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Tom Cruise doesn't need a canopy. He's a bit nutty ya know.
Rate The Last Movie You Saw
I didn't feel emotionally detached from the film at all, personally. Rather, I felt Zuckerberg to be a compelling character in the film and that he was developed and realized rather well.
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I get that, but my problem with the movie wasn't a lack of development for his character, it was the detached emotional tone Fincher made the movie with, which I felt didn't fit such a Drama.
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Funny, not only did I think he nailed it all, to the wall, I thought he made it seem effortless and I came away thinking that Peele is actually a better filmmaker than even his already very good material. I went back and saw it again.
The Unsuspected (1947)
This gem of a noir was directed by the legendary Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Mildred Pierce), and featured wonderful chiaroscuro cinematography by Woody Bredell (Phantom Lady, The Killers). Its stars ranged from the best to the least: Claude Rains, Constance Bennett, and Audrey Totter being the former, whereas newcomer Joan Caulfield and Michael North comprised the latter.
The story opens with a well staged murder, thought to be a suicide. The rest of the picture unwinds a complex and confounding plot featuring a popular radio mystery host and members of his family and associates, including a niece, a secretary, a wealthy ward, the host’s producer, a homicide detective, and a mysterious stranger who shows up claiming to be the husband of the ward thought to be lost at sea. It ultimately features several surprises.
The picture is vaguely reminiscent of Laura (1944), but here Claude Rains is the de facto director of the plot upon whom most every scene is related to. Rains is a phenomenal actor seemingly comfortable in every type of role. He made ten films with Curtiz. Constance Bennett (sister of Joan) as the producer who uncovered the identity of the “unsuspected”, shined in her last major supporting role. The incomparable Audrey Totter was at her snarling best femme fatale type character. Totter tended toward over acting, and although she was adept at any kind of part, an editor once said that she was too good at bad to play good. She had the keen ability to let the audience know exactly what she was thinking.
The picture was the first project from Curtiz’s production company, having stuck a deal with Warner Brothers to evenly share in the costs and profits. It is remarkable the actors that had been slated for this film, but who eventually were replaced by the existing cast: Orson Welles, Robert Alda, Humphrey Bogart, Dana Andrews, Cathy O’Donnell, Virginia Mayo, Eve Arden, and Donald Crisp. Curtiz had also wanted Joan Fontaine, but couldn’t afford her.
The film displays marvelous examples of noir black and white cinematography composed by Woody Bredell. His work earns him a seat alongside the great John Alton. Bredell’s photography is moody and captivating, and alone is worth the price of admission.
Doc’s rating: 7/10
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I wish I had been too, but there's something about Fincher's general emotional detachment as a filmmaker that makes him less well-suited for Dramas such as it, and better for the Thrillers that he's more famous for, I have to admit. When it comes to his more dramatic efforts, it feels like he's either being way too sentimental (Benjamin Button), or too sterile, like with TSN.
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i didn't have a problem with the tone in The Social Network but i did in the one about the Zodiac Killer. I am afraid I can't remember the exact name. Was it just The Zodiac?
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By http://www.movieposter.com/poster/A7...nzo_s_Oil.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43269828
Lorenzo's Oil - (1992)
I'd always thought I'd seen Lorenzo's Oil before, but watching it last night made me question that - it's a really good film, and I didn't remember seeing any of it before. The image I had in my head of the film was completely different to what I saw. ALD (Adrenoleukodystrophy) is a disease that used to be incurable - and without going into specifics, it used to eat away at the tissue surrounding the nerves in the brain. Parents Augusto (Nick Nolte) and Michaela (Susan Sarandon) Odone refuse to just accept that their young son, Lorenzo (Zack O'Malley Greenburg) is going to die, and start researching the disease and all of the medical issues that surround it. They eventually come up with an oil (similar to olive oil) that helps slow it down - but the disease still eats away at Lorenzo until the pair make a discovery that revolutionizes the treatment of ALD sufferers. It's a true story about two parents who basically cure a disease for their kid (I believe they received honorary medical degrees for what they did) - and it's really good - although Nick Nolte as Italian is a very weird fit. The scenes of Lorenzo suffering are confronting enough to raise the stakes, and we're never quite sure of where we stand with Michaela - whether she's delusional, or heroic - since most nurses beg her to let Lorenzo die as he seemingly has no hope, and is going through hell. This film surprised me.
7.5/10
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7098461
Dirty Dancing - (1987)
Okay, this. Story-wise there's not much to Dirty Dancing - a chimp could have written it. It wouldn't be worth bothering with if it didn't have such a snazzy and enjoyable soundtrack - and some great songs that play over dance lesson montages, which is where the film excels and is enjoyable. Hearing those songs brings back all kinds of memories - including those of dances as a teenager that would always end with "(I've Had) The Time of My Life". It's strangely 80s-feeling for a film set in the early 60s, but always watchable.
6/10
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=936443
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life - (1983)
I'm always comparing The Meaning of Life to Life of Brian and Holy Grail - where it comes off third-best, and suffers mostly from the other two films being brilliant. It's fine, and it's very funny and pointed at times - with religion often being in the line of sights, perhaps because of how the Pythons had been hounded during the 70s regarding the issue. It's also a return to sketch comedy for the troupe, and I thought their story-based films were more enjoyable. Nevertheless, this is still very good.
7/10
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Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=936443
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life - (1983)
I'm always comparing The Meaning of Life to Life of Brian and Holy Grail - where it comes off third-best, and suffers mostly from the other two films being brilliant. It's fine, and it's very funny and pointed at times - with religion often being in the line of sights, perhaps because of how the Pythons had been hounded during the 70s regarding the issue. It's also a return to sketch comedy for the troupe, and I thought their story-based films were more enjoyable. Nevertheless, this is still very good.
7/10
Make of that what you will.
Doesn't really bring anything new to the genre, but it's well executed and it wraps itself pretty nicely in the end. Also, the young cast is amazing, especially the Shaw siblings (Mason Thames and Madelaine McGraw), love them!
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There has been an awekening.... have you felt it?
There has been an awekening.... have you felt it?
Shiva Baby -
Have you ever been to a family gathering that was so uncomfortable, you wanted to crawl out of your own skin? Odds are it wasn't as awkward as the one college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) attends in this movie, the titular shiva which is awkward on the onset since it's for a relative she barely knew. Danielle makes ends meet by working as a sugar baby, which she refers to as babysitting in conversations, and as a bisexual woman, her attempts to remain nonplussed to questions if she has a boyfriend become increasingly strained. Adding to this strain is the fact that she's not sure what she wants to do with her life, which doesn't sit well with a family of doctors, lawyers and business owners. To make matters worse, not only does one of her clients, Max (Danny Deferrari), show up, but his wife and young daughter are in tow.
If this plot description sounds like writer/director Emma Seligman wrote a checklist of every way in which a family gathering could be awkward and went from there, don't worry: contrived is not a word I would use to describe this movie. It always seems natural and as if it comes from a personal place. This is partly because Danielle comes across as human, at least more human than the objects of ridicule that the main characters in lesser movies like this one appear. My favorite way the movie does this is in Danielle's interactions with Maya (Molly Gordon), a former flame who is pretty much the only person with whom she can be honest with at the shiva, which, unfortunately, is not always to her benefit. I approve of how they convey their history strictly through (very good) acting instead of exposition. On that note, this is a star-making performance for Sennott, and it's nice to see that Hollywood took notice based on her appearance in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Danielle's interactions with her mother (Polly Draper) also made me clench my armrests in the best way for how Draper embodies a high expectations Jewish mother without venturing into parody. Also, the tension as to whether her "special relationship" with Max will come to light never wanes. Cinematographer Maria Rusche also deserves credit for how claustrophobic and inescapable she makes the creaky Brooklyn house where the shiva takes place. It may appear that with this much awkwardness, injecting comedy would be impossible, but Seligman somehow manages to do so at the right times and with just enough cringe (the good kind, that is). Few occasions in life seem more like what we imagine Hell is like more than family gatherings, especially when we think of ourselves as black sheep or when we have secrets we'd rather not reveal. As this movie's bittersweet conclusion proves, though, they're not the end of the world, and maybe, just maybe, we'll end up feeling better about ourselves when they're over.
Have you ever been to a family gathering that was so uncomfortable, you wanted to crawl out of your own skin? Odds are it wasn't as awkward as the one college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) attends in this movie, the titular shiva which is awkward on the onset since it's for a relative she barely knew. Danielle makes ends meet by working as a sugar baby, which she refers to as babysitting in conversations, and as a bisexual woman, her attempts to remain nonplussed to questions if she has a boyfriend become increasingly strained. Adding to this strain is the fact that she's not sure what she wants to do with her life, which doesn't sit well with a family of doctors, lawyers and business owners. To make matters worse, not only does one of her clients, Max (Danny Deferrari), show up, but his wife and young daughter are in tow.
If this plot description sounds like writer/director Emma Seligman wrote a checklist of every way in which a family gathering could be awkward and went from there, don't worry: contrived is not a word I would use to describe this movie. It always seems natural and as if it comes from a personal place. This is partly because Danielle comes across as human, at least more human than the objects of ridicule that the main characters in lesser movies like this one appear. My favorite way the movie does this is in Danielle's interactions with Maya (Molly Gordon), a former flame who is pretty much the only person with whom she can be honest with at the shiva, which, unfortunately, is not always to her benefit. I approve of how they convey their history strictly through (very good) acting instead of exposition. On that note, this is a star-making performance for Sennott, and it's nice to see that Hollywood took notice based on her appearance in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Danielle's interactions with her mother (Polly Draper) also made me clench my armrests in the best way for how Draper embodies a high expectations Jewish mother without venturing into parody. Also, the tension as to whether her "special relationship" with Max will come to light never wanes. Cinematographer Maria Rusche also deserves credit for how claustrophobic and inescapable she makes the creaky Brooklyn house where the shiva takes place. It may appear that with this much awkwardness, injecting comedy would be impossible, but Seligman somehow manages to do so at the right times and with just enough cringe (the good kind, that is). Few occasions in life seem more like what we imagine Hell is like more than family gatherings, especially when we think of ourselves as black sheep or when we have secrets we'd rather not reveal. As this movie's bittersweet conclusion proves, though, they're not the end of the world, and maybe, just maybe, we'll end up feeling better about ourselves when they're over.
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Shiva Baby -
Have you ever been to a family gathering that was so uncomfortable, you wanted to crawl out of your own skin? Odds are it wasn't as awkward as the one college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) attends in this movie, the titular shiva which is awkward on the onset since it's for a relative she barely knew. Danielle makes ends meet by working as a sugar baby, which she refers to as babysitting in conversations, and as a bisexual woman, her attempts to remain nonplussed to questions if she has a boyfriend become increasingly strained. Adding to this strain is the fact that she's not sure what she wants to do with her life, which doesn't sit well with a family of doctors, lawyers and business owners. To make matters worse, not only does one of her clients, Max (Danny Deferrari), show up, but his wife and young daughter are in tow.
If this plot description sounds like writer/director Emma Seligman wrote a checklist of every way in which a family gathering could be awkward and went from there, don't worry: contrived is not a word I would use to describe this movie. It always seems natural and as if it comes from a personal place. This is partly because Danielle comes across as human, at least more human than the objects of ridicule that the main characters in lesser movies like this one appear. My favorite way the movie does this is in Danielle's interactions with Maya (Molly Gordon), a former flame who is pretty much the only person with whom she can be honest with at the shiva, which, unfortunately, is not always to her benefit. I approve of how they convey their history strictly through (very good) acting instead of exposition. On that note, this is a star-making performance for Sennott, and it's nice to see that Hollywood took notice based on her appearance in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Danielle's interactions with her mother (Polly Draper) also made me clench my armrests in the best way for how Draper embodies a high expectations Jewish mother without venturing into parody. Also, the tension as to whether her "special relationship" with Max will come to light never wanes. Cinematographer Maria Rusche also deserves credit for how claustrophobic and inescapable she makes the creaky Brooklyn house where the shiva takes place. It may appear that with this much awkwardness, injecting comedy would be impossible, but Seligman somehow manages to do so at the right times and with just enough cringe (the good kind, that is). Few occasions in life seem more like what we imagine Hell is like more than family gatherings, especially when we think of ourselves as black sheep or when we have secrets we'd rather not reveal. As this movie's bittersweet conclusion proves, though, they're not the end of the world, and maybe, just maybe, we'll end up feeling better about ourselves when they're over.
Have you ever been to a family gathering that was so uncomfortable, you wanted to crawl out of your own skin? Odds are it wasn't as awkward as the one college student Danielle (Rachel Sennott) attends in this movie, the titular shiva which is awkward on the onset since it's for a relative she barely knew. Danielle makes ends meet by working as a sugar baby, which she refers to as babysitting in conversations, and as a bisexual woman, her attempts to remain nonplussed to questions if she has a boyfriend become increasingly strained. Adding to this strain is the fact that she's not sure what she wants to do with her life, which doesn't sit well with a family of doctors, lawyers and business owners. To make matters worse, not only does one of her clients, Max (Danny Deferrari), show up, but his wife and young daughter are in tow.
If this plot description sounds like writer/director Emma Seligman wrote a checklist of every way in which a family gathering could be awkward and went from there, don't worry: contrived is not a word I would use to describe this movie. It always seems natural and as if it comes from a personal place. This is partly because Danielle comes across as human, at least more human than the objects of ridicule that the main characters in lesser movies like this one appear. My favorite way the movie does this is in Danielle's interactions with Maya (Molly Gordon), a former flame who is pretty much the only person with whom she can be honest with at the shiva, which, unfortunately, is not always to her benefit. I approve of how they convey their history strictly through (very good) acting instead of exposition. On that note, this is a star-making performance for Sennott, and it's nice to see that Hollywood took notice based on her appearance in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. Danielle's interactions with her mother (Polly Draper) also made me clench my armrests in the best way for how Draper embodies a high expectations Jewish mother without venturing into parody. Also, the tension as to whether her "special relationship" with Max will come to light never wanes. Cinematographer Maria Rusche also deserves credit for how claustrophobic and inescapable she makes the creaky Brooklyn house where the shiva takes place. It may appear that with this much awkwardness, injecting comedy would be impossible, but Seligman somehow manages to do so at the right times and with just enough cringe (the good kind, that is). Few occasions in life seem more like what we imagine Hell is like more than family gatherings, especially when we think of ourselves as black sheep or when we have secrets we'd rather not reveal. As this movie's bittersweet conclusion proves, though, they're not the end of the world, and maybe, just maybe, we'll end up feeling better about ourselves when they're over.
I have this in my queue but I hate cringe so I've been letting it sit.
The Man From Earth: Holocene
Crap sequel that made me totally lose interest in the last quarter, couldn’t tell you how it ended
Crap sequel that made me totally lose interest in the last quarter, couldn’t tell you how it ended
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★
Found the film on television.
A young girl uses a chat platform to hunt a pedophile. The fact he was actually one was always a supposition, although she goes through various means, including castration, to make him confess.
This is a distasteful film, lacks dept, I'm sad about myself for seeing it to the end. There are many taboos in our society, and you can make garbage like this, or be Lars von Trier and say what he said in Nymphomaniac, that was courage, that has value, because, it doesn't matter if it's true or false, what matters is making people think, and he did make me think in a way I've never though before.
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Nice review.
I have this in my queue but I hate cringe so I've been letting it sit.
I have this in my queue but I hate cringe so I've been letting it sit.
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★
Found the film on television.
A young girl uses a chat platform to hunt a pedophile. The fact he was actually one was always a supposition, although she goes through various means, including castration, to make him confess.
This is a distasteful film, lacks dept, I'm sad about myself for seeing it to the end. There are many taboos in our society, and you can make garbage like this, or be Lars von Trier and say what he said in Nymphomaniac, that was courage, that has value, because, it doesn't matter if it's true or false, what matters is making people think, and he did make me think in a way I've never though before.
I liked it.
I mean, I saw it like 20 years ago, but I liked it.