The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I have not seen it. But you are usually very tolerant/forgiving of "flaws" during sci-fi, and, this seemed right up your alley, so I was anticipating a 4+. I actually want to see this, so maybe I was a little sad that you didnt hit it with a 5.

Right on. You might enjoy it better than I did, who knows? It's definitely been popular.

As far as perfect 5/5s go, I actually don't seem to be giving them out that much lately. So far this year, I've only given it to MoS and Upstream Color, and both scores go against the grain a bit.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Mary and Max



Wow!

This is for adults, adults, and only adults.

Mary is an eight year old girl living in Australia. Max is a 44 year old "Jewish Athiest" man living in New York city. They become Pen Pals and help each other to cope with the unique difficulties each one faces.

The film deals with issues like asperger's syndrome, alcoholism, obesity, bullying, neglect, divorce, abandonment, death, and as the years roll past, even darker issues. There is some humor along they way, but even its roots are from the dark side.

It's a great story, told perfectly. It is BLUNT, yet sensitive at the same time.

Voice work is perfect.

The Stop motion is fantastic. The characters and sets look great.

I only saw it on DVD but the PQ was insanely good. Detail and clarity were just fantastic. I can only imagine that the Blu-ray would look jawdroppingly sharp.

4.25/5

I remember this is a darn good film.

[Abdrewes]

Other than AP format breaking my paragraphs, my Frances Ha review was published for my school with ease.

Next issues are out July 10, 17. Told them I would review Lone Ranger and Pacific Rim.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Other than AP format breaking my paragraphs, my Frances Ha review was published for my school with ease.

Next issues are out July 10, 17. Told them I would review Lone Ranger and Pacific Rim.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Thanks. I really need to learn the AP style. The article looks way too choppy with all those breaks. Also, the editor made a couple grammatical "corrections" which were kind of off and made me insert a lead. However, here it is:

http://www.utepprospector.com/entert...e#.Uct1XmS9Kc0

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Thanks. I really need to learn the AP style. The article looks way too choppy with all those breaks. Also, the editor made a couple grammatical "corrections" which were kind of off and made me insert a lead. However, here it is:

http://www.utepprospector.com/entert...e#.Uct1XmS9Kc0

I agree there are a few awkward breaks in the flow, but I think the whole article is wonderful to read, I really hope I get a chance to check out Francis Ha before the end of the year, it's one of those films that snuck under my radar but now I keep hearing about it everywhere.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I agree there are a few awkward breaks in the flow, but I think the whole article is wonderful to read, I really hope I get a chance to check out Francis Ha before the end of the year, it's one of those films that snuck under my radar but now I keep hearing about it everywhere.

Thanks alot! I hope my reviews are at least more entertaining than the last guy (his Iron Man3 review was near unreadable).

It's a smaller film to be sure, and one that doesn't break a whole lot of ground on a visual level, but I found it moving, especially as someone in the same boat more or less as Frances (I will be getting my Bachelors of Engineering in December, hopefully film school will follow in 2014). Definitely try to see it before you post your "best of" at the end of the year.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jvince

The Land Before Time (1988)
dir. Don Bluth

[Show spoiler]

The Good: Gorgeous animation. Deeply moving, goosebump-inducing score by master composer James Horner. And that theme song, 'If We Hold On Together' sung by the great Diana Ross... my god, who in the world doesn't love that song. Endearing characters; perhaps one of my most favorite cinematic band of friends ever. I especially love Ducky; she's so adorable and has got a great attitude. (I was devastated to find out the little girl who voiced the character was murdered by her father shortly before the theatrical release. She was only 10. That's f*cked up.)

The Bad: Oversentimental. Manipulative. Contrived. Childish dialogue. That Cera's such a stuck-up b*tch.

The Bottom Line: I tried to hate this. I really did. I tried to knock a few stars off for its flaws, but I just can't do it. I can't. This childhood favorite is simply impossible to hate. Land Before Time, once again, you have raped my heartstrings. You own me. You still own me.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Mary and Max



Wow!

[Show spoiler]This is for adults, adults, and only adults.

Mary is an eight year old girl living in Australia. Max is a 44 year old "Jewish Athiest" man living in New York city. They become Pen Pals and help each other to cope with the unique difficulties each one faces.

The film deals with issues like asperger's syndrome, alcoholism, obesity, bullying, neglect, divorce, abandonment, death, and as the years roll past, even darker issues. There is some humor along they way, but even its roots are from the dark side.

It's a great story, told perfectly. It is BLUNT, yet sensitive at the same time.

Voice work is perfect.

The Stop motion is fantastic. The characters and sets look great.

I only saw it on DVD but the PQ was insanely good. Detail and clarity were just fantastic. I can only imagine that the Blu-ray would look jawdroppingly sharp.

4.25/5

Neat film. I liked it as well.

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Thanks alot! I hope my reviews are at least more entertaining than the last guy (his Iron Man3 review was near unreadable).

It's a smaller film to be sure, and one that doesn't break a whole lot of ground on a visual level, but I found it moving, especially as someone in the same boat more or less as Frances (I will be getting my Bachelors of Engineering in December, hopefully film school will follow in 2014). Definitely try to see it before you post your "best of" at the end of the year.

It's funny how one's writing evolves. I enjoyed reading your Frances Ha review btw (the one on this site). Check out Lore if you haven't already. It's another gem that got buried in 2012. Fortunately it's on blu-ray now and looks fantastic.

Maisie Never Knew is another 2012 release that I was able to still catch in theaters last month. I'm starting to think IMDb is getting these release years wrong...

I'll try to get reviews up for those two before they escape my memory.

Matt: I'm very much looking forward to Burt Wonderstone. Huge Jim Carrey fan!

[Abdrewes]

DJ,
Nice to see you are still alive I would love to have another epic 127 Hours-style debate with you one of these days.

I will definitely try to see Lore sometime soon. It's been in my wish list for quite some time.

[Scottie]

America The Dollarful

After being absent from the directing scene for almost three years, Sofia Coppola returns stronger than ever with her 2013 crime film, "The Bling Ring". In this film that was inspired by actual events, a small group of high school students decide to track down the whereabouts of various celebrities in order to rob them of their jewelry, clothing, and other miscellaneous possessions. The plot may seem relatively simple, but that is not the most important part of "The Bling Ring". Rather, it is the character development that Coppola presents to the audience that adds the spice and finesse that this film deserves.

If I could compare this film to anything in the world, it would be the current modern era that we all live. I am not quite sure when it all began, but somewhere over the past fifteen to twenty years, we as a society have grown more and more media crazy and fame obsessed to the point where it is now out of control. We judge the quality of a person based off of the amount of money they possess, the brand of clothing that they wear, and the ability to conform to what is identified as "normal", even if it may not be so normal after all. We are what some may call, "a nation controlled by the media".

I graduated from high school in 2010 and during my high school days, I have seen a lot of these current issues in our modern world being played out on a day to day basis. Were people called losers and stuffed into lockers, among other things? Not necessarily. However, the pressure to conform was always present, even if it steered away from one's ultimate morals. I will always remember students coming into class with hangovers and other issues daily (keep in mind that these individuals were only sixteen to seventeen years old) as well as numerous trends that were "cool" and "hip". I tried my best to not get caught up in these crowds and I personally feel that I was rather successful, as I tended to do my own thing. There were always instances where some individuals fell prey to peer pressure a lot more often than others, but the gap from me to the next person was rather large and extensive. "The Bling Ring" therefore is a biopic of the every day lives and struggles of high school students and the pressure that each faces to conform in order to fit in. For those who have seen the film, you will immediately recognize that each character was lacking in some department, whether it be in style, relationships with family members, attention, or just ordinary social skills. In order to make up for their low statuses, they directly turned to robbing celebrities' homes. What better way is there to feel powerful than to induce oneself into not only the "powerful" homes, but also the "powerful" material possessions of these celebrities?

"The Bling Ring" is most certainly not a perfect picture by any means, but I think that overall it did it's job. Act One came off as the strongest, in my opinion, and had the entire film felt that way, it probably would have been my favorite film of the year. One little complaint that I have with the script is all of the excessive drugs that these teenagers partook in. I have seen many individuals partake in a lot of substances in both high school and college, but this just felt overboard and unnecessary. I think the acting was very well done, though, considering this is the first film for a lot of the actors involved. Out of all of them, I think Emma Watson's performance was the best because she played the perfect "teenage stereotype" of our modern day and age.

Overall, I would really recommend this film because it touches on a lot of the issues that so often go unnoticed nowadays. For those members on here who are relatively young as well, I'm sure you can relate to many of the characters involved and the struggle that each faced, whether spoken or not.

4.5/5

[Abdrewes]

Nice personal review Scott

Although I found the film shallow, I could nonetheless appreciate the terrific lensing by Harris Savides. It's nice to see that some viewers have really taken to it because at least there's a germ of commentary and genuine interest. I've said it countless times, but I wish there was more bite.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Nice personal review Scott

Although I found the film shallow, I could nonetheless appreciate the terrific lensing by Harris Savides. It's nice to see that some viewers have really taken to it because at least there's a germ of commentary and genuine interest. I've said it countless times, but I wish there was more bite.

Thanks! I know where you're coming from. I felt like the first 3rd was great, but the last chunk was very repetitive. There was definitely room to make it better.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Thanks! I know where you're coming from. I felt like the first 3rd was great, but the last chunk was very repetitive. There was definitely room to make it better.

What did you think about that long exterior take of two of them going through all the stuff in that mansion, then exiting?.

Yeah, if you're gonna comment on something or satirize it, you've gotta be fearless. Like I stated earlier, Coppola is too much of a humanist to do something edgy with the gang. That's why I like her softer films the best (although, Virgin Suicides is effectively off putting at times)

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

What did you think about that long exterior take of two of them going through all the stuff in that mansion, then exiting?.

Yeah, if you're gonna comment on something or satirize it, you've gotta be fearless. Like I stated earlier, Coppola is too much of a humanist to do something edgy with the gang. That's why I like her softer films the best (although, Virgin Suicides is effectively off putting at times)

I found that to be a really good technique to break up the typical camera shots of each room's interior.

I really enjoyed The Virgin Suicides. I think it was a very daring book to right and an even darer movie to film. It's one of those films where you NEED decent actors to convey the emotion involved, and I think the cast was pretty spot on.

I've seen most of Lost In Translation and I really enjoyed it, but I haven't seen Marie Antoinette or Somewhere.

[jvince]

After Life (1998)
dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda

The Good: Holy f*ck. This is the type of film I've been searching for. Ingenious, thoughtful concept -- the recently deceased must spend a week in limbo, which resembles a rundown school, and are each assigned a counselor who'll guide them in choosing one memory which they must turn into a movie by the end of the week; a memory which they'll ultimately live in for eternity, kind of like a personal heaven. Masterful direction and writing by Kore-eda. The naturalistic acting and dialogue coupled with Yutaka Yamasaki's impeccable cinematography gives the film this quasi-documentary feel. A profound, humanistic meditation on some of my favorite themes -- on memory, love, life, death, and cinema. A poignant, transcendent exercise in subtlety, rich in pathos and overflowing with grace.

The Bad: Nothing major.

The Bottom Line: After Life is an excellent fantasy film without the flashy special effects; just a brilliant, character-centric, dialogue-driven story that's both immensely fascinating and thought-provoking. Count me in as a fan of Kore-eda's. If Still Walking is his tribute to the late, great Ozu, After Life is Kore-eda's tribute to film and to life. And my god, what a beautiful tribute it is. If you could take only one memory with you to eternity, what would it be? Essential viewing.

[Foggy]

That film sounds rather similar to a play I saw once (I think it was called 100 but I can't find anything on it) where 3 character who recently died had 100 seconds to find a memory which they could relive forever, or fade away from existence.

[SquidPuppet]

I am interested in Frances Ha. The story seems intersting and it is getting great reviews, but I have a concern. The following excerpt from a very positive review worries me...

So too is Frances Ha, a black-and-white salute to the French New Wave (the score is borrowed from Georges Delerue, composer of many a Truffaut and Godard film) that manages to be very much of this moment...

Is Frances Ha very similar to French New Wave?

[SquidPuppet]

Killing Them Softly



It was OK.

A style over substance criminal vs criminal flick with often excellent, and super cheesey dialogue in equal doses. Kind of a "been there done that" story.

Nothing stood out as bad, nor did anything strike me as great.

If the style works for you, I can see this being a really fun film.

Film 3/5
PQ 4.5/5
AQ 4.5/5

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

That's why I like her softer films the best (although, Virgin Suicides is effectively off putting at times)

At times????? That whole flick made my skin crawl.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

After Life (1998)
dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda

[Show spoiler][INDENT]

The Good: Holy f*ck. This is the type of film I've been searching for. Ingenious, thoughtful concept -- the recently deceased must spend a week in limbo, which resembles a rundown school, and are each assigned a counselor who'll guide them in choosing one memory which they must turn into a movie by the end of the week; a memory which they'll ultimately live in for eternity, kind of like a personal heaven. Masterful direction and writing by Kore-eda. The naturalistic acting and dialogue coupled with Yutaka Yamasaki's impeccable cinematography gives the film this quasi-documentary feel. A profound, humanistic meditation on some of my favorite themes -- on memory, love, life, death, and cinema. A poignant, transcendent exercise in subtlety, rich in pathos and overflowing with grace.

The Bad: Nothing major.


The Bottom Line: After Life is an excellent fantasy film without the flashy special effects; just a brilliant, character-centric, dialogue-driven story that's both immensely fascinating and thought-provoking. Count me in as a fan of Kore-eda's. If Still Walking is his tribute to the late, great Ozu, After Life is Kore-eda's tribute to film and to life. And my god, what a beautiful tribute it is. If you could take only one memory with you to eternity, what would it be? Essential viewing.

[/INDENT

]

Hmmmmm. I think I'll give that a shot.

[SquidPuppet]

Where are Surfdude and Steve?

You would think they would be freaking out abaut this great news from a few days ago.

Criterion Getting Ready to Release David Lynch's Mulholland Drive