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jmovies
Let's Call It A Bromance
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 pm
Posts: 12333
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 The Spectacular Now The Spectacular Now Quote: The Spectacular Now is an upcoming American comedy-drama film directed by James Ponsoldt, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (based on The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp), and starring Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley both won acting awards. Critics there gave it overwhelmingly positive reviews, saying, "John Hughes would be proud." It is set to be released in theatres on August 2, 2013.
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| Thu Jun 20, 2013 8:43 pm |
 
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am
Posts: 14544
Location: LA / NYC
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Re: The Spectacular Now The best film I've seen so far this year. It's just a beautiful movie. It's one of the most honest, realistic and moving portrayals of teenage life I've ever seen. The performances are AMAZING from the stellar supporting cast (a lot of whom are playing against type - Kyle Chandler in particular to brilliant effect) to the revelatory lead performances from Shaliene Woodley and Miles Teller. Miles Teller completely deserves an Oscar nomination for his work here. His character broke my heart. And Woodley is so effortlessly charming and lovable. The two have such a believable, natural chemistry with one another which is why the movie works so well - it's hard not to fall in love with their characters. Everyone will find something they can relate to here - I can't see anyone not being affected by it. Something about it really struck a chord with me in a way a movie hasn't done in a while. Do not miss this. A+
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| Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:19 am |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
Posts: 48626
Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: The Spectacular Now I feel like this can be this year's Perks of Being a Wallflower. It looks like a less gooey A Walk to Remember. Excited to see it.
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| Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:44 am |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am
Posts: 14544
Location: LA / NYC
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Re: The Spectacular Now Libs wrote: I feel like this can be this year's Perks of Being a Wallflower. It looks like a less gooey A Walk to Remember. Excited to see it. It's not like A Walk To Remember at all aside from the very basic setup. And it definitely feels the same tonally as Perks.
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| Fri Jun 21, 2013 7:34 am |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
Posts: 48626
Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: The Spectacular Now Some might say The Spectacular Now's title is a misnomer, since nothing truly spectacular happens in the movie. But that's exactly what's so good about it. It's a coming of age film/teen romance that feels remarkably grounded in reality. Miles Teller's Sutter and Shailene Woodley's Aimee never feel like constructed characters. Their actions and conversations feel 100% authentic. Much of the credit for this should go to Teller and Woodley, who are both wonderful. It's sensitive and perceptive, challenging viewers to define what "living in the moment" actually means. A-
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 4:03 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am
Posts: 34865
Location: Maryland
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Re: The Spectacular Now For most of its 95 minutes, The Spectacular Now is an honest, low-key, and moving coming-of-age drama focused on two leads who deliver riveting, yet always authentic and natural performances and an adult cast, including Kyle Chandler and Jennifer Jason Leigh, who bring depth and dimension to briefer roles. Miles Teller, who first turned heads with a strong performance in Rabbit Hole, in particular shines in the lead role; his character demands he be at once charming and frustrating, energetic on the outside even as he idles and aches inside, and he nails every contradiction. As an exercise in storytelling, the film goes awry in the third act, trading in its deliberate pace and observational quality for a series of left-field dramatic jolts (one which earned a mix of gasps and nervous laughter from the crowd) and life-changing self-realizations on the part of the protagonist which play as unearned because they transpire so rapidly as the film begins to sprint headlong toward the end credits.
B
_________________   1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:24 pm |
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Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm
Posts: 92093
Location: Bonn, Germany
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Re: The Spectacular Now Will Woodley be nominated for an Oscar?
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:48 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am
Posts: 34865
Location: Maryland
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Re: The Spectacular Now No chance.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:51 pm |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
Posts: 48626
Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: The Spectacular Now Dr. Lecter wrote: Will Woodley be nominated for an Oscar? I seriously doubt it, though noms for her and Miles Teller would be deserved.
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 8:05 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am
Posts: 34876
Location: Minnesota
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Re: The Spectacular Now Is it true that this ends abruptly?
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 9:51 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am
Posts: 34865
Location: Maryland
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Re: The Spectacular Now Partly. The ending is very similar to Good Will Hunting's.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:01 pm |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
Posts: 48626
Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: The Spectacular Now Magic Mike wrote: Is it true that this ends abruptly? It's only abrupt in the sense that it ends on a shot of one of the characters without any dialogue, but I feel like the ending is fairly clear based on the rest of the movie.
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:26 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am
Posts: 34865
Location: Maryland
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Re: The Spectacular Now Yes, she will become the put upon, abused wife of a ne'er-do-well alcoholic who kicks his habit from time to time, swears he will change and stop punching her, etc.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:31 pm |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
Posts: 48626
Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: The Spectacular Now David wrote: Yes, she will become the put upon, abused wife of a ne'er-do-well alcoholic who kicks his habit from time to time, swears he will change and stop punching her, etc. 
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:45 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am
Posts: 34865
Location: Maryland
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Re: The Spectacular Now Right, I'm wrong. The two-minute cry in the kitchen and crap admissions essay cured him of every personality problem and impulsive urge.  _________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:48 pm |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
Posts: 48626
Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: The Spectacular Now David wrote: Right, I'm wrong. The two-minute cry in the kitchen and crap admissions essay cured him of every personality problem and every impulsive urge. Well, no. I don't think the movie was trying to say that. It's ambiguous whether Aimee will restart things with Sutter (I'm inclined to think she would), but the fact that he shows up in Philly in the first place is the real indication that he has changed.
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:50 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am
Posts: 34865
Location: Maryland
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Re: The Spectacular Now Bullshit, lol. Honestly, him showing up unannounced in Philadelphia is typical. Alcoholics are old hands at grand gestures when they desire forgiveness and company, similar to a distant parent lavishing a child with gifts when he or she is around.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 10:53 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am
Posts: 34876
Location: Minnesota
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Re: The Spectacular Now David wrote: Partly. The ending is very similar to Good Will Hunting's. I don't remember that ending . I just hope it's a good ending. I'm not usually a fan of an abrupt ending.
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:00 pm |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm
Posts: 48626
Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: The Spectacular Now Magic Mike wrote: David wrote: Partly. The ending is very similar to Good Will Hunting's. I don't remember that ending . I just hope it's a good ending. I'm not usually a fan of an abrupt ending. It's a good ending and a pretty great movie. I think you'll like it.
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| Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:01 pm |
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nghtvsn
Extraordinary
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:13 pm
Posts: 11015
Location: Warren Theatre Oklahoma
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Re: The Spectacular Now THE SPECTACULAR NOW
Got to see this at a screening and I found it somewhat enjoyable. It actually reminded me of the rental I just viewed with Mary Winstead. Both being dramas of a couple struggling with inner demons. I found both films to be well acted just not very memorable overall though. Shailene is a very ordinary looking female but she does have a natural beauty about her. She gave a good performance in this film though she was becoming a bit of the crazy girlfriend as the film rolled along. Teller gave a decent performance as well but I found the alcoholism bit to be over the top. He's getting beers from bars and no one challenges him on his age? Pretty sure he was 18 or 19 and yet there are a couple scenes where he and Shailene drink without any questions. Plus, there's one moment in the film that was a jolt but with a sugar result. Anyway, I was quite interested in watching the film but it just didn't live up to these reviews I was hearing about online. Good interesting overall but not impactful, very hollywoodish and decent.
Grade - B
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| Mon Aug 12, 2013 12:50 am |
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publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am
Posts: 18866
Location: San Diego
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Re: The Spectacular Now Hm...
I was really excited for this but walked out a little underwhelmed. The two main leads are very good and I enjoyed it for the most part but it feels more slight than it should be, especially in terms of the issue of alcoholism. Wasn't really sure about to feel about the last third either. I guess Aimee is the kind of person to not hold a grudge but with what happened after him telling her to get out of her car I would've expected some repercussions... And I'm not sure about how I feel about the ending either. Didn't help they show the very ending at the ending of the trailer. Sure, Sutter could've made a complete turn around at the end but I don't really like the idea of them getting back together. The movie's definitely not bad, just not as good of a coming of age story I thought it was going to be.
Last edited by publicenemy#1 on Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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| Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:31 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am
Posts: 34865
Location: Maryland
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Re: The Spectacular Now I would say there is an absolute disconnect between what the film intends--a sweet ending implying easy twelve-steps-in-a-montage redemption and a second chance at true love--and the psychology of the characters and the nature of the relationship. It nearly plays as an origin story of a sad and long-term codependency. Which I do not intend as savage criticism because the characters are sweet and sympathetic, and it is nice in a way to imagine a joyful ending for them, but I don't believe it on an instinctual level. They are a destructive mismatch.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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| Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:10 am |
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trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm
Posts: 19697
Location: ville-marie
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Re: The Spectacular Now i agree with david
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict.
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| Sat Sep 07, 2013 12:52 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am
Posts: 34876
Location: Minnesota
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Re: The Spectacular Now The Spectacular Now (2013)This year's “ The Perks of Being a Wallflower” this is not. That's not to say this is a bad film as there are many great elements. It's just a bit frustrating. Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley are great and have a terrific, natural chemistry. I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold for the most part. But towards the end “ The Spectacular Now” loses its way and ends up never really coming together in a satisfying way. I found it ridiculous that after the argument in the car and what happened Aimee would just forgive Sutter like nothing happened. I know she loved the guy but it makes her seem like a doormat that will just forgive any of his behavior. I also wish she would have called him out on his drinking. Not once is it a problem for her. She even takes up drinking as well. Granted she doesn't seem to be spiraling into an alcoholic but she does start drinking fairly often which only enables his habit. I could see them turning into the characters in the director's previous film “Smashed” as adults. Her character is a sweet, fairly smart girl, so it's a bit head-scratching to see her behaving so stupidly. I think I would have preferred the big incident to result in her being done with him for good. Maybe they could have had a friendly moment but it would have been better if there was no chance of them getting back together in a romantic way. I don't believe he will have really changed, but if we're supposed to believe that he has then the ending should have been more fleshed out. Instead it felt rushed and the movie felt kind of slight because of it. This is not a bad film at all though. But with some tweaks it could have been really great. The performances are strong and there are some nice moments that feel really organic. Kyle Chandler was great as Sutter's father. It just feels like there's something missing from the film. Something that makes it merely a very good film rather than a truly great one. And maybe I'll be able to appreciate it more on repeat viewings. Maybe my expectations were inflated too much. Maybe I'll better understand the character's actions on repeat viewings. But as of right now I didn't think this was a terribly special film, and that's disappointing. I'm giving this a tentative B+.
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| Tue Sep 17, 2013 1:23 am |
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jmovies
Let's Call It A Bromance
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 pm
Posts: 12333
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Re: The Spectacular Now A strong coming-of-age film with two great leads though I definitely think Woodley outshines Teller even if he is great here. It could have tackled a couple areas a bit more head on but their context still works within the film.
For those wondering why Aimee seems fairly forgiving about what happens to her post car incident, I think it just shows that she is still learning to break out from her comfort zone which she was trapped in at the start of the film. She probably has never experienced anything quite as extreme as that in her life and as such does not know how to react thus going back to Sutter.
I did like the final shot. It doesn't answer everything but it answers enough.
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| Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:02 am |
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