So...Movie...Last One You Saw...Go. Vol XXII

Discussion in 'Movies, TV and Music' started by Crimen y Castigo, Dec 16, 2010.

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  1. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

    Club Brugge
    Belgium
    Aug 19, 2002
    Belgium
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    The Vow (2012)
    Dir. Michael Sucsy

    [​IMG]

    Gave this a chance as we both are fans of Rachel McAdams. I had some reservations because I do not like Channing Tatum as an actor. It's not that he's terrible, it's that he's so... mediocre, which somehow appears even worse.

    But focusing on this movie, it turned out to be a pretty basic rom-com. Husband and wife get in a car accident, wife wakes up with part of her memory missing: the years in which she met and married her husband. I found the premise pretty far-fetched except it's apparently based on a true story. So the husband's formerly vegetarian artist wakes up as a meat-eating law student (as this is the life she remembers). Naturally she is pretty disturbed by the discovery that she is married to a stranger. Reconnecting with her parents strengthens her memories of her previous life (the one she had before marrying her husband) and creates a distance with her husband. Obviously we get the stereotypical scene where the douchey father-in-law (Sam Neill) tries to bribe the good husband to divorce his daughter. And I will leave it to you to guess if they end up back together or not... :D

    In the end, neither of us really liked it too much. Tatum lacks... something for this kind of material. I wouldn't call it emotional depth, since it's a pretty straight-forward rom-com. A better description would be the ability to convey basic emotions convincingly.

    McAdams is better, but the material is so paper-thin that it ends up being instantly forgettable. I'm surprised they did not offer this movie to Heigl, as it could not be more up her alley.
     
  2. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

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    Haywire (2011)
    Dir. Steven Soderbergh

    [​IMG]

    This was very much a double experience, and it was once again due to Soderbergh's casting choice. I'm not entirely certain what he is trying to prove by casting novice actors (a porn star in "The Girlfriend experience", a MMA fighter here) in lead roles, but it's very much a double-edged sword. In Haywire, it leads to Carano excelling in any fight/physical scene, as she is far more believable as a bad-ass fighting machine than the large majority of male and female actors. Conversely, she falls well short in any of the dramatic scenes, and she is not aided by being surrounded with a cast of truly talented actors (Fassbender, McGregor, Banderas, Douglas, Kassovitz), which further highlights her own shortcomings in that department.

    For some reason, this movie made me think back to the countless 80s and early 90s Arnie action vehicles. Unlike Carano, Arnie found a way to convince in spite of his accent and lack of acting background. Part of that was the fact that the scripts were tailor-made to him, but another part of it was that he had some genuine talent, in spite of a very limited range.

    It might be a bit cruel to Carano, but I feel like this movie would have been better if she had merely been the body double for the stunt/fight scenes and they hired someone like Kate Beckinsale to do the more dramatic work.
     
  3. Bonnie Lass

    Bonnie Lass Moderator
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    Lyon
    Norway
    Oct 20, 2000
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    I've found that I absolutely love going through an actor's complete filmography. You can witness all the lows and highs and how certain films became a catalyst for their later films.
     
  4. Norsk Troll

    Norsk Troll Member+

    Sep 7, 2000
    Central NJ
    I dare you to go through all of Katherine Heigl's movies.
     
  5. Belgian guy

    Belgian guy Member+

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    Going over her filmography, I think I have actually seen most of them. :D
     
  6. Bonnie Lass

    Bonnie Lass Moderator
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    Lyon
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    :(

    You can't make me!
     
  7. Bonnie Lass

    Bonnie Lass Moderator
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    Lyon
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    Oct 20, 2000
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    And see, for me, I thought the plot was far too straight-forward. What kept it interesting for me was the way it was laid out. Had it not been for the amazing fight scenes -- which were intensely believable -- I wouldn't have been able to take away much of anything from this movie.

    I didn't mind Carano's lack of acting ability. While watching the movie, it just felt like she was a very calm, somewhat unfeeling/distant person. Of course, I've always thought that's the way a secret operative should/would be like.

    Big Plus: She wasn't out to save her child. She wasn't out to save her spouse/significant other. She was just out to save her ass, and possibly her father's.
     
  8. Captain Splarg

    Apr 25, 1999
    Pacific Grove, CA
    Club:
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    United States
    I just saw it.

    It wasn't the best thing in the world, but two things would have made it awesome.
    1.) Kristen Stewart bites down a few trees to build a dam
    2.) The film ended with Chewbacca doing a wookie roar

    I loved the Neverending Story stuff though - when we first encountered the white horse, I said to my companion, "Hey, It's Artax!" Then of course they go into the Swamp of sadness. I don't want to say much else about actual happenings, but I don't think that was very spoilery.

    Anyway, good date film. Can't see it as good for much anything else though.
     
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  9. Bonnie Lass

    Bonnie Lass Moderator
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    Lyon
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    Captain Splarg Dude. Does the horse die?

    I STILL cannot watch that scene in Neverending Story. And I'm 34, FFS. :eek:
     
  10. Captain Splarg

    Apr 25, 1999
    Pacific Grove, CA
    Club:
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    Now THAT would be a spoiler! :geek:
     
  11. juventino13

    juventino13 Moderator
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    Nov 25, 2005
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    Beyond the black rainbow. One of those movies you either love or hate. Beautifully shot. Personally loved all the old school references to Kubrick, Coscarelli, Cronenberg, Carpenter (music)
    It's slow paced, but you REALLY have to concentrate to understand it.

    For his first offering i'd say it was pretty damn good
     
  12. nicodemus

    nicodemus Member+

    Sep 3, 2001
    Cidade Mágica
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    [​IMG]
    Hospitalité (2010)

    Quirky Japanese comedy that takes a swipe a xenophobia in Japan and "polite society" in general. Full write up here.
     
  13. Bonnie Lass

    Bonnie Lass Moderator
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    Lyon
    Norway
    Oct 20, 2000
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    Bitch.
     
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  14. Bonnie Lass

    Bonnie Lass Moderator
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    Lyon
    Norway
    Oct 20, 2000
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    :D

    I <3 you too, Splarg.
     
  15. Captain Splarg

    Apr 25, 1999
    Pacific Grove, CA
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And that's why I didn't report your name calling to Huss! :thumbsup:
     
  16. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
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    Just a quick note - if you've watched a film and want to share, as opposed to continuing an ongoing conversation, head to the new version of the thread. Thanks in advance.

    Check that - this one has more than 2600 posts, so we need to switch anyways. Closed. :)
     
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