rate the last movie you saw

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AndyDursin
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1126 Post by AndyDursin »

YOUNG ADULT 4/10

I hated this movie. A one-note, slow-moving, thoroughly unappealing study of a crazy, ex prom queen nutcase (Charlize Theron) who tries to get back her high school flame, who's not only married and has a new baby, but has no interest in her.

Almost nothing in "Young Adult" is remotely amusing or funny. The lead character is unlikeable on every level, which may be the point, but then why should anyone care about what happens? Under the Coen Brothers, this kind of material might have been played at a high-energy, black-comic level, but Diablo Cody proves she's another one-hit-wonder with a film that understandably died at the Christmas box-office and isn't funny, or incisive.

While I saw worse movies last year, I can't think of one I wanted to see end so quickly as "Young Adult."

sprocket
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1127 Post by sprocket »

A Canterbury Tale 8/10

A British Powell/Pressburger film made in 1944, this is a pastoral look at wartime England. There are three very likable characters (including an American serviceman) who, each in their own way, get to Canterbury along the 'Canterbury Road', which pilgrims used to take on their pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral.

I really liked the performances and the pastoral atmosphere that was evoked. Most of the film takes place in the English country side and even as a black and white film, the sense of time and place is very strong.
I guess you could call the plot ‘odd’. I really thought the story was well done and deceptively simple.

Fringe (ongoing, 6/10)

I’m trying to get through the second season after suffering through the first. I really wish they would get away from the ‘monster of the week’ stories where someone is brutally and graphically killed in the first five minutes.

I think the series would be much better if they would start the episodes after the titles sequence!

Why do I stick with it? Well, the characters keep me there and the overriding plot about alternate universes is interesting.

I’ve seen about half the episodes in the season so far, and except for two which I thought were excellent (one dealing with an observer falling in love with one of his subjects – no monsters in sight – and another – a monster episode dealing with Walter Bishop’s mental frailty and his fascination with disgusting creatures) most were just filler.

I do wonder if writers on these shows know where they are going! :)

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AndyDursin
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1128 Post by AndyDursin »

LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
4/10

Any movie with David Bowie AND Irvin Kershner has to be...well, check that, it's pretty lousy. One more movie of "the moment" that was unworthy of all the attention it received, though unlike the (far, far superior) "Passion of the Christ", critics loved it far more than audiences did. Boring, stilted, awkward, only intermittently interesting, horribly performed by Harvey Keitel (not sure what to make of Dafoe)...honestly I found the ending of LIFE OF BRIAN to be more profound!

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Paul MacLean
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1129 Post by Paul MacLean »

AndyDursin wrote:Boring, stilted, awkward, only intermittently interesting, horribly performed by Harvey Keitel (not sure what to make of Dafoe)...honestly I found the ending of LIFE OF BRIAN to be more profound!
This was an enormously dissatisfying film on just about every level. I thought Dafoe did an amazing job (within the parameters of the role as written). But its low budget is obvious in every frame, with no real sets to speak of, and you can tell the Roman legionaries are all the same five guys (Life of Brian actually had more convincing sets, costumes, etc.).

Peter Gabriel's risible score didn't help things, sounding like a blend of some hippie drum circle and 80s pop music tracks, and its heavy use of synthesizers only accentuates the film's low production value.

And what most audiences didn't realize was that the "psychadelic" colors at the end of the movie were not some intentional optical effect, but in fact the camera running out of film! During loading and unloading, the outer layers of roll of film invariably get exposed to light and thus "fogged". Those few feet of film are of course never used (except by Martin Scorsese I guess).

I've also never quite understood why critics attacked The Passion for its excessive violence and gore...when they had praised Last Temptation, which was arguably as violent (and even included a nutty "Temple of Doom"-style moment when "Jesus" reaches into his body and pulls-out his bloody heart to show to his disciples).

This film does get points for showing the crucifixion as it really was (victims were in fact nailed through the wrists, and hung naked on the cross) but that's about all Last Temptation got right.

It baffles me that the filmmakers and Universal were actually "surprised" that people were offended by scenes of "Jesus" making crosses for the Romans and actually helping them crucify people. Can you imagine Ghandi containing a scene where the title character helps the English execute Indian criminals, or Malcolm X depicting its protagonist aiding the KKK? :?

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Monterey Jack
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1130 Post by Monterey Jack »

A Dangerous Method (2011): 7/10

Typically cerebral David Cronenberg movie is superbly acted by all three leads (some have pilloried Keira Knightley's "cuh-RAY-zee" early scenes, but I think she did a fine job) and, as usual, is slickly realized by all of his usual creative collaborators (Howard Shore, Peter Suzschitzky, Denise Cronenberg, ect.), yet it's all a little bit too genteel for the notoriously blunt filmmaker. Aside from some kinky sex play between Knightley and the ubiquitous Michael Fassbinder, it's never as psychologically disturbing as some of Cronenbergs best work, and the stagebound origins of the screenplay are pretty obvious. A fine, intelligent movie, but it didn't really stick to my ribs as much as I'd hoped.

mkaroly
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1131 Post by mkaroly »

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: 10/10. The Blu-Ray looks absolutely fantastic...the colors are so vibrant and alive. The Enterprise looks so much more intense and "energetic", especially when compared to the dullness of the bridge from TMP.

You know, I can't really say anything bad about this film. It really is, IMO, my favorite of the series and from start to finish manages to deliver genuinely moving drama, action, and comedy in a balanced way that makes this film a gem. I was especailly moved this time when Spock told Kirk that he had never taken the KM test and what Kirk thought of his solution. There is an incredible amount of depth of thematic material in the film as well...as I get older I think the themes of life and death and aging hit home more. Outstanding.

Quantum of Solace: 9/10. I really like this film. The one major criticism I would level at it was that there weren't enough dialogue scenes between the action sequences. Everything is very "quippy" and I like longer scenes of dialogue as in previous films where you got to relax and enjoy some character/plot development. Otherwise, the opera sequence still gives me chills, and I love how 007 and Camille are, in a way, cut from the same cloth. She was a stronger character than most Bond women, which I liked. I kind of view this film as Bond finding his way to becoming Bond...at any rate, I know a lot of people don't like it but I think this was an excellent sequel to CR.

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AndyDursin
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1132 Post by AndyDursin »

THE IMMORTALS

6/10

You know, between Tarsem's stylized direction and the costumes, I felt this was a legit guilty pleasure for about 2/3 until it ran out of gas. The story is woefully under-developed (even by the standards set by 300 and the Clash of the Titans remake) and the ending was lame...but I confess it kept me interested. And Freida Pinto...wow. Just wow. I don't care if her behind-the-back nude scene was a double...she's just phenomenal.


Image

Image

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Monterey Jack
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1133 Post by Monterey Jack »

AndyDursin wrote:And Freida Pinto...wow. Just wow. I don't care if her behind-the-back nude scene was a double...she's just phenomenal.
She's definitely ravshing, right up there with the Mask Of Zorro-era Catherine Zeta Jones and the Rocketeer-era Jennifer Connelly. :D Too bad she hasn't had that big, breakout role yet (she was totally wasted in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes).

sprocket
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1134 Post by sprocket »

The Descendants (9/10)

This a movie about decent people doing the decent thing in difficult times. Its so refreshing to see, as most movies these days are about decent people having to do bad things in difficult situations... or just bad people doing bad things in difficult situations.

Everyone, especially George Clooney and the young actress playing his daughter, and the guy playing the surfer dude boyfriend, are great to watch. The Hawaiian scenery is great to watch. The story has something to say. Finally, there are no car chases or guns. Very good.

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Paul MacLean
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1135 Post by Paul MacLean »

AndyDursin wrote:And Freida Pinto...wow.
Image


Maybe she will play Lt. Ilia when Paramount remakes Star Trek: The Motion Picture. :lol:

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AndyDursin
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1136 Post by AndyDursin »

Yes I can see that but no head shaving please :)

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AndyDursin
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1137 Post by AndyDursin »

sprocket wrote:The Descendants (9/10)

This a movie about decent people doing the decent thing in difficult times. Its so refreshing to see, as most movies these days are about decent people having to do bad things in difficult situations... or just bad people doing bad things in difficult situations.

Everyone, especially George Clooney and the young actress playing his daughter, and the guy playing the surfer dude boyfriend, are great to watch. The Hawaiian scenery is great to watch. The story has something to say. Finally, there are no car chases or guns. Very good.
One of the things I liked most about the film too -- it would've been easy to do a story where Clooney was the outsider to his girls, wasn't "the favorite parent", etc., and had to work to earn their respect. We've seen that film a hundred times before. Instead this film was the total reverse of that typical plot: Clooney already had the love of his daughters (even if he needed to spend more time with them), and the film is about him working to reconcile with his wife's actions and get his daughters (especially the older one) to love their mother in spite of what she did. For example, Woodley's rebellion and lashing out wasn't because of Clooney -- it was because she was upset at what her mom was doing to him. It created a very interesting dynamic that I hadn't seen before.

Clooney was great, and I love Shailene Woodley too -- been watching her for years on Secret Life of the American Teenager, which is a guilty pleasure (awfully written show but so bad it's hard not to watch it!).

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Monterey Jack
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1138 Post by Monterey Jack »

AndyDursin wrote:Yes I can see that but no head shaving please :)
If Natalie Portman in V For Vendetta is any indication, shaving Freida Pinto's head won't matter. :wink:

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AndyDursin
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1139 Post by AndyDursin »

Monterey Jack wrote:
AndyDursin wrote:Yes I can see that but no head shaving please :)
If Natalie Portman in V For Vendetta is any indication, shaving Freida Pinto's head won't matter. :wink:
True, Natalie at least fared better than Sigourney on that end of things (didn't do much for Demi either ;) I still prefer hair though myself lol.

sprocket
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Re: rate the last movie you saw

#1140 Post by sprocket »

Andy, I just read you latest Aisle Seat. Can you recommend which version of a movie to watch when there are multiple versions (the theatrical cut, the director's cut, the special edition...).

I always get confused as to which to watch. :?

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