What film did you watch last night?

Synecdouche, New York

This film. I don't really know what to say. It's one of the finest most thought provoking films I have ever watched. I don't recommend it to everyone, in honesty I don't think it is in everyone's grasp to understand what this is and what it means. I know that sounds insulting, but I believe it's true. The film itself is so complex and layered that it's very hard to truly whittle it down to the core message.

Always push yourself to say what is in your mind, say the right thing at the right time. Never distance yourself from life or those around you, or you will regret it and try to correct it for the rest of your life.

Watch this film intently and personally. Although it will leave you feeling bereft and blank, it is a journey worth taking.
 
Ahleckz said:
Just finished 'The Men Who Stare At Goats'. Been wanting to see it for ages, just never got round to it. Waste of 90 minutes of my life. Pretty boring, not very funny and didn't seem to have much of a point.
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It was funny, but not in the conventional sense. And no, there was no real point, but then not everything has to have a point. I realise that's not much of a defence, but whatever.
 
Watched The A-Team on Friday, actually quite good, I thought they might ruin it with having to have different actors, but they pulled it off.

Book of Eli - Wierd, but good. I think I have played Fallout way too much, was half expecting a bobblehead to be on a shelf or a phsyco robot.
 
I watched 500 Days of Summer.

That film made me more angry then it should have.

I also think that Zooey is over-rated. She can't act for toffee.



*** SPOILER! ***



Right at the end where the chap turns around and says "Yeah, well. I'm glad you're happy Summer." because it's all to do with fate yadda-yadda.

Fair enough, he obviously cared for and possibly did love her and thus wanted her to be happy no matter what, but I can't see anyone but a naive simpleton responding that way. If that was me, I'm afraid my response would've been more akin to "Go **** yourself Summer!"

Where on earth do people get off thinking it's ever been okay to play with people's hearts like they're toys? In saying he's happy for her, it gives validation for her messing him about in the first place. It's no use giving her neat closure whilst he's suffering intensely. Let her suffer too, she needs to learn some valuable life lessons.

Another point that annoyed me was the very ending where the narrator starts saying "He realised there's no such thing as fate, merely coincidence." All well and good, but to then turn around and contradict that with Hollywood ambiguity sent me into a mini-rage.

"Oh hai, my name's Autumn."

FFFUUUUUUUUU.

Things aren't alright because things never neatly work out like they do in the movies. In real-life, Summer is obviously fine, she doesn't care anymore as she's moved on quickly. Meanwhile, the poor chap turns mean, miserable and bitter. If the movie wanted to genuinely take a moral stance, they should've forgone the neat little closure and had him forgive Summer all the same, but not because he's happy that she's happy (that's rubbish and it's insincere considering he's unhappy because he's lost her to some other pleb), but because he understands that she was a messed up girl and he took a gamble on her and ultimately lost. Considering the philosophical undertones, this would've made much more sense; it reminds the audience that love is a risk and a violent one at that, rather than the wish-washy esoteric metaphysics it was cloaked in.

In the movie, he gets a new girl. In real life, he would stay mean, bitter and lonely. That's what annoyed me about the film. That, and giving a subtle nod that it's okay to treat people like toys because it will all end out okay in the end anyway. Rubbish. Grow up and start behaving like adults rather than selfish kids and maybe the world wouldn't be so messed up in the first place!

Yeah, sorry about the rant. Did not expect myself to get as frustrated with the movie as I did. It obviously struck a nerve, but it was mainly I found it so uncomfortable to see her tossing him around like a pinball.

It did make me laugh how much they were subtly plugging Alain de Botton's book The Architechture of Happiness though. The whole 'expectations' thing versus 'reality' is straight out of his other literature. It did remind me however, that I've got it hidden away under the bed waiting to be read. :p

All said, despite the male character being a bit of a push-over and frustratingly letting the girl off the hook, the movie does regain credit as it is essentially a massive "**** you." to the real-life girl mentioned at the beginning who was essentially the inspiration for the film, which quite frankly, tops any ficticious character development. :D


*** /SPOILER! ***
 
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Jambo said:
I watched Deal last night. Film about Poker. Pretty poor!
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I saw it at work the other day. Beyond poor. For anyone that might be tempted to watch this, go put your nuts in a vice for a far more enjoyable experience ;) (I was effectively getting paid to watch this, so I endured........)
 
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