Friday 15 January 2010

Recommend a film here or write a brief review of a current film being shown

12 comments:

  1. The diving bell and the butterfly

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Taxi Driver is a great film. I noticed watching it this time that Travis is a Vietnam vet and he's finding the country he's been fighting for a bit of a disappointment. There's a scene where he tips the TV further and further over until finally it crashes to the floor just like he tips over into violence himself (maybe Vietnam is behind the way he flips so easily too?).

    I really liked all the night time rainy streets with reflections of shop, car and traffic lights in the puddles and wet windows.

    I wonder whether the overall colour was right? It was all very pink and green. Wasn't Travis's cab yellow not pink.

    Jodie Foster was great too - can we see Bugsy Malone please?

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  4. We've only had two weeks of the film programme but there seems to be a pattern of a lighter film first followed by one with a darker mood?

    Could we have them the other way round please? I staggered out into Leicester Square after 'Taxi Driver' and 'Even Dwarfs Started Small' feeling pretty shattered and without much energy for going and seeing exhibitions. It would be great to come out feeling a bit more upbeat.

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  5. Fargo - Joel Coen
    Any Terry Gilliam films!

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  6. Recommendations:

    1. The City of Lost Children (La cite des enfants perdus) French 1995 - This film sets an eerie tone right from the start, operating in a surreal and dystopian world but still verging on the border of being a children's film.

    2. City of God (Cidade de Deus) Portuguese 2002 - I would assume that many people have seen this film since it's release because of it's popularity among critics, and due to that it deserves the distinction of being shown on a big screen. I wouldn't hesitate to say that this film is storytelling at it's finest, and it certainly qualifies as one of the greatest films of the past decade.

    3. Underground (Podzemlje) Serbian 1995 - While you could really show any of Emir Kusturica's films and be satisfied with the result, I like to think of Underground as his finest work. It explores the history of Yugoslavia, but more importantly it explores the human condition during war and turmoil, and all in a humorous sense. On top of this it also has the distinction of having won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

    4. Sex and Lucia (Lucia y el sexo) Spanish 2001 - While this film is certainly heavy on sex scenes, they do not overshadow the amazing storytelling occuring within, in fact they add to it, creating an almost imaginary world within Spain where the characters function independent of any clear boundaries or realities. The film is very hard to follow but not impossible, it shouldn't be too difficult for University students.

    5. DiG! (USA)(2004) - This film is really how modern documentaries should be made. It is filmed over 7 years, and compiled almost entirely from homemade footage, where the characters seem completely at ease with the presence of a camera. It honestly and almost eerily portrays the lives of two bands coming from the West Coast of the United States, one of which succeeds and the other which fails due to the mental instability of it's frontman. In my opinion it is a film that every aspiring filmmaker should see, especially if they are entering the realm of documentaries.

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  7. Don't miss the Ozu films currently showing at the NFT. I went to see Tokyo Story (the third time I have seen it on big screen) and it was even more beautiful and brilliant than I had remembered.

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  8. If theres a film recomendation post for us to add to, then surly our suggestions should be maybe shown??

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  9. Hi Simplelined

    Good idea - but unfortunately the films have to be booked and ordered well in advance.

    The idea of suggestions is that other people can go and see them on their own where they can - many are in the library. If people put films on here that i haven't seen I'll try and see them - I've never seen DiG! which sounds great.

    Dave

    PS. I agree Fargo is a great movie.

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  10. ahh ok, fair enough. Whats the email address we can write to to reccomend for the last film shown. maybe fargo! I'd love to see that in a cinema!

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  11. Speak to Charlotte Mann who is at the cinema each week

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  12. I know the cinema season is over, but I thought if anyone is looking for more great films, I've got to say that Pete Townshend (in general but also as a director/story teller) is wonderful.

    See TOMMY if you can,
    and Quadrophenia is also excellent, if not a bit overplayed.

    A Single Man (In cinemas now!) is done very well. Whatever people have said about a fashion designer not being able to make a film, is rubbish! It deals with sexuality and suicide and loss in such a quiet but overwhelming way- if you pay attention it can have a huge impact on you. Also watch out for the subtle saturation changes.

    A few other films which I've seen that this cinema season has made me look at again and appreciate more are;

    -Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory.
    -Let The Right One In.
    -One Flew Over The Cucko's Nest
    -The Shining

    Thanks for the film season- I went every week and enjoyed each for their own merits.
    Kim Smith
    (Illustration)

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