34th Hall of Fame

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=104053&d=1736108825
The 34th Hall of Fame


As usual: Any movie that you feel is worthy of an HoF, that's under 240 minutes can be nominated...Previous HoF winners are excluded. Movies that were HoF nominated in the past but didn't win are still eligible. One specific movie will be posted to watch each week. The next week will be a different movie posted and so on.

Members:
Citizen, JiraffeJustin, John W Constantine, Phoenix, Rauldc, Edarsenal, Torgo, Takoma, Cricket, MovieGal, I_Wear_Pants, Ueno_Station54, Stillmellow, TheManBehindTheCurtain


The 34th HoF Movie Nominations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2522706#post2522706)
Week 1...Past Lives(2023) Due: Jan 8th
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2522847#post2522847)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2522869#post2522869)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2522933#post2522933)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2523166#post2523166)
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2523917#post2523917)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2523724#post2523724)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2523981#post2523981)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2524078#post2524078)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2524122#post2524122)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2524392#post2524392)
Takoma review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2524403#post2524403)
JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2525274#post2525274)
Edarsenal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2525620#post2525620)
I_Wear_Pants review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2547100#post2547100)

Week 3...Leila's Brothers (2022) Due:Jan 22nd
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527876#post2527876)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527935#post2527935)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2528387#post2528387)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2528454#post2528454)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2528866#post2528866)
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2529111#post2529111)
MovieGal review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2528993#post2528993)Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2529165#post2529165)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2529184#post2529184)
JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2530612#post2530612)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2530930#post2530930)
Takoma review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533634#post2533634)Edarsenal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542407#post2542407)

Week 5...GoldenEye (1995) Due: Feb 7th
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2531611#post2531611)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2531997#post2531997)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2532075#post2532075)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2532101#post2532101)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2532190#post2532190)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2532236#post2532236)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2532808#post2532808)
Edarsenal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533074#post2533074)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533194#post2533194)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2534017#post2534017)
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2534504#post2534504)
Takoma review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2535726#post2535726)JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2539799#post2539799)
I_Wear_Pants review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2541744#post2541744)

Week 7...At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991)
Due: Jan 24th
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2535502#post2535502)
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2535695#post2535695)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2535706#post2535706)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2536079#post2536079)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2536148#post2536148)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2536217#post2536217)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2536569#post2536569)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2537492#post2537492)Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540129#post2540129)
Takoma review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2545043#post2545043)Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2545361#post2545361)
I_Wear_Pants review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546853#post2546853)
JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2552158#post2552158)

Week 9...Blue (1993) Due: Mar 11th
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540114#post2540114)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540179#post2540179)
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540294#post2540294)
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540397#post2540397)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540467#post2540467)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540620#post2540620)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540721#post2540721)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540722#post2540722)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2541539#post2541539)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2541557#post2541557)
Jiraffejustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2543299#post2543299)
I_Wear_Pants review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546851#post2546851)
Takoma review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2548332#post2548332)

Week 11...Pariah (2011) Due: March 24th
MovieGal review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2543965#post2543965)Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2543966#post2543966)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2544031#post2544031)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2544527#post2544527)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2544883#post2544883)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2545130#post2545130)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2545137#post2545137)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2545477#post2545477)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546828#post2546828)
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2550473#post2550473)
Takoma review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2551490#post2551490)
JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2551714#post2551714)


Week 2...Persona (1966) Due: Jan 15th
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2525165#post2525165)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2525751#post2525751)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2526177#post2526177)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2526418#post2526418)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2526925#post2526925)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2526980#post2526980)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527118#post2527118)
Edarsenal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527171#post2527171)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527305#post2527305)
JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527320#post2527320)
Takoma review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527905#post2527905)
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2527945#post2527945)
Raul review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2528107#post2528107)
Week 4...Rocco & His Brothers (1960) Jan 30th
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2529817#post2529817)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2530152#post2530152)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2530262#post2530262)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2530540#post2530540)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2530697#post2530697)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2530867#post2530867)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2531209#post2531209)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2531277#post2531277)
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2531306#post2531306)
Takoma review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2535462#post2535462)Edarsenal review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2536658#post2536658)JiraffeJustin review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2536743#post2536743)Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540129#post2540129)

Week 6...Inside Moves (1980) Due: Feb 17
TheManBehindTheCurtain review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533568#post2533568)MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533569#post2533569)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533678#post2533678)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533892#post2533892)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2533934#post2533934)
Citizen review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2534158#post2534158) Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2534924#post2534924)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2535348#post2535348)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2536397#post2536397)
Takoma review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2537296#post2537296)
Stillmellow review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540396#post2540396)Edarsenal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542666#post2542666)
JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2549899#post2549899)

Week 8...The Good The Bad and The Weird (2008)
Due: Mar 3
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2538096#post2538096)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2538176#post2538176)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2539116#post2539116)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2539140#post2539140)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2539473#post2539473)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2539639#post2539639)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2539703#post2539703)
I_Wear_Pants review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2539768#post2539768)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2540112#post2540112)
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2544076#post2544076)
Takoma review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2549215#post2549215)
JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2551494#post2551494)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2551869#post2551869)

Week 10...The People's Joker (2022) Due: Mar 18
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542102#post2542102)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542147#post2542147)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542165#post2542165)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542374#post2542374)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542584#post2542584)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2542583#post2542583)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2543079#post2543079)
TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2543189#post2543189)
Cricket review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2543473#post2543473)Stillmellow review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546487#post2546487)I_Wear_Pants review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2547425#post2547425)
Takoma review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2549255#post2549255)JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2551752#post2551752)

Week 12...Before the Rain (1994) Due: March 31st
MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546101#post2546101)
John W Constantine review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546127#post2546127)
Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546345#post2546345)
Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546458#post2546458)
Stillmellow review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2546556#post2546556)TheManBehindTheCurtain review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2547163#post2547163)
Phoenix review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2547186#post2547186)
Cricket review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2547370#post2547370)
Raul review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2548043#post2548043)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2550724#post2550724)
Takoma review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2551496#post2551496)JiraffeJustin review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2552157#post2552157)

Week 13...Gone With The Wind (1939)
Due: April 29th HoF Deadline
Stillmellow review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2553014#post2553014)
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2553014#post2553014)TheManBehindTheCurtain review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2553106#post2553106)Citizen review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2553419#post2553419)
JiraffeJustin review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2554091#post2554091)Raul review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2554093#post2554093)Torgo review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2554892#post2554892)
Ueno_station54 review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2554915#post2554915)
Takoma review
(https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2555063#post2555063)MovieGal review (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2555157#post2555157)
.

[John W Constantine]

Hooray. I'm in.

Personally I will try to pick something from a year that doesn't have many nominations from past HoF. I like the weekly nominations (and the option to see the list of nominees). I'm open to trying something new if it helps more participation.

[PHOENIX74]

We can reveal all of the nominees but still have a designated week for each viewing/review - having our cake and eating it too seems like a do-able option.

[rauldc14]

In!

[Citizen Rules]

@Thief (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109353) @Allaby (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=110465) @ueno_station54 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569) @John-Connor (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=102242) @PHOENIX74 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080) @beelzebubble (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109178) @I_Wear_Pants (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=96027) @cricket (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=68505) @Hey Fredrick (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95709) @Takoma11 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735) @Torgo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334) @SpelingError (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=91134) @seanc (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=75240)

Interested in joining? This should be epic!

[SpelingError]

@Thief (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109353) @Allaby (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=110465) @ueno_station54 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569) @John-Connor (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=102242) @PHOENIX74 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080) @beelzebubble (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109178) @I_Wear_Pants (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=96027) @cricket (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=68505) @Hey Fredrick (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=95709) @Takoma11 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735) @Torgo (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334) @SpelingError (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=91134) @seanc (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=75240)

Interested in joining? This should be epic!

Thanks for the invite, but I might sit this one out. There's a lot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2516983#post2516983) going on in my life right now, so I don't know if I could commit to a Hall of Fame right now.

[Citizen Rules]

Thanks for the invite, but I might sit this one out. There's a lot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2516983#post2516983) going on in my life right now, so I don't know if I could commit to a Hall of Fame right now.Sure thing I understand.

[cricket]

Going to keep it in mind

[John-Connor]

@John-Connor (https://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=102242) Interested in joining? This should be epic!
I don't get a notification whenever you @ mention me. This was also the case in the HoF, I do get a notification when I'm quoted though, weird.

On topic; Depends on the amount of re-watches if I’ll join or not. Thanks for the mention CR.

[Citizen Rules]

I don't get a notification whenever you @ mention me. This was also the case in the HoF, I do get a notification when I'm quoted though, weird.

On topic; Depends on the amount of re-watches if I’ll join or not. Thanks for the mention CR.You might want to ask Yoda about why you don't get mentions? Maybe it's a setting in your User CP.

Depends on the amount of re-watches if I’ll join or not Do you mean if there's a bunch of stuff you've already seen you're not as interested in joining?
Or...do you mean if there's a bunch of noms that you haven't seen, you might not be interested?

I'm just curious. I know cricket likes it when there's a lot of first time watches for him in an HoF. Let me know.

[John-Connor]

I'm just curious. I know cricket likes it when there's a lot of first time watches for him in an HoF. Let me know.
Same as cricket, the more first time watches the better for me.

[Citizen Rules]

Same as cricket, the more first time watches the better for me.Got it, thanks. I'm going to take Phoenix's suggestion and post all the noms at the very start of the HoF, so that everyone can make an informed decision and see what they will be watching. Of course if you've already seen a nom and can remember it you don't have to watch it again. Only have two noms so far, I guarantee no one has seen mine.

[Hey Fredrick]

I'm going to wait and see but I'm leaning towards being in.

[Torgo]

Thanks for the invitation. I'm also gonna be that guy and wait for the first reveals to decide if I want to join. I'd also prefer more first-time watches than re-watches, so keep it obscure, folks!

[Citizen Rules]

I'm going to wait and see but I'm leaning towards being in.Cool.

Thanks for the invitation. I'm also gonna be that guy and wait for the first reveals to decide if I want to join. I'd also prefer more first-time watches than re-watches, so keep it obscure, folks!That's good to know and a real good reason to post all the noms before the HoF starts, which I will do like Jan 1st or 2nd or 3rd.

[Citizen Rules]

We now have 5 members. The noms are diversified, yeah! I'd say 3 out of the 5 are probably going to be first time watches for most...So that's pretty cool.

Come on MoFos, this is a movie board and this is what we do...watch movies, so join already:)

[MovieGal]

We now have 5 members. The noms are diversified, yeah! I'd say 3 out of the 5 are probably going to be first time watches for most...So that's pretty cool.

Come on MoFos, this is a movie board and this is what we do...watch movies, so join already:)

We already talked about this.

Im just waiting.

[rauldc14]

I actually didn't realize the last three halls have only had 9 films.

[edarsenal]

A new year and a new HoF seem like the ideal time to rejoin, so...
I am in.

I do like the specific movie for each week. It'll definitely help slackers like myself, along with the potential for actual dialogue about the movies we watch, so I'm excited to try that route.

And, of course, HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!!!

[edarsenal]

Also, I saw several folks were hoping for new watches, and hopefully, my nomination fits the bill for some of them.

[Torgo]

I decided to join. A project like this is a good way to kick off the year. I picked a movie that, according to Letterboxd, very few members of this forum have seen.

[Citizen Rules]

https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExOXlkMGtvZnZubnIxenVtNTdya3JsZ3RrM2V5N3F5M3V5ZzZ4dWRnbSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfY nlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/IjmMzurYulKEw/giphy.gif
I'll post the reveal of the movie nominations shortly! But first...


34th HoF Procedure: One specific movie will be posted to watch each week. The next week will be a different movie being posted and so on. Same as was done in the last Noir HoF & Hall of Infamy. I will go ahead and post the full list of noms now as a lot of people said they liked/needed to see them.

[Citizen Rules]

The Movie Nominations of the 34th Hall of Fame
in alphabetical order, not in the weekly watching order

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103918
At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991)
Dir. Hector Babenco
Nom by Citizen
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103919
Goldeneye (1995)
Dir. Martin Campbell
Nom by John W. Constantine


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103920
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Dir. Victor Fleming
Nom by Jiraffejustin


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103921
Inside Moves (1980)
Dir. Richard Donner
Nom by Torgo


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103922
Leila's Brothers (2022)
Dir. Saeed Roustayi
Nom by Phoenix


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103923
Past Lives (2023)
Dir. Celine Song
Nom by Raul

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103924
Rocco and his Brothers (1960)
Dir. Luchino Visconti
Nom by Edarsenal


https://static.wikitide.net/allthetropeswiki/d/de/Blue-1993.jpg
Blue (1993)
Dir. Derek Jarman
Nom by Takoma


https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.themoviedb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw300_and_h450_bestv2%2FlX9Ss9LH3bsAoGWDvsPv4zZG9fa.j pg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=aad85d9970895d151e33024ae7b98536b784ae346d5f02356311b78a97004c25&ipo=images
Pariah (2011)
Dir: Dee Rees
Nom by Cricket


https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=103926
Before The Rain (1994)
Dir. Milcho Manchevski
Nom by MovieGal

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I Confess (1953)
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Nom by I_Wear_Pants

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fd2iltjk184xms5.cloudfront.net%2Fuploads%2Fphoto%2Ffile%2F129633%2Fsmall_original.jp eg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1e732b8d32ef746276e948369852a9b5cf5736f07f946f46dac511c037e3ee88&ipo=images
Persona (1966)
Dir. Ingmar Berman
Nom by Stillmellow


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f6/The_People%27s_Joker_Poster.jpeg
The People's Joker (2022)
Dir. Vera Drew
Nom by ueno_station54


https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.themoviedb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw300_and_h450_bestv2%2FlbPZ0aNoF0cHisg6DubFO2eS8so.j pg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f686c3d7a7902657414104de203aa3cc1cfe683037224fac8eba264fcbdbc38b&ipo=images
The Good the Bad the Weird (2008)
Dir. Kim Jee-woon
Nom by TheManBehindTheCurtain

.

[John-Connor]

103921
Inside Moves (1980)
Dir. Richard Donner
Nom by Torgo
This film is in my new, improved, refreshed and relaxed top 100 of all time.
Great nomination, hope it does well in this HoF!

[John W Constantine]

Nice spread guys, some heard of and never heard of, much excite!

[Citizen Rules]

104604

The 1st movie for Week 1 is: Past Lives (2023)

Due date to watch/review: Jan 8th



I'll be doing the @mention tag thing for each weeks movies, hope everyone gets the mention.

@jiraffejustin (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=76459) @John W Constantine (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109412) @PHOENIX74 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080)
@rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @Torgo (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334) @Takoma11 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735)

[Citizen Rules]

I'm excited over the noms, nicely chosen.

I've only seen mine At Play In the Fields of the Lord (not a religious film btw), Goldeneye but long time ago and Gone with the Wind also awhile ago. All the noms look real interesting.

[MovieGal]

There are some I have no desire to rewatch or watch so it's a No from me.

[Citizen Rules]

Yeah we got another member! Takoma just joined. Her nom is:

https://static.wikitide.net/allthetropeswiki/d/de/Blue-1993.jpg
Blue (1993)
Dir. Derek Jarman

[beelzebubble]

I’m picking something from the Nineties to go along with our best of.

[Citizen Rules]

I’m picking something from the Nineties to go along with our best of.Very cool! People still have a full week from today to join and I hope more do.

[edarsenal]

I really like this spread. I am VERY excited to see raul's film first. I watched the first half of the trailer, and I was sold. I will be sharing this with my roommate.
I think I may follow this route. No research; watch a trailer when announced and enjoy. Should be fun.

sweet

[edarsenal]

There are some I have no desire to rewatch or watch so it's a No from me.
Sad face
see you when I see you, my dear

Yeah we got another member! Takoma just joined. Her nom is:

https://static.wikitide.net/allthetropeswiki/d/de/Blue-1993.jpg
Blue (1993)
Dir. Derek Jarman



Helllooo, TAKOMA!
I must confess I nearly broke my initial design to go blind with only a trailer on the day of the reveal when I saw this. Can't wait to find out why!

[cricket]

Ok what the heck

[MovieGal]

Sad face
see you when I see you, my dear



Come on Ed, you know me. I need some excitement in my cinema.

[Citizen Rules]

Yeah again! Cricket just joined and his nom is:


https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.themoviedb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw300_and_h450_bestv2%2FlX9Ss9LH3bsAoGWDvsPv4zZG9fa.j pg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=aad85d9970895d151e33024ae7b98536b784ae346d5f02356311b78a97004c25&ipo=images

Pariah (2011)

[cricket]

Pariah is #78 on the directed by women list

[I_Wear_Pants]

This sounds fun. I'd like to join. Do I need to send you my nomination in a private message? I haven't decided what to nominate yet though.

[edarsenal]

Ok what the heck
f@ck yes!
Come on Ed, you know me. I need some excitement in my cinema.
Oh so true. lol

[MovieGal]

f@ck yes!

Oh so true. lol

Just because you and Cricket enjoy my sick mind and Citizen tolerates it.

I'm going to play nice and go with a beautiful Eastern Europe film.

[edarsenal]

Just because you and Cricket enjoy my sick mind and Citizen tolerates it.

I'm going to play nice and go with a beautiful Eastern Europe film.

https://media.tenor.com/3gfPy4dui6kAAAAM/bow-honor.gif

[MovieGal]

ueno_station54

Get your tush over here and join.

[MovieGal]

https://media.tenor.com/3gfPy4dui6kAAAAM/bow-honor.gif

Really?!?! Jaime from Outlander.

[Citizen Rules]

We have another new member, yeah!

103926

Before The Rain (1994)
MovieGal

[I_Wear_Pants]

Is it okay to choose a film I haven't seen? I've never really been sure how these things work. And then I send you a private message with my nomination?

[edarsenal]

Really?!?! Jaime from Outlander.

I LIKED the bow, okay

[edarsenal]

Is it okay to choose a film I haven't seen? I've never really been sure how these things work. And then I send you a private message with my nomination?
I'm doing a Blind Grab myself so they're good and yes, send it to Citizen in private message.

[MovieGal]

I LIKED the bow, okay

Of course, always a gentleman since we first talked, Ed.

[edarsenal]

Of course, always a gentleman since we first talked, Ed.
As I said when I saw cricket was joining in:
"F@ck yes!"

LOOVE the avatar by the way

[I_Wear_Pants]

I'm doing a Blind Grab myself so they're good and yes, send it to Citizen in private message.

Thank you for the response. I will get on that then.

[Takoma11]

I absolutely loved Past Lives when I saw it in the theater, and I was rooting for it to take Best Picture. Very excited to revisit it.

[stillmellow]

I'm in it to win it!


And by 'win it', I mean make everyone watch an Ingmar Bergman film.

[Citizen Rules]

Yet two more members joined! Very cool! That makes 12 members:)
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fodcsales.gr%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F06%2Fs-l500-removebg-preview-e1687863231910.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1c86e8e22968a51b57a6723ccb8970082cb6899b190716690ba844c73004d5a9&ipo=images
I Confess (1953)
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Nom by I_Wear_Pants

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fd2iltjk184xms5.cloudfront.net%2Fuploads%2Fphoto%2Ffile%2F129633%2Fsmall_original.jp eg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1e732b8d32ef746276e948369852a9b5cf5736f07f946f46dac511c037e3ee88&ipo=images
Persona (1966)
Dir. Ingmar Berman
Nom by Stillmellow

[Citizen Rules]

I'm in it to win it!


And by 'win it', I mean make everyone watch an Ingmar Bergman film.So glad you could join. It's always neat to get first time members. I can't believe in all of the HoFs we've done no one has ever picked Persona before. Glad to watch it as I've never seen it.

[John W Constantine]

The Barkley just went epic.

[Takoma11]

I'm in it to win it!.

Yay!

[ueno_station54]

ueno_station54

Get your tush over here and join.
maybe...

[MovieGal]

maybe...

You should. You always have interesting film choices.

[MovieGal]

103929
Past Lives
(2023)

Story of young friendship and love. How we change as we are separated by circumstance, distance and time. A little bit of our young selves, still within us, hold on to that past. One hoping that there is still a glimpse where the other has accepted fate and moved on.

This was a cute film and really enjoyed it. I know most people can relate to this story. I can.

[cricket]

I don't look too much into films I haven't seen but I noticed ^that was a best picture nomination.

[MovieGal]

I don't look too much into films I haven't seen but I noticed ^that was a best picture nomination.

Yes I noticed it too.

[MovieGal]

I hate to rate it on letterboxd, since we tend to follow each other there. Some of us do, that is.

[stillmellow]

How does the voting work? Do we just ask vote for one (besides our own) at the end? Or is it more complicated?

[MovieGal]

How does the voting work? Do we just ask vote for one (besides our own) at the end? Or is it more complicated?

After all films are watched, we send Citizen our list of best to worst. Similar to the Countdowns. Best film wins.

[stillmellow]

After all films are watched, we send Citizen our list of best to worst. Similar to the Countdowns. Best film wins.


Nice! I prefer weighted voting.

[John W Constantine]

Past Lives (2023, Song)

Chalk this one up with some of the others (Departures, Drive My Car) that I've discovered recently in the past year or so. I enjoy how these stories seem to let things cook and aren't in a hurry to rush things. As usual it all seems to be handled with such a tender hand to let things happen. Would like to revisit this again in the future.

[edarsenal]

Yet two more members joined! Very cool! That makes 12 members:)
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fodcsales.gr%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F06%2Fs-l500-removebg-preview-e1687863231910.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1c86e8e22968a51b57a6723ccb8970082cb6899b190716690ba844c73004d5a9&ipo=images
I Confess (1953)
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Nom by I_Wear_Pants

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fd2iltjk184xms5.cloudfront.net%2Fuploads%2Fphoto%2Ffile%2F129633%2Fsmall_original.jp eg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1e732b8d32ef746276e948369852a9b5cf5736f07f946f46dac511c037e3ee88&ipo=images
Persona (1966)
Dir. Ingmar Berman
Nom by Stillmellow


Both first time watches. Both I'd love to see. This is getting better and better.

[edarsenal]

Two reviews in and both raising my anticipation. Such as John's comparison to Departures which I adored.

[ueno_station54]

ok sent in my nomination.

[Citizen Rules]

13 members so far! Looking good...
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f6/The_People%27s_Joker_Poster.jpeg
The People's Joker (2022)
Dir. Vera Drew
ueno_station54

[PHOENIX74]

Well, things have certainly picked up in the time I was away from the fray! I look forward to getting to grips with what are always fine nominations from all you good people - and I have my own copy of Past Lives that I've been looking forward to seeing again, so it seems it's time to crack the plastic wrapper and have a good look at that very excellent movie - one of the best of 2023/24 for sure.

I've seen and own copies of Past Lives, Inside Moves, Gone With the Wind, Goldeneye and Persona.

I've seen but don't own Leila's Brothers.

I haven't seen At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Rocco and his Brothers, Blue, Pariah, Before the Rain, I Confess and The People's Joker.

That's quite a field - and I'm really looking forward to seeing Inside Moves and Persona again - both only one-time watches which are overdue for an update. Here we go!

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.hFE_BmgiLl90G1NsR5PVcQHaEA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=e219267a81d9c0e9a31111128d5a76a2b8c290187db09658eb72c2a477f28645&ipo=images
Past Lives (2023)


I liked the city scenery of NYC and Seoul, I thought that was really well filmed. Solid cinematography/camera work through out the movie. I liked the lead actress Greta Lee too, she had good screen presences. I can't say I liked any of the character's actions in the movie. I did however like the stories overall premise of what if events in the past had occurred differently. Though I don't believe in predestination or fate or whatever it's called.

The movie felt like some of the scenes were played out pass their peak and overstayed their effectiveness. Especially the conversation in bed between Nora and her husband, once they said what they had to say, they stopped and said all over again. Same with the scene in the restaurant it went on abit too long. I do like the way the movie wrapped the story up and kudos for not going way over the top but staying firmly grounded.

[Citizen Rules]

This 34th HoF is becoming epic! I'm stoked! We just got another first time member which is always cool. TheManBehindTheMask has just joined our little group...We now have 14 members and a wide array of films of types!

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.themoviedb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw300_and_h450_bestv2%2FlbPZ0aNoF0cHisg6DubFO2eS8so.j pg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f686c3d7a7902657414104de203aa3cc1cfe683037224fac8eba264fcbdbc38b&ipo=images
The Good the Bad the Weird (2008)
Dir. Kim Jee-woon
Nom by TheManBehindTheCurtain

[edarsenal]

Great film! Looking forward to seeing it again1

[ueno_station54]

i remember renting the good, the bad, the weird from blockbuster and now i feel old lmao

[Citizen Rules]

i remember renting the good, the bad, the weird from blockbuster and now i feel old lmaoI remember when VCRs first came out, now I really feel old:eek::D

[Wyldesyde19]

The Good, The Bad, The Weird is a decent film. Same director who made A Tale of Two Sisters.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

As a newbie among all you veterans, I wouldn't mind having, say, the next two or three films. I've seen a couple already (even have notes for Past Lives to go dig out) but will have to revisit most of the ones I've already watched (even mine!). Don't want to wind up being the kid (ahem!) always late with his homework ...

[Citizen Rules]

As a newbie among all you veterans, I wouldn't mind having, say, the next two or three films. I've seen a couple already (even have notes for Past Lives to go dig out) but will have to revisit most of the ones I've already watched (even mine!). Don't want to wind up being the kid (ahem!) always late with his homework ... If you (or anyone) has seen any of the noms in the past and you feel you know the film good enough to rank it when you send in a ranked best to worst list of the nominations, then you don't have to rewatch it.

[ueno_station54]

https://scenebygreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/vs-youtube-pastlivesofficialtrailerhda24-057.png
Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023)

So this one is a rewatch for me as I watched it while bingeing last years best picture nominees. At the time it kind of fell by the wayside in my mind as it was probably the most subdued of those films so watching it again on its own terms definitely improved my feelings for it. Typically, I gravitate more towards the melodramatic and when it comes to emotional stories but I can respect a more mature and nuanced take here and there and while I wouldn't say I was swept away by it or anything I did thoroughly enjoy it on, mostly, a structural level. There's just a lot of smart and simple decisions that really hit, the opening scene is a brilliant tone setter, the distance between Nora and Hae Sung being communicated through Skype calls dropping, the description of In-Yun, Arthur and Nora's honest and undramatic discussions about the situation, it all works wonderfully. Its also helped out by that gorgeous score and while its mostly shot matter-of-factly (not a knock, its an appropriate choice) there's still some really standout shots peppered in. I probably never would have watched this again so thanks for choosing it so I could have this chance to really appreciate it.

[cricket]

Planning on watching it tomorrow night

[Citizen Rules]

We're on a roll! That's four reviews already in for this weeks movie, Past Lives (2023). So far it sounds like everyone has liked it. I wonder if anyone has had anything similar happen to them like happens in the movie? I can't say that I have.

[MovieGal]

We're on a roll! That's four reviews already in for this weeks movie, Past Lives (2023). So far it sounds like everyone has liked it. I wonder if anyone has had anything similar happen to them like happens in the movie? I can't say that I have.

We already talked about this.

[Citizen Rules]

We already talked about this.I know but that was just me and you in messages. I bet a bunch of people have had some similar experiences...I wish I had a story to tell but I don't.

[MovieGal]

I know but that was just me and you in messages. I bet a bunch of people have had some similar experiences...I wish I had a story to tell but I don't.

I share with good friends who I trust.

[Citizen Rules]

I share with good friends who I trust.Thanks MG

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/3NzHr3Xf/past-lives.jpg

Past Lives - 2023

Directed by Celine Song

Written by Celine Song

Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo & John Magaro

Get some tissues handy for this deceptively simple, heart-rendingly earnest film which features a couple of magical performances from it's two leads and some cross-culturally sensitive daydreaming. Nora Moon (Seung Ah Moon as a child, and Greta Lee as an adult) and Hae Sung (Seung Min Yim as a child, and Teo Yoo as an adult) are two childhood best friends living a normal life in Seoul, South Korea as they cross over into becoming childhood sweethearts. It doesn't last long, as Nora's family leave Korea for a new life in Toronto, and as such the two lose touch. Fast forward 12 years, and both Nora and Hae Sung are both looking for each other when they reconnect online - something which develops into a long distance relationship which stirs strong feelings. This is problematic for the ambitious Nora, who can't afford to either wait a year and a half for Hae Sung to fly over to New York (where Nora has since moved to) or zip over to Seoul herself. They live their seperate lives, until one day Nora finds herself face to face with her long lost love. The only problem is, she's now happily married to Arthur (John Magaro) and as such can only contemplate what might have been, and if there's any truth to the old belief that these two people who would otherwise have travelled a different path once knew each other in past lives.

This is one movie where I can pretty much lay a story out and not feel like I'm stepping on the toes of those worried about spoilers - but if I'm wrong, then sorry about the wall-to-wall spoilers there. This isn't so much a "what happens next" narrative, but instead a long contemplation on fate, love, the sacrifices we make to forge our own path and the pain of looking back at what might have been. It's amazing how when I watch this movie I find myself looking at the situation from the viewpoint of all three major characters instead of picking a side. How great is that? Celine Song's film is so well balanced that every character feels fleshed out, so that I really feel Hae Sung's loneliness, Nora's assured dependability offset a little by the magnetic attraction she feels for Hae Sung, and Arthur's trust which still betrays a pang of jealousy and hurt. Teo Yoo managed to nab himself a BAFTA nomination for his part in the film, but this really is a nifty little 3-person ensemble effort where each part is integral to the whole. The awkward conversations Nora and Hae Sung have with each other every time they are apart for a dozen years feel really genuine (and were sometimes prompted by Celine Song having kept the actors apart, or else having had delays fed into the scenes where they talk to each other online.)

Visually, this is a wonderland of architecture, iron and stone - and many such features kind of dictate the flow of the cinematography (by Shabier Kirchner, whose career is still young.) I loved the stone sculpture scene near the beginning, and the use of the golden merry-go-round/carousel (Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park) in the background of one late scene is famous. It harkens back to Nora and Hae Sung's childhood past, but provides a brilliant visual contrast which wows the senses while the scene is playing out. In New York's ultra-urban world a trip on the subway can look magical if captured just right, and bookending the movie (to some degree) is the amber-hued bar scene, which is where we start the story completely estranged from our three future characters - a couple of strangers trying to guess what their story is. This is where the idea for the film initially came from, with director Celine Song meeting her childhood sweetheart with her husband, translating for them, and considering what kind of story this might make for a feature film. The film takes place mostly in the spaces where many people flow through, and rarely in a home - the fates always moving our characters on from where they are. They never get the chance to hang on to each other.

Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen's score is certainly not melodramatic - and almost could be interpreted as light and easy, but there's a heaviness to the freaky tones and synthesised sound. Or am I just giving the music my own heavy interpretation because of how sad the underlying story Past Lives tells is? It's so unusual, but sounds as if it totally belongs in this movie. If used for anything else, all I could really imagine is a documentary about life in the ocean - it's the kind of music that would rarely fit any film other than Nora and Hae Sung's story, with a faint trace of the Korean, plonks on xylophones and a deep, idiosyncratic way about it. I could easily come to the conclusion that this is the music of Nora's life, and plays as her theme throughout the film. As unusual and determined as she is, and as powerful as an imagination she has, she's the brightly coloured fish the camera is tracking in this Jacques Cousteau panorama of Nora's environment. It makes this less a love story than a trip through the mind's eye concerning the very nature of time, conscious connections and modern life. I thought this score was very innovative and interesting - a definite plus to the movie.

In summing up, Past Lives made such a splash that it earned Celine Song an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and the film itself Best Picture - deservedly, since Past Lives was probably one of the best films released in 2023. I certainly deemed as much as the year came to it's end, having gone to see it during it's theatrical run and being especially pleased by it. I'll tell you one thing though. Whenever we look back at "what might have been", it's always something wonderful and everlastingly amazing. We rarely look back at the road not taken and consider that it may very well have been a disaster, despite how promising it looked. The road we take always looks promising. Briefly, Nora and Hae Sung do consider that maybe they might have fought all the time, and have divorced. Perhaps Nora might have felt unfulfilled, and wondered at where her ambitions might have taken her - another "what might have been" consideration. In the moment, Hae Sung looks devilishly handsome, and she knew the two really combined well - but Nora's heart took her somewhere that was more important than getting the handsome hunk and marrying the guy she was most magnetically drawn to. Instead, she lives the life she really wanted - and she knew from the outset the sacrifice needed. The price will occasionally see her dream, but as we see in the film, Arthur was plenty enough.

Just remember in Celine Song's world time travels from left to right (as I think most carousels turn), and that sometimes characters slip back into the past, and some walk on into the future. Me, I'm constantly looking towards the past. Sometimes thinking about what might have been. Sometimes just enjoying all of the happy memories I have made. At a certain stage of your life, the past looks more inviting than the future - but for now at least, the present holds. I think that's true for Nora, who expands the whole concept into a dream about past lives, and the number of times two people have crossed paths until they become lifelong partners and soulmates. Celine Song's movie, with it's central sorrowful (and quite brilliant) theme, it's visual flow through the busy places so many pass by, is one that will tug on your heartstrings regardless - because although sweet, it's still sad to see two people absolutely made for each other not quite make it and who instead must be content to dream. We round out the film with the song "Quiet Eyes" by Sharon Van Etten, which will only crumple those susceptible to the mood that has been created by this very excellent film - a love story with the saddest embrace I've seen for years.

4.5

[stillmellow]

I felt a lot more while watching Past Lives than I expected. This movie works so wonderfully because it not only takes its time with the characters, but also never takes an easy way out. No one is a bad person here. No one is 'in the way', or acting unreasonably. No unexpected kisses or thrown punches.


It's not a movie about actions, but feelings. And we have to sit with these uncomfortable emotions, right along with the characters.


And in the end, the only catharsis is from letting these unspoken feelings known. Everyone acknowledges that the feelings are real. But ultimately they all reach the same conclusion, that the two don't need each other anymore, and there's no place in their lives for each other. Perhaps in the next life.


"A"

[ueno_station54]

i thought Past Lives might be one of the front runners to win this thing from the get go and it's certainly off to a strong start so far.

[Torgo]

Past Lives - 5

Is there a more difficult question or one more likely to make you stop in your tracks than "what if?" Whether there is or not, Celine Song's beautiful, sad and refreshingly real debut demonstrates why it's up there. Having lived my whole life in the same country and most of it in the same state, this movie is invaluable to me when it comes to the immigration experience. I appreciate its firsthand account of the process as well as how it makes me understand how everything that happens before can seem like another life. It helps that Greta Lee is so unaffected and natural as the adult Nora (the same goes for Moon Seung-ah, who plays her young version), which are qualities that also describe her moments with Jung. Teo Yoo is just as praiseworthy for how he makes Joon seem like he might spend the rest of his new life longing for his past one. Nora's conversations with him and husband Arthur (Magaro) are like poetry, but what I'll recall most from this movie are the times when nothing is said. From a beautiful long take of Nora and Jung walking through Brooklyn Bridge Park to another where we simply see them looking at each other for a long time, Song demonstrates that looks and gestures can say just as much as dialogue. As for Magaro, I like how he expresses Arthur's insecurities about feeling like he's in the way, which the movie thankfully resolves in an adult way and that is free of cheap melodrama. It results in a very assured directorial debut that is bound to make you think about all your experiences that made you ask "what if" afterwards. While they're never easy, as Nora's mom puts it before their big move, "if you leave you lose things, but you also gain things, too."

[Torgo]

I finished the first movie before the reveal of the next one and had 2+ hours to spare this weekend to watch another one, so...

https://i.postimg.cc/jjhCSPNF/9fpldz.jpg

;)

[John W Constantine]

For England, James?

[Citizen Rules]

The winner of the 34th HoF is Past Lives! Well, that might just happen, so far 6 out of 7 reviews seemed to love Past Lives. 7 more reviews to go, I wonder if everyone will be on the same page??? Stay tuned!:D

[cricket]

Past Lives

https://media1.giphy.com/media/vlh8o7b85O1gXbKCwa/giphy.gif

It must've been Korean night at my place because my wife and I watched this between episodes of Squid Game. Before I forget, I asked my wife what she'd rate this from 1 to 10 and she said between an 8 and 9. That's really high considering it's not something she'd ever watch on her own. It's not a film I'd watch on my own either, but I say that knowing full well that I have better luck watching other people's recommendations over my own choices, which are based not on quality but on personal taste.

This film reminded me of one of my personal favorites, The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) as well as the Before Sunrise series, which I very much dislike.

This is not a film I was familiar with at all when it was nominated. I ended up reading the very short synopsis, (telling it to my wife is the only way to convince her to watch something). With my experience watching different types of films, that short synopsis was more than enough to tell me what I was in for.

It seems as though these movies can come at you in one of two ways, with subtly, which this one does, or in a more melodramatic or manipulative way, which I happen to prefer. For whatever reason it seems that most here prefer the first option, which is cool, but love breeds passion which can bring intense unpredictability.

Looking to find a parallel in my own life to this film, I have basically relocated twice. The first when I was 14 from Chicago to Boston with my parents back in 1985 (before cell phones). The 2nd was in 2006 when my wife and I moved from 10 minutes north of Boston to about 35 minutes south of Boston. That's a minimal relocation as measured by distance, but it was a part of a gradual relocation of my priorities and soul that began in 1996 when I met my future wife. I finally joined Facebook about 3 years ago because of the community I now live in. I have looked up old friends and girlfriends, of which there are many, mostly for reasons of curiosity, and it's been nice to touch base. I have had no thoughts of "what if", I believe because I am happy and fulfilled. But what if I wasn't?

I was surprised at the beginning of this film by how quickly into the runtime the relocation took place. I just thought they took minimal time trying to build the relationship up into something that really felt special and lasting. And they were just kids. I thought that this would be a hindrance to the film's effectiveness later. Thankfully it wasn't.

The story of this film made me hope for emotional devastation and I didn't get that. I feel that their love for one another, and therefore their missed opportunity, was uncertain. The characters smartly talk about this, but I think it may go further than that. At the time of relocation, the boy is upset, but the girl seemed completely fine about it to me. One of the reviews here mention that after 12 years they were looking for each other, but I thought she just noticed that he had been looking for her. I'm sure he was missing her, but part of that is simply because no other girl had filled that void in his life. She seemed so driven that she hadn't had time for a relationship, but clearly she was delighted to find him again. That may have been the first time she felt that kind of spark in her adult life. People in general desperately need a human connection and have a desire to fit in. They will use the most frivolous of reasons to get that, whether that's being a fan of the same sports team, their race, or what kind of music they like. Having had a prior connection is one of the best reasons. After meeting her husband a few years later, it seemed to me that she could have lived the rest of her life without hearing from her childhood sweetheart, and it would have been just as well. He moved on and had a relationship, and it was when that fell apart that he began to have a yearning for her again. I'm sorry, but I don't believe that true love is halted by another person. After the first 12 years, I would have been on the first plane to New York if that is how I felt. The dude was lonely and unfulfilled. She is clearly smitten with him when they meet at the age of 36, but I wonder if part of that is nostalgia for her childhood or missing her homeland. It could have been a real love since they were children, I'm just not convinced of it, and that's OK. I think that's part of what makes the film so good.

So no, it did not knock my socks off, but this is an expertly crafted film with great performances. I loved the score and the photography, and some of the dialogue really hit the mark. The line that Torgo mentioned is fantastic. I was completely immersed. Great nomination.

4.5-

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Past Lives (2023)
Director/Writer: Celine Song
Cast: Greta Lee, Yoo Tae-oh, John Magaro

4.5

104055

A perfect beginning. Three people in a darkened bar, fixed in a halo of light. Asian man and Asian woman facing each other, talking. Caucasian man following along. Unseen onlookers are playing that game: guess what those three strangers are to each other. They think the Asians are brother and sister. No, maybe a couple. Actually, they can’t figure it out.

Flash back 24 years. Twelve-year-old Na-young and Hae-sung are best friends in elementary school in South Korea. They sit together, walk home together, compete for grades. Na-young’s mother, appreciating their special bond, organizes a play date for the two. Why? So they can make some nice memories before the family immigrates to Canada.

Flash forward 12 years. As students, they reconnect over a video call. Na-young is now Nora (Greta Lee), studying writing in New York City. Hae-sung (Yoo Tae-oh) has finished his compulsory military service and is studying engineering. They have long, reminiscing talks. But Nora fears she’s being distracted from her studies and her career. She proposes they take a break.

Life continues to steer them in different directions. Hae-sung heads for China, where he’s involved with a Chinese girlfriend. Nora meets and marries Arthur (John Magaro) during a writer’s retreat.

But finally … Nora and Hae-sung meet again as adults in a darkened, chilly New York cityscape.

None of this is spoiler territory. Because now the real story begins, to answer that question: What are these people to each other?

This is not your type of movie if you’re expecting dramatic confrontations or cutesy romantic comedy. It’s just an extraordinarily well written, well directed, and well acted rumination on “what might have been” versus “what is” versus “what will be.”

Besides Oscar nominations for both screenplay and best picture for first-time director Celine Song, Past Lives also earned Song and lead actress Greta Lee dozens of wins and nominations from professional societies and film festivals. Lee and costars Yoo and Magaro turn in finely nuanced and restrained performances that are perfectly calibrated to the intelligent script. Song does a masterly job, commanding your attention scene by scene so that you overlook how dialog-driven it is.

Through intimate and authentically candid conversations between Nora and Arthur, and then Nora and Hae-sung, we learn more about their relationships. What’s refreshing? The situation tempts us, like those anonymous onlookers, to peg them into neat Hollywood stereotypes. But writer/director Song subverts any expectations, giving us rounded and complex characters who are willing to admit their insecurities and fears – and to grapple with them openly.

It's a mistake to try to view Past Lives through a completely Western, Hollywood-centric lens. Though the themes have some universal appeal, the central relationship between Nora and Hae-sung rests on social concepts that are uniquely Eastern. Nora explains it to Arthur eloquently:

There is a word in Korean. In-Yun. It means “providence” or “fate.” … I think it comes from Buddhism and reincarnation. It's an In-Yun if two strangers even walk by each other in the street and their clothes accidentally brush. Because it means there must have been something between them in their past lives. If two people get married, they say it’s because there have been 8,000 layers of In-Yun over 8,000 lifetimes.
Writer/director Song has the courage to end Past Lives with a lump-in-the-throat sense of melancholy, leaving it up to you to contemplate what these people mean to each other in past lives, this life, and perhaps in lives yet to come.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

I've been working on sourcing the upcoming movies from streaming sources. It finally prodded me into getting connected to Kanopy (your local library may have different choices, if I understand the service correctly). Here's what I have so far. Does anyone know streaming sources for my two gaps here? Or better sources in general? (Investing in more DVDs isn't an option for me these days.)

104056

[ueno_station54]

apparently Leila's Brothers is on Solidarity Cinema. you can access their catalog via their plex server or they can send you a google drive link i believe and At Play in the Fields of the Lord can be rented on apple in the US.

[Takoma11]

You can rent At Play in the Fields of the Lord from either Apple or Fandango at Home (which used to be called Vudu).

I'm not seeing Leila's Brothers available anywhere, and my library system does not have a copy, so I'm not sure what I'll do about that one.

[rauldc14]

I'll watch Past Lives again tomorrow!

[Citizen Rules]

I've been working on sourcing the upcoming movies from streaming sources. It finally prodded me into getting connected to Kanopy (your local library may have different choices, if I understand the service correctly). Here's what I have so far. Does anyone know streaming sources for my two gaps here? Or better sources in general? (Investing in more DVDs isn't an option for me these days.)

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=104056I have free links for all movies. That's the first thing I do in an HoF is acquire all the movies. A couple of them were really hard to find. I'll PM you my all my links....If anyone else wants links just give a shout out.

[MovieGal]

I have free links for all movies. That's the first thing I do in an HoF is acquire all the movies. A couple of them were really hard to find. I'll PM you my all my links....If anyone else wants links just give a shout out.

Not all areas have the same films on Kanopy. I have struggled with that issue.

It depends on your library.

[Citizen Rules]

Not all areas have the same films on Kanopy. I have struggled with that issue.

It depends on your library.I don't have Kanopy myself. But I do have all the links, well you know that I would🙂

[MovieGal]

I don't have Kanopy myself. But I do have all the links, well you know that I would🙂

Yes. I know.

[PHOENIX74]

I have a link for Leila's Brothers if there's any further trouble for people accessing that one, but CR's confidence is making me feel very relieved that everyone should be fine all the same.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

apparently Leila's Brothers is on Solidarity Cinema. you can access their catalog via their plex server or they can send you a google drive link i believe and At Play in the Fields of the Lord can be rented on apple in the US.

Thanks ... one benefit of being a newbie here is expanding my repertoire of streaming resources!

I'll check out Solidarity Cinema. I have an Apple+ subscription and nothing comes back when I search for APITFOTL. But I do see it listed on Fandango ...

But I think I'll get out of the sourcing business and let Citizen take over! :)

[gbgoodies]

The winner of the 34th HoF is Past Lives! Well, that might just happen, so far 6 out of 7 reviews seemed to love Past Lives. 7 more reviews to go, I wonder if everyone will be on the same page??? Stay tuned!:D

I watched Past Lives about a year ago, and I liked it a lot. I was hoping to find time to rewatch it this week, but it doesn't look like I'm going to find the time anytime soon.

But I'm glad to see that it's getting such great reviews here.

[rauldc14]

Past Lives

https://www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/V_PastLives_Still268_R.jpg

For those who know me I don't typically describe a film as perfect but honestly this is one of those scenarios where I can use that word. I think the films greatest achievement is that every scene seems to pack a punch, be necessary, and you also don't feel like you need anything extra that wasn't there. I love how I latch onto feeling for all three characters in the movie. All 3 do an absolute excellent job. And technically the film comes out so strong. The lighting, the score, the cinematography. It's all so beautiful. The dialogue never skips a beat. It feels like such a touching movie. Because it is. It makes you realize how precious time is, how precious relationships are, and how much you should value life in itself. The film is at its best when it's tugging at the viewers mind of just how much the past means to us and how it strengthens us and grows us to be the people that we are. So yeah, I'll elevate it to perfect status.

5

[Takoma11]

Ugh, this film. So good.

When I watch a movie, I'm always narrative first. The majority of my attention is wrapped up in the more literal details of who/what/when/where/why. So what a delight to get to revisit this movie---a movie I first watched about a year ago (February 3rd)--and let my eye wander to all of the amazing visual details.

It's little things, like the fact that when Nora and Hae Sung first meet up in New York we get a brief flashback to their childhood selves inside the large sculptures of faces facing each other. But in the present, each of them is in front of a carving of a woman and those women are facing away from each other.

This is such a great portrayal of adult relationships, where the film isn't just empathetic, but the characters genuinely care about each other. I especially love the way that the movie extends this to Hae Sung and Arthur, a sort of mutual respect for the feelings that the other man must be having, and even the notion that loving the same woman is a kind of relationship, and not one that has to be destructive.

I also like the way that the movie positions happiness. Arthur asks Nora in succession, "Are you happy? Is this what you imagined?", as if those two things have to be the same.

Finally, this time around I really appreciated the way that Nora unabashedly puts her professional ambitions first. And this isn't framed as a bad thing, or something that's keeping her from finding love. It's just part of how she chooses to prioritize things in her life, and something that her husband appreciates about her. (I love that when he half-jokingly asks if she might leave him for Hae Sung, she replies, "You know I wouldn't miss my rehearsals for some dude.").

I think that the way that we regard the past (good and bad) has a huge impact on how we live in the present. One of my own biggest "what ifs" regards the fact that there's an alternate universe where I'm married to a chemistry professor and we have a little house and a 10 year old child in Iowa. Just like the first time I watched this film, I had to reflect on that a bit, but it's a relief to know that, unlike Hae Sung, it's not something that paralyzes me or keeps me from loving the life that I do have. Still, whenever the chemistry professor and I see each other (about every 5 years), there's this energy between us of that could-have-been. It's not a bad energy, just an interesting thing to feel.

Here's what I wrote about it the first time I watched it, and my feelings about it are still very much the same.

Heartfelt and deeply empathetic to its characters, this is a fantastic drama.

Life is full of choices large and small, and even someone who is not prone to feeling regret might still find themselves wondering how their life might be different---for better or for worse---if they’d taken a different path.

What gives this film a certain maturity over other movies with similar plots is that Nora is not stuck in a rut, in a bad marriage, or otherwise in a rough situation. She is experiencing maybe a normal level of mid-life reflection---sort of “Oh, so this is my life. This is it.”---but she’s thrown into a deeper turmoil as she reacts to the emotional weight of Hae Sung’s attentions.

While the film largely centers on Nora, and in particular how her feelings shift as she spends time with Hae Sung and how she is forced to reflect on her marriage to Arthur (John Magaro), Hae Sung is the person whose emotions are more volatile. It is hard to watch at times, the way that Hae Sung feels the sting of lost possibility. His trip speaks to someone who needs something to happen, who is holding onto the hope of an impossible outcome. In the moment, of course, he isn’t trying to tempt Nora away from her husband. He doesn’t really seem to think that she will run away with him. But it is clear that he has never been able to find closure regarding Nora, and this lack of closure has kept him from maybe building more relationships in his life.

The central performances from Lee and Yoo are stunning. They both play characters who let politeness and calm sit over emotions that come closer to a simmer as they spend more time together. Magaro is very good in his supporting role as Nora’s husband. While he is unable to fully suppress his jealousy, he is loving and supportive of his wife. It is under Arthur’s patient questioning that Nora is forced to confront her feelings about what is happening. I had to laugh a bit when Arthur asks Nora if Hae Sung is good looking. The answer, of course, is OMG YES. Nora’s reluctance to answer this question honestly---”Yeah, now that you mention it, he’s a total babe”---seems to have as much to do with being diplomatic as with the fact that Nora herself might be studiously trying to ignore that fact.

Through the film, Nora frames her relationship with Hae Sung in terms of the concept of inyeon, the idea that the relationship between people in the present is defined by their relationship in their past lives. It is a very interesting notion when it comes to reconciling those very normal feelings of regret and what ifs. In a lovely choice, the film has a touching scene where Hae Sung and Arthur discuss the idea, abstracting it away from just being an idea centered on romance.

There was nothing about this movie I didn’t think was great. The performances, the writing, and the way that it was filmed that centered the characters in time and place just sang for me. This is a movie that is all about the internal workings of its characters. There are no villains, just good people trying to make sense of their lives, and trying to come to terms with the fact that you cannot walk two paths in life.

Very glad to have caught this lovely film on the big screen.

[Citizen Rules]

Wow, I don't think any HoF movie has ever been as well received as Past Lives. We do have a bunch more great noms all quite different from each other, hopefully they do well too. That's 12 reviews so far, thanks everyone!:)

[cricket]

All right close it up, no need to go any further

[Citizen Rules]

All right close it up, no need to go any furtherHa, so true:D...It would be the upset of the century if another film does this well. But we'll see, we do have alot of neat films to watch. The next movie nom is coming up in a few days.

[rauldc14]

I just hope people don't get too political with voting. Well, this films doesn't need points from me because everyone likes it sort of thing. Like Citizen said yes there are other movies coming too though.

[cricket]

I just hope people don't get too political with voting. Well, this films doesn't need points from me because everyone likes it sort of thing. Like Citizen said yes there are other movies coming too though.

Also, it certainly won't get any help from recency bias being the very first film watched by everyone.

[Citizen Rules]

I keep an ongoing 1-5 rating record for each nom after I watch it and I fine tune my ratings with + or - after the rating. But what really helps me make my voting ballot at the end of a HoF is to go back and read my own reviews. That always jogs my memory as to how I felt right after watching the movies. It's a pity that we can't do like 5 movies a week and be done with an HoF in 2 weeks.

[rauldc14]

I keep an ongoing 1-5 rating record for each nom after I watch it and I fine tune my ratings with + or - after the rating. But what really helps me make my voting ballot at the end of a HoF is to go back and read my own reviews. That always jogs my memory as to how I felt right after watching the movies. It's a pity that we can't do like 5 movies a week and be done with an HoF in 2 weeks.

Hah there'd be no way I could do this anymore. My pacing is nothing like it was 10 years ago.

[PHOENIX74]

Ha, so true:D...It would be the upset of the century if another film does this well. But we'll see, we do have alot of neat films to watch. The next movie nom is coming up in a few days.

A tough proposition for the chosen movie! It's going to be like following a great act on stage.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

I suppose this is true of us all, but I remember once hearing Ebert interviewed, and he was asked how he could possibly keep up his enthusiasm for his work after so many years of seeing one mediocre movie after another. And his reply was something rather mundane, but always stuck with me, that he never gave up on the hope of being surprised.

I'm glad to have been invited to this thread because my movie-watching time is shared with my wife, and lately we've been choosing items for their relaxation value alone. Honestly, most of the movies in this series are new to me, or at least so long ago I don't remember much ... or don't remember if I watched them. So looking forward to being surprised, like I am now being halfway through Inside Moves.

I'm also in awe of the productivity of so many of the contributors throughout the forums. Multiple people with a decade of contributions, thousands or tens of thousands of posts. My key challenge here is that keeping up with all the interesting conversations takes away my time for watching and doing my own writing. Still, very stoked to be here ....

[Citizen Rules]

...I'm glad to have been invited to this thread because my movie-watching time is shared with my wife, and lately we've been choosing items for their relaxation value alone. Honestly, most of the movies in this series are new to me, or at least so long ago I don't remember much ... or don't remember if I watched them....very stoked to be here ....And I'm very stoked to have not one, but two new HoF members! The new members add so much needed enthusiasm and help keep these HoFs viable. I watch all of the movies with my wife, I make dinner we set down and watch a movie. Not counting my own nom, I've only seen 3 of the nominations so most are first time watches as well for me. Glad to here you're having fun with this.

[rauldc14]

When the next nom?

[Citizen Rules]

When the next nom?The due date to watch/review Past Lives is Jan 8th. So either late night on the 8th or late morning on the 9th, I'll post the next movie and do the tag thing. It's a good movie! btw.

[rauldc14]

The due date to watch/review Past Lives is Jan 8th. So either late night on the 8th or late morning on the 9th, I'll post the next movie and do the tag thing. It's a good movie! btw.

Cool beans

[MovieGal]

Citizen Rules

New film?

[Citizen Rules]

@Citizen Rules (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=84637)

New film?I'll be posting pretty soon. Just got finish my work choirs.

[ueno_station54]

hoping it's one of the long ones next i'm off this weekend and have the free time.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F_5SMlnCFhaTA%2FSfcfLnolbzI%2FAAAAAAAAHN8%2FhbXZUBGnv2U%2Fs400%2 F1966_Persona_01.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ce65a2896ba43233eb1c32e5d9d120fd11da339f6d6fd65234e4549898f6b4e5&ipo=images
The movie for week 2 is:Persona (1966)
Due date to watch/review: Jan 15th


@MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538) @jiraffejustin (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=76459) @John W Constantine (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109412) @PHOENIX74 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080)
@rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @Torgo (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334) @Takoma11 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735) @ueno_station54 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569) @stillmellow (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=124844) @cricket (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=68505) TheManBehindTheCurtain @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536)


We had 12 of the 14 members review Past Lives, so far, that's good!
And I'm not worried if someone falls a week or two behind, they can always catch up. My goal is a laid back & fun HoF🙂....But just in case some didn't see the 1st post, I should say that this is not like the past main HoFs were, where people could wait until the last few weeks to binge watch. The idea here is one movie for us to watch each week. When all the active members noms are watched I will call for the voting list and then do the reveal.

I might post Week 3 as soon as the reviews are posted, so it could be sooner. If someone has free time and wants to watch next weeks nom, just let me know and I'll PM it to you, but keep it a secret until the movie is revealed.


Keep an eye on the 1st post that has the review links and info.

[MovieGal]

Good, I was bored with The Truman Show.

Edit: I watched it long ago but don't remember much.

[Citizen Rules]

I hope what I just wrote makes sense? I'm wickedly tired..so that's my excuse if I babbled:p

[Citizen Rules]

hoping it's one of the long ones next i'm off this weekend and have the free time. Sorry! Persona (1966) is only 90 minutes. If you want to watch ahead, I don't have a problem letting anyone know what week 3 movie is, just don't mention the movie until week 3 starts.

[ueno_station54]

Sorry! Persona (1966) is only 90 minutes. If you want to watch ahead, I don't have a problem letting anyone know what week 3 movie is, just don't mention the movie until week 3 starts.

well, it's one of the few i've already seen so at least i know it's good <3

[MovieGal]

104142
Persona
(1966)

A film about an actress who has selective muteness and her nurse at a remote beachfront house. The nurse fills their time discussing things in her past while her patient looks on. The nurse becomes so wrapped up in her life, that it comes across annoying, as you see on the actress's face. At times, she acts like she is the patient and the actress is someone there to look after her.

Liv Ulmann and Bibi Andersson do a very good job in regards to the portrayal of their characters. Igmar Bergman uses random snapshots to express certain scenes. It is considered one of his classic films.

I watched this long ago and barely remember much. More than likely it was a time when 3am films were not unheard of in my life.

It's definitely one I would revisit.

[edarsenal]

Just finished Past Lives. Quite enjoyed that and will post my review tomorrow night.
Looking forward to seeing Personal next.

[stillmellow]

Yay! I'm so glad I got to add this film to the mix. I highly doubt it'll surpass Past Lives in most people's lists, but this is a movie I love more every time I see it.


I'll wait until the majority has seen it before giving my review and interpretation. It's certainly a challenging watch, which for me is all part of its charm.

[jiraffejustin]

Past Lives

There are two scenes in this film that really won me over. Sure the film looked pretty good and the players played their parts well, but two moments in the film elevated it a whole lot for me. The first moment was the scene where Nora and Arthur are in bed after her first meeting with Hae-Sung, we see that Arthur is a good guy and that Nora was meant to be with him. He loves her, she loves him, and he's not just the American ******* standing in the way of true love. He lays this out in a semi-meta moment where he describes what their lives would be like if it were in a play, letting the audience know that is in fact not what's happening in this film. Maybe it's because I am a dude who can sort of relate to Hae-Sung in some ways, but I was invested enough in the film at that point that I wanted to see him with Nora, so this was a perspective changing moment for me. The second moment is when they are in the bar and Hae-Sung tells Nora that he didn't realize it would hurt so bad to like her husband. I really loved the performance of the actor playing Hae-Sung, the way he uncomfortable shifted his hands around when he first met with Nora in New York was a great bit of physical acting that didn't require any verbal communication at all. Life really isn't a big fairy tale.

[edarsenal]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9KNsyn3ySPc/sddefault.jpg?v=6517e5f5
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/85/e0/b4/85e0b4c0f6393a67bb33bbb5c1bdad71.jpg

Past Lives (2023)

I have to echo JJ's aptly put sentiment, "Life really isn't a big fairy tale." when describing this personal moment in life by Director/Writer Celine Song, clearing away the dramatic trappings of the typical Romance film to explore real-life, real love, and In-Yun. Having only watched the first half of a trailer and zero research became quite a pleasant surprise. The three main characters did excellent physical presence in telling this story of two childhood sweethearts who meet again after twenty-four years apart and the paths their lives have taken.

BRAVO, raul! A damn fine nom.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.explicit.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.XfHXVgMMGy6TPrSxcc6eWgAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=34ab9c74d8938b650683203a897e8fc960a0bc681319e1431dfbae0c1bbe7732&ipo=images
Persona
(Bergman 1966)


I've seen maybe five Bergman films and haven't warmed up to his style. I do see why people like his work, it's intrinsically visionary. I watched this for the very first time last night. I've not read any reviews or snyoposis or watched trailers...I went into this blindly, not knowing at all what the movie was about.

Persona was interesting as it's an enigma open to interpretations as to what the real events were. I'm not one to usually concoct movie theories so my thoughts on what really occurred on screen as opposed to what was shown is probably negligible. But what the hell here's what I kinda sorta maybe thought happened: Elizabet (Liv Ullmann) was a projection from the troubled mind of Alma (Bibi Anderson), that's why no one talks to Elizabet but Alma and why it's only Alma who gets on the bus to leave the ocean side house. But Alma is not really Alma she's Elizabet that's what her husband calls her and she's the one who refuses to talk. Sound good? Well I'm going with that.

[edarsenal]

Ahh, the enigma of Bergman. Like you, CR, I've only seen a few, and mainly of a more gravitas, hard-hitting variety. Such as Virgin Spring and Shame. The last one I saw and truly loved was Wild Strawberry, which raised my respect and gave me a point to enjoy Bergman sincerely, so I'm quite curious to explore Persona with this newfound appreciation.

[Citizen Rules]

Ahh, the enigma of Bergman. Like you, CR, I've only seen a few, and mainly of a more gravitas, hard-hitting variety. Such as Virgin Spring and Shame. The last one I saw and truly loved was Wild Strawberry, which raised my respect and gave me a point to enjoy Bergman sincerely, so I'm quite curious to explore Persona with this newfound appreciation.I liked Shame and Wild Strawberry was the first Bergman I seen, it was an HoF nom. I wasn't too wild about Wild Strawberry but I was a virgin to Bergman films so I probably didn't perceive it like I would today. It's a shame I haven't become a loyal fan of Bergman like most, I guess I would need a different personality for that.:D

[edarsenal]

I liked Shame and Wild Strawberry was the first Bergman I seen, it was an HoF nom. I wasn't too wild about Wild Strawberry but I was a virgin to Bergman films so I probably didn't perceive it like I would today. It's a shame I haven't become a loyal fan of Bergman like most, I guess I would need a different personality for that.:D

Strawberry turned it around for me. Before that, it was respect only.

[Citizen Rules]

Strawberry turned it around for me. Before that, it was respect only.Persona is a good one for a budding Bergman-phile to watch...Unlike his older films Persona is done in the 'new wave' style like Fellini or Godard were doing around that time in the 1960s. It felt very different than the other Bergman films I've seen and yet it still had the Bergman touch to it.

[edarsenal]

Persona is a good one for a budding Bergman-phile to watch...Unlike his older films Persona is done in the 'new wave' style like Fellini or Godard were doing around that time in the 1960s. It felt very different than the other Bergman films I've seen and yet it still had the Bergman touch to it.
Nice!

[ueno_station54]

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a7dcf69d7bdce185884a6b5/1539959360796-ACLM10NJSOGOWJKDTLU3/persona.jpg?format=2500w
Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)

Man, I don't know what to write about this. It absolutely rips and is incredibly engaging for a movie where nothing really happens but I don't think I have anything insightful or constructive to say, the movie just kind of happens and I'm like "hell yeah!" the whole time. Like, its definitely touching on identity and not feeling connected to the person you are and where you're at in your life or something but I don't have a deeper read than that. Its visually astounding, the lighting, framing, texture, everything and they definitely had some fun in the editing room which I always love even if it can come off a bit tacky to some. I do wish the score was a little more distinct, it sounds like every avant-garde movie score, though maybe this one was early to that sound I haven't really thought about what came out when. Just feel like I've heard this score a million times. Glad to have gotten to revisit this, I liked it the first time around forever ago but dug it even more now, which has generally been my experience with Bergman's stuff. Absolutely killer.

[edarsenal]

Getting more intrigued with ueno's review.
Nice.

[Torgo]

Persona - 4

This is a probing and defense-destroying psychological thriller about the crisis arising from not being sure which part you are playing. Even though it mostly occurs in a house and features a one-sided conversation, there are many layers to this, with some of them above my pay grade, if you will. Jung, for instance, influenced this movie, but I barely know anything about him or psychiatry in general. However, the Wikipedia for this page - which I'll freely admit to referring to while writing this - lists several themes and just as many interpretations, so I will focus on one theme it explores that resonates with me the most: being a parent.

Unwanted motherhood is the hinge of Alma and Elisabet's duality, and all the movie's associated imagery supporting the theme is as impactful as it is abstract. Elisabet's son lying on a slab in the opening and closing sequences leaves a mark, as does him trying to discern the actress in a blurred image. What really strikes a nerve, though, is Elisabeth tearing up a photo of the boy at first sight. Also the crux of Elisabet's breakdown, it's fitting that the character is a performer for how being a mother and all the expectations therein could be confused with playing a role. The use of projectors does a good job of supporting this - and with just the right touch of surrealism - as does how the way Alma coped with motherhood reminds Elisabet of the divide between who she really is and who she could have been.

Parenthood involves taking on a whole new set of responsibilities as well as expectations to fulfill and not just the child's. This movie successfully explores its impact on one's identity, particularly for how it shows that it completely alters it whether the parent embraces or rejects it. It also manages to do this in ways that have been imitated (and parodied), but never duplicated. Even so, like pretty much every Bergman movie I have seen, I appreciate it more than I like it. I felt like I was in a film class while watching it; in other words, it's a movie that is better studied than experienced. Also, as someone who embraces mistakes, grit, i.e., proof that the movie was made by human hands, its chilly perfection is off-putting. Does this mean I did not enjoy the experience of seeing this again and that I am done exploring Bergman's catalog? Definitely not. I just wish this had been the one that checks both the like and appreciate boxes.

[Torgo]

Man, I don't know what to write about this.Ha, I can relate. It's not an easy movie to write about. My brain had a system error when I attempted a complete review, so I just picked one theme that stood out and wrote about that instead.

No disrespect to stillmellow, of course. I was happy to watch it again. Still, I feel like the kid in that Far Side comic who had to excuse himself because his brain was full.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Persona (1966)
Director/Writer: Ingmar Bergman
Cast: Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson

4

104373

You’re best off if, like me, you take in Persona knowing virtually nothing except its reputation as an avant-garde masterpiece. Persona begs to be interrogated on three levels: what’s occurring on the surface, what writer/director Ingmar Bergman tempts you to believe, and what you make of it personally.

On the surface, the “plot” is spare and perhaps intolerably talky if all you want from a movie is an enjoyable few hours of plot-driven entertainment. We begin with a collage of meta imagery, including gut-wrenching scenes of brutality, corpses on hospital gurneys, the famous clip of a self-immolating monk. And a young boy awakening and facing the movie camera, perhaps trying to rub the image into focus.

As we emerge from this teasing cascade of impressions, we learn that famous actor Elisabet Vogler (Liv Ullmann) has been hospitalized after what we might call today a psychotic break during a performance. She is perfectly healthy but, as the doctor explains to her nurse, Alma (Bibi Andersson), she refuses to speak. The doctor, feeling she has done all she can, recommends Elisabet recuperate at a seaside cottage, with Sister Alma along to care for her.

During their sojourn, the incessantly chatty Alma tries vainly to induce Elisabet to speak, even a single word. Her attempts range from idle pleasantries to deeply personal and intimate confessions to vitriol and threats. Will Alma succeed in provoking Elisabet to respond?

What is writer/director Bergman tempting us to believe? Certainly he reminds you at the start, middle, and end that you are watching a movie, with scenes of a camera and flickering film. The doctor’s opening preamble is laden with foreshadowing of the action through to the final frame: “I understand why you don't speak, why you don't move, why you've created a part for yourself out of apathy. I understand. I admire. You should go on with this part until it is played out, until it loses interest for you. Then you can leave it, just as you've left your other parts one by one.” Then you can leave. Hang on to that.

Perhaps it gives too much away that, though there are two female characters, the title is Persona – singular. Elisabet and Alma look so similar that at times you have trouble discerning who is who. They share common regrets having to do with children, Alma the one she didn’t have and Elisabet the one she did (perhaps that boy in the opening montage). As the emotional climax approaches, we hear the same monologue repeated, first with Elisabet listening, next with Alma delivering. One wonders how Alma knows so much of Elisabet’s sorrows. An unsettling face merges, half of each woman’s visage. And then Elisabet leaves the cottage.

It is a trap to look for definitive answers. Strewn among the scenes are myriad ideas: suggestions of intimacy between the two, betrayal, vampirism. Photos from Elisabet’s past, counterweighted by a photo of children being detained by Nazi soldiers. Through to the very end, Bergman strews plot breadcrumbs that I feel he does not intend to lead you to a specific interpretation, but to a place where examination begins. It is impossible to do a plot spoiler for Persona because any fact you hang onto has multiple possible interpretations.

What do I make of it personally? One always fears sounding pedantic in making any firm pronouncement about a film that has been the subject of many hundreds of thousands of words of analysis. It ranges from snarky trolls on Rotten Tomatoes (“This film is the artiest of art-house. It can only be described as Mulholland Drive meets Fight Club featuring hot Swedish ladies.”) to deeply probing analysis by the most respected of academics.

But I'll step up with my own conclusion: I give Persona high marks for artistry, but I don’t recommend it to my movie-loving friends. On the one hand, there is so much I admire. The visually evocative black and white cinematography. Superb and intellectually dense monologues. The emotionally devastating performances by Ullmann and Andersson. The deeply ambiguous themes that can engender endless discussion. On the other hand, there is not much I enjoy.

Me, I enjoy Monet. Dali evokes a smile. Norman Rockwell can bring a melodramatic tear. But when I’m serious, it’s Monet. He inspires. But not from the typical gallery perspective, five feet away, where everything is a swirl of bright, slashing brushstrokes, like the flickering of a camera. You need the right distance and angle, the right lighting. Regardless of my mood, he inspires joy.

By contrast, regardless of distance, lighting, or angle, I get nothing from another artist who employs slashing strokes, Jackson Pollock. He leaves me cold; nothing resonates. And that’s how Persona affected me. I admire the technique. But emotionally it leaves me cold. I know that, if I stepped up close and concentrated, I could lose myself for hours, days, excavating ideas, patching together out of the chaos of his images what might even be one plausible explication out of dozens that Bergman tempts us to believe. But for me, the effort is not worth the potential reward. Persona is an entirely personal experience for each of us, and mine lacked warmth and was entirely joyless. Your experience will be different.

[cricket]

Persona

https://scenebygreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/videoscreenshot-youtube-persona1966-ingmarbergmanenglishsubtitles-3735.png?w=1024

I saw this once a few years ago. By the time I saw it, I had seen several other Bergman films and had already considered him to be somewhat of a favorite director. I knew the reputation, had high expectations, and was left a bit disappointed.

I got more out of it this time, and I could picture myself getting much more in the future. It looks and sounds brilliant and the actresses are phenomenal. I've heard many of the interpretations and there's plenty to make you think. I have this weird thing where film characters who can't or won't talk put me on edge to the point where I can feel it physically. For whatever reason it frustrates me. Knowing that, it got me thinking that Alma may be feeling the same way that I do. It reminded me that information is power, and that Elisabet was getting all of it. Of course, that's assuming that they both exist. I think they probably do, but I'm not sure of anything with this film. I like it a lot, but it's the type that I would need to hit me more emotionally to love it. Maybe next time.

3.5

[stillmellow]

I love everyone's interpretations! This is definitely a film where there are no definitive answers. Everyone takes away their own experiences from it.


I'm not surprised it didn't click with everyone, as it's not a movie where much physically happens. It's about feelings, personalities, and memory.


I'll write a more in-depth review later, when I'm less tired. But for now I'll say that I personally lean towards the theory


There are two women, with one attempting to transform herself into the other.

[edarsenal]

I just finished Persona last night and enjoyed this on an artistic level. I will post review tonight or tomorrow.

[John W Constantine]

Persona (1966, Bergman)

Just finished this one and felt the need to read over the reviews so far and study them, like Liv Ullman in Persona except I'm not. Obviously the scenery is crisp and beautiful to observe (and the women) like this era's Bergman. Saying I saw this years ago when I was searching for more mature films would be an understatement as it's probably been 15+ years since I sat and watched this. The sound and music really caught my attention, that opening segment, plus the quick ques throughout, seems almost horror (The Shining now that I thought about it). Very atmospheric. Listening to dialogue driven stories is not a hard sell for me. Obviously it clears a few things up during the last minutes but also leaves a few things to wonder about. I enjoy these types of movies.

[edarsenal]

https://i.gifer.com/ApXm.gif

Persona (1966)

There is pondering when one attempts to clarify this film's ambiguity, and therefore, I must, instead, applaud Bergman for its mastery.
I'm pleased to have experienced this film so very late in life and after seeing a few Bergman films, including what will most likely remain my favorite (Wild Strawberry)—appreciating Bergman's cinematic avante-garde far more than my youth would have, with all that life since. Never mind the repetitive "Wait, what?" I'd be spouting throughout.
I cannot remember who said this about their experience, but I do very much agree. I remained captivated watching this. Adding credit to Cinematographer Sven Nykvist regarding said captivation.

So thank you, stillmellow, for giving me cause to.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/2jHHXm40/persona.jpg

Persona - 1966

Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Written by Ingmar Bergman

Starring Bibi Andersson & Liv Ullmann

Simply watching Persona is, of course, the fun part of the process when coming to terms with having to say something about it. I've read that writing about the film is considered the equivalent of "climbing Mount Everest" when it comes to film reviewing and composing movie literature - so that process looks a lot more arduous. That's mostly because there are so many differing directions you can head in - whereupon you always end up at a place where you need to about-face and find other avenues to the summit. I first came across the film when I started looking at more serious, studied film lists - and saw that it often came at or near the top of those more interesting lists. More familiar to me as far as Ingmar Bergman was concerned were the likes of The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries and The Virgin Spring - I'd never heard of Persona, and here I was discovering that most serious film critics consider this his seminal work. His greatest must-see masterpiece. I was surprised that my more popular film books had kind of ignored it, considering it's exalted status, and felt annoyed that they'd left me in the lurch so to speak - but I'm not sure how it's reputation has chopped and changed over the years. I hear many critics dismissed it outright when it was released, and that Bergman as a whole has his detractors amongst serious film scholars and industry figures.

So, anyway, to start with it's probably best to tackle the film's opening six-minute visual montage - one that overtly seems to be telling us that this will be a movie about "cinema" - but we also segue into death before the scenes we witness in a mortuary reach a kind of climax with a boy who - awakened from what at first, disconcertingly, looked like eternal slumber - looks around, reads, and then reaches up with his hand to try and touch a large image of a woman's face. The face changes, the eyes close, but the boy keeps reaching and it seems reasonable to conclude that this is the boy's mother. His reaching seems futile - after all, this is only an image and all the boy (played by Jörgen Lindström, who once featured in Ingmar Bergman's The Silence) can really touch is the glass screen in front of him. If the various images and shots of projectors, old silent films and animation (with the unexpected subliminal image of an erect penis) have brought to mind the very fabric of cinema, then in the end we're confronted with our mortality and the cold hard truth that cinema is an abstract concept and that we're living beings. We might love movies and images, but they'll never love us back. Whatever comfort they bring comes from within ourselves, because when you get right down to it, images are cold, dead material things that we ourselves imbue with illusory life.

Persona's narrative is not going to directly reflect any of that. The story proper starts with a woman in hospital. This is Elisabet Vogler (Liv Ullmann), an actress who has had some kind of mental breakdown which manifested itself when she was on stage performing. Ever since she has lapsed into silence - complete silence, and the doctors believe that this is not because of any illness or psychosis. Rather, they believe that Elisabet has made a conscious decision not to speak, and that otherwise she's not suffering from any malady that would have otherwise struck her dumb. She just had the notion one day, "You know what? Everything I say is just a load of bulldust for one reason or another. A lie to placate someone. Something that makes me look better. A wish. A demand. A funny story to make others laugh and delight in my presence. A part. A role. I'm so tired of it. I refuse to keep using it." Elisabet's nurse is Alma (Bibi Andersson), a vivacious, energetic young person who is outspoken and friendly. She seems to take to Elisabet and look up to her, being an artist. Once the hospital's staff feel there's nothing more they can do for Elisabet in medical terms, they send her with Alma to a cottage off the coast to recuperate in her own time. At first, everything seems idyllic.

Elisabet and Alma grow closer and closer to each other the more time they spend at the cottage, even though it's Alma who has to do all of the talking. To be fair, Elisabet does emote quite a bit through her facial expressions, but because Alma feels the need to fill in all of the empty spaces with words she ends up revealing a lot about herself. Some deep, dark secrets come tumbling out. This just seems to bring the two even closer, but when Alma reads a personal letter Elisabet had given her to mail, she finds out that Elisabet had written condescending, cruel things about their time together and the resulting rage sends the normall bubbly Alma off the deep end. The warmth evaporates, and in it's place a violent storm erupts which seems to precede a kind of mingling of the two women's very existences. A visit from Elisabet's husband (Gunnar Björnstrand) sees Alma taking her place and sleeping with him, without the man seeming to be able to tell the difference. In a searing rebuke, Alma then recounts Elisabet's experience in having a son (and trying to miscarry) despite not wanting one, and of her going on to hate the fact that the boy loves and needs her so much despite her lack of motherly instincts. She does this as if she's privy to the contents of Elisabet's soul.

Everything that happens narrative-wise has to be experienced by watching the film - because of the way it's visually presented, but also because of the many little moments that add up to a greater whole. Elisabet drinking Alma's blood. The comparison of hands. The burning up of the film in the projector. The way Elizabet examines the haunting pictures taken in the Warsaw ghetto. The combination of Elisabet's and Alma's faces. The fourth-wall breaking when Elisabet takes a picture of us, the audience. The lurid recounting of an erotic encounter. The glass left in the path of a barefoot Elisabet by Alma. The real-life moments seen on television - ie, the self-immolation of the monks in Vietnam. Everything adds up, and nothing seems to have been added without it meaning anything - to Bergman at least. That's not to say that this film has one concrete meaning - one that can only be deciphered one way. Ingmar Bergman always wanted his audience to give his films their own unique interpretations, and insisted that none of his films had any meaning beyond what individual people decided they meant as far as they alone were concerned. I've often thought that the best of these films are made by filmmakers who aren't all that sure themselves what the meaning is when they're making the film.

What do I think Persona means? It depends on when you ask me, because ever since I've looked at it once again my mind has kept changing and never really stopped thinking of different ways of looking at it. Are Elisabet and Alma one and the same person? Sure! At one point that was my view completely. Isn't one hemisphere of our brain artistic? Isn't the other concerned with speech and comprehension? Seems to suit Elisabet and Alma. Is it about class struggles? Is Elisabet a vampire? Persona means a mask that we wear for others to see, but the film was originally going to be called "Cinematography" - how do we read Bergman's intentions when you consider those two different titles? Are we, on our outside and on our faces walking cinemas? Do we, with our expressions and the way we act, project images in much the same way cinemas do via the input of various filmmakers? If so, then how rarely do we really interact with each other when we meet? Do we really share anything, or just watch each other's persona in much the same way we watch a movie - never getting a real sense of the person inside? Certainly, Elisabet completely fools Alma with hers, and the results are shattering - but in the complete breakdown of the superficial connection, do Elisabet and Alma finally connect in a deeper way and become one?

Although Sven Nykvist's cinematography (the many close-ups, as prescribed by Bergman - and the wide shots) and Lars Johan Werle's score (the like of which we hear again and again in avant-garde films) are important and impactful, I feel everything in Persona comes down to what it means to the individual in the end. It provokes many emotions. I felt genuine fear when the crack that tears Alma and Elisabet apart goes so far to break up the film, as if something were escaping into my reality. For a moment, it felt like Alma could see me - that this was all real. It shook me up because of how pleasant that lull in the film is, when the two women almost feel so incredibly close it feels like they might fall in love. Bergman adds sensual elements to the way he films everything to add that kind of hypersensualized eroticism to the movie at that stage. To suddenly find ourselves amidst violence is shocking. Sometimes the biggest problem avant-garde films have is in keeping an audience plugged in and engaged, but Persona has no trouble at all in doing that. It never stops feeling real, despite it's more oblique and fabulous moments - it's schisms.

Persona still hasn't made it to the top of my 'Best Movies' list, despite being pretty damned impressive and great all the same. Who knows - I might just feel that way because of the amount of people who, added together, have expended a disproportionate amount of energy analysing and examining the movie. It's almost as if there's nothing new to discover, so why should I bother trying to climb Everest then? I don't feel the glory of human endeavour when I watch it - instead, I feel a little unnerved and afraid. There's some uncomfortable truths hidden in this one, and as such I'm not drawn to it as much as led to it by a sense of investigative spirit. It would be terribly remiss of me though, not to pay homage to the performances of Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann in trying circumstances in service to a demanding filmmaker. Would Persona be as revered if they'd not been talented and given their all to this remarkable movie? Truly, their status was already earned by the time filming finally wrapped, and I have to wonder if either of them stopped to think, "What on Earth was that all about?" Was it openly discussed on set, the meaning of the film? If I were able to ask any of these people a question, it would probably be that one.

4.5

[jiraffejustin]

Persona

Beautiful film. I don't know how to properly explain it, but watching this film, it doesn't feel like there is anything else like it. That might not necessarily indicate whether or not a film is deserving of a certain number score on a rating system, but it does make a film valuable to me in a way that is more important than a 5 on Letterboxd. This film is perfect. It's challenging, engaging, and gorgeous. The leads are wonderful. Also, bonus points for getting us in and getting us out. 84 minutes flies by, but manages to stick with me as much as my my own nomination, Gone with the Wind, does in damn near 4x the runtime. I am not really saying anything, but I can't find the words to do this one justice. It's an accomplishment worthy of being in any film hall of fame.

[rauldc14]

Got super sick this week so my review will be a tad late.

[Citizen Rules]

104402
The movie for week 3 is: Leila's Brothers (2022)
Director: Saeed Roustayi
Due date to watch/review: Jan 22nd


@MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538) @jiraffejustin (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=76459) @John W Constantine (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109412) @PHOENIX74 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080)
@rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @Torgo (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334) @Takoma11 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735) @ueno_station54 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569) @stillmellow (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=124844) @cricket (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=68505) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @TheManBehindTheCurtain


*Keep an eye on the 1st post, that's were the review links and info are.

[John W Constantine]

Leila's Brothers (2022, Roustaee)

I have to say my experience with Iranian cinema is very limited, but I found this to pretty wonderful. I guess it could be classified as an examination of a new (older?) family unit in a time of potential change. The characters and story were standouts for me as they were given plenty of time to cook and develop in a longer runtime. Would definitely like to visit more of these in the future.

[Citizen Rules]

Leila's Brothers (2022, Roustaee)

I have to say my experience with Iranian cinema is very limited, but I found this to pretty wonderful. I guess it could be classified as an examination of a new (older?) family unit in a time of potential change. The characters and story were standouts for me as they were given plenty of time to cook and develop in a longer runtime. Would definitely liked to visit more of these in the future.Glad to hear that. I'm very interested in watching Leila's Brothers as it will give a window into Iranian life and I doubt I'll ever visit there and even if I did I'd be a tourist and not be privy to the day to day life of someone who lived there.

We've had like 3 or 4 other Iranian films in HoFs, most did really well. I'm not sure I can remember the titles but I remember Raul nominated one, SpelingError did one or maybe two noms and there were others. A Saparation won the 5th HoF.

[John W Constantine]

Glad to hear that. I'm very interested in watching Leila's Brothers as it will give a window into Iranian life and I doubt I'll ever visit there and even if I did I'd be a tourist and not be privy to the day to day life of someone who lived there.

We've had like 3 or 4 other Iranian films in HoFs, most did really well. I'm not sure I can remember the titles but I remember Raul nominated one, SpelingError did one or maybe two noms and there were others. A Saparation won the 5th HoF.

I did enjoy that one quite a bit, I started to watch A Hero but the video wasn't working and I haven't made my way back around to it yet. Someday soon.

[Citizen Rules]

I did enjoy that one quite a bit, I started to watch A Hero but the video wasn't working and I haven't made my way back around to it yet. Someday soon. I watched A Hero for the 31st HoF and liked it pretty well.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmadeinatlantis.com%2Fgreatmovies%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F04%2Fpersona-1966.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=0b07c4205b196fa582a2d9c8836f2c32bae1d140cd1142dc76bd9ee726413480&ipo=images

Persona, 1966

Actress Elisabet (Liv Ullmann) has a mental breakdown during a performance and is admitted to a hospital. She is soon relocated to a seaside home where she is looked after by nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson). But the more time the two women spend together---Elisabet all but mute and Alma slowly sharing her own past---the more the line between them becomes blurred.

An engrossing film that, for me, is a shining example of a film that makes emotional sense even as the literal aspects are ambiguous and deliberately obscured.

I haven’t seen this movie since I was a teenager and, yeah, it hits really differently in middle age. I honestly can’t remember much about my specific reaction to this one when I first watched it, only that at the time the meta-acknowledgement of it being a film and explicitly calling out the dynamics of watching and being watched was thrilling.

Well, it’s still pretty thrilling. There’s something you absolutely have to praise about a film that starts by smacking you in the face and saying “THIS IS A MOVIE!” only to completely pull you into the story it contains. And there’s something likewise very cheeky about literally laying one of your central themes out on a slab in the opening minutes, only to slowly draw you into the notion of puzzling it all out.

The lead performances from Andersson and Ullmann are forceful and complimentary. They feed off of each other’s energy in a way that excellently mirrors the loaded give and take of the characters they are playing. So much can be said in a look, and for Ullmann in particular, this film is largely made up of meaningful glances, sidelong looks, or challenging stares.

Obviously a central theme of the film is about motherhood, and the way that motherhood (or the lack thereof) has had a serious emotional impact on both of the women. Obviously saying something like “Sometimes women have complicated feelings about motherhood!” isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but I feel as if the discussion about motherhood and pregnancy are the surface presentation of a deeper aspect of the dynamic between the two.

This time around I saw more of a contrast in terms of where the women are in life and how their decisions affected them. Further, I saw it as an example of how there isn’t a correct path to take. One might become a mother and regret it. One might never have children and regret it. There is no way of knowing if you’ve made the best choice, and in both women we see a kind of anger about what the other woman has. As the two women begin to merge, psychologically, with one another, it’s as if the having and the not having are coexisting.

Obviously the film is full of stunning compositions, making the most of the faces of the lead actresses. It’s gorgeous to look at, and the fourth-wall breaking moments are few and far between enough so as not to feel intrusive or cliche.

I did, this time around, have one “who wrote this?” moment, which is when one of the characters tells a story about a tryst on a beach in which she has, like, a billion orgasms and . . . sure. I kind of had to laugh. I know many women with very adventurous and robust sex lives, and this part of the story rang false to me. In a film trying to get into deep feelings these women have about their lives and their experiences, this section felt very “Dear Penthouse”. Whatever. I’m content to be happy for her with her billion orgasm beach orgy and move on. Unrelated, this movie does contain what looks to be an unsimulated killing of an animal, never a plus for me.

Good stuff!

4.5

[Wyldesyde19]

Persona is my favorite Bergman, with Fanny and Alexander right behind it.

[stillmellow]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmadeinatlantis.com%2Fgreatmovies%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F04%2Fpersona-1966.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=0b07c4205b196fa582a2d9c8836f2c32bae1d140cd1142dc76bd9ee726413480&ipo=images

Persona, 1966

Actress Elisabet (Liv Ullmann) has a mental breakdown during a performance and is admitted to a hospital. She is soon relocated to a seaside home where she is looked after by nurse Alma (Bibi Andersson). But the more time the two women spend together---Elisabet all but mute and Alma slowly sharing her own past---the more the line between them becomes blurred.

An engrossing film that, for me, is a shining example of a film that makes emotional sense even as the literal aspects are ambiguous and deliberately obscured.

I haven’t seen this movie since I was a teenager and, yeah, it hits really differently in middle age. I honestly can’t remember much about my specific reaction to this one when I first watched it, only that at the time the meta-acknowledgement of it being a film and explicitly calling out the dynamics of watching and being watched was thrilling.

Well, it’s still pretty thrilling. There’s something you absolutely have to praise about a film that starts by smacking you in the face and saying “THIS IS A MOVIE!” only to completely pull you into the story it contains. And there’s something likewise very cheeky about literally laying one of your central themes out on a slab in the opening minutes, only to slowly draw you into the notion of puzzling it all out.

The lead performances from Andersson and Ullmann are forceful and complimentary. They feed off of each other’s energy in a way that excellently mirrors the loaded give and take of the characters they are playing. So much can be said in a look, and for Ullmann in particular, this film is largely made up of meaningful glances, sidelong looks, or challenging stares.

Obviously a central theme of the film is about motherhood, and the way that motherhood (or the lack thereof) has had a serious emotional impact on both of the women. Obviously saying something like “Sometimes women have complicated feelings about motherhood!” isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but I feel as if the discussion about motherhood and pregnancy are the surface presentation of a deeper aspect of the dynamic between the two.

This time around I saw more of a contrast in terms of where the women are in life and how their decisions affected them. Further, I saw it as an example of how there isn’t a correct path to take. One might become a mother and regret it. One might never have children and regret it. There is no way of knowing if you’ve made the best choice, and in both women we see a kind of anger about what the other woman has. As the two women begin to merge, psychologically, with one another, it’s as if the having and the not having are coexisting.

Obviously the film is full of stunning compositions, making the most of the faces of the lead actresses. It’s gorgeous to look at, and the fourth-wall breaking moments are few and far between enough so as not to feel intrusive or cliche.

I did, this time around, have one “who wrote this?” moment, which is when one of the characters tells a story about a tryst on a beach in which she has, like, a billion orgasms and . . . sure. I kind of had to laugh. I know many women with very adventurous and robust sex lives, and this part of the story rang false to me. In a film trying to get into deep feelings these women have about their lives and their experiences, this section felt very “Dear Penthouse”. Whatever. I’m content to be happy for her with her billion orgasm beach orgy and move on. Unrelated, this movie does contain what looks to be an unsimulated killing of an animal, never a plus for me.

Good stuff!

4.5



The vivid description of the underage beach orgy is definitely the weakest part of the film. It feels like it was added simply to shock the audience.


Granted, you could say the same about filming the killing of the sheep, or the newsreel footage of the protest suicides, but they both have more artistic merit.


What makes the 'orgy description' lack merit is there was no point to the gross details. It wasn't artistic in any way, and it made the scene less realistic.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/ydd3hZz2/leila-s-brothers.jpg

Leila's Brothers - 2022

Directed by Saeed Roustayi

Written by Saeed Roustayi

Starring Taraneh Alidoosti, Navid Mohammadzadeh, Saeed Poursamimi, Payman Maadi & Farhad Aslani

Leila Jourablou (Taraneh Alidoosti) is a middle-aged woman looking after a family of particularly low achievers, including five brothers bonded together by a shared sense of failure and cluelessness. Her father Esmail (Saeed Poursamimi), craves a high standing with respect to the larger extended family, at great financial cost. Alireza (Navid Mohammadzadeh), Manouchehr (Payman Maadi), Parviz (Farhad Aslani) and Farhad (Mohammad Alimohammadi) are mostly either unemployed or barely scraping by, but Leila hatches a plan with Alireza - the most intelligent brother - which involves the whole family pooling their resources together to buy a shop in a busy shopping district so they can lift themselves out of poverty. Esmail has other ideas however, and is determined to give everything away as a wedding present so he can officially become the "patriarch" of the wider clan. Poor decision making on all fronts see them all lurch from one disaster to the next - with growing fractures threatening to tear this brood apart. In the meantime, Iran's economic situation starts to bite. Leila's Brothers is a sad tale based around a dysfunctional family, but above and beyond all of that it's a film about familial love and the trials related to leading your thirsty horses to water, even if not a one of them will drink.

There's something about Iranian films that rouse me, and get my passions all stirred up. Leila's Brothers, a wonderful recent cinematic beauty from Saeed Roustaee, did more than just that, because it delivers on various different levels. For an Iranian film it can be particularly lighthearted and funny - at times you could almost call it a comedy. Their are certain kinds of stupidity, and it seems that Leila's brothers have been blessed with all of them - it's always a lot of fun when a good director knows how far to play that angle without losing the audience and the grounded feeling of a serious dramatic film. There's also plenty of heartbreak to be had - but apart from this family's awful patriarch the finger is pointedly aimed at point-scoring, cynical politicians who let ordinary people around the world feel the brunt of their rash and ill-considered decisions. Once you've been screwed it's then demanded you sign a piece of paper which says you were quite happy to get screwed - don't sign and you'll be punished even further. Do the little guys ever win anyway? Are they allowed to? From Leila's perspective it's hard to say, because her family doesn't seem to be able to pull in the same direction - therefore they go nowhere, and are subject to the caprices of the rich and powerful.

I loved this movie - all 164 minutes of it. Luckily, the pace and explosive narrative surprises are so engrossing that the considerable length isn't felt all that much - at least it wasn't for me personally. Leila's Brothers takes it's time to warm up, but the temperature keeps on rising until all is a raging fire and shockwaves are felt on levels that equate to how intimately we get to know the Jourablou family. Hooman Behmanesh's cinematography was fantastic, and rises a level during the wedding sequence which seems to aim for lofty heights - a very nice set piece which also proves to be a crux moment in this compelling story. The screenplay was very well balanced, and all of the younger actors were very well equipped for high farce and wry one-liners, rolling with the punches along with emotional highs and lows. Like seasons we drift in and out of different moods and tones as the film's narrative twists and turns - getting deeper underneath what at first we only see on a surface level. Shaping all of this is Iranian culture. Despite being the driving force behind the family, there's so much Leila can't actually do, being a woman in Iran. The bumbling force doing the actual work are her less savvy and more accident-prone brothers, who always act on the rather bad ideas they have instead. This goes for her father as well, but cultural factors should also always be considered in the way they shape behaviour.

Iran's distinct cinematic style and output has always impressed me a great deal, especially since the regime that rules the nation with an iron fist is so restrictive. Of course, Saeed Roustaee was sentenced to 6 months in jail - he and producer Javad Noruzbegi apparently screened the film without the government's approval. It almost seems like you can't really call yourself a real filmmaker in Iran until you've been thrown in jail on some flimsy pretext. Despite all of that, Leila's Brothers is a film that can really speak to all of us in what seems an uninhibited way, and once in tune with it's ebbs and flows I really connected to it's characters in a way that had me feeling I was a part of Leila's family. It's the kind of film I almost have to shake off like a particularly lucid dream and remind myself of who I am, just to distance myself from the heartache that lingers after it's finished. To me, that's a sign of an exceptional film, and although I haven't seen Saeed Roustaee's other films I hear that they're quite good - I'll have to check them out, and keep an eye out for what he does next. Taraneh Alidoosti's performance as Leila - with her long, sad, desperate and searching stare - was also another factor in this film's favour. She came to prominence in Iran after appearing in the lead role of Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman.

Overall it's a movie I don't want to say too much about, because anyone reading this who hasn't seen it should really get to experience each sudden shockwave as this family does - unexpectedly. You can really waver as to whether you love or hate some of the characters, and surely Esmail will test everyone's sympathy, despite what he has to endure during his lowest of low moments. It's a film about decisions - ones that are based on love, and how they often conflict to the point where choosing becomes an impossible, painful act of blind faith in that love. Of course, that doesn't mean the decision you make is the right one. It's a film about knowing who to trust, and striving for dignity in a vicious, money-oriented dog-eat-dog world where love isn't really worth a dime and worse - can cost you everything. It resonated with me on a deep and abiding level once it had all sunk in, and takes a little investment time-wise - but it's a wise investment. What's tragic is, if Leila had of been a man, she may have been listened to with more respect and seriousness. She has to fight twice as hard to be heard, even though she's the only wise and smart member of her entire family - and she has to fight with one hand tied behind her back. On the other hand, the so called patriarch is one in name only, and surely not spirit. Throughout, Leila's brothers must grope through life like lost sheep, blinded by a cruel world that holds out a little hope but offers a never-ending supply of grief and pain. It's a tale that in the end reaches deep down in ways only the best of films can.

4.5

[stillmellow]

Persona


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/Persona_Poster.jpg


They're will be spoilers here, so if you still need to see the movie, skip part this post.


There are many ways to interpret what happens here, and no way to truly know what in this movie is real, and what is either dreamed or imagined.


A drama with dream sequences? A vampire story? A single woman with two distinct personalities inside her?



Personally, i think most of it is real, except the visit from the husband. But as I mentioned in another post, this isn't a story mainly about the events, but about feelings, ideas, and personalities.


Elizabet is a selfish, vain person. She feels little, besides shame and the need for love and attention. But she's lost the ability to lie, especially to her estranged (but loving) son, and for her that means losing the ability to be herself.


Alma wears her heart on her sleeve, wanting to express herself, share, and connect with others. But there's hypocrisy within her. There's an inconsistency between who she believes she is, and what she actually does.


They are the proverbial unstoppable force and immovable object. The ending result is they both break. But not in a way that destroys them. Moreover, in a way that breaks them out of their respective mental traps, so they may continue to be human.


Elizabeth is forced to concede that she has deep feelings of shame and inadequacy. Despite what she tells herself, she loves her son, and hates hurting him. But it's not a love she can healthily share, at least not now. Because she loathes her child just as much as she cares for him. She doesn't need him in her life, and the sight of him fills her with disgust.


Alma concedes that a part of her is dark and angry. She tells men that she loves them, but doesn't mean it the same way they do. Despite her claims to want motherhood, she recoils from it. She wants things to be ideal and perfect, and feels like a fool when she inevitably discovers the rottenness inside everything, including herself. She tried so hard at the end to regain that purity, dressing like a nurse again. But it's in vain. She screams and beats everything around her. Elizabeth stares back, blankly.


One of the best small touches is near the end, when Alma looks in the mirror at herself. She remembers her and Elizabet standing side by side, looking at their reflections together, and despite everything that's happened, Alma smiles.


This has been a positive experience for both of them. Mutual growth. Alma returns to nursing and Elizabet starts making movies. They've looked inside each other and found themselves. Despite Elizabet's predatory nature, they've mutually fed on each other, simultaneously.


They make up a story where Alma got Elizabet to talk at the hospital (saying "nothing"). They tell themselves, and presumably everyone else, that's what happened. The nurse helped the actress get better. That's the way it works in the movies. That shall be their mutual fiction.


The truth is a messy explosion of threats, betrayal, violence, screaming, and a forceful tearing away of each other's personas.


And Alma smiled.



"A+"

[stillmellow]

A side note, I always wondered if Elizabet left that letter unsealed on purpose. There's something about her later reaction that seems insincere, and makes me wonder if she wanted Alma to break. Not out of malice, but to see her better, study her closer. Perhaps use her personality as her own.

This folds neatly into the 'Vampire theory', where Elizabet is feeding on Alma. Not just her blood, but her personality. Her very existence. But Alma isn't willing to go down without a fight. She exposes a part of Elizabet's true self in the process.

Also, I didn't even touch on Ingmar Bergman's brilliant shots and visuals, both powerful and subtle at the same time. Alma starting in white and Elizabet in black at the beach, only to switch colors after the discovery of the betrayal.

Alma talking, her head completely blocking Elizabet's head perfectly, but not her body. As if switching bodies.

The famous mirroring of faces, following the mirrored scenes.

Additional speculation: I think Fight Club got some of its inspiration from this film. Not only for its big twist, but also...ahem... the flash in the opening, connected to Tyler's job as a projectionist.

[stillmellow]

ONE more thing! (I can't seem to let this movie go.)


One piece of evidence that supports the "same person" theory is a line from the identical monologs from different perspectives scene.


When Alma talks about how disgusting Elizabet finds her son, she describes his face as swollen. That's the same way Alma described the young boy she had sex with at the beach.


If they're the same person, and their situations are identical, perhaps the pregnancy wasn't actually aborted, and failed as Alma described, about Elizabet.


Perhaps Elizabet/Alma can't stand to see her son because he's clearly the child of the young boy at the beach, and not her fiance/husband.


Again, all speculation, but I wanted to mention it.

[Torgo]

What makes the 'orgy description' lack merit is there was no point to the gross details. It wasn't artistic in any way, and it made the scene less realistic.I didn't mind that too much (and not because I was "into it," if you know what I mean). I like how it shows that Alma became very comfortable with telling Elisabet pretty much anything as well as how far she was willing to go to break down her walls.

[Takoma11]

The vivid description of the underage beach orgy is definitely the weakest part of the film. It feels like it was added simply to shock the audience.

What makes the 'orgy description' lack merit is there was no point to the gross details. It wasn't artistic in any way, and it made the scene less realistic.

I didn't mind that too much (and not because I was "into it," if you know what I mean). I like how it shows that Alma became very comfortable with telling Elisabet pretty much anything as well as how far she was willing to go to break down her walls.

I actually like the idea of sharing their histories, including those of intimacy. I also think it's interesting to think about the temptation of silence----the more Elisabet holds out, the more Alma shares. (Which also goes a bit into the vampire idea). As Alma tries to get Elisabet to open up, she reveals more and more of herself.

Where it fails for me is that this simply doesn't sound to me like the way that women talk about sex with one another. And, yes, you can say "Well maybe THESE particular women talk to each other in THIS particular way", and I guess I can't argue with that. But it struck me as inauthentic in a way that none of the other dialogue did.

The only way I can slightly see it working is if you perceive Alma as a manifestation of what Elisabet wants to be (or wishes she had been). I suppose in that case, the cheesy, porn-y nature of the description might fit.

It's a brief misfire in what otherwise is a very well-written film.

[Paul Tatara]

This is my favorite Bergman film. It's incredibly intense. I'm fascinated by the obscure prologue. It's a remarkably odd way to begin the film. I imagine only Bergman himself could fully grasp what he's getting at, but it certainly creates a mood!

[rauldc14]

Persona


https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/40f5a6765463123ca5ae52cec999c6c9b0c83d66/0_351_2628_1577/master/2628.jpg?width=465&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none

This is my third watch and I come away about the same as I did the previous two times. I can certainly see why a lot of people consider this Bergmans masterpiece. The acting by Anderson and Ullman is really good, it's super well directed, shot well, and looks amazing. But there's a missing component for me. I feel disconnected and uneducated with the film and that's on me. But I also don't feel like I need to know everything that is going on to appreciate it. It gives me a very similar feeling to how I feel about Lynch's Mulholland Drive. So yeah it's up there for me in terms of respectability but there's a lot that I need to understand for me to truly appreciate it and admire it the way I want to.

3.5

[Torgo]

Leila's Brothers - 4

This Iranian drama about the juicy business of fighting a deeply entrenched system proves that it ain't easy. In other words, watching this fight is akin to witnessing a train wreck in slow motion. In turn, the movie provides a revealing window into how American policy affects other countries. After all, you rarely hear about the rest of the story in the nightly news.

Plot summaries mentioning Leila's plan, scheme, etc., make it sound illicit, but the genius here is that her plan, in theory, is one parents would be proud of their children for attempting: make a legitimate investment that could be fruitful for them and their grandchildren. Unfortunately for her and her brothers, it requires putting her hand in the pocket of the preceding generation, which is so used to a certain level of prestige and privilege that it has no qualms with enacting a certain Goya painting to maintain it. The movie could have just shown Leila's "friendly conversations" with her parents to reveal their avarice and I would still consider this movie great, but credit goes to writer/director Roustayi for going further and revealing why they are mortgaging their progeny's future. Is being a family's patriarch a great honor? It sure seems like one, but there do not appear to be any residual benefits if you know what I mean. On top of that, the movie has the guts to present the recipients of Esmail's payment for this reward tallying it and the other wedding gifts like drug dealers would tally cash in a crack den. As for how the movie shows how Iran bears the brunt of America's decisions, I like how it does this in ways both obvious and subtle. The obvious ways speak for themselves, with the highlights of the latter being all the American icons in the family's home from professional wrestling on the TV to the Mickey Mouse balloons at the birthday party. While the family may genuinely love the WWE, I appreciate the reminders that they must live with America in every which way and whether they like it or not.

I have seen three Iranian movies now, with this one also proving that special effects, CGI, etc., as much as I love several movies relying on them, are still not necessary for a movie to be great. In other words, movies where the acting and writing do the heavy lifting like this one can thankfully still stand out. The cast is uniformly great, but I am on board with Poursamimi being awarded for his work as Esmail because if it isn't obvious, the character really got under my skin. Alidoosti's more subtle work as the heart of the movie also deserves to be singled out, and speaking of Leila, despite the lack of special effects, it's not like the movie is dull visually. I mention her while saying this because I won't soon forget the moment where the camera follows her through the house before stopping at her emotional breakdown. The scenes in the factory with its seemingly hundreds of angry workers and the extravagant wedding also contribute to making this movie a feast for the eyes.

As Reverend Horton Heat's song "Generation Why" humorously indicates, generation gap drama has and likely always will exist. Even so, this movie ably demonstrates that this does not mean it's passé. I don't think it's being outlandish, melodramatic, what have you by arguing that the young and middle aged can only thrive via fraud, such as by collecting deposits on nonexistent cars, or that a father would jeopardize his children's futures out of spite. Again, with this movie, I am three for three when it comes to enjoying movies from Iran, which makes me ashamed I have slept on the country's cinema for so long. Sadly, in a case of art imitating life with the Iranian government not only banning this movie, but also arresting Roustayi, it may only be worthwhile to explore its past at this point.

[cricket]

Leila's Brothers

https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/Large/public/images/pages/leilasbrothers-crop.jpeg?itok=Lgy2fTtC

Despite being a long term member here, I'm not into writing about movies, otherwise I could go on and on about this one. A blind watch, I knew nothing going in.

For me the best movies can at times be unbearable to watch, and I don't mean because of violence. This was that way and I didn't expect that. It balances entertainment, emotion, and intensity in a way that I kind of feel like it couldn't have all been intentional.

Spoilers

I didn't think the father was horrible. It was his money and he has every right to do what he wants with it. If he has to lie to get back what was stolen from him, I do not hold it against him. On the other hand, yes, he's foolish, but I don't always blame people for what they are. Sometimes those are the cards that are dealt, and his sons were dealt those same cards. Leila is not perfect either, although it's very interesting how she's the brains in a land where she can't really show it. The plan to take the coins from the box was a bad one. The siblings should not have tried to convince the father, they should have gone to the father's family and put an end to it that way. They may be poor, but they have strength with each other. The temptation is to say that 5 healthy siblings who are still in their prime years should be able to make a good life for themselves, but obviously we see that in Iran it's not so simple to do that without taking advantage of others. It was fascinating to see how things we may not notice in America can affect the people of Iran so greatly, but again, they have their own government to blame. As a side note, I thought for sure that the purchase of the shop space was a scam but it didn't turn out that way. Also, when they were counting the money at the wedding, it reminded me of the mobsters counting the money in the back room in Casino. Great performances, great everything, I loved every minute of it.

5

[rauldc14]

Anyone who has a link for this one?

[Citizen Rules]

Anyone who has a link for this one?I do and hopefully it works for you because I don't see Leila's Brothers streaming anywhere. Check you PM.

[rauldc14]

I do and hopefully it works for you because I don't see Leila's Brothers streaming anywhere. Check you PM.

It's works except if I pause. So I'll have to wait till I can see it through.

[SpelingError]

Btw, I messaged Phoenix with another link for the film. Hopefully, it works out for the rest of you.

[Citizen Rules]

Btw, I messaged Phoenix with another link for the film. Hopefully, it works out for the rest of you.Thanks Speling!

[ueno_station54]

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e66b0d49c7059da07084d3e1f0a7ba2ef10ff8db/0_0_5760_3456/master/5760.jpg?width=1900&dpr=2&s=none&crop=none
Leila's Brothers (Saeed Roustaee, 2022)

These kind of grounded dramas that lack a strong visual identity in a bid for "realism" have never been my bag so I wasn't terribly excited going in but luckily for me the subdued visuals is the only nitpick I can level at this because I loved everything else about it. I really love how the characters are written and performed, they're all sympathetic despite their flaws and their dynamic as a family is charming even though the relationship is strained and even with the less concretely developed characters like Parviz, Farhad and their mother you still get a strong idea of who they are. They're all in such a tough position and you can totally see where they're all coming from and there's never a clear answer on what the right path is for them because life sucks and its always complicated and set up against you if you're poor. It effortlessly pulls you into their plight and its always engaging and you don't feel that runtime for a second. On a side note I got to see people doing my job with zero safety measures in the opening scene and that was a trip. I never in a million years would have chosen to watch this voluntarily had I ever even come across it on my own and its so beautiful that there's so much cool shit to watch out there that you'll never even know. I could never lose my love and hope for art in a world like this.

[Torgo]

Okay, I have to bring this up since there's only one day left: "juicy business:" Iranian slang or subtitle mistranslation?
Yes, this is the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night.

[cricket]

Okay, I have to bring this up since there's only one day left: "juicy business:" Iranian slang or subtitle mistranslation?
Yes, this is the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night.

I don't know, but to me it's not a totally common but also not uncommon way of speaking.

[rauldc14]

I'm an hour in. I might be ok with the link thanks guys.

[MovieGal]

104542
Lelia's Brothers
(2022)

Lelia, the only daughter to a Iranian family, struggles to help her parents and her four irresponsible adult brothers, who are down on their luck, from losing their homeandlivelihood. One brother lost his job due to company layoff. Another brother, who is married with several children, works cleaning a restroom in a store front area. Another, who has a bright idea with his roommate, in regards to a scam to fraud money and the youngest, a taxi driver.

Lelia struggles to make ends meet, while caring for her elderly parents. She encourages her brothers to start their own business, which, the idea is planted in their head but never fully comes to bloom.

The patriarch of the family dies and Lelia's father is chosen to oversee the clan. As patriarch,, one of the duties is to grant the family of the groom, a large amount to assist with the cover of the wedding. Lelia struggles with the decision of her father granting 40 gold coins. She feels the family must keep them to keep her family from losing everything. There is a lot of bickering among the brothers, her father and mother, and her over the decision. The outcome, overall, is not a positive one. In the end, things fall apart.

I thought this was a very good film. One I had never heard of before but was nice to experience.

[Citizen Rules]

Okay, I have to bring this up since there's only one day left: "juicy business:" Iranian slang or subtitle mistranslation?
Yes, this is the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night.Bad translation in the subs I'm guessing. I see stuff like that all the time in English subs on foreign language films.

[stillmellow]

I do and hopefully it works for you because I don't see Leila's Brothers streaming anywhere. Check you PM.


Could you send me the link too?

[MovieGal]

Could you send me the link too?

I got ya!

[stillmellow]

I got ya!


Thank you! And to Cricket too!


OOF! That was not an easy watch. And some of the themes hit a bit close to home.


Great performances, and an interesting look at modern day Iran, both its culture and the economic problems its going through. An interesting recurring theme is the failure of the patriarchy to provide and protect common people, both at the level of government and family. And it's interesting that a female character has to step up and look out for their family, even though it goes against traditional customs, because the patriarch refuses to do anything for anyone besides themselves.


It's a tough watch though. 160 minutes of setting familial resentment is a bit much for me.


Regardless, it's definitely a 👍.

[rauldc14]

Glad to hear that. I'm very interested in watching Leila's Brothers as it will give a window into Iranian life and I doubt I'll ever visit there and even if I did I'd be a tourist and not be privy to the day to day life of someone who lived there.

We've had like 3 or 4 other Iranian films in HoFs, most did really well. I'm not sure I can remember the titles but I remember Raul nominated one, SpelingError did one or maybe two noms and there were others. A Saparation won the 5th HoF.

Yep, I nominated About Elly and I think it did pretty well too.

[rauldc14]

Leila's Brothers

https://idsb.tmgrup.com.tr/ly/uploads/images/2023/08/21/288366.png

I'm a pretty big fan of Iranian cinema, even though I really haven't seen a whole lot. This is another pretty good one from Iran, I like how it took the time to develop it's story and it's characters and I thought the film looked real good. It was a tad on the lengthy side but there really weren't too many lulls and it kept me interested the whole time. I wouldn't put it on a level of say a Farhadi movie but it's something that was certainly worth watching.

3+

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mubicdn.net%2Fimages%2Ffilm%2F339533%2Fcache-789807-1654672996%2Fimage-w1280.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=98ba986d18d1cb28c4bf3cf34e8ae038f85dd2a0dddc88ef85e8b2ba0b41d480&ipo=images
Lelia's Brothers (2022)

I liked this and it should figure well on my ballot. Of course we have a lot of great noms in this HoF. Lelia's Brothers is a film I felt I got a lot out of as it engaged me, made me feel and made me ponder...and a lot of films just don't do that for me.

I appreciated the direct and frank look at a family of 'dumb asses'. As we were watching the movie last night my wife remarked that they were sure a 'bunch of dumb asses'. She did like the movie and I did too of course, but geez I wanted to ring the old man's neck, probably even more than Lelia did! I'd be curious as to how other people reacted to the the family especially, the old man, Leila and Alireza the brother who was against taking of the gold coins.

I was surprised at how honestly this film looked at poverty and the family dynamics that come from being poor. Leila summed it well when she said that the adult children had been taught 'what to think' but needed to have been taught 'how to think'. So damn true.

[Citizen Rules]

Leila's Brothers (Saeed Roustaee, 2022)
...On a side note I got to see people doing my job with zero safety measures in the opening scene and that was a trip...Tell us more about that, do you work in a steel production factory like in the movie? That looked scary and dangerous to me.


Leila's Brothers
I didn't think the father was horrible. It was his money and he has every right to do what he wants with it. If he has to lie to get back what was stolen from him, I do not hold it against him. On the other hand, yes, he's foolish, but I don't always blame people for what they are. Sometimes those are the cards that are dealt, and his sons were dealt those same cards. Leila is not perfect either, although it's very interesting how she's the brains in a land where she can't really show it. The plan to take the coins from the box was a bad one.


Glad you said that. I did find the old man foolish and I found Leila to be the 'hero/brains' of the family but it was wrong for her and her three brothers to steal the coins that belonged to their father. I wonder how many believe what she did with the coins was wrong?


Leila's Brothers
...On top of that, the movie has the guts to present the recipients of Esmail's payment for this reward tallying it and the other wedding gifts like drug dealers would tally cash in a crack den.... That's what went through my head when I seen how the wedding was being used to generate profit for some greedy individuals which in turn seems to be the theme of the movie. What makes it all the more tragic is, the old man is foolish enough to give 40 gold coins as a wedding gift after being named patriarch. Reminds me of the old saying, 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.'

[MovieGal]

One of my issues with the film, is that you have grown ass adult children, who should be taking care of their elderly parents, instead of the parents taking care of their children.

I understand in this culture, the family unit stays together but come on! grow the hell up and take responsibility for yourself!

The mother was just as irresponsible as the children. Very little respect was given as well.

[ueno_station54]

Tell us more about that, do you work in a steel production factory like in the movie? That looked scary and dangerous to me.
yeah that's specifically a slitter line and tube mill, which is the exact department i work in. basically taking coils of flat rolled steel, cutting it into narrow strips then folding those strips into tubes. the job Alireza is doing in that scene we have a laser guided gun for instead of doing it by hand and even before we had that guys at least had helmets and a chair.

[Citizen Rules]

yeah that's specifically a slitter line and tube mill, which is the exact department i work in. basically taking coils of flat rolled steel, cutting it into narrow strips then folding those strips into tubes. the job Alireza is doing in that scene we have a laser guided gun for instead of doing it by hand and even before we had that guys at least had helmets and a chair.Wow, I never had thought about the manufacture of steel tubes until I seen the movie last night. Is that dangerous? Cause it looked dangerous to me.

[ueno_station54]

Wow, I never had thought about the manufacture of steel tubes until I seen the movie last night. Is that dangerous? Cause it looked dangerous to me.
i mean yeah every piece of equipment will crush you or rip you to shreds but if you follow all the safe operating procedures you'll generally be ok.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Apologies to all. I'll be late with my review of Leila's Brothers. I'm traveling and am just about two-thirds of the way through. But I'm finding it deeply absorbing and I tremble to think how it's going to end.

Also ... I've been able to already catch Rocco and His Brothers, and these two make excellent bookends. Was it a coordinated set of suggestions or serendipity?

[John W Constantine]

Next movie?

[Citizen Rules]

Next movie?That's a good question:p

[John W Constantine]

That's a good question:p
Say wha?

[Citizen Rules]

Say wha?:eek:
I'll post it on my next work break. Soon, very soon.

[Citizen Rules]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=104605
The movie for week 4 is:

Rocco and his Brothers (1960)
Director: Luchino Visconti

Due date to watch/review: Jan 30th


@MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538) @jiraffejustin (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=76459) @John W Constantine (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109412) @PHOENIX74 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080)
@rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @Torgo (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334) @Takoma11 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735) @ueno_station54 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569) @stillmellow (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=124844) @cricket (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=68505) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @TheManBehindTheCurtain


*Keep an eye on the 1st post, that's were the review links and info are.

[Citizen Rules]

Looks to be a good pairing with Leila's Brothers. I haven't seen Rocco and his Brothers (1960) but I'm looking forward to it, I generally like mid 20th century Italian films. I have a link for the movie if anyone needs it.

[John W Constantine]

Rocco and his Brothers (1960, Visconti)

Similar to our previous entry in it's exploration of the family unit this was also pretty solid. Visconti is a sort of blind spot for me, I believe I seen The Leopard years ago but can't remember much about it outside of how nice it looked. This movie takes the time to examine the sons of the mother in multiple distinct sections. It brings the typical raw energy this era of filmmaking was known for, it kind of reminded me of Magnificent Ambersons a little bit,

[Citizen Rules]

Rocco and his Brothers (1960, Visconti)

Similar to our previous entry in it's exploration of the family unit this was also pretty solid. Visconti is a sort of blind spot for me, I believe I seen The Leopard years ago but can't remember much about it outside of how nice it looked. This movie takes the time to examine the sons of the mother in multiple distinct sections. It brings the typical raw energy this era of filmmaking was known for, it kind of reminded me of Magnificent Ambersons a little bit,Especially Italian film makers around that time had tons of energy and life happening in their films. Even if the story itself is downtrodden there's this life's vitality present in Italian film makers movies.

[John W Constantine]

Especially Italian film makers around that time had tons of energy and life happening in their films. Even if the story itself is downtrodden there's this life's vitality present in Italian film makers movies.

Very well said.

[rauldc14]

Rocco and His Brothers

https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/empire-tmdb/films/8422/images/48gG98GXvF7763qFVyrpQjKgx3V.jpg?ar=16%3A9&fit=crop&crop=top&auto=format&w=1440&q=80

This is a really well made film, even if it is a tad overdrawn. The acting is really good, particularly it should be no surprise that Delon is very good in his role. The film is shot real well and it looks very good. There was a lot of thought put into the shots and locations used in the film. It's a well directed film, the issue with me is that the story doesn't seem to really latch me in to caring for the fate of the characters. There's never really any rooting interest for me. Also the boxing scenes seem to take me out of enjoying the film for whatever reason. That being said, it's a film that I feel I appreciate more versus actually enjoying, which seems to be on me more as a film watcher than on the actual quality of the film itself. I can't disagree with anybody who really enjoys it, it just seems like it isn't fully catered to my tastes however. You can certainly see the influence that the film had in future directors as well.

3+

[cricket]

Rocco and His Brothers

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a2c265680bd5eaa0cd33a41/4b8ba9a8-c3a1-4160-8b50-423cc1025a7d/c08b60624fad1a95a65fc12a70ca19f0-2-760x570.jpg

I had seen this once a few years back, and although I remembered thinking very highly of it, I could barely remember anything in the film. The one part of the film I remembered going in, which seems strange, is the family arriving at their new location at the beginning. I think it's strange because of all the memorable scenes that come later, and everything else was practically like the first time watching.

Filmed in Milan, awesome. I honeymooned in Italy and I love it. I thought it funny, given the current and ongoing issues around immigration to the U.S., that some people in Milan would view visitors from a different part of their own country as no good immigrants. It seems that no matter how big a person's world is, outsiders can be viewed as a threat of some kind. I've seen it when I've traveled only a few miles away. Not great, but it seems very common.

For a good hour or so, I was enjoying the movie but I wondered what I had loved about it before. Oh yea, here we go, realism meets dark melodrama. There are some scenes that must've been pretty controversial at the time. There is plenty of impactful intensity. I sort of wonder why the film is called Rocco and His Brothers, why Rocco? I really hated his character, even though he obviously isn't the worst. He barely says a peep until it's time to defend the indefensible, and it's rather annoying. I suppose it comes from blind love of family and I'm sure that's a thing. It was just frustrating. Had he been a great and memorable character, this could have been a 10/10.

4.5

[Torgo]

Rocco and his Brothers - 4

This is another definitive entry in the subgenre of not so smooth transitions from country to city life. This also applies to the subgenre within this one of industrialization's impact on a country's identity; see Playtime, Cinema Paradiso, etc. I namedrop these movies, but after watching this one, a quote came to mind from a very different source, The Simpsons: "money doesn’t change people, it just helps them be who they really are." This movie succeeds in showing how this also applies to opportunities, i.e. the ones in Milan as opposed to those in the Parondis' hometown. Could gambler, palooka and all-around bully Simone be labeled as the villain? Sure, but if the Parondis did not have to relocate, he might have never met a woman like Nadia, a means to squander his earnings or had a reason to attack Rocco. As for him, could he achieve success as a boxing champion back home? Not likely, but he would not have had to. As the brother who most sincerely loves his family and their past life, each of his knockouts made me feel genuinely sorry for him. His fame and fortune may mend fractures the big move opened, but they also bring him farther away from his true self. Not every opportunity in the big city leads to a life like Simone's or Rocco's, which this movie is smart enough to point out. Ciro, for example, finds honest work and true love, even though it's an opportunity that will make his rural hometown less rural in the long run. It even goes so far to point out an exception to this rule. While a boxer can box in small and large towns, I doubt that the mother could sway many residents of her new larger and more complicated city with her old time religion. Watching her rationalize what transpires during the tragic climax made it all the more tragic, not to mention sad.

There are times when it is necessary to close up shop and migrate to a larger and/or completely different location. While the Parondis' experience is exceptionally tragic, the movie proves that regardless of the outcome, little, if anything, remains the same ever again. Whether due to a combination of the original cut being even longer or some footage being lost, there are times when it's as if the relationships between some characters are deeper than what the movie shows or implies. Even if the latter is the main explanation, I still had to rely on headcanon more than I would have liked. It remains an example of why the 1960's were such a great time for Italian cinema and as good a place as any to start as any with Visconti. Oh, and it also provides many opportunities to geek out over what influenced his biggest fans like Coppola and Scorsese.

[Torgo]

I sort of wonder why the film is called Rocco and His Brothers, why Rocco? I really hated his character, even though he obviously isn't the worst. He barely says a peep until it's time to defend the indefensible, and it's rather annoying. I suppose it comes from blind love of family and I'm sure that's a thing. It was just frustrating. Had he been a great and memorable character, this could have been a 10/10. That's interesting because I can't imagine disliking him that much. I see Rocco as sweet, innocent and the heart of the family. He is likely a mama's boy as well. It's an apt choice to make him take up boxing since violence seems to totally go against his nature.

If I didn't like anything about him, it's that he is perhaps too sweet and innocent, like in a contrived way. Sorry if this offends anyone, but it would be interesting to know if the book the movie is based on describes him as mentally deficient because he sort of reminds me of Forrest Gump.

[John W Constantine]

You never know what you're gonna get.

[cricket]

That's interesting because I can't imagine disliking him that much. I see Rocco as sweet, innocent and the heart of the family. He is likely a mama's boy as well. It's an apt choice to make him take up boxing since violence seems to totally go against his nature.

I didn't dislike him as a person, I just didn't care for him as a character because he didn't add much to the film for me. That is of course until he decided to make a bad situation worse which bothered me quite a bit. I do think the message was that he put his family/brothers above anything else, but I don't think it was justifiable.

If I didn't like anything about him, it's that he is perhaps too sweet and innocent, like in a contrived way. Sorry if this offends anyone, but it would be interesting to know if the book the movie is based on describes him as mentally deficient because he sort of reminds me of Forrest Gump.

This makes sense to me.

[jiraffejustin]

Leila's Brothers

Well that stressed me the f*ck out. Great film with fantastic performances by all the major players. The brothers were archetypes of different types of losers, but they didn't really feel one dimensional, except for the meathead, but I like my meatheads one-dimensional. I think this film would probably hit even a little harder if I was more familiar with Iranian customs. I like that this film also lets its "good guys" do things that can be challenging to my own sensibilities. I would never double-cross my dad like that on purpose, but I can only imagine that being my own father, not the father in this film. There is a very strong argument that Leila's scheme was immoral, but it comes down to a philosophical question of whether or not it's okay to do that if it benefits the family more than that benefited the father. But whether or not you agree with her actions, that doesn't diminish her character or the story. I don't need my good guys in white hats only doing the noblest of deeds. I don't know if I would want to spend a minute longer with this family, but I think I would miss them every time I was away from them.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.justwatch.com%2Fimages%2Fbackdrop%2F207035155%2Fs480%2Frocco-and-his-brothers%2Frocco-and-his-brothers&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=4f0317241ae715a4d6fd9ffdfa186db4f838897c54b3afa17f7d431de5479763&ipo=images
Rocco and his Brothers (1960)
Dir. Luchino Visconti


Never fall for a hooker, unless it's Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Here both Simone and Rocco fall for working girl Nadia and end up making a mess of their lives, not to mention poor Nadia who gets the worst part of the ill fated love triangle. For my money Ciro was the only brother who had his head screwed on straight well maybe the little kid brother too.

Rocco and his Brothers is about a poor immigrant family that moves from southern rural Italy, northward to the city of Milan. At first they're strangers in a strange land, but soon they start acclimatizing to city life and in the process the family is toren apart. At least that's what I think the director was commenting on.

To me the unspoken back story is that the family is dysfunctional, always was, and it was the move to the big city that gave wings to their vices. Simone's vices are easy to see with his gambling, whoring, womanizing, stealing and smoking way too much. Rocco's vice is in having no back bone, he's the classic enabler. Had Rocco fought back harder Nadia might not have been raped, or if he had went to the police afterwards Simone would've been in jail and not able to kill Nadia. But little Rocco is such an enabler that he even throws away the woman he loves just to make big brother happy, which of course ends up triggering even more problems for the three.

General musings:
I thought it was interesting that characters in the movie chastise Simone for smoking too much, you just don't see that in 1960s movies.

There was sure a lot of litter around Milan especially in the field where the Alpha Romero factory workers took their work breaks at.

The cathedral roof top was a beautiful location but I'm surprised people were allowed up there as the roof really sloped.

Finally the mother needs to cut back on the espresso!

Good movie.

[rauldc14]

Ha I died with that first sentence Citizen. Well done!

[Takoma11]

I'm really behind everyone, sorry! (Still working my way through Leila's Brothers!).

Here is what I wrote about Rocco and His Brothers when I first watched it a few years ago. I plan to rewatch it since it has been more than a year, and I'll write up another (shorter!) reflection afterwards.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.flickreel.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F06%2FRocco-and-His-Brothers-Review-2048x1453.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Rocco and His Brothers, 1960

Under the watchful eye of their mother, Rosario (Katina Paxinou), the five Perondi brothers adapt to their new life in the city, having relocated from a more rural town after the death of their father. The main conflict of the film centers on Simone (Renato Salvatori) and Rocco (Alain Delon), who both fall in love with Nadia (Annie Giradot) to disastrous results.

For me, this film was a fascinating study in humanity, and specifically masculinity, with Rocco and Simone functioning as two extremes on the spectrum and Nadia serving as the vehicle for the expression of their personalities. Both brothers exist at a point approaching morbidity, and in their own way they do damage to those around them, especially Nadia.

Simone, with his brazen "lad" personality (he steals, and then tries to charm his way out of it), is probably what most people think of when they think of a destructive masculine character. Simone has the opportunity to pursue a boxing career, but he soon neglects his training, opting instead for smoking, drinking, and chasing Nadia. When things don't go right for Simone, his instinct is to blame and lash out at others. He takes no shame in bullying and dominating others, even if he has to take the cowardly approach of getting a gang of men to give him a total advantage. Simone, especially in the second half of the film, stalks through the scenes like a dangerous beast. It's his unpredictability that makes him so horrible, and the worse things get the more desperate he becomes.

But this film isn't just about an angry, bullying drunk who abuses others. It's also about Rocco, who in his own way does just as much damage. On the surface, Rocco is the "nice one". Ever self-sacrificing, Rocco is kind and has a gentleness that is very much at odds with Simone. Rocco constantly covers for his brother. He takes a job as a boxer, despite not even liking the sport all that much, because it helps to provide for the family. Two years after Simone and Nadia break up, he begins a relationship with her, and she understandably falls in love with him. With Delon's almost impossible good looks, Rocco, who one character calls "a saint", seems like the perfect man.

And yet.

There is a dark side to Rocco's "saintliness", a point where it trips over into something dark. In the beginning, Rocco's way of helping his brother already has unfortunate signs of enabling. Rather than help Simone, Rocco's interventions only allow his brother to continue his actions and become even bolder. There are two harrowing sequences in the film that involve Nadia. In one of those sequences, Simone gathers a group of men from his boxing circle and while his friends restrain Rocco, Simone pulls down a screaming Nadia and rapes her. While this is horrible and upsetting, the real kick in the gut comes later, when Rocco's take on the whole thing is that Nadia should go back to Simone, because his RAPE OF NADIA clearly shows that his feelings are really hurt and he must really love her. It's the soft-spoken language of empathy hiding a sentiment that is truly hideous. Rocco's reaction to a sequence that happens later in the film is similarly horrific, tucked behind the appearance of loyalty and understanding.

A trap that the film capably avoids is turning Nadia into a mere prize to be fought over by the brothers. Giradot's performance is incredibly emotional and shrewd. At times, Nadia makes decisions that on the face of it seem counter-intuitive. After Simone's attack on her and Rocco, Nadia goes back to Simone, but the contempt (for him and a bit for herself) bubbles and roils underneath the surface. She drinks to much, numbing herself to the way it has all gone wrong. In many moments, Nadia articulates the twisted and unhealthy relationship between the brothers. She is both witness and victim to their sick dynamic, and as other characters disparage her for being a prostitute, or blame her for "cursing" Simone, she can only laugh bitterly. She knows that there will be no justice for her, and so she must settle for taking a front-row seat to Simone's self-destruction.

The dark horse of the film, in terms of the drama, is the younger brother, Ciro (Max Cartier). Ciro watches the behavior of both of his brothers and realize that he must carve a different path for himself. Ciro is not willing to engage in the brutish behavior that defines Simone's actions, but nor is he willing to turn his back on brutal, cruel behavior in the name of sibling loyalty as Rocco does. Ironically, despite both Rocco and Simone professing love for Nadia, it is Ciro alone who in any way does what is right by her. Ciro's innocent, loving relationship with his fiance stands in stark contrast to the way that Nadia is treated by both Rocco and Simone. There is an older brother, Vincenzo (Spyros Fokas) of whom we see very little, but his stable life with his wife and child also stands in contrast to the actions of the middle brothers. With the family's father dead and gone, there is a vacuum for paternal authority. It is Vincenzo and Ciro who most embody any kind of benevolent authority.

Powerful stuff, with really beautiful black and white photography.

4.5

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/KjdYPPdK/rocco-and-his-brothers.jpg

Rocco and His Brothers (Rocco e i suoi fratelli) - 1960

Directed by Luchino Visconti

Written by Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa, Enrico Medioli & Luchino Visconti

Starring Alain Delon, Renato Salvatori, Annie Girardot, Katina Paxinou, Roger Hanin & Spiros Focás

A move from the country to the city has long stood for a loss of innocence in literature and film - urban decay, ruthless industrialization and rootless anonymity immediately come to mind when we see visions of cold, grey concrete and artless tenements. In Luchino Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers it's the Parondi family who are making the journey from their rural home to the city of Milan - the father of Rocco (Alain Delon), Simone (Renato Salvatori), Ciro (Max Cartier), Luca (Rocco Vidolazzi) and Vincenzo (Spiros Focás) having died, leaving their mother, Rosaria Parondi (Katina Paxinou) a widow. Vincenzo is already there, engaged to be married to Ginetta (Claudia Cardinale - in one of her early film roles), but the Parondi's are spurned by his fiance's family and have to take up residence in a squalid basement. The outgoing tearaway of the group, Simone, takes up boxing and falls in love with prostitute Nadia (Annie Girardot), and in the process begins to steal, drink and otherwise cause trouble for himself. When Rocco follows suit, both in profession and later, during his military service, choice of lover, it creates a rift that has flow-on effects which threaten to tear the very fabric of the close-knit family apart, and it's this most generous and magnanimous of the Parondi brothers who decides he must give his all to save Simone and the bond his brothers share.

Rocco and his Brothers is a heavy, serious film - never miserable, and never really joyous and full of wonder, but measured and thorough in it's examination of familial bonds and how they can be slowly fractured and worn down by both the failures and the successes of a family's individual members. To do this it separates itself into individual segments labeled with each brother's name, giving us a chance to see the whole situation from each different point of view. Rocco and Simone fight - quite literally, as they both take up a career in boxing with differing degrees of success. They are the yin and yang of this family, and really dominate the film as a whole - so much so that I wouldn't have thought twice if the movie had of been called Rocco, and his Brother Simone, although Nadia does have a major role to play in the drama, and if anything is a tragic victim of the dynamics at play here. From what I've seen of his work so far, Luchino Visconti is one for a particularly serious and searching drama without any messing around or idle play. He doesn't soak the screen in melodrama or excess, but studies his way through and helps us to see a bigger picture that has more wisdom behind it than grandiosity or the heartrending magic of neorealism.

Most films that had Alain Delon featuring in them benefited from his presence, and this one is no exception. I don't know what kind of lightweight division he was boxing in - I could never quite see him as such a fighter (that handsome face!) - but he does have the aura of success about him that his character needed, not to mention a sense of misguided nobility and sense of purpose in protecting his brother. He reflects pain quite well, but is even surpassed in this respect by Renato Salvatori, whose anguish and torment burns up the screen and creates all kinds of angst for the audience whenever his character is doing something terrible (to every single person who has the misfortune to know him.) I thought Annie Girardot was also quite good as Nadia - the street-smart, experienced one when the boys first arrive in town who can't, however, avoid becoming a victim of circumstance after meeting Rocco after a stint in jail and actually falling for him. I hate to use the phrase "collateral damage" when talking about a person, but she does seem to take the brunt of what turns out to be the worst kind of sibling rivalry. Both Girardot and Katina Paxinou get a chance to show the audience their character's intense emotional pain.

Visually we get to experience a lot of real texture by being on location and seeing so much happen in the streets and on the sidewalks of Milan - with scenes on bridges, in parks and on the move as the entire Parondi family moves house in a manner that directly reminds us of refugees on the move during wartime. They carry their belongings on a cart and trundle as a tightknit lot along their way as regular city dwellers sigh and basically look upon them as foreigners. I love a film that makes good use of locations and doesn't stick to moribund studios - no matter how detailed set decorators try to lull us into a sense of reality. The film's score is one to seriously listen to at high volume while reclining with your eyes closed - sans movie. It's something exceptional from Nino Rota, and very worthy of the term "operatic", with it's range and vibrant, melodic delightfulness. Yes, there are moments or two where I think it's just about to segue into the Godfather theme - it very nearly gets there at times - but I thought it was one of the finest technical aspects to the film and a big winner for me personally. It gives the movie a grand, larger than life atmosphere to soak in and a sense of how operatic and tragic the story will become.

In the screenplay, much is made of the Parondi's move from their rustic country home in Italy's south to Milan, and the brothers often find themselves talking wistfully of going back one day - it's almost as if they're talking about their already lost youth - and desire to have that back. In fact the film ends with such a conversation - in the family's desperate attempts to escape poverty and build a more fruitful kind of existence during Italy's "economic miracle" - the boom of 1958 to 1963 - they've left something behind that all the brothers yearn for. It's as if a Faustian bargain has been struck, with the search for the financial benefits of their new location being paid for with the disintegration of the family. I thought it was interesting that Ciro both holds out hope that the youngest of the clan, Luca, will both be able to go back home one day and live a better life, but also tells him that by that time thier home town itself will have changed - transformed by a changing world that will benefit the next generation. I must admit I was surprised by that note of optimism, but it was interesting to see this tragedy as not indicative of a general degradation of society but instead a kind of by-product of a evolving, advancing world - even if it's changing for the better. There are casualties when migration occurs - winners and losers always.

One last point of interest before I finish - I was also fascinated by being presented with a saintly character - Rocco - who does a great disservice to his brother Simone and his family by trying to martyr himself for his benefit. If Simone accrues ridiculously-sized debts, Rocco will put aside 10 years of his life to pay them off. If Simone loves Nadia, Rocco will insist Simone have her - despite how Nadia and Rocco feel about each other, or even Nadia's own wellbeing. If Simone is in big trouble with the law, Rocco will hide him and won't judge him. Of course, all this does is encourage and allow Simone to fall deeper and deeper into the dark pit he's already lost in. It doesn't matter if Simone spits on Rocco or even hates him. It's what we popularly refer to nowadays as "enabling", and it's what a lot of parents do for their kids - despite the fact that it's a recipe for much worse trouble down the road. Rocco's sense of brotherhood and family becomes a tightly-defined principle that knows no bounds and can withstand any personal injury. Rocco and Simone are mirror images of each other - a success and a failure who both seem completely cut adrift from what we feel regarding the other brothers - wellness and contentment with their new lot in life. There's no going back home for them.

I liked Rocco and His Brothers - I didn't necessarily like the way many of the characters in it behaved, or the way Nadia managed to draw the short straw in a society and time more in favour of what a man might make a woman submit to. Simone was a particularly ugly, brutish man that I hated a great deal - he had just about every bad trait a human being can have, and it was by that route that I lost any and all favourable feelings I had for Rocco when he put family above all else - even common decency and morality. The film feels very weighty and heavy - anybody who watches any mainstream drama or popular, contemporary films would find a great deal of contrast when comparing them to Rocco and His Brothers, where every scene feels like it could be analysed and talked about - these people are short on small talk for the most part, and the emotional intensity of all their interactions added together gives the movie a depth that makes it as weighty as it is. You get your money's worth with a Visconti film - he made them with a great deal of careful forethought and an enormous amount of purpose. Fascinating to see how he'd evolved when it came time for Italy's newfound economic power and the way it was changing the world as he saw it.

4

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Leila's Brothers (2022)
Director/Writer: Saeed Roustayi
Cast: Taraneh Alidoosti, Navid Mohammadzadeh, Saeed Poursamimi

4.5

104721

In the opening montage we’re introduced to the three opposing cultural conversations that underlie this intensely emotional drama of a modern-day Iranian family in crisis.

Alireza Jourablou (Navid Mohammadzadeh) is being chased out of the factory where he’s been working the past year. The laborers haven’t been paid but the corrupt owners say they will be “soon.” He scrambles desperately to escape the chaos as rioting breaks out around him.

Meanwhile, his father Esmail (Saeed Poursamimi) is attending a gathering of male members of the expansive Jourablou clan, where the naming of a new family patriarch is at stake. Though he professes to be unworthy, you can see he ardently wants it. But his advances are rebuffed, and he is shut out of the meeting.

And then there’s Leila Jourablou (Taraneh Alidoosti), who is undergoing medical treatment for what appears to be back pain. As the entire family gathers again at home, we see Leila is clearly the one who speaks forcefully during a confrontation with Esmail over the naming of a grandson. The family meeting is boisterous; the recriminations fly.

It is Leila’s income that supports the family. Like out-of-work Alireza, her other brothers have little to contribute: one with a large family works for tips at a restroom in a shopping mall, another dabbles in questionable business deals, and yet another appears to have little motivation to do anything besides body building.

But Leila proposes an idea to lift them out of poverty. They should take advantage of an opportunity to buy a shop space in that mall so her brothers can finally have meaningful jobs. All the siblings combined can’t begin to scrape together enough money for the purchase. Then they learn their father has 40 gold coins that he intends to provide as a gift at a Jourablou family wedding, which will be what it takes to thrust him into the role of clan patriarch. Or … it would be enough to secure the shop.

The ensuing family conflagration can be seen as three windows into current day Iran. Father Esmail is fully and deeply devoted to tradition and to taking his deserved role of respect atop the male-dominated hierarchy of his clan. Leila steadfastly pushes her brothers to break free and to take control of their future. And stuck in the middle is brother Alireza, who, though he is clearly the most responsible and even-headed of the brothers, would rather just let things ride, hoping that if they wait long enough things will somehow work out.

Writer/Director Saeed Roustayi does a masterful job of eavesdropping on this family in crisis. It has a documentary feel, with claustrophobic settings in the family home, offices, and meeting places. The camera is always perfectly positioned to catch each character’s expression, revealing – indeed betraying – the emotions that are writhing inside them. As the family’s plight spins ever more out of control, the pacing is nearly flawless, except for a final reveal that feels as if it comes out of nowhere.

The acting is uniformly authentic and calibrated to the individual roles. In particular, Poursamimi is remarkable as the father who cares more for status within his clan than he does for his children’s future, willing to ignore signs he’s being taken advantage of to gain broader respect. His stares of rejection, his tone of contempt, make us feel like the documentarian’s camera is fixed on a real person rather than an actor. Likewise, Mohammadzadeh is completely convincing as the facilitating son who tries futilely to balance respect and love for his father with some sense of duty to his sister and brothers.

But it is Alidoosti as Leila who is the beating heart of both the family and the movie. In her first meeting with Alireza, as she pleads with him to step up and help convince the family to buy the shop, the desperation in her voice tears at you. She is 40, unmarried, in pain, and has nothing to look forward to in life if she can’t convince him to spur his unambitious brothers to step up. As events unravel around her, you viscerally feel her growing sense of weariness and outrage.

It is gut-wrenching to see how distrust, deceit, manipulation, and betrayal – aggravated by external political and economic forces – tears the family apart as they grapple with their alternatives: to stick with tradition, break free, or do just enough to get by and hope for the best. Those of us fortunate enough to live in comfortable circumstances in a stable environment might be tempted to think it’s easy to decide which is “right.”

But we are not, as the Jourablou family is, laboring under the weight of poverty, of centuries-old cultural traditions, of endemic corruption, of bureaucratic ineptness, and of external forces that they’ve not been equipped to fully appreciate until they crash down upon them. When Alireza apologizes to Leila for his weakness, her response illuminates the predicament of an entire underclass: “You were taught what to think and not how to think.” Instead of wondering why everyone was not agreeing on the ”right” path, shouldn’t we instead be wondering: What have they done to deserve this fate, forced to choose in order to simply lead a decent life?

Do not look to Leila, or her brothers, for answers as to who is to blame – or whether indeed anyone is to blame. In the final and jarringly beautiful scene of simultaneous joy and sadness, the camera spins around from Alireza to Leila. Her expression … is it relief, wonder, comprehension, sorrow? Is it all those? Or nothing? It will linger with you long after the screen goes dark.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Finally back from my trip and getting caught up. It's been very hard to resist the temptation the check everyone else's reviews before I post my own. Looking forward to getting caught up on my reading.

[Citizen Rules]

Finally back from my trip and getting caught up. It's been very hard to resist the temptation the check everyone else's reviews before I post my own. Looking forward to getting caught up on my reading.
Welcome back! Hope you had a good trip. I also usually avoid reading the member's reviews until after I've seen the movie, then it's fun to compare notes and see what other's thought.

[ueno_station54]

https://filmfanatic.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Rocco-Girardot-Silvatori.png
Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960)

Holy moly this is a complicated film to discuss so I'll mention the easy stuff first to get it out of the way. Obviously it looks great, even when its not trying to be too stylish the camerawork is always so steady, assured and precise its honestly kind of a marvel and even deep in the city Italy always looks gorgeous on film. Acting is usually not something that really stands out to me (don't get me wrong everyone here gets the job done) but Annie Girardot is so charismatic and powerful as Nadia, I really really loved her in this, to the point it may have made the later events in the film a little too hard to swallow.

So yeah, this was a tough film to enjoy and like, I'm not a critic, I just go by how much I enjoyed what I was watching and this film got to be outright infuriating to me as it went on. Both Simone and Rocco are so unlikeable and the things they do in this movie are so heinous I couldn't believe it. But there's the rub, I'm supposed to be upset with them, the film even overtly condemns them with Ciro's monologue at the end but for me I don't know if its enough. To use some wrestling terminology, these characters are supposed to have heat obviously but for me they crossed the line into having X-Pac heat, where I just wanted to turn the tv off. I can't say it isn't an effective film, if anything it's too effective. Like, am I supposed to be mad when the film is over? Was that the intention? Is that a good thing? I honestly probably would have loved this to death if it was the same story but with Nadia as the central character, as devastating of a film that would be, but that would have also been the easy way. Even in acknowledging that I got worked there's still some things that leave a sour taste here though, like as much as Ciro's aforementioned monologue condemns Rocco and Simone, it also kind of lets them off the hook, trying to put blame in other places blaming the city life and access to vice for Simone's actions and the double-edged sword of Rocco's good nature and loyalty being blamed for his cowardice. It also seems to put equal or more weight on "gosh, isn't it a shame what happened to this family?" compared to the horrific series of events we just witnessed Nadia go through. These things feel bad, but I don't know if they actually are. Like realistically, of course Ciro is going to try to explain away what happened to his beloved brothers and of course the movie is going to centre Simone and Rocco's perspective, its about them.

Complicated film that I had a very bad time with, for better or for worse. I'm so glad I didn't put popcorn ratings on my previous reviews because I still have no idea what to do with this.

[Torgo]

Rocco and his Brothers (1960, Visconti)

Similar to our previous entry in it's exploration of the family unit this was also pretty solid. Visconti is a sort of blind spot for me, I believe I seen The Leopard years ago but can't remember much about it outside of how nice it looked. This movie takes the time to examine the sons of the mother in multiple distinct sections. It brings the typical raw energy this era of filmmaking was known for, it kind of reminded me of Magnificent Ambersons a little bit,Good call, it reminded me of this too, as well as Cinema Paradiso. You could also sort of sum up Rocco with "if it weren't for industrialization, or better yet, the car, none of this would have happened."

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
Director: Luchino Visconti
Key Cast: Alain Delon, Renato Salvatori, Annie Girardot

3.5

104758

The Parondi family arrives at the Milan train station late at night. It is chilly, and in the long shot of them walking away you notice their modest clothes, the scant belongings they have brought with them. They’re refugees, heading into the darkness, an uncertain future.

It’s Rocco (Alain Delon), his mother, and three brothers. They’d hoped to stay with Rocco’s fourth brother, Vincenzo (Spiros Focás), but they’re turned away by the family of his girlfriend Ginetta (a young Claudia Cardinale). This early, acrimonious encounter introduces the cultural milieu into which the Parondi family is cast. They’re poor farmers from the south. They’ve come north to the proverbial “big city” after the death of the father. It’s their mother’s dream to take advantage of the post-war opportunities for a better life. They find an unheated apartment and, in the morning, there’s work possibly to be had shoveling the newly fallen snow.

This is not the Milan of the Duomo, of warm coffee shops and art galleries. Director Luchino Visconti sets much of this gritty, post-war drama in dank, darkened apartments, crowded shops, boisterous bars, and boxing rings.

Each brother has a chapter in the family saga. As they try to find their path forward, each represents a differing viewpoint on the future of post-war Italian society. Vincenzo has already emotionally detached himself from the family, setting his sights on a comfortable life with Ginetta. Simone (Renato Salvatori) is the boozing, womanizing layabout. Ciro (Max Cartier) is the eager, hardworking one, determined to take part in the new economy. Young Luca (Rocco Vidolazzi) is the observer, trying to make sense of where his place will be. And Rocco is the center around which all that happens to the family will revolve.

It’s Simone and Rocco’s relationship that defines the story, proceeding from jealousy to tragedy. As the weight of the brothers’ predicament descends on the family, the various views of how to proceed into the future emerge.

Listen carefully in particular to the mother’s desires. She felt oppressed and worn down by their hardscrabble farming existence. But that’s her dream, not Rocco’s. He wants only to return to the land, away from city chaos, away from the change that is transforming the new Italy. He’ll sacrifice everything, even his own future, to cling to that ideal and keep his family, even the lost cause Simone, together. Ciro in contrast embraces change, going to school, getting a job at the burgeoning Alfa Romeo plant and making plans to marry.

As we leave the brothers behind, Luca hears out both Rocco and Ciro and he comes to understand them both. He walks off into the bright sunshine, perhaps embracing Ciro’s vision but reminded of Rocco’s burden.

Rocco and His Brothers is at times the proverbial hard watch. Especially for a scene of brutality and rape, but also for the agonizing split between the brothers. We despise Simone’s behavior, and cannot understand Rocco’s. But that’s the intention. Visconti has not set out to tell a pretty story destined for a definitive and happy ending. He’s using the travails of the Parondi family to give Italian viewers a vision of their future, a future where they can find success if only they can discard idealized visions of the past.

In Nino Rota’s musical score you can hear precursors of his masterful compositions for another epic about an Italian family a dozen years hence. But unfortunately that tempts comparisons that illuminate some failings. In the second Godfather film, think back to that scene where young Vito joins his friend for a play. Remember how stagey and exaggerated the acting was? Unfortunately, I often felt the same sense of distraction watching Salvatori’s Simone and Delon’s Rocco.

Salvatori in particular just doesn’t have the gravitas and chops needed to inhabit the thuglike Simone. And Delon, in this early starring role, shows only a hint of the iconic cool he’ll come to typify a few years later in Le Samourai. Their showy and overplayed flourishes often took me out of the moment and reminded me I was watching a movie. But then there was Annie Girardot as Nadia, who by turns is vivacious, then sympathetic, then sarcastically bitter; it is the standout performance of the film.

The themes of Rocco and His Brothers are very much a part of their time, and we can’t expect to sympathize with every character’s actions. But I feel it would have had a deep, emotional, and revelatory impact for Italian audiences of the early 1960s. Today, we can appreciate the thematic elements but are left wishing it could have been maybe just a bit more concise and just a bit more authentically acted.

[MovieGal]

104760
Rocco And His Brothers
(1960)

I'm not going to mimic what everyone else has said about this film.

It's a story about a family of brothers and their widowed mother. Each brother has his own story, however the film mainly focuses on brothers, Simone and Rocco, both with their love of boxing and the same woman, Nadia, and the turmoil they endure of brotherly love.

I thought the film played out really well. I enjoyed the boxing aspect as I enjoy sports films, with The Fighter and Cinderella Man are my two favorite. At some point in the film, it seemed that perhaps Simone may have suffered a trauma due to the boxing. Rocco seemed to be the martyr for Simone's faults.

I have known many Italian families in my life and this mother was very reminiscent of what I have experienced. Also, with the boxing, I was waiting for the Mob to be involved and I feel at some point in the film, they were.

There were many words I heard that I already knew.

Thank you edarsenal for nominating this film.

[rauldc14]

Next one?

[Citizen Rules]

The Movie for Week 5 is:

104775
GoldenEye (1995)
Director: Martin Campbell

Due date to watch/review: Feb 7th


@MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538) @jiraffejustin (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=76459) @John W Constantine (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109412) @PHOENIX74 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=112080)
@rauldc14 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=60169) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @Torgo (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=109334) @Takoma11 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=107735) @ueno_station54 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=111569) @stillmellow (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=124844) @cricket (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=68505) @edarsenal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=50536) @TheManBehindTheCurtain


*Keep an eye on the 1st post, that's were the review links and info are.

[Citizen Rules]

Looking forward to revisiting Golden Eye. About a year ago I watched and/or rewatched all the Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Bronson James Bond films...I've been meaning to complete the set with bookend watchings of Sean Connery and Daniel Craig Bond films. One of these days I'll get back to that. Right now I'm still watching nothing but 1990s films for the countdown and of course these HoF noms.

[MovieGal]

Looking forward to revisiting Golden Eye. About a year ago I watched and/or rewatched all the Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Bronson James Bond films...I've been meaning to complete the set with bookend watchings of Sean Connery and Daniel Craig Bond films. One of these days I'll get back to that. Right now I'm still watching nothing but 1990s films for the countdown and of course these HoF noms.

We will see if it changes my opinion about Daniel Craig, if you know what I mean.

[John W Constantine]

Hooray.

[MovieGal]

104782
Goldeneye
(1995)

Another adventure of Britain's Special Agent 007 James Bond.

This time he goes up against one of Russian's murderess Xenia Onatopp, who works for the Janus crime syndicate. They are using a space-based weapon, a satellite named Goldeneye to take down the world's financial institutions.

Nine years earlier, on a mission, James Bond and another MI 6 agent, Trevelyan, were on a mission that went wrong and Bond thought Trevelyan was killed in action.

Trevelyan now works with the Janus syndicate, which he felt betrayed by his country. James is again tasked with taking down the bad guys and saving the world.

I really liked the cast, Pierce Brosnan as Bond, Sean Bean as Trevelyan, Fameka Jensen as Onatopp as well as Judi Dench, Alan Cummings and Robbie Coltrane in their roles.

Bond films are full of action, which are the type of films I enjoy. Some of the scenes are a bit unreal such as diving into an unmanned plane, that is heading straight down. But this is part of the cinematic experience, to keep us entertained.

It's known that my favorite Bond is Daniel Craig as his were the first ones I have experienced. Pierce did a good job playing the character as well. After all, he was our favorite spy, Remington Steele. I just think that sometimes the Bond films are a bit overly manly.

[gbgoodies]

I think Pierce Brosnan was one of the best actors to play James Bond, but unfortunately he was given some of the worst Bond movies.

GoldenEye is the exception to that because it is one of the best Bond movies. It's packed with action, excitement, suspense, and even a touch of humor. I love the scenes with Bond and Natalya, especially the scene on the beach where we see a different side of Bond.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdOnuo6ogFU

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

GoldenEye (1995)
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Judi Dench

3

104823

Sometimes you encounter a cinematic masterpiece, a transcendent achievement destined to take its place with Citizen Kane and Vertigo. Enlivened by impeccably nuanced performances leaving you devasted and emotionally drained. Laden with subtext that lays bare the trials and tribulations of the common person. Rippling with wit and intelligence in every line of dialog.

Hold on. Oops. Oh no! Wrong movie. (Sound of old-fashioned video tape player rewinding.)

GoldenEye. Yes, that’s it. GoldenEye.

So, let’s relax. It’s time to have some fun.

I first saw GoldenEye a few years after it came out. Opening scene of the black-clad man bungee jumping off the edge of the dam. There he is: the new (then) 007, the handsomest James Bond to date, Pierce Brosnan (not that this matters to me a lot personally). I’m hooked. Settle in for some adventure.

Bond is there to meet Eddard Stark, I mean Alex Trevelyan, aka 006 (Sean Bean), his chum from MI6. It’s 1986, and Bond and Trevelyan are tasked with destroying a Soviet chemical weapons plant run by one Colonel Arkady Ourumov (Gottfried John). Things go askew. Bond destroys the plant and escapes, but unlucky Trevelyan is captured and executed by Ourumov.

Cue the credits. The classic, cool James Bond theme. The splashy credit crawl. Hmm … you know a big star like Bean won’t have only a few minutes of screen time. Confirmed. There he is, featured early in the credits. OK, no spoiler there. The big question begins: When will he pop back up? Hero or villain?

Since this is number 17 in a distinguished line of spy thrillers with a tried and true formula, a detailed plot synopsis is hardly relevant. Still … let’s jump ahead nine years. The Soviet Union is no more. Bond briefly crosses paths with the latest sexy villain, Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen). He then gets new marching orders from M (Judy Dench): a global crime syndicate called Janus is bent on some as yet unidentified dastardly deed. They just nuked Severnaya, a sketchy Siberian space research lab. Well, not nuked. It was a satellite-launched EMP that covered the tracks for a massacre of the personnel. Go find out what Janus is up to and put a stop to it. Any way you can.

First stop: the mandatory visit with Q for outfitting. There’s always a car, which you know you’ll get to see in action later. This one is a classy Stinger missile-equipped BMW (Huh? Not Aston Martin?) Among the other loot: a belt buckle with a repelling cord and an exploding pen (three clicks armed, three clicks disarmed).

In the ensuing globe hopping, Bond hooks up (sorry, I’m not so good with puns) with a survivor from Severnaya, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), a programmer with inside knowledge on how to disarm the weapon. We learn the fate of poor Trevelyan (yup, the baddest of the Janus bad guys). The trail leads to a final confrontation in Cuba, where the evil plans are finally laid bare and Bond and Simonova team up to foil a global financial nuking and make sure the perps meet their just and fiery (or frozen) end.

On my most recent rewatch, I remembered the excitement of that bungee-jumping beginning. But after that … it turned out it hadn’t left a lasting impression, and I remembered only dribs and drabs. And alas: more drabs than dribs.

Having a predictable pattern for the Bond films means devotees will not care what I say. They love it all: Bond’s serial trysts. Cheesy double entendres (Onatopp? Really? Well, at least it wasn’t Pussy Galore.) Careening car chases, fisticuffs, daring jumps to safety (convenient to have that repelling cord in your belt buckle). Knick-of-time escapes and stunts that are consciously meant to be outrageous … and fun. If you’re a Bond aficionado content to go with the flow, this will do.

But if not, you will be distracted by questions. Like: When the train speeds away, how does Bond get ahead of it in the tank? How does Bond and Simonova get the BMW, and why only cruise a few minutes and not try out one of those nifty Stingers? (One speculates that the BMW on-screen time had to be extended to justify the sponsorship.) And … Bond’s usually very clever in his scheming, so couldn’t they come up with something more convincing than henchman Boris picking up the wrong pen? (Though Brosnan’s worried glances as he tried to count Boris’s manic clicking was grin-inducing.) I'll stop there.

Brosnan is fine as 007, just the right amount of dashing demeanor, charming smiles, and smirks when delivering a double entendre. The rest of the cast: OK too. But I would have watched Judy Dench as M a lot more. She was firm, scary, delightful. Also, I feel bad for Famke Janssen, whose sex scenes were, to me, not remotely funny but off-putting.

Yes, I know. I’m being petty. It was good. Not great. I enjoyed it. Mostly.

But here’s the thing. As a kid watching Sean Connery as Bond on Saturday Night at the Movies, I just wasn’t impressed. I’m sure I missed the double entendres. But villains like Oddjob just struck me as silly, and Connery seemed more like he was on vacation than trying to act. I’m sure I caught some of the Roger Moore outings, but nothing memorable. Brosnan brought me back to giving Bond a spin, and his outings were OK entertainment and I haven’t missed one since. Daniel Craig? Yeah, now he’s Bond.

Who should be next? I’d vote for Gal Gadot, and especially Anya Taylor-Joy. And don’t even try to convince me otherwise. All the arguments why a woman can’t be Bond would, to me, be all the reasons why a woman should.

[Citizen Rules]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.moviewebimages.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F06%2FPierce-Brosnan-in-a-tank-as-James-Bond-in-GoldenEye.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=51b944856a0bbafc99a36469aadeb7c9e3045e397cc65da8065cd836c440f71f&ipo=imagesGoldenEye (1995)

Like James Bond would do, I'm cutting right to the chase...

Favorite character: Judy Dench as 'M'. Dench gave the movie needed weight and seriousness. It's too easy for any of the various Bond films to venture into overly light entertainment, but Judy Dench as the hard-as-nails M kept the film grounded.

Favorite chase scene: The tank, that's why I used that image. So cool watching Bond plow through the streets of Saint Petersburgh, bashing through buildings and running over cars with what looked like a real army tank. I have no idea what the film makers actually used but to me it was real. So kudos for one of the best chase scenes in a Bond film.

Favorite Bond girl: Izabella Scorupco as Natalya. I liked her character and she did a very believable (to my ears) Russian accent. I bought her as her character and that says a lot. She's not my favorite Bond girl of all time but a good actress and a plus for the movie.

Favorite shooting location: Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico...need I say more! That was such a stunning real world location to shoot at, loved the vertical height which gave the film a three dimensional effect.

Favorite scene: As always it's inside of 'Q's work shop. I always enjoy the banter from Q (Desmond Llewelyn) and the various Bonds. Love the way Q scolds Bond for being basically a reckless big kid with some very dangerous toys...that helps to define Bond and make him more fun than lethal, which to me is a plus.

[ueno_station54]

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Goldeneye (Martin Campbell, 1995)

A few years back I binged all the Bond movies over the course of about two weeks and at that time I considered Goldeneye to be my least favourite of the bunch but the funny thing is that in seeing it nominated for this HoF I couldn't recall what I hated so much about it at the time. I figured that burnout probably played a hefty part in my past opinion of the film so I went in optimistic that a fresh watch in a more favourable context would make it easier to appreciate and it did, to an extent. This was certainly a more enjoyable viewing experience but instead of outright disliking it I was just a bit underwhelmed and its probably still my least favourite of Brosnan's run. There's definitely some fun bits in there, the bungee jump, some of the tank stuff, Xenia's death is kind of clever and the finale is well done even if its a bit lowkey but unfortunately none of these moments really add up to their respective scenes actually being thrilling, its mostly just a couple cool shots in otherwise mild sequences. None of it is bad it just doesn't have enough oomph. Like I'm telling myself some of this stuff is cool instead of actually feeling it. Another thing is just that Brosnan doesn't have it yet. He dials it in after this film but he's just not charming at all here but I don't necessarily think its his fault as much as the script which doesn't allow for much genuine character building or chemistry between the characters. Wishful thinking, I know, but I think some romantic tension between James and Alec would have added so much here. This makes it sound worse than it is, I did have a perfectly fine afternoon with this movie it just doesn't reach my heart. Oh another random note, there's a couple scenes where the music sounds like they hired Rick Wakeman to make porn music and that made me giggle and there's still some novelty in seeing the scenes and locations that inspired the far more iconic Goldeneye N64 game. Even though it still didn't do a ton for me its always nice to revisit something and enjoy it more that before.

[edarsenal]

Hello, everyone. I haven't been about, but I AM up to date with the last three films Goldeneye, my nom; Rocco, and Leila's Brothers of viewings and will be posting reviews for all of them.
Having Rocco follow Leila in regard to similar story concepts of poverty and family adds something the the engagement I felt with both. Followed by a fun popcorn-chomping pallet cleanser.

[Citizen Rules]

If anyone wants to know what the next movie ever is, just give a shout out. It's Sunday today so maybe some of you have free time and want to get to the next movie, if so let me know.

[MovieGal]

If anyone wants to know what the next movie ever is, just give a shout out. It's Sunday today so maybe some of you have free time and want to get to the next movie, if so let me know.

Send it my way. I will try to get it done soon.

[Citizen Rules]

Send it my way. I will try to get it done soon.Sure thing.

[PHOENIX74]

https://i.postimg.cc/Ghz1xyPH/goldeneye.jpg

Goldeneye - 1995

Directed by Martin Campbell

Written Jeffrey Caine & Bruce Feirstein

Starring Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker, Robbie Coltrane, Tchéky Karyo, Gottfried John, Alan Cumming, Judi Dench & Minnie Driver

In the long and storied history of the James Bond film franchise, Goldeneye happens to have been an important and really crucial entry. For me personally, it's a touchstone to look back on and measure what went before and what came after. I really started to get into the whole phenomenon around about 1987, when Timothy Dalton had taken over the role and the series was celebrating it's 25th Anniversary (Dr. No having been released in 1962.) I still have a book I bought at the time - "The Official James Bond 007 Movie Book - Special 25th Anniversary Edition". To me, back then, 25 years was a mountain of time comparable to Everest and the likes of Dr. No and From Russia With Love very old cinematic relics from the far past. The series was well established, had gone through many permutations, and was just entering a new era with a new leading man in the starring role. Two years later, when Licence to Kill came out, you could tell Albert R. Broccoli and co were desperately toying with the formula - giving it a harder edge, with more emphasis on violence, action and gritty present-day themes. The press, though, were starting to question if the series had any more life left in it - and there were talks of the financial, artistic and popular viability of a character who seemed to have outlived the era he was created for. The popular buzz that had existed just a couple of years previously seemed so muted, and what followed on the heels of Bond's 16th adventure were years of nothing...the kind of time that had never elapsed between Bond films before.

It has been 30 years since Goldeneye was released - more time than had passed between Dr. No and The Living Daylights, and that's an unusual fact for me to ponder. Goldeneye doesn't seem like a relic from the far past to me. Perhaps it does to kids these days. What stands out when you appreciate it is the effort that went into bringing a fresh perspective, general tone and some artistic inspiration as far as could be managed for a character and series that still had various parameters no one would dare alter or change. Of course, we again had the benefit of enjoying that sense of discovery we have whenever another new actor takes on the role of James Bond. Every new Bond actor has a honeymoon period, and with Pierce Brosnan, many fans had been wondering what his take on the character would be ever since word went around that he would have got the gig in 1987 if he hadn't of been contractually obligated to stick to his Remington Steele series. Brosnan seemed to have been doing the same, because he hit the ground running and really impressed by managing to perfectly balance suave sophistication with machismo and masculine energy. He looked the part, and even managed to do more with the role than it's one-dimensionality sometimes allows. He was a huge part of Goldeneye's success.

What gave the film some serious gravitas was the direct acknowledgement that the Soviet era had ended and that the cold war was over. The opening titles, which were designed by Daniel Kleinman (another newcomer to the series - Maurice Binder had died in 1991), show typical "Bond women" destroying classical Soviet statues and monuments, with various Soviet flags blown away by the winds of time. Instead of it being a drawback, the mysteries and unknowns regarding the new Russia and world situation are taken advantage of. Bad actors take advantage of old Soviet technology, Russian gangsters come out of the shadows, old foes become comrades and others take on more self-oriented master plans in Goldeneye, while M (now played by Judi Dench - inspired casting) longs for the "old days" when the cold war was in full swing. Bond has to prove to us his relevance, and is described as a misogynistic dinosaur - once again directly acknowledging and taking control of a critical narrative aimed towards the series and character. All of this was refreshing in 1995 - it meant that this was more than a cinematic facelift, and that perhaps the impetus of the character and series might change a little and offer us something different.

What better to bridge the old era with the new than having a prologue set in Soviet times, where Bond and Agent 006, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) are on a mission to blow up a Russian chemical weapons factory. Spectacular for it's day, this pre-credits action sequence feels a little quaint now in a world so obsessed with spectacle. There's a stunt where a rider jumps off a cliff on a bike (on his way to piloting a plane) and the famous one at the start where Bond bungee jumps off the precipice of a dam (the Contra Dam, in Switzerland). Audiences were wowed, and were similarly impressed by Bono and the Edge's song "Goldeneye", sung by Tina Turner. I'm a fan of most of the opening credits songs when it comes to the James Bond series, so me calling it good really doesn't mean much - but anyway, it's good. The Rolling Stones turned down an offer to perform it, and at one stage an Ace of Base song was in the offing as an alternative (a few lyrics changed and that song became "The Juvenile" - for those who want to listen to what could have been.) I personally feel that both song and performer were a perfect fit for this film, and that the music and singing are a savvy mix of old and new - appropriate for the film.

The plot devices and macguffins are in some ways classical Bond. Stolen military hardware, weaponized satellites, countdowns, lairs, exploding pens and laser watches. Bond's trip through Saint Petersburg in a tank however was original, and also new was the location work that was now possible with actual filming taking place in Saint Petersburg - the perfect place to have a T-55 crash and bash it's way through during a prolonged action sequence. There were some who felt a little let down by Éric Serra's score, which takes no cues from the title song and makes little use of the James Bond theme. In fact, during the aforementioned tank chase producers found it necessary to replace Serra's musical accompaniment with music provided by John Altman - such was the lack of thrill and excitement they felt it provided (and you can tell that there's a change of pace music-wise when you hear it.) I think it all depends on your point of view, because Serra's work is unobtrusive and supports what we're seeing while on the other hand it could be argued that the score for a Bond movie should announce itself and be at the forefront - remembered by those with even just a casual interest in such matters. It seems a replacement for John Barry had not yet found it's proper target. The end credits song "The Experience of Love" is also Éric Serra's work.

The most memorable character as far as I'm concerned was Xenia Onatopp - and that's chiefly down to Famke Janssen's marvellously evil, orgasmic performance. I've never seen a Bond villain who delighted with such a sadistic passion when it came to killing people - even if they were completely innocent. When it came to Tchéky Karyo - well, I didn't recognize him with a beard and Russian accent, so shame on me. Alan Cumming is a hoot (though he nearly overdoes it) as Russian computer programmer/hacker Boris Grishenko, and deserving of special praise is of course Robbie Coltrane, who was so fantastic as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky that his character would become a recurring one - appearing again in The World is Not Enough. Most successful from the point of view of carrying her role over was Judi Dench, who absolutely made the role of "M' her own despite not having as big a role here as she would in future Bond movies. A great collaboration when it comes to screenwriter and actress. Although appearing only very briefly, Minnie Driver is also a lot of fun as Zukovsky mistress and cabaret "singer" Irina.

Visually, the film impresses for the most part. Phil Méheux's cinematography and especially the work of special effects supervisor Derek Meddings (who would pass away shortly before the film was released) deserve praise, with the extensive amount of work done with miniatures proving that sometimes such work does more to trick the human eye than any amount of CGI can (that said, the first ever use of CGI in a Bond film was in Goldeneye - mostly for the gun barrel sequence, which received a long-overdue updating.) The climax of the film made use of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico (which has since collapsed) and looks fantastic, especially if you're afraid of heights like me. The Monte Carlo parts of the movie were shot on location in Monte Carlo, and as mentioned before the story also took film crews to Switzerland to film the dam sequence and Saint Petersburg. Everything else was filmed at "Leavesden Studios" (a refurbished Rolls Royce factory) in Hertfordshire, including shots used for the Saint Petersburg tank chase which I imagine would make life difficult for editor Terry Rawlings, although of course there are plenty of continuity errors that stick out once pointed out. For our viewing pleasure, they're probably best not sought out.

There's enough good (and inspired) work done on Goldeneye to make it an enjoyable James Bond film to watch, even 30 years since it's release after it has sailed into the distant past. I never, ever mind watching it and I once again enjoyed sitting back and experiencing that easy fun and entertainment - in fact, once it was on my schedule I looked forward to it. I look back on it as a Bond film that really saved the franchise - giving it enough life to stride on through to the mid-2000s and the extraordinary reboot the series underwent, achieving more success with Daniel Craig taking over as 007. It all came down to this one movie (Brosnan's next three dipped in quality as each came along) as Bond stepped into the post-Cold War period and an era where the character would face changing attitudes, popular culture mores, competing action/adventure movies, changes in the way we watch movies and the way we regard this British colonial icon who has somehow survived all of that. From jumping off a cliff on a helicopter into a plane and stopping it from crashing into a mountain up to fighting the mysterious leader of the Janus crime syndicate from the very last rung of a ladder above the Arecibo Observatory it's thrilling, but there's a deeper layer of narrative and performance-driven storytelling that lifts this into the upper tier of Bond films. It still left the series in a formulaic holding pattern (and didn't have the best score), but it breathed new life into the franchise and introduced yet another generation to that most everlasting of characters : 007.

3.5

[Torgo]

Goldeneye - 4

Pierce Brosnan's first James Bond movie, which is sadly the only one with him I would choose to re-watch, holds up very well despite its age. To be specific, I was afraid its use of the Internet would be embarrassing (see The Net), but it is surprisingly prophetic, not to mention adorable (see Sneakers and Hackers). The "space laser" is a plausible mega-weapon and Alan Cumming's Boris is not far off from how I picture a computer geek from the '90s or today. Where it is dated, but in a good way, is in the action scenes, which are tactile, visceral, light on CGI; in short, the opposite of how you imagine today's typical Hollywood action scene. The sequences where Bond bungee jumps from a dam, drops into an airplane and drives a tank through St. Petersburg gave me the same sensation I have while riding a roller coaster that I have missed in movies like this one. Other than that, this entry checks the boxes on the list of what I expect from a James Bond movie with a Sharpie, those being timely political intrigue, exotic locations, memorable Bond girls and an equally memorable villain. For the former, I love the dramatic fashion in which it addresses the end of the Cold War - the scene where Bond reunites with 006 with all the decaying Soviet statues proves that subtlety is not always a virtue - and it's always a joy to see Monaco on screen, even if it's just for a little while. As for the latter, with her beauty, strength and physicality, Janssen makes Onatopp a legendary Bond girl, and as charismatic and rich in screen presence Brosnan may be, Bean threatens to one-up him in both departments.

If anything keeps this entry in my second tier of Bond favorites instead of the top one, it's that it's a little cold, and I don't mean because it was filmed in Switzerland and Russia. All the scenes with any kind of character interaction have a rushed quality about them as if there was someone telling the editor to hurry in the same way that a coach tells their players to hurry during a water break. Did the producers fear that audiences would get bored? Did they have a time limit they had to meet? Whatever the reason, more breathing room during the non-action scenes would have been nice; after all, the cake is just as important as the icing, if you will. It remains a '90s action movie highlight - Bond or otherwise - and another feather in director Martin Campbell's cap, who despite his occasional stumble never seems to get enough credit for either his movie or TV work. Oh, and if I have to fault the movie for anything else, it's that I'll probably never fiddle around with a ballpoint pen ever again.

[cricket]

Anyone have a link for Goldeneye?

[Citizen Rules]

Anyone have a link for Goldeneye? I just sent it to you.

[cricket]

I just sent it to you.

Thank you

[PHOENIX74]

Favorite chase scene: The tank, that's why I used that image. So cool watching Bond plow through the streets of Saint Petersburgh, bashing through buildings and running over cars with what looked like a real army tank. I have no idea what the film makers actually used but to me it was real. So kudos for one of the best chase scenes in a Bond film.



Yes - the producers bought three Russian tanks, two T-54s and a T-55 which were the main tanks manufactured in the Soviet Union during the cold war. Everything you see onscreen (except for when the tank derails the train, which was done with miniatures) was done practically, with the real tanks. The three tanks they bought were modified to make them look like the more modern Russian T-70 models. Before starting on their work, the shipping agent transporting the tanks from Britain to Russia called the production team concerned - one of the tanks was still active, and able to fire projectiles! It had to be de-activated to be allowed through shipping procedures.

The shooting of the whole sequence took 5 weeks, and happened on the streets of Saint Petersburg and at the studio in Leavesden. Originally, the idea was for Bond to chase the villains on a motorbike - thank goodness they had this much brighter idea, because the iconic tank sequence is such a strong part of the movie. I think the tank sequence is the best chase scene as well, with so many standout moments (the initial bursting through the wall, the 1000s of Perrier cans on the truck, the statue which gets stuck atop the tank taking Tsar Nicholas on a ride) - the crushing of the cars is great, and testament to the power these armoured vehicles have.

Another great iconic moment? When Pierce Brosnan (Bond) adjusts his tie to exemplify just how calm, cool and collected this character is!

[cricket]

GoldenEye

https://canvas-lb.tubitv.com/opts/j9j1v1w3EnhdOw==/01ce063a-0fac-4536-87fb-bc68f6bf83d5/CIAPELgIOgUxLjEuNg==

I may have seen this before, not sure because I mix up a lot of Bond films. Historically I like the idea of Bond better than the films. I'm usually disappointed, but I will say that I very much enjoyed Goldfinger the last time I watched it. When I was younger I preferred the Roger Moore films, although I believe I'd see things differently now that my taste has changed.

I like Pierce Brosnan, Dante's Peak and The Thomas Crown Affair are good movies, but I'm not really into him as Bond. Sean Connery and Dan Craig have a little shlt to them, and I think Brosnan comes off as too nice. He makes the film feel a little bit lightweight. "Who's that? - The next girl". That was a good one! Bond girls were mediocre to me. Always love to see Judi Dench but not much of an impact. Cool seeing Joe Don Baker. I like the villain, forget his name, Jim Beam or whatever, seen him in a few things. I think he'd make a more interesting Bond than Pierce. Favorite scene was when the plane crash landed in the jungle, and the ending wasn't bad. Most of those crazy stunts just don't do much for me. I've never gotten into the Mission Impossible series, it's just not my taste. Regardless, it was well made and I was reasonably entertained.

3

[MovieGal]

cricket when I seen Sean Bean, I immediately wanted to watch Fellowship of the Ring. I like him in that.

I have only seen a handful of his films. I do remember he was in a BAD horror film.

Edit: I did not realize he's in a film called The Field, which was directed by Jim Sheridan. I love Jim Sheridan's Irish films.

[cricket]

cricket when I seen Sean Bean, I immediately wanted to watch Fellowship of the Ring. I like him in that.

I have only seen a handful of his films. I do remember he was in a BAD horror film.

Edit: I did not realize he's in a film called The Field, which was directed by Jim Sheridan. I love Jim Sheridan's Irish films.

Not sure which Lord of the Ring film that is, I've only seen the first and I don't remember it. I liked him a lot in Essex Boys.

[MovieGal]

Not sure which Lord of the Ring film that is, I've only seen the first and I don't remember it. I liked him a lot in Essex Boys.

Fellowship is the first LOTR film.

I have seen several of his films, looking through IMDB.

I'm sure you have seen a few Jim Sheridan films. My Left Foot is one.

[cricket]

Fellowship is the first LOTR film.

I have seen several of his films, looking through IMDB.

I'm sure you have seen a few Jim Sheridan films. My Left Foot is one.

Yep I've seen My Left Foot, pretty good.

[TheManBehindTheCurtain]

GoldenEye
I like Pierce Brosnan, Dante's Peak and The Thomas Crown Affair are good movies, but I'm not really into him as Bond.


I thought his Bond stuff was OK mindless entertainment and do like Dante and Thomas. He's been very active for many years now and seems to be choosing more quality, age-appropriate roles. That said, the most recent thing I saw him in was Fast Charlie (2023), a pretty good piece of mindless entertainment with some witty Elmore Leonard-esque dialog and plot devices. (It's also notable as the last performance by James Caan, and (minor spoiler) there's an appropriate toast to him toward the end.)

[edarsenal]

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Goldeneye (1995)

Coming out of Roger Moore's Bond era, the franchise's M.O. was topping itself with more spectacular amounts of everything that made a Bond movie. Including the opening credits, this time with Tina Turner to the snappy banter. And I fully agree, Connery and Craig, all the way. However, regarding lesser Bonds, Moore amuses me, and I had forgotten how well Bronson followed Moore with his brand of charm and wit. Not to mention how much popcorn-munching fun this one is. I'm thrilled to see Robbie Coltrane; I LOVE that guy.
It's hard to pick a favorite scene, but I think, befitting the franchise, I'll go with the most over-the-top that I chuckled with appreciation: climbing into the plummeting plane and flying off with it—typical Bond.

I cannot remember the last time I saw this, though I very much remember seeing it at the movies, so this was an excellent "Hey, remember this one?" So, YAY.

[John W Constantine]

GoldenEye (1995, Campbell)

I must say I've had a lovely evening.

It's interesting for me to be where I am at now and being able to watch a movie with new eyes so to speak. I remember watching this on vhs at my aunts house when I was a younger kid having really no knowledge of Bond to speak of. I don't think I knew Connery or Roger and sure didn't know Lazenby or Daulton. It's interesting to me watching something as a kid and being oblivious to things other than action or a beautiful woman. Having just finished this a few minutes ago and processing all the dialogue as well as appreciating the actions scenes, as well as model figures/sets without overuse of CGI was something to see. I appreciate the attempt to tell Bonds partnership with 006 as something more personal than previous installments. I have to say the relationship of Bond and the new M left me a little cold on my previous visit but their scenes particularly the scene with them unpacking their hang ups about the other and ultimately finding ground to put those differences aside was a welcomed realization this trip. My only real complaint would be it taking its time to get to the end but it at least fills it with plenty of good action and humor or at least humor for my taste.

[John W Constantine]

Next movie?