Moving Movies

[Bantam]

Saw a couple of heavy duty films over the last couple of days that really make you think.

One definitely in the realms of fantasy (V for Vendetta) albeit in a similar vein, and one totally believable, extemely shocking and very moving (esp in HD) - (Children of Men). The bit when he walks out of the coffee shop and it blows up behind him, with his ears ringing is just totally unexpected and very shocking, all the more because it's all shot on what looks like HD handycams and looks alot of the time like one continuous shot that is relentless.


What films do you think that are thought provoking, did it make you change your opinion on anything, and why?

[Helen F H]

OOOo good one.

I watched a documentary film on the fast food industry in the USA called "Fast Food Nation". I was kinda expecting it to be along the lines of Supersize Me!, but it proved to be a lot more than that. Showing that the fast food industry encourages illegal immigration from Mexico, that people die coming over the border, the sexual harrassment that occurs and how the "quicker, cheaper" ethos is leading to illness in the public. It opened my eyes.

I watched the latest harry potter movie the other day too, and i wondered how they would play the Luna and Neville characters as the films are very much aimed at the US audience and their roles are almost totally against the stereotype of the "weirdo" and the "geek", both of whom are traditionally ridiculed. Both of them have pivotal roles in the final book, and i await to see how this is played out.

Oh oh oh i forgot. I finally saw Pulp Fiction and so many references to that film suddenly became clear I was lucky enough to watch it with someone who had a friend who had met Tarantino, and the whole thing makes a lot more sense when you know what is in the case

[Lazlo]

Both reasonable films, although CoM did make me laugh occasionally - I thought they laid it on a bit thick...

Two "thought provoking" films that come to mind are City of God, and just the other day The Lives of Others. Both very powerful, especially the first.

[principia]

I just watched Hostel II. Tarantino is still one sick puppy.

[Lou]

We watched CoM the other day too - quite good, mostly, I think, becasue the way the sci-fi element of it is built up actually doesn't seem too far away - there is an air of believability about it in the urban scenes, especially.

The new St Trinians was thought-provoking too (as a big fan of the first two - not third - films and Joyce Grenfell and Alistair Sim in particular) I had to see. It provoked the thought - why is Russell Brand everywhere? And why can't we make comedies like the great Ealing comedies any more ?

[Buoyant Babe]

City of God is a remarkable film. I think I need to watch it again.