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

[Big Magilla]

- The China Syndrome (1979): I don't know how this film was marketed in its day. Was it a summer film, a serious end year awards contender? If it was a summer film, we need more films like this! Smartly acted (in those days I guess Fonda would have made a shampoo ad and made it look Oscar worthy and Lemmon was great as usual). Even though I hated some elements (BIG flaws) in the script I liked and enjoyed the overall result. 7/10

It was released on March 16, 1979 to excellent reviews but became the must-see film of the day after the Three Mile Island incident near Harrisburg, Pa. twelve days later in which a real life nuclear leak at a power plant caused local panic and international concern.

[HarryGoldfarb]

- Katyn (2007): At first I was kind of wondering where the film was going but eventually it build up to a pleasent/devastating portrait of a hystorical event I had previously read quite some about. In terms of the screenplay it was interesting the perspective from the female characters. Good performance from the whole cast. 7/10

- The China Syndrome (1979): I don't know how this film was marketed in its day. Was it a summer film, a serious end year awards contender? If it was a summer film, we need more films like this! Smartly acted (in those days I guess Fonda would have made a shampoo ad and made it look Oscar worthy and Lemmon was great as usual). Even though I hated some elements (BIG flaws) in the script I liked and enjoyed the overall result. 7/10

- Black Swan (2010): Count me on the people who loved it. I specially loved not the screenplay itself, but elements of it, some of the themes explored... At first I was kind of annoyed by the "following-camera" used to death in The Wrestler and while my first impression was that Aronofsky was repeating himself eventually I got over it and guessing maybe "this" is his developing of a personal style, like a signature or something... and that's not a bad thing either. The hand-held camera wasn't an issue neither beacuse the film was beatiful to look at (unlike The Wrestler). At the same time, I can understand it ain't a film for everybody... Portman did a superb job (at least superior to several previous Oscar winners) and the eventual backlash against her is the one criticism I don't get. In my estimation this is a better film than let's say previous front-runner The Social Network. 7,5/10

- 127 Hours (2010): Danny Boyle is an interesting director. The film is an exercise in directing more than an achievement in writing. Franco did a great job with that limited character, extremely believable. Don't get the hype about "the scene" cause the whole film is better than that. 7/10

- Valentine's Day (2010): One of the worst films ever. 1/10 (and that's because I can not give negative values, I do think the film owes me something... time!).

- Half Nelson (2006): Way better than I expected. Gosling gave a great performance (his face expressions at some points blew my mind). The girl did a nice job too. Brilliant script. 7,5/10

- The Princess and the Frog (2009): I regret not seeing this film earlier! I so do loved it. I'm not a big fan of Randy Newman but he was simply brilliant in this film (he's the main reason for this film to work on the level it does). If it was disappointing to some people, I don't care. For me, it is Disney at its best! 8/10

- 2012 (2009): I was entertained! I ate my popcorns and enjoyed the effects! Any further analysis would be stupid! An effective film... (5/10).

- La Cage Aux Folles (1978): I was a devoted fan of The Birdcage, but I hadn't seen this film. I was laughing all the way through adn if Mike Nichols works is because he couldn't be more of a copycat. 8/10

- Case 39 (2009): Extremely silly film. If that's horror I guess my center of fear is wrecked! (2,5/10)

[Big Magilla]

The Virginian (1929) Victor Fleming 8.5/10

The third of six versions of Own Wister's famous novel, and easily the best. An early talkie that moves, with four terrific performances by Gary Cooper, Walter Huston, Richard Arlen and Mary Brian.

Seven Days Leave (1930) Richard Wallace 6.5/10

The old warhorse, The Lady Shows Her Medals, a play by James M. Barrie was the source for this early talkie, which though released after The Virginian looks as though it was made earlier.

Gary Cooper is the World War I soldier whose name is picked out a newspaper by lonely old charwoman Beryl Mercer who pretends he is her son. The two meet and become close, with the old lady in the end believing he really is/was her son. Cooper and Mercer are good, but the story, as well as the film, really shows its age.

The Prowler (1951) Joseph Losey 9/10

Fascinating late film noir, written by Dalton Trumbo (fronted by Hugo Butler), produced by John Huston and Sam Spiegel, and directed by Losey at his best. It was one of his last Hollywood films and the last film of ace cinematographer Artur Miller.

Van Heflin as a rogue cop and Evelyn Keyes (then Mrs. John Huston) as the woman whose husband he kills are both excellent and so is an unbilled Dalton Trumbo as the voice of her husband on the radio. Apparently no one in Hollywood at the time knew what he sounded like! Any description of the plot would not do the film justice. Suffice it to say it's one of Trumbo's best screenplays along with Gun Crazy and He Ran All the Way and one of Losey's best directed films, right up there with The Boy With Green Hair; The Servant and The Go-Between.

One of the DVD bonuses is an interview with Bertrand Tavernier, filmed in English in San Francisco. It was Tavernier who discovered that it was Trumbo who wrote Gun Crazy in the 1970s although full disclosure of all the screenplays he had written wasn't provided until the 1990s.

[Hustler]

The Fighter 9/10

Enjoyable in every aspect! Christian Bale´s tour de force is astonishing! An Absolutely deserved Oscar. Melissa Leo is memorable.



Edited By Hustler on 1297175551

[mlrg]

Blue Valentine (2010)

4/10

Although a pretty average film, both leading actors are quite good. And how Jeff Bridges gets a nomination with his clown performance over Ryan Gosling is a mistery.

[Hustler]

Black Swan 5.5/10 Another disappointment. Arronofsky´s film is far from his excellent Requiem for a Dream.
I can´t understand what did critics see to Portman´s work. She´s good but nothing special. The only skill she demonstrates here is her ability to dance. I found her performance very superficial.



Edited By Hustler on 1297030887

[mlrg]

Animal Kingdom (2010) - 8/10

[Sabin]

It's absolutely time for a separate Blue Valentine thread.

[Precious Doll]

Kicks (2010) Lindy Heymann 7/10
Flipped (2010) Rob Reiner 6/10
Legend of the Guardians, The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) Zack Snyder 4/10
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009) Daniel Alfredson 6/10
The Next Three Days (2010) Paul Haggis 1/10
Alamar (2009) Pedo Gonazalez-Rubio 5/10
Inhale (2010) Baltasar Kormakur 6/10
La Mission (2010) Peter Bratt 7/10
Enter the Void (2009) Gaspar Noe 7/10

[Big Magilla]

So is the real Dicky. Did you see him at the Globes jumping up on stage with Bale?

[anonymous1980]

Amazing that everyone is so enthralled by the performances of Bale and Leo…..both overacting like crazy.

Bale and Leo are not really overacting because the characters they both play are actually like that, according to a lot of reports. In fact, some people have been quoted to saying Leo actually UNDERplays her character. The real Alice Ward is more flamboyant and louder.

[ITALIANO]

Well... What do they do that is so strange, so unusual? In Italy there are lots of couples like them. It's not like they kill someone.

[Reza]

The unsympathetic characters

I realize that I must have lived till now in a separate world, a la Dogtooth. Because I never found these characters "unsympathetic" (much less, as others say, "horrible") - I didn't even ask myself if they were nice or not. They just were normal human beings, going through very normal lives.

''Normal Lives''? Lol.

Didn't know that the relationship depicted in Blue Valentine could be termed as ''normal''.

[ITALIANO]

The unsympathetic characters

I realize that I must have lived till now in a separate world, a la Dogtooth. Because I never found these characters "unsympathetic" (much less, as others say, "horrible") - I didn't even ask myself if they were nice or not. They just were normal human beings, going through very normal lives.

[Reza]

Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance, 2010) 1/10

Extremely shrill and dull drama about a couple’s relationship going downhill. The unsympathetic characters along with the jumping time frame quickly become monotonous. I think perpetually morose Ryan Gosling needs a change of pace. Paging Tony Scott and one of his mindless action romps for him. All I can say about Michelle Williams is that I’m looking forward to her upcoming film about Marilyn and I’m pissed that she took Tilda Swinton’s slot on the nomination’s list.



The Fighter (David O. Russell, 2010) 3/10

This really has been a lousy year for films if dredge like this can get so many Oscar nominations. Amazing that everyone is so enthralled by the performances of Bale and Leo…..both overacting like crazy. The standout in the cast is Amy Adams who unexpectedly does something very different here which is in complete contrast to her usual roles where she was beginning to seem one note. She makes the small town bar maid believable and compliments Wahlberg’s understated performance.



Fair Game (Doug Liman, 2010) 6/10

Interesting true story about a CIA agent, married to an Ambassador, who is outed by the Agency after she proves that Saddam Hussein’s Government did not import large quantities of Uranium. Well acted by the two stars – Sean Penn and Naomi Watts – and the globetrotting plot kept my interest.