The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jvince]

The Kid with a Bike (2011)
dir. Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

The Good: Great story. I especially like how it plays out similar to a parable. Solid acting from the cast.

The Bad: Could've used more character development, specifically the hairdresser (Why she agreed to foster the kid is never explained nor hinted at). A few scenes could've used a little trimming. Not a fan of the way it ends.

The Bottom Line: The Dardenne Brothers have created a nice, little tale of childhood filled with some great themes and messages. This just needed a little more thought and time.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Fair enough.

I'd probably rate it either above or below Inglorious Basterds, I'll say below for now, but I think a rewatch would sort it out and maybe get it higher than Pulp Fiction because the stuff in Django is just that good, I'm just unsure about it as a whole.

1) Reservoir Dogs
2) Pulp Fiction
3) Inglorious Basterds
4) Django Unchained
5) True Romance (written)
6) From Dusk Till Dawn (written)
7) Kill Bill Vol. 1
8) Jackie Brown
9) Kill Bill Vol. 2
10) Natural Born Killers (kind of written)
11) Death Proof

Originally Posted by DjMethod

It didn't feel rushed to me either, and like jvince I kind of expected it to end after

[Show spoiler]the shootout.

Ranked Tarantino list:

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Reservoir Dogs
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Django Unchained
5. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
6. Jackie Brown
7. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
8. Death Proof

Inglourious Basterds already beats Django as far as respective first viewings go. It also kept up in subsequent viewings, but I'm sure Django will do the same.

Kill Bill rubs me the wrong way sometimes but I still love it. Vol. 1 only edges out Jackie Brown because it's a grander vision.

Death Proof is still a good film, but overshadowed by its counterpart, Planet Terror.

We almost have the same order, Dj. Just swap Jackie Brown and Kill Bill: Vol. 2.

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Reservoir Dogs
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Django Unchained
5. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
6. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
7. Jackie Brown
8. Death Proof

Originally Posted by DjMethod

This is what I am afraid of. My buddy told me that if it just had a few battle scenes, it would have been so much better.

Also, how would you compare Lincoln to Daniel Plainview? I have seen few better performances than DDL in There Will Be Blood.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

You didnt ask me, but I'll chime in anyway.

The movie didnt need more battle scenes because it really wasnt about the Civil War. It's strong focus was on the 13th Amendment and what it took to get it passed. Its very much a political drama, not a war film.

I disagree with Jvince about the dialogue. I felt a greater sense of authenticity because of it. People actually spoke like that back then. Especially lawyers and politicians. We can see evidence of that in the written word of the period.

DDL as Lincoln was just as good as Plainview. Even though the character is more subtle, there is a LOT brewing within. And the rare moments when Lincoln displays anger and frustration are all the more powerfull because of it.

Didnt feel like a long flick to me either.

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Makes sense. My only skepticism is from the fact that I found Amistad to be one of the most boring films in memory and that is Spielberg's last film from the same period. But it has been a good while since I've seen that and I could be comparing apples to oranges. Come to think of it, another one of the most boring films I've ever seen is Gods and Generals. Maybe something about the Civil War period bores me.

If he matched Plainview in acting then I think the Oscar is in the bag.

It certainly didn't need any battle scenes since that isn't the main focus of the film. It just needed life.

I don't know if you did this in class, but we often used to have these impromptu skits where we'd attempt to reenact stuff based on the facts on our textbooks. There's no time to add layers or traits. That's exactly how the dialogue in this movie felt like. The people in the film were merely names with "cliff note" characteristics, constantly spouting facts. There was minimal to no character development. No depth. No spark. No magic. The whole thing just felt hollow. A far cry from his classic works. Lately, Spielberg's movies are comparable to the franchising of that great, small restaurant you used to love, whose products are now devoid of that passion and care you could taste. It just isn't the same anymore.

And DDL's Lincoln is nowhere near the same league as his performance in There Will Be Blood. He clearly does his best, but he's limited by the script.

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

Wait, what streak? I take it you didn't like Tintin?

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

lol, I was thinking the same thing. Then I remembered Indy IV.

Tintin was middle-of-the-road. From 2008's Indy IV, he's been pretty sh*tty per his standards. Heck, if it wasn't for Munich, he'd have this subpar streak going since 2004's The Terminal.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

lol, I was thinking the same thing. Then I remembered Indy IV.

True, although I still liked Indy IV. Obviously not on the same level as Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, but I still liked it.

Originally Posted by jvince

Tintin was middle-of-the-road. From 2008's Indy IV, he's been pretty sh*tty per his standards. Heck, if it wasn't for Munich, he'd have this subpar streak going since 2004's The Terminal.

Fair enough if you consider it by lofty standards of a major director. I'll just agree to disagree, although I have no interest in watching Lincoln no matter how much praise it got, especially after hearing about how it ends.

[jvince]

The Battle of Algiers (1966)
dir. Gillo Pontecorvo

The Good: First-rate score from writer/director Pontecorvo and legendary composer Ennio Morricone. Gripping. Intense. Features some incredible sequences, most notably the bombing scenes (Wow, how the f*ck did they make those seem so real?). Excellent documentary-style camera work. The final minutes, just epic perfection. The actual FLN leader (Saadi Yacef) played himself in the film!

The Bad: I just wish there was more character development. That's really the only thing that keeps this from being a perfect film.

The Bottom Line: The Battle of Algiers has got to be one of the finest directorial works in cinematic history. Everything feels so real, every moment is filled with suspense, and best of all, it never picks sides. Highly recommended, especially for Criterion fans; this is among the best titles in the collection.

[Romulus]

Going to see Django Unchained tonight. Local arthouse opened up a new screen that's a lot bigger. Can't wait to check it out.

Also, Netflix gave me a free month of DVDs so I'm going to see as many Criterions as I can in a month. First one is Ivan's Childhood which should be here tomorrow. Any suggestions?

[legendarymatt92]

As is the story of my life recently, I was late to see this one, as well - I'd bought the steelbook and received the replacement disc as soon as it had come out, but never gotten around to fully watching it. I'm glad I waited, though, because it's not the kind of film you want to see in bits and pieces, or without full concentration -- you need to focus on the characters, the dialogue, the events, because they're all so important in your understanding of not only the film but the horror genre overall that, without it, you probably wouldn't understand exactly what the film is trying to say.

The Cabin in the Woods, then, is a perfect marriage of white knuckle horror and gut-busting comedy -- Goddard, in his directorial début, balances both well, as well as including some amazing tongue-in-cheek moments that draw homage from other horror works. Written by both Goddard and Joss Whedon (who also produced it), it was always going to appeal to a certain cult following but where the true magic lies is in the way the script balances horror clichés with a mainstream sensibility that appeals to everyone.

I personally loved this, and thought that, not only was it one of the greatest horror films of the last decade, but that it's one of the best films also. If you haven't seen it, watch it as soon as you possibly can -- you honestly won't regret it.

10/10

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Romulus

Also, Netflix gave me a free month of DVDs so I'm going to see as many Criterions as I can in a month. First one is Ivan's Childhood which should be here tomorrow. Any suggestions?

Since I'm watching the remake right now, Harakiri is the first thing that comes to mind.

Other favorites would be Seventh Seal, Battle of Algiers (as reviewed above ), Brazil, Bicycle Thieves, Wages of Fear, Blow Out, Cronos, Following, Eating Raoul, Ivan the Terrible, the Qatsi trilogy, and the Chaplin movies. The Third Man has always been a favorite of mine as well, but it's OOP, so you may have to put up with a crummy DVD edition of some kind. I've also seen movies like 8 1/2, and 400 Blows getting frequent recommendations, so you can't go wrong with them.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Romulus

Going to see Django Unchained tonight. Local arthouse opened up a new screen that's a lot bigger. Can't wait to check it out.

Also, Netflix gave me a free month of DVDs so I'm going to see as many Criterions as I can in a month. First one is Ivan's Childhood which should be here tomorrow. Any suggestions?

I'm going to have to presume which films you haven't seen (I'll try and avoid the obvious ones like Bicycle Thevies and Hitchcock films) but I think good recommendations would be:

Hunger
La Haine
Kes
Brazil
Antichrist (although some extreme content)
The Third Man

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Hunger
Antichrist (although some extreme content)

Yes, I second those recommendations. As long as you can stomach them.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

Pretty much the same story as the 1962 Harakiri, which still stands as one of the best samurai movies I had the pleasure of blind-buying. If I had never seen the original, I probably would have dismissed Takashi Miike's remake as just a slow, boring drama.

And the sad truth is that it is slow and boring! Not that this story requires much action anyway, but the film's pace is so slow and the dialogue is so hushed that it hardly seems to move at all.

The story is much the same, so all its strengths in character and plot are inherent.

The film looks nice, all in color, with lovely sets, props, costumes, and camerawork.

In the end though, the film just kinda reminded me how great the original was, not only for its story, but also in actually generating interest and having great craftsmanship. While there's nothing specifically wrong with Takashi Miike's remake, I'm almost left wondering what the point of making it is.

4/5 (Entertainment: Marginal | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Recommendation: Probably.

Well, at least the Blu-Ray looks and sounds great.

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Romulus

Going to see Django Unchained tonight. Local arthouse opened up a new screen that's a lot bigger. Can't wait to check it out.

Also, Netflix gave me a free month of DVDs so I'm going to see as many Criterions as I can in a month. First one is Ivan's Childhood which should be here tomorrow. Any suggestions?

Have you tried Hulu service? Not sure if there is a free trial but they have a great Criterion selection and it would be more convenient to watch a bunch.

Must watch:
Seven Samurai
Viridiana
Passion of Joan of Arc (DVD copy is a must - includes the soundtrack)
Harakiri
Modern Times
The Bicycle Thief
The Exterminating Angel
Spirit of the Beehive
Winter Light
Ikiru

If you like French New Wave:
Hiroshima Mon Amour
Cleo from 5 to 7
Elevator to the Gallows
Band of Outsiders

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Since I'm watching the remake right now, Harakiri is the first thing that comes to mind.

Other favorites would be Seventh Seal, Battle of Algiers (as reviewed above ), Brazil, Bicycle Thieves, Wages of Fear, Blow Out, Cronos, Following, Eating Raoul, Ivan the Terrible, the Qatsi trilogy, and the Chaplin movies. The Third Man has always been a favorite of mine as well, but it's OOP, so you may have to put up with a crummy DVD edition of some kind. I've also seen movies like 8 1/2, and 400 Blows getting frequent recommendations, so you can't go wrong with them.

Originally Posted by Foggy

I'm going to have to presume which films you haven't seen (I'll try and avoid the obvious ones like Bicycle Thevies and Hitchcock films) but I think good recommendations would be:

Hunger
La Haine
Kes
Brazil
Antichrist
The Third Man

Bolded titles I've seen before. Good thing is I really enjoyed all of the bolded films a lot, so I'm going to add Kes, Wages of Fear, Qatsi Trilogy, and the others. Thanks guys! I'll be sure to post reviews here.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Next greatest blind-buy: Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

[Show spoiler]Pretty much the same story as the 1962 Harakiri, which still stands as one of the best samurai movies I had the pleasure of blind-buying. If I had never seen the original, I probably would have dismissed Takashi Miike's remake as just a slow, boring drama.

And the sad truth is that it is slow and boring! Not that this story requires much action anyway, but the film's pace is so slow and the dialogue is so hushed that it hardly seems to move at all.

The story is much the same, so all its strengths in character and plot are inherent.

The film looks nice, all in color, with lovely sets, props, costumes, and camerawork.

In the end though, the film just kinda reminded me how great the original was, not only for its story, but also in actually generating interest and having great craftsmanship. While there's nothing specifically wrong with Takashi Miike's remake, I'm almost left wondering what the point of making it is.

4/5 (Entertainment: Marginal | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

[Show spoiler]Recommendation: Probably.

Well, at least the Blu-Ray looks and sounds great.

PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5

I had a similar reaction to Fincher's Dragon Tattoo. If that movie served any purpose, it was to elevate Rooney Mara's career.

Speaking of Mara, I can't wait for Soderbergh's Side Effects.

In other news: New Coens movie!

ILDATTHEGASLIGHT - YouTube

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jvince

We almost have the same order, Dj. Just swap Jackie Brown and Kill Bill: Vol. 2.

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Reservoir Dogs
3. Inglourious Basterds
4. Django Unchained
5. Kill Bill: Vol. 1
6. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
7. Jackie Brown
8. Death Proof

I don't know if you did this in class, but we often used to have these impromptu skits where we'd attempt to reenact stuff based on the facts on our textbooks. There's no time to add layers or traits. That's exactly how the dialogue in this movie felt like. The people in the film were merely names with "cliff note" characteristics, constantly spouting facts. There was minimal to no character development. No depth. No spark. No magic. The whole thing just felt hollow. A far cry from his classic works. Lately, Spielberg's movies are comparable to the franchising of that great, small restaurant you used to love, whose products are now devoid of that passion and care you could taste. It just isn't the same anymore.

Clever analogy. I'll try to catch this before the awards.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I had a similar reaction to Fincher's Dragon Tattoo. If that movie served any purpose, it was to elevate Rooney Mara's career.

Yes! I was trying to think of what other original/remake combo this would compare to, but that's a perfect example. So similar, yet somewhat different.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by legendarymatt92

As is the story of my life recently, I was late to see this one, as well - I'd bought the steelbook and received the replacement disc as soon as it had come out, but never gotten around to fully watching it. I'm glad I waited, though, because it's not the kind of film you want to see in bits and pieces, or without full concentration -- you need to focus on the characters, the dialogue, the events, because they're all so important in your understanding of not only the film but the horror genre overall that, without it, you probably wouldn't understand exactly what the film is trying to say.

The Cabin in the Woods, then, is a perfect marriage of white knuckle horror and gut-busting comedy -- Goddard, in his directorial début, balances both well, as well as including some amazing tongue-in-cheek moments that draw homage from other horror works. Written by both Goddard and Joss Whedon (who also produced it), it was always going to appeal to a certain cult following but where the true magic lies is in the way the script balances horror clichés with a mainstream sensibility that appeals to everyone.

I personally loved this, and thought that, not only was it one of the greatest horror films of the last decade, but that it's one of the best films also. If you haven't seen it, watch it as soon as you possibly can -- you honestly won't regret it.

10/10

My third favourite film of 2012 (behind Skyfall and The Master) it's a shame about the faulty disks, I picked it up day one and watched it with my flat mates and they all liked the film, it just jumped occasionally so I got a refund but not picked it up since (waiting for it to drop down about £10 now).

Originally Posted by Romulus

Bolded titles I've seen before. Good thing is I really enjoyed all of the bolded films a lot, so I'm going to add Kes, Wages of Fear, Qatsi Trilogy, and the others. Thanks guys! I'll be sure to post reviews here.

Kes is really interesting although occasionally quite a tough watch, hopefully you'll be able to handle the thick dialects.

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I had a similar reaction to Fincher's Dragon Tattoo. If that movie served any purpose, it was to elevate Rooney Mara's career.

Speaking of Mara, I can't wait for Soderbergh's Side Effects.

In other news: New Coens movie!

ILDATTHEGASLIGHT - YouTube

Heard good stuff about Soderbergh's latest, although I've also heard it's best to keep away from the ads as they're quite spoiler full.

I saw the new Coen trailer as well, looks interesting although a bit different from their past work, a lot darker and grounded. Can't believe that's Carey Mulligan in the trailer. Not sure whether it'll work yet or not (the fact the film is still without a distributor is worrisome) but hopefully it'll hit all the right marks.

[menaceuk]

Life of Pi - 8/10

Fantastic.

Well acted, well scripted, well directed, good cgi and at times, humorous

I was a little worried with all the religion in the movie but the manner in which the main character handles it both in belief and faith really helps it not be overbearing or preachy.

The Second half of the story is a wonderfully crafted fantasy type world with amazing visuals that captivate you every time they appear. Shame the first half of the movie isn't of similar fashion.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Heard good stuff about Soderbergh's latest, although I've also heard it's best to keep away from the ads as they're quite spoiler full.

I saw the new Coen trailer as well, looks interesting although a bit different from their past work, a lot darker and grounded. Can't believe that's Carey Mulligan in the trailer. Not sure whether it'll work yet or not (the fact the film is still without a distributor is worrisome) but hopefully it'll hit all the right marks.

Thanks for the warning. I haven't seen the trailer in a few months so I'll hold out for a few more weeks.

Mulligan caught me off guard too. I was about to double-check it was her until she popped up again in the trailer. The Coens have a great track record with me and this looks like another good one. Their last character study blew my socks off.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest blind-buy: Tai Chi Zero

Saw the trailer for this somewhere, and thought it looked awesome.

Naturally, it was the fighting and battles that would have drawn me into this film, and the film generally delivers. There is a small wealth of cool kung-fu fights here, in addition to some fantastic steampunk machinery that offers a different look, style, and setpiece to the picture. The film moves at a nice, even pace, so I rarely felt any drag.

There are some issues that'll alienate some audiences, however. The biggest thing is that there is a huge amount of stylistic excess. The opening credits are done up as a type of comic-book style, resembling Creepshow to an extent. Many of the fight scenes have video-game graphics appearing around the characters' hands and feet, showing their paths and trajectories, as if the film was shooting for a Scott Pilgrim type of style. Many other scenes have text and icons popping up around the characters' heads, in a fashion no different than Stranger Than Fiction. These effects are often amusing, but the film could have easily done without them. In fact, these effects often disrupt the mood of the scenes, interrupting dramatic tension with sudden comedy, thus creating a jarring effect. I suspect that these effects would have worked perfectly in a manga or anime, but for a live action film, it's a little weird.

The story is pretty lightweight, and not nearly as big in scope as I anticipated, but it's still a fun little thrill ride. I found the characters enjoyable and endearing, so I grew to care about the plot well enough. It's not a substantial plot, but there's enough to fill up the 94 minutes without feeling rushed or anything. If there's anything problematic, it would be the wimpy final battle (where, all of the suddenly, the characters decide it's wrong to kill people, so they throw food at the bad buys. Corn is amazingly bullet-proof!), and the film leaves things hanging for a potential sequel (which should be in theaters...right now!).

Cinematically, the film looks decent, with quality photography. Editing can be pretty screwy with all the added special effects and transitions, but it's not too hectic or anything. Acting and writing are decent enough. This production has some splendid-looking sets, props, and costumes. Music is alright.

As expected, I enjoyed the film. However, it does have a pretty low score on this site's official review, so I suspect that the film's style will be off-putting for most folks. Combined with some really fast subtitles, recommending this one might be pretty iffy.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Pretty Good | Film: Pretty Good)

Recommendation: If you can read fast subtitles, then rent it for some good, fun, somewhat goofy kung-fu action, but don't expect that much substance.

This Blu-Ray looks good, but may have some slight film noise. Sound quality is good and clear, but some of the louder scenes are strangely not that loud.

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

[Foggy]

Zero Dark Thirty in an hour and Lincoln later tonight. It's not cheap being a film fanatic.