4 posts tagged “netflix”
When this film came out I really wanted to see it in the theatre, but stayed away because I heard how violent it was. So I rented it from Netflix and watched it last night (and fast forwarded through the few gruesomely violent scenes). I really got into this film. Viggo Mortenson is such a proficient actor; in his films he makes me forget he doesn't really have an accent. He is gorgeously dangerous in this film, and his chemistry with Naomi Watts was palpable.
And it really is a romance, even though there isn't much physical affection between the characters. Oh, I'm not doing the film justice. All the acting is great; Armin Mueller-Stahl is creepy, and Naomi Watts is fully into her role as a midwife who naively gets involved with the Russian mafia.
I can't stand overly violent films, but there was less of it in this film than I expected. From what I'd heard, I expected a bloodbath. And yeah, the film is definitely not sunshine and rainbows, but it is quite watchable, and very memorable (in a good way).
The end felt slightly under-resolved, but the hope was there.
It really wasn't as violent as I was expecting it to be. Maybe because it was shot in a documentary style, it seemed more real and honest (can violence be honest?). The loooooong shots are perfectly done and add to the realistic feeling.
I though the film was great. Julianne Moore is even good, and normally, I don't care for her acting. I could watch Clive Owen read a phonebook . . . okay, I exaggerate; there are a few of his movies that I won't watch. Nevertheless, I think he's a wonderful actor when given the right material.
So Children of Men is this look at a possible future for our world, where immigration is totally illegal, the people still alive after multiple disasters are infertile. It's unlike any other film I've seen by Cuarón, and seeing this film further cemented him as one of my favorite current directors.
What's my favorite of his films? A Little Princess, a sweet and gorgeously made film. Children of Men, however, is dark, meaningful, imposing, and slightly terrifying. Well, terrifying in that this version of the future is extremely possible.
Also worth renting the DVD for the commentary by Zizek and the short, The Possibility of Hope, which shows images while featuring views from geographers, scientists, philosophers and more on the possible future of our world.
I read the Elizabeth Gaskell book a few years ago (I remember reading it on my flight home from Minnesota), so I was excited to find that it had been BBC miniseries-ized. I rented the first DVD from Netflix this weekend, and oh my goodness, it is good. It's not as addictive as a certain other BBC drama, but it is gorgeous. I love the way the series was shot; the filter used in the rural scenes gives them a fantastical dream-like quality.
And the actor playing Thornton, Richard Armitage, is pretty dreamy himself. The actress playing Margaret is decent enough in her role to make me want to slap her for her naivete (the character, not the actress). Margaret is so ahead-of-her-time in some ways, and so dense in others (she's that way in the book, too). Everyone is good, even though there are no big names in it (except maybe Sinéad Cusack as Thornton's mama).
I think this one's an instant favorite, and I've already added it to my Amazon wishlist.
As far as the story of the film, it seemed a bit too pat. Maybe I'm too cynical, or something. Otherwise, this film has a lot of potential.
