Author Topic: Write about the last movie you watched (2006-2010)  (Read 5998390 times)

Bondo

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32970 on: June 23, 2010, 06:58:07 PM »
Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)

After rewatching this, I have to say I'm still uneasy listing Edgar Wright in a Great Directors marathon because it is hard to sort out whether my enjoyment of this film has more to do with Edgar Wright or with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The first half of this film is truly brilliant entertainment. It does not suffer from seeking the dumb gag like Fistful of Fingers. There is a really mannered nature to the jokes, both in the delivery of Pegg and Frost but also in the way the camera captures things in the background. Basically until they get to the Winchester for the final time, I was really enjoying the ride.

But at that point, it is far less of a comedy and far more of a zombie film. Many have credited the ability of the film to switch into this gear and be a legitimate entry into the genre as a mark in its favor. I find the final third to be the weak point in the film and I do think Wright gets the blame for that. The film simply doesn't work as a good zombie film because it is too willing to put the tension on hold for the sake of a long conversation. It doesn't have the quality in this that a truly spectacular film like 28 Days Later or even 28 Weeks and Dawn of the Dead (2004) in being able to create interesting moments as pure zombie film. And with the comedy being less effective, you are left with some rather bland stuff.

Certainly still enough here to recommend but I don't think it attains quite the level that many claim of it. I dare say my next film in the marathon is the superior entry, but I shall wait until I see that one again to say for sure.

Rating: 4/5

jdc

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32971 on: June 23, 2010, 08:30:15 PM »
Deep Water

I understand what you are saying but you are wrong.  Well, maybe you are assessment is well thought out, I would put it as one of my favorite documentaries.  Glad you liked it overall.
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BlueVoid

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32972 on: June 23, 2010, 08:37:28 PM »


The Invention of Lying
2009
Ricky Gervais

With a film written by and starring Ricky Gervais and with a high concept plot, I had high expectations.  The premise is brilliant.  In a parallel world everything is pretty much the same, only no one knows how to lie.  That is, until the day Gervais' character discovers that he can say things that aren't the truth, and his exploits of this new found ability.  Its kind of the inverse 'Liar Liar'.  It's an interesting hook, but one that falls apart rather quickly.  

Initially there are some funny jokes riffing off the fact that everyone must be completely honest.  This gets old fairly quickly however, and there isn't really all that much to stand on after these jokes go stale.  There's a constant battle of trying to make everything make sense in this reality where lying doesn't exist.  While you can take a leap of faith and just go with the world's reality, there are some conflicts in what makes sense in the world itself, and I constantly found myself questioning whether or not something constituted as a lie, or how someone could accidentally lie, etc.  All of this could be forgiven if it was funny enough, but while it was mildly amusing, it really doesn't deliver.

Towards the end it does take an interesting turn, where the issue of religion comes into play, and how Gervais invents God with a lie.  It brings under scrutiny all religion and parodies it at the same time.  While I liked that the film took this turn, it felt a bit out of place and it spent way to much time on it.  It felt drawn out and tedious rather than funny or thought provoking.  The film completely ran out of steam about half way through and just never really went anywhere.  I came away with a general sense of contentment but it wasn't anything memorable or even mindlessly funny.
Rating: 2.5/5





Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
1984
Hayao Miyazaki

True to the spirit of Miyazaki's key themes of environmentalism and harmony, the film is set up as man versus nature.  In the dystopian world, humans are living in fear of the insects, and the toxic jungle.  In a role reversal, nature is the one with the upper hand and the humans are the ones that are on the verge of extinction.  And even still, the message of peace, and good will towards the forrest is the dominant theme of the film.  Violence and destruction are only met with death, hatred and destitute.

In the familiar Miyazaki style the lead character is a strong female lead, who is the peacemaker.  She is the mediator between the insects, jungle and men and is put in the middle of the battle between the two, acting as mediator.  This is a common theme in Miyazaki's work and is an effective way at showcasing the futile wars and rage of the two sides.  Also on display is Miyazaki's signature imaginative, dreamlike, visual sense with a richly developed alien-esque jungle and futuristic fighting machines.  Beyond the environmental themes there is a great adventure plot line.  While I did think the film dragged a bit in some parts, overall the film works incredibly well as a war epic.  Its a thrilling action adventure film with actual substance, and that is what makes this film so great.
Rating: 4/5
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THATguy

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32973 on: June 23, 2010, 08:52:38 PM »
you missed a point on Nausicaa. :)

I have to figure out how I'm going to get next Tuesday off work to go see it.

oldkid

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32974 on: June 23, 2010, 09:17:16 PM »
Melvil- Syndromes and a Century-- I think we all have to consider this film after we see it the first time.  Yeah, there's a lot to consider, but that fed my enjoyment of the film, otherwise it might just be a nonsensical mess.  Well, it may BE a nonsensical mess, but I'm convinced that there's something important to figure out.  I just haven't found it yet...

Sam-- Great review of Goldfinger.  Makes me want to see it again, and I'm not a huge Bond fan.

Bondo-- Sean of the Dead.  I don't think it really is a zombie movie ever, which is why there's long conversations.  I think it's a parody of a zombie movie, totally about the comedy.  Which is why I like it.  I think the zombies were well done, but done many times before.  The joy of this movie was in the humor, which I loved.

BV-- I thought The Invention of Lying was just short of awful.  There was so much potential and they squandered it by trying to make it too much like Ghost Town, only much worse.  However, Naussica is one of the greatest films of all time.  Glad you liked it.


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Bondo

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32975 on: June 23, 2010, 10:09:32 PM »
Melvil- Syndromes and a Century-- I think we all have to consider this film after we see it the first time.  Yeah, there's a lot to consider, but that fed my enjoyment of the film, otherwise it might just be a nonsensical mess.  Well, it may BE a nonsensical mess, but I'm convinced that there's something important to figure out.  I just haven't found it yet...

Bondo-- Sean of the Dead.  I don't think it really is a zombie movie ever, which is why there's long conversations.  I think it's a parody of a zombie movie, totally about the comedy.  Which is why I like it.  I think the zombies were well done, but done many times before.  The joy of this movie was in the humor, which I loved.

BV-- I thought The Invention of Lying was just short of awful.  There was so much potential and they squandered it by trying to make it too much like Ghost Town, only much worse.  However, Naussica is one of the greatest films of all time.  Glad you liked it.

SaaC: I'm sticking with nonsensical mess. I think I gave up once it started repeating itself for no clear reason.

Shaun of the Dead: I could take your view of it as not ever trying to be other than a comic satire, but the last third isn't all that funny for me.

Invention of Lying: I feel like everyone is missing out by not liking this (which is not to say they are missing the point, I consider every film I don't like to be me missing out on an enjoyable experience that I would rather have had). I just love the way he comes to lying simply as an act of desperation and invents religion simply as an act of kindness to his dying mother but we see the way in which these understandable and noble origins get out of hand. I mean, for a film that is pretty overtly atheistic, it has a pretty sympathetic view of why religion has developed into the morass it frequently is. To fit that much funny and that much honest sentiment within a standard romantic comedy frame is pretty effective for me. It is just outside my top-100.

edgar00

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32976 on: June 23, 2010, 10:42:11 PM »
Le Testament d'Orphée (1960, Jean Cocteau)
B

I don't know-how is that guy-time travel- artsy fartsy and pretty pictures...wha?

Didn't understand a bloody thing about this movie, but I'm pretty sure there was some comedy in there. I laughed a bit at least. And pretty pictures.
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¡Keith!

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32977 on: June 24, 2010, 12:06:13 AM »
Knight and Day

An example of big-budget compromise. C.

Beavermoose

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32978 on: June 24, 2010, 12:18:55 AM »
Pontypool (2008, Bruce McDonald)

B

Good. Offers a unique take on the 'crazy virus spreading everywhere!' plot. I really disliked the female lead however. Atrocious acting.

Liked the twist in this. Very Canadian.

Bondo

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Re: Write about the last movie you watched
« Reply #32979 on: June 24, 2010, 12:41:47 AM »
Ratcatcher

I feel compelled to compare this to two movies. Morvern Callar because it is from the same director, and Fish Tank because it focuses on a teenager living in a British slum (in this case in Glasgow, making it important that I say British rather than English).

It is, simply put, a vast improvement over Morvern Callar (which is to say, she got much worse by the time she made Callar). Unlike Callar, she gives us characters to sympathize with and thus an avenue into caring about the story. Unlike Callar, there isn't so much flashy, remedial camera choices (no blinking lights). And unlike Callar, the nudity here does not seem forced and sleezy, once being used as an indication of the poverty of the situation and another as a slight contrast to that poverty while also being a major aspect of the main character, James, coming of age. The grime in this, from the ditch running by the development that seems to be polluted to the lice in the characters hair, got me all itchy, so that seems another mark in its favor.

But Fish Tank stands out to me as the superior film here. It is a bit more energetic. As seems to be Ramsay's style, Ratcatcher seems a bit lethargic. I know you'll find a lot of fans of long, slow shots here, but I find it an irksome technique. I don't need a thirty second shot of someone walking down the street unless you've got a very good reason for it. Plus, while Fish Tank has an ample supply of heavy scenes, it also provides some lighter and more joyful moments (anytime Mia dances, for example). Ratcatcher, like Morvern, seems to pay no mind to this need for contrast and is content to just mire you in misery. One particular aspect of this is a group of bullies that only appears to cause some form of mischief or mayhem, but they are never developed in any way that makes them humans rather than monsters. That isn't something that works for me. I either like the background that provides explanation for evil, or I like to see evil punished.

Anyway, definitely much higher on Ratcatcher. It has enough things to keep me from loving it but the general concept bolstered by strong child actors makes it worth seeing and a much better entry point to Ramsay's work than Morvern.

 

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