Films just watched

[4213]

One thing I love doing is watching a film and wanting to capture my immediate thoughts.

So last night I watched Adaptation by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. Duo of Being John Malkovich fame, so expectations were high.

Interestingly Kaufman writes his own story trying to adapt a book called The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean into a screenplay. It isn't that inspiring, so he struggles to find 'a theme' without Hollywoodizing it.

I think it was fantastic. A lot of metaphor and cliches about lifes disappointments in this. The very thing he strives against, he ends up doing, which is quite often what we do, despite best intentions. I think also that he was 40s midlife crisis resonated with me.

Whats interesting is the subplot of passion in one person, and the cynicism in another.

Highly recommended for thinkers.

There you go Test Card Girl. Just for you ;D

[Test Card Girl]

Haha.

Black Book.

A Dutch film by Paul Verhoeven about a Jewish young woman who witnesses the slaughter of her family as they try to escape to Belgium on a barge in a canal. She is picked up by a Dutch Resistance cell and becomes an agent for them - inflitrating a Nazi post and seducing a Nazi officer.

The film opens in 1956 with Rachel Stein living in a kibbutz in Israel. Ronnie, a friend she met during the German occupation, is on a Holy Land Tour with her Canadian husband and the two women encounter each other to their surprise. This leads Rachel to reminisce back to the War and so the film begins.


What I liked about the film is that there is a lot of moral ambiguity and shades of grey. There is a degree of black humour that lightened the tension and grimness. The heroine is very likable but sometimes what she does and what happens to her seems hard to believe. Apparently, she is a composite of three real women who had various experiences during the German occupation of Holland.


I don't know anything about the Dutch film industry but the production values are very good and has the feel of a Hollywood thriller blockbuster. Paul Verhoeven was responsible for Total Recall, Robocop, Basic Instinct and Showgirls and you can see elements of all films in this one. The acting is superb.

[4213]

Angels in America.

This was a tv miniseries I believe, but I rented it as a five hour movie. It focuses on the aids epidemic back in Reagan's 80s and the political climate during it. I know how scary that time was, that due to lack of education on AIDS the hatred for gay men especially grew as it was deemed as the 'gay plague'. That fueled thoughts that even being near someone with aids would infect us, props to Diana for her role here (not in the film). Every actor in this film is remarkable, including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep (yes and I'm not a fan) and Emma Thompson.

The film is almost Shakespearean in its dialogue at times, it uses interesting metaphors for death, and is very theatrical. I loved it, especially a dickensian moment with Michael Gambdon and Simon Callow as ghosts. Clever script, politically loaded about the republican stance, when so many were closet gays themselves.

Its deliciously dark and was based on Tony Kushners Pulitzer prize winning play.

Pacino steals the show.

[Meg]

Music and Lyrics. An enjoyable enough piece of fluff. Good for a rainy afternoon. The best bit was the beginning with Hugh Grant singing in an eighties music video. Gosh they were awful.

[Raven]

Shrek the Third

I saw it today. Not bad really, funny and enjoyable. I think I liked the 2nd one better though.

[4213]

I quite enjoyed it, though think they should have stayed with 2.

I have to say though Rupert stole the show for me. I adore that man's voice

[Raven]

Ooh yeah he was brilliant, heh!

[Raven]

The Simpsons Movie

Yeah ok, not too bad - but predictable as goes the typical Simpsons formula (Homer stuffs up, has to fix it, etc..)

It was all right though. I'm probably thinking this way because I've been watching so much Family Guy and I find it funnier and fresher.

[Raven]

I went and saw December Boys this morning. Not the most fantastical film of all time but I still liked it

[4213]

The motorcycle diaries.

Great movie, not half bad as gael is in it. meow.

[Raven]

Superbad