list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies

Conan the Barbarian  (2011)

Vivid and more devout retelling of the Cimmerian's legend that has gotten a lot of bad notice.   Which is too bad, because not only is this remake better than Arnie's 1982 version, it's a pretty good fantasy picture on its own merits.   Perhaps as much Robin Hood as raging warrior here, the character's hero/antihero status is amplified with Jason Momoa hamming his way through Conan's limited vocabulary, the good stuff written for the excellent supporting cast.   Moves well and though it may not prove to have the timeless status of the '82 classic, was superior to last year's John Carter, and dare I say, to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Elysium

Fairly original dystopiana as Neill Blomkamp takes us more deeply and personally into his District 9-like world with Matt Damon a worker who accepts a last-resort mission in order to save his life.   Flawed but closer to Blomkamp's true vision of a future-shocked Earth, and nicely photographed by Trent Opaloch.

dr wu23 wrote: 'The Master'   with Hoffman and Phoenix. Excellent portrayal of a relationship between a 'cult leader' -Hoffman-, and a post war alcoholic- Phoenix- with psychological issues. Allegedly based on L Ron Hubbard and Scientology though it doesn't get very deep into the cult aspects and spends all the time on their relationship....but well worth watching for the performances alone.

Frozen
In the vein of Tangled. An enchanting Disney spectacle. Very Delightful and broadway-esque soundtrack. Not original, but  magically charged with the right zest. Doing what Disney does best. Lovable characters and humor ridden. It will be another classic Disney. It felt good to be lost in a fantasy and feel like a kid again. Thanks Disney.

Toaster Mantis wrote: Surprisingly dark take on the entire "inspirational unorthodox teacher" genre, especially when starring comedian Robin Williams. Quite impressed at the way it combined overtly comedic and very serious material, in many ways more realistic than other similar movies I've seen.

Did you ever see 'The Class' Laurent Cantet (2008)?
Very realistic and thought-provoking analysis of a class of alienated teenagers from the Paris suburbs... excellent movie.

To counter-balance this, there is the very warm an effecting 'Etre et Avoir' by Nicolas Philibert (2002) which is completely captivating story of a teacher's dedication to the students of a small, rural French primary and infant school... both these films are well worth seeing.

Berberian Sound Studio - I was on board with this for the better part of an hour, witnessing the sounds and process was amazing, you start imagining The Equestrian Vortex wishing it was a real film! I even liked the uneasy tension between the protagonist and his unscrupulous hosts/employers, but what he heck happened to the ending? okay I get it he looses it...  but com'on the last 20 minutes or so were lazy

Timecrimes - started off uncertain about this one, the dialog seemed like it was partially written by Wiseau,  but as 'time' went on (or backwards) and started to see the loops and all the parts coming together it turned out to be quite interesting, pretty good for a super low budget time travel flick 

Jared wrote: Toaster Mantis wrote: Surprisingly dark take on the entire "inspirational unorthodox teacher" genre, especially when starring comedian Robin Williams. Quite impressed at the way it combined overtly comedic and very serious material, in many ways more realistic than other similar movies I've seen. Did you ever see 'The Class' Laurent Cantet (2008)? Very realistic and thought-provoking analysis of a class of alienated teenagers from the Paris suburbs... excellent movie. To counter-balance this, there is the very warm an effecting 'Etre et Avoir' by Nicolas Philibert (2002) which is completely captivating story of a teacher's dedication to the students of a small, rural French primary and infant school... both these films are well worth seeing.

Fehérlófia [Son of the White Mare] (1981) - Prog movie perfection! 10/10

The Company You Keep

Low-key but absorbing political suspense about hungry reporter Shia LaBeouf on the trail of fugitive radical Robert Redford, until LeBeouf suspects something else is going on.   All-star geriatric cast includes Sam Elliott, Nick Nolte, Chris Cooper.

Toaster Mantis wrote: I knew what the plot was about in advance, but the way the plot's structured in a completely different way than usual for spy thrillers of this period and how vicious the moral grey areas are makes it very efficiently unsettling. (not to mention the shock of seeing Angela Lansbury as a villain) Also interesting to see the Korean War covered in film, weird how few movies about it Hollywood has made about it other than this and M.A.S.H..

Love both versions; thought the remake was exceptionally good, making it a corporation instead of a foreign plot.   Great mood, too.