Films you've watched recently

[Future Raptor Ace]

I just saw Notorious, the story about Biggie Smalls; I thought the movie was good and my dad who hates rap and modern music and knew nothing of Biggie before this movie thought it was pretty good. So that's for the non rap people here, you may like it.

[Ruroshen]

So Alizée's post on her Twitter awhile back about the Chanel No 5 ad has put me on a bit of an Audrey Tautou kick lately. Previously I'd only seen her in Amélie, A Very Long Engagement and The DaVinci Code. While I was in Montreal for the long weekend I picked up two of Audrey's lesser-known (in North America) films. Both are in French (naturally), with English subtitles.

Hors de Prix (English title: Priceless) This 2006 romantic comedy feels a lot like an homage to Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Blake Edwards comedies in general, from the opening titles right on down. Audrey plays Irene, a young and attactive "gigalette" perpetually leapfrogging from one rich and eligible bachelor to the next, always with an eye towards trading up, while Gad Elmaleh plays Jean, the shy hotel waiter whom she mistakes for a billionaire. Of course, Irene quickly figures out the truth, and discards him for a real billionaire, sticking him with a hotel bill he can't pay in the process. Fortunately, Jean finds himself picked up just in the nick of time by a wealthy patron of his own, and stumbles ass-backwards into becoming a gigolo himself. Now seeing him as an equal, Irene decides to take Jean under her wing to teach him the finer points of gold-digging...

While it doesn't exactly break any new ground in the formula--it's fairly predictable, and ends exactly the way you expect it's going to end--it was genuinely enjoyable for what it was. The script is cute and funny, Audrey and Gad's performances are terrific, and the chemistry between them is genuine and believable.

And, um, Audrey is ridiculously sexy throughout. I mean wow. I've always thought she was adorable, but the outfits she wears in this film will absolutely put all thoughts of Amélie Poulain and her sensible cardigans right out of your head. Seriously, my jaw dropped more than once. It seemed like Audrey had a really good time vamping it up with this role, and she certainly wears it well.

Definitely recommended for fans of Audrey, and romantic comedies in general. It's a bit formulaic, maybe, but the dialogue and the performances more than make up for it.

À la folie... pas du tout (English title: He loves me...he loves me not) is a 2002 film that's harder to classify, though I'd say it definitely has a Hitchcock flair to it. Here Audrey plays Angelique, an up-and-coming young artist on the brink of a brilliant career as a painter, who is deeply in love with a married cardiologist named Loic (played by Samuel Le Bihan). Angelique is convinced that one day soon, Loic will leave his (very pregnant) wife for her, and that the two of them will live happily ever after. Loic, on the other hand, has a decidedly different take on things...

This one blew me away. The first half of the movie was decent, maybe a little predictable and paint-by-numbers "protagonist driven to distraction by romantic obsession", but again supported by interesting dialogue and great performances. But then the story took a wild 180-degree turn in the middle (literally), and the second half had us on the edges of our seats, shouting "Oh my God!" at the screen every few minutes. While the end was a little anticlimactic, it was still a very satisfying watch, and I'm actually eager to see it again to watch for all the little things I'm sure I missed.

And again, if all you know Audrey Tautou from is Amélie, this will definitely drive home just how great an actress she is. While it's not an entirely dissimilar role--in fact, at first it seems nearly identical--the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences between Amélie and Angelique are mind-blowing.

Highly recommended for fans of Audrey (of course), Alfred Hitchcock movies, the Twilight Zone, and psychological thrillers in general.

[Chommpers]

Originally Posted by Ruroshen

So Alizée's post on her Twitter awhile back about the Chanel No 5 ad has put me on a bit of an Audrey Tautou kick lately. Previously I'd only seen her in Amélie, A Very Long Engagement and The DaVinci Code. While I was in Montreal for the long weekend I picked up two of Audrey's lesser-known (in North America) films. Both are in French (naturally), with English subtitles.

Hors de Prix

À la folie... pas du tout

Hmm good reviews for the 2 movies above, I haven't seen them yet I will have to check them out. Now you kind of have me interested in the 3 movies you have already seen with Audrey in them, what did you think of Amélie, A Very Long Engagement, and The DaVinci Code?

[Ruroshen]

Originally Posted by Chommpers

Hmm good reviews for the 2 movies above, I haven't seen them yet I will have to check them out. Now you kind of have me interested in the 3 movies you have already seen with Audrey in them, what did you think of Amélie, A Very Long Engagement, and The DaVinci Code?

I gave a really brief review of Amélie after I first saw it back in December in in this post here. I think I've seen it easily a half-dozen times since, and continue to love it even more with each viewing. Everything about it is spectacular.

The other two, I'm honestly going to have to watch again in order to give a fair review. I found A Very Long Engagement very difficult to follow the first time I saw it, even with the benefit of subtitles! There's just soooo many characters to keep track of, and while I felt I got the gist of the story, a lot of the subtleties of it went right over my head. I'll probably revisit it later this week.

The DaVinci Code, I have to admit, I didn't pay much attention to the first time I saw it. I wasn't yet a fan of Audrey's at that point--I vaguely knew who she was, and thought she was kinda cute, but that's it--and after reading the book, the film didn't really interest me. I'm not exactly eager to watch it again, but I'll probably get around to it eventually.

[wasabi622]

well, since im back at work at the theater, allow me to inform ya'll:

if you want to be entertained, but not frightened or satisfied, i suggest Drag Me to Hell.(funny story! theres a line when justin long says, "it's just a dream" and says some more dialouge, and i was like "wait.. shouldn't he be saying 'it's makes me wonder, is it a sin'??"

as of right now, the most popular movie is with no contest, Up. (funny story 2, so i was done with my shift, and i was just dazing off, when i saw a portion of a sign that read "-D UP" so my retarded brain read it as Fed Up. it was supposed to be 3D-UP )

Terminator Salavation.. ehhh, acceptableable at best.

Night at the Museum was pretty good. entertaining, fun, satisfying.

Da Vinci Code, was good. followed the book decently enough.. though some major parts were skewed. won't say anything more. don't wanna spoil anything.

[TheBarrett]

New documentary coming out, easily something to catch the eye.
It's called:

Ashmedi: A Metal Disporant
It follows the story of Ashmedi, an Assyrian/Armenian of Israeli origins and of how he wishes to break free of the conservative bonds between tensions inside Jerusalem. One of the ways he does this is through the musical genre known as Black Metal, in which he pioneers a form of Metal that incorporates traditional music and instrumental stylings of the Middle East and Mesopotamian/Sumerian Mythology lyrics. Through his band Melechesh, an extremely underground band, he expresses his musical taste, his criticisms upon the religious orders, and brings upon his form of rebellion amongst all of the religious conservatism inside the Holy Land and the Holy City.
It will also tell of the controversy he and his breakaway views have caused amongst the community.

Trailer:
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ULS60qImfmQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ULS60qImfmQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

A typical Melechesh styled song:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RPEeY2aMa4c&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RPEeY2aMa4c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

I, for one, am interested in hearing a little bit of the culture in the Middle East and their response to such enjoyments as Music and Arts.

[Ali]

Terminator Salvation was meh. Wasn't totally wowed.



Now this move was great!

Originally Posted by Chommpers

Now you kind of have me interested in the 3 movies you have already seen with Audrey in them, what did you think of Amélie, A Very Long Engagement, and The DaVinci Code?

Amélie was great. I watched it back in 2006 when I first discovered Alizee. I would highly recommend it.

[Chommpers]

Originally Posted by Ali

Amélie was great. I watched it back in 2006 when I first discovered Alizee. I would highly recommend it.

Oh I know I just wondered what Ruro thought of the film as well, now I know you like it too . Its sort of a hard film to explain not a whole lot is going on, but the curiosity of following Amélie is so enjoyable and refreshing and she is so adorable and good you can't help but fall in love with her.

Oh Yeah I enjoyed the new Star Trek movie as well, I thought they picked really good actors and I am so happy nobody tried to do a impersonation, the story was neat too, felt like a trek story. It was my first IMAX movie surprisingly, quite the experience, I will definitely be seeing all the must see's in IMAX now.

[Sir Wood]

Originally Posted by Chommpers

Oh I know I just wondered what Ruro thought of the film as well, now I know you like it too . Its sort of a hard film to explain not a whole lot is going on, but the curiosity of following Amélie is so enjoyable and refreshing and she is so adorable and good you can't help but fall in love with her.

Oh Yeah I enjoyed the new Star Trek movie as well, I thought they picked really good actors and I am so happy nobody tried to do a impersonation, the story was neat too, felt like a trek story. It was my first IMAX movie surprisingly, quite the experience, I will definitely be seeing all the must see's in IMAX now.

I've yet to go see Terminator: Salvation and Angels & Demons but ditto on Star Trek (which I was hoping to see on IMAX but they were sold out -- happens when you go on opening week). As a semi-Trekkie, I avoided reading anything regarding the movie and was totally blown away while enjoying the individual character nuances and interactions. Anyway, I can't wait for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra !

[wasabi622]

im just gonna say that Terminator Salvation makes a good action movie, but as an addition to the Terminator story line? not so much.

and Christian Bale seems a little to stuck in Batman too.