General Movie Thread

[JonFromMaplewood]

I saw The King's Speech today and really loved it.

I saw it earlier this week and agree - also tons of "oh my god, it's ______" moments - like every British actor who isn't doing Harry Potter is in this thing.

As well as some who are! It was strange when I recognized the guy who played Churchill from his role in the Harry Potter movies.

And how great was Derek Jacobi?

I was wondering...Do you think the choice of Derek Jacobi was an intentional nod to Jacobi's portrayal of Claudius the stutterer?

[Sarah]

Due Date: really wanted to like this, but it left me kinda flat. That said, there was one little scene that absolutely killed me. I laughed so hard I woke up jr. from his nap.

Which one?  I had no such experience.

[hardweek]

The bit after Jaime Foxx picks them up and the Robert Downey character is just so done, so he instructs his buddy to veer off the highway into the drainage ditch and poor Evan Trembley takes that bounce in the flatbed. Dumbest thing ever, but totally cracked me up.

[Paul DeLouisiana]

Due Date: really wanted to like this, but it left me kinda flat. That said, there was one little scene that absolutely killed me. I laughed so hard I woke up jr. from his nap.

Which one?  I had no such experience.

For me it was the restroom scene. "I'm sorry guys I gotta take this. It's my wife. She wants a divorce."

[Sarah]

That made me smile, PdP.  The truck scene, however, made me cringe, hardweek:  all I could do was think about was how dangerous that would be in real life, esp to the poor dog.

Mainly, I think I was unwowed by this movie because it reminded me of so many others, all of which include a conceit that doesn't appeal to me: so-called normal person is forced to spend time with weirdo and learns something about himself (it's always a guy, isn't it?)--and how to like the weirdo--in the process.  The thing is, the weirdos in question are usually so unpleasant and out of control that their modest charms are not enough to make me find them tolerable, so the movies can never entirely work for me. 

I guess I need a weirdo to make me loosen up, eh?

[crumbum]

I just caught up with Animal Kingdom, which was excellent. The theme -- criminal underworld as a savage, tribal, Darwinian battle -- is spelled out right in the opening shot and title (not to mention the final words spoken), but that idea turns out to have major legs. I've never seen a crime movie quite like it before.

My only quibble is with the protagonist kid, who's made out to be a bit too much of a mute lunkhead. When he finally takes action you never get a sense of whether he's thinking things through or just going on instinct.

[wood and iron]

I just caught up with Animal Kingdom, which was excellent. The theme -- criminal underworld as a savage, tribal, Darwinian battle -- is spelled out right in the opening shot and title (not to mention the final words spoken), but that idea turns out to have major legs. I've never seen a crime movie quite like it before.

My only quibble is with the protagonist kid, who's made out to be a bit too much of a mute lunkhead. When he finally takes action you never get a sense of whether he's thinking things through or just going on instinct.

I agree with everything you said about that movie. I'm still thinking about it.

[James W]

Shane Black might write/direct Iron Man 3? OMG.

I really love his Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Yeah, that movie is really great.

I liked that movie a bit, and wanted to like it a lot, but it really bothers me that the hero is never called on his casual homophobia. Sure, there's lots of implicit stuff about subverting hollywood action 'types etc., but I don't think an explicit "fuck bigotry" would have been amiss. Not when you know a large section of the audience are gonna be "people" who think homosexuality is hilarious/objectionable.

I'm sure he can do a fine Iron Man movie - hopefully one where Iron Man doesn't piss his pants/scratch records/(s)mug to camera like the dickens.

[hardweek]

That made me smile, PdP.  The truck scene, however, made me cringe, hardweek:  all I could do was think about was how dangerous that would be in real life, esp to the poor dog.

Mainly, I think I was unwowed by this movie because it reminded me of so many others, all of which include a conceit that doesn't appeal to me: so-called normal person is forced to spend time with weirdo and learns something about himself (it's always a guy, isn't it?)--and how to like the weirdo--in the process.  The thing is, the weirdos in question are usually so unpleasant and out of control that their modest charms are not enough to make me find them tolerable, so the movies can never entirely work for me. 

I guess I need a weirdo to make me loosen up, eh?

Not at all (loosening up, or a weirdo). The laugh I got out of that was pure projection/empathy, having been on the receiving end a few times as a teenager.

And I can understand being upset by the dog. No matter how many times I saw that "no animals were harmed in the filming of this episode" deer hunting episode of Silver Spoons as a kid, some things are just too much for me (Amores Perros comes to mind).

[Sarah]

I have not been yet able to watch Amores Perros.

Just finished watching The King's Speech.  Don't really understand what all the fuss is about.  It was perfectly all right, but no more so than a respectable outing of Masterpiece Theatre.

[Martin]

Yes. To me it played out like a perfectly adequate TV drama.

[Sarah]

Not even among the best  And there was so much fiddling with history, it was distracting.

I did like that Edward was played by an Australian.

[buffcoat]

Not even among the best  And there was so much fiddling with history, it was distracting.

I did like that Edward was played by an Australian.

Did you watch the Sherlock Holmes this winter?  I loved the reboot, Martin Freeman and the Coupling style wit.  Why the hell not?

[Sarah]

Yes, I enjoyed that a lot.  I like Steven Moffat:  Coupling was often funny, Jekyll was a kick, and his Whos are among my favorites. 

Did you see the single episode of Dirk Gently?  Though it strayed from the original more than many purists could stomach, I thought it was good, clean fun. 

See?  I can like stuff.  I just haven't been bowled over by the movies I've seen lately.  Of the last four, only Le Corbeau measured up. 

Oh, wait, that should be five.  I forgot I also watched Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!  It was a fine example of the type of movie it wanted to be.

[buffcoat]

Yes, I enjoyed that a lot.  I like Steven Moffat:  Coupling was often funny, Jekyll was a kick, and his Whos are among my favorites. 

Did you see the single episode of Dirk Gently?  Though it strayed from the original more than many purists could stomach, I thought it was good, clean fun. 

See?  I can like stuff.  I just haven't been bowled over by the movies I've seen lately.  Of the last four, only Le Corbeau measured up. 

Oh, wait, that should be five.  I forgot I also watched Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!  It was a fine example of the type of movie it wanted to be.

I didn't see Dirk Gently.  BBCAmerica never shows anything.

I'm looking forward to the next Sherlock Holmes when they come out in 2017.  Thanks, BBC.  You don't have to do 22 episodes a year, but could you at least do SOMETHING?