love

Author Topic: Ferris' GooseEgg Marathon: 40 great films from this decade  (Read 101381 times)

Colleen

  • Hot Fuzz
  • Godfather
  • *
  • Posts: 5906
  • Let's be careful out there!
Just saw your review of Master and Commander.  So disappointed that you didn't much care for it.  It's certainly in my top 20 of the decade if not top 10.

Sam the Cinema Snob

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26795
I really like History of Violence until Hurt appears. Then I just scratch my head.

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
I really like History of Violence until Hurt Viggo Mortensen appears. Then I just scratch my head.
"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
I really like History of Violence until Hurt Viggo Mortensen appears. Then I just scratch my head.

Viggo is like the best part, well one of many. :)

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
Goose Egg Marathon Film #36



Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring
(2003,  Ki-duk Kim)


"GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA"



Thus is the final phrase of The Heart Sutra, who's abstract themes hold the key to the depth and symbolism of this film.  I'm a sucker for art that is in someway the product of an artist's attempt at redemption for youthful regrets.  Ki-duk Kim directs himself in a film about the stages of life that somewhat seems to mirror his own path - when looking at his filmography to this point.  




The film follows a young boy at a Korean Mononstary as he grows through several stages of this life.  Circumstances have him leave and return as he grows through adulthood and beyond.  What starts as very still, reflective and beautifully rendered portrait of a quiet pious life turns into an poigniant statement about regret and enlightenment.  

As an outdoorsy guy, I love the thought of hanging out at this place for weeks and months at a time.  Watching this film takes me there however briefly.



What's pretty cool in the early going. I'm trying to negotiate what kind of film this is going to be.  The director gives you several harbingers of doom early on - a snake creeps behind a rock, a poison leaf is mixed with medicinal herbs, a child rows a boat with a rock tied around his waist.  It's as if your normal movie-going sensors are being tripped to think that each of these is going to lead to dire consequences.  But they don't.  But the uneasiness is set and gets carried with you though the film through it's final reel.  Very effective.  I recall the same thing in Yi Yi earlier in this marathon.  It is pretty effective and bringing you into the film and subverting my western expectations (if that is a fair characterization)




At the surface some of the symbolism is heavy handed, especially as bookends are tied together, but I think there is much to peel back from all the nuance in between.  The structure lends itself to some deeper study.  



As you can see from some of the stills, this a very pretty film.  The cut I had was pretty grainy tho - and the score was a bit noisy. Does anyone know if this is getting a blu-ray release?  This might be enough to get me to finally make the jump (ha.  I've said that before.  I'm too much a cheapskate!)



I really enjoyed this film, and look forward to delving deeper into this film's meaning and more work from this director.



Verdict:
Loved spending time in meditation with this film.  Beautifully rendered and poigniant.  I highly recommend :)

Grade: A
« Last Edit: March 05, 2010, 02:55:29 AM 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!"
Goose Egg Marathon Film #37



My Winnipeg
(2007,  Guy Maddin)

After about 5 minutes of this, I decided I'd much rather be Charlie Kaufman's therapist than Guy Maddin's.  Listen dude.  I'm glad you got a chance to get this all off your chest.  Hope you feel better.  Sorry about you mom, the sleep walking and the forks and all that.  Next time you want to move though, make two calls: mover and a relator.  It's not rocket science.   Hope your new home works out for you.  

I was tempted to shut it off several times, but I perservered and watched the whole film.  I get the whole surrealist meets Roger and Me vibe - and his self-proclaimed "new genre".  I dug the hockey arena stuff, and the horses where pretty interesting.  Outside of that it just wasn't my thing. Good news Brick fans!


Verdict:
Movies like these are why I could never be a film professor.  

Grade: D
« Last Edit: March 05, 2010, 09:15:03 AM 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!"
« Last Edit: March 05, 2010, 09:11:00 AM by ferris »
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
(switchboard)

sdedalus

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 16585
  • I have a prestigious blog, sir!
    • The End of Cinema
Re: Ferris' GooseEgg Marathon: 40 great films from this decade
« Reply #447 on: March 05, 2010, 03:25:20 AM »
I don't know where you got that image, but there's only one "e" in "Winnipeg".

Maybe you watched some other movie, which is why you didn't like it . . . .
The End of Cinema

Seattle Screen Scene

"He was some kind of a man. What does it matter what you say about people?"

'Noke

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 11799
Re: Ferris' GooseEgg Marathon: 40 great films from this decade
« Reply #448 on: March 05, 2010, 10:36:42 AM »
I can't wait to see us argue over movies I love in the Miyazaki marathon.  :D

Seriously, your two least favourites are both movies I love.
I actually consider a lot of movies to be life-changing! I take them to my heart and they melt into my personality.

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: Ferris' GooseEgg Marathon: 40 great films from this decade
« Reply #449 on: March 05, 2010, 10:46:47 AM »
It didn't do anything for me either ferris. I think I found it quite a bit easier to get through though, being that at least I could identify the places.