What Movies Have You Watched Recently?

[eastcoaster]

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Fast Food Nation

What an ambitious little mess of a film. The "story" is basically a bunch of side plots revolved around the fictional Mickey's fast food restaurant and their beef supplier. We have the marketing VP who's investigating too much fecal matter in the beef, the illegal immigrants crossing the border to come work at the slaughterhouse, the high school girl who works at a Mickey's and becomes more politically motivated against the big corporate machine, and others all worked in. Social commentary on eating habits, urban sprawl, illegal immigration, the corporatizing of America, and tons more all are thrown at you so fast that you can barely think about it before some other issue is in your face.

Linklater is kind of known for his lack of focus, but the problem here for me is that he seemed to focus TOO MUCH on the least interesting characters. Kinnear's VP of marketing is barely seen again after the halfway point (until the end credits). Kris Kristofferson's cattle rancher is awesome, but they only give him 5 minutes to spit out his diatribe before he's cast aside. Instead we get Fez from that 70's show sneaking across the border, getting a job spraying down rats, living in a hotel room with 20 other people, pondering on how to open a bank account, taking his wife out to dinner, dealing with rampant drug use all around him, and trying to live out the American dream. This is literally half the movie, and to me the least interesting "subplot". I get it, illegals get the shaft. Sometimes literally. I'd rather have more good metaphor scenes like a bunch of cows not being set free.

Anyway, it wasn't that bad, it just wasn't that good.

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If you read this book, you will get a whole different (better) take.

[duvalin]

where the heart is- liked it very much

happiness- stay far far away from this movie

[diebitter]

Dust Devil

Interesting film, a South African horror movie. Quiete stylish, interesting use of music, but in the end very little empathy with any of the characters, and an empty eperience. On the plus side, lots of sweaty sex, and a very striking looking (and attractive) older lead actress.

[katyseagull]

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Very ambitious subject matter, well shot, superbly acted, nice pacing, tons of tension, overall just a very superior film. IMHO it's definitely better than his previous In The Bedroom.



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I agree with everything you wrote in your review.


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About the narration - I think you're right in that it probably isn't needed in a plot developing kind of way. For me I thought it provided some much needed breathing room from the tension and some comedy relief.

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I don't know many people who feel the same way about narration that I do. It is just one of my pet peeves. I haven't liked it in any film! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I'm glad you liked Little Children. The acting was exceptional, wasn't it?

I made the mistake of watching The Holiday (with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) after watching Little Children. Wow. Huge mistake. I would advise against it. Terribly, terribly disappointing. Kate Winslet sobs her way through the film in the most dreadfully directed movie I've had to sit through in a long time. God. The only redeeming aspect was Jude Law (who, may I say, is rather sexy) and the old guy who plays the aging screenwriter.

[Sniper]

No one saw a movie this week?

...and link to Summer movies, what are you looking forward to? thread

... and Dom's Pirates 3 Review

[fyodor]

As per usual I watched a lot of movies this week.
A pretty lame very early Charlie Chaplin short.
The first 4 very excellent epsiodes of The Decalogue
Possible the worst film ever directed by Sam Peckinpah
Some classic Hitchcock
Some pretty heavy Dreyer
The most accurate filmed version of Crime and Punishment ever done.
A masterful piece from Michelangelo Antonioni
Re-animator
and Part 1 of a Martin Scorcese history of American cinema

There may have been more but that's what I remember right now.

[pryor15]

was i right about Dekalog 4 or what?

[fyodor]

4 was pretty good. Got a little bizzaro when she was willing to sleep with him. I liked the touch with the chess clock in the background when they were having a little back and forth.

My favourite so far is #2 though.

Just watched another Charlie Chaplin short. This one was much better.

[rothko]

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Haven't seen many Russell Crowe movies. Has he ever done a movie with a strong romantic angle? I wouldn't mind seeing him in a good love scene. Let me know. thanks.

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not an endorsement:

[diebitter]

I watched 'Old School', the Will Ferrell comedy. It wasn't very funny.