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Post by unkinhead on Jan 9, 2018 13:59:47 GMT -8
Oh it's definitely tonally consistent, no argument there. I'm talking about the way he structured/edited the film. It's kind of a fractured narrative that is capable of being told in much the same way even if the scenes were reordered, there's little regard for how it convalescences into a greater whole, so in a sense it's relating to the script and editing. One scene has very little impact on the next, and yet they are all rather striking in their own right regardless. Again, not that this is necessarily a bad thing mind, just something worth noting I thought.
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 9, 2018 15:14:08 GMT -8
Ah right, I gotcha. That's actually very Cronenberg; in Crash the characters pointedly refuse to alter from start to finish, if anything they simply dehumanise themselves further and Spader's character (Ballard stories are typically so resistant to 'recognition' that his lead often shares his name with himself (Philip Roth sometimes does the same)) eventually inherits some of the drives and excesses of his mentor.
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Post by unkinhead on Jan 9, 2018 23:50:07 GMT -8
Ah right, I gotcha. That's actually very Cronenberg; in Crash the characters pointedly refuse to alter from start to finish, if anything they simply dehumanise themselves further and Spader's character (Ballard stories are typically so resistant to 'recognition' that his lead often shares his name with himself (Philip Roth sometimes does the same)) eventually inherits some of the drives and excesses of his mentor. Ah yes, I am looking forward to Crash actually, it's divisiveness has piqued by interest
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Post by unkinhead on Jan 9, 2018 23:50:25 GMT -8
Raging Bull - 5/5 (rewatch)
Martin Scorsese's magnum opus was due for a rewatch, and my love for this film has only grown with time and a further understanding of its depth and intimate details. A deeply personal portrait of narcissism and self-destruction that has no equal in film as far as I'm concerned, filmed in gorgeous black and white. The element of tragedy and pity Marty evokes through this slow painful journey is really something to marvel, interwoven with scenes of violence of epic proportion that somehow work perfectly as both being intimately necessary in understanding La Motta's rage and malaise, and as a thrilling setpiece.
The opening shot of this film being one of the best cinema has to offer, as La Motta stands completely alone in the foggy boxing arena, as Intermezzo plays, with it's nostalgic forlorn strings, as scattered photographs flash in the background. How better can you encapsulate all that's to come then with this single expressionistic image?
The film draws you to the screen with scene after scene of a slow dissent into delusion and alienation. We spend so much time with La Motta that by the end of the film, I find it rather impossible not to sympathize with him, and to even cheer at his victories. His moment of winning the belt then is simultaneously uplifting and tragic. Despite all his assholerey, I couldn't help feel relieved that he at least got the object of his obsession. For all his rage and sadness, it was nice to see him have his moment.
Needless to say, this is art of the highest caliber, that achieves that rare state of telling a story that feels all too real and meaningful, that manages to deliver actual insight into the human condition while being altogether enthralling and beautiful.
/rave over
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 10, 2018 11:05:45 GMT -8
Ah yes, I am looking forward to Crash actually, it's divisiveness has piqued by interest Excellent. It might be worth me mentioning that if you found Videodrome cold then Crash can practically cause frostbite; this will either magnetise or repel depending on your perspective.
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 12, 2018 10:13:05 GMT -8
So, Paddington 2 has a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a total of 132 reviews (and counting).
I know that RT is terrible and undermines the review process and kills box-office receipts and so forth... but that's still pretty impressive.
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Post by ThirdMan on Jan 12, 2018 16:57:29 GMT -8
Found the first Paddington (which got very good reviews) pleasant, but rather bland and perfunctory in nature, despite it aping Wes Anderson's style of art direction. I think it's admirable that they don't want to "hip it up", but it just felt really routine. That said, this new one's probably better, so I'll catch it at some point. Man, I still haven't seen Coco, but it just doesn't seem all that interesting.
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 13, 2018 16:17:31 GMT -8
The first Paddington didn't blow me away, either, but I was surprised by how enjoyable (and non-vulgarized) it was. Perfect entertainment for kids, while still being intelligent enough for adults. I'm looking forward to watching the sequel.
As for Coco, I'd still say its worth a watch. My feelings are very similar to my thoughts on Moana - it adheres to formula, but it's still an effective formula.
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Post by unkinhead on Jan 13, 2018 17:08:40 GMT -8
Assault on Precinct 13 - 4/5
A great distillation of Carpenter's trademark style and energetic narrative. A little too by-the-books to qualify for greatness, but it might actually be his most pristine and flawless effort from a directing standpoint. It's taut, fun, and smartly doesn't spend any time with shallow exposition and instead lets this plot unravel for what it is.
Perhaps perfect in some filmmaking sense but not transcendental of the medium. I enjoyed the hell out of it.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller - 3/5
Profound but somewhat drab, I enjoyed it for the most part, but practically everything focused on the whorehouse was kind of lost on me as to the point of it all, it didn't seem the least bit important, and I found it hardly interesting. The ending sequence is a fantastic thematic and contemplative keynote, it's just a shame it takes so long to get there.
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Post by unkinhead on Jan 15, 2018 12:29:22 GMT -8
Unkin, are you familiar with the works of Christina Hoff Sommers (aka the Factual Feminist)? Hey speaking of this, I just saw this excellent article written by a self proclaimed feminist, Margaret Atwood, who before now I've never heard of, in which I pretty much agree 100% with everything she says here: www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/am-i-a-bad-feminist/article37591823/Here are excellent passages that make me want to marry this woman, ya know, if she weren't rather old.
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 15, 2018 14:59:33 GMT -8
Atwood is the writer of The Handmaid's Tale, which has of course been adapted into the very "in" show of the moment.
Her take on the #MeToo movement is really interesting, and not what I expected. (Although it may also torpedo the show's chances of winning another Best Drama Emmy.)
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 16, 2018 17:39:13 GMT -8
So I took out a trial subscription with Amazon Prime at the start of the month with the full intention of cancelling it at the eleventh hour so I can do the old tried-and-tested freebie run, but now that I've realised I could potentially have used the service to watch fifty-six Cheh Chang movies for nothing, I begin to realise what a disgusting abuse of privilege this really is.
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 16, 2018 18:23:34 GMT -8
I just checked, and we have all those films on American Amazon Prime, too. Amazon has a really good selection of relatively obscure film and TV, even if it lacks in terms of popular material.
So, earlier today, I saw The Greatest Showman. On the one hand, I understand the criticisms leveled against it - PT Barnum was a rich and complicated historical figure, and the film turns him into a generic "little guy with a big dream" protagonist. Complex moral questions about Barnum's exploitation of circus freaks are also pared down, replaced by a simple "Be yourself" message. But let's face it - this film is designed as a family-friendly musical, which is not the sort of structure that breeds deep complexities. Taken on its more superficial level, The Greatest Showman is not truly dazzling, but the actors are good, the songs are fun ("This Is Me" is pretty much a guaranteed Oscar nominee), and the story is entertaining without feeling as dumbed-down as I feared it would. A fun time all around.
(Although confidentially, I would probably take the film's "Appearances don't matter" message more seriously if Zac Efron's character didn't fall in love with the most attractive of the circus performers.)
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 18, 2018 15:13:29 GMT -8
Okay, I'm not going to do a review of Pitch Perfect 3. It's a modestly diverting film, with just a handful of laughs (mostly the stuff involving Jessica and Ashley), and a third act which abruptly morphs the story into an action film (?). There's not much to really talk about.
But I'd like to bring up one aspect of this film that really bugs me - something that I wish movies would stop doing.
The premise of PP3 involves the Bellas trying to get a musical deal with DJ Khaled. The film features Khaled playing himself, and has other characters constantly go on about how great he is. There's no real catch to specifically having Khaled (as opposed to some fictional producer, played by an actual actor) in this film - it looks like he was just thrown in as a marketing gimmick.
The result is distracting, to say the least. Having a real music producer interact with fictional characters makes for a jarring blend of reality and filmmaking, particularly since Khaled isn't all that comedically gifted. Involving him in a key plot point, and then playing his character straight, makes his scenes all the more head-scratching.
Sure, Neil Patrick Harris technically plays "himself" in the Harold and Kumar films. But that's obviously a hyper-fictionalized version of himself, one played totally for comedy. What Pitch Perfect 3 does, on the other hand, just feels like a lazy plug for Khaled's work.
Am I the only one who gets bugged by this sort of thing? I'm probably going to talk a bit more about this when I get to reviewing The West Wing's "In the Room," which has this problem with Penn and Teller.
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Post by ThirdMan on Jan 18, 2018 19:35:43 GMT -8
No new opinions from me. But having re-watched Dunkirk today, I will note that it remains masterful. The character is in the filmmaking, folks, and this thing is stunning and richly-detailed. Also considerably less loud on Blu-Ray than in IMAX.
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