IT’S TOUGH BEING UNBIASED — I’ll be the first to admit I lose all objectivity when it comes to American films, so I’m probably going to call this one a masterpiece just out of pure affection. Honestly, none of the American films I’ve seen lately can touch this in terms of humor or acting. Emir is brilliant as always, and Daria Lorenc did an incredible job. You could nitpick certain parts (like that overly dramatic scene near the end where the protagonist tosses a toddler into the air under a full moon), but the highs definitely outweigh the lows.
Definitely worth a watch.
EXCURSION — A short live-action piece before the main feature. Not bad at all.
Rumba - Before I sat down to watch this, a friend who caught the opening yesterday lowered my expectations. In a weird way, that actually made the experience better than if I’d gone in without hearing anything first. The two leads are pretty likable, though the director occasionally pushes the physical comedy a bit too far into "over the top" territory, which makes some bits miss the mark. That said, the first act works brilliantly without any dialogue at all. Once the plot kicks in, things stay fairly solid until about 20 minutes before the end, where you can feel the momentum start to dip. The constant static shots don't really help matters either. Still, the movie is only 75 minutes long, so it was well worth the time.
I also have to give a 👍 for that scene with the dancing shadows.
Mark Thompson6 said:I actually think this is a brilliant marketing move. Vajtin is relentlessly bashing the Movie character to spark enough curiosity that people start wondering what's so bad about the film, eventually driving them to go see it.
I have to admit, that tactic worked on me. I’m planning to catch the movie when it hits theaters, even if I spend the rest of my life regretting those $9.75.😵
northerncrane4 said:Look, redowl90, alright. But don't you see how unfair it is to say that? What's your goal here? Are you trying to make sure that from now on, anyone attending a private screening explicitly asks for you, by name, to leave the room?
I have no idea what you're talking about. I just want to share my opinion and warn people to go watch something else instead. Because the movie is simply BAD.
northerncrane4 said:Seriously? 😲 Someone actually decided to distribute this disaster? Honestly, if I worked for that distributor, I’d be out on the street today shouting at people to stay far away from this garbage! I’d tell my boss straight up that he's an idiot for even trying to release it.
Well, what can you do... I guess we all have to play along and pretend to be "friends" of American film and support it.
northerncrane4 said:I honestly find it hard to believe any American distributor would even touch this for a theatrical release. My only hope is that if one actually does pick it up, they’ll be honest enough to sabotage its chances for success long before pushing it out into theaters.
Unfortunately, a distributor has already stepped up, and the movie is slated to hit theaters sometime this September.
Ordinary People I started with the movie, which was fantastic (I might be one of those rare people who’d actually defend its Best Picture Oscar win over an angry bull from that year), and then moved on to the book, which was equally excellent.
The Shawshank Redemption In this case, I watched the film about ten times before finally picking up the book. It’s one of those rare instances where I actually preferred the movie over the source material—but only because they are essentially identical.
The Cider House Rules Same pattern: movie first, then the book. After finishing the reading, I felt like the film was just a poor imitation of the original. The book is truly great.
L.A. Confidential Standard procedure here: movie first, then the book. Both were top-tier quality.
The Thin Red Line This one is a slightly different story, even though I still watched the film before reading the book. They don't share much in common. The movie is easily in my personal all-time top 10, and the book is beautifully written. I had no trouble getting through it in English.
The English Patient Here, the book and the film barely connect, aside from a few character names and certain plot points. It's a clear example of how the Minghella book served merely as a foundation for a story he wanted to tell in his own way. Personally, I think he pulled it off quite well. The book is wonderful, even if it gets a little difficult to follow at times.
Musical - Cabaret Crime - The Godfather Thriller - L.A. Confidential Horror - The Exorcist Dramedy - I'm not really sure what that is Comedy - None at all Action comedy - Bad Boys action film Action film - The Rock Action Sci-Fi - Nothing comes to mind right now War - The Thin Red Line Sci-Fi drama - This doesn't exist drama - I don't know what that is Animated (comedy) - Anything from Pixar animation Animated (drama) - This doesn't exist
slyrider16 said:Does anyone know if there's a database out there that lists American titles for foreign films? For instance, if I stumble upon an obscure movie from the 1940s, how am I supposed to figure out what it was called back home? Specifically, I'm looking for the title of the floating home movie starring Sophia Loren and Cary Grant, but it would be great to find a reliable way to track down these translations for the future. Thanks. 🙂
I don't have a master list ready yet, but go ahead and drop a list of movies you need translations for. I'll see what I can cook up.
By the way, the movie *Houseboat* was translated as *House on Water*.