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The Man Who Wasn't There 2001
I admired the restraint here, whereas other Coen movies go off-the-rails with craziness and idiotic characters making idiotic decisions, this movie held everyone on pretty even ground. I mean, all of those elements are still there, this is still a Coen's movie, but even the craziness, idiots, and symbolism are understated. Seeing this through the lens of a decade makes a difference. I understand that this, following O BROTHER's genre mimicry was causing some unrest amongst fans that the brothers…
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The Alphabet 1969
What would be cliche and trying too hard in someone else's hands is genuinely disturbing and unpredictable here.
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My Name Is Nobody 1973
Even though the opening credits list Tonino Valerii as a sole director, there were never any doubts that Sergio Leone contributed in a big way. After all, it was his idea and the movie more than often feels like one of his spaghetti westerns, but you might be surprised to learn which scenes he actually directed.
Made at a time when comedy westerns were the only popular ones in spaghetti genre. Serious westerns were out of fashion. The story mirrors…
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Purple Noon 1960
The best Ripley adaptation I've seen so far but still not even close to capturing the essence of the books or the character.
I tried considering this as its own movie rather than against the novel but there were quite a few moments that probably wouldn't make sense if I hadn't known the plot already so that sort of went out of the window.
It starts off as a a very good adaptation, missing the really dull section that Minghella…
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The Vanishing 1988
A terrifying yet visually-mesmerizing thriller about a young man trying to find out what happened to his girlfriend in a three-year search that leads him to meet a mysterious man played with such coolness by Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu.
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Sense and Sensibility 1995
Hugh Laurie steals the show in every scene he's in. Kate Winslet's depression is great, especially right before her sickness. And Emma Thompson is subtle but really pulls it out in one of the last scenes. Hugh Grant is pretty much Hugh Grant in everything Hugh Grant has ever done. Alan Rickman doesn't play a villain. Really nice period piece with wit that may be lost on present-day readers of the novel.
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Vengeance 2009
Finally, a Johnnie To movie that clicks with me! I think what separates Vengeance from the other To movies I've seen is its clean narrative and strong emotional core - perhaps due to To's courting of an international audience (although it takes place in Macao and Hong Kong, the main character is French and much of the dialogue is in English). And although it starts out as a fairly conventional revenge thriller, it takes a pretty unexpected turn that I…
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Videodrome 1983
Could be David Cronenberg's most important, visionary, and ambitious work. A cult film that is disturbing and visually grotesque, so not for the faint of heart.
Thought-provoking, not least because the film is a window into the future: Freely available information, avatar names, the limits of satisfaction and entertainment, the effects on your surroundings and on the mind of watching violence, sex or torture, and whether entertainment is at the expense of something more worthwhile. Does viewing kill our brain… -
Rocco and His Brothers 1960
A great and tragic film from the marvelous Luchino Visconti. I found myself immediately engrossed in this family's struggles and small triumphs. Standout performances from Annie Girardot and Alain Delon in particular, but the whole cast is very good. Beautiful black and white photography from Giuseppe Rotunno, complimented nicely by realistic dialogue and a subtle score by Nino Rota. A great film.
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