The 12th Hall of Fame

The screenwriter of this film adaptation also wrote the screenplay for Dredd (2009), a movie that I rather liked. While both of these films can be classified as sci-fi, there's nothing similar about them at all. If I didn't already know the two shared a screenwriter, I would never have guessed. Then again, the source material (Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and the 2000 AD comic series) are incredibly dissimilar, so naturally you'd expect the films to turn out differently as well. Unsurprisingly I like Dredd quite a bit more, but there was plenty I did like about Never Let Me Go as well.

Despite not caring for Keira Knightley in general, I think this is easily the best performance I've seen from her. I always thought she had this snobbish, cruel look to her, and seeing her play a character that does in fact embody those things, yet is just hiding insecurity and does have some sincerity really worked for me. Garfield is really awkward, but I think that was intentional for his character, and luckily he doesn't have that much dialogue anyway.

Like Camo, I couldn't get into the whole love triangle story, which is a shame because it really is the focus of much of the story. I just don't get why one person would settle for someone else, when they clearly love this other person. I know it happens in real life, and it happens in film all the time, but it's just something I never understand. As such, I'm not particularly harsh on films that do involve said types of relationships, because those stories definitely have an audience to which they appeal.

I did rather like the other parts of the film, since the themes of death, love, and the human soul it portrayed are all very interesting to me. It makes me wonder if they were explored more thoroughly in the novel, a fact I might decide to check out first hand.

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I didn't care much for Knightley until I saw her in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

I've heard of that film, but I haven't seen it.

I can't watch it without crying, but I'm probably an oddity.

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urgh i dont know why im getting the spaces..there are none when i try to edit

Pretty sure this is the Arrested Development "C word"

Honestly, he better never read this site he'll probably get a restraining order on me

Sanshiro Sugata

I thought this was one of the weakest Kurosawa's i've seen, not that that's saying much at all. Along with Hitchcock and Scorsese he is a top three favourite director so far, this was my eighth (damn, honestly thought it was more) film of his and none of them have been bad. It is really interesting watching Kurosawa's first film made at a young age, i was expecting it to be alot more amateurish but i really do think his technique was largely already there, he got me interested early on with the first fight which i thought was a well-shot scene. Some of the story felt really similar to other Martial Arts and even Kurosawa films but that didn't bother me as i thought it was well acted and it was just super interesting watching the earliest film of one of my favourite filmmakers. With the simple story and short running time it's a very enjoyable and easy film to follow. Not a new favourite but i'm glad i watched it, thanks for nominating it Nope.

Watching U-Turn shortly.

Unrelated to this post, but do any of y'all have Xbox one live?

Why? Do you want to yell insults at them and make jokes about their mothers?

LMAO what else am I supposed to do for entertainment

He wants to yell racial slurs and get banned from Live for a week.

You all know me so well

I have psplus, but no Xbone. Sorry, Cheese.

Cool beans

Withnail & I

A couple of neurotic, out-of-work actors falling apart, having nervous breakdowns, drinking, and generally stumbling through their lives of poverty and failure.

The dialogue is quite fantastic, specifically everything involving Uncle Monty and Danny. The performances are also fantastic, specifically the actors playing Uncle Monty and Danny. I think you can guess which two characters are my favorite in this film. The funniest moments of this film involved both of those two side characters, but that's not to say that both Withnail and "I" don't carry their weight. The chemistry between the two leads is clear, and they play off each other quite well. They aren't your normal set of dudes, but there is something beautiful about watching the two of them in shambles and trying to make it with whatever utility they can find. What was most surprising about the film is how much slapstick comedy there was, but it wasn't the wacky, in-your-face slapstick that has plagued a lot of the terrible American comedies of the last 15-20 years or so. It was just funny physical stuff that was often very subtle. The scene where Withnail fails to shut the gate has an example of what I am talking about. While "I" running and yelling at the bull isn't very subtle, the best bit of that scene, to me, was the way Withnail hopped the fence. I am not even sure why, but the form on the leap and the suddenness of it did me in. The other big one was the scenes where Monty made his advances toward "I". The way he pinned "I" to the table as he searched in the bags on the table behind "I" and the way "I" squirmed: hilarious.

Camo mentioned the scene with Monty & "I" and he's spot on. It's my favorite scene of the film, and definitely the most memorable. Also I'd like to give a shout out to the joint rolling scene. The bit about how many papers it takes to roll the carrot was my favorite line of the film.

U Turn

Well first of all i'm an idiot. For some reason i had this mixed up with The Wrong Turn which is a film about cannibals i think. Didn't realize until i checked who directed out of curiousity before it started, because i thought it was that i didn't think i was going to like this then when i found out it was directed by Oliver Stone i wasn't sure either since i have really mixed opinions on his films. I did though, didn't completely love it but it was very stylish and had good performances. J-Lo was the biggest surprise, not that i thought she was great but she was pretty good and in everything else i've seen her in including Out of Sight which she seems to get praise for i thought she was awful. Nick Nolte was really good, thought he was hilarious and very intense. Sean Penn was my favourite though, not that i think it is one of his best performances i just really liked his character and what happened to him. Loved seeing him completely unravel after this series of awful events in this crazy town. Really liked the last 20-25 minutes, it was crazy how intense and messed up it all got when it had largely been lighthearted (well not exactly but in comparison at least) and comical.

As well as the performances i found this alot funnier than i was expecting, thought it would be alot more serious for some reason. The people in this town were all nutcases i like films about small towns full of weirdos like My Cousin Vinny for example. Joaquin was probably my favourite of the townspeople but i also really liked his nutty girlfriend, the mechanic and Flo the waitress; her completely unsubtle wink got one of the biggest laughs from me. Joaquins recurring subplot was pretty great it was pretty much the same thing everytime just escalating but it got quite a few laughs from me. I think my biggest laugh might've been during the second confrontation when the sheriff pulls up and says his mum is looking for him; his voice starts breaking and he sounds like a scared little boy

Anyway good nom Topsy, it's not a new favourite but i did like it. Some things didn't work for me and i thought it was maybe a bit longer than it had to be, didn't hate anything about it though.

That's six for me then. I've decided the only one i'm going to rewatch is Romper Stomper because i haven't seen it in years and i don't remember much about it. So i'm not going to watch the other four: Y Tu Mama Tambien, Casablanca, Joe and Midnight Run. The reasons i usually rewatch them are either that i don't remember it well which i do all four or that i didn't like it to give it a second chance but again i like all four and don't think another watch would affect my opinion, going to try and write something about them though. So that means i have a rewatch of Romper Stomper and first watches of Barbara, The Man From Nowhere and The City of Lost Children left.

Watching The Man From Nowhere next.

That is not how a chicken sounds. Chickens don't clap!

...I miss Arrested Development.

Not Xbox One, but on 360 yes.