October 2011: Orlando and Pan’s Labyrinth

Thanks to Sylvia and Andy for hosting the latest Club Moofie. A very tasty assortment of Indian curries for dinner followed by an abundance of sugary overload to keep us going into the nights discussions.
The latest moofies for review had a distinct fantasy theme this time. First up the dark fairytale Pan’s Labyrinth, followed by the quirky gender bender Orlando.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

The Moofie Club was impressed with this highly immersive and imaginative film. The characters created were so engaging and rich in depth. The demonic ‘Pale man’, with eyeballs in the palms of his hands was a scary and totally unique creation. Special effects work to enhance the storyline without being distracting. It was violent and quite gory in parts, but arguably not gratuitous. Emotional content is richly complex and subtle.
As IMDB puts it, Pan’s Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups.

Scores

• Andy 4.5
• Sylvia 5
• Paul abstain
• Beck 3.5
• Wendy 4
• Renny 5
• Clint 4.5
• Jayne 4

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Sylvia: Visually amazing, magical and childlike but plunged the depths of what people go through
—–
Andy: It’s hard to describe without sounding like a gushing idiot. Loved it
—–
Jayne: I fell for it hook line and sinker, but the ending let it down

—–

Orlando (1992)

What a curious film this is. In the court of Elisabeth the 1st, an attractive young male Orlando catches the Queen’s eye and is told, ‘Do not fade, do not wither, do not grow old‘. Orlando obliges and for the following hundreds of years up to the modern 20th century, he stays forever young. The film leaves and revisits Orlando as he skips from a romantic adventure in Russia, to war in Constantinople, to the gentry of England (complete with sex change to a woman).
The film is perfectly suited to Tilda Swinton’s androgynous look. The sex change scene when Orlando changes from a man to a woman is interestingly done.
Orlando was received by the Moofie Club with a mixture of curiosity and guarded appreciation. It is quirky, somewhat strange, never uninteresting. Definitely worth a try for those looking for something a little different.

Scores

• Paul 2
• Jayne 4
• Renny 3.5
• Wendy 3
• Beck 2
• Sylvia 3
• Andy 3
• Clint 3

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Clint realising Elizabeth was played by a man: Was that Queen Elizabeth? I thought she looked pretty horrible..
Renny: …It was a guy!
—–
Beck: I didn’t dislike the film. I did slightly fall asleep at one point
—–
Beck on the sex change and Billy Zane: I thought the sheet’s going to slip away and he’s going to have a pair of breasts
—–
Clint: The sex change bit was pretty good, and not just for the nudity, although that was pretty good
—–
Paul: I prefer Tilda Swinton rumpy pumped

—–

A short blog entry this time. Coming up next time we review the last of our selections for 2011, The Messenger and the new release, The Adventures of Tintin. On the same night we also recap the year that was with the 2011 Moscars awards!
All the best and bye for now.
cj

Four Film Blogathon

An un-themed collection of four(!) films for this moofie blog. The films for review were the philosophical Tree of Life (2011) by Terrence Malick, the quintessential pop-corn muncher, Harry Potter and the Death Hallows Parts 1 and 2 (2010, 2011), and lastly the Facebook movie, The Social Network (2010). Thanks Wendy for hosting. Pizzas and a tonne of sweets kept us going into the night. So without further ado…

The Tree of Life (2011)

The Moofie Club has done a Malick before (The New World (2005), see the July 2010 Moofie blog), and comparing comments then with now, it seems we’ve not warmed to Malick’s style any further in this time.

The Tree of Life is described in Wikipedia as a chronicle of “the origins and meaning of life by way of a middle-aged man’s childhood memories of his family living in 1950s Texas, interspersed with imagery of the origins of the universe and the inception of life on Earth“. I struggled to find this premise credible as I watched for the first time. So as the film switched between these two vastly different stories, the film just seemed disjointed and unfocused, rather than running in parallel together to convey an overall message. It was only after I read many reviews that I could see the so called connections and deeper meanings.

If nothing else, Malick is a masterful aesthete. The cosmic and biological imagery of the creation and ends of life was divine. (I say again, if Malick ever decided to do a Baraka-style project, it would be an absolute revelation). The sequences of O’Brien’s family life were beautiful and portrayed touching family moments. The music matched perfectly and put you in the mindset to receive a film as vast as this aspired to be.

The Moofie Club were bewildered and frustrated by this film. While we could appreciate the aesthetic beauty, the experimental nature of the format and direction unsettled us. I do think we came to this with an open mind, hoping it would achieve the greatness it aspired to. However as Malick has done before, there came a point where we refused to accept anymore due to the directorial indulgences, pretentiousness and strangeness (e.g. the dinosaur scene, and the man in the attic).

Perhaps Tree of Life will grow in stature over time like Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey. I hope one day a Malick film will deserve indisputably the hype the reviewers give it. Maybe I’m being harsh. Put it this way, I’d rather have film makers like Malick and Kubrick exist in this world than have a hundred of who ever made No Strings Attached. Malick has nearly completed his sixth film. It is called The Burial and stars Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem, Rachel Weisz and once again, Jessica Chastain.

Scores

• Wendy 2
• Paul abstain
• Beck 1.5
• Sylvia 3
• Andy 4
• Jayne 3.5
• Renny 2
• Clint 3.5

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Beck on the cosmic scenes: I think I was having a microsleep at that point
Jayne: It was very beautiful…
Beck: .. as a screensaver
—–
Andy: There were only two things I didn’t get. The man in the attic with the bike and the mum floating in the air
Beck: do you think Malick went, “oh fuck it, just put it in“?
—–
Beck: I feel like I sat through a student film
Jayne: It felt overindulgent
—–

The Social Network (2010)

If you’ve ever watched The West Wing you’ll know about the chipmunks-speed word barrage that is an Aaron Sorkin script. It’s hard to get used to if you haven’t. They must train the actors by getting them to sing along to 33 LPs at 45 speed. The Social Network is the story of the founding of Facebook. The main characters all being real-life people, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), the ‘Winkelvi‘ (Armie Hammer) and Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake).

The outstanding feature is of course the Aaron Sorkin screenplay with his trademark sharp snappy dialogue, witty quips and good acting to deliver the lines. Several memorable scenes stand out as much as any action movie set piece, e.g. the opening scene where Mark Zuckerberg utterly crashes and burns with his ex-girlfriend, the rowing race, and the legal mediation scenes were singled out by the Moofie Club. The film is most sympathetic to Eduardo Saverin (he was a consultant for the book on which the film is based), and most critical of Sean Parker, portraying him as a parasite and wastoid. No character is particularly likeable, even Zuckerberg and Saverin, and I’m surprised that there hasn’t been any law suits regarding their portrayal. It is an interesting insight into the roller-coaster world of hyperambitious IT entrepreneurs and all the leaches that come out of the woodwork when success strikes.

It appears to have taken a few liberties (e.g. in reality Zuckerberg had a steady girlfriend throughout the period portrayed in the film. He also stated that there was far less partying in his real life) which is fine as long as it is entertaining. This is a clever and interesting film. If you can handle the verbal overload – highly recommended.

Scores

• Wendy 4
• Paul 4
• Renny 4
• Jayne 4
• Beck 4
• Andy 3
• Sylvia 3.5
• Clint 4

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Andy: I must admit when I first saw it I went “meh“, but the next day I was on Facebook and went, “oh wow, I know these people“
—–
Paul: I liked it because I use Facebook
Sylvia: I’m not on Facebook and I don’t want to be on Facebook

—–

Andy: unfriend me

—–

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 (2010, 2011)

There is no hope of fully appreciating the nuances and history of the Harry Potter story if you went into these two films as a total noob. It really should be considered a trilogy including the Half Blood Prince if you’re going to understand the crucial role of Snape, the circumstances surrounding the death of Dumbledore, and the background to the Horcruxes.

There was a mixture of HP experience within the Moofie club. For those in the group who had read and appreciated the relative richness of the books, this film was somewhat disappointing. One could argue that it is always impossible to provide the same richness of a book in film format, but then the Lord of the Rings trilogy came pretty close so you can’t say it can’t be done. For those in the group who had not followed the Harry Potter books, the films were always going to be hard to follow and these films in particular were widely criticised for being difficult in this way. Either way the Deathly Hallows 1 & 2 films did not fully satisfy either of these Moofie watching groups.

Visual effects, particularly the IMAX 3D version were fantastic. Good enough to almost distract from the fact that the acting by the three mains was typically crap. They might have been cute in The Philosophers Stone (2001), but they are seriously NOT cute anymore and its time these actors moved on to other roles now.

The Deathly Hallows may be a decent way to spend an evening but perhaps not the fitting end it needed to be to satisfy die-hard Harry Potter fans.

Scores (Part 1 / Part 2)

• Wendy 2/abstain
• Paul 3.5/3
• Beck abstain/abstain
• Sylvia 4/4.5
• Andy 4/4.5
• Jayne abstain/3.5
• Renny 3.5/3.5
• Clint 3/4

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Jayne: I was quite disappointed with the movie
—–
Andy: <Harry> loves his mom so much, and he looks at his father and goes “oh yeah,  there’s dad as well“. What a snob
—–
Andy: I didn’t like the “Aliens” bit – where Mrs Weasley gets Belatrix and says “Get away from her you Bitch!“
—–
Jayne: I remember watching the first HP movie and they were so tiny!
Sylvia: and Daniel Radcliffe was such a terrible actor!
—–
Paul: It was good, if I cared more about the film it would have been really good.
Beck: If I gave a shit
—–
Clint: I liked it but I’m not sure if its only because I saw it at IMAX 3D

—–

So thats all for now. The Moofie Club meets again not too far away from now in late October for a night of fairytale and fantasy. The two films on review are Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and Orlando (1992). In the meantime, I wish you all happy viewing and all the best until next time!
cj

July 2011: Black & White Film Night

It was a very cold night but Paul kept us warm and well supplied with pizza and sweets. As well, we had Zumbo’s macaroons (thanks to Clint and Renny) and home made chocolate cookies (thanks to Sylvia) and snuggled up to discuss two black & white films from the 1950s.

 

Night of the Hunter

The only film that actor Charles Laughton ever made, the film has a fable-like quality and was a landmark film of its time in its depiction of religion, violence and sex. Many movie clubbers comments on the unique visuals – the murdered widow’s hair and seaweed floating underwater, the barn silhouette and crescent moon, the rabbit and toad sitting in the foreground as the boat floated down the river (though we still couldn’t work out the symbolism of the toad!). Club Moofie also noted that it was probably the first film where the reference to the “LOVE/HATE” tattoo was made. Some of the editing was clunky and it was hard to understand how the townspeople could have been so gullible but was made up by the unique cinematography and memorable storyline.

Scores

Andy    3

Clint     3.5

Paul      3

Renny 2.5

Sylvia   4

Wendy 4

Quotes

Paul: I’ve probably seen a total of two films from the 1950s…. and they were Night of the Hunter and High Noon.

Renny: I think out of the two, I’d remember Night of the Hunter more.

Clint: There was a lot of preaching going on.

Paul: I liked it but I thought it was going to be another Burnsy special.

High Noon

Another landmark film, High Noon, went against the “standard” western formula of its time and depicted an unconventional hero (we weren’t sure the marshall was universally liked by the townspeople). There were unusual characters like Helen Ramirez, who played a strong independent Mexican business woman, and lots of bit parts by Lloyd Bridges, Lee van Cleef and Harry Morgan (the MASH guy). Probably because it depicted a hero who didn’t behave like a typical hero (he begged the town for help), it was branded as “Un-American” at its release. Club Moofie gave a thumbs up for the build up of tension to the noon countdown, though for some, the final showdown looked dated.

PS. In the opinion of this humble reviewer, Gary Cooper was looking very attractive and was well deserving of his Best Actor Oscar

Scores

Andy    3.5

Clint     3.5

Paul      2.5

Renny 3.5

Sylvia   4.5

Wendy 3

Quotes

Paul: I didn’t get a lot from it.

Sylvia: I thought it was going to be a Clint Eastwood movie.

Paul: I wished it was a Clint Eastwood movie.

On the final shootout

Paul: I don’t know what I was expecting … but it wasn’t that.

Paul: Believability was an issue.

Clint: The ending showdown was lame.

Clint: Grace Kelly’s character was ridiculous.

Wendy: I thought Gary Cooper was really hot!

Renny: I was looking at the train tracks. I thought maybe it wasn’t going to come.

Sylvia: …like waiting for Godot.

On Helen Ramirez:

Wendy: She’d been with Kane before

Andy: …and she’d been with Miller before

Clint: …and she was with Lloyd Bridges.

Paul: She’d been with most of the town.

On High Noon being a favourite movie of American Presidents because it is about a man standing up for principles:

Wendy: I didn’t really identify with that, probably because I don’t have any principles.

***************************

Club Moofie watched a number of other films. Here are the scores.

Water for Elephants

Clint 4

Renny 3.5

Goethe

Clint 4

Renny 4

Transformers 3

Andy 3

Paul 3.5

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world

Sylvia 3.5

Snowtown

Paul 4

Mrs Carey’s Concert

Wendy 4.5

Downfall

Wendy 4

Super 8

Paul 4

Andy 4

Club Moofie April 2011 – belated overview!

Hello all,

Ahhh, finally I am here to cover our not last, and not least, April Club Moofie session.

In a new twist for Club Moofie, we had three films up for viewing, 2 new releases and one classic:

“Never Let Me Go”, “Battle of Los Angeles” and “Heat”.

NEVER LET ME GO – 2010, directed by Mark Romanek

Based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro, this dark and disturbing tale brought varying responses from the Club.

Those who had read the novel – and enjoyed it – found the film moving, and dare I say were a little more prepared for the subject matter than the other members. The film deals with a group of children, reared by a special school, only to have their organs harvested in early adulthood for people in need. These special humans have no future, and yet an unquestioning acceptance of their fate is quite palpable. Emotions are stretched when the late-realised love between  a donor and carer is clearly, and tragically, doomed by the inevitable.

This, for me, was a very bleak and distressing film. The many unspoken, unexplored ethical implications, as well as the tragic nature of the central character’s relationship,  was simply heart-breaking.  The film itself was beautifully shot and directed, and explored an unusual mix of science fiction subject matter and old English country period detailing; however, I could not say I enjoyed the experience of viewing this film, and could not recommend it.

The group’s responses were similarly torn – the strength of the film making was clear, yet the emotional intensity appealed in varying degrees. A very interesting choice of film, exemplifying the power of cinema to effect one’s emotions.

Scores:

Wendy -2

Andy – 4.5

Paul – abstain

Beck – 3.5

Gareth (in absentia) – 4

Natalya – 4.5

Clint – 1

Sylvia – 2.5 – and two boxes of tissues. Buy some chocolate to soothe after.

Quotes:

“Carey lost half a point for crying – I don’t buy tears that come straight out from the front of the eye!” – Andy, on Carey Mulligan’s waterworks

—-

“I hated it, Clint hated it, even our friend hated it” – Wendy

“Initially, it would have been a really low score – but now it’s a two” – Wendy, after the discussion.

—-

” If you were feeling a little too happy, I would recommend watching this” – Paul

—-

” You see Tommy, and you go : oh, – aww – Tommy!” – Beck

” This film really stuck with me – I couldn’t shake the film. Callous. Blissed out by the opening  – all the colours – and then! ORGAN HARVESTING!” – Beck

“It’s its own character! Like a supporting role!” – Beck, on Keira Knightly’s top lip

 

 

Some quotes from  our absent-on-the-night member:

“Relentlessly miserable.” – Clint

“Keira Knightly has a very slap-able face.” – Clint

“It all boils down to a premise which is totally impossible to believe” and” the premise feels contrived   – a vehicle so the actors could exhibit their cry on demand skills. ” – Clint and Clint.

 

BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES – 2011, directed by Jonathon Liebesman

I believe the Club voted this film in as our first “Dumb Action Flick” (DAF)  – and amidst pre-viewing lambasting of plot, acting and design (and extensive discussion of Aaron Eckhart’s chin), a rollicking time seem to be had by all who braved the reviews to watch this film!

Low expectations prevailed prior to viewing, and  perhaps contributing to the  surprisingly positive outcome for all concerned (please see Natalya’s comment, below). Having missed this film myself (and yet, no, I have no regrets!), it was great to see the Club animated over a piece of pure entertainment – after all, isn’t that what Moofies are also about, people??  Popcorn, big screens, and a couple of hours of pure escape and fantasy! YAY!

Although there seemed to be no plot development to speak of, and fair-to-middling acting (athough Eckhart and his chin were commended highly for their professionalism), and the distinct feeling that the film was a patchwork of previous features with cliched dialogue, the film proved to be most entertaining to our members, and I have little doubt that the DAF genre will certainly make another appearance in future Club Moofie selections.

Scores:

Wendy – 3

Andy – 3

Paul – 3

Beck – 2

Gareth (in absentia) – 1.5

Natalya – 3

Clint – 3

Sylvia – abstain

Quotes on “Battle of Los Angeles”:

“Battle Whatever! Battle Generico! – Eckhart’s chin is where the command control centre was!” – Paul (? sorry noted don’t record who said this gem)

—-

“I’m a sucker for alien invasion films – I love the feeling of dread!” – Andy

——

” I don’t know – I suppose I was expecting – well – more destruction” – Andy

“Maybe not “Battle” – maybe ‘Fight of Los Angeles’?” – Beck

——-

” I went in with the lowest of low expectations – how am I going to get through this? – and when your bar is so low, I actually really enjoyed it” – Natalya

——-

“I was scared, wasn’t I Beck?”  – Natalya

“You were – you screamed!” – Beck

—–

“I like ‘let’s get from point A to point B’ movies – and yeah – guns, man! Explosions!” – Paul

—-

“But why did they make the film, if it all bits and pieces of other films?”  -  Beck

“Because they wanted to make money!” – Wendy

—-

“I ended up quite liking everyone – I kept thinking ‘Come on, boys – we can do this!’” – Beck

 

And again from Clint:

“No point being a snob about DAFs – just good, pop-corning munching fun – I enjoyed it!”

HEAT – 1995, directed by Michael Mann

Nominated by Paul, and also claiming  his “top film of all time” title, this classic piece of cinema brings two of the truly great actors of their time together on screen  – in the same scenes – for the first time.

Mann visited this territory with his previous film  – a TV release – “L.A. Takedown”,1989 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097700/).

The plot involves two men at the top of their professions – one on the right side of the law (Pacino, as top police investigator) and one on the wrong side (de Niro, as master thief), and one could also say that the two actors representing these characters were also at the height of their powers when brought together in this film.

Unlike other police dramas, this film  shows considerable personal development for the main characters – family and love relationships (and the desire for these) are explored, along side the nitty gritty of police work, and incredible heists.

The final, extended, edge-of-the-seat scene between the two men shows a surprising tenderness and respect for and between each other, rounding out the characters and showing greater complexity to the situation than one might expect in a lesser film. The pathos of De Niro’s character  -  his isolated life, his fear of being caught, forcing him to run – is beautifully realised throughout, but particularly brought home in this last scene.

On a different point, the film has dated to a degree – and Pacino’s loud machismo grates at times, being a particularly fine example of  80′s over the top maleness (see Michael Douglas in “Wall Street” ).

Note: Paul and others also found the film comparable to recent release “The Town” (up there as Paul’s No.1 film of 2010 – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840361/).

Scores:

Wendy – 4

Andy – 3

Paul -  5 ( 10, if possible)

Beck – abstain

Gareth (in absentia) – abstain

Natalya – 3

Clint – 4.5

Sylvia – 3.5

Quotes on “Heat”:

“I was going to leave Club Moofie if this wasn’t picked” – Paul

“Are you still in Club Moofie? Your film score more than a couple of Andy’s put together…” – Beck

—-

“I wasn’t paying attention – I was looking for his elbow!” – Natalya, on Val Kilmer’s peculiar goitre-type protrusion on said elbow

—-

“I liked him in ‘Willow’ ” – Natalya, on Val Kilmer

—-

“A big slice of 80′s ham, chomping on the scenery” – on Al Pacino’s performance – can’t remember who said this! Andy I suspect!

“Al Capuccino!” – Andy, referring to Pacino’s recent coffee ads

” What the Fock?” – Andy, on De Niro in the “Meet the Fockers” series

 

And also from Clint:

 

” A superior urban Western”

” Robert de Niro plays it straight for once and he’s pretty good – Al Pacino was a bit over the top annoying, but comes good too, in the end. “

OTHER MATTERS:

During the course of the evening, we also discussed briefly what everyone had been watching lately, and a few other topics:

Disney in the Vault

This refers to Disney’s policy of releasing certain animated classes for only set periods of time for the home video and DVD market (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Vault). Prompted by Natalya’s search for “The Little Mermaid” (I think!),  an interesting discussion of this came up. I, for one, have not heard of this – a bit unfair! Poor little tikes out there missing out on some classics!

Other viewing:

Other films seen in the weeks prior to this meeting included “The Lincoln Lawer” (Paul), “Thor” (several members, with positive responses all ’round), “Sucker Punch” (Andy, with a recommendation from him to watch out for Oscar Isaac – a potential star in the making), “Buried” (Paul), “Paul” (Paul, Andy – both wished it was “Hot Fuzz”), “Goethe” (Clint – a score of 4 out of 5), and “Inkheart”  (Sylvia – 2.5 out of 5  – rather strange, dark children’s tale).

If those of you mentioned would like to contribute any further score for films viewed, please do!

Next meeting – already done and dusted – features two classics – “High Noon” and ” Night of the Hunter” . Reviews to come shortly!

Bye for now,

Happy viewing,

SB.

March 2011: Fashion and Families

The September Issue

“September is the January in fashion” so says a fashionista explaining, that the September issue of fashion magazines is the biggest and best issue of the year.  In the first documentary for Club Moofie, The September Issue goes behind the scenes of Vogue magazine showing just how much hard work goes into getting a fashion magazine to publication.

This “fly of the wall” fashion doco introduces us to lots of interesting characters. But the most interesting are Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief and Grace Coddington, the artistic director and the symbiotic relationship between them. The two couldn’t be more different. Anna Wintour, known as the “Ice Queen”, “Nuclear Wintour” is controlled, defensive, feline, and always immaculately manicured and polished. Grace Coddington is a romantic at heart, with wild red hair, flat shoes and no makeup. She is the creative genius who dreams up the stunning and exquisite photographs for Vogue. Despite their differences, it’s clear they have deep respect for each other.

I must say, I’ve never read Vogue before and never heard of Anna Wintour. The world of couture, limosines and celebrity is far removed but the film provides interesting insights and appreciation of the enormous effort that goes into producing Vogue. The September Issue gave us a new found respect for the people in the fashion industry.

 

Scores:

Andy: 3

Beck: 4.5

Clint: 4

Jayne: 3

Natalya: 4

Paul: 4

Sylvia: 4

Wendy: 3

 

Quotes:

Sylvia: [on the extras] Does it show a different human side <to Anna Wintour>?

Beck: No but it did make her look like a fluffy bunny

Paul: She does smile a bit more in the out-takes

Beck: [on Anna Wintour] That woman’s accent ….”yerz…whyer…myer”!.. such a weird accent!

Andy: That was because of all the makeup

Beck: She would hide behind that hair. She has these enormous nostrils – whoah camel!

Beck: Respekt, Anna Wintour, Respekt <devil hands>

Beck: [on Grace Coddington] She walks like a troll in those shoes.

Andy [on John Galliano]: That anti-semitic prick!

Wendy: Do you read Vogue?

Sylvia: No, I can’t stand any fashion magazines

Natalya: In a doctor’s surgery maybe

Andy: I just found it very weird, I mean..<lots of wild hand waving>…

Andy to Clint: How you going to quote that?!

Natalya: Karl Lagerfeld, he’s an idiot. They’re all are a bit weird in the industry

Sylvia [on high couture's role in fashion and the clothing of society]: It’s a filter down from the high end, and we cut it down to ready-to-wear.

Clint: <blank stare>

Andy: Like a concept car!

Clint: <face brightens>

The Kids Are Alright

Joni who has just turned 18 and her brother, Laser, both conceived by artificial insemination decide to search for their “sperm donor”.  And so starts the story of a modern American family headed by lesbian couple, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore). The kids discover that their biological dad, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), is a free-loving, organic farmer and restaurant owner. The “moms” discover that Paul dropped out of school, never finished his International Relations degree AND as we later realize, Paul likes the idea of gaining an instant family.

While the film had its moments, the problem some of us saw is that if the film had been about a hetero- couple, would we have been interested in seeing this film? Not the way the story line was handled. Yes, marriages are difficult and so are lesbian marriages – this seems to be the message of the film. However, by trying so hard to “normalise” lesbian families and show that their relationships are as messy as “normal” families, Hollywood has made a film that was sanitized and somewhat unremarkable.

 

Scores:

Andy: 4

Beck: 1

Clint: 2

Jayne: 4.5

Natalya: 2.5

Paul: 3

Sylvia: 1.5

Wendy: 2

 

Quotes:

Beck: Things were a bit too convenient. Trying to cram an awful lot into the film. They tried dropping all these things in, but maybe if you’d crafted the film better in the first place, and um yeah. Blah blah blah chatter chatter chatter

Paul: [on the sex scene with the hot black girl] It wasn’t even gratuitous

Andy: The producer said you got to put something ‘hetero’ in

Beck: [on the mothers explaining to the kids why they watch male gay sex]   They said “We don’t like straight porn because they use straight actors”… and I thought “like kind of like now”.

Natalya: It was still Hollywood-ised. I know what you’re saying about European films <Andy> but it was still too sanitized.

Beck: [comparing the September Issue to the Kids are Alright] This is a case where real life can be better than a film.

Paul: [On how annoying Mark Ruffalo’s character was] He owns a restaurant and he makes amazing PIE!

Paul [On pretentious European films and Ruffalo’s character who fixes cameras]: The pie was one thing but the camera? – get the fuck out!

Beck: The Kids are Alright was not alright.

Beck to Andy: Have a chocolate

Andy: No, I’ll have to be Photoshopped

Sylvia: Not in my magazine, darling

The 2010 Moscar Awards

Club Moofie is proud to present:

THE 2010 3^rd MOSCAR AWARDS

1. The 2010 Club Moofie Award for BEST ACTOR goes to –

AND IT’S A TIE!

William H. Macy for “Fargo” and Kevin Spacey for “American Beauty”

 

Voted for by: All, apart from Sylvia

Other nominees included:

Malcom McDowell for “A Clockwork Orange”

George Clooney for “Up In The Air”

Leonardo Di Caprio for “Inception”

Kare Hedebrant for “ Let The Right One In”

Rutger Hauer for “Bladerunner”

Chris Cooper for “American Beauty”

 

2. The 2010 Club Moofie Award for BEST ACTRESS goes to:

Frances McDormand for “Fargo”

 

Voted for by: Jayne, Wendy, Beck, Sylvia, Andy and Clint

Other nominees included:

Naomi Watts for “ Mulholland Drive” (CLOSE SECOND)

Annette Benning for “American Beauty”

Rumi Hiragi for “ Spirited Away”

Vera Farmiga for “Up in the Air”

 

3. The 2010 Club Moofie Award for WORST ACTOR/ACTRESS goes to:

And we have no clear winner!

 

All of the following were nominated by someone in the group:

Jack Nance – “Eraserhead”

Charlie Sheen – “Wall St 2: Money Never Sleeps”

Laura Harring – “Mulholland Drive”

Colin Farrell – “The New World”

Susan Sarandan – “Wall St 2: Money Never Sleeps”

Shia LeBeouf  – “Wall St 2: Money Never Sleeps”

Patrick Fischler – “Mulholland Drive”

George Clooney – “Up in the Air

Ken Watanabe – “Inception”

Eraserhead baby – “Eraserhead”

Harrison Ford – “Bladerunner”

Q’orianka Kilcher – “The New World”

 

4. The 2010 Club Moofie Award for BEST SCRIPT/DIALOGUE- goes to:

Joel and Ethan Cohen for “Fargo”

Voted for by: Wendy, Andy, Beck, Paul, Clint and Sylvia

Other nominees included:

Alan Ball for “American Beauty”  (CLOSE SECOND)

Stanley Kubrick (based on the novel by Anthony Burgess) for “A Clockwork Orange”

Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (based on the novel by Walter Kim) for “Up In The Air”

 

5. The 2010 Club Moofie Award for BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY- goes to:

Jordan Cronenweth for “Blade Runner”

Voted for by: Jayne, Paul Wendy, Clint and Sylvia

Other nominees included:

Wally Pfister for “Inception”

Herbert Cardwell and Frederick Elmes for “Eraserhead”

Hoyte Van Hoytema for “Let The Right One In”

Emmanuel Lubezki for “The New World”

John Alcott for “A Clockwork Orange”

Roger Deakins for “Fargo”

 

6. The 2010 Club Moofie  “UP IN THE AIR” AWARD FOR THE ACTOR/ACTRESS YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO SIT NEXT TO ON A LONG HALL FLIGHT goes to:

Kevin Spacey

Voted for by Jayne and Beck

Other nominees included:

Harrison Ford (Wendy)  – “Blade Runner”

Laura Harring (Clint) – “Mulholland Drive”

Tom Hardy (Sylvia) – “Inception”

Marion Cotillard (Andy) – “Inception”

Carey “Ski-Jump” nose Mulligan (Paul) – “Wall St 2: Money Never Sleeps”

 

7. The “ALEX DE LARGE” AWARD FOR THE ACTOR/ACTRESS YOU WOULD LEAST LIKE TO HAVE A BIT OF THE OLD IN AND OUT WITH goes to:

Alex de Large, as played by Malcolm McDowell

Voted for by Wendy and Beck.

Other nominees included:

Jack Nance  – “Eraserhead”

Yubaba   – “Spirited Away”

Michael Douglas  – “Wall St 2: Money Never Sleeps”

Bonnie Aarons  – Scary homeless person, “Mulholland Drive”

France McDormand   – “Fargo”

 

8. The 2010 Club Moofie Award for WORST FILM - goes to:

“Eraserhead” by David Lynch

Other nominees included:

“The New World” – Terrance Malick

“A Clockwork Orange”  – Stanley Kubrick

“Up In The Air” – Jason Reitman

“Wall St 2: Money Never Sleeps” – Oliver Stone

 

AND DRUM ROLLLLLLLLL……….

8. The 2010 Club Moofie Award for BEST FILM goes to –

BLADERUNNER

And in comparison, the highest scoring film for 2010 was:

“Spirited Away” with an average of 4.6 out of 5,

2^nd place went to  “Fargo” with a score of 4.5,

and our Best Film winner,  “Blade Runner”, came in equal 3^rd, tying with “Inception” with a score of  4.2.

NB:  The Moscars’ “Best Film” award is scored differently to “Top scoring film” (scored out of 5 stars throughout the year).

 

Other scores:

“American Beauty” – 4.1

“Let the Right One In” – 4

“A Clockwork Orange” – 2.9

“Up In The Air” – 2.6

“Mulholland Drive” – 2.5

“Wall St 2: Money Never Sleeps” – 2.1

“The New World” 1.9

And our lowest score went to our “Worst Film” winner, “Eraserhead” with an average of 1.3 out of 5.

___________________________________________________________

 

As well as our formal Moscar awards, we have a number of SPECIAL AWARDS.

The 2010 Club Moofie Best New Club Moofie Member Award goes to:

Jayne

The 2010 Club Moofie “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” Award for Most Missed Member goes to:

Barbara

The 2010 Club Moofie “Bringing Up Baby” Award for Best New Release goes to:

Rebecca

The 2010 Club Moofie “Inception” Award for Most Confused Club Moofie Member goes to:

Sylvia

The  2010 Club Moofie “Tampopo” Award for Best Foreign Snack goes to:

Sweet and Salty Korean Biscuity Things

This award will be accepted by Wendy.

The 2010 Club Moofie “Lady Cheezelhead” Award for Cinematic Weirdness goes to:

David Lynch

This award will be accepted by Andrew.

The 2010 Club Moofie “The Social Network” Award for “Best Club Moofie Blogging” goes to:

Clint for (amongst others) his September 2010 entry:

“You have no idea what I’m talking about but don’t worry, you will someday”

(“American Beauty” and “Inception”)

The 2010 Club Moofie Award for Best Club Moofie Quote goes to:

Paul for his response to “Inception”: “It’s so creative I wanted to shoot myself.”

Other nominees included:

Paul: “I’ve wanted to – it’s got lesbian sex in it!”- on not seeing “Mulholland Drive”

Jayne: “Why a second one?” – on “Mulholland Drive” (viewed not long after “Eraserhead”)

Jayne: “I liked the party scene because there was so much surgery!”  – on “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps”

Clint: “I felt a bit of an affinity with him because he was an engineer” – on “Fargo”

Clint: “It started out with potential for a ‘Lost in Translation’-type thing – you know, profound relationships, etc – but by the second half it deteriorated into midday movie, B-grade trash”  – on “Up in the Air”

Rebecca: “At least you don’t see her chewing” – on “Let the Right One In”

Andrew: “Squirm little weasel-man!”  – on Jerry Lundegaard, “Fargo”

January 2010: Spirits and the God of Biomechanics

Thank you to Beck and Jon for hosting the last Moofie club of 2010. This Moofie club was special as it was also the venue for the 2010 Moscars Awards. The awards write up will follow separately in another entry, so straight into it, the two films for the final session of 2010 were Spirited Away, our first animation, and the atmospheric sci-fi classic, Bladerunner.

Spirited Away (2002)

Spirited Away is the story of 10 year old Chihiro who is in the process of moving away to a new neighbourhood. As she travels with her parents, they get lost and wonder into an abandoned theme park. The park however is enchanted and as the sunsets, her parents are transformed into pigs and a scary world of spirits and monsters awakens around her. Chihiro is trapped in the grounds of what turns out to be the bathhouse to the spiritworld, run by a tyranical old witch, Yubaba. Nearing despair she is rescued by a strangely familiar boy Haku, who helps her to the boiler room, where she finds a job and a place to stay within the servant house. Meanwhile Haku promises to help rescue her parents.

The witch Yubaba holds all the servants captive through their memories. She steals their real names and gives them her own names. The servants soon forget their own identities outside of the enchanted bathhouse. Yubaba has renamed Chihiro, Sen, and the memories of her real name, her parents and her life in the real world are fading. Haku also cannot remember his name but if Sen and Haku can discover who they really are and why they are so familiar to one another, then Yubaba’s spell would be broken and they would be able to escape with Sen’s parents.

Spirited Away is a charming, whimsical fairytale in the tradition of Alice in Wonderland. It’s well paced, very fun, often a little unnerving, and always captivating. There is an idealisation of childhood which only mature audiences could appreciate. Like most Japanese anime features, this is a film for adults rather than children. There are elements of the supernatural which are rather creepy if you think about it too long so this is not a ‘cartoon’ to park the kids in front of before bedtime!

While there is plenty to enjoy as it is, I suspect that to fully appreciate the film requires a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture and psyche than most non-Japanese would have. I feel like there is a whole Shinto subtext to this that I am oblivious to. Miyazaki is from a bridging generation who would remember and rever the ‘old’ Japan prior to its great westernisation in the 50s. This may be why the Ghibli films in particular always have that strong sense of nostalgia, and even Shamanistic elements. Things that Miyazaki perhaps longs for from his childhood, and misses in modern Japan.

I’m reluctant to call Spirited Away “anime” at all. Ghibli is in stark contrast to most other Japanese anime which are usually preoccupied with post-apocalyptic, ultra-modern tech, robotics & mecha. Of the two reviewed films in this Moofie session, it is actually the aesthetics and moodiness of Bladerunner that more closely resembles typical Japanese anime (compare Bladerunner to Ghost in the Shell). This is not to be misunderstood, as if I were accusing Ghibli films of “not being true anime” or somehow detracting from the genre – on the contrary, they have created a whole new sub-genre for themselves. It just needs a new name. Perhaps its already got one. It’s a ‘Ghibli Film‘.

Scores

• Andy: 5
• Beck: abstain
• Clint: 4
• Jayne: abstain
• Paul: 4
• Sylvia: 5
• Wendy: 5

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Sylvia on Chihiro and the Boiler Room man: She meets that fabulous man with the seven arms.
Andy: Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters!
—–
Andy: The three heads look like Gattuso!

<Gatusso?, judge for yourself!>

—–

Sylvia with a long and concise analysis on: …the dichotomy of the characters
Wendy continuing the analysis: …that people aren’t who you think they are.
Andy: yeah….  it’s very… yeah

—–

Bladerunner (1982)

In futuristic Los Angeles, robotic technology has developed to the point where the latest ‘replicants’, the Nexus-6, are virtually indistinguishable from humans. They are built stronger and tougher than humans and so they’re put to work as expendable off-world labour. Replicants however are now also more intelligent than humans. The only thing they lack are the lifetime of memories that real humans have. It is the ultimate AI nightmare when the servant becomes more powerful than the master. The Nexus-6 are now on the verge of exactly this.

All replicants are banned from Earth. Those discovered are summarily judged and executed by special police agents, one of which is Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a Bladerunner. The tool of the trade for the Bladerunner is the Voight-Kampff machine which tests the subject for ‘human-like’ physiological responses to emotionally provocative interrogation. “Capillary dilation, or the so-called blush response. Fluctuation of the pupil, involuntary dilation of the iris…” says the genius inventor of the replicants clinically, the head of the Tyrell Corporation, Eldon Tyrell. Is this how humanity is to be determined? Will we allow corporations to decide the definition of ‘humanity’ for us? “Have you ever ‘retired’ a human by mistake?” asks Rachael, Tyrell’s ‘niece’. When the replicants are as sentient as humans are, should they remain the property of humans? Isn’t this slavery?

The film also explores the conflicts between science (genetic engineering) and religion. Do we need God any more when we can become our own makers? The film drips with religious symbolism. When the lead replicant Roy Batty finally confronts Eldon Tyrell he is literally experiencing a biblical-style reckoning in the throne room of his god and maker. What would you say if you met your God? What would you do if you knew you had surpassed your God? The exchange is sublime:

Tyrell: “I’m surprised you didn’t come here sooner“
Batty: “It’s not an easy thing to meet your maker“
Tyrell: “You’re the prodigal son“
Batty: “I’ve done questionable things“
Tyrell: “..also extraordinary things. Revel in your time“
Batty: “Nothing the God of Biomechanics wouldn’t let you into heaven for“, after which Batty plants a kiss on the lips and then commits deicide on Tyrell.

For a 1982 film, aesthetically it still looks very futuristic when compared to all the new CGI films out now. The cinematography is still as stunning and gorgeous as when it was first released. The music by Vangelis was always a little questionable, but I think it has now been accepted by film buffs as indispensable to this films ambience. The track “Tales of the Future” is the perfect aural compliment to the film.

There are minor quibbles to be sure, the acting in general could be considered rather wooden, especially that of Harrison Ford. There is the somewhat questionable chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Young [see 5:27-6:40 in this scene]. Luckily this moofie is so strongly driven by the storyline and the philosophical dilemmas, rather than the actor’s performances that it doesn’t seem to matter that much. I cannot recall another sci-fi film with as much depth and eloquence as this one. I cannot recall another sci-fi film with such aesthetic beauty as this one. For all the above and so much more, Bladerunner is my favourite sci-fi film of all time.

Scores

• Andy: 2
• Beck: abstain
• Clint: 5
• Jayne: 5
• Paul: 4
• Sylvia: 4
• Wendy: 5

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Jayne on the aesthetics of certain languages: Cantonese sounds like cats fighting in a back alley. It’s a really ugly language.
—–
Re: using Tom Cruise instead of Harrison Ford for the lead role:
Andy: I would buy this guy.
Jayne: Would you buy him when he’s jumping on Oprah’s sofa?
—–

So that concludes the year in Moofies for 2010! While you’re here, why don’t you also check out Paul’s amazing film streak for 2010! Lastly, the Moscars are just around the corner so please come back soon to find out for what happens in the rest of the night and who were the Winners and Losers for 2010!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed the year they made contact, and see you on the flip side – 2011!
cj

Paul’s Moofie Half-Century!

For the calendar year of 2010, Paul clocked up an average of a Moofie per week – that’s 52 new release cinema films in 52 weeks! For his efforts Hoyts and Village Roadshow have decided to make Paul their new CEO! .. well, no, but he certainly deserves to be made CEO of Moofie watching for that feat of endurance and social dexterity.

For the record, here’s a list of what he saw, as well as his top 5, and worst 1:

1. Avatar
2. Law Abiding citizen
3. Up in the Air
4. Invictus
5. The Road
6. Daybreakers
7. Sherlock Holmes
8. Fantastic Mr Fox
9. Edge of Darkness
10. The Hurt Locker
11. Men Who Stare at Goats
12. Greenzone
13. Brothers
14. How to Train your Dragon
15. Clash of the Titans
16. She’s out of my League
17. Kick Ass
18. Book of Eli
19. Hot Tub Time Machine
20. Iron Man 2
21. I love you too
22. Robin Hood
23. Harry Brown
24. The A-Team
25. Get Him to the Greek
26. Shrek Forever After
27. The Losers
28. Animal Kingdom
29. Toy Story 3
30. Grown Ups
31. Predators
32. Knight and Day
33. Inception
34. The Runaways
35. The Killers
36. The Expendables
37. Scott Pilgrim
38. The Other Guys
39. Let Me In (the American version, not the Swedish one)
40. Buried
41. Easy A
42. The Town
43. The Social Network
44. Paranormal Activity 2
45. Wall Street 2
46. Devil
47. The American
48. Monsters
49. Tron Legacy
50. Due Date
51. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 1
52. The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Paul’s Top #5 Faves:

1. The Town
2. Inception
3. Animal Kingdom
4. Brothers
5. Alice Creed (surprise performer)

and Pauls #1 worst:

1. Shrek Forever after

Well Done Paul!!

Our movies for 2011

Here it is! This is what we voted for – the Club Moofie Films for 2011.

What will Club Moofie say about these films? Who will win the coveted Moscar trophy this year?

Stay tuned…

_______________________________________________________

Movie Club List for 2011

Ladies Night

Date: Sat 5 March

The Kids Are Alright (2010)

I’m tempted to start this review by falling back on a tried-and-true movie critic formulation and saying something like “Lisa Cholodenko’s ‘Kids Are All Right’ is the best comedy about an American family since …” Since what? Precedents and grounds for comparison seem to be lacking, so I may have to let the superlative stand unqualified for now.

Which is fine: Ms. Cholodenko’s film, which she wrote with Stuart Blumberg, is so canny in its insights and so agile in its negotiation of complex emotions that it deserves to stand on its own. It is outrageously funny without ever exaggerating for comic effect, and heartbreaking with only minimal melodramatic embellishment.

But its originality — the thrilling, vertiginous sense of never having seen anything quite like it before — also .arises from the particular circumstances of the family at its heart. There is undeniable novelty to a movie about a lesbian couple whose two teenage children were conceived with the help of an anonymous sperm donor. Families like this are hardly uncommon in the real world, but Ms. Cholodenko (“Laurel Canyon,” “High Art”) and Mr. Blumberg have discovered in this very modern arrangement a way of refreshing the ancient and durable wellsprings of comedy.

The September Issue (2009)

The September Issue (2009-directed by RJ Cutler) (review paraphrased from Margaret Pomeranz’s review on “At the Movies”). THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE is a documentary about the September 2008 issue of the fashion magazine Vogue which was intended to be their biggest ever. At the centre of the action is Editor-In-Chief ANNA WINTOUR, on whom MERYL STREEP’S character was based in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. Wintour is a Brit, she’s cool, decisive and fashion designers practically bow at her feet. But there’s another woman who emerges from this film that is equally interesting, she’s Vogue’s Creative Director, fellow Brit GRACE CODDINGTON, a former model who is now one of the most famous fashion stylists in the world, and with good reason.

The value of this film is in the way it validates fashion as art. There is the creative tension between Wintour who pioneered celebrity fashion and Coddington. Wintour may have the ultimate power but Coddington has the real artistic talent. The insights the film gives into the superficialities of the industry are all there, but what emerged most strongly for me was the sheer beauty of what was being created in fashion and in the presentation of it by Coddington.  The director was R. J. Cutler who had amazing access to this most fascinating world.

 

**********************************************

Date: Sat 30 April

Heat (1995)

Hunters and their prey–Neil and his professional criminal crew hunt to score big money targets (banks, vaults, armored cars) and are, in turn, hunted by Lt. Vincent Hanna and his team of cops in the Robbery/Homicide police division. A botched job puts Hanna onto their trail while they regroup and try to put together one last big ‘retirement’ score. Neil and Vincent are similar in many ways, including their troubled personal lives. At a crucial moment in his life, Neil disobeys the dictum taught to him long ago by his criminal mentor–’Never have anything in your life that you can’t walk out on in thirty seconds flat, if you spot the heat coming around the corner’–as he falls in love. Thus the stage is set for the suspenseful ending…. Written by Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>

+ a current release (to be decided)

**********************************************

Black & White Night

Date: Sat 25 Jun

Night of the Hunter (1955)

A religious fanatic marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real daddy hid $10,000 he’d stolen in a robbery.

With a very creepy Robert Mitchum (sporting the original LOVE/HATE tattoed knuckles), Shelley Winters and silent star Lilian Gish.

High Noon (1952)

On the day he gets married and hangs up his badge, lawman Will Kane is told that a man he sent to prison years before, Frank Miller, is returning on the noon train to exact his revenge. Having initially decided to leave with his new spouse, Will decides he must go back and face Miller. However, when he seeks the help of the townspeople he has protected for so long, they turn their backs on him. It seems Kane may have to face Miller alone, as well as the rest of Miller’s gang, who are waiting for him at the station… Written by Man_With_No_Name_126

**********************************************

Date: Sat 27 Aug

The Social Network (2010)

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history… but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. Written by Columbia Pictures

+ a current release (to be decided)

**********************************************

Fantasy Night

Date: Sat 29 Oct

Pan’s Lanbyrinth (2006)

Pan’s Labyrinth (Spanish: El laberinto del fauno, “The Faun‘s Labyrinth”) is a 2006 Mexican Spanish-language fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. Pan’s Labyrinth takes place in Spain in May–June 1944, five years after the Spanish Civil War, during the early Franquist period. The narrative of the film interweaves this real world with a fantasy world centered around an overgrown abandoned labyrinth and a mysterious faun creature, with which the main character Ofelia interacts. Ofelia’s stepfather, the Falangist Captain Vidal, hunts the Spanish Maquis, anarchists who fight against the Fascist reign in the region, while Ofelia’s pregnant mother grows increasingly ill. Ofelia meets several strange and magical creatures who become central to her story, leading her through the trials of the old labyrinth garden.

Orlando (1992)

Young nobleman Orlando (Tilda Swinton) is commanded by Queen Elizabeth I to stay forever young. Miraculously, he does just that. The film follows him as he moves through several centuries of British history, experiencing a variety of lives and relationships along the way, and even changing sex.

Not only tells the story on film with brilliant visual design, but also tries to extend the plot as Woolf would have, had she lived to the end of the 20th century.

**********************************************

Date: Sat 7 Jan

Moscars

The Messenger (2009)

While on a recent deployment to Iraq, US Army Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery is injured when an improvised explosive device goes off within close proximity to him. He is back in the States recovering from the more serious of those injuries, including one to his eye and leg. He has resumed a sexual relationship with his long time girlfriend Kelly, despite the fact that she is now engaged to another man who Will knows. With the few months Will has left in his enlistment, the army assigns him to the Casualty Notification Team in his area. Not having a background in counseling, psychology or grief management, he is unsure if he is well suited to this job. He is partnered with a career soldier, Captain Tony Stone, who teaches Will the precise protocol involved in the job. Tony tells Will, who quickly learns by on the job experience, that this job has its own dangers. As Will learns to adapt to the range of emotions of the next of kin… Written by Huggo

+ a current release (to be decided)

plus

Moscars

plus

Nominations for 2012 films

October 2010: Silencio

It was a hot & humid day for the latest Moofie Club but that didn’t matter because we were living it up on a nice boat, with beautiful harbour views and cool breezes!

As usual the food was delicious, including a spectacular fruit platter and some exceptional choc-coconut muffins with a lovely thick layer of icing on top. I got the distinct impression that rather than analyse films, the group would have preferred to lay back with a cool drink and siesta the afternoon away! Alas duty calls and so without further ado,

Mulholland Drive (2001)

The Moofie Club’s main complain was similar to that for Eraserhead. It was too weird, overtly weird and for no other purpose than to be weird (this is a little harsh, in my opinion). I do believe that Mulholland’s scores suffered from two mitigating factors: 1. we had just gotten over the trauma of Eraserhead two sessions ago, and 2. the day on the water was just too nice to think about it. The group had Lynch-fatigue and it showed in our scores and comments.

Writing for myself however, this was my first Lynch film and it had a big impact on me. I recall feeling like an alien-abductee, mesmerised and desperate to know what the hell just happened. Despite the confusion, the film never left me behind. There were enough clues to feel like the answers were there, if only I would think a little harder about it. In that way it was far more of a tease than Eraserhead, which had pretty quickly left me just wanting out. I was still conscious of the director’s manipulation, but the weirdness was dosed out more discretely and to greater effect in Mulholland.

There were some things that I believe all Moofie members would agree on. Naomi Watts deserves a special mention for her performance as Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn. She has spent too much time in Nicole Kidman’s shadow so it’s great to see her striding ahead in her own right recently. Her work in Mulholland Drive is often cited as her breakthrough performance and I think she deserves that recognition here. The other special mention is for the theme music. On hearing the first notes, that uneasy nervous tension hits me again, and I’m transported back to the limo winding through the Hollywood hills – the mood is set perfectly by this music.

Mulholland Drive could be Lynch’s most accessible film but unfortunately for him, 2001 was also the year of Black Hawk Down, LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring, and A Beautiful Mind. All he got was a director’s nomination at the Oscars. A pity really because if he was ever going to get an Oscar it would have been for this one (at least the French love him). It takes a certain type of mood to be receptive to a film like this. Serendipity had me on the right wavelength for my first viewing and it is now firmly imprinted on my mind. That’s why I’ll always have a soft spot for this film.

Scores

• Paul: abstain
• Sylvia: 2
• Andy 2.5
• Wendy 3.5
• Jayne 2.5
• Clint 4

Memorable Quotes:

—–

Jayne on reviewing another Lynch film: Why a second one!?

Jayne: This is too weird and I have to go to bed

—–

Jayne: Once you’ve seen it, you can’t erase what’s in your head.

Paul: That’s why I’m worried about seeing the Human Centipede!

<Paul, after you see The Human Centipede, try playing Tetris. It might help!>

—–

Paul on not having seen the film: I’ve wanted to – its got lesbian sex in it!

—–

Sylvia on Laura Harring and the lesbian sex scene: I thought her breasts acted better than she did

Andy: From the front they looked fake but side-on there was a nice sway to them

—–

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

For those of you who didn’t have a clue, first thing to do is find out what happened with the sub-prime property crisis and the GFC. An excellent summary by Hamish Douglass (ASX seminar Tues 16 nov 2010) can be found here as an audio podcast. From there, just match up the fictional characters in Wall Street 2 to their real life counterparts and Robert’s your mother’s brother – you’ve got the technical background to this film. e.g.,

1. Frank Langella and KZI = Bear Stearns/Lehman Bros
2. Josh Brolin and Churchill Schwartz = JP Morgan/Goldman Sachs
3. Susan Sarandon = millions of underfinanced Americans going bankrupt on property.
4. Shia LaBeouf and Gordon Gekko = the punters and players who drive the markets up and down.

With that in the background, we also have the story of Gordon Gekko trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his daughter Winnie, despite his natural instinct to be a ruthless asshole, a la “I’m gonna tear his eyeballs out and I’m gonna suck his fucking skull!” (Wall Street 1987).

This film has problems. As a history lesson the GFC is interesting for the financially minded but for those that are not, all they’ve got left to ‘enjoy’ in this film is the Gekko family subplot. Unfortunately for the audience, that subplot is such unimaginative daytime tv fodder.

In Wall Street (1987) ‘Gordo‘ was larger than life, an edgy charismatic bad boy, with a quick wit and a smart mouth, supremely confident and with no regrets. Sensitive, repentant, old-man Gordo does NOT work! It might have been interesting if he had come back this time as the white knight, like Sir Lawrence Wildman from the first film. There could have been a titanic ‘Gordon Gekko vs Bretton James’ showdown which might have been interesting. For a short time I thought that was where it was heading, but it didn’t. Instead we got Gordo weeping in front of Winnie, and fawning over ultrasound foetus pictures. Where is the megalomaniac we all really came to see? I wanted the guy with the twisted one liners like, “Love. Diction created by people to keep them from jumping out of windows“, and, “If you need a friend, get a dog“!

Redoing Gordon Gekko must be one of the hardest jobs in acting – right up there with James Bond, and Hannibal Lecter. Michael Douglas did still have his moments so he was ‘ok’ I suppose. Shia LaBeouf was fairly anonymous, and Carey Mulligan as Winnie Gekko, cried a lot and didn’t make much sense as a character. Interesting to see plastic-faced Charlie Sheen come back as Bud Fox at the charity dinner scene, as well as Eli Wallach, and some other real life people playing themselves.

The aerial shots of New York city were great. Also worth noting that the fusion power technology that Jake Moore tries to sell to the Chinese investors is quite real, as are the implications on the oil and energy industries if that technology gets up. At least Oliver Stone made an effort to get the technical details right.

Overall Wall Street 2 was quite disappointing and nowhere near as good as Wall Street (1987).

Scores

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

• Jayne 3
• Wendy 2
• Andy abstain
• Sylvia 2.5
• Paul 1
• Clint 2

Wall Street (1987)

• Jayne 3.5
• Wendy 3.5
• Andy abstain
• Sylvia abstain
• Paul 3.5
• Clint 4

Memorable Quotes:

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On the ‘nice’ Gordon Gekko trying to play happy families with his daughter and grandchild

Clint: <The disappointment of seeing it> …was like that moment in Empire Strikes Back when you realise Luke is Darth Vader’s son, and Leia is his sister… ugh <face-palm>

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Jayne on the new, older Gordon Gekko: more of a mature dangerous vile

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Wendy on Carey Mulligan: she cried a lot!

Paul: there was so much crying in that movie

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Wendy on the Charity Dinner scene: I didn’t like that Charlie Sheen cameo

Andy: He looked puffed..

Paul: he looked so excited about being on screen..

Clint: Charlie Sheen looked plastic faced..

Sylvia: that’s because he’s got ‘internal preservation’..

Jayne: I like that party scene because there was so much surgery!

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Wendy on the 80′s fashion in Wall Street (1987): …the 80′s clothes!…

Wendy & Jayne: …Daryl Hannah!…

Wendy: all those gory horrible clothes!

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Another year of Club Moofie is coming to a close. The next session is the final for the year & also the scene of the Moscars 2010 Awards! The two films for review are Spirited Away (2001) our first animation, and the stunning sci-fi classic, Blade Runner (1982). I cannot wait for that one!

Till next time,

cj