As I said in the latest Pensieve post, my life is if not chaotic at least very stuffed at the moment, by which I mean that there are lots of things for me to do. Everything of this is my own choice off course - I want to get an education, a driver's license and so on - and yes, it's more important than blogging. If not, I guess I'd have to get worried about my life.So there's a bit of cutting down on blogging, I'm satisfied if only I can post once a week next month. But like I know my readers, I'm sure you won't abandon this little blog.
Anyway, what's also more important than blogging about films? Watching films. And I've managed better than I thought to squeeze in a movie here and there, especially a lot of classics...
WATCHED FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME:Aadukalam (2011) Vetri Maran - IndiaI expected more from a film that has won so many awards. And seriously, rooster fighting isn't a very interesting topic to me. But Dhanush is a great actor.Rating: 6.8
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) Richard Brooks - USAThis movie just had me right from the start. One of the best dialogue-orientated films I've ever seen. Why is this one not in the 1001 book?Rating: 8.6
City of Ember (2008) Gil Kenan - USAI can't say this one was surprisingly good, because I knew when I saw it at the library, that it was just what I need it and that I would like it. Rating: 7.4
Cosmopolis (2012) David Cronenberg - France/ Canada/ Portugal/ ItalyOnly my second favorite film of the year. So it's kind of awesome to be honest.Rating: 8.5
De grønne slagtere ["The Green Butchers"] (2003) Anders Thomas Jensen - DenmarkDanish films... they're either very dark comedies or very dark tragedies. (I mean the newer ones, like 1990+). Or stupid comedies. This is one of the funniest dark ones.Rating: 7.8
Dirch (2011) Martin Zandvliet - Denmark
And while we're talking about Danish films, I love old Danish films. And I love Dirch Passer. And I loved this film. Rating: 7.7
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) Stephen Daldry - USAYes-this-film-deserved-the-Oscar-nominations-just-as-little-as-everyone-says. But the main actor is quite talented.Rating: 6.9
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Wes Anderson - USAUntil now this is my least favorite Wes Anderson movie - so you can see I really like the guy. I wonder how the animation was done, it looked like nothing I've seen before.Rating: 7.5
Fatso! (2012) Rajat Kapoor - IndiaSomehow I love Rajat Kapoor, but there is always some fault in his films. I mean, this man's a genius but why doesn't he dare really show it? And why did he choose Gul Panag, that woman just can't act.Rating: 6.3
King Kong (1933) Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack - USA
Is it ignorant to find an old film "just okay" because the animation and everything is poor? I don't know. But you know, not even the story was that great. That doesn't mean I didn't like it. I especially liked the animation. But as a whole, something was missing here.Rating: 6.3
L'age d'or (1930) Luis Buñuel - France
Just when I thought I knew what pretentious art house films look like, I found out I didn't. It's very likely I only rated this film so high because I'm pretentious myself. But perhaps I actually did understand some of it. Rating: 6.7
Låt den rätte komma in ["Let the Right One In"] (2008) Thomas Alfredson - Sweden
To begin with I didn't see what was so special about this film, but it really lingered with me after I'd seen it. It's very beautiful, on the outside as well as on the inside. But there's something keeping me from loving it.
Rating: 7.4
La Danse (2009) Frederick Wiseman - France
Ballet really is an incredible art form. It was hard not to sit with your mouth wide open for two hours during this movie - but perhaps that's only because I take ballet classes myself.Rating: 7.6
Les quatre cents coups ["The 400 Blows"] (1959) François Truffaut - France
So, what's up with all those cold classics? I just don't seem to get them. They just don't touch my, they don't get me you know. Yes, The 400 Blows is a rememberable film but... it's so... not-as-good-as-expected.Rating: 7.1
Little Big Man (1970) Arthur Penn - USA
Whereas, when you don't expect anything, you can end up getting everything. This movie is so awesome, I can't believe it. Perhaps it's the Dustin Hoffman factor, but there's something about the story (and Faye Dunaway) too. Who would have thought I'd ever love a western?Rating: 8.6
Nosferatu: Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) F.W. Murnau - Germany
I know that I'm mean and ignorant, but silent films just p*** me off sometimes. Almost always to be honest. With the exception of another Murnau film, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.
The only cool film about this film was Nosferatu himself, really a cult-y looking vampire. But the terrible supporting actors ruined everything.Rating: 5.0
Notes on a Scandal (2006) Richard Eyre - UK(Part of the Cate Blanchett Essentials).
My favorite of the Cate Blanchett films I've seen for this feature until now. It's very subtle and British, in a close-to-perfect kind of way (though it has its flaws).Rating: 8.0
Notorious (1946) Alfred Hitchcock - USA
Oh, I dreaded this moment. The moment in which I have to confess to all of you, especially the ones that recommended this film to me, that I didn't love it. And that it didn't inflame my love of Hitchcock. You see, I find Hitchcock interesting. And judging from interviews, that man was a genius. But there have only been two of his films that truly, truly made me feel very impressed. I like all of his films (the ones I've seen), but there's always a certain stiffness to them I don't like. Anyway, let's talk about that at some other point.Rating: 7.4
Pyaasa (1957) Guru Dutt - India
I should see more Indian classics. This film is a melancholic piece of poetry on celluloid. Which is a compliment.Rating: 8.5
Robin Hood (2010) Ridley Scott - USA/ UK(Part of the Cate Blanchett Essentials).
Why the heck did I listen to my friend who liked this film? She even liked Nowhere Boy, I should've known this. Damn. I wish I'd never selected this one as one of the Cate Blanchett Essentials.Rating: 3.9
Sønner av Norge ["Sons of Norway"] (2011) Jens Lien - Norway/ Sweden/ Denmark/ France
Weird and slightly disturbing movie. I had expected a light hippy vs. punks comedy. But anyway, I discovered The Sex Pistols.Rating: 7.1
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Wes Anderson - USA
Why on earth doesn't this film get the love it deserves? It is fantastic! In fact, it's my second favorite Wes Anderson movie after Moonrise Kingdom!
By the way, why didn't I notice that Owen Wilson actually is a great actor before? I mean, I thought Midnight in Paris was just a lucky hit, but the more Wes Anderson movies I see, the more I like the guy. And don't forget: watch this movie if you haven't!Rating: 8.4
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) Wes Anderson - USA
You know, when you kind of had a Cousteau Mini Blogathon, this movie is kind of the coolest thing that every happened to you. At first I doubted the connection, but it became clear with the time. That being said, I didn't love the movie to begin with. I don't know if I do even now. I know that I really like it though and... I just think about it not-so-seldom. Rating: 7.7
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wes Anderson - USA
Wait, I said that Fantastic Mr. Fox was my least favorite Wes Anderson film, right? That's not true. This one is. Yes, can we have the argument later on? My point is, Wes Anderson is awesome. Sublime. But his most acclaimed and worshipped movie was the one I liked this least. It's not (just) Gwyneth Paltrow. It's something I can't explain.Rating: 7.5
Un chien andalou (1929) Luis Buñuel - France
I know, I know. "Much greater than a 7.5". "Much more pretentious than a 7.5". It was cool and pretentious. But at least shorter and funnier than L'age d'or.Rating: 7.5
Vertigo (1958) Alfred Hitchcock - USA
One question - who came up with the idea that Kim Novak is beautiful? Because she really isn't. And her acting really freaked me out too. The magic of Hitchcock is the fact that I still liked this movie.Rating: 7.3
RE-WATCHED WITH THE PURPOSE OF INTENSE EXAMINATION:
Into the Wild (2007) Sean Penn - USASo, I want to burn all my money and hitchhike until I starve to death in Alaska. That's how great this movie is.Rating: 9.7
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris - USASeriously, re-watching is so great, I should do it far more often. Except I wouldn't have the time to get to know more films then.Rating: 8.5
SERIES:Desperate Housewives, Season 3 (2006/ 7) USAWhat I love about series is that they make you stay awake until 3am even when you've worked 9 hours that day. And that's what I hate about them too.
Amount of films watched this month: 28 (July + 12)Average rating: 7.4 (July + 0.1)
Worst film of the month: Robin HoodBest film of the month: Into the Wild
