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This one has always been on my watchlist for quite some time, and I must say I was not disappointed. This was also my first “foreign language” film, and what a way to start! Alain Delon plays Tom Ripley as a swaggering/cool con-man, which on the surface seems quite different from the version Matt Damon would bring to the screen in 1999. I love the score by Nino Rota of ‘Godfather’ fame, and some of the visuals in this film are absolutely striking. Next I plan on watching Denis Hopper’s turn as Ripley in ‘The American Friend’ so I’ll post my thoughts on here afterwards!
Never too late to start somewhere! Now that you've taken the plunge into international-type fare (or whatever you'd classify it as in your respective country), there's a gold mine of films awaiting you.
That’s what I’m looking forward too! I’m especially interested in seeing more “French New Wave” films considering my favorite era of Hollywood is the “New Hollywood”, so it’ll be interesting for me to discover the influences on some of my favorite films of all time!
Agreed. I would really like to devote 2024 to exploring "foreign" film Noir. For example, Alain Delon was in the classic "Le Samouraï."
That's a great starting point! So many classics there. You're in for a real treat.
Oh, yeah, Purple Noon is great ...
But Ripley's Game, from 2002, with John Malkovich, a lesser known one, is well worth seeing too ... The American Friend is really interesting, but also the furthest among the Ripley adaptations from the original source material, ie. It's more Wenders than Highsmith.
Love, love, love Alain Delon, who would go on to play a lot of silent type, tough-guy criminal roles. Le Samourai is indeed a great one, and highly influential, from Ghost Dog to the recent Fincher movie. But watch anything from its director Jean Pierre Melville, including his heist movie from 1970, Le Cercle Rouge, also with Delon. Melville was from an older generation but shared with the New Wave filmmakers a love of American Cinema, and they loved him for it. Melville even had a bit part in Breathless, playing himself. He's inarguably the greatest-ever director of crime films, whose cool, tonal professionalism had a big influence over people like Micheal Mann .... and probably, too, his Bob le Flambeur was an influence on the style of the early Bonds.
Another good Delon crime film from the period is The Sicilian Clan; but I'd also heartily recommend non-crime films like Monsieur Klein, especially, as well as Rocco and His Brothers and The Leopard, although the latter two are really auteurist ensemble works.
Excellent reccomendations. And great to hear someone else starting ghe magical journey of European cinema @007ClassicBondFan!
Basically a big budget version of Money Plane, and this doesnt have Kesley Grammar hamming it up to the heavens…..
Still, glossy throwaway fun.
Just home from a screening! Bonkers is a word that has been used by a lot of reviewers, and I would concur! But I really enjoyed the whole bizarre exercise! Visually superb ( though a little too much fish eye lense!) Yorgos Lanthimos has delivered a wild, exhilarating version of the Bride of Frankenstein story! Emma Stone is superb in the lead role of Bella Baxter! It wont be for everyone, as are most of this Directors work, but I always welcome something different, and this is certainly that! Apart from the stunning production design, a word too for Jerskin Fendrixs ( what a name!) music!
I saw it today as well and really enjoyed it. Two nit picks though…
I rewatched several De Palmas in the last year, among them Body Double & Blow Out
Great stuff, I missed a recent rep screening of Sisters, but did rewatch several De Palmas in the last year.
Always enjoyable, especially the crazed, OTT 'Body Double,' but 'Blow Out' is maybe my favouite, appealing to a penchant for dark conspiracy thrillers.
Haven't seen it for years, but Casualties of War I recall as very good, lesser known De Palma film.
I just bought 'Carlitos Way' on 4k at Christmas. Excellent thriller, well worth a look ( if only to marvel at Sean Penns hairstyle 😀)
Just watched Carlito's Way (1993). It was really depressing, but another great film from de Palma; exploring his classics has been delightful! Pacino was perfect - one of my personal favorite performances I've seen from him so far - but everyone else did a great job as well. Very tragic but engaging.
Adapted from The Black Gang, Ralph Richardson steps up to have a go at playing Drummond. Rather than copy the suave urbane gentleman of Ronald Colman's Drummond, Richardson plays Drummond as sly and spirited, more of a pugilist. He throws the caretaker off the balcony, then dispatches of 3 more of Peterson's men out in the woods. This Drummond is quite handy with his fists. Though I did find Drummonds 'Black Clan' costume looked a little comical, I think it's the hat/goggles.
Prelude to a Kiss
Contact
Cabin Boy
Bringing Out the Dead
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Rookie (1990)
Blood Work (rewatch)
The Rookie is so much crazy fun! Reminds me of Tango & Cash which I feel like rewatching. I also really missed watching Blood Work, I love that movie.
A small indie film about life after a major devastating flood in the UK and a mother trying to protect her newborn child. Does a lot with very little. Jodie Comer is on excellent form as is Joel Fry as her partner. Small cameos from Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch too. Go for the performances and solid direction.
Return of the King The first time I have watched this in 4K, simply one of the greatest home cinema experiences I have ever had.
I am not sure a film like this will ever get made again, what Peter Jackson accomplished with the LOTR trilogy is truly astonishing.
Totally agree! I dont go to the cinema as often as I used to, but I regret not seeing it on the big screen! Great cast and story, and the racing scenes are superb!
💯 @Mathis1 … I looked up news on the filming and according to reports, and the director himself, there was no CG trickery with the driving (the stadium crowds were SFX), which makes it even more impressive. Many of those sequences really left my heart pounding.
John Lodge makes for a bland Drummond, and this film felt like a slog to get through.
My god, pick any one scene, and it's better than than anything that Oscar front winner, Oppenheimer has, in its entirety.
My prediction: the Academy knows that Scorsese's exquisite meditation is far and away the better film of anything that will be nominated, but they'll be rewarding Oppenheimer the big trophies because it, along with Barbie, really did save another dismal year at the box office.
So I see Flowers winning technical achievements like Production Design (art direction), costumes, cinematography, and they have to, have to, give Best Actress to Gladstone (although I'm in fear that her quietly powerful performance will lose out to the more bombastic Emma Stone).
I still hold out hope that Scorsese plays spoiler and wins best director, but I don't see it happening- although it would be the correct choice.
In the end, these award ceremonies usually come down to a well funded political/popularity contest, but as is almost universally noted: the better films that don't get rewarded will stand the test of time compared to those that did win (to use Scorsese as an example, hello Goodfellas, goodbye Dances With Wolves, or hello Raging Bull, goodbye Ordinary People...)...