Yes, but I would not call it "a meditation". This movie barely scratched the surface of this topic. In fact, both antagonists (Eli and Daniel) were more like a parody of prophet and capitalist. None of them felt real. They were puppets allegorized to show evilness of both sides. I intentionally used the word "allegory", not "symbol", as the latter suggests some deeper, polysemic significance.Originally Posted by Scots Taffer
Did Eli has some moral dillemas? Did this movie show or explain the real church-capitalism conflict and its influence on workers or believers? The whole grand topic was diminished to the size of personal vendetta.
Nicely directed and acted. But it was rather shallow.
Don't get me wrong. I was not expecting some epic movie about capitalism. I was expecting a movie that shows something more than one side of the coin.
As I say, I need to watch it again... those leanings of the narrative really only played upon my mind as I thought back on the film, at its core it is a character study.
I forgot that I also watched Up today. Pixar continues to delight and amaze with their ability to weave emotion and sheer joy into animation.
I watched this with my doughter. We both loved the movie... and the short animation (about stroks) that was presented before Up. Does anyone know if it's somewhere on Youtube or in the net? I do not remember its title.
[EDIT]
thiefonz was faster. Thanks!
Here's better quality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIf5JBVee3w
Last edited by bukary; 12th Dec 2009 at 09:15.
Its called Partly Cloudy and yes it is great:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXyP_JdXltw
That's cute. I love Pixar shorts.
I recently tried to watch Be Kind Rewind and gave up after a half hour because it was painfully unfunny and unintelligible to boot, I then put on the critically acclaimed Shakespeare in Love which wasn't a whole lot better but I struggled through it, if they'd taken out all the scenes where they regurgitated Romeo and Juliet then it would've been a twenty minute short.
why do we hurt the ones we love
wait a minute, if you didn't think the ghostbusters reenactment was funny then I can't be held accountable for my film recommendations to you—even people who hated the movie loved that scene
30 minutes or less into it and that scene never showed.
Ok I know this movie isn't for everyone but it's certainly not so bad as to give up that soon. You didn't even get to the main thrust of the plot.
Finished Rome season 1 over the weekend. It took me a while to take to the series, mainly because the writing struck me as more obviously stylised than that of other HBO series. However, the characters and acting are as good as Deadwood or The Sopranos. Ciaran Hinds' portrayal of Caesar is fantastically layered, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo are a brilliant Rosencrantz-and-Guildensternian pair, Lindsay Duncan's Servilia is chilling as hell. I do think the series goes over the top with respect to sex scenes (making me think that they've got a bet at HBO - which series can do the biggest, most grotesque sex scenes without becoming outright pornographic?) and, every now and then, violence, but it's definitely a damn good series.
Edit: I have to say that I was somewhat underwhelmed with Up, although some of that may have had to do with a) inflated expectations and b) seeing the German dub. My main problem was that I found the first ten minutes terrifically affecting, and nothing that followed quite measured up to it - added to which I wasn't all that keen on Russell, Kevin and Dug (I'm not a dog person, which might explain it). I greatly enjoyed the scenes between Carl and Muntz and would gladly have watched more of the two of them together. Wall-E, which I preferred, IMO also suffered a bit from having a brilliant first half and a second half that was only very good.
Last edited by Thirith; 14th Dec 2009 at 09:26.
I've just finished watching the last episode of Dexter (season 4). Christ!
Nooooooooooooooooooo....
Just seen Eagle vs Shark.
Really great NZ film.
All blokes are dicks at heart but it don't matter because our girls love us.
Tonight.I've just finished watching the last episode of Dexter (season 4). Christ!
Nooooooooooooooooooo....
More like Tonight........ You
Watched 28 Days Later last night. Fuck me, but that bit in the stairwell is the most white-knuckle scene of the entire movie, even more so than Jim's roaring rampage of revenge (or that dream of his.)
I love the simple, quiet scene in 28 Days later when they're having a picnic out in a field. It's such an effective counterpoint to the frenzied scenes before and after, and there's an eerie beauty to it. I'd agree with those who say that the film's ending is too generic, but I still think that as a whole it's an extremely well crafted movie that is often much better than I expected it to be. (My thoughts on Sunshine are pretty similar, although I have bigger problems with the last half hour of that film.)
It has a great start, one of the best openings ever imho. Shame it ends crap. Squaddie bs.
I was hoping the horses were enraged, and the crows too.
You've got to feel sorry for Danny Boyles wife.
He seems to make a habit of great starts, tailing of to nothing...
I think that's more down to the scripts, mind you. With the right script, he goes great endings (Slumdog Millionaire, Millions (a personal favourite of mine)).
Not sure whether his wife benefits from better scripts, mind you.
Just got back from Where The Wild Things Are.
Disturbing movie, definitely NOT for kids - I need time to gather my thoughts on it.
Fuck London and its late release of movies. I had to leave London before WTWTA came out there but it was long gone from theatres here.
For the third or fouth time. "Second hand lions". And I'll watch again down the road.
Kyra Sedgwick, Robert DuVall, Micheal Caine. Great story, lots of fun, and the reappearance of Berk Breathed.
Dexter season 4 finale with the wife, but I've already aired my thoughts on the season as a whole in the other TV thread. It has to be said that Lithgow played a smart and interesting mouse to Dexter's cat, but the show can really muster most of the tension it achieved in its sleep - it's the writing they're going to have to tighten up, some of the coincidences and contrivances just started to grate towards the end.
Other than that... caught the end of King Kong on HDTV last night and it made me realise how ridiculous it is to have a woman and a giant ape sharing soul-searching looks. Haven't seen that since the cinema.
It took watching it on HDTV for you to realise that?
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