Author Topic: Unpopular Movie Opinions (2008 - 2010)  (Read 642899 times)

sdedalus

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #70 on: April 05, 2008, 02:45:36 PM »
None of the women in these films are homely or overweight

Exactly. I think you failed the naming movies challenge, Sean.  :) 

Only if it's the (un)attractiveness of Seth Rogan that makes the film sexist.  The girl in She's All That is considered unattractive by her peers until she puts on make-up and takes off her glasses.  This is a general criticism of the movie vision of attractiveness as opposed to an Apatow-specific critique.

I don't think Rogan's that bad-looking anyway.  He's no Charles Laughton or anything.

Both Pretty Woman and Cinderella (I haven't seen the other two) are extremely problematic both from a feminist and a class standpoint.

If it's not his looks but instead his social status as a geeky burn-out, then the Cinderella analogy works.  And if it does then twist the film gives to the respective gender roles can be seen as a feminist take on the story, giving the woman the powerful rescuer role in the relationship.


Muriel's Wedding is maybe the closest thing to your description I can think of, Saltine? Hot, rich guy comes to apprectiate and even finds himself sexually attracted to slightly overweight, homely woman who ultimately rejects his offer to marry (stay married to) her because she discovers she doesn't need a man to complete her fairy tale.

Strictly Ballroom?
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pixote

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #71 on: April 05, 2008, 03:23:27 PM »
Snow Angels is not a very good movie.

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facedad

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #72 on: April 05, 2008, 03:42:05 PM »
Snow Angels is not a very good movie.

pixote
Do most people say it is? All I know is it had an awful trailer.
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roujin

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #73 on: April 05, 2008, 03:42:56 PM »
Awful, awful trailer.

pixote

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #74 on: April 05, 2008, 03:43:59 PM »
Snow Angels is not a very good movie.
Do most people say it is? All I know is it had an awful trailer.

I haven't read any reviews.  I was just going off this thread.

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oneaprilday

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #75 on: April 05, 2008, 04:09:19 PM »
None of the women in these films are homely or overweight

Exactly. I think you failed the naming movies challenge, Sean.  :) 

Only if it's the (un)attractiveness of Seth Rogan that makes the film sexist.  The girl in She's All That is considered unattractive by her peers until she puts on make-up and takes off her glasses.  This is a general criticism of the movie vision of attractiveness as opposed to an Apatow-specific critique.

I don't think Rogan's that bad-looking anyway.  He's no Charles Laughton or anything.

Both Pretty Woman and Cinderella (I haven't seen the other two) are extremely problematic both from a feminist and a class standpoint.

If it's not his looks but instead his social status as a geeky burn-out, then the Cinderella analogy works.  And if it does then twist the film gives to the respective gender roles can be seen as a feminist take on the story, giving the woman the powerful rescuer role in the relationship.


Muriel's Wedding is maybe the closest thing to your description I can think of, Saltine? Hot, rich guy comes to apprectiate and even finds himself sexually attracted to slightly overweight, homely woman who ultimately rejects his offer to marry (stay married to) her because she discovers she doesn't need a man to complete her fairy tale.

Strictly Ballroom?

I think the unattractiveness of Seth Rogan is a huge part of the sexism present in the film. (No, he's not that bad-looking, but he's no hottie. **huge understatement alert** And he's certainly mismatched with Catherine Hegel on the attractiveness scale, don't you think?) Women become acceptable and valuable when they put on make-up and become physically attractive - Strictly Ballroom, Cinderella are good examples of that (also something like the Breakfast Club scenario which Ellen Page pointed out). The unattractive woman has to change her looks - and she does it primarily for men or they do it for her, Pygmalion-style, while men, like Rogan's character, can just be who they are.

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #76 on: April 05, 2008, 04:58:07 PM »
Everything about Seth Rogan's character in Knocked Up is meant to portray a loser: his hair, his face, his weight, his clothes, his friends, his lack of ambition, his pot smoking, his apartment, all of it.  Everything about Katherine Hegel's character is meant to portray a winner: her hair, her face, her figure, her clothes, her family, her ambition, her success, her lifestyle, all of it.  Apatow's casting is no accident.

Clearly:  the loser (male) wins the winner (female).  Yes, this makes the film sexist.  I have other issues with Apatow's scripts also, but this portrait of the male/female relationship annoys me the most.

BTW, Elizabeth Bennett is not in the same English social class as Mr. Darcey, but she's not a loser.  She's brilliant, clever, and socially capable.  All that happens to figure largely into the entire point the novel is making.  If you think she's a loser who got the rich guy, you really need to re-read the novel or rethink your position.

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tjwells

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #77 on: April 05, 2008, 05:08:52 PM »
Late on this, but I agree on 8 1/2 not being Fellini's best film. For me, it's La Dolce Vita (the 3-disc special edition is CINECAST!ing epic).

J5er

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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #78 on: April 05, 2008, 05:58:56 PM »
Everything about Seth Rogan's character in Knocked Up is meant to portray a loser: his hair, his face, his weight, his clothes, his friends, his lack of ambition, his pot smoking, his apartment, all of it.  Everything about Katherine Hegel's character is meant to portray a winner: her hair, her face, her figure, her clothes, her family, her ambition, her success, her lifestyle, all of it.  Apatow's casting is no accident.

Clearly:  the loser (male) wins the winner (female).  Yes, this makes the film sexist.  I have other issues with Apatow's scripts also, but this portrait of the male/female relationship annoys me the most.

But I think you're mistaking sexism for his movies simply being the kind of stories he wants to tell.  In Knocked Up, he's interested in telling of the loser guy who "wins" the ideal girl.  He's not saying that this is how it always happens, nor is he making any larger statements about this situation.  He's just telling the story of these two people.  Whether one character is rich, ambitious, or successful in their career doesn't somehow make them a better person.  Its just a story of an unconventional couple, not any broader statements on class relations.  (You mentioned Pride and Prejudice, which I don't think is an apt comparison to Knocked Up, because the setting is so insanely different.  I do agree with your take on Austen's novel, however.)

Plus, there is another couple in Knocked Up, what do that couple bring to the table?  They both seem to be about equal in flaws/endearing qualities. 
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Re: Unpopular Movie Opinions
« Reply #79 on: April 05, 2008, 06:00:19 PM »
What? What are you talking about? It's girls and spaghetti. We love girls and spaghetti.