I enjoyed this as well. makes an interesting companion to margin call (different stages of capitalism!). not sure what to make of the one subplot that comes to a head (so to speak) at the end. though isaac's masked withering contempt in that scene was amazing.
― ryan, Saturday, 24 January 2015 16:14 (nine years ago) link
yeah that was kind of an abrupt moment.
― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Saturday, 24 January 2015 16:15 (nine years ago) link
This was good. Wish Chandor had more of a visual sensibility, tho.
― Tove Lo Tove You Baby (jaymc), Sunday, 25 January 2015 07:15 (nine years ago) link
Also I thought this when he was on The Wire, too, but I want Peter Gerety to play Richard M. Daley someday.
― Tove Lo Tove You Baby (jaymc), Sunday, 25 January 2015 07:17 (nine years ago) link
Really enjoyed this, and happily surprised that it played 2D Armpit, MS.
― WilliamC, Sunday, 1 February 2015 01:16 (nine years ago) link
lol
― walid foster dulles (man alive), Sunday, 1 February 2015 03:38 (nine years ago) link
Haven't seen this, but it's kind of a shock that it was shut out of Oscar noms, no? Kinda weird, especially since he's definitely on the Academy's radar.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 1 February 2015 04:28 (nine years ago) link
He was nominated for writing Margin Call, but All Is Lost got just a sound FX nomination last year.
― touch of a love-starved cobra (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 1 February 2015 05:32 (nine years ago) link
All it deserved.
― Eric H., Sunday, 1 February 2015 06:39 (nine years ago) link
I saw a trailer for this over the holidays, not realizing it would get a lot of attention. I'm a little wary. I liked Margin Call all right, but a couple of those late Lumet films were a chore, and that was my general impression from the trailer.
― clemenza, Sunday, 1 February 2015 14:15 (nine years ago) link
This was OK, not more than that.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 1 February 2015 14:20 (nine years ago) link
no, you're thinking of Under the Skin
― touch of a love-starved cobra (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 1 February 2015 14:22 (nine years ago) link
Yep. Just okay.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 1 February 2015 20:59 (nine years ago) link
Great review
― Minaj moron (Re-Make/Re-Model), Sunday, 1 February 2015 22:39 (nine years ago) link
That deer scene was very heavy handed, but the bang still made me jump out of my seat!
― xelab, Sunday, 1 February 2015 22:54 (nine years ago) link
imagine this as being another one of these 'state of america' movies, i.e takes itself seriously, but doesnt really have anything all that special to say about the state of america. or maybe its just a good gangster flick. either way, its been harder to find a cinema where its showing in london than i anticipated. poster also promises a lot of chastain cleavage but imagine the film reneges on that promise.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 5 February 2015 22:55 (nine years ago) link
also, all is lost was way too heavy handed in its 'back to basics' theme/approach. if it ever stopped being aware of its apparent cinematic purity and 'one man just trying to survive' premise, it might have been better. but redford was never able to not look like he was trying to look stoic.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 5 February 2015 22:57 (nine years ago) link
For yawnsome turds like you there is a website called Xhamster.
― xelab, Thursday, 5 February 2015 23:04 (nine years ago) link
ahem. its not exactly subtle.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FBa0kG9fBU/VJgPIaxZV-I/AAAAAAAAAGM/IAewzpA9zO4/s1600/A%2BMost%2BViolent%2BYear%2B%281%29.jpg
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 5 February 2015 23:12 (nine years ago) link
as far as recent films, it does remind me of stuff like killing them softly, american hustle, the iceman.
― StillAdvance, Thursday, 5 February 2015 23:16 (nine years ago) link
saw this the other day. it's hard to knock it too much, but the self-conscious weightiness (every scene seemed to begin with a car ominously creeping into the frame) was an issue. I suppose the lack of wit —the dialogue all felt very /functional/—was a conscious choice, but even those Lumet films that everyone seems to be citing as a source had their moments of levity (though not enough IMO).
for me the weaknesses of the film were symbolized by the way that nobody—in homes, offices, any interiors—seemed to turn any lights on, and instead we had scene after scene of moody side lighting. i kept joking to my partner that someone ought to tell the characters about electric lighting.
but aside from the character of the driver—whose reappearance at the end was one of those screenwriter's conceits where you can really see the plot gears churning—the script was fairly well-constructed, the performances were good, etc.
― I dunno. (amateurist), Thursday, 5 February 2015 23:21 (nine years ago) link
It's much better than AH (for one AH screws up every musical cue it can) but it's also pretty damn ephemeral.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 5 February 2015 23:22 (nine years ago) link
i do get annoyed that in some ways these films—i'm including james gray's, which are obviously better films, but you get the idea--seem designed for people to almost moralistically counterpose them to "popcorn"/franchise films, but to me they aren't necessarily any more imaginative or derivative ,and indeed often less so. but at least the film didn't feel manic and rushed like so many films these days (even decent ones, like that paddington film).
― I dunno. (amateurist), Thursday, 5 February 2015 23:23 (nine years ago) link
these films kind of remind me of the singer-songwriter albums that the "adult album alternative" station in chicago, WXRT, used to play a lot -- the ones were every review called them "well-crafted."
― I dunno. (amateurist), Thursday, 5 February 2015 23:25 (nine years ago) link
its basically serious film fare for ppl who dont want to watch blockbuster-y stuff (or want to be seen as being above that kind of cinema), but find idk, arthouse stuff too hard going. or maybe i could have just said mid-budget american movies like how they used to make but dont anymore (etc). as though simply being just existing as a mid budget american movie is good enough.
sorry, i should stop talking about this before ive even seen it.
― StillAdvance, Friday, 6 February 2015 01:01 (nine years ago) link
The Yards and We Own the Night are in am's category, but Two Lovers is so bizarre within the rules of casting two stars that it defies type. The Immigrant is a much broader canvas.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 6 February 2015 01:06 (nine years ago) link
Thought this was pretty good. The one thing I was worried about, that it would be scene after scene of people yelling at each other, that wasn't an issue--a couple of those scenes towards the end. Oddest turf war since Bill Forsyth's Comfort and Joy. I can see The Godfather comparisons (just talking about story/mood, not quality), also Prince of the City; didn't seem remotely like Dog Day Afternoon to me, beyond the setting. I liked Albert Brooks a lot--about half the time, it felt like I was looking at William Hurt. (Not the most demanding role, but I wanted him in the movie all the time.) They didn't even seem to try for any kind of period atmosphere, although maybe there was decor or cars or something that went right past me. Jessica Chastain's hair, maybe.
― clemenza, Friday, 6 February 2015 04:43 (nine years ago) link
this movie sucked. horrible line readings, performances, uninteresting and cliched story, bizarro failure of an ending.
― Pentenema Karten, Friday, 6 February 2015 08:33 (nine years ago) link
just saw this, yea everything involving the driver subplot was very bad; didnt entirely mind the balance btwn bureaucratic & dramatic lite-gangsterism cuz that is essentially isaac's character, but it skirts a lot of attn to detail that bugged me
chastain really needed to be in it more somehow, too, but not only as isaacs antagonist
& the mobbed-up but genial competitor w/ the indoor tennis ct is prob my dream life if I'm honest w/ myself
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 26 March 2015 02:18 (nine years ago) link
like who is the dude he chases off from outside his house? we're told later that the oil thief is just a thug out for himself (which is also not v believable imo), so it's also just a coincidental neighborhood burgler (conveniently w/ a gun) he chases away? may have needed the pta 'magnolia' intro coincidence fable on this..
― johnny crunch, Monday, 30 March 2015 12:52 (nine years ago) link
this is still running at the Sunshine in NYC, no idea why; can it be a hit here and nowhere else?
― the increasing costive borborygmi (Dr Morbius), Monday, 30 March 2015 14:35 (nine years ago) link
oscar isaac and chastain felt like little kids playing dress-up. like a max fischer production. also lol at the part when he falls down while chasing that guy and the roving camera stops and waits for him to get up. i felt in general that this movie really needed a more comic sensibility. because this guy is such a dud that i was only engaged by hoping to see his face pushed in shit some more. i really liked that scene where he meets up with the mob bosses and starts off by saying "Stop it." like a child and the mob bosses seem like they can't wait til he's gone so they can make fun of him. also liked the part when he falls down while chasing that guy and the roving camera stops and waits for him to get up.
― slam dunk, Tuesday, 31 March 2015 01:07 (nine years ago) link
i liked it so much that i forgot to erase the first one
― slam dunk, Tuesday, 31 March 2015 01:08 (nine years ago) link
the good press for this thing baffled me.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 31 March 2015 01:40 (nine years ago) link
yea i was kinda fantasizing changing nothing abt this movie but having isaacs character played by sil from sopranos
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 31 March 2015 02:21 (nine years ago) link
was going to see this until someone I know told me it was so boring it was one of the few movies they've ever walked out on so I passed
― akm, Tuesday, 31 March 2015 04:59 (nine years ago) link