WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

[charliechaplinfan]

Kingrat, you met Ingrid and was in a movie, it sounds so exciting, even though I know there would have been a lot of hanging around, it's a great story to tell.

[CineMaven]

Moira, I worked one day as an extra in the scene where law professor Fritz Weaver says goodbye to his students. We extras worked about an 8-hour day and made the princely sum of $16.00 for the endeavor...Ingrid Bergman was also in this scene, and she made a point of coming over to the extras, saying hello to the group and saying something like, "Making movies is harder than you think, isn't it?" Obviously this was the high point of the day. Too bad I wasn't cast as one of Anthony Quinn's hillbilly chillun. I definitely have the background for that. I even had an uncle who was a bootlegger!

I saw Ingrid Bergman in a play ( "Captain Brassbound's Conversion" ) and I saw live, an interview of Isabella Rossellini talking about a film she had entered in the TriBeCa Film Festival. I'd gladly trade places with you Kingrat. (( Sigh! ))

* * * * * * * * *

Family pride. I have an ancestor who was a deserter from the Confederate infantry!

The statute of limitations is not over yet, Red. I'm calling the V.A. on your Johnny Reb ancestor!!!

[Vienna]

Back in the 70's ,I'll never forget standing at the stage door of the Albery Theatre in London, waiting to see Ingrid Bergman arrive for her afternoon matinee (I'm ashamed to say I cant recall the play).
Anyway, I'll never forget that first sight of Ingrid,on her own, coming across towqrds the stage door. My nervous hands gripped a photo of her and she smiled and signed it. I'm afraid I was totally tongue tied. She looked lovely and not quite as tall as I expected, we seemed to be eye to eye!
It only lasted a couple of minutes but it really was incredible to be face to face with someone you have admired for years.
If only I could have said something sensible or asked a question or two! Or taken a photo!!!

[Mr. Arkadin]

Has anyone else seen THE LIFE OF PI? I’m particularly eager to know Mr. Arkadin’s response, for the concerns of the film fit nicely with his great project. We saw it in 3-D, but it is also out in regular versions. Some people have thought this was a film for children—at least brought their children to the theater—but the animals eating other animals, although this isn’t dwelt on, would upset some children. This is a film for adults, based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Yann Martel, which I haven’t read. I believe that Ang Lee has made a remarkable film, in parts a profound one. For once, CGI is used to create images of beauty rather than video game action. The scene with the whale, the scene with flying fish, the island of trees, and the nocturnal moments are all lovely and memorable. THE LIFE OF PI is perhaps fifteen minutes too long; all the scenes of Pi talking to the tiger in the lifeboat begin to seem repetitious. This isn’t a fatal flaw, however.

Act one of the film, everything up to the discovery of the tiger in the lifeboat, is superb, with my favorite scene being the one where Pi plays the drum for the girls who are learning the traditional dances. I loved all the music in the film. Act two has Pi adrift in the Pacific with the tiger. The CGI work on presenting the tiger and the other animals is exceptional. The third act resolves the story in a way I found satisfying. The frame story of the young novelist visiting the middle-aged Pi in Montreal works well.



SPOILERS: I deliberately haven’t said much about anything you haven’t seen in the previews. Weirdly, what I want to write about here is the philosophical aspect of the film. Pi’s uncle has told the young novelist that Pi has an amazing story to tell—indeed he does—and that Pi found God. In the end Pi tells two possible versions of what happened, one with the tiger and one without. He asks the novelist which version he prefers. “The one with the tiger,” the young man says, and everyone will agree with that. Isn’t this the allegory of believing in God? Two stories about life are possible: one with God, one without. I prefer the one with the tiger. Although the tiger is very much an animal in this film, Pi’s relationship with the tiger could be seen as an analogy of a man’s relationship with God. He looks for signs of humanity in the tiger’s eyes, though his father warns him not to do this. Finally, Pi realizes that without the constant struggle with the tiger he would not have survived the long voyage across the Pacific. THE LIFE OF PI is the rare film whose deeper implications can haunt you for a long time.

Thanks for your review. This sounds interesting and I will definitely be checking it out.

[RedRiver]

The last two movies I watched were recent releases, both disappointing. One of them, A LONELY PLACE TO DIE, may have been made for cable. I'm not sure. A violent thriller, it features a British cast as near as I can figure. Set in a mountain climbing environment, there are shootings, throat cuttings, burials while still alive, attacks on defenseless police stations. (This after leaving the wilderness.) The first half of the story offers no explanation of why all this is happening. The second half, you'll have to see for yourself. I turned it off!

Another British entry, PIRATE RADIO, is a little better. From the LOVE ACTUALLY people, this is a comedy about the underground, and illegal, rock and roll radio scene in 1966. This one leaves much to be desired as well. But it doesn't offend the intelligence. Over written, with no less than three apparent endings, it's an awkward script that never quite finds its footing. But there's the predictable period music, some fine actors and some wacky humor. The movie is not BAD. It's just not real good!

A side note on credibility. Did people "think outside the box" in the 1960's? I never heard that expression until fairly recently. And I was only 12 at that time, but did we call them CONDOMS? My friends didn't! I was thirty before I heard that word. There were even a couple of songs I'm willing to bet came out a couple of years AFTER the story takes place. Of course, this is England. Airplay in the U.S. might have come later.

This is why we watch the classics. There aren't that many good movies anymore!

[JackFavell]

I remember seeing bits of Pirate Radio on TV at some point. It's got a really good cast as I recall, but yeah, it seems heavy on the anachronisms. It's got Bill Nighy in it though, doesn't it? I'll forgive a lot for Bill Nighy. I love the idea of the film, but the end product doesn't match what it could have been. It's light watching, some fun but not nearly as good as it wants to be.

[movieman1957]

Two things for Bill Nighy. "The Lost Prince" and "The Girl In The Cafe." Very interesting characters.

[JackFavell]

I haven't seen The Girl in the Cafe. BTW, it's nice to hear from you, Chris. I thought you'd gone AWOL.

[movieman1957]

I'm here. I'm just in the way though sometimes. Everyone has been going on about things I haven't seen so I'm just following quietly.

[JackFavell]

You are never in the way. In fact, I would be willing to bet that people would rather have a little more you and a little less blabbermouth like me.

[movieman1957]

Nah. I have never tried Nutella. That gets you bonus points. Thanks though.

[charliechaplinfan]

Love Actually, I hankered to see that at the pictures, so rarely do I go these days and I was so dissappointed and what's more it got a real thumbs down from Chris, confirming to him yet again that there is no point us going to the pictures together if I'm doing the choosing.

I just saw Whistle Stop with George Raft, Ava Gardner and Victor Maclaglen, not the clearest DVD in the world and the soundtrack seemed to boom over the spoken word but a pleasant film but more for the leads than any great storyline. Was Ava the most beautiful woman ever to appear on film? It looks that way to me.

[RedRiver]

Bill Nighy is an amazing performer. He'd be funny reading the phone book! I like LOVE, ACTUALLY. I think it's clever and touching. NOTTING HILL is good, save a fairy tale ending. FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL has charm. I'm tempted to watch anything these filmmakers come up with. Tempted, but not committed!

My copy of WHISTLE STOP is not great either. The movie is fine, though. Was Ava the most beautiful woman ever to appear on film? Please see my comments on Ms. Diana Rigg!

people would rather have a little more you and a little less blabbermouth like me.

Sometimes both of you just make my day!

[knitwit45]

Love Actually, I hankered to see that at the pictures, so rarely do I go these days and I was so dissappointed and what's more it got a real thumbs down from Chris, confirming to him yet again that there is no point us going to the pictures together if I'm doing the choosing.

Alison, I absolutely loved this movie! So much so, I went to see it twice. And bought the DVD as soon as it hit the stores. Maybe, as a Brit, the humor wasn't as funny to you as it was to me. The storyline of the fellow who went to America and came back with 3 women fell flat, but the rest of the stories were lovely.

Don't give up on Chris, just the going out part has to be a nice break for both of you.

[charliechaplinfan]

Maybe Love Actually is a Brit thing, it wasn't a lasting hit over here, I think it took the money but on the strength of the previous work, I haven't watched it again. I remember explaining to Chris what Martin Freeman's job was, he didn't understand the stand in concept. The only thing Chris and I could agree to see at the pictures was Skyfall but he took Joe instead, I was otherwise committed and Joe was dying to watch it.

I see your post on Diana Rigg, Red, yep my hubby is with you there, although Natalie Wood is pretty near the top of his list too.