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

[Reza]

It was all acting. Jones couldn't stand Holden who had a penchant for seducing his leading ladies (Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly) and kept him at arm's length when the cameras weren't rolling.

Holden and Audrey Hepburn were actually going to get married, but Hepburn wanted children and Holden had a vasectomy so, alas, it fizzled out from there.

And yet Brenda Marshall remained married to him from 1941 to 1971.

A very long separation. Holden was seeing Capucine through most of the 1960s.

[Big Magilla]

It was all acting. Jones couldn't stand Holden who had a penchant for seducing his leading ladies (Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly) and kept him at arm's length when the cameras weren't rolling.

Holden and Audrey Hepburn were actually going to get married, but Hepburn wanted children and Holden had a vasectomy so, alas, it fizzled out from there.

And yet Brenda Marshall remained married to him from 1941 to 1971.

[ksrymy]

It was all acting. Jones couldn't stand Holden who had a penchant for seducing his leading ladies (Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly) and kept him at arm's length when the cameras weren't rolling.

Holden and Audrey Hepburn were actually going to get married, but Hepburn wanted children and Holden had a vasectomy so, alas, it fizzled out from there.

[Reza]

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (Henry King, 1955) 9/10

A Eurasian doctor in Hong Kong falls in love with a married correspondent with tragic results. One of the great old fashioned romances of all time. Corny? Yes......but superbly packaged film blending great production values, location, music and performances. This is one of Jennifer Jones' best roles and she has wonderful chemistry with William Holden.

It was all acting. Jones couldn't stand Holden who had a penchant for seducing his leading ladies (Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly) and kept him at arm's length when the cameras weren't rolling.

Then her Oscar nomination was richly deserved.

[Big Magilla]

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (Henry King, 1955) 9/10

A Eurasian doctor in Hong Kong falls in love with a married correspondent with tragic results. One of the great old fashioned romances of all time. Corny? Yes......but superbly packaged film blending great production values, location, music and performances. This is one of Jennifer Jones' best roles and she has wonderful chemistry with William Holden.

It was all acting. Jones couldn't stand Holden who had a penchant for seducing his leading ladies (Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly) and kept him at arm's length when the cameras weren't rolling.

[Precious Doll]

The Sun of the Quince (1992) Victor Eric 5/10

This is criminal.

Yes, I know.

I really wanted to like it and had high expectations but found most of it dull. My lack of appreciation of the creation of art shows glaringly with this rating, though the film does have some great moments.

I did have the film in a pile of DVDs to sell to a second hand dealer on Tuesday but I've decided to keep it and will re-watch it sometime in the future.

[bizarre]

The Sun of the Quince (1992) Victor Eric 5/10

This is criminal.

[anonymous1980]

This is a Cinemalaya Film Festival entry (sort of like the Sundance of the Philippines):



Kamera Obskura (Raymond Red) 7/10

Silent-era Filipino films like with most silent-era films from tropical countries are all practically lost. This film is basically a silent Filipino film made to look it was made in that era. It's about a man after being trapped in a cell for a long time emerges to find himself in a retro-future and is given a special camera that zaps people into obscurity. The film starts out very promisingly with a lots of interesting steam punk-esque visuals, following the rhythm, pace and even film scratches of a silent-era film. Then unfortunately becomes a tad preachy and ultimately goes nowhere. But still, it's an extremely creative, endlessly fascinating piece of work.

[Reza]

Sawdust and Tinsel (Ingmar Bergman, 1953) 6/10

Characters in a small town circus. Bergman manages to film the heat, sweat and smell of these people.

Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (Henry King, 1955) 9/10

A Eurasian doctor in Hong Kong falls in love with a married correspondent with tragic results. One of the great old fashioned romances of all time. Corny? Yes......but superbly packaged film blending great production values, location, music and performances. This is one of Jennifer Jones' best roles and she has wonderful chemistry with William Holden.

American Horror Story - Season 1 (2011-12) 9/10

A family moves into a house which turns out to be haunted by ghosts. Not that simple. Extremely witty black comedy with equally extreme gory moments. A great cast, spooky scenes and over-the-top, laugh-out-loud moments. The great Jessica Lange gives a deliciously wicked performance as the matriarch next door.

Hysteria (Tanya Wexler, 2011) 6/10

In 18th Century London a doctor (Jonathan Pryce) treats hysteria in women by giving them vaginal massages. A young doctor (Hugh Dancy) joins his practice and ends up inventing the electrical vibrator with the help of his friend (Rupert Everett). Witty farce about sexual mores and dealing with the emancipation of women.

The Intouchable (Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano, 2011) 8/10

An aristocratic quadriplegic (François Cluzet) hires a young black immigrant from the projects to be his companion and nurse. Stale theme of two opposites coming together with the usual farcical results. Only it all works amnazingly well due to the infectious charm of Omar Sy as the full of life caretaker who brings meaning to the life of the older man. Cluzet gives a superb performance, acting with just his eyes and facial expressions. A happy film. Highly recommended.

Sur mes lèvres / Read My Lips (Jacques Audiard, 2002) 6/10

A partially deaf woman working as a secretary gets involved in a heist with an ex-convict. A story about two plain, lonely people and how a desperate act leads them to eventual love. Well acted by Vincent Cassell and Emmanuelle Devos who won a Cesar.

The Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg, 1998) 5/10

At a man's 60th birthday party his eldest son reveals some nasty secrets from the past in front of the whole family. Well acted but gets rather tedious pretty soon. And the hand held photography and muted colours do not help - which apparently was some form of experiment by a group of Danish directors.

The Change-Up (David Dobkin, 2011) 4/10

A workaholic married man (with a loving wife and kids) and his best friend (a bachelor with a happening single lifestyle) switch bodies when they wish while peeing in a public fountain. Re-cycled plot with some laughs along the way.

Haven (John Gray, 2001) 6/10

True story about Ruth Gruber who travels to Europe during WWII and escorts 1000 jews back to America only to discover that the refugees are not wanted and are instead put in a detention camp. I never liked the intensity of Natasha Richardson when she played American characters - her accent got on my nerves. The supporting cast is very good with a number of screen veterans scoring.

Souten (Saawan Kumar Tak, 1983) 3/10

Typically over-heated Bollywood film of the '80s. A man falls in love and marries the daughter of a millionaire who turns out to be mean, vicious and a spoilt snob. His friendship with a poor librarian ends up in tragedy due to his wife and it all magically comes to a happy conclusion during the last 5 minutes. The novelty of the film is Superstar Rajesh Khanna's pairing opposite his off-screen lover, Tina Munim, and the recent screen sensation, Padmini Kohlapure in a love triangle plot. What is amusing to see now is how shockingly bad Khanna was as an actor and how melodrama was used to move audiences of the time. Lata's magicical voice was always an asset.

Hogan's Goat (Glenn Jordan, 1971) 5/10

Two Irish Americans fight it out for the position of Mayor of turn of the century Brooklyn - the recently disgraced corrupt Mayor vs a young hotshot with various skeletons in his own closet. Faye Dunaway is excellent as the hotshot's devout Catholic wife who's veneer begins to crumble when the mudslinging begins. Extremely talky film adaptation of a play Dunaway had performed in '65. Sparks fly in all the scenes between Dunaway and Robert Foxworth as her ambitious husband.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (John Madden, 2012) 8/10

A group of elderly retired Brits converge on a dilapidated hotel in Jaipur and end up forming friendships and learning lessons about life. Witty, ensemble film marvelously performed by a great cast.

Trishna (Michael Winterbottom, 2011) 5/10

A young woman's life is destroyed by a combination of love and circumstances. The girl is a rickshaw driver's daughter and the boy is a rich property developer's son in Rajasthan, India. Incredibly the story is based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Winterbottom perfectly captures India - the sounds, looks and the smell. Pity the two leads don't match up - Pinto is deadpan throughout while Riz Ahmed's character changes arc so suddenly that it is jarring and unbelievable.

Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949) 9/10

A rookie cop has his pistol stolen on a crowded bus and the hunt begins for the thief. Taut film noir filmed almost like a documentary. A true classic and a must see.

Husbands and Wives (Woody Allen, 1992) 9/10

A couple (Sydney Pollack & Judy Davis) calmly announces to their close friends (Woody Allen & Mia Farrow) that they are splitting causing great consternation and personal reflection. Witty script and wonderful performances all round.

7 Men From Now (Budd Boetticher, 1956) 7/10

A sheriff tracks down 7 men who held up a Wells Fargo office and killed his wife. First of seven collaborations between Boetticher and star Randolph Scott in which the old West is demythified. Beautifully shot on location.

Another Woman (Woody Allen, 1988) 9/10

An underrated masterpiece by Woody Allen. A woman who shields her emotions is suddenly forced to confront them after hearing a woman who is fed up with life. Superb ensemble cast, a brilliant script (with Allen in Bergman mold once again) and wonderful Gena Rowlands who is amazing in the lead.

The Notebook (Nick Cassavetes, 2004) 5/10

A tale of young lovers from opposite tracks in life and how various setbacks are overcome to reach a happy conclusion......or is it really happy? Superbly filmed shmaltz which comes alive during the present sequences with Garner and Rowlands.

[rudeboy]

Private Romeo (2012) Alan Brown 2/10

I saw this as part of a LGBT festival here in Singapore a few months ago. The concept intrigued me, but the execution was uniformly awful... for me, possibly the worst movie I've seen in a theatre in several years. Glad you seem to agree with my verdict!

[Precious Doll]

Shopworn (1932) Nick Grinde 6/10
RR (2007) James Benning 6/10
Wanderlust (2012) David Wain 4/10
Private Romeo (2012) Alan Brown 2/10
The South (1983) Victor Erice 8/10
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Christopher Nolan 1/10
Four Men and a Prayer (1938) John Ford 4/10
The Sun of the Quince (1992) Victor Eric 5/10

Repeat Viewings

Smash Palace (1982) Roger Donaldson 8/10
The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick 9/10 (American version)

I have seen the 'international' cut of The Shining numerous times over the last 32 years but this is my first viewing of the 'North American' version of the film. As both versions of the film are beautifully paced, the added scenes didn't change my overall view of the film.

[Big Magilla]

Rabbit Hole (2010): And yes, Kidman was great (are we still not allowed to use uppercase letters? Cause I really want to emphasize that "great"!) but the whole cast was. I only can assume how this script must work in theater, a medium where this story should work better. 6/10

They're fine as long as they're not overused.

[HarryGoldfarb]

Dot the I (2003): An absurd and implausible story that tries to pass for a smart script. The film itself seems like some students's graduating project at a film school! Very nahive and pretentious. Gael García Bernal does what he have to do (look charming) while Natalia Verbeke, the leading actress, is a complete mess. Not her entire fault, I insist, the script is extremely bad. The beginning of the film is somehow interesting but the end has to be one of the worst in cinema history. "Shyamalanesque" in its worst form. 2/10

Wrath of the Titans (2012): I went to a very decent (and expensive) theater to watch this in 3D only because my wife's mother has this ridiculous obsession with Edgar Ramírez. The films is way worst than the first one. How Oskar Schindler and Amon Goeth ended up here is beyond me... Money? yes, but that shouldn't be enough while reading these scripts. 2/10

The Woman in Black (2012): Better than I thought, at least it was entertaining. I really loved the cinematography. At first I though Radcliffe looked too young for the part but eventually I forgot it. The man is making some interesting choices beyond Potter. 5/10

Hugo (2011): Aseptic but extremely lovely. Very few times I've seen my wife crying at a film theater so that sealed the deal to me. Great production values of course. The kid was amazing, the camera loved him. 7/10

War Horse (2011): One of the worst BP nominees in recent years and one of Spielberg's lamest films. Kaminski did a superb job nonetheless (the Cinematography category this year has to be one of the finest in Oscar history) but that alone wasn't enough. A good scene (the "trapped horse" one) in the middle of a bloated production. The rip-off scenes from other iconic movies drove me crazy, specially the end. 3/10

Dial M for Murder (1954): I was in awe during the whole film. 8/10

J. Edgar (2011): DiCaprio, alongside Fassbender and to a lesser extent, Gosling, really deserved being mentioned as one of 2011 top actors. DiCaprio really pulled it off despite the terrible make-up work (Really nobody told Eastwood how crappy the makeup looked?). His biggest flaw is (and probably always be) his voice, too recognizable, too "DiCaprio". As for the film, I really liked it. I think Eastwood did what he wanted to do no matter what (the lightning choice included). A shame nobody embraced it... 6/10.

Ricky (2009): I'm starting to think I simply love Francois Ozon. This film worked for me, specially the way Ozon handled the material, with an uncanny humanity and simplicity despite the obviously fantastic elements of it. The Visual Effects are particularly notable. The film goes on a little too long (the script must be a very short one). Maybe it would have worked better had it been a short film. 5/10

My Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010): I was very pleased cause the film is vastly different to what it's mainstream nowadays in terms of symbolism and narrative techniques, that is including a lot of contemporary so-called "auteurs". Maybe it is the cultural aspects of the film, but I enjoyed it as an exotic souvenir. In my opinion, the man behind the idea is an accomplished artist more than a film director. 7/10

Shame (2011): Last year was a great, great year for movies. However, that is hard to tell just by looking at this year Academy Awards nominations. The best of current cinema wave was shut out and instead the Academy seemed obsessed with Cinema Revisionism (The Artist, Higo and even the crappy War Horse). Shame is definitely in my top 10 of last year. Both Fassbender and Mulligan did great jobs. 8/10

How to Train your Dragon (2010): I just loved it. The score is on constant replay in my iPod. 7/10

Albert Nobbs (2011): This film should have been better. The story is great but something was lost in the script, some engaging element. Close was great, indeed, but her character is way too detached from the audience. Janet McTeer was good but I'm not sure her performance was award worthy. 5/10

Rabbit Hole (2010): And yes, Kidman was great (are we still not allowed to use uppercase letters? Cause I really want to emphasize that "great"!) but the whole cast was. I only can assume how this script must work in theater, a medium where this story should work better. 6/10

Drive (2011): Great. 7/10

Wanderlust (2012): Initially, pretty funny. In the end, I hated the main characters so it was downhill all the way. Very bad choices in the writing department. Aniston and Rudd did good though. 4/10

Blue Valentine (2010): The Academy must hate Gosling. 7/10

Mentiras y Gordas (Sex, Parties and Lies) (2009): This is a hardly a film. A group of thinly related Spanish teenagers and young adults deal with parties, sex and drugs in a boring and ultimately nonexistent script. A lot of gratuitous sex scenes (but a lot, a lot...), nude shots, endless and repetitive scenes of drug use, bad performances and pretentious dialogue, all of it, filmed with TV quality. 1/10.

Mrs. Miniver (1942): I loved it. Garson's face... what a face! 8/10

The Informer (1935): I was very disappointed with this one. For a 4 Oscars winner, I had high expectations. But the main character is rather unlikable (except for his accent, I'm a sucker for Irish accent) and his choices are very absurd. Ford is the main value of the film. His camera use, his lightning choices, his use of the score, the power of some specific scenes (specially the catalytic shooting at the beginning and the judgment scene in the end). Directing and score are very deserving but I'm not so sure about Leading Actor and Script. After catching this one I think Anthony Quinn borrows a lot from McLaglen presence. 6/10


Repeat Viewing:

A Single Man (2009): Firth deserved the Oscar. The art direction and costume design were notable aspects of the film. Moore would have been a deserving nominee in the Supporting category. Overall, one of my favorite films from 2009. 8/10

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): Hasn't aged that well, wife was unimpressed. I loved the elements of (absurd) obsession that drive the main characters through the film. 6/10

Midnight in Paris (2011): 8/10

[bizarre]

Everyman (1975, Jos Stelling) ... B+
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972, Shunya Itō) ... A-
Gun Crazy (1950, Joseph H. Lewis) ... A-
Sullivan's Travels (1941, Preston Sturges) ... B+
Laura (1944, Otto Preminger) ... B+
Belle de Jour (1967, Luis Buñuel) ... A-
Memories of Underdevelopment (1968, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea) ... A-
The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978, Ermanno Olmi) ... B-
Playtime (1967, Jacques Tati) ... B-
The Tin Drum (1979, Volker Schlöndorff) ... B-
A Matter of Life and Death (1946, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger) ... B

[anonymous1980]

Le Boucher (Claude Chabrol) - 9.5/10