'Knight of Cups'- A Terrence Malick film (Christian Bale, Natalie Portman) - Page 15 - Blu-ray Forum

Coenskubrick · 03-16-2016, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s2mikey

Terry is great with the camera but cant tell a story to save his life.

Lubezki is on the camera.

Talleyrand · 03-16-2016, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultra_Violence

I very much agree with this. On of the best war films I've ever seen. Stands shoulder to shoulder with Apocalypse Now and Come and See.

Amen. Army of Shadows will always be #1 for me but those three you noted are an amazing top tier. Also The Cranes are Flying and The Deer Hunter.

~

Malick lover's need non un-spoiler:

[Show spoiler]

Ray Jackson · 03-16-2016, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

Amen. Army of Shadows will always be #1 for me but those three you noted are an amazing top tier. Also The Cranes are Flying and The Deer Hunter.

~

Malick lover's need non un-spoiler:

[Show spoiler]

I orchestrated a deal for the Criterion Army of Shadows BD that only cost me $13 and two Criterions that I no longer wanted.

...it will be the first line in my obituary.

P-Rock · 03-16-2016, 07:47 PM

So, what length does this piece of shit have?

Talleyrand · 03-16-2016, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I orchestrated a deal for the Criterion Army of Shadows BD that only cost me $13 and two Criterions that I no longer wanted.

...it will be the first line in my obituary.

Nice!! When I heard it was going OOP I immediately grabbed a copy for the $30 or $40 or whatever it was, far more I care to pay for any movie, even a Criterion release of one of the goats, and boy am I glad!

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-Rock

So, what length does this piece of shit have?

Here you go!

Nuck Horris · 03-17-2016, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I orchestrated a deal for the Criterion Army of Shadows BD that only cost me $13 and two Criterions that I no longer wanted.

...it will be the first line in my obituary.

You should've sold those and bought the Studiocanal releases of Army of Shadows and Le Cercle Rouge for $60 shipped.

Ray Jackson · 03-17-2016, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuck Horris

You should've sold those and bought the Studiocanal releases of Army of Shadows and Le Cercle Rouge for $60 shipped.

Talleyrand · 03-20-2016, 05:30 PM

Well, this was definitely a Malick film. Probably his most mediocre work, which is an odd result for him, it's not great like Badlands or The Thin Red Line but not appalling like Days of Heaven or The Tree of Life. It just kind of.... exists.

There's a lot to dislike, in particular Malick still is employing his ridiculous voice-over gimmick, it has yet to be used effectively and is not here. Also parts of it go on for far too long and nothing really happens (shocker, I know). I know that doesn't sound like too much I disliked (compared to the below paragraphs extolling the positive qualities), but the effect is cumulative, especially as there are glimmers of a story and a film with extreme potential here, so the parts that detract are all the more frustrating (compare this to the scenes of Penn wandering around the desert or dinosaurs in The Tree of Life - yeah, they're pointless, but it's not like you're missing anything as a result of them being there).

However, unlike, say, The Tree of Life, there are things in this film to like as well. Christian Bale's Rick is far more interesting (by no means great; the "sick of excess" story has become an intolerable cliché at this point, even in the hands of a master like Bale) than the O'Brien clan (then again, pretty much anything is more interesting than the O'Brien clan, but even so Rick is a tremendous improvement), and Bale's costume designer clearly knew what he was doing (not since American Hustle has Bale's costume designer known so well what they were doing). Can't believe Blanchette got second billing, by the way.

The cinematography is of course excellent but unlike a lot of his other films, a lot of the shots taken are actually good enough to justify the work put into them. The bleak Michael Mann-esque buildings of Los Angeles and the grim vallies in particular are cool. There is a fairly out-of-place Malick-esque cosmic scene towards the beginning, but luckily that was the only one. Could have used more scenes of parties at mansions (instead of strangely dull and inconsequential robberies), also funny to see Boyle from Brooklyn Nine-Nine in one scene.

Ultimately there is potential here and I honestly can't see why this got mediocre reviews and The Tree of Life did so well; this is the far superior film.

AaronJ · 03-21-2016, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

Ultimately there is potential here and I honestly can't see why this got mediocre reviews and The Tree of Life did so well; this is the far superior film.

I liked both. Though the only thing they really have in common is Malick and Lubezki.

I'd love to write a proper review, but I've been up for so long I can't even remember sleeping. I was binge-watching 6 seasons of "Downton Abbey" -- so I'm a bit out of it, you might say.

Talleyrand · 03-21-2016, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronJ

I liked both. Though the only thing they really have in common is Malick and Lubezki.

I'd love to write a proper review, but I've been up for so long I can't even remember sleeping. I was binge-watching 6 seasons of "Downton Abbey" -- so I'm a bit out of it, you might say.

Six seasons ??

AaronJ · 03-21-2016, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

Six seasons ??

Yeah. But it was not like American shows, with 22 episodes per season. There were only 52 episodes total.

But I do wish I could wipe it from my memory so that I could experience it all for the first time again!

Talleyrand · 03-21-2016, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronJ

Yeah. But it was not like American shows, with 22 episodes per season. There were only 52 episodes total.

Well yeah, but that's till two straight days of watching TV and not sleeping.

AaronJ · 03-21-2016, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talleyrand

Well yeah, but that's till two straight days of watching TV and not sleeping.

Well, I did get a bit of sleep.

Just not a whole lot.

Ray Jackson · 03-21-2016, 09:15 PM

I've never watched Downton Abbey.

Does it have any sword fighting or gratuitous nudity in it?

...anyone cooking meth?

AaronJ · 03-21-2016, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I've never watched Downton Abbey.

Does it have any sword fighting or gratuitous nudity in it?

...anyone cooking meth?

No sword fighting or gratuitous nudity -- or any nudity.

But yes, TONS of cooking meth. I mean, it does take place in a glorious estate in 20's Britain. Meth is a given, isn't it?

03-16-2016, 07:47 PM	#284
P-Rock Banned Member since:Apr 2015 Blu-ray reviews:3	So, what length does this piece of shit have?

03-20-2016, 05:30 PM	#288
Talleyrand Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Dec 2015 Location:Canada	Well, this was definitely a Malick film. Probably his most mediocre work, which is an odd result for him, it's not great like Badlands or The Thin Red Line but not appalling like Days of Heaven or The Tree of Life. It just kind of.... exists. There's a lot to dislike, in particular Malick still is employing his ridiculous voice-over gimmick, it has yet to be used effectively and is not here. Also parts of it go on for far too long and nothing really happens (shocker, I know). I know that doesn't sound like too much I disliked (compared to the below paragraphs extolling the positive qualities), but the effect is cumulative, especially as there are glimmers of a story and a film with extreme potential here, so the parts that detract are all the more frustrating (compare this to the scenes of Penn wandering around the desert or dinosaurs in The Tree of Life - yeah, they're pointless, but it's not like you're missing anything as a result of them being there). However, unlike, say, The Tree of Life, there are things in this film to like as well. Christian Bale's Rick is far more interesting (by no means great; the "sick of excess" story has become an intolerable cliché at this point, even in the hands of a master like Bale) than the O'Brien clan (then again, pretty much anything is more interesting than the O'Brien clan, but even so Rick is a tremendous improvement), and Bale's costume designer clearly knew what he was doing (not since American Hustle has Bale's costume designer known so well what they were doing). Can't believe Blanchette got second billing, by the way. The cinematography is of course excellent but unlike a lot of his other films, a lot of the shots taken are actually good enough to justify the work put into them. The bleak Michael Mann-esque buildings of Los Angeles and the grim vallies in particular are cool. There is a fairly out-of-place Malick-esque cosmic scene towards the beginning, but luckily that was the only one. Could have used more scenes of parties at mansions (instead of strangely dull and inconsequential robberies), also funny to see Boyle from Brooklyn Nine-Nine in one scene. Ultimately there is potential here and I honestly can't see why this got mediocre reviews and The Tree of Life did so well; this is the far superior film.

03-21-2016, 09:15 PM	#294
Ray Jackson Blu-ray Duke Member since:Apr 2013 Location:The dark underbelly of Anytown, USA 4K collection:102 Blu-ray collection:455 DVD collection:9 Digital collection:74 Trading Score:183	I've never watched Downton Abbey. Does it have any sword fighting or gratuitous nudity in it? ...anyone cooking meth?

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