Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2017

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Never seen that one but I'm happy to be seeing Greta Gerwig in everything the past few years. I've always really liked her. And she's from Sacramento!



#13 - The Naked City (1948) ~ January 22



This was my first Jules Dassin film ever and I absolutely adored it! When I'm talking about films that feel "alive" or films that "breathe", I'm referring to films like The Naked City. It's one of the coolest and most expertly made crime pictures I've ever seen, filmed entirely on the streets and in the buildings of New York City!
I'm pretty sure Melville and Friedkin must've watched this film before they filmed their own "urban crime" masterpieces (respectively Le Samouraļ and The French Connection).
Already looking forward to Rififi and Night and the City!
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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019



That's the first I've heard of that movie; I added it to my 40's watchlist.

That review #12 on the last page reminded me that I saw one of your posts somewhere about Last Days of Disco. I almost watched that once but figured it was probably nothing special. I'm going to watch it now as it at least looks like something that strongly appeals to my taste.



Good stuff so far Cob. I have a couple for my watch list. I love Amadeus, Foxcatcher, and Frost/Nixon from what you have watched so far.
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I watched The Naked City-

http://www.movieforums.com/community...46#post1632446

And have Last Days of Disco on the way for the weekend.


I'm very surprised you haven't seen Rififi yet. It seems to me that you're going to love it.



#14 - Night and the City (1950) ~ January 24



Tonight, I decided to watch another Dassin film. This wonderful film noir basically is about the same themes as The Naked City, but it's a very different story that looks at the themes from a completely different perspective.
I was very much intrigued by the characters, the environment and the plot during the film's entire running time. There are some moments in here that reflect The Naked City's vividness and broadness, but in essence, this is a much more intimate and focused film than the former.
I'm not sure which of the two I prefer. They were both terrific watches. I guess only time will be able to tell...

P.S.
There are two versions of this film. It's important to mention that Dassin preferred the American version over the British version! I watched the British one first and then watched the differences. I think both versions are acceptable, although the tone is a bit different. The American version is a bit more tight and raw, while the British one is a bit more melodramatic and slightly more optimistic and romantic in tone. If you buy the criterion edition you can watch both and also watch a segment about the differences between the two versions. This in itself is already an interesting document to watch as a cinephile!



#15 - De Zaak Alzheimer a.k.a. The Memory of a Killer (2003) ~ January 25



This is one of the most succesful Belgian films of all time and it's a shame that I had not seen it yet. It tells the story about a hitman who's out for revenge, while suffering from memory loss.
The director, Erik Van Looy, (who I saw in real life a few months ago at the movie premiere of his newest film) always claims that De Palma and Hitchcock are his favorite filmmakers of all time. He tried to honor them with this thriller and I believe he mostly succeeded. It's an effective piece of entertaining filmmaking.



#16 - Gran Torino (2008) ~ January 25




Eastwood's performance is brilliant here and so is his directing. The script could've been a little more subtle at times, but ultimately it was just balanced enough to not make most of the main characters come across as stereotypical.
I had that typical feeling of silent admiration that almost always overtakes me when I've just finished an Eastwood-directed film. I would certainly not rank this as one of his best films, but nevertheless it was a highly enjoyable watch. That seeming contradiction says a lot about how good a filmmaker I think Eastwood really is... (One of the all time greats!)



#17 - Death in Venice (1971) ~ January 27



A composer gets obsessed with perfection, purity and youth in the form of a young boy... Death in Venice is a slow and poetic film that couldn't look more stunning. Its slow burning approach is liberating and very effective during several magnificent scenes, but during other moments it does come close to feeling a little tedious. I was able to stay focused and engaged during the whole film, but I'm sure not everyone would.
I'm glad I've seen this visual masterpiece, but for now I'm more eager to revisit certain peak moments of it instead of the whole thing all over again.

P.S. This was my first Visconti picture. Can anyone tell me how this film compares to some of his other work?



I really like Gran Torino. Death In Venice i'm more interested in though.

I really like Viscont's first film Ossessione alot and ended up rabbling about it here - http://www.movieforums.com/community...25#post1612225

Don't read it if you haven't seen it though, there's quite a few spoilers.



#18 - Hell or High Water (2016) ~ January 29



Very solid film. One of the best 2016 efforts that I've seen so far. Jeff Bridges is one of the all time greats.



That's been on my radar, looks great. It looks kind of like this years No Country for Old Men (a modern-set gritty western), except that it won't win Best Picture.



I think it's a big step down from No Country. It is one of the best movies of 2016 I've seen so far, but I don't think I'll be saying that once I catch up on the year.



Cricket is right. It's definitely not of the level of No Country for Old Men. Hell or High Water won't go down in history as something special. No Country already has.



I am sure you guys are right, I just meant in style it seems a bit similar (could be wrong).