Talk About Movies: Part 4
Somehow threads merged, so here's part 4 of our ongoing movie discussion.
Switching cable providers and using the holidays to blast through my PVRd movies:
All of Us Strangers was quality with 2 strong performances from the leads. Director did a great job making LA, of all places, feel empty, which nicely parallels the isolated and lonely feelings depression can bring. The idea of talking to your parents when they were your age is interesting and well-executed.
The Quiet Girl was one of the better surprises in recent memory. Not sure if it was mentioned here, but this thread will enjoy if you can find it. Irish movie where over half the dialogue is subtitled (Irish/Gaelic). Young girl is shipped off by her abusive parents to distant relatives with their own trauma for the summer. Beautifully shot and the final scene made me emotional.
Rye Lane was a bit of a letdown, but maybe it was just overhyped. I like the lead from Industry and he was fine. The female lead didn’t do much for me. It felt like a mashup of inferior versions of Starstruck (TV show), Before Midnight, and Bottoms. Which sounds alright, but I also turned off Bottoms for the same modern style I find overproduced. They’re constantly over-the-top and breaking the 4th wall which feels a little goofy to me. Pretty standard rom com otherwise.
No Sudden Moves was a fun criminal mystery with a loaded cast. It found the right balance of being complex and unpredictable without being convoluted. I found the fisheye lens obnoxious.
Nosferatu was good, not great...interesting and beautiful to look at, but a bit disjointed. Very old-fashioned/silent era-looking. Someone in this thread said Lily Rose Depp was miscast, but I disagree. Thought she was great.
It’s probably an age thing, yeah. I loved Palahniuk’s stuff in high school/college, but it felt pretty cringe revisiting 10+ years later. Was the same with other “edgy” writers like Wil Christopher Baer, Bret Easton Ellis, and Craig Clevenger.
They’re not terrible books or authors. There’s a lot of gold to be had in there and they definitely influenced my overall palate. I just think they explore darkness in a very particular way that doesn’t age well with the individual self.
Irvine Welsh’s books are that to a T. Rereading them it really hits home what scumbags almost every character is, though they’re all humorous to varying degrees.
Nosferatu was good, not great...interesting and beautiful to look at, but a bit disjointed. Very old-fashioned/silent era-looking. Someone in this thread said Lily Rose Depp was miscast, but I disagree. Thought she was great.
The cast is fine aside from Dafoe. It’s just way too long. Herzog's version is 25 minutes shorter.
On NYE I always try to watch some of my favorite movies while sipping on booze and contemplating the year that has been and the year that will be.
Just finished the first of tonights triple feature. Strange Brew! Hadn't watched it in probably 10 years. Incredibly sophmoric and hilarious. "Hey don't blame me! He's the one with the bleedin nose!"
Just about to fire up feature 2. True Romance, again a while since I have seen it. Try to not overwatch the good ones for when I finally do I appreciate them even more. If I make it feature 3 will be Pulp Fiction which should pair well with True Romance.
Anyone a fan of Hilary Swank’s Covid trilogy; I Am Mother, Fatale, and The Hunt? Might’ve been all the drinking, but loved ‘em all, especially Mother, a genuine masterpiece imho. Make a great double feature with Ex Machina.
Boiler Room Dusted off my blu-ray copy. Hard to believe this is a 24 year old movie! Featuring Giovanni Ribisi in the lead and an all-star supporting cast: Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Nicky Katt,Scott Caan, Jamie Kennedy and Ben freaking Affleck. If this came out recently it would have been called a wannabe The Wolf of Wall Street, funny how this predates Wolf by 13 years. Not that it's anywhere near as good, but it's a solid 3/5-3.5/5 for entertainment and solid performances all around. It also has a
Definitely worth watching but lmao
Spoiler
that the FBI would let a federal judge off the hook to take down some penny stock chop shop.
Strange Brew! Hadn't watched it in probably 10 years. Incredibly sophmoric and hilarious. "Hey don't blame me! He's the one with the bleedin nose!"
Just so so good.
I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. There’s a big skunk in there.
Just because I don’t know what it is doesn’t mean I’m lying.
That's a pretty great tripleheader, mr b.
We're All Going to the World's Fair
Some have claimed it's one of the best films of 2021. I made it to the end but that was difficult. I found it creepy but it doesn't work as a horror film.
Plot: girl immerses herself in an online video game that apparently causes physical and psychological changes in those who enter the game's world. The girl records herself speaking into her computer screen and posting videos of herself sleeping, dancing, and walking.
Only two characters are featured, the girl and a guy who reaches out to her via chats. He's concerned for her well being and may be the creator of the game. No character speaks directly to another.
Directed by trans filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, the film might be "about" change. The movie didn't work for me, but YMMV.
Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk
Into the Wild
It's pretty true to the book (except for the end.....movie was released in 2007, Krakauer updated the afterword of the book in 2015).
The movie does drag on though, holy hell. I had seen the movie but not in easily 10+ years. Also had no recollection of Kristen Stewart being in the movie. No makeup on, absolutely gorgeous.
edit: Zach Galifianakis also makes a brief appearance, who knew?
John, I enjoyed the Worlds Fair movie. It was interesting.
I hate Into the Wild. Celebrating a moron who goes into the woods unprepared and then dies.
Anora
I think Dom is selling the movie short. The sex with Vanya, vs in the car with Igor. Still thinking about that final scene.
Real question for me: Ani sells sex, but she buys the marriage bit? Does she not understand who/what Vanya is? Does she really think there's a gold mine there?
.
Anora was okay for me for first hour than there was one unpleasant hour of characters yelling and screaming at each other, and then that final minute scene that I didnt know what to make of. Seemed way overrated.
Hold the Dark is a fantastic novel and a pretty good movie. I'm a sucker for Jeremy Saulnier, acquired his rookie card back when Blue Ruin was on the festival circuit, even had the chance to interview him and Macon Blair.
Heretic could very well be my favorite script of the year. Hugh Grant chews up every damn scene in a film that lets you have your cake and eat it, too. A couple of young Mormom girls visit his house to discuss their faith with him. He invites them inside (it's pouring rain, on
I enjoyed Heretic 2024 quite a bit. Great suspense and clever dialogue and fine acting and interesting characters. It did suffer a little from "mortal wound survival" trope.
Just watched the first half hour of Once Upon Time in the West. It's a masterclass in all elements of filmmaking: sound, cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, and acting.
It's on Criterion now.
Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk
Emelia Perez by Jacques Audiard
It's like Umbrellas of Cherborg meets I don't know what. Let's just say it involves a lawyer, the head of a cartel, and a transgender woman. I suppose it's a musical/drama.
On Netflix. Definitely worth seeing.
Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk
Emelia Perez is a daring musical about a drug cartel boss who transitions to a woman and then returns as a public figure for public good and supposedly is now unrecognizable even by close family members. There is nothing like this film anywhere. The musical numbers are well done and I give everybody credit for creativity and taking all this seriously . But, I found it so implausible I bailed out midway. Others may get it.
By the way, Once Upon a Time in the West features Lionel Stander in a small role. If you don't know anything about him, read up.
Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk
I liked The Order (2024) a lot . It is loosely based on a true story of a white supremacy criminal gang that became active in 1983 in rural Northern Idaho . They blew up businesses, robbed banks , and assasinated innocent people. Jude Law plays the lead FBI agent who must track down the gang and end their activities. It has an explosive ending. The best part for me was the depiction of the widespread Aryan Nation society in Northwest US. It brought out the still dangerous risk of this mentality in current USA society. Social media like Twitter are full of posts supporting this heinous attitude. This raised the film's value over a simple crime drama. Enjoy.
I think my issue with Nosferatu is a bit different to those expressed above. What is the point of a fairly straightforward adaptation of Dracula in this day and age? Nearly every plot beat was familiar. There was none of Eggers' trademark creepiness or trippiness. This was the least scary or not edgy monster movie I've seen. Zombieland had more frightening moments, and that's a comedy. Disappointingly conventional.
"Social media like Twitter are full of posts supporting this heinous attitude.'
Seeing people making a hero of the guy who killed the CEO of United Healthcare, appalls me. What have we become?
Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk
I enjoyed Heretic 2024 quite a bit. Great suspense and clever dialogue and fine acting and interesting characters. It did suffer a little from "mortal wound survival" trope.
I don't understand what she was doing near the end.
Spoiler
Why did she go back down to the dungeon, instead of, y'know, escaping out the window, which she eventually does only after being stabbed.
