Bringing Out the Dead - (Scorsese;1999;USA) - ***
Over two days a paramedic is haunted by ghosts of the people he didn't save as he befriends the daughter of a dying man.
A good film, but overlong. Other then Scorsese's direction, nothing else shines as above good. Many moments remind me of Taxi Driver, especially in some narrated parts.

Closer - (Nichols;2004;USA) - ***1/2
Two couples are filled with lies and adultery as the four people try to work out some kind of happiness while holding onto truth.
Nichols brought a magical quality to Angels in America, however this is much better. This doesn't bring us a romantic story with all the happy endings from the cliche store. We are presented a realistic depiction of deceit in relationships. Nichols directs the film wonderfully and the cast supports it as well. Law, Portman, Roberts, and Owen are all very good in their respective roles.

Natural Born Killers was a movie that I hadn't seen in a while so I felt like picking it up and watching it. It was good but I felt kinda bored by the end of it. I still love Stone's JFK and it's Stone's masterpiece to me. However, another very good performance by Tommy Lee Jones in this movie!

pulp fiction

Irishman
Ever see The Doors with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison? Kilmer nailed the role. While it's not as good as JFK, it's a very good Oliver Stone movie. I thought Natural Born Killers was one of the worst movies ever made.

- Million Dollar Baby *****
- The Ring 2 **
- Dodgeball **
- Cheaper by the dozen ***
- Mr. 3000 *

Irishman
Ever see The Doors with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison? Kilmer nailed the role. [/b][/quote]I have it on DVD, It may not be Stone's best film, but it was good.

Irishman
Ever see The Doors with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison? Kilmer nailed the role. While it's not as good as JFK, it's a very good Oliver Stone movie. I thought Natural Born Killers was one of the worst movies ever made. [/b][/quote]Seen parts of it, but not a lot. I might rent it this weekend if it tickles my fancy enough to pick it up. I also watched Elektra this weekend and I did at least enjoy it moreso than I did in the theaters (yes, I saw it in the theaters). I was thinking about possibly picking it up, but it's not on sale tomorrow through Saturday at BestBuy (it's still $19.99), so I'm gonna wait on it.

I also had the opportunity to watch both Kill Bills back-to-back while drinking. I have done this before and have loved it. I hadn't seen these movies in a couple of months so I thought it was going to be a real treat to watch them again. Well, I did enjoy watching the movies as usual, but I didn't enjoy them as much as I was hoping for or as much as I have had in the past. I hope that they're not becoming stale to me Great movies in any case!

Monkey Business **** (2nd Time)
1931, McLeod, US
Four stowaways are chased by the ship's captain; when they finally escape, they catch some crooks after crashing a party.
A classic Marx Brothers affair; the whole ship sequence, ending in Maurice Chevalier impersonations, is a delight, and although the subsequent party sees a change in pace and far less laughs, the musical interludes and hectic finale are not to be missed.

Lost in Translation *** (4th Time)
2003, Coppola, US/Jap
Two Americans in Japan, one an actor, the other a lonely wife over on her husband's business, meet up and enjoy each other's company.
Underplayed, humanistic drama executed with a minimalistic approach, which makes for warming, satisfying product; if the writing sometimes relies on jokes about the Japanese accent too much, the acting certainly compensates.

When Harry Met Sally **** (1st Time)
1989, Reiner, US
Ten years after and a few failed relationships after first meeting, a man and woman become friends, and wonder if their relationship can last as a platonic one.
Woody Allen territory: witty, funny, skilled, and highly warming; it takes us nowhere we haven't particularly been before, but instead acts as a compendium to the romantic comedy, and a brilliant one at that.

Mick

Hey Capo, TCM is gonna have a full day of Marx Bros. films soon. I've seen Duck Soup and can't wait to see the rest. What do you list their films from greatest to worst?

DonV, from what I've seen (their Paramount films, not MGM), I list them thus:
Duck Soup (1933) ****
Horse Feathers (1931) ****
Monkey Business (1932) ****
Animal Crackers (1930) ***

All are must-sees.

Mick

I also watched The Godfather Part II this weekend and really enjoyed it. I hadn't seen it in a while and saw it with a friend of mine who had only seen parts of it. The story FINALLY made sense to me and I get it now (I was somewhat confused on the who'll Michael assassignation thing), but now I'm glad I understand the story as well. I remember watching The Godfather the first couple of times I was kinda confused as well in parts.

Bull Durham

Dead Man - (Jarmusch;1995;USA) - ****
After an accountant kills a man in self-defense and is wounded, an Indian named Nobody who thinks the wounded man is the dead poet William Blake prepares him for the next stage of life while being hunted by a trio of bounty hunters.
An original take on the western genre. Jarmusch creates one of the best films of the 90's with this spiritual journey into death. Johnny Depp is great in his role as usual, along with the supporting cast, which has a few cameos. Neil Young's score is powerful in it's lonely feeling and helps the film greatly, adding to the poetic feeling of the film.
#6

Love is the Devil *** (1st Time)
1998, Maybury, Gb/Fr/Jap
The turbulent, doomed love affair between painter Francis Bacon and petty crook George Dyer.
More aritificial than it would seem, a witty dissection of the painter, who is portrayed with a suitably grim love for all things male and beautiful by Derek Jacobi. The interiors all have a certain claustrophobic, strained feel, like a Bacon painting come to life.
(My review)

A Film Johnnie (1st Time)
1914, Nichols, US
Chaplin the troublemaker visits the Keystone lot and causes problems.
Banal early short, very unfunny and dismal in print quality.

Charlie's Triple Trouble (1st Time)
1918, Chaplin/White, US
A bum becomes the new janitor of a nut house, while cops track a robbery.
Muddled Chaplin short, rather boring and testing for even his greatest of admirers.

Mick

Haven't watched any movies today, I've been sleeping. But last night I watched a lifetime movie and Blue Velvet. That was the first time I ever watched it and I thought it was pretty good.

The other day, I saw The Mouse That Roared. Anyone seen it? What a HILARIOUS movie. Peter Sellers is always funny, but this movie is a total classic.

Goodfellas and Cruel Intentions tonight.

I have yet to see a really good movie in school.

Corky Romano - (Pritts;2001;USA) -
When the mafia needs someone to infiltrate the FBI, they use the don's stupid, neglected son Corky.
What a lump of shit. Aside one or two humorous moments this fails miserably. Peter Falk, Chris Penn, and Vincent Pastore being in the film, there's nothing else

I know it's not a movie but I did just finish watching Season 5 of South Park. I was upset because Seasons 2-4 I believe were at least 20+ episodes and this season only had 14? I understand that this season was during 9/11 so they might have just cut it back some but the guy who owns them said every season is like that now.

Apocalypse Now (not the whole thing)

Not a movie but I finished the first season of The Shield tonight. I want to buy season 2 tommorrow.

Idioterne/The Idiots *** (1st Time)
1998, von Trier, Den
A bunch of middle-class-hating youths live under thr pretence of being mentally and physically handicapped.
Second of the Dogme films, with booms in view, cameramen reflected in windows and crewmen's shadows seen in sunny exteriors. Deliberately primitive, very challenging, and endlessly compelling, it garners much power for those who can take it.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre *** (2nd Time)
1974, Hooper, US
A group of travelling friends are killed one-by-one by a masked maniac, and the final victim-to-be is terrorised by his cannibal relatives.
Unrelenting shock treatment; wonderful use of sound and heavy visuals, not necessarily overtly gory, but the cumulative effect is brilliantly realised.

Mick

I just watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail last night for the first time in many many years. It still has the same effect on me. Absolutely stupid, and yet geniously hilarious at the same time. I love it! Anyone else a fan?

Horse Feathers - (McLeod;1932;USA) - ***1/2
Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff is put in charge of a college, he hires two goofs on the football team leading to several gags and a rivalry with another football team.
A great comedy. Not as funny as Duck Soup but it still has the genius of the Marx Brothers. Groucho especially is hilarious in his wise-ass self.

Money Business - (McLeod;1931;USA) - ***1/2
Four stowaways create havoc on a cruise liner.
More hilarious antics from the Marx Bros. I found their other two films I saw better then this but this is still a great comedy. All classic.

As I said (probably on Page 2) when I last reviewed a film, don't expect me to be as articulate as Capo...

Closer (2004) [DVD]

Wow, I love Natalie Portman . Wow, she was really.... Oh, yeah, the movie - well - I enjoyed it. For a while it was a bit confusing to me, because I thought they were breaking the golden rule of time reference. (There was none). I supposed they were going for the Memento (2000) / Pulp Fiction (1994) time change thing - but the former pull it off much better than this film did. (If I thought it was "wrong," then my instincts were probably correct.) Later, once I realized what was going on, it was a little more digestable - but not quite totally forgivable.

(And before you yell at me about it, Memento and Pulp Fiction used it as a device. It never seemed wrong; in fact, it was cool, and part of the point of the movie. In Closer, I didn't feel it was any such thing but a bit distracting. There's a better way to indicate that it's 5 years later besides someone saying "that was 5 years ago" after a hard cut. Try a fade next time, or something subtle.)

But all in all, I really like the dialogue - and I'm not sure why. It was to-the-point, biting, and totally honest, even when they were lying. Normally I wouldn't like that so much, because it's not necessarily "normal", but it worked here well, I think. It gave it a distinct feel, which I liked. It wasn't as physically emotional as many other movies would be.

This is definitely something to see at least twice to get the full storyline. At least for a dumbass like me! You also wanna see it again to see more of Natalie Portman.

Recommended.

Glad you liked it (overall), JG!

The timeline is, however, chronological, unlike Pulp Fiction and Memento. And I think the reason why these time jumps were only referred to through (crass?) dialogue is Marber, the scriptwriter, adapted his own stageplay, and I guess wanted to keep to its origins. Director Nichols perhaps didn't want to overrule proceedings.

Mick

His Girl Friday - (Hawks;1940;USA) - ****
A newspaper editor tries to stop his ex-wife from remarrying and write a big story about a convicted murderer.
A great comedy and true classic. The fast-paced dialogue is excellent as well as Hawks' direction. The film is also supported very well by Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, both having top notch comedic timing.

The Machinist *** (1st Time)
2004, Anderson, Spa
A heavy machinery worker suffering from insomnia believes he is at the centre of a wide-reaching conspiracy.
One of those narratives with a twist; when it comes, though, it doesn't shock, but it seems it isn't meant to. Instead, this is more interested in exploring the notion that our social fears arise from inner, subconscious guilt, and if it isn't entirely shocking, it's still mighty clever.

Mick

Collateral - (Mann;2004;USA) - ***1/2
When a taxi driver with no prospects is taken hostage by a hitman to drive him around for a night to kill five people, both lives are forever impacted in less then 12 hours.
Excellent dialogue, cinematography, acting, music, script, character development, and direction. Had it not been for the lean towards mainstream in the office (which itself is avant-garde in it's way) this could've been another masterpiece from Michael Mann. However it still ends as a VERY solid film that every thriller/drama should look to.
#1

And to reply to Don Sonny, your rant on Mann's exposition shots is completely futile. I counted three bird POV shots (which are the major ones) throughout the entire two hours.