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Author Topic: Write about the last movie you watched (2006-2010)  (Read 5997876 times)

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20880 on: October 14, 2009, 06:28:51 PM »
The Girlfriend Experience (Steven Soderbergh, 2009)

Pretty great. I did get bored with all the financial talk, which only led me to identify with Chelsea more. My favorite scenes were when her "mask" slipped, and I could actually see some feeling. I think Ms. Grey did a very good job within the context of the role.

Grade: A

agreed

 :)  :)  :)

Bill Thompson

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20881 on: October 14, 2009, 07:09:39 PM »
Carrie (1976) ***
http://billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/review-carrie-1976/

Decent enough horror flick, although I could have done without some of the weird stuff De Palma tries with his camera and the highly exploitative locker room scene. Still, Spacek is very, very good in the lead role, and pretty darn hot in a mousy way. I like how it plays role reversal with its characters and asks some questions of the audience, but I would have liked it more if it were a bit tighter.

ferris

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20882 on: October 14, 2009, 07:11:31 PM »
Robocop

I'm sorry, but I don't see any reason why someone would want to watch this. Maybe camp value? Not for me.

Grade: D

Such an awesome movie, intellectually and all kinds of stuff goes kablooey!

I'd buy THAT for a dollar
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Fugee

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20883 on: October 14, 2009, 07:30:08 PM »
The Girlfriend Experience (Steven Soderbergh, 2009)

Pretty great. I did get bored with all the financial talk, which only led me to identify with Chelsea more. My favorite scenes were when her "mask" slipped, and I could actually see some feeling. I think Ms. Grey did a very good job within the context of the role.

Grade: A
Disagree but it's cool that you enjoyed it. At least it was pretty in HD.

smirnoff

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20884 on: October 14, 2009, 08:10:48 PM »
12 Rounds

I never got on board with this one. Maybe it's just because Cena just isn't a familiar face (and can't act), I'm not sure. One thing I did not like was the camera work. It's not something I typically notice, but here it was bothersome. To me it was a poor imitation of the fast and choppy style you see in Tony Scott's recent films. It felt as if someone had picked up the camera for the first time and was going to town on the focus & zoom controls. I don't mind the style in Scott's films, but 12 Rounds got a little carried away.

This movie is very similar to Speed plot wise, but not nearly as good somehow. Not enough Keanu I guess.

12 Rounds 1.5/4
Speed 3.5/4

Melvil

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20885 on: October 14, 2009, 08:40:26 PM »
Did you forget to say something, or does this belong on the other thread? :)

I, uh, was just building anticipation....for the words, see. :P

Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer, 2009)

Pretty fun movie! I especially enjoyed Woody Harrelson. It doesn't attempt to hide the contrivances used to have fun gags, but it doesn't need to. Having fun gags is reason enough. I enjoyed it quite a bit, cuz' of the fun, but I was surprised that it really seemed to have a lot of wasted potential. It felt like it played it the safe, "hollywood" way too much. The result being a pretty flat, conventional story, predictable characters, and too much obvious humor.

But fun! I'd recommend it for a good time.

BlueVoid

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20886 on: October 14, 2009, 09:12:44 PM »

The Great Escape[1963]
John Sturgis' WWII prison escape epic about a prison camp in Nazi Germany housing the most prolific escape artists that are in German custody.  What is most interesting about the film is that it is based on a real event, and tries to stay as close to those events as possible.  It lets you know this straight away which adds a layer of credibility to the film making the escape that much more intense.  The biggest problem was the pacing.  It took its time, building a nearly three hour long movie around one event.  The first half dragged, followed by a great middle, followed by a dragging end.  It played almost like a television series, particularly in the beginning.  In an episodic arch characters are going about their normal prison camp lives with some hi-jinx and escape planning mixed in.  It did provide an excellent back drop for the kind of people that this camp held.  These were veteran POWs.  They didn't so much care about being caught, as long as they were causing trouble for the guards.  It felt like a well oiled machine; a regimen designed to escape.  Steve McQueen hams it up as the ultra-cool American, and while he lightens the mood and adds another dimension to the film, it comes off as a bit over the top.  His motorcycle chase scene, however, more than justifies his appearance.  This isn't the best war drama, but it has a certain quality that makes it fun to watch anyway.  The run time is daunting, but it went by surprising quickly.  It can easily be broken up into two or three sittings without losing anything.  One thing the length does add is that you get invested in the characters, you care for them on a personal level and want them to escape which makes the even all the more thrilling.
Rating: 3/5


City of God[2003]
This was one of the first films I felt compelled to write a review about over a year ago (can be read here).  My second viewing of this definitely reinforced my love for this film.  It's simply awe-inspiring to behold.  The brutal violence is justified with deep characters and heady material.  There are no lulls and the film engulfs you in this horrible slum world that is City of God.  It is a visual masterpiece, that draws you in with its eye candy and rips you apart with its gut wrenching story.   
Rating: 5/5
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Junior

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20887 on: October 14, 2009, 09:19:55 PM »
Woo! City of God needs to be higher on The List next year. We can do it!
Check out my blog of many topics

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BlueVoid

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20888 on: October 14, 2009, 09:31:13 PM »

White[1994]
The second chapter in  Krzysztof Kieślowski's "Three Colors" Trilogy.  Karol Karol (Or Charlie Charlie in English, a reference to Chaplin's Tramp character) is a man who is down on his luck.  Due to his impotence his wife is divorcing him.  Stripped of all money, property, identification and dignity, Karol escapes from Paris to his native Poland where he sets out starting a new life and begins planning his revenge on his ex-wife.  

The theme of equality matches the title color, and as with the rest of the trilogy is explored on several levels.  On the surface White is a revenge film.  Karol is humiliated, and he wants to get revenge.  Revenge is taking his ex-wife down to his level, making her equal to him.  In another sense the equality is shown in a totally new light in the last scene of the film.  Without spoiling the movie, it brings a new perspective on equality as a theme in the film.  As always there are the usual Kieślowski motifs, such as unreferenced flash forwards and the concept of rebirth.   In each one of the films in the trilogy, there is a rebirth of a character, where they are brought to the point where they might as well be dead, but are brought back from the brink and are seen in a new light.  These little touches are part of what connects the films and make them such wonderful experiences.

Out of the three films, 'White' is the least visually stunning.  While still a good looking film, it doesn't carry the same pop as the others.  Perhaps it's because White is a harder to color to blend into scenes, but the color seemed less prominently featured.  I feel that White isn't as strong visually or thematically, but the most interesting plot wise.  It has the most cohesive story arch with enough comedy contained that its probably the most enjoyable film on the surface.
Rating: 5/5


Red[1994]
 
The final and most magnificent in a breathtaking trilogy, 'Red' is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.  The third color deals with the theme of Fraternity.  Irčne Jacob plays Valentine, an almost impossibly kind, goodnatured, woman who meets the antitheses of herself in a retired, Gregory House-type judge who spies on his neighbors.  There is something magical about the way the film unfolds, where the Valentine's warmth sucks you in investing you in the outcome of her life.  The theme is explored primarily in the relationship between Valentine and the judge, who develop a close, but platonic relationship.  As a sub-thread throughout is the idea of predestination, and whether there is more than just blind luck driving our lives.  What makes this film, as well as the trilogy, is the sheer brilliance of Kieślowski at making every scene intricate and important.  There is not a scene wasted here, and every scene is beautiful in its own right.  What makes this the best of three is the cinematography, which is easily some of the best I've seen.  The way the camera moves tells its own story and the colors are intoxicating.  The audio commentary kept bringing up connections between this and another brilliantly shot film, The Conformist.  Like the Conformist, every shot is set up like a painting, with so much care and thought going into how they can force as much meaning out of every scene.  Red is an inspired, stunning and nearly perfect film in every sense.
Rating: 5/5

This was my second (and then third) viewing of Red.  My original review from a year ago can be read here.
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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #20889 on: October 14, 2009, 09:35:57 PM »
The first is better than the second
Welcome to the light side.  ;)

12 Rounds

I never got on board with this one. Maybe it's just because Cena just isn't a familiar face (and can't act), I'm not sure. One thing I did not like was the camera work. It's not something I typically notice, but here it was bothersome. To me it was a poor imitation of the fast and choppy style you see in Tony Scott's recent films. It felt as if someone had picked up the camera for the first time and was going to town on the focus & zoom controls. I don't mind the style in Scott's films, but 12 Rounds got a little carried away.

This movie is very similar to Speed plot wise, but not nearly as good somehow. Not enough Keanu I guess.

12 Rounds 1.5/4
Speed 3.5/4
I never saw Speed but yea this film was pretty poor. Bad camera, bad cast, bad film. I wrote a review for my school paper. I gave it a D.