22nd Hall of Fame

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Shine
(Scott Hicks 1996)


This is the kind of nomination I look forward to watching, an uplifting tale about the triumph of the human spirit.

I went into this blind, I'd never heard of the movie or of David Helfgott. I should've loved this, but I didn't. As much as I usually like Geoffrey Rush, I couldn't stand his take on a mentally ill person. It was annoying and somewhat comical when comedy wasn't appropriate. He was not believable to me, I was very aware of an actor 'acting odd'. I've seen other actors do the same kind of performance with the same rapid fire, confused speech and it never works for me. I thought that he might be someone high on drugs in the first scene, either that or he just drank 10 cups of coffee.

The odd thing is the teenage David Helfgott, Noah Taylor was really good in this. His performance was nuanced. I was hoping so much that Rush's adult David would be a small part of the film. Unfortunately we see him quite a bit in the third act and for me the third act was the weakest.

The other thing that I didn't like about Shine was that the entire story felt rushed and abbreviated. It was like there was a 2hr 30min long story here, but the film was cut down to 1hr 45mins in the edited room, leaving only a framework of the story. I didn't even know for sure what was wrong with David. I seen him collapse at the piano during his big performance, then he was in a mental hospital, but what had happened, all the scenes were so brief without any center to them.

And then he just seemed to pop into different people's lives...I still don't know why a rich and successful Lynn Redgrave would marry him? When we just had seem him jumping on a trampoline with his genitally flopping in the air, as small children watched him. To me, that would signal that he wasn't well enough to care for himself and he sure isn't ready to be married. Or maybe the Australians think that's funny? Maybe they do as there was another scene just like that earlier in the film.

I didn't buy into the movie and I didn't care about David. It could've been a good story if another director made it.

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@Citizen Rules I pretty much agree with all you said, as you’ve probably read in my review it’s some of the same problems you seem to have.

I have one problem with your review though: you say you don’t like Rush’ take on a mentally ill person and that it’s comical and not believable. I could somewhat agree and I sort of had the same feeling when this film began. But you do realize that the real person he is portraying is actually EXACTLY like that. He talks like that and acts like that. Rush does a brilliant job copying this.

Of course you are welcome to not enjoy this. I somewhat had a difficult time fully enjoying such a hectic performance, but it’s just how he was and doing anything else would be disrespectful to the real life David.



@Citizen Rules I pretty much agree with all you said, as you’ve probably read in my review it’s some of the same problems you seem to have.

I have one problem with your review though: you say you don’t like Rush’ take on a mentally ill person and that it’s comical and not believable. I could somewhat agree and I sort of had the same feeling when this film began. But you do realize that the real person he is portraying is actually EXACTLY like that. He talks like that and acts like that. Rush does a brilliant job copying this.

Of course you are welcome to not enjoy this. I somewhat had a difficult time fully enjoying such a hectic performance, but it’s just how he was and doing anything else would be disrespectful to the real life David.
No performance can ever be EXACTLY like the real person that's being portrayed. Another actor of equal skill could have portrayed David in the same manner as Rush did, and yet the other actor's performance would've still been different and thus could've worked for me. There's just too many subtle nuances in the individual that comes out in a performance to say that an actor's performance is exactly like the real person they portray. And then there's the script writer who can have the actor saying and doing all sorts of stuff. Some writers would've been able to do more with the role of David making his role profoundly impactful or more fleshed out. Then of course there's the director who gives the 'feeling' to the film. I very keenly was aware that this was an Australian made film during my watch of the movie, as they often favor films with ecliptic silliness, and can tend to go over the top, at least for my taste. Seeing how this was a very serious subject matter the quirky comic scenes didn't work for me and most of those came during Rush's screen time. Another director & screenwriter could have worked to make the movie bring out more of Rush's performance, making the film more believable and less abbreviated feeling, while minimizing or even removing what looked like comical elements.



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
The Matrix (1999)

This film was one of my biggest flaws till recently. I only had watch bits of the third when I was a kid because it was on TV but, believe it or not, I knew almost nothing about the story of the franchise. I knew that at some point Neo was asked if he wanted to accept new knowledge or remain peacefully ignorant in the famous red pill/blue pill scene but that was pretty much it.
Well, I finally watched it a few weeks before the start of this HoF, the whole trilogy in one sitting.
This is obviously the best of the three but I don't consider the other 2 as bad as most people, quite on the contrary, I felt very entertained through out the whole series.

The story is incredibly original and even for today's standards it seems fresh and unique. The visuals are, of course, part of the explanation, but it doesn't end there. The script is probably among the most well written in any action film ever. It's balanced, it doesn't allow for too much suspension of belief (at least considering the whole concept of the film) and the dialogues are solid.
The action scenes are extremely well directed, the acting top notch, the villain one of the most iconic and menacing ever and the pacing is absolutely perfect.

-



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
The Matrix (1999)

This film was one of my biggest flaws till recently. I only had watch bits of the third when I was a kid because it was on TV but, believe it or not, I knew almost nothing about the story of the franchise. I knew that at some point Neo was asked if he wanted to accept new knowledge or remain peacefully ignorant in the famous red pill/blue pill scene but that was pretty much it.
Well, I finally watched it a few weeks before the start of this HoF, the whole trilogy in one sitting.
This is obviously the best of the three but I don't consider the other 2 as bad as most people, quite on the contrary, I felt very entertained through out the whole series.

The story is incredibly original and even for today's standards it seems fresh and unique. The visuals are, of course, part of the explanation, but it doesn't end there. The script is probably among the most well written in any action film ever. It's balanced, it doesn't allow for too much suspension of belief (at least considering the whole concept of the film) and the dialogues are solid.
The action scenes are extremely well directed, the acting top notch, the villain one of the most iconic and menacing ever and the pacing is absolutely perfect.

-
I'm the same way. Enjoy the series.
__________________
What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes
~Mr Minio



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Joker

"Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?"

People seem to either love or hate this film. I found myself somewhere in the middle. I’m not sure the whole juxtaposition of comic book and grim serious issue film completely worked for me, at times it seemed like it was trying to have its cake and eat it in that respect. But there was a lot about it I did like.

This being one of the last films I’ve watched for this hof, I’m going to draw out a few parallels with some of the other films that occurred to me whilst watching it – loner goes on a killing rampage (and why do so many people have guns anyway?) (Blue Ruin), initially sympathetic-ish protagonist becomes an outright villain (Dronningen), downtrodden man loses his job, is let down by the system and befriends a single mother neighbour (I, Daniel Blake), stylised popular movie with moments of brutal violence (Inglourious Basterds), well-acted portrayal of a man with mental health issues related to a troubled childhood (Shine)…

I really liked the setting, the realisation of this rundown city on the brink of violence that’s set in 1981 like Taxi Driver or The Warriors could happen here, and also at times feels modern, like it could be our world (replace clown masks with V for Vendetta masks, for example), and yet at the same time is this not-quite-real fantasy comic book city, if in a less obvious way than other renderings of Gotham City.

There were some really good shots which were just framing Joker in different places – on the bus, in doorways, behind curtains - which I liked. I liked the scene where he practises his interview and the way you hear the echoing of laughter as he waits in the wings of the tv show. I liked that he has this strange one-sided relationship with Murray Franklin, and it is that rejection by this imagined father-figure that helps to unhinge him. I kind of felt like that didn’t need to be basically repeated with the whole Thomas Wayne storyline.

It could have had something more to say about how that kind of television ruins people’s lives, but in the end it’s trying to say so many things, swinging a blunt instrument around in the hope that it will hit something, that it doesn’t quite make any incisive points about any of them. Sometimes there’s a bit of overkill – Joker running from the cops and becoming lost in the crowd of clowns on the train is good, everyone celebrating him in the middle of a riot is a bit much. His interview with Murray was a bit of an anti-climax for me. He says he’s not political but then goes on a political rant, it seemed to be trying a bit too hard to be saying ‘look, this film is making an important point!’ when it seemed to be exhibiting too much self-awareness for the character as established up to that point.


Joaquin Phoenix is excellent – like Miss Vicky, I was always a big fan of him in films like Quills and Gladiator 20 years ago, so great to see him get rewarded for his work in this film now. Robert De Niro was inspired casting, but it did make the similarities to King of Comedy even more obvious. There’s a scene where he’s sitting in the dressing room with a huge mural of De Niro behind him, like he’s sitting in the shadow of the earlier film (and performance).



Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I remember his Social worker (psychiatrist?) was having her office shut down due to cutbacks (?) leaving him no alternative to turn to.
He was literally cast out as an afterthought.
So the screen play nomination was deserving.
I actually thought this was one of the worst-written aspects of the film! The psychiatrist basically just says 'oh by the way we're getting shut down tomorrow you won't be able to get any medication'... that was one of the things that was much more 'comic-book' than realistic or nuanced. And that kind of simplicity is fine, in a comic-book movie, but it can't then also claim to be an insightful look into how people with mental health issues are failed.



The trick is not minding
I didn't make an official deadline. Seems we are all doing well. How about July 20th? A month and 5 days?
That works well for me. I’m going on vacation starting next Friday for 8 days and I’ll be out of town as a result. I won’t get any knocked off during that time.
I did watch The Last Picture show but I want to really think about what I want to write about it.
Expect a review sometime tonight



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
I, Daniel Blake



I had a feeling that I would like this one, and it pretty much held true to that. The only other Loach film that I saw was Kes which I wasn't huge on but this one was very well directed.

Dave John's and Hayley Squires were both magnificent, at times this didn't really feel like a movie but rather felt like we were watching reality happen, which is a real true testament to a solid film. Some great scenes, I actually really liked the computer scene, pretty relatable as I know a lot of people who are old who have had to adjust to this new way of doing things in life. And I loved when Johns asked the guy to defrost the computer. Nice humor in an otherwise fairly serious film.

The ending felt pretty abrupt, which was my decision maker on not actually loving the film. I would have preferred the film to be a bit longer, if I'm honest, but still real good.

+



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
That works well for me. I’m going on vacation starting next Friday for 8 days and I’ll be out of town as a result. I won’t get any knocked off during that time.
I did watch The Last Picture show but I want to really think about what I want to write about it.
Expect a review sometime tonight
Tonight is over

Sorry, just looking forward to the review!



The trick is not minding
The last Picture Show

Abilene, Texas is a dying town of quiet desperation. If you don’t get out while you’re young, you never will. That seems to be the thought anyways. It’s a sentiment shared by many, however.
The wives are unhappy, stuck in unfulfilling marriages. Or bored, since there isn’t much to do. So they have affairs.
It’s a fascinating look into these lives that inhabit this dying town.
It’s the performances that make this film. Watching it again 10 years later I’m struck by the performances more then I had been originally.
The story centers around a groups of teenagers. There isn’t much to do except go to the local cinema, the cafe or the pool hall. All are owned by Sam the Lion. A man of great stature. He’s tied to the town in an inexplicable way.
TLP populates this town with interesting characters like Sam the Lion. And it’s the interactions between them that is so captivating.
And when the cinema closes, there’s a sense of what’s equivalent to a funeral. They know it’s only a matter of time before it’s all gone.
After watching it, I was struck by this so much that I wanted to rewatch it again. Such was its pull.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I didn't make an official deadline. Seems we are all doing well. How about July 20th? A month and 5 days?
PERFECT
I watched Blue Ruin last night, pretty good film, and will try to get a review up tonight or tomorrow night.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
The last Picture Show

Abilene, Texas is a dying town of quiet desperation. If you don’t get out while you’re young, you never will. That seems to be the thought anyways. It’s a sentiment shared by many, however.
The wives are unhappy, stuck in unfulfilling marriages. Or bored, since there isn’t much to do. So they have affairs.
It’s a fascinating look into these lives that inhabit this dying town.
It’s the performances that make this film. Watching it again 10 years later I’m struck by the performances more then I had been originally.
The story centers around a groups of teenagers. There isn’t much to do except go to the local cinema, the cafe or the pool hall. All are owned by Sam the Lion. A man of great stature. He’s tied to the town in an inexplicable way.
TLP populates this town with interesting characters like Sam the Lion. And it’s the interactions between them that is so captivating.
And when the cinema closes, there’s a sense of what’s equivalent to a funeral. They know it’s only a matter of time before it’s all gone.
After watching it, I was struck by this so much that I wanted to rewatch it again. Such was its pull.
Glad you enjoyed it!