[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I've got Lost in Translation as well. I love every aspect of this film.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by Trep

[I've] also seen Lost In Translation, which I adored! Again, another elegant, unforced naturalistic direction, this time by Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant daughter, Sofia. As lighthanded and nearly invisible as her directing is, she somehow managed to impregnate this movie with so many metaphors of physical, emotional, and spiritual displacement, feelings of life as a clinical passage, and unfamiliarity as a kind of focusing lens that puts into sharp relief things we don't usually notice - or choose not to notice - when we're 'at home'. I could watch this movie again and again.

Saw it for the first time then. I loved how it left wafting images and impressions in my head.

[lumi]

I really want to watch that movie again now.

[Junkface]

I greatly dislike Lost in Translation. Seems to me like a greatly inferior imitation of In the Mood for Love with a less interesting version of Bill Murray's character from Rushmore awkwardly slotted in. I also remember the portrayal of culture shock seeming somewhat forced and disingenious. I think Christopher Doyle (I believe in one god, the imagist, the almighty, lenser of Hero and Fallen Angels) called it one of the most immoral films he's ever seen. Maybe I just dislike woman directors.

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by Junkface

I greatly dislike Lost in Translation. Seems to me like a greatly inferior imitation of In the Mood for Love with a less interesting version of Bill Murray's character from Rushmore awkwardly slotted in. I also remember the portrayal of culture shock seeming somewhat forced and disingenious. I think Christopher Doyle (I believe in one god, the imagist, the almighty, lenser of Hero and Fallen Angels) called it one of the most immoral films he's ever seen. Maybe I just dislike woman directors.

1. It's not really In the Mood For Love at all. And I love In the Mood For Love. Superficially, maybe.

2. Bill Murray's character in Rushmore and in LiT are not that similar, either. Rushmore-Murray was an immature manchild. LiT-Murray was an older man struggling with a failing marriage and fading career. Also, it probably doesn't need to be said but I think both characters were created specifically to reflect, in diffferent sahdes, the Bill Murray persona. I believe quite a bit of LiT was improvised, anyway.

3. Immoral? I think you have to look at the film as it is from the perspectives of the principle characters. We see a Japan that is weird and memorably quirky because that's what stands out to the displaced Americans. What do you think they'll remember in years' time? Probably everything we saw in the movie. They poke fun at the Japanese not in condescension but in sort-of sad inside jokes, because they have nothing else to latch onto, or talk about. Even so, we see Charlotte, a little more artistic and contemplative, clearly affected by her trips outside Tokyo, and we do see some truly beautiful aspects of Japanese culture...but of course we see it as outsiders looking in. I dunno, I've felt like that many times even without being in a totally different country; as an emotional narrative it's easily one of the most affecting movies I've seen.

[Dasilva]

Jennifer Hudson Ruined Dream Girls That woman can't sing, she just gave me a headack with all her screaming. It was a waste of my money and my time. Its a shame because the movie would be so much better if Jennifer Hudson was played by someone else. Beyonce & Eddie were good, but damn that screaming woman, I'm serious her singing sections in the film are like 15min each, non stop of her screaming.

[LeisureSuitedLooney]

Saw The Departed today. Had gone to see it back when it was originally in theatres, but had to leave about 40 minutes in because of a family emergency. So went again today, and WOW. Great movie. But I don't see how they can be writing sequels to it...not a whole lot of characters left at the end, lol.

[Dasilva]

Lady in the Water Is a beautiful Fantasy Mystery film, I enjoyed it and Paul Giamatti played the role perfectly, it may not be everyones cup of tea, if you like fantasy & mystery you'll love it.

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by Dasilva

Dreamgirls....Lady in the Water..

Well at least you're going against the grain.

[Dasilva]

Originally Posted by Spiwak

Well at least you're going against the grain.

Sorry? Didn't get that.

[insane_cobra]

Children of Men

So I caved in and decided to check out what everyone's been talking about. I have to admit I went in very skeptical and expecting the worst, but it really is a fucking amazing film. Let me say that again. Fucking. Amazing.

Now, I've seen people comparing some elements of Half-Life 2 to the handling of the same things in this movie and I must say it's a very unfair comparison. I'm not going to discuss it here, I'll just say that although the game and the film share some motifs, the plot circumstances in the two are too different to ignore.

I also saw The Golden Voyage of Sinbad which is still good fun.

[Jazhara7]

I saw The Pursuit of Happiness about a week ago.

A really beautiful movie.


-

[jacog]

Rocky Balboa - not bad, despite the fact that Stallone went and Botoxed the hell out of his face.

Apocalypto - alright but don't expect any respect for historic integrity. It was more like an episode of Star Trek, but with blood.

[Hammerite]

Originally Posted by Dasilva

Lady in the Water Is a beautiful Fantasy Mystery film, I enjoyed it and Paul Giamatti played the role perfectly, it may not be everyones cup of tea, if you like fantasy & mystery you'll love it.

excellent film, as shyamalan's always are.

[Spiwak]

Originally Posted by Dasilva

Sorry? Didn't get that.

Your opinions for the two films were not what the critics thought, is all. Critics love Jennifer Hudson, and critics hate Lady in the Water. I haven't seen either.

[Dasilva]

Originally Posted by Hammerite

excellent film, as shyamalan's always are.

The best part was seeing it all come together, how everyone had a purpose, but you didnt see it at first.

[ATMachine]

Letters from Iwo Jima - I loved the way this movie totally reverses the stereotypical "good Americans/evil merciless Japanese" dynamic of most Pacific Theater WWII movies. It's refreshing to see the Japanese humanized as the film does, recognizing that not everyone in the army was blinded by honor.

The scene where the American guard shoots Shimizu and the other Japanese captive is just as it should be--completely chilling. It's good for a war film to recognize that Americans weren't always saints.

Of course, neither does the movie say "Americans are evil." Even though Saigo the baker swings a shovel around at the US GI's he isn't shot on the spot as military prudence might dictate, but instead is admitted to the American line of wounded.

I also loved the symbolism of Kuribayashi's pistol: a Japanese soldier at one point guessing that he took it from a dead American's body; the revelation that it was in fact a gift from the US army at a banquet; and at the end the American soldier casually taking the bloodstained gun and jamming it into his belt. Amazingly sad and moving.

[kuze]

Le Grand Bleu

...for the second time. Majestic, oceanic, Jean Reno - the movie is awesome. So far I've seen La Femme Nikita, Leon (about five times) and Le Grand Bleu by Luc Besson; I love them all.

[insane_cobra]

You haven't seen The Fifth Element?

[kuze]

Originally Posted by insane_cobra

You haven't seen The Fifth Element?

Oh, right, right, I forgot that one. Alright, make it three movies that I liked versus one that I didn't (although a few scenes were pretty cool).