Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Sansho is great, even though I found Ugetsu to be better, because it's more fun to watch (for me).

Finally watched this movie:

City of Sadness (1989)



Rating: 74/100

Featuring first rate visual qualities and a very good music score, this was for me a very relaxing and calm film experience that at the same time depicts a period of great historical violence during the civil war in China that lead to the defeat of the Republic of China and their retreat to the island of Taiwan. The film features the daily lives of a family affected by these historical events and apparently a lot of family members die/are arrested/seriously injured during the 4 years shown in the film, though the narrative is very indirect so I couldn't understand exactly everything that happened on this first watch. Despite the violence depicted, most of the time the film is very calm and relaxing.

I think Sansho the Bailiff is only rivaled by The Story of Last Chrysanthemums in Mizoguchi's oeuvre, but then probably followed by Ugetsu. Mizoguchi's films are very full and exhausting films. When I watch them, I usually don't watch another film for a few days due to emotional exhaustion (and I don't watch one of his for a while after), but also because I'm not sure how long I can sustain belief in his worlds. They're clearly the work of a highly emotional person, which I am not. The world I think I live in is much more like master Ozu's world.

Speaking of Mizoguchi though, Hou Hsiao-Hsien is, like him, one of the masters of a relatively lost art in filmmaking, intricate and depth staging. A City of Sadness is I think the best example of his meticulous and meaningful staging. Would you consider A City of Sadness art house still, Guap? As I told you, the plot's a little difficult your first time around considering it's an ensemble film and doesn't explain the historical context behind the film's actions. If you're interested in more, The Time to Live and The Time to Die, Summer at Grandpa's and The Puppetmaster are all masterful.

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Mubi

I had similar feelings watching Hidamari Sketch:



That feeling of relaxation. Though nobody dies in Hidamari Sketch.

It looks exactly like Hou's Cute Girls:

The Conversation 7/10

The Red Balloon

This was a neat short film, it captures the wonder and excitement of being a young child.

Gravity (2013) -

Enjoyable, but unconvincing, overrated, and far from great. I expected the movie to be extremely tense and it wasn't, so in that regard, to me it failed. It could have (and it should have) been way more tense and eerie, but Cuaron was clearly going for action.

Also, there's just way too much dialogue for a 90 minute sci-fi film that takes place entirely in space. So much that it doesn't even let you properly enjoy the stunning visuals at times. And let's face it, considering the situations they were in, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney didn't look as terrified as they should have.

Would have been half a popcorn box lower if it wasn't for the impressive long takes and the camerawork.

Too much dialogue? What movie did you watch?

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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

Watch Solaris for example and see what I'm talking about. Gravity starts with tons of dialogue, and Sandra Bullock talks when the viewer should be left to savor the stunning visuals and thus soak in the film's atmosphere. But no, even when she's all alone, Bullock talks to herself constantly, and then with some chinese guy, and then she barks at his dogs, and then she talks to herself yet again, and so on.

I agree with BlueLion about the dialogue. I think he may have even liked the movie more than I did. Bullock was pretty annoying throughout the whole thing. The visuals were all stunning and the tension during the escape pod sequence was the second best thing about the film. I give the film the mark f rating.

Solaris the Tarkovsky film or the 2002 remake?

I really enjoyed it. I think this movie fits in the category style over substance, but it actually works. I loved the utilisation of Jazz music and the way that the car scenes were shot is much more interesting that in most 50's movies I've seen (specially north by northwest) I'd rank it I think, but it's the kind of movie that will grow on me

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I do not speak english perfectly so expect some mistakes here and there in my messages

Tarkovsky. I haven't seen the remake.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Same thing as a couple other movies from this director; there's things I liked, but it just didn't quite work for me.

The Insider (1999, Michael Mann)

Michael Mann's riveting and uncompromising observation into corporate avarice and journalistic dysfunction in the midst of almost unparalleled impropriety. The film examines everything from the role of the media and its devious ability to shape and distort our very perceptions to the sordid underworld of corporate influence in our institutions. This is told with a great deal intrepidity, thanks to Mann's assertion direction and its (mostly) well-written script. On one level, it is a political film. On another, a compelling character piece. It works either way. Mann has always adopted this imposing ability to balance out a story with both fleshed-out characters and potent subtext (Heat and Collateral did this remarkably well). In spite of this, the film does lose some of its vitality in its latter acts (perhaps because of the running length), and it is not as aesthetically impressive as some of Mann's other works, but it is a powerful piece that holds just as much relevance today than it did fifteen years ago. Crowe is towering in his role and Pacino does an expectably great job, too. Overall, impressive and gripping, even with its flaws. Maybe an 8 here.

Anchorman 2
8,5 / 10
I really enjoyed watching it. Love the movies of Will Ferrell.

Rebel Without a Cause

Not perfect for me but I was completely engrossed, and there's no denying the star power of James Dean. How tragic that the three leads all met an early demise.

I'm glad you like it.

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“By definition, you have to live until you die. Better to make that life as complete and enjoyable an experience as possible, in case death is shite, which I suspect it will be.”

Tora! Tora! Tora! 6/10

Un Chien Andalou (1929) -

Like a person on Criticker said, artsy-fartsy BS.