What Is The Last Film You Watched? (Older Films)

[Naïve Old Fart 9,500]

6 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

No painting would show the top of those trees. This is bad framing, folks.

 

Have you ever thought that that was what Malick intended?

[A24 4,326]

No one intents bad framing, Richard. Anyhoo, I'm sure the shot didn't start or end like this.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,500]

I never said that Malick I intended to frame a shot, badly. I think that he has much more skill, than that.

In art, one needs to understand what is not said, as much as what is said.

If the shot either didn't start, nor end, like that (it's been a long time since I saw the film), then you've just taken a single frame, from a single shot, and criticized it, out of context. Maybe, you'd like to post the complete shot, so that we can understand what you (and, by extension, Mr. Malick) are trying to say?

[A24 4,326]

Knock Knock (2015)

 

 

Movie starts like Haneke's Funny Games but soon turns into the worst movie I've seen in 2016.

 

 

Keanu Reeves acts so bad that you wonder if it's a comedy.

 

 

But the 'villains' were definitely not bad looking.

 

 

Alex

[KK 3,307]

7 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

But don't you think it's obvious beauty, KK? Those endless Americana fields, the hay bales, hand-build wooden barns, storm clouds in the sky, shooting exclusively at golden hour (right before dawn or after sunrise)? Is the photography really that stunning or is it the location?

 

I feel that way with Malick's latest, but in Days of Heaven, the imagery seems to be an essential character to the work. And as I said above, it helps that the film is isolated to the one location. The swaying wheat, endless dunes, working gatherers in the distance, it all enhances the slow passings of Middle America. It's why I admire it, because Malick's visuals don't feel obnoxious, but rather necessary.

[publicist 4,643]

Necessary sounds too objective, the imagery is the poetic essence of the story. And it was in this movie when Malick (or brutal studio interference) still could calibrate this imagery with the flow of the movie without getting hung up on endless shots of grass gently billowing in the wind. 

[KK 3,307]

Indeed. Everything feels in place, like there is a logic and reasoning behind the imagery, and it feels integral to the story.

 

The Thin Red Line was mostly potent in that regard, though you have a messier product.

[customdesignguy 4]

Just watched "NERVE".   I don't know what I think about that.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

On 3/11/2017 at 9:26 PM, Jay said:

I'd assume for you, you think Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and The Tree of Life are the perfect ones, and The New World, To the Wonder, and Knight of Cups the lesser ones?

I forgot about The New World. Make that four! But you also forgot Badlands. 

[nightscape94 965]

Badlands is right up there with Days of Heaven.

[Simon McBride 113]

Princess Mononoke

 

Pretty good. It felt like a slightly more violent Nausicaa. I can't really decide if I like it a ton, but I know that I didn't dislike it.

 

Life is Beautiful

 

This movie was great. It was really funny for the first half, and then terrible for the second half (as in it made me sad terrible, not poorly made). It was really good.

[KK 3,307]

 

The Thin Red Line

 

The last time I watched this was years ago, and I remember having a hard time sitting through it. And now, I am utterly moved. It's messy, yes, it has a meandering middle chapter with a whole wife subplot you could do without, and yes, I still scoff a bit at that final line...but gosh is it so beautiful. Malick's ruminations were still at the height of their powers with this film, and set against the rolling grass hills, the scale of the battle and the usual Malickian imagery, this reflection on the human condition is rather potent. Zimmer's score, in many regards, may be the film's saving grace, anchoring it from reaching the point of derision. There's a particular scene near the end, when the Japanese were sneaking into the frame from the woods, just to the sound of descending perfect fifths on the harp...masterful scoring! And boy does Malick know how to shoot his battle scenes! There is conviction, meaning and focus to most of his images here, which as I've said before, not something I get from his latest movies. I haven't been the biggest advocate for Mallick's style, but this makes me understand why his fans love him so. Flaws and all, it offers a rewarding experience, something which few films can truly attest to.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Along with The Tree of Life, one of his two truly great films.

[KK 3,307]

I still think Days of Heaven is his best film. But this is a close second. It is the more emotionally potent of the two.

 

I'll revisit Tree of Life soon. I remember being both frustrated and in awe of it. Perhaps more of the former.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Tree Of Life really opens up on the second viewing, once you have some sort of expectation for the narrative elements. Loved it in theaters, but missed so many subtle parallel visual structure throughout that really heightens its impact at home.

 

No love for The New World?

[KK 3,307]

I actually haven't seen The New World. I'm going through a bit of a personal Malick renaissance, and revisiting his works. I'll plan to check it out after The Tree of Life.

 

Something about The New World makes me hesitant though. With The Thin Red Line, Malick's wandering thoughts and love for nature is bound to the narrative of the battle, so it gives his contemplations context. There is an ideal balance choreographed spectacle and nature-based philosophy that makes it so effective.

 

The New World seems like it gives Malick's wandering spirit too much free reign. Basically I fear I might just get a montage of beautiful nature shots with rambling whispers in the background.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Good... good...

[publicist 4,643]

4 hours ago, KK said:

With The Thin Red Line, Malick's wandering thoughts and love for nature is bound to the narrative of the battle, so it gives his contemplations context. There is an ideal balance choreographed spectacle and nature-based philosophy that makes it so effective.

 

It would suck less if his wandering thoughts wouldn't have been placed into the mouths of scared-shitless soldiers. 

[KK 3,307]

I always figured those were really thoughts of an omnipresent narrator, Malick's voice, reflecting on the events of the film from above. Becomes harder to believe when you think those are the thoughts of the soldiers themselves.

[publicist 4,643]

Of course it is meant like this but since the young actors narrate (in the german dub at least) it becomes a bit of goofy friendship book poetry.

[bollemanneke 3,337]

Runaway Bride.

 

Oh dear, that was a mistake. I watched this one because it got bad reviews, because all the critically acclaimed films I've been watching recently didn't make much of an impression. And this one didn't either.

 

The premise was sort of interesting, but what bothered me is how both Maggie's parents and 'friends' all help her prepare wedding after wedding while unashamedly mocking her. Odd people... Oh, and I also knew how it was gonna end (didn't expect her to run again, though), but was nevertheless not prepared for the cheesy and ridiculous final scenes. Basically, the only thing that kept me watching was Julia Roberts. Oh, and watching a film isn't really that great if your audio source is a mono MP3 file iwth a bitrate of 32 KBPS. That was an all-time low.

 

James Newton Howard's score, though, is really nice. I'll definitely be checking it out.

 

Why didn't I watch Gravity instead...?

[Jay 37,288]

Gravity is a cool flick, but the impact will probably be lost without the visuals I think - crazy special effects and shot composition in that film, not a lot of dialogue

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

True

[Quintus 5,399]

Watched it on the iPad, decent film and pretty suspenseful throughout! 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's better in IMAX

[KK 3,307]

4 hours ago, publicist said:

Of course it is meant like this but since the young actors narrate (in the german dub at least) it becomes a bit of goofy friendship book poetry.

 

That sounds painful...

 

I could have done without the plodding flashbacks to the wife-cuddling scenes, and the awfully predictable conclusion that thread led to. But the rest worked for me.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Interstellar > everything else > Gravity 

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Everything else > Gravity = Interstellar

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

We just watched Prisoners, inspired by BB's recent post.  Also just feels like time to get more familiar with the Frenchman.

 

Harrowing, well made, generally good.  Too long, though.

 

Enemy is next.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I thought he was Kanadian?

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

What's the difference?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The French are purer, less American.

[KK 3,307]

We are purer than the Americans!

 

The Quebecois are the more "snobbish" folk of our country. There are a good bunch that don't even like to be identified as Kanadian. But they'd be nothing without the mainland (Bespin don't get mad)

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I met a Canadian, and I would be hardpressed to tell the difference between a Canuck and an 'Murican. 

 

TGP, did you know that there are Canadians living amongst you in the United States? And they are virtually unrecognizable as foreigners!

[KK 3,307]

We blend in well.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

It's too late, we're everywhere!

[KK 3,307]

In place of a dark Trump, you will set up a Prime Minister and his Queen! All shall love Trudeau and Her Majesty, and despair!

 

 

[A24 4,326]

9 hours ago, Jay said:

Gravity is a cool flick, but the impact will probably be lost without the visuals I think - crazy special effects and shot composition in that film, not a lot of dialogue

 

Gravity plays like the bad part of The Martian. - Alexandre Cremers for JWFan

[Quintus 5,399]

Pretentious bellend haha

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The arbiter of True Cinema™

[A24 4,326]

 

Arrival (2016)

 

 

Villeneuve's film severely suffers from the "The Force Awakens' syndrome. Everything happens too fast: The decipherment of the alien language, the belligerence of humanity, ...) and we should all just accept it without asking questions. Is Blade Runner 2049 in trouble? Well, not yet. Denis' direction  and JJohhannssonss' score were really not to blame. It's just that the basic material or the foundation on which the whole movie is built is just not that good. The theme is interesting enough though. Yes, 'communication' is everything, I get that, but it's very important in movies too. Artists have to communicate their ideas in such a way that the viewer goes along with it. Sadly, this didn't happen for me. Spread the same material over an 8-episode TV series and we might talk again. 5/10

 

PS: Oh, I didn't care for the characters but maybe it's not that kind of a movie.

 

Alex

[Quintus 5,399]

2 hours ago, Stefancos said:

The arbiter of True Cinema™

 

But Cremers only believes in television, no? 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yet he lives in the movie threads.

[Sweeping Strings 2,345]

The Borderlands - reasonably effective little British chiller about a team of Vatican investigators checking out a claim of miraculous activity at a small English church. It becomes apparent that whatever is active there is not on the side of good ... 


Heat - a digitally-remastered cinema screening of Michael Mann's mid-90s epic crime thriller. Holds up extremely well ... nice to have a reminder of the days when De Niro and Pacino still cared. The mid-point gun battle may well be one of the finest action sequences ever filmed.

[Jay 37,288]

Woah, Alex that's a great point:  The story of Arrival might have indeed been better told as a TV miniseries (with high production values) than a single film.  Good call.

[A24 4,326]

4 hours ago, Jay said:

Woah, Alex that's a great point:  The story of Arrival might have indeed been better told as a TV miniseries (with high production values) than a single film.  Good call.

 

Take the same showrunner of The OA, make it for Netflix, and you'll have TV gold!

[Jay 37,288]

The showrunners of The OA are the main actress and the guy who directed all the episodes (they wrote the entire story together), so I doubt they'd be interested in adapting someone else's work until The OA is finished.

 

The team that made Westworld would be good, though.  Not that it will ever happen, not for 20 years at least

[Quintus 5,399]

The OA was good not great anyway. When it was good, it was really bloody good. But there was some bad in there too. Not to mention the unintentionally hilarious finale. 

[Jay 37,288]

Sorry you didn't like it as much as you'd hoped.

[KK 3,307]

Speaking of which, I recently finished that, but didn't get the chance to post about it. Will do soon!