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tsmith675
Gondor
Jan 25 2015, 11:06pm
Post #2 of 47
(1044 views)
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Watched Some New Films and Re-watched Some Classics
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I was sick this past week, so I watched quite a few movies. I watched The Imitation Game, Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Theory of Everything and re-watched Donnie Darko and Pulp Fiction.
The Imitation Game:
I'm on a mission to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars come up. And this was probably the one I was most looking forward to. And it didn't disappoint... But it also didn't blow me away. The acting was phenomenal. The story was extremely interesting and engaging. And the execution, for the first hour and fifteen minutes, was great. The first hour is wonderful. But the last half hour, showing more of the later parts of Turing's life wasn't as engaging as it could have been. It definitely loses steam after the cracking of the Enigma code.
Great, great performances around the board. And a really well-made film. I loved the look and the way it was shot. It's an intriguing film about a very intriguing man portrayed wonderfully by Benedict Cumberbatch. There are quite a few historical inaccuracies, but they didn't bother me too much, other than one thing that it says right before the credits. Overall, the film starts out strong, but loses steam in the last 30 minutes. However, it's still an intriguing, well-made film.
4/5
Birdman, or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance:
I'll be brief with Birdman, because I could talk about this movie all day. What a great film. The performances, especially Michael Keaton's, are off the charts. The screenplay, the directing, the acting, pretty much everything technical is great about this film. I have a few problems with the story, there are a few places it drags a bit. But the technical aspects of the film pretty much make up for it. Just the way this film is shot is so beautiful and amazing. The whole film feels like one long take. And I can't even fathom how hard that would be to make. But they did, and it works. Some may feel like it's a gimmick, but I love it. Few directors have the balls to try and make a film that way, and even fewer that could make it work. But it works to perfection in Birdman.
This is my second favorite of the Best Picture nominees, Whiplash being my favorite. Great direction, writing, cinematography, acting, there's just so much good to say about this film, even though it isn't perfect. There's one part in the film that I feel drags on too much that keeps this from being a perfect score, but this film is still great nonetheless.
4.5/5
The Grand Budapest Hotel:
I'm not the biggest Wes Anderson fan. I enjoy his films, but he hasn't made a film yet that I loved. And he still hasn't. But let me tell you, I really enjoyed this film. It's incredibly charming. And Ralph Fiennes gives a brilliantly funny performance. It's not a perfect film, and I'm really surprised it's a Best Picture nominee, but I'm happy it is. Because it's just so unique and charming. I may not love it, but I know there will be a lot of people that do. And it deserves a Best Picture nod just for being so creative and unique and charming.
Overall, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a good movie. Moderately interesting story, great visuals, a fantastic performance by Ralph Fiennes, a really fun score and many, many Wes Anderson-isms. Oh and did I mention it's charming?
4/5
The Theory of Everything:
This is another film I was really excited to see. Stephen Hawking has always intrigued me and I was really looking forward to seeing a film about his life. This film is just so uneven. The first hour, which is undoubtedly the most interesting part, just flies by. And then after that, the film slows down. Like, a lot. It gets really boring for the next half hour. It focuses more on his wife, who I found extremely uninteresting. The film just jumps around way too quickly at first and then stops and slows down at the most uninteresting place and never becomes as intriguing as it was in the first hour. If the film had taken the first 45 minutes to an hour and spread them over an hour and a half, then spent 10 minutes on the uninteresting stuff, I may have enjoyed it more. But it went from being really interesting to really boring, just like that.
There is plenty to enjoy in the film, though. Eddie Redmayne's performance is amazing. He does a great job physically portraying Stephen Hawking as his capacities deteriorate. The score is really great. And the chemistry between the two leads is great. I really did care about their relationship. Their love story is a bit cliché, but that didn't bother me. I mean, it's what really happened. I just wish the last half of the film would have been as interesting as the first half.
3.5/5
Donnie Darko:
One of my favorite films of all time. A great, mind-bending science fiction film. This is one of those movies that makes me want to write and direct a film of my own. It's so intriguing and engrossing. I can never just put Donnie Darko on and do something else while it's playing. I have to sit down and get immersed when I watch it. And that's the way it's meant to be viewed. I'm always picking up new things when I watch it. I love the whole tangent universe story, it's just so interesting. It's hard to talk about Donnie Darko without giving away plot points. But if you haven't seen it, go do that now. I always tell people that Donnie Darko is a film you have to watch in your lifetime. You may hate it, you may love it. But you should definitely watch it.
One of my favorite things about Donnie Darko is that, even though it's this big, mind-bending story about time travel and parallel universes, it's about the characters. And each character is developed so well, especially Donnie. There's great dialogue in the film that really keeps it intriguing the whole way through. Donnie Darko is one of those films that, even after however many viewings, I don't have a negative thing to say about it.
5/5
Pulp Fiction:
Speaking of great dialogue... This is one of the most well-written films of all time. Quentin Tarantino is a genius when it comes to writing dialogue. And this is a prime example of that. It's just such a great movie. And it's such an iconic film too. I know there a lot of Pulp Fiction haters out there, and I understand that. This definitely isn't a film for everyone. But I just love everything about it. It's well-directed, well-written, well-acted. It's funny, it's violent, it's original, it's unique.
There's not much to say about this film that hasn't already been said. It's just so great. Darkly hilarious, violent, engaging. It's everything great wrapped in one film. If I had to nitpick, I always think it gets a little boring in the hotel with Bruce Willis and his girlfriend, but that's only a 5 or so minute section. Other than that, it's perfect. It's my second favorite Tarantino film. Reservoir Dogs is my personal favorite of his. But this is a very, very close second.
5/5
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Aragorn the Elfstone
Tol Eressea
Jan 25 2015, 11:17pm
Post #3 of 47
(1033 views)
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I've probably seen the film 2-3 times in my life. Each time has been a different experience. I attempted the Redux version this time, which I believe I'd watched once before. Last time I saw this version, I wasn't positive about it, but figured that might have just been my age and tastes at the time. But this time was not much better. I actually started the film over after the French plantation scene, turning on the original Theatrical Version - and was much more impressed. It is a masterful, albeit disturbing, piece of cinema.
And I cannot believe that it stars a teenage Laurence Fishburne. That is just so weird. 
"The danger with any movie that does as well as this one does is that the amount of money it's making and the number of awards that it's got becomes almost more important than the movie itself in people's minds. I look at that as, in a sense, being very much like the Ring, and its effect on people. You know, you can kind of forget what we were doing, if you get too wrapped up in that."
- Viggo Mortensen
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jan 26 2015, 12:13am
Post #4 of 47
(1029 views)
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A little bit of this, a little bit of that
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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
I think I could watch Dame Judi in anything and love it and this was another that I loved. I don't know why, I just did.
Inspector Morse/Lewis/Endeavour
I watched them in chronological order over the last few weeks. I am in love with the music and it was fun trying to pick out the different call backs (Or call forwards? Is that even a thing?)
Road to El Dorado
I've seen this before (I have kids so of course I've seen it more than once) watching it after watching the behind-the-scenes footage of Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branaugh recording the lines made it even better. I'd love to see the whole thing just as them in the recording studio!
Murder Room
PD James novel with Martin Shaw as Adam Dalgliesh. It's the second adaptation with Shaw in the lead and I really like his take on the detective later in life. I loved the original series too, but there is something about how Shaw plays Dalgliesh that makes me want to make him soup and cookies.
North and South
I put this in on a day that my back was really bothering me and the RA therapy worked! I still hurt but I didn't care near as much.
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ITLs don't get enough FAS. :)
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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MistyMountain
Lorien
Jan 26 2015, 12:37am
Post #5 of 47
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I also am on a mission to see all the Best Picture nominees for a very specific reason -- I will be attending the One Last Party in LA. I imagine there will be a gathering somewhere where we can meet and watch the award show together so, with that prospect in mind, I began my movie watching in earnest.
The Imitation Game
I liked this film quite a bit. Benedict was wonderful and even Keira Knightly managed to not annoy me as much as she usually does. So far, this one is my favorite. But more yet to see.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
This movie was surprisingly long (or it felt long anyway) and not what I expected. But I did enjoy it. Lots of strange cameos (Edward Norton as a German?... with no discernable accent). Really quite odd but charming. Yes, I also am surprised that this was nominated but it IS visually a treat.
American Sniper
An excellent film with a strong performance by Bradley Cooper. The Best Actor category is shaping up to be a real tough one to call. The one odd moment for me came at the end -- as the credits rolled, I noticed it was totally silent in the theatre -- no music playing over the credits!? I don't think I ever seen that in another movie. It was kind of eerie.
Some I have seen on Netflix:
Foreign film: "Ida" -- a quiet, very good movie in black and white.
Documentary: "Virunga" -- slow start for me but, by the end, I was practically sobbing. Perhaps its subject matter (rangers protecting endangered mountain gorillas) hit close to home as I used to be a zookeeper. But it was heart-wrenching.
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Ham_Sammy
Tol Eressea
Jan 26 2015, 2:07am
Post #6 of 47
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I started watching Lillyhammer on Netflix. I love it so far. Stephen Van Zandt in the lead role and it's Netflix Norway so it's almost entirely Norwegian I think in production. Very good comedic moments. The fascinating thing to me so far is the blend of the Norwegian/American cultural stereotypes. Van Zandt is perfect for the role as the Mafia Boss who goes into witness protection in Lillyhammer Norway.
All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you, Gandalf the Grey
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a.s.
Valinor
Jan 26 2015, 2:13am
Post #7 of 47
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I watched "Forbidden Planet" for the first time all the way through. I see why it's a classic, even if it bugs the crap out of my 21st century self to see the entire 23rd century spaceship crew made up of white men.
LOL
a.s.
"an seileachan"
"A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds." JRR Tolkien, Letters.
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Jan 26 2015, 3:00am
Post #8 of 47
(1008 views)
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Hard to believe this movie is 10 years old already. Heavy subject handled brilliantly by Spielberg, Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, Daniel Craig and others.
Also watched The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) and King Arthur (2004). Always love The Messenger. On the other hand, for some reason Clive Owen really grated on my nerves this time through Arthur. Come to think of it, I'd like to see a remake that looks more like Tristan + Isolde (2006).
(This post was edited by SirDennisC on Jan 26 2015, 3:07am)
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Name
Rohan
Jan 26 2015, 3:02am
Post #9 of 47
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The American crime drama "The Blacklist." James Spader is SOOOOO good. It's on Netflix if anyone wants to try it out. I was hooked after the first 5 minutes of the pilot. I recommend it 100%
How many Tolkien fans does it take to change a light bulb?
"Change? Oh my god, what do you mean change?! Never, never, never......"
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Jan 26 2015, 3:06am
Post #10 of 47
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"Saigon, bleep, still only in Saigon."
This was on heavy rotation when I was a teen, though the movie was only a couple years old at the time. Always got a kick out of the clerkified Han Solo and of course Dennis Hopper (who I'm named after apparently).
Anyway, though it was rough in spots, I like the Redux version: makes for a completely different movie.
(This post was edited by SirDennisC on Jan 26 2015, 3:15am)
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Jan 26 2015, 3:14am
Post #11 of 47
(1008 views)
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I haven't seen all of Grand Budapest, but what I have seen is amazing... what I got from walking in and out of a room while it was on (when I was busy doing something else) is it is very claustrophobic, the way it was shot I mean: every shot I saw was a frame within a frame within a frame. I love that sort of thing -- definitely on my "to watch" list.
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Old Toby
Grey Havens
Jan 26 2015, 4:12am
Post #12 of 47
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Yes, I know. You are probably scratching your head and saying, "Huh?" It's a 2013 Japanese film, a period piece with very modern implications. And I loved it!
I love samurai films, but this wasn't specifically one as such. It's the story set in 16th century Japan about the murder/suicide of a warlord and the subsequent turmoil of several factions vying for power for the clan leader succession. It's a comedy, and such a well-crafted one at that!
Apparently neither of the remaining two sons of the murdered warlord are competent enough to rule the clan, and so the stage is set for those behind the scenes trying to support one or the other son in an effort to take control, using the son basically as their puppet. All is to be decided at a conference that has four main players casting votes (each of them trying behind everyone else's back to persuade others to support their choice). There are some surprising twists at the end and it is a fun ride along the way.
It's the sort of movie that you have to pay attention to in the very beginning so you can sort out who the main players are and who they are trying to coerce into siding with them. There is some sword fighting of course (and the main bad guy from 47 Ronin is in there only in a supporting role...but doing great sword fighting!).
I'm always amazed in these classically Japanese films how simultaneously elegant and absurd the characters can be. Sometimes the line between life and art is blurred, and that's partly what makes these films so enjoyable. If you can find it to rent, it's worth it. Oh, yeah, you have to have subtitles unless you are fluent in Japanese!
"Age is always advancing and I'm fairly sure it's up to no good." Harry Dresden (Jim Butcher)
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Meneldor
Valinor
Jan 26 2015, 5:59am
Post #13 of 47
(988 views)
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1962. This is one of those movies on my list of "I guess I ought to watch it cuz they say it's a classic" movies, and I started it thinking, "I already know this is just a movie about a brainwashed assassin."
Holy crap.
That was amazing. It must have been utterly mind-blowing in 1962. Intense, suspenseful, and shocking. I should have seen the end coming, but I didn't and I just sat there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it.
Oh, and also, Leslie Parrish. 
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 26 2015, 8:13am
Post #14 of 47
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The Selfish Giant, What we do in the Shadows
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The Selfish Giant left me basically speechless. It's not an easy watch, but absolutely worth it.
The story is about two boys who steal copper wire to sell to a local scrap dealer Both boys come from pretty bleak family situations and their friendship provides the support each needs, until things start to go wrong.
Horses are very central to this story, both literally and figuratively. The writer and director was inspired by the Oscar Wilde story for this film. To me it is about exclusion, and it has multi-layers that kept me thinking for a long time afterwards. Silence and minimal sound is used beautifully in this film, and in a memorable way.
I found this film to be profoundly affecting, in a similar way to Winter's Bone. I can't recommend it highly enough, but I do warn that it is bleak.
Here is a trailer for those interested.
On a lighter note, I finally got around to seeing What we do in the Shadows. Very remiss of me take so long with this one, but it was worth the wait. I can only echo Ataahua's recommendation to see it if you possibly can.
It is the funniest thing I have seen in a very long time - laugh out loud funny, and lots of fun.What's not to like about a bunch of Wellington vampires? I loved this film! Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement have launched a Kickstarter fund to try and get the film to America. You can watch a fun clip explaining it here. There are some excellent rewards for those who add their support. You too could own a 'Werewolves not Swearwolves' t-shirt.
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Kimi
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jan 26 2015, 9:07am
Post #16 of 47
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Hamlet - Branagh's four-hour version.
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Watched over two hot, summer nights - I'd feel I was risking hypothermia if I watched this in winter. :)
I do enjoy this version, but I don't think I'd be up to watching it in one session, let alone groundling-style.
Also re-watched Tristan and Isolde (more Rufus Sewell is a Good Thing). I like this, especially how sympathetic a character Mark is. Sophia Myles is lovely in the role of Isolde, and the visuals are great - I love the period details,
The Passing of Mistress Rose
My historical novels
Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
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Aragorn the Elfstone
Tol Eressea
Jan 26 2015, 9:22am
Post #17 of 47
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I'd never really warmed to any other version of Hamlet. But Branagh's is so beautiful and all-encompassing and passionately acted that it just made me fall in love with the story. Also of note is Patrick Doyle's beautiful score, which has been one of my all time favorites since the moment I first heard it.
If it wasn't for this film, I don't think I would have the interest in Shakespeare that I do now. Not only is it my favorite film of 1996, but I can confidently say that it rests comfortably on my top ten list of all time.
"The danger with any movie that does as well as this one does is that the amount of money it's making and the number of awards that it's got becomes almost more important than the movie itself in people's minds. I look at that as, in a sense, being very much like the Ring, and its effect on people. You know, you can kind of forget what we were doing, if you get too wrapped up in that."
- Viggo Mortensen
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jan 26 2015, 11:20am
Post #18 of 47
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She is just so...deliciously evil...in this!
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Jan 26 2015, 3:58pm
Post #19 of 47
(954 views)
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Peter Pan 2003. Christmas Story (not that one)
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We saw this in the theater when it came out and loved it, and bought it on DVD, but I hadn't seen it in a while, so I watched it again. It kind of flopped in the theaters, mostly because it came out at the same time as RotK, which is a real shame.
The photography is lush, giving it the look of a luminous picture book. The guy playing Hook, Jason Isaacs, is amazing (right up there with Dustin Hoffman). The kids do a very nice job too.
A lot of people didn't like Wendy's budding sexuality (nothing explicit or improper, just a kiss), but that's right there in the original play. She's growing up and Peter is dismayed.
Anyway, if you haven't seen this gem, I recommend it. I was surprised to find myself getting teary-eyed over "I do believe in fairies!", something that never happened in any other version I've seen.
"Christmas Story' is a Finnish movie about how Santa Claus came to be. It's a sweet but kind of dark story about an orphan child and the grouchy, almost abusive woodworker who raises him. The scenery is amazing, and the acting is pretty good. The dubbing isn't very good, but I don't mind that.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Jan 26 2015, 4:05pm)
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Annael
Immortal
Jan 26 2015, 5:09pm
Post #21 of 47
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last episode of Galavant; Grantchester; etc.
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Which was utterly awful from start to finish. What a shame; the first episode wasn't great, but I enjoyed the second and third. This fourth episode turned out to be not the last of the series, but the last of the season, and obviously the writers had no idea how to handle that. So: people ran around a lot, occasionally breaking into song, but mostly behaving in ways that made no sense at all. IF they get renewed, I won't be watching.
Watched the new Masterpiece Mystery "Grantchester." Most promising for those of us who love those British murder mysteries set in a small town where the sleuth is an ordinary citizen and forms an alliance with a detective. This one's set in the immediate post-WWII era; between that, "Foyle's War," and "Agent Carter" I seem to be spending a lot of time in the 40s. My choir's next concert is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI and the end of WWII so I'm also singing songs of that era.
Since evidence can be adduced and interpreted to corroborate a virtually limitless array of world views, the human challenge is to engage that world view or set of perspectives which brings forth the most valuable, life-enhancing consequences.
- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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dormouse
Half-elven
Jan 26 2015, 5:21pm
Post #22 of 47
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The new BBC adaptation of 'Wolf Hall'.....
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Just one part so far, which was beautifully filmed, using natural light and candlelight for the interiors. Lovely to look at, and in terms of the drama very slow and subtle - I think it promises to build gradually as the characters become familiar, which is very much like the book. It's all very carefully researched so lots of intriguing detail of everyday life.
'Wolf Hall' is the first book in what I think will be a trilogy of historical novels about Thomas Cromwell - two published so far. Highly praised - both volumes have been Booker Prize winners which is a big thing in the UK. They're very long books and I didn't expect to like them because the whole thing is written in the present tense. For me at least this took some getting used to, but once over that I enjoyed both books, especially the first. Because of the unusual style I'm betting they weren't easy to adapt, but the pacing does reflect the book and the first episode is getting rave reviews in the UK press.
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Patty
Immortal
Jan 26 2015, 6:01pm
Post #23 of 47
(937 views)
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This is coming to MPT and I'm looking forward to it! /
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Permanent address: Into the West
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Patty
Immortal
Jan 26 2015, 6:05pm
Post #24 of 47
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I'm enjoying Grantchester very much...(spoilers)
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for the same reasons that you are. But why is it he hasn't asked that girl to marry him? Is it because he doesn't have very much money and this seems to be a requirement of hers? Her dad, played by the ever delightful Pip Torrans is a friend of her fiancé's dad and was that a reason why also?
I very much love the village mysteries. I see where Miss Marple has been put out in Blu-ray. You know, the original miss Marple from PBS… Joan Hickson.
Permanent address: Into the West
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Me85
Rivendell
Jan 27 2015, 1:35am
Post #25 of 47
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Gosh that was a confusing, creepy, complex and fascinating movie but i still don't know what the heck was going on except that it had to do with parallel universes.
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