The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

The Sheriff is not a narrow minded idiot by any means. She was just annoying.

Thats kinda whats cool. Its the opposite of Breaking Bad, where we root for bad guys. In Fargo, you either dislike or are annoyed by everyone, even the good guys.

I was going to mention Frances McDormand but I thought you would of got she was the only one with common sense

And it really depends with Breaking Bad where you're up to in the series. You only wanted Walt to win for the element that he has people with him that you don't want anything bad to happen to, plus you like to see him outsmart others. If he worked alone the whole series you'd just stop watching.

[jvince]

Oldboy (2003)
dir. Park Chan-wook

The Good: Choi Min-sik. So many memorable scenes (e.g., the hallway scene and the elevator scene). The themes. The score. The shocking twist. The other (even more) shocking twist. The final shot.

The Bad: A tad more style than substance. Too contrived and fantastical; requires a huge suspension of disbelief.

The Bottom Line: This sick and twisted tale of revenge is certainly worth a look, especially for fans of the genre and of foreign/Asian cinema.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Thats the beauty I missed on my first viewing. We are not supposed to care about anyone. It's designed that way.

But isn't that the easy thing to do?

Making unlikable characters likable, now that's something you rarely see writers pull off.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I was going to mention Frances McDormand but I thought you would of got she was the only one with common sense

And it really depends with Breaking Bad where you're up to in the series. You only wanted Walt to win for the element that he has people with him that you don't want anything bad to happen to, plus you like to see him outsmart others. If he worked alone the whole series you'd just stop watching.

That is an interesting observation, and I agree. BUT, why then do we root for Jesse, who was a drug dealing weasel since the beginning. He has no wife or kids, but we totally care about him.

[Show spoiler]Because inside he has a heart of GOLD.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

But isn't that the easy thing to do?

Making unlikable characters likable, now that's something you rarely see writers pull off.

Not really. The thing they achieved that was difficult (even though it didnt work for you) was to make a film filled with generally across the board unlikable characters, yet we, the audience, care about the outcome of the film. Thats a tough challenge.

They did the same thing with Miller's Crossing. Very successfully too IMO. It is an odd tweak that the Coens incorporate into their films and somehow make it work.

But I understand your criticism though. I have seen a few movies (non-Coen)where I didnt like the characters and questioned how the filmmakers expected me to care.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest rental: Fahrenheit 451

Actually my second time viewing it, but I was just in the mood to revisit some good old-fashioned sci-fi. And I don't have this one yet; still waiting for a Blu-Ray release.

You might have heard about this film: it's a classic piece of science fiction, adapted from the classic novel of the same name. It's one of the biggest progenitors of the dystopian type of sci-fi, for it has been a major influence on most other stories within the genre (including a number of films, such as Equilibrium or THX1138).

Regardless, this is not a film that capitalizes much on action (I actually suspect that a modern adaptation would insert too much action and CGI into the story, which might make it seem fun and allow it connect to a modern and younger audience, but this original film proves that such excesses are not necessary).

It's the story that counts here. I can't remember if I've read the book or not (), but the movie looks like a close, faithful adaptation. The film does a fine job of portraying the main concept (a future in which books are banned, and thus burned by "Firemen"), and the characters. It offers a pretty frightening and insightful glimpse at a future full of oppression, fear, and despair. My only complaint about this story (and this might be something about the book too, I don't know) is that it has no real climax; the film just kinda ends

[Show spoiler]with everybody hanging in the woods.

This film has a few interesting stylish choices with its photography and editing (the least of which includes narrated credits instead of text (and I just now realized that must be done on purpose to keep up with the concept of the film ) and plenty of close-up shots cut close together). Acting is generally not bad, although I thought the main character's accent was a little odd. Writing is good. This production does a fine job of using 1960s stuff to simulate something futuristic.

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

Recommendation: Yes.

Notes:

• In the first major raid scene, the Firemen take all these books, put them into a bag, and toss them out the window, so the bag splits open and spills the books everywhere. More Firemen gather to pick up the books. Uh, wouldn't it have saved a lot of work if they just gently carried the books down the stairs and set it down? Then the books wouldn't have spilled all over the road, and everybody else wouldn't have had to pick them up.
• On this viewing, a couple of names in the credits jumped out at me, because I know of them now whereas I didn't know of them before (and they seem like oddball artsy fartsy choices to me): cinematography by Nicolas Roeg, and directed by Francois Truffaut (the dude who made The 400 Blows). It kinda explains why the film is stylized the way it is (feels a lot more European). With these two names attached to the film, and since this is put out by Universal, It has me wondering if the Criterion Collection could pick this film up.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

That is an interesting observation, and I agree. BUT, why then do we root for Jesse, who was a drug dealing weasel since the beginning. He has no wife or kids, but we totally care about him.

[Show spoiler]Because inside he has a heart of GOLD.

I guess it just might be that we want to see him come out good on the other side, you see his life in which he hasn't had many chances and he's continually manipulated by others that you want to see him come out the other side with wads of cash and promising future.

[Al_The_Strange]

Next greatest random selection: Project A-Ko

Some years ago, when I first started getting into anime, I knew a guy who went on and on about how hilarious this movie is. The box set with all three Project A-Ko films was obscenely expensive, but I bit into it anyway.

At any rate, I never did find this film quite as hilarious as the other fellow. But that's not to say that the film is without charm or humor; it actually tries its best. Some of the biggest highlights include a number of wild showdowns with superpowered characters and mechas beating the snot out of each other with rockets and lasers and swords and everything else...in a standard schoolyard fight. The whole film plays on the ridiculous absurdities of anime in general, as the characters cause senseless mass destruction from such petty things as running down the street because they're late for school, or just being a bully. Some other things that will induce laughter: transvestite space aliens, girl bullies on steroids with extremely high-pitched voices, awesome mechas that don't ever work right, and a detective who always gets run over.

As funny as this may sound, the film never really makes me laugh out loud that much. The good news is, it's still a good, short feature with buttloads of action and fan service, so anime fans will be pleased either way.

The story is a fine and dandy excuse for some havoc. The first hour or so focuses mostly on the love triangle between the three characters, A-Ko, B-Ko, and C-Ko. For whatever damn reason, girls (yeah, I read somewhere that "Ko" is the Japanese word for "girl") A and B compete for the affection of girl C, who's quite possibly the whiniest and most annoying little girl ever. Never mind the creepiness of having B-Ko stalk and fantasize over this little girl. That leaves a short twenty minutes for the big twist and climax, in which space aliens show up. Yeah, it's pretty silly stuff.

This film is pretty old; the animation quality has aged quite a bit, but it still looks good by 1980s standards. It's not particularly smooth, but it has just enough detail to make it stand out. What matters the most is that the artwork looks really cool. Voice acting (on the English side) is somewhat awful. Music is really rad.

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

Recommendation: For anime/genre fans.

[iam1bearcat]

Crazy, Stupid, Love. - 4.5/5

Ahhh, another romantic comedy that has above average smarts. Already it's a winner in my book, add in a great cast and it's even more than likely I will love it.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. certainly doesn't reinvent the romantic comedy / drama wheel, but it does a fantastic job of telling stories of love and heartache and loss in a variety of forms with realistic dialogue.

This is my fourth viewing and this is a film that, for me, gets better with each viewing. The jokes still make me laugh and the sad moments make me just as, if not even more sad.

Oh, and Emma Stone of course
and a hilariously hip Ryan Gosling ("be better than the Gap")

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jvince

But isn't that the easy thing to do?

Making unlikable characters likable, now that's something you rarely see writers pull off.

Definitely, as we speak I watch the Bellflower's credits roll by. Excellent film, many scenes divided my feelings, but I was never less than engaged (or moved).

Give the guys some money, I wanna see what they do next.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Crazy, Stupid, Love. - 4.5/5

[Show spoiler]Ahhh, another romantic comedy that has above average smarts. Already it's a winner in my book, add in a great cast and it's even more than likely I will love it.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. certainly doesn't reinvent the romantic comedy / drama wheel, but it does a fantastic job of telling stories of love and heartache and loss in a variety of forms with realistic dialogue.

This is my fourth viewing and this is a film that, for me, gets better with each viewing. The jokes still make me laugh and the sad moments make me just as, if not even more sad.

Oh, and Emma Stone of course
and a hilariously hip Ryan Gosling ("be better than the Gap")

One of the better romantic comedies in a while in my opinion.

The

[Show spoiler]fight scene is classic.

[jvince]

Die Hard (1988)
dir. John McTiernan

The Good: Bruce Willis. John motherf*cking McClane. Alan Rickman. Perfect balance of action, thrills, and laughs. Excellent pacing. Great one-liners. High replay value.

The Bad: Plot is pretty simple and formulaic (but when it's this fun and well-made, it doesn't really matter much).

The Bottom Line: Many, including the franchise itself, have tried to replicate this superb action/thriller, but none has come close to this 80s classic. No pretensions, just some good, old-fashioned entertainment. Highly recommended.

[legendarymatt92]

It's hard to believe that the Muppets had been absent from the big screen for twelve years, especially when you realise how well-known and loved they actually are. From a screenplay written by star Jason Segal and Nicholas Stoller (director of the brilliant Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek), you know that this has a chance of being brilliant - add to that a director whose work previously includes the magnificent Flight of the Conchords and you have a possible dream team, depending on your sensibilities.

The story is, basically, the Muppets trying to raise $10 million dollars to save their old theatre from destruction by an oil-tycoon, who is hell bent on mining for the oil held underneath the building. Since the Muppets haven't performed as a collective group together for a long period, the entitlement to the land has lapsed and it's up to two brothers (one Muppet, one Jason Segal) to get to try and get the team back together and save the day.

The plot may be simplistic, but everything about this movie is fantastic -- the real highlight is how it throws the quirky charm of the characters right into the mix, giving a heartfelt and hilarious outcome. It's so ridiculously feel good at the same time as being subversive in its humour that both children and adults will adore it, especially if aquainted with previous Muppet films (especially the original 1979 one, which it relies heavily on referencing). It's the Muppets how they should be: crazy, strange and insane.

I could write all day about how great it was and how much anyone who hasn't seen it should, but it has now been a few hours since I've seen it last and I need to go and re-visit it.


10/10

[Abdrewes]

Magic Mike (2012)

It's funny that Soderbergh's 2012 output is comprised of Female ass kickers and male strippers. Evidently the boundaries of what is traditionally male and female are irrelevant to Soderbergh. Making it in life's a game and you got to play to your strengths. Both Magic Mike and Mallory Kane incidentally use their bodies in their quest for survival.

There are beefcake bodies on display in Magic Mike, but it's about much more. Soderbergh once again demonstrates his tact and knowledge of the world he has created. As opposed to a fun summer film about stripping, we are treated to a film actually about something. The ins and outs of the male stripping world are fully fleshed out (sometimes too well) under Soderbergh's mighty realist gaze. Money & Percentages is what it's all about.

Mike eventually wants to start a furniture business, he's getting old so the Summer documented in this film is when he has to figure it all out: find his way on his own or take the easy money with the crew down in Miami.

The character dynamics are very strong and believable (however simple). Side characters all contribute to deciphering Mike. Alex Pettyfer's character (or caricature) symbolizes the wide eyed, dumb newbie Mike once was. Matthew McConeghey? Symbolizes the empty shell Mike may gradually become.

Cliches that fully emerge in the third act may rob the film of much of the hard work of the first 2/3rds, but it's never less than interesting under Soderbergh's assured gaze, frequently presenting the material in fly on the wall long takes. The direction here trumps that of Haywire (which I really liked) and ironically the world feels much less stagey than many of his recent efforts (Contagion, Haywire).

It's a definite recommendation. Don't let the subject matter push you away, there's laughs to be had and ideas to be shared. It may not have the devil-may-care fun of Haywire or the the thought of The Girlfriend Experience (which I hold in great regard) but it's another reason Soderbergh shouldn't go away. After next February's The Bitter Pill, his presence will be sorely missed.

4/5 thongs...(I'm never handling one dollar bills again)

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by jvince

Die Hard (1988)
dir. John McTiernan

The Good: Bruce Willis. John motherf*cking McClane. Alan Rickman. Perfect balance of action, thrills, and laughs. Excellent pacing. Great one-liners. High replay value.

The Bad: Plot is pretty simple and formulaic (but when it's this fun and well-made, it doesn't really matter much).

The Bottom Line: Many, including the franchise itself, have tried to replicate this superb action/thriller, but none has come close to this 80s classic. No pretensions, just some good, old-fashioned entertainment. Highly recommended.

Going to rewatch soon (perfect Christmas film). But the reason none of the sequels work as well is because it isn't a John McClane story, it's Hans Gruber's, McClane is just the nuisance that gets him in the end.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Going to rewatch soon (perfect Christmas film). But the reason none of the sequels work as well is because it isn't a John McClane story, it's Hans Gruber's, McClane is just the nuisance that gets him in the end.

18-WHEELER SURFING IN A TUNNEL IS THE BEST THING EVER! DEAL WITH IT!!!!

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

18-WHEELER SURFING IN A TUNNEL IS THE BEST THING EVER! DEAL WITH IT!!!!

Agreed, decades from now the Post-modern Die Hard With A Vengeance will be considered the greatest. Seriously it's winking at the audience the whole way.

[Abdrewes]

Buffalo '66

A dryly hilarious, frequently off putting masterwork by Vincent Gallo about an innocent man that gets out of the can. Promptly he kidnaps a passive dancer played by Christina Ricci to show the parents and contemplates killing the guy who cost him the time.

I don't know how he did it, bit he managed to get away with a myriad of things that in lesser hands would have killed the film: off balance character dynamics, a verbally violent protagonist, gonzo stylistics & stilted (tableaux-ish) pacing. There's literally a scene in a bowling alley where the lights dim and Ricci starts tapdancing as they reload the machines; a fantasy sequence where Gallo's parents are visiting his grave and his mother is so indifferent that she occupies herself in the most rediculous way. All I can say is that it was divinely entertaining from scene to scene.

4.5/5

[jvince]

Rope (1948)
dir. Alfred Hitchcock

The Good: James Stewart. Excellent screenplay and character work. Unique and utterly impressive; the film was shot in a single setting with only ten long takes. Masterful tension-building. The final act.

The Bad: Might be too talky for some. While it starts off with an attention-grabbing scene, it takes some time before things start to really get going.

The Bottom Line: Could someone explain to me why nobody ever talks about Rope? Smart, suspenseful, and absorbing, this criminally underrated gem unquestionably stands among Hitchcock's finest works. Highly recommended.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Agreed, decades from now the Post-modern Die Hard With A Vengeance will be considered the greatest. Seriously it's winking at the audience the whole way.

I haven't seen Die Hard with a Vengeance in a long time. That was like a childhood favorite of mine.