to be it just doesn't quite achieve it's ambitions, at least for us. I literally had to look the film up since it's been several years since we saw it and I'd forgotten most of the plot (Sorry, it's my shamefully poor memory, I guess.).Cheers,
AuPh
point occurred to me: did Robin take this movie so he wouldn't have to get out of character from his role in "Insomniac?" Two loonies, right in a row!
Insomnia was basicly an Al Pacino vehicle, but that film was poorly paced, dialogue impoverished and generally not satisfying (i.e., it cured any insomnia I might've had while watching it). William's character in Insomnia seemed to me to be somewhat over the top and cartoony and not especially creepy, which the role should've demanded.AuPh
lord of the rings. it's fair. there is a sense of fakeness and insipidness to it. it has action and it's ok visually, but yet it's kind of fake and grey. i think it must be too much srtificial similtuin or something.the matrix. probably my 3rd to 4th viewing.
this is a great film. and a great science-fiction film.
perhaps there are some inconsistencies in it's structure. but it has great metaphorical significance, and the action is also first rate.
you are only limited by your own intelligence in viewing this film.
it's very interesting how it goes back and forth from action to quiet explanation of scenerio by the characters, and this is done very well.
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