The Personal Recommendation Hall of Fame IV

Tools    





Memories of Murder,does not sound like my type of movie.
It is a complex and thoughtful portrayal of a real-life series of murders taking place during a cultural overhaul.

I think it's a very, very high-quality film. I have a hard time imagining anyone disliking it. It is true that there is violence, but it is not exploitative or excessive.

First of all, I need to explain the way I interpreted Wiesler's character and his actions. I personally don't necessarily buy into him becoming infatuated with Dreyman as much as I think he's fallen in love with the love between Drey and Christa. He has never seen a love with such force, purity, and intensity before. It's something he's never had, and probably never will. He's jealous of it of course, but at the same time he wants to preserve and protect it by all means necessary. I find that way more compelling than just him becoming in love with the writer because of his ideals, personality, and art.
To be clear, my use of the word "love" was meant more in the sense of him being in love with the idea of Dreyman. So many films that involve an element of voyeurism tend to bring in the idea of erotic obsession or attachment. I liked that in this film, the voyeur has actually discovered a person who is like a rare butterfly or something. In a government that is policing expression and ideas, this spy has discovered ideas and expression that ignite his imagination. I agree with you that a big part of it is the dynamic between Dreyman and Christa, but I saw it as more about Dreyman's overall passion and not just his romantic passion.



I think Memories Of A Murder might be too stylized for CR’s taste. Edited a little off kilter as well.

Watch it and report back Citizen



I think Memories Of A Murder might be too stylized for CR’s taste. Edited a little off kilter as well.

Watch it and report back Citizen
Stylized is OK, see my write up for Paris, Texas. But I have to watch these with my wife and serial rape & murder is not a popular theme in our house



Stylized is OK, see my write up for Paris, Texas. But I have to watch these with my wife and serial rape & murder is not a popular theme in our house
The content is handled with compassion and empathy. None of the assaults or murders are shown.

It has some really memorable sequences, and there is one visual part in particular that I find really beautiful and powerful.



Stylized is OK, see my write up for Paris, Texas. But I have to watch these with my wife and serial rape & murder is not a popular theme in our house
Hmm, trying the think if I consider Paris, Texas stylized. Definitely not in the same way.

I hear you on the violence but I can promise you we have more graphic movies than this in almost every HOF.



I’m thinking stylized more in the sense that it’s trying to set a tone of modern genre. More like a Tarantino, or something like that.



The content is handled with compassion and empathy. None of the assaults or murders are shown.

It has some really memorable sequences, and there is one visual part in particular that I find really beautiful and powerful.
Plus it has that unique Bong mixture of drama and thrills with a bit of quirk and offbeat humor.
__________________
Check out my podcast: The Movie Loot!



The content is handled with compassion and empathy. None of the assaults or murders are shown.

It has some really memorable sequences, and there is one visual part in particular that I find really beautiful and powerful.
Thanks and that helps...

The part in blue is important to how I relate to films (that's why I like 1950s movies!). However the first part in green doesn't really effect me much. I think you said the same to me about the killings/violence in In a Glass Cage, and for me a moral motive doesn't matter, it's the extreme acts of violence I don't like...even if that violence has a moral compass.



I’m thinking stylized more in the sense that it’s trying to set a tone of modern genre. More like a Tarantino, or something like that.
Um, well...we all know how I feel about Tarantino



Have you seen any other Bong film?
2 of them, I'd also like to see Parasite.

My old reviews:

The Host (2006)
I liked this one. It wasn't what I expected...I expected a 2 hour long movie with people being bit in half by a giant creature. Instead it had a lighter touch and focused more on a slightly dysfunctional but very likable Korean family. The film makers could have left the creature out of the film and I would have still liked the characters and the way the family interacted, the were interesting! It was nice seeing scenes inside Korea too.

The creature itself was pretty cool looking...I liked the way it moved on land, it couldn't walk well and would occasionally fall on it's belly. Nicely done CG.


Snowpiercer (2013)
This film was not my cup of tea. It varies from a deadpan gloomy Walking Dead wanna be film to a zany, colorful film with ecliptic charters reminiscent of Brazil (1985) and A Boy and His Dog (1975). With this hodge-podge style of film making, it failed to be believable. Once I fell out of the story line I became bored. There's not much in the way of inspired acting as it's a story based film and the story wasn't focused.



Regarding Bong, I've only seen three of his films (The Host, Snowpiercer, Parasite), but I love all of those films a great deal. I should watch Memories of Murder someday.
__________________
IMDb
Letterboxd



Thanks and that helps...

The part in blue is important to how I relate to films (that's why I like 1950s movies!). However the first part in green doesn't really effect me much. I think you said the same to me about the killings/violence in In a Glass Cage, and for me a moral motive doesn't matter, it's the extreme acts of violence I don't like...even if that violence has a moral compass.
I find that my tolerance for violence is greater when there is empathy in its portrayal. There is some violence in the film: between the police officers and also between the police officers and some suspects that they are torturing to get a confession.

I still think that it is a masterful film with, as Thief says, a powerful blend of thriller, drama, and comedy elements. Tarantino isn't really someone I think of when I think of it, but I think I get what Sean means when he talks about the film bringing a modern aesthetic.



Stylized is OK, see my write up for Paris, Texas. But I have to watch these with my wife and serial rape & murder is not a popular theme in our house
Nothing is ever shown in Memories of Murder. I'm very careful about what I nominate for you (I pulled my first nom for you this time around because there were two scenes, not terribly graphic, but close enough) and there isn't anything here that would throw up a red flag. You may not like the movie but it wouldn't be because of violence or anything like that. There's nothing here that is in the same world/universe as In a Glass Cage (I'm still in disbelief over that nomination) and I didn't get a Tarantino flavor from Memories at all. It's very good.



I find that my tolerance for violence is greater when there is empathy in its portrayal. There is some violence in the film: between the police officers and also between the police officers and some suspects that they are torturing to get a confession.

I still think that it is a masterful film with, as Thief says, a powerful blend of thriller, drama, and comedy elements. Tarantino isn't really someone I think of when I think of it, but I think I get what Sean means when he talks about the film bringing a modern aesthetic.
I do appreciate your insight into Memories of Murder, thanks I probably won't watch it unless someone chooses it for me, or it gets nominated in an HoF...then we'll see what I think

Nothing is ever shown in Memories of Murder. I'm very careful about what I nominate for you (I pulled my first nom for you this time around because there were two scenes, not terribly graphic, but close enough) and there isn't anything here that would throw up a red flag. You may not like the movie but it wouldn't be because of violence or anything like that. There's nothing here that is in the same world/universe as In a Glass Cage (I'm still in disbelief over that nomination) and I didn't get a Tarantino flavor from Memories at all. It's very good.
I appreciate that. Can you say what that nom was?





Persona (1966)

Sister Alma: No! I'm not like you. I don't feel like you. I'm Sister Alma, I'm just here to help you. I'm not Elisabet Vogler. You are Elisabet Vogler.

Persona. Hmmm. It starts off with a montage of a movie projector firing up, a few quick cuts of stuff, a bon... Ah, nevermind, Anyway, what you are about to see is a FILM.

Alma is a nurse. She is tasked with watching over Elisabet at the summer home of Elizabets' Dr.. Elisabet was an actress but had some kind of breakdown on stage and is now mute. So the entire movie is Alma talking to Elisabet. Telling her all her secrets, rummaging around in her past until Elizabet does something that sets Alma off. So that's the plot.

I mean, really, how does someone filter through everything Bergman throws at you in one viewing and come away with anything more than a surface level understanding. I have my thoughts but they could change the next time I watch it or they could be reinforced. I rarely do this before writing up a little something about a movie but I looked up some WTF is Persona about articles. Every one of them had a different take and almost every one I was kind of like, yep, I can see that. So if all these scholars, people who study film for a living, can't figure it out wtf am I going to do with it?

This is only the third film from Bergman that I've seen. It's not my fav (The Virgin Spring) but it's not my least fav. One thing I'm getting used to with Bergman films is that his films are going to look spectacular. Framing a shot, what to put in the shot it's all perfect. I liked that he used a lot of close ups. And not just close ups, this isn't just a big face on the screen but SHOTS. And lots of them. Few movies utilize close ups this well. Right now the only ones coming to mind are Repulsion and The Passion of Joan of Ark and Bergmans are better. You have a character that doesn't say anything so how do you convey anything? Expressions. Both actresses were very good. I think Alma does more of the heavy lifting, obviously - she talks, but if it was all bouncing off a mannequin it wouldn't work. If you want to say it's the other way around I wouldn't argue, much. Bergman also throws a bunch of what I guess would be pretty experimental ideas for the time on screen and they all work. You can see the influence this film has had on a lot of directors.

I don't know what else to say. I really enjoyed it. Maybe not the right word but it was very good. Paused it for a break (those damn enchiladas!... (just kidding)) and was like, holy sheet, there's only 15 minutes left? It flew by. The first Bergman I ever watched was The Seventh Seal. Probably not the best one to start with so maybe it's time to revisit that one after getting a couple more under my belt. Gonna be a logjam at the top of my ballot.



2 of them, I'd also like to see Parasite.

My old reviews:

The Host (2006)
I liked this one. It wasn't what I expected...I expected a 2 hour long movie with people being bit in half by a giant creature. Instead it had a lighter touch and focused more on a slightly dysfunctional but very likable Korean family. The film makers could have left the creature out of the film and I would have still liked the characters and the way the family interacted, the were interesting! It was nice seeing scenes inside Korea too.

The creature itself was pretty cool looking...I liked the way it moved on land, it couldn't walk well and would occasionally fall on it's belly. Nicely done CG.


Snowpiercer (2013)
This film was not my cup of tea. It varies from a deadpan gloomy Walking Dead wanna be film to a zany, colorful film with ecliptic charters reminiscent of Brazil (1985) and A Boy and His Dog (1975). With this hodge-podge style of film making, it failed to be believable. Once I fell out of the story line I became bored. There's not much in the way of inspired acting as it's a story based film and the story wasn't focused.
Okja is the only film of his I haven't seen, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of the others. I haven't seen Snowpiercer in a while (it was my first of his films), but I think that one's actually the "outlier" among his filmography.



I mean, really, how does someone filter through everything Bergman throws at you in one viewing and come away with anything more than a surface level understanding.
I love Persona, but it took a second viewing for it to sink in. One of those films that I felt the urge to rewatch almost immediately. Went back at it about a week or two after my first viewing and this was my take.

Persona



Yeah. The Untouchables.
I suspect I'd love that, I've wanted to see it for years. I'd be fine with that.

It's hard to describe just what one doesn't like in a movie. I can say that I don't like 'excessive violence', but what is 'excessive violence' to me?
Mostly I'd say it's movies made in the last 10 years where the violence is palatable and much of the movie is about watching helpless victims suffer. That's why I don't do slasher horror films.