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

[cocotaffy]

I watched Maudie, a little movie about the real life of Maud Dowley, a woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis living in Canada in the 30's. It is mainly centered on Maud and the man she goes to work for as a maid played by Ethan Hawke. It's an intriguing story about the relationship between two outsiders and also about her artistic pursuit. There is sadness and the way he's acting towards her can be truly infuriating at time but it's mainly uplifting thanks to a great performance by Sally Hawkins. This woman had such an inner strength which totally contrasts with a frail physical appearance.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I watched Maudie, a little movie about the real life of Maud Dowley, a woman suffering from rheumatoid arthritis living in Canada in the 30's. It is mainly centered on Maud and the man she goes to work for as a maid played by Ethan Hawke. It's an intriguing story about the relationship between two outsiders and also about her artistic pursuit. There is sadness and the way he's acting towards her can be truly infuriating at time but it's mainly uplifting thanks to a great performance by Sally Hawkins. This woman had such an inner strength which totally contrasts with a frail physical appearance.

I saw this one a couple of months ago. It was really good. Sally Hawkins did a fantastic job.

Saw Murder on the Orient Express last night. It was okay. I have never read the book nor seen any other movies of it before. I think Brannagh was good as Poirot. But it was difficult to get invested in the characters and thus couldn't really connect emotionally with it. The moustache kind of had a life of it's own.

 

[Vash01]

Saw 'Murder on the Orient Express' today. I hurried to see it because I never read the book and never saw the old movie. I was afraid of spoilers, so I went in with great expectations. After all, it's Agatha Christie's murder mystery.

Sad to say it's an awful movie. The beginning was so long and slow that in 15 minutes I looked at my watch.
Finally the train started, but the movie just couldn't catch steam. I couldn't even understand what Kenneth Branagh was saying through that ridiculous mustache. Long conversations that belonged on a stage, and I couldn't even understand parts of them. I gave up trying to listen after some time. I even caught a brief nap, sometime after the murder.

The scenery was spectacular- probably the only good thing about this movie. The stellar cast did ok, in the limited screen time each had. The ending was a surprise (it's Agatha Christie, after all!) but the long speech by Poirot didn't do the ending any favors.

Why was this movie made? Just to show off Kenneth Branagh? I got tired of seeking him in nearly every scene, with that awful mustache. This movie Could have been really good, but it was poorly made.

Now I want to rent the older version of this. A good movie is often good even if you know how it ends.

 

[skatesindreams]

Get the version with David Suchet.
IMO, he is the best Poirot.

 

[Vash01]

The trend in my town is to build/renovate theaters and give them plush seating with arm cup holders and power recliners. There are a lot less seats per theater this way but it's way more pleasant. You aren't being crammed next to someone you don't know and you can put your seat at any angle you want. Plus the seats are designed so there are no bad views.

Not only that, some theaters have reserved seating! So you don't have to go super-early and rush into the theater as soon as it's open to grab your preferred seat.

Because of that, I'm going to the movies more. We usually buy at least some concessions but I do occasionally bring my own water. I know they make money on the concessions but don't always on the ticket so I'm willing to pay a bit to make sure they stay in business. Though the more the prices rise, the less we buy.\

ETA and the new seating arrangements mean I don't have to worry about some tlal dude sitting right in front of me!

My thoughts exactly. I love the reclining seats and privacy. Also since the seats are reserved, i don't have to go there 30 minutes before the movie starts to get the best possible seat.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I just watched the New Zealand film Boy. Directed by Taiki Waititi who just directed Thor and also The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Really good coming of age story about a young boy and his father that reappears after many years. Really great performances all round. Certainly worth seeing.

 

[Japanfan]

The Thin Red Line (1998) was Terence Malick’s return to movie-making after a twenty year absence (after having made Badlands and Days of Heaven).

I love Terence Malick and think Days of Heaven is one of the most beautiful films ever made. It fully captured the subtle colors of the prairies.

My favorite Malick film is 'The New World' and I highly recommend it to Malick fans. Don't be put off by the fact that it is loosely based on Pochohantas. Or by the fact that the main actress was Portugese, not indigenous. Or, that Malick overlooked the atrocities in the story. Malick always has his own unique spin on things, and doesn't play by the rules or care about political correctness. To a certain extent, he is amoral.

What the film is ultimately about is two different peoples coming together to create a new world. It looks at how we grow and change through social interactions and exposure to the unknown. The innocent and open view of humankind that the film expresses is lovely.

There is one scene in which the main female and male characters sit in a sun-filled meadow that fills the frame, pointing to objects such as trees and flowers and the sky to teach each other their language. It was a simple scene, but so profound in terms of its meaning. I'll never forget it.

 

[Wyliefan]

I have free tickets to Murder on the Orient Express (hurray for rewards points!). I already know the story, and I loved the '70s movie version, but my expectations aren't sky-high. Let's face it, Christie was NEVER known for depth of characterization; if the characters are shallow here, it probably ain't the screenwriter's fault. But I'm game to try it. I'll probably enjoy it more because I'm not expecting too much!

 

[PeterG]

...if the characters are shallow here, it probably ain't the screenwriter's fault. But I'm game to try it. I'll probably enjoy it more because I'm not expecting too much!

Shallow characters in the novel would be Christie's fault. Shallow characters in the movie means the screenwriter gets a Razzie nomination (or win)!

 

[smurfy]

I saw 'Mark Felt' with Liam Neeson in the title role. Neeson was very good, but obvious in how he acted. There were some excellent moments in the movie, and overall I liked it. But something was off, I think the editing, as a few things occurred and then no followup. I knew the general story, but some of the details were not fleshed out well, that could be confusing to someone not knowlegeable.
Editing or the writing??... Felt had a few fellow FBI agents that worked closely with him, good actors - Josh Lucas and Tony Goldwyn - and the only explanation is some scenes were not included that would explain a few things and show show more outcome.
Kate Walsh is the wife of Goldwyn's FBI agent - really only in 2 scenes, not sure why she was cast, unless edting. As her husband was key, but hardly in the movie much.
Neeson had a few scenes with Bruce Greenwood that were really good.
I am glad I saw the movie, but the editing/script was lacking, and Neeson is worth seeing. So obvious the movie could have been much better.

 

[Wyliefan]

Now that I've seen Orient Express, I understand what you all mean about shallow characters. But ironically, I think they made them shallower by trying (poorly) to make them deeper. It was like they threw a whole bunch of traits at them to see what would stick. It added nothing to the count to make him some weird hyper-violent dancer. It added nothing to the colonel to make him also a doctor. It added nothing to anyone to add chases and fight scenes. They only made them broader, not deeper.

I thought Branagh made a rather good Poirot, though. And I thought a lot of the acting was good, especially from Michelle Pfeiffer and Josh Gad. Also, it was beautifully shot.

 

[Aussie Willy]

It added nothing to the count to make him some weird hyper-violent dancer.

Funny thing the Count was played by Sergi Polunin who is a fabulous dancer and was in this film clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tW0CkvdDI

 

[cocotaffy]

Funny thing the Count was played by Sergi Polunin who is a fabulous dancer and was in this film clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tW0CkvdDI

Sergei Polunin Did you watch the documentary about his life called Dancer, very interesting and intense.

 

[mrr50]

My favorite part of Thor was having a Valkyrie be a woman of color.

Murder on the Orient Express was beautifully shot. I do not understand why it was remade yet again. I enjoyed the book and am a fan of Christie, but this story really didn't need a new movie. At least not this movie. The facial hair just didn't fit my idea of Poirot.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Sergei Polunin Did you watch the documentary about his life called Dancer, very interesting and intense.

Yes I saw it at the cinema earlier this year. It was excellent. His talent was amazing. Looks like he has found a new career which is great for him.

 

[jl22aries]

I watched Thor last night and man what a fun romp of a movie. It has a very joyful exuberance. Halfway through the movie, between the colours, the energy, and the soundtrack, I found myself thinking how much it felt like I was 6 again watching an adventure movie in the 80s. That flamboyance from the 80s. Like, Jeff Goldblum and Kate Blanchett chewing up all the scenes. QUEENS!

 

[PeterG]

Just saw a mention of a dance-themed movie in the VIFF (Vancouver International Film Festival) booklet:

The Bolshoy

No release date for North America yet, perhaps they're hoping that film festival attention will warrant a theatrical release. By the way, the trailer itself doesn't have subtitles, but at the bottom right of the video, click on "CC" and you can get subtitles that way.

@Artistic Skaters
@cocotaffy
@kwanfan1818

 

[Integrity]

Saw "Murder...." today. I agree it was slow at times, but it was simply gorgeous. The long scene when Poirot walks to the train, boards the train, and is filmed walking through the aisles was great.

Loved Judi Densch, she could have gone over the top, but she held back. I kept trying to place Daisy Ridley. She looks so much younger in the Star Wars movies!

I recommend the movie if you enjoy good acting, cinematography and gorgeous scenery and if you don't mind a slower paced movie.

 

[Vash01]

Saw "Murder...." today. I agree it was slow at times, but it was simply gorgeous. The long scene when Poirot walks to the train, boards the train, and is filmed walking through the aisles was great.

Loved Judi Densch, she could have gone over the top, but she held back. I kept trying to place Daisy Ridley. She looks so much younger in the Star Wars movies!

I recommend the movie if you enjoy good acting, cinematography and gorgeous scenery and if you don't mind a slower paced movie.

I like good acting, cinematography and I don't mind slow pace at all if the movie is good. I hated this movie (and IMO Branagh was not good as actor, director or producer). It was just a waste of time for me.

I am going to see Casablanca tonight as a Fathom Event- 75th anniversary. Normally I dont see more than one movie in a day, but I made an exception in this case.

 

[Vash01]

Saw LBJ today. Overall good (around 7-7.5 out of 10 in my book). Woody Harrelson's LBJ is very believable, including the crudeness (sometimes too crude). Jennifer Jason Leigh is very good as Lady Bird Johnson. The movie weaves flashbacks - starting with the JFK motorcade in Dallas, the 1960 election flashback, and ends with LBJ's address to the senate. No matter what he did later (escalation of the Vietnam war), it was easy to see his loyalty to the country and the desire to do the right thing. It was hard not to compare him with DT. We should be grateful to LBJ for passing the Civil rights act (though the work was started by JFK), Medicare, Medicaid. I felt that both JFK and RFK were miscast, particularly JFK. Didn't care for the toilet scene, but the movie climbs higher and shows LBJ's positive qualities - how he brought the country together after JFK assassination.

 

[Wyliefan]

I am going to see Casablanca tonight as a Fathom Event- 75th anniversary. Normally I do t see more than one movie in a day, but I made an exception in this case.

Oh, I really wish I could go to that, but I've got too much going on this evening. Have a wonderful time!

 

[smurfy]

Saw LBJ today. Overall good (around 7-7.5 out of 10 in my book). Woody Harrelson's LBJ is very believable, including the crudeness (sometimes too crude). Jennifer Jason Leigh is very good as Lady Bird Johnson. The movie weaves flashbacks - starting with from the JFK motorcade in Dallas, the 1060 election, and ends with LBJ's address to the senate. No matter what he did later (escalation of the Vietnam war), it was easy to see his loyalty to the country and the desire to do the right thing. It was hard not to compare him with DT. We should be grateful to LBJ for passing the Civil rights act (though the work was started by JFK), Medicare, Medicaid. I felt that both JFK and RFK were miscast, particularly JFK. Didn't care for the toilet scene, but the movie climbs higher and shows LBJ's positive qualities - how he brought the country together after JFK assassination.

Robert Caro’s Books aboutLBJ are wonderful and show the complexity. There r 4 books out with one more coming. They r long but well worth your time. Really detailed on the times and US history. Caro started them in the 70s when many of LBJs contemporaries were still alive and he interviewed them. I have not seen the movie, but I believe showing him on the toile is key to show how he was. He did that a lot and was very crude a lot of the time.

 

[Vash01]

Just got back from seeing Casablanca in a theatre. Ingrid Bergman is so beautiful! She and Humphrey Bogart really made this movie immortal. It seems I didn't remember much from my earlier viewing on VHS, so it was almost like seeing it for the first time. So many famous lines:

Here's looking at you, kid.

We will always have Paris.

Play it again, Sam.

I couldn't help remembering Kurt Browning's skate to Casablanca.

On the negative side- The Fathom event didn't start on time. They played some music for 20 minutes past the scheduled time. Then the 'computer screen' appeared, and the rewind went on for a long time before the speaker appeared to talk about this movie. I was tired even before the movie started. Then I had a headache and stomach ache, but I managed to stay till the end. There was yet another little speech about its history- the release date was moved up from 1943 to 1942 because Churchill was to meet someone in Casablanca in 1942 and the producers couldn't pass up the opportunity to get Casablanca on the front page of the newspapers. That was interesting.

The Fathom events are quite expensive. This is only the second one I ever attended. The first one was 'Rise!'

 

[PeterG]

This one was on my list of movies to come out this next weekend, but I think it was released in September. There's not enough info for me to be sure one way or the other. But it's going on my To See list:

Rebels On Pointe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erhZtNMZYb8

From imdb.com:

...the first-ever, cinéma vérité documentary film celebrating Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo -- the all male, drag ballet company founded over 40 years ago on the heels of New York's Stonewall riots. The company has performed in over 500 cities and 33 countries, and has a cult following around the world. The film juxtaposes exclusive, behind-the-scenes access and intimate, character-driven stories of its dancers, highlighted by amazing performances shot around the world. Rebels on Pointe ultimately celebrates our shared humanity through universal themes of identity, dreams, family, love, loss, determination and resilience... proving that a ballerina is not merely a woman dancing, but an act of revolution in a tutu.

@Artistic Skaters
@cocotaffy
@kwanfan1818

 

[Artistic Skaters]

I recently watched several Sam Elliott movies. A new one Hero, followed by the older previously seen Mask & Tombstone. The last time I put together Jeremy Irons movies - The Man Who Knew Infinity, Reversal of Fortune & The Mission. It's interesting seeing several different movies featuring the same actor & watching the development & changes over the years. I'm going to watch some other combinations like this.

I like Eric Stoltz so I have seen Mask several times. I agree he was too intense for the lead in Back to the Future, but he sure was perfect for this part. This was the director's cut which has the original Bruce Springsteen music, set in real time to go with the storyline. I love the Boss, but I guess due to the nostalgia factor I still also like this film with the Bob Seger music from the original theatrical release.

 

[mrr50]

Saw LBJ today... Didn't care for the toilet scene,

I had a number of relatives in the government during this time. Every one of them had a story about having to talk to Johnson on the toilet. One of them opined that it was LBJ's way of showing dominance. I am only relating what I heard, I have no personal knowledge.

 

[watchthis!!]

I watched (re-watched) Mr. Smith Goes To Washington this weekend. I was pretty sure I had seen it at some point, but couldn't remember enough about it to not be curious (again?) to see it. I thought it had a big fifteen minute speech to conclude the movie, so I got that wrong. James Stewart's character does spend a lot of time with his speech (can't remember the political term for when somebody takes the floor and won't yield for anybody...was just at the dentist, so I'm blaming that for why my mind isn't working right now)! But I was waiting for that long speech at the end and it didn't happen. But I still liked it. A good old-timey movie. Stewart looks his most handsome here with some longer dark brown locks which makes him look better than in his other movies. And the supporting cast are all incredible. I couldn't tell you their names, but I've seen most of them in other movies. Don't think any of them became household names, but it's certainly not because they didn't lack talent. I guess only so many people could reach that kind of fame where they are remembered for many decades after they pass. But these people deserve to be remembered.

 

[skatesindreams]

(can't remember the political term for when somebody takes the floor and won't yield for anybody.)

Fillibuster

 

[MacMadame]

J
The Fathom events are quite expensive. This is only the second one I ever attended. The first one was 'Rise!'

Rise is the only one I've been to. And I had a car accident on the way home1

IAnd the supporting cast are all incredible. I couldn't tell you their names, but I've seen most of them in other movies. Don't think any of them became household names,

Jean Arthur and Claude Rains most certainly did. In fact, Claude Rains was in Casablanca.

 

[PeterG]

Trailers For Movies Released 2017-11-17th
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuI4-fSHhipQUS_u_aJIOQwqUqcovVbKW

I was surprised to find the trailers for Justice League and Denzel's new movie to be so boring. They're not on my To See list because of these poor trailers. I'll wait to hear what you all post about these ones as well as other word of mouth to see if that was a mistake. Even the trailers for Wonder and Cook Off! didn't look great, but I like the casts, so I'm going to give them a chance. And the Louis CK movie is listed at the end and in red as I believe it's not going to be released. But it was supposed to come out this week...


Nov. 17th - Justice League (Wide) – Action adventure with Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa and basically everyone in Hollywood

Nov. 17th - Wonder (Wide) - Drama with Julia Roberts, Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Sonia Braga and Mandy Patinkin

Nov. 10th - The Star (Wide) - Animation with Steven Yeun, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Keegan-Michael Key, Kristin Chenoweth, Anthony Anderson, Gabriel Iglesias, Ving Rhames, Kris Kristofferson, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Patricia Heaton, Tracy Morgan and Christopher Plummer

Nov. 17th - Roman Israel, Esq. (Limited, wide release next week) - Drama with Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell and Carmen Ejogo [Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them]

Nov. 17th - Angelica (Limited) – Supernatural drama with Jena Malone and Janet McTeer

Nov. 17th - Sweet Virginia (Limited) – Thriller with Jon Bernthal, Imogen Poots and Rosemarie DeWitt [United States of Tara]

Nov. 17th - Cook Off! (Limited) – Comedy with Melissa McCarthy, Niecy Nash, Melissa Peterman, Louie Anderson, Diedrich Bader and Ben Falcone

Nov. 17th - Mudbound (Limited - Netflix) – Drama with Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Mary J. Blige and Jason Clarke

Nov. 17th - Revolt (Limited) – Sci-fi action with Lee Pace & a new cast. From imdb.com: “The story of humankind's last stand against a cataclysmic alien invasion. In the war-ravaged African countryside, a U.S. soldier and a French foreign aid worker team up to survive the alien onslaught. Their bond will be tested as they search for refuge across a crumbling world.”

Nov. 17th - Porto (Limited – New York) – Romance with a new cast & Anton Yelchin. From imdb.com: “Jake and Mati are two outsiders in Porto who once experienced a brief connection. A mystery remains about the moments they shared, and in searching through memories, they relive the depths of a night uninhibited by the consequences of time.”

Nov. 17th - Big Sonia (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “91-year-old Sonia Warshawski - great-grandmother, businesswoman, and Holocaust survivor - runs the tailor shop she's owned for more than thirty years. But when she's served an eviction notice, the specter of retirement prompts Sonia to revisit her harrowing past as a refugee and witness to genocide.”

Nov. 17th - The Breadwinner (Limited) – Animated. From imdb.com: “From executive producer Angelina Jolie and the creators of the Academy Award nominated The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, comes the highly-anticipated new feature based on Deborah Ellis' bestselling novel.”

Nov. 15th - Song of Granite (Limited) – Drama, new cast. From imdb.com: “..the dramatic life story of legendary seannós singer Joe Heaney…an audacious exploration of the man and his music.”

Nov. 17th - Holy Air (Limited) – Comedy, new cast. From imdb.com: “Adam is a Christian Arab living in Nazareth - member of a vanishing minority within a minority in the Holy Land and the Middle East. His wife Lamia is a strong, beautiful and progressive Arab woman, who runs a foundation for women's rights.”

Nov. 15th - A Dying King: The Shah of Iran (Limited) – Documentary. From imdb.com: “His death had profound consequences for the future of the middle east and the world, yet the untold medical story of the late Shah of Iran has to date remained a puzzling mystery. This documentary leads viewers to the main causes of the Iranian revolution, pursuant hostage crisis, and the state of relations between the U.S. and Iran.”

Nov. 17th - On the Beach at Night Alone (Limited) - South Korean drama. From imdb.com: “An actress wanders around a seaside town, pondering her relationship with a married man.”

Nov. 17th (Wide release Dec. 1st) - I Love You, Daddy (Limited) – Comedy with Louis C.K., Chloe Moretz, John Malkovich