What a great group of posts! Much to agree with. Especially those who dislike Braveheart and Gladiator.
Was I really supposed to get all watery eyed when Mel Gibson screamed "freedom" with terrific diaphragmatic support even while his intestines were being spooled ever so diabolically out of his abdomen? Not even filmic, that moment, just pathetically underimagined.
While I thought Pvt Ryan was an amazing accomplishment, the maudlin parts, especially those with Hanks, really took some of my pleasure away. Cast Away had me until the last 20 minutes, when the grit and ballsiness of the concept finally crumbled and they gave in to easy, flaccid sentimentality. I thought they were gonna make it all the way, then they sold out. With extreme embarassment I must admit that all my efforts at hating Forrest Gump have been futile. I really like it. Can't hate Tom Hanks, but bad things do seem to happen around him...
This juror is undecided on Lynch. Agree about the wierdness for wierdness' sake, but that don't mean the movies aren't sometimes amazing anyhow. Sometimes wanting to hate a movie isn't enough, and the movie wins me over.
Like with Stone's Natural Born Killers. 1st viewing, hated it, but loved the sense of dread I got from the prison riot. Subsequent viewings on cable... I think it's kind of amazing, I'm afraid. Platoon has not had as much luck. My vote is with those who think it sucks. Haven't seen "Redux," but "Apocalypse Regular" is the best Vietnam movie I've ever seen.
Reservoir Dogs is compelling but empty. Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece, exaggerated hipness and all. Love it. It's okay if Tarantino only has the one good movie in him. For me Pulp is enough.
Usual suspects is a dog, agreed.
Blair Wich might not have been great art, but it is the most scared I have ever been at a movie. Can't explain.
I love Fargo. Likability is not an issue for me. The inexorable progress of doom in that movie is just beautifully rendered.
Clockwork Orange is a bigger puzzle to me, though I think it is an amazing film. But I'm not sure who's a victim and who's a villain in that one. Everyone's kind of loathsome, and that doesn't really shed much light on things in the end, does it?
And yes, thank you, whoever mentioned Beautiful Mind. I saw this movie before seeing any reviews, and thought it was a disaster. I thought Death to Smoochie was better. I like Ron Howard as a dude, but this movie... so sloppy and confused. Still, I am grateful for the footage of Jennifer Connelly, who is a screen goddess to me.
I'd like to toss "Cinema Paradiso" onto the crapheap, along with "Life is Beautiful."
Tangential but true, ain't it?
Was I really supposed to get all watery eyed when Mel Gibson screamed "freedom" with terrific diaphragmatic support even while his intestines were being spooled ever so diabolically out of his abdomen? Not even filmic, that moment, just pathetically underimagined.
While I thought Pvt Ryan was an amazing accomplishment, the maudlin parts, especially those with Hanks, really took some of my pleasure away. Cast Away had me until the last 20 minutes, when the grit and ballsiness of the concept finally crumbled and they gave in to easy, flaccid sentimentality. I thought they were gonna make it all the way, then they sold out. With extreme embarassment I must admit that all my efforts at hating Forrest Gump have been futile. I really like it. Can't hate Tom Hanks, but bad things do seem to happen around him...
This juror is undecided on Lynch. Agree about the wierdness for wierdness' sake, but that don't mean the movies aren't sometimes amazing anyhow. Sometimes wanting to hate a movie isn't enough, and the movie wins me over.
Like with Stone's Natural Born Killers. 1st viewing, hated it, but loved the sense of dread I got from the prison riot. Subsequent viewings on cable... I think it's kind of amazing, I'm afraid. Platoon has not had as much luck. My vote is with those who think it sucks. Haven't seen "Redux," but "Apocalypse Regular" is the best Vietnam movie I've ever seen.
Reservoir Dogs is compelling but empty. Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece, exaggerated hipness and all. Love it. It's okay if Tarantino only has the one good movie in him. For me Pulp is enough.
Usual suspects is a dog, agreed.
Blair Wich might not have been great art, but it is the most scared I have ever been at a movie. Can't explain.
I love Fargo. Likability is not an issue for me. The inexorable progress of doom in that movie is just beautifully rendered.
Clockwork Orange is a bigger puzzle to me, though I think it is an amazing film. But I'm not sure who's a victim and who's a villain in that one. Everyone's kind of loathsome, and that doesn't really shed much light on things in the end, does it?
And yes, thank you, whoever mentioned Beautiful Mind. I saw this movie before seeing any reviews, and thought it was a disaster. I thought Death to Smoochie was better. I like Ron Howard as a dude, but this movie... so sloppy and confused. Still, I am grateful for the footage of Jennifer Connelly, who is a screen goddess to me.
I'd like to toss "Cinema Paradiso" onto the crapheap, along with "Life is Beautiful."
Tangential but true, ain't it?