Scots Taffer on 14/12/2010 at 01:41
Quote Posted by raph
Am I the only one who thought that although it is in no way a bad movie,
the Social Network was nothing too special either?
It was pretty damn special. I'd have to ask what more are you looking for in a film.
Illuminatus on 14/12/2010 at 05:17
Quote Posted by Angel Dust
Once Upon a Time in the West Awesome stuff on any screen- the scenes in Monument valley easily match the best desert vistas in Lawrence of Arabia. The death of the West and the birth of modernity: Leone's eulogy not just to the heroes and villains of the old world, but to this kind of film-making itself. Definitely worth mentioning at any time, especially as an enduring example of the thematic power landscapes and leitmotifs alone can produce before a single line of dialogue is spoken.
rachel on 14/12/2010 at 05:42
It's beautifully shot and acted, granted, but it's completely cold. All the characters are douchebags. I just can't find any compelling reason to root for anyone there. Ooh they make millions and get in lawsuits and have sex in the toilet of hip clubs? Big deal. Am I supposed to care about that? Well sorry I don't. As far as a story of modern entrepreneurship, it's just a bunch of jerks screwing over other jerks. Nothing new under the sun, except it's INTERNET.
I found another one I saw and loved, and I'm kicking myself in the butt for forgetting it in the first place:
Sunshine Cleaning. Very good, bittersweet story with a loveable bunch of characters.
Fafhrd on 14/12/2010 at 07:45
Quote:
It's beautifully shot and acted, granted, but it's completely cold. All the characters are douchebags. I just can't find any compelling reason to root for anyone there. Ooh they make millions and get in lawsuits and have sex in the toilet of hip clubs? Big deal. Am I supposed to care about that? Well sorry I don't. As far as a story of modern entrepreneurship, it's just a bunch of jerks screwing over other jerks. Nothing new under the sun, except it's INTERNET.
It's also a brilliant deconstruction of what drives a lot of people to create and excel: Spite. And loneliness. In the narrative of the film, Facebook would never have existed (certainly not in the all-pervasive form that it does today) if not for Zuckerberg and the Winklevosses and Eduardo all getting fucked over and fucking each other over.
And it does probably have the most brilliant dialogue of any film that's been released so far this year. And no shit, it's an Aaron Sorkin script.
Angel Dust on 14/12/2010 at 09:07
Not to mention it's not always necessary to have 'someone to root for' in a film. Yeah, most of the characters in The Social Network are douchebags but I found them to be utterly compelling douchebags. One of the great pleasures of it for me was seeing the megalomaniac, usually a outlandish, loud character ala Citizen Kane or There Will Be Blood, in the guise of the introverted nerd. Eisenberg's performance was sensational and he's certainly shaken any 'Cera-a-like' labels now.
Gotta say though that I can't see what all the fuss was about regarding The Town. It was solid but I found it to be a little tired and felt that it largely squandered its great cast. I think critics have been a little enamoured with the Affleck 'rebirth' angle and have consequentially over praised both of his films (does anyone really remember Gone Baby Gone any more?). He certainly has potential, both his films have several strong scenes in them with The Town shows a talent for staging visceral, propulsive action sequences, but the transformation is not yet complete. Pete Postlethwaite is the shit though: He created an imposing character and presence out of no more than a handful of scenes.
rachel on 14/12/2010 at 11:33
I'm getting what drives them and all, just don't get what's so brilliant about it.
It's ok though. I have the same feeling as you now when Scots says Blade Runner ain't that special ;)
henke on 14/12/2010 at 12:36
Hey, here's a good movie noone's mentioned yet:
Salt
Also, I liked:
The Social Network*
Inception
Toy Story 3
Winter's Bone*
Kick-Ass
Scott Pilgrim
Exit through the Gift Shop
The Town*
Machete
in roughly that order of goodness. Can't say I found any new personal favourites this year though.
Scots Taffer on 14/12/2010 at 13:37
Wasn't Salt utter shit?
Also, raph: what is so brilliant is that the motivations and underlying themes of the movie are so well drawn out by a combination of the writing, acting and direction - a feat that is still relatively uncommon.
nicked on 14/12/2010 at 19:58
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
Wasn't Salt utter shit?
Not at all imo, although critics seem divided. It's relentlessly paced, tight, well-constructed, just less intelligent than something like the Bourne Identity.
henke on 14/12/2010 at 23:34
It was this years best pure actionmovie I'd say. If you're not sure you'd enjoy it, look at (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OAzr_YnA1Q) this actionscene (slightly spoileriffic, but not that much)
