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Author Topic: 1990s Far East Bracket: Verdicts  (Read 561669 times)

roujin

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #40 on: October 01, 2008, 11:02:18 PM »
Okay, now I gotta watch it for sure. I think it might happen on Friday...

Maybe.

FifthCityMuse

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #41 on: October 01, 2008, 11:15:11 PM »
Don't worry Worm@Work, your write up is quite good. It really is a brilliant film, and I'm so glad that I took the gamble and saw it when it screened at MIFF recently. I too am rooting for it to finish number one.

sdedalus

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #42 on: October 02, 2008, 12:19:54 AM »
Additional ramblings: I feel the single most important task of any movie is to engross the viewer. All my mind should be occupied. When I take the time to sit down and give a movie my complete focus the film in turn must reciprocate an equal amount of material for me to focus on. My brain can't go into automatic standby while a movie putters around attempting to get to point B. A good movie lays down the tracks faster than the oncoming train of thought.

I haven't seen those specific films, but I'd say your brain is looking to focus on things the film isn't particularly interested in, if you're having a boredom problem.  Not all films are about a narrative drive from A to B.  My unsolicited advice is to relax and let the film take you where it wants to go at whatever pace it wants.

There are a lot of films in this bracket that treat pacing and plot much differently than American cinema, both much slower and much faster.  It'd be a shame if we eliminated them all because they didn't match our own expectations of how a film "should" move.
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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #43 on: October 02, 2008, 07:43:14 AM »
Great Job Worm@Work, you made me want to watch it. But 4 hours. Man, I had a hard enough time carving out enough space to watch the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven. there's always Thanksgiving holiday. ;)

smirnoff

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #44 on: October 02, 2008, 09:13:24 AM »
I haven't seen those specific films, but I'd say your brain is looking to focus on things the film isn't particularly interested in, if you're having a boredom problem.  Not all films are about a narrative drive from A to B.  My unsolicited advice is to relax and let the film take you where it wants to go at whatever pace it wants.

There are a lot of films in this bracket that treat pacing and plot much differently than American cinema, both much slower and much faster.  It'd be a shame if we eliminated them all because they didn't match our own expectations of how a film "should" move.
That was, at times, a problem for me in the past. I've learned that lesson though. I say to myself now "this film was made by a professional, they won't lead you into a dead end", and that's enough for me to let go of the reigns. I'm fine with a movie deciding it's time to stop and smell the roses. I think in this case it's more a matter of the quality and effectiveness of each scene, the freshness of the story and ideas (relative to the viewer), and the room for improvement.

I feel like I should say, I'm not just looking to kill off films willy nilly out of spite or just for the sake of imposing my will on the bracket. I'm merely an ardent viewer looking for greatness.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2008, 09:46:28 AM by smirnoff »

worm@work

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #45 on: October 02, 2008, 09:16:14 AM »
Thanks Sam & Fifthcitymuse. For anyone who is daunted by the long running time, the film is constantly engaging and never slows down.

I also wanted to give a special shoutout to Chang Chen who makes a stunning debut in this film as Xiao Si'ir and has since appeared in several Wong Kar Wai films and also in Hou Hsiao Hsien's Three Times. Both Si'ir & Cat worked with Yang again in Mahjong and it's really nice seeing their transition from childhood to youth across these two films.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2008, 09:18:07 AM by worm@work »

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #46 on: October 02, 2008, 10:50:26 AM »
Thanks Sam & Fifthcitymuse. For anyone who is daunted by the long running time, the film is constantly engaging and never slows down.
I'm not daunted by it, I just don't know if I have the time for it. :-\

roujin

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #47 on: October 02, 2008, 11:17:28 AM »
I'm definitely making the time. This Friday!!!

Verite

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #48 on: October 02, 2008, 12:31:48 PM »
A Brighter Summer Day moves on and now I too am rooting for it to win this bracket.
Me, too.
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sdedalus

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Re: 1990s Far East Bracket - Verdicts
« Reply #49 on: October 02, 2008, 01:39:57 PM »
I haven't seen those specific films, but I'd say your brain is looking to focus on things the film isn't particularly interested in, if you're having a boredom problem.  Not all films are about a narrative drive from A to B.  My unsolicited advice is to relax and let the film take you where it wants to go at whatever pace it wants.

There are a lot of films in this bracket that treat pacing and plot much differently than American cinema, both much slower and much faster.  It'd be a shame if we eliminated them all because they didn't match our own expectations of how a film "should" move.
That was, at times, a problem for me in the past. I've learned that lesson though. I say to myself now "this film was made by a professional, they won't lead you into a dead end", and that's enough for me to let go of the reigns. I'm fine with a movie deciding it's time to stop and smell the roses. I think in this case it's more a matter of the quality and effectiveness of each scene, the freshness of the story and ideas (relative to the viewer), and the room for improvement.

I feel like I should say, I'm not just looking to kill off films willy nilly out of spite or just for the sake of imposing my will on the bracket. I'm merely an ardent viewer looking for greatness.

Fair enough.  I didn't mean to single you out, just something that was on my mind.
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