Last Movie You Watched

[André]

François Ozon: Frantz



I like Ozon : " Huit femmes", "Swimming pool", "Ricky", "Potiche" , "Le temps qui reste"

Beautiful. We loved that film. Plot and atmosphere remind me of Tavernier's La vie et rien d'autre.

[aligreto]

Fracture





This is a well thought out "How did he do it?" film which is also very well acted by the two main protagonists. Worth viewing. 

[SonicMan46]

Show Boat (1951) w/ Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Brown, and Agnes Moorehead - recently released on BD and a new replacement for my old DVD - watched last night and was astounded at the restoration, especially the video colors and audio (both 5/5 in the review HERE).  Remake of the B&W 1936 film of the same name w/ Irene Dunne and Alan Jones, plus featuring the amazing Paul Robeson who performs 'Ol Man River' (can be found on YouTube) - William Warfield does the song in the newer version (also on YouTube for those interested). Note that the older film was also recently restored by Criterion and replaced my aging DVD-R last year.

Show Boat based on the Edna Ferber 1926 novel, and first brought to Broadway in the later 1920s with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and P. G. Wodehouse; the musical was considered revolutionary for its times w/ an integrated plot, great music, and drama vs. what mostly Ziegfeld and others were offering in the '20s.  Now for fans (and I know there likely will not be many -  ), the ending plots were changed, i.e. the 1936 film follows the original musical/book more closely while the 1951 version alters the ending (happier in my mind - the link tells all!) - BUT, if indeed you are a fan of musicals and this particular one, both versions below are worth exploring.  Dave


 

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

Finally got to see "63 Up," which may or may not be the concluding installment of the "7-Up" series.  So easy to fall in love with these people, no matter who they are, their station in life, or political views, and I suddenly realized after all this time that the real reason why this series is so remarkable is not because of its director, Michael Apted (died last year), who can be peevish at times if not outright rude, but whose perseverance is at least admirable, but rather owing to the participants themselves, one of whom has died in in the interim and another has throat cancer, outlook unpromising.  I have seen all the seven-year installments, many of them twice or thrice. Warmly recommended. Trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX5OJN1wq6g

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

Beautiful. We loved that film. Plot and atmosphere remind me of Tavernier's La vie et rien d'autre.

Moi aussi, je l'aimais.

[aligreto]

I have now watched and enjoyed that film. Thank you for posting.

[Todd]

Nomadland.  Frances McDormand and David Straitharn work with mostly unprofessional actors in this film depicting the life of homeless people living out west in vans and RVs.  Set a few years after the financial crash, McDormand's character lost her job when the company town she lived in died, and her husband died as well, so she wanders.  She runs into Straitharn's character, who is a bit less better drawn (on purpose), and both veterans deliver the dramatic goods.  The film gives a lot of sympathetic screen time to real people, though, so one gets an insight into why they live the way they do.  The film is simply magnificent, and its magnificence comes from its simplicity.  No special effects.  No grand visual flourishes.  And, thankfully, no soundtrack most of the time.  When music is used, it is as spare as the film.  Director Chloé Zhao and her production team scouted some striking locations, including an extended segment set in the Badlands, where one gets to take in the view one sees driving in from the west, though no images, still or moving, can capture the impact of seeing it in person.  The world needs more movies like this.

[drogulus]

     I rewatched Constantine, a soon to be appreciated comic book derivation with supernaturalistic goings on. It stars Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz and Tilda Swinton. It also has Peter Stormare playing a or perhaps the devil. That's about right, I think. Also in the film is Pruitt Taylor Vince, one of those guys who makes a film better by being in it, whatever he does.

[SimonNZ]

Finally got to see "63 Up," which may or may not be the concluding installment of the "7-Up" series.  So easy to fall in love with these people, no matter who they are, their station in life, or political views, and I suddenly realized after all this time that the real reason why this series is so remarkable is not because of its director, Michael Apted (died last year), who can be peevish at times if not outright rude, but whose perseverance is at least admirable, but rather owing to the participants themselves, one of whom has died in in the interim and another has throat cancer, outlook unpromising.  I have seen all the seven-year installments, many of them twice or thrice. Warmly recommended. Trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX5OJN1wq6g

I seem to be the sole dissenter in my dislike of the 7up series. Not the participants, who are lovely, but in every aspect of the methodology, in the deafness towards the complaints of the participants most of whom feel they're getting a "poison pill" every seven years and are constantly having their noses rubbed in throwaway remarks they made when they were children. And in proceeding with their foundation assumptions of "show me the child and I'll show you the adult", which has proven demonstrably false to everyone but Apted, and such a rigid class system was already changing when the project began. The real value of the project may be to discuss how much these peoples lives were or were not changed through an uncaring and parasitic act of defiantly observing them despite their protests.

I like the people, but there would have been a way of doing this where they were continually glad to be involved and in every installment it pains me to see how unhappy they are with this thing they can never get away from.

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

I seem to be the sole dissenter in my dislike of the 7up series. Not the participants, who are lovely, but in every aspect of the methodology, in the deafness towards the complaints of the participants most of whom feel they're getting a "poison pill" every seven years and are constantly having their noses rubbed in throwaway remarks they made when they were children. And in proceeding with their foundation assumptions of "show me the child and I'll show you the adult", which has proven demonstrably false to everyone but Apted, and such a rigid class system was already changing when the project began. The real value of the project may be to discuss how much these peoples lives were or were not changed through an uncaring and parasitic act of defiantly observing them despite their protests.

I like the people, but there would have been a way of doing this where they were continually glad to be involved and in every installment it pains me to see how unhappy they are with this thing they can never get away from.

I agree with your criticisms, Simon, just not as vehemently, perhaps because I'm so grateful the series exists and for the extraordinary experience of sharing in the participants' lives. I am cognizant of what it has cost some of them (some, more than others; it is worth observing some have been able to turn their participation to personal advantage). I also think it's worth pointing out that the filming of the first installment (thought to be a one-off, orig.) was surely part and parcel of the greater consciousness that helped ameliorate a starkly class-oriented society.  For sure, Apted himself did not always behave in a manner one could wish.  That cost him at least one person and on and off others through the years.  So, in sum, I take the good with the bad, I guess.  BTW, I remember several participants agreeing with Apted in 63 that the child is indeed father to the man (woman).  I can personally vouch that Stürmisch as a five year old is very much present in the 69 year old typing these words.  His talents, weaknesses, courage and fears are very much mine own still.  His interests, however, have altered considerably.  I also think that many of the participants (a considerable number of whom display an eloquence beyond their schooling) are aware that they are taking part in a noble experiment justifying their taking "poison pills" every seven years.  I sincerely hope Nick's throat cancer can be cured; if that cigar-smoking, liquor-guzzling Sibelius can get his cured way back when, why not Nick who appears to have taken much better care of himself and has the advantage of modern medical care?!  ( Answer: there are, of course, different kinds of cancer with different prognoses). 

[SimonNZ]

Those are all good arguments. Thanks.

I should also add that I've been reluctant to see the last two or three installments so I don't grasp the full arc of the story yet or have heard how the participants look back on it all now.

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

I sure would like to hear your perspectives, Simon, should you see some more installments.  (how's that for sneaky proselytizing?).  I've seen all of them, some several times, and all but the first and the last in theaters, so I admit to being personally invested in it.  Sure hope there will be a 70 and that I will be around to see it, but one of the producers said she thought if they did it, that the crew would likely have to be transported by ambulances!   

[SimonNZ]

Actually now that we've talked about it I may well do that in the nearish future.

I've heard there are some Director's Commentaries on the dvds. Have you heard any of those? I'd be interested to learn if Apted talks about the methodology and if he responds at length to some of the participants criticisms or if he sometimes expresses doubts about the process, or, indeed, if he defends it eloquently at length.


watched last night:



strange seeing lead Agata Buzek playing a novice nun after knowing her as a novice nun in one of my favorite "pizza movies", Hummingbird:

[Madiel]

I seem to be the sole dissenter in my dislike of the 7up series. Not the participants, who are lovely, but in every aspect of the methodology, in the deafness towards the complaints of the participants most of whom feel they're getting a "poison pill" every seven years and are constantly having their noses rubbed in throwaway remarks they made when they were children. And in proceeding with their foundation assumptions of "show me the child and I'll show you the adult", which has proven demonstrably false to everyone but Apted, and such a rigid class system was already changing when the project began. The real value of the project may be to discuss how much these peoples lives were or were not changed through an uncaring and parasitic act of defiantly observing them despite their protests.

I like the people, but there would have been a way of doing this where they were continually glad to be involved and in every installment it pains me to see how unhappy they are with this thing they can never get away from.

Plenty of them did withdraw. They had that choice.

[pjme]

Beautiful. We loved that film. Plot and atmosphere remind me of Tavernier's La vie et rien d'autre.

Aha. Nice - will try to find it.

[Stürmisch Bewegt]

Simon re: your question: "I've heard there are some Director's Commentaries on the dvds. Have you heard any of those? I'd be interested to learn if Apted talks about the methodology and if he responds at length to some of the participants criticisms or if he sometimes expresses doubts about the process, or, indeed, if he defends it eloquently at length."  Apted does an audio commentary on 42-Up and on that same disk, I think, he does an interview with Roger Ebert. 

[aligreto]

Knives Out





I did not expect much from this modern whodunit after having read a bit about it so I was not disappointed with this very average offering. If you have not seen it, do not bother; an over-acted time waster for me.

[SimonNZ]

Simon re: your question: "I've heard there are some Director's Commentaries on the dvds. Have you heard any of those? I'd be interested to learn if Apted talks about the methodology and if he responds at length to some of the participants criticisms or if he sometimes expresses doubts about the process, or, indeed, if he defends it eloquently at length."  Apted does an audio commentary on 42-Up and on that same disk, I think, he does an interview with Roger Ebert. 

Thanks. I'll try and find that.


Last night: followed the recommendations here and watched Frantz, which didn't disappoint, and further became so much more than a lesser direcyor or writer would have made of the same plot idea. A lesser director wouldn't have handled the use of colour so well, either.

[SimonNZ]

Today:



Had been wanting to see this for some time and finally found a copy.

[71 dB]

I watched Happy Death Day (Christopher Landon, 2017) on TV and it was surprisingly good. Witty, fresh and entertaining.