saminglis81
http://www.flixster.com/user/saminglis81
| Name | Sam Inglis |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| I'm From | Tonbridge, Kent |
| Member For | 775 days |
| Last Login | Sat. Mar 1 |
| Profile Views | 693 |
| Age | 27 |
| MCT Score |
| Movie: | See List [Order of Preference] |
|---|---|
| Actor: | See List [Alaphabetical. Actresses first, then Actors] |
| Director: | Paul Thomas Anderson, Francois Ozon, Kim Ki Duk |
| Quote: |
| I've been an obsessive movie fan for about 15 years now. My latest obsessions are; Asian films, particularly Kung-fu movies and Audrey Hepburn. |
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1.
Badlands
PG
I first saw Badlands six or seven years ago and was immediately a fan, I've returned to it time and time again and it is those repeat viewings that have led me to put it on top of My top 100 films list. It was actually Badlands that led to the creation of this list. Revising my top 10 for the first time in an age I wanted to find a place for Bandlands but, at that point, couldn't and so, in slotting it in at number 11 I decided to go the whole hog and do a top 100. Another rewatch later and here we are. That, for me, is the essential reason that Badlands is number one; every time I've seen it I've loved it more and more. The directorial debut of Terence Malick (who has made just three films since, only two of which I've seen, liking neither very much) it never feels like the work of a novice being among the most beautiful looking films ever made. Malick has a fondness for the real world and for nature and we see much of it in Badlands, the lanscape shots are breathtaking, the sequence where Kit (Sheen) burns Holly's (Spacek) house is also particularly gorgeous but Malick also finds beauty in the more mundane things. the characters Kit and Holly, their relationship and character and Kit's crimes were based on the real story of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate. Their spree took place in 1958 when Starkweather was 19 and Fugate just 13. The film adds a couple of years to the age of each of the characters. Sissy Spacek was 23 when Badlands was made but her cute youthful looks mean that she absolutely convinces as 15 year old Holly. There's more to her performance than that though, she portrays Holly's youthful naivety with great intelligence and manages to suggest, subtly, the mixed emotions of this young girl once her boyfriend starts killing. Spacek also contributes narration from Holly's diary, not only are these beautifully written by Malick, never seeming like a screenwriter, rather than a 15 year old girl, came up with them but Spacek's reading of them is one of the most touching and memorable things in the film. Martin Sheen was also a good deal older than his character, 10 years in fact, but he too is perfectly cast as the James Dean like Kit. Kit's matter of fact way about everything is very funny and Sheen gets plenty of mileage out of that and crucially he remains interesting and charming enough to make you believe that Holly would stay with him. There are few other people in the film but it's worth noting that the man who comes to the door when Kit and Holly take over a rich man's house for an afternoon and 'borrow' things from him is Terence Malick himself stepping in for an actor who hadn't shown up. It's difficult to encapsulate the brilliance of this film as it almost sneaks up on you but it's a riveting, almost hypnotic, experience and one which repays repeat viewings as the strength of Spacek and Sheen's wonderful performances impresses more each time.
2.
Magnolia
R
Paul Thomas Anderson's idea for Magnolia was to get out of town while his second film; Boogie Nights opened and run around and make a short, personal film on digital video. The idea evolved a bit. Magnolia is every inch the epic and an example of something too seldom seen in cinema, audacity. Three hours long, with a cast list that takes almost as long to read and plot that no blurb writer could summarise the odds are stacked against Magnolia, so why is it one of the best films of all time? This is a film about coincidence. About how our lives connect with those of people we may never meet. Anderson tells many stories in this film but draws them together into a single narrative. As he amply demonstrated with Boogie Nights Anderson has the ability to get stunning performances from all his actors and he does it again here. However two performances are worth singling out. Cruise is simply astonishing as Frank TJ Mackey and must have had real fun playing this character (coming to it from a very repressed character for over two years in Eyes Wide Shut). If you only remember one line from the movie it will be his 'Respect the cock and tame the c**t'. Cruise gets to play every emotion in the book, from his grandstanding seminar to his bedside scene with Jason Robards, he never hits a false note. It is a crime that he was not given an (overdue) Oscar for this part. Melora Walters was pretty well unknown at the time Magnolia came out, her only other work of real note being in Boogie Nights, In that film she did not have enough to do but Anderson remedies that here. Claudia is the centre of the film (Anderson says that all the stories were written branching off Claudia's story). She is utterly convincing in her role and, if her behaviour is hard to explain early in the film, you feel for her deeply when you know of the abuse the character has suffered. Walters delivers what is perhaps Magnolia%u2019s best line when, in a restaurant, she asks John C Reilly 'Now that you've met me would you object to never seeing me again?' However, her finest hour is the film's last shot and after three hours wait it is a joy to see Claudia smile. By singling these two out I am by no means trying to infer that the rest of the cast are unimpressive, quite the reverse. I think Julianne Moore should be in everything Paul Thomas Anderson ever shoots, that is the quality of the parts he writes her. She's perhaps not quite as impressive here as in Boogie Nights but the pharmacy scene alone should have netted her another Oscar nomination. John C Reilly does well as the nicest cop you'll ever meet, and this is key to the fact that we end up rooting for Jim and Claudia. All in all this film is a perfect example of why we need an Oscar for ensemble performance. Another participant well worth mentioning is Aimee Mann, her music permeates the film, leading to it's most audacious, and it%u2019s best, scene; in which the entire cast sing along to her gorgeous song 'Wise Up'. This movie made me an Aimee Mann fan and I would highly recommend that any viewer who likes the movie's music pick up all her solo albums Anderson uses his camera brilliantly, designing the film to exploit it's widescreen frame to the fullest. This is particularly evident in Claudia%u2019s apartment as she and Jim talk, each of them at one edge of the frame. Some complain that film is too long, or that it leaves loose ends. It is true that all the plot points are not neatly tied up as the film ends but this is a film about the lives of ordinary people, loose ends are to be expected.
3.
Almost Famous
R
I knew Almost Famous was special when I saw the theatrical release. I fell in love with both the movie and the music (this film was the catalyst for an ever expanding album collection) and I bought the dvd the second it came out in the US. Then six months later I bought the Bootleg cut dvd including Untitled, Cameron Crowe's director's cut of the film. 43 minutes longer than the original version the extensions aren't just the regular 'unrated dvd' style few extra frames of breasts or couple of extra F bombs. There are, of course, whole new scenes, plot points given far greater clarity but what really adds to the film are the small, subtle, extensions to almost every existing scene. What remains constant in both versions is the quality of both Cameron Crowe's script and the performances. The script is based on Crowe's own experiences as a 15 year old Rolling Stone journalist and apparently many of the events of the film are drawn directly from tours with bands like The Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin. It has that easy mix of funny and touching (often within a single line) which Crowe first really mastered on Say Anything and though, for obvious reasons, it feels like an incredibly personal film it also has wide appeal. Patrick Fugit must have been a bit scared. A lead role in is first film, playing a version of his director. He pulls it off wonderfully with a performance of initially wide-eyed wonder which becomes shaded as the film goes on. As much as I love Sarah Polley, who Crowe so wanted he thought of not making the film when he couldn't get her, I couldn't imagine anyone but Kate Hudson as Penny Lane. The character is one of Crowe's best; an amalgam of several 'band aids' he knew at the time and Hudson's bright, breezy, utterly charming performance should have just about any red blooded man in the audience falling head over heels for Penny. All Cowe's films have benefitted from his interest in music, he uses it better than just about any other director and Untitled is packed with tunes. Led Zeppelin, famously unwilling to let their music be used for films, gave Crowe almost every track he wanted (except Stairway to Heaven) but it's Elton John's Tiny Dancer, with the whole cast singing along, which proves a cathartic moment in the film and one of the most memorable musical moments in cinema. The other musical element is the band; Stillwater (THIS band may be fictional but there was a band called Stillwater about this time, i keep seeing their records around and meaning to pick one up, just to find out what they soundlike). The actors play their own instruments and do their own singing and the songs by Crowe and his wife Nancy Wilson (of the band Heart) work well, sounding like they could have stepped out of 1973 when the film is set. There's so much quality to talk about; Jason Lee and Billy Crudup as Stillwater's singer and guitarist,Frances McDormand, hillarious as Crowe's mother and Phillip Seymour Hoffman's great little turn as Lester Bangs among them that I'd here all day if i went into detail. As director Crowe has grown from his previous films which often seemed like filmed renditions of a screenplay rather than a complete visual piece. Here he's got many a memorable shot (Penny dancing to 'The Wind' after a show, Penny running through William's fingers as he flies home) and seems far more confident as a director than before. Almost Famous was a great film. Untitled is one of the greats.
4.
The Godfather
R
s there really anything left to be said about The Godfather? Anything to add to the three Oscars and endless praise? Probably not, but sod it. The acting is the main reason this film sits so high on the list. Every single performance, from leads to bit parts, is well cast and strongly acted. Brando, of course, is extraordinary. Like Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs his performance has been so often parodied that it could be herd to take seriously, if, that is, he weren't so mesmerisingly brilliant as he is. Convincingly playing a much older man than himself Brando convinces both as the hardened gangster and as a reflective man, trying to spare his sons the same choies he ad to make. Al Pacino's Michael is the film's true standout though. You never question for an instant his journey from rather a naive returning soldier to a ruthless gangster who won't have even the slightest trouble ordering the massacre of his enemies not only because Coppola and novellist Mario Puzo's script takes you on this journey so skillfully but because Pacino's total conviction in the role means you are never watching an actor, just a character. While I could eulogise each and every performance I shan't, because there's so much more to say. Gordon Willis' cinematography (scandalously not nominated for an Oscar) and Francis Ford Coppola's direction are as key to the films success as any of the performances. Though it's long The Godfather never feels indulgent, you never feel that Coppola is keeping things he doesn't absolutely need because he likes them and thus your interest in the story and characters never wanes. He also creates some truly memorable moments, iconic even, now that 34 years have passed. The extraordinary scene in which Michael kills both the head of another family and a corrupt police chief is one of the finest in American cinema. A perfect match of acting; Pacino managing to show the audience, silently, his struggle over whether to go through with the plan and his moment of decision, without overplaying and direction; Coppola's tigh close ups and use of the sound of an elevated train to heighten the tension. Look at this scene, at the final massacre of Michael's enemie's, cross cut with his son's (Sofia Coppola, just a few months old in her first screen appearence) christening and the masterful final shot of Michael, now confirmed as Don Corleone and it seems very strange indeed that Coppola didn't win Best Director at the 1973 Oscars (Bob Fosse did, for Cabaret). At the end of the day though The Godfather could have won no prizes at all and it would still remain one of the best things ever comitted to celluloid.
5.
Toy Story 2
G
Sequels are easy; redo the original just MORE so but this is hardly condusive to great filmmaking. Disney have done more than most in the last few years to sully the perception of sequels, churning out sub par follow ups to most the films in their catalogue including the much beloved likes of The Jungle Book and Bambi. Toy Story 2 was supposed to be a direct to video money spinner, 65 minutes of cash in. There was a twist in the tale though when Disney saw some work in progress, so bowled over were they that they upped the requested running time to 90 minutes and prepared Toy Story 2 for cinema release. I had loved Toy Story from the first time I saw it and was in a preview audience for the sequel as well. It was simply astonishing, not only had Pixar attained the lofty standard they had set themselves with the first film but they'd actually made a better film. While the first film saw cowboy doll Woody (Hanks) coming to terms with the arrival of space toy Buzz (Allen) and then rescuing him this second installment reverses the roles when Woody is stolen by a toy collector and Buzz has to save him. The story is deeper than that of the first film as it explores the ultimate fate of any toy; abandonment by children who grow up. While this never diminshes the comedy it does make this a film that engages more emotionally than the first. Just as before Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are perfect as Buzz and Woody but Allen again steals the acting honours doing two versions of Buzz and making each a wonderfully funny and engaging piece of characterisation. The new cast members are also excellent with Joan Cusack playing both comedy and pathos beautifully. The in jokes come thick and fast with some brilliant spoofing of sci-fi classics in the sequences with Buzz's arch enemy; Zurg and a self-reflexive joke about merchadising, delivered by Barbie, proving highlights. Simply put everything works. The comedy is funny, the action is brilliantly carried off and exciting and the serious elements are played with skill and conviction by both cast and animators. The key to the success of Pixar is that they never seem impressed solely by their (breahtaking) technology and always weld it to a strong story, one which would work whichever medium it was told in. Toy Story 2 is their high watermark but if anyone can meet or beat it then it's Pixar.
6.
Before Sunset
R
t is (at the time of writing) 10 years since Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke spent a summer in Vienna making Before Sunrise, the best romantic film of the 90%u2019s. Before Sunset picks up the characters of Celine and Jesse in summer 2003 in Paris, their first meeting since Vienna, some nine years earlier. When this film was announced I thought it highly unnessecary; Sunrise is as near perfect as any film I've seen and has a wonderful ending that let its audience finish the story (and this is addressed in the film) and so it is a joy to report that this is niether a cynical exercise in filmmaking nor merely a retread of old ground. Before Sunset as good a film as its predecessor. Jesse and Celine%u2019s meeting is engineered by the fact that he is on tour promoting a book based on that night in Vienna and she shows up to see him in Paris (where she now lives). 9 years have passed since they last met and their initial conversation as they walk round Paris, filling the few minutes before Jesse must leave for the airport, is tentative and trivial but they fast come around to the ending of the previous film and the question of whether they were in Vienna to meet six months later as they had arranged. One of them was. The two soon become comfortable again and the structure of Sunset is much like that of Sunrise, a series of conversations between two interesting people we can really identify with and it is here that the key strength of this film becomes clear; These characters have CHANGED. Sequels today are generally horrible, the same set of people thrown into a new adventure, hitting the same beats as before but usualy bigger, better (?), louder, faster. Sunset differs here, while Jesse and Celine are still recognisably the people they were in Sunrise the tone of their conversation has changed, they are less blindly optimistic, less naïve, in short they have grown up. This is also reflected in the things they talk about; post 9/11 politics, sex, age, death and most crucially Jesse%u2019s unhappy marriage (%u201CI feel like I%u2019m running a small creche with somone I used to date%u201D he says). The film plays out in real time and this, even more than in Sunrise, gives an audience the sensation of being voyeuristic, of peering into the lives of real people. Of course this sense is only possible because of masterful acting by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. It would be impossible, ludicrous, to say that one of them is better than the other as each performance is flawless to the point that it is hard to think of what you are seeing as acting, so natural does it seem. The scene that should net both Oscar nominations comes near the end of the picture in a car. The two are nearing the end of their time together and they have what is both their first real argument and their most intense and intimate conversation. Jesse%u2019s admission of imagining Celine in his dreams and her reaching out to touch him and then pulling away is a moment as beautiful and resonant as any in Sunrise (or any other film you care to name). The ending of the film is wonderful. Rather than the mindset I had at the end of Sunrise which was to want to finish the story myself it is really my hope now that Linklater will revisit these characters again. It is so rare to find ONE character as well defined, as easy to empathise with and as real as these in a film and it would be a shame if these two were left on the shelf when there is much story left to tel
Sam's Movie Scrapbook
Sam's Talk
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I recommend you see...
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)
by the dudeposted 2 days ago -
I recommend you see...Hey, you should really see this!
posted 2 days ago -
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I recommend you see...
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 3 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
by the dudeA inside look at the behind the scenes work on Apocalypse Now. I felt it was more of a character study as Coppola fought to keep his sanity along with the cast and crew. Over 200 hundred days of shooting. Script rewrites, actor fees and health, a typhoon almost kept the film from being made but it was made after long hours of hard work. Great documentary into how far filmmakers go to keep their vision and their dreams alive.
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 4 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 5 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Mamma Mia!
by SarahDirector:Phyllida Lloyd
Released: 2008
Stars: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan,Colin Firth and Julie Walters
Genre: Musical/Comedy
Country: UK/USA
20 year old Sophie (Seyfried) is preparing to marry her boyfriend Sky (Cooper) at her mother's hotel on an island in Greece. She seemingly has it all; a carefree life, loving boyfriend and happy friends but one thing has been missing all her life; a father.
I have to admit that when we deciided to see Mama Mia!, my family and I, I wasn't sure what I would make of it at all. I know Abba songs like the back of my hand, never saw the musical but was sure I might dance a long at some stage. For sure I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Mama Mia has a certain charm to it that you can't ignore and I'm sure it will be one of the biggest hits of the summer.
The appeal of Mama Mia! is set in the songs and the brilliant cast. All the songs tell sophie's story well and you begin to like the characters a lot, but most likely Meryl Streep's character Donna. Donna is unaware of her daughter's actual father, any of the 3 leading men we see in the film; Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgård. All three do sing in the film and at times it can be quite funny. I'm sure not everyone wants to see the last James Bond actor sing his heart out to SOS or Stellen Skarsgard sing Take a Chance on Me, but really folks forget all that and just enjoy a fabulous film. I know Brosnan took a year of singing lessons and doesn't sound bad at all. Not so sure about the paring of Streep and Brosnan but that was only a minor flaw.
The set for Mama Mia, that being in the Greek Islands looks lovly on screen and some great shots of the actual island on helicopter which really gives you that "summer feeling" and actually made me forgets seriously analysing this film, if you see what I mean. Naturally the cheography is brilliant, most notably with Dancing Queen which, If I had the chance, I would have danced near my seat. Meryl streep can certianlydance around, as can Julie Walters both in their late 50's.
Now for the acting. To be honest I think the acting fitted well to the story. I felt most of the actors played a more laid back approach, as indeed this is not a serious film and shouldn't be taken as to be. JUlie Walters was brilliant to watch and lights up every scene she's in, including her hilarious rendition of "Take a Chance on Me." Colin Firth doesn't really do an awful lot but does sing, which wasn't that bad. Stellen Skarsgard, as most of the cast aren't that bad either.
The script is a plain and simple story but very funny and very well done indeed. I;, sure a lot of it was sidreted at die hard Abba fans but I certainly enjoyed it a lot. What's great is that the film is very funny and can divert your attention away from any pretenious bits that might annoy you, as not everything is going to break into song.
I can't recomend this enough. If there's one film that you should see it's Mama Mia! Can't tell you how much fun I had watching this.
Highly recomended
8/10Worth the watch as it's very funny to watch...
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FKx_14vJNZg&hl=en&fs=1"/><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/></object>posted 7 days ago -
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I recommend you see...
The Dark Knight
by LupusWhen an unstoppable force meets an immovable object - this is the best blockbuster I've seen in the past 8 years. Engagin and idealistic but almost academic, never before has due process, justice and power been discussed this well in a comic hero movie. Ledger's immortal now, while men like me will continue to watch everythin burn. Joker's right you know - people are pathetic.
"...that which does not kill you, will only make you... stranger..."
posted 16 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Journey to the Center of the Earth (Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D)
by LupusVery lackin in 3D - drama, dinosaurs and decency. This will never be Jumanji. The Icelandic bird (the woman, not the animal) looks nice though... sorta like a young Nicole Kidman. Anyway, Verne turns in his grave... art is dead and 3D glasses rule the world.
Bleugh...
posted 17 days ago -
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I recommend you see...
Black Snake Moan
by GeorgeA very powerful movie. Astounding performances by Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson. When I first heard about this movie, the only reason I wanted to see it was because I was thinking to myself, how do they make a movie about a girl being chained by a man? However I was very surprised with its turnout. Its a very strong movie in my opinion. I mean we have this girl who basically gets screwed by every male in her town. A mother who let her bf do something to her daughter at a younger age. Samuels wife cheating on him with his brother. Justin with his severe anxiety issues. It was a amazing motion picture, because he wanted to make someone feel good about themself beautiful in and out. The most touching performance would have to be when Christina confronts her mother in the grocery store, I mean that was just simply heart stopping. Christina has sure come a long way with her acting. She has just become even that more of something to watch and enjoy on the big screen, not to mention shes beautiful. I was hoping that Justin would not have a huge part, since I think hes such a terrible actor, but he actually did pretty ok, the movie made me feel sorry for his character and it worked. Samuel had that same attitude I won't take shit from no one, but this time it actually worked for once. Like a movie with unstoppable turns and just surpises out there, go watch this.
Enjoy Black Snake Moan :)
posted 21 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Zombie Strippers
by LupusYou don't have a right to complain if you read the film title. Get over yourself and stop ratin movies bad because you're too damn sophisticated to enjoy well-constructed rubbish! This was 94mins of fake tits (mostly) and fancy G-strings sandwiching semi-brilliant, tongue-in-cheek philosophical discourses. Honest!
Jenna Jameson can act, I insist.
posted 21 days ago -
I recommend you see...
WALL-E
by GeorgeA very amazing movie by Pixar. Where as I am not that huge of a fan of their movies. I may have to start to become one since I was so much bewildered by this magical journey. About a robot who has been alone for 700 years and isn't alone anymore. Finds Eve a life long friend, and companion which quickly becomes a romantic interest. A truly touching and amazing motion picture. Join WALL-E on his quest to find out what he was really mean't for. Full of laughs, thrills and tears. Wall-E will be sure to keep you begging for more. 2008 Definitely has speed this year with the movies!
A Summer Keeper!
posted 26 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Fantozzi (White Collar Blues)
by PierluigiA milestone of italian comedy. Paolo Villaggio is beyond funny as the helpless victim of capitalism, the italian working class underdog Fantozzi, a man with an unbelievably bad luck. There is no plot, but who cares, almost every gag is a riot. Classic slap-stick.
Hey, you should really see this!
if you're italian, you'll love it...
if you're not, you weren't lucky.posted 32 days ago -
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I recommend you see...
The Killing
by PierluigiA small group of criminals develop a seemingly perfect heist without imagine that luck would run against them at almost every previously elaborated move. Superb and millimetrical screenwriting with colorful characters like Sterling Hayden, once again as a resolute but doomed tough guy, and Marie Windsor as a hateful femme fatale, a real bitch. Powerful, no-nonsense and precise noir masterwork by Stanley Kubrick.
Hey, you should really see this!
posted 46 days ago
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