Author Topic: Resurrecting the Movies thread...  (Read 1025449 times)

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1760 on: June 01, 2011, 08:31:29 am »
I finally got around to seeing this. Jeff was good, but if I am not mistaken was playing the same damn part that he played in The Big Lebowski, was he not?

Well, there are some similarities, but I see a lot of differences, too. The Dude is pretty happy-go-lucky and content with his life. And he drinks a lot, but he's not really a drunk. Bad Blake is a more somber and complex role, I think.

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Oh, yes, he sang a few songs, pretty well too. In fact, I think the big star of this movie was the soundtrack!! Many of the songs were written by T-Bone Burnett.

I really liked the music, too. Especially this one

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

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Why was Colin Farrell not credited in the movie? I thought his role as Tommy Sweet was one of his best.

Seriously? His name didn't appear in the credits? That's strange. It's right at the top on IMDb. I thought he was good, too. Not exactly who you'd expect Central Casting to send for the part of a country singer!

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I wasn't really impressed with Maggie Gyllenhaal's portrayal as the love interest, Jean.

I thought she did the best she could. But i didn't like her character much. In fact her whole relationship with Bad Blake -- the way he had to be redeemed by the love of a good (30 years younger) woman -- was the movie's big flaw. Come to think of it, that movie sucked.  :laugh:




Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1761 on: June 01, 2011, 12:09:53 pm »
No, I didn't see Ferrell's name appear in the credits. Sometimes that happens due to contractual problems.

The problem I had with Maggie's performance was mostly because she brought such a small bag of tools to the role...facial expressions, body language, etc. But I agree with you that she probably did the best she could with a role that was incidental to the main event, i.e. Jeff. Reviewers also think Robert Duvall's role was a waste but I thought he did well.

That Jeff Bridges...he must have the best agent on earth to get these roles!

One thing that really irritated me was the reverse angles, showing Jeff's back of head when he was having a conversation with someone. It showed an obviously fake head of blond hair on some stand-in. Those shots stood out like a sore thumb. Really made me appreciate Ang Lee more.
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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1762 on: June 01, 2011, 03:03:04 pm »
I really liked the music, too. Especially this one

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


What a tragic song! I've never heard of Ryan Bingham, but he is one talented musician! His voice has that tragic ring to it. Thanks!!
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1763 on: June 04, 2011, 03:10:11 pm »
I'm just especially open to any movie in which the main character(s): 1) are over 40 2) didn't originate in a comic book or video game and 3) don't kill anybody.


Offline southendmd

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1764 on: June 10, 2011, 11:45:43 pm »
I saw "The Tree of Life" tonight, and I'm not really sure what I think about it. 

For its first week, it showed exclusively at an art house theatre, but was shown at the multiplexes starting tonight.  Sparsely attended, several people walked out early on. 

It is certainly visually stunning, yet perplexing.  Light on dialogue and even lighter on plot, I suppose it's very personal to filmmaker Terrence Malick, in that it seems to be his own brand of spirituality.   Some of the images will stay with me.  Especially one sequence showing a huge flock of birds from a great distance as they swoop and swerve, almost as a single unit following some mathematical formula.  (I once witnessed this exact same phenomenon on a much smaller scale, in a tidal pool of tiny minnows, and was completely mesmerized by it.)

I thought Brad Pitt was very good (he produced the film as well), and had a hard time imagining Heath in the role.  In fact, I thought Heath might have been better in Sean Penn's role.  Lots of wordless closeups. 

Creation and loss and grace.  I'm still not sure what it's all about, but I'm glad I saw it.

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1765 on: June 11, 2011, 12:20:23 am »
Interesting...reviewers seem to think of it as a poetry movie. I vaguely remember Badlands and Days of Heaven...they launched careers and were mezmerizing and memorable. Not so much The New World (for me). I will see it when I'm in a certain mood. Thanks, friend.
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1766 on: June 11, 2011, 12:42:35 am »
I thought Brad Pitt was very good (he produced the film as well), and had a hard time imagining Heath in the role.  In fact, I thought Heath might have been better in Sean Penn's role.

Wait, what? Was Heath originally cast in the role, or do you just routinely pause to consider how Heath would have done in roles in various movies?

Your reaction comes very close to my pre-viewing opinion of the movie. From the trailer and reviews, I'm not especially excited about it, but intrigued enough to see it anyway.

I loved Days of Heaven. I remember going to see it for maybe the second time and bringing a sprig of lilac into the theater so I could breathe the beautiful fragrance while watching the beautiful onscreen images.

I never saw The New World, though. I remember deciding one night in January 2006 to go to the movies and choosing between TNW and a couple of others. One of the other movies happened to be showing at a time that better fit my schedule, so I saw that one instead. And then for the next 8 or 10 times I went to the theater, I saw that same one.


Offline Penthesilea

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1767 on: June 11, 2011, 04:47:31 am »
Wait, what? Was Heath originally cast in the role,


Yes, he was.


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or do you just routinely pause to consider how Heath would have done in roles in various movies?


 :laugh: I'll leave that for Paul to answer.

Offline southendmd

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1768 on: June 11, 2011, 08:31:50 am »
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Wait, what? Was Heath originally cast in the role, or do you just routinely pause to consider how Heath would have done in roles in various movies?

In his own words:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Lhv7VdnpA[/youtube]

Offline serious crayons

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Re: Resurrecting the Movies thread...
« Reply #1769 on: June 11, 2011, 11:36:26 am »
In his own words:

Oh, OK, thanks.

Kind of a portentous interview.

On the brighter side, when I first started watching it, I thought, Wow, he's sitting amazingly still.