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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
About to check out In A Glass Gage right now.
So I'll have a review and (hopefully) my votes in tonight
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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
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Missing.....

2 reviews from Thief
1 review from Wylde
1 review from Speling
6 reviews from Neiba
1 review from Ed
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The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
I've seen Aniara, The Whisperers and Dolce Vita this weekend but I haven't been really into writing lately, I'll try to post my thoughts tomorrow



I did really like it. I just thought that it did something really well that I have seen before.
I'll take your recommendations, but of course I'm not talking about the story, but other movies you've seen that would make me feel the same way.

I think that the film is careful to pace out expected beats. The stadium long-take is actually the perfect example of a crowd-pleasing moment done with remarkable technical proficiency.
So one thrilling scene earns the film the label of crowd pleaser? That would be selling the film short and ignoring what it's all about. I do understand why you would say that, but then you are not focusing on what the film has to say. To call it a crowd pleaser is to see it on a superficial level rather than to see it as intended.

For example, the opening sequence showing the attack of the woman. Because he was writing in that scene, I thought that the scene was meant to be a parody about how the rape and murder of a pretty young woman is like the easiest thing to write. Then I realized that, no, that is actually the crime they are using to start the film/story.

I appreciate that the film layered the main character's inner life into the story, and let the events drive his emotions/character arc and not the other way around. The movie might have bittersweet elements, but it ultimately offers up something generically satisfying (ie
WARNING: spoilers below
the evil smarmy rapist is punished (though conveniently not by the main character), and the main character rekindles his love affair.
.
The general story is meant as an analogy to a time in Argentina. It is a part of the movie I don't have a great understanding of.

Again, the film is really solid on a technical level, but I do not find it particularly daring. Just good.

I mean, I said that I would easily place Mother and Dogtooth over it, not that they are objectively better films.
I didn't have an issue with anything you said, most of those comments of mine were directed at a different post. I don't necessarily agree with you but that's ok.

I do stand by my opinion that the easily-grasped nature of the story and the degree of satisfaction in the resolution makes it an easier "vote getter" than the other movies.
Again I feel like this is to miss the point of the entire movie. I liked Dogtooth and Mother, but they didn't make me think or feel anything. Perhaps I should try them again. They made you think but you don't label them as crowd pleasers. Does that mean you don't find them to be entertaining films? What if you could have some depth and be entertained, more ideal or less?

This is a review I just looked up that I thought was pretty good as the dude touches on some, but not all of the themes-




The trick is not minding
Beasts of the Southern Wild

I’m not sure why this film was nominated for best picture.

I found this film boring, and amateurish in its direction with its blurry close ups and somewhat clumsy script. I didn’t connect with the characters as I had hoped, and found myself just not invested in this film. The only scene worth remembering is the touching final moment between Wink and Hushpuppie, where they bear their emotions. But everything before that is just one girls adventure that never really amounts to anything, sadly.



I'll take your recommendations, but of course I'm not talking about the story, but other movies you've seen that would make me feel the same way.
I can certainly give a list of films that I felt took me on similar emotional journeys, though of course I can't say they'd have that same effect on you.

So one thrilling scene earns the film the label of crowd pleaser? That would be selling the film short and ignoring what it's all about. I do understand why you would say that, but then you are not focusing on what the film has to say. To call it a crowd pleaser is to see it on a superficial level rather than to see it as intended.
I am not using crowd-pleaser as some sort of insult, I'm using it as a categorization. I think that the movie is good and, even more than that, it's a film that I imagine most people who watched it would at least like. Who wouldn't love that stadium sequence?

But, and here's the part that is a bit of a criticism maybe, I do think that it neatly sidesteps the more complex nature of its own story and that the ending specifically is designed to soothe ruffled feathers.

WARNING: spoilers below

1. My making the main character a passive participant in the torture and suffering of the rapist/murderer. We get the vicarious satisfaction of revenge without dirtying the main character's hands.

2. By giving him a romantic reconciliation with the woman he left and the source of much of his regret

At the end of the day it designs a happy ending, and kind of exorcises any negative emotions the viewer might have at that point.


The general story is meant as an analogy to a time in Argentina. It is a part of the movie I don't have a great understanding of.
I don't think it's meant to be all that analogous, is it? There was tremendous, widespread corruption and certain people were able to get away with crimes while others had to play scary touch-and-go games with the government.

Again I feel like this is to miss the point of the entire movie. I liked Dogtooth and Mother, but they didn't make me think or feel anything. Perhaps I should try them again. They made you think but you don't label them as crowd pleasers. Does that mean you don't find them to be entertaining films? What if you could have some depth and be entertained, more ideal or less?
What I'm getting at is that all those people in the Academy who wouldn't even watch Brokeback Mountain because "ew, gay people!", were probably fine with The Secret in Their Eyes. There is a safety and familiarity to the narrative and the characters. The film centers "a man trying to do the right thing against overwhelming odds". Again, the film does this REALLY WELL. The themes of regret and revenge/justice are well developed. It does a good job of telling a small-scale story (the murder investigation) and a large-scale story (the political corruption in Argentina) at the same time.

My personal appreciation for different types of film is that I will always give the slight edge to something that makes me uncomfortable (Dogtooth) or an unconventional character arc (Mother) over something familiar but well done (Secret in Their Eyes). (Also, I just checked and I gave all three of these films the same score, an 8/10, on IMDb).



Women will be your undoing, Pépé




In A Glass Cage aka Tras el cristal

Angelo: Horror, like sin... can be fascinating.

Composition-wise, I was pretty caught up in the Cinematographer Jaume Peracaula's use of lighting, shadow, tints, and color schemes throughout this. . . well, f@cked up film.
Making for a kind of "safe place" when dealing with the more uncomfortable scenarios of this ex-child toy of an ex- Death Camp, Natzi child-murdering pedophile, and the even bizarre process that is the revenge of the now young man that "comes to care" for the, now dependant iron lung occupant.
The "safe place" was stepping out of the content and into the camera style. I am sad that I am unable to find an image that does it justice truly, but, for me, it was an involving study of basic camera setup that ended up being my central focal point and one I truly did enjoy.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
and what a glorious, exciting finish to the Annual Slacking Off Grand Prix. With an astounding turnout. . . these two knuckleheads. And, YES, it's going to be a photo finish ---



VOTE
IS
IN



Started Barry Lyndon tonight. I knew I couldn't finish it today, so I turned it off after an hour; will continue tomorrow. Beasts of the Southern Wild is a bit easier to tackle, so I'll see if I can get through it during the day tomorrow or on the last day.

Talk about photo finish



I can certainly give a list of films that I felt took me on similar emotional journeys, though of course I can't say they'd have that same effect on you.
I was just messing around with my response there. You were saying something to the effect that it was nothing you hadn't seen before, and I assume you were talking about the general narrative. On the other hand, it's a movie that's packaged as a thriller, yet it touched me deeply and made me feel a wide variety of emotions. That's why I love it, and in that way it is completely unique.

I am not using crowd-pleaser as some sort of insult, I'm using it as a categorization. I think that the movie is good and, even more than that, it's a film that I imagine most people who watched it would at least like. Who wouldn't love that stadium sequence?
I agree with all that but just think the term sells it short.

But, and here's the part that is a bit of a criticism maybe, I do think that it neatly sidesteps the more complex nature of its own story and that the ending specifically is designed to soothe ruffled feathers.

WARNING: spoilers below

1. My making the main character a passive participant in the torture and suffering of the rapist/murderer. We get the vicarious satisfaction of revenge without dirtying the main character's hands.
WARNING: spoilers below


That's an interesting POV. Mine is different. First off, I believe an audience always wants sweet revenge by the main character. The other thing is that while Esposito is the main character of the movie, I believe Morales is the central figure of the story. He gets his revenge, but it's not gratifying at all due to the cost to him.

2. By giving him a romantic reconciliation with the woman he left and the source of much of his regret
I get what you're saying there, but for me it emphasizes even more what they've already lost, and it offers a stark contrast to what Morales has and emphasizes his suffering. It helps bring me conflicting emotions making it all the more powerful.

I don't think it's meant to be all that analogous, is it? There was tremendous, widespread corruption and certain people were able to get away with crimes while others had to play scary touch-and-go games with the government.
I think there's a lot politically with the story but I generally ignore it because it's beyond me.

What I'm getting at is that all those people in the Academy who wouldn't even watch Brokeback Mountain because "ew, gay people!", were probably fine with The Secret in Their Eyes. There is a safety and familiarity to the narrative and the characters. The film centers "a man trying to do the right thing against overwhelming odds". Again, the film does this REALLY WELL. The themes of regret and revenge/justice are well developed. It does a good job of telling a small-scale story (the murder investigation) and a large-scale story (the political corruption in Argentina) at the same time.
I would agree with that, but I don't think it's the reason it won.

My personal appreciation for different types of film is that I will always give the slight edge to something that makes me uncomfortable (Dogtooth) or an unconventional character arc (Mother) over something familiar but well done (Secret in Their Eyes). (Also, I just checked and I gave all three of these films the same score, an 8/10, on IMDb).
The movies you're talking about are the exact movies I seek out. I do enjoy crowd pleasers but they're not my ideal. I can't remember all of my past HoF nominations, but they include Christiane F., Pixote, Boys Don't Cry, Killer Joe, Out of the Blue (1980), and Joe (1970). I like to be crushed, either emotionally or by being shocked or disgusted. The Secret in Their Eyes is a very emotionally powerful film for me. Isn't it possible that the Academy voters felt the way I did?



The trick is not minding
Ballot sent. I....got distracted. Watched a couple of movies earlier including a very welcome trip to the movies!

Anyways. Fun HOF, as usual. A lot of films I hadn’t seen yet. It was worth it.



The thing isolated becomes incomprehensible
Beasts of the Southern Wild

I’m not sure why this film was nominated for best picture.

I found this film boring, and amateurish in its direction with its blurry close ups and somewhat clumsy script. I didn’t connect with the characters as I had hoped, and found myself just not invested in this film. The only scene worth remembering is the touching final moment between Wink and Hushpuppie, where they bear their emotions. But everything before that is just one girls adventure that never really amounts to anything, sadly.



Tackled the second hour of Barry Lyndon this morning before leaving for work. Will finish it tonight, and hopefully see Beasts of the Southern Wild tomorrow to finish in the nick of time.




So, just to be ready... when I finish, I send my ranked list to @rauldc14, right? From best to worst?