Red Mosquito

Malloy wrote:

The Argonaut wrote:Perhaps because we're not even halfway through and because I've barely seen any foreign language films, but this is my least favorite list so far.

Inside Llewyn Davis
Killing Them Softly
The Master
Toy Story 3
Blue Valentine
Melancholia
Snowpiercer
Gravity
Prince Avalanche
Boyhood

man, i wish i could love Killing Them Softly

What's stopping you?

Malloy wrote:

LoathedVermin72 wrote:

Malloy wrote:The Master
Only God Forgives
Nightcrawler
The Ghost Writer
Meek's Cutoff
Drive
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
A Field in England
The Turin Horse
Holy Motors
Film Socialisme

You and I, on the other hand, are much closer to being the on the same wavelength. Not quite, but much closer.

which, given our political sensibilities, is sort of amusing. i'm glad to have you, dev, asher, nate, etc. to keep the conversation lively and interesting, whether or not we all agree

like

one conclusion from the thread so far: The Master has secured its place in film history. i've said it elsewhere, but i got to see it screen in 70mm. it was something else

The Argonaut wrote:

Malloy wrote:

The Argonaut wrote:Perhaps because we're not even halfway through and because I've barely seen any foreign language films, but this is my least favorite list so far.

Inside Llewyn Davis
Killing Them Softly
The Master
Toy Story 3
Blue Valentine
Melancholia
Snowpiercer
Gravity
Prince Avalanche
Boyhood

man, i wish i could love Killing Them Softly

What's stopping you?

the vulgar social critique that's operating in it. whereas a movie like Nightcrawler enacts a structural problem, Killing Them Softly wags its finger crudely at it. that said, there's a lot that i really admire about the film. my god, that heist scene in the beginning is electric. most of the writing is very good, and the acting is wonderful. but ultimately i found it to be incoherent as a whole.

Malloy wrote:one conclusion from the thread so far: The Master has secured its place in film history. i've said it elsewhere, but i got to see it screen in 70mm. it was something else

Yeah, I'd kinda forgotten what I put on my list. Looking at it again, of course The Master is on it, but it's too low. That should be in the top 5.

Malloy wrote:

The Argonaut wrote:

Malloy wrote:

The Argonaut wrote:Perhaps because we're not even halfway through and because I've barely seen any foreign language films, but this is my least favorite list so far.

Inside Llewyn Davis
Killing Them Softly
The Master
Toy Story 3
Blue Valentine
Melancholia
Snowpiercer
Gravity
Prince Avalanche
Boyhood

man, i wish i could love Killing Them Softly

What's stopping you?

the vulgar social critique that's operating in it. whereas a movie like Nightcrawler enacts a structural problem, Killing Them Softly wags its finger crudely at it. that said, there's a lot that i really admire about the film. my god, that heist scene in the beginning is electric. most of the writing is very good, and the acting is wonderful. but ultimately i found it to be incoherent as a whole.

I may be the only person who's able to look past the (admittedly unecessary) Obama-McCain stuff or whatever it is. I think people see a parallel between the politicians and the criminals that I don't see as a parallel. I loved Nighcrawler, but in a way, I see it as being even more blatant about its political/social message. It is about capitalism. It's a fascinating, beautifully executed movie. About capitalism.
For me, Killing Them Softly says that it's about capitalism--but it's about a lot more. It's about this insular criminal world where everybody knows everyone and everything.
It's about losing control-of yourself, of the people you trust, of the way you think things are supposed to work.
But above all else, it is full of stupendous cinematic sequences. The heist is the perfect example. Even smaller scenes-like Pitt and Gandolfini in the bar- are great.

The Argonaut wrote:

Malloy wrote:

The Argonaut wrote:

Malloy wrote:

The Argonaut wrote:Perhaps because we're not even halfway through and because I've barely seen any foreign language films, but this is my least favorite list so far.

Inside Llewyn Davis
Killing Them Softly
The Master
Toy Story 3
Blue Valentine
Melancholia
Snowpiercer
Gravity
Prince Avalanche
Boyhood

man, i wish i could love Killing Them Softly

What's stopping you?

the vulgar social critique that's operating in it. whereas a movie like Nightcrawler enacts a structural problem, Killing Them Softly wags its finger crudely at it. that said, there's a lot that i really admire about the film. my god, that heist scene in the beginning is electric. most of the writing is very good, and the acting is wonderful. but ultimately i found it to be incoherent as a whole.

I may be the only person who's able to look past the (admittedly unecessary) Obama-McCain stuff or whatever it is. I think people see a parallel between the politicians and the criminals that I don't see as a parallel. I loved Nighcrawler, but in a way, I see it as being even more blatant about its political/social message. It is about capitalism. It's a fascinating, beautifully executed movie. About capitalism.
For me, Killing Them Softly says that it's about capitalism--but it's about a lot more. It's about this insular criminal world where everybody knows everyone and everything.
It's about losing control-of yourself, of the people you trust, of the way you think things are supposed to work.
But above all else, it is full of stupendous cinematic sequences. The heist is the perfect example. Even smaller scenes-like Pitt and Gandolfini in the bar- are great.

i should have been clearer--Nightcrawler understands the logic of capital in a way that Killing Them Softly obviously misses. it's funny, most people here recognize Nightcrawler's commitments, but most film reviewers ignore it or it went over their heads. i mention the reviewers' reactions only to question just how ''blatant'' Nightcrawler's message is. meanwhile, i don't have a problem with a film being obviously political--i just care about the truth claims it makes about the world. when i say vulgar, i just mean that Killing Them Softly doesn't seem particularly sophisticated

i'd make the same criticisms about Snowpiercer, though I ''like'' Killing Them Softly more

IMO, all of these movies are bad to terrible.

Only God Forgives
Godzilla
Enter the Void
Killing Them Softly
Prince Avalanche
Shutter Island
The Raid
American Hustle
Inception
Meek's Cutoff
A Field in England
The Turin Horse
Holy Motors

Malloy, I know you look for the ideology in films. Please explain Holy Motors and a Field In England.

Spring Breakers is trash. It's not an artistic statement. The symbolism is far too heavy handed to be praised as such.

Snowpiercer, Argo? Really? Also, y'all motherfuckers need Whiplash.

I need to make a list.

Iprefertheiroldstuff wrote:Spring Breakers is trash. It's not an artistic statement. The symbolism is far too heavy handed to be praised as such.

Spring Breakers would definitely be on my top 10.

Feeling initially underwhelmed lead me to reading many interpretations of that movie and they all pointed to utter wank.