PolarisDiB
Asked 8 years ago
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What's the last thing you watched and what did you rate it?
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[archived]
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Should be a simple discussion exercise...
I saw Ringu. I didn't find it that interesting, but it was okay. I rated it 3 out of 5 stars. Since I haven't seen the remake, I now know that I don't really intend to.
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Answers
Sumytra1
Answered 7 years ago
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I Am David
I just watched a near perfect film. Movielens gave it a 4 for me and I gave it a 5. "I Am David" is so rich I felt like I had watched a 3 hour film. It is marked by attention to detail and sensory experiences. For instance, the boy understands many languages because he grew up in a prison camp with people from all over Europe. The director at one point zooms into the mouth of a man speaking bad Italian but the audience hears it in English. The man thinks he is saying, "Where can I buy gasoline?" in Italian but we hear, "Where is the gravy for the car?" (Not a real quote-only an example.) And, by-the-way, the English speaking man is the director.
The cinematography is beautiful.
The plot reminded me of "Empire of the Sun" which is an external representation of a 13 year old boy in prison camp while "I Am David" is internal.
In general, the writer/director emphasizes how serendipity works in a life journey.
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PolarisDiB
Answered 7 years ago
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Adaptation
I was surprised that movielens predicted only a 3 star score, because I love Charlie Kaufman's movies to death and I was really looking forward to it. I gave it a 4.5. It still surprised me. It really shakes up the line between reality and fiction, which is what Kaufman does all the time, but he did it in a whole new way this time. It was really neat.
--PolarisDiB
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Dan_Percival
Answered 7 years ago
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Happy Endings, at a sneak preview Tuesday night.
I was pretty pleased with it, although I can tell that there will be a pretty wide range of opinion about it. In conversation after the show, I compared it to Magnolia without the frustrating alienation. If anything, Happy Endings errs on the other side, being somewhat too screwball comedy in a couple of disconnected places. I feel pretty comfortable saying that if you liked this director's earlier movie, The Opposite of Sex, you'll probably like this one too, plus or minus.
Lisa Kudrow, Tom Arnold, and Maggie Gyllenhal (if I spelled that right) all gave fantastic performances, really communicating their characters. Gyllenhal, it turns out, is also quite a singer.
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Sumytra1
Answered 7 years ago
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Adaptation
I was surprised that movielens predicted only a 3 star score, because I love Charlie Kaufman's movies to death and I was really looking forward to it. I gave it a 4.5. It still surprised me. It really shakes up the line between reality and fiction, which is what Kaufman does all the time, but he did it in a whole new way this time. It was really neat.
--PolarisDiB
I liked Adaptation also. I gave it 4 stars. What else has Charlie Kaufman done? I can look it up but if you can give me a short list it will save time.
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mrs260
Answered 7 years ago
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I liked Adaptation also. I gave it 4 stars. What else has Charlie Kaufman done? I can look it up but if you can give me a short list it will save time.
I know he did Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich.
To answer the main thread quesiton, I watched Hostage on Friday, and gave it 5 stars. I was looking forward to it, and it was better than I expected, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes action movies.
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Sumytra1
Answered 7 years ago
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Merchant of Venice, The
Al Pacino is dedicating himself to getting as much Shakespeare on film (with him playing a character) as possible. Kenneth Brannagh started the ball rolling and Pacino is keeping it going. Watching Shakespeare on film is so wonderful: excellent dialogue and characterizations with the power and scope of film. I haven't studied or read The Merchant so watching this film was a double treat--a new story and Shakespeare. I was in heaven.
Some have turned their back on this film because it portrays anti-Semitism. This is true but it does not do so out of disrespect. In fact, Shakespeare, in Shylock's monologue, writes one of the most outstanding speeches against prejudice.
The interviews with Pacino, Irons and Fiennes are exquisite examples of how deeply actors work on Shakespearean characters.
Movielens predicted a 4 for me, I gave it a 4.5. I think I didn't give it a 5 because there was an undercurrent of homosexuality that I wasn't sure belonged in the play and in any case distracted me from the story as a whole.
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baa
Answered 7 years ago
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Spartan -- Predicted at 3.5 and I gave it a 4. Mamet does the political/military thriller thing, with Val Kilmer starring as an effective Ranger who spouts non-sequiters.
When it came out, Movielens said it was the best thing playing in town. Probably says something about the quality of the theatres around here.
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Sumytra1
Answered 7 years ago
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Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro)
I'll be seeing plenty films this week in a grad class that is 8 hours a day for 5 days, has 4 books, and 6 writing assignments. The class is entitled, "Myth and Film," taught by a classicist.
Today we watched "Black Orpheus" a 1959 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film and subtitled in Portuguese. It is interesting when seen through the mythological lens but the acting is stilted compared to what I have come to expect in 2005. If I compare it to a low budget indie though, its very good. Throughout the entire film was an incessant drum beat of Carnival in Rio. I was so glad when it was over to give my ears a break.
Movielens predicted a 4, I give it a 2.5.
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This question is closed to new answers.
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