Good Movies You would Recommend Others to Watch

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Originally Posted by alwarpet_andavan

mmm... but i think i heard in the comentary it was Hollywood which was inspired by atleast one scene in BAP - the dance scene. I thought the weird narration he employs in his movies is quite peculiar...

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On the contrary :)!! Of course, the dance sequence in Pulp Fiction was modeled along the one in BAP, but that's different. Those are induvidual sequences that had an effect on different directors. But, in Godard's case, he was influenced by 'Hollywood-Style' movies in totality as evidenced in the following scenes (as far as I can remember):
1. When the two lead actors play a mock shoot-out while waiting for Anna Karina.
2. When they again chase each other while unloading Karina's bicycle.
3. When one of the lead actors uses a pair of forks to imitate dance on the table (apparently, this was a reference to one of Charlie Chaplin's movies where a similar sequence appears). Of course the famous dance sequence follows that.

Interesting point about the narration. A similar style of third person narration is used in 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'. Godard influences Tarantino, Tarantino influences Guy Richie and Guy Richie goes on to include a style reminiscent of Godard. Never thought of that before :).

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Originally Posted by alwarpet_andavan

You might wanna watch "Y Tu Mama Tambien" if you liked Gael Garcia Bernal's acting in MD though the theme is TOTALLY different! :P

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Naan bayangarama bulb vaangina padam. Everyone and his cousin praised the film, so I rented it. Didn't like it one bit . I really don't get what's so great.

During my college days I applied for a film soceity membership. The guy didn't believe I was 18 and said no (as the members needed to be 18+ and though I was 19, I didn't look it). My winning argument was: "look, if I wanted to watch porn I can get it on the net in the privacy of my home and I wouldn't be arguing with you here".

I don't want to something as strong about Y Tu Mama.. because there is obsviously something I am missing in it. I found the movie very showy. I struggle to get beyond the overt sexuality in films. I went on to watch and hate other acclaimed ones like Ma Mere, Killing Me Softly. Till today I am reluctant to rent Last Tango.. (perhaps I should because I didn't hate Bertolucci's The Dreamers which had some pretty explicit parts).

Talking about 'The Dreamers' it is centred around a trio of inveterate film buffs. One would be learned if he caught a third of the references. They dare and run across the Louvre to re-live a scene from Band-e-Part.

Insomnia - Al Pachino, Robin Williams. Excellent movie!! :yes:

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Originally Posted by Prabhu Ram

Naan bayangarama bulb vaangina padam. Everyone and his cousin praised the film, so I rented it. Didn't like it one bit . I really don't get what's so great.

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It was a timepass movie :)
Great ellam chance e illa....

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Originally Posted by Prabhu Ram

Talking about 'The Dreamers' it is centred around a trio of inveterate film buffs. One would be learned if he caught a third of the references. They dare and run across the Louvre to re-live a scene from Band-e-Part.

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I think this was also mentioned in the commentary. In the Bertalucci movie, they beat the 'record' set in BAP of covering the Louvre......

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Originally Posted by kannannn

Interesting point about the narration. A similar style of third person narration is used in 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'. Godard influences Tarantino, Tarantino influences Guy Richie and Guy Richie goes on to include a style reminiscent of Godard. Never thought of that before :).

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The 3rd person [actually 1st person in some cases] narration found in Godard's films are weird because of the er... not able to articulate it...
E.g In BAP,
- When the main hero (short guy, Arthur i think) imitates a cripple walking when he's walking with Odile, the narrator 'explains' that!
-In Le Petit Soldat, the hero and heroine (Anna Karina again) are talking, when the narrator cuts and says "She lit a cigarette". We can see she's lighting a cigarette!
i think there are a few other scenes where the narration is weird but wonder why its like that

Any review for Eight Below starring Paul Walker? heard its a nice movie.

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Originally Posted by alwarpet_andavan

The 3rd person [actually 1st person in some cases] narration found in Godard's films are weird because of the er... not able to articulate it...
E.g In BAP,
- When the main hero (short guy, Arthur i think) imitates a cripple walking when he's walking with Odile, the narrator 'explains' that!
-In Le Petit Soldat, the hero and heroine (Anna Karina again) are talking, when the narrator cuts and says "She lit a cigarette". We can see she's lighting a cigarette!
i think there are a few other scenes where the narration is weird but wonder why its like that

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OK. I wanted to get some outside opinion on this and asked a French colleague about the narration. This is what he has to say: The basic point of French New Wave cinema is to bring a documentary feel to the viewers. Godard wanted to continue it in his own style and hence the narration technique. So, he basically reminds the viewers that it's all happening in a world that doesn't correspond to their own (like watching a report on illegal immigration - we know it's happening but we also know that it doesn't affect us and can get back to what we were doing the instant the report ends).

I think I understand to an extent what he means. Maybe he wants the audience to know that they are in the movies and not to get too close to the characters. Could that be one of the reasons we can't relate to the characters? Questions and questions..

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Originally Posted by kannannn

Maybe he wants the audience to know that they are in the movies and not to get too close to the characters.

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I saw this kind of conscious delinking in a movie recently. I saw a movie by Abbas Kiarostami called A Taste of Cherry.
It follows the who wants to commit suicide and his search for someone to assist him.

If you manage to stay awake till the end you will see the climax where the movie ends abruptly without you knowing if his atempts were successful or not. The climax shows the lead actor, director, crew and supporting cast taking a break between shots. Just to underline the distance between the story, the character and the filmmaking.

saw "9 songs" of winterbottom!

:roll:

Watched 'Brazil' on BBC yesterday. The plot is set in the future (retro-futuristic according wiki), in a dystopian world and follows the life of an official working in the 'Information Retrieval Department', an euphemism for torture and information extraction from prisoners. The mood is dark and brooding with numerous references to modern mechanised living. A search on the movie revealed what I suspected. The director was immensely influenced by Orwell's '1984', one of my favourite novels. Robert de Niro appears in a cameo - a role very different from what we are accustomed to seeing him in. Very few movies require numerous viewing to understand the subtleties. This is one and I am already planning to rent and watch it next weekend.

Incidentally, the director Terry Gilliam was a member of Monty Python and co-wrote 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. 'Brazil' couldn't be more different from the comic antics of the Monty Python team and the raking (#242) on IMDB does not do justice to its quality.