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| billyweeds |
 Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 1:27 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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bartist wrote: KC?
But you're staying quiet on 3 Days to Kill and Black or White...or I missed your reviews.
Haven't yet seen Black or White, though I'm lusting to. 3 Days to Kill was about 1/1000th as good as 3000 Miles to Graceland. KC always does his best*, but some games are just impossible to win.
* Well, then there's The Postman. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 1:20 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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LOL " your math, there. B or W looks fun, albeit the trailer may not pick its choice scenes.
3DtK was poor Kevin "taken" by a Luc Besson script - which IMO is worse than being taken by aliens and anally probed. Besson opted early in a promising career to become a brand, instead of a creative individual. With or without Neeson, everything he does now is Neesonized, and bo-ring. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 1:30 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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| BTW, "Leon the professional" is the shining exception to what I said re Besson. Leon hasn't been Neesonized...his best friend is a houseplant, and he watches old Gene Kelley musicals. It's a charming and witty film. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 2:31 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Charming and witty and don't forget violent. I love "The Professional," from his opening hit to the sweet ending. Gary Oldman makes a colorful villain, too. (It would be a good double feature with "Gloria," if they still had double features.) |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:43 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Boy and gosh and wow, do I ever disagree with the two of you on Leon a.k.a. The Professional a.k.a. one of the only movies I ever walked out on in the middle. Oldman's performance went so far beyond unpleasant to me that I found it literally unwatchable. And...are you ready?...
So did Gary O. himself, who said for the record that when he viewed his performance in Leon he knew he had to get sober. I kid you not.
I also loathed the performance by Natalie Portman, future Oscarwinner whose message has always eluded me except in Beautiful Girls, an anomaly for me in the Portman career.
Jean Reno was good. Not enough for me. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 4:51 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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| Thought Leon was ridiculous and Oldman a real trainwreck in it. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 11:15 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| Well, I thought it was the most fun a hitman could have. And Oldman was indeed over the top, but I enjoyed his excess. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 4:47 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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I liked how the awards got dispersed.
Birdman was quite good.
A little surprised it picked up 4 major awards (but no acting statues).
Redmayne radiated Hawking -- I would have picked him or maybe Keaton.
Grand Budha got 4 production type awards.
But I didn't think the Imitation screenplay was very good -- it seemed rather clunky in parts.
I wonder if academy voters switched off Citizen4 after an hour, thinking it was pretty damn good.
Guess I need to pick up Still Alice and Selma.
Ida has been kicking around here for a long time.
Almost sure that it was here on Dvd in Fall of 2013.
I've almost picked it up on occasion.
Would be interested to see the 3 other foreign film noms.
Leviathan was rather slow and mediocre, imo.
Glad Sniper and Nightcrawler were shut out, so I can continue ignoring them. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 6:23 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| Sniper got a sound award. All of the BP nominees got at least one trophy. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 7:59 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| I thought the dispersal was terrible. That Birdman cleaned up so decisively was not only wrong but a slap in the face to Boyhood. I thought Birdman was a very interesting but flawed film. Boyhood? I wouldn't alter one single frame. It's one of my all-time top ten, and its virtual shut-out (except for Arquette) is the stuff of travesty. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:14 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12929
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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gromit wrote:
But I didn't think the Imitation screenplay was very good -- it seemed rather clunky in parts.
It was the best of the nominees. |
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:47 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Syd wrote: gromit wrote:
But I didn't think the Imitation screenplay was very good -- it seemed rather clunky in parts.
It was the best of the nominees.
Respectfully disagree. I think both American Sniper and Whiplash were better, tighter, more interesting screenplays. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:56 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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The "Imitation Game" screenwriter had a great acceptance speech, though.
I think "Birdman" was a favorite because, after all, it's all about acting, and fantasy, and who's more into those than the Academy of Arts & Sciences?
And I'm really glad I managed to see "Birdman," because Neil Patrick Harris's jaunt in his underpants would have been confusing otherwise. (Nice to watch, nevertheless.) |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:37 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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McFarland USA is a real crowd-pleaser, a slightly cornball (it's a Disney flick) but thoroughly entertaining feel-good movie based on the true story of a dirt-poor immigrant community and a coach who turns a group of teens into cross-country running champs. It all happened in 1987 and the time and place are conveyed expertly. Kevin Costner is perfectly cast as the hot-tempered, near-broke family man who can't hold a job but who finds himself by doing a job he had no interest in.
Costner is at his very best under the direction of Niki Caro, a woman (!) from New Zealand (!), seemingly a weird fit for this very American sports story, but Caro (who previously directed Whale Rider) does it to a turn. Costner's wife is the always-terrific Maria Bello and the kids are all great. It's a real charmer, a tear-inducer (notice I avoid "jerker"), and highly--very highly--recommended. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 1:37 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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Really, if I like a director's previous work, I'll see their next film. I liked Whale Rider. ( I'm seeing Wild this week because l liked Dallas BC. )
Just completed dismantling of a bathroom, then renovation, so looks like a film that requires 3 hrs immobility is ideal, ergo Boyhood. As long as the film doesn't depict removing tarry backing from a floor with a bench plane, i will enjoy.
Unbreakable might be a better choice, though, given how movies like that put your nasty chores in some perspective. Yeah my knees ache but I wasnt brutalized by Japanese soldiers for 2 years. |
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