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In Reply to: "The Forbidden Games" - can't make any stronger recommendation.. posted by Victor Khomenko on July 31, 1999 at 07:32:32:
Hi Victor, I've been away from the Asylum at a scientific conference in Baltimore. I can't take credit for coining the "prequel" term, as the word was used extensively by the media to describe "The Phantom Menace". And now that Natalie Portman is of legal age, we can admire her earlier work without sounding too much like Roman Polanski. She was also the best actress in "Beautiful Girls", but her role opposite Jean Reno in "The Professional" is both tender and disturbing.
***Hi Victor, I've been away from the Asylum at a scientific conference in Baltimore.And you didn't see it fit to stop by?
***I can't take credit for coining the "prequel" term, as the word was used extensively by the media to describe "The Phantom Menace".Tells you how much attention I pay to this.
***And now that Natalie Portman is of legal age, we can admire her earlier work without sounding too much like Roman Polanski.When I am in doubts whether I am still sane and have not developed that complex, I mentally go back to either movie version of Lolita. No, still revolting - so I must be still in control of my senses.
BTW, if reading English text is bad (besides being revolting), the Russian one is even worse. There is no question, one must switch the way of thinking and not just translate words and phrases. Nabokov was not able to make this transition - rather strange given his background. The Russin text appears to be mostly a translation, and not too good one at that, it is full of translated non-Russian sentences.
***She was also the best actress in "Beautiful Girls", but her role opposite Jean Reno in "The Professional" is both tender and disturbing.Very true. She also seems to be a rare kind of movie actress - one apparently completely not struck by fame. She seems to be inclined to continue with her life where movies play role, but not dominate everything. Contrast that with your typical Hollywood Titanic Leonardo crowd (boy, what a lousy actor he is!).
The Professional was also the first movie where I saw Jean Reno and immediately took a notice.
BTW, I am still very much interested in your reaction to the Forbidden Games if you have seen it. I don't recall being touched by any movies in quite the same way in a very long time.
Someone was speaking here some time ago about showing the horrors of war. I mentioned that to create horrifying effects one doesn't have to invest heavily in gallons of red paint and plastic guts. The Forbidden Games in one tremendous example of how it can be done tastefully. Seems like that art is now permanently lost. Together with the last scenes of the Bicycle Thief and the Nights of Cabiria. So instead of subtlety and thoughts, we are now fed raw sewer of the Private Ryan final scene kind. What revolting experience that was!
Victor.
And I quote..."Contrast that with your typical Hollywood Titanic Leonardo crowd (boy, what a lousy actor he is!)"
Jean Reno is a wonderful actor. Natalie Portman is brilliant. But you go back and watch "What's eating Gilbert Grape" and tell me LD sucks. No, you'll be forced to eat your words about Leonardo.
You're like so many of the lemmings who jump on the anti-DiCaprio bandwagon. Because this fine actor has achieved tremendous success, it's somehow "ok" to condemn his incredible talent. Or lack of it, as you'd have us believe.
Utter nonsense. I'm tempted to call you clueless, but I'm feeling charitable this evening.
Oh, and unless you REALLY want to tempt fate, your best course of action is to let this one go. 'Cause you've REALLY pissed me off.
Cheers.
Nigel
Apparently while I was asleep something happened to the right to disagree. So try me, say Masina is lousy actress and see me go ballistic. More likely I shall not say much. Getting pissed? I shall leave this up to you.Yes, Leonardo is lousy actor in my book, no good actor acts like he does. You have the right to love him (Geez, millions do already). You have the right to say all the nice words about him you see fit. He also is a rather unenlightened young man in his life, as far as I know. So what? Want to kick my dog over this?
Victor.
You, Sir, are a gentlemen. A gentlemen without a clue, nor any obvious qualifications that would enable you to make relevant statements about the talents of actors, but a gentlemen nonetheless."Yes, Leonardo is lousy actor in my book, no good actor acts like he does."
I see. So GOOD actors act alike. Thank you for clarifying your viewpoint. It's all starting to make sense now.
Cheers.
Nigel
***You, Sir, are a gentlemen. A gentlemen without a clue, nor any obvious qualifications that would enable you to make relevant statements about the talents of actors, but a gentlemen nonetheless.
"Yes, Leonardo is lousy actor in my book, no good actor acts like he does."***I see. So GOOD actors act alike. Thank you for clarifying your viewpoint. It's all starting to make sense now.
Let's presume that you are right on all counts. How does that justify you being irrational and angry? Why don't you instead take a deep breath and simply tell us why you love him so much? I am sure you know the story about honey and vinegar.
Until then I shall simply repeat *my* viewpoint: he is an incompetent actor, a product of the current Hollywood tendencies, of which one shiny example is the huge Titanic flop that is to movie making what Coca Cola is to fine wine. Nothing wrong with consuming Coca Cola and I do my fair share, the wrong begins when someone declares it to be a "fine movie". Losing set of references and perspective is obvious in that case.
To say I love my wife playing piano is understandable. To go on saying she is a world class player would be laughable. The Titanic is the 1990's Cleopatra and we can bet all we want, my bet being that ten years from now no one will seriously consider it, outside of its huge pile of earnings. On a further bet, one shall still seriously consider such things as Bicycle Thief, 8 1/2, Das Boot, etc, etc.
I remain clueless regarding your anger and apparent inability to express your viewpoint.
I further remain clueless as far as why being a EE automatically disqualifies someone from having an opinion on movies and actors.
The rest of your post is fine...
Victor.
Mr. K,You make point after point about the quality of "Titanic." I've no argument with any of them, by the by.
But somewhere embedded deep in your cerebral cortex is the following EE-addled equation: Titanic=DiCaprio. This thinking, not to mention this equation, is flawed.
Cheers.
Nigel
***But somewhere embedded deep in your cerebral cortex is the following EE-addled equation: Titanic=DiCaprio. This thinking, not to mention this equation, is flawed.I suggest a different equation: DiCaprio's acting in Titanic=DiCaprio ability.
As far as being so stuck on Titanic - it is simply a very convenient vehicle that virtually everyone is familiar with.
Even with your angry tone I am still nearly almost tempted to try that movie that you mentioned. I don't mind being surprised, I was pleasantly surprised by Tom in the Eyes, this possibly being his best work. And, of course, my favorite surprise is still the Ryan O'Neal's work in Barry Lyndon.
BTW, EE's don't have "cerebral cortexes", they have backplanes and motherboards with millions of wirewraps and cold solder joints.
Victor.
I believe that DiCaprio was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?", but I think he demonstrates a broader range in "The Basketball Diaries".
"BTW, EE's don't have "cerebral cortexes", they have backplanes and motherboards with millions of wirewraps and cold solder joints."And, I might add, wonderful senses of humour. Thanks for the chuckle. Actually, it was more like a hearty guffaw.
Cheers.
Nigel
Now I can put my Smith&Wesson away. Good thing, that trigger still creeps.
Natalie Portman signed her soul over to the Devil (George Lucas) to appear in Star Wars Episodes I-III as Queen Amidala who is mother to Luke and Leia Skywalker. She's the one wearing the weird Kabuki-style makeup and headdress in all the film ads. Oh well, I thought she was going to be the one to pick up roles where Winona Ryder dropped the ball.Of Nabokov, I've only read Bend Sinister, which was very ominous and could apply to both the USSR and USA.
Other Jean Reno films to check out are La Femme Nikita (in which he plays, what else?, a hitman), The Visitors (a time-travel comedy with Reno as a medieval knight transported to the modern world), and The Big Blue (strange film that women tend to rent a lot to swoon at actor Jean Marc Barr; the French release was an hour longer than the US version). You've seen him in Ronin (BTW, the Chushingura/47 Ronin story is explained in the film, and I've got the Mizoguchi-version DVD to check out) and he was pretty forgettable in Mission: Impossible.
I haven't seen many films recently. The Blair Witch Project was wasted on me. I saw an early Kurosawa film called Sanshiro Sugata (The Judo Saga)and it wasn't one of his better efforts, reminiscent of Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy.
I saw a really vulgar comedy called Drop Dead Georgeous which had an inspired moment in which a small-town teenage beauty pageant contestant sings "My Guy" (Mary Wells version) in the talent portion of the competition...while dancing with a life-sized stuffed doll of the crucified Jesus. She wrapped his impaled hands around her waist, smiles, and sings and dances away. Even Pasolini might have been entertained by this sacrilege.
***Natalie Portman signed her soul over to the Devil (George Lucas) to appear in Star Wars Episodes I-III as Queen Amidala who is mother to Luke and Leia Skywalker. She's the one wearing the weird Kabuki-style makeup and headdress in all the film ads. Oh well, I thought she was going to be the one to pick up roles where Winona Ryder dropped the ball.She still might recover.
***Of Nabokov, I've only read Bend Sinister, which was very ominous and could apply to both the USSR and USA.
I have not even heard of this one. I am not his fan, anyway, my wife is, I need to ask her about this one. She is the reader in the family, I hammer nails...
***Other Jean Reno films to check out are La Femme Nikita (in which he plays, what else?, a hitman)Saw it long ago, before I knew about him...
*** The Visitors (a time-travel comedy with Reno as a medieval knight transported to the modern world), and The Big Blue (strange film that women tend to rent a lot to swoon at actor Jean Marc Barr; the French release was an hour longer than the US version). You've seen him in Ronin (BTW, the Chushingura/47 Ronin story is explained in the film, and I've got the Mizoguchi-version DVD to check outWe are still looking for this one - our rental shop doesn't have it.
*** and he was pretty forgettable in Mission: Impossible.
Quite forgettable indeed, as was most of the movie. The only bright spot for me was Sara, too bad she was killed that soon. He also played in the Godzilla flick - I saw most of it on cable. I guess everyone must eat and buy new cars. I remember seeing his face on many billboards in Europe, together with the relatively unknown in the US and always oh-so-disturbed-looking Julie Delphy(sp?)
***I haven't seen many films recently. The Blair Witch Project was wasted on me. I saw an early Kurosawa film called Sanshiro Sugata (The Judo Saga)and it wasn't one of his better efforts, reminiscent of Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy.
Well, it pays to have a dutiful wife like mine - she is under obligation to deliver five good movies every week. So far she has been scoring 3 to 4 good ones out of five, a pretty good record. I think I'll keep her...
***I saw a really vulgar comedy called Drop Dead Georgeous which had an inspired moment in which a small-town teenage beauty pageant contestant sings "My Guy" (Mary Wells version) in the talent portion of the competition...while dancing with a life-sized stuffed doll of the crucified Jesus. She wrapped his impaled hands around her waist, smiles, and sings and dances away. Even Pasolini might have been entertained by this sacrilege.Speaking of which... One day we were reminiscing about the extend of vulgarity in modern movies and whether anything could be shown that was not shown already (given such perls as Caligula, et al), somehting that would shock even an exerienced movie goer. So far the only such thing that I was able to come up with was for someone (I would hope that would be someone of Pasolini's caliber) to make a movie based on the Apuleius's (I am translating here) Golden Ass (Mule?).
Does that mean we are moving in a circle and it is soon to close on us?As far as the Forbidden Games... I still can't stop thinking about it. That doesn't happen often. Both the girl and the boy play exceedingly well and the director knows what he is doing.
Victor.
Not my cup of tea, but once again, when Gene and Roger agree I have to check it out. I watched it late, and became very uncomfortable at how provocative it was, hoping the wife wouldn't pop in on me...Afterwards...stunned! So how do I tell my prim and proper Quaker wife that this is a must-see film...how do I get her to sit thru it. Victor, you know what I mean. I wish I could say more--but for those who haven't seen it yet....
***Not my cup of tea, but once again, when Gene and Roger agree I have to check it out. I watched it late, and became very uncomfortable at how provocative it was, hoping the wife wouldn't pop in on me...
Afterwards...stunned! So how do I tell my prim and proper Quaker wife that this is a must-see film...how do I get her to sit thru it. Victor, you know what I mean. I wish I could say more--but for those who haven't seen it yet....Man, have you lost me on this one... Could you be just a bit less cryptic? You don't mean you watched the Golden Ass, or do you?
Victor.
Please tell us more about what you saw.
...do I have to go on...I don't want to give it away for those who havent seen it...or am I completely off base? Don't tease me Victor. I don't get much sleep with raising these 1 and 3 year-olds and I could easily go nuts right here on line.Isn't that the film? Or did that really happen to me?
No, but your mistake is understadable. There are two movies that I know of with the same title. The one you mentioned is probably the 1995 soft-core flick. How was it?I meant the other Forbidden Games: the 1951 (I believe) movie by Rene Clement starring the five-year-old Brigitte Fossey in an unbelievably good performance. She plays the girl who lost both parents in bombing and find refuge with farmer family. An incredibly fine and subtle movie, easily the best movie that I saw in the last year or more - and I have seem many.
If you get a chance to see it, watch for that look on her face as she sees the priest's cross... She is simply stunning. The boy who plays opposite of her is also very, very good, but she simply dominates. Kudos to the director for such perl.
I am going to rent some of her later movies and will let you know if they make the passing grade - according to the book they were not too good, but I am quite curious as far as what have become of her. She is probably in her late forties now.
Rent it, I am sure your wife will love it too.
Regards,
Victor.
can I let the wife see it?you guys are too good for me. Are you looking in the movie guide? How can you remember all that stuff?
Personally, I don't have many movie guide books. But I grew up immersed in the movie world of Los Angeles and have a modest film library of 1600 laserdiscs, 800 videotapes, and 100 DVDs.
Next you are going to tell us you own more than 5 CD's.At least tell us you are watching those movies on a 17" B&W with rotary selector... have mercy...
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