The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jvince]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

I hope to also agree with you on 50/50 since I have it pre-ordered on Amazon. I have little doubt I will though, and it is always nice to know it has very high replay value.

It's got a perfect balance of drama and comedy. Hope you'll enjoy it.

Originally Posted by Steve46

I just got back from The Descendants. I'm surprised there were 20 people there on Sunday morning 9 weeks after it was first released.

I loved it, but I haven't got time to say why with the NFL games about to start.

It's close between this and Midnight in Paris for my favorite of 2011, although I haven't seen them all by any means.

Originally Posted by DjMethod

This is on my to-see list. I think I'm going to see Shame within the next few days.

Go Niners!

The Descendants is good, but The Artist is the only film among the contenders that is deserving of the Best Picture win.

2011 was a pretty weak year, imo. I believe half of my top 10 weren't even originally from 2011. Hope this year will be much better.

[volcomsocal]

Stranger Than Fiction - 2006

I've never been a fan of Will Ferrell's movies, but I loved him during his SNL days in the 90's. Yet, this movie was intriguing enough for me to watch, and I had no expectations at all.

Stranger Than Fiction had a great story with great acting and had an offbeat and quirky feel to it. This was a movie that I really had no idea how it was going to end. There aren't many movies you can say that about and because of this, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The cast of characters were great and they had really good chemistry with one another. This movie was a drama, but it had splashes of comedy, love, and tenderness that worked very well.

My favorite aspect of this movie was how you had no idea where the plot was going or how it was going to end. And it all played out very well in the end.

My second favorite part of this movie was Maggie Gyllenhaal. She was fantastic. Those eyes, that face, that body, that fake tattoo. Yummm!!

Highly Recommended!!!

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4/5

4.5/5

[blue_beard]

Hysteria

Didn't have a lot of time to watch movies lately. So, a few weeks back I saw Hysteria. The story of the invention of the vibrator set in Victorian England. It had humanists, suffragettes and strange medical practices. It had it's light and funny scenes but also more important subject matter and some feeelings. I just love how the ladies were treated on a nice, old school settee in their whole regalia
All in all it was a very enjoyable movie.

I love Maggie Gyllenhaal. She was brilliant as always. At first I thought Colin Firth was in it, but it's Hugh Dancy who looks a lot like him. I don't remember seeing him anywhere else, even though he played in King Arthur and several other movies... Hope to see more of his acting in the future

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Keith Richards wasnt Blackbeard, he was Depps Dad. Blackbeard was played by Ian McShane. Unless I confused what you were saying.

You confused what I was saying.

When I first saw Keith Richards playing the daddy, I was like, "is that him? ...no..." Then Ian McShane came on as Blackbeard, and I was like, "ah yeah, that's him!"

[jvince]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Stranger Than Fiction - 2006

[Show spoiler]I've never been a fan of Will Ferrell's movies, but I loved him during his SNL days in the 90's. Yet, this movie was intriguing enough for me to watch, and I had no expectations at all.

Stranger Than Fiction had a great story with great acting and had an offbeat and quirky feel to it. This was a movie that I really had no idea how it was going to end. There aren't many movies you can say that about and because of this, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The cast of characters were great and they had really good chemistry with one another. This movie was a drama, but it had splashes of comedy, love, and tenderness that worked very well.

My favorite aspect of this movie was how you had no idea where the plot was going or how it was going to end. And it all played out very well in the end.

My second favorite part of this movie was Maggie Gyllenhaal. She was fantastic. Those eyes, that face, that body, that fake tattoo. Yummm!!

Highly Recommended!!!

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4/5

4.5/5

Stranger Than Fiction is very underrated and underseen. I highly recommend it too.

[Riff Magnum]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Ah man, you guys didn't like The Informant! that's one of the smartest comedies ever. Terribly underrated. I've seen it 4 times now and love it

I guess I would be labeled a big time Soderbergh fan seeing as every film of his I've seen I've very much enjoyed and I believe I've given all his films at least a 4/5.

i thought it was great. very underrated. It was the movie that let me know Damon could really act to boot.
Soderbergh is always solid too. Seems he's cranking 'em out pretty quick too.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Film: 3 (out of 4); 3 1/2 (out of 4)--girlfriend's rating

Entertaining and funny, although I don't think it's up the level of 40 Year Old Virgin or Superbad. It was even more fun watching since my girlfriend and I are going to St. Lucia in May.

One of my favorite comedies.

Next few movies:

Julia's Eyes (comes tomorrow on Netflix) (from the makers and the star of The Orphanage)
Witness
Dead Poet's Society
The Thin Blue Line
Moneyball
The Ides of March
Contagion
Drive

I liked Julia's Eyes but definitely expected better.

_______________________________________________

I saw probably one of the worst movie trailers this morning. Or should I say Sony advertisement.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by jvince

The Descendants is good, but The Artist is the only film among the contenders that is deserving of the Best Picture win.

2011 was a pretty weak year, imo. I believe half of my top 10 weren't even originally from 2011. Hope this year will be much better.

I definitely think the Oscars won't be exciting this year, but I was very pleased with the films of 2011. I realized I liked the year when I made my top 20. I could see myself re-watching the first 5 on the list for years.

Originally Posted by DjMethod

1. The Artist
2. The Tree of Life
3. Midnight in Paris
4. Drive
5. The Skin I Live In
6. Super 8
7. We Bought a Zoo
8. Like Crazy
9. The Devil's Double
10. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
11. Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
12. War Horse
13. Source Code
14. Puss In Boots
15. Captain America
16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
17. Thor
18. Fast Five
19. Sucker Punch
20. Real Steel

What's your top 10?

[Steve46]

25. The Dark Knight (2008)
Action, Crime, Drama, 152 minutes
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart



I don't like superhero movies as a rule and only watched The Dark Knight so that I could confirm my belief that all the hype was unjustified. To my surprise, I ended up loving the experience.

There are a number of reasons why I don't usually watch the genre. The characters are often shallow and we don't know their true origin and motivations. Acting is cheesy and deliberately over the top. The need for humor means that I'm likely to be assaulted by childish jokes. The plot is there as an excuse for cool special effects and a lot of action. In short, I don't believe in the characters or the world in which they live.

The Dark Knight overcomes all of those problems and delivers something special.

The characters are far from shallow. After seeing the movie, I made a point of seeing Batman Begins, in which Nolan shows us how Bruce Wayne became Batman. We see the training that allows him to fight criminals. His wealth enables him to develop weapons, vehicles and protective clothing that could actually exist. The acting is superb and many of the cast are Oscar-winners or nominees. Instead of making The Joker an unbelievable character such as the one depicted by Jack Nicholson in 1989, Nolan and Ledger invent a character who could be walking around in New York or anywhere else. He's psychotic, but we understand his twisted logic. When he makes a threat, we believe that it's possible and that he could pull it off.

Nolan's world is totally logical and could easily exist in reality.

The Dark Knight has enough thrills and action to satisfy fans of the genre, but it's much more than that. It works as a character study and as a police procedural. It's also a thriller, with elements of romance.

If there's one movie that transcends the genre, The Dark Knight is it.

If you like The Dark Knight:

As I already mentioned, Batman Begins is the starting point for Nolan's Batman. While not quite as good as The Dark Knight, it's complexity and realism blow away any previous efforts in the superhero genre. Many of the actors star in both movies, and Liam Neeson is especially good as Wayne's trainer.

There are no other superhero movies in the same league, but the first half of The Incredible Hulk comes close. Unfortunately, the second half doesn't meet expectations.

If you enjoy the way in which the story was told, I would recommend any Christopher Nolan film. Inception is a blockbuster with plenty of thrills and special effects, but the script is excellent. Memento and The Prestige are also well worth a look. All three have complex plots with a few twists, so don't check them out if you prefer your stories to be completely linear with neat explanations. I don't mean that as an insult, I just want to make it clear what you would be letting yourself in for. Straightforward stories have plenty of value if they are told well.

[surfdude12]

The Artist (second viewing)

Film: 5/5
-equally satisfying on the second viewing
-themes are great because anyone can relate:

[Show spoiler]a silent actor in a declining silent film industry and a rising voice film industry is no different than anyone who feels like they can't "fit in" or have become obsolete (e.g. aging) for their point in time. The Leopard is a great example of this, where the Italian Aristocrat had to come to terms with the fact that his "kind" is a dying breed, much like George had to come to those terms too in The Artist

-if you watch this, make sure you're not munching on food , or if you are, don't take your attention off the screen, as the critical silent film subtitles can be critical to understanding what's going on
-I read that its a Best Picture contender, and is worthy of that honor

[Al_The_Strange]

"12 Angry Men."

It's pretty much a whole bunch of followed by a bunch of .



Based on the play of the same name, this film takes place entirely in a single room. It's nothing more than twelve jurors discussing, debating, and ultimately fighting over the verdict of a trial. In itself, it may not sound terribly interesting or exciting. However, the film is quite successful at underscoring the tension between the characters, especially within a confined space. Where it lacks in physical conflict, the film makes up for in verbal conflict, and it can be interesting in its own right. In the end, this is another example of a movie that takes an uninteresting subject and makes it interesting.

The story is what makes it interesting. Even though the it never leaves the one room, the audience gets quite involved with the case at hand as the jurors dig into it. Each character takes on a unique persona, representing a whole spectrum of viewpoints. I'm not sure if this film is meant to criticize or glorify the US justice system, but at the very least, it is a celebration of free speech and free thought.

Cinematically, the film looks nice. Photography and editing are quite decent. I'm not a big Henry Fonda fan, but collectively the cast and their acting is swell. Writing is good (same as the play, if I recall correctly). With most of the picture taking place in one room, this production probably didn't cost much. Regardless, the sets, props, and costumes are decent. What little music is used is okay.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5)

Recommendation: Yep.

This Blu-Ray is grainy! And it's good!

PQ: 4.5/5, AQ: 4/5

If this was a song, it'd be

[Show spoiler]classic rock.

Animals Please Don't let me be Misunderstood. - YouTube

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

The Artist (second viewing)

Film: 5/5
-equally satisfying on the second viewing
-themes are great because anyone can relate:

[Show spoiler]a silent actor in a declining silent film industry and a rising voice film industry is no different than anyone who feels like they can't "fit in" or have become obsolete (e.g. aging) for their point in time. The Leopard is a great example of this, where the Italian Aristocrat had to come to terms with the fact that his "kind" is a dying breed, much like George had to come to those terms too in The Artist

-if you watch this, make sure you're not munching on food , or if you are, don't take your attention off the screen, as the critical silent film subtitles can be critical to understanding what's going on
-I read that its a Best Picture contender, and is worthy of that honor

Maybe if it wins some awards it will play near me.

[surfdude12]

Army of Crime (2009)
Film: 3.75/5
-cool film about a militia-type army of Jewish and communist immigrants living in France, who fought the Nazi French occupation
-reminded me of the Anne Frank (hiding in houses) and Schlinder's List scenes of getting shipped off to camps Some scenes were gut-wrenching to watch.
-the film ran a little long for me at 2 1/2 hours, but I did watch it with friends, and like you guys, dont seem to concentrate as well when i watch a film for the first time with friends, so perhaps it was my lack of concetration, not the overlong film, that was the issue
-worth a rental

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Maybe if it wins some awards it will play near me.

OMG dude, you'd love it!

Marwencol is at home!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Marwencol is at home!

This is gunna be great. I am pretty sure you will be fascinated with the main character, the City Residents of Marwencol, and then the jumbo surprise twist that I never told you about.

The filmmakers do and excellent job with the order in which they deliver the events and reveals. I was like "what, huh, wait, er um, well, alright then?"

98% at RT. Enjoy.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by jvince

It's got a perfect balance of drama and comedy. Hope you'll enjoy it.

Thanks. I would literally be shocked if I didn't.

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I definitely think the Oscars won't be exciting this year, but I was very pleased with the films of 2011. I realized I liked the year when I made my top 20. I could see myself re-watching the first 5 on the list for years.

I was also pleased with 2011, and I still have several films that I want to see from 2011 as well. There were a few disappointments, but as a whole, I could make quite a long list of movies that I'm happy to have on my shelf from the year. I know some people would roll their eyes at some of the movies I would list, but either way, I have very little to complain about in regards to the year of movies.

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Stranger Than Fiction - 2006

I've never been a fan of Will Ferrell's movies, but I loved him during his SNL days in the 90's. Yet, this movie was intriguing enough for me to watch, and I had no expectations at all.

Stranger Than Fiction had a great story with great acting and had an offbeat and quirky feel to it. This was a movie that I really had no idea how it was going to end. There aren't many movies you can say that about and because of this, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The cast of characters were great and they had really good chemistry with one another. This movie was a drama, but it had splashes of comedy, love, and tenderness that worked very well.

My favorite aspect of this movie was how you had no idea where the plot was going or how it was going to end. And it all played out very well in the end.

My second favorite part of this movie was Maggie Gyllenhaal. She was fantastic. Those eyes, that face, that body, that fake tattoo. Yummm!!

Highly Recommended!!!

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4/5

4.5/5

It's Ferrell's Punch Drunk Love....

[Pondosinatra]

Underworld Awakening

Director: Måns Mårlind, Björn Stein

Main Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Early, India Eisley, Charles Dance

Rating: 4 out of 5

Selene finds herself battling to save her life during the human cleansing of the Vampires and Lycans. On her way to meet Michael, her lover and hybrid Lycan, and escape the city she is attacked and loses consciousness. Twelve years later she awakes in a cryogenic chamber and discovers that the humans have all but succeeded in eradicating them. Teaming up with a rogue cop and a renegade vampire she struggles to protect a mysterious little girl from the hordes of Lycans that are after her. Let's face it, you either like the Underworld series or you don't. I am one of those that do. Hell, I even liked the much maligned third entry. These aren't deep, thought provoking films, but rather mindless action starring an actress who looks really, really, good in a tight leather bodysuit. The first thing that struck me after a few minutes was that this installment is much more violent and I found myself reveling in the bloody carnage. And while the directors are new to the series they thankfully keep they same blue-gray colour palette as before. This was the first Underworld shot in 3D and while not groundbreaking it was at least effective. About the only thing that bugged me was that some of the CGI looked a bit suspect. Still, the movie did what it was designed to do and kept me thoroughly entertained throughout it's 89 minute runtime. Of course there's the inevitable send-up for the next film and I for one can't wait.

[Atreyu]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

The Artist (second viewing)

Film: 5/5
-equally satisfying on the second viewing
-themes are great because anyone can relate:

[Show spoiler]a silent actor in a declining silent film industry and a rising voice film industry is no different than anyone who feels like they can't "fit in" or have become obsolete (e.g. aging) for their point in time. The Leopard is a great example of this, where the Italian Aristocrat had to come to terms with the fact that his "kind" is a dying breed, much like George had to come to those terms too in The Artist

-if you watch this, make sure you're not munching on food , or if you are, don't take your attention off the screen, as the critical silent film subtitles can be critical to understanding what's going on
-I read that its a Best Picture contender, and is worthy of that honor

Such a fantastic film. I was soooooo excited to see this in the theater and, even though I love movies, I cannot remember the last time I was so excited to see a certain one. A classic in every sense of the word.

[volcomsocal]

Seabiscuit - 2003

I liked this movie, but I felt it could have been better. There was something...............missing. I don't know what it is, but there was just something missing from this movie that could have made it excellent. There were only a couple times during the movie that I felt it had true heart. I expected more emotion, more feeling, a deeper connection to the main characters...including the horse itself.

This movie started off a bit odd and continued that way in its storytelling. I wanted to feel more connected to the horse, the rider, and the owner, but I just never got there. I liked Seabiscuit. But I didn't love it.

Gorgeous picture though. The colors were extremely vivid and beautiful.

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4.5/5

3/5