17th MoFo Hall of Fame

In the Unrated version there are a few scenes added that include learning of a past game between Eddie's dad (played by Sting) and Hatchet Harry that gives some backstory to Harry wanting payback by getting the bar while doing it through his son.
It's not an all-important fact, but it does give a lot more motive than the assumption that Harry had his eye on the bar from the get go.

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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes

~Mr Minio

I definitely need to rewatch Lock, Stock soon, because none of what I've read in the thread so far sounds familiar at all haha.

Come to think of it, the only thing I do remember vividly is...

It's strange because I watched this film as a double feature with Snatch a number of times, yet I don't seem to recall much about this film, but I can directly quote multiple scenes from Snatch.

(I actually bring up "D'ya like dags?" on a regular basis haha.)

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I was thinking how Siddon said he didn't love Lock Stock like he once did, and I'm hoping that doesn't happen with me. I don't think so because it's usually 80's movies that I saw in my teens that it happens with. I first saw Lock Stock in my late 20's.

I get the two mixed up a lot myself. And I still do the "Dags? Yeah, I like dags." as well lol

I'm the same, a chunk of films from my teens I'm sorta so-so to, but a strong amount of films from my 20's I still very much enjoy.

I wanted to sleep on Incendies before posting my review because it was quite conflicting film for me. Other than Blade Runner 2049 I've liked films by Villeneuve so I had some expectations.

Only minor spoilers

Incendies (2010)

In present day Canada two young adults, twins named Jeanne and Simon, are hearing the will of their recently passed away mother. The will puts them on a quest to find their brother (who they didn't know exists) and father (who they've assumed dead). To solve the mystery they must go to their mother's homeland, Lebanon, and uncover her hidden past during the bloody civil war.


There's basically two stories in this film that are tightly connected but still separate. First is the present with the twins attempting to fulfill their mother's will. This part of the film doesn't really work too well. Motives of the characters remain unclear and it's hard to imagine what either the twins or their mother felt they could achieve (movie tried to sell the mother's promise to her newborn boy as her motive but I don't know, it just felt off). Also the whole mystery solving is omitted and replaced by the second narrative.

The story of Nawal, the mother of the twins, during the Lebanese Civil War is much better. It paints very bleak and cruel image of the era and unlike Hollywood it doesn't spare even the children from the horrors of war. Maybe it's just me but I see the film somewhat anti-religion as it clearly emphasizes it as the cause of the conflict (being anti-religion is a positive thing in my books, by the way). Nawal's journey through the years seem plausible and I'm happy that Villeneuve didn't try to show her as a flawless hero.

Visually the film is very nice and uses the beautiful scenery to full effect. I don't think the Snyder-like slow motion scenes with rock music fit the film that good and the usage of chapter titles in movies is almost always bad (especially when they don't even do the obvious and clearly separate the two narratives - couple of times it took me a while to notice the film had changed from mother to daughter because they looked so similar). Acting was mostly good and especially Nawal was great.

I'm still torn between 3 and 3.5 popcorn. At the moment the flaws of the present narrative seem to weigh the rating down but it's really close to being good.



So after this my Villeneuve ranking is:

Arrival = Prisoners > Incendies > Blade Runner 2049

I would probably rate them in almost the exact opposite direction haha. I've never ordered his films before, but I think I would go with this:

Blade Runner 2049 > Incendies > Next Floor (short) > Arrival > Enemy > Prisoners > Sicario

Yeah, I've kinda noticed my taste is often in the minority. I'd need to watch Sicario though, based on our lists I'd probably like it a lot

Sicario is actually the only film in that list that I don't really like. I only saw it once in theatres, but I was largely unimpressed and found it quite boring. But yeah, you might love both it and Enemy, since I ranked them lower haha.

I actually considered nominating Enemy for this HoF, but when I rewatched it I didn't really dig it as much as I did the first time. Same for Blue Ruin, which was the other film I had in mind to nominate but changed my mind after a rewatch.

If you switch Blade Runner and Incendies i'd say yours is closer to the majority actually, those are his three most praised in my experience anyway. I don't like Villeneuve at all to be honest but i'd go:

01. Incendies
02. Blade Runner 2049
03. Sicario
04. Enemy
05. Prisoners

Polytechnique looks interesting i guess and i should see Arrival already.

Loved Prisoners and liked Arrival a lot. Thought Sicario was just ok and didn't like Blade 2049. Haven't seen Enemy.

I've only seen Arrival & Blade 2049 of his films. I didn't like either of those much. But I'd say me not liking them has to do with the writer and not Villeneuve. I did like the look and feel of both movies, just not the story lines so much.

I think I'd rank the Villeneuve films I've seen like this...

1. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) (4/5 stars)
2. Sicario (2015) (4/5 stars)
3. Prisoners (2013) (4/5 stars)
4. Enemy (2013) (3.5/5 stars)
5. Arrival (2016) (3.5/5 stars)
6. Incendies (2010) (3.5/5 stars)

Somehow I missed Arrival in the cinema, so I watched it at home that year. I'm not even sure if Enemy got a theatrical release at all, at least not near me, so that was also a home viewing. The other four I saw on the big screen, so that definitely enhanced the experience.

Just checked his IMDb page... of his feature-length films, I still have to watch Polytechnique (2009), Maelstrom (2000), and August 32nd on Earth (1998).

I was actually briefly considering joining this but i decided against it when there ended up more than 12, glad i did because i've seen most of them already. Starting to wonder if i'll be able to join anymore General Hall of Fames as i've usually seen a lot of the nominees and i'm not the biggest fan of rewatches for these.

Amelie: Hated it but i should give it another shot, has been seven years or something and i don't remember it too well.
The Aviator: Teetering on love but i do think it has problems. Like it a lot anyway.
Day For Night: Watched it a few months back and loved it. Reading about Godard losing his mind over this and never speaking to Truffaut again pretty much confirms that while he is definitely talented, he's the biggest douche in film without a doubt.
Ghostwatch: Awesome, such a great idea. Would have loved to have watched it live at like seven years old, would've scared the life out of me, any older and i would've caught on tho haha.
Incendies: Liked this quite a bit but i do think i overrated it, there's a lot of off plot stuff that i overlooked because i thought it looked great and is powerful. Good though, the only Villeneuve i'd say that about.
The Innocents: I liked this a lot but don't remember it too well.
Let The Right One In: Third favourite horror this century after The Witch and Trouble Every Day.
Lock Stock: Always preferred this to Snatch, not sure what i'd think now though.
Pixote: I watched this before Cricket and i definitely thought while watching that it's his type of film, don't think i rec'd it to him though. It's definitely good but it's also harrowing and disgusting. Makes the similar (as in they're both about Brazillian street kids, they're nothing alike beyond that) City of God look like a Disney film)

Without any rewatches i'd go:

01. Day For Night
02. Let The Right One IN
03. Ghostwatch
04. The Aviator
05. Incendies
06. Pixote
07. The Innocents
08. Lock Stock
09. Amelie

Considering that Let the Right One In is my favorite (horror) film and I also liked The VVitch a lot I'm going to add Trouble Every Day to my watchlist. I don't think I've ever heard of that one.

It's not like either of them, i'd say both of those are pretty slow (methodic, deliberately paced, whatever positive term you want to give it) but they don't come close to Trouble Every Day in that sense, it's a Claire Denis film so i totally get that it bores people. It's just so perfectly filled with a coming sense of dread/doom for me that i didn't even care what the payoff was, and i liked that anyway.

The Libertine (Laurence Dunmore, 2004)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/23/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 17th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by me
Rewatch: Yes.

The film opens with an announcement from Johnny Depp as John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester. Wilmot proclaims that you will not like him, that you will like him a good deal less as we go on, and that he does not want you to like him.

But the reality is that I do like him - and this film - very, very much. Wilmot, or at least as he is depicted in The Libertine, is a fascinating character who looks upon life and the world around him with a potent mixture of boredom and revulsion. And in this film at least he cannot be blamed for that. The movie is dark and grimy. The screen practically reeks of the filth that surrounds him. Of the mud, and the s***, and the soulless people.

Though Wilmot is himself a man with little soul. Those around him who dare to care for him suffer for those feelings while he is unable to feel anything himself - except in the playhouse. And it is there that he finds himself a project, a pupil who transforms him moreso than he does her.

What really draws me into this film though is its irreverent and dark wit. Much like the film that has held the #1 position on my favorites list for many years, The Libertine is liberally peppered with sexual innuendo and sardonic humor, but it also has a lot of substance and heart. As the film progresses, I find myself laughing out loud and weeping in turns and caring very much for a character who probably deserves that caring to an even lesser degree than he claims to want it.

+

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Been wanting to watch this for quite some time since we’ve got it on Netflix in Canada but never got to it. Thanks @edarsenal for the nom.

I think it’s apparent from the other reviews so far why people love this movie. The strong characters and the punchy dialogue bring together a totally dysfunctional and fantastical plot. For me the movie up until the debt is introduced feels like a fairly standard setup for a heist movie, or just any crime plot where a “big job” is involved. We get introduced to the 4 main boys and a few side characters they interact with more regularly. This all felt very standard but it was all the chaos after that makes the film what it is.

I think all the parts were really well cast and that's a huge strength for the film. I really like the very energetic editing and really individual way of filming certain shots. There is a washed out look from the colour balancing and it really fits this gritty underground world the characters live in.

A great film and a great nom

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Trust The Process

I quickly checked it from IMDb and I'm not expecting it to be like those two. Actually I'm not even expecting to like it because for some reason the modern French horror has never worked for me but I'll watch it at some point anyway.

If you mean the New French Extremity films like Martyrs and Inside (the only two i've seen) then i don't think of them as that similar even though wiki lists Trouble Every Day as part of that movement. There is some blood and gore but it's not overly gratuitous, it's mostly contained in a couple of scenes towards the end. Guess the atmosphere could be seen as sort of similar but neither of them worked for me anywhere near as much. Anyway, wouldn't be surprised if you don't like it, just don't think of them as the same thing personally.