ScarletLion's Movie Log

Lukas Moodyson's drama about sexual awakening and young lust is a real giver. So many realistic moments that just resonate with both being a misunderstood teenager but also very mature themes that haven't dated at all since it's release almost 20 years ago.Really recommended.





A satirical look at the absurdity of war. Fantastic script. Great acting by the two leads and a strong message sent out that during war there rarely any winners, blame is sought at every turn and everyone is always out to gain something, even those who try to keep peace. The final shot alone is worth seeing.

Show Me Love is a favorite of mine. Have you seen Lilya 4-ever, also by Moodysson?

Yes, the only reason I watched Show me Love was because I enjoyed Lilya-4ever so much. It really got to me. Both are very very good. I wasn't fussed on 'Mammoth' that much though.

I have 'Together' and 'We are the best' to watch soon. Really looking forward to them. He's a director that seems to have lost none of his integrity and creative self since his early days.

I remember when I watched this movie for the first time. I was astonished from the first scene in the fog to the last in the trenches. Serious topic given in light form.
My rating 4.5. Deserve for the oscar definitively

We Are the Best doesn't even feel like one of his films. It's pretty tame by comparison, I felt. Together is very realistic.

I actually have Lilya 4-ever, Show Me Love, and Mammoth on dvd. Lilya 4-ever is actually my favorite movie ever. No other film changed the way I understand cinema more.

Show Me Love and No Mans Land look great so adding both to my watch list.

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Too weird to live, and too rare to die.

Yes, it's rather topical! It's easy to get completely hooked on these 2 or 3 characters and you simply have to find out what will happen to them.

Glad you liked Good Time. That movie blew me away. I'll have to check out, The Rover.

Let me know what you think of The Rover. There is one scene in particular that is just heartwrenchingly brilliant acting from Pattinson.

Exactly. I supose that's why the last scene is so acquring.

This came highly recommended, but it just didn't do it for me. I love some of studio Ghibli's output but The Red Turtle was just a leap too far into the fantasy world. After the first act you're left with the feeling that literally anything can happen. Which is really the sort of movie I usually have trouble getting invested in. It's more or less a cautionary tale of hunmans and their interaction with nature / the cycle of life. Perhaps it would have worked better as a 30 minute short. Interesting for certain, and very beautiful to look at. But not one I'd shout about from the rooftops about.

Kieslowski's second in the Three Colours trilogy is far more "fantastical" than the first. The theme of white, (which relates to the equal treatment of others in French flag terms) is constant throughout the film. Scenes fade to white, wedding dresses, snow, cigarettes, curtains, white sculptures and doves all feature. Most of which are undoubtedly purposefully framed to symbolise the theme and make us think exactly what the film is trying to tell us. There are also comedic elements in this movie which I don't recall were used in "Blue". So immediately, the tonal shift from the first film is evident.

The mention of the Polish economy made me wonder whether there was an underlying theme of how / if Europe treats its constituents fairly, with marriage representing the European Union, but that may be me over-analyzing it.


What struck me was the way Kieslowski uses sounds as well as images - most notably the sound of the doves taking flight - even when they are not on screen, presumably to keep us thinking about the theme of fairness all the time. It's easy enough to think about the film as a type of revenge film, but I think it goes a level above that and makes us think what lengths we would go to in order to restore peace / balance / equality.

The performances were fine, although I find myself constantly comparing any turn in this trilogy to Juliette Binoche in Blue as it was such a good performance. Binoche also has a cameo in "White" - which makes you wonder if this is a "single trilogy universe"?

Overall I enjoyed "white" but not as much as "Blue". On to red next.....


7.5/10

Glad you enjoyed 'White', I did too but not as much as either 'Red' or 'Blue'. Look forward to seeing your thunks on 'Red' when you've watched it....

Love Show Me Love. White was pretty good but i didn't like it anywhere near as much as Blue or especially Red.

'Mommy Dead and Dearest' (2017)



Interesting if disturbing 80 minute documentary about an extremely disfunctional mother - daughter relationship that ends in tragedy and deceit. Well worth checking out but.

7/10

Sounds interesting. I'll check that out.


Also interested to hear your thoughts on Color Red.

Red is the only one of the trilogy I've seen. It was beautiful. I really need to watch the other two colors.

Red is my favourite of the three but you really should watch them all Zotis.

Ki-Duk Kim is rapidly becoming one of my favourite directors.This is only my 4th film by Kim but all are completely engrossing. 'Time' delves into the insecurity of relationships and the fate of modern identities; and is essentially a drama but borders on sci-fi at times. It's a very intelligent look at how modern youngsters are expecting their relationships to be just like everything else in their lives - instant, perfect and "switchoffable". But life isn't like that. The film is quite jovial and outlandish in tone despite some unhappy undercurrents, with the ending giving us a rather unexpected 'twist' of sorts. But it ties together this theme of time / perception / disposition being fixed and something that is not versatile.

The surreal quality that Kim uses makes us drift into this almost fable like movie. Although it's a relatively simple concept, it's hard to imagine any other industry would have produced this as well as the Asian film industry. Pedro Almodovar is the only other modern film-maker that I think could churn out something as well put together.

It was difficult to locate a copy of this movie, and it has never been given a blue ray release, which is a shame as some of the visuals are beautiful; especially those scenes in the sculpture park. But I'd recommend this film to anybody who likes Asian cinema and anybody who likes to be made to think a little.

8.5/10

Aronofsky is one of the finest film-makers around. One of those directors that I'd make a point of seeing whatever he puts out. A film like 'Mother!' is bound to divide audiences, especially with a third act so off the wall as this. But Aronofsky deserves credit for convincing major studios to make films that are not your typical straight up drama / horror / thrillers.



I'm not sure 'Mother!' is quite as good as Requiem or The Fountain, but then those two are absolutely superb films, so Aronofsky will have to go some way to beating his previous best. But I hope he continues to try.

8/10