Movie Tab II

Inception (Nolan)

Christopher Nolan falls down the plot hole.



What nonsense, nothing but manic behavior, and endless psycho-babble about the horror/sci-fi rules. Does anything that happens here really matter or can you just go deeper into the dream to change the rules? Why not go down to the forth level and plant the idea in his DNA?

The bad guys are the worst shots ever, or are they really shooting? This would explain why professional gunman can rain bullets for 148 minutes and only get one hit. At least in The Matrix they dodged the bullets. But why expend any unnecessary energy? They will just miss. The van should have looked like this.

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Warning graphic violence

In the end I was left with a lot of questions. Has Nolan seen Dreamscape, Brainstorm, Videodrome?

Is he a MC Escher fan?



Rene Magritte?



Was the film real or a dream? Did I watch it in a theater or did the theater watch it inside me? Why do fools fall in the love? The Stuff, are you eating it ...or is it eating you?

Oh wait a minute...



... now I understand man.

Hey Loner, I was gonna reply to your post, but it occurs to me it might make sense to move it into the Inception thread first. Any objection?

Loner, I lawled. Great post, man.

Your website green one.

I am WAY behind at work, so I have to keep it short for now:

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Siegel, 1956)



I'm a big fan of the 1978 version, but I hadn't seen the original! Fantastic stuff, for sure, although I still prefer the '78 ending.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Kaufman, 1978)



So, now I have seen the original - I still prefer this one, personally, even though I recognize Sielgel's version as the definitive Invasion flick. I like the minimal synth score and the overall atmosphere in the 1978 version, and as I mentioned above, the ending is aces.

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Unfortunately the Studio forced Siegel to tack on the opening and closing scenes of the '56 version. The original ending was, appropriately, Miles screaming like a madman on the highway as the truck rolled on toward the city. But the ending of the Kaufman version, which ups the ante considerably, is amazing and a classic in its own right.

And how cool is McCarthy's cameo as he slams into Sutherland's car, now that you've finally seen the original?

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

District 9



It starts off slow, with a pretend documentary style that doesn't really work (it sometimes pops up later in the film) because it is so blatant about the set-up of the film being an analogy for apartheid. It's set in South Africa- you don't need to spell it out for us.

So as an analogy, it's a little self-conscious. Although my attention waned at times, the film is inventive and clearly the filmakers have thought about the details- it works on a dystopic sci-fi level. The 'prawns' (the humans' derogatory name for the aliens) are sweet in a way and I genuinely felt sorry for them. I didn't care so much for the human guy who was some sort of government worker.

So my verdict- as a political analogy, it feels too self-conscious; as a science-fiction dystopia, it works.


Maurice




The film is based on an EM Forster novel that was written in 1913 but was unpublished until 1960 because it openly and positively dealt with homosexuality. It's all very well-acted- its small faults are not down to the actors.

The story's sort of a cross: Part 1 is very much like Brideshead Revisited- two young men fall in love at Cambridge, although the nature of that love varies between the two. Part 2 is Lady Chatterley's (or Lord Chatterley's) Lover- Maurice is awakened by a working-class servant. And yes, there is full-frontal nudity.
James Wilby gives a sensitive portrayal of Maurice. Often when straight actors play gay roles, it seems to be of the Brideshead nature but Wilby conveys the sexual nature effectively without it coming across as pornographic or an attempt to exploit it for his film career (unfortuantely I haven't seen him in anything recently) In a rare serious role, Hugh Grant plays Clive, Maurice's first love who insists on a non-sexual relationship. Grant's actually very good in this and you do genuinely feel sorry for the character as well as the actor- he's never had another serious role like this and probably never will. Mellors, the gamekeeper- I mean, Scudder, the servant- is played by Rupert Graves, with an adorable accent, and he's very good too. Just adorable Out of the three main roles, this is probably the hardest to play: Alec as a character is not as complex as Maurice and Clive and the film is slanted towards Clive's relationship with Maurice- Alec only really comes in near the end. The fact that Graves manages to overcome the obstacles is impressive, especially as he was only 23- the scene when he looks through Maurice's window...just wonderful.

I'd also like a special mention for Mark Tandy, who plays Lord Risley, a fellow student who is jailed for 'indecency'. He really gives a poignancy to such a small role and the court scene is pivotal to the change in Clive.

Were it not for strong performances, the film may not have worked; although one must applaud Forster for giving a portrayal of a gay man whose life doesn't end in doom, it's not that strong a work. The filmmakers have clearly had to make adjustments. There's quite a long bit about Maurice debating whether he's gay or not and he goes to see a doctor and for therapy...although this may be of interest to gay viewers or viewers interested in attitudes towards homosexuality in the 1910's, it dragged the pace. We know Maurice is gay so the scenes are redundant- sure, perhaps there should be a few scenes where Maurice feels confused but there was too much. Clearly it was important to show Edwardian society's rejection of homosexuality in order to explain why the relationships are so difficult and to add dramatic tension but the court scene is enough. Ivory ought to have had more confidance in the dramatic effect of that- think of the early scene in Another Country. That just says it all.

That's the second fault. It's a Merchant-Ivory production and it suffers from those two faults- slow pacing and historical fetishes. The period is evoked nicely but there's too many slow scenes where we're really just staring at the pretty rooms or the pretty outfits, etc., instead of getting on with the story. Were it not for these long scenes cluttering up the drama, I'd give the film 4 stars, maybe even more.

I would recommend the film though, particularly for gay viewers who like a happy ending (although there's a little sadness about one character) and/or are interested in the attitudes and aesthetic of the time. And yes, that woman talking when Maurice is playing cricket is Helena Bonham Carter, in a little cameo.

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You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)

I haven't thought of ratings for all of these yet but here's my viewing since last time I was in this thread. I'll try and do write-ups for at least some of these, if anyone has any in particular that they want to hear my thoughts on, let me know.

Trust (Hartley, 1990)
Fist of the North Star (1986)
Violence Jack, Part 3: Slum King (1990)
Violence Jack, Part 1: Evil Town (1988)
Flashdance (Lyne, 1983)
Pirate Radio (Curtis, 2009)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (Herzog, 2009)
The Killer Inside Me (Winterbottom, 2010)
Twilight: Eclipse (Slade, 2010)
Bringing Up Baby (Hawks, 1938)
Iron Man 2 (Favreau, 2010)
Get Him to the Greek (Stoller, 2010)
Inception (Nolan, 2010)

Leaves of Grass


Tim Blake Nelson is an up and coming director whose work until now had been received well critically but didn't manage to make an impact at the box office. By snagging Edward Norton to play the lead role(s) in Leaves of Grass he may be able to change that.

The movie centres around twins, Bill & Brady who lead very different lives. Whilst both are geniuses in their own right, they've chosen to use their brains in very different ways. Bill is a renowned professor who has been offered a job at Harvard, whilst Brady makes a living by growing and selling top quality marijuana. When he runs into trouble with a local drug lord he finds a way to lure Bill back to Oklahoma to help him deal with his problems.

Edward Norton as usual is brilliant with his handling of both roles and when Brady and Bill are seen together it really seems like Norton has found his perfect co-star. In this film he strays away from his slightly stereotyped roles as a crazy, violent man (American History-X, Fight Club, Primal Fear) and does so by showcasing his great range in this leading role. The story of the film is nowhere near as intense as some of Norton's previous roles and one of the downsides is the shoddy special effects used when showing the twins together. My sister commented that it reminded her of the same technology used to generate two Lindsay Lohans (god forbid) in Parent Trap.

Tim Blake Nelson wrote, directed and acts as the main supporting actor in Leaves of Grass. The script and directing at some points reminded me of a Coen Brothers movie with the quick and unexpected violence and some decent dialogue between the twins. Whilst primarily being a comedy, Leaves of Grass does switch genres and tones throughout and what we are left with is a movie that slightly lacks in edginess but shows the potential that Nelson has.


The Hurt Locker

Hurt Locker veers away from the general formula followed by war movies that would be classed as Action or Drama flicks. Kathryn Bigelow shows that it is possible to make a war thriller that is packed with tension without making it a movie that merely glorifies the violence of war. I literally spent the majority of the film on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next explosion or gunshot, as I'm sure many of you did.

Some people I have met have argued that the film has no real story to it. I on the other hand believe it is a simple story about a team of bomb defusal experts finishing their tour of Iraq and trying to get the whole team back in one piece, much like the mini-series Generation Kill. On the surface it is a simple story about the good guys against the bad guys and the lack of a political motive behind the movie is refreshing. The Hurt Locker has some of the most intense scenes I have seen in recent memory and this is in no small part due to Bigelow's excellent directing.

The Hurt Locker is well crafted and will leave many people on the edge of their seats and exhausted by the time the end credits roll round. I for one felt almost drained after watching it. However, whilst suspense is built up excellently in this film, the characters and setting are also equally well developed. The audience at points almost feel like they are in Iraq with the bomb disposal squad. Despite the appearance of actors such as Guy Pearce, the majority of the film largely lacks any big name stars which works well to keep the audience focussed on what is going on and to helps them appreciate this masterpiece in film-making.


A Serious Man

If I've learnt one thing over the many years I have been watching movies, it's that the Coen Brothers can never be accused of making the same kind of movie over and over again. With A Serious Man, Joel and Ethan yet again prove they are the masters of versatility and constantly test themselves and succeed with flying colours. As a big fan of their work, every Coen Bros film I have seen has hit the spot and that is the case with A Serious Man as well.

Similarly to the previous film I reviewed, the Coens shy away from big name A-list actors for their latest feature. The only recognisable faces were “that guy with the annoying face from Mad About You” (Richard Kind) and “that Nazi from Sons of Anarchy” (Adam Arkin). Whilst the leading actor Michael Stuhlbarg has made his name on stage, he has no significant experience in films. However, he along with the rest of the cast are excellent. Like The Hurt Locker, small name actors help the Coens to set the scene very well.

The movie is a modern day version of the Book of Job and the Coens clearly have a message they want to deliver with this film. Like their previous work, A Serious Man has as much going on beneath everything as there is going on on the surface. What starts off as a fairly straightforward plot quickly twists and turns into a movie that only the Coens could make work. Without a proper ending, the movie leaves the audience to make their own conclusions on what happens. Undoubtedly some will be pessimistic whilst others will be optimistic with their own ideas on what happened to all the characters and I have a sneaky feeling that's exactly what the Coen brothers wanted. Whilst not being their best movie, A Serious Man is a very good film and I wait with bated breathe for what these two geniuses have in store for us next.

A terrific ensemble of actors all have great chemistry, which I think is what adds a special touch to this movie. The relationships are portrayed great. The characters are enjoyable to watch and are probably the best part of the writing even though the script is pretty good. The idea is so intriguing and Schumacher's direction adds a chill factor I think. It probably would've been better if my little sister hadn't told me everyone's sins first.

Flatliners: ++



I really didn't have an interest in seeing this but my mom picked it, and I must say if she had picked something else, I wouldn't be disappointed. I think Will Smith is talented, but he's playing the common tortured soul mostly the same way I've seen him play others. The storyline is interesting, but I was making a lot of predictions and piecing things together a little more quickly than I should have. It's a better love story for any romance lovers. If you enjoy inspiring and do good works dramas, this is good for that. Overall, that was probably its most redeeming quality and it gets an "eh, not bad" from me.

Seven Pounds: +



Worthy sequel of the classic because you can't really expect it to be as good. I mean seriously, it's Jaws. The returning leads are great and the additions provide solid support. The plot's about the same as the first, but never-the-less entertaining. There were a few just plain annoying teenage kid moments, but watch it to complete the worthy part of the Jaws series.

Jaws 2:



I didn't feel like I wasted two hours on this movie, but if I had spent my two hours doing just about anything else, I wouldn't regret it. A big problem for me: the movie practically starts out saying that Brad Pitt was old enough to fight in Vietnam. They did manage to cover up this up by never really showing "present-day" Brad Pitt. When they did, he was pretty beat-up so correcting the age gap passed okay. Robert Redford's created a very cool character here. The script is great, but the direction didn't feel very original. I think some things could've been better explained or further explored. However, it never lost my attention and I was certainly in it until the end. Acting can't be complained about either with Redford and Pitt leading the cast.

Spy Game:



I definately spent more time waiting for Kiefer Sutherland to have a line and looking for "Argyle" from Die Hard (It takes to long to spell his real name) than I did laughing. Neil Simon has a knack for screen-writing in that his scripts don't always make me laugh out loud, but they make me smile and chuckle. The story is heartfelt, as might be expected. Don't look for suspense here although the plot could've provided it. The actors add a great deal of charm and a "comfy" feel to the film. It's just one for a rainy day to make you smile.

Max Dugan Returns:

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Trust (Hartley, 1990)

Good early film by Hartley, which is one of his more character-centric and thus "normal" efforts. I'd have to rewatch Simple Men and a couple others but this is probably in my top five (after Amateur and No Such Thing) of his movies.

+



Fist of the North Star (1986)

The first half of this juvenile post-apocalyptic epic manga-adaptation is one of the most entertaining stretches of cinema ever made, if your currency for hilarity is cartoon head explosions, ridiculous scale-inconsistencies and just overall creative (though entirely formulaic) mayhem. The second half is definitely a letdown, but still...



Violence Jack, Part 3: Slum King (1990)
Violence Jack, Part 1: Evil Town (1988)

Ultra-schlocky anime in the Fist of the North Star vein but without half the imagination or style. The first part gets an extra point for some truly tasteless transsexual cannibalism. Go Go Nagai.



Iron Man 2 (Favreau, 2010)

I haven't seen the first one but if, like me, you've been wanting to see Tony Stark get drunk and pee in his Iron Man suit, this is where you should start. The rest of the movie is pretty entertaining too.



and here's the rest:

Inception (Nolan, 2010) +
Bringing Up Baby (Hawks, 1938)
Flashdance (Lyne, 1983) +
Pirate Radio (Curtis, 2009) -
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (Herzog, 2009)
The Killer Inside Me (Winterbottom, 2010) -
Twilight: Eclipse (Slade, 2010)
Get Him to the Greek (Stoller, 2010) +

Watership Down


Don't let this cute picture deceive you. The novel the film is based on can be read by both children and adults; it has grown-up themes (it's basically an allegory for WW2) but the novel deals with them sensibly and sensitively.

Alas, the film does not. Although Watership Down did not shy away from the troubles the rabbits faced, it was certainly not as grisly and horrible as this film. The fight scenes are unnecessarily bloody and the rabbits writhe in pain (google image 'watership down' and you'll see what I mean)

Even some adults would probably be surprised at the violence of the film. It seems that the director was unsure whether he was making a children's film (the song Bright Eyes is mawkish and the rabbits are cute, though the animation is poor, and for some bizarre reason it's certificated U) or a gritty adult film, 'Quentin Tarentino for kids', as one Amazon reviewer dubbed it. Steer clear of The Plague Dogs film adaptation if you are squeamish- a man accidentally shoots himself in the face and his face is covered in dripping blood. Surprisingly, it's rated a PG.

The book is far more complex than this film would have you suggest. It gets one star for the story, which is pretty faithful to the book, and one star for the good voices.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes(2007)- Ok when a friend told me about this movie he thought it was a documentary and that they are showing the actual murders when I started watching the movie it feels disturbing but halfway trough the movie I decided to check about this killer and it turned out that its just a mockumentary and pretty well crafted one it still feels kind of sick but knowing its a movie and its just not the same

I was always transfixed by Watership Down as a kid. I can still see the stylised mythic opening now, and the visceralness of the rabbit's struggle (who thought that'd work? ) made the story gripping. Made it feel important/real too.

The animation is pretty ropey in general looking back, but hey, kids like 'nature' stuff, blood, being scared, rooting for heroes, and fluffy things. Not sure what the best age to watch it would be tho. Definitely too scarey for the little'uns.

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Virtual Reality chatter on a movie site? Got endless amounts of it here. Reviews over here

The King Of Kong: A Fistfull Of Quarters

A documentary about a mans quest to hold the high score in Donkey Kong, and the previous record holders quest to hold onto the score. I just watched this on netflix instant, and man I loved it. It is easily one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. I wanted Steve Wiebe to win. I felt connected to him and his family. This is one that I'd heard about for a long time and never got around to watching until now. Great stuff. Highly recommended.

The Thing (1982)



Yes, it has taken me this long to get around to watching this sci-fi/horror classic. I was slightly traumatised by a particularly gory clip I saw some years ago and kept putting it off but it came on tv the other week and I decided to get over myself and just watch it. With my hands over my face at some points, I'll admit. It was too gory for my tatses, but everything else about it, the setting, the premise, the growing panic and paranoia among the team members was all excellent, gripping stuff. The scene with the blood testing particularly.



In the Heat of the Night (1967)



Sometimes you just know a film's going to be good from the opening credits - perhaps this is an illusion, like love at first sight, nothing more than a postiive initial feeling backed up by later positive feelings, perhaps there are just as many films with good openings that turn out to be dull that we forget. But I had the same feeling from the start of this as I did with Dog Day Afternoon, and the rest of the film didn't disappoint. You know what this film's about so I won't go into plot details. I was quite shocked at the racism, more than I expected. (And also the casual way people go around slapping each other, was this really what the sixties was like?). Rod Steiger's performance really is excellent and as a murder mystery and a character piece it really is satisfying.



Sherlock Holmes (2009)



I was gripped with a sudden desire to watch this film ahead of the BBC 'modern Holmes' adaptation shown on tv last Sunday, so bought the dvd and watched it on Saturday. And I enjoyed it immensely. It's utterly daft, of course, but it's fun. It could have done with a few fewer fist fights and a bit more deduction, at times there's almost little to make it Sherlock Holmes rather than any other period action-adventure (not that there's many of those, I suppose). There was something a little comic book about it, but I didn't mind that at all. This is the first movie with Jude Law in it that I can recall having actually liked, pretty as he is he's often rather dire - perhaps the moustache helped his acting ability. The Watson/Holmes dynamic is great, lots of sparky banter, much more interesting and convincing to watch than the Holmes/Iren Adler sideline, although I think I'd have liked her a little better if she'd done a bit more scheming and a bit less swooning after Holmes and getting all teary. The mystery's preposterous but it's somehow fitting. Nicely open-ended and I do hope there's a sequel.



Inception (2010)



I don't really want to say too much about this as it really is the kind of film that is better the less you know about it. It's good, I was entertained for the full 2 1/2 hours and while it's not without flaws I certainly didn't feel my intelligence was being insulted as in some blockbusters (*cough*Avatar*cough*). It's an interesting concept and it looks fairly good. There's a bit of humour, mostly a bit of bickering between Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's characters, but I think it really could have done with a bit more to really make it the sort of film that will live in people's affections on subsequent viewings. If Nolan had spent more time really exploring the possibilities of imagination and dreams and less time watching The Matrix it could have been really spectacular. But as it is it's good, slick, entertaining and well worth watching.

Another Country




I'm a sucker for schoolboy stories- maybe because I went to an all-girls school. Anyhow, a young Rupert Everett stars as Guy Bennett (both Guy as an old man and Guy as a 17 year old). Guy is a Russian spy being interviewed in the 80's and asked about his schooldays, the experiences of which left him disillusioned with his country. Flashback to the 1930's and a private school a bit like Eton but not Eton...

A young Colin Firth plays Tommy Judd, Guy's best friend who is in love with Communism and who appears to be the only straight boy in the school (bar the first-years. It's rather a stretch to believe the tiny little first-years are just six years younger than Firth or Everett, who were both in their early to mid twenties). Firth and Everett have great chemistry and I loved all their scenes together.
The school is really run by the student prefects, in particular a fascist one called Fowler, who create an oppressive atmosphere where being openly gay gets you kicked out.

Guy is openly gay but some of his conquests, who are prefects, are less willing to be openly gay, valuing their career futures above honesty. His romance with a fellow pupil is touchingly innocent but the prefects, in particular Fowler, will do anything to keep the blame of themselves.

On one level, the film is a coming-of-age story about a gay boy who realises that honesty is not always the best policy. It beautifully evokes the harshness of a public school environment and the cruelty that those who refuse to fit in face. On another level, the school is a microcosm of English society- Guy would face that condemnation everywhere in England, a fate he slowly comes to realise. 'Another Country' relates to the promise of Russia and Communism and the disillusionment with their own country.

However I would have liked the film to be a little longer and some viewers may find it too much of a leap to believe that Guy having a bad time at school because he is gay would lead him to become a spy and betray his country. But saying that, the play/film isn't trying to give an easy answer. The death of X is clearly also a factor, which gives Guy the political disillusionment needed to betray the country. And even if you still don't believe that Guy would become a spy, this is still a moving tale of the transition from innocence (even their cynicism is just your typical teenage rebellion) to bitterness and disillusionment.

Needless to say, Everett is brilliant in this, and it's nice to see Colin Firth before he was Mr Darcy. The score is also haunting.

Interesting bit of trivia- Everett starred as Guy in the original stage production with Kenneth Branagh as Tommy but a year later, Colin Firth played Guy.

Obsession (De Palma, 1976)

This one is okay, Cliff Robertson's obsession with -- and pursuit of a random woman who looks just like his wife 15-years-dead is pretty creepy and nuts. Just thought I'd mention that I'm also long-overdue to see Vertigo again.

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975, Peter Weir)

5/5

I picked up the new Blu Ray edition recently and still feel slightly unusual...

My stall is getting set out early here in that I think Picnic At Hanging Rock is one of the most beautiful and evocative films ever made. It would sit comfortably in the top 10 of my top 100 if I'd have owned it at the time of writing. Heck, the top 5.

I'm sure that most people have seen the film or at least know of it so I'm mainly gonna talk about the merits of the new transfer.

Old films on HD can go one of three ways -

1. A total restoration job in the manner of the first two Godfather films or Blade Runner.

2. The selection of the best quality original print the studio could find with maybe a little tidying up here and there, such as, from my collection anyway, The Wild bunch or The Searchers.

3. A complete balls-up with the director taking it upon himself to muck about with the source material and ruin the colour. The French Connection, I'm looking sternly at you...

I suspect Picnic At Hanging Rock falls under #2 and, when I first put it into the player, I was ever so slightly let down. Let down, that is, until I popped my DVD (the three disc special edition) in for a quick comparison.

In comparison to the already decent DVD transfer, the BD's picture practically jumped off the screen. Glorious colour with deep, varied shadow and the removal of most of the little artefacts and anomalies which usually distinguish a 35 year old lowish budget film. They've thankfully not done anything about the noticeable film grain because, well, that's just wrong.



The result? Weir's dreamscape is now of the standard I'd have wanted if I'd seen it in the cinema in 1975 - I honestly can't remember if I did or not but, as I was 2, it's probably unlikely.

The clingy, sultry atmosphere of the outback, the beauty of the cast (in particular Helen Morse as the French teacher), the hypnotic score and the perfect pacing of the mystery (Weir's decision to actually leave bits out of the director's cut is completely justified). All of this is amplified.

Heck, even Mrs Mangel looks good.

As a film I don't think I can fault Picnic At Hanging Rock. As a Blu Ray release there's not much to nitpick on either.

Whether on Blu Ray or DVD, file under 'essential'.

Please.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

That movie's awesome.