So What? Movie that you last watched, Vol. XIX.

I posted on this picture a while back. It took (stole?) from everything...

 

XXY (2007). I watched this a good few weeks back and it produced quite an emotional impact on me. This is Argentine filmmaker Lucia Puenzo's first feature. The films tells the story of a 15 year old hermaphrodite, Alex, who struggles to cope with both social prejudice and his/her own contradictions arising from her medical condition. Being raised as a girl by parents who deal with this situation in very different ways, Alex's sexuality is tested by the arrival of a half-witted boy around his/her age. The movie then follows the unfolding of the events still focusing on Alex's story but introduces and mixes the subplots (the boy's own sexuality, the relationship between teenagers and their parents, the class differences, etc) in a very convincing way. I think Puenzo got the right balance of drama and social commentary while also throwing in doses of sarcam brilliantly executed by Darin and Palacios. The movie is nicely shot too which was a plus. Oh, not to forget, the mating scene here; it makes Brokecrap Mountain's equivalent look silly.

 

No Country For Old Men.

My first Coen brothers film.

Fantastic film. Totally had me under it's spell. It also has a narrative you can get your teeth into, if you enjoy analysing films that is. I think I figured most of it out, but I still don't really get the symbolism of the last scene. Loved it all the same.

Bardem was absolutely mesmerising here, but I nearly didn't recognize him in the next flick I watched...


Vicky Cristina Barcelona

My first Woody Allen flick.

The whole cast was great. You can tell Allen doesn't particularly like or rate American women from the way they're represented here. Would call this more a breezy drama, than a comedy. If not for the laziest use of narration I've ever heard, I would have enjoyed this a lot more.

Oh, and Penelope Cruz makes me want to learn Spanish. Could anyone recommend any other good films she's starred in?

 

No Country For Old Men is one of the best films I've ever seen.

 

Wow.

I'd suggest Miller's Crossing for your next Coen Bros. film, assumign you're about to explore their body of work. And you really should - they're the best filmmakers working today.

 

Oh yeah!? Any word on it being released in any capacity at some stage?

 

I am struggling to think of a better mainstream Hollywood comedy film this decade. Inventive, entertaining, unexpected, and some classic one-liners and moments (Jack Black's "Aaaagggghhhh, my ass!" reaction to the truck getting blown up by a bazooka - and I tend to be far from a Jack Black fan). The only downside was the child rebel leader character - overdone, tired, and a character-type that was cringe-worthy in the first place, to begin with!

Downey Jr. made it, though.

 

Yeah, Mller's Crossing is my favourite Coen brothers film also. Amazed you haven't seen any more of their stuff Twix - you're a pretty big film fan, no?

Blood Simple is very good, but also quite raw and gets too much acclaim by some imo, simply for being their first film. I absolutely adore Hudsucker Proxy, haven't got to see Barton Fink in years (actually, I should make plans to do so soon), The Big Lebowski is probably my favourite ever 'nothing' film for those who get my drift, and Fargo... it's f'kn Fargo! The Man Who Wasn't There & Burn After Reading are also fantastic.

I do find Raising Arizona very overrated though. A nice weekend afternoon, lazing-on-the-couch-doing-nothing flick, but not much more. Never bothered with The Ladykillers, Intolerable Cruelty or Brothers Grimm.

 

Brothers Grimm is a Terry Gilliam movie.

 

Death Sentence

Formulaic tragedy/revenge film made for suburbia dads (what they'd like to do to the "bad seeds" of society - based on what's in the news and perceptions), and to warn their kids from joining gangs/hoodlums/punks. Yet, those suburbia dads would be too scared to watch this.

 

Flash Point

Standard HK-cop-fare. Suspenseful but poor script. See it for the close-quarter MMA-style fight scenes.

 

Recently watched all the Ocean movies (Ocean XI, Ocean XII and Ocean XIII), Hotel Rwanda, The Constant Gardener, and Traffic.

Good movies all.

 

Watched Miller's Crossing, the Coen Brothers' gangster film. Solid.

 

I've got the Big Lebowski, Fargo and Burn after Reading stored on my PC somewhere. Will probably look for Miller's Crossing after I've gone through them.

Yeah, the amount of filmmakers I haven't seen anything from is pretty embarrassing. Cheers for going through their stuff, though. Will keep an eye out for Hudsucker Proxy, Blood Simple, Barton Fink and Raizing Arizona too.

 

uhh...with the likes of the Dardennes, Lynch, Cronenberg, Hsiao-Hsien, van Sant, Haneke, Herzog, Linklater, working today as well, I don't think so.

 

The Coens do suffer from the 'Ronaldo complex' a lot as well though, and it is quite ignorant imo to think otherwise. How come Linklater isn't slated for Fast Food Nation while the Coen's are for Brothers Grimm/Ladykillers, for instance?

 

Matrim doesn't rate the Dardennes.

 

THE EDGE OF HEAVEN - (dir: Fatih Akin)

I really enjoyed it. Oddly enough, the trailer doesn't do it any justice. I had doubts after seeing the trailer, but ended up really liking it.

 

A by-the-numbers story; almost fell asleep more than once; started to focus on who was doing which character's voice. "Real 3D" really helped, otherwise it'd be so-so. Quite accurate depiction of SF and surroundings I'd have to say.

 

Talk of dumb but funny, this was on the dish this morning while getting ready for work. Haven't seen it for 20 years, but had me cracking up again.

 

I'm shocked that the Coen's get criticized for Brothers Grimm since, um, they didn't make it.

Saw this last night:



"Hey, Paul."

A very odd movie with no sense of narrative of pacing. Neither of which would bother me if it were more finely crafted than it actually is. Still, it's a pretty darkly comic movie, and Bale is very amusing. That's enough for now though, I have to return some videotapes.

 

had this recommended to me, and I watched it online here: http://www.archive.org/details/PanicIntheStreets1950RichardWidmark

I enjoyed it, very original idea for the time- a simple crime story made more complex by the fear of a disease outbreak. The use of locals and the gritty nature of the New Orleans waterfront also worked well. Good acting, interesting story, and well incorporated settings for a crime drama.

 

*Facepalm*

Always mix up those two & Gilliam in their styles; no idea why. I do the same with Spurs & Newcastle, as well as Aston Villa & west Ham in football. Anyway, I meant to say Intolerable Cruelty.

 

Good movie. Very unique and well done. Have you read the book? I havent but I heard that it is much darker than the film.