Last Movie You Watched

[AndyD.]

50 First Dates


Silly, sweet, and likable.

[George]

Needed a laugh last night and this fit the bill nicely.

[drogulus]

     The Social Network was quite good, and for the briefest of moments Jesse Eisenberg is a movie star. He's fantastically good at one thing, which happens to be a perfect fit for this big film and a bunch of tiny ones.

     Inspired by the wonderful discussion in the book thread I obtained a copy of Agora, about the philosopher/mathematician Hypatia, who was not murdered by a Christian mob in 5th century Alexandria because it didn't happen, it was her fault and she was a witch. It's probably a bad film about a good subject but if it's worthwhile I'll be sure to let everyone know.

     

     

     

[Daverz]

     The Social Network was quite good, and for the briefest of moments Jesse Eisenberg is a movie star. He's fantastically good at one thing, which happens to be a perfect fit for this big film and a bunch of tiny ones.

     Inspired by the wonderful discussion in the book thread I obtained a copy of Agora, about the philosopher/mathematician Hypatia, who was not murdered by a Christian mob in 5th century Alexandria because it didn't happen, it was her fault and she was a witch. It's probably a bad film about a good subject but if it's worthwhile I'll be sure to let everyone know.

I enjoyed this film.  It is very loose with the history.  One thing I found interesting is that Hypatia was not an empiricist, but a neo-Platonist (at least according to Wikipedia); the film practically paints her as Kepler and Galileo rolled into one.

I'm hoping your "it was her fault" remark is snark. 

[drogulus]

I enjoyed this film.  It is very loose with the history.  One thing I found interesting is that Hypatia was not an empiricist, but a neo-Platonist (at least according to Wikipedia); the film practically paints her as Kepler and Galileo rolled into one.

I'm hoping your "it was her fault" remark is snark. 

     We'll, she was asking for it big time, don't you think, being friends with Christians, teaching them in her class, being a woman, etc?

     I can't say for sure how to characterize her from the available evidence. Her dad's library was founded by a student of Aristotle and the whole project strikes me as Aristotelian, yet she does seem to be a "music of the spheres" type seeking a higher order. You run into this with the ancients, they weren't all mutually exclusive, especially about the source of their inspiration. I can see why the Christians might like her.

[Brian]

I also agree with nearly your every word, about Social Network. I'm bothered by the "true story" angle when they did obviously make stuff up, like the girlfriend at the start who prophesies Z's doom, and I'm also bothered by the fact that it just does not sound like good material for a Great Movie. Will have to see it, though. I'll go into the movie with an open mind and try to watch it as a fictional story on the screen, rather than as a representation of anything real.

Just watched it. It is hard to remind yourself that the film is fictionalized, because the narrative is so skillfully put together, and makes so much sense. If anything, one can sense that the "Erica Albright" character is a fictional character, and the film does let you see the Zuckerberg side of the story (that the Winklevoss twins really were just kind of dopes who should have gotten serious about their website instead of pitching it casually at a club and watching Z leave with it), but the viewer is definitely encouraged to take a side.

Thing is, though, the film is really well-made. I held off watching Social Network because I thought, blah, guy founds website, gets sued, unfilmable vanity nonsense. Oops. Aaron Sorkin is, as always, a genius - what a terrific script - and David Fincher's directing is unobtrusively brilliant. My favorite shot unites the best of the two: when one of the Winklevoss twins accidentally breaks a doorknob, the camera pans across the room, but at doorknob height, so you don't see either twin's face, and then the offending twin delivers a classic Sorkin line.

People will have to stop that stupid canard that Jesse Eisenberg = Michael Cera now, too. There's a lot of weird dumping on Eisenberg, claiming he plays the same character every time and that his character is identical to Cera's. It was always false, but now it hasn't got a leg to stand on. In its weird little way, Eisenberg's Z. is a powerhouse performance, scarily intense, but not in the way that scarily intense people are usually scarily intense. There wasn't a single supporting actor who wasn't excellent, but props to the Winklevoss brothers and Justin Timberlake especially.

In a good year, Social Network would probably that offbeat movie that wins Best Screenplay as a consolation prize for being excellent but not really deserving a top Oscar. But this is an uncommonly weak year, and Social Network an uncommonly stylish film. That might give it a chance at trophies it ordinarily would not be aiming for.

[Todd]

Liberator of the people or thug, Che Guevara is interesting enough to make a movie about, as Steven Soderbergh and Benicio Del Toro demonstrate.  Split into two parts – the first about the Cuban revolution, and the second about the failed Bolivian revolution – this movie is slow moving, very long (4.5 hours), and generally successful.  The movie offers little in backstory, or character development, or even establishing relationships, but it still works.  Sparingly and cheaply filmed, it nonetheless looks good, with a few nice set piece battles, including what certainly appears to be a real train derailment, and the two halves have slightly different looks and feels.  The Cuban part feels quicker, seems a bit lusher in terms of color, and is more positive.  The second part is grayer, colder, slower, and more pessimistic, and features a nice POV shot of Che being shot.  I guess part of the message here is one should only lead revolutions in countries where the population wants one.  Del Toro gives a superb performance.  Seeing this once was definitely enough, but I'm glad I watched it.  I now have an itch to buy the below t-shirt:

[greg]

Watched this last night with a friend. It was entertaining enough, but not a very good movie.

[abidoful]

I just watched (twice) Sofia Coppola's MARIA ANTOINETTE.

Kristen Dunst wasn't bad at all for the part, I think-- although I really don't know that much about the subject (of the French Revolution).

The movie had sort of charm; It was kind of "intimate" and and beautiful in colours & I liked Coppola's use of contemporary pop-music. But the thing just lacked "in spices", it didn't have much edge. And I was sort of disappointed & surpised of the ending; no BEHEADING! I must be terrible, but when I think of the French Revolution and marie Antoinette I always think of BEHEADING!!!

Edit: I was wrong about the music, it was just fine

[Sergeant Rock]

[George]

Great movie! Realistic, gritty and entertaining. I grew up 50 miles or so from Lowell thought their portrayal of Massachusetts was dead on. 

Christian Bale, as always, was superb. That guy continues to amaze me.

Excellent soundtrack including Whitesnake, Zeppelin and the Stones.

[Daverz]

Liberator of the people or thug, Che Guevara

Customers who liked Che may also like Carlos and Mesrine.  I think I found Mesrine the more interesting of the 3.

[Todd]

Customers who liked Che may also like Carlos and Mesrine.  I think I found Mesrine the more interesting of the 3.

Mesrine is a must-watch for 2011 for me.

[AndyD.]

The Gauntlet


Hadn't watched this one in years. A real party, just remember not to think too much. Love Eastwood anyway.

[Daverz]

Saw the new True Grit (I'm sure I saw the Wayne film in the theater as a kid).  I've been ambivalent about the Coens in recent years.  I had a viscerally negative reaction to No Country for Old Men, which just seemed gratuitously vicious to me.  A Serious Man was too elliptical and was also rather vicious to its characters.  Burn After Reading is best forgotten.  I refuse to see a remake of The Ladykillers.  (My favorite of theirs, Hudsucker Proxy, is probably one many Coen fans single out as their least favorite).

But True Grit is pretty fabulous.

[DavidRoss]

Finished season 2 of Breaking Bad last night.  Disappointing after the slam-bang! first season.  Half the drama in twice the number of episodes, with even less character development.  Seems as if they're

[karlhenning]

Last night: Frank Zappa: Apostrophe (') / Over-Nite Sensation



And half of Déjà VROOOM

[AndyD.]

Last night: Frank Zappa: Apostrophe (') / Over-Nite Sensation



And half of Déjà VROOOM

OO. Haven't checked those out yet.

[George]

Saw the new True Grit (I'm sure I saw the Wayne film in the theater as a kid).  I've been ambivalent about the Coens in recent years.

Me too.

But True Grit is pretty fabulous.

Glad to hear, I plan to see it soon.

[Brian]

A Serious Man was too elliptical and was also rather vicious to its characters.  Burn After Reading is best forgotten.

Glad somebody finally agrees with me on the Coens' recent movies.