Last Movie You Watched

[Brian]

The fam's headed out for a matinee showing of True Grit.  Will report back later.

Ooooh! I probably won't ever get to watch it over here, but the trailer had me drooling all over the place. If any actor alive today can take a John Wayne character, reinvent it as his own, and equal the depth or prowess of the original, I have to think it is Jeff Bridges. Plus, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper have to be on any shortlist of contemporary Western all-stars.

[Daverz]

I enjoyed this one.  And the scenery is lovely: an Italian mountain village and the luscious Violante Placido.  It'll probably bore your average American viewer, but I liked the pace.

[Brian]

I enjoyed this one.  And the scenery is lovely: an Italian mountain village and the luscious Violante Placido.  It'll probably bore your average American viewer, but I liked the pace.

That reminds me of a conversation I had a few months ago, about an only slightly faster-paced thriller, The Ghost Writer. Basically, in that Polanski flick, nothing happens for an hour and a half, at which point Polanski & Co. punch you in the gut three times in a row. Great suspense sustained all the way through, solid atmosphere, slightly irritating political intrusions but the style compensated. Nevertheless, this conversation happened with one of my fellow American moviegoers...

FRIEND: Okay, but even that wasn't as terrible as this movie we saw, The Ghost Writer. Hahaha!
ME: What?
FRIEND: The Ghost Writer. It was soooo awful! I thought it was hilarious. It was like, "Oooh, we're being so artsy fartsy with lots of fog, and then the guy dies and I was like buhuwhat?? Are you serious? Such a stupid movie!
ME: ...
FRIEND: Have you seen it?
ME: ... I thought it was magnificent.
FRIEND: Bahahaha! You're so funny! Imagining anyone could like that crap.
ME: Um, no, I actually did like it.
FRIEND: ...

[AndyD.]

That reminds me of a conversation I had a few months ago, about an only slightly faster-paced thriller, The Ghost Writer. Basically, in that Polanski flick, nothing happens for an hour and a half, at which point Polanski & Co. punch you in the gut three times in a row. Great suspense sustained all the way through, solid atmosphere, slightly irritating political intrusions but the style compensated. Nevertheless, this conversation happened with one of my fellow American moviegoers...

FRIEND: Okay, but even that wasn't as terrible as this movie we saw, The Ghost Writer. Hahaha!
ME: What?
FRIEND: The Ghost Writer. It was soooo awful! I thought it was hilarious. It was like, "Oooh, we're being so artsy fartsy with lots of fog, and then the guy dies and I was like buhuwhat?? Are you serious? Such a stupid movie!
ME: ...
FRIEND: Have you seen it?
ME: ... I thought it was magnificent.
FRIEND: Bahahaha! You're so funny! Imagining anyone could like that crap.
ME: Um, no, I actually did like it.
FRIEND: ...

Been there. My attitude is, if I like it, I like it. I'm not going to change my opinion of something just because of someone else. That's why I am always quite skeptical when it comes to "professional critics".

Watched Fight Club. I could see some allegory running through here. But I found the main character profoundly unlikable and unbelievable, the story predictable, and had a hard time staying interested after the first 75 minutes. I almost didn't finish it. 3 out of 5 stars.

[George]

I enjoyed this one.  And the scenery is lovely: an Italian mountain village and the luscious Violante Placido.  It'll probably bore your average American viewer, but I liked the pace.

Yeah, I enjoyed it too. I am not your average American viewer. 

[Daverz]

That reminds me of a conversation I had a few months ago, about an only slightly faster-paced thriller, The Ghost Writer.

I did find The Ghost Writer somewhat flat.  It did not seem to be a very congenial screenplay for Polanski.

[DavidRoss]

Ooooh! I probably won't ever get to watch it over here, but the trailer had me drooling all over the place. If any actor alive today can take a John Wayne character, reinvent it as his own, and equal the depth or prowess of the original, I have to think it is Jeff Bridges. Plus, Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper have to be on any shortlist of contemporary Western all-stars.

Great costuming.  And hair styling.

Barry Pepper was good, especially at frothing over his mangled dentition.  Dakin Matthews channeled Strother Martin as the horsetrader, Col. Stonehill.  As much as I despise Matt Damon's self-righteous political bigotry, I give him props as a craftsman in front of the camera and he's a huge improvement over Glenn Campbell as LaBoeuf.  Bridges plays Cogburn with such a limited range that Wayne's portrayal looks even better than before--and that was pretty darned good. The kid the critics are raving about seemed passable to me, but lacked Kim Darby's gumptious grit and as an ingenue falls far short of the standard set by Portman, Paquin, Johansson, Fanning & Dunst.

As we would expect, the Coen flick is grittier than Hathaway's...but it lacked its predecessor's charm and humor and fell short of my hopes for it.  Perhaps in an effort to be terse, virtually every character falls short of what's needed to make him a character and not just an instance of a type.  And though the landscape is more geographically accurate than before, there's no beauty or grandeur for Deakins to work magic with and the score was nothing special, either.

3 stars out of 5. 

[Daverz]

Matt Damon's self-righteous political bigotry,

Bigotry?  Really?  I guess the conservative persecution complex should no longer amaze me, but it still does.

[Brahmsian]

Neurotic, OCD-addled, repressed lesbian ballerina with frightful stage mother goes off the deep end in pursuit of the role of a lifetime. 

There is some superb imagery, some very good acting from Natalie Portman and a scary and sad looking Barbara Hershey (too many plastic surgeries), and some nice acting from the always seemingly smug Vincent Cassel (you'd be permanently smug, too, if you were married to Monica Bellucci).  The problem with the movie is that it is too over the top.  Darren Aronofsky can certainly put some striking images and ideas on screen, but this movie seems a bit too melodramatic and at times silly.  I enjoyed it, I just hoped for more.  It doesn't hold a candle to The Fountain in Aronofsky's output.  (I'm sure many would disagree.)

I thought it was great, Todd.  Yes, perhaps a little over the top.  I was really impressed by Natalie Portman in this role.  Wouldn't be surprised if both Portman and Hershey (yes, scary.......eerie, almost reminiscent of Piper Laurie in Carrie!) got nominations for best actress and supporting actress.

[George]

I thought it was great, Todd.  Yes, perhaps a little over the top.  I was really impressed by Natalie Portman in this role.  Wouldn't be surprised if both Portman and Hershey (yes, scary.......eerie, almost reminiscent of Piper Laurie in Carrie!) got nominations for best actress and supporting actress.

How about that Black Swan performance by Portman near the end! I loved the use of CGI in that scene to illustrate how she finally got what the black swan was all about. I won't say more, as I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen the movie yet.   

[Brahmsian]

How about that Black Swan performance by Portman near the end!   

Terrific!  I loved the movie even more because they pretty much used snippets of the score of Swan Lake throughout the entire film.

[George]

Terrific!  I loved the movie even more because they pretty much used snippets of the score of Swan Lake throughout the entire film.

Yes, that and the performance of the actor who played her teacher (not to mention the overall dark tone/picture) were all great!

[Brahmsian]

Yes, that and the performance of the actor who played her teacher (not to mention the overall dark tone/picture) were all great!

Oh yes, forgot about him, but shouldn't.  He played the role wonderfully!

[Scarpia]

The King's Speech.  Perhaps a stereotypical British historical drama, but well done.  The relationship between the King and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue, was interesting, and I believe it was based on notes left by the Logue.

[Bogey]

The King's Speech.  Perhaps a stereotypical British historical drama, but well done.  The relationship between the King and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue, was interesting, and I believe it was based on notes left by the Logue.

One my wife and I wanted to catch....thanks for the review.

[Brian]

Great costuming.  And hair styling.

Barry Pepper was good, especially at frothing over his mangled dentition.  Dakin Matthews channeled Strother Martin as the horsetrader, Col. Stonehill.  As much as I despise Matt Damon's self-righteous political bigotry, I give him props as a craftsman in front of the camera and he's a huge improvement over Glenn Campbell as LaBoeuf.  Bridges plays Cogburn with such a limited range that Wayne's portrayal looks even better than before--and that was pretty darned good. The kid the critics are raving about seemed passable to me, but lacked Kim Darby's gumptious grit and as an ingenue falls far short of the standard set by Portman, Paquin, Johansson, Fanning & Dunst.

As we would expect, the Coen flick is grittier than Hathaway's...but it lacked its predecessor's charm and humor and fell short of my hopes for it.  Perhaps in an effort to be terse, virtually every character falls short of what's needed to make him a character and not just an instance of a type.  And though the landscape is more geographically accurate than before, there's no beauty or grandeur for Deakins to work magic with and the score was nothing special, either.

3 stars out of 5.

Well, that's disappointing news, Dave. Maybe my expectations were pitched a little too high.
Combined with Scarpia's review of the King's Speech, which meets my expectations, does this mean that 2010 was just a really mediocre year for film? I suppose after all the great pictures in '09, a letdown was inevitable, but 2010 feels kind of like the movies which really left a mark were Inception, Social Network, and... what?

[George]

I suppose after all the great pictures in '09, a letdown was inevitable, but 2010 feels kind of like the movies which really left a mark were Inception, Social Network, and... what?

I vote for this one:

[Brahmsian]

I vote for this one:

My wife and I liked this movie.

[Brian]

I've only just discovered "Royle Family," a late '90s BBC sitcom, but it's fast becoming my favorite non-Arrested-Development comedy from the last couple decades. Check out the brilliant directorial control and acting on evidence in the first shot of this scene... although that won't be what you're thinking when you watch it. You'll probably be thinking what I always am:
SO FREAKING FUNNY!

http://www.youtube.com/v/zuCkT9Ha5hU

[George]