I rarely ever post lists on these boards, but since everybody else was, I thought I'd just add what few I'd seen. My question is, "Did you watch those films?" True, I watched them for free, at home, and didn't expect much from them. They would never make a Year-End Best list. You can see them near the bottom of my list.

I don't watch movies dividing them up into studio trash and art-house awesomeness. I let each film speak for itself. I don't find any need to look down on certain films/actors/directors and neither do I have to lionize them. I say that they should "play" on an even field. And that's the truth, Ruth.

Mark f's list is credible and consistent for him because one needs to look at the rating not the rankings to understand how sensitive he is to a movie's value. Just because he listed a number of movies doesn't mean that he's saying the movies are great.

I saw The Da Vinci Code and Firewall, and would simply have to disagree with your ratings of them, as I would not consider them in the "B" range. I guess I just don't understand how you could give The Da Vinci Code a "B-" and then list your favorite movie so far, United 93, as a "B+."

I may not have thousands of posts on the site, but I do actually read what others post and have looked back and read what Mark F has posted in most of the strings -- including a number of lists. Although I would agree with Tabuno that it is credible (as is most anyone's opinion), I fail to see the consistency.

As for the comment about viewing everything on an even playing field, I think that's impossible. Just look at Mark F's comments on Spielberg! I don't deny that I tend to prefer art house fare to what the studios release on the populace -- that's just my preference -- but, I'm not afraid to call out Little Miss Sunshine and A Scanner Darkly as dissapontments when they fail to deliver. Part of my weekend viewing consisted of paying to see Idlewild, Beerfest, and Invincible in the theater. So, you can't say I'm not giving those films a chance or that I'm a snob.

Of course, like most people on the site, I try to read up on something before I catch it in the theater. That's part of being a smart consumer, IMO. Everyone has their own film preferences and they tend to pay to see films that they expect to enjoy. I'm not discounting what you have to say. I recognize where your list highlights "what you've seen," instead of "the greatest films of the year." But, in a string devoted to the "Best Movie So Far," I hope you can also understand why I'm suprised to see The Da Vinci Code, Firewall, and Find Me Guilty.

I look forward to reading your list (along with everyone else's) closer to the end of the year.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: NButler11,

quote:

NButler11 Posted 29 August 2006 07:06 AM

Little Miss Sunshine and A Scanner Darkly as dissapontments when they fail to deliver.

I just finished watching Little Miss Sunshine last night. I must say that NButler11 and I have very different opinions on movies which at least means we're consistent with our taste of movies. Both Little Miss Sunshine and A Scanner Darkly were both very good movies for me and both delivered what I like in a movie.

Little Miss Sunshine is my favorite movie of the year so far because of its ability to reveal comedy and drama on the "dime." It's an amazing experience to be sad one moment, shocked the next, and laughing a second later without any the false slapstick so often used in comedy drama. This comedy-drama is the real deal. The characters are eccentric but interesting and the storyline is compelling. This is the little movie with a gigantic heart that doesn't try to be all things to all people and solve the world's problem in two hours. But it still has a basic message that can easily connect to the movie audience.

A Scanner Darkly as I've mentioned before is the best of all of Phillip K. Dick's adapted movies that this is no small task. The rich, luxurious science fiction dialogue and visual representation is some of the best photography and script adaptations of real science fiction. By hitting the mark, this movie really did something rarely seen using such difficult source material.

Are you saying that A Scanner Darkly is superior to Blade Runner, or that it is more true to the original text? Either way, I would still contend that A Scanner Darkly would have been much better as a short film.

I think both of the films you address were based on great ideas, such as the pageant in LMS and the vision of the future in ASD, but both were littered with filler scenes and focused far too much on their visual aesthetic instead of their stories, IMO.

quote:

NButler11 Posted 31 August 2006 08:07 AM
Are you saying that A Scanner Darkly is superior to Blade Runner, or that it is more true to the original text? Either way, I would still contend that A Scanner Darkly would have been much better as a short film.

I think both of the films you address were based on great ideas, such as the pageant in LMS and the vision of the future in ASD, but both were littered with filler scenes and focused far too much on their visual aesthetic instead of their stories, IMO.

Good comments. I can't argue with the likelihood that A Scanner Darkly could have been improved with more editing - but I am pretty loaded up (geeky) when it comes to sci fi dialogue and just basking in the experience so the length didn't bother me as much.

Since Blade Runner has become almost universal as a sci fi classic, its ability to provide a similar visual experience without resort to animation makes it all the more amazing. I would defer to the established opinion that Blade Runner couldn't be touched by A Scanner Darkly as a sci fi movie. However, as an interpretation and reflection of its source material - as if imagining the feel and imagery on reading Phillip K. Dick's material, A Scanner Darkly has a definite shot at being considered a better movie representation than Blade Runner

Total Recall >>> Blade Runner

"Screw you!" (Arnold then jams a giant drill into a dude's torso)

quote:

Originally posted by tabuno:
Little Miss Sunshine is my favorite movie of the year so far because of its ability to reveal comedy and drama on the "dime." It's an amazing experience to be sad one moment, shocked the next, and laughing a second later without any the false slapstick so often used in comedy drama. This comedy-drama is the real deal. The characters are eccentric but interesting and the storyline is compelling. This is the little movie with a gigantic heart that doesn't try to be all things to all people and solve the world's problem in two hours. But it still has a basic message that can easily connect to the movie audience.

Well said. I agree. I can't quite understand those who find the movie formulaic. NButler11's previous post describes the Little Miss Sunshine's formula as

quote:

1) introduce each quirky character; 2)show each character facing adversity; 3) then show how each character overcomes their problems.

This so-called formula applies to almost every movie I have ever seen. Yes, stories often have protagonists who overcome obstacles, and stories often share structural elements. I think Tabuno captures what is unique and valuable in Little Miss Sunshine.

quote:

Dale M. Posted 01 September 2006 03:13 PM
I think Tabuno captures what is unique and valuable in Little Miss Sunshine.

Wow. And I can't catch a baseball worth my life - it's not my sport.

I didn't care for Little Miss Sunshine. It all felt so... forced. I also felt that the film was almost condescending toward its characters... The Entertainment Weekly review is, for once, dead-on.

Oh, I must admit, however, that I did laugh out loud when the son left the van screaming and the young girl strolled down the hill in those short shorts and huge boots to comfort him. Funny thing is, I think I was the only person in the theater laughing...

quote:

Platypus Quest Quest Posted 09 September 2006 04:17 PM

I didn't care for Little Miss Sunshine. It all felt so... forced. I also felt that the film was almost condescending toward its characters... The Entertainment Weekly review is, for once, dead-on.

In reflecting on this movie, there were a few moments that appeared "forced" - namely the use of the VW bus which so wantonly was able to be driven about at the end in a quite "forced" manner, destructively and what appeared to be unrealistically just for the purpose of the script. However, in terms of the characters themselves, their lines, their performances I found much of reflective of a composite of characters that we experience in real life - from the somewhat nutty old man, the isolated male teenager, the bouncy young, innocent girl, the self-absorbed working husband - a dreamer, and the mother who has to somehow keep everyone together in some reality and responsibility. There didn't sense any dumbing down of the characters or that the director assumed a position of superiority. I experienced no condescendence - instead this movie provides a delightful illumination of the human spirit, the carefully crafted balance of drama and humor in a non-manipulative fashion normally seen in most dumb comedies. Instead this movie takes a higher road of comedy and drama and lifts one up not down.

My favorite film of 2006 "so far" hasn't been listed by anyone just yet, so I will have to do it right now.

It is a 2006 release in America, even though it came out at Cannes in 2004.

The film is "Clean" and stars Maggie Cheung in a spectacular performance that won her the best actress award at Cannes. She speaks English, French, and, oh yeah, Cantonese as well in this movie.

None of my other films are very mainstream at this point. Probably the most mainstream pictures that I liked this year "so far" was "Akeelah and the Bee" and "Little Miss Sunshine." As for LMS, I liked it, but I'm not raving over it.

I saw Talladega Nights yesterday. Very funny.

American: United 93; Sorry, Haters.
Foreign: Water, Gilles' Wife, L'Enfant and Fateless.

United 93

I just watched THE DEPARTED. Almost perfect movie. Deserves to be nominated. I can't say anything more but praises for this film. It's entertaining, disgusting and never shallow.

Just got back from THE DEPARTED and if Marty Scorsese doesn't bag is first Best Director Oscar I'd be flabbergasted. An amazing movie. Marty is back at the top of his game and this is the best film I've seen in '06.

Well, after seeing THE QUEEN yesterday morning I now know who is going to get the Best Actress Academy Award. Bet the house on Helen Mirren for her take on England's current Queen. Director Stephen Frears is also likely to get a nomination and THE QUEEN is likely to give THE DEPARTED a run for its money as Best Picture.

As we now roll into Oct. I have to change my choice for best movie "so far" as Little Miss Sunshine. I just viewed The Departed and though I considered it a good movie it doesn't quite have the more extensive range of humanity present in L.M. Sunshine.

quote:

Originally posted by Rev. Rikard:
As we now roll into Oct. I have to change my choice for best movie "so far" as Little Miss Sunshine. I just viewed The Departed and though I considered it a good movie it doesn't quite have the more extensive range of humanity present in L.M. Sunshine.

A fine choice, Rev. I definitely agree with you concerning the "range of humanity" exhibited in Little Miss...