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General Discussion about Films
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What have you seen lately?
I feel bad b/c I haven't seen any movies lately. I actually seen Colored Girls and I was glad that Tyler Perry stepped out of the Madea stuff and tried something different. In fact, I want him to take a different direction. Don't get me wrong, I love the Madea stuff. I remember when all he did was plays but I want him to do something of substance. He has made a name of himself and I think he has the opportunity to bring more serious and dramatic AA films to the screen.I really want to see Black Swan.
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What do you think of all the criticisms he's been getting about his portrayal of black men?
As for Black Swan, yes see it if you can. It really hit home for me how powerful the mind is after seeing this movie. I won't say more than that because I don't want to spoil it for you. I'd love to hear your take on it after you've seen it.
D, I might have to see Black Swan by myself. Nobody has an interest in it but me :( But I do have hope that it is a good film.As far as Perry goes, I feel that some of the criticism that he receives is justified. I know I'm going to get stoned for saying it but it is what it is. I sometimes feel that his portrayal of black men aren't realistic and they are some what emasculated (sp?). I know that part of it is due to the fact that he was raised by "strong" women (a fact that he states repeatedly). Therefore he does show favoritism to women and show them in a positive light. While he can show men in that same light, he sorts of strip them down. Know what I mean? Am I making sense? I'm trying to be cautious here. LOL. Don't get me wrong, I do like TP and his movies but I'm just tired of seeing only one way of doing things with him. Some of the other stuff is just comedy. I don't even entertain myself with it. Look at this way, he had the ability to put black faces back on tv and instead, it was buffoonery he placed on the air. I don't watch that. That's just my opinions.
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I don't think he portrays men anymore badly than other film makers who target women, but that's the thing isn't it? As far as I understand, Perry targets all people of colour, not just the women so I think his films should be a bit more balanced.
When it comes to making more substantial films which show the range of black talent that exists I think that was one of the best aspects of FCG, and that's why I'm happy that this is the direction he seems to be heading in. One of the main reasons black talent often get ignored is because they're not showcased enough. Not many good dramatic films are written with black actors in mind so I'm all for Perry taking on more serious projects. Minority actors will not get quality roles unless there are more minority people behind the camera.
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Also saw THIS CHRISTMAS. Been wanting to see this one since it came out back in '07, but just haven't had the chance until now. Great ensemble cast. Loretta Devine was in this as well, along with the lovely Sharon Leal (although she being typecast as the worldly (usually NYer) career woman always gets on my nerves), Regina King (who had one of the funniest scenes in the film), IDRIS ELBA!!! (absolutely LOVE him :), Columbus Short (who generally annoys me, dunno why), Mekhi Phifer (who was looking mighty hot in this one), Laz Alonzo, Delroy Lindo and the fresh faced Chris Brown (I don't condone what he allegedly did, but I feel bad for him the way his career nosedived since the whole Rihanna thing. He's the same age like my youngest and I just can't help but think he's young, he made a mistake ... forgive him and let's move on.)
IT'S ALIVE - the 2008 remake starring Bijou Phillips (from Kids and Bully). It's about a mutant flesh eating baby that kills everything in its path when it gets scared. It was alright, a bit predictable, nothing to write home about.
I'm pretty sure I've seen at least two others, but I can't remember what they were...which means they could not have been very good.
ETA: I knew I was forgetting something. I also saw JUST WRIGHT with Queen Latifa and Paula Patton. Great underdog story, but boy did the acting of Queen's love interest make me cringe. I don't mean to sound harsh, but absolutely horrible.
He's actually in DATE NIGHT too with Steve Carell and Tina Fey. I didn't expect to like this, but I did. No wonder Carell and Fey are so popular. They were very loveable in this film.
MELINDA and MELINDA - another Allen film that failed to impress.
127 HOURS - I'm starting to become a fan of James Franco who stars in this film. I thought his performance was good, but was it great? The critics seem to think so. Personally I think his talent can be better showcased. Mostly I think my issue was with the story ... I acknowledge that Aron Ralston is a very brave and courageous soul for extricating himself when a boulder pinned his arm to the canyon wall, leaving him trapped in the middle of nowhere without food and water for 5 days. However, I don't think his story was meaty enough for a film. I'm no expert, though. That's just my opinion.
THE KARATE KID - Jaden Smith sure is a cutie and he's not a bad actor either. You can see that he's learning a great deal from his father. I enjoyed the film. Beautiful scenery and it rekindled my interest in kung fu, which I used to practice as a young woman. Loved the chemistry between Smith and Taraji P. Henson as mother and son as well.
Haha! You're on a roll, D!!! I haven't seen the Lottery b/c the trailer didn't spark my interest.I loved This Christmas. OMG! I just died at that scene with Regina King and her man! LOL. I own the movie and me and my mother watch that scene all the time when we need a laugh. Mekhi and Idris are sooo yummy! The whole cast felt like a family to me. Great holiday movie.
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OMG, I LMAO at that scene! He he he. Not to get all political, but usually domestic female-on-male violence (I don't care how much he generally deserves it) piss me off because it is so accepted in our society (while the reverse in all its forms is highly frowned upon), but man I will say this now, I loved that scene! Regina King played that sequence perfectly. I loved the part where she said, "Why don't you step outta the shower so we can talk about it." LOL.
Sam, if you're an Idris fan, definitely catch him in Takers & Obsessed. When I say hawt, I mean HAAAAAAAWT! I swear if this man was white he would have been a mega superstar by now AND a major sex symbol. I swear just his walk alone could give me an orgasm!!! LOL, TMI I know ... sorry, but I can't help myself! :)
I might give the Lottery a chance. But a trailer has to call to me in order for me to watch a movie.Did you see The Losers? Idris was in that as well.
I didn't see Takers but I definitely saw Obsessed. OMG! He was yummy in that. I didn't care for Beyonce's acting ability in that. She felt false somehow.
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Agreed with you on Beyonce's acting, but I gave her a pass since she's not really a professional actress. She has had a few films under her belt though. Roles, if you ask me, which could have gone to more skilled and deserving actresses.
Hmmm...now that comment makes me wanna ask a question? How do you feel about other artists stepping into acting roles? I know a lot of actors/actresses feel cheated out of that. I don't know if you had watch the award show when Monique won her award for her role in Precious. Samuel L. Jackson face was hilarious. I know he has mentioned that he didn't like rappers, singers, etc getting roles in films. Mark Wahlberg was into hip hop and now he's an "actor" and its like that past has been wiped out. I don't know...just pondering a few things.
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Generally, I agree with the very outspoken Mr. Jackson, but isn't Monique known as an actress and comedienne? Admittedly, I can't recall much of her work prior to Precious (I saw her in Welcome Home Boscoe Robins --or something like that-- starring Martin Lawrence), but I know of her as an actress more than a comedienne. As for Marky Mark I think he made his career change so long ago everyone has forgotten about it. Also back then, in the late '80s and throughout the '90s, rappers, singers and other musicians weren't crossing over to films as much as they're doing nowadays.
I think that's what makes Jackson mad, and in many ways, I agree with him. Before it was just a gimmick to add an exotic element to a film, now every other film targeted at African American audiences have a rapper or singer in it, leaving many well trained, struggling actors out of work. It is a bit unfair in the grand scheme of things because at the end of the day, the makers behind these films don't connect with a wider audience than they usually do because fans of hip and hip/rap will go and see an AA film either way, whether a rapper or singer is in it. And even if the rapper does have an effect, the numbers are still unlikely to be that much different.
If you look at more mainstream films, how many of them hand out roles by the dozens to singers and other musicians? Not many. And they don't have to. There are enough qualified actors out there to fill roles (in fact more than enough) and these musicians already have a job, they've already made it. Give someone else a chance. But its all about the rich get richer while everyone else gets left out in the cold.
I think that the problem was that this was her sort of break out serious role and she won an award for it.
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She completely smashed that role. Completely. For me, hers was one of the best film performances (and Precious one of the best films) of 2010, if not the whole decade.
Did you see Precious? I know many people shied away from it because it was so depressing.
I thought it was very sad and depressing, but hopeful.
Yes. I was dying to see the movie. I had read the book YEARS ago. At the time, I didn't read books that were that graphic in nature and intense. It shocked me but I loved that book. So to see how the film adaption was going to play out was amazing. She did and awesome job. She delivered and I thought her award was well deserved.
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His is the perfect example of a good role going to waste.
I seen that film. I watched it a few months back. I liked it. His name is Common. Well his stage name. I love him. Sorry, he has an appeal that I like. It is something I have to explain another day, in another group, in another topic, if you know what I mean. LOLI didn't think he did bad but I didn't think he did an excellent job. Maybe I didn't notice him b/c he had Queen Latifah, Paula Patton (is that her name?) and whatshername (OMG the Cosby mom...I'm totally drawing a blank here)to help support him.
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When you're ready I'd love to hear why he floats your boat so much! LOL
You didn't hurt my feelings. Girl, I never said he was a good actor. OMG, you're the worst D! Phylicia is her name. I got it together.
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Pretty aright black comedy if you're into that kind of thing.
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Also saw one of the sickest, most brilliant films I've ever seen in a very long time: A SERBIAN FILM. Contains some very shocking and appalling scenes which, aside from the fact that its a foreign film, is guaranteed to make it not receive wide release, if any release at all, in the United States.
IRREVERSIBLE starring Vincent Cassel, who looked far more handsome here than in BLACK SWAN (in BS he plays a true viper), and Monica Belluci.
THE DEATH & LIFE OF CHARLIE ST. CLOUD with teenage heartthrob Zac Efron. I'll have to rewatch this because after a 14 hr day at work I was completely whacked. I love this kid's baby blues though. They remind me of my husband's eyes, the most beautiful part of him.
THE LOVED ONES - this is an Australian horror starring Xavier Samuel. If you're a fan of the Twilight movies apparently he plays Riley in the latest one. I must say this kid really looked amazing in this movie even though the movie itself sucked.
C'mon people, update us on what you all've seen lately. Everybody seems to have gone AWOL, what happened? Did I miss the apocalypse or something...? :)
Ever since I got my Ipad and realized I could stream Netflix on that baby, I have been unstoppable!Recent movies for me have been Young Victoria. I love costume dramas and this was beautifully filmed. Written by Julian Fellowes who also did one of my very favorite movies, Gosford Park, he has a good eye/hand/ear? for soapy elements in the English upper classes. I had never had much of an opinion of Emily Blunt before this, but I thought she was lumnious in this film and it opened my eyes to her. Rupert Friend was adorable! And Paul Bettany who is normally a bit too colorless for my taste was excellent as well.
I also saw Easy A. Cute little film with a bit of a bite to it. All the performances were uniformly excellent. I especially enjoyed Olive's (the main character played by Emma Stone) unconventional and smart-ass family. She and her family had a healthy snark factor about everything.
Also enjoyed thoroughly The Kids Are All Right. Just give Annette Bening her Oscar already! What i loved about this movie was that it could just have easily been a heterosexual couple whose life we were seeing. This says something about the normalcy of gay marriage. There was something at once mundane and fresh about the story. I do have to say that I thought Mark Ruffalo's character got a bit of a raw deal. If you saw the movie then you'd know what I mean. I am also glad to see YaYa Da Costa getting quality work.
See I hated Eat Pray Love with a passion so seeing the movie never appealed to me. I really do like Julia Roberts but I'm skeptical of this film.
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I've been meaning watch Young Victoria for a long time (I'm familiar with Blunt's body of work and I like her), but just haven't gotten round to it. I too like period dramas, but for some reason I've been holding back seeing this film. Not sure why, but I'll probably step it up on my TBS list after such a glowing review.
I have Easy A and The Kids Are All Right lined up to watch. I'm not the biggest Julianne Moore fan, but I really want see the film for Benning and Ruffalo. I can imagine Benning was great in this, as she was in Mother & Child and pretty much most films she does (She's kinda like Meryl Streep for me ... can do very little wrong).
Almost saw Easy A last weekend, but opted to go foreign. I don't regret it, but after all the heavy stuff in A Serbian Film and Irreversible a little bit a comedy would've been a relief.
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Has anyone seen Green Zone? I've tried to watch this movie several times and fell asleep each time. I want to try again this weekend when my time is free, I just wonder should I bother.
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Normally I like films like that. That's my thing but I think I keep trying at the wrong time. When I got the down time and my body shuts down. LOL. Ok, I'll give it a try this weekend.
I loved Young Victoria too. So many people told me how it was so romantic and wonderful so I finally gave it and watched it. I was so glad I did. Everything was beautiful - costumes, scenery, the acting... It made me look up their story online and do more research about their real lives. I liked it that much.
I know, right. As I was watching it I kept wanting to break away and wikipedia them or something, just because I couldn't remember when in the marriage Albert died. I kept thinking, oh god, he's gonna die now! ok not then, but what about now?!? LOL. But then I vaguely remembered they had a lot of kids so that couldn't be the case.
I've seen The Bounty Hunter with Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. I really didn't like the movie. It was very predictable. The comedy fell short. The connection was strained if you asked me. Overall, a waste of my afternoon. It almost reminded me of how I felt when I saw The Back-up plan with Jennifer Lopez. Just not entertaining.
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She just doesn't have the face of a performer. She's very wooden and can not successfully portray a variety of emotions. She's just like that lead actress from the Twilight movies ... what's her name? It's painful to watch them both.
Goes to show you how little Hollywood often has to do with talent.
I've seen the Back-Up Plan and while it wasn't the worse romcom I've ever seen it was like you said very cliche and predictable from start to finish.
Anyway, this weekend I've so far seen MACHETE with Danny Trejo, Bobby De Niro, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez. It was alright. Michelle Rodriguez as usual kicked ass while Alba played her usual sweet, sex pot role. I don't know why I've never been able to warm to this girl.
I also saw BLUE VALENTINE. A bit slow to begin with, but a very good flick. Shows you all the wrong reasons to get married and how being together with someone not on the same level (socially, educationally) with you can compromise your relationship. Ryan Gosling, who I normally take very little notice of, was a very sympathetic figure in this movie. Good all round performances.
I should have known that I wouldn't like this movie but it was a gift to me so I watched it yesterday. I agree, I'm not sure about Gerard Butler's acting abilities but I did enjoy him in 300. Jennifer Aniston really needs to take some acting classes because you're right, she don't go outside of her "Rachel" role. She is very stilted but I knew that I couldn't really watch anymore movies with her after the Break-up with Vin Vaughn. Speaking of him, I want to see the Dilemma with him and Kevin James. I'm itching for a comedy but I need a good one. Ok, so I watched Green Zone. Yes, I finally stayed awake. Good film. Typical Matt Damon flick if you asked me. I don't think it was the best film but I liked it enough.
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I actually liked THE BREAK-UP, but that was totally because Vince Vaughn carried the movie so well and it did a good job of showing how different men and women communicate.
I want to see THE DILEMMA too. It features two actresses who are not known for doing comedic roles so I'm curious to see how this one unfolds.
Glad you liked the GREEN ZONE. Matt Damon is usually quite dependable for good performances, but I'm still sceptical about seeing him in THE INFORMANT. I just can't see him in the role.
I liked Law Abiding Citizen. I agree, he didn't do a superb job in that movie but he was tolerable. Oh, I don't find him attractive. I must have different taste than a lot of people :)So today I caught Takers (like you suggested D) and loved it. OMG, Idris was soo good. Ok, maybe I'm bias b/c I just love his appeal. Sexy self! LOL! Back to the movie...It was interesting to see the mix actors and "entertainers to actors" blend together. Overall, I enjoyed it.
I also watched an indie film titled "The Children of Invention" (hope I got the title right). It was decent. Its about an Asian family who hits hard economic times. The mom and her two kids are kicked out of their home when their house goes into foreclosure. They are forced to stay in a unoccupied condo that the mom's friend (a real estate broker) was able to sneak them in. Anyway the mom get caught up in some stuff and she goes missing. Then the kids who are very young are forced to fend for themselves. Very strong children actors in this film. I actually like a lot of indie flicks but I was rather disappointed with how the ending wrapped things up.
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Wouldn't you agree with me that Idris has one of the sexiest walk EVVVVVERRR????
Seriously I don't wanna be gross and offer up TMI, but everytime I see him walking (I first noticed his orgasm inducing walk in OBSESSED) I feel a little twinge down the bottom. *wink, wink*
I can't get over it.
And there was a double assault on my libido because Paul Walker was in the movie too. I LOOOVE Paul Walker. He and Idris have the full package. All in all I really enjoyed TAKERS but I won't be watching it again. It's just too much for my blood pressure!
I love indie films. I've made a note of The Children of Invention. I've checked Netflix and they don't have it. Where did you find it, Sam? I may have to find a bootleg copy although I try to avoid this route as much as possible...
My friend have it. But I checked at hulu and they have it as well. So you can see it up there online. Also you can get it at amazon. I think my friend order it online. I love Idris's swagger. Yummy. He does have a sexy walk. Too much for your blood pressure. Lol.
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I remember High School being a lot less ... adult. Man, how things and times have changed.
I also saw an indie movie called TERROR TRAP. It starred Michael Madsen and Jeff Fahey. It was such a rip off of VACANCY which starred Kate Beckinsale & John Cusack. I mean, literally the exact same script, though far more poorly acted. I have no idea how Dan Garcia, the film's writer, producer and director, got this made without falling into trouble for breach of copyright.
I'm actually quite sad Michael Madsen (remember him? The badass from QT's RESEVOIR DOGS?) is reduced to playing these mediocre, insignificant roles. I like MM. He's typecast as heck, but boy can he play a baddie! :)
I'm pretty sure I've seen a couple more. I'll update as I remember them.
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Only good thing about it was, of course, my man, Idris. ;)
I saw Battle in Seattle instead of Harry Brown. It was a good film which stars Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta, Michelle Rodriguez and Andre 300. A bunch of protesters stir up trouble while fighting the World Trade Organization. Very good acting in this film. I enjoyed it.
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So I watched Wolverine: X-Men Origins today. wanted something that I thought I would like and I haven't seen. Horrible flick! I love Hugh Jackman. Boy did he look good and I swore I wanted see more of him naked. Know its not a nudie flick but can't a girl dream? Anyway, though I love him, he couldn't save this film. I'm mad I wasted time on this!!!
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Yeah that's the one. I have a good size flat screen and I was breaking my neck to get a better look. I was just hoping I get a little bit more. LOL! I didn't see Scoop! Blah! Scarlett Johansen kissing him makes me slightly sick. LOL.
So here's my line up:
FOR COLOURED GIRLS - wasn't bad, but sad to say this great choreopoem was bigger than TP. I couldn't help but feel like someone else could have done a better job at adapting and presenting Shange's original work on the screen. Fair attempt, but TP just doesn't have the skill to tell this story in a nuanced and perceptive way. JMO.
Woody Allen's SCOOP and YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER
Must say these were not vintage Woody Allen in my opinion. I found Scoop to be rather boring although the tantalising Mr. Jackman made very good eye candy. :) The dialogue between Johanssen and Allen got on my nerves and I knew who the killer was from the start. Not Allen's best work. Dark Stranger had so much potential -- and was quite funny in parts -- but it ended so anti-climatically. To me it felt like the film should have been at least 10-20 mins longer.
RABBIT HOLE - good performances, but I'm so tired of seeing Nicole Kidman all angsty. Yeah yeah we all know she can put on a real heart rending performance. Boring. How many times have we seen that, let's see The Human Stain, The Others, The Hours etc. Plus the story has been done so many times with very little originality to Hole's version.
MOTHER & CHILD - not a bad film ... but something for me was missing. What exactly I can not say but there you have it.
THE TOWN - all I have to say is BEN AFFLECK. LOL. I'm normally not a huge Affleck fan, but in this film he was quite yummy. And the film itself was quite engaging too.
BLACK SWAN - good story. Shows you quite well that the mind is very powerful in its own right. Classic Aronofsky(sp).
TAKERS - Great ensemble cast. A bit like Ocean's Eleven, but not with stars as famous as Clooney and his gang. I'm actually quite happy about that.
WINTER'S BONE - alright story, but I was most impressed by the stellar performances all around, from cast to crew. Granik is the calibre of female directors I'd like to see more of.