Have you seen Jackie Brown, JA? It's probably the Tarantino film that would best fit your sensibilities.
Movies Seen in 2010
- Thread starter Starbreaker
- Start date
I was bored out of my mind watching Jackie Brown. I guess I've just never been able to connect with any of Tarantino's movies. I only enjoy Pulp Fiction on a superficial level. Same goes for Kill Bill, even though I think Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is pretty good in certain areas.
Ah, well, I guess he's just not your cup of tea then.
I think I like more psychological and emotional stories. That's why I've always enjoyed Christopher Nolan and Bryan Singer's movies. They aren't overly dominated by style, like Tarantino, and they have a really good balance of story and character.
That's why I thought you might connect with Jackie Brown since it has more focus on characterization and emotion than other Tarantino films, but alas...
It's been a while since I've seen it. I might check it out again and re-evaluate my thoughts on it.
Zero plans to see any 2010 film. But since the thread title left it open for any film, I saw on TV for the first time, a few days ago, "The Road to Perdition". A good film. Missed a little of the beginning though.
Well, my girlfriend & I went to a super secret midnight screenin' tonight, but, turns out it was a horror film titled HUNGER. It doesn't have a distributor yet, so no clue if normal folks will be able to watch it on a big-ish screen.
But, the girlfriend doesn't do horror films, so we walked out just a few minutes into it.
But, the girlfriend doesn't do horror films, so we walked out just a few minutes into it.
I won't bother with movies on DVD or TV, I'll just list what I saw at the cinema.
If I do reviews I'll put them in a link when I list them...
1. Daybreakers
2. Sherlock Holmes
It was the second time I saw Sherlock Holmes. I should be seeing Book of Eli today.
If I do reviews I'll put them in a link when I list them...
1. Daybreakers
2. Sherlock Holmes
It was the second time I saw Sherlock Holmes. I should be seeing Book of Eli today.
Film's never been an exclusively visual medium. Even 'silent' films had musical scores, many expressively written for a specific film. Intertitles may have been 'visual,' but they obviously are stand-ins for sound before the technology made it possible to actually use sound.
But, just another disgruntled sound designer here.
DVD:
Adventureland - B+
Samaritan Girl - N/A
Theatre:
Avatar - B
Precious - A-
Invictus - B+
A Single Man - B
This could just as easily have been titled Give Colin Firth An Oscar: The Movie, because it's basically a performance-piece. And, indeed, the strongest thing the film has going for it is Colin Firth, who well-deserves the Oscar nomination he'll get for it. The movie itself has problems; the two key supporting performances, Nicholas Houtt and Julianne Moore, are kind of weak in places (particularly unexpected from Moore, who's attempting a British accent here, not particularly well); but bigger than that, this movie is really over-directed. Too much fiddling with colour saturation, etc. for symbolic effect, and the score is intrusive.
Adventureland - B+
Samaritan Girl - N/A
Theatre:
Avatar - B
Precious - A-
Invictus - B+
A Single Man - B
This could just as easily have been titled Give Colin Firth An Oscar: The Movie, because it's basically a performance-piece. And, indeed, the strongest thing the film has going for it is Colin Firth, who well-deserves the Oscar nomination he'll get for it. The movie itself has problems; the two key supporting performances, Nicholas Houtt and Julianne Moore, are kind of weak in places (particularly unexpected from Moore, who's attempting a British accent here, not particularly well); but bigger than that, this movie is really over-directed. Too much fiddling with colour saturation, etc. for symbolic effect, and the score is intrusive.
The Hurt Locker - A
I've been really curious about this film ever since last July, and when all the critics were saying how it was the best film of the year, I just had to rent it this week. I'm glad I did. This is an experience to be had if you love movies. It's probably the essential war in Iraq movie we'll get, and man was it really good. I really liked the tension of this movie. From the moving camera, to the action scenes building and building to a climax that means something, and the quietness of it representing the horror of the job of defusing bombs in a war zone, I was just really impressed with everything. Renner was great as James, and the co-stars were great as well.
I did have a question though. I wasn't really clear on the title. Could anyone explain why it's called The Hurt Locker?
Movies Seen in 2010
Duplicity - C-
The Hurt Locker - A
I've been really curious about this film ever since last July, and when all the critics were saying how it was the best film of the year, I just had to rent it this week. I'm glad I did. This is an experience to be had if you love movies. It's probably the essential war in Iraq movie we'll get, and man was it really good. I really liked the tension of this movie. From the moving camera, to the action scenes building and building to a climax that means something, and the quietness of it representing the horror of the job of defusing bombs in a war zone, I was just really impressed with everything. Renner was great as James, and the co-stars were great as well.
I did have a question though. I wasn't really clear on the title. Could anyone explain why it's called The Hurt Locker?
Movies Seen in 2010
Duplicity - C-
The Hurt Locker - A
Movies I have watched recently on DVD
Mary and Max - 8
Ice Age 3 - 6
The Child and the Fox - 6
Charlie and Boots - 6
The Alphabet Killer - 4
Mary and Max - 8
Ice Age 3 - 6
The Child and the Fox - 6
Charlie and Boots - 6
The Alphabet Killer - 4
DVD Review: La Dolce Vita
Another periodic look back at classic cinema, this is one of Frederico Fellini's two most famous movies (8 1/2 being the other). Overall, I get the sense this is one of those movies you really had to be there for in order to get the full experience. Very controversial in its day, it's pretty tame by today's standards in terms of content. It's also, in contrast to its title, really long, and a lot of the time I found it dragged. Much as with Samaritan Girl, I'll wimp out on assigning this one a rating.
Another periodic look back at classic cinema, this is one of Frederico Fellini's two most famous movies (8 1/2 being the other). Overall, I get the sense this is one of those movies you really had to be there for in order to get the full experience. Very controversial in its day, it's pretty tame by today's standards in terms of content. It's also, in contrast to its title, really long, and a lot of the time I found it dragged. Much as with Samaritan Girl, I'll wimp out on assigning this one a rating.
trevanian
Rear Admiral
'10 is already better than any previous year this century for me, just based on A SINGLE MAN, which was just phenomenally good. And on DVD, I finally got to see Tarkovsky's STALKER last week, which I still can't get out of my head.
I can't even articulate how moved and impressed I was with the latter, but SINGLE MAN I can say just did it all very very well -- performances, drama to humor ratio, visual stylization ... this goes to show that if somebody wants to do a theatrical release personal film, they have to pay for it themselves. But man was it worth it. And the Ozymandias guy from WATCHMAN (a movie I love despite thinking he was miscast) is amazing in this film.
Finally saw Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND again after a 30 yr gap, and kept falling asleep on it. Just doesn't measure up to SHADOW OF A DOUBT and NOTORIOUS, or even to lesser Hitch in my opinion, though the Dali stuff was nice.
I can't even articulate how moved and impressed I was with the latter, but SINGLE MAN I can say just did it all very very well -- performances, drama to humor ratio, visual stylization ... this goes to show that if somebody wants to do a theatrical release personal film, they have to pay for it themselves. But man was it worth it. And the Ozymandias guy from WATCHMAN (a movie I love despite thinking he was miscast) is amazing in this film.
Finally saw Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND again after a 30 yr gap, and kept falling asleep on it. Just doesn't measure up to SHADOW OF A DOUBT and NOTORIOUS, or even to lesser Hitch in my opinion, though the Dali stuff was nice.
Up in the Air
I'm reminded of a moment in Thank You For Smoking when a depressed Aaron Eckhart, on an airplane, looks up and sees a 'No Smoking' sign. This apparently wasn't in the novel and was one of the first ideas for scenes Jason Reitman had making the film; given the length of time and meticulous detail he gives to flying here I'm beginning to see why.
As a film it's charming if a little lightweight; the meaninglessness of life is touched on in a matter similar to the contemporary Coen Brothers film A Serious Man, but truth be told I liked that a lot better (it's more intricately woven, for one thing). It also lacks the sharp satirical bite that Smoking had, for a film that has a character who's also preforming a job that could be seen as despicable it's more interested in his personal problems to the point the job is little more than a framing device, which is a shame.
Not to sound too negative as it's a good movie with strong performances (even if the supporting cast is a list of 'hey, it's that guy!' including the doofus from Hangover in a bit part) and sharp writing; it's definitely a good film overall.
I'm reminded of a moment in Thank You For Smoking when a depressed Aaron Eckhart, on an airplane, looks up and sees a 'No Smoking' sign. This apparently wasn't in the novel and was one of the first ideas for scenes Jason Reitman had making the film; given the length of time and meticulous detail he gives to flying here I'm beginning to see why.
As a film it's charming if a little lightweight; the meaninglessness of life is touched on in a matter similar to the contemporary Coen Brothers film A Serious Man, but truth be told I liked that a lot better (it's more intricately woven, for one thing). It also lacks the sharp satirical bite that Smoking had, for a film that has a character who's also preforming a job that could be seen as despicable it's more interested in his personal problems to the point the job is little more than a framing device, which is a shame.
Not to sound too negative as it's a good movie with strong performances (even if the supporting cast is a list of 'hey, it's that guy!' including the doofus from Hangover in a bit part) and sharp writing; it's definitely a good film overall.
Sherlock Holmes [B-]
Men in Black [A]
Up in the Air [A]
Star Trek: The Motion Picture [D+]
I'm Not There [A]
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009) [D-]
American Violet
Inglourious Basterds [A]
Death at a Funeral [B ]
A Serious Man [A]
The Hurt Locker [A-]
Mad Max 2 (AKA The Road Warrior) [C]
The Book of Eli [C-]
Elegy [B+]
The Hurt Locker: I named this to my top ten (at current, I only have chosen nine, but sue me) of the year, and while I still stand by that, there's a passage near the end that bothered me when I first saw it and continues to bother me. James leaves the base at night to try and find out what happened to Beckham. At the end of this sequence, he ends up alone, on the streets of Baghdad. There's a moment of (probably justified) paranoia, since he's so unprotected and far from the base, but the film elects to ignore this after only a few moments with a cut that puts James right outside the base. Then, James manages to get back on the base without any disciplinary consequences. It's the only part of the film that rings false to me.
The Road Warrior: I never cared for the first film in the series, but I've always heard that the second one is a classic. After finally seeing it, I can't agree with that assessment. This film has exactly three things going for it. (1) After a clunky, but needed prologue, it drops us right into the action. (2) The chase at the end, which is about the only time the film delivers on the promise of action. (3) The slow-motion shot of Max (the image that is on many a cover of this movie) seen once in the beginning and once at the end. It's fucking iconic, mythic, and if I had just seen that image, I'd want to see the entire film. Alas, most of it is spent in quiet with these thinly-developed characters who mostly die, needlessly (except when the film prefers they live, in which case a miraculous [read: impossible] survival is made by them).
The Book of Eli: This film has a profound silliness about it that even The Road Warrior doesn't possess. The cast is watchable, but the action is silly, especially due to the silly twist at the end of the movie. I'm not going to dwell on it, though. The movie is neither good enough, nor bad enough, to be worth the time.
Elegy: I rather enjoyed this film, scripted by Nicholas Meyer (who provides another enjoyable commentary on the DVD). The performances are quite good, and the cinematography interesting.
Men in Black [A]
Up in the Air [A]
Star Trek: The Motion Picture [D+]
I'm Not There [A]
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009) [D-]
American Violet
Inglourious Basterds [A]
Death at a Funeral [B ]
A Serious Man [A]
The Hurt Locker [A-]
Mad Max 2 (AKA The Road Warrior) [C]
The Book of Eli [C-]
Elegy [B+]
The Hurt Locker: I named this to my top ten (at current, I only have chosen nine, but sue me) of the year, and while I still stand by that, there's a passage near the end that bothered me when I first saw it and continues to bother me. James leaves the base at night to try and find out what happened to Beckham. At the end of this sequence, he ends up alone, on the streets of Baghdad. There's a moment of (probably justified) paranoia, since he's so unprotected and far from the base, but the film elects to ignore this after only a few moments with a cut that puts James right outside the base. Then, James manages to get back on the base without any disciplinary consequences. It's the only part of the film that rings false to me.
The Road Warrior: I never cared for the first film in the series, but I've always heard that the second one is a classic. After finally seeing it, I can't agree with that assessment. This film has exactly three things going for it. (1) After a clunky, but needed prologue, it drops us right into the action. (2) The chase at the end, which is about the only time the film delivers on the promise of action. (3) The slow-motion shot of Max (the image that is on many a cover of this movie) seen once in the beginning and once at the end. It's fucking iconic, mythic, and if I had just seen that image, I'd want to see the entire film. Alas, most of it is spent in quiet with these thinly-developed characters who mostly die, needlessly (except when the film prefers they live, in which case a miraculous [read: impossible] survival is made by them).
The Book of Eli: This film has a profound silliness about it that even The Road Warrior doesn't possess. The cast is watchable, but the action is silly, especially due to the silly twist at the end of the movie. I'm not going to dwell on it, though. The movie is neither good enough, nor bad enough, to be worth the time.
Elegy: I rather enjoyed this film, scripted by Nicholas Meyer (who provides another enjoyable commentary on the DVD). The performances are quite good, and the cinematography interesting.
I'd add to that the
Death of the Ice Truck Killer
I mean, you just know the moment he decides to go out he'll die. So he dies. For a film that emphasized its comparative gritty realism that was a hamfisted smack in the face of Hollywood convention.
Good movie though.