What Was the Last Movie You Watched?

chic said:
It had wonderful cinematography. We do not watch Brad Pitt movies for content, we watch for visuals! At which Mr. Pitt excels. :)
Click to expand...
Preee-cisely! Often times there's also the bonus of good content, but we manage to suffer through when there isn't. ;)
 

OregonGuy said:
ALWAYS starring Dryfus and Hunter Underlying theme is we should let our mates know its ok for them to find another love after we die. Especially timely message for us Seniors. I had a very hard time letting my wife go (she was in ICU for two weeks) and an even harder time accepting the fact that she had told me ON HER DEATH BED it was ok to find another love.
Click to expand...
I always thought that movie was a good remake of "A guy named Joe" with Spencer Tracy?
 
chic said:
It had wonderful cinematography. We do not watch Brad Pitt movies for content, we watch for visuals! At which Mr. Pitt excels. :)
Click to expand...
Again, I found it all too superficial to engage me. It had good actors like Hopkins delivering the usual tripe that comes with soap opera. I expect more from a movie that's highly touted like that has been.
 
ChiroDoc said:
Agree 100%. I can't imagine why anyone would consider Brief Encounter (1945) a noir. It's a very good classic romantic drama starring the great Celia Johnson, and Trevor Howard. I liked it more than you did. Sometimes I think that people tend to consider any '40s B&W film to be a
noir..o_O

Do you recall Celia Johnson in 1969's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie? She won the BAFTA award for that role as the headmistress, and she was superb. IMO "Jean Brodie" was a wonderful film. Really put Maggie Smith on the international map.
Click to expand...
I loved Jean Brodie, but don't remember Celia Johnson in that (saw it too long ago). I don't think I'll be re-watching it, some movies are best left to one's memories IMO.
 
Was mooching around trying to find a Christmas movie to my taste that I hadn't seen. Someone earlier mentioned The Family Man (2000) with Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, and Con Cheadle, which I missed in 2000, so I fired it up.

Good acting, but a story with lots of holes, which was sort of a contemporary take on the classic, It's a Wonderful Life (1946). A high powered executive wakes up on Christmas morning in another life-- now married to a woman who'd years back been the man's girlfriend, but they had parted ways. Yesterday he was a very wealthy executive, but today he's a middle class tire salesman. One gets the idea where it's going.

It's a fantasy, of course, but it's just the type of sappy and feel good movie that fits during Christmastime, so I pretty much enjoyed it. Throw your sense of logic into the back seat, and go along for the ride.

It struck me that part of the problem with watching a movie like this these days, in contrast to 50-60 years ago, is that the public has much less wonderment than they did then. Actors and their private lives are way too familiar now, and somehow that detracts from the roles that they play.

For example when I watch The Bishop's Wife (1947) I know that the story is a Christmas fantasy, but I'm in awe of Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. They were movie stars, rather on pedestals, unapproachable by the public. So many stars I grew up watching in the 1950s were legends. Now we have celebrities of course, but they don't seem to have the same veneration that the earlier stars had.
 
It struck me that part of the problem with watching a movie like this these days, in contrast to 50-60 years ago, is that the public has much less wonderment than they did then. Actors and their private lives are way too familiar now, and somehow that detracts from the roles that they play.

For example when I watch The Bishop's Wife (1947) I know that the story is a Christmas fantasy, but I'm in awe of Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. They were movie stars, rather on pedestals, unapproachable by the public. So many stars I grew up watching in the 1950s were legends. Now we have celebrities of course, but they don't seem to have the same veneration that the earlier stars had.


@ChiroDoc: This makes perfect sense to me.
 
JeeperDon said:
Just watched 'Carry-On' on Netflix, a tense two hours, liked it!
Click to expand...

I watched it and agree. However I was already mad at Jason Bateman because I hold him at least partially responsible for the creators of Ozart's decison to kill off my favorite character (Ruth) in the last episode. Then he goes on to play this absolute asshat in Carry On, so now I really hate him.

I know. I shouldn't get so emotionally invested In a movie or TV show.
 
MaidMarian said:
I watched Conclave on Peacock about the process of choosing a new Pope after the current Pope’s death. I loved it. It was visually stunning, the process was interesting, it was amusing, mysterious, funny at times and the ending was really something!
Click to expand...
MM, I was very happy to take your suggestion re Conclave. I watched it last night, and felt it to be the most substantive and engaging film I’ve seen in several years. It’s an intelligent adult tale of intrigue and suspense with a dream heavyweight cast that languishes in the mix of superb direction, cinematography, set design and highly effective but spare music scoring.

Hearing of the film, my first thought was that how could another story about a papal conclave --the selection of a new Pope by the College of Cardinals-- be fresh and interesting, when several films or series with similar content have been produced in the past few years.

However Conclave quickly forged its own genuineness from the very first few scenes, and continued to inspire fascination all the way to the end. Ralph Fiennes as the Cardinal-Dean who is tasked with overseeing the election of a new Pope is stunning in his nuanced and complex portrayal-- surely to be an award nominating performance. Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow display their craft as two fine veteran actors. And Isabella Rossellini channels her famous mother (Ingrid Bergman) as she inhabits Sister Agnes’ rock solid earnestness and fealty to her charge.

The story is not so much an attempt to expose or even document true legislative Vatican practices, as it is a well crafted behind the scenes thriller. There is a surprise ending that no one could see coming. In my view the twist it contained was not only unnecessary but modishly pretentious. Still, that unlikely development did not lessen the heft of the entire engaging story that preceded it.

Doc’s rating: 9/10
 
Trade said:
[Carry-on] I watched it and agree. However I was already mad at Jason Bateman because I hold him at least partially responsible for the creators of Ozart's decison to kill off my favorite character (Ruth) in the last episode. Then he goes on to play this absolute asshat in Carry On, so now I really hate him.

I know. I shouldn't get so emotionally invested In a movie or TV show.
Click to expand...
Heh, heh. I thought Bateman did a good job, but the writing was a little too over-the-top. OTOH it was a big action thriller, so there's usually excesses. I wasn't wild about Taron Egerton in the lead. Actually the movie put me in mind a little of Die Hard (1988).
 
ChiroDoc said:
Heh, heh. I thought Bateman did a good job, but the writing was a little too over-the-top. OTOH it was a big action thriller, so there's usually excesses. I wasn't wild about Taron Egerton in the lead. Actually the movie put me in mind a little of Die Hard (1988).
Click to expand...

There's no doubt Bateman did a good job. I didn't even realize it was him until about halfway through the movie. It was quite a departure from his role as Marty Byrde in Ozark.
 
"The Nativity Story" with Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary and Oscar Isaac as Joseph.

I particularly like (aside from the birth-in-Bethlehem scene, during which I always cry, so beautiful) the scene on their journey by the Sea of Galilee, where (as they prepare supper over a fire) Joseph tells Mary more about his dream, that the Angel told him not to be afraid. "And are you?...afraid?" Mary asks. Joseph smiles and acknowledges, "Yes." Then Mary asks, "When do you think we'll know he's more than just a child? Will it be a look in his eye or something he says?" Joseph admits, "I wonder if I will be able to teach him anything." A sweet, poignant moment between them.

Both actors did a great job, but I especially appreciate Oscar's performance. He is just like I imagine Joseph to be.
 
Transformers
The fate of humanity is at stake when two races of robots, the good Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, bring their war to Earth. The robots have the ability to change into different mechanical objects as they seek the key to ultimate power, but only human Sam Witwicky can save the world from total destruction.
IMG_7081.jpeg
 
My Christmas movie selection is “The Holiday” with Kate Winslet. I love her and Arthur’s friendship. Eli Wallach is such a good actor and so believable in his role. He gives Iris some really in-point advise and helps her over a long-time rough patch. She grows as a person and so does he.

“Iris, in the movies we have Leading Ladies and the Best Friend. I can tell you are a Leading Lady; but for some reason you’re behaving like the Best Friend.”

“You’re right.. you’re supposed to be the leading lady of your own life! Thank you… that was brilliant; brutal but brilliant “

😀🥰
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top