Film Fanatics - Chat Thread II

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I find it quite interesting that Les Miserable doesn't actually have a such high critical ratings. My go-to site for a quick glance at how a film is doing critically is Metacritic, and there it has a score of 63 from 41 reviews, which is pretty unspectacular. :beard:

Reply 8081

Christien

Original post by Iamyourfather

Has Leonardo DiCaprio done something to upset the academy? He work is constantly being overlooked.

In the case of Django, that film has an embarrassment of riches, performance-wise. You could make a case for nominating DiCaprio, Waltz or Jackson for supporting actor (although to call Waltz supporting when he's the central figure for most of the film's action is a bit laughable).

In terms of his earlier stuff, besides What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (it's still the exception rather than the rule for the Academy to honour first-time nominees, see also Hailee Steinfeld), he struggled to shake off the pretty-boy pin-up label he got from Titanic and Romeo + Juliet for quite some time, and he was beaten out by unignorable performances the last two times he was nominated.

I wouldn't bet against him getting something for The Great Gatsby next year simply because he knows how to inhabit his roles, Jay Gatsby is one of the defining characters of American culture, and it's 'his time'.

Reply 8082

danny111

I just realized, this is already Amy Adam's 4th nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Reply 8083

pinkpenguin

Jurassic Park 4 confirmed for June 2014.

I really really want it to be good. But when they've given a specific release date before serious conversations about the movie and what it's going to involve perhaps shows they'll just throw something together to meet release.

Compare that to Star Trek Into Darkness, which didn't get a release date until JJ Abrams decided it was good enough to confirm one..

Reply 8084

Svenjamin

Original post by pinkpenguin

It has some promise. It's been in the pipeline for years now, with lots of talk that this will be the start of the new trilogy and they've created the story to last a franchise (instead of just tacking a sequel onto a story that's ended like they did with JP2 & 3). So I don't think this is a rushed project.

The rumourmill has it that Joe Johnston wasn't happy at all with what the studio made him do for JP3, and so he wants a second chance to do it the way he wanted to do it. For example, the spinosaur v T-rex thing was apparently because the dinosaur consultant was a fanboy of spinosaur. Not sure how true that is, but for the sake of Jurassic Park I'm REALLY hoping that's true.

If they get back to what Jurassic Park did best - sense of wonder of dinosaurs and treating dinosaurs as wild animals (instead of anthropomorphic monsters who hold grudges) - then the new JP could be something really special. Plus CGI has come on so much since JP3, they could really put the wow factor in. Will be interesting to see how much of the modern paleontology they'll put in too (feathered T-rex?).

So yeah, I'm reserving judgment until the teaser trailers.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 8085

rainbow drops

Original post by Abiraleft

I've read a lot of the reviews, and the low score seems to be the result of Hooper's direction. People really disliked all the close-ups, shakycam, strange angles, shots of characters sat/stood off to the side of the screen... et cetera. Figures that he didn't get an Oscar nomination for directing. I feel the same way about the film's direction, to be honest, but giving it such low scores based on that seems such an injustice to all the ridiculously good acting and singing performances!

Reply 8086

danny111

The whole Resident Evil movies since they appeared, especially the fight against Jill in the Retribution, I kept wondering why Alice didn't simply rip off the Red Queen's thing. When she finally did, it was like sweet salvation.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 8087

aja89

Original post by rainbow drops

I agree with what Mark Kermode said about the choice of camera angles. He was saying that Hooper basically used a lot of close up and wide shot because the musical on stage is permanently in mid shot for the audience with no real depth of perception etc., so by filming it that way he was bringing almost a new take on the thing.

Personally I thought the close-ups were a good idea. Anne Hathaway doing I Dreamed A Dream was possibly one of the most uncomfortable experiences I've had in the cinema, but when you consider the story of the character and the pain being expressed, I think it was perfect to be so focused on her face.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 8088

rainbow drops

Original post by aja89

Perhaps, but that still doesn't justify the constant shakycam and strange angles, IMO. One of the scenes towards the end in which Valjean and Marius were stood in a room together was shot at SUCH a ridiculous angle - the room they were in looked like it was close to being tilted sideways, and the camera was so far away from them that you could barely even see their faces/expressions - and I really couldn't fathom the reason for it at all. Also, as I said in another thread about the shakycam (spoilers for anyone who doesn't know the plot):

Spoiler

I liked the close-ups during IDAD, On My Own and Empty Chairs, but they were just kind of unnecessary elsewhere, IMO. The close-ups combined with the shakycam, weird angles and constant switching between shots and different characters' faces made it all seem very claustrophobic and disorientating. I'm sure that was deliberate, and I think that if it had only been used every now and then it would have been absolutely fine (really effective, actually) but as the film stands, it was far, far too much. The scene I mentioned in the spoiler actually made my eyes hurt a bit. This is all just my opinion, of course, but it is something that the film is being repeatedly criticised for.

Reply 8089

danny111

How was seven psychopaths not nominated for a single Oscar? I absolutely loved it. And Sam Rockwell is definitely becoming one of my favourite actors right now.

Reply 8090

danny111

Okay, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a beautiful film. I cried, and usually I cry during films only when I'm in a sad/depressive mood. I'm not atm. That thing about Aunt Helen really got me.

Reply 8091

Ape Gone Insane

Christopher Nolan's next project, 'Interstellar'

With his Batman trilogy now complete, Christopher Nolan has found his next project.

According to multiple sources, Nolan has set his sights on a sci-fi project titled Interstellar, which he will next direct and produce. The project involves time travel and alternate dimensions in a story that sees a group of explorers travel through a wormhole. The script is based on scientific theories developed by a Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, a gravitational physicist and astrophysicist at Caltech.

Apart from his brother’s involvement, there is the complex and multi-layered nature of the story.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/christopher-nolan-talks-direct-interstellar-410616

And 2-3 years ago...

Original post by Ape Gone Insane

I would rather not have another film in the Inception universe. I like original ideas and films which focus around a strong concept. Sequels have a tendency to ruin it, which is why I like to pretend that there's no such thing as The Matrix Revelations and Revolutions.

Nolan should tackle time travel as his next core concept. He would do it so well. :coma:

Original post by Ape Gone Insane

If Nolan was to make a film on the concept of time travel... :coma:

Nolan blatantly browses TSR. :pierre:

Reply 8092

Colonel.

Watched Battle Royale. Awesome.

Reply 8093

cartasiac

Original post by danny111

How was seven psychopaths not nominated for a single Oscar? I absolutely loved it. And Sam Rockwell is definitely becoming one of my favourite actors right now.

Dunno if there's some rite of passage for becoming a Film Fanatic member, I was too tired to read 407 pages...I...I'm sorry ;-;

But more importantly Sam Rockwell is amazing! But I'm not sure how he can top his performance in Moon.

Also: does he dance in 7 Psychopaths?!

Reply 8094

ahq

Original post by cartasiac

The first rule is that you do not talk about the Film Fanatics Society, so you've sort of failed. :mad:

Spoiler

Reply 8095

aja89

Just watched Silver Linings Playbook. What a fantastic film! Would definitely have been in my 'Top 10 of 2012' blog post if I'd have seen it before I wrote it.

Reply 8096

Plato's Trousers

Finally got around to Shadow Dancer last night. Really excellent. Superb performance from Andrea Riseborough (plus I finally found a film I didn't hate Clive Owen in).

Reply 8097

ahq

Original post by Plato's Trousers

Finally got around to Shadow Dancer last night. Really excellent. Superb performance from Andrea Riseborough (plus I finally found a film I didn't hate Clive Owen in).