Last Film Watched Thread.

I think the best part of Natural Born Killers is the brilliant social commentary that Stone brings to light, though Downey Jr.'s performance is the stuff that careers are made of. I do agree that the unique visual experience it creates becomes a bit too much from time to time though, and that's why I refrain from calling the film a masterpiece. It's certainly Stone's only fantastic work though, in my opinion.

Ok, sorry I took so long on these. Here are all of my viewings over the past week. I've had some mediocre disappointments, an entertaining re-watch, a sensational surprise and one of the best performances of the year so far:

Dawn of the Dead(2004) (re-watch) - 7.0/10



An exceptionally fun, zombie-slaying time. It sticks to the basic horror formula of 'Everything is fine, turmoil, everything is good again, huge problem, attempt to solve it, happy ending' but makes everything a lot more fun and gorey than the average weekly gorefest. The performances are all pretty nice, notably a surprising turn from Sarah Polley into a much more mainstream environment, and no one really distracts from the story of the film. All of the gore and violent scenes are very well done and are some of the best entertainment of the decade. Attempts at a more supernatural form of horror, like the baby delivery, are poorly done and tend to take you out of the thrill of the rest of the film but they are few and far in between. It gets a bit dull at time, but as always, the final act is exhilirating and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The finale is bittersweet and a perfect end to the picture.


The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada - 6.5/10



A bit of a disappointment since I was expecting it to be one of the best films of 2005, but it still ended up being a gritty and superbly-acted modern western. The film is split into four acts, but it's really just two halves. The first half is interesting, yet it jumps around too much between characters and time periods that one gets completely lost and begins to misunderstand where he's even at in the film's sequence of events. The second half is completely linear but ends up being very dull and filled with meaningless plot devices like a snake bite and an old, blind man who just wants someone to kill him. But don't get me wrong, the film definitely has it's fair share of good points as well. The acting is superb. Everyone from Tommy Lee Jones to Barry Pepper to January Jones are incredible, though none of them really shines above the rest of the cast. The cinematography is also top-notch and does a great job of setting up the ambience and scenery for a film as bleak and dull in tone as the life of a border patrolman is. Overall it's just a run of the mill film that tries some new tricks with the screenplay and completely gives that up in the second half, for good reason.


The Cooler - 9.5/10



A very pleasant surprise. This film does everything right. It creates a story with intricate details that captivate and engage you throughout. There is a plethera of diverse and richly detailed characters, each with their beautiful traits and their dark, disturbing flaws. The dialogue seamlessly flows from gut-wrenching drama to wonderful romance to playful comedy and all the way back to deeply painful heartache. The performances are almost unbeatable. William H. Macy is superb as always, and Kramer knows just how to get the best work out of him. Sometimes Macy can drop the ball on what script he picks (i.e. Sahara) but he really nailed it with this picture. The role seems made for him, and he definitely turns the character into Macy instead of turning himself into the character. Maria Bello is just as brilliant in one of the best performances of the year. She is sweet, sexy, adorable and painfully vulnerable all in one scene. She proves that she can flawlessly combine sensuality, comedy and emotional strength just as well as the brilliant script can. Even though these two are exceptional, the real star of the film is Alec Baldwin. He delivers possibly the best performance of the year and one of the top ten of the decade in a role that seems made for him. The sheer brutality and businesslike visceral nature that this character represents is perfectly portrayed through Baldwin. He creates one of the most despicable villains of all time, yet does a wonderful job of seeming like everything he does is just. We see each character have such deep, resounding flaws yet can't help but feel sympathy for each and every one of them as we realize that they all feel as though every choice they make is the only one they can; and we eventually see that these are the only choices they can make, no matter how horrible they are. The only real flaw of the film is the cheesy Hollywood ending, yet I still can't help but love it. It puts the perfect cap on a miracle romance that turns the unluckiest man in the world into the luckiest.


Alpha Dog - 6.5/10



Better than I would have expected. It does, however, fall into the typical Hollywood aimed at teens and gangsters trait at being completely over the top and ridiculously unrealistic at times. Some of the decisions these character make are so pathetic and unbelievable, that it's simple impossible to believe they were based on true events. It goes out of it's way to appeal to the hip teen crowd and draw in more box office, that it comes to the point of annoyance very often. I can't help but commend the film, however, on it's ability to remain engaging and very interesting while staying true to the actual events that transpired. The performances range from good (Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake surprisingly) to mediocre (Bruce Willis, Shawn Hatosy) to one of the worst I've ever seen in the form of Sharon Stone. I wanted to vomit when she donned that fat suit and overracted her career out the window some more. The real surprise of the film is Ben Foster, though, who delivers one of the most eccentric and powerful performance of the year so far in a role that should have been expanded to it's own film. Foster proves once again that he is one of the most talented and underrated actors of his generation in a performance that is just way too good for the film that it's in. His dedication is astounding. He truly is the last remaining hope of a beautiful breed of performers known as 'method actors'. He's just as good, if not better, than he was in 3:10 to Yuma. Once Crowe and Bale hang up their flags, Ben Foster will be the last one around and that is such a shame since I easily call them the greatest actors in existence.

Wow, now I feel like re-watching The Cooler. I haven't seen it in ages and I only liked it. Didn't love it.

Re-watch: Annie Hall - 10/10



Intelligent, funny, heartwarming, romantic and a sweet tale of love are just a couple of things that make one of the most relatable films ever (at least for me) such a masterpiece.

Re-watch: Get Shorty - 9/10



I am a huge fan of films that take a look at a different side of making films and plays. Some of my favourites include The Producers and Ed Wood and Get Shorty is another film on that list. Scott Frank's screenplay is absolutely terrific and adapts Elmore Leonard's book extremely well. John Travolta gives his best performance as Chili Palmer and Gene Hackman is especially brilliant playing Harry Zimm. Both are great pieces of acting that were sadly snubbed come Oscar time. Oh and it's really, really funny.

Re-watch: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - 7/10



Sure, it gets very silly at times, but I certainly do enjoy watching Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith running around Hollywood in their infamous alter-egos. One of my favourite moments in the film: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon filming Good Will Hunting 2. "Apple sauce, bitch."

SHOOT 'EM UP (Michael Davis, 2007) 9/10

Holy shit, this movie is crazy. There's a plot, sort of, but it doesn't really matter, because it's sort of buried beneath layers and layers of brilliantly choreographed action scenes. It's clever, funny, and entertaining as hell, probably the most entertaining theater experience I've had since Snakes on a Plane. It's got a pretty nice soundtrack; the fact that Strapping Young Lad is on it is so badass it makes my nuts bubble. This proves that idea that Clive Owen would have made an excellent James Bond, and Paul Giamatti is hilarious.

Also, seeing Monica Bellucci in various states of undress is relevant to my interests.

Cellular - 6/10



A pretty formulaic action film with a rather uninteresting lead performance. I also thought that it really lacked in the humour department as well as providing numerous scenes that only ever happen in the movies and never in real life. Nonetheless, the action scenes do deliver quite a bit of nice action and I can't fault William H Macy, Kim Basinger and Jason Statham, all of whom do decent jobs. Plus, the villains are unlikable enough that you're still rooting for the hero to save the day.

The Bourne Ultimatum - 7/10



I have not seen the first two films in the series, which made the first ten minutes or so a tad confusing, but afterwards I began to get into the film and Matt Damon does do a pretty good job as usual. The script is well-written, although at types I thought to myself "No way in real life would he have survived that." I also thought the camera work was way too shaky in some places. Did Greengrass not want the audience to see some great fist fights? Yet, I was entertained for two hours and despite the film's obvious flaws, I was still able to escape from the world outside, just as the film intended.

Tom - Shoot 'Em Up gets a tiny bit too ridiculous for me at times, but it's definitely one of the most entertaining experiences I've ever had in the theater. Everyone is hilarious to watch and Bellucci is as hot as ever. It's just an insanely enjoyable film that never lets up and that's why I loved it.

Estefan - Yeah, Cellular was pretty average but I thought Evans gave some good comedic relief (though Eric Christian Olsen was probably more funny). I despised Basinger though. She made me cringe whenever she was on screen. The film itself is pretty fun and easy to watch throughout, and has a killer soundtrack. You already know my thoughts on Bourne. I love it dearly. The only flaw in my eyes is the piss poor dialogue.

The Kingdom



The perfect match for my extremely high expectations. Berg definitely channels a lot from producer Michael Mann in creating this gritty, authentic and utterly engaging thrillride. The film does a great job of balancing a bounty of fantastic performances, the inadequacy of the United States government, subtle and hilarious dry humor throughout, the abismal opinions that the rest of the world has on US involvement in foreign affairs and some of the most entertaining action of the decade. Even during all of the political debate and conversation, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation and enjoyment. The final act is absolutely incredible and I strain to think of a better time I've had in the theater in many years. The fight scenes inside of the terrorist hideout are some of the most engaging, visceral and simply entertaining action sequences of all time and definitely accomplished the task of getting a large reaction from me. The camerawork clearly got a helping influence from Mann's modern work and creates a very gritty and 'in your face' style that puts the viewer inside the mindset of the characters. There were some amazing performances all around, notably from the subtle and heartbreaking Jennifer Gardner and the comically exuberant Jason Bateman. Berg certainly made the right choice when deciding what actor would be the best to improvise the majority of comic relief, and Bateman kept me rolling in my seat with laughter. The finale might be the most brilliant and cathartic experience I've ever had in a theater. The parallel of the two scenes and realization that everyone thinks what they are doing is right is stunning. We see that in some people's eyes we are as purely villainous as we are made to see terrorists. Easily one of the best films of the year so far, and I'm positive it will remain in my top ten by the end of the year.

Natural Born Killers - 7/10. Some parts of this movie suck while others are kickass. I liked the Dangerfield sequences, the Tommy Lee Jones sequences and the prison riot sequences... everything else was kinda annoying. Good performance by Tommy Lee Jones.

Re-watch: South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut - 10/10



I've explained my love for this brilliant film many times before.

I'm really getting frustrated with the severe lack of response to other people's posts. It's getting beyond pointless to even write anything here.

Yeah, I'm starting to think that leaving the first FJ was a very bad idea.

Jeebus wrote:

I'm really getting frustrated with the severe lack of response to other people's posts. It's getting beyond pointless to even write anything here.

Hey, you people watch too much crap. Nobody has seen those movies. My vote history is like only 350 movies with 200 of them being porn flicks. You people should watch more movies that I've, you know, seen. Your fault, not mine.

I'm not even talking about just me. Even when I respond to other people's posts they don't care to reply to it. It's just 'This is the movie I saw. Rating. Thoughts.' over and over and over again and absolutely nothing else.

Yeah, I think we're also missing retards here. We're all rather rational and decent towards each other, we're missing retard-semen like King or Matt (people we actually want and need to criticize in one way or another)

Someone atleast read it.

The Constant Gardener (Fernando Meirelles, 2005): 9.5/10



It’s a wonderfully harrowing film of sublime intellect and evident intricacy. A beautiful blend of what our world knows and what our world knows but doesn’t choose to convey. How a story can start out with such simplicity yet end up being so complex is a truly remarkable achievement. Meirelles handles it with such fine understanding that finding it admirable wouldn’t be unforeseen. His direction is top-notch and some of the best of the decade. He sleekly moves his camera and it in turn makes you feel engulfed in the petrified world of the corrupt lives of those who swindle Justin. Fiennes delivers an immensely wonderful performance that stands as one of the best performances of the year. Weisz also delivers a rich supporting performance that rivals that of Fiennes. It was such a fine choice on the Academy’s behalf to give her the win. The screenplay is wholly original and one of the most excellent of the year. It’s simply one of the finest films of the year and of the decade. The Constant Gardener is a film that delivers rich performances, superb direction, a wonderful screenplay, and a marvelously implicit message.

I knew this would happen.

Yeah, I haven't seen that movie but I have on the other hand seen Rachel Weisz's golden 3 B's: boobies, butt and bush.

sverrir90 wrote:

Yeah, I haven't seen that movie but I have on the other hand seen Rachel Weisz's golden 3 B's: boobies, butt and bush.

That was absolutely fantastic of you to share.

Shaun of the Dead - 8/10. I thought it was well-paced and the jokes appealed to me. What's else to say? Cornetto?

Marie Antoinette - 8/10



What a pleasant surprise. Sofia Coppola's idea of making Marie Antoinette like your average American teenager thrust into royalty works so well. Kirsten Dunst's performance helps matters even more as she gives probably the first performance of hers where I have actually been very impressed by her. Critics who disliked it said it was boring, but I was fascinated by it. The scenes showing the banality and repetition of French royalty I found quite humorous and it works.

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

If I could name one flaw of the film it was that the last 15 minutes or so start to move really slowly. We know exactly what will happen to Marie and Louis, but Coppola takes a while to get there. I also didn't think Coppola should have ended with Marie and Louis riding out of Versailles in the carriage. The average viewer who hasn't read up on Marie Antoinette's life will think that she went on to live a happy life away afterwards, when really that isn't the case.

*END OF SPOILERS*

Nonetheless, despite my problems with the ending, I found the film to be an enjoyable feast for all the senses.

The Passenger - 8/10



While The Passenger is a very slow moving film, its pace falls more into the category of Elephant (another slow paced film that fascinates from start to finish) than something like Brokeback Mountain (which was mind-numbingly boring). Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider both give great performances and the direction is superb. If you have plenty of patience, this is certainly worth viewing.

Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978): 8.5/10



Not quite as good as expected, but a great horror film nonetheless. It's able to maintain a genuinely creepy atmosphere throughout the entire film. The direction is very well-done and adds a great deal to the atmosphere. Curtis gives a relatively good performance and it’s quite good to see an intelligent protagonist in a horror film. Michael Myers is a great antagonist because he’s not overbearing like most horror movie villains. He can maintain his eeriness without being up in your face at all times. He stands there silently waiting to seize upon on his victim and you can just feel the approaching dread. Though, the film is more of a suspense film than a horror film, at least it is for me. The score while being quite limited is still fantastic and extremely unsettling. Its theme, once heard with the film, sticks in your memory for the following hours. It’s a great horror film that can stand on its own and be creepy without being over excessive in conveying its eeriness.

Harry Lime wrote:

I knew this would happen.

It's not like you comment on anyone's viewings.

estefan wrote:

the category of Elephant (another slow paced film that fascinates from start to finish) than something like Brokeback Mountain (which was mind-numbingly boring).

Switch those around and you are right on the money.

Jeebus wrote:

Harry Lime wrote:

I knew this would happen.

It's not like you comment on anyone's viewings.

I'm aware that I have been lacking, but I really haven't seen a whole of the films people write-up on. Besides, I'm certain I would be motivated more if people paid a lot more attention to my write-ups.

I'm so glad to know that you liked it, Dave! As you said, I think is one of the most atmospheric horror films ever made. Some people thinks the script is poor because the film is "simple". Anyway, I thought the movie was an experience. Michael was "evil personified", he kills her sister when he was six, he escapes from his mental institution and then he chases babysitters, Halloween Night. While we watch it, Michael is chasing us, it's happenning to us, it's scary. We're living the film. Curtis gives a great performance, and the fact that someone (unknown back in the '70s) could actually act in a horror film (Besides some exceptions, of course) is simply fantastic. The performances are all the more absorbing because of that; the movie's a slice of life that is carefully painted (in drab daylights and impenetrable nighttimes) before its human monster enters the scene. Michael is definitely one of my favourite villians of all time, and I couldn't agree more with your description. He's scary, lethal, and in a way, subtle and precise. (Plus, he's cool as hell). The film gets even better with rewatches. The score (not only the main theme, but the score overall) is excellent, among my favourites. The main theme is fantastic and iconic, and Laurie's Theme is as great. Something I forgot to mention, Laurie's such a relatable character, it was great to see a smart heroine in a horror film, instead of an immature teen. I could go on for hours... And yeah... it's creepy as hell... So, the fact that you liked it it's incredibly awesome!

Pushing Tin - 8/10. Wow, I can't believe this got 5.8 on imdb. Sure, it's flawed but it's got Angelina Jolie's nipples and people flying around after getting caught in wake turbulence.

Hey Sverrir, this place is probably dead. Mitch and David are posting in the other forum, you must do the same!

http://www.takeforum.com/quickerstop

Meh, I think http://www.takeforum.com/quickerstop/viewtopic.php?t=87&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&mforum=quickerstop