What films have you rented recently? (cinema, scenes, dvd, Netflix)

[ellie]

I imagine that a lot of us have Netflix or one of the other services which deliver DVD's to our homes.

What are you about to watch or what have you seen recently that you particularly enjoyed? I think it might be fun if people write mini-reviews for the rest of us who don't know what to rent next.

[BlueWillowPlate]

I gotta go cook dinner now, but I watch Netflix regularly and will do some mini-reviews tomorrow.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Okay.
I posted most of my all-time favorites on Ontheroad's movie thread, I will use this thread as intended, for recent rentals and/or purchases.

Three recent Netflix movies are:

The World's Fastest Indian
Deceptively titled, this movie from New Zealand, starring Anthony Hopkins, is the true story of Burt Munro, an older guy whose dream was to set speed records on his patched-together motorcycle, an Indian. Low key and character driven, this movie's relatively slow pace may drag for some, but the fish-out-of-water scenes (when Munro makes his way to the USA) are funny and sweet, and the sequences back home in the Land of the Long White Cloud are heartwarming. Hopkins shines as the good-natured but determined (and very creative) Munro. Some cool racing scenes as well. I enjoyed the DVD's special features, it was inspiring to see what a labor of love this movie was.

Le Samourai
The French really wrote the book on the anti-hero, years before American filmmakers caught onto it. There is not a wasted moment in this film; each scene is visually and emotionally resonant. A very young (and handsome!) Alain Delon portrays a loner hitman who does a "job" and runs into trouble.
His career is violent, but he is not without honor.
It's amazing to me how some movies from the past seem so dated and hokey, while others retain their freshness.
This movie is from 1967 but still feels contemporary--yet you can see how other, later films drew from it.

Slaughterhouse Five
I rented this when I heard about Kurt Vonnegut's passing; I have not seen the movie since it came out. I remember thinking they did a pretty good job with it, but that was a long time ago. My kid has it now but I plan on seeing it again.
The kid's verdict so far: "Mom, this movie is weird."

One movie now out on DVD that I highly recommend: Children of Men.
I might even break down and buy it.

[ellie]

I've been on a quest to fill in the gaps in my film knowledge after taking a class on the subject recently, since I still know nothing about film.

The Bicycle Thief Set in Italy shortly after the second world war, or perhaps it was still during the Mussolini era (?), men lined up on the street hoping to be assigned work in their designated fields. A fellow who had given up on life was assigned a great job but it required that he have a bike for transportation. Unfortunately he had pawned his to buy food for the family... The story revolved around the eventual theft and search for the bike through incredible street scenes of Rome. It was a desperate and heartbreaking view into the life of an ordinary man that has as much historical and documentary strength as it does artistic.

The 400 Blows This film did not arrive at my mailbox as it was scheduled to do, so I could only imagine what someone from my "hood" would think when they viewed it by accident. I mean, a French film about a child getting a spanking? That was before I saw it. It, like the Bicycle Thief, was an exquisite view into a foreign city in the post war era. The subject of a charming but troubled child with uninvolved parents is as relevant today as then. I could only imagine how a modern child might feel when the boy eventually runs away after everyone has given up on him and there is no where for him to go.

The Seven Samurai I started watching it last night but couldn't settle down long enough to get through it. It has more humor than the previous two and unexpected revelations of class distinctions in China. Great wardrobe. More soon.

[ontheroad]

After I asked about movies, plaidmom told me about http://www.imdb.com. I got all the recommendations, many from cil (great reviewer) and keep a list. Each time I hear about a movie I add it to "my movies" and then try to rent them. I just wish they had a "seen" category.

Now that I am here in PGH, I have fallen behind, but hopefully I'll catch up soon.

What kind of course were you taking, ellie?

[ellie]

I was taking an upper division graduate class on films of the 60's from the Film Studies dept. at UF. I was a film idiot sitting in with people who are getting their PhD's on the subject.

[ontheroad]

Sounds like a challenge!

Two films that I saw in the late 60s that stand out: Poppi, and Belle du jour.

Both were powerful portrayals of people facing extraordinary personal conflicts.

[ellie]

It was great way to learn. I'd almost rather be thrown in over my head than have to sit through a bunch of introductory classes. I now have an in-depth and detailed knowledge of a specific era of film with very little context. Suits my love for the absurd or is it the ironic?

One of my fave's was Daisies, a Czech film by a female director, along with her husband, who was the cinematographer. It is an op art interpretation of a "happening" which comments on the materialism of society in Czechoslovakia at the time. It was banned, of course.

I watched Belle du Jour last summer before I took my class, and it helped me out when I was later forced to read Deleuze. (she pantomimes fainting)

I'll put Poppi on my list.

[ontheroad]

Just one more memorable '60s film is Hiroshi Teshigahara's Woman in the Dunes (1964).

This was a period in my life that I went to the movies often--and during one brief period, several times a week. Before I sought out academics, I believed I'd be a great actor!

[ellie]

I watched a sweet and non-serious film last week that someone recommended, Secondhand Lions. I'd never heard of it, and I wouldn't say it has great cinematic merit, except for the fact that it was delightful. Terrific family film.