Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

That's the idea. Look at this quote from the beginning of the film. It clues us in on his characters personality.

[First lines] When I start out to make a fool of myself, there's very little can stop me. If I'd known where it would end, I'd never let anything start... if I'd been in my right mind, that is. But once I'd seen her, I was not in my right mind for some time.

Yeah, but even based on that line, it was supposed to be that he was blinded by her, not that he's just so stupid that he could be convinced by someone else to do something that dumb.

Yes he was very blinded by her beauty. "That's how I found her and from that moment I did not use my head, except to think about her."

Yeah, but his accent makes him sound stupid, not just blinded by love.

Citizen, I'm glad you liked Night on Earth. Awesome movie. And I didn't know that Lady From Shanghai was chopped up. I've only seen it once so I'll have to watch more closely next time for the jump-cuts. I believe that I heard that before this film that Orson's film The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) was chopped up by the studio. I liked the movie very much and would be very interested in what was cut from that film.

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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

The Magnificent Ambersons is one of my favorite Orson films. It was edited without his control. Still a great film.

If you really liked Night On Earth I think you'd like Mystery Train. It has a similar vibe with 3 different stories of travelers interwoven.....Thanks! for recommending Night On Earth.

Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

Director: Woody Allen
Writers: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Jerry Adler, Alan Alada, Anjelica Huston
Genre: Comedy Murder Mystery


Premise(spoiler free): A bored, middle aged couple makes friends with their elderly neighbors in the next door apartment. When the elderly woman suddenly dies, Carol (Diane Keaton) suspects foul play. But her husband Larry (Woody Allen) thinks Carol is just imaging things. Carol then decides to prove a murder actually happened.

Review: I've seen four Woody Allen films in the last few weeks. One thing that I learned is Woody has a distinct style of movie making. Either you like his movies or not.

If you like Woody Allen films....Manhattan Murder Mystery won't disappoint you. The movie is leisurely paced. Woody never rushes the story or cuts a scene too short. He allows time for the story elements and characters to develop.

Woody seldom receives accolades for his cinematography, but he should. In this film most of the scenes are shot in a small apartment, small restaurants and the streets of Manhattan. Nothing fancy or overly stylish is done...and that's a good thing as the movie is balanced with the primary focus being on the dialogue and characters. But don't think the cinematography isn't special. Woody the director, takes care to balance his compositions and never lets any one person or object really dominate the shot, not even himself.

Woody Allen, like in most of his movies, plays himself. He's funny in an self deprecating way with his intellectual knocks on himself and the situations around him. I laughed out loud at his witticisms. Manhattan Murder Mystery is never over the top and very watchable.

If you don't like Woody Allen films....you probably won't like this. It's slow paced and full of talky dialogue. Not much action, just a lot of Woody's style of humor. No car chases or explosions. But he did include a neat Shanghai Surprise.

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You hit one I haven't seen Citizen. Your review makes me want to, and I will eventually. I want to see everything Allen has done but I am pacing myself.

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Letterboxd

It may well be my fave Woody. Funny and surprisingly suspenseful.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

I'm still on the fence with Woody Allen's movies, but this one sounds interesting, so I may give it a try when I have time.

I'm not a big fan of Woody's style of films, they're just not the type of films I usually watch...BUT at least I'm starting to understand them, so I'm glad I'm watching them.

Besides his Shanghai Surprise, he has a hilarious camera angle/composition for the opening scene with him and Diana Keaton in bed.

Thanks to Mark, I believe he recommended? Manhattan Murder Mystery.

I think Manhattan Murder Mystery could potentially end up as my favorite Woody once I watch it. Right now my favorites are Love and Death and Blue Jasmine, closely followed by Annie Hall and Manhattan, followed by Crimes and Misdemeanors, with Sleeper, Bananas, and Bullets Over Broadway bringing up the rear. I'm also interested in Hannah and Her Sisters.

I like MMM, too. One of my favourite Allen's. I know I'm a lone voice in the wilderness on this, but I really like Husband's & Wives, too.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

In Time (2011)

Director: Andrew Niccol
Writer: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy
Genre: Sci Fi Action

Premise (spoiler free): In the near future humans have been genetically modified to stop aging at 25. The catch is they live only one more year after 25, unless they can buy more time for their built in life-clocks.

Review: I really enjoyed In Time. I found the movies premise interesting: The rich can afford to live for 100's of years because they have the money to buy time allotments to keep their life-clock's ticking....But the poor must barter, haggle or steal more time to keep themselves alive after their 25th birthday. The world's economy is based on the trade and payment of time allotments. It's an unfair balance with the poor getting the short end of the stick.

Justin Timberlake's character comes from the poor slums. He's evading the police for a murder he didn't comment. He meets up with the ultra rich, Amanda Seyfried when he crosses over into the wealthy restricted zone in attempt to evade the police.

The first 46 minutes is really, deep-reflective Sci Fi, much like Soylent Green. The rest of the film has more action and adventure BUT it's not over the top and does fit into the story well.

Heart felt performances by Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried.

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I watched In Time a few months before I joined this site because some nice person on a different chat board recommended it to me.

It was a very good movie. I was surprised at how much I liked Justin Timberlake. I still think of him as just a boy-band singer, but he was very good in the movie.

Grandmother,Mother and Daughter from In Time

I seem to be in the minority, but I like Timberlake, and I'd like to see that movie.

Timberlake was damn good. Played it straight just like any serious actor. If you got the time you should watch it...

I like him too. Haven't seen In Time but I liked him in Alpha Dog and Social Network. Feel like I am missing something else too.

Lovely, Still (2008)

Director: Nicholas Fackler
Writers: Nicholas Fackler, Tim Kasher
Cast: Martin Landau, Ellen Burstyn, Elizabeth Banks
Genre: Drama Romance
Length: 92 minutes

Premise: A lonely man, all alone at Christmas discovers love thanks to the kindness of the next door neighbor woman. They live life like they never have before, sharing special moments as the man prepares to spend his first Christmas with his new love.

Review: I'm not sure how I feel about this movie. It starts out feeling like a gentle romance drama with an elderly lonely man, Martin Landau who falls in love with his next door neighbor, Ellen Burstyn. Both actors are excellent and the film has a small, realistic feel. I was really liking this at first.

But during the film I could not shake the feeling that something more was amiss. Martin Landau's character seemed out of sorts. I liked the gentle, love story and as it was set at Christmas time, I expected a happy touch movie.

By the time the third act started the movie switched to a mystery that dealt with aging, sickness and hospitals. Some might find deep meaning in this film. I really liked the film but was unprepared for the ending. So I'm not going to rate it.

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