Blue Eyes said:Regarding that chase scene... honestly, that’s the one thing I would have cut from the movie entirely...
That specific scene feels a bit out of sync with the rest of the film's tone, doesn't it? But then again, maybe it was necessary just to drive home that one point: that regardless of our material status or social standing, human struggles remain essentially the same. Isn't that the core of it?
PS. Regarding PBE, that made-up quote from Phil was my attempt at being witty (clearly, a total failure on my part) 😁 😁
And now, let’s hear from the "defendant": Mike Leigh : I mean, this is a movie about these people. And these people are, you know, people like a zillion people around the world. I mean this is about people such as you might find anywhere and this is what it's about. I mean there's only one moment in the movie when class is an issue which is when he meets a Frenchwoman. And that's only an issue because they are people from different classes. But it's not actually what the moment is about. If anything, it's about, if it were classed to be an issue in that sequence at all, it's merely that they transcend class by communicating across some kind of initial barrier. But it's not, I mean in a way with respect, you know, because it's about working class people doesn't mean it's a movie about class. You know. It's just, that is the class.
By the way, "All or Nothing" was easily in my top three from last year. Perhaps it would have been a useful recommendation to suggest that people shouldn't watch this movie if they haven't managed to sit through a single Leigh's film before now.😉 It is completely obvious that the environment our protagonists live in isn't actually the theme of the movie... in fact, for those who aren't quite sure, there's even that scene with the Frenchwoman in the taxi, where after her arrogant attitude toward the "driver," she starts complaining about how her son won't call her anymore.
Or, as Phil might put it: "Who knows why it's a good thing that people don't like this movie?" 😁
Linda Rodriguez6 said:... some damn covers just smell worse than others😉 [
Honestly, nothing gets under my skin more than those so-called "eco-friendly" digipacks—I mean, what kind of absolute nightmare is that?😁 And don't even get me started on when they shove some "multimedia" nonsense onto a disc... I mean, seriously, how are you supposed to play that in a standard CD player AND a computer at the same time? It makes zero sense!🙂
De la Iglesia actually directed that movie (take a look at those posts above 😁), but man, Segura is absolutely killing it in that supporting role—playing this totally twisted heavy metal satanist, haha
Now, Takeshi Kitano's "Dolls" isn't even in the same league as his stuff like "Kikujiro" or "Hana-bi," but I just finished watching it about ten days ago, so my thoughts on it are still pretty raw... which is probably why it made the list. Does the script have its flaws? Sure, it definitely does, but from a purely visual standpoint, the thing is absolutely mesmerizing.
Richard Howard2 said: Segura is an absolute legend. If you haven't seen his work yet, you are seriously missing out—go watch *Day of the Beast* right now!
I finally sat down and watched *Day of the Beast*... and honestly? It was nothing short of phenomenal. It makes me wonder, doesn't it, why a director like Álex de la Iglesia remains perpetually stuck in the shadow of much more commercial heavyweights like Pedro Almodóvar or Bigas Luna? He deserves so much more credit than he gets! "The Community" is another absolute gem, even if Segura isn't the lead in that one.
By the way, those first two Torrent films are actually way more engaging for people living in Spain because he picks these bizarre, larger-than-life characters from their own public sphere—think TV hosts or pop singers. It’s almost like how a professor at a major US university might assign certain cult classics to students just to illustrate the nuances of modern American vernacular or cultural slang. 😁
Steven Spielberg: Minority Report Mike Leigh: All or Nothing Aleksandr Sokurov: Russian Ark
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Takeshi Kitano: "Dolls" Tsai Ming-Liang: "What Time Is It There?" Robert Altman: "Gosford Park" Bill Paxton: "Frailty" Manoel de Oliveira: "I'm Going Home" David Lynch: "Mulholland Drive" Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz: "About a Boy"
PS. I have to admit, this list isn't exactly airtight, since not everything on here actually came out this year—how can one be expected to keep track of every single release?
.. and of course, we can't forget: Santiago Segura: "Torrente 2: Misión en Marbella"