If you have given "Children of Men" one viewing, I suggest you watch it again (and then again, if necessary). Director Alphonso Cuaron does something cinema should always do but seldom does. He tells his story visually with as little verbal exposition as he can get away with. I admit to being a little stumped by "Men" also, but on subsequent viewing, I realized Cuaron had given me all information I needed in televison news reports and commercials that, on first viewing, are assumed to be just part of the busy mise-en-scene. For instance, he does not direct our attention to the commercial for the suicide medicine Quietus as it plays and when one of the characters picks the box of Quietus off the shelf and sits caressing the box in his lap as he spends his last moments with his loved one, it is done quietly, without fanfare. If you have not been paying attention, you have no clue as to what is about to transpire. Other bits of exposition are givin in throwaway lines.
I loved "Dead Ringers" and Jeremy Irons scene-chewing turn as very disturbed twin gynecologists. Have you seen Cronenberg's "A History of Violence"? If not, I would be curious as to what your opinion of that film. I am a huge Tarantino fan (no apologies needed). "Pulp Fiction" is my favorite movie of all time. My list is composed entirely of films I can watch again and again with full satisfaction. Further, I think Eli Roth is a gifted filmmaker. I had avoided "Hostel" because of the subject matter, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it. It is very well made. Roth wields a masterful camera. I also think he is lightyears ahead of where Cronenberg was at the same time in his career. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "grayson.reyescole" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I enjoyed Children of Men a great deal but was disappointed with the > ending. I won't put any spoilers in but I wached it intently all the > way through just *captivated* then sort of went "huh"?. > > I also just saw Eastern Promises two days ago and I liked it a lot > maybe *because* of the clinical approach. I am ridiculously easy to > distract. So, sometimes the very straightforward, removed tone helps > me focus on the intensity of the story. I saw Dead Ringers when I was > way too young to see it and it scarred me for life lol. I haven't > seen it again in maybe ten years, but what I remember is that it was > an absolutely horrible and fascinating story that had an almost > nonchalance in the voice without being something ludicrous like the > silly Eli Roth and Tarentino fare (sorry Roth and Tarentino fans). I > didn't realize until like a week ago that both Eastern Promises and > Dead Ringers were directed by David Cronenberg, but then I understood > even better why Eastern Promises hit "my movie spot." Although, I was > left with a sexuality question... Stangely enough, I'm thinking back > to Dead Ringers and I think I had a sexuality question there, too. > > All of this to say that maybe I listen to news radio too much on my > way to work. Calm soothing voices telling me about the horrors of the > world. :) . > > Just my 2ยข > > --Grayson > > In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@ wrote: > > > > Great comments! I was amazed at the Simpsons take, but i went to > BoxOfficeMojo.com and confirmed it did half a *billion* dollars so > far! Holy crap! And most of that was overseas! Can't wait to see > Children of Men. I agree with you on "Eastern Promises". Looked > great, was a good movie, but left me rather despondent and empty > feeling inside. It is indeed cold and clinical (what my review was > called, i believe) where History of Violence was more intense. still > i liked them both. So for Ratatouille, is it the 3D cgi you don't > like? Are you and old school 2D "hand drawn" fan? I am, and very few > of the CGI stuff has really captured me, though "The Incredibles" > certainly did. > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > From: "ravenadal" <ravenadal@> > > I started with "The Simpsons Movie" which, I am glad I did not pay > to > > see in a theatre as it comes nowhere near any of the great Simpson > > episodes. It is, however, the environmental movie with the largest > > box office, thus far: $525,797,315 (as much of an inconvenient truth > > as that may be for Nobel laureate Al Gore). > > > > I followed that with "Children of Men," which I have had forever, > but > > just now got around to seeing. Keith, this is a marvelous movie. > > Alphonso Cuaron's film is so organic and fully realized, it is like > > you are not even watching a movie. Paul Greengrass gets lots of > press > > for the immediacy of his handheld camera style in the Bourne sequels > > but he has nothing on Cuaron. > > > > One of the lovely things about watching DVDs at home, besides the > > ability to pause, rewind and fast forward, is the ability to go > > on-line while you are watching. When the question "who is that?" > > popped into my head, I could go to IMDB and find out "who dat was." > I > > spent another two hours online researching "Children of Men" while I > > let the movie play through again. Chocked full visually, "Childrn" > > rewards frequent viewing (you'll be surprised what you missed the > > first time). > > > > I followed "Children" with "Eastern Promises." I wanted to see > > "Eastern Promises" because I simply adore David Cronenberg's last > > film, "A History of Violence." "History" was the movie where I first > > became aware of how far Cronenberg had come as a filmmaker. > > Cronenberg is a visual artist fully in charge of his filmmaking > gifts. > > And he brings these gifts to "Promises." The film is a sumptuous > > view of London. Everything seems to be informed by the high end > > Russian Restaurant that is at the heart of the evil that saturates > > this film. > > > > I did not enjoy "Promises" on anywhere near the visceral level I > > enjoyed "History." "History" contains two of the hottest sex scenes > > in film history. "Promises" contains one of the most desultory ones. > > Viggo Mortensen and Mario Bello have tangible heat in "History." > > Mortensen and Naomi Watts barely glance off one another > in "Promises." > > > > Both the Tom Stall/Joey Cusack character played by Mortensen in > > "Violence" and the Nikolai character he plays in "Promises" are > > avenging angels. In fact, "Eastern Promises" is virtually an > > inside-out version of "Violence," with the heroes on a similar > though > > inverse journies toward redemption. > > > > I was annoyed and disappointed by "Ratoutille." Although critics > > hailed it, to me it seems like the lesser of a string of great Brad > > Bird animated movies, starting with "the Iron Giant." Part of my > > problem was the old school 2-D animation. Part of my problem is the > > needed suspension of belief. EYE was never able to get past the > > premise of that fat rat preparing food in the kitchen. YEEECH! > > > > ~rave! > > > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@ wrote: > > > > > > wow! That is quite a feat.How do you process them. I reviewed > > "Eastern Promises", you remember. A good but rather dreary and > > oppressive feeling movie. I guess you'd have to cleanse your mind > with > > "The Simpsons" after that, then watch "Children of Men", which I > hear > > i good, then use "Ratatouille" to give you a light heart again. > > > Did you watch 'em like that, alternating the serious with the > > comedic, ending on a happy note? How were "Children of Men" and > > "Ratatouille"? Never seen them > > > > > > -------------- Original message -------------- > > > From: "ravenadal" <ravenadal@> > > > Today I watched "the Simpsons Movie," "Children of Men," "Eastern > > > Promises" and "Ratatouille," back to back to back and, right now, > they > > > are not all getting along inside my head. > > > > > > ~rave! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > >
