Great Film Reviews

[David]

"Olympiad" by Vernon Young

"Henry V" & "The Rainbow" by James Agee

"Seven Beauties" & "The Clockmaker" by John Simon

"1900" & "Intolerance" (death of Mae Marsh) by Pauline Kael

"Red Desert" by Stanley Kauffmann

"The Preminger Problem" & "Whatever Happened to Hollywood Comedy?" by Dwight Macdonald

[Nixxxed]

I've seen a couple of awesome movies lately (thanks to my local library!):

"A Very Long Engagement" - sorry, don't remember the French director's name, but he also did "Amelie", along with the lead actress. Jodie Foster also makes a great cameo, speaking French. Delightful movie from beginning to end.

"The Assassination of Richard Nixon" - Sean Penn has a slow mental breakdown. 'Nuff Said!

Notable mentions: These are mostly fluff, and overall not great movies, but each have very memorable scenes.

"Bridget Jones - Edge of Reason" - worth it for the Magic Mushroom Omelet scene, and the "Like A Virgin" prison singalong.

"Taxi" - LOVE Latifah, hate Fallon. But by the nitrous oxide scene, I was laughing out loud.

"Miss Congeniality 2" - mostly a bore, and I don't even think I finished it, but watched the Dolly Parton cameo repeatedly.
Sandra: These aren't even real! *poke* *poke*
Dolly: What is WRONG with you?!?!?!?!

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by David

. . . "1900" & "Intolerance" (death of Mae Marsh) by Pauline Kael

. . .

"The Preminger Problem" & "Whatever Happened to Hollywood Comedy?" by Dwight Macdonald

Fabulous!!!!!

Also, Intolerance is one of the greatest films ever made . <<<<<< and that's a period

BTW - did you ever read ""Afterglow: A Last Conversation With Pauline Kael" by Francis Davis - good stuff.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

BTW - did you ever read ""Afterglow: A Last Conversation With Pauline Kael" by Francis Davis - good stuff.

I loved what she had to say about Spielberg in that book. That was a good read, if not altogether satisfying, because she talked about movies released after she retired from The New Yorker in '91.

It's not technically a review, but her commentary on the laserdisc for Altman's "Short Cuts" is a big favorite of mine. I was very disappointed when it wasn't included on the DVD release and am still holding out hope that it'll be released in one form or another in the future. Her reviews for "Big Business," "Shoah," "Shoeshine," and "Weekend" are also favorites.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

"The Assassination of Richard Nixon" - Sean Penn has a slow mental breakdown. 'Nuff Said!

That reminds me of "Prozac Nation" with Christina Ricci and Jessica Lange. I want those 90 minutes back. Jessica Lange made it watchable because she always gives off the impression that she's a woman on the edge of sanity, about to explode in a fit of rage and exasperation at life itself and then wilter away at any moment, but what an incompetent picture it ended up being. Really piss poor.

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by dissention

That reminds me of "Prozac Nation" with Christina Ricci and Jessica Lange. I want those 90 minutes back. Jessica Lange made it watchable because she always gives off the impression that she's a woman on the edge of sanity, about to explode in a fit of rage and exasperation at life itself and then wilter away at any moment, but what an incompetent picture it ended up being. Really piss poor.

Haven't seen that one, but suddenly reminds me of a question I keep meaning to ask you.

You're the one who liked the Kidman flick - oh crap - ummmmm - Dogtown? - no - Dogville? Anyway - it was by the same director as Dancer in the Dark, right? I was going to rent it the other day (since you were so right about Van Lear Rose), but after reading the box blurb about the director's other works I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Dancer absolutely wrecked me in 10 different ways, and you mentioned once about a very harrowing scene in Dog-whatever...

Without spoiling it - will I have nightmares if I pick it up next time?

[LongBlackScarf]

Originally Posted by dissention

Jessica Lange made it watchable because she always gives off the impression that she's a woman on the edge of sanity, about to explode in a fit of rage and exasperation at life itself and then wilter away at any moment, .

"There are a lot of men out there. I'm selective. I look around very carefully. And, when I find the one I think can give me the worst possible time, that's when I make my move."

[dissention]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

Haven't seen that one, but suddenly reminds me of a question I keep meaning to ask you.

You're the one who liked the Kidman flick - oh crap - ummmmm - Dogtown? - no - Dogville? Anyway - it was by the same director as Dancer in the Dark, right? I was going to rent it the other day (since you were so right about Van Lear Rose), but after reading the box blurb about the director's other works I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Dancer absolutely wrecked me in 10 different ways, and you mentioned once about a very harrowing scene in Dog-whatever...

Without spoiling it - will I have nightmares if I pick it up next time?

Yep, Dogville is a Lars Von Trier movie. Unlike Dancer In the Dark, it's not shot with grainy hand-held cameras, it's shot on an essentially bare soundstage with next to no props; sort of like a twisted version of Our Town.

There are lots of harrowing scenes in it and what happens to Kidman over the course of the movie is incredibly disturbing. If you didn't like Dancer In the Dark for being so heavy, you probably won't like this one. The ending is especially gruesome and the whole movie is quite an incendiary attack on America.