TDP: The Lives of Others

Having a film like the lives of others on the list was always going to cause problems. I wanted to watch this film from the first time I heard about it. But when are you in the mood for a Stasi based thriller? By a stroke of luck two of my friends, one German, one Austrian, were in a similar position. Both knew about the film but had like myself had missed it on its release. This was perfect. My knowledge of european politics is terrible and having watch the Baader-Mienhof Komplex a week ago I was eager to learn.

I saw the film like a Shakespearean tragedy. At the start of the film all the main players are in near full support of the incumbent political system. With only a sniff of corruption and rebellion. Subtly but surely the fabric starts to unwind. The three leads are brilliant. The Stasi office is outstanding. My only complaint with the film would be the final 10 minutes. Which take place after the wall has come down and are quite melodramatic, unbelievable and really makes light out of the tension that the film builds. Although I must add that having two people who knew a lot about the issues on hand to talk to afterwards was a great help to understanding where the film was accurate and where it took liberties.

Would I recommend the film? Yes, to everyone. Especially someone with an interest in the subject.

Yes I did like this film and I will certainly watch it again. Just as soon as I find a pair of german speaking central europeans affected by the soviet influence in post war politics.

Empire Jan 09

Having just picked up my copy of the new EMPIRE film magazine I'm quite excited. The cover is packed. Here are the most exciting bits in order of excitement.

1) Public Enemies (a.k.a. Heat II) : Michael Mann's new film staring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

2) Frost/Nixon : Certainly the most exciting film of next year.

3) Wolverine : Everyones favorite X-mans origin story.

4) Ghostbusters 3

Will be back soon with more on the issue once I've had a chance to read it. Must watch Ghostbusters this weekend.

TDP: Syriana

Part two in story of 'the dvd pile': Part four, Syriana. First I feel like I should justify way Syriana is in the pile. I bought it a long time ago having heard good things about it. Sadly I was in a bit of a ADHD mood the day I sat down to watch it. This meant that after the first 15 minutes hadn't grasped my entire attention I started messing around and very quickly I was barely watching the film at all. Once it had finish I just assumed that I was the films fault for being dull not mine for being hyperactive. This time around I had spent an hour playing football earlier so hopefully I would be more subdued.

I'd sum up Syriana as a subtle Crash about the oil business instead of racism. But did I like it? Would I recommend it? and will I watch it again? These really are the questions that tell you everything about how you feel about a film.

I did like it, but I didn't love it. It's certainly very well made and the story is top class. The acting can't really be faulted, but there is the question of why Clooney got fat for the part. But everything is too subdued, it feels as if you are watching from a distance. There are a few times in the film where really huge things happen and we don't seem to pause at all to take it in. The pace of the film just continues at exactly the same rate. Which means that the ending, which is thought provoking and exactly right for the film, is rushed over with no time to savour it.

Would I recommend it? Yes, to almost everyone. The eco friendly message of the film isn't rammed down your throat like an inconvenient truth. Also I think my problems with it a possibly just a matter of taste. And I think I will watch it again. I get a strong impression that you see more this film the more I will see in it. Just got to think of a name for the pile it is going into.

Here is the imdb page.

The dvd pile

Having just watched another film from my dvd pile I wanted to write about it. First I thought it best to share the story behind my dvd pile.

I while back a was at a bit of a loose end so I decided to watch a dvd. The problem was what to watch. With me having had a severe case of dvd-buying addiction for quite some time I had a lot of choice on my hands. Too much choice. So instead of watching a dvd I instead created a 'too watch pile' of films I felt I should be watching. This meant no guilty pleasures, no top gun, no anchorman, nothing I could quote from at all. But this still left things way too open. Time to get serious. Out went films I loved and films I could recite the whole cast along with their characters name. Casino gone, seven gone, pulp fiction gone. What was I left with? A bunch of films that I considered average and films that I simply hadn't got round to seeing at all. I was proud of myself. I some strange way I felt as if I hadn't wasted any time. In fact, with all the time this would save me looking in future I'd actually made time.

A few days later and I'm bored again. Perfect time to get started on my newly created dvd pile. I was eager and smug but that wouldn't last. I had the unwanted task of selecting a film that I didn't really want to watch. Because if I really wanted to watch it them it would be in the pile. This was going to be harder than I thought. So I gave up and suffered through so crap on tv instead. Not feeling so proud any more.

Thankfully the next time I confronted the pile I managed to pick one. Pan's Labyrinth.