The Movie Review and Discussion Thread - Page 808 - Blu-ray Forum

iam1bearcat · 12-16-2010, 11:57 PM

the following pic is the "wall" i created in the spare bedroom.

i'm a very visual person, and i love lists so i decided to very craptastically put together a bunch of lists that i will be filling out once i start watching films again (hopefully tomorrow, if The Town shows up

) so of course, since i'm "starting over" all the lists are empty.

the top 'chunk' are all categories, feel free to help out by mentioning if i missed any major ones, i believe i got them all, but while making it, i realized i completely forgot the entire action genre!

(and now i realize i forgot 'adventure' as well

) so there could be ones missing that should maybe be added. categories i have up are:

[Show spoiler]

bottom row is my new 7-layer film review labels:

[Show spoiler]

and the two sheets over to the right of the pic are:

[Show spoiler]

i know, i'm weird

but i LOVE doing stuff like this

Riff Magnum · 12-17-2010, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

the following pic is the "wall" i created in the spare bedroom.

i'm a very visual person, and i love lists so i decided to very craptastically put together a bunch of lists that i will be filling out once i start watching films again (hopefully tomorrow, if The Town shows up

) so of course, since i'm "starting over" all the lists are empty.

the top 'chunk' are all categories, feel free to help out by mentioning if i missed any major ones, i believe i got them all, but while making it, i realized i completely forgot the entire action genre!

(and now i realize i forgot 'adventure' as well

) so there could be ones missing that should maybe be added. categories i have up are:

[Show spoiler]

bottom row is my new 7-layer film review labels:

[Show spoiler]

and the two sheets over to the right of the pic are:

[Show spoiler]

i know, i'm weird

but i LOVE doing stuff like this

You nailed the biggee's but you might add sub-genre's like:
Arthouse/indie
Fantasy
Film Noir
Documentaries

Why, may i ask, are you "starting all over?" How exactly CAN you start all over? You'd need like a two year break from movies all together to really feel fresh.

iam1bearcat · 12-17-2010, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

You nailed the biggee's but you might add sub-genre's like:
Arthouse/indie
Fantasy
Film Noir
Documentaries

Why, may i ask, are you "starting all over?" How exactly CAN you start all over? You'd need like a two year break from movies all together to really feel fresh.

thanks for the suggestions!

i was thinking of adding fantasy, but most of what i know has that tag (HP series and LOTR, maybe even Star Wars) could also be put in action, and / or adventure. so i don't wanna get stuck having to add 1 movie to like, 15 different categories, but i'll investigate more with and decide what qualifies as "fantasy" and maybe add it.

arthouse / indie i'll have to investigate further as well. figured i would just add them to respective major categories (drama, romance, comedy) but i may add this. of course, then i would have to figure out what "technically" qualifies for 'indie' (budget? studio?

) and figure out what 'arthouse' even means

same goes for Film Noir. don't really know what that is

documentaries i will likely add eventually, maybe biography as well. but not sure. there are some documentaries i am interested in seeing, so i'm sure once i've seen like 5, i'll want a list so i probably should make one lol

as for why and how i can start all over...

WHY: i'm a big fan of lists. but, because of the hundreds i've seen BEFORE i really started making lists and notes of my favorite things, i don't really feel comfortable with my lists. i know, life is hard when most of my day is feeling incomplete about my lists but it's true

like, i could make a list of my favorite comedies, but there's dozens of comedies i haven't seen in years, didn't review, don't remember a lot of and thus, i could add them and no one else would care, but i do, because i want it to be "complete" and it just doesn't if i just start in the middle of my viewing of films to make lists.

does that make sense?

same for "hey, what's your favorite Edward Norton film?" i'd say Fight Club, but i have no idea where American History X and Death to Smoochy is on that list. i've seen those films, but don't remember them or Norton's performance at all. so by "clearing the slate" and reviewing and making note of things i like / dislike about each film, i can have my lists feel more complete in my eyes.

and how can i if i'm only taking a break of around 10-14 days and going in fresh? by not watching so many so quickly. in november i watched what felt like, 3 or 4 movies every day. was it fun? yeah, but i realize it quickly wore me out to the point i wanted nothing to do with films anymore.

so i'm gonna try and keep it to 1 film a day. at least for bigger, "heavier" films. of course, some days i may feel fine watching / reviewing 2 films a day or whatnot, but mainly i'm gonna try and watch like 4-5 films a week, maybe even less.

i would love to see every film (well, 95% let's say) ever made, but realistically, that just isn't possible unless i inherit millions and just sit inside and watch films all day, and even then, there are other things i like doing. so i'm gonna slow down, relax, realize that if i don't see every movie i'm curious about, that's fine, it doesn't ruin or make my life and not try and shove as many films as possible into every single spare moment of free time.

Trogdor2010 · 12-17-2010, 12:20 AM

Valhalla Rising: 4 out of 4

The wish people desire for their religion (or belief) is that there is redemption in the end, or rather in this case, the redemption they desire is wealth and eternal pleasure.

In 1000 A.D. where christian belief is spreading in Scotland, a Norse Warrior named One eye, is a slave who is pitted to fight with his bare fists, escapes and kills his captors, only sparing a little boy that follows him around the land. When he confronts a group of christian vikings that are in the search of the Holy Land and take our Jerusalem. Fearing the one eyed man's reputation of savagery, they follow him, until they realize they are lead to a land that is hell.

The film is about the blindness of people's ideals in beliefs; it is a relevant topic today when compared to the extremism in all religions because of Fundamentalists hostilities (Theocracies and religious extremists groups namely), and for that reason, this is one of the most controversial films of the year (along with some explicit violence in the first chapter). The film is influenced plenty by the work of Ingmar Bergman (Some might call it a Ingmar Bergman version of Braveheart) and Nicolas Roeg, which this is not truly a tale about people, but their own nature; it is told in limited dialogue of their intentions, but it's questions are not expressed in words. Beautifully shot cinematography, showcasing the Scottish highlands, fields and forests worthy to be seen theatrically, which is a shame few people will get to see it in the way it was intended. A visceral work of art.

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Fingers crossed. Black Swan should open wider and hit here next week or the 22nd.

I didnt get Buried either and I REALLY wanted to see that.

Kinda weird too. There are a few theaters here including a 14plex and the population in the immediate vicinity is well over a half a million, so its not like super podunk nowheresville.

I'm sure it will. I saw True Grit last night. Awesome movie. Very clever and humorous. I'd give it a 4/5, though I'm sure the critics will score it higher.

I accidentally thanked the wrong person for the free screenings. I meant to thank The Basterd, not Foggy

Let me know how Buried is. I'm going to see Black Swan tomorrow morning.

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I agree with your previous assessment: anything less than a 3/5 falls into the below-average category in my book.

As far as 3/5 and 3.5/5 movies go (and certain 2.5/5 ones), it can be hard grading mediocrity. These ratings to me could mean either a film with bad qualities that I really really enjoy for some dumb reason (good examples being "The 6th Day," "Die Another Day," "10000 BC," "Lost in Space," etc) or a really prestigious top-quality film I dislike (like "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Gone With the Wind," "The 400 Blows," etc). It's like the films evenly balanced out their qualities with their entertainment values to turn out just "okay." Doesn't mean they're unwatchable necessarily (heck, I wind up owning a lot of 'em).

Anyway, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!

Perfectly valid! You're always pretty clear about your scores and how you balance them. Judging by your reviews, you seem pretty hard to budge towards polarized scores. Just curious, what are some of your 5/5's that came out in the last few years?

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

[Show spoiler]

In retrospect, not all remakes suck.

I would confidently add True Grit to that

Haven't seen the new Evangelion films yet.

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbizzle

I've had The Ice Storm towards the top of my queue for a while but haven't got around to it yet. Definitely see Brokeback Mountain, it's an excellent film. I agree with you on Crouching Tiger, one of my favorites!

K I'll add those two to queue.

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve46

Sorry to hear about your PS3.

Comedies rarely work for me either. All the dumb ones are out for starters. I like comedy within drama, or animated comedy the most. The list would include:

[Show spoiler]

Those are all great films. I love the humor or feel good nature of them but they aren't the type of films that get me to bust up laughing. I must say though, you have great taste in films you enjoy imo.

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve46

The people I watched it with loved both.

Everyone is different.

I find humor such as:

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the War Room.

Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?

I couldn't really say. He wasn't circumcised.

Funnier than people getting hit in the groin five times in succession or running into someone's breasts.

Zohan is another one that I like, not because of the stupid gags, but because of the character. His bouncy hair and look and just the way he acts are hilarious.

Riff Magnum · 12-17-2010, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

thanks for the suggestions!

i was thinking of adding fantasy, but most of what i know has that tag (HP series and LOTR, maybe even Star Wars) could also be put in action, and / or adventure. so i don't wanna get stuck having to add 1 movie to like, 15 different categories, but i'll investigate more with and decide what qualifies as "fantasy" and maybe add it.

arthouse / indie i'll have to investigate further as well. figured i would just add them to respective major categories (drama, romance, comedy) but i may add this. of course, then i would have to figure out what "technically" qualifies for 'indie' (budget? studio?

) and figure out what 'arthouse' even means

same goes for Film Noir. don't really know what that is

documentaries i will likely add eventually, maybe biography as well. but not sure. there are some documentaries i am interested in seeing, so i'm sure once i've seen like 5, i'll want a list so i probably should make one lol

as for why and how i can start all over...

WHY: i'm a big fan of lists. but, because of the hundreds i've seen BEFORE i really started making lists and notes of my favorite things, i don't really feel comfortable with my lists. i know, life is hard when most of my day is feeling incomplete about my lists but it's true

like, i could make a list of my favorite comedies, but there's dozens of comedies i haven't seen in years, didn't review, don't remember a lot of and thus, i could add them and no one else would care, but i do, because i want it to be "complete" and it just doesn't if i just start in the middle of my viewing of films to make lists.

does that make sense?

same for "hey, what's your favorite Edward Norton film?" i'd say Fight Club, but i have no idea where American History X and Death to Smoochy is on that list. i've seen those films, but don't remember them or Norton's performance at all. so by "clearing the slate" and reviewing and making note of things i like / dislike about each film, i can have my lists feel more complete in my eyes.

and how can i if i'm only taking a break of around 10-14 days and going in fresh? by not watching so many so quickly. in november i watched what felt like, 3 or 4 movies every day. was it fun? yeah, but i realize it quickly wore me out to the point i wanted nothing to do with films anymore.

so i'm gonna try and keep it to 1 film a day. at least for bigger, "heavier" films. of course, some days i may feel fine watching / reviewing 2 films a day or whatnot, but mainly i'm gonna try and watch like 4-5 films a week, maybe even less.

i would love to see every film (well, 95% let's say) ever made, but realistically, that just isn't possible unless i inherit millions and just sit inside and watch films all day, and even then, there are other things i like doing. so i'm gonna slow down, relax, realize that if i don't see every movie i'm curious about, that's fine, it doesn't ruin or make my life and not try and shove as many films as possible into every single spare moment of free time.

I definitely don't understand the obsession with lists, but i understand OBSESSION quite well. My wife claims she's never known anyone that can be so obsessed about so many different aspects of life. She'll say,"It's hard being you, isn't it." Goddamn right woman and don't forget it.
I think everyone has gone through what you're going through, especially those first 6-12 months of adopting bluray. I have Tuesdays and Fridays all to myself from around 9am to 3pm. I used to plan what i was watching and try to coordinate my Netflix returns so i would always have something new to watch. I'd go to B&M stores on release day (tuesday is a good and bad day to have off) and buy stuff that i wasn't really sure about just so i could have something "new" to watch. I'd start movies and watch about 30 minutes only to realize i was not in the mood to watch a movie, but i felt obligated to "keep up." It's really dumb now that i think about it, but we all go through phases. I don't force it so much these days.

iam1bearcat · 12-17-2010, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

I definitely don't understand the obsession with lists, but i understand OBSESSION quite well. My wife claims she's never known anyone that can be so obsessed about so many different aspects of life. She'll say,"It's hard being you, isn't it." Goddamn right woman and don't forget it.
I think everyone has gone through what you're going through, especially those first 6-12 months of adopting bluray. I have Tuesdays and Fridays all to myself from around 9am to 3pm. I used to plan what i was watching and try to coordinate my Netflix returns so i would always have something new to watch. I'd go to B&M stores on release day (tuesday is a good and bad day to have off) and buy stuff that i wasn't really sure about just so i could have something "new" to watch. I'd start movies and watch about 30 minutes only to realize i was not in the mood to watch a movie, but i felt obligated to "keep up." It's really dumb now that i think about it, but we all go through phases. I don't force it so much these days.

i like things being neat and orderly, and for me, lists are neat and orderly, so i like having things in lists. hell, i have everything in some sort of lists. i have a list of my favorite lists

i used to say, "i'm gonna watch every single movie that was released this year" and i actually was about to fall for that again. because when i make my top 10 favorite films of 2005, it won't REALLY be complete unless i see all the films released. but i was looking at some of the titles released that year, and like every year, there are some titles that i just have no interest in watching. whether it be a 23% rating on metacritic, or starring the awful pauly shore, some films just don't need to be seen. and if i'm forcing myself to watch something, then my hobby is no longer fun and now just comes off as work and i don't want / need that again.

so, for example, the titles released in 2010. there are roughly 170 films that came out this year (just U.S. releases), but am i gonna watch all 170? no way. only about 80 (give or take) interest me. and only about 30 of those i REALLY wanna see sooner rather than later. the rest i'll get to eventually and later on if someone mentions one of the ones i missed or thought didn't look / sound interesting, then i can always go back later and watch it. no rush or time limit.

but i'd much rather watch Black Swan or The Social Network from 2010 than The Grudge 2 to complete whatever year that came out. so i'm not really putting any sort of 'rules' anymore on how i go about viewing something.

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel

https://forum.blu-ray.com/movies/160...ml#post4140937

I forgot about The Borrowers (4:37). I hope that gets a U.S. release soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Tangled

I saw this a while back and forgot to write a review.

It's perfect.

A traditional Disney take on the story, super crazyass awesome visuals, killer "camera" work, and I mean KILLER, great action scenes, cooler than cool characters, some rolicking good songs, some tearjerker moments, fantastic voice work, and Rapunzel kicks ass.

I couldnt really ask for more.

I kind of regret not seeing Tangled in theaters.

Riff Magnum · 12-17-2010, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I forgot about The Borrowers (4:37). I hope that gets a U.S. release soon.

I kind of regret not seeing Tangled in theaters.

It's already gone? I thought it was still playing.

Lepidopterous · 12-17-2010, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

[/B]

It's already gone? I thought it was still playing.

It is but I literally declined an invite to stay home and watch The Half Blood Prince in order to go out and see Deathly Hallows the following morning. It's passing up the opportunity that I kind of regret, I guess.

So now all my buddies have seen it and we're already going to see Black Swan and Tron, so I don't think the opportunity will come up again. I could always go by myself but it doesn't feel the same to me watching family movies alone.

Hep · 12-17-2010, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Hep, you nailed it with your "fly on the wall" description. It was almost, in an oddly good way, a documentary. Sorta kinda. So real.

I totally agree. I tried to think of a way to express that without cheapening the film, and in the end I failed...fictitious documentary? docudrama? mockumentary? Nope, I didn’t want to summon the ghosts of Cloverfield, or even worse, The Blair Witch Project.

Quote:

Something else that really touched me because it felt so real was

[Show spoiler]

Absolutely. I smiled with empathy, in the way people sometimes cry happy tears - very touching.

Quote:

About the "musical" thing,

, I dont consider Once a musical because they dont sing the dialogue. The songs arent the script, if that makes sense. To me its just a movie that depicts musicians doing their thing.

[Show spoiler]

You’re either hanging on to an antiquated definition of a musical, or I am inventing my own definition. I would say (in a loose way) they are singing dialogue, but in a greatly exaggerated timeline. I mean they don’t have any true back and forth conversations within a single song, but the songs are certainly used to communicate to each other and the audience. This is what I was trying to get at – the way the songs were used is singular, real and true to life while flirting with the surreal. In most films with great music, the music is simply used to provoke the emotions being expressed in the dialogue; in Once the lyrics serve to actively move the narrative forward, and in that sense I believe it is a musical (nouveau musical? musical new wave? I need some classification for films like this and Dancer in the Dark).

jhiggy23 · 12-17-2010, 02:56 AM

Winter's Bone (blu)

PQ and AQ: 4 (out of 5)

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

This is a very solid film but falls short of being a great one. Jennifer Lawrence is exceptional here and deserves the Oscar nom she will likely get, but her performance never reaches the level of greatness of Noomi Rapace's in either of the first two films of the Girl trilogy (although the third is the only one she could be nominated for, which sadly does not have nearly as much screentime for her). Lawrence delivers her lines very well and her non-verbal acting is also top notch. Her maturity is what leads me to believe she's going to be a star of gritty pictures, like Hilary Swank. John Hawkes is also great in this film and steals every scene he's in.

My problem with the film, and the reason it doesn't approach greatness, is that it's too linear and straight forward. There's not a surprise to be found in this film.

Despite how much critics love the film, it's unlikely to get an Oscar nom. I think the Academy really needs to start considering these Sundance sensations for awards consideration, because Sin Nombre was screwed last year as well for multiple categories.

jhiggy23 · 12-17-2010, 02:59 AM

Brief Encounter (Criterion dvd--own it)

Film: 3 stars (out of 4)

Considered one of the great romance films of all-time, but also one of the most criticized (along with Titanic and The English Patient). I thought it was a very good romance and I really liked the narration. This is David Lean before he became the David Lean we all know, famous for epics like Doctor Zhivago, A Passage to India, and Lawrence of Arabia. Many think his smaller films like this, Summertime, Great Expectations, and others are his best films.

Some say this film is dated but I disagree. I think that it certainly had more meaning in 1946, showing an adulterous relationship. That much is obvious. But I still think it holds up and has a memorable final few scenes.

jhiggy23 · 12-17-2010, 03:02 AM

A Prophet (blu)

PQ: 4.5 (out of 5)

AQ: 4.5 (out of 5)

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

Great performances and the most artful direction of any prison film I've seen. I loved the grittiness of it. What brings down the film from four stars is that it's devoid of thematic complexity. I'm not sure there even are themes here. That means that it's a great genre film but is not an all-time great film. I had the same problem with Winter's Bone, which also had few themes.

Certainly this is better than The Secret in their Eyes, which won the Oscar. That film had TOO many themes, many of which were underdeveloped.

Diesel · 12-17-2010, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gandalf Stormcrow

Recent movies I also hated -
There will Be Blood 2/5

What DID you like about the movie?

Quote:

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

haha ironic. i think the Shrek series is generic and at times very dull and uninteresting (the basic premise alone isn't something i care for, so that doesn't help) meanwhile Toy Story is one of the better trilogies / animated films around imo.

I saw the first Shrek. Thought about seeing the second and third; even had them set to DVR one night. But I decided to skip them since I'm not a fan of the first one, so I figured why continue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

BLASPHEMY!

i'm not a car guy either. and i think you know that i'm not a big action fan, but The Fast and the Furious franchise is one that i've quickly come to love and really enjoy since i just saw the films all this year. can't wait to own them some day soon

I highly approve of this post

Quote:

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

- Indiana Jones has four films, so no matter how bad the fourth film may be (wouldn't know, haven't seen any of them) it's not a trilogy just because it's hated.

You have one week after the blu-rays are released to give your review for at least the first film

I've been putting a little thought into finally coming up with an official Top 10 list for myself, and I think the first and third films are likely to end up on that list once I finally do create it (along with 3:10 to Yuma).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

That's probably the most sensible thing I've seen you say in a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

will do

they seem to always be on tv, but i hate watching movies when they air on cable (stuff gets cut out, commercials, language editing) so i've waited and not watched them on tv (i know Diesel did the other day and i made sure i didn't turn to that channel

Like I said...one week after the blu-rays are out you have to have at least one review in

Quote:

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

the following pic is the "wall" i created in the spare bedroom.

[Show spoiler]

i know, i'm weird

but i LOVE doing stuff like this

You and your list fetish

12-17-2010, 12:20 AM	#16144
Trogdor2010 Blu-ray Guru Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Mar 2009 Home Theater Gallery:45 Blu-ray collection:266	Valhalla Rising Valhalla Rising: 4 out of 4 The wish people desire for their religion (or belief) is that there is redemption in the end, or rather in this case, the redemption they desire is wealth and eternal pleasure. In 1000 A.D. where christian belief is spreading in Scotland, a Norse Warrior named One eye, is a slave who is pitted to fight with his bare fists, escapes and kills his captors, only sparing a little boy that follows him around the land. When he confronts a group of christian vikings that are in the search of the Holy Land and take our Jerusalem. Fearing the one eyed man's reputation of savagery, they follow him, until they realize they are lead to a land that is hell. The film is about the blindness of people's ideals in beliefs; it is a relevant topic today when compared to the extremism in all religions because of Fundamentalists hostilities (Theocracies and religious extremists groups namely), and for that reason, this is one of the most controversial films of the year (along with some explicit violence in the first chapter). The film is influenced plenty by the work of Ingmar Bergman (Some might call it a Ingmar Bergman version of Braveheart) and Nicolas Roeg, which this is not truly a tale about people, but their own nature; it is told in limited dialogue of their intentions, but it's questions are not expressed in words. Beautifully shot cinematography, showcasing the Scottish highlands, fields and forests worthy to be seen theatrically, which is a shame few people will get to see it in the way it was intended. A visceral work of art.

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12-17-2010, 02:56 AM	#16157
jhiggy23 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Club Loop 4K collection:73 Blu-ray collection:630 Blu-ray reviews:6 Trading Score:13	Winter's Bone (blu) PQ and AQ: 4 (out of 5) Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4) This is a very solid film but falls short of being a great one. Jennifer Lawrence is exceptional here and deserves the Oscar nom she will likely get, but her performance never reaches the level of greatness of Noomi Rapace's in either of the first two films of the Girl trilogy (although the third is the only one she could be nominated for, which sadly does not have nearly as much screentime for her). Lawrence delivers her lines very well and her non-verbal acting is also top notch. Her maturity is what leads me to believe she's going to be a star of gritty pictures, like Hilary Swank. John Hawkes is also great in this film and steals every scene he's in. My problem with the film, and the reason it doesn't approach greatness, is that it's too linear and straight forward. There's not a surprise to be found in this film. Despite how much critics love the film, it's unlikely to get an Oscar nom. I think the Academy really needs to start considering these Sundance sensations for awards consideration, because Sin Nombre was screwed last year as well for multiple categories.

12-17-2010, 02:59 AM	#16158
jhiggy23 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Club Loop 4K collection:73 Blu-ray collection:630 Blu-ray reviews:6 Trading Score:13	Brief Encounter (Criterion dvd--own it) Film: 3 stars (out of 4) Considered one of the great romance films of all-time, but also one of the most criticized (along with Titanic and The English Patient). I thought it was a very good romance and I really liked the narration. This is David Lean before he became the David Lean we all know, famous for epics like Doctor Zhivago, A Passage to India, and Lawrence of Arabia. Many think his smaller films like this, Summertime, Great Expectations, and others are his best films. Some say this film is dated but I disagree. I think that it certainly had more meaning in 1946, showing an adulterous relationship. That much is obvious. But I still think it holds up and has a memorable final few scenes.

12-17-2010, 03:02 AM	#16159
jhiggy23 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Club Loop 4K collection:73 Blu-ray collection:630 Blu-ray reviews:6 Trading Score:13	A Prophet (blu) PQ: 4.5 (out of 5) AQ: 4.5 (out of 5) Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4) Great performances and the most artful direction of any prison film I've seen. I loved the grittiness of it. What brings down the film from four stars is that it's devoid of thematic complexity. I'm not sure there even are themes here. That means that it's a great genre film but is not an all-time great film. I had the same problem with Winter's Bone, which also had few themes. Certainly this is better than The Secret in their Eyes, which won the Oscar. That film had TOO many themes, many of which were underdeveloped.

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