The Fifth Hall of Fame

I LOVED Divorzio all'Italiana! So much fun, so delicate and so deliciously dark. Marcello Mastroianni is simply brilliant in it! I couldn't stop laughing with his peculiar mannerisms.

The mood of the film kind of reminded me of John Huston's Beat the Devil a little bit (which I also saw recently). This film has a much more polished feeling to it and is a much more carefully constructed and "better" movie overall (even though I personally also really like the (somewhat) genius carelessness of Beat the Devil and of course that film has Bogart in it), but something about the atmosphere in both films seemed similar to me. Maybe it's just because they're both straight-faced comedies that tackle darker subjects (and marital issues) with a great sense of irony.

The genius of Divorzio all'Italiana is its scathing satire, though. In that sense, it reminded me of several scenes in La Grande Bellezza (the funeral scene for instance). A well placed voice over or ironic image exposes the simplicity and absurdity of Italian worldviews, conventions and society in general. Great stuff!

Anyway, this one will be very high on my list! I really enjoyed this.

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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

Divorce Italian Style was a nice addition to this mix especially when so many of the movies were so heavy. I was loving it by the end.

You have seventeen more days to finish your movies everyone. I only have Claire's Knee, Bullets Over Broadway and Sideways to go so I am in good shape.

Just finished Quills. I'd put this off for ages because i thought it wouldn't appeal to me, but i'm happy MV nominated it; very good film. The best thing for me was the Script, some of the dialogue was outstanding particulary the exchanges between Phoenix and De Sade which were among my favourite parts of the film. As would be expected with the all star cast featured, the film was full of excellent performances. Winslet and Phoenix are among my favourite actors so i expected and was rewarded with no less from them, but the only thing i remember seeing Rush in was POTC, so it was good to see him produce to me at least the best in the film. The only person i wasn't thrilled with was Michael Caine not that he was bad, just that it felt like Caine being Caine, well i suppose the role didn't call for anything more. I also really liked the ending, i didn't see it coming not even after De Sades death. I wouldn't say this was one of my absolute favourites from the nominees, but it should get a fairly high placing from me.

"I fell asleep as a man but woke as a sparrow"

Just Bullets Over Broadway left from me, but i think i'm going to make a start on the 60s list before watching it sometime next week.

I had no idea why I had put Quills off for so long. I love Geoffrey Rush and I've always thought Phoenix a great actor. Winslet bugs me but not enough to put me off a film. I ended up liking it a lot. In fact, I'm already ready for a rewatch.

I say this every round but it's more than true this time; I'm going to have a hard time making my list. I always have trouble with the top five but this time, so far at least, there is really nothing that I want to put at the bottom. Going to be some hair splitting, I think.

Just saw Plein Soleil and I liked it (much) better than the American remake (adaptation of the same novel), personally. Ripley is written more subtly and Delon is simply a much better fit for the character than Matt Damon, in my opinion.



Besides that, the film also looks really good. The scenes on the water are very well done and truly engaging and in general the film just has a very rich and fresh looking color spectrum. The story is told in a satisfying "cinematic" way.

It's the third film I've watched that features Tom Ripley. I liked it better than The Talented Mr. Ripley, but I can't really compare it to Wim Wenders' The American Friend (Dennis Hopper plays Ripley in that film), which uses the character in a completely different manner. I think I'd probably rather rewatch the latter, because it is more "purely atmospheric" and has a certain "openness" to it. Plein Soleil is more straight-forward and focused on the plot, while, as a secondary quality, still leaving some room for personal thoughts and interpretations throughout to keep things interesting.

Anyway, I enjoyed it. Thanks for nominating it, Thursday!

Plein Soleil has been my favourite of the three Ripley films i've seen , but i actually preffered Ripleys Game to The Talented Mr.Ripley. Haven't watched An American Friend.

I like Ripley's Game a lot too, but I'd be hard pressed to say which I like better. It's a very different story.

I agree that Delon is a better fit for Ripley, but I still think Matt Damon did a good job. I'd give Purple Noon the edge as the all around better fit, but I like them both enough that I'll rewatch them several times. I want to reread the novels again as well. Such a good story.

No doubt, i caught Ripleys Game a few months ago on TV and had to look online to make sure it was actually the same character from Talented Mr.Ripley. I think i enjoyed Ripleys Game more simply because i prefer Malkovich to Damon who i'm not a big fan of. Also even though Tom does as much if not alot worse things in Ripleys Game than The Talented Mr.Ripley, i found him alot more likable and became heavily invested in his budding friendship with the guy with cancer (can't remember his name). I actually found Malkovichs' Ripley alot more menacing and unpredictable, because it was never exactly clear until the end what his intentions were with that guy, well for me at least.

Yeah, if you hadn't read the books that would be pretty jarring because Ripley is in a very different place and he's matured a lot. He's still a sociopath, but a matured one. Also the way Damon plays him it's hard to see a natural progression from his Ripley to Malkovich's. Damon's version seems so envious and ready to fall apart at the seams while Malkivich's Ripley is self-assured and very comfortable in his own skin.

Malkovich is just a natural at that sort of character. The oddball that you wouldn't doubt might have a few (possibly literal) skeletons in his closet. You wouldn't dare have him over for dinner, at least not alone, but you'd love to go out to lunch with him. That sort of spooky guy that also somehow seems like a really good guy too.

Damon's Ripley was nothing like that but was still interesting. His Ripley was the guy that makes you nervous and you're not sure why. The guy no one really likes but somehow is every where anyway.

Delon's Ripley feels like a more natural beginning to Malkovich's Ripley, I think.

At some point, I want to watch all three in one night.

Just looked it up and it seems An American Friend what Cob was talking about is an adaptation of Ripleys Game also, have you watched it Godoggo and if so do you prefer it to Ripleys Game i mean? I'm very interested in reading the books, but is there books in between that explain his transomation from Purple Noon/Talented Mr.Riley to An American Friend/Ripleys Game, better than the films do not that they should've since they aren't actually sequels or done by the same people?

Anyway agreed on Delons Ripley, as well as your description of Damon and Malkovichs' Ripley, it's just quite jarring as you put it that he morphed into the Malkovich Ripley. Also great Nomination, Thursday Next .

How many lists do you have, Godoggo?

No, I haven't seen that one yet, but plan on it. I love Dennis Hopper but not sure how I feel about him cast as Ripley. I guess I'll have to watch it and find out.

And yes, there is a book in between The Talented Mr. Ripley and Ripley's Game. It's called Ripley Underground if I'm remembering correctly. So yeah, it does feel like a big chunk is missing in the movies that you get to experience with the books.

Raul, I'll have to check but I think I'm up to eight lists now.

But there is a film called Ripley Under Ground. I haven't seen it though.

I can understand finding Allen annoying and I used to feel that way but I've come to appreciate him more and more. Having said that I loved Blue Jasmine and he wasn't in that.

In regards to Cusack, I've always kind of liked him but just lately every time I see him I think "there's John Cusack playing John Cusack again". That in itself is not a bad thing if the actor is a charismatic movie star like Bogart or Cary Grant but Cusack doesn't have the charisma IMO.

Yeah, that's true. Except for agreeing on Spring Breakers

Thanks, Thursday. I had never heard of that one. I am not sure about the cast. Barry Pepper seems a really odd choice for Ripley.

Important just over a week to get those final movies in. No extensions this time so make sure you don't miss out on having your say.

I still need to get to those last two movies. I'll do one today.

Still got Bullets Over Broadway to see, I'll get to it in the next 2-3 days, then i'll send you mine. How many lists will you have including mine and yours?

Are 2 nominations getting inducted again?

11. There are a few more members I expect to pull through as well, so I'm expecting 14 at least.

Raul to answer your question, I think it will be just one unless there is a tie again.