Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2018

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#65 - Petulia (1968) ~ May 15



Neurotic piece of late '60s filmmaking that clearly has Nicolas Roeg's hand as DP all over it. It's beautifully shot and slickly edited. This film clearly had a great influence on Roeg's later directorial career.
This also stars two of my favorite actors of all time: Julie Christie and George C. Scott!
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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019



#66 - White Hunter Black Heart (1990) ~ May 17



Eastwood's attempt at making a Hemmingway-esque film, based on the book by Peter Viertel that tells a fictionalized version of Huston's making of The African Queen, is pretty succesful in my opinion.
At first I thought I wasn't going to buy Eastwood as Huston (Wilson in the film), but after a while it just felt natural.
The ending is also really great and makes this one of the few tales that comes across as truthful about the concept of 'white (male) guilt'. It touches upon the true essence of it without any kind of agenda, which is really rare these days.
This is amongst Eastwood's better directorial work in my opinion.



#67 - Ace in the Hole (1951) ~ May 31



Classic moralist tale that makes truthfulness compete with success. The message remains just as relevant as ever, especially in its journalistic context. Great Wilder film!



I went to Spain with my girlfriend for a little more than a week so that's why there's such a gap between the last two films. I'll probably watch a lot more films now that I'm back. I'm looking for a new job at the moment, so I should have a lot of spare time during the evenings...



REWATCH #8 - American Hustle (2013) ~ June 1



Remains a cool flick full of cinematic entertainment. I forgot how stunning Amy Adams looked in this film. The impact of De Niro's bit was also much stronger than I remembered. Always a joy to watch this film!



Bradley Cooper's haircut in this film makes me laugh the whole way through
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REWATCH #9 - The Master (2012) ~ June 1



After seeing Amy Adams in American Hustle, I felt like rewatching her in The Master as well. I was seduced all over again by this film's magnificent beauty and brilliant wisdom. I also discovered a few new favorite shots that never quite caught my eyes as much as they did now.
To me, this remains (by far) the best film of this millennium so far. I'm not sure if it will ever get surpassed for me. It's impossible to imagine a film that pulls the right strings as perfectly for me as The Master does.



Bradley Cooper's haircut in this film makes me laugh the whole way through
Yeah, I laughed a lot as well because of his whole persona in the movie. His scenes with Louis C.K. are pure gold.



REWATCH #8 - American Hustle (2013) ~ June 1



Remains a cool flick full of cinematic entertainment. I forgot how stunning Amy Adams looked in this film. The impact of De Niro's bit was also much stronger than I remembered. Always a joy to watch this film!
That whole hour around the De Niro scene is brilliant. When he gave his look, my wife said uh oh.



To me, this remains (by far) the best film of this millennium so far. I'm not sure if it will ever get surpassed for me.
Isn't In The Mood for love, right behind The Master on your top ten?



#68 - Casanova (1976) ~ June 3



Spectacular Fellini picture. It's one of his bombastic late career pictures, but as usual, he's able to create intimacy between the viewer and the film's main character, even amidst all the extravaganza.



#69 - I Vitelloni (1953) ~ June 6



Fellini could do anything. He apparently directed one of the greatest coming of age hangout films of all time. This was a really fun watch!



REWATCH #9 - The Master (2012) ~ June 1



After seeing Amy Adams in American Hustle, I felt like rewatching her in The Master as well. I was seduced all over again by this film's magnificent beauty and brilliant wisdom. I also discovered a few new favorite shots that never quite caught my eyes as much as they did now.
To me, this remains (by far) the best film of this millennium so far. I'm not sure if it will ever get surpassed for me. It's impossible to imagine a film that pulls the right strings as perfectly for me as The Master does.

I have found, over the years, that our taste are quite similar. This is one of the rare case where it's totally opposite, I can't stand this movie haha.


Can you give me more details about why you like the film or direct me toward a review you already made of it?



I have found, over the years, that our taste are quite similar. This is one of the rare case where it's totally opposite, I can't stand this movie haha.
Which aspects don't you like about it?


Can you give me more details about why you like the film or direct me toward a review you already made of it?
Superficially I'm obviously attracted to the film's stunning beauty and magnificent handling of its 1940s/1950s time period. It's one of the most gorgeously immerging films ever made in that respect, in my opinion. On a visual level, I don't think many people would disagree when I say it's one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema ever made. The framing and pace of the subsequent shots combined with the often times magical camerawork is simply unforgettable. I find myself needing to revisit certain scenes because I'm craving for their cinematic brilliance.

The film is also able to portray the romantic quality of a cult while aptly criticizing its inner workings as well. We get to perceive things from the side of the cult leader and the side of the broken man who (temporarily) finds his home inside the cult's family. I don't think the two characters could've been done better. They're interesting, mysterious and both performances (by Hoffman and Phoenix) are of an astonishingly high quality. Amy Adams's character and all the others also have those same qualities. The mystery surrounding all of them perfectly fits the theme of the film.

I also love the blend of humor and drama/tragedy. Like in most of PTA's films, this blend is perfectly executed in The Master. Most of the brilliant scenes can be interpreted as beautifully dramatic and tragic, while at the same time being absurdly hilarious. The humor is revealing and the drama is appropriately measured. Not many writers and directors can hold this balance. Kubrick is the perfect example of a director who who was brilliant at this. I think PTA is probably one of the only filmmakers who approaches him in this respect.

Also, rewatching the film over and over again makes me understand the context, the characters, etc. just a little more every single time. There's so much stuff hidden in the corners of this beautiful masterpiece. It's one of the most valuable cinematic treasures I've ever come across. Every rewatch convinces me of this, as I always find small new things that make me appreciate the whole film in a new light.



#70 - La Strada (1954) ~ June 7



My third Fellini film in a row! It seems like I've been in the mood for Fellini films during the last few evenings.
This is one of his deeply felt films. I'd place it in the same category as The Nights of Cabiria, with Giuletta Masina as the sweet and tragic girl who steals every viewer's heart. Anthony Quinn is great in this as well. I think I still have a lot to discover from the latter's work. Already looking forward to that!



#71 - La Grande Illusion (1937) ~ June 12



Fantastic film that beautifully and wittily shows the inherent absurdity of war. After only having seen two films of his, it's already clear to me that Renoir was a master of this kind of wit.
"Don't shoot! They're in Switzerland."



Which aspects don't you like about it?




Superficially I'm obviously attracted to the film's stunning beauty and magnificent handling of its 1940s/1950s time period. It's one of the most gorgeously immerging films ever made in that respect, in my opinion. On a visual level, I don't think many people would disagree when I say it's one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema ever made. The framing and pace of the subsequent shots combined with the often times magical camerawork is simply unforgettable. I find myself needing to revisit certain scenes because I'm craving for their cinematic brilliance.

The film is also able to portray the romantic quality of a cult while aptly criticizing its inner workings as well. We get to perceive things from the side of the cult leader and the side of the broken man who (temporarily) finds his home inside the cult's family. I don't think the two characters could've been done better. They're interesting, mysterious and both performances (by Hoffman and Phoenix) are of an astonishingly high quality. Amy Adams's character and all the others also have those same qualities. The mystery surrounding all of them perfectly fits the theme of the film.

I also love the blend of humor and drama/tragedy. Like in most of PTA's films, this blend is perfectly executed in The Master. Most of the brilliant scenes can be interpreted as beautifully dramatic and tragic, while at the same time being absurdly hilarious. The humor is revealing and the drama is appropriately measured. Not many writers and directors can hold this balance. Kubrick is the perfect example of a director who who was brilliant at this. I think PTA is probably one of the only filmmakers who approaches him in this respect.

Also, rewatching the film over and over again makes me understand the context, the characters, etc. just a little more every single time. There's so much stuff hidden in the corners of this beautiful masterpiece. It's one of the most valuable cinematic treasures I've ever come across. Every rewatch convinces me of this, as I always find small new things that make me appreciate the whole film in a new light.

I see, I might revisit it, I don't remember many specific about the film, I just remember my appreciation (or lack of). I remember watching the film and then don't watching any other for 5,6 days because I was over it haha.



I couldn't really argue why I disliked it (since I don't really remember any specific about the film), but it might be because I don't like the actors in general.