CLAIRE & ROBS OPINION OF THE FILM...

TONGO · 03-15-2008

Yeah finally a couple of yahoos are attempting a critic thread. To know if I or Claire are worth listening too I will go about disclosing about myself though Claire need not too.

The movie that made me love film more than normal was The World According To Garp. I was 11. Yeah I went to see Absence Of Malice by myself at the movies when I was 13 so you can say at the least Im a movie buff.

Enjoy Kung-Fu (Fists Of Legend is the one baby!), Horror, Romantic Comedies, Foreign films, Documentaries, Action, Drama, Suspense, and etc... As long as its good I like it! I thought The Thin Red Line was visually breathtaking, and an assault on the mind it was so overly narrated, and pretentious. So no Im not one that "goes with the flow", and will argue against a coffee-shop crowd in a snap that Shakespeare In Love was the crime of the century.

The basic standards of judging cinema are ...

1. Is it worth the money. Thats a big one. What movie's worth your money now, and cant wait til later. Mostly you want to see the epics on the big screen, but then sometimes an incredible drama or comedy will supercede such rules.

2. Is it what it was advertised/marketed as being. This is HUGE cause 90% of the time Im dissapointed in a movie that delivers something different "in the tone" of what was advertised. Bait & Switch pisses people off - period.

3. Story. It is the most consistent and durable characteristic in judging a film. I was not surprised whatsoever about the Writers Guild strike. It is the most underrated facete in the movie industry.

I wanna watch a movie!

Claireofthemoon · 03-15-2008

I've loved movies for as long as I can remember. Some of my favorites are Taxi Driver, Reservoir Dogs, The Departed and Goodfellas. This female does NOT like chick flicks.

I judge movies based on the following:

Is it interesting? - If I'm bored shitless watching a movie there's no way I'm going to consider it good. Rob mentioned A Thin Red Line. I thought it was boring as hell. Too many lingering (way too long) camera shots and it was way too pleased with itself.

Is it Entertaining? I've never seen either of the Hostel movies because the idea of watching people get tortured (even though it's not real) is not the least bit enjoyable to me.

I have seen many foreign films. I've rented independent movies no one else has heard of that ended up being great (check out The Darwin Awards) and of course have watched the standard Hollywood fare. I will watch almost any movie if it looks interesting.

So briefly that is my relationship with movies.

TONGO · 03-15-2008

Ok what movie do we want to pick on first?! Ill let Claire pick or -best broadcaster voice- maybe a poster out there can make a request!

TONGO · 03-17-2008

No Country For Old Men

The 2007 Best Picture winner! The worst ending to a nailbiter of a film since.....never. Not T-2! Not Dog Day Afternoon! Not Rocky V! Not Deer Hunter even cause they at least built you up then break you. The film should have had a 3 way dance w/Brolin, Jones, and Bardem that wouldve surpased The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Maybe.

No Country For Old Men makes your jaw drop in astonishment when theres about a 1/2 hour left in it, but not in a good way. More like "Wow! What a blunder in decisionmaking that is!" kinda way. First 75% of the film was as good as Ive seen. Tension paced beautifully, characters you like, and a unstoppable villain. Then....well I think you get the point.

All griping aside the Coens pulled it off, and Id watch it again. Best Picture?! Well it was better than Traffic or Shakespeare In Love... Though Badem got gold I felt Brolin was the breath of fresh air. Ive seen a million of the dark swarthy quiet types. Brolins rustic everyman cowboy gonna make his mark hustle fuels this film much more than Jones or Badem imo.

I give it a A-

-

Claireofthemoon · 03-17-2008

Warning Spoilers For No Country For Old Men

I enjoyed No Country For Old Men. The plot was interesting enough. A good guy steals some money that belongs to a bad guy who, of course, wants it back. The character of Anton Chigurh was much more than a bad guy though. He was a psychopathic killer with no regard for human life. Javier Bardem played him with a chilling creepiness that makes you glad you’ll never run into him in a dark alley.

Llewellen Moss played by Josh Brolin knew he was getting involved in something dangerous with the dead bodies lying around him while he searched the trucks parked nearby. He just had no idea how dangerous.

The man on the run and the killer chasing him made for an enjoyable movie watching experience, but I had a problem with the ending. Chigurh is in a car accident (why?) and then goes hobbling away injured, but you’re not sure how badly, nor do you ever find out if he discovered the money. Then, Tommie Lee Jones as the sheriff is telling his wife about a not so interesting dream, says “then I woke up...” and the movie ends.

Overall, I thought No Country was a good film, just not a great one and because of that fact, not deserving of the best picture Oscar.

I give it a B.

Ford · 03-17-2008

Okay, I can't read those posts because while I bought the blu ray of the movie, I haven't had time to watch it yet.

But if you're taking requests, I think you should both watch the legendary film "Street Fighter", starring none other than international box-office superstar Jean Claude Van Damme and each give us a 2,000 word review of it.

TONGO · 03-17-2008

LMFAO! Ill do it if Claire will!

TONGO · 03-17-2008

Im sorry Claire, but Ive got to do this. Please check you pm

Claireofthemoon · 03-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford

Okay, I can't read those posts because while I bought the blu ray of the movie, I haven't had time to watch it yet.

But if you're taking requests, I think you should both watch the legendary film "Street Fighter", starring none other than international box-office superstar Jean Claude Van Damme and each give us a 2,000 word review of it.

No offense to you Ford since we all have our own opinion, but I don't like Van Damme and don't want to sit through one of his movies. To each his own.

Ford · 03-19-2008

That was kinda my point. That movie is sooooooooo awful. It may be the worst thing I've ever seen. I just didn't want to be the only person on the planet that suffered through watching it.