31st Hall of Fame

[rauldc14]

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lOsAAOSw1pNjJlSS/s-l500.jpg

We have finally reached the number of Halloween and we are still going at it strong!

I'm putting a 240 minute restriction on nominations this go around. If you don't have very good vibes of being able to finish don't join. It's understandable if something gets in the way during this an I'm open to extensions to help people finish.

I'll open up nominations now and I will let the nomination process go until Wednesday April 19. After that I'll allow people to still join until Monday April 24th if they so chose.

I'll add graphics here later. Sorry for the blandness but let's get this party started!

We will stick to the more standard rules, whatever the hell those actually :p.

Deadline July 9th

Participants:
Rauldc- Nomination Sent
Siddon- Nomination Sent
Torgo- Nomination Sent
Allaby- Nomination Sent
Phoenix74- Nomination Sent
Cricket- Nomination Sent
Sean- Nomination Sent
Wyldesyde- nomination sent
Citizen Rules- Nomination Sent

Sons of the Desert
1933, Directed by William Seiter
https://www.intofilm.org/intofilm-production/scaledcropped/1096x548https%3A/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.cdn.filmclub.org/film__4143-sons-of-the-desert--hi_res-69e4590e.jpg/film__4143-sons-of-the-desert--hi_res-69e4590e.jpg

Sunset Boulevard
1950, Directed by Billy Wilder
https://www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/the-sunset-blvd-silent-film-scene-is-more-significant-than-you-thought/l-intro-1648129406.jpg

The Duelists
1977, Directed by Ridley Scott
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bsTWkNiCOSQ/UPy5lv_e4FI/AAAAAAAAFtQ/ZOjNCZmNLFw/s1600/The-Duellists+2.jpg

Days of Heaven
1978, Directed by Terrence Malick
https://d21ehp1kf1k9m9.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/19132114/days-of-heaven-2.jpg

Interiors
1978, Directed by Woody Allen
https://garmentozine.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/interiorsb2.jpg

The Verdict
1982, Directed by Sidney Lumet
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/57e05e534402434aa0f846c2/1534978384643-LRN586W2M0VOQULVGI0C/13recs-slide-LFSX-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg?format=1500w&content-type=image%2Fjpeg

Herod's Law
1999, Directed by Luis Estrada
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9m7dMc787nU/YVuMme1MVXI/AAAAAAAAca4/wS6YUN6O12kM3XmU9cUnq8TTnnILqz0NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s869/Damian%2BAlcazar%2BHerod%2527s%2BLaw.PNG

Gone Baby Gone
2007, Directed by Ben Affleck
https://www.pluggedin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gone-baby-gone-1024x598.jpg

A Hero
2021, Directed by Asghar Farhadi
https://www.alternateending.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/nM6yVVKjzUDv9pO6V9pwHVCHb85-scaled.jpg

Reviews

Cricket LIST SENT
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383333#post2383333)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383516#post2383516)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383841#post2383841)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385022#post2385022)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2388145#post2388145)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2388462#post2388462)
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2389939#post2389939)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2390506#post2390506)
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2391918#post2391918)

Phoenix74 LIST SENT
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383508#post2383508)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383775#post2383775)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2384630#post2384630)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385765#post2385765)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2387386#post2387386)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2388049#post2388049)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2391478#post2391478)
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2392836#post2392836)
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2394086#post2394086)

Seanc LIST SENT
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383591#post2383591)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383847#post2383847)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383852#post2383852)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2384311#post2384311)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385067#post2385067)
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385463#post2385463)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2386049#post2386049)
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2386289#post2386289)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2387329#post2387329)

Citizen Rules LIST SENT
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383594#post2383594)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2384443#post2384443)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2386271#post2386271)
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2387747#post2387747)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2389543#post2389543)
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2390688#post2390688)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2392466#post2392466)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2393529#post2393529)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2395890#post2395890)

Allaby LIST SENT
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383636#post2383636)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2384951#post2384951)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385951#post2385951)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2387440#post2387440)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2388454#post2388454)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2390535#post2390535)
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2390708#post2390708)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2390749#post2390749)
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2390767#post2390767)

Torgo- LIST SENT
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383975#post2383975)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385147#post2385147)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385797#post2385797)
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2387114#post2387114)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2387535#post2387535)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2388835#post2388835)
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2391671#post2391671)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2392515#post2392515)
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2393397#post2393397)

Raul LIST SENT
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2384106#post2384106)
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385148#post2385148)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2385231#post2385231)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2386384#post2386384)
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2386461#post2386461)
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2388834#post2388834)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2389464#post2389464)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2391041#post2391041)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2392521#post2392521)

Wyldesyde
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2386254#post2386254)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2392031#post2392031)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2393741#post2393741)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2393742#post2393742)
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2397362#post2397362)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2397943#post2397943)
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2398783#post2398783)

Siddon LIST SENT
A Hero (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2394788#post2394788)
Interiors (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2395217#post2395217)
Sunset Boulevard (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2397404#post2397404)
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2397794#post2397794)
The Verdict (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2398400#post2398400)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2398404#post2398404)
Herod's Law (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2398688#post2398688)
Days of Heaven (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2398774#post2398774)
Gone Baby Gone (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2398783#post2398783)

Deadline: July 14

[Torgo]

I'm ready for another one of these. I'll send you my pick later.

[Citizen Rules]

I hope to join, but for the first time ever I'm going to wait until after the reveal, I don't feel like watching some of the more extreme stuff that people have been nominating lately.

[Allaby]

I’m in. I promise my pick is going to be wholesome this time.

[Allaby]

I tried to send my nomination, but it said you had exceeded the stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages.

[rauldc14]

I just cleared it. My bad

[rauldc14]

3 noms in, 3 different decades, 3 different genres

[Allaby]

3 noms in, 3 different decades, 3 different genres

Cool! :cool:

[Wyldesyde19]

I think I’ll join back up. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done this.

[PHOENIX74]

Here we go again!

Citizen Rules - my pick isn't extreme either

[rauldc14]

We literally have 5 nominations from 5 different decades. Cool stuff.

[Miss Vicky]

I'll keep an eye on this and may sign up depending on what gets nominated and whether I can come up with something I think is HOF worthy.

[Wyldesyde19]

Going to narrow my choices down soon.

[Siddon]

Going to narrow my choices down soon.


you got it narrowed down yet?


also just five people...never thought we would need to do a double nom for a main hall

[cricket]

Think I'll get in this. Been busy but I have some time off coming up. Just have to pick a nomination.

[Citizen Rules]

you got it narrowed down yet?


also just five people...never thought we would need to do a double nom for a main hallI'll most likely join. I've been in every main HoF since the 8th.

[Wyldesyde19]

you got it narrowed down yet?


also just five people...never thought we would need to do a double nom for a main hall
Narrowed it down to two

[rauldc14]

I got Crickets nom. Funny enough it's literally a movie in different decades right now

[rauldc14]

you got it narrowed down yet?


also just five people...never thought we would need to do a double nom for a main hall

Six now. If Wylde and Citizen join then 8 would be plenty and we may get a couple late signups.

[rauldc14]

I'm a liar. One decade has 2

[rauldc14]

Unveil will probably be around 11am Central time on Wednesday! Hopefully get a couple more of you.

[seanc]

I’m in. Nom sent

[rauldc14]

Narrowed it down to two

How about now? :)

[Torgo]

I prefer Happy Gilmore to Billy Madison, for what it's worth.

[rauldc14]

I got Wyldes nom. It is neither Happy Gilmore nor Billy Madison

[Citizen Rules]

I sent in my nom...92408

[rauldc14]

In about two hours I will do the unveil

cricket
seanc
Citizen Rules
Torgo
Siddon
Allaby
Wyldesyde19
PHOENIX74

[Allaby]

In about two hours I will do the unveil

cricket
seanc
Citizen Rules
Torgo
Siddon
Allaby
Wyldesyde19
PHOENIX74

🥳🥳🥳

[rauldc14]

Sons of the Desert
1933, Directed by William Seiter
https://www.intofilm.org/intofilm-production/scaledcropped/1096x548https%3A/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.cdn.filmclub.org/film__4143-sons-of-the-desert--hi_res-69e4590e.jpg/film__4143-sons-of-the-desert--hi_res-69e4590e.jpg

Sunset Boulevard
1950, Directed by Billy Wilder
https://www.slashfilm.com/img/gallery/the-sunset-blvd-silent-film-scene-is-more-significant-than-you-thought/l-intro-1648129406.jpg

The Duelists
1977, Directed by Ridley Scott
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bsTWkNiCOSQ/UPy5lv_e4FI/AAAAAAAAFtQ/ZOjNCZmNLFw/s1600/The-Duellists+2.jpg

Days of Heaven
1978, Directed by Terrence Malick
https://d21ehp1kf1k9m9.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/19132114/days-of-heaven-2.jpg

Interiors
1978, Directed by Woody Allen
https://garmentozine.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/interiorsb2.jpg

The Verdict
1982, Directed by Sidney Lumet
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/57e05e534402434aa0f846c2/1534978384643-LRN586W2M0VOQULVGI0C/13recs-slide-LFSX-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg?format=1500w&content-type=image%2Fjpeg

Herod's Law
1999, Directed by Luis Estrada
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9m7dMc787nU/YVuMme1MVXI/AAAAAAAAca4/wS6YUN6O12kM3XmU9cUnq8TTnnILqz0NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s869/Damian%2BAlcazar%2BHerod%2527s%2BLaw.PNG

Gone Baby Gone
2007, Directed by Ben Affleck
https://www.pluggedin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gone-baby-gone-1024x598.jpg

A Hero
2021, Directed by Asghar Farhadi
https://www.alternateending.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/nM6yVVKjzUDv9pO6V9pwHVCHb85-scaled.jpg

[seanc]

Nice group of noms. A Ridley Scott I haven’t seen and a movie I have never heard of, Herod’s Law. Plus an excuse to watch another Laurel and Hardy. Should be fun.

[rauldc14]

I'll let everyone guess who nominated what for a bit.

[cricket]

Have not seen A Hero, Herod's Law, or The Duellists, the latter is already on my war watchlist. Out of the other 6, there's 1 I didn't care for the 1st time.

Actually there's another I haven't been a fan of.

[cricket]

I see Herods's Law is from the same director as El Infierno, which made my 2010's ballot.

[rauldc14]

I've seen 5 of the 9. 2 that I've really been wanting to rewatch for a long time. Looks like a good set to me!

[John-Connor]

Sunset Boulevard, Days of Heaven and The Verdict are great, expect Sunset to win. Was planning on watching The Duellists for the War countdown so I'll share my thoughts on it here.

[Wyldesyde19]

I’ve seen 7 of the 9 nominations.

Haven’t seen The Duellists or Sons of the Desert yet.

I just recently watched both Interiors and A Hero in the past year.

I own The Verdict, Gone Baby Gone, and Days of Heaven.

Sunset Boulevard is probably the front runner

[Allaby]

Good, diverse group of nominations. I’ve seen 5 of the 9.

[cricket]

I've been meaning to watch Gone Baby Gone again. Have only seen it once.

[cricket]

Now I see that A Hero was already on my watchlist. Very nice.

[Torgo]

Nice set of choices. I've seen 5 out of 9 and I'm happy to see them again. I'm most looking forward to Interiors, which is probably my largest '70s Woody Allen blindspot.

[Citizen Rules]

Good choices everyone, this looks like it's going to be a fun HoF...

My guess as to who chose what is:
Sons of the Desert 1933 - Allaby
Sunset Boulevard 1950
The Duelists 1977 - Phoenix
Days of Heaven 1978 -Torgo
Interiors 1978 - Sean
The Verdict 1982 - Siddon
Herod's Law 1999 - Cricket
Gone Baby Gone - Rauldc
A Hero 2021 - Wyldesyde

Which must mean I picked the remaining one, or did I?

[Torgo]

My guesses:

Sons of the Desert - Allaby
Sunset Boulevard - Citizen
The Duellists - Sean
Days of Heaven - Cricket
Interiors - Phoenix
Herod's Law - Siddon
Gone Baby Gone - Wyldesyde
A Hero - Rauldc

[Siddon]

Sons of the Desert - Allaby
Sunset Boulevard - Citizen
Days of Heaven -Sean
Interiors - Phoenix
The Verdict -Torgo
Herod's Law - Wyldesyde
Gone Baby Gone - Rauldc
A Hero - Cricket

[Citizen Rules]

As usually I haven't seen many of the noms, only 3 of 9. Which is strange because I do watch a movie a day but not the movies you guys watch I guess:D I'll be watching all 9 of them so I have a fresh memory of them when it comes to voting.

[Siddon]

Sons of the Desert - I watched it once wasn't that impressed by it

Sunset Blvd -Maybe one of the five greatest films to never win Best Picture so it should do pretty well.

The Duelists - This was my picka film I saw recently that I would give five stars to

Days of Heaven - I saw it once...boring to the point of being annoying

Interiors - It's nice to see a Woody Allen film show up...this is more of a lesser Allen film but I look forward to the revisit.

The Verdict - one of the few films I gave a second chance to and loved it. I think you have to be of a certain age and mindset to enjoy this one. This hall defiantly has a theme.

Gone Baby Gone - this was my favorite film of that year so It'll likely score highly on the rewatch.

A Hero - blind watch
Herod's Law - blind watch

[beelzebubble]

My prediction is Sunset Boulevard wins. It is such a fabulous Billy Wilder movie. Wilder is great as both a writer and a director. You are going to love this if you haven't seen it before.

[Wyldesyde19]

Sons of the Desert*
Haven’t seen, has been on my watch list for a decade at least

Sunset Boulevard*
Great film. Wilder is a master!

The Duellists
One of only a handful of Ridley Scott films I have yet to see, so looking forward to this.
*
Days of Heaven*
Saw it once about 15 years ago, liked it, didn’t love it which I can say about most Malick films.

Interiors*
Loved it. Top 5 Allen
*
The Verdict*
Saw this once about 15 years ago I think? Liked it, could definitely use a rewatch
*
Herod's Law*
My pick. Started to dive further into Mexican cinema outside the “Three Amigos” (Innaritu, Cauron and Del Torro) side note, fits nicely into a double bill with Perfect Dictatorship by the same director

Gone Baby Gone*
Really liked this one

A Hero*
Watched this last year and enjoyed it.

[cricket]

Sons of the Desert*
Haven’t seen, has been on my watch list for a decade at least

Sunset Boulevard*
Great film. Wilder is a master!

The Duellists
One of only a handful of Ridley Scott films I have yet to see, so looking forward to this.
*
Days of Heaven*
Saw it once about 15 years ago, liked it, didn’t love it which I can say about most Malick films.

Interiors*
Loved it. Top 5 Allen
*
The Verdict*
Saw this once about 15 years ago I think? Liked it, could definitely use a rewatch
*
Herod's Law*
My pick. Started to dive further into Mexican cinema outside the “Three Amigos” (Innaritu, Cauron and Del Torro) side note, fits nicely into a double bill with Perfect Dictatorship by the same director

Gone Baby Gone*
Really liked this one

A Hero*
Watched this last year and enjoyed it.

Have you seen El Infierno? I loved it but it never occurred to me to check out what else the director has done.

[cricket]

Interiors

https://garmentozine.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/interiorsb2.jpg

This wasn't as hard hitting as the first time I watched it but it's still probably my favorite Woody Allen film. I immediately thought of Bergman, and a look at some of the reviews confirms that's a common observation. Allen doesn't appear in the film and there's not a drop of humor. If this is my favorite Woody Allen film, I'm probably not the biggest Woody Allen fan. I find it interesting that these characters seem to have no severe problems yet happiness eludes them. Strong performances and dialogue.

3.5+

[Wyldesyde19]

Have you seen El Infierno? I loved it but it never occurred to me to check out what else the director has done.
I haven’t yet, but it’s on my watch list! I’ve heard it’s pretty good.

[PHOENIX74]

Wow - I've seen a fair few of these, and have them on DVD, which means I can hit the ground running.

Sons of the Desert - I've never seen a full-length Laurel and Hardy film before. This'll be interesting, but I'm not sure if I'll like it or not - I'll go in with an open mind and look over the film carefully so I get every little comedic nuance.

Sunset Boulevard - Amazing, incredible - already the winner in my book. I'm surprised this hasn't won a previous Hall of Fame.

The Duelists - I have the Imprint DVD release of this, and I've been meaning to give it a second watch because I remember nothing from the first. I was probably not concentrating properly - and I look forward to getting to know the film properly.

Days of Heaven - I've been meaning to see this for a long time. I'll get the Criterion edition if there is one, and if it's available.

Interiors - Saw this a long, long time ago - I have it on DVD, and I'm in a much better place movie-watching-wise to appreciate it more than that first viewing.

The Verdict - Funny, I've been thinking about this film recently and how I need to see it again. I don't think I have for over 30 years, and I reckon I'll enjoy it.

Herod's Law - Never heard of this one - the only film I can say that for! The real dark horse.

Gone Baby Gone - This is really, really good. I don't mind watching this again, even if I last saw it only a year or so ago. It's one of those great films I can always enjoy.

A Hero - This film is really good - in fact, really great ;-)

[Citizen Rules]

I need a link to A Hero (2021), I can't find it.

[PHOENIX74]

I'm going to try and do this for each film that's nominated as I come across them. See how I go anyway, just for fun and to see how each film fared on the awards circuit - it at least takes me beyond the Oscars as a measure of how critically successful a film is.

https://i.postimg.cc/xCmkd8ts/interiors2.jpg
INTERIORS (1978)

Awards Leaderboard

10 - Woody Allen (2 wins)
5 - Maureen Stapleton (2 wins)
5 - Geraldine Page (2 wins)
2 - Diane Keaton (1 win)

https://i.postimg.cc/6QhyFgb3/oscar2.png - Oscars

Nom - Best Actress in a Leading Role - Geraldine Page
Nom - Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Maureen Stapleton
Nom - Best Director - Woody Allen
Nom - Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - Woody Allen
Nom - Best Art Direction-Set Decoration - Mel Bourne & Daniel Robert

https://i.postimg.cc/y6RkHDbt/bafta.jpg - BAFTAs

Nom - Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles - Mary Beth Hurt
Nom - Best Supporting Actress - Geraldine Page

https://i.postimg.cc/FzxvKXcd/golden-globe.jpg - Golden Globes

Nom - Best Director - Motion Picture - Woody Allen
Nom - Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Geraldine Page
Nom - Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture - Maureen Stapleton
Nom - Best Screenplay - Motion Picture - Woody Allen

https://i.postimg.cc/qqFLyz29/writer-s-guild.jpg - Writer's Guild of America

Nom - Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen - Woody Allen

https://i.postimg.cc/cJDX09rx/sant-jordi.jpg - Sant Jordi Awards

WIN - Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera) - Woody Allen

https://i.postimg.cc/GmKjx7PF/fotogramas.jpg - Fotogramas de Plata

WIN - Best Foreign Movie Performer (Mejor intérprete de cine extranjero) - Diane Keaton

https://i.postimg.cc/xC3jXmV1/film-critics-trophy.jpg - National Society of Film Critics Awards

Nom - Best Supporting Actress - Maureen Stapleton
Nom - Best Screenplay - Woody Allen (5th Place)

https://i.postimg.cc/wTyXmx3d/los-angeles-film-critics.png - Los Angeles Film Critics Association

WIN - Best Supporting Actress - Maureen Stapleton
Nom - Best Director - Woody Allen
Nom - Best Supporting Actress - Geraldine Page
Nom - Best Screenplay - Woody Allen

https://i.postimg.cc/Yqb31Dz1/kansas-city-film-critics-circle-awards.jpg - Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards

WIN - Best Film
WIN - Best Actress - Geraldine Page
WIN - Best Director - Woody Allen


https://i.postimg.cc/52zXx6y6/new-york-film-critics-circle.jpg - New York Film Critics Circle Awards

WIN - Best Supporting Actress - Maureen Stapleton

https://i.postimg.cc/C5WwtsjJ/The-National-Board-of-Review-Logo-copy.webp - National Board of Review Awards

WIN - Top Ten Films

https://i.postimg.cc/d01th3t2/jupiter-award.jpg - Jupiter Awards

Nom - Best International Actress - Diane Keaton

Awards Leaderboard

10 - Woody Allen (2 wins)
5 - Maureen Stapleton (2 wins)
5 - Geraldine Page (2 wins)
2 - Diane Keaton (1 win)

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/NjHp3Dxr/interiors.jpg

Interiors - 1978

Directed by Woody Allen

Written by Woody Allen

Starring Kristin Griffith, Mary Beth Hurt, Richard Jordan, Diane Keaton
E. G. Marshall, Geraldine Page, Maureen Stapleton & Sam Waterston

A long time ago, when my movie taste was considerably different to what it is now, I bought myself a Woody Allen boxed set with the likes of Bananas, Sleeper and Annie Hall in it - but there was one curious inclusion I'd never heard of - Interiors. My first surprise was that this is a Woody Allen film in which he didn't feature as an actor. It was quite common for films from 1985 or later for Woody to take a back seat acting-wise, but before that he had a starring role in most everything he wrote and directed. This film of his happened to be the only film from this period I didn't know about, and when I watched it the film was so different from what he was making during that era that it blew my mind : I hated it. Decades later I come to Interiors with a new mindset, knowing what it's like and where the inspiration for it came from. My reaction to the film was a complete 180 degree turn-around - Interiors is actually a great film, and it profoundly moved me.

Arthur (E. G. Marshall) begins the film by narrating. His is an idyllic story at first, marrying Eve (Geraldine Page) and having three daughters, Renata (Diane Keaton), Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) and Flyn (Kristin Griffith) - but then he goes on to say "suddenly one day, out of nowhere, an enormous abyss opened up beneath our feet and I was staring into a face I didn't recognize." The narrative begins with Arthur announcing he wants to separate from Eve, and he does this with his daughters present at the table. Eve struggles with this throughout the film, at one stage attempting suicide, and she desperately tries to win Arthur back through their daughters. Renata is a poet, and married to Frederick (Richard Jordan) and living with existential dread. Joey is uncertain about her career path, and is in a relationship with Mike (Sam Waterston) - she appears to be the closest to Eve, but also resents her mother's dependence on her emotional support. Flyn is an actress, and often too far away to regularly socialize with the family unit. When Arthur brings a new woman home, Pearl (Maureen Stapleton), after a trip to Greece, it stirs resentment, fear and emotional turmoil in every other member of the family.

Woody Allen found himself nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the 1979 Oscars for Interiors (he'd won a Best Director Oscar and Best Original Screenplay the previous year for Annie Hall.) It's interesting to note that Allen's primary influence for this film was Ingmar Bergman, and that he was pitted against Bergman for Autumn Sonata in the Best Screenplay category. Both men lost out to Nancy Dowd, the great Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones who had written the screenplay for Coming Home. A tough category, but I might have just voted for Autumn Sonata myself, despite the great quality of Allen's Interiors. Apparently he wasn't completely confident doing straight drama yet, but that's probably because he wanted this to be perfect, and it already stands out from most offerings from '78. He said 'Well, we pulled this one out by the short hairs, didn't we?' to editor Ralph Rosenblum - obviously the editing was a critical stage for this one.

I enjoyed the fact that every character in this tale had a very layered and complex history. They all had things going on. For example, Renata's husband Frederick feels inadequate and diminished, for his writing career isn't going as well as that of his wife. She tries to support him and give him confidence, but this is just seen by him as empty platitudes and unwarranted praise. He needs outside validation, but the critics are rubbishing his work and he feels tortured. Later in the film he tries to drunkenly get something going with Flyn, but she rejects his advances which leads to one horrifying moment when he tries to rape her. She manages to fight him off, and we never see the eventual fallout from such a dark moment in the film. The film can focus so intently on side-characters because of it's small cast - the only other people we see are these characters at a younger age, and only in a brief flashback.

One thing that throws the dark and somber movie into a more interesting light is the introduction of Maureen Stapleton's Pearl. She's not an intellectual - unlike every single other member of the family, and as such is an even greater outsider than she would have been. Her cheery nature is at such odds to the depressed and melancholy Eve, and obviously this is why Arthur left Eve - he couldn't deal with that darker side of life. Stapleton brings a big bright change to the film, as she plays the only character who can arrive on the scene free from the darkness and sorrow growing at the heart of Arthur's daughters. She ended up being nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, but Maggie Smith won for her role in California Suite. Allen has often said that he wished he'd introduced Pearl earlier, but only because critics thought the first half of the film was too dour. I like it the way it is, and enjoy films that sometimes have very distinct halves.

In the meantime, Geraldine Page occupies the film's very heart. The sadness is coming from her, and although she'd already been that kind of character before her husband had left, his leaving completely destroys her. I felt so sad for Eve, and Allen does such things as have her break down in tears during her birthday celebrations, telling her daughters that she has nothing left to live for. The hope she keeps on displaying, despite the fact that her situation is hopeless, really gets to me. She should be at a stage in her life where she's helping her daughters - but instead her daughters are trying to prop her up and support her. Page is fantastic in this, and she received her third Oscar nomination for Best Actress (won by Jane Fonda for Coming Home) - she would win on her fifth nomination, just a year before her death in 1986, for her role in The Trip to Bountiful. Woody Allen had initially wanted Ingrid Bergman to play the part of Eve, but funnily enough she couldn't because she was too busy appearing in Autumn Sonata.

The film is very well shot by Allen's 70s and 80s regular cinematographer Gordon Willis, and both Mel Bourne and Daniel Robert would be nominated for a Best Art Direction/Set Decoration Oscar (won by Heaven Can Wait) - Page is playing a great interior decorator after all. I love that the film's title is "Interiors" - a very nice play on the word and it's many meanings. There's not much music in it, and no accompanying score - which matches the coldness and somber tone of much that happens in this. It's somewhat ironic that I often come away from these films energized and happy, despite how sad they are - I'm just so glad that I've just watched a really great film that I got a lot out of. Woody Allen was 43-years-old when Interiors came out, and although I'm older than that now, I think being around this age gives a person a much better perspective, and a lot more understanding so they can relate to what happens in this. I can see a lot of really young people being turned off - but I thought it was excellent, and a key moment in Allen's career. If he'd failed at this, he might have stuck to comedy for much longer, but the fact that he "pulled this one out by the short hairs" set him up to produce a body of work nearly unparalleled in U.S. film history. That he could explore so many interiors in such an exacting and empathetic way is something that deserves credit and respect.

4

[cricket]

Super review Phoenix, everything I wanted to say if I had the patience and ability.

[cricket]

Sunset Boulevard

https://images.ctfassets.net/jxsch4jish6b/photo-46033/c6cc435f611a199e9c58df191328bf47/46033-sunset-blvd.jpg

When I saw this nominated I just assumed it would battle for last place on my ballot. I had seen it multiple times already and I just never cared for it. Now I can't even remember what I didn't like about it, but I think it had something to do with the character of Norma Desmond.

Perhaps due to what countdowns we've been doing, I haven't been watching as many classics the last couple of years. This occurs to me because my first thought once I put this on was how nice it was to be watching a film so well done in that classic style. I appreciated it right away. The story and the character of Desmond just worked for me this time, whereas before the lead performance just came off as over the top. I can now understand why so many view it as a masterpiece. I felt the same way until the last 20 minutes or so, which I can't pinpoint a problem with, but it just felt a little flat. I always hope to not see films nominated that I've already seen multiple times, but it's great when it ends up with me having new appreciation for a revered classic.

4

[Citizen Rules]

Sunset Boulevard

When I saw this nominated I just assumed it would battle for last place on my ballot. I had seen it multiple times already and I just never cared for it. Now I can't even remember what I didn't like about it, but I think it had something to do with the character of Norma Desmond.

Perhaps due to what countdowns we've been doing, I haven't been watching as many classics the last couple of years. This occurs to me because my first thought once I put this on was how nice it was to be watching a film so well done in that classic style. I appreciated it right away. The story and the character of Desmond just worked for me this time, whereas before the lead performance just came off as over the top. I can now understand why so many view it as a masterpiece. I felt the same way until the last 20 minutes or so, which I can't pinpoint a problem with, but it just felt a little flat. I always hope to not see films nominated that I've already seen multiple times, but it's great when it ends up with me having new appreciation for a revered classic.

rating_4
Glad you liked it more this time around. The reason I chose it was the war countdown...No it's not a war film but I just rewatched Stalag 17 and realized that Billy Wilder effortlessly blends dire consequences with life's irrelevant humor that seems to pop up when we at least expect it. Sometimes it does seem life plays strange jokes on us and Wilder taps into that. He might be my favorite director.


Then there's William Holden, who effortlessly plays his role without ever feeling slimey. He makes his decisions as bad as they are seem reasonable. I'd count him as a favorite actor.

[cricket]

Glad you liked it more this time around. The reason I chose it was the war countdown...No it's not a war film but I just rewatched Stalag 17 and realized that Billy Wilder effortlessly blends dire consequences with life's irrelevant humor that seems to pop up when we at least expect it. Sometimes it does seem life plays strange jokes on us and Wilder taps into that. He might be my favorite director.


Then there's William Holden, who effortlessly plays his role without ever feeling slimey. He makes his decisions as bad as they are seem reasonable. I'd count him as a favorite actor.

I'm also a big fan of Wilder and Holden. Who isn't?

[seanc]

92430

Sons of the Desert

Knew this would be a tough one for me being fairly familiar with Laurel and Hardy humor. I certainly need to see more of their stuff though, so I wasn’t disappointed it showed. It really never worked for me, I think I did manage one chuckle. Straight comedy is tough, because if the laughs aren’t working, there really isn’t anything else to latch onto. Sorry I didn’t enjoy it more, but glad to have seen it.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Ek4ElWCuZRUVyLhqsVdEQwHaEK%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=6c772b32a3e4eeb98731f1752da6367e3f633a38e9f41a518469eb2861e38c0a&ipo=images
Sons of the Desert (1933)


I haven't been much of a fan of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy though I do realize the unique comic talent that these two men had. Being that Sons of the Desert was the first time I've seen Laurel and Hardy in a feature length movie it gave me something that their comic shorts don't....character backstory. I enjoyed seeing their martial lives and where they lived and their wives too. I got a kick out of Stan's wife who shows up for the first time with a shotgun in one hand and dead ducks in the other! Wow...that was a good move on the director's part as she looks dangerous, poor little Stan. I liked the other actress too who played Oliver's wife.

There was some funny bits in the film that made me laugh out loud and I'm glad I watched it.

[rauldc14]

It's a busy next couple of days for me. I'll catch up on tagging on Sunday. Looks like people are getting off to a nice start

[cricket]

I'm saving Sons of the Desert for a work night, cuz it's short:D

[Allaby]

I watched Interiors (1978) for the first time this evening. Woody Allen is one of my top 10 favourite directors of all time and I have seen more films by him than I have by any other director. I have now seen 43 of his films. I'm not sure why I hadn't gotten around to watching this before. Interiors is Allen's most serious and somber drama and although it is well made, I would rank it in the bottom half of his filmography. The film features a strong ensemble cast and all give fine performances. I can't say I really enjoyed the performances, but they were convincing and effective. I felt the story was somewhat lacking though. There is potential here for it to have more impact and be more compelling. For me, Interiors was only mildly interesting. At times, the film felt a little too slow and a bit dull. It felt longer than what it was. There were some strong, dramatic moments though. I did also like the look of the film. I'm glad it was nominated so that I finally got around to watching it. 3.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/XqQ9VFfG/the-duellists.jpg


THE DUELLISTS(1977)



Awards Leaderboard

3 - Ridley Scott (2 wins)
2 - Frank Tidy (no wins)
1 - Tom Rand (no wins)

https://i.postimg.cc/CMkFWSh0/cannes.png - Cannes Film Festival

WIN - Best First Work - Ridley Scott
Nom - Palme d'Or - Ridley Scott

https://i.postimg.cc/y6RkHDbt/bafta.jpg - BAFTAs

Nom - Best Cinematography - Frank Tidy
Nom - Best Costume Design - Tom Rand

https://i.postimg.cc/jSzdPT1v/british-cinematographers.webp - British Society of Cinematographers Awards

Nom - Best Cinematography - Frank Tidy

https://i.postimg.cc/RZRh29Th/david-di.jpg - David di Donatello Awards

WIN - Best Foreign Director - Ridley Scott

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/Hx7v7MxM/the-duellists.jpg

The Duellists - 1977

Directed by Ridley Scott

Written by Gerald Vaughan-Hughes
Based on the short story "The Duel" by Joseph Conrad

Starring Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel, Albert Finney, Edward Fox
Cristina Raines, Diana Quick & Tom Conti

By the latter half of the 1970s Stanley Kubrick had set a new standard for period films with his Barry Lyndon, and in stepped television commercial maestro Ridley Scott, taking inspiration from him on a budget considerable more constrained to make The Duellists - an impressively rich and good-looking film steeped in it's historical setting - the Napoleonic wars. It traces the irrevocable course of blind hatred and dutybound honor which leads two officers into a series of deadly duels over a period of 16 years - two very different characters played by up-and-comers Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel. The 'strapped-for-cash' invention makes this look like a film that had a bigger budget than it did, and features some beautiful cinematography, set decoration, production design and costuming - not to mention a captivating, period-rich score. It was greatly overshadowed by Scott's masterpiece and box-office hit Alien, but deserves to be noted as a great first-up effort from the filmmaker.

In Strasbourg, during the year 1800, Gabriel Feraud (Keitel) badly wounds the mayor's nephew in a duel over a matter of honor, and Lieutenant Armand d'Hubert (Carradine) is sent to inform him that he's under house arrest. In a classic case of "blaming the messenger", Feraud becomes enraged, and in the ensuing argument challenges d'Hubert himself to a duel with sabers. D'Hubert wounds Feraud in the arm, but before he can deliver a more telling blow Feraud's lover jumps on him and scratches his face. The two meet again in Augsburg, 1801, and this time Feraud deeply pierces d'Hubert's chest, after which he's unable to go on. Once recovered (and after practicing a great deal) the two go at it again, and this time it's a long, drawn out affair as they fight each other to a bloody, exhausted standstill - neither killing the other. In Lubeck, 1806, Feraud happens upon d'Hubert again and insists they duel on horseback to honor the cavalry - this time d'Hubert slashes Feraud's scalp, and as the flowing blood makes it impossible to see, he must withdraw. They meet in Russia, 1812, but they must fight together, instead of each other, in difficult circumstances. It won't be until 1816, after d'Hubert marries, that the final duel between them draws a curtain over their years-long feud.

My favourite part, other than the sterling cinematography and score? The way Carradine's d'Hubert reacts every time he finds out he's been spotted by Feraud or one of his men. Ever been hurriedly leaving a party before someone you dread sees you, only to be noticed as you're seconds from the door? He's a man caught by his own sense of what's right, and can't back down - not only for fear of being labeled a coward, but by reason of his own self esteem. As a high ranking Hussar, there is a strict code of honor to adhere to. Feraud, by contrast, is like a stubborn dog who'll never let go of a bone. By a certain stage in proceedings, both parties have pretty much forgotten what exactly caused their initial disagreement (d'Hubert still isn't sure when he ponders the matter immediately after the first duel.) Feraud just won't let it go however, and he's a man who will carry a grudge to the grave (no matter how quickly the grudge is made, nor what little circumstance causes it.) The fact that his initial duel with d'Hubert happens to be the second deadly duel he's involved with on the same day, pertains to how easily offended he his, and the fact that he carries this on for over 15 years tells you everything you need to know about his tenacity.

Ridley Scott brought cinematographer Frank Tidy with him onto this production, being familiar with the way he worked with him on television commercials. He does a very impressive job on his first feature film here - and you'd never guess it was his first movie. Scott wanted the visuals to reflect the still-life paintings and artwork of the period, much like Kubrick had done with Barry Lyndon. The next-to-last shot of the film is one of those remarkable shots you take away with you, as Feraud stands Napoleon-like and the sun at first peeks over the verdent, green scenery, and then unleashes it's bright majesty over the landscape. Pure luck that this beauty unveiled itself at that exact moment. There's a lot of great real-life French architecture, along with French and Scottish landscapes, to provide a solid background for many beautifully vivid moments. Interesting to note that Ridley Scott "operated" the camera while making this film, which basically means that Tidy would have set the shots up, and fixed the lighting, but Scott would have been the one looking through the viewfinder while shots were being filmed, operating the camera. This was apparently very unusual in European filmmaking at the time. The Duellists looks fantastic, and delivers on the visual front.

Howard Blake, the man who combined with Queen to give Flash Gordon a sonic accompaniment which absolutely, unequivocally rocks, is the man Ridley trusted to provide a very romantic yet simple theme which swells from time to time, and very varied, effective music throughout. One of my favourite aspect to the film was what Blake did with the music during the duel on horseback - which becomes almost horror-like and as crushingly daunting as you can get, matching the sudden and unexpected panic d'Hubert goes through. The repeating theme music, first heard during the opening credits, has stuck with me as well, and probably will for some time to come. Blake varies things a lot though, and there are many cues and differing approaches to what he's providing for the film - powerful, on edge, exultant or easy-going. Much of it gives the feel of belonging to the classical, early 19th Century setting of the film - probably what you'd expect for a period film of this nature. I enjoyed it very much.

Romance is provided for d'Hubert in this film - although we see Feraud's lovers, it's d'Hubert's story we follow for the most part. Keith Carradine's partner at the time, Cristina Raines, ended up playing d'Hubert's eventual wife, Adele. She had appeared in Nashville with Carradine a few years previously. Diana Quick plays d'Hubert's previous mistress, and we also get the pleasure of seeing Albert Finney and Edward Fox in the movie - both of whom manage to do a lot with their small roles. (It's said Finney was paid for his appearance with a case of champagne.) Overall a great cast, with actors I enjoy watching. Initially, Scott wanted Oliver Reed and Michael York for the two leads - but I prefer the two leads we ended up getting instead of them, and I think Reed and York would have dated the film, while Keitel and Carradine have a feeling of exuberant youth and vigour. Keitel looks like the kind of guy who'd harbour that kind of grudge and resentment - so he does a great job of embodying his role.

The only other aspect to The Duellists which is interesting is the true life story that Joseph Conrad's short story (which was expanded upon by screenwriter Gerald Vaughan-Hughes, and then expanded even further when novelized by Gordon Williams) is based on. Pierre Dupont de l'Étang and François Fournier-Sarlovèze were two officers in France's Grande Armée who ended up fighting at least 30 duels against each other. Much like in the film, the initial disagreement was over the delivery of a message, and the final duel ended up settling the dispute in very much the same way the film represents it did. The two historical figures are real, but I can't say for certain whether every other detail of their story is 100% factual. Makes for a good film - Ridley Scott initially wanted to make a film about Gunpowder Plot of 17th Century England, but I think it was a much better option to make this if his budget was going to be as constrained as it was - under a million dollars.

The Duellists is as solid as solid can get, and looks and sounds like a film tens times it's budget. I really liked the performers, the cinematography and the score. Gerald Vaughan-Hughes wrote a first-rate screenplay, and despite constant rain, Ridley Scott and his smallish crew chugged along in a professional fashion and made what is shaping up to be a cult favourite amongst film fans, and fans of Scott's oeuvre. I'd never heard of it until accidentally coming across it one day, surprised by it's very existence - all the more so after finding out it had the credentials and quality to bely it's lack of exposure. Last (but certainly not least) of all, to William Hobbs - the fight director and Swordmaster behind the brilliant and very realistic swordfights that make this movie - well done sir. I'm glad this film didn't buy into anything silly, but instead decided to take this in as real a direction as it could. Every little nuance is paid attention to, and every moment of mortal danger heightens the tension and thrills the senses. In the early 19th Century, a duel to the death marked the most important few seconds of a man's life, and perhaps the last few seconds of his life.

4

[cricket]

Not going to read that^^^was thinking of watching it today.

[cricket]

The Duellists

https://64.media.tumblr.com/69db94a1f0d24b40d2befa4381b18b4a/tumblr_n3fetulSyo1rtv2o1o2_r1_400.gifv

After seeing this mentioned a couple of times in the war threads, I was already planning on watching it for the upcoming war countdown. Well, I don't see it as a war film. Regardless, it's an impressive debut from Ridley Scott. It looks and sounds great and has a nice pace. I love Harvey Keitel but wasn't sure I'd get used to him in this role and those clothes, but his aura works great for the character. Keith Carradine is every bit his equal, and despite a fine supporting cast, it's their show. I appreciate that it wasn't dragged out because historical type pics often are. It's basically one duel to the next until the end. That was enough to make it an entertaining and worthwhile watch.

3.5

[seanc]

92441

Herrod’s Law: This is the kind of comedy I dig. Not a belly laugher, just a very humorous tone throughout. All the humor being drawn through the characters and absurd situations. Really well written social satire. Glad to have seen it because the movie and director were not on my radar at all.

[seanc]

92442

The Duellists: Probably the hall movie I was most looking forward to because it is a Ridley Scott movie I haven’t seen. Cricket said the pacing was good, but I found it feeling a bit chopped up at times. I enjoy a good period piece, and luxuriating in the era. That’s really my only negative thought, because the story is fun and told well. The movie looks amazing. I really love the setting and landscapes. I also settled into Keitel’s character, but why directors were casting him into roles where his accent stands out so much is beyond me. Overall I really enjoyed this. Cool choice.

[John-Connor]

92455

I wouldn’t go so far as to call The Duellists ‘staggeringly beautiful’ like the movie poster says but it certainly has its beautiful moments. Especially that final shot of Harvey Keitel on top of the hill. I must say his character reminded me a bit of Yosemite Sam :D. The story is engaging the whole time. The sets, wardrobe and locations looked very authentic and worked very well to create an 1800s atmosphere. Was on my watchlist for a long time so I'm glad I finally watched it. Good film/nomination.

3.5+ 72/100


https://i.makeagif.com/media/9-18-2015/547CpK.gif

[PHOENIX74]

Off to a good start with Interiors and The Duellists - that Leonard Maltin quote had me interested enough to go and read the full review :

The Duellists - "Competent screen version of Joseph Conrad's The Duel concerns long-running feud between French officers Carradine and Keitel during the Napoleonic wars. Supporting players are more convincing than two leads; film is among most staggeringly beautiful of it's time. Scott's first feature." (He gave the film 3/4)

Here's what he said for Interiors : "Allen's first screen drama as writer-director is an Ingmar Bergmanesque study of a family full of unhappy, frustrated men and women; this drama of anguished lives is not for all tastes, but extremely well done." (He gave it 3.5/4)

[rauldc14]

Strong start guys! 10 tagged reviews in the first post already!

[Torgo]

Days of Heaven - 5

This remains one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. With its iconic cinematography of the Alberta countryside, Ennio Morricone's score as well as the recurring use of music from Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of the Animals, the movie succeeds at making you believe that this stretch of Texas farmland is heaven on Earth and makes you feel like you're not watching a movie, but instead a moving Andrew Wyeth painting. Besides the obvious in our impulsive, dueling romantic leads, I like the various ways the movie reminds us that this paradise will soon be gone, whether it's the farmer's house - which looms over everything like a vengeful god that could take these vagabonds' lucky breaks away on a whim - or what Linda and her friend's locust-catching errand foreshadows. Speaking of, I forgot how amazing and horrifying the locust invasion sequence is. The best compliment I think I can give it is that I don't want to know how Malick and company pulled it off because I'd prefer to maintain the illusion. As for Linda - and R.I.P. to Linda Manz, who we sadly lost too early - making her the narrator and our guide could be this movie's secret weapon due to how well her innocence and good nature contrasts with this world’s cruelty and absurdity. I still have issues with how the movie is edited: while I approve of the use of fadeouts for how they make the scenes resemble half-recalled memories, they sometimes end abruptly or before it seems like they're supposed to end, which often takes me out of the moment. This is not enough of an issue to change my mind about this being one of the best movies I've ever seen, though, and it also deserves credit for being one of cinema's great "paradise lost" stories.

[rauldc14]

Sunset Boulevard

https://assets.mubicdn.net/images/film/167/image-w1280.jpg?1524865854

This was my second watch and it had been a heck of a long time so I was glad to see it nominated. Like usual, Billy Wilder knocks it out of the park. I love the way the story is told, with the William Holden narration and the flashback scenes. Gloria Swanson is really good in this but the overall star for me is William Holden. The movie really ramps up in that last third of the film. It's just a film that gathers attention so well. I loved the angle of Joe and Betty getting thrown in there and Norma getting really jealous of it. While it's not my favorite Wilder film, it's damn close and it still may be his most effective. That end scene is quite grabbing and chilling too. It's one hell of a film.

[seanc]

92491

Gone Baby Gone: Dennis Lehane crime dramas are like catnip for me. It had been quite a while since I watched this so, despite remembering the ending, it actually felt pretty fresh. I had forgotten how abrupt the middle feels as it takes a turn into a different movie. Despite liking the first half quite a bit more I really like the second half too. My favorite part of the movie is Casey’s character interacting with all the locals. The characters portrayed are obviously the worst version of themselves, but I still think it comes across as authentic. Really amazing casting in this, which I am sure owes a lot to Affleck and his love for Boston and those communities.

I knew this had to be a Rauldc pick as soon as it popped up in the noms. It was great to have a reason to rewatch. This is a tough lineup of movies, but this should place pretty high for me.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F2a%2F88%2F70%2F2a8870ee2b3baca2978db5b87f9f94b2.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=bd8a98044f8913a026d872f765e6a1986bd4e9a45862bf2b93167d8f9ddd56c5&ipo=images
The Duelist (Ridley Scott 1977)


Impressive first film from the master of visual appeal, Ridley Scott. On his first outing as a feature film director, Ridley Scott shows to great effect his keen eye for all things visual. The compositions and lighting are superb as is the pre-film scouting for shooting locations that lend themselves to the Ridley treatment. Ridley uses smoke and early morning light to impart a visual eye feast for the viewer while giving depth to his compositions. I loved the look of the film, the sets & the costumes were all top notch.

I was surprised the Harvey Keitel was so effective in his role as a hell bent for a duel General. He was intense. I wish I could say the same for Keith Carradine but I didn't care for him much in this film.

What I did like was that this story was based on real events as hard as that might seem to believe. There really were two crazed duelist back in Napoleonic France. I loved the ending as I didn't figure that's how the story would wrap up, but then I read that's how it happened in real life too...Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Good movie.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/JzhwVS73/gone-baby-gone-poster.jpg

Gone Baby Gone - 2007

Directed by Ben Affleck

Written by Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard
Based on the novel "Gone, Baby, Gone" by Dennis Lehane

Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris
John Ashton, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan & Titus Welliver

MAJOR SPOILERS ARE GIVEN AWAY IN THIS REVIEW

I've slowly warmed up to Gone Baby Gone over the years, and I've slowly understood more about it's connections to Boston, along with a plotline that I wanted to follow in a precise manner - if I don't get every little step, I'm often frustrated and not satisfied. Obviously the moral dilemma, which starts to take shape when character Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) murders a paedophile execution style, but which really hits hard at the film's conclusion, is something I took away from the film the first time I saw it. That ending arrives like a thunderclap, and is something that makes the film unforgettable. It was the ending that made me enthusiastic about returning to the film, and I've seen it on numerous occasions now - I have film critics and audiences to thank for giving this film much acclaim in late '07 - over 15 years ago. Is the right thing to do always the best course of action? What if doing the right thing causes more harm than good? It's an interesting question.

Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) are small-time private investigators, chasing down people with debts and finding missing persons in Boston, where they live. When four-year-old Amanda McCready (Madeline O'Brien), daughter of drug abuser and all-round bad mother Helene (Amy Ryan) goes missing, they're contacted by Amanda's Aunt Bea (Amy Madigan) and Uncle Lionel (Titus Welliver) who want them help augment the effort of the police in searching for the girl. They consult with Captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman), along with Detective Sergeant Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) and Detective Nick Poole (John Ashton) who give them very little information to go on. It's through Patrick's contacts that he learns that Helene would associate with drug runner Ray, and this shakes the truth from the mother - she and Ray had stolen a large amount of money from crime kingpin "Cheese" (Edi Gathegi) shortly before her daughter disappeared. Ray is found beaten to death, and when an exchange is organised with the cops, a shootout occurs, Cheese is killed, and Amanda is seemingly drowned. It's only when Patrick learns that the police lied to him that he takes stock, and finds that nothing seems to add up...

I can't talk about the movie without letting massive spoilers roam free - so be warned, nothing will be left unsaid from here on out. Amanda's Uncle, Lionel had contacted Remy Bressant when Helene and Ray had stolen Cheese's money - he was hoping this would be the impetus for them to snatch Amanda and get her to a more proper and caring home. She ended up with Captain Doyle, who had stepped down from his duties after the controversies pursuant to the exchange-gone-wrong. The whole exchange had been a fraud, a show to put an end to Patrick and Angie's search. When Patrick finds Amanda at Doyle's place, the ex-Captain pleads for the investigator to let it go - Amanda's in a happy place now, and being looked after properly. If Patrick turns him in, Amanda will be sent back to a neglectful mother, and she'll be damaged as a result. But Patrick decides that it would be wrong to go back on his promise to Helene, and that no child-snatching can be justified by any means. When he visits little Amanda at her mother's house later, he finds a daughter that's once again being neglected, and in an impactful final exchange, learns that Amanda's mother had been getting the name of Amanda's favourite doll wrong the whole time - in other words, she paid no attention to her little girl. Regret starts to creep onto Patrick's face.

Why did Patrick make the decision he did? Well, he'd found a probable suspect in another child-snatching case, and when the house was raided he aided the police. Nick is hit in the neck by a bullet fired from the people inside the house, and Patrick goes in - heading upstairs to where he hopes to find the little boy. What he finds is a paedophile pleading that an "accident" had happened, a bloodied small pair of underpants, and a dead little kid. He vomits, and then, unable to control himself, shoots the sex offender in the head killing him. From that moment on, despite being congratulated by the police and not charged, he feels a nagging sense that he's done something very wrong. It eats away at him - there's no justification for killing a person in cold blood - even if that person is a monster. It's the fact he's dealing with the fallout that he makes the decision he does at the end - he does the "right" thing despite the circumstance. He's afraid that if he turns a blind eye to Amanda's abduction, he'll forever feel that nagging sense of guilt. So, despite the fact that Angie leaves him and Amanda is now in a bad situation, he turns Doyle in.

What would you do? What would I have done? It's not an easy question. Our sense of right and wrong can be influenced in exactly the same way Patrick's was - by a recent experience. Had we done the wrong thing, and been effected by a guilty conscience? Had we just done something right, and had a situation blow up in our face? Patrick regrets his decision at the end of Gone Baby Gone. Had he given Helene the benefit of the doubt? Had he overestimated how changed she'd be after losing her daughter? I always felt he was trying to salvage the mess by babysitting Amanda - that from now on in his life, he'd be little Amanda's special guardian. He'd be too afraid of meeting her later in life, damaged and addicted to drugs, and realise this was his fault. He was also afraid of being accosted by Amanda's mother later in life, with angry cries of "You knew, and you did nothing!" It's with these thoughts that we leave Gone Baby Gone. We think about situations where right and wrong are hopelessly tangled up, and even our moral compass is swinging about in a confused way. Life can be messy like that.

Director Ben Affleck got much praise for his directorial debut here, and picked up a few awards for his effort. He'd prove it wasn't just a one-off by making Argo in 2012, but the reaction to Live By Night in 2016 was more mixed - it was okay and ultimately forgettable. I enjoyed Air, which came out this year, 2023, and The Town in 2010 was solid. Despite that little nagging "nepotism" tag, Casey Affleck was okay - and I actually like this actor more than his brother. The big accolades came for Amy Ryan as white trash, neglectful mother Helene - she won over 20 varied acting awards, and was nominated for an Oscar. I thought she was great, but without knowing how feted her performance was I'd never have tagged it as above and beyond the ensemble in Gone Baby Gone - which I thought was a team effort. I think it was a huge shame that Affleck didn't give Michelle Monaghan more to do in this - she kind of follows Casey around, and has little impetus beyond that and making him feel guilty at the end. She really needed a couple of key scenes where her character was really important.

The score from Harry Gregson-Williams is subtle and understated - I like the fact that he allowed his work to take a back seat and not announce itself, but supplement certain moments. The cinematography was handled by a big name in the industry - John Toll, director of photography on The Thin Red Line and an Oscar winner for doing Braveheart and Legends of the Fall. What can I say - he handles the assignment well, as you'd very well expect him too. Production Designer Sharon Seymour has become a Ben Affleck regular, and editor William Goldenberg would go on to win an Oscar for his work on Affleck's Argo. Gone Baby Gone wasn't Ben Affleck being an actor overstretching himself - he knew exactly who he needed and seems to have found a natural fit as filmmaker. He knew the people who fit this project, and even Casey seems to suit the role he was given as much as Bobbie Kennedy suited being Attorney General despite being JFK's brother. Donna Morong and Carolyn Pickman won a Casting Society of America award for their work on this film.

Gone Baby Gone is a Boston film - Affleck's hometown, and most of the extras along with minor casting roles went to local Bostonians, at times being casted off the street as the production was rolling. You can tell that it's delving into a very specific time and place - a culture within a culture, and one that tells a very personal story as well as being an adaptation of a novel. The whole film starts with intimate little shots from the city streets, getting us to orientate ourselves to this Boston story. Of course, it's also a human story - a universal one. It translates, and it even had to be delayed in more than one country due to kidnapping cases that would have made it's release unseemly. There's nothing as heart-stopping as a kid being taken - or a small child lost somewhere needing help. In every city around the world, from time to time, parents who are frantically trying to find their child capture the attention of an entire city, or country. The power behind those moments are what bring us all together in that same fraught state of mind for most of Gone Baby Gone's running time - before the ending leaves us with that moral dilemma, and the story then stays with us long after the film has ended.

4

[cricket]

Not going to read that yet since I don't remember what happens.

[seanc]

Great review Phoenix

[Allaby]

I rewatched Gone Baby Gone today. I had seen it once before and liked it, but was even more impressed with it this time. Directed by Ben Affleck, the film stars Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan as Boston detectives hired to search for a missing girl. However, the case and the truth end up being more complicated than initially suspected.

This is a very well directed film. Ben Affleck handles the materiel quite well. He blends the right amount of suspense, thrills, and mystery in an effective and smart way. The film is thought provoking and raises some interesting and worthwhile questions. I appreciated that the film doesn't give easy answers,leaving enough ambiguity and letting the audience decide how they feel about the characters and their actions. I never felt that the film was lecturing or preaching at me, which is appreciated and worked well. Gone Baby Gone is hard hitting, emotionally powerful and feels satisfying, while still leaving the viewer thinking about it.

The performances here are quite good. This is a really strong ensemble and for me there are no weak performances. Casey Affleck would be my pick for best performance in the film, although Amy Ryan is excellent too. Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris are effective in their roles too. Gone Baby Gone is a very well made and compelling film and a worthy nomination. 4.5

[cricket]

Herod's Law (1999)

https://hukukbook.com/la-ley-de-herodes-herods-law-herodun-kanunu/herods-law-jpg3/

It would have been funny had I nominated El Infierno, which I almost did. Same director and lead actor; it's a gangster picture but there's similarities in style and narrative. I enjoyed this one from start to finish but didn't love anything about it, although I did lol a couple of times. I'm not drawn to films set in the 40's or earlier, but this really could have been modern day in a poor town. It's a topical storyline and not just in Mexico. I'm glad it was nominated by whomever picked it.

3.5

[seanc]

92587

The Verdict:

My second time watching The Verdict. On paper it should be a favorite. Moody courtroom drama penned by Mammet, directed by Lumet. It never gets to that level for me. I think it is missing those couple of memorable powerhouse scenes that I am drawn to. I think it’s pretty great though. Not surprisingly, I had forgotten most of the plot beats, so it felt fresh to me. I think Newman carries the film with ease. I really love that ending. Glad this one was nominated as well. Sometimes Halls are the only reason I get to rewatches.

[cricket]

92587

The Verdict:

My second time watching The Verdict. On paper it should be a favorite. Moody courtroom drama penned by Mammet, directed by Lumet. It never gets to that level for me. I think it is missing those couple of memorable powerhouse scenes that I am drawn to. I think it’s pretty great though. Not surprisingly, I had forgotten most of the plot beats, so it felt fresh to me. I think Newman carries the film with ease. I really love that ending. Glad this one was nominated as well. Sometimes Halls are the only reason I get to rewatches.

Me too

[Citizen Rules]

Me three.



I've seen The Verdict but don't remember it, however my wife said I liked the movie.:)

[Torgo]

Herod's Law - 3

This is a pretty good political satire that with its dark comedy and bursts of violence could be described as Coen lite. First and foremost, how bold of writer/director Luis Estrada to make it about an actual political party! It's no wonder the PRI delayed the movie’s release because unless you're someone like our "hero," Vargas, you don't exactly walk away with a favorable opinion of it. Since I don’t have much familiarity with Mexican politics, I also appreciate that the movie does a good job of being accessible to outsiders. Making the pathetic town to which Vargas is assigned a microcosm of main street Mexico helps (as does the character of Pek for being such a worthy guide to it, I might add). From the brothel to the priest who requires payment for...pretty much everything, the movie familiarized me with Mexico's political situation quickly and thankfully without being too pandering. Regardless, it provides a worthwhile study of how corruption can take root in any constituency. The performances deserve credit in this regard, especially Alcázar's as Vargas - the look on his face when the brothel owner holds money in his face will be hard to forget - as does cult director Alex Cox as the sleazy American interloper.

Despite liking quite a few things about the movie, it has issues that affected my enjoyment. I like memorable visuals in my movies, and this one's ordinary style left me starved for them. There were times when I thought it would work better as a play. Furthermore, I can't complain about the acting, but the characters are too archetypal, personality-deprived and short on depth. Estrada and company should have taken cues from The Ruling Class - which this one reminds me of - because it also has characters who personify institutions, but I remember what they're like first and what they represent second. I'm still glad I watched this, especially since I can count the number of Mexican movies I've seen on one hand. If anything, it makes me wish there were more worthy modern political satires about my country's political parties.

[rauldc14]

Interiors

https://garmentozine.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/interiorsb2.jpg

The first Woody Allen movie in which Woody Allen doesn't make an appearance, which worked for me when I saw The Purple Rose of Cairo. It's a pretty good cast here, yet not much is really asked of many of them, and as a result, there's really no sensational performances for me. The story is ok and the look of the film is just satisfactory to me. I feel like the film would have been better suited to have more comedic angles. I found it interesting that Allen tried to emulate a Bergman type feel with this movie. He even tried to cast Ingrid Bergman here, but he couldn't swing it. Anyways it's an ok movie but I wouldn't put it high up on the Allen films I've seen so far.

[Torgo]

Hmph, I figured not many HoF'ers have seen The Verdict since only a few regulars have it logged on Letterboxd. Oh well, I'm glad you're happy to rewatch it, and it's probably good for your mental health that you're not as obsessed about logging everything you've watched as I am! I also chose it since 1982 is an oddly underrepresented year in the general HoFs.

[Wyldesyde19]

Hmph, I figured not many HoF'ers have seen The Verdict since only a few regulars have it logged on Letterboxd. Oh well, I'm glad you're happy to rewatch it, and it's probably good for your mental health that you're not as obsessed about logging everything you've watched as I am! I also chose it since 1982 is an oddly underrepresented year in the general HoFs.
I should note I am way behind on logging all of my films on letterboxd that I’ve watched. Every now and then I’ll sit down and add more that I have written (which is still a lot), plus what I have been watching this year. *

[Torgo]

I should note I am way behind on logging all of my films on letterboxd that I’ve watched. Every now and then I’ll sit down and add more that I have written (which is still a lot), plus what I have been watching this year. *I doubt that anyone's is 100% up to date. Heck, I don't remember the names of a lot of the movies I've seen.

[rauldc14]

Days of Heaven

https://offscreen.com/images/made/images/articles/_resized/11_12_heaven_1000_420_90_c1.jpg

A movie that certain deserves consideration for the best cinematography ever in my opinion. The film defines beauty in film and the shots are so well done throughout the entire movie. I really came to appreciate the films story this go around. The love triangle aspect keeps me interested throughout. I really like the acting from the main 4 in the film and the choice of narration works here for me. I would throw this down as an easy top 10 70s movie for me and it seems like it stands the test of time. The score is really well done too. Not much of any flaws here for me really.

[seanc]

92613

Interiors:

I think maybe I started this being in the mood for more playful Allen. I have seen this before so I knew it wasn’t that, but it felt too self serious on this rewatch to me. The dialogue is still great. The performances are all really good and this is probably the best looking Allen. The aesthetic is where you can really see him going for a Bergman feel, and it works. Another good movie, but this Hall is packed. Going to be tough to get to the top of the hill for Woody in my opinion.

[McConnaughay]

I always mean to participate in these things, then I always forget, haha. I may consider writing reviews (in my review thread) of a handful of these, merely because I haven't watched any / most of them.

[Citizen Rules]

I always mean to participate in these things, then I always forget, haha. I may consider writing reviews (in my review thread) of a handful of these, merely because I haven't watched any / most of them.You're always welcomed to discuss any of the movies in the HoF, you don't have to be a member for that. I'm certainly happy to talk about any of the films I've seen, so far it's only two of them:
Sons of the Desert (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2383594#post2383594)
The Duellists (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2384443#post2384443)

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/85g6wSX0/sunset-blvd.jpg

Sunset Boulevard - 1950

Directed by Billy Wilder

Written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder & D. M. Marshman Jr.

Starring William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim & Nancy Olson

It's as relevant today as it ever was. A strange mixture of reality and fable which cut so close to actuality that Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim were almost playing themselves - albeit horrifically twisted versions in this Hollywood horror story. Cecil B. DeMille, Buster Keaton, Hedda Hopper and others did play themselves. To this very day, there are those in the industry that sell themselves out for the chance to play a lucrative part in the Hollywood dream, and there are still actresses who become enchanted with fame - only to be discarded when their youthful looks and vigour fade, soon replaced by a never-ending supply of sweet young beauties. What I love most about this film though, is how it makes me feel two completely contradictory emotions - I sadly pity and want to soothe the deluded and desperate Norma Desmond, and at the same time I angrily despise her psychological need for continued fame and youth, and her delusional belief that she's still living the years she left behind so long ago.

Struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) - a wry cynic who is narrating his own story from beyond the grave - is fleeing the men attempting to repossess his much needed car when he happens to find himself down the driveway of an old, decrepit mansion. A butler, Max Von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim) eagerly invites him in, and he meets Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) who has mistaken him for the man summoned to assist in the burial of her pet chimpanzee. Gillis soon recognizes her as a long-forgotten star of silent movies, and sees Desmond's fervent desire to reinvigorate her career as kind of ridiculous - but she has money and is in need of a writer. He agrees to work on her screenplay, and the two become entangled. The faded star lavishes him with gifts and money - anything he wants, but Gillis finds himself confronted with someone obviously not on great terms with reality. When the fact that she's no longer a great star starts to break her, he starts to slip away to co-write with young writer Betty Schaefer (Nancy Olson) - when suicide attempts, pleading and demanding no longer work, Desmond lashes out in anger, after which she crosses over completely into her fantasy world.

There has been so much said about Sunset Boulevard that it would just feel repetitive to grind out all the same old facts. All that's left to really say is what it means to me personally - Billy Wilder is a filmmaker whose films I either absolutely love (Double Indemnity, Witness For the Prosecution) or find particularly overrated (Some Like it Hot, The Seven Year Itch). It seems that it's his humour which I don't connect with, whereas every other part of what he does I find particularly attractive - but I have to concede that there is a peculiarly dark strain of comedy which exits in this film all the same. All of the sardonic comments from Gillis, and all of the times Norma Desmond says or does something which illustrates just how out of touch she is with reality - there's not one that doesn't hit in a very precise and perfect manner. There are also funny metaphorical moments, such as when Desmond is brushed by the microphone boom, and she angrily shoves it aside. The first time I watched this film, I was taken aback by the fact that there is not one thing wrong with it - every moment succeeds in doing what it was exactly intended to do. It has the unmistakable stamp of "masterpiece" to it.

John F. Seitz was the cinematographer who once again worked his noir magic on this film, and as he had with Wilder films such as Five Graves to Cairo, Double Indemnity and The Lost Weekend he'd be nominated for an Oscar for his work. He'd never win, despite being nominated 7 times (4 of those being Billy Wilder films.) Wilder and Seitz would usually disturb every speck of dust on the set before filming indoor segments of the film, creating a tomb-like, old and creepy atmosphere for Desmond's home. Also interesting is the pool shot at the beginning, where the audiences sees the body of Gillis from deep down inside the swimming pool he's floating in. The camera was actually looking down into a mirror, bringing us the view we get. Also, of course, there are shadowy shots - I particularly like our first obstructed view of the delusional, housebound star, not only behind prison-like shaded bars, but wearing sunglasses - secreted so far into that lair of hers that she hardly seems to exist. Right from the very first shot, there's invention here that feels fresh despite being nearly 75 years old. Sunset Boulevard is a visually fun film, and one that's very astute in guiding the viewer in an unambiguous, exact manner.

Sunset Boulevard's score is a revelation. Once you start to consciously hear the tango, and then pick out the moments where a saxophone lets out strains of bebop, you also gain a conscious understanding of what composer Franz Waxman is doing with this famous film score. Obviously Gillis is the hip younger writer, the jazz as opposed to the tango which Norma Desmond has her young prey dancing to. It's a wonderful combination you can hear, which often combines into crashing waves of intensity and insanity. Waxman's score would be ranked at #16 on the American Film Institute's list of the best 25 film scores of all time. He'd also win an Oscar and Golden Globe for it. Older film scores often feel a little too overbearing for my tastes, but I feel like this one is really cool in the way it underscores not only the emotion of the moment, but the clash of characters and their psychological substance. It's a clever score, and also a very powerful and well-written one - but perhaps more importantly, it's unsettling.

Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond dominates the movie, as she very well should - I just feel so sorry for her when she's feeling the despair that she does. Remember, it was Hollywood that twisted her psyche - a place that never thinks twice about discarding what it doesn't need anymore. Swanson looks so lost and forlorn, and her voice is pitiful - she does such a wonderful job. William Holden is also very, very good - he's no hero, and actually uses this woman because she has money. He might have moments when he feels pity, but he's also responsible for giving her false hope to start with. Gillis is talented, but appears to have been broken down into a cynical jackal by the same Hollywood that has ruined Norma Desmond - the scripts of his that have met with success were mangled, and he's just crossed the threshold where he intends to write whatever rubbish producers or Desmond demand he write. Youthful idealist Betty Schaefer (Olsen giving us an out of place recognizable person amongst the grotesque monsters) is guiding this man back to the light, if it's not too late. All four actors were nominated for Oscars in their four different categories - and all four would lose.

Every scene in Sunset Boulevard feels like it would be the best scene in any other film - it never steps down, spins it's wheels, or loses it's tempo. It's a fascinating indictment of the Hollywood system, and the way it promotes an image above and beyond substance and responsibility. Hollywood favours the way something sounds over depth, and repetition over new ideas. It has little regard for the trail of broken dreams and lost innocence which it leaves in it's wake. It rewards cynicism, and punishes intelligence. It rewards youth, and abhors age and physical imperfection. Some of this is understandable, considering that Hollywood is business orientated, and depends on the vague judgement of the population of the world at large - but that doesn't make it any more palatable or easy to accept. Older actresses and actors who have had plastic surgery and no longer look quite right bother me - they have the operations to look younger, but instead they look different. Their wrinkles might be gone - but the square features, pulled-tight eyelids and exaggerated features undo any "improvements" that might be made.

Most haunting are the eyes of Max (Erich von Stroheim ) as he watches the hypnotic Swanson glide down the stairs - the sadness. She was once a person who was loved for who she was - separate from the image which was created, and the legend. It's the sadness of grief, and Max is the one person who'll do anything to protect and shield what's left of Norma Desmond. That mixture of absolute sadness and wry amusement is such a strange combination, and no other film combines the two like Sunset Boulevard does. It stands as a testament to a generation of silent film stars that were suddenly forgotten when sound was introduced, and to every star that lost the approval of the public and industry. Stardom must be the most intoxicating substance on Earth, and it has destroyed plenty of lives - just as Hollywood has turned many a great artist into a cynical hack. Ironically, Billy Wilder made the necessary transitions to avoid becoming a hack, and was a rare talent that managed to avoid the many traps and pitfalls of the industry. This is one of his greatest films, and one of the greatest films ever made.

5

[Torgo]

Gone Baby Gone - 4

Mysteries and crime thrillers are comfort food to me, and this is some seriously tasty comfort food. There's comfort alone in all the familiar faces in the cast like Ed Harris, Amy Ryan and Michelle Monaghan - each of whom is as good as they always are - as well as in the crew with the likes of John Toll, who is one of my favorite cinematographers. They provide a sensation that the movie is directing itself, but I can't fault Ben Affleck for involving so many veterans because if I wanted to direct and I had the means, I'd do the same thing since they could probably teach me a thing or two. I also approve of Affleck's decisions to fill the rest of the cast with locals and to film in actual locations, which makes this seem like a true Boston movie. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rLwbzGyC6t4) As for the scenes that make this a thriller, they're backed by the touchiest themes imaginable - and hit much harder now that I'm a father, I might add - but Affleck manages to handle them tastefully, but without kid gloves, which is a nice surprise since venturing into bad taste with such material is an oft-committed rookie mistake. What makes this a great movie instead of just a good one, though, is what it does with the huge dilemma Patrick is forced to resolve. Does he make the right decision? I don't know, but the movie makes it a rock worth having in your shoe, if you will. Again, this is very tasty comfort food, and forgive me for using another food metaphor, but it's not quite five-star cuisine (no pun intended). It remains a particularly assured theatrical directorial debut, and while there are exceptions such as the excellent Mare of Easttown miniseries from a couple years ago, it makes me lament that too much material like this is left to the Liam Neesons and Dick Wolfs (or is it Dick Wolves?) of the entertainment world these days.

Oh, and how odd it is to hear Mark Margolis' actual voice! I've become too used to him speaking in foreign accents and bell dings.

[Allaby]

I rewatched Sunset Boulevard on dvd today (I really should upgrade and buy the blu ray). Masterfully directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, this is undoubtedly one of the all time great films. Previously, I had it on my list of favourite films at #118, but after rewatching I am moving it up to #89! The performances are fantastic. Gloria Swanson is iconic and terrific, in an unforgettable performance. William Holden is excellent and the two are perfect together. The screenplay is one of the all time greats, sharp, smart and memorable. Sunset Boulevard is as close to flawless as you can get and is a genuinely entertaining film that packs a punch. This has to be the early frontrunner to win the hall and it would be a deserving winner. Sunset Boulevard is an absolute masterpiece. 5

[seanc]

92650

Sunset Blvd:

This is my third or fourth time watching Sunset Blvd. Really does feel as perfect as a movie can get. Looks awesome, every character feels fully realised. Awesome dialogue, and simple straightforward storytelling.

Hit me as a ghost story this time, which is not the way I think of it but probably has been described that way. Especially through the first hour, it’s very haunting and other wordly. To the point where you wouldn’t be surprised if everything was in his head. I love the critical look at celebrity. I think the best movies about movies make us feel like we probably aren’t doing actors and actresses any favors in life by making them bigger than.

Goria Swanson took some getting used to in this movie, I think Cricket mentioned that. It really has become a favorite performance of mine though. Nothing but good stuff here. If Sunset Blvd doesn’t win it will be a shock.

[Wyldesyde19]

Starting up The Verdict. Will have a review sometime tonight.

[rauldc14]

26 of our 81 reviews are done. 7 of 9 members have gotten started and there's a bunch of you over the halfway point! Keep it up!

[Citizen Rules]

I should have another one watched shortly.

[Wyldesyde19]

The Verdict

Legal dramas are tough to pull off. For one thing, they tend to be preachy. For another, we must accept that the events are rarely ever an accurate portrayal of actual court proceedings. It requires a certain sense of acceptance of those facts.

In The Verdict, we have the typical down on his luck lawyer portrayed by the great Paul Newman. He’s a drunk and lonely lawyer who spends his time playing pinball and hunting down funeral wakes to pass his card off to the grieving families. When he’s presented with a case of actual merit, he transforms and loses his past pessimism.

We’re given insights into what made him the way he is along the way, and we see his change slowly occur.

This movie works, mainly for two reasons. First, the director. Lumet. He is a master, and after watching 9 of his 40+ filmography he has always been worth watching. Even his films that are merely ok (Seripico, Dog Day Afternoon), they are still highly entertaining and worth watching.

The second is the performances. Newman is amazing here, as is Warden as his assistant, and James Mason as his opposing attorney. And of course, the haunting performance of one Charlotte Rampling.

Ow, the film does become slightly preachy at the end. But it redeems itself with its final scene.

A great film that is better on a rewatch, as it’s been probably 15 years since I’d seen it.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffilm-grab.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fphoto-gallery%2Fverdict007.jpg%3Fbwg%3D1551292531&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=e8174b667a1dc2b4faba67197254923187e3acf118a324f4420aef492718eff2&ipo=imagesThe Verdict (Sidney Lumet 1982)

Good, solid film and I enjoyed watching it. My wife liked this movie too and that's another plus. This is what I call a good serious drama. There was a time in the 1970s when American cinema grew-up as baby boomers matured and wanted to watch more serious films...The Verdict might be made in the early 80s but it has the hallmark of the serious cinema movement of the previous decade.


Paul Newman was quite good in it. Newman of course is usually good in his movies. What I liked the most was the little extras that made the film a cut above the average flick. For example Newman's character has retreated into hard drinking and has his shot glass filled to the brim, so full in fact that he stoops down to drink by sipping it so not to spill any of the booze. I thought that little extra added a lot to the movie and said a lot about the lawyer. I enjoyed the Boston bar scenes. I swear I've seen other bars in Boston, in movies that is, and they look similar. I wonder if bars at this time had that old world European look to them?

If there was one thing that I didn't care for it was the casting of the judge, he felt a bit too light. I also didn't care for the way the scene was handled with the black doctor where the judge interrupts Newman and takes over grilling the doctor and then dismisses him from the stand. That felt a little too stacked against Newman and a bit too far afield of believability. Not a deal breaker though.

This should place high on my ballot.

[seanc]

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A Hero:

This was the rewatch I was least looking forward to because I had watched this one fairly recently. I love Farhadi, he certainly seems to have adopted his writing style from Kirastomi and Panahi, and I can’t get enough of it. I have said before the movies of these directors are melodrama but they play like mysteries because of the ambiguous dialogue, which I love and is the major selling point for me.

I love the way A Hero plays with truth and relationships. Everyone has to tell their little white lie at some point in order to maintain their persona or their standing in the community. Of course the person who has to be held responsible for these lies is the little guy. The person that everyone already expects to be a screw up. It all is drawn up and plays out perfectly. The ending, with its juxtaposition is absolutely incredible. I really enjoyed this viewing very much. This went from my least anticipated to my most rewarding rewatch.

[Torgo]

If there was one thing that I didn't care for it was the casting of the judge, he felt a bit too light.Milo O'Shea's devilish eyebrows really didn't intimidate you? :DI also didn't care for the way the scene was handled with the black doctor where the judge interrupts Newman and takes over grilling the doctor and then dismisses him from the stand.I like that scene more than you do, but I was still surprised that the judge asked a witness the kind of questions that a lawyer asks. I'm obviously no law expert - who knows, maybe it happens all the time - but I can't recall another legal drama where that happens.

[Citizen Rules]

Milo O'Shea's devilish eyebrows really didn't intimidate you? :DI like that scene more than you do, but I was still surprised that the judge asked a witness the kind of questions that a lawyer asks. I'm obviously no law expert - who knows, maybe it happens all the time - but I can't recall another legal dram where that happens.Ha yes! those eyebrows:eek: I think the scene where the judge very one sided grills and then dismisses the black doctor was a bit on the nose. Though Sidney Lumet wasn't known for subtleness so it's not surprising it's in the movie. Forgot to give a shot out to James Mason, very effective in the movie. I wish he could've had some more air time.

[Torgo]

Ha yes! those eyebrows:eek: I think the scene where the judge very one sided grills and then dismisses the black doctor was a bit on the nose. Though Sidney Lumet wasn't known for subtleness so it's not surprising it's in the movie. Forgot to give a shot out to James Mason, very effective in the movie. I wish he could've had some more air time.They do make Dr. Thompson out to be pretty unhelpful - he's like the Jek Porkins or Glass Joe of witnesses - but the scenes where Frank berates the judge for questioning him and that reveal the hopelessness of Frank's legal strategy make up for it. And yes, Mason is great. I just wish he kept talking because I love the sound of his voice.

[rauldc14]

The Duellists

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If you go into this blind it would be quite hard to believe it is a Ridley Scott film but here we are. Overall, the first thing that stands out to me is the very good casting choice with Harvey Keitel. And while I didn't enjoy Keith Carradine as much, they still offered a nice one two punch. I liked the film setting and scenery. The film wasn't necessarily beautiful but it made a lot of great choices with it's backgrounds. I will say often the dialogue put me into points of disinterests but that has also never really been a strong suit of Ridley Scotts. Overall it was a decently fun ride however.

3.5-

[Citizen Rules]

...but the scenes where Frank berates the judge for questioning him and that reveal the hopelessness of Frank's legal strategy make up for it. Absolutely that was one of the best scenes I liked that as I didn't know if that would then be the end of Frank or something else?



And yes, Mason is great. I just wish he kept talking because I love the sound of his voice.Agreed, one of the best voices on the screen. I'm a big fan of James Mason.

[rauldc14]

Sons of the Desert

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Comedy is probably the toughest draw in these general Hall of games but I really enjoyed this one. It was the first thing Laurel and Hardy that I've seen and I'll be down to see some more. The two have really good chemistry together. The comedy itself isn't necessarily laugh out loud stuff but it's definitely stuff that can produce chuckles. I loved when Stanley was startled by Olivers wife that produced the best laugh for me. The story is quite simple but sometimes it works better for films like this when it is. It had a really good pace to it and was short and sweet too. This was a fun watch.

3.5+

[Torgo]

Sons of the Desert - 3

This look into Laurel and Hardys' home lives has its moments. When it comes to generating laughs - and cringe - you can't go wrong with trying to maintain a lie, and this movie's many variations on this trope work more than they don't. I especially like when the pals discover that one of their fellow Sons of the Desert happens to be Laurel's brother-in-law as well as their story about how they "ship-hiked" their way out of Honolulu. It also succeeds at utilizing the duo's talent for physical comedy, the highlights being Hardy's failed attempt at pretending to be sick and the scene involving smashed plates, which makes the one in The Godfather seem tame. Also, as a lover of movie trivia, it was nice to finally see Hardy deliver what could be this franchise's most iconic line, "here's another nice mess you've gotten me into."

Even though this is not a long feature film, it still has too much slack for me to fully embrace. To be fair, I've only seen one other Laurel and Hardy movie, the Brats short, but I believe this kind of comedy works better in the short form. I'm not ashamed to admit that I nodded off more than once and I don't think it's just because I watched this after a long work day. It made me think about the season of Metalocalypse with 30-minute long episodes, which isn't a bad season at all, but I think that series worked best when it kept things lean and mean. I'm still glad I got to hang out with this classic pair another time, and if anything, it's nice to discover what the meetings of secretive fraternal organizations like the one this movie satirizes are like. To quote Patrick Stewart's head Stonecutter in The Simpsons episode Homer the Great, I guess they really are all about "getting drunk and playing Ping-Pong."

[seanc]

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Days Of Heaven:

This officially has my vote for most beautiful movie ever made. That alone would make it a great movie for me but Malick also fills it with an amazing of picture of broken humanity. As always no one marries the brokenness of man with the brokenness of nature like Malick. One of my absolute favorites by one of my absolute favorite directors.

[Allaby]

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Days Of Heaven:

This officially has my vote for most beautiful movie ever made. That alone would make it a great movie for me but Malick also fills it with an amazing of picture of broken humanity. As always no one marries the brokenness of man with the brokenness of nature like Malick. One of my absolute favorites by one of my absolute favorite directors.

Yes, such a beautiful film. Malick is a wonderful director. I have this on Criterion blu ray, but have only seen it once. Looking forward to revisting it soon.

[PHOENIX74]

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The Verdict - 1982

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Written by David Mamet
Based on the novel "The Verdict" by Barry Reed

Starring Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden
James Mason & Milo O'Shea

This review contains spoilers

I love courtroom dramas, and I love The Verdict. Figuring what makes it special goes further than needing to see guilty parties punished and innocence upheld - this is a film that has as it's focus the lawyer prosecuting the case, making it a redemption story on top of a contest. As a primary benefit (one of many this film has) we have the considerable talents of Paul Newman in the leading role, and it appears to have been a role he relished. His character, Frank Galvin, comes from a position of weakness and vice, and you'll see him doubt himself at every turn when his case falls apart just before his trial starts. Opposing him is the power of the Boston church, a high-priced law firm, and well-known and respected doctors. All of those characters are kept at a cold distance, and David Mamet, who has a most adept skill at writing screenplays, knows exactly what to do and when to do it. Newman's charisma, Mamet's script and Sidney Lumet's direction turned this into a classic film that seems to have got even better with age, like a fine wine. Or perhaps age has made me identify with Galvin more than I did when I was younger.

Attorney Galvin (Newman) starts out as a man at the absolute bottom. An alcoholic, he finds funerals and wakes to go to so he can hand out his card and hope to attract grieving clients. Often he's chased out by angry mourners, but he has no self-respect left anyway. A friend, Attorney Mickey Morrissey (Jack Warden) hands him a "money-maker" - a case where all he has to do is accept the settlement, which will be sizeable, and pocket his 33%. When Galvin visits his braindead client in a city hospital, and ponders her situation, he goes through a change and decides that he can win this case and redeem himself once and for all. Ignoring his client's relatives, he refuses a $210,000 offer and decides to try the case. Opposing him is Attorney Ed Concannon (James Mason) and his competent staff, and also, unfortunately, the judge presiding over the trial, Hoyle (Milo O'Shea). When Galvin's star witness is scared off, and his stand-in proves to be a disaster, the only thing he has to fall back on is a newfound love with Laura Fischer (Charlotte Rampling) and a hope that if he keeps fighting, a miracle will deliver him salvation.

There were some tough categories to find yourself nominated in during the 1983 Academy Awards. It was tough enough even if Gandhi hadn't swept up so many awards, with the likes of E.T. the Extraterrestrial, Missing, Tootsie, Blade Runner, Das Boot and An Officer and a Gentlemen (and more) getting attention. Best Picture, Best Director (Richard Attenborough) and Best Actor (Ben Kingsley) all went to Gandhi over The Verdict. Best Adapted Screenplay went to Missing's writer over Mamet and An Officer and a Gentleman's Louis Gossett Jr. made sure James Mason never ended up winning an Oscar despite his talents. The Verdict is the kind of film where the nomination itself is the award - it wasn't attention-getting enough to stand out, but I would have felt a little aggrieved at the time to see Ben Kingsley beat Newman, for I truly think that Newman's performance was the better one, even considering Dustin Hoffman and Peter O'Toole were worthy contenders. The film was nominated for five Golden Globes as well, but those awards went mostly the same way, favouring Attenborough's prized project.

This is a fine-looking film, but isn't the kind of cinematic journey where the visual component dominates. It is interesting however, the way Sidney Lumet and director of photography Andrzej Bartkowiak made autumn hues dominate the entire film. That dark brownish kind of colour becomes so all-pervasive that whenever I'd think of The Verdict I'd actually think of those colours - and the connection I made was that this was a film about someone in the autumn of their life. Lumet and Bartkowiak also tried to employ a kind of "chiaroscuro" effect with the lighting, making shadows definite shadows and light areas completely lit - it's something I've heard Lumet talk about before, and something from the art world that he likes the look of. The half completely hidden, and the half completely exposed. In the meantime, Johnny Mandel's score can be hard to remember or pick up upon due to it's sparseness and the way it's sparingly used to pick up on the important moments that need an extra dramatic push. Everyone does just enough to accentuate and turn our attention to Galvin, his world and how it revolves around this one case.

Awards and filmmaking techniques pale in comparison to the way the film is written and the way Paul Newman gives us one of the best performances of his career. This is a film which knows exactly when to raise the stakes, and exactly how low and precarious everything gets for our protagonist. A great example is the part of the film where Newman's Galvin meets the victim's relatives for the second time - this time they're angry, and quite astonished that their lawyer has refused a settlement, and is taking the matter to trial without their approval. Now this means much more than Galvin's personal redemption - he's put not only his reputation, but two innocent lives at risk, and just as these stakes are raised, he finds out his star witness can't be contacted. It's the first moment in the film where we all feel a great big gush of "uh-oh", and it's done with such perfect precision that it affirms just how good a screenwriter David Mamet is. Lumet adds his interesting little touches - such as the pinball machine character trait, which is something the director used to do to see how his day and life were going at any particular time. Do well on the pinball machine, and you were in your groove and luck was on your side.

The difference between the pulp novel and the resulting film is also worth considering when the question is asked - "just how good is The Verdict?" The film added much more to the character of Frank Galvin, who in the novel is simply a "scrappy rogue" instead of a lost human being suffering from alcoholism. In the film one particular character close to Frank turns out to be working for the other side, and while in the film this is an enormous revelation, in the novel it's a small matter that's brushed off as being part of the law business. I found it interesting that they'd show Frank strike his lover, Laura - obviously this was taboo in 1982, and although we live in more progressive times, this was a gross overstepping of his bounds - but it's a strange situation. She cut him deeply. The depth of betrayal and amount of hurt that this does to Frank is incalculable, but at the same time he does something completely unacceptable at any time, and as an audience it's kind of thrilling to try and work that out morally in our own minds. It's what makes this such a fascinating and great movie, and Galvin an interesting and flawed character.

I love courtroom dramas. I was one of those rare people who actually felt fascinated to be called in for jury duty, and when I actually ended up on a jury in a trial, I ended up as the foreman. I won't lie - some courtroom procedures, and the thoroughness, can be stultifying boring, and it can be hard to simply stay awake. But those moments where people are testifying and being questioned, and the responsibility, really had me feeling a sense I was doing something important and worthwhile. For some, it was traumatic, for we were sending someone to jail (and we noticed, by way of having all of the guy's info, that the day we were giving our verdict happened to be his birthday.) One of the moments that still stands out to me is the huge mistake the defense lawyer made while questioning the victims wife (it is true - don't ask a witness a question unless you know what the answer will be.) I still remember, being the foreman, being closest to those testifying, and how the victim was visibly shuddering in fear when he was on the stand. Some of the biggest dramas outside of the battlefield are happening in courtrooms every day. The Verdict just happens to be one of the best of these films.

So, to end with, I have to use my little remaining effort again praising Paul Newman for an absolutely stellar performance - something critical to this film's success, and if it was up to me he'd have won an Oscar for this. He makes himself absolutely vulnerable, and was particularly brave in going all the way and making Frank Galvin someone who has absolutely plumbed the depths of his own despair, and it was Newman's own idea to use eye-drops during the first part of the film as someone trying to hide the redness of his booze-hazy eyes. It's a great film for those of us who are sick of corruption, and want to believe that court is the great leveler that it's meant to be (but is, in all actuality, mainly the great escape-hatch for the rich.) Lumet and Mamet made for a great combination, and when Newman was added to the mix then this great project turned into a film that ended up as one of the best of 1982. I'll never be averse to watching it. It's perfectly paced, and has that nearly flawless sheen of a production blessed by luck and talent from start to finish (Newman nearly died when some lights came crashing down during one shot - I'll count that as luck, for they missed.) I could say something like "This film is guilty of being a great film!" but instead I'll just say it's a great movie. That's my verdict.

4.5

[seanc]

Free up some space Rauldc. Some of us watch more than a movie a month and would like to send in our list. ;)

[Allaby]

I rewatched Days of Heaven (1978) today. Directed by the masterful Terrence Malick, the film stars Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, and Linda Manz. The first thing that jumps out is obviously the cinematography. This is a very beautiful film. Without a doubt, this has to be one of the most beautiful films ever. The performances are also quite good. Linda Manz is my favourite of the performances here. Her narration works really well with the tone and feel of the film. Richard Gere does a fine job too, as do the rest of the actors. The screenplay is well written and the dialogue often has a poetic and spiritual philosophical feel to it. The film has an almost dreamlike element to it, which is quite effective. This is my 3rd favourite Malick film and currently ranks as my 183rd favourite film of all time. 4.5

[PHOENIX74]

I also didn't care for the way the scene was handled with the black doctor where the judge interrupts Newman and takes over grilling the doctor and then dismisses him from the stand. That felt a little too stacked against Newman and a bit too far afield of believability. Not a deal breaker though.

This should place high on my ballot.

I like that scene more than you do, but I was still surprised that the judge asked a witness the kind of questions that a lawyer asks. I'm obviously no law expert - who knows, maybe it happens all the time - but I can't recall another legal drama where that happens.

In the audio commentary on the film Sidney Lumet tells us that this is a particular quirk of the Boston legal system, and that it harks back to the English trial regulations where judges could, and often do, ask questions of the witnesses themselves. The way the judge just openly flaunts his bias reminds me a bit of the Dominique Dunne murder case - a legal travesty (https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/d0d8b06b-0b89-410b-810e-0fcc8a0745d0).

I enjoyed the Boston bar scenes. I swear I've seen other bars in Boston, in movies that is, and they look similar. I wonder if bars at this time had that old world European look to them?


I either read it or Lumet said it, but that bar has actually been used in several movies - it might be the same exact cozy bar you've seen every time.

[Citizen Rules]

In the audio commentary on the film Sidney Lumet tells us that this is a particular quirk of the Boston legal system, and that it harks back to the English trial regulations where judges could, and often do, ask questions of the witnesses themselves. The way the judge just openly flaunts his bias reminds me a bit of the Dominique Dunne murder case - a legal travesty (https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/d0d8b06b-0b89-410b-810e-0fcc8a0745d0).



I either read it or Lumet said it, but that bar has actually been used in several movies - it might be the same exact cozy bar you've seen every time.Interesting! Thanks for posting about the Boston judge and their legal system...I would've never guessed that. I'm glad you do some deep research on these movies! No wonder that Boston bar looked familiar to me, even though the only time I was in Boston I never got out of the car.

[Torgo]

The Verdict - 4

This movie aims at telling three stories at once, i.e., a legal one, an underdog one and one about recovery, and it hits each mark. It not only does this while respecting your intelligence, but also rewards you for being a lover of movies. I say this because there are many moments that prove that actions speak louder than words and that you may miss if you look away at your cell phone for even an instant, whether it's Frank pausing while photographing his client, how Laura scans Frank's office or how Dr. Towler looks like he's seen a ghost when a certain witness appears in the courtroom. That same grace and subtlety is in the look of the locations, particularly the archdiocese's ornate and imposing office and the defense's posh and decked out facilities. They're ironic depictions, which is appropriate given the rich and powerful’s less than saintly goal of saving face first and serving justice second as well as in how they try to achieve it. While Frank's intentions may be more honorable, the movie is all the more interesting and better for not making him out to be a saint either. For the way our hero transitions from an ambulance-chasing barfly to someone worthy of respect and all his bursts of confidence and setbacks in between - not to mention that summation - Paul Newman makes the movie worth watching for his performance alone. Just as deserving of praise are Jack Warden's pal we wish we all had and James Mason, who achieves just the right level of love-to-hate smugness. For these reasons, not to mention for its optimism that it's never too late, even for a man like Frank Galvin, it's one of the largest feathers in Sidney Lumet's cap. Oh, all that and the fact that a young Bruce Willis is in the courtroom, of course.

[Torgo]

Yep, that's Bruce Willis. The other guy is Tobin Bell from the Saw movies!

https://i.imgur.com/tRPsh1k.jpg

[cricket]

Got some extended time off now so I'll be rolling back in this soon.

[rauldc14]

36/81 reviews guys we are almost halfway home!

[Allaby]

36/81 reviews guys we are almost halfway home!

Way to go team! 🥳

[Citizen Rules]

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Interiors (Woody Allen, 1978)


I love the look of this film. Woody Allen's use of compositions, frames his subjects in a way that gives his film the look of a still photograph. In doing this he creates a tapestry of pathos from his characters as he explores their interiors. At other times he uses the spacial emptiness of the interiors that Eve has decorated to show the distances between the members of the family and the isolation they feel.


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It's the negative feelings of the family members who Woody explores in a non-in-your-face way. Allen simply shows us their inner conflicts, mostly through well penned dialogue (written by Allen) and by controlled, effective acting by a talented cast. I watched just a small bit of the pre wedding scene without my speakers on and I swear this film could work as a silent movie based on the subtle precision acting of the cast. The film is so richly dense in it's exploration of the character's emotions that a second viewing could prove to be even more rewarding than the first watch. Good nom.

[PHOENIX74]

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Herod's Law (La ley de Herodes) - 1999

Directed by Luis Estrada

Written by Luis Estrada, Jaime Sampietro, Fernando León & Vicente Leñero

Starring Damián Alcázar, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Delia Casanova, Juan Carlos Colombo
& Alex Cox

It's nice to watch a film as straightforward as Herod's Law, with it's basic premise being "this is how corruption works" - from innocence to unscrupulousness, step by step. It's a comedy, and it's one I keep on mistakenly thinking of as an analogy, despite the way it directly shows the corruption of a Mexican politician. It's kind of both - told in an analogous and direct manner. It's obviously very satirical, and approaches it's serious subject in a funny kind of way - otherwise it would be possible that the various murders, prostitution, violence and moral repugnance might make the film too dark and foreboding to really enjoy. Our protagonist, Juan Vargas (Damián Alcázar) seems strangely likeable, despite the fact he turns out to be a complete monster by the end of the story that's being told here. This is the kind of film that's telling us that any human being is inevitably turned into a completely corrupt tyrant in an authoritarian regime such as the one Mexico had for most of the 20th Century - the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party).

Juan Vargas is the new mayor of San Pedro de los Saguaros, a small Mexican town whose previous mayor was chased down by angry townspeople and beheaded due to his sheer corruptness. Juan, and his wife Leticia Huijara (Leticia Huijara) have dreams of promotion, and clearly want to help the townspeople by governing well. Juan's first problem is the existence of a brothel, which is illegal and at which a dead body has shown up. When Juan tells the owner of the brothel, Doña Lupe (Isela Vega) that she's to shut it down, she counters with a series of attempted bribes, which get larger the more Juan insists on doing things by the book. That's not the only problem - the town itself is broke, and when Juan travels to see his bosses, López (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.) and his assistant (played by Juan Carlos Colombo) they have no funds to give him, but do send him on his way with a pistol, and the Mexican Constitution. Lawbreakers will provide the town's funds, in fines. At this time Juan also meets Robert Smith, an American, and the two will try to cheat each other constantly. Once Juan starts fining townspeople, and taking bribes, he soon realises that there is a mountain of money to be made, and the road to corruption and murder begins...

An example of an analogy in this film is the one of people and nations - when Juan meets Robert Smith, the latter obviously represents the United States as a whole, and during their interactions, Juan represents Mexico. Smith wants to overcharge Juan for a simple repair on his car (so simple as to not really even be a "repair"), and in answer to being cheated, Juan politely agrees, but then continually stalls when it comes to actually paying him anything. The two continue on like this, and instead of a situation that could be mutually beneficial, the two get nowhere together. All we get is a continual polite negotiation where the two smile and act like friends, while continuing with their underhanded tactics of trying to gain advantage. While I watched the film I thought that this was a perfect example of international negotiations, and although I don't know a lot about how the United States and Mexico comport themselves when there's dialogue between them, it's safe to assume that polite agreements and constant maneuvering for unfair advantage take place.

One other interesting subject explored in the film is the inevitability of bribes working in illegal enterprises that make large sums of money in a poor country. When the people you're meant to be policing can pay you ten to a hundred times more than you earn doing your job, chances are you'll work for the criminals - especially if you're being driven into poverty by the powers that be. The same goes for preying on the defenseless through unfair legislation and taxation, which is what Juan eventually does in this film. He finds that the gun and the rule book are a combination that can make you rich beyond your wildest imaginings, and at a certain point riches turn an honest man into an insatiable monster. It's no surprise that power corrupts, and yet we keep expecting it not to. When we meet Juan Vargas he seems to be such a nice, simple-minded man that you'd never expect him to do the things he eventually does. It's a step by step process, the first of which is what it feels like to have real money in your hands, and what it feels like for Juan to have control over prostitutes who have to do his bidding. Power changes him completely, for his release from his previous chains is one of ecstacy.

Writer and director Luis Estrada was nominated for and won various awards for Herod's Law, which was an incredibly brave undertaking. Nobody had challenged or criticized the PRI since it's conception in Mexico 70 years previously, and to do so risked a punishment that could only be guessed at. Assassination? Jail? In a corrupt nation, anything is possible. Once they knew what they had on their hands, the Mexican Film Institute, run by the government, tried to hold back it's release and limit the number of theaters it was shown in, but this had the unintended effect of making Mexicans even more curious about it, so in the end the film was left alone and was a success. People in Mexico are well used to living with corruption, but it was refreshing for the truth to be openly acknowledged in film. Damián Alcázar is really energetic in the lead role, and his comedic timing is spot on. Santiago Ojeda's score is light and easy in a 'comedic' style, keeping the tone from becoming too dark. The film as a whole has a dirty and dusty look to it - everything is worn out, filth-encrusted and most of all, poor.

As for the rest, we also have a priest (played by Guillermo Gil) which, in this parable, represents the fondness the church has for extorting as much money as it can from it's parishioners and the government. There are also good men in this town. The doctor/coroner Morales (Eduardo López Rojas) who complains once too often about the corruption endemic to the area, and is sent packing. Then there is Carlos Pek (Salvador Sánchez) who is secretary to Juan Vargas - he speaks the language of the Indian natives, and is therefore their impotent mouthpiece. The native dwellers have been left to their alcoholic escape from their desperate and threadbare existence, dressed in rags and with little to eat. They sleep in the street, and are found either dead or comatose with a bottle when passed by. Pek, the secretary, stands as a confounded, powerless spectator to the drama which plays out. He can do nothing as Juan transforms from hopeful idealist to savage opportunist, and as Juan has the gun and all the power, nobody else can do much about it either.

I enjoyed this little fable which illustrates a kind of natural progression from good to bad under a system that relies on the gun and lawbook to disenfranchise the masses and deliver power and riches to those fortunate enough to hold onto both. Of course, you must remember that many of the mayors San Pedro de los Saguaros has had ended up killed by an angry mob, but you also have to remember that Juan Vargas ends up not with a noose around his neck, but in high office. The last time we see him, he's giving a disingenuous speech in the Mexican Senate, all about the people, with little recognition of how corrupt and poverty-stricken the nation is, and with little regard to his murderous and corrupt reign in the little town he robbed. It's not that Mexico needs better leaders, it's the system itself that is broken, and will always deliver unto itself crooks and thieves because it can only work through theft, greed and armed power. Honest politicians can't work the system, so they can either give up their political career or join the ranks of bribe-takers and criminals. People shouldn't be focused on a change of leaders as much as they should focus on a change of systems - that rings true for many, if not most, nations, and perhaps the best way to do that is little by little, for large scale revolutions often only deliver chaos which can be exploited by sharp-minded crooks and deceivers.

3.5

[cricket]

The Verdict

https://www.filmkuratorium.de/filmk15-data/akten/screenshots/2017/10/the-verdict-1982-sc03-max.jpg

First saw this about 4 years ago and was a little underwhelmed. I enjoyed it much more this time but still question how good it really is.

I like courtroom dramas and redemption stories, and with this film we get both. I'm just not sure it's that effective as either. Frank does the right thing in trying the case but I do not see him changing as a person. I see him as a lonely alcoholic at the start and at the finish. Actually, a good call to have him keep drinking for the sake of realism. So he does the right thing, but does he really? He turns down a sure settlement that would have changed the lives of his clients, only to win a case that he should not have won, while making a boatload of money for himself in the process. If he doesn't change as a person, what exactly does he get redemption for?

I see nothing special about the courtroom aspect. There were no clever surprises or twists. We get the stereotypical surprise witness, and that's just to testify about a discrepancy that was already mentioned earlier in the film. What we do get is a jury who ignores the law in order to do what is morally right. With that being the case, I would think that the most interesting possible content would come from the jury room. To me it's the story of the film and the case but it's completely glossed over. The love interest's sole purpose in the film is to provide a surprise, typical David Mamet.

Despite my issues, I enjoyed the film from start to finish. Lumet is a master and he got the right cast, dialogue, and look. Always appreciate Boston films although we don't see much here. It is average material that is strongly elevated by the participating parties.

3.5+

[seanc]

I do agree with you that the courtroom scenes aren’t very dynamic, Cricket. I think that’s what keeps the movie from top tier Lumet for me.

I’m not sure I see this as a redemption story though. There’s definitely an aspect of that, I mean at least he gets his practice back on track. I don’t know that we are supposed to see his personal life as being redeemed though. I think that’s why the ending is ambiguous, which I love. Where does he go from here is very much still in question, in my opinion.

[Torgo]

Maybe Frank did conquer his demons and overcome his alcoholism? I think it's meaningful that during the ending, he doesn't answer Laura's phone call, which is something his old self would have done, and the drink he reaches for is not booze, but coffee.

I agree that what happens in the courtroom is pretty standard stuff, but it's how the movie makes it a function of Frank's road to recovery and to a second chance in life is what makes it great.

[Citizen Rules]

The Verdict

I like courtroom dramas and redemption stories, and with this film we get both. I'm just not sure it's that effective as either. Frank does the right thing in trying the case but I do not see him changing as a person. I see him as a lonely alcoholic at the start and at the finish. Actually, a good call to have him keep drinking for the sake of realism. So he does the right thing, but does he really? He turns down a sure settlement that would have changed the lives of his clients, only to win a case that he should not have won, while making a boatload of money for himself in the process. If he doesn't change as a person, what exactly does he get redemption for?

I see nothing special about the courtroom aspect. There were no clever surprises or twists. We get the stereotypical surprise witness, and that's just to testify about a discrepancy that was already mentioned earlier in the film. What we do get is a jury who ignores the law in order to do what is morally right. With that being the case, I would think that the most interesting possible content would come from the jury room. To me it's the story of the film and the case but it's completely glossed over. The love interest's sole purpose in the film is to provide a surprise, typical David Mamet.

Despite my issues, I enjoyed the film from start to finish. Lumet is a master and he got the right cast, dialogue, and look. Always appreciate Boston films although we don't see much here. It is average material that is strongly elevated by the participating parties.

rating_3_5+
I liked the film but I can agree with a lot of what you said.

I think it was a mistake to make Newman's character an innocent man falsely accused of jury tampering. I'd rather the movie said he did tamper with the jury and that's why he's a sleaze ball lawyer chasing ambulances.
As it was the film is like Karate Kid with a reluctant hero going up against the bad guys who did him wrong. Now Karate Kid is a great movie because it knows just what it is and does it perfectly.

I wish at the end of the movie Newman's character had lost the trail because he never had learned his lesson that it's important to do the right thing (take the settlement, helping the plaintiffs.) Because in taking the case to court he was only looking to stroke his ego and once again screwed up and messed everything up.

[cricket]

I liked the film but I can agree with a lot of what you said.

I think it was a mistake to make Newman's character an innocent man falsely accused of jury tampering. I'd rather the movie said he did tamper with the jury and that's why he's a sleaze ball lawyer chasing ambulances.
As it was the film is like Karate Kid with a reluctant hero going up against the bad guys who did him wrong. Now Karate Kid is a great movie because it knows just what it is and does it perfectly.

I wish at the end of the movie Newman's character had lost the trail because he never had learned his lesson that it's important to do the right thing (take the settlement, helping the plaintiffs.) Because in taking the case to court he was only looking to stroke his ego and once again screwed up and messed everything up.

I didn't see any tampering from Frank, but now that you mention it, there was certainly tampering on the other side, which changes my opinion on his decision to try the case. He did get lucky, but he wouldn't have needed to get lucky had his star witness not been bought off, which he couldn't have predicted when he rejected the settlement.

[Citizen Rules]

I didn't see any tampering from Frank, but now that you mention it, there was certainly tampering on the other side, which changes my opinion on his decision to try the case. He did get lucky, but he wouldn't have needed to get lucky had his star witness not been bought off, which he couldn't have predicted when he rejected the settlement.
I meant that in the past Frank had done jail time for jury tampering, which later we found out he was innocent of.

[cricket]

I meant that in the past Frank had done jail time for jury tampering, which later we found out he was innocent of.

I pretty much just take that as is

[Allaby]

I rewatched The Verdict today. I had seen it once several years back and for whatever reason, it didn't make much of an impact at that time. I initially was underwhlemed by the film and thought it was just okay. I'm glad that it was nominated because I appreciated the film much more this time. Paul Newman is great here, in a performance that has substance and believablity. He is convincing without being over the top. The film has a strong cast of talented actors and all are in fine form. The screenplay is well written with some very good speeches and effective moments. Sidney Lumet, who has directed a few of my favourite films, handles the material quite well. I would rank this as Lumet's 4th best film. There were a couple times in the middle when the film lulled a bit and it did feel a touch too long, but that is a relatively minor quibble. Glad I rewatched this. 4

[cricket]

Days of Heaven

https://assets.mubicdn.net/images/film/213/image-w1280.jpg?1543863608

I saw this once about 8-9 years ago and thought well of it, and my opinion has gone up with this viewing. Everyone agrees that it looks great, but many criticize the narrative. I believe I was one of those people. I enjoyed the narrative quite a bit this time around. There's nothing unique or spectacular about it, so I think it's the tone that really draws me in. I was also annoyed by Linda Manz the first time, but I have since become a fan of hers since seeing Out of the Blue. It's too bad she disappeared from acting until the late 90's with a couple of small roles. The last 15 or so minutes were a slight let down. I think I would've preferred a little more subtlety and ambiguity, which I think would have gone better with everything that came previous. A terrific film that I had wanted to see again.

4

[cricket]

I'm surprised Malick has never made a western.

[rauldc14]

A Hero

https://cdn.flickeringmyth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/A-Hero-1.jpg

I admittedly find myself a little puzzled why I don't enjoy this as much as the other 4 Farghadi films that I have watched. Like a lot of his films it's dialogue heavy and it could be that I don't find the dialogue as interesting in this as in his other films. It still looks great and the story overall is still really well told. Farghadi films have great screenplays and this isn't an exception to that rule. It's just for some reason there seems to be small pieces missing for me that make it go to that next level for me.

3

[Torgo]

The Duellists - 4

A bitter rivalry borne from a petty reason that toxifies everything it touches and that serves as a metaphor for a much larger conflict? Is this the Banshees of Inisherin of its day? I'm not sure, but these two movies would still make for a great double feature. Whether it's the presence and strong performances of Keitel and Carradine, the realistic duel scenes, the weight of this story's long and eventful timeline or simply all of the above, the movie succeeds at making you feel the tension of d'Hubert and Feraud's relationship as soon as it starts. Even while they're not together, the specter of their conflict looms over every scene. During the sweet moments between d'Hubert and Adèle, for example, I couldn't help but think, "Feraud is going to ruin this too, isn't he?" Also, even while the movie is winding down, the mere sight of Harvey Keitl gave me a shot of adrenalin. While bathing in this tension, I was also reveling in the painterly beauty found in every frame. I read that Ridley Scott wanted this movie to capture the look and feel of Barry Lyndon and I think it does. All this beauty is not always to the movie's benefit, though, because as it is with pretty much all of Scott's movies, the scenery often chews the actors. In the final shot, for instance, I found myself admiring the landscape first and how well the shot represents Feraud's exile second. Despite this issue, it deserves to be considered a great movie and is on my short list of the most impressive debut features. Oh, and that it has so many that guys like Alun Armstrong, Tom Conti, Pete Postlethwaite and William Morgan Sheppard is icing on the cake.

[seanc]

I'm surprised Malick has never made a western.

I think Days and Badlands are probably exactly what a Malick Western would feel like.

[rauldc14]

Gone Baby Gone

https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/v1662131187/63121bf3c2042f001d7a2b05.jpg

I go back and forth on which Lehane novel was adapted better to the screen. For this to be Ben Afflecks directorial debut, it is quite an achievement. Technically the movie is ultra sound. The movie flows very swiftly and every scene feels to be an important aspect to the overall story. It's super strong cast, led by the stellar performance of Casey Affleck reinsures the films brilliance for me. Lots of great support work too, from Amy Ryan to Morgan Freeman to Ed Harris and Michelle Monaghan. The beginning scene is beautiful too as an overview to the Boston neighborhood. Underrated is the score in the film too. I love ve how we are left thinking about whether the right thing was done in this situation. It's a question that lingers long after the end credits roll, and to me that is what can make a film so powerful. One of my favorites of all time.

5+

[cricket]

^^^^ I am so looking forward to that

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcriterion-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcarousel-files%2F699dfc900b34808d9974989c5b2b2bce.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=933f4a6df2367a7796e0190593e681b5e260cf653e156f45149404b35c91b835&ipo=images
Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick 1978)


Heaven help me cause you guys won't like this review:cool: My second watch and I'm not impressed...Except of course by the cinematography, obviously that's beautiful and handled well.

When we see the serenely peaceful settings of golden wheat in vast open spaces of Texas, it all seems so idealistic that we believe the movie has the same ethereal qualities of the images...But if you take away that cinematography and the score, what do you have left?...I can like a movie light on narrative and I thought The Thin Red Line was all kinds of great. But Days of Heaven really feels like a movie without direction or spirit...other than the aforementioned cinematography.

I do think casting Richard Gere was a mistake and he probably was hired for his star status and ability to sell tickets. He's not much of an actor and what we get is his best attempt to look like a movie star with his blow dried feathered hair and his closeup glamour shots. At least Brooke Adams looked the part from her sweaty hair to her dirty face. I believed she was working all day out in the field. This film would've been improved with Richard Gere and Sam Shepard switching roles. Shepard had the intensity and look to be a streetwise scammer and is a much better actor than Gere to boot. Richard Gere would've been better suited to play the rich dying owner of the farm who's lonely and clueless. I mean who looks more clueless Gere or Shepard?

The film would've been further improved by removing the narration, it didn't add to the film and in fact distracted from the imagery. It's like Mallick didn't trust his vision of a pure pictorial film with it's focus on imagery so he hedged his bets by adding narration by Linda Manz. Now I loved the narration by the girl in Beast of the Southern Wild, that gave much insight into the mind of a little girl raised in a poor section of the bayou and made that film special. But in Days of Heaven Linda Manz's Bronx accent overpowered the scenery and the things she said didn't seem to hold any consistences with the film. And wasn't she from Chicago? So why the Bronx accent that sounded fake to me.

But I'm glad I watched this as I wanted to see it again.

[cricket]

Sons of the Desert

https://pre-code.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SonsOfTheDesert29.jpg

I first watched this for the 30's countdown and it's still the only thing I've seen from Laurel and Hardy. I typically don't watch comedy like this anymore, but it reminded me of when I used to watch The Three Stooges. Meaning because of its shorter length, it felt like I was watching television. I'm not sure why I never felt that way with Chaplin or Keaton. Looking back at my old thoughts, it seems I liked it this time about the same as I did a few years ago. It's not my type of humor, but it's humorous enough, and it's amusing throughout. The whole thing about tricking wives is my favorite aspect since I can relate so much. I have nothing negative to say about it, but it's potential with me was always limited.

3

[rauldc14]

46/81! Great job everyone

Once Wyldesyde19 and Siddon getting rolling then we will really be making steam.

[seanc]

Now I’m just picturing Cricket telling his wife he’s going on a road trip and sneaking up to the attic with a phone to watch movies.

[cricket]

Now I’m just picturing Cricket telling his wife he’s going on a road trip and sneaking up to the attic with a phone to watch movies.

It's true. Now she tells me to go out but complains when I watch a movie.

[Siddon]

46/81! Great job everyone

Once @Wyldesyde19 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=104656) and @Siddon (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95448) getting rolling then we will really be making steam.


I'm going to watch all of these films over the course of a week...I'm just waiting on my library to do their new purchasing update for Days of Heaven

[cricket]

Gone Baby Gone

https://www.cinema.de/sites/default/files/styles/cin_landscape_510/public/sync/cms3.cinema.de/imgdb/import/dreams2/1021/536/8/1021536888.jpg?h=199d8c1f&itok=3N9kT5Q9

I had seen this once back around 2008. I must've been fighting with my wife or drunk (both?) because it didn't leave an impression on me and I remembered nothing about it. I've wanted to watch it again for a long time so I was ecstatic when it was nominated.

I've said many times that I get extra juiced for Boston set films, and it's especially true for crime films like The Town, The Departed, and Mystic River. Gone Baby Gone does not take place in the nicest locations as Dorchester, Chelsea, Everett, and the bar Murphy's Law are all not the greatest places to spend time. However, it is all done in a very authentic manner. I've been in a brawl at Murphy's Law and I lived in Everett for a few years. This movie has the type of people I'm very familiar with.

I loved this right from the start and it was everything about it. It's a great crime film with all the right performances. It's got tension and surprises, and a moral dilemma which is something that most great crime films do not have. It was just icing on the cake. A new favorite that should've been an old favorite.

5

[Allaby]

I watched Herod's Law (1999) tonight. This political satire only partly worked for me. I'm not sure if it is because I'm not a political expert or political enthusiast, but parts of it fall flat for me. It didn't make much of an impact on me. The humour was somewhat hit or miss and I didn't really find it funny. Some parts were slightly amusing though. Performances were decent. There were some interesting moments, but I didn't find the story all that compelling or engaging. I can see why some people might get a lot out of this, but it didn't do much for me. The film felt overly long to me. Certainly not a bad film, but not one that I actively enjoyed. (Sorry :() 3

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.li1MIKV3Ns_kc5us4RDXTwHaE7%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=678945562e9a30d7a5a43def2a2f3356546d6c268528ec9c8ec98ffedcaa455f&ipo=images
A Hero (Farhadi 2021)


A good watch, I was invested in the movie's story and liked the actors and sets. It's a well made movie, expertly and seamlessly directed with spot on casting. Everything about the production is top notch. I'd give this a 7 out of 10.

With that out of the way, A Hero offered nothing new for me as I've seen Farhadi do the same type of movie before. This is the third film of his I've seen, also (A Separation & About Elly) and they all follow the same pattern. I don't know if he's ever branched out with his other films but the 'unraveling of events from different people's view points & actions' is getting old. I know people say Woody Allen in his last few films keeps repeating the same old things and if Allen and Farhadi want to keep making the same stuff then that's their business. It's my business to say, 'do something fresh next time'.

[Allaby]

I watched A Hero (2021) tonight. I've seen 3 other films directed by Asghar Farhadi (The Salesman, A Separation, and About Elly). All three of those films I rated an 8/10. Although I don't think A Hero is as good as the other ones I've seen, it is still a well made film. I thought the performances were effective and believable. The screenplay, written by Farhadi, works fairly well. I did feel that the film was missing a little something for it to really impress me. The story didn't quite have the impact that it should have and I wasn't always engaged by it. It dragged a little at times and felt longer than its runtime. It was fine, but I doubt I would ever rewatch it. 3.5

[Allaby]

I watched The Duellists (1977) today. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel as duelling rivals. I like both lead actors and I thought their performances were fine, although not exceptional. I thought the cinematography was nicely done. This is a good looking film. The costumes are pretty nifty too. I didn't find the story very interesting though. Honestly, I felt parts of it were somewhat boring. Some good moments, along with the cinematography and performances, help to keep things moving. I've seen at least 17 of Ridley Scott's films and for me this one would rank in the bottom quarter of his filmography. 3

[Allaby]

I rewatched my nomination tonight, the comedy classic, Sons of The Desert (1933). I have this on dvd as part of the Laurel and Hardy Essential comedy collection box set. (It's a great 10 disc set with over 32 hours of material, including all of the sound shorts — 40, made between 1929 and 1935, as well as the feature-length “Pardon Us” (1931), “Pack Up Your Troubles” (1932), “Sons of the Desert” (1933), “The Bohemian Girl” (1936), “Our Relations” (1936), “Way Out West” (1937), “Swiss Miss” (1938), “Block-Heads” (1938), “A Chump at Oxford” (1940) and “Saps at Sea” (1940). Plus there are special features including commentaries and a tribute to the duo. I recommend it to fans of classic comedy.) I really enjoy this film. This type of comedy works for me and I laughed quite a bit at the antics of Laurel and Hardy. Their performances are a lot of fun and they had wonderful chemistry together. I liked the wives performances too. The screenplay is delightful, with many funny lines and amusing moments. The direction by William A. Seiter, a really underrated and sadly mostly forgotten director, is pitch perfect for the material. Sons of the Desert is such a fun romp and a delightful blast. I know not everyone digs this type of comedy as much as I do, but this is one of my all time favourite classic comedies. 5

[Citizen Rules]

Sons of The Desert (1933)..... I know not everyone digs this type of comedy as much as I do, but this is one of my all time favourite classic comedies. rating_5I don't love it as much as you do but I did enjoy watching it and laughed too! A neat nom.

[Allaby]

I don't love it as much as you do but I did enjoy watching it and laughed too! A neat nom.

Glad you enjoyed it. I think for the next hall, I might nominate a film noir ;)

[Citizen Rules]

Glad you enjoyed it. I think for the next hall, I might nominate a film noir ;)Hell yeah! Featuring Laurel and Hardy right;)

[Allaby]

Hell yeah! Featuring Laurel and Hardy right;)

I don't think any of their films qualify as noir, but a couple of their films are tagged as war and would be eligible for the upcoming war countdown. Will a Laurel and Hardy film make the war countdown?

[Citizen Rules]

I don't think any of their films qualify as noir, but a couple of their films are tagged as war and would be eligible for the upcoming war countdown. Will a Laurel and Hardy film make the war countdown?What did you think of the recent Laurel and Hardy bio pic? I thought it was pretty good myself.

[Allaby]

What did you think of the recent Laurel and Hardy bio pic? I thought it was pretty good myself.

Stan & Ollie? I thought it was excellent and rated it 4.5

[Citizen Rules]

Stan & Ollie? I thought it was excellent and rated it rating_4_5Yeah that's the one I was thinking of. It was my #7 on the Top 100 of the 2010s Countdown ballot.

[rauldc14]

Allaby is second to finish! Great job Allaby!

[Allaby]

Allaby is second to finish! Great job Allaby!

Thanks. It was fun.

[rauldc14]

The Verdict

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-I11jeTiMoMQTpqB7_Wo-4CZsCI=/0x0:3000x2000/1200x800/filters:focal(1178x250:1658x730)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71743417/theverdict_twentiethcenturyfox.0.jpg

Everything about this is pretty good. I was a little apprehensive because I'm not the biggest Paul Newman fan but he really fits the bill here. As always, Lumet brings a really nice script to his film. It's always his biggest strength with his films and I think it certainly is here too. There's lulls in the movie here and there but I really enjoy watching the whole end of the film unfold. The courtroom scene was really well done in my eyes and the ending scene with Newman not answering the phone was quite clever too. I'm also usually not the biggest James Mason guy but I thought he had a really good performance here. Overall, it's not anything that will become a favorite but it's something that ill certainly respect.

3.5

[rauldc14]

I'm thinking of having July 14 be the deadline if everyone thinks that's doable.

[Citizen Rules]

I'm thinking of having July 14 be the deadline if everyone thinks that's doable.Sure, not a problem.

[PHOENIX74]

I'm thinking of having July 14 be the deadline if everyone thinks that's doable.

Fine with me.

[seanc]

I'm thinking of having July 14 be the deadline if everyone thinks that's doable.

Can I get an extension? Little busy over here

[cricket]

Planning on watching A Hero with the wife tomorrow night

[seanc]

Planning on watching A Hero with the wife tomorrow night

That’s what you think. Plan on A Hero, snap, you are in the middle of a Gilmore Girls marathon.

[cricket]

That’s what you think. Plan on A Hero, snap, you are in the middle of a Gilmore Girls marathon.

Real Housewives

[seanc]

Real Housewives

Oh God. When I was married my wife watched Jersey Shore. I can remember us bickering about it I hated that garbage so much.

[cricket]

Oh God. When I was married my wife watched Jersey Shore. I can remember us bickering about it I hated that garbage so much.

What a coincidence. Her favorite version is the Real Housewives of New Jersey.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/KcNcSM3Y/days-of-heaven.jpg

Days of Heaven - 1978

Directed by Terrence Malick

Written by Terrence Malick

Starring Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz

Days of Heaven doesn't quite come off to perfection, but there are elements of it that work so well as to make the film notable and memorable. It's an optical feast, and so much effort went into the visual aspect of it's storytelling that you could nearly watch it muted and walk away with the same impression as those who have heard it with dialogue. It wouldn't come as any surprise to learn that this is a film which features a great deal of narration - I don't know of many Terrence Malick films that don't, but what is surprising is that this narration, delivered by a young Linda Manz, wasn't initially planned for before the film entered the editing phase of it's production. This is a Malick film which had a problem at that stage - the narrative was muddled, and the fact that the director did away with the screenplay and asked the actors to "find the story" meant he had to find the story himself in an editing room with 2-time Oscar nominee Billy Weber. It would take two years of work, and some added inserts, to turn this into a coherent whole.

It's 1916. Bill (Richard Gere), his sister Linda (Linda Manz) and girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) are on the run after Bill kills a man in a fight at the steel mill he was working at. They end up being hired to work on a wheat farm in Texas. The farm's owner (Sam Shepard) isn't well, and one day Bill overhears a doctor telling him he only has around a year to live. With this information, Bill encourages his girlfriend (whom he is passing off as his sister) to seduce the farmer in the hopes the two might be married, and inherit the valuable land they're working on. Eventually, Abby does - the farmer easily falls in love with her and the two are married. Now, the lives of Bill, Linda and Abby are easy - they no longer have to work, and have a stately house to live in - but despite this Bill finds it hard to keep his hands off Abby, and the more the farmer sees the two of them interacting when they don't know he's watching, the more he realises how he's being duped. A confrontation is in the air, and with emotions running at a fever pitch combined with Bill's propensity for violence, the results will be dramatic.

It's the cinematography that's most noteworthy when it comes to Days of Heaven. The look of the film has been achieved primarily by the use of natural light over and above artificial lighting - and doing this made the images on the screen differ from the glossy and fake look most films have. The sky and landscape takes on a hue that seems to belong on canvas, and the bright shining blue becomes pink, white, grey and purple - especially since many shots were filmed during "magic hour" - and darkness often shrouds the figures moving about, since reflective surfaces weren't utilized as they normally would be. People's faces are shadowed in way that looks quite unlike most other films - but everything feels all the more recognizable to us. All perfectly natural. The entire crew thought cinematographer Néstor Almendros and Malick were either crazy or performing their jobs in an absolutely amateur manner - as if the two had no idea of what they were doing. Almendros had to leave before the production ended, as he had a prior engagement with François Truffaut, about to direct The Green Room.

It's slightly contentious that Néstor Almendros won an Oscar for this film, because a great deal of the camerawork was done by Haskell Wexler after Almendros had left. After having more time to think things over, Wexler decided that Almendros deserved it after all - as it was him who had set all the trends, and decided exactly how to film this motion picture. All the second cinematographer had done was continue along the same track. Everything is filmed wonderfully by both cinematographers - the composition, balance and especially the placing of what's in the foreground and background of every shot. It's a real pleasure, and continually engages the senses. Nearly every shot is quite simply beautiful. Terrence Malick films would come to be renowned for the quality of cinematography in them, despite utilizing various different talents in that area - usually Oscar winners, and usually nominated for whatever film they'd collaborated with him on.

The score is likewise majestic and alluring, from the legendary Ennio Morricone - earning him his first ever Academy Award nomination. To me it sounds kind of haunting as well - if my life were set to this music I'd feel that there was something always looming over me, just as the main house on the farm in this film constantly looms over the people who work there. You could almost score a horror film in a similar manner - but often the musical accompaniment to what's happening breaks out into lyrical tunes that reflect the golden fields of wheat, and playful actions of the workers who constantly engage in horseplay and energetic reveling. It matches the cinematography in a way that defines Days of Heaven as a technically brilliant film that could nearly have been an art-piece devoid of narrative or dialogue. This is a film that seems to have been guided by these principles above and beyond narrative ones - and that is probably why Malick had such a hard time editing what he had into a coherent story until he added the narration.

Days of Heaven also managed to garner Oscar nominations for it's Sound and Costume Design - again, elements that lean more towards craft than performance or story. There is a solid story there, and this isn't a film that simply exists as a mood piece - although it consists of long stretches that rely more on mood than dialogue or plot. Unusual, though, is the way twists and turns in the story occur almost in the background - not completely lost to the audience, but a little more detached than you'd normally see in a film. Again, some moments play out as if we're watching a silent film, with looks, facial expressions and body language imparting the importance of a moment. The narration isn't as clumsy as it might have been in the hands of a lesser talent - and is shrouded in Linda's feelings, moods and the typical minutia of a young girl's thoughts. It buttresses the dialogue and story, and provides context, and if I didn't know better I'd swear that the film was originally written this way and was always meant to look and sound exactly like this.

I came away from Days of Heaven much more affected by the look and sound of it than I did from the story it told - and I felt somewhat removed from the ultimate fate of Bill and the farmer who marries his girlfriend. I'm kind of surprised by that, considering just how dramatic their stories are. I felt something for Linda, because she's the only character we really get to know - and I think this is the little problem Days of Heaven has been left with. It's a great movie, but it wasn't perfect, and I think Malick tried and tried to make it so. In the end, he had to leave filmmaking for 20 years due to the extended effort and ultimate frustration and defeat. For him, I don't think this being a really good movie sufficed - especially when certain aspects of it came out incredibly well. I feel pretty much the same way about it. It's well worth having in one's Criterion Collection and watching any number of times - but it fell short of complete success, and stands as a kind of Leaning Tower of Pisa. Beautiful but with a fundamental flaw that many a cinephile might notice, but easily forgive.

I got to know Terrence Malick's films middle-to-back-to-front, starting with The Thin Red Line, continuing on and then only later going back into time and seeing his much-heralded first two films. It's such an odd filmography with that huge gap. His films are like poems, and Days of Heaven is no less poetic than the others, despite the unintentional nature of it's narration-driven, one-step-removed narrative and it's visual and auditory brilliance. If pushed to choose a favourite, I'd go for The Thin Red Line - every aspect of that film feels assured and works exactly as it was meant to. Days of Heaven is really, really beautiful, and I like it, but I need to connect with it's central characters more than I eventually do. The rogue and the honest man betwixt the beautiful woman with deep emotions who is pushed and pulled and never quite allowed to simply be who she is. Nevertheless, it's still easy to enjoy - like a stunning painting of turn-of-the-century farm life that has come to life with motion and music, and the hulk of a mansion on the horizon. Built from the inside out for the film, it's the mansion that comes to mind when you think of Days of Heaven - a potent metaphor, but I think we should have come away thinking of the characters first, and the rest second.

4

[Torgo]

A Hero - 4

Like he does in About Elly, the other Farahdi movie I've seen, this one also demonstrates how good the writer/director is at dramatizing modern dilemmas. The way this one studies social media, particularly how it makes what people believe more important than the truth, mistakes more difficult to recover from and the consequences of our overdependence on it makes me wish Charlie Brooker would hire Farahdi to write for Black Mirror. What makes this such compelling drama is how it adds an implied question mark at the end of its title. In other words, I like how it paints everyone as human first and as a hero or a villain second. I imagine it being possible to rewrite Bahram in the main role and Rahim in a supporting one, for instance. Regardless, the decision to not make Rahim social media savvy - or at least someone who would only use it as a last resort - is apt for how it reveals the consequences of its weaponization. The same goes for the moments when we see the world through his son Siavash's eyes, which reveal how needlessly petty adults can be. After all, it would be fair to reduce this to a squabble over a handful of gold coins. Also, even though the drama is between people instead of people and nature, I like that Farahdi and company highlight the beauty of Iran, such as in that shot of the dig site, especially since it's a country I'll likely never get to visit. To bring up Black Mirror again, there is understandably plenty of entertainment about social media’s place in our lives to explore. If anything, Faradhi’s contribution stands out for tackling the subject in a way that is adult and that respects its audience’s intelligence.

[Wyldesyde19]

Alright!
*cracks knuckles*
Time to knock a few of these out.

[cricket]

A Hero

https://www.votivkino.at/votivdefrance/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/hero_verloreneehredesherrnsoltani05-1280x720.jpg

If this were an American film, I don't think the story would have the juice to pull it off. Shame and denouncement just doesn't mean as much here. It's so impressive how this director makes great drama out of mundane things. I was able to relate a little bit to the main character as I was once one to always be plotting something. Maybe that's why I kept thinking there must be something more devious at hand then there actually was. This dude was just a F-up, not a bad guy but obviously he only did the good deed to bring benefit to himself. I like how they didn't tell us too much about his past, but the creditor said he was a bullshitter all his life. I was never quite sure how to judge the characters and I think that was part of the point. Really good performances, and in the case of the lead, great work not showing any personality. That's what it looks like when under constant stress. Like everyone else it seems, this was my 4th film from the director, and I'd rank it 2nd. My wife dug it as well.

4

[Wyldesyde19]

Days of Heaven

Malick’s films have always evoked a sense of wonder and beauty in his films. In Days of Heaven, one can’t help but stre in awe at some of these scenes. Whether it’s the embers of a fire, or a swarm of locusts, or a scene where we watch a seed sprout in real time. The film is amazing to watch.

The story is simple, two lovers (Bill and Abby) and a a girl (Linda), the man’s younger sister, are on the run when Bill accidentally kills his boss in a fight. They take up working for a wheat farmer, who Bill learns is dying. He schemes to have his Linda, who is pretending to be his sister, marry the farmer and inherit the farm when he dies. Only, he doesn’t get any sicker and Abby complicated things by falling in love with the farmer.

The story isn’t much, but what’s really interesting is how the film looks. It can be both breathtaking and ominous. And the principle actors, particularly Richard Gere, is great. The look of regret on Bill’s face when he realized he is responsible for losing Abby is earnest.

But, as with most of Malick’s films, I can’t help but feel like I’m admiring the film with a slight detachment. I can appreciate the film, but they rarely ever become favorites.

Still, a good film regardless. Glad to have been able to rewatch it, as it’s been about 15 years or so.

[rauldc14]

Cricket is the third person to finish! GREAT JOB!

We are at 56/81 reviews. Excellent work everybody!

[Citizen Rules]

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Herod's Law (1999,Luis Estrada)


Loved the first half of the movie, with a hapless slacker being appointed mayor of a speck of dust town in the middle of nowhere. I loved the look of the town and location...it was all interestingly colorful, so cool. The actors were real good too and cast perfectly for their roles. I expected Juan as the newly appointed mayor to end up helping the town despite his bumbling ways. The character of Juan reminded me of Jack Black in Nacho Libre....Too bad the writers ran out of ideas and had to go for the low hanging fruit of having the mayor kill a bunch of people to fill out the last half of the film, I find that to be a let down as the town's people had so much more of an interesting story that could've been explored.

[Torgo]

Sunset Blvd. - 4

This remains a classic about the dark side of the Hollywood dream. I'm a fan of stories that pair someone who is relatively new to an industry with someone who has been around the block in it, so to speak, and this is a prime example of this trope. I approve of how Joe Gillis demonstrates that if you're not consistently churning out hits - or better yet, what Hollywood thinks will be hits - you might as well be dead. As for Norma, I like how she makes fame seem like a drug, i.e., one in which the consequences of long-term withdrawal are dangerous. William Holden has relatable everyman "voice of reason" qualities, which make him a perfect fit for the role of the failed too soon screenwriter from Ohio, and Swanson's Norma remains an iconic portrait of a faded star as well as of a narcissist. As for Nancy Olson, who could ask for a better and more charming writing partner?

It's hard to imagine this movie not making anyone interested or even more interested in Hollywood, but if it doesn't, it's still enjoyable as quality noir, especially with its hard-boiled dialogue. As silly as it sounds, I was excited when it was anyone's turn to speak because pretty much every line is memorable. It ends up being a movie that succeeds at making a compelling argument that if things are going south for you in Hollywood, you should get out as soon as you can while also making you wonder if doing so is even possible. Oh, and as a David Lynch fan, I like that it makes me appreciate his work even more since it's chock full of his influences.

[rauldc14]

Herod's Law

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqNeTw31eLKph-cSKaRl1DkX-8IgdcTs9T4w&usqp=CAU

I don't really have a whole lot to say about this. I liked the first half of the film much more than the second half, which can usually affect how much I thought of the film as a whole quite a bit. My favorite parts were the parts that provided some good humor. I think overall the story doesn't really grip me enough for me to fully enjoy it. I didn't have any beefs with the acting but there also wasn't really much that stuck out to me. Overall, it was ok but I wouldn't be in a rush to see it again.

2.5

[rauldc14]

Congrats to Raul for being the fourth person to finish!

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/tC6GN3mV/sons-of-the-desert.jpg

Sons of the Desert - 1933

Directed by William A. Seiter

Written by Frank Craven

Starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase, Mae Busch & Dorothy Christy

Oliver : "Why did you get a veterinarian?"
Stan : "Well, I didn't think his religion would make any difference."

Sons of the Desert has Laurel and Hardy go through many familiar scenarios together - the latter still caught out by his slippery, clumsy friend and the former pale and skittery. Their main modus operandi is still the unlikely lie - Hardy the schemer and formulator, Laurel always one small step away from confession and need for forgiveness. "Another fine mess you've gotten us into" - always said by Hardy who, with a bit more introspection, would realise that he's really the one who has led them down the garden path, into disaster. The extreme measures he takes in propping up the lie, and not swallowing his pride, is unfathomable enough to conclude his narcissism is equal to Laurel's simpleminded mishandling of facts, and misreading of situations. They were the perfect comedy team, because one simply couldn't exist any more without the other - and because Hardy wasn't being mean, but instead was exasperated that his schemes were always undone by his more honest and simple friend.

I like the story of Stan Laurel (Arthur Stanley Jefferson) and Oliver Norvell Hardy. One British, the other American. Theirs is one of the great stories of friendship and success.

So - in Sons of the Desert Oliver Hardy needs to convince his wife (and Stan's) that he's desperately ill, and needs to travel by steamship to Honolulu to soothe his nerves. Instead, the pair are headed to Chicago to take part in a club meeting - their membership in "The Sons of the Desert" and the oath they've taken to attend means they're needed there - but really it's the pursuit partying and adolescent games. When the ship they're meant to be on sinks, and the pair are caught by their wives by being recorded on camera in a newsreel, they both take refuge in their own attic - terrified of the retribution due their way. The wives wear the pants, and are pretty much over the immature tomfoolery - Oliver had promised Lottie (Mae Busch) that he'd go to the mountains with her, and Stan's wife Betty (Dorothy Christy) has made a wager that she married the honest one. It's not long before the two men have retreated further, to the roof, and are soaking in their pajamas - in desperate flight and need of an explanation.

When it comes to the films featuring Stan Laurel (Arthur Stanley Jefferson) and Oliver Hardy (Oliver Hardy) you can either say "they don't make 'em like they used to" or "we've come a long way since then." Unfortunately, for me, it's the latter. I feel bad about that, because over time I've come to like these two actors a great deal, and have an affection for the friendship they developed and continued until Hardy's death in 1957. I have a certain disconnect when it comes to the older style of physical comedy that you'll commonly see with the Three Stooges, Jerry Lewis or Laurel and Hardy - and when I try to discern why I can only say that I think it's because of repetition. In Sons of the Desert I suddenly laughed out loud when Oliver's onscreen wife breaks crockery over his head, quite unexpectedly. It just felt different. I laughed out loud when the above quote was spoken. I'd never heard that one before. But when it's something I've seen before - many times before - it doesn't strike me as funny, even if it's endearing.

When it comes to the comedy that featured in film's early years, it seems that repetition provided a kind of key to success. Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and all of Hal Roach's numerous stars would churn out short after short which featured famous characters getting up to the same kind of stuff in scenario after scenario - nothing was left unexplored. One team-up who particularly got my notice was when Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle introduced Buster Keaton to film - Keaton a very experienced vaudevillian (much like Chaplin and Stan Laurel) who took to it like a duck to water, and someone who just appeared to be on Arbuckle's wavelength. It just seemed like nobody was writing screenplays, or even doing much planning - instead improvised set-ups and on-the-spot invention would lead to many quick shots and a barnstorming approach to comedy. By the time we get to Sons of the Desert there appears to be more of a story outline - but still a sense of improv and immediacy with the physical comedy.

I don't think I really have much more to say about this film. It's most famous for having a title that has since been adopted by the "Appreciation Society" kind of club that has spread around the world, where members get together to watch Laurel and Hardy films and remember the popular duo. "Sons of the Desert is devoted to keeping the lives and works of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy before the public, and to have a good time while doing it." It was this film then that seems to be the tentpole that most represents them - and possibly their finest. I really enjoyed 2018 film Stan & Ollie - John C. Reilly seems to have been born to play Oliver Hardy (his voice) and Steve Coogan seems to have been born to play Stan Laurel (his facial features). There's a tele-play you can find on YouTube which is centered around an old Stan Laurel visiting his great friend Oliver after the latter has had a stroke and can no longer speak - it's both touching and funny, and a very recommended watch. It's called Stan.

I liked Sons of the Desert, and I envy those who get a lot of laughter from it. The laughs were few and far between for me - and that's just down to the style of physical comedy and the many jokes I'd seen recycled many times in other films and shows. I think great comedy has been refined and perfected over the years - and it's always the kind of thing I've never seen before, or the new approach, that gets me going. That's not me saying there's anything wrong with this though - I even feel like a bit of a jerk at not finding it really funny. It's another nice mess I've gotten myself into.

3

[rauldc14]

59/81 reviews are in. Just 22 left cumulatively!

[Siddon]

Hi John,



We have to wait for the 2023-24 budget passes Town Council in order to order titles that are released on July 1st or after. The budget was adopted on June 7th so our Acquisitions department is working to place those orders and then receive and process them. I can take 4-6 weeks to get new orders in and out to all of you. We appreciate your patience!



Let us know if you have any more questions.



Thanks,



Sarah



So I just got this email from my library because I've been pestering them about orders so I guess I'm going to start and see if I end with Days of Heaven. But know that I have tried to judge the film fairly in the best possible light it's just looking like it's not going to happen.

[Citizen Rules]

So I just got this email from my library because I've been pestering them about orders so I guess I'm going to start and see if I end with Days of Heaven. But know that I have tried to judge the film fairly in the best possible light it's just looking like it's not going to happen.If you can't get the movies from your library I'm sure we can help find good free links.

[Siddon]

If you can't get the movies from your library I'm sure we can help find good free links.


Some of these films I have to watch on a computer screen I would much rather not watch a film where 90% of it's value is the cinematography.

[Citizen Rules]

Some of these films I have to watch on a computer screen I would much rather not watch a film where 90% of it's value is the cinematography.I can understand that, it's always nice to have a quality DVD or Bluray.

[rauldc14]

I can extend the deadline a tad. I don't feel like extending too much though but a week or two is doable.

[Torgo]

Interiors - 4

This is a pleasantly introspective and well-acted drama about the limitations of the "art life." In addition to getting to take in three strong performances in Diane Keaton, Mary Beth Hurt and Kristin Griffith's sisters, I like how each of them demonstrates a different affliction of such an upbringing. The highly critical and death-obsessed Renata is the most interesting one to me, especially for how her behavior saps her author partner more than it inspires him. There's also the apt decision to make matriarch Eve an interior designer, which besides the obvious in the gilded cage, ivory tower, etc. her chosen medium created for her family, it provides lots of potential for tasty metaphors. Her preferences for washed out colors and empty pitchers is inspired, as is the choice to make the favorite color of dad's new suitor Pearl not just red, but very red. Speaking of, as much as I like Keaton's performance, Stapleton's as Pearl may be my favorite for how she exudes life lived while also seeming like a real person instead of a manic pixie dream girl. It ends up being a very satisfying drama for how it proves that art may help you understand life, but it won't always come in handy when you have to experience it.

[Torgo]

All done! A strong Hall of Fame. It was hard to rank them since they're pretty consistent in quality. Herod's Law sort of qualifies as one, but I do miss there being an "out there," wild card entry (Themroc, My Dog Skip, etc.)
I sent my ballot.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2Fproxy%2FD9kArOcaxnAhfZ2UQ9yIYW6oUEyFmTk7QDwcdPdvuHaVKam 2veIBrQzzJzWv6XqiezRoYhpyzNaygDrlKzEajRYDUWI0kVQ-p47Qw1bfRDhf8MZxNfst5Wp3rq73ODQ8ajimmra9AWS9skGCU_l1dA%3Ds0-d&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=d807fa927f514a166da2c5def9b78b96c5341e23bc6e027de113275bc1c6241d&ipo=imagesGone Baby Gone ( 2007)
*spoilers*

Amy Ryan rocked her role! She flat out was my favorite in this movie and I wish she had more scenes. Kudos to Casey Affleck who's one of my favorite currently working actors...he was perfectly cast here. While I'm praising the cast, a big shout out to Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris too. The only misstep in casting was Michelle Monaghan. Maybe it's not her fault as her character was basically tacked on and she wasn't really utilized until the end scene were Patrick (Casey Affleck) has a choice to be made.

I liked that idea of the choice between doing what might seem right even though it's against the law...or following the law because it is what's ethically right. I liked the way the film wrapped with Patrick choosing to follow the law which causes his girlfriend to leave him. It seemed like an appropriate choice for a young person to make with his strong belief in ethics. But being older I can relate to Morgan Freeman's idea of the letter of the law isn't always the way to achieve the most fairest results. I liked the conundrum the movie presented.

I loved the use of the urban settings in Boston and what appeared to me to be real people from the streets of Boston. Or maybe they were actors who just looked authentic. Either way the film had a nice, real vibe to it. I liked that.

[rauldc14]

Congrats to Torgo for being the fifth to finish!

[Wyldesyde19]

Herod’s Law

Luis Estrada, the director, was taking a risk when he made this film. He was openly criticizing the politics of his nation with Herod’s Law. A film about a honest man who himself becomes corrupt. He’s thrust into a situation where he is made Mayor of a small Mexican town called San Pedro de los Saguaros. *The previous mayor had been killed after trying to steal the towns money, which is depicted during the opening scene. **

Estrada fills the film out with enough wit and charm to make this work without seeming too damning. *It is, after all, ostensibly a comedy. One steeped in satire. *We are introduced to colorful characters populating the town, some a bit more sinister than others. *The newly “elected” Mayor tries his best to be very own these obstacles, but slowly gives into his…insanity perhaps? *Or is he perhaps drunk with power? *

Someone mentioned they felt the screen writers ran out of ideas for the ending. I disagree. The ending is the point. *The murders serve to show how easily the Mexican government was corrupted, and what happens when one becomes drunk with power. It’s very one the nose at times (Herod’s Law!), but it’s supposed to be!*

If you’re interested in his other films, I’ve heard good things about Inferno and I can vouch for The Perfect Dictatorship as another great film by the same director. *

[Wyldesyde19]

Sunset Boulevard

“All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

One of the best ending lines ever, to a movie with one of the best opening scenes ever. A sublime film told in flashback after we are introduced to Gilles (Spelling?) already dead and floating in a pool. *There’s no need to go over the plot. *Everyone who’s a film buff has seen this film. It’s prosibly Wilder’s best, in a filmography that boasts such classics as Ace in the hole, The Apartment, and Some Like it Hot, among many others. *

Why makes the film work is the dialogue, and acting. *Holden and Swanson are amazing in this film, giving perhaps their best work, and considering THEIR respective filmography’s, that’s also saying something! *
There’s a criticism being levied by Wilder, it seems to me, about how Hollywood seems to abandon its stars when it’s convenient. *It’s also somewhat prescient. *Definitely one of the all time greats

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/L876HDFc/a-hero.jpg

A Hero (قهرمان/Qahremaan) - 2021

Directed by Asghar Farhadi

Written by Asghar Farhadi

Starring Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sahar Goldoost, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaie
& Sarina Farhadi

Reading what others have to say about Asghar Farhadi's A Hero, I was really struck by how differently everyone interpreted events and saw every character. He seems to be a filmmaker who explores the grey areas that our interactive existence spends a lot of it's time in, with motives, moods, meaning, thought and actions open to a great deal of interpretation. From the film's very start, I personally felt an enormous amount of empathy for main character Rahim (played by Amir Jadidi in a real international breakthrough role for him.) It was very simply his kind smile that did it for me - there was something about it that made me feel like this was a man I could trust, as he seemed so humble and polite when dealing with other people. Later on, this will contrast a great deal with the taciturn frown of Bahram (Mohsen Tanabandeh) who will end up being the one person willing to destroy much of the good will and esteem Rahim wins by doing a good deed, and acting in good faith. It's a downfall that's hard to watch, but impossible to turn away from.

Events that are revealed in piecemeal fashion, and that we have to interpret for ourselves, have already occurred when A Hero starts. Rahim, who has kids with an ex-wife, is in prison due to an unpaid debt owing to his brother-in-law Bahram - but his new lover has stumbled upon a lost purse with gold coins inside. While out on a two-day leave he joins her and the two try to value the coins and contact Bahram to pay part of the debt, hoping that this and regular payments to him will prove enough to have him forgive Rahim and allow him his permanent freedom. Bahram angrily refuses, not trusting Rahim, and this is enough to prompt the latter to try and find the owner of the purse to return it - obviously it wasn't meant to be, and if it had of been a gift from God, it would have led to his being free. When the apparent purse's owner contacts Rahim in prison, the authorities learn about this good deed, and that in turns leads to Rahim becoming a minor celebrity - feted on television for what he's done, for which he not only receives a certificate from a charitable establishment, but a donation paying part of his debt. Bahram however, is not convinced that Rahim hasn't invented the story for his own benefit - and sets on a course that will destroy his reputation and ruin his redemption.

The first time I watched A Hero I didn't fully appreciate the last few scenes as much as I should have, even though I'd already given the film the highest possible rating I could. There's something there that Rahim learns about truly being a hero, and that's something that left me feeling a lot more positive about where this film finishes in it's narrative and emotional senses. If you're really tuned in to his body language and expression, you can also see that the pain he's been in for much of the latter half of the film has lifted as well, because he fully understands the lesson he's learned, and it's import. Despite what he's gone through (a similar spiritual journey to Antonio Ricci in Bicycle Thieves) he's actually content, though there's still that element of sadness considering he must still remain imprisoned and separated from his children, family and lover. How often do we see people considered heroes, and ponder to ourselves what truly makes one a hero? Many of the times I do, I consider that most of the greatest heroes out there are invisible, doing good but not expecting rewards, attention or congratulation. Many make concerted efforts to avoid attention, and many a great hero will do what they do at great personal cost to themselves.

It's no surprise anymore to learn that Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi makes great cinematic treasures. He won 9 various international film awards (not counting those the film won for itself) for A Hero, and the film found itself on the shortlist for foreign language features to be nominated for an Oscar, falling at the last hurdle. His 2011 masterpiece, A Separation, ended up winning a Best Foreign Film Oscar, and Farhadi was nominated personally for Best Screenplay. I also love The Salesman and Everybody Knows, both of which (along with A Hero) were nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. His award-winning editor, Hayedeh Safiyari, whom he has made all of his best films with, did great work on this and deserves recognition. Cinematographers Ali Ghazi and Arash Ramezani, relative newcomers to the industry and Farhadi, did good work on A Hero. My love for the film however, is due to the acting ability of Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh and a great child performance from Saleh Karimaei as Rahim's stammering son - along with Farhadi's amazing imagination and direction.

I love the way A Hero only reveals what's important, and leaves the rest a tantalizing mystery. We know Rahim borrowed from a loan shark to start some kind of business, and that his brother-in-law ended up footing the bill - but we don't know exactly what happened. We don't know how foolhardy Rahim's actions were, although it's never a good idea to borrow in that way when there's risk involved - and it seems that the business venture failed, and Rahim's partner fled. We don't know why Bahram is so distrustful of Rahim, to the point of exasperation and constant suspicion - telling anyone who'll listen that Rahim has constantly let him down, and failed any and all obligation he's had to his brother-in-law in the past. Rahim doesn't seem sneaky, but he does seem somewhat naïve, trusting and a little weak-willed and faint-hearted. What fractured his marriage? It seems his wife might have left him, for Bahram suspects that he's trying to win her over again despite that obviously not being true. They're on very friendly terms, so it would be interesting to know what split them up in a society that frowns on divorce.

Another interesting aspect to the film is the way it shows how some people are good at navigating our modern world and some aren't as adept. Bahram and his daughter weaponize their phones by recording the fight he gets into with Rahim, and exploits the online world by releasing it at an inopportune moment. Rahim had done the opposite - he'd done nothing to record the details of the woman who came and collected the coins - probably under false pretenses. The situation always seems to be turning against him, but he's a victim of not having much forethought and sense about him. He's not media savvy, and is subject to the whims and fickle opinion of people who would manipulate his image - first in a grossly positive way, and then in a darkly negative one. When he agrees to appear on television after "returning" those coins, my first though is always "I sure wouldn't do that." His praising of the prison authorities, done with good intentions, set his fellow inmates against him - and the parts of his story he makes up to keep the fact he has a lover quiet end up making him seem quite dishonest.

A Hero held me in a tight grip the first time I saw it, and I was expecting it to feel a little less immediate the second time around, but to my surprise I was just as shaken and emotionally involved with the story and characters. Rahim's son struggling to communicate, his connection with his girlfriend, his puppy dog eyes and willingness to please and the way he seems to be so sensitive really touches me, especially considering that this is someone in prison. The way he gets swept up in the congratulations he receives for doing a good deed, and the way he gets broken down and deflated after being put on a pedestal really rock me when I see it onscreen. He really shouldn't have just accepted the accolades and media attention, and tried to reason with himself about what a real hero is, and how they behave, but the fact that he learns really squared this film up and made it satisfying to me. It's a recent watch that I immediately fell in love with, and it's been fascinating to discover that every other person that sees it sees something completely unique and different in the same characters. That's Asghar Farhadi for you - giving us much to interpret in our own way, and many different ways to read his films. This goes down as one of my absolute favourites from 2021.

5

[rauldc14]

Congrats to Phoenix! The sixth person to finish!

[Citizen Rules]

I don't think I've ever finished this slow before:shifty:

[rauldc14]

I don't think I've ever finished this slow before:shifty:

It's all good brother, you are almost there!

[Citizen Rules]

It's all good brother, you are almost there!Yeah I know:p I'm just watching a tank full of war films!

[Siddon]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/HERO_2022_UT_210610_SHOAMI_00010_rgb-EMBED-2022.jpg?w=1000


A Hero (2021)

Farhadi's films always seem to be like a mixture of Ozu manners with Ibsen's morality. Which isn't really a bad thing just a tough watch. This was the third foreign film I watched tonight so my eyes have gotten a little blurry but as I start this marathon I figured I would start with a blind watch.

A Hero tells the story of a man in debtors prison who is let out to I guess work and try and earn the money he owes his creditor. He's a down on his luck schlub type guy, a hangdog as his creditor liked to call him. Upon finding a bag filled with gold coins he first tries to pay off his debts but as the coins don't match the amount owed he instead returns the bag...or does he.

This is a two hour film and it's mostly just talking heads and fights. The ethical basis for the film is interesting but Farhadi just strips the film of any sort of tension. It's just talking and arguing and people speaking about what everything means to them.

The film is at it's best when it breaks from the tedium of the arguing and we see this picture of modern Iran. You have this juxtaposition between adult and the familial ties where brothers and sisters live together and grown daughters are stuck with fathers because he can't pay for a dowry. You wish you would see more of that over what is a fairly long run to a predictable conclusion.

And while it might sound like I dislike this film..I don't it's fine just not my taste. I don't see myself remembering this film 10 years from now. It's good but it's just kinda there.

B

[Siddon]

https://www.tasteofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Interiors.jpg

Interiors (1978)

Inspiration and execution are two things that are at the heart of this film. Interiors is Allen's first film from his shock Oscar win the year before and he shall we say lifts heavily from Robert Altman and Ingmar Bergman. When you borrow from contemporaries can a film like this elevate itself from it's influences or does it just remind one of the better works of others.

The film is focused on ennui of intellectuals in the mid/late 70s. The marriage between a wealthy father and his mentally unstable wife is the center of the film as well as the trauma and drama centered around the three daughters. Geraldine Page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldine_Page) had five Oscar nominations at the point of making this film and she received a sixth for a lead performance. The irony ofcourse is that 78 was the year legitimate genre classics that were snubbed for the more high minded artistic works that have aged poorly in comparison. Grease, Halloween, and Superman all becoming timeless classics yet the academy glossed over for a film that feels more like a tribute than a complete work.

The film is good enough at certain things...it doesn't have the visual impact of a Bergman film, and Page is a periphery character choosing the generational trauma to be more subtle...or as subtle as it could get. Getting into spoilers the film builds up to a rape(that should have been handled better) and a suicide (that was much better shot in The Long Goodbye). Allen is so in love with telling and not showing us the audience the plot points that it left me somewhat disappointment and frankly frustration.

We know this is his first real step into dramatic work and he get's better at it. Which is once again another part of the problem...we know this is the lesser version of his dramas. We know he's going to get better visually and hit those notes better in the coming years. The knowledge of Allen's capabilities in subsequent years is like an albatross on this particular work. It's what makes prolific film-making so difficult.

Keaton and Griffith play two of the sisters who at the start seem like they are on even footing with Hart. But through the introduction of Pearl (the new woman in the fathers life) and the build towards the climax both actresses and characters end up feeling like alsorans..almost unnecessary. This is something you would see in an Altman film but a Bergman film would have developed Frederick and Joey's relationship as the focus with the juxtaposition of the parents failing marriage. Because...that's the point generational trauma.

And while their were things that I really didn't care for I did like bits and pieces of the work. It wasn't bad it was actually good but it could have been great and that's what makes me depressed about this work.

B-

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-bUdLERV0Kpo%2FVacbNxAjLqI%2FAAAAAAAAA_A%2F9MWQvQolqsc%2Fs1600%2Fpool2.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=c66e6dbf5e6ef08a5e6a1ddb45a76d66a88fdb63e6d8cffcc04daff039b549f8&ipo=images
Sunset Blvd (1950, Billy Wilder)

Hot damn, that's one cool shot!


What can I say about Sunset Blvd that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing. So I'll focus on the one most outstanding element of the movie, the writing.

The way that William Holden gets sucked into Norma Desmond's world happens in steps and each step is believable. Another writer would've used some plot device to quickly thrown the two together without laying the framework for how such an odd couple could come to be.

As I watched the movie I kept thinking, 'Wow Wilder really didn't miss any details'. He give us what we need to believe in the story and then builds enough sympathy for Holden to care about his plight...but not too much sympathy as he's already dead at the very start of the film. Same with Norma Desmond, she's brash, she's demanding, she's wacked...And yet in the suicide attempt scene we can see her vulnerability that lurks under a 1/2 pound of makeup.

I dug it.

[rauldc14]

Citizen Rules is the 7th to finish! Only 12 reviews from Siddon and Wylde remain!

[Wyldesyde19]

I need Links to A Hero, The Duellists, and Sons of the Desert please.

[Allaby]

I need Links to A Hero, The Duellists, and Sons of the Desert please.

I sent one for The Duellists.

[rauldc14]

I need Links to A Hero, The Duellists, and Sons of the Desert please.

Sons of the Desert is on YouTube.

[Allaby]

I need Links to A Hero, The Duellists, and Sons of the Desert please.

I sent the link for Sons of the Desert (from Youtube). I couldn't find A Hero with English subtitles anywhere.

[Citizen Rules]

I have a link for A Hero, I'll PM Wylde.

[Wyldesyde19]

Thanks for the links guys. I’ll finish this up this coming week

[Wyldesyde19]

Sons of the Desert

Thsi was my first L&H film, and I can say I was hoping for something more like the Marx Bros. Maybe it’s an unfair comparison. To start, I think the Marx Bros had better wit, and better scripts. However, maybe I should hold off such claims until I’ve seen more L&H films.
The fact is, I didn’t find this film funny until the last 20 minutes. In fact, I can say this film wasn’t even that entertaining until those last 20 minutes.

But those last 20 minutes? Worth it after waiting patiently through the first 40 minutes. The scenes with the Sons of the Desert just wasn’t funny, and could have been shortened perhaps. Maybe more focus on L&H trying to con it some plan to convince their wives that they were indeed In Honolulu? I don’t know.

Ok movie, doesn’t quite work for me.

[Siddon]

https://images.ctfassets.net/jxsch4jish6b/photo-46033/c6cc435f611a199e9c58df191328bf47/46033-sunset-blvd.jpg

Sunset Blvd (1950)

The irony of just finishing the Idol the maligned HBO miniseries about the sexual debauchery in Los Angeles today vs this story from 75 years ago. It had been a while since I watched the film so I had missed all the little touches of implied sexual deviancy in this classic noir. I actually think some of the best noirs revolve things that end up not being a crime but were a social crime back then.

William Holden plays a screenwriter who for the first act is deeply emasculated by most of the people in his life. His script is torn apart by the reader Beatty, with the producer suggesting changing the story to a ladies softball player(with music!). He's trying to keep his car when he ends up in the lair of Norma Desmond a wealthy divorcee who was once a big screen star but now lives a life of luxury and madness in Hollywood. She is only served by her german butler who is more than he appears to be.

Billy Wilder does a fantastic job shooting this film. You only have a handfull of settings but it still has this grand scope. Holden's cynical relationship with Norma is given another layer because we're not quite sure if Norma is being manipulative or if she's crazy. Gloria Swanson walks a fine line going over the top at moments while also showing her vulnerability at other points. Most of her terrible behavior feels like it's right under the surface ready to come out but it's balanced with her sense of desperation and loneliness.

I also got a lot more of the references this time around...still didn't get them all yet. still great nom...a favorite noir of mine

A

[Wyldesyde19]

Starting The Duelists

[rauldc14]

Deadline is Friday if doable. Willing to extend a week though.

[Siddon]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/0622820efe7443586715f52543d98cf9/tumblr_mjq07kGbiY1qmfv8io2_r1_250.gifv

Sons of the Desert (1933)

Sons of the Desert tells the story of a pair of buffoons who con their wives into a boys trip to Chicago. Though really this is a loose selection of Vaudevillian acts retrofitted into a light comedy. Now as someone who actually watches comedies from this era my take is Laurel and Hardy are low brow. WC Fields understood wit and build with his films, Chaplin had imagination and whimsy, the Marx Brothers could tell a compelling story. Laurel and Hardy focused on excess and noise.

Now some of the wordplay worked but is it really worth it when you have unlikable obnoxious characters screaming and yelling throughout each bit. This is the sort of thing that plays in a theater to the cheap seats but on the screen it's a flop. The empathy for Norma Desmond and the lowbrow nature of the Talkies is in full effect with this one.

D

[Wyldesyde19]

The Duellists

The story goes that that men participated in duels against each other over a decade over a petty squabble, which is based off a short story, which itself is based on an actual series of duels that persisted for decades. Here we have Scott’s setting, his film debut.

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, we are introduced to the primary characters who would become entangled in a long stbsing rivalry that spanned, Faroud and d’Hubert. They couldn’t be more opposites. Faroud (played by Keitel) is loud and boastful, while d’Hubert (played by Carrdine), is quiet, eloquent and much more even tempered. Faroud is driven to a need to duel for the smallest of perceived insults. He makes up lies to justify his actions.

D’Hubert, on the other hand, is much more well respected and restrained. He chooses his words carefully, and would rather avoid the nonsense of dueling. His honor, however, demands he accept each duel. It is a clash of ego (Faroud) and pride (d’Hubert).

D’Hubert would rather settle down, but Faroud has a single minded goal of crushing the man, so much so that one wonders if that is all he ever enjoys? We never see him with family. And so, we except the army and duels are all he has to fulfill his life.

The ending is clever, and one based on fact I have read. It is also fitting.

Can’t stress how much I enjoyed this film. Good pick.

[Citizen Rules]

The Duellists

The ending is clever, and one based on fact I have read. It is also fitting.

Can’t stress how much I enjoyed this film. Good pick. Yup the ending was very satisfying, made sense and yet I didn't see it coming. The Duellist was a good pick for an HoF.

[Wyldesyde19]

Yup the ending was very satisfying, made sense and yet I didn't see it coming. The Duellist was a good pick for an HoF.
Yep. It’s been high on my watch list for ages. Gad to have finally watched it.
I thought for sure the film would end in one way, and when it didn’t, it was the absolute right choice. Keeping in step with the actual story/legend.

Was this Siddon’s pick?

[Citizen Rules]

Yep. It’s been high on my watch list for ages. Gad to have finally watched it.
I thought for sure the film would end in one way, and when it didn’t, it was the absolute right choice. Keeping in step with the actual story/legend.

Was this Siddon’s pick?I don't think Raul ever said, which I kinda like. I'm not really sure who picked what. Hopefully during the reveal we will find out...Raul...hint hint:p

[rauldc14]

That's correct I never really did say. Most are obvious at this point but I will put who nominated what with the results.

[Siddon]

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-I11jeTiMoMQTpqB7_Wo-4CZsCI=/0x0:3000x2000/1200x800/filters:focal(1178x250:1658x730)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71743417/theverdict_twentiethcenturyfox.0.jpg

The Verdict (1982)

One of my favorite films, often considered a courtroom case I would argue that it's a different sort film. That's it's really about the existential crisis we all have in life and the crime/trial is merely allegorical it doesn't really matter. Lument, Mamet and Newman are a masterful team. Lument shoots the film like it's a lived in world, the classes are defined without being overbearing. Mamets script is a constant state of taking away the big moments for the viewer and replacing it with visuals but giving us the scenes of the mundane. Newman himself gives a restrained and powerful performance as a man has to lose everything just to win a case. And at the end of the day we have to decide if it was all worth it.

One of the things that makes this film so good is that you always get hit with these moments of sadness when normal people are facing this giant bureaucracy . So many great scenes are left unsaid, Newman figures out the price of the settlement the cost for him to go away is a touching one. The moment of clarity you get at so many points in the story. Rampling on the other hand plays her role to perfection a woman who at first seems like a romantic lead but you see things about her that are just a little off.

The main players in the film are in the background, the doctor, the victim are almost inconsequential to the story. We see the other people who are tangentially involved and how they treat this crime/accident is what's touching about the story. This isn't a movie for everyone but I feel like it gets better everytime I watch it.

A

[Siddon]

https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/images/newsite/duel_600.jpg

The Duelists (1977)

The Duelists is a based on a true story which the folklore has made it impossible to verify what was true and what wasn't true. But in essence the film is an allegory for the Napoleonic Wars and the battles between the French from the revolution to the rise and fall of Napoleon. The irony of course is that it's a war film where you only have a single death, you never see any battles, the rules are never spelled out for you, characters come and go with little to no consequence and it's all on a gorgeous backdrop which lifts from paintings of the era.

Someone said this wasn't a War film...I think this is the perfect War film because this is the story of two men who are rivals and would like to just kill each other but can't. Scott's focus on the film is to demonstrate not the goriness of war but the politics of the army. He wants to show you how these two men are basically entertainment for their friends, the notion of well the story needs to keep going so they can't kill each other yet.

In reality these soldiers likely engaged in these duels(20 of them in real life) to get out battles and for social status. But Scott chooses to only give us 6 of them...each one escalating like Fast and Furious sequels. I didn't really care for any of the performances this isn't really that type of film, the star is the message, the look, the sound and the work. I don't need to empathize with anyone in this film because that's not what the film is about.

This was Ridley Scott's first film....and frankly it might be his best. It's definitely in the conversation.

A

[rauldc14]

3 from Wylde left and 3 from Siddon if I'm not missing anything

[Wyldesyde19]

I’ll have my review of Interiors up tonight. Watched it last night, and still feel (it was rewatch) it’s among Allen’s best. Maybe even top 5

[cricket]

I just realized that I have no idea who nominated what. Was it disclosed at any point?

[rauldc14]

I just realized that I have no idea who nominated what. Was it disclosed at any point?

Someone just asked. The answer is no, and that will be part of the unveil. Wylde and Siddon, like I said if you need a little more time it's no rush. I'll be out of state Sat-Friday next week anyways

[Siddon]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/07s8HldwdKI/mqdefault.jpg


Herods Law (1999)

I had never heard of this filmmaker before which is a surprise because 97-99 is the period of time when I thought I saw everything of note, This is the story of a man who is selected to run a small out of the way town in Mexico. When he gets there he slowly becomes more corrupt and the bodies start piling up.

I enjoyed the look of the film, the town feels large and isolated. The rooms feel lived in and it's amazing to see animals running around all over the place. Gloria and Juan are a solid couple of characters and performers and anchor the film. It feels like their story for the majority of the film. I don't think I actually liked this film though. A lot of the humor got lost in translation for me and it felt very repetitive. The violence just kinda felt like it had to exist to move onto the next scene. Almost like a Cohen's brothers film with very little momentum.

I think my biggest issue with the film is that I don't think anything is really going to stick with me and I'm going to forget most of it in a week. I understand why it was nominated....Spanish films are a blindspot in this Hall and I appreciate the accessibility of this nom but in the end this just felt average

C

[Siddon]

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/images/4329-4b7c10474dacfd6333815f5283992850/img_current_1079_244_medium.png

Days of Heaven (1977)

Fun fact I watched Heaven's Gate first thinking that was the nomination(and I was able to record it). Sadly my library refused to pick up this film and I had to watch in on a computer screen. And it's a shame because visually this film is amazing, each shot feels like a painting come to life which for a man who nomad Barry Lyndon is always a huge plus and pretty much guarantees the film atleast a B score. Mallick is a fascinating auteur l\over the course of five decades Mallick made 5 different films that are basically five different genres and yet they all look and feel like Mallick films.

Of his oeuvre this was my least favorite of his work. And it all falls on the head of one really bad casting of Richard Gere. Gere as a hot headed turn of the century farm worker never worked...his accent was terrible he looked way to clean for the time period. It's weird because everybody looks like they should look but Gere just feels like this movie star in the middle of the film. It kinda took me out of the picture.

And really it can't be said enough how the visuals in this film are incredible. The barns and tractors feel like these giant elephants showing the signs of the industrial revolution starting. A plane shows up and it's one of the most thrilling scenes in the film. And the last twenty minutes Mallick's use of shadow on the riverboat are dazzling.

However the film still has a number of narrative flaws. The voiceover is rough at times, I'm not sure how the ending actually came about we don't get much exposition. Sam Shepperd is supposed to be dying but he looks really healthy throughout the film. It's the little things combined with the big things that keep this film from being a classic. But still solid nom.

B-

[Wyldesyde19]

Interiors

Woody Allen’s attempt at being Bergman, he sown what succeeds here. Being his first serious film, and his first (I think) to not star him, it focuses on a deeply wounded family, with each member trying to come to terms with not only their own neuroses and perceived disappointments, but their fathers recent decision to leave their rather emotionally frail mother.

It’s a lot to pack in, but it’s very rewarding. Wonderfully acted, and scripted, Allen was wise to keep himself out of this rather serious film. Aptly named Interiors, we not only see how their mothers job as an interior decorator, but also their interior thoughts and fears and self doubt.

If there is a minor quibble, it is the lack of screen time for the third sister, an actress, who barely registers in this film. Otherwise, a great film and probably among his top 5 films.

[Siddon]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/46/e9/c8/46e9c84c75ab042576b91283238a6f88.jpg

Gone baby Gone (2007)

You don't realize how much films have changed in the last ten years until you watch this film. especially after watching Affleck's latest film AIR. Gone baby Gone tells the story of a PI who is hited to help find a young girl that's gone missing. Her mother played by Amy Ryan is a drug mule who gets into some trouble with her boss. This film touches on the lives of surrogate families in Boston.

The first thing Affleck did that Terrence Mallick should have done is cast a non-star in the lead. Casey Affleck fits the role of the PI perfectly a babyfaced fringe character in a world of drug addicts and old men. The casting in this film is top notch, they weren't picked because they matched a specific skin tone, it wasn't so on press photos the group of actors would look diverse. Everybody was cast because they were age and physically appropriate for the story. The accents lined up the character actors easily blended in with the stars it's perfect.


The film also does something that a lot of films don't do very well is it bounces all over different locations. It doesn't feel like you are watching a film shot within a single block or location. The film gets out of its way and allows for the story to breathe without adding long padded scenes (like Herod's Law). The film has a good amount of violence but it's never gratuitous and it doesn't build to a climax. Really the last act of the film has no violence at all which is a nice change of pace.

Great nom I think fairly highly of this one

A-

[Wyldesyde19]

I’ll have a review up for Gone, Baby Gone soon

[seanc]

The first thing Affleck did that Terrence Mallick should have done is cast a non-star in the lead. Casey Affleck fits the role of the PI perfectly a babyfaced fringe character in a world of drug addicts and old men. The casting in this film is top notch, they weren't picked because they matched a specific skin tone, it wasn't so on press photos the group of actors would look diverse. Everybody was cast because they were age and physically appropriate for the story. The accents lined up the character actors easily blended in with the stars it's perfect.
A-

I don’t think Gere was a star when he did Days Of Heaven?

[Citizen Rules]

I don’t think Gere was a star when he did Days Of Heaven?I'd say that's probably correct. I just looked up Gere at IMDB and read about him at Wiki too. Days of Heaven (1978) was his first starring role and his breakout role was American Gigolo (1980). Before Days of Heaven the only notably exposure he had was in a 'memorable small role' in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977).

[Wyldesyde19]

Gone Baby Gone


Ben Affleck isn’t exactly a great director. His films never really vibe all that well with me. However, that isn’t denying that they aren’t good. The story for instance, goes a long way.

GBG is set, like most of his films, in Boston. It deals with the disappearance of a child and the resulting search for her. The films works not so much because of its performances, although Freeman and Monaghan are both quite good in this among others, but because of how this film takes us in an unexpected direction.

Of it was a mere mystery about the search of the missing girl, it would be mostly forgotten. But this films begins to portray the mother are negligent. She’s caught up in the shady side of Boston. The underbelly, if you will. She doesn’t even seem to know much about her daughter at all, let alone if she actually cares for her.

As we go through the search alongside the main actors, there are several scenes where moral questions come to bear. Should a child molester be ex outed for his crimes without a trial? Should a police officer plant evidence if he knows it will protect someone?
And finally, the final question posed, and the most important, should the child be returned to her mother? A mother who is an admitted drug addict. The questions provide no easy answers, and it’s executed decent enough that we ask ourselves the same thing….right up until the end when we are told the name of the doll that belongs to the daughter, and realize that maybe Angie was right…..And the look of doubt that creeps over Patrick’s face (played by a little too young looking Casey Affleck who I didn’t find that terribly convincing in his role) leaves us with little doubt about the right choice.

[Siddon]

I don’t think Gere was a star when he did Days Of Heaven?


He sticks out as a movie star in this it was like everyone else was wearing clothes and he was wearing a costume

[Citizen Rules]

He sticks out as a movie star in this it was like everyone else was wearing clothes and he was wearing a costume I said this about Gere in my review.
Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick 1978)

....I do think casting Richard Gere was a mistake and he probably was hired for his star status and ability to sell tickets. He's not much of an actor and what we get is his best attempt to look like a movie star with his blow dried feathered hair and his closeup glamour shots. At least Brooke Adams looked the part from her sweaty hair to her dirty face. I believed she was working all day out in the field. This film would've been improved with Richard Gere and Sam Shepard switching roles. Shepard had the intensity and look to be a streetwise scammer and is a much better actor than Gere to boot. Richard Gere would've been better suited to play the rich, dying owner of the farm who's lonely and clueless. I mean who looks more clueless, Gere or Shepard?...

[seanc]

He sticks out as a movie star in this it was like everyone else was wearing clothes and he was wearing a costume

I get you. Days is the most I have ever liked Gere so I probably defend that performance a little too much. He is undeniably a commanding screen presence though.

[Siddon]

Personally I can't stand the guy I think he's done four American remakes of foreign classics. He's always been the lowest tier of leading actors from his generation. Like if you can't get William Hurt, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford, Jeff Bridges...you settle for Richard Gere.

So even though he's terrible this film might be one of the ten best films I've seen him in.

[seanc]

I’m definitely not a Gere fan, but I do like him in the right role. This is far and away my favorite of his. Not going out on too far of a limb in guessing that Malick has more to do with that than the actual performance.

[Citizen Rules]

I get you. Days is the most I have ever liked Gere so I probably defend that performance a little too much. He is undeniably a commanding screen presence though.I can't say I've seen Gere in much of anything, not even his more well known films. I did see him in Time Out of Mind (2017) and thought he was excellent in that. I liked that film too but just noticed it's a dismal 5.7 on IMDB. Not sure why people are hating on it. Has anybody seen that?

[seanc]

I can't say I've seen Gere in much of anything, not even his more well known films. I did see him in Time Out of Mind (2017) and thought he was excellent in that. I liked that film too but just noticed it's a dismal 5.7 on IMDB. Not sure why people are hating on it. Has anybody seen that?

I really haven’t seen much for how long he has been around. Just watched American Gigolo recently, he was good for that role too. That one fits more of his persona, which is what Siddon was getting at. Pretty Woman fits that too, been a long time for me seeing that one but I saw it a few times as a teen. Didn’t even like romantic comedies back then, buy that one always seemed to transcend the genre a bit. I was a big First Knight fan way back when. I seriously doubt it would hold up for me, but I should give it a shot sometime. The other one I remember liking is Officer And A Gentleman. Only seen that once, so really don’t remember it but I would definitely watch it again at some point.

[Citizen Rules]

I really haven’t seen much for how long he has been around. Just watched American Gigolo recently, he was good for that role too. That one fits more of his persona, which is what Siddon was getting at. Pretty Woman fits that too, been a long time for me seeing that one but I saw it a few times as a teen. Didn’t even like romantic comedies back then, buy that one always seemed to transcend the genre a bit. I was a big First Knight fan way back when. I seriously doubt it would hold up for me, but I should give it a shot sometime. The other one I remember liking is Officer And A Gentleman. Only seen that once, so really don’t remember it but I would definitely watch it again at some point.Believe it or not I've never seen any of those film you mentioned. I know, I missed all the biggies!

The only thing I've seen him in (besides Time Out of Mind & Days of Heaven) was Amelia (2009) and Chicago (2002) and I don't even remember him in those movies.

[Wyldesyde19]

I’ll be finishing this up tomorrow. Work has been brutal this past month.

[Wyldesyde19]

A Hero

Soltani has been released from prison on a temporary basis to pay a debt, the reason for his imprisonment to begin with, to his brother in law. His hood lies in paying off part, if not all, of his debt through a bag of coins that has been found by his patient and loyal girlfriend. He hopes it is at least enough to secure his release.
It doesn’t quite work out that well.

Farhadi weaves a tale that takes some interesting turns along the way as we get a look at Iranian life and culture, presenting its supposed hero as a flawed man desperate to win back his freedom. The coins turn out to have depreciated in value by the time he has has them inspected, and learns it won’t be enough to secure his release.

He returns them, and is hailed a Hero of sorts. He’s done a good deed in the peoples eyes and deserves to be released for such actions. A charity is set up to help a quote the funds. His debtor is suspicious and starts to look into it more closely.

The story is more or less not as important as the themes Soltani is clearly not some sort of Hero. That’s not to say he’s a bad guy, really, but complicates things further by having his girlfriend (who originally found the bag of coins) posing as the owner when doubt spreads. He lets his anger get the better of him, and leads to a confrontation that was better off being avoided.

It’s wonderfullly acted, and the father finally has a moment of realization where he spares his son of being exploited. It is his only real selfless act, and ironically seals his fate.

Much like Gone Baby Gone, (although on a much lesser level), it deals with morals. I’ve seen it compared to The Bicycle Thieves (er, maybe? I can see some resemblances but it’s a slight stretch) in similar themes, but I think it’s an unfair comparison.
It’s a great pick, however, and a fun revisit.

[rauldc14]

We are all done folks! I'll probably do the unveil tomorrow night at the latest. I still have to count everything up so even I don't know the results right now.

[rauldc14]

Approximate results will be 4 PM central time.

[Allaby]

Approximate results will be 4 PM central time.

But I need to know the results now! I can't wait another second! :eek:

[rauldc14]

Well I'm late ....go figure

[rauldc14]

9th Place

Herod's Law

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9m7dMc787nU/YVuMme1MVXI/AAAAAAAAca4/wS6YUN6O12kM3XmU9cUnq8TTnnILqz0NgCLcBGAsYHQ/s869/Damian%2BAlcazar%2BHerod%2527s%2BLaw.PNG

22 Points

[Citizen Rules]

I'm here!

Really Herod's Law is last I figured it would be Sons of the Desert. I appreciated both as noms, but didn't love either.

[Citizen Rules]

Oh forgot, I had Herod's Law at #7

[rauldc14]

8th Place

Sons of the Desert

https://www.intofilm.org/intofilm-production/scaledcropped/1096x548https%3A/s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.cdn.filmclub.org/film__4143-sons-of-the-desert--hi_res-69e4590e.jpg/film__4143-sons-of-the-desert--hi_res-69e4590e.jpg

24 Points