I was waiting for someone on here to see Tree of Life. It's really polarizing critics and the general public, it seems.
I was waiting for someone on here to see Tree of Life. It's really polarizing critics and the general public, it seems.
A NEW GAME BEGINS
The Tree of Life
Fernando and I are on the same page, I also will not be giving a numerical score to The Tree of Life. It's just seems impossible. I would also like to preface this by saying that I am not a fan of Terrence Malick's work. I hated the Thin Red Line. The film seemed like it was all over the place and I just could not get into it. The New World is an exercise in patience. The film is so slow and plodding that I questioned my love for cinema after the credits were rolling.
So as you can see, I was a little hesitant about watching The Tree of Life. Mix in the reports of dinosaurs and the creation of the universe and I was really on the fence about seeing it. Then the movie got good reviews and started popping up on a bunch of "best of 2010 lists." Needless to say, I now had to see the movie and I'm glad I did because The Tree of Life is a unique film experience that cannot be duplicated.
The Tree of Life is not so much a movie as it is a series of images and ideas. The plot is thin, especially in the beginning of the film. We don't really start to get to know the characters until about half way through the movie. There are really only three characters that the film follows. The father, played by Brad Pitt, who can be extremely strict (especially with his oldest son) but also very loving at times. The oldest son Jack, played by Sean Penn when he is older. Jack is just coming of age and struggling with numerous emotional feelings. He's constantly being verbally abused by his father and lashing out at the rest of his family because of it. Then there is the mother, played by Jessica Chastain, who is a free spirited, fun loving woman who is often seen showing her children affection. She is the polar opposite of her husband. She also seems to be very close to the Earth and all of the living things that inhabit it, which is a common theme throughout the film.
Jessica Chastain's character is the one I identified with the most. I found her story to be the most inspiring and interesting part of the film. Jessica Chastain also happens to be my summer celebrity crush. After seeing her in The Help, I was instantly drawn to her. She's even more magnetic in the Tree of Life. She's an extremely beautiful woman and some of the photography in the film literally makes it impossible for the viewer to take their eyes off of her. Her face is so expressive that you can really feel what she's going through in every scene. Chastain is a true star and I can't wait to see where her career goes from here.
Perhaps the most talked about part of the film is the creation sequence. It's a little drawn out and, I admit it, more than a little odd, but it worked for me. I'm the kind of person that often reflects on the creation of the Earth and how everything came to be. I think Malick is trying to show us that our lives on Earth is so fleeting. In the grand scheme of things, we are really only here for a small fragment in time. This is something else that I think about a lot. How we have to make the best of life and enjoy it as much as possible because we really aren't here for very long.
What impressed me most about The Tree of Life is the cinematography. It's some of the best work I've seen in years.
With all that being said, The Tree of Life is not for everybody. I couldn't recommend this movie to most people and, to be honest, I don't know if I would ever feel compelled to watch it again. I think my main problem with it, and it's one of the problems I have with a lot of Malick's films, is that there are many scenes that just come off as entirely pretentious. I could understand if some people wrote the whole movie off as that, but there are a lot of important themes going on here. Different viewers will find different themes that impact them more. It truly is a subjective film.
The Tree of Life is unlike any film I've ever seen. That doesn't make it great, but it also doesn't make it bad. It's not the cinematic masterpiece some would make it out to be, but it also shouldn't be dismissed as artsy trash. I think the best thing I can say about The Tree of Life is that hours after the film finished, I was still thinking about it. Even when I woke up this morning, some of the images and themes were still running through my head. For me, that's enough to make it a film that was worth seeing.
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Larry Crowne - GREAT movie, one of my favorite with Tom Hanks
Cowboys & Aliens - Very Fun Movie
Wish List:
Any of the following flatsigned or inscribed-
It, Shining, Salem’s Lot, Mr. Mercedes, The Stand
Brother ARC, Seed ARC
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
I watched this film as part of a promise to Feev. Going into it, I wasn't entirely sure what I'd think of it, as it's not my typical type of film. That said, I have to say I really enjoyed it. I absolutely loved the T-1000 as a villain. What a great character! And all the things that he can do and withstand were just really fun to watch. Also there were some pretty funny moments in the film, which were a nice balance to the action. Maybe I'll even go watch some of the others now Let me know if you recommend any Feev.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Being John Malkovich - (spoilers, my insight into the movie and if you haven't seen it don't read this but if you haven't, I recommend)
This movie at it's core is about sexual repression. It follows the story of Craig and Loddie, a depressed, lowly married couple who obviously settled. Loddie is homely, with puffy, scraggly dim red hair and an unhealthy obsession with animals. Craig has been long since unattractive to his wife, perhaps he never was in the first place. Both of them are beings of incredible sexual longing with whose needs they cannot fulfill for each other. Enter the portal. Craig discovers a small door on the 7 1/2 floor of his office building that leads to a portal inside John Malkovich's head. Craig at first sees this as something significant, a metaphysical can of worms he says. He thinks it should be shared with the world and studied so things can be learned from it. He tells this to a woman who works on the same floor (whom he is smitten with) named Maxine, a domineering, imasculating woman who simply oozes zero sexual tension. This is a woman who is as comfortable inside her own body as she can get. Her confidence in herself and her sexuality is what truly makes her so enticing to Craig; she's experienced, passionate and strong. He wants her so bad he can taste it.
Craig is a puppeteer and a very talented on. Problem is no one really cares about puppets these days his genius is wasted behind a life of no confidence, pitiful self esteem and overwhelming depression. He knows he will never maker it but he can't stop being a puppeteer. He wants to know what it's like to be inside the skin of someone else, to feel what someone else feels because he hates what he feels. He hates himself. He looks for any possible excuse to escape from his life. Upon realizing that he will never get to sleep with Maxine he creates a puppet of her and simulates it himself. For Craig to survive, he must create these bicarious oppourtunities for fear of going mad.
However, things go far worse than Craig could have imagined when Loddie wants to try the portal. Upon being in Malkovich she is enticed by being in the shower while Malkovich is, the sensations of the penis and his male body were so strange and exotic yet terribly familar to her. Upon leaving Malkovich, everything makes sense to her. He comes to the conclusion she wants to be a man and have sexual recorrective surgery and Craig thinks she is crazy and can't simply get over the Malkovich thing. Loddie wants to do it again and while Malkovich is practising reading, Maxine calls him up and Loddie is turned on by being on the other end of a female's affections, she wants it and craves it. She pushes Malkovich to make a date that night and is determined to be inside Malkovich during the date. Having a female look at her the way Maxine does turns her on the way she feels she should be turned on. They both become smitten with each other. The two of them have an affair using Malkovich as a vessel.
This drives Craig mad. Not only is his fixation (and inability) to have sex with Maxine driving him insane but he knows his wife is having sex with her through Malkovich. He feels betrayed and worst of all he is jealous. He locks her inside of a cage. He forces Loddie to call Maxine for a date with Malkovich. Craig begins having sex with Maxine through Malkovich and he feels instantly fulfilled. He feels like he can do anything and he can take on the world. To Craig to sleep with Maxine is to be a king. He uses his confidence to learn to control Malkovich and with his skills manages to be able to stay in him for a long time. Loddie is crushed as Maxine decides to stay with craig, something she said she'd never do.
Being John Malkovich explores the notion of what would you do if you could be someone else and you could sleep with the forbidden fruit? Is it real? I guess that's the big question the movie ponders. Can love be felt between two people when one isn't actually them? Or is it no different than making puppets have sex? This movie asks a very important question; do we fall in love with the vessel or the soul? And I suppose whichever you fall in love with means a great deal about who you are. Does being in a different body change who you are?
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I watched this last night, mainly because Ricky is hellbent on making me watch movies and become cultured or some such nonsense. Anyways, I found this to be a very beautiful movie to watch and listen to. I can only imagine how stunning the visuals would be on the big screen. The opening sequence alone was worth the price of the rental. As Ricky pointed out, the score is wonderful and is an integral part of the experience. All of that being said, I prefer my art in museums not in theaters. To me, the plot was just a prop to the imagery and as captivating and predictable as a Nancy Drew novel. I would liken this movie as taking a very scenic drive to work.....you will enjoy the beautiful sights but you know it's just a big ol'plate of SSDD when the ride ends.
People love frozen yogurt. I don't know what to tell you.
WE BOUGHT A ZOO - 8.5 out of 10
I'm sure if there is intelligent life somewhere out there in the universe, they are wise enough to stay away from us.
And the people bowed and prayed, to the cell phone god they made...
Insidous--8/10. I loved the concept of going into the Further. The relevance of the jump scares was nice, too. I docked 2 points for tip toe through the tulips. The ending was great--I just hope its intended as a downer ending and not sequel bait.
Paranomal Activity--9/10. It was a different sort of horror film, but I really liked the couple. I docked a point because it would've been nice to get a hint as to what the demon looked like. I don't mean to say that I wanted to see it full on, just a shadow-outline of its overall form. Something vague but horrifying. I'm jonesing for Part II as I type this up.
I saw Terminator 2 at world premiere with packed theater. Definitely lots of fun in the middle of all that feeling. That'll always color my opinion of it, I guess. But you can't sustain the kind of lighthearted camp that made that movie enjoyable. Still, the franchise as a whole is better IMO than what's happened with something like the Aliens series.
Yesh ! I'm glad you enjoyed it ! (understatement)
As for the other installments - If you enjoyed this one, then you'll probably enjoy both parts one and three. In terms of atmosphere, part one is probably superior to it's successor. It might lack the inflated budget and bravura of T2, but it's just as ominous. It's also fun to see how it all started. T3 is essentially T2.5, more high speed and pursuits and witty banter between John Connor and the Terminator. Plus the Terminator vs Terminator action in this one provides some truly memorable fight sequences. I think you'll like it.
Terminator Salvation ... well .... let's just say 3 out of 4 ain't bad
EXCUSE ME!
People love frozen yogurt. I don't know what to tell you.
Terminator 2 will always be in my top thirty, I think. Great movie, non-stop, over-the-top action. The third one, with an exception to the ending, was a little bit of a let down, and the original Terminator was good, but a little slow and dated. I liked Terminator: Salvation, but mainly because of my man-crush on Christian Bale, lol. Come on, it wasn't that bad guys ...
True, it wasn't that bad, but compared to what it could have been ...
Compared to what other movies have been, none of them are that good. I mean, there's something to be said for pop, pulp, and over-the-top action now and then, but none of that has been enough by itself to keep a film on my top thirty for a long time now. The Terminator franchise occasionally tries to be deep, but by now it's relatively incoherent.
As a franchise, I agree. But T2 as a stand alone project is an amazing film and concept. And it's okay if it only occasionally succeeds in being 'deep', for what it ultimately is it's more than enough.