We have an anti-TV agenda at our house. We haven’t had a TV since we got married (except for one week when a friend left his new TV at our house and I saw some interesting documentaries about farming in India and female weightlifters). But recently we have moderated our position and got a second-hand computer that plays DVDs and a membership at a DVD rental.
I really enjoy watching movies with MBH. It’s one of the few kinds of relaxation he really gets into. Recently we’ve been opting for a movie on our weekly "date night". Our tastes are somewhat different. We both prefer sort of a rated PG13 level of content, if you know what I mean. I’m particularly sensitive about violence, and the more I avoid it the more sensitive I get. MBH likes a little more suspense and action than I do. I like human development and interactions. The thought-provoking films that people recommend tend to be violent or depressing or something. There are some I want to see, like Dead Man Walking, but it’s not often I feel prepared for something like that. On the other hand, there are lot’s of films that fit our criteria which are not particularly interesting.
But here's a list of some good ones that fit the criteria that we liked (well, some of them maybe only I liked).
Strictly Ballroom (very human and funny with a Cinderella story and dancing)
Parenthood (One of MBH’s all-time favorites)
Sense and Sensibility (Captures the spirit of the book so well)
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Very beautiful visually. Well-developed female characters and I even liked the fight scenes.)
Batman Begins
Spiderman 2 (Moral choices)
Matrix (only the first one)
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Kolya (Heartwarming story)
Shine
Life is Beautiful
The Seven Samurai (Compelling characters, and I liked the costumes too.)
Amelie
City of the Lost Children
Red
White
Blue
Wit (Sad, but it draws you in and I loved the visit of the old teacher near the end)
8 comments:
you listed some of the very nice films :)
Kolya, Blue, White, Red, City of Lost Children, Seven Samurai, Amelia...
Perhaps you might be interested in seeing Delicatessen and 10 part series of Decalogue, if you haven't seen them yet. Also japanese film "Good Morning" and "Ikiru". Good Mornign is very simple story but cute.
yes you are my movie kindred spirits. I want to see Delicatessen, but even though Shingo assures me that Delicatessen is very good, I'm still not sure I want to see it. Have you seen "A very long engagement?"
Also have you seen "The Third Man?" I was reading about it on the internet recently.
...
personnally in love with those films which make me cry, not necessarily out of sadness but that touch a chord inside of me...wish we had more time to experience them...then, I have moments I just need entertainment and getting into that space is too painful...however these are a few of my favorites...
King of Masks
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/kingq.shtml
Pay it Forward
http://www.payitforwardmovement.com/
Baraka
http://www.spiritofbaraka.com/baraka.aspx
Osama
http://www.osamamovie.com/
Children of Heaven
http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/fnf00n1.html
Checkpoint
http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2004/checkpoint.php
You recommend some of my favorite films – they are touching or beautiful or funny.
Strictly Ballroom
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Kolya
Life is Beautiful
The Seven Samurai
Amelie
I enjoyed A very long engagement, despite the war theme. It’s about human relationships and there is a moving humanity in many of the characters.
The BBC series of Pride and Prejudice is on DVD and it is a pure joy. (I still have to see Bride and Prejudice).
I haven't seen A very long engagement, I was really looking forward to it and finally now that it is available on DVD i could watch it soon. I saw cindrella man recently and I was surprizingly moved and became teary, I was on the plane so it was little embrassing but.
Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are both superv film, wonderful dialogue, and you forget that you are watching film.. The whole thing is a conversation of two people so some may not like it too much.. I loved it.
movies i have enjoyed recently:
crash (about racism...very good)
garden state (loss of a mother ...)
hidalgo (i fell in love with the horse)
cold mountain (classic romance and the awful futility of war)
beyond borders (also the a story about absolute awfulness of war this gripped me for two days in an "i-have-to-do- something-to-help-stop-the- insanity-in-this-world" obsession...it is also a heart-rending love story)
Oh, Kolya is such a beatiful film... Have you seen Cinema Paradiso? It's Italian and lovely. Sentimental in the best way. We have several favourites in common, I love Seven Samurai, Blue White Red and La vita é bella too :) If you want to see some really beautiful photography and don't mind slowness in the action, you should try Tarkovsky - Solaris (not the Clooney remake, the Russian original) is wonderful. Although I tend to fall asleep during the highway driving scene :)
I have seen Cinema Paradiso, but I saw the new version without realizing it, and I think I would have liked the old version better.
I find that I don't cry often watching films. Not sure why, some sort of unsuspended disbelief. Sometimes I worry that it is a sign of cynicims or hardness of heart. But Amelia pointed out recently that some movies are sort of manipulative on an emotional level. Interesting thought. When is it honest story and when is it manipulation?
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