Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Hustler]

Agreed. One of my least favorite Almodovar too. His career can be divided into chronically distinctive phases – the raw enfant terrible up until Laws of Desire, the stylish enfant terrible, culminating with Kika, the reflective, relatively introverted and very personal transformative phase (my favorite) of The Flower of My Secret and Live Flesh. And then, with Mother, Talk to Her and Volver he turned into the universally accepted Grand Maestro. I'm afraid that with Bad Education and this one we're witnessing a new dead end direction in which he examine Cinema – in general, but mostly his own. One might call it academic, but I'd choose the term futile.

And can someone explain to me how the moderately – looks wise, talent wise and charisma wise – gifted Cruz became this Grand Diva?

Maybe Uri, The Grand Maestro is getting older, a la Woody Allen. Dont´you think? I have the feeling that he is shooting the same movie again and again and again....

Indeed. At least when it comes to movies about blind film makers, BE is still better than Hollywood Ending.

Thanks Uri for your condolences. She was a great singer.
Usually called "the voice" of Latin America.

[Penelope]

Ludwig (1972; Luchino Visconti) 8/10

Lavish if lengthy and leisurely-paced bio-pic of the so-called "mad king" of Bavaria, Ludwig II (Helmut Berger): his relationships with Austria's Empress Elisabeth (Romy Schneider, more nuanced here than in the Sissi films) and composer Richard Wagner (Trevor Howard); his ill-fated engagement to Elisabeth's sister, Sophie (Sonia Petrovna); his homosexuality; his descent into a solitude of fairy-tale madness; and the coup that brought about his demise. Strong performances, spectacular scenery, breathtaking cinematography, but, oh, soooo long.

[Uri]

Agreed. One of my least favorite Almodovar too. His career can be divided into chronically distinctive phases – the raw enfant terrible up until Laws of Desire, the stylish enfant terrible, culminating with Kika, the reflective, relatively introverted and very personal transformative phase (my favorite) of The Flower of My Secret and Live Flesh. And then, with Mother, Talk to Her and Volver he turned into the universally accepted Grand Maestro. I'm afraid that with Bad Education and this one we're witnessing a new dead end direction in which he examine Cinema – in general, but mostly his own. One might call it academic, but I'd choose the term futile.

And can someone explain to me how the moderately – looks wise, talent wise and charisma wise – gifted Cruz became this Grand Diva?

Maybe Uri, The Grand Maestro is getting older, a la Woody Allen. Dont´you think? I have the feeling that he is shooting the same movie again and again and again....

Indeed. At least when it comes to movies about blind film makers, BE is still better than Hollywood Ending.

And another thing – unsatisfactory as she is BE, Cruz is way better here than she was in Vicky Christina Barcelona, so in the battle of the A's, the Spaniard wins.

And on a totally different note: my condolences for the lost of Mercedes Sosa. She was a great artist and I wish more people here were aware of her.

[Uri]

Broken Embraces (2008) by Pedro Almodovar.
Uh! I have mixed feelings about this one. Not the Best Almodovar I´ve seen so far. 5/10

Agreed. One of my least favorite Almodovar too. His career can be divided into chronically distinctive phases – the raw enfant terrible up until Laws of Desire, the stylish enfant terrible, culminating with Kika, the reflective, relatively introverted and very personal transformative phase (my favorite) of The Flower of My Secret and Live Flesh. And then, with Mother, Talk to Her and Volver he turned into the universally accepted Grand Maestro. I'm afraid that with Bad Education and this one we're witnessing a new dead end direction in which he examine Cinema – in general, but mostly his own. One might call it academic, but I'd choose the term futile.

And can someone explain to me how the moderately – looks wise, talent wise and charisma wise – gifted Cruz became this Grand Diva?

Maybe Uri, The Grand Maestro is getting older, a la Woody Allen. Dont´you think? I have the feeling that he is shooting the same movie again and again and again....

Indeed. At least when it comes to movies about blind film makers, BE is still better than Hollywood Ending.

[Hustler]

The Boys in the Band (1970; William Friedkin) 8/10

I last saw this film about 20 years ago, when I first came out. It horrified me. Today, I was in a funky mood--I had planned to watch the second film in the Sissi trilogy (which I have from Netflix), but a (presumably) frothy Austrian romance wasn't what I needed. So, I walked down to the gay DVD rental place a few blocks away, saw this and said, yeah, I need to see it again.

A different reaction this time, probably because I'm older. I still don't completely identify with the more "tortured" characters (especially Michael)--I suspect I'm more a Larry than anybody else in the film, if I had to cast myself. But it didn't horrify me. Instead, I saw it as a period piece, a moment in time, a snapshot of a transitory period, bridging a gap, as it were, between the closeted, "shameful" pre-Stonewall era and the liberated, in your face post-Stonewall era.

I think Mart Crowley's narrative structure isn't a complete success: the first half of the film comes across as naturalistic and believable, but the second half--the telephone game--seems a bit contrived and plot-driven.

Yet, somehow, it works. I'm not sure if it's Friedkin's direction or the intense performances of the cast--I'm inclined to think it's the latter. Each performance is pitch-perfect, thoroughly calibrated and superlative.

It's a movie I can admire now...not quite love, but admire.

What a coincidence!. I was thinking of it a few days ago!
Unfortunately, I´ve seen this movie once and I found its dramatical structure perfect. The performances´caliber shocked me. I hope to see it once again.

[Hustler]

Broken Embraces (2008) by Pedro Almodovar.
Uh! I have mixed feelings about this one. Not the Best Almodovar I´ve seen so far. 5/10

Agreed. One of my least favorite Almodovar too. His career can be divided into chronically distinctive phases – the raw enfant terrible up until Laws of Desire, the stylish enfant terrible, culminating with Kika, the reflective, relatively introverted and very personal transformative phase (my favorite) of The Flower of My Secret and Live Flesh. And then, with Mother, Talk to Her and Volver he turned into the universally accepted Grand Maestro. I'm afraid that with Bad Education and this one we're witnessing a new dead end direction in which he examine Cinema – in general, but mostly his own. One might call it academic, but I'd choose the term futile.

And can someone explain to me how the moderately – looks wise, talent wise and charisma wise – gifted Cruz became this Grand Diva?

Maybe Uri, The Grand Maestro is getting older, a la Woody Allen. Dont´you think? I have the feeling that he is shooting the same movie again and again and again....



Edited By Hustler on 1254702212

[Jeffrey]

The last movie I saw was My One & Only, the biopic of tanning guru/actor George Hamilton's early years. George Hamilton was the Executive Producer.

Nice, light touch at the beginning. More pathos & drama than I expected in the middle & end. Renee Zellweger does a very nice job.

Just as the wildly popular TV series Mad Men does a wonderful job of capturing the 60s, My One & Only suggests the 50s quite well.

Kevin Bacon is fine. Look for Troy Garrity, Jane Fonda's son.

8/10

[anonymous1980]

We have a Spanish film festival going on, featuring films from Spain and Latin America:

El sueño de una noche de San Juan ("Midsummer Dream") (Angel de la Cruz/Manolo Gomez) - 5.5/10

Casual Day (Max Lemcke) - 6/10

[mlrg]

Broken Embraces (2009) - Pedro Almodovar

9.5/10

Loved it. Beautifully directed and a fantastic screenplay. Probably my favourite Almodovar to date (and I've seen them all).

[Sabin]

/In the Loop/ - 8.5/10

Still amazing.

A Serious Man (dir. Joel & Ethan Coen) - Jew that I am, I'm still questioning. It's a very major work of filmmaking though.

[Precious Doll]

Mayerling (1936) Anatole Litvak 7/10

Ready, Willing and Able (1937) Ray Enright 5/10

What We Do Is Secret (2008) Rodger Grossman 4/10

The Black Cat (1941) Albert S. Rogell 4/10

Manhood (2007) Raphael Fejto 4/10

Antarctica (2008) Yair Hocher 7/10

[Okri]

The Thick of It is genius. So many great lines. And I'll echo rudeboy - Malcolm Tucker/Peter Capaldi is amazing.

[Okri]

An Education is a charmer. A Prophet is terrific. The White Ribbon is interesting. Broken Embraces is not. Departures needs to send its oscar to The Class immediately.

Where the hell did you just spend your weekend, that you go to see all these?

Heh. It was the Edmonton Film Festival, and it was from Saturday to Thursday (my viewings). I was conservative. The guy I talked to on the bus home saw thirteen films (including today's closing gala, which I skipped).

[Mister Tee]

An Education is a charmer. A Prophet is terrific. The White Ribbon is interesting. Broken Embraces is not. Departures needs to send its oscar to The Class immediately.

Where the hell did you just spend your weekend, that you go to see all these?

[Bog]

Bright Star (2009)- 8.5/10

Dirty Dancing (1987)- 5/10