Posted on December 11, 2007 in Movies
Oh, how I’ve missed watching foreign films. I am seemingly fond of German films what with Goodbye, Lenin, Run Lola Run, and Wings of Desire to name a few films. I can admit that I am an Anglophile, a Francophile, but I often forget how much German art I love. Not only films, but I listen to classic and baroque music; Rainer Maria Rilke is one of my favourite poets. Brecht is referenced in this film which reminds me I should check him out more too.
Art and beauty is an important characteristic in this drama and political thriller. A little goes a long way in this film. It is subtle, intricate, and layered. I was left speechless when the movie ended and wondered how I was going to write a review. That is usually an indicator of how much the film affected me. The script is incredibly well written. The music plays a character and is superbly scored by Gabriel Yared. The movie features stylized colours, very GDR, and shot with soft focus.
The acting is crazy good in this film. I don’t want to go on and on about how amazing some of the performances were. Listening to the director’s commentary, it’s clear he is an “actor’s director”. He appreciates actors. He cast non-speaking parts to well known German actors just to make every detail worthwhile. There was such meticulousness imbued into this film. Without a doubt, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is a promising director/screenwriter. Will he be be able to follow up with this debut? No idea, but even if it isn’t half as good as this film, it would be still be a very fine movie.
Posted on December 9, 2007 in Books, Movies
When I read this book the first time, I was a little older than the protagonist’s age. I’ve reread the books twice since, in audiobook form last year, and yesterday before I saw the movie. I love the HDM trilogy because is an extremely well done fantasy series that is complex and layered. It’s definitely not just for kids and is rereadable for a variety of reasons including the questions and ideas it elicits.
The idea of a movie has been around for a long time, and I remember there had been some issues with the script and switching of directors. I am really glad it has been done. I enjoyed myself. It was great to see all the concepts in the books such as the daemons, and Iorek visualized. The special effects were some of the best things about the book. The casting is fantastic. I think everyone, including newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, did a fine job. I really want to the film to do well; this is actually the first time I’ve been in a movie theatre since May 2006. The success of this movie will determine whether New Line green lights the other two films. The ending is abrupt as a result which brings me to more in depth comments below.
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Posted on December 3, 2007 in Movies
I haven’t done this feature since March. I use to watch a lot of movies, and now, not so much. Tis sad. This feature may continue to be sporadic.
Movies seen in November 2007. Does not include any rewatches, and I don’t think there were any. Links to Amazon when available.
Little Children (01 11 07) – REVIEWED.
The Bourne Ultimatum (09 11 07) – I have seen all three of these movies and liked them. I am my dad’s daughter in the sense that I really can enjoy action movies. I think this series and Matt Damon has held up really well. It’s consistently entertaining, not stupid, and holds its appeal. I don’t know if making a fourth would do anything for it, but I’ll definitely watch it if they do. I should really read the books, but never find the time. I will one day.
The Simpsons: Movie (10 11 07) – Nice and easy. It wasn’t as good as classic Simpsons (but what is?), but I haven’t watched any of the recent episodes. The film had a few good jokes and balanced it with that Simpsons heart that I’ve always been fond of. I’m a sap, but it was pleasant viewing.
Father of the Bride (10 11 07) – Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor as his daughter. I’ve seen all the Steve Martin movies that came out of this original. They’re funny in different ways. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched an old movie (pathetic since I use to watch those in marathons), and this movie is such a straightforward comedy of yore. It’s not Tracy at his best or Taylor at her most beautiful, but the film holds up well for the father-daughter relationship it displays.
Learners (13 11 07) – This is a BBC TV movie starring Jessica Hynes (who also wrote it) and David Tennant. I watched it for the DT of course, and it wasn’t that funny. I also suck supremely at driving so a film about a woman who fails to pass her test reflects on my own ineptitude on the road.
I also have a lot (more than a dozen) movies in the To Be Watched pile, and I am going to make a dent into that list. December will be a busy month for a lot of things.
Posted on November 1, 2007 in Books, Movies
By Tom Perrotta. I am not a mother, have never lived in the suburbs (let alone an American one), and I’m currently not in a romantic relationship. Also, all these characters are older than me by at least a decade. So I would say I am not at a point in my life to be able to relate to any of this book’s characters and their problems. I did end up relating to some of them because I found the narrative inviting. The back of the hardcover edition has Newsweek calling Tom Perrotta “an American Nick Hornby: companionable and humane, light hearted and surprisingly touching.” That’s funny because Hornby is the reason I picked up this book in the first place. He warmly reviewed the book in Housekeeping vs. The Dirt, his second book of literary essays. Kate Winslet being in the film adaptation sealed the deal. I think the comparison is actually rather apt. I found that Todd’s early scenes in the book reminded me right away of Hornby’s style. I would say that Perrotta is slightly more melancholic and darker than Hornby. The description still stands more or less, as I was able to emphasize and feel for most of the characters in this book.
Perrotta uses third person omniscient narrator on many characters. I like that you can get an idea of so many people, and he pulls it off. Many characters can also take away from the main adultery plot because novels about affairs can be tiresome so instead of being exasperated by Todd and Sarah, I found I was very curious between chapters about what they were up to.
Early on though, the affair reminded me slightly of Kar Wai Wong’s film In the Mood for Love. It was the sort of ephemeral, earnest and slightly sad nature of the two people connecting. Though Perrotta is not as pensive as Wong. The novel’s suspense seemed to indicate a sensational ending which I dreaded, but the ending was fine in the end, more or less. For the most part, the book kept my attention through out, and I found the characterizations well thought out. There is nothing excessively flowery or postmodernist about his prose, and it moved the story and characters along with relative ease. I’m not interested in reading his new novel The Abstinence Teacher any time soon (maybe for the film adaptation?), but this was a fine read.
It took me two days to finish this movie which made the film feel slow for me, but that’s my fault. It was a fine adaptation that was true to the book because Tom Perrotta co-wrote the screenplay. A few changes in the story. They changed Todd’s name to Brad because the director and co screenwriter is Todd Field. Patrick Wilson could be a Todd. Also, I was wondering if the movie’s ending would add on to the one in the book, and it didn’t really. The ending was more lurid than the book, which is appropriate for a film I guess. The pedophile casting and plot was more sympathetic than in the book.
Sarah in the novel is described as frumpy, plain, and not conventionally pretty. I had already seen clips of the movie before reading the book so I couldn’t help putting Winslet’s face in my mind as Sarah when reading the book. The passages about Sarah’s beauty didn’t connect as well in this cases because I adore Kate Winslet and thinks she’s beautiful as a film star and as a real woman. I find her more attractive than Jennifr Connelly who played Brad’s wife Kathy in the film. Though, makeup did a good job of making Winslet frazzled and plain.
They added a narrator, voiced by Will Lyman, into the film. It would seem like an unnecessary, somewhat cheap tool to use in a film adaptation because it becomes that third omniscient narrator, but I liked it. It made it feel a bit like a documentary. Not like Discovery channel animal documentary, but more like a PBS anthropological one.
There were a few humorous touches, but not enough for this film to move faster. If I hadn’t read the book, I don’t know if I would have appreciated the characters or the ending as much as I do. In these cases, I recommend to read the book and watch the movie together rather than go the movie alone. You just get a better sense of everything in the story that way.
Posted on October 24, 2007 in Books, Movies
By Augusten Burroughs. On my allconsuming.net account, I ask for recommendations of nonfiction books. This was the book that most people “thought I might enjoy”. It’s a very popular memoirs, and I can see why. Many people think the book is funny, and I found some moments amusing, but most of the time, it was just strange. I think Burroughs’s prose is simple, direct, and effective as it is. Burroughs childhood and the people around him were quite messed up, but the more I read, the less perturbed I became. He also seemed to grow into the weirdness and unsettling nature of his life as he seemed to just accept what it was. Objectively speaking, a lot of the details were disturbing and sad.
I probably wouldn’t have read this book had not so many people recommended it for me as I really don’t read many memoirs of this type. I have read a lot about travel, food, and of famous people, but not on “normal” people. Not that Augusten Burroughs childhood was in any way normal. It’s a bit refreshing, and I did relate to some aspects of this. Due to the lack of boundaries placed on the characters and their disregard of societal norms and values, some of the stuff described was seemed genuinely fun and liberating to me. Often weird, but still neat. There was a spontaneity that I could see the appeal of in the stories of the mini adventures.
The book was shorter than I thought it would be, and I didn’t feel dragged down by it as a result. I don’t love this book nor do I dislike it. I think it conveys how crazy people are, but then again, maybe we have that in our every day lives. You can tell I’m not easily surprised by a lot of things that I read. Like I said, I was able to relate to it in some way showing you how we all want to be let out of our cages sometime.
So I don’t read movie reviews, but I’m fairly abreast of what films are liked and well received. I don’t remember hearing anything about this movie which usually doesn’t mean well for the film. Two of my friends did not like. One of them said the movie dragged on way too long. I’m inclined to agree. It wasn’t that bad of a movie, but it felt a bit aimless. I don’t think it did a good job of making you feel attached to any of the characters. It was slow, and took a bunch of amusing things from the book, but it wasn’t quite enjoyable or even sad enough. It felt a bit disjointed. I think the script might have looked okay on paper, but was just difficult to be cohesive on screen. I thought the acting was pretty decent since there was Annette Benning, Alec Baldwin, Gwyneth Paltrow (she had such few lines that she did not irk me at all in this film), Joseph Fiennes, and Joseph Cross as Augusten. The soundtrack wasn’t bad either, and there were some nice moments attributed to the director and the actors. All in all, not the worse movie I have seen, but not a great adaptation either.
Posted on September 29, 2007 in Movies
Based on the book of the same name, this film recounts the based on true story tale of the British military’s Operation Mincemeat, a plan to fool the Axis powers that the Allies intended to attack Sardinia and Greece rather than Sicily. I watched a bit of this film a few weeks ago on TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies which is a treasure for a classic film lover like me. The film is a little gem of suspense and classic espionage. It doesn’t have a lot of special effects, and though I knew how it would end, the tension build up and drama were just right. I have a thing for spy films so this fits right up my alley. It’s also humorous in the deadpan, ironic British way at times. Though there is a romantic B plot that serves as the fictional drama, it fits seamlessly into the film. In all, the film does not over extend itself to what it really is. A very well adapted, acted, and directed movie about this World War II deception plan. Smart and underrated old flick
Posted on September 23, 2007 in Movies
When I watched Ocean’s 12 a few months ago, I found it fine, not great. Only later did I realize how stupid the plot was, but it didn’t really occur to me right away because one doesn’t really watch these films for plot. Though I must say this one was more thought out than its predecessor, but I found the latter more pretty only because they were in Europe. This one goes back to being solely Las Vegas with a casino oriented plot, just like the first one. Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin come for this ride, not to mention little bits from Julian Sands and Eddie Izzard (reprising). So I wouldn’t say I was a big fan of Clooney, Pitt, etc., but I don’t dislike the guys, and they honestly look like they enjoyed making this movie. I like a good blockbuster where it’s light, fun, and the cast looks like they don’t mind being there either. The cast also have chemistry which tells me they like being around each other too. It’s not the best comedy, nor the most profound, but Steven Soderbergh has his nice visual cues and editing in the movie. All in all, not a total waste of a couple of hours, and if you like these guys and accept this for what it is, it’s not bad way to spend your time.
Posted on August 14, 2007 in Books, Movies
Things are slowly going to get busier from here on out so I have less time to do the things I like which include blogging so I’ve decided to rec books and movies I’ve seen previously, but not formally reviewed on this blog. I’m not going to write full reviews because t’s usually been some time since I’ve read them. I am also going to aim to reccommend books and films that are relatively under rated.
I did review both of these on allconsuming.net, so I’ve included them which I wrote over a year ago.
The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa and film directed by Luchino Visconti
“I learned about the movie and book from Roger Ebert’s Great Movies II. I read the novel first, and I enjoyed that. This adaptation does the book justice. Both of them have the same maudlin and sad nostalgia that everyone may not appreciate, but they are lovely. The movie is a beautiful period piece. Burt Lancaster said this was his best work, and he captures the character very well. If you like sentimental, beautiful, historical, foreign movies, I’d recommend this.”
A Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman
“I tried to find this before I went to Poland, but I’m glad I read this after I came back. Having seen Auschwitz and other camps, and met Holocaust survivors, I’m able to visualize this book more. It’s very powerful in its understated imagery. I love the personal and meta commentary. It’s deeply reflective and introspective.
Posted on August 11, 2007 in Books, Movies
Once upon a time, I use to read a lot more books a year than I do now, and honestly do not think that I can complete all my reading challenges for 2007 because my life will start getting hectic again beginning next month. Though, what Nymeth says is right, it’s not the end of the world if I don’t complete them. So here are choices for the Book to Movie challenges which I couldn’t resist because this is the sort of thing that I do often enough that I even keep track of it seen in the previous post.
The challenge is to select three books that were made into movies. It runs from September 1 to December 1. I plan on doing book and movie comparisons for at least two of the below.
1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I’ve already seen the film, but I’ve been meaning to read this for awhile. Also being read for the Something About Me Challenge. – Completed
2. Little Children by Tom Perrotta. – Completed
3. Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs. – Completed
Alternates:
Not because I’ll have free time, but in the case I don’t manage a copy of one of the above, and I like alternates.
Minority Report by Philip K. Dick.
Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers.
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montogomery.
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger. Most unlikely, but I love the TV show and have yet to read the book or see the film.
Posted on August 9, 2007 in Books, Movies
This book reminded me a bit of To Kill a Mockingbird in its setting and main characters. Both books takes place in the south. While the core themes of it differ, both are essentially stories about growing up. Katherine Paterson seems to capture childhood so well. When Jess and Leslie create and explore Terabithia, I remember my own childhood of imagining other worlds, fantastic creatures and adventures. They even refer to Narnia. I remember reading that series, and trying desperately to find a wardrobe. I’m sure I hid in a wardrobe once, but alas, not gateways. The only thing that bothered me about this book is that I predicted the ending early on, and initially found it a bit contrite. I do not blame the book because if I had read it when I was 10, I probably would not have found it contrived since now I’m marred by years of books, movies and television. It’s hard for me to review very well written books, especially children’s ones such as this because it just comes down to the writer’s ability to write prose and experiences that capture readers. Paterson allowed me to be nostalgic, and I only wish I had read this when I was younger because I know I would have loved it and understood it even more than I do now.
The movie was adapted by Disney this year. Overall, I think they did a decent job. It could have been a lot worse, and while they changed some things such as the time setting of the book (present day instead of the 1970s in the book) and other little details, I found they kept the important things and tried to accentuate certain details the book was subtle yet important on (Jess’s father and their relationship). I do not think the movie is a replacement is for the very well written book about growing up and the values of imagination and friendship. I liked the movie well enough, and considering what I’ve heard of other films in this demographic, it probably is good as a stand alone film and more worth kids’ (and adults too) time.
Posted on July 30, 2007 in Books, Movies
84, Charing Cross Road (1970) is the documented real life twenty year correspondence between New York write Helene Hanff and London bookseller Frank Doel. It’s been some time since I’ve read the book, but I watched the film today so it brings me memories about the lovely epistolary memoirs. I think anyone who truly loves books should read it because Ms Hanff expresses so many views of why we love prose, poetry (like her, I’m a Donne and Blake girl), and beautifully bound books. The letters are a testament to the relationships that are born and thrive under mutual, ardent bibliophilia. It’s quite a short book, and quite satisfying in my opinion since I love letters almost as much as I love books.
The movie was made in 1986 and stars Anne Bancroft as Helene, Anthony Hopkins as Frank, and features Judi Dench as Nora Doel. Bancroft did well here, and it was refreshing seeing Hopkins and Dench so young. I think it’s a fine adaptation that not long expresses the relationships from the book and more, but it features all the good things that come out of a period piece drama. There are so many nice moments of detail about the time including the rationing in post-war Britain and the student protests of the 1960s. A nice companion to the book with lovely historical visual detail.