Sound good.
We should make a list and give participating members a month, to make sure who goes next and what not.
We should make a list and give participating members a month, to make sure who goes next and what not.
RVF Movie Club
Quote: (10-01-2015 12:07 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
All right. Sounds like we're all on board.
This Friday, I'm going to start talking about "The Drop." Very good noir film from 2014. So, get it in your queues and start watching it.
Hm, must have been one of Gandolfini's last films.
Лучше поздно, чем никогда
...life begins at "70% Warning Level."....
All right, I'm going to kick things off with "The Drop" (2014).
This is a seedy little crime noir film, the kind that doesn't get made much any more.
Directed by Michael R. Roskam, it is set in Brooklyn but has a surprisingly international cast. Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and Matthias Schoenaerts all play key roles here.
Some do a better job with the New York accent than others. Tom Hardy is pretty good. The other two, less so. But don't hold that against the film. All in all, this is good stuff. In fact, it feels like this was made for the stage, rather than the screen.
The plot: Sad-sack bartender Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) co-runs a bar with his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini, who must have died during production).
The bar is a money laundering front for a local Chechen gangster. Turns out that the gangster took over Marv's bar a while back and he's still steamed about it. He's plotting to get it back somehow.
The story really is about Bob. He's one of those (apparently) meek and lonely dudes stuck in a dead-end job, and going nowhere. He finds an abandoned dog and nurses it to health. He tries to hang out with the local girl (Noomi Rapace) but that seems to be going nowhere.
Local girl also apparently had a fling with a local bad-boy scumbag payed by Mattias Schoenaerts (who is from Belgium, I believe).
The cops are shadowing everyone, and seem to suspect everyone of being involved some skulduggery or other.
Where is all this going? We're not sure until the last 30 minutes. But what makes this movie very good is its character study of Bob. We are led to believe that this guy is a zero, but it turns out we are wrong.
He turns out be much more intelligent and ruthless than anyone can imagine.
The lesson here is: never let your enemies see you coming. Strike hard, and strike fast.
This is a seedy little crime noir film, the kind that doesn't get made much any more.
Directed by Michael R. Roskam, it is set in Brooklyn but has a surprisingly international cast. Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and Matthias Schoenaerts all play key roles here.
Some do a better job with the New York accent than others. Tom Hardy is pretty good. The other two, less so. But don't hold that against the film. All in all, this is good stuff. In fact, it feels like this was made for the stage, rather than the screen.
The plot: Sad-sack bartender Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) co-runs a bar with his cousin Marv (James Gandolfini, who must have died during production).
The bar is a money laundering front for a local Chechen gangster. Turns out that the gangster took over Marv's bar a while back and he's still steamed about it. He's plotting to get it back somehow.
The story really is about Bob. He's one of those (apparently) meek and lonely dudes stuck in a dead-end job, and going nowhere. He finds an abandoned dog and nurses it to health. He tries to hang out with the local girl (Noomi Rapace) but that seems to be going nowhere.
Local girl also apparently had a fling with a local bad-boy scumbag payed by Mattias Schoenaerts (who is from Belgium, I believe).
The cops are shadowing everyone, and seem to suspect everyone of being involved some skulduggery or other.
Where is all this going? We're not sure until the last 30 minutes. But what makes this movie very good is its character study of Bob. We are led to believe that this guy is a zero, but it turns out we are wrong.
He turns out be much more intelligent and ruthless than anyone can imagine.
The lesson here is: never let your enemies see you coming. Strike hard, and strike fast.
By the way, it occurs to me that we are going to need a way to keep track of these movie reviews here so that others can easily find them. There must be a way to do this without starting a new thread for every film, but I can't think of it. Any good ideas?
Quote: (10-02-2015 01:23 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
By the way, it occurs to me that we are going to need a way to keep track of these movie reviews here so that others can easily find them. There must be a way to do this without starting a new thread for every film, but I can't think of it. Any good ideas?
Maybe switch up the format of reviews from the regular forum format
Quote:Quote:
For instance, put the review in quotes, with a blue colored font that is different from the regular font. That way, people can quickly scroll through the replies to identify the review posts.
Or we could have one thread for the recommendations and general chatter and another one that holds the reviews (this might also limit accidental spoilers, and have the reviews all in one place)
Quote: (10-02-2015 01:23 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
By the way, it occurs to me that we are going to need a way to keep track of these movie reviews here so that others can easily find them. There must be a way to do this without starting a new thread for every film, but I can't think of it. Any good ideas?
-------------------------------------
Something to that effect when you start a review for a new movie.
It could also serve as a spoiler warning. Once you cross that line, be prepared.
You want to know the only thing you can assume about a broken down old man? It's that he's a survivor.
THE DROP (2014)
I've tried not to include any spoilers
QC nailed it. This type of "small" movie doesn't get made much because the script doesn't follow the general formula the major studios look for as proven money makers.
Written by Dennis Lehane (the same guy that wrote Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River) the story is a sort of slow burn that culminates in a moment you don't really see coming.
What I like about it, and to QC's point, is that Bob's (Tom Hardy) character is on a journey that we don't really "see" until that moment. To me the director (or writer) clued us in to the fact that Bob has a past when he refuses to take communion in church even though he regularly goes to mass. He's sort of a sad sack that just seems to be trying to keep his head down and his nose clean but the menacing world around him just won't let him be. He's a damaged character trying not to get sucked into the shit world he's surrounded by (but he's not naive to it either) . Ironically he's not even looking for redemption but the same shit world offers up a bit of hope in the form of the dog and the girl (both damaged like he is). With those things to lose...the stakes are set
Great cast and very nuanced performances. Smartly written, and edited (lot's of the story is "shown" instead of told and cut at 106 minutes it didn't drag on). IMO it's worth watching a 2nd time once you know the outcome
I've tried not to include any spoilers
QC nailed it. This type of "small" movie doesn't get made much because the script doesn't follow the general formula the major studios look for as proven money makers.
Written by Dennis Lehane (the same guy that wrote Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River) the story is a sort of slow burn that culminates in a moment you don't really see coming.
What I like about it, and to QC's point, is that Bob's (Tom Hardy) character is on a journey that we don't really "see" until that moment. To me the director (or writer) clued us in to the fact that Bob has a past when he refuses to take communion in church even though he regularly goes to mass. He's sort of a sad sack that just seems to be trying to keep his head down and his nose clean but the menacing world around him just won't let him be. He's a damaged character trying not to get sucked into the shit world he's surrounded by (but he's not naive to it either) . Ironically he's not even looking for redemption but the same shit world offers up a bit of hope in the form of the dog and the girl (both damaged like he is). With those things to lose...the stakes are set
Great cast and very nuanced performances. Smartly written, and edited (lot's of the story is "shown" instead of told and cut at 106 minutes it didn't drag on). IMO it's worth watching a 2nd time once you know the outcome
_______________________________________
- Does She Have The "Happy Gene" ?
-Inversion Therapy
-Let's lead by example
"Leap, and the net will appear". John Burroughs
"The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure."
Joseph Campbell
Dupe
_______________________________________
- Does She Have The "Happy Gene" ?
-Inversion Therapy
-Let's lead by example
"Leap, and the net will appear". John Burroughs
"The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure."
Joseph Campbell
@Papaya:
Great points. You know, I had forgotten about the communion thing. I totally forgot until you mentioned it. It is an important clue into this guy's dark past.
Other things worth mentioning.
All these actors (Rapace, Hardy, Schoenaerts, Gandolfini) are A-listers. Rapace is getting well known in the US, but Schoenaerts is a big name in Belgium. He was in "Bullhead" and also was in a fantastic, fantastic supernatural horror film called "Left Bank."
I like how the scumbag Eric Deeds character is portrayed as an "alpha" tough guy, but then you find out something very different.
Yeah, the last 20 minutes of this movie made it all worth it. Echoes of Michael Corleone.
Gandolfini (rest in peace) is looking as weasely and and as greasy as ever. He was born to play this sort of a role. He played a similar weasel in the old Nicolas Cage movie "8mm."
Great points. You know, I had forgotten about the communion thing. I totally forgot until you mentioned it. It is an important clue into this guy's dark past.
Other things worth mentioning.
All these actors (Rapace, Hardy, Schoenaerts, Gandolfini) are A-listers. Rapace is getting well known in the US, but Schoenaerts is a big name in Belgium. He was in "Bullhead" and also was in a fantastic, fantastic supernatural horror film called "Left Bank."
I like how the scumbag Eric Deeds character is portrayed as an "alpha" tough guy, but then you find out something very different.
Yeah, the last 20 minutes of this movie made it all worth it. Echoes of Michael Corleone.
Gandolfini (rest in peace) is looking as weasely and and as greasy as ever. He was born to play this sort of a role. He played a similar weasel in the old Nicolas Cage movie "8mm."
Quote: (10-02-2015 04:38 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
@Papaya:
Great points. You know, I had forgotten about the communion thing. I totally forgot until you mentioned it. It is an important clue into this guy's dark past.
Other things worth mentioning.
All these actors (Rapace, Hardy, Schoenaerts, Gandolfini) are A-listers. Rapace is getting well known in the US, but Schoenaerts is a big name in Belgium. He was in "Bullhead" and also was in a fantastic, fantastic supernatural horror film called "Left Bank."
Usually that's how the small movies get made. A name actor reads the script and calls his agent and says "This script is great...I want this project" Once a big name gets attached and a few others come on board the financing lines up. It's still a a crap shoot and a thousand to one that it will get made
Never heard of LEFT BANK...I'll have to check it out. Schoenaerts looks familiar but I can't place what Ive seen him in.
Quote: (10-02-2015 04:38 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
I like how the scumbag Eric Deeds character is portrayed as an "alpha" tough guy, but then you find out something very different.
Yeah if you think about it, there's a lot of irony in the fact that Deed's "rep" is actually based on something Bob did.
Rapace did a great job too. Her reactions to "the event" were very believable and she's attractive enough in a homely kind of way that works.
Quote: (10-02-2015 04:38 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
Gandolfini (rest in peace) is looking as weasely and and as greasy as ever. He was born to play this sort of a role. He played a similar weasel in the old Nicolas Cage movie "8mm."
Gandolfini...man what can you say? He was great in 8mm (an underrated film if you ask me) but what about his role in TRUE ROMANCE?(A monster of a movie by the way) It was one scene with Patricia Arquette but what a scene.
_______________________________________
- Does She Have The "Happy Gene" ?
-Inversion Therapy
-Let's lead by example
"Leap, and the net will appear". John Burroughs
"The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure."
Joseph Campbell
None of these films are on Australian Netflix. I walked up to the one remaining video store in town only to find they were selling their entire stock, so picked up the movie for $5.
The plot didn't surprise me at all, but due to the measured pace and damn solid acting it was an enjoyable watch anyway.
Admittedly, I'm a INTJ, hyper-aware of small details, so your mileage may vary. Show me a character who doesn't take communion, another character commenting on how "It's like you've done that before", and two shots studiously-framing a tank in the basement, and I can see where things are heading easily-enough. I think the scene with the detective reading the psych file weakened the reveal, and it would have been a stronger movie without it, as the final scene covered it enough.
Hardy is great. Note the scene outside the house where exchanging the dog for money is discussed, and note the moment where he makes the decision of what is to come, with it clearly-visible in his eyes. His opponent is too arrogant to notice such a small, deadly detail, but this is the kind of body language tell that I look for when analysing threat potential and Hardy nails it.
It proves he's a good observer of male behaviour. I always get the feeling from him that he's secretly red-pill trapped in the progressive hell of movie stardom. Strikes me as a dude longing for a masculine peer group he'd be forced to prove himself to.
Schoenaerts is a noble failure though: whilst he's great at selling who is character actually is, he's not so good at selling the misdirection of who the audience needs to believe he is at that point in the story, if that makes sense.
Great recommendation, QC!
The plot didn't surprise me at all, but due to the measured pace and damn solid acting it was an enjoyable watch anyway.
Admittedly, I'm a INTJ, hyper-aware of small details, so your mileage may vary. Show me a character who doesn't take communion, another character commenting on how "It's like you've done that before", and two shots studiously-framing a tank in the basement, and I can see where things are heading easily-enough. I think the scene with the detective reading the psych file weakened the reveal, and it would have been a stronger movie without it, as the final scene covered it enough.
Hardy is great. Note the scene outside the house where exchanging the dog for money is discussed, and note the moment where he makes the decision of what is to come, with it clearly-visible in his eyes. His opponent is too arrogant to notice such a small, deadly detail, but this is the kind of body language tell that I look for when analysing threat potential and Hardy nails it.
It proves he's a good observer of male behaviour. I always get the feeling from him that he's secretly red-pill trapped in the progressive hell of movie stardom. Strikes me as a dude longing for a masculine peer group he'd be forced to prove himself to.
Schoenaerts is a noble failure though: whilst he's great at selling who is character actually is, he's not so good at selling the misdirection of who the audience needs to believe he is at that point in the story, if that makes sense.
Great recommendation, QC!
^^^
AB is a dedicated movie-goer, guys. Can't find it on Netflix? Guy goes out and BUYS the movie. Now that's what I call initiative and drive.
Right there, guys. This is the kind of traits you need for success in life. Little things like this are revealing of character.
All right. Just wanted to say that. Carry on...
AB is a dedicated movie-goer, guys. Can't find it on Netflix? Guy goes out and BUYS the movie. Now that's what I call initiative and drive.
Right there, guys. This is the kind of traits you need for success in life. Little things like this are revealing of character.
All right. Just wanted to say that. Carry on...
A little late the the party, but count me in on this. I watched "The Drop" last night. Enjoyable flick. I think there's enough going on that it would be worth watching a second time, just to pick up on the smaller details.
********
I liked the aesthetic of this film. The sepia-heavy look was good, but what really caught my eye were some jarring shots interspersed throughout the film that clashed against standard "rule of thirds" practices. The furnace shot that AB mentioned was one, there was another shot of Tom Hardy's head is centred, in profile, in the frame, in front of an octagonal window in the hallway of Noomi Rapace's home. There's another where Hardy is at his kitchen sink looking out the window. He is placed on the left hand side of the frame while looking towards the left (before turning around). Even some of the conversational scenes feature a jagged composition, where the characters talk around a lamp.
One thing that I noticed was the recurring appearance of Christian motifs. There's the shots of Hardy in the church, the discussion of the church closing, the little angel statuette with the broken wing that Rapace repairs and that later Schoenaerts places on the kitchen table, crucifixes on the walls and finally in the defining scene, Rapace's character is wearing cross earrings.
I think that all of these instances hint at Hardy's quest for salvation from the menacing world around him, as pointed out by PapayaTapper. Maybe there's also a biblical allegory in the plot? Curious if anyone has any thoughts on this.
******
@AnonymousBosch: I was able to watch this film on Netflix Canada. However, if Netflix AUS is anything like the Canadian version, its catalog will be significantly smaller than the US version. Have you looked into tapping into the US version? There are lots of free ways to do this, be it an extension on your browser (Zenmate works on Chrome and Firefox) or downloading a VPN. In a news report from 2014, it was revealed that 1/3 of Canadians are masking their location to access US Netflix. I suspect that number is now much higher and that many Australians do the same.
@QC: Thanks for getting the ball rolling on this. I'm looking forward to the French film.
********
I liked the aesthetic of this film. The sepia-heavy look was good, but what really caught my eye were some jarring shots interspersed throughout the film that clashed against standard "rule of thirds" practices. The furnace shot that AB mentioned was one, there was another shot of Tom Hardy's head is centred, in profile, in the frame, in front of an octagonal window in the hallway of Noomi Rapace's home. There's another where Hardy is at his kitchen sink looking out the window. He is placed on the left hand side of the frame while looking towards the left (before turning around). Even some of the conversational scenes feature a jagged composition, where the characters talk around a lamp.
One thing that I noticed was the recurring appearance of Christian motifs. There's the shots of Hardy in the church, the discussion of the church closing, the little angel statuette with the broken wing that Rapace repairs and that later Schoenaerts places on the kitchen table, crucifixes on the walls and finally in the defining scene, Rapace's character is wearing cross earrings.
I think that all of these instances hint at Hardy's quest for salvation from the menacing world around him, as pointed out by PapayaTapper. Maybe there's also a biblical allegory in the plot? Curious if anyone has any thoughts on this.
******
@AnonymousBosch: I was able to watch this film on Netflix Canada. However, if Netflix AUS is anything like the Canadian version, its catalog will be significantly smaller than the US version. Have you looked into tapping into the US version? There are lots of free ways to do this, be it an extension on your browser (Zenmate works on Chrome and Firefox) or downloading a VPN. In a news report from 2014, it was revealed that 1/3 of Canadians are masking their location to access US Netflix. I suspect that number is now much higher and that many Australians do the same.
@QC: Thanks for getting the ball rolling on this. I'm looking forward to the French film.
Quote: (10-03-2015 01:03 PM)Nemausus Wrote:
One thing that I noticed was the recurring appearance of Christian motifs. There's the shots of Hardy in the church, the discussion of the church closing, the little angel statuette with the broken wing that Rapace repairs and that later Schoenaerts places on the kitchen table, crucifixes on the walls and finally in the defining scene, Rapace's character is wearing cross earrings.
Also, St Roch (Rocco in Italian) was known for tending to the sick. He contracted a plague, so isolated himself in the forest in a small hut made out of tree branches. A nobleman's dog would bring him bread each day, saving him from starvation, and licked his wounds, healing him.
As such, he's the Patron Saint of Dogs and the Falsely-Accused.
Rocco (the movie dog) leads to a healing, of sorts, for both Bob and Nadia: Bob realises someone can love him, regardless of his sin, whilst Nadia realises someone can love her, regardless of her past. Eric Deeds is mentally-ill man falsely-accused of a crime, but embraces the stigma for the reputation boost.
Quote:Quote:
@AnonymousBosch: I was able to watch this film on Netflix Canada. However, if Netflix AUS is anything like the Canadian version, its catalog will be significantly smaller than the US version. Have you looked into tapping into the US version?
Thanks for the info, mate. I'm aware that people do this, but I've had Netflix for a few months now and, to be honest, have barely-used it. I've always thought narrower choice leads to deeper consideration of music and novels than the new streaming / sharing models, though I accept girls will expect everyone to have Netflix, and couch-based entertainment is a huge component of the female psyche, so it's a necessary evil. I appreciate the thought.
From the IMDB forums, where thought goes to die:
SPOILERS
There's a couple of 'run' responses, but hamsters gonna hamst...
![[Image: 24466f1672648b704af1b575952ab31f.jpg]](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/24/46/6f/24466f1672648b704af1b575952ab31f.jpg)
Bad boy game recognised.![[Image: banana.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/new/banana.gif)
SPOILERS
Quote:Quote:
Question For The Women
If you were in Nadia's place, would you stay?
On one hand...outwardly nice guy, loves his dog, protective of the ones he cares about, has a steady job, comes off as a loyal kind of guy, and let's not forget...looks like Tom Hardy.
On the other hand, he's killed two people. One's a bad guy, sure, but both were in cold blood. And consider the type of guys who own the bar he works at.
So...stay or run? Would you even believe him when he says he'd leave you alone if you just said it out loud?
There's a couple of 'run' responses, but hamsters gonna hamst...
Quote:Quote:
Are you 100% POSITIVE that it would be (or look like) Tom Hardy???...... then YES. ??
Quote:Quote:
Lol ^^This.
Quote:Quote:
YES it would be refreshing to have someone so simple and not have to worry about other motives, sneakiness etc
To know that he would be loyal to me is everything (oh yea and he looks like Hardy)
Quote:Quote:
Well, there's a lot of bad people in the world...bob's got a sweet side she sees with Rocco and the way he treats her...and he's definitely an upgrade from deeds....who was a supposed killer...that she dated
Bad boy game recognised.
^^
Tom Hardy is shaping up to be a real bad-ass. Great actor, period. I just saw in the theater today "The Martian" for lack of anything better to do. (Was all right, worth seeing, but a bit overrated). He's not in the movie, but the coming attractions had a good ad for a movie he is in.
Anyway, the coming attractions advertised a film that he and Leo DeCaprio are going to be in, coming out soon. It's called "The Revenant" and it looks great. Don't know anything about it except that trailer, and that was good enough...
Tom Hardy is shaping up to be a real bad-ass. Great actor, period. I just saw in the theater today "The Martian" for lack of anything better to do. (Was all right, worth seeing, but a bit overrated). He's not in the movie, but the coming attractions had a good ad for a movie he is in.
Anyway, the coming attractions advertised a film that he and Leo DeCaprio are going to be in, coming out soon. It's called "The Revenant" and it looks great. Don't know anything about it except that trailer, and that was good enough...
Quote: (10-03-2015 03:57 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
Tom Hardy is shaping up to be a real bad-ass. Great actor, period.
He's great at playing a bad ass. The bloke has issues with masculinity though. This is the stuff I was hinting at earlier:
The definitive guide to Tom Hardy's refreshing views on feminism
Quote:Quote:
I’m frightened of them [groups of men], I’m much more comfortable around women. I’d love to be one of the boys but I always felt a bit on the outside. Maybe my masculine qualities come from over-compensating that I’m not one of the boys.
and:
Quote:Quote:
I have always been frightened with men, to the point where I couldn't go into a gym because of the testosterone, and I felt weak… I don't feel very manly. I don't feel rugged and strong and capable in real life, not how I imagine a man ought to be. So I seek it, to mimic it and maybe understand it, or maybe to draw it into my own reality.
Though I agree with some aspects of this:
Quote:Quote:
A great man is largely forgotten by the public. He doesn't stand on top of a mountain waving a flag saying, "Look at me—I'm a great man." A great man often disappears into the ether. Hardly anyone notices that he was even there, apart from his family and close friends. He was reliable. He showed up. He was there. He was useful where he could be. He made mistakes. Tried to make better of those mistakes. Doesn't mean you have to cure cancer or understand the theory of relativity. It's not necessarily as rock-and-roll or as cool as you might think. Part of being a great man is accepting that. To dare to be average and normal is actually a pathway to becoming a great man. To have more humility. To accept responsibility more. To just get on with what's in front of your face. And to leave no fucking indelible mark of your ever being here, apart from the fact that you were there for your family to the best of your ability. It's not an easy task. I'll probably fuck it up.
The morbidly-obese feminist typist flicking the bean over all this, telling us how to be a man whilst failing to be a woman:
![[Image: tumblr_inline_n00p1klR8m1qzseal.jpg]](https://38.media.tumblr.com/7d799c155d7dc5abec828a74336bcb5a/tumblr_inline_n00p1klR8m1qzseal.jpg)
Full body shot here
^^^
Damn, man, I had no idea he was kind of PC in real life. Sad, but I guess not unexpected.
Damn, man, I had no idea he was kind of PC in real life. Sad, but I guess not unexpected.
Almost done watching "Colosio: El Asesinato". Not bad. Something I knew nothing about, which is Mexican politics.
Got to get outside your comfort zone with movies. Dive into the unknown...
Got to get outside your comfort zone with movies. Dive into the unknown...
Quote: (10-05-2015 11:58 AM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
Almost done watching "Colosio: El Asesinato". Not bad. Something I knew nothing about, which is Mexican politics.
Got to get outside your comfort zone with movies. Dive into the unknown...
I'm having trouble tracking the two others down, though they both least before they shut down all Liberal Arts on campus to only focus on degrees with - as they put it - 'Vocational Value'.sound interesting from what I've read online. Might try the University Library today, they always had a large selection of foreign films, at least until they discontinued all Liberal Arts degrees to focus on those with, as they put it, 'Vocational Value'.
![[Image: laugh2.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/new/laugh2.gif)
No, I don't torrent. It'd be hypocritical of me when I expect to be paid for my own art.
Update: There's a Google Play app on my phone and 'Colosio' seems to be available on that. I'll see if I can use it to play it on the telly.
^^^
Sorry you're having trouble finding the movie, AB. I guess this is one of the disadvantages of a club like this. Not every title is going to be available everywhere.
I'll go ahead and put up my review of the film and you can get an idea what it is about.
Colosio: El Asesinato is an effective political thriller about a key event in modern Mexican politics: the 1994 murder of politician Luis Donaldo Colosio.
Colosio was gunned down in a crowd during a political rally. The official explanation? The gunman "acted alone," of course.
If you're like me, you probably know next to nothing about Mexican politics. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to see this film, as my knowledge of Mexican affairs needs a lot of improvement.
Not many people in Mexico, we are told, believe that the gunman was a lone actor. Suspicions have focused on a conspiracy involving rival politicians, criminal gangs, and drug traffickers.
Why does all this matter? Everybody knows that Mexico has been plunged into violence since the 2000s began. Who rules, and who has been benefiting, may have something to do with this.
The film uses the same sort of plot device that Oliver Stone's JFK did to tell its sordid tale: we have an aggressive investigator with a team of assistants who uncover one nefarious connection after another.
No one is specifically blamed, but the director implies that it was a conspiracy that reached to the highest levels of government.
In any case, this film is very well done, but may not be for every taste. Political thrillers often depend on knowledge of the politics to be fully appreciated. I think this was one of the reasons why Liam Neeson's Michael Collins, a wonderful film, never got the attention it deserved.
But maybe I'm being pessimistic. I know nothing about politics in Mexico, and found the movie to be worth my time. The tension and pace are kept at a high level from the opening scene, the characters are engaging and real, and there is enough double-crossing and scheming to satisfy the most jaded viewers.
.
Sorry you're having trouble finding the movie, AB. I guess this is one of the disadvantages of a club like this. Not every title is going to be available everywhere.
I'll go ahead and put up my review of the film and you can get an idea what it is about.
Colosio: El Asesinato is an effective political thriller about a key event in modern Mexican politics: the 1994 murder of politician Luis Donaldo Colosio.
Colosio was gunned down in a crowd during a political rally. The official explanation? The gunman "acted alone," of course.
If you're like me, you probably know next to nothing about Mexican politics. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to see this film, as my knowledge of Mexican affairs needs a lot of improvement.
Not many people in Mexico, we are told, believe that the gunman was a lone actor. Suspicions have focused on a conspiracy involving rival politicians, criminal gangs, and drug traffickers.
Why does all this matter? Everybody knows that Mexico has been plunged into violence since the 2000s began. Who rules, and who has been benefiting, may have something to do with this.
The film uses the same sort of plot device that Oliver Stone's JFK did to tell its sordid tale: we have an aggressive investigator with a team of assistants who uncover one nefarious connection after another.
No one is specifically blamed, but the director implies that it was a conspiracy that reached to the highest levels of government.
In any case, this film is very well done, but may not be for every taste. Political thrillers often depend on knowledge of the politics to be fully appreciated. I think this was one of the reasons why Liam Neeson's Michael Collins, a wonderful film, never got the attention it deserved.
But maybe I'm being pessimistic. I know nothing about politics in Mexico, and found the movie to be worth my time. The tension and pace are kept at a high level from the opening scene, the characters are engaging and real, and there is enough double-crossing and scheming to satisfy the most jaded viewers.
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Quote: (10-03-2015 03:57 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:
^^
Tom Hardy is shaping up to be a real bad-ass. Great actor, period. I just saw in the theater today "The Martian" for lack of anything better to do. (Was all right, worth seeing, but a bit overrated). He's not in the movie, but the coming attractions had a good ad for a movie he is in.
Anyway, the coming attractions advertised a film that he and Leo DeCaprio are going to be in, coming out soon. It's called "The Revenant" and it looks great. Don't know anything about it except that trailer, and that was good enough...
I saw the coming attraction for "The Revenant" and it looks a lot like an earlier movie called "Man in the Wilderness" (1971) with Richard Harris.
Quote: (10-03-2015 01:03 PM)Nemausus Wrote:
A little late the the party, but count me in on this. I watched "The Drop" last night. Enjoyable flick. I think there's enough going on that it would be worth watching a second time, just to pick up on the smaller details.
One thing that I noticed was the recurring appearance of Christian motifs. There's the shots of Hardy in the church, the discussion of the church closing, the little angel statuette with the broken wing that Rapace repairs and that later Schoenaerts places on the kitchen table, crucifixes on the walls and finally in the defining scene, Rapace's character is wearing cross earrings.
I think that all of these instances hint at Hardy's quest for salvation from the menacing world around him, as pointed out by PapayaTapper. Maybe there's also a biblical allegory in the plot? Curious if anyone has any thoughts on this.
******
Nemausus good catch. I had picked up on Bob not taking communion thing but after your comment I watched THE DROP again paying particular attention to the religious iconography. I now believe the writer was actually telling a modern version of one of the New Testament parables...The Parable of the Lost Sheep with some elements of The Parable of The Good Samaritan
Parable Of The Lost Sheep
'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance." Jesus— Luke 15:3-7
Listen to Bob's own words in this short voice over... Powerful and poignant
"There are some sins you can't come back from..."he's definitely a lost sheep
I believe it becomes obvious that this is most assuredly a divine test, a chance, for Bob to win his soul back. To save the dog is a primer and once he passes that he's charged with saving the girl Nadine and thus redeem himself....and not be "alone forever", which in his own words is Hell.
The moment he kills Deeds is the moment of his redemption. His words to Deeds lifeless body...
“I’m sorry, but you kids,” Bob said. “You know? You go out of the house dressed like you’re still in your living room. You treat women terribly. You hurt harmless dogs. No more. I’m tired of you, man.”
There's quite a lot more to this film than meets the eye at first glance
_______________________________________
- Does She Have The "Happy Gene" ?
-Inversion Therapy
-Let's lead by example
"Leap, and the net will appear". John Burroughs
"The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure."
Joseph Campbell
^^^^
@Papaya:
Yes, I agree. There is a lot more to "The Drop" than first meets the eye. Actually I never caught all the nuances until some of the other guys here pointed them out. I lucked out in picking it, as I knew nothing about it. I just went by some of the reviews on Netflix.
Already this film club is proving to be a good idea. I have to give Renotime credit for the idea. I don't think he'll mind me saying that he first brought up the idea. Good call, man.
@AB:
Chief, I feel bad that you can't find Colosio: El Asesinato. I have a feeling that others may have the same problem. I think what I'll do is just post reviews of a couple other movies, as backup films.
After October ends, someone else will be able to choose the movies and they'll find out that it's not easy deciding which ones to pick. I could have gone the easy route and just picked stuff that everyone has already seen before, but as I see it, the purpose of this club is to chart unexplored celluloid waters. That is, go after the obscure, overlooked movies, or the hidden gems.
@Papaya:
Yes, I agree. There is a lot more to "The Drop" than first meets the eye. Actually I never caught all the nuances until some of the other guys here pointed them out. I lucked out in picking it, as I knew nothing about it. I just went by some of the reviews on Netflix.
Already this film club is proving to be a good idea. I have to give Renotime credit for the idea. I don't think he'll mind me saying that he first brought up the idea. Good call, man.
@AB:
Chief, I feel bad that you can't find Colosio: El Asesinato. I have a feeling that others may have the same problem. I think what I'll do is just post reviews of a couple other movies, as backup films.
After October ends, someone else will be able to choose the movies and they'll find out that it's not easy deciding which ones to pick. I could have gone the easy route and just picked stuff that everyone has already seen before, but as I see it, the purpose of this club is to chart unexplored celluloid waters. That is, go after the obscure, overlooked movies, or the hidden gems.
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