22nd Hall of Fame

Tools    





In Taxi Driver Travis only wants hurt Those who are guilty of some crime. Real or imagined. But that’s because he sees himself as some sort of “hero”. Joker on the other hand, Just wants to hurt anyone.
I don't think this is true at all. All of his victims hurt him in some way.



The trick is not minding
I don't think this is true at all. All of his victims hurt him in some way.
Murray Franklin never hurt him. Sure, he mocked him, And then invited him on television, but that doesn’t Seem like it was malicious in any way.
What ever hurt you think there was from it, was perceived only.



Murray Franklin never hurt him. Sure, he mocked him, And then invited him on television, but that doesn’t Seem like it was malicious in any way.
What ever hurt you think there was from it, was perceived only.
Emotional hurt is still hurt and I don't think it's fair to say that mocking is not malicious. Sure, Murray had no way of knowing that Arthur would see the show or how hurt he would be by being made the butt of the joke, but it's not like Murray was chosen at random either.



The trick is not minding
Emotional hurt is still hurt and I don't think it's fair to say that mocking is not malicious. Sure, Murray had no way of knowing that Arthur would see the show or how hurt he would be by being made the butt of the joke, but it's not like Murray was chosen at random either.
That’s actually a good point, and one I failed to consider. I don’t think Murray was malicious in intent, but from Jokers point of view it didn’t matter. Doesn’t change my over all view of him in comparison to Bickle though. But looking beyond that, he seems to revel in what his actions have caused. He doesn’t care about the destruction And those who may be hurt by it.





Dronnigen (2019)


This is the story of a lawyer working a rape case when her stepson moves in and causes a disruption in her life. It's the sort of film we've seen countless times though here the gender is reversed and played with a bit more dispassion. The lead actress Trine Dyrholm is very good as the film is basically a showcase for her as none of the other characters get much screen time. The husband is somewhat of a cypher the litle girls are basically scenery and you don't really get into Gustav's life or reasoning for his actions.



I'm not sure how I feel about this film, it reminds me of lesser Bergman works like Summer with Monika or Winter Light. I doubt I'll think about this film five years from now. I enjoyed the duality of this woman who is helping sexually abused children while engaging in her own version of sexual abuse. It would have been nice if that would have been covered more. I also felt ripped off as the most interesting set piece we don't see rather we hear about in the end. It's the sort of thing that reminds you that you are watching a budget drama.
SPOILERS // I don’t feel like the ending is supposed to rip you off. No matter if they had 100 million dollars the story just doesn’t call for making it “a set piece”, as you call it. I personally love that we leave them in this enclosed space inside the car and all those thoughts and feelings going through her as she sits there. Alone, yet with her family. Seeing the dead body of Gustav and/or seeing her/them at the funeral would just be exactly that cliche story you are talking about. I like this ending a lot more.

Also, I feel like, if you want to, there’s so much to take from this story, which is in the subtext or just subtle. Much of the story or the characters are developed in the subtext. I like that.



I think the last half of the film is the way it is, because the director needed to tie the story into the Batman universe. Personally I enjoyed the first half thanks to the exploration of the state of being of Phoenix's character. I wish the film was not called Joker and had no tie in to the Batman universe. But then again it might not have been made, and wouldn't have made nearly as much money.



I think the last half of the film is the way it is, because the director needed to tie the story into the Batman universe.
I got super confused for a second, since you didn’t quote who you were talking to and I made a reply in between, making it seem like you commented on the last half of Dronningen and how it needs to tie into the Batman universe.



I got super confused for a second, since you didn’t quote who you were talking to and I made a reply in between, making it seem like you commented on the last half of Dronningen and how it needs to tie into the Batman universe.
Ha



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
I surprised myself by really liking Blue Rain, and oddly enough I didn't find it overly violent. I think it's because it didn't linger on the violent scenes and present them as eye-candy, like a Tarantino film would.

Did anybody else see it as a cautionary tale in the vein of the Hatfield–McCoy feud ?
When kin shoots kin, it's always Hatfields and McCoys pops in my mind.
Speaking of, a while back I'd seen an awesome TV mini-series of it with Kevin Costner showing ow it leads up to, its full duration and aftereffects.
__________________
What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes
~Mr Minio



When kin shoots kin, it's always Hatfields and McCoys pops in my mind.
Speaking of, a while back I'd seen an awesome TV mini-series of it with Kevin Costner showing ow it leads up to, its full duration and aftereffects.
I've been meaning to watch that mini series, I remember hearing it was really good.



The trick is not minding
I’ll be making a push into the rest of these the next week.
Plan on hitting the rental for Blue Ruin, and hoping they have a few more available to rent.
Waco is saved on Amazon so that Shouldn’t be a problem.



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Ok, Rented Blue Ruin, I, Daniel Blake and Shine. Let’s see if Neiba can continue his run Incredible run in these General HOF.
To do that I first need to watch all the films here!

Let's get this party started then:

Mildred Pierce (1945)

It's an interesting combination of genres, with what is actually a drama but told in the structure of a noir. The cinematography (which looks stunning btw) of the opening of the film even suggests this will be a quintessential noir but as the story progresses the less important the murder presented in the beggining seems when compared to how these characters interact.

I do think the acting was very good, especially from the young Ann Blyth which portrays one of the most despicable characters I've seen recently. Joan Crawford was very good too if I consider that the flaws of this movie (that I think are pretty much on her character) happen due to the director/screenwriter's choices of characters building and not so much due to her work.
First, 2 major things happen to Mildred in the first 30/40 minutes of film which are a divorce and the death of a daughter and I didn't see her being affected enough. In fact, the divorce does absolutely nothing to her and the death of child even does less if you think how much it should matter. Even the way they happen it's totally anti-climatic, there's no weight to it.
Secondly, is that Mildred is too much of a contradiction for me to find her credible. We have a woman who raises an empire from the ground due to hard work and incredible vision but that gets manipulated by a teenager who doesn't even appear that smart beyond what's humanly tolerable. If you can let that slide due to her being her daughter, I don't see how to apply love as the reason to the way she lets Monte manipulate her. She doesn't love him, she knows that and I don't see how she needs him. If she has the money, is Monte only there for the status, so she can get her child back? I find it too big of a stretch, to be honest.
There's also Wally who must be the only smart character on the film - talks much but always wanted the best of Mildred without being stupid because of that - and Bert who is very hard to read and who I wished to see more of.
So we have a main character constantly making the wrong decisions and that ultimately hurts my ability to care for whatever happens to her which should be, IMO, the whole purpose of the film.

Otherwise, it's a good film, with some very interesting traits and great moments, but I can't help but think this story had more potential than this.

+



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Last Picture Show (1971)

A very nice coming of age film, fueled with nostalgia and regret.
Nothing special happens during the 2 hours this takes, but at the same time, everything special happens. It's about wasting youth and how the only who have enough wisdom have already passed the time where big decisions could be made. Jacy's mom, especially, was a very fine character when it comes to this particular aspect.
I loved the acting by everyone involved and how bleak the movie looked. I also liked how much you felt the passing of time, it's like you could see this characters getting older and wiser, but at the same time, less excited about living.

Very nice nom!

-



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Yeah, for some reason I misread the title and watched a film called Rules of Engagement (2000) with Sam L. Jackson thinking that was Wyldesyde19's nom!



The trick is not minding
Yeah, for some reason I misread the title and watched a film called Rules of Engagement (2000) with Sam L. Jackson thinking that was Wyldesyde19's nom!
🤣🤣🤣🤣



Women will be your undoing, Pépé


I, Daniel Blake

Katie: . . .this is what he wrote. "I am not a client, a customer, nor a service user. I am not a shirker, a scrounger, a beggar, nor a thief. I'm not a National Insurance Number or blip on a screen. I paid my dues, never a penny short, and proud to do so. I don't tug the forelock, but look my neighbour in the eye and help him if I can. I don't accept or seek charity. My name is Daniel Blake. I am a man, not a dog. As such, I demand my rights. I demand you treat me with respect. I, Daniel Blake, am a citizen, nothing more and nothing less."

Sometimes a film comes along that leaves you speechless.
It touches you and you are unable to express -- anything, really. Because it doesn't quite feel adequate. To say I feel sorry for Daniel and how, sadly, truthful his and far, FAR too many others' situations are; seems ineffectual considering what I have witnessed watching this very touching and very sad film about realistic lives and realistic struggles when left to the bureaucracy of federal institutes.

Perhaps I should skirt the emotional impact and all the angry tears of seeing such good people, (I must include Katie in this) being brought lower when trying to deal with a system that states they are there to assist, but their rules and procedures make it nigh impossible to receive said assistance. I think many of us has experienced this in some form or fashion during our lives and this film hits home quite beautifully aka in a heartbreaking manner.

Both Dave Johns (Daniel) and Hayley Squires (Katie) bring very touching, very realistic performances. As do many of the people throughout. Which, I believe included one woman who helps Katie in the Food Bank who is not an actress but actually worked there.

A powerful film about a very everyday situation that shouldn't be but is.





Yeah I don't get the hate...I watched it again and I just don't see where all the vitriol for this film came from. State of Siege is a docudrama that tells the story of a possible CIA operative who is kidnapped and murdered by guerrilla terrorists in an unnamed South American country. That isn't a spoiler as it's the first scene in the film. The point of the film in my opinion is you are supposed to decide with which side you end up with sympathies. Do you believe in the unseen deaths brought upon by a crooked government or the actions of the terrorists.



Gavras takes these long shots of immense scope we get those guy in the room scenes that we've become so familiar with but we also get these huge tracking shots that take us throughout the city...a city under siege. Some of you were bored by this...I certainly wasn't. You also have a tense Hitchcockian scene in a garage when the rebels (or terrorists) are being searched above while they hung out below.


I thought this was his most accessible film but I guess not. oh well



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Blue Ruin (2013)

Quite a fresh take on revenge films.
I especially loved the cinematography and the editing of this. There's this aura that ties up the entire film quite nicely and the transition betweeen scenes is really smooth.
The acting is solid but I also didn't feel the actors had much to do as every character only show up a very limited range of emotions.
The film was made intenionally slow so we could see the journey of Dwight as he starts to realize he's way over his head and that he doesn't know how to stop what he started. I missed however more from the bad guys. We never actually meet them, we are put in the middle of the story with so much important stuff having already happened and we're told just to focus on one guy as he tries to kill a whole family.
This may not be a fair critic because the movie achieves perfectly what it wants, the problem is that it doesn't want much.