The 11th Hall of Fame

Seriously man, don't overthink it you'll drive yourself insane.

So, what to say about this?
Technically speaking is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen! The cinematography is always amazing with some really breathtaking moments. The soundtrack is fantastic, especially the constant constrast (and in the end, mix), between scared western polyphony and chinese folk music. I mean, the end credits song just blew my mind.
The acting is nice by everyone involved, especially by the leader of prostitutes, Mo, and Bale of course.
Now, the theme by itself should have had a greater impact on me. I felt I was watching a Spielberg film (though a lot better made), in the way that I always felt it needed more sincerity and more heaviness, especially considering that it was based of the Rape of Nanking, a terrifying real story per se.
It is a fine movie, that it's not very hard to watch and that's precisely its greatest issue.

Didn't read you review because i haven't seen it but this popped out at me:

Glad that's the case, Hero is one of the most beautiful films i've ever seen and i think i largely ignore some of its other flaws because of this, so i'm looking forward to Flowers of War.

Every film except Bashu (if it actually exists), Ronin and whatever MM nominates which i'm going to put a timer on soon has been reviewed.

It's not a dark or disturbing film, but it's not really about the rape of Peking...It's more about the diametrically opposed groups of Chinese girls: one group of prostitutes, the other school girls. The war is just the focal point to bring them together, so they along with a formerly unscrupulous Christian Bale have to learn to work together.

It reminds me of a French film called, Au revoir les enfants 'Goodbye Children' (1987) which is set during the Nazi occupation of France but focuses on how the war causes conflicts in the lives of several boys at a Catholic boarding school.

Yes, it is about that but it doesn't go deep into the morality of the value of each life as sacred, prostitute or catholic children! It's a movie that should make me think, it should depress me, and it didn't... :/
Of course, it's absolutely spectacular from the technical and cinematic point of view!

If you don't stop pushing me I'll nominate Quarantine, so better back off'!

__________________
/watching movies for mark f/
MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews // Film Diary 2015 // Letterboxd Profile // MovieMeditation's Top 50 Horror

haha. Nah, try to do it by some time tomorrow if you can.

Yeah, I'm sorry for the wait.

I planned this whole weekend off for movie watching, relaxing etc etc and then something came up that had me really busy and also out of reach from my tv. But I'm between two choices now and I'm pretty sure which one I'm leaning towards. I hope to reveal it soon.

What I really like about MoFo is the diversity of the films the MoFos like. A couple of years ago when I first joined MoFo, I was pretty well versed in classic Hollywood 1930s-1950s films, but I hadn't really watch much in the way of newer indie stuff. So in the last couple years, I've have grown as a film fan and learned to like directors & films that I never would have liked before. All thanks to MoFo

I'm glad Raul nominated this one! I had previously seen only two other Wes Anderson films. After not caring much for The Grand Budapest Hotel, I almost wrote off Wes Anderson as a goofy director that I don't like. But then I watched his The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and liked it pretty well. So I was glad to see Raul nominate another Wes Anderson film.

Moonlight Kingdom I liked it as it was different, very different. My favorite scenes were when Sam and Suzy escape into the wilderness. I liked the feeling of two ostracized people at odds with the world around them, making their 'own world' in the wilderness on a remote island. The whole Scouting bit was cleverly done. Those two made an odd pair! Suzy reminded me of Christina Ricci in The Adams Family...And Sam, the overtly smart kid who's disliked by his own Scout troupe due to his lack of social skills, was annoyingly good. It was fun watching those two misfits interacting as they escaped reality.I just wished there was more of that in the film.

Because after their capture, so much stuff happens, with so many different sets, so many different characters, so much stuff, that my mind glazed over and I was no longer in the film.

I loved the brightly pastel-diffusion look of the film. And I loved the cinema style of 'flying' through house walls and quickly panning to each person as they speak. Visually Wes Anderson is a genius. And the man has amazing ideas for stories his very creative and unique. But IMO he needs to stop writing his own films. His weakness seems to be in developing too many characters and in not knowing when to say enough is enough. Towards the end of the film we get every visual trick that he could muster, which I found distracting and it took away from the story telling of the film.

Still, I enjoyed it and very glad to have seen it

Another person down on Wes's dialogue. That's a bummer. I adore his films above anything else in cinema, but if I had to choose between his abandonment of directing or writing, I would choose directing every time. I love his dry sharp wit. I could listen to his characters talk all day. While watchimg I think I wish I could write like that. I believe I could be a millionaire and feel fulfilled if I could capture that spark.

__________________
Letterboxd

Oh no, I didn't mean the dialogue was bad, I meant the story elements were lacking with too many superfluous characters and too many superfluous scenes, and not enough meat.

It's hard for me to explain. I liked the way Suzy and Sam talked, yes it wasn't natural, and I'm glad of it. It was highly stylized and unique. I got a kick out of it.

Wes lost me, when all the other characters started appearing after Suzy and Sam were captured. It just felt like he has so many ideas in his head that he had to put all of them into the movie. But I believe less is more.

Glad you enjoyed it Citizen. I'm watching Bringing Up Baby in about an hour.

I'm watching that one tonight. I'm glad you nominated it, as otherwise nothing of classic Hollywood would have been represented in the 11th. I like at least one old film

Your my best hope to like it, so don't fail me . Think Sean might have not sure if you've seen it?

I seen Bringing Up Baby like 12-15 years ago, when I was first getting into old movies. I was luke warm to it at the time, but my taste has broadened since then and I'm sure it will be enjoyable...And I'm glad Mark wrote about the synopsis, as I had totally forgotten what the movie was about.

I don't know how many people here like the old Rocky & Bullwinkle show. I loved it, because of the writing, shocking I know. It just occurred to me that Wes Anderson's stories remind me of a more fleshed out and refined version of fractured fairy tales, which was a segment on that show. He does get zany towards his third acts but I love the energy that comes with that. I also find it very amusing, which helps.

I watched Rocky & Bullwinkle as a kid, but I don't remember it. By far my favorite dialogue driven film is The Sweet Smell of Success.

I find Wes Anderson films amusing and clever, lots of clever little set designs and stuff happening in them. Which would make them very rewatchable, and probably help one to understand the many characters better.

At one point I rewound the DVD a minute back(rewound isn't the correct term I know)...And when I watched that minute over I spotted stuff in the background that I had never seen before.

Did you like The Life Aquatic? That's my favorite of his so far. BTW my wife really like Moonrise Kingdom.

I love Life Aquatic despite it being my least fave of his. I love them all.