The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Two, you're in Australia? Yeah that's too bad -- unless you can snag a region free player? BTW, my sis is moving to Tasmania next month (for a year)! Cool place?

She's moving there for a year???? Tasmania? Please explain.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by lDlisturb3d

I just like movies in general. I wanna see the Critically acclaimed and the Viewer acclaimed. I want my mind blown anyway i can get it. I SIMPLY LOVE MOVIES.

As do the people you're referring to as movie snobs.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

She's moving there for a year???? Tasmania? Please explain.

Pediatrician position at a hospital there for a year. She just wants a taste of work/life outside the U.S. (older sister - older when we moved to U.S., so more torn on whether to stay here than me)

[jhiggy23]

Triage (blu)


PQ and AQ: 4.5 (out of 5)

Both are exceptional.


Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)


This is a great film, despite being a straight to dvd release (which had nothing to do with the quality of the film, but other issues). Farrell used to be seen as nothing more than tabloid fodder, but over the past few years he's really started to come on. His turning point was In Bruges, which won him a Golden Globe for best actor but SHOCKINGLY did not lead to an Oscar nomination. Since then, he's absconded from choosing pointless roles like Daredevil, The Recruit, and Swat, and as opted instead for meaningful dramas like Triage and Ondine. I see him only continuing to impress and awards will surely follow.

As for this film, I've always been interested in war photography and war journalism. Colin Farrell plays a war photographer in 1988, who filmed the conflict between the Kurds and the Iraqis with his best friend. The film centers around his return to Ireland. Where is his best friend? Why does Farrell appear to have PTSD? Those questions will be answered. While the few critics who saw the film enjoyed it, some mentioned that they didn't like the ending. I disagree. The ending is EXACTLY how it should have been, just as the ending to Brothers was exactly how it should have been. I found this film to be very moving. It's worth seeing for many reasons, but mainly for Farrell's astonishing performance and Christopher Lee's solid supporting performance.

Note: the film is written and directed by the same director who won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film in 2003 for No Man's Land.

I have no doubt this film will make my year end top 10.

[iam1bearcat]

Michael Clayton

year: 2007
director: tony gilroy
starring: george clooney, tilda swinton, tom wilkinson

wasn't really in the mood to watch something new, so i decided to grab a blu off my shelf that i haven't watched in awhile, Michael Clayton

a slow moving "burner" of a film that follows michael clayton (clooney in a great performance) a law firms "fixer" as he tries to fix a situation with a lawyer who's supposed to be protecting a company, but has a nervous break down and threatens to run wild with the knowledge that he has that knows the company is guilty.

i've always loved the film from the first time i saw it in 2007. i don't really know why. i read about the film, saw the trailer and thought "this looks really awesome" and it is, in every regard.

the performances, the score, the story, the writing, the awesome, "yeah! take that!" ending, the cinematography (), all of equals a great big bowl of success.

i know a lot of people don't feel that way. i know a lot of people find the film very slow, boring and goes nowhere, and to be honest, i can see that. while watching it i said to the gf "you find this boring don't you" and she said, "kinda" and i agreed that i understood what she meant, but it just doesn't have a 'boring' effect on me. i guess that's kind of weird, but i was hooked from the opening monologue by arthur (wilkinson, in a performance that should have won him the "best supporting actor" award, no doubt in my mind. i honestly don't understand how javier bardem was in this category he should have been in "best actor" because to me, he was the main character, not a supporting character. supporting character was tommy lee jones. but it was almost like they knew DDL was gonna win, and they needed NCFOM to win an award besides best picture (which also should have gone to TWBB imo) so they threw him in this category, robbing wilkinson of his award ) and then when

[Show spoiler]the car blows up

i was all sorts of "what's going on?" and never lost interest.

i think another thing that causes people to find the film "boring" is the color palette. it's nothing but greys, dark blues and blacks. clothes, buildings, cars, scenery, outdoor scenes are at night mostly... all of it fits very with the atmosphere and cinematography, but if you're not hooked by the film, then yes, it will come across boring.

i find it odd how most of my favorite films i wouldn't consider films i can watch with other people (or at least not a whole bunch at once). i like intimate, close-knit films and Michael Clayton is one of those films.

story of three people who are very much alone, but connected to the exact same things, but their lives are smothered in their work. i love it. they're great at what they do, but little else (evident only by clayton of course who has money problems and while good relationships with clients, bad relationships with family and friends outside of work. but i'd assume karen crowder (swinton) and arthur are the same way) and their work takes its toll on them each in their own ways: Michael

[Show spoiler]has no money, no personal life

, karen

[Show spoiler]loses her freedom to protect her company

, and arthur

[Show spoiler]loses his mind and ultimately his life for doing what was right, but not what he was "supposed" to do

.

i also love how, i believe, michael very much sees himself in arthur and karen. and that he could very easily be in both or either of their shoes.

and i love how the film ends:

[Show spoiler]with michael "victorious" againts karen and the company, but ultimately knowing that he's lost a friend in arthur, and that tomorrow is another day.

clooney's facial expressions sum it up perfectly.

i've seen michael clayton over 20+ times now i'm sure. and that proably surprises some as they could maybe not even sit through it once. it certainly isn't for everyone, and some will find the story maybe mundane or nothing that seems to interesting, but i do and very glad to own it on blu-ray

one of my top 10 favorite films from 2007, and in my personal "top 50 favorite films" list (actually inside the top 20 i believe).

highly recommended. but i wouldn't say it's a safe blind buy (if there is such a thing) by any stretch of the imagination. if you like slow moving films with a bit of a twist and some good tense scenes in the third act, definitely check it out otherwise, continue on passed it

PQ: 3.5/5 - nothing amazing, but the reviewer on here must have pretty high standards, because while it's not demo disc material (and probably should / could look better) it still looks great to me.
AQ: 3.5/5 - hard to judge a film that uses mainly dialogue, but it's crystal clear and i have no issues with it

5/5

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Pediatrician position at a hospital there for a year. She just wants a taste of work/life outside the U.S. (older sister - older when we moved to U.S., so more torn on whether to stay here than me)

That reminds me of you being from Ireland. Have you had the pleasure of seeing In the Name of the Father?

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Triage (blu)

PQ and AQ: 4.5 (out of 5)

Both are exceptional.

Film: 3 1/2 stars (out of 4)

This is a great film, despite being a straight to dvd release (which had nothing to do with the quality of the film, but other issues). Farrell used to be seen as nothing more than tabloid fodder, but over the past few years he's really started to come on. His turning point was In Bruges, which won him a Golden Globe for best actor but SHOCKINGLY did not lead to an Oscar nomination. Since then, he's absconded from choosing pointless roles like Daredevil, The Recruit, and Swat, and as opted instead for meaningful dramas like Triage and Ondine. I see him only continuing to impress and awards will surely follow.

I have no doubt this film will make my year end top 10.

one of my ex girlfriends (years ago) used to have (maybe she still does, who knows) the biggest crush on Farrell and have a bunch of posters of him plastered all over her walls and talk about how great he was to which i would mock relentlessly (and this was right when Daredevil came out so i had a lot of ammunition to work with). thankfully she moved out of state and we don't talk otherwise i'd have to hear "told you so!" all the time from her about how great he's becoming

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

That reminds me of you being from Ireland. Have you had the pleasure of seeing In the Name of the Father?

Yes -- around the time that it came out. Fantastic film. I've been meaning to rewatch it again. Perhaps I haven't because its almost too good -- too emotional. Thankfully we lived in southern Ireland so didn't see anything close to the events/etc depicted in the film, although it was frequently discussed over the family dinner table, especially when family was in town.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Yes -- around the time that it came out. Fantastic film. I've been meaning to rewatch it again. Perhaps I haven't because its almost too good -- too emotional. Thankfully we lived in southern Ireland so didn't see anything close to the events/etc depicted in the film, although it was frequently discussed over the family dinner table, especially when family was in town.

Very interesting. I was wondering what you thought of it.

[two40]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Two, you're in Australia? Yeah that's too bad -- unless you can snag a region free player? BTW, my sis is moving to Tasmania next month (for a year)! Cool place?

Yeah, in Sydney. I have a region free player but that doesn't help with the price of BD's. I hire out a lot of them. Nothing like Netflix instant over here but we do have a mail order one that I'm looking to join.

Tasmania is a gorgeous state although it gets a bit cold (nothing like some of the US states though). It has some of the most gorgeous hiking tracks and nature reserves. It also has lots of windy roads which car buffs love. I'm a car fanatic and a hiker. I'm going to Tasmania in February on a road trip slash camping trip. I plan to drive around the whole state (very small anyway) and stay at the various popular camping sites. Really looking forward to it.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by two40

Yeah, in Sydney. I have a region free player but that doesn't help with the price of BD's. I hire out a lot of them. Nothing like Netflix instant over here but we do have a mail order one that I'm looking to join.

Tasmania is a gorgeous state although it gets a bit cold (nothing like some of the US states though). It has some of the most gorgeous hiking tracks and nature reserves. It also has lots of windy roads which car buffs love. I'm a car fanatic and a hiker. I'm going to Tasmania in February on a road trip slash camping trip. I plan to drive around the whole state (very small anyway) and stay at the various popular camping sites. Really looking forward to it.

kinda off topic (deal with it Diesel! ) but i was actually like, 3 weeks away from moving to sydney about a year and a half ago. long story short obviously i didn't, but still one of my life's goals to go their for a 3-month vacation someday.

[two40]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i think another thing that causes people to find the film "boring" is the color palette. it's nothing but greys, dark blues and blacks. clothes, buildings, cars, scenery, outdoor scenes are at night mostly... all of it fits very with the atmosphere and cinematography, but if you're not hooked by the film, then yes, it will come across boring.

I have to say I surprised myself by watching this one twice. The slow pace doesn't bother me at all and the film had enough qualities to draw me in a second time. Loved the depressing bland style you mentioned above. Suits this film to a T.

A standout for me was Tom Wilkinson as Arthur. He put in an A class performance. Loved the scene when he runs into Clayton in the street and has a bag of bread and offers him one. Just stuck with me for some reason.

[two40]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

kinda off topic (deal with it Diesel! ) but i was actually like, 3 weeks away from moving to sydney about a year and a half ago. long story short obviously i didn't, but still one of my life's goals to go their for a 3-month vacation someday.

Sydney would be glad to have you. You should try to make it around our summer months if possible. The weather is just right between December and February and you get to experience New Years with some of the most friendly folks in the world.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by two40

I have to say I surprised myself by watching this one twice. The slow pace doesn't bother me at all and the film had enough qualities to draw me in a second time. Loved the depressing bland style you mentioned above. Suits this film to a T.

A standout for me was Tom Wilkinson as Arthur. He put in an A class performance. Loved the scene when he runs into Clayton in the street and has a bag of bread and offers him one. Just stuck with me for some reason.

i think some people would look at wilkinson's performance and think, "why is that special? anyone can do what he did" but really they can't. he was at times so trippy, so off the wall insane, but then he pulled it back together again. there were so many layers to his character. it would've been easy to just make him "completely crazy" but wilkinson wasn't that and brought so much more to the character

Originally Posted by two40

Sydney would be glad to have you. You should try to make it around our summer months if possible. The weather is just right between December and February and you get to experience New Years with some of the most friendly folks in the world.

i can't even imagine what the fireworks would be like there for New Years Eve! that's gotta be something else entirely.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

I blind-bought The Magician as well. Haven't had time to watch it though. I have Thin Red Line and Charade waiting for me at B&N but I'm probably just going to pick up TTRL.

I hope to watch "The Magician" tonight, if I'm feeling up to it.

I almost ordered "TTRL," but decided I bought too much already. I'll revisit it someday I'm sure. "Charade" was a must-have for me...Audrey Hepburn FTW!

[two40]

Just received my Back to the Future Trilogy with the limited edition '3D Lenticular' cover. lol

Which one do I watch first?

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

So here's my take on the weekly movie idea.

I think we all have at least one film we want our fellow members on here to see and share ideas from. The problem with voting is that some of those particular movies will never get chosen. I was thinking of a more personal approach: We concoct a list of the "regulars" (presumably alphabetically, but we can randomly generate the order just as well). We can go down the list one by one, so that each of us has a "turn" to have everyone watch that member's "pick of the week". Then we all must put forth modest effort to watch it by the end of the week so we can spend the next week discussing it.

Reasonable?

I think it sounds reasonable.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by two40

Just received my Back to the Future Trilogy with the limited edition '3D Lenticular' cover. lol

Which one do I watch first?

In my view, BTTF should always be seen in order, Part I, Part II, Part III. Especially if this is your first time viewing; all three parts are part of one big story arc.

Lenticular cover...sounds cool....

[two40]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

So here's my take on the weekly movie idea.

I think we all have at least one film we want our fellow members on here to see and share ideas from. The problem with voting is that some of those particular movies will never get chosen. I was thinking of a more personal approach: We concoct a list of the "regulars" (presumably alphabetically, but we can randomly generate the order just as well). We can go down the list one by one, so that each of us has a "turn" to have everyone watch that member's "pick of the week". Then we all must put forth modest effort to watch it by the end of the week so we can spend the next week discussing it.

Reasonable?

Sounds very reasonable and simple which means it'll probably last longer than my idea. lol

One if you regulars start the thread and let the festivities begin.

[two40]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

In my view, BTTF should always be seen in order, Part I, Part II, Part III. Especially if this is your first time viewing; all three parts are part of one big story arc.

Lenticular cover...sounds cool....

I've seen them numerous times so I'm not too fussed with the order. I'll probably just watch them in a marathon over one weekend and possibly get sidetracked by the bonus material.