Resurrecting the Movies thread...

[serious crayons]

This is kind of scary. I went through the whole IMDb list and only saw a few movies I completely liked: In Bruge, Slumdog Millionaire, Dark Knight. Was it an off year or did I just not get out enough?

Here are some movies I can say I pretty unequivocally liked, though not loved:

Quantum of Solace
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Get Smart
Definitely, Maybe
Baby Mama
Leatherheads
Smart People


Here are some movies with some good qualities, but too flawed or unexceptional to make my "liked" list:

Iron Man -- Robert Downey Jr. is great, but too implausible
Hancock -- loved Will Smith and the basic concept, but hated it once his connection with Charlize Theron was revealed
Vantage Point -- what Clarissa said
Bank Job, The -- it it's the one I kind of half remember, it was standard medium-entertaining thriller
Mamma Mia! -- while watching I kept thinking how stupid it was, but then found myself humming the songs for days after
Role Models -- a bit too juvenile, but funny and cute in parts
Tropic Thunder -- funny at times, but too violent
Fool's Gold -- complete fluff, but Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson both look great



And here are the ones I found disappointing:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- Zzzzzzzzz ....
WALL·E -- this did not grab me the way it apparently did everyone else
Burn After Reading -- don't get me started
Pineapple Express -- like Tropic Thunder, it starts out funny but gets way too violent





 
 

[oilgun]

BTW, I saw the trailer for Revolutionary Road and it looks just awful to me.  But then again, I am not a Leo fan, and I'm one of those few people who hated Titanic , thus not interested in a rematch of him and Kate.

I did recognize David Harbour (our Randall); however, not enough for me to want to see this. 

A co-worker was just blown away by REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, he thought it was excellent.  But then again, the guy rated BENJAMIN BUTTON a 5 out of 10 and said that FORREST GUMP is a great movie. 

[Meryl]

I saw Frost/Nixon last week and thought it was excellent, a class act from Ron Howard and the two lead actors.  I saw the same actors on Broadway in the play, and it was nice to see them close up because they have incredibly expressive eyes.

I think Ron Howard managed to achieve a mounting tension and a credible climactic moment, which couldn't have been easy in a story that was basically about a few TV interviews.  Both Frank Langella and Michael Sheen each deserve to be nominationed for an Oscar, but probably only Langella will get one.  The art direction was great---lots of 70's clothes and hairstyles that hit the mark, and I think they filmed the San Clemente scenes on the actual location.  The showing I went to was packed, and there was hardly a peep out of the audience, some of whom applauded at the end.  Highly recommended.

As far as I can tell, I didn't see more than 5 or so 2008 movies in the theater all year:  Frost/Nixon, Quantum of Solace, TDK, Milk, and Vicki Cristina Barcelona.  Earlier in the year I saw Enchanted and There Will Be Blood.  IMO both Frost/Nixon and Milk should be in the top 5 movies of the year.

Hopefully I'll get to see Benjamin Button, Slumdog and Doubt soon.  Gotta get up off my pockets. 

[serious crayons]

Earlier in the year I saw Enchanted and There Will Be Blood. 

Now, there are two movies I really liked. In fact, I might say I enjoyed Enchanted as much as anything I saw this year (I didn't count it in my list because I think it's from a previous year). It maybe wasn't the best -- There Will Be Blood is undoubtedly higher-caliber art -- but I enjoyed it a lot. That scene where she's dancing and singing through Central Park and it turns into a giant production number? I watched that over and over.

I must secretly be an 11-year-old girl. 

[Meryl]

Now, there are two movies I really liked. In fact, I might say I enjoyed Enchanted as much as anything I saw this year (I didn't count it in my list because I think it's from a previous year). It maybe wasn't the best -- There Will Be Blood is undoubtedly higher-caliber art -- but I enjoyed it a lot. That scene where she's dancing and singing through Central Park and it turns into a giant production number? I watched that over and over.

I must secretly be an 11-year-old girl. 

I had a really good time at Enchanted, too, Katherine.  There were tons of clever jokes, mostly visual, that New Yorkers would get a big kick out of.  The ending got a bit overmuch for me, but overall I thought it was great.

[delalluvia]

My opinion? Because in many ways -- setting aside racism, sexism, homophobia, gray-flannel-suitism -- the '50s was a more adult era.

These days, we worship the young, whether children or young adults. Older people strive to appear more youthful, in appearance, behavior and cultural tastes. 21-year-olds are huge stars, full of wisdom and insight; 40-year-olds are washed up geezers, hopelessly clueless. The movies reflect these attitudes.

Well said.  I'll go along with this, seeing as Miley Cyrus has been signed up to write her 'autobiography' and her latest CD has songs about the pain of love and loss.

This was right before her 16th birthday.   

[Front-Ranger]

I would not say the film itself is flawless. There were points at which I could cavil,  and there were omissions. But I thought the movie was brilliant. What a love letter to the City of New Orleans itself. And the mood, the pacing--amazingly beautiful. Have you ever seen a movie with this length--and you had wished it had been a half-hour, even an hour longer??

I followed your edict to "Go. Now." And I enjoyed it immensely! I'm wondering (no spoilers here I hope) whether one of your cavils was the practice of using the diary to move the story forward. Every time the screen switched to Julia Ormond, I was tempted to step out of the theater for a minute or two! I also loved Tilda Swinton!! How dare they call her "plain"!!

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

I'm wondering (no spoilers here I hope) whether one of your cavils was the practice of using the diary to move the story forward. Every time the screen switched to Julia Ormond, I was tempted to step out of the theater for a minute or two!

Exactly. The "framing" seemed necessary, yet--not. Might not have been J. Ormond's fault--maybe the editing or the writing. Also--we know what was really going on in the hospitals in New Orleans during Katrina--yet in this film, it seemed like a heavy rain storm. Major cavil! But I love this film.

I also loved Tilda Swinton!! How dare they call her "plain"!!

Tilda Swinton is not plain--she is a Space Alien! (But a gorgeous Space Alien...)

Just joking. She is plain gorgeous. The Russian episode is one of my favorite parts.

[Ellemeno]

I love this thread.

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Look what one of my New Orleanian friends sent me--Benjamin Button's nursing home--the real one--is for sale. Nice house!
 
(The fourth photo shows the back stair, where the wizened infant Benjamin was found, and where the beautiful Benjamin meets Daisy after she returns from Paris.)

http://www.noro.com/dorian_bennett_property_detail.cfm?Property_ID=631 

Property Type: Residential
Listing Address: 2707 Coliseum St.
New Orleans LA 70130
Listed by: Dorian M. Bennett http://www.noro.com/dorian_bennett_real_estate_agents.cfm?Searched=1&Agent_ID=7

7,800 Sq. Ft Garden District Mansion!
$2,850,000
Approx. 7,851 Square Feet * 6 Bedrooms * 6 Bathrooms * Parking * Central Air & Heat * Huge Lot * Library * Music Room * Reception Hall
 
7,800 sq. ft. Garden District mansion w/incredible Victorian details. Music room, library, reception hall, 6 bedrooms & much more