The Killer Snark Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Thanks, Theda. I've always loved Mike Leigh films and this is probably his best since Naked, back in 1993. There's two foreign films I've missed from my list on account of not having seen them. Big Bad Wolves got great reviews and though it's from 2013 it was released in the UK last year. Leviathan I've been wanting to see for a few months. It sounds right up my alley. Ulrich Seidl's Import/Export (2007) is one of the last decade's desert island flicks, for me, and Leviathan seems like more of the same dismal-weathered Euro-gloom I have a particular penchant for. Leviathan was not released in the UK and has not come out on DVD here yet. Stranger by the Lake, an excellent hardcore eroticism/murder thriller, homosexual art flick, came out in 2013 in France but was not released in the UK till February '14, so I might as well list it among the best films of '14 as well. Updated on my OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'm glad that someone else agrees with me On Only God Forgives. That film was universally panned, with only Empire brave enough to give it two consecutive 5 star ratings. I was intitally baffled by what I saw as a flat-out Gainax ending, but it makes perfect sense the second time around when you consider that both of the main characters, not a choice of either, are actually the heroes of the film. It's not an easy film to love I feel. I loved the performances and cinematography the first time, but a lot of symbolism went over my head. I think Stuckmann did a fine job trying to explain the movie. My understanding of the movie was greatly enhanced by his work and made my second viewing much more rewarding. Leap - Well, Skyfall and The Avengers were exceptional entertainment, but The Master is the one film of 2012 that really stands out for me. There was also The Artist, if that came out in '12; it may have come out in '11. Stories We Tell, Amour, Holy Motors and Beasts of the Southern Wild got a lot of 5 star reviews from major criticular institutions, in a fit of reviewer pretension by the likes of the increasingly out of touch Time Out and the normally reliable Empire. But all four of those movies were not only not great, but they were also not very good. I do disagree with BotSW being overrated. That film deserved all the praise it got. Rarely have I been so rivetted by a film. The acting was stellar (by non-professionals), the story was great and the cinematography and directing breathtaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonArryn Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I think Beasts of the Southern Wild is a better movie on every level then the pile of crap called Only God Forgives. Beasts is probably my favorite movie of 2012. You'd have to look a long time for a more nonsensical and pretentious bullshit movie than Only God Forgives. Considering it's the director of Drive who made it I wonder if he was paid to make as bad a movie as he could. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was complete crap too. The first movie was ok I guess, but they really tried to stink the sequel up. Too many villains, with disasterous backstories and a worthless overarching narrative with shoe-horned things all through the story. It's about as cheesy and predictable as you can get in comoc book movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Killer Snark Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Beasts of the Southern Wild for me wasn't a bad movie, it wasn't a good one, it was just kind of there. Unsympathetic lead characters, a load of rambling downriver with uninteresting conversation pieces thrown in; it just gets interesting at the end and the characters become more ilkable, but the aurochs symbolism, though visually arresting, is only tied to the film symbolically by the flimisiest threads and seems like an attempt to force poeticism on a movie with a not very interesting set-up. As for the other 2012 movies I don't care for that got rated everywhere as instant classics: Stories We Tell (by the same director, Sarah Polly, who gave us the excellent Take This Waltz) was a cumbersome vanity piece from start to finish that lost steam half through as soon as its twist was given up too early, Holy Motors was a ploddingly uneven and unpaced indulgence that contained about half an hour at most of actually interesting material and made no concrete intellectual points amid its overweening ptentiousness: and Michael Haneke's amour was an overhyped flub that was completely lacking in dramatic direction, featured a completely unsympathetic main character we were supposed to be sympathetic towards for the premise to work, and was painfully overwrought for all of its unnecessary two hours running time. The one good thing about that was the admittedly excellent lead actors, but they should have been acting in a better developed film. In contrast, I have never seen a Nicolas Winding Refn film I didn't think was the dog's balls. I guess the point I'm making is that the best received films of '13 and '14, unlike '12, which I think was just an adequate year for movies, unlike those of '12 had a tendency to measure up to the hype. There were, however, The Master*, The Artist* (released in '11, but not till '12 in the UK), The Avengers, Skyfall, LIncoln* and The Dark Knight Rises*. Only four of those, asterisked, were truly comparable in quality with the best of '13 and '14 and the rest of the year was pretty much meh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonArryn Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Beasts of the Southern Wild for me wasn't a bad movie, it wasn't a good one, it was just kind of there. Unsympathetic lead characters, a load of rambling downriver with uninteresting conversation pieces thrown in; it just gets interesting at the end and the characters become more ilkable, but the aurochs symbolism, though visually arresting, is only tied to the film symbolically by the flimisiest threads and seems like an attempt to force poeticism on a movie with a not very interesting set-up. As for the other 2012 movies I don't care for that got rated everywhere as instant classics: Stories We Tell (by the same director, Sarah Polly, who gave us the excellent Take This Waltz) was a cumbersome vanity piece from start to finish that lost steam half through as soon as its twist was given up too early, Holy Motors was a ploddingly uneven and unpaced indulgence that contained about half an hour at most of actually interesting material and made no concrete intellectual points amid its overweening ptentiousness: and Michael Haneke's amour was an overhyped flub that was completely lacking in dramatic direction, featured a completely unsympathetic main character we were supposed to be sympathetic towards for the premise to work, and was painfully overwrought for all of its unnecessary two hours running time. The one good thing about that was the admittedly excellent lead actors, but they should have been acting in a better developed film. In contrast, I have never seen a Nicolas Winding Refn film I didn't think was the dog's balls. I guess the point I'm making is that the best received films of '13 and '14, unlike '12, which I think was just an adequate year for movies, unlike those of '12 had a tendency to measure up to the hype. There were, however, The Master*, The Artist* (released in '11, but not till '12 in the UK), The Avengers, Skyfall and The Dark Knight Rises*. Only three of those, asterisked, were truly comparable in quality with the best of '13 and '14 and the rest of the year was pretty much meh. I can only answer your post regarding Beasts of the Southern Wild, since I haven't seen the other movies you mention. But I think you're mistaken if you're looking for sympathy in her father's character. The point is not for him to be sympathetic, he's teaching her to be strong in his way. Because he's poor and the world doesn't give him things, it's not easy for him. And she's growing up in the same world as him, so he's teaching her the way he knows. He's not sympathetic no, but his intentions are good at least. And she's very sympathetic, a little girl born into poverty struggling when her home town is getting destroyed, I don't find anything unsympathetic about her character. Add tot hat amazing visuals and a soundtrack that is really powerful, and I think you have something close to a masterpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Killer Snark Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 We'll agree to disagree here. I personally found the girl to be an annoying brat. And I thought her father was a tyrant who only showed redemptive qualities when the two characters hit the hospital. Between the pair of them I found it hard deciding who was worse. The kid in last year's The Babadook, however, was incredibly annoying, but he was meant to be that way.The mother was intended to be the sympathetic character in that film. I got the impression with Beasts of the Southern Wild that whoever made it was unaware of just how obnoxious the two main characters were, and in a film that requires you to be stuck with them on their...ahem, cliche-word, 'journey', that IMO is a significant fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Tiger Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Whiplash, my god Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Damn, I really want to see it. Why does this not come out in my country? Why for the love of God! While we're at it, I saw Calvary and Nightcrawler. Both are great movies imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Whiplash, my god I've seen it twice in the last few weeks. Incredible movie. I know if I watched it again today, I'd be just as invested, just as entertained. Highly recommended to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raja Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I won't get to see that one for at least a month :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFatCoward Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 boyhood was remarkable. gone girl, while very entertaining and full of great performances, meh, i just couldn't turn off my police head. it was just so preposterous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Tiger Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Damn, I really want to see it. Why does this not come out in my country? Why for the love of God! While we're at it, I saw Calvary and Nightcrawler. Both are great movies imo. And here I thought Heath Ledger's Joker was weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castel Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 boyhood was remarkable. gone girl, while very entertaining and full of great performances, meh, i just couldn't turn off my police head. it was just so preposterous. Honestly, by the end it really was taking the piss. Even the director came out and said so. That said, was still an incredibly tense and fucked up finish for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 And here I thought Heath Ledger's Joker was weird. I wouldn't like to meet either of them that's for sure. Lou Bloom really reminded me of Travis Bickle. Another character I wouldn't like to encounter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Tiger Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 I wouldn't like to meet either of them that's for sure. Lou Bloom really reminded me of Travis Bickle. Another character I wouldn't like to encounter. Noticed how the longer the movie went on the more Lou started looking like Patrick Bateman? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veltigar Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Noticed how the longer the movie went on the more Lou started looking like Patrick Bateman? He looked creepy as fuck from the beginning to me :p That gaunt face and that unflickering gaze of his.... Brrr. His eyes were also enormously big or was that just my impression? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Tiger Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 He looked creepy as fuck from the beginning to me :P That gaunt face and that unflickering gaze of his.... Brrr. His eyes were also enormously big or was that just my impression? Wasn't just you, his eyes were glassy, big and empty, Gyllenhaal dropped 30 pounds for this film and it shows. His speech pattern was weird as fuck, like he's reading a script (oh the irony). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castel Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Agreed,he was always creepy. The movie doesn't even pretend. Bateman at least seems vaguely normal. Think about the first thing he did and his actions right after that, going around giving a sales pitch about job loyalty among Millenials The horror-comedy is that he's not really fooling anyone. His speech pattern was weird as fuck, like he's reading a script (oh the irony). EDIT: You could almost hear the rustling of the pages of the self-help books where he cribbed most of his shit from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexMachina Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Honestly, by the end it really was taking the piss. Even the director came out and said so. That said, was still an incredibly tense and fucked up finish for me. I think the most memorable scene of that film for me (and dare I, book purist as I am, say better than in the book) was Amy spashing Desi's throat. I mean, my god, jumped in my seat when that happened and the scene definitely stuck with me. I wasn't expecting it at all (as I read the book afterwards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Killer Snark Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Castel - Re Nightcrawler - Yes, the film nailed that to a T, the fact that many sociopaths don't understand human behaviou, so they just walk around studying it to try and copy it. Hence Lou's constant smirk, which is partly due to smugness and partly an effort to try and make people feel comfortable. It doesn't really work, because he has this constant dead saucer-eyed stare, with shadows under his eyes as if he's a vampire who goes without sleeping. Everything he says sounds totally mechanical, as if he's reading out a manual. I love the scenes between Lou and his boss. She clocks him for what he is instantly, but seems to admire him anyway even though he weirds her out, because he really is the ideal employee: even when he's going on a sales pitch rant that's only designed to get her into bed. Re Gone Girl - I believe that film was meant to be preposterous. If it's intended, but everything works according to the film's own logic, I can accept the narrative silliness as one of its strengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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