Good movies you've seen recently

[muikabochi 208]

Borat Naughty. Funny.

[griller 9]

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.

[dale#1 1]

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.

[charlotte 0]

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!

[2pints-mate 0]

Thanks Ezorisu

[grungy-gonads 54]

Clerks 2 made me laugh.

 

I thought Night at the Museum was yawn.

[spook 0]

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.

[fukdane 2]

Recently seen the Austin Powers movies again. So funny, can watch them so many times. Felicity Shagwell, what a babe.

[scouser 4]

They are very funny. If one is one when I'm flicking through the channels I often watch it (for the xxxth time).

[its-a-clock 0]

Highly expectant of Borat - but I actually thought it was boring and only sometimes funny.

[r45 4]

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).

[LiquidX 0]

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.

[big-will 7]

Children of Men was an interesting watch. The world's gone to hell, and infertile. Cue lots of gloom.

[2pints-mate 0]

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.

[big-will 7]

Watched Crimson Tide this afternoon quite entertaining. Usually can't go much wrong with Hackman in there.

[oo 1]

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).

[Ezorisu 0]

Hot Fuzz. I think it's from the "Shaun of the Dead" guys... funny & irreverent.

[2pints-mate 0]

Hot fuzz was good (and yes it is from the Shaun guys)

[indosnm 0]

Saw Spiderman 3 today.

Was pretty good..

[lin 0]

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.

[indosnm 0]

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..

[ex-lurker 0]

Mulholland Drive is definitely worth a watch.

[scouser 4]

Intolerable Cruelty was good.

[bobby12 0]

rocky balboa was good.

[muikabochi 208]

Step Into Liquid ---- enjoyed!