...man, there are just so many absolute gems out there... ...Fight Club, Heaven, The Warrior and the Empress (Tom Tykwer in general...🙂 ), The Son 🙏 , Mystic River (which brings back memories of the amazing Tim Robbins), Julien Donkey-Boy 🙏 , Gummo 😛 , All or Nothing, The Celebration, The Idiots — Lars von Trier in general 😉 , Happiness, Hour, Lock, stock...👍 , Elephant, Rosetta, Irreversible, Marathon Runner 😎 ...that's just scratching the surface—there are countless others... but it seems to me like people always find it way more entertaining to nitpick what they don't like—who knows why, really...😕
Brenda Rodriguez17 said:The first film following the Dogma rules. It's great. The best Dogma - film ever.
...everything checks out...except for the part where you call it the best Dogma - film...Have you actually seen Julien Donkey-Boy? For me, that one takes the cake—at least out of the few I've managed to watch—it's just a total cinematic masterpiece...
...WOW! Talk about a letdown—and here I was thinking the movie scene in Washington, D.C. was lacking! Turns out it’s actually better than what they’ve got going in New York City. Sure, we’re lagging way behind you guys, but at least right now we can actually catch some decent movies in theaters (Last Days—finally!, a week of local indies, whatever Iva put together...)...
...Still, I am beyond jealous of "Where the Truth Lies"—that kind of "sweet" festival darling that probably won't even get a screening here. And starring Kevin Bacon? Now that's actually something! 👍 So, seriously—get to the theater ASAP!!! And you absolutely have to tell me if the movie was any good 😁
Jose Miller17 said:I've got a few questions about this movie:
1. Is it some kind of family/social drama? 2. Do the actors speak in perfect, overly formal diction? 3. Do they have sticks up their asses? 4. Is one heroine's father a former partisan, while her lover's father was an old-school secret police agent? 5. By any (impossible) chance, does someone like Ivo Gregurević star in it? 6. Are the interiors filled with antique furniture? 7. Is there actually any humor in this film? 8. See point 7—but I'm not counting those jokes that end with: "hahaha, he could've just said it nicely!" ... thanks 😁😁
...joooooj, Jose Miller17, oh Jose Miller17...🙂 look, I get it—an American film isn't a *real* American film unless it hits all those tropes... but "Ivy" really—it DOESN'T 😁 Except for number 5, and arguably number 8 (since some things aren't totally unfunny), the answer to your list is—NO 😛 So now—GET TO THE THEATER! 😁 😁 😁
...the movie is BEAUTIFUL—simple, yet gripping (to quote my sister—there were moments where I felt like I was sitting right there at dinner with them). It’s brilliantly paced; it doesn't try too hard to reinvent the wheel, but everything is so well-structured that it never slips into being monotonous... really solid acting (which, let's be honest, is a rare find in American indie cinema), and a smart script (it's a shame they didn't lean more into improvisation, which usually works wonders for this kind of thing—but then again, with American actors, I guess that might have been considered too "risky")...
...but what really blew me away... Radicev's film is a "true" Dogme 95 film. It’s such a missed opportunity that they didn't bother chasing the certificate—it would have been great to have an American film standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those little masterpieces by von Trier and Vinterberg...
...in many ways, the film reminded me of Vinterberg's brilliant "The Celebration," and even if it doesn't quite hit all his superstar peaks, it's fair to say that "Ivy" doesn't fall far behind him...
...inspiration for believing in anything seems to be in short supply lately, obviously, but—DEFINITELY WATCH IT!!!! 🙂
...so, I had no idea Wendy was even playing in theaters here—or if she was even "available" anywhere within our lovely, *blushing at my own ignorance* little corner of the world...
...but I definitely agree with the praise... although, to me, Wendy feels way more von Trier than Vinterberg (that whole fascination with the USA and its critique, regardless of how much they insist the film isn't an allegory...). Still, I have to say Vinterberg did a stellar job—he captured this sweet little movie with a killer cast (I saw Bella in Undertow and thought she was great, but she’s even better here, and the rest of the young crew is totally up to par... it's just a shame that Thomas Bost Larsen only shows up for one single scene—though I guess some traditions are worth keeping... 🙂 ), featuring interesting direction and a truly genius soundtrack that fits the story perfectly—my sister immediately went online to blast the Zombies right after the credits rolled, and since then, they've been on constant rotation in our tiny little room 😁
...anyway...
...even if Dear Wendy isn't quite The Celebration (which is surely Vinterberg's number one), it's a sharp, ironic, and overall pretty stylish little piece that I'd recommend to everyone—except maybe George Bush 😁 👍
...so I was just scrolling through The New York Times today and stumbled upon this review titled 'the first American Dogme 95 film that actually isn't'... honestly, I have my doubts—can a movie ever truly live up to a brilliant review like the one Pavicic wrote? (he really nails it sometimes, doesn't he?)... but hey, I'll give it a shot anyway...
...watched the midnight premiere at our one and only local AMC multiplex (and hey—the tickets were free and the seats were actually comfy, so...🙂 )...
...left feeling totally let down...
...I was expecting some sweeping Russian film—you know, something that takes those brilliant bits of Russian mythology (or at least their folklore—where else are you going to find better depictions of the battle between good and evil than in those classic Russian fairy tales? Seriously, highly recommend them for kids of all ages!) and blends it with everyday post-communist life, all backed by a massive budget and enough special effects to make it feel epic...
..but what did I get? Zero percent of that actual soul. Just some impressive special effects and CGI that exist purely for the sake of existing (remember that ridiculous scene where a screw ends up in a coffee cup? It didn't serve the plot at all; it was just there to show off that they have the tech and can pull it off)...a weak script, decent acting (I’ll admit, the lead actor was a pleasant surprise), and—when you boil it all down—basically just a two-hour commercial for Nescafé produced by Russians trying to prove they can do everything Americans can...
...honestly nothing special—it would be better if they brought us some actual, genuine Russian films to our empty theaters...