Obligatory GG post and movie talk

[stoney321]

Oh, I'm so happy that Slumdog Millionaire won so many awards! And I was pulling for Mickey Rourke, too, even though he's a complete dirt bag in real life.



Slumdog Millionaire

It has to be said: I love this movie. LOVE. It doesn't do anything particularly new, film-wise, it's not the most romantic tale ever told, and it doesn't tell a new story. All of which add up to make a completely new-feeling, romantic, and unique story, which is crazy but true. The background on Mumbai is heartbreaking, and thinking of these little Artful Dodgers growing up on those streets is just awful. Each of the child actors were outstanding, and the adults? Oh, the kid that plays Jamal! I have such a crush on his tall, lanky, gangly self. Latika is stunning but more than just being a pretty face, she has a wonderfully expressive and emotive face.

I love how true to Indian theater this stays, with the lovers not being together until the very end, and only the most chaste of kisses, too. Pretty impressive feat to keep this chaste, seeing as Latika is a sex slave. Can you believe that the lead man is only 18? He was not even 17 when they started filming this, too! The soundtrack is fantastic, and I love the Bollywood-style dance at the end over the credits. My husband ruined the fun (and made me laugh my butt off) by singing "Minor bun engine runs Benny Lava!" (Did you get high today?) Hahahaha.

I loved seeing the absolute joy and shock on their faces when they kept winning awards. Well done! If you've not seen this movie, GO SEE IT. And Danny Boyle continues to make gorgeous movies. Even though 28 Weeks Later and Trainspotting aren't happy, joyful movies, they are beautiful to look at. (Or really really scary to look at. The opening sequence to 28 Weeks Later is maybe the most frightening, intense bit of film I've ever seen.)


The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke gives the absolute, hands-down best male performance in YEARS. I know he's an abusive asshole. Just try and find any big star that isn't in some fashion. But when you're watching this movie, it feels like you are walking alongside this man, Randy "The Ram" Robinson and seeing the sad shambles his life has become. You aren't watching an actor, you don't notice the mechanics, the physical choices in how they carry their body, you just see this real, living, breathing person. That's pretty much the goal of any actor. I know everyone loves Daniel Day Lewis, but I think he's pretty mediocre at best. I'm always aware of what DDL is thinking, he's always doing an impression of someone. (Go watch any old western with John Hurt, then watch DDL in There Will Be Blood and get back to me.)

Marissa Tomei spends most of her time in this movie naked, or in a G-string, and man, that takes guts. She perfectly embodied a strung out, trying to get better woman that only knows how to use her body. Hey, there, parallel with the wrestler! It's so subtle, this comparison of their two professions, and handled well. I liked all the behind the scene moments with the different wrestlers getting their choreography together. Warning for those with sensitive dispositions: there's a scene in which The Ram fights some random dude and it's pretty damn brutal. I spent a good ten minutes wincing.

When The Ram breaks down in front of his daughter (and side note, Evan Rachel Wood is growing into a hot mess. Yeesh.) and it's so raw. My heart broke for the both of them, his daughter for her loneliness and continuing to let him come back again and again, even though he never follows through, and for him for realizing that he's going to die alone. Damn. This is an absolutely wonderful movie.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Essentially this movie breaks down into two things: a romantic story that's very interesting, and an hour or so of Brad Pitt eye-porn. The man is good looking, that's all there is to that. It's sweet and tender in places, and beautifully shot, but ultimately, I think this leaves me cold. It felt very manufactured. Hmm, more like, it felt like a big Hollywood picture, where Slumdog Millionaire feels more organic and as a result, is more intimate. I love Cate Blanchett, but her accent got on my damn nerves. Cajun and Creole (they're different) are the hardest accents to nab, next to Scottish, and Brad did alright (foist instead of first) but Cate sounded like she listened to Vivian Leigh in Gone With The Wind and attempted that. Which, wrong state, first.

It's not a bad movie, not by any stretch, but I think it's one that will quickly be forgotten, with the exception of all the hot Brad Pitt in his prime moments. Cate Blanchett as a ballerina is one of the prettiest things in the movie, too. The woman is sheer grace.



Robbed
Robert Downey, Jr. should have won a damn award for Tropic Thunder. He's doing Russell Crowe as Louis Gosset, Jr. for pity's sake! A dude disguised as a dude playing another dude! Freaking genius. "Huh! Y'all might be in for a treat. You know back before the war broke out I was a saucier in San Antone. I bet I could collar up some of them greens, yeah, some crawfish out the paddy, yo'! Ha! I'm makin' some crabapples for dessert now, yo! Hell yeah, ha!"

"Man, just because it's a theme song, don't make it not true!"

Do you know how easily that could have slipped into something really, really bad? He made that shit work, and more than that, he made it a thing of beauty. "It's Hollywood, man. Everyone turns gay at some point." HAHAHAH. <3

In other movie news of a personal nature, Blood on the Highway will be at the Berlin Film Festival this February, represented by DC Medias. Keep your fingers crossed that we'll get a distributor so you can see this damn thing. (And any Deutschlanders out there, go see it!)

I want a movie icon that looks like old film counting down. Does that make sense? Maybe I can find something like that...

Comments

[anelith.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to seeing Slumdog Millionaire! Been wanting to see that for some time now, but will probably wait until the DVD. My brother made a call just to tell me we have to see it.

I just read an interesting bit recently that the short story (novella?) of Benjamin Button that the film is based on ends very differently from the movie. Much more cynical, or some such. I guess that's not too surprising, for Hollywood.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

See Slumdog in the theater. It's one of those rare movies that really benefits from a large screen. The scenery alone desrves a panoranic screen setting.

[spazmodic.livejournal.com]

the entire movie is nothing like the book, only the concept :/

[spazmodic.livejournal.com]

short story. sorry.

[dampersnspoons.livejournal.com]

I'm totally making you that countdown icon right now.

I found the perfect base images and everything!!!!! ONWARDS I GO!!!

[dampersnspoons.livejournal.com]

There you go! I even put in crackly lines and everything. Hope you like!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Nice! I might run it through Animation Studio to put in a frame "Film Goes Here" or something. This is pretty much what I had in mind, thanks Bref!

[dampersnspoons.livejournal.com]

GOD! NOTHING IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!

*cries*

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen The Wresterler, but I had heard MR was fantastic. He is a creep, but a deserving performance is a deserving performance.

I'm on the fence about RDJ. I love him and thought he was outstanding in Tropic Thunder, but Heath Ledger reinvented a role that Jack Nicholson made iconic and many thought he couldn't do it. They both did terrific work, but at least RDJ gets to keep making movies.

I'm thrilled for Slumdog Millionaire. It's one of the few awards movies I've seen so far and I absolutely love it. You're right in that it isn't an original story, but it's told in a moving way that's sincere and lacking in much of the artifice that is associated with movies of this type. I was pretty shocked it won all of the big awards and I'm very curious as to how it will do at the Oscars.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I think the majority of the voters gave Heath the award because of sentimentality, but hey - RDJ lives on and all that. But from an acting standpoint, what RDJ did was infinitely more difficult, imo.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

I've only seen Slumdog so far, but what a joyful movie. Which is amazing considering some of what you see is the most abject poverty imaginable. I thought the child actors were amazing. And I love the soundtrack (but I'm a long term MIA fan).

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it wonderful? I'm definitely going to have to see it again - I just thoroughly enjoyed it.

[bu-doodlebug.livejournal.com]

I missed most of the show, but did get to the tube in time to see Kate Winslet hyperventilating. She needed a paper bag. Like whoa.

I LOVE that Slumdog took it. I haven't seen The Wrestler but if Evan Rachel Wood is in it, I'm there. She has some MAD skills. Just sayin'.

In other words, GO Blood on the Highway!!! :)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

She was freaking out! (I kinda thought it came off as affected, but then, I'm a jaded harpy.)

The Wrestler is outstanding. OUTSTANDING. And whooo! Let's keep our fingers crossed, right?

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any of the movies, but am looking forward to Slumdog Millionaire. The Wrestler looks like one of those slice of life movies that just make me hurt for the characters. I have to be in the right mood to see it.

I hope the Germans love your sleaze, too!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

hahaha, I hope the Germans love it, too! Considering they love Rammstein, I don't see why they wouldn't love my sleaze, too. :D

[treebee.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the recaps. I haven't seen any of the movies, but putting Slumdog Millionaire high on the list.

One thing - Danny Boyle directed 28 Days Later, which is awesome, not 28 Weeks Later, which is crap.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, right, the first not the second. But I don't think the second one was crap - the opening is fantastic. They're just two different movies with different purposes. I like them both.

[treebee.livejournal.com]

I totally agree that the beginning of Weeks was creepy cool with the trip through the empty city. For me, the rest of the movie just didn't hold up to that early promise. We'll have to disagree on this one! :)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

No, no, the beginning of 28 Weeks Later is in the countryside, in that farm house and the man finally getting away on the boat down the river. Intense as all get-out.

[treebee.livejournal.com]

Ack, you're right! I forgot that was the very beginning. Very intense and f'd up when he left his wife behind (not that he had much choice, but still). I was thinking of the next bit, when they are bringing the 'refugees' back to the city to live. That's what I get from being bad and posting from work!

[roflcopter-down.livejournal.com]

This post reminded me that I am woefully behind on my movies. I totally will check out Slumdog Millionaire with the woman.

From the description of the The Wrestler, it sounds like the main character is partially based on Jake "The Snake" Roberts. There was a documentary that came out ten years ago called "Beyond The Mat", and the parts with Jake The Snake (who I freaking loved as a kid) and his daughter were extremely depressing. I can't help but wonder what their reaction is to The Wrestler, if they even bothered to watch it.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I was SO behind on movies, thankfully I had a friend that got me to see a bunch!

I think you're right, re: Jake the Snake. It's going to be fairly loosely based, though, because Jake the Snake stayed public, right? This character is doing back-door matches now. It's pretty hard to watch in places, but fantastic.

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

*skipping spoilers for movies not yet seen*

Yay that your flick will be at another fest! \o/

Like the numbers going bloop-bloop-bloop? I mean. There's no sound. But you know what I mean. With the little thing kind of whoosing in a circle, switching from 4 - 3 - 2...? That would be cool, but man, I've no idea where to start looking. A popular .gif site, no doubt, but I just don't know of any.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping to catch Doubt soon, too, I was glad to see you enjoyed that one.

My sister made one up in comments, but I'm wanting to modify it a bit so it looks like those 50s reels we had to watch in school. "How Jimmy Climbed Under His Desk And Survived a Nuclear Bomb!" :D

[dovil.livejournal.com]

Danny Boyle! If you loved Trainspotting I would definitely recommend Shallow Grave - both of those movies are in my Top Ten. If I had a Top Ten.

Will definitely check out those two movies - I am ashamed to admit that I will always adore Rourke for Rumble Fish, which is essentially an art house flick for teenagers, but hey, I was a teen at the time. :)

(Have you seen The Italian? If not I give that a major thumbs up - child actors but my god, could they act!)

Button I'm going to skip because yeah, it does look superficially bland, but still need to see Tropic Thunder - I trust your comedy judgements. :D

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Eh, if someone's buying the ticket, go see the Brad Pitt movie. It's not bad, it's just not... remarkable. But I enjoyed it.

Tropic Thunder, however, is so damn funny. It totally makes fun of Hollywood, movies, agents, all of it. Oh my god, it's so hilarious.

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

I must say, I have been really, really curious with The Wrestler. For some odd reason, I always liked Rourke. I don't know what it is, but I do. :-P Even in his bad b-movie days. Perhaps I am just weird. I am glad he gets some good roles these days. :-)

[knotted-rose.livejournal.com]

Robert Downey Jr. *was* robbed. That man can *act*. "I stay in character until after the DVD commentaries." *snirk*

[jadeddm.livejournal.com]

Slumdog Millionaire only played in my theater for one week, but I managed to catch the very last showing on the very last day--Christmas Eve. It was well worth it. I really enjoyed the film.

They didn't play The Wrestler at all, though. And I just wasn't interested at all in Benjamin Button. It didn't look nearly interesting enough for a three hour flick, at least not to me.

I'm hoping to see Gran Torino sometime this week, though. I hear very good things about it. I can't tell you how happy I am it beat out The Unborn and Bride Wars over the weekend. It somewhat restores my faith in humanity.

[stephmuffin.livejournal.com]

FRIGGIN' LOVED SLUMDOG. <3 His name is Dev Patel btw :P he was on Skins too and I adoredddd him there so naturally I watched Slumdog and was blown away by his performance. lovelovelove. <33

[soulwhispers.livejournal.com]

Ah this reminds me I still need to see Tropic Thunder. And I thought of you when Anna Paquin won for True Blood. ;)

[spazmodic.livejournal.com]

I made the mistake of reading Benjamin Button first
and enjoying it first.

the movie was nearly charmless in comparison

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

My mother wants to see Slumdog Millionaire, I think mostly because she's still a crazy fan of WWTBAM. However, she's kind of a big square and her tastes in movies are very conventional. Is it going to be too shocking for her.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Well, it's rough, but it's still Indian - they don't show graphic images. You know something bad is happening, but they don't show it. I recommended this to my parents, if that tells you anything?