Let's Talk Movies #36 - 2020 - Yep it is a new decade

[Vash01]

I watched Shakespeare in love on dvd, mainly because I had seen it in theater and I remember feeling upset when it won the Best picture Oscar over Saving Private Ryan. I also remember thinking that the best actress should have gone to Cate Blanchett. After watching it in a more objective state of mind, I came to some conclusions.

I still like Saving Private Ryan more but there are many positives about Shakespeare in love.

It is creative. The love story and its relation to his plays is fiction but it was developed and presented very well.
It Created the 16th century atmosphere very well through sets, costumes and lighting.
Good screenplay- always a must.
Many different emotions in the movie - some humor, action, romance, sadness.
I liked the way the two Shakespeare plays were woven into the story, and Twelfth night wrapped it up.

I didn't know that women were not allowed to act on stage those days, so the heroine dressed as a man (many Shakespearean heroines did that). Women didnt have much free will. Viola, the main character, married for duty to her family and her queen, and not the man she loved (he was a married man anyway). The class system/societal pressure was very strong. She couldn't cross the barrier. At one point she says (paraphrasing) as Thomas Kent she loved him but when she is Viola, there was a river between them.

Gwyneth Paltrow was acting as a man (acting) and a woman (real) within the movie. She showed her mixed emotions very well. She probably deserved the Oscar. I have no memory of Cate Blanchett's movie (that may be the next one to watch). I think Gwyneth was very good as Viola who was torn between love and duty.

Judy Dench was great as the Queen but I still feel that supporting actress Oscar was a consolation prize for not getting the one she had deserved the previous year (Mrs. Brown). I still felt that the role didn't need a high level actress like Dench.

I had forgotten that there were many future Oscar winners in that movie - Ben Affleck, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth. I was disappointed to see Firth in such a minor role. The movie really had an all star cast, and they were all good in their roles.

Joseph Fiennes was good as the young and tormented Shakespeare,but I couldn't help thinking of his brother Ralph Fiennes who is better looking and a better actor, IMO. Anyway, he was too old to play that role.

I can see why it received 7 Oscars. The only one I still disagree with is the Best Picture, but now that gap (between SIL and SPV) is narrower than it was back then.

 

[Cachoo]

I watched Shakespeare in love on dvd, mainly because I had seen it in theater and I remember feeling upset when it won the Best picture Oscar over Saving Private Ryan. I also remember thinking that the best actress should have gone to Cate Blanchett. After watching it in a more objective state of mind, I came to some conclusions.

I still like Saving Private Ryan more but there are many positives about Shakespeare in love.

It is creative. It (the love story and its relation to his plays) is fiction but it was developed and presented very well.
It Created the 16th century atmosphere very well through sets, costumes and lighting.
Good screenplay- always a must.
Many different emotions in the movie - some humor, action, romance, sadness.
I liked the way the two Shakespeare plays were woven into the story, and Twelfth night wrapped it up.

I didn't know that women were not allowed to act on stage those days, so the heroine dressed as a man (many Shakespearean heroines did that). Women didnt have much free will. Viola, the main character, married for duty to her family and her queen, and not the man she loved (he was a married man anyway). The class system/societal pressure was very strong. She couldn't cross the barrier. At one point she says (paraphrasing) as Thomas Kent she loved him but when she is Viola, there was a river between them.

Gwyneth Paltrow was acting as a man (acting) and a woman (real) within the movie. She showed her mixed emotions very well. She probably deserved the Oscar. I have no memory of Cate Blanchett's movie (that may be the next one to watch). I think Gwyneth was very good as Viola who was torn between love and duty.

Judy Dench was great as the Queen but I still feel that supporting actress Oscar was a consolation prize for not getting the one she had deserved the previous year (Mrs. Brown). I still felt that the role didn't need a high level actress like Dench.

I had forgotten that there were many future Oscar winners in that movie - Ben Affleck, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth. I was disappointed to see Firth in such a minor role. The movie really had an all star cast, and they were all good in their roles.

Joseph Fiennes was good as the young and tormented Shakespeare,but I couldn't help thinking of his brother Ralph Fiennes who is better looking and a better actor, IMO. Anyway, he was too old to play that role.

I can see why it received 7 Oscars. The only one I still disagree with is the Best Picture, but now that gap (between SIL and SPV) is narrower than it was back then.

I re-watched it last month and like you I thought "Saving Private Ryan" should have won and have now developed a new appreciation for "Shakespeare in Love." The language is at times clever and at times beautiful and though Paltrow was never my favorite she was so luminous in that role. She dazzled. I enjoyed all of the actors but for me the screenplay was the biggest draw.

 

[Japanfan]

Joseph Fiennes was good as the young and tormented Shakespeare,but I couldn't help thinking of his brother Ralph Fiennes who is better looking and a better actor, IMO. Anyway, he was too old to play that role.

I agree that Ralph is better looking, but am not so certain he is the better actor of the two brothers. He was excellent in The English Patient, but I've not seen anything else he is in that struck me as outstanding. I saw him in a film the other night, I don't remember the name but he played an excavator who unearthed a ship, apparently an important find. He wasn't remarkable, but the role didn't really allow him to be.

Joseph was outstanding in The Handmaid's Tale, IMO.

 

[manhn]

Ralph Fiennes should have won the Oscar for Schindler's List. I also thought he was fantastic in The English Patient, Quiz Show, The End of the Affair, and The Constant Gardener.

 

[Japanfan]

Ralph Fiennes should have won the Oscar for Schindler's List. I also thought he was fantastic in The English Patient, Quiz Show, The End of the Affair, and The Constant Gardener.

Forgot about Schindler's List and Quiz Show. Agree that he was outstanding in both.

 

[Vash01]

Ralph Fiennes should have won the Oscar for Schindler's List. I also thought he was fantastic in The English Patient, Quiz Show, The End of the Affair, and The Constant Gardener.

He should have won the best actor Oscar for The English Patient, and a supporting actor for Schindlers list. He has done too many bad guy roles (Schindlers list, obviously). Did that hurt his career? Just wondering. He is such a versatile actor! I don't remember the names of all his movies but he was very good in The Grand Budapest Hotel in a humorous role. He was a really bad guy in the movie with Keira Knightley (Duchess). He was the lead in Subshine - a very long movie about the Holocaust (he was the good guy). Constant Gardner was another strong performance. I have not seen Quiz show, but plan to.

He also had smaller roles in Harry Potter and some other movies.

He directed The white crow, which I plan to see soon.

I saw Joseph Fiennes in just one movie - SIL, so May be it is unfair to compare the two.

 

[VGThuy]

I’d given him the Oscar for The Grand Budapest Hotel. He turned in an outstanding comedic performance.

 

[Vash01]

I’d given him the Oscar for The Grand Budapest Hotel. He turned in an outstanding comedic performance.

I was disappointed that he was not even nominated.

 

[misskarne]

Top Gun: Maverick is now on Amazon, and Youtube is lighting up with movie reactors who've been holding off waiting for the views. Funnily enough, the common theme at the end of each is "oh my god it's still in theatres where I am I have to go see it on the big screen!"

 

[Buzz]

Top Gun: Maverick is now on Amazon, and Youtube is lighting up with movie reactors who've been holding off waiting for the views. Funnily enough, the common theme at the end of each is "oh my god it's still in theatres where I am I have to go see it on the big screen!"

Here it is for purchase only but not yet free to view.

 

[vgerdes]

Here it is for purchase only but not yet free to view.

I think the services where it's available, like Amazon and YouTube, still have it as a for-purchase option. It's not yet been made free to view on any service that I know of, and I don't think that it's available for rental yet either.

 

[annie720]

Top Gun: Maverick is now on Amazon, and Youtube is lighting up with movie reactors who've been holding off waiting for the views. Funnily enough, the common theme at the end of each is "oh my god it's still in theatres where I am I have to go see it on the big screen!"

I saw TG Maverick in the theater just two days ago! I liked it. Wasn't a huge fan of the original but liked it fine. Maverick has very much the same vibe. I imagine anyone who loved the original would also love this. Of course, my husband was busy finding holes in the plot. Man, how can Cruise look that good at his age!

Also saw Elvis in the theater yesterday. Enjoyed it but I think it would have liked it more if it were 45 minutes shorter. Loved the early scenes with Elvis growing up, the Hayride appearance, and Beale Street. Austin Butler did a fantastic job but I couldn't help but see him as the Disney/Nickelodeon kid. The final footage of the real Elvis singing Unchained Melody in his last performance was incredible and eye-opening.

 

[MacMadame]

Man, how can Cruise look that good at his age!

He has a mirror in the attic.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

He has a mirror in the attic.

Is that where Xenu (allegedly) stores his soul?

 

[Buzz]

Matt Shakman will be directing the new Fantastic Four movie for Marvel. He previously worked on WandaVision.

 

[puglover]

Anyone seen "The Bullet Train"?

 

[Aussie Willy]

He should have won the best actor Oscar for The English Patient, and a supporting actor for Schindlers list. He has done too many bad guy roles (Schindlers list, obviously). Did that hurt his career? Just wondering. He is such a versatile actor! I don't remember the names of all his movies but he was very good in The Grand Budapest Hotel in a humorous role. He was a really bad guy in the movie with Keira Knightley (Duchess). He was the lead in Subshine - a very long movie about the Holocaust (he was the good guy). Constant Gardner was another strong performance. I have not seen Quiz show, but plan to.

He also had smaller roles in Harry Potter and some other movies.

He directed The white crow, which I plan to see soon.

I saw Joseph Fiennes in just one movie - SIL, so May be it is unfair to compare the two.

I really like Ralph Fiennes and agree he should have also got support actor for Schindler's List. Those films you mention demonstrate what a good actor he is.

I think he is one of those actors that is picking good roles that suit his age like Hugh Grant has been of late.

BTW - speaking of good actors, has anyone see Good luck to you Leo Grande. Saw it on the weekend. Stars Emma Thompson and an actor I was not familiar with Daryl McCormack. About an woman who husband has died and she decides that she wants to explore sex after having a very boring sex life with her husband. So hires Leo who is a sex worker. Really lovely comedy about the subject of sex workers and a person who is finding herself later on in life. It doesn't denigrate the profession and actually shows that people like Leo can play a vital role in people's lives.

 

[screech]

Just saw the trailer for the upcoming Weird Al movie. Apparently a lot of people don't 'get' it, not realizing that it's a parody (for example, in the movie, Al has a drug and alcohol problem, when in real life he's a teetotaler). I'm excited to see it, and am even considering trying to see if I can get tickets for its premiere next week at TIFF. Daniel Radcliffe looks awesome from the clips (IMO he's a much better actor, especially comedic, than people give him credit for), and Al himself co-wrote the script.

 

[vgerdes]

Just saw the trailer for the upcoming Weird Al movie. Apparently a lot of people don't 'get' it, not realizing that it's a parody (for example, in the movie, Al has a drug and alcohol problem, when in real life he's a teetotaler). I'm excited to see it, and am even considering trying to see if I can get tickets for its premiere next week at TIFF. Daniel Radcliffe looks awesome from the clips (IMO he's a much better actor, especially comedic, than people give him credit for), and Al himself co-wrote the script.

I'm looking forward to this one. I've always had a great deal of fondness for Al, and Daniel is still a cutie even if he's all grown up now.

 

[VGThuy]

I love how most of Weird Al’s parodies weren’t actually “mean” or “insult” humor in that the original artists were almost never the subject of his parodies. He also had some really great actual musicians in his backing band.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Just saw the trailer for the upcoming Weird Al movie. Apparently a lot of people don't 'get' it, not realizing that it's a parody (for example, in the movie, Al has a drug and alcohol problem, when in real life he's a teetotaler). I'm excited to see it, and am even considering trying to see if I can get tickets for its premiere next week at TIFF. Daniel Radcliffe looks awesome from the clips (IMO he's a much better actor, especially comedic, than people give him credit for), and Al himself co-wrote the script.

I cannot wait to see this one.

Al always asked the musicians if he could parody their songs.

Has anyone else seen his birthday card that you can send family and friends? I am going to send one to my friend this year for his birthday (he likes Weird Al as much as I do).

 

[screech]

I love how most of Weird Al’s parodies weren’t actually “mean” or “insult” humor in that the original artists were almost never the subject of his parodies. He also had some really great actual musicians in his backing band.

One of my favourites is 'White and Nerdy' for which the original's artist Chamillionaire praised Al's rap skills, and he also later thanked Al for the parody, claiming it helped 'Ridin' to win the Grammy for best rap song.

And the fact that Madonna requested he parody 'Like a Virgin' and actually assisted in the writing process. Michael Jackson was a fan of 'Eat It', and 'Amish Paradise' is brilliant (though Coolio originally did not agree to the parody, the record company did and Coolio now says he enjoys the parody and regrets his original refusal). Any time I hear the intro, my mind always goes to 'Amish Paradise' instead of 'Gangsta's Paradise'.

Huge respect to the guy as he is not required to obtain permission to do parodies, but always ensures he has it, out of respect for the original artists

I actually think in a lot of ways he's more clever than the original artists, as he has to rewrite it in a way that is funny, makes sense, rhymes, etc. And so many artists (most notably Nirvana) see a Weird Al parody as a sign they've 'made it'.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I actually think in a lot of ways he's more clever than the original artists, as he has to rewrite it in a way that is funny, makes sense, rhymes, etc. And so many artists (most notably Nirvana) see a Weird Al parody as a sign they've 'made it'.

Absolutely. It is a badge of honour.

I loved when he turned the Brady Bunch theme into the Safety Dance.

 

[watchthis!!]

Beast is an action/thriller movie somewhat in the same vein as “Fall” which I posted about recently. People stuck in a dangerous situation and what do they do to get out of the trouble they are in? The situations in these two movies are quite different. But the seriousness of the danger the characters are in are both at a very high level. Beast is decent enough, but had a good number of moments where you want to scream at the screen, “why are you doing THAT??!!” You just have to let all the questionable decisions slide and just enjoy the movie for what it is. One great scene was when

Spoiler

Idris Elba is being (savagely!) attacked by a lion and all he is left to do is kick and to actually PUNCH THE LION IN THE FACE!!!

Overall, “Fall” is a much better movie than “Beast”. But both are good fun summer movies.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Don McLean said his kids loved the Star Wars parody of The Day the music Died so much that he had to be careful in concert to sing the original song instead of Al's.

 

[watchthis!!]

Three Thousand Years Of Longing is in it’s first week of release in movie theatres. It’s a fantasy film starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba. I enjoyed the magical quality of the movie. The story is completely original (and long overdue as far as movie ideas go) and the two leads are captivating. So I was disappointed to read that the reviews are bad and the box office is disastrous. I’m not sure why critics don’t like this movie and why moviegoers are staying away. The second half starts off a little slow, but I quite liked the conclusion. And the music kept making me imagine figure skaters using this music in the upcoming season. It’s quite understated, you might not even notice it at times. But often I realized how enjoyable the music was and appreciated how subtle it is. Who knows maybe some day this movie will be heralded as a classic that people just didn’t understand when it was originally released.

 

[Cachoo]

I realize there are some excellent, high dollar action film series---like the Bond or Mission Impossible franchises. But I think I've sort of found my McDonald's of action films. You know the thing about McDonald's is the uniformity. If I order a hamburger here or in Mississippi or in Oregon from Mickey D's it is the same thing. And so Jason Statham is my McDonald's of action films. He never, ever changes character. He is always Jason. I am comfortable with him. And I like him...not enough to pay for a film...but I like some of the films I catch streaming. Today I watched "Killer Elite" starring Statham, Robert DeNiro, Clive Owen, Yvonne Strahovski and Dominic Purcell on HBOMAX. It is a humdinger of an action film based loosely on events following a rather secret war in Oman involving the British SAS way back in the day (late 70's.) The film is set in 1980 and involves a vendetta which crisscrosses nations and makes for some strange allies and enemies. And as of the making of the film the secrets of the Oman war and the SAS were still top secret and buried. Anyway it was entertaining and Jason, as always, was Jason.

 

[watchthis!!]

I saw “Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.” yesterday when it opened in the movie theatres. Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall star as pastor and first lady of a southern megachurch. A scandal has caused chaos in their life and they set out to re-establish themselves and their church. The film is shot as a mockumentary and is lucky to have two such talented and charismatic actors to carry this movie. Hall especially shines in her role. Hollywood needs to give her more (and better) work. Two newcomers play leaders of a rival church and they are both fantastic in their roles.
BUT…two problems with this movie. The script is slight. It is based on a short film and it seems like not enough time was taken to build that short film up into a feature length film. The now old tactic of over-long, quiet and awkward uncut interview shots occur over and over again - and it’s just not funny anymore. Just awkward. Really awkward. Plus every single character in this movie falls somewhere on the “nasty piece of work” scale. So both of these things make the movie unpleasant to watch. The story and the characters are interesting, but the movie is both directed and written by Adamma Ebo, who is both a first-time screenplay writer as well as a first-time director. I think Adamma bit off more than they could chew, unfortunately.

 

[Buzz]

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' tops box office while U.S. Cinema Day draws millions

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” has swung back on top of the box office during a holiday weekend where American theatres aimed to lure moviegoers with discounted $3 tickets.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[watchthis!!]

Satisfied. That’s a nice feeling to have once you’ve finished watching a movie. And that’s exactly how I felt after watching “The Invitation”, which is now in theatres. And considering the movie is in the thriller/horror/suspense genre (which is a genre where it’s easy for a filmmaker to go wrong), I’m even happier with this movie. Emmy nominee Nathalie Emmanuel (Game Of Thrones) stars as a young artist in New York who finds herself with no close living family members after her mother passes away. She decides to take an ancestry/DNA test to see if there is someone from her extended family to make contact with. This is exactly what happens…but so much more. It’s tough to say more without spoiling different aspects of what this movie is. Oh, and if you like seeing women taking the lead in making movies, both the director and the screenwriter are female. They have both done a great job with this movie.