Movie Reviews Part Four

 I can't wait till this page is over

Okaaaaay sobering up, i would like to recommend 'Raise the red lantern', a beautifully crafted Chinese film depicting the life of four wives in the court of a powerful Lord.  Every evening he decides which wife he will spend the evening with which is signaled when a red lantern is raised outside her home within the castle complex.

The drama centers around the complex relationships between these four women in which striving for favour means prominence and prestige. Its a haunting portrayal of the inability of oppression and circumstance to destroy personality.  One of my favorite quotes concerning the seemingly kindly second wife Zhuoyan of which it was said, 'She has the face of Buddha but the heart of a scorpion'.  

Watch it on youtube with English subtitles :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yo8bvg0MAg

Nice review, robbie, thank you! I saw this film and have seen others by the same director, Yimou Zhang. He directed "Ju Dou"(1990) and "Hero"(2002). I was made aware of these films by a good friend who owns even more films than those by the same director. The lovely colours in his films are what I remember most:) 

Yes trysts I am not so familiar with the director rather than Gong Li the leading actress.  She has made some truly wonderful films.  Ju Dou is awesome, as is Red Sorghum and Shanghai triad :D

Thank you again, robbie, for the recommendations:)

If you watch Shanghia triad Trysts you will be weeping your eyes out for days. 

I just read about both of those films. Same director! I'm sure they're very good:)

Anyone seen the martian? It became clear very quickly in the film that the main character had no chance of dying. I did learn how to plant potatoes however, I think.

I didn't see the whole thing. I couldn't believe in the character. It just seemed like Matt Damon, like how he always seems in real life.

Kind of like Christian Bale in Exodus, or Russell Crowe in Noah. I guess there aren't any good semetic actors in Hollywood. If Hollywood was going to remake Lawrence of Arabia they'd probably cast either Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt as T.E. Lawrence.   >:[

What's a "semetic actor"? Like Israelis and Palestinians?

I remember Ridley Scott was asked in an interview if there isn't any Egyptian actor available to perform Ramses, for example. He honestly answered only huge stars fit for those type of roles, they attract the benefits. I wonder if all of them are WASP like?

I watched Ant-Man. Paul Rudd is perfect in the role, and the plot is exactly what it needs to be to be to introduce a hero that no one would otherwise care about. Can't wait to see Ant-Man team up with the others. Very similar the first Iron Man in many ways (but funny). The villain lacks a bit.

Oded Fehr, what do we make of his ability to act? Can he play different roles? Accents? Criticisms?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oded_Fehr

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004912/

http://www.tv.com/people/oded-fehr/

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2004/05/10/interview-with-oded-fehr

Anywho, has anyone watched 'Dog Day Afternoon' 1975 with Al Pacino? 

I can see that view, people wanting the actors to be from the same place a character is written. I don't really think about it. But I like when they switch up, like having a black actor playing a role written for a different race, or a woman playing a men's role, etc. 

Thank you for the review, riley:)

@kiwi: Long time no see, kiwi, nice to have you back:) I saw Dog Day Afternoon. I liked it, it was pretty funny

About this, it's said Lt. Ripley character from "Alien" was male at first, and when they decided she would be female they didn't change any of the lines. Still, there is a scene at the end wich clearly symbolize a threat of violation.

Hi Trysts, it's good to see this thread staying strong 

I thought the movie was funny too, but it was based off a true story which really got me thinking... The things 'some' do for loved ones 

Robbing the bank to fund an operation, a cosmetic surgery, understandable or shocking? 

I don't remember that film too well? I don't remember what the "violation" could be?

The true story is pretty shocking to me, that someone would kidnap and threaten to kill people to get his partner a sex change. Bizarre. Here's a news report of it at the time: