Reviews & Ratings

[Siamanto]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Lust, Caution

In Lust, Caution, the members of a student theater troupe plot the assassination of a high ranked Chinese official who is collaborating with the occupying Japanese forces: everybody is assigned a role, as if it was a play; a play with an unwritten script, a play where the boundaries between the actor - i.e. real emotions, own life - and the role become fuzzy, a play full of unplanned scenes. Lust, Caution is about self sacrifice, ambiguity of emotions, love, hate, forgiving, being torn between feelings and beliefs,...
Visually pleasant - photography, costume, color, composition; thought provoking story; some violence, mainly psychological ...
I just wish it ended differently.

[One-Way]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Catch Me If You Can
Fun, smart film. Great performances by DiCaprio and Hanks, superb direction by Speilberg. 9/10

[Inthemood]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

The Incredible Hulk 7/10

Was it better than Iron Man?

[Inthemood]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Vochinch chi mna

It is true that in "Vochinch chi mna", as Hayshop puts
"Arsen and Eliza have been married for four years. Eliza is from the States, but for sake of her husband moved to Armenia. They live in a rented apartment, together with Arsen's friend, Narek. Arsen is a journalist, Eliza does not work…"

However, I could only be perplexed by the second sentence of the review, where it is said:
"Everything seems good, until Eliza's friend, Helen, form Los Angeles" appears (The review says: "does not appear," probably a "typo???")

Personally, I would have described Eliza's life as a "living hell" that ended when Helen appeared: How everything may "seem good" in the life of a woman when her self-centered husband - Arsen - lacking the maturity - both emotional and mental - to manage his intellectual and existential crisis, constantly abuses and aggresses her in a revolting manner???

The camera work is decent, despite minor technical errors; for instance, at 25:00 the scene is not properly framed, and as the camera moves, the top of a mostly off-camera "glass/ash tray???" moves horizontally and distracts.
The acting can be improved, and is, at times, not so convincing; for instance, the "protest scene."
Unless the director had in mind a movie about "domestic violence," I feel that the message of the movie is not intelligently articulated????

What I enjoyed in the movie:
- Eliza
- Some views - disappointingly few - of Yerevan; most of the movie happens in the same apartment, as in a play
- Everybody calls Arsen by his nickname - that fits him marvelously; everybody calls him "Arse"


P.S. *waits for LadySilver's opinion*

Although I am not LadySilver, but I would like to comment. I watched little fragments of the movie on Youtube and I wanted to cry. The movie looks so absolutely terrible! The acting is so poor, I just can't believe that they can't find better actors.

Arse's friend (Alec) is a complete psychopath who acts like he is about to have an epileptic episode. Eliza is like a dying fawn, in fact she looks like she is so bored with the movie and just wants to go to sleep. Arse's other friend who is always in his apartment, with his glittery purple cowboy hat looks like he is about to hit a rave at a mega gay club.

Why oh why do they make movies like that? They would do a greater good if they invested that money into a sunflower seed shop.

Aren't there any decent contemporary Armenian films?

[Inthemood]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Don't worry, I've got Italian cinema covered. I just bought Fellini's 8 1/2 on Criterion Collection.

I just didn't care for it, or Dolce Vita. I would say that I am not a Fellini fan overall. Frankly I don't really know why. Actually the only one I fell in love with was Nights of Cabiria, which was spectacular in every way, especially Fellini's wife who delivered a tour-de-force performance. Perhaps I don't like Fellini's excessive mockery of the rich, since it does have a one dimensional view. In fact his style is a little too pretentious and his subjects are repetitive. Then again, perhaps I haven't seen many of his films to make that assessment, but 8 1/2 and Dolce V. didn't interest me.

The Bicycle Thief on the other hand, just swept me away! It was absolutely stunning.

[LadySilver]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Vochinch chi mna

It is true that in "Vochinch chi mna", as Hayshop puts
"Arsen and Eliza have been married for four years. Eliza is from the States, but for sake of her husband moved to Armenia. They live in a rented apartment, together with Arsen's friend, Narek. Arsen is a journalist, Eliza does not work…"
.....
P.S. *waits for LadySilver's opinion*

When I watched the movie the other day I thought it was OK. As you said, Eliza's life was living hell until Helen came along and "saved" her. Arsen - Ass I like to call him - treated her as a slave, expecting her life to be focused on his. He constantly berates her family which was very disappointing???
Helen's character also confused me for many reasons. I would say Narek was the only "sane" one.
At times the acting was good and at times it was bad. I didn't enjoy it much unfortunately, I don't enjoy watching men degrade women.

The whole point of the movie confuses me? If it was to be against domestic violence then the movie wasn't very convincing.
Overall I would say disappointing??

[One-Way]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Everyone Says I Love You
Written and Directed by Woddy Allen. Smart, funny and entertaining; everything I look for in an Allen film. 8/10.

[One-Way]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Does anybody use Netflix?

I want to have a "film marathon" and catch up on films I have not seen before film school begins. I hear good things about it but I constantly debate if it's worth it. I mean, the price seems fine, but I'm not sure if I -- with my personality -- can make time to watch them fast enough to make it worth the while.

[Siamanto]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

Does anybody use Netflix?

I want to have a "film marathon" and catch up on films I have not seen before film school begins. I hear good things about it but I constantly debate if it's worth it. I mean, the price seems fine, but I'm not sure if I -- with my personality -- can make time to watch them fast enough to make it worth the while.

Try Mininova, it's free; it's amazing what one can find!

[One-Way]

Re: Rate the last movie you watched.

I never caught onto BitTorrents; I'm not even sure if I know how to use them. Plus, I want to watch them on my TV, not computer.