Go See Flightplan right now!!!

[amber]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

Roll Bounce? what's that about? I'm afraid to ask......

you haven't seen the commercials?!! It's a rollerskating movie set in the seventies. There's all these AFA kids, and...I dunno, every commercial I've seen has really cool skating scenes and tricks, though, and I'm a sucker for "sports" movies. It's supposed to be kind of a comedy, too - I haven't read a review yet, though. I just want to see some kick ass skating. Maybe I'll rollerblade there, hmm.....

[dissention]

Originally Posted by paleshadow

I saw Flight Plan last night, and I wasn't crazy about it. I actually was a little bored, but I don't want to give anything away. As far as Air Plane thrillers go, I liked Red Eye much better.

SPOILERS










I thought Red Eye was a b-movie piece of **** trash with not one iota of suspense, good acting, or halfway decent directing. It was as thin as a runway model, as evidenced in it's paltry 75 minute running time once you subtract all credits, and I still want my money back.

Flightplan? Now that's a winner. They actually took a good deal of time to establish mood; paranoid and bleak, claustorphobic and cold. Not only is Jodie Foster so phenomenally talented as an actress that your mind wonders if she's even human, but most of the comparisons to "Hitchcockian thrillers" were dead-on. The screenwriter constructed her character so expertly that I wasn't even sure if she had a child with her or not. She was obviously mentally disturbed from the get-go, so you weren't positive what was real or not. That first hour was nothing short of brilliant. The exploitation of the common fear of flying lent it more credibility than I expected, especially when the filmmakers had the audacity to include pointed references to the fear of those who are of Middle Eastern descent. After that first hour, it started to become your average thriller (yet still masterful when compared to the other dreck that we're served), but up until that point, it was nothing short of fantastic.

If there was anything bad about it, it was Peter Sarsgaard. The man has no memory to speak of, I swear, because he seemed to be reading lines from cue cards taped to his loafers. His slow, Valley Girl-ish drawl mixed with a forced southern-like charm was the most distracting thing I've seen yet in a movie this year. Not once did I buy into him; when Foster charged at his head with a fire extinguisher, I was convinced that I heard a hollow sound emit from the speakers when his head was struck. He came across as ten pounds of stupid in a five pound bucket.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by dissention

I thought Red Eye was a b-movie piece of **** trash with not one iota of suspense, good acting, or halfway decent directing. It was as thin as a runway model, as evidenced in it's paltry 75 minute running time once you subtract all credits, and I still want my money back.

Flightplan? Now that's a winner. They actually took a good deal of time to establish mood; paranoid and bleak, claustorphobic and cold. Not only is Jodie Foster so phenomenally talented as an actress that your mind wonders if she's even human, but most of the comparisons to "Hitchcockian thrillers" were dead-on. The screenwriter constructed her character so expertly that I wasn't even sure if she had a child with her or not. She was obviously mentally disturbed from the get-go, so you weren't positive what was real or not. That first hour was nothing short of brilliant. The exploitation of the common fear of flying lent it more credibility than I expected, especially when the filmmakers had the audacity to include pointed references to the fear of those who are of Middle Eastern descent. After that first hour, it started to become your average thriller (yet still masterful when compared to the other dreck that we're served), but up until that point, it was nothing short of fantastic.

If there was anything bad about it, it was Peter Sarsgaard. The man has no memory to speak of, I swear, because he seemed to be reading lines from cue cards taped to his loafers. His slow, Valley Girl-ish drawl mixed with a forced southern-like charm was the most distracting thing I've seen yet in a movie this year. Not once did I buy into him; when Foster charged at his head with a fire extinguisher, I was convinced that I heard a hollow sound emit from the speakers when his head was struck. He came across as ten pounds of stupid in a five pound bucket.

I will be seeing this in about 30 mins and I'm so excited. I will also be catching Cry Wolf, which I don't expect to be good...

[Neal]

I saw it last night. It was so-so.

I guess I'm just not as intellectually deep as some, because I thought it was totally predictable. I figured out what was going about 5 minutes before Jodie did (and you can ask the 3 people I went with because I text messaged them what I thought was going on and they all thought I was stupid until it actually happened).

[Neal]

Originally Posted by dissention

If there was anything bad about it, it was Peter Sarsgaard. The man has no memory to speak of, I swear, because he seemed to be reading lines from cue cards taped to his loafers. His slow, Valley Girl-ish drawl mixed with a forced southern-like charm was the most distracting thing I've seen yet in a movie this year. Not once did I buy into him; when Foster charged at his head with a fire extinguisher, I was convinced that I heard a hollow sound emit from the speakers when his head was struck. He came across as ten pounds of stupid in a five pound bucket.

That's what I said about him (more or less) after seeing The Skeleton Key. Sarsgaard sux. The only half-way decent performance he's ever given (that I've seen) was in Kinsey.

[amber]

Originally Posted by Neal

I saw it last night. It was so-so.

I guess I'm just not as intellectually deep as some, because I thought it was totally predictable. I figured out what was going about 5 minutes before Jodie did (and you can ask the 3 people I went with because I text messaged them what I thought was going on and they all thought I was stupid until it actually happened).

That's okay with me, I can hardly ever figure movies out anyway....
um...you didn't see Roll Bounce, did you?

[Neal]

Originally Posted by amber

That's okay with me, I can hardly ever figure movies out anyway....
um...you didn't see Roll Bounce, did you?

No but it sounds hot!

[amber]

Originally Posted by Neal

No but it sounds hot!

You betcha! The seventies?! Athletic Rollerskating contests with group choreography??! Flips on skates?!?! I'm sooooooo there!!!!!

[BombaySapphire3]

originally posted by dissention

If there was anything bad about it, it was Peter Sarsgaard. The man has no memory to speak of, I swear, because he seemed to be reading lines from cue cards taped to his loafers. His slow, Valley Girl-ish drawl mixed with a forced southern-like charm was the most distracting thing I've seen yet in a movie this year. Not once did I buy into him; when Foster charged at his head with a fire extinguisher, I was convinced that I heard a hollow sound emit from the speakers when his head was struck. He came across as ten pounds of stupid in a five pound bucket.

It almost seemed to me that he and some of the other actors were so intimidated by the operatic intensity of Ms. Foster's performance that they just kind of stood there in awe.I can't say I totally blame them. She is almost like an unrelenting force of nature in this film and what is also impressive is that she does nothing to try and win audience sympathy or to make her character more likeable.Her next film is a Spike Lee flick due out in March in which she has several long scenes with just herself and Denzel Washington .Now that should be an acting match not quite so lopsided!

[dissention]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Her next film is a Spike Lee flick due out in March in which she has several long scenes with just herself and Denzel Washington .Now that should be an acting match not quite so lopsided!

I read about that and all I can say is poor Denzel. He's a rather mediocre actor to begin with; rather dull and guilty of pilfering from the same performances over and over. Everything is more of the same with him. I've yet to see anything from him that doesn't come across as a desperate attempt to win some sort of award. She'll wipe the floor clean with his undeserving-of-an-Oscar ass.

[amber]

Originally Posted by dissention

I read about that and all I can say is poor Denzel. He's a rather mediocre actor to begin with; rather dull and guilty of pilfering from the same performances over and over. Everything is more of the same with him. I've yet to see anything from him that doesn't come across as a desperate attempt to win some sort of award. She'll wipe the floor clean with his undeserving-of-an-Oscar ass.

Indeed. I'm glad someone else thinks he's boring as hell. Not that you said that, but....maybe he'll step up to the plate, if we're lucky. He *almost* has it in him.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by amber

Indeed. I'm glad someone else thinks he's boring as hell. Not that you said that, but....maybe he'll step up to the plate, if we're lucky. He *almost* has it in him.

He is boring as hell.

However politically incorrect it may sound, I'm burned-out on his angry black man routine. From Malcolm X to Devil In A Blue Dress to The Hurricane to John Q to Training Day; it's just gotten rote to me and comes across as sheer Oscar-baiting. His constant histrionics and hyperacting put me off. Pull something else out of your magic carpet bag, because you've cashed one too many checks with that routine.

[amber]

Originally Posted by dissention

He is boring as hell.

However politically incorrect it may sound, I'm burned-out on his angry black man routine. From Malcolm X to Devil In A Blue Dress to The Hurricane to John Q to Training Day; it's just gotten rote to me and comes across as sheer Oscar-baiting. His constant histrionics and hyperacting put me off. Pull something else out of your magic carpet bag, because you've cashed one too many checks with that routine.

Angry?! You've seen him be angry?! Whatevs, he's always oscar baiting to me. The last one I liked him in was Devil in a Blue Dress, I thought there were some extra dimensions there, womanizing and all that. Not that I've ever hated him, but that's the point - he's always just good enough, IMO, but rarely if ever stellar - He's the Kevin Costner of AFA. Coincidentally, they are both Capricorns.
Anyway - Angry Black Man Schtick - he does it well, and he's talented, and compelling, and watchable....but Samuel L. Jackson - get a different note, mmkay???

[Serrart]

Originally Posted by amber

Anyway - Angry Black Man Schtick - he does it well, and he's talented, and compelling, and watchable....but Samuel L. Jackson - get a different note, mmkay???

Samuel L. Jackson can sit on a sofa watching tv and make it for us an original and truthful experience. IMO, only a truly great actor is able to portray life dissecting it in the multiple small invisible moments that usually on the big screen fade away in preconcepted ideas of situations and characters.

Romy

[amber]

Originally Posted by Serrart

Samuel L. Jackson can sit on a sofa watching tv and make it for us an original and truthful experience. IMO, only a truly great actor is able to portray life dissecting it in the multiple small invisible moments that usually on the big screen fade away in preconcepted ideas of situations and characters.

Romy

You think? I would tend to agree that he is very compelling, but I think there is an element of "one note" about him often. It's a good note, but I haven't seen a bunch of this complexity you are talking about. I've seen some, though....