Return Of The Film Corner Thread

[page]

21 hours ago, kinuta said:

Page, I'm a major fan of classic musicals from the Hollywood golden era and compare any new musical to Singing In The Rain, The Bandwagon, Easter Parade etc.

By that criteria it's woefully lacking. I suppose if you are young and haven't seen or appreciated the great musicals, you don't have a lot to compare it with and might find it's superficially attractive.  After being fed a steady stream of glowing reviews, I was expecting something better. The two leads are charming and do their best, but don't have any kind of screen magic for me. Their singing and dancing are mundane. I really liked Whiplash which had real bite and fire. I actually quite liked the ending, but it was pinched from New York New York, a much better film imo.

By the way, my wife was also seriously underwhelmed.

 

Hi Kinuta,
me as well, actually that is how I got acquainted with jazz although not realizing it at the time. I watched all of those old movies on tv when I was a girl. I've always loved them.
I have a soft spot for musical films probably because I love singing myself and I did participate in a few musicals at the time I was in this pop rock choir. I basically like to watch people sing, but there is difference in quality in shows, films etc like you say. I didn't see Whiplash I'm afraid. I remember Madonna particpating in a musical film years ago. I think I did like that one, but I can't really remember. My favourite movie is probably the Westside Story, a classic Romeo-Julia story which helped my parents get together, lol.
I love classic movies too and music plays a big part in these often. A few years ago I saw a silent picture with live music in our old filmmuseum theatre. I love things like that.
I'll take your review to heart if I will go see it. I'm not sure I will now.
Thank you.
Kind regards, page

Edited January 16, 2017 by page

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, page said:

Hi Kinuta,
me as well, actually that is how I got acquainted with jazz although not realizing it at the time. I watched all of those old movies on tv when I was a girl. I've always loved them.
I have a soft spot for musical films probably because I love singing myself and I did participate in a few musicals at the time I was in this pop rock choir. I basically like to watch people sing, but there is difference in quality in shows, films etc like you say. I didn't see Whiplash I'm afraid. I remember Madonna particpating in a musical film years ago. I think I did like that one, but I can't really remember. My favourite movie is probably the Westside Story, a classic Romeo-Julia story which helped my parents get together, lol.
I love classic movies too and music plays a big part in these often. A few years ago I saw a silent picture with live music in our old filmmuseum theatre. I love things like that.
I'll take your review to heart if I will go see it. I'm not sure I will now.
Thank you.
Kind regards, page

Oh - go see it & make up your own mind. 

[kinuta]

2 hours ago, jlhoots said:

Oh - go see it & make up your own mind. 

I agree, see it yourself and decide, don't take my grumpy old man act too seriously

[page]

Hi jlhoots and kinuta,

yeah I might and I can do that. Lots of movies at the moment so I'm not sure yet what to go see first. Thanks you both.
kind regards, page
 

[kinuta]

Moonlight - Barry Jenkins (2016)

Dark and bittersweet, a beautifully fluid and lyrical masterpiece.

Outstanding in all departments.

[jlhoots]

Hunter Gatherer - Andre Royo

[kinuta]

Born To Be Blue - Robert Budreau  (2015)

 

Jazz bio films seem to be difficult to pull off and this is no exception.

Ethan Hawke and Carmen Ejogo are fine, but the whole film feels lacking in something to lift it above just alright.

[BillF]

Perhaps jazz bios attempt the impossible in trying to bring a minority interest to a mass audience.

Agree this one is far from memorable.

[Jazzmoose]

I couldn't believe how much better this was than I remembered.  After a quick google search, I realize I was thinking of Mulholland Falls. 

[BillF]

7 hours ago, Jazzmoose said:

I couldn't believe how much better this was than I remembered.  After a quick google search, I realize I was thinking of Mulholland Falls. 

Drive?

[kinuta]

Hacksaw Ridge - Mel Gibson (2016)

Wow, fantastic. Certainly one of the greatest war films ever made imo.

Blew me away.

6 hours ago, BillF said:

Drive?

Mulholland Falls is a different film. Plot related to The Bomb and someone falling from a plane. William Peterson in an uncredited role.

Edited January 18, 2017 by kinuta

[Jazzmoose]

8 hours ago, BillF said:

Drive?

No, Falls.  Drive is a favorite!  It's another period piece, like L.A. Confidential.

[medjuck]

2 hours ago, Jazzmoose said:

No, Falls.  Drive is a favorite!  It's another period piece, like L.A. Confidential.

I agree. Drive is great, Falls is a misfire.  (Now this conversation should make no sense to anyone.) 

[jlhoots]

Silence

[duaneiac]

Another disappointing biopic.  If one knew almost nothing about Nina Simone and watched this movie to learn more about her, one would still be left to wonder what made her different from other singers.  The story is set in the later, frequently troubled years of her career and while there are some flashback scenes to earlier years, but nothing really serves to explain her rise to popularity and fame.  Ms. Saldana, while looking and sounding nothing at all like Nina Simone, gives an okay performance.  The fact that her singing sounds nothing like Ms. Simone's is part of the reason why the uninformed may be left to wonder what made Ms. Simone special.  Ms. Saldana's singing lacks any of the passion and intensity which characterized Ms. Simone at her best, but she does occasionally simulate her phrasing.  This film is not as embarrassingly bad as say Lady Sings The Blues, but it is a well-intentioned misfire.

And really now -- a Nina Simone biopic which includes a good number of her songs, but not "Mississippi Goddamn"???  And the only character who mentions the song, refers to it only as "Mississippi".  Were the filmmakers afraid in this day and age of offending Mississippi?  Goddamn.

[kinuta]

Florence Foster Jenkins - Steven Frears (2016)

 

At last, a musical bio, forgive the levity, that actually works.

Streep her usual brilliant self, aided by an excellent Hugh Grant.

Although it has plenty of amusing moments, it's not the comedy it might be mistaken for but a bittersweet portrait of a perplexing woman.

The recreation of period NYC looks great too.

 

[BillF]

This is very good and, of course, I'm fascinated by places called Manchester, Gloucester and Essex which aren't a bit like the ones I've been to. 

Seriously though, Bradshaw finds a hint of Eugene O'Neill in this sometimes grim family drama. I remember the same thing being said about When the Devil Knows You're Dead and you know how good that was!

Edited January 20, 2017 by BillF

[jlhoots]

20th Century Women

[kinuta]

Arrival - Denis Villeneuve (2016)

2nd viewing. I now get it completely.

[kinuta]

On 2017/1/20 at 3:08 AM, BillF said:

This is very good and, of course, I'm fascinated by places called Manchester, Gloucester and Essex which aren't a bit like the ones I've been to. 

Seriously though, Bradshaw finds a hint of Eugene O'Neill in this sometimes grim family drama. I remember the same thing being said about When the Devil Knows You're Dead and you know how good that was!

Saw it yesterday. Very good film.

If you can get hold of the full length 186 minute version of Margaret, it's well worth  your while, Bill.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/01/margaret-film-review?newsfeed=true

[BillF]

2 hours ago, kinuta said:

Saw it yesterday. Very good film.

If you can get hold of the full length 186 minute version of Margaret, it's well worth  your while, Bill.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/01/margaret-film-review?newsfeed=true

I saw Margaret and it was very good. I don't recall if it was the 186 min version - probably not.

[kinuta]

3 hours ago, BillF said:

I saw Margaret and it was very good. I don't recall if it was the 186 min version - probably not.

It had a problematic production history resulting in a theatrical version that left the director unhappy.

A longer version was made available that was more coherent, fleshed out and better all round. I'm quite sceptical about the merits of ' extended versions' but in this case it is clearly better.

[GA Russell]

I remember what a mess Cotton Club was thirty years ago because so much was deleted to shorten the theatrical release.

Was a full length director's cut ever released on DVD for that one?

[duaneiac]

A very memorable Fellini film, a really stunning work of art.  Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a series of films since it consists of a number of vignettes which, while having no direct plotline connecting them, do progress effectively from one to the next.  Some very memorable characters, especially in the nostalgic scenes recalling the Rome of the early 1940's.  It's strange to think more time has elapsed between now and the time this film was made (1971) than had elapsed between then and the war years.

[BillF]

2 hours ago, duaneiac said:

A very memorable Fellini film, a really stunning work of art.  Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a series of films since it consists of a number of vignettes which, while having no direct plotline connecting them, do progress effectively from one to the next.  Some very memorable characters, especially in the nostalgic scenes recalling the Rome of the early 1940's.  It's strange to think more time has elapsed between now and the time this film was made (1971) than had elapsed between then and the war years.

Saw it on its release many years ago, but still have very positive memories of it. Is that the one where archaelogists discover a beautiful Roman mural which fades to nothing before their eyes as the air reaches it?