24th Hall of Fame

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In a Glass Cage

I will say the film is well directed, with intense scenes but I must confess that I don’t know what he was trying to say here. That if consumed by vengeance we are destined to become the very thing we despise?
I don't think that Angelo is consumed by vengeance.

WARNING: spoilers below
It is true that he is abused by Klaus, but it is also true that he becomes obsessed with Klaus and his methods and replicating the power that was taken from him.

I think that is the crucial difference. This is more about Angelo taking the "crown of power" from Klaus by becoming Klaus. His imitation of Klaus is very intentional.

Klaus has dominated Angelo--at first in a literal way, but then for years in his mind. Angelo repeats Klaus's actions, all the way up to being in the iron lung, so that he is now the one who dominates.

I think it's significant that Angelo first makes himself and Klaus "partners" (for example, instructing Klaus to tell the first boy to disrobe)--putting them on equal footing. Then Angelo continues his ascent by fully dominating Klaus, reliving his original abuse with Klaus in his role and Angelo in the role of the abuser.

I think that this is difference than the whole "becoming a monster while fighting monsters" thing. Angelo likes the power he gets from reenacting the crimes. In the name of reclaiming his own power, he does not hesitate to kill innocent children. He has become a monster, yes, but it has been very intentional and not something that has happened through a progressing series of compromises.



The trick is not minding
I don't think that Angelo is consumed by vengeance.

WARNING: spoilers below
It is true that he is abused by Klaus, but it is also true that he becomes obsessed with Klaus and his methods and replicating the power that was taken from him.

I think that is the crucial difference. This is more about Angelo taking the "crown of power" from Klaus by becoming Klaus. His imitation of Klaus is very intentional.

Klaus has dominated Angelo--at first in a literal way, but then for years in his mind. Angelo repeats Klaus's actions, all the way up to being in the iron lung, so that he is now the one who dominates.

I think it's significant that Angelo first makes himself and Klaus "partners" (for example, instructing Klaus to tell the first boy to disrobe)--putting them on equal footing. Then Angelo continues his ascent by fully dominating Klaus, reliving his original abuse with Klaus in his role and Angelo in the role of the abuser.

I think that this is difference than the whole "becoming a monster while fighting monsters" thing. Angelo likes the power he gets from reenacting the crimes. In the name of reclaiming his own power, he does not hesitate to kill innocent children. He has become a monster, yes, but it has been very intentional and not something that has happened through a progressing series of compromises.
WARNING: spoilers below
WARNING: spoilers below

I agree with most of your points, but Angelo very much set out after Klaus for the purpose of vengeance in my mind. For instance,
he re enacts Klaus abuse on him, upon Klaus. He very much seems to have because so consumed that he feels it isn’t enough to kill him, he must usurp his identity.




Sorry. I was geeked thinking about everything you'd love: the practical aspects - the clever use of gadgets.
The gadgets CR.

Also, this "ominous reminder" is, disgustingly, common throughout our history ever since, we, as a living organism, took a shat. So, TRULY, my friend, please forgive me my callous, thick skin about it being any form of: Spoiler Alert! that, such sh#t, is goin down in our backyard.
Yet again
We got our own long list of - - just successful ones alone, nevermind the bloopers.
Which, yeah, has been our country's decent run of X Amount Years Without an Accident.
Hell, the real tragedy is: that we always, ALWAYS take out the truly good ones! And flub up on the crap ones? Seriously. How f@cked up are we??

Now, subsequentially, shall we say, such a situation could be considered as an occasionally-used plot point in a film, that it could be its own sub, sub, a good friend of a sub, genre when discussing - oh, maybe action/drama/etc. etc. etc.


So, um,
Again, forgive me, but,

you know. . . the, um, ya know,
the um, about the. . . gadgets. . . there.
That whole thing. Clever, right? Cool sh#t, that.

Just saying,
To paraphrase from the flick we are discussing in the Personal Rec HoF:
Ed, Ed my friend! I wasn't panning your nom. I don't regret watching it at all. Not the film's fault that it reminded me of recent real world fecal matter hitting the rotating blades of an air cooling device It's been on my watch list for a long time.

I'd rate The Day of The Jackal
- Not a film I'd love but OMG the huge last scene with all those people in the national event, wow talk about staging a spectacular scene. The actor who played the Jackal was really good too. The custom made sniper's rifle was cool and I read that they made two for the movie AND they're working models. One's in a museum. But I really want is that white Alfa Romeo roadster!



The trick is not minding
The Day of the Jackal is a good film. Been a few years since I saw it, so I’m looking forward to the rewatch.
Rudderless, and The Whisperers will be next for me on streaming, followed by Barry Lyndon since I own it.



I agree with most of your points, but Angelo very much set out after Klaus for the purpose of vengeance in my mind. For instance,
WARNING: spoilers below
he re enacts Klaus abuse on him, upon Klaus. He very much seems to have because so consumed that he feels it isn’t enough to kill him, he must usurp his identity.
I think that usually when we talk about someone being consumed by vengeance, it implies that someone is so focused on revenge that it, almost by accident, leads them to behave in ways that mirror the perpetrator.

I think that an important distinction in In a Glass Cage is that
WARNING: spoilers below
Angelo "becoming" Klaus is something that he does very intentionally. It is his end goal and a very deliberate element to the way that he slowly reverses their positions of abuser and abused. He literally follows Klaus's playbook.

Angelo, from the very beginning, has no care for any of the innocent people involved (the wife, Rena, the boys).

I think that the film is more about being consumed by trauma than anything else. Getting vengeance for that is definitely a part of what he's doing, but I think that it's a bigger scale look at how this young man has coped with being victimized. Among other things, what he does extends past Klaus's death.



I agree with most of your points, but Angelo very much set out after Klaus for the purpose of vengeance in my mind.
WARNING: "spoiler" spoilers below
For instance, he re enacts Klaus abuse on him, upon Klaus. He very much seems to have because so consumed that he feels it isn’t enough to kill him, he must usurp his identity.

WARNING: "spoiler" spoilers below
I think Angelo acted out what Klaus did to the children by imitation, not to him. He was reading his notes and killed those two boys in the same method. That's why I said "the victim becomes the victimizer"



The trick is not minding
I think that usually when we talk about someone being consumed by vengeance, it implies that someone is so focused on revenge that it, almost by accident, leads them to behave in ways that mirror the perpetrator.

I think that an important distinction in In a Glass Cage is that
WARNING: spoilers below
Angelo "becoming" Klaus is something that he does very intentionally. It is his end goal and a very deliberate element to the way that he slowly reverses their positions of abuser and abused. He literally follows Klaus's playbook.

Angelo, from the very beginning, has no care for any of the innocent people involved (the wife, Rena, the boys).

I think that the film is more about being consumed by trauma than anything else. Getting vengeance for that is definitely a part of what he's doing, but I think that it's a bigger scale look at how this young man has coped with being victimized. Among other things, what he does extends past Klaus's death.
I disagree that being consumed by vengeance is an almost accidental choice, but rather a irrationally made one, which is a slight distinction, being that the trauma has robbed him of reason and thus he has made decisions he otherwise would not have, all for the sake of getting his revenge.



Marcus Aurelius said "To refrain from imitation is the best revenge" but I don't see it with this movie

(I love Marcus Aurelius philosophy - the stoicism)



I disagree that being consumed by vengeance is an almost accidental choice, but rather a irrationally made one, which is a slight distinction, being that the trauma has robbed him of reason and thus he has made decisions he otherwise would not have, all for the sake of getting his revenge.
I basically agree with what you're saying.

I think that something different in this film is that
WARNING: spoilers below
we never see Angelo "lose his humanity" as we often do in films that are revenge focused.

And most films that have the main character go to extremes to get their revenge usually show that character at least having some moral qualms about their actions. But Angelo cuts a boy's throat with no hesitation.

I genuinely wonder how things would have gone down if Klaus had been more into Angelo's plans and had gone along with it more. Would Angelo have actually killed him in the end? Maybe.

I just feel like this is a portrayal of revenge that is different than many/most other such films.



The trick is not minding
I basically agree with what you're saying.

I think that something different in this film is that
WARNING: spoilers below
we never see Angelo "lose his humanity" as we often do in films that are revenge focused.

And most films that have the main character go to extremes to get their revenge usually show that character at least having some moral qualms about their actions. But Angelo cuts a boy's throat with no hesitation.

I genuinely wonder how things would have gone down if Klaus had been more into Angelo's plans and had gone along with it more. Would Angelo have actually killed him in the end? Maybe.

I just feel like this is a portrayal of revenge that is different than many/most other such films.
You’re right, in that it is much more different in its portrayal then most movies that handle a similar subject. That’s a testament to how well the film was made. It wasn’t conventional, and was definitely much better then I expected going in.*





Aniara(2018)


Welcome to the hotel from hell, as a group of migrating sweedes gets stuck trailing off into space. As a Bergman fan I loved this movie, I love how it deals with the ennui of life and how these people who have helped destroy one planet are now stuck in this tomb.


Aniara does something that a number of films don't do...it shows the passage of time. The decay of the ship and the crew is fascinating and well done the performances are great. I also really enjoyed the plotting of the film as several events happen in the film that you don't normally see in a science fiction film.


As someone who typically bitches about the lack of practical effects Aniara does in my eyes a great job of doing less is more. Everything feels real except for the holodeck that doesn't feel real. My biggest issue with the story is I felt like I often missed things like I didn't get that the orgy scene was a fertility cult thing...would have been nice to have seen them dive a little more into that.


Great nomination really happy with this one





Aniara(2018)


Welcome to the hotel from hell, as a group of migrating sweedes gets stuck trailing off into space. As a Bergman fan I loved this movie, I love how it deals with the ennui of life and how these people who have helped destroy one planet are now stuck in this tomb.


Aniara does something that a number of films don't do...it shows the passage of time. The decay of the ship and the crew is fascinating and well done the performances are great. I also really enjoyed the plotting of the film as several events happen in the film that you don't normally see in a science fiction film.


As someone who typically bitches about the lack of practical effects Aniara does in my eyes a great job of doing less is more. Everything feels real except for the holodeck that doesn't feel real. My biggest issue with the story is I felt like I often missed things like I didn't get that the orgy scene was a fertility cult thing...would have been nice to have seen them dive a little more into that.


Great nomination really happy with this one
Re: the bolded line, there's a quote I like from the film that goes to that point where the Astronomer tells the Captain "We're all in a sarcophagus... a coffin"... Glad you liked it!
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Day of the Jackal, 1973

Unhappy at different political maneuvers by President Charles DeGaulle, an underground group hires a British assassin named the Jackal (Edward Fox) to kill DeGaulle. A French investigator named Lebel (Michael Lonsdale) pursues the Jackal.

I placed a request for this film from my library yesterday, and so imagine my surprise when I found it on my own DVD shelf! I really, really enjoy this film. It's the kind of movie that's fun to bust out every year or so and watch from beginning to end.

The joy in the film comes from watching two "machines" working to opposite purposes: the Jackal working to carry out the assassination, Lebel working to stop it. Both men (and their various helpers) must be rigorous in their preparations and the slightest slip up can mean a huge setback.

From the Jackal's point of view, this means procuring a weapon, creating various aliases/disguises to travel without detection, and taking advantage of the lonely and needy along the way to stay off the radar. From Lebel's side of things, it is about combing the data available to them and working to discover a pattern. This is the kind of film that pulls you in two directions because while you are ultimately on the side of the police, it is fascinating to see the clever ways in which the Jackal carries out the various elements of his plan.

Something that the film captures brilliantly is the way that it all comes down to humans being humans. Lebel understands the way that human weakness can be exploited. The Jackal himself is adept at knowing just how to play on the sympathies, loneliness, or lust of the people he uses. As the Jackal makes his various escapes (and as bodies pile up behind him), the film maintains a dual momentum as the Jackal moves closer to executing his plan and Lebel learns more about his adversary with each incident.

I have also always loved getting glimpses of how crime fighting worked in the past from a procedural/forensic point of view. A lot of it is just brutal dedication of man-hours, as officers pour over lists of names in hotel registrations or passport entries.

The character of the Jackal is pretty aloof, as is fitting. This is a cold-blooded person who doesn't hesitate to kill and old woman to provide a momentary distraction and the performance from Fox fits this well. He turns charm on and off as needed (and he is handsome and fit enough to appeal to those he meets along the way), but we aren't going to get to know him. Lonsdale's performance as the intelligent and determined Lebel provides a nice counter-balance, including a few moments of much-needed humor. I had also forgotten that Derek Jacobi is in this film as Lebel's right-hand man.

In terms of criticisms, I would say that the film is highly procedural. I always feel a little let down in the last 5 minutes, as the film resolves very quickly and it's like "Okay, people. That was the story. You can show yourselves out.". The film doesn't spend much time on the many victims of the Jackal along the way, offering them some sympathy, but not much else.

It's also very of the time, but the film's gender and sexuality biases come off a bit silly. There are multiple instances of nudity from the female characters, but very little from the men. And when the Jackal becomes romantically involved with a man later in the film, there's never so much as an embrace or a kiss between the two. We can watch murders and we can hear the screams of a man being tortured, but heaven forbid the lips of two male characters touch!

These are relatively minor complaints. I really enjoy this film, and even after many viewings I still find it thrilling.

Between a
and



La Dolce Vita (1960)

I went into this completely blind. I may have seen parts of Satyricon as a kid, but other than that, La Dolce Vita was my first proper encounter with Fellini. I obviously know him by reputation, but I had very few preconceptions about his work.


The first thing that caught me off-guard was the episodic nature of La Dolce Vita. Considering how Anita Ekberg is always brought up when the film is discussed, I initially assumed the movie would revolve around that fictional film production. That section of the film was my least favorite, and the misconception of it continuing the next two and a half hours caused some early frustration (and eventually watching the movie in four sessions).

After realizing its structure and eventually finding some cohesion between the episodes, La Dolce Vita became more interesting. I don't think it ever fully recovered from the bad start, but even the worst parts started to make sense. I'd say this is a rare piece of cinema that would benefit from having some information about it before watching.

Marcello Mastroianni is great in the lead (it took me a while to reach this conclusion). His character and the sarcastic film title are a perfect match. It's more nihilistic than I expected (or maybe my interpretation just leans heavily into that direction); life is empty and pointless, true happiness is only for children, love is a lie, and people are crap. For me, it's all about Marcello realizing those unfortunate truths about life: about his dreams failing and him finally giving up.

I don't put ratings on my HoF reviews anymore. I have a text file where I rank the films after watching them, and I usually put the ratings initially as a range (I give myself more time to digest them that way). La Dolce Vita has the widest range I've ever put down, and I just might rewatch it closer to the deadline. I honestly can't say if I liked it or not at the moment. Good nomination, I suppose.
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La Dolce Vita(1960)


I'm watching a lot of foreign films this month but I'm taking a week to get through La Dolce Vita. Like most Italian films this one just fills you up and spits you out and lets you doze off to sleep ready to try again. I don't know if this is the first hangout film but it certainly feels like the longest. Not to say it's a bad film it's almost paradox very little goes on yet every scene is so densing packed with powerful imagery and commentary.







So much of this film could just be called "symbolism" the movie. Here you've got a guy smoking, drinking with literally in the shadow of Roman emperors.


[IMG]https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/mejores-escenas-peliculas-dolce-vita-3-1552849431.gif?crop=1.00xw:0.760xh;0,0.117xh&resize=480:*[/IMG]


Here you've got a bunch of women being lazy and sexy until they notice...a giant flying Christ figure. Guess they need to find Jesus...because Jesus is coming for them.


The humor is excellent and the singular scenes will pop out at you. But this is a long hard watch...it left me drained. I'm not sure if I needed to watch a film about a man depressed going to parties during a global pandemic where everyone has been locked down for almost a year. And while not every film should be judged based upon the viewers mindset Fellini is very much a meditative auteur.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
Ed, Ed my friend! I wasn't panning your nom. I don't regret watching it at all. Not the film's fault that it reminded me of recent real world fecal matter hitting the rotating blades of an air cooling device It's been on my watch list for a long time.

I'd rate The Day of The Jackal
- Not a film I'd love but OMG the huge last scene with all those people in the national event, wow talk about staging a spectacular scene. The actor who played the Jackal was really good too. The custom made sniper's rifle was cool and I read that they made two for the movie AND they're working models. One's in a museum. But I really want is that white Alfa Romeo roadster!
THANKS!
There was a lot of things in that movie that screamed CR will get a kick out of this INCLUDING that Roadster - d@mn that's a sweet ride
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The Sea Inside



I thoroughly enjoyed this yet somehow wished it was something more. It's a moving story and Javier Bardem is wonderful in the lead. It's no mystery that the story centers on his wish/right to die. The best part is his interactions with all of the very good supporting characters. I wondered, if they truly love him, would they want to grant him his wish or not? How would I feel in their shoes? I was very concerned that this would turn into a courtroom movie but thankfully the only scene was brief. My only wish was that this was more like the foreign film that it is. It's like an American film except in another language. I would have liked even more subtly and artistry. It sometimes feels cliched but nothing was going to ruin it with the characters and performances. A great nomination.

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