CS Film Club

[Dracula]

Originally Posted by Doomsday

I won't bother with links since you know these already.

Moulin Rouge
Good Bye, Lenin!
Fahrenheit 9/11
The Crying Game

Hmmm... I don't necessarily love any of those, I could recommend one but maybe it would be better if you gave me a larger list of movies from the book you haven't seen so I can recommend something a little more worthy.

[Doomsday]

Mary and Max (2009)
Stalag 17

Actually this is getting a little tougher finding a big, mainstream movie from either of these lists that I haven't seen. Just pick one of those 6, if you really want a new list I'll sit down and thumb through this a bit more.

[Dracula]

Originally Posted by Doomsday

Mary and Max (2009)
Stalag 17

Actually this is getting a little tougher finding a big, mainstream movie from either of these lists that I haven't seen. Just pick one of those 6, if you really want a new list I'll sit down and thumb through this a bit more.

Stalag 17 will do

[iv3rdawG]

Sorry for how late this is.

The Devil's Double (2011)



Its weird to see a person take on two roles at one time. It’s the actor’s job to convince the audience that they are a certain person and more often than not, if they’re playing two different people in one movie, they end up seeming more realistic as one more than the other. The same can be said for Dominic Cooper and his fine work in The Devil’s Double.

Telling the true story of Latif Yahia, the film follows him as he is torn from his everyday life and forced to act as the double for Saddam Hussein’s son, Uday.

What makes the dynamic of the film even more interesting is the fact that the two have a past together. It’s not explored that much and is really just thrown as a quick piece of dialogue, but nonetheless, it still gives some interesting motivation to each character.

Cooper is very good in the film, but even though he’s given these two vastly different characters to work with, neither performance ends up standing out as something exceptional. To be honest, there aren’t really any standout performances in the movie and it’s quite disappointing. This is essentially Cooper’s film and while he’s good he’s never excellent.

There are some nice scenes that take place throughout the film, namely one in particular when Latif first sees Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier) at a nightclub and the light is shinning right on her. It’s a really great shot and some nice work by director Lee Tamahori and his cinematographer.

This aspect of the film isn’t really seen that much, though the use of commercial music is utilized well. The Devil’s Double is driven by its premise and it’s an interesting one at that. Led by a commendable performance at the hands of a talented young actor, as well as a fascinating story, The Devil’s Double never fully realizes its potential.

Its bumpy final quarter doesn’t help with the pacing issues that it ends up having, and though it has the ability to be a great film based on its make-up alone, it’s never able to get past its intriguing premise.

** / ****

[shained]

Sorry you didn't enjoy it that much.

I thought Cooper was fantastic in it personally. One of the reasons I really enjoyed the film.

[MovieBuff801]

So, I had to clear my entire afternoon, but I managed to make it through Lawrence of Arabia in one sitting. Still processing my thoughts on it, but my review should be up this weekend.

[JBond]

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

An African American detective (Sidney Poitier) is asked to investigate a murder in a racist southern town.

I really enjoyed this film. It had good pacing and sharp dialogue. The main plot is a murder mystery in a small Mississippi town, which is above average, but the highlight of the film are Poitier and Steiger (won an Oscar for this role) and their scenes together. It would have been easy (and boring) to have all of the white characters be racist, dumb rednecks, but Steiger's character is purposely similar to Mr. Tibbs and they make a good pair.

And I totally guessed the killer in the first 5 minutes of the movie like I always do. Awwwwwww yeah.

***.5/****

[Hollywood]

Casablanca

This is truly a classic film. It has everything you would want in a film, drama, suspense, comedy, and romance. Very well written. I would recommend it to anyone. Very good flick and liked a lot of the quotes in the movie. I forgot who picked this movie for me but great recommendation and enjoyed it.

Non-Spoiler plot

Its a Story of a cynical cafe owner named Rick Blaine, who sticks his head out for no one. Rick used to be a notorious anti-fascist who fought against Franco in Spain and ran guns against Mussolini in Ethiopia. However, after being abandoned by the girl that he was in love with, Rick ceased to care about causes and instead settled in Casablanca.

With Spoilers


Ilsa and her husband, Viktor Laszlo end up in Casablanca at "Rick's Cafe Americain" where Ilsa sees Sam, the piano player from Paris. She asks him to play her favorite song, but he declines ... she asks again -- he succumbs. Rick enters and chides Sam, "I told you never to play that song again," then he sees Ilsa ... He is introduced to her husband. That night after closing the cafe, Rick drinks himself into a stupor, remembering their days in Paris together. The Nazis visit the cafe and sing their national anthem, after which the French patriots stand up and sing their national song. The Chief of Police is forced to close the cafe as the plot thickens ... Rick is believed to possess secret documents that Ilsa and her husband need to leave Casablanca legally. Viktor is engaging in espionage against the Nazis and could be discovered at any time. Ilsa has an unexpected rendevous with Rick in the middle of the night, trying to extract the necessary documents from Rick. We can only speculate on Rick's and Ilsa's true feelings and motives, and the point is that the ending remains a mystery. It is neither happy nor sad, but both at once. I loved the ending.

I rate it a ****.5/*****

[sshuttari]

Originally Posted by JBond

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

An African American detective (Sidney Poitier) is asked to investigate a murder in a racist southern town.

I really enjoyed this film. It had good pacing and sharp dialogue. The main plot is a murder mystery in a small Mississippi town, which is above average, but the highlight of the film are Poitier and Steiger (won an Oscar for this role) and their scenes together. It would have been easy (and boring) to have all of the white characters be racist, dumb rednecks, but Steiger's character is purposely similar to Mr. Tibbs and they make a good pair.

And I totally guessed the killer in the first 5 minutes of the movie like I always do. Awwwwwww yeah.

***.5/****

I knew you'd like it! Great dialogue and some classis scenes through out the film.

[morpheus1987]

Originally Posted by HOLLYWOOD

Casablanca

This is truly a classic film. It has everything you would want in a film, drama, suspense, comedy, and romance. Very well written. I would recommend it to anyone. Very good flick and liked a lot of the quotes in the movie. I forgot who picked this movie for me but great recommendation and enjoyed it.

Non-Spoiler plot

Its a Story of a cynical cafe owner named Rick Blaine, who sticks his head out for no one. Rick used to be a notorious anti-fascist who fought against Franco in Spain and ran guns against Mussolini in Ethiopia. However, after being abandoned by the girl that he was in love with, Rick ceased to care about causes and instead settled in Casablanca.

With Spoilers


Ilsa and her husband, Viktor Laszlo end up in Casablanca at "Rick's Cafe Americain" where Ilsa sees Sam, the piano player from Paris. She asks him to play her favorite song, but he declines ... she asks again -- he succumbs. Rick enters and chides Sam, "I told you never to play that song again," then he sees Ilsa ... He is introduced to her husband. That night after closing the cafe, Rick drinks himself into a stupor, remembering their days in Paris together. The Nazis visit the cafe and sing their national anthem, after which the French patriots stand up and sing their national song. The Chief of Police is forced to close the cafe as the plot thickens ... Rick is believed to possess secret documents that Ilsa and her husband need to leave Casablanca legally. Viktor is engaging in espionage against the Nazis and could be discovered at any time. Ilsa has an unexpected rendevous with Rick in the middle of the night, trying to extract the necessary documents from Rick. We can only speculate on Rick's and Ilsa's true feelings and motives, and the point is that the ending remains a mystery. It is neither happy nor sad, but both at once. I loved the ending.

I rate it a ****.5/*****

Glad you liked it!!! I figured you would. I should get around to mine either today or tomorrow.

[JBond]

Swing Time (1936)

A performer and gambler (Fred Astaire) travels to New York City to raise the $25,000 he needs to marry his fiancée, only to become entangled with a beautiful aspiring dancer (Ginger Rogers).

Some movies don't age very well, and I'm not talking about the blackface musical number. This movie's plot doesn't make a whole lot of sense, the supporting characters are cliche, dopey idiots who are there for the flatest of jokes, and the musical numbers on a whole were average. I have nothing against old fashioned musicals, this isn't even my first Astaire/Rogers musical, but this one didn't work for me. ("Shall We Dance?" was much better) However there were a few cool dance numbers at the end where Astaire danced with 24 women at once and another one with Rogers which kind of nice.

I've complained about endings to movies before 1950 before, but this one takes the cake. Astaire has to stop Rogers from getting married at the end and manages to break up the wedding by changing the guys pants. All of the characters have a big laugh about this while admitting there can't be a wedding now, and it's all over. I can't take a movie seriously that doesn't take itself seriously. Even a musical.

*.5/****

[IanTheCool]

Ugh. Musicals.

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by JBond

Swing Time (1936)

A performer and gambler (Fred Astaire) travels to New York City to raise the $25,000 he needs to marry his fiancée, only to become entangled with a beautiful aspiring dancer (Ginger Rogers).

Some movies don't age very well, and I'm not talking about the blackface musical number. This movie's plot doesn't make a whole lot of sense, the supporting characters are cliche, dopey idiots who are there for the flatest of jokes, and the musical numbers on a whole were average. I have nothing against old fashioned musicals, this isn't even my first Astaire/Rogers musical, but this one didn't work for me. ("Shall We Dance?" was much better) However there were a few cool dance numbers at the end where Astaire danced with 24 women at once and another one with Rogers which kind of nice.

I've complained about endings to movies before 1950 before, but this one takes the cake. Astaire has to stop Rogers from getting married at the end and manages to break up the wedding by changing the guys pants. All of the characters have a big laugh about this while admitting there can't be a wedding now, and it's all over. I can't take a movie seriously that doesn't take itself seriously. Even a musical.

*.5/****

1. I can't call you out on any of your criticisms because they're all spot on, but I will say I still find the film amusing in a guilty pleasure sort of way.

2. I only recommended it because it's the only of the films that I had seen.

[JBond]

Don't worry, I won't hold it against you.

[PG Cooper]

It's A Wonderful Life

This review might be really brief given that I have a minor injury which makes typing awkward. Moving right along....


It's A Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart). George lives in a small town called Bedford Falls. He yearns to leave, but finds himself being sucked back to Bedford time and time again so he may help others. George ponders the relevance of his own life before being confronted by an angel (Henry Travers) who shows George what the world would be like if George didn't exist.

Alright, so the thing that everyone knows about this film is the aspect of the angel showing George what life would be like had George never existed. Surprisingly enough, this material doesn't really make an appearance until during the third act. Most of the film looks at George's history. The film looks at his failed attempts to leave Bedford, how he become a hero to the people, and his love with his future-wife Mary (Donna Reed). All of this material is well-executed and compelling.

The acting here is great. Jimmy Stewart is marvelous as George Bailey. He's insanely likable and you root for him the whole way through. He's a very honest, kind, and giving human being. Near the end, when George starts to break down, as sad as it is you feel like he's earned the right to finally unload his anger. Stewart carries the film really, and he does an excellent job. Donna Reed his great as the central love interest, and Lionel Barrymore makes for a truly despicable villain.

The film has a very whimsical nature to it, and I can see it turning a lot of viewers off. Personally, I was enchanted throughout. The third act is where the film really began to move me. I only have two small nitpicks. One, I feel the way the film portrayed heaven was uninspired. I can see why they wanted to be fairly ambiguous, but I think something more interesting could have been accomplished. Second, the event that causes things to go so wrong for George near the end was kind of stupid. But these are minor gripes. At the end of the day, It's A Wonderful Life is a great film that left me feeling very happy.

Rating: A

[JBond]

Awesome.

[Doomsday]

I'll have mine up tonight or tomorrow.

[MovieBuff801]

Mine should be up tomorrow.

[morpheus1987]

Just watched The African Queen. Gotta say that I wasn't particularly impressed. Would probably give it something like a 6/10. It certainly wasn't a terrible movie, but I don't see why it is rated so highly by AFI to be considered one of the best films of all time. I am starting to come to the conclusion that AFI highly overrates older movies. I am a big fan of Humphrey Bogart and was kind of shocked to find out that this was the film that he won an Oscar for. I can think of many more films that he was far better in (Casablanca anyone?). In fact the performances were one of main problems with the film. I thought that the two leads lacked chemistry. I thought a film having Katherine Hepburn and Bogart in it would have been amazing, but the two simply didn't work well together. Sure, the cinematography was awesome, and you gotta admire a film from this time period actually shooting on location (in Africa non-the-less), but I can't help but feel like the plot was unbelievable, the characters were unbelievable, and that the movie lacked the "magic" of a movie that deserves to be considered one of the best films of all time.

[JBond]

I didn't care for it either.

[PG Cooper]

I like it, but it is rated way too high.

[Doomsday]

Stalag 17

The second Billy Wilder film in a row from Dracula, although he didn't pick this one but I enjoyed it as much all the same. Again, Billy Wilder is one of my favorite filmmakers and this was one movie that I always meant to see, it just never seemed to be a priority. However now that I finally have another notch on the Billy Wilder list under my belt as well as William Holden's Oscar winning performance, I can say I'm glad I switched up from the IMDB list.

Frankly the movie was different than what I originally suspected. At first I thought I was going into another Great Escape type, watching POWs use resources available to try to escape. What else would a POW camp movie be about? But to my surprise the movie was about particular events in the camp, namely the rooting out of a POW stoolie who's ratting on the efforts of the American prisoners to escape, obtain information, etc. and is suspected to be William Holden, who's performance is electric. And only did I notice until after the film that the commandant of the camp was played by Otto Preminger. Wow. The only downside to the film, which I won't detail anymore, is that I felt the pacing was a little slow at times which I rarely find in a Billy Wilder film.

Another winner from Billy Wilder, I really enjoyed it.

A- so says Doomsday

Throw me in for next round

[Hollywood]

Im in next round also

[PG Cooper]

Oh yeah, in next round.

[sshuttari]

The Deer Hunter

It is an excellent movie on life's changing faces. From a life full of fun and daily doses of sobs, to a life of distress and death - it has aptly covered it all with a vision. Could have been shorter in length. Could have been more crisp in the first part. The marriage ceremony was dragged a bit longer. However, the director might have wanted to show the slow pace of life in a small town. Could have evoked more emotions with more human touch on the central characters.

Robert De Nero's performance is flawless. Same complements go for all others.