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Post by thales on Apr 16, 2008 19:53:41 GMT -1
[rec]2007 film co-directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. (already set for US remake as Quarantine). A television reporter, Ángela, and her cameraman, Pablo, are spending the night at a fire house in Barcelona, for a tv show, showing a normal night for a fireman. a call comes through for an old woman who is locked in her apartment! when they arrive, they find the police there already and the go to investigate the apartment! watched this thinking was going to be another cloverfield, hand held camera, but very pleasently surprised. A good work of cinematography, highlighted by the fact this is the first film to make me jump in years. Similar to george a. romero or 28 days later for ye kids came out on friday, recommend you go see it! 9/10
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Post by Travis on Jun 1, 2008 13:15:38 GMT -1
LUST, CAUTIONAng Lee's previous film (Brokeback Mountain) made rather more of a splash at the box office and during awards season, yet I found his latest offering to be markedly better. With a running time of over 2 and a half hours, and filmed in Mandarin, it was in retrospect, hardly likely to rake in big money with American audiences remaining for the most part, pretty impervious to world cinema. However, Lee's lack of recognition at the Bafta's, Golden Globe and Academy awards was more puzzling. At heart, a fairly simple espionage thriller set in Shanghai during World War II, 'Lust, Caution' tells the story of the escalating relationship between Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei) and Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), head of the collaborationist secret service. Recruited by a patriotic resistance group, Wong adopts the name of Mai Tai Tai and a back story that presents her as a woman of of sophistication and means. Having infiltrated Mr. Yee's social circle, Wong is charged with seducing him, collating information, and ultimately leading him to his death. However, as she is drawn ever closer to her prey, she finds her identity and loyalties being pushed to the limit. Watching 'Lust, Caution', it is hard not to make comparisons to Paul Verhooven's Dutch resistance thriller of last year, 'Black Book'. Both films tell the tale of naive young women, pushed into espionage and using their sexuality to serve the aims of those who recruited them. While Lee's film is more sedately paced, a little more stylish and features sex scenes, the like of which appear to have raised the bar for other film makers, Verhooven's tale made up for it's relative technical deficiencies with a more intricate, extreme and exciting tale. In essence, 'Lust, Caution' is like an art-house companion to 'Black Book', both are well worth catching. 9/10 THE ORPHANAGEWhen Guillermo Del Toro attaches his name to a project like this, even if just in a producing role, then expectations are naturally going to be raised, thankfully 'The Orphanage' doesn't disappoint. First time director, Juan Antonia Bayona is obviously a fan of Del Toro and in terms of style and tone, his debut feature strongly draws on 'The Devil's Backbone'. The story centres on Laura (Belen Rueda), a woman who purchases her beloved childhood orphanage with dreams of restoring and reopening the building as a home for disabled children. Only something isn't right, her young son keeps talking to invisible friends, playing out fantasies, until matters escalate into something far more sinister. Fraught with worry after her son disappears, Laura enlists the help of a group of parapsychologists as she tries to unravel the mystery. Well paced and genuinely disturbing for a '15 certificate' film, 'The Orphanage' gets the balance between scares, narrative and characteristaion just right. 8/10
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Post by The Lucky C on Jun 4, 2008 10:56:53 GMT -1
Saw the orphanage at the showroom recently, it's a great film.
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Post by Travis on Jun 4, 2008 11:49:33 GMT -1
Saw the orphanage at the showroom recently, it's a great film. What's the Showroom like mate? Met a shady bloke outside there the other night to collect some gig tickets. Looks a nice little independent place.
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Post by The Lucky C on Jun 4, 2008 12:06:54 GMT -1
It's a nice little place. Went into the cafe for a meal before the orphanage, and was surrounded by these indie types talking a load of pretentious bollocks about films. I felt like I was home.
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Post by Travis on Jun 4, 2008 12:33:42 GMT -1
It's a nice little place. Went into the cafe for a meal before the orphanage, and was surrounded by these indie types talking a load of pretentious bollocks about films. I felt like I was home. It does look a nice place, had a little nosey at the website when I was looking for directions. When the bloke came out carrying a pint I was even more taken with the place! ;D
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Post by Travis on Jun 23, 2008 10:57:24 GMT -1
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS & 2 DAYSWinner of last year's Palme d'or at Cannes, this Romanian film is as bleak and harrowing a film as your likely to see. Set during the mid-1980's while the Romania was still under the repressive Ceaucescu regime, the film tells the story of Otilia and her efforts to help her college roommate Gabita get an abortion. With all terminations in Romania deemed illegal, Otilia has to arrange a meet-up with a 'back street' abortionist and discreetly books a hotel room for the procedure. However, matters are not as straightforward as they first seem and when Gabita is forced to admit that her pregnancy is far beyond the 2 months she claimed - as the title illustrates - suddenly the stakes are raised. With penalties much harsher for later terminations the abortionist demands more money, and ultimately Otilia is faced with making some very unsavoury decisions if she is to help her friend. The slow pacing, the relentlessly grim lighting and sets, the long single takes, and 'matter of fact' approach makes no concessions to the viewer. The seemlingly endless scene in the hotel where the two girls at first discuss the procedure with the abortionist, and then despite their fears find themselves begging him to carry it out makes for hugely uncomfortable viewing especially. It is the final scenes though that deal with the disposal of the foetus that brings home just how desperate a mess women in this situation found themselves in. A thought provoking film that will stay with you long after the credits, and very well worth watching if you feel you deal with the subject matter. 9/10
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Post by Mrs H on Jul 3, 2008 9:37:03 GMT -1
Efter brylluppet - After the WeddingWatched this Danish film on BBC 4 last night and was hooked. Jacob (Mads Mikkelson - the baddie in Casino Royale) is a Danish man working in an orphanage in Bombay but there isn't enough funding to keep it open and the children face being back on the streets. Jacob receives an invitation from a rich Danish donor, Jorgen, to come back to Denmark and discuss possible funding. The trip back throws Jacob back into his past and he's embroiled in a dying man's wish. Jacob is invited to the wedding of the donor's daughter. It transpires that the the donor's wife, Helene, is Jacob ex lover and the girl getting married is his daughter. The story becomes twisted as we find out Jorgen is dying and he is trying to buy Jacob to look after his family when he is gone. I found this story very moving and Mads Mikkelson plays the tortured character beautifully. The only down point for me was Jorgen who overacted a little too much for my liking. I would really recommend this film to anyone (plus listening to Danish for a long time sounds like people talking backwards) 9.5/10
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Post by Travis on Jul 3, 2008 12:18:12 GMT -1
Efter brylluppet - After the WeddingWatched this Danish film on BBC 4 last night and was hooked. Jacob (Mads Mikkelson - the baddie in Casino Royale) is a Danish man working in an orphanage in Bombay but there isn't enough funding to keep it open and the children face being back on the streets. Jacob receives an invitation from a rich Danish donor, Jorgen, to come back to Denmark and discuss possible funding. The trip back throws Jacob back into his past and he's embroiled in a dying man's wish. Jacob is invited to the wedding of the donor's daughter. It transpires that the the donor's wife, Helene, is Jacob ex lover and the girl getting married is his daughter. The story becomes twisted as we find out Jorgen is dying and he is trying to buy Jacob to look after his family when he is gone. I found this story very moving and Mads Mikkelson plays the tortured character beautifully. The only down point for me was Jorgen who overacted a little too much for my liking. I would really recommend this film to anyone (plus listening to Danish for a long time sounds like people talking backwards) 9.5/10 Forgot to set the thing up when I called home yesterday! Best put it back on my rental list if it's that good.
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Post by Mrs H on Jul 3, 2008 12:38:19 GMT -1
Yey I've seen a foreign film that Trav hasn't! ;D
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Post by Mrs H on Jul 3, 2008 12:45:24 GMT -1
It's a nice little place. Went into the cafe for a meal before the orphanage, and was surrounded by these indie types talking a load of pretentious bollocks about films. I felt like I was home. It does look a nice place, had a little nosey at the website when I was looking for directions. When the bloke came out carrying a pint I was even more taken with the place! ;D The Showroom is lovely. You can hire it out and show the film of your choice for a party idea. I wanted to do it for my hen night but my friends wanted to get drunk on my behalf
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Post by Travis on Jul 3, 2008 12:45:25 GMT -1
Yey I've seen a foreign film that Trav hasn't! ;D I circled that damn thing in the twatting TV guide on Saturday too! I'll put it in my 'high priority' category, you're not holding this over me for long! ;D
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Post by Travis on Jul 3, 2008 12:46:06 GMT -1
It does look a nice place, had a little nosey at the website when I was looking for directions. When the bloke came out carrying a pint I was even more taken with the place! ;D The Showroom is lovely. You can hire it out and show the film of your choice for a party idea. I wanted to do it for my hen night but my friends wanted to get drunk on my behalf Was it gonna be Ghostbusters? ;D
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Post by Mrs H on Jul 3, 2008 12:47:09 GMT -1
Yey I've seen a foreign film that Trav hasn't! ;D I circled that damn thing in the twatting TV guide on Saturday too! I'll put it in my 'high priority' category, you're not holding this over me for long! ;D You have categories?
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Post by Mrs H on Jul 3, 2008 12:47:36 GMT -1
The Showroom is lovely. You can hire it out and show the film of your choice for a party idea. I wanted to do it for my hen night but my friends wanted to get drunk on my behalf Was it gonna be Ghostbusters? ;D ;D How did you guess?
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Post by Travis on Jul 3, 2008 12:53:20 GMT -1
I circled that damn thing in the twatting TV guide on Saturday too! I'll put it in my 'high priority' category, you're not holding this over me for long! ;D You have categories? The website does.....before you start on allegations of me being anally retentive!
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Post by Travis on Jul 3, 2008 12:53:57 GMT -1
Was it gonna be Ghostbusters? ;D ;D How did you guess? It was more of a confident statement! ;D
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Post by Mrs H on Jul 3, 2008 12:55:13 GMT -1
You have categories? The website does.....before you start on allegations of me being anally retentive! You are quite anal about films though. ;D
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Post by Travis on Jul 3, 2008 12:56:51 GMT -1
The website does.....before you start on allegations of me being anally retentive! You are quite anal about films though. ;D You should see how they're ordered and categorised on my shelves! ;D
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Post by Mrs H on Jul 3, 2008 12:57:50 GMT -1
You are quite anal about films though. ;D You should see how they're ordered and categorised on my shelves! ;D No no no that's bad. You should go for the chaos theory of film watching. You go to look for one thing but ultimately come across something else you would rather watch.
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