The Official Movie Thread

[no country for old wainds]

you not a fan of '90s boyle either? been several years since i've seen 'shallow grave', 'trainspotting' etc but i liked them at the time.

 

[Blind Guardian]

The American must be one of the blandest movies I've seen. Like some bad Bourne Identity ripoff.

 

[challenge_everything]

you not a fan of '90s boyle either? been several years since i've seen 'shallow grave', 'trainspotting' etc but i liked them at the time.

Likewise, I remember liking them but I can't say they really stuck in my memory. Don't get me wrong, he's a good director but I think he's a largely underachieving talent.

 

[unknown]

Black Swan wasn't that amazing. It was Aronofsky's weakest film yet.

yup

 

[panzerfaust666]

^reminded me of solaris a bit as far as clooney goes, which is always a good thing.

trailer for 'the fighter' made it look so bad, and the reviews i've read pretty much confirmed it as generic oscar-baiting hollywood rubbish. really don't want to watch it but i might have to if it keeps getting such high praise. gone off christian bale in a big way too and somehow i doubt this is going to help matters. hopefully it's at least better than million dollar baby :/

'127 hours' wasn't that bad, but there isn't an appropriate sense of horror or even tediousness, it felt brief and uninvolving to me. it's also a pretty saccharine human perserverance story with a trite no-man-is-an-island message bludgeoned into the ground, and he tries to cover up that sentimentality with these horrible oh-so-cutting-edge hyper-kinetic camera swoops and whatnot. franco's pretty solid but doesn't really rescue it.

The Million Dollar Baby comparison was the first thing that came to mind for me, as well. Althought the Fighter had some of the typical plot lines and "snags", but it was still well done and great to watch. ALSO, Bale was awesome. He was super funny, and his acting was superb.

 

[no country for old wainds]

seeing black swan tomorrow, can't wait. i love going into a film knowing i could conceivably absolutely love it or absolutely loathe it.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

It's got Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman in it. How can you not love it?

 

[Einherjar86]

You can love Portman's great performance, but the narrative and directing just seemed too "Hollywood" and superficial for Aronofsky. And the whole premise of the Swan Lake show being presented alongside the primary doppleganger plot just beats you over the head with the analogy.

 

[unknown]

my main beef is Aronofsky does the same theme in all of his movies. They're all about obsession with something.

Pi: Trying to find a mathematical equation to play the stock market/for life
Requiem: Getting that pound of pure drugs to sell
Fountain: The quest for immortality
The Wrestler: Redemption
Black Swan: Perfection er whatever


SPOILER
they're all obsessions with something that drive their protagonists to some sort of end. Ironically, the only movie of his that doesn't end with somebody (possibly) dying is Pi.

he needs to go back to doing weird fuck off experimental movies.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Pi is the only movie is his that I really truly enjoyed. Requiem is garbage and the Wrestler was decent.

 

[unknown]

Pi and The Fountain are my favorites. Requiem quickly loses its novelty, but I can appreciate it for what it is

 

[Master_Yoda77]

I can appreciate that ass to ass scene.

 

[Einherjar86]

Yeah, Reqiuem was never one of my favorites. I do really enjoy Pi, The Fountain, and The Wrestler though.

Speaking of The Fountain, what are people's thoughts on Terence Malick's new flick (I mention The Fountain because it reminds me of it, for some reason)?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0KHlZMEquU&feature=related[/ame]

 

[unknown]

not sure what to think of it. Looks like he's channeling his inner Stanley Kubrick in terms of camera work. I'll probably see it.

 

[no country for old wainds]

i'm not exactly the biggest malick fan but i always think that of all the directors working today he's the one most likely to get taught about in schools in 100 years, and his films always feel like an *event* when they eveeeeeeeentually come out.

 

[rms]

You can love Portman's great performance, but the narrative and directing just seemed too "Hollywood" and superficial for Aronofsky. And the whole premise of the Swan Lake show being presented alongside the primary doppleganger plot just beats you over the head with the analogy.

I don't know how you can critique that film this way but not point out the obvious hollywood-ness to social network. The Wrestler was amazing and I thought Black Swan was as well

 

[muzmaze]

Recently watched The Road again. Still don't know what to make of it, other than it encapsulates in that final scene with father and son. Wow it hits me more every time I see it.

Eden Lake as well as This Is England. Both very disturbing and telling. I believe the young child (...England) is also in Eden Lake? The boy has found his niche.

 

[no country for old wainds]

not sure i really want to start this up again but... the social network is a pretty nasty, cynical film with no likeable characters and a black ending. where's the hollywood-ness exactly?

 

[no country for old wainds]

saw 'the ghost writer' btw, not good.

 

[Pessimism]

Eden Lake is amazing.