The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame III: Foreign Language Edition

[Citizen Rules]

Are you going to continue with the series?

Antoine and Collette(short)
Stolen Kisses
Bed and Board
Love on the Run I didn't realize that there was a series. I'll have to look into them. Thanks

There's actually two other films on your list that I would've chosen for you, since I would have tried to snag Ali: Fear Eats the Soul for everyone who seemed disappointed in its disqualification in the 24th, then Shoplifters and Parasite for everyone else (who hasn't seen them yet).

I'm sure someone here has seen all three, but I didn't think that far ahead haha.I was hoping Parasite would've be chosen for me. It looks promising.

[Thursday Next]

Black Orpheus

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/carousel-files/7bd7d8bcf5d4738748383476451e0cdb.jpeg

It was interesting to watch this so soon after watching Jean Cocteau’s Orphee – both different fantastical, stylised takes on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

This film has the rhythm and flavour of a musical, even though the characters don’t burst into song they do dance through the film – even the movements that aren’t part of the carnival feel like they are dancing. It isn’t just that it is set in a carnival, the carnival is also the way of telling the story.

The warmth and colour of the film were very noticeable – especially towards the end when the action shifts from the streets and homes and the carnival to almost a vision of hell where the death-figure chases Eurydice and then on to a hell of a different kind in the sterile hospital and the paper wasteland of the missing person department. The colour and tone of the film changes with these shifts in setting.

I thought this was very good and I don’t know why it isn’t more widely seen. It would definitely have been on my 1950s list had I seen it before that countdown. Thank you to whoever nominated this for me.

[Thief]

Just to be clear, we're not meant to reveal who nominated what yet, right?

[Citizen Rules]

Just to be clear, we're not meant to reveal who nominated what yet, right?Some people do, some don't. I might this time, last time I didn't.

[Citizen Rules]

Black Orpheus
Thank you to whoever nominated this for me.
I tried to nominate that for you, but it was already chosen by someone else. At least I know it would've been a good choice and glad you liked it.

[cricket]

The 400 Blows made my 50's ballot, 5 people tried nominating Black Orpheus for Thursday, and I haven't seen Port of Shadows (it sounds good!).

[cricket]

Just to be clear, we're not meant to reveal who nominated what yet, right?

There's no rule about it, but Takoma requested that nobody tell her what they picked for her until it's over.

[rbrayer]

This is a great idea. I really wish I'd seen this thread earlier. :(

[Citizen Rules]

There's no rule about it, but Takoma requested that nobody tell her what they picked for her until it's over.Oh, I didn't know that she had requested that. I guess I didn't see that.

[cricket]

Oh, I didn't know that she had requested that. I guess I didn't see that.

Just up above after her Ali write up.

[Siddon]

https://1001moviemanblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/37856-vlcsnap-2014-05-14-09h28m11s205.png
The Given Word (1962)


Do I talk about the movie or do I talk about the print? This was borderline unwatchable everything was very fuzzy and the film is loud making this feel like an anti-ASMR viewing.


The basic story is a poor man with a cross runs around Brazil and offends the establishment. We get a vibrant scene of Brazil and the score just keeps going and going and going. I did not like this at all I think I stopped it four or five times as I was getting a migraine. It's a very political film, perhaps it's communist message hurts it's chances of being released. I don't even think I saw the sick donkey which is the impetus for the story. It might be good for some people but I was just bored and angry about it.

[Citizen Rules]

This is a great idea. I really wish I'd seen this thread earlier. :(Do you like Asian films? We're going to do an Asian Film HoF which will start really soon. It should be small with not many members, so easy to do and fun!

[cricket]

https://1001moviemanblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/37856-vlcsnap-2014-05-14-09h28m11s205.png
The Given Word (1962)


Do I talk about the movie or do I talk about the print? This was borderline unwatchable everything was very fuzzy and the film is loud making this feel like an anti-ASMR viewing.


The basic story is a poor man with a cross runs around Brazil and offends the establishment. We get a vibrant scene of Brazil and the score just keeps going and going and going. I did not like this at all I think I stopped it four or five times as I was getting a migraine. It's a very political film, perhaps it's communist message hurts it's chances of being released. I don't even think I saw the sick donkey which is the impetus for the story. It might be good for some people but I was just bored and angry about it.

No sick donkey???

What a useless piece of crap!

[edarsenal]

https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/19321_1.jpg


Port of Shadows (1938)

An early film noir...Port of Shadows is a mixed bag a three act story that lands the opening and closing but misses the middle. Port of Shadows is a story of men and women on the fringes of society. An AWOL soldier ends up in a dive bar where he hooks up with gangsters and a 17 year old who is being "taken care of" by her godfather.

The depressed guy smoking a cigarette cliche likely didn't start here but it's well used. We also have a dog that I suppose it supposed to be symbolic of our lead. The dog is well trained and poorly used which is my biggest knock of the film. Jean reluctantly taking in strays is a good idea for a film and story...but Port of Shadows just kinda glosses right over that to give us a third rate pulp gangster film.

Visually Carne demonstrates a deft ability to give us the audience a solid look at this world. Taking from German Expressionism Port of Shadows gives us the watcher a solid mood. We are also not stuck in single rooms as the film gives us the entire ghetto. That's a big plus in it's favor. I'm not sure where I'm going to rank this film when it's all said and done. The subject matter is strong but only implied you know 20-30 years later you would have gotten hit by a stronger film. I think in a lot of ways this is what the New Wave rebelled against.

Thank you for whomever nominated this one because it'll give me a lot to think about.
Honor and a Pleasure.
I had figured, being one of the last ones to get a list of noms together that the list you posted was gonna be used up, so, I crossed my fingers and went with one on my watchlist.

[edarsenal]

74872
The 400 Blows (Truffaut 1959)


I'm off to a great start as the very first film that I watched I really liked.


The 400 Blows is a very balanced film that never preaches or tries to make a case by focusing purely on a one sided issue. I mean in one way the troubled kid has problems which are a result of his dysfunctional family, especially his mother who never wanted him and shipped off to live with the relatives as soon as she could. Then again much of the problems the teen faces comes from his own dumb ass behavior. He does a lot of really stupid stunts and screws up constantly. He's not overly sympathetic, yet he's very real and believable.

Oh, I always thought the 400 Blows referred to some brutal beatings the kid had endured. That's not what the title means, I read that properly translated from French it means 400 pranks...referring to all the dumb stunts the kid ends up pulling.

So what does the film have to say? At the end we see the boy running free towards the ocean, of course he's not really free until he starts shaping up.



Sounds like a very large portion of my youth lol
Looking forward to seeing this one myself.
I might have to watch it early and compare.

[Allaby]

I watched Au Revoir les Enfants (1987), directed by Louis Malle. This Oscar nominated drama is about a French boarding school run by priests during World War II and the secrets of the boys at the school. This is a very well made film and the performances are quite good, especially by the young boys. They felt very believable and real. The film does a good job of building to a powerful and haunting conclusion. I'm glad I watched this film and would recommend it. Thanks to whoever suggested it for me. I rate it a 4.

[Thief]

Well, I guess why not? unless you ask otherwise, I'll reveal mine as I see fit...

74872
The 400 Blows (Truffaut 1959)


I'm off to a great start as the very first film that I watched I really liked.


The 400 Blows is a very balanced film that never preaches or tries to make a case by focusing purely on a one sided issue. I mean in one way the troubled kid has problems which are a result of his dysfunctional family, especially his mother who never wanted him and shipped off to live with the relatives as soon as she could. Then again much of the problems the teen faces comes from his own dumb ass behavior. He does a lot of really stupid stunts and screws up constantly. He's not overly sympathetic, yet he's very real and believable.

Oh, I always thought the 400 Blows referred to some brutal beatings the kid had endured. That's not what the title means, I read that properly translated from French it means 400 pranks...referring to all the dumb stunts the kid ends up pulling.

So what does the film have to say? At the end we see the boy running free towards the ocean, of course he's not really free until he starts shaping up.




This one was on me. To be honest, I feel like I need to rewatch it to appreciate it more, but since I saw a lot of classic 50/60's dramas through your favorites, I felt this was a nice fit for you. Glad you liked it.

[Takoma11]

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An Autumn Afternoon, 1962

Hirayama (Chishu Ryu) is an older man who lives with his daughter, Michiko (Shima Iwa****a and son, Kazuo (Shin'ichiro Mikami). His older son, Koichi (Keiji Sada) is married and lives with his wife, Akiko (Mariko Okada). When Hirayama reunites with one of his teachers from when he was a teenager, the older man confesses his error in not marrying off his daughter, who is now middle aged. The two have a strained relationship, and Hirayama is encouraged to find Michiko a husband before it is too late.

I only just watched Ozu's Late Spring a short while ago, and the parallels between the two films are striking, as well as the ways in which they diverge. Both films center on a single man being pressured to find a husband for his daughter before she gets "too old", something that will shift the lives of both parties. But while Late Spring focused strongly on the relationship between the father and daughter, this film takes a wider view on things, taking time to show the dynamics of Koichi's married life and giving more attention to the notion that life is ever in flux.

Ozu's film are, in the best way, hang out films for me. Watching them feels like spending a holiday with my family. Nothing grand is happening, and yet it is good for your soul. At times I find myself not even reading the subtitles all that closely, but just feeling in flow with the film. The writing and acting are all incredibly naturalistic, and the way that Ozu shoots his characters--well-composed shots absent flashy angles or overly close/near distances--you feel like you are in the room with them.

I can see why many people regard this as Ozu's best. There is a kind of calm or zen that seems to radiate from the film. The characters, like most people, are only trying to do their best. Even when there is conflict, such as a low-key fight between Koichi and Akiko about him spending too much money on gold clubs, there is humor and affection behind it.

As with Late Spring, my only complaint is the way that the character of the daughter, seemingly the character on which the change in life hinges, becomes uncentered in the last act. I don't have a problem with the idea being that the focus is mostly on the father character and how his life changes with the possibility of losing part of his household. But the idea that how the daughter characters feel at the end of the film isn't worth screen time bugs me a little bit. As with Late Spring, in the end the father is applauded by an older woman for his sacrifice in giving up his daughter. But these conversations--which never involve the daughters themselves--feel a bit as if they objectify/commodify the daughters. There's something a little condescending in the idea that women in their 20s don't actually know what they want out of life.

This is a beautifully shot film that absolutely oozes good vibes and a kind of melancholy/bittersweet celebration of the transient nature of life.

4.5

[Citizen Rules]

Well, I guess why not? unless you ask otherwise, I'll reveal mine as I see fit... The 400 Blows

This one was on me. To be honest, I feel like I need to rewatch it to appreciate it more, but since I saw a lot of classic 50/60's dramas through your favorites, I felt this was a nice fit for you. Glad you liked it.It was a nice fit! Thanks for choosing it.

[Citizen Rules]

I haven't seen An Autumn Afternoon, but I almost guarantee I'd like it.

[Takoma11]

I haven't seen An Autumn Afternoon, but I almost guarantee I'd like it.

I have a hard time imagining anyone who really likes film disliking it, as the composition, pacing, and acting are so good.

Now, if you don't really vibe with a sort of "nothing happens, but everything happens" story, I could see not loving it as much as I did.

[cricket]

4 of the 6 members who have watched a movie, have watched the movie at the top of their list-I am simply awestruck!

I knew it wouldn't take you long Allaby, but I'm not reading your write up yet until I watch it too.


I've seen my fair share of Ozu movies, and An Autumn Afternoon is undoubtedly one of the best.

[Takoma11]

4 of the 6 members who have watched a movie, have watched the movie at the top of their list-I am simply awestruck!

I knew it wouldn't take you long Allaby, but I'm not reading your write up yet until I watch it too.


I've seen my fair share of Ozu movies, and An Autumn Afternoon is undoubtedly one of the best.

I'm just working my way down the list, alphabetically.

[Citizen Rules]

I have a hard time imagining anyone who really likes film disliking it, as the composition, pacing, and acting are so good.

Now, if you don't really vibe with a sort of "nothing happens, but everything happens" story, I could see not loving it as much as I did.I loved Late Spring I rated it a 5, so I'm sure An Autumn Afternoon would be right up my alley. Glad you liked it too.

[seanc]

Orpheus: Unfortunately I am not smart enough to fully embrace this film. I did enjoy it though. The acting and the visuals were really great. I really liked the dialogue as well, despite scratching my head as to what the director was driving at most of the time. I feel like I have gotten much better at not letting my inability to engage with themes keep me from loving a movie. I need an entry point though, and this film never really gave me one. Because of how much I liked the visuals I will definitely be moving Beauty And The Beast up my watchlist before the foreign countdown.

[edarsenal]

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An Autumn Afternoon, 1962

Ozu's film are, in the best way, hang out films for me. Watching them feels like spending a holiday with my family. Nothing grand is happening, and yet it is good for your soul.
4.5
I love this description of Ozu's films. It expresses the emotion felt watching them beautifully.


Watched A Man Escaped tonight, it's a little late to write a review so that'll be tomorrow night. Great film as I expected it would be.

[cricket]

I can't remember Orpheus too well but it's not really my type of movie.

[rbrayer]

Do you like Asian films? We're going to do an Asian Film HoF which will start really soon. It should be small with not many members, so easy to do and fun!

I have seen a good deal of classic Japanese cinema and some anime (Kon, Miyazaki, Akira, that sort of thing) but I am sure I have significant gaps. So yes, I'd be interested. Is there any chance you could tag me when that starts? Thanks!

[rbrayer]

I loved Late Spring I rated it a 5, so I'm sure An Autumn Afternoon would be right up my alley. Glad you liked it too.

Late Spring was the only Ozu film I really connected with. Certainly his best in my opinion.

[Hey Fredrick]

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Fallen Angels (1995)

The Killer's Agent: As I was leaving, I asked if he'd give me a ride home. I hadn't ridden on a motorcycle in a long time. Actually, I hadn't been that close to a man for a while. The road wasn't that long, and I knew I'd be getting off soon. But at that moment I felt such warmth.

In Fallen Angels we follow a hitman for a little while, spend some time with his agent, join a mute for some of his escapades and then it ends. The common thread seems to be loneliness, blonde hair and how to cope with it. The easiest part of Fallen Angels to discuss is its style. Within the first few minutes I knew I was going to like this just based off of style. If everything else failed there's still the eye candy. Unique camera angles, the chaos of shootouts being blurred, colors of Hong Kong's neon nights just popping, the way shots were framed - it was all very nice to watch. Also, the music was fantastic...it all just worked. So what about the story? Well, I liked it. This isn't a movie that you can really grab onto the characters, at least I didn't. They're either pretty cold or a little crazy, but I think that was the point. They were supposed to be a little out of touch (how many of us can really relate to a hitman?) but that didn't make them any less interesting. They're all looking for something that seems to be just within their grasp - just scraping their fingertips - only to come up empty handed. Kind of like when you pull your lat while stretching for the remote control that fell under the couch. It sucks, it's painful but sometimes that's life. The Mute was the most charismatic character by far and his intro/story had me laughing a few times. There's a sadness to the movie but it's not a movie that makes you sad and the ending was a nice touch. I thought it was very good.

[Citizen Rules]

I have seen a good deal of classic Japanese cinema and some anime (Kon, Miyazaki, Akira, that sort of thing) but I am sure I have significant gaps. So yes, I'd be interested. Is there any chance you could tag me when that starts? Thanks!Sure thing.

[cricket]

Hey Fredrick in with our 11th review, and the 3rd one I can't read yet because it's a movie that's also been chosen for me.

[edarsenal]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3yidX0zYbZs/TNf7U6iJrCI/AAAAAAAAC_c/UmUCWHRjAUU/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-11-08-18h31m22s211.png


A Man Escaped aka Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut (1956)

Le lieutenant Fontaine: [Narrating, after giving his word to the prison warden that he would not try to escape again] Who were we kidding? He certainly did not believe me. As for myself, I was determined to escape at the first opportunity.

Having been a Prisoner of War during WWII himself, Director Robert Bresson adhered very strictly to the memoirs of André Devigny, who was incarcerated by the occupying Germans during WWII for his participation in the French Resistance. Going so far as to use the very same Montluc prison and having Devigny as an advisor for the film.
In fact, the ropes and hooks used for his escape were loaned to Bresson by Devigny for this film.

This has been my second Bresson film within a week. Both of which I've had on my watchlist for the 2021 Film challenge. I am so becoming rather enamored by his work.
Much like Pickpocket, and from understanding, Bresson has a deep devotion for close-ups, especially hands. Very much in the similar vein as Le Trou, and other such films, this is almost a documentary with how involved Bresson delves into the minute details of the preparations, as well as the day to day life of doomed men, waiting for their turn to face the firing squad.

Superbly shot, we are side-by-side with Fontaine (François Leterrier) who's expressive eyes convey so much more than mere dialogue could. While, admittedly, I was already severely hyped to watch another Bresson film with a subject matter I have always enjoyed - (My #1 favorite film since early childhood, to this very day being The Great Escape (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057115/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0)) I was, nonetheless, caught up from the opening scene of Fontaine being delivered in the back seat of a sedan, along with two other men, to the prison.

A fantastic start to what I am very confident will be a wonderful buffet of recommendations.

Quite obviously, THANK YOU to whoever picked this one for me!

[Thief]

A Man Escaped aka Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut (1956)

A fantastic start to what I am very confident will be a wonderful buffet of recommendations.

Quite obviously, THANK YOU to whoever picked this one for me!

Yaaay, that would be me. Casually, I read this yesterday...


Pickpocket (1959) 4.5 This as been my introduction to Robert Bresson and it's got me pretty excited to explore even more of his work.

...which made me happy cause I knew I had already picked this for you.

I felt it was an obvious choice, based on your favorites, a lot of which are these "heisty", adventure-like films. So glad you liked it.

[Citizen Rules]

So far Thief is batting a 1000!

[cricket]

I've enjoyed the Bresson films I've seen and A Man Escaped is one of them. Ed's on the board!

[edarsenal]

Yaaay, that would be me. Casually, I read this yesterday...



...which made me happy cause I knew I had already picked this for you.

I felt it was an obvious choice, based on your favorites, a lot of which are these "heisty", adventure-like films. So glad you liked it.
Yep, you definitely nailed it for me. VERY much obliged, Thief!!

[matt72582]

I'll try to avoid mentioning popular foreign movies.


Shadows in Paradise, Sult, Il Sorpasso, Knife in the Water, Chit-Chat On The Nile, His Days Are Numbered, The Sign of the Leo, Purple Noon, Accatone, Fist in Pocket, The Roof, Boy, Pather Panchali, The Cranes Are Flying, A Woman in the Dunes, Les Chat, Pitfall, La Promesse, Whity, Dry Summer, La Notti Bianche, The Working-Class Goes To Heaven, Taste of Cherry, Ordet, Marriage Italian Style, Il Gido, Pickpocket, No Regrets For Our Youth, Paradise: Love, The Forest For the Trees, Ivan's Childhood, Le Cercle Rouge, Purple Noon, Night at Maud's, My Brilliant Career, Viridiana, Cairo Station, Carriage to Vienna, Two Half Times in Hell, Tsotsi, City of God, Rana's Wedding

[Siddon]

I'll try to avoid mentioning popular foreign movies.


Shadows in Paradise, Sult, Il Sorpasso, Knife in the Water, Chit-Chat On The Nile, His Days Are Numbered, The Sign of the Leo, Purple Noon, Accatone, Fist in Pocket, The Roof, Boy, Pather Panchali, The Cranes Are Flying, A Woman in the Dunes, Les Chat, Pitfall, La Promesse, Whity, Dry Summer, La Notti Bianche, The Working-Class Goes To Heaven, Taste of Cherry, Ordet, Marriage Italian Style, Il Gido, Pickpocket, No Regrets For Our Youth, Paradise: Love, The Forest For the Trees, Ivan's Childhood, Le Cercle Rouge, Purple Noon, Night at Maud's, My Brilliant Career, Viridiana, Cairo Station, Carriage to Vienna, Two Half Times in Hell, Tsotsi, City of God, Rana's Wedding


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c8/c8/87/c8c887bd77a8547d4c20ab3cba9ffb96.gif

[matt72582]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c8/c8/87/c8c887bd77a8547d4c20ab3cba9ffb96.gif


?

[Siddon]

?


https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=63464

https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=63465

[Allaby]

I watched Fallen Angels (1995), directed by Wong Kar-wai and starring Leon Lai, Michelle Reis, and Takeshi Kaneshiro. I found this somewhat underwhelming. Although the film is reasonably well crafted, I didn't find the story very engaging or interesting. I had a hard time caring about the characters. I thought the performances were fine, but the film was not very compelling or satisfying for me. There are some strong moments, but I felt it dragged on at times and felt longer than it is. I wouldn't consider it a bad movie, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. My rating is a 3.

[cricket]

And with Allaby's 2nd write up, he becomes the 2nd member to watch Fallen Angels. At some point, I'll be the 3rd.

Great work bitches!

[cricket]

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

https://cine-vue.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DduZ6z8VAAUPR0d-3011636677-1529658629359.jpg

In this thread, I can never say that I've never heard of a movie before because I look through the lists occasionally. I can say I was completely unfamiliar with this one from the Ebert list.

It's a biography on the life of writer Yukio Mishima, but to merely call him a writer is a massive oversimplification. A quick look at the IMDb page told me the director is Paul Schrader and I thought huh. Probably best known for writing Taxi Driver, he's also directed several movies I like, to go along with a few duds. During the opening credits I learned that George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola served as executive producers. So while this is a foreign language film, it also happens to be an American film. While I believe there is a certain nobility on the part of the filmmakers to do this, I think it comes at the expense of some authenticity.

It's in Japanese with Japanese actors, but there is some narration from the lead Japanese character, and it's in friggin English! I found this to be out of place and distracting, and I didn't like it. The guy's life was pretty interesting and I'd say worthy material for a film. I didn't have the easiest time following along as it not only goes back and forth through different times, but also back and forth from fantasy to reality as it puts the viewer into some of the man's literary works.

This is a well made movie with an interesting story and fine acting. I was not overly compelled and I had a hard time getting over the fact that it's an American movie. Overall I would say it was decent and worth watching.

3

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fa.ltrbxd.com%2Fresized%2Fsm%2Fupload%2Fna%2F1e%2F5e%2F9b%2Famarcord-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg%3Fk%3D2299ee0a95&f=1&nofb=1

Amarcord, 1973

Titta (Bruno Zanin) is a young man growing up in 1930s Italy. The film follows a series of vignettes of the different members of the town, including Titta's family and the various women he and his friends lust after.

Coming off of watching An Autumn Afternoon, I found myself still drawn to that theme of the bittersweet, inevitable change of life. While the movie is largely comedic, both the historical backdrop of Italian fascism and the natural cycles of life and death provide some somber, emotional moments. Maybe one of my favorite moments came toward the end (no spoilers, promise!) in which a character emerges from an emotionally trying experience to find puffballs floating through the air, a sign of coming spring.

For the most part I enjoyed the different explorations. It was interesting to see the way that some sequences felt as if they were deliberately exaggerated to feel like the memories of a child/teenager. This particularly comes to the forefront in the portrayal of the different female characters, like the sex-crazed La Volpina, or the epicly endowed owner of the tobacco shop. This worked better for me in the abstract--such as when a gaggle of schoolboys are aroused by the sight of a series of women of all ages plopping their butts down on their bicycle seats. I had mixed feelings about the character of La Volpina, who at times seems more like someone who is suffering from mental illness than just someone who loves sex.

Other sequences, such as when Titta's father is brought in for questioning because he has allegedly defamed the state and Mussolini, are played much straighter. I think that these scenes are well chosen and timed for two reasons. The first is that the drama provides a necessary counter-balance to the antics of the rest of the film. The second is that it allows the film to avoid idealizing a time in which horrible things were happening in the country.

I had two issues with the film, though both of them were relatively minor. The first is that I wanted more character development. We do get this with Titta, especially at the end, but most of the other characters (and especially the female characters) feel pretty one-dimensional. That sort of gets a pass given the comedy and the conceit of it playing more like a memory. The other issue I had was that around 90 minutes in I started to get a bit fatigued with all the quirkiness. The film is funny and I loved the over-the-top staging, but the middle third started to drag a bit for me. It picks up good momentum at the end as things begin to resolve, but I felt myself detaching from the narrative around the time the middle eastern caricatures wandered into the frame.

Overall I liked this one quite a bit. It has been on my watchlist for a while now, so thanks to whoever picked it!

4

[cricket]

I watched Amarcord back for the 70's countdown and enjoyed it more than I had expected.

[Citizen Rules]

I've been wanting to watch Amarcord and Cricket's and Takoma's last post makes me think I should!

[cricket]

I've been wanting to watch Amarcord and Cricket's and Takoma's last post makes me think I should!

From what I remember you'd like it

[Citizen Rules]

From what I remember you'd like itFellini is one director I'd be interested in watching all of his filmography. He doesn't have all that many films, so it wouldn't be that hard to do.

[Wyldesyde19]

Fellini is one director I'd be interested in watching all of his filmography. He doesn't have all that many films, so it wouldn't be that hard to do.

Yeah. Around 20 something films. Not as much as, say, Hitchcock, and I’m not including his segments on omnibus (anthology) films. For a prolific director, I had though he had directed closer to 40. Imagine my surprise.

[seanc]

Senso: This was very good. I tend to like romances set during war time. I think there is a natural tension and conflict there that really makes them work well for me. This wasn't a perfect film, it did drag in parts. The ending was fantastic though, even if I think you can mostly see it coming. Good performances from a bunch of actors I don't know at all.

Good movie visually. Vey lush. The transfer feels like it is probably DVD quality. It could really pop visually with another transfer upgrade. Very colorful film, with some cool settings. Especially like the look of the grain barn.

[cricket]

I guess I didn't love Senso because I can't remember it at all. Then again, I've loved women I'd totally forgotten about so you never know:D

[seanc]

I guess I didn't love Senso because I can't remember it at all. Then again, I've loved women I'd totally forgotten about so you never know:D

I have never had a great memory, and it feels like it has just gotten worse.

[edarsenal]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/5e599519a1f8403c77de7f08bb9fb98b/452f237f170e79f0-29/s500x750/59ff5ba330552ac3c10eb01cac7c3e027a13354d.gifv


Samurai Rebellion aka Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu (1967)

Isaburo Sasahara: Each must live his own life.

A slow-burner of a film with such a wonderous reward for the time invested in viewing this film by Masaki Kobayashi.
Starring Toshirô Mifune, who, for me, can do no wrong. The calm waters that scarcely conceals the turbulence beneath have continuously amazed and captivated me every single time I've seen him. He plays Isaburo Sasahara, an aged samurai who has spent his life as a henpecked husband preserving the standing of the family he had been chosen to be married into.
So, when he sees that the eldest of his two sons would be put into a very similar position when their lord insists that he marries his mistress, Ichi (Yôko Tsukasa) who, even though she had just born him a son, has fallen out of his favor; Isaburo is more than just a little hesitant.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/dbdf54787579a3a0f0d1ea07fe7c1fc2/be54131080ed4c51-8c/s400x600/402153cccd47f4680a0637150c6f96a46dbe5354.gifv
Against everyone's expectations, especially Ichi and her assigned husband, Yogoro (Gô Katô), the two fall very much in love and are gifted with a baby girl within the first two years of marriage.

But, when the lord's first son dies, he demands that Ichi return to be the now new heir's mother.
Ichi does not want to return. Nor does Yogoro wish to part with her. To the agitation of their self-preserving family clan. The only one on their side is Isaburo as the chess match of diplomatic formalities, codes of honor, and, above all, what is truly right, escalate to the inevitable bloodshed.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/0ec7106415f445a1685fddad6147f2a7/tumblr_pbziw9RRM01xxh5i0o1_400.gifv

A beautifully told story. The measured telling drew me in with such sublime subtlety I had no idea just how captivated I was until the third act as the two lovers, especially Ichi, remained resolute in the face of such insurmountable odds. Her poetic nobility causing a loud cheer to bubble out of me.

To the one who chose this, f@ckin Dōmo arigatō!!

[cricket]

I nominated Samourai Rebellion for a general HoF and I think it came in 2nd. Great flick it is.

[edarsenal]

I nominated Samourai Rebellion for a general HoF and I think it came in 2nd. Great flick it is.

It was the 11th, I started joining them in the 12th and having seen it I can totally see it scoring incredibly high in a General HoF.

[Allaby]

I watched Come and See (1985) today. I had heard a lot about the film and had been wanting to watch it for a while. I had bought the Criterion blu ray but hadn't got around to watching it, so I'm glad someone nominated it for me. Masterfully directed by Elem Klimov, this powerful drama is about a boy named Flyora who joins the Soviet resistance and witnesses and experiences the horrors and brutality of war and the evil that humanity is capable of. Aleksey Kravchenko is excellent as Flyora and gives a hauntingly intense performance. The cinematography is really well done and very effective. Come and See is a captivating and engaging film, disturbing and unforgettable, an essential film. It's not an easy watch, but I'm glad I experienced it. My rating is a high 4.5.

[Takoma11]

https://www.medialifecrisis.com/files/images/articles/201508-Popgap/Discreet-Charm-of-the-Bourgeoisie-1972/Discreet-Charm-of-the-Bourgeoisie-1972-01-38-23.jpg

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, 1972

A group of upper class friends attempts to have dinner together, something that is constantly frustrated or interrupted. A series of related sequences--some of them real and some of them dreams--ensue, with the specter of class centering the characters and their conflicts. Across the different stories--which also pull in characters who are soldiers, priests, or servants--there are recurring themes like poisoning or the return of ghosts.

This is the kind of film that I both love and that frustrates me. I really lean on emotional connection and empathy when I watch movies, and so satires or films that are pushing other structural experimentation can really grab me from a technical point of view, but I often grapple with connecting to the narrative.

The strength of this film is in the easy way it portrays the manner in which the upper class people think of their access to high quality things as a right. Sitting down to a meal, served to them of course, is just something they should be able to expect. Their relationship with the people who work for them is a mix of condescension, dependence, and suspicion. I like the way that the film portrays the intersection between the upper class, the military, and the working people.

I also liked some of the stranger touches, like the man who keeps a rifle on hand to fend off the terrorists who are hunting him. I also liked the use of ghosts, and especially those from the story of a soldier who is haunted by the death of his mother and, later, a fellow soldier. These scenes are slower and more haunting, and they do carry some emotional weight.

The downside, of course, is that it is hard to really care about any of the characters. They are selfish people, and while there are some very interesting interactions between them and some nicely cutting observations, the lack of narrative continuity makes it challenging to be invested in them.

I enjoyed this film, though I don't see myself wanting to necessarily revisit it.

4

[cricket]

I believe Discreet Charm was my first Bunuel, and it's another movie I liked more than expected.

Come and See has a great shot at making my countdown ballot.

[cricket]

Hey Takoma, you went out of order!

[Takoma11]

Hey Takoma, you went out of order!

If things aren't available on the streaming services I have, I am putting them on my DVD queue and trying to get them from my library, then just going to the next one on the list.

I had to skip Contempt and I will also have to skip Farewell My Concubine for now. Grand Illusion is another I'll need to get the DVD. All the rest I will watch in order, and I'll get the DVD ones in when they arrive.

[seanc]

The Vanishing: Very cool thriller. Definitely like the curveball it throws after the inciting incident. I was all buckled in for a procedural, and that's not what we get at all. Very engaging storytelling that leads to an awesome ending that I couldn't look away from and wanted to turn off at the same time.

[cricket]

Good flick^^^

[rauldc14]

I'm one of only 3 who hasn't started. Dang you guys are on fire

[Thief]

The Vanishing: Very cool thriller. Definitely like the curveball it throws after the inciting incident. I was all buckled in for a procedural, and that's not what we get at all. Very engaging storytelling that leads to an awesome ending that I couldn't look away from and wanted to turn off at the same time.

I assume it was the original, right?

[seanc]

I assume it was the original, right?

From '88. I think there is a old horror that got remade you are referring to?

[Thief]

From '88. I think there is a old horror that got remade you are referring to?

Thank God. No, that film was remade in 1993 for American audiences, but by Sluizer himself. The remake stars Kiefer Sutherland, Jeff Bridges, and Sandra Bullock. The weird thing is that...


...even though it was directed by Sluizer himself, he decided to change the ending with the girlfriend ultimately saving the man from the grave, and then with him killing the bad guy.

[seanc]

Thank God. No, that film was remade in 1993 for American audiences, but by Sluizer himself. The remake stars Kiefer Sutherland, Jeff Bridges, and Sandra Bullock. The weird thing is that...


...even though it was directed by Sluizer himself, he decided to change the ending with the girlfriend ultimately saving the man from the grave, and then with him killing the bad guy.


You gotta be kidding. That's awful.

[cricket]

I'm one of only 3 who hasn't started. Dang you guys are on fire

https://media4.giphy.com/media/5uwCsktwOPWo95t9Uv/giphy.gif

[Thief]

You gotta be kidding. That's awful.

I still don't understand why they made that...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/Thevanishing1993poster.jpg/220px-Thevanishing1993poster.jpg

[Takoma11]

The Vanishing: Very cool thriller. Definitely like the curveball it throws after the inciting incident. I was all buckled in for a procedural, and that's not what we get at all. Very engaging storytelling that leads to an awesome ending that I couldn't look away from and wanted to turn off at the same time.

Like Thief wrote, the ending to the American remake is totally butchered.

And not just butchered, over-the-top butchered.

As in the end is that the main character's girlfriend saves him and they both escape the bad guy. The last scene is the two of them in a restaurant where a literary agent is like "Yay! We are going to write a book about your experience and you are going to be SUPER RICH!!!". It couldn't be more tonally different from the original than if birds suddenly appeared to start braiding everyone's hair.

[seanc]

Like Thief wrote, the ending to the American remake is totally butchered.

And not just butchered, over-the-top butchered.

As in the end is that the main character's girlfriend saves him and they both escape the bad guy. The last scene is the two of them in a restaurant where a literary agent is like "Yay! We are going to write a book about your experience and you are going to be SUPER RICH!!!". It couldn't be more tonally different from the original than if birds suddenly appeared to start braiding everyone's hair.

I'm blown away by that. That has to be the studio. I never get that. it's not like American films are void of unhappy endings. Audiences can handle it.

[Takoma11]

I'm blown away by that. That has to be the studio. I never get that. it's not like American films are void of unhappy endings. Audiences can handle it.

I think that (MAJOR SPOILERS) the utter horror and bleakness of the original ending would have been an unpleasant shock to many audiences showing up to a film with big name actors. It isn't just unhappy, it is, in many ways, unsatisfying. From a narrative point of view if not an emotional one. And don't get me wrong, I think that the original ending is perfect. But I can see why the studio got cold feet about it.

[Thief]

I'm blown away by that. That has to be the studio. I never get that. it's not like American films are void of unhappy endings. Audiences can handle it.

According to most sources I've read, yes, the studio told Sluizer the only way the remake would go through was if he changed the ending. Apparently the ending of the remake had already been conceived as an alternate for the original, but obviously wasn't used. But with the remake, he buckled.

[Thursday Next]

I can understand them changing the ending - using the original ending wouldn't have had the same impact because it had already been done. But it does alter the tone of the film completely to a more standard thriller.

[Thursday Next]

The Mirror (1975)

I’m glad this was nominated as it was a glaring gap in my lists. I think a Tarkovsky film is a bit of a risky nomination in some ways though, as nearly all of his films seem to require several viewings to even begin to understand them. I’m not a huge Tarkovsky fan, overall, although I liked Solaris and appreciate aspects of his other films that I’ve seen. Sometimes films are intentionally vague and open to discussion, often you can get more out of a film on a second or subsequent viewing, but if you can’t get much from a film without that, if it doesn’t stand up on its own at all I wonder how successful it can really be.

The plot, or perhaps the premise, of the film seems to be centred around a man who we never see who has some kind of issue with his mother and maybe feels guilty about something but I don’t know what. There are scenes of his childhood with his mother, scenes of him arguing with his ex-wife in the 70s who looks like his mother (and is indeed played by the same actress) and generally being pretty horrible to her and their son. There are scenes featuring his mother, wife or son in which he isn’t present which means the idea of these being his memories doesn’t quite hold up. It’s probably also saying something about how Russia has changed or not in the time periods it covers, pre, during and post war. And some poetry.

I feel like The Mirror is a difficult film to rate and review. It’s deliberately opaque in a way that seems to be reflecting fractured memories but that makes it difficult to connect with. At times I was affected by it, at other times mystified and sometimes frustrated and annoyed with it. Sometimes within the same scene. Sometimes even when I didn’t know what was going on it still achieved a sort of feeling of unease like in the chicken scene, which I respected.

[cricket]

I've seen 5 movies from Tarkovsky so far and will be watching The Sacrafice before the countdown. The Mirror is the one I think I could really fall for if I gave another chance.

[cricket]

Taste of Cherry

https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Picture1.png

I was interested in seeing this because I remember Camo raving about it. However, a quick look at the IMDb page would tell me it's not about a hot virgin, but it is made by a director who I've already tried twice with no success.

I was into it for the first 20 minutes as I wondered where it was going. The guy driving around looking for someone to take his job offer had me very interested. Once it was revealed what that offer was, I thought it became monotonous. That goes for the dialogue as well as the decent cinematography. This director must've gotten his license at a late age because he seems to have an unnatural love for vehicles. The acting is good but I really needed more interesting dialogue or some type of surprise. I find how the director filmed the movie, alternating between sitting in the driver's seat with sitting in the passenger seat more interesting, but even that isn't all that interesting. A good try but not for me.

2.5

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fvaguevisages.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F10%2Fhani-bi-movie-two.jpg%3Fresize%3D890%252C482%26ssl%3D1&f=1&nofb=1

Hana-bi, 1997

Violent police officer Nishi (Takeshi Kitano, who also wrote and directed) leaves the force after an apprehension goes horribly wrong and results in the death and injury of several other officers. Nishi's wife, Miyuki (Kayoko Kishimoto) is terminally ill. One of the injured officers who is now paralyzed, Horibe (Ren Osugi) struggles with serious depression. Nishi sets out on a series of dangerous schemes to earn money.

After watching several films with an emphasis on the cyclical nature of life, it was interesting to arrive here, at a film that instead shows a character moving toward a decisive ending. This isn't a film about someone going out in a blaze of glory, but rather a film about someone making deliberate choices knowing that his career and his marriage have come to an end.

So many movies about angsty police characters turn that energy inward. A man is angry, and he often vents that anger at whatever bad guys cross his path. What is really engaging about this film is that so much of Nishi's energy is turned outward, toward the people he cares about. This is a film that sort of manages to have its cake and eat it too--we get cool, violent showdowns with yakuza enforcers, with the no-holds barred dynamic of a man who does not care, but we also get long, meditative stretches focusing on Nishi's relationship with his wife and the emotional recovery of Horibe.

Horibe, in fact, becomes a very interesting foil to Nishi's character. Early in the film, Nishi gifts Horibe with some art supplies, and Horibe finds a way to express himself through art. It is a beautiful counterbalance to the more fatalistic path on which Nishi and his wife find themselves. The film takes its time in showing us Horibe's work and the way that it evolves. The title of the film, which translates or is alternately titled as fireworks, gives a nice bridge to the two stories. Horibe often paints in a pointillist style, and in the film we see Nishi's wife watching fireworks. She and Nishi are out to enjoy all of the beauty that they can.

Normally in a film like this, the crime/yakuza plot would be like 70% of the run time. Here, those proportions are flip-flopped. Most of the movie leans on the drama, with the crime/yakuza stuff popping up to add momentum to the narrative.

I really enjoyed this film, and I don't think it was on my radar. Thanks to whoever nominated it!

4.5

[Allaby]

Hey, does anyone know where I can stream/rent/buy Le Cercle Rouge online in Canada? I can't find it. It's not available to rent or buy in Canada on itunes, Google Play or Amazon prime. It's not on any of the streaming services I subscribe to.

[rauldc14]

Taste of Cherry

https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Picture1.png

I was interested in seeing this because I remember Camo raving about it. However, a quick look at the IMDb page would tell me it's not about a hot virgin, but it is made by a director who I've already tried twice with no success.

I was into it for the first 20 minutes as I wondered where it was going. The guy driving around looking for someone to take his job offer had me very interested. Once it was revealed what that offer was, I thought it became monotonous. That goes for the dialogue as well as the decent cinematography. This director must've gotten his license at a late age because he seems to have an unnatural love for vehicles. The acting is good but I really needed more interesting dialogue or some type of surprise. I find how the director filmed the movie, alternating between sitting in the driver's seat with sitting in the passenger seat more interesting, but even that isn't all that interesting. A good try but not for me.

2.5

I've yet to have success with him either which is a bummer but I got a few of his big ones left still.

[Thursday Next]

[CENTER][SIZE="6"] a director who I've already tried twice with no success.


Exactly the same for me. However, I thought Taste of Cherry was better than the others I'd seen.

[Thursday Next]

Normally in a film like this, the crime/yakuza plot would be like 70% of the run time. Here, those proportions are flip-flopped. Most of the movie leans on the drama, with the crime/yakuza stuff popping up to add momentum to the narrative.

If you enjoyed this aspect I would definitely recommend Sonatine as well.

[Allaby]

I watched Le Cercle Rouge (1970), directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring Alain Delon, The film is about a thief released from prison who gets involved in a jewel heist. Le Cercle Rouge is a stylish film and it looks good, but my main problem with it is that the story is not as interesting as it should be. I found the film to be overlong and it dragged on in parts. There are some great sequences though. Acting is good, but no one blew me away. I didn't feel like the audience really gets to know the characters and they didn't feel sufficiently developed. I've seen two other films by the director (Le Silence de la Mer and Le samouraï) and liked them a lot. This one didn't captivate me. My rating is a 3.

[cricket]

I've been underwhelmed with the 2 Kitano movies I've seen while I'd say The Red Circle is probably my favorite of what I've seen from Melville.

[Takoma11]

If you enjoyed this aspect I would definitely recommend Sonatine as well.

I've seen Sonatine, though it has been a while. I know I enjoyed it. I think I have enjoyed everything I've seen from Kitano.

[seanc]

Le Corbeau: Thought I was really going to love this one. It's pitch black and I thought it would flesh out the subplot with the protagonist more. It doesn't really delve into that much though, and the mystery of who the raven is soon becomes pretty dull.

[rauldc14]

Only seen Fireworks and Sonatine. Cared for neither.

[edarsenal]

Le Corbeau: Thought I was really going to love this one. It's pitch black and I thought it would flesh out the subplot with the protagonist more. It doesn't really delve into that much though, and the mystery of who the raven is soon becomes pretty dull.
I am a little surprised that it didn't work for you. Huh.
Sorry to hear that.

Quite enjoyed this film, really need to revisit it.

[edarsenal]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fvaguevisages.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F10%2Fhani-bi-movie-two.jpg%3Fresize%3D890%252C482%26ssl%3D1&f=1&nofb=1

Hana-bi, 1997

Violent police officer Nishi (Takeshi Kitano, who also wrote and directed) leaves the force after an apprehension goes horribly wrong and results in the death and injury of several other officers. Nishi's wife, Miyuki (Kayoko Kishimoto) is terminally ill. One of the injured officers who is now paralyzed, Horibe (Ren Osugi) struggles with serious depression. Nishi sets out on a series of dangerous schemes to earn money.

After watching several films with an emphasis on the cyclical nature of life, it was interesting to arrive here, at a film that instead shows a character moving toward a decisive ending. This isn't a film about someone going out in a blaze of glory, but rather a film about someone making deliberate choices knowing that his career and his marriage have come to an end.

So many movies about angsty police characters turn that energy inward. A man is angry, and he often vents that anger at whatever bad guys cross his path. What is really engaging about this film is that so much of Nishi's energy is turned outward, toward the people he cares about. This is a film that sort of manages to have its cake and eat it too--we get cool, violent showdowns with yakuza enforcers, with the no-holds barred dynamic of a man who does not care, but we also get long, meditative stretches focusing on Nishi's relationship with his wife and the emotional recovery of Horibe.

Horibe, in fact, becomes a very interesting foil to Nishi's character. Early in the film, Nishi gifts Horibe with some art supplies, and Horibe finds a way to express himself through art. It is a beautiful counterbalance to the more fatalistic path on which Nishi and his wife find themselves. The film takes its time in showing us Horibe's work and the way that it evolves. The title of the film, which translates or is alternately titled as fireworks, gives a nice bridge to the two stories. Horibe often paints in a pointillist style, and in the film we see Nishi's wife watching fireworks. She and Nishi are out to enjoy all of the beauty that they can.

Normally in a film like this, the crime/yakuza plot would be like 70% of the run time. Here, those proportions are flip-flopped. Most of the movie leans on the drama, with the crime/yakuza stuff popping up to add momentum to the narrative.

I really enjoyed this film, and I don't think it was on my radar. Thanks to whoever nominated it!

4.5
Big fan of Kitano as well. Still need to Sonatine, but I have seen a large chunk of his work.

I've only seen this recently in the Japanese HoF and loved it for the reasons you've mentioned. That a yukaza film evolves - and quite remarkably, into one of emotional self-healing. It was a wonderful surprise.

I had learned, that the artwork in the film was created by Kitano himself, after a serious accident.

[Takoma11]

I had learned, that the artwork in the film was created by Kitano himself, after a serious accident.

That's a great touch. The film feels highly personal, in a good way.

[edarsenal]

https://homemcr.org/app/uploads/old_site/pictures/season/165//army%20in%20the%20shadows%20col%202_rgb-709x460.jpg


Army of Shadows aka L'armée des ombres (1969)

The typed dialogue above has been deleted

Garnered from the truth, Jean-Pierre Melville takes a more existential road. He presents a more fatalistic, sans "action" account of French Resistance members during Germany's occupation of France in World War II.
Starring Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse, Jean Pierre Cassel, Claude Mann, Paul Crauchet; There are no daring acts of sabotage, focusing on the desperation of these ordinary people attempting the impossible, as a far larger enemy hunts and exterminates them. Their time spent far more on the run, being held in captivity, tortured for information before being killed, and the necessity of killing a fellow member for the preservation of the Shadowed Army of Resistance. Secrecy so deep, not even brothers who work within the Resistance know that the other does.
https://criterion-production.s3.amazonaws.com/carousel-files/0bea0192e0c4b1bf840f07876a224dcb.jpeg

I have been incapable of writing anything about this film without using a Spoiler Tag for the review's entirety. Leaving me to only remark, with complete confidence, that, like so many other Melville's, this is an instant favorite and one I'll be rewatching quite often.

My third review and my third VERY MUCH appreciated THANK YOU to the person who nominated this film that I've been excited to see from a Director that has very recently hit the high echelon of favorite Directors.
F@CKIN YAY

[edarsenal]

Alright, got three under my belt, now to get some done in the 24th.

[edarsenal]

That's a great touch. The film feels highly personal, in a good way.

It truly does, doesn't it? A very good way.

[Thursday Next]

Army of Shadows was on my shortlist of films to pick for you. Just looking at the pictures you posted reminds me how much I love it. It may be Melville's best. I feel like I should really rewatch a lot of films to rank them before submitting my countdown ballot but I know I won't have time.

[rauldc14]

I'll finally be on the board today!

[edarsenal]

Army of Shadows was on my shortlist of films to pick for you. Just looking at the pictures you posted reminds me how much I love it. It may be Melville's best. I feel like I should really rewatch a lot of films to rank them before submitting my countdown ballot but I know I won't have time.
It is very easy to put this at the top echelon of his work.

And yeah, so many films, so little time lol

[cricket]

I liked both The Raven and Army of Shadows, but neither a favorite.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbasementrejects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F04%2Fporco-rosso-1992-marco-vs-curtis-plane-battle-fight-hayao-miyazaki-japanese-animation.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Porco Rosso (1992)
Porco Rosso: I'm a pig. I don't fight for honor. I fight for a paycheck.

10 minutes in and I was thinking I recognize that voice? Hit up the credits on a movie site and sure enough....Michael Keaton. I love Batman! This is gonna be outstanding, then I realized why I'm watching it in the first place. Oops! An Italian WWI fighter pilot battles pirates, an American Fly Boy, a teenage engineer and his own past which has left him as a solitary, bounty hunting pig pilot.

Porco has this thing going with the local Adriatic pirates. They commit crimes, Porco comes to the rescue and they do it all again. But the pirates (love these guys!) are getting fed up with Porco getting the better of them and enlist the help of an American Flying Ace to take care of the Flying Pig. The Ace does manage to get the better of Porco (not really, though) and forces Porco to take the remains of his plane to Milan for repairs. In Milan we meet the granddaughter of Porco's mechanic, a young engineer who makes improvements to his plane but insists she goes with Porco "just in case" something needs tweaking. So back to the Adriatic they go to set up a final showdown with the Fly Boy. And what a finale it is! That had me rolling!

There are, of course, moments that fill in a little of Porco's backstory and it's not a silly little backstory. It has some weight to it but not so much that it drags anything down. It's perfect.

Not pretending to be any kind of expert on anime but Porco didn't seem to be on the same level as something like Princess Mononoke from an animation standpoint but the animation is still very good. Mononoke had some jaw dropping scenes and nothing in Rosso approached that however, for my eyes, simple is sometimes better. I grew up with Bugs Bunny as the pinnacle of animation.

Porco Rosso starts quick and never lets up. There isn't a dull moment and the movie flies by. Absolutely loved all the characters, especially the pirates. I still think Spirited Away is probably Miyazaki's best film but this was so much fun and is one I'll watch again - probably with Batman leading the way next time. Why not? Nice recommendation!

[rauldc14]

Rocco and his Brothers

https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/images/newsite/rocco-and-his-brothers-03_600.jpg


This is a movie that won't be for everybody and about an hour in I also thought it wouldn't be for me. But it has a nice recovery, particularly that last third of the film in which the relationships in the film are tested and a lot of interesting things are happening. The performances are pretty good, sometimes he's it feels like an Italian shouting match but not enough to be pure annoyance. I didn't really care much for any of the boxing scenes, to me they were taking away from the interest of the film, even though obviously it played a big part in Rocco's life. Nice camerawork too. While the movie definitely felt it's runtime, it was cool to get something good out of that last third. A decent but lengthy and sometimes fatiguing film.

3+

[Citizen Rules]

75055
A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson 1956)

This was a good choice for me, it's something that I would've chose for myself. I liked it OK, but to be honest I found it a bit stoic and lacking in emotion. Or maybe I was just too tired and maybe the poor video quality affected my enjoyment of it. I was never bored and it did seem well made, but it was sure plodding. I'm guessing that slowness was deliberate as to impart a feeling of time nearly standing still. Well it worked I guess.

As I was watching it I asked myself if I felt anything or any emotion...and the answer was no. I didn't feel or care for the man in prison. I didn't really care if he managed to escape or not. And I think the reason I didn't have any visceral reaction was that the prison and the Nazi's didn't have that omnipresent & oppressive feeling about them. That's because of the way it was shot, with mostly close ups and mid range shots. We never see many establishing shots or wide shots that would make this prison seem real at least in my mind. To me it felt like a tiny studio set, hence I didn't feel any desperation from the story and you know a prison break from the Nazi's should be all about desperation.

I also couldn't help compare this to the excellent Le Trou (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054407/?ref_=tt_sims_tt) (1960) which also was about a prison break, but was much more dynamic.

My wife watches all these films with me and she liked it so that's a plus.

[HashtagBrownies]

I liked it OK, but to be honest I found it a bit stoic and lacking in emotion.
The one reason why I don't care that much for Bresson; all his characters feel like robots. Why should I care for them?

To me it felt like a tiny studio set
I kinda liked that about that though, it's a prison escape film that more focused on the escape than the prison.

[rauldc14]

75055
A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson 1956)

This was a good choice for me, it's something that I would've chose for myself. I liked it OK, but to be honest I found it a bit stoic and lacking in emotion. Or maybe I was just too tired and maybe the poor video quality affected my enjoyment of it. I was never bored and it did seem well made, but it was sure plodding. I'm guessing that slowness was deliberate as to impart a feeling of time nearly standing still. Well it worked I guess.

As I was watching it I asked myself if I felt anything or any emotion...and the answer was no. I didn't feel or care for the man in prison. I didn't really care if he managed to escape or not. And I think the reason I didn't have any visceral reaction was that the prison and the Nazi's didn't have that omnipresent & oppressive feeling about them. That's because of the way it was shot, with mostly close ups and mid range shots. We never see many establishing shots or wide shots that would make this prison seem real at least in my mind. To me it felt like a tiny studio set, hence I didn't feel any desperation from the story and you know a prison break from the Nazi's should be all about desperation.

I also couldn't help compare this to the excellent Le Trou (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054407/?ref_=tt_sims_tt) (1960) which also was about a prison break, but was much more dynamic.

My wife watches all these films with me and she liked it so that's a plus.


Did she watch In a Glass Cage?

[Citizen Rules]

Did she watch In a Glass Cage?No, that was one of only a few HoF movies that I had to watch alone, and on my day off.

[cricket]

I wanted to watch Rocco and His Brothers for it's decade countdown but I couldn't find it. I bet I can find it now.

I enjoyed Porco Rosso a good amount.

[Wyldesyde19]

I’ll be starting this up next week, probably just before Easter

[Thief]

I might try to get on the board tonight. Have two options I might start with. We'll see.

[rauldc14]

I wanted to watch Rocco and His Brothers for it's decade countdown but I couldn't find it. I bet I can find it now.

I enjoyed Porco Rosso a good amount.

Wow I've actually seen a movie cricket hasnt

[seanc]

Battle Royale: Never watched this because I figured it wasn't for me. Unfortunately I was right. Lots of style, so I see why it has a cult following. I am just not interested in it thematically unless it is going to really develop the characters, and it chooses not to do that at all. Two positives and they last about ten seconds each. The Creamsicle scene and stretching and exercising at the end of the game.

[edarsenal]

Porco Rosso is a fun lil anime I've been curious to watch and still haven't.


hey CR, I picked A Man Escaped for you and even though it was a bit of a blind grab that was planning to watch and just having finished Pickpocket I had a strong feeling you'd enjoy the preparations for the escape.
With the two of Bresson's I've seen, he does have a preference for using non actors. Believing he got a more natural response from them. Though I do agree the performance is a bit stoic, I quite enjoyed it. I am sorry that aspect did not work for you, though.

[Citizen Rules]

Battle Royale
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
That sounds like a rip off of Hunger Games...which I didn't like...so I'm thinking I wouldn't like Battle Royale either.

[Citizen Rules]

...hey CR, I picked A Man Escaped for you and even though it was a bit of a blind grab that was planning to watch and just having finished Pickpocket I had a strong feeling you'd enjoy the preparations for the escape.
With the two of Bresson's I've seen, he does have a preference for using non actors. Believing he got a more natural response from them. Though I do agree the performance is a bit stoic, I quite enjoyed it. I am sorry that aspect did not work for you, though.As always, I thank anyone who tried to pick a movie for me:) I know it ain't always easy! Like I said I was OK with it, say lukewarm. My wife liked it though and that's a plus.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fit%2Fthumb%2F4%2F4b%2FHarakiri_film.jpg%2F1200px-Harakiri_film.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Harakiri, 1962

A ronin named Hanshiro (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at the home of a powerful lord where he requests permission to commit harakiri, ritual suicide. The men attempt to dissuade Hanshiro, telling him about another ronin who also showed up with such a request. Suspecting that he was only hoping for them to pay him to leave, they instead (with no small amount of smarminess) decided to force him to go through with the suicide. Undeterred, Hanshiro claims to want to go through with the ritual. But when he is gathered in the court with all of the samurai, it becomes clear that he does have some connection with the previous suicide.

This film is a mix of action, drama, and thriller elements. I really enjoyed it.

The larger theme of the film is to do with honor, and more specifically the hypocrisy of larger institutions. As Hanshiro's story develops and goes more in depth in its flashbacks, it pulls into stark contrast the misery that would drive some people to take such as risky gamble as the fake suicide and also the callous inhumanity of men who would rather force a man to take his own life than have to deal with beggars.

The look of the film is fabulous, both in the theatrical staging of the sequences in the courtyard (which play out almost like a courtroom drama) and the action scenes, including one in which Hanshiro and another man duel in a windblown field of long grass.

I'm still kind of processing the film on an emotional level, but as a narrative it is incredibly compelling. The final 20 minutes or so are brutal and cutting, and a very memorable truth-to-power moment.

4.5

[seanc]

Battle Royale

That sounds like a rip off of Hunger Games...which I didn't like...so I'm thinking I wouldn't like Battle Royale either.

Honestly don't know which came first but Hunger Games is a masterpiece comparatively...and I don't like Hunger Games.

[Takoma11]

Battle Royale

That sounds like a rip off of Hunger Games...which I didn't like...so I'm thinking I wouldn't like Battle Royale either.

Other way around, and Battle Royale has some moments of brilliant dark comedy.

[Citizen Rules]

Honestly don't know which came first but Hunger Games is a masterpiece comparatively...and I don't like Hunger Games.Wow, Battle Royale was that bad? Or that bloody?

[Wyldesyde19]

Battle Royale

That sounds like a rip off of Hunger Games...which I didn't like...so I'm thinking I wouldn't like Battle Royale either.
It actually predates The Hunger Games by 12 years.

[cricket]

Pretty sure Battle Royale came first. I was psyched to see it but was disappointed. I do want to try it again.

So Ed picked A Man Escaped blindly but then ended up watching it first because it was picked for him? I like that.

Harakiri probably makes my countdown ballot.

[Citizen Rules]

Other way around, and Battle Royale has some moments of brilliant dark comedy.Thanks, I see BR is from 2000 and Hunger Games is 2012.

[Citizen Rules]

It actually predates The Hunger Games by 12 years.OK I blew it:p🙂

[seanc]

I did know BR came first, but I was thinking about the books.

[seanc]

Wow, Battle Royale was that bad? Or that bloody?

That bad. It's violent but mostly cartoonish.

[Allaby]

Personally, I thought Battle Royale was fantastic.

[seanc]

Before the book too (2008). We can officially thank BR for teen violence fun.

[Thief]

I didn't love Battle Royale, but liked it well enough.

[Thief]

Does the English-dubbed version of Fantastic Planet have the MoFo "seal of approval"? or should I seek the subtitled version instead? The one available on The Roku Channel is dubbed. I usually prefer to watch films in their original languages, but I'm willing to make an exception.

[edarsenal]

Pretty sure Battle Royale came first. I was psyched to see it but was disappointed. I do want to try it again.

So Ed picked A Man Escaped blindly but then ended up watching it first because it was picked for him? I like that.

Harakiri probably makes my countdown ballot.

I had rented the two Bresson films a couple of days before everyone sent in their nominations and had watched one and was hyped to see the second one and thought: I think CR may enjoy this before I had a chance to watch it and thought it pretty kismet that I'd get a recommendation for it, so I added it to the binge watching of the three films I did this weekend for this HoF.


And as for Harak-kiri, I am a very big fan of that film. Very glad to hear you enjoyed it Takoma. An incredible samurai film that dealt with the more grittier underbelly of the hardships of a Ronin (a master-less samurai) and the hypocrisy of those of power.
And, that final act!! Quite the culmination of all the emotional build up let loose with such an intense and extremely well done one-man-against-many.
Like cricket, that one will be on my ballot.

[pahaK]

Other way around, and Battle Royale has some moments of brilliant dark comedy.

This. Battle Royale is really good. My biggest complaint about it is completely unrelated to the film itself, but to the video game industry that churns gazillion BR games because they're cheap to do and popular.

[Wyldesyde19]

It’s been awhile, but I did get about an hour in BR before we lost power, and never got a chance to finish it. I seem to remember liking It enough. Maybe someday I can finish it.

I also liked HG, but mostly because of Jennifer Lawrence.

[Takoma11]

Before the book too (2008). We can officially thank BR for teen violence fun.

I don't know. Summer Camp Nightmare splashed around in those waters in the late 80s.

[Siddon]

Honestly don't know which came first but Hunger Games is a masterpiece comparatively...and I don't like Hunger Games.


The book came out in 1996


https://elizabethdicesare.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/battle-royale.jpg?w=620


Manga came out from 2000-2005
https://i.redd.it/d1y3dfeoo0t11.jpg

[Captain Terror]

Does the English-dubbed version of Fantastic Planet have the MoFo "seal of approval"? or should I seek the subtitled version instead? The one available on The Roku Channel is dubbed. I usually prefer to watch films in their original languages, but I'm willing to make an exception.

I watched the dubbed version many times before I ever had access to the French. Plus, having to read subtitles distracts your eyeballs from all the eye candy. I'm not participating in this tournament thingy but I hereby grant you permission to watch the dub.:cool:

[edarsenal]

Does the English-dubbed version of Fantastic Planet have the MoFo "seal of approval"? or should I seek the subtitled version instead? The one available on The Roku Channel is dubbed. I usually prefer to watch films in their original languages, but I'm willing to make an exception.
I've watched both sub and dubbed versions and for myself, hearing the original French seemed to compliment the visuals a bit more.
Both do work quite nicely, so it should be your preference.
I do have a link for a subtitled for ya that I'll send over in PM in case you go that route. But again, either works quite well.

[Allaby]

I watched Le Trou (1960). Directed by Jacques Becker, the film is about prisoner inmates planning an escape. The film is very well crafted and effective. It's an engaging and interesting story, with sufficient suspense and drama to satisfy viewers. The actors did a good job and the performances feel natural and real. Le Trou is a smart and well made film, definitely worth watching. My rating is a 4.

[edarsenal]

I watched Le Trou (1960). Directed by Jacques Becker, the film is about prisoner inmates planning an escape. The film is very well crafted and effective. It's an engaging and interesting story, with sufficient suspense and drama to satisfy viewers. The actors did a good job and the performances feel natural and real. Le Trou is a smart and well made film, definitely worth watching. My rating is a 4.

Great escape film that was based on true events. They even had one of the guys IN the film playing himself, Roland.
Definitely need to rewatch this one before the Countdown.

[cricket]

Like some others here, I watched Le Trou for a HoF and enjoyed it immensely. Good work Allaby!

[Thief]

Ok, I'm on the board with Fantastic Planet, but I'm gonna have to let that umm simmer for a while before I can write a proper review :eek: :laugh:

[seanc]

The Blue Kite: I will be i interested to see who picked this one for me. I loved it. Sociopolitical family drama, right in my wheelhouse. What makes this so great is how specific the story remains. I do think I would have enjoyed it even more if I was more familiar with the politics surrounding it.

Like Senso, this would also be enhanced by a transfer upgrade. Definitely felt like DVD quality.

Overall a great family drama that I am very pleased to have seen, especially since I hadn't even heard of it.

[Siddon]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmE0MDVlYWMtZWQ2Yi00NDZkLWJlM2UtYTVkNGI4Y2FmNGExXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzU1NzE3NTg@._V1_CR0,45,480,270_ AL_UX477_CR0,0,477,268_AL_.jpg

Wolf Children (2012)


Y'know I actually really loved the first half of this film...I'm actually a little bummed that they aged the characters up had the film just stuck with the kids I think it would have been a stronger film. Wolf Children tells the story of a woman who has half human half wolf kids...she decides that she can't live in the city and moves to the sticks where the kids can be wolves.


All the characters have fairly distinct personalities the star is Hana the female child. She's more focused on being human and has a better conflict with her mother. The Ame is a little to cold and standoffish for me I didn't really ever connect with his story.


Visually it's a solid film it reminds me of Studio Ghibli several of the set pieces are incredible. This was still a pretty good watch.

[Thief]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmE0MDVlYWMtZWQ2Yi00NDZkLWJlM2UtYTVkNGI4Y2FmNGExXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzU1NzE3NTg@._V1_CR0,45,480,270_ AL_UX477_CR0,0,477,268_AL_.jpg

Wolf Children (2012)



This one was on me, and it was the 5th or 6th attempt to get to something you haven't seen that hadn't been picked up already, so I went with a blind rec :laugh: I literally hadn't heard of this until I threw it your way. Glad you liked it, though.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.berlinale.de%2Fmedia%2Fnrwd%2Ffilmstills%2F2018%2Fberlinale_classics%2F20180224 8_4_IMG_FIX_700x700.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
Veronica: What will my present be tomorrow?....Give me something I'll remember as long as I live.

Boy meets girl, boy goes off to war, girls parents die in air raid, girl moves in with boys family and marries boys jerky cousin, problems ensue, boy dies in war, girl struggles with life, the end.

There's a little more to it than that but that's the Cliff Notes version. I really didn't have much in the way of expectations for this, I had heard of it and that's it. On the surface and based off of descriptions this isn't something I would seek out. My experience with Russian/Soviet cinema is very limited: Solaris (eh), Battleship Potemkin (pretty good) and Hard to be a God(???). That's it. Anyway, The Cranes Are Flying is my fourth film from the country.

I watched this twice yesterday. The first time it was a bit of as rollercoaster of emotions in that at first I felt bad for the girl, Veronika, then didn't feel bad for her at all then felt REAL bad for her. The second time through I just felt sorry for her for the entire movie. Veronika is the main character and this is her story. We do follow her boyfriend, Boris, a little and see what happens to him on the front lines but this is more about what's going on back home with Veronika and the family than what's going on at the front with Boris. In a film filled with great scenes there are three that really hit you in the gut. First, the film has one of the more haunting death scenes I've ever seen. Second, the father of Boris is a Dr. caring for injured soldiers all day and one of the patients in the hospital is distraught over his girlfriend leaving him while he was off fighting in the war. The Dr. gives a brief, rousing speech about the young soldiers situation that hits a bit too close for Veronika, who is a nurses aid at the hospital at this time. The way that scene plays out and is filmed is crushing and finally the ending. Veronika's hope was infectious. We know what happened to Boris (or do we?) yet we hope, along with Veronika, all the way to the very end, that it didn't.

The Cranes Are Flying is a beautifully filmed, wonderfully acted/directed everything movie. I don't know what else to say. This is the best movie I've seen in a long time. Wow!

[edarsenal]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmE0MDVlYWMtZWQ2Yi00NDZkLWJlM2UtYTVkNGI4Y2FmNGExXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzU1NzE3NTg@._V1_CR0,45,480,270_ AL_UX477_CR0,0,477,268_AL_.jpg

Wolf Children (2012)


Y'know I actually really loved the first half of this film...I'm actually a little bummed that they aged the characters up had the film just stuck with the kids I think it would have been a stronger film. Wolf Children tells the story of a woman who has half human half wolf kids...she decides that she can't live in the city and moves to the sticks where the kids can be wolves.


All the characters have fairly distinct personalities the star is Hana the female child. She's more focused on being human and has a better conflict with her mother. The Ame is a little to cold and standoffish for me I didn't really ever connect with his story.


Visually it's a solid film it reminds me of Studio Ghibli several of the set pieces are incredible. This was still a pretty good watch.

This one was on me, and it was the 5th or 6th attempt to get to something you haven't seen that hadn't been picked up already, so I went with a blind rec :laugh: I literally hadn't heard of this until I threw it your way. Glad you liked it, though.
It's been several years since I watched and thoroughly enjoyed this film and have been severely wishing to revisit it. I do remember enjoying the children's childhood, which, in turn, got me thoroughly involved as they grew older.
A very touching Anime.

[edarsenal]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.berlinale.de%2Fmedia%2Fnrwd%2Ffilmstills%2F2018%2Fberlinale_classics%2F20180224 8_4_IMG_FIX_700x700.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
Veronica: What will my present be tomorrow?....Give me something I'll remember as long as I live.

Boy meets girl, boy goes off to war, girls parents die in air raid, girl moves in with boys family and marries boys jerky cousin, problems ensue, boy dies in war, girl struggles with life, the end.

There's a little more to it than that but that's the Cliff Notes version. I really didn't have much in the way of expectations for this, I had heard of it and that's it. On the surface and based off of descriptions this isn't something I would seek out. My experience with Russian/Soviet cinema is very limited: Solaris (eh), Battleship Potemkin (pretty good) and Hard to be a God(???). That's it. Anyway, The Cranes Are Flying is my fourth film from the country.

I watched this twice yesterday. The first time it was a bit of as rollercoaster of emotions in that at first I felt bad for the girl, Veronika, then didn't feel bad for her at all then felt REAL bad for her. The second time through I just felt sorry for her for the entire movie. Veronika is the main character and this is her story. We do follow her boyfriend, Boris, a little and see what happens to him on the front lines but this is more about what's going on back home with Veronika and the family than what's going on at the front with Boris. In a film filled with great scenes there are three that really hit you in the gut. First, the film has one of the more haunting death scenes I've ever seen. Second, the father of Boris is a Dr. caring for injured soldiers all day and one of the patients in the hospital is distraught over his girlfriend leaving him while he was off fighting in the war. The Dr. gives a brief, rousing speech about the young soldiers situation that hits a bit too close for Veronika, who is a nurses aid at the hospital at this time. The way that scene plays out and is filmed is crushing and finally the ending. Veronika's hope was infectious. We know what happened to Boris (or do we?) yet we hope, along with Veronika, all the way to the very end, that it didn't.

The Cranes Are Flying is a beautifully filmed, wonderfully acted/directed everything movie. I don't know what else to say. This is the best movie I've seen in a long time. Wow!
I wasn't going to read this since I would be seeing this, and then, I took a peek at the first few lines and went: well, in for a penny. . .

Like you, I am VERY limited in my Russian films, and along with my initial interest, it has been increased, reading your review.

[cricket]

I loved Wolf Children and The Cranes are Flying. I'm not familiar with The Blue Kite but perhaps I should be.

[cricket]

Fallen Angels

https://64.media.tumblr.com/d6950e9630a5aeee322fa046d4a48c71/tumblr_o9g3eySJId1utsakio5_540.gifv

Pretty much a blind watch, and it's a good thing I had my headphones on for the sound. It's so stylish visually and aurally from start to finish, kind of in a Suspiria type of way. I even thought of Sin City at one point. I never would have guessed it was the same director as In the Mood for Love, but it made sense afterwards when I found out. Like that movie, the style only took me so far until I wanted more but didn't really get it. I don't recall thinking this during a movie before, but I wish this were an action film because the little bit of action there is was awesome. The handful of characters were very watchable but not extremely interesting. I felt there was some ambiguity and there was a surprising amount of humor. I'm sure the director was trying to say something more about people being alone and for me he was partially successful. It was a good watch but not a big connection for this viewer.

3

[Citizen Rules]

75271
Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica 1948)

A perfect film for me. It's so well made that it flows effortlessly and the pieces, the individual scenes, they fit seamlessly. I felt like I was right there in the story and that's a feeling I don't get from many films.

Perhaps it was the actors that sold me on the film. The actor who played the father was very much in the moment. Without words he could express his emotions. His angst at having his bicycle stolen which meant losing his job, was palatable. There was no doubt in my mind just how life changing the loss of his bike & job was to him. Then there's his son. Wow, talk about a good kid actor. He doesn't really have many lines, but through the range of emotions that play out on his young face, I could see the desperation of his family in post war Italy. I especially liked the dynamic between the father and the boy and how at times the spacial distance between them grew as tensions rose.

I often love Italian films as they're so full of life. Even if the subject matter is depressing or dark, the films themselves are alive with the movement of life.

I think the director did an amazing job making a simple story seem so personal. Of course this isn't just a story of a stolen bicycle, it's an expose on the hardships faced by the Italians immediately following the end of World War II. We see wide spread poverty with the people fighting for jobs and pawning what few positions they own just so they can have a meal. We see how people cope with the collapse of the economy and it ranges from criminal behavior to charlatanism to prostitution and to standing in long lines for some soup and bread.

I'm impressed with Bicycle Thieves.

[cricket]

Bicycle Thieves was chosen for 3 people and they should all like it plenty. It's that kind of movie.

[Citizen Rules]

Bicycle Thieves was chosen for 3 people and they should all like it plenty. It's that kind of movie.Doesn't Raul hate it? Seems like he said that once.

[seanc]

Doesn't Raul hate it? Seems like he said that once.

I tried to pick Bicycle Thieves for you and it was taken. It felt very much like a Citizen movie to me.

[Citizen Rules]

I tried to pick Bicycle Thieves for you and it was taken. It felt very much like a Citizen movie to me.Well, thanks anyway;)

[cricket]

Doesn't Raul hate it? Seems like he said that once.

Does he? That's surprising

[Citizen Rules]

Does he? That's surprisingI might be very wrong about that. Let me check...

[Citizen Rules]

Nope I was right:
Damn! I'm curious now to what Clazor and Raul picked!

I bet it's The Bicycle Thief.:p

You don't know me well, I strongly disliked Bicycle Thieves.

I was pretty sure not many have seen what i nominated. Now I'm not sure....

[Citizen Rules]

Funny I couldn't get the name of the title correct back then:p

[cricket]

I think The Bicycle Thief is right too

[edarsenal]

Haven't heard of Fallen Angels and Bicycle Thieves is something I've been on the fence about. No real reason, just seem to be.

[rauldc14]

Didn't care for Bicycle Thieves so I wouldn't recommend to anyone. May feel differently now though

[seanc]

Knife In The Water: Really good movie that I could see being even better after a rewatch. Love the slow roll tension leading to an ending that was great and not what I predicted. Lovely, tranquil cinematography. Kind of dig the sax score as well. Good watch

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfi.org.uk%2Fsites%2Fbfi.org.uk%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Ffull%2Fpublic%2Fimage%2Ffare well-my-concubine-1993-002-painted-faces-00m-qi9.jpg%3Fitok%3Dlrp8iG-q&f=1&nofb=1

Farewell My Concubine, 1993

In the 1920s a young boy named Douzi (played eventually as an adult by Leslie Cheung) is abandoned by his mother at an all male opera troupe. In the abusive school environment, Douzi is trained to lay female roles. Douzi's best friend at school is ****ou (played as an adult by Fengyi Zhang). The two become famous opera stars, best known for an opera in which ****ou plays a king and Douzi plays his concubine. The opera's story overlaps with a real-life crush that Douzi has on ****ou. ****ou, however, marries prostitute Juxian (a radiant and expressive Gong Li), and the core trio have a complicated and rocky relationship over the decades. All of the action takes place against the political events that shaped Chinese history.

This film is epic in scope, and probably the most amazing quality of it is the way that it weaves together the large-scale political and historical elements and the intimate drama between the main characters. The political elements intersect with the drama, often providing a catalyst for the evolving conflict. The characters are not overtly political, and yet the film shows the way that it becomes impossible to be apolitical at a certain point.

The central performances are really fantastic. Gong Li doesn't arrive until about an hour into the film, but she really holds her own as the woman who both comes between the established friends and supports them at various points. The complex dynamic between the three (and especially between Douzi and Juxian) is very interesting. Leslie Cheung beautifully embodies Douzi, whose love for ****ou is denied both by ****ou's lack of interest and cultural taboos. I get separating art from life, but there are some really powerful overlaps between this role and Cheung's actual life. Cheung was gay and suffered from depression. He dealt with social stigma for his sexuality. I have always appreciated Cheung's particular mix of strength and vulnerability (especially in Days of Being Wild), and it is a perfect characteristic for the character of Douzi. Zhang has maybe the more challenging role as ****ou, who is far less extreme of a character than Douzi or Juxian, but still must embody a character with his own emotional depths.

There are also some really fabulous moments of visual and sound design. In particular I loved a moment in which a character collapses, the sound of his body hitting the ground seamlessly transitioning to two men falling into prayer at a funeral ceremony. There are some neat uses of shadow, sets, and costuming, so that there are many nice instances of the real scenes having a heightened, stage-like aspect to them.

My only two real issues were the overall length and one particular scene. While I admired the ambitious welding of history and a smaller story, there were some moments in the middle that lagged a bit for me. Opera is not . . . . really my thing, and so I was not as entranced by those sequences as others might be.

Also, I was unpleasantly surprised that the film contained what I believe was a real scene of an animal being slowly beheaded, content that is a real dealbreaker for me and will probably keep me from rewatching the film.

This one has vaguely been on my radar for a while now, though I didn't know much about it. I'm glad I finally checked it out and I really enjoyed the three lead performances.

For me this one ends up being a 3.5, mainly because of the animal killing which I am still thinking about and both depressed/angry that I watched. I would imagine that for most people this would be closer to a 4 or even slightly higher.

[Thief]

Battle Royale: Never watched this because I figured it wasn't for me. Unfortunately I was right. Lots of style, so I see why it has a cult following. I am just not interested in it thematically unless it is going to really develop the characters, and it chooses not to do that at all. Two positives and they last about ten seconds each. The Creamsicle scene and stretching and exercising at the end of the game.

For some reason, I forgot to acknowledge that this was on me. I had even forgotten I nominated it. Anyway, I'm sorry you didn't like it. Like I said on another post, it's not a favorite of mine, but I thought it was an entertaining and energetic film.

[cricket]

Takoma ties Sean for the lead!

[seanc]

For some reason, I forgot to acknowledge that this was on me. I had even forgotten I nominated it. Anyway, I'm sorry you didn't like it. Like I said on another post, it's not a favorite of mine, but I thought it was an entertaining and energetic film.

I'm glad I watched it. It's really popular so I wanted to see it eventually. The style just isn't for me. That's why there are so many styles and genres.

[rauldc14]

Shoot the Piano Player is on my upcoming radar

[Thief]

I will try to write something on Fantastic Planet today, and have Ran on the agenda for the weekend.

[Allaby]

I watched Memories of Murder (2003). Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film is set in 1986 in a small Korean province and focus on the detectives investigating a series of murders. The film has a smart screenplay and is stylishly directed. The cinematography is fantastic and the actors do a good job. Memories of Murder is an effective and memorable mystery thriller. Highly recommended. My rating is 4.

[cricket]

I watched Memories of Murder (2003). Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film is set in 1986 in a small Korean province and focus on the detectives investigating a series of murders. The film has a smart screenplay and is stylishly directed. The cinematography is fantastic and the actors do a good job. Memories of Murder is an effective and memorable mystery thriller. Highly recommended. My rating is 4.

That director is putting together quite a nice career.

[Takoma11]

That director is putting together quite a nice career.

I have yet to dislike anything I have seen from him. And I downright love Memories of Murder, Parasite and Snowpiercer. Mother is great, but is too emotionally intense for revisiting. The Host might not be perfect, but it's a super fun ride. His use of visual storytelling is really something else.

[Thief]

I watched Memories of Murder (2003). Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film is set in 1986 in a small Korean province and focus on the detectives investigating a series of murders. The film has a smart screenplay and is stylishly directed. The cinematography is fantastic and the actors do a good job. Memories of Murder is an effective and memorable mystery thriller. Highly recommended. My rating is 4.


Yayy! That one's on me. Glad you liked it. I saw your favorites had a good variety of grand-scale crime thrillers so I thought this would be a good fit.

Re: Bong, the only one I haven't seen yet is Okja, but I have liked/loved everything else from him.

[Thief]

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/serious-concentrated-young-man-thinking-look-billiard-balls-bed-table-guy-hold-billiard-cue-alone-room-135993739.jpg

[ Me, trying to figure out how to approach the review for Fantastic Planet ]

[edarsenal]

Watching the trailer for Memories of Murder it looks a bit familiar. It may have been mixed in the deluge of South Korean films we watched when first discovering all the amazing films coming out of that country, over a decade ago. Or it may simply be the storyline of many others like it. Either way, it's going on the watchlist to either rediscover or simply to discover and enjoy.

Farewell My Concubine has been on my serious watchlist and, (with what is becoming a very pleasant re-occurrence) with Takoma's in-depth review, I will be making a serious attempt to rectify that.

***EDIT*** Checking my List, it shows I had FMC checked off so this may be, like the Underground scenario all over again. Where I saw something, was hyped to see it because I forgot I already saw it. :rolleyes:
Either way, I unchecked it and will (re)watch it for the upcoming Countdown.

[edarsenal]

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/serious-concentrated-young-man-thinking-look-billiard-balls-bed-table-guy-hold-billiard-cue-alone-room-135993739.jpg

[ Me, trying to figure out how to approach the review for Fantastic Planet ]

It is a conundrum, isn't it?

[seanc]

I watched Memories of Murder (2003). Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film is set in 1986 in a small Korean province and focus on the detectives investigating a series of murders. The film has a smart screenplay and is stylishly directed. The cinematography is fantastic and the actors do a good job. Memories of Murder is an effective and memorable mystery thriller. Highly recommended. My rating is 4.

Fantastic film. I love it as well. My favorite from Bong so far, a director I haven't actually been that high on. Love this though, think Mother is really good. Parasite was just good for me, which always feels like I am dogging it because of how much everyone loves it.

[seanc]

Open your Eyes: About halfway through this I had to pause and check because I knew I was getting really strong vibes of an American movie. I haven't seen Vanilla sky but the imagery of it is striking enough that it struck me. Anyway, the reason I never saw Vanilla Sky is because erotic thrillers not made by Kubrick usually aren't my jam.

This also has the reality vs dream/nightmare twistiness that doesn't work for me a heck of a lot either. I just find my interest waning when the motivations of the characters really don't factor in at all. I would have much rather spent more time with the love triangle conflict, which is pretty well discarded as quickly as it showed up.

I love Cruz as an actress, but she is one of those that rarely picks scripts that grip me. For that reason she is on the outside looking in of my favorites. She was her sultry self here though. I liked the mime sequence quite a bit. That and the tennis scene were my favorite thing in a movie that didn't have a lot going on to me.

[edarsenal]

Open your Eyes: About halfway through this I had to pause and check because I knew I was getting really strong vibes of an American movie. I haven't seen Vanilla sky but the imagery of it is striking enough that it struck me. Anyway, the reason I never saw Vanilla Sky is because erotic thrillers not made by Kubrick usually aren't my jam.

This also has the reality vs dream/nightmare twistiness that doesn't work for me a heck of a lot either. I just find my interest waning when the motivations of the characters really don't factor in at all. I would have much rather spent more time with the love triangle conflict, which is pretty well discarded as quickly as it showed up.

I love Cruz as an actress, but she is one of those that rarely picks scripts that grip me. For that reason she is on the outside looking in of my favorites. She was her sultry self here though. I liked the mime sequence quite a bit. That and the tennis scene were my favorite thing in a movie that didn't have a lot going on to me.

:: makes note:: "do NOT recommend What Dreams May Come (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120889/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_47) to sean."
Got it.

I know what you mean about Cruz. She's really pretty amazing and I'd love to see more of her but she seems to be a number of films that don't quite interest me and I end up watching them for her only.

[seanc]

The Tin Drum: I have a friend who occasionally has called me, jokingly...I think, the movie douche. When I watch a movie like The Tin Drum I always remember why. From the opening shot of a potato field with a single women and fire burning I thought to myself, "oh awesome, I get to watch cinema instead of a movie today". Whether that makes me a snob or means I have developed taste? I don't really care anymore, because I love "cinema", and that's exactly what The Tin Drum is.

The metaphor at work here is exactly what I love in art film. Just out of my complete grasp but also I am absorbing enough for it to make my heart ache throughout. The descent into hell is constant and never leaves you for a second.

I loved absolutely everything about this. It is gorgeous and ugly all at the same time. The characters are all engaging and top notch. Absolute masterpiece. Not only the best of my bunch so far but the best I have seen in probably over a year.

[seanc]

:: makes note:: "do NOT recommend What Dreams May Come (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120889/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_47) to sean."
Got it.

I know what you mean about Cruz. She's really pretty amazing and I'd love to see more of her but she seems to be a number of films that don't quite interest me and I end up watching them for her only.

I saw that way back when it was released. It was during my I watch everything with Gooding because he made one of my favorite characters ever phase. That one didn't last long, and this movie didn't help. :)

[Takoma11]

My favorite film from Cruz is Volver. I think she has amazing presence.

I like Cruz and Eduardo Noriega, so I quite enjoyed Abre los Ojos.

[cricket]

Great job Sean!

The Tin Drum is a great movie, and I think we have 2 other members who are going to watch it. It's been on my list of potential HoF nominations.

I've seen Open Your Eyes once. I didn't love it but it's better than Vanilla Sky.

[cricket]

My favorite film from Cruz is Volver. I think she has amazing presence.

I'm planning on seeing that before turning in my countdown ballot.

[seanc]

My favorite film from Cruz is Volver. I think she has amazing presence.

I like Cruz and Eduardo Noriega, so I quite enjoyed Abre los Ojos.

I think it's mine too. But, in true Sean fashion, I don't remember it much at this point.

[Allaby]

I just finished watching Nights of Cabiria (1957). Directed by the legendary Federico Fellini, this Oscar winning film stars Giulietta Masina as Maria 'Cabiria' Ceccarelli, a prostitute looking for love. Masina is excellent her in a layered, complex performance. She feels real and believable. The cinematography is beautiful and the film tells its story in an effective way. This wouldn't be one of my absolute favourite Fellini films, but it is very good and highly recommended. I would rate it a 4.

[cricket]

I liked that^^^and would like to see it again.

[Thief]

It is a conundrum, isn't it?

A fascinating one.

[Thief]

Open your Eyes: About halfway through this I had to pause and check because I knew I was getting really strong vibes of an American movie. I haven't seen Vanilla sky but the imagery of it is striking enough that it struck me. Anyway, the reason I never saw Vanilla Sky is because erotic thrillers not made by Kubrick usually aren't my jam.

This also has the reality vs dream/nightmare twistiness that doesn't work for me a heck of a lot either. I just find my interest waning when the motivations of the characters really don't factor in at all. I would have much rather spent more time with the love triangle conflict, which is pretty well discarded as quickly as it showed up.

I love Cruz as an actress, but she is one of those that rarely picks scripts that grip me. For that reason she is on the outside looking in of my favorites. She was her sultry self here though. I liked the mime sequence quite a bit. That and the tennis scene were my favorite thing in a movie that didn't have a lot going on to me.

I loved this film. One of those I films I caught halfway through while at a friend's house, and we both ended up glued. If I remember correctly, I think that once it finished, we started it again to catch it whole cause the network had it scheduled twice.

[Thief]

FANTASTIC PLANET
(1973, Laloux)

https://indieethos.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/28636id_013_primary_w1600.jpg


"I grew up fast in that slow world, for a Draag week was equal to one of my years. I was just a living plaything that sometimes dared to rebel."



Set in the mysterious planet of Ygam, Fantastic Planet follows the clashes between the human-like Oms and the giant, blue humanoid Draags that are trying to eradicate the former from their planet, while also keeping them as pets. Terr (Eric Baugin) is a young Om that has been kept as a pet since infancy by Tiwa (Jennifer Drake). But when he accidentally starts to absorb knowledge from his captors, he ends up leaving Tiwa and joining a group of rebel Oms in order to oust their captors.

I found this film both amazing and mesmerizing for so many reasons. I'll start by saying that the opening scene was such a perfect way to capture what this world is about, to expose the themes without spelling them out, but rather with haunting and eerie visuals. Second, the animation was so effective, and you feel like it suits the plot and the era so well. The use of colors and certain angles only helped to amplify the eeriness of this world. Third, the creativity with which director René Laloux and co-writer Roland Topor build this planet and set its environment and rules is nothing short of impressive. Finally, the music is so cool and helps to establish the trippy mood extremely well.

Fantastic Planet was a troubled project to begin with; not only for its themes and ambitions, but also because of the circumstances surrounding its production. While production started in France, it was animated in Czechoslovakia which had more resources in that field. Halfway through, Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Soviet Union in an effort to suppress a reform movement in the country. Casually, co-writer Topor was of Polish-Jewish descent and had to spend his childhood hiding from the Gestapo. All of this adds more weight to the themes of oppression and subjugation that permeate through the film.

I still have some issues with it. Even though I understand it's not the film's goal, but the lack of character development and depth hinders its effect a bit. Plus, the resolution feels somewhat abrupt and a bit too convenient. Still, I would definitely say that this was one of the most interesting film-watching experiences I've had recently.

Grade: 4

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.davidmullenasc.com%2Fikiru5.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Ikiru, 1952

Kanji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) is a meek public servant who works at the head of the Public Affairs office, where he and his fellow workers participate in a merry-go-round of foisting projects onto other departments. But when Watanabe discovers he has terminal stomach cancer, he has a sudden crisis about the impact he has had in his life. Encountering callous behavior--including from his own son--Watanabe must decide how he will make his mark.

This film made me feel very deeply, and on a variety of levels. This is really a masterpiece from Kurosawa. And while I think that the mystery and action elements of High and Low and Seven Samurai keep them as my "favorites", I can easily see how someone would argue that this is Kurosawa's best film.

From an organizational/technical level, this film was just fantastic. There is a heart-wrenching (but also borderline darkly comedic) sequence in which a fellow patient at the doctor's office fills Watanabe in on what the doctors really mean when they say certain things. As the man rattles off symptoms--pain, reduced appetite, burping--we see from Watanabe's face (which the other man cannot see) that these are his symptoms. And just as the man in the waiting room predicts, the doctors tell Watanabe that he has a "stomach ulcer" and not to worry, choosing not to let him know about his illness even when he tells them he wants the truth. And structurally speaking, there is a really neat and bold choice when (sort of spoilers) the final 50 minutes of the film take place after Watanabe has passed away, and other characters are left to interpret and dissect his behaviors after the fact. This is a really neat trick of the narrative, because it forces us into a different perspective.

The performances are, of course, excellent. I love Takashi Shimura and have always felt that he has a way of grounding a film with a character who feels truly three-dimensional. Watanabe is a sympathetic character, but he is a man in a horrible crisis and it isn't pretty. Watanabe has a look of misery and borderline-panic on his face for much of the film. He is afraid of dying, afraid of leaving behind no legacy except for a retirement bonus over which his son and daughter-in-law want to squabble. We see the unflattering side of this when Watanabe becomes overly dependent on a much younger coworker named Toyo (Miki Odagiri). Watanabe becomes desperate and intrusive (both physically and emotionally), and it is a lot for Toyo to handle. He wants to understand her joy for life, but his failure to communicate his situation to her creeps her out. I appreciated that the film acknowledged this. It isn't Toyo's job to do the emotional labor of helping her coworker through his end-of-life crisis, and especially not when she doesn't understand the scope of what is happening. I like that the film was honest about the bumps and scrapes of trying to work through such a fraught time. Going through a crisis can be ugly, and the film doesn't present Watanabe's journey as some smooth arc.

Thematically, I related strongly to this film. I have two jobs that are service type jobs--teaching and massage therapy--but I still often grapple with whether I am doing enough or making enough of a positive change in the world. Ikiru shows a man confronting sch feelings, but it also takes the time to show the aftermath of his actions. The scenes in which other characters react to Watanabe's change in personality are almost as powerful as the scenes featuring him. Everyone wants to filer his behavior through their own lens of priorities and egocentrism. The staging of the final gathering is really excellent, especially the way that the blocking of the characters subtly changes as it progresses. I loved the on-point critique that sometimes people doing good will be met with suspicion or even derision from people who find being negative easier than making positive changes in their own life/behavior.

I guess my one "missing piece" was more of a final reflection from Watanabe. I think that you can infer a lot about it, I think that it might even be better for the narrative that we don't get that, but it was what I wanted. It's something I will reflect on, especially if I rewatch the film.

A really, really excellent film. I have avoided it for a while because I was pretty sure that it would take a bit of an emotional toll on me. I wasn't wrong, but it's a beautiful kind of melancholy.

4.5

[edarsenal]

https://media4.giphy.com/media/HI89FP7xzXiCc/giphy.gif
https://media3.giphy.com/media/IUhTI9GV9hK5G/giphy.gif


Yojimbo (1961)

Gonji - Tavern Keeper: What'll you do now?
Sanjuro Kuwabatake: Go next door and buy a coffin.
Gonji - Tavern Keeper: How can you give up like that?
Sanjuro Kuwabatake: You idiot! I'm not dying yet! There's a bunch of guys I have to kill first.

This has been THE MOST FUN I've had watching an Akira Kurosawa so far.
The few I've seen have been very serious dramas, and unlike them, there is a playfulness to this - what could be considered a classic popcorn-munching action film. One that is very much in the top echelon of that subgenre. Dark humor and sarcastic wit permeate this very entertaining film. Even the Soundtrack invokes a kind of "Comedic Carnival" tone that worked very much in its favor.
The inspiration to Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and Walter Hill's Last Man Standing, it is said that Kurosawa was inspired, equally, with Hollywood Westerns, and, what I didn't know, by The Glass Key (1942) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034798/). Which is getting bumped in my Sh#t I just GOTTA see. SOON.

Toshirô Mifune, taking Kurosawa's advice that his character is a wolf or a dog, incorporated, along with some truly great, and at times, amusing expressions, will shrug/twitch much like a dog scratching at fleas.
I can't help but think that he may have had a lot of fun with this character, because of the evident humor within his, as always, fantastic performance.

Along with him are two exceptional actors, Tatsuya Nakadai as the pistol-toting Unosuke and the crotchety Tavern Keeper, Gonji (Takashi Shimura), holding their own with the scene-stealing Mifune.
https://www.porto.pt/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fportopontocms-live-f03d42215130439cbde1-5c14293.divio-media.org%2Foriginal_images%2FDR_Yojimbo_Invencivel_Akira_Kurosawa.jpg&w=350&q=85http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2782/4478015079_f0f9978e95_o.jpg

Exploring my initial pleasure regarding, Dark humor, sarcastic wit, Soundtrack = a very cool "Comedic Carnival" tone, is the numbskull, cowardly, wannabe thugs, that are the hired soldiers for the two bickering Bosses of the nearly deserted town.
I am UTTERLY heartbroken I could not locate a gif of the cowards vs. cowards attempt at, but too afraid to, street fight. :(:(:bawling::bawling:

But, this guy was, and that's how I felt too.

https://i.gifer.com/7tuf.gif


This was utterly, UTTERLY, f@ckin AWESOME!

I discipline my dumb @ss for taking this long to see this FINALLY
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ShowyDazzlingCornsnake-max-1mb.gif

And thank whomever
https://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/thank-you-cat-gif-11.gif

[Wyldesyde19]

https://media4.giphy.com/media/HI89FP7xzXiCc/giphy.gif
https://media3.giphy.com/media/IUhTI9GV9hK5G/giphy.gif


Yojimbo (1961)

Gonji - Tavern Keeper: What'll you do now?
Sanjuro Kuwabatake: Go next door and buy a coffin.
Gonji - Tavern Keeper: How can you give up like that?
Sanjuro Kuwabatake: You idiot! I'm not dying yet! There's a bunch of guys I have to kill first.

When I first watched this that quote above made me laugh. I believe this was my second film I watched, after Seven Samurai, and before Ran and Kagemusha. All four are amazing to watch and made me a fan of his

[cricket]

A round of applause for Thief as he gets on the board with Fantastic Planet. I do believe that made my animations list. I love the score and it makes me feel just a bit uneasy.

Then back to back Kurosawa movies. My favorites of his are The Seven Samurai, High and Low, The Idiot, and The Hidden Fortress. Ikiru is close behind, and even though Yojimbo would be further down the list, it's certainly better than most movies.

[Thief]

A round of applause for Thief as he gets on the board with Fantastic Planet. I do believe that made my animations list. I love the score and it makes me feel just a bit uneasy.



The whole film oozes uneasiness. The music, the weird-looking giant humanoids and their googly red eyes, the trippy meditations, the "savage" world and creatures that lurk... it makes you fidget.

[cricket]

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

https://pewterbreath.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/uncle-boonmee.jpg

A blind watch from the Cannes list, and for the first 15 to 20 minutes I was thinking this was some sort of horror film featuring Bigfoot and ghosts. It's not, but rather a deeply spiritual film. It seems like a weird movie, but again I don't think it actually is. There's some back and forth between reality and fantasy (spirituality) and even the cinematography altering between spectacular and plain. Even the score goes from nonexistent to naturally thunderous and foreboding. It sounds like an odd mix but I thought it worked well. The story revolves around a dying man and from there the title will tell you more than I'm willing to. This is a good movie that I can picture touching the right viewer in a big way. I don't have a spiritual bone in my body so I'm not that viewer. As a result it was sometimes a slow journey even it was a fascinating one.

3-

[Citizen Rules]

Was that actually on the Cannes list? I'm sure it was, I'm just saying what a crazy title. It looks like some sort of boogie man horror film but you say it's not? Any idea if I might like it? Just curious.

[Wyldesyde19]

Was that actually on the Cannes list? I'm sure it was, I'm just saying what a crazy title. It looks like some sort of boogie man horror film but you say it's not? Any idea if I might like it? Just curious.
Yeah, Cannes Palm winner.
I believe the official description of the genre, iirc, is “art house surrealist film”.

[Thief]

Man, just looked at the first page and some of you just gobbled this up in less than two weeks

[cricket]

Was that actually on the Cannes list? I'm sure it was, I'm just saying what a crazy title. It looks like some sort of boogie man horror film but you say it's not? Any idea if I might like it? Just curious.

Yea I think you'd like it

[Citizen Rules]

Yea I think you'd like itThat's interesting as with a title like it has, I'd never watch it...

So maybe a good choice for me when we get to the PRIV

[rauldc14]

Man, just looked at the first page and some of you just gobbled this up in less than two weeks

Don't worry. I'm here to be the semi-procrastinator this time. I started Shoot the Piano Player Wednesday and got about halfway but I'll probably have to start from the beginning again to have anything to say.

[Takoma11]

If you like Uncle Boonmee at all, I highly recommend the director's other film, Tropical Malady. (In fact, the story of Uncle Boonmee comes from a throwaway line in Tropical Malady).

I would give a slight edge to Tropical Malady because the central relationship is so well-realized and I liked the way it intersected with the supernatural stuff.

[cricket]

46 write ups in, only 1 movie I picked has been watched so far:p

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfi.org.uk%2Fsites%2Fbfi.org.uk%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Ffull%2Fpublic%2Fimage%2Ftokyo-story-1953-002-chieko-higashiyama-setsuko-hara-chishu-ryu-00m-nnb.jpg%3Fitok%3Dyj-9-OXu&f=1&nofb=1

Tokyo Story, 1953

Older couple Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and Tomi (Chieko Higashiyama) decide to take a trip to visit their adult children in Tokyo. Kiochi (So Yamamura) is a local doctor; Shige (Haruko Sugimura) is a hairdresser. They also pay a visit to their daughter in law, Noriko (Setsuko Hara) whose husband--their son--is missing in action from the war and presumed dead. Aside from Noriko, who takes time to walk around with Shukichi and Tomi and talk to them, the children treat them like an inconvenience. The couple must wrestle with their feelings of alienation toward their children, while still struggling to feel proud of them.

So apparently there is an emerging theme to my list of films here: Japanese dramas that punch you right in the feels.

Yes, yes, I loved Tokyo Story, even if it seemed personally tailored to push on some of my deepest anxieties.

The dynamic that the film captures so well is that of parents who only want to see the best in their children. This grows more strained as the callousness and disregard by their children becomes more and more pronounced. At one point, the children send their parents to a spa. The parents fret over their children sending money and treat the day as a special occasion. But when there are disruptive parties at the spa and they try to return home, their children bluntly tell them that they just sent them to the spa to get them out of the way. In a carefully worded conversation between Shukichi and Tomi, they talk themselves into agreeing that they are very proud of their children. And yet something in the tone is defensive, as if they are having to make an argument against someone who would say otherwise.

As with Ozu's other films, loneliness and abandonment become themes at the forefront. This is most explicit with the character of Noriko. She still keeps her husband's picture in the living room, and a tearful Tomi tells Noriko that she should remarry before she gets too old. There are similar conversations about the couple's daughter, Kyoko (Kyoko Kagawa), who is single and lives with them. But unlike the other films I have seen from Ozu, the notion of loneliness extends beyond an individual. We see the way that the couple has become isolated from their children. Yes, they have each other. But you need more than one other person to feel stable. The ingratitude of the children stings, not the least because the couple does not feel supported by them.

This movie felt very personal to me on a few fronts. When I was younger I had a parent who became ill and was not expected to survive. Thankfully they did, but the years after that were very fraught. I was kind of a mess, as you might imagine. I often carry around a lot of guilt about my behavior as a child, despite being assured by my parents that I was a low-drama kid. I also lost all of my grandparents between the ages of 15 and 22. One of my biggest regrets is not fostering a stronger relationship with them. While I was not neglectful or disrespectful in the manner of the characters in this film, I did not do as much as I now wish I would have to cultivate a relationship with them and make them feel more appreciated. Between this film and Ikiru, all of my "are you doing enough?!?!?!?!?!" buttons have been pushed and then some. I hope that others who watch this film also reflect on their relationship with the older generations, and seize the opportunities for bonding if it is not too late. (And, you know, if those older generation people are worth bonding with).

In any event, this film also has that signature Ozu vibe of incredibly realistic domestic sequences. While as a viewer you can be very critical of the behavior of the adult children, the film does acknowledge their point of view. In one sequence, Shige is upset that her father has become drunk, and recounts that he was often drunk in her childhood. That is the kind of thing that can stick with a person, and I appreciated that it wasn't just presented as the adult children just being awful. Self-absorbed, yes. In perhaps one of the more memorable moments, Kyoko talks with Noriko. Upset, she blurts out "Life is so disappointing, isn't it?" "Yes," answers Noriko, "It is." But she says this with the tone of one who has accepted this aspect of life.

Another excellent Ozu film.

4.5

[Takoma11]

46 write ups in, only 1 movie I picked has been watched so far:p

You must be hoping everyone is saving the best for last!

[cricket]

Tokyo Story was my pick for you



But someone snatched it up like a thief in the night!

[seanc]

Let The Right One In: Totally coming off like a genre fuddy duddy in this hall. I guess I probably am. Never had a vampire film really grab me. I guess Only Lovers Left Alive was the closest. This did have some decent visuals, the cat attack and final pool scene being the best. The central relationship is solid as well. The rest felt very underdeveloped in service of our vampire. Not a bad watch, just not especially engaging either.

I’m going to sit back and watch the rest of your reviews come in. List forthcoming Cricket.

[cricket]

Let The Right One In: Totally coming off like a genre fuddy duddy in this hall. I guess I probably am. Never had a vampire film really grab me. I guess Only Lovers Left Alive was the closest. This did have some decent visuals, the cat attack and final pool scene being the best. The central relationship is solid as well. The rest felt very underdeveloped in service of our vampire. Not a bad watch, just not especially engaging either.

I’m going to sit back and watch the rest of your reviews come in. List forthcoming Cricket.

Did you watch Knife in the Water? I missed the post if yes

[Takoma11]

Tokyo Story was my pick for you



But someone snatched it up like a thief in the night!

HMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Did you watch Knife in the Water? I missed the post if yes

I believe he reviewed it one or two days ago.

[cricket]

I found it you maniac

Congratulations Sean, you are the 1st member to finish!

[seanc]

I found it you maniac

Congratulations Sean, you are the 1st member to finish!

The noms hit at a good time, figured I may as well knock it out.

[Captain Terror]

We see the unflattering side of this when Watanabe becomes overly dependent on a much younger coworker named Toyo (Miki Odagiri). Watanabe becomes desperate and intrusive (both physically and emotionally), and it is a lot for Toyo to handle. He wants to understand her joy for life, but his failure to communicate his situation to her creeps her out. I appreciated that the film acknowledged this. It isn't Toyo's job to do the emotional labor of helping her coworker through his end-of-life crisis, and especially not when she doesn't understand the scope of what is happening.

This bit impressed me as well. This could have easily turned into a Chaplin or Woody Allen thing (young girl inexplicably devoted to geezer) so I was glad that it wasn't that.
I'm not ranking the Kurosawas but having watched all of the 40s and 50s films, Ikiru is on the short list of favorites. I went into this expecting to love the samurai films, so I've been (pleasantly) surprised to find Ikiru and One Wonderful Sunday making such an impression on me.

[Thief]

HMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!



Don't look at me :eek: I haven't seen that one yet.


Speaking of which, who picked Fantastic Planet for me? Just out of curiosity.

[Thief]

BTW, I'm more than halfway through Ran, but I'm gonna finish it tomorrow. But in the meantime, DAMN, that whole siege scene :eek:

[Captain Terror]

FANTASTIC PLANET
(1973, Laloux)

Although I'm a completely sober teetotaler, there are parts of this film that always make me think "I should probably be high right now". :)

But yeah, I'm a huge fan of this one. In other news, the pope is catholic.

[Wyldesyde19]

BTW, I'm more than halfway through Ran, but I'm gonna finish it tomorrow. But in the meantime, DAMN, that whole siege scene :eek:
If you watch the battle scene really closely, you will catch a scene that I feel Spielberg cribbed when he made Saving Private Ryan.

[Takoma11]

This bit impressed me as well. This could have easily turned into a Chaplin or Woody Allen thing (young girl inexplicably devoted to geezer) so I was glad that it wasn't that.

Exactly. She is not in a place, emotionally or maturity-wise, to handle the intensity of what he is going through. There is literally one scene where he corners her against a building. And while we understand where his desperation comes from, she doesn't.

I liked that she was empathetic, but not some magical balm for the main character.

I'm not ranking the Kurosawas but having watched all of the 40s and 50s films, Ikiru is on the short list of favorites. I went into this expecting to love the samurai films, so I've been (pleasantly) surprised to find Ikiru and One Wonderful Sunday making such an impression on me.

It is up there for me--that's for sure.

You've seen High and Low then, right? That is my favorite. And the train scene has been the, ahem, inspiration for many other films (I'm looking at you, Along Came a Spider!).

[cricket]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfi.org.uk%2Fsites%2Fbfi.org.uk%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Ffull%2Fpublic%2Fimage%2Ffare well-my-concubine-1993-002-painted-faces-00m-qi9.jpg%3Fitok%3Dlrp8iG-q&f=1&nofb=1

Farewell My Concubine, 1993

In the 1920s a young boy named Douzi (played eventually as an adult by Leslie Cheung) is abandoned by his mother at an all male opera troupe. In the abusive school environment, Douzi is trained to lay female roles. Douzi's best friend at school is ****ou (played as an adult by Fengyi Zhang). The two become famous opera stars, best known for an opera in which ****ou plays a king and Douzi plays his concubine. The opera's story overlaps with a real-life crush that Douzi has on ****ou. ****ou, however, marries prostitute Juxian (a radiant and expressive Gong Li), and the core trio have a complicated and rocky relationship over the decades. All of the action takes place against the political events that shaped Chinese history.

This film is epic in scope, and probably the most amazing quality of it is the way that it weaves together the large-scale political and historical elements and the intimate drama between the main characters. The political elements intersect with the drama, often providing a catalyst for the evolving conflict. The characters are not overtly political, and yet the film shows the way that it becomes impossible to be apolitical at a certain point.

The central performances are really fantastic. Gong Li doesn't arrive until about an hour into the film, but she really holds her own as the woman who both comes between the established friends and supports them at various points. The complex dynamic between the three (and especially between Douzi and Juxian) is very interesting. Leslie Cheung beautifully embodies Douzi, whose love for ****ou is denied both by ****ou's lack of interest and cultural taboos. I get separating art from life, but there are some really powerful overlaps between this role and Cheung's actual life. Cheung was gay and suffered from depression. He dealt with social stigma for his sexuality. I have always appreciated Cheung's particular mix of strength and vulnerability (especially in Days of Being Wild), and it is a perfect characteristic for the character of Douzi. Zhang has maybe the more challenging role as ****ou, who is far less extreme of a character than Douzi or Juxian, but still must embody a character with his own emotional depths.

There are also some really fabulous moments of visual and sound design. In particular I loved a moment in which a character collapses, the sound of his body hitting the ground seamlessly transitioning to two men falling into prayer at a funeral ceremony. There are some neat uses of shadow, sets, and costuming, so that there are many nice instances of the real scenes having a heightened, stage-like aspect to them.

My only two real issues were the overall length and one particular scene. While I admired the ambitious welding of history and a smaller story, there were some moments in the middle that lagged a bit for me. Opera is not . . . . really my thing, and so I was not as entranced by those sequences as others might be.

Also, I was unpleasantly surprised that the film contained what I believe was a real scene of an animal being slowly beheaded, content that is a real dealbreaker for me and will probably keep me from rewatching the film.

This one has vaguely been on my radar for a while now, though I didn't know much about it. I'm glad I finally checked it out and I really enjoyed the three lead performances.

For me this one ends up being a rating_3_5, mainly because of the animal killing which I am still thinking about and both depressed/angry that I watched. I would imagine that for most people this would be closer to a rating_4 or even slightly higher.

'The person who nominated Farewell My Concubine apologizes that it contained a scene of animal cruelty. They did not remember this was in the film and it was not on purpose. They are sorry.'

[Captain Terror]

You've seen High and Low then, right?

That one is from the early 60s so I'll be getting to it in April sometime.

[Thief]

Although I'm a completely sober teetotaler, there are parts of this film that always make me think "I should probably be high right now". :)



I don't know what you're talking about :shifty:

https://media.giphy.com/media/NE959Qho4OHL2/giphy.gif

[Thursday Next]

Day for Night

Films about films can be really interesting, and this one delves into the filmmaking process quite a lot – I felt like I learned a lot, even though it was fictional! I didn’t understand the significance of the title until it is explained within the film to be a filmmaking term about shooting night time scenes in the day – in French, La Nuit Americane. There was some similarity with the Michael Winterbottom film A Cock and Bull Story – which I now suppose must have been influenced by this film.

What I find less appealing is French films where everyone sleeps with everyone else and they spend a lot of time talking to each other about love but without meaning any of it I always find it tiresome – I almost agree with Madame Lajoie who says, “ You call that a business? You've no morals. Everybody sleeps with everyone! What is it but a dirty lie.” However, in this film it’s almost part of the joke, as it were, or the commentary on films and filmmaking, the various affairs of the cast and crew coming close to derailing the film they are making on several occasions.

I liked that the film didn't take itself too seriously and showed both the love of moviemaking and the ridiculousness of it - the scene in which Severine suggests she can just say numbers instead of her lines, Joelle's line, "I'd drop a guy for a film. I'd never drop a film for a guy!", the whole bit with the cat that can't act.

[cricket]

I've seen that twice and quite like it

[Thursday Next]

Also I liked the music. Forgot to mention that.

[rauldc14]

Let The Right One In: Totally coming off like a genre fuddy duddy in this hall. I guess I probably am. Never had a vampire film really grab me. I guess Only Lovers Left Alive was the closest. This did have some decent visuals, the cat attack and final pool scene being the best. The central relationship is solid as well. The rest felt very underdeveloped in service of our vampire. Not a bad watch, just not especially engaging either.

I’m going to sit back and watch the rest of your reviews come in. List forthcoming Cricket.

Holy balls done already? That has to be the quickest anybody has gotten a hall done.

[Takoma11]

'The person who nominated Farewell My Concubine apologizes that it contained a scene of animal cruelty. They did not remember this was in the film and it was not on purpose. They are sorry.'

I figured it was unintentional, and considering it was one minute out of a 3-hour film I'm not surprised they forgot about it. It isn't a "centerpiece" moment of the film.

In fact, it's not even directly mentioned on either of the sites that I use to screen for animal cruelty (IMDB guide or Doesthedogdie.com). No ill will toward the nominator.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fd%2Fdb%2FGrand-Illusion-1937.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

La Grande Illusion, 1937

During WW1, French soldiers Marechal (Jean Gabin) and Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay) are captured and end up in a prisoner of war camp run by the German military. Meeting up with another soldier called Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio), the men begin to plan an escape. Against these plans, we watch the relationship develop between the Boeldieu and the man running the camp, Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim), based on the fact that both men are upper class.

It's hard to go wrong with a prison escape movie, in my opinion, and what makes this film special is the way that it chooses to explore the anxieties and divisions around class rather than around nationalities.

In fact, the whole film often hinges on questions of elements that are entirely invented by people. In one scene, a character looks across a border and notes that you don't really see where the one country becomes another. "That is because men create frontiers" remarks his companion. It is a great moment because the distinction seems so absurd--there is this invisible line randomly drawn--and yet the lives and fates of the characters might rest on that invisible line.

Likewise the film portrays characters with an acute awareness of class, coming from both the lower class and upper class characters. Marechal and Rosenthal explicitly discuss at one point the alienation they feel from Boeldieu, chalking it up at first to "education", but then going on to say that there is a permanent way that society marks them as separate. "If we had no money we'd be beggars, but he'd still be a lord" remarks one character.

And on the flip side, we see the opposing viewpoints of Boeldieu and Rauffenstein. Rauffenstein sees his rank as something to be proud of. He is sad about the fact that the end of the war will mark the end of the aristocracy. Rauffenstein has been horribly damaged physically from the war, and walks around with a permanent neck brace, yet even them he bemoans being given an assignment away from the front. He repeatedly speaks about the noble enemy, and tries to keep the scope of the war in the field of "the pursuits of gentlemen". Boeldieu, on the other hand, takes a more cynical, almost fatalistic viewpoint on his own destiny. We repeatedly see Boeldieu chafe against displays of class privilege, such as openly questioning why his word is taken during a search while the other soldiers have their things rifled through.

I would not necessarily say that this film is anti-war, but more so that it sees war as yet another human invention, and a harmful one at that. Later in the film we meet a woman whose husband and brothers have all been lost in a battle --"Our greatest triumph," she says even-handedly--and now raises a child on her own.

And while this doesn't fit in anywhere else in the review, I did want to remark on one of my favorite moments in the film. (No spoilers!). Toward the beginning of the film the prisoners are putting together a theatrical production and they are provided with costumes. One of the soldiers comes into the room dressed in women's clothing, and slowly the other men becomes silent and just turn to stare at him. It would have been easy to play this as a comedic moment or make some homophobic joke, but instead the film lets us sit in the silence with the soldiers. You can just feel that all of the men are missing the women they left behind, and rather than being a punchline, it turns into a sweet, sad emotional beat.

This is a unique take on the prison-escape film, and specifically an interesting lens through which to view the prisoner-of-war escape film. I am still mulling over how I feel about the last 10 minutes or so.

4

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F90%2Fbe%2Fbe%2F90bebe9ed5fb6f3748339e56a9d82f23.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

François Thévenot : If the meal is like the drink, I'm not looking forward to it!

"Lookin' back on the track for a little green bag,
Got to find just the kind or I'm losin' my mind" - George Baker Selection

I had heard of this but didn't know much about it except that it's a swipe at the rich. This is kind of a difficult movie to sum up because it's not a movie about plot and it's not a movie that builds up it's characters. So what's it about? I don't really know. Buñuel messing with people again? It's more a collection of scenes with a common thread running through them - starvation. The six upper crust characters are constantly setting up dinner dates in which something happens and nobody gets anything to eat, followed by a scene of the six of them walking a long, country road which I can only guess is a nod to the Greek legend off Sisyphus. Or maybe not. Maybe it's nothing more than showing them out of their comfort zone and completely exposed, ripe for the picking. They also dream a lot or have nightmares, depending on how you look at it, usually involving their deepest fear(s) ("I don't know how but they found me!" Doc Brown).

The movie is seriously silly. It's a comedy but it's not ha-ha funny. I haven't seen a lot of Buñuel but of the films I have seen, that seems to be his MO. Be funny without being funny and push some buttons along the way. It's a tricky strategy but I think he manages to pull it off - again. There's maybe one scene that had me really chuckling and that was the I'm eating that piece of lamb even if it kills me scene. Once I realized what one of you MoFo'ers had gotten me into I enjoyed this quite a bit.

[cricket]

I liked both of those, but I liked Charm more.

[seanc]

Holy balls done already? That has to be the quickest anybody has gotten a hall done.

I think Takoma in the 24th. I wanted to beat that. lol

[Citizen Rules]

I feel like such a slacker at only 3 films watched:cool: You've guys have really watched a lot of neat sounding films lately! I haven't been commenting much because I have seen many of these but I hope to get a couple more watched real soon.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-4ktX8ZUF0bw%2FVAJG6L8P4PI%2FAAAAAAAACzs%2F0-G6SRV5lws%2Fs1600%2FContempt%252BGodard%252Bbathtub%252BBardot%252BLang%252Bbook.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Contempt, 1963

A screenwriter named Paul (Michel Piccoli) is hired by a blowhard American producer named Prokosch (Jack Palance) to help rework the script for a film adaptation of The Odyssey being made by Fritz Lang (played by Lang himself!!). But things quickly go off the rails when Prokosch expresses interest in Paul's wife, Camille (Brigitte Bardot) and Paul almost seems to indulge in Prokosch going after Camille. This drives a wedge between Paul and Camille.

I am very grateful to the person (I think it was crumbsroom) who told me, regarding Godard, that I had to see the alienation as intentional. This was a critical reframing for me as I was constantly frustrated by my inability to connect with Godard's films. In Contempt this aspect is amplified as there is also a meta element of critiquing the film industry itself and the crude constraints placed on directorial artistry.

The best realized aspect of the film is the quick decay of the relationship between Camille and Paul, best displayed in a long fight between the couple after Paul lets Prokosch drive alone in a car with Camille. In a disagreement that spans various rooms--and various states of dress and undress--in their home and evolving emotions of both characters, Camille outlines the way that her feelings toward her husband have gone from love to contempt. One suspects that this is something that has maybe been in the works for a while, but the argument shows how an incident can act as a catalyst and accelerator for such an emotional shift.

It is also delightful seeing Lang as himself, even if Godard seems to be using him in part as a stand in for himself, bemoaning the way that the film industry must always interfere and reduce art to the lowest common denominator. In one scene, Prokosch throws a fit while reviewing footage that Lang has shot.

Even with that critical reframing that I spoke about earlier, I still find the alienation of Godard's films challenging. The most admiration I ever feel for them is a sort of abstract, "Well, I guess he . . . accomplished what he was trying to do" feeling. The well-realized dynamic--and chief model of alienation in the film--between Camille and Paul doesn't quite fit, in my opinion, with the rest of the movie, which feels more winking and over the top. And certain aspects of the meta critique, such as the numerous, numerous sequences in which the film lingeringly pans over Bardot's nude body, just didn't work that well for me. It is too like all of the other pandering nudity you get in other films to distinguish it in any meaningful way.

As with much of the Godard I've seen, I appreciated elements of it but didn't really click with it on an emotional level.

3.5

[Allaby]

I watched Rocco and His Brothers (1960) today. Directed by Luchino Visconti, the film stars Alain Delon as Rocco Parondi, a young man who moves with his mother and brothers to Milan. The bonds of family are tested when Rocco and one of his brothers fall for the same woman. The film is beautiful shot and well acted, but it did feel overlong to me. I don't think it needed to be 2 hours and 59 minutes. The story could have been told just as effectively in less time. Overall, a good movie, but I don't think it is Visconti's best film. For me, his best film is Senso. My rating is a 4.

[Thief]

BTW, I'm more than halfway through Ran, but I'm gonna finish it tomorrow. But in the meantime, DAMN, that whole siege scene :eek:

Umm, this was pretty ****in' amazing. Upcoming review, probably tomorrow, but damn

[Thief]

I feel like such a slacker at only 3 films watched:cool: You've guys have really watched a lot of neat sounding films lately! I haven't been commenting much because I have seen many of these but I hope to get a couple more watched real soon.

I'm at 2, so you're not the slackerest :laugh:

[Citizen Rules]

I'm at 2, so you're not the slackerest :laugh:Ha:D

[crumbsroom]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-4ktX8ZUF0bw%2FVAJG6L8P4PI%2FAAAAAAAACzs%2F0-G6SRV5lws%2Fs1600%2FContempt%252BGodard%252Bbathtub%252BBardot%252BLang%252Bbook.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Contempt, 1963

A screenwriter named Paul (Michel Piccoli) is hired by a blowhard American producer named Prokosch (Jack Palance) to help rework the script for a film adaptation of The Odyssey being made by Fritz Lang (played by Lang himself!!). But things quickly go off the rails when Prokosch expresses interest in Paul's wife, Camille (Brigitte Bardot) and Paul almost seems to indulge in Prokosch going after Camille. This drives a wedge between Paul and Camille.

I am very grateful to the person (I think it was @crumbsroom (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109394)) who told me, regarding Godard, that I had to see the alienation as intentional. This was a critical reframing for me as I was constantly frustrated by my inability to connect with Godard's films. In Contempt this aspect is amplified as there is also a meta element of critiquing the film industry itself and the crude constraints placed on directorial artistry.

The best realized aspect of the film is the quick decay of the relationship between Camille and Paul, best displayed in a long fight between the couple after Paul lets Prokosch drive alone in a car with Camille. In a disagreement that spans various rooms--and various states of dress and undress--in their home and evolving emotions of both characters, Camille outlines the way that her feelings toward her husband have gone from love to contempt. One suspects that this is something that has maybe been in the works for a while, but the argument shows how an incident can act as a catalyst and accelerator for such an emotional shift.

It is also delightful seeing Lang as himself, even if Godard seems to be using him in part as a stand in for himself, bemoaning the way that the film industry must always interfere and reduce art to the lowest common denominator. In one scene, Prokosch throws a fit while reviewing footage that Lang has shot.

Even with that critical reframing that I spoke about earlier, I still find the alienation of Godard's films challenging. The most admiration I ever feel for them is a sort of abstract, "Well, I guess he . . . accomplished what he was trying to do" feeling. The well-realized dynamic--and chief model of alienation in the film--between Camille and Paul doesn't quite fit, in my opinion, with the rest of the movie, which feels more winking and over the top. And certain aspects of the meta critique, such as the numerous, numerous sequences in which the film lingeringly pans over Bardot's nude body, just didn't work that well for me. It is too like all of the other pandering nudity you get in other films to distinguish it in any meaningful way.

As with much of the Godard I've seen, I appreciated elements of it but didn't really click with it on an emotional level.

rating_3_5


It could have been me. I frequently cite Godards overt embrace of the artifice of cinema as one of the things that I not only love about him, but that was the key to appreciating film in much the way I do today. But it's not that I experience his movies in some kind of emotional vaccuum either. I think his films can sear my heart as much as the most emotionally raw and earnest of filmmakers. It's just I appreciate that he grasps how in trying to capture the essence of life on film, we also can acknowledge the fact that what we are watching is a laboured over production, a two dimensional image, and a bit of a con game, as fiction always is in many ways. It is a kind of honesty that clears the air to allow an appreciation for the beauty that not only comes with the on screen troubles and emotions we watch the characters go through, but the beauty of creation itself. Along with Suzuki, I've probably learned more about the musicality of moving images and editing from these two than anyone else. And it was a really important lesson for me.


Contempt is definitely one of my favorites of his. If not the favorite. Pierrot Le Fou and My Life to Live are real close though.

[Takoma11]

It's just I appreciate that he grasps how in trying to capture the essence of life on film, we also can acknowledge the fact that what we are watching is a laboured over production, a two dimensional image, and a bit of a con game, as fiction always is in many ways. It is a kind of honesty that clears the air to allow an appreciation for the beauty that not only comes with the on screen troubles and emotions we watch the characters go through, but the beauty of creation itself.

I think that where I get a bit stuck with him is the way that he frames himself/the artist in this meta context.

I know what you mean about being able to acknowledge the beauty of film AND the beauty of creating art at the same time (as witnessed in some of the gorgeous staging later in Contempt or the personal touch of the opening credits being spoken out loud instead of appearing on screen).

[edarsenal]

The Tin Drum: I have a friend who occasionally has called me, jokingly...I think, the movie douche. When I watch a movie like The Tin Drum I always remember why. From the opening shot of a potato field with a single women and fire burning I thought to myself, "oh awesome, I get to watch cinema instead of a movie today". Whether that makes me a snob or means I have developed taste? I don't really care anymore, because I love "cinema", and that's exactly what The Tin Drum is.

The metaphor at work here is exactly what I love in art film. Just out of my complete grasp but also I am absorbing enough for it to make my heart ache throughout. The descent into hell is constant and never leaves you for a second.

I loved absolutely everything about this. It is gorgeous and ugly all at the same time. The characters are all engaging and top-notch. Absolute masterpiece. Not only the best of my bunch so far but the best I have seen in probably over a year.
Great job Sean!

The Tin Drum is a great movie, and I think we have 2 other members who are going to watch it. It's been on my list of potential HoF nominations.

I've seen Open Your Eyes once. I didn't love it but it's better than Vanilla Sky.
I'm one of them, so I really enjoyed reading this.
Gives me a great gauge for a proper state of mind when I view this. Adding to the anticipation I already have without overhyping. So, f@ckin YAY

[edarsenal]

I saw that way back when it was released. It was during my I watch everything with Gooding because he made one of my favorite characters ever phase. That one didn't last long, and this movie didn't help. :)
LOL
Gooding was a great go-to during that time. Really enjoyed a lot of the films he did then. For me, it was Robin Williams that had me rushing to the theater to experience this, as well as the film's dream-filled landscape. Pretty amazing watch on a large screen and continued to be when I would rent it from Blockbuster and the like.

I haven't seen it since the nineties, and the need to see it again has been a fun lil itch for a couple of years now. More so when I nominated The Fisher King a few HoFs back.

[edarsenal]

My favorite film from Cruz is Volver. I think she has amazing presence.

I like Cruz and Eduardo Noriega, so I quite enjoyed Abre los Ojos.

I'm planning on seeing that before turning in my countdown ballot.

I think it's mine too. But, in true Sean fashion, I don't remember it much at this point.
That is actually THE Cruz film that is forever on my peripheral since I first saw the movie poster years ago and, like others, it was that "Watch me. You'll love me." vibe that I'll get that always come very true.
I should add it to my watchlist for the 2021 Movie Challenge. I really love the viewing opportunities that have opened up, being a part of that. Thanks again Wyldesyde for getting me involved in that - and Jabs for running it.

[edarsenal]

I just finished watching Nights of Cabiria (1957). Directed by the legendary Federico Fellini, this Oscar winning film stars Giulietta Masina as Maria 'Cabiria' Ceccarelli, a prostitute looking for love. Masina is excellent her in a layered, complex performance. She feels real and believable. The cinematography is beautiful and the film tells its story in an effective way. This wouldn't be one of my absolute favourite Fellini films, but it is very good and highly recommended. I would rate it a 4.

I liked that^^^and would like to see it again.
I've only recently seen my first Fellini film, La Dolce Vita, which I really loved, and this one of his that a lot of folks talk about, so it is one I'm rather curious about.

[Citizen Rules]

I've only recently seen my first Fellini film, La Dolce Vita, which I really loved, and this one of his that a lot of folks talk about, so it is one I'm rather curious about.I have a hunch you might be seeing another soon;)

[edarsenal]

When I first watched this that quote above made me laugh. I believe this was my second film I watched, after Seven Samurai, and before Ran and Kagemusha. All four are amazing to watch and made me a fan of his
I had heard of Kurosawa throughout my youth, but, I think I was in my 30s when I saw my first one, Seven Samurais. The pacing felt almost standstill at the time. Same with my second film, Throne of Blood, a short time later. (Need to revisit that since I scarcely remember it) That was solely on my acclimation to fast, intense, Hollywood-styled films that were my main consumption at the time. It was still pretty obvious WHY he's a director everyone spoke of and how he inspired so many later directors.
As I mentioned, my limited views have been severe, heavy films, making Yojimbo an extended exploration of Kurosawa's film-making.
In fact, it has achieved a very high Rewatchability due to its humor and just how much fun of a watch it is.


Then back to back Kurosawa movies. My favorites are The Seven Samurai, High and Low, The Idiot, and The Hidden Fortress. Ikiru is close behind, and even though Yojimbo would be further down the list, it's certainly better than most movies.
I was very impressed by High and Low when I watched it in the Japanese HoF. Definitely scored high for favorites. I thought very highly of Stray Dog when I saw that some years ago.
Has I've said before, Kurosawa sits in that list of Directors I Truly Love But Have Scarcely Seen Much Of. Pretty d@mn happy to be getting the opportunities to rectify that.

[cricket]

Congratulations Takoma, you are the 2nd member to finish!

I've been up and down with Godard, but Contempt blew me away and is by far my favorite.

Allaby has now seen 8 and I still haven't seen Rocco and His Brothers. He will most likely be next to finish unless he goes on vacation for a couple of weeks.

[edarsenal]

I have a hunch you might be seeing another soon;)

https://media.tenor.com/images/c0586e7897e9dbdaffb9bab86a86884c/tenor.gif

[edarsenal]

Let The Right One In: Totally coming off like a genre fuddy duddy in this hall. I guess I probably am. Never had a vampire film really grab me. I guess Only Lovers Left Alive was the closest. This did have some decent visuals, the cat attack and final pool scene being the best. The central relationship is solid as well. The rest felt very underdeveloped in service of our vampire. Not a bad watch, just not especially engaging either.

I’m going to sit back and watch the rest of your reviews come in. List forthcoming Cricket.
Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy this one as much. A good film that stepped out of the usual vampire tropes.
Speaking of Only Lovers Left Alive, now THAT is an excellent step out of the usual vampire flicks. Huge, HUGE fan of that one.

[edarsenal]

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

https://pewterbreath.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/uncle-boonmee.jpg

A blind watch from the Cannes list, and for the first 15 to 20 minutes I was thinking this was some sort of horror film featuring Bigfoot and ghosts. It's not, but rather a deeply spiritual film. It seems like a weird movie, but again I don't think it actually is. There's some back and forth between reality and fantasy (spirituality) and even the cinematography altering between spectacular and plain. Even the score goes from nonexistent to naturally thunderous and foreboding. It sounds like an odd mix but I thought it worked well. The story revolves around a dying man and from there the title will tell you more than I'm willing to. This is a good movie that I can picture touching the right viewer in a big way. I don't have a spiritual bone in my body so I'm not that viewer. As a result it was sometimes a slow journey even it was a fascinating one.

3-
hmmm. . . never heard of it, but it does sound intriguing. . .

[edarsenal]

Great reviews, as per usual, Takoma! Both of these are on my watchlist. Tokyo Story went on after my second Ozu film, Banshun (Late Spring). And with Ikuru, along with delving into Kurosawa's non-samurai films, is to see Takashi Shimura in a lead role. I've only seen him as an incredibly strong secondary character previously. So...

[Allaby]

I watched Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), directed by one of my top 5 favourite directors of all time, the legendary Ingmar Bergman. This comedy involves the romantic entanglements of a lawyer, his much younger wife, his son, an actress, and a sexy maid. The film touches upon love, infidelity, and jealousy. The sets and costumes are really lovely and everyone looks glamourous and stylish. My main problem with the film is that I didn't find it very funny or amusing. There are some witty lines and cute moments, but for a Bergman film I was expecting more. The performances are fine, but no one blew me away. For me, this is one of Bergman's lesser films. That being said, it is still a pretty good film and worth watching. My rating is a 3.5.

[cricket]

I nominated Smiles of a Summer Night for a HoF before. It seems that most people like it, but also that I like it more than most people do.

[Thief]

What I like about Smiles of a Summer Night is that it presents itself as a rather light romcom, and for the most part it operates as such, but still has its fair share of serious subtext and jabs at marriage and the church underneath the surface.

[Citizen Rules]

I seen Smiles of a Summer Night and maybe it went over my head as it didn't do much for me. Then again I haven't liked any of the Bergman films I've seen. While maybe this PRIII will change that as I have the The Seventh Seal (1957) to watch. Here's hoping I like it!

[rauldc14]

I think you would like Autumn Sonata CR. Actually surprised I didn't see that unchecked on your list and rec'd it to you.

[Citizen Rules]

I think you would like Autumn Sonata CR. Actually surprised I didn't see that unchecked on your list and rec'd it to you.I just took a look at it and it sounds good so who knows that might be the one that gets me in the Bergman camp.