You know you guys are the first people ive ever heard say they did not like The Shawshank Redemption. Holden, Sedai, How come? Im intrigued...

Oh come now, I didn't say that. :nope:

I was up late last eve as well, so I know where your coming from though. ;)

_S

Shawshank Redemption was a good movie....wasnt barely a good movie. I dont make a list cause im always busy i'll try to make one i guess =/

Or, how about you can start a whole new thread and talk about Shawshank all you desire? Or are you too busy?

Sedai, im glad youve come to your senses....What were you thinking? ;)
I for one, love Shawshank. I know its a pretty common film for poeple to like, but i can understand why. Its a very good story told in a very good way. Morgan Freeman is legendary in that film, and his words are like gold. Although Robbins is a bit flat in it, i dont think this really matters as it just seems a part of Andy Dufrane. You cannot beat a good story, told in a great way, with an ending that warms you and makes you smile from ear to ear.

"I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope."

Na im not crazy about the movie. Im just saying you said it was barely a good movie. imdb 9.0/10.......(But you are entitled to your opinion) Yes iam too busy these days i got a job my working hours suck...

OH, well if the IMDb rates it highly, then it MUST be good. Why didn't you say so in the first place? I mean, what the heck was I thinking going against the cumulative votes of young internet geeks?


Thank you for that, kind sir. As long as my opinions don't contradict the mainstream, I will continue to have and voice them. Your parenthetical assurance has given me that strength.

i loved the film and the short story that it was based on..rita hayworth and the shawshank redemption...

shawshank doesnt deserve to be in a top 100. If you compare it to the vast amount of other prison movies that have been made it isnt close to living up to movies such as cool hand luke.
Hell, i even liked 'Life' better than Shawshank. I still think Tim Robbins best that year was The Hudsucker Proxy.

hehe, spoken like a true prodigy.

i missed out on the bottom posts and didnt see exactly how much ppl liked Shawshank and their reasons for liking it. If i hadnt seen Shawshank and read what Blob said about it i would prob avoid it for a very long time. what you said reminded exactly why i didnt like the movie. I think the term is... "painfully average".
boring over done story.
predictable.
sappy emotional techniques.
not the greatest of all acting.

i didnt hate the movie but its a movie you forget about in a few weeks.

well Imdb is what people think of a movie. Imdb tells me which movies are bad or good. i believe cause when i watch the movie it really was good. And the movies they say wasnt so good. I watch and they werent that good. But thats how i do it. And the people that reported me for expressing my opinion thanks alot

LordyLord, how long do we have to wait for a review, I am getting...... well.................http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/...ons/panic2.gif

I for one, loved Shawshank. One main reason is that it was one of the first movies that my dad and I watched together that we both liked. I can still remember sitting down on the couch and my dad flipping the channels when along came TBS with the words "And up next is The Shawshank Redemption." I've loved it ever since.

Yes it was a great movie but please John lets try not to get off the thread here. But thank you for your Opinion. and one more thing John would you put Shawshank Redemption on your top 100 list?

If you put it like that....$@*# YOU!!! If you don't put it like that..yes it would be some where down in the 90s. :D

i think i like the second choice better

WELL YOUR %#$* OPINION DOESN"T MATTER. Or does it? :D No bud, I'm just playing with ya like YOUR MOM was with me last night, TWICE!!! OHHHHHH!! No, I'm just kidding. Or am I? :D

To: You Know Who
From: Your favorite bud
Subject: You know what

I would first like to say "Thanks for the compliment. It was so nice." Second, YOUR MOM. :D That's called harmless teasing among teenagers but, your probably an old fart anyways so you would get that. Anyhoo, think before you act. It reflects you reputation and right now you look like the south end part of a north bound mule.

Signed,
Your loving, caring, and tickled friend
Matthew

I'll Take you Advice John :D

Quotational hilarity! :laugh: Love it Holden!

You know some people here at Movie Forums can't stand that I get the last word. ;D

Why clutter up Slay's review thread with this nonsensical argument?

'Cause nitwits is as nitwits does.

I'll second that... well... the first part anyway... :p

Slay?

I still have promised reviews for Mark that I have yet to finish...no time, no time. I need to get those done because I promised Yoda I'd write a review for Spider-Man 2 Monday.

I need to quit promising.

Thats ok, I just have been missing them. :D

You spoiled us, Brian, when you were pumping them out on what seemed like a daily basis. It was like getting the morning paper. Wake up, get the coffee, "Oh, I wonder what movie LordSlaytan reviewed today." It was a part of our morning routine. Then when you take away our "morning paper and coffee," we get irritable! :(

:yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup:

:yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup: :yup:

Wheres the Spider-Man 2 Review Slay? :)
I Would Like to Read it

Bri...are you planning on writing a review for Anchorman? I surely would like to read that one too.



Your dry spell is leaving us all dry.
We need our appetites wet again.

:D

Oh LordyLord, I miss your written word :bawling: :bawling: :bawling:

actually i do too..you have done a great job with those reviews...they are written well and are very descriptive...looking forward to more of them...hope it's soon

Do what I do and get grounded. Please do another review soon- I haven't been able to read any since The Passion of the Christ, and while I love reading your reviews- I prefer them when I've seen the movie and can understand what your talking about and since I was grounded I haven't been able to see a movie until last Saturday when I went and saw Spider-man 2. Besides the list of movies I have to see because you reviewed them is too long already. You should also write another one because while I was grounded I got on honor roll and I have no clue why thast a good reason but anything goes eh? And also because Caity Ani and neb said, so along with everybody else, but they're the voice of reason and persausion. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

"...I don’t think I walked away any dupister than I already am..." :up: Awesome!
I'm really enjoying reading these, Slay. You have a solid understanding of what makes films good, great, or just fun to watch... or NOT fun to watch. Nice work!

Yes, Slay!! Do more reviews!

I'm not going to fight about it, though you damn well better or I'll have to come over there.

how long has it been since slays last review

To long :bawling:

It needed to be said again. :yup: Another review would be nice, been quite dull 'round these parts of late. Any moment now and somebody might just review 'Land Before Time IIV'- please rescue us from that dismal (while laughable) fate.

For all of you who have been kind enough to read and comment on my reviews...I'm back.

Expect new reviews and new quizzes coming from me soon. I'll be going to screeners, so some reviews will be new films, but I also am looking forward to bringing you reviews of classics like Wild Strawberries, foriegn (to Americans) like, well, I guess Wild Strawberries, and indy films too.

I'm excited to get back to work for the site, you guys, and myself.

I wouldn't mind seeing some more Slay... Our tastes certainly differ but I'm always looking for something new to watch and have gotten several good ideas from your thread... Get your butt to work and quit slacking off! ;)

At Last http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/blob1.gif

missed those great reviews of yours...can't wait...

Hehe, can't wait. I'm giddy with joy. I might wet my pants. :)

A little tooooooo much info John :eek:

Even though I already told you on IMs, it's great to have you back! Start slaying!

I'm glad your back and reving up to start writing again. Your insight has been truely missed. :)

Great to have you back! Can't wait to read your reviews!

A Very Long Engagement
 

Un long dimanche de fiançailles
(A Very Long Engagement)

Ah, to fall in love. Who doesn’t wish to feel that most wonderful sensation that can make everything else seem so pale, yet so much brighter? I know the times that I have had the pleasure to experience love for myself, it made me feel like all was right in the world and that fairy tales could come true. Yet, reality often intervenes and reminds us all that life can, and often is, harsh and cruel. That is the basic element of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s newest modern classic A Very Long Engagement.

The amazingly talented and utterly lovely Audrey Tautou returns to the big screen once again paired with one of filmmaking’s brightest sons to bring us a beautiful tale of love, loss, and hope. Mathilde (Tautou) is a soft-spoken young woman who is fortunate enough to fall in love with the man who she will eventually marry when she is still a little girl. Crippled when very young with a case of polio, Mathilde is forced to the outer rim of children’s society, not only because she feels that she cannot fit in with the other children who love to run and play, but also because children are capable of remorseless cruelty. Then enters her love to be, Manech, who lulls her into a trust that she is not used to because of his sincere kindness. That kindness will forever change Mathilde’s life.

Eventually, France calls its sons to fight the German’s in a war where their very survival is in serious jeopardy. Manech has to fight, leaving Mathilde behind to fret and worry. Unknown to all, the German’s aren’t the only people that Manech needs to be afraid of. There are also the General’s from Frances own army that are quite capable of betrayal and heartlessness. Many a soldier out of pure terror, panic, and also idiotic recklessness, injure themselves in order to be let home. One of the more popular ways of self-disfigurement is to injure the hand used to aim and fire a weapon. At the beginning of the film, we are showed five such men who, each in their own way, mutilate their hands. Manech is one of them. Too bad for them that they ever flirted with such an idea, because they are all sentenced to die for their treasonous and cowardly acts by the General who is far removed from the front and is completely dispassionate about the soldier’s plights.

In time Mathilde receives a message from Manech’s superior officer who says Manech is missing and presumed dead. Due to revelations that I won’t convey, Mathilde soon rejects such a preposterous idea. Manech cannot be dead, because if he were, Mathilde would feel emptiness in her heart, but it is still whole. He yet lives, and she must find him. In a series of events and adventures that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud, we slowly fit pieces of a grand puzzle together that in the end will show us not only Manech’s story, but the story of the other four that were sentenced alongside him. The film does a good job telling many tales from different perspectives, but this is really only Mathilde’s story.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s style of direction and cinematography brings to life many different scopes of filmmaking. One minute we are shown the absolute horror of war, then within a matter of moments we are able to chuckle at something quaint and cute happening back where war is only a headline. It comes across as rather shocking when we are taken back to the front, because Jeunet is so capable making us forget that Manech is facing things that would bring us to our knees in our own sheltered lives as we watch the tenacity and ferocity of Mathilde as she navigates her way through the mystery; until we are reminded once again with blood and screaming.

What I like best about a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film is that he loves to tell his stories in colorful and imaginative ways that so many other popular directors’ are unable to achieve. Where one director abuses modern technological achievements and spams the field of vision with unnecessary and pretentious special effects, Jeunet just adds a touch; just to brighten the picture where it lacked before. He is a master of the canvass of film, where so many others are hacks. I love the way he respects, not only his work, but also the audience who admires him by not letting himself get carried away with graphics that often only cause distraction. That kind of painting, if you will, works so well with the stories he tells that it causes the film to almost appear dreamlike, as if even in its sadness, it is still a lovely thing to behold. I know of no other living director that can achieve the same beatific result.

All in all, this is a love story. But it is also a war movie. Yet somehow, it easily belies any easy description by being both at the same time, and also being neither. It will break your heart, and it will make you laugh. It may even cause you to pine for the type of love Mathilde and Manech share; because it is innocent and pure, until cruel life gets its muddy paws all over it. And even then, it is able to transcend the horror of it all, and go on, and on, and on.

Great review Bri… I'm definitely adding this to my list… :)

Thanks, Cait.

I heartily recommend this to everyone.

It upsets me that it received so little press considering the world-wide acclaim that Amélie had received and so easily deserved. It also upsets me that A Very Long Engagement was completely snubbed by the Academy this year. This film deserves many nominations; Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound Editing, and Best Actress as far as I’m concerned. I mean, C’mon! Finding Neverland, though sweet and well made, ain’t got nuttin’ on this.

Another great review Bri. This sounds like my kind of movie (moving)...and I love Audrey Tautou. I'll have to wait for it to come out on DVD though.


It's nice to see you inspired to write a review again Bri. Which makes me want to see this movie all the more. :)

Thanks, Annie.

Yeah, I’ve had trouble starting the first sentence for any review during the past couple of weeks, but I’m forcing myself to try this weekend. I’m writing one for Million Dollar Baby right now, and expect to finish reviews for Hotel Rwanda, The Aviator, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Ray, and Limbo before this weekend is over…or at least I hope so. :)

Thank you for your kindness and support. I know I can always count on you for that.

Million Dollar Baby
 

Million Dollar Baby

Million Dollar Baby tells the story of three unforgettable people. There’s Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), a grizzled veteran boxing trainer with a past full of regret and sorrow, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a 30-something-year-old waitress that dreams of escaping a life of unhappiness and monotony, and Eddie “Scrap” Dupris (Morgan Freeman), the boxer who was trained by Frankie back in the day, who also loves the man who became his best friend and boss. What first appears to be a straightforward boxing tale eventually becomes one of the best films I’ve seen to relate deep love and the sacrifices it can sometimes entail.

The story begins with Frankie losing management of the next contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Enter Maggie: a woman who desires to have Frankie train her because she knows he’s one of the best, and also because there’s just something about him that she likes. Unfortunately, Frankie wants nothing to do with her; she’s too old, too undisciplined, and she’s only ‘girly’ tough. Fortunately for Maggie, there’s Eddie to help change Frankie’s mind. As soon as Frankie accepts Maggie and begins to train her, he realizes how wrong he had been all along. When he kept refusing her in the past, he never knew her motivations. He never knew the desperation that Maggie lived with that forced her along this path. She confesses that without boxing, her life would degenerate to the point of hopeless oblivion. Frankie can relate.

As Maggie proves herself to be the Mike Tyson of women’s boxing, a bond slowly develops between her and Frankie. It is easy to tell that Frankie is beginning to love this sad sack of a girl, especially after he learns how she lives, and where she came from. There is a kinship that they share because, until they found each other, they were both utterly lost. Doesn’t quite sound like Rocky, does it? Well, it’s not. Boxing is really only a back-story about three lost souls that manage to achieve a semblance of grace and dignity, through hardship and hard work.

Clint Eastwood has directed a number of wonderful films. Lately, most of his films have turned towards bleaker things, but somewhere in the darkness there is usually light. Mystic River, for me anyway, was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had watching a film. Yet, there was a faint gleam of hope given to us at the end that at least some of the titular leads would be able to find some happiness again after they had lost so much. Million Dollar Baby doesn’t quite achieve that, but what it does achieve is much more poignant and utterly heart wrenching. I won’t go into detail about it, but assume that many puppies die along the way…it’s that sad.

There are so many things that are exceptional about this film, that I would have to write a review of an essay’s length in order to explain it all, so I’ll just keep it to a few points. One of the many things I liked about it is its slow pace as it wanders along developing the relationships between the three leads. There are conversations that seem to be utterly meaningless in nature, but go a long way in informing us who these people really are, and what their life’s stories had taught them. Another thing that is wonderful are some of the ‘lesser’ characters introduced throughout the film. In particular, I enjoyed the presence of Brian O'Byrne as the Priest who tries to help Frankie with his regrets, but becomes so exasperated by him that all he can do is swear. The cinematography by Tom Stern is so subtle that it is easy to overlook as the work of a master, because it actually mimics real life. There are shadows and lights and everything in between, but nothing is where it doesn’t belong. Not many films even attempt such realism, which makes my respect for it reach even greater heights.

Other than the amazing performances by everyone in the film, what makes this film so extraordinary is the deep question it asks; is human sacrifice built from love more important than societies, or your own, ideas of morality. I won’t go into detail about how the film develops, and certainly not the ending (I might have said too much already), but I will say this: Million Dollar Baby achieves something that many films have attempted to do before, yet failed, or have only eluded to; it causes a person to look deep, very deep, into their own psyche and to beg it a question: “What price my soul?”

It is this, not quite by itself, which makes it a modern masterpiece.

Wow...powerful review Brian. I love your insight into this movie as well as how you summarized it. I can't wait to read the other reviews you're working on.


You're welcome Bri. And, thank you. :)

Thank you again, sweetie.

If you haven't seen this flick yet, you should. This is exactly the type of film that you really love. Check it out if you can before it's out of the theater.

Damn, it's been too long since i read a Slay review...glad you are back in action :)

Two awsome reviews there Slay, I must see these two films before the Oscars. You make me tingle with anticipation, you really do.

I think Million Dollar Baby is the best film of the year.

Nice writing Slay. These both sound great. :)

great reviews you really made me want to go out and see million doller baby

Back in business! Great reviews, Slay!

Thanks, Sedai. When are you writing your next one? Or does your boring job prevent you?

You said you’d keep that to yourelf. You’re so damn naughty.

WOW! You’ve seen all the films that came out this year? ;)

Thank you, Delilah. I like yours as well. *keep it outta the gutter fellas*

You should! Go right now! Don’t hold back!

I wrote it just for you, Garrett. Now give Papa some sugar. :kiss:

sorry i missed your reviews until now, brian...wonderful as usual...although your review of million dollar baby sounds a lot better than the slow film that i saw two weeks ago...although i have to admit that the acting was excellent all around, especially by morgan freeman....i was slightly disappointed in it...

keep up the great work and i hope to see more of these soon...

I try to refrain from reading reviews of movies I have yet to see, so why don't you start writing about some of the crap I might have seen so I can share in the Slaygoodness? ;)

A Clockwork Orange
 

This is an older review of mine that has been buried deep within the forum. I just wanted to dust it off and place it with the rest of them.

A Clockwork Orange

Welly, welly, welly, well hello O Brothers and Sisters, it’s your faithful narrator here to inform you of my opinions of a movie known as A Clockwork Orange. It is hereby proclaimed by me, that this film is of utmost importance if you ever are to deem yourself a serious filmgoer, and to ignore this summons by me, will only bring on some of the old ultraviolence onto your eggiwegy head.

It has been mentioned by other brothers and sisters of this forum that there are deeper truths within this film if you only take a deeper look. A little bit of the old in-out, in-out, of the brain, one might say. I might be inclined to agree, but first I need to drink my drencrom to get me in the mood. There! Much better!

This narrator’s input on deeper meanings will tend to go towards the political aspects of the film. I see a society that is plagued by terrorists. Oh, I know, they aren’t the terrorists that we’re used to today in our own place in time, but that’s still what they are. Within that society are frightened people that want to be able to walk to the corner market, or to sit at home, without fear of ultraviolence in any of its forms. What will a society do if they are terrorized enough? Will they give up their freedoms? Will they give up the terrorists freedoms? Will they clamor to the government to fix this problem by any means necessary? In A Clockwork Orange, they decide to allow brain-washing of prisoners, also known as the Ludovico Technique. Are we, as a modern society, that far away from possibly accepting this as an alternative? What if it doesn’t work? Will we then blame the government that we loved when it did work, and demand a new government with new ideas to take its place? Of course not! Right? We’re not fickle, are we? Of course not! Appy-polly-loggies, I’ve gone on a bit of a tangent. Please forgive O Brothers and Sisters.

I, again your most trusted and faithful narrator, believe that this film shows the most basic instincts of man. This is a tale of men and what they can, and will do, when left to their own devices. A bit of the old ultraviolence is in all of us men. Sometimes it is whipped into submission by societal standards and fear of prosecutorial punishment, but deep down, we are all a little bit of Alex. Just think if someday down the road, there is a catastrophic change in the world. A new day where there is only a minute fraction of the population at large. What will be the most valuable commodity to us at that point? Why the fuzzy of the she-devil, all right! We would fight and kill and rape and kill and nothing need to ever change. Of course it’s easy to say to ones self, “Not me, I’m too civilized” but you know, deep down, in your own muddled mind that it just might be the truth. Say, I know, anyone reading this would tend to be the protector of a worthwhile human being that just happens to be a woman, but you’d certainly kill to keep her. What if she just happens to want to be your friend and that’s all? Well? Naughty, naughty, naughty! You filthy old soomka! I knew it! We’re all a little bit of Alex. Deny it all you want, because there’s absolutely no way to prove it otherwise since we still have this society and that irritable law to get in our way. Kubrick shows us that the deeper character of man cannot be changed. It’s the absolute truth. Man has been this way since the beginning, and the more you try to change it by slow training and, dare I say it, brain-washing, the more he will rebel. We’re all murderers and rapists. We are men. You don’t have to do the deed to have it in you. It’s there anyway.

There is something else that came to mind while viewing A Clockwork Orange, and that is that the society that Alex lives in is only slightly better than he is. The politicians, the police, and the Droogs are not much better than the other, and they all prove that they can, and often will, get their own way by any means necessary. Is that all that different from the world we live in now? Why are there conspiracy theorists if there was nothing to be afraid of? Nobody trusts anybody anymore, and with good reason. Peoples in positions of power have always been corrupt. From the church, to the state, it’s all been shown in front of our impressionable eyes. Yet, they still want to control us by placing standards that nearly none of them can meet themselves. That’s part of what makes Alex who he is, an anti-social, anti-government, anti-dentite…why he’s just an anti-man. I feel that within me as well. That frustration that I need to live up to expectations that most of my brother’s fail to adhere to unless asked. I see all the time people who have demanded respect through painstaking propaganda and absolute lies only to be unmasked later on national news broadcasts with corporate sponsorship who pays for their lawyers who proclaim they’re innocence in submissive tones. O Brothers and Sisters, are we blinded so much as to not see the greasy spokes of the larger wheel?

There is a beauty in violence that we all can appreciate as men. Denial of this is normal, and often is the case. Yet, we call martial arts on the silver screen choreographed, and call our boxers graceful at times. It seemed that Kubrick appreciated this aspect of violence, hence his choices in music during the more ultraviloent scenes. This is another thing that is inherent to the male side of the species as well. I can’t begin to tell you how many men have told me that there favorite scene is of Alex crooning Singin’ in the Rain while kicking and slapping away at the unfortunates at his mercy. It is a terrible scene given a light heartedness that should only repulse a viewer, yet it only conjures positive emotions in most men. Yet again I grow weary with another tangent. I’m so sorry O Brothers and Sisters. After reading what I’ve written so far, I feel I should warn the ladies to put all of us on an island somewhere with no hope of escape just so we can all choke on our own carbon. It would be a fitting end. Of course, I wouldn’t need to be there, because…I’m cured!

Thank you, Suzi-Q! I’m glad you stopped by. :)

No can do, brother. I have standards. ;D

Blarg. Lookin forward to your review of Limbo.

I want to watch it again before I do...but I will, as long as you promise to dicuss it with me. :)

Yarr, any time (except when I'm not online, obviously). By the way, I seem to recall you liked Henry Fool. I'd love to see a review for that one, if you can? I may have mentioned that I totally fell in love with that movie recently, but I'm still not quite sure what to make of the whole thing. It's sure narly though.

Oh yeah, and you're review of A Very Long Engagement has me convinced that I need to see it. Cheers.

Man, I have no energy for these reviews. I think that if I made them shorter, then I would. I don't know whether I should make them shorter or not tho'. My 'trademark' is reviews that are traditionally longer than the forum average...though I have seen plenty of equal length...with maybe my 2001: A Space Odyssey and Passion of the Christ reviews being the exceptions…and longest winded. :)

As far as Henry Fool, I need to see it again before I even consider it, but I value your interest and will probably do it. Requests are da’ bomb, boo.

I hope you do see A Very Long Engagement, it's a big screen movie, man.

Your A Clockwork Orange review has left me in awe. Just, wow.

Why, thank you! That is a very sweet thing for you to say. I have to admit; that was one of the most enjoyable reviews I have ever written.

It was a good'un alright. You eggnogged my eggiwegy head with it ;).

The dilemma of power eh? Personal power to enact, inner power to control, social power to try and override the whole show.

I reckon what Kubrick brings out well is that even as technology advances, we stay the same - but both our individual and 'social' abilities to enact desires grows. (and so, as i see it, the need for a 'spiritual' counterbalance grows too, coz... when you've got people's pernicious little egos being over-empowered... and social-institutions more able to dictate what goes, with bold strikes of their rod on any head that doesn't nod... what you've got is a powder keg ready to blow. Neither can be 'trusted' to **** in the right place to make the roses grow ;))

Shame Kubrick couldn't fashion a nice little solution to that potential woe :rolleyes: ;)

Nevermind, it's only mind-altering-medication, leg-tags (and manipulative multinational bad-guys ;)) at the mo - as far as the social-control thing goes. And on the other side, there's just designer drugs, electronic ways to mug, and the 'happy-slappy' code of being a thug ( :shrug: ;)) [do you guys have this 'happy-slappy' thing your side btw? Moody teens slapping random people so they can film it on their mobile and show others. Daft twats]

a clockwork orange was a favorite of mine and one of kubrick's best films

thanks for your review...i loved reading it

Wow! I can't say how relieved I am to have already watched A Clockwork Orange given your previous threats... Now you want to bring some of the old ultraviolence down on the poor little guy! Sheesh!

Thanks…consider it returning the favor in advance for this particular post of yours. :goof:

It’s a living hell when so many factions are so smug in their individual superiority that they can’t even begin to contemplate that another faction might be singing with a ring of truth in their music. Such is the way of a world that is over-populated, over-institutionalized, and over-desensitized. That probably has absolutely nothing to do with what you just said, but I have an extremely difficult time trying to wrap my mind around what you say. Not that you don’t make sense…but that I can’t make sense of it. Know what I mean, brother? :D

Yeah, the solution the ‘state’ wants to empower over us does sometimes mirror the same solutions that people find for themselves in their disenfranchisement. They just have different melodies, but the lyrics are oft times the same.

We also have teens sometimes doing malicious things to passerby just to wile away the day. The most infamous being a carload that shot paintballs at people during the dark of night. They would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t the fact that they taped it all…and those meddling kids too.

Thank you, Suzi-Q! I like the fact that you read them. :)

Wha? Me no speakie Mosie. ;)

Limbo
 

Limbo

Director: John Sayles

Cast: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn, Vanessa Martinez, Casey Siemaszko, Leo Burmester, Rita Taggart, Kathryn Grody, and Kris Kristofferson

Length: 126 min

MPAA Rating: R for language

Released: 1999

lim-bo n. pl limbos 1 often cap:

1. the dwelling place of forgotten souls.
2. a state of oblivion or neglect.
2. a place or state of arrested possibilities.
4. a condition of uneasiness or apprehension.
5. a condition of unknowable outcome.


He wakes up: alone and disoriented. He manages to find escape for himself, but not for his friends. He has lost them. It’s his fault, regardless of what others tell him. From that day forward, he quits living. Any possible future for him ends because his life is suspended in that moment of time where he goes on losing his friends over and over and over again. Forever on he will wake up alone and disoriented. Joe Gastineau (Strathairn) is in Limbo.

She sings angelically about her love’s labor and her quiet sorrow. She loves the way it brings her to a state of near grace, but no one understands it. She has been singing all her life, but there is no fame or fortune in it for her: just the passion. She wanders the world in order to struggle a living with her voice for her and her daughter. There is no future for her. Donna De Angelo (Mastrantonio) is in Limbo.

She has no life that she can see. She lives nowhere long enough to make friends or to find love. She hates herself. She is in despair. She lives outside the circle of regulars who don’t even notice that she exists; though she believes they all see her and loathe her. She writes the stories that tell the tale of her isolation, but people only believe that she is quaint and peculiar, not lost utterly in her loneliness. She hates her mother but cannot help but to love her. Noelle De Angelo (Martinez) is in Limbo.

Juneau, Alaska is a perfect place for people like these to lose themselves: figuratively and metaphorically. Yet sometimes, in an effort to stay lost people can find themselves found, even more so when that effort relies on an incredible risk of unknowable outcome. This is the entire premise of John Sayles beautiful story of three lonely people who are lost and too frightened to be found. In order for salvation to make its mark with these three, they have to fight their way out of their limbos, but it isn’t easy.

Limbo speaks to me in a way that I have never been spoken to before. It doesn’t reach into my heart and play with the strings that can either cause happiness or sadness, but rather it reaches deep into my psyche and lets me know that being in limbo is nowhere to be, and that even for me, I can return to the world of the living and take part in my own destiny again. I too have been in limbo for quite some time now and know in my heart that it is a lonely place; where I often forget myself and keep on wandering nowhere. I don’t really care for this type of ‘living’, but it is all I’ve known for too long. Yet, with this film, I am taught something. Risk is living. Risk is an escape from limbo.

That’s what makes Limbo so amazing. Not only is it a movie that tells an amazing tale of three very special people, but it’s also a film that touches us in a subtle, yet powerful manner. Looking at the way Joe lives his life, we learn that living in the past can be fatal for a person who has nothing but promise. Seeing Donna live her reckless life, warns us to show caution in our risk taking; that there has to be a happy medium when it comes to living life to the fullest and hiding behind the blinds. And when watching Noelle duck inside her shell, we can easily see that isolation can be catastrophic for a person’s mental well being. Can these people be cured of their private limbos? Or will they stay lost? Maybe finding within themselves the desire to climb out of their own limbos is success enough, and anything else is only dressing. You’ll need to find those answers out for yourself, because this is a very personal story. Each one of us may take something different from this film that another finds impossible to see.

Obviously, I recommend Limbo wholeheartedly. John Sayles is one of our most under-appreciated and unknown masters of filmmaking. He often takes particular aspects of our humanity, shines a spotlight on it, dissects it, and then shoves it down our gullets; yet it goes down smooth. Here he shows us what despair and hopelessness leads to and that we should all fight that type of mental degeneration. Yet he shows us all this in an entertaining way that really defies description. In a lot of other films nowadays, directors go out of their way to have twists and turns in their story in an effort to keep us involved. Half the time it works, and half the time it only creates a convoluted storyline that causes only distraction. In Limbo, Sayles manages to find a way to get us caught up into a story that seems straight forward enough, but all of a sudden, he turns it on its ear and somehow begins again with its continuation. Once viewed, that will make better sense.

Not only do I love Limbo because it is such a superb story and it’s told by one of the greatest living directors, but it’s also because of the acting involved. Strathairn is at the top of his game here playing the lost man who is also so strong. I’ve always liked him and wished often that he could get more lead roles. He does not disappoint. I must confess that I never really cared for Mastrantonio before, but because of her work here, my entire opinion of her has changed. She nails the role of the mother who has lost her way and her daughter. She also sings all the songs that her character performs herself and has a beautiful voice that enchants. I’d like to own the soundtrack; she’s that good. But for me, it’s Martinez who steals the show. For a relatively inexperienced young actress, she has a power and magnificence to her that many of her contemporaries can only dream of. It’s her tale that moves me the most. She’s so lost and alone, it’s…well…heartbreaking. Her acting is the biggest strength this film has other than the story itself.

So, check out this little known masterpiece and treat yourself to an extraordinary tale that twists and turns and manages to teach something in the process. Learn for yourself why Sayles is a master…and prepare yourself for an ending of unknowable outcome that will make you think deep into the night.

Nice review Slaytan, I'll check this out.

That's perfect. :D

It's always interesting to see what movies you come up with Slay... Quite the opposite of my pickings :) Solid cast on that one... I'll definitely try to pick it up tomorrow while I'm out.

Jeez...I didn't notice that so many people replied after I left this thread for dead.

I'm glad you liked that line, Pimp. It does sum the film up pretty much, doesn't it? Did you actually like the movie?

I hope you do, Garrett. I don’t know if you’ve seen many Sayles’ films or not, but I’m pretty sure you’re one to appreciate them.

I would really like it if you did. I’d like to see what your opinion of it would be like.

I've seen a few (Baby It's You, The Secret of Roan Inish, Silver City), and had the opportunity to meet him last year. So, yeah, I'll certainly check this one out.

We were all going through LordyLord withdrawal, so get to it Write REVIEWS now :scream:

I just posted a new one tonight, Nibbles. :confused:

Ummmmm Errrrrrrrr :blush: I just found them. :goof:

Oh Lordylord, I am in heaven :yup: you are back. :kiss: :love: :kiss: :love: :kiss: :love: :kiss: :love: :kiss: :randy: :kiss:

Meet him?!?!?!? Do tell.

THERE you are! :kiss:

nice review milord...i will have to find this one and sit down to watch

I'm really glad you liked this one Brian. I'm not sure there's anything I can add to your excellent review, but one of the many things I really love about this movie is the "shape" of the story. The way it starts out as this really wonderfully illustrated crossection of a culture and progresses seamlessly to really very frightening and intenesly personal territory. I also really like the end Sayles uses his technique to; slowly and methodically leading the audience into less and less familiar areas of his imagination as a way of getting us to invest in his risks, some of which are really shocking. The dialog may be the the most natural-sounding Sayles has written. Each character has their own voice and each colors the narrative in their own way. This film also has one of the best opening sequences and one of the best endings for any movie I've seen, which is a rare treat. Everyone should follow Slaytan's advice and see this movie.

Yup, top notch Clockwork review, and one of my top 10 films.


Recently did the big uber-watch on this one, taking it in a few times in one week. I got to thinking about how 2001 and A Clockwork Orange are connected and how Kubrick flowed from one film into the next visually and thematically. The final shot into the eye of the mutant space child in 2001, only to float out of the eye of the mutant child, fully grown, and twisted by man, that middle rung on the Neitzsche ladder that Kubrick is so fascinated with. After watching Odysseus (Dave BOWman) battle the cyclops, and finally transcend to the next rung, we are thrust into a nightmare future where the potential superman has been warped and twisted by the flawed passage through the phase of man. These two films are so deep, so brilliant, I look forward to uncovering more secrets from them as time goes on. I also notice the final scene of Clockwork, with onlookers dressed in gaudy 18th century clothing, applauding the not-s0=civilised man that we have learned society so desperately needs. The perfect segue into his next film, set in the most civilised 1800s of course....

Big props Bri...

Stayed home from work today to sleep (18 hours straight!) and took in Limbo upon waking up... Perhaps I wasn't in the best mood to watch, but overall I found it to be just 'okay'. As you said, the directing and acting are top-notch, I just didn't particularly care for any of the characters which made me in turn bored by much of the movie. Perhaps it's b/c I've never had similar experiences of loss in my life? Not sure, just wasn't that interested.

Thank you, Suzi-Q! I hope you do and like it, hell, love it.

I think I understand what you mean, bro. When the scene inside the bar happens, and all the locals are telling their stories with the tour guide behind them telling the more historical stories of the town, Sayles really shows the difference of the reality of a culture and the falsehood of a culture turned into entertainment for tourists. It really shows that you cannot completely know anything about a people unless you actually spend some serious time partaking in the culture personally. It’s like an American saying they understand a Palestinian viewpoint because they can ‘imagine’ what it would be like. Yet, without actually living with Palestinians, there is no real ‘knowing’…and even then, it may only be a rudimentary understanding. But then, like you said, it switches gears seamlessly and turns into a very personal story about the three main characters. The culture doesn’t become a factor anymore; it’s just them…and the wilderness.

The risks being taken are so valuable in regards to human nature too. It’s not like a risk of putting ones neck in the noose, though there is some of that, but the risk of rejoining humanity. To not necessarily trust fate, but to achieve a level of acceptance that there’s no control over it, and to live enough to just go along for the ride. Joe’s transformation is the most powerful since it’s because of Donna that he decides to make this acceptance. Love conquers all after all.

I love the way that Joe’s main form of communication is expressive rather than vocal. There are a lot of scenes where he only has 20 to 30 words to speak, but with those, he speaks volumes. And Noel…don’t get me started. Like I said in my review, she’s my favorite character. Her ‘voice’ is one that I think anyone can relate to, and she expresses it so well. Sayles’ writing in this film, in regards to the dialogue, is poignant and poetic in its simplicity and complication. It’s just another aspect of how this film really is more than what meets the eye…that everything about it is amazingly deep and profound and all about human nature.

The opening sequence is cool, but I’m not exactly sure about what it is that you like so much. I know that it pulls you into thinking that what you are about to see is pretty straight forward, but it’s really just an appetizer to what follows. As far as the ending…it’s friggin’ brilliant. Any other ending would be a cop out…or a sell out. I think it’s one of the best end sequences as well…and really is the ultimate ‘cherry on top’.

I agree. Slay kicks ass. :) Thanks for the awesome reply, bud. I appreciate it. And everyone else, I never would have seen this film, or at least not for a long time, if it wasn’t for linespalsy recommending it to me. Linespalsy kicks ass too!

Thanks a lot, buddy. I’m glad you liked it, considering how much you love the film. If you feel that I did well, I guess I did. :)

Do you ever think that thematically most of Kubrick's films center on the natural arrogance and ignorance of man? Mans belief that we have all the answers, when in fact, we are always in a state of learning, and may never know the truth about half the things that we believe we’ve already mastered?

Okay…I’m not all that familiar with Nietzsche’s philosophies, so maybe you can elaborate on that. :) I also am not sure where you come up with the warped and twisted part. Are you talking about Alex, or about Bowman? Because I don’t see anything flawed with the Starchild at all. He/It is transcendental. Or are you talking about Alex becoming the potential Superman? I’m confused.

I don’t see a real tie in there, but I can see the correlation when it comes to his ending sequence and opening sequence and the times they came out...at least with these three...I think...because it's been at least a year now since I've watched any of them, and I can't remember the exact opening and closing sequences. But. I trust you. :) Maybe you can enlighten me of the similes of A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon.

Don’t know what to tell you, bro. We can’t all like the same stuff. Hell, I know a couple of people who literally loathe The Godfather. Go figure. Thanks for giving it a shot, tho’. Maybe next time you pick something up because I recommend it, you’ll like it more. Actually, if I may choose your next rental…Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman. I'm curious if you'll like it.



BTW Garrett: Where and when did you meet John Sayles? Don't leave me hangin' here. :)

No, No, it can't be true. http://pages.prodigy.net/indianahawk...wpage05/17.gif :scream:

I baffled myself with that post :). Think i was trying to say that power and its application is a funny old thing ;).

Yep. Things ain't all electric-switch darkness :). But Kubrick's still right to emphasise the shrill end of the scale, concerning that duet you speak of, methinks ;).

Heh, yeah. I'm guessing our little slap-happy scallywags will be undone by their self-aggrandaising use of technology too.

Yes. Yes, it most certainly is true.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely?

Marry me. Wait…never mind.

Serves the little Bastards right.

great reviews! Did you ever think about rating the films using a star system or a letter grade? When I read a review ( or write one ) that always seems to make it more complete. That way it gives a clear view of exactly how much you liked the movie or can also help people quickly decide which reviews to read if they are short on time. Just a suggestion.

I used to, but then I changed. If you check out my first review thread, you'll see I did it for all of them, but now, I'd rather people actually read my review to see whether I liked it or not...and to be perfectly honest, I don't write reviews for films I don't like anymore. My motive is to try and sell a movie to people. Limbo, in particular, has not been seen by hardly anyone on this board...I know of only three who have. But maybe I talked someone else into seeing this wonderful film.

Thanks for the comments...and check out my other thread...I always like to hear what people think.

I'm glad you're sticking around.

I have been talking to Chris about streamlining the user reviews and trying to standardize a system of ratings ets, probably the popcorn boxes the site uses. Excellent input on the negative for that Slay, and I will keep it in mind. Actually, I would like to get some input from some of the reviewers who tend to post reviews frequently (Sammy, LS, Mosey etc...) as the review guidelines should please all involved. I mean if we come to the conclusion that there shouldn't be any guidelines, that is fine.

Some of the things I have considered:

-Standardized rating system, which I just mentioned.

-A different way of indexing the reviews, by film, rather than reviewer, as many newer members claim to have trouble finding reviews for any given fim now that we have consolidated them into personal threads. For instance, If I wanted to read reviews on the film To Live, I would input the fim into search. The engine would then report that To was too short to include and find all the posts with the word live in it. You can see the problem here. Even if the user did get pointed to Slay or my thread (we both reviewed the film), they would still have to comb through the entire thread to find the review. Not an easy task given the length of Slay's thread. So, a by-film system could be nice, but I can;t come up with a system that seems both efficient and easily organized.

- Now, for the downside of my last point. I can't count how many films I have been turned on to because I was forced to comb through a thread. The random exposure to great film would go down considerably with a by-film system. What needs to be decided is which is more important, and what many other members feel about the issue. If a majority of the people are irritated by the fact that they can't just search for a film and fins a review (ala Rotten Tomatoes), than I think a change is in order, but I would really like to perserve the "wow, I am so glad I read about XXXXXX because I really loved the film and never would have picked it up otherwise."


these are my main concerns, and input on these issues is requested. :)

Yoda will need to chime in here, as he knows what can be done and how much work it would be (for him) to do it....