Mafiascum Film Group: thestatusquo

[Oman]

/in

[Oman]

Not your kind.

[Oman]

We should do a rotational system, everyone joins and watches and one at a time we recomend and discuss it over a week or so.

[Oman]

Rent from your local store. I do not condone breaking the law, but you could torrent it.

[Oman]

Okay, it looks like I'm up first. I want to recomend the 2007 version of Slueth [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857265/] for a few reasons.

1. Its a play that I read and liked considerably, but never got to see on stage.

2. I think its one of the more artistic of the big budget films, doesn't let the huge actors it has go to its head (even though they have some of the best performances).

3. Somehow blends film and theatre very very well.



If you're brave enough I also suggest the 1972 version! [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069281/]. A fantastic piece, probably better than the 2007 version, but I want to lead people in slowly with a contemporary piece.

[Oman]

I personally liked the theatrical feel and even the artifical bits. I think its something that really gave the movie a bit of freshness in my eyes. I tend to find most movies a predictible load that never really gives me the catharsis that I watch it for. As I come from a theatre background, that may have given me a different perspective to you, because I feel like I really did connect/become involved in the story.

Law plays the second half of the film excellently, especially as he goes completely crazy, and it does bring about that thought in your head "is this just a game, or is this a real relationship between these people" and thats one of the key aspects of the film: Where do our relationships become just games?

*spoilers*

Of course, the twist involving Law coming back is a very very interesting one, because it sets up for the whole game sequence of "You got me, I got you, and I know you'll get me again". From a story point of view it was meant to be obvious it puts several shots to the tattoo that identifies the policeman as Law rather early. Its not there as the *GASP* REVEAL, its there such that we watch in on the story unfold, huge amounts of dramatic irony.

I think a key element there is that this isn't a movie in the traditional sense, it has that layer of dramatic irony, which is prevented from become a runaway sense of predictability through the sheer confusing nature of their gamestories (which is prevented from being too confusing by the dramatic irony).

[Oman]

Of course, the twist involving Law coming back is a very very interesting one, because it sets up for the whole game sequence of "You got me, I got you, and I know you'll get me again". From a story point of view it was meant to be obvious it puts several shots to the tattoo that identifies the policeman as Law rather early. Its not there as the *GASP* REVEAL, its there such that we watch in on the story unfold, huge amounts of dramatic irony.

I get the story importance, I just felt it really didn't work as a scene. I seem to recall the scene working towards a *GASP* REVEAL element, as you call it, but maybe I missed the part where it was interesting despite the "twist" being obvious.

The scene itself isn't, I agree with that, but it has to happen. I cannot think of a way to make that scene any more interesting, but I cannot think of how to progress the story with it being cut.

[Oman]

Why? Wasn't the point to discuss them in this thread?

[Oman]

I like some of those points, I'll discuss them with you when I return from a morning PT session.

[Oman]

This set Caine up as more of the hero for the third act. Yet he wasn't, Law was. That's where the movie fell apart for me.

I disagree, I felt like there wasn't really a hero at all. Both men seemed to self-destruct pretty efficently. I don't know if I'm reading this right, but I didn't feel like there was any winner in their struggle, I didn't see a hero/villain in all, only the small periods they each spent as the winner(hero) or loser.

A violent stupid end to a movie that had one more layer yet to unpeal. I had a feeling that the death of one or the other (or both) was probably the only logical outcome, it just felt anti-climactic.

After reading this I completely agree. That simple resort to violence is kind of anti-climatic considering the greatest build up. Of course, there is the question, was he really dead at the end there?

But at the same time, it distracted a little bit. When each character pretended to but stealing or murdering, how is it that they forgot or never mentioned that they were being recorded. It could ahve been fixed by a line of dialogue ("they don't record" or something), but it wasn't.

Yuck, realism. I swear there was a line in there where Caine says "I tell the police I forgot to put the tape in" or something during the first theft.

Sorry, haven't reviewed a film since my last film class. Good pick Oman. Acting and cinematography-wise it's in the top echelon. Directing is so-so, and the writing could have been a lot better.

I agree, could've used more Brecht (everything is solved with Brecht).

[Oman]

Wow. ITT springlullaby reviews a film in the context of it being a porn flick.

[Oman]

Wow. ITT springlullaby reviews a film in the context of it being a porn flick.

lol, totally works for the first paragraph. (What's ITT? )

Could someone remind me exactly what happened in the third act? I remember the first two pretty well, then it sorta fuzzes out.

ITT is In This Thread. Works for most of it, srsly.

[Oman]

I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this movie and taking to this with full gutso!

[Oman]

Not a real fan of this movie. I found it was slow, which is fine, but for some reason I just didn't connect to the characters the way I wanted to. I really really wanted too as well.

I was doing panic! during it though, so I'll have to watch it again when I get a weekend off. I'll try to write up something better for it too.

[Oman]

hoepfully will have time for tjis.

[Oman]

Kinda like a model who wears glasses with no just glass lenses because she thinks she needs to look smarter. Great without the effort.

Bad analogy since that effort makes me want that model about, oh, twice as much.

/Sign.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

[Oman]

They should have cut out Jodie Foster's character completly and just focused on more room-switching and other "messing with the cops" shennanigans. As Clive Owen said (twice) it's the how that's important, but Spike Lee just couldn't resist making the why semi-important when it didn't need to be.

This.

[Oman]

Haven't seen it for several years, can't remember it. I'll definatly get it

[Oman]

The scene at the dinner table is incredibly hardcore for me. The bit where Derek grabs Davina and throws her around just...just shocks me. He is so hard in his conviction, so strong, so inconsiderate of the world around him. His retoric exists only within itself, and the sheer reality of the outside world can't penetrate. Once it does, the rhetoric is gone, and he is almost civil again.

I have never been more stunned by a scene involving a character I didn't fully understand.

Whoa, okay, while I was writing this the curb stomp came up. Shit.

Anyway, I really feel this movie. I'm half-way through and its touching somehting in me and its not the "racism is wrong" line that I thought it would be. I'm gonna keep watching it now.

[Oman]

Does anyone have a conviction that can't be changed in 30 fucking seconds in this movie?

[Oman]

Shea is entirely right, the moral of this story isn't that we should all be friends and love each other, the moral is that it gains nothing to be hatefilled.

Danny's death is brilliant, its a stunning scene, and it works.

[Oman]

But...But....everyone is so easily swayed.

[Oman]

Super Troopers is my favourite "get pissed, and watch with mates" movie.