Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Philomena As for the anti-Catholic criticism being thrown at the film, the film doesn't go out of its way to vilify the nuns here (credit for co-writer/co-star Steve Coogan for not being overly partisan) -- but rather question them. It's definitely a story that needs to be told. If there is a way to make this story apollonian, i can't imagine it. Where di you read it's anti-catholic? Armond White gave it pretty scolding criticism for just that: http://cityarts.info/2014/02/11/p-c-ping-pong/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 8,000 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Watchmen: The Ultimate CutKarol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Added scenes as redundant as I've heard they are? I only own the DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Hollis Mason's death scene is great.Oh, yeah that's in the DC. No idea what more was added in the "Ultimate Cut." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 8,000 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Added scenes as redundant as I've heard they are? I only own the DC.There's nothing added to this version, maybe except for the transitions between film and the animated feature that is the comic book a kid on a street is reading next to the newsstand. That story-within-a-story is intercut with the films and corresponds to different elements from the main narrative. It's not as seamless as in the comic book, but this element absolutely needs to be there.It's not necessary for you to watch this one, though.Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Armond White gave it pretty scolding criticism for just that:http://cityarts.info/2014/02/11/p-c-ping-pong/He is an irritating idiot and reading stuff like Director Stephen Frears (working from Coogan’s script) sets up points with Mike Nichols’ slickness: by assuming correct attitudes and deriding others: posing the church and the Republican party as villains and snide, Liberal journos as heroes. Esssentially, it’s another movie chipping away at religion.makes me wonder what kind of agenda he pushes with a review like this. The movie may have some expectable short-cuts (which i understand are mostly reductions of the real story) but when it doesn't do something, it's assuming correct attitudes and deriding others - something which this reviewer, rather like the many pitiful news programs from the US does with a vengeance: shamelessly distorting a film's content and bulldozing it down to a black and white reading american style...liberal vs. catholic, my ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt C 452 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 As an American, I really didn't see it as a film setting a political agenda. It's a story about lineage, and institutions overstepping their boundaries because they can't see the forest for the trees. There have been stories about secular adoption agencies and orphanages adopting out children without the birth parents' consent -- it's not exclusive to Irish convents.Plus, Armond White is an idiot.---Hamlet (1948)I prefer this over the overproduced Branagh version (only saw part of the Mel Gibson one). Director/star Lawrence Olivier really get the psychological tone of the story, and yet the movie retains a certain theatricality and scope thanks to the set designs and innovative camerawork. He also really nails Hamlet's deteriorating mental state not just through his acting, but the camerawork and the ominous William Walton score also add immensely. One of the finest productions of the Bard's work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbellamy 6,277 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Agreed on Philomena. I think there are also distinctions to be made between "anti-Catholic" (which it may be) and "anti-religion/faith/God" (which it certainly is not.)Anyway, a lovely, witty movie and possibly my favorite Judi Dench performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 It was definitely a charming and moving film. I don't think it's Dench's best performance, but a very good one nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Today I watched two very character-centric films that couldn't have been more wildly different.Frances HaThis little Noah Baumbach film was fantastic. It's refreshing to watch something that's so steeped in character and interactions. Greta Gerwig is a great newcomer and her role as Frances is meticulous and entrancing. Putting aside her bumbling cuteness and natural personality, her writing and performance paired with Baumbach's direction nets some highly involving cinema. From the gorgeous French New Wave inspired cinematography and Delerue 'score' to the camera work and production design, this film is more or less your average story wrapped in some truly forgotten filmmaking styles and escalated by Gerwig's performance. The film resonated with me in a very peculiar way, in that it has an upbeat tone and comedy sprinkled throughout, but I found it so incredibly sad and isolating. It was a neat juxtaposition of mood.ShameIt's hard to formulate my thoughts about this one. I thought Fassbender did a fantastic job portraying Brandon, as the film almost exclusively revolves around him and his inner torment. The implosion of his character was written and executed really well by McQueen; with some really fantastic shots and scenes throughout. A patient director that utilizes long takes and lighting. I'm interested to finally watch Hunger next. There was one glaring issue I had with the film, and it's something really small but completely pointless. Though oddly enough as I type about it perhaps it makes sense. The scene where he grabs his coworker and takes her to the apartment starts off with him snorting a line of cocaine. There was no indication of him being a user and then all of a sudden half way through the film he's into hard drugs and smokes? It felt unnecessary, but then again it's probably the explanation for his limp noodle. I couldn't quite grasp why a sex addict couldn't get it up, but then it dawned on me just now that it was probably the drugs. Either way, that angle wasn't fleshed out enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt C 452 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 ShameIt's hard to formulate my thoughts about this one. I thought Fassbender did a fantastic job portraying Brandon, as the film almost exclusively revolves around him and his inner torment. The implosion of his character was written and executed really well by McQueen; with some really fantastic shots and scenes throughout. A patient director that utilizes long takes and lighting. I'm interested to finally watch Hunger next. There was one glaring issue I had with the film, and it's something really small but completely pointless. Though oddly enough as I type about it perhaps it makes sense. The scene where he grabs his coworker and takes her to the apartment starts off with him snorting a line of cocaine. There was no indication of him being a user and then all of a sudden half way through the film he's into hard drugs and smokes? It felt unnecessary, but then again it's probably the explanation for his limp noodle. I couldn't quite grasp why a sex addict couldn't get it up, but then it dawned on me just now that it was probably the drugs. Either way, that angle wasn't fleshed out enough.Hunger is a tough watch, but I found it more engaging than Shame. There is a 17 minute long long take with Fassbender and Liam Cunningham talking that's riveting, mainly due to the actors' performances and that Steve McQueen doesn't cut away from them. And for it being McQueen's first film, it's an assured and well-crafted film. (Fassbender was snubbed of any Oscar recognition for that movie, which is a crying shame.)And you have to give the director credit for pursuing stories with tough subject matter and not watering them down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Exactly. I heard a lot of crap about Shame for just being soft core porn with no point and it's anything but. McQueen is relentless with his camera work. It never blinks or turns away and makes you painfully uncomfortable in the best way possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I think there are also distinctions to be made between "anti-Catholic" (which it may be) and "anti-religion/faith/God" (which it certainly is not.)I wonder how the simple fact that the irish catholic church sold these babies for profit and lied to their mothers even 50 years after it happened could possibly painted in a more positive light - i mean without losing the...actual story. I don't know if the AIDS bit was made up (and if i agree that i may be a tad on the nose) but i doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,331 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Exactly. I heard a lot of crap about Shame for just being soft core porn with no point and it's anything but. McQueen is relentless with his camera work. It never blinks or turns away and makes you painfully uncomfortable in the best way possible.With other words, he shows everything and leaves nothing to us. How interesting!Hollis Mason's death scene is great.I agree, it was strangely poetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Watched Gravity a second time, this time in 1080p on my big screen. Definitely think it's a solid 4 star movie, only let down by its awful dialogue; which is still somehow not as undoing as it should be. But that script is extremely cheesy and it's a shame. Of course, the wording plays a tiny second fiddle to the visceral immersion, which is tautly directed and hugely suspenseful - and make no mistake that stuff is spectacular and probably the benchmark for visual effects. The score and sound design impressed even more this time, too. It's pretty mean! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,331 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 A solid 4/4 star movie with awful dialog .... Hmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 As I said, the dialogue is in the end ancillary. For me the other elements of the film are very strong and completely overshadow the script, almost to the point that its half arsed inclusion doesn't really matter as much as it should do. The ride is tight. Very tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Imagine Peter Jackson with the same script! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I just think the movie would have been much more startling had the script had been kept to a sparse, procedural minimum. In 2001 when the shit hits the fan there's barely a word spoken and just the sweat on Dave's face communicates all of the intensity in a way which is so subtle it actually subconsciously ramps up the feeling of anxiety. It's sleight of hand vs Gravity's corny mallet over the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I just think the movie would have been much more startling had the script had been kept to a sparse, procedural minimum.That's how I feel about the sound designy score, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Yeah I wouldn't mind seeing this proposed score-less version, to see how well it works. Trouble is I think the added silence will contrast with the script even more and highlight its corniness even further.Which, Alex, may result in a star knocked off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 No one is denying that. Gravity, as good as it is, is NO 2001: ASO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Oh certainly. It was just the easiest and most obvious comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Cuaron wanted it to be a silent film originally. So blame Del Toro for convincing him to write a script to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Anyone else seen Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain? Just remembered that I watched it last year and I'm wondering what exactly other people make of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I saw Robocop, the remake. Meh, it was the epitome of mediocre and unnecessary re-make Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,331 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Glad to know my instincts are still working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Typical february release! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I , Frankenstein was more fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,331 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'll bet they sucked the Verhoeven out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 3,631 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 oh, yeah, that's the first thing you notice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There was no indication of him being a user and then all of a sudden half way through the film he's into hard drugs and smokes? It felt unnecessary, but then again it's probably the explanation for his limp noodle. I couldn't quite grasp why a sex addict couldn't get it up, but then it dawned on me just now that it was probably the drugs. Either way, that angle wasn't fleshed out enough.I might be miss-remembering the movie, as it as been a while now, but wasn't it due because there was some degree of affection involved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muad'Dib 1,801 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Anyone else seen Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain? Just remembered that I watched it last year and I'm wondering what exactly other people make of it.I've seen El Topo and liked it, but some stuff didn't make jack sense... And from what I've been told, La Montaña Sagrada is even weirder, so I have to be in a very special mood to watch it, so for now I have no real intention of seeing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamelBoy68 0 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Due to time restraints, it ended up being Robocop, which I don't think was as bad as I was expecting. Plus it was good to see Batman Michael Keaton again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I watched Clear History AKA Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Movie, a HBO production. It had Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Leon from the show, a fat Eva Mendes and Goldie Hawn's daughter, all of whom were good and well up for Larry's brand of humor. The cop out of Superbad was especially hilarious and steals every scene he's in! It had a difficult and unfunny middle section which lasts for about twenty minutes and a few of the gags fall flat throughout, but pretty much everything else was typical Curb territory and so readily digestible and amusing for anyone who is a big fan of the show, like me. 3/5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Due to time restraints, it ended up being Robocop, which I don't think was as bad as I was expecting. Plus it was good to see Batman Michael Keaton again...What did you make of the score? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,339 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Oh yea, I keep forgetting I gotta see Clear History Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamelBoy68 0 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 To be honest, nothing really stood out for me, although I might take a look at it on its own, away from the distraction of the film....from what I can remember it did all that was asked of it in complimenting the action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 There was no indication of him being a user and then all of a sudden half way through the film he's into hard drugs and smokes? It felt unnecessary, but then again it's probably the explanation for his limp noodle. I couldn't quite grasp why a sex addict couldn't get it up, but then it dawned on me just now that it was probably the drugs. Either way, that angle wasn't fleshed out enough. I might be miss-remembering the movie, as it as been a while now, but wasn't it due because there was some degree of affection involved?That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If he somehow started to have emotional feelings towards the woman instead of just sexual, why wouldn't he sleep with her? Because sex was his escapism and he didn't want to associate that with her? Again, the situation wasn't really fleshed out well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Maybe it's not so much because he had feelings for her, rather that it's just that he knew her. He saw her everyday at work, etc... The other women he slept with were just women he met on the subway, in a nightclub, etc. They were just one-night stands. He talked to them for a few seconds, then banged them the following minute.Here, he actually went on a date with his coworker, they discussed about things they liked, etc... So maybe, the reason for the "limp noodle" (hehehe, I like that expression!) is because it was the first time he was having sex with someone he knew personally, and that felt strange for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 You explained better than I did, but that's my view as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Okay I can see that. Also was it just me or were there some incest type conflicting feelings going on with his sister? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Pig fucking? Incest?What are you people watching! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Anyone else seen Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain? Just remembered that I watched it last year and I'm wondering what exactly other people make of it. I've seen El Topo and liked it, but some stuff didn't make jack sense... And from what I've been told, La Montaña Sagrada is even weirder, so I have to be in a very special mood to watch it, so for now I have no real intention of seeing it.Ha, special mood indeed....I thought it was stylish but ultimately wankery. Worth a watch just to be totally perplexed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Pig fucking? Incest?What are you people watching!We need a pig fucking sub forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Nah, just move all pig fucking threads to the John Williams section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makeshift Python 22 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Black Book (2006)Solid WWII flick from Verhoeven, and the first one I've seen of his from his native land. I'll be seeing more of his other flicks over the weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Might be his least controversial film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now