Last movie you watched......

Right behind Moneyball and The Descendants as my top film of the year. Loved it.

 

Did you expect to enjoy it going in? I have to say, I didn't think it would be all that great, but I had already rented everything worth seeing at Redbox and I had seen some positive input about it on this thread, so I figured it would at least kill two hours. Turns out, I would have paid to see that in a theater.

 

Just back from a very fun 24 hrs. at Sundance. I saw 3 films, including 2 excellent rom coms.... Save the Date and Hello I Must Be Going. Neither has distribution deals yet. The reviews for these films criticize them for being too typically indie, but when you compare them to the crap-Ashton-Kutcher-vehicles the studios are putting out... I find typical indie very high quality.

I put the acting in Hello I Must Be Going right on par with The Descendants.

 

Question about Sundance: Can anyone just go? I don't know much about it.

There was an article recently I read that showed that studios often overpay for Sundance movies, at least recently. I think the only one from last year that gave a serious return was "Our Idiot Brother." And to me that movie kind of violates the spirit of Sundance with its star-studded cast.

 

Yes, anyone can just go. This was my first time, and I loved it. Face value of every film screened is just $15. The ticket process is very fair.

If anybody decides to go, I can give you a few tips.

 

Just watched "Get Him to the Greek" and, God help me, I laughed a ton. I'm probably as shocked as anyone.

 

'The Artist' is a brilliant movie. My expectations were through the roof, yet I still loved it.

The film is so full of life, so relevant to today's ever-changing world. Encapsulated brilliantly the struggle to find happiness and not be defined by only one aspect of your talent -- personally or professionally. A must-see.

 

I watched "The Descendants" last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't know what to expect and I thought Clooney played the role quite well. The music in the movie was exceptional, though, and really hit home certain scenes. The oldest daughter was pretty damn good (and cute).

 

She got a Golden Globe nom for Best Supporting Actress.

Also, she's 20 now. Which means she was probably 19 when that filmed. But, yeah, she's really cute. Shailene Woodley - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shailene_Woodley

 

"Margin Call."

I thought it was unbelievably good, and I thought it should probably have gotten more Oscar love than it did. So many things right with this film. First of all, it portrays investment bankers as people instead of types. Obviously, Matt Taibbi was not involved in the writing of this screen play, nor involved as a consultant.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD

The scene where the young guy who is the de facto main character describes his background to a superior might be my favorite scene of any movie this year. He was a rocket scientist before going into i-banking and sheepishly explains that there is more money in i-banking. This is so, so, so, so on the money. The i-banking and corporate patent law offices of America are stuffed to the brim with people who could be curing cancer or taking us to the moon. And it would be so easy to paint them as money hungry, but it's human nature to not sell yourself short, financially, and this movie made him a smart, soft-spoken kid. So great.

I loved how the movie didn't dumb down the predicament they were in. Sure, they went over it a few times, but I totally bought that even the people in the office would have had to keep hearing what was going on in different ways. Totally aligns with what Michael Lewis wrote in "Liar's Poker" - that even in the middle of it all, he didn't understand what the fuck was going on.

In any other film, the young hotshot i-bankers would have been out tying one on, and completely pissed about having to come back to work after their shift. Not here. This is their life. Work is their life, and when they get called back in, they put up little resistance. They are married to their jobs, and you rarely see that portrayed in a film. Not like this, at least.

I also love the humanization of Kevin Spacey's character with his dying dog. This is a movie about work, about people who are literally defined by their jobs. Even he, it is implied, gave up his marriage for his job. But there still is this brilliant humanizing detail.

You know, the financial crisis was one of the defining events of our time, including the i-banking world's role in it. And yet we get a constant roll out of romcoms and gross-out comedies, and little from Hollywood about this because Hollywood doesn't think we are engaged or smart enough to handle it. Thank God someone, this J.C. Chandor character, thought differently. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

There is also such a universal parable of what we will all do to survive, whether financially or otherwise.

Great, great film. Four stars. Perhaps the best film of 2011 that I've seen, to this point. It deserved better.

 

Dick, I absolutely agree on Margin Call. The only things I saw that I liked better were "Moneyball" and "The Descendants." Still have to see "The Artist" but I don't think I'll like it better.

 

Caught "The Fountain" on IFC.

Depends a lot on your personal affection for Hugh Jackson as an actor.

Some very interesting imagery, which is a bit like saying a blind date has a great personality.