Rate The Last Movie You Saw.

[pathoftheturtle]

Not interested. I'm NOT a real fan of the kung-fu genre, so what is to love about another contemporary tribute? Russell Crowe can be good, sometimes, but I already have mixed feelings about him. I know, I know: either you get it or you don't. There are things I'm sure I could not explain to you why I appreciate. And to be honest, I'll probably watch this, eventually, anyway. I haven't put it on my "No way ever" list. Just not a priority for my money with so many other options.

[Heather19]

I enjoyed Killing Them Softly. I didn't love it and I don't think it's going to bring back the gangster genre, nor should it be put on the same tier as the best that the genre has to offer.

I think the biggest problem with the film is that there is no sense of peril for the main character, which is Brad Pitt once the story gets going. We quickly learn that he is a trained killer, but he's never really in any danger. He just goes from one job to the next. Very text book, but uninteresting in terms of a plot device.

What makes Goodfellas so great is you have a clear main character who grows and is constantly posed with choices that are accompanied by very real consequences. Same goes for The Godfather. Even Pulp Fiction, which doesn't unfold like a typical film, has main characters that we care about and are in danger. Jules and Vincent and their car incident. Bruce Willis and his Marcellus Wallace situation.

Killing Them Softly features some great acting and some scenes with some truly great cinematography. A scene in particular with Brad Pitt in a car is expertly shot and the song playing during the scene makes it really stand out. Actually, the soundtrack in general was fantastic.

Overall, I think there was something missing. 7/10

Saw this this past weekend. Wasn't really a fan. I was very excited when I saw it was from the director of The Assassination of Jesse James. I loved that film. But I agree that something was missing from this one. It moved at such a slow pace. I don't by any means need a lot of action, in fact I prefer the opposite, but I think they could have easily trimmed down a lot of scenes. The cinematography on the other hand was amazing. Some of the scenes were shot so beautifully.

[fernandito]

I'm A Cyborg But That's OK

Another solid entry in Park's body of work. Admittedly it never hits the high water mark of his previous efforts, but it is still a worthy addition to his resume.

The film centers around a young woman named Cha Young-goon whom is raised by a schizophrenic grandmother and a cold and distant mother. One day while working at a radio repair shop she naively tries to plug the radio into herself and accidentally electrocutes herself. She is checked into the asylum the next day on grounds of a potential suicide.

In the interim of her transfer, she becomes wholly convinced that she is an android, and that she shares an odd sort of kinship with anything electrical. Lamps, radios, she even interprets the hum of a vending machine as a form of communication. While there, she meets a motley cast of patients, each with psyches as deeply scarred as her own. One boy in particular takes a special interest in Cha Young, and the two begin to find an odd sort of comfort in each other. The chemistry between them feels genuine and oddly touching considering the circumstances.

Parks greatest strength here is taking certain elements of a romantic comedy formula and fusing them with moments that only a story taking place in that sort of locale can provide. There are also some very beautifully shot outdoor scenes, as well as some the typical Park flair - one bit that really stands out is a sequence in which Cha Young imagines gun barrels emerging from her fingertips and her gunning down every doctor and nurse in the room, while the camera slowly pans around to reconfirm that it is all simply in her head. It is well constructed and beautifully executed.

Needless to say, this film won't be for everyone. But if you're a fan of the special brand of twisted humor that only Asian cinema can provide, and if you like your comedies with a high dosage of crazy, then this film might be what you're looking for.

7/10

[Melike]

I'm A Cyborg But That's OK

Another solid entry in Park's body of work. Admittedly it never hits the high water mark of his previous efforts, but it is still a worthy addition to his resume.

The film centers around a young woman named Cha Young-goon whom is raised by a schizophrenic grandmother and a cold and distant mother. One day while working at a radio repair shop she naively tries to plug the radio into herself and accidentally electrocutes herself. She is checked into the asylum the next day on grounds of a potential suicide.

In the interim of her transfer, she becomes wholly convinced that she is an android, and that she shares an odd sort of kinship with anything electrical. Lamps, radios, she even interprets the hum of a vending machine as a form of communication. While there, she meets a motley cast of patients, each with psyches as deeply scarred as her own. One boy in particular takes a special interest in Cha Young, and the two begin to find an odd sort of comfort in each other. The chemistry between them feels genuine and oddly touching considering the circumstances.

Parks greatest strength here is taking certain elements of a romantic comedy formula and fusing them with moments that only a story taking place in that sort of locale can provide. There are also some very beautifully shot outdoor scenes, as well as some the typical Park flair - one bit that really stands out is a sequence in which Cha Young imagines gun barrels emerging from her fingertips and her gunning down every doctor and nurse in the room, while the camera slowly pans around to reconfirm that it is all simply in her head. It is well constructed and beautifully executed.

Needless to say, this film won't be for everyone. But if you're a fan of the special brand of twisted humor that only Asian cinema can provide, and if you like your comedies with a high dosage of crazy, then this film might be what you're looking for.

7/10

Well put Shizzie. It doesn't have the darkness other Park movies have. More than humor, here what I loved the most was the craziness, the originality. In this era we live it is hard to find something different.

Now it is time to watch Wook Park's Thirst, Ferny.

[Still Servant]

I enjoyed Killing Them Softly. I didn't love it and I don't think it's going to bring back the gangster genre, nor should it be put on the same tier as the best that the genre has to offer.

I think the biggest problem with the film is that there is no sense of peril for the main character, which is Brad Pitt once the story gets going. We quickly learn that he is a trained killer, but he's never really in any danger. He just goes from one job to the next. Very text book, but uninteresting in terms of a plot device.

What makes Goodfellas so great is you have a clear main character who grows and is constantly posed with choices that are accompanied by very real consequences. Same goes for The Godfather. Even Pulp Fiction, which doesn't unfold like a typical film, has main characters that we care about and are in danger. Jules and Vincent and their car incident. Bruce Willis and his Marcellus Wallace situation.

Killing Them Softly features some great acting and some scenes with some truly great cinematography. A scene in particular with Brad Pitt in a car is expertly shot and the song playing during the scene makes it really stand out. Actually, the soundtrack in general was fantastic.

Overall, I think there was something missing. 7/10

Saw this this past weekend. Wasn't really a fan. I was very excited when I saw it was from the director of The Assassination of Jesse James. I loved that film. But I agree that something was missing from this one. It moved at such a slow pace. I don't by any means need a lot of action, in fact I prefer the opposite, but I think they could have easily trimmed down a lot of scenes. The cinematography on the other hand was amazing. Some of the scenes were shot so beautifully.

I think I've kind of pinpointed the problem with the film and I think it starts with Pitt. He kind of appears out of nowhere and we really don't get a sense for who he is. He's so matter of fact about his business that it kind of makes him boring. I would have liked to learn a little more about him. Also, the scenes with Gandolfini don't really go anywhere. They seem to exist only to get two great actors riffing with each other. Like they were trying to create one of those iconic scenes like the Pacino/DeNiro scene from Heat or something.

[Heather19]

You're right. The scenes with the two of them bored me. And nothing really came of them either. I did enjoy Pitt's character though. But it was kinda superficial. I do with they had added more depth to him.

[Still Servant]

I thought they were going to...

...

Spoiler:

have Pitt's character kill Gandolfini because he had become unreliable. This would have been interesting because we know Pitt doesn't want to kill anybody he knows personally. "They cry, they plead, they beg, they piss themselves, they cry for their mothers. It gets embarrassing. I like to kill 'em softly. From a distance." I thought it would have been really interesting to see this scene. Also, it would have made Pitt more human to see him struggle with the fact he had to kill Gandolfini.

[Heather19]

Oh... that would have been good.

[Randall Flagg]

Just viewed "Jack Reacher" . Thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven't read the books-and now I think I'll try one. Cruise pulls it off in most every way. The resigned looks he gives when 5 guys want to take him out of a bar and beat him up is priceless. Needless to say the 5 guys were the ones who suffered. Reacher shows up to "solve" a crime that has already been solved. The evidence is perfect-too perfect.
Outstanding driving scenes reminiscent of "Bullet". Reacher thrashes a beautiful 1970 Chevelle and the sound is magnificent. Predictable to just the right degree.
Like popcorn, pussy, and beer-I couldn't get enough-more please!
5/6 beers on the RFSRS. One beer reduction because Cruise is 5'6'' instead of 6'5".

[Patrick]

In the past two days I have seen Django Unchained and The Hobbit. Very different movies and I loved them both. Mostly I was ecstatic to go see something/anything that wasn't focused on my young children.

[Ricky]

What would you rate them, Patrick? I'm debating between seeing both.

[Shannon]

Les Miserables
Shannon: Added to his Top Thirty list
Amber: 4 out of 5

I'm pretty sure I could go on talking about this movie for a very long time, so I'll keep it short and simple:

The Not-So-Perfect: Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried's singing ... Half of the time, Crowe NAILED his songs ("Stars" is one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack, he did a damn good job), the other half, it felt forced and awkward, sort of like he was doing a voice or an impression of someone else ... And Seyfried can sing, she proved that in Mamma Mia!, but here, her parts are so damn high, it sounds tinney and hurts the other voices she sings with.

The Perfect: Everything else. EVERYTHING else. Absolutely amazing.

The Perfect Perfect: Anne Hathaway's "I Dream A Dream". In five or so minutes, she does something so beautiful, it's ridiculous to even talk about it. Absolute perfect scene/song. Mark my words, with this scene/song alone, she's going to win awards. I don't think I've ever BAWLED in a theatre like I did during her scenes. Such a big baby, lol.

[Randall Flagg]

Viewed Django unchained on xmas day. I thoroughly ejoyed it. Violent, laugh out loud, poignent and dramatic. Almost 3 hours long yet it steams along to perfection. Tarantino did his own take on Nazis and Hitler in Inglorious Basterds, and now does much the same with pre Civil war southern slavery. Tons of cameos that are like Easter eggs. The writing is quintessential Tarrantino.
6/6 beers on the RFSPRS!

[Randall Flagg]

Just viewed This is 40. A miserably long movie about spoiled rotten 40 year old "children" that has two laughs (one of which is the clerk taking your money to view this tripe). Pure flop sweat as numerous set pieces fail to provide a laugh. Almost like watching a terribly unfunny comedian just before the headlining band takes stage. If Apatow (Writer, Director, Producer) is taking this from his real life experience, I almost feel sorry for him.
1/6 on the RFSRS-it gets one beer because there were no shaky camera scenes.

[fernandito]

Glad to see Django getting so much love.

[Merlin1958]

Just viewed This is 40. A miserably long movie about spoiled rotten 40 year old "children" that has two laughs (one of which is the clerk taking your money to view this tripe). Pure flop sweat as numerous set pieces fail to provide a laugh. Almost like watching a terribly unfunny comedian just before the headlining band takes stage. If Apatow (Writer, Director, Producer) is taking this from his real life experience, I almost feel sorry for him.
1/6 on the RFSRS-it gets one beer because there were no shaky camera scenes.

Just viewed it today and could not have written a better and more succinct review. I agree 110%!!!

Go see, "Django Unchained"!!!!

Spoiler:

Wonder of wonder's, I understand it has received an Oscar nomination for "Best Picture", am I right? Or am I "Confused", again?

[Ricky]

Not for the Oscars, but a Best Picture (Drama) nomination for the Golden Globes. Oscar noms. are announced on Jan. 10th. Must be your old age!

[Heather19]

Also saw Django this past weekend. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it. But to be honest I'd probably rank it on the lower end of Tarantino's films. That said though, I've loved all of his movies Sam Jackson was great in it, as was Leo and of course Christoph.

[pathoftheturtle]

Where would you rank Inglorious Basterds, Heather? Also on the lower end for you, or not? Above or below Django Unchained?

[Ricky]

Sound of My Voice

In her second run tackling the dual role of screenwriter and actor, Brit Marling follows up the 2011 sci-fi tale, Another Earth, with the equally mind-bending, speculative film, Sound of My Voice.

The film follows a couple, Peter and Lorna (Christopher Denham and Nicole Vicius, respectively) as they attempt to infiltrate and expose a mysterious cult leader, Maggie, as the fraud they belief she is. But who is Maggie exactly? Is she from the future as she claims? Or is she a delusional woman with a Jim Jones complex, gathering followers to drink her Kool-Aid? As Peter and Lorna struggle with their teeter-tottering beliefs regarding the truth, so does the audience. We never know who (or what) to believe, and just as a clue to the truth is dangled in front of us like the metaphorical carrot and you think you know where the story will go next, bam! The rug is swiftly pulled from beneath your feet, a true testament to the finely crafted suspense and what’s-going-on-here feeling that the film boasts.

To put it simply, Sound of My Voice is minimalist filmmaking at its finest. Gone are the flashy set pieces, big-name actors, and million-dollar special effects of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters; instead, director Zal Batmanglij chooses to focus on the small, the quiet, and the intimate. The majority of the film takes place in a plain, near-colorless basement, cult members decked in white as they sit in silent reverence of Maggie herself. However, this stylistic move is a far cry from a failure; in doing so, the film manages to give off feelings of both claustrophobic sterility as well as intimate comfort.

The acting here, especially from Marling, is a pleasure to watch, Denham and Vicius playing off the psychological nuances of their characters well on-screen, while nonverbally communicating their thoughts to the viewer. The real highlight of the film, however, is Marling’s performance as Maggie, able to completely captivate the viewer using the delivery of her words and slight mannerisms. For every scene of Maggie as a soothing, calm, nurturing figure, there’s one displaying her as a harsh and defensive woman. Whatever side of Maggie we get, the one constant is her intriguing nature. And it is in these switches that Marling not only shows off her acting shops, but paints the picture of an incredibly interesting (if not totally reliable), multi-faceted character.

The film is a pleasure to watch as it unfolds but could have certainly benefited from a slightly longer runtime (clocking in at just under an hour and a half) to expand on some scenes and a more fleshed-out, less abrupt ending. But for every scene or character action or bit of dialogue that is left unexplained, I can’t help but going back to everything that the film did right (which is a lot) and in the end, the lack of total decisiveness of the film’s ending in general serves to mirror the characters’ similar uncertainty of what’s going on, while allowing viewers to go back to watch and contemplate the film again and again.

Marling’s next project is entitled The East, and while details are scarce and the question remains of what questions will and will not be answered, I can’t wait to find out.

8/10

[Heather19]

Where would you rank Inglorious Basterds, Heather? Also on the lower end for you, or not? Above or below Django Unchained?

I'd probably rank them on the same level. My top QT are Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and Pulp Fiction. My bottom is Death Proof and maybe Jackie Brown. I guess I'd stick these two in the middle.

[Merlin1958]

It's probably just easier, and perhaps more appropriate to rank it as his best "Western". Inglorious as his best WWII movie, Kill Bill Vol i/II his best Ninja Assassin film and Pulp Fiction his best crime film. IMHO

[pathoftheturtle]

So what's his best comedy?

[Merlin1958]

So what's his best comedy?

While almost all his films have a comedic quality, he doesn't really have a "Comedy" per se, right?

[pathoftheturtle]

Not unless you count his face.

Right?