Author Topic: Chris' Movie Questions: My MYSTIC RIVER Review  (Read 41350 times)

slayers_creek_oth

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: The English Patient
« Reply #60 on: July 08, 2006, 06:48:58 pm »
I've never seen it Chris, but every time I think of renting it, I think of a particular Seinfeld episode then put it right back on the shelf...  ;)

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Offline saucycobblers

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: The English Patient
« Reply #61 on: July 08, 2006, 06:51:46 pm »
I think it's great Chris. It's got all that restaint with passion bubbling underneath the surface thing going on - very English. Great performances from Juliette Binoche & Ralph Fiennes. VERY moving at the end. Oh, and the cinematography & music are fabulous too!
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: The English Patient
« Reply #62 on: July 08, 2006, 07:16:20 pm »
My favorite part of the book was the necrophilia scene -- well, it takes place off-stage, but it's alluded to, and it's presented as romantic and kind of sexy, which to me was a very novel idea, to say the least. Unfortunately, the filmmakers chickened out and left it out of the movie.

Offline ednbarby

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: The English Patient
« Reply #63 on: July 08, 2006, 07:23:44 pm »
I love "The English Patient."  But then, I love Ralph Fiennes.  Actually, this was the movie of his that sent me over the edge where that's concerned.  Well, this and "Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'" (with him as Heathcliff and Juliette Binoche as Cathy).  The characters he plays in both movies are not likable.  Not at all.  And yet you feel for them because he gives them a vulnerability someone else wouldn't have been able to carry off.

Even better than the movie "The English Patient" is Ralph Fiennes' reading of the book.  Actually a condensed form of the book that was recorded a year or two after he made the movie.  What he does with the characters' dialog is amazing.  He doesn't make his voice go up an octave when he reads the females' words - but he changes something so subtle in cadence and intonation that he makes the distinction between the male and females, when talking with each other, easy.  And he has the most remarkable voice.  I could listen to him read a dictionary and swoon.

I thought the movie was really beautiful - especially Juliette Binoche's role in it.  She is truly the star and the moral compass or conscience of the piece.  She's the glue, as they say, that holds it all together.  I would watch it for her alone, and when I do rewatch it, it's mostly for her (and the cheap thrills every now and again at Ralph's physical loveliness and raw intensity, of course).
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vkm91941

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: The English Patient
« Reply #64 on: July 08, 2006, 09:54:29 pm »
I agree with Barb, mostly, Ralph Fiennes is excellent as this throughly unlikable character.  Juliet Binoche is wonderful and the part of the story which centers around her character is very good.  I thought it an overly long, visually stunning, but unsympathetic film.  In other words not my favorite Picasso.

Offline JennyC

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: The English Patient
« Reply #65 on: July 08, 2006, 10:11:11 pm »
I agree with Barb, mostly, Ralph Fiennes is excellent as this throughly unlikable character.  Juliet Binoche is wonderful and the part of the story which centers around her character is very good.  I thought it an overly long, visually stunning, but unsympathetic film.  In other words not my favorite Picasso.

"unsympathetic"... interesting Vicky.  I actually felt the opposite.  The movie really haunted me for a while because of my sympathy for the love and lost of the characters.  But a good friend of me sort of felt the same way - unsympathetic.  To her, it was the infidelity that she can not sympathize.

Anyway you have all mentioned Ralph Fienness and Juliet Binoche's performance.  I just want to add that I think Kristin Scott Thomas also gave a terrific performance.  I am not sure if I have seen her movie before The English Patient, but both my husband and I started to follow her other movies because of her performance in this movie.  I think my husband had a thing for her. ;D

Offline ednbarby

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: The English Patient
« Reply #66 on: July 08, 2006, 10:54:04 pm »
I can understand that, Jenny.  She's so beautiful in a kind of exotic way.  She's like a female matinee idol in it.

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slayers_creek_oth

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: My GHOST Review
« Reply #67 on: July 09, 2006, 09:54:39 pm »
Ok so I watched Ghost...pretty good!  Kinda bummed that I missed it all these years...

Wasn't real impressed with Patrick Swayze but I never have been...and although Demi had quite a bit of screen time she didn't have a whole lot of dialogue...she did pretty good with the material given...

Now Whoopi however warrants her own paragraph...she made the whole show IMO.  She's a crack up!  Wouldn't have been the same without her.  When she tells Sam that she'll tell Molly about the danger in her own way...the 'Molly...you're in a whole lotta danger girl' line....still got me rolling.  Definitely deserved that Oscar...

The story was pretty good...and soft in some parts.  The last line when Sam tells Molly thta he loves her and she says 'ditto'....timeless! 

All in all I give it a 7...

Thanks everyone....

Offline David In Indy

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: My GHOST Review
« Reply #68 on: July 09, 2006, 10:36:11 pm »
Ok so I watched Ghost...pretty good!  Kinda bummed that I missed it all these years...

Wasn't real impressed with Patrick Swayze but I never have been...and although Demi had quite a bit of screen time she didn't have a whole lot of dialogue...she did pretty good with the material given...

Now Whoopi however warrants her own paragraph...she made the whole show IMO.  She's a crack up!  Wouldn't have been the same without her.  When she tells Sam that she'll tell Molly about the danger in her own way...the 'Molly...you're in a whole lotta danger girl' line....still got me rolling.  Definitely deserved that Oscar...

The story was pretty good...and soft in some parts.  The last line when Sam tells Molly thta he loves her and she says 'ditto'....timeless! 

All in all I give it a 7...

Thanks everyone....

I'm glad you enjoyed "Ghost" Chris.

I missed your question about "Out of Africa" though.

I loved that movie. Although I am a HUGE Meryl Streep fan.... and I love anything she is in.  :)

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slayers_creek_oth

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Re: Chris' Movie Questions: My GHOST Review
« Reply #69 on: July 10, 2006, 01:54:17 am »
I missed your question about "Out of Africa" though.

I loved that movie. Although I am a HUGE Meryl Streep fan.... and I love anything she is in.  :)



I couldn't sit through it...not my kinda movie I guess. 

But I also love Meryl Streep...