The Goonies... I should probably watch that one sometime. For some reason I've never come across it growing up in the 90s. Never on TV here in Sweden, never really heard about it outside of these types of forums etc.
Anyways, a few new films I've seen:
The Bling Ring (2013) - 3/10
Based on a true story about, if the movie is accurate, some retard kids who break into celebrities houses and steal shit, then spend the money they stole doing retarded shit, whilst never once having dialogue deeper than "how does my ass look in these pants?" or "Oh my god, is that Prada".
This movie broke my brain. Sophia Coppola has apparently forgotten how to make a movie since the last time I saw one of her movies, the quite wonderful "Lost In Translation". No one expresses a single genuine emotion in this film, I kid you not.
I would try to describe this further, but you just really need to see it. Only don't. I hated every second of every character on screen. Which might have been the point, but a movie character has to have atleast 1 thing that you can identify with to be engaging. This is just completely devoid of social commentary, depth, meaning... I suppose if you can see it for free, see it. To the movies credit I didn't shut it off, though at minute 19 I officially noted that I hated the film, at minute 45 I was wondering when the 2nd act was going to kick in (it doesn't), and after that I was just making jokes whenever a character opened their stupid mouths.
"Atleast it has Emma Watson looking fine and dandy" was my main excuse for watching it. I hated her too. I'd say it was shot well, but it looks like cheap digital cameras, lots of shadow noise and blown highlights even in daylight scenes. So there isn't even that.
Boogie Nights (1997) - 9/10
Now this is a Movie. 2 hours and 35 minutes just fly by. This is just filled with sympathetic characters, incredible camerawork (some hugely impressive long takes and oners, lots of controlled zooms while also moving the camera), and both drama, comedy, and great dialogue. This could almost be a Tarantino movie at times.
It feels like a celebration of cinema. It feels almost like a celebration of life, friendship, and ambition. Just great. Paul Thomas Anderson is now officially one of my favorite filmmakers after just three movies (I've also seen There Will Be Blood and The Master).
Blow Out (1981) - 7/10
De Palma-movie about a soundguy who happens to record something he shouldn't have recorded. Not seen much of De Palmas catalog. This feels pretty "old" in terms of the fairly simple plot. but it makes up for it with focus on characters and a relaxed atmosphere. Very well made, if the summary of the plot above in any way appeals to you this might be worth a watch.
The Secret In Their Eyes (2009) - 8/10
A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later. Won the Oscar for best foreign language film. I can see why. Lots of personality, deep characters and character relationships, perfect blend of humor and drama. Not a dull moment, and superbly acted. In Spanish, but load those subtitles up and prepare for a great film.
The Objective (2008) - 6/10
The director of "The Blair Witch Project" makes a film about some soldiers who go to a place in the desert of the middle east where things are said to be happening. Then some things happen.
Honestly though, it is alot better than it sounds. Looks to be made on a small budget, but the acting is quite frankly great. This director clearly knows how to get his actors to just seem like real people, it feels like a documentary most of the time, though this doesn't have the conceit of a camera in the world of the movie. Shot very well on film. Some pretty good effects, some less good.
If you are looking for a straightforward thriller in the vein of Blair Witch Project, that does not in any way annoy or insult, this is it. It captures such a great atmosphere in what looks like completely genuine locations.
Not that much here, but what is here is surprisingly successful.
Contagion (2011) - 8/10
Yeah, I love this movie. From the FIYH commentary I recognize the objections Teague raised, but they didn't bother me at all. This might honestly be the fastest movie I've watched. It has such a hypnotic tempo with superb rhythmic music by Cliff Martinez, I barely started the damn thing before it was over. It was also so lovely to watch something so subdued and devoid of emotional drama. We all can picture this movie before we watched it, and to be honest I've seen enough of those for a while. The Mist, War Of The World, etc, etc. I rarely these days feel like I can watch another family encounter the evils of humanity that will slowly tear them down and force them apart.
The brilliance of this movie is that it does just enough to get you invested in the people on the screen, but it also doesn't swamp you with the emotions of the characters. Instead I constantly found myself just soaking in the situations and constantly intellectually thinking about "wow, how do I feel about this, really?", rather than having a more base, reactive emotional "wow, I feel so sorry for that character" response. I don't know, it just managed to engage a different part of my brain than most movies do, and I think it is the same part of the brain that Fincher also reaches at times, which makes the comparisons between Soderberg and him relevant to me, not just because of the look of this film and most Fincher films. Fincher often has this "pulse" aswell, both in editing and music, that makes his movies just so absorbing, also helped by being somewhat clinical and allowing the viewer alot of personal reflection as opposed to overloading you with character emotions.
Last edited by TechNoir (2013-09-06 20:28:18)
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