Raul's Film Thoughts

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A Streetcar Named Desire



I got a lot out of this on my third viewing. This is why I like doing these director things. You can clearly see that Kazan is fantastic at getting the best out of his actors and actresses. It's just amazing to me this movies core 4 were all nominated for their performances. Vivien Leigh's performance as Blanche is an all-timer. Every time she is on the screen she commands presence. She feels like she has become her character, you can't even tell that it is acting. Brando is equally as good and he was robbed of an Oscar in my opinion. Hunter and Malden were also great. Kazan takes a very famous screenplay and makes it come alive on the big screen. It's quite a treat to watch. I can certainly see why this is Sean's favorite Kazan and it undoubtedly deserved the praise that it has gotten. They just don't act like this anymore.

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Wild River



This was a really big surprise for me. I hadn't even heard of the film until it was recommended by Citizen here. I really liked the authentic story telling by Elia Kazan. He takes a true story (or at least loosely based true story) that is a fairly simple tale but he packed it full of emotion and great acting. I must admit I wasn't so sure whether or not Montgomery Clift would completely win me over with his performance, but by the time the movie was half over I knew the right casting decision was made. I was initially worried about him in a lead role as it seems he plays a "sidekick" role much better. Van Fleet as the grandma was a very genuine performance. It was rather heartbreaking to see her by her husband's and her future grave, talking about how she needed to hang onto her place. And Lee Relock is an actress that continues to be of interest for me. Her best scene was when she was telling Chuck that he would make a good husband and that her kids wanted him to stay around. I felt she definitely got lost in her role and became her character. She was probably my favorite of the three. Thank you for picking this one Citizen, certainly a rather powerful film with a powerful ending too. It would be this or A Tree in Brooklyn that would get my 4TH spot from Kazan right now.




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Braveheart



An all-timer for me. The film hour of the film is legitimately perfect for me. The ending is tear jerking. The directing by Mel Gibson is superb. The costume design is excellent and the scenery and cinematography is as well. There are just so many scenes here that can fill you with sadness, but it's the mark of a truly great film when you feel invested in the characters. William Wallace is made on the screen to be a true film hero. This is obviously a must see film for anybody.

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Silver Linings Playbook



A fun performance piece here. It is one of only 15 films ever to be nominated for an Oscar in all 4 acting categories, with Jennifer Lawrence actually taking home the Oscar. I really like her performance here, her range of emotion is fantastic and she is believable as a disdrought young widow. I also really like Bradley Cooper in this as well as a more lighthearted performance from Robert De Niro. I'm not sure I totally like it as much as I used to but it's a film that I can watch over and over again with no problem.

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Man i hate Braveheart #TeamBravefart!. I deserve a pass though since i'm actually Scottish, i mean Irn Bru isn't flowing through my veins like Mel Gibson but close enough.

Silver Linings Playbook is a good film, i liked it less the second time but it is good.



I call it Bravefart.
And I call that comment a Brainfart.


Anyways, really liked Silver Linings myself too, raul, glad you do as well. Not seen it more than once though.



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The Martian



Really liked this, which I figured that I would. I've noticed with newer movies that an excellent cinematography can glue me into a movie by being mesmerized by the images. It was a really beautiful film visually. Matt Damon was great in the lead role, but certainly overall this is a very powerful ensemble cast with the likes of Michael Pena, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, and the awesome Jessica Chastain. Particularly was intrigued by the ending of this film. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece by any sense for a space film (I would prefer Gravity and Arrival over this) but it was still an extremely well made film and it is up there in my 2015 rankings though I still haven't seen all that much.




Why does everyone think Bravefart is a diss towards the movie? It's only natural you guys.



I wasn't crazy about that one but anything with Jessica Chastain gets a pass from me.