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Grex > Cinema > #59: Grex goes to the movies-- the fall movie review item |  |
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richard
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Grex goes to the movies-- the fall movie review item
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Sep 25 02:40 UTC 2003 |
Have you seen a gone to see a good movie lately? or bought a movie on
DVD or rented a movie? Review it here. Let people know your opinions
on the films of the day.
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| 225 responses total. |
richard
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response 1 of 225:
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Sep 25 02:57 UTC 2003 |
This fall is starting positively, with a terrific new movie just out
that I saw last weekend--
LOST IN TRANSLATION-- Bill Murray stars as basically himself, a middle
aged movie star on the backside of his career who finds himself having
to go to Japan and do a liquor commercial to pay his bills. Murray is
tired and depressed, and trying to hide out in the bar of his downtown
Tokyo hotel and drink away the time, when he meets a much younger girl
who is dissatisfied with her life and unsure what her goals are in
life. The girl is played by Scarlet Johannson, a promising young
actress who you might remember as one of the girls in the great
movie 'Ghost World' Murray and this girl, with very little in common
except the time and place they are in, start to hang out together and
connect in a very moving, tender way. This movie is about two people
who feel lost and alone in the world, who connect with each other
emotionally for a short time.
This is IMO a wonderful movie, the best so far this year. "Lost in
Translation" was written and directed by Sofia Coppola, Francis Ford
Coppola's daughter, who is developing into a first rate director
herself (her first directorial effort was the terrific, "Virgin
Suicides") Bill Murray is great in this movie, playing a character who
is tired and beaten. and lost and confused by life but has a good
heart. You can tell, as Coppola has said, that she wrote the part
specifically for him. Johannson, who was wonderful in Ghost World,
plays well opposite Murray and shows a lot of depth.
This movie is also a good film to see if you've never been to Tokyo,
and wonder what its like. I've been there a couple of times, and this
movie, filmed entirely on location there, really captures the feel of
the place. A funny and moving movie. Highly recommended!
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richard
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response 2 of 225:
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Sep 27 01:59 UTC 2003 |
AMERICAN SPENDOR-- this is a live action version of Harvey Pekar's
American Splendor comic books, in which if you've never read them, Pekar
writes about him, his wife and his friends and their neuroses and fears.
The movie is as funny as the comic books. Pekar appears as himself, along
with a cartoon version of Pekar, and an actor playing Pekar in the
flashbacks. The movie shows how Pekar, a real life file clerk in
Cleveland who writes this comic book in his spare time who is a
dysfunctional grouch, meets his wife who is another dysfunctional grouch,
and through his battle with cancer and other things, manages to come to
terms with his feelings about life. Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis are
wonderful as Pekar and his wife Joyce, who is also a recurring character
in the comic book and who also appears as herself in the movie. "American
Splendor" is a wonderful, funny, touching movie and co-directors Shari
Stringer Berman and Robert Pulcini do a great job of mixing present time
frame interviews with the real life characters, with flashbacks featuring
actors playing the characters, and images of the characters in comic book
form.
"American Splendor" is highly recommended, one of the best movies of the
year
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mary
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response 3 of 225:
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Sep 27 10:55 UTC 2003 |
"Lost in Translation" is a little gem. The movies is about two people,
both a bit lost and confused, who during a few days together find
something valuable, in each other. It's subtle, and kind, and real. I
guess the director, Sofia Coppola, stalked Bill Murray and wouldn't make
the movie unless he played the lead character. She knew.
I love this movie.
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remmers
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response 4 of 225:
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Sep 27 12:55 UTC 2003 |
It's one of Murray's best performances. Scarlett Johansson proves
herself to be star material. Nothing is overstated or cliched in this
film, and just about everything works. Highly recommend "Lost in
Translation".
I'll second Richard's endorsement of "American Splendor". I'm an
old Robert Crumb/underground comix fan, but my attention had waned
by the time the Pekar era came along, so I never read any of the
comic books. "American Splendor" nicely filled a gap in my cultural
background as well as being a very entertaining movie.
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tpryan
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response 5 of 225:
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Sep 27 17:11 UTC 2003 |
I had to treat myself to the DVD issue of Disney's Sleeping
Beauty. The audio commentary is highly produced and provides a
wonderul insight to the movie. That audio track also introduces
and plays the lyric version of songs heard in the movie, as opposed
to doing so on another feature on the DVD.
I also get to send in for the $5 refund for owning the
video tape.
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aruba
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response 6 of 225:
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Sep 28 04:55 UTC 2003 |
I rented "Dude, Where's My Car?" tonight. It was fun.
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murph
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response 7 of 225:
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Sep 28 13:17 UTC 2003 |
Saw the first half of "The Good Thief" last night, then stopped watching.
Plot was standard, and atmosphere quite good, but acting horrible.
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scott
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response 8 of 225:
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Oct 10 14:13 UTC 2003 |
I'm geeked to see "Kill Bill", mainly because Sonny Chiba is in it.
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remmers
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response 9 of 225:
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Oct 10 15:09 UTC 2003 |
I'm of two minds regarding seeing "Kill Bill". Liked Tarentino's
previous work, but on the other hand looked at a couple of reviews.
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edina
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response 10 of 225:
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Oct 10 16:13 UTC 2003 |
The Post (in both the Style and Weekend sections - we have two reviews) gave
it a thumbs up.
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jaklumen
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response 11 of 225:
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Oct 10 22:19 UTC 2003 |
Julie wants to see "Kill Bill". The trailer's been out on the movie
screen for a while now.
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tsty
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response 12 of 225:
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Oct 11 03:22 UTC 2003 |
with a director llike tarentino and a name like 'kill bill' i would
expect over-saturated blood-n-gore.
city drains overflowing, etc.
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