Board 8 > Movie Club Topic 3 - Murder by Marnie: Hunt for the Blue Hand Stalker Lobster

(+) Yeah! (+)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

As in portraiture, this movie is a study of the face. Every look says something, every glance has stakes. The mythological allegory adds a nice layer by highlighting a key motif for the story to explore, the fatal look back.This scene is reconfigured a few times, in the climax I think Heloise may be aware that Marianna is behind her but chooses not to look back, symbolically making the 'lover's choice' as opposed to Marianna who made the 'poet's choice' a few scenes earlier (Heloise even tells her to turn around as per her interpretation of the story). Orpheus being a musician ties into their connection via the song. The subtle motion tracking on Heloise in the last shot was a perfect way to end it, with painterly fixation on her face. The cinematography was excellent throughout and that shot was a cherry on top.

I really liked the choice to not use any soundtrack except for sparse diegetic music. It's historically grounding since this is a time where you couldn't hear music without someone performing it live, and that makes it more powerful when it does show up. I'll admit when I first saw it I thought it was a bit cheap to lean on Vivaldi so much in the final shot, but you know what I love 2001 and if Kubrick can get away with shoving Strauss into every scene then dammit, Sciamma can tap the Four Seasons for the money shot at the end because it fucking works. The relative absence of music also leaves a lot of room for the sound design to go full asmr with the brushes on canvas, crashing waves, whipping wind, crackling fire. Those details really stood out in the theater. Also, I feel like everyone is constantly whispering, was that just me?

Camden posted...

The only scene in the entire movie I didn't particularly care for was the argument they get in to, if only because it felt like they were trying to force some tension into the relationship when it was entirely unnecessary and didn't really have much payoff.

...First, while I understand the running to the point of exhaustion and herbal remedies, what would the possible reasoning be for hanging from a board like me trying to do pull-ups in gym class when it comes to forcing an abortion? Also, beyond it just being a good way to get some overt sexual imagery in the film, who was telling these women back then that the place to rub your magic drugs is your armpit

Totally agree with all of this, the only parts of the movie that didn't really make sense to me. Even for an old-timey abortion practice the idea of just dangling until a fetus drops out seems beyond silly. Was that a thing? And when the drugs popped up I was certain they were going to hit it from the tobacco pipe. She even said it slowed down time, I was like for sure this is weed. And then she daps her pits and her eyes go black, I have no idea wtf drug even does that. With the argument I just felt like I was having a stereotype guy moment because I couldn't even figure out what they were arguing about, even the second time through.

Overall it's an elegant and affecting drama, a little dry at times in its seriousness but never too dour. Well-performed, looks and sounds great. Didn't hit as hard the second time around so I'm gonna go with an 8 but it's a high 8/10
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I'm not sure I can list my top five documentaries that aren't just documentaries about things I enjoy to begin with that may or may not actually be good. Some of these?

Alone in the Wilderness
The King of Kong
Jodorowskys Dune
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
A documentary on Kurosawa that I don't remember the title of.

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Camden posted...

I'm not sure I can list my top five documentaries that aren't just documentaries about things I enjoy to begin with that may or may not actually be good.

when i think back on it, the "things i enjoy docs" part has mostly been covered by really long youtube videos than "official" films

Not sure what mine would be either. I haven't seen much more than 5 documentaries (like 10 if I had to guess not counting what I might've seen as a kid in school) and most of what I've seen I don't remember all that well. Of the top of my head, I recall liking The Cove, Religilous, and Paris is Burning

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I don't watch very many documentaries and can't come up with enough for a top five.The ones that come to mind that I really like as movies (rather than just liking the subject matter) are Hoop Dreams, Waltz with Bashir, and Grizzly Man.
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i went through my list of seen movies and i've actually seen less docs than i thought but

Tickled - about a journalist who discovers a tickling competition online and the rabbit hole he goes down. fascinating in so many ways and it probably takes my #1 spot for now.
Blackfish - already mentioned by Snake but damn
Dear Zachary - a very personal project that makes you go through all the emotions
Catching Hell - about the Steve Bartman incident
This Film is Not Yet Rated - about the process of how the MPAA assigns ratings to films. i picked this one for my last slot because even though the presentation left more to be desired, the subject matter and the investigation that takes place was so unique and memorable and there's one hilarious moment that will always stick with me.

First documentary that comes to mind is the more recent 90s Chicago Bulls documentary, The Last Dance.

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ooh yeah that's for sure going on my watclist

I'm wary about watching The Last Dance because when it was airing I got the distinct impression from other people watching it that it was essentially a puff piece. And that's fine if it was a two hour movie, but I really don't want to commit ten hours to it.

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oh damn

i actually forgot about that part

like i didn't know the exact length but knew it was a series hmmmmmmmm

Hoop Dreams is already up there, I don't watch too many documentaries. For longer anthology stuff the Ken Burns series on Jazz and the one on Vietnam are excellent, if those are considered documentaries. The Evolution of Hip-Hop series on Netflix is really good too. Seems like true crime series are all the rage now, I'm not into that really.

Koyaanisqatsi - Not even sure if this counts but it's worth a mention, says a lot without words. Was really popular back in the day
Into The Inferno - Herzog's recent volcano documentary, at one point he sneaks into North Korea for rare footage and it swerves into a peek behind the curtain
F For Fake - Orson Welles final completed film, a weird meta examination of art forgery that is itself only half-true
Pumping Iron - I find Schwarzenegger a totally fascinating figure, though he's not the sole focus of the doc
David Lynch: The Art Life - I'm a big Lynch fan, I could go on about his stuff forever. A creative hero of mine
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i've watched a season of Evolution of Hip-Hop and didn't end up watching the rest despite enjoying it and wanting to finish it but i think that does kind of inform me of the likelihood of finishing something like The Last Dance

Camden posted...

A pair of questions, though. First, while I understand the running to the point of exhaustion and herbal remedies, what would the possible reasoning be for hanging from a board like me trying to do pull-ups in gym class when it comes to forcing an abortion?

i did try to do some basic searches and couldn't find much it really would not surprise me if it was a more widespread belief that gravity or whatever would speed up the process or something

Portrait

Seginustemple posted...

I really liked the choice to not use any soundtrack except for sparse diegetic music. It's historically grounding since this is a time where you couldn't hear music without someone performing it live, and that makes it more powerful when it does show up. I'll admit when I first saw it I thought it was a bit cheap to lean on Vivaldi so much in the final shot, but you know what I love 2001 and if Kubrick can get away with shoving Strauss into every scene then dammit, Sciamma can tap the Four Seasons for the money shot at the end because it fucking works. The relative absence of music also leaves a lot of room for the sound design to go full asmr with the brushes on canvas, crashing waves, whipping wind, crackling fire. Those details really stood out in the theater. Also, I feel like everyone is constantly whispering, was that just me?

i didn't really notice about the music until you pointed it out but it's a lightbulb 'oh' moment for sure that makes me appreciate the film more. and yeah even as someone who has next to no classical music knowledge i had similar thoughts about the Four Seasons usage. like the fact that i even know the name of the piece is a testament to how omnipresent it seems to be but yes by the end i was like ehhhhh fuck it, the ending is GREAT.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

on a silly note, i can't stop thinking about the title and the two ways i could interpret it in isolation. is the lady on fire or the portrait on fire? (not a serious question)

actually ended up watching this over two sittings because of time and my mind wandering a little tbh. but by the end i was pretty impressed. ties things up very nicely and an amazing final shot.

probably my favorite aspect of it was the focus that the small details got. and not just elements of the film itself like the cinematography or audio but among the characters themselves with one of my favorite scenes being the one where the two leads start listing each others' idiosyncrasies dependent on their moods. and all the shots of the facial expressions to convey their thoughts and emotions (e.g. scene where Marianne is painting Heloise sleep) thematically fit the characters who can't always voice their thoughts or emotions due to societal conventions or whatnot.

probably something i'd like more on a rewatch. 7/10

Seginustemple posted...

Camden posted...

The only scene in the entire movie I didn't particularly care for was the argument they get in to, if only because it felt like they were trying to force some tension into the relationship when it was entirely unnecessary and didn't really have much payoff.

With the argument I just felt like I was having a stereotype guy moment because I couldn't even figure out what they were arguing about, even the second time through.

i know this is more about what they're arguing about rather than how it happens but damn when you're having a good moment and the mood just suddenly shifts because of one thing a person says, that felt too real

As for the scene and argument itself, i think there's some interesting stuff there as Marianne is forced to confront the inevitable end of their relationship. It starts with them talking about how they've changed since they first met and because of how their relationship has progressed, Marianne now resents Heloise ("you bear me a grudge") because Heloise is not stopping the marriage. Marianne is placing that "burden" despite knowing deep down that neither of them really have that power. I think it's also interesting that Marianne says before that by painting and finishing the portrait, she "give[s] you (Heloise) to another" so she is crediting herself with some action here (although it is subs). Heloise is hurt because she feels misunderstood by the person who she thought knew her the most when she had been resisting up to that point and in the end "gave in" to the marriage because by allowing to have herself be painted, they could have that time together. But then she's basically getting called a coward by someone who's not even definitively asking her to refuse the marriage and also giving in to the same societal convention ("You'd prefer me to resist." "Yes." "Are you asking me to?" "No.")

kateee posted...

I think it's also interesting that Marianne says before that by painting and finishing the portrait, she "give[s] you (Heloise) to another" so she is crediting herself with some action here.

Ohh see I was reading that all wrong, I thought she was talking about giving to her yet another painting and I was like "that seems like overkill". I must have gotten a little dyslexic there with the subtitles. It makes way more sense that this is the final painting, that's why it's a big moment for them. The crystallization of the stolen look before the fates separate them.

The mood shift did feel real. Like one second everything is peachy, body language is super positive, three sentences later one of them is crying over something that's been under the surface the whole time. I like the way you explained it, it just happened so fast I wasn't paying enough attention in the moment.
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Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie

Where to even begin with this one? For as much of this is still lodged in my memory banks (every single music cue and stupid one-liner) there's one glaring aspect that I never noticed as a child - this isn't the original Power Rangers cast. The blue, pink, and white ranger are the same but red is a new guy and black and yellow have actually swapped ethnicity, presumably because at some point the producers realized the black guy being the black ranger and the asian chick being the yellow ranger was pretty fucking tacky. But it my mind it was still Zach and Trini in the movie. And I think it's because the Rangers are honestly just 100% forgettable here. They have zero real character moments, it's just action and walking and generic one-liners. No time for personality when they're busy skydiving into rollerblading into karate fights. And I have to guess it's done this way because none of these people can really act anyways.

All the personality went into the villains. Rita and Zedd are more entertaining than the Rangers in their brief appearance, even Goldar has some charm and he does jack-all for the entire movie (which is weird because he's typically the mini-boss). Ivan Ooze is clearly the star of the show, he has lot of fun with the role and injects some much-needed charisma and humor. He's a terrible strategist, guy sends a dozen shock troops in and when that doesn't work he sends a dozen flying guys in and when that doesn't work he sends all his drone workers to die. Ivan Ooze is ten-year-old me playing Starcraft. But he's the life of the party and really this movie wouldn't be much without him. Thanos doesn't have shit on Ivan Ooze.

Some of the practical effects actually hold up. The way the ooze guys explode on impact is still satisfying, a big step up from the lame putty mobs of the show. Zedd's exposed brain pulsating was a nice detail. Ivan's prosthetics look fantastic (and the costume, he is fabulously purple). The CG stuff is obviously limited and holds back the big battle at the end, as a kid I was impressed by how shiny and sleek it was but in hindsight the show version was much more effective, with guys in suits stomping around. It was visceral, there were real explosions and sparks and shit - https://youtu.be/TBHKeRWKqN8?t=129. Also the original Power Rangers costumes look way better than the crap they wear in the movie.

This franchise was indirectly my first brush with Japanese media, although I didn't know it at the time. Looking back it's interesting to note the stylistic differences between the show (which lifted scenes wholesale from its Japanese counterpart) and this completely American production. The actual Super Sentai fights take on a sense of heightened theatricality which I now find sorely lacking in the movie - https://youtu.be/s2_PczpjnUA?t=105.

This time my favorite moment came at 50:17. Isn't that Dana Carvey's impression of Bush Sr.? I love that bird guy #2 has that voice. 2/10 but it's a loving 2.
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@Johnbobb your turn to reccomend

Brazil (1985)
Barton Fink (1991)
Pi (1998)
Magnolia (1999)
The Fountain (2006)

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Pi
The Fountain
Barton Fink

Two movies I've seen, two movies on my watch list and Barton Fink, which for some reason I was under the impression was a kids comedy movie. At least I remember the movie cover having a kid with glasses on it. And now it's going to drive me crazy until I figure out what that movie cover actually goes to, because I have the image in my head but apparently it's not Barton Fink.

Also, I remember when Pi came out I couldn't rent it at Blockbuster because it was in their computer system wrong and they couldn't bring it up to rent it to me.

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Vote for all movies you would be interested in seeing for the next week (~July 2nd, NA). Rank your choices. If you do not intend to vote for whatever reason, please reply with "No Vote" so there is as little of a waiting period as possible. Please vote by Friday, July 2nd, 3:00 A.M EST./12 A.M. PST (midnight)

Brazil (1985)
Barton Fink (1991)
Pi (1998)
Magnolia (1999)
The Fountain (2006)

@jcgamer107
@lucifiere
@Raka_Putra
@Seginustemple
@SwiftyDC
@ViolentAbacus
@Xeybozn

Brazil

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I'll vote for the two I haven't seen, the other three are great though

Pi
The Fountain
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that's a good spread - I'll vote Magnolia since I've been meaning to see it & like PTA

Top 5 documentaries is something like:

The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Dear Zachary
Best Worst Movie (Troll 2 retrospective headed up by the main child actor)
Winning Time (Reggie Miller 30 for 30)

Hoop dreams would probably be 11-20

HM to some great recent true crime series like Making a Murderer, The Keepers and The Jinx

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jcgamer107 posted...

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

ooh I've been meaning to watch that one

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Brazil
Magnolia

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Brazil (1985)
Pi (1998)
Magnolia (1999)
The Fountain (2006)

Actually I just don't want to rewatch Barton Fink.

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The Fountain
Barton Fink
Brazil
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Magnolia (1999)
Pi (1998)
The Fountain (2006)
Brazil (1985)
Barton Fink (1991)

Pi
The Fountain

portrait

Seginustemple posted...

The mood shift did feel real. Like one second everything is peachy, body language is super positive, three sentences later one of them is crying over something that's been under the surface the whole time.

i've actually seen this happen with my parents quite a bit so when it happened i was like oof

poll results are tied after all votes so nominator choice. @Johnbobb please choose between Brazil and Pi.

Pi

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Next movie is Pi (1998) directed by Darren Aronofsky

@Camden
@jcgamer107
@lucifiere
@Raka_Putra
@Seginustemple
@SwiftyDC
@ViolentAbacus
@Xeybozn
@tyder21

Richard Parker!

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yum yum

new topic:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/79546069

save

save?

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ooh thanks

save

Still need this one?

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thanks

Still need this one 2.0?

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well i don't know if other people besides me read over the old posts after they watch a movie but i'd like to keep it up until it fills

so thankss

maybe this will be the first one to actually reach 500

Maybe.

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