Recently watched movies

[Van Buren Supernova]

@Green Mile.

Yes, it's a memorable to me. It makes me feel bad for that nice guy (don't remember name) and Percy (and him I remember! Why?), gosh I really want to punch him.

But it's not something I want to rewatch though, bit too depressing.

 

@Time Traveller Wife.

This ia actually a rare case that movie is better than book, imo. Maybe it's bias because I read the book later, but to me, the book is too focus at one character and it gives different vibe with the character. While the movie is well balanced out and manage to capture their despairs.

 

While I think it is way too burdensome to have that kind of relationship, on the other hand it's kind of nice to have a chance to mentally prepare for stuff.. and

chance to see your lost one in the future

.

 

Watch 12 Strong. I think it's wellmade, all other things aside. And when you limit it to that time span, it is an awesome tale and character. 7.5/10.

[Pseudonym]

Se7en is a brilliant film which I haven't seen for a while. Read a fic based on it the other day and now in need of a rewatch. 

[J.P.]

"Mr Holmes". Fantastic performance of Ian McKellen. The story not so great, but it actually doesn't matter that much. Heartbreaking - and it pressed some buttons. Keep Kleenex ready.

[Hikari]

"Mr Holmes". Fantastic performance of Ian McKellen. The story not so great, but it actually doesn't matter that much. Heartbreaking - and it pressed some buttons. Keep Kleenex ready.

 

I liked Bill Condon's film enough to watch twice.  It's gentle, elegiac, and beautifully mounted, great photography & a wonderful score, and supporting performances from Laura Linney and young Milo Parker as the 'junior Watson'.

 

I wanted to like McKellen's performance more than I did.  It wasn't that he gave a poor performance by any means, but whether through his own natural personality/mannerisms of acting peeking out or an artistic decision to present 'Mr. Holmes' as the diametric opposite of his literary reputation, I was quite disappointed that this Holmes was so . . ordinary.  And caustic and crotchety and steadfastly refusing to play along with any bit of his popular reputation.  His behavior at the Japanese homestay is a case in point--it would have been a gift of kindness, if not unflinching honesty, had Holmes been willing to pretend for the benefit of his eager hostess that he wore his famous hat and smoked a pipe.  What harm to give an awestruck Japanese fan a moment of happiness by living up to what she thought Sherlock Holmes should be?  He deflected every question with a "Nope, that's wrong, never did it, never happened."  While the truth, it came off as churlish and ungenerous.  Cantankerous, in a word.

 

This is not the fault of Sir Ian; my issue is more with the conception of Holmes here.  A 93-year-old man has earned the right to live what time is left to him authentically, but this version gives us almost none of Sherlock Holmes's good qualities while the negative qualities he possessed as a younger detective have curdled and hardened into a fossil formation.  There was a glimmer of the old Sherlock when he and the boy are in cahoots, against the express wishes of the boy's exasperated Mum (the Mrs. Hudson standin, and Sherlock did always know how to push the buttons of proper housekeepers, and delight in doing it, when he noticed he was doing it).  Apart from this, Sir Ian doesn't look like Sherlock Holmes to me.  That putty nose was very distracting and not the best of ideas.  He's a good actor; he is not the one I would have chosen for this role--but he's a Condon favorite, having worked with Bill before in Gods and Monsters.  Now, he did make one heckava James Whale.

 

Ultimately this is less a study of Sherlock Holmes than it is a study in dementia and how it slowly steals your life away.  I still think it's a beautifully done film and I have recommended it to everyone.  The central performance is a bit less than its PR would attest to, but it's still a good piece of work.

 

[HerlockSholmes]

I'll try it, certainly!

We have a very famous and funny pastiche here in France, "Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmes" (which btw gave the alias to one of the members here).

 

Next to be seen: "God's own country", which happens to be Mark Gatiss's favourite movie these days :), accirding to some FB pages!

Hi Janyss.

 

I actually took my name from The Adventures Of Herlock Sholmes by Charles Hamilton (a.k.a Peter Todd.) It’s a collection of parodies.

 

I’ve just ordered Arsene Lupin vs Herlock Sholmes from eBay as its one that I’ve never gotten around to getting. There’s also an Arsene Lupin vs Homlock Shears which I’ll have to look into

[HerlockSholmes]

"Mr Holmes". Fantastic performance of Ian McKellen. The story not so great, but it actually doesn't matter that much. Heartbreaking - and it pressed some buttons. Keep Kleenex ready.

I like this movie too J.P. I wish that McKellen would do more ‘older’ Holmes movies.

[J.P.]

I was trying to keep the movie apart from other shows, especially "ours".

 

Almost succeeded. Until it's said that Mycroft is dead. That really got me.

Apart from being reminded of the last years of my father.

[Arcadia]

Paddington 2. 8/10. An absolute hoot if you like Hugh Grant. Pretty cute overall if you like kid's movies.

 

I almost didn't go see Mr. Holmes, but I'm glad I did, I thought it was great. I was afraid it would be a downer, but they actually managed to make it uplifting at the end.

 

Se7en is a brilliant film which I haven't seen for a while. Read a fic based on it the other day and now in need of a rewatch. 

 

I agree, excellent film, but I don't think I could watch it again. Could barely watch it the first time. And the ending ... arrghhh.

[Pseudonym]

What's in the box?! WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!

[Arcadia]

You really don't want to know...

[HerlockSholmes]

I actually watched a non-Holmes movie the other day. It was Victoria and Abdul. I enjoyed it. It was similar to Mrs Brown as you’d expect but well worth a watch.

 

And just to prove that I can make a Holmes link to anything.......Judi Dench was married to Michael Williams who played Watson in the brilliant radio series with Clive Merrison (who was to radio as Brett was to tv

[Carol the Dabbler]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 10:25 AM, HerlockSholmes said:

Pick a subject and I’ll find a Holmes link somewhere

[Carol the Dabbler]

Has anyone seen Shakespeare in Love?  One of our DVDs has the preview, which is intriguing.  Does the movie live up to the promise?

[Pseudonym]

I enjoyed it as a bit of daft entertainment. It’s not deep and meaningful obviously but it’s fun (from what I remember).

[Carol the Dabbler]

Thanks. The preview was accurate, then. I shall forthwith put it on my wish list.

[HerlockSholmes]

 

 

Pick a subject and I’ll find a Holmes link somewhere

[Carol the Dabbler]

Please tell me you had to look that up!  XD

[HerlockSholmes]

I’d love to say that I knew that they appeared in the series...but I didnt

[Hikari]

Has anyone seen Shakespeare in Love?  One of our DVDs has the preview, which is intriguing.  Does the movie live up to the promise?

 

I have.  As to your second question, I'd have to say "No" . . if the promise is "This movie totally deserves to be the Best of 1998 and nobody gave a better performance for an actress than Gwyneth Paltrow that year."

 

1998 saw the Battle of the Elizabeths, with SiL going head-to-head with 'Elizabeth' starring Cate Blanchett.  Dame Judi Dench would win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for essentially a 2-scene walk-on part as the elderly QEI.  It was the briefest supporting actress turn in the history of the Academy to be so awarded, but they must have been counting all the hours in the makeup chair toward her screen time.

 

Anyone can enjoy this lighthearted romp through Shakespeare's milieu and they don't have to be a Shakespeare scholar.  It helps to have read Romeo & Juliet, which is the play-within-a-play here.  It's fun, with some fine comedic turns from Geoffrey Rush, among others.  I enjoyed it in the theatre.  The enjoyment curdled somewhat for me when it was (in my opinion) grievously over-rewarded at Oscar time.  Particularly the lead actress.  Gwyneth is charming and winning in a variation on her Emma persona . . she's essentially the 'Juliet' here.  The performance is fine, and I can't fault her British accent, either.  But it just so happened that another, serious historical treatment of QEI was offered in the same year, and when you compare what Gwyneth was asked to do with the performance of Cate Blanchett as a young Elizabeth at the very start of her reign . . it's clear that Blanchett was robbed.  Every performance of hers is a barn-burner, and she goes from strength to strength.  20 years on, she's still a force to be reckoned with . .and we can see what has become of Gwyneth Paltrow.  She was an appealing ingénue back when she was ingénue age.  Now that she's in her mid-40s, the ingénue act and ingénue hair is getting really sad.

 

I would have had no problems with Paltrow winning for SiL--but for the fact that a vastly superior performance in a superior film was the direct competition.  SiL was put out by Miramax Films and I do not underestimate Harvey Weinstein's ability to buy an Oscar for his ingénue du jour.  I think that is in fact what happened, short of all the voting members of the Academy suffering a lobotomy prior to the voting.  Paltrow was double Hollywood royalty; Blanchett was an up-and-coming actress from a foreign country. 

 

Enjoy SiL for what it is:  Snackfood Shakespeare . . the visual equivalent of a jolly theme park ride through a sanitized Elizabethan London . .Disneyfied style.  Then rent 'Elizabeth' and see if I'm wrong.  Also rent the 2004 film 'Stage Beauty' starring Billy Crudup and Claire Danes for a superior view of the 17th century London stage.

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Post something else random and I’ll see if I can find a connection.

Felix the Cat?

[Arcadia]

Has anyone seen Shakespeare in Love?  One of our DVDs has the preview, which is intriguing.  Does the movie live up to the promise?

 

Loved it, one of my favorites.

 

I’d love to say that I knew that they appeared in the series...but I didnt

[HerlockSholmes]

 

Post something else random and I’ll see if I can find a connection.

Felix the Cat?

Struggling on that one Carol☹️ Although Felix was voiced in the late 90’s by Charlie ADLER.

[HerlockSholmes]

 

 

Has anyone seen Shakespeare in Love? One of our DVDs has the preview, which is intriguing. Does the movie live up to the promise?

Loved it, one of my favorites.

I’d love to say that I knew that they appeared in the series...but I didnt

[HerlockSholmes]

Damned predictive text!!! I hate it!!!

 

That should be Matt Frewer and not Matt Frederick.

[Arcadia]

 

I’d love to say that I knew that they appeared in the series...but I didnt