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Post by Viced on Jan 14, 2020 4:30:25 GMT
Shock Corridor (1963)Wow! What a one of a kind experience... so many remarkable sequences. Brilliant mix of batshit comedy, social commentary, and a genuinely unsettling story. Some insanely (no pun intended) good performances here too. 9/10
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Post by DeepArcher on Jan 14, 2020 5:32:25 GMT
Mysteries of Lisbon. Full disclosure, I did watch this segmented, which I hate doing for anything and I'm sorry I did it for this. The DVD copy I had split it up in two parts, I watched the first part sometime last week and then didn't feel like finishing it in the same night, then a bunch of stuff came up and I didn't have the time to get to the second part until tonight. Anyway, afraid to say that this didn't do much for me, as much as I really wanted to love it. Feels very much like that great 19th century novel that you're forced to read in school, that you keep pushing yourself to read more and more of waiting to get something out of it, and then 800 pages later you're fatigued and confused and a bit unsure of why you even started in the first place. Of course, you gotta love it for its craft and the hugeness of its ambition, the sort that's comparable to maybe only a select few films from the past decade, but the film wound up being the epitome of something that I deeply respect but don't quite love. There's some solid elements of palace intrigue at parts, and I like the first hour or two and the ending well enough, but when it strays from the originally established characters and starts grasping at totally different strands of the story, it totally lost me. It's far too formalist in its methodical execution for my liking, and in that approach it's certainly not able to pull off the campy and melodramatic aspects of the story, either. There's elegant, breathtaking mise-en-scène all around, but it kept me so distant emotionally and turned into such a chore that I very easily reached a point of just wanting it to be over, and that's never a good sign.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2020 6:22:33 GMT
Mysteries of Lisbon. Full disclosure, I did watch this segmented, which I hate doing for anything and I'm sorry I did it for this. The DVD copy I had split it up in two parts, I watched the first part sometime last week and then didn't feel like finishing it in the same night, then a bunch of stuff came up and I didn't have the time to get to the second part until tonight. Anyway, afraid to say that this didn't do much for me, as much as I really wanted to love it. Feels very much like that great 19th century novel that you're forced to read in school, that you keep pushing yourself to read more and more of waiting to get something out of it, and then 800 pages later you're fatigued and confused and a bit unsure of why you even started in the first place. Of course, you gotta love it for its craft and the hugeness of its ambition, the sort that's comparable to maybe only a select few films from the past decade, but the film wound up being the epitome of something that I deeply respect but don't quite love. There's some solid elements of palace intrigue at parts, and I like the first hour or two and the ending well enough, but when it strays from the originally established characters and starts grasping at totally different strands of the story, it totally lost me. It's far too formalist in its methodical execution for my liking, and in that approach it's certainly not able to pull off the campy and melodramatic aspects of the story, either. There's elegant, breathtaking mise-en-scène all around, but it kept me so distant emotionally and turned into such a chore that I very easily reached a point of just wanting it to be over, and that's never a good sign. This is Top 5 of the decade material in my eyes, one of the greatest films about the nature of possibility. It's an extremely interesting and moving exploration of life before "you" came about, and how that life shapes so many things. Ruiz's direction is spectacular. The entire sequence with Joao learning Knife Eater's identity to his "suicide" to Elisa leaving him is such a transcendent stretch. Too bad you didn't like it more, but glad you gave it a shot though.
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Post by DeepArcher on Jan 14, 2020 7:25:34 GMT
This is Top 5 of the decade material in my eyes, one of the greatest films about the nature of possibility. It's an extremely interesting and moving exploration of life before "you" came about, and how that life shapes so many things. Ruiz's direction is spectacular. The entire sequence with Joao learning Knife Eater's identity to his "suicide" to Elisa leaving him is such a transcendent stretch. Too bad you didn't like it more, but glad you gave it a shot though. Yeah, I might've just not been in the right headspace for something dense like this. This seems like something I'll try to revisit down the line, it's just such a commitment that I've no idea when I might do that.
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Jan 14, 2020 8:05:05 GMT
Bridget Jones' Diary - Still a favorite comedy of mine.
Also, forget John Wick... this has the fight scene for the ages.
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Post by jimmalone on Jan 14, 2020 9:27:12 GMT
Now what next from this Sirk fella — any help, MA?
Magnificent Obsession, All that Heaven Allows and A Time to Love and a Time to Die are all movies I like a lot. The firmer two are more of the style and themes mostly associated with Sirk, which also features Written on the Wind, while the latter one includes the topic of living in wartime and feels a bit different in tone from his other works as far as I can recall.
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Post by themoviesinner on Jan 14, 2020 10:07:17 GMT
Mysteries of Lisbon. Full disclosure, I did watch this segmented, which I hate doing for anything and I'm sorry I did it for this. The DVD copy I had split it up in two parts, I watched the first part sometime last week and then didn't feel like finishing it in the same night, then a bunch of stuff came up and I didn't have the time to get to the second part until tonight. Anyway, afraid to say that this didn't do much for me, as much as I really wanted to love it. Feels very much like that great 19th century novel that you're forced to read in school, that you keep pushing yourself to read more and more of waiting to get something out of it, and then 800 pages later you're fatigued and confused and a bit unsure of why you even started in the first place. Of course, you gotta love it for its craft and the hugeness of its ambition, the sort that's comparable to maybe only a select few films from the past decade, but the film wound up being the epitome of something that I deeply respect but don't quite love. There's some solid elements of palace intrigue at parts, and I like the first hour or two and the ending well enough, but when it strays from the originally established characters and starts grasping at totally different strands of the story, it totally lost me. It's far too formalist in its methodical execution for my liking, and in that approach it's certainly not able to pull off the campy and melodramatic aspects of the story, either. There's elegant, breathtaking mise-en-scène all around, but it kept me so distant emotionally and turned into such a chore that I very easily reached a point of just wanting it to be over, and that's never a good sign. Glad you watched this, even if you didn't end up liking it. I think that Raul Ruiz is a director that should be explored by every film buff, since his style is a incredibey unique one. Was this the first film from Ruiz you've seen? If so, it is definitely the best starting point in his filmography, since it's one of his most formalist and accessible. But despite that, Ruiz never cared about telling coherent stories or having fleshed out characters in his films, since his works apply more to the intellect than to emotions. He's been always interested in the subjectivity of memory, the nature of possibilities and how circumstances can shape one's identity and his films always operate in a more abstract and dreamlike manner and Mysteries Of Lisbon is no exception, even if it seems quite conventional at first glance (always in comparison to his other works). So it's only logical it feels quite detached. Raul Ruiz is one of my favourite directors and I always find his films quite fascinating, but his style is probably not for everyone.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 14, 2020 10:24:16 GMT
The Philadelphia Story (1940) - rewatch 10/10One of the best American comedies ever - that I still watch often - an absolutely sparkling and fizzy cocktail of snappy one liners and big movie stars being generally wonderful and dreamy in how they play off and bring out the best in each other. Hepburn is the centerpiece that everything spins around and she's endlessly fascinating and appealing in many ways here - whip smart, assured, sarcastic, vulnerable, (very) rich, believably modern and sexy - there's a reason the most famous porn star of her era borrowed this characters name after all James Stewart in an Oscar winning role is a riot and Cary Grant is at his effortless best - the interplay between the 3 stars is dazzling, and the supporting cast is all note perfect.
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Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jan 14, 2020 13:15:01 GMT
The Two Popes (2019)I'm a bit bemused by this film. I don't really see what, if anything it was trying to say about what happened with this transition between them. It was far too light, and only touched on the major problems of the Catholic Church, so it didn't work for me as that sorta film. The relationship between the two men was too cornball to be anything special either. That ending . Still, the performances from Pryce and Hopkins were classy, and I didn't dislike the film.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jan 14, 2020 17:18:03 GMT
The Two Popes (2019)I'm a bit bemused by this film. I don't really see what, if anything it was trying to say about what happened with this transition between them. It was far too light, and only touched on the major problems of the Catholic Church, so it didn't work for me as that sorta film. The relationship between the two men was too cornball to be anything special either. That ending . Still, the performances from Pryce and Hopkins were classy, and I didn't dislike the film. yeah I didn't get much out of it either. Does McCarten just really like Pope Francis and wanted to make a hagiography about him? What bothered me most were the flashbacks. Any time the screen cut away from Pryce telling his story, we were robbed of what might have been a powerful performance in service of exposition.
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Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jan 14, 2020 17:43:09 GMT
The Two Popes (2019)I'm a bit bemused by this film. I don't really see what, if anything it was trying to say about what happened with this transition between them. It was far too light, and only touched on the major problems of the Catholic Church, so it didn't work for me as that sorta film. The relationship between the two men was too cornball to be anything special either. That ending . Still, the performances from Pryce and Hopkins were classy, and I didn't dislike the film. yeah I didn't get much out of it either. Does McCarten just really like Pope Francis and wanted to make a hagiography about him? What bothered me most were the flashbacks. Any time the screen cut away from Pryce telling his story, we were robbed of what might have been a powerful performance in service of exposition. I honestly think with more to do on screen, Pryce might have taken my win for the year; but he's ended up at the lower end of my Top 10 instead.
I have this horrid feeling that greatness by both Pryce and Hopkins might have ended up on the cutting room floor.
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Post by DeepArcher on Jan 14, 2020 19:45:59 GMT
Glad you watched this, even if you didn't end up liking it. I think that Raul Ruiz is a director that should be explored by every film buff, since his style is a incredibey unique one. Was this the first film from Ruiz you've seen? If so, it is definitely the best starting point in his filmography, since it's one of his most formalist and accessible. But despite that, Ruiz never cared about telling coherent stories or having fleshed out characters in his films, since his works apply more to the intellect than to emotions. He's been always interested in the subjectivity of memory, the nature of possibilities and how circumstances can shape one's identity and his films always operate in a more abstract and dreamlike manner and Mysteries Of Lisbon is no exception, even if it seems quite conventional at first glance (always in comparison to his other works). So it's only logical it feels quite detached. Raul Ruiz is one of my favourite directors and I always find his films quite fascinating, but his style is probably not for everyone. Yeah, it was the first Ruiz I've seen, though judging by your descriptions I'm definitely curious to explore more. Any suggestions in particular?
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Post by themoviesinner on Jan 14, 2020 20:23:18 GMT
Yeah, it was the first Ruiz I've seen, though judging by your descriptions I'm definitely curious to explore more. Any suggestions in particular? My favourite from Ruiz is Time Regained (1999), which is a kind of adaptation of Proust's In Search Of Lost Time and is among the most abstract of his works, where time, characters and past events just seem to blend together within the labyrinth of a dying man's memories. Another film of his worth checking out is Three Crowns Of The Sailor (1983), which is a truly unique and fascinating surreal fantasy, probably his most playful and creative film. Lastly, I'd also recommend The Hypothesis Of The Stolen Painting (1978), which is a very interesting farcical examination of the "hidden" meanings one can find in art and the way those can be interpreted.
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Drish
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Post by Drish on Jan 15, 2020 1:04:57 GMT
Little Women - 7/10 I liked it. It was good but really not that special to be made hundreds of time. I absolutely loved the cast and Winona Ryder was so perfect. I can't wait to see Saoirse Ronan as Jo, the character seems to be something tailor made for her. She's so gonna kill it 😍 Loved baby Bale too. Aaaaand she fucking killed it! My favorite female performance of the year, hands down.
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Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jan 15, 2020 9:14:16 GMT
Pain and Glory (2019)
A rather charming film. I fully enjoyed and embraced the story and character of Salvador, who was a mostly endearing character to spend time with. Both sides of the story were beautifully rendered, but that was the one thing I fully expected when I sat down to watch it, and I wasn't let down at all. I enjoyed the performance from Banderas, which was consistent and sympathetic. He took a character who might have become frustrating and full or surface level gimmick, and made him warm and deep, while resisting the urge to cry (mostly). I really enjoyed the performance of Asier Etxeandia too. My main issue with the film, was that I actually wanted a bit more of the background story. I feel an extra ten minutes of that wouldn't have gone amiss, and wouldn't have made the film overly long; as it was pretty short anyway. A well placed ten minutes might have taken Pain and Glory from very good, to another level.
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Post by jakesully on Jan 15, 2020 16:38:51 GMT
It: Chapter Two very happy with myself that I skipped this one in theaters. fucking terrible. at least Hader had fun with his role, I thought he was pretty good but overall this was a clunker. 5/10
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Post by DeepArcher on Jan 16, 2020 6:11:39 GMT
Cosmopolis. Fantastic piece of satire from Cronenberg that presents such a realized tone of novelistic absurdity like few other films I've seen and then fully commits to it from beginning to end. Equal parts funny and insightful and led by a great Pattinson performance, it's a film that's definitely a bit wonky and where some of its vignettes are better than others, but the full devotion to its totally unique approach was a real treat and the stilted, overly-literal dialogue provides one great line after another. Definitely something that won't work for everyone, but very much works for me.
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Post by jakesully on Jan 16, 2020 9:57:58 GMT
The Lighthouse- Finally got around to viewing this one and WOW it didn't disappoint! Flat out bonkers of a film and the ending left me speechless. I really think Eggers is going to be a force to reckon with this decade. 8.5/10
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Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jan 16, 2020 13:19:30 GMT
Klaus (2019)
Always enjoyable, and often quite funny. It got a little to overly sweet on occasion, but it was still a worthwhile watch.
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 16, 2020 22:41:51 GMT
Ladybug Ladybug (1963) - 7/10 or more. Directed by Frank Perry and btwn this, The Swimmer, and Last Summer, three terrifyingly bleak endings - all before the 70s! Throw in Diary of Mad Housewife and he's truly covered all ages of American distress. This pic feels as brief as a short film but it's tightly done and very tense. There are great details - like the teacher suffering from her high-heels and how she doesn't think to take them off, or the people paper-chain in the classroom that mirrors the shot of the silhouetted kids outside. The open rural spaces by the end look more like an utter wasteland....
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Post by Miles Morales on Jan 17, 2020 9:03:49 GMT
Transformers: Age of Extinction - 1.5-2/10
I only watched this because I lost a bet.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 17, 2020 12:16:31 GMT
The Green Room (1978) - re-watch 7.5+/10Fascinating, somewhat static and deceptively complex Francois Truffaut film gorgeously shot by Nestor Almendros. Truffaut gives a subtle performance here - that you may alternately see as great or boring - boring here is the point though - you're not supposed to "like it. Here he's directing himself in a film that is on the surface about Death but is always about its peripheries - grieving, loss, the details of life and how they can be inflated or submerged in the process of "moving on". The film is a textbook example of a film you won't understand or care about when you are younger......with aging, perspective, and context you may later end up wildly overrating it and thinking it's a masterpiece................ it certainly is made by a master at least.
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Javi
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Post by Javi on Jan 17, 2020 21:00:16 GMT
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - Must have been utterly spectacular in '35... and it still kinda is. The first 30 minutes or so made me wary (it has more whipping scenes than 12 Years a Slave), but as soon as they get to Tahiti the movie gets very Hollywood and very enjoyable in an old-school way. Gable really brings the charm here. And Laughton is phenomenal: the role as written is a disgrace, but Laughton makes you sense the human in there. It's a smart movie, too! There really isn't too much conviction about the hero's moral triumph... he gets the beautiful girl and the paradisiacal tropical island at no cost to himself... only his honor is compromised, and nobody cares. (Imo the Oscars made the right call this year. Much better than Ford's torrid The Informer, which feels like a funeral).
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 17, 2020 22:18:49 GMT
The Incident (1967) 7+ Two delinquents terrorize late-night subway passengers. I like Ebert’s reading that it’s “sort of an urban Western” (co-lead Tony Musante memorably followed this up with The Mercenary). It’s a frustrating watch but never adrift its point. In this close-quartered social snarl-up (borderline send-up) of archetypes, there are no immediate heroes. Each character is by turn humiliated - by the two (pictured) perversely taunting and poking at everyone's weak spots - and then they recede and stay there. There's no collective, and that homeless man on the floor at the end, they step right over him... It's easier. DP also shot Fail-Safe, Last Summer, Young Frankenstein…..
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Jan 18, 2020 1:51:13 GMT
Les Miserables (2012) (rewatch) - Tom Hooper is not a musical director, but unlike Cats, he can get away with it in this movie, which succeeds by pure virtue of the drama, and the strength of the performances (Even Russell Crowe, infamous as he is, has his moments). That’s where Hooper’s strengths lie, and that’s why I love this movie.
EDIT: Also, I’m gonna watch The Irishman again. Yeah, it’s that good.
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