list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Life Is Beautiful on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Life_Is_Beautiful/115928/default.aspx Title: Life Is Beautiful
Year: 1997
Director: Roberto Benigni
Plot: In this WW II tragicomedy, famed Italian funnyman Roberto Benigni (The Monster) portrays Guido, who moves during the '30s from the country to a Tuscan town, where he is entranced by schoolteacher Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni's real-life wife). Dora likes Guido, but she remains faithful to her pompous fiancé, so Guido has an uphill struggle. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic attitudes lead to attacks against Guido's Jewish uncle (Giustino Durano). Leaping ahead to five years later, during WW II, Guido and Dora are married and have a son Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). After they are imprisoned in a concentration camp, Guido goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son from understanding the truth of their situation. He tells the boy that they are competing with others to win an armored tank -- so everything from food shortages to tattoos is explained as necessary for participation in the contest. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 27
Number of Lists: 51
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 12 May 2009 01:59:23 GMTLife Is Beautiful1997Roberto BenigniIn this WW II tragicomedy, famed Italian funnyman <a href="/players/P____81377/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Roberto Benigni</a> (<a href=/films/91479/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>The Monster</a>) portrays Guido, who moves during the '30s from the country to a Tuscan town, where he is entranced by schoolteacher Dora (<a href="/players/P_____8136/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nicoletta Braschi</a>, Benigni's real-life wife). Dora likes Guido, but she remains faithful to her pompous fiancé, so Guido has an uphill struggle. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic attitudes lead to attacks against Guido's Jewish uncle (Giustino Durano). Leaping ahead to five years later, during WW II, Guido and Dora are married and have a son Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). After they are imprisoned in a concentration camp, Guido goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son from understanding the truth of their situation. He tells the boy that they are competing with others to win an armored tank -- so everything from food shortages to tattoos is explained as necessary for participation in the contest. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide27Tag Target (>10)51653http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t04353j36c7.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Life_Is_Beautiful/115928/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/9/40898.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/9/2009 10:01:13 AM
Body: There are those who think it’s time for a moratorium on Holocaust movies, and there are those who stand by the belief that there won’t be enough until there’s been 6 million produced and released. As of 2003, we were up to at least 442 titles, according to Annette Insdorf’s book Indelible Shadows. And due to last year’s boom of Holocaust-related features, it seems as though Insdorf could easily add another 100 more to the list in her next edition. But there’s no need to put an end to Holocaust films, anymore than there’s a need to cease making any genre of movie. A good film is a good film, no matter if it’s set in a concentration camp, features Nazis or merely alludes to the Shoah. And a bad movie is a bad movie, an exploitative movie is an exploitative movie and Oscar bait is Oscar bait. Beginning this Tuesday, when The Boy in the Striped Pajamas arrives on DVD, those hungering for more Holocaust movies will get another shot at seeing 2008’s contributions to the genre, but they’ll also start to see why critics were getting tired of these films. It wasn’t the subject matter, though, and it wasn’t necessarily the quantity so much as it was the quality. These days, Holocaust films are more dependent on clichés and are adversely affected by trends than ever before, even when they appear to be intent on breaking with conventions. Here is an excellent bit from a Mr.Cranky review of Defiance: Here’s the thing: the more bad Holocaust films you make, the more Holocaust clichés you employ, the more the Holocaust itself becomes a cliché. The first few Holocaust films had a message and were probably intended to be meaningful. The last hundred were commercial vehicles designed to play on audience sympathies and line the producers’ pockets with money. Ultimately, Hollywood has done what every Jew on the planet pleas desperately to never happen: made the Holocaust meaningless on a pop culture scale. As soon as filmmakers can completely abandon all ten of the following problems with the Holocaust genre, the better off we’ll be in getting to those 6 million titles without further protest. 10. The Academy Awards Cliché “The fact that it was recently nominated for a best picture Oscar offers stunning proof that Hollywood seems to believe that if it’s a ‘Holocaust film,’ it must be worthy of approbation, end of story,” wrote Ron Rosenbaum in a Slate piece earlier this year requesting that the Academy not to honor The Reader. Not every Holocaust film has a shot at winning or even being nominated for an Oscar, though. Notice the lack of Academy love this year for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Adam Resurrected, Good, Valkyrie and, most surprisingly, the documentary Blessed is the Match. But there is nonetheless continued reason to believe that Holocaust=Oscars. The Reader snuck in with some shocking nominations, and Defiance managed a single nod, while Kate Winslet proved her own Extras gag by winning one. And then there was the predicable honoring of live-action short Spielzeugland. Why is this tradition negative? Because it encourages too many safe, conventional, mediocre contributions to the genre produced solely and clearly as Oscar bait. It’s possible The Reader might have been better if Harvey Weinstein hadn’t rushed it for a release date that would be best at acquiring Academy recognition. And the rest of 2008’s titles could have benefited as well. Hollywood needs to go a couple years without handing out a single Oscar to any Holocaust film (even if Spielberg makes Schindler’s List 2 and it’s even better than the first) to break free of the genre’s reputation for Oscar favoritism. 9. Music Cues That Stress Tragedy There are a few Holocaust movie clichés that are fine to stick around. Trains carrying Jews to their doom is an easy symbol for any WWII-set film that doesn’t directly involve concentration camps yet wants to remind the audience that it’s going on. Bleak cinematography and production design and costuming limited to a cold color scheme, particularly blues and grays, just fits the history and the tone of these films too well to eliminate (a bright, colorful Holocaust movie is so wrong that it goes passed the point of breaking conventions to instead demolish recognized truths). However, music cues in Holocaust movie scores (such as Marius Ruhland’s for The Counterfeiters) that are used to stress specific tragedies or emphasize especially harrowing moments are unnecessary and distracting. After all, these are Holocaust movies, and nothing will ever be more tragic or harrowing in the Western consciousness than the extermination of 6 million Jews. So there’s no need to enunciate the melodrama of a single character being shot or a certain event occurring, because the audience should already be feeling emotional and, unless they are robots, will respond appropriately to what’s shown rather than from what’s cued. This is of course an issue to be had with many Hollywood movies, but applies especially to their Holocaust films. 8. The Child’s Perspective While it makes sense for a lot of Holocaust films to be seen through the eyes of a child, because those children grow up to ultimately tell their Survivor story, it’s also a major cliché of any film about intolerance to involve a children’s perspective merely for the sake of having an innocent, naive and possibly precocious view of what’s happening. Certainly no youth has ever abstained from asking, “Why are they being mean to that black man, Mommy?” or “When will the Russians rescue us, Daddy?” However, such characters are more often mere narrative tools useful to filmmakers who prefer to pander to the audience, via other characters’ pandering to these children. Even a film that has the guts to have a prominent child character die in the death camps will counter with a child on the other side of the fence who has to ask the unnecessary question of, “Why are we killing the striped pajama boy, Father?” 7. The Happy-Go-Lucky Concentration Camp Prisoner Fortunately, there hasn’t been much to this trend since Robin Williams tried his shtick in the ghetto in the Jakob the Liar remake, but it’s enough that it existed. And enough that Life is Beautiful was actually quite popular. And should have been enough when Jerry Lewis tried bringing comedy to the concentration camps in The Day the Clown Cried. But Hollywood will probably resurrect the death camp comic relief for some film or other, because there’s just so much desire to lift the tension and actually entertain audiences. Yet Holocaust movies aren’t for entertainment, no matter if there were indeed some prisoners in real life that told a joke or goofed around once in awhile in order to remain positive. So Hollywood, Roberto Benigni and everyone else need to knock it off with this trend and keep the stories sad. It’s not like they put harrowing concentration camp scenes in broad comedies, after all. So why do the opposite? 6. The Good Nazi As with the happy-go-lucky prisoner, good Nazis may have existed in real life. But cinema is not supposed to be a complete representation of real life anyway, and everyone is better off just holding on to the idea that all Nazis were bad guys. The very word “Nazi” is forever equated with evil, and for eternity it will be easy to involve Nazis as villains, even in fantasy films set in modern times, without the audience questioning whether or not this one or that one was really a kindhearted man who was just doing his job or being forced to be a Nazi by his government. Good Nazis have turned up recently in the varied forms of the not-quite-Schindlerific Bernhard Kruger (Devid Striesow, pictured above) in The Counterfeiters, the relatively saintly and sexy Ludwig Muntze (Sebastian Koch) in Black Book and, of course, the half-blind, wannabe Hitler assassin Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) in Valkyrie. 5. The Morally Ambiguous Nazi Supporter Even more prevalent lately than the good Nazi is the morally ambiguous or ambivalent character who is either a Nazi or working for the Nazis in order to survive and/or because he or she will later claim ignorance to the evils being committed. Examples include Kate Winslet’s character in The Reader, to an extent, as well as Ronnie (Halina Reijn, pictured above) in Black Book and the protagonist of The Counterfeiters, Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics). Again, it might have been a common reality for such persons to exist, but they shouldn’t be so populous in every Holocaust film made nowadays, because then it seems more excusable to believe that a good percentage of opportunist Nazi supporters weren’t all that bad. 4. The Really, Really Bad Nazi It seems that this stereotype has become a modern Holocaust movie cliché due to the increased employment of both good Nazis and morally ambiguous Nazi supporters. In Black Book, for instance, the sadistic Gunther Franken (Waldemar Kobus) is the yang to Muntze’s yin, and similarly in The Counterfeiters, Hauptscharführer Holst (Martin Bramback, highlighted in the picture above) contrasts against Kruger. As a counter-trend, though, it’s even worse than the initial clichés. Sure, it makes sense on some narrative level for there to be a really, really bad Nazi, one who’d go so far as to literally piss on the head of a protagonist (a la Holst), to make up for the fact that there’s a likable Nazi character. But why not just do away with the good Nazi trend and either return to having all Nazi characters assumed evil or merely act like three-dimensional human beings — that is, if they must be humanized? Once again, it’s best just to keep to the Nazis=evil convention, because it’s tried and true and doesn’t complicate things or cause controversies. 3. The Holocaust As Weight in Non-Holocaust Movies The fact that X-Men’s Magneto is a Holocaust survivor enriches his character, but that’s a back-story that existed and has been developed in comics long before making an appearance in the movie adaptations. But non-adapted films, particularly horror flicks, attempting to be taken more seriously due to a Holocaust subplot or back-story just seems exploitative. Take the recent movie The Unborn, for example. In her review for Tiger Online, Melissa Kim makes a good point regarding the misguided intent to give a movie more weight by involving the Holocaust, noting that the tragedy is much too important to be cast in a bit part. “The Unborn is so ridiculous,” she writes, “it actually diminishes the prestige of the Holocaust, reducing it to little more than the weak punch line in a wholly un-funny joke.” 2. The Desire to Kill Hitler This isn’t so much of a movie trend, since aside from Valkyrie the only other Hitler assassination plot movies are others based on the same 20 July plot, but it’s still something of a cliché. Really it has to do with the typical response and discussion people have regarding the possibilities and ethics of time travel. Everyone’s first realistic idea is to go back and kill Hitler before he can come to power and exterminate the Jews, right? Well, it’s quite a futile hypothetical, because there is no time travel. But, filmmakers have the power to at least visualize the hypothetical a little more by, time and time again, adapting the 20 July story for the screen. Of course, it does no good, either, because the plot was unsuccessful and no film version, even with a changed ending, will change that. And anything else would simply be wishful thinking. However, there is at least Downfall, which was surprisingly not as popular despite this idea. Viewers can take pleasure in the literal downfall and demise of Hitler in the film. It doesn’t erase what happened with the Holocaust, but there is some satisfaction to be had. 1. Claiming a Holocaust Film Isn’t a Holocaust Film Harvey Weinstein attempted to have his cake and eat it too this past awards season. He marketed The Reader to certain groups under the assumption that it is a Holocaust movie, but he also attempted to sell it off as not a Holocaust movie by including this Elie Wiesel quote in the well-distributed Reader-defense statement: “it is not about the Holocaust; it is about what Germany did to itself and its future generations.” And many critics and journalists were in agreement, that the movie doesn’t belong grouped in with the others. In a way, the film actually is and isn’t a Holocaust movie, but attempting to deny that it’s one in order to escape the genre’s inaccessibility is still misleading and somewhat dishonest marketing. Anyone going in expecting not to see a concentration camp or survivors or Nazis will be greatly disappointed. A few of 2008’s Holocaust films were also more marketable as other kinds of films than Holocaust films, probably to detach from the stigma attached to them. And at least one, Valkyrie, is for the most part not a Holocaust film at all. But it seemed to work for Weinstein, both with Academy favor and box office success. So this could be a continued trend, even with films that are clearly Holocaust Oscar-bait or films attempting to gain weight through slight Holocaust connections. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:01:13 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/9/2009 10:01:13 AMThere are those who think it’s time for a moratorium on Holocaust movies, and there are those who stand by the belief that there won’t be enough until there’s been 6 million produced and released. As of 2003, we were up to at least 442 titles, according to Annette Insdorf’s book Indelible Shadows. And due to last year’s boom of Holocaust-related features, it seems as though Insdorf could easily add another 100 more to the list in her next edition. But there’s no need to put an end to Holocaust films, anymore than there’s a need to cease making any genre of movie. A good film is a good film, no matter if it’s set in a concentration camp, features Nazis or merely alludes to the Shoah. And a bad movie is a bad movie, an exploitative movie is an exploitative movie and Oscar bait is Oscar bait. Beginning this Tuesday, when The Boy in the Striped Pajamas arrives on DVD, those hungering for more Holocaust movies will get another shot at seeing 2008’s contributions to the genre, but they’ll also start to see why critics were getting tired of these films. It wasn’t the subject matter, though, and it wasn’t necessarily the quantity so much as it was the quality. These days, Holocaust films are more dependent on clichés and are adversely affected by trends than ever before, even when they appear to be intent on breaking with conventions. Here is an excellent bit from a Mr.Cranky review of Defiance: Here’s the thing: the more bad Holocaust films you make, the more Holocaust clichés you employ, the more the Holocaust itself becomes a cliché. The first few Holocaust films had a message and were probably intended to be meaningful. The last hundred were commercial vehicles designed to play on audience sympathies and line the producers’ pockets with money. Ultimately, Hollywood has done what every Jew on the planet pleas desperately to never happen: made the Holocaust meaningless on a pop culture scale. As soon as filmmakers can completely abandon all ten of the following problems with the Holocaust genre, the better off we’ll be in getting to those 6 million titles without further protest. 10. The Academy Awards Cliché “The fact that it was recently nominated for a best picture Oscar offers stunning proof that Hollywood seems to believe that if it’s a ‘Holocaust film,’ it must be worthy of approbation, end of story,” wrote Ron Rosenbaum in a Slate piece earlier this year requesting that the Academy not to honor The Reader. Not every Holocaust film has a shot at winning or even being nominated for an Oscar, though. Notice the lack of Academy love this year for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Adam Resurrected, Good, Valkyrie and, most surprisingly, the documentary Blessed is the Match. But there is nonetheless continued reason to believe that Holocaust=Oscars. The Reader snuck in with some shocking nominations, and Defiance managed a single nod, while Kate Winslet proved her own Extras gag by winning one. And then there was the predicable honoring of live-action short Spielzeugland. Why is this tradition negative? Because it encourages too many safe, conventional, mediocre contributions to the genre produced solely and clearly as Oscar bait. It’s possible The Reader might have been better if Harvey Weinstein hadn’t rushed it for a release date that would be best at acquiring Academy recognition. And the rest of 2008’s titles could have benefited as well. Hollywood needs to go a couple years without handing out a single Oscar to any Holocaust film (even if Spielberg makes Schindler’s List 2 and it’s even better than the first) to break free of the genre’s reputation for Oscar favoritism. 9. Music Cues That Stress Tragedy There are a few Holocaust movie clichés that are fine to stick around. Trains carrying Jews to their doom is an easy symbol for any WWII-set film that doesn’t directly involve concentration camps yet wants to remind the audience that it’s going on. Bleak cinematography and production design and costuming limited to a cold color scheme, particularly blues and grays, just fits the history and the tone of these films too well to eliminate (a bright, colorful Holocaust movie is so wrong that it goes passed the point of breaking conventions to instead demolish recognized truths). However, music cues in Holocaust movie scores (such as Marius Ruhland’s for The Counterfeiters) that are used to stress specific tragedies or emphasize especially harrowing moments are unnecessary and distracting. After all, these are Holocaust movies, and nothing will ever be more tragic or harrowing in the Western consciousness than the extermination of 6 million Jews. So there’s no need to enunciate the melodrama of a single character being shot or a certain event occurring, because the audience should already be feeling emotional and, unless they are robots, will respond appropriately to what’s shown rather than from what’s cued. This is of course an issue to be had with many Hollywood movies, but applies especially to their Holocaust films. 8. The Child’s Perspective While it makes sense for a lot of Holocaust films to be seen through the eyes of a child, because those children grow up to ultimately tell their Survivor story, it’s also a major cliché of any film about intolerance to involve a children’s perspective merely for the sake of having an innocent, naive and possibly precocious view of what’s happening. Certainly no youth has ever abstained from asking, “Why are they being mean to that black man, Mommy?” or “When will the Russians rescue us, Daddy?” However, such characters are more often mere narrative tools useful to filmmakers who prefer to pander to the audience, via other characters’ pandering to these children. Even a film that has the guts to have a prominent child character die in the death camps will counter with a child on the other side of the fence who has to ask the unnecessary question of, “Why are we killing the striped pajama boy, Father?” 7. The Happy-Go-Lucky Concentration Camp Prisoner Fortunately, there hasn’t been much to this trend since Robin Williams tried his shtick in the ghetto in the Jakob the Liar remake, but it’s enough that it existed. And enough that Life is Beautiful was actually quite popular. And should have been enough when Jerry Lewis tried bringing comedy to the concentration camps in The Day the Clown Cried. But Hollywood will probably resurrect the death camp comic relief for some film or other, because there’s just so much desire to lift the tension and actually entertain audiences. Yet Holocaust movies aren’t for entertainment, no matter if there were indeed some prisoners in real life that told a joke or goofed around once in awhile in order to remain positive. So Hollywood, Roberto Benigni and everyone else need to knock it off with this trend and keep the stories sad. It’s not like they put harrowing concentration camp scenes in broad comedies, after all. So why do the opposite? 6. The Good Nazi As with the happy-go-lucky prisoner, good Nazis may have existed in real life. But cinema is not supposed to be a complete representation of real life anyway, and everyone is better off just holding on to the idea that all Nazis were bad guys. The very word “Nazi” is forever equated with evil, and for eternity it will be easy to involve Nazis as villains, even in fantasy films set in modern times, without the audience questioning whether or not this one or that one was really a kindhearted man who was just doing his job or being forced to be a Nazi by his government. Good Nazis have turned up recently in the varied forms of the not-quite-Schindlerific Bernhard Kruger (Devid Striesow, pictured above) in The Counterfeiters, the relatively saintly and sexy Ludwig Muntze (Sebastian Koch) in Black Book and, of course, the half-blind, wannabe Hitler assassin Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) in Valkyrie. 5. The Morally Ambiguous Nazi Supporter Even more prevalent lately than the good Nazi is the morally ambiguous or ambivalent character who is either a Nazi or working for the Nazis in order to survive and/or because he or she will later claim ignorance to the evils being committed. Examples include Kate Winslet’s character in The Reader, to an extent, as well as Ronnie (Halina Reijn, pictured above) in Black Book and the protagonist of The Counterfeiters, Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics). Again, it might have been a common reality for such persons to exist, but they shouldn’t be so populous in every Holocaust film made nowadays, because then it seems more excusable to believe that a good percentage of opportunist Nazi supporters weren’t all that bad. 4. The Really, Really Bad Nazi It seems that this stereotype has become a modern Holocaust movie cliché due to the increased employment of both good Nazis and morally ambiguous Nazi supporters. In Black Book, for instance, the sadistic Gunther Franken (Waldemar Kobus) is the yang to Muntze’s yin, and similarly in The Counterfeiters, Hauptscharführer Holst (Martin Bramback, highlighted in the picture above) contrasts against Kruger. As a counter-trend, though, it’s even worse than the initial clichés. Sure, it makes sense on some narrative level for there to be a really, really bad Nazi, one who’d go so far as to literally piss on the head of a protagonist (a la Holst), to make up for the fact that there’s a likable Nazi character. But why not just do away with the good Nazi trend and either return to having all Nazi characters assumed evil or merely act like three-dimensional human beings — that is, if they must be humanized? Once again, it’s best just to keep to the Nazis=evil convention, because it’s tried and true and doesn’t complicate things or cause controversies. 3. The Holocaust As Weight in Non-Holocaust Movies The fact that X-Men’s Magneto is a Holocaust survivor enriches his character, but that’s a back-story that existed and has been developed in comics long before making an appearance in the movie adaptations. But non-adapted films, particularly horror flicks, attempting to be taken more seriously due to a Holocaust subplot or back-story just seems exploitative. Take the recent movie The Unborn, for example. In her review for Tiger Online, Melissa Kim makes a good point regarding the misguided intent to give a movie more weight by involving the Holocaust, noting that the tragedy is much too important to be cast in a bit part. “The Unborn is so ridiculous,” she writes, “it actually diminishes the prestige of the Holocaust, reducing it to little more than the weak punch line in a wholly un-funny joke.” 2. The Desire to Kill Hitler This isn’t so much of a movie trend, since aside from Valkyrie the only other Hitler assassination plot movies are others based on the same 20 July plot, but it’s still something of a cliché. Really it has to do with the typical response and discussion people have regarding the possibilities and ethics of time travel. Everyone’s first realistic idea is to go back and kill Hitler before he can come to power and exterminate the Jews, right? Well, it’s quite a futile hypothetical, because there is no time travel. But, filmmakers have the power to at least visualize the hypothetical a little more by, time and time again, adapting the 20 July story for the screen. Of course, it does no good, either, because the plot was unsuccessful and no film version, even with a changed ending, will change that. And anything else would simply be wishful thinking. However, there is at least Downfall, which was surprisingly not as popular despite this idea. Viewers can take pleasure in the literal downfall and demise of Hitler in the film. It doesn’t erase what happened with the Holocaust, but there is some satisfaction to be had. 1. Claiming a Holocaust Film Isn’t a Holocaust Film Harvey Weinstein attempted to have his cake and eat it too this past awards season. He marketed The Reader to certain groups under the assumption that it is a Holocaust movie, but he also attempted to sell it off as not a Holocaust movie by including this Elie Wiesel quote in the well-distributed Reader-defense statement: “it is not about the Holocaust; it is about what Germany did to itself and its future generations.” And many critics and journalists were in agreement, that the movie doesn’t belong grouped in with the others. In a way, the film actually is and isn’t a Holocaust movie, but attempting to deny that it’s one in order to escape the genre’s inaccessibility is still misleading and somewhat dishonest marketing. Anyone going in expecting not to see a concentration camp or survivors or Nazis will be greatly disappointed. A few of 2008’s Holocaust films were also more marketable as other kinds of films than Holocaust films, probably to detach from the stigma attached to them. And at least one, Valkyrie, is for the most part not a Holocaust film at all. But it seemed to work for Weinstein, both with Academy favor and box office success. So this could be a continued trend, even with films that are clearly Holocaust Oscar-bait or films attempting to gain weight through slight Holocaust connections. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/13/37289.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/13/2008 5:00:46 PM
Body: Danny Boyle’s new crowd-pleasing film Slumdog Millionaire was originally intended to be shot entirely in English, but apparently due to the preferences of a casting director, about a third of the movie is in Hindi. While this fraction may not be enough to call it a foreign-language film, it could have been enough to turn off subtitle-fearing audiences were the movie not so otherwise accessible due to its feel-good, “Hollywood-style” story involving star-crossed romance, destiny and an ultimate “love conquers all” message. Also, the movie breaks free from one off-putting foreign film tradition by following Man on Fire, Night Watch and TV’s Heroes into the realm of non-traditional subtitling. Slumdog received a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award, and it could very well extend its popularity in the direction of the multiplex crowd. If it’s a hit with moviegoers who aren’t typically open to world cinema, this could be the chance for similarly feel-good foreign films to cross over and reach a wider audience, whether they be upcoming releases like the Sundance-winning Captain Abu Raed or titles from the past that could always use more Netflix-queue love. And so, in the hopes that Slumdog could help open the door to further foreign film consumption, SpoutBlog presents this guide to the most accessible world cinema titles from the past ten years. For every entry-level film on the list, we name a couple of more intermediate titled in the same vein — just in case you get hooked. Amelie Spout.com user leeroy711 recently referred to this imaginative French film as the foreign-language cinema’s “gateway drug.” And it’s certainly true that its fanciful romantic story and colorful tone have won the favor of many a young adult not previously accustomed to European cinema. Never mind that it makes stalking seem a little too precious and innocent — the film’s whimsical title character (played delightfully by Audrey Tautou), full of good intentions and lots of heart, will have you wishing you had such a thoughtful and inventive pursuer. Also worth checking out: A Very Long Engagement; Love Me If You Dare The Chorus Hollywood sometimes seems to have cornered the market on movies about inspirational teachers, especially those involving music instruction. But this French film proves that foreign films can have similarly motivational stories about great educators and their newly encouraged students. Also worth checking out: Small Voices; Monsieur Ibrahim City of God This Brazilian film set in the favelas of Rio can be quite violent, enough to have been compared to gangster films like Goodfellas (though Goodfellas doesn’t have any little kids being shot in the foot). But at its center is the uplifting tale of a boy who makes it out of the slums in order to become a successful writer. Also worth checking out: City of Men (both the TV series and the feature film) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Martial arts cinema has long been an accessible genre to a large enough portion of Americans, but this film, which became the top grossing foreign-language title in the U.S. (not counting The Passion of the Christ), has managed to acquire fans that don’t normally go for kung fu and wuxia. The main attraction that makes this title more appealing than most is likely its production value, which with its beautiful cinematography and well-crafted special effects allows it to compare to romantic epics out of Hollywood. Also worth checking out: Hero; House of Flying Daggers Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India The running time of 3 hrs. 43 min. probably seems like a deterrent, but this Bollywood film really does feel a lot shorter than it is. Really. And anyway its compelling story of an underdog cricket team is familiar enough that you don’t have to pay too much attention if you don’t have the time — though it will be difficult to let your attention stray except for during some of the less-adequately translated musical numbers that aren’t so significant or relatable to most Western viewers. Just think of this film as your typical Hollywood sports movie, except instead of the final game being quickly highlighted in the last 30 minutes, it’s seemingly depicted in its entirety for more than an hour. And yes, the ending is a crowd-pleaser. Also worth checking out: The Cup; Monsoon Wedding Life is Beautiful This Oscar-winning film is so feel-good that it comes close to overkill. In fact, a decade after its release, it’s easy to forget just how entertaining it is. Just as we’re more likely to remember the stomach ache after gorging ourselves with delicious sweets or the hangover that follows a great night of drinking, moviegoers often recall only the obnoxiousness that came with an overexposed and over-awarded Roberto Benigni. But don’t let the cynics keep you from enjoying such a heartwarming and inspiriting tale of a “real life Prince Charming.” Also worth checking out: I Served the King of England The Motorcycle Diaries Hollywood could actually take a cue from this film the next time it wants to make one of those prequels detailing the life of an iconic villain (ex: Hannibal Rising), at least if it wants audiences to like the guy enough to forget he grows up to be a murderous rebel. Whether or not you like who and what Ernesto Guevara becomes in the years after The Motorcycle Diaries takes place, you’ll have no trouble falling for his younger self as he ditches his privileged life and devotes himself to a colony of lepers. Also worth checking out: Downfall Pan’s Labyrinth In the tradition of such dark yet magical stories as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, a little girl encounters strange creatures and kind of winds up a princess. It’s ultimately a very sad and depressing film, but the ending at least pretends to be happy, enough that you might think your eyes are watering with tears of joy. Also worth checking out: City of Lost Children Run Lola Run It’s extremely fast-paced, a little bit MTV, a little bit video game, and it features a character you really want to root for, especially because she’s narratively allotted a few do-overs in order to make things right. And mainstream moviegoers love stories of both chance and second chances. Roger Ebert also noted in his review that it’s the kind of film that could play in a sports bar, so perhaps it’s even more of a gateway foreign film for sports fans than Lagaan. Also worth checking out: The Princess and the Warrior; Amores perros Tsotsi Like City of God, this film involves a crime-ridden ghetto, but it’s even more accessible than that film despite its lack of inspiring upward mobility. It could probably appeal most to fans of American “urban” gangster films, but any mainstream moviegoer should enjoy the conventional plot involving a thug who accidentally kidnaps a baby and then changes morally as a result. Also worth checking out: Kolya; Central Station Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:00:46 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/13/2008 5:00:46 PMDanny Boyle’s new crowd-pleasing film Slumdog Millionaire was originally intended to be shot entirely in English, but apparently due to the preferences of a casting director, about a third of the movie is in Hindi. While this fraction may not be enough to call it a foreign-language film, it could have been enough to turn off subtitle-fearing audiences were the movie not so otherwise accessible due to its feel-good, “Hollywood-style” story involving star-crossed romance, destiny and an ultimate “love conquers all” message. Also, the movie breaks free from one off-putting foreign film tradition by following Man on Fire, Night Watch and TV’s Heroes into the realm of non-traditional subtitling. Slumdog received a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award, and it could very well extend its popularity in the direction of the multiplex crowd. If it’s a hit with moviegoers who aren’t typically open to world cinema, this could be the chance for similarly feel-good foreign films to cross over and reach a wider audience, whether they be upcoming releases like the Sundance-winning Captain Abu Raed or titles from the past that could always use more Netflix-queue love. And so, in the hopes that Slumdog could help open the door to further foreign film consumption, SpoutBlog presents this guide to the most accessible world cinema titles from the past ten years. For every entry-level film on the list, we name a couple of more intermediate titled in the same vein — just in case you get hooked. Amelie Spout.com user leeroy711 recently referred to this imaginative French film as the foreign-language cinema’s “gateway drug.” And it’s certainly true that its fanciful romantic story and colorful tone have won the favor of many a young adult not previously accustomed to European cinema. Never mind that it makes stalking seem a little too precious and innocent — the film’s whimsical title character (played delightfully by Audrey Tautou), full of good intentions and lots of heart, will have you wishing you had such a thoughtful and inventive pursuer. Also worth checking out: A Very Long Engagement; Love Me If You Dare The Chorus Hollywood sometimes seems to have cornered the market on movies about inspirational teachers, especially those involving music instruction. But this French film proves that foreign films can have similarly motivational stories about great educators and their newly encouraged students. Also worth checking out: Small Voices; Monsieur Ibrahim City of God This Brazilian film set in the favelas of Rio can be quite violent, enough to have been compared to gangster films like Goodfellas (though Goodfellas doesn’t have any little kids being shot in the foot). But at its center is the uplifting tale of a boy who makes it out of the slums in order to become a successful writer. Also worth checking out: City of Men (both the TV series and the feature film) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Martial arts cinema has long been an accessible genre to a large enough portion of Americans, but this film, which became the top grossing foreign-language title in the U.S. (not counting The Passion of the Christ), has managed to acquire fans that don’t normally go for kung fu and wuxia. The main attraction that makes this title more appealing than most is likely its production value, which with its beautiful cinematography and well-crafted special effects allows it to compare to romantic epics out of Hollywood. Also worth checking out: Hero; House of Flying Daggers Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India The running time of 3 hrs. 43 min. probably seems like a deterrent, but this Bollywood film really does feel a lot shorter than it is. Really. And anyway its compelling story of an underdog cricket team is familiar enough that you don’t have to pay too much attention if you don’t have the time — though it will be difficult to let your attention stray except for during some of the less-adequately translated musical numbers that aren’t so significant or relatable to most Western viewers. Just think of this film as your typical Hollywood sports movie, except instead of the final game being quickly highlighted in the last 30 minutes, it’s seemingly depicted in its entirety for more than an hour. And yes, the ending is a crowd-pleaser. Also worth checking out: The Cup; Monsoon Wedding Life is Beautiful This Oscar-winning film is so feel-good that it comes close to overkill. In fact, a decade after its release, it’s easy to forget just how entertaining it is. Just as we’re more likely to remember the stomach ache after gorging ourselves with delicious sweets or the hangover that follows a great night of drinking, moviegoers often recall only the obnoxiousness that came with an overexposed and over-awarded Roberto Benigni. But don’t let the cynics keep you from enjoying such a heartwarming and inspiriting tale of a “real life Prince Charming.” Also worth checking out: I Served the King of England The Motorcycle Diaries Hollywood could actually take a cue from this film the next time it wants to make one of those prequels detailing the life of an iconic villain (ex: Hannibal Rising), at least if it wants audiences to like the guy enough to forget he grows up to be a murderous rebel. Whether or not you like who and what Ernesto Guevara becomes in the years after The Motorcycle Diaries takes place, you’ll have no trouble falling for his younger self as he ditches his privileged life and devotes himself to a colony of lepers. Also worth checking out: Downfall Pan’s Labyrinth In the tradition of such dark yet magical stories as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, a little girl encounters strange creatures and kind of winds up a princess. It’s ultimately a very sad and depressing film, but the ending at least pretends to be happy, enough that you might think your eyes are watering with tears of joy. Also worth checking out: City of Lost Children Run Lola Run It’s extremely fast-paced, a little bit MTV, a little bit video game, and it features a character you really want to root for, especially because she’s narratively allotted a few do-overs in order to make things right. And mainstream moviegoers love stories of both chance and second chances. Roger Ebert also noted in his review that it’s the kind of film that could play in a sports bar, so perhaps it’s even more of a gateway foreign film for sports fans than Lagaan. Also worth checking out: The Princess and the Warrior; Amores perros Tsotsi Like City of God, this film involves a crime-ridden ghetto, but it’s even more accessible than that film despite its lack of inspiring upward mobility. It could probably appeal most to fans of American “urban” gangster films, but any mainstream moviegoer should enjoy the conventional plot involving a thug who accidentally kidnaps a baby and then changes morally as a result. Also worth checking out: Kolya; Central Station Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/20/36532.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/20/2008 6:00:27 PM
Body: This is the first in what will be a series of posts examining the artistic life cycles of Oscar winners who failed to find continued mainstream success after taking home the statuette. If you have suggestions for stars or filmmakers that you’d like to see profiled, let us know in the comments. Roberto Benigni swang from general obscurity in the United States to media darling following his Academy Award for Life Is Beautiful. But what’s happened to him since? He was only the second filmmaker since Sir Laurence Olivier to direct himself in an Oscar-winning performance. That’s a long way to go for someone who had only been seen here in Blake Edwards’ terrible Son of the Pink Panther and as a sex-obsessed cabbie in Jim Jarmusch’s Night on Earth. While we love the underdog success story, we also love the fall from grace, and we’re in search of the crater that Benigni must have left somewhere. Benigni was poised to become an Italian Spielberg (if Spielberg appeared in his own movies) after Life is Beautiful, but in the five years after winning the Oscar, he only appeared as an actor in the comic book adaptation Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar. That film was never even seen in American theaters, and only an import version of the DVD is available to order. Since then, he’s appeared in a one tiny role, and directed himself in two flops that failed to connect with audiences or critics, and is now touring in a one-man show based on Dante’s Divine Comedy. The comic actor didn’t return to the other side of the camera until 2002’s live-action Pinocchio, which has the dreaded distinction of being both the most expensive Italian film ever made, and one of its biggest critical failures. It grossed just over three and a half million dollars in the States, a far cry from Life’s $57 million. Critics said that the film had wonderful sets and costumes, but that no one could swallow Benigni in the role of a little puppet boy who wishes to be real. Especially since he was 50 years old at the time. But can one enormous flop really turn audiences off for good? With Benigni it’s more of a case of the curtain being drawn back to reveal The Wizard, and The Wizard not being what he’s cracked up to be. Benigni’s followup to Pinocchio was 2006’s The Tiger and the Snow, a comedy about an Italian poet stuck behind enemy lines during the Iraq war. The film received some of the worst reviews of the year. Jeannette Catsoulis at the New York Times said, “Roberto Benigni’s film is a scorching affront to Italians, Iraqis and the intelligence of movie audiences everywhere.” Prior to that, Benigni was in 2003’s Jarmusch’s short film mashup Coffee and Cigarettes, which oddly pairs him with narcoleptic comedian Steven Wright, although both of them seem highly caffeinated in this scene. This scene had been filmed as a short in 1986, and it’s a big departure from his dialogue heavy role as the chatty taxi driver in Night On Earth. In Coffee, he just looks manic and nervous, and check out that hairstyle. For someone as chatty and witty as Benigni seems to be, he’s fairly silent in this clip. Looks like a bad day at the Improv. A few years before Life is Beautiful, Benigni starred in Blake Edwards’ last theatrical film (to date) in an attempt to reboot the Pink Panther series. Despite Benigni’s pratfalls and enormous smile, it failed with audiences and critics, and mostly just underscored the fact that Peter Sellers was no longer with us. How they could possibly be making a sequel to Steve Martin’s The Pink Panther is still beyond me. Regardless, Son has been relegated to this discard bin, and is not considered part of the official Panther canon and has quietly been swept under the rug. What’s interesting is the fact that Benigni’s early Italian television career is just as colorful as some of his roles. He starred in a television show called Onda Libera, where he sang a hymn about the joys of defecation entitled “L’inno del corpo sciolto,” which was later censored. He’s also been a constant political figure in Italy as well, publicly criticizing the former Pope (which was also censored) and demonstrating for the Italian Communist Party. His outspoken nature and eccentric acting style brought him a lot of infamy in Italy, and before long he was starring in feature films, including 1985’s Nothing Left to Do But Cry, where he plays a modern day schoolteacher who time travels to the 15th century and plays cards with Leonardo da Vinci while trying to keep Columbus from discovering America. He starred in more than a dozen films from 1977 until Jarmusch put him in a short segment in Coffee and Cigarettes in 1986, just before giving him a larger role in Down By Law, which is still his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes. So what is this Oscar winning actor/director doing now? For the past few years since directing and starring in The Tiger and the Snow he’s been starring in TuttoDante on stages across Europe. It’s a one-man show based on The Divine Comedy, and is supposed to be coming to America next year. It wouldn’t be surprising if he tries to make a feature film out of it. But would audiences even turn out for it? Based on his quickly plummeting box office appeal, it’s doubtful. Benigni was once hailed by the press as an Italian Charlie Chaplin, but it’s a name he hasn’t lived up to. Not to slight Life is Beautiful, which is a very touching film and Benigni’s performance is endearing, but he’s a one-note actor who thrives on slapstick comedy. Audiences quickly tired of repeated gags and pratfalls, and he was left exposed like the Emperor in “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Studios didn’t want to dismiss him so quickly, since surely someone who has won an Oscar knows what they’re doing, but Pinocchio and The Tiger and the Snow both show that he was probably highly overrated as a director. Perhaps he needs to work with Jarmusch again, or try more serious roles. Although for a terrific example of Benigni’s comedy in a darker setting, go rent his 1994 movie The Monster, which is probably one of the funniest films about a serial killer you’ll ever see. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:00:27 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/20/2008 6:00:27 PM This is the first in what will be a series of posts examining the artistic life cycles of Oscar winners who failed to find continued mainstream success after taking home the statuette. If you have suggestions for stars or filmmakers that you’d like to see profiled, let us know in the comments. Roberto Benigni swang from general obscurity in the United States to media darling following his Academy Award for Life Is Beautiful. But what’s happened to him since? He was only the second filmmaker since Sir Laurence Olivier to direct himself in an Oscar-winning performance. That’s a long way to go for someone who had only been seen here in Blake Edwards’ terrible Son of the Pink Panther and as a sex-obsessed cabbie in Jim Jarmusch’s Night on Earth. While we love the underdog success story, we also love the fall from grace, and we’re in search of the crater that Benigni must have left somewhere. Benigni was poised to become an Italian Spielberg (if Spielberg appeared in his own movies) after Life is Beautiful, but in the five years after winning the Oscar, he only appeared as an actor in the comic book adaptation Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar. That film was never even seen in American theaters, and only an import version of the DVD is available to order. Since then, he’s appeared in a one tiny role, and directed himself in two flops that failed to connect with audiences or critics, and is now touring in a one-man show based on Dante’s Divine Comedy. The comic actor didn’t return to the other side of the camera until 2002’s live-action Pinocchio, which has the dreaded distinction of being both the most expensive Italian film ever made, and one of its biggest critical failures. It grossed just over three and a half million dollars in the States, a far cry from Life’s $57 million. Critics said that the film had wonderful sets and costumes, but that no one could swallow Benigni in the role of a little puppet boy who wishes to be real. Especially since he was 50 years old at the time. But can one enormous flop really turn audiences off for good? With Benigni it’s more of a case of the curtain being drawn back to reveal The Wizard, and The Wizard not being what he’s cracked up to be. Benigni’s followup to Pinocchio was 2006’s The Tiger and the Snow, a comedy about an Italian poet stuck behind enemy lines during the Iraq war. The film received some of the worst reviews of the year. Jeannette Catsoulis at the New York Times said, “Roberto Benigni’s film is a scorching affront to Italians, Iraqis and the intelligence of movie audiences everywhere.” Prior to that, Benigni was in 2003’s Jarmusch’s short film mashup Coffee and Cigarettes, which oddly pairs him with narcoleptic comedian Steven Wright, although both of them seem highly caffeinated in this scene. This scene had been filmed as a short in 1986, and it’s a big departure from his dialogue heavy role as the chatty taxi driver in Night On Earth. In Coffee, he just looks manic and nervous, and check out that hairstyle. For someone as chatty and witty as Benigni seems to be, he’s fairly silent in this clip. Looks like a bad day at the Improv. A few years before Life is Beautiful, Benigni starred in Blake Edwards’ last theatrical film (to date) in an attempt to reboot the Pink Panther series. Despite Benigni’s pratfalls and enormous smile, it failed with audiences and critics, and mostly just underscored the fact that Peter Sellers was no longer with us. How they could possibly be making a sequel to Steve Martin’s The Pink Panther is still beyond me. Regardless, Son has been relegated to this discard bin, and is not considered part of the official Panther canon and has quietly been swept under the rug. What’s interesting is the fact that Benigni’s early Italian television career is just as colorful as some of his roles. He starred in a television show called Onda Libera, where he sang a hymn about the joys of defecation entitled “L’inno del corpo sciolto,” which was later censored. He’s also been a constant political figure in Italy as well, publicly criticizing the former Pope (which was also censored) and demonstrating for the Italian Communist Party. His outspoken nature and eccentric acting style brought him a lot of infamy in Italy, and before long he was starring in feature films, including 1985’s Nothing Left to Do But Cry, where he plays a modern day schoolteacher who time travels to the 15th century and plays cards with Leonardo da Vinci while trying to keep Columbus from discovering America. He starred in more than a dozen films from 1977 until Jarmusch put him in a short segment in Coffee and Cigarettes in 1986, just before giving him a larger role in Down By Law, which is still his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes. So what is this Oscar winning actor/director doing now? For the past few years since directing and starring in The Tiger and the Snow he’s been starring in TuttoDante on stages across Europe. It’s a one-man show based on The Divine Comedy, and is supposed to be coming to America next year. It wouldn’t be surprising if he tries to make a feature film out of it. But would audiences even turn out for it? Based on his quickly plummeting box office appeal, it’s doubtful. Benigni was once hailed by the press as an Italian Charlie Chaplin, but it’s a name he hasn’t lived up to. Not to slight Life is Beautiful, which is a very touching film and Benigni’s performance is endearing, but he’s a one-note actor who thrives on slapstick comedy. Audiences quickly tired of repeated gags and pratfalls, and he was left exposed like the Emperor in “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Studios didn’t want to dismiss him so quickly, since surely someone who has won an Oscar knows what they’re doing, but Pinocchio and The Tiger and the Snow both show that he was probably highly overrated as a director. Perhaps he needs to work with Jarmusch again, or try more serious roles. Although for a terrific example of Benigni’s comedy in a darker setting, go rent his 1994 movie The Monster, which is probably one of the funniest films about a serial killer you’ll ever see. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/32116/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: joem18b
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 7/4/2008 3:59:32 AM
Body: [quote user="indieabby88"] [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="laylor"]Crash I cannot believe in all honesty that this won best picture or was even nominated for that matter. I found it completely cliched, hammy and pretentious. I haven't felt this hit over the head by a film since....oh I don't know, ever probably. During this film I couldn't help but think of The Birth of a Nation and how Crash actually managed to make that movie look subtle.[/quote] I wonder if Crash will be one of those best picture winners that everyone looks back on in 20 years and can't possibly figure out how it could have won. [/quote] I feel the same way about Shakespear in Love 1998. That year it beat Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth, The Thin Red Line and one of my favorites, Life Is Beautiful. [/quote] I adore Shakespeare In Love, but yeah...I gotta wonder how people thought it was more worthy of Best Picture than Saving Private Ryan, considering how iconic "Ryan" is now. And I think people are already wondering how Crash managed to snag that statuette. At least when I mention it, I seem to see more eye-rolls than gushing praise. [/quote] Since this is a contrarian-type group, I'll just say that I put Shakespeare in Love well above Saving Private Ryan (just another war movie) and Life Is Beautiful (comedian tries to get serious about the Holocaust but goes seriously wrong - put if it moved you, then it becomes a worthy movie). The Thin Red Line and Elizabeth are off on some other, orthogonal axes.
]]>Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:59:32 GMTjoem18bTop 57/4/2008 3:59:32 AM[quote user="indieabby88"] [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="laylor"]Crash I cannot believe in all honesty that this won best picture or was even nominated for that matter. I found it completely cliched, hammy and pretentious. I haven't felt this hit over the head by a film since....oh I don't know, ever probably. During this film I couldn't help but think of The Birth of a Nation and how Crash actually managed to make that movie look subtle.[/quote] I wonder if Crash will be one of those best picture winners that everyone looks back on in 20 years and can't possibly figure out how it could have won. [/quote] I feel the same way about Shakespear in Love 1998. That year it beat Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth, The Thin Red Line and one of my favorites, Life Is Beautiful. [/quote] I adore Shakespeare In Love, but yeah...I gotta wonder how people thought it was more worthy of Best Picture than Saving Private Ryan, considering how iconic "Ryan" is now. And I think people are already wondering how Crash managed to snag that statuette. At least when I mention it, I seem to see more eye-rolls than gushing praise. [/quote] Since this is a contrarian-type group, I'll just say that I put Shakespeare in Love well above Saving Private Ryan (just another war movie) and Life Is Beautiful (comedian tries to get serious about the Holocaust but goes seriously wrong - put if it moved you, then it becomes a worthy movie). The Thin Red Line and Elizabeth are off on some other, orthogonal axes. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/32099/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: indieabby88
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 7/3/2008 7:32:53 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="laylor"]Crash I cannot believe in all honesty that this won best picture or was even nominated for that matter. I found it completely cliched, hammy and pretentious. I haven't felt this hit over the head by a film since....oh I don't know, ever probably. During this film I couldn't help but think of The Birth of a Nation and how Crash actually managed to make that movie look subtle.[/quote] I wonder if Crash will be one of those best picture winners that everyone looks back on in 20 years and can't possibly figure out how it could have won. [/quote] I feel the same way about Shakespear in Love 1998. That year it beat Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth, The Thin Red Line and one of my favorites, Life Is Beautiful. [/quote] I adore Shakespeare In Love, but yeah...I gotta wonder how people thought it was more worthy of Best Picture than Saving Private Ryan, considering how iconic "Ryan" is now. And I think people are already wondering how Crash managed to snag that statuette. At least when I mention it, I seem to see more eye-rolls than gushing praise.
]]>Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:32:53 GMTindieabby88Top 57/3/2008 7:32:53 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="laylor"]Crash I cannot believe in all honesty that this won best picture or was even nominated for that matter. I found it completely cliched, hammy and pretentious. I haven't felt this hit over the head by a film since....oh I don't know, ever probably. During this film I couldn't help but think of The Birth of a Nation and how Crash actually managed to make that movie look subtle.[/quote] I wonder if Crash will be one of those best picture winners that everyone looks back on in 20 years and can't possibly figure out how it could have won. [/quote] I feel the same way about Shakespear in Love 1998. That year it beat Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth, The Thin Red Line and one of my favorites, Life Is Beautiful. [/quote] I adore Shakespeare In Love, but yeah...I gotta wonder how people thought it was more worthy of Best Picture than Saving Private Ryan, considering how iconic "Ryan" is now. And I think people are already wondering how Crash managed to snag that statuette. At least when I mention it, I seem to see more eye-rolls than gushing praise. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/31611/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 6/24/2008 2:02:06 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="laylor"]Crash I cannot believe in all honesty that this won best picture or was even nominated for that matter. I found it completely cliched, hammy and pretentious. I haven't felt this hit over the head by a film since....oh I don't know, ever probably. During this film I couldn't help but think of The Birth of a Nation and how Crash actually managed to make that movie look subtle.[/quote] I wonder if Crash will be one of those best picture winners that everyone looks back on in 20 years and can't possibly figure out how it could have won. [/quote] I feel the same way about Shakespear in Love 1998. That year it beat Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth, The Thin Red Line and one of my favorites, Life Is Beautiful.
]]>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:02:06 GMTleeroy711Top 56/24/2008 2:02:06 PM[quote user="Risselada"] [quote user="laylor"]Crash I cannot believe in all honesty that this won best picture or was even nominated for that matter. I found it completely cliched, hammy and pretentious. I haven't felt this hit over the head by a film since....oh I don't know, ever probably. During this film I couldn't help but think of The Birth of a Nation and how Crash actually managed to make that movie look subtle.[/quote] I wonder if Crash will be one of those best picture winners that everyone looks back on in 20 years and can't possibly figure out how it could have won. [/quote] I feel the same way about Shakespear in Love 1998. That year it beat Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth, The Thin Red Line and one of my favorites, Life Is Beautiful. http://www.spout.com/groups/Friends_of_Foreign_Flicks/Re_Foreign_Film_Name_Game/591/30057/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: unclefestering
Post To: Friends of Foreign Flicks
Post Date: 5/27/2008 11:13:20 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] Life Is Beautiful [/quote] The Last Metro
]]>Wed, 28 May 2008 03:13:20 GMTunclefesteringFriends of Foreign Flicks5/27/2008 11:13:20 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] Life Is Beautiful [/quote] The Last Metro http://www.spout.com/groups/Friends_of_Foreign_Flicks/Re_Foreign_Film_Name_Game/591/28141/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Friends of Foreign Flicks
Post Date: 5/3/2008 3:28:59 PM
Body: Life Is Beautiful
]]>Sat, 03 May 2008 19:28:59 GMTleeroy711Friends of Foreign Flicks5/3/2008 3:28:59 PMLife Is Beautiful http://www.spout.com/blogs/marincat/archive/2007/6/22/11768.aspx Post By: marincat
Post To: marincat Blog
Post Date: 6/22/2007 9:21:21 PM
Body: A masterpiece of a film. The audience is moved to laughter, moved to tears. The acting is superb, with genuine emotions displayed, taking the audience in and making them a part of the film. It is one of the greatest films.
]]>Sat, 23 Jun 2007 01:21:21 GMTmarincatmarincat Blog6/22/2007 9:21:21 PMA masterpiece of a film. The audience is moved to laughter, moved to tears. The acting is superb, with genuine emotions displayed, taking the audience in and making them a part of the film. It is one of the greatest films. http://www.spout.com/blogs/ushimu/archive/2007/6/13/10991.aspx Post By: UshiMu
Post To: UshiMu Blog
Post Date: 6/13/2007 12:24:17 AM
Body: If someone told me that they wanted me to see a comedy about the holocaust- I think I would have told them that they had a sick mind. But after seeing the movie, I have fallen in love with it. Everything in it is so honest, pure, and truthful. You wont find a better movie.
]]>Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:24:17 GMTUshiMuUshiMu Blog6/13/2007 12:24:17 AMIf someone told me that they wanted me to see a comedy about the holocaust- I think I would have told them that they had a sick mind. But after seeing the movie, I have fallen in love with it. Everything in it is so honest, pure, and truthful. You wont find a better movie. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cute/MemberTagFilms.aspxcute
Number of films tagged: 210

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]]>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:46:12 GMT21098314Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/marriage/MemberTagFilms.aspxmarriage
Number of films tagged: 3471

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]]>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:39:11 GMT347167267Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/romantic/MemberTagFilms.aspxromantic
Number of films tagged: 84

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]]>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:24:01 GMT8466113Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/inspiring/MemberTagFilms.aspxinspiring
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]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:30 GMT555484Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/redemption/MemberTagFilms.aspxredemption
Number of films tagged: 626

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]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:18:53 GMT62653117Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/italy/MemberTagFilms.aspxitaly
Number of films tagged: 527

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]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:29 GMT8736110Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/foreign/MemberTagFilms.aspxforeign
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]]>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:41:30 GMT49130421Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/holocaust/MemberTagFilms.aspxholocaust
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]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:07:18 GMT3632742Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/imprisonment/MemberTagFilms.aspximprisonment
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]]>Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:38:36 GMT6101216Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/schoolteacher/MemberTagFilms.aspxschoolteacher
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]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:02:27 GMT3151111Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fiancee/MemberTagFilms.aspxfiancee
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]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:55:48 GMT6851015Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Best-Actor/MemberTagFilms.aspxBest-Actor
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]]>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:35:20 GMT78987Tag