Recent movies seen - Page 67

Once A Villain · 06-03-2006, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiwak

Nah. From my experience Republicans are too busy trying to strip rights from gays and ban abortion to worry about unimportant things like the economy or the environment or foreign policy.

Here we go...

Spiwak · 06-04-2006, 08:22 AM

My bad.

Spiwak · 06-04-2006, 08:56 PM

The Break Up - Interesting because I was expecting a more cutesie heartwarming comedy but in fact the characters equally overreacted and acted like normal people do and were sometimes just total pricks to each other. While I think a lot of critics and viewers found this a turn-off I found it refreshing, partly because both actors held their own against each other and despite their obvious shortcomings I could see past it and still feel for them and root for them to get back together. Better than expected.

MoriartyL · 06-05-2006, 04:26 AM

Ever since she saw it in theaters, my little sister's been telling me over and over that I've got to see Million Dollar Baby, because it's one of the best movies she's ever seen. Finally she got the DVD, and I watched it.

Meh.

I certainly can't say it's a bad movie- it's close enough to flawless for my tastes. But if you aim low, and then hit your mark, you achieve low. Yay for pointlessness! The acting was perfect. The purpose of acting in this style is to convince the audience of the characters.

ME: Okay, Clint and all, you've convinced me. Now what?
EASTWOOD: That's it.
ME: What do you mean, that's it? Aren't you going to at least give me an interesting plot to think about? The one you're using is predictable and obvious!
EASTWOOD: Ah, but it has a sad ending. Everyone loves believing in sad endings.
ME: Hm. See, I believe the world of your story, and I understand the story, and I wasn't surprised at all by it, and I don't love it.
EASTWOOD: Ah, good! We've caused controversy, maybe?
ME: No. I just don't care and I'm getting really bored.
EASTWOOD: In that case, watch this!
[shuts off all the lights and turns on a weak flashlight]
EASTWOOD: Pretty cool, huh? Now we can pretend this is a sophisticated story! See, if no one can actually see what's going on, they won't notice how conventional the story is, and will assume it's really artsy. And I get hailed as a visionary director!
ME: Who said that? Where are you? [bump, trip]

There are some twists, but none that surprise even the slightest bit.

Spoiler:
For instance, can there be anyone watching that final fight scene who doesn't know, with complete certainty, that it's going to go terribly wrong? It's written so by-the-book that you can read it like one: First they drag out the scenes much too long so that it'll feel like a climax, then they make it go well much too easily to lull you into a false sense of security.

We all know these writing tricks, we all expect them, and I for one couldn't feel very interested in them. After that scene, the movie loses all momentum and left me wishing it would end quickly so I wouldn't have to sit through all the nothingness.

And that's what it is by that point. They don't really play anything for the emotions like they could because that would damage the style they're going for. So they just present the plot points and drag out the scenes so much to a ridiculous (and very annoying) degree. Don't they have an editor?

In short, I just don't get it. What's the point?

Once A Villain · 06-05-2006, 11:34 AM

Hmmm, I thought Million Dollar Baby was great because you DON'T expect what happens. I must admit, I believed it would be the typical Hollywood movie where this girl boxer goes all the way to the top. A woman's version of Rocky. The fact that it was much more than that is what I liked.

Ninth · 06-05-2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

Hmmm, I thought Million Dollar Baby was great because you DON'T expect what happens. I must admit, I believed it would be the typical Hollywood movie where this girl boxer goes all the way to the top. A woman's version of Rocky. The fact that it was much more than that is what I liked.

You were expecting a woman's version of Rocky from Clint Eastwood?

MoriartyL · 06-06-2006, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

Hmmm, I thought Million Dollar Baby was great because you DON'T expect what happens.

Then apparently we didn't see the same movie. The script is written so transparently that I almost always knew roughly how a scene would end when it began. Though to be fair, maybe it's just a matter of how I went into this- my sister's been going on and on about how amazing the movie is since forever, so what they did is just about the bare minimum I was expecting from the story.

Spiwak · 06-06-2006, 08:04 AM

I liked MDB up until the big event. After that it became so melodramatic and tried so hard to jerk emotions out of me. I just can't stand that when it's so obvious and doesn't feel like it flows naturally from the rest of the movie. It had some good qualities though--the cinematography and performances were all superb, and the boxing sequences were staged and edited well enough. Paul Haggis was probably the problem. I had the same feeling in the final acts of Crash, too.

Once A Villain · 06-06-2006, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninth

You were expecting a woman's version of Rocky from Clint Eastwood?

Well, I mean...I certainly wasn't even close to thinking it would be a film about...

Spoiler:
euthenasia

The film was, of course, not without plenty of flaws. One of the problems was how ridiculous the girl's family was portrayed...

Ninth · 06-06-2006, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

Well, I mean...I certainly wasn't even close to thinking it would be a film about...

Spoiler:
euthenasia

The film was, of course, not without plenty of flaws. One of the problems was how ridiculous the girl's family was portrayed...

Well, thinking about it, the trailer was completely misleading...
I haven't seen the movie, though, and probably won't.

Jelena · 06-06-2006, 10:38 AM

The Brothers Grimm
Entertaining! I enjoyed it a lot! Great idea to merge the folk tales with a story about the story collectors. And Peter Stormare was hilarious.

MoriartyL · 06-06-2006, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

Well, I mean...I certainly wasn't even close to thinking it would be a film about...

Was it? I must have missed that- it seemed to me like it was a film about boxing which just stuffed that theme in at the end.

Once A Villain · 06-06-2006, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoriartyL

Was it? I must have missed that- it seemed to me like it was a film about boxing which just stuffed that theme in at the end.

I dunno, after it happened I kinda thought the whole movie had been building up to that. I didn't think it felt tacked on or out of place. Frankly, in my view, it was refreshing. While my opinion of the film has dropped a bit since I first saw it (I've now seen it three times), it has nothing to do with that theme or how it develops. I think I had this movie as my #2 movie for the year when it came out, but it wouldn't be that high anymore. I had Sideways just below it, and now I'd put Sideways at #2.

MoriartyL · 06-06-2006, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Once A Villain

I dunno, after it happened I kinda thought the whole movie had been building up to that.

I know- I was just kidding. It wasn't really out of place, but my post was just an exaggerated way of saying, "No way was the whole movie about that subject."

*Melanie68* · 06-06-2006, 09:19 PM

Corpse Bride

What a gorgeous movie! The characters were incredible. I'm always amazed at the sympathy I can feel for the characters in Tim Burton's movies. I cried at the end.

A++ from me.

lumi · 06-10-2006, 08:52 PM

Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels - was a fun movie to watch.

AFGNCAAP · 06-11-2006, 02:17 AM

I've seen it a while ago already, actually, but I have to spread the word on Danish Adams æbler ("Adam's apples"). It's the best movie I've seen in cinema since eight months or so: alternately funny and scary, cynical and uplifting. Track it down if you can.

On the surface it is a very black, somewhat absurdist, comedy, with quite a few unexpected twists in the plot. Beneath (but you definitely don't have to look that deep to enjoy it) it's an ironic tale of the fine line between idealism and naivety. Screenwriter/director Anders Thomas Jensen gracefully toys with the biblical motives, and the acting is generally top notch, with major props to Mads Mikkelsen*.

Loved it, loved it, loved it!

*soon to be Bond villain, for those of you who think that movies which aren't made in English don't count.

Dasilva · 06-11-2006, 04:02 AM

Benchwarmers - David Spade, I love him so much! Fun movie although a bit cliche.

Huz · 06-11-2006, 04:35 AM

The remake of The Omen.

I really enjoyed it, though all the reviews seem to say it's not very good compared to the original. I'll have to get that out on DVD, I think - I did intend to watch it during a recent 70s horror binge, but didn't quite get around to it.

insane_cobra · 06-11-2006, 12:57 PM

Marathon Man

Now, why don't they make them like this anymore?

06-04-2006, 08:22 AM	#1322
Spiwak is not wierd Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,148	My bad. Share Share this post on Twitter

06-04-2006, 08:56 PM	#1323
Spiwak is not wierd Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,148	The Break Up - Interesting because I was expecting a more cutesie heartwarming comedy but in fact the characters equally overreacted and acted like normal people do and were sometimes just total pricks to each other. While I think a lot of critics and viewers found this a turn-off I found it refreshing, partly because both actors held their own against each other and despite their obvious shortcomings I could see past it and still feel for them and root for them to get back together. Better than expected. Share Share this post on Twitter

06-05-2006, 04:26 AM	#1324
MoriartyL Not like them! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Israel Posts: 2,570	Ever since she saw it in theaters, my little sister's been telling me over and over that I've got to see Million Dollar Baby, because it's one of the best movies she's ever seen. Finally she got the DVD, and I watched it. Meh. I certainly can't say it's a bad movie- it's close enough to flawless for my tastes. But if you aim low, and then hit your mark, you achieve low. Yay for pointlessness! The acting was perfect. The purpose of acting in this style is to convince the audience of the characters. ME: Okay, Clint and all, you've convinced me. Now what? EASTWOOD: That's it. ME: What do you mean, that's it? Aren't you going to at least give me an interesting plot to think about? The one you're using is predictable and obvious! EASTWOOD: Ah, but it has a sad ending. Everyone loves believing in sad endings. ME: Hm. See, I believe the world of your story, and I understand the story, and I wasn't surprised at all by it, and I don't love it. EASTWOOD: Ah, good! We've caused controversy, maybe? ME: No. I just don't care and I'm getting really bored. EASTWOOD: In that case, watch this! [shuts off all the lights and turns on a weak flashlight] EASTWOOD: Pretty cool, huh? Now we can pretend this is a sophisticated story! See, if no one can actually see what's going on, they won't notice how conventional the story is, and will assume it's really artsy. And I get hailed as a visionary director! ME: Who said that? Where are you? [bump, trip] There are some twists, but none that surprise even the slightest bit. Spoiler: For instance, can there be anyone watching that final fight scene who doesn't know, with complete certainty, that it's going to go terribly wrong? It's written so by-the-book that you can read it like one: First they drag out the scenes much too long so that it'll feel like a climax, then they make it go well much too easily to lull you into a false sense of security. We all know these writing tricks, we all expect them, and I for one couldn't feel very interested in them. After that scene, the movie loses all momentum and left me wishing it would end quickly so I wouldn't have to sit through all the nothingness. And that's what it is by that point. They don't really play anything for the emotions like they could because that would damage the style they're going for. So they just present the plot points and drag out the scenes so much to a ridiculous (and very annoying) degree. Don't they have an editor? In short, I just don't get it. What's the point? Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ -Mory My first game My second game My third game

06-05-2006, 11:34 AM	#1325
Once A Villain OUATIJ Creator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,640	Hmmm, I thought Million Dollar Baby was great because you DON'T expect what happens. I must admit, I believed it would be the typical Hollywood movie where this girl boxer goes all the way to the top. A woman's version of Rocky. The fact that it was much more than that is what I liked. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ Ben Co-Founder Abborado Studios Lead Designer - Once Upon a Time in Japan: Earth

06-06-2006, 08:04 AM	#1328
Spiwak is not wierd Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,148	I liked MDB up until the big event. After that it became so melodramatic and tried so hard to jerk emotions out of me. I just can't stand that when it's so obvious and doesn't feel like it flows naturally from the rest of the movie. It had some good qualities though--the cinematography and performances were all superb, and the boxing sequences were staged and edited well enough. Paul Haggis was probably the problem. I had the same feeling in the final acts of Crash, too. Share Share this post on Twitter

06-06-2006, 10:38 AM	#1331
Jelena Lazy Bee Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 7,518	The Brothers Grimm Entertaining! I enjoyed it a lot! Great idea to merge the folk tales with a story about the story collectors. And Peter Stormare was hilarious. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ Temporary guest in your life

06-06-2006, 09:19 PM	#1335
Melanie68 Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 8,907	Corpse Bride What a gorgeous movie! The characters were incredible. I'm always amazed at the sympathy I can feel for the characters in Tim Burton's movies. I cried at the end. A++ from me. Share Share this post on Twitter

06-10-2006, 08:52 PM	#1336
lumi Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Washington, USA Posts: 2,120	Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels - was a fun movie to watch. Share Share this post on Twitter

06-11-2006, 02:17 AM	#1337
AFGNCAAP Dungeon Master Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Poland Posts: 4,152	I've seen it a while ago already, actually, but I have to spread the word on Danish Adams æbler ("Adam's apples"). It's the best movie I've seen in cinema since eight months or so: alternately funny and scary, cynical and uplifting. Track it down if you can. On the surface it is a very black, somewhat absurdist, comedy, with quite a few unexpected twists in the plot. Beneath (but you definitely don't have to look that deep to enjoy it) it's an ironic tale of the fine line between idealism and naivety. Screenwriter/director Anders Thomas Jensen gracefully toys with the biblical motives, and the acting is generally top notch, with major props to Mads Mikkelsen. Loved it, loved it, loved it! soon to be Bond villain, for those of you who think that movies which aren't made in English don't count. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ What's happening? Wh... Where am I? Last edited by AFGNCAAP; 06-11-2006 at 02:28 AM.

06-11-2006, 04:02 AM	#1338
Dasilva Hitch-Hiker Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: The Mediterranean Sea Posts: 4,364	Benchwarmers - David Spade, I love him so much! Fun movie although a bit cliche. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ Regards, DaSilva "If you don't get out of the box you've been raised in, you won't understand how much bigger the world is." - Angelina Jolie _ <Susan falls through the floor and gets stuck> <Paco looks at her blankly> "Whats wrong with you?! Lassy would of had a firetruck here by now!" - Susan Mayer, Desperate Housewives

06-11-2006, 04:35 AM	#1339
Huz Kersal Massive Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Manchester Posts: 1,430	The remake of The Omen. I really enjoyed it, though all the reviews seem to say it's not very good compared to the original. I'll have to get that out on DVD, I think - I did intend to watch it during a recent 70s horror binge, but didn't quite get around to it. Share Share this post on Twitter

06-11-2006, 12:57 PM	#1340
insane_cobra gin soaked boy Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Virovitica, Croatia Posts: 4,093	Marathon Man Now, why don't they make them like this anymore? Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ What you piss in is yours for life.

User Name		Remember Me?
Password