View Full Version : The 9th Mofo Movie Hall of Fame
cricket
02-27-16, 09:33 AM
I've been in a rut from being sick for a couple weeks but I've got 8 down. No problem here.
Citizen Rules
02-27-16, 02:20 PM
I'm only at 2 as well. But we still got 3 months!!! I think there's only 15 nominations if I counted right since Guap dropped.May 22nd for a deadline is good for me.
I've only seen two so far. Please let us know ASAP if anyone else says their going to drop out.
The Descendants: This is my fourth time watching this film. It has everything I love. Great characters, great writing, humor, humanity, and heartache. Add to that great cinematography and a very fitting score and you have a film firmly in my 100 and not going anywhere. Still my second favorite Payne.
SilentVamp
02-27-16, 03:35 PM
A) I am a liar. :) I said I would have some little reviews written a few days ago now and I have not done any of it. Truth be told, I hadn't really felt up to sitting and writing about anything for one reason or another, anyway. I am feeling better now, and that leads me to the next thing that I have to say. :)
B) Remember when I asked when the deadline would be? Well, the deadline is no longer necessary for me. I'm done. Seriously. I am done watching these movies already. I could honestly send in a list right now. But I don't want to send in a list until I have written about the films. My plan, then, is to kind of drag it out for myself. I want to write one a day - or one every other day. That way it feels like I am still "in" this thing. I am not sure how to explain it exactly. :) But now that I am done, all I can really do is kind of sit around and wait, so to speak. So, I want to drag this one out for a bit, and I will do that by taking my time with anything that I want to write about the films. :)
I really can't help when the movies arrive at the library. If they would allow more than a week, or even renewals, I wouldn't be finished already. I hate the idea of kind of "rushing" through these, anyway. And the library is the reason that I am done so soon.
But there it is! :D I will start next week with whatever I have to say. :)
gbgoodies
02-28-16, 12:39 AM
Damn I got work to do.
So far I'm only at 2/16... but maybe 3/16, since I might not bother watching my own nom again. After all I did watch it very recently, which is also the reason I chose to nominate later on.
I'm only at 2 as well. But we still got 3 months!!! I think there's only 15 nominations if I counted right since Guap dropped.
May 22nd for a deadline is good for me.
I've only seen two so far. Please let us know ASAP if anyone else says their going to drop out.
Only 2??? Even I've watched 5 of these movies already, and I didn't even join this HoF.
cricket
02-28-16, 07:54 AM
The Piano
http://images4.static-bluray.com/reviews/5479_1.jpg
3.5+
First time watching this movie, and it's one I've been interested in for quite a while. Judging it by sight and sound, I think most people will say it's exceptional, and it is a lovely film in that regard. Three very good performances from actors I like, and I was most impressed with Keitel, because when he first appeared, I thought he seemed out of his element. There's a lot of passion in this movie, starting with Hunter's for her beloved piano, and the passion that pours out of her while playing it. From there, it seems to spread to other characters. The two male characters were also done pretty well, with flaws, but very believably human. I find it hard to decide if I like child performances, but I thought Paquin was fine. I don't understand her character's decision to bring the message to Neill though, unless she was just disgusted at what she saw earlier. This is a terrific movie, but I would have needed to feel the emotion more to consider it a favorite. While I wasn't completely hypnotized by it, I at least bought into it. I'm glad to have finally seen it.
Cricket, honestly after your initial hesitancy about it, I was really worried you wouldn't like it. I'm very pleased by the rating. :)
cricket
02-28-16, 08:10 AM
I had no interest in it when it came out; I just didn't like those kinds of movies back then. Over the last couple years I've taken a strong interest in it, and was very happy it was nominated.
Citizen Rules
02-28-16, 12:47 PM
Only 2??? Even I've watched 5 of these movies already, and I didn't even join this HoF. Now I'm up to 3 films. Just seen The Lives of Others, has anybody watched this one yet?
Now I'm up to 3 films. Just seen The Lives of Others, has anybody watched this one yet?
I watched it the week before the noms, so I won't be revisiting. What did you think?
rauldc14
02-28-16, 12:51 PM
Only 2??? Even I've watched 5 of these movies already, and I didn't even join this HoF.
I've seen more than 2, just not during this. There's many I need to rewatch.
Citizen Rules
02-28-16, 01:13 PM
I watched it the week before the noms, so I won't be revisiting. What did you think? Thanks Sean.
The Lives of Others
First off, the subject matter of Communist East German Secret Police and their network of agents and informers and how they operate...is right up my alley! I love this subject, because it's history. I love history, especially history that hasn't been covered much in movies.
I found the first act totally fascinating: the Stasi secret police headquarters and the interrogation of a suspect who's friend had escaped to the west. Even better was the scene of the interrogator teaching a class of Stasi candidates the finer points on how to break a person over hours of sleep deprivation and how the innocent act under duress vs how differently the guilty act....Man powerfully stuff! I had this film pegged at a 5/5 and ready to put it at the top of my list.
But then the film shifts gears and becomes an introspective look at a lonely Stasi police officer and how the lives of a writer and actresses changes his outlook on life. That part was well done, but it was so not want I waited to see, as I wanted to see a film more like the first act.
Question...does anyone else ever see a 'different' movie coming in the first few minutes of a film, and then get disappointed that the movie turns out differently than you had first envisioned it?
Question...about the ending,
When the actresses runs out of the apartment and is hit by the truck, did anybody else think the movie was both showing she commented suicide while also kind of showing it as an accident?
I felt the natural ending was when the writer, a couple years latter encountered the ex minister at a stage play and tells him it was people like him who made life miserable. I thought that was the end, but then we get another epilogue about the ex Stasi agent years latter, and it seemed to me to dilute the power of the previous scene.
I had read the synopsis of the film so I wasn't surprised but I can understand how that may have disappointed you. The film has a whole lot going on. In fact this may be one of the most thematically rich movies I have seen. There is a ton to unravel.
To your ending question, yes. In fact I never even questioned whether that was ambiguous.
Glad you liked The Lives of Others, Citizen.
I did like the second act though I can understand your point. I remember loving the ending but I agree with you that the last scene dilutes some of the power of the previous one!
Brief Encounter (David Lean, 1945)
http://altscreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Editors-Pick-Brief-Encounter.jpg
Hmmm.. How to describe this?
There are certainly some moments I really enjoyed! The b&w cinematography is very beautiful, particularly the scenes at the station and the soundtrack is stunning, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 has always been one of my favourite pieces of music and here it makes half of the film. The acting is pretty solid though I didn't care for any of the characters. The plot is quite simple and straight forward which is not necessarily bad but I was expecting a bit more essence. Overall, I liked it, the ending is quite good, but I feel I didn't like it as much as some people!
I've read some comparisons between this and Casablanca and that's a crime, in my opinion.
rating_2_5 +
Thursday Next
02-28-16, 01:55 PM
That's a harsh rating :(
neiba has a limp upper lip. :cool:
I think it's spot on...I might have went 3. Can't remember for sure.
Death Race 2000 (Paul Bartel, 1975)
http://bananasaboutmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/article-main-death-race-2000.jpg
So, this is the day for me to bash popular HoF nominations, I guess...
Just can't imagine why people think highly of this. It's supposed to be a B-Movie but it tries to take itself seriously too many times, the ending is just ridiculous and I've seen better acting in porn.
I'm with MM, Death Race (2008), not being a very good film too, is still better than this one.
rating_1_5
(and that's just because there's boobs)
MovieMeditation
02-28-16, 02:55 PM
Way to go, neiba. On point! :up:
Way to go, neiba. On point! :up:
I disagree, he is a star and a half too high.
MovieMeditation
02-28-16, 03:13 PM
I disagree, he is a star and a half too high.
https://media.giphy.com/media/SPqz9tfgMGLyo/giphy.gif
MovieMeditation
02-28-16, 03:34 PM
Better than Shawshank.
https://49.media.tumblr.com/2b4072ba7a727937b430e2c099901076/tumblr_niar985TNL1qapk2qo1_400.gif
Better than Shawshank.
You sorry @#! $&*%#! $@ I ought to #! $@^/&*(&. &*/#$@ you.
Just kidding, your still my homie but Death Race sucks. :D
You sorry @#! $&*%#! $@ I ought to #! $@^/&*(&. &*/#$@ you.
http://www.bollardsinmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/death-race-2000-machine-gun-joe-baked-potato-quote.gif
http://www.bollardsinmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/death-race-2000-machine-gun-joe-baked-potato-quote.gif
While I was watching Death Race I kept thinking it was unbelievable I was going to see this guy give an Oscar speech in a few weeks.
Yeah well, it takes a very refined, sophisticated individual to understand and appreciate Death Race 2000.
While I was watching Death Race I kept thinking it was unbelievable I was going to see this guy give an Oscar speech in a few weeks.
I doubt you will!
I doubt you will!
He might be the biggest lock. I kind of like him actually. Death Race definitely shows why he has the rep he does though.
Better than Shawshank.
Don't you think it's a bit stupid to compare Shawshank with Death Race 2000?
http://i.imgur.com/JOKkG98.gif
Thursday Next
02-29-16, 07:30 AM
Don't you think it's a bit stupid to compare Shawshank with Death Race 2000?
Only because Shawshank isn't nominated in this hall of fame. Otherwise, comparisons like this are the name of the game.
Don't you think it's a bit stupid to compare Shawshank with Death Race 2000?
http://i.imgur.com/JOKkG98.gif
Nope. They are clearly the exact same film.
In the name of cinema, stop trolling. :D
Stop being cynical and humorless.
tatmmw2
02-29-16, 08:08 AM
The Descendants rating_4 Spoilers:
I only watched 3 movies, but it's the best so far in my opinion. I like how he made the right decision at the end. Also how everyone screams at the mother. I started hating Sid at the beginnging, like he was the classic teenager cliche, but then I liked how he was presented as there is another side of everything, like his past and his respect to Matt. And the scene of the grandpa's punch was priceless :p. I love Matt's character too!. Kind of weird the end though, they were like the Simpsons sitting on the couch.
I'll try to watch Adaptation this week.
jiraffejustin
02-29-16, 06:35 PM
That's a harsh rating :(
Agreed. The beautiful cinematography gets two-and-a-half stars on its own. The two main characters are very believable, the script is witty and well-done. Four stars is the least I think you should go for Brief Encounter.
I also recently saw Beasts of the Southern Wild, I think highly of that film too. I think the ending isn't all that great, but that's hardly a deal breaker. I'd still go at least three-and-a-half popcorns. Quvenzhané Wallis received plenty of praise for performance, deservedly so, but I think Dwight Henry is the real MVP. Pretty darn good modern fairy tale.
jiraffejustin
02-29-16, 06:38 PM
Death Race 2000 (Paul Bartel, 1975)
http://bananasaboutmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/article-main-death-race-2000.jpg
So, this is the day for me to bash popular HoF nominations, I guess...
Just can't imagine why people think highly of this. It's supposed to be a B-Movie but it tries to take itself seriously too many times, the ending is just ridiculous and I've seen better acting in porn.
I'm with MM, Death Race (2008), not being a very good film too, is still better than this one.
rating_1_5
(and that's just because there's boobs)
I know you mean "I've seen better acting in porn" to be an insult, but I think porno acting is underrated anyway.
Pussy Galore
02-29-16, 10:39 PM
I have a school break this week, so I'll probably watch a lot of HOF movies, here's what I have to say about each of them as of now.
Rules of the Game: I've seen it last year, I remember liking it, but a lot less than La grande illusion, I might rewatch it for the HOF.
The Magnificient Ambersons: I watched it 2 days ago, I liked it a lot. A very good looking film, the Orson Welles narration is always nice, the story isn't anything special, but the way it was told is original and makes the film, I particularly enjoyed the begging montage where Welles showed the 1870's era in all its splendor. Overall not as good as Citizen Kane, but still a very solid film.
Brief Encounter: I watched it a couple months ago and loved it, it's a new favorite. Celia Johnson's performance is one of my favorite of all time, it might also be one of my favorite love story, it'll definitely be high on my list.
Leave her to Heaven: Haven't seen it yet.
The Best Years of our Lives: I enjoyed it, a classic story told in a very efficient way that is entertaining even if it's long. It shows very well the harsh reality of non only going to war, but actually coming back from it and go on with your life. The perforances are all very good, I particularly enjoyed Teresa Wright's performance, I also might add that she was stunningly beautiful.
Death Race 2000 Haven't seen it
Mikey and Nicky Haven't seen it
The Piano I remember not caring for it, but it's been a while. I will definitely rewatch it for the HOF, I think I will enjoy it since my artistic taste has evolved and I remember the film to be particularly beautiful visually.
Dead Man Walking: My nomination, I love it, Sean Penn made me cry, really emotionally devastating.
No Man's Land: I just watched it and it's a great film, it started pretty slow, the first 20 minutes didn't really capture me, but when they got on the no man's land I was gripped. From then on it's a fantastic film that says a lot about society, about war, but also about human impulses.
Adaptation.: I've seen it like 3 years ago, I don't remember it so I'll watch it again.
The Lives of Others I've also seen this film like 3 years ago and I own it on DVD so I'll rewatch it.
The Descendants Haven't seen it
Beasts of Southern Wild Haven't seen it and I don't particularly look forward to it haha.
Time Lapse Haven't seen it
MovieMeditation
03-01-16, 04:25 PM
I recently saw The Magnificent Ambersons. I don't got much to say this time, sorry. I was slightly distracted throughout, which would make it unfair to completely criticize it now. That said, you can feel there's a really good movie in here, if only the studio hadn't chopped it to pieces. A shame we never got to see Orson's own film (again). But great great cinemotograhy, good dialogue and narration and decent acting.
cricket
03-01-16, 04:29 PM
Pretty much how I feel, MovieMed.
SilentVamp
03-01-16, 07:28 PM
Adaptation
This was a re-watch.
My first time watching it was quite a few years ago.
In my memory, I liked it. I liked it a lot, in fact. As for now? Not so much. There was just something off about it. What that was, I really don't know. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't in the best of moods when I watched it. I really hadn't been feeling well, and I hadn't slept much either. Maybe this wasn't the right movie for me to watch at that particular time. In a way, I suppose that it would be unfair of me to really judge it, but I think my mind was pretty clear, and I just didn't care for it.
Yeah, there are some good parts to it (i.e. the bit with "Being John Malkovich"), but nothing that great to improve my opinion of it.
I remembered very little about the story, but as the film went on, I remembered more and more, and I eventually remembered the outcome before it happened. The story itself is OK. I don't know. I just didn't care for it this time around. I hate the fact that I can't think of the correct words to use to describe this because I don't like sounding so vague. But I just don't know what it was that didn't do it for me this time around.
Maybe it was the fact that it seemed that I liked it so much the first time, and then it just was not as good as I remembered it to be, and, therefore, that is why the movie is such a disappointment. I don't know. I really don't.
Chris Cooper was good. He generally is. I am going to come out of the closet right now, though, and say that I am NOT a fan of Meryl Streep. If the rest of the world wants to adore her, go right ahead. She does nothing for me. And there was nothing about her performance that was so great. I just don't like her. :shrug: If she put on a great show, I would give her the respect despite my feelings towards her, but she didn't impress me at all in this.
And then there is Nicolas Cage. He is the one that I remember the most. Yes, it is his film, but that doesn't mean he would be the best in it. Luckily, though, he is. And I remembered that from before. I was looking forward to watching this movie just so I could watch his performance again. He is great. But then again, I like Nicolas Cage in everything that I see him in. I wish people would give him more respect for his talent than they do.
Anyway, this is a weak thing that I have written here. I know it is. Very weak. But I don't know how to describe my feelings towards something that I really didn't like when I don't have an exact reason as to why I didn't like it.
Now keep in mind, though, I didn't say that I hated the movie. Only that I didn't like it.
Give me another 10 years (even 10 months) and I just may like it again. Who knows?
2.5
rauldc14
03-01-16, 08:55 PM
Mikey and Nicky
For me, this was a rather average movie. The direction wasn't that great, the dialogue was subpar. The acting was pretty good though, i thought that Falk and Cassavetes had pretty decent chemistry, so it hid some of those faults for me in a majority of this movie. It just wasn't an engaging story for me, which is too bad because I normally love these types of movies. It's one of those movies where nothing was terrible but yet nothing made it stand out for me. I can see why someone may like it but it wasn't my favorite kind of movie.
3
AlexWilder
03-03-16, 08:09 PM
No Man's Land: I just watched it and it's a great film, it started pretty slow, the first 20 minutes didn't really capture me, but when they got on the no man's land I was gripped. From then on it's a fantastic film that says a lot about society, about war, but also about human impulses.
it looks like you are the first one to watch my nomination !
im glad you liked it :D
AlexWilder
03-03-16, 08:32 PM
so i've seen some of the movies in the last few days, here are my thoughts briefly :
the best years of our lives
excellent movie, as i expected, everething is perfect in this movie, the storytelling, directing, acting..
what i loved the most about this film is how it managed to tell us 3 stories in a way that we don't feel like we are jumping from one to another, i also loved the wide shots that the director used multiple times to show us two things happening in the same time or what some call ' tha lazy directing '
time lapse
what really bothered me about this movie is the acting which was really bad from all the actors, other than that the story was okay, usually in this type of movies it's hard to finish the film without ruining it, so i'd say that the end was okay it could have been a lot worse
i'm glad this movie was nominated because if it wasn't i would never have seen it...
SilentVamp
03-05-16, 07:22 PM
it looks like you are the first one to watch my nomination !
I've seen it. :)
I think yours will be the next that I review here and I think you won't be disappointed with what I have to say. :)
The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles, 1942)
A very good movie!
There's something about an Welles film that it's immediately recognizable! It's impressive how each shot is so freaking well filmed! After a while I was almost wishing for a regular and uninteresting camera angle (even the credits were incredibly artistic). That alone made of this a fantastic experience.
The acting is solid from everyone, I particularly liked Agnes Moorehead as Aunt Fanny!
However, the story did not make much for me, the plotline was quite uninteresting and that made me enjoy it less than I could have! But, again, it's a very good movie and I'm glad I watched it!!!
rating_3
cricket
03-05-16, 07:54 PM
Dead Man Walking
http://cdn.moviestillsdb.com/sm/e224146a7ffd44f3eed4711731c12e09/dead-man-walking.jpg
This is probably an odd movie for me to have missed all these years, as it turned out to suit my taste pretty well. It came out during my peak drinking years, and then I figured it would be boring and I just forgot it existed. I now appreciate strong drama and great performances more than anything else, and that's what this movie is all about. I've always loved Sean Penn, and he's in several of my personal favorite movies. I know he's a great actor, because I watched this movie, and what I saw was the character he played; I didn't see him. Susan Sarandon is one of my favorite actresses, and this has to be one of her greatest performances. The supporting cast is also very good. Maybe some people would call this movie melodramatic, but for me, that's a good thing. I was emotionally invested throughout. I thought it was a complete movie, with how we see what the crime was, and how the victim's and inmate's families got extensive time in the movie. It's a new favorite for me; I loved it!
4.5
Citizen Rules
03-05-16, 10:08 PM
Maybe some people would call this movie melodramatic, but for me, that's a good thingMe too...and the more Hofs I join, the more you guys will see I levitate towards melodramatic films.
The Best Years Of Our Lives: I can't believe I have never even heard of this movie before. Another three hour movie where I didn't feel the length at all because the story is really engaging. I can't think of another war movie where we don't see any of the war at all (yes, I am looking forward to Mark coming in here and naming ten), and the movie is better for it. We feel the weight of what these men have been through by their interactions with others. It is a great way to tell PTSD story, and this is long before anyone was talking about that, or at least before they named it. All three characters have unique issues and each one is very engaging. I especially responded to Fred's story and the nuance there. I love the narrative of a highly decorated and highly respected military man coming home and basically having nothing. It is upsetting in the proper way. It really makes me think about the disservice we do to our military men. As much as I like the story here I do think the film is lacking technically. There is nothing very exciting here visually and I really disliked the score. Often times I barely hear the score in a film, only noticing when I really am responding positively or negatively to it. Here I was aware of it in a negative way so it was a bit distracting at times. Other than that I really liked this film and am very glad to have watched it.
Nope1172
03-06-16, 08:42 PM
Time Lapse
I'm quite honestly not sure what to think about this film after seeing it. I thought that the concept was very interesting, (even though it was ripped completely from an episode of the Twilight Zone (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734543/)) and I thought the film was very unique and interesting. The best part of the film was its use of suspense, especially one scene in particular which I won't spoil. The thing that really held back the film was by far the acting. The line delivery was at some points comical, and occasionally ruined the suspense of a scene. The other thing that I didn't like about the film was the often questionable and unrealistic choices made by the characters. I think this would have worked better as a book rather than a movie. Also the ending of the film was... interesting.
There were also some explanations that made practically no sense for example:
When they first found the old man's incredibly fake looking corpse in the storage room, I thought it was interesting that the reason for his death was "f*cking with time." It is later explained however that he was killed by a gas he tipped over. Did the gas instantly kill him? He defiantly wasn't locked in the room since he had the keys on him. If the gas did instantly kill him, wouldn't it have also killed the other characters who entered the room multiple times? Also they never explained how the scientist set the machine to look much further into the future.
An interesting concept and idea, but executed somewhat poorly. Still entertain however.
3.5-
tatmmw2
03-06-16, 10:04 PM
I was and am excited to listen to the reviews of people who watched the movie, I know that out of the total of people, some or many, maybe won't like it, but so far I'm glad that they do, although of course it can't compite with the other movies XD
SilentVamp
03-07-16, 02:11 AM
The Best Years Of Our Lives:.....
It is a great way to tell PTSD story, and this is long before anyone was talking about that, or at least before they named it.
They had names for it:
Soldier's Heart (this was a term used a lot after the Civil War)
Battle (or Combat) Fatigue
Shell Shock
Et.c.
During the Civil War they were good for calling it "Nostalgia" (or even just "Melancholia"). I think the "Nostalgia" diagnosis is interesting because that is just calling it "Homesickness". I won't go on about various stories that I've read, but I just can't understand why they would address it as that no matter what.
Adaptation (Jonze, 2002)
http://i.imgur.com/4IlWyOx.jpg
New favorite alert! On my initial first viewing I liked it, but overall the film didn't really click with me. Nowadays I have a clear taste; I enjoy films that talk about the film-making process, or creativity-related issues every artist has. Every aspect of the film works. And yes, even good ol' Cage, who is good actor when he's given a good script and proper direction. It's kind of hard to exactly pinpoint why I loved my second viewing. Maybe it's because all actors did a great job. Maybe because Kaufman knows how to tell a story while having his own unique vision, instead of randomly putting in weird situations. Maybe because the symbolism is subtle, and at the end it all meets together.
4.5
Thursday Next
03-08-16, 05:22 PM
The Magnificent Ambersons
This was alright, although I found it quite hard to get into. Some interesting camera angles, some decent acting but the story at times seemed like it was trying to squeeze a melodrama out of a non-drama (what exactly was the big scandal about the widowed mother seeing her old love?) and it's got to be one of the slowest sub-90 minute films I've ever seen. Sometimes it also seemed a bit choppy in terms of the flow of the story - I wonder whether this was because about an hour was cut out of the original cut, but I suppose we'll never know!
jiraffejustin
03-08-16, 08:37 PM
While I was watching The Magnificent Ambersons, I found myself very much enjoying everything the camera did. If the award given out by our esteemed panel was for Best Director and not Best Picture, it's easy to think that my vote would absolutely go to Orson Welles for his work on this movie.
Unfortunately for Orson and the Ambersons, we vote for the overall quality of the film and not just the direction. I feel pretty much the same as most of us have: Orson not being able to make his film significantly effected the outcome of what we have left to judge. At times it does feel a bit choppy, as if we are missing something in the middle.
Orson Welles was an incredible talent, it's a shame he wasn't left to his projects. The Magnificent Ambersons could have been an all-time great. I enjoyed it quite a bit all the way through, but I know it's just because of how interesting the direction was.
rauldc14
03-09-16, 04:04 PM
Time Lapse
An interesting and a fun movie, but not a quality film. The acting was pretty bad especially the two male leads. The story was interesting, but it took a few turns that I thought to be a bit strange. I'm a bit puzzled by the ending, but it was interesting to see how all the pieces came into place. One central location movies can certainly work (Rear Window, Disturbia) and this had a feel similar to them but wasn't close to their quality. I wouldn't watch this again probably but I cannot blame anybody for having this as their guilty pleasure. But far from a Hall of Fame worthy candidate. This is why I think some people reach for picks in a Hall of Fame type setting, choosing their pick more based off of things people haven't seen.
2.5
Citizen Rules
03-09-16, 04:22 PM
This is why I think some people reach for picks in a Hall of Fame type setting, choosing their pick more based off of things people haven't seen. That's an interesting point, and one that I have wrestled with myself. I mean should I nominate an obscure film that is just OK, or a well known film that will be well received? People seem to have different opinions on that and I don't have the answer. I'm interested in hearing what others say.
rauldc14
03-09-16, 04:28 PM
There are certainly a couple favorites of mine that quite a few haven't seen, but I haven't nominated them yet. I don't think they would do that well, either.
Citizen Rules
03-09-16, 04:31 PM
The reason I haven't nominated some of my all time favorites is I'm sure someone would complain that I chose a dead ringer. I think being a 'dead ringer' would go against the film and it wouldn't win just for that reason. Not that I care if I win...I mean there's no cash price involved.
cricket
03-09-16, 04:33 PM
I am always most excited to watch something I haven't already seen, and that's how I think when I choose a nomination. Of course, that's more of a risk.
I usually don't nominate any of my big favorites because I have terrible taste. :D
gbgoodies
03-09-16, 05:36 PM
That's an interesting point, and one that I have wrestled with myself. I mean should I nominate an obscure film that is just OK, or a well known film that will be well received? People seem to have different opinions on that and I don't have the answer. I'm interested in hearing what others say.
I prefer when people choose more obscure movies for these HoFs. It's easy to pick a well-known and highly respected movie, but you run the risk of that movie also being one that most people have already seen. Even if they love it, there's nothing new about it. The discussion is all stuff that you can find all over the 'net, (and in a bunch of the favorite movie list threads).
But when the movie is more obscure, we get to hear different thoughts and opinions about the movie. Even if some people don't think it's a HoF quality movie, at least it's something different, not something that we've seen and heard about for years.
How many HoFs have there been where we heard a bunch of people say something like "I've seen that movie already, and it's great. I can't wait to watch it again."? We don't need these HoFs to watch movies that we've already seen. They're more fun when they're movies that are new to us.
At least that's my opinion. ;)
tatmmw2
03-09-16, 06:04 PM
Time Lapse
An interesting and a fun movie, but not a quality film. The acting was pretty bad especially the two male leads. The story was interesting, but it took a few turns that I thought to be a bit strange. I'm a bit puzzled by the ending, but it was interesting to see how all the pieces came into place. One central location movies can certainly work (Rear Window, Disturbia) and this had a feel similar to them but wasn't close to their quality. I wouldn't watch this again probably but I cannot blame anybody for having this as their guilty pleasure. But far from a Hall of Fame worthy candidate. This is why I think some people reach for picks in a Hall of Fame type setting, choosing their pick more based off of things people haven't seen.
2.5
I think it's a nice way to say it, you are right it can't be compared with the other HoF nominations. I guess I should watch more movies before entering this type of tournaments XD, because the more I watch the better my horizons in movies are, and the higher the chance of choosing a movie that a lot of people like!
gbgoodies
03-09-16, 06:07 PM
I think it's a nice way to say it, you are right it can't be compared with the other HoF nominations. I guess I should watch more movies before entering this type of tournaments XD, because the more I watch the better my horizons in movies are, and the higher the chance of choosing a movie that a lot of people like!
Tat, I thought your nomination was a breath of fresh air in the HoFs. I wish more people would choose these types of underrated and/or guilty pleasure movies, rather than "playing to win" with a movie that's on every movie critic's top movies list.
Guaporense
03-09-16, 06:09 PM
Me too...and the more Hofs I join, the more you guys will see I levitate towards melodramatic films.
That's the good stuff indeed.
Citizen Rules
03-09-16, 06:14 PM
I think it's a nice way to say it, you are right it can't be compared with the other HoF nominations. I guess I should watch more movies before entering this type of tournaments XD, because the more I watch the better my horizons in movies are, and the higher the chance of choosing a movie that a lot of people like! Oh no Tat, please don't think your nomination wasn't as good as everybody elses. It is as good.
I haven't seen it yet, but so far most people's opinions are positive of it. We all love different types of films and no one film will be loved by all. With Hofs, you nominate a film you believe in, which you did.
If you can watch all the films by the deadline and turn in a ranked voting list then you are a good Hof member:)
This year for your consideration into the baseball HOF Rafael Belliard. I'm not rippin on Tatt's nom as I haven't even seen it yet but the idea that we shouldn't be nominating the best films for the HOF is ludicrous. That's exactly what we should be nominating.
rauldc14
03-09-16, 07:51 PM
We could also change future names to the Hall of OK.
Again I'm not dissing because I actually somewhat enjoyed that movie.
cricket
03-09-16, 07:53 PM
I try to nominate great movies; I just try to nominate the less obvious ones. HoF definitely means the best though, or else it could just be called a tournament.
tatmmw2
03-09-16, 08:05 PM
Thank you guys! I am not going to give up or anything, I just think I haven't seen a lot of movies, therefore my vision of movies isn't as wide as a lot of the recurrent members. I'm glad you enjoy it, I will make my best to come up with a better movie, maybe some/almost-everyone of you take some time to decide 1, in my case I couldn't remember a good movie. I saw this movie recently (odd enough I don't know why I have it on my list) and I thought it was good enough. Rauld and cricket are right, this is a tournament to give the best movie you can think of, also yeah it's to have fun and enjoy new movies XD
gbgoodies
03-09-16, 08:08 PM
I try to nominate great movies; I just try to nominate the less obvious ones. HoF definitely means the best though, or else it could just be called a tournament.
I think I would prefer these if they were just tournaments. I don't need any help finding the top-rated movies. I can find them on any "best of" lists. I want to see more movies that people love because they think the movie is a "hidden gem".
I think I would prefer these if they were just tournaments. I don't need any help finding the top-rated movies. I can find them on any "best of" lists. I want to see more movies that people love because they think the movie is a "hidden gem".
I don't think that was ever what these were meant to be. The HOF is for the best movies that we love. I don't know, we have plenty of people to share obscure films as well it's not like there is a shortage of that either.
Citizen Rules
03-09-16, 08:23 PM
I've been reading past Hofs, all the way back to Hof 1. And this question has come up many times before. Godoggo had said what Sean just said, "The HOF is for the best movies that we love."...Which is perfect for getting a variety of films that are usually pretty good.
If Tat loves or believes in Time Lapse then that was the perfect choice for him. And Tat don't feel bad, most of the movies including my own have received criticisms. That's just the way it is and no one should take it to heart, unless you're the director;)
gbgoodies
03-09-16, 08:48 PM
I think I would prefer these if they were just tournaments. I don't need any help finding the top-rated movies. I can find them on any "best of" lists. I want to see more movies that people love because they think the movie is a "hidden gem".
I don't think that was ever what these were meant to be. The HOF is for the best movies that we love. I don't know, we have plenty of people to share obscure films as well it's not like there is a shortage of that either.
Well, I wasn't here when the HoFs started, but I understand the concept. I'm just giving my opinion.
Most of us here have seen many of the top-rated movies, and we rarely need a "push" to see the ones that we haven't seen yet. I just think it's nice to see some underrated movies nominated once in a while.
I think that's why I prefer the "Movie of the Month" over the HoFs. The people who are choosing those movies are picking movies that they think are underrated and underseen.
mojofilter
03-09-16, 09:10 PM
Sorry, I'm late to the party.
Where do I nominate and to whom do I submit my nominations?
Sorry, I'm late to the party.
Where do I nominate and to whom do I submit my nominations?
You would have to wait for the next one if you want to join a general HOF Mojo. If you want to join the Western HOF that is open for nominations right now. You PM them to the host and just post in the thread that you want to join.
jiraffejustin
03-10-16, 01:16 AM
I think you should nominate whatever movie you want for whatever reason you want, as long as you like the movie you nominate. Which I think everybody does, so there is no problem.
rauldc14
03-10-16, 04:39 AM
As I stated though, I'm still glad that I saw Time Lapse. It is probably Tats version of Jumper or Disturbia for me, a film everyone hates but I quite enjoy.
cricket
03-10-16, 07:07 PM
No Man's Land
https://5plitreel.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/n.jpg
3.5-
I didn't know anything about this movie, and I avoided reading anything about it in this thread because I wanted to watch it blind. I really enjoyed it, but quite frankly I'm surprised it won the Oscar for best foreign film. Was this movie supposed to be completely serious? I'm asking because I genuinely don't know. I felt almost like it was a black comedy at times, and I also wondered how realistic it was. Not that any of that was a problem for me though. I very much liked the story and the interaction between the characters. The one big issue I had with the movie was how it looked. I thought it looked very plain, and I believe that led to a dearth of atmosphere and style. It looked to me like it could have been filmed at any little state park on a sunny day. Other than that, I thought it was a very good movie, but I didn't think it was all that close to great.
AlexWilder
03-10-16, 07:45 PM
glad you enjoyed the movie, but in my humble opinion i think the atmosphere was meant to be like that to make the film look more realistic and i think it worked.
cricket
03-10-16, 07:52 PM
glad you enjoyed the movie, but in my humble opinion i think the atmosphere was meant to be like that to make the film look more realistic and i think it worked.
Yea and I could be totally off about it because that could be exactly how it looks over there. In fact, I don't doubt it at all, but I still think something could have been done either with the cinematography or the type of film they used.
Time Lapse: I don't have a lot to add to what has already been said. I am not the biggest fan of high concept sci-fi so this movie was very hard for me to get into. Add that to the twisty thriller ending and this just wasn't for me. Glad I watched it though Tatt. I wouldn't have without your nomination.
rauldc14
03-11-16, 10:49 AM
I think Danielle Panabaker was worth one star at least.
I think Danielle Panabaker was worth one star at least.
Could have been, if you know what I mean. ;)
jiraffejustin
03-11-16, 03:02 PM
Watched Death Race 2000 today, some thoughts:
It's my nomination, so it's obvious that I like it. But I liked it even more this time than the previous.
It's very tongue-in-cheek and very sharp. It's a funny film, but it's not without merit in other fields. I think it's an interesting look at hero worship, masculinity, and shady governments being taken over and turned into other shady governments. I've seen more academic dissections of these topics, but I don't think I've ever seen any as fun as this one.
No Man's Land: Sorry to say but this was pretty ho-hum for me. I agree with someone who said it got better after the first half hour, but it still certainly wasn't great for me. Despite being a war movie the man laying on the mine was the only conflict this film made me care about. The ending is good and pretty heart breaking. The journey isn't all that compelling though.
AlexWilder
03-13-16, 03:00 PM
the magnificent ambersons
it's the third orson movie i watch , after citizen kane and the lady from shanghai
i didn't really enjoy the first two, and this one was even worse, i found it boring and pointless, i didn't care much about the characters, the only thing i liked about this film was the directing especially the camera movements.
i don't know what's my probleme with orson welles, but i'll give him another try with touch of evil, the trial...
jiraffejustin
03-13-16, 03:17 PM
The Best Years of Our Lives:
A damn good "Hollywood" movie. All of the characters and performances are great (except maybe that Homer has a Boston accent for some reason. Someone care to explain that to me?). I became pretty invested in the story and outcome of the three men who came home from fighting in the war, and I genuinely found myself rooting for them. I was worried about the lengthy run time, but it was never a bother. Good nomination.
MovieMeditation
03-13-16, 03:22 PM
the magnificent ambersons
it's the third orson movie i watch , after citizen kane and the lady from shanghai
i didn't really enjoy the first two, and this one was even worse, i found it boring and pointless, i didn't care much about the characters, the only thing i liked about this film was the directing especially the camera movements.
i don't know what's my probleme with orson welles, but i'll give him another try with touch of evil, the trial...
You are not the only one I can assure you.
Citizen Rules
03-13-16, 05:42 PM
http://1cqgxm3l59yi2wwbnn3qy35h.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Leave-Her-to-Heaven-Taos-House-sets-17.jpg
Leave Her To Heaven (1945)
This is my nomination and I watched it last night, it had been years since I last seen it. I have to say, I was even more impressed with the film the second time around. It's not your typical 1940s Hollywood film. It has a quality to it, that's hard to describe.
It's a slow burn, like sipping on a glass of fine brandy. At first it's easy, mellow and smooth. Slowly there's a growing sense that something is not quite right with Ellen (Gene Tierney)...but she's so beautiful in another worldly way, that we're drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Richard (Cornel Wilde) is an innocuous man, and it's easy to be in his shoes and fall for Ellen. What guy wouldn't?
I love the way the film really takes the time to develop the relationship between the two. So many films rush from the first meeting of boy & girl, to being in love in the very next scene. The strength of Leave Her to Heaven is the way the film never rushes the story.
No one but Gene Tierney could have played this part. She gives Ellen grace, beauty and a strange ethereal quality that makes Ellen attractive and yet reprehensible.
The other thing I love is the look of the film. The art direction is sublime. The theme of aqua is used often in the film and is associated with Ellen. In set design, aqua is considered a 'cool color' and Ellen is cold as she is beautiful.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UfO7zmlyyVY/Uaasj6ywZgI/AAAAAAAASUc/sovQX5D3vtA/s1600/LeaveHerCornel05.jpg
I love the care the director put into the scenes, one that stands out is the stair case scene. We see Ellen take her time getting dressed, she picks out aqua shoes and dresses in an aqua & white print negligee, that matches the wall paper. All of this, for a particular event in the movie. This simply scene of getting dressed, shows the mindset of Ellen.
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_SEfJ5gvDcQ/Uaa-6G_ODxI/AAAAAAAASWw/R17k66UF7ds/s1600/SLEEPWEARleave1.png
I just really love this film, it's so well done.
SilentVamp
03-13-16, 08:00 PM
except maybe that Homer has a Boston accent for some reason. Someone care to explain that to me?)
My explanation is the fact that Harold Russell is from Massachusetts, and he wasn't an actor when they cast him. William Wyler wanted him after he saw this film right here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp1E5smfSDI
Citizen Rules
03-13-16, 08:06 PM
I heard that too. If my memory serves me Harold Russell was a WWII vet who had lost his arm in the war. Like Audrey Murphy he was cast as 'himself' and really struck a cord with the audiences. It's been a while since I seen the movie but I remember being very impressed with his character. I have the DVD and will be watching this fairly soon.
Citizen Rules
03-14-16, 04:30 PM
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=24573&stc=1&d=1457981883The Magnificent Ambersons (1942, Orson Welles)
I watched this a few years ago and I was tired that night. All I remembered of the film was that I liked it. Last night I was wide eyed and rearing to rewatch one of Orson's masterpieces.
I still like the movie, one can see Welles' genius in it, but I can't say that I love it. I don't know it just seems to be lacking something. Most likely that's because after Welles was done editing the film and handed it off to RKO, he left for Brazil. The film was shown at a premier after the attack at Pearl Harbor and the audience thought it too long, too dark, too depressing. RKO then whacked off 50 some minutes of the film and replaced the darker, foreboding ending, with a reshot happy ending. Who knows what this film would be like if Orson hadn't lost control of it.
From Wiki as quoted from an interview with Orson Welles in the 1993 documentary It's All True.
"Of course I expected that there would be an uproar about a picture which, by any ordinary American standards, was much darker than anybody was making...There was just a built-in dread of the downbeat movie, and I knew I'd have that to face, but I thought I had a movie so good — I was absolutely certain of its value, much more than of Kane..."
"Welles said he would not have gone to South America without the studio's guarantee that he could finish editing The Magnificent Ambersons there. "And they absolutely betrayed me and never gave me a shot at it."
Even in it's altered state, The Magnificent Ambersons is a fine film and a great nomination.
cricket
03-14-16, 11:43 PM
The Rules of the Game
https://benefitsofaclassicaleducation.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/rules-of-the-game-1939.jpg
I thought this movie was very similar to my 50's HoF nomination, Smiles of a Summer Night. Why I like that one so much more is a question that would be tough to answer. I enjoyed watching this movie throughout, but I felt virtually nothing. It looks good, and I enjoyed the character interaction, but now that it's over, I feel like it will fade from my thoughts. A good 1st watch for me, nothing more, nothing less.
3-
3 left for me
rauldc14
03-16-16, 09:51 AM
Beasts of the Southern Wild
I really thought this would be a film that I would like, which is why I was excited to see it nominated, but overall it was a disappointment for me. The fantasy element of the film just didn't work for me for whatever reason. I didn't think Wallis was as good as advertised either, especially with her Oscar nomination and all. The story was just kind of a lull to me and I didn't feel an attachment to Hushpuppy at all. The score was really good and there were some standout scenes, but overall it just felt pretty plain to me unfortunately.
2.5
rauldc14
03-16-16, 02:42 PM
The Descendants
http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/movie_review/the-descendants-20111115/rectangle.jpg
This movie is to me what Take Shelter is to Swan. It is definitely the most personal favorite choice that I have selected for a Hall of Fame. It's a film that I can relate to. Tragedy is something that struck me at an age similar to the age of the character of Alex, so it does hit home in a way.
Alexander Payne writes a film as good as any director I know. This and Sideways are both masterpieces in writing. The dialogue of the film is touching, witty, and full of humor. I specifically like the way the film starts with Clooneys narrating, and the opening monologue shows his range of writing. "Are they insane! Do they think we are on vacation sipping Mai Tais?" Even in lands often known as vacation, there are still real people and real heartaches. "Paradise? Paradise can go **** itself."
The characters are what drive the film. Since I saw the film in the theater for the first time, I always thought that Clooney deserved the Oscar for his fantastic portrayal of Matt King. The range of emotion that he shows in the film is phenomenal and well worthy of praise. Still pains me that her didn't win it. We see him grow through the film as a human and a father, something that has sometimes came to a standstill as a busy working man.
Shailene Woodley is also fantastic in the film. We see her as a troubled student first exiled off to the big island and still getting into trouble. She grows up in the first before our very eyes, as a role model to her younger sister and also as someone who her Dad can use as a crutch during this hard time. She seems to mask her troubles in life, but realizes it's easier to use her family to lean on. Her break down scene in the pool hearing the news of her mother is truly a touching scene and one that instifies her performance in the film. Sid provides the needed comic relief in the film. His banter back and forth with Matt is great. And then Robert Forster, who plays Elizabeth's Dad is just hilarious and a very underrated part in the film.
Hawaii is my favorite place that I have ever been, and the cinematography in this film is just simply gorgeous. One of the more beautifully shot films that I have ever seen, and it always make me want to go back to the Pacific Island. Add the touching score and the Hawaiian music to go with it and you have a film that gets perfect marks from me.
What I love about personal favorites is that although they are films that have flaws, you can see behind those flaws to where they don't matter and the film is perfect. This film is perfect for me.
5
Citizen Rules
03-17-16, 02:35 PM
https://thevelvetcafe.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/brief-enc.jpg
Brief Encounter (David Lean, 1945)
This was a well made film and it covers a subject of infidelity in a way that hadn't been done before, so kudos for that. But I was bored during the film, and it's a short 86 minutes too. The film starts off as a mystery and IMO that's a mistake. I went into this film blind and it took a long while until the subject matter of two married people falling in love with each other became apparent. By the time I knew what the movie was about, I had grown bored with it. A film needs to hook people in the opening scenes.
The other flaw is the ending, so don't read this last part if you haven't seen the film. SPOILER ALERT***.........The ending didn't work for me as it had little impact. Laura, who's married to a nice man, has an affair with a married doctor. The end scene has Laura setting in her living room, looking miserable as her loving and unsuspecting husband does a cross word puzzle...There's a long internal monologue as she thinks 'out loud' about what she would tell her husband about her affair. She thinks 'the truth would hurt him', so she never does tell him about the affair. She then smiles and he walks over and hugs her, then he says something like, 'you were a long ways away for the last month, I'm glad to have you back.....'
What a weak ending! I wouldn't be surprised to learn that David Lean the director had an affair himself and the ending is his way to ease his own guilt.
A much better ending would have been this: the living room scene that I described above would be the same...but at the end of the scene Laura would tell her husband that she had an affair. Her husband who had been smiling up to this point, looks deeply hurt. His only lines are, 'I'm going to bed' and he then walks out of the camera frame. The camera stays close focused on Laura as she looks ever increasingly mortified, she thinks out loud, 'My affair has brought nothing but misery to all of us. The doctor and I will pay for our month of love with a life time of misery. The worst misery of all is knowing I have driven a wedge between me and my husband and a once loving man will forever look at me with mistrust...'
cricket
03-17-16, 06:40 PM
Too bad you didn't like Brief Encounter, CR, and I'm surprised you didn't. I felt pretty much the opposite of you, especially about the ending.
MovieMeditation
03-17-16, 06:49 PM
Not a bad rethinking of the ending, CR. I agree that it was rather weak and felt too "easy" and unambigious.
That said, I really enjoyed the film. Great all-around except for the opening minutes before the narration began and the ending.
4-
I like your reimagining Citizen but I don't think the ending is a total cop out. Granted, the man not knowing is worse but guilt is not easy on a marriage. I can imagine it taking a toll on both of their lives until something gives. Chances are she will not suddenly become content.
cricket
03-17-16, 07:18 PM
Wasn't the ending basically the entire movie though? Her entire narration was her confession to him, that's who she's telling the story to. I thought the very end was then against the norm and totally brilliant.
rauldc14
03-17-16, 07:23 PM
I'll have to rewatch Brief Encounter next. I gave it 2.5 the first watch.
Citizen Rules
03-17-16, 07:27 PM
Too bad you didn't like Brief Encounter, CR, and I'm surprised you didn't. I felt pretty much the opposite of you, especially about the ending. Cricket, I would chalk up our different reactions to the movie and especially it's ending, to our different personal life experiences. I know you've talked about your personal experiences on the board and said this about Brief Encounter:
One way a married guy like me can look at this movie is as a cautionary tale to never take your wife for granted, and never allow your marriage to become stuck in a rut. In this sense, it's not that dissimilar to my nomination in the 8th Hall of Fame, Coming Home.I can understand that and respect that, but I never got that feeling myself from either film. My reaction was the wife betrayed the husband who was a nice guy and she needed to get her comeuppances. It was all too easy for her and her husband was all too forgiving.
Not a bad rethinking of the ending, CR. I agree that it was rather weak and felt too "easy" and unambigious.
That said, I really enjoyed the film. Great all-around except for the opening minutes before the narration began and the ending.
rating_4- I liked the directing, production, lighting, all of that was top notch but I have to be honest as much as Brief Encounter is the type of film I usually love, I was bored.
I think it's because neither Trevor Howard or Celia Johnson made a connection to me. I kept thinking of Trevor with his rather harsh looking face as a antagonist, I mean he almost forced her into the relationship. And I didn't feel any warmness towards Celia Johnson either. Even though both were excellent in their roles.
I've heard it said that: the audience needs to 'fall in love' along with the romantic couple on the screen. I didn't do that....This might have worked with more romantic type actors, say Vivien Leigh and Laurence Oliver. I've seen plenty of movies where I root for the couple, but here I didn't like the characters.
I like your reimagining Citizen but I don't think the ending is a total cop out. Granted, the man not knowing is worse but guilt is not easy on a marriage. I can imagine it taking a toll on both of their lives until something gives. Chances are she will not suddenly become content. Your totally right in that she will suffer for her actions.
MovieMeditation
03-17-16, 07:40 PM
Wasn't the ending basically the entire movie though? Her entire narration was her confession to him, that's who she's telling the story to. I thought the very end was then against the norm and totally brilliant.
I see what you mean here and I would also agree that the ending CR gave is well crafted and makes sense for the movie, references and all, but is maybe expected. Still the dark tone is what sets it out.
But a film about affairs and with an ending basically forgiving said affair, that's also pretty brave. The "Hollywood choice" would be to present her as a bad person who has to pay for her mistakes. Well, she probably will in one way or another, dealing with inner demons if not outer also if she ever chooses to confess.
But anyways, it's not that I didn't like she didn't tell it to him, but it was just the way the ending was handled. I was like "really, that's it?" When she finally finishes her narrration, which is also her confession, which is also where the movie ends; he just comes over and says "you were away for a while, glad you're back here with me" THE END. It felt empty and a little rushed. It didn't really pay off imo.
And @CR - yeah, if you don't love or at least like the characters of a loving couple in a romantic film, it certainly can be a challenge to love said film. But I personally did like the characters, as well as all of what you mentioned, which is why I probably liked it a whole lot. I was only bored during the first couple of minutes and maybe at one other passage in the film. Apart from that the time flew by for me.
cricket
03-17-16, 08:29 PM
Cricket, I would chalk up our different reactions to the movie and especially it's ending, to our different personal life experiences. I know you've talked about your personal experiences on the board and said this about Brief Encounter:
I can understand that and respect that, but I never got that feeling myself from either film. My reaction was the wife betrayed the husband who was a nice guy and she needed to get her comeuppances. It was all too easy for her and her husband was all too forgiving.
I definitely look at the wife as having betrayed the husband, and I certainly wouldn't be so forgiving, but I do feel like the husband opened the door a little bit. I think the way she tells the story to him, he understands this, and I think his reaction is not what you would normally see in a movie.
jiraffejustin
03-17-16, 08:33 PM
But anyways, it's not that I didn't like she didn't tell it to him, but it was just the way the ending was handled. I was like "really, that's it?" When she finally finishes her narrration, which is also her confession, which is also where the movie ends; he just comes over and says "you were away for a while, glad you're back here with me" THE END. It felt empty and a little rushed. It didn't really pay off imo. .
The ending showed us how forgiving the husband is. Even if he doesn't actually know what she did, I think his actions at the end are supposed to lead us to believe he would forgive her if he found out anyway. And that she will feel make herself feel worse about it than he would. I don't really think a payoff is what we are supposed to get in this type of movie. What type of ending would have satisfied you the most? If she told the husband and he wanted revenge? If she left her husband for the other man? To me, the ending we get seems like the most logical ending. It's also a punch in the gut.
SilentVamp
03-18-16, 02:56 AM
I've only just skimmed through the comments. I don't really have time tonight to say anything about "Brief Encounter". I guess that will be one that I will have to make sure to write about this weekend. I wasn't a fan of this movie when I first saw it. So, you'll have to wait until this weekend to see if I think anything better about it . Or maybe tomorrow night, if I get around to it. :)
MovieMeditation
03-18-16, 03:35 AM
I don't know what to say. I just didn't quite like the ending. I'm fine with her not confessing at the end, but I just think the ending could have been handled a bit better that's all. To me it just felt artificial and slightly forced. That's just me.
Citizen Rules
03-18-16, 11:25 AM
I don't know what to say. I just didn't quite like the ending. I'm fine with her not confessing at the end, but I just think the ending could have been handled a bit better that's all. To me it just felt artificial and slightly forced. That's just me.
OK, one more last rewrite of the ending.
****Spoiler alert below****
In my newest version, the ending still plays out as it did in the movie, with the wife setting in a living room chair, 'thinking out loud' as to what she would tell her husband about the affair. The husband, as he did in the movie, walks over to her, but instead of saying this block of dialogue:
(from the movie's script)
Husband: Whatever your dream was,
it wasn't a very happy one, was it?
Wife: No.
Husband: Is there anything
I can do to help?
Wife: Yes, Fred.
You always help.
Husband: You've been
a long way away.
Wife: Yes.
Husband: Thank you for coming
back to me.
My version would go like this: The husband gets up and crosses the floor and places a hand on his wife's shoulder. He smiles and in a pleasant voice says, "coming to bed dear?"...He walks out of the frame, the camera cuts to a head & shoulder shot of the wife...and that shot is held for a 5 second count as we see tears well up in her eyes, then dissolve to black.
My ending gives more of a pay off in the end, it's more heartfelt and memorable and yet keeps the movies message.
cricket
03-18-16, 11:49 AM
http://www.sweeneyfeeders.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Deer.jpg
In my alternate ending she stabs him with a knife. Then she takes off her mask to reveal she has been her mother all along, either her mother or Ultron. I'm still working out the details.
Citizen Rules
03-18-16, 06:48 PM
http://www.sweeneyfeeders.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Deer.jpg
Ha:D...that pic took me a while to get, then I realized I said deer not dear!
gbgoodies
03-18-16, 10:31 PM
The Great Silence: Really good story, great characters,and mostly very good cinematography ( I love Westerns in the snow).The dialogue is pretty horrendous and that brought down the film quite a bit for me. Maybe on repeat viewings it won't be as noticeable, but I will have to wait for a repeat viewing to know.
Is that movie in this HoF? :confused:
Leave Her to Heaven (John Stahl, 1945)
http://jnpickens.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/leave15.jpg?w=584
The first 5 minutes of this film give us almost every element a film noir must have:a femme fatale, a guy who went through hell because of her and a tragic ending (presented in retrospective at the beggining of the film).
Gene Tierney is the big attraction of the movie. Very few actresses were able to achieve such fragility and the same time magnetism that make us fall in love with them even knowing it won't lead to anything good. Think Marlene Dietrich with the sweetness of Shirley MacLaine: that's how powerful Gene Tierney is on this film.
The rest is an extremely well paced story, with beautiful cinematography and a cast that tries to keep up with Tierney (sometimes not quite succeeding). The ending bit was a bit cheesy and unnecessary but overall this a great nomination (as always) by CR!
rating_3_5
Citizen Rules
03-19-16, 01:34 PM
Glad you enjoyed it Neiba:)
The ending bit was a bit cheesy and unnecessary. I liked the ending, but that's cool if you didn't. We're all individuals and will see things differently, which for me makes these Hofs fun:p
I just 'rewrote' the ending to Brief Encounter (for fun) a couple post back. Which makes me think of a question: What would you have like to seen the ending of Leave Her to Heaven be like?
Glad you enjoyed it Neiba:)
I liked the ending, but that's cool if you didn't. We're all individuals and will see things differently, which for me makes these Hofs fun:p
I just 'rewrote' the ending to Brief Encounter (for fun) a couple post back. Which makes me think of a question: What would you have like to seen the ending of Leave Her to Heaven be like?
I like when this type of movie ends badly.
The fact that the jury bought instantly the story of Richard was a bit unrealistic, so I'd change that. I don't quite know where to go after that but there's a reason why I don't direct movies :p
SilentVamp
03-19-16, 07:09 PM
No Man's Land
I can't say that I have ever heard of this movie. That it won Best Foreign Language Film, I would think the title would've rung a bell, but it didn't.
The only thing that I knew about it was from the back of the DVD case. When I read the description I honestly thought "Oh, God, no". I kind of wanted to cry. :yup: It just sounded like something that was going to bore me to death. I will also honestly say that it was one of the last movies that I watched because I was putting it off. I just didn't want to sit through it. :nope: Then the day came where I had to "give in" and watch it - basically, I had to return it to the library.
Well, maybe it is true that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, a DVD.
I enjoyed this movie so much. I was pleasantly surprised by it. As pleasantly surprised as you can be with a movie with the storyline that this one has.
I was into this movie right away. I really liked the actors and their performances in it. I liked the way that they all worked together. It seemed like just the right level of a mixture of agitation and calm that was needed for the environment that they were in and with the story that they were telling.
I am fine with the somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere of the trench. I like the little details of the transformation of the day with the changing daylight. I liked the story itself. A bit of a dark comedy is added to a good drama with a little suspense added on. That is how I perceived it to be, at least.
My main complaint, I suppose, is the ending. Of course, I would've preferred the ending to be different. I would've preferred it to have been different for all 3 of the men in the trench, actually, but this is the way that was decided to take the story, and I will accept it.
I really did like this movie, though. I don't know how many times to say it, or how to explain it, but I did. And I am a little disappointed that it really isn't being liked a little bit more around here. I am hoping that I won't, eventually, be in the minority in this HoF because I was hoping it would rank a little higher.
4
SilentVamp
03-19-16, 07:19 PM
Brief Encounter
I don't know how to begin this one. I think I will tell you what I thought about it when I first saw it.
I watched it on TCM On Demand at like 2:00 in the morning a few years ago. Maybe about 6 years ago. This was during one of my insomnia spells. I watched it for the sole purpose of I might as well see what the big deal is. I do that a lot with movies. I will watch them not because they are necessarily interesting to me, but, rather, because other people hype them up so much that I become curious. And on more than one occasion I have been let down by that hype.
"Brief Encounter" was such a film for me. I hated it when I first saw it. I had NO sympathy to either character. In fact, I was so frustrated with both of them, and the overall story, that I just ended up hating the entire thing.
For one thing, I am so tired of the "lonely housewife" (a.k.a. "bored housewife") story. Especially when there is nothing wrong with her husband. His biggest sin seems to be the fact that he does crossword puzzles. But if someone wants to have an affair, have that affair. I couldn't care less! Except when you have children. Then that affair just turns into complete selfishness. And I then lose any sympathy that I may have had for a person. Once you have kids, your life changes. Your decisions should be thought out a little more carefully.
As for him, how much respect can you have for him? Not only did he know that she was married, but he was married. And didn't he have kids, too?
If someone wants to argue that they didn't even have a full affair, well, if that guy hadn't come back, they would have (in fact, I believe in the original play they kind of hint more at the fact that they do have sex).
The reason I have issues with stories like this (in fiction and real life) is that why can't the wife just leave the husband? Why have the affair? I really don't get it. If I don't want to be with someone, I will just leave them.
I know someone would want to say that it is easier said than done. Especially in that time period (although, I had a great-grand aunt who got a divorce - and she had two kids with him - and then married someone else, eventually, in the 1930's). Well, guess what? It is no easier for a woman nowadays either. But you can't live your life with someone just because you are miserable. Forget the financial stability issue, there is the stigma to divorce. I get it! But you want to know something? That stigma is still there. As I say there still is the stigma of being an "old maid" (yes, I have experienced it - and it is absurd, especially because I am not that old!), there is still the stigma of being a divorced woman (I know this from my mother getting a divorce). It is there. My mother didn't have the money to really support the kids that were left in the house. But it comes to the point of whether or not you want to live the rest of your life in an unhappy marriage. And if you are unhappy, your kids will be, too (believe me). So she got the divorce. And it was hard for her, "society" wise, but it had to be done. I am all for divorce. 100% for it. And if the character of Laura Jesson would've just been separated from her husband - and met Alec Harvey along the way - I would've felt differently towards her. But no, she was this selfish woman who just hated going home to her dull husband who did his crossword puzzles. For God's sake, her kids should at least make her life a little better for her. And if they don't, then she didn't care for them that much either.
This is how I felt about it.
This time when I watched the movie I wasn't watching it in the middle of the night. This time it was in the middle of the afternoon. Even if I was awake that night, perhaps my mind wasn't as clear as it should've been. And do I still feel the way that I did? Most definitely. Except maybe I don't hate it as much as I did.
The story isn't that interesting to me. I don't care for the characters. I don't even think anyone is that good in this movie (although Trevor Howard is the best). Far be it from me to be down on something that Noel Coward has created, but this story just doesn't do it for me. Every writer has something that I don't like. This is his.
I liked the overall look of the film. I liked the atmosphere of it. Otherwise, I think it is very unimpressive. I feel bad about saying it, but I didn't care for the movie when I first saw it and I still don't. I don't look forward to saying something bad, and as long as we have been expected to say something about each movie, this had to happen. The only positive is that this isn't the only one I feel this way about in this particular HoF. So, it won't be alone. That is a negative for me, though, because I have to be "mean" again. I don't like the idea of doing it.
Anyway, I suppose I didn't hate it this time around. I just really didn't like it .
2.5
SilentVamp
03-19-16, 07:34 PM
Beasts Of the Southern Wild
This was actually the first movie that I watched for this HoF. Life just prohibited me from really getting serious with any reviews at that time.
To be honest, I can't say that I ever had any desire to watch this movie. I would see commercials for it on TV and, well, I would think that it looked stupid. To me, it was portrayed as some family-friendly fantasy film. I just didn't care about it. And because I didn't care about it, I never read anything about it to see what it was really about. If it hadn't been for this HoF, I can honestly say that I never would've watched it.
And because of this HoF, I am happy that I was forced to. :)
I really did go into this one completely ignorant except for what I saw on TV. And from what I saw in those commercials, that added to my ignorance. I didn't find this to be a "family film". It shouldn't have been portrayed that way. I don't get why it would be a movie that you would automatically take your kids to just because a little kid is the major character.
Anyway, my major issue with it is the fantasy. I didn't think it was necessary, and I didn't think it worked well with the story itself.
Now that we are over that, I will say what I liked about it.
I liked Quvenzhané Wallis. I thought she was very good in there. Sometimes child actors aren't that great at displaying their various emotions, but I think she did a very good job. I liked her character of Hushpuppy. I thought she was so cute. And I also liked Dwight Henry as her father, Wink. The movie revolves around Wallis' character, though, and the movie really rests on her shoulders. I think she does a fine job carrying the film.
The thing that I think made me like this movie so much is that it reminded me of the sort of movie that I would actually go to the movie theater to see like 20 years ago. It has a certain feeling to it that is hard to explain, but I saw a lot of movies like this years ago. I suppose I saw so many because a lot were made. Unfortunately, nobody really makes them anymore, and I suppose that is because nobody really wants to see them. I think that is a shame.
One more thing that I want to say is that the TV commercials presented this as a "feel good" film. It didn't make me feel too good. I thought it was incredibly depressing. I did. That is alright, I suppose, because where else was the story going to go but where it did in the end?
So if you take away that touch of fantasy, which hurts it just a little bit for me, I thought it was a very good movie to watch, and I thank MovieMeditation for nominating it because I never would've watched it otherwise.
3.5
cricket
03-19-16, 08:02 PM
Those are some great write-ups, Vamp.
I loved Brief Encounter, it seems more than anyone else in this HoF besides who nominated it. I will say that I agree with everything you said about the situation, if it was a real life situation. People should get divorced before giving into the temptation of an affair. However, if this movie were about a divorce, it would be a completely different movie.
I didn't like Beasts of the Southern Wild nearly as much as you did, but I like what you said about it reminding you of movies you watched many years ago. I can see that.
Almost with you on No Man's Land.
More please:)
MovieMeditation
03-19-16, 08:05 PM
Glad you liked Beasts of the Southern Wild, Vamp!
Especially because my nomination does worse than expected so far...
cricket
03-19-16, 08:11 PM
I can see why you love it MovieMed. I usually love movies I can relate to as well.
What movies does Beasts of the Southern Wild remind anybody of?
cricket
03-19-16, 08:24 PM
Harlem Nights
What movies does Beasts of the Southern Wild remind anybody of?
Nothing comes to mind for me. I am looking forward to my rewatch. I liked it pretty well the first time around but didn't love it like many critics did. What did you give it?
Your write up on Brief Encounter is spot on, Silent! Exactly my thoughts. A good cinematography but 0 empathy with any character!
Citizen Rules
03-19-16, 11:53 PM
Silent Vamp rocks:p...Like the others said, those are some mighty fine write ups, Vamp.
I wish we were all watching these in some sort of order, so I could comment about Beasts Of the Southern Wild and No Man's Land. But I haven't seen them yet...I did see Brief Enounter and like Neiba said you're spot on with your review of that film.
I for one am very glad, to see people being intellectually honest about the movies they watched. If we all say fluffy nice stuff, or say nothing at all, then what's the purpose of all this? None of us made the films we nominated, so no big deal if someone doesn't love all the films. I'm glad to watch the films anyway just for the learning experience.
I'm finally going to watch Brief Encounter, so I can be part of the conversation and not scroll down quickly to avoid spoilers. :D
gbgoodies
03-20-16, 04:55 AM
I just finished watching Brief Encounter, and while I didn't love the movie, I liked it a lot, probably more than most of you did. I think the biggest problem for me was that I didn't really connect with the characters much. She seemed to be very "distant" throughout the movie, and we really didn't get to know him very well because it wasn't really his story. I thought the husband was the most likable person in the movie.
The fact that it was her telling her story, meant that it focused on her side of it, so we didn't get to meet his family at all. That almost made me "forget" that he had a wife and kids, so it kind of felt like she was the one doing something wrong. It didn't feel like he was cheating on his wife, as much as she was cheating on her husband.
That made me sympathetic towards him, but not towards her. She seemed to be in a loving marriage. Her husband was a nice guy, who obviously loved her very much. She may have been bored with him, but that doesn't justify her having an affair.
However that's why the ending worked for me. He goes away, but she is left in a marriage where she feels guilty, and she has to live with her thoughts about "what might have been", but her husband, (who, based on his comments in the final scene, seemed to know what was going on), gets her back. He loves her, and he doesn't want to lose her, so he's just happy that she came back to him.
So the two people who had the affair end up unhappy because they lose each other, but the husband, who hasn't done anything wrong, is the only one who's happy at the end. That sounds about right to me.
cricket
03-20-16, 08:03 AM
I'm not sure if the husband knew what was going on, or if he knew because he just listened to her tell him the story for an hour. At one point, she tells him something to the effect of, "I had lunch with a friend today." His reply was along the lines of, "That's nice." Although an apparently very nice guy, I had the feeling that he was emotionally tuned out, which led to a boring marriage, which led to her relationship outside the marriage, however wrong it may have been.
Beasts Of The Southern Wild: This is a rewatch. I like it about the same as the first time. I like it but I don't love it like many seem to. I think hushpuppy is a tremendous character and I love how everything is shown through her perspective. Her relationship with her father is really complex and intriguing. He never finds a balance between raising her tough and giving her the affection she needs, but I always have the feeling that he is trying to. This makes him not a completely unsympathetic character, which I think is needed for the film to work. The poverty portrayed here is crippling and it is what makes the film so affecting. This film also has one of my favorite scenes of the last few years and that is when the girls go to the boat. Really great scene. I know the fantastical stuff has bothered some but it doesn't me. One because it is used sparingly and two because I think it effectively portrays how children view the world. Thanks MM, I was glad for the rewatch opportunity.
Adaptation: Perfect film. This is my third viewing and I love every minute of it. Kauffman is probably the greatest screen writer working and I say that as someone who really responds to the dialogue of films. No one captures humanity the way he does. All of our insecurities, love, and hatred are always on full display. That is not to say he is a one note writer though, He always finds new and fantastical ways to put those things to film. I love it. It is not hard to put all his films in my top 100, it is hard to decide which is my favorite though. I think Eternal may still have a slight lead on Adaptation for the top spot, but it is close.
cricket
03-20-16, 06:56 PM
I didn't much care for Eternal Sunshine, but as much as I loved Adaptation and Being John Malkovich, perhaps I should try it again.
MovieMeditation
03-20-16, 07:13 PM
I hate my uneven viewing habits and moods at the moment. They make it impossible to watch films on regular basis.
I rewatched like 2/3 of Adaption and shut it off because I couldn't keep my attention at the screen and the dialgoue and what else. Watched 1/3 of Dazed and Confused today. Had to shut that off too. It f*cking annoys the hell out of me, mainly because I HATE not finishing a film, because when you return it never feels like you watched the movie as a whole and it feels like an incomplete experience. That means I gotta watch it all over again... If I'm ever in the mood again. And I never know when I am. F*ck.
cricket
03-20-16, 07:53 PM
I hate my uneven viewing habits and moods at the moment. They make it impossible to watch films on regular basis.
I rewatched like 2/3 of Adaption and shut it off because I couldn't keep my attention at the screen and the dialgoue and what else. Watched 1/3 of Dazed and Confused today. Had to shut that off too. It f*cking annoys the hell out of me, mainly because I HATE not finishing a film, because when you return it never feels like you watched the movie as a whole and it feels like an incomplete experience. That means I gotta watch it all over again... If I'm ever in the mood again. And I never know when I am. F*ck.
Hang in there, we all have our times. You'll snap out of it.
Citizen Rules
03-20-16, 08:02 PM
MM, just a couple suggestions, I don't know if these will help you. Try watching the movie late night, before bed. That's when a person is most relaxed. Get rid of outside distractions when you watch a movie. Make the room as quiet as possible and somewhat dark. Shut off the phone, no texting while watching a movie.
Maybe some of those ideas will help you. Maybe you have a lot on your mind? If so that will pass in time and you'll be able to focus more of movies.
MovieMeditation
03-20-16, 08:08 PM
Thanks for the encouragement, cricket, and thanks for the advice, CR. I appreciate it.
9/10 times, I watch movies at night, pretty much before bed and always with lights off and all. My movie watchings is a very sacred and holy experience. ;)
So yeah, not much of s problem there. I guess I sometimes let me get distracted by my phone and I know that. But I'm pretty sure it's the a-lot-on-the-mind thing... There is a lot going on right now, but I just wish movies could make me snap out of it. They don't seem to do the job at the moment though.
MM, just a couple suggestions, I don't know if these will help you. Try watching the movie late night, before bed. That's when a person is most relaxed. Get rid of outside distractions when you watch a movie. Make the room as quiet as possible and somewhat dark. Shut off the phone, no texting while watching a movie.
Maybe some of those ideas will help you. Maybe you have a lot on your mind? If so that will pass in time and you'll be able to focus more of movies.
Surely you are not saying I get off Mofo while watching a film?
Surely you are not saying I get off Mofo while watching a film?
I'm guilty of browsing MoFo while watching films. If I don't look at the phone it means there's a great film playing.
I'm guilty of browsing MoFo while watching films. If I don't look at the phone it means there's a great film playing.
That's why I still like the theater so much, no distractions. Very hard to have none at all at home. Especially with kids.
Citizen Rules
03-20-16, 08:38 PM
Yeah, you guys should not be on your phone if you're watching a decent film. A crappy one, will OK:D
Yeah, you guys should not be on your phone if you're watching a decent film. A crappy one, will OK:D
From now on I will only Mofo during Citizen Kane, promise. ;)
I have nothing to add to this. I haven't seen any, but they're all on my watch list.
I just rediscovered (probably) that The Rules of the Game is one of the greatest movies ever made. i remember reading like a nut a film encyclopedia way back in the 20th century, even memorizing certain articles. Seeing this actually made me buy Jean Renoir, Projections of Paradise.
http://www.amazon.com/Jean-Renoir-Projections-Ronald-Bergan/dp/0879515376
gbgoodies
03-20-16, 10:25 PM
I'm not sure if the husband knew what was going on, or if he knew because he just listened to her tell him the story for an hour. At one point, she tells him something to the effect of, "I had lunch with a friend today." His reply was along the lines of, "That's nice." Although an apparently very nice guy, I had the feeling that he was emotionally tuned out, which led to a boring marriage, which led to her relationship outside the marriage, however wrong it may have been.
I don't think he actually heard her story. I think it was just her imagining her confession in her head.
I think he figured it out on his own from her actions and lies.
Citizen Rules
03-20-16, 10:37 PM
I see there's been more conversation about Brief Encounter, which is good. I didn't care of the film...BUT Brief Encounter is a great nomination, as it's making us all think! And too me that's the funnest part of this.
So I had another thought about Brief Encounter...it seems many of us can envision ourselves in one of the three characters. And that's why we have different reactions to the film and especially the end results.
SilentVamp
03-21-16, 12:32 AM
However, if this movie were about a divorce, it would be a completely different movie.
I agree with you on this. As much as you can go against one thing or another with this story, the story is what it is. It most definitely wouldn't be the same movie otherwise. I said something similar to this recently, but I can't, for the life of me, remember what movie I said this about. I think I said it here - on this site. I just wish I could remember what movie it was. But basically, I know I disagreed with how the story played out, but if it wasn't told that way, it wouldn't have been the same movie that was watched. So, I know what you are saying.
Harlem Nights
I saw this in the theater when it came out and I am not ashamed to admit it. :D
As for what "Beasts Of the Southern Wild" reminded me of, I really can't think of anything in particular. I just know that I used go to the theater to see a lot of independent films in the 90's. I enjoyed them for their non-action, straight forward stories. Nothing too "artistic". Nothing trying to be more stylish than the last movie that was out. Nothing that comes across as being extremely "profound". I don't know how else to explain it, but other than the "classics", independent films were what I watched most during that time. I am a big fan of movies that just tell a story. I felt that BOTSW just told a story. It really is a hard thing for me to explain. But if I come across one that I can think of, I will definitely give that example as a comparison. :)
As for the ending to "Brief Encounter", I just want to say that I had no real problem with the ending. Where else was it going to go, though? I just didn't know if we were supposed to feel bad for her that she was "stuck" with her husband. Both times that I have seen it now I don't know if that is what we were supposed to be feeling at the end of the film.
That's why I still like the theater so much, no distractions. Very hard to have none at all at home. Especially with kids.
Yep, theaters are great, the day I watched Apocalypse Now on the big screen with a lot of room to myself was glorious.
cricket
03-21-16, 08:39 AM
Regarding the ending of Brief Encounter, I don't think we were supposed to feel bad for the wife. I believe the beauty of it was the portrayal of unconditional love by the husband, and his act of forgiveness.
gbgoodies
03-22-16, 01:53 AM
Regarding the ending of Brief Encounter, I don't think we were supposed to feel bad for the wife. I believe the beauty of it was the portrayal of unconditional love by the husband, and his act of forgiveness.
I felt bad for the wife because she looked sad at the end of the movie.
gbgoodies
03-22-16, 02:40 AM
I watched Beasts of the Southern Wild, and to be honest, I expected to hate this movie, and I wasn't going to watch it, but I decided to give it a chance. I remember seeing the trailer for it when it was in the theaters, and wondering what people saw in the movie, but I never read anything about it. I didn't love the movie, but I did like it, a lot more than I thought I would.
It's listed as a fantasy, but it didn't feel like a fantasy to me. It was too depressing to be a fantasy. That doesn't mean that I didn't like it. It just means that it was nothing like I expected it to be before I watched it.
I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but I liked the way the story was told from the child's point of view, so we got to see how she sees the world. We can see that she thinks that big things eat smaller things, so she's afraid of the storm as something bigger than her because she knows that it's a danger to her. But she learns about life throughout the movie, so when she faces the larger beasts, she's not afraid to stand up to them.
I thought Quvenzhané Wallis was great as Hushpuppy, but I'm not sure that she was really "Oscar-nominated" great. Dwight Henry was also great as Wink. At first, I didn't like his character because he just seemed like a mean father, but as the movie went on, it was easy to see that wasn't the case, and he really loves Hushpuppy.
I doubt that this is a movie that I'm likely to watch again, but I'm glad I watched it.
jiraffejustin
03-22-16, 04:36 PM
Mikey and Nicky - some spoilery stuff sort of.
I just watched Mikey and Nicky, and I think maybe this is the ending we should be talking about. Not because of ambiguity, but because it's a real son-of-a-bitch of an ending.
Mikey and Nicky is a character study disguised as a gangster movie, much like Cassavettes' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. The direction in that film is better, but the characters of Mikey and Nicky are much more interesting than the characters in that one. Both Mikey and Nicky have fragile egos which lead to their friendship being rocky at times. The brilliant thing about this film is that it captures that type of friendship perfectly, because we are given no indication that either guy addressed the negatives of their friendship at any prior time. It reminded me of some of my friendships, and that just seems real to me. Honest characters like this are hard to find. I think they are real friends, and that makes the ending hurt. This isn't a sentimental ending.
I give this film five son-of-a-bitches out of five son-of-a-bitches.
cricket
03-22-16, 05:11 PM
Mikey and Nicky - some spoilery stuff sort of.
I just watched Mikey and Nicky, and I think maybe this is the ending we should be talking about. Not because of ambiguity, but because it's a real son-of-a-bitch of an ending.
Mikey and Nicky is a character study disguised as a gangster movie, much like Cassavettes' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. The direction in that film is better, but the characters of Mikey and Nicky are much more interesting than the characters in that one. Both Mikey and Nicky have fragile egos which lead to their friendship being rocky at times. The brilliant thing about this film is that it captures that type of friendship perfectly, because we are given no indication that either guy addressed the negatives of their friendship at any prior time. It reminded me of some of my friendships, and that just seems real to me. Honest characters like this are hard to find. I think they are real friends, and that makes the ending hurt. This isn't a sentimental ending.
I give this film five son-of-a-bitches out of five son-of-a-bitches.
I watched this first, and knowing nobody else had seen it, I avoided talking about the ending, and I was a little surprised it took this long for someone to mention it. It's one of my favorite endings, turning a very good movie into one that had me saying wow. What I think is so brilliant about it is how unexpected it is, despite it making sense with what comes beforehand.
jiraffejustin
03-22-16, 05:21 PM
More spoilery stuff to come.
I watched this first, and knowing nobody else had seen it, I avoided talking about the ending, and I was a little surprised it took this long for someone to mention it. It's one of my favorite endings, turning a very good movie into one that had me saying wow. What I think is so brilliant about it is how unexpected it is, despite it making sense with what comes beforehand.
I am glad we are talking about this ending now. :D
I agree that the ending is brilliant, but for a bit of a different reason. I started to feel that this ending was becoming inevitable. Unlike how I feel about a lot of movies that are similarly predictable, I couldn't get upset for knowing what was coming. I kept holding out hope that he would open the door. I knew he wouldn't open the door, and I just had to deal with it how uncompromising this was. I didn't expect the whole thing to end at Mikey's front door though, and with Nicky wailing like a mouse stuck in a trap, the whole thing was a body shot.
cricket
03-22-16, 05:30 PM
Yea, and I more mean that the whole ending at the house was unexpected. I had no hint that they'd even end up there in that situation. Another thing that made it powerful for me is that, even though they weren't good guys, I liked them.
jiraffejustin
03-22-16, 05:35 PM
Yea, and I more mean that the whole ending at the house was unexpected. I had no hint that they'd even end up there in that situation. Another thing that made it powerful for me is that, even though they weren't good guys, I liked them.
I see what you mean.
I liked them too. Making those guys, flaws and all, people I care about was an achievement. Two guys who seemed to need reassurance throughout the whole film isn't really the type of people I'd usually care for. But those characters were so human that I couldn't help myself.
MovieMeditation
03-22-16, 05:56 PM
Glad you liked the film, GB!
Once again I'm amused about the fact that you're a real "girl's girl" when it comes to movies. I have pointed this out before, but it's just kinda funny to me. :D
I felt bad for the wife because she looked sad at the end of the movie.
:laugh:
It's listed as a fantasy, but it didn't feel like a fantasy to me. It was too depressing to be a fantasy.
Oh, it has to be all fine and dandy, huh? :D how about Pan's Labyrinth? Can't be fantasy, it's too depressing...
:p
Yea, and I more mean that the whole ending at the house was unexpected. I had no hint that they'd even end up there in that situation. Another thing that made it powerful for me is that, even though they weren't good guys, I liked them.
It was unexpected and very good, I love the ending. I liked them too. Impossible not to like Falk I think.
cricket
03-22-16, 06:03 PM
It was unexpected and very good, I love the ending. I liked them too. Impossible not to like Falk I think.
I just didn't like how he acted with the girl.
gbgoodies
03-22-16, 06:30 PM
Oh, it has to be all fine and dandy, huh? :D how about Pan's Labyrinth? Can't be fantasy, it's too depressing...
:p
I don't remember much about Pan's Labyrinth, but I don't think I liked it. I think that's the movie that was something about a young girl and a fairy, but I'm not sure if I'm even remembering the right movie.
In fairness, I knew nothing about the movie when I saw it, except that it was getting great reviews. I didn't even know that it wasn't in English. I only watched it because I found the DVD for $1 at a garage sale.
I just didn't like how he acted with the girl.
The girl scene is absolutely brutal. Those types of scenes are essential in films with antiheros because they remind us of who they really are.
Citizen Rules
03-23-16, 08:58 PM
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xQyYa3DBhNA/hqdefault.jpg
Dead Man Walking (1995 Tim Robbin)
This is the third Hof nomination from PussyGalore that I really have been impressed by. I had seen Dead Man Walking years ago but had forgotten just how amazing of a performance Sean Penn gives! I mean he nails the character, his accent, his body language, his demeanor, even his eye movements are so in tune with the type of character he plays. IMO Sean Penn is the best actor working today...Heck I would even rank him as one of the all time greats.
Susan Sarandon is pretty darn good too, and she needs to be as she is our eyes and ears into the world of a prison's death row. If her character was played in other way this film might not have worked as good as it did. It works brilliantly...
...thanks to director Tim Robbins. Robbins keeps the films subject matter of a convicted murder who claims he's innocent balanced, and I respect that. Sean Penn's character is not likable in fact he's creepy, but yet by the end of the film Robbins manages to make that character a human being and not just a monster.
I expected this to be an anti death penalty film. But no, this film is unflinching in showing the brutality of the crime and the destruction of the lives of the victims families as well as the hardships a prisoner on death row goes through. This is one intelligent film, that doesn't take sides, but shows it as it is and lets you decide how you feel about the death penalty. Powerful stuff.
Awesome film and nomination!
rauldc14
03-24-16, 04:58 PM
Dead Man Walking
A haunting and a powerful film from Tim Robbins. The acting is truly what drives the film, and the film has certainly made me reconsider thoughts on the death penalty. The flashback scenes are truly terrifying. It's a really well made film. Not a film that I could really watch over and over due to the subject material, but like I said it has a really powerful message about the fragility of the human mind and spirit.
3.5
Dead Man Walking is on the way from Netflix so I should get to it this weekend. Looking forward to rewatch as I haven't seen it since 95. I remember liking it quite a bit. I get to double dip as well, it was on my schedule for the faith thread.
jiraffejustin
03-25-16, 06:25 PM
Did anybody notice Jack Black in Dead Man Walking?
SilentVamp
03-25-16, 06:34 PM
I'll try to get to some more reviews tomorrow. I have a bunch of things that I have to do tomorrow (and I don't know if I will make an appearance on Sunday), but I will try. I have just been so busy lately. :( But since I see that others have been writing about "Dead Man Walking", I will do the same. That will be my next one.
cricket
03-25-16, 06:34 PM
Did anybody notice Jack Black in Dead Man Walking?
I did, Penn's bro.
Citizen Rules
03-25-16, 09:26 PM
Yup, I spotted Jack Black. Nope I didn't spot Penn's brother.
Did anybody notice the irony of the music score for the last scene as they go down the hallway? And the symbolism of Penn's body position a few minutes latter? Or maybe I just imaged it?
Jack Black played a brother of Penn's character.
Citizen Rules
03-25-16, 10:42 PM
Silly me! I seen Cricket's post: "I did, Penn's bro." and I thought he meant he had spotted both Jack Black and spotted Christopher Penn. No wonder I didn't see Chris Penn.
AlexWilder
03-26-16, 01:45 PM
i saw death race 2000, and i was surprisingly entertained..well basically because when i saw it i was in the mood for a simple meaningless film, other than that the movie was forgettable it has no story , no good acting, nothing ( maybe one thing boobs :cool: )
i don't know how it got nominated but thats the beauty of cinema we all have some weird movies that we enjoy.
rauldc14
03-26-16, 04:09 PM
Death Race 2000
I had seen this before and I enjoyed it the first time around. The second time around it lost a bit of its luster, but I still see it as an entertaining and fun film. The concept is so out in left field that it gets props for originality. The story is pretty weak and so is the acting, but I can somehow look past this as it isn't a film that needs to be judged with a critical eye. It's probably a good bet that this film ends up near the bottom, but it won't end up at the bottom of my list. I'd much rather see this than some of the other noms in this group. This has been a rather interesting Hall of Fame in that opinions are divided nearly everywhere, and this film is certainly no different in that regard.
3.5-
rauldc14
03-26-16, 04:16 PM
That puts me at 8/15. I have 4 new watches and 3 rewatches left.
Where is everybody else sitting at?
cricket
03-26-16, 04:55 PM
I've got 3 left, Death Race which I last saw about 30 years ago, The Lives of Others, and Time Lapse.
I watched Dead Man Walking today. I only have Ambersons left.
cricket
03-26-16, 05:02 PM
I watched Dead Man Walking today. I only have Ambersons left.
I'd say skip that one, it's just so so:D
I'd say skip that one, it's just so so:D
More like incomplete POS. Some pleeb loves it.
AlexWilder
03-26-16, 07:07 PM
i've got 2 new watches left ( nicky & mickey and the pianiste ) + 3 or 4 rewatches
Citizen Rules
03-26-16, 08:20 PM
I still have 8 films to watch. Unless someone dropped out that I didn't know about?
tatmmw2
03-26-16, 09:48 PM
Damn, I still have 9 left. I will try to watch 2 or 3 this week.
cricket
03-26-16, 09:50 PM
Damn, I still have 9 left. I will try to watch 2 or 3 this week.
I was saving yours for last since you're new, just in case you didn't finish, but you're doing a very good job.
gbgoodies
03-27-16, 01:32 AM
I watched a couple of these movies recently, but neither movie really did much for me.
I thought The Piano was too slow, and kind of boring. I didn't care much for any of the characters, so it was hard to really care what happened to them. :(
Adaptation was okay, but the beginning was kind of confusing, until I realized that there were actually two people there, and one wasn't just a figment of the other's imagination. The rest of the movie was just not very interesting. The only exciting part was when they got to the swamp, but it wasn't enough to save the movie for me. :shrug:
But on a lighter note, the fact that I didn't like either movie means that they'll probably both rank very high in this HoF. :lol:
jiraffejustin
03-27-16, 02:02 PM
I started Dead Man Walking, but didn't finish it yet. Other than that, I need to watch Time Lapse and No Man's Land and rewatch both The Lives of Others and The Descendants.
tatmmw2
03-27-16, 08:09 PM
I was saving yours for last since you're new, just in case you didn't finish, but you're doing a very good job.
Thanks man, you gave me even more inspiration :)
Citizen Rules
03-28-16, 02:14 PM
https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/the-best-years-of-our-lives-soldiers.jpg?w=620
The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler 1946)
Damn impressive movie! I'd seen it before and knew I liked it but after a second watch, I realized just how well made and intelligent film this is.
A film like this that covers the lives of three returning soldiers could have easily became cliche and overly dramatic...this movie never does that. The characters and the dialogue and the scenes, are all well grounded in reality. We hear about Italian neorealism films, this American film from 1946 is 'new realism'.
I was most impressed with the way the film handles real situations that returning WWII soldiers faced...as they tried to find jobs that the war hadn't trained them for...and dealt with dissolving relationships...and alcoholism and Post Dramatic Stress Disorder.
Most memorable is Homer (Harold Russell) the Sailor who lost his hand and returned home with hooks. You might think that's an actor with prop hooks, nope...Harold Russell was not an actor but a Paratrooper who lost his hands during an explosion. This non-actor, gave one of the best performances in the movie and that's saying a lot because all of the main cast stood out as exceptional.
I could go on and on but I will end this by saying: I truly enjoyed watching The Best Years of Our Lives.
MovieMeditation
03-28-16, 02:26 PM
I still have many movies left. As stated earlier, my movie watchings are very uneven and my mood and energy level shifts drastically. It doesn't help that my work schedule is busy and that we just had a death in our family. So yeah, sometimes I put off movies for a few days and sometimes I'm only in the mood for certain films; not exactly a way of watching movies that goes hand in hand with a HoF...
So if anyone is still missing my nomination, I don't mind if you put it last on your viewing schedule.
Citizen Rules
03-28-16, 02:31 PM
MM, I'm very sorry to hear about your families loss:( You're a good MoFo! and a good Hof member! If you have things going on in your life that makes it hard for you to watch the films, I'm sure we will all understand:) I certainly understand if you can't watch them this time around. Of course we do have plenty of time so please don't stress or worry about it.:)
MovieMeditation
03-28-16, 03:06 PM
Thanks for the thoughts, Citizen, that's nice to hear. I will try my best to get through the movies and hopefully I'll feel a lot better and more optimistic in a week or two. At the moment I'm also laying sick in bed, so yeah... Things are just freaking great right now. ;)
But don't worry too much, considering the situation I could feel a lot worse. It's mainly the fact that I can go from feeling good to feeling really bad. It's weird.
cricket
03-28-16, 09:08 PM
Death Race 2000
3.5-
http://cdn.moviestillsdb.com/sm/260ed9a4cc6ddb903b29730a8895548c/death-race-2000.jpg
I considered this movie to be a childhood favorite, but it's been so long since I last saw it that I had no idea how I'd react now. It turns out that it holds up really well. It's very short and a lot of fun. This movie was made at the right time. If it were made today, I'm sure it would suck. Carradine and Stallone are just perfect for their roles, and there's no shortage of hot chicks. I think there are a lot of movies in this Hall of Fame that are better, but this is the one I'd most enjoy watching over and over again.
My thoughts on Dead Man Walking posted in my faith thread.
Dead Man Walking (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1485524#post1485524)
tatmmw2
03-30-16, 12:40 AM
Yesterday I saw Adaption 5, I don't know if it's underrated or famous but I wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't for your nomination Nope. I REALLY love this movie, I think it was amazing, I couldn't stop watching not even for 1 second. I like Charlie's way of thinking too, although he was kind of lame, and John's too! his life was really interesting, John was really my favorite character, Donnald's was interesting too.
I could start talking all day about this movie but I would have to make a spoiler tag and it's late, I'm going to sleep now. I will try to write my opinion on the other movies later, if I don't do it these days I would definitively do it on Saturday
Citizen Rules
03-30-16, 12:38 PM
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A8yx3wL0nF8/TGn9Nda4miI/AAAAAAAACOU/C7gOMUB3ImM/s1600/mikey_and_nicky_1976.png
Mikey and Nicky (1976)
Sorry to say, I didn't see anything special in this movie. The way it was directed and filmed, reminded me of a movie that was made to be shown at a drive-in theater. Back in the day, drive-in theaters were popular in the USA and they would show double billings. Mikey and Nicky seemed like one of those quickly made movies.
I don't know what people see in this movie. John Cassavetes' character (Nicky) was so hyper annoying that I hoped he would jump out of his hotel window and we'd be done with him. I didn't care about Peter Falk's (Mickey) character either. The only character I liked was Ned Beaty. Too bad he had only a limited role. I wasn't engaged at all but the story. Sorry but this movie didn't resonated with me.
jiraffejustin
03-30-16, 05:57 PM
Dead Man Walking
I appreciate that the movie is unflinching in it's portrayal of the crime committed, but that doesn't really save the film from being heavy-handed. There wasn't much in the way of subtlety either, but at times it was somewhat powerful. The point of the movie is to tell us that the death penalty is bad, but I feel like that is an issue with more complexity than that. Like I said, I do appreciate the way the film portrayed the crime committed, and still pushed forward with its politics.
The image of Poncelet's arms spread wide, clearly meant to parallel that of Jesus' crucifixion, was the most heavy-handed image of the film. It's sort of the straw that broke the camel's back. Clearly there is something more to this film than the average film, but I don't think it does justice to a subject matter that deserves better.
Shoutouts to R. Lee Emery though. He was the best part of the film. His hatred felt real, it was kind of terrifying.
I still have 10 moves left, but I just finished the two other HoFs I was in, so time to tackle this one!
I still have 10 moves left, but I just finished the two other HoFs I was in, so time to tackle this one!
I wasn't in any other HoFs, yet I think I have more than 10 left. Whoa, does that make me the biggest slacker in town? :eek::p
rauldc14
04-01-16, 11:42 PM
I wasn't in any other HoFs, yet I think I have more than 10 left. Whoa, does that make me the biggest slacker in town? :eek::p
No, far from it man!
Brief Encounter (Lean, 1945)
http://i.imgur.com/GLVg9Vh.jpg
Brief Encounter felt like an average result in an age where films with short romances were a trend. It's Thor when at the top are The Dark Knight and The Avengers.
But even if some elements were fixed, Brief Encounter would never become a film I could truly love, because the story and character development is its limitation. A housewife and doctor fall in love by accident and start to meet each other in private. This leads to a couple of heartfelt moments, but nothing else.
There's nothing particularly irritating, except that fact that we hear every single thought made by Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) via narration. I get that it's necessary for the ending, but emotion conveyed through explanation, instead of subtlety, ruins the point of enjoying cinema. If Brief Encounter was a novel, I would have definitely had been satisfied to a greater extent.
Luckily, the last 20 minutes swoops in before deciding to shake my head. It's what saves the film, and now that I can finally read the chain of spoilers that spread across 2 pages, I'll say that I disagree with the majority.
So at the end, when we've forgotten that the beginning of the film is out of chronological order, we hear the sounds and lines of dialogue once again. Milk or plain. The bell ringing. The eyes, which now have a story. Those alone are beautiful. We are in her house once again, but it's a bit different. Not particularly brilliant, but it caught me by surprise.
3+
SilentVamp
04-02-16, 04:29 PM
Dead Man Walking
I will start this one out by saying that whether I agree with the death penalty or not you will not find out. I am going to try to keep this review neutral.
This was a re-watch for me. I have only seen it once before, and that was when it was first released in the theater. The theater that I saw it in is a small one from the 1920's on the Eastside. It must have been opening weekend because I remember a mini protest going on outside. I can still visualize leaving the movie and having to try to get past all of those people.
I suppose, in a way, that is odd to remember details like that when having seen a movie, but I not only remember that, I also remembered the movie. Very vividly, in fact. This wasn't one of those movie-watching experiences where I remember it as it went along. I remembered it before it even happened. Considering that I hadn't seen it since 1995, that shows the sort of impact it made on me.
I knew it was a really good movie, but it seems that I'd forgotten just how good it was until I saw it again for this HoF.
I give the filmmakers credit for not being too biased one way or the other (and I know Tim Robbins easily could've done so). I felt that this film really looked at it from all the angles that it possibly could.
I think some people might watch it and find that it, perhaps, has an anti-death penalty agenda, but I really don't think so. I think this movie shows the reality of it all. The reality of the crime and the reality of the punishment. And whether or not you should feel a certain way about the outcome is up to you.
I had the same thought while watching this as when I went to the theater to see it: I can't imagine what that must feel like. The knowing (and waiting) that it is going to happen to you. I don't think I even have words to describe how I think it must feel because I really can't imagine how it would. I think the only word is "terrifying". Terrifying because you know it is going to happen, you know when, and there is no way to stop it. Of course, the film also shows the crime that led up to the decision for that sentence. To experience a crime like that is just as terrifying.
Susan Sarandon is very good in it, of course. She usually is, I think. Sean Penn, though, for me, is the scene stealer in every one he is in. He manages to take someone like Matthew Poncelet and make him somewhat of a sympathetic guy without really feeling sorry for him. I don't know if that is the best way to describe how I felt about his character but it is the best way that I know how. I know Sean Penn has been nominated a few times, and has won a few awards, but I still don't think he gets as much respect as he deserves as an actor. As good as Nicolas Cage was that year, I still think it should've gone to Sean Penn.
Will I watch this movie again anytime soon? Probably not. It is kind of a hard movie for me to watch. It has an interesting story, and the actors are all excellent in it, but it isn't something that I can sit down and enjoy whenever I feel like it. Nevertheless, a very good nomination. It gave me an excuse to watch it again, and to experience a film that I think is underrated.
4.5
No Man's Land (2001)
Great movie!!!
Its plot is simple, but really effective. 2 guys from opposite sides stuck on a trench on No Man's Land while a third one is laying on top of a mine. We also have the UN trying to solve the problem but more concerned with the image that the world sees than with actual helping anyone.
It has a dark comedy touch that works perfectly and a very powerful message! It's about the hipocrisy of war and the fake neutrality of the world at the Bosnia war. There's a quote I particularly liked: "Neutrality does not exist in the face of murder. Doing nothing to stop it is, in fact, choosing. It is not being neutral"
I was afraid the ending wouldn't be as fullfiling as the rest of the movie but Tanovic manages to end the film in a magnificent way!
Great nomination!!!
3.5 +
Citizen Rules
04-02-16, 11:14 PM
Dead Man Walking
I will start this one out by saying that whether I agree with the death penalty or not you will not find out. I am going to try to keep this review neutral.
This was a re-watch for me. I have only seen it once before, and that was when it was first released in the theater. The theater that I saw it in is a small one from the 1920's on the Eastside. It must have been opening weekend because I remember a mini protest going on outside. I can still visualize leaving the movie and having to try to get past all of those people.
I suppose, in a way, that is odd to remember details like that when having seen a movie, but I not only remember that, I also remembered the movie. Very vividly, in fact. This wasn't one of those movie-watching experiences where I remember it as it went along. I remembered it before it even happened. Considering that I hadn't seen it since 1995, that shows the sort of impact it made on me.
I knew it was a really good movie, but it seems that I'd forgotten just how good it was until I saw it again for this HoF.
I give the filmmakers credit for not being too biased one way or the other (and I know Tim Robbins easily could've done so). I felt that this film really looked at it from all the angles that it possibly could.
I think some people might watch it and find that it, perhaps, has an anti-death penalty agenda, but I really don't think so. I think this movie shows the reality of it all. The reality of the crime and the reality of the punishment. And whether or not you should feel a certain way about the outcome is up to you.
I had the same thought while watching this as when I went to the theater to see it: I can't imagine what that must feel like. The knowing (and waiting) that it is going to happen to you. I don't think I even have words to describe how I think it must feel because I really can't imagine how it would. I think the only word is "terrifying". Terrifying because you know it is going to happen, you know when, and there is no way to stop it. Of course, the film also shows the crime that led up to the decision for that sentence. To experience a crime like that is just as terrifying.
Susan Sarandon is very good in it, of course. She usually is, I think. Sean Penn, though, for me, is the scene stealer in every one he is in. He manages to take someone like Matthew Poncelet and make him somewhat of a sympathetic guy without really feeling sorry for him. I don't know if that is the best way to describe how I felt about his character but it is the best way that I know how. I know Sean Penn has been nominated a few times, and has won a few awards, but I still don't think he gets as much respect as he deserves as an actor. As good as Nicolas Cage was that year, I still think it should've gone to Sean Penn.
Will I watch this movie again anytime soon? Probably not. It is kind of a hard movie for me to watch. It has an interesting story, and the actors are all excellent in it, but it isn't something that I can sit down and enjoy whenever I feel like it. Nevertheless, a very good nomination. It gave me an excuse to watch it again, and to experience a film that I think is underrated.
rating_4_5
Vamp, you sure know how to write an interesting review:) I really like the personal experiences that you put into your write ups and I enjoy reading them, nicely done!
I so totally agree with your summation of the movie. I expected this film to be an anti death penalty film, as Tim Robbins and his then girlfriend Susan Sarandon were both liberal activist. But no, it's like you said, the film shows all sides of the, issue and let's us, the viewer decide. Which I think is brilliant.
Some people who are anti death penalty are going to see those elements in the film and conclude that's what the film was trying to say. Myself I'm pro death penalty and if anything, this film strengthened my belief that executing someone like Poncelet is the right thing to do.
SPOILER***
My reaction to Poncelet was that he was a user and abuser of people, a real opportunist. He used the nun to get what he wanted which was someone on the outside to file appeals for him. When he realized he was going to be executed he took up an interest in the bible and confessed his sins. I don't for one minute think he did that out of guilt or remorse, he did it to save his sorry ass-soul. It was only when he was strapped down and about to die did he show true remorse but even then it was because he was sorry for himself. He was a SOB who deserved to be executed...and that's a huge credit to Sean Pean for creating such a believable self serving individual.
Thursday Next
04-03-16, 11:55 AM
Just letting you know I have had computer problems so haven't been able to get on here for a while, but I am definitely still in this HoF.
And I am reading the posts about Brief Encounter very disapprovingly/disappointedly!
cricket
04-03-16, 12:15 PM
After I watched Brief Encounter, I thought it was going to be a contender.
Thursday Next
04-03-16, 12:46 PM
OK, a few points on Brief Encounter...
Interesting (or not) how much everyone is focusing on the infidelity and their disapproval of it. Some of you wouldn't have been out of place on the 1940s Irish censorship board which originally banned the film for portraying an adulterer in a sympathetic light! I definitely don't approve of infidelity but (depending on how it is presented) it doesn't necessarily limit my enjoyment of a movie. (I also think that sometimes men are quicker to dislike movies in which women are unfaithful (and perhaps women are more likely to dislike movies in which men are unfaithful), perhaps it has to do with which character's position you imagine yourself in.)
People in movies do things we wouldn't do. They make bad decisions. That is the very essence of drama. I don't think it's necessary to approve of or agree with a character's actions to sympathise with them. I found I sympathised with Laura very much in this film, I felt like we were very much inside her head. I see that not all of you felt the same, and without that feeling I can imagine it wouldn't be quite the same movie experience.
I think some comments in this thread have overlooked the importance of restraint, the internal and the unspoken in this film. The infidelity itself is entirely emotional - they (probably) don't sleep together. The whole idea, the whole appeal of the story is the hidden emotions behind the keep calm and carry on public face. So I find it astonishing that some people thought Laura ought to have been 'punished' at the end - the whole affair was a product of her emotions and the punishment for it is in the same sphere - the suffocating guilt that she feels at the end of the movie.
Did you see the part where she nearly threw herself under the train? I felt like that whole scene summed up the movie, the feeling, the idea of something terrible and reckless inside but in the end just carrying on with a normal life. I don't even think that it is just about infidelity or forbidden love, there's more of a universal idea than that, it could be any 'unacceptable' feeling locked up inside while carrying on with a respectable life. I also liked the scene in which a despairing Laura is moved on by a policeman for loitering, the idea of there being no physical space in which to have thoughts of emotions - I think there is more metaphor in there than is appreciated.
One of the things that I love about this film is the very normality of the characters, that this is not a Hollywood melodrama with 'romantic' type leads. I think that if they were it would take away much of the reality of the film, the very ordinariness of the characters and their lives. The original play on which it is based was called 'Still Life' and I think that's still an apt title for the film.
I also don't think there has been enough appreciation for the way the film looks, the use of light and shadow and the way that works with the themes and the story, which I think is masterful.
5
Thursday Next
04-03-16, 01:42 PM
Dead Man Walking
I hadn't seen this before, and, like others in this thread, I had expected it to be more of a strictly anti-death penalty movie. But Poncelet certainly isn't innocent, or even sympathetic. The people I felt most sorry for in this movie were his family, because they had to deal with not only his death but also the second-hand guilt and shame and abuse from their neighbours brought on by his crimes.
At the end I wasn't quite sure what the film was aiming for with the juxtaposition of Poncelet's death with flashbacks of his crime - was it to illustrate that he was getting what he deserved? Or to show, as he says, that all killing is wrong, whoever does it? Or simply to show him finally reflecting on and regretting the crimes which led him to that end? I quite liked that you could interpret it in different ways.
Susan Sarandon is good, I liked her portrayal of what was a fairly interesting and somewhat unusual character.
I think I would have found this film more interesting if it hadn't recently watched Aileen Wuornos: The Life and Death of a Serial Killer, which also looked at a murderer as they faced the death penalty and had somebody from outside who tried to get them to talk about their crimes. Preferring a documentary to a fictional film, what has happened to me? ;)
All in all this was an interesting nomination, a solid mainstream nineties movie. I didn't love it but I'm glad I got round to seeing it.
Citizen Rules
04-03-16, 01:56 PM
As I said before, Brief Encounter was an excellent Hof nomination, as it lent itself to discussion with all of our different viewpoints. And that's why I join the Hofs:p
I definitely don't approve of infidelity but (depending on how it is presented) it doesn't necessarily limit my enjoyment of a movie...I find it astonishing that some people thought Laura ought to have been 'punished' at the end That's not why I didn't like the film. My complaint about the ending wasn't from some real world, puritanical need to redeem or punish fictional characters. My complaint about the ending is from the viewpoint of a cinematic one...IMO it lacked in delivering something that would make the film stay with me.
cricket
04-03-16, 04:51 PM
^^Meanwhile, the ending blew me away:)
Citizen Rules
04-03-16, 05:18 PM
I know, I know...the cautionary tale of what happens to a guy who doesn't pay enough attention to his wife:D
Thursday Next
04-03-16, 05:35 PM
I'm with Cricket on the ending, I don't think it needed some 'comeuppance' for the sake of drama. I think her realisation that this was her 'real' life, that the only person who would understand and forgive her was the one person she had hurt the most and her decision to save him the pain of the truth at the expense of her need to confess was just the right bittersweet ending. And then of course there was the possibility that he knew all along. I think the quiet sense of compromise fit better with the tone of the film than anything more dramatic or decisive.
Citizen Rules
04-03-16, 05:40 PM
I have a question for you, Thursday Next. You said, "..the suffocating guilt that she feels at the end of the movie." Do you think that 'suffocating guilt' she felt, made for a satisfactory ending for the movie?
cricket
04-03-16, 05:42 PM
But it wasn't just about her, and how she felt.
Thursday Next
04-03-16, 06:53 PM
I have a question for you, Thursday Next. You said, "..the suffocating guilt that she feels at the end of the movie." Do you think that 'suffocating guilt' she felt, made for a satisfactory ending for the movie?
Not really, because my satisfaction with the ending and the movie isn't bound up in getting some kind of comeuppance for the character.
I felt that everything that happened in the end was the natural result of how the story had unfolded and how the characters had behaved up until that point and the world in which they live, and I'm satisfied with that. I'm really not sure that I understand why you felt there was lacking in the ending.
Citizen Rules
04-03-16, 07:18 PM
Thanks for explaining:)...I hope you don't mind me discussing your film. I enjoy 'arm chair' critiquing of films and that's why I joined MoFo and why I like the Hofs too.
I don't want anybody to take my post in the wrong light. Everything I've said, I've meant in the good natured spirit of discussion. I respect everyone's opinion, in fact everyone's opinion is correct for themselves as they see it.
I don't mind explaining my opinion, in fact I think it's only right if someone doesn't like a film that they give a reason why. Which I have done. I'm happy to talk more about Brief Encounter if you wish. But otherwise I've said more about this movie than any other Hof film.:p
cricket
04-03-16, 07:20 PM
It's normal to disagree on the ending because it's about emotional feelings
Watched Magnificent Ambersons this afternoon and still love it. Definitely a new favorite for me. A couple of old favorites were in this HOF as well so my top three are all five star movies for me. Really enjoyed the next six movies on my list and quite a hard time ranking them. Overall this was a quality HOF as usual. Another one in the books for me. See you guys in #10.
Thursday Next
04-04-16, 05:02 AM
Thanks for explaining:)...I hope you don't mind me discussing your film. I enjoy 'arm chair' critiquing of films and that's why I joined MoFo and why I like the Hofs too.
Of course not! That's what we're here for. I'll admit I was pretty wound up reading some of the posts when I couldn't respond to them straight away, but actually people disliking the film has spurred me on more to comment in its defence. When everybody agrees a film is pretty good, there's not much to say. It's good to have a bit of debate and discussion in a hall of fame, especially if it's all civilized.
gbgoodies
04-05-16, 01:22 AM
I watched Dead Man Walking, and it was a good movie that, even though it didn't seem like my type of movie, surprisingly it held my interest from start to finish. I've never been a big fan of Sean Penn, but there's no denying that he's a great actor. Both he and Susan Sarandon are terrific in this movie.
While I can see the conflict in Sarandon's character, I don't really see much conflict about the death penalty issue in general in this movie. What I mean by that is that if you're already for or against the death penalty, this movie isn't likely to change your mind. There doesn't seem to be an issue about whether or not he's guilty, just whether or not he's the person who pulled the trigger.
I expected this movie to be about an innocent man who is on death row, not about a guilty man who's just trying to avoid the death penalty.
jiraffejustin
04-05-16, 11:17 AM
No Man's Land: Pretty solid film. The humor was enjoyable and dark enough not to undermine the subject matter of the film. The lead performances were solid. I don't remember ever being dazzled by the camera work, but that's not necessarily a criticism. It's pretty cool the way we never see that much of the battlefield, the focus is maintained on that small trench. It's an interesting technique of using a little bit to make a statement on the whole thing.
The Lives of Others: Second viewing. I wasn't in love with this movie the first time I saw it, but I like it a whole lot more now. I don't really know why I wasn't that keen on it before. It's very tense. It's very well performed. It's exciting. It's a great cautionary tale in the same vein as Orwell's 1984. There's really only one thing I can think of that I didn't particularly care for: the thumb print on the report at the end. It lacked subtlety, surely Dreyman would know what had happened without that. Surely the audience would know he knew what had happened. I don't really see the point there. But it's not a killer, it's just that Muhe's performance as Wiesler is so steeped in subtlety that I almost expect everything about his character to be subtle.
Citizen Rules
04-05-16, 12:23 PM
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNTc2NjIzODEyOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNzk0Mjg3._V1_.jpg
No Man's Land
I liked this one! I had never heard of it. But glad to have watched it as I've seen very little about the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict in the early 90s. I thought this was well made. I thought the scenes (the sets and the way it was filmed) all looked very real. It felt like I was there, which is just what the movie needed to do to be believable. This was very believable! It was filmed in almost documentary style and I think that was appropriate for the subject matter. Luckily there was no fancy camera work or overbearing music score.
I didn't expect light humor arising from the situation on the battle field, but the humor kept the film from being too dark and some of it was quiet clever. The film makes a strong statement about war...you'll have to watch it to see what that statement is.
rauldc14
04-07-16, 12:18 PM
The Best Years Of Our Lives
An even better and more rewarding movie experience the second time around. I love how we see the struggles of the three main lead men as they try to figure out their life's after they see how the world has adjusted in their absence. In many ways, their families had sort of moved on without them, so it is quite difficult for them to adjust. William Wyler does a fantastic job of telling such a touching story. What I am most impressed about is the emotion that he gets out of his actors and actresses in the film. It feels like these events are real and that the people are real. To go hand in hand with that, the acting is phenomenal. I really thought Dana Andrews and Teresa Wright had amazing chemistry together, and Fredric March, Harold Russell, and Myrna Loy were all fantastic. This is easily becoming one of my favorite movies of all time. Glad it was nominated as I've thought about nominating it before as well.
4.5+
rauldc14
04-07-16, 04:00 PM
Adaptation
So here comes some hate I'm sure. I really disliked this movie. I'm usually a guy who can stick up for Nic Cage but for whatever reason I hated his performance here. I still haven't been able to figure out the huge deal with this Kaufman stuff. I did really like BJM but other than that he seems like a guy that isn't for me. His stories aren't interesting to me (BJM excluded). And then there is Chris Cooper with an Oscar winning performance that I am simply puzzled about. He was ok and not my problem with the film, but far from award winning in my book. It's interesting that so many people like this movie so I will chalk it up to Kaufman not being my style. He also tries to added comedic pieces to his films that never seem to make me chuckle, yet I can see he attempts to do this so blatantly. Sorry guys.
2
cricket
04-07-16, 04:17 PM
Interesting
Similar to Wes Anderson, I think if you don't find the humor in Kaufman's writing then he won't be for you. They don't write jokes, all the humor comes from the characters and their brokenness. With their humor I think we are really laughing at the person. This is not something that would make me feel good in real life but in these movies the characters are so heightened that it rarely feels like our reality anyway. There humor is very cathartic for me because despite the characters being heightened there is so much truth in their writing. So in the end you're really just laughing at humanity in general. The style is very dry and matter of fact. I understand why it's not for everyone but I adore it.
cricket
04-07-16, 04:30 PM
What I meant by interesting was I thought you guys were the same person.
Citizen Rules
04-07-16, 04:33 PM
Interesting.
I watched Adaptation last night and started writing a review this morning but got side tracked. I'll work on finishing it now.
Citizen Rules
04-07-16, 04:39 PM
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KhzFF7-kvnY/UF4DFV4RUvI/AAAAAAAABbc/AIOaxGjSRQE/s1600/el+ladr%C3%B3n+de+orqu%C3%ADdeas.jpg
Adaptation (2002)
When this was announced as one of the HOF noms, I was curious about it as I hadn't seen it before. But...as soon as I got the DVD from my library I looked at the cover art and realized I had seen it. I showed the DVD to my wife who said, we'd not only seen it, but didn't like it.
So like the HOF trooper I am, I decided to watch it last night. I remembered nothing of the film! Not one scene, not one character, not even the big finally rang a bell. How could a movie be erased out of my memory? With not even a vague inkling of having ever seen it. Perhaps the plot of Being John Malkovich is more plausible than commonly believed. I sometimes think about that movie, so it's strange that Adaption starts off on the set of Being John Malkovich.
But enough about conspiracy theories. So....I'm watching the film for the second time, which is actually the first time, and despite the fact that I supposedly hated the film 10 years ago, I'm loving it now. I find the film uniquely different, the duel stories of the Orchid Hunter and the story line of the self doubting screen writer is fascinating. Nicholas Cage is really good in this, and I wonder why he made so many crap movies when he's such a talented actor. The toothless orchid guy is pretty far out too and even more so is he's back story, I like it. The film is written very intelligently and I'm thinking this is a work of art...and it's going to the top of my list.
But then a funny, but not humorous, thing happens: The film talks about what not to do in a screen play, Cage's character says he wants to do a screen adaptation that does not have car chases and guns and typically Hollywood crap.
****SPOILER***** And that's exactly what we get in the end! This brilliant film is defecated on by Spike Jonz in the third act. We were just warned that a film could have flaws but the audience well forgive that, if the ending wows them. Then we get this really stupid, cliche Hollywood ending, with car chases, and guns and alligators! I just about ripped up all the
Phalaenopsis in the house and flush them down the toilet in protest.
Oh yes, I know that the director was mocking Hollywood films by including a Hollywood style stupid third act. And yes I know this is about a screen writer, writing a screen play, about a screen writer who's writing a screen play. But that doesn't negate the fact that he used a felt marker to draw a mustache on the Mona Lisa.
https://38.media.tumblr.com/avatar_d5e2bba3eb09_128.png
What I meant by interesting was I thought you guys were the same person.
We are more like Nic Cage in Adaptation. I'm the dumb one obviously.
cricket
04-07-16, 04:49 PM
We are more like Nic Cage in Adaptation. I'm the dumb one obviously.
The dumb one gets the girl.
rauldc14
04-07-16, 05:37 PM
What I meant by interesting was I thought you guys were the same person.
In many ways. Surprisingly my past few HOF noms besides Descendants Sean hasn't liked much. But we have tons of favorite films in common.
Citizen Rules
04-07-16, 06:16 PM
I think I have a lot of film taste in common with you guys, but then there's a lot of stuff you like I don't. I'm sure that goes vice versa too.
I hope to either watch Descendants or Time Lapse tonight.
Nope1172
04-07-16, 06:18 PM
I'm usually a guy who can stick up for Nic Cage but for whatever reason I hated his performance here.
I have to disagree with you here. I think this was Nick Cage's best performance of his career. He did a fantastic job creating two separate and unique characters, and even though they looked identical, I could easily tell the difference between the two.
I still haven't been able to figure out the huge deal with this Kaufman stuff.
Charlie Kaufman is my favorite screenwriter, and I think the reason I love him so much is because of his incredibly unique ideas. In each film he makes, he creates a world that is normal, yet incredibly strange. I guess I can't really explain why myself and so many other people love him so much.
And then there is Chris Cooper with an Oscar winning performance that I am simply puzzled about. He was ok and not my problem with the film, but far from award winning in my book.
Gonna disagree with you again here. Chris Cooper completely disappeared into his character. Every single movement he makes in the film is completely in character, and he absolutely nails the accent if you've ever seen footage of the real guy.
He also tries to added comedic pieces to his films that never seem to make me chuckle, yet I can see he attempts to do this so blatantly.
I actually don't think he tries blatantly. I think most of the humor in his movies besides BJM are very subtle, and I can't really think of any times he tried to hard to be funny in this film or Eternal Sunshine.
rauldc14
04-07-16, 06:20 PM
I think I have a lot of film taste in common with you guys, but then there's a lot of stuff you like I don't. I'm sure that goes vice versa too.
I hope to either watch Descendants or Time Lapse tonight.
Have you seen Descendants before CR?
Citizen Rules
04-07-16, 06:23 PM
Nope. I know nothing about the film, I haven't read any reviews. I like Clooney in most everything I've seen him in so I have high expectations.
rauldc14
04-07-16, 06:24 PM
Nope. I know nothing about the film, I haven't read any reviews. I like Clooney in most everything I've seen him in so I have high expectations.
Really hope you like it. And I think u will.
rauldc14
04-07-16, 06:27 PM
Nope like I said with Kaufman it's a style thing. I really liked Malkovich but other than that he's not my style.
Citizen Rules
04-07-16, 06:31 PM
Really hope you like it. And I think u will.I'll try to watch Descendant tonight. Anybody else want to take a guess if I'll like or not?
I think it will appeal to you. 4 from CR.
SilentVamp
04-07-16, 06:33 PM
I'll try to watch Descendant tonight. Anybody else want to take a guess if I'll like or not?
I think you are going to like it. I like it. I have seen it more than once. I should get to my review this weekend. But I think you will like it, though. Just how much, I don't know. I couldn't make a guess about that.
Gideon58
04-07-16, 06:46 PM
Have you seen Descendants before CR?
I loved The Descendants. Below is a link to my review of it:
http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=32719&page=61
Citizen Rules
04-07-16, 07:04 PM
Sounds like I'm going to like it:)
Godoggo
04-07-16, 09:03 PM
I haven't seen a lot of these movies. I love Adaptation but I might be pulling for Beasts to win. That movie was not what I expected at all (in a good way) and I always gotta pull for the underdog.
rauldc14
04-07-16, 09:05 PM
#godoggofor10thHOF
I haven't seen a lot of these movies. I love Adaptation but I might be pulling for Beasts to win. That movie was not what I expected at all (in a good way) and I always gotta pull for the underdog.
You like Ambersons? I've been beating that drum for about six months now. Most seem to be drinking the it is incomplete kool-aid.
Godoggo
04-07-16, 09:18 PM
I've not seen it yet, but I'll watch it before the Hof is up. I'm going to try to get to all these movies.
rauldc14
04-07-16, 09:19 PM
Have you seen Descendants Gdog?
Citizen Rules
04-07-16, 11:26 PM
#godoggofor10thHOFGodoggo should host the 11th Hof. I've already started work on the 10th as I called it long ago.
Raul said he wanted to host the 9th and I said I wanted to host the 10th
Originally Posted by rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1420278#post1420278)
...Speaking of the ninth HOf, I am in and also I would host if everyone is OK. If not that is fine too.
Originally Posted by Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=1420382#post1420382)
I'm OK with Raul doing the 9th. I never hosted the main Hof so I would like to host the 10th Hof.
Hey, the Harvie Krumpet avatar is back at posting!!!! :D What a glorious glorious day!
rauldc14
04-08-16, 09:05 AM
CR I just meant gdog should participate. I'm glad you are doing the 10th!
Thursday Next
04-08-16, 10:25 AM
I don't care much for Nicolas Cage in general but he's alright in Adaptation. I think it is clever and funny but you do have to wade through quite a lot of navel gazing to get to the punchline (and if you don't like self-referential stuff it might still irritate you, even though it's very self-referential-ness is part of the gag). It makes me think a bit of a Coen movie, but while something like A Serious Man is better in hindsight than when actually watching it, once it gets going Adaptation is quite entertaining. The biggest problem I have with it is that it's an ugly movie to look at, more focused on the ideas than on what it looks like.
vBulletin® v3.8.0, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.