The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

I like it better than Seventh Seal too, but I'm not a huge fan of it. The narration is beautifully poetic, but it just didn't do it for me. City of Angels isn't reallllly a remake, other than the general plot, but I like that film a lot more. Maybe it's because the love story was more real, maybe it was because it was more Hollywood (which usually is opposite of what I like). Wings has so much to it that I feel bad not rating it higher--surfdude def is much more of an authority on it than me.

Wings of Desire has more to it than City of Angels, but I wasn't a fan of the way the film was done. Pacing was slow, and yeah the narration was poetic as well as the internal dialogue, but it wasn't very interesting to me. Wings of Desire focused more on the Angel's world, their daily lives and how they are there to observe and help us, rather than building an interesting (to me) story. Yeah City of Angels was a lot more Hollywood, but it was still an artistically done movie with a captivating love story and the story rolled right along. Wings of Desire kinda stalled out at times, and to me it was more of an experimental film. Not sure if that's the right word, but the director's style didn't work for me

[JLant19]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Agreed.

Yea it has been done way too many times to numerous actors/actresses.

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

have you seen It's A Wonderful Life? That's an even better "mainstream" version of Wings, IMO. (although from much different angles, and with different period/culture/etc. )

I haven't but it's in my queue. I'm sure I'll love it because I just watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and I thought that was great

[JLant19]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

How about the most obvious one???

[Show spoiler]the party scene where chick goes out the window, batty catches her, and joker leaves the party all nice and quietly.

Wayyyy too many problems with the directing, writing, and editing for this film to be rated as high as it is.

Yea I def have to agree. WHen I saw this I was ultimately let down in the end. Not a bad film by any means but def not as great of a masterpiece as everyone says. IMO Batman Begins was def the better of the two if not of the entire Batman films.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Wings of Desire has more to it than City of Angels, but I wasn't a fan of the way the film was done. Pacing was slow, and yeah the narration was poetic as well as the internal dialogue, but it wasn't very interesting to me. Wings of Desire focused more on the Angel's world, their daily lives and how they are there to observe and help us, rather than building an interesting (to me) story. Yeah City of Angels was a lot more Hollywood, but it was still an artistically done movie with a captivating love story and the story rolled right along. Wings of Desire kinda stalled out at times, and to me it was more of an experimental film. Not sure if that's the right word, but the director's style didn't work for me

remember too that a big chunk of Wings narration/dialogue has to do with the post-cold War reconstruction of Berlin - the cultural effects on people, the mood of people, the city itself and how its recovering. I confess that in my first viewing I was like "WTF is all this narration about??", then reading afterward found out. In that context, when i watch it now, it just makes more sense to me.

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

remember too that a big chunk of Wings narration/dialogue has to do with the post-cold War reconstruction of Berlin - the cultural effects on people, the mood of people, the city itself and how its recovering. I confess that in my first viewing I was like "WTF is all this narration about??", then reading afterward found out. In that context, when i watch it now, it just makes more sense to me.

Yeah that makes sense. I think the movie is good, just not my cup of tea

Next on my list is 8 1/2, Walkabout and Monsoon Wedding and tonight I'm watching Galaxy Quest!

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

Oh, i see what you're saying. Not so much the fact that they were able to leave, but the fact that they chose to do so?
Well if they stay to sodomize everyone, wouldn't there be complaints of,"Why aren't they going after them?"
I guess your main complaint is that it was lazy filmaking, by NOT showing us what happens?

The last sentence is exactly what I meant! I just thought it was lazy filmmaking--I understand things need to be cut out, but I thought it was pretty ridiculous.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

my favorite is (and maybe i'm the only one with this) is

[Show spoiler] the Joker's #1 claim to fame is he is the one who exposes the "schemers" who "scheme." Well, isn't exposing schemers, itself scheming?

hahaha

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

No, just Cache and White Ribbon. I like that he exists, since his style is so "anti-hollywood" without going to artsy fartsy extremes just for the sake of doing so.

I think that's a great way of describing him. There are def some movies that try to be artsy for the sake of doing so (I think A Christmas Tale bordered on this with some of the directing choices), but I never thought Cache fell into that category.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by JLant19

Yea I def have to agree. WHen I saw this I was ultimately let down in the end. Not a bad film by any means but def not as great of a masterpiece as everyone says. IMO Batman Begins was def the better of the two if not of the entire Batman films.

I like both films, even if it seems like I doubt. But, like Avatar, I can see its shortcomings.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

remember too that a big chunk of Wings narration/dialogue has to do with the post-cold War reconstruction of Berlin - the cultural effects on people, the mood of people, the city itself and how its recovering. I confess that in my first viewing I was like "WTF is all this narration about??", then reading afterward found out. In that context, when i watch it now, it just makes more sense to me.

You're def right--I just don't understand the film well enough (haven't read up about it or given it repeated viewings).

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Yeah that makes sense. I think the movie is good, just not my cup of tea

Next on my list is 8 1/2, Walkabout and Monsoon Wedding and tonight I'm watching Galaxy Quest!

8 1/2 is an incredible film. Walkabout really borders on being great--I think I'll rate it even higher in the future (surfdude makes a very convincing case). Haven't seen Monsoon but will soon.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Riff Magnum

No, just Cache and White Ribbon. I like that he exists, since his style is so "anti-hollywood" without going to artsy fartsy extremes just for the sake of doing so.

I'm glad you didn't respond (yet) to my request for your take on the ending of Cache and the film in general--it is such a complex film, with all the history and stuff about Algiers beyond the mere central mystery, that I think my brain would explode!

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

haha, it's good to know at least some Avatar lovers can have relax and poke fun at themselves! too many Avatar die-hards turn into psychotic angry "you MUST OBEY THAT CAMERON IS KING!" clones
it gets ridiculous!

and you MUST put Fight Club on your list of films to watch soon.
of course, i have to say that, seeing as it's my favorite film

I can poke fun at myself all the time. I simply don't care what people think, just like I don't care what people think about the movies I love.

[Show spoiler]I bow down to James Cameron every night before I goto bed.

That is why I mentioned that I haven't seen Fight Club. I will see it at some point this year for sure though, hopefully before summer is over.

[iam1bearcat]

The Bourne Ultimatum

i was never a James Bond kid growing up, so my action / espionage type film love is associated with the Bourne trilogy. love all 3 films - even though they do all follow the same pattern of set up and execution basically.
but they are extraordinarily entertaining to me.

The Bourne Ultimatum is the 2nd best film (if i remember correctly) of the three. my only major complaint (which isn't even much of a complaint) is how they handle the ending. after this excruciating journey to find out where Jason Bourne comes from, the ending is... well, less than exciting or gut punching. so aside from that lack of a "whoa" moment, the film is essentially solid gold.

another great car chase sequence (or two, or three, or four), a terrific rooftop chase, a magnificent hand-to-hand martial arts fight, and more eerie awesome "i can see you in your office" moments, just like the previous films. although i do find it odd that with the rooftop sequence, that entire scene - which lasts a damn long time - has absolutely NOTHING to do with

[Show spoiler]the main storyline. that whole scene comes from wanting Nicky dead because they know she's with Bourne and helping him out. so that whole moment, for as awesome as it is, doesn't push the movie forward. which is odd because it's amazing, but is all for a quick side plot that goes nowhere after that

but not that i really care. i love that scene(s) and few films have anything as riveting as that.

a terrific way to go out for the series - and even though there are talks for a fourth film (or are they filming now? don't care, don't wanna know ) i hope they don't - unless everyone who made the first 3 so great are back and have enthusiasm about the project.

5/5

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Bourne Ultimatum

i was never a James Bond kid growing up, so my action / espionage type film love is associated with the Bourne trilogy. love all 3 films - even though they do all follow the same pattern of set up and execution basically.
but they are extraordinarily entertaining to me.

The Bourne Ultimatum is the 2nd best film (if i remember correctly) of the three. my only major complaint (which isn't even much of a complaint) is how they handle the ending. after this excruciating journey to find out where Jason Bourne comes from, the ending is... well, less than exciting or gut punching. so aside from that lack of a "whoa" moment, the film is essentially solid gold.

another great car chase sequence (or two, or three, or four), a terrific rooftop chase, a magnificent hand-to-hand martial arts fight, and more eerie awesome "i can see you in your office" moments, just like the previous films. although i do find it odd that with the rooftop sequence, that entire scene - which lasts a damn long time - has absolutely NOTHING to do with

[Show spoiler]the main storyline. that whole scene comes from wanting Nicky dead because they know she's with Bourne and helping him out. so that whole moment, for as awesome as it is, doesn't push the movie forward. which is odd because it's amazing, but is all for a quick side plot that goes nowhere after that

but not that i really care. i love that scene(s) and few films have anything as riveting as that.

a terrific way to go out for the series - and even though there are talks for a fourth film (or are they filming now? don't care, don't wanna know ) i hope they don't - unless everyone who made the first 3 so great are back and have enthusiasm about the project.

5/5

I also agree with your last paragraph. As much as I love this series, I hope they leave it alone.

Just curious since you said Ultimatum is probably your second favorite. Is Identity your favorite of the trilogy?

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by Diesel

I watched 2 Fast 2 Furious today. I know a lot of people hated it, but I really like this movie

I won't pretend its a masterpiece or even a great movie, but I enjoy watching it and that's enough for me


4/5

Its my favorite film in the series closely followed by Tokyo Drift! Got Em!!

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Cache, the remake of Funny Games, and a little bit of the original. I cut him slack for the remake, because it's just that. Cache I found very boring, until the realization at the end of what he was doing the whole time. I still can't say I enjoy the film, but it's absolutely brilliant (there's a great analysis of it on the web....I was like )

I def wouldn't put him among even the top 25 working today, because he just doesn't have the resume. But I do greatly appreciate what he adds to cinema, and that's only after seeing 2.5 films, one of which was terrible.

That movie was terrible! Got Em!!

[lDlisturb3d]

Originally Posted by killowertz

I also agree with your last paragraph. As much as I love this series, I hope they leave it alone.

Just curious since you said Ultimatum is probably your second favorite. Is Identity your favorite of the trilogy?

Yeah i really love this trilogy, its gets better in every movie, and the last one was the best. BRAVO

[lDlisturb3d]

This is pretty off topic but i just wanted to mention how great paramount treats their blus, (except Gladiator i really dont knw what they were smokin). I've always gave allot of congrats to Disney blu's but im starting to lean more towards paramount for their quality releases.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by killowertz

I also agree with your last paragraph. As much as I love this series, I hope they leave it alone.

Just curious since you said Ultimatum is probably your second favorite. Is Identity your favorite of the trilogy?

yeah, i think I have Identity as #1, Ultimatum #2, and Supremacy #3. i think, but i will have to revisit all three again soon to really compare. for awhile i didn't like how slow Identity started off, but obviously it needs that for the film to work the way it does. and it definitely picks up fast enough (the fight Bourne has with the 2 guards when he's sleeping on the bench was such a "whoa!" moment the first time i saw the film).

your order?