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I had greatly anticipated seeing the Coen Brothers current release because I'm such a fan of their films. I saw "Inside Llewyn Davis" Friday when it opened here.
Today I decided to see Martin Scorcese's latest movie "The Wolf of Wall Street". I took in an early afternoon matinee. As I was leaving the auditorium, I passed by another auditorium which was showing "Saving Mr. Banks". I said to myself "what the hell, I'll go in to see part of that too".
As luck would have it, "Saving Mr. Banks" was starting in the next five minutes. So I accidentally got to see that whole film too (without having to buy another admission).
First "Inside Llewyn Davis". The movie theme is New York City's folk music scene of the early 1960's. It's based loosely on folk singer Dave Van Ronk who was a compatriot of Bob Dylan when Dylan was beginning his career as a folk singer.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" is the darkest film the Coens have made. It's a depressing look at the lives of artists and musicians who have talent but never break out and barely make a living as they're trying to do that.
But it's also a brilliantly crafted movie. The Coens are now so good at creating visuals that they don't even need actor dialogue to paint their stories. They say more with images than they do with words.
But when the words are called for, they write dialogue for their movies as good as anyone working in movies.
Oscar Isaac as folk singer Llewyn Davis gives a brilliant acting performance. And his portrayal of the character is equaled by his musicianship because the actor Oscar Isaac performs all the music for his character (with the help of always brilliant movie music guru T Bone Burnett).
And the Coen's favorite actor, John Goodman, is as good in this in a dramatic role as you've ever seen him.
When I decided to go to the matinee on opening day, I discovered that it had opened in only one theater auditorium in Pensacola. And when I entered the auditorium there were only about a dozen people in that one auditorium's audience.
I think I now understand the reason so few people will see this movie.
It breaks the cardinal rule of hollywood filmmaking. it doesn't follow the accepted formula of whenever you present a movie which brings the audience down and makes it depressed, you are always supposed to provide a happy ending to counter that.
Llewyn Davis is dark and depressing throughout. So if you want to go to the movies for a feel good escape, this is not the one for you.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" is Martin Scorcese completely unplugged. If you thought Goodfellas was gritty, this makes it look tame in comparison.
It's Gordon Gecko on steroids. And on quaaludes (lots and lots of em). And on cocaine (lots and lots of it).
It completely trashes Wall Street.
It's entertaining as hell just like all of Scorcese's films. But it's not for the easily offended. There's as much raw sex, screaming profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, drugs and other assorted vice in this as anything I've seen recently at the movies.
Which now brings me to the movie I saw only accidentally. I had no plans to see "Saving Mr. Banks" until it came to DVD.
Which is ironic, because I was even more entertained and moved by it than the two movies I saw intentionally.
I recommend this movie to everyone. And it's far from being just some sappy Disney sendup to the making of Mary Poppins.
I won't even review it. Suffice to say that I cried during the final 20 minutes of the film.
What it is more than anything is a movie which helps us understand that creativity in people derives from hardship and adversity. Not from happiness. I've known that for some time, but this movie greatly reinforced that idea for me. Especially the final scenes of the movie in which two very creative people (both the actors and the characters) help bring that to light for us.
Tom Hanks is as good in this as Walt Disney as anything he's ever done. And so is Emma Thompson as the author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers.
Today I decided to see Martin Scorcese's latest movie "The Wolf of Wall Street". I took in an early afternoon matinee. As I was leaving the auditorium, I passed by another auditorium which was showing "Saving Mr. Banks". I said to myself "what the hell, I'll go in to see part of that too".
As luck would have it, "Saving Mr. Banks" was starting in the next five minutes. So I accidentally got to see that whole film too (without having to buy another admission).
First "Inside Llewyn Davis". The movie theme is New York City's folk music scene of the early 1960's. It's based loosely on folk singer Dave Van Ronk who was a compatriot of Bob Dylan when Dylan was beginning his career as a folk singer.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" is the darkest film the Coens have made. It's a depressing look at the lives of artists and musicians who have talent but never break out and barely make a living as they're trying to do that.
But it's also a brilliantly crafted movie. The Coens are now so good at creating visuals that they don't even need actor dialogue to paint their stories. They say more with images than they do with words.
But when the words are called for, they write dialogue for their movies as good as anyone working in movies.
Oscar Isaac as folk singer Llewyn Davis gives a brilliant acting performance. And his portrayal of the character is equaled by his musicianship because the actor Oscar Isaac performs all the music for his character (with the help of always brilliant movie music guru T Bone Burnett).
And the Coen's favorite actor, John Goodman, is as good in this in a dramatic role as you've ever seen him.
When I decided to go to the matinee on opening day, I discovered that it had opened in only one theater auditorium in Pensacola. And when I entered the auditorium there were only about a dozen people in that one auditorium's audience.
I think I now understand the reason so few people will see this movie.
It breaks the cardinal rule of hollywood filmmaking. it doesn't follow the accepted formula of whenever you present a movie which brings the audience down and makes it depressed, you are always supposed to provide a happy ending to counter that.
Llewyn Davis is dark and depressing throughout. So if you want to go to the movies for a feel good escape, this is not the one for you.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" is Martin Scorcese completely unplugged. If you thought Goodfellas was gritty, this makes it look tame in comparison.
It's Gordon Gecko on steroids. And on quaaludes (lots and lots of em). And on cocaine (lots and lots of it).
It completely trashes Wall Street.
It's entertaining as hell just like all of Scorcese's films. But it's not for the easily offended. There's as much raw sex, screaming profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, drugs and other assorted vice in this as anything I've seen recently at the movies.
Which now brings me to the movie I saw only accidentally. I had no plans to see "Saving Mr. Banks" until it came to DVD.
Which is ironic, because I was even more entertained and moved by it than the two movies I saw intentionally.
I recommend this movie to everyone. And it's far from being just some sappy Disney sendup to the making of Mary Poppins.
I won't even review it. Suffice to say that I cried during the final 20 minutes of the film.
What it is more than anything is a movie which helps us understand that creativity in people derives from hardship and adversity. Not from happiness. I've known that for some time, but this movie greatly reinforced that idea for me. Especially the final scenes of the movie in which two very creative people (both the actors and the characters) help bring that to light for us.
Tom Hanks is as good in this as Walt Disney as anything he's ever done. And so is Emma Thompson as the author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers.
Last edited by Bob on 1/15/2014, 11:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
