list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies

TGM: Orb wrote: I watched the German film Antibodies last night. Horrifically dark (and I mean dark, not just gory), so much so that I found myself repulsed at times. Brilliant serial killer characterisation, and all of the acting was top notch. A couple of references to Silence Of The Lambs, but not really derivative per se. Very, very strong, lots of powerful motifs, and a satisfying end. If I were a father, I would not have been able to watch it. 9/10. Rare that I see a film so successful with the dark feel and interesting at the same time.

Hmm, you've interested me here. I've added that film to my Netflix now

Just watched The Other Boleyn Girl. Critics seem to not like this movie because of historical inaccuracies and other related reasons, but I think they are approaching this from the entirely wrong angle. The movie is about a love/hate triangle and the role of women during the period, not a book-length account of King Henry VIII's life. I thought it was a good movie for what it is with a good performance from Natalie Portman. My favorite character was the mother though, since (in the movie) she realized all the crap that was going on and constantly delivered some good zings.

Auf....der something... (The Edge of Heaven) - I couldn't remember the full actual title, but there's the english translation. A nice film taking place in Bremin, and Istanbul. Small ensemble cast. Critics are saying its the film Babel should have been. Wouldn't know as I never saw Babel, but this was good. The film quality was low as it was made on a single (i believe) digital camera. Interesting story and characters. Turkish, German and a small amount of English language. Recommend it to those that have patience and enjoy dramatic ensemble films. 7/10

_popupControl(); I watched Jackass 2 for the first time in months..you can only watch it once in a while or it gets old, it's hilarious though

The last movie I watched was Mrs. Doubtfire. I grew up loving this movie and I wasn't sure if it had help up or not. Fortunately, it still has. It's not all that intelligent or thought provoking, but it is pretty funny.

mithrandir wrote: Fight Club wrote: Amelie - When I was first recommended this movie, I had no idea what I was in for. I expected a decent film, what I got was something completely different. that movie has one of my absolute favorite moments in cinematic history..... """Spolier""" ...it's when we are told the cat enjoys listening to children's stories, the accompanying camera shot is from behind the cat's head showing him facing a trio of family members, his whiskers and ears twitching as he listens to the story the father is telling. Don't know what it is, but that moment was pure genius!

That movie is filled with some of my all time favorite moments in cinematic history. It's just so uniquely designed and so imaginative. It's definitely taken its place as one of my top 5 movies ever.

I agree, The Haunting(1963) is amazing, and its rated 'G' ta boot! 

Hancock - When I first saw the preview for Hancock I thought "hey, that's a great idea!" and it became one of two movies I was most looking forward to this summer, the other being The Dark Knight. Then I read some terrible and reviews of Hancock and th...(read more) ought "sh*t, they f**ked it up..." Well, they didn't.

The movie basically toys with the concept of "what would happen if there was a super hero that just didn't give a sh*t?" It takes the idea and pulls it off remarkably well and makes it believable. OK, the resolution doesn't explain much and is (a little) ridiculous, but it doesn't matter. The movie is cool, fun, and unique among the flood of super hero movies. Will Smith's character is believable as the asshole (sorry) misfit hero. His actions lead to quite a few comical situations and there's funny moments all the way through with enough action to keep the summer moviegoers entertained.

One of the reasons I enjoyed this movie was that even with its super-high budget and massive amounts of special effects, it was rarely overused and wasn't used when unnecessary. In one segment Hancock threatens a couple of prison guards, they get what's coming to them, but you don't actually witness the process. Instead you hear an array of grotesque noises and only see the gruesome after effect. Shot any other way it would have been laughable and looked ridiculous. I wouldn't call Hancock's story, plot, or character development clever, but for what it is, a mindless summer action movie, the way its directed is cleverly done and should not disappoint.

Now this movie isn't without its flaws. Now, as I mentioned earlier, the resolution is a little well... stupid. The twists were predictable, but not (too) cliched, and there seems to definitely be some major plot holes due to some issues that didn't seem to be cleared up. But as long as you're not looking for a profound and life-changing oscar contender, you should be satisfied. Based on what I wanted this to be at first seeing the previews, I know I was. 7/10

damn, Fight Club you've been busy!

A few more movies I've seen recently...

Garden State - Garden State isn't the movie I originally expected it to be. The concept it a familiar one and it could have been a cliched love story if not for the unique aspects included. The character introspection gives this movie more heart and creates and ove...(read more) rall more memorable experience than one would usually expect from a typical melodramatic romance. Thumbs up to Zach Braff for making a great movie! 7.5/10

Unforgiven - Clint Eastwood's 1992 western is a melancholy account of what it means to take a life. Unforgiven takes a look at one's moral values and the repercussions of killing. It may not be as depressing as his later films such as Mystic River, Million Dollar...(read more) Baby, or Letters from Iwo Jima, but it still makes a powerful statement.

And damn. Will Munny is one cold motherf**ker. 8.5/10

Trois Couleurs: Bleu, Blanc & Rouge - I am at a loss for words right now. I could even see this rating increasing in the future right now. These movies are drenched in subtle nuances. I can't even describe them at this point. 10/10 for Bleu, 9.5/10 for Rouge, 9/10 for Blanc

Sideways - I had reasonably high expectations for this movie with it's good reviews, but I really can't pinpoint what the fuss is about. 15 minutes into the movie, I knew exactly where it was heading. The character development is unoriginal, there's no psychoan...(read more) alysis revealing anything most people don't already know, and it was generally rather uninteresting.

The movie had it's fair share of comedic moments, but in no ways would I call it a comedy. At first glance this movie doesn't have much to offer, and even with further analysis I can't find any subtleties to latch onto. Overall, this movie didn't really do anything for me. 6/10

American Gangster - Ridley Scott has had quite a remarkable career. Between Alien and Blade Runner, which take their places as two of my all time favorite science fiction movies, I can't deny seeing his take on a crime drama.

This movie is told from two sides, that of ...(read more) a NJ police officer, Richie Roberts, and that of heroin mafia boss, Frank Lucas. Richie seems to be the only honest cop within 50 miles and is just as likely to be shot in the streets as Frank Lucas is. Two men with equal amounts of enemies, one aiming to keep his business going, the other aiming to bring it down, yet I couldn't help finding myself rooting for both sides.

The entire movie tensely works its way up to its enthralling conclusion, which if I might add is just... great. American Gangster, borrowing many elements of The Godfather, especially towards the ending, in my opinion takes its place among the top mob movies of the decade. 8.5/10

Thank You for Smoking - I really enjoyed this movie. I really didn't have any idea of the plot prior to viewing it, which is usually the way I prefer it. This is a pretty much the pinnacle of satire. It relies heavily on its charismatic central character, Nick Naylor, whose...(read more) quick witty dialogue really spices things up.

A mistake many "comedies" seem to fall into is the emotional melodramatic trap. Such examples being Wedding Crashers or Meet the Parents. What starts out as laugh-out-loud humor regresses into either sappy romance or common chick-flick cliches. Thank You for Smoking does neither. It follows a unique and unpredictable storyline without ever straying from its comedic backbone. As a result I believe Thank You for Smoking will take its place as one of the leading cult comedies of the decade. 8.5/10

Capote - Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a great performance in this film revolving around the key period in this unique figure's life. It starts out as a mere article about the townspeople reacting to four brutal murders, but evolves into much more. We see who ...(read more) these murderers truly are, Truman Capote begins to see within himself, and realizations ultimately take their toll on him. It's a sad and powerful story and I recommend it. 8/10

Groundhog Day - Groundhog is one of those movies that I'd been wanting to see for a long time and took me a while to get around to. I really enjoyed it and I don't they could have taken the concept and made it work better. There's great humor, some clever plotting, ...(read more) and character development. Even if the story is pretty predictable, it's a great comedy. 7.5/10

The Return - What the f**k. This was such an emotionally painful film to watch. I can't think of many instances where a movie gave me such a pissed off feeling of anxiety the whole way through. I felt the younger kid's frustration the entire time; it was just as ...(read more) if I got out of a huge family argument myself. That nasty feeling in the back of your throat, you know?

But yeah, throughout the whole duration I was just dying for the father to get his ass handed to him; what a f**king jabr!?!?!sjbdhf But then I ended up feeling sorry for him by the end, and feeling even worse for the two boys. This movie just moves further and further down hill and never rises back up. Geezus, it's depressing. Like... I thought The Elephant Man was depressing, but at least that had some inkling of hope behind it. This movie just left a flat out sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Be warned, this is a great movie, and really engages you in the characters, but only watch it if you REALLY want to be pissed off! 8.5/10

Across the Universe - OK, so it's time to review Across the Universe, which I recently viewed this past week...
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Well, this is a very strange movie for me. There are some aspects of this movie that really want to make me put a gun to my head. On the other hand, the good...(read more) things about this movie are so good that it almost makes me forget all about the negative aspects.
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For one thing, the art direction and cinematography are outstanding. It's all so well balanced with the music that it brings feelings of fleeting joy to me. The music was excellent of course, and I actually really liked the modern renditions of Beatles classics. All of this was all artistically integrated very well into the construct of the movie.
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However, I still can't get over how disjointed it all feels. In the end it's pretty clear all of the scenes were loosely connected based on a fictional concept arranged out of Beatles songs. In the cinema world music is designed to aid in conveying the mood, but the problem with musicals is that the movie is designed to aid in conveying the music =P In my opinion this works in broadway, but is no-no for film.
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Of course, I expected that considering the fact that it is a musical, but it's just such a prevalent factor in the overall quality of a film, that I just can't overlook it.
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There is another thing I am also bothered by. When one thinks about the nature of most Beatles songs, would one not agree that they are generally happy? How can a movie really have a convincing conflict with all happy music? Don't get me wrong, the scenes including "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Helter Skelter" work rather well, but Jude was utterly pissed off in the "Revolution" scene, and despite the lyrical nature, "Revolution" is quite an upbeat song.
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Overall, in terms of plot structure the movie ends up feeling quite thin, but if what you're looking for is a visually beautiful adaption of your favorite band's music, then Across the Universe will satisfy. 6.5/10

Amelie - When I was first recommended this movie, I had no idea what I was in for. I expected a decent film, what I got was something completely different.

Amelie is a simple story about a lonely girl going through life in one of the most unique manners you'...(read more) ll ever see. Beautiful, witty, unconventional, whimsical, and excellently written - Amelie will have you wanting to run to the streets hugging every person you meet. I might also mention that it's hard not to fall in love with Audry Tautou's character =)

But all in all, this is a great film. It's not cheesey and cliche feel good movie that you might be used to. Amelie exceeded everything I could have hoped for it to be. Go see it! 10/10

Once - A simple story told in a heart-felt manner that a lot of American romance seems to miss these days. It was obviously made on a low budget though as it was hard for me not to notice the consistent hand-held camera and rare use of unnatural lighting. S...(read more) till nice movie though, and I should also mention that the soundtrack is excellent. 7.5/10