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Author Topic: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon  (Read 13815 times)

ferris

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #20 on: March 16, 2010, 07:27:07 PM »
Toy Story 2

...I may have liked this better than the first one just based on pure adrenaline and characterization.......In summary: awesome sauce.

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Yep you're right!  :)

You didn't mention the best scene in the movie:  Maybe an all-time great scene in the history of film:

"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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Corndog

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #21 on: March 20, 2010, 10:24:35 AM »
I've done it again. Bad timing for a marathon like this. It's hard to get a good couple of days set aside for this, but I will try to do my write-up on Amelie today and get it up, but being home in Columbus I don't have access to Singin' in the Rain, but I might watch His Girl Friday on Netflix instant and get that one in soon.
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FLYmeatwad

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2010, 11:02:34 AM »
Singin' isn't on Instant anymore? Odd.

Corndog

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #23 on: March 20, 2010, 11:03:12 AM »
Singin' isn't on Instant anymore? Odd.

Yea, I just looked it up expecting it to be because I thought I remembered it being there.
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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #24 on: March 20, 2010, 01:52:12 PM »
Singin' isn't on Instant anymore? Odd.

Yea, I just looked it up expecting it to be because I thought I remembered it being there.
It was for a good while because I watched it on two occasions. Or at least bits of it.

Corndog

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #25 on: March 21, 2010, 10:29:14 AM »
#3.
Amelie
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Written by Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Guillaume Laurant

Will Most Likely Contain Spoilers
A most beloved French film that I had yet to explore, Amelie was something of a silent killer. Despite the reputation, I did not know much about it, and when it came time to watch it, I found myself enjoying it about a million times more than I could have ever have hoped. There was such charm with the character and the film itself that I just loved and really connected with.

The story follows the title character of Amelie (Audrey Tautou) and her life as a waitress in Paris. It begins with her as a child, giving specific events and characteristics that helped shape her adult persona, then it moves on to her adulthood, as a twenty something waitress at a café. Her life changes when she finds an old box of childhood goodies in a nook in her apartment. She sets out to return the box to its owner, and when she does she experiences such a thrill that she sets out to improve the lives of those who deserve it, and pester those that do not.

The important story here though is not the stories of those around her, though they are great as well, but rather the story of Amelie.  She seems to be living her life through the thrills of her friends and associates instead of through herself. This stems from her childhood and a stunted social development. She finds Nino (Mathieu Kassovitz) picking up discarded photos from one of those photo booths. The progression of their relationship is magnificent. The way that she leads him on and through hoops and ladders in her little sly game to protect her shyness about liking him is so charming.

Like everything in this film, charming rules the day, and I love charming. It is all of the little things that make this so brilliant. How Amelie finds relaxation by skipping stones (and we see her throughout scouting for new stones to throw), how she also finds relaxation through sticking her hand into a bag of rice or beans (something that I too find relaxing), but these are not commonplace things that usually bear mentioning, but they give Amelie such life, a vibrant personality despite her social shyness. I also loved how each character got their due. Although Amelie was the main character, the other employees at her café got storylines, her neighbors and produce men got their storylines. Everybody was involved.

This has quickly shot up my favorite films list because it is just my kind of film. Charming, happy, gorgeous (Bruno Delbonnel as Director of Photography), and just strange enough to make it interesting too. Not to mention how pretty and attractive the character of Amelie is (Audrey is a new crush). In a marathon thus far of otherwise great and spectacular films, this one might have been my favorite to date. Just two more to go: His Girl Friday and Singin’ in the Rain. Here is to hoping the brilliance continues!

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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #26 on: March 21, 2010, 11:30:22 AM »
Why do people love this film? I don't get it. Yea, it's charming, but what makes it so great?

'Noke

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #27 on: March 21, 2010, 02:02:37 PM »
Corndog, I forgive you for anything you will ever write in the Corndog rates all his music thread. I adore Amelie, it's somewhere in my top 50, and it is utterly charming and amazing and all other superlatives.
I actually consider a lot of movies to be life-changing! I take them to my heart and they melt into my personality.

ferris

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #28 on: March 21, 2010, 03:39:50 PM »
Great review, Corndog :)

I'm glad you mentioned the skipping stones thing.  I liked that too.  There are a lot nice little touches like that.  I just listened to the Damn Movie Podcast review of this.  If you haven't heard that yet, you might like it. 

I'm kinda between Noke and Sam.  for me this is  really really super nice, but not quite "great".  I anticipate high rewatchability however which might get it to great eventually!
"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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smirnoff

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Re: Corndog Is Dancing in the Clouds Marathon
« Reply #29 on: March 21, 2010, 04:49:16 PM »
Why do people love this film? I don't get it. Yea, it's charming, but what makes it so great?

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