Box office roundup

[Furiously]

Both Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth were teh awesome. Children of Men moreso than Pan.

I really disliked the ending of Children of Men. The 20 minutes prior to that were great though.

[Ironwood]

My wife was dissappointed in the end too, but it turns out that was because she was looking for an Explanation.  I had to point out that it wasn't that kind of film and, really, it wasn't about the woman and the baby at all...

[Lantyssa]

/sadfugueeface

[Furiously]

My wife was dissappointed in the end too, but it turns out that was because she was looking for an Explanation.  I had to point out that it wasn't that kind of film and, really, it wasn't about the woman and the baby at all...

I know - it was about the scene 15 minutes earlier when the baby cried. But that would have been a much better place to stop the film.

[murdoc]

That long shot in Children of Men as he runs through the bombed out street was amazing. It's like 19 minutes with no cuts.

I loved that movie, but agree about the ending.

Pan's Labyrinth was great too. I had been told it was violent, but it still surprised me about how violent it was.

[Engels]

Both movies were good, but both too scary to really be classified as 'fun'. Children of Men was just too harrowing, and the excessive violence in Pan's Labyrinth was just a hair over the top to make it a plain 'fantasy' story. I'm talking about the torture scene, more than anything. The dude with the eyeballs on his palms was just awsomely creepy.

[HaemishM]

My wife was dissappointed in the end too, but it turns out that was because she was looking for an Explanation.  I had to point out that it wasn't that kind of film and, really, it wasn't about the woman and the baby at all...

I know - it was about the scene 15 minutes earlier when the baby cried. But that would have been a much better place to stop the film.

I think stopping the film there would have been much more of a "fuck you" ending than the way it actually ended. I thought it ended exactly the way it should have.

[Velorath]

Just watched Children of Men, finally.

Christ.

That's an eye-opener.

In that vein, I just saw Pan's Labyrinth. I enjoyed it but it wasn't omgwtfbabyjesus.

It was better than approximately 95% of the movies that came out in theaters in the last year or so.  Not sure what else you could ask for.

[Venkman]

I thought Children of Men was interesting, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Good sci-fi flick, and I actually didn't mind the ending, as I thought it worked well int he context of the rest of the movie. But it was just, err, "brooding" if that's the right word. It was the sort of movie I didn't enjoy watching, something that felt more like "enriching". Which means I never ever need to see it again :)

[Ironwood]

I'd say you were right, but sometimes that's just what you need.

I also agree with Haemish about the length and the structure being correct.  It had to end the way it did, the baby had to get named the way it did and King Arthur had to do what King Arthur did.

(Realising that people may not have seen it.  Deliberately not spoiling.  Those who've seen it understand what I'm talking about.)

It was about Continuance - or that was one of the themes.  That came across very strong with the ending it had.

Of course, after explaining this to Christine she just rolled her eyes and told me to shut up.  It's possible I'm overthinking.

[DraconianOne]

"Children of Men" wasn't bad but wasn't great.  Unfortunately I can't remember in detail what irritated me about it, only that it felt clumsy and anachronistic in places.  I do remember enjoying it at the time but on reflection deciding it wasn't as good as all that.  Technically it's fantastic and both the one-shot takes at the beginning and the car chase scene were brilliant. 

Cloverfield likely to be pants.  Watch "The Host" instead.

[Bunk]

I may be alone here, but I didn't like the entire last half hour of Children of Men (I loved the rest of the movie though). The whole "war" scene was beautifuly shot, but it just felt forced in to the story to me. Like they decided they needed a big action movie finish.

It just didn't work for me. It was almost videogamish in the way they run from room to room avoiding a hail of bullets at every turn. I would have prefered had they found a lower key way to end the story.

[Engels]

You're not alone in thinking that, Bunk. I could have done with a little less shoot 'em up, a little more with what these mysterious 'savior' people on the boat were like. It would have been interesting to see how the woman and child were treated by the 'last hope of humanity'.

[shiznitz]

In that vein, I just saw Pan's Labyrinth. I enjoyed it but it wasn't omgwtfbabyjesus.

It was better than approximately 95% of the movies that came out in theaters in the last year or so.  Not sure what else you could ask for.

I fail at "last year or so" comparisons since all movies come from Netflix these days and, thus, I lose a sense of when things were released,

[HaemishM]

I'd say you were right, but sometimes that's just what you need.

I also agree with Haemish about the length and the structure being correct.  It had to end the way it did, the baby had to get named the way it did and King Arthur had to do what King Arthur did.

(Realising that people may not have seen it.  Deliberately not spoiling.  Those who've seen it understand what I'm talking about.)

It was about Continuance - or that was one of the themes.  That came across very strong with the ending it had.

I thought the ending was more about one individual finding hope again after having lost all shred of it by the beginning of the film. It was not only the redemption of the human race, but his own personal redemption. I mean, at one point the character is talking about using the suicide box but doesn't want to because he's not sure it would work very well. Talk about your total loss of faith in humanity. But given the chance to do something to "save the world" even at the loss of his job, his life, his freedom, he never hesitated. Life found a way, both on the macro human level, but the micro individual level where it's most important.

Just a fantastic ending in all senses. The one take shots especially in the warzone just made it that much more impressive.

[Ironwood]

I don't see that he had a choice.  Ever.  This was simply something that he HAD to do once he knew the stakes involved.

It was certainly about finding hope amidst despair, but I suspect that ascribing his hope above others in the narrative is misleading.  You'll note that all involved with the baby never once hesitated about losing their lives for the child.  That being the point.  Without children, there is no hope.  (Though they can still stay the fuck off my lawn.)


EVERYONE has lost hope at the beginning of the film.  If that wasn't apparent enough, they HAMMER it home with the death of Baby Wheaton.  Or whatever he was called.

And I disagree that it was more important on the micro than macro - otherwise the scene with the cessation of violence wouldn't have been as damn powerful.  It ALL stopped for the baby.

[Venkman]

I think Haemish makes a good point, but I don't ascribe it to Hope. I think he just was bored and needed something to do. If you're part of the last generation of humanity, nothing really matters. At all. There's no world to be made better for your kids. There's no need to further oneself at all because nothing you do is ever going to matter after the last of humanity dies. The film does a fantastic job of showing a whole lot of people basically just going through the motions because that was how they were raised, inertial life.

So along comes a Quest, something he can do that isn't just existing until accident or old age claims him. Everything else, from seeing his ex to meeting other crazies looking for a cause were all sort of supporting the central tenet that he had something worthwhile to live, and die, for after all.

[Yegolev]

Of course, after explaining this to Christine she just rolled her eyes and told me to shut up.  It's possible I'm overthinking.

I think you narrowly missed a "You weren't in labor for ..." comment.

[HaemishM]

I don't see that he had a choice.  Ever.  This was simply something that he HAD to do once he knew the stakes involved.

But he did have a choice, that's the point. He had the choice to kill himself, he had the choice to run away when he discovered that the violent rebels were going to kill him and take the baby themselves. He could have fucked off back to the coppers, turned in the whole lot and gone back to his life without threat of dying. Shit, he could have turned Julian down entirely when she first asked for transit papers, but he didn't. He helped her out in the hope she would get back with him, and he saved Kia from being used by the uprising folks when he could have just saved his own skin by leaving.

Just because he knew the stakes involved didn't mean he had no choice. He could have chosen his lesser devils instead of his greater angels and he chose to act on the side of the angels.

[Lantyssa]

I loved the whole movie.  The hope, the redemption, I see all of that.  Also facing the unknown, because we don't really know things will be better with the Human Project.

[Hayduke]

I really liked Children of Men, thought the ending was perfect for a sacrifice story that it was.  It seemed sappy at parts but I was still impressed by a lot of it.  The ending was abrupt, but maybe I'm not reading deeply enough into it because I didn't find it that unexplained or confusing.  Pan's Labyrinth was just, urgh, good but seemed all style and little substance.  Just really excessive.  But since we're talking about films by Mexican directors, I liked Babel better than both of those.

[Velorath]

Getting Sunshine in either tomorrow or Thursday.  If it comes in tomorrow, it will be one of those rare times where I go in on my day off to dry run a movie, I'm just that hyped up for seeing it after watching the extended trailer.  Be warned that the extended trailer does seem to give some stuff away (some of the deaths from the looks of it), but the movie is much more recognizable as a Danny Boyle movie, whereas the original trailer made it look like something along the lines of Armageddon or The Core.

[Ironwood]

I don't see that he had a choice.  Ever.  This was simply something that he HAD to do once he knew the stakes involved.

But he did have a choice, that's the point. He had the choice to kill himself, he had the choice to run away when he discovered that the violent rebels were going to kill him and take the baby themselves. He could have fucked off back to the coppers, turned in the whole lot and gone back to his life without threat of dying. Shit, he could have turned Julian down entirely when she first asked for transit papers, but he didn't. He helped her out in the hope she would get back with him, and he saved Kia from being used by the uprising folks when he could have just saved his own skin by leaving.

Just because he knew the stakes involved didn't mean he had no choice. He could have chosen his lesser devils instead of his greater angels and he chose to act on the side of the angels.

I disagree.  Wildly.  I find it interesting that you stick in 'the threat of dying'.  Surely you get that the whole point of the film was that you can't 'Go back to a life without [a] threat of dying' ?  That's the point (heh).  We're all dying.  Life is one of those incurable terminal conditions.  And I disagree that he helped her out to get back with her.  It's quite clear that the life they had together was OVER and that they would NEVER get over the baby dying.  Hell, THERE ARE NO MORE BABIES.  That pain would be with them ALWAYS.  He didn't have a choice.  He was stuck with despair.  Nothing but bleak and black despair.  He couldn't even, as you pointed out, suicide.  He went along with it all at first because, well, why not ?  Quite literally, what the fuck else was there to do ?

And then he saw the pregnancy and everything changed.  Everything.  From that point on it was all about the baby.  I maintain he didn't have a choice.  There is no choice between hope and despair.

Christ, this is getting a little Donaldson.  Let's just disagree on the themes and agree that it was a damn fine film that made you think.  Hard.

Edited to Add :  It wasn't Set in America.  Ask yourself why.

[DraconianOne]

Getting Sunshine in either tomorrow or Thursday.  If it comes in tomorrow, it will be one of those rare times where I go in on my day off to dry run a movie, I'm just that hyped up for seeing it after watching the extended trailer.  Be warned that the extended trailer does seem to give some stuff away (some of the deaths from the looks of it), but the movie is much more recognizable as a Danny Boyle movie, whereas the original trailer made it look like something along the lines of Armageddon or The Core.

Sunshine is a very good looking movie and enjoyable too, provided you can disengage your brain enough to ignore some of the niggling problems in the plot.  It's definitely something I'm glad I saw on the big screen.

[dusematic]

When's the last time Nelson did one of these?  Clearly one of the better watercooler threads in retrospect.

[HaemishM]

Edited to Add :  It wasn't Set in America.  Ask yourself why.

Because the audience wouldn't have sympathy for a bunch of Mexicans locked up in cages? 

[HaemishM]

Getting Sunshine in either tomorrow or Thursday.  If it comes in tomorrow, it will be one of those rare times where I go in on my day off to dry run a movie, I'm just that hyped up for seeing it after watching the extended trailer.  Be warned that the extended trailer does seem to give some stuff away (some of the deaths from the looks of it), but the movie is much more recognizable as a Danny Boyle movie, whereas the original trailer made it look like something along the lines of Armageddon or The Core.

Holy Shit, that extended trailer is teh awesome.

[MrHat]

Hell ya.  I didn't realize, definately going to watch it now.

[Venkman]

Looks pretty interesting, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be the generic horror/sci-fi or something "deep and introspective."

[MrHat]

I just want to know if it's not too scary or thrilling so I can take my wife with me.  She doesn't do well with the movies that make you very anxious, something about her mom being a 2nd grade school teacher.

[Velorath]

Looks pretty interesting, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be the generic horror/sci-fi or something "deep and introspective."

Have you ever watched Shallow Grave?

[Oban]

Shallow Grave and The Last Supper are two of the best movies ever made.

[HaemishM]

Shallow Grave was awesome.

[Venkman]

Looks pretty interesting, but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be the generic horror/sci-fi or something "deep and introspective."

Have you ever watched Shallow Grave?

Never heard of it. I'll add it to my list though.

[Engels]

I'm psyched about Beowulf