muikabochi 208 Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Borat Naughty. Funny. Link to post Share on other sites
griller 9 Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Good Night and Good Luck. Looking forward to another Clooney one as well - The Good German. >>>>> This movie is an homage not only to the vocabulary of film noir , but also to its social and political genesis. Film Noir developed after World War II and was an outgrowth of both the cynicism that was generated by WW II because it turned out to need another war to be the war to end all wars.... and because of the enormous evil that World War II revealed in contradistinction to the sunny idealism of the American Project. Film Noir of the 40's and 50's was a reaction to WW II, but those films themselves were always crime stories about naive men dragged into terrible circumstances through the lure of seductive, dangerous women. But they were never about the war itself or anything to do with the war itself. WWII movies were patriotic paeans to heroism like 30 Seconds over Tokyo or the common man like A Walk in the Sun or home front heroism like Mrs. Mininver. Indeed only Casablanca itself, as exemplified early on by Rick's character was suffused with some of the cynicism that we see in film noir, but the reason Casablance is beloved is because the cynicism melts away in the the understanding that there is something greater than one's own preservation. What is wonderful about the Good German is that it is a Film Noir film about the War itself and also about war in general...then and now. The film and its concerns are not dated or meaningless, but very much of the moment. The film also pays visual homage to other movies of the era, from the warm hearted cynicism of Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair with Jean Arthur as the parochial Congressperson (like in this film) and Marlene Dietrich as the dangerous vamp with a dark past. Roberto Rossellini's Germany:Year Zero, shot in postwar Berlin, shows how fear, deprivation and terror destroy the soul as ell as the body. The Congressman is not just a boob but a participant in the propagation of evil and the Good American General of Beau Bridges is anything but good. Indeed, as we know now Americans protected Nazis who could help us in terms of confronting the next evil--Communism and Russia. And the story they tell about the V-2 rocket is true. The Germans and Werner van Braun used up the lives and caused the deaths of Jewish and other POW's slave labor to create and launch them and we, in terms of the American occupation and the incipient CIA aka the OSS, helped mass murderers to safety. Even the lawyer Teitel, the man researching the Nuremberg Trials, whose sole purpose is to pursue Justice, can be compromised. Tobey Maguire was chosen to play the vicious, venal Tully because to most American audiences he, as Peter Parker, typifies the best of America. He is meant to be jarring to the audience. Lena, indeed is the vamp, but unlike old film noir like Out of the Past, she doesn't lead Jake on, Jake misleads himself about her. She is just a desperate woman struggling to survive. Some would say this is a movie about moral ambiguities, but I think it's not that ambiguous. The filmmakers have cast judgment on some of our post war behavior and found it wanting. The only romanticism in this movie is in the style, a valentine to the look of old movies; there is no romanticism in its view of America at war. Link to post Share on other sites
dale#1 1 Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Clooney has been doing some good movies recently. What was the other one he did can't remember the title ("Syriana", I think) - that was good too. Link to post Share on other sites
charlotte 0 Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 A few I have seen recently that I enjoyed are Volver (Penelope Cruz) and the very interesting Red Road. My male friend told me "Farce Of The Penguins" was good, but I'll just take his word for it! Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Thanks Ezorisu Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Clerks 2 made me laugh. I thought Night at the Museum was yawn. Link to post Share on other sites
spook 0 Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 the new jack black/tenacious d movie "pick of destiny" is freakin sweet if you're into oddball/kooky/stoner humour. i've met some people who hated it, but i put that down to the fact that they are squares. i'll have to check out clerks 2. i thought jay and silent bob strike back was a comedic masterpiece. kevin smith is good! i also saw hot fuzz the other night, and laughed til it hurt. another thumbs up for english humour. funny on lots of levels, and they don't ram predictable jokes down your throat like US comedies do. Link to post Share on other sites
fukdane 2 Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Recently seen the Austin Powers movies again. So funny, can watch them so many times. Felicity Shagwell, what a babe. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 They are very funny. If one is one when I'm flicking through the channels I often watch it (for the xxxth time). Link to post Share on other sites
its-a-clock 0 Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Highly expectant of Borat - but I actually thought it was boring and only sometimes funny. Link to post Share on other sites
r45 4 Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 Had a bit of a cold over the weekend and so slobbed out and watched tv and movies. Liked The Insider and Sixth Sense (couldn't really remember it apart from the twist, but still enjoyed it). Link to post Share on other sites
LiquidX 0 Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Ones I enjoyed recently, been stuffed up with a really bad cold so had a few days off 13 Days Wall Street Apollo 13 Also took in 6 or 7 hours of 24 season 4. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Children of Men was an interesting watch. The world's gone to hell, and infertile. Cue lots of gloom. Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted April 14, 2007 Share Posted April 14, 2007 This Is England Excellent film, a must see. Got to see it the other night in a special showing that a friend took me to. Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 Watched Crimson Tide this afternoon quite entertaining. Usually can't go much wrong with Hackman in there. Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted April 23, 2007 Share Posted April 23, 2007 I watched A history of violence last night. Fairly low key but quite interesting about this guy who is living a second life but his first (the one he is trying to hide) comes back to haunt him. Also saw Rules of Engagement which was entertaining (stereotypes aside). Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted April 25, 2007 Share Posted April 25, 2007 Hot Fuzz. I think it's from the "Shaun of the Dead" guys... funny & irreverent. Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Hot fuzz was good (and yes it is from the Shaun guys) Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Saw Spiderman 3 today. Was pretty good.. Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I feel like I've seen that with all the trailers and hype. Just doesn't interest me. I recently saw all the Dirty Harry movies with Clint. First one is really great, the sequels more of a mixed bunch. But Clint is often worth a watch. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 Well Lin, Spiderman didn't interest me that much before my son got way into him (he was 3 then!). His obsession rubbed off and it wasn't a bad film.. ya typical superhero film.. no academy awards.. Link to post Share on other sites
ex-lurker 0 Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 Mulholland Drive is definitely worth a watch. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Intolerable Cruelty was good. Link to post Share on other sites
bobby12 0 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 rocky balboa was good. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Step Into Liquid ---- enjoyed! Link to post Share on other sites
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