Has anyone here seen this film? Finally saw it last night. Wasn't expecting much, especially considering I'm not very experienced with 'art films', but this one had me thinking all night and into today about it. Visuals and minimal dialogue are powerful mental stimuli and this movie, much like Iranian director Abbas Khorastami's 'The Wind Will Carry Us' or the recent 'Under The Tuscan Sun', leaves my mind working overtime.
Anyone else raised on big-budget blockbusters who is finding these types of movies interesting now?
I saw it a couple of months ago. I really enjoyed it. We have an excellent "art house" movie theater in Little Rock (go figure). Some I really like and others seem like a waste of time. For instance, last year I saw "Rabbit Proof Fence" It, like Translation, was very visual with little dialoge but I was bored silly in it. So for me it's kind of hit and miss.
__________________
***
Today's mighty oak was once just some nut who held his ground!
I understand abou the hit or miss part. "The Wind Will Carry Us' - when I saw it, I thought," WTF? What was that?" But then I kept thinking about it, over and over during the next week. To me, that is always the sign of a good film (or any kind of art): when it has you thinking about it more than 24 hours later. Plus Khorasami's visual images and subtle subtext are severely powerful - the man is very gifted.
The local Crown Cinema had opened this year, and as per agreement with our town, they were supposed to dedicate 1 of their 10 screens for 'art films'. After 6 months, they announced that, due to lack of interest and revenue, they would no longer be having an art screen.
I think LIT is brilliant in many respects. Having worked in the entertainment industry in Japan the whole concept of how foreign celebrities are at once worshipped yet marginalized is spot on.
Same goes for Tokyo night life that is at once ultra-hip and international yet routine in that everyone gravitates towards the next cool - as epitomized by the futuristic club Murray's character goes to (which is a real club near the Aoyama/Omotesando area).
Sometimes I really do miss the scene there....until I go down to the beach and see the waves.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another film discussed on this board awhile back that falls into this genre. I agree with Gardener that it borders on greatness, conceptually & visually.
I'm gonna start a thread on "Riding Giants" soon as I see it.. can't wait.
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Kuri, I was hoping you'd give us a Japan expert's point of view. Thanks.
Days later, I am still thinking about it. Is it because I am hitting the mid life years, similar to where Murray's character was? Is it because there is a certain doldrum (infrequently, but it is there) in the same routine? Is it because I can't get Scarlett Johansson's pantied rear end out of my mind? Whatever, I'm still thinking about it days later. Amazing that I didn't think it was anything about half way through. The hook, as described by Murray in the Extras on the DVD, is when they fell asleep on the bed after talking but did not have relations with each other. And when the Johansson character seems a wee bit jealous after Murray hooks up with the lounge singer in a drunken foray.
The scenes in the gardens and monasteries were powerful. Great cinematography, great direction.
I'm waiting for Eternal SUnshine to come out on DVD. Thats a film that requires 2 or 3 viewing to catch all the clues embedded.
Saw Riding Giants today, a documentary on the history of big wave surfing, directed by Stacy Peralts (Dogtown and Z Boys). Wow, what a piece of work. Needless to say incredible cinematography and historical footage of 1950's-60's Hawaii.
Can't imagine the life those guys lived when the north shore of Oahu was pineapple fields and they survived on fresh fish and fruit, then surfed the biggest waves ever ridden daily.
That film speaks to human potential and self-discovery in a way that few others do.
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
yup, i watched it in the theatre. i'm not into "artsy" movies, but absolutely loved this. Bill Murray gave me a ton of out-loud laughs in this movie, & i really cared about the 2 main characters. He is one talented man.
I watched Kill Bill vol.1, last samurai & LIT all within a short time frame & now would very much like to go to Japan!
Go to Shinjuku in Tokyo if you wanna run into some gangsters. They won't mess with foreigners much unless you play the arrogant American [img]tongue.gif[/img] .
Almost every foreigner who lives in Japan at some point feels as lonely as Murray & Scarlett's characters - so guess of the 3 thats the most realistic. How one can feel so alone in a city of 20 million is strange.
City of God - yeah great film!! heavy, but beautiful. Excellent soundtrack too.
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
"Ya, haha, i could try, but my with my Newfie accent it would be hard!"
Yeah well, I've been to some pubs in Tokyo to watch rugby & football (soccer) that were just loaded with drunk chaps who were plenty rude
Theres no better company for a match!
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Ok, I know I'm a good year behind, but I just watched LiT tonight with my friend Scott. On the topic of art films, he loved eternal sunshine, which i hated, but hated LiT, which I loved.
Did Bob Harris (Bill Murray's character) actually have sex with the lounge singer? And was anyone else pissed that nothing else happened between him and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansenn's character)?
This movie really has me thinking about how people connect with each other, and that powerful undescribable emotion that words don't do justice to. The movie has, honestly, made me feel like all of the friendships/relationships I have with people in my life presently are superficial. Not really really superficial, but more that they're not deep enough.
That's pretty pathetic, huh?
The only thing I didn't like about this movie was how my friend Scott kept ranting about how much it sucked throughout, and then afterwards when i declared my love for it, insisted I give him tangible reasons other than just "i just liked it" to justify my claims.
back to the friends thing (i know this is really random-thought, sorry!), anyone else ever feel like that? Like no matter how close you are to people you're still alone? I get in these moods sometime (like now)...
Ok, i guess that's the end of my rant. [img]smile.gif[/img]
__________________
Renegade HR: Recruit great people. Inspire them to do amazing things. | http://renegadehr.net
ShARKBAIT
back to the friends thing (i know this is really random-thought, sorry!), anyone else ever feel like that? Like no matter how close you are to people you're still alone? I get in these moods sometime (like now)...
Ok, i guess that's the end of my rant. [img]smile.gif[/img] [/QB]
eventhough i havent seen lit
I HEAR YA SHARK ONCE IN A WHILE I THINK THAT
__________________
Sometimes only the struggle makes it worth it, only the pain makes it sweet, and only victory is the answer.-Unknown
It was just--finally!--re-released. Netflix has it and it's #1 on my queue--Budd Schulberg's 1957 classic A Face in theCrowd--the story of Lonesome Rhodes, a C&W singer who is repackaged as a politician. Behind his aw shucks country boy charm and affability there turns out to be power lust and the true heart of a demogogue. Andy Griffiths is Rhodes, Patricia Neal is his handler, as I think is a very young Walter Matthau.
Burl Ives and Bennett Cerf play themselves. (A young friend, 30ish, asks who is Bennett Cerf...and I went, oops, 70 may feel young, but...)
Now I'll see if this is as good as I remember it--and if as I remember it's a film about the form that fascism might take if it ever blossomed on American shores>
__________________
"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument." William Gibbs McAdoo. US Vice-President under Woodrow Wilson.
Fish: I actually read your comments over on Lou's blog about Sideways, and meant to ask you: I liked both Lost in Translation and Garden State (hated Eternal Sunshine!). Do you think I'd enjoy sideways?
__________________
Renegade HR: Recruit great people. Inspire them to do amazing things. | http://renegadehr.net
I will then Fish. I didn't enjoy Sideways much, despite Thomas Haden Church's great character and acting. The problem I had was that Paul Giamatti's character was SO down and depressing and moping that it made me feel down. He steals from his mother, forever has the blues, and can't even realize a good thing when he sees it (Virginia Madsen). Watching that made me think, 'Geez, if he's getting women like VM to hit on him and sleep with, I should be like freakin' Brad Pitt!' [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Both Lou & I picked ESOTSM as our favorite film of 2004. I remember Gardener was fond of it as well.
Gondry is a fantastic director- he also did a bunch of Bjork and Beastie Boys videos back in the day.
K- let that jealousy go man, it'll only eat you up inside Out here in Slo Cal someone like that would never get the girl. You gotta be driving something fast and German & have a place with a view to even think about mackin' the likes of her
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Kaiser: i probably won't like sideways either then. I HATE depressing characters, one of the main reasons i didn't like ESOTSM. (Or American Beauty, or Closer, or...)
__________________
Renegade HR: Recruit great people. Inspire them to do amazing things. | http://renegadehr.net
OH MY GOD, Sideways was just AWFUL! If I never see Thomas Haden Church's lily white ass plastered near Sandra Oh it won't be soon enough! That Giamatti is an enormous BORE in this movie as well with his hand heavy with liquor, and theiving from his mother, what a disgrace! Not to mention that bad makeup job he calls a beard!
ESOTSM was awesome! Garden State was pretty good, and I thought Sideways was well done. If you're into more 'artsy' films then I'd take a look at "Gerry" I think that I'm going to rent this again, this is a movie that really made me think.
Whatever, I'm still thinking about it days later. Amazing that I didn't think it was anything about half way through. The hook, as described by Murray in the Extras on the DVD, is when they fell asleep on the bed after talking but did not have relations with each other. And when the Johansson character seems a wee bit jealous after Murray hooks up with the lounge singer in a drunken foray. 
Linear Mode
