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

[Cachoo]

I enjoyed it too. Yes, it's fluff, but it made me laugh several times and it was just what I needed after a stressful day.

There is nothing wrong with fluff as long as it is done well. Bad fluff---most Hallmark, Lifetime movie channel movies (with exceptions.) Good fluff: Hello Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan!

 

[MacMadame]

There is nothing wrong with fluff as long as it is done well. Bad fluff---most Hallmark, Lifetime movie channel movies (with exceptions.) Good fluff: Hello Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan!

I would say that this one is acceptable fluff. Not as good as the best but not in the Hallmark/Lifetime range.

 

[watchthis!!]

There was some talk in this thread recently about director Walt Whitman. I saw that he had made a version of Lady Susan, a Jane Austen novel. The movie is called Love & Friendship. I don’t remember hearing about this movie when it came out in 2016. But it made 21 million on a three million budget. And it was nominated for a ton of critics awards and festival awards. I found the movie to be a typical Jane Austen movie adaptation, an expected light historical drama (at first). And because of this I didn’t pay as much attention to it as a I should have because by the end, it was more than I expected and better than I was giving it credit for. The screenplay is very strong and the performances are really quite good. I may watch it again at some point knowing now that it deserved more of my attention while watching it than I did. Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny and Stephen Fry are the biggest names in this movie.

 

[Sarrie]

I love Walt Whitman, Barcelona is one of my favorite movies. I saw Love and Friendship and liked it, especially Kate Beckinsale in a part that could have been difficult to like with another actress. I also enjoyed the dialogue and of course the costuming and sets were beautiful.

I also admit to watching Marry Me and enjoying it. I did think Jennifer Lopez did too much singing, yes I know she's a superstar singer in the film (and real life) but for me I could have heard one or two less songs by her.

 

[Buzz]

Cinemas have suffered so much over the last few years then for this to happen on top of it seems so cruel.

Police investigating screen slashing incident in Oakville movie theatre | Globalnews.ca

Investigators say the incident happened late Wednesday afternoon at a cinema on Speers Road in Oakville, Ont.

globalnews.ca

 

[Cachoo]

I wanted some escape for a few hours of the dreadful news and "Landline" provided it. It stars Jenny Slate, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, John Turturro, Jay Duplass and Finn Wittrock. It is set in 1995 before we were tethered to our phones and is about two sisters, one in high school and one engaged and out of college. The movie made me laugh in the first ten minutes and I don't laugh easily. It was touching and such a nice reminder of daily life in that decade. Trailer: https://youtu.be/llmki0lioMs Jenny is awesome.

Also there is no paywall for "The Ringer" and there is this amusing article for your edification:

Robert Pattinson Has Been Lying to You for Years​

Over the past 15 years, the ‘Batman’ star has been telling stories about befriending elephants, selling pornography, and watching clowns die. None of them are true.

 

[Wyliefan]

Not to be obnoxious, but just to help people who might want to look him up, the director is Whit Stillman, not Walt Whitman. And I like him too!

 

[Cachoo]

Not to be obnoxious, but just to help people who might want to look him up, the director is Whit Stillman, not Walt Whitman. And I like him too!

Well they are both wonderful with words. I love Stillman because he is not afraid of a lot of dialogue. In the age of all of these enhanced action flicks we need more Stillman!

 

[Cachoo]

In the spirit of searching for carefree fare while watching tragedy unfold in Ukraine I enjoyed Free Guy and The Tender Bar. I thought Ryan Reynolds and Ben Affleck played two of the most likable characters I've seen in some time. On surface one was about gaming with a much deeper message and the other was about the importance of place and family. I thought they were well worth the time.

 

[watchthis!!]

I really enjoyed Hotel Artemis. It’s the movie that lured Jodie Foster out of her retirement from acting. She’s great in this, as expected. She plays a nurse who has suffered personal heartbreak and after her life implodes, she is convinced to resume her derailed career as a nurse…but this time in a hotel where criminals can flee to with their injuries. The plot of this movie is great and Foster is surrounded by a lot of talent, including Dave Bautista, Sterling K. Brown, Jeff Goldblum, Charlie Day, Jenny Slate and Zachary Quinto. Unfortunately this movie bombed at the box office. I have no idea why. The pacing is great and the story is not a retread of something we have seen many times before. This one is worth watching for many reasons.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Jode Foster is the only reason you need to watch Hotel Artemis. She was incredible in this. She changed her walk and speech patterns. She completely made the character.

 

[Cachoo]

I had read some middling reviews of “The French Dispatch” and watched with some trepidation. I loved this film. I realize Anderson’s films have a certain look and feel but a tribute to “The New Yorker” set in France is a delightful combination for Anderson and I enjoyed the actors, the set, even the soundtrack. I’ll watch again soon. Also I watched “The Making of” about this film and loved hearing how much the townspeople participated in the French town where they filmed. It sounded like a joyful experience.

 

[MacMadame]

Has anyone seen Uncharted? Was it fun?

 

[Buzz]

I saw Uncharted and loved it. Nothing to write home about but it was fun!

 

[vgerdes]

Uncharted was a lot of fun. Of course, I adore Tom Holland, so I was predisposed to enjoy myself, and I did.

 

[annie720]

I saw the Oscar-Nominated Documentary Shorts yesterday at a downtown cinema. Each one of the five deserved to be there and they were all different. Audible, the film about the MD School for the Deaf football player may have been my favorite. My husband fell asleep during the Afghan film, something he NEVER does, so maybe an indication that you need more than an exotic locale to interest viewers. The film on homelessness in western U.S. cities was well done but the overall hopeless feeling is overwhelming. The Shaq-produced film on basketball player Lucia Harris was a joy to watch!

 

[mjb52]

The film on homelessness in western U.S. cities was well done but the overall hopeless feeling is overwhelming.

I still remember dragging my friend and her then-husband to see the Oscar nominated short films (live action) several years ago. Out of the five, each of the first four was more intensely depressing than the last. The final film was fun and lively and I wasn't surprised that in the end it was the one that won. My friend and her husband split up not too long afterward. Coincidence? I'll never know.

This group sounds interesting, especially Audible.

 

[annie720]

I still remember dragging my friend and her then-husband to see the Oscar nominated short films (live action) several years ago. Out of the five, each of the first four was more intensely depressing than the last. The final film was fun and lively and I wasn't surprised that in the end it was the one that won. My friend and her husband split up not too long afterward. Coincidence? I'll never know.

This group sounds interesting, especially Audible.

We always enjoy watching the shorts and it's great to be able to see them in the theatre again! We always go have a bite to eat afterwards to discuss everything. I left out one of the films - it was about a man reminiscing about his 5th grade class in the '60s at an elementary school in Brooklyn. It was well done but it didn't leave us feeling anything. I had been looking forward to Audible because we used to live by one of the MD School for the Deaf campuses. It turns out it was the lower school, so not the high school in this film.

I was just checking to see where the live-action shorts are showing. The locations aren't as convenient but I'm positive we'll go next week.

 

[Husky]

I saw The Power of the Dog a few weeks ago and was a bit appalled afterwards but didn't know why, certainly not for its homosexual content and the story is quite clear it doesn't need further explanation, so I simply tried to forget it. Still I wondered what had made me feel so uncomfortable? After watching it a second time I realised it was the inceste theme that had bothered me. Actually, George is one of the most pitiful characters I have ever seen.


He lives with his domineering brother in this big house and shares the same room. In the hotel they even share the same bed. While watching the movie for the first time I thought the two were a homosexual couple just calling each other "bro" till it was clear that they WERE brothers. This had confused me so much. But there is really no reason why these two grown men should share the same room on their big ranch. And it must have been an ordeal for George to live for such a long time with his brother who hardly ever took a bath (except mud baths). No wonder, that George felt so alone, before he met Rose (ah, the symbolism). There are no hints given what kind of relationship the legendary Bronco Henry and George maintained but my guess is that he also seduced George (who is not gay) - probably at a very young age as it is mentioned that he taught the two boys how to become ranchers 25 years ago. So overall, George is the more mysterious character though we only see Rose suffer.

On a sidenote: there is an extremely hilarious scene at 49:59 that only came to my awareness while watching it the second time. It's the moment when George approaches the workbench where Phil is lying on the table and some young cowboy with long hair is bending over Phil's back. It's almost a standstill like "caught in the act" with George staring uncomfortably at them as if this reminded him of something.

Now, I'll get the book. Should be interesting to compare it to the movie.

 

[Cachoo]

I love Cumberbatch in this film but for me the most fascinating character is Peter and how the people around him see him superficially as opposed to the man we see by the end of the film. I also wonder what might have opened emotionally for Phil if Peter was a character who was there but not related to Rose.

 

[mjb52]

I'm going to spoiler part of this, just to be on the safe side, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet and intends to: The part that was most intriguing to me was whether Peter was genuinely drawn to Phil at all, or whether it was all just part of his scheme. I went back and forth on that. I read the book too, but although it added more info about some things, I don't remember feeling like the book really expanded on that aspect of things. I think the homoerotic aspect of the relationship in the book might have escaped me completely if I hadn't seen the movie first, it's very subtly done as I remember it, but of course it's hard to say because I did see the movie first.

 

[Buzz]

Saw The Batman today and it is a really really good movie but may not be what some are expecting. It felt to me more like an old fashioned gumshoe mystery type movie rather than a superhero movie. You could substitute almost any character from anywhere with the Batman character and it will not make much of a difference. That said, as much as I liked this movie I don’t think I will be paying to see it twice.


ETA:
Don’t bother staying until the end credits. There are no real post credit scenes to speak of.

 

[Cachoo]

I'm going to spoiler part of this, just to be on the safe side, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet …

I think he seems to be smart, creative, thoughtful and organized. And that film left me with more questions than answers when it comes to that character. I’m curious what a psychological assessment would find.
I actually think Phil is easier to see.

 

[Husky]

I was also wondering if Peter had romantic feelings for Phil but came to the conclusion that he sees Phil as an "obstacle" (a word that his father used to describe what makes a man). Just like a surgeon would remove an appendix. And the punishment Phil receives is completely out of proportion. Some see Peter as the heroe, I tried to but I can't. I know, art works differently but in real life I would call him a cold-blooded killer.

At this point the movie gives me homophobic vibes because all 3 homoerotic men Bronco Henry, Phil, and Peter seem to have major issues while the heterosexual couple is innocent and normal and will probably live happily hereafter with Rose certainly recovering, now that Phil is gone. I wonder if Jane Campion was aware of it?

 

[MacMadame]

This is an interesting article about missing movies. Movies that you can't get anymore because they aren't on a streaming service and they aren't available on DVD to rent or buy.

‘We can’t afford to lose them’: the fight to bring missing movies back

Films such as The Heartbreak Kid and I Shot Andy Warhol remain unavailable on any platform but a new initiative is aiming to change that

www.theguardian.com

 

[Buzz]

Excellent news for cinema operators.

‘The Batman’ Flies Even Higher With $134 Million Debut at Domestic Box Office

"The Batman" had a bigger opening weekend than Warner Bros., the studio behind the comic book adventure, initially expected.

variety.com

 

[Cachoo]

I was also wondering if Peter had romantic feelings for Phil but came to the conclusion that he sees Phil as an "obstacle" (a word that his father used to describe what makes a man). Just like a surgeon would remove an appendix. And the punishment Phil receives is completely out of proportion. Some see Peter as the heroe, I tried to but I can't. I know, art works differently but in real life I would call him a cold-blooded killer.

At this point the movie gives me homophobic vibes because all 3 homoerotic men Bronco Henry, Phil, and Peter seem to have major issues while the heterosexual couple is innocent and normal and will probably live happily hereafter with Rose certainly recovering, now that Phil is gone. I wonder if Jane Campion was aware of it?

I often wonder who Phil would be if he had lived 100 years later in an open, accepting environment. I don't think he would be the same person. But Peter? I think he is the same person.

 

[mjb52]

That's really interesting to think about. My first instinct is fatalistic, that he would be the same person, just unhappy and bitter in a slightly different way. That the darkness in his personality is inside him and it would settle on another reason for expressing itself. But his vulnerability to Peter and ultimate attempt at mentoring him shows another aspect to who he is - maybe that side would have been better able to flourish.

 

[VGThuy]

My post is full of spoilers of The Power of the Dog. I tried to use spoiler tags where I felt was necessary but if you hadn't seen the movie yet but plan to do so, then skip my entire post to be safe.

The thing about Peter was that

Spoiler

I believe it's been hinted that he was sort of a sociopath. He mentioned to Phil that his father always worried about him for being "too strong" aka not being empathetic and caring enough.

At first, that line confused the hell out of Phil who only saw strength in the classic, traditional masculine way (cowboy culture perpetuates it as shown by his previous cruelty to Peter calling him all kinds of homophobic phrases and such). But in a way, he turned that sociopathy in a "positive" way (kind of like Dexter I guess even though I don't know much about Dexter, I heard that the story is essentially that, as a child, Dexter had the propensity to be a serial killer so his stepdad, who noticed that early on, re-directed him to only kill those who "deserved" it). Peter loves his mother and vowed early on to help and protect her (the very first line of the movie which pretty much illustrated Peter's whole raison d'etre.

He knows that Phil would be her ruin (totally relatable to me who grew up in a toxic household who knew life would better if just one person went away from our lives and it mostly turned out to be true), so to perpetuate his "kindness" to his mother, he does one of the most cruel things anybody can do to a person to Phil -

Spoiler

cruelly and purposefully manipulating someone's "love" or loving feelings towards them in order to hurt and even destroy them.

I love that Phil, who was once cruel, met his demise when he finally opened up and stopped being cruel...to Peter. His cruelty towards Rose (and to George) continued. IMO, that cruelty was fueled by recognizing her own loneliness and sorrow but angry that she could do something about it by marrying George while he had no outlet and no way to solve his own closeted loneliness and sadness - one that Peter himself was not enough to solve because Phil continued his cruelty to others - especially Rose.

Spoiler

I totally believe the time period and way Bronco Henry may have "groomed" him was the reason he was the he was. Benedict Cumberbatch also mentioned Phil was motivated to be the way he was due to the cruelty of his mother as well, but the movie only hinted at that in a very subtle way. It wasn't him being "gay" per se that made him toxic and cruel, but how repressed he had to be and vulnerable he ended up being due to factors outside his control and what others did to him.

 

[mjb52]

In an interview Kirsten Dunst said that she and the actor who played Peter (McPhee?) had an idea between them that Peter had killed his father. I don't know that I personally hold with that, and I definitely don't think it's that way in the book, which goes into the backstory concerning Peter's father more, but a movie isn't the same as the book and it's a pretty interesting idea. Actually, now I want to go back and look at the book to make sure I didn't miss something because it is definitely very subtle so maybe there is a hint in there that this might be the case that I didn't catch and they did, if they read the book (I don't know whether they did or not)? Either way, it is definitely consistent with what you're saying @VGThuy. Also it raises an interesting question - if the actor was playing it that way, do I have to agree with it bc it was a part of his performance? I don't think so, but I am not sure I can make an strong argument for why.

I haven't seen any of the other movies nominated this year so it's pretty easy for me to root for this one, but is there anything else that was a strong contender that I should check out?