daghka

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  I recommend you see...

  Panelkapcsolat (The Prefab People)

  by edwin

  An early Bela Tarr film, showing some of what was to come, but overall feeling more like Cassavetes than the Tarr we know today. Shot in characteristic long takes and black and white, Prefab People is far more raw and documentary like than stately.
  The film revolves around the lives of a married couple with a young baby and a child. The film begins with as Robi, the husband, is packing up and leaving his wife. He seems to be the obvious bad guy here. The film then moves and they are back together, presumably a flashback to happier times. They are celebrating their 9th anniversary, but happiness soon turns to the wife's tears as she presses him about a job and complains about him having to watch him walk away each day. Scenes continue in this way - he's obviously not a perfect husband; he enjoys his beer, his friends, and wants more from his career. She is a caring mother, but perhaps a nagging and extremely needy wife. She complains to friends that he never sees when they are out that she feels the need to dance, and reminices about her youth. At a dance hall (a trademark Bela Tarr sequence) people dance, while the couple and their friends chat. One of the friends wive's invites Robi to dance, and he does. Meanwhile, the wife is agitated and upset that she was never asked by her husband, despite never making any notion that she would like to do so. In another instance he tells her he's been offered a job abroad in Romania for 2 years that will give him double the pay - they can buy a car and a house. She tells him that she doesn't care about those things and would rather they be together all the time without them than be apart. He's upset, but seeing that she won't budge, says that he will tell his employers no thanks.
  It becomes obvious that neither party is perfect, and both are in one way or another at fault for their situation. Finally we return to the opening scene, only this time the camera moves differently and the dialogue is different in parts. Have we come full circle? Was what we saw a flash back? is this a new breakup? Its a clever trick by Tarr to mix things up. The final scene involves the couple buying a washing machine, leaving us to wonder if they are back together again, or if it is another memory.
  While this film isn't as assured or stately as the film's he is famous for today, Tarr shows that he really is a masterful director, able to work at any length (the film runs a minute 75 minuets compared to the 7.5 hour Satantango). Prefab People is a very good film, though I'm not necessarily sure its a great one. On its own, it certainly stands above the cut for its raw and realistic emotional punch (The wife cries (numerous times) perhaps the most sincere tears I've seen on film. Her nagging is annoying to us at times, and understood at others. The acting overall is very good all around, especially the husband.
  The film certainly can't be said to be enjoyable - it's painful subject matter, and what happy scenes there are are few and far between and short in duration. It's nevertheless a very solid, and nothing if not interesting effort from early Bela Tarr.

  bort16

  Some early Bela Tarr. Raw is a word that has gone around to describe Tarr's early work, and it certainly fits here. The camera moves far more often and at a faster pace, though the long shots are still employed most often. You can see some of the elements that characterize Tarr today, but overall this one feels like a Cassavetes picture (though Tarr when he made these early films had apparantly not seen any of Cassavetes work). An interesting little nod to the godfather in here as well as a group of the husbands friends drunkenly play some songs in a bar and the godfather theme happens to be one of them.
  
  Overall, a very interesting view if nothing else to see a master in his early stages of work.

  posted 9 hours ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

  No rating. by The

  Hello everyone, I'm going to the official Media Screening/Premiere of this heavily secretive movie Tommorow And Sunday and I will tell you if it is worth the wait.

  TeenEntGuru

  I'm going to the super secretive Media Screening Tommorrow and the premiere Sunday and I will give you guys and girls the first real insight into the insanely overhyped blockbuster stay tuned!!!!!!!
  
  TG2E.com for the latest and freshest.

  posted 10 hours ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Songs From the Second Floor

  by edwin

  Tragic. Hilarious. Absurd. Those three words fit Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor to a 't.' The film was a success at the 2000 Cannes film festival, winning the Jury Prize and gaining critical accolades internationally. The film is entirely unique, and magical creation of Andersson's mind.
  The film follows a number of individuals, some of whom are loosely tied together through personal connections, all of whom share in the existential dread and tragedy of life. We have a magician who nearly saws in half a volunteer, a fired employee, a businessman specializing in crucifixes, and another man who has lost his business to a fire (a fire which he admits he started), his family (including a son who has gone mad from writing poetry), and a series of other characters, not least of which a large congregation of businessmen who walk the streets amid a neverending traffic jam whipping themselves with chains. The storey flows through a vignettes, all captured in long shots by a camera that only moves once throughout the film. The city appears abandoned - save for the traffic jam and roaming flagellants. It's grey and dingy, as abstract a city as could ever be imagined. The people who inhabit it are drab and deathly pale - that the film opens with a man in a tanning bed becomes utterly hilarious in its irony as the film progresses.
  There are so many scenes of extraordinary surrealist absurdity that if one was to talk about them all they would need many more pages than available here. Let's consider a few of the most memorable though. In one scene, a woman uses a telephone to explain to someone on the other end that she is stuck in traffic, and cannot get out. She is in a bar; outside we see the line of traffic, moving only as slowly as conceivable without standing still. Everything appears grey, totally abstract as from some world where colours have never been invented. The atmosphere is surreal, and I realize as I describe it I do it no justice at all.
  Another brilliant scene involves what appears to be the cities entire population as they gather - businessmen and clergymen alike - to carry out the ritual sacrifice of a young girl, meant to stimulate the stagnating economy. Another excellent scene involves the man who has burned down his store, trying to explain to investigators what he's lost, only to be distracted by the passing hoard of businessmen whipping themselves.
  For me however the most amazing scene comes last. In a very long take, we see the crucifix man discard a truckload of his inventory in front of the arsonist. He leaves, and the arsonist takes out his large crucifix and sets it down. We realize that 4 or so individuals have been slowly walking down the road in the background throughout the scene. They've been following the arsonist earlier in the film asking for help. This time he throws a can at them to scare them off. To his and our suprise, dozens of other people seem to pop up out of nowhere from the ground in the surrounding feild. What a shot; it's one of the best I've ever seen, and the camera never moves once throughout its duration.
  But I digress. What does it all mean? A quick search of movie message boards will lead you to a number of queries; the dvd also apparantly has a commentary track by Andersson himself discussing and deconstructing the sybolism in the film (I have not seen this yet, and as of now am still unsure if I really want to). The film, I think, a scathing satire of modern society and capitalist realism. It's also about the dangers of mixing superstition and reality. Consider the flaggellating businessmen, self-inflicting pain to stimulate the economy. The sacrifice of the young girl for the same purpose; this also simultaneously highlights how corporations expect us to march towards our deaths each day (ie cigarrettes and alcohol, and so on). The man who burns down his business is shown to be greedy throughout, happy he doesn't have to repay a friend when he commits suicide; yelling at his institutionalized son for not understanding that the purpose of life is to buy something and sell it with one or two extra zeroes.
  The paleness of the film often suggests that the city is purgatory, and everyone is actually dead. No one seems to listen, and no one seems to no how to get out. People repeat questions and musings again and again without response.
  Andersson has been called the slapstick Bergman, and surely is one of the most interesting products of Sweden. He had pulled a Malick like move prior to Songs from the Second Floor, not making a feature film for 20 some years (although he was active in directing shorts, docs, and commercials). His return was a glorious one though, and one that was entirely original, and entirely inspiring. This is a dark and tragic film, but one that is also funny in that darkest of dark, and absurdest of absurd ways.

  bort16

  A totally bizarre, but entirely enthralling film
  
  Check it out if you have not already

  posted 2 days ago
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  I recommend you see...

  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

  by Mark

  One of my childhood favorites. "Bumbles bounce!" Highly Recommended.

  hardcourters

  Hey, if the trailer appeals to you, you should really see this!

  posted 2 days ago
• 
  john00philips

  hello jaja , how are u dear am john i live in newcross london am a father one one ,i really like ur profile i wish we could go along well ,u can get back to me if u wish we could mate ok see u

  posted 2 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Before the Rain (Pred dozhdot)

  by edwin

  After only being available on bootlegged or used but extremely rare DVDs, the originals of which were released only in Macedonia and Turkey (given away for free in limited number), Milcho Manchevski?s poetic and soulful examination of the futility of war and circularity of violence is set to be released on DVD proper through Criterion this June. Given that the film won the Oscar for best foreign film and earned numerous accolades from the major critics (Siskel and Ebert raved about the film on their show), one would have expected to see it on DVD a long time ago, but alas, it?s coming now and getting the proper treatment.
  The film is set in Macedonia in the early 90s, as tensions between the ?native? Macedonians and Muslim Albanians flare. The story is broken into 3 parts ? words, faces, and pictures. Words follows a young monk, on a vow of silence for the last 2 years. He finds to his shock one evening in his quarters a young boy hiding in his bed. He runs to tell one of the monastery heads, but decides against telling after seeing the fear in the boy?s eyes. The next day, armed men show up looking for an Albanian girl who allegedly killed a sheep herder. No one knows of the girl, but the armed men refuse to leave and keep watch in case she turns up. That night, the young Monk, Kiril, wakes to see the boy again, but this time in the light of the moon, and realizes that it is not a boy, but a girl with her hair chopped off. She is Zamira. He allows her to hide with him, only to be discovered later in the night by the other priests. The two are forced out under the cover of darkness, wished well on their way. The two seem to be heading for love, but that love will be swiftly and brutally taken away from them before it is allowed to materialize.
  Part 2, faces, takes us into the modern hubbub of London, where a woman at a photo agency, Anne, is embroiled in pregnancy and an affair with her Macedonian Co-worker, Aleksander (Rade Serbedzija). He has just returned from an expedition which has apparently traumatized him. His camera has killed a man he says. He asks her to come back to Macedonia with him, where he remembers life as peaceful and safe, despite her warnings and knowledge of the Balkan conflicts. Being pregnant, she cannot go, she must meet with her husband. Aleksander leaves alone to return to his homeland. While the war seems far away from bustling London, violence and hatred are never as far as they seem. Over dinner, Anne first tells her husband she is pregnant, it?s his, and she wants a divorce. Meanwhile, a waiter and a patron, both speaking Macedonian, bicker. The tension in the scene is wrought, as Anne struggles to get the right words out and express her feelings and the two men head toward a devastating act of violence for Anne and her Husband.
  Part 3, pictures, returns us to Macedonia, and to Aleksander. He arrives home and finds his old home a disaster, and finds that his Albanian neighbours are fearful of him. Childhood friends are now bitter enemies, hatred runs hot between Macedonians and Albanians. Some in his family seem to be somewhat sympathetic, others militant, such as his cousin, Mitre, one of the armed men at the church in the beginning of the film. Aleksander inquires about Hana, a woman he used to love, and apparently still does. She is Albanian, widowed, and off limits. He goes to visit her, and finds that he must pass a roadblock, where he is suspiciously questioned by armed villagers. He is allowed in only after Hana?s father confirms his identity. We discover that the man is Zamira?s grandfather, and she is Hana?s daughter. Aleksander will be asked later by Hana to help protect Zamira.
  I will not reveal here the interconnectedness of the film, as it is impossible to do so without revealing major spoilers. We come to realize however that the film is not linear in nature, but circular, a style employed in a much different film at the same time, Pulp Fiction. We also come to realize that there a number of subtle incongruence?s in the plot. People who should be dead are alive - timing and events seem to be off. Manchevski was purposeful in his editing, and the inconsistencies are not simply goofs. Rather they fit the theme of the film, spoken or seen numerous times throughout the film ? ?The circle is not round. Time never dies.? The circularity of violence is manifested through the circularity of the plot: things don?t always look the same but the result always is: destruction of life. Before the Rain is a film about our humanity and how it is destroyed by hate; how we are not only willing to destroy those we hate because we hate them, but that we will destroy those we love when they stand in the way of our hatreds. The film is a scathing indictment of the policies of war and hate, rendered through the heart and soul of art. I implore anyone reading this to seek see the film, which thankfully will be far more available come this June.

  bort16

  Been meaning to say something about this film for a while now, just now getting around to it. No one on my list has rated it, although a few people have said they want to see it (sadly a few others have said 'not interested' shame)
  
  Before the Rain is a beautifully photgraphed, excellently acted, and painfully touching damnation of war and hatred. Whats perhaps most amazing is that the film was made at the height of the conflict in the Balkans.
  Its coming to criterion in June, and I suggest that you all seek it out.

  posted 3 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  In the Shadow of the Moon

  by Mark

  Excellent Documentary on the Apollo Space Program. I got goosebumps listening to Jim Lovell quote Genesis as the Earth appears alongside the Moon during Apollo 8. Highly Recommended.

  hardcourters

  Hey, you should really see this!

  posted 3 days ago
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  I recommend you see...

  Proof

  by Mark

  {proof} = REM (Relatively Entertaining Movie) + or - or 6.4/10.

  hardcourters

  Hey, you might like this if you enjoy Anthony Hopkins work, or if you like plays adapted into movies.

  posted 3 days ago
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  hardcourters

  Hey - try this quiz and see how we compare
  
  Whos this

  posted 4 days ago
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  depar

  Check out my new profile widget!

  Copy This Widget

  
  

  posted 4 days ago
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  hardcourters

  Hey - try this quiz and see how we compare
  
  Jenna or Pamela?

  posted 6 days ago
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  I recommend you see...

  Lucky You

  by Mark

  Enjoyed the father son relationship between Duvall and Bana. Also enjoyed Barrymore's subdued supporting performance. When you factor in the interesting poker scenes and a satisfying ending this film rates a thumbs up .

  hardcourters

  Hey, you might want to see this!

  posted 6 days ago
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  I recommend you see...

  The Children of Huang Shi

  by edwin

  Caught this one a little while ago. I was a bit dissapointed, though i wasn't really expecting too much I suppose to begin with.
  The story follows the true adventures of British journalist George Hogg during WWII in China, who witnessed atrocities at the hands of Imperial Japan. Hogg eventually ends up at a school, where he reluctantly, of course, becomes attached to the children. Hogg, played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, along with the help of an Austrailian Nurse (Mitchell) and a Chinese Communist (Yun-Fat) leads sixty children on a thousand mile journey across China's moutains to safety, away from invading Japanese forces.
  
  The technical quality of the filmmaking is solid - as is to be expected from Spottiswoode. However, it also carries the usual Spottiswoode flaws - namely more expositional dialogue than you can shake a stick at and convient contrivances throughout. I enjoyed Spottiswoode's previous film, the far superior Shake Hands with the Devil (which itself it not without his usual faults), but I just couldn't get into this one. The dialogue is too heavy handed and half of it is dedicated to delivering a history lesson. Spottiswoode's desire to inform is certainly admirable, and the story and the background history certainly are worthy of tellingh. Nevertheless, attempting to deliever both in depth is a recipe for failure.
  The acting is for the most part fine: Yun-Fat delivers a fine performance, as does Rhys-Meyers, who I think someday will likely deliever an amazing rendering of a psychopath (the eyes!).
  Overall, I can't quite recommend it, and my review may be slightly off as I don't remember it very well (which may actually justify my review). I wouldn't however tell you to avoid it. I'll probably rewatch it someday myself just to see how this review stacks up.

  bort16

  See it if you like.
  I don't remember it all too well. Feel free to comment if you have seen it

  posted 6 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  L'Armée des ombres (Army in the Shadows)

  by edwin

  The rarely seen L'armee des ombres is perhaps Jean-Pierre Melville's best film, right up there with Le Samourai. Typical of Melville, everything in the film is done meticulously and shot and framed beautifully. Melville keeps the film at an intimate level, focusing on the lives and thoughts of French Resistence fighters, and just what it meant to be in the Resistence in France - to be anonymous. They use phony names, constantly on the move; many of them don't even know who the boss of their group is. Two brothers don't even know that they're both in the Resistence - they meet, and one flirts momentarily with the thought of informing his brother of his work in the resistence, only to change his mind.
  Men fight and die without ever giving their real names, knowing they do they will endanger their families and friends, and lest they die without the glory of a legacy of heroism.
  The film was thought to be unusable, as the film reels had turned pink with age, but it was restored digitally a couple years ago, and now its going to be available on Criterion.
  L'Armee Des Ombres is a great film, packing dead pan action meticulously into a slow artful picture; a deep and moving portrait of the sacrifices of the French Resistence.

  bort16

  watched it again today, thought i would dig up this old review and spread it around to those folks who haven't rated it.
  
  Cheers,
  EB

  posted 6 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Starman

  by Mark

  Red means stop, green means go, yellow means go faster. Recommended, especially for Jeff Bridges fans.

  hardcourters

  Hey, you should really see this!

  posted 8 days ago
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  I recommend you see...

  My Left Foot

  by Mark

  Day-Lewis was amazing in this. Need to see it again to give it a fair rating.

  hardcourters

  Hey, you should really see this!

  posted 9 days ago
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  I recommend you see...

  Once

  by Mark

  Very enjoyable story concerning music , love and friendship. Doesn't follow a typical formulaic Hollywood pattern. Big thumbs up!

  hardcourters

  Hey, you should really see this!

  posted 10 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  Margot at the Wedding

  by Mark

  Not funny despite the presence of Jack Black. Only a depressing story filled with dysfunctional people I didn't care about in the least. It left me wondering at the end, "What did I just watch?" Margot is a big "no-go". thumbs down!

  hardcourters

  In my opinion you should avoid this one!

  posted 10 days ago
• 
  sarahbabbii

  iyya pple

  posted 10 days ago
• 
  I recommend you see...

  La Vie en Rose (La Mome)

  by Mark

  "Marion Cotillard est fantastique" and Director Oliver Dahan does a very good job showing us many of Edith Piaf's trials, tribulations and successes throughout her short life. Highly recommended.

  hardcourters

  Hey, you should really see this!

  posted 13 days ago

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