The Movie Review and Discussion Thread - Page 1333 - Blu-ray Forum

SquidPuppet · 02-17-2012, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foggy

I forgot to mention The Artist is now showing near me due to it's wins at the BAFTA's, so I will be doing everything in my power to go watch it, hopefully I'll be on here next week as happy with the film as Surf and Squid have been

Meh. Save you money. There is no dialogue.

Lepidopterous · 02-17-2012, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Millions

Film: 4/5

[Show spoiler]

I saw 3/4 of this while I was getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist's office several years back. Never finished it but it was pretty good.

Romulus · 02-17-2012, 08:42 PM

Speaking of great films with no dialogue:

Baraka

Watched this again for maybe... the 10th time. Still blows my mind every single time I watch. In my opinion it's one of the greatest cinema experiences one can have. Blu-ray looks absolutely terrific, but would love to see it in an actual theater one day.

5/5

This made me want to look up some more information on Samsara, the next film that Ron Fricke just released. Unfortunately, it just had it's first United States premiere in Santa Barbara earlier this month. They do have a new website up for this film and Baraka, which included some stills from Samsara. Judging from the looks of it, it's going to be equally impressive in cinematography. I'll spoiler tag them for some people:

[Show spoiler]

surfdude12 · 02-17-2012, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romulus

Baraka
one of the greatest cinema experiences one can have.

agree 100%!

I love how nobody has heard of it, so I've shown it to TONS of friends. BUt its hard to pitch it to them.

Surf: hey there is this great film we could watch. Baraka.

Friend: what is it about?

Surf: yeaaahhhhh..hmmmm...just watch it.

Romulus · 02-17-2012, 09:13 PM

Yeah, I've had conversations with my friends just like that! It's always a little hard to describe it, but once I'm able to sit them down and watch they're all amazed. Then when I have to convince someone else to see it, all the sudden I have more people that have my back.

Also, I dunno about you but there has always been ONE scene in particular that amazes people without fail when I show this film. It's this one:

[Show spoiler]

Has that been the case for you?

Steve46 · 02-17-2012, 09:24 PM

12. Baraka (1992)
Documentary, 96 minutes
Directed by Ron Fricke

There are few films that I think everyone should watch at least once, but Baraka may be one of them. Perhaps it should be shown in schools too? It's arguably the strangest choice on my list.

Baraka is a word in the ancient Sufi language meaning "the thread that weaves life together" and the film contains no dialogue and no explanation. It's a series of images taken from 24 different countries. Some of the images show scenes of animal life or extreme beauty; others show human rituals and the effects of war or poverty. The result provokes a lot of thought if you are open to such things.

Shot on 70mm film, the Blu-ray presentation is among the best live action films the format has to offer. Some of the images are located in places that are not normally accessible to people. An image of an underground cavern springs to mind.

If you follow the film closely, you are likely to be moved. The beauty is breathtaking, but some of the sadder scenes could take your breath away for a different reason. The contrast between good and evil is one of the themes running throughout the documentary. You might also question the path you have chosen in your life when you realize that most humans are continually racing toward something and few stop to appreciate the beauty in their lives.

The special features are informative and almost as interesting as the film itself. If you are curious about where the images came from, the special features answer most of your questions.

If you like Baraka:

Ron Fricke is also responsible for Samsara, shown at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. It appears to be similar in content, but I'm waiting for the Blu-ray release before I see it.

If you enjoyed the scenes of natural beauty and animal life in Baraka, the BBC documentaries narrated by David Attenborough are worth your time. The best of those on Blu-ray are Planet Earth and Life.

SquidPuppet · 02-17-2012, 09:35 PM

Baraka is meh as well. Weak script and iffy CGI.

volcomsocal · 02-18-2012, 01:27 AM

Drive - 2011

I've been waiting quite a while to watch this one.

Wow. This movie leaves you with a thousand thoughts. It's an open ended piece of art. I expected one thing and I saw another. Drive was a unique movie that really was like nothing I've ever seen before.

From the pink titles and booming synth-pop music in the opening, to the gorgeous cinematic shots of L.A., to the "less is more" attitude of this film, I found Drive very pleasing to all senses. There was a certain atmosphere brought on by this movie that had an 80's feel to it, and I liked it.

I liked how Ryan's character only spoke when he needed to say something. And when he did, he spoke in few words. There was a mysterious quality to him, which made you come up with your own ideas of where he came from, why he is like he is, and what are his motives for his actions. He had a cool and calm demeanor that was mirrored by his intense and well calculated moves. At times I wanted more dialogue from him, but I understand that that's how the character was to be portrayed.

I could have sworn that Carey Mulligan was Michelle Williams. So I thought: oh, how nice that Ryan and Michelle got together again after making Blue Valentine. (a favorite movie of mine) But later I realized that it was Mulligan. Boy, they look really similar, and equally sexy. I really wanted the movie to dwell more on the possible relationship between Ryan and Carey's characters. They really had something between one another that you could feel was just waiting to explode. The chemistry was there, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Bittersweet.

The car chases in this movie were pure badass. The Mustang/300C chase was pure bliss. The action was awesome, but it was also quite gory. I didn't see it coming that Ryan's character would be so tough, but it worked very well. Drive had style written all over it.

One thing I wanted more of, was screen time. At an hour and thirty five minutes, I was left wanting another 10-15. Drive was just a little too short. The end leaves us hanging a little, but that's the director's style in all his movies, from what I read.

Drive was a different kind of movie that is very refreshing in this day and age of glitzy, overdone crap. I thought Drive was fantastic, but could have been just a little bit better with a few small changes. Highly Recommended.

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4.5/5

4.5/5

dag · 02-18-2012, 03:40 AM

I wish I had stuck around for the Q&A that followed the TIFF screening of Samsara I attended last September; it promised to be very enlightening.

I'm very fortunate in that I have personally visited a number of places that have been featured in the films. In Samsara, this sequence begins and ends the film:

[Show spoiler]

I had seen a television report of this dance troupe. Remarkably, all of the dancers

[Show spoiler]

. They're movements are beautiful, and the lead dancer's enigmatic expression is captivating. Very moving.

Lepidopterous · 02-18-2012, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Drive - 2011

[Show spoiler]

I liked how Ryan's character only spoke when he needed to say something. And when he did, he spoke in few words. There was a mysterious quality to him, which made you come up with your own ideas of where he came from, why he is like he is, and what are his motives for his actions. He had a cool and calm demeanor that was mirrored by his intense and well calculated moves. At times I wanted more dialogue from him, but I understand that that's how the character was to be portrayed.

[Show spoiler]

4.5/5

Great review.

I agree, that 'less is more' aspect of his character's minimal dialogue really builds the mystery and appeal to his character. It is similar to Melville's character in Le Samourai.

jvince · 02-18-2012, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by menaceuk

Take Shelter - 9/10

Think this goes down as my second favourite movie of 2011. Simply fantastic.

Michael Shannon is amazing and even though it is billed as a drama. I found it to be more of a Horror. It has a very Eerie feeling right from the opening scene to the last.

[Show spoiler]

If you haven't seen this movie I strongly suggest you do so A.S.A.P

I really liked most of the film, but I hated that last minute "twist." It nearly ruined the whole movie for me. I was dreading they'd go there and they unfortunately did. Yeah, one could argue that the final scene was

[Show spoiler]

. Incredible character work and acting though. Shannon definitely deserved a nomination.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

The Vow:

Film: 3 (out of 4); gf rating: 3 1/2 (out of 4)

[Show spoiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

It's official. We have lost Jhiggy. RIP.

Haha. Well, it wasn't that good, but it wasn't horrible or annoying either. It was just average.

Jhiggy, if you liked The Vow, I suggest you check out A Moment to Remember. It's the best of its kind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Anna Kendrick is absolutely adorable in this movie, more so than Up In the Air. But that's just my humble opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

It's not just your opinion. I agree with you.

I don't agree with your rating for the movie, but Seth Rogen's character didn't bother me at all, so that helped obviously. I'd rate 50/50 amongst the best comedies of the year (Crazy, Stupid, Love. and Friends with Benefits). That's just my opinion of course.

50/50 is the best comedy of the year. Kendrick is so adorable in this. And I thought Rogen was great. He's still the same old Rogen here, but I felt that if this was his first film, he probably would've had a shot at a nomination. I guess people are just sick of his shtick by now, but apparently not of Jonah Hill's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romulus

Speaking of great films with no dialogue:

Baraka

Watched this again for maybe... the 10th time. Still blows my mind every single time I watch. In my opinion it's one of the greatest cinema experiences one can have. Blu-ray looks absolutely terrific, but would love to see it in an actual theater one day.

5/5

This made me want to look up some more information on Samsara, the next film that Ron Fricke just released. Unfortunately, it just had it's first United States premiere in Santa Barbara earlier this month. They do have a new website up for this film and Baraka, which included some stills from Samsara. Judging from the looks of it, it's going to be equally impressive in cinematography. I'll spoiler tag them for some people:

[Show spoiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfdude12

agree 100%!

I love how nobody has heard of it, so I've shown it to TONS of friends. BUt its hard to pitch it to them.

Surf: hey there is this great film we could watch. Baraka.

Friend: what is it about?

Surf: yeaaahhhhh..hmmmm...just watch it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve46

12. Baraka (1992)
Documentary, 96 minutes
Directed by Ron Fricke

[Show spoiler]

The most jaw-dropping film I have ever seen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Drive - 2011

[Show spoiler]I've been waiting quite a while to watch this one.

Wow. This movie leaves you with a thousand thoughts. It's an open ended piece of art. I expected one thing and I saw another. Drive was a unique movie that really was like nothing I've ever seen before.

From the pink titles and booming synth-pop music in the opening, to the gorgeous cinematic shots of L.A., to the "less is more" attitude of this film, I found Drive very pleasing to all senses. There was a certain atmosphere brought on by this movie that had an 80's feel to it, and I liked it.

I liked how Ryan's character only spoke when he needed to say something. And when he did, he spoke in few words. There was a mysterious quality to him, which made you come up with your own ideas of where he came from, why he is like he is, and what are his motives for his actions. He had a cool and calm demeanor that was mirrored by his intense and well calculated moves. At times I wanted more dialogue from him, but I understand that that's how the character was to be portrayed.

I could have sworn that Carey Mulligan was Michelle Williams. So I thought: oh, how nice that Ryan and Michelle got together again after making Blue Valentine. (a favorite movie of mine) But later I realized that it was Mulligan. Boy, they look really similar, and equally sexy. I really wanted the movie to dwell more on the possible relationship between Ryan and Carey's characters. They really had something between one another that you could feel was just waiting to explode. The chemistry was there, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Bittersweet.

The car chases in this movie were pure badass. The Mustang/300C chase was pure bliss. The action was awesome, but it was also quite gory. I didn't see it coming that Ryan's character would be so tough, but it worked very well. Drive had style written all over it.

One thing I wanted more of, was screen time. At an hour and thirty five minutes, I was left wanting another 10-15. Drive was just a little too short. The end leaves us hanging a little, but that's the director's style in all his movies, from what I read.

Drive was a different kind of movie that is very refreshing in this day and age of glitzy, overdone crap. I thought Drive was fantastic, but could have been just a little bit better with a few small changes. Highly Recommended.

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4.5/5

4.5/5

Glad you liked it.

Steve46 · 02-18-2012, 01:23 PM

I've reached the halfway point in my 100 movies series:

50. The King's Speech (2010)
Drama, Biography, History, 118 minutes
Directed by Tom Hooper
Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter

Have you ever been involved in public speaking? Even a small audience can be enough to take you out of your comfort zone. Imagine that you stammer and you're required to speak live to more than a quarter of the Earth's population. Throw in the fact that your audience is frightened due to the impending war against Hitler's Germany. A confident, optimistic and inspirational speech is essential.

That's the situation King George VI found himself in.

Historical dramas generally bore me. I'm not particularly interested in the royal family, despite living in the UK for the first 43 years of my life, and have no love for them at all. But for some reason, this works.

Tom Hooper directed the excellent The Damned United, but this is even better. He chose to shoot most of the film in dark rooms rather than focus on the potential splendor offered by Buckingham Palace. Apart from a scene inside Westminster Abbey, most of the rooms are drab. The story is character-driven and works because of the acting rather than the setting.

Colin Firth gives a brilliant performance as King George VI, although he isn't king when the film begins; he's the Duke of York. We see him stumble over an early speech in the 1920s and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Carter), seeks a speech therapist to help him overcome his impediment.

Doesn't that sound boring?

She finds Lionel Logue (Rush), who has a practice in London's famous Harley Street, and forces her husband to see him. Rush is great as the Australian therapist and supplies much of the humor in the film. The two initially enter into a doctor/patient relationship and eventually become friends.

If I had read that premise without knowing anything else about the story, there's no way you could have convinced me I would care about the characters or the outcome. But the quality of the acting overcomes all that and I did end up caring about a historical speech delivered by a monarch in whom I had zero interest. That says something about the power of this film.

Fans of the Harry Potter movies will be familiar with Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall and Helena Bonham Carter. It's interesting to see them here in serious roles.

The driving force of the story is the friendship between Logue and the future king. Indeed, Logue insists that the two function as equals and calls the Duke Bertie. He apparently has little respect for the monarchy and makes fun of it throughout. Strangely, I'm reminded of The Shawshank Redemption. The two main characters are in a difficult situation and yet manage to form an unlikely friendship, with each sustaining the other.

We are shown early attempts by renowned physicians to cure the Duke's stammer, but no progress is made. The Duke's wife finds Logue and arranges an appointment. Logue's methods are unconventional to say the least and provide some of the film's humor. It's a big step for the Duke to trust this irreverent foreigner and relax enough to make progress.

If you allow yourself to be drawn into the story, a peculiar thing happens. Rather than focusing on Firth's technique for stammering, you will start to think about the man he's portraying. There are scenes showing how he behaves when he's alone with his wife and his two little girls, and how they accept him for who he is.

Firth's portrayal isn't over the top. He's a reserved man who isn't used to speaking up for himself. Over the course of the story, we see him grow. He finds that he has a voice.

The R-rating is for language and it absolutely has to be there for the story to work so effectively.

The technical aspects of the film are superb. The sets, costumes, casting, sound and pacing are close to perfect. It won four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director (Hooper), Actor in a Leading Role (Firth) and Original Screenplay (David Seidler). During his acceptance speech, Seidler revealed that he used to stammer. That explains why he was able to portray that fear so well.

The film won't appeal to everyone. It succeeds because of the dialogue and the strength of the story. There's no action and very little romance. If you like human interest stories, give it a try. It's among the best in that category.

If you like The King's Speech:

I don't know of any historical dramas with the level of wit and human interest that's present in The King's Speech. I did enjoy The Queen, with Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. It's worth your time, but doesn't reach the level attained by The King's Speech.

Director Tom Hooper was responsible for The Damned United, also starring Michael Sheen. It's a compelling drama about English soccer in the 70s. If you have any interest in the subject matter, it's a wonderful film.

If you're a fan of Colin Firth, his best performance before The King's Speech was in either A Single Man or Pride and Prejudice (TV mini-series, 1995).

SquidPuppet · 02-18-2012, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

Drive - 2011

[Show spoiler]I've been waiting quite a while to watch this one.

Wow. This movie leaves you with a thousand thoughts. It's an open ended piece of art. I expected one thing and I saw another. Drive was a unique movie that really was like nothing I've ever seen before.

From the pink titles and booming synth-pop music in the opening, to the gorgeous cinematic shots of L.A., to the "less is more" attitude of this film, I found Drive very pleasing to all senses. There was a certain atmosphere brought on by this movie that had an 80's feel to it, and I liked it.

I liked how Ryan's character only spoke when he needed to say something. And when he did, he spoke in few words. There was a mysterious quality to him, which made you come up with your own ideas of where he came from, why he is like he is, and what are his motives for his actions. He had a cool and calm demeanor that was mirrored by his intense and well calculated moves. At times I wanted more dialogue from him, but I understand that that's how the character was to be portrayed.

I could have sworn that Carey Mulligan was Michelle Williams. So I thought: oh, how nice that Ryan and Michelle got together again after making Blue Valentine. (a favorite movie of mine) But later I realized that it was Mulligan. Boy, they look really similar, and equally sexy. I really wanted the movie to dwell more on the possible relationship between Ryan and Carey's characters. They really had something between one another that you could feel was just waiting to explode. The chemistry was there, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Bittersweet.

The car chases in this movie were pure badass. The Mustang/300C chase was pure bliss. The action was awesome, but it was also quite gory. I didn't see it coming that Ryan's character would be so tough, but it worked very well. Drive had style written all over it.

One thing I wanted more of, was screen time. At an hour and thirty five minutes, I was left wanting another 10-15. Drive was just a little too short. The end leaves us hanging a little, but that's the director's style in all his movies, from what I read.

Drive was a different kind of movie that is very refreshing in this day and age of glitzy, overdone crap. I thought Drive was fantastic, but could have been just a little bit better with a few small changes. Highly Recommended.

PQ - 4.5/5
AQ - 4.5/5

4.5/5

Thanks for the review. I've been eager for this one since it was in theaters (not mine though

).

"Long Wait" at Netflix.

KilloWertz · 02-18-2012, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvince

50/50 is the best comedy of the year. Kendrick is so adorable in this. And I thought Rogen was great. He's still the same old Rogen here, but I felt that if this was his first film, he probably would've had a shot at a nomination. I guess people are just sick of his shtick by now, but apparently not of Jonah Hill's.

I said amongst the best, so that's close enough.

I can't really argue against that though whether I declare 50/50 or Crazy, Stupid, Love. the best in my opinion, which I can't really say one way or the other at the moment. Both are treats that we don't get enough of nowadays either way.

Foggy · 02-18-2012, 10:37 PM

(500) Days of Summer

Took me far too long to get this one watched

10/10

jvince · 02-18-2012, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foggy

(500) Days of Summer

Took me far too long to get this one watched

10/10

Really? I thought you've seen it before?

Foggy · 02-18-2012, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvince

Really? I thought you've seen it before?

Nope, I've always been told that I should get around to watch it and I just struggled to get the time

Anyway, I want to hear your thoughts on Chronicle

Riff Magnum · 02-18-2012, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve46

12. Baraka (1992)
Documentary, 96 minutes
Directed by Ron Fricke

There are few films that I think everyone should watch at least once, but Baraka may be one of them. Perhaps it should be shown in schools too? It's arguably the strangest choice on my list.

Baraka is a word in the ancient Sufi language meaning "the thread that weaves life together" and the film contains no dialogue and no explanation. It's a series of images taken from 24 different countries. Some of the images show scenes of animal life or extreme beauty; others show human rituals and the effects of war or poverty. The result provokes a lot of thought if you are open to such things.

Shot on 70mm film, the Blu-ray presentation is among the best live action films the format has to offer. Some of the images are located in places that are not normally accessible to people. An image of an underground cavern springs to mind.

If you follow the film closely, you are likely to be moved. The beauty is breathtaking, but some of the sadder scenes could take your breath away for a different reason. The contrast between good and evil is one of the themes running throughout the documentary. You might also question the path you have chosen in your life when you realize that most humans are continually racing toward something and few stop to appreciate the beauty in their lives.

The special features are informative and almost as interesting as the film itself. If you are curious about where the images came from, the special features answer most of your questions.

If you like Baraka:

Ron Fricke is also responsible for Samsara, shown at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. It appears to be similar in content, but I'm waiting for the Blu-ray release before I see it.

If you enjoyed the scenes of natural beauty and animal life in Baraka, the BBC documentaries narrated by David Attenborough are worth your time. The best of those on Blu-ray are Planet Earth and Life.

If i like Baraka? I'm still trying to figure out if you liked it.

I'm getting more of a summarizing feel from your reviews. Where's the score, the grade, the thumbs up or down?
We're ADD addled Americans, make it easy for us.

jvince · 02-18-2012, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foggy

Nope, I've always been told that I should get around to watch it and I just struggled to get the time

Anyway, I want to hear your thoughts on Chronicle

Haha, well 3.5/5 is still a decent rating. I thought it was just okay. There were a few great moments here and there, but overall, it just didn't wow me.

KilloWertz · 02-18-2012, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foggy

(500) Days of Summer

Took me far too long to get this one watched

10/10

'Bout damn time you finally understand.

02-18-2012, 03:40 AM	#26649
dag Expert Member Member since:Jul 2010 Location:Toronto	Re: Baraka and Samsara I wish I had stuck around for the Q&A that followed the TIFF screening of Samsara I attended last September; it promised to be very enlightening. I'm very fortunate in that I have personally visited a number of places that have been featured in the films. In Samsara, this sequence begins and ends the film: [Show spoiler] I had seen a television report of this dance troupe. Remarkably, all of the dancers [Show spoiler]are *deaf* . They're movements are beautiful, and the lead dancer's enigmatic expression is captivating. Very moving. Last edited by dag; 02-18-2012 at 03:55 AM.

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02-17-2012, 08:42 PM	#26643
Romulus Special Member Member since:Mar 2008 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:158 Blu-ray reviews:2	Speaking of great films with no dialogue: Baraka Watched this again for maybe... the 10th time. Still blows my mind every single time I watch. In my opinion it's one of the greatest cinema experiences one can have. Blu-ray looks absolutely terrific, but would love to see it in an actual theater one day. 5/5 This made me want to look up some more information on Samsara, the next film that Ron Fricke just released. Unfortunately, it just had it's first United States premiere in Santa Barbara earlier this month. They do have a new website up for this film and Baraka, which included some stills from Samsara. Judging from the looks of it, it's going to be equally impressive in cinematography. I'll spoiler tag them for some people: [Show spoiler]

02-17-2012, 09:13 PM	#26645
Romulus Special Member Member since:Mar 2008 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:158 Blu-ray reviews:2	Yeah, I've had conversations with my friends just like that! It's always a little hard to describe it, but once I'm able to sit them down and watch they're all amazed. Then when I have to convince someone else to see it, all the sudden I have more people that have my back. Also, I dunno about you but there has always been ONE scene in particular that amazes people without fail when I show this film. It's this one: [Show spoiler] Has that been the case for you?

02-17-2012, 09:24 PM	#26646
Steve46 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Oshawa, ON 4K collection:156 Blu-ray collection:1040 Blu-ray reviews: 79 Trading Score:16	12. Baraka (1992) Documentary, 96 minutes Directed by Ron Fricke There are few films that I think everyone should watch at least once, but Baraka may be one of them. Perhaps it should be shown in schools too? It's arguably the strangest choice on my list. Baraka is a word in the ancient Sufi language meaning "the thread that weaves life together" and the film contains no dialogue and no explanation. It's a series of images taken from 24 different countries. Some of the images show scenes of animal life or extreme beauty; others show human rituals and the effects of war or poverty. The result provokes a lot of thought if you are open to such things. Shot on 70mm film, the Blu-ray presentation is among the best live action films the format has to offer. Some of the images are located in places that are not normally accessible to people. An image of an underground cavern springs to mind. If you follow the film closely, you are likely to be moved. The beauty is breathtaking, but some of the sadder scenes could take your breath away for a different reason. The contrast between good and evil is one of the themes running throughout the documentary. You might also question the path you have chosen in your life when you realize that most humans are continually racing toward something and few stop to appreciate the beauty in their lives. The special features are informative and almost as interesting as the film itself. If you are curious about where the images came from, the special features answer most of your questions. If you like Baraka: Ron Fricke is also responsible for Samsara, shown at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. It appears to be similar in content, but I'm waiting for the Blu-ray release before I see it. If you enjoyed the scenes of natural beauty and animal life in Baraka, the BBC documentaries narrated by David Attenborough are worth your time. The best of those on Blu-ray are Planet Earth and Life.

02-17-2012, 09:35 PM	#26647
SquidPuppet Blu-ray Duke Top contributor Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Club Loop Blu-ray collection:277 Blu-ray reviews:27	Baraka is meh as well. Weak script and iffy CGI.

02-18-2012, 01:27 AM	#26648
volcomsocal Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2009 Location:Los Angeles, CA 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:98 Blu-ray reviews:9	Drive - 2011 I've been waiting quite a while to watch this one. Wow. This movie leaves you with a thousand thoughts. It's an open ended piece of art. I expected one thing and I saw another. Drive was a unique movie that really was like nothing I've ever seen before. From the pink titles and booming synth-pop music in the opening, to the gorgeous cinematic shots of L.A., to the "less is more" attitude of this film, I found Drive very pleasing to all senses. There was a certain atmosphere brought on by this movie that had an 80's feel to it, and I liked it. I liked how Ryan's character only spoke when he needed to say something. And when he did, he spoke in few words. There was a mysterious quality to him, which made you come up with your own ideas of where he came from, why he is like he is, and what are his motives for his actions. He had a cool and calm demeanor that was mirrored by his intense and well calculated moves. At times I wanted more dialogue from him, but I understand that that's how the character was to be portrayed. I could have sworn that Carey Mulligan was Michelle Williams. So I thought: oh, how nice that Ryan and Michelle got together again after making Blue Valentine. (a favorite movie of mine) But later I realized that it was Mulligan. Boy, they look really similar, and equally sexy. I really wanted the movie to dwell more on the possible relationship between Ryan and Carey's characters. They really had something between one another that you could feel was just waiting to explode. The chemistry was there, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Bittersweet. The car chases in this movie were pure badass. The Mustang/300C chase was pure bliss. The action was awesome, but it was also quite gory. I didn't see it coming that Ryan's character would be so tough, but it worked very well. Drive had style written all over it. One thing I wanted more of, was screen time. At an hour and thirty five minutes, I was left wanting another 10-15. Drive was just a little too short. The end leaves us hanging a little, but that's the director's style in all his movies, from what I read. Drive was a different kind of movie that is very refreshing in this day and age of glitzy, overdone crap. I thought Drive was fantastic, but could have been just a little bit better with a few small changes. Highly Recommended. PQ - 4.5/5 AQ - 4.5/5 4.5/5

02-18-2012, 01:23 PM	#26652
Steve46 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Oshawa, ON 4K collection:156 Blu-ray collection:1040 Blu-ray reviews: 79 Trading Score:16	I've reached the halfway point in my 100 movies series: 50. The King's Speech (2010) Drama, Biography, History, 118 minutes Directed by Tom Hooper Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter Have you ever been involved in public speaking? Even a small audience can be enough to take you out of your comfort zone. Imagine that you stammer and you're required to speak live to more than a quarter of the Earth's population. Throw in the fact that your audience is frightened due to the impending war against Hitler's Germany. A confident, optimistic and inspirational speech is essential. That's the situation King George VI found himself in. Historical dramas generally bore me. I'm not particularly interested in the royal family, despite living in the UK for the first 43 years of my life, and have no love for them at all. But for some reason, this works. Tom Hooper directed the excellent The Damned United, but this is even better. He chose to shoot most of the film in dark rooms rather than focus on the potential splendor offered by Buckingham Palace. Apart from a scene inside Westminster Abbey, most of the rooms are drab. The story is character-driven and works because of the acting rather than the setting. Colin Firth gives a brilliant performance as King George VI, although he isn't king when the film begins; he's the Duke of York. We see him stumble over an early speech in the 1920s and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Carter), seeks a speech therapist to help him overcome his impediment. Doesn't that sound boring? She finds Lionel Logue (Rush), who has a practice in London's famous Harley Street, and forces her husband to see him. Rush is great as the Australian therapist and supplies much of the humor in the film. The two initially enter into a doctor/patient relationship and eventually become friends. If I had read that premise without knowing anything else about the story, there's no way you could have convinced me I would care about the characters or the outcome. But the quality of the acting overcomes all that and I did end up caring about a historical speech delivered by a monarch in whom I had zero interest. That says something about the power of this film. Fans of the Harry Potter movies will be familiar with Michael Gambon, Timothy Spall and Helena Bonham Carter. It's interesting to see them here in serious roles. The driving force of the story is the friendship between Logue and the future king. Indeed, Logue insists that the two function as equals and calls the Duke Bertie. He apparently has little respect for the monarchy and makes fun of it throughout. Strangely, I'm reminded of The Shawshank Redemption. The two main characters are in a difficult situation and yet manage to form an unlikely friendship, with each sustaining the other. We are shown early attempts by renowned physicians to cure the Duke's stammer, but no progress is made. The Duke's wife finds Logue and arranges an appointment. Logue's methods are unconventional to say the least and provide some of the film's humor. It's a big step for the Duke to trust this irreverent foreigner and relax enough to make progress. If you allow yourself to be drawn into the story, a peculiar thing happens. Rather than focusing on Firth's technique for stammering, you will start to think about the man he's portraying. There are scenes showing how he behaves when he's alone with his wife and his two little girls, and how they accept him for who he is. Firth's portrayal isn't over the top. He's a reserved man who isn't used to speaking up for himself. Over the course of the story, we see him grow. He finds that he has a voice. The R-rating is for language and it absolutely has to be there for the story to work so effectively. The technical aspects of the film are superb. The sets, costumes, casting, sound and pacing are close to perfect. It won four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director (Hooper), Actor in a Leading Role (Firth) and Original Screenplay (David Seidler). During his acceptance speech, Seidler revealed that he used to stammer. That explains why he was able to portray that fear so well. The film won't appeal to everyone. It succeeds because of the dialogue and the strength of the story. There's no action and very little romance. If you like human interest stories, give it a try. It's among the best in that category. If you like The King's Speech: I don't know of any historical dramas with the level of wit and human interest that's present in The King's Speech. I did enjoy The Queen, with Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. It's worth your time, but doesn't reach the level attained by The King's Speech. Director Tom Hooper was responsible for The Damned United, also starring Michael Sheen. It's a compelling drama about English soccer in the 70s. If you have any interest in the subject matter, it's a wonderful film. If you're a fan of Colin Firth, his best performance before The King's Speech was in either A Single Man or Pride and Prejudice (TV mini-series, 1995).

02-18-2012, 10:37 PM	#26655
Foggy Blu-ray Grand Duke Top contributor Member since:Dec 2008 Location:UK 4K collection:30 Blu-ray collection:3609 DVD collection:47	(500) Days of Summer Took me far too long to get this one watched 10/10

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