tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post2686337153456176752..comments2024-03-12T10:45:12.762-07:00Comments on moviesandsongs365: Viewing recap for February Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-196427049300493122014-03-13T05:11:30.230-07:002014-03-13T05:11:30.230-07:00@niels85: True enough, there are certain films tha...@niels85: True enough, there are certain films that are better experienced by yourself, so you can fully immerse yourself in that universe, without distractions. Spike Jonze's "Her" is one of those for me.<br />I will give "Adaptation." and "Where the Wild Things Are" a watch, when I can, he is an interesting director.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-17661140642164330062014-03-11T17:19:55.593-07:002014-03-11T17:19:55.593-07:00Oh. You have to watch "Adaptation." and ...Oh. You have to watch "Adaptation." and "Where the Wild Things Are". They are both great films, especially the latter, which quickly became one of my personal favorites. Neither of them are perfect, but like I said before, there's something about Spike Jonze's films that really grabs me. It may have helped that I've watched them all on my own. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-61549801608901013382014-03-11T02:39:22.062-07:002014-03-11T02:39:22.062-07:00@niels85: Nice that can agree American Hustle was ...@niels85: Nice that can agree American Hustle was better than Silver Linings Playbook, I thought I was out on my own having that opinion :)<br />You are rgiht, Academy do give "gay themed" movies quite a lot of recognition, either nominations, or wins. I can think of a couple of others, Brokeback Mountain and Milk.<br />I need to catch up on Spike Jonze's other work, Adaptation, and Where the Wild Things Are. "Being John Malkovich" was so original. I'm glad you have found a director you can connect with emotionally, great when that happens.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-25601061512915070342014-03-11T02:30:02.246-07:002014-03-11T02:30:02.246-07:00@Andina: indeed, Her soundtrack is beautiful. Nebr...@Andina: indeed, Her soundtrack is beautiful. Nebraska I didn't fully connect with, I prefer Alexander Payne's earlier work(Sideways, About Schmidt, Paris, je t'aime, Election)Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-10093665347734759802014-03-11T02:22:14.191-07:002014-03-11T02:22:14.191-07:00Eric @ The Warning Sign: I loved most of what &quo...Eric @ The Warning Sign: I loved most of what "Her" had to offer, but yeah, the sexual bits were quite unexpected and dirty, and for me didn't quite fit with the romantic tone.<br />I can see how Nebraska is about an envirobment, though I've never been to Nebraska, so I can't say if it nails it or not. Agree about strong performances.<br /><br />Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus' acting was certainly a highlight of Enough Said, and it had its moments.<br /><br />I remember you gave 12 Years a Slave 10/10 on your site. It certainly is powerful, disturbing and well-acted, yet somehow I felt it was not thought-provoking enough, because everyone agrees on slavery and torture is wrong. Though Steve McQueen is correct to say in his oscar speech that slavery still happens in the world today,and it is an important issue that should not be neglected.<br />I suppose you are right, that the slave owners were likely wealthy enough to get a replacement.<br /><br />Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-60800616664358148832014-03-07T12:05:50.445-08:002014-03-07T12:05:50.445-08:00I haven't seen most of these. I truly need to ...I haven't seen most of these. I truly need to catch up with some of the nominees to this year's Academy Awards. I'm not totally surprised by your ratings on some of these though. <br />American Hustle was indeed better than Silver Linings Playbook, mostly because the writing is tighter and funnier. I believe David O. Russell has just gotten better with each film he makes. <br />I suspect that a lot of the love for Dallas Buyers Club comes due to its subject matter, which is a sensitive topic that Hollywood tends to really pay attention to and awash with accolades even if it's not entirely meritorious (Philadelphia is an example). <br /><br />The more time passes since I watched Her, the more it seems to grow on me and the more I want to revisit it. I will probably end up buying it as soon as it comes out. With Adaptation. , Where the Wild Things Are and now with Her, Spike Jonze has quickly become one of my favorite directors working today and I really can't wait to see what he does next. There's just something depressingly alienating about the characters in his films that I find extremely appealing, if not relatable. I'm certainly the kind of person who's never quite fit in with any click or group, and this is kind of an unifying theme all of his films explore. <br /><br />Nice round-up with some really interesting films Chris. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-4524671019401952082014-03-06T05:45:45.560-08:002014-03-06T05:45:45.560-08:00So glad you loved Her too! Music score was splendi...So glad you loved Her too! Music score was splendid. Loved Nebraska more than you do, in fact I felt relate to it. I love the black and white as well. Laughed a couple of times.Andinahttp://www.inspired-ground.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-10591236693648202662014-03-04T11:03:27.067-08:002014-03-04T11:03:27.067-08:00Glad you were able to catch up on so many 2013 fil...Glad you were able to catch up on so many 2013 films.<br /><br />"Raunchier Lost in Translation" is a good way to put it. I thought a few scenes (like the dead cat sex and the video game character) were tonally out of place but I still got a kick out of them. Can definitely see where you're coming from though.<br /><br />I really enjoyed Nebraska partly because it nailed the rural America small town setting so well. Loved the performances from everyone as well, even Will Forte who I'm not used to seeing in dramatic roles.<br /><br />Enough Said is fairly formulaic, as you say, but I think the cast gives it a huge boost. Loved Gandolfini and Louis-Dreyfus in this.<br /><br />12 Years a Slave is definitely a difficult watch. I think the logic behind the slave owners is that they were likely wealthy enough to get a replacement fairly easily. It's just unimaginable that people could (and still can) act like that.Eric @ The Warning Signhttp://twscritic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-38661720647574543512014-03-03T23:55:06.484-08:002014-03-03T23:55:06.484-08:00@TheVern: Yes, in Her, I disliked the phone sex sc...@TheVern: Yes, in Her, I disliked the phone sex scene, and the anal reference on the beach. I realize they were jokes/comments on society, but they took me out of the movie. Of course sex and love go hand-in-hand, so it would be odd without any sexual references. Maybe won’t put me off on 2nd viewing, because I know what’s ahead.<br />American Hustle, I can see that the con is a little confusing(I read about it afterwards to make sure I got it)<br />The Hedgehog is ok, but no masterpiece. The Bank Dick is a fun movie, WC Field’s is funny(in moderation).<br />Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-24456106833058754772014-03-03T23:54:09.969-08:002014-03-03T23:54:09.969-08:00@Ruth: I remember you wrote a glowing review for H...@Ruth: I remember you wrote a glowing review for Her, good to see it win for screenplay. Though would have been nice with a nomination for J Phoenix, who I feel was overlooked for Best Actor.<br />Glad you are a fan of Insomnia as well! Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-50227355549335029272014-03-03T20:02:29.890-08:002014-03-03T20:02:29.890-08:00Were you refering to the phone sex scenes in "...Were you refering to the phone sex scenes in "Her" as being raunchy. I laughed out loud during the first one(without Samantha) but when they have their moment. I felt like I was intruding on someone's privacy. It was a beleviable moment. I liked the acting in American Hustle just not the story Halfway through I could no longer understand the con anymore, and by then I could not care. Agree that 12 Years a Slave is good albeit predictable. WIll have to seek out The Bank DIck and The Hedgehog based on your recommendationsTheVernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00712756384665520547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-67416813108519482972014-03-03T14:26:58.009-08:002014-03-03T14:26:58.009-08:00Hi ya Chris! Glad that you saw a bunch of the Osca...Hi ya Chris! Glad that you saw a bunch of the Oscar nominees as well as some old faves of mine. I LOVE Her and that's one I don't mind seeing again in a heartbeat. Glad to see Jonze winning Best Original Screenplay! <br /><br />I like Insomnia too, that's one of Nolan's most underrated I think but I thought it was brilliant.ruthhttp://flixchatter.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-68450481435527937222014-03-02T13:15:00.493-08:002014-03-02T13:15:00.493-08:00@Josh: Can’t believe I missed Insomnia all these y...@Josh: Can’t believe I missed Insomnia all these years! Really solid thriller, and Al Pacino is so good in that. <br /><br />I had the same problems with The Grandmaster and Ashes of Time, in that both looked beautiful, but the overall stories I feel were poorly told, and unnecessarily confusing.<br />Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-41643783274602219232014-03-02T12:11:09.762-08:002014-03-02T12:11:09.762-08:00Ooh, I'm glad you liked Insomnia so much. That...Ooh, I'm glad you liked Insomnia so much. That's probably Nolan's most underrated film.<br /><br />I watched Ashes of Time recently, and I enjoyed it. I'd rate it higher, but the film does have its problems.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08596682195753811295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-8240165050996061042014-03-01T23:59:07.166-08:002014-03-01T23:59:07.166-08:00@thevoid99: oops, thanks for telling, I’ll correct...@thevoid99: oops, thanks for telling, I’ll correct that. Agree Ashes of Time is a messy film.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-65059479376782391302014-03-01T19:05:20.462-08:002014-03-01T19:05:20.462-08:00Um... Christopher Doyle did the cinematography for...Um... Christopher Doyle did the cinematography for <i>Ashes of Time</i>, not Anthony Dodd Mantle. Yeah, it's a messy film but still an enjoyable one.thevoid99https://www.blogger.com/profile/03055459287396592446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-40072888657084429792014-03-01T14:28:15.291-08:002014-03-01T14:28:15.291-08:00@Cristi B: Many of those award season films got a ...@Cristi B: Many of those award season films got a release in Jan+Feb here. I was a bit harsh on Enough Said and Her with my ratings, I'm just being honest about my initial reaction. <br />Her I need to see again. I didn't love Lost in Tr on 1st viewing, it took a bit of time to settle in the bones. Perhaps will be the case with a few of these new films :)<br /><br />Yes, Ashes of Time was a different type of samurai, I liked the writing in patches, but it never came together as a cohesive experience for me.<br /> Insomnia is among my favorites this month, hope you like that Nolan film!<br />Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-65609748906214385502014-03-01T13:24:30.123-08:002014-03-01T13:24:30.123-08:00Seems like you focused on catching up with 2013 fi...Seems like you focused on catching up with 2013 films this past month. I noticed you don't give grades over 8 that easily which I admire. We didn't exactly click on these movies. I loved Enough Said, Nebraska and of course Her. You were more positive on August: Osage County and Dallas Buyers Club. About 12 Years a Slave, I really don't want that film to win. It's most likely to be the big winner on Sunday night, but I feel some contempt towards it. I think I unconsciously hate it. It's a good film, but I don't want it to win. Hopefully it won't.<br /><br />I agree that Ashes of Time is confusing, I felt that too, but it was very beautiful and a very different samurai/ warrior film. It looked great and the actors were excellent.<br /><br />Looks like Insomnia is pretty great. I should check that after finishing with the 2013 films. Also, I should watch more Bergman.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-57831784537805481742014-03-01T12:48:04.801-08:002014-03-01T12:48:04.801-08:00@Sati: I agree Leto was good, but he really didn&#...@Sati: I agree Leto was good, but he really didn't have much to do, and was only in a few scenes. He was just there to aid McConaughey's journey, and doesn't have his own life outside of that. Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1619249406686227577.post-28858960570141574542014-03-01T12:35:06.500-08:002014-03-01T12:35:06.500-08:00Totally with you on Leto - he was good but his cha...Totally with you on Leto - he was good but his character wasn't in the movie enough and he really didn't have much to do, comparing to McConaughey's work his performance really doesn't seem awards worthy to me.s.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13987831438787776712noreply@blogger.com