What Was the Last Movie You Watched?

Plane
Pilot Brodie Torrance saves passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island -- only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When dangerous rebels take most of the passengers hostage, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare, an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI.

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Trigger warning. Generally speaking, I don’t like violent movies. This one is. I didnt know it was violent until 1/3 of the way into it but the movie story was so good that I couldn’t turn it off. The acting was great. Most recommended if you can handle the violence.
 

HermitHogan said:
I liked it because it gave the viewer a feel for what life was like back then in the NY folk music scene. That was the main attraction for me. The story itself is a big meh, though. I got halfway through the book the movie was based on, and that was also a big meh. Neither the book nor the movie really give you much insight into who exactly Bob Dylan was back then. It's all kind of superficial.

That's how it differs from Coal Miner's Daughter and the Johnny Cash biopic. Both Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash were complex characters who battled adversity in various ways. That's not the impression I get with Bob Dylan. It seems more like everything just kind of fell on his lap, which makes for an uninteresting story.

Maybe they should have focused on one of his more controversial songs like Masters of War and explored how that came into existence... where and how the idea was conceived and developed... that kind of thing. Of course, I'm interested in that kind of thing because I'm an aspiring songwriter. Perhaps that wouldn't be of interest to the mainstream viewing audience.
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You make some good points. I'm sure the producers weren't going to take any chances using more obscure Dylan songs. In keeping with the well established biopic style, they featured mostly songs that had been hits for him. I did read that Chalamet actually recorded 40 songs for the film, but I don't know how many were used.

It's funny. I went to NYC in '62 to Greenwich Village looking to hear some Be-bop or other jazz. But folk had already taken over. I couldn't believe it. I had to go to Village Vanguard, Birdland, and others to hear it. I was only 17, so if I was spotted I had to leave. But I could stand on the sidewalk and listen. 9 years later we opened at Ungano's.

I liked some early folk in the '50s, like the Kingston Trio, but I had no truck for the social justice folk movement of the early '60s. I was into the Hippie scene for about a year, but quickly came to my senses...:cool:
 
We watched the second half of The Brutalist last night. I thought the main character was going to wind up designing the Brutalist style buildings and subway lines in Washington, D.C., but it turns out, the movie isn't a biopic — is a work of fiction. :ROFLMAO:

That said, it's a good movie. I wouldn't say it was Oscar worthy, but it was good.
 
HermitHogan said:
We watched the second half of The Brutalist last night. I thought the main character was going to wind up designing the Brutalist style buildings and subway lines in Washington, D.C., but it turns out, the movie isn't a biopic — is a work of fiction. :ROFLMAO:

That said, it's a good movie. I wouldn't say it was Oscar worthy, but it was good.
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We too watched The Brutalist in two viewings. I think the chief takeaway from the film is Adrien Brody's performance. Otherwise I was slightly disappointed in the movie. Perhaps I'd built it up too much in anticipation. It certainly sounded like a major motion picture.

But IMO there were problems with the screenplay. There were several plot points that, having been introduced, were never completed, but dismissed. I never quite believed Guy Pearce as Harrison Van Buren. He gave it his best, but I think he was fundamentally miscast. Some of the scenes were not believable, but put in to simply for dramatic purposes (e.g. when Mrs. Toth limped in during the the Van Buren dinner hour to confront Harrison).

The story was determined to show the tremendous difficulties that Laszlo endured while sticking to his artistic beliefs, but because so much time was spent hammering that concept home, that the movie ultimately skipped from a failed project to Laszlo being a famous old man who had won accolades.

I didn't feel compelled enough by my impression of the film to work up a full review. I do think Brody gave an award winning performance. The picture had some excellent moments, and the cinematography was impressive, but the script needed more balance to my taste.
 
ChiroDoc said:
It’s remarkable that Chalamet, Norton, Holbrook, and Monica Barbaro (as Joan Baez) did their own singing and instrument playing, all the while recording their songs live during filming.
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This one's on my watch list; I love Bob Dylan. I was genuinely surprised to hear that Timothee Chalamet did his own singing given Dylan's distinctive voice, so now I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

I recall thinking Kevin Spacey did a very decent job singing Bobby Darin's songs in Beyond the Sea, but I rolled my eyes at critics who tut-tutted that Rami Malek lip synced in Bohemian Rhapsody. I'm a dedicated Freddie Mercury fan, and the thought of anyone attempting to mimic his gorgeous voice is just . . . anathema to me. Some things should just not be touched, in my opinion.

But I digress. Thanks for the review, @ChiroDoc.
 
ChiroDoc said:
We too watched The Brutalist in two viewings. I think the chief takeaway from the film is Adrien Brody's performance. Otherwise I was slightly disappointed in the movie. Perhaps I'd built it up too much in anticipation. It certainly sounded like a major motion picture.

But IMO there were problems with the screenplay. There were several plot points that, having been introduced, were never completed, but dismissed. I never quite believed Guy Pearce as Harrison Van Buren. He gave it his best, but I think he was fundamentally miscast. Some of the scenes were not believable, but put in to simply for dramatic purposes (e.g. when Mrs. Toth limped in during the the Van Buren dinner hour to confront Harrison).

The story was determined to show the tremendous difficulties that Laszlo endured while sticking to his artistic beliefs, but because so much time was spent hammering that concept home, that the movie ultimately skipped from a failed project to Laszlo being a famous old man who had won accolades.

I didn't feel compelled enough by my impression of the film to work up a full review. I do think Brody gave an award winning performance. The picture had some excellent moments, and the cinematography was impressive, but the script needed more balance to my taste.
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I liked the film more than you did--but I always love reading your critiques; you seem to know a lot about film and express it well.
 
Last night watch the Australian movie The Babadook which though few years old never watched it before , not type ending I like and was afraid to take the trash out after since it was night .

Not a bad movie but again not my type ending .
 
Marcy Sheiner said:
I liked the film more than you did--but I always love reading your critiques; you seem to know a lot about film and express it well.
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Thanks, Marcy. And I would recommend The Brutalist, but it wasn't the memorable experience I thought it would be, e.g. like in Brody's first Oscar win for The Pianist (2002).

I'm far, far from a film expert. I just make observances. My first career was in the arts, but music, not films. I simply make comments about why (or why not) I like a film. I'm always curious when people say they "really liked" a film, but don't say what it is they liked about it.
 
I sent for the French Connection, because I decided to watch that widely acclaimed film as sort of a tribute to Gene Hackman, I didn't finish it, however. I remember renting it years ago from a video rental store and not finishing it, but I must be missing something. Maybe something happened in the last hour of the film, but I got antsy and bored.

I could not stop being aware of just watching actors acting. It did not seem real, and I could not identify with anyone. It was like watching shadows on the wall, the same reaction I had years ago.

Don't get me wrong, I admired Gene Hackman and thought he was an very convincing actor, but sometimes movies flop (IMO). I actually think the directing was the problem here. The actors do what they are told, which usually works out well, but sometimes not. Sometime I will try to pick up that film again at the halfway mark and see if something happens at the end that changes my mind

My general rule of thumb is that if a movie doesn't capture my attention in the first 30 minutes, I won't bother with it. I've walked out of theaters in the middle of films on many occasions.
 
I think I know what you mean, Dave. And I don't know when you originally watched it.
But in '71 when it came out, it was absolutely dazzling. I saw it when I was on the road with a band. It really evoked New York City with its tone and cinematography. The chief feature as you say was Gene Hackman's splendid portrayal of the firecracker "Popeye" Doyle. Without that the picture have been more mediocre. 8 Oscar noms, won 5.

The film's iconic frantic chase scene is still considered one of the best of all time, and holds up beautifully today. I do think the "round up" ending was a little tacked on, and the up-in-the-air single pistol shot out of view was a tad frustrating.

I also enjoyed the sequel, but it didn't have the same punch as the original-- more drawn out. I loved one of Doyle's lines, "I'd rather be a lamp post in New York than be the mayor of Paris."..😄
 
Bretrick said:
It was disturbing. To be so committed to no longer wanting to be friend with someone show a little bit of unstableness?
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I do not want to ruin it for anyone who might watch it but unstable is an understatement , both guys a mess but the one you speak of beyond a mess .

I think one of those Independent type movies as felt that way even though known actors .
 

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