I have recently watched Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard. Double Indemnity, surprisingly, I didn’t personally really click with. I didn’t make any notes on my thoughts of it (lol), so maybe I won’t be able to elaborate too much, but the leads’ romance didn’t really sell. The dialogue at times felt like a bomb of exposition. I recognize its iconic status in film noir though.
Sunset Boulevard, however? Straight to one of my favorite movies of all time. Incredible.
I have recently watched Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard. Double Indemnity, surprisingly, I didn’t personally really click with. I didn’t make any notes on my thoughts of it (lol), so maybe I won’t be able to elaborate too much, but the leads’ romance didn’t really sell. The dialogue at times felt like a bomb of exposition. I recognize its iconic status in film noir though.
Sunset Boulevard, however? Straight to one of my favorite movies of all time. Incredible.
You're not wrong--Double Indemnity is very exposition heavy, but that's because of the narration-- it absolutely makes sense considering the story is told by confession---and I think the dialogue is some of the sharpest most cutting dialogue of all the film noirs, right up there with Out of the Past, The Big Sleep and Laura.
And you're also not wrong on the romance between the leads---but I interpreted it as it wasn't ever intended to be real passion, it was more blind lust from Walter and Phyllis exploiting Walter for her own gain.
Regarding Sunset Boulevard...
How many films prior to Sunset Boulevard were narrated by the dead protagonist? I can't think of any.
Been watching a lot of Billy Wilder films lately. Is it just me or is Wilder the most underappreciated director of all-time? I mean, sure, in the film community he is highly regarded, yet even amongst cinephiles he rarely gets mentioned in the GOAT conversation of directors. Among the general public, most have never even heard of him.
And yet, has there been a more versatile director--
1)Double Indemnity (considered one of the greatest film noirs)
2)Sunset Boulevard (also considered one of the greatest film noirs)
3)Some Like it Hot (routinely considered the greatest comedy)
4)The Apartment (one of the great rom-coms and heralded in the end of the Hays Code)
Then you have the brilliant and well ahead of its time, Ace in the Hole, the classic Sabrina, and the great Agatha Christie adaptation, Witness for the Prosecution. And I've still yet to see The Lost Weekend, his first Best Picture winner.
Sorry for the long, rambling post. Insights are welcome.
Yeah, Wilder has one of the greatest filmography of all time. You didn't even mention Love in the afternoon, which is one of my favourite comedies. One, two, three or Avanti are also so funny.
I guess that could be explained by the fact that he felt less like a visual storyteller, and that director of the seventies/eighties have much more reckoned the influence of Lean, Hitchcock or Kubrick in their work.
I'd argue that Wyler is also much underrated. And he also made movies in many different genres. But he made Roman Holiday and The best years of our lives and for that alone would deserve a place among the greats.
@Ruth
Yeah, I also didn't "love" Double Indemnity. I enjoyed it a lot though and found the three leads quite iconic, but it didn't move me the way Laura (made the same year) did with its almost surreal atmosphere.
1944 was quite a year for film noir if you add To have and have not.
Re: Last Film You Watched? VI
Posted: January 15th, 2021, 9:20 pm
by Disney+'s solo2001
the apartment bangs relentlessly
aside from everying else it's one of the only films i feel was shot completely 'properly' (as detailed in my unwritten thesis about how camera distance and shot size affect emotions & immersion)
also dude this frame camman
Re: Last Film You Watched? VI
Posted: January 16th, 2021, 5:05 am
by Allstar
Promising Young Woman- WOW! More to say later. BUT...
Bow down to Carey Mulligan for the best performance of her career and of the year.
Re: Last Film You Watched? VI
Posted: January 16th, 2021, 6:45 am
by Batfan175
Batman - Mask of the Phantasm
Still a very enjoyable animated film and it's hard to imagine this getting a theatrical release at the time (while the animation is beautiful, it feels like very good tv movie animation and does not seem like animation for a movie made for the big screen). The only thing that still is kinda bothering me (and which the film never explains) is how the Phantasm manages to evade sharp objects being thrown their way or how they manage to magically (dis)appear. I like the animation, the story, the music and the voice acting a lot and it's sad that we don't get more animation like this more often nowadays.
9/10
Re: Last Film You Watched? VI
Posted: January 16th, 2021, 6:56 am
by Pit180
Pieces of a Woman - Mundruczó has an interesting filmography, I've seen White God and Jupiter's Moon. He moves to completely different subjects. Pieces of a Woman imo is his best work. A staggering drama that grabs you by the throat and never lets you go for the entire film. A portrayal of a woman in contemporary society and how we perceive women that have been through this endeavour which I don't want to spoil.
Mundruczó attacks you with the camera, a very raw approach which gets under your skin empowered by the acting of the cast which is tremendous. Vanessa Kirby slammed me with her performance. There are quite a few long takes but one of them is my favourite scene of 2020 along with the ending of Another Round. I loved how he ended the scene with a perfect ending shot. Just speechless.
It's been days since I've seen it and I'm still thinking of it. I hope Kirby wins the oscar for this.
Re: Last Film You Watched? VI
Posted: January 17th, 2021, 4:03 pm
by Batfan175
Charlie's Angels (2019)
I don't know hat everyone's problem with this film was. I was engaged the entire time, I enjoyed the 3 main characters (Kristen Stewart's performance was especially fun to watch) and it was just a good action comedy. Not groundbreaking or anything but definitely a fun time.
7/10
Re: Last Film You Watched? VI
Posted: January 18th, 2021, 4:32 am
by Vader182
Promising Young Woman-
I didn't like this! It's a failure of high-art exploitation. Amateur, flat and very "film school," uncertain with what it wants to say and even less certain how to tell it. Too much of it is an exercise in unmotivated style. So many angles felt random, and so many scenes blandly lit.
Carrie Mulligan is amazing, but nothing else is. The climax undermines just about everything else this was trying to say. A queasy mess and one of my bigger let-downs of the year.
I don't know what I expected from the mind who sank Killing Eve, but here we are.
-Vader
Re: Last Film You Watched? VI
Posted: January 18th, 2021, 11:07 am
by MagnarTheGreat
Upgrade (2018)
From the director of the recent The Invisible Man reimagining, comes this science-fiction cyberpunk action thriller starring Logan Marshall-Green. It was a blast all the way through to the end, but the weakest link was the acting.
The Whole Truth (2016)
Courtroom drama starring Keanu Reeves. It was fine, nothing mind-blowing.
Battle For Terra (2009)
Animated science fiction movie about the indigenous creatures of a faraway planet versus human invaders. Passes enough for good but not great.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
You can take the person out of the cult, but can you take the cult out of the person? Very good movie starring Elizabeth Olsen.
