movies

[clement]

I really admire this movie, Wendy and Lucy. It's only 80 minutes long, and sort of exists solely for a few minutes of emoting by Michelle Williams. It's tremendously understated and not in the least bit pretentious.

I was planning to go see this when it comes next month, but based on what you've said, I'm now having second thoughts.

I went to the last of those Terence Davies movies, the new one... "Of Time and the City". I'm glad I went because it was my favorite of the unofficial trilogy of films about life growing up in Liverpool. This one was more a documentary than the other two, with Davies narrating at various times charmingly, humorously, nostalgically, and bitterly over a series of film and photographic footage of Liverpool over the decades of his life. What was excellent about the movie was its universality. I'm not from Liverpool and have never been there, but it was so easy to substitute your own home and relate as many of the same observations apply in any older city that has gone through a variety of "modern" transformations. It might require a certain age and a certain level of sentimentality and appreciation for nostalgia in your personality to appreciate this movie. If you need to love your protagonist, you might also want to steer clear. I loved the movie even if I feel Davies himself is occasionally full of [expletive], just like most smart, vocal and opinionated people.

Lots of great quotes from the movie as well that make you simultaneously chuckle and think ... "We love the place we hate; then hate the place we love. We leave the place we love; then spend a lifetime trying to regain it.".... "The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all your time, the trouble with being rich is that it takes up everyone else's" ... When there is a DVD available I might want to get it just so I can go through all of the quotes. And like all of Davies' movies, music plays a very prominent role.

I think it's playing around the US now in Landmark cinemas. It's the kind of movie that works more as a work of art than a way to just be entertained for an hour and a half. For that reason, it will work much better in a cinema on a big screen. Here's a really detailed and well-written review:

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/63/63davies.html

I couldn't find a pic of the movie poster, but coincidentally I did find this pic:



edit: found the movie poster; it's a nice one...

[ghostrunner]

Finally saw "There Will Be Blood."

There was a lot I liked about it, but am I the only one who thought most scenes could have been trimmed by about a third? I don't mind if we're forced to linger on something, but I failed to see the point most of the time.

Also - the score just ruined it in several places for me. I hate to bring the "p" word up here again, but I found it pretentious. Maybe there's some deeper meaning to having what seems like suspenseful music in a land surveying montage, but I must be missing it. The mechanical music after the son goes deaf was cool for maybe the first minute, but it went on and on and on. Even the beginning (and also later) when something sounding a lot like the sliding violin theme from Lost shows up, I felt it was just drawing too much attention to itself.

Daniel Day Lewis was great, and the preacher kid was good too. Looking online, I'm a little surprised people didn't like the ending. I couldn't conceive of it happening much differently, and I though it made complete sense.

[The Third Man]

Watched The Fallen Idol by Carol Reed last night, good stuff. Not nearly on the level of The Third Man to be sure, but still a very good movie I thought. If anything it will quell any suspicions that Orson Welles' was responsible for the visual mastery of The Third Man, it's an amazingly well-shot picture.

[Jocephus]

watched "eastern promises" a few nights ago. thought it was good....and bloody. interesting story that i didn't expect and viggo is a badass, even with his tallywhacker flopping around on screen

[ThatGuy]

Watched "Vertigo" for the first time last week.

Since I'm not sure who has seen it...

[SHOW]

I don't know about you guys, but by the third time somebody falls off a ledge/tower/whatever, I couldn't help but laugh.

[The Third Man]

Vertigo rocks, you monster.

[ThatGuy]

Vertigo rocks, you monster.

I didn't say it wasn't a good movie - I definitely enjoyed it. The third time, though, with the nun appearing out of nowhere, I just thought it was comical.

[JL21]

Vertigo is easily one of my three favorite films about necrophilia.

[docellis]

I watched Vanishing Point last night. Not the remake with Viggo Mortenson. The really, really old Vanishing Point that starred a bunch of people I've never heard of and lots of cool cars.

[ThatGuy]

Vertigo is easily one of my three favorite films about necrophilia.

I also found myself wondering what happened between when he rescued "Madeleine" from the bay and when she woke up, naked, in his bed.