Author Topic: Ang Ang Ang  (Read 74650 times)

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #50 on: September 01, 2009, 10:58:22 pm »
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KxAAnu-ysk&feature=PlayList&p=9D9F715BFD876A5E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11[/youtube]



That's a wonderful clip.  Imelda Staunton was in one of my favorite films, Peter's Friends, and did a wonderful job.  I just posted this clip of her and them somewhere 'round her recently.  Hugh Laurie at the piano.  Emma Thompson, my beloved Stephen Fry, Kenneth Branagh ~

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W6JKXYxIUQ[/youtube]


Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #51 on: September 02, 2009, 04:37:59 pm »
Imelda Staunton is great.  She played Mrs. Sucksby in the 2005 BBC version of the book Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.  She did a great job... See the thread in Culture Tent about Sarah Waters for further details on Fingersmith.

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,16313.0.html


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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #52 on: September 13, 2009, 08:40:27 am »
I saw Taking Woodstock yesterday and I have to say, I was disappointed. It never came together for me...I felt like there were a lot of loose ends that never got tied up.

I read the book last winter -- it was good, not great, but entertaining. While the book certainly had plenty of anecdotes about Eliot's role in the whole planning of Woodstock, a major theme in the book, which never made it into the movie, was about Eliot's "double life." During the week he'd be in NYC, working as an interior designer. He was also a "sexual plaything" for a fairly rough group of men. On the weekend, he'd go to his parent's motel and help them run the place. The summer of 1969 was transformational for him in many ways -- through the power of Woodstock he finally came out to his parents and discovered what it means to have a healthy (not abusive) sexual relationship. (NB: not long after Woodstock, he met the man who became his lifelong companion and partner -- they were together for about 35 years. I think he died a year or so ago.)

The other piece is that in 1969, Eliot was 35 years old which I think casts a whole different perspective on his life and what he was going through. Demetri Martin as Eliot looked about 22 (although in real life he is 36 which I find surprising) and having your whole world change at 22 is different than having your whole world change at 35, imo.

I enjoyed the movie and I am glad I saw it, but it could have been much, much more, I think, and in that way, I was disappointed.

L
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Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #53 on: September 13, 2009, 10:59:05 am »
I dunno, perhaps I am naive in my outlook, but I thought it was a wonderful adventure Elliott went on thru this summer. I am curious what loose ends there were for you Leslie.
"It was only you in my life, and it will always be only you, Jack, I swear."

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #54 on: September 13, 2009, 12:09:37 pm »
I dunno, perhaps I am naive in my outlook, but I thought it was a wonderful adventure Elliott went on thru this summer. I am curious what loose ends there were for you Leslie.

You don't have to feel bad because you liked it! Everybody has different tastes -- even professional film critics differ widely in their opinions sometimes. Heck, some didn't even like Brokeback Mountain.



Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #55 on: September 13, 2009, 12:57:05 pm »
I dunno, perhaps I am naive in my outlook, but I thought it was a wonderful adventure Elliott went on thru this summer. I am curious what loose ends there were for you Leslie.

Maybe my problem is that I liked the book better than the movie (which is typical). In this case, the book was good, but not great and in the hands of Lee I was expecting a great movie, which I didn't get (to me). Given that he directed BBM from great source material, you can see why my expectations were high. However, taking that thought a step further....the screenplay for BBM was written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry while the screenplay for TW was written by James Schamus....and Schamus wrote the hippie scene in BBM which ended up on the cutting room floor. So maybe my issue is with JS as a screenwriter, not AL as a director. Hmm...

The biggest loose end for me was the "romance" with the construction worker. I read somewhere he was a closeted married guy but I certainly didn't see him enough to figure that out from the movie. Was he wearing a wedding ring? Maybe, but I didn't have a chance to see it.

Other loose ends: the whole logistics of planning and Eliot's role in that (which he discussed much more in the book). In the movie I felt like he spent a lot of time walking around, not actually doing anything. All the money stuff (much funnier in the book, actually). That was never really clarified. And Vilma and the dad? Somehow that was totally lost on me, too.

L
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #56 on: September 13, 2009, 01:12:58 pm »
Schamus wrote the hippie scene in BBM

He must like hippie scenes!

Quote
Was he wearing a wedding ring? Maybe, but I didn't have a chance to see it.

That's funny, because we know how good Ang is at subtly showing that.




Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #57 on: September 18, 2009, 10:42:16 pm »
I saw Taking Woodstock tonight. 

I hate to be the naysayer, but...

While there were some good moments, overall I didn't think it held together very well.  Mostly, because I thought the Elliot character just wasn't interesting enough to carry the film.  Like his mother says, he's a "schnook", and by the end he's still a schnook.  I would like to have seen more of Emile Hirch's character, and Liev Schrieber's Vilma was so underused.  I'm not sure if it's James's script or the source material, but the story was pretty jagged, and, full of clichés.

Call me jaded, but I was pretty disappointed. 

Maybe you have to see it high.

The New Yorker had somewhat the same reaction. I'll need to see the movie a couple of times more, but overall, I was disappointed too.
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Offline stonebiscuit

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #58 on: September 22, 2009, 07:51:59 pm »
Whats wrong with being s schnook?  ;)

Saw this film yesterday and being slightly prepared for a letdown after reading some of the reviews, i was pleasantly surprised. A lot of the negative comments seem to centre around the fact the momentus event of the film's title is largely left out of the proceedings. Like BBM, Ang Lee here has gone for a small story and placed it in the context of much larger events, however they are never allowed to swallow or overwhelm it. I enjoy his restraint in this way - it gives the film an obverservational feeling. All in all a fun ride and made me long to grow my hair out and dive screaming down a mud covered hillside. "This is our hill" says the lead character to his Vietnam vet friend. Reminds me of two other friends, from another hill........

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Ang Ang Ang - Taking Woodstock
« Reply #59 on: September 23, 2009, 10:15:50 pm »
What a touching reaction!
"chewing gum and duct tape"