Author Topic: Respond to the last movie you watched  (Read 684522 times)

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4250 on: February 19, 2020, 10:00:10 PM »
Saw The Assistant because Ride Your Wave got cancelled since it didn't finish downloading or something. Huge bummer because it was a one night only Fathom event showing, not sure how long I'll have to wait until it gets a blu ray release, but blows that I won't get to it theatrically. They had similar problems with Weathering With You, but that one just went off like ten minutes late. Going to have to find a different theater for Tokyo Godfathers next month #KingKon But really bummed to miss this Yuasa, I was really looking forward to it. They couldn't even issue a refund since it was a fathom event or something, the GM went through the process but it just wouldn't take, so they gave me three free passes to movies, which, combined with the one I got from another theater for Ad Astra and this one for the curtains getting stuck without opening all the way for Cats, I now have five free passes, but pretty much never hit my 3 a week for A List.

Anyway, I'll also respond to The Assistant, which I really ended up taking to, and do see the comparisons that Bondo has drawn with JD in regards to its pacing. Unlike that film, which I do count very high on my personal list, this one doesn't really give the opportunity for catharsis, which I kind of admire. Where I stumble a bit is that it feels as if it documents, very thoughtfully, the ways that women are silenced and controlled. In the workplace here, but the strokes are broad enough that it's easy enough to see how that transfers to society at large. But I'm not sure it does more than expose and analyze. Not sure it needs that, and I wouldn't expect it to 'solve the problem' especially since that analysis is way more than most films do, but I can see that being a knock against it because not everyone can stomach confronting hopelessness. Sometimes I can't, but as I'm typing this, I think I can here and I did really enjoy this one, and the willingness to embrace how inescapable it all is, how completely hopeless the world truly is. It's not JD, but it's really good.

Bondo

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4251 on: February 19, 2020, 10:06:58 PM »
Well, I imagine the cause of hope in this film is the ostensible subject of the film's futility has a jury deciding whether to send him to jail right now.

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4252 on: February 19, 2020, 10:16:10 PM »
Yeah, I get that, but this didn't seem of a time, in the sense that it felt contemporary. Maybe I missed a date or something, which more felt to me that it's just more of the same even in a world where we're seeing Weinstein on trial.

While watching this it reminded me of Nina Wu, which hopefully gets a wider release at some point, if it hasn't already, because I think it hits on similar ideas in a way that makes it a good companion piece to this one.

smirnoff

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4253 on: February 19, 2020, 10:43:50 PM »
Maiden (2019)

There's something tiresome about this documentary. It's about the first all-women crew racing for the Whitbread cup (around the world sailing), and the misogyny the face (in the late 80's). Maybe it's tiresome because so much time is spent focusing on the misogynists and I'm just sitting there thinking "who cares about these losers opinions from 30 years ago?". The experience for these women, as told by the doc, seems more about proving losers wrong than about winning the race. They document the various things said about them in the newspapers, and it's about as valuable as reading some trolls tweets. You learn pretty much nothing about the on board conditions, the sailing experience, or anything else.

I recommend 2017's Losing Sight of Shore about a group of women rowing across the pacific. It has a far more intimate and interesting focus.

Corndog

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4254 on: February 20, 2020, 07:23:30 AM »
Yeah, I get that, but this didn't seem of a time, in the sense that it felt contemporary. Maybe I missed a date or something, which more felt to me that it's just more of the same even in a world where we're seeing Weinstein on trial.

While watching this it reminded me of Nina Wu, which hopefully gets a wider release at some point, if it hasn't already, because I think it hits on similar ideas in a way that makes it a good companion piece to this one.

They were definitely using a super old version of Outlook, but that was about the only evidence to place it within a time. Even the wardrobe was mostly nondescript. But for me I think the film being able to take place whenever is effective commentary on the ongoing struggle to combat this culture in the workplace. Even as it has improved, it is still not resolved or absolved.
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4255 on: February 20, 2020, 08:55:24 PM »
I was thinking more about the smartphones, but yeah, the programs did look kind of dated, though tbh the things we use at my job aren't that much more advanced.

Do agree with that point, that's kind of why I think it presents a futile outlook as it highlights ingrained systems. Like that Lorde quote (not the singer) about the master's tools, though that's more of a surface level use of the quote so perhaps it's not entirely applicable here. Who knows, ultimately I do think it's a rewarding film regardless, there was just something missing from it for me that I think might hold it back from being a shoe in for a Top 10, though I figure it'll certainly be in the conversation.

Eric/E.T.

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4256 on: February 20, 2020, 10:53:21 PM »
Jose

It's an observational drama about being gay in Guatemala. The titular character holds one of the most common names in Mexico and Central America (maybe beyond), and the film portrays him just as anonymously; he's a man, a gay man, with struggles characteristic of gay men in his country. One of the more interesting plot points is that he sleeps with a man living in a refurbished condominium that was worked on by an out of town construction worker Jose had fell in love with, who'd beckoned to him to get out of Guatemala. You see the same reality of the few privileged v. the poor masses - further represented in a protest for better public schools - as you see in most struggling third world countries.

Upon leaving the theater, I realize I had done a little more daydreaming that I would like to. Movies usually focus me, but I think the lack of actual people in the film, as opposed to representations of people, lost me. Now that I reflect on it, I can appreciate some of the social and economic aspects of Guatemala the camera captures. It's not exactly praise coming from me when I say seeing something was a worthwhile experience, because I believe very few films are not worthwhile experiences. It's just hard to rate it any higher. I did think, from the synopsis on sites like IMDb and RT that we'd come to understand more about the violence and religiosity of the country, and how that contributes to the struggles of LGBTQA+ people there, but not so much, just a little religion via his mother but nothing that seems worse than an ignorant grandma at the Christmas dinner table.

OK, now I'm going to talk about sex in the film, respectfully, but I know not everyone is interested. I suppose since it's about homosexuality written by a cisgender man, trigger warning? So, here:

One last aspect on an identity and representation front: There is a lot of screen time devoted to sex between the gay male characters. Varied situations, from passionate to cheap, like sex typically is. I haven't seen a ton of LGBTQA+ festival type films where I would see this portrayed so frequently on screen (if that is even truly a type - I know the festivals exist but haven't been to one), but like, it's no big deal in 2020, right? I'm just trying to figure out if this is a niche thing that's been happening in this "type" of film, or if we're actually opening up further as a society and seeing male genitalia and sex between two men is OK, just part of life and reality. I really hope the latter is the case and we can all stop freaking out. Any thoughts?
« Last Edit: February 20, 2020, 10:56:30 PM by etdoesgood »
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1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4257 on: February 21, 2020, 08:17:34 AM »
There needs to be a larger conversation about depictions of sex in movies, because for decades you couldn't show it in any form and I can't think of a single film that lacks because of it. I doubt I could come up with five titles where a depiction of sex is necessary to the movie. For so long it was an excuse to display/exploit female bodies, and it seems in gay culture they see it as an opportunity for equal representation of the kind of sex that they enjoy.

This is something that also came up for me last night when I watched 120 BPM, which actually does get emotional drama out of depictions of sex between two men.

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4258 on: February 21, 2020, 08:22:39 AM »


American Factory (2019)
★ ★ ★ – Good
You want to see two different countries working together, but from the moment the Chinese Chairman tours his new American plant and requires changes to the placement of doors and fire alarms, you see the cultural divide is greater than anyone realized or was ready to deal with.


I Wish (2011)
★ ★
I’ve been on a good run with Hirokazu Kore-eda, but this one was back to what I don’t like about the filmmaker. His touch is too light here as if he has a drama phobia. There’s a humorous sub-subplot about a sponge cake recipe and a nice montage towards the end but there’s hardly anything happening on the surface and too little happening below it. (Humorous to me, most reviews I read felt the need to defend the slow pace and light touch as if the writer was aware if they weren’t already a fan of the director it’s something that would bother them.)


The House I Live In (2012)
★ ★ ★ – Good
This brings to life a lot that’s known regarding the unending, unwinnable war on drugs in America. However, it also ties a lot together, explaining how drugs developed their own self-sustaining infrastructure that benefits businessmen at all levels, from dealers to government officials. Like most other American dreams, this is done through misinformation, racist policies and the appealing allure of dealers who offer easy money to desperate people. It’s perhaps too much information to dig deep and make the lasting impact it aims for. Clearly researched with enough material for a Netflix miniseries.


120 Beats Per Minute (2017)
★ ★ ★ – Good
Taking place during the start of the AIDS epidemic, this starts as a portrait of AIDS activism and you can feel the desperation of the collective group fighting hopelessly against a death sentence. Then the focus splits to one member’s final weeks, making their actions even more personal and more desperate. The macro/micro parallel journey makes the film uniquely absorbing and the balance keeps the story from getting mawkish.


How to Survive a Plague (2012)
★ ★ ★ – Good
I honestly didn’t know what 120 BPM was about, so it came as a surprise that this turned into a double feature. Both films center on the grassroots activism of ACT UP, and this  one is a documentary set in New York City. There's more of an American attitude, more of a NYC attitude and the group targets specific racists and bigots working in all levels of our government. Again, the antics don’t feel childish because these are people with little hope in real pain. Humanity delivered through anger.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #4259 on: February 21, 2020, 09:31:08 AM »
There needs to be a larger conversation about depictions of sex in movies, because for decades you couldn't show it in any form and I can't think of a single film that lacks because of it. I doubt I could come up with five titles where a depiction of sex is necessary to the movie. For so long it was an excuse to display/exploit female bodies, and it seems in gay culture they see it as an opportunity for equal representation of the kind of sex that they enjoy.
I wouldn't have expected this opinion from you. I can think of many films where I thought the sex scenes were just cheap titilation. Sometimes insinuation gets you the same effect.