Author Topic: Respond to the last movie you watched  (Read 684779 times)

Bondo

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6490 on: February 27, 2022, 09:01:01 PM »
Cyrano

That a coworker wasn't familiar with the source material of Cyrano perhaps shows that it was time for a new adaptation. And it is interesting viewing in the current cultural context. In the pursuit of Roxanne (Hayley Bennet), you have the Duke (Ben Mendelsohn) who is your entitled punitive incel, you have Cyrano (Peter Dinklage) in the perceived friend zone, in this case because of his stature rather than a particularly sizable nose, and then you have Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) the strapping Chad whose perceived unworthy appeal inspires wrath and a touch of envy respectively among his rivals. Cyrano's boldness in handling all other aspects of his life do not extend into the romantic sphere, and I use the word perceived to describe his friend zone status as he places himself there and because the ending shows he was wrong...albeit, I tend to think Hunchback is more accurate in withholding the fully happy ending.

Economical for a musical at two hours, this is a compelling telling primarily because Dinklage and Bennett work so well in their roles. The music is a bit hit and miss. I like the main theme "Someone to Say" that is featured in the trailer, along with its reprise, featuring Bennett and Harrison, respectively, the two best vocalists in the main cast. Dinklage has solid enough tone/pitch but seems limited in range, which ends with more speak-sung songs that aren't a particular highlight, though Madly has its moments. Probably the best musical moment, Wherever I Fall, calls on ringers including Glen Hansard as soldiers contemplating their mortality.

Though the story of Cyrano has obviously acheived timeless status, this version doesn't seem likely to get there as a film or as a staged musical, but even so it is worth the watch.

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6491 on: February 28, 2022, 12:40:50 PM »
Inferno (Roy Ward Baker, 1953, 35mm 3D) — I didn't rewatch this western as part of this marathon. I only include it here because I serendipitously stumbled upon my review of it (while looking for my Mad Max: Fury Road review) and was struck by the declaration: "Make no mistake, though. This is definitely noir." I guess I'll continue to remind you all to watch it every five years. Grade: B
In your first review, you wrote "at first glance, it looks more like a western," which was a mistake I made waiting for March. This is definitely a Noir. I'm also glad I didn't watch this when Rhonda Fleming passed away because she's pretty lousy. The role requires someone who's had to eat a little sand, and she acts like all the sand for her scenes was imported from Martha's Vineyard. She's also stuck with William Lundigan, who makes no impression at all. Their scenes don't even have the undertow of darkness closing in on them.

That darkness comes from Robert Ryan, left to die in the desert. Basically doing Tom Hanks in Castaway is Hanks was willing to bite into Wilson to extract nourishment from his leather, Ryan grabs the film from his first shout to the heavens of "Where Are They!" Even with a broken leg, he's as unstoppable as Anton Chigurh.
★ ★ ★ – Okay

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6492 on: March 02, 2022, 02:40:10 PM »
Just got done with The French Dispatch. Might be the most I've loved a movie on the first viewing since Like Someone in Love.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6493 on: March 03, 2022, 01:44:35 PM »
Summer of Soul (2021)

It's astounding that this footage survived and that they were able to get it to look this good after it sitting in a basement for 50 years. The academic in me loves that we are preserving yet another piece of Black history that could have easily been lost in time and that we're able to see the importance of Black music in what is one of the crucial turning points in modern American history.

Also, truth be told, this music is much more my speed than Woodstock, which I've never been interested in watching because I've watched the Hendrix performance and that's really the only moment from the festival I care about. Here you've got Steve Wonder, Gladys Knight, B.B. King, Nina Simone and more! There's just something about Black music in the '60s that speaks to me in a way that other music from the era goes in one ear and out the other. It feels so tied to the place and time and the struggles of the people in that moment, something Nina Simone talks about in some archived footage used in the film.

As a documentary, it's serviceable. Lots of VO and talking heads interspersed with restored archive footage. Nothing here about the presentation gets to me and that's fine. I'll be the first to admit that I'm persnickety about documentaries and here while I loved the content, the craft of it left me cold. I know not every documentary can be Close-Up, but still the paint by the numbers documentary style just means that when the concerts aren't playing, I'm not particularly interested in what is being shown on screen.

Yea, yea. I'm being a typical nitpicker over something I've had an issue with for years and I think we've debated before. I'm just this way about documentaries. I'm usually glad when I watch one like this, but nothing about it makes me look forward to watching it again anytime soon.

MartinTeller

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6494 on: March 03, 2022, 04:10:11 PM »
Just got done with The French Dispatch. Might be the most I've loved a movie on the first viewing since Like Someone in Love.

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. I've never agreed with the "style over substance" criticism against Anderson, but in this case it truly applies. This film is so obnoxiously overloaded with Anderson-isms that it forsakes storytelling for art direction, gimmickry, overwrought writing and voluminous detail. None of the stories were particularly interesting or heartfelt. There were a couple of nice moments but for the most part it was almost unbearably tedious. Easily my least favorite Wes film. Rating: Fair (61)

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6495 on: March 03, 2022, 04:24:41 PM »
French Dispatch is the Hobbs & Shaw of Wes Anderson films. I can see myself returning to admire the exquisite frames and attention to deadpan details. But I can just as easily walk away with a junk food headache. It may be the most Wes Anderson thing ever created, but that doesn't make it lesser Wes.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6496 on: March 03, 2022, 05:08:15 PM »
Maybe when I feel better I'll write about why I love it, but the main thing to me is I'm not sure I've seen a movie better express what it's like to think and tell a story as a writer. All three tales are so clearly given expression through the eyes of each writer and it's the process of how they tell the story that is as fascinating to me as the stories themselves.

Eric/E.T.

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6497 on: March 04, 2022, 12:11:30 AM »
Thor
I don't know how Taika Waititi came to direct Thor: Ragnarok, but if he took this first film as any inspiration, it's easy to see how he found the comic aspects the most alluring. Chris Hemsworth plays this foreigner in a new land type of role in such an earnest and fun way; I don't think I'd enjoy this film much at all with someone lesser suited to Thor. I remember seeing it in theater and being right with him when, by expressing his joy at tasting coffee in this New Mexican diner, he smashes the cup into the floor and demands, "Another!" Maybe I'm weird, but this goofy, at-times over the top way of playing this character, with the irony involved as us viewers know what is happening, but none of the humans onscreen do, is a riot to me.

And yet, I was questioning whether this was a good movie or not throughout. The opening fight sequence in Jotunheim is standard spectacle, not done for interesting motivation, rather by the numbers, and boring (in the bad way). There's the overuse (or use at all) of the Dutch angle, which is of course deployed any time we're seeing something that could upset the balance of power and general good intentions of most of the players in the film. The Loki angle. As if I needed a visual cue to alert me to the fact that a bad person is doing/about to do bad things. The music sounds just like music in a blockbuster. I know there are some distinct blockbuster scores done by some very talented musicians. I am particularly moved by John Williams' work on Jurassic Park, for one, but there are so many more examples. The music in Thor just seems generic, predictable in its moments of grandeur and its moments of innocence. I can hum to you the theme of Jurassic Park, but I just watched Thor and can remember no melody in that score. Mostly, I don't think Branagh has a ton of vision for this film. I know he didn't write it, but he directed some fairly sterile moments of melodrama, which I thought he'd be good at. Fortunately, Portman shines through just enough to make the thing work. And while Hemsworth is put in good situations to be funny, he also had a few fight sequences that just made me shrug. There's really no magic outside of the magnetic pull of the stars here. And that's, more or less, good enough for me.

Post-credit, of course, they try to draw you further into the universe. Thor will return with The Avengers! Saw the first two, count me out on going back to any. Too many egos for one screen, no matter how big.

Not really looking forward to Thor: The Dark World, but I want to complete the trio. If I can get a laugh and see Thor fly around with the hammer, the fan in me may well be satisfied. It will hit the mark of decent diversion.

BTW, I watched the first two Taika Waititi mockumentaries, Team Thor, and I laughed so much, so hard. Any chance Thor: Love and Thunder could go that route? I should say, dude is a terrible roommate, but what are you going to do? You live with Thor! Let Thor Thor!
A witty saying proves nothing. - Voltaire

MartinTeller

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6498 on: March 04, 2022, 12:23:08 AM »
I'm not sure I've seen a movie better express what it's like to think and tell a story as a writer.

Thank you for not using the phrase "love letter to journalists". I just randomly clicked through 15-20 reviews and I swear two thirds of them used that phrase.

Although not about journalism specifically, I find Monster in a Box to be an insightful film about writing.

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #6499 on: March 04, 2022, 03:18:14 PM »
Thor adaptations were like Harry Potter where the first director knew how to bring the character to the screen and the director of the 3rd film better understood what could be done with the characters and the world.

 

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