[insane_cobra]

I don't care personally.

[Jelena]

Today I finally went to the video rental store to get a couple of movies I´ve wanted to see for a while.
I just saw Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind. I appreciate it for having a "love conquers all" story without being too sweet or too "American predictable". (No offense US forumites ) I can´t say I loved it though, but I´m pretty sure I´m going to remember it.
I also enjoyed Jim Carrey leaving his usual routine although I really can laugh myself to pieces when he does them (Spicy meataball)
It was nice to see his face all relaxed.
Tormorrow I´ll give Broken Flowers a go.

[Spiwak]

Broken Flowers was hilarious and depressing all at once. One of my favorites from last year...

[lumi]

I rewatched Akira and Princess Mononoke to see if I still had the same feelings for them as the first time I saw them. My opinion had a few changes, but for the most part it stayed the same.

Akira starts out fairly well; I dig the setting and the characters seem to have interesting lives. But then it gets boring. The whole super powers thing doesn't interest me. I wanted to see the gang mess around with the adults and fight the Clowns.

Princess Mononoke is quite well done, but like with Akira, the story doesn't really interest me. I think I was supposed to like the gods, but I had trouble with them acting like special people. I mean, they're only gods. What's the big deal? They hassle the iron works people, and then get angry when they retaliate.

[jjacob]

Originally Posted by Spiwak

Broken Flowers was hilarious and depressing all at once. One of my favorites from last year...

Yeah, definately one of Bill Murray's oddest films ever, in a good way

[Panthera]

Just saw Ice age: the meltdown.. Nice and funny, but not quite the level as it's predecessor..

[lumi]

I saw Donnie Darko. It was good, but I think it had more potential. Something about the story felt underwhelming, but I still stayed interested in watching it play out.

Sideways was a relaxing movie to watch. The story's not the most interesting for me, but it's a good movie nontheless.

[lumi]

I'd recommend the website Criticker if you want to rate movies you've seen and see what other people recommend who are close to your tastes.

[jjacob]

Lucky Number S7evin. Wow.... it's NEARLY as bad as Revolver And to think it gets a 7.-something on IMDB.. that really says a lot about the average IMDB user.. I mean, this film barely deserves a 4/10.

[Jelena]

Broken Flower was sort of a disappointment. Bill Murray gets praised and IMHO he did not do much. Just sat down and didn´t even change his face expression more than to a faint smile twice. I liked his neighbour a lot more. He was the showstopper if you can say there was one in this movie.
I liked the story though, but the ending....
I guess a lot of people say they loved the movie just because they didn´t get the end. I admit: I didn´t.

[AFGNCAAP]

Originally Posted by LenaJ

I guess a lot of people say they loved the movie just because they didn´t get the end. I admit: I didn´t.

I think you may be trying to look too hard into it.

Spoiler:

It's an open ending. We leave Don in the middle of the crossroads, symbollic of the choice about what he wants to do with his life next. He has also just realised that life provides no easy answers and he may never find out which of the twenty-year-olds of this world is his son (if any is).

I don't think there is anything more to "get", although there are of course things left open to viewers' interpretation.

I agree that the film is overrated, but I felt that way about most Jarmusch's movies I've seen. (except Ghost Dog. Ghost Dog is incredible.) And yes, Bill Murray was a slight letdown, but I think it's more of a screenplay's fault - after all, he had managed to present a way more complete and memorable character in (superb) Lost in Translation, despite basically using the same deadpan throughout that film.

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by AFGNCAAP

I think you may be trying to look too hard into it.

Spoiler:

It's an open ending. We leave Don in the middle of the crossroads, symbollic of the choice about what he wants to do with his life next. He has also just realised that life provides no easy answers and he may never find out which of the twenty-year-olds of this world is his son (if any is).

I don't think there is anything more to "get", although there are of course things left open to viewers' interpretation..

Spoiler:

I do understand it´s an open ending with all the question being unanswered. I don´t get why I´m left like that, having spent 103 minutes anticipating an answer about his son. Even an answer that he didn´t have one. But I simply can´t understand why J. Jarmusch bothers to make a film about a man looking for his son without telling the whole story. I feel cheated.

I agree that the film is overrated, but I felt that way about most Jarmusch's movies I've seen. (except Ghost Dog. Ghost Dog is incredible.) And yes, Bill Murray was a slight letdown, but I think it's more of a screenplay's fault - after all, he had managed to present a way more complete and memorable character in (superb) Lost in Translation, despite basically using the same deadpan throughout that film.

I actually didn´t like Lost in Translation either. I didn´t even finish watching it. Haven´t seen Ghost Dog.

[jjacob]

You should! It's a great film (and don't let the "Samurai" premise put you off, it's mostly symbolical). I don't remember most of it, but I do remember it's one of Forest Whitaker's best roles ever.

[lumi]

I just watched Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes, Aguirre: The Wrath of God for us english speakers. It's one of the best movies I've seen. Very mesmerizing, dire, and strange. Klaus Kinski gives a good performance.

[jjacob]

The Road to Guantanamo. Great docudrama by Michael Winterbottom about four British Pakistanis who went to Pakistan in 2001 as one of them was to be married there. They decide to take a short trip into Afghanistan to perhaps help people but end up stranded in a Talibani infested town. As war is declared and the bombing starts, they try to make their way back to Pakistan but end up getting arrested by US forces and eventually deported to Guantanamo Bay where they face.. well, you can guess that part. Shocking stuff, absolutely shocking - nothing I didn't know yet - but still a great re-enactment through the eyes of actual Gitmo prisoners (told by them). Go see this, seriously!

[Crunchy in milk]

I fell asleep during Lord of War. It was like two films mooshed together. I would rather have had more of the tricks of the trade, facts and figures and documentary feel type stuff. As soon as they started trotting out the cliched shit with the wife's sudden change of heart and the utterly stupid personal crusade ala Ethan Hawk bits, I just dosed off. That part of the film was worse than being force to sit through an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

[Melanie68]

Mirrormask

Stunning, beautiful and enchanting! I've read about critics who complained the story was weak but I didn't feel that at all.

[jjacob]

Originally Posted by Crunchy in milk

I fell asleep during Lord of War. It was like two films mooshed together. I would rather have had more of the tricks of the trade, facts and figures and documentary feel type stuff. As soon as they started trotting out the cliched shit with the wife's sudden change of heart and the utterly stupid personal crusade ala Ethan Hawk bits, I just dosed off. That part of the film was worse than being force to sit through an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

^ Agreed It started off really nice, but then got gradually worse.

Spoiler:

Plus "Jared Leto's" death could be seen coming from like 5 minutes into the movie, man I hate over-predictable plots.

Originally Posted by Melanie68

Mirrormask

Stunning, beautiful and enchanting! I've read about critics who complained the story was weak but I didn't feel that at all.

Yeah it's an amazing film I was glad to see it was the opening film at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival a couple of days ago, a while back I thought this film wouldn't get any exposure at all, but I guess my screening was just one of the earlier ones. The main actress (Stephanie something) is pretty good too - and her dad/PM (Rob Brydon) did an excellent job once more.

[Melanie68]

I don't think it got any exposure in the US. I don't remember seeing any advertisements or seeing any other promotion.

[Lucien21]

Silent Hill

Oh I so wanted to like this film.

Big fan of the games and the film succeeds in replicating the atmosphere of the games very very well.

There are countless nods towards the series from the camera angles and music/sounds to lifting whole plot points from various games.

Therein lies the problem i'm afraid they succeed far to well It was too much like watching someone play the game. There was too much (especially at the beginning) of just watching the main character run around going through doors marvelling at "oh i remember this location"

The acting was dreadful and the story is impossible to know what the hell is going on unless you have played the games.

Strange there was not enough of the bad guys each of them get about 1-2 min of air time which was disappointing (Although Pyramid head gets slightly longer and also gets the best bit in the movie when he catches one of the characters - eeekk). Maybe it was just me but the movement of the nurses at the end all looked like they were dancing to Thriller I nearly laughed out loud.

Don't get me started on the ending which was crap.

Overall very atmospheric, looked and sounded amazing, and it was nice to see the designs, locations and monsters from the series up on the big screen, but as a movie it's a incoherant mess.

5/10