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Thread: the LAST FILM YOU'VE SEEN thread

  1. #811
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    I truly appreciate your post, Trevor. I don't write as well or as proficiently as someone like yourself or Chris, so it's not easy for me to churn out long reviews for every second film I see. But my short takes still contain enough that they can easily be utilized as a base or a starting point by others for their reviews, and this is obviously something which will not be tolerated. Needless to say, I don't have a problem with your reviews, but I just wanted to make that clear.

  2. #812
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    LOVE IN THOUGHTS (2005)

    The emerging popularity of German Cinema, at least in the international markets, could perhaps more easily be linked with an actor, rather than a bevy of talented young filmmakers. Daniel Brühl, the star of the breakthrough hit Goodbye Lenin! (2003), has become a much sought after commodity (not unlike Mexican actor Gael García Bernal), and many of his subsequent films, including The Edukators (2004) and Joyeux Noël (2005), have received the sort of attention that they probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Brühl's presence in the breathtakingly beautiful Love in Thoughts (Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken), arguably his best so far, has most likely helped it to reach our shores, though without much attention. Directed by Achim von Borries, the film starts off as a whodunit as we watch a young man (Brühl) being interrogated by the police about his involvement in a suicide case. But then it slowly materializes as something quite unique: a sexually charged, yet unabashedly poetic story about requited love and its tragic implications. Paul, the aforementioned detainee who happens to be a gifted poet, narrates the proceedings which, set in 1927, mostly unfold over a weekend at the summer cottage belonging to the bourgeois parents of his best friend Günther (August Diehl) and his beautiful, bohemian sister Hilde (Anna Maria Mühe). As these "dreamers" succumb to their beauteous surroundings, so does Borries’ camera with Malick-esque naturalism, requiring every streak of light and sound to exude sensuality amid threatening to unbalance the emotional equilibrium. The trio are eventually joined by their friends from Berlin, setting up the stage for a party sequence which should draw comparisons with one from Assayas’ L’Eau froide (1994). The constantly shifting dynamics, as someone else enters the picture claiming loyalties from both Günther and Hilde, are beautifully played out in an environment which turns out to be at once both vast and claustrophobic. Love in Thoughts is based on a true story (reportedly a notorious one), which is bound to heighten one’s attention to certain details, so perhaps it would’ve been better off as being timeless, much like love.


    Grade: B+
    ________________________

    *LOVE IN THOUGHTS premiered at the 2004 Sundance film festival before playing at the Berlin fest. The film didn't receive theatrical distribution in the U.S., but it's now available on DVD from Wolfe Video.

  3. #813
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    Love in Thoughts---sounds great; I like Brühl, look forward to seeing it. Where did you see it?

    Movies seen since The Boys of Baraka:

    Transamerica
    The Chronicles of Narnia
    The White Countess
    Last edited by Chris Knipp; 12-22-2005 at 04:50 PM.

  4. #814
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    I watched Love in Thoughts on DVD.

    Transamerica sounds interesting; not so sure about Narnia.

  5. #815
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    If you see Narnia, it must be in a nice big auditorium like a cineplex. It's good but not as good as LOTR>

  6. #816
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    The Big House (1930)

    Damn interesting prison film, much more violent than you would expect from classic Hollywood because it pre-dates the code. Also worth seeing how young Robert Montgomery looked. Arguably Wallace Beery's best performance ever as machine gun Butch. The film was nominated for several Oscars during the third award ceremony, including Best Picture and one for Beery. Beery would win two years later for the much inferior The Champ.

    Grade A-

    The Wicker Man (1974)

    Well cult films are a plentiful, and this one screams "product of it's time" like few others. A modern look at paganism, this film makes Christianity seem so boring. A part comic horror film with a dash of strange musical numbers and random insanity. It is a film to watch while on drugs, and plenty were passed around while this was playing. I have heard news of it being remade with Nicholas Cage as the inspector and Christ I hope they burn the negative before it ever gets released. The Wicker Man has a notorious production history, and like nearly all cult films was drastically shortened. The version now available claims to be the full cut, and although the film might not be a cult masterpiece like some may claim, it is well worth checking out.

    Grade B

    Hearts and Minds (1974)

    One of the best documentaries ever made, this takes a look at the then still fresh topic of Vietnam from nearly every aspect. The images are extremely graphic, and the interview style is something entirely new in documentaries. Peter Davis captures people in the strangest situations, interviewing soldiers while with prostitues, paralyzed veterans, and military minds. Davis also has plenty of humor to go around, although of a certainly dark and black nature.

    Grade A+

    Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

    After the success of Laura (1944), Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, and Otto Preminger teamed up to make this brilliantly crafted noir gem. The film resonates hard with me, as its focal point is not so much a murder, or an investigation, but the hate one man has for crime, and the ultimate fear that he'll wind up just like his hoodlum father. Much more depth than one might expect, but well with in the means of noir, thanks to a brilliant script by Ben Hecht, this film manages to make turns without going to ridiculous suspense heights. It was made before Preminger became the defiant antagonist to the Hollywood censors so the content pretty much plays it straight, but there are a few more punches thrown than the average film.

    Grade A-

    And I saw the White Countess, but that has it's own thread here.

  7. #817
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  8. #818
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    Among the new wide-releases, I've seen Munich and King Kong. I will review the former so I haven't fully read what has been written about it here. Will add a few notes on the latter.

  9. #819
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    I went a little overboard with my King Kong review. Some movies just get me going and I can't seem to shut up about them. Gonna make an attempt to see the rather poorly reviewed Memoirs of a Geisha tonight, so I'll report back with my verdict.

  10. #820
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    I thought there was a thread for this, but oh well.

    Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

    Holy snore fest Batman. This much hyped monstrosity is painfully long and drastically slow paced. The cast is a bunch of Chinese actors, speaking English, playing Japanese women. Hollywood trickery at it's finest, but hey us Westerners can't tell the difference anyways right?

    Hard to imagine the man responsible for the extremely fast paced Chicago was supervising this debaucle. He did keep an eye for color, and slightly for choreography, but all else is lost. The imagination of Chicago (which I still found to be a flawed and overrated film) is gone. In it's place is a dreadfull pace that doesn't remind one of the joys of that musical, but rather how much superior so many authentic stories of geishas were from Japan.

    Grade C -

  11. #821
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    Maybe there should be a Geisha thread, since it seems to be under discussion as one of the end-of-year heavies, with some awards and nominations:

    Golden Globes, USA
    Nominated:
    --Best Original Score - Motion Picture
    John Williams
    -Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
    Ziyi Zhang


    National Board of Review, USA
    Won :
    --Best Supporting Actress
    Li Gong


    Satellite Awards
    Won:
    --Outstanding Screenplay, Adapted
    Robin Swicord

    Nominated:Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
    Ziyi Zhang

    Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama
    Li Gong-

    --Outstanding Art Direction & Production Design
    John Myhre

    --Outstanding Cinematography
    Robert Elswit

    --Outstanding Costume Design
    Colleen Atwood

    --Outstanding Director
    Rob Marshall
    --Outstanding Motion Picture, Drama

    Outstanding Original Score
    John Williams

    That's what it says. I'm not questioning what you say, I would tend to think you're right from what I've heard.

  12. #822
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    Ponette (1996) - Jacqued Dillon

    A moving story about a young girl (Ponette) and her coping with the death of her mother. Along the way she meets some sympathetic people, and some rather cruel children all on the way to recovering. A beautiful movie, with a rather remarkable performance from it's young lead.

  13. #823
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    Ponette may not be Doillon's best, but it's certainly his most widely seen film. The performance from the young girl is indeed remarkable.

    Raja and Petits frères are the only other Doillon films available here. (Do watch the former if you get a chance.)

  14. #824
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    Have long avoided this because a French-speaking friend characterized it as weepy and sentiimental. Maybe i ought to see it. Too bad more Doillon films aren't avail. here--maybe another one to look for abroad.

  15. #825
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    House on 92nd Street (1945) - Henry Hathaway

    Well nothing in this film really qualifies as noir, but it got lumped into that undefined category with so many other early post war films. The picture plays much like Hathaway's follow up, 13 Rue Madeline. It is much more of a behind the scenes WWII film. Hathaway didn't seem to be the go to guy for combat pictures, but this type of picture worked for him.

    The plot is simple enough. The US has atomic secrets being stolen, and they need to find out who done it before the Germans get the information, so with a few spies set up and a lot of FBI praise, they plant a man and hatch a plot to make everything work in their favor. There is moderate suspense, but Hathaway can't seem to hold anyone in that mood. I've always thought of the man as a rather poor director, a guy to go to when much more skilled auteur's were unavailable. His second rate skills may seem ideal for this picture dripping with B movie mentality, but instead it's just weak filmmaking. I have two more Hathaway films in my pile ready to watch, hopefully some of them are actually noir like their titles suggest.

    The House of the title is a five story place in Manhattan where the Germans are running their little spy ring. They are all kept under a tight watch and they all answer to a mysterious man who no one meets named Christopher. The FBI's counteragent arouses suspicion when his credentials get altered by the FBI. He is out to find this Christopher, but it isn't that easy. In the process comes a lot of treachery, and of course US prevails.

    It is somewhat joyous to see the good old USA triumph, much as it probably was at the time. House was actually a fairly popular film in its day, despite having C-Level actors as leads. Fox was either trying to make a new group of stars, or just wanted to keep the costs down. The subject of this was certainly timely, considering the film was released only months after the first atomic bomb dropped. The picture starts by saying that the film wouldn't have been able to have been made until the bomb was dropped, a fact that isn't much of a fact but used to make viewers find the film a little more important than it really is. The introduction is very similar to Fred Zinnemann's post war film The Search. Beginning with narration and a ton of stock footage. Hathaway uses new footage shot amongst this to give the impression that his actors and stars actually are/were part of the FBI. The documentary nature is virtually abandoned afterwards, but of course helps to tidy things up at the end.

    The film is niether noir, suspenseful, or really captivating. It is decent, and there is a general desire to root for the good guys here, but it's second rate filmmaking at best. Coming off of some rather surprise masterpieces like Somewhere in the Night and Where the Sidewalk Ends, this film is clearly second rate, despite being much better known and generally much better respected.

    Grade C+

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