Monday, October 1, 2012

Happy New Month: Films of September 2012

The new month starts with an announcement: I will take a break from blogging for a few weeks. 

It's all going great at the time with statistic records, lovely comments and all that jazz. I want to thank you, as always, for joining the discussion of the amazing art of film, for you recommendations, criticism and everything else. My writing, I think, is getting better and better and I have written many things that I'm actually quite proud of. And I'm having fun doing it.
The reason why I want to take a break now, isn't because I want to stop doing what I love - writing - but because I want to do even more of it. I don't want to tell you too much, but I have a little project going on at the time and I would like to devote some more time to it. 

You might now that it's Lime Reviews' 2nd anniversary this month, the 22nd October. Of course I'll celebrate this a little, and update my 100 Favourite Films list some time. But otherwise I'll spend my fall holidays writing about something else than movie - and going to London, which is so great! I have a list of London-based movies I would like to watch, and I've already seen two of them, so at some time I will post something about these movies and my experience. 

Getting back to last month's movie experience: it has been a great month for movies. Especially my Journey to Wes Anderson Land has been a wonderful experience, and the first of its kind to me.
Here's what I've watched...

WATCHED FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME



A Clockwork Orange (1971) Stanley Kubrick - USA/ UK

This was the first film in my London-list. And what a film it is. Absolutely disturbing, absolutely dystopian, absolutely perfect.
Rating: 9.5

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Elia Kazan - USA
It's so nice to see somehow who has my surname in a Hollywood movie. Did you ever notice that there are almost no Polish surnames in films? ... Second cool thing: I finally get the fuzz about Marlon Brando's looks. And this movie. Although I hated the main character.
Rating: 8.7


Bottle Rocket (1994) Wes Anderson - USA - short film 
Not as good as the feature movie, but a decent debut. 
Rating: 7.1




Bottle Rocket (1996) Wes Anderson - USA
Owen Wilson surely looked funny when he was younger. Pretty... unremarkable, but still cute. I really liked this movie, it wasn't as quirky as Anderson's later movies, which is neither a good nor a bad thing. Just a very simple and down-to-earth movie. 
Rating: 7.6


Business Man (2012) Puri Jagannadh and Vijaya Ram Prasad - India
I expected a slightly crazy Telugu movie, but this was just the top of it all. Perhaps the worst film I have ever seen - and a freaking BLOCKBUSTER! Oh Goddess, I just don't understand this.
Rating: 0.5

Cousin Ben Troop Screening With Jason Schwarzmann (2012) Wes Anderson - USA short film
Somehow they didn't play this before Moonrise Kingdom in my theatre. It's very cute.
Rating: 7.2




Don't Look Now (1973) Nicolas Roeg - UK/ Italy
Watched it because it's supposed to be the best British movie ever, and about half-way through I realized that this was the movie I had read so much about in books etc. I was hooked from the first minute by this subtle and emotional film, and I must recommend it to anyone who still doesn't think British cinema is that great. It is. And how great an actor is Donald Sutherland?!
Rating: 9.1


Easy A (2010) Will Gluck - USA
After hearing so much praise for this, I was still surprised by how funny and intelligent it is.
Rating: 7.5


Firaaq (2008) Nandita Das - India
An acclaimed Indian film on social issues (most of those are acclaimed), it didn't really catch me. I've seen enough shocking things to be able to demand a capturing script along with them.
Rating: 6.8




Frankenstein (1931) James Whale - USA
Watched in Danish class, our current subject is the Romantic Era. Had some great laughs, I mean there are some ridiculous scenes here. The one when Frankenstein breaks into the bride's room and she screams and he growls - comedy in perfection. 
Rating: 7.0


Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Woody Allen - USA
After watching the documentary on Woody Allen, I have a great need to see many of his films. I had only seen newer films of his until then, this was my first older one. It's very, very sweet and has some great humour, which is what I love about Allen.
Rating: 8.2


Hunger (2008) Steve McQueen - UK/ Ireland
So, Steve McQueen is the next big thing, isn't he? I was already intrigued by Shame, in my opinion his best work until now, but Hunger is a wonderful debut. Much like Shame, it depends a lot on visuals and subtle atmosphere, and there are many long sequences without camera movement or cut. Of course, Fassbender is amazing in his role too.
Rating: 8.5




Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. [Int.: The good, the bad and the ugly] (1966) Sergio Leone - Italy/ Spain/ West Germany
I don't really get the term "Spaghetti Western" yet, for me there's no difference between a real western and this. Except this was maybe the funniest western I've seen aside from Steve Martin's Three Amigos. There's also Clint Eastwood, I mean, he's no Italian. Anyway, this was much better than I had expected. And the soundtrack is more than cult.
Rating: 8.4


Lammbock (2001) Christian Zübert - Germany
Sometimes, a really good German comedy comes along. This is one of them. Of course it's about marihuana.
Rating: 7.0

L'homme qui aimait les femmes (1977) François Truffaut -France
Much better than my first Truffaut film. I was intrigued by the main character, who has a lot of facettes. You could see him as a pervert, a heartbreaker, a stalker... but in the end, he simply is: The man who loved women.
Rating: 7.8




Noruwei no mori [Int.: Norwegian Wood] (2010) Tran Anh Hung - Japan
I don't really understand why so many people don't love this film as much as I do - though perhaps, it can't reach the quality of the book. I haven't read a Murakami book yet (I now, shame on me), but am going to soon - especially after this wonderful film. There's just something about Japan...
Rating: 8.2


Notting Hill (1999) Roger Michell - UK/ USA
There really was  a time when American-British co-productions were big, no? My second film on the London-list surprised me by being the best rom-com I'd seen for a looong time. I had almost forgotten what it feels like - the secret joy when they kiss for the first time, when the obvious ending chase comes around... And also, while Julia Roberts may not be as great an actress as most people think, she is certainly one of the most natural and beautiful ones.
... And I'm excited for London!
Rating: 7.4


Omkara (2006) Vishal Bhardwaj - India
I actually really wanted to write about this because it re-assured me that there are still great Indian films out there. And that Kareena Kapoor is not just the glamorous star she wants to be, but an exceptional actress too. Watch this if you think you hate Bollywood.
Rating: 8.6




Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) Dibakar Bannerjee - India
This, however, was another letdown as it was just... okay. I do love Abhay Deol, but you know, I need more daringness. More, I don't know what.
Rating: 7.4


Parada (2011) Srdjan Dragojevic - Serbia/ Slovenia/ Croatia/ Montenegro/ Republic of Macedonia
Realizing that my knowledge of East European cinema is almost zero, I would really like to change that. This of course isn't a masterpiece, but it's quite original, important, and fun. 
Rating: 7.6


Pulp Fiction (1994) Quentin Tarantino - USA
So, this is why you can buy that poster everywhere.
Rating: 9.0




Requiem for a Dream (2000) Darren Aronofsky - USA
Definitely belonging to the category of "Movies you should see before trying out drugs". And "Movies you do need to watch before you die". Don't get me started on the technical perfection.
Only downer: the music has been spoiled by one of those talent shows - X-factor?
Rating: 9.2


Rushmore (1998) Wes Anderson - USA
The nineties... sigh. (They probably weren't that great, but I like nostalgia).
Rating: 8.6


Somewhere (2010) Sofia Coppola - USA
Only a few shorts to go until I'm done with my journey in Coppola-Land! This one already belongs to my favourite places there.
Rating: 8.5


The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) Scott Derrickson - USA
Hey you hijo-de-puta, you spoiled my monthly average! (Ah, no you didn't but still). And what the hell does Jennifer Connelly think she's doing? Just look at her in Requiem for a Dream! And then this! By the way, I'd love to see the original of this one.
Rating: 5.4




The Third Man (1949) Carol Reed - UK
Kind of perfect for a detective film. Especially with the soundtrack, which reminded me of Midnight in Paris. But I don't understand the praise of Orson Welles, I mean clearly Joseph Cotten was the leading man!?
Rating: 7.7


The Wizard of Oz (1939) Victor Fleming - USA
I feel like my movie IQ has grown a lot after seeing this. It's true, you must see it some time in your life - the sooner the better. I'd have loved it to be part of my childhood memories.
Rating: 8.2


What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) Lasse Hallström - USA
It's great to catch up with the 90s. You understand today so much better. Like, why are diCaprio and Depp so big, well I love them, but how did they become so big? I must say that this was diCaprio's best performance I've seen until now.
Rating: 8.4




What's Your Number? (2011) Mark Mylod - USA
Better than expected - stupid, rom-com, but actually funny!
Rating: 6.5


Woody Allen: A Documentary (2012) Robert B. Weide - USA
Quite perfect as it made me want to watch tons of Woody Allen movies right away. And it made me appreciate even his bad films (I've only seen one of those yet).
Rating: 8.0


RE-WATCHED WITH THE PURPOSE OF INTENSE EXAMINATION



Adams Æbler [Int.: Adam's Apples] (2005) Anders Thomas Jensen - Denmark
Just as good as the first time, though perhaps less surprising. And I think I'm growing out of my Mads Mikkelsen crush.
Rating: 8.4


Happythankyoumoreplease (2010) Josh Radnor - USA
Not so much growing out of this crush - Josh Radnor is just adorable, just like his debut as a director.
Rating: 8.5


Luck By Chance (2009) Zoya Akhtar - India
Very good yes, though I didn't remember it being that commercial.
Rating: 8.5




Same Same But Different (2009) Detlev Buck - Germany
Don't know if it's one of my favourite movies still, but one of the best German movies.
Rating: 8.5


I noticed a lot of intriguing details about the lyrics, costumes, and much more this time.
Rating: 8.7


SERIES



True Blood, Season 1 (2008) Allan Ball, USA
Watched in two nights, and the best vampire thing I've ever seen. 
Verdict: Addictive

BOOKS READ



The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Barbey, Muriel
Oh wow, I had almost forgotten how great literature can be. I was just star-struck by this one.
***** out of 5

Uncle Tom's Cabin - Stowe, Harriet Beecher
A classic that I read in a very short time, but still nothing special to me. 
*** out of 5

Amount of feature films watched this month: 33 (August + 5)
Average rating: 8.3  (August + 0.9)



Worst Film of the Month: Business Man
Best Film of the Month: A Clockwork Orange


14 comments:

  1. YAAAYY! ALL THE LOVE FOR A CLOCKWORK ORANGE AND ALL THE ULTRAVIOLENCE!

    Some of my favourites are here- Pulp Fiction, Rushmore, Streetcar, Hannah and Her Sisters, Requiem and adorable things like Easy A and Notting Hill.

    I really need to watch The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Omkara.

    True Blood brilliance (back when it wasn't batshit crazy... well, not only).

    Good month :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YAAAAAY!
      I know. It's been one of the best months in a long time.

      If you want to watch a really good Indian movie, you should definitely see Omkara.

      I'm curious to see the rest of True Blood, I wonder if I'll still like it after what some people say.

      Delete
  2. True Blood season 1, minus Paquin's acting, is amazing, but it's all donwhill from there and the newest season is unwatchable.

    I think I'm gonna check out Don't Look Now this Halloween, I heard only good things about this one!

    Good luck with your new mysterious project! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, Anna isn't the greatest actress anymore (loved her in The Piano, obviously), but I found her okay. Oh man, I just borrowed season 2, I wonder what it's going to be like.

      Do watch Don't Look Now! It's not that scary, but very thrilling.
      And thanks!

      Delete
  3. Awesome at coming down to London, we'll be happy to have you here, Mette!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cherokee - maybe we'll walk by each other in the streets and not recognize each other, haha.

      Delete
  4. There are so many amazing movies in this list and looks like you liked them as well. Great Month!
    Clockwork - Not a Kubrick fan usually but this and Dr. Strangelove are amazing
    Streetcar - Brando and Leigh are so amazing
    Easy A - Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson
    Requiem for a Dream - I will never watch this movie again. It's editing literally made me sick but it is such a great movie
    Hunger - Again. I will probably never watch it again but Soo good. their 16 minute conversation was a standout for me
    Omkara - To tell you the truth, She isn't Bad but I never really looked at Karina Kapoor in it. There are so many better actors around there.
    I probably need to watch Luck By Chance again. It's a good movie but everyone seems to like it way more than I do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A good month indeed.

      So, are you one of those who don't like 2001: A Space Odyssey (don't you dare).
      Streetcar - I never expected to see Leigh being good in a film.
      Requiem for a Dream - Many say that, but I actually would like to re-watch it.
      Hunger - Me too, I was STUNNED by that conversation.
      Omkara - Hm, I liked her. But Saif was the most impressing, mainly because of the shit he's doing right now.
      Please re-watch LBC and write about it :)

      Delete
  5. Never have seen Easy A because - although I like Emma, I've head bad reports on it. Then, What's my Number... yeah, didn't like that one. The only good thing? Chris Evans.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What does everyone love about Chris Evans? My sister too! Well, tastes differ :).
      Anyway, I hope you'll watch Easy A because it's a treat for a teenage comedy. Really entertaining and different.

      Delete
  6. Seriously jealous Mette, I wish I had seen that manny films this month! But lately I've been so focused on tv shows that all my time is consumed by them. Anyway, you've either watched some of my favorite films or films that I've been meaning to watch for ages.

    You're right, you're getting better and better at writing/blogging! Good luck with your secret project, London is amazing, and I'll miss you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thankyousomuch, Sofia!

      Don't worry, I've been jealous of the films you've seen many times. Or those bloggers who watch 60 movies in a month. Though then I would seriously be feeling nerdy.
      Anyway, thanks :)

      Delete
  7. You've seen a lot of great films this month!

    I've watched the Woody Allen doc,to me a bit uneven, not having a clear focus if it wanted to be about the man or his films. For me it was best when discussing Annie Hall, Manhattan and Woody Allen's early years. The last half was a bit shallow in my opinion, glossing over the later films, for example Match Point, and no mention of Another Woman (1988) was disappointing. Even so, I agree it made me interested in Allen's films, particularly the better reviewed ones I haven't seen: Interiors (1978), Zelig (1983), Purple Rose of Cairo (1985). That said, I'm not actually a big admirer of his movies. For every 5 films, I feel Woody Allen only makes one good one.

    The good, the bad and the ugly soundtrack is great, my favorite track from that is "Ecstasy of Gold"

    Going to watch trailer for Same Same But Different (2009), sounds great! and can you believe I still haven't seen Sweeny Todd, thanks for reminding me.

    Happy anniversary, and enjoy your trip to London! Did you know Josh Radnor has a new film out? Maybe check "Liberal Arts" when you are in UK, if you have time :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I heard many people say the same thing about the Woody Allen doc, and it might be true. The only thing that counted for me was that it made me want to watch his films :).
      As for those, the only bad one I've seen until now is Cassandra's Dream, and it's not like it's real bad... just not my thing, really.

      I hope you'll watch SSBD and definitely Sweeney Todd!

      And thanks for telling me about that new Josh Radnor film, I'll try to check it out!

      Delete

Let the discussion begin!