JunkerSeed Posted December 30, 2002 Share Posted December 30, 2002 I caught this one along with rabbit-proof fence yesterday (I try to make the 40 minutes drives worth it) and, while I don't get the best picture buzz it's getting, it was very good. It's a throwback to old 50's melodramas (critics say it's an homage to "douglas sirk"... I'll take their word for it...). People walk around all day with fake smiles and fake opinions while under all of it is fear and hate. The story is about the life of a rich housewife (Julianne Moore), and generally deals with racism and homophobia. As melodramatic and boring as the description seems, it keeps a really good lighthearted mood for most of the movie, and just gets really serious towards the end. It goes without saying that the movie is well made. Julianne Moore gives a great performance, she carries the whole movie. You can actually tell the difference between the fake smile she usually has just to be polite at large social gatherings and the fake smile she puts on when hiding all sorts of pain. It looks great too, awesome use of color, and it's generaly just a good looking decade, you know? So, while I liked it a lot, I wasn't as nuts about it as the critics seem to be. I've sort of dismissed racism as a boring subject recently. I've seen few people other than Spike Lee to handle it in a realistic way that really makes me care. I've seen this sort of racism before and I get it, racism's bad, it's dumb, pointless. It sort of treats it like "monster's ball" did, making the point that it's unfair that arbitrary barriers be put on love, but I don't think it was as effective. That said, it is a perfect capsule of the time it's set in. It's a better representation of the issues of the period than the movies made in that decade because it has none of the restrictions that those movies did. This one can talk about whatever issues it wants freely. This movie is one of the more sutble ones. You're not gonna walk out of the theater in tears, but when you think about it, it was really damned good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 I saw this one on my flight back form Paris. Very nice, good preformance, good characters, good story, got soem point across about intolerance in the 50s without being painfully preachy. All the titles and music were done in a very fifties movie style that added to the feel. Two thumbs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunkerSeed Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 One small note, this movie was a thousand times better than the fuckin hours. Hours was good, but best picture my ass, if they were gonna nominate a quasi-feminist period drama this one shoulda been it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLeakyBucket Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Haven't seen this but have heard very mixed things. Gonna wait for it on video. I'm more interested in Rabbit-Proof fence tho, kickin' myself still for missin' a preiew screening I was invited to for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Well, from what I've hear about The Hours, it has fucking incredible preformances (as you'd expect from its cast) in mediocre roles for an average melodramatic story. I'll tip my hats to the cast and skip the movie, thankyouverymuch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunkerSeed Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 Yes, Rabbit-proof fence was very, very good. Phillip Noyce is the man. Funny you mention it, I saw it on the same day I saw this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Funny you mention it, I saw it on the same day I saw this one. Actually, I think he mentioned it BECAUSE you said (in your first post) you saw it on the same day. I don't think it was a coincidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunkerSeed Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 oops, duh, I forget to re-read what I originally said when threads are revived after a period of inactivity... speaking of Phillip noyce anyways, I'm gonna try to catch "the quiet american" soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Jax Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 If you carter a jet to take you to the closest theater still playing it, save me a seat. God I hate the Miami's movie scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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