CS Film Club

[Dracula]

TiMER (2009)
TiMER is a little seen 2009 sci-fi/fantasy film that can probably be best compared to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in that it’s about the effect that a futuristic piece of technology has on romantic relationships. The film is set in an alternate present in which a technology has been invented which will count down the days until you meet your soul-mate and then identify them once you make eye-contact with them. This is not what you’d call a hard sci-fi concept, there’s no explanation for how these things work and they might as well just be magic (unless they’re being programmed by a psychic or something). The very idea of a machine quantifying something as ethereal as a soul mate is kind of crazy. However, it does have a lot of fun examining how such a device would affect people’s lives.

There were a bunch of “what if” scenarios that I would have liked to see addressed. What if your soul-mate dies before you meet them? Can you count on immortality up to that point? What if you isolate yourself from human contact on the day you’re supposed to meet them? Can you guarantee that your mate will be rich by seeing to it that all the people you meet on the big day are loaded? I suppose it’s not fair to ask a single movie to deal with all these scenarios, but it is telling that I’d be thinking about them more than the film’s actual story, which is kind of lackluster. The characters are not that interesting beyond their timer-induced troubles and the film’s central love triangle seems more like a standard Cameron Diaz/Jennifer Aniston rom-com than a real romance for the ages. It doesn’t help that most of the film’s actors are not overly charismatic and have little chemistry. In short, this is a very interesting concept wasted on a very mediocre film. Still, it left me with some food for thought and was fairly easy to watch, so I can live with that.
*** out of Four

[Doomsday]

Watched Mary and Max, review up tonight or tomorrow.

[Hollywood]

Originally Posted by moviebuff801

HOLLYWOOD

Cape Fear
Dark City: Director's Cut (if you pick this one, make sure it's the version that's 111 minutes, i.e. the Director's Cut. Not the 98-minute Theatrical Cut.)
Hard Eight
Man on the Moon

Got a problem. Just checked couple of my local video stores and they dont have those 3 i havent seen, Cape Fear, Dark City, and Hard Eight. I have seen Man on the Moon. Redbox doesnt have those either cause there old titles and my netflix streaming doesnt have it. Could i possible have a new list please. I know it is late but i will go to video store tomorrow or if on netflix streaming i will watch it soon as i can.

[JBond]

Originally Posted by Dracula

TiMER (2009)
TiMER is a little seen 2009 sci-fi/fantasy film that can probably be best compared to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in that it’s about the effect that a futuristic piece of technology has on romantic relationships. The film is set in an alternate present in which a technology has been invented which will count down the days until you meet your soul-mate and then identify them once you make eye-contact with them. This is not what you’d call a hard sci-fi concept, there’s no explanation for how these things work and they might as well just be magic (unless they’re being programmed by a psychic or something). The very idea of a machine quantifying something as ethereal as a soul mate is kind of crazy. However, it does have a lot of fun examining how such a device would affect people’s lives.

There were a bunch of “what if” scenarios that I would have liked to see addressed. What if your soul-mate dies before you meet them? Can you count on immortality up to that point? What if you isolate yourself from human contact on the day you’re supposed to meet them? Can you guarantee that your mate will be rich by seeing to it that all the people you meet on the big day are loaded? I suppose it’s not fair to ask a single movie to deal with all these scenarios, but it is telling that I’d be thinking about them more than the film’s actual story, which is kind of lackluster. The characters are not that interesting beyond their timer-induced troubles and the film’s central love triangle seems more like a standard Cameron Diaz/Jennifer Aniston rom-com than a real romance for the ages. It doesn’t help that most of the film’s actors are not overly charismatic and have little chemistry. In short, this is a very interesting concept wasted on a very mediocre film. Still, it left me with some food for thought and was fairly easy to watch, so I can live with that.
*** out of Four

A soft 3-stars, I see. I'll post my sci-fi list review later. It's deeper than people seem to give it credit for.

[JBond]

TiMER

Oona (Emma Caulfield) is about to turn 30 in a world where a technology exists that tells you when you’re going to meet your soul mate based on an application you connect to your wrist. However, Oona’s has been blank for the 15 years she has worn hers.

This film is also fantasy in its absurd premise of a wrist timer that will tell you when you’ll meet your soul mate, but it’s definitely also science fiction in its use of this technology on a few characters and society. It’s a rare movie that has a subject matter of the philosophy of love, and it takes many angles on this premise to create a full-fleshed universe to be immersed in. The main characters that have the Timer are separated to represent distinct groups that would exist only in this universe, although they naturally share qualities with us. For instance, Oona’s stepsister has a Timer that tells her she will meet her soul mate in about 15 years, or when she is 43. This has caused her to be very sexually active since she has time to waste, and she particularly likes the men with Timers that are about to countdown, an analogy to women who like dating married men. There are young characters who meet their soul mates at 14, previously married couples who got divorced because of them, and so on, so forth.

The main message of this movie is what I love. I feel guilty spoiling it a bit, since I’m sure no one’s seen this independent movie, but let’s just say it doesn’t have a predictably happy ending. She does not get the man in the movie. But what was lost on the people who have given this movie a negative review (IMDb) is that she was never destined to find happiness, and that’s because the Timer is a bad product. If the Timer works or not (a character muses “What if it’s just a self-fulfilling prophecy?”) it stunts the natural growth of one’s heart, so to speak. In the end she couldn’t make it work with a guy, because he knew what love was and she didn’t. She never allowed her relationships to go too far because no one of them were “the one,” so she’d end them herself. People would love to meet Mr./Mrs. Right and skip all the messy stuff, but you can’t. She learns this in the end, has the Timer removed, and can now pursue a healthy relationship. It’s actually a happy ending.

[MovieBuff801]

Originally Posted by HOLLYWOOD

Got a problem. Just checked couple of my local video stores and they dont have those 3 i havent seen, Cape Fear, Dark City, and Hard Eight. I have seen Man on the Moon. Redbox doesnt have those either cause there old titles and my netflix streaming doesnt have it. Could i possible have a new list please. I know it is late but i will go to video store tomorrow or if on netflix streaming i will watch it soon as i can.

Been out of town this weekend and didn't see this til just now, sorry. Anyway...

The Bridge on the River Kwai
Frenzy (1972)
People Like Us
Seeking A Friend for the End of the World

Forgive the lack of IMDB links. I was in a rush.

[Hollywood]

I will do People Like Us

[Dracula]

Originally Posted by JBond

TiMER

Oona (Emma Caulfield) is about to turn 30 in a world where a technology exists that tells you when you’re going to meet your soul mate based on an application you connect to your wrist. However, Oona’s has been blank for the 15 years she has worn hers.

This film is also fantasy in its absurd premise of a wrist timer that will tell you when you’ll meet your soul mate, but it’s definitely also science fiction in its use of this technology on a few characters and society. It’s a rare movie that has a subject matter of the philosophy of love, and it takes many angles on this premise to create a full-fleshed universe to be immersed in. The main characters that have the Timer are separated to represent distinct groups that would exist only in this universe, although they naturally share qualities with us. For instance, Oona’s stepsister has a Timer that tells her she will meet her soul mate in about 15 years, or when she is 43. This has caused her to be very sexually active since she has time to waste, and she particularly likes the men with Timers that are about to countdown, an analogy to women who like dating married men. There are young characters who meet their soul mates at 14, previously married couples who got divorced because of them, and so on, so forth.

The main message of this movie is what I love. I feel guilty spoiling it a bit, since I’m sure no one’s seen this independent movie, but let’s just say it doesn’t have a predictably happy ending. She does not get the man in the movie. But what was lost on the people who have given this movie a negative review (IMDb) is that she was never destined to find happiness, and that’s because the Timer is a bad product. If the Timer works or not (a character muses “What if it’s just a self-fulfilling prophecy?”) it stunts the natural growth of one’s heart, so to speak. In the end she couldn’t make it work with a guy, because he knew what love was and she didn’t. She never allowed her relationships to go too far because no one of them were “the one,” so she’d end them herself. People would love to meet Mr./Mrs. Right and skip all the messy stuff, but you can’t. She learns this in the end, has the Timer removed, and can now pursue a healthy relationship. It’s actually a happy ending.

I'm not sure I read it that way. The film does touch on the notion that these Timers are placebos, but their success rate seems more than coincidental. Even the guy that the main character leaves at the end says something along the lines of "I don'tn think we should have them, but I know they do work." And doesn't she end up with the guy with the beard at the end?

[IanTheCool]

I wish I could find Timer somewhere.

Also, I'm having a bit of a problem tracking down Pitch Black, but I'll get to it as soon as I can.

[JBond]

Originally Posted by Dracula

I'm not sure I read it that way. The film does touch on the notion that these Timers are placebos, but their success rate seems more than coincidental. Even the guy that the main character leaves at the end says something along the lines of "I don'tn think we should have them, but I know they do work." And doesn't she end up with the guy with the beard at the end?

I think I once wrote a longer review that touched on something. It works for most people but not a certain gerneration, those that are her age. People older than her have laready found their true love (or haven't) and people younger grow up with it and although their views on love and dating are severely different, it works out. Oona grew up in a world without Timers and didn't have the same views on them. Or something, I dunno, I'd have to watch it again. I had it all worked out.

[Justin]

Sorry everyone, time has sort of gotten away from me, so I'll try and have it up on Wednesday.

[JBond]

Weekend (2011)

Weekend follows the realistic portrayal of a gay couple who have just met and they're discussions about life and relationships. Its strengths lie in its unapologetic dialogue and subject matter and the interesting things they touch upon. I'm typically not big on movies that don't have a cinematic plot, but as far as movies such as these go, I enjoyed the main characters and watching the movie develop.

Unrelated to my rating, I thought the sound quality was quite awful at times.

***/****

[MovieBuff801]

I'll try and have mine up late tomorrow. If not then, then definitely Wednesday.

[Doomsday]

Mary and Max

Talk about a movie that went in a completely different direction than what I suspected. Granted I attribute that to my ignorance and assuming that since I was watching an animated film that it would be a family movie. Instead, I was given a movie that dealt with depression, mental illness, suicide, and even obesity. I'm glad I didn't know much about the movie beforehand because it helped me absorb what was going on more than I probably otherwise would have.

The movie is about Mary, a lonely girl in Australia who randomly selects a name in a phone book to write. She writes to Max, another lonely soul living in New York with his pet goldfish being his only company. Through letters they quickly become each others' best friends, learning from and inspiring each other and shaping the directions of their lives.

While I admired the themes that it chose to highlight, however, I was so very often brought out of the movie with the constant and endless fart, poo, pee, bodily function jokes that the movie seems to fall back on as if to give it a sense of unwanted comedic relief. Those are some of the last things that I would use to buffer a film that tackles issues like asperger's. But that aside as well as a pretty generic ending, it was a fun and very interesting and original movie.

A- so says Doomsday

As usual, put me in if there's an odd number to round out.

[Hollywood]

Same here. Ill try to have mine up by Wednesday.

[shained]

I'll be in for the nxt round

[MovieBuff801]

This is gonna be another quick one...

Ruby Sparks

This movie reminded me a lot of Stranger Than Fiction. Basically, a struggling writer (Paul Dano) who hasn't written one thing since publishing a successful book as a teenager, one day begins to write a description of his "dream girl" (Zoe Kasan), only to find that she's come to life the next day. Just like Stranger Than Fiction, this movie doesn't try to offer some weird explanation as to how something being written comes to life, instead it just asks you to go with it, and I think that's part of the movie's charm. Paul Dano and Zoe Kasan are really good in the lead roles, especially Dano, whose character has a sort of dark undercurrent that eventually comes fully out near the end of the film. Speaking of, the end of the Second Act takes that kind of dark turn where it kind of makes you go, "Okay...", and I'm not really sure how effective those ten or fifteen minutes really were, but the rest of the movie was still charming enough to enjoy quite a bit. Also, this is one of those indie movies where a bunch of big actors like Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas and Elliot Gould show up for small supporting roles. Anyway, I liked this one quite a bit, though I think Stranger Than Fiction pulled off this kind of story a little bit better.

***1/2 /****

I'm in for the next round.

[Hollywood]

I apologize for the it review being late. Been battling a bad cold i got. I did watch the movie. Will post it up as soon as i can today shortly.

Im up for next round too.

[Justin]

Same here.

[Hollywood]

People Like Us

Instead of a love story you seen in movies mostly, it is about a brother and sister getting to know each other after there father dies. Dont wana spoil much but they didnt know they had a brother or sister after there dad died which the brother found out first and wanted to keep secret from his sister to get to know her. I thought it was a great movie. Something different then you usually see. Would of like to see more what was going on in new york about his job threatening him from time to time. But it doesnt take away from the movie. Elisabeth Banks and Olivia Wild had great acting but i think Michelle Pfeifer fell short on acting some on her character. Alex Kurtzman the director, was impressed with his movie. I dont like some of the things Alex has directed in other stuff so glad i like this movie of his. I would recommend it to others. There should be more movies out there like this.

****/*****

In for next round

[Justin]

Das Boot (1981)

Das Boot's plot is fairly straightforward: it's centered around a German submarine in WWII. There really isn't a whole lot to say, but this is a great film. If you're a person who suffers from claustrophobia like I did, this will be an uncomfortable ride for you. Some of the steadicam (or tracking) shots of the submarine's interior are amazingly well-choreographed. But the most interesting aspect of the film is the psychological torture this crew endures. They are really pushed to the limit.

*****/*****

[PG Cooper]

For me, the highlight of Das Boot was the ending, and I don't mean that in a snarky "It's over" way, I just found the ending very powerful.

[Justin]

Oh and I'm in for the next round.

[JBond]

ROUND 128 - AFI ROUND

HOLLYWOOD - shained
JBond - Justin
moviebuff801 - Dracula

The due date for Round 128 will be Monday, January 14th, 2013.

Enjoy.

[JBond]