Last Movie You Watched

[George]

Watched this last night with my girlfriend. We enjoyed it.

[André]

Sunrise regularly makes the Top-100 lists of film critics and with good reason. Despite a few quirks (probably the work of Fox studios once Murnau had returned to Germany) this is one of the most perfect films ever made, an incredible - almost improbable - blend of classic german expressionism, Vermeer-like naturalism and C-D Friedrich high romanticism. Some scenes have attained iconic status. The film won the Oscar for best picture, best cinematography and best actress. I first watched it almost 45 years ago and never tire of it.

[Madiel]

Sunrise regularly makes the Top-100 lists of film critics and with good reason. Despite a few quirks (probably the work of Fox studios once Murnau had returned to Germany) this is one of the most perfect films ever made, an incredible - almost improbable - blend of classic german expressionism, Vermeer-like naturalism and C-D Friedrich high romanticism. Some scenes have attained iconic status. The film won the Oscar for best picture, best cinematography and best actress. I first watched it almost 45 years ago and never tire of it.

I will have to look for this one. Though the places I'm looking (including the local library system) don't seem to have it.

[Ciaccona]

Recent viewing:

[asin]B06XT8M1WV[/asin]


I think I must have seen the original animated movie/series of this one a long time ago (it's more than 25 years old I think ) but I didn't remember much about it so it was almost like going in fresh.
I wasn't expecting much from the movie TBH - Like most manga it was pretty juvenile but I was still able to eke a fair bit (maybe too much) enjoyment out of it.
The CGI was superb.
I was surprised to see Juliette Binoche and Beat Takeshi in a movie of this sort - they weren't given much to work with I guess but it was nice to have them there...

[NikF4]

Recent viewing:

[asin]B06XT8M1WV[/asin]


I think I must have seen the original animated movie/series of this one a long time ago (it's more than 25 years old I think ) but I didn't remember much about it so it was almost like going in fresh.
I wasn't expecting much from the movie TBH - Like most manga it was pretty juvenile but I was still able to eke a fair bit (maybe too much) enjoyment out of it.
The CGI was superb.
I was surprised to see Juliette Binoche and Beat Takeshi in a movie of this sort - they weren't given much to work with I guess but it was nice to have them there...

Nice personal review there and more likely to make me inclined to check something out rather than some random appeal to authority BS.  Really, enthusiasm can be so contagious.  And Binoche? - sounds like a charming a bonus. 

[Ken B]

Sunrise regularly makes the Top-100 lists of film critics and with good reason. Despite a few quirks (probably the work of Fox studios once Murnau had returned to Germany) this is one of the most perfect films ever made, an incredible - almost improbable - blend of classic german expressionism, Vermeer-like naturalism and C-D Friedrich high romanticism. Some scenes have attained iconic status. The film won the Oscar for best picture, best cinematography and best actress. I first watched it almost 45 years ago and never tire of it.

I strongly recommend Kevin Brownlow's series on silent movies. This gets discussion. I have not seen it in 25 years.
I would like to see the blu ray restoration.

[André]

I found the BR restoration good, but not optimal. There are still vertical scratches on the tape in the last part of the film (the return home). The br disc allows one to watch the movie 'as is', or accompanied with a frame by frame spoken commentary from cameraman John Bailey. I did both. It should be noted that, although Sunrise is a silent movie, it was issued with a full orchestra score by Hugo Riesenfeld. Riesenfeld is also responsible for the score of Murnau's Tabu (1931), which I received as a Christmas present - haven't seen it yet.

I don't know if this is intentional, but I was struck by the clear parallel one can draw between Sunrise and a classical 4-movement symphony:

- first movement: from the opening crane shot to the murder plot and the failed attempt to drown the wife.
- second movement: remorse and redemption, the tram journey into the City - ending with the church scene.
- third movement: scherzo, various scenes in the City (at the barber, the photographer, the arcades, the drinking scene at the restaurant).
- fourth movement: the return home. Moonlight on the lake, storm, drowning, rescue, peace at home with the sun rising on the husband and wife's chamber.

Murnau was a highly cultured and sensitive man. His real name was Plumpe. He adopted the surname Murnau from the bavarian city that saw the birth of the Blaue Reiter movement founded in 1911 by Kandinsky, Marc and Macke, who was a close friend of Murnau. The village set in the movie is very reminiscent of this painting by Macke:

[Ciaccona]

Nice personal review there and more likely to make me inclined to check something out rather than some random appeal to authority BS.  Really, enthusiasm can be so contagious.  And Binoche? - sounds like a charming a bonus. 

Thanks!.

[NikF4]

Thanks!.

You're welcome.    And if you haven't seen it before, maybe check out Binoche in Certified Copy/Copie conforme ? - and if the banality of a bickering couple gets too much, watch it with the sound down and enjoy the way it looks - it's beautiful, in part down to lacking the whole contrived 'look at how tasteful and discerning I am' BS. 

[Draško]

Edge of Tomorrow

As far as action sci-fi blockbusters with fantastical plots go this is pretty watchable. One thing that annoyed me is that couple of key action scenes take place in near total darkness. Had barely any idea what happened in those.

[Madiel]

Edge of Tomorrow

As far as action sci-fi blockbusters with fantastical plots go this is pretty watchable. One thing that annoyed me is that couple of key action scenes take place in near total darkness. Had barely any idea what happened in those.

That one's a lot of fun.  Emily Blunt enhances just about anything she's in.

[Todd]

Sicario: Day of the Soldado.  I enjoyed the first flick, so I watched the second.  It's nowhere near as good.  The film entirely lacks the visual sophistication that Denis Villeneuve brought to the first one.  The setup of the plot is hokey and poorly done, with one presumably potent scene that really doesn't add anything.  Neither of the male leads convince as action heroes.  While one watches, the rather ham-fisted editing and blocking make it impossible to suspend disbelief.  And then there's the ending.  I don't want to give anything away, but the filmmaker had a chance to end it the right way, but instead he chose to end it the wrong way.

[George]

The Master - My third time seeing this. Incredible performances by the two male leads, especially Phoenix. The cinematography is gorgeous. I still feel far from fully getting this film, but that's fine by me, as it means I'll need to keep seeing it. There's a great writeup off the psychology of the film here.

Two Lovers - My second time seeing this, the first time I didn't enjoy it that much, but I recently read a lot of praise for it online, so I wanted to try it again. I enjoyed it more this time, but I still feel much of it is ordinary. Again, Phoenix is excellent, and Vinessa Shaw was great as well.

You Were Never Really Here - My second time seeing this powerful, intense, moving film. I don't want to say anything about it, for I don't want to ruin any of the plot for anyone who may have not yet seen it. I will say it was the best movie I have seen in a long time.   

[TheGSMoeller]

You Were Never Really Here - My second time seeing this powerful, intense, moving film. I don't want to say anything about it, for I don't want to ruin any of the plot for anyone who may have not yet seen it. I will say it was the best movie I have seen in a long time.

+1, George.
I've been recommending this film to anyone and everyone I can.

[George]

+1, George.
I've been recommending this film to anyone and everyone I can.

I wonder if there might be a possibility of a sequel?

[André]

Superb acting from the female leads. Weisz should have been in nomination as best actress in a supporting role (instead of Stone). Her Duchess of Marlborough has style and steel aplenty.

[Karl Henning]

Last night, again, John Huston's Moby Dick

[Madiel]

Superb acting from the female leads. Weisz should have been in nomination as best actress in a supporting role (instead of Stone). Her Duchess of Marlborough has style and steel aplenty.

She was. BOTH of them were nominated.

[André]

I missed that. Thanks for the correction. 

[George]

I wonder if there might be a possibility of a sequel?

From this, it appears that there very well could be a sequel:

http://collider.com/jonathan-ames-interview-you-were-never-really-here-bored-to-death/#blunt-talk