The Film Lovers Thread!

^^I'm glad you brought up The King's Speech! :woot: I've seen a few reviews that said it was very good in an Oscar-bait, slightly obvious kind of way, which I totally disagree with. :judge: I thought it was a very deep, humanistic film, and I really don't think I've ever seen Colin Firth be that good. :shock: He shows everything about his character... the hurt and frustration and how horrible it is to hit that wall where expressing himself becomes impossible, and how his disability is so clear to the world, manipulated by others, and misunderstood. I'd love to see him get the Oscar (Rush too, actually :heart:).
 
Yes, the making of Irreversible is incredible, I had to watch it immediately after seeing the film. I'd recommend watching the movie first though, that video spoils the very intense opening scene ... although it's probably easier to stomach if you know what to expect. The r*pe scene is a little long for me, but thankfully not too violent.

The rest of the movie is not so shockingly brutal, and actually quite well-done. Thomas from Daft Punk does the music, Monica and Vincent are compelling onscreen. If you can get past the graphic content, it's a film worth watching.
 
^ Oh, you convinced me then!
now I wish I didn't post the 'making of' video as it is some sort of spoiler :ninja:

The photography of the film is very appealing to me somehow, and those little details like the digital retouch of the window in the car (which wasn't meant to be noticed) makes me crave to find more.

And I didn't know the music was by Thomas from DP! :woot:

I am so gonna watch this!
 
Yes, often the camera seems to roam free of spatial restrictions ... one of the many unique elements of the film.

I recently happened to see Angst (1983), an overlooked Austrian film that heavily influenced Gaspar Noe. It's also a movie that mixes nauseating content with brilliant, inventive cinematography. So I have mixed feelings about endorsing it here -- it's not what I'd typically watch either -- but it's worth noting as a stylistic predecessor.
 
I've wanted to watch Irreversible for awhile now but everyone talks about the r*pe scene, which has kind of freaked me out. I can deal with these that are confronting but that seems to be the only thing that people mention about the film. I didn't watch the making of video but after what people have posted about it not being too violent I will try to watch it soon.
 
Monica actually does get roughed up at some point, I forgot about that b/c of the more "painful" scene. Still Irreversible can't be more violent than any of the new horror movies. It's mostly just disturbing.

On a lighter note, I recently enjoyed Orson Welles' Lady from Shanghai. The film would probably be better-known if it hadn't been sliced up by the studio, but a lot of Welles' genius remains intact. The bizarre characters and camerawork had me pondering it for days.

theladyfromshanghai.jpg

all-things-reconsidered
 
I watched Irreversible on TV and during the r*pe scene I actually changed channels, it´s not too graphic but the angle of the shoot and the "dialogues" made it uncomfortable for me to watch... but it´s a very interesting movie because of the way the story is told -not so much the actual story imo-
 
I watched Oldboy yesterday. It´s a great movie, visually very nice. I´m not familiar with korean cinema but after this I´ll watch some more :smile:
My only complaint, at times the pacing was very slow mostly cause they wanted to create the mood for some scenes but it would have been better a bit more of fast pacing... but the plot is good and interesting and the twist -though a bit expected- is well executed. Hollywood would never make something like this...
 
Recently saw The Hurt Locker. Pretty damn good since I bet it is almost to the tee of how it really is in the Middle East.

If it's that degree of accuracy you're after you should watch the miniseries Generation Kill. I watched both that and The Hurt Locker around the same time and while I quite liked The Hurt Locker I thought Generation Kill was particularly outstanding, based on a non-fiction book by a writer who was embedded with some soldiers in Iraq.
 
^IA. imo from a storytelling pov GK is better. And the fact that is has Alexander Skarsgard doesn´t hurt lol
 
Hanna-Movie-Trailer.jpg

empiremovies.com

I just saw HANNA and have only good things to say about it.

- The acting: Eric Bana, who I’m not a big fan of in general, is totally convincing here as a father who knows he can’t protect his daughter forever. He has a great presence throughout. Kind of a strong and quiet character, but Bana really sells the emotional parts. Cate Blanchett, in the villain role, is just stern and serious enough to be taken seriously as a government agent, but she also knows when to ham it up just slightly. She’s never fully over-the-top, but she isn’t afraid to have fun with the role. There are other, smaller roles that the actors shine in as well. Olivia Williams adds a bit of heart as the first real mother Hanna is exposed to and Jessica Barden is quite scene-stealing as Hanna’s first friend. The real standout, though, is Saoirse Ronan. She really inhabits her character. Throughout the film she managed to make me forget that this is the same little girl who told a lie in Atonement. She perfectly portrays her character’s ferocity, curiosity, anger, and sadness. I think it’s the best performance of the year so far (I know we’re only in April) and I suspect she’s remain in my top 5 actresses list by year’s end.

- Music: The Chemical brothers provide unusual but absolutely perfect companion music to the film. they know when the music needs to stand out a bit and when it should take back seat, but in both cases it’s lovely.

- Visuals: Joe Wright possesses insane directing abilities. Not only does he clearly excel at guiding his actors, he’s also one of the most gifted directors when it comes to visuals. Literally every location used in this film (and there are lots of them) is unusual and endlessly interesting. Alwin H. Kuchler, the cinematographer, is also to thank for the gorgeous visuals. A chase scene in some sort of Government agency building in Morocco is a thing of exciting beauty. It might be my favorite chase sequence of all time. Hanna’s childhood home in the snowy woods, a very Graffiti’d Berlin, and every other location used where all just…. well, they need to be seen in all their glory on the big screen. The visuals of this movie are really very artistic. Another aspect of Joe’s direction that’s quite thrilling is that he doesn’t feel to need to film all action sequences with quick, disorienting camera movements. Instead, he focuses on the choreography and it makes for a much more enjoyable viewing experience.

- Story: This film is a perfect combination of elements. Hanna isn’t just an action film, it’s also a coming-of-age drama, it’s a bit travelogue-esque, and there’s even a bit of fairy tale thrown in for good measure. Even though it’s ultimately a fairly serious film, there were plenty of moments where the rest of the audience and I laughed. The whole film was just really ace storytelling. There were so many little brilliant details, like Blanchett’s character’s dental hygiene fixation, or Hanna’s curiosity for music, which she can define but has never heard. The most important thing, though, is that I was really invested in Hanna as a character and I have top—notch work from everyone involved in the film to thank for that.


The other night, after I came home from the film, I thought of a few little minute details I wish had been different in the film, but I’ve completely forgotten them now. I have no qualms about calling this film a masterpiece.
 
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Please do. Even if someone doesn't like it, I think everyone can appreciate aspects of it.
 
Oh, I so wanna see Hanna.
They filmed snowy parts of it in finland.
YAY, my home country.
 
Has anyone seen Tree Of Life?
Wondering what you all thought about it.
I found it fascinating, intense, moving, beautiful and frustrating.
Terence Malick can direct, there is no question and some of the sweeping landscape shots are reminiscent of the stunning scenes in Days Of Heaven.
The dialogue is at a bare minimum, and a 20 minute segment showing the evolution of Earth itself, is lovely, but almost like a feature on the Discovery Channel. Also a short scene with Jessica Chastain flying around outdoors, seems to come from nowhere.
The actors facial expressions speak volumes and Brad Pitt, Chastain and Sean Penn, in a total non speaking role are superb, as are the child actors involved.
One of the young actors resembles Pitt so much, it's unreal.
 
we need to resurrect this thread! :woot:

i saw Tree of Life recently....i liked it. i think the most accurate thing i can say is that it's an experience. if you go in expecting a traditional 'film' with traditional plot lines and storytelling then you may come out disappointed....or at the very least confused....but if you go in with an open mind....even just willing to be moved in some way...then i think it's a beautiful piece of work. I am inclined to agree with sean penn's statement that perhaps a bit more conventional storytelling would have brought out some more emotion, and drawn the viewer in to become a bit more emotionally invested in the characters....but having said that i really respect Terrence's commitment to his vision and to telling this story in an unconventional way. this film has so much integrity, i think.....it does feel in moments like a discovery channel piece....but that's kind of refreshing. visually i found it so beautiful and so moving i almost wanted to cry in moments. it's breathtaking...

i saw Carnage a few nights ago.....has anyone else seen it? what did you think?
 
^ I feel so turned off with The Tree of Life's hype but you're making me want to see it, I hope I can get around it this weekend now with the 50 Movie challenge (which you should join! :P).

I'll also add Carnage to my list!, I love pretty much everything Polanski makes.

Watched A Better Life today. I need to see the other actors' performances but seriously, I don't think I have seen a movie with such a heartbreaking performance by a [male] actor in... ages, and about a topic that's almost 'wrong' to even acknowledge in mainstream cinema because everyone's made it so political and controversial and we're talking about people here.. people that pretty much get to be the ping-pong ball of stupid policies in both sides of the border and whose only purpose is really (corny to say it considering it's the title) a better life. I knew Démian Bichir was an outstanding actor but I think he's pretty much outdone himself here.. he nailed it 100%. I know they won't.. CAN'T give him an Oscar, god forbid the Academy makes a statement about a topic that's got society split in half, but Démian is already a winner for me. :heart:

Also watched Ryan Gosling in a Suit, aka. The Ides of March. Couldn't care less for the breaking news on the political world.. but it's worth every penny. :brows::lol:
 
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I'm trying to get back into writing something about every significant film I see, even if what I write isn't significant, it helps me keep track of what films I liked when it comes down to making year-end lists or giving people recommendations. Plus it's just fun haha

tinker-tailor12.jpg


Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tomas Alfredson | UK |2011


I think because I kept hearing everyone say how complicated this film is, I came prepared for the dense information and it didn't confuse me at all. In fact, I kind of wish the central mystery of the film had been more compelling. I don't want to spoil anything here, but as I was telling Will the other night, the reveal at the end came as no surprise to me, and again, I wish it had. The story here is actually fairly standard spy/thriller/government/Cold War stuff. There's nothing wrong with that, but given the people involved in this film, I somehow hoped for a mystery with more spark. Something more thrilling. As it is, the style of the film perfectly matches the content, so it almost seems like my criticism is unfair. The film is decidedly unemotional and cold and the fun is in the cleverness of the interweaving and just seeing the actors do their thing, I suppose. Still. I'd have loved more excitement, something to really sink your teeth into.

What sets the film apart is the artistry with which is was made, the brilliant acting, and I loved how precise and deliberate the pacing and storytelling in general were. In terms of modern film capturing the visual spirit of another era, this is the creme de la creme. Obviously I didn't live in the time period, but I felt that it matched the style of films from that era so perfectly. If I didn't know any of the actors and had never heard of the film, I would certainly believe it to have been made decades ago. So yeah, it was visually quite perfect. Another thing I loved about the film was how it blended past with present. I normally can't stand flashbacks, but I thought they worked brilliantly here. I particularly liked how the kept coming back to that Christmas party. Oh yeah, and the acting was very good all around. I wish some actors had more screentime (Colin Firth, obv), but everyone did very well with what they had and Oldman gives one of my favorite performances of the year. So subdued and unemotional, but his performance is more about the unsaid and what's going on in his mind. And he's perfect, really, showing with his eyes the little moments of remembered pain or in other scenes showing his interior struggle to remain the calm and balanced man he had to be. There's always something going on behind his eyes.

image via GQ.com
 

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