What DVD have you just watched?

+1

Antonioni's trilogy ends with this haunting starkly modern meditation on love.

Excellent movie. Historically quite accurate if the history book I have is anything to go by. Interestingly, Mongolians do not really rate this movie as authentic. The director, Sergey Bodrov, is Russian and the main character is played by Tadanobu Asano, a Japanese actor. Those Mongolians I have spoken to pretty much dismiss it on that basis.

In contrast, Mongolians I know do speak highly of "The Cave of the Yellow Dog" and "The Story of the Weeping Camel", both directed by Byambasuren Davaa. She was born in Ulaan Baataar but studied film making in Germany. She returned to Mongolia to shoot these movies using authentic nomadic Mongolians rather than professional actors. Both very highly recommended.

From the sublime (ish) to the Gor Blimey:

RED

In my defence, it does have a good cast: Willis; Malkovich; Cox; Mirren et al.

....and?

Strangely disappointing.

I think that this was written to be tongue and cheek, amusing and exciting. A kind of modernised 'Man from Uncle' for wrinklies. But, for me, the violence was too graphic to go with the piece. In fact I'd have been happier if they had kept the cast, but aimed solidly at a 15 year old audience by slightly upping the humour and lowering the graphic violence.

Don't misunderstand me, the violence isn't of a Scarface variety. But when you see someone blown up and can see limbs flying in different directions, although cartoonish, it still seems to me to be a bit much, within the milieu of what I THINK they were trying to do. At least I do hope the comedy aspect was what they were aiming at; as any form of serious spy thriller is was complete cobblers!

M

"Sunny, an aspiring young singer coming to age in 1970s East Berlin, struggles to find the right man, let down other men easy and gain recognition not only as a musician but as a human being in this German Drama".

M,

Not a film to watch in a critical frame of mind, but I found it very funny and entertaining in an offbeat, slightly politically incorrect way. Won't soon forget the image of Helen Mirren behind a stationary machine gun. And it was refreshing to see Willis finally taking the p*ss with himself again.

Cheers,

EJ

Last evening the first three parts of the BBC adaption of John Le Carre's "Tinker, Tailor, soldier, Spy."

Here is a scene from part three where a Russian female spy is being quizzed by a British one ...

I'll watch the rest this evening. The fascination of this DVD set never wanes for me!"

ATB from George

Well worth a Rental..

"Poetry" is a movie about really hearing and seeing what we ignore every day, about expressing one's self with complete honesty, and about the courage it takes to create poetry.  

This quiet film is filled with startling plot developments, remarkable visuals and sound, and a central character of such warmth and honesty that we may forget we are watching a performance. This is exactly the kind of aesthetically pleasing, challenging and satisfying film that I crave, and find too rarely from American filmmakers.  

Director Lee Chang-dong underplays the melodrama, allowing the languor of everyday life to pervade a bittersweet story that deals with such things as the meaning of poetry, the tragedy of a young suicide, the breakdown of civility between generations, loyalty, sexual blackmail, a life-altering poetry class, and the grandmother who finds meaning even as she starts to forget words."

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 0 DVD:

LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: 2-DVD Set, Documentary, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Photo Gallery, Scene Access,

SYNOPSIS: Istvan Szabo's film Taking Sides - based on true events - recreates the suspenseful post-World War II interrogation of Dr Wilhelm Furtwangler (Stellan Skarsgard), the brilliant conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, who is considered by some to have been the most brilliant conductor of the 20th century. In the course of his de-Nazification by the Allies, Furtwangler is forced by a tough-talking American Major (Harvey Keitel) to re-examine his role during the Third Reich in the most uncompromising of terms. The confrontation between the soft-spoken cultural icon of the old world and the rough, emotional hard-hitter from the new world, makes for some electrifying verbal pyrotechnics, and brings the role of the artist in an evil regime into the limelight, to be examined along with all the other moral issues and ambiguities emerging from World War II. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: European Film Awards, ...Taking Sides ( Le cas Furtwängler ) ( Der Fall Furtwängler )

Thanks to Haim and naim_nymph for your latest excellent recommendations. 

Watched the last of the Potter films with my son last Friday.

Surprised that I enjoyed this so much, made me smile that his flat was in the same building as an ex from way back when. She looked nothing like Rachel Weisz though 

Ralph Fiennes appears to be slowly morphing into Lord Voldemort and it's time that Michael Gambon was given bigger parts to chew his way through

Wonderful film - one of the year's best in my opinion.

Nigel

A Danish drama, disturbing and very well acted.

Adele - Live at the Royal Albert Hall (on ordinary DVD not Blu-Ray).

Very, very good  --  the picture and sound quality (through my hi-fi via an elderly Toshiba DVD) is excellent. I can only imagine how much better the B/R via decent kit must be.

I usually avoid music DVDs, as the general production quality is often appalling - but not here. 

A Bridge Too Far.

And we debate whether the UK should be a part of political Europe? If the Union has one point that over-rides everything else, it must be the vision to realise that never again can Europe stoop to the low of Warfare. That vision is far more significant than any little niggles with the un-British ways of our Continental friends.

Petty-minded "Little Englanders" may be delighted by the decision of the British Prime Minister to create even further uncertainty in these difficult times, but I am sure that Winston Churchill would not have done so. At least he had vision and saw the need to co-operate rather than fight once the Nazis had been destroyed.

George

The Bridge (Die Brucke) [DVD] [1959]

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD:

LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), German ( Mono ), English ( Subtitles ),

SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Interactive Menu, Scene Access,

SYNOPSIS: Poignant, anti-war drama from director Bernhard Wicki about a group of German boys' attempts to guard a bridge in the dying days of WWII. As the defeated ranks of the Wehrmacht try to escape the advancing American troops, seven boys from a local village are seconded to guard a strategically worthless bridge. Fired up by the patriotic ideology on offer, the boys' resolve is put to the test when American tanks suddenly appear, intent on crossing the bridge.

SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain, Golden Globes, Oscar Academy Awards, ...The Bridge ( Die Brücke )

~<>~

An interesting film with a very alternative take on how typical war films were made at the time. Der Brücke uses little or no silly war glamorisation and is apparently based on true events which makes the subject matter all the more sad and heartbreaking.

It is low budget and cheesy in many places, and despite being well cast and acted and notably well shot with many very imaginative (for the era) camera angles this film imo is not on the same technical level as All Quiet On The Weston Front but is does very much convey the same kind of conflict futility.

I found the included bonus film about the life of film director Bernhard Wicki to be even more fascinating than the film itself.

Debs

The Return of Martin Guerre [1982]

DVD - 106 minutes running time

Aspect Ratio: 16/9

Audio: 2.0 Stereo

Colour: Pal/Colour

Language: French

(with English subtitles)

Based on a true story from 16th century France, Martin Guerre (Depardieu) who, after a pre-arranged marriage, abandons his family to fight in the war. Then following an eight year absence, suddenly returns to his native village. Martin's personality however, has mysteriously changed: where once he neglected and abused his wife, Bertrande, he now acts lovingly and gently toward her. This starling transformation leads some of Martin's relatives to suspect the man of being an imposter. Bertrande insists otherwise, despite mounting evidence against her "husband". Soon the villagers have dragged Martin and Bertrande to court in order to uncover the truth...

The Return of Martin Guerre

Great film.

M

Precious

Not light viewing. The story of an obese girl bought up in a damaged home, I would shy away from the word family.

Primarily the story revolves around the relationship between Precious and a teacher at a new school, and how this positive relationship helps Precious to find her own voice, and the confidence to make her own decisions.

This film is not a positive, life affirming story; although it does have shafts of light and humour.

I do recommend it, but won't be buying it for my collection. It joins a list of films, such as Schindler's List and Winters Bone, that are burned into my memory, but that I will find too painful to re-watch.

M

Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther. Makes me laugh anyway!

ATB from George

I love Shot in the Dark and The Pink Panther, after that I think they get progressively weaker.

I bought the lot and watched them with the girls a few years ago.

When I was growing up my best friend was the son of Roy Field, who was a special effects wizard and had a line of Oscars in his living room. As a result I got to read all the later Pink Panther film scripts before they went into principle photography, and were a lot funnier on the printed page in my opinion.

No doubt that Peter Sellers was brilliant, seeing ten minutes of the modern reprise was enough for me, and Steve Martin was NOT the man for the job.

M

My first Tarkovsky film, an early one from 1962. Highly recommended.