The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Au contraire. I'm pissed. Why? Because after discussing whether to get the dvd or the UK blu with several members in the Criterion forum, I decided to buy the Criterion dvd. I was assured that there would be no further blu release of the film because Artificial Eye had it. Last nite at 2 am I opened the plastic wrap on the film because I knew that its packaging was absolutely beautiful inside and couldn't wait. Then today I find out it shockingly will get a Criterion blu release! Now I have to offload the dvd.

Btw, rumor has it that Soderbergh's Solaris will be released by Criterion next year, along with Lolita and Malick's Badlands. Maybe Sin Nombre too due to the current IFC deal.

Yeah I saw your post in the Criterion thread after I said that...

As DJ said, you'll be able to get your money back easily. Good to hear about Badlands, though I'm not sure I'm gonna pick that one up. I definitely enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as his other films. I'll be happy to rent this one again once it gets the Criterion treatment, as I think this is a film that will grow on me.

[tbizzle]

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - 4.5/5

Great film. It actually started off kinda slow for me and I wasn't even hooked until around the 30 or 40 minute mark. Everyone was great, but Noomi was fantastic! I agree with you Jhiggy in that Liz is an extremely interesting (and addicting) character. The cinematography, score, direction and performances were all captivating. I was fascinated with the scene towards the end

[Show spoiler]when Martin gave his little speech about the look in the victim's eyes when they realize that they're going to die. Peter Haber really shined there!

I love the story! I'm hooked, bring on the next one.

[tbizzle]

Breakfast at Tiffany's - 4/5

Cute film. I really enjoyed this one and I can't wait to see more of Hepburn. I agree Squid, she's an angel!

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by two40

Not sure I'd call TWBB a film about oil and certainly not about how oil became what it is today. The oil was just a catalyst for the characters. Kind of an excuse and a stage for showcasing the extremes of church and business. For me, TWBB is a portrait of ruthless ambition and the price that has to be paid. The argument your friend puts forward about the relevancy of the two films in 20 years time and using that as a gauge of their quality is, well, you said it, ridiculous.

Thanks for the review. I've been toying with re-watching this film and you've just pushed me over the edge.

I'd agree -- and I'd throw in that TWBB is unique in that it asks:

Is economic greed (

[Show spoiler]Plainview

) nobler somehow than political greed (

[Show spoiler]Eli

)?

Essentially its like arguing that greed/ambition is like ice-cream, and while most people might associate ice-cream with one flavor, such as chocolate (in same way most people commonly associate greed/ambition with money/finances), there are TONS of other flavors of ice-cream out there (same with types of greed/ambition: political, religious, etc)

One could make a solid argument that

[Show spoiler]Plainview

is the nobler one of the two, since at least he's merely

[Show spoiler] robbing people of material goods

while

[Show spoiler]Eli is robbing people of their ideals, faith, and hope

, turning them into walking zombies. I'd prefer to be defrauded by

[Show spoiler]Plainview

. I couldn't look at footage of myself after being

[Show spoiler]conned by Eli

, at least with

[Show spoiler]Plainview

I could pick myself up and find more money

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by two40

The rest of his work is ? What about Se7en? Did you not like it?

Alien 3: i don't even call his (and haven't seen it) since he disowned it
Seven: 4/5 i used to really love it, but for me it just doesn't hold over time for some reason
The Game: it was okay, but the ending was just horrid and ruined any reason to watch the film again. i watched it for the first time about 2 months ago, but this has got to be one of the dumbest endings to a film i've ever seen. mind is blown how fincher went along with the ending 2/5
Panic Room: i think 4/5? but haven't seen it in many years, but i know it never really 'grabbed' me like other films.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 2/5 one of the most overrated films ever. i think jhiggy said that BB was given a bunch of nominations because Zodiac got jipped the year before, and i completely agree. Zodiac is the better picture (imo) on every level.

just my opinion of course on his other work. really excited to see The Social Network, but really pissed they're (Hollywood) is remaking The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and if i was fincher, or any director, i would have said, "the original is hands down a great film. we don't need to remake it just so people who hate subtitles can see it. F them" but again, that's just me

Not sure I'd call TWBB a film about oil and certainly not about how oil became what it is today. The oil was just a catalyst for the characters. Kind of an excuse and a stage for showcasing the extremes of church and business. For me, TWBB is a portrait of ruthless ambition and the price that has to be paid. The argument your friend puts forward about the relevancy of the two films in 20 years time and using that as a gauge of their quality is, well, you said it, ridiculous.

Thanks for the review. I've been toying with re-watching this film and you've just pushed me over the edge.

true. i think i worded my post wrong. i think i would go off of what you said by "just a catalyst for the characters. kind of an excuse and a stage for showcasing the extremes and church and business" and i would say that choosing Plainview's as oil was a great choice because it really is, still to this day and maybe even more-so a cut throat business. if Plainview would have grown corn, the extremes wouldn't have seemed so necessary or logical (and that would be funny and odd to see such a tough character growing corn ). i think that's how i meant to write it out but failed lol

awesome that you're gonna watch it again soon and that my review helped in that regard
have you seen the rest of Anderson's work?

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - 4.5/5

Great film. It actually started off kinda slow for me and I wasn't even hooked until around the 30 or 40 minute mark. Everyone was great, but Noomi was fantastic! I agree with you Jhiggy in that Liz is an extremely interesting (and addicting) character. The cinematography, score, direction and performances were all captivating. I was fascinated with the scene towards the end

[Show spoiler]when Martin gave his little speech about the look in the victim's eyes when they realize that they're going to die. Peter Haber really shined there!

I love the story! I'm hooked, bring on the next one.

glad you enjoyed it tbizzle!
i'm debating if i want to watch the second now or wait till the third comes out and then watch all 3 of them in a row

[Steve46]

In my limited experience watching movies, Daniel Day-Lewis in TWBB is probably the best acting performance I have ever seen.

[Steve46]

The 400 Blows
Directed by Francois Truffaut
Starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy and Guy Decomble
99 minutes
Black and white - French language

This was my second time seeing The 400 Blows. I initially gave it a 4/5 and found it interesting, but it's growing on me.

The story is bleak, but very realistic, which isn't surprising considering that it's semiautobiographical. Truffaut's early life must have been hard. His parents tried at times, but treated him badly or with indifference at other times.

Much of the early part of the film is set in a classroom and we meet his classmates and learn his general attitude toward school. The discipline was very different than what we might expect today. He has one particular friend who encourages him to

[Show spoiler]skip class

and we see

[Show spoiler]their shared experiences on the streets of Paris

.

The friend is partly responsible for

[Show spoiler]leading him astray and encouracging him to steal

which leads into the second part of the story where we see

[Show spoiler]the consequences of his bad behavior and his lies

.

Some of the school scenes remind me of my childhood, although I had a much happier upbringing.

The main thing that brings Antoine happiness is

[Show spoiler]cinema

and the happiest time spent with his parents involves

[Show spoiler]a trip to see a film

.

The film also provides a snapshot of Paris in the late 50s. Shot in black and white and told from Antoine's viewpoint, we often see exactly what he sees through the choice of camera angles. His perspective also shows us that he thinks of himself in very different ways from the way in which he is viewed by others. We can empathize with his situation completely.

The film demonstrates how frightening, daunting and impossible life can seem when you're growing up.

Truffaut died aged 52 after making 21 features and this makes me want to see more of them.

PQ 4/5 (excellent for the vintage)
AQ 5/5 (the music really added to the experience and everything was clear)

Overall 4.5/5

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Is Squid's pic Roberto Benigni??? I always thought it was one of the guys from the promos from "The Riches".

:

Nope.

That killed me when The Riches got cancelled. Brilliant show. Original as hell.

Edit: DJ, if you like stand up comedy, Eddie Izzard from The Riches is hilarious.

[SquidPuppet]

Netflix has been kind to me today.

1. Californication: Season 3: Disc 2 Shipping today

2. Elite Squad: Shipping today

3. Antichrist: Shipping today

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

no idea who squid's photo is. I think he said once that he just saw it on some site and used it coz it looked cool. pmmf, doesn't sound like a Baron move to me.

The pic was in the header of an article on Yahoo Finance. It was about CEOs lying and getting nabbed by the SEC. I thought his Schnoz and smirk fit my sarcastic personality. And of course, as usual, I was correct.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

yeah I'm with Bearcat here. Seriously Diesel -- how do you put up with the theater -- insane ticket prices (cost of a blu on amazon ), at best blu-ray PQ/AQ (with a decent HT), and risk of cell phones, talking, etc ....I probably go 1-2 times per year.

I still enjoy seeing "important to me" movies on the BIG screen. I go to matinees on weekdays a few days after the film is released and rarely experience more than a handful of people. It costs $7.00 and the sound at my theaters is fantastic. I enjoy my home 5.1 rig, but my local theater must be super calibrated by pros because it is good.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Have you guys seen The Innocents (1961)? I think I'm going to watch that sometime in the next week or so.

I read about it on Netflix. Sounds like a maybe for me. Tell us what you think after seeing it.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Night of the Hunter (DVD)

Film: 4/5
-set in a "To Kill A Mockingbird" type small town.
-at the beginning: GORGEOUS aerial shots of the town and surrounding area, including a car entering the area. Reminded me of the opening sequence of The SHining. Also, other aerial shots later on in the film. A very deliberate technique used to perfection. Loved it. Very eerie, just like Shining.
-film is about a preacher who is jailed, and who learns a family secret from his cellmate, and so sets out to cash in on this secret when the preacher gets out.
-infinite buffet of themes, which the film tells us right off the bat -

[Show spoiler]a great parable about how a good tree can't produce bad fruit and a bad tree can't produce good fruit, so LOOK TO THE FRUIT if you want to find out what tree you have. the preacher is the prime example of a bad tree who can't produce good fruit. many are fooled by his charisma and think him to be noble, but if they really looked at his deeds (fruit), they'd see he is nothing but a degenerate.

-constant edge-of-your-seat suspense. everything you want from a Criterion in terms of gorgeous cinematography, but is also never slow-paced and keeps the suspense going
-I will probably buy this, although its right at "maybe" since I"ve already bought a ton

I thought some of the Cinematography was VERY Hitchcockesque. Inside the house in the master bedroom

[Show spoiler]when the camera is low and the ceiling looks so tall and all the eerie shadows. I also loved some of the sets. Thet were so obviously set that I assume the did it deliberately. Like when the kids go down the river. It looks so fake that it actually looks cool. Like the Wizard of Oz.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

There Will Be Blood

year: 2007 (limited release) / 2008 (worldwide release)
director: Paul Thomas Anderson
starring: Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Dano

i've reviewed and watched There Will Be Blood more than enough times to make up for a short review here.

Followed by...

almost everyone on this thread knows my love for this film, and my love of all Paul Thomas Anderson films probably rivals that of Surf to Kubrick among other users to their particular director of choice.

David Fincher used to be my favorite director, mostly because Fight Club is my favorite movie (and then also because Zodiac is also high up on my favorites list as well), but the rest of Fincher's work is just very in my book (haven't seen The Social Network yet ), but P.T.A's work? all of it is simply marvelous, and very, very different.

odd, because i'm a very "sci-fi" / "think out of left field" type of person. i don't think of the obvious answer for things. i think big, bold and unorthodox and find the 'normal' answer and way of doing things very bland. so knowing that my favorite director is one who makes nothing but heavy character driven pieces is almost as baffling to me as it would be to those who know my tastes and preferences. but Anderson's films are all a work of magic. Anderson writes great characters, great scenes and has an expert eye for directing a scene and great range with structure of his films. in a sense, when watching, i know my gf didn't find anything "super obvious" about the directing being great, but she never had anything she would have done differently. no super flashy camera tricks, no lens flares, no shaky cam, no jump cuts, no tricks or quirks. a lot like Kubrick: slow moving scenes that build off one another and put you right where you need to be in a film to the point where it doesn't feel like you're watching a film but where you're in the film with the characters watching nearby

There Will Be Blood, in my opinion is his magnum opus. at least so far. had i been able to comprehend, understand and appreciate (and know of) Magnolia when it was released, i would have probably said that was his magnum opus. in a lot of ways, that could be seen as his magnum opus as well. There Will Be Blood is more centrally focused than Magnolia - smaller cast - but much larger in scale and story telling history. while all of Anderson's films have very obvious themes, they also carry many "under the radar" themes.

There Will Be Blood is very exquisite in nature that it is a period piece (about oil and how it has become what it is today), but also carries with it themes about humanity that were here long before us and will be here long after us: greed, selfishness, ambition, relentlessness, incredible work ethic, and determination. one of my friends believe No Country for Old Men is the better "western" focused film because "TWBB is about oil, and in 20 years, it won't have the same effect that NCFOM will have", which i personally find ridiculous, but to each their own.

Daniel Day Lewis gives a performance that i believe is unrivaled in any genre or decade of film. some may find that a tad much, but there are so many subtleties to the character. it could have easily been written and acted out as an overzealous, selfish loud and arrogant bafoon. but that's not at all what Lewis brings to the character. he's perfectly portrayed as someone everyone wants to be, and wants to be around, but at the same time no one would like to be around because of how focused and driven he is. he does things that some will find disheartening, but at the end of the day, i am still glued to every line of dialogue, every body movement and i still care for the character. he's not a hero. he's not someone to be admired for his personality, but very much respected for his work ethic and drive. how many films have someone like that?

oddly enough, the opening... 20-25 minutes or so i'd say, i found a lot of resemblances to 2001: A Space Odyssey. i may have noticed them before but not taken notice, but anyone familiar with both films will likely see what i mean below:

[Show spoiler]the opening shot in TWBB of the piercing music and shot of mountains, very reminiscent of the opening scene in 2001 with the apes. same setting, same feel... follow this up with how there is zero dialogue in TWBB for about the entire first half hour, and 2001 is of course very well known for it's minimal dialogue. and then, maybe this is a bit far fetched, but the apes in 2001 find the monolith, and then they learn to use the bones as weapons. Plainview learns and finds oil. both "characters" in the films discover something that enriches and forever changes their lives. and i believe that Plainview wasn't searching for oil (gold and silver) and the apes stumbled upon the monolith when it was by their "fighting area" / water hole.

i know this isn't much of a review of a great film (in my opinion, the best film of either 2008 or 2007 (depending how you look at release dates)) but to me, it's a film that demands - and gets - your attention from start to finish. and either you're invested and following along, or your bored and waiting for something to happen.

as i've said before, i could watch all 5 (currently) of Anderson's films constantly on a regular basis, every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of any one of them. i cannot say that for any other director. i almost (almost) can't even say that for any other films!

an absolute masterpiece in every category:
performances, characters, story, atmosphere, cinematography, score, directing, writing...

one of my absolute favorites

PQ: 5/5 - some truly gorgeous scenes but also has the grain and grit to it that it definitely should have.
AQ: 5/5 - no qualms here

5/5

"Short" compared to The Stand maybe.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Followed by...

"Short" compared to The Stand maybe.

i always seem to lose control and thought of how long these reviews turn out to be!

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

The pic was in the header of an article on Yahoo Finance. It was about CEOs lying and getting nabbed by the SEC. I thought his Schnoz and smirk fit my sarcastic personality. And of course, as usual, I was correct.

I choose to believe that is what you really look like

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

I read about it on Netflix. Sounds like a maybe for me. Tell us what you think after seeing it.

Will do. Should be watching it Thursday.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by tbizzle

Breakfast at Tiffany's - 4/5

Cute film. I really enjoyed this one and I can't wait to see more of Hepburn. I agree Squid, she's an angel!

Something that struck me about that film is, even though it was 50 years ago, so many of society's behaviors are exactly the same as they are today.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

I'd agree -- and I'd throw in that TWBB is unique in that it asks:

Is economic greed (

[Show spoiler]Plainview

) nobler somehow than political greed (

[Show spoiler]Eli

)?

Essentially its like arguing that greed/ambition is like ice-cream, and while most people might associate ice-cream with one flavor, such as chocolate (in same way most people commonly associate greed/ambition with money/finances), there are TONS of other flavors of ice-cream out there (same with types of greed/ambition: political, religious, etc)

One could make a solid argument that

[Show spoiler]Plainview

is the nobler one of the two, since at least he's merely

[Show spoiler] robbing people of material goods

while

[Show spoiler]Eli is robbing people of their ideals, faith, and hope

, turning them into walking zombies. I'd prefer to be defrauded by

[Show spoiler]Plainview

. I couldn't look at footage of myself after being

[Show spoiler]conned by Eli

, at least with

[Show spoiler]Plainview

I could pick myself up and find more money

[Show spoiler]Milkshake would be a better analogy.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

[ but really pissed they're (Hollywood) is remaking The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and if i was fincher, or any director, i would have said, "the original is hands down a great film. we don't need to remake it just so people who hate subtitles can see it. F them" but again, that's just me

That might depend on the size of your mortgage, or how many you have.