Topic: Any Must-See Movies 2011 for you?

[goodguy]

Trailer at http://thewickertreemovie.com/webroot/v2/wp-content/themes/sandbox/trailer.php

Found the poster (which is beautiful) on another forum. Not a must-see for me, but Jon might be interested.

Apparently neither a sequel or a remake, but a revisiting of the Wicker Man themes. Jon and I had a discussion about that and interestingly, I find my view of the original confirmed by the summary and trailer for the new one. I'm referring to whether or not the viewer should identify with Howie, because Beth and Steve seem to be an even broader caricature of righteous idiots than Howie was.

[Achim]

The trailer seems like a remake, no matter what they say... Updating the story and spicing it up with a little sex and gore seems they way they went

In a movie like this the contrast between noth sides is needed. In the original just as here the audience is likely to fall in the middle. If anything, in the original the audience was asked to feel sympathy with Howie, not identify with him. He's a poor fool who doesn't get what is actually going on around him until it's too late.

But what's the release date on this, if there is one? All things on the linked site seem to be from 2010.

[goodguy]

It apparently just premiered at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal, although IMDb also lists an earlier Cannes date (maybe marketplace).

[Najemikon]

I don't know what to think of that. It looks a bit cheap in places, especially the lead actress, but other parts are quite powerful. That sweeping shot of the hunt, for instance. And there looks to be plenty of weirdness and gore. Is there a point though?

I still maintain the point of the original was to identify with Howie, because it's such a metaphor to be criticised. Maybe the point of this one is an extension of those themes and the girl represents the more modern take on religion. Howie was truly devout and blinded/strengthened by his faith. Perhaps the twist here will be that the young girl will find her faith broken and her story won't be the full running time.

[Najemikon]

You know how I gave Salt a good slagging off yet I seemed like on this forum to be in the minority? This, might explain why. Haywire is doing everything with its trailer to make me think it's going to be pretty damn good, whereas I was always sceptical about Jolie's film. And this is Steven Soderbergh too. He can be a serious director, but when he has fun, we all have fun! 

[Achim]

A sequel to Hanna


Star studded just like the Ocean movies

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Just got pointed to this one.



Looks promising, but might be a complete miss too.

IMDb gives it a 7.5.

[goodguy]

Might as well post this here, even if there seem to be people who don't like fascinating and gorgeous things... 



But if you do, also check out the trailer for Cam Archer's previous film, Wild Tigers I Have Known.

[Najemikon]

 

[goodguy]

[Najemikon]

Now I like the look of that! Who are they?

[goodguy]

Jon doesn't like musicals and therefore doesn't recall Once 

[Najemikon]

Jon doesn't like musicals and therefore doesn't recall Once 

ah, intriguing! I have been meaning to try Once as it seems to be less of a narrative musical, or at least features people who are genuine musicians and have a reason for expressing themselves through song.

My issue with musicals is very simple: normal people don't burst into extravagant song and dance routines to express themselves. When I arrived late to work this morning, I didn't twirl through the door singing a humorous verse, nor did I jump on the tables to hit a high note in a line like "I'm late, I'm late, for work I am LLLLAAATTTEEE... Oh, ihopemybosswillnotbeMMMAAADDD!", cue jazz hands. I didn't do this because I am not a singer, nor a dancer and I work in IT, not a dance hall. It makes no logical sense to act that way, so I just can't accept it on screen either. Unless... The narrative provides me with characters who are performers AND they only perform when its logical.

[goodguy]

Yeah, I remember your issue with musicals and it doesn't make any more sense to me now than it did the first time you explained it. Normal people don't do a lot of things movie characters do. For example, they don't dress in bat costumes and growl with a deep voice at super villains. But I'm not trying to get into an argument here, everyone has his likes and dislikes and their isn't much that can be done about it. I would be happy if you gave Once a try; it certainly fits your prerequisite of not being a "silly" musical.

[Najemikon]

Not an argument because I know I'm "wrong".

Lots of people like musicals, so it's me that's missing something, but to take your example, in Batman, the narrative explains to me why he dresses as a bat and growls at people, and it commits to a contrived logic from which it doesn't depart and you can judge the film on how much you buy into the premise.

Accepting any premise depends on how much you recognize the world in which it is set. To help us accept Batman, he is surrounded by normal people who react as we would assume they should.

A musical breaks the rules. First by allowing characters to depart from the logic of the premise (singers tend to shut up when off stage) and then allowing supporting characters to join in with complicated choreography they couldn't possibly know of. And when they've finished performing? They act as if nothing happened! Utterly absurd.