Let's Talk Movies #34 - Kingsmen, Murder, Blade Runners and...IT!

[skatesindreams]

Meryl Streep originally intended to be an opera singer.
She studied for some time with Beverly Sills' teacher, Estelle Liebling; and knew Beverly.

I wish I could locate a recording of Meryl singing during one of our patriotic celebrations, early in her career. (was it Liberty Weekend?)
She was terrific.

 

[gk_891]

Meryl sang in Death Becomes Her and Postcards From the Edge. I thought she sang fairly well.

 

[skatesindreams]

When she sings in a movie; she sings "in character"; rather than with her own trained voice.

 

[slicekw]

It took a lot of training and balls to do Florence Foster Jenkins. She had to be terrible in a very certain way - keys, notes, speed and even breathing.
That being said, I really enjoyed the smaller characters in that movie. It was very well-crafted.
But the pathos loomed a bit too large for it to be a comedy and the comedy needed to be a bit more wink-at-the-camera for it to really work as one. It didn't quite gel as a drama either. I think it really did echo the "did she have any idea?" about Florence, both regarding her singing and her husband.

As a woman in her 50s, I like to think that Florence just didn't give a flying fig. She got a bad deal out of her marriage, and made the best of the rest of her life. With the sure knowledge that the syphilis was ultimately a death sentence, she lived her life reaching for love and beauty. She gave a lot to many people. What could be better?

 

[skatesindreams]

The 2007 Documentary A World Of Her Own is an excellent companion piece to the movie. I mentioned this last year, but I still don't think we should regard Frears' Florence Foster Jenkins as a full-on comedy per se, as there is an underbelly of sadness in many of the scenes.

I watched this, yesterday.
It was revealing, in many ways.

FFJ was an extremely gifted musician.
Her illness and injury were a real tragedy.

It is significant to know that "everybody who was anybody" attended her Carnegie Hall concert.
That made its' impact even worse.

 

[Vash01]

Meryl sang in Death Becomes Her and Postcards From the Edge. I thought she sang fairly well.

Also in 'Mama Mia' and 'Riki and the band'

 

[manhn]

Meryl Streep just annoys. I can't remember the last time I have enjoyed any of her performances. If there's a recent movie affected by too much awards attention, it's La La Land. Not that Florence Foster Jenkins movie. No one will convince me she was better than Sally Field, Annette Bening, Sally Field, Amy Adams, Sally Field, Taraji P Henson, Sally Field, Kate Beckinsale, Sally Field, Hailee Steinfeld, Sally Field, Kate Winslet, and Sally Field.

 

[VGThuy]

I really need to watch Hello, My Name is Doris. IMO, Sally Field should have won the Oscar for Lincoln.

 

[skatesindreams]

IMO, Sally Field should have won the Oscar for Lincoln.

Agreed!

 

[gk_891]

Meryl Streep just annoys. I can't remember the last time I have enjoyed any of her performances. If there's a recent movie affected by too much awards attention, it's La La Land. Not that Florence Foster Jenkins movie. No one will convince me she was better than Sally Field, Annette Bening, Sally Field, Amy Adams, Sally Field, Taraji P Henson, Sally Field, Kate Beckinsale, Sally Field, Hailee Steinfeld, Sally Field, Kate Winslet, and Sally Field.

I haven't enjoyed her performances in a while. I quite liked her in the 80s and 90s (haven't seen that much of her 70s work). But as of late, I get the impression that I'm watching Meryl Streep rather than the character she's trying to portray.

 

[Jay42]

Meryl Streep just annoys. I can't remember the last time I have enjoyed any of her performances. If there's a recent movie affected by too much awards attention, it's La La Land. Not that Florence Foster Jenkins movie. No one will convince me she was better than Sally Field, Annette Bening, Sally Field, Amy Adams, Sally Field, Taraji P Henson, Sally Field, Kate Beckinsale, Sally Field, Hailee Steinfeld, Sally Field, Kate Winslet, and Sally Field.

I was so annoyed Meryl Streep got nominated over Amy Adams for Arrival. I haven't seen Hello, My Name is Doris although I've heard amazing things.

I haven't really enjoyed seeing Meryl Streep in anything since The Devil Wears Prada. I feel like I'm watching Meryl Streep, not the character and it's extremely distracting.

 

[VGThuy]

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I think the last two truly great performances from Meryl were her performances in Adaptation and Bridges of Madison County. The former because it was such an unpretentious role and she got to let her hair down and just be. The latter because it was a truly great embodiment of that character. I miss the Meryl of Madison County.

I'd probably give her an Oscar for Julie and Julia just because that was a weak year otherwise.

 

[Jay42]

I would have gone for Carey Mulligan over Meryl in 2010 personally, but I do agree that was a weak year (Sandra Bullock?!) and Meryl Streep would have been a better option for sure.

 

[VGThuy]

I would have gone for Carey Mulligan over Meryl in 2010 personally, but I do agree that was a weak year (Sandra Bullock?!) and Meryl Streep would have been a better option for sure.

I have to watch An Education again. I don't know if I was in the right mood when I watched it.

 

[manhn]

I agree Meryl was betted than Sandra, but I probably would have voted for Gabourey. But not a great year, although there were a lot of wonderful supporting female roles and perfs.

I haven't watched An Education in ages, but I recall finding it kinda trite. When young British actresses are described as "luminous", I get itchy.

 

[Vash01]

I agree Meryl was betted than Sandra, but I probably would have voted for Gabourey. But not a great year, although there were a lot of wonderful supporting female roles and perfs.

I haven't watched An Education in ages, but I recall finding it kinda trite. When young British actresses are described as "luminous", I get itchy.

I hated The education.

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2017-10-20th
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI4-fSHhipQioZJ2JQ43RzC9yWcrnWXC

What a bad week for movies! 26 new titles and only ONE looks watchable to me.


Oct. 20th - Only the Brave (Wide) – Action drama with Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, Taylor Kitsch, Andie MacDowell, Miles Teller and Jeff Bridges

Oct. 20th - The Snowman (Wide) – Crime drama with Michael Fassbender, Toby Jones, J. K. Simmons, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Val Kilmer and Chloë Sevigny

Oct. 20th - Geostorm (Wide) – Action sci with Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Mare Winningham and Andy García

Oct. 20th - Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (Wide) – Comedy with Tyler Perry and Cassi Davis [House of Payne]

Oct. 20th NOT Feb. 3rd 2017 NOT Apr. 29th then Feb. 3rd - Same Kind of Different as Me (Wide) - Drama with Renée Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, Olivia Holt, Jon Voight and Greg Kinnear

Oct. 20th - Leatherface (Limited) – Horror with Stephen Dorff, Lili Taylor and Finn Jones [Game of Thrones]

Oct. 20th - Wonderstruck (Limited) - Mystery with Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams

Oct. 20th - The Killing of a Sacred Deer (Limited) - Horror with Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman and Alicia Silverstone

Oct. 20th - Jungle (Limited) – Adventure drama with Daniel Radcliffe

Oct. 20th - The Work (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Set inside a single room in Folsom Prison, three men from the outside participate in a four-day group-therapy retreat with a group of incarcerated men for a real look at the challenges of rehabilitation.”

Oct. 20th - Killing Gunther (Limited) – Comedy with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Allison Tolman [Downward Dog, Fargo] and Cobie Smulders [How I Met Your Mother]

Oct. 20th - Tragedy Girls (Limited) – Horror comedy with Josh Hutcherson [The Hunger Games] and Craig Robinson

Oct. 20th - Aida’s Secrets (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Family secrets, lies, high drama and generations of contemporary history unspool in this international story that begins with World War II and concludes with an emotional 21st-century family reunion.”

Oct. 20th - Never Here (Limited) – Thriller with Mireille Enos [The Killing, The Catch], Sam Shepard and Goran Visnjic

Oct. 20th - The Bachelors (Limited) – Comedy drama with Julie Delpy, J.K. Simmons and Kevin Dunn

Oct. 20th - The Strange Ones (Limited) – Thriller with Alex Pettyfer. From imdb.com: “Mysterious events surround two travelers as they make their way across a remote American landscape. On the surface all seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to a dark and complex web of secrets.”

Oct. 18th - The Paris Opera (Limited – New York) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “A behind-the-scenes look at the Paris Opera, under the direction of Stephane Lissner.”

Oct. 20th – 1922 (Netflix) Crime drama with Thomas Jane and Molly Parker

October 19th - Revolt (DirectTV Only) – Action sci-fi with Lee Pace and Jason Flemyng [X-Men: First Class]

Oct. 20th – Wheelman (Netflix) – Action thriller with Frank Grillo

Oct. 20th - Dealt (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “Sixty-two year old Richard Turner is renowned as one of the world's greatest card magicians, yet he is completely blind. This is an in-depth look at a complex character who is one of magic's greatest hidden treasures.”

Oct. 20th - Bad Day for the Cut (Limited) – British thriller, new cast. From imdb.com: “A middle-aged Irish farmer, who still lives at home with his mother, sets off on a mission of revenge when the old lady is murdered.”

Oct. 20th - Let Her Out (Limited) – Horror, new cast. From rottentomatoes.com: “A young woman recovering from an accident is horrified when she experiences periodic blackouts and terrifying dreams. Her doctor discovers a benign tumor that appears to be traces of a "vanishing twin," which is rapidly increasing in size.”

Oct. 20th - 120 Beats Per Minute aka BMP Beats Per Minute (Limited) – French drama. From imdb.com: “120 BPM. The average heart rate. The protagonists of 120 battements par minute are passionate about fighting the indifference that exists towards AIDS.”

Oct. 20th - Golmaal Again (Limited) – Indian action comedy. From Wikipedia: Four friends “….move back to their old neighbourhood. What they don't know is that their house is haunted by a ghost…will they be able to save themselves from this big problem?”

Oct. 20th - Secret Superstar (Limited) – Indian musical drama. From imdb.com: “The film revolves around the life of a child who aspires to be a singer.”

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2017-10-20th

Oct. 18th - The Paris Opera (Limited – New York) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “A behind-the-scenes look at the Paris Opera, under the direction of Stephane Lissner.”

Dance (ish?) documentary alert. @Artistic Skaters @cocotaffy @kwanfan1818

 

[kwanfan1818]

Dance (ish?) documentary alert. @Artistic Skaters @cocotaffy @kwanfan1818

I saw it last year as part of the Seattle International Film Festival.

It's a lot more about the Paris Opera than the Paris Opera Ballet, although there is some snark-worthy bitchiness in the ballet part. One of the main storylines is about a young Russian bass who is in their three-year young artists development program. The opera singers look a lot happier than the dancers, but then, they're not part of a company, but contracted for each opera.

 

[Jay42]

The director of The Snowman has been telling people that it's a bad movie because production was rushed and they didn't have enough time to film everything. I enjoy when people are honest about these things, I do wonder if it's going to negatively affect his career options in the future though.

 

[Japanfan]

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I think the last two truly great performances from Meryl were her performances in Adaptation and Bridges of Madison County. The former because it was such an unpretentious role and she got to let her hair down and just be. The latter because it was a truly great embodiment of that character. I miss the Meryl of Madison County.

I thought her work was admirable in Iron Lady - I don't know that she pulled it off 100%, but then, who could?

I thought she was excellent in Madison County as well, and loved the film. But I was bothered by her accent. She came from Italy, but her accent was more Eastern European than Italian. I would think that an actress of Streep's caliber could easily master a proper Italian accent, so don't know what went wrong there. Maybe she had a voice coach who was remiss.

 

[Buzz]

John Boyega responds to trolls who complained about a lack of diversity in Black Panther. LOL
http://metro.co.uk/2017/10/18/john-...ing-about-diversity-in-black-panther-7010698/

 

[gk_891]

I thought her work was admirable in Iron Lady - I don't know that she pulled it off 100%, but then, who could?

I thought she was excellent in Madison County as well, and loved the film. But I was bothered by her accent. She came from Italy, but her accent was more Eastern European than Italian. I would that an actress of Streep's caliber could easily master a proper Italian accent, so don't know what went wrong there. Maybe she had a voice coach who was remiss.

Meryl's accent abilities are a bit overrated IMO. While some of her accents have been amazing, others haven't been the best.

 

[kwanfan1818]

My favorite Streep is in "The Devil Wears Prada," and "Postcards from the Edge." She can be so droll.

 

[skatingguy]

I really enjoyed Julie & Julia and Doubt - I think Streep does an excellent job in both of those movies.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I can't believe I forgot "Julie & Julia": she was brilliant as Julia Child, and she and Tucci have such wonderful chemistry together. I have to see "Doubt."

 

[snowbird]

Several movies bombing.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-hollyw...g-propaganda-flick-geostorm-slams-harveywood/

 

[watchthis!!]

Morgan Freeman to star in 'Powell'
https://www.landmarkcinemas.com/movie-news/morgan-freeman-to-star-in-powell/

The forthcoming movie will follow Powell's career and will focus on his memorable speech presented to the United Nations in 2003, which saw him plea for the removal of Saddam Hussein after information had leaked that the Iraqi dictator - who died in 2006 - was creating nuclear weapons.

The script is by Ed Whitworth, which was on the 2011 Black List, which is the list of scripts that have the most heat behind them that the list makers feel are most in need of being put into production, stat! Reginald Hudlin will direct, nice to see another black director directing a big movie. Hudlin was nominated for producing Django Unchained and directed Marshall, which is currently in theatres.

Morgan Freeman will also be starring in Disney's 'The Nutcracker and the Four Realms' and will be seen in December's "Just Getting Started", an action comedy co-starring Tommy Lee Jones and Rene Russo.

 

[Seerek]

Meryl sang in Death Becomes Her and Postcards From the Edge. I thought she sang fairly well.

Pretty sure Meryl did some singing with Lily Tomlin in Prairie Home Companion.

Imo, I think Meryl fares better when she has a strong ensemble/co-lead to feed off of vs having to anchor a movie on her own.

 

[emason]

The buzz that I have always heard about Meryl Streep is that her true talent is as a stage actress and she is wasted in movies. She is meant to be on Broadway.