Recently viewed films

[VonOfterdingen]

Cloverfield.

It's actually pretty good and very intense. Like a post-9/11 nightmare vision. People who are interested in the project won't get dissapointed. Or at least I didn't.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Bertolucci's The Conformist. It has been years since I watched a Bertolucci film, the last one being 1900, probably more than ten years ago. I'll have to go back and revisit that one now, as The Conformist also deals with fascism in Italy. The chilling assassination scene, where his former leftist professor is knifed to death the woods in mid-winter especially is just masterfully shot. Then there's Mussolini's Rome in the first half of the film, with the characters lost in these monumental environments. I'm less comfortable with some of the psychosexual aspects of the main character (his fascism supposedly explained by latent homosexuality), but Jean-Louis Trintignant's performance as Clerico is excellent in a cold, calculating sort of way. In any case, if you're a fan of Bertolucci's films and haven't seen this one it's well worth your time. Anyone here read the Moravia novel it is based on?

[Who Shot Sam?]

This evening's selection...



Probably my favorite film by Louis Malle. It also features one of the best film scores ever, by Miles Davis - the perfect musical backdrop for the scenes of the desperate Jeanne Moreau roaming the streets of Paris, at the end of her tether.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Never seen it (nor the Conformist, nor read the book), but have always wanted to, especially on account of the legendary Davis score. What's next in your itinerary of European cinema?

[Who Shot Sam?]

Never seen it (nor the Conformist, nor read the book), but have always wanted to, especially on account of the legendary Davis score. What's next in your itinerary of European cinema?

Fellini's Nights of Cabiria.

[strangerinthehouse]

I love that movie.

Giulietta Masina's performance is absolutely perfect, playful and yet so easily hurt. Fellini manages to make this story of a prostitute into something very hopeful, even after everything she goes through.

Enjoy.

I'm on my way to see There Will Be Blood, it finally arrived in our town.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Time for a Spanish one, or maybe German.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Time for a Spanish one, or maybe German.

The new Kino reissue of Murnau's Nosferatu is waiting for me.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Good move. I just had a burning desire to watch The Wings of Desire (Der Himmel Uber Berlin). I saw this some 5 times when it was released in the cinema, around the time I spent a year in Berlin, and was mesmerised by it, but they never seem to show it on the telly. Decided it was time to get and got it cheap of Amazon marketplace. Apparently the DVD has good features inc. a good director's commentary. Can't wait to see it again. Peter Falk flying in to Berlin thinking he'll probably have sole meuniere that evening, etc.

[miss buenos aires]

Okay, watched "The Godfather II" and I get it now, at least more than I did. My man thought the last scene was anticlimactic, but I thought it went a long way towards explaining Michael's abrupt switcheroo--his decision to join the Marines and pledge his loyalty to an entity other than the Family was a betrayal of sorts that he felt he had to set right. Funny how many scenes remind me of "The Sopranos," especially the rowboat scene.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Well done. You're getting there. And also maybe you understand why when I tried to watch The Sopranos I said to myself 'And?'

[miss buenos aires]

No, Otis, I don't understand that. I still think The Sopranos is way more emotionally compelling, and there's also a sense of humor at work there, which is somewhat lacking in the Godfather movies. It also strips away the romanticism of the Godfather to show you just how petty and ugly these criminals really are without the veneer of the ideal of "loyalty to the family."

[Boy With A Problem]

and you have to dig how the Sopranos characters wear their Godfather admiration on their sleeves - quoting from the film. One of the great appeals of the Sopranos is that the characters' inspiration for how they act is as much from their having watched mob/gangster films as it is from growing up in the life.

[mood swung]

I still think The Sopranos is way more emotionally compelling

I misread that as 'The Simpsons', and it made perfect sense.

[Otis Westinghouse]

and you have to dig how the Sopranos characters wear their Godfather admiration on their sleeves - quoting from the film. One of the great appeals of the Sopranos is that the characters' inspiration for how they act is as much from their having watched mob/gangster films as it is from growing up in the life.

Post-modern mobsters with humour and shrinks. Sopranos Schmopranos, give me The Godfather! I'm sure all you say is right, and I really should watch more than one episode (though if you get bored watching episode, is there any hope?).

I won't lie on my death-bed and regret not watching more Sopranos, but I might if I don't make good and watch all of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I've seen several, most even, but I think this is one case where a box set is called for. New series starts tomorrow, so for once I can make a point of watching them all as they happen. When I think about it, I would say it ranks with The Office as the best sitcom since Father Ted, though Peep Show has to be in the picture too. The new series starts with Larry and an unlocked toilet door which then, needless to say, leads to allegations of paedophilia.

[Richard]

Thanks for your feedback on Godfather II Miss.B.A.

You are so correct on the one flaw of The Godfather I and II. The absense of humor. Has there been a mobster film since that hasn't played on the absurdity of the gamgster life for comic effect. (Okay probably quite a few, but you get my point.)

I still don't get The Sopranos grip on so many, but it wouldn't be the first time I have jumped on a bandwagon long after the confetti has all been swept up, sp perhaps it will make sense sometime down the track.

Otis, you are so right about Curb! It is genius. My wife unfortunately can not even been in the same zipcode when it is playing she finds it so frustrating. Strangely I enjoy it for that very frustration!
Perhaps only Deadwood or The Larry Sanders Show surpass it as HBOs contribution to my TV addiction!

Anybody else setting the DVR for Breaking Bad this evening on AMC? Looks like a great way to round out the Weeds, Dexter triangle of good people being very bad!

[ice nine]

Just saw the beautiful French film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. As a result of a stroke, the lead character is a prisoner of lock-in syndrome. His whole body is paalyzed and his only means of communication is done by blinking his left eyelid. (His right eye was sewn up by the doctors to prevent infection.) Seveenty-five percent of the movie is from the perspective of the lead with his voiceover of what he means to say. The film is told using flashbacks and dream sequencesHe writes a book (which this film is adapted from) by blinking at the letter he means. His partner goes through the whole alphabet and when the appropiate letter is arrived at he blinks. The acting, writing, and directing is excellent and I reccommend seeing this beautiful film.

[Who Shot Sam?]

Took the kids to see The Spiderwick Chronicles today. Decent enough entertainment. Nothing especially groundbreaking but they enjoyed it, as did I (sorta). I'd give it a B minus.

[BlueChair]

In Red and my quest to see all five Best Picture nominees, we caught Atonement yesterday. I thought the first part of the film, with Briony as a child, was pretty spectacular, but it quickly became too much of a war-time romance for me. A good film, but not great. No Country For Old Men stills get my vote, though we're planning to see Michael Clayton tonight and There Will Be Blood sometime before the Oscars on Sunday.

[Otis Westinghouse]

It was amazing to hear the actor of child Briony be interviewed on the Baftas show. Pure Dublin accent, but you couldn't hear a trace of it in the film. amazingly accomplished, really. I thought she was great, moreso than pouty Keira (my wife hates her endless pouting, and loved the revelation that the director had to often shout 'stop pouting!' at her).

[miss buenos aires]

I'm also trying to see all the Oscar-nominated movies, my main sticking point being that everyone I know refuses to see "Juno" with me. Harumph. I agree that the first part of "Atonement" was so much better than the rest--just much richer in terms of character and motivation, etc. The "twist," if you want to call it that, is so literary that it becomes impossible to buy on the screen.

Saw "Michael Clayton" on DVD last night, and I have to say I was a little disappointed. Trying not to give anything away, I'll just say that I thought the evil in it was going to be a little more ambiguous, not as cartoonish as it turned out to be. "No Country" is still my favorite.

[BlueChair]

Saw "Michael Clayton" on DVD last night, and I have to say I was a little disappointed. Trying not to give anything away, I'll just say that I thought the evil in it was going to be a little more ambiguous, not as cartoonish as it turned out to be. "No Country" is still my favorite.

Red and I too. I'm fairly sure I've seen about seven or eight movies exactly like this one, and none of them (including this one) deserved to be nominated for any Oscars. I thought Tom Wilkinson did a great job as the lawyer-gone-crazy, but then I remembered Javier Bardem and realized that they shouldn't have bothered nominating anyone else in that category.

[mood swung]

I've had The Break-Up at the house for a week and finally got around to watching it last night. It was surreal. Vince Vaughn was shot from his bad side, I suppose, because I spent the entire movie thinking 'that doesn't look like VV, in fact it looks like ____' (and now I can't remember who I thought Vince looked like - but it was a really apt observation, let me tell you). And there's lots of funny things in the movie, lots of funny people, a funny situation or two but they only add up to boring and random (kind of like my posts, but if you're this far into it, it's too late now). And the irony! I went into my bedroom to watch this on my so-cheap-it-doesn't-even-have-a-remote dvd player because my husband was watching yet another Law & Order marathon and who should be one of the Three Brothers? Vincent D'onofrio. Doing his anal retentive accountant impersonation.

Should have stuck to my book.

[Otis Westinghouse]

everyone I know refuses to see "Juno" with me

Why? Too teensish for them? It's been raved about here, 5 star Guardian review, etc., mainly for the quality of her performance.

[BlueChair]

Juno is terrific. Certainly nothing to be snobbish about.