hey, you know it was almost a year ago we had our H Swank Oscar blow-out? who you liking this year so i know to choose my words carefully!
I still stand by Eastwood's films. But I understand and appreciate the annoyance with Ms Swank.
Some real fucking terds up this year. Some good performances with shitty scripts and direction.
ACTOR -- LEADING [both TH and DS below were great in otherwise lame movies. PSH was fantastic in an otherwise lame movie] Philip Seymour Hoffman - CAPOTE Terrence Howard - HUSTLE & FLOW Heath Ledger - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN Joaquin Phoenix - WALK THE LINE David Strathairn - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
ACTOR -- SUPPORTING [GC was sumblime in that clusterfuck of a movie] George Clooney - SYRIANA Matt Dillon - CRASH Paul Giamatti - CINDERELLA MAN Jake Gyllenhaal - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN William Hurt - A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
ACTRESS -- LEADING Judi Dench - MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS Felicity Huffman - TRANSAMERICA [not terrible] Keira Knightley - PRIDE & PREJUDICE Charlize Theron - NORTH COUNTRY Reese Witherspoon - WALK THE LINE
ACTRESS -- SUPPORTING Amy Adams - JUNEBUG Catherine Keener - CAPOTE Frances McDormand - NORTH COUNTRY Rachel Weisz - THE CONSTANT GARDENER Michelle Williams - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
DIRECTING BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN CAPOTE CRASH GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK. MUNICH
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE [It's hard to hate on docus, but what about Mad Hot Ballroom? was that last year?] DARWIN???S NIGHTMARE ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM MARCH OF THE PENGUINS MURDERBALL STREET FIGHT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM [not seen any of these] DON???T TELL JOYEUX NO??L PARADISE NOW SOPHIE SCHOLL - THE FINAL DAYS TSOTSI
so backasswards too. William Hurt was the worst part of HOV. So you also have shitty performances in otherwise great movies.
Whatever.
All I've seen is HOV, Capote and Crash and from that little bit I agree with your picks...though I did like Keener in Capote. Of the three, HOV is my favourite, one of my faves from last year actually.
Hurt getting nominated for HOV is a joke. All the acting was, I dunno, off in that film. I guess like other movies gleaned from comics? But as one big package, it all somehow worked. Such a good tight film - well-paced, hot sex and very well-done violence.
PARADISE NOW is amazing... I watched a print at our last years International film festival...but thay had a print sans subtitles.. Then i saw with... A Palestinian persepective on suicide bombers. Amazing stuff.
No weepie moments. And one of those films that would probably be derided in the US merely because it looks at these people (terrorists) as humans. Which they are.. Der!
TSOTSI is also a pretty tough film from Sth Africa that is a definite must see. The best SA film i've ever seen. Raw, gritty & a side of SA we don't commonly see depicted in film.
Joyeux Noel was based on a true story. an amalgamation of of events during a Christmas truce in WW1. A good film, but not brilliant.
Sophie Scholl hasn't screened here yet. About a resistance group of Germans against the Nazis. & I know nothing about Don't Tell.
All the acting was, I dunno, off in that film. I guess like other movies gleaned from comics? But as one big package, it all somehow worked. Such a good tight film - well-paced, hot sex and very well-done violence.
I agree.
But I think most of the acting in HOV was solid --maybe intentionally off?--Vigo, the kid who played his son, even Ed Harris, but especially Maria Bello.
This film is a perfect example of the problems with many films this year. Great actors with shitty scripts and terrible direction.
Missbasie is thinking, but your boy Paul Haggis (Million$Bay) wrote it. But it goes to show that in the hands of a lame director, an otherwise good script can come off ridiculous. I imagine if Haggis would have also directed Million$Baby-instead of Eastwood???then it would have been a terd like Crash.
So many ridiculous scenes.
1. The Ludacriss car jacking scene. 2. The Matt Dillon molesting Thandi Newton and then saving her life scenes. 3. Shaun Toub trying to buy a gun scene. 4. The Sandra Bullock bitching about the locksmith scene. 5. Then Micheal Pena shooting scene with Shaun Toub.
Michael Pena???s character (and Loretta Devine--but her role was very minor in the film) was the only person who was not an over-the-top racist. Granted a lot of people are racist these days, this film misrepresents contempory racism as being sort of out in the open. I think this does a great disservice to address the issues of racism under these misleading and contrive situations. Racism, these days is subtle, but equally harmful. So much so that you shouldn't even have to watch a film that is explicitly about racism, like Crash, to get it.
I fucking hate movies that totally set you up emotionally like most of the ones listed here.
Mask and Forest Gump are easily two of the worst movies ever made. And fuck that sappy ass Italian crossover pap.
I'm with you here, Frank. It's funny, though. I can read a 600-page James Baldwin book that's depressing from (literally) the first paragraph and love every minute of it--and that lasts for a few weeks, whereas a movie is only two hours.
And word to nzshadow: "Once Were Warriors" definitely brought me way, way down in a very real way. Jesus, so depressing.
I fucking hate movies that totally set you up emotionally like most of the ones listed here.
Mask and Forest Gump are easily two of the worst movies ever made. And fuck that sappy ass Italian crossover pap.
I'm with you here, Frank. It's funny, though. I can read a 600-page James Baldwin book that's depressing from (literally) the first paragraph and love every minute of it--and that lasts for a few weeks, whereas a movie is only two hours.
Yeah, but a book like "Another Country," has a lot more subtelty and nuance than a movie that floats along with greeting-card wisdom such as, "life is like a box of chocolates". The second leans more towards pandering. Or bludgeoning.
I saw it with a girlfriend in Stockholm who is an active feminist. I didn't really know much about it in advance, so my expectations were low. Needless to say, I was COMPLETELY floored by it. I didn't cry during the movie, I was just in a state of shock.
When the film was over, my girlfriend was like "yeah, those were some really bad guys, let's go to my place and eat some pizza", but I was still dumbfounded and deeply moved. I told her I had to take a walk, so I went to the nearby woods, found a private spot and went apeshit, smashing logs, big branches and small trees whilst crying and screaming my ass off. About half an hour later I was good again, but I still get teary when I think of this film.
SPOILERS[/b]
My BF too. I could feel him getting upset as we were watching it and by the time she gets locked up in Sweden and is raped in the bathroom, he lost it and walked out of the living room. If there were woods by our place - I think he would have done like you. He watched the rest of it the next day and thinks it's a fantastic film, as do I.
I haven't see Hole in my Heart, but I love Moodysson's other films. It's interesting how he is getting darker and darker with every film.
I dunno why I lost it like that, but I guess one of the main reasons was that I felt utterly disgusted at the male gender right there and then. Yes, I felt 'dirty' . ALL the men in that film where complete bastards, except Lilja's friend Volodja back in Estonia, and he was a little kid. I commend Moodysson for not watering anything down or making any easy turns, i.e. "the noble customer", which is such a clich??. It was just grim from beginning to end. And pretty damn realistic in my opinion.
I live in an area of Copenhagen where there is a brothel/whorehouse on every corner, and the "workforce" mainly consists of girls who have stories similar to Lilja's. Girls from various Eastern European countries, African countries and Thailand. Often underage or still in their teens, brought here illegally. Girls who are tricked to come here thinking they're going to a land of milk and honey to do legit work, only to be held in modern day slavery as fucktoys for creepy customers around the clock. It's highly organized and the police are having a hard time cracking down on it because the girls are threatened to silence. I just can't stand shit like that.
Comments
Mask and Forest Gump are easily two of the worst movies ever made. And fuck that sappy ass Italian crossover pap.
The most contrived and ridiculous scene from the most contrived and ridiculous movie ever made.
hey, you know it was almost a year ago we had our H Swank Oscar blow-out? who you liking this year so i know to choose my words carefully!
I haven't been more depressed and simultaneously angry than I was watching this for the first time.
I still stand by Eastwood's films. But I understand and appreciate the annoyance with Ms Swank.
Some real fucking terds up this year. Some good performances with shitty scripts and direction.
ACTOR -- LEADING [both TH and DS below were great in otherwise lame movies. PSH was fantastic in an otherwise lame movie]
Philip Seymour Hoffman - CAPOTE
Terrence Howard - HUSTLE & FLOWHeath Ledger - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Joaquin Phoenix - WALK THE LINE
David Strathairn - GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
ACTOR -- SUPPORTING [GC was sumblime in that clusterfuck of a movie]
George Clooney - SYRIANA
Matt Dillon - CRASH
Paul Giamatti - CINDERELLA MAN
Jake Gyllenhaal - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
William Hurt - A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
ACTRESS -- LEADING
Judi Dench - MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
Felicity Huffman - TRANSAMERICA [not terrible]
Keira Knightley - PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Charlize Theron - NORTH COUNTRY
Reese Witherspoon - WALK THE LINE
ACTRESS -- SUPPORTING
Amy Adams - JUNEBUG
Catherine Keener - CAPOTE
Frances McDormand - NORTH COUNTRY
Rachel Weisz - THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Michelle Williams - BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
DIRECTING
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
CAPOTE
CRASH
GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
MUNICH
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE [It's hard to hate on docus, but what about Mad Hot Ballroom? was that last year?]
DARWIN???S NIGHTMARE
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS
IN THE ROOM
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
MURDERBALL
STREET FIGHT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM [not seen any of these]
DON???T TELL
JOYEUX NO??L
PARADISE NOW
SOPHIE SCHOLL - THE FINAL DAYS
TSOTSI
I REALLY wanna see this.
Whatever.
All I've seen is HOV, Capote and Crash and from that little bit I agree with your picks...though I did like Keener in Capote. Of the three, HOV is my favourite, one of my faves from last year actually.
Hurt getting nominated for HOV is a joke. All the acting was, I dunno, off in that film. I guess like other movies gleaned from comics? But as one big package, it all somehow worked. Such a good tight film - well-paced, hot sex and very well-done violence.
I watched a print at our last years International film festival...but thay had a print sans subtitles..
Then i saw with... A Palestinian persepective on suicide bombers. Amazing stuff.
No weepie moments. And one of those films that would probably be derided in the US merely because it looks at these people (terrorists) as humans. Which they are.. Der!
TSOTSI is also a pretty tough film from Sth Africa that is a definite must see. The best SA film i've ever seen. Raw, gritty & a side of SA we don't commonly see depicted in film.
Joyeux Noel was based on a true story. an amalgamation of of events during a Christmas truce in WW1.
A good film, but not brilliant.
Sophie Scholl hasn't screened here yet. About a resistance group of Germans against the Nazis. & I know nothing about Don't Tell.
Please explain what you mean...
I didn't think it was greatest movie ever made, but I did think it was one of the best of 2005 for sure...
What's so contrived about it?
I agree.
But I think most of the acting in HOV was solid --maybe intentionally off?--Vigo, the kid who played his son, even Ed Harris, but especially Maria Bello.
I hope Cronenberg makes more films like this.
this review says it all
Cineaste review
Couldn't alot of that be scrubbed up to plot devices instead of contrivance? It is Hollywood after all...
Everything. Where to start?
This film is a perfect example of the problems with many films this year. Great actors with shitty scripts and terrible direction.
Missbasie is thinking, but your boy Paul Haggis (Million$Bay) wrote it. But it goes to show that in the hands of a lame director, an otherwise good script can come off ridiculous. I imagine if Haggis would have also directed Million$Baby-instead of Eastwood???then it would have been a terd like Crash.
So many ridiculous scenes.
1. The Ludacriss car jacking scene.
2. The Matt Dillon molesting Thandi Newton and then saving her life scenes.
3. Shaun Toub trying to buy a gun scene.
4. The Sandra Bullock bitching about the locksmith scene.
5. Then Micheal Pena shooting scene with Shaun Toub.
Michael Pena???s character (and Loretta Devine--but her role was very minor in the film) was the only person who was not an over-the-top racist. Granted a lot of people are racist these days, this film misrepresents contempory racism as being sort of out in the open. I think this does a great disservice to address the issues of racism under these misleading and contrive situations. Racism, these days is subtle, but equally harmful. So much so that you shouldn't even have to watch a film that is explicitly about racism, like Crash, to get it.
you say tom-ay-to i say tom-ah-to - they're kind of the same and both amount to some weak-ass filmmaking to me.
yeah, I guess plot device is the hollywood code word for bullshit scene.
I'm with you here, Frank. It's funny, though. I can read a 600-page James Baldwin book that's depressing from (literally) the first paragraph and love every minute of it--and that lasts for a few weeks, whereas a movie is only two hours.
And word to nzshadow: "Once Were Warriors" definitely brought me way, way down in a very real way. Jesus, so depressing.
Yeah, but a book like "Another Country," has a lot more subtelty and nuance than a movie that floats along with greeting-card wisdom such as, "life is like a box of chocolates". The second leans more towards pandering. Or bludgeoning.
this film used to make me weep every time i saw it, prob one of my fav films ever
I dunno why I lost it like that, but I guess one of the main reasons was that I felt utterly disgusted at the male gender right there and then. Yes, I felt 'dirty'
I live in an area of Copenhagen where there is a brothel/whorehouse on every corner, and the "workforce" mainly consists of girls who have stories similar to Lilja's. Girls from various Eastern European countries, African countries and Thailand. Often underage or still in their teens, brought here illegally. Girls who are tricked to come here thinking they're going to a land of milk and honey to do legit work, only to be held in modern day slavery as fucktoys for creepy customers around the clock. It's highly organized and the police are having a hard time cracking down on it because the girls are threatened to silence. I just can't stand shit like that.
I want to see 'Hole In My Heart' too.
i definitely had a lump in my throat when the kid's friend got shot.
pics not showing but empire of the sun has made me weep as well, at a couple points in the fim
christian bale was the only child actor that i respected as an actor
MAJOR CO-SIGN.
ever?
for the father-son moments. good movie too and i don't play chess.