Random Movie Thoughts Thread

[Totenkindly]

Im really glad Bob Odenkirk is getting more serious roles Im glad he's having more success with them than Jim Carrey and Will Farrell did. I love when comedic actors get to play against type cast.

Hell, he even did his John Wick variation action flick... and he was good!

 

[Totenkindly]

I haven't finished Women Talking (2022) yet, but figured I would mention it because it looks like it is currently airing free on Amazon Prime (instead of rent) until after Sunday (Oscar day). So you have a few days to see this stream, for free, if you want, and then it might be leaving the service.

Interesting story. It feels almost like an adapted play [it's adapted from a novel] in terms of how the characters interact and the settings -- if this has not been done as a play, it looks like it would be simple to adapt.

I'm still a bit detached from the actual banter, although the events around which it is centered are horrific (and some of the brief camera shots) -- in the real story, the women come forward and the rapists from their Mennonite community were all sent to jail. Here it becomes somewhat philosophical, with different women embodying different positions that can be taken. Some seem more alive than others... Claire Foy is excellent, as is Rooney Mara; they feel like real people, not just positions. Ben Whishaw is like the only guy with a central role in the film, he's the note-taker and fly on the wall so to speak, but he seems like a lovely character. It does really capture how religious beliefs can trap people in certain environments. If these women fight or leave, they feel they will be denied heaven. But what is the cost of forgiving and letting these atrocities proceed unabated? And it's not just them, the women old enough to be targets, it is the daughters they are raising who will become victims, and the young boys being taught that this is acceptable as well who are being warped and hurt. This is a bit triggering if you come from a religious environment where you were frustrated how calcified and rigid those communities can become.

I can see why it might have made a top 10 film list in terms of its thematic performance and simply being well-made, although it's probably in my lower five. I wish it felt less like a philosophical discourse at times.

 

[ceecee]

Hell, he even did his John Wick variation action flick... and he was good!

It was good and I only know one person besides myself that even heard of it. After BB and Saul I was like...wow.

 

[ceecee]

Im really glad Bob Odenkirk is getting more serious roles Im glad he's having more success with them than Jim Carrey and Will Farrell did. I love when comedic actors get to play against type cast.

Stranger Than Fiction is one of my favorite movies, I truly wish he had done more.

 

[Totenkindly]

Both Carrey and Farrel have had at least one dramatic success. I think the point is whether they kind of remained in comedy or could scan regularly in drama roles like Odenkirk.

Farrell seems to do best when he's straightfacing parody roles. Carrey has blurred the lines a bit. Odenkirk has done funny things while still scanning as a real person.

 

[The Cat]

Stranger Than Fiction is one of my favorite movies, I truly wish he had done more.

me too! I think he will do a lot of interesting stuff when he gets older, I think it would be cool to see him and Jim Carrey in a grumpy old men movie one day lol, But Stranger than Fiction is one of my top 20 of all time

 

[The Cat]

Both Carrey and Farrel have had at least one dramatic success. I think the point is whether they kind of remained in comedy or could scan regularly in drama roles like Odenkirk.

Farrell seems to do best when he's straightfacing parody roles. Carrey has blurred the lines a bit. Odenkirk has done funny things while still scanning as a real person.

the Number 23 is my favorite Jim Carrey Movie, before that it was Cable Guy. Truman Show is one of my favorite horror movies, but it makes me uneasy to watch it again. I think it would be cool to see Jim Carrey play a gangly supernatural horror who torments a small rural town. But I dont think he'd do that role.

 

[Totenkindly]

I haven't finished Women Talking (2022) yet, but figured I would mention it because it looks like it is currently airing free on Amazon Prime (instead of rent) until after Sunday (Oscar day). So you have a few days to see this stream, for free, if you want, and then it might be leaving the service.

Finished this today. I'm not really a fan of the bulk of the film in the sense it is more like watching a variation of the Socratic method being practiced on stage... It literally is women talking but not necessarily doing nor necessarily emoting in a way that feels organic at times. What the film excels at is exploring the dilemma of these women intellectually by exposing multiple viewpoints in light of their professed faith beliefs and how those should inform their choices, while also dipping into the sociological harm of their current environment.

Long story short, sure, I don't mind a bit of this, but I really enjoy when it feels more organic and naturally woven into active drama, less when it feels like an intellectual discourse delivered on the nose. The book I suspect pulled this off better than the screen.

Happy to say the last twenty minutes or so do pull together where the women are being more active and doing things, and it feels like there's a better mesh of drama and intellectual content.

There are some very touching moments mostly involving August and Ona, but also a late-film development in Mariche's arc + her relationship with her mother. Salome also manages to remain true to form in this story, and that name itself has a flavorful history in religion and literature.

---

I also watched about half of "To Leslie." Yes, Andrea Riseborough is great. In fact, the supporting cast is also pretty great, even with their momentary run-times. Owen Teague, who took so much crap in "IT" because Maschetti rather rewrote Patrick Hockstetter's character (and a similar turn in The Stand redux as Harold Lauter), is really wonderful as his son -- the young man who loves his mother and wants to give her a chance despite how she bailed on him so often, and yet still raw because she's just hurting him all over again and needing to draw boundaries. I hope to see him in more things.

Stephen Root is almost unrecognizable in the first minute of his screen appearance. Allison Janney of course just wings her part effortlessly. And so on.

I found it hard for me to watch at times, it's a film that makes me uncomfortable and angry, as the ACoaA myself, remembering all the crap I had growing up dealing with my drunkard father. Mother vs Father dynamics are a bit different in how it all plays out, but there's also a lot of similarity -- the lying, the pretending, the duplicitous acting as if everything is fine, the denial, and the inability to get a fucking grip over one's life and behavior... and sometimes (in the film's case) just buying into the "sickness" paradigm in order to excuse actually trying to dig one's way out. Riseborough is this ruined husk of a mother, daughter, and friend, and just doesn't seem to be trying super-hard to fight her way out even if she's entirely miserable and destitute where she currently is.

I think it's fascinating how it pulls back the mask on all of her deceptions -- she might by lying to herself and others, but the only one actively buying into her lies is herself, and deep down she knows it, leading to anger and frustrations sometimes bubbling forth. There's a great bar scene she tries to ease herself into a table with two decent seeming cowboys, making a fool of herself without realizing it (because they've sized her up immediately), but they're trying to treat her respectfully and kindly, even while not wanting to get drawn into her shit and she keeps pushing them in order to get attention and booze.

It's what an alcoholic near the end of their journey really seems oblivious to -- that, no matter who or what they pretend they are, it's like the Emperor's New Clothes to everyone else, their embarrassing nakedness is obvious to everyone but themselves, and their pretense only makes them look even more desperate and pitiful to the world. The only person they fool is themselves.

Honestly, it's quite a performance from Riseborough and definitely worth seeing, so the fact the film barely was noticed (lack of marketing?) when it dropped is sad. it's a nice little personal indie film that so far is nicely done, honest, and sensitive.

 

[Totenkindly]

Made a list of classic films I've never seen, since admittedly my knowledge of films before 1960 is not very good.

First on my list was Casablanca (1942). I'll admit it took me awhile to warm up to this film, I had trouble catching all the dialogue in the first third or so + getting up to speed on the politics and dynamics of who was who and their affiliations and it took me out of the film.

I noticed a shift in my appreciation over all once Ingrid Bergman appears, I think in part because it becomes a more human, easily understandable story at that part, and my feelings about the film improved through to the end. She's also really great on camera, with her tone delivery and facial expressions.

There's still a bit of a difference in my views of gender relations and this film is a product of its time, but the plot/drama became far more interesting going through to the end, and there are actual character arcs in place here, with people making hard choices between their moral aspirations and personal desires.

It was neat to see actors I have literally heard of since I was a kid but mostly through other genres (I watched a lot of monster flicks when I was young -- so Claude Raines and Peter Lorre). This might have been the first film I've seen with Bogie in it.

One thing I wasn't expecting was how quippy and funny this film is. There's a lot you'll miss if you're not listening carefully. Some really humorous lines and situations in there.

While maybe there wasn't anything innovative in the cinematography, lighting, staging, etc, it is an extremely solid film from a technical/workmanship perspective and exhibits a lot of skill and thought, even down to the coloring/costuming for B&W.

Yup, no one ever says "Play It Again, Sam." Ingrid comes close but no cigar.

I think it is worth a rewatch now that I know the plot and to listen for things i might have missed.

I'm thinking to watch The Treasure of the Sierra Madre next.

 

[Totenkindly]

Holy shit. Jamie Lee and Ke Huy Quan -- winners. There might actually be a sweep for EEAAO.

Gratz to the Pinnocchio film that was actually good.

EDIT: Best Makeup/Hairstyling to The Whale? That is all boding really well for Brendan Fraser, since it was competing with Elvis and he's basically competing with Butler for Best Actor... and Jamie Lee won as the vote darling when she was a potential dark horse.

 

[Totenkindly]

And there it is. Go Brendan!

And Michelle.

And one of my favorite films of the year. I'm blown away that others saw it that way too.

 

[Totenkindly]

Overall it seemed a pretty smooth and streamlined Oscars. it didn't feel laborious, honestly.

Malala Yousafzai looked pretty uncomfortable when Jimmy Kimmel asked her a joke question. I didn't see the first two hours, so I missed any routine he did. Some of his jokes were funny, some kind of fell off a knife edge and thudded, but I didn't really feel like he made any blunders... everyone seemed to just chalk it up for what it is.

Hulu has the entire show + then the acceptance speeches broken out for everything (which is nice). TBH, I enjoyed Ke Huy Quan's and Jamie Lee's speeches the most out of all the acting award speeches and most of the others as well. It was great when Quan name-dropped Jeff Cohen as well -- Cohen played Chunk in "The Goonies" and ended up becoming a practicing lawyer and I think helped cut his contract for doing EEAAO. It was neat to see Quan hugging Troy Kotsur repeatedly.

 

[ceecee]

Overall I was very

Overall it seemed a pretty smooth and streamlined Oscars. it didn't feel laborious, honestly.

Malala Yousafzai looked pretty uncomfortable when Jimmy Kimmel asked her a joke question. I didn't see the first two hours, so I missed any routine he did. Some of his jokes were funny, some kind of fell off a knife edge and thudded, but I didn't really feel like he made any blunders... everyone seemed to just chalk it up for what it is.

Hulu has the entire show + then the acceptance speeches broken out for everything (which is nice). TBH, I enjoyed Ke Huy Quan's and Jamie Lee's speeches the most out of all the acting award speeches and most of the others as well. It was great when Quan name-dropped Jeff Cohen as well -- Cohen played Chunk in "The Goonies" and ended up becoming a practicing lawyer and I think helped cut his contract for doing EEAAO. It was neat to see Quan hugging Troy Kotsur repeatedly.

I thought the show was fine overall. Probably helped that Jimmy Kimmel is a rather chill guy and kept the jokes on the less abrasive/less mean side. No one needs to be a hateful twat when hosting the Oscars.

Very happy with the EEAAO wins - but I really thought Cate Blanchett would win Best Actress if I'm being honest. Brendan Fraser - wonderful. The best actor categories went to people that have, for lack of a better term, suffered to get to this point. It seems the message of EEAAO - kindness - was really been embodied by Ke Huy Quan and Brendan Fraser as people and spot lit one of the wonderful, most noble things about America - immigrants that provide so much of what it means to be American. Plus the Daniels are the weirdest pair (in a good way) only they could come up with a screenplay like that. Just happy others loved it too.

Felt bad for Angela Bassett but I still feel she should have won 30 years ago - that performance is unmatched.

 

[Totenkindly]

I thought the show was fine overall. Probably helped that Jimmy Kimmel is a rather chill guy and kept the jokes on the less abrasive/less mean side. No one needs to be a hateful twat when hosting the Oscars.

Very happy with the EEAAO wins - but I really thought Cate Blanchett would win Best Actress if I'm being honest. Brendan Fraser - wonderful. The best actor categories went to people that have, for lack of a better term, suffered to get to this point. It seems the message of EEAAO - kindness - was really been embodied by Ke Huy Quan and Brendan Fraser as people and spot lit one of the wonderful, most noble things about America - immigrants that provide so much of what it means to be American. Plus the Daniels are the weirdest pair (in a good way) only they could come up with a screenplay like that. Just happy others loved it too.

I suspect Blanchett lost because of the EEAAO snowball, the Michelle Yeoh story, and because Tar didn't appeal to as many people. Her performance was astonishing, though. She is just one of the best screen performers of my generation and maybe any living generation.

Felt bad for Angela Bassett but I still feel she should have won 30 years ago - that performance is unmatched.

Same, and in general she's very deserving. I remember loving her fierceness the first time I saw her. I guess that was the one that Holly Hunter won for The Piano? I have never seen that film.

TBH, while I love Jamie Lee to death, I'm still kind of feeling like Stephanie Hsu should have picked this up if it wasn't going to Bassett. She was so versatile and so good, in terms of a nuanced and varied performance. -- and she mostly got big I think in theater or musicals, yet she still manages to nail subtlety in cinematic productions. I am hoping to see her name again as the future unfolds. I am finishing watching this film for the third time and I have so many feels about their [Evelyn & Joy's] relationship.

 

[Totenkindly]

The 'Wicked' Movie Is Coming Sooner Than We Thought

Get ready to go to Oz!

www.yahoo.com

So now it is Thanksgiving 2024 instead of Christmas 2024. For some reason, I keep thinking 2023, and now I'm wondering why I am posting about it. Why would a movie like this need so much production time? I guess Thanksgiving 2023 will be all about Dune 2 for me.

The musical itself was great, the two times I've seen it. Not really sure about the film version. Erivo of course is awesome... but we all saw what a dog the Disney version of Pinocchio was this year despite her billing as the Blue Fairy (and to be fair to Hanks, the movie's failure wasn't his fault, it was the terrible writing + some other elements). Casting doesn't matter if the movie is awful.

Edit: re: CATS

 

[Totenkindly]

Keanu Reeves, 'John Wick 4' director dedicate film to Lance Reddick

'John Wick' star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski have dedicated the upcoming fourth film to Lance Reddick after news of the actor's death: 'We will miss him dearly.'

ew.com

 

[Totenkindly]

Stephanie Hsu!!!

Red band trailer -- joy ride (2023)

 

[Totenkindly]

John Wick 2 -- in preparation for John Wick 4 next weekend. I have just JW3 left to watch this week. Not sure I think the films are quite as great as when they released. I know I'm hard on Keanu; I like him as a person, but I had so many disappointed sighs when everyone in the film, even the no-names, are often able to deliver at least a single line of dialogue that doesn't sound forced or artificial. The poor guy just can't even say a five word sentence without it feeling like it's not coming from a natural place. I feel bad in saying this, because he's a great person. and of course once he actually just kinetically acts and doesn't have any lines, he's great. // Also bittersweet now with Lance Reddick's passing on Friday.

Memento -- The first Nolan film I saw (and then at that time I immediately dug out Following, which is a shorter experiment film with non-linear time assembly as well and totally worth the watch). There's nothing really like Nolan's early works. The Prestige is still often listed as my favorite film ever, along with Pan's Labyrinth. Memento is organized around a brilliant central conceit where structure accurately conveys protagonist experience and not just being a "gimmick" -- and Jonathan Nolan's writing is organized so that going backwards creates its own mysteries they are revealed as we go back in time. Things we didn't understand or even THOUGHT we understood are redefined as we understand what came before, and the sadness is that how Leonard is trapped on this endless merry-go-around being played by not just the world around him but even by himself. It's a hellish, terrible existence.

Crimes of the Future (2022) -- David Cronenberg still has it, even if this isn't at the top of his most brilliant films. But he's a guy who can put together an artsy styled, unsettling, body-altering film that leaves you both absorbed and distressed simultaneously. The familiar is mixed with the unfamiliar, and you're kind of in no-man's land in terms of social taboo and regular life experience. It feels like a hushed film, and I'd say the stand-out performances are Mortensen in a lead role and Stewart in a supporting part... she has one particularly great scene with Mortensen that is just riveting and it's so nuanced and underplayed. It's a shame she is sometimes considered a joke because of certain roles where she was horribly miscast, because once you get her in her element, she's mesmerizing.

 

[Totenkindly]

Shazam! Fury of the Gods has one of the worst opening weekends for a DC film

Shazam! Fury of the Gods has one of the worst opening weekends for a DC film

www.yahoo.com

Welp, like I noted somewhere previously, I didn't even realize this film was coming out until a month or so back when I saw a trailer in the theater, and it wasn't even really that clear what the film was about aside from Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu chewing up scenery together. It looked to be about on par with Black Adam, which bombed in the box office and I only got through about 20-25 minutes of before watching something else and never going back to it.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

When I was a kid, I caught bits of Spinal Tap on HBO and thought it was a real documentary. For a while, I thought Michael McKean was actually a British musician turned actor who just excelled at doing American accents. Mind you, this was pre internet and google era.