quote:

It [Children of Men] was a good film...8 months from now, no one will remember it.

Tell that to the dozens and dozens of NON-filmmakers I know who have seen it over and over again, and say it's one of the best films they've ever seen. Maybe it's being taken differently where you come from, but here on the east coast, it's hot stuff. Sold out everywhere, from the day it opened. People love this. And not just filmmakers, and not just cause it's got cool film techniques in it. It's fine if you don't, but this film is being recognized by a lot of people. It's one of those movies that comes along every five years or so, and just transcends everything.

Yup, Children of Men is doing well, but got a stunted theater run and very bad promotion- especially compared to Pan's. Which is weird, you'd think it's the other way around, since Children is a perfect oscar contender- or would have been.

I work at Blockbuster, and apparently children of men is coming out in march already. Pan's too, I believe.

Okay. I mean, Children of Men was good, but it wasn't anything amazing if you ask me. I mean, the cinematography and action sequences and all that was good, but storywise, it could have been better. I saw Pan's yesterday. I thought it was the better of the two. It was wonderful.

quote:

Originally posted by braininabox:
It didn't leave me with much to think about after it was over.
Also they were trying to juggle between two storylines with completely different moods and I think they put twice as much emphasis on the spanish civil war storyline than the fantasy-fairy-tale storyline. I was hoping it would be the opposite.

I think I'll watch it again to see if I missed something.

You need to. They weren't juggling the storylines; they were melding them. The girl took to refuge in her imagination whenever there was violence in her real world. The failures of her father as a captain or of her mother were always countered by her successes in her fantasies. There were many, many parallels between the civil war and Pan's dreams.

I would argue that it wasn't her imagination. There were a couple talismans (the book, the mandrake, the chalk) which other people could see, and the biggest clue of all was that she used the magic door to get out of her locked room near the end.

quote:

Originally posted by titaniumdoughnut:


Tell that to the dozens and dozens of NON-filmmakers I know who have seen it over and over again, and say it's one of the best films they've ever seen. Maybe it's being taken differently where you come from, but here on the east coast, it's hot stuff. Sold out everywhere, from the day it opened. People love this. And not just filmmakers, and not just cause it's got cool film techniques in it. It's fine if you don't, but this film is being recognized by a lot of people. It's one of those movies that comes along every five years or so, and just transcends everything.

It transcends nothing. This stuff has been done (and better) since the silent era. It was a technically proficient, visceral romp...the acting and the writing were both terrible, given who they had to work with (top end, A list, oscar quality actors in any other film) and the source material that had to write from. I'll take the word of people who say, "This is the best film I have ever seen," with a grain of salt. Many of them throw that around pretty loosely. It doesn't transcend everything...there were far better films, regardless of box office appeal, and it almost offends me, after having seen some GREAT films this year...films that truly DO transcend the genre, to hear that people are bought into a film as poorly acted and imperfect as Children of Men. That either shows that a.) they haven't seen many of this years films that they have to LOOK for... or b.) they throw hyperbolas praise around because that's just the way they are and the way they view film. As far as it being a regional thing, most of my family resides on the east coast, and the rest live in california...I happen to have been unfortunate to have a family that moved to Wisconsin. I know what's hot where, but that's irrelevant...EPIC MOVIE was #1 last week. It hardly makes a film transcendent. I garuntee you that by the end of 08, the people you know who claim it to be the best movie they've seen will have forgotten it and already found a new favorite movie.

quote:

Originally posted by titaniumdoughnut:
I would argue that it wasn't her imagination. There were a couple talismans (the book, the mandrake, the chalk) which other people could see, and the biggest clue of all was that she used the magic door to get out of her locked room near the end.

You have a point... but. I think the story would lose a ton of power if you actually fancy the idea that it wasn't her imagination. The story, like has been said, wasn't about gothic fantasy, but about the Spanish Civil war and how the girl takes "refuge" in her imagination. Sure, there are those pieces of physical evidence, but the girl could have easily gotten those items herself and come up with an alternate story of how she got them. And for the locked door at the end, the only person who said it was locked was the girl, and she was then talking to Pan. I don't know, I just know I would have liked the movie a lot LESS if I thought the filmmakers wanted me to think it was all real.

EDIT: Yea, in my opinion, funkbombs right on the money.

Tyler

Ahh... see I totally thought it was supposed to be real. Only afterwards, talking to people, did I realize not everyone interpreted it that way. As far as I remember, the captain said something along the lines of "if she tries to leave the room, shoot her." So... she can't have snuck out.

And by the way, I have been avoiding saying this for a long time. But there are some really pretentious and arrogant people on this site. It's aggravating. Everyone thinks they know more about films and filmmaking than everyone else.

EDIT: not you, Perry.

I really want to see this. It's playing about an hour away from me, but only till thursday, so hopefully I can find the time to go see it.

Hall you seem to have a vendetta against CoM. There's a lot of over-rated movies, it happens. I personally don't think that movie is, and yes I have seen it more than once. But I respect that you didn't enjoy it, when I watched it I didn't think it'd be for everyone but I loved the feeling it gave me while viewing it and that won't be forgotten by me for quite sometime. You can ask my friends, even days after my first viewing I was still wowed about it.

Im not sure why I didn't enjoy this film. It had a lot of the surreal and imaginative elements that I crave, but somehow it didn't move me very much. It definitely had some great scenes, but somehow overall it didn't strike me as amazing.

Where did you go see it brain? Is it playing in Lafayette? I know it's playing in Kokomo, but Lafayette would be a little closer.

Its only playing at one theatre in Lafayette (Lafayette 7) but I don't know how much longer it will be there. (probably another week or so).

However, since it has been released in Europe for quite some time now, there are already copies of it spreading, which is how I managed to see it.

That's strange imdb did't say that lafayette 7 had it and only came up with Kokomo. Thanks for telling me.

quote:

Originally posted by Heliotrope:


Hall you seem to have a vendetta against CoM. There's a lot of over-rated movies, it happens. I personally don't think that movie is, and yes I have seen it more than once. But I respect that you didn't enjoy it, when I watched it I didn't think it'd be for everyone but I loved the feeling it gave me while viewing it and that won't be forgotten by me for quite sometime. You can ask my friends, even days after my first viewing I was still wowed about it.

I said I've enjoyed the movie...but by no means would I ever consider it a great film (much less the type that "only comes around once every 5 years"). It's a visceral experience...and that part never dies upon watching it again...the characters, however, do die and the emotional aspect of the film is easily dilluted upon further viewing.

Damn Hall, this is merely gonna have to boil down to preference. After Pan's Labyrinth, the only thing I felt was slightly ripped-off, because, ya know, I already saw The Devil's Backbone. I'm with everyone else who's dissapointed about the lack of the fantastic in this movie. The characters were good, but they're not at all what I wanted with this movie.

As for Children of Men, I'd like to know what films you think match, or even come close to, its visceral experience. I bet that if they're even on CoM's level they only do come around once every five years or so.

With Children of Men, I will remember the experience it was after both times I've already watched it. With Pan's Labyrinth, I'll just remember how pissed I was at the dishonest marketing, and then I'll go watch The Devil's Backbone; if I feel so inclined.

elliott (otiose)...

City of God, Sin City, Kill Bill Vol. 2, l'ourge, Any David gordon green film, Elephant, The Departed, OLDBOY (10,000 times better and more visceral the CoM),Run Lola Run, Requiem for a Dream, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, The Dreamers,heck...Minority Report (better sci-fi film, better characters, more gripping, visceral scenes of emotion and excitement), Inland Empire, Mulholland Dr., THE PROPOSITION (OMG, way better...way more visceral...a modern masterpiece like City of God and Oldboy and Magnolia), United 93, Touching the Void, The Grey Zone, Femme Fatale, The Fast Runner, Frailty, Bully, In the Bedroom, Eternal Sunshine, The Cell, Three Kings...the list goes on and on and on and on. And these were all better films that developed their characters more (except elephant) and left a HUGE aesthetic and visceral impact to be absorbed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Hall,

rofl... yes Hall, your list is perfect and you are right.

Come on - Elliot is right, this boils down to preference. I could contest or agree with each of those films one by one, but there's no point. Run Lola Run, AMAZING movie, but nowhere near as good as CoM, just very unique. Minority Report, I love it, but it's nothing special. No one remembers it. Kill Bill - fantastic, but where's Vol I? See... not everyone agrees.

He simply asked me for the movies of the past 5 years with a visceral impact comparable to CoM. City of God, Kill Bill, Sin City, Oldboy, Elephant, the Proposition, Touching the Void and Three Kings all exceed that impact and, in my opinion, are all much, much better films. If you're just going by films that are better, but don't have that visceral edge, there are a lot more. I realize people like different movies...I realize that there is no "right" in which movie is better than another because it IS preference...however I do know that I'm right in saying CoM is absolutely, by no means the best movie in 5 years.

No.You're.Not.Right.

That's your opinion, and you'll find that everyone in film has a different opinion. What determines who's "right" tends to be who's opinion is in the majority. This still doesn't mean anything, but tends to become popular fact. Stop, for just a moment, and look at what you're saying. You're not the final word. If you stop trying to be, people will listen to your points with a bit more respect.