Movies

[irishjayhawk]

Yeah, so I saw a lot of movies this weekend.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Mediocre, at best. Slow and dragged on. Shorten it to 2 hours and it's golden. It's not, so it fails.

Michael Clayton - Amazing. Everything about it is awesome. However, it's VERY complex and mind bending. You have to think, so be prepared. I still feel like I'm missing key details of exactly what happened. Gotta see it again.

Across the Universe - Perfect is one word that comes to mind. It just works. And, contrary to many people I bet, the movie is best viewed sober. Trust me.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by JD10367

I enjoyed it. But you have to like Robert Downey, and you have to know that you're in for a modern, MTV, iPod, ADD retelling of the story. It's made by Guy Ritchie, after all. (And of course it was "utterly un-Holmes-like". if it was "Holmes-like", it would've been produced by the BBC, had some ugly British actors in it, and made around $2M in release.) It was basically a buddy-cop movie set 100+ years ago. But I thought Downey and Law brought dimension to their roles, and their bickering reminded me of "House" (as it was very House/Wilson-esque).

I thought that Robert Downey Jr. was a brilliant move of casting. Too bad the screenplay wasn't up to his talents. I knew that I was in for a "modern, MTV, ADD retelling" of Holmes. That's why it sucked.

I agree with you about the movie feeling like House (a show that is itself influenced greatly by Sherlock Holmes). The Holmes/Watson dynamic in the movie is pretty much a direct ripoff of the House/Wilson dynamic.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I thought that Robert Downey Jr. was a brilliant move of casting. Too bad the screenplay wasn't up to his talents. I knew that I was in for a "modern, MTV, ADD retelling" of Holmes. That's why it sucked.

I agree with you about the movie feeling like House (a show that is itself influenced greatly by Sherlock Holmes). The Holmes/Watson dynamic in the movie is pretty much a direct ripoff of the House/Wilson dynamic.

Your review is consistent with my expectations. If I go into it knowing it will rape the story of Holmes, will it be enjoyable?
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[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Your review is consistent with my expectations. If I go into it knowing it will rape the story of Holmes, will it be enjoyable?
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If you enjoy rape you'll enjoy holmes

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Your review is consistent with my expectations. If I go into it knowing it will rape the story of Holmes, will it be enjoyable?
Posted via Mobile Device

Depends how much you like Holmes. For me, speaking as someone who has written scholarly work on Holmes, it was unsatisfying. Even if I don't consider the revamping of Holmes then the movie doesn't succeed as a quality film. Its too shallow and pretty rote when it comes down to it.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Your review is consistent with my expectations. If I go into it knowing it will rape the story of Holmes, will it be enjoyable?
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I think you'll enjoy it if you know what you're getting into. The piece is set in a very gritty, realistic version of the era. Think "Gangs Of New York". The character of Holmes is played, like the books, as being brilliant and light-years ahead of most people in way of thinking--but, in a modern twist, they give the character the sort of narcissistic egocentricity and ADD of someone in the modern era (i.e., if someone today were that smart, and not raised ideally socially, how their personalities might've come out a little on the abrasive and sociopathic side). The Holmes of this film is always pushing the envelope--mentally, physically, and mind-alteringly--seeking new challenges and new boundaries to test and see if he fails at (since, through his life, he pretty much doesn't fail at anything aside from relationships). Going back to the "House" analogy, Holmes is very similar to Greg House in these terms (brilliant, self-centered, socially abrasive and inept, addictive personality, lives for the brief moments of feeling new and different and on-the-edge).

If you're expecting the stereotypical deerstalker hat and pipe and "Ah ha!" kind of thing, then you won't find it enjoyable.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by JD10367

If you're expecting the stereotypical deerstalker hat and pipe and "Ah ha!" kind of thing, then you won't find it enjoyable.

Spoken like someone unfamilar with the fiction.

[blaise]

Originally Posted by JD10367

I think you'll enjoy it if you know what you're getting into. The piece is set in a very gritty, realistic version of the era. Think "Gangs Of New York". The character of Holmes is played, like the books, as being brilliant and light-years ahead of most people in way of thinking--but, in a modern twist, they give the character the sort of narcissistic egocentricity and ADD of someone in the modern era (i.e., if someone today were that smart, and not raised ideally socially, how their personalities might've come out a little on the abrasive and sociopathic side). The Holmes of this film is always pushing the envelope--mentally, physically, and mind-alteringly--seeking new challenges and new boundaries to test and see if he fails at (since, through his life, he pretty much doesn't fail at anything aside from relationships). Going back to the "House" analogy, Holmes is very similar to Greg House in these terms (brilliant, self-centered, socially abrasive and inept, addictive personality, lives for the brief moments of feeling new and different and on-the-edge).

If you're expecting the stereotypical deerstalker hat and pipe and "Ah ha!" kind of thing, then you won't find it enjoyable.

Almost all the things you describe there are really the same traits dislplayed in the BBC productions: he's narcississtic and egocentric, he sought new challenges. In fact, they show him so bored with what life has to offer he resorts to using drugs to liven up his day. There's more than one where Watson comes in to find Holmes shutting a desk door on a syringe or bottle and asks him, "What is it this time?" Holmes will reply with something like, "A half a gram of cocaine." He comes across as socially abrasive. He's aloof and dismissive to most people he meets. Usually when people come to him with a case he speaks to Watson as if the person isn't even there, and only decides to take the case if there's some unusual aspect to it.

[luv]

Just put in Blood Diamond.

[KCChiefsMan]

Originally Posted by luv

Just put in Blood Diamond.

T.I.A.

[luv]

Rented The Goonies. Haven't seen it in forever.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by luv

Rented The Goonies. Haven't seen it in forever.

heh, guilty pleasure......ill always love it, but its really not very good.

Ived own the DVD for years. The live commentary on there with the whole (grown up) cast is really cool.

[Sure-Oz]

Watched Fantastic Mr Fox, and it was very entertaining. Seemed more adult that kids imo, but kids could see it. Pretty cool animation, crisp etc, but the characters were fun. I laughed out loud. Rent it

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by Sure-Oz

Watched Fantastic Mr Fox, and it was very entertaining. Seemed more adult that kids imo, but kids could see it. Pretty cool animation, crisp etc, but the characters were fun. I laughed out loud. Rent it

I think if it didn't have the animation style it did, it would have failed massively. The style was about all, for me, it had going for it.

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk

I think if it didn't have the animation style it did, it would have failed massively. The style was about all, for me, it had going for it.

agreed, i loved the old school type of look to it...

[Hammock Parties]

The Goonies is wonderful. Makes me feel like a kid again.

EVERY kid wants to go on an adventure like that.