The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

I knew what it meant, but it just never clicked... until I said it out loud and then it hit me big time!

so what did your friend think of the quote?

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

so what did your friend think of the quote?

Well, he's an average movie goer and typically sticks to mainstream films, but when he threw down the "M" word, we had a little chat

I just explained that for your own tastes, you may think it was a perfectly done film, one that you absolutely loved every minute of, but I wouldn't call that a masterpiece. I love Transformers as well and think it's a lot of fun, but it's just a really cool film with some comedy and some great special effects. It seems that people tend to over react to a film that's as new and cool as Avatar or Transformers, a film that blew them away, and then call it a masterpiece. But if you take a step back and look at acting, directing, writing, cinematography, etc. you'll realize that it's an awesome film, but not a high caliber film.

He pretty much agreed. And I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion, but having a lot more experience and knowledge of film, I wanted to share my thoughts. One of his more recent favorite films is The Green Mile and he agreed that most aspects of that film were much better than Transformers. I love a good foreign film or a nail biting thriller or a deep and moving drama, but you gotta have some giant robot destruction every now and then!

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

"You see what you want to see."


Overall, this is a masterpiece and must-see period piece.

5/5

fantastic insight DJ!!

It had bothered me why she

[Show spoiler]tolerated her husband and stayed with him. I had thought it was that she felt "trapped" and wasn't able to see any other option (a feeling a lot of women in her shoes undoubtedly feel). But you make a strong argument that rather, she effectively had rose above the emotions of the relationship and from a higher emotional plane, was able to look at her husband with pity and love, rather than fear.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

it doesn't

[Show spoiler]"show" anything.

it's more of the emotional toll such an act takes on a person before / during and after for her and her friend. if that helps? i hope so.

thanks! that helps! I may check it out then!

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

I just had a big DUH! moment and I laughed my ass off! I was talking with a friend about some upcoming films and we got on the topic of Transformers. He said that he just watched the first one for the first time recently and that it's one of the best movies he'd ever seen. So I jokingly used the Ebert quote on him, and just as I was saying the words "not sufficiently...." I was like OMG, that's where NSE came from!!!

awesome dude!!!

tbizzle = officially SE!

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Well, he's an average movie goer and typically sticks to mainstream films, but when he threw down the "M" word, we had a little chat

I just explained that for your own tastes, you may think it was a perfectly done film, one that you absolutely loved every minute of, but I wouldn't call that a masterpiece. I love Transformers as well and think it's a lot of fun, but it's just a really cool film with some comedy and some great special effects. It seems that people tend to over react to a film that's as new and cool as Avatar or Transformers, a film that blew them away, and then call it a masterpiece. But if you take a step back and look at acting, directing, writing, cinematography, etc. you'll realize that it's an awesome film, but not a high caliber film.

He pretty much agreed. And I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion, but having a lot more experience and knowledge of film, I wanted to share my thoughts. One of his more recent favorite films is The Green Mile and he agreed that most aspects of that film were much better than Transformers. I love a good foreign film or a nail biting thriller or a deep and moving drama, but you gotta have some giant robot destruction every now and then!

same i think we all are. i love dark, theme heavy dramas, but could i watch just them forever? well, maybe but i also love things like The Fast and the Furious, Into the Blue and Armageddon - among other "less than stellar films".

ironically enough, i had to separate my movies into categories because the vast difference bugged me so much. seeing Revanche next to Speed made me all and it just looked too weird for my tastes (same with Zack and Miri next to Zodiac, followed by Zombieland! ) but i enjoy them even though they are very, very different because of what they are

Originally Posted by surfdude12

thanks! that helps! I may check it out then!

i was actually just thinking about this and if it's your Achilles heel it may still be tough to watch because well, it's about your Achilles heel. my heel is of course, animal violence, so let's say there was a film that didn't SHOW it but discussed it and was dealing with the emotional impact of that, i don't know if i'd be able to watch to be honest, so i apologize in advance if you aren't able to make it through it or if it upsets you to the point of turning it off.

[Lepidopterous]

Something threw me off at the beginning of this film, and ruined the entire first act for me. I kept thinking how awful the subtitles were but was appalled and disappointed in myself when I realized that the prostitute is simply a non-native. Having seen tons of foreign films, this has never once been an issue (a foreign, foreign accent). I replayed the first 10 minutes after the film and it was painfully obvious and embarrassing . However, the remainder of the film more than made up for this mishap on my part.

Revanche is a grueling and thought-provoking character study about vengeance, guilt and contemplation. Subtle and metaphorical, it explores man's tendency to dwell on the past and the coping of vengeful thoughts. Spielmann's direction was excellent. The film moves very slowly, but so does time after something traumatic happens to you. It's also very sexy. One sex scene in particular was done incredibly well (

[Show spoiler]when Alex and Susanne first have sex, both for dishonest reasons, as Alex aggressively thrusts his revenge on her husband into her

). Great cinematography as well.

This is my favorite type of movie. A character study with layers of depth that give viewers something to reflect on and loads of replay value. I can't wait to rip open that blu and give it another watch. This one's a keeper.

4.5/5

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

^ Great review. Diggin the new avatar as well

[Show spoiler]I really hope it's playing in Sac

Thanks

I'll be at the midnight showing Thursday night!

[Show spoiler] I wish they held one for this.

It will probably be playing at the Century on Eureka in Roseville. I go there to see a lot of limited release movies (assuming it's a ltd release), including Milk, The Wrestler, Slumdog Millionaire (pre-Oscars), and A Single Man.

Hey, I'm going to finally watch Pi sometime next week! You should too.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

As a lover of all living things, I hate watching animals being harmed but that will never stop me from seeing a film that's supposed to be great. Plus, there isn't much that I can't stomach.

You should review it if you get the chance. I'm interested in what you think.

Speaking of owls, have you heard of the owl box webcam feed that's become really popular recently? (It's a guy in so-cal). My mom got really into it and watched both fledges.

No I don't think I have. Looks interesting

On the owl note, can't wait to see Legend of the Guardians. It'll be a blind-buy for me.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Well color me a whole new shade of pissed off. I was all ready to go and watch Oldboy and freaking netflix only has the audio option for "english dubbing" which is absolutely horrendous! ugh. How can anyone enjoy english dubs?! This was awful. Couldn't make it past 5 minutes listening to this.

It was on Comcast on-demand a few years back. Not sure if it still is though.

You should watch this one the right way though. I think it's one of the best movies ever made.

[iam1bearcat]

Collateral

year: 2004
director: michael mann
starring: tom cruise (vincent), jamie foxx (max)

in my opinion the best movies are movies that hypnotize you by their performances (among other things), and Collateral is one of those films. it's engaging, it's tense, edge of your seat thriller, frightening and even at times hysterically funny when really, no jokes are being made (just the delivery by Cruise and Foxx in certain situations makes it funny). i blind bought this when it came out a few months ago and am glad i bought it. and after watching it again tonight i can safely say this is staying in my collection (i've recently been trying to figure out what i actually want to own and will watch and what i feel i should own because it's on blu-ray but don't fully enjoy or get many viewings out of) and will be viewed quite a bit.

+ Tom Cruise. he really is an absolutely fantastic actor. i may like other actors more, but Cruise is certainly in a league very few actors (i feel) reach. watch Collateral and then watch The Last Samurai. aside from physical features, his performances are so different it's boggling to know this is the same actor in both roles. and he SUCCEEDS in both roles. and in Collateral, playing a no nonsense hit man is something i didn't really think he could do. but he passes with flying colors. if i were to rank his performances, his portrayal of Vincent here would be extremely high on that list. the intensity, the furious, simmering "under the skin" anger that is only unleashed at certain times. amazing

+ Jamie Foxx. it would be easy to say Cruise steals the show, mainly because being a hit man will be something fans like more than say, a cab driver who plans to open his own limousine service, but Foxx i believe is just barely better here. his character has more range, and that's why. when we meet him he is quiet, reserved, somewhat confident, but Foxx's demeanor changes greatly when

[Show spoiler]he goes in the club and pretends to be Vincent ("I said, I think you should tell him to put the gun down before I rip it out of his hand and beat his *****-ass to death with it.")

but then switches back again. great performance all around and the old adage that competition breeds success is truly evident here. cruise and foxx both step their games up big time which pays off 10-fold for the film.

the film certainly isn't action packed. a lot of scenes take place in max's cab and the fact that i never lose interest in the film while watching these scenes (for the first time or for the fifth) is a true testament to the writing. performances aside, if the writing would have sucked, watching two guys in a cab would be mighty boring to some degree, but not here. the wide range of topics covered from simple mundane stuff to more serious, pressing matters is all handled with great care.

for whatever reason however, i don't feel Collateral is a 5/5 in my eyes.

i think it might be the pacing or structure of the film. i can't quite place it. i could see in time it jumping up to a 5/5 but there is just... something that seems a bit off. and i think it is the structure of the story, but that's certainly no biggie. the film is completely enjoyable, fresh and like nothing else. and to show how great a film it is, i turned it on while i was working on my Top 250 list, and ended up barely achieving anything as i got sucked in to the film - again.

highly recommended

PQ: 5/5 - i LOVE the PQ on this. it's not razor sharp, and has gorgeous grain in almost every scene. could look at this all day long.
AQ: 5/5 - i'm easily amused and impressed with AQ and Collateral succeeds here greatly. dialogue is crisp and sharp and when the action picks up, the sound is right on the mark.

does it make the Top 250?: YES. if it's not in the Top 50, it will be.
is it a necessary addition my collection?: absolutely. all around greatness: film, PQ, and AQ.

4.5/5

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

great review Method!
just watched this the other day for the first time myself, i think i gave it a 4.5/5, not that it matters, i agree with your review entirely. i would love to see this blu for the excellent cinematography

Thanks bearcat!

I know, right? I am so glad this got the Criterion treatment! Truly a modern masterpiece.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Well, he's an average movie goer and typically sticks to mainstream films, but when he threw down the "M" word, we had a little chat

I just explained that for your own tastes, you may think it was a perfectly done film, one that you absolutely loved every minute of, but I wouldn't call that a masterpiece. I love Transformers as well and think it's a lot of fun, but it's just a really cool film with some comedy and some great special effects. It seems that people tend to over react to a film that's as new and cool as Avatar or Transformers, a film that blew them away, and then call it a masterpiece. But if you take a step back and look at acting, directing, writing, cinematography, etc. you'll realize that it's an awesome film, but not a high caliber film.

I know it's ironic to bring this up because I just used it but I rarely ever use that word. I reserve it for my highest-regarded movies.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Revanche

[Show spoiler]Something threw me off at the beginning of this film, and ruined the entire first act for me. I kept thinking how awful the subtitles were but was appalled and disappointed in myself when I realized that the prostitute is simply a non-native. Having seen tons of foreign films, this has never once been an issue (a foreign, foreign accent). I replayed the first 10 minutes after the film and it was painfully obvious and embarrassing . However, the remainder of the film more than made up for this mishap on my part.

Revanche is a grueling and thought-provoking character study about vengeance, guilt and contemplation. Subtle and metaphorical, it explores man's tendency to dwell on the past and the coping of vengeful thoughts. Spielmann's direction was excellent. The film moves very slowly, but so does time after something traumatic happens to you. It's also very sexy. One sex scene in particular was done incredibly well (

[Show spoiler]when Alex and Susanne first have sex, both for dishonest reasons, as Alex aggressively thrusts his revenge on her husband into her

). Great cinematography as well.

This is my favorite type of movie. A character study with layers of depth that give viewers something to reflect on and loads of replay value. I can't wait to rip open that blu and give it another watch. This one's a keeper.

4.5/5

great review Method (again, what else is new )
i haven't watched many films so i can't comment on the actress, but i was always curious why the subtitles don't pop up right away? the rest of the film has them, but the first minute or two doesn't. doesn't make sense to me

i also gave it a 4.5/5 on my first viewing, but after the second one (first time on blu, which looks absolutely gorgeous ) i bumped it up to 5/5. as surf said in his last review for Revanche

[Show spoiler]"both main male characters are mourning the death of the same person! but in entirely different ways!"

man, that shook me to my foundation when i realized that. terrific, terrific stuff.

imo it's one of those films (like many) that i couldn't imagine watching with more than 1 other person. i love those types of deeply moving, thematic, and personal, quiet and slow films and your review made me want to watch it again right now. so glad i bought it and didn't delay any further. glad you enjoyed it as well.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

fantastic insight DJ!!

It had bothered me why she

[Show spoiler]tolerated her husband and stayed with him. I had thought it was that she felt "trapped" and wasn't able to see any other option (a feeling a lot of women in her shoes undoubtedly feel). But you make a strong argument that rather, she effectively had rose above the emotions of the relationship and from a higher emotional plane, was able to look at her husband with pity and love, rather than fear.

Thank you surf and well said. I think that simple theme of perspective really explains everything.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Hey, I'm going to finally watch Pi sometime next week! You should too.

i don't wanna be a creeper and get in a discussion that doesn't concern me, but i have Pi coming from netflix hopefully tuesday or wednesday excited to see what Aronofsky's first film is like. i've heard good things though

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

great review Method (again, what else is new )

i haven't watched many films so i can't comment on the actress, but i was always curious why the subtitles don't pop up right away? the rest of the film has them, but the first minute or two doesn't. doesn't make sense to me

It's because she is speaking in Ukrainian, not German.

If you notice, when she walks in, he tries to repeat what she says in her language. Then, after shower sex (

[Show spoiler]where he goes down on her, which I find disgusting given her line of work

), she struggles to say "Euros" and subtitles only pop up in her third attempt.

i also gave it a 4.5/5 on my first viewing, but after the second one (first time on blu, which looks absolutely gorgeous ) i bumped it up to 5/5. as surf said in his last review for Revanche

[Show spoiler]both main male characters are mourning the death of the same person! but in entirely different ways!

man, that shook me to my foundation when i realized that. terrific, terrific stuff.

imo it's one of those films (like many) that i couldn't imagine watching with more than 1 other person. i love those types of deeply moving, thematic, and personal, quiet and slow films and your review made me want to watch it again right now. so glad i bought it and didn't delay any further. glad you enjoyed it as well.

Wow I love that surf quote. What a revelation. Definitely very true.

[Show spoiler]I grouped them into both dwelling on the same incident, but did not realize the cop was mourning her death as well (explains the photo). That lays a firm foundation for his guilt and insecurity. Or was his guilt the foundation for his mourning?

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i don't wanna be a creeper and get in a discussion that doesn't concern me, but i have Pi coming from netflix hopefully tuesday or wednesday excited to see what Aronofsky's first film is like. i've heard good things though

Great! Don't be silly, it's a public discussion

It sounds a bit complex so remember to dig deeper than the surface. This is Aronofsky we're talking about.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

It's because she is speaking in Ukrainian, not German.

If you notice, when she walks in, he tries to repeat what she says in her language. Then, after shower sex (

[Show spoiler]where he goes down on her, which I find disgusting given her line of work

), she struggles to say "Euros" and subtitles only pop up in her third attempt.

ooooohhhhh.... well that makes sense! thanks! i remember both times i watched the film when it started i was like "WTF?! where are the subtitles?!" i'll have to remember that for next time.

Wow I love that surf quote. What a revelation. Definitely very true.

[Show spoiler]I grouped them into both dwelling on the same incident, but did not realize the cop was mourning her death as well (explains the photo). That lays a firm foundation for his guilt and insecurity. Or was his guilt the foundation for his mourning?

indeed.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Collateral

[Show spoiler]
year: 2004
director: michael mann
starring: tom cruise (vincent), jamie foxx (max)

in my opinion the best movies are movies that hypnotize you by their performances (among other things), and Collateral is one of those films. it's engaging, it's tense, edge of your seat thriller, frightening and even at times hysterically funny when really, no jokes are being made (just the delivery by Cruise and Foxx in certain situations makes it funny). i blind bought this when it came out a few months ago and am glad i bought it. and after watching it again tonight i can safely say this is staying in my collection (i've recently been trying to figure out what i actually want to own and will watch and what i feel i should own because it's on blu-ray but don't fully enjoy or get many viewings out of) and will be viewed quite a bit.

+ Tom Cruise. he really is an absolutely fantastic actor. i may like other actors more, but Cruise is certainly in a league very few actors (i feel) reach. watch Collateral and then watch The Last Samurai. aside from physical features, his performances are so different it's boggling to know this is the same actor in both roles. and he SUCCEEDS in both roles. and in Collateral, playing a no nonsense hit man is something i didn't really think he could do. but he passes with flying colors. if i were to rank his performances, his portrayal of Vincent here would be extremely high on that list. the intensity, the furious, simmering "under the skin" anger that is only unleashed at certain times. amazing

+ Jamie Foxx. it would be easy to say Cruise steals the show, mainly because being a hit man will be something fans like more than say, a cab driver who plans to open his own limousine service, but Foxx i believe is just barely better here. his character has more range, and that's why. when we meet him he is quiet, reserved, somewhat confident, but Foxx's demeanor changes greatly when

[Show spoiler]he goes in the club and pretends to be Vincent ("I said, I think you should tell him to put the gun down before I rip it out of his hand and beat his *****-ass to death with it.")

but then switches back again. great performance all around and the old adage that competition breeds success is truly evident here. cruise and foxx both step their games up big time which pays off 10-fold for the film.

the film certainly isn't action packed. a lot of scenes take place in max's cab and the fact that i never lose interest in the film while watching these scenes (for the first time or for the fifth) is a true testament to the writing. performances aside, if the writing would have sucked, watching two guys in a cab would be mighty boring to some degree, but not here. the wide range of topics covered from simple mundane stuff to more serious, pressing matters is all handled with great care.

for whatever reason however, i don't feel Collateral is a 5/5 in my eyes.

i think it might be the pacing or structure of the film. i can't quite place it. i could see in time it jumping up to a 5/5 but there is just... something that seems a bit off. and i think it is the structure of the story, but that's certainly no biggie. the film is completely enjoyable, fresh and like nothing else. and to show how great a film it is, i turned it on while i was working on my Top 250 list, and ended up barely achieving anything as i got sucked in to the film - again.

highly recommended

PQ: 5/5 - i LOVE the PQ on this. it's not razor sharp, and has gorgeous grain in almost every scene. could look at this all day long.
AQ: 5/5 - i'm easily amused and impressed with AQ and Collateral succeeds here greatly. dialogue is crisp and sharp and when the action picks up, the sound is right on the mark.

does it make the Top 250?: YES. if it's not in the Top 50, it will be.
is it a necessary addition my collection?: absolutely. all around greatness: film, PQ, and AQ.

4.5/5

I would have never expected to like this movie as much as I did, but it's one of my absolute favorites, no doubt about it. I will have to add this to my Cruise cruise I am going on over the holidays.