Recently viewed movie thread - Rental Edition (7 Viewers)

[Chaka]

Black Swan

What a disappointing movie. To begin, I'm an Arronofsky fan. Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler are two of my favorite movies. The Arronofsky quality I admire most is his unconventional style. He doesn't seem interested in cliches. But with Black Swan, we have a standard psychological thriller. Some of the camera moves are so cliche, I can't tell if Arronofsky is giving us a tongue in cheek homage to Wes Craven. Watching the movie, it almost seems like Arronofsky assumes we've never seen a movie like this before.

I liked the actors very much. Cassell, Portman, and Hershey are all outstanding. I'm not much of a Portman fan. She's eager, bright, and nice to look at. However, Portman lacks range and she lacks charisma. Still, this role is perfect for her, and she delivers.

If Arronofsky hadn't dorected Black Swan, I might have gone easier on it. But I expect more from him.

Why?

Because some of the "shocks" are so textbook, they were cliche 25 years ago.

I don't see how that fact suggests Aronofsky "assumes we've never seen a movie like this before".

How about I put it this way: I've seen plenty of horror films and plenty of psychological thrillers, so I've seen all these tricks before - several times. For Aronofsky to use them is almost absurd.

I know we hold some directors in high regard, but don't get that last statement. I don't think he reinvented the thriller with this one. Even if the 'tricks' have been used before, in the hands of great directors they work better. Aronofsky has a way to get a visceral response out of me when I watch his films, and I don't think Black Swan was any different - I was engrossed the whole time.

Another recent example of this would be Shutter Island. Again a standard thriller with a twist and nothing new really, but I thought Scorsese really elevated that movie. Both of these were a couple of my favorites over the past few years.

Look, the movie isn't bad. There are parts of it I liked a lot. If Arronofsky hadn't dorected Black Swan, I might have gone easier on it. But I expect more from him.

Allow it.IIRC you put it in your top 10 in the Top Movies of 2011 thread (even though it was 2010).

The performances were mostly awesome - so that goes a long way.

It was a good flick and deserving of top 10 consideration. Winter's Bone is still my favorite of 2010 though.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Black Swan

What a disappointing movie. To begin, I'm an Arronofsky fan. Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler are two of my favorite movies. The Arronofsky quality I admire most is his unconventional style. He doesn't seem interested in cliches. But with Black Swan, we have a standard psychological thriller. Some of the camera moves are so cliche, I can't tell if Arronofsky is giving us a tongue in cheek homage to Wes Craven. Watching the movie, it almost seems like Arronofsky assumes we've never seen a movie like this before.

I liked the actors very much. Cassell, Portman, and Hershey are all outstanding. I'm not much of a Portman fan. She's eager, bright, and nice to look at. However, Portman lacks range and she lacks charisma. Still, this role is perfect for her, and she delivers.

If Arronofsky hadn't dorected Black Swan, I might have gone easier on it. But I expect more from him.

Why?

Because some of the "shocks" are so textbook, they were cliche 25 years ago.

I don't see how that fact suggests Aronofsky "assumes we've never seen a movie like this before".

How about I put it this way: I've seen plenty of horror films and plenty of psychological thrillers, so I've seen all these tricks before - several times. For Aronofsky to use them is almost absurd.

I know we hold some directors in high regard, but don't get that last statement. I don't think he reinvented the thriller with this one. Even if the 'tricks' have been used before, in the hands of great directors they work better. Aronofsky has a way to get a visceral response out of me when I watch his films, and I don't think Black Swan was any different - I was engrossed the whole time.

Another recent example of this would be Shutter Island. Again a standard thriller with a twist and nothing new really, but I thought Scorsese really elevated that movie. Both of these were a couple of my favorites over the past few years.

Hmm...now your have me more interested in checking out Black Swan if youre comparing it to Shutter Island (I realize the plots are different). I found it funny how when Shutter Island came out how people were calling him a has been and that he lost his touch. I absolutely agree he elevated that film with the direction. I didnt think it was very standard though, because very few movies (maybe none that I can think of) are able to pull off a movie like that and still leave the viewer unsure of which storyline is actually true.

 

[Apple Jack]

Winter's Bone was my favorite of 2010, as well.

Requiem is great, too, but it's a hair behind Black Swan for me. I don't have any complaints about BS, but I recall having a few about Requiem. I'd need to see it again to remember what they were, since I haven't seen it since the week it came out when I saw it twice. I recall being annoyed that Leto kept shooting into the infection when there were plenty of other places on his body he could have done it.

Loved Shutter Island.

 

[JZilla]

The Artist was better than I thought it would be. I don't know about Best Picture material, but it was pretty fun to watch

Oddly, I watched it with my 93-year-old grandmother and she didn't like it.

 

[El Floppo]

Shutter Island really getting love in here? Hmm.

Maybe it was because of seeing Twinkle Twinkle Killer Kane, but knew the plot/twist of SI from the opening scene. And it played out goofily, as I recall. But I think it's an apt comparison to Black Swan in that both are done technically well enough to keep them as decent movies, albeit flawed.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Black Swan

What a disappointing movie. To begin, I'm an Arronofsky fan. Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler are two of my favorite movies. The Arronofsky quality I admire most is his unconventional style. He doesn't seem interested in cliches. But with Black Swan, we have a standard psychological thriller. Some of the camera moves are so cliche, I can't tell if Arronofsky is giving us a tongue in cheek homage to Wes Craven. Watching the movie, it almost seems like Arronofsky assumes we've never seen a movie like this before.

I liked the actors very much. Cassell, Portman, and Hershey are all outstanding. I'm not much of a Portman fan. She's eager, bright, and nice to look at. However, Portman lacks range and she lacks charisma. Still, this role is perfect for her, and she delivers.

If Arronofsky hadn't dorected Black Swan, I might have gone easier on it. But I expect more from him.

Why?

Because some of the "shocks" are so textbook, they were cliche 25 years ago.

I don't see how that fact suggests Aronofsky "assumes we've never seen a movie like this before".

How about I put it this way: I've seen plenty of horror films and plenty of psychological thrillers, so I've seen all these tricks before - several times. For Aronofsky to use them is almost absurd.

I know we hold some directors in high regard, but don't get that last statement. I don't think he reinvented the thriller with this one. Even if the 'tricks' have been used before, in the hands of great directors they work better. Aronofsky has a way to get a visceral response out of me when I watch his films, and I don't think Black Swan was any different - I was engrossed the whole time.

Another recent example of this would be Shutter Island. Again a standard thriller with a twist and nothing new really, but I thought Scorsese really elevated that movie. Both of these were a couple of my favorites over the past few years.

Hmm...now your have me more interested in checking out Black Swan if youre comparing it to Shutter Island (I realize the plots are different). I found it funny how when Shutter Island came out how people were calling him a has been and that he lost his touch. I absolutely agree he elevated that film with the direction. I didnt think it was very standard though, because very few movies (maybe none that I can think of) are able to pull off a movie like that and still leave the viewer unsure of which storyline is actually true.

Don't over think it - it is obvious what was going on at the end.

I guess both are head trip sane/insane type of movies. They have been done before, but I thought both were damn good for the genre. Shutter Island is more on the creepy/horror side, and Black Swan is more on the psychological side of spectrum.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Black Swan

What a disappointing movie. To begin, I'm an Arronofsky fan. Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler are two of my favorite movies. The Arronofsky quality I admire most is his unconventional style. He doesn't seem interested in cliches. But with Black Swan, we have a standard psychological thriller. Some of the camera moves are so cliche, I can't tell if Arronofsky is giving us a tongue in cheek homage to Wes Craven. Watching the movie, it almost seems like Arronofsky assumes we've never seen a movie like this before.

I liked the actors very much. Cassell, Portman, and Hershey are all outstanding. I'm not much of a Portman fan. She's eager, bright, and nice to look at. However, Portman lacks range and she lacks charisma. Still, this role is perfect for her, and she delivers.

If Arronofsky hadn't dorected Black Swan, I might have gone easier on it. But I expect more from him.

Why?

Because some of the "shocks" are so textbook, they were cliche 25 years ago.

I don't see how that fact suggests Aronofsky "assumes we've never seen a movie like this before".

How about I put it this way: I've seen plenty of horror films and plenty of psychological thrillers, so I've seen all these tricks before - several times. For Aronofsky to use them is almost absurd.

I know we hold some directors in high regard, but don't get that last statement. I don't think he reinvented the thriller with this one. Even if the 'tricks' have been used before, in the hands of great directors they work better. Aronofsky has a way to get a visceral response out of me when I watch his films, and I don't think Black Swan was any different - I was engrossed the whole time.

Another recent example of this would be Shutter Island. Again a standard thriller with a twist and nothing new really, but I thought Scorsese really elevated that movie. Both of these were a couple of my favorites over the past few years.

Look, the movie isn't bad. There are parts of it I liked a lot. If Arronofsky hadn't dorected Black Swan, I might have gone easier on it. But I expect more from him.

Allow it.IIRC you put it in your top 10 in the Top Movies of 2011 thread (even though it was 2010).

The performances were mostly awesome - so that goes a long way.

It was a good flick and deserving of top 10 consideration. Winter's Bone is still my favorite of 2010 though.

Winter’s Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network

Animal Kingdom

Blue Valentine

The Kings Speech

The American

The Ghost Writer

How to Train Your Dragon

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Shutter Island

Inception

 

[Kenny Powers]

Black Swan

What a disappointing movie. To begin, I'm an Arronofsky fan. Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler are two of my favorite movies. The Arronofsky quality I admire most is his unconventional style. He doesn't seem interested in cliches. But with Black Swan, we have a standard psychological thriller. Some of the camera moves are so cliche, I can't tell if Arronofsky is giving us a tongue in cheek homage to Wes Craven. Watching the movie, it almost seems like Arronofsky assumes we've never seen a movie like this before.

I liked the actors very much. Cassell, Portman, and Hershey are all outstanding. I'm not much of a Portman fan. She's eager, bright, and nice to look at. However, Portman lacks range and she lacks charisma. Still, this role is perfect for her, and she delivers.

If Arronofsky hadn't dorected Black Swan, I might have gone easier on it. But I expect more from him.

Why?

Because some of the "shocks" are so textbook, they were cliche 25 years ago.

I don't see how that fact suggests Aronofsky "assumes we've never seen a movie like this before".

How about I put it this way: I've seen plenty of horror films and plenty of psychological thrillers, so I've seen all these tricks before - several times. For Aronofsky to use them is almost absurd.

I know we hold some directors in high regard, but don't get that last statement. I don't think he reinvented the thriller with this one. Even if the 'tricks' have been used before, in the hands of great directors they work better. Aronofsky has a way to get a visceral response out of me when I watch his films, and I don't think Black Swan was any different - I was engrossed the whole time.

Another recent example of this would be Shutter Island. Again a standard thriller with a twist and nothing new really, but I thought Scorsese really elevated that movie. Both of these were a couple of my favorites over the past few years.

Hmm...now your have me more interested in checking out Black Swan if youre comparing it to Shutter Island (I realize the plots are different). I found it funny how when Shutter Island came out how people were calling him a has been and that he lost his touch. I absolutely agree he elevated that film with the direction. I didnt think it was very standard though, because very few movies (maybe none that I can think of) are able to pull off a movie like that and still leave the viewer unsure of which storyline is actually true.

Don't over think it - it is obvious what was going on at the end.

I guess both are head trip sane/insane type of movies. They have been done before, but I thought both were damn good for the genre. Shutter Island is more on the creepy/horror side, and Black Swan is more on the psychological side of spectrum.

The end as in what, Leo's final line? I think that is fairly obvious what was going on there with him, but the twist that Floppo just called obvious from the beginning isnt obvious at all. Both storylines (him investigating the disappearance and getting drugged vs already being insane and them trying to cure him) have numerous things that support each of them. Multiple people in the Shutter Island thread were in this camp as well, and Hooter I think was one of them.It seemed to me that most people who didnt like Shutter Island didnt like it because they said it was obvious from the beginning, when it really wasnt.

ETA: change from saying there werent giveaways in the beginning, because there were, but in the end theyre moot.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Winter’s Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I liked it, I just had higher expectations I guess since it was a Coens flick. And since I just watched it again recently and felt the same way, I dont think it was just the expectations. The dialogue was good, although the times when it stood out were few and far between to me. Acting was good all around, but Damon feels a bit miscast here. Now that I think about it, had Bridges had more verbal arguments/confrontations with other characters besides mostly the girl (in the courtroom, in the cabin with the 2 guys were 2 scenes that I thought stood out), I probably wouldve liked it more. Id give it like a 3.3/5.Personally, I dont need action to like westerns but Im sure many do. I liked Appaloosa a good bit (more than True Grit actually, 3.5/5) and Assassination of Jesse James is one of my favorites period of the last 5 years (4.75/5), both of which had minimal action.

 

[Chaka]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I loved True Grit for the dialogue and I thought it was beautifully filmed. However I was not terribly impressed with the story telling and frankly I thought Bridges became a caricature of himself. He did not sell the role for me, I just saw Bridges being a little more Bridges than normal but it was still just Bridges not Rooster Cogburn. I found him distracting more than anything else. It kept me from becoming absorbed in what was otherwise a very good film.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I liked it, I just had higher expectations I guess since it was a Coens flick. And since I just watched it again recently and felt the same way, I dont think it was just the expectations. The dialogue was good, although the times when it stood out were few and far between to me. Acting was good all around, but Damon feels a bit miscast here. Now that I think about it, had Bridges had more verbal arguments/confrontations with other characters besides mostly the girl (in the courtroom, in the cabin with the 2 guys were 2 scenes that I thought stood out), I probably wouldve liked it more. Id give it like a 3.3/5.Personally, I dont need action to like westerns but Im sure many do. I liked Appaloosa a good bit (more than True Grit actually, 3.5/5) and Assassination of Jesse James is one of my favorites period of the last 5 years (4.75/5), both of which had minimal action.

Assassination of Jesse James is a cool movie, but very slow. To each his own

 

[jdoggydogg]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I loved True Grit for the dialogue and I thought it was beautifully filmed. However I was not terribly impressed with the story telling and frankly I thought Bridges became a caricature of himself. He did not sell the role for me, I just saw Bridges being a little more Bridges than normal but it was still just Bridges not Rooster Cogburn. I found him distracting more than anything else. It kept me from becoming absorbed in what was otherwise a very good film.

I'm the only one that loves True Grit, so I get weary defending it.

 

[Chaka]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I loved True Grit for the dialogue and I thought it was beautifully filmed. However I was not terribly impressed with the story telling and frankly I thought Bridges became a caricature of himself. He did not sell the role for me, I just saw Bridges being a little more Bridges than normal but it was still just Bridges not Rooster Cogburn. I found him distracting more than anything else. It kept me from becoming absorbed in what was otherwise a very good film.

I'm the only one that loves True Grit, so I get weary defending it.

No need to defend it (besides I have read all your defenses) I enjoyed it. Saw it twice. Probably be on my top 10 list for 2010 if I made one. I'm thinking it missed for me in the same way Black Swan missed for you.

 

[Apple Jack]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I think it was probably more a case of it not really bringing much of the Coen crazy. It was a bit simple and on the nose for them. Which was not a problem for me; I still liked it a lot.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I loved True Grit for the dialogue and I thought it was beautifully filmed. However I was not terribly impressed with the story telling and frankly I thought Bridges became a caricature of himself. He did not sell the role for me, I just saw Bridges being a little more Bridges than normal but it was still just Bridges not Rooster Cogburn. I found him distracting more than anything else. It kept me from becoming absorbed in what was otherwise a very good film.

I'm the only one that loves True Grit, so I get weary defending it.

No need to defend it (besides I have read all your defenses) I enjoyed it. Saw it twice. Probably be on my top 10 list for 2010 if I made one. I'm thinking it missed for me in the same way Black Swan missed for you.

 

[jdoggydogg]

Winter's Bone was outstanding, but True Grit was the best movie I saw in 2010.

Looking at the lists, 2010 was a pretty great year for movies. My favorites:

The Social Network - better

Animal Kingdom - better

Blue Valentine - on DVR

The Kings Speech - liked Grit more, but I think this was a better film all around

The American - havent seen, but most say meh

The Ghost Writer - havent seen

How to Train Your Dragon - liked this, cant compare to TG

Exit Through the Gift Shop - havent seen

Shutter Island - better

Inception - better

Interesting, because while I liked True Grit and throught Bridges was very good (though not as good as Crazy Heart), I was underwhelmed by it and the girl rubbed me the wrong way pretty quickly. Even watched this with my Dad a couple weeks ago because he hadn't seen it, and when I asked him his thoughts afterwards, he said "well it was pretty good, but I expected more to happen".See above, and everything Ive seen I thought was better than True Grit, although I enjoyed it more than King's Speech because its more my type of movie.

You know, I wonder if people's disappointment in True Grit lies in the fact that it doesn't have as much action as many of the great westerns. I loved True Grit because of the dialogue and the acting.

I think it was probably more a case of it not really bringing much of the Coen crazy. It was a bit simple and on the nose for them. Which was not a problem for me; I still liked it a lot.

Burn After Reading was so weird, I liked the change of pace.

 

[KarmaPolice]

50/50:

Really liked this movie. Thought it had a great mix of humor and drama dealing with a serious topic that hits home for a lot of people. I think my one gripe is the opposite of what I usually state - this movie could have been a little bit longer. Movie left me wanting more out of some of the relationships developed in the movie - mainly between the main character and the other men battling cancer. Not a perfect movie, but it hit home with me - 7.5/10

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I never thought I'd see a more awkwark on-screen kiss than the one between Hackman and Hershey in Hoosiers.

Then I watched Hopscotch. :X

 

[El Floppo]

I never thought I'd see a more awkwark on-screen kiss than the one between Hackman and Hershey in Hoosiers.

Then I watched Hopscotch. :X

I don't remember any kiss, but I do remember really liking the movie. Matthau and Jackson? or Matthau and Watterston?

 

[joffer]

Just watched The Man from Earth. Loved it. A professor from Stanford (?) tells his friends/colleagues out of the blue that he's leaving the school right before he's to get tenure/promoted and so a bunch of him go to his house to throw a farewell party and find out why. Turns out he's 14,000 years old and makes a habit of moving on every 10 years or so as people start to wonder why he hasn't seemed to age. His friends include a biologist, anthropologist, archaeologist, and philosopher, and the questions they ask and the discussion that follows was fascinating.

8.5/10

One of my favorites.

this was excellent

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I never thought I'd see a more awkwark on-screen kiss than the one between Hackman and Hershey in Hoosiers.

Then I watched Hopscotch. :X

I don't remember any kiss, but I do remember really liking the movie. Matthau and Jackson? or Matthau and Watterston?

Matthau and Jackson. When he travels to Austria and she shows up at his outdoor table and they start talking about what type of wine he should order.

 

[Sarnoff]

BBC 'Sherlock' Confirmed For Third Season

Good news. I had not realized that season two had been released.

The third (and last) episode of season two just aired in the UK. Haven't watched them yet but I'll get around to it soon.

No fair! I wanna see them

First episode was spectacular. Didn't care for the second as much, but it was still good. Still have to find time to watch #3.

Caught #3 last night. Pretty ####### intense. Liked it.

 

[jdoggydogg]

BBC 'Sherlock' Confirmed For Third Season

Good news. I had not realized that season two had been released.

The third (and last) episode of season two just aired in the UK. Haven't watched them yet but I'll get around to it soon.

No fair! I wanna see them

First episode was spectacular. Didn't care for the second as much, but it was still good. Still have to find time to watch #3.

Caught #3 last night. Pretty ####### intense. Liked it.

:jealous:

 

[JZilla]

Watched The Artist again today, this time with the kids, and we all really enjoyed it. I've decided it deserves whatever awards and accolades come its way, and I would take this frenchie for Best Actor over Clooney (once again playing himself) as well.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Breakdown

A movie from about fifteen years ago with Kurt Russell.

Kurt and his wife are travelling out in the southwest and then suddenly she disappears.

The story follows predictable arcs, but Russell was really intense in his acting.

The scene with him and JT Walsh dueling on the bridge was startling.

 

[jamny]

Awright, I'm gonna say it, I liked the new Arthur with Russell Brand. I love the original, saw it when it came out, and this one did a decent job. Yeah, I fast-forwarded through a few of the sappier parts but all in all it wasn't bad. I thought I'd hate it but I like Russell Brand and thought, if anyone was going to do the remake, he made the most sense. Helen Mirrin is great as usual. Low expectations clearly helped. 3/5

 

[Kenny Powers]

Watched The Artist again today, this time with the kids, and we all really enjoyed it. I've decided it deserves whatever awards and accolades come its way, and I would take this frenchie for Best Actor over Clooney (once again playing himself) as well.

The Frenchie won teh GG for best actor so its certainly possible.

 

[Daywalker]

Breakdown

A movie from about fifteen years ago with Kurt Russell.

Kurt and his wife are travelling out in the southwest and then suddenly she disappears.

The story follows predictable arcs, but Russell was really intense in his acting.

The scene with him and JT Walsh dueling on the bridge was startling.

The one with big trucks? I also thought it was kind of interesting.

JT Walsh was scary in that. Effing truckers.

 

[Chaka]

Ides of March - Meh

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Breakdown

A movie from about fifteen years ago with Kurt Russell.

Kurt and his wife are travelling out in the southwest and then suddenly she disappears.

The story follows predictable arcs, but Russell was really intense in his acting.

The scene with him and JT Walsh dueling on the bridge was startling.

The one with big trucks? I also thought it was kind of interesting.

JT Walsh was scary in that. Effing truckers.

I loved this movie. It knew what it was and didn't try to be anything more. Plus, it was one of those "what would YOU do?" kind of films.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

BTW, just finished season 1 of Damages. It was kind of a slow burn - regardless of the flash-forward scenes - but the last 4 episodes were really good.

 

[Kenny Powers]

The Lazarus Project....It started off entertaining, but once it got to the point it took awhile to really get back into what it was all about. Surprisingly, I thought Paul Walker was pretty good here. There's some holes, but overall liked the storyline and acting, and it really picked up over the 2nd half. The storyline has you rooting regardless of which side youre on. That said, this couldve been a GREAT movie in the hands of the right director/actor(s)....3.4/5

 

[Apple Jack]

Watched The Artist again today, this time with the kids, and we all really enjoyed it. I've decided it deserves whatever awards and accolades come its way, and I would take this frenchie for Best Actor over Clooney (once again playing himself) as well.

The Frenchie won teh GG for best actor so its certainly possible.

True, but it was in the Musical/Comedy category. Clooney won drama.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Paranormal Activity 3:

If you have seen and liked the other two, you need to watch this one. I think this one is easily the strongest of the 3. Very surprised to see a 3rd installment of a series improving like this. The pacing was great and the 'action' started quicker than the other two, the acting was improved and thought the two girls did a hell of a job, and I thought the scares were improved. That said, the idea is going to get stale very soon. This is already the second prequel and there are only so many reasons why a family would have this many cameras set up in the house, and only so many things you can do with said cameras (however, the fan trick is genius). 7/10

Hell and Back Again:

Grabbed this one out of the stack of prestreets and was unprepared for what followed. Documentary about a soldier struggling with his return from duty with a crippling injury. This is juxtaposed beautifully with footage from combat of the unit he was in over in Afghanistan. The director expertly goes back and forth from these two scenerios. New nothing about it, but up looking it up I guess it won a documentary prize at Sundance. Well deserving - I would say that his one hit me even more than Restrepo.

 

[Kenny Powers]

The Lazarus Project....It started off entertaining, but once it got to the point it took awhile to really get back into what it was all about. Surprisingly, I thought Paul Walker was pretty good here. There's some holes, but overall liked the storyline and acting, and it really picked up over the 2nd half. The storyline has you rooting regardless of which side youre on. That said, this couldve been a GREAT movie in the hands of the right director/actor(s)....3.4/5

I going to subtract 0.5 here and go with 2.9/5 for 2 reasons. First, I was pretty drunk last night. Second, after thinking/dreaming overnight, it occurred to me this wasnt quite as original as I thought right after watching it (see spoiler)

Spoiler

I cant think of specific movies at the moment, but Im pretty sure Ive seen at least a few movies that have a similar storyline to Lazarus Project, ie ones where the lead character is under high surveillance (basically inprisoned) without their knowledge until late in the movie. Actually, I guess Shutter Island sort of fits that mold but I think there's others as well, and ones that resemble this movie closer

 

[KarmaPolice]

Real Steel:

Wow am I shocked people are getting behind this turd. Looked at imdb and it is rockin' a 7+. It turned out to be every bit as bad as I thought the trailer looked. I decided to take a shot because I kept hearing that the father/son arc was worth checking out. Problem I had from the start is that Jackman wasn't some down on his luck guy I could rally behind, the guy was a complete doosh and the kid wasn't that much better. The cliched redemption fight packed zero punch (terrible pun intended) because nothing was earned up to that point, and there were no real stakes because of the silly robots. My take is that it was a mix of Over the Top and Transformers with a dash of acting that would make George Lucas vomit in his mouth. 3/10.

This one also took a page out of the Micheal Bay product placement manual. That kid really loved his Dr. Pepper.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas: About the same as the other two but this time in 3D!!! And since I wasn't watching in 3D!!!! there were at least a half dozen jokes that didn't work. A couple laughs, could have you some more Doogie. 2.5/5

In Time: Liked the concept but not the movie. I'm not sure if it was Timberlake or the writing, but I just didn't care about his character in this. The poker scene was one of the most terrible things I've ever seen on film and a whole lot of other plot holes

Spoiler

1) He sat down with about 100 days and walked away with 1100. Impossible! Game was 5 or 6 handed so the most he could win was 600~. Unless of course they completely skipped over him winning a whole bunch of hands.

2) His play on that hand was atrocious. Calling any bet with a gut-shot straight is bad but when it is going to cost you your life? Come on. Then he says 'I knew I'd win'. How? Was he able to see the future?

3) How dumb was his mother? Pays off some debts and leaves herself 90 minutes. Her bus ride home would have cost her 60 on a normal day leaving her with 30. That cutting it pretty close... but that doesn't factor in the time she is sitting on the bus for it. The driver said it would be a 2 hour walk home for her so you have to figure that the bus ride would be at least 15-20 minutes. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

4) Our friend the bus driver is not very bright. He can get a 10 year reward for turning Timberlake/Seyfried but he opts for a little tip from them? Makes sense! Remember, this was the same guy that basically killed a woman but not letting her on the bus and it was before the two started giving away time to everyone.

5) Anyone can hop into a police car and say give me time? You'd think they might have some type of security on that...

6) Security? Nah. You can just walk in and steal a million hours in broad daylight.

A wasted concept... 1/5

 

[hooter311]

DMT: The Spirit Molecule

Whoa. Have never tried it and didn't really know much about it. Seems like an uber version of stuff I've experimented with. I agree with the concept presented about the human brain being a radio tuner into a higher dimension. I couldn't imagine getting injected with hallucinogens in a hospital setting though. Those trips sounded strong enough to break minds instead of bending them.

3.5/5

Available on Instant Watch. Worth pondering if your in to free thought.

 

[cosjobs]

Haywire

I was hoping for something as good as The Limey, one of my favorite Soderbergh movies. While the script was simpler and less interesting, the action sequences with Gina Carano were absolutely top notch. I seriously fell in love with the Rubenesque package of kickass. REal women have curves and she is definitely a real woman. Kind of a lightweight film for Soderbergh and I'd have trouble defending it from some of the snobs, but I liked it a lot and it delivered better than I expected.

3.88/5 stars

 

[jdoggydogg]

Haywire

I was hoping for something as good as The Limey, one of my favorite Soderbergh movies. While the script was simpler and less interesting, the action sequences with Gina Carano were absolutely top notch. I seriously fell in love with the Rubenesque package of kickass. REal women have curves and she is definitely a real woman. Kind of a lightweight film for Soderbergh and I'd have trouble defending it from some of the snobs, but I liked it a lot and it delivered better than I expected.

3.88/5 stars

Hoping to see it this weekend.She was on Conan this week, if you're interested. Seems like a nice chick.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Pina

Even though I'm not a fan of dancing, seeing as this was critically lauded and I'm generally a fan of documentaries I decided to check it out; it was a big mistake. My main dislike of the film was that it was WAY too long at 106 minutes; film could have easily been done in 30-45 minutes and lost nothing. The last hour was just painful to sit through as I felt all the dances are pretty similar despite the different settings. The only real good thing I can say about the film is it did a fairly good job of explaining the importance of "brilliance" of Pina the choreographer, but that's about it. I didn't see the film in theaters or in 3D, so I can only assume that played a big role in why 95% of critics liked the film (according to RT). Also, there was nary a hot chick to be found in the whole movie, dancers in Europe aren't what they are like on this side of the pond apparently.

1/5.

 

[El Floppo]

Haywire

I was hoping for something as good as The Limey, one of my favorite Soderbergh movies. While the script was simpler and less interesting, the action sequences with Gina Carano were absolutely top notch. I seriously fell in love with the Rubenesque package of kickass. REal women have curves and she is definitely a real woman. Kind of a lightweight film for Soderbergh and I'd have trouble defending it from some of the snobs, but I liked it a lot and it delivered better than I expected.

3.88/5 stars

wow- didn't know Soderbergh did The Limey- I liked that one.

 

[El Floppo]

Pina

Even though I'm not a fan of dancing, seeing as this was critically lauded and I'm generally a fan of documentaries I decided to check it out; it was a big mistake. My main dislike of the film was that it was WAY too long at 106 minutes; film could have easily been done in 30-45 minutes and lost nothing. The last hour was just painful to sit through as I felt all the dances are pretty similar despite the different settings. The only real good thing I can say about the film is it did a fairly good job of explaining the importance of "brilliance" of Pina the choreographer, but that's about it. I didn't see the film in theaters or in 3D, so I can only assume that played a big role in why 95% of critics liked the film (according to RT). Also, there was nary a hot chick to be found in the whole movie, dancers in Europe aren't what they are like on this side of the pond apparently.

1/5.

THis is by Wim Wenders, right?I did hear that the 3D was surprisingly good. Also- not much or any narration, yes? Pretty much just watching them dance?

 

[snogger]

Haywire

I was hoping for something as good as The Limey, one of my favorite Soderbergh movies. While the script was simpler and less interesting, the action sequences with Gina Carano were absolutely top notch. I seriously fell in love with the Rubenesque package of kickass. REal women have curves and she is definitely a real woman. Kind of a lightweight film for Soderbergh and I'd have trouble defending it from some of the snobs, but I liked it a lot and it delivered better than I expected.

3.88/5 stars

Saw it over the weekend also.. Not sure if it was because she was the main character and "new" to acting or not, but loved the story telling without a ton of dialog.

 

[saintfool]

Hoping to see it this weekend.

She was on Conan this week, if you're interested. Seems like a nice chick.

i have no interest in seeing this film but, yep, she seems cool. fantastic rack too.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

Pina

Even though I'm not a fan of dancing, seeing as this was critically lauded and I'm generally a fan of documentaries I decided to check it out; it was a big mistake. My main dislike of the film was that it was WAY too long at 106 minutes; film could have easily been done in 30-45 minutes and lost nothing. The last hour was just painful to sit through as I felt all the dances are pretty similar despite the different settings. The only real good thing I can say about the film is it did a fairly good job of explaining the importance of "brilliance" of Pina the choreographer, but that's about it. I didn't see the film in theaters or in 3D, so I can only assume that played a big role in why 95% of critics liked the film (according to RT). Also, there was nary a hot chick to be found in the whole movie, dancers in Europe aren't what they are like on this side of the pond apparently.

1/5.

THis is by Wim Wenders, right?I did hear that the 3D was surprisingly good. Also- not much or any narration, yes? Pretty much just watching them dance?

Yes to all of the above. No narration, but the interviews are randomly interviewed for a couple minutes about how Pina influenced their lives.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Haywire

I was hoping for something as good as The Limey, one of my favorite Soderbergh movies. While the script was simpler and less interesting, the action sequences with Gina Carano were absolutely top notch. I seriously fell in love with the Rubenesque package of kickass. REal women have curves and she is definitely a real woman. Kind of a lightweight film for Soderbergh and I'd have trouble defending it from some of the snobs, but I liked it a lot and it delivered better than I expected.

3.88/5 stars

wow- didn't know Soderbergh did The Limey- I liked that one.

Hmmm, I dont remember much about The Limey other than Terence Stamp being in it, but it wasnt blown away or anything. Then again, its been awhile and I was probably 15 when I saw it.I think my favorite Soderbergh movie is actually Out of Sight, though its difficult to not have Traffic at the top.

 

[cosjobs]

Haywire

I was hoping for something as good as The Limey, one of my favorite Soderbergh movies. While the script was simpler and less interesting, the action sequences with Gina Carano were absolutely top notch. I seriously fell in love with the Rubenesque package of kickass. REal women have curves and she is definitely a real woman. Kind of a lightweight film for Soderbergh and I'd have trouble defending it from some of the snobs, but I liked it a lot and it delivered better than I expected.

3.88/5 stars

wow- didn't know Soderbergh did The Limey- I liked that one.

Hmmm, I dont remember much about The Limey other than Terence Stamp being in it, but it wasnt blown away or anything. Then again, its been awhile and I was probably 15 when I saw it.I think my favorite Soderbergh movie is actually Out of Sight, though its difficult to not have Traffic at the top.

Both are probably better than The Limey, I just expected so little going in, it really won me over. I've watched Out of Sight several times now and it keeps getting better. I remember being disappointed when that came out. I want to like Traffic, but it never grabs me.