Movies205's Review and Discussion Thread: Vol. 4 - Kingdom of Debauchery and Hackery!

[Watson]

Atonement (2007)
Directed by Joe Wright

British comedian Eddie Izzard said it best. "You just can't eat popcorn to British films." British art films certainly do have a slow moving quality to them that make them distinct from thier often quirky or melodramatic American counterparts. Joe Wright's Atonement falls into an interesting category between the two. While it retains the understated drama so typical of British drama films, the movie never pulls a punch and keeps the viewer engaged right until the jaw dropping finale.

Atonement, based on the novel by Ian McEwan, takes place in the years before World War II. Half of the major plot points take place in the span of a day at the country estate of the Tallis's. Briony Tallis, the youngest sister who is a burgeoning writer (and somewhat of a perfectionist), is whom we follow the plot with. As she is a 13 year old girl at the beggining, her point of view becomes extremely important as it is her fantastical imagination and limited understanding of adult situations that end up seperating the young lovers of the film, Celia Tallis and the housekeeper's son Robbie Turner. Briony is one of the most complicated and intriguing characters of the film, especially as the viewer watches her growth from the age of 13 to 18 to her late 70's. I found myself at times hating her and others feeling dreadfully sorry for her.

Describing it as a love story is too much of a simplification, as the story has a mystery and crime at it's centre that drives the plot. Additionally World War II era London (and the failed British invasion at Dunkirk), make for an unexpected and uncontrollable force that sweeps through the characters lives when they least expect it. The plot does suffer from some lack of explanation of things that were more clear in the novel, but all in all is solid and well structured.

The film's true strength is its impressive cinematography and editing. Joe Wright has done a maginificent, and in my estimation unparalleled, job at bringing the atmosphere of the book and of the situations to the big screen. The story is often told visually, and it makes the world come alive. One particularily breath taking shot is a almost 5 minute uncut tracking shot of the wreckage and waiting soldiers at Dunkirk. The scope of the shot really conveys how horrible the situation was.

Atonement is a wonderful film. I highly recomend it, and hope that people will not be put off by it's "love story" tag. The romance is only one part of a multi faceted incredible movie.

9.5/10

 

[Superhobo]

Bump.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Straw Dogs

Sam Peckinpah, the man responsible for 2 of the best westerns out there; The Wild Bunch and Pat Garret & Billy the Kid, was he a great director or not? I never really know what to make of his films, but they are always bound to be something special. I've seen 5 of his flicks and what I noticed is that his films usually start out slowly, has some strokes of brilliance along the way and then goes out with a bloody bang. It's pretty much the same with this film.

David Sumner, a young american mathematician (Dustin Hoffman) and his english wife Amy (Susan George) move to the english countryside in order for David to have so time to do his work. In the small community they face increasingly vicious local harassment, which leads to an insane climax.

Peckinpah takes plenty of time to establish our feelings towards the characters, he gets us to hate the villagers, and we have sympathy for Sumner (brilliant performance by Hoffman, for who my admiration is ever-growing, the guy was greatness in the seventies) but we also think Why the **** doesn't he stand up for himself? At the sickenly exciting (I haven't been on the edge of my seat like this since No Country For Old Men)climax, he finally does, but it doesn't get the viewer cheering at the screen. Because the violence is dirty, shocking, the fact that a simple man who detests violence goes that far when driven into a corner, is simply disturbing and unsettling.

It's a movie that you don't just sit down and watch, it's something of a complex emotional rollercoaster, you never really know what to think. And it's very good when a director can accomplish that. This is a masterpiece. I think...

9/10

Henry Niles: I don't know my way home.
David Sumner: That's okay. I don't either.

 

[Movies205]

z0mg Carmine I just watch that movie yesterday and was about to write a review for it I'll do it now before I read yours and then comment

 

[Movies205]

Straws Dogs
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
Rating: 9/10

I truely want to give this film a 10/10 but a grueling first act keeps me from doing so. Sam Peckinpah's usual themes of violence and humanitiy are in full force here as we see David Summer (Dustin Hoffman) character push the edge for his pacifist ways.

A problem or artistic blessing however you wish to see it is the elogated first act. A first act is usual 20-30 minutes thus setting up the film till getting into the meat of the film.

The film is entirely set up for the first hour until the main character's wife is raped.

I suppose one could say that the first act is them moving into the house and hiring builders but I see little difference between the two also to add to this fact there's little to no "real" interesting conflict before this moment. However that's not to say its a waste of time, quite the contrary. During this time Peckinpah sets up the characters, the town, who they stand for, their beliefs, etc which is what will eventually lead to what makes the film so powerful. However it does make for a very slow first hour.

I'm not a huge fan of the film stock a lot of films employ the 70s, I hate that disgusting look it creates of ubergrain and low saturation of color but it works. The cinematography and editing style is very Peckinpah with the overlapping of two sequences and works amazingly well. The final sequence in the house shows Peckinpah's mastery at suspense quite a bit.

However the meat of the film is in what it is trying to say. The ending is so powerful because it takes the main character and puts him in a situation that tests his manhood in a way that he's forced to take action but what's scariest of the whole thing is that he seems to enjoy it at the end. Straw Dogs is an amazing story that everyone must see.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Good review. We Pretty much agree.

Have you seen more of Peckinpah? So far I've seen The Wild Bunch (1969), Cross of Iron (1977), Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) and ofcourse, Straw Dogs (1971). Out of these five my favourite is Pat Garrett. That opening sequence is just wonderful.

 

[War Party]

Straw Dogs is such a fantastic film. I'm glad you guys liked it as much as I do.

 

[Matrixo]

Gonna watch Babel this week, gonna write a review soon.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Well....it's been 19 years. We had Jackson mucking around with King Kong, and some, to me anonymous, loons making **** with the likes of Nicholas Cage and the guy with the short arms Matthew -- something. Forget all those so called adventure movies made by jokers. Steven Spielberg, Harisson Ford and Company are back to show you how it's really done.

When the news hit that a new Indiana Jones installment was coming, gossip burst loose. And ofcourse, judgment on the movie was made, and the production was spied on to see if it was ''coming together properly''. Expectations were lowered or went through the roof. Luckily, I avoided all that and just watched the trailer. So, with very little expectations I finally caught it today. And man, did I ****ing enjoy it.

Indy's back. And he's pulpier than ever. This might put some people off. But I think; the crazier the better. The more fantastic the scenario's, the more fun. Because this is, by far, the most outrageous of the series. The Holy Grail, The Ark of the Covenant; they all seem like everyday kitchen and sink stories. Nothing to raise your eyebrows for. What we get here is SO Pulp and SO over-the-top I couldn't help but enjoy it tremendously. When the throned Aliens were revealed and later an UFO I could imagine the next installment taking place on Mars, with Indy in a 50's spacesuit fighting crab-like Martians armned with a laser-bazooka. It also sets itself apart from the other films in the 50's setting. Which I loved. The FBI guys in dark suits with horn-rimmed glasses, the Anti-communist protests, the Russian villains with thick accents (wonderful performance by Blanchett) The greasers and frat boys, the cars. It's all really well done with truly wonderful art-direction.

It's been quite a while that I was actually impressed by special effects and computer generated action. You just....get used to it I guess. It's nothing special anymore. Last year these big spectacles did very little for me anymore. Despite the great achievements they are at times, sometimes they're just boring for whatever reason -- desinterest for the story seems like a good explanation. Good examples of these boring scenes are the Golden Gate Bridge stunt from X Men 3 and the final sequence of Pirates of The Caribbean 3. Very well done. But my jaw didn't drop. With this film it's another story alltogether. My jaw hit the (by that time Popcorn-riddled) floor hardcore-style when the big valley was lifted into the air and the UFO came out. That was simply stunning.

Spielberg is the über-director. Ask ANYONE to name a director. And his name is liable to pop up 9 out of 10 times. He's a true master. He knows so incredibly well to stage and shoot a action sequence. It just evokes envy. The opening sequence to this film is wonderful, the bike-car chase through the campus is thrilling and so is the insane jungle chase which even features sword fighting.

The film is not without it's flaws. There's the atrocious, gob smacking Monkey-swinging scene. But on the other hand; this is family entertainment afterall. Also, Karen Alle'n's role feels very tacked on, a desperate attempt to connect it with the other films, and all she does is grin like an idiot.

So, in conclusion. This is probably the most fun-filled enjoyable CGI-action romp you'll find this summer. People were clapping, cheering and laughing. So just ditch whatever your expectations are and enjoy this for what it is. It both connects and sets itself apart from the other movies. The cinematography and vibe is the same, but the script is more out-there than ever.

My favourite blockbuste moment from this year so far: Indiana Jones hiding in a refrigerator form a Nuclear blast. Wow. t:

9/10