Author Topic: Write about the last movie you watched (2006-2010)  (Read 5998308 times)

Tim

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32190 on: June 08, 2010, 04:51:24 AM »

Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson, 1970)
Five Easy Pieces @ 36 > Five Easy Pieces @ 15.
Nicholson as Bobby Dupea is so, so good. What he's given to work with is so, so good. Stuck in a traffic jam, snarling at a dog and then being driven away on the back of a truck, playing to his own tune on the piano while the truck veers off onto the offramp. Playing a simple piece on the piano at the behest of a beautiful woman he hopes to bed, the camera pans across family photos on the wall and stops at her face, eyes beset with emotion. Bobby undercuts her reaction with venom, but also with truth. That's Bobby, a supremely conflicted man. A man in search of truth, perhaps, but constantly teetering on the edge of fury. Whether that fury comes from his inability to reconcile what he knows, what he feels, what he sees and what he is, or whether the line between rebellion and thuggishness is too permeable for such a personality, is largely unimportant. The man is there, the tragedy is apparent, especially to him, and yet the running continues. Is this the best American film of the 1970s? Quite possibly.

I am not sure if I have seen this. I will have to seek this out, and decide whether it really is better than The Godfather/Chinatown/Carrie/Taxi Driver/Dog Day Afternoon etc...... ;)
"Only cinema narrows its concern down to its content, that is to its story. It should, instead, concern itself with its form, its structure." Peter Greenaway

'Noke

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32191 on: June 08, 2010, 05:33:56 AM »

Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson, 1970)
Five Easy Pieces @ 36 > Five Easy Pieces @ 15.
Nicholson as Bobby Dupea is so, so good. What he's given to work with is so, so good. Stuck in a traffic jam, snarling at a dog and then being driven away on the back of a truck, playing to his own tune on the piano while the truck veers off onto the offramp. Playing a simple piece on the piano at the behest of a beautiful woman he hopes to bed, the camera pans across family photos on the wall and stops at her face, eyes beset with emotion. Bobby undercuts her reaction with venom, but also with truth. That's Bobby, a supremely conflicted man. A man in search of truth, perhaps, but constantly teetering on the edge of fury. Whether that fury comes from his inability to reconcile what he knows, what he feels, what he sees and what he is, or whether the line between rebellion and thuggishness is too permeable for such a personality, is largely unimportant. The man is there, the tragedy is apparent, especially to him, and yet the running continues. Is this the best American film of the 1970s? Quite possibly.

I am not sure if I have seen this. I will have to seek this out, and decide whether it really is better than The Godfather/Chinatown/Carrie/Taxi Driver/Dog Day Afternoon etc...... ;)

It's not...but it's still a great film in it's own right.
I actually consider a lot of movies to be life-changing! I take them to my heart and they melt into my personality.

Tim

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32192 on: June 08, 2010, 05:43:35 AM »
Animal Kingdom (David Michôd, 2010)

Set in Melbourne, most likely in the late 80s (although not trying to capture that time), the places and themes were very familiar, perhaps too familiar. So my response will be very different to that of someone who has never visited Melbourne. Although this is stated as being a fictional story, it is based very heavily on The Walsh Street Police Shootings (warning do not click on this link if you do not want major spoilers) right down to the lead up to the scenario, the model of the car, the way the scenario played out, and the trial afterward (trying to be very vague here).

On the fictional side of the story, the characters involved are put into a family dynamic, a young observer is introduced, and their is a "happier" ending.

I really enjoyed seeing Melbourne in the background, many places were familiar, which added to my emotional investment in the film. Had this been set in New York or LA, I would not have had the same attachment or fear of walking down the street as I now have - yes there are some disturbing events, especially when you remember this was a real series of events. I think Dave and Lola already commented on the acting. It was very well done, the music in the beginning was a little too overpowering. The story itself does not have any of the gravitas of The Godfather, despite some of the references that have been made, it is much too colloquial and meandering. It is however a good story about a family of nasty crooks doing awful things. The backgrounds were always blurry, as the camera was always close in, which was really annoying sometimes, there were some great stretches like crossing the bridge near docklands that could have been beautiful to look at had they been in focus.

It is the best Aussie film I have seen in a while, and whilst not being fantastic it is certainly good, and highly recommended viewing. Hopefully it will raise the bar for future Australian films.

"Only cinema narrows its concern down to its content, that is to its story. It should, instead, concern itself with its form, its structure." Peter Greenaway

flieger

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32193 on: June 08, 2010, 05:48:26 AM »
Animal Kingdom (David Michôd, 2010)
It is the best Aussie film I have seen in a while, and whilst not being fantastic it is certainly good, and highly recommended viewing. Hopefully it will raise the bar for future Australian films.

Must get along to see this soon.

smirnoff

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32194 on: June 08, 2010, 07:27:35 AM »

Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009)
I found the Gerty character was too conveniently oppositional or cooperative as the scene required. I couldn't see a consistent logic to his actions. Also, the initial moments between the two Sams did not play out very realistically imo. Oh and one more thing, I wish the emotional payoff was bigger.

My nerdy post for why I thought  Gerty's programming was not only consistant, but demonstrated a much more authentic reaction that you normally see in other movie robots.

I'm still not sold.

ferris

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32195 on: June 08, 2010, 09:46:56 AM »
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)  Grade: A+

As a parent, one of the big challenges is knowing when to let your kids make their own mistakes.  For years they've been under the mistaken impression that "Revenge of the Sith" was the best Star Wars movie.  On this point, my patience has been rewarded.  They now report that "the one with the garbage masher" and the "frozen planet" one are the two best films.   Good - I can start funding the college accounts again.  



For me, Star Wars is a film so good, it gave me the mistaken impression that I was a sci fi fan for the better part of 2 decades.
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FroHam X

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32196 on: June 08, 2010, 09:57:06 AM »
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)  Grade: A+

For me, Star Wars is a film so good, it gave me the mistaken impression that I was a sci fi fan for the better part of 2 decades.

Ha, yeah. I totally understand what you mean, even though that wasn't really the case for me.
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oneaprilday

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32197 on: June 08, 2010, 10:05:31 AM »
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)  Grade: A+

As a parent, one of the big challenges is knowing when to let your kids make their own mistakes.  For years they've been under the mistaken impression that "Revenge of the Sith" was the best Star Wars movie.  On this point, my patience has been rewarded.  They now report that "the one with the garbage masher" and the "frozen planet" one are the two best films.   Good - I can start funding the college accounts again.  
Awesome.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32198 on: June 08, 2010, 10:12:24 AM »
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)  Grade: A+

As a parent, one of the big challenges is knowing when to let your kids make their own mistakes.  For years they've been under the mistaken impression that "Revenge of the Sith" was the best Star Wars movie.  On this point, my patience has been rewarded.  They now report that "the one with the garbage masher" and the "frozen planet" one are the two best films.   Good - I can start funding the college accounts again.  
I still have to put up with my little brother going on about how The Clone Wars is way better and more interesting than the old Star Wars trilogy. Makes me want to punch him in the face. But I'm sure he'll come around.

zarodinu

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32199 on: June 08, 2010, 12:10:54 PM »
Animal Kingdom (David Michôd, 2010)[/b


Looks uncannily like a young Andrei Tarkovsky



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