Chris' Movie Questions: My MYSTIC RIVER Review

[ednbarby]

1.  Klaus Maria.... maybe it's the germanophile in me but man oh man, I already know he's sexy.

2.  I read Out of Africa but never saw it; I thought the book kinda boring, and that's from someone who does not need explosions to stay interested.  However, now that Barb says there's a show-stealing Klaus Maria in it, I'm putting in my netflix queue right away.

I don't know what it is about Klaus Maria, but man oh man, does he ever do it for me in this one.  Maybe it's just that his chemistry/electricity/physics/biology... with Meryl Streep was infinitely better than Robert Redford's was.  She's such a good actor that I could suspend disbelief and enjoy how into Denys her character was, but there never seemed to be any bidirectional electricity going on between them, you know?  He'd look at her, and it'd just be like "Eh."  But she and Klaus would look at each other and KA-BOOM.

Hell, it's making me want to watch it again and just fast-forward through all the scenes he's not in...

[twistedude]

Hey! I just posted this!

Klaus Maria is a drag in this movie, and the whole movie, with the exception oif Streep, is fairly draggy, and not worth one of her best shiort stories, like The Ring, The Cardinal's Third Tale, or even Sorrow Acre.

Winter's Talers and Last Tales (not her last, by the way) are her best books of short stories..

So did someone get upset by my saying she died painfullty of syphilis of the spine--or what? There's one scene, toward the end of the movie, where Streep looks EXACTLY like a photo of her, she's in black, and somehow manages to look sharp-boned and skinny as a rail.

[slayers_creek_oth]

Ok so now I was interested...so Shea and I watched it tonight....

Ummm....not my cup of tea as Mandster said...although Streeps performance was incredible...the way she mastered that accent...wow!  But other then that I didn't care for it much...

[littleguitar]

LOL I thought that would happen! It wasn't really my cup of tea either, though I can appreciate why it's a good movie... I love Meryl Streep, she was the only reason I really enjoyed the movie.  Who else is excited about The Devil Wears Prada??? Ok, wrong thread... 

[slayers_creek_oth]

LOL I thought that would happen! It wasn't really my cup of tea either, though I can appreciate why it's a good movie... I love Meryl Streep, she was the only reason I really enjoyed the movie.  Who else is excited about The Devil Wears Prada??? Ok, wrong thread... 

Its supposed to be really good Mandy...really good!  And Meryl Streeps performance is said to be Oscar worthy...as usual really..

[littleguitar]

Its supposed to be really good Mandy...really good!  And Meryl Streeps performance is said to be Oscar worthy...as usual really..

I bet, it looks so good! I'm going to see it tomorrow, I shouldn't, i have to work and I'll be cutting it really close, but I can't wait! If I don't go see it tomorrow it'll be a good month before I get the chance to go to the movies again 

[delalluvia]

P.S. I thought this thread was going to be about Brangelina.

LMAO!! 

Me too, that's why I paused to read it.  Heh.

Love 'Out of Africa'.  I have the movie, the book, Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatten's biographies and the soundtrack.

I'm a sucker for turn of the century colonial Africa and I really like the feminist take of Streep's portrayal of Blixen.  Klaus Maria Brandauer leaves Redford in the dust as far as charisma is concerned.  HE's the stud of this movie.

Favorite lines from the movie:


SPOILERS!!!!   SPOILERS!!!!  SPOILERS!!!!  SPOILERS!!!!  SPOILERS!!!
Karen, suggesting her friend Bror marry her so they both can benefit.
Bror:  No, I have to marry a virgin.  I can't stand criticism.

Karen, upon hearing her husband wants a divorce:  How do you manage it?  To keep us friends?
Bror, her husband:  We started that way.

HIGHLY recommend.

[ednbarby]

Klaus Maria Brandauer leaves Redford in the dust as far as charisma is concerned.  HE's the stud of this movie.

THANK you.  Exactly how I feel.  I recommend it too, for the music and cinematography and everyone in it except Robert Redford.  If you want to be swept up into an epic love story, that'll still happen - but it's between Karen Blixen and Africa, not between her and Denys.

Strangely enough, my favorite lines have to do with Denys:

Denys:  You've ruined it for me.
Karen:  What?
Denys:  Being alone.

Karen at Denys' grave site:  So now, take back Denys Finch Hatten.  He was not ours.  He was not mine.

[delalluvia]

If you want to be swept up into an epic love story, that'll still happen - but it's between Karen Blixen and Africa, not between her and Denys.

Exactly.  The movie is brilliant in this aspect.  Both the audience and Karen the character - and if you read her biography, the real Karen - think that it's a love story between her and Denys, when in fact, if you pull back and see the bigger picture and as the real Karen later realizes in hindsight, the love story was about her and Africa.

Love love love this movie.

Favorite romantic part:  Hair washing scene.  Not because of that intimacy, but because Denys is reciting to her the 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' during it.  And SHE knows it well enough herself to know when he's skipping verses!!!!  ZOW!!!

Other favorite line:

Farah, Karen's Somalia manservant:  God is happy, sabou.  He plays with us.

[slayers_creek_oth]

Ok I merged all my threads asking about movies into one....so I'm just gonna change the subject everytime I have a question and bump it to the top...

Here I am wanting more information on another film....and the worst part about it is I think I've asked about this one before...

Gandhi....1982....Best Picture...is it any good?