What is the Last Film You Watched? - Part II

[A24 4,327]

 We'll see what happens on my second viewing. I think The Matrix qualifies in the same way. The eye candy is the only reason to see it a second time, I found no deeper layers. It is worth seeing repeatedly only for the superficial stuff.  

I must say, the second time I watched The Matrix, it still felt like I was watching it for the first time. I knew where it was going to and still it worked for me. That's when I knew The Matrix is a pretty good flick.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Olivier 5]

Lilo & Stitch, for the first time.

Excellent movie, indeed! Lots of fun.

Nice msic, and-- yeah, good songs.

[A24 4,327]

The Grudge. Terrible. Uses every Japanese cliche in the book.

[QMM 4]

Snatch

Good movie once you understand what the hell the british are saying

Max

[Justin 2]

War of The Worlds. I enjoyed the film as much as I did in the cinema. This film beats out King Kong about a hundred times over in the popcorn department. It's really a great ride. This was also the first time I've watched the film after I've heard the score. I liked the score a lot more in the film but it still doesn't raise it from pretty much standard Williams. Some great score-to-film moments throughout. The score is really good in the film.

Justin

[Romão 2,274]

Batman Begins. Still fantastic and the only true Batman film in my book.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I must check that one out.

Watched The Big Lebowski again yesterday. It's still awesome.

- Marc, who will watch Fargo, Ghostbusters, The Bourne Supremacy, and probably Raiders of the Lost Ark too today.

[Damo 0]

Forgot about this thread...here my latest update of films i've seen recently over the christmas week.

I have watched Ocean 11 (2001), Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire (2005), and Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005).

[A24 4,327]

A Love Song For Bobby Long. Good performances but weak story.

[Orson 1]

Casino Royale

Decided to revisit this one again after many years. I had forgotten how good I look aged and wearing a beard in a white tux. Simply dashing...

As for the film itself, it's best watched after the second martini.

[nightscape94 965]

A Love Song For Bobby Long. Good performances but weak story.

I believe extra points are awared simply because Scarlett Johansson is in it.

Tim

[Sandor 796]

I gave up in CSI, I love forensic science, but this show is just utterly unrealistic. (forensic scientists don't question suspects, nor do they carry guns)

Stefan, I know you wrote this months ago, but I still want to react.

First: most of television and film is unrealistic. CSI no more (or less) than 99% of everything that's out there. If that limits your enjoyment of it, then why even watch film in the first place?

Second: how do you know what you wrote? Is it because you're totally into all the police and forensic structures existing in the US or is it something you read somewhere and thought it was kind of cool to post here?

This is what the story editor of CSI had to say:

It is usually humorous to us if an article comes out criticizing the CSI shows for a lack of realism. Usually the negativity comes from those in law enforcement who, quite frankly, are taking everything a tad seriously. Remember, we are not producing a documentary. If we showed every laborious step of solving a case, remote controls would be clicking in unison all over the world. Obviously, real cases are not solved in a day. These are mysteries, designed for pure entertainment. And if we can throw in some cool science to boot, or give you glimpses into worlds that you may have never been exposed to, then we’ve done our jobs.

[Morlock 11]

A Love Song For Bobby Long. Good performances but weak story.

I believe extra points are awared simply because Scarlett Johansson is in it.

Tim

I find her to be one of the least interesting actresses working today. Maybe Match Point will win me over....

[Trumpeteer 302]

"Top Gun." I haven't seen it for many years, and I bought it on DVD yesterday. It still holds up as a movie full of sensory overload, but still emotionally thrilling. I watched the DTS version and I had a small headache afterwards.

This movie will always be held in high regard for me because it contains "Take My Breath Away," one of the most hypnotic movie songs ever composed. I know people here don't like composer Giorgio Moroder because he "stole" the 1978 Oscar from John Williams' "Superman," but you have to concede that the man knows how to write melodies.

Speaking of the song, on the DVD they added female humming to the rear speakers on the final verse, which is a little distracting. The French version is the only one that doesn't have the humming at the end.

[Morlock 11]

I think Moroder is a fine song writer and has written a good movie score or two. It's just that Midnight Express wasn't one of them.

[nightscape94 965]

A Love Song For Bobby Long. Good performances but weak story.

I believe extra points are awared simply because Scarlett Johansson is in it.

Tim

I find her to be one of the least interesting actresses working today. Maybe Match Point will win me over....

I wasn't referring to her acting ability

Tim

[Morlock 11]

I wasn't referring only to her acting ability.

[Justin 2]

How are her boobs?

Justin

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Second: how do you know what you wrote? Is it because you're totally into all the police and forensic structures existing in the US or is it something you read somewhere and thought it was kind of cool to post here?

A slight amount of knowledge regarding forensics, and just plain common sense.

I understand CSI is not supposed to be realistic, but often the plotting is just plain lazy.

Also I have a deep suspision against any show that has scientist doing important reseach in labs with dimmed lights.

I generally prefer British detective series anyway.

[A24 4,327]

Miller's Crossing. Very good. Better than I remembered. Great cast!

[Morlock 11]

Miller's Crossing. Very good. Better than I remembered. Great cast!

Yes. Yes. Yes. So many individual moments of greatness in the film, big and small.

Saw the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. This film does have good stuff in it- Pierce Brosnan is very good in this, the heist itself is wonderfully clever and satisfying, and I personaly love Conti's atypical score. The film doesn't work because of Renee Russo. I have yet to see a really good performance by her. She sucks over here. She is miscast, and is just so irritating and annoying. The score has some wonderful highlights, particulaly for the catamaran scene and the returning the monet scene (which is than taken over by a superb use of a Nina Simone song).

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Chris Nolan's Insomnia

Excellent.

- Marc, who must watch Batman Begins.

[A24 4,327]

I enjoyed Miller's Crossing so much that I have bought O Brother, Where Art Thou?. How about that, huh?

----------------

Alex Cremers - who found Insomnia rather flat and forgettable. Maybe he should see it again. Who knows?

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Well, I liked it. But I often find you are generally more picky when it comes to movies than I am.

[A24 4,327]

Well, I liked it. But I often find you are generally more picky when it comes to movies than I am.

Picky? Who, me? Don't forget, you're talking to a guy who sorta enjoyed The Hulk .

Bana, Bana, Bana, Bana, Bana, Bana, Bana, Bana, ....

[Trumpeteer 302]

I watched "Syriana" with some expectations. They were mildly met. It has the same feel as "Traffic," which was written by the guy who wrote and directed this one. George Clooney gets the showy role, and deserves an Oscar nomination just for getting through the horrific torture scene. Matt Damon is OK, too, though it takes him a while to get going.

I saw "Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic" on a whim. It's pretty funny, though I wonder how long Silverman's career will last being so fearlessly funny. Being cute and un-PC works in the film, but she needs to refine her act because it can't all be about making jokes about the Holocaust and black people.

[Justin 2]

Chris Nolan's Insomnia

Excellent.

What did you think of the end? I found the whole "ends in a shoot out" to be a horribly predictable end to an other wise engaging thriller.

Batman Begins. The film is solid that's for sure. I don't know if it seemed like it was trying to hard or not. There are some wonderful moments although I can't say it's brilliant. I might still prefer Burton's...

Black Hawk Down. This film gets beter with each viewing. Zimmer's "Leave No Man Behind" is a true example of his talent. Not a complex piece. But utterly spectacular. A true hidden gem of Zimmer's carrer.

Justin

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Chris Nolan's Insomnia

Excellent.

What did you think of the end? I found the whole "ends in a shoot out" to be a horribly predictable end to an other wise engaging thriller.

I was glad that didn't go on for too long. I guess it is predictable, but it worked out okay. I was caught up enough in the film by that point not to mind while watching.

[nightscape94 965]

One film that worked very well with a shoot out was Red Dragon. I think it was handled nicely, so it was a good payoff. It didn't seem gratuitous.

Tim

[Morlock 11]

I enjoyed Miller's Crossing so much that I have bought O Brother, Where Art Thou?. How about that, huh?

Ever seen that one? I kinda liked it for a while, than i saw it again last year and really liked it. I love the feel of the film.

What did you think of the end? I found the whole "ends in a shoot out" to be a horribly predictable end to an other wise engaging thriller.

The shootout I could have done without, but it was brief enough. And I think it ended fantasticaly, with Pacino's death scene.

Black Hawk Down. This film gets beter with each viewing. Zimmer's "Leave No Man Behind" is a true example of his talent. Not a complex piece. But utterly spectacular. A true hidden gem of Zimmer's carrer.

The film does get better every time. And Zimmer's score is some sort of masterpiece, I think. And the 'Leave No Man Behind' is one of his best pieces. As you said- not complex, but utterly spectacular.

[Orson 1]

Bana, Bana,  Bana, Bana, Bana, Bana,  Bana, Bana, ....

Someone is crushing on the Aussie. You've mentioned your fondness of him before.

[robthehand 3]

I just watched Back to the Future Part III. I know there are mixed views on this, but I definitely like it. (Not as much as the first, but equal with the second.)

[Morlock 11]

Braveheart. I find this to be a really remarkable movie. I can't really put the main thing about it into words- something they achieved, a quality they achieved to this film. I find it just amazing.

Anyway, onto to specifics, randomly tossed out:

The romance with Murron is well done. A nice pace to it, really romantic, and never feels out of place in this epic, as love stories tend to be (like the love story between Wallace and the Princess, which is just awkward). This is, of course, helped by the actress playing Murron, who is beautiful, yet in a very earthy kind of way. That is helped by the costume design, flawless in the film throughout. The costumes are just perfect.

Cinematography by John Toll is up there among the best ever. I can't speek highly enough of this. None of it stands out as overly theatrical, even the very showy stuff. The closeups are stunning and powerful, the huge, panoramic, wide shots of the view are breathtaking. This guy knows where to put his camera, and what to do with it. Makes sense, as Gibson says in the commentary that he was Conrad Hall's main camera operator for a while.

The film has a bunch of great supporting performances. Chiefly among them:

Brendan Gleeson. I have long talked about how much I love Gleeson, and this is the film that started it all for me. He is just the most joyous actor to watch. He's got a fair share of the film's wonderful line, like- "Fine Speech. What do we do now?" and "Well, we didn't get dressed up for nothing!".

And James Cosmo, as Hamish's father also has one of the most memorable roles I've seen. Fantastic face and voice, tremendous presence. He's a rock in Wallace's camp, and him leading the chant of "Wallace!" really takes out any corny elements from it and makes it feel right. He just feelright in place, 700 years ago.

Love Allun Armstrong as Mornay.

And one of the msot overlooked performances- Patrick McGoohan's turn as Longshanks. This is one delicious, fantastic performance, and McGoohan milks it for all it's worth. One of the best villains ever. He does an great job of selling the lines, often ridicules and over the top.

The editing of the film is also flawless. I can imagine this film being such a mess in a lesser editor's hands.

James Horner also gives the best work of his career here. The score feels so right, so in touch with the emotions on screen, like it's been there for the past 700 years. It's all brilliant, but, in particular, the Princess pleading for Wallace's life is one awesome bit of film scoring. Horner brings in this new idea, and drives it home slowly, really hitting a nerve.

The film as a whole is far flawless (very far, actually), but it has flawless editing, costuming, cinematography, production design, casting and scoring. The acting is very strong, save for a bunch of times when Gibson really seems out of character (and, if you pay attention to it, that accent is really quite laughable at times). The story is very well crafted, as are every last one of the characters. The dialogue is occaisionaly laughable, but there is also tons of great dialogue and some utterly fantastic lines.

As far as I'm concerned, as good as any epic Hollywood has ever produced, save for Lawrence of Arabia, and far better than most (I'd take this over Ben Hur or Ten Commandments any day). ****/****.

p.s.- the DVD commentary is one of the best I've heard. Gibson, very laid back and relxed sounding. He doesn't feel the need to speak every second, so there's not nearly as much inane and boring details as these often include. Tons of great humor there, like when Wallace says "I'm going to pick a fight" at Sitrling. In the film, he walks up and talks to the British emissary for a bit, insulting him, and than rides back to the line. Gibson says that if he could do it over, he would've had Wallace walkright over, hit him over the head with a mace and say "The fight is picked". Or when he's critisizing the Scots for not standing together, which is directly followed by a shot of all of them standing together.

But my favorite tidbit is that when asked by a local why the Battle of Stirling Bridge was filmed on an open plain instead of abridge, as it really happened, Gibson answered that "the bridge got in the way". So the local said "Aye. That's what the English found."

Morlock- half watching The Godfather , and finding it as brilliant as ever

[Trumpeteer 302]

I find "Lawrence of Arabia" to be boring. But I find most of David Lean's work to be that way. That's why I'm not anxious to see "Dr. Zhivago."

[Morlock 11]

Lawrence of Arabia is an experience for me. I can't just pop it in- than, it can get boring. Like 2001. It's a visual, visceral epic, that must be experienced, not viewed. Seeing it in the theater was an almost religous experience.

re Dr Zhivago: I'm personaly not a fan of this one. Never connected with it. I think it plays for me like Lawrence would play for someone not into the film, often boring, meandering, kind of choppy, and so very, very long.

[QMM 4]

Going through the Firefly series now, it definately has some of the best writing I've seen in a show and the cast is perfect. Only thing I'm not that partial to is the camera work but meh

Max

[A24 4,327]

Bound For Glory. David Carradine's finest moment. This film about Woody Guthrie feels a bit dated at times but still not bad.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Romão 2,274]

The Baby of Macon. I must say, this is one of the most memorable films I have ever seen, for a plethora of reasons. It really is on a league of its own, on all levels. Believe me, this is a movie you will not forget.

[A24 4,327]

Millions. I did not expect this but the movie kinda left me cold. Damn! And it's from my hero Danny Boyle! Well, this doesn't stop me from looking forward to his untitled Sci-Fi project.

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Alex Cremers

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Ah, so you were that one guy who loved The Beach?

[A24 4,327]

Ah, so you were that one guy who loved The Beach?

The Beach was flawed (especially the second part , the first part is actually quite good) but the concept was interesting. The film is not without its merits (the shark threat, for instance).

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Orson 1]

Ah, so you were that one guy who loved The Beach?

Guess that would be me. It's one of those guilty pleasure films that I got sucked into the first time I saw it. The only bad part for me is when Leo goes nuts and thinks he's in a video game. I could really do without that sequence. Other than that, I love the spirit of adventure and exploration. As for the music, Badalamenti's Beach Theme is wonderful. That hot french girl Francoise doesn't hurt things either.

Saw Millions the other night and thought it was bloody fantastic.

[ridan 0]

Just watched Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. Very...odd.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

But brilliant.

[Morlock 11]

Bound For Glory. David Carradine's finest moment. This film about Woody Guthrie feels a bit dated at times but still not bad.

----------------

Alex Cremers

I have no idea what kind of film this is, but the people in it and behind the scenes make it sound like it might be worth a viewing.

Millions. I did not expect this but the movie kinda left me cold. Damn! And it's from my hero Danny Boyle! Well, this doesn't stop me from looking forward to his untitled Sci-Fi project.

I thought it got a bit to convoluted at the end, but, overall, I loved it. The first 2/3 were just bliss for me, I wanted to hug Boyle for making it.

Saw Jarhead. Didn't 'do it' for me. Yeah, this is a fine portrait of what it was like to be a Jarhead during the gulf war. Yeah, war does thing to a man. I didn't feel the need for it.

Roger Deakins was good, everything once they hit the oil fields is pretty god damn great looking. I tried hard, but I didn't notice anything good from Newman. The score either sounded like the intro of a rock song, some kind of 3 Kings wannabe, or generic Newman stuff, and rather boring in that. Dissapointing.

Gyllenhall was great. He's been in a lot recently, this is the best work I've seen him do since City Slickers. Really career-building stuff, oscar material.

Sarsgaard was also very good. I liked him in the less authorotative role than I've seen him in so far.

Jamie Foxx was very good, really solid. First time seeing a drill sergent that did not make me incontrolably cry out for R. Lee Ermey.

Overall? Can't really say. It's a well made film, excellent telling of what it was trying to tell. I guess that makes it a ***/****? I'm not sure.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Monty Pyton's The Meaning of Life.

A spoiler for those who have not yet seen it: Matter is energy. In the universe there are many energy fields which we cannot normally perceive. Some energies have a spiritual source which act upon a person's soul. However, this "soul" does not exist ab initio as orthodox Christianity teaches; it has to be brought into existence by a process of guided self-observation. However, this is rarely achieved owing to man's unique ability to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia.

Brilliant film. I don't know why people consider it to be the weakest of the Pytons.

[Justin 2]

Monty Pyton's The Meaning of Life.

Brilliant film. I don't know why people consider it to be the weakest of the Pytons.

The films theme isn't a bad idea. Unfortunatly the film loses focus more than once due to the fact that it has no really center other than this broad concept of the meaning of life. The film plays more like 2 hours of their sketch comedy than an actual film. I find it very hard to work my way through it. The humor is touch and go and unfortunatly doesn't make up for the films lacking center. In the end the film plays like they started with the idea of The Meaning of Life and just made it up as they went a long. No character's or story to follow more of a comedic documentary. In a way it's their most unique film but I don't find it particularly enjoyable.

Justin - Who finds both Holy Grail and Life of Brian far more funny and enjoyable.

[Ollie 1,059]

Unrated version of The 40 Year Old Virgin. A funny and entertaining film.

[Olivier 5]

Saw Jarhead. Didn't 'do it' for me. Yeah, this is a fine portrait of what it was like to be a Jarhead during the gulf war. Yeah, war does thing to a man. I didn't feel the need for it.

So, what is a "Jarhead", please? I've never encountered the word before.

[Ollie 1,059]

A slang word used for the Marines.