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Post by roverpup on Feb 12, 2017 4:02:17 GMT
Fair enough, but to me Jaden Piner was the actor who really made that scene (which I admit was excellent) a stunner. My heart bled for him in that scene.
Later tonight we watched Nocturnal Animals. I had read a brief synopsis of it before watching it and unfortunately it totally misdirected me as to the plot of the film. I guess in a way it was kind of good because I really didn't know anything about the movie and wasn't tipped off at all as to what was supposed to happen. Michael Shannon was creepily good in his role and to me he certainly earned his nom for Best Supporting Actor. Tom Ford wrote, co-produced and directed this thriller. I really liked his previous effort A Single Man and this film had his distinctive style and tone. It isn't a film for the faint-hearted though and the opening credits are... a bit shocking. But if you are into Ford's approach to the bizarre in life (and even the macabre) then you will be all in for this thrill ride of a movie.
:-))
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Post by roverpup on Feb 13, 2017 5:25:14 GMT
How much do I not want to see La LA Land? So much so that we watched Allied tonight - that's how much! I can see why it got a nom for costumes - they were really well done. And I also loved the cinematography in the movie. And that's about it unfortunately. I suppose MC wasn't bad either but she had the completely thankless task of mouthing some of the most ridiculous dialogue written I have heard in a long time in a major motion picture. The movie was riddled with phrases that were just nonsensical and jarred me out of the era that it was supposed to be in (eg. calling the German anti-aircraft fire "triple A" - something that was not in usage until the Vietnam War). It also had the French calling the Germans "krauts" (they would have never used that American term - in the vernacular of the time they would have used the word "Bosch") and having an Englishman pronounce "lieutenant" like an American - just to name a few! Plus the plot point about the main character(spoiler -click to see) {Click to Show}being forced by the allied command to kill his wife or be found a traitor and killed himself was ludicrous to say the least. I am not even adding to my criticisms all the incidents of inaccuracies that my hubby picked up on about wartime practices and airplanes (because he has written many books about the subject of aircraft and WWII, so viewed it through more or less an expert's eyes that wouldn't have been noticed by the average movie goer). Still there were a couple of nice touches that were in the movie that I appreciated - the mention of Medicine Hat and other Canadian references, the use of the Lancasters on the airfield and the inclusion of the Canada flash on Pitt's uniform. The other thing I liked a great deal was that when the story moved to England the protagonists lived in Hampstead Heath area and you saw great shots of Parliament Hill and Highgate Road - BC and SH's stomping ground! That was lovely. The first part of the movie was better than the last half but that isn't saying much really. I really feel that this movie was lacking a great deal in almost every department - as a wartime tale, as a romance (no chemistry between the leads) and as an adventure. :-))
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Post by roverpup on Feb 14, 2017 15:20:41 GMT
We saw Florence Foster Jenkins last night. I really liked it although I know it isn't a movie that would necessarily appeal to everyone. But it clicked with me. First I love opera but can't sing a lick of it (just like FFJ) so loving something that you have absolutely no talent for personally, kind of struck a chord with me. And whenever I have an opera CD on I do try and sing along, like FFJ, I probably sound like a cat getting run over in a parking lot, but in my mind's eye I sound devine!!! It was just lovely listening to snippets of some arias that are a great joy to hear. Second, I think despite some of the flaws in the film, Meryl S and Hugh G did a wonderful job of playing off of each other. I know HG is one of those actors who can't go beyond his niche (and MS - like BC - is someone who is an actor who is very adept at just becoming whatever the role demands of them) but he does the bumbling nice guy so well that there are very few who can top him when he does it. The on-screen chemistry between these two leads was great and really lent to the charm of the movie. Third, I liked that the film was really hard to pin down as to the type of film it was. It was funny. But it was also very tragic while being funny. The whole thing revolved around the tragic-comic aspects that happened simultaneously - layered on top of each other. The film isn't easy to watch sometimes as a result - I found myself cringing as I laughed and almost hating myself for laughing. And then feeling very angry at how the characters were so surrounded in a protective bubble, isolated from the harsh realities of the real world and yet then I felt very sorry for their pitiful lives that was encased in this unrealitistc world as well. But eventually I felt a lot of empathy for both of them so I cared about what would happen to them in the end. Fourth, I liked the character of the pianist Cosmé McMoon. He wasn't an easy character to like for me in the beginning - there was almost an element of mistrust about him and he seemed too insincere about the weird situation he was thrust into. But eventually he grew on me and in the end his finer aspects shone through I think. And lastly I loved that this movie inspired me to look up a lot more about the fascinating real lives of all the characters in the movie. It certainly was a case of truth makes the best fiction! I don't think Meryl S will get the award for Best actress (it wasn't her finest work) but it was a quirky role that she did very well in and a nom was deserving. :-))
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Post by igs on Feb 14, 2017 17:58:33 GMT
How much do I not want to see La LA Land? So much so that we watched Allied tonight - that's how much! Hah. Allied was such a missed opportunity. I loved the Casablanca scenes for pure aesthetics, but Brad Pitt's casting had the film doomed. I thought Cotillard was outstanding despite some of the less than stellar dialogue, but Pitt was just poor. In no way was he believable as any kind of a native French speaker (if they wanted a Hollywood A-lister they should have cast Bradley Cooper - I don't even much like him but his French is excellent) and he just seemed alternatively confused or constipated throughout the movie.
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Post by roverpup on Feb 14, 2017 18:22:03 GMT
But wasn't Pitt's character supposed to be a poor speaker of the French language? She called him Québécois but he eventually told her he was from Ontario and didn't speak French very well. But by then her nickname for him stuck and she still called him that even though he wasn't from Quebec.
My hubby was so bothered by the plotting of having a wing commander involved in spy espionage work. Just wouldn't be done. Also we were watching the scene where they were partying at their house in Hampstead when the air raid came about and he said that the tracers in the night sky were absolutely out of place for the WWII setting - so sloppy research on the part of the film producers, etc.
:-))
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Post by mllemass on Feb 14, 2017 19:08:56 GMT
We saw Florence Foster Jenkins last night. I really liked it although I know it isn't a movie that would necessarily appeal to everyone. But it clicked with me. I saw it a couple of months ago, and I thought it was ok. It's always interesting seeing movies based on real-life characters, especially those who are so different from anything in my own life. We got to see some of the problems faced by wealthy, eccentric socialites! I thought the best part of the movie was Hugh Grant. He's still playing a lovable cad - but an older one, now. And it's so nice that he's attending award shows and red-carpet events, when years ago he wouldn't have bothered.
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Post by igs on Feb 14, 2017 20:02:03 GMT
But wasn't Pitt's character supposed to be a poor speaker of the French language? She called him Québécois but he eventually told her he was from Ontario and didn't speak French very well. But by then her nickname for him stuck and she still called him that even though he wasn't from Quebec. Yes, but supposedly he spoke well enough that the people in Casablanca bought that he was a French-speaker.
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Post by roverpup on Feb 15, 2017 4:27:10 GMT
Tonight we saw Loving. Wonderful story that I wish would have got more noms but pleased that Ruth Negga received a Best Actress nod for an Oscar. Really I think this movie easily could have been nominated for Best Picture, and Joel Edgerton (who I last saw in Black Mass with BC) should have a Best Actor nod too.
Although it was another glacial paced movie I think that was a reflection of the personalities of the protagonists (especially R. Loving who seemed to be as stoic as a mountain sometimes) and the location of the story (everything was imbued with southern heat). I really think it is among my top Oscar movies that I have watched this year.
Michael Shannon was in this one too! Playing a totally different character though! I didn't recognise him until I saw the credits.
I loved the taciturn but solid relationship between the characters of RL and ML. The lack of histrionics was refreshing - especially since the actual subject (the prohibition of interracial marriage) is really such an emotionally charged one IMO. And I think the slowness of the pace laid a beautiful foundation for the audience to see the bedrock of love that the Lovings built their marriage on.
Just a wonderful story, done very well by skilled talent.
Can't ask for anything else.
:-))
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Post by roverpup on Feb 16, 2017 16:46:31 GMT
So I think I am pretty well done with viewing the Oscar nominated movies (just could bring myself to watch La La Land) and I thought I would give a summary of my Oscar wishes and hopes -
Best Picture: Lion (but if it doesn't win then I think I would be almost as happy if Fences or Arrival wins).
Best Actor: Viggo Mortensen (but I could settle also for Denzel Washington and I have to say Dev Patel should have been nominated in this category and I would like if he won it as well)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman (but I would be happy as well if Ruth Negga won)
Best Foreign Language Film: Land of Mine (it won't win but gosh it was a fabulous movie!)
Best Supporting Actor: I really want Dev Patel to win for something so I am pulling for him (if he doesn't get it then Lucas hedges should for his role)
Best Supporting Actress: Naomie Harris (but I think it is a virtual tie with Nicole Kidman to me)
Best Director: I didn't really love any of the five choices but if I had to choose one of the nominated ones then I would pick Denis Villeneuve. (I would have given the statue to Garth Davis, who did a spectacular job in Lion or maybe even Matt Ross for Captain Fantastic)
Of course I will also be rooting for Doctor Strange's Visual Effects team to win their category (I only wish that movie could have garnered other noms as well).
And although I haven't seen her doc that is nominated I will be rooting for Ava DuVernay's "13th" in the Best Documentary category because I loved her work in "Selma".
:-))
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Post by miriel68 on Feb 17, 2017 21:40:08 GMT
I've just seen LaLaLand and oh my! It was the WORST film I've seen for some time (sorry if somebody here liked it). It has virtually no story, no characters, no pace, no dialogue (I will love you for ever - I will love you for ever too): I thought I wouldn't last until the end. And Gosling and Stone are actors, not singers or dancers therefore the musical parts were barely watchable. I cannot understand how on Earth it won all these GG and Oscar nominations. And to think that Chazelle made Whiplash, which was terrific!
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