Movie/film thread: resurrected

Saw "Guilt Trip" starring Seth Rogan, Barbra Streisand and Adam Scott.  There were about 15 women in the theatre and one bloke. He lasted about 15mins into the movie before he got up and left. To be honest, If it hadn't been so hot outside, I'd have probably beaten him out the door. The voice of the mother yapping to the son was pretty irritating and the story wasn't much to write home to mother about either. Mum wasn't anything to look at for the bloke who left, and the son wasn't anything to look at for we ladies who were left to watch the movie. Didn't get to hear what the other ladies thought of the movie as they rushed out of the theatre at the end.

Saw "Guilt Trip" starring Seth Rogan, Barbra Streisand and Adam Scott.  There were about 15 women in the theatre and one bloke. He lasted about 15mins into the movie before he got up and left. To be honest, If it hadn't been so hot outside, I'd have probably beaten him out the door. The voice of the mother yapping to the son was pretty irritating and the story wasn't much to write home to mother about either. Mum wasn't anything to look at for the bloke who left, and the son wasn't anything to look at for we ladies who were left to watch the movie. Didn't get to hear what the other ladies thought of the movie as they rushed out of the theatre at the end.

Well, let me suggest another movie in the same genre but very well done and not whiny.  "Mother" by Albert Brooks.

Thanks A-Train, I'll make a note of it!

Wow just came back from British Film Festival in Jerusalem where we saw the Autobiography of a Liar -based on the fictional
biography of Monty Python's Graham Chapman,followed by a discussion with the directors,including Q and A.
Excellent evening and very very funny. He will be missed.
 

I will add that to my "to see" list. 

Saw "The impossible" yesterday. To be quite honest, whilst I know it was based on a true story, I was getting tired of the constant tension and kept saying "hurry up" under my breath. Naomie Watts and the eldest boy played their parts very well indeed and the filming was really good. My neighbour kept gasping and crying through the whole movie. Have any of you ladies seen it?

Lost In Thailand

It's busting blocks, apparently.

TO me it seemed like a throwback. "Competitive urbanite meets yokel doofus and learns a lesson" can be cool, but I found this one fairly dull. Possibly the only interesting feature was setting it in Thailand, meaning they could show glistening countryside which looks like China but isn't China, but also meaning sometimes English was the only common language. Perhaps a sly use of other countries to try coming at China's internal communication problems. Or not.

Low energy, kinda shallow, don't know what all these Chinese are seeing in it. It was okay, I guess.

Lost In Thailand

It's busting blocks, apparently.

TO me it seemed like a throwback. "Competitive urbanite meets yokel doofus and learns a lesson" can be cool, but I found this one fairly dull. Possibly the only interesting feature was setting it in Thailand, meaning they could show glistening countryside which looks like China but isn't China, but also meaning sometimes English was the only common language. Perhaps a sly use of other countries to try coming at China's internal communication problems. Or not.

Low energy, kinda shallow, don't know what all these Chinese are seeing in it. It was okay, I guess.

I thought it was ok. I haven't watched many Chinese movies. I didn't like the famous go to Chinese films such as 'Red Lantern' or 'Farewell My Concubine' either. A few of my students made a fuss a year or two ago about 'The Flowers of War', but I thought that was pretty mediocre, as well as unappetisingly racist against the Japanese.

Do you all think that maybe Chinese films just aren't that great? It's ironic to me that my favourite director, Ang lee,  is (in the Chinese worldview) Chinese, but my Chinese friends don't seem to appreciate his movies. For the most part of course, they are English language, and the last Chinese language one, Lust caution, was no doubt banned in China for its very explicit sex scenes.

The alternative is that different cultures just have different tastes in films. I recognise this cutural relativism argument, but on the whole I'm sticking to my opinion that Chinese Art; films, TV, music, literature, is all sub-par, and 'Lost in Thailand' has made its way to the top of the pile by virtue of its medicrity.

Like I say though, I haven't watched a lot of mainland films. Also, if Chinese people were to judge Western movies etc, by what is most popular, we probably wouldn't think that they were basing it on the best we have to offer.

'Lost in Thailand' has big stars, plus the main actor and his screen wife are a real life couple. get Tom Cruise and his next wife playing a married couple in a Hoolywood remake, and it would be the most watched fiilm in the US.  It may not be great, but I thought it was watchable.

I recently wathced "Painted Skin 1&2" and those ancient-China-meets-steampunk movies Taichi and Taichi Hero. I thought they were all rather good.

I like a fair bit of Chinese cinema. Jia Zhangke's films are, in my opinion, great. Other "sixth generation" films like Suzhou River, Blind Shaft, and Beijing Bicycle are, in their various ways, great too. They're all "art house" fare, though, I guess. But, for example, House of Flying Daggers tickles my fancy as well. And Zhang Yimou isn't to be sneezed at either. Lost in Thailand is billed as addressing modern Chinese middle class concerns and stresses. I guess it does. And, truthfully, it's not a bad film. I guess one could call it gentle slapstick. Meh, I don't know, I may have to watch it again.

Saw "The impossible" yesterday. To be quite honest, whilst I know it was based on a true story, I was getting tired of the constant tension and kept saying "hurry up" under my breath. Naomie Watts and the eldest boy played their parts very well indeed and the filming was really good. My neighbour kept gasping and crying through the whole movie. Have any of you ladies seen it?

I agree that it is very one-dimensional. Won't be remembered for very long, but still enjoyed the hyper-realism of it. I think if I hadn't known it was based on a true story I would have probably hated it.

Lost In Thailand

It's busting blocks, apparently.

TO me it seemed like a throwback. "Competitive urbanite meets yokel doofus and learns a lesson" can be cool, but I found this one fairly dull. Possibly the only interesting feature was setting it in Thailand, meaning they could show glistening countryside which looks like China but isn't China, but also meaning sometimes English was the only common language. Perhaps a sly use of other countries to try coming at China's internal communication problems. Or not.

Low energy, kinda shallow, don't know what all these Chinese are seeing in it. It was okay, I guess.

Speaking of "Lost" movies, I thought "Lost In Beijing" was well worth the two-hour investment.

I think if I hadn't known it was based on a true story I would have probably hated it.

My take on it too A-Train.

Saw "Zero Dark Thirty" yesterday. It was a bit much for my 76yrs old female neighbour who squirmed and gasped for most of it. For my part, I believe in torture if that is what it takes to stop mass killing of innocent people. My observations are that we are FAR too lenient on most people who commit serious crimes.

Okay, so I'm not big on the lesser-known films, but films I've seen over the holidays were Life of Pi, The Hobbit and Les Miserables.

Life of Pi- very beautiful, actually saw it out of boredom while in Taiwan. Didn't know what was playing but this was on the list. Very pleasantly surprised, even cried at the end!

The Hobbit- as expected, will be an epic trilogy. Liked seeing more of Gollum! Martin Freeman is adorable .

Les Miserables- Well knock me down with a Mac truck. By far and away, THE. BEST. MOVIE. EVER. MADE. Exceeded my expectations- actually, I even saw it twice and cried several times both times seeing it. It will be the shortest Oscars in living memory because this movie will clearly scoop the lot. I could go on and on and on....though I do have small gripes! a. Hated that they added a new song and cut 'Little People' and 'A Little Fall of Rain'...and too much volume, not enough emotion in 'Bring Him Home' (sorry Hugh, you were still brilliant though!). Loved this musical for a long time and seen it onstage several times (in fact, in junior high school, just missed out on playing Cosette in a local theatre company production)...but yes, playing Fantine or Eponine in a production is on my bucket list!

Will shut up now  !

I watched "Les Mis" too and found it palatable, albeit may not to the extent of hailing it as "best movies ever made".

Watched "Killing Them Softly" recently. Poorly acted, slow-moving plot, no real climax, a movie that had about as much appeal as Pitt's rather annoying perfume  commercials. If you come across this movie and you have no wet paint to watch dry, it will be provide you with the same amount of entertainment. So I recommend staying well clear of this flick. One can only come to the conclusion that Pitt did this movie to win a bet with his wife as to whether or not he could provide a level of acting lower than that of Angelina Jolie in "Tomb Raider". Simply put, if you have the choice between organizing and folding your socks or watching this movie, fold your socks. It will be a better use of your time.