namepeace said:

Drive (2011)

Lean, mean, suspenseful action film that I should have seen earlier. Gosling seems to channel Clint Eastwood's "Monco" and Robert De Niro's "Neil McCauley" as Driver. The cast is excellent from top to bottom, especially a chillingly good performance from Albert Brooks. One of the best films in the genre since Heat.

Very good film, no what I was expecting from his character.

Acorss The Universe is a horrible movie I just managed to watch 47 minutes.

namepeace said:

Clockers (1995)

One of Spike Lee's better films, and his grittiest, which I'd never seen from beginning to end, has aged pretty doggone well. As with many of Spike's films in the 90's, it featured a great ensemble cast led by Mekhi Pfifer, Delroy Lindo and Harvey Keitel. Kinda misses the mark in Act III IMHO but a modern classic all the same.

This is one of my favorite Spike films. You don't hear as much love for it as some others, but I actually was more emotionally engaged in this one than most of the others.

A Serious Man (2009)

After watching this film, I googled the title and the word "existential" and that term popped up in a ton of reviews. A slice-of-life suburban flick about a downtrodden associate Midwestern professor whose family is dissolving before his eyes. Even for the Coens, this film is one of the most unpredictable and absurdist they've made, while still feeling really grounded. Michael Stuhlbarg (a wonderful character actor) carries the film with good turns by Richard Kind and Sari Lennick, among others.

.75

gandorb said:

namepeace said:

Clockers (1995)

One of Spike Lee's better films, and his grittiest, which I'd never seen from beginning to end, has aged pretty doggone well. As with many of Spike's films in the 90's, it featured a great ensemble cast led by Mekhi Pfifer, Delroy Lindo and Harvey Keitel. Kinda misses the mark in Act III IMHO but a modern classic all the same.

This is one of my favorite Spike films. You don't hear as much love for it as some others, but I actually was more emotionally engaged in this one than most of the others.

It's definitely one of his most cohesive films. It seems like his Mean Streets, which is not coincidental, as Scorsese is one of the producers.

Key Largo (1948)

Been on a film noir kick lately and had always wanted to see this movie. Tells a story of a WWII vet that goes back to his deceased army buddy's family for closure but stumbles upon the unexpected in the Florida Keys.

Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall and Lionel Barrymore. Grew up on It's a Wonderful Life so it was nice to see Lionel Barrymore as a good guy. Edward G. Robinson seems to have always played the gangster and in this movie he's at it again.

What I really loved the most besides the actors, writing and story was the lighting throughout the whole movie. I think I noticed it more because it's in B/W but it's done so well here it's like a special effect. Great movie from beginning to end and highly reccommended if you like the genre and acting legends.



out of

Ma starring Octavia Spencer was the last movie I watched last week.

Wasn't that impressed with it. 2.5 out of 5 stars

Roma (2018)

A lot of people weren't into this movie, and found it boring and overdone, but it worked for me. Certainly, there were points when I felt the effort to throw in an 'artistic' shot seemed too calculated and took me out of the story. I also think I might have been overinterpreting it a bit, thinking that the political backdrop of the times in Mexico City was absolutely key, and that the film's social commentary emerged from the way that that was set against the class relations of domestic service and care within the middle-class (liberal?) intellectual's household.

In that sense, I took it that the supposed 'feminist' solidarity between the employer and her female employee ("we women are always alone") was suppose to be, at least to some extent, jarring and ironic, undercut by the reality of their respective positions. That hasn't really been confirmed in the interviews with director Alfonso Cuarón that I read, and it sounds like the whole project was possibly a bit of a way of expunging his own guilt over having had a live-in nanny - and that the 'feminist' politics are (absurdly, in my view) there to be taken at face value.

I don't really know. But I liked my interpretation, anyway. And, either way, it still worked for me as a 'slice of life' drama.

[Edited 7/24/20 5:02am]

HoneyTrap (2014)

Gritty coming-of-age drama set in Brixton, London. 15 year-old Layla (Jessica Sula) reunites with her mother in Brixton after living with her grandparents in Trinidad and soon gets swept up in the streets, and finds herself in the middle of a love triangle. Sula's vulnerability and impulsive take on the lead role really is the heart and soul of the movie, and Lucien Laviscount and Naomi Ryan are really good as well. A good feature film debut by writer and director Rebecca Jones.

.25

deebee said:

Roma (2018)

A lot of people weren't into this movie, and found it boring and overdone, but it worked for me. Certainly, there were points when I felt the effort to throw in an 'artistic' shot seemed too calculated and took me out of the story. I also think I might have been overinterpreting it a bit, thinking that the political backdrop of the times in Mexico City was absolutely key, and that the film's social commentary emerged from the way that that was set against the class relations of domestic service and care within the middle-class (liberal?) intellectual's household.

In that sense, I took it that the supposed 'feminist' solidarity between the employer and her female employee ("we women are always alone") was suppose to be, at least to some extent, jarring and ironic, undercut by the reality of their respective positions. That hasn't really been confirmed in the interviews with director Alfonso Cuarón that I read, and it sounds like the whole project was possibly a bit of a way of expunging his own guilt over having had a live-in nanny - and that the 'feminist' politics are (absurdly, in my view) there to be taken at face value.

I don't really know. But I liked my interpretation, anyway. And, either way, it still worked for me as a 'slice of life' drama.

[Edited 7/24/20 5:02am]

I agree. Hope you're doing well, deebee!

deebee said:

Roma (2018)

A lot of people weren't into this movie, and found it boring and overdone, but it worked for me. Certainly, there were points when I felt the effort to throw in an 'artistic' shot seemed too calculated and took me out of the story. I also think I might have been overinterpreting it a bit, thinking that the political backdrop of the times in Mexico City was absolutely key, and that the film's social commentary emerged from the way that that was set against the class relations of domestic service and care within the middle-class (liberal?) intellectual's household.

In that sense, I took it that the supposed 'feminist' solidarity between the employer and her female employee ("we women are always alone") was suppose to be, at least to some extent, jarring and ironic, undercut by the reality of their respective positions. That hasn't really been confirmed in the interviews with director Alfonso Cuarón that I read, and it sounds like the whole project was possibly a bit of a way of expunging his own guilt over having had a live-in nanny - and that the 'feminist' politics are (absurdly, in my view) there to be taken at face value.

I don't really know. But I liked my interpretation, anyway. And, either way, it still worked for me as a 'slice of life' drama.

[Edited 7/24/20 5:02am]

I think this movie is better appreciated being seen on a big screen in a theater which is how I saw it since I don't have a Netflix account. It's a very grand small story which is what I liked most about it.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) - In the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Don Lope de Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.

Ignoring the surreal disconnect of Spanish soldiers speaking German, I very much liked this remarkable piece of work with a Heart of Darkness-like atmosphere that predates Apocalypse Now. 4/5

Just watched this last night. Really nicely done profile of a young woman fresh out of film school getting her foot in the door of the industry by being a junior assistant to a movie mogul. Following her with the daily mundane tasks of answering phones, making travel arrangements and ordering lunch, we see the underlying abuses of misogyny, and degradation that are taken for granted and endured but her conscience moves her to say something about it.

Paints an eerie picture of some of the production offices that I worked in back in the day quite accurately. It's a niche topic, but handled quite well.

[Edited 7/26/20 10:37am]

The Scarlet Letter (1926) - After having a child out of wedlock, a young Puritan woman is pressured to reveal the name of her lover.

Lillian Gish as Hester Prynne is the big draw in this silent film and the production is very good as well. I'd love to see a faithful, serious, modern adaptation of the novel. From what I've read, most of the others have not been as good with the 1994 movie starring Demi Moore being the worst. 4/5

sexton said:

The Scarlet Letter (1926) - After having a child out of wedlock, a young Puritan woman is pressured to reveal the name of her lover.

Lillian Gish as Hester Prynne is the big draw in this silent film and the production is very good as well. I'd love to see a faithful, serious, modern adaptation of the novel. From what I've read, most of the others have not been as good with the 1994 movie starring Demi Moore being the worst. 4/5

A classic. ^^^

The Demi Moore version needs to be shelved indefinitely.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

My favorite Coen Brothers movie and an annual rite of summer.

.25

The Pianist (2002)

Harrowing, unflinching depiction of the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, famed Jewish pianist who survived the horrors of Warsaw, Poland World War II. Adrien Brody deserved the Oscar.

.5

namepeace said:

The Pianist (2002)

Harrowing, unflinching depiction of the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, famed Jewish pianist who survived the horrors of Warsaw, Poland World War II. Adrien Brody deserved the Oscar.

.5

This one is hard to watch, Brody was excellent.

DiminutiveRocker said:

namepeace said:

The Pianist (2002)

Harrowing, unflinching depiction of the memoirs of Wladyslaw Szpilman, famed Jewish pianist who survived the horrors of Warsaw, Poland World War II. Adrien Brody deserved the Oscar.

.5

This one is hard to watch, Brody was excellent.

That it was.

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Set in the 50s, Paul Newman does time in the chain gang with George Kennedy and a great cast of characters amongst others like Harry Dean Stanton and Dennis Hopper.

Engaging story, noticeable religious symbolism/references but overall a decent movie. I noticed the music and the importance of it's roll throughout the movie.

For the era this movie came out, it reflected a feeling of the power trying to keep the people down. This gave it a lot of heart and the camaraderie with the other prisoners kept the story moving.



out of

S2DG said:

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Set in the 50s, Paul Newman does time in the chain gang with George Kennedy and a great cast of characters amongst others like Harry Dean Stanton and Dennis Hopper.

Engaging story, noticeable religious symbolism/references but overall a decent movie. I noticed the music and the importance of it's roll throughout the movie.

For the era this movie came out, it reflected a feeling of the power trying to keep the people down. This gave it a lot of heart and the camaraderie with the other prisoners kept the story moving.



out of

So good! One of Newman's best, IMO.

DiminutiveRocker said:

S2DG said:

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Set in the 50s, Paul Newman does time in the chain gang with George Kennedy and a great cast of characters amongst others like Harry Dean Stanton and Dennis Hopper.

Engaging story, noticeable religious symbolism/references but overall a decent movie. I noticed the music and the importance of it's roll throughout the movie.

For the era this movie came out, it reflected a feeling of the power trying to keep the people down. This gave it a lot of heart and the camaraderie with the other prisoners kept the story moving.



out of

So good! One of Newman's best, IMO.

I've not seen a lot of Paul Newman's movies other than his later work.
This movie made me want to see more and now he's on my radar.

S2DG said:

DiminutiveRocker said:

So good! One of Newman's best, IMO.

I've not seen a lot of Paul Newman's movies other than his later work.
This movie made me want to see more and now he's on my radar.

Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are not only essential films, they are forebears of the anti-establishment/anti-hero films the young turks of the 70s would make thereafter. I'd check them out along with The Hustler.

namepeace said:

S2DG said:

I've not seen a lot of Paul Newman's movies other than his later work.
This movie made me want to see more and now he's on my radar.

Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are not only essential films, they are forebears of the anti-establishment/anti-hero films the young turks of the 70s would make thereafter. I'd check them out along with The Hustler.

YES!

namepeace said:

S2DG said:

I've not seen a lot of Paul Newman's movies other than his later work.
This movie made me want to see more and now he's on my radar.

Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are not only essential films, they are forebears of the anti-establishment/anti-hero films the young turks of the 70s would make thereafter. I'd check them out along with The Hustler.

Thank you Namepeace!

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is on deck for this weekend.

sexton said:

Dinner at Eight (1933) - Affluent Millicent and Oliver Jordan throw a dinner for a handful of wealthy and/or well-born acquaintances, each of whom has much to reveal.

This is a very fine adaptation of a play with a lot of witty dialogue tempered somewhat by the backdrop of the Great Depression. I love the cast too. 4/5

THE LADY EVE (1941)

of 5

Excellent script by Preston Sturges whon also directed this romantic comedy staring a very young Henry Fonda and the amazing Barbara Stanwyck. Delightfully witty and romantic and very sexy for its day. Classic!

[Edited 7/31/20 4:53am]