Movie Review Thread

[Subedei]

Best movie seen in a looong time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Prophet

Thrilling, insightful and awesome actors! Watch it if possible.

[Fragony]

Best movie seen in a looong time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Prophet

Thrilling, insightful and awesome actors! Watch it if possible.

I second this, it's an incredible movie.

[Hooahguy]

Triumph of the Spirit

Its a Holocaust film set in Auschwitz. Its made well, it was even shot on location of the death camp, so that was interesting to see. But I didnt really get a feel for the characters. The film is supposedly about a Greek boxer forced to box for the Nazi officers, but it didnt feel like that was the main plot of the movie, it felt like it was something on the side, nothing more. Willem Dafoe, to his credit, had a good performance in the movie. Edward James Olmos's performance was also great, but I might be slightly biased as I am a huge Admiral Adama fan so he cant really do any wrong in my eyes. I also loved him in American Me.

[Fragony]

Lague of extraordinary gentlemen, great fun. A fine production by the numbers, it's nothing extraordinary but it's fun. It's a genre that you can't really can wrong with really. Good value for the euro I payed for it.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Lague of extraordinary gentlemen, great fun. A fine production by the numbers, it's nothing extraordinary but it's fun. It's a genre that you can't really can wrong with really. Good value for the euro I payed for it.

That's interesting you liked it Frag. Here in the US it is generally held as one of the worst movies to come out in a long time. 17% from critics and 44% from audience on rottentomatoes.com I watched it and thought it was merely average, but people also say that "Lady in the Water" is terrible but I rather liked it, so I guess to each his own.

[Major Robert Dump]

Watched Brasil for first time ever. Entertaining.

Also watched My Life As A Dog, freaking amazing film.

[Fragony]

Ajami, very cool Israeli/Palestinian movie. Guess what it's not about? Exactly, there is no politics in this movie it's part crime-movie part family-drama. Gives nice insights in jewish and palestinian cultures. Recommended.

[The Lurker Below]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - good story, well played, directed, etc...would give 3.5 of 5.

[a completely inoffensive name]

So with only a week left until I am officially on break, I have decided to make a list here of movies available on Netflix instant watch so that I can become a more cultured individual. There are 37 movies on here I want to watch, and I want to finish it off by early January when school starts up again.

The full list is here:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1. The Avengers
2. Jarhead
3. End of Watch
4. The Pianist
5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
6. Roman Holiday
7. The Hunt for Red October
8. The Untouchables
9. Platoon
10. Jet Li's Fearless
11. Batman: Under the Red Hood
12. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
13. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
14. Safe
15. Downfall
16. Ip Man 2 Just watched
17. Cinema Paradiso
18. Charade
19. The Man from Nowhere
20. 13 Assassins
21. The African Queen
22. The Way
23. Batman: Year One
24. Double Indemnity
25. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
26. Fresh
27. Witness for the Prosecution
28. Memorial Day
29. Imitation of Life
30. Trading Places
31. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
32. The Worlds Fastest Indian
33. The Red Violin
34. Safety Not Guaranteed
35. Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
36. True Grit (1969)
37. Europa Report

First one on my list to cross off Ip Man 2

If you saw my review for the first one, you know that I enjoyed the first one for its ability to provide what you would expect from such a film, good fights and a good setting. I think the second one surprisingly improves on the first film in almost every way with the exception of the implementation of Act 3. Whether due to a bigger budget or more experience under the actors belt, the acting from all native Chinese actors were better than in the first film, although this is offset by the horrific performances by the white actors playing the British police and antagonists later in the film. No outrageous wire fu, but fast paced, exciting fights that do not get dull after the first 30 seconds of fighting. The biggest improvement going for it is the toned down themes of Chinese nationalism which makes sense when considering the differences in sentiment between Chinese-Japanese relations and Chinese-British relations. The plot is good as Ip Man is now in Hong Kong presumably fighting all the other Kung Fu masters in order to establish himself as the best master of them all, but then the film suddenly takes a turn near the end by turning the main Chinese antagonist into a martyr for the Chinese people by having him get killed in the ring against a brutish British boxer who Ip Man must now fight in order to show the true strength of the Chinese martial arts. The stakes are not exactly as high as the first movie when the Japanese are occupying the entire country, attempting to demoralize the Chinese with one sided tournaments. So the hype isn't there in the end as you would expect from a sequel, but none of that matters any way because as I said, it gives you what you want, some good kung fu. Watch it if you liked the first.

[Vuk]

Nah. Ip Man 2 kind of sucked pretty hard.

[Lemur]

Interesting list, ACIN. The ones I ain't seen:

3. End of Watch
10. Jet Li's Fearless
11. Batman: Under the Red Hood
12. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
14. Safe
15. Downfall
18. Charade
19. The Man from Nowhere
22. The Way
23. Batman: Year One
26. Fresh
27. Witness for the Prosecution
28. Memorial Day
29. Imitation of Life

On my current to-watch list, for no particular reasons:

Sonatine
Tiny Furniture
Best Worst Movie
Bernie
In the Loop
John Dies at the End
Melancholia

If any Orgahs have an opinion on any of these flicks, feel free to share. Especially if you've seen it and it isn't worth the time.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Interesting list, ACIN. The ones I ain't seen:

3. End of Watch
10. Jet Li's Fearless
11. Batman: Under the Red Hood
12. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
14. Safe
15. Downfall
18. Charade
19. The Man from Nowhere
22. The Way
23. Batman: Year One
26. Fresh
27. Witness for the Prosecution
28. Memorial Day
29. Imitation of Life

I've seen some of these; I definitely recommend End of Watch, and The Man from Nowhere. I enjoyed Under the Red Hood more than Batman: Year One (which was more like Gordon: Year One).

CR