Movie Forums Top 100 of the 2010s - Group Watch [Archive] - Page 2

Citizen Rules

10-05-22, 01:59 PM

89244
Blue Jasmine (2013)

Wow...I just did a complete reversal on this film. Several years ago I panned Blue Jasmine, blasting it in a MoFo review. At that time I couldn't stand Woody Allen and didn't like most of his movies. Of course I hadn't seen all that many of his movies so I challenged myself to watch a bunch of them. I did that and guess what? I became a Woody Allen fan! Strange but true. And for all these years I've been wanting to go back and watch Blue Jasmine to see if my opinion would change...and it did...

I thought Blue Jasmine was a near perfect film. It's well written, well cast and the fashions that both Jasmine (Cate Blanchette) & Ginger (Sally Hawkins) wore in the film were perfectly chose for each of their character's personalities and financial status. In the case of Ginger her lack of financial status (she bagged groceries) was perfectly demonstrate with her boho wardrobe matching her breezy, free spirit. I though she looked great. Jasmine of course is the epitome of chic. I read she carried a $35k Hermès bag. Wow, I didn't know purses could cost that much!...But I did instantly notice Jasmine was put together extremely well. Loved that white button up sweater she wore with black trim. All this fancy-smancy designer apparel juxtaposed brilliantly with the end scene of Jasmine sitting alone on a park bench, ranting away, sans make up and looking pretty ragged.

I thought Cate Blanchette was brilliant in this, with many inspired acting scenes. Loved her facial expressions there's a wealth of thought behind her those eyes. A lot of the credit must go to Woody Allen's writing. My favorite writting was the monologue that Cate delivers to Ginger's two kids in the restaurant. I loved the way her lines was written, she talked to the kids like they were adult confidants. The best part of that is 'talking adult to little kids' was never milked for outlandish laughs. Everything Jasmine says to the two boys is believably endemic to her own self absorbed, self important personality. Jasmine is all about Jasmine and that scene solidifies that.

Sally Hawkins was great, loved her in this. She's so full of carefree life that she perfectly balances the dismal Jasmine, making Jasmine seem all the more fluffled. All of the cast from Ginger's husband and two boyfriends, to the dentist and Jasmine's husband (Alec Baldwin) was perfectly cast, written and acted.

So yeah I enjoyed this, I'd give it a rating_4 and just for fun and because I have no ego I'll post my old review of Blue Jasmine so you guys can contrast and compare.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My old review of Blue Jasmine from 1-11-15 OMG that was over 7 years ago!

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=48283&stc=1&d=1537653970Blue Jasmine (2013)

Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard

Woody Allen manages to do it again...he writes himself into the movie. This time as a nervous-neurotic, pill popping woman, Jasmine. Her character like many characters written by Woody, is a bundle of live nerves, rambling million words a minute while lamenting everything in life.

Premise: Jasmine (Cate Blancett) is an ultra rich snobby woman who's married to a weaselly financial investor/swindler, aptly played by Alex Balwin. They loose their fortune, so Jasmine leaves the glamorous life behind to live with her working class sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco.

Actors: Cate Blancett is a well respected actress and she was admirable in the film. However her reserved nature is not so suited to playing a rambling neurotic woman.

Sally Hawkins is always great in her roles, she really adds much needed life to what feels like a very shallow film with people we don't really care about. Her scenes were the best part of the film. Andrew Dice Clay, yah that one, is pretty darn good as an opinionated working class stiff.

Cinematography: The camera work is fine but the film has this horrendous yellow tint. This is the same over-saturated yellow cast that Woody used in Magic In The Moonlight. It's very distracting, as is the flash back scene edits. They're abrupt and seem to happen at the wrong time in the film.

Conclusion: I didn't buy into the film or care about the characters, especially the relationship scenes. I wonder if Woody Allen knows much about women as the males who hit on the ladies in the film seem totally artificially....If you like Woody Allen type films, you should like Blue Jasmine at least the actors were good.

rating_2_5

cricket

10-05-22, 04:07 PM

Blue Jasmine (2013) was pretty good, but I didn't love it like most people seem to. The story was good, but I just never really connected to Jasmine, and I just couldn't feel bad for her, especially when she was lying to people. I hate Andrew Dice Clay, so seeing him in the movie didn't help, and the way the movie kept flipping back and forth from the past to the present was kind of annoying after a while, so that didn't help either. I didn't dislike the movie, but I didn't love it either.

I get that you don't like his usual persona, but didn't you think he was likable in the movie?

SpelingError

10-05-22, 05:29 PM

Just finished Blue Jasmine and I really enjoyed it.

gbgoodies

10-05-22, 11:00 PM

WrinkledMind

10-06-22, 04:23 AM

Blue Jasmine is a good study of humans, when they fail and suffer or make the bad choices, knowingly or unknowingly, and yet despite the tragedy around their lives, I didn't feel sad for anyone. Even when the story felt realistic, it failed to make me feel bad for anyone, including Blanchett who clearly develops serious mental issues by the end. In fact I hated most of them, except Blanchett's stepson, after that scene in the music shop.

Maybe that was Allen's goal, afterall. To show how shallow and selfish humans can be. Though I wish if he had made different choices about the approach, we might have at least cared for Blanchett by the end.

Thanks for the recommendation mistique

seanc

10-06-22, 07:38 AM

I definitely think we are supposed to have as much sympathy for Jasmine as she has for everyone else. The juxtaposition of her and her sister is the whole thesis of the film in my opinion.

Citizen Rules

10-06-22, 11:40 AM

I didn't feel emotionally moved to sadness or caring for Jasmine. Sometimes for me, being connected to a story or caring for the characters is all important, but not always. What I liked about Blue Jasmine was it felt like a window into the personal lives of two sisters and the people they come into contact with instead. It was about the people more than about the situations...By that I mean Jasmine herself is more important to the film than say her sons departure from her life is. That's probably why there's more weight given to Jasmine's mental state than her job/financial state.

Good choice mistique

SpelingError

10-06-22, 11:47 AM

The next host is...

Allaby
seanc
gbgoodies
WrinkledMind

SpelingError

10-06-22, 01:36 PM

Nomination #8

89261

Andhadhun (2018, Sriram Raghavan)

Deadline to Watch It: October 9

Nominated By: WrinkledMind

cricket

10-06-22, 02:30 PM

I've never heard of that one so I'm going to try to watch it.

WrinkledMind

10-06-22, 02:59 PM

Andhadhun is a dark comedy thriller adapted from the French short L'Accordeur.
It is made by a filmmaker who is known for his thrillers.

It's available on Netflix, but there's a free version with English subs on YouTube, but it's 360p.

The YouTube link

https://youtu.be/T2HzIRVpdl8

If anyone has any problem finding it let me know.

mrblond

10-06-22, 06:34 PM

Just finished my re-watch of Blue Jasmine. Yeah, it is always a pleasure to watch an Allan's movie. What a superb filmmaker!
I remember, on the release of the Jasmine, I was a bit bored, considering the Woody's standards, and then I rated this film only 4.
I want it in my ballot but there are another four Allen movies of that decade that I rate higher so I still can't decide what to do...

89266

Citizen Rules

10-06-22, 08:33 PM

...
I want it in my ballot but there are another four Allen movies of that decade that I rate higher....Which ones?

Miss Vicky

10-06-22, 10:33 PM

Andhadhun looks interesting. I might give it watch.

SpelingError

10-07-22, 12:43 AM

I'll get to it tomorrow.

gbgoodies

10-07-22, 12:47 AM

mrblond

10-07-22, 09:58 AM

Which ones?

2010-19

Top level (4.5 to 5):
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)
A Rainy Day in New York (2019)
To Rome With Love (2012)

Good (4):
Wonder Wheel (2017)
Blue Jasmine (2013)
Café Society (2016)
Midnight in Paris (2011)

OK level (3.5):
Irrational Man (2015)
Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

seanc

10-07-22, 11:54 AM

2010-19

Top level (4.5 to 5):
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)
A Rainy Day in New York (2019)
To Rome With Love (2012)

Good (4):
Wonder Wheel (2017)
Blue Jasmine (2013)
Café Society (2016)
Midnight in Paris (2011)

OK level (3.5):
Irrational Man (2015)
Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Your good level are my 4 fave from the decade in this order: Jasmine, Paris, Cafe, Wonder

I haven’t seen Magic or Tall Dark.

I think Jasmine and Paris are in the top third of his filmography for me. All the others shuffled around in that lower third somewhere.

Chypmunk

10-07-22, 12:30 PM

Just watched Andhadhun, quite enjoyed it once I got into the vibe (which did take a few minutes) and generally it was nicely enough played though I do think it twisted and turned a little too much for its own good. Glad to have watched it so thanks for nominating it as I wouldn't have known of it otherwise.

I don't generally stream much so probably best that I'm left out of the possible nominees list as I really wouldn't have a clue as to availability.

SpelingError

10-07-22, 01:38 PM

I don't generally stream much so probably best that I'm left out of the possible nominees list as I really wouldn't have a clue as to availability.

Aw, you sure? I'm generally really good at finding movies online for free, so availability likely won't be a problem.

Chypmunk

10-07-22, 01:54 PM

Aw, you sure? I'm generally really good at finding movies online for free, so availability likely won't be a problem.
Well if you'd be happy to try and source whatever I chose if I was selected by the RNG I'd of course be happy enough to put something forward. Didn't want to assume you'd do that though.

cricket

10-07-22, 03:01 PM

Well if you'd be happy to try and source whatever I chose if I was selected by the RNG I'd of course be happy enough to put something forward. Didn't want to assume you'd do that though.

Don't worry about it. The rest of us will watch a film by any means necessary. You are probably the only honest member, an oddity.

Chypmunk

10-07-22, 03:27 PM

Fab, I've always yearned to be an oddity :D

SpelingError

10-07-22, 05:04 PM

Well if you'd be happy to try and source whatever I chose if I was selected by the RNG I'd of course be happy enough to put something forward. Didn't want to assume you'd do that though.

I mean, I have an entire thread where I find free movie links for people, so I wouldn't mind doing it at all for you :D

Takoma11

10-07-22, 05:55 PM

I watched Andhadhun about two years ago (right before I joined this forum). I was pretty mixed on it, honestly. I thought that the premise was interesting, and there is one wonderfully tense sequence. The whole part with seeing the dead body and having to continue pretending to be blind was really cool.

But overall it was just too much plot, and not in a fun way. I didn't really care for the main character, or find any of the relationship dynamics very compelling or interesting. I thought that it started strong and then just kind of meandered.

I also didn't understand the ending implying that he was no longer blind. I didn't know how to take that moment and it left the film on a sour note for me. Are we supposed to assume that the movie we watched was just his version of events and maybe he did take the money? Are we supposed to assume he just got his sight back? I would love to hear any strong opinions on this element.

3

I don't generally stream much so probably best that I'm left out of the possible nominees list as I really wouldn't have a clue as to availability.

If you go to the website JustWatch.com, you can see where different movies are available. They show free services (like Tubi) and also paid ones (like Amazon or HBO Max). That way you can see if your film is available for people.

Chypmunk

10-07-22, 05:57 PM

If you go to the website JustWatch.com, you can see where different movies are available. They show free services (like Tubi) and also paid ones (like Amazon or HBO Max). That way you can see if your film is available for people.
Thank you!

cricket

10-07-22, 08:14 PM

Andhadhun

https://64.media.tumblr.com/694fd50c76f9582642ff99fdfeccdead/tumblr_pf62dzwdk51tfw70go2_500.gif

I do want to say, although I have no desire to argue right or wrong, that woke culture would not allow this movie to be made in America, with the lead actor being made out to be the hero of the story or a good guy. Not with something he did while pretending to be blind.

Like Chyp, it took me some time to get used to the tone and settle in. I thought it was a bit uneven the whole time but I did start to enjoy it once the thriller narrative started. There's no question that it rapidly and frequently threw curveballs, but I thought it made the movie fun. If I wasn't enjoying myself I think I could find reason to be critical and pick it apart a bit.

Based on the Indian movies I've seen and the little I know of them, this one surprised me quite a bit. I was surprised at how many rotten characters there were, and the dark places it went. This is not at all a complaint. I liked the cast, and the music, while a little up and down, always made an impression. I see the ending as ambiguous and as a positive. Cool pick.

3.5+

WrinkledMind

10-07-22, 11:14 PM

I also didn't understand the ending implying that he was no longer blind. I didn't know how to take that moment and it left the film on a sour note for me. Are we supposed to assume that the movie we watched was just his version of events and maybe he did take the money? Are we supposed to assume he just got his sight back? I would love to hear any strong opinions on this element.

This is my interpretation of the ending

He chose the offer from the doctor, which is taking Tabu's (Mrs Sinha) eyes and a part of the money, which the doctor received from the rich guy to whom they sold her liver.

He then left for Europe and continued to pretend to be blind, to help his music and career.

His walking stick has the rabbit's face carved on it as the handle. He was blind when the accident happens. He couldn't have known that it was a rabbit that causes it, let alone how it looks.

So the story he tells his ex-girlfriend Sophie (Radhika Apte) is made up.

But the director has said that he wants people to decide for themselves how it ended.

Takoma11

10-07-22, 11:28 PM

This is my interpretation of the ending

He chose the offer from the doctor, which is taking Tabu's (Mrs Sinha) eyes and a part of the money, which the doctor received from the rich guy to whom they sold her liver.

He then left for Europe and continued to pretend to be blind, to help his music and career.

His walking stick has the rabbit's face carved on it as the handle. He was blind when the accident happens. He couldn't have known that it was a rabbit that causes it, let alone how it looks.

So the story he tells his ex-girlfriend Sophie (Radhika Apte) is made up.

But the director has said that he wants people to decide for themselves how it ended.

That's kind of what I figured. For me, the idea that he harvested this woman's organs, despite what she did and how awful she was, was just tremendously off-putting. The overall vibe of the movie feels like it's meant to be over-the-top and kind of goofy at points, and that implication is a step too far for me to find it fun. At the same time, I don't feel like what came before it earned the darkness of him selling a woman for parts.

SpelingError

10-08-22, 12:17 AM

Just finished Andhadhun and I was very mixed on it. I enjoyed the first half quite a bit, but as it moved to the second half, the things I enjoyed about it were mostly absent. Sophie mostly left the film and the well-crafted scenes of tension were replaced with some very weird plot points which were rather uneven and all over the place in an unfun way. Manohar's and Simi's ways of hurting Akash and later attempting to murder him felt awkward to watch (why did Simi go through the trouble of blinding Akash and breaking Sophie up with him if they were just going to murder him later that day?), the whole organ donation sub-plot made the film feel all over the place, and the implied disturbing implication of the ending didn't feel earned or in line with the over-the-top tone of the second half (or anything which came before). If the entire film was crazy and over-the-top, I might've been more into it, but since the film kept a mostly straight face for the first half, I found most of these eccentricities rather off-putting and distracting. Again, I liked the first half quite a bit, but as the film moved to the second half, it started making all kinds of uneven curveballs and tonal swaps which took me out of the film and I wasn't able to get back into it as a result.

6/10

gbgoodies

10-08-22, 01:01 AM

I watched Andhadhun (2018), but while it's an interesting story, it was only okay for me. The movie started out good, but the more it went on, the less I liked it. The only person in the movie who I cared about was the "blind" piano player, but if I understood the ending correctly, he turned out to be just as bad as everyone else in the movie.

Miss Vicky

10-08-22, 02:45 AM

Well that was kind of a wild ride. :up:

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/andhadhun.gif

Andhadhun (Sriram Raghavan, 2018)

I think this is the only Indian movie I've ever actually watched. To be completely honest, I've always been a little prejudiced against them because the bits and pieces of Indian films I have seen were so heavily musical that I just never had any desire to look any further.

I was very happy to find that Andhadhun was nothing like that, though music and singing is featured heavily in it, and I mostly enjoyed myself with this. Like others, it did take me a little while to settle in and really engage with the movie. The first half of the film felt a bit uneven and a little bloated - in particular the scenes involving music felt like they went on for too long, but the crazier the movie got the more interested I became. That said, at 139 minutes the movie probably could've done with fewer twists and turns and benefited from some streamlining, but it was a fun ride and I'm glad to have watched it even if it doesn't really stand any chance of getting my vote.

3.5

WrinkledMind

10-08-22, 04:36 AM

I understand the frustrations with the tonal issues. Unfortunately that's how Bollywood movies are. They don't always follow the age old 3-Act Structure. In fact the other ones will actually have parallel storylines of comedy, drama, romance etc, on top of a zillion songs (which are actually a great source of income for Producers), and Andhadhun funnily has way less of that.

I am glad people watched this movie. There is a change happening in the way movies are made here nowadays and they tend to be genre specific rather than having multiple genres in them, and songs are used more and more in the background.

SpelingError

10-08-22, 11:02 AM

Here are the current candidates to host the next round:

Chypmunk
Takoma11
gbgoodies
Miss Vicky

You guys have about 24 hours left to watch the film.

SpelingError

10-09-22, 10:55 AM

The next host is...

Chypmunk
Takoma11
gbgoodies
Miss Vicky

seanc

10-09-22, 11:04 AM

Sure! Mr. I don’t need to pick. ;)

Chypmunk

10-09-22, 11:22 AM

Sure! Mr. I don’t need to pick. ;)
Have my turn Sean, I don't mind. The one I wanted to nom isn't streaming anywhere according to Justwatch.

SpelingError

10-09-22, 11:34 AM

SpelingError

10-09-22, 11:36 AM

Okay, so the actual next host is...

Takoma11
gbgoodies
Miss Vicky

Chypmunk

10-09-22, 11:49 AM

Actually, you need to watch the film to be eligible to host the next round, so seanc wouldn't be a candidate for this particular round. I'll pick someone else though since you don't wish to go next (hope to see you in a future round though).
Sorry, just assumed from their response that they had been one of those eligible :facepalm:

I'll probably watch some more of the upcoming noms if they are available to me.

SpelingError

10-09-22, 11:52 AM

Sorry, just assumed from their response that they had been one of those eligible :facepalm:

No worries :up:

SpelingError

10-10-22, 12:08 AM

Nomination #9

89320

Searching (2018, Aneesh Chagantry)

Deadline to Watch It: October 12

Nominated By: gbgoodies

gbgoodies

10-10-22, 12:40 AM

I tried to pick a movie that most people will like, and that I haven't heard much about here on MoFo, so I nominated Searching (2018). It's a mystery about a father searching for his missing daughter, but it has a unique presentation. The movie is shown entirely on laptop and smartphone screens, as he uses her apps and text messages to try to find her. I hope everyone likes it.

SpelingError

10-10-22, 12:41 AM

Allaby

10-10-22, 12:52 AM

Searching is excellent. I saw it once at the theatre when it first came out and really liked it. I'm overdue for a rewatch, so I will likely watch it tomorrow.

Chypmunk

10-10-22, 03:18 AM

Sadly Searching didn't work very well for me when I watched it last year (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2245120#post2245120) and I can't really see that changing so I'll pass on this round. Hopefully others like it better.

WrinkledMind

10-10-22, 05:17 AM

I have watched Searching few times now, and would class it as a wonderful, tight thriller. I was also glad with John Cho in the lead, cause there is a good actor in him who only used to appear in bit part roles or small movies (yes I also love the White Castle movies). And Debra Messing was equally good. Also must mention Joseph Lee in his small but notable role.

It's not just a thriller, but a nice commentary on social media or even tech in general.

I loved the way it was pictured, but have always wondered how much it was inspired by Modern Family's episode 'Connection Lost' in sixth season.

Good recommendation gbgoodies

Allaby

10-10-22, 11:39 AM

I rewatched Searching today. I had first seen it at the theatre on September 6 2018.

My original review from 2018:
"I just finished watching the new movie Searching. The film is brilliantly directed by Aneesh Chaganty and stars John Cho, in a career best performance. This riveting dramatic mystery is about a father desperately searching for his missing teenaged daughter. The story is told in a really creative and clever way. The entire film is shown on computer screens, through FaceTime calls, social media sites, news reports and surveillance cameras. It's unlike any other movie you've seen. The story is compelling and engrossing. I cared about the characters and was interested to see what would happen. There is a lot of suspense and good twists and turns to keep you guessing. Searching is one of the best films of the year and deserves serious Oscar consideration. I rate Searching a high 9/10. Don't miss it!"

On rewatch today, I was struck by how intense it was and how emotionally invested I was in it, even though I knew what was going to happen. John Cho is fantastic in this and he is really underrated overall. Searching probably won't make my ballot, because there is too much competition, but I do hope it makes the list. 4.5

mrblond

10-10-22, 01:08 PM

I'm going to try it this evening or tomorrow.

cricket

10-10-22, 03:50 PM

Have heard of it but not seen it. Shooting for tonight.

mrblond

10-10-22, 07:32 PM

Just finished watching Searching. I'm a bit mixed-up how to define it.

It is not important what was the story here. The way it was presented by all these current daily devices makes it interesting, adding some curious tense to it. Not bad at all.
I just have no idea how to rate it. Maybe 3.5+ or maybe a bit more...

Miss Vicky

10-10-22, 07:58 PM

I'm going to try to get this watched tonight.

Frightened Inmate No. 2

10-10-22, 08:31 PM

just watched searching. pretty engrossing stuff! the gimmick wears a little thin but it mostly pulls it off surprisingly well. 3.5+

Frightened Inmate No. 2

10-10-22, 08:43 PM

on a side note, it's insane to think that this movie played in actual movie theaters (and made decent money). if it were released today there's no question it would go straight to hulu and be forgotten within three days. 2018 feels like such a long time ago

SpelingError

10-10-22, 11:53 PM

Just finished Searching and I thought it was pretty good. Thematically speaking, I don't know that it offers anything new or interesting which will stick with me, but it still kept me engrossed throughout the majority of its runtime, some of the twists caught me off guard, and the computer screen gimmick helped to make it at least aesthetically different from some other films I've seen. I do think you need a fair bit of suspension of disbelief to buy that gimmick at times due to all the facetime scenes, but that only applied to some parts of the film. Also, I could've done without some of the sentimentality since most of it didn't move me as much as I think the film wanted it to, but that's more a personal preference on my part. Overall though, I enjoyed it as the tension was enough to carry the film.

6/10

Miss Vicky

10-11-22, 02:21 AM

Not bad.

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/searching.gif

Searching (Aneesh Chaganty, 2018)

I don't think I'd ever heard of this movie prior to its appearance in the Group Watch thread and I didn't read anything about it before going in. Now that I've seen it, I have kind of mixed feelings.

On the one hand, the performances were all really strong, I was really engaged with the story, and I definitely didn't see that final twist coming. On the other hand, I found the "screens" concept kind of gimmicky. It's certainly novel and I appreciate the effort to do something different, but ultimately it just felt limiting and a little frustrating.

Still a good movie and I'm glad to have seen it, but it's not likely to get my vote.

3.5

cricket

10-11-22, 11:03 AM

Searching

3.5

https://www.caseymoviemania.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/searching-b.jpg

Very much a gimmick film but that doesn't matter if the gimmick is fresh and it's executed well. I did not think this movie was of impressive quality, but I was most definitely into it the whole way through and that's very important. With the way it's filmed, the beginning was even more sad than if it had been done in a traditional way. From there it's a mystery thriller and that's what I really enjoyed. I didn't think the acting was especially good but it's also a little harder to tell with the format. I already like John Cho from the Harold & Kumar series. I did think that during phone calls the conversations didn't sound very authentic. Cool twists and turns, and the searching online part was pretty interesting. My wife watched it with me and also enjoyed it. Good flick.

SpelingError

10-11-22, 01:24 PM

Current candidates to host the next round:

Allaby
Frightened Inmate No. 2
Miss Vicky

You guys have about 24 hours left to watch the film.

Takoma11

10-11-22, 06:59 PM

Eep! I don't think I'll get to this one before the deadline, but I will definitely check it out this week.

SpelingError

10-12-22, 11:51 AM

The next host is...

Allaby
Frightened Inmate No. 2
Miss Vicky

SpelingError

10-12-22, 11:51 AM

Eep! I don't think I'll get to this one before the deadline

That's very un-Takomalike of you :D

SpelingError

10-12-22, 12:10 PM

Nomination #10

89364

Ernest & Celestine (2012, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner)

Deadline to Watch It: October 15

Nominated By: Miss Vicky

cricket

10-12-22, 04:36 PM

Watched it last month and it was adorable.

jiraffejustin

10-12-22, 05:15 PM

While not as good as A Town Called Panic, it's still a gorgeous, warm film. I first saw it several years ago, so a rewatch would probably do me good.

SpelingError

10-12-22, 05:44 PM

Watched it last month and it was adorable.

I take it it's still fresh in your head then.

mistique

10-12-22, 05:46 PM

I´ve watched Ernest & Celestine here tonight. Very cute, enjoyed the visuals and the story. I´ll probably rewatch it at some point.

Takoma11

10-12-22, 05:48 PM

That's very un-Takomalike of you :D

LOL. I would have had to pay for it or get it from my library. But because of where I am, library holds take a few days to make it to my branch. I'll pick it up next time I'm there. I'm looking forward to watching it.

Takoma11

10-12-22, 05:53 PM

Aw, I just rewatched Ernest and Celestine last week!

The animation style is incredibly cozy, even through the world that it creates has some stark commentaries about class relations and the way that certain people are pushed, culturally, into certain roles and shunned if they don't conform.

A really sweet film, but with some bite to it.

My rating both times I watched it is 4

cricket

10-12-22, 07:23 PM

I take it it's still fresh in your head then.

What I said 3 weeks ago-

I watched Ernest & Celestine and it's about as cute and sweet as any movie can be. The animation wasn't as bold and advanced as some animations are these days but it was perfect for this movie. I'm shocked that it didn't make the animations countdown and I can only surmise that not enough people saw it by that time. It would've ranked high on my ballot. At the very least it has earned a spot on my list of contenders for my 2010's ballot and I do hope it makes that countdown. Hard to picture anyone not enjoying it.

gbgoodies

10-13-22, 12:00 AM

Thank You to those of you who watched Searching (2018). I'm glad to see that most of you liked it. :)

Also, Thanks in advance to anyone who watches it before the countdown. :)

gbgoodies

10-13-22, 12:05 AM

Nomination #10

89364

Ernest & Celestine (2012, Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner)

Deadline to Watch It: October 15

Nominated By: Miss Vicky

I watched Ernest & Celestine (2012) a few weeks ago, and I loved it. It has a good chance to make my countdown list. :)

This is my review from my 2010s Recommendation thread:

I watched Ernest & Celestine (2012) today. (I watched the English dub with Forest Whitaker and Mackenzie Foy voicing the title characters.)

This is an adorable story of an unlikely friendship between a mouse and a bear. I loved everything about this, from the shadow puppets on the wall when the little mice are listening to a scary bedtime story, to the way Ernest and Celestine comfort each other after they have nightmares. The voice actors are terrific in this, making it easy to fall in love with both main characters.

Thank you for a great recommendation. :up:

Miss Vicky

10-13-22, 04:37 AM

I was planning on rewatching this at some point before the deadline and figured what better time than now:

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/ernestandcelestine.gif

Ernest & Celestine (Ernest et Célestine) (Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner, 2012)
(Rewatch)

This movie positively oozes charm and warmth with its gorgeous hand painted watercolors that look like they leapt from the pages of a beloved children's book (indeed it is based on a series of children's books), full of humor and whimsey. We are presented with a pair of oddball outcasts - one a starving street performer and musician and the other a plucky orphan who refuses to buy into the prejudices she's been taught. Both face incredible hardship from a classist, racist society that aims to punish them for being who they are and each finds a kindred spirit in the other.

But neither the movie nor its characters dwell on the negatives, instead focusing on the sweet and heartwarming bond between Ernest and Celestine and on they joy they find in the little things. It also spatters its setting and other characters with tiny little details that aren't important in the story but are delightful just the same - the bear family that owns a candy store and a shop that sells replacement teeth for the ones that rot away from all the sugar, the bears telling the story of the tooth fairy mouse right before panicking at the sight of a real mouse and the mice telling the orphan children stories of the big bad bear just before sending them out into the homes of real bears to collect their teeth.

It's all just so wonderful and I love it a little more every time I watch it. I think it's just about perfect and it absolutely baffles me that it failed to make the Animation Countdown. It is downright tragic that mine was one of only two votes it received back then - and the other voter gave it only one point. I will be absolutely ecstatic if it makes it onto this countdown and I urge everybody to give it a chance.

5

SpelingError

10-13-22, 11:22 AM

I'll watch it today.

Allaby

10-13-22, 01:10 PM

I rewatched Ernest & Celestine today. It's super adorable and fantastic. I can relate to it on a personal level because I am secretly a talking bear. I hope it makes the countdown. 4.5

Chypmunk

10-13-22, 01:35 PM

Not sure whether this is readily available to me but I've no time at the moment anyway, if it is available I'll try to get to it sometime in the next four weeks.

Miss Vicky

10-13-22, 03:52 PM

Not sure whether this is readily available to me but I've no time at the moment anyway, if it is available I'll try to get to it sometime in the next four weeks.

I don’t remember where you’re located but in the US it’s available for free on Kanopy or you can rent it the standard definition version on Amazon for $1.99.

Chypmunk

10-13-22, 04:07 PM

I don’t remember where you’re located but in the US it’s available for free on Kanopy or you can rent it the standard definition version on Amazon for $1.99.
I'm first stop across the pond and sadly we have no equivalent of Kanopy here. I've the best part of four weeks on me own coming up from Monday so I'll have a look around for what online options might be available then.

SpelingError

10-13-22, 05:22 PM

Just finished Ernest & Celestine, and I really dug it. I imagine some people might not care for its animation style, but I really loved it as the watercolor effects looked really cozy, with the nightmares and the various drawing scenes being the standouts. It contains several scenes which would be difficult to recreate in live action, thus taking advantage of the kinds of things animation is made for. I also found the friendship between the two titular characters highly compelling. In spite of their situation of being outcasts, I enjoyed that the film focused more attention on them bonding with each other instead of just coming off as misery porn. Overall, just a very good time from start to finish. Glad I watched it.

seanc

10-13-22, 09:23 PM

I don’t really have much to add to the conversation about Ernest And Celestine. I will just say I was nervous I would end up being the stick in the mud, but it is absolutely as delightful as everyone said. That central relationship is hard to beat. Beautiful and unique animation style. Pretty darn funny. Loved it.

Takoma11

10-13-22, 09:33 PM

Ernest and Celestine is like a much, much less harrowing Mary and Max.

Miss Vicky

10-13-22, 09:38 PM

Ernest and Celestine is like a much, much less harrowing Mary and Max.

I can definitely see the similarities - and I LOVE Mary and Max - but it reminds me more of Wreck-It Ralph, which came out the same year it did.

beelzebubble

10-13-22, 11:25 PM

Thank You to those of you who watched Searching (2018). I'm glad to see that most of you liked it. :)

Also, Thanks in advance to anyone who watches it before the countdown. :)
I enjoyed Searching at the movie theater. But is not a movie I would put on my list.

mrblond

10-14-22, 10:26 AM

I'm about to watch Ernest & Celestine this evening.

SpelingError

10-14-22, 12:15 PM

Current candidates to host the next round:

Allaby
seanc

You guys have about 24 hours left to watch the film.

seanc

10-14-22, 12:18 PM

Current candidates to host the next round:

Allaby
seanc

You guys have about 24 hours left to watch the film.

And Spelling Error

SpelingError

10-14-22, 12:21 PM

And Spelling Error

I already went at the start of this thread with Certified Copy. The rule for this thread is everyone involved in a particular round has to go at least once before I start giving people the opportunity to nominate a second film (to give as many people an opportunity to nominate a film though, I won't go again).

WrinkledMind

10-14-22, 01:21 PM

I just finished watching Ernest and Celestine, and I am left with a big smile on my face.
I know it makes some important points about society, but at core it's just a sweet movie about friendship.

The animation was simple and basic, but worked perfectly for the story. And with music, the entire movie feels soothing.

My favourite moment was the one with the bear judge and Celestine.

Going to re-watch this when my young cousin visits me during the upcoming holidays.

Thanks for the recommendation Miss Vicky

Miss Vicky

10-14-22, 01:27 PM

I'm really glad Ernest & Celestine is getting such a positive response. I really hope everyone will keep it in mind when they vote.

Takoma11

10-14-22, 06:44 PM

Current candidates to host the next round:

Allaby
seanc

You guys have about 24 hours left to watch the film.

I watched it last week.

SpelingError

10-14-22, 07:00 PM

I watched it last week.
Sorry, missed that.

Takoma11

10-14-22, 07:03 PM

Sorry, missed that.

No worries, my review was pretty short.

mrblond

10-15-22, 04:08 AM

Yes, Ernest & Celestine was a very pleasant discovery. Beautiful animation and drawings, superb sense of humour.
The opening scene with the old strict lady-mouse is a cult moment. As a whole the introduction of the characters are the strongest part of the movie, in my view. After that, the authors gradually lost ideas how to keep the story interesting.
Anyway, the style of the animation was a real art. I imagine an album with printed drawings will be a valuable collectible.
4

89407

SpelingError

10-15-22, 11:38 AM

The next host is...

Takoma11
Allaby
seanc

SpelingError

10-15-22, 01:38 PM

Nomination #11

89412

Poetry (2010, Lee Chang-dong)

Deadline to Watch It: October 18

Nominated By: seanc

Chypmunk

10-15-22, 02:17 PM

SpelingError

10-15-22, 03:00 PM

I'll skip this round as well

https://media2.giphy.com/media/6IGNW4wiyU8Mw/giphy.gif?cid=790b76118a06489fdbece36b0c8055e2a7966293b2fb7918&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

:D

seanc

10-15-22, 03:12 PM

Shi is a nice enough offering, not quite as good as Chang-dong's earlier Oasiseu or his later Beoning imo but one that will be in consideration for making my ballot. I'll skip this round as well as I only rewatched it last in March this year so won't be needing to pop it in the player prior to the countdown.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Burning. Oasis seems hard to find for some reason. I’m going to watch Secret Sunshine this month too. Poetry has never really left me so it was pretty clise to the top of my 2010s rewatch list. We will see what happens, but I think it will probably be on my 25.

cricket

10-15-22, 03:12 PM

Not familiar with that but a quick peek brings up another film from that director that's already on my 2010's watchlist. I will watch.

Chypmunk

10-15-22, 03:28 PM

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Burning. Oasis seems hard to find for some reason. I’m going to watch Secret Sunshine this month too. Poetry has never really left me so it was pretty clise to the top of my 2010s rewatch list. We will see what happens, but I think it will probably be on my 25.
Oasis is well worth a view if you do get a chance, very nicely played and it's my favourite of his that I've seen. Sadly that list doesn't include Secret Sunshine yet as I've been unable to find an English-subs dvd version available to me within my price range :(

seanc

10-15-22, 03:50 PM

Oasis is well worth a view if you do get a chance, very nicely played and it's my favourite of his that I've seen. Sadly that list doesn't include Secret Sunshine yet as I've been unable to find an English-subs dvd version available to me within my price range :(

It’s a n Criterion Channel. Which is right behind oxygen in terms of my needs right now.

SpelingError

10-16-22, 01:16 PM

I'll check it out after lunch.

seanc

10-16-22, 04:10 PM

Rewatched Poetry this afternoon. It is absolutely the kind of movie I just love spending time with these days. It's about the ying and yang of the beauty and harshness of life in the type of melancholy way that I am an absolute sucker for. I think the lead performance is one of my favorites. The cinematography is gorgeous. I love this beautiful film and hope it surprises me with a spot on the list. Certainly not counting on it though.

cricket

10-16-22, 04:30 PM

Going to watch it tomorrow, always up for a little ying and ying.

SpelingError

10-16-22, 11:48 PM

Just watched Poetry. I prefer Chang-dong's Burning, but I also enjoyed this one and found it quite moving. It's a well-acted, melancholy film which was right up my alley. It meanders here and there, but I thought that worked quite well for the film. Mi-ja keeps trying to write poetry and find the beauty in life, but all kinds of misfortunes (most of which aren't her doing) keep getting in the way and complicating that. This won't make my ballot, but I enjoyed checking it out.

mistique

10-17-22, 04:56 AM

Unfortunately I can´t find anywhere to watch Poetry.

seanc

10-17-22, 07:14 AM

Unfortunately I can´t find anywhere to watch Poetry.

Tubi has it

mistique

10-17-22, 11:44 AM

Tubi has it

Tubi is not available outside of US.

SpelingError

10-17-22, 01:50 PM

Tubi is not available outside of US.

I sent you a link.

SpelingError

10-17-22, 01:52 PM

Also, here are the current hosts for the next round...

checks notes

Uh, nobody so far... :shrug:

Where'd you all go?

seanc

10-17-22, 02:01 PM

Also, here are the current hosts for the next round...

checks notes

Uh, nobody so far... :shrug:

Where'd you all go?

I didn’t intend to kill the thread, promise. Think Cricket may still watch

SpelingError

10-17-22, 02:08 PM

I didn’t intend to kill the thread, promise. Think Cricket may still watch

Oh, I'm not upset or anything. Just being goofy. If nobody new comes in, I'll likely just pick someone who's already gone to pick the next film.

Takoma11

10-17-22, 06:31 PM

Also, here are the current hosts for the next round...

checks notes

Uh, nobody so far... :shrug:

Where'd you all go?

What is the deadline on this one? My OCD is currently focused on the horror challenge, but I am really excited to watch Poetry and Searching.

SpelingError

10-17-22, 06:32 PM

What is the deadline on this one? My OCD is currently focused on the horror challenge, but I am really excited to watch Poetry and Searching.

Tomorrow. Let me know if you need a link to the film.

Miss Vicky

10-17-22, 06:42 PM

I'm hoping to get it watched tonight, but can't make any promises. I'm only like halfway through my workday and it's been nuts so I may not have the energy and focus for a long foreign language movie after I get home.

mrblond

10-17-22, 06:46 PM

Just finished watching Poetry. Good work. Very touching performance by Yoon Jeong-hee. Sad and beautiful... kind of Eddie Marsan in Still Life.

4
89455

cricket

10-17-22, 08:47 PM

Poetry

4+

https://64.media.tumblr.com/79b92de6751975ee7839db9d0cc71fc8/3c8248012bc69e45-bd/s540x810/2b3c29d19c8e28f7c047e748611d7714f18e8057.gifv

I think I probably overrate a lot of movies as I enjoy most of what I watch. I think I could be underrating this one and wonder if it's even better upon reflection. It's a very interesting and thought provoking film. I believe not completely loving it as my first instinct is due to not being into the whole poetry aspect, although it serves the story well most of the time, especially at the end. I also feel it's power more in my brain than in my heart, for whatever reason. I'm obviously not familiar with the culture in any part of Asia, other than what I see on film, but I would assume it's more male dominated than America. It seemed to me that this film has a lot to say about that. To me it was downright strange how the men reacted to the crime, but I can't help but figure it's based on realism there. I was left with some questions, but they are the kinds of questions that the viewer should find their own answers to. A great movie, very well done in every way.

gbgoodies

10-18-22, 01:05 AM

I watched Poetry (2010) yesterday, and my first reaction was that it had potential, but it was too slow for me. After having about 24 hours to think about it, I think I like it a bit more now than I did immediately after watching it.

I liked the scenes about the grandmother learning poetry, but the storyline with her grandson annoyed me because he was just a bad kid. Thinking back on the movie, I liked the way the grandmother was able to appreciate poetry, and even the little things, like a tasty piece of fruit that fell off a tree, while she was finding out such a terrible thing about her grandson, and also while she was going through the sexual situation she was practically forced into at work. I liked that she was able to write a poem while all of that was going on around her.

When it came to her grandson, the grandmother should have kicked the boy out, even before she found out what he did. They way he acted towards her, and what he did to the girl, he deserves whatever punishment he gets. It's sad that so many people were conspiring to get these boys off with no punishment, but nobody cared about what they did to the girl, and how it affected her mother. I was glad when the detectives showed up at the end and took the boy away. I liked that the detective stayed with her when her grandson was taken away, but I just wish the movie had gone on a little longer to find out what happened to him.

This movie won't make my list, but I'm glad I watched it.

Miss Vicky

10-18-22, 03:42 AM

Not my cup of tea.

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/poetry.gif

Poetry (Shi) (Lee Chang-dong, 2010)

I'm just going to come right out and say it: I didn't like this.

This is another film that is a good movie by just about any metric. The cinematography is good. The performances are strong. It's contemplative and it should really make you think... but it just bored the hell out of me. It's too long, it moves at a crawl, and it left me feeling far too restless to engage with the story or to feel anything for its characters. I can totally see why other people would regard it so highly. I have nothing but respect for what it was doing, but it's just not my kind of movie.

3

SpelingError

10-18-22, 12:14 PM

Since everyone who posted their thoughts in here have already hosted, I'll pick someone to go twice:

mrblond
cricket
gbgoodies
Miss Vicky

WrinkledMind

10-18-22, 12:30 PM

Sorry for getting late to this. It's a week to Diwali, and I'm kinda busy with things and the office.

I just finished watching this and this is my kinda movie. Slow paced, poignant, beautifully shot and well acted. It has layers to it, with good and painful moments, and it doesn't give us all the answers.
I loved it so much, that it might make my list.

Thanks for the recommendation seanc

Regarding a point that has been raised by few above.
Yes, it's a cultural thing. Most Asian societies are still patriarchal.
Honour is another thing, where people prefer dying or killing someone, instead of having their family name sullied, especially with matters pertaining to sexual assaults or sex in general. It's unfortunate and change is happening, but still a long way to go.

SpelingError

10-18-22, 01:59 PM

Nomination #12

89466

The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012, Felix van Groeningen)

Deadline to Watch It: October 21

Nominated By: Miss Vicky

Chypmunk

10-18-22, 02:15 PM

Good fillum, another that is on my long-list and one that would benefit from a rewatch so I'll have to see if it's freely available to me.

rauldc14

10-18-22, 02:16 PM

Ya that film is very good. I may even include it on my own list.

cricket

10-18-22, 02:54 PM

I'll skip this round, already a lock for my list.

seanc

10-18-22, 03:13 PM

Good choice by MV, but I don’t think I am quite ready for a rewatch. Hopefully some mofos check it out.

SpelingError

10-18-22, 05:12 PM

I haven't seen it, so I'll probably check it out tomorrow.

Also, as a reminder, if the film is still fresh in your head, you're still eligible to be a host for the next round.

Miss Vicky

10-18-22, 05:28 PM

Glad to see so many people like it. Hopefully more people who haven't seen it will decide to participate. I first watched it for the HOF about five years ago and loved it instantly, but haven't rewatched it due to the tough subject matter. I picked it because I was already planning on watching it tonight, so I'll post my thoughts later.

Allaby

10-18-22, 05:31 PM

I haven't seen it, so I'll probably check it out tomorrow.

Also, as a reminder, if the film is still fresh in your head, you're still eligible to be a host for the next round.

I watched it on July 10, 2016. Does that count as still being fresh in my head? ;)

SpelingError

10-18-22, 05:33 PM

I watched it on July 10, 2016. Does that count as still being fresh in my head? ;)

No, but if you watched it on July 11th, you'd have been fine.

Takoma11

10-18-22, 07:30 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fasianwiki.com%2Fimages%2Fb%2Fba%2FPoetry-011.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f864a9e7ed5211f8c5cce2df77b6cb3b24cf3877767053fd4b623957301d8da3&ipo=images

Poetry, 2010

Mija (Yun Jeong-hie) is an older woman raising her grandson on her own, working as a caretaker, and dealing with the early onset of Altzeimer's disease. Mija begins taking a poetry class, which changes the way that she perceives the world around her. Around the same time, Mija learns that her grandson, Jong-wook (Lee Da-wit) and his friends were involved in the recent death of oneo f their classmates. Mija faces emotional and moral struggles, all as she strives to be able to write a poem.

While I'd known almost nothing about this movie (a woman takes a poetry class), it's been on my watchlist for a while now and I've really been looking forward to watching it. I'm happy to say that I loved it, maybe even more than I expected to.

What I maybe liked most about the movie was the way that the different plot and character elements mimicked the reality of living with dementia. Mija always seems to arrive in the middle of things---coming late to class, arriving late to a poetry session. At one point she gets into a conversation, only realizing afterward that the conversation was meant to have an entirely different purpose. There's also the realization that she doesn't really know her grandson. She looks at him and clearly wonders, who is this person? Finally, her movie-long quest for words has a direct parallel with the loss of speech that can come with dementia. Her doctor matter of factly warns her that she will lose her nouns first, then her verbs.

As for the subplot involving the grandson, I thought it was certainly interesting. I think that it is easy to say what Mija should do, but it's not so easy. The fact that she can never have an open conversation with her grandson about what happened says a lot. Mija herself is a victim of sexual harassment at work, something she does not report to anyone. I liked the contrast of the emphasis on keeping things quiet at the same time Mija is engaged in finding words to express herself.

I also liked the way that the film kept drawing Mija back to the humanity of the dead young woman. Some moments being willing echoes, like Mija going to the bridge where the girl died. But other moments are more coincidental, like Mija stumbling on a photo of the young woman holding a bouquet of Mija's favorite flowers. Sometimes the best use of words is to give them to those who can't or don't have any.

Finally, I liked the portrayal of poetry in this film. Some of the poems are good. Some of the poems are a bit hackey. I took a poetry course once, and for the most part I was mortified by what I wrote. But the value I got out of it wasn't that I wrote great poems, it was the process. There is something powerful about engaging in the kind of observation and meditation that comes with writing poetry. I appreciated the way that we see the community that is built around a shared passion for poetry and the grace and kindness that the poets show each other.

A movie I've looked forward to watching, and a great viewing experience. Thanks for the push to watch it!

4.5

Allaby

10-18-22, 08:51 PM

I just finished rewatching The Broken Circle Breakdown. I had first seen it in 2016 and my response to the film is very similar to when I first saw it. This is an emotionally devastating and powerful film. The music is beautiful and the performances are fantastic. My only issue with the film is that there are a couple scenes that feel really heavy handed, manipulative, and preachy, which takes away from the story. Other than that, The Broken Circle Breakdown is an excellent film. 4.5

Miss Vicky

10-19-22, 02:14 AM

My face hurts from crying so much.

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/brokencircle.gif

The Broken Circle Breakdown (Felix van Groeningen, 2012)
(Rewatch)

I first watched this movie in 2017 and had no idea what to expect going in. I came away from it thoroughly impressed with its authenticity and emotional power, but I didn't fully love it. I did, however, have the feeling that if I gave it another watch - if I put myself through that experience again - my opinion would certainly improve.

After seeing it again tonight, that prediction could hardly have been truer. But this is not an easy watch by any means. As I type this, my face is red and raw from sobbing so much and so hard. Told in a non-linear way, The Broken Circle Breakdown shows us the sweet beginning and horrible end of a relationship as two people fall in love and are then torn apart as they endure unimaginable psychological pain and struggle to process their immense grief and their misdirected feelings of rage, blame, and guilt. Veerle Baetens and Johan Heldenbergh give devastating performances as Elise and Didier, and they make you believe every amazing high and terrible low of their lives, all while making gorgeous music that fits the film's themes perfectly.

I knew when I started the process of preparing for this countdown that this movie would end up on my ballot somewhere, but I think this is going to land much higher than I had initially expected. That said, it may be another five years before I can bring myself to watch it again. I will, however, be purchasing the soundtrack as soon as I finish posting this review.

5

gbgoodies

10-19-22, 11:11 PM

The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012) was a very difficult watch, but I liked the music more than the movie itself. I think the reason was because I never connected to Didier and Elise. I'm a crier at sad movies, but I didn't cry even a single tear during this movie. I should have been in tears throughout most of the movie. The problem was that they were either happy while they were singing or angry about what they were going through for most of the movie. It just kept going back and forth, and it never gave me a chance to like them enough to care about what they were going through.

Takoma11

10-19-22, 11:51 PM

In the spirit of being perpetually behind in this thread, I got Searching from the library today. Hoping to get to the most recent film tomorrow night.

SpelingError

10-20-22, 12:01 AM

Just finished The Broken Circle Breakdown and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Definitely more than I expected. The non-linear plot structure worked really well for me. By switching back and forth between the lighter and darker moments of the film, the lighter moments are tinged with a bittersweet edge as, since you're aware of the struggles Didier and Elise will soon undergo, it's clear those moments will soon come to an end. Meanwhile, the darker moments don't feel overbearing nor do they come off as misery porn since they're used intermittently throughout the film and are broken up pretty well. This made for a somewhat obtuse blend of emotions which kept me on board with the film. In short, I'm glad this was nominated as, since this kind of film generally isn't in my normal wheelhouse, I probably wouldn't have checked it out otherwise.

SpelingError

10-20-22, 01:55 AM

Just out of curiosity, how many films have you all watched in this thread which will either make your ballot or be in consideration for your ballot?

Miss Vicky

10-20-22, 02:04 AM

Just out of curiosity, how many films have you all watched in this thread which will either make your ballot or be in consideration for your ballot?

Aside from my own picks, Still Life is probably the only one I would consider. It’s not a strong contender though.

seanc

10-20-22, 07:58 AM

Just out of curiosity, how many films have you all watched in this thread which will either make your ballot or be in consideration for your ballot?

None so far, but I have really enjoyed a couple of the choices and an glad to have seen them. This idea has been awesome and better than doing a decade specific HOF in my opinion. Hopefully it becomes a normal part of the lists.

Chypmunk

10-20-22, 08:14 AM

I'll second that this is a more interesting idea than HOFs when it comes to putting fillums out there for potential consideration for countdowns. I've only seen two thus far as a direct result of the thread and sadly neither will be in the running for my personal ballot but am hoping there'll be others that I can watch that may be in the mix.

SpelingError

10-20-22, 10:56 AM

Glad you guys like this idea! I think this thread will ultimately cover more films than a typical hall of Fame would by the time we finish it. Hopefully, it catches on for future countdowns.

Also, about 2-3 films I've seen in this thread will be in consideration for my ballot. Aside from my nomination, everything nominated in this thread so far is a first-time watch for me.

SpelingError

10-20-22, 10:59 AM

Here are the current candidates for hosting the next round:

Allaby

You guys have about 24 more hours to watch the film.

mrblond

10-20-22, 01:09 PM

I watched The Broken Circle Breakdown yesterday.
I'm sorry if I spoil the party but I didn't see anything good in terms of cinema art here. It is just an average movie exploiting elementary drama methods. I even couldn't finish it to the end being totally disinterested because of the lack of craftsmanship.
2

Once more, Sorry!

Wyldesyde19

10-20-22, 03:48 PM

I’d be interested in joining this once October passes.

Citizen Rules

10-20-22, 05:34 PM

None so far, but I have really enjoyed a couple of the choices and an glad to have seen them. This idea has been awesome and better than doing a decade specific HOF in my opinion. Hopefully it becomes a normal part of the lists.Me too...Awesome idea SpelingError...I'm impressed!

This has to be one of the best ideas to come along to MoFo in many a blue moon...I like it!...

gbgoodies

10-21-22, 01:29 AM

Just out of curiosity, how many films have you all watched in this thread which will either make your ballot or be in consideration for your ballot?

I've watched 10 movies that were nominated in this thread, (including my nom and one movie that I had recently watched from my recommendation thread (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=66760)), and only two of them are being considered for my list.

One is Searching (2018), which was my nomination, and the other is Ernest & Celestine (2012), which was nominated by Miss Vicky.

gbgoodies

10-21-22, 01:35 AM

Glad you guys like this idea! I think this thread will ultimately cover more films than a typical hall of Fame would by the time we finish it. Hopefully, it catches on for future countdowns.

I prefer this format over the HoFs for two reasons:

1) It's nice that we're all watching the same movie within a few days of each other, so it's fresh in our minds when we're reading the reviews.

2) We can jump in and out as we please, and we don't have to watch every movie that is nominated.

gbgoodies

10-21-22, 01:37 AM

I’d be interested in joining this once October passes.

You don't have to "join" to participate in this thread. Just watch the movie that is nominated, and post your review in the thread.

That makes you eligible to be chosen to nominate the next movie.

WrinkledMind

10-21-22, 05:26 AM

Just out of curiosity, how many films have you all watched in this thread which will either make your ballot or be in consideration for your ballot?

Poetry has a strong chance for mine. But overall this has been a good thing. Especially considering people are suggesting unknown(or not so popular) choices.

By the way, I do intended to watch all the movies listed in this thread, including the latest by Miss Vicky, but these next few days I am going to be super busy with shopping, cleaning, meeting relatives etc for Diwali. So might post less than usual.

And, yeah, kudos to Spelling for doing this.

SpelingError

10-21-22, 12:12 PM

The next host is...

Allaby

SpelingError

10-21-22, 12:32 PM

Nomination #13

89506

The Lure (2015, Agnieszka Smoczyńska)

Deadline to Watch It: October 24

Nominated By: Allaby

Allaby

10-21-22, 12:33 PM

I hope people will check out The Lure and enjoy it. Here is my original review from when I first saw it:

"The Lure (2015) is a Polish musical horror film directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska. The films stars Marta Mazurek and Michalina Olszanska as two sexy mermaid sisters who land jobs singing in a nightclub in Poland. They also enjoy eating people (of course, people are yummy). Trouble arises when one sister falls for (gasp) a human! The film is gorgeously shot and features fantastic music, which really enhances the film. The film is bold, vibrant, stunning, and mesmerizing. The two leading ladies are radiant and bring their characters to life in a compelling way. This film reeled me and had me hooked! The Lure is one of the best films directed by a woman and one of the best films by a first time director and may very well be one of the best films of all time. A flawless masterpiece."

SpelingError

10-21-22, 12:34 PM

I've heard of this one, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I'm curious what I'll think of it.

Takoma11

10-21-22, 12:56 PM

Love, The Lure (and am looking at it on my shelf right now)! Can't wait to hear peoples' reactions! I'll write up some thoughts about it later.

Chypmunk

10-21-22, 01:09 PM

Ok, that one's currently showing on NF here so I'll actually be able to give it a whirl this evening.

seanc

10-21-22, 01:15 PM

Interesting choice. I have a busy two days but may be able to get to it Sunday.

Miss Vicky

10-21-22, 01:17 PM

Musical horror? I'm not making any promises on that one.

Takoma11

10-21-22, 01:21 PM

Musical horror? I'm not making any promises on that one.

I think it will be divisive, but I think that the performances are really good and the story moves along at a really strong clip. It does some stuff with mermaid mythology that I found really neat.

Miss Vicky

10-21-22, 01:30 PM

It does some stuff with mermaid mythology that I found really neat.

Did I mention I don't like fantasy stuff either? :laugh:

I see it's only an hour and a half so I might subject myself to it. Probably not today though.

Chypmunk

10-21-22, 04:01 PM

Ok, watched it and I'll certainly give it marks for being different but unfortunately I can't say it worked that well for me at times. I thought the performances were generally pretty decent but even at only an hour and a half proceedings felt a little padded and the musical numbers were more miss than hit with me. Glad I watched it but I'd be lying if I said it had a shot at making my ballot.

Takoma11

10-21-22, 04:17 PM

Did I mention I don't like fantasy stuff either? :laugh:

I see it's only an hour and a half so I might subject myself to it. Probably not today though.

I know you're not a big fantasy person. But I think it has other things going for it.

cricket

10-21-22, 05:04 PM

Never heard of it until a minute ago. Don't like most fantasy or musicals. A quick look and I see Titane mentioned as a similar movie. Looking forward to it!

Miss Vicky

10-22-22, 02:42 PM

I watched Under the Skin and The Lobster yesterday and now I've watched this. I think whatever I watch next is going to be something normal. I've had my fill of weird for a little bit.

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/lure.gif

The Lure (Córki dancingu) (Agnieszka Smoczynska, 2015)

I fully expected to hate everything about this fantasy-horror-musical. To say that those three genres are not my favorite is a bit of an understatement. As it turned out, I didn’t hate everything about it but my prediction wasn’t too far off from the truth. It had some cool visuals and it kept me at least mildly entertained for a little while. However, the musical and fantasy elements quickly began to wear on my nerves and by the time the sisters started growling at each other I had mentally checked out.

Not terrible by any means but definitely not my kind of movie.

2.5

SpelingError

10-22-22, 05:25 PM

Just finished The Lure, and I thought it was good. I'll second Chypmunk's point on the film's runtime feeling padded (the padding got easier for me to watch the further I got into the film though), but for the most part, I enjoyed my time with it. It took me a bit to get on the film's wavelength in terms of the production design and the musical numbers, but after I adjusted to that, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the film and I imagine it would be an easier watch if I were to rewatch it sometime down the road. As for the story, it dealt in some interesting ideas (pursuing potentially dangerous relationships, giving up everything for your love interest), but while I mostly enjoyed the film's handling of these themes, they didn't feel as compelling as they could've. If a central plot point to your film is that a character has to give up everything to be with their love interest (in the case of this film, her tail, her ability to walk without crutches, and her voice), you need to be careful about how you handle the characterizations of the two of them for this to be believable, and I don't think the film accomplished this well. Since the surgery scene happened right after Mietek participated in a plot to murder Silver (and Golden), it felt very weird how Silver brushed that aside (they never even addressed it with each other) and still agreed to undergo the operation. I did find the ending compelling, but it was a bit of a rough ride getting there due to that sub-plot. I still enjoyed this film though and, while it won't make my ballot, I'm glad I checked it out.

7/10

cricket

10-22-22, 05:54 PM

The Lure

3.5-

https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/the-lure-2017/Lure-2017.jpg

Have always had a thing for mermaids but it never occurred to me that they could eat me. I could picture something like this being made by the director of Raw and Titane, it's definitely not for everyone. I would call it erotic fantasy. After 5 minutes I thought I was watching a new favorite, I just loved the vibe. I liked all of the performances and characters, but it wasn't as vibrant when they were the focus. Other times the film had a high energy and that is what I loved about it. Very likely to make my ballot for the eventual musicals countdown.

SpelingError

10-23-22, 11:52 AM

Current candidates to host the next round...

Takoma11

You guys have about 24 more hours to watch the film.

Takoma11

10-23-22, 12:45 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pophorror.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F10%2Flure-3-1024x430.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=e6d8cbcfd0e017bec8838e99c7ce2053c0952e113c6f35f303899b90f82f56d1&ipo=images

The Lure, 2015

A pair of mermaid sisters, Golden (Michalina Olszańska ) and Silver (Marta Mazurek) wash up on a beach and are then taken back to a nightclub by a band where they become dancers and singers. Things get complicated when Silver falls in love with one of the musicians, Mietak (Jakub Gierszal), but he doesn't see her as a real woman. Silver is willing to go to extreme lengths to be what he wants, but her actions come with great risks and a steep price.

As I mentioned before, I quite like this film. It does a lot of things, but basically all of them work for me.

The main horror centerpiece, for me, is the combination of romantic and body horror centering on Silver's pursuit of Mietak. She is literally willing to deform and dramatically alter her body just to be what Mietak wants. And while I wouldn't say that anyone is obligated to love someone back or reciprocate their feelings, there is something particularly cruel about the way that Mietak doesn't even bother to hide his disgust when having sex with Silver after she is not even fully healed. The cruelest twist, of course, is that Silver doesn't stop loving him.

And this leads to my second favorite aspect of the film, which is the way that the dynamic between the sisters is constantly in flux. They are allies and they love each other, but at the same time elements get introduced that drive a wedge between them. Golden's anger at Silver's lingering feelings for Mietak is one of the best-realized elements of the movie.

I also have to say that I absolutely LOVE the ending. The way that it combines mermaid mythology (turning into seafoam unless love is found) and outright horror is great. It's a great way to end the story.

Finally, I like the look of the movie and the way that it smashes together kind of a grunge look with the fantasy elements. This also extends to plot, such as when the band thinks that the mermaids have died.

I don't think that this is a movie for everyone. It's a heck of a mishmash of genres. But for me it really works. One of only a handful of films I've purchased on DVD in the last 10 years.

4.5

SpelingError

10-23-22, 01:45 PM

Current candidates to host the next round...

Takoma11

You guys have about 24 more hours to watch the film.

See guys, I successfully predicted that Takoma was going to post a review of the film.

seanc

10-23-22, 02:20 PM

See guys, I successfully predicted that Takoma was going to post a review of the film.

This site has a history of alt accounts. Had anyone seen Spelling and Takoma in the same room?

SpelingError

10-23-22, 02:36 PM

This site has a history of alt accounts. Had anyone seen Spelling and Takoma in the same room?

Maybe Takoma isn't real and is just my alter ego.

Takoma11

10-23-22, 02:52 PM

Maybe Takoma isn't real and is just my alter ego.

Does that mean you're going to finish grading these papers for me? Sweet!

SpelingError

10-23-22, 03:04 PM

Does that mean you're going to finish grading these papers for me? Sweet!

gives them all an F

You mean like that?

Takoma11

10-23-22, 03:09 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popzara.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F09%2Fsearching2018_feature.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=301c23fe3708f48774b2a9974369ee97259eb8c28fcc7813173acccf47aa5a15&ipo=images

Searching, 2018

David (John Cho) is alarmed when he cannot get hold of his teenage daughter, Margot (Michelle La), who was supposed to have been attending an all-nighter study session. When it's revealed that Margot left the study session the evening before, David begins a frantic search for her with the assistance of Detective Vick (Debra Messing). Taking place almost entirely within the screen of the family computer, we watch as David follows any lead he can to solve the mystery of his daughter's whereabouts.

This was a fun, compelling thriller anchored by a really solid performance from Cho in the lead role.

The decision to put all the action in the screen of the computer lends mixed results, in my opinion. On one hand, it successfully shows the way that our lives are so entwined with technology and the internet. As David goes hunting for his daughter, through Facebook, a streaming site, Tumblr, and other sites, we see a pretty good representation of the multiple selves that we are online. Margot has a different persona for each piece of her online life, and watching David unravel them is compelling.

There are also some very well-observed little moments, like disconnection we see between Margot and her peers. She has no followers on Twitter. Her live streams get a paltry handful of views. There is a sadness and a distance to her online self. The film also captures the way that the internet can be a very judgmental and cruel place. When Margot's story goes public, some of the online comments are intrusive at best and cruel at worst. I have an acquaintance whose child went missing this last year. Thankfully they found her after a few hours. But there were people who were quick to say that the parents should be in jail, their child should be taken away, that they obviously didn't care about their child's wellbeing, that they were criminally negligent, etc.

On the downside, at many points it feels a bit contrived that, for example, David places all of his calls through his computer? David is also able to, with a single google search, land perfectly on whatever site he's looking for. Yeah right. Try googling even a semi-common name and the word "social media" and you are not being taken straight to their Facebook page. It also means that some sequences have to be really outlandish to make them still take place on a screen. We get things like a live stream of the police finding evidence, and that just wouldn't happen.

I was also a bit put off by the way that certain clues are contrived to be hidden until the right moment. There's one thing that pops up over and over and it's simply unbelievable that no one would think to investigate it. I also found it incredibly strange that with a sad, lonely teenager who has gone missing, they never even discuss the possibility of self-harm.

Overall I enjoyed this film!

4

Takoma11

10-23-22, 07:09 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffarawayplaces.co%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F10%2Fscreenshot_2.jpg.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=6f75c01a19efecea3000983b1cc03b37777346d8c12062b7a1f9a5f7dbe9339b&ipo=images

The Broken Circle Breakdown, 2012

Didier (Johan Heldenbergh) and Elise (Veerle Baetens) are a couple---Didier is a folk musician and Elise is a tattoo artist--who are grappling with the serious illness of their young daughter Maybelle (Nell Cattrysse). In a non-linear manner, we see their courtship, Maybelle's early years, and then their struggles with her cancer diagnosis and treatment.

This is a very emotional film, and one whose title I was not familiar with. Overall I enjoyed it, though obviously it's a difficult watch.

I thought that the performances from Heldenbergh and Baetens were very strong. Cattrysse was also very good as their daughter, especially in the scenes where she is grappling with what it means to be possibly terminally ill.

For me, the first half of the film was the stronger half, with the juxtaposition of the courtship between Didier and Elise and the tensions that arise later as they must make decisions about their daughter's health. It's brutal watching the couple oscillate between hope and despair, all with interspersed and joyful looks at the early stages of their relationship. The second half, which deals more with the couple's grief and anger, feels a little less focused, though it retains its power through the performances from the two leads.

I really enjoyed the music that ran through the film. "May the Circle Be Unbroken" is a song that I used to play all the time with a bluegrass ensemble I was part of, so it and a lot of the other songs brought back a lot of memories. The meaning of songs about love, grief, and death all take on different meanings depending on where they are placed in the story.

I do wish that in the second half, the contrast between how Didier and Elise cope had been developed a bit differently. Elise turns to a vague sense of magical thinking, while Didier becomes fixated on the way that cancer treatment research has been stifled by religious factions. Both of these are realistic responses to a stressful situation, but they don't feel entirely fleshed out. I do think that it makes a compelling case for understanding why their relationship begins to fracture.

A very solid and moving drama.

4

SpelingError

10-24-22, 11:10 AM

The next host is...

Takoma11

SpelingError

10-24-22, 08:01 PM

Nomination #14

89562

Lilting (2014, Hong Khaou)

Deadline to Watch It: October 27

Nominated By: Takoma11

cricket

10-24-22, 08:35 PM

Have heard of it from somewhere, should be able to watch in time.

Miss Vicky

10-24-22, 08:53 PM

I watched Lilting last month. Very good movie, but my list of possibles is closer to 100 now so it probably won't get my vote.

88807

Lilting (Hong Khaou, 2014)

This is another movie I saw being suggested in GBG's 2010's Recommendations thread. I hadn't even heard of it before then,

Although it's rather short, this is definitely a movie that requires patience and full engagement. It's a slow meditation on grief, guilt, obligation, and understanding. Ben Whishaw gives a particularly strong performance as a young man trying to connect with his dead boyfriend's Chinese-Cambodian mother - who doesn't like him, speaks no English, and doesn't know that her son was gay. Cheng Pei Pei is also excellent as the dead man's mother and gives a lot of humanity to a character that might otherwise have come off as cold, particularly in the film's earlier scenes.

It's a very moving film and one that I'll probably watch again, but my shortlist for the 2010s countdown is now at 82 films so its chances of making the final cut are pretty slim.

4

cricket

10-24-22, 08:57 PM

Well that's where ^^^ I heard of it

Allaby

10-24-22, 09:54 PM

I watched Lilting today. I thought it was well written, with good performances, but it won't make my ballot.

Takoma11

10-24-22, 10:17 PM

I watched Lilting last month. Very good movie, but my list of possibles is closer to 100 now so it probably won't get my vote.

Yeah, it's in some ways a more "minor" film. But I found it very moving. It might be recency bias, but I could see it sneaking in at the bottom of my ballot. Every time I think back on it, I like it a bit more, which is not the usual way of things with me.

seanc

10-24-22, 10:18 PM

I watched Lilting tonight. Unfortunately, it was kind of a bummer for me. I was looking forward to meaty melodrama between Juhn and Richard. It felt like it was much more about Juhn and Alan which was a relationship I had no interest in. The language barrier was really interesting but, ultimately, it probably hampered the emotional weight of the story which kind of sucks.

SpelingError

10-25-22, 12:10 AM

I'll check it out tomorrow.

gbgoodies

10-25-22, 02:05 AM

Takoma11 recommended Lilting (2014) in my 2010s recommendations thread, so it was already on my watchlist, and coincidentally, I watched it yesterday.

I liked the scenes with Richard and Junn, and I wish the movie had focused more on the two of them trying to communicate, rather than Alan and Junn trying to communicate. I also liked the flashback scenes with Kai because they made it easier to feel how the loss of him affected both Richard and Junn.

I liked this movie, but I think I would have liked it more without Alan getting in the way of the Richard and Junn storyline.

cricket

10-25-22, 04:24 PM

Don't see it at my usual sources, how are you all watching it?

seanc

10-25-22, 04:26 PM

Don't see it at my usual sources, how are you all watching it?

Criterion Channel for me

Citizen Rules

10-25-22, 04:34 PM

Don't see it at my usual sources, how are you all watching it? I got a link with English subs. I'll PM it.

Miss Vicky

10-25-22, 04:34 PM

Don't see it at my usual sources, how are you all watching it?

Kanopy

Chypmunk

10-25-22, 04:41 PM

Doubtful this one will be readily available to me but if it is I'll give it a view.

cricket

10-25-22, 04:48 PM

Criterion and Kanopy sound too legal for me, CR came through:D

SpelingError

10-25-22, 06:05 PM

Just finished Lilting, and I really enjoyed it.

cricket

10-25-22, 09:06 PM

I watched Lifting but won't get the chance to comment until tomorrow evening.

Takoma11

10-25-22, 10:52 PM

Thank you to everyone checking out Lilting! I found it very moving. Here were my thoughts about it when I watched it recently.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.rogerebert.com%2Fuploads%2Freview%2Fprimary_image%2Freviews%2Flilting-2014%2Fhero_Lilting-2014-1.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Lilting, 2014

Richard (Ben Whishaw) has just lost his partner of four years, Kai (Andrew Leung) to a horrible accident. Kai had been on the verge of coming out to his mother, Junn (Pei-Pei Cheng), who lives in a nursing home. Feeling responsible for Junn's well-being, Richard hires a translator, Vann (Naomi Yang), in part to help Junn with her fledgling romance with Alan (Peter Bowles). But sitting behind every interaction is the weight of the secret of Richard and Kai's romantic past.

This movie may have flaws, but this was one of those viewings where everything just seemed exactly as it should be.

First of all, the color palette and lighting--everything a bit pale and washed out--set the perfect emotional tone. In the flashback sequences, the lightness adds a dreamy tone, especially several scenes between Kai and Richard that take place in their bed. In the present day scenes, the colors convey a muted tone that mimics all that must stay unsaid between the main characters.

The central and blatant theme of the film is communication, and specifically the danger of speaking and the danger of not speaking. The relationship between Alan and Junn serves as a microcosm of this idea as their pleasant romance hits a few speedbumps once they are able to more explicitly communicate via Vann's interpretation.

Richard's plight is particularly moving. This isn't a story about someone coming out--this is a story about someone being forced to reckon with the idea of outing someone else. It might seem like a no-brainer that this isn't Richard's information to give, but as long as he keeps Kai's sexuality a secret, he must pretend and confine himself to the role of "friend". And friends don't get a say in funeral arrangements. Friends don't get to make a claim to the bedroom. Friends don't get to keep the ashes. When Junn asks why Richard is so invested in her well-being, Richard must dance around the answer.

Junn is an interesting character, and I loved the way Cheng played her. At times you think that she must know. At other times you think she has no idea. It would have been way too easy to make Junn a stereotype of a homophobic, controlling Asian mother. Instead her true feelings are kept close to the chest, disguised behind both the language barrier and the lack of honest conversations.

Whishaw and Leung do a good job of sketching out both a loving and passionate relationship in their flashback scenes together. The film is not at all graphic, but there's an intimacy between the characters that feels genuine and serves to drive our understanding of Richard's grief. At the same time, the flashbacks show us that the question of how and when to tell Junn about their relationship---and whether or not to invite her to live with them---hangs over them. Telling Junn about their relationship isn't just some matter of principle or pride for Richard, it's unfinished business that defined a lot of their conflict as a couple.

I also enjoyed the character of Vann, who becomes increasingly invested in the lives of the others and the choices they are making. Vann is frequently told something, then immediately told "Don't translate that!". And as she draws closer to the people whose intimate conversations she's translating, she starts to put more emotion into her work.

Overall I thought this was a really lovely and moving film, and it managed to be both sad and hopeful in its final act.

No notes!

4.5

gbgoodies

10-26-22, 12:39 AM

Don't see it at my usual sources, how are you all watching it?

I found it on a Facebook Videos page:

https://m.facebook.com/Yaoipob/videos/lilting-the-movie-2014-full-hdi-was-in-love-with-it/1950474255210023/

Chypmunk

10-26-22, 04:30 AM

I found it on a Facebook Videos page:

https://m.facebook.com/Yaoipob/videos/lilting-the-movie-2014-full-hdi-was-in-love-with-it/1950474255210023/
Thanks - looks like I will get to watch it after all.

Just finished watching it and it's an ok watch but like a couple of others I wish it hadn't felt a need to devote so much time on the friendship between Junn and Alan - perhaps it didn't want to drown in sorrow but for me the reflective moments was really where it worked best. Surely a means of imparting how communication can sometimes hinder more than it helps could have been introduced within the primary premise and I don't think it really added anything to the later conversation about how Junn was supposedly culturally reliant on a male to organise her life (whilst Vann was actually a welcome addition to proceedings Richard's employing her for the purpose he did actually felt more like meddling than helping to me).

One thing that confuddled me though? Kai kept forgetting to take a cd to Junn but according to Richard had finally remembered to take it to her on the fatal day, hence it was now lost. We see her ask about this cd in the opening scene, a scene in which he also invites her to come to his for dinner (saying Richard will be out) and one she remembers a few times during proceedings (as if it were the last time she saw him). I can't work out how that scene is supposed to have taken place as according to Kai he invited her to dinner after he bottled his coming out to her (and that opening scene gave me the impression there was something he wanted to impart to his mother but couldn't, she even asks "What's wrong?" immediately prior to the dinner invitation), yet I thought Richard later says that Kai was on his way to have that conversation with her when the accident happened :confused:

cricket

10-26-22, 09:52 AM

Lifting

3

https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/lilting-2014/Lilting-2014-1.jpg

I was wondering what the whole point of the movie was, if the language barrier was built into the original script, or if it was added as they went along. It seems to me that another film would just be about the resulting grief and that the ability to communicate wouldn't be an issue. It's not a complaint but I'm wondering why it's there. On the other hand it's probably a good thing. It does add some elements, including humor, and otherwise it would be a short ass movie. I liked all of the characters, but I did think it was selfish for Richard to tell the mother. I do think she probably already knew, at least once Richard came into her world after the tragedy, and perhaps for even longer than that. Good performances and a good movie, but it's one that will fade from my memory rather quickly.

seanc

10-26-22, 11:05 AM

I liked all of the characters, but I did think it was selfish for Richard to tell the mother. I do think she probably already knew, at least once Richard came into her world after the tragedy, and perhaps for even longer than that.

I thought this as well. I think overall Richard was kind of selfish. I totally get that he is grieving too but Juhn is not his responsibility. Either be willing to meet her where she is or leave her alone. At a few points he seemed self-serving. I didn’t like the way he treated the translator either.

SpelingError

10-26-22, 01:15 PM

Current candidates to host the next round (these are all people who've already hosted)...

Allaby
seanc
gbgoodies
cricket

You guys have about 24 more hours to watch the film.

SpelingError

10-27-22, 02:08 PM

The next host is...

Allaby
seanc
gbgoodies
cricket

SpelingError

10-27-22, 03:22 PM

Nomination #15

89592

Calvary (2014, John Michael McDonagh)

Deadline to Watch It: October 30

Nominated By: seanc

Takoma11

10-27-22, 03:33 PM

I can already tell you that Calvary will be on my ballot.

A stunning central performance and just an incredibly moving, melancholy, powerful film.

I'll write up more about it later. Great nomination!

Chypmunk

10-27-22, 04:52 PM

Enjoyed The Guard but not a fan of Calvary at all so I'll skip this round.

Miss Vicky

10-27-22, 05:10 PM

I don’t think I’ve even heard of It Calvary but it looks interesting.

cricket

10-27-22, 08:26 PM

Putting it on now

SpelingError

10-27-22, 08:27 PM

I'll check it out tomorrow.

Miss Vicky

10-27-22, 09:09 PM

Also I’m just now realizing that Takoma11 recommended this movie to me in my thread and I totally misread the title as Cavalry and put a totally different movie on my watch list. :laugh:

Takoma11

10-27-22, 10:30 PM

Also I’m just now realizing that Takoma11 recommended this movie to me in my thread and I totally misread the title as Cavalry and put a totally different movie on my watch list. :laugh:

LOL.

Last year I went to watch a movie called something kind of generic like "The Last Girl" and ended up watching this movie and I was like "This is awful!". Yeah, the film I was supposed to watch was from 2012 or something and the one I watched was like 2016.

seanc

10-27-22, 11:02 PM

The funniest instance I remember of what you guys are talking about happened on a podcast I listen to. One of the three hosts watched the wrong movie. He was so confused for a few minutes. Wish I could remember which movie. Cracked me up.

Citizen Rules

10-28-22, 02:43 AM

Watching the wrong movie happened to me once in the SciFi/Horror HoF hosted by TeeterG...I was suppose to watch The Host (2006) but instead watched this:
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1416127#post1416127

seanc

10-28-22, 08:28 AM

Miss Vicky

10-28-22, 09:16 AM

I didn’t watch the wrong movie, just put the wrong one on my watchlist. I figured it out because I misread the title again :facepalm: and couldn’t seem to find a movie called Cavalry with that poster on IMDb.

I did watch the wrong movie for a HOF once though. Someone nominated Gaslight (1944). So I requested the dvd from my library. The title was right. The cover matched the image that the host had posted in the thread. So I took it home, watched it and went to write it up only to notice that the images other people used in their write-ups didn’t match what I had just watched. That’s when I found out that there was a movie called Gaslight with the same basic story that came out in 1940. The library copy had both versions on it, one on each side of the disc, and I happened to put it in the player on the side with the 1940 version. I ended up liking both versions about the same.

Anyway, I just finished Calvary. I need to collect my thoughts and will post something a bit later.

Takoma11

10-28-22, 09:46 AM

I didn’t watch the wrong movie, just put the wrong one on my watchlist. I figured it out because I misread the title again :facepalm: and couldn’t seem to find a movie called Cavalry with that poster on IMDb.

I went to IMDb to see if there were any movies called "Cavalry" and only one from the 1930s popped up. So at least you didn't watch a wrong movie!

I did watch the wrong movie for a HOF once though. Someone nominated Gaslight (1944). So I requested the dvd from my library. The title was right. The cover matched the image that the host had posted in the thread. So I took it home, watched it and went to write it up only to notice that the images other people used in their write-ups didn’t match what I had just watched. That’s when I found out that there was a movie called Gaslight with the same basic story that came out in 1940. The library copy had both versions on it, one on each side of the disc, and I happened to put it in the player on the side with the 1940 version. I ended up liking both versions about the same.

I quite like both versions of Gaslight. I think that the '44 version gets more love because it has bigger names in the lead roles (and Angela Landsbury as the sexy/saucy maid!).

Citizen Rules

10-28-22, 11:43 AM

That review made me laugh. Why do I enjoy other people tripping? Am I a monster:eek:...I thought it was actually funny too when I did that.

Miss Vicky

10-28-22, 12:25 PM

I went to IMDb to see if there were any movies called "Cavalry" and only one from the 1930s popped up. So at least you didn't watch a wrong movie!

What's funny is my actual watchlist is on Letterboxd and when I searched Cavalry there, a film from 2019 comes up in the results (https://letterboxd.com/film/cavalry-2019/details/). I didn't look at any details at the time, just added it to my list. Turns out it's some super obscure short from somewhere in the Middle East and the only review on it is from someone who mistook it for Calvary. :laugh:

Miss Vicky

10-28-22, 01:16 PM

I'll probably be in the minority, but this was a miss for me.

https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/calvary.gif

Calvary (John Michael McDonagh, 2014)
(Recommended by Takoma11)

This film did not work for me.

Which isn't to say that there weren't things about it that I liked. Brendan Gleeson gives a solid performance, as is usual for him, and the others did fine too with their characters. The film also has excellent cinematography. But that's about where my appreciation of it ends. I'm an atheist and have been most of my life, so movies that address matters of faith are a hard sell for me. I also really don't like the way the one atheist character was depicted, nor do I think that some of the "sins" of the parishioners are particularly immoral. The movie also felt rather uneven and like it didn't quite know what it wanted to be, especially in regards to its weird-ass humor that felt completely out of place.

The end result was that I was completely detached from the proceedings and utterly unmoved by it all.

2.5

SpelingError

10-28-22, 06:01 PM

Just finished Calvary. It was fine, but like Vicky, I was a bit too detached from its story to get into it. Still though, it's technically well-made and the acting is good.

cricket

10-28-22, 07:14 PM

Calvary

4

https://alfredeaker.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/calvary-2014-john-michael-mcdonagh-brendan-gleeson3.jpg

The only idea I had about what this movie was came from what Takoma said a few posts ago. I'm not at all saying she's wrong, but based on those words it was not what I expected at all. I wasn't moved, more like sickened, but more than that I thought it was wickedly funny. I was not expecting humor and that for me was the co-highlight to go along with the performance of the great Brendan Gleeson. I was sickened because of how awful the people were or how awful what had happened to them was, and that's what made the humor so effective for me. I was starting to think the whole town was in on a plot to take out the priest, they were just nasty, and it was disturbing to watch the lack of humanity from what appeared to be fairly normal people. I'm not spiritual, but I was able to take in the spiritual aspect, and yes it looked great.

Takoma11

10-28-22, 08:41 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.decentfilms.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fcalvary.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=8f3dcf2db3a582be46cd9fab5c119e3d5f5ea44955f26fcc90b62b35488504df&ipo=images

Calvary, 2014

James (Brendan Gleeson) is a Catholic priest tending to a cynical, detached group of parishioners. One day, an unknown man in the confessional warns James that he will kill him in a week, and that he should take the next few days to prepare himself. With this threat hanging over him, James goes about his business, at times connecting with and other times clashing with the locals. Part of his week is spent reconnecting with his daughter (Kelly Reilly) from whom he has been alienated.

Director John McDonagh and his brother, Martin, have made their fair share of films (and they sure do love Brendan Gleeson!). Both of them seem to trade in a particular blend of heavy topic matter and dark comedy, and for me this is the most successful marrying of those two elements.

One of the reasons I love Calvary is simply the presence, and solid performances from, a lot of actors I really love. Gleeson is great, naturally, and so is Reilly. But I'm also a fan of Chris O'Dowd, Dylan Moran, Isaach De Bankolé, M. Emmet Walsh, and Domhnall Gleeson. The latter's presence in the film is particularly interesting, as we get a long, intense sequence of the two generations of Gleesons facing down over a table.

I also responded very positively to its themes of forgiveness and goodness, and how that is embodied in James. The movie does not take the easy route of making James a perfect person. Instead it shows how frustration, tolerance, and moral struggle are a part of the way that he tries to help his community. It also highlights the cruel but interesting point of view of his would-be killer: James is actually a good person, and thus it is more of a blow to the Church to kill him in retribution for the way that the Church enabled child abuse.

Something that the film drives home, in both a serious and also a darkly comic way, is that there are so many people in the town who might be the potential killer. It's like a grittier version of an Agatha Christie mystery. It speaks, ironically, to the killer's point: so many people could have potentially been harmed by the Church that figuring out who has a score to settle is nearly impossible. James cannot separate his faith and his identity from that of the Church, and yet it is as a symbol of the Church's wrongdoing that he is put in danger.

I am not a religious person, but I strongly resonated with the way that James slowly but steadily goes about his business of trying to do the right thing for those he serves. It is not always easy to do the right thing, or to even know for sure what the right thing is. The struggle we see in James is one that is very human. There's even something very moving about the way that he is honest, even when it is to his own detriment or endangerment. This extends to offering closure to someone who may harm or even kill him, an act that itself requires a kind of forehand forgiveness.

I think that the question of forgiveness is an incredibly hard one. On the one hand, telling people who have experienced horrible traumas to just "move on" is callous and unrealistic. Certain things will have profound impact on people, no matter how much they might want to be able to put them up on a high shelf and get on with life. But anger can also be a destructive force--destructive to others and self-destructive. Even in the end of the film, there are no easy answers.

As others have said, this is a movie that looks really excellent. There is beauty and foreboding in the landscape, something that really hits its peak in the climax of the film.

I also have to give a nod to the fact that (MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!!)it was Chris O'Dowd as the killer! Like, never in a million years did I really think it would be him. My only associations with him at the time of the film's release were comedies: Bridesmaids, Family Tree, The IT Crowd, Moone Boy, etc. For me the reveal that it was him was a huge shock. I expected someone with a bit more of a dark side, like Moran or Gillen.

Yeah, everything about this film just works for me. Far and away my favorite McDonagh film. (Though I also really liked The Guard). There's something special about movies that linger in your memories and thoughts after you see them, and this one has really done that for me.

4.5

gbgoodies

10-28-22, 11:57 PM

I don't usually like religious movies, so I hadn't planned on watching Calvary (2014) even though it was recommended to me in my 2010s recommendation thread, but I decided to watch it when it was nominated in this group watch thread.

Unfortunately, this movie just didn't work for me at all. It just made no sense to me that the priest was warned that he would be killed, but he did absolutely nothing to try to stop it. And it didn't help that this movie had a bunch of unlikable characters, and I didn't find the humor in the movie to be funny.

Takoma11

10-29-22, 12:14 AM

Unfortunately, this movie just didn't work for me at all. It just made no sense to me that the priest was warned that he would be killed, but he did absolutely nothing to try to stop it.

So I think it's significant that the film is called Calvary, aka the name of the hill where Jesus was crucified. Toward the end of the film he does plan to leave, but then decides to go back and face down the person who was hurt.

It's a decision, essentially, of self-sacrifice. James decides that he is willing to be a representative of the wrongs done by the Church, even if he himself did not commit those wrongs. (Though he does admit to not honestly reckoning with the abuse but rather disconnecting from the reports of it). It's a parallel with Jesus, who dies for the sins of others..

Now, whether that actually works for you as a plot point or a character decision is a whole other kettle of fish. But I think it's an interesting way of looking at the intersection of doing what's in one's own interest versus living out an honest version of your values.

I also think that, in a way, he does try to stop it. The whole week is sort of him feeling out the different parishioners in hopes that he can "fix" the problem. But ultimately he's not going to try to fight it or escape from it.

gbgoodies

10-29-22, 12:27 AM

So I think it's significant that the film is called Calvary, aka the name of the hill where Jesus was crucified. Toward the end of the film he does plan to leave, but then decides to go back and face down the person who was hurt.

It's a decision, essentially, of self-sacrifice. James decides that he is willing to be a representative of the wrongs done by the Church, even if he himself did not commit those wrongs. (Though he does admit to not honestly reckoning with the abuse but rather disconnecting from the reports of it). It's a parallel with Jesus, who dies for the sins of others..

Now, whether that actually works for you as a plot point or a character decision is a whole other kettle of fish. But I think it's an interesting way of looking at the intersection of doing what's in one's own interest versus living out an honest version of your values.

I also think that, in a way, he does try to stop it. The whole week is sort of him feeling out the different parishioners in hopes that he can "fix" the problem. But ultimately he's not going to try to fight it or escape from it.

I picked up on some of the parallels, but it still didn't work for me. Sorry. :(

Takoma11

10-29-22, 12:31 AM

I picked up on some of the parallels, but it still didn't work for me. Sorry. :(

That's fair.

I think that the character choices make strong sense thematically and would defend them on that front, but it's up to you as a viewer if you buy into it or not.

Miss Vicky

10-29-22, 12:40 AM

So I think it's significant that the film is called Calvary, aka the name of the hill where Jesus was crucified. Toward the end of the film he does plan to leave, but then decides to go back and face down the person who was hurt.

It's a decision, essentially, of self-sacrifice. James decides that he is willing to be a representative of the wrongs done by the Church, even if he himself did not commit those wrongs. (Though he does admit to not honestly reckoning with the abuse but rather disconnecting from the reports of it). It's a parallel with Jesus, who dies for the sins of others..

Now, whether that actually works for you as a plot point or a character decision is a whole other kettle of fish. But I think it's an interesting way of looking at the intersection of doing what's in one's own interest versus living out an honest version of your values.

I also think that, in a way, he does try to stop it. The whole week is sort of him feeling out the different parishioners in hopes that he can "fix" the problem. But ultimately he's not going to try to fight it or escape from it.

I picked up on the parallel as well. Part of the reason why I kept misreading the title is that I hadn’t previously encountered the word Calvary so I googled it. I get how it fits the themes but don’t buy it. I also found it really irritating that we spent so much time on his reconciliation with his daughter after the first time he abandoned her for the church only to have him do it a second time by sacrificing himself this way.

seanc

10-29-22, 09:44 AM

Calvary was another movie I picked because it was high up on n my rewatch list. I gave it a 3.5 the first time but never wrote any thoughts. It has always stuck with me thematically, and I loved Gleeson’s performance as well. I pretty well came out the same this viewing. It’s a darkly funny movie which I like but the unpleasantness of the parishioners is a little much. I get what McDonagh is going for. It’s not meant to be a realistic portrayal of how people would talk to a priest. It’s meant to portray peoples innermost thoughts on the church. Still, I could of used more cathartic dialogue as opposed to the harsh tones. Ultimately I think that is what keeps me from loving this film the way I want to.

I do love the ending. Made me tear up a bit. This movie really couldn’t have ended any other way. Takoma is dead on. I would also add that I think it works as a release for Jack too. I believe that’s part of the point.

SpelingError

10-29-22, 11:02 AM

Current candidates to host the next round...

cricket
Takoma11
gbgoodies

You guys have about 24 more hours to watch the film.

SpelingError

10-30-22, 12:04 PM

The next host is...

cricket
Takoma11
gbgoodies

SpelingError

10-30-22, 11:50 PM

Nomination #16

89616

Real Steel (2011, Shawn Levy)

Deadline to Watch It: November 2

Nominated By: gbgoodies

SpelingError

10-30-22, 11:51 PM

Aside from my own nomination, this is the first film posted in this thread I've already seen. I saw it back in the theaters in 2011 though, so I barely remember it. I'll rewatch it tomorrow.

Citizen Rules

10-31-22, 03:02 AM

mistique

10-31-22, 04:46 AM

Oh this is a good one - I´ve seen a couple of years ago - I might get around to rewatching it, if I find it on a danish streaming service.

WrinkledMind

10-31-22, 05:41 AM

Alright then, I got free on Friday. So, here's the quick catchup.

Loved Miss Vicky's Broken Circle Breakdown. It's emotionally heavy, and at times a bit OTT (that scene with Didier at the show), but it's original, touching and earnest.

I had seen Allaby's Lure a while back. It's creative, beautiful and the music is lovely, but it could have been shorter, and in the hands of a more capable filmmaker a far better movie. It's seemed like it needed more work on it. Still a good effort.

Seanc's Cavalry was a little hard to take in. I don't mind the unlikeable characters or the bleakness, but found it hard to keep myself glued to it. The ending elevated the movie for me, even though the filmmaker could've chosen for Gleeson, who is unsurprisingly brilliant by the way, to somehow survive. Also I didn't expect the killer to be who it was.

Takoma's Litling was a poignant little gem for me. Sensitive and thoughtful. Even though the mother is Chinese, her behaviour is typical for all Asian mothers, which includes my Indian culture and that was amusing to identify.

I have watched GBG's Real Steel multiple times, since it often comes on the telly here. It knows what it wants to do, and does it well, without losing the all important heart and making us care for its characters. It's a fun flick with a good rewatch value.

Miss Vicky

10-31-22, 05:59 AM

I'll probably be in the minority, but this was a huge miss for me.
https://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/2010s/realsteel.gif

Real Steel (Shawn Levy, 2011)

To say that I went into this with low expectations is a bit of an understatement. When I first saw the trailer in 2011, I thought it looked terrible and kept expecting the robots’ heads to pop up a la Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots and immediately dismissed this movie as something not worth watching.

So I very nearly skipped it when it I saw it had been nominated for Group Watch, but I decided to keep an open mind and give it a shot. Unfortunately, it met my expectations - well, not the head-popping expectation, but you know what I mean. I am sitting here racking my brain trying to come up with something that I liked about it but I am at a loss.

I hated or was completely indifferent to every single character in the movie. And I especially hated Charlie. He’s a crappy father (which he doesn’t really ever redeem himself for, if anything he makes it worse through literal child endangerment and making his kid an accomplice to crime) and kind of a crappy person in general. As for Max? He gets pissed at Charlie for taking stupid risks and basically throwing Noisy Boy away, then he insists on keeping Atom because Atom saved him (which, that whole scene is some bullshit. No way in hell did some little kid dig this 1,000 pound hunk of crap out of the mud in the pouring rain, load it on to the cart, and then drag it to the truck by himself. Give me a break), only to take stupid risks with him in the ring.

As to the robots themselves, I never once forgot that I was watching CGI. For a movie called Real Steel, they sure looked and felt fake to me. The story itself never felt original or interesting and it relied heavily on cheap shortcuts to try to win sympathy points for its characters. Ultimately the whole thing just reeked of cliché and artifice.

1.5

Chypmunk

10-31-22, 06:42 AM

Saw Real Steel a few years back and thought it was an ok watch but nothing more with a very pat type of story, if it's readily available and I have the time and inclination I might see if I can squeeze a rewatch in but if memory serves me correctly I think its unlikely to go up much in my estimation.

cricket

10-31-22, 09:47 AM

Have not seen it, will try to watch.

gbgoodies

11-01-22, 12:58 AM

Yes! My psychic thought waves must have reached GBG...all day long I was hoping for Real Steal to be next so I could jump back into this and watch it. I've not seen it but have been very curious about it.

I'm glad I could help. :) It's not easy for me to pick a movie that I think most of you will like, but I'm trying. :)

I recently rewatched Real Steel, and this is what I wrote about it in my 2010s recommendations thread:

Nobody recommended Real Steel (2011) to me, but this is a favorite movie that I wanted to rewatch for this countdown because it has a good chance to make my list.

I love this movie more and more every time I watch it. I love the way the relationship grows between Charlie and Max. I love how much heart this robot has, and how much fun it is to watch Max and Atom together. I generally don't like fight scenes, but the exciting fight scene at the end is one of my favorite scenes.

I highly recommend this movie. :)