Does it make you feel any better when you learn who the money's going to?...Fox. News Corp. Mr. Murdoch.

I'll see it. I've heard from some teenagers (yes. it's not ONLY adults) that the movie's hilarious.

Have you seen all of the best picture noms, and will you be joining my little challenge to do that if you haven't? Libs is the only representative of your gender thus far.

I think she's seen them all. Except maybe Ray...

I know she has an Aviator review up. Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, and Sideways have all appeared in her signature before.

There were only a handful of people in the theater I saw Sideways at (about the same audience size of M$B) but they all laughed when laughs were due and I heard other people crying.

It's an incredible film for sure. It wasn't on my radar and I was floored when I saw it.

I hope you get a chance to see it. It's the best film of the year and in a class all it's own.

Okay, I saw A Very Long Engagement today. Very good movie (well, at least better than Ray). Hopefully, I'll be able to see The Aviator and Closer very soon.

Just got back from the video store, so it's Ray for me tonight. Tomorrow is Finding Neverland, and if I feel so disposed, I'll see The Aviator Thursday , if I can do it early, and if not, I'll knock it out this weekend.


wooohooo for me. \:D/

How are the rest of you doing?

Wow. I cannot believe you liked A Very Long Engagement over Ray. And did I miss something.... why are you so anti-Ray?

Mild Spoilers

I saw A Very Long Engagement and it was certainly a very long and dragging movie.
I liked the concept but the delivery to script and then onto screen was a bit messy. I wasn't impressed. It ended up being more of a WWI or was it WWII movie than the epic love story we were promised. In fact I was disappointed to find out that any hint of why they loved each other so much or even any substantial flashback of their intimate relationship were almost entirely what I saw in the trailer. I know I missed some of the subtitles because I was tired and a few times my eyes started closing, though I never fell asleep or even rested them. But even with all the subtitles and what I understood, the film is a little too complicated and a bit random. I think there was the makings of a great epic love story torn by war but to me, it just got messed up along the way.

As for Ray... Aside from The Aviator, also released last year, I found it to be one of the best biopics I have ever seen. I think they really succeeded in getting out the true colors of Ray Charles and it's always respectable when they give enough importance to a man's flaws as much as they give to his success. Aside from the amazing acting and that does not only belong to Foxx, but practically all 3 of the supporting women, the film had a surprisingly healthy pace. When I saw 'Ray' in theatres, I happened to come in about 10 minutes before it started and it was packed (this was 3 weeks after it was released) and I found a great seat right in the middle of the theatre with no big heads in front of me. However, for some reason it was extremely tight. It was the most uncomfortable seat I have ever sat in in a movie theatre. I was literally squished between the two strangers on both sides of me and I had ABSOLUTELY NO leg room. I sat in the same position, hand on my lap for virtually the entire movie and I must say it couldn't have been more worth it. The film more than made up for my seat as I was taken away.

In fact I just went out and baught the DVD a few hours ago and plan to watch it tomorrow night...

Back on subject...

I don't think anyone has any excuse not to see Ray now that it's on DVD
The Aviator is playing virtually everywhere in the US and alot of other international markets and it's the second easiest to get around to see.
Million Dollar Baby and Sideways are both respectably pretty wide and could add a few more screens and they might be the only ones that will require minimal effort to see.

the only one that could be excused is Finding Neverland, and let me tell you you're not missing much!!!

At first I thought this thread was a game for those who had seen all the movie but I soon realized the challenge in itself was to actually see the movies and there was no game in store. :wink:
It's a great idea though Maverikk. I'm glad we're trying to get more posters to see it because almost nobody in my circle of friends have seen ANY of these movies and I can have some people to carry out good conversations with.

Keep up the movie-seeing everyone!

Hey Raffi, these are my thoughts on A Very Long Engagement as I posted them in another thread:

Well, I went to see Closer today, but the showing I was going to was cancelled, so I went into A Very Long Engagement.

I have to say that I was very positively surprised. I have yet to see Amelie completely (I just saw the first 30 minutes of it), but if I compare A Very Long Engagement to what I saw in Amelie, I'd say that A Very Long Engagement is a superior movie. Amelie seemed to be lacking some substance in my opinion and trying to make up for it with its style, whereas A Very Long Engagement had style and substance perfectly melted into one. I enjoyed Tatou's performance, as well as most performances by the supporting cast. As Dolce has mentioned in her review, Tina Lombardi was an interesting character who I wish was explored more. Nonetheless, I have to say that the movie had great character development for the most part. Furthermore, I loved the score of the film which fits the mood of the movie and is very memorable as well. A Very Long Engagement had magnificent cinematography, probably even the best I have seen in a 2004 movie with exception of Hero. That Oscar nomination as well as the Oscar nom for Best Art Direction were both fully deserved. The film was also very well-edited. Whenever, it started to seem as if the movie would start to drag, something interesting came up and kept the viewer's attention. Overall, it was a well-paced, visually beautiful cinematic experience. Unfortunately, the movie's plot was a bit too complex and confusing for its own good. It might have been a great idea to develop such an interesting storyline, but after one hour I starting losing the thread of the developments and mistaking some characters for others (which is not too hard considering I don't know most of the cast). In some weird way, the movie kind of reminded me of 2003's Cold Mountain, just more stylish. The relationship between the leads was better developed than in Cold Mountain, though. The ending of the film was very well done as well. All in all, I have to say that Jeunet has delivered once again. A Very Long Engagement is a great and moving movie which had me with a smile on my face towards the end of it.

My grade:


A-


I'm a bit tired, so I'll write up something longer on Ray tomorrow. As of now, I'll just say that I give Ray a straight B (7/10) as opposed to A Very Long Engagement's A- (8.5/10). I thought Jamie Foxx was incredible and Sharon Warren was great. The music pieces were very well-made and some of them even gave me goosebumps. Apart from that, the movie never goes above average.

Because he hates black people. [-( :razz: :-# :wink:

If I didn't know any better I would think Lecter is falling victim a bit to our Ray vs. Hotel Rwanda festivities, just as I now am overstating my hatred of Finding Neverland. But I know better

Go on a weekend to see The Aviator. It demands time. It is really long.

Million Dollar Baby has a release date in Germany now...

March 3rd :???:

No Finding Neverland for me tonight, so I'll have to hit it tomorrow. I have to take a certain someone to see M$B so she doesn't decide to cut me off. #-o :razz: I'm also taking my niece. FN and the 3 hour Aviator ( Howard Hughes really didn't need 3 hours devoted to him) will be this weekend.

Hey that's my birthday!!!

Add me to the list. I saw M$B over the weekend, which was excellent by the way.

Ive pretty much seen everything nominated excpet..

A Very Long Engagement
Vera Drake
The Sea Inside

so eh add me to whatever list :razz:

See that one, it's really good.

Comeon, guys, we can do better than a whoppin' 8 members...

I've slacked off on seeing Finding Neverland and The Aviator, because I've been a little busy, plus trying to get our own awards show ready, so I haven't had the motivation to go see them, but I will before the Oscars.

As I want to see as many 2004 films as possible before the voting on the WOKJ Movie Awards ends, I have a very tight film schedule that I'll have to fit into my school life as well:

Friday - Closer
Saturday - The Phantom of the Opera
Monday - Bad Education
Tuesday - The Aviator
Wednesday - Constantine (preview screening)
Thursday - Sideways/Finding Neverland

I'll also try to catch a film on Sunday if I find time, it'll probably be either Sideways or Finding Neverland then, so I can see the other on Thursday.

Tonight I get to see Shark Tale...

yipee for me.

*cough*
Where's Motorcycle Diaries...
*cough*

andaroo, tell us what you think. It marks a new kind of Animated CGI Films, which will continue in March with Robots...

[-o< Pray for the future of the Animated Film.

2 down (Finding Neverland and Million Dollar Baby), 3 to go.

I'll get to it. Maybe not soon enough to send in a complete ballot to the KJ awards, but I'll get to it.

I'll do it.

I've seen Million Dollar Baby and Ray.

I'll make an effort to go see Sideways, Finding Neverland, and The Avaiator before Oscar night.

Seeing The Aviator tonight

I would do it, but i have no interest in Sideways or Finding Neverland.

..The Aviator, Ray and Million Dollar Baby are superb films, so Sideways and Finding Neverland wont get a look in anyhow :razz:

Shark Tale is like plunging a tuning fork into your chest over and over and over and over.

I think it's the first "urban underwater fish movie".

Will Smith's dialogue seems to be turned on annoying 95% of the time, they try to play off Renee Zwellweger's innocence (but we all know she's an evil bitch in real life), Angelina is annoying. Jack Black is the only one who tries to mask his voice in any way to produce a performance that's a LITTLE different than his normal speaking voice.

Martin Scorsese is cute in the film, but that's only if you know who he is, which I'm sure most of the target audience does not.

SO OVERDONE. The animation, everything.

The biggest problem is that unlike Shrek, they have failed to find the balance between a kids movie and an adult oriented cartoon, so it falls limp in between those extremes. No adult would admit that they thought this was a great movie and it's not catchy enough to be a child's fave.

It just sucks.