Cream and Jam

Anyway, there's a new movie out from Monty Python. I caught a bit about it in The New York Times, and apparently, it’s just about some guy sitting on his couch drinking a beer—honestly, sounds good enough for me. 😁
Anyway, has anyone actually seen it yet? Is it any good? Or is it total garbage?

I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard the buzz. 😁
Basically, everyone says it's solid. The trailers felt a little low-brow to me, but that won't stop me from checking it out. I also heard George spends half the movie making fun of Canadians, which—honestly—is reason enough for me to watch it. 😁 😁

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0333701/

😲 I remember watching this one back when I was living in Chicago, just sitting on my old couch feeling like the world was much bigger than it actually was, and honestly, looking at it now, it still carries that same weight 😕 which is why 😲 I think 😕 it really deserves 😲 more respect
.

I saw it
a long time ago
it’s definitely not anything new; it’s been out for years now
it feels a bit forced, like they were trying way too hard with the jokes
it just leans on a bunch of tired clichés
but honestly, there were a few genuinely good moments
I’d give it a 2+ out of 5

Just finished reading the review of 'Marmalade' in The New York Times. It’s predictably blunt, zero subtlety involved, and honestly, just Branka being her usual frustrated self. Here’s a snippet for you all... Lord help me... but here goes...

Because whether it’s a comedy or a drama, there seems to be this unbearable craving to watch other people’s misery, their cursing, even their specific slang—but only when the lights are down in a dark theater. It’s obvious that from the safe distance of a cinema screen, Americans will always love watching Canadians, even if they can’t stand having them around in real life, at the office, on the bus, or in a coffee shop... It’s similar to how Americans view Mexican films, which they occasionally elevate to cult status for no reason other than the fact that those characters don't do "that" quite as well, but they certainly do it with much more temperament, openness, vulgarity, and raw chaos.

Good grief... 😲 🙄 😕 😁

The New York Times article

Though, I have to admit, this section is touching on a different phenomenon entirely... a theme that pops up on the pages of Film Comment pretty often... American cinema, realism, acting, scripts, "us" versus "them."

Question... when is Branka getting appointed Minister of Film? 😉
One more thing... does she actually get paid for this writing?

Jessica Nguyen85 said:Just wondering... when is Branka getting appointed as the Minister of Film? 😉
And another thing... does she actually get paid for all this writing?

I totally blanked on the specifics... But basically, what’s happening here is that Branka is married to some guy who’s got connections in Hollywood, so she spends a ton of her time out in Los Angeles. Because of that, The New York Times essentially gets an "exclusive correspondent" stationed at the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and all those other big ceremonies for free. Naturally, that automatically "qualifies" Branka to play the part of a film critic, and honestly, it's a sweet deal for everyone involved: her ego gets a massive boost, and The New York Times gets their own "exclusive" insider. Does The New York Times pay her anything? Probably just something symbolic, but enough to cover her coffee runs whenever she's back in Washington, D.C.

Ah, there it is... that classic, tired old stereotype that Mexicans are just nothing but vulgar provocateurs, while we Americans are somehow so incredibly refined and sophisticated Europeans. 😁

Whether it’s superficial or cliché, I have to say—I actually had a good time watching it. 🙂
I honestly don't see anything in that movie that could be considered particularly irritating or offensive... at least not regarding Ms. Branka. Unless, of course, she sees a bit too much of herself in the character... which would certainly be an issue... 😉

I actually had a blast watching the movie, just like Richard Thompson33 was saying earlier...
It’s honestly just pure irony at this point, isn't it? All that mocking and making fun of Canadians... and then they have the nerve to put in subtitles whenever someone starts speaking Canadian. It's such a joke.

You really should give this one a shot. It’s just... I don't know how else to put it, but it hits totally differently.

Yeah, honestly... our translators are just terrible when it comes to Canadian.
Even the most basic stuff—like someone answering the phone with a polite "Please," and our people just translate it as "Hello."🙂

I actually think the movie is quite good, though I wouldn't go so far as to label it a straight-up comedy. It feels more like... a situational tragicomedy. To be honest, there was definitely enough material there to lean much harder into either pure comedy or deep tragedy, but instead, it kind of sits right in the middle—a little bit of this and a little bit of that—so it doesn't fully commit to either lane, even if the end result is still enjoyable. I’m still holding out hope for a version of Romeo and Julia where the families have the appropriate American backgrounds, but reimagined as a genuine, laugh-out-loud comedy.😁

Richard Hernandez13 said:Ah... there goes that old cliché that Mexicans are just crude provocateurs, while we Americans are all so sophisticated and noble, the peak of Western European refinement. 😁

And what about Canadians?
Are you saying they aren't people either?
😁
The movie does have a good title, though.

Movies actually have a soul.
The first half was actually pretty funny, but the second half went full weirdo—super dark and bizarre. Overall? It’s alright. Just middle-of-the-road. A solid 7/10.
Some movies have all the right ingredients—great acting, killer visuals, whatever—but they still feel empty. This one actually has a soul.
American cinema just doesn't have that soul.

Memorized the quote:
God must have been having a serious bad day when he crossed our paths.
😁
👍

one more thing:

I think Canadians, Canada, and that whole vibe—for anyone who hasn't actually been there or doesn't deal with Canadians regularly—is a total abstraction.
For example, before I ever set foot in Canada (and I haven't spent even a quarter of my life there, despite having family there), I didn't get half of it, from the lyrics of Bijelo Dugme down to the general sensibility.
I don't want to dive too deep into this and sound like I'm out here defending Canadians, but the reality is that Canadians are, in a way, the North American Swiss (that's my own phrase). They’re closed off, cold, terrified of change, "boiled," and bland—honestly, just boring... and the movie definitely captures that. Except maybe for that scene where the cranky neighbor gets spooked just so George can fire a shot (but even that just proves he’s human, even if he is a Canadian man).
The fact that Canadians have been seen as synonymous with being primitive or stupid in our neck of the woods (and in America, for that matter) for years—and still are—says everything about the people who chose to label them that way.
One writer put it perfectly when he said Canadians "...haven't changed for hundreds of years, and in the eyes of outsiders, they provoke a mild contempt, sometimes outright hatred, because they are simple, narrow-minded people who never see the world, and it feels like a massive trek just to go twenty miles from home. To them, it doesn't matter if they're in the next neighborhood or on the other side of the globe: all they ever want to do is go home."
If "the world" means Canada, they aren't missing much by staying put. If they do venture out, they might just find themselves in a different kind of world—one where they're misunderstood and rejected.
Anyway, I won't get bogged down in politics. The movie is good, and I think the title choice was spot on, though I can't say the same for the end credits song, where "kajmak" was translated into English and ended up sounding ridiculous.
btw, the music was done by Saša Lošić. sorry, Saša Lošic.

This movie is an absolute train wreck—the acting is abysmal, the jokes feel like outdated relics from some low-budget sitcom you’d see on local TV twenty years ago, and the script is just aimless. It fails to land any meaningful punches... basically, there's nothing worth your time here, so just skip it...

It's like trying to pair jam and cream cheese; they work great together, unless you get stuck with that greasy, heavy stuff you find at a roadside diner during a blizzard when the shelves are empty...

Rating: 1+/5 (and that plus is strictly because of Tanjin's cleavage!)

The movie is alright; I’ve seen it a few times. But honestly, Outsider is ten times better. I'm not even sure if making a film centered on Canadian and Canadian themes was a smart move.

The only thing that really sticks with me is that morbid scene where he claims everyone from that certain family is just a criminal. Then someone starts screaming from above, claiming people are just committing suicide up there, so he goes to see who's yelling and ends up falling off the balcony. 😁 😁

The movie is perfectly fine if you just want to unwind. If you’re looking for deep metaphors or some hidden social commentary, don't hold your breath—you won't find it. I think that's why people here are tearing it apart with such low ratings. Honestly, if we could actually produce movies like this in America, our film industry would be unstoppable. Instead, we seem stuck producing nothing but heavy-handed historical dramas about old conflicts. We've been obsessing over those decades-old wars for way too long. It’s all just nostalgia and cheap sentimentality 👍

mistymarlin7 said:What some movies lack—even when they have brilliant components—is soul, but this one actually has it.
American cinema just doesn't have that kind of soul.

👍

I agree. I really liked the movie... I guess the ending was a bit messy and poorly constructed, but overall... it was fine. Personally, Rene's little coffee shop scene in that restaurant was the best part.😉

he he, look how he handled those Canadians! 😬

I actually thought the movie was quite good. But honestly, when George starts speaking Canadian 🤣