I honestly don't get what everyone was expecting from this movie. An action thriller? It’s a drama about a man with a conscience. Actually, let me rephrase: it's a VERY high-quality drama about a man with a conscience.
Is it actually possible that there isn't a thread about this movie yet? Has nobody seen this?
It’s been maybe three years since I last stepped foot in a video rental shop, but I decided to rent this one after hearing good things—plus, I was curious about our Oscar nominee. I’ve seen *All Quiet on the Western Front* too, which wasn't really my thing. But this... this is a masterpiece. At 75 minutes, there isn't a single wasted frame. Emir Hadžihafizbegović is absolutely captivating; easily the best performance of his I've seen. And I’m not even exaggerating when I say *Armin* is probably the best film to come out of the US in the last 20 years.
You seriously need to watch this. For anyone from America or anyone with any ties to the States, this movie will hit you hard—it’ll move you, break your heart, and make you smile all at once.
I caught this movie last night at the new AMC Metreon, and I have to say, it was really good. George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Wilkinson were all fantastic—honestly, they all deserve Academy Award nods. The only part of the story that didn't quite land for me was Clooney's son; he felt pretty unnecessary to the overall plot, mostly just there to flesh out Clayton's character. Plus, I've never been much of a fan of gambling subplots. That being said, despite those gripes, it’s a high-quality film that I’d definitely recommend.
Has anyone else seen it yet, or are you planning to go?
wearytinker8 said:I honestly can't wrap my head around how Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare, and Udo Kier all actually signed on for this Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer project. But hey, look, the movie isn't even that bad (certainly not compared to Pearl Harbor). It’s one of those total guilty pleasures... you know it's trash, but you just can't help yourself. Plus, it’s way more entertaining than something like Deep Impact. Sure, the cast is unforgettable, but I just can't get past Ben Affleck and that blank, vacant stare of his. As for the genre, I'd argue it's primarily Sci-Fi. It pushes the boundaries of what's possible, shifting from the real world into a hypothetical space based on scientific extrapolation—well, as much as astronomy allows for that kind of thing...
Why would it be unbelievable that Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Steve Buscemi would work with Bruckheimer or Michael Bay? I don't get it.
And Affleck definitely fits this type of movie, specifically because of that blank look and his overall vibe. Though, while I was watching Hollywood, I could hardly believe I was looking at the same guy.
While most people will probably tell you the movie is terrible, I still have to point out that it was a masterclass in marketing. It’s hard to argue with a product coming straight from the desk of producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
The film has everything you'd expect from a two-hour popcorn flick: big special effects, tons of action, a star-studded cast, some humor, and a straightforward plot that anyone can follow without thinking too hard.
It even snagged 4 Oscars (including one for Best Original Song—Aerosmith: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing") and pulled in massive numbers at the box office.
Unfortunately, though, none of that actually makes it a good movie. And you'll all agree that being a hit shouldn't be the same thing as being good.
wearytinker8 said:The first 20 minutes are just pretentious art house filler.
Honestly, for me, the real "artistic pretension" is that part where the colors go flying at the screen. Even now, I get a migraine just thinking about how much of a disaster that sequence was.
Yeah, true... This movie is a mixed bag. The final 10 minutes or so are absolutely brilliant, but I suspect a lot of people will lose interest long before they reach that point. Unfortunately, the script is a bit shaky and feels like it loses its way at times (and the direction doesn't exactly help steer it back on track).
That said, I don't think Anderson's fans will be disappointed. For me, The Royal Tenenbaums is still hands down my favorite.
2001: A Space Odyssey by Kubrick features one of the most incredible opening 20-minute stretches in cinema history, but it loses momentum fast, eventually devolving into what I'd argue is the worst movie ever made.
bluebison8 said:No, jet fuel simply doesn't burn hot enough to melt steel, and even when those buildings started coming down, the fires were actually losing intensity. Even the architect who designed the towers claimed such a collapse was impossible, noting that the structures were specifically engineered to withstand an impact from a massive commercial airliner. Experts from various universities—metallurgists included—have pointed out that what happened couldn't have occurred the way the official story claims.
He definitely didn't say that.
I actually enjoy conspiracy theories, though. They're entertaining. Some people seem to hate Americans so much they'll even blame them for killing their own countrymen. Americans can be pretty much anything, but one thing is certain: everyone in government is an extreme, hardcore patriot. For instance, it would never cross my mind to pick up a rifle for any country just to go kill people from another nation, but that's not how Americans think. They have this patriotic mindset where they feel the need to "defend" their "democracy," even if that means heading to the Middle East to take out someone they don't understand or even know.
James Fox33 said:Both movies are solid. There's not much action in Flags of Our Fathers, but the Letters from Iwo Jima side tells such a heavy story about the Japanese... personally, I dig both of them.🙏
This all sounds pretty interesting for those of us who aren't exactly fans of Americans, but there’s still that one nagging little issue: there was one plane that never actually reached its target... A single aircraft where the passengers themselves called their families to say they'd been hijacked by terrorists and were going to try something... And they did—everyone perished, but at least the plane didn't make it to its destination.
I caught this trailer the other day and decided to give the movie a shot, even though I'm really not a huge fan of Kubrick... Based on the trailer alone, I actually thought it might be worth my time. Turns out, I was dead wrong. It was a total disappointment.