This Or That - Page 81

GypsySorcerer · #**1201** 03-15-2005, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

It's pretty faithful, but they took quite a few liberties. They changed the ending, made The Commander too nice and likable for most of the movie, cut out too much of his wifes role, and didn't keep consistent with how evil the Aunt's were. Dunaway was fab, as were Natasha Richardson and Elizabeth McGovern.

Naturally it would have to be watered down. I <3 Atwood.

But I should probably see it anyway.

amber · #**1202** 03-15-2005, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

It reminded me of that Margaux Hemingway piece of **** Lipstick for some reason. I saw Laura Mars when I was a kid and loved it, but it just didn't have the same punch later on. I'm still surprised at how brutal the murder scenes are, though.

Babs was orignally attached to play Mars, but dropped out and just sang the theme song. I gotta say, though, Mars was better choice for her than Yentl. Christ.

I hated her in Bonnie and Clyde.

Thought she was just boring as hell and hung off of every scene like a wet dish rag. I think Beatty had the charisma to pull off Clyde, especially in the scenes where he can't believe people want to kill him, but I usually can't stand him. I wish there was a copy of Kael's review online (I worship her...), but I've looked before and couldn't find it.

Waaaiiit - you liked Beatty but not Faye? lawd. Maybe her outfits and beret fooled me? I still wouldn't have liked Beatty, though...hmmm, it's been awhile, maybe I should review. Kael's a pisces. I thought she was too astringent, too harsh, but funny. I've only read a few reviews, though. I picked up one of her books once, and read through a little. I think I thought - "man, this lady doesn't like anything!" while laughing...
I think I took Mars as a period piece, I never saw it when I was younger. I don't like Barbara Streisand, so, I'm glad she wasn't in it.

dissention · #**1203** 03-15-2005, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Naturally it would have to be watered down. I <3 Atwood.

But I should probably see it anyway.

You should.

It's one thing reading it, but it's totally different experience actually watching it. I almost threw up when they showed the public hangings, it was brutal. And the tone of the movie is so cold and icy that it makes it even more disturbing. At least we were reading things from Offred's point of view in the book, so it put a more human face on the proceedings.

GypsySorcerer · #**1204** 03-15-2005, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

Waaaiiit - you liked Beatty but not Faye? lawd. Maybe her outfits and beret fooled me? I still wouldn't have liked Beatty, though...hmmm, it's been awhile, maybe I should review. Kael's a pisces. I thought she was too astringent, too harsh, but funny. I've only read a few reviews, though. I picked up one of her books once, and read through a little. I think I thought - "man, this lady doesn't like anything!" while laughing...
I think I took Mars as a period piece, I never saw it when I was younger. I don't like Barbara Streisand, so, I'm glad she wasn't in it.

I loved the costumes in that movie. Especially the beret.

amber · #**1205** 03-15-2005, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Naturally it would have to be watered down. I <3 Atwood.

But I should probably see it anyway.

Do you love Robber Bride??? It's my fave. I haven't read her latest, though.
Actually, Handmaid's Tale is the only book by her I don't like. I couldn't sit through the movie very well, either.

GypsySorcerer · #**1206** 03-15-2005, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

Do you love Robber Bride??? It's my fave. I haven't read her latest, though.
Actually, Handmaid's Tale is the only book by her I don't like. I couldn't sit through the movie very well, either.

I liked Robber Bride. I haven't read her newest, either. I actually like reading her essays more than anything.

amber · #**1207** 03-15-2005, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

I loved the costumes in that movie. Especially the beret.

Ah, the beret...*sigh* <3 - of course, without those cheekbones, that beret would've been nothing!!!! nothing, I say!

amber · #**1208** 03-15-2005, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

I liked Robber Bride. I haven't read her newest, either. I actually like reading her essays more than anything.

Oh, I've never read her essays, I don't think! I'll have to check them out.

dissention · #**1209** 03-15-2005, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

Waaaiiit - you liked Beatty but not Faye? lawd. Maybe her outfits and beret fooled me? I still wouldn't have liked Beatty, though...hmmm, it's been awhile, maybe I should review.

I normally CANNOT STAND Beatty (Town and Country?! Reds?!), but he had the mix of cockiness and naivete to pull off the role. Dunaway had to be almost childish and I didn't feel she pulled it off good enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

Kael's a pisces. I thought she was too astringent, too harsh, but funny. I've only read a few reviews, though. I picked up one of her books once, and read through a little. I think I thought - "man, this lady doesn't like anything!" while laughing...

Oh, I worship Pauline Kael.

I'm *almost* always in agreement with her, it's unsettling. My grandmother subscribed to The New Yorker for years, so I literally grew up reading her reviews and learning about movies from Kael. I still have them all cut out and in scrapbooks. She tended to like movies (never "films") that were harsh and showed a darker side of humanity, but she also loved light comedies that didn't beat you over the head with sappiness and false euphoria about life. And she was a big Bette Midler fan, I'll never forget her review of Big Business where she compared her to Chaplin. There will never be another Kael, she was the originator.

And? She loved rap music. That little fact makes me giggle so much, I can't even tell you.

amber · #**1210** 03-15-2005, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

I normally CANNOT STAND Beatty (Town and Country?! Reds?!), but he had the mix of cockiness and naivete to pull off the role. Dunaway had to be almost childish and I didn't feel she pulled it off good enough.

Oh, I worship Pauline Kael.

I'm *almost* always in agreement with her, it's unsettling. My grandmother subscribed to The New Yorker for years, so I literally grew up reading her reviews and learning about movies from Kael. I still have them all cut out and in scrapbooks. She tended to like movies (never "films") that were harsh and showed a darker side of humanity, but she also loved light comedies that didn't beat you over the head with sappiness and false euphoria about life. And she was a big Bette Midler fan, I'll never forget her review of Big Business where she compared her to Chaplin. There will never be another Kael, she was the originator.

And? She loved rap music. That little fact makes me giggle so much, I can't even tell you.

It's almost like you could be twins separated at birth.

Yeah, I don't think Faye could look childlike if she was 5 years old. She really doesn't have that spirit in her eyes. But I think she played the part well - if she played it wrong, it was still more interesting to me than Beatty. I didn't think Beatty looked cocky enough

But I've never seen him in a role where I thought he was even experessive enough to be an actor. So - I guess we disagree about this film. Nevertheless, we can always never watch it, and just watch Network over and over....

dissention · #**1211** 03-15-2005, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

It's almost like you could be twins separated at birth.

Except she would never watch a movie more than once and if I love a movie, I'll watch it until the tape wears out and I have to buy a new one.

You should read some of her books, though. Sharp as a tack. I'm particularly fond of anything she's written about Norman Mailer, she hated that man with a passion and it's hilarious to read her tear him a new asshole every once in awhile; and her essays "Fear At the Movies" and "Why Are Movies So Bad?" are my favorites.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

Yeah, I don't think Faye could look childlike if she was 5 years old. She really doesn't have that spirit in her eyes. But I think she played the part well - if she played it wrong, it was still more interesting to me than Beatty. I didn't think Beatty looked cocky enough

But I've never seen him in a role where I thought he was even experessive enough to be an actor. So - I guess we disagree about this film. Nevertheless, we can always never watch it, and just watch Network over and over....

Beatty is horrid. He's especially insufferable in "comedies." Watching him try to be funny is like watching a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest.