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Post by roverpup on Feb 20, 2017 15:44:22 GMT
This thread is for impressions, comments and opinions on movies that you have recently viewed - whether or not they are recently made movies.
Sometimes I am sure some of us have watched a movie that isn't that new on the market (some could be even movies that are considered classics that you just never got around to watching until now).
I just now watched Testiment of Youth from 2014. Really enjoyed it. I love WWI dramas - I find that era fascinating - modern in some sense, but yet still very much a bygone era.
Interesting look at the early days of the writer Vera Brittain and the emotional toll the loss of her brother, her fiancé and a close friend during WWI had on her, and also how these deaths formed her "practical pacifist" philosophies later in her life.
Very lush production, beautifully photographed and costumed, well acted by principles Alicia Vikander, Kit Harrington, as well as Taron Egerton, Colin Morgan and others.
Some of the scenes of the train stations were just wonderfully done with the historical coaches and engines.
:-))
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Post by Jillian on Feb 20, 2017 17:38:24 GMT
Interesting topic. I have never seen that film in question, but I do watch a lot of television shows like Criminal Minds and Holby City. Yesterday I watched a documentary about a 50-year old woman who got pregnant. That was quite different I must say.
I haven´t seen much in the cinema except for La la land, but I´d like to see Jacky. Has anybody seen it? Is it any good?
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Post by roverpup on Feb 20, 2017 18:37:12 GMT
If you mean Jackie - the one about Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy - then yes, I have. I liked it a lot and thought NP was a standout in the starring role. It is a very different movie though, very, very slow in pacing and the music is highly unusual. I read somewhere that the score is fairly unique in that the person responsible for it is a woman, Mica Levi. It is definitely like a funeral dirge and really adds to the distressing atmosphere of the film. Mica Levi is up for a Best Original Score for the 2017 Oscars.
It definitely isn't a film for everyone. Many won't like the style and tone of the film, but if you stick with it and allow yourself to buy into the somber, devastating atmosphere (and into the fact that NP doesn't really look like Jackie but she does the voice perfectly and the mannerisms) then it can be a rewarding film experience.
Just my opinion naturally.
:-))
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Post by Jillian on Feb 20, 2017 18:42:55 GMT
Thanks for your input and Jackie was what I meant, yes. The somber, devastating atmosphere and slow pacing would be quite hard to swallow and that´s why I haven´t seen it yet, but I think I will before the Oscars.
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Post by roverpup on Feb 21, 2017 5:06:48 GMT
We saw another older movie tonight - I Saw the Light - starring BC's friend Tom Hiddleston.
I kind of enjoyed it. That is to say that it interested me enough to watch it all the way through. But I was underwhelmed by it sadly. About half way through it my hubby and I paused it and discussed it a bit - saying that although we both appreciated the effort that TH was making in the singing and guitar playing areas of the role, he did seem to be emotionally distant from the role. I couldn't decide whether it was the writing, directing or Tom's acting but there just wasn't any spark in the presentation of the character. In fact the whole movie seemed to be missing a focus or even a reason for its own creation.
I came away with no real understanding of the character of the man. And the movie seemed almost disinterested in looking into his character with any depth. It seemed kind of "dead eyed" - especially the ending. That sort of fizzled out and just lay there at the end of the film like an undigested lump.
A number of years ago we both came upon a very cheaply made film on TV one Sunday afternoon about Hank Williams called Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave. I thought of it again tonight after we finished this one. It was made in 1980 for a grand sum of $578,000. Honestly it could still run circles around this newer film. It wasn't exactly a biopic like I Saw the Light was but it did get to the very essence of who Hank Williams was and why he did what he did.
Unfortunately it was never shown in the cinemas, because of a problem with distribution rights, but it come out on DVD later and has been shown on TV. It stars a little known Canadian singer/actor whose stage name is Sneazy Waters, as Hank Williams. The movie itself runs just slightly under 90 minutes and was made in Ottawa over a period of 6 days. It was based on a stage play by the same name that was a cult hit in Canada. Nathan Southern of the NYTimes reviewed the movie amd said that it - High praise and well earned IMO. And something that I Saw the Light never even came close to doing.
If you ever get a chance to see Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave take the opportunity to do so. It is very quirky and has absolutely horrible production values but there is so much heart and soul in that little movie that you can't look away for even one second and when it is over I doubt you can say that you weren't shown an honest piece of emotional drama.
:-))
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Post by lorelei on Feb 21, 2017 13:11:12 GMT
I just recently saw TH as Hank Williams myself while browsing movie channels one afternoon on our satellite TV. I watched what was left of that showing and selected the next midday showing to see the rest. I was impressed that TH even tried to mimic HW's singing, which was quite unique. He didn't achieve the nasal quality, but to me that was a good thing! I am not sure his accent was 100% accurate, but at least he sounded southern US and not the least bit British. But I agree the movie itself was not what it could have been. Usually the actors' real age doesn't bother me, but it was a major factor in HW's life and career that his first wife was much older. Elizabeth Olsen is much younger than Hiddleston, and he is considerably older than Hank was even when he died (mid-30s playing 21-29?). Still, I am a big collector of soundtracks and was eager to have a record of TH's performances. Sadly the soundtrack for this movie doesn't even include all of them!
As to what other movies I have watched lately, there have been many. My husband and I have gotten into collecting DVDs of as many works of actors we like, and watching as many old shows on Netflix, as we possibly can. If I were to pyschoanalyze the reason, I think it is because in the last two years my husband has been ill and had to slow down. So on the one hand he wants something stationary to do, and on the other he now agrees with me that watching classic movies and TV is not the waste of time he used to laugh at me about. (I was a stay at home mom and needed something to do while the kids napped or went to school LOL!) I will just list the actors or series, too many to mention: The Thin Man, Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, original and more recent Star Trek movies (1960s TV show only so far tho). Some of BC's work like Sherlock, Richard III (my husband actually admitted Hollow Crown was brilliant!), and most recently TTSS. We are trying right now to get caught up on the Avengers before Doctor Strange's next appearance. Have only seen two of Iron Man and one of Thor, as well as DS of course, all in theaters but also own or have pre-ordered DVDs. Bought a two movie set of the first Avengers movie plus Age of Ultron last weekend. Loved the first one! Want to watch the Captain America ones but can't find them cheap LOL!
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Post by roverpup on Feb 21, 2017 13:49:38 GMT
I have been laid up recently by a very painful ankle (can't walk even 20 yards) so we have also been watching a lot of movies and old TV shows. We went through almost all the Oscar nominated movies we could find (except La La Land - we both really can't take musicals) and I found the entire series of Barney Miller (one of my old favourite TV shows) so we have been working our way through those as well.
The Hollow Crown is one of my very favourite series. I loved it even before BC's part as Richard came up. And his RIII is one of the most brilliant roles he has ever done IMO.
I never thought about the age disparities of EO and TH but now that you mention it that was something that didn't quite fit right. I thought TH did a marvelous job of accent and singing. That was the best aspect of the movie by far as far as I was concerned. I almost feel kind of bad that I didn't like the movie - everyone seemed to be trying so hard (especially TH) - but it just was lacking in that certain something that draws you into the story and makes you believe in that the actors really are the characters they are supposed to be portraying. But the music parts were really very good. And I am not even a fan of the Country and Western genre at all (kind of funny, I actually can't stand C&W music but I really like most of the movies about the lives of those singers). LOL!
:-))
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Post by queenzod on Feb 22, 2017 4:44:55 GMT
I watched I Saw the Light a month ago or so. I was very impressed with Hiddles, but what a mess of a script! No structure! I usually rate things on how many rewrites they need. A great movie is perfect or needs a few notes. Terrible scripts need three rewrites. This was a three rewrite movie, imo, lol.
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Post by roverpup on Feb 23, 2017 21:13:03 GMT
Last night we saw Cafe Society. Really liked it, but then I am a big Woody Allen fan from a waaaaay back. it wasn't a perfect film by any means but it did keep me interested and I am just one of those people who fall for WA's humour every time.
The ending was a bit puzzling but my husband really liked it and after we talked about it I could see all his points made total sense (and made me appreciate the artistic intent behind that choice of ending).
The cinematography was just outstanding in this - total saturation of colour and each scene was like a painting unto itself. Just gorgeous!
:-))
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Post by roverpup on Feb 25, 2017 4:41:38 GMT
We saw The Two Faces of January tonight. It was a 2014 movie that was well received by the critics. It starred Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Dunst and Oscar Isaac. I was disappointed in it as a story. It was OK but really with a cast like that I expected a lot more on-screen excitement and emotion. I really don't think there was any chemistry between any of the principle actors at all. Only Mortensen was interesting to me. Isaac was really flat and lacking in any zing and so was Dunst. I read somewhere that it has been compared to The Talented Mr. Ridley - uh, no! Not even close! Ridley was a complete classic that I could watch again and again and gain some new insight even time. This was something that was mildly entertaining but I don't think I could be persuaded to view it again even if you paid me.
What was great was the location shooting! One of our first trips abroad was to Greece and it was more like a scripted adventure than a holiday (including runaway donkeys, airline strikes, street parties, sipping champagne looking out onto the Aegean Sea from a cliff, being dumped overboard into hot sulfur water, and more). I hated to leave after 3 weeks. Almost the entire film was shot in many of the places where we stayed - Athens, Chania (including right down in the harbour area, where we had our anniversary dinner), Iraklion and the Palace of Knossos. Brought back a flood of beautiful, fun, sun-bleached memories.
I will be forever grateful that this mediocre movie could transport me back to that lovely time and place.
:-))
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