What are you watching? (Film edition)

[Bu Lai En]

Tsotsi (2005) A good South African drama about a young South African gangster thug in a slum of Jo'burg who reevaluates when he discovers a baby in the back of a car he's just jacked.

What did you think of it? I watched it when it came out and kinda liked it, but that was a while ago.

It was a good solid movie. Nothing that'd blow you away, but just well made cinema. Also, I always appreciate a film made in or about a culture that is different from what I usually see on the screen.

[bismarck]

Tsotsi (2005) A good South African drama about a young South African gangster thug in a slum of Jo'burg who reevaluates when he discovers a baby in the back of a car he's just jacked.

What did you think of it? I watched it when it came out and kinda liked it, but that was a while ago.

It was a good solid movie. Nothing that'd blow you away, but just well made cinema. Also, I always appreciate a film made in or about a culture that is different from what I usually see on the screen.

Nice to hear you think so.

It was interesting for me after a few years on the Wan to see South Africa from that perspective again, though. I loved it when his bespectacled friend said to him, "You're a Tsotsi. You have no decency." and how that sort of affected him through the movie. Good to hear you liked it.

[Bu Lai En]

Taipei 21 (2004) Not a bad movie about a couple who have been together years and are considering breaking up. They go off on their own for a few days and we observe how they re-evaluate things amidst the backdrop of modern Taipei life.

The Naked Spur (1954) Fairly good Western with Jimmy Stewart as a bounty hunter bringing an outlaw in amidst squabbles over the reward money.

I saw the Devil (2010) Korean film by Kim Jee-woon who made the excellent films, A Bittersweet Life and A Tale of Two Sisters. This one isn't as good, and although I enjoyed it, I can see why some people didn't. It's basically a standard revenge flick with the main character hunting the killer of his wife (played mesmerisingly by the star of Oldboy). I didn't like the way it was going at first, but it seemed to change into something a bit more than that, actually questioning, even parodying (obliquely) the revenge premise. I liked it in the end, but not wholeheartedly.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) I've never been overly impressed by Bunuel, but this film was different. It's a very surreal satire of the bourgeoisie, as the name implies, with very entertaining and absurdly funny twists and digressions into dreams and farcical situations.

[trubadour]

Take Shelter (2011)

So lucky to watch this without any idea of what to expect. What I got was a vivid portrayal of a modern day Old Testament style prophet, with all the necessary psychological disturbance and social dissonance, interwoven in a way only film can. Scary and deep. Great stuff.

[Icon]

Really bad news, folks: Pirates of the Caribbean 5 in the works. Oh, and The Lone Ranger movie took a lot of cuttings/rewritings... and we know how that ends... Just for starters, it's a supernatural kind of movie, with werewolves and such. *sigh* They are really ruining my childhood. Hope they never touch Sargent Preston of the Yukon ever for a remake.

Gael Garcia Bernal is in talks to take part in the Robocop movie, not the lead. Oh, well, a crossover is a crossover.

Remake of Dredd, based more accurately on the comics. At least, it won't have Deuce Bigolow in it. Ah, and more Resident Evil. Pity, the game was cool.

Oh, and I am really psyched for Cabin in the Woods. Who's with me?

EDIT:
This sort of answers my lingering question: why, oh, why? http://www.cracked.com/article_19012_5- ... -suck.html

[cfimages]

Samsara is getting its cinema release this summer. I really, really hope this comes to Taiwan. It's the sequel to Baraka which is the greatest movie ever made, IMO.

[bismarck]

Saw The Avengers on Friday. If you liked The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America movies you will like this one. The story line is a bit flimsy and I thought it was more of a tribute to all those Superheroes and their individual movies, but it has several good moments, lots of hero action and plenty of humour and one liners. I also thought Mark Ruffalo was awesome as the Hulk.

Highly recommend it if you're into Super Hero movies.

[Icon]

Take Shelter (2011)

So lucky to watch this without any idea of what to expect. What I got was a vivid portrayal of a modern day Old Testament style prophet, with all the necessary psychological disturbance and social dissonance, interwoven in a way only film can. Scary and deep. Great stuff.

Is this already on DVD at rental stores or was this alternative means? I'm interested in seeing it.

[trubadour]

downloaded

EDIT: decided that Piracy is not Wrong.

[Rockefeller]

My recommendations:

127 Hours (2010) Stellar performance on James Franco's part.

Fargo (1996) "Ya, you betcha!"