Film and Episodic Content Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by purr1n, Jan 8, 2020.

  1. caute

    caute Lana Del Gayer than you

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    Imo, Yorgos Lanthimos—you should also check out the excellent, in-the-same-vein Dogtooth, filmed in his native country and the different, but also great The Killing of a Sacred Deer, also starring Colin Farrell along with Nicole Kidman—is Greece's most talented and idiosyncratic director since Theo Angelopoulos.
     
  2. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    I first saw him in Game of Thrones where he is excellent.

    He is best known for The Mandalorian, where he is fine, but it's not exactly a role that is going to put someone's ability on full display, haha.
     
  3. caute

    caute Lana Del Gayer than you

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    Shined in the original Narcos, too!
     
  4. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    I remember watching Dogtooth a long time ago and dont remember it well… something about a secluded family with very narrowed perceptions and upbringing who meet a stranger and then it gets... awkward. Didnt realize he was the same director. The Killing of a Sacred Deer was great! Difficult to speak on the plot without revealing spoilers but also an interesting (edited to remove tiny spoiler) plot like The Lobster. Also fantastic acting, two of which (male leads) worked together again in the Banshees of Inisherin although in much less serious roles. Nicole Kidman always great (prior to freezing her face with Botox).
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2023
  5. OldDude04

    OldDude04 Friend

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    He was great in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent with Nicolas Cage too.
     
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  6. Boops

    Boops Friend

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    I watched The Banshees of Inisherin over the weekend. I was primed to enjoy this: I'm a fan of both In Bruges and Three Billboards; I'm always up for anything Colin Farrell does; and Barry Keoghan has had my attention since I saw his scene-stealing supporting performance in The Green Knight.

    It also has an interesting premise: what happens when someone abruptly ends a relationship for reasons you don't understand?

    Ultimately, I didn't think this worked really at all. The central conflict is too opaque, the motivations confusing and unjustified. McDonagh wants us to read between the lines (which I don't mind), but there isn't quite enough there to get the full picture across. The supporting characters and setting are interesting, but the tone is hit-and-miss. It's almost like an AI-generated riff on a Coen brothers' script.

    I know this is on many "best of" lists and has received a number of Oscar noms. I can sort of get on board with the acting noms, but I don't think it deserves the others.

    A few good points: the scenery is beautiful. Stone walls and green mountains and all that. The animal acting is top notch. Best scene in the film is between Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon. Just wonderfully measured, subtle performance.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 31, 2023
  7. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    I have not played the game, but zombies (of any kind, fast or slow) are my favorite genre. I'm only two episodes in, but it is decent so far. Has not quite grabbed me like The Walking Dead, but has potential.

    Also watched The Menu last weekend. Definitely different and somewhat disturbing, I'd say it was certainly worth my time.
     
  8. Pharmaboy

    Pharmaboy Friend

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    Damn, that's well-stated, evocative. I give you credit for being up to see this film, also for apparently staying for its entire length.

    I've read reviews (many are glowing) and saw the trailer several times. I had a moment of clarity about this: I've sat through too many films that interested me (at first) but were slow, opaque, and bankrupted my tolerance for whimsy. These are terrific actors, but I'm not seeing this one.

    Call it rank prejudice, or call it experience from seeing many small films. Maybe 20 years ago I would have sought out this one out, but not now.
     
  9. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    It's not.

    The main character literally spells out why he doesn't want to be friends anymore.

    And Colin Farrell's character is such an insane narcissist, he wont leave well enough alone, AND would rather kill his friend than understand and accept that he himself was the cause of his donkey dying in the first place.

    The film both tells you outright what's going, and allows you to piece together the more nuanced motivations through deductive logic. It was quite refreshing to see this among a sea of "on the nose" narratives that dominate Hollywood. I thought it was a brilliant film.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2023
  10. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    I chose to watch too because of In Bruges. Without that I don't think I would've watched based solely on trailer and associated actors (I had not seen a critic review).
    I remember watching Three Billboards but it wasn't as good as expected. I wondered if it received a little extra praise by media because it was about a woman taking violent action against corrupt men (film is from 2017).

    The style and story was more like a fable, not a deep study on a character but revealing of a human condition. A comedy up until it wasn't which was completely unexpected. I like films that can lull you into thinking its a certain type of film and then halfway through flip the script. Went from whimsy to all of a sudden dealing with loneliness, abuse, and depression. The plot was unrealistic. The periodic pauses to remind you of the brutality of the war just across the water way put a pretty big contrast on reality vs the small events and concerns of this village. I thought there was some humorous message that was trying to be conveyed every time the characters stopped mid-scene to take note of gun fire in the background, simply to make note of it like a change in the weather... It made you pity the characters even more that their small slivers of happiness is everything in the world that they felt made their lives worth living.

    That is a fair description.

    disclaimer: I love sad movies (and music)!
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2023
  11. Pharmaboy

    Pharmaboy Friend

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    I'm going to be the odd man out here: I saw IN BRUGES in the theater years ago, and didn't make it all the way the end. I went in thinking I would love it, but I didn't. The slow pace and deadpan vibe of it finally wore me out.

    Sometimes "deadpan" = just plain dead. That was one of those times.

    Yet I love the work of both these actors in numerous other films.
     
  12. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    In Bruges was OK, but not what would be highly rated on my personal list. Interestingly I did not expect to like Three Billboards at all. It just did not look like the kind of movie that would interest me, but I came away going wow, that was a great movie! Banshees looks even less like I movie I would like, but at some point I will probably give it a try.

    Quite often movies that receive critical acclaim but don't look to have a story that appeals to me end up being quite enjoyable. Not always, but often. Best Picture nominees have a really large percentage of excellent movies totally outside my personal genres of interest. Kind of good in that way that they drag me away from my comfort zone and let me see what is possible in the art of film and acting.
     
  13. Boops

    Boops Friend

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    I agree he does spell it out clearly. It's not opaque/confusing in the sense that we don't why he's doing it. It is because he immediately undermines his stated reasons for ending the friendship with what he does next. And in the cascade of tragedies and recriminations that follow, the punishments never quite fit the crimes which make the motivations feel shaky, uncertain.

    Incidentally, punishments-not-fitting-crimes is a good theme to explore in the surreal, fairy-tale logic village we are presented with, but the movie is also undermining that kind of experience with its mix of folksy, salt-of-the-earth characters on the one hand and real-life depression, isolation, and abuse on the other.

    It was a lot of plate spinning and competing tones for me in the end and didn't quite hold together.

    I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for prompting me to think about it more. I always appreciate your take on movies.
     
  14. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    If you're talking about the fingers thing, I'm even more confused by what is difficult to understand. He is demonstrating that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to show how serious he is about his desire for solitude. This is what makes the simplistic setup all the more fascinating. Everyone has had a change of heart where their old life and friends become so alien to them to the point where they no longer desire to be around them. But almost no one is willing to mutilate themselves in order to demonstrate how serious they are. This takes the setup very obviously into the realm of allegory, which means the absurdity becomes less about reality and more about the deeper meaning of the characters actions. The battle raging across the pond is further evidence of this extreme reaction of mutilation and violence in order to fight for and even die for ones principles. The film is a pretty obvious war allegory that enriches the characters and narrative, giving the "folksy salt of the earth" characters an added sense of depth and urgency.

    I've heard "Coen brothers riff" mentioned, but this film contains the same kind of mythological thematic and narrative urgency you find in alot of Coen brothers movies, but this film has its own kind of meditative power that makes it unique.

    To be clear, I have no issues with anyone's feelings about this movie. Reactions are personal. But there are objective realities to a movie that aren't really debatable. What's happening in Banshees has a very clear narrative and thematic purpose that is successfully supported by the characterizations and acting. There's a very good reason it's been nominated quite heavily during awards season. I'm not one to blindly accept everything critics and award voters put forth, but in this case they are dead on correct about Banshees.
     
  15. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    Ooh, nice interpretation. I did not catch that (im no genius obviosuly). The characters seemed so indifferent to the war… But you’re right, the war did parallel the conviction and violence of the characters. I was wondering why the inclusion of the occasional focus on a background battle. I thought it was there as juxtaposition to these simple villagers perhaps to show how their simple conflicts and needs are as dire or dramatic as a war. I guess that is allegory (i had to google definition).

    Totally. Somehow movie impressions are way less hostile than audiophile discussions. Maybe because audio gear is expensive vs the price of a movie ticket. Maybe because MOTs are interspersed amongst the crowd, and some of them friends which makes negative feedback more personal and cause for reaction... My wife was browsing Apple TV streaming service and they had movie recommendations provided by famous actors or directors, and I wondered for a moment if these people are recommending stuff they really like or just giving love to their friends or benefactors in hollywood.
     
  16. ColtMrFire

    ColtMrFire Writes better fan fics than you

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    I have an irrational love of this crazy, stupid franchise.

    Comment section is hilarious.



    Oh and apparently this cost $350M to make... at least that's what's being reported, budgets are often underreported.
     
  17. Philimon

    Philimon Friend

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    Why would they underreport a budget? Ive heard the opposite, generally they overreport costs for tax reasons and presumably to build hype.
     
  18. caute

    caute Lana Del Gayer than you

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    I unironically think the first film was a masterpiece of early aughts cinema, you can see the invisible hand of Capital as the series progresses from being chosen family-oriented, about loyalty and mutual respect—and believe it or not—love in recognizing the other, and turn away from those values and instead into churning out ordinary, plainly diagrammed out blockbusters, Marvel movies with tanks instead of capes.
     
  19. roughroad

    roughroad formerly mephisto56

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    Not my type of movie or series I'm afraid.

    On the other hand, I just finished watching Devs on Hulu for the 2nd time. Despite some plot holes and many people's dislike of the lead actress Sonoya Mizuno, I enjoyed this show a great deal. It was a thinking person's type of show, of which I am fond of. Some of the items pointed out rather emphatically were that Big Tech can be both scary and too powerful. Also, while I am not a believer in determinism, it was an interesting concept that I ended up investigating further.
     
  20. Pharmaboy

    Pharmaboy Friend

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    Damn. Never heard of this show & don't get Hulu, but when I read it was created by Alex Garland (EX MACHINA; ANNIHILATION), I get interested. Just read several reviews of the show. It sounds interesting, very much in my content wheelhouse...

    May have to do something I've never done before: purchase the 1st season on Prime. Either that, or sign up to Hulu for a month or two.
     

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