love

Author Topic: Ferris' GooseEgg Marathon: 40 great films from this decade  (Read 101380 times)

zarodinu

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4538
  • What we've got here is failure to communicate
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #420 on: February 25, 2010, 09:46:05 PM »
I love this movie and think its Herzog's best (might be a controversial opinion).  Herzog and Treadwell are made for each other, the brilliant thing is that Treadwell is so out there that people would not buy him as a character if the film was fiction.

This is my single favorite movie to show people who say they hate documentaries, it competes with Mr. Death for my all time favorite documentary.
I’ve lied to men who wear belts. I’ve lied to men who wear suspenders. But I’d never be so stupid as to lie to a man who wears both a belt and suspenders.

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #421 on: February 27, 2010, 02:50:19 PM »
Goose Egg Marathon Film #34



The Bourne Ultimatum
(2007,  Paul Greengrass)

"you know as well as I do, decisions made in real-time are never perfect.  Don't second-guess an operation from an armchair "

I didn't have much optimism that I come out of this film loving it.  The first one was fine, but not really earth-shattering in any way.  I don't remember a thing from the second one - and just never had no interest at all in seeing the third one.  Well if you recall we did a vote back in September of what films I should include in this marathon, and the results indicated y'all were pretty overwhelming in your recommendation for this.  So I finally succumbed and included it in this fourth round of films.  At first I was kinda dreading it, but Ya' know by the time I slipped the disk in the player I had actually gotten pretty excited!  I can't remember the last time I sat down and watched a solid red-blooded American action film -and with Paul Greengrass and the always reliable Matt Damon - this promised to be a cut above!



So....was it a cut above?  So was your persuation rewarded?  Did I love the film as much as everyone else here seems to?  

Well yes and no.  No doubt the Bourne series has raised the bar big-time on the quality of the action genre - It's cool, unsaturated look, the globe trotting, the super-slick action sequences and the smart, believable action hero. Ultimatum is probably the best of the three films.  So no doubt this is a solid an evening of entertainment.  Matt Damon is great as always (he may be the only actor we have that can slip into any role, any genre and be immediately believable.  Look at this compared to Stuck on You or Oceans 11!).  





I mean I have a few gripes about the hyper-editing style and some plot devices that just didn't work for me.  But overall it was a pretty fun evening of entertainment.  Is it Best of the Decade material?  Well  - if taken on the craft of filmmaking alone, then yes yes!  But taking overall as a film?  Hmmm....not really.  Not really a knock on the film so much as an indication of my personal tastes.  





Anyways.  Thanks for the recommendation!  Glad I finally finished the series.  Maybe at some point I'll watch MI-3!


Verdict:
Astounding craftmanship in filmmaking and Matt Damon really solid. Good solid evening of entertainment, but not more than that.

Grade: B+

New standings:
1-Spirited Away
2-The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
3-Children of Men
4-United 93
5-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6-The Science of Sleep
7-Grizzly Man
8-In the Bedroom
9-Yi Yi
10-25th Hour
11-Fantastic Mr Fox
12-The Lives of Others
13-The Fountain
14-Mulholland Drive
---------Likely Top 50 of Decade cut off---------------------
15-Y Tu Mama Tambien
16-Team America World Police
17-The Man Who Wasn't There
18-Requiem for a Dream
19-High Fidelity
21-City of God
22-The Bourne Ultimatum
23-The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
24-Pan's Labyrinth
25-Joyeux Noël
26-A Prairie Home Companion
27-The Hurt Locker
28-Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World
29-Capturing the Friedmans
30-Los Angeles Plays Itself
31-Apocolypto
32-Rivers and Tides: Art of Andy Goldsworthy
32-Brick
« Last Edit: February 27, 2010, 05:12:24 PM by ferris »
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
(switchboard)

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #422 on: February 27, 2010, 04:47:49 PM »
Goose Egg Marathon Film #35



A History of Violence
(2005,  David Cronenberg)

Ok. Take a long look at this kid and tell me who she reminds you of.  It took me about 5 minutes to figure it out.


.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

If you said Haley Joel Osmett, you're right!  In fact this is Haley's little sister.  


Although you'll notice they got it wrong in the credits.  Wierd, huh?


By the way, is the mansion in this the same one in Eyes Wide Shut?  Seemed strangely familiar.



Well.  Didn't like this film much at all.  There were a few nice shots - in particular a 3-4 minute no-cut scene at the beginning at a hotel that was pretty gripping.  I was thinking perhaps we had another No Country for Old Men on our hands.  But soon we're in this idelic little town with an Hallmark channel score and a blue-color all american.  Big shock that he ends up having a history of violence.  It's oddly plotted, the dialog is poorly written and strangly repetitive.  I have major issues with character motivations throughout this whole thing.   I have lots of individual gripes but I won't go into those unless people ask.  

I do like Cronenburg.  In fact The Fly is in my top 100.  Frankly I'm surprised by his effort here.  Seemed like he had 20 minutes of material here and spread it out to a 95 minutes. 



Anyways...Overall - big disappointment.  Thought this was going to be something much smarter and challenging.

Verdict:
Compelling in the early going, but just got tedious from there.  A twenty minute story spread out to 90 minutes.

Grade: D

New standings:
1-Spirited Away
2-The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
3-Children of Men
4-United 93
5-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6-The Science of Sleep
7-Grizzly Man
8-In the Bedroom
9-Yi Yi
10-25th Hour
11-Fantastic Mr Fox
12-The Lives of Others
13-The Fountain
14-Mulholland Drive
---------Likely Top 50 of Decade cut off---------------------
15-Y Tu Mama Tambien
16-Team America World Police
17-The Man Who Wasn't There
18-Requiem for a Dream
19-High Fidelity
21-City of God
22-The Bourne Ultimatum
23-The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
24-Pan's Labyrinth
25-Joyeux Noël
26-A Prairie Home Companion
27-The Hurt Locker
28-Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World
29-Capturing the Friedmans
30-Los Angeles Plays Itself
31-Apocolypto
32-Rivers and Tides: Art of Andy Goldsworthy
33-A History of Violence
34-Brick
« Last Edit: February 27, 2010, 04:53:30 PM by ferris »
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
(switchboard)

Junior

  • Bert Macklin, FBI
  • Global Moderator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 28709
  • What's the rumpus?
    • Benefits of a Classical Education
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #423 on: February 27, 2010, 04:49:32 PM »
I am D for disappointed in you.
Check out my blog of many topics

“I’m not a quitter, Kimmy! I watched Interstellar all the way to the end!”

FLYmeatwad

  • An Acronym
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 28785
  • I am trying to impress myself. I have yet to do it
    • Processed Grass
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #424 on: February 27, 2010, 05:28:33 PM »
Sure you addressed this before, but since this was given a D and you gave Brick a C-, does that mean that Brick has gotten worse in your mind over time?

Bill Thompson

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17561
  • DOOM!!!!
    • Bill's Movie Emporium
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #425 on: February 27, 2010, 06:04:55 PM »
Totally disagree Ferris, like as much as it is possible for one human being to disagree with another one. Oh well...

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #426 on: February 27, 2010, 06:26:35 PM »
Sure you addressed this before, but since this was given a D and you gave Brick a C-, does that mean that Brick has gotten worse in your mind over time?

I think that C- was just me trying to be nice - I know a lot of people love that one around here. But certainly if there were a choice between one or the other, I'd take HOV. 
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
(switchboard)

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #427 on: February 27, 2010, 06:29:16 PM »
Totally disagree Ferris, like as much as it is possible for one human being to disagree with another one. Oh well...

You pretty high on History of Violence then?  You were the one that did the Cronenburg marathon last year, right?  Does the rest of the filmography inform this one in some way that I missed?
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
(switchboard)

Bill Thompson

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17561
  • DOOM!!!!
    • Bill's Movie Emporium
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #428 on: February 27, 2010, 06:33:56 PM »
Totally disagree Ferris, like as much as it is possible for one human being to disagree with another one. Oh well...

You pretty high on History of Violence then?  You were the one that did the Cronenburg marathon last year, right?  Does the rest of the filmography inform this one in some way that I missed?


Not really, I mean, it kind of does, but it also doesn't. Violence has always been a big thing with Cronenberg, so has sex, and AHOV is another example of him exploring violence and how it relates to sex. However, pre-Crash Cronenberg was more interested in exploring the cerebral aspect of these issues, and more. Post-Crash Cronenberg is more about exploring the physical and just under the surface, think primal, aspects of those issues, and more.

I think AHOV explored violence, sex, America, the media, the modern family and more as they appear just under the surface, and I think Cronenberg did a masterful job with all of these issues. As well I thought the dialogue in the film was superb, and the direction was some of the best of Cronenberg's career.

Actually, it was Edgar who did the Cronenberg marathon, but I am probably the biggest Cronenberg booster on these boards, so I can understand why you would think it was me.  :)
« Last Edit: February 27, 2010, 06:41:16 PM by DOOM!!! »

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
Re: Ferris' Goose Egg Marathon: FORTY(!) Great Films from this Decade (2000-2009)
« Reply #429 on: February 27, 2010, 06:39:00 PM »

Not really, I mean, it kind of does, but it also doesn't. Violence has always been a big thing with Cronenberg, so has sex, and AHOV is another example of him exploring violence and how it relates to sex.

I really appreciated that WTF scene on the stairs.  I can totally see what you mean there.  I would have liked to explore more of that.  (ha nice double-entendre there) We'll have to agree to disagree on the dialog...
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
(switchboard)