Author Topic: Ferris' GooseEgg Marathon: 40 great films from this decade  (Read 101425 times)

ferris

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #60 on: November 13, 2009, 04:11:30 PM »

Here are the selected films:













I had to change up the order a bit.  I grabbed Pan's Labyrinth at BB yesterday and I've got some time this afternoon to watch it   I also thought it would be nice to put High Fidelity in between a few of the heavier movies just so I don't kill myself half way through the marathon!
« Last Edit: November 13, 2009, 04:13:23 PM by ferris »
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
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'Noke

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #61 on: November 13, 2009, 07:13:08 PM »


Tak Fujimoto puts both Deakins and Almendros to shame.

pixote

What movie is this?

I agree with your awesome assessment Ferris, Assassination of Jesse James is a marvelous film. Made my top 50.
I actually consider a lot of movies to be life-changing! I take them to my heart and they melt into my personality.

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #62 on: November 14, 2009, 10:32:21 AM »
That's The Happening I believe.
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ferris

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #63 on: November 14, 2009, 01:56:03 PM »


Goose Egg Marathon Film #2


(2006, Guillermo del Toro)

Early on in my viewing of Pan's Labyrinth I worried to myself - my goodness, the Assassination of Jesse James was so great and this one is starting to shape up too - what if this whole marathon I have nothing but hyperbole for every film!  As much as it pains me to say it, after the first 15-20 or so, as much as I really enjoyed particular aspects of this film, in the end this didn't do a whole lot for me.  Well, It's interesting to me sometimes...as much as you think you can make a scientific, unbiased analysis of a film you realzie so much of your enjoyment of a film is wrapped up in your personal experience, other movies you've seen in the past, and just plain personal opinion.  I really admire this film - and I love little-engine-that-could films and I truly like to support projects like these.  This aimed for something very lofty and just missed for me, which hey is pretty cool in my book.

So positives first, because there is a lot to admire here:

First, I really enjoyed Ivana Baquero's portrayal of a young girl swept off to a new home -  having to contend with a tyranical father figure, the backdrop of a world war, and a mother sick and having given up hope.    I also really enjoyed set design of the labyrinth, and the other fantastical imagerey - especially the final scene.  I was suprised at how pretty the Spanish forest backdrop was - looking very much like the temperate rain forests near where I live.  I was very comfortable in these surroundings!



 

In trying to quantify what didn't work for me, I almost hate to bring things up because I know this is a beloved film.  But I feel like we were kept an arm's distance from the characters, and as such they seemed pretty one dimensional.  So this is a pretty well travelled formula, right?  oppressed child creates/visits fantasy world for escape.  We have the misunderstanding parents, the "bad guy", the backdrdop of war, the abiguous nature of the fantasy world and, of course, the can-do-no-wrong precious child.  Everything from Narnia to Spiderwick (recall, as close together as these two movies came out, the books are decades from each other)  So what I need from the film is a different hook.  

I think there are a few differences here that are worth noting (getting in spoiler territory here) - I appreciated the fact that the creatures of the fantasy world did not bring about the undoing of the antogonst, and in fact that in fact it's pretty clear the fantasy world existed solely in the imagination of the child.  I really respected these choices.  But the characters seemed solely as plot delivery devices.  I have no sense of history, and therefor no sense of motivation from any of these people, and thus the stakes are not very high.    Constrast this with Where the Wild Things Are.  One or two scenes with the kid's mom and we can feel the weight of a lifetime of ups and downs.  

For instance, a very telling scene for me.  There is a section of the film in which the child is given specific instructions not to perform a certain act lest there be dire consequences.  The fact she breaks those rules, well first of all, was pretty telescoped, but more important we have no insight into the character as to why she would act this way.  Then the consequences where pretty horrifying but we don't really get much sorrow from her until she is called on later to answer for her actions.  I guess this can be forgiven because she herself is telling the story - but hmmm...I'm not sure that's enough for me.



Then we have the antogonist.  A man so unsympathetically vile that it's almost cartoon like.  I couldn't help but think of how great the Landa character was in contrast in Inglourious Basterds.  

These things I could forgive had the story been told completely from the perspective of the child.  If she is the one filtering and interpreting the events around her.  Then yes, of course there would be no good side to el Capitan, and of course, the Maribel Verdú character could do no wrong.  

I wasn't all that impressed with the fantasy characters, at all,  really.  But I'll readily admit, that's just a preference thing.  The two main fantasy characters had long been spoiled for me (heck they're on DVD cover!)  

Let me end on a high note.  Some very cool things:
1) The bug taking on fairy form - that was slick
2) The ending - really from the point where Ofelia takes the baby through the reveal at the end.  Very nice payoffs here.
3) The rebel explosions in the distance and the scene with the locamotive.  Very cool and unique.  
4) overall cinematography and set design.  Very moody and great at capturing this era and the rural location.  
5) The CGI - really great, subtle, not overdone as well it could easily have been.





So overall a grade of like B- I think.  Anyways, thanks to everyone who voted in the poll.  I'm really glad I finally caught up with this.  I remembered a lot of hype around this back that year around Oscar time.  I wish I had done a better job avoiding this.   I would have been more willing to give this more of a "small little gem", "sleeper" or "European film" discount in my review

Verdict:
High marks for style, mood and look of the film.  Disconnection with characters left me wanting

Grade: B 
« Last Edit: January 29, 2010, 04:37:42 PM by ferris »
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
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Junior

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #64 on: November 15, 2009, 01:41:36 AM »
Since this is in my top 10 somewhere, allow me to retort.

1. Ofelia clearly can do wrong. She eats the grape which she is told not to do and she messes up her nice dress.

2. I don't think it's clear at all whether the fantasy world is "real" or not. You can check the spoiler thread for a discussion or two on this topic, I think.

3. The reason why she eats the grape is strictly biological. She hadn't eaten dinner (cuz she screwed up her dress) and was therefore very hungry. And did you see that grape!?!?!

4. I don't think that the bad guy being so evil is really a bad thing. Check out Anton Chigurh or any other super bad guy. The captain arguably has more depth than Chigurh.

I'm glad you liked it as much as you did, I just wish you loved it like I do.
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Holly Harry

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #65 on: November 15, 2009, 01:52:53 AM »
She eats the grape because she distrusts what it tells her.
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mañana

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #66 on: November 15, 2009, 01:57:30 AM »
Cool write-up, ferris. This is a fun marathon to follow. I wasn't big on Pan's either. Maybe it was an over hype thing, but it just didn't work for me.
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oldkid

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #67 on: November 15, 2009, 11:18:46 AM »
I really loved Pan's, it's a top 10 for me, too.  But I can also see why some would like the Devil's Backbone better.  Both are fantastic.  In more ways than one.
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ferris

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #68 on: November 15, 2009, 11:20:09 AM »
Since this is in my top 10 somewhere, allow me to retort.

1. Ofelia clearly can do wrong. She eats the grape which she is told not to do and she messes up her nice dress.

2. I don't think it's clear at all whether the fantasy world is "real" or not. You can check the spoiler thread for a discussion or two on this topic, I think.

3. The reason why she eats the grape is strictly biological. She hadn't eaten dinner (cuz she screwed up her dress) and was therefore very hungry. And did you see that grape!?!?!

4. I don't think that the bad guy being so evil is really a bad thing. Check out Anton Chigurh or any other super bad guy. The captain arguably has more depth than Chigurh.

I'm glad you liked it as much as you did, I just wish you loved it like I do.

I'm interested on other's people's takes on the fruit thing.  So yeah I'll take your advice and seek out the spoiler thread. Thanks :)

I would argue that Chigurh has far more depth.  But I'll admit it's something I probably bring to the character.  As for other classic bad guys - I must admit many of those I'm pretty bored by - Silence of the Lambs, Seven, etc - probably for the same reason.  
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
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ferris

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Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: Ten Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #69 on: November 15, 2009, 11:21:14 AM »
I really loved Pan's, it's a top 10 for me, too...

Really?  Why?  I'm actually pretty curious about this...(not lying in wait to rain on your praise)
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
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