Finally finally decided to go watch Avatar on Saturday. Could not get tickets :shock:
Watched Sherlock Holmes instead. The most underwhelming Ritchie film yet. :cry: The film had its moments, RD Jr was brilliant but still could not appreciate it.
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Finally finally decided to go watch Avatar on Saturday. Could not get tickets :shock:
Watched Sherlock Holmes instead. The most underwhelming Ritchie film yet. :cry: The film had its moments, RD Jr was brilliant but still could not appreciate it.
Maybe it got too formulaic for you?! The film seems to have a formula of having heightened moments (action sequences, occult practitioner doing his thing etc ), private moments between Watson and Holmes, mild friction between Holmes and Adler, expository moments (visual montage of Holmes resolving each) following one and other like pendulum of mood swings, consciously and overly expressive. But I don't see any other way from Ritchie. I thought Ritchie(or the script) does his best on touching on core points, and the relationships. And simultaneously maintaining frenetic pace.
I would have liked the film if it did not touch upon way too many things. Too many things were packed and IMO not all of them worked. Apart from the main story, only the friction between Holmes-Watson worked for me.
The way they showed the montage of Holmes resolving everything was too fast for me. Those are the parts which would have been very interesting in a novel (haven't read much of Holmes). I would have liked Ritchie to have been a little more elaborate. But I understand that its like the first film in a franchise(?) and he had to establish all the characters firmly. Was not happening. :oops:
Come on Groucho :twisted:
happened to watch The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford on hbo recently. one of the best i've seen of hollywood in sometime. felt like reading a novel, scenes n characters fleshed out so well. some people may find it long drawn, but the performances and cinematography make the viewing experience memorable. best of brad pitt that i've seen (anyone agree..?!). but the performance of the film was undoubtedly Casey Affleck, fab!
for connoisseurs of gud ol' hollywood, definitely reccomended!
Wonderful filmmaking. :clap:
I think it's the best Brad pitt could ever come to portray ruthlessness, intensity and veneration Jesse James inflicted en masse (the various levels of star adulation is suggested through Robert Ford), maybe not quite mythically and romanticized but I'm sure something similar. And just to clarify, it's no Cagney "white heat" over-the-top style (not that I don't like it!), but it's very inwardly created by Pitt, that even silence suggests nuance. Casey Affleck is aptly casted, and performed to the effect, brother Ben, should quit acting and take up filmmaking. :lol:
Above all, the cinematography is so great that ever frame has beauty of its own. Specially an excessive usage of time-lapse photography, steadicam, Aerocrane and some handheld by Deakins himself. And some of the lighting by Deakins is so clever technique. The first train robbery (surprisingly similar to "White heat" in many ways and yet so different) is probably the best set-piece of the year, which is grand praise considering the other films of the year, TWBB and NCFOM. In this comprehensive ASC interview, Deakins breaks down insightful details. To know how Deakins does lighting and stuff, he is really a top class technician.
Yet with so much contrivances (in technique and in narrative gimmicks), it seemed a seamless narration. that's how you do a film. :clap:
Yemba...? athan sumal review ezhuthiteeneeQuote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
:D Enakku theriyum, namba nerd-ku theriyumma.. :boo:
Btw bro, seen "Rolling thunder" 1977. If you haven't seen it yet, It's so post-Vietnam 70's film. Recommended to you.
The appeal to me was that Ritchie took notice of who Holmes really was. Though you don't see drugs, in some scenes Holmes is definitely under the influence. His obsession in wanting to solve problems all the time to the point of ruining Watson's personal life. His experiements. It's all there.
As for the film overall, it had the old adventure spirit in it. Like the old Bond films, picks up with a good pre-title sequence, nail the bad guy, start again from zero and move, move & move. As you said, the quieter moments between Holmes and Watson are entertaining and funny.
Some interesting points here:
http://chud.com/articles/articles/21...ERS/Page1.html
Nope, haven't. Expect a young, but still-look-the-same Tommy Lee Jones :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
:lol: Nah, I think you'll be surprised. 8-)Quote:
Originally Posted by groucho070
very well written. quite agree to all ur points, esply the affleck one! :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
I played it for a friend in his projector and surround sound system. I think film deserves to be seen with similar ambiance, a lifelong aim is to own original 35mm of such films, and build a theater to screen them. It really is a overwhelming desire of mine.
And that's a major reason why I like chapters with Shosanna (and her bf, the theater projectionist) in "Inglorious basterds".
:shock: Me too, me too! Ellam nadakkura kaariyamaa :(Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
It's achievable, but as all great things required, discipline and some luck.Quote:
Originally Posted by groucho070
oru kuruppA thaan yA irukkeenga.Quote:
Originally Posted by groucho070
I once spent a couple of hours watching back to back screenings where I comprised 33% of the audience in this private theatre.You may find it interesting. :-)
Wow, they own "The Triumph of the Will". which could definitely be one of chief inspiration for owning a movie house. Mine (if it happens :lol: ) would actually be "Sherlock Jr." a silent film which released 10 years prior, not exactly for the subject matter but some of the shots like tracking handheld one which captures a couple of men walking in the street, then Keaten moonwalking over the train :lol: and hanging by the massive water fueler for steam engine. The moving and fixed camera throughout the film. The shot with camera fixed to the motercycle just escaping the train, etc. The final care chase and hilarious finale of car-turned-boat sinking and cut to Keaton waking from dream-within-movie-within-movie. The superb soundtrack throughout, whoa.. That's exactly the kind of reels to own, as against say the modern era crap like "Loose change".
Groucho. Agree re. Holmes under the influence in many scenes. Downey jr. suggested it well and his room did too. :lol:
Btw seen "A decade under the influence" a popular documentary on 70's cinema. Decent watch.
Drag me to hell.
After a long long time, a good horror movie to watch..
Good to know Raimi has gone back to his forte, horror. Gotto watch it !
TBF, i didnt like Evil Dead. I watched it only a couple of yrs back and the movie was hilarious. But this one is good... :DQuote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
:D I like deliberate laughs in horror movie.
Watched about 30 mins of White balloon (Iranian film) this morning on Waeld Movies.
Very impressive, particularly the child's acting.
Children are so universal and I am getting old.
oru trip pfullA pAkkaNum.
Written by Kiarostami I think. Directorial debut by Jafar Panahi.
It has to be GOOD.
Husbands and Wives : Started out pretty well but at the end it was like watching "Paarthale paravasam" in inglees. May be its bcos of the subject matter.
Could be :lol: :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
But it should be said in reverse. :P
Yeah you are right. But i was talking aby the similar experience :P.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
padaththai naan paarthadhillai.
irundhaalum kambErisanai kaNdikkarEn
Invictus - :yes:
Excellent portrayal from Client Eastwood on a true story and both my favs Morgan and Matt were just awesome as the main characters .. The entire crowd in the hall stood still even after the running titles were playing at the end...
The power of any sport to unite people .. Now need to dig out more of Client Eastwood's movies.. Next up should be the all famous Million Dollar Baby.. Just killing myself on how I missed his directorial movies... :twisted: at self
Desperado
Now you have everything in this. Innovative action scenes, cool music, a villain hellbent on revenge, bad ass hero, guitar box pals with dodgy weapons and super sexy Salma as heroine. Actually salma va pathi pesikittae pogalam :yes: :exactly:. A slick flick within the parameters.
:shoot: :shoot: :shoot: :smokesmirk:Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
The White Ribbon. I was all set to post here "not Hanake's best", "meandering", "so who did it?" etc., But before i could, I was able to recollect a lot of scenes which seem to have an importance. Desperately want to revisit it, may be tonight.
Still I couldn't shake off a feeling that the film is not taut - though it serves well as this is after all the "distant memories" of a schoolmaster. And, whoa, the schoolmaster does provide an objective view of events, almost till the end.
I thought the film was very Bergmanesque, if you know what i mean. The cinematography and the tone are so reminiscent of his films and so do the Pastor (strongly reminds me of Fanny And Alexendar). And yeah, the film looks so gorgeous! Heck, it should win the Best Cinematography.
All I can say now, its a deceiving film :)
Crash - whites,blacks,iranians,chinesh or koreons? a rich women,a poor people....cops..criminals.. so many linked scenes together....liked the screenplay :bow: one thing is coming again and again, everyone's assumptions by seeing them infront actually went wrong, thought that cop actually a racist.... the gun shopper thinks that the iranian is arab... few more to add. enjoyed the movie :thumbsup:
Watched "The White Ribbon" again, ah, loved it. I think tautness of this film depends on the viewer :D meticulously framed film and a mesmerizing film!
SPOILETS Getting into the whodunnit thing might not be a smart thing, but it look so obvious and ambiguous at once - full credits to the performances - the kids were just awesome. I read so many predictions about the Pastor being the culprit, but somehow couldn't accept it.
I think the movie works very well even without the WWI context. (Say, I didnt know who this dude Archduke Ferdinand is, when the film announces he is dead) END OF SPOILERS
Should be a strong contender for the award, if the Academy doesn't shun away the Cannes winners as it did in the previous years!
Well played :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by NYFF
"The White Ribbon", like most other Haneke films, is hitting at ambiguity (with its "turn of the screw" guise and children at core of it, Mr.Henry James is well reeked-of) without which the central themes of suspicion and guilt would lose its all pervading elaborate scheme. It's almost as if he preserves it for eternity. Besides, The white man's burden and self-guilt is always being hinted at, in his films. I read mainstream bloggers/reviewers accusing of arthouse fixation of white middle-class masochism, misanthropy and distrust to self-serving extent of self-therapy, which many seem to bring this up regd Von trier as well. To defend this charge (not that I fully agree with it in first place), we need to tread age-old territory of nature of art, life's imperfections and life-embodying struggle that percolates into film as a medium. But I especially take offence at singling out these filmmakers as formulaic ( for bare few exceptions, it's universally true), and more than ever, the contrivances are complex and built well, without being for the heck of it.
Agree re. Bergman-esque feel at different points, especially with the narrative, widescape view, and shot choreography. I was reminded of Fanny och Alexander with some characters myself. Yet, in an ironic way, it's not anything like a Bergman film. Some say Haneke's style is Dreyer or Antinioni from a stylistic point of view, but still the films aren't anything like theirs. Haneke is one of his kind. In deed.
It's also worth noting the introductory self-disclaimer "I don't know if the story that I want to tell you, reflects the truth in every detail. Much of it I only know by hearsay, and a lot of it remains obscure to me even today, and I must leave it in darkness. Many of these questions remain without answer. But I believe I must tell of the strange events that occurred in our village, because they may cast a new light on some of the goings-on in this country." of the narrator.
Like many historical anecdotes really, the fiction bodes well with unreliable narrator or narrative. :)
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
True.Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
You know, when i was watching the film for the second time, each and every word in this, as he utters, was like dropping a bomb shell :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
Interestingly, I find a similarity between "Cache" and "The White Ribbon". Much of the tension that builds up in "Cache" is attributed allegorically as the consequences of Paris Massacre where as here, in "The White Ribbon", it's the other way, the tension creeps its way to the WWI.Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
Agreed. That's why it seems a long awaited piece-de-resistance.Quote:
Originally Posted by AravindMano
Self-serving scheming of any given generation and its percolating across one's genealogy through suspicion, guilt and repercussion, the immediate being Parent-children, is explored time and again. That's again shared by both "White Ribbon" and "Cache", among other Haneke films. :)
:shock: Took some time for me to understand, yeah, I think I did :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove
Just curious, any particular film you have in your mind?Quote:
Originally Posted by kid-glove