Author Topic: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade  (Read 25620 times)

ses

  • Administrator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 14979
    • Sarah's Kitchen Adventures
February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« on: February 02, 2010, 07:35:46 PM »
I think we will need this soon.
"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart"

http://sarahskitchenadventures.blogspot.com/

Clovis8

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 11719
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2010, 11:32:27 PM »
Chopper



Ok seriously....

This guy



and this guy



ARE THE SAME GUY!

"Why would I take him to the hospital. It defeats the bloody purpose of shooting him in the first place. What's more it's insulting"
         -Chopper
-------------------------------

Bana basically transforms into another human being in this movie. It is one of the best performances of the decade to be sure. He is pure evil, but with a sense of humor, and even a hint of humanity. He doesn't play Chopper as one-sided evil, but as a real human being who is deeply disturbed and without remorse. He genuinely cares about his friends, but anyone else is completely disposable.

A quick IMDB search taught me that this is the only other film by Andrew Dominik, who also directed The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Jesse James was one of the best movies the decade, most notably for its amazing art direction and cinematography. You can see the seeds of that great film in Chopper.

Aside from Bana the real star of this film is the cinematography. It is not only beautiful, but the color palate and camera choices play an integral role in creating Chopper's world. Prison is a dull lifeless blue and gray, while the outside is all vibrant colors and over exposures. It works brilliantly.

In some ways this film reminds of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Both films are about seemingly normal men who might snap at any second and the viewer never knows when. The most mundane scene can become incredibly violent in a split second. It keeps you on edge.

Grade: A-

Thanks for the dictation Gobman.





Dave the Necrobumper

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 12730
  • If I keep digging maybe I will get out of this hol
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2010, 12:45:24 AM »
Chopper is a bloody good film, and Eric Bana steps up and nails the performance.

Corndog

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17025
  • Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly, golly what a day!
    • Corndog Chats
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2010, 07:03:31 PM »
#49.

El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) -

This had been sitting around in my roommates room just waiting for me to watch it and I'm glad I finally did. It didn't rock my world, but I had a good time with it. At it's basis, this is a fairytale, but it is not like any fairytale I have ever seen. It is set in Fascist Spain during World War II. A young girl travels with her mother to her new step-father's place in the country. It bears mentioning that this new step-father is a Captain in the army and an overall horrible person. While en route, the little girl, Ofelia, encounters a strange bug that turns out to be a fairy. By following this fairy she is entered into a strange world with strange creatures and strange tasks that she must complete to return to this land to be a princess once again. Based on that simple description, one would think it is a standard fairy tale, but it is not.

The real world around her is just as turbulent as the wonderland she is trying to return to. The violence, and graphic nature of it is what shocked me the most. There is plenty of cringe worthy scenes and shots that includes knives and blood and other various things. What del Toro has created is an utterly original and twisted adult fantasy. The film works best, I found, when we spend time with the faun and the other creatures of the alternate world. These are the scenes that are truly soaring filmmaking. The imagination is in full force from both a creative stand-point and the viewpoint of the audience. The sets and decorations are astounding to look at, as is much of the film.

The problems I had with the film are few, but they are present. There were a few instances where I didn't buy the real world action. I will always be on board for any fantasy or fantasy world, but when you make a film like this, I need to be convinced that what is happening in the real world is real. There were one or two things that seemed off to me about paths the characters took. As I said, the film was beautiful, great to look at, but it also bears mentioning that this beat out Chivo and Children of Men for Best Cinematography that year, something I don't agree with, but I loved looking at this film too.

When all is said and done, I liked the film. It was something different, something I haven't seen before; a vision that was genuine and well crafted by del Toro and his fellow collaborators. Another thing, before I forget, is the score. The score was fantastic too. It wasn't too intrusive, but was there for all the right times and hit all the right chords so to speak. It wasn't completely up my alley and didn't always hit, but overall an enjoyable experience.

Rating: ***

Thank you, Bill, for the dictation.
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

Bill Thompson

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17561
  • DOOM!!!!
    • Bill's Movie Emporium
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2010, 07:23:25 PM »
It's interesting that you are so on board with the film being a fantasy when one of the great debates about the film over the years has been whether any of the fantasy is real or if Ofelia makes it all up in her head. Personally I sided withy the "there is no fantasy world, it's all in her head" camp, but the integration of Ofelia's real world terror into her created fantasy world was what caused me to initially love Fauno and a major driving force for why it remains in my top 10 of all time. Don't know if you got any of that from the film, but it is something to chew on I think, and if not for GDT asking me to think in such a way I believe Fauno would be a film I like, instead of love.

Corndog

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17025
  • Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly, golly what a day!
    • Corndog Chats
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2010, 07:29:21 PM »
In the grand scheme of things I would say that I am with you, I would fall on the it's in her head side of things. What I meant is that what happens in the Fantasy world I'm down with whatever happens whether it is actually real or not.
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

Bondo

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 23082
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2010, 08:28:09 PM »
In The Mood For Love (2001)

It is a little difficult to discuss this movie in a spoiler-free way as it really is about one main thing and I’m not sure to what degree that is considered common knowledge, I'll trust that the Netflix description is fair game. The odd thing is my interpretation of this film is, by all accounts (including the director) simply wrong, but alas I choose to stick with it because it makes me appreciate the film more. The story as they would have it is that two married couples move into apartments next to each other and one spouse in each is frequently away and it is surmised they are having an affair, leaving the other two alone, leaving them to bond.

My impression is that they are married but play it out like they have other spouses (who the film never gives any real indication that they exist) and are engaging in an affair, consummated or not. It is their sort of game to keep things aflame. It is quite an interesting concept with enough ambiguous structure to keep you questioning. Ultimately I think this film is not about an affair, but the end of a relationship.

The cinematography reminds me of Resident Evil (the games, not the movies). A lot of mostly stationary shots from odd angles that leave the exact lay of the scene a bit obscured. And given the number of tight corridors featured, it has a rather claustrophobic feel. I feel movies that feed my neuroses (though claustrophobia is not one) tend to keep me a bit confused and that usually isn’t good.

I have to admit to having seen 2046 prior to this, though I have no recollection of it as I basically had no idea what was going on in that (and disliked it greatly as a result). As confused as I feel about some specific details in this, I saw enough to generally appreciate it and be happy to have seen it, though I find it much less compelling under the standard interpretation.

Rating: 3.5/5 (though I don't typically use half-stars so I'm going to let it sink in before I round one way or another).

Clovis8

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 11719
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2010, 08:47:39 PM »
I'm glad you sort of liked it Bondo. Too bad you saw 2046 before this. If you liked it enough to try another WKW film, try Chunking Express.

ferris

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 10830
  • "Bravo Vincent....Bravo!"
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2010, 09:59:41 PM »
I have to admit to having seen 2046 prior to this, though I have no recollection of it as I basically had no idea what was going on in that (and disliked it greatly as a result). As confused as I feel about some specific details in this, I saw enough to generally appreciate it and be happy to have seen it, though I find it much less compelling under the standard interpretation.

Rating: 3.5/5 (though I don't typically use half-stars so I'm going to let it sink in before I round one way or another).

I think, like you, I wish I watched these two films in the proper order.  I would probably appreciate both a little more as a result.
"And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs" - Exodus 8:2 KJV
(switchboard)

Sam the Cinema Snob

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26795
Re: February 2010 Write-ups: Best of the Decade
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2010, 10:38:09 PM »
I watched them backwards and I loved ITMFL and didn't really care for 2046. Dunno if watching them in order would enhance the experience as I don't really see how the two are related beyond dealing with the same kind of ideas and having a similar mood.

 

love