Movie Talk

[Daniel Hatadi]

Thanks to a lovely flu, I've had a few days off work to catch up on a bunch of movies, much easier for a clogged head than reading. I watched quite a few more than the ones below, but I thought I should concentrate on the crime flicks here.

Rendition

Great to see a movie present a mostly balanced look at all sides of an international issue, but still a little too clear cut for my liking. And I wish Jake Gyllenhaal had a few more dimensions than just a blank worn out stare.

No Country For Old Men

Beautifully shot and acted, paced with a brilliant balance between the stillness of wide open spaces and the tension of action. Has one of my most favourite bad guys in the cinema of late. It also never tired me when it took the time to flesh out character details that weren't necessarily relevant to plot.

Crank

I haven't had this much fun watching a film in ages. Some wildly implausible situations are completely forgiven by the tongue that's been super glued to the inside of the director's cheek. Killer soundtrack and hilarious action throughout, this is the film Shoot Em Up only wished it could have been. Loved the 80s videogame references too!

Anyone else seen some good crime flicks lately?

[Jeff Ross]

I watched the Bank Job the other night which is as good as what other people on this board suggested. If anyone is thinking of seeing 88 Minutes, though, I watched this about a year and a half ago (I have no idea why it is only now in theaters) and it is TERRIBLE. Maybe deniro realized it was so bad and fought for the past year and a half to have it pulled.
Same for last weeks Numb3rs. If you don't watch this show, you maybe should give it a shot. But last week was a mess. (I know these aren't movies but what can you do.)
Finally, a suggestion. The only good thing on regular broadcast television in North America this last year (well, new thing) is a series called Life. It ended abruptly with the writer's strike and is now set to come back for season 2 next year. A very very interesting crime show.

[Daniel Hatadi]

I keep hearing about Life, but haven't got round to checking out an episode. It sounds like my cup of tea. Numbers, on the other hand is fast running out of new mathematical theories to play with. The whole premise is dodgy, but fun in places.

[Donna Moore]

The last three films I saw were NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, BANK JOB and OLD BOY. You and Jeff have already commented on the former two which I thought were both excellent. OLD BOY is probably old news to everyone but me - it's been in my stack of movies to watch for ages. It's a Korean film from 2003 and is about an ordinary man who is kidnapped and held captive in a seedy room for 15 years, at the end of which time he is, equally inexplicably, released. His captor gives him the task of finding out why, and by who. Violent, fascinating, and with a dark dark humour. Wonderful stuff.

[Daniel Hatadi]

I heard about Old Boy some time ago. Must track it down.

[Susan]

How about Before the Devil Knows You're Dead? An incredible performance by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and the rest of the cast is also topnotch. If you liked "A Simple Plan" you'll love it. Scads of psycho-drama between the two brothers, and a sexy wife to stir up the pot. Oops, did I say pot? How about a wicked rich drug dealer with an ultra-cool pad?

I think this film deserved a best film Oscar nom at least since it was far better than a couple of the others; and PSH definitely should have been nominated for Best Actor for this performance.

Just my 2 cents,
Susan

[Daniel Hatadi]

It's showing at the independent cinema up the road. I should make sure I check it out.

[Jeff Ross]

Didn't care for that film. It seemed to me to try and be doing too much with the constant movement back and forth through time. In the end it felt like you got the same info 5 times when you didn't need it more than once. I think it would have made a really really good linear film.
But, that's just me

[Susan]

See, as a musician who works with time all the time ... :) this is one of the things I liked about it. Like Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, you get different characters view of the event. And Sidney Lumet withholds information just long enough ... like (without giving away too much here) we could see why "little brother" would fall for the plan; he needed money big time. But why was the P.S.H. character so hot to do it?

So okay, I'm a time freak. I had to rent Pulp Fiction and take notes to figure out the "actual" time, as opposed to the "movie" time, since, by the last scene with Travolta and Jackson in the diner, you knew Travolta had already been blown away by the pop tart ... well, ok, Bruce Willis, startled by the pop tart.

[Patricia Abbott]

THE BANK JOB and IN BRUGES, both good. And, OMG, Donna. Love OLD BOY. Just so original, scary and riveting. Hated FLAWLESS, and unfortunate title

[Daniel Hatadi]

IN BRUGES. Another one added to my list.

[carole gill]

I loved Crank, well partial (ahem) to jason statham! it was delightfully over the top. loads of fun. Like a video game with real actors. glad you liked it. must have made you feel better.

[Daniel Hatadi]

It helped speed up my metabolism for at least a couple of hours. :)