Movie Forums Top 100 of the 2010s - Group Watch

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I watched The Dressmaker semirecently. Overall I liked it, but didn't love it.

The positives were definitely the cast and, if you vibe with it, the sense of karma and comeuppance. In addition to Winslet in the lead role, supporting players like Hugo Weaving, Sarah Snook, and Judy Davis are all really strong. I think that the film captures at once the allure and the negatives of a small town. These people could have been happy and functional, but instead bullying and secrets spoil everything, even trickling down to a boy feeling entitled to physically abuse a classmate.

I also really loved the costumes and their role in the plot.

But overall something didn't totally click in the film for me. A turning point was (major spoilers!)
WARNING: spoilers below
her love interest jumping into the grain silo. Just so stupid and while, ugh yes, people do stupid things sometimes when they are in love, it was a frustrating turn of events
.

I was also a bit torn on the different revenge that we see throughout the film. I never quite connected with Tilly or the other townspeople in a way that made the different people getting their due as satisfying as it should have been.

For me it's a solid
.



I watched The Dressmaker in 2018 for the 17th HOF. It was pretty good, but I've got too much on my plate to do a rewatch.

Here's what I wrote about it back then:



The Dressmaker (Jocelyn Moorhouse, 2015)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/15/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 17th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by @CitizenRules
Rewatch: No.


I must say that when I saw that this film had been nominated, I was not at all excited about it. Just the title was a bit of a turnoff for me and the trailer made it seem as though it would provide little more than some light entertainment.

And for the first part of the film, I thought those initial impressions were going to be proved true. I didn't care much at all for Hugo Weaving's character (and still didn't really by the end of the film) - who felt perhaps a little more caricature than character to me and that was true of many of the other supporting characters. Also I thought Liam Hemsworth's Teddy did little more than to serve as a bit of eye candy (and he isn't even the best looking Hemsworth brother, that one's in a different 17th HOF nom) with little about him to make him feel real.

Thankfully, the lead role is in the far more capable hands of Kate Winslet who infuses her performance with a strong sense of glamour, strength, and vulnerability. I really felt for her struggles to understand her past, cried tears over her losses, and smirked along with her as she exacted her revenge. And it's really this performance that made the film for me. Sure, I laughed at some of the antics of the other characters and liked the bright colors and overall look of the film (though I don't give a flying crap about fashion and haven't worn a dress since my brother's wedding several years ago), but there wasn't a whole lot else here. Still, I had a good time with it and it was a good way to break my two month streak of not being able to finish a movie.




So far, the current candidates for hosting the next round are seanc, Takoma, and Allaby (I didn't count myself and Citizen since we've already went). More of you should join in here as well, even if you only end up staying for a couple rounds.



So far, the current candidates for hosting the next round are seanc, Takoma, and Allaby (I didn't count myself and Citizen since we've already went). More of you should join in here as well, even if you only end up staying for a couple rounds.
And Vicky!




The Dressmaker (Jocelyn Moorhouse 2015)

Nope it's not a 'chick flick', and nope it's not a western even though IMDB tags it as such. The Dressmaker is an R rated, Australian, dark revenge comedy-drama. Think of it as High Plains Drifter only instead of the cigar smoking man with out a name who's come back to the small town in the middle of nowhere to pay back the shit that happened to him...instead you have Kate Winslet as the mysterious cigarette smoking outsider returned to the small minded, mean spirited outback town that once treated her like shit. She's been away in France and made a ton of money by becoming a top fashion designer. And yeah she gets her licks into that shit ass town one way, then another. If you haven't seen The Dressmaker then you probably have the wrong idea about this film. I'd really like you to watch it, please! and just maybe it will end up on a ballot or two for our upcoming 2010s countdown. Bless the MoFos.




Yeah, her too. Admittedly, it's kind of hard to distinguish between people posting their thoughts on the films here who don't wish to be involved and those who do, so I'll just assume that everyone who posts their thoughts here for now on intend for the former unless told otherwise.



Yeah, her too. Admittedly, it's kind of hard to distinguish between people posting their thoughts on the films here who don't wish to be involved and those who do, so I'll just assume that everyone who posts their thoughts here for now on intend for the former unless told otherwise.
I do intend to participate sporadically, if movies come up that interest me. Totally up to you as host if you want to count me posting a four year old review as participating though. I'll take no offense if you don't want to include me in the list of possible pickers for the next round.



I do intend to participate sporadically, if movies come up that interest me. Totally up to you as host if you want to count me posting a four year old review as participating though. I'll take no offense if you don't want to include me in the list of possible pickers for the next round.
Generally, my idea with this thread is that, even if you've already seen the film, you should still rewatch it (unless you watched it fairly recently), but if you feel the film is still somewhat fresh in your head or that a rewatch wouldn't change your opinion of the film, you should probably be good. So, if you feel that applies to you, I'm cool with including you.



Generally, my idea with this thread is that, even if you've already seen the film, you should still rewatch it (unless you watched it fairly recently), but if you feel the film is still somewhat fresh in your head or that a rewatch wouldn't change your opinion of the film, you should probably be good. So, if you feel that applies to you, I'm cool with including you.
I think it's still pretty fresh.



Society ennobler, last seen in Medici's Florence
I started watching The Dressmaker two days ago.
I'm going to post some thoughts later when the Queen funeral ceremony and procession reach to an end.
__________________
"Population don't imitate art, population imitate bad television." W.A.
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." M.T.



Took me two days to finish The Dressmaker, but that was down to my busy schedule, rather than the movie, which is kinda difficult to shove in one particular genre.


And it's usually difficult for any filmmaker to pull off a multi genre story, but for most part it worked here. And rather wonderfully. And primary reason for that is Winslet's and Davis' terrific performances. Funny to also see a male actor just specifically used as beauty prop. I mean what else was Hemsworth's purpose?


This a was a surprise and pleasant one at that. Thanks @Citizen Rules



A little late, but I did get a chance to check out Certified Copy, and was fairly underwhelmed. While the dialogue did feel fairly authentic and genuine, something about the film and its lead actors was to self-indulged and snooty for me to get into. I much preferred the backyard filming feel of Close-Up from two decades prior. Perhaps on another watch, this would strike more nerves with me, but this time it fell very flat.

Will try to get to The Dressmaker sometime this week
__________________
Yeah, there's no body mutilation in it



Took me two days to finish The Dressmaker, but that was down to my busy schedule, rather than the movie, which is kinda difficult to shove in one particular genre.


And it's usually difficult for any filmmaker to pull off a multi genre story, but for most part it worked here. And rather wonderfully. And primary reason for that is Winslet's and Davis' terrific performances. Funny to also see a male actor just specifically used as beauty prop. I mean what else was Hemsworth's purpose?


This a was a surprise and pleasant one at that. Thanks @Citizen Rules
Thanks to you for taking the time to watch it
I love The Dressmaker of course. I can't wait to see what our next movie is going to be?



Current candidates to be the next host:

seanc
Takoma11
Miss Vicky
Allaby
WrinkledMind
donniedarko

You guys have about 24 hours left to watch it, so make sure to watch it if you haven't yet.