Movies & Books Into Movies

[marjifay]

 

So many movies – how do  you choose what to watch? Reviews?  Recommendations?  Actors?  Availability? Do you choose a movie the same way you choose a book? And where do you like to watch most of your movies? Do you stream movies from Netflix and other places? Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever watched a film?

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Join us in an ongoing discussion of your favorite movies right now.
Pull up a chair, take off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and join in!

Your Discussion Leader: pedln

I thought Hope Springs sounded dull.  Tommy Lee Jones said it was not a good role for him.

I can't believe all the hullabaloo about Argo.  We saw it and found it very predictable and boring.

After reading all the nominations, I have a bunch of films I want to see:  HOLY MOTORS, RUST AND BONE, KILLER JOE, AMOUR (first film to be nom. both for best film and best foreign film, and has the oldest woman every to be nominated);  NO (from Chile), A ROYAL AFFAIR (from Denmark), WAR WITCH (Canada) and several documentaries that look interesting.

Marj
Remember when movies were called picture shows?

[pedln]

I thought Hope Springs sounded dull.  Tommy Lee Jones said it was not a good role for him.

One wonders why he and Streep even consented to do it.

I've added some of your suggestions to my queue, marj -- Rust and Bone and all the foreign films except for War Witch.  I don't think I want to see that one.  No, from Chile, sounds good, and also Once Upon a Time in Anatolia --  Turkish film.  I think the latter is an Oscar Foreign Film nominee.

[Tomereader1]

Tome, you can put not-yet-released movies in your queue.  Netflix will put it in when it is released. 

  I knew that, MaryZ, it was that I was questioning Salan about how she could "not have watched it yet" since it wasn't released yet.  I have a couple or three non-released movies in My Queue, and whenever they get released and all the folks in front of me get theirs, then I'll get to watch, LOL!  I'm afraid I don't do the "on demand" thing. Anyway, I would prefer to see "Life of Pi" and Le Miz in the gigantic screen of the movie theatre.

[marjifay]

I added Once Upon a Time in Angola (2011) to my Netflix queue.  I see it won grand prize at Cannes.  Thanks, Pedln.

I also want to see Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Oops, my Netflix queue is getting worse than my TBR book list.

Marj

[rosemarykaye]

On Friday I saw 'Quartet' - what a wonderful film it is.  It's about musicians living in a retirement home in the English countryside.  The main characters are played by Pauline Collins, Maggie Smith (quite different from her Downton role), Billy Connolly and Tom Courtenay.  The supporting actors include Andrew Sachs, Sheridan Smith and Michael Gambon, but there are also lots of 'real' retired musicians playing small parts, and they too are absolutely wonderful.  The plot, such as it is, centres around the annual Verdi concert, which this year needs to be extra special to raise funds to keep the home open.  To attract more people, a plan is hatched to sing the quartet from Rigoletto - Collins, Connolly and Courtenay's characters agree to peform, but they struggle to persuade Maggie Smith (who has history with Courtenay) to join in. 

It's a lovely gentle story, there are some great comic moment (Billy Connolly was much better than I anticipated) no-one dies, and my friend and I loved it.

Anyone else seen it?

Rosemary

[JeanneP]

I was on a long list at the library for "Hope Springs" but looks like it is almost down to me.

[JeanneP]

Rosemary.   "Quartet" must be pretty new because I don't see it listed here yet.  Look forward to watching it. Really like most of the people in it.

[maryz]

I just looked Quartet up onNetflix. It's not out yet, but it's now in my saved list.  Thanks, Rosemary.

[marjifay]

I see Christopher Waltz won a Golden Globe last night for supporting role in D'Jango Unchained.  Now I want to see that film.  If you haven't seen him as the Nazi colonel in Inglorious Basterds (2009), you missed a great acting performance, his was the best part of that film - he won an Oscar for that role.

Marj

[JoanK]

Quartet sounds like a winner. Nice to see a movie about seniors where no one dies, or is bravely facing imminent death.

When I hd cancer (12 years ago) you can't imagine how many of my friends told me "Oh, you have to read such-and-such a book or see such-and-such a movie", and it turned out that it was about someone nobly facing their imminant death.

Finally, whrnever someone recommended a book, I would say "As long as no one is dying nobly in it: I don't read those books." there would be a dead silence (no pun intended) and the person would change the subject.

12 years later, I still don't read those books.

[mabel1015j]

Dustin Hoffman directed Quartet and i think he said it comes out either this weekend or next in the U.S.

Sorry to take you back, but i just saw The Iron Lady. Meryl Streep is amazing, but the script and direction and the editing were amazing also. In the first couple of scenes i thought "oh she's doing the same accent as Julia," but that soon changed and she really got MT's voice.  But most impressive was the make-up showing her aging transition! I see the make-up artist did get an Oscar and was nominated for another award, in England, i think. The make-up was extraordinary, altho she was a little too glamorous at times while she was supposed to be p.m. I didn't realize that she was becoming irrational while still prime minister. I really enjoyed it. Interesting production.

Jean

[rosemarykaye]

Joan - I totally agree, I hate reading anything in which anyone dies (apart from murder mysteries, which I see as completely different, more like puzzles), nobly or otherwise (and as for animals, no chance). I want to read things that cheer me up.  I remember crying buckets when, as a teenager, I read Love Story.  I expect I enjoyed it then, but nowadays life is all too real without having it rammed down my throat in fiction.

I should say, re Quartet, that Collins' character is developing Alzheimer's, so there are some poignant moments - but she's still more or less fully functional, and she does portray the character brilliantly.  The ending is a happy triumph.

Rosemary

[Babi]

 It does seem that the older generation (us) is getting a fairer share of film
stories. We have gotten away from much of the stereotypes of 'old man' and 'old
lady' and are portraying them as real, interesting, and involved people. That
may be thanks to the many great older actors and actresses we have now. 
 
  Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep are both such fine actors, PEDLN. I wonder if
perhaps they just wanted an opportunity to work together, and the choice of a
vehicle was simply not a good one.

 Good for you, JOANK!! 

[pedln]

I'm with you on Iron Lady, marjifay.  A wonderful performance by Meryl Streep and terrific makeup job.

It does seem that the older generation (us) is getting a fairer share of film
stories.

Babi, do you suppose it's because there are more and more of us, now that the "boomer" gang is edging towards Medicare? Are some of the "boomers" now realizing that these "grayheads" are real people?

Yesterday I ran to the supermarket about 5 pm (finally forcing myself out into 20 degree weather)  feeling just a tad guilty about going at that hour.  A few years back some newspaper printed a comment by a "young middle ager"  who said she wished all those old people would stay home and not shop at the end of the day when she was rushing around after work. Of course, she did get squashed, but good, but the thought lingers, "am I in someone's way?"

Looking forward to Quartet, Rosemary.  It sounds like a winner.

[JeanneP]

Now I just did not finish watching Iron Lady. I thought they were making to much of her not being quite normal and starting to loose control. Needed to not show the signs of Alzheimer's at all.
To me she was a smart lady.Could have shown more of her start in life. The good things she did as PM. Along with the mistakes they all made.

Being from UK I always stuck up for her. Many people didn't. Just about like it is here in the US at this time. Makes one wonder how they get enough votes for them to get in and then not enough people standing behind them.

[marjifay]

Babi wrote "It does seem that the older generation (us) is getting a fairer share of film
stories." 

It would seem that Amour falls into that category, and I want to see it.  It stars the oldest woman ever to be nominated for an oscar for best actress (Emmanuelle Riva, age 85).  And the film is one of the very few to be nominated for both best film and best foreign language film.  It wan the Golden Globe award for best foreign language film.

Marj

[pedln]

Dinner and movie night last night.  Someone brought chili, another brought salad, I brought Beasts of the Southern Wild.  Dinner was great, best chili I've had in a long time.

The film -- after hearing and reading all the hoopla about it, I think we all had different expectations, but all of us were disappointed. The little actress, Q Wallis, did a superb job, some of the filming techniques were interesting, but it was a very challenging film to watch.  It was a strange film.  When I got home last night I read the Netflix reviews and they were either 4/5 stars or 1/2 stars. It's either love it or hate it.

Watch it with a very open mind.  I still have the DVD and could watch it again as I do sometimes, but not now, maybe later.

[JeanneP]

Does anyone remember the names of the Books written by Maeve Binchy that came out in DVD?

[pedln]

JeanneP, the only one I can remember becoming a film is Circle of Friends.  It's been years since I saw it on an airplane flight, so I really don't remember much about it

The word here from PublishersWeekly is that these books will be adapted to films in 2013.

Books into Films 2013

[Frybabe]

Ender's Game. Gotta see that one. Saw the trailer for Beautiful Creatures on TV last night. That's the kind of movie my sister loves.

[JeanneP]

I thought that I had read someplace that now 5 of her books are out on DVD.  Maybe after she died her family agreed for it to be done.  Will check out further. The could be just coming out this year.

[MaryPage]

Oh my!  It has been DECADES since I read Ender's Game, but I sure want to see that movie.  And the second movie of the second Hunger Games book;  I read all of those.  And the second movie of The Hobbit, albeit I am firmly of the opinion the book itself, undisturbed by a whole bunch of stuff that was never in it, could have been done beautifully and with utmost satisfaction from the viewers in just one film.

None of the others listed do a thing for me.  Those 3 are IT, out of the ten.

[maryz]

We see very few movies - but doubt we'd see any of these anyway.  I've not read any of the books (or even heard of some of them).  Oh, well.....

[rosemarykaye]

The only one of all of those that I would like to see is the Le Carre.  I loved both the TV and the more recent film versions of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Haven't seen The Constant Gardener but my son said it was very good too.

Rosemary

[marjifay]

I watched recently the movie The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, with Richard Burton, and thought it was very good.  It was the first le Carre book that I'd been able to understand and enjoy.  Also watched Constant Gardener some time ago and liked it, but mainly for the beautiful scenery of Kenya.

Just finished watching the lovely 1997 movie Mrs. Dalloway, from Netflix, starring Vanessa Redgrave.  Had gotten it mainly to see Phyllis Calvert at age 85 after seeing her as the young nun in
the 1951 film noir Appointment with Danger.  But I watched the entire Mrs. Dalloway film, fascinated with the excellent acting and the gorgeous dresses the women wore.  Now I want to read the book.  Have never had much luck reading Virginia Woolf.  Tried her To the Lighthouse, but never finished it.

Marj

[JeanneP]

I also liked "Constant Gardener" Both book and DvD.

[pedln]

The Sundance Festival is under way, and the LA Times has provided a list of films and their sources.

SSundance Reading List

[JeanneP]

Couple of the Movies I think I would like.

In October I visited my Grandmothers grave with her new baby. They were over here in the US from 1890 and she died in 1892. Buried in Cemetery in Lowell Mass. (Family went back to England in 1898).

 Close by their graves, is the grave of Jack Kerouac.. His wife is buried along side his grave.  A young couple were having a Picnic on it.

 Great following of people yet to this day.  There was going to be a Anniversary for Jack that Weekend and they say that Hundreds of people attend every year. Wish I could have stayed.

[Babi]

 Hmm,..I can't say that the Sundance reviews have me eager to see any of them. Some of the topics I find actually repugnant. No problem; plenty of good films out there to see.

[Dana]

Just started watching the Swedish tv version of Wallander--I think there are 14 episodes in the second series, which is what's available on Netflicks.  Brilliant!!  Much better than the Brit version which I found slow, gloomy and boring.  This is fast paced and exciting.  Must be new stories or specially written for tv because I haven't read them (or at least this first one).

Also the other day I saw Shakespeare Uncovered onPBS.  The one I saw was about Macbeth, which does happen to be my favourite play, but anyway, a super program.  I think there are more to come--maybe The Tempest, who knows!

Looking forward to seeing Quartet.  As a Scot I have rather a soft spot for Billy Connolly.

[pedln]

I liked the Constant Gardner, too, JeanneP, the book more than the film.

Babi, I’m inclined to agree with you, though I did add the Sedaris C.O. G. and Big Sur (about JackK) to my Netflix queue.  I guess the winner, Fruitvale, is not from a book.  Very little has been said about it other than Harvey Weinstein has snapped it up and the Olivia Spencer (The Help) is in it. It’s about a shooting in Oakland, CA in 2009.

Dana, apparently the DVDs for the Swedish Wallendar films are not yet available, but I’m assuming that the streaming shows are. The reviews praise the series  and the Wallendar actor Krister Henriksson, and bemoan that “Season One” is not available on Netflix even with streaming. People in other countries can watch US TV via outfits like Netflix so I guess it makes sense that we can get foreign TV here.

I dearly love Netflix, but am dependent on DVDs.  Wish they would have some other reasonable dual “plan” options available so one could have both, like they had before.

Yesterday I spent almost three hours watching a really fantastic Indian film, and I never watch that long at one time.  Taare Zareem Par  -- translates to something about Stars.  The protagonist is an eight-year-old boy with learning disabilities.  And he’s in trouble with everyone – his parents, his teachers, the other kids.  The teacher says, “If you can’t read the words, read the letters,” and he replies, “They’re dancing,”  and of course you know what his problem is.  I must confess, it’s a real tearjerker, well worth watching.


 

[Dana]

The actress in Waallendar, who looks like she may turn into a love interest, is the one who played Mikael Blomquvist's lover in the Swedish Dragon Tattoo movies--she's so attractive I think.

Just looked at the Sundance List.  Who remembers Doris Lessing?  The Golden Notebook?  I loved her, long ago, wonder if I still would.....

[pedln]

Who remembers Doris Lessing?

It wasn't too long ago that she got the Nobel Prize for Literature.

actress in Waallendar

Noomi Rapace?  She's very attractive.

[Dana]

No, not Noomi Rapace, the woman who edited/?owned the magazine.

Doris Lessing must be still around then.  Must look her up, used to be a communist.  Wonder if she still is.  In the Golden Notebook as I recall she dealt with the British CP members disillusionment when they found out about the Stalin purges. It must have been wonderful to believe in communism, back then when the violence required to make it happen was not known.  

[Tomereader1]

Lena Erde played Erika in Girl W/Dragon Tattoo (Swedish version); Robin Wright = Erika in American version.

The Wallender movies are something else entirely.

[Babi]

Good to know, DANA. I was so put off by the first Wallander I tried to watch,
(didn't stay with it) I had no interest in seeing any more. But I don't often
see a 'brilliant'!  I'll take a look at the Swedish version.

 PEDLN, are the boy's problems resolved, or does the whole thing end as a
'tear-jerker'?  I'm simply not up to three hours of trauma and woe. 

   Oh, dear.  A Nobel prize award, and I don't believe I've read any of her books.

[pedln]

PEDLN, are the boy's problems resolved, or does the whole thing end as a
'tear-jerker'?  I'm simply not up to three hours of trauma and woe.   

Not to be a spoiler, there are resolutions.  It's actually 2 hours and 45 minutes.  And amid the whole show there are things that will warm your heart.

Oh, dear.  A Nobel prize award, and I don't believe I've read any of her books.

Ditto

[Babi]

  That's not a spoiler, PEDLN. That's a relief! 

[MaryPage]

We had two hours of the SHAKESPEARE UNCOVERED on our PBS channels last Saturday night.  The MacBeth one was interesting, but the one with Joely Richardson and her mother, the one and only Vanessa Redgrave, was by far the better show.  Fantastic!  I will not try to spoil it for you with comments, but it features Shakespeare's comedies about twins, points out he HAD twins of his own, and particularly goes into Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night.  Twelfth Night is one of my favorites.  Oh, this is a lovely hour, and you will tear up when Vanessa is remembering.  Try to find it and watch it.  You won't be sorry.

[Frybabe]

Thanks MaryPage. My PBS showed them last week also. I was going to watch them, but involved with something and decided not to stop to watch it just then. Sorry I didn't now, after reading your review. I'll have to wait for a rerun.