Poll

What's your favorite film by Milos Forman?

Audition
0 (0%)
Black Peter
1 (2.5%)
Loves of a Blonde
0 (0%)
The Firemen's Ball
0 (0%)
Taking Off
0 (0%)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
15 (37.5%)
Hair
1 (2.5%)
Ragtime
1 (2.5%)
Amadeus
20 (50%)
Valmont
0 (0%)
The People vs. Larry Flynt
0 (0%)
Man on the Moon
1 (2.5%)
Goya's Ghosts
0 (0%)
haven't seen any
0 (0%)
don't like any
1 (2.5%)

Total Members Voted: 39

Author Topic: Forman, Milos  (Read 6093 times)

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Director's Best: Milos Forman
« Reply #30 on: May 14, 2015, 10:21:29 AM »
Amadeus
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Corndog

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Re: Forman, Milos
« Reply #31 on: March 29, 2016, 03:03:28 PM »
1. Amadeus (4)
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (3)
3. The People vs. Larry Flynt (2.5)
4. Ragtime (2.5)
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DarkeningHumour

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Re: Forman, Milos
« Reply #32 on: March 30, 2016, 02:51:49 AM »
Amadeus
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The People
vs Larry Flint
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1SO

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Re: Forman, Milos
« Reply #33 on: April 25, 2018, 01:22:11 AM »

Taking Off (1971)
When I walk down the street,
All the people that I meet,
Don't seem to know that,
There's a word called love.


I've never seen a film like Taking Off, and while I may have trouble explaining my passion let it be clear that this is the best movie I've seen so far this year. Milos Forman's English language debut seems to capture the exact moment when America's hippie movement of the 60s gives way to a more dangerous experimentation of the early 70s as viewed through the eyes of parents who are being shaken like an earthquake from their 50s state of mind.


The film is a satire of the family during this time that contrasts the vastly different lifestyles of the parents and the kids. It doesn't skewer its subjects like most satires, but instead embraces both cultures and observes how both generations are looking for deeper meaning, trying to be individuals while conforming to expectations and demonstrating a willingness to embarrass themselves if it makes them happy.

When the film begins it seems to have no plot, but an endless parade of music, sometimes sung by many people carefully edited together. Most of the singers are bad, but you can see the joy on their faces. This is bookended by closing scenes involving adults singing, just as bad and just as joyful. I hesitate to say I like the music, but I absolutely love the way it's presented, to the point where I didn't care if the film ever decided to form a plot.


One of the songs is by a very young Kathy Bates.

Forman's approach here I've read compared to Lubitsch. I would include Richard Linklater, but you can also sense a tone that would lead to Cuckoo's Nest. It's a comedy, but not one with obvious laugh lines. There's a message but it isn't spoon-fed or jammed down our throat. Best of all, Taking Off is just wildly unpredictable, anchored by a superb performance by Buck Henry. I happily went along with whatever the film wanted to do.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ - Very Good

DarkeningHumour

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Re: Forman, Milos
« Reply #34 on: April 26, 2018, 05:55:28 AM »
this is the best movie I've seen so far this year.

(...)

Rating: ★ ★ ★ - Very Good

I am starting to believe you're one of the forum's harshest graders.

If anyone's interested, The Economist did an obituary of him last week.
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1SO

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Re: Forman, Milos
« Reply #35 on: April 26, 2018, 12:29:36 PM »
I have two theories about it.

1. I've now seen so many movies that I've seen most of the films I would consider Great. It's all a treasure hunt and a Very Good film is rare and exceptional to me

2. Ever since I created my List of Essentials, which are all rated ★ ★ ★ ½  or higher, it's created a barrier to where I have to determine if a film is worthy of going onto the list. I debated it with Taking Off and after a 2nd viewing it may very well end up on the list. In this particular case, I'd like to have a better reason for why the film moved me so much, because it contains a lot of elements I could see as being off-putting in a different mood, mostly in regard to the very thin plot and the abundance of music that might've been unappealing on a different day.

I also see the flip side of this. This harshness shows how passionate I am about 500+ films that are on my Essentials.

DarkeningHumour

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Re: Forman, Milos
« Reply #36 on: April 26, 2018, 12:39:35 PM »
But reason 1 doesn't account for low ratings for new releases. I think I've only seen you rate one movie ***1/2 in the recent years. Your yearly top tens are all *** Very Good.
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smirnoff

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Re: Forman, Milos
« Reply #37 on: April 26, 2018, 03:27:27 PM »
Taking Off (1971)

Rating: ★ ★ ★ - Very Good

Another win for MILOOOOOOOOS!

 

love