The Watercooler: 3/24/08
It was a suck-ulent weekend for new movies, so rather than reward Hollywood for dishing up crap until Oscar season begins in September, I decided to catch up on some DVDs.
Though it hasn’t been expensive, I’ve wasted too much time slurping up slop at the local multiplex lately and it was time to cleanse the palate in anticipation of better things on the horizon. My soul demanded it.
In that spirit, I finally caught up to last year’s Across the Universe and I’m sorry report it didn’t go over too well. I was thinking to myself as I watched “you had the entire catalogue of one of the most artistically vibrant pop acts in the history of recorded music and this was the best you could do?”
It wasn’t bad but it should’ve been a knockout. Instead it was like driving through the ’60s on a tour bus.
Having said that, a couple of the numbers were pretty good (Joe Cocker singing Come Together threatened to make things interesting), my crush on Evan Rachel Wood continues unabated and I liked Jim Sturgess well enough to pique my interest in 21 next week despite its mixed reviews.
In anticipation of watching Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park in the next day or so, I finally caught up with Gerry and Elephant. Gerry was oddly compelling, but a little frustrating. It held my attention the whole way through, but I was hoping it would add up to more than it ultimately delivered. Certainly an improvement for Van Sant after the more mainstream Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester, but a bit of a disappointment nonetheless.
Elephant was more rewarding, but it benefited from a fairly loaded subject matter. Again, I’m not sure if it amounted to as much as it promised.
In both films, the actors were pretty great. Matt Damon and Casey Affleck were a little self conscious with their improvisation in Gerry, but it worked. The kids in Elephant were more successful, perhaps because they weren’t recognizable movie stars.
That was the sum total of my movie viewing this weekend. The rest of the time I spent catching up on a couple of belated movie reviews. How about you? Talk amongst yourselves.
Filed under: Miscellaneous
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- The Watercooler: 10/13/08
Craig, you should know that in the LiC office pool I cleaned up, as I was betting you’d agree with me about Across the Universe. (Okay, some of it was wishful thinking. Surely, I thought, swinging a little watch back and forth at an icon of your name on my computer screen, he just must see it my way, bwahaha…)
Gerry and Elephant are both interesting, but they are both illustrative of my trouble with Gus van Sant these days. I still need to see Paranoid Park, and I’m looking forward to it, but for the most part I’ve found his series on how nothing matters until we die kind of depthless and kind of inconsiderable as a whole.
I saw Andrei Rublev again. Wow, what a film. Truly one of the great, majestic pieces of art the cinema has ever given us. 200 minutes and I love every frame. The “final movement,” with the bell, and then the shots of Rublev’s paintings… So powerful and deeply cathartic in a way very few films actually are.
Also saw Babette’s Feast (for the first time). I was deeply touched by this. Superbly subtle, yet gently compelling… I now see what all of the fuss is about and I’d definitely place it in my Top Ten of 1987 now if I could think that through in all. Anyway, I found it impossibly moving. Serene depiction of a religious/cultural conflict, and of people coming together over amazing food.
Those are the first two films in the Top 45 Films by the Vatican by alphabetical order, and being a lapsed Catholic I felt slightly obligated to check ‘em out on Easter. (Though I’d seen Andrei Rublev years ago when I was sprinting through Tarkovsky.)
I had a suck-tacular viewing weekend myself. That Japanese film fest. that began was okay {Hotel Hibiscus}, still want to see Twilight Samurai. Saw Spiderwick, which was okay, then saw Diving Bell again, freaking amazing stuff. Then pretty much watched DVDs, Pan’s Labyrinth for the millionth time, For Your Consideration {disappointing}, Quinceañera {another teen pregnancy film I love, I think I am developing a fetish for pregnant teens….}, Misery and finally Annie Hall. Woody Allen is a little creep, but the same cannot be said for his work. I love it {most of it anyway} Oh yes, and got My Own Private Idaho on DVD as well, my fave van Sant film, have not seen Gerry, but was not that ecstatic about Elephant, it was good, but not for me.
I thought you might feel that way about Across The Universe, and as much as I enjoyed it, I do know it could have been waaaaay better. I get that. I plan on seeing it again on DVD tonight if I can get my hands on it.
I am gathering up tons of film titles that I want to see in the school holidays, I think I am going to have a little film festival of my own, at a friends house who has an indoor cinema, so I will just take over his house and invite tons of people. It could be fun. I only want to see things I have not seen. Not like I have anything better to do.
What is more, all your “crap” that you speak of is now reaching SA, and all I can say is thanks America. Thanks a whole lot.
Alexander, had I placed a bet myself I would’ve predicted I’d have liked AtU better than I did. C’est la vie.
Nick, no worries about digging it. Under different circumstances and at a different time of my life I might have responded to it more. Don’t get me wrong, ti wasn’t bad, but it really felt like a missed opportunity. Still, like I said, loves me some ERW.
Andrei Rublev…one of the glaring blindspots in my filmography I’m embarassed to admit. Babette’s Feast is a delight however. Haven’t seen it for years.
Agree with you Nick that For Your Consideration was a dissapointment. What ripe material and what a great cast….and for what???? It fizzled when it should’ve sizzled.
“I think I am developing a fetish for pregnant teens” ahahahahahah…as long as you’re not making any Nick.
“Thanks, America. Thanks a whole lot.” SO funny. Mr. Nicholas P., I’m sure America is immensely grateful for that.
Your cinema party sounds like cool fun. Hope you have a good time.
Well, everyone knows what I’ve been up to. Cinema wise, at least. *ahem* I can run but I can’t hide. I have a blog now.
Ohhhh….Craig. You actually went ahead and viewed ATU instead of TEP after I raved about the latter?
*sigh* I hate to say I told you so, but…
I told you so.
I respect Craig’s opinion and humilty as always, but in regards to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE it all comes down to taste. The responses on this site would lead one to believe that the film got roundly trashed (critically) That is hardly the case, as the film has numerous respected critics in its corner (Holden, Turner, Corliss, etc–both Holden and Turner had it among the best films of the year in Dec.
The concensus was severely split (72 to 63 at last look, tilting favorably), hence there are contradictory glowing appraisals in print that completely refute what a number of people on this site have contended.
I realize that by writing this I am forever risking my reputation here (if I even had one.LOL) but this was one of my ten best films of 2007……#8………so I can’t sit idly by while a number of people rail into it………..
In any case, Craig was fair enough to point out segments and/or aspects in the film that he DID like. Fair enough.
I found Christopher Honore’s LOVE SONGS delightful as did the vast majority of the professional critics.
And finally, as the last of a tryptich of submissions on this thread I will add that I am hardly surprised at the crap that is appearing week after week on the multiplex screens. Craig has finally had enough? I couldn’t agree with him more, it is an annual practice (as he rightly points out) to fill screens with this garbage for about 8 of the 12 months of the year. The only respite we do have however, is that foreign language cinema is at its best from January till April or May year in and year out……….i.e. this year we’ve had THE BAND’S VISIT, THE DUTCHESS OF LANGEAIS, THE COUNTERFEITORS, THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION, LOVE SONGS, etc. all appearing in the throws of American incompetance.
Well, I guess we can’t have it both ways, sad to say. And rather than seeing junk and then reporting back with (obvious) disdain and disgust, it is far more worthwhile viewing and re-viewing quality DVDs of independent and foreign-language cinema.
Sam~~
The only trouble with getting hyped up for the early-year rush of new foreign films is that they’re not out in most of the country. Even in some of the “second-tier” markets you’ve got to wait a few months before they’re released, if they are at all. Meanwhile, 10,000 B.C. gets released worldwide, much to the consternation of Nick P., who no doubt feels taunted by Hollywood studios, who dump their expensive crap on him and make him wait forever for the good stuff.
Paul–you do make an excellent point there; some of us are geographically fortunate–and others like Nick are always in the wait. That is the downside to this release schedule, admittedly.
I didn’t make it to the theater for the first time in several months, partly because of Easter, partly because of basketball, and partly because there’s little to see. I’ll do Paranoid Park tonight but other than that the weeks are a little dry right now. If I wasn’t busier this week I would go for Snow Angels, but all I’ll probably make is a preview screening of 21 tomorrow night.
Anyway, I went to Gerry in the theater totally blind but thinking Damon + Van Sant would be decent. (And yes, I’ll love Good Will Hunting with no shame). It was a test of patience, but I guess I would say I’ve seen little else like it. The friend I went with is not so much the movie-going type, so you can imagine how restless he was. For what it was at the time I was unimpressed, but thinking back on it now it was probably better than I remember. Can’t say the same for Elephant, which I found quite unnecessary. Yes, I’m known to shy away from watching point-blank shots to the face, but that wasn’t even my problem with it. I understand he was trying to just throw it out there to start a discussion about why school shootings happen, but in hindsight I want to hold him a little more responsible for not actually adding anything to the discussion himself. If that makes sense.
AtU, what can I say. It’s my fault this whole thing came up, so sorry it turned into an urgent viewing for you, Craig. I fall somewhere between Nick and Sam, and expect I’ll find myself enjoying it next time I see it.
Nick, Quinceañera was one of my Top 10 two years ago. Loved it. A lot more than Juno, actually, but I won’t start that ball rolling again!
I did catch a couple of random movies during some channel surfing the other night: The Ten Commandments (ages pretty well, imo), Big, Titanic, Die Hard With a Vengeance, The Sound of Music, among others.
I did a Movies Most People Seem to Loathe DVD double feature this weekend: the original FUNNY GAMES and SOUTHLAND TALES. FUNNY GAMES is everything everyone has said it is (post-modern wank horror movie) but I didn’t think it was offensive or awful, that’s almost giving it too much credit.
The problem is that, for someone who claims to be deconstructing the thriller and us plebes who enjoy them, Haneke has made a thriller that is too effective. If he wants to cheat us, he should cheat us but SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER having the bad guys win isn’t subversive, its actually how many thrillers of this stripe end. Haneke should have totally denied the audience a catharis, even the rewinding bit fails, but we still get the jolly that he’s taking back.
SOUTHLAND TALES is almost unwatchable, but its one of the most interesting nearly unwatchable indulgent filmmaker cases of indigestion I’ve seen. Kelly’s notion of a story that’s too distracted and bogged down in media to properly tell itself is an interesting one, but he doesn’t quite make the landing. I think critics would have been kinder if it had been directed by someone hipper to make a leap of faith for.
AtU was in my DVD pile before TEP came up Miranda so I had to get it out of the way.
Take consolation Sam in the fact that sometimes the best works of art are the most divisive, especially when they’re new. I’m curious to read your review of it, but I didn’t see it among the ones you’d sent me. Did you review Across the Universe?
Daniel. No worries. It was a good can of worms. We don’t all have to agree all the time.
Ugh, “almost unwatchable” is a great description for Southland Tales, and I had to squirm through it in the theater. Several mediocre ideas gone terribly wrong. And I think Richard Kelly actually IS pretty hip, though perhaps his lack of experience/DD backlash did influence the critics. Really I think he just bit off more than he could chew after being pumped up by DD for so many years. Look forward to your review, Chuck, if you can manage reliving it.
“its one of the most interesting nearly unwatchable indulgent filmmaker cases of indigestion I’ve seen.” That actually makes me curious to go back and see it.
Thanks Daniel. I’m working on it, should be up in a few days.
Thanks for the nice words Craig, and indeed I did review it the week it was released last year and will send it on to you when I get home later on. Thanks again.
Agree with Sam. ATU is a polarizing film, and it comes down to whether or not you can get swept up in the childish sense of wonder it’s selling. I could not, although I chalk a lot of that up to being unfamiliar with a majority of the songs. My wife, on the other hand, loved every second of it. I will admit that the soundtrack has grown on in me in the meantime, and I constantly find myself humming Bono’s cut of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”. It’s an infectious mess, one which I did not get infected with.
In other new releases this week, I finally saw Darabont’s The Mist. Unbe-freaking-lievable. Like the best horror films, it uses the conventions of its genre as a metaphor for the much more horrific terror living within all of us. Many critics viewed it as a thinly veiled post-9/11 parable, but I chose to see it as a deeper examination of basic human nature. Very Lord of the Flies-ish. I was positively blown away, especially by the ending. Indeed, I believe the ending is why it did not receive more accord than it should have, although the ending is what makes the film so effective. Darabont must have had final cut from the get-go, as I cannot imagine any studio exec in his right mind greenlighting a finale as uncompromising as the one in The Mist. Audiences didn’t really embrace it at the theaters, but I fully expect it to develop an entrenched cult following over the next decade (very similar to the path that Darabont’s other S.King masterpiece, The Shawshank Redemption, took).
Don’t worry Daniel. I know Craig well enough to know that his ERW interest and his love of the Beatles would have eventually brought him to AtU regardless of the conversations here. It was just a matter of time.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it more, Craig, but I suspected your response would swing that way.
Prompted by a lack of motivation to rush out to a theater or the video store and complicated by a busy weekend of roadtripping for family responsibilities, I instead caught up on some Christmas gift DVDs that have been patiently awaiting my perusal.
The Bourne Ultimatum was a movie I liked in theaters, but Greengrass’ inability to contextualize an action sequence made it (another) frustrating Bourne sequel to watch. Revisiting it on DVD actually made it a little easier to watch the second time through, although I didn’t really like the final scene that much. As much as I liked the vibe he’s going for and the intelligence of his overall direction, I dislike the shaky-cam/super-edited style of it. I’m excited that he’s chosen to go back to territory more closely aligned with style and intelligence for his next picture. Bloody Sunday and United 93 are both excellent films and I’m really curious to see what he’ll do with Green Zone.
Inspired by Craig’s Bonnie and Clyde post, I finally got around to watching the Special Edition DVD of Chinatown, one of my favorite Jack Nicholson performances. Excellent film that holds up amazing well. I’d been itching to revisit this one since TWBB, partly because Daniel Day Lewis’ performance seemed to be twinged with John Huston’s Noah Cross.
I could say a lot about Chinatown, but let me point out that yes, Faye Dunaway is incredible here and incredibly beautiful as Evelyn Mulwray. In fact, the entire supporting cast is excellent. I always forget how impressive the casting in this movie was, all the way down to James Hong as Kahn and the memorable character actor Richard Bakalyan as Loach. And you have to love Polanski’s wonderful cameo.
“You’re a very nosy fellow, kitty cat. Huh?”
SPOILER ALERT: One moment though that continues to bother me and stand out in the finale, hopefully someone has an explanation for this (apparent) glaring continuity error. Evelyn shoots Noah Cross in the chest, with what appears to be a .22. The bullet clearly enters his left breast, somewhere below his heart but likely directly into his lung. Yet moments later he has run to the car and drags off Catherine Cross, with nary a trace of blood or difficulty. The guy is a tough bastard, sure, but how can he take a bullet in the chest like that and shrug it off?
Regardless, excellent movie. Hopefully tonight I will get to the numerous extras on the disc. Maybe those will illuminate that final scene.
Lol, I am not making any babies, no. I may like films about the subject but I would not make a very good Paulie Bleeker or whatever. I am in no way mature enough to handle that. No babies for me.
Sam, I ACU in my top ten list, so you are not alone…maybe you are right Evan, about the “childish sense of wonder” thing, I was swept right up.
Craig, at least we know it was not ERW’s fault that the film was not that great. At least we share an obsession about her…that sounds a little weird but I have said it before so the weird factor is now diluted.
Thanks Miranda, you know if I lived near any of you, you would ALL be invited.
By now, I have more or less seen the majority of the films I was so jealous that you had seen last year, and some more are still coming my way, like I’m Not There and Lust, Caution are pretty much all that is left. So while you sit in pile of crap, I can catch up. I guess we can call it even then ;)
Dan, Quinceañera is a far more sincere film than Juno, way more realistic and just as good in my opinion. It played for one week in SA last year January, but no one was really interested. Sad. Juno is the number one film in SA right now, second week in a row. Must be my constant talking about it to people. I should get a cut of the ticket sales for publicity. Or something. I am glad you enjoyed Quinceañera, very glad indeed.
Chinatown is on TV tonight Joel, right after Oprah, I would love to see it again. That is, for me, Faye Ds best film to date. In a pile of great work.
For Dunaway, I keep going back and forth between Chinatown and Network, two of my favorite films of the 70’s. I know she’s done better acting elsewhere, but those are two of my favorite performances from her. One of these days I need to see The Eyes of Laura Mars and I need to revisit Barfly, a movie I’ve quoted on many occasions. Plus I think I need to throw that Bonnie and Clyde Bluray into my Netflix queue. Been a while since I’ve seen that movie.
Still can’t believe Faye Dunaway was the heavy in Supergirl though. Man, the 80’s were a bad decade for American movies.
Eyes of Laura Mars was on TV the other night but I fell asleep (late, not the movie’s fault), I may Netflix it in the coming days because it did look interesting, with a really effective atmosphere.
Well, I finally saw The Counterfeitors this weekend. It was a very, very well-done, well-acted film, the based-on-actual-events story is interesting and involving, and it effectively explores various aspects of human nature in extreme situations. It’s not at all an unworthy film, but, good as it was, it didn’t grab me and stay with me the way 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days did. But I guess it’s not really fair to compare.
The theater where I saw it is near my Mom’s house in NJ. It’s the one theater near her that gets smaller films like The Savages and foreign films. They’re going to be getting Flight of the Red Balloon which sounds like it’s a little bit inspired by Albert Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon, a favorite of mine (we just bought it for my niece) so that’s a film I’ll be on the lookout for. Has anyone heard anything about it? Seen it in early festivals?
On DVD I revisited Anthony Minghella’s wonderful Truly, Madly, Deeply (on VHS courtesy of the public library) and In the Valley of Elah. ItVoE is not a bad movie but nothing great - it’s a difficult topic and it’s Haggis so there isn’t any subtlety. The film is worth seeing for the excellent acting, particularly Tommy Lee Jones, of course. The role fits him like a glove. And the film’s score is lovely.
Truly, Madly, Deeply remains one of my favorite of Mighella’s films. It’s heartbreaking and humorous, and the acting is superb. Alan Rickman is a great villain but I’d love to see him in more roles like this one again. And Juliet Stevenson was terrific. It’s just a wonderful film about loss and grieving and going on with life.
Going forward I’ll be revisiting The Assassination of Jesse James, the 1970’s Dillinger and now, of course, I’ll be adding Bonnie and Clyde to my queue and revisiting that one. And maybe Chinatown now that it came up in discussion. :-)
I know…Network is great and was ahead of its time and all that, but I think she was better in Chinatown. I should have said that. I prefer Network as a film though.
I love The Red Balloon! So great…
ItVoE is okay, I love Charlize and Tommy was good, the score was a highlight as well, I need to see it again though.
Interesting take on The Mist, Evan. I know that the ending was a sticking point for a lot of people. You’ve made me more curious to see it.
I think Joel takes the cake for best movie of the weekend with Chinatown. The LiC monkeys were asleep at the switch so it went unremarked upon, but Lt. Escobar died back in February. RIP
Nick, I’d say your ERW obsession is 47% less creepy than mine because I’m old enough to be her father.
Ahhh…I see Alison snuck in there while I was commenting.
I suck, I keep thinking I should go see Counterfeiters, but then something else always comes up. It’s so easy to let things slip through the cracks.
I don’t know anything about Red Balloon but I’d seen it on the IFC calendar when I was looking for something else.
Now might be a good time for me to admit that I’ve never seen Truly Madly Deeply. Shocking, I know.
Truly, Madly, Deeply is worth checking out, Craig. I don’t think it’s available on DVD, but you could probably get it on VHS (if you still have a player, that is).
I thought you had already seen The Counterfeiters.
If you like Juliet Binoche, she stars in The Flight of the Red Balloon. :-)
Looking forward to seeing the Mist when the DVD ships today (fingers crossed). Also looking forward to The Counterfeiters, thanks for the comments on that Alison. Also still curious to see Truly, Madly, Deeply. I think I can dust off the VCR from the basement, although I shudder to think what it might look like on my HDTV. Maybe I should buy the black market DVD sartre pointed me to?
In the Valley of Elah would have been better were it not for that last scene. I just couldn’t buy it, heavy hand of Haggis and all.
I thought Counterfeiters was good. Still want to see 4 Months.
I remember seeing TMDeeply a while ago, can’t remember much. That is worse than never having seen it. I don’t have a VHS player anymore, so no luck for me.
Am I the only person who does not have an HDTV or a Blu-Ray player or whatever? I am starting to feel old.
Haggis is way too heavy-handed, Joel, and that was the problem all around for me with the film, not just that last scene. He’s very black and white, and there are no shades of grey. Charlize Theron is the lone woman investigator in the office and the men are all stereotypical assholes who rag on her, just as an example.
The acting was good all around, and that’s what gave the film its strength, emotionally and storywise. Jones was superb. I’d like to see Charlize Theron get some meatier roles again, but she was good in her role. And Susan Sarandon, in her small supporting role, was also quite memorable.
Nick, I don’t have either HDTV or Blu-Ray. It has nothing to do with being old, though. It’s about being poor for many months at a time. There are other things I need first (with what little money I have). :-)
I’ll make a point of it Alison when I catch TEP as well.
And yes, I love Ms. Binoche. I think Red Ballon played at AFI, but I missed it.
You’re definitely not the only one Nick. I’d say you’re still in the majority of people.
Nick, I’m typically the last person I know to adopt new technology but I got sucked into HDTV after enjoying it at my friends’ homes with the tech and then made an impulse buy on the PS3 when I found an awesome deal on it last summer. I think Craig got suckered into both through me by osmosis.
Of course, now that I have both I couldn’t go back but otherwise, I could live without them. It does make it easier to justify waiting for movies on DVD though.
I agree about Charlize, Alison, she was good and she really needs another great role. I really want her to have a good career filled with great performances, she is my homegirl. Craig, you met Ms. Faye Dunaway, I have met Ms. Theron. Love her!
Money ~ there is never enough of it. I hate not having it, and it is annoying that I cannot buy my favourite movies on Blu-Ray, but whatever. I can live without them Joel, I know I will make the switch one day, maybe when it is my own money that I would be spending. I would just be greedy if I made my parents fork out to buy them when they wouldn’t be enjoying them as well, they are not film or TV lovers at all.
Bluray is sort of over-rated unless you have a screen over 50″ in size, Nick. I plan on having that eventually, so I talked myself into the PS3.
The HDTV…that’s a much better short-term investment, in many respects.
I’m with you on Charlize, Nick.
Alison: I saw the trailer on Saturday night for THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON at the IFC, where I was for LOVE SONGS. I have adored Lamorisee’s THE RED BALOON for my entire life, and use it in class every year, so this new release has me most excited.
I agree with everything you said about THE COUNTERFEITORS, although this year I rate THE BAND’S VISIT and THE DUTCHESS OF LANGEAIS abit higher. But you may agree with that as well.
I bet the theatre you saw the film is the Ridgefield Park Rialto, which is (literally) 10 minutes from my home. If not, it is surely the Claridge Clearview Cinemas in Montclair, which I regularly frequent. LOL!
Actually, my mother lives in Morris County, so the theater we go to is the Roberts Theater in Chatham, Sam. It’s a great theater. I am familiar with the Claridge in Montclair though - I grew up in West Orange. :-)
I haven’t seen The Dutchess of Langeais yet, but I definitely would rate The Band’s Visit a little bit higher than The Counterfeiters. The Counterfeiters was a well-done film, but it felt a little “been there done that” to me. The Band’s Visit had something truly new and different to offer, and did so in an extremely charming way.
In my opinion the best foreign language films this year were The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, followed closely by Lust, Caution and The Band’s Visit.
How did you like Love Songs?
Like you Craig I was left with an initial sense of Elephant not adding up to much. But it resonated with me, and as a result I reassessed my experience of the film and questioned my expectations. At first I wanted it to be more “explanatory” of a tragedy. But with greater reflection I came to the conclusion that the value of the film was its ability to represent some of the social and physical experiential fabric of a tragedy, minutiae and broader strokes. Hope that doesn’t sound too wanky. Not formulating and structuring his film in a precisely explanatory way ultimately seemed to me like an interesting and thought provoking choice. I viewed it as underscoring the notion that cause and effect is complex, as is our relationship to tragic events we’re desperate to explain and their representation through film.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Elephant and my memory of it is slightly foggy, but I remember going into it knowing the “elephant” in the room Van Sant was getting at but completely losing interest in that aspect of the “narrative” as the film progressed. The mood and style of it had a dreamy quality that seemed well-suited to inspecting the world of teenagers from outside, but the ending just felt like it didn’t really hook into that.
On one hand, the dreamlike quality does play into the tension of the ending, but I also felt like the movie would have been potentially just as interesting had it not ended that way. In fact, I might have liked it more had it felt more like a meditation and less like a political statement when it ended.
Again though, it’s been a while since I saw this one and I’m not sure I’m remembering the film all that well.
I should restate that the performances of the kids were pretty great and I enjoyed the shifting and overlapping structure.
What you said doesn’t sound wanky at all Sartre, I’m finding two days later actually both films are resonating with me in a certain way. There is something beguiling about both of them.
Anyone who hasn’t seen Gerry should check it out. It’s not entertaining in a traditional way, it’s very much an experimental film, but it’s interesting to see at least once. Not 100% successful, but I’m glad I caught it.
I finally caught Darjeeling Limited this weekend (the film, not the actual train, though I would definitely be among those running frantically to catch it). I liked it a lot. Not as much as Craig–it wouldn’t be in my top 10 this year, but it might make my top 25. The hubby didn’t like it much at all, aside from the visuals. He thought the characters were annoying, self-absorbed and uninteresting. Annoying and self-absorbed, I buy, most definitely, but I found them very interesting. Their fraternal relationships were both tenuous and paramount to them, dysfunctional and sustaining. And I liked how their ill-conceived and ill-communicated “spiritual bonding journey” manages to become something real and at least moderately transformative despite themselves. India becomes for them less a kitschy whistle stop for the spiritually bankrupt and more of a fully real place full of strange but relatable individuals with joys and woes we can all share. And I loved all that bright yellow and blue.
That’s all the movie-ing I did, though, other than the last 10 minutes or so of The Sound of Music, which has a soft spot for me because I have happy memories of being in a stage version as one of the Von Trapps when I was about six or seven.
I’ve only seen parts of Truly, Madly, Deeply, though it’s one I’ve meant to see for years. The clips I’ve seen have been fantastic, though. Cold Mountain was on TV this weekend, and I tried to watch it, but didn’t even make it through one scene. There are parts of that movie I really like (Jude Law, Natalie Portman) and parts I just loathe (Zellwegger, Kidman, most of the locals). Not Minghella’s best work.
I finally saw Lars over the weekend. It worked for me but only just, talk about navigating a fine line, and this was almost entirely due to the quality of the acting. The fine principal cast breathed enough realism into their characters for me to be occasionally moved despite some heavy-handed formulaic elements and what I found a fanciful psychological manifestation and community response to it. I kept reminding myself it was a sweet natured fable but the film’s contrivances and transparent mechanics felt so close to the surface I couldn’t wholly surrender to it. I could have completely written it off as an overly sweet and familiar (with a twist) indie confection. But it touched me despite the form because an outline of truth about problems of intimacy, and the often essentially kind nature of people and their sense of community, came through the performances. Ryan Gosling deserves special mention for making such a character believable in his essentials. I’m glad I saw it but I better appreciate why it received a mixed critical reaction in some quarters.
Talking about Elephant got me thinking of another imperfect movie about high school with the same dreamy-quality to it: Virgin Suicides. I really loved the book, and the movie got a big chunk of it right, but there’s something unfilmable about the book’s narration that made the movie kind of come apart at the seams.
Elephant is almost the flipside of that film making coin. It captures the fleeting emotional quality that Eugenides’ book had which I loved so well (and Coppola’s direction imperfectly captures) but Elephant has little or no narrative structure to really weigh it down. It’s just kind of one long thought bubble.
Dammit. I need to see that movie again. Guess I should see Gerry too. It’s going to be Gus Van Sant week with Paranoid Park too.
Alison: I was in the Roberts Theatre in Chatham one time. I recall it is at the very end of a very small mall; it is a quaint little theatre, and somehow perfect for independent fare. I treked down there the 45 minutes I needed with a few friends to see BRASSED OFF, which had left my immediate area.
Oh, I completely agree with you on your sentiments for THE BAND’S VISIT, and although I am not sure of whether to make 4 MONTHS a 2007 or 2008 film, I agree it’s a masterpiece. The second viewing of DIVING BELL really did it for me. Maybe Craig can make the decision for us as to what year we should include it for……..it is tricky. I had it in my Top 10 for last year, but then again I had THE LIVES OF OTHERS there too.
Sartre: I sincerely believe ELEPHANT to be Van Sants’s masterpiece. I see the film did resonate with you on repeated view. Thematically, metaphysically, socilologically, and cinematically it is often a breathless accomplishment. I did not like GERRY as much as Craig did, but I do admit that as an experimental film, it received a number of interpretations and judgements pro and con. I acknowlege here what Joel said as well and I admit van Sant always stirs up a series of conflicting emotions.
I do not always agree with the Cannes Palme d’Or winner, but the year they named ELEPHANT for me was an inspired decision, as inspired as the year Von Trier’s DANCER IN THE DARK won.
Flight of the Red Balloon is the new Hou Hsiao-Hsien film so I’m definitely going to have to check that out when it comes to my neck of the woods.
Paranoid Park, I’m just going to purchase it On Demand for seven bucks. Probably in the next two days or so.
Chinatown is awesome. I had that film in a kind of “rotation,” where, about three years ago, I’d watch it every month or six weeks or so. After about nine months of that, I sort of put it away, like an album you feel like you’ve heard as much as you want to for the time being. I’d like to revisit it yet again as I always take something new from it. joel, I do agree with you, though, about the apparent superhuman qualities of Noah Cross after the gunshot. That has always bothered me a little.
The Counterfeiters–I guess I felt somewhat disappointed, because it had won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but Stefan Ruzowitzky has never quite “hit it home” for me. I didn’t go for The Inheritors, and definitely not Anatomy (never seen the sequel, Anatomy 2, but I doubt I will). He always makes films with excellent moral questions and makes his stories into morality plays, but he almost always allows the narrative and the excessively one-dimensional characters to choke some of the life out of the fascinating set-up. The Counterfeiters is his best film, brimming with simmering and subtly staged tension but ultimately it felt like it could have been much better than it really was.
sartre, I like your resonant defense of Elephant. Gus van Sant’s filmmaking was so assured with that film that I wish it stuck with me more–therefore the proof would be in the proverbial pudding–but it just hasn’t, for whatever reason. I usually react fairly well to experimentation, sometimes I think I’m susceptible to liking it just for its own sake, but in van Sant’s recent batch of films, it’s felt a bit suffocating in its formality, at least for me.
As sickening as it may sound, probably my “favorite” aspect of Elephant (in that it cinematically worked for me greatly and I remember it with precise detail and clarity) is seeing the big guy, who happens to be black, approach one of the shooters and is nonchalantly executed. That was a hideously commendable examination of how, in every film, no matter how out-of-the-mainstream it supposedly is, an audience is conditioned to expect a hero to emerge in moments of mortal peril, and, how in real life, usually things do not occur with such archetypal characters.
I just want to say what a pleasure it is to read the quality of writing and thought about film that you all effortlessly contribute. You’re so fucking talented and smart, each and every one of you. Yay!
Sartre my friend, you are the most talented of us all, and believe me I am not going the syncophant route–YOU are the guy!
I used to be confused about what dates to assign certain films, but for me both 4 Months is a 2007 movie, even if they were released in the US in 2008. It probably won’t be released in SA until 2020 or something, but I will always think of it as a 2007 film. That is just me.
jennybee I am glad you enjoyed Darjeeling - I loved it enough for it to get into my top ten. I never expected to like it that much at all.
sartre, again I loved Lars very much as well, okay not the guy, the film. The acting was great, and the screenplay too. That was another great of 2007. So damn many.
Nick, it doesn’t surprise me that people like yourself and Craig whose opinions I respect loved Lars. It worked for me too, just not as much.
I have to emphatically disagree with your compliment Sam. I’m just happy to be in such heady company, hence my expression of gratitude above. You’re a very generous person in your praise and I always appreciate your kind regard.
Jennybee, I’m thrilled you liked Darjeeling. Even if it isn’t as strong, your response to it sounds very much like my own. I like it when that happens.
Sartre. I continue to be a little embarassed at how hard I fell for Lars…but only a little.
Virgin Suicides. I should revisit that one too. When I first saw it, I kind of went into it with knives drawn out ready to cut Sofia Coppola to shreds…which I think you’ll agree is a really stupid way to approach a film. I haven’t revisited it since I fell in love with Lost in Translation so maybe it’s time.
Gerry. I didn’t love it Sam, but I did kind of find it interesting.
I saw Bringing Up Baby for probably the 10th time this weekend. I’m not a big fan of either Kate Hepburn or Cary Grant, but the movie always puts me in a good mood. There are so many hilarious gags, like the olives and the torn evening dress, “loon” calling at the dinner table, and Grant turning gay “all of the sudden” (how the hell did that pass the censors in 1938?).
I also watched Modern Times for the first time. Charlie Chaplin’s social commentary isn’t subtle at all and seems a bit jumbled (but that may just be from the perspective of 70+ years). I hadn’t really noticed her before, but Paulette Goddard is breathtakingly beautiful, especially in the scene where she’s stealing the bananas.
Interesting mix WJ. Odd that you don’t like Grant or Hepburn, yet like Baby…
Even odder that I used to be exactly the opposite: I loved Grant and Hepburn but was cool on Baby. I’ve realized the error of my ways however and now I love it.
sartre, no need to be modest. We all love you for your wit, your intellect, your sense of decency and fair play and your vast knowledge of human behviour. Plus your ability to turn a fine phrase and critique a film in most excellent fashion.
I’ve all ready copped to never seeing Truly Madly Deeply when Alison visited my site. If it’s not available on DVD, it’s still shown fairly frequently on television in my area. So I’m confident I will be able to find it sooner rather than later.
Awww, Nick. That’s so sweet. When you travel to LA (as you no doubt will when you you become the prestigious filmmaker that you will eventually be), Craig and I will organize a party for you. I should be in SoCal by then.
I’ll be honest. I don’t have HD or Blu-Ray yet either. It’s not that I can’t afford it. It’s that, unless you’re a huge tech fan and have to have all the newest, latest gadgets immediately (and I do respect that some people here do love their tech stuff) you’re always wise to wait until a lot of these things have gone mainstream. The prices drop. There’s more of everything available. That whole HD/Blu-Ray dichotomy just smacks of the VHS/Beta fiasco that happened in the early 80s. That’s actually a bit before my time. We all know who won that battle. But, from what I understand, Blu-Ray is going to be the victor in this particular war…? So, until I buy a new TV, it just doesn’t make sense.
I’m curious as to how the whole thing is going to shake out. Middle class parents that are used to paying $10 a pop for their childrens’ DVDs are not going to look kindly on having to purchase yet another player (that will be obsolete before you know it) and shelling out even more on product . Most movie lovers that I know (aside from the high tech people that spend the majority of their money on expensive cutting edge tech) are not particularly jazzed about yet another upgrade.
I’m watching this whole scenario very closely. But I don’t want to buy anything new until I have to.
Nick, don’t be discouraged. Eight out of ten people will tell you that sixteen is definitely NOT what it’s cracked up to be - and at least one other person in that ten isn’t giving you the straight goods. When I was sixteen, I had a boyfriend that I fought with constantly. I got good grades but I hated school and my classes. Things weren’t lovely until I graduated from high school the following year. From then on, things changed for the better DRASTICALLY.
The money thing is annoying. I’ve been broker than I’d like to be and I’ve had more than enough money. Obviously, it’s better to have money. But, as an adult, that situation DOES fluctuate. Unless you’re a Trump, a Kennedy (sorry, Craig) or a member of some royal family, you’re going to have to work for a living. So unless you luck out and either win the lottery or become successful at a career that allows you to make a fortune, your financial situation will always go up and down.
But there’s no way around this. I’ve heard that once you have sufficient funds that you never have to worry about money again, there’s always something else. Great wealth only brings the freedom from financial burden. Money doesn’t buy happiness. But it will buy you a Cadillac so you can drive around and look for some.
Nick, you have a excellent intellect and a very level head on your shoulders. Something tells me that you’re going to be just fine.
Back to Ms. Dunaway…
I own Network and though I respect Chinatown for its greatness it’s never really been a personal favourite of mine. I still think Robert Towne’s original ending would have been better - and I’m a person that owns a fair amount of dark, tragic films. She gave fabulous performances in both. But I still think her work in B&C was the best thing she’s ever done. I thought she was superb in Puzzle Of A Downfall Child, too. Hope that gets released on DVD one of these days.
I’ve never been able to get through The Thomas Crown Affair without falling asleep. I don’t know why. It’s not bad. But there’s something about it that just doesn’t grab me. But I did pay to see the 99 remake which I liked much more. It was a classy touch to see Faye play the therapist (she was wonderful) and let Renee Russo take the lead.
joel, EOLM is really kind of awful. It’s creepy and not in a good way. It’s typical 70s slasher trash just before it became wildly popular and then reverted to overdone cliche territory. Faye is good. (As she is, AT LEAST, in just about everything.) She has interesting chemistry with Tommy Lee Jones, who’s also solid. But it’s really quite ridiculous all the way through and when you find out who the killer is and what the ultimate resolution will be, well…. *shakes head*
True, I haven’t exactly heard stellar things about EoLM, but I’m willing to give it a shot just for 70’s-era Dunaway.
For those interested, Ryan sent me this link to a thorough piece on Elephant that offers a take similar to the one I eventually came to.
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/05/36/elephant.html
Lots of excellent comments in today’s busy watercooler, as always. You guys are awesome. Where else could I have so much movie fun during the worst movie time of the year?
So I just saw Paranoid Park …and…all I can say as I think about writing my review is that it couldn’t more obviously be a Gus Van Sant movie unless it was called Gus Van Sant and it was starring him in the lead role.
Wow, too much here to really take in, so I’ll just pretend like I’m the first post and respond accordingly. Craig, I’m glad you at least liked parts of Across the Universe The greater whole is kind of a dumb mess but individual moments make it worth seeing.
I was also kind of annoyed with how self-indulgent Gerry was, but I think Elephant is a near-masterpiece (only really damaged by the stuid bulimia joke) and I love Last Days as well.
The Mist has moments, but I think it’s mostly another Tom Jane fumble. I like the guy, but only “Boogie Nights” and “Arrested Development” have ever really worked for me. And the ending … oy, the humanity! I would be interested in seeing the black-and-white version that’s on the 2-disc, though.
Speaking of “Gerry” (which actually has one big thing in common with “The Mist”) I’ve never seen more walk-outs in a theater than during that film. I wound up being the only person who didn’t leave. I was in kind of a depressed state at the time, and the movie wasn’t helping, so to be abandoned by the audience was kind of surreal. I still think shirt-basketing is funny. I don’t know why
Knowing the perverse sense of humor at LiC, it wouldn’t surprise me if everybody abruptly abandoned this topic and left Harvey sitting here all alone in the dark — just for the comic effect.
So I’ll make a comment now to prevent that from happening.
(I wonder if anyone has ever seen Thomas Jane and Aaron Eckhart in the same room together…)
Because shirt basketing IS funny Harvey. There were several odd moments in that film that were funny like that.
Dirt mattress.
You gerried the rendez-vous.
I just watched Paranoid Park tonight too Daniel…I’ll bet you beat me to your review. I’m too tired to write one tonight.
Thanks for the wisdom and kindness Miranda :)
About Faye Dunaway, I have not seen Puzzle Of A Downfall Child, it sounds intriguing. Thomas Crown Affair was not great for me either.
Dan, I want to see Paranoid Park. I really, really, really want to. Gus is usually great {we all seem to be talking about his work a lot recently}. Look forward to your review, and yours Craig.
Wow, I come to the Watercooler late this time… my excuse? We have this crazy thing called “2nd Easter Day” here, and I was out of the house all day. Oddly enough, I have more time for the internets on work days than on days off.
I do have something to add: I seem to be the only one who’s seen The Flight of the Red Balloon. I can’t say I loved it though. The idea is interesting, and the parts at the beginning and end with the actual red balloon are enchanting, but the middle chuck is mostly drab, except for some nice moments involving puppeteering. The main problem is that the largely improvised story just isn’t that compelling, and the movie doesn’t have any forward momentum.
I think I might be the only one who prefers Gerry to Elephant, maybe because the root story of the former is much more interesting than the motivation behind school shootings, and I loved the back and forth between Damon and Affleck. And the imagery, with endless shots of the two just walking with the desert behind them, were hypnotizing.
As for Chinatown, I don’t think you can dispute its greatness, not even of the hysterical ending. Faye Dunaway is magnificent.
Then Lars… I finally saw it, and I’m not going to expound on it much because I have to write my official review of it today, but… I fall in Sartre’s camp. I wasn’t entirely seduced, but I did like it much, much more than I thought I would. It is a fine line they tread: the movie easily could have become too whimsical, or succumb to the temptation to mine Lars’ situation for cheap laughs, but it doesn’t. It’s an unfailingly good and optimistic movie, which is very admirable…but I might just be a bit too cynical for that. I’m going to give it a very positive review because I can immediately think of quite a few people I know who’d love it… but I just wasn’t one of them.
(Boy, this is getting to be a looooong comment)
Then, my moviewatching weekend: on Saturday, the Philadelphia story for the first time. Lovely, of course, and Hepburn is a goddess, but I admit it’s not quite up there with some of the other screwball comedies I’ve seen. Stewart is absolutely adorable though.
On Sunday, I had some friends over for Easter brunch followed by movies. First up: Undercover Kitty, the English-dubbed version of Dutch Children’s movie Minoes. And well…that left us in exactly the right mood to watch… Southland Tales
I sense I’m going to represent the minority opinion here, but I loved it. Oh, I thought it was terrible, no doubt about it. But I also thought it was awesome. No, make that: AWESOME! I already wrote quite a bit about it on my blog and need to go to uni now, so I won’t say much more, but I gladly join the small, beleaguered group of ST-champions.
Hedwig, your response to Southland Tales seems to be pretty similar to other critics I’ve read that have enjoyed it. You see past the flaws to the candy-center of the whole thing. I’m kinda guessing my response will be less positive, but you never know.
As for Gerry, I watched it last night and although I appreciate the myriad aspects of it, it was fairly tedious. I can’t really complain too much, since the movie never implies it will be anything different from the very beginning and in a sense, you have to respect and appreciate that sort of tenacity. I could be very cynical about it and just assume Van Sant is playing some massive joke on the audience by dragging them through this movie, but I want to believe the intent was more purposeful than that.
Let me put it this way: if I had my druthers, *I* would have done it differently.
Craig: It’s not that I don’t like Hepburn and Grant, but a case of being fairly ambivalent toward most of their other films.
Thinking about it, there’s a lot of Cary Grant movies that I’d rank among my favorites — North by Northwest, His Girl Friday, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Mr. Blandings… Usually when I think of Grant, I seem to only remember the films I hate (like Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer or An Affair to Remember).
I guess I’m not really familiar with Hepburns other films from the ’30s-’40s. I just know I haven’t liked any of the films I’ve seen with her and Spencer Tracy or her later melodramas (like Long Day’s Journey into Night).
That makes a lot of sense WJ. I’m a huge fan of Grant and Hepburn from the 30-40s, but not so much their later stuff either.
Grant is fine in anything he did with Hitchcock, but otherwise…not my cup of tea after the 40s
Hedwig, you get two Easters? Lucky!
Gerry. I have to admit, as inscrutible as it was, it’s sticking with me.
You’re on your own with Philadelphia Story though…one of my all time favorites.
Between your response and Chuck’s response to Southland…I just don’t know what to make of it. Guess I’ll have to see for myself.
Hedwig, thank you for your little review of The Flight of the Red Balloon. The issues you take with the film–particularly the story not being compelling and lacking forward momentum–are fairly common with Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Sometimes he really takes me by surprise, though, and he did with Three Times back in 2006. Anyway, thanks for your thoughts on this film.
Craig, going way back to the very beginning of this thread, 60+ posts ago, I do think you should check out Andrei Rublev. I’m not sure what your experience(s) with Tarkovsky is (or are), but I’m always captivated by his singularly resplendent vision. A truly gifted cinematic poet.
I’ve been doing a little Seijun Suzuki marathon, with the excellent Underworld Beauty, Youth of the Beast, Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill. It’s fascinating to delve into Japanese “B-movies,” and to discover that their 1960s were kind of like America’s 1940s, where many of the most vibrant and enlivened films were considered the trashy exploitation cranked out by certain unrestrained talents, perhaps most conspicuously the rebellious Suzuki, who was fired by the studio after he made Branded to Kill for making films that were “incomprehensible.” Anyway, I’m enjoying these films a great deal (especially Underworld Beauty, Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill) and if you’re in the mood for exotic “trash” (or, rather, and more accurately, deranged art) I highly recommend these.
I’m going to be seeing Paranoid Park tonight in my living room and I’m looking forward to your review if you’re going to write one, Craig.
Like Hedwig, I prefer Gerry to Elephant. Van Sant is a talented director, but he seems to struggle with stories that require some intellectual heavy lifting, like the school shootings of Elephant. I know that a lot of people- including some people who have commented here- admire the way Van Sant takes on dicey material without forcing his own opinions on it, but personally I find it sort of wishy-washy. And without any ideology driving the film, it feels to me like he’s setting up these kids’ lives just so he can kill them off before our eyes, which I sort of object to. It’s well made, but I can’t behind it otherwise.
Gerry, on the other hand, is nothing but audiovisual splendor, especially on the big screen, where it’s best enjoyed. GVS’s Tarr-inspired style works beautifully transferred to this new setting, and the film’s lack of story allows us to drink in the film in the moment. It’s a tough film to get into, but I think it’s well worth the effort.
I saw Flight of the Red Balloon at Toronto last year. I had some problems with the pacing- it does go awfully slack in the middle- but I greatly enjoyed it. Binoche did a Q&A after our screening, and she looked ravishing as ever. I think her presence will help the film’s box-office chances, at least compared to Hou’s previous work. It’ll be odd to see the film getting a real release, which hasn’t happened with most Hou films.
Also, completely with everybody on Tarkovsky. Although Craig, if you haven’t seen anything of his I’d probably start with Solaris, which is more mainstream than most of his other films. It’s also shorter than Andrei Rublev, which may be a factor if you’re watching at home. Although duration isn’t necessarily an indicator of how mainstream the movie would be- after all, The Mirror is pretty short and it still confuses the hell out of me.
Solaris I’ve seen. Rublev, not. I’ve been sort of putting Tarkovsky off as I go back and fill in holes from earlier decades. The hole filling has been on hold for the most part since I’ve been blogging, however.
Suzuki is a trip Alexander, that’s about all I can add to what you’ve said. A little shocking to Western eyes with our ideas about conservative Japanese culture.
Gerry. It continues to grow on me. It’s meditative and oddly fascinating. Somehow I didn’t get bored.
Elephant I think is hampered by its loaded subject matter, though there is a lot to like about it. Not a fan of the bulemia scene or the scene from the POV of one of the shooters set up to look like an FPS videogame.
Paranoid Park I think I might have liked more than Elephant, but more about that later.
Paul, do you go to Toronto frequently? I’m thinking of making the journey. Do you recommend it?
Craig~~
Last year was my first TIFF, but I’d definitely recommend it. I’m currently planning on heading back next year, so maybe I’ll see you there.
That’s great, Craig, because take it from me you’ve got a lot to look forward to with Tarkovsky. I’m still trying to fill in as many holes as I can. Erm, I hope that didn’t sound like dialogue from a porn movie.
Suzuki really is a big trip. Definitely a bit shocking, to be sure. He took what the Criterion catalogue calls “cookie-cutter screenplays” and made them into crazy movies that, if released today, would doubtless create a sensation.
Well, I can definitely say I think Paranoid Park is Gus van Sant’s best in a long time and it kind of makes me even more glad that I stuck with him through this whole decade where he’s been trying to carve out his themes and ideas. Paranoid Park feels like, in so many ways, the culmination of his recent output (especially considering that he’s going into an ostensibly more “mainstream” direction with Milk). It’s a bit less pretentious than his previous three films, and yet at the same time I think it’s more impressionistic. I like this combination better overall. It feels like van Sant’s attempt to replicate Antonioni’s Blow Up, at least a bit. I do have some significant problems with it, though. But I guess I’ll wait and write more since I can sense a review coming from Craig. No pressure, though, haha…
Also saw Audition for the second time. Even better the second time, I think–definitely Takashi Miike’s best film, in my opinion, such a shocker but so brilliant… An example of a film where many critics who usually bemoan the typical kind of film with an “even pacing,” turn around and then attack a film that most definitively goes against that. Probably my pick for the best horror film of the decade.
On a somewhat unrelated note, but I couldn’t think of anywhere else to write this so I’ll just do it in the Watercooler: I’m officially done with both H-E and Poland’s MCN blog. In the case of the former, it’s mostly diminishing returns as it seems like most of the time it’s just the same political debate with the same people saying the same things over and over with almost no interesting film discussions anymore. In the case of the latter, it’s become almost as bad as an AICN talkback with several posters there being really bad apples spoiling the barrel. I get a laugh out of seeing Jeff McM try to appeal to the better side of their demented online personas–if there is one–but beyond that and a few good postings here and there, that place has become something of a sewer to wade through.
So, for me, LiC continues to become better and better while other blogs go to shit and become big wastes of time.
Hear hear to that last part. I gave on Poland quite a while ago, and while Jeff Wells’ crazy opinions (like objecting to Jason Segel because he can’t identify with his lack of movie star attractiveness) are on occasion entertaining, all the political stuff is just blah.
Alexander, Van Sant definitely used his affection for Euro-Arthouse sensibilities to its best overall effect in Paranoid. It was at its most extreme in Gerry, which is actually one of the things I admired about that film, but it’s a movie to be analyzed I think more than enjoyed.
As for HE…I’ve recently been dipping my toes back in the water purely for the purposes of blog exposure (a LOT of people read that guy, even if they don’t comment), but there’s no joy in it. I’ve got him on a newsfeed now so if he posts something interesting I’ll have a look and I may even comment, but not so much as before.
Frankly, there are enough people out there (like Hedwig and everyone else in my blogroll) who actually LIKE movies and I’d rather read them than waste my time with Wells.
As I’ve said before, I’m glad you contribute to LiC Alexander and I hope I can continue to grow it and improve it so your interest will remain.
I’m sure you will, Craig. Your humility is unwarranted, my friend. This is the coolest corner of the web.
Which will come in handy soon when it starts getting hot. :-)
Oh, hey. Somebody’s still around. I saw THE BANK JOB and was mildly diverted. I enjoyed the post-robbery elements more. Thought the direction mostly uninspired. Loved the actor playing the porn king.
Thanks Alexander.
Christian, that was David Suchet, more familiar to PBS watchers as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.
Bank Job was reasonable if unspectacular entertainment. A little disappointing because it had so many great elements. When it started of with T. Rex, I was juiced, but it didn’t quite hold up.
I also saw The Bank Job just last night. I was a little disappointed because I had been led to expect more than a mild diversion - it would be nice if, for example, the movie had actually been about anything. But Suchet was great.
Who led you to believe it was more than it was?
Miscellaneous online reviews - there seemed to be a buzz around it, the kind that, looking back, makes sense because it’s not a bad movie.
sometimes ‘not bad’ is good enough, other times it makes me cranky.
With Bank Job, I was ok with it, though had it not flaired up again in this post I would’ve forgotten about it by now.