Poll

What's your favorite film by the Wachowskis?

Haven't seen any
1 (2.9%)
Don't like any
2 (5.7%)
Bound
2 (5.7%)
The Matrix
20 (57.1%)
The Matrix Reloaded
0 (0%)
The Matrix Revolutions
0 (0%)
Speed Racer
6 (17.1%)
Cloud Atlas
2 (5.7%)
Jupiter Ascending
0 (0%)
Sense8
2 (5.7%)
The Matrix: Resurrections
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 35

Author Topic: The Wachowskis  (Read 5646 times)

1SO

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #40 on: January 28, 2020, 03:16:15 PM »
SPEED RACER (Lana & Lilly Wachowski, 2008)
A monument dedicated to everything that matters in life: love, family, integrity, beauty, art, transcendence, solidarity, self-compassion, kindness, candy.

Quite possibly the best edited film of all time too?
I have to stop right there.

While I love the photography and overall cross-cutting (though there are too many moments where a person talks while he's rotating and his head wipes the frame), I found myself rewatching certain moments during the races because I can't process the shots fast enough to know what's going on much of the time. I wondered if the cars punching each other so much didn't look right when the shots were held longer, but the way it is now is almost as hard to follow as a Transformers fight.

I forgot Michael Giacchino did the score. That guy's amazing.

Still hate the monkey. And the kid, but especially the monkey.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #41 on: January 28, 2020, 03:52:05 PM »
As Lynch proved with What Did Jack Do? every film needs a monkey.

Will

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #42 on: January 28, 2020, 04:18:36 PM »
SPEED RACER (Lana & Lilly Wachowski, 2008)
A monument dedicated to everything that matters in life: love, family, integrity, beauty, art, transcendence, solidarity, self-compassion, kindness, candy.

Quite possibly the best edited film of all time too?

Still hate the monkey. And the kid, but especially the monkey.

That reminds me.

My favorite scene in the movie is the one where Royalton reveals the oligarch's control over racing while Spritle and Chim Chim wreak havoc in Royalton's factory. On the surface level, the joke is obvious: contrast the control Royalton has on the racing industry with the obvious lack of control he has at the moment in his factory.

But go deeper.

Spritle's quest for candy is no different than Speed's quest for racing glory. Spritle going full ID in the factory shows that he is connecting with his innermost self (is it any more childish than wanting to win at a sport?). When he does so, he achieves absolute dominance in his environment. This foreshadows Speed's victory against Royalton and ties in with the overarching Wachowski theme: once you connect to your true self, you can conquer anything.

Knocked Out Loaded

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #43 on: February 03, 2020, 03:55:34 PM »
Speed Racer, 65°
The Matrix, 25°
Extraordinary (81-100˚) | Very good (61-80˚) | Good (41-60˚) | Fair (21-40˚) | Poor (0-20˚)

Will

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #44 on: May 15, 2020, 05:14:11 PM »
The Matrix 10/10
Speed Racer 10/10
Bound 9/10
Cloud Atlas 8/10
The Matrix Reloaded 8/10
The Matrix Revolutions 8/10
Jupiter Ascending 6/10

-

I don't think CLOUD ATLAS is a masterpiece but I can't help but feel that I will be thinking about it for a very long time. I rarely tear up in movies but I found myself straight-up bawling for a few sections of this (namely the 1939 gay romance and the Somni monologue). I cannot tell you how disappointing it is that today's top directors that could get a blank check like Nolan or Tarantino aren't even one-tenth as ambitious as the Wachowskis. It's a truly sad state of the commercial filmmaking world.

JUPITER ASCENDING, on the other hand...  I don't hate the film by any means but most of the distinguishing marks of their auteurism are absent in their writing and directing of this film. What remains is their overall goofiness which isn't a bad thing but it is by no means their strong suit. I just wish more of the actors were more skilled in playing up the camp. As it is, Eddie Redmayne, of all people, is the only one who knows what movie he is in.

1SO

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #45 on: September 07, 2021, 10:54:21 AM »
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
★ ★
I had to wait until the wife went to work because I wanted to watch this on the big TV and I wasn’t going to make her sit through it. The technical qualities are ambitious and successful, which isn’t to be scoffed at because these effects require the highest level of craft. The problem is the story, which is initially as ambitious as Dune but quickly becomes as underdeveloped as a generic YA novel. With The Matrix I wanted to know more. Harry Potter, that’s a world to explore. This is like the opposite of those.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2021, 10:58:14 PM by 1SO »

1SO

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #46 on: December 21, 2021, 01:58:18 AM »
1. The Matrix
2. The Matrix Reloaded
3. Bound

4. Cloud Atlas
5. Speed Racer
6. The Matrix Resurrections

7. Jupiter Ascending
8. The Matrix Revolutions

Eric/E.T.

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #47 on: December 21, 2021, 02:35:17 AM »
In all earnestness, if anyone would like to make the argument, I'd like to know...

Why bother viewing more Matrix movies after the original?
A witty saying proves nothing. - Voltaire

Bondo

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #48 on: December 21, 2021, 06:02:15 AM »
The Animatrix is worth watching.

1SO

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Re: The Wachowskis
« Reply #49 on: December 21, 2021, 06:53:42 AM »
In all earnestness, if anyone would like to make the argument, I'd like to know...

Why bother viewing more Matrix movies after the original?
1. The Wachowskis are more interesting to watch for their attempts to do something unique than most filmmakers who safely succeed.

2. There’s about 30min of Matrix 2 as good as the first film, which is 30min more than 99.5% of all the movies I’ve seen.