The Beat My Heart Skipped (Audiard) - 8.5/10
This is an incredibly physical study of anxiety. It's not a simple study of hands, but also of coiled energy in the head, in the eyes. I'm going to go rent Read My Lips. Was 2005 the greatest year for lead male actors ever or what?
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
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Big Magilla
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Hogan's Goat (1971) Glenn Jordan 9/10
In off-year elections I try to get my fill of politics by watching The Last Hurrah, The Best Man, Advise & Consent or something else election related. This year I wanted to watch something different.
Hogan's Goat concerns the 1890 Brooklyn mayor's race in the days when the five boroughs were separate cities. This is the PBS version of the 1965 off-Broadway play that made Faye Dunaway a star. She reprises her role here as the Irish born wife of challenger Robert Foxworth with George Rose as the crooked incumbant, Philip Bosco as the local priest, Kevin Conway, Rue McClanahan and others.
I've long been familiar with the work in its musical version, 1970's Cry for Us All, but this is the first time I've seen the original play. It's very intense, with a still shocking denouement played to the hilt by Dunaway, Foxworth and Rose. McClanahan, second billed on the DVD cover, is outstanding in her one scene but the play belongs to Dunaway who mesmerizes, particularly in the final scenes. It's easy to see why she became a star. It's a performance that ranks with her best, right up there with Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown.
In off-year elections I try to get my fill of politics by watching The Last Hurrah, The Best Man, Advise & Consent or something else election related. This year I wanted to watch something different.
Hogan's Goat concerns the 1890 Brooklyn mayor's race in the days when the five boroughs were separate cities. This is the PBS version of the 1965 off-Broadway play that made Faye Dunaway a star. She reprises her role here as the Irish born wife of challenger Robert Foxworth with George Rose as the crooked incumbant, Philip Bosco as the local priest, Kevin Conway, Rue McClanahan and others.
I've long been familiar with the work in its musical version, 1970's Cry for Us All, but this is the first time I've seen the original play. It's very intense, with a still shocking denouement played to the hilt by Dunaway, Foxworth and Rose. McClanahan, second billed on the DVD cover, is outstanding in her one scene but the play belongs to Dunaway who mesmerizes, particularly in the final scenes. It's easy to see why she became a star. It's a performance that ranks with her best, right up there with Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown.
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Precious Doll
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Sugar (2008) Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck 7/10
This film seems to have slipped under the radar which is a shame because it's every bit a good as their previous Half Nelson.
Crossing Over (2009) Wayne Kramer 1/10
So overwrought and ridiculous that it makes Crash (the Higgis one, not the Croneneberg) look possibly subtle in comparison. It's also bad that it's compulsively watchable. A must-see for lovers of bad films.
Management (2009) Stephen Belber 3/10
This film seems to have slipped under the radar which is a shame because it's every bit a good as their previous Half Nelson.
Crossing Over (2009) Wayne Kramer 1/10
So overwrought and ridiculous that it makes Crash (the Higgis one, not the Croneneberg) look possibly subtle in comparison. It's also bad that it's compulsively watchable. A must-see for lovers of bad films.
Management (2009) Stephen Belber 3/10
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
Humpday - This is the kind of film that makes indie films look like they're trying too hard to be out there.
I don't understand this.
While it's somewhat interesting, it's also relatively pointless.
It's absolutely not pointless! It's about the total lack of proximity that men have between them and how it can be misconstrued as curiosity or actually be curiosity. It's about hetero-one-up-manship and competition.
"How's the despair?"
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OscarGuy
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The Stoning of Soraya M - a thoughtful look at the desperate situation women face in Iran. Aghdashloo is wonderful presence, her performance is strong and it's unfortunate she's not talked about more frequently as a contender this year.
Humpday - This is the kind of film that makes indie films look like they're trying too hard to be out there. While it's somewhat interesting, it's also relatively pointless. The most watchable dynamics are between the man and his wife. The rest just seems like hetero-pro-homo rhetoric.
Humpday - This is the kind of film that makes indie films look like they're trying too hard to be out there. While it's somewhat interesting, it's also relatively pointless. The most watchable dynamics are between the man and his wife. The rest just seems like hetero-pro-homo rhetoric.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
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Big Magilla
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Tomei's other two nominations were well deserved, this one not so much. It's not one of those awful wins like Mary Pickford in Coquette, Elizabeth Taylor in BUtterfield 8 or Jack Lemmon in Save the Tiger, it's just puzzling.
Cousin Vinny was a true ensemble piece with all the actors contributing deft performances. Was Tomei the best of the lot? Maybe, but Joe Pesci, Fred Gwynne and Lane Smith were quite funny, too.
Cousin Vinny was a true ensemble piece with all the actors contributing deft performances. Was Tomei the best of the lot? Maybe, but Joe Pesci, Fred Gwynne and Lane Smith were quite funny, too.
Big Magilla wrote:My Cousin Vinny (1991) Jonathan Lynn 7/10
It's still pretty damn funny, but I still can't figure out how Marisa Tomei was even nominated for an Oscar, let alone won.
She's heartwarming, hilarious and, at the 11th hour, steals the entire movie. Why is there so much resistance to her win now 17 years later? While any of the other four nominees would've been worthy (Redgrave, in particular, perfectly inhabits the character of Ruth Wilcox as Forster had written her, but Richardson's devastating performance and Davis' neurotic Allen female were also quite worthy), Tomei's win for a comedic performance is a rare example of Oscar looking outside of the box and getting it right. I'll always defend it.
At least she has two other nominations under her belt now to further drown out the naysayers.
Edited By flipp525 on 1257180707
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
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Precious Doll
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Ironically, it was your high rating and recommendation of the film that inspired me to see the film Damien. I was originally going to pass on it.
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
Precious Doll wrote:Flame and Citron (2008) Ole Christian Madsen 7/10
Glad to see you rate this so highly, Precious. It's one of my favorite movies of the year. (I even like it better than Army Of Shadows.)
Edited By Damien on 1257148344
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
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Precious Doll
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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) Terry Gilliam 4/10
Woman of the Town (1943) George Archainbaud 4/10
Flame and Citron (2008) Ole Christian Madsen 7/10
Red Riding: 1974 (2009) Julian Jarrold 5/10
Red Riding: 1980 (2009) James Marsh 5/10
Red Riding: 1983 (2009) Anand Tucker 3/10
Woman of the Town (1943) George Archainbaud 4/10
Flame and Citron (2008) Ole Christian Madsen 7/10
Red Riding: 1974 (2009) Julian Jarrold 5/10
Red Riding: 1980 (2009) James Marsh 5/10
Red Riding: 1983 (2009) Anand Tucker 3/10
"I want cement covering every blade of grass in this nation! Don't we taxpayers have a voice anymore?" Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) in John Waters' Desperate Living (1977)
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anonymous1980
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Actually, it's my second time seeing it. I've seen it years ago and I bought the DVD recently. I just gotten around to revisiting it today. However, I didn't know about Davis/Crawford rivalry until after I saw the film for the first time. So seeing it again knowing all the stories added an unexpected layer of wicked humor.Damien wrote:As much as Joan enjoyed having tied weights on her body for the scene where Bette has to carry her?anonymous wrote:What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Robert Aldrich) 10/10
How much did Bette Davis enjoyed filming the scene wherein she's kicking Joan Crawford?
You hadn't seen the picture previously, Irvin?
As much as Joan enjoyed having tied weights on her body for the scene where Bette has to carry her?anonymous wrote:What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Robert Aldrich) 10/10
How much did Bette Davis enjoyed filming the scene wherein she's kicking Joan Crawford?
You hadn't seen the picture previously, Irvin?
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell