Search

Search only in certain items:

At Eternity's Gate (2018)
At Eternity's Gate (2018)
2018 | Biography, Drama
A slow meditation of the last days of a tortured artist
he artist as a tortured soul.

How many films have been made on this subject? Too many to count. Add AT ETERNITY'S GATE to this list as it tells the tale of the tortured final days of Vincent Van Gogh - including cutting his own ear off - so perhaps no one deserves the title of "tortured artist" more than he.

Directed by Julian Schnabel (THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY) and starring Willem DaFoe (AQUAMAN) in an Oscar nominated turn as Van Gogh, AT ETERNITY'S GATE follows Van Gogh in the final weeks of his life. Since it is a film by Schnabel, you get an introspective, languid, haunting, beautifully shot meditation on life, art, madness and misunderstanding. Which, of course, is both the blessing and the curse of the film. Schnabel trains his camera - sometimes for long stretches - on the mundane...Van Gogh walking through a field, Van Gogh looking out at a landscape, Van Gogh thinking and, most importantly. Van Gogh painting...and painting...and painting...

Do you know how exciting it is to WATCH someone paint? About as exciting as watching paint dry.

Thank goodness DaFoe is mesmerizing as Van Gogh, for he really holds the film - and attention - throughout. His Academy Award nomination is justified for he brings a haunted, world weariness quality to his portrayal. - check this film out just for this performance. Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelson and Mathieu Amalric all show up in glorified cameos to punch a little dialogue and forward momentum into this narrative. But, mostly, we watch DaFoe - as Van Gogh - walk and think and look and paint and paint and paint...

I know I am repeating myself, but I felt the film repeated itself over and over again as well. I think there is about 1/2 of interesting film in this 1 hour 54 minute movie. The rest is just "art" and "artistic expression" of images on the screen by Schnabel. If that sort of thing is up your alley, you'll enjoy this. For the rest , it will just become repetitive and boring.

I will say, however, that after seeing this film, I have a greater appreciation for Van Gogh's work, how he made them and how his style differs from ANYBODY else. I am now going to make it a point to find a museum that shows some of his works and check it out.

So, I guess, that's a good thing.

Letter Grade: B- (it is a well made and acted film)

6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
    C5+ Stream DLNA Cast Media

    C5+ Stream DLNA Cast Media

    Music and Entertainment

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    App

    6 apps in one! Creation 5 is the first media app to bring together the 6 key media features: Music,...

The Disaster Artist (2017)
The Disaster Artist (2017)
2017 | Comedy
“Ha ha ha! What a film, Mark!”
I was first introduced to The Room during a college Film Studies lecture as a perfect example of how not to make a film. Everything about it was atrocious, but I also found it weirdly compelling. Since then, I’ve made a real effort to follow everything relating to Tommy Wiseau and this bizarre film of his. It’s become a cult classic in recent years, drawing a crowd of dedicated fans to the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square for monthly screenings, and Q&A’s with cast members. When I found out that James Franco was creating a film adaptation of Greg Sestero’s novel The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, I was so excited!

I was lucky enough to see the film during its opening weekend at the Prince Charles Cinema, which actually made my experience even better. Being around a crowd of The Room fans who knew the film like the back of their hand was hilarious, because they recited familiar quotes along with James Franco, and it was clear the entire audience was having a blast from start to finish. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed this much at a film. Everyone involved made a real effort to recreate the scenes that we know and love, whilst giving us a glimpse into what life on that film set was really like. It’s possible to forget that you’re watching The Disaster Artist and not The Room at times, because the performances are so spot on.

Once again, James Franco’s ability to take a real life person and bring them to life on a screen shone through. I always refer to his performance as Aron Ralston in 127 Hours as one of his best, but his portrayal of Tommy Wiseau certainly comes a close second. He nails the mannerisms, the accent, and that weird laugh that Wiseau has become well known for. You can tell he has dedicated a lot of time and effort to the project, and it’s paid off. Praise must also be given to the rest of the cast for perfectly emulating the characters. Josh Hutcherson as Denny was amazing; even when he was just sitting there that ridiculous wig was enough to make the audience cry with laughter, and Seth Rogen’s script supervisor character delivers these amazing one liners that show his frustration at Tommy’s ridiculous ideas.

Whilst clearly hilarious, this film is not without its fair share of tragedy, mainly around Dave Franco’s character Greg Sestero. His friendship with Tommy required him to make huge, unimaginable sacrifices both professionally and personally, ultimately causing a rift between the two. Greg is a classic example of a man chasing the allure of fame, and failing miserably. You can’t help but sympathise with him as he tries his best to keep those around him happy whilst trying to attain life changing career goals. The film also shows a darker side to Tommy Wiseau, as he treats the cast and crew around him very badly. He’s so wrapped up in bringing The Room, his “real Hollywood movie”, to life that he neglects the needs of those around him. There are some highly charged emotional moments in this film, which are perfectly balanced with the comedic moments. Without these serious scenes, the film just wouldn’t have been the same.

The Disaster Artist is a must-watch for fans of The Room, and those who want to learn more about the utter chaos that happened on set. It’s funny, intense, emotional and a one of a kind experience from start to finish. Make sure you sit tight until after the credits too, as there’s an extra scene that you don’t want to miss!

https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2017/12/04/ha-ha-ha-what-a-film-mark-a-review-of-the-disaster-artist/
  
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
1968 | Classics, Sci-Fi
The Kubrick (2 more)
The music
The unforgettable
It's not 5 hours long (0 more)
Greatest sci-fi film of all time.
Not too often you can say a film is perfect in every way, but you can with 2001: A Space Odyssey. Screw movies of today which have to explain everything away or the movie itself is just a set up for the never-ending series of films to follow.

You have to appreciate the visuals, music, and unforgettable vagueness of this film and just soak it all in like looking at a beautiful painting by your favorite artist or listening to your favorite song and repeat it over and over again.

After seeing this movie 20+ times, I see new subtleties in it every time and enjoy it completely every time. Probably an acquired taste for today's generation of MCU fans, but certainly worth your time.

  
The Hustle (2019)
The Hustle (2019)
2019 | Comedy
When I first heard they were making a gender-flipped version of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," I feared that it could be misogynistic based on the end of the English language remake of the French original. The Frank Oz-directed "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is a classic comedy with a original twist. This female-centric remake is rarely funny and inoffensive. Anne Hathaway gets to practice three of her Meryl Streep accents. Rebel Wilson plays the uncouth low level con artist piggishly. When the two met on a train to St Tropez where Anne runs elaborate cons on rich tourists, Anne is not threatened but she realizes Rebel could ruin her trade. So she continuously schemes ways to rid herself of the slouch. The whole movie could have ended if Rebel just found a real policeman and unmasked Anne, but that would not make great cinema so we are stuck with this stinker.