Coming back to the war movies theme, what comments do you have on The Pianist (2002), which I have been wanting to see for awhile now? I have heard that it is (thankfully) one of those films that does not glorify war, but this fact also makes it very hard to watch. How difficult is difficult in this case?

I know I wasn't asked, but The Pianist isn't as hard a watch as Schindler's List, for a comparison. I think it's a terrific movie, as in very well made and acted- obviously not happy. I haven't seen it in a long time, but I can't really recall it being a very difficult movie to watch- although it does have some very strong scenes in it which disturbed me at least.

Reading what I wrote, I don't think I was much of a help

Thanks for reminding me I really want to see The Pianist too! I've heard good things about it...

Just saw Notting Hill, with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. I'm so not a Julia Roberts fan, but I actually enjoyed the movie. Hugh Roberts made it for me, and there were quite a few funny moments of the sort that pop up easily in British movies.

Just saw Notting Hill, with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. I'm so not a Julia Roberts fan, but I actually enjoyed the movie. Hugh Roberts made it for me, and there were quite a few funny moments of the sort that pop up easily in British movies.

Funny this movie should pop up as my wife and I were chatting about it yesterday. It's actually a fairly funny movie and Hugh Grant does what Hugh Grant does best: be likeable and funny. I've never really been a huge fan of Julia Roberts myself. For years there was something about her that bothered me that I couldn't figure out for a long time but then I suddenly latched upon it...that little divot that rests above your upper lip that everyone. Well, she doesn't have one. Go on, look!

We watched The Lord of the Rings Trilogy two weeks ago, we always re-watch them on their release dates!
I say it a lot, but I Love those Movies! I never get tired of them!
They have so much heart and are so well made!
Every time I re-watch them I’m reminded why they are my favorite movies (tied with Narnia though )!

Lysander, so Hitchcock shook it up a little. I don't see that as a problem. I've never heard of Hitchcock referred to a horror director. Any sane person knows he was primarily a director of suspense stories. If a reason were given for the birds attacking, it would be lame compared to the audience's imaginings and also far less mysterious. For example, the TV series LOST finished with the nature of the Island (the main setting for the story) being largely unexplained. There were hints to it's mysterious powers and the strange happenings but it was never spelt outright. This helped to make the Island seem more interesting, mysterious and unknowable - just like the birds in The Birds. Sure it frustrated some people but I enjoyed that aspect very much.

Coming back to the war movies theme, what comments do you have on The Pianist (2002), which I have been wanting to see for awhile now? I have heard that it is (thankfully) one of those films that does not glorify war, but this fact also makes it very hard to watch. How difficult is difficult in this case?

I had to watch it for an art appreciation college class. I think it was probably definetly easier for me to watch since I was watching it analytically instead of just something to watch.

No, it wasn't the nicest movie but I got through it no problem. In fact, I had never watched an R rated movie before that class and I expected the violence to be much worse than it was. I was actually quite surprised at how mild the violence was.

Just watched Sherlock Holmes for the first time. I'd been avoiding it because it looked like a terrible adaptation. Unfortunately, I was correct. I think Mrs. Hudson was the only one to make it to the silver screen with her book character intact. Watson wasn't that bad either, but Holmes and Irene Adler were so far off the mark that I wouldn't have even recognized they were meant to be the same characters. Baffling how a character written over 100 years ago manages to be a stronger woman and far cleverer than the pants-wearing international woman of mystery we were presented with in this film. Add in absolutely zero chemistry between the actors and I find myself wishing they'd killed her off. And Holmes. Poor Holmes. When they let Robert Downey Jr. stop punching people and actually get to do something non-violent, he was a fairly decent Holmes. A lovely blend of sarcasm and sheer genius. A shame we saw far more of his abs (got to get the women in somehow ) and his fists than his brains. As for the story, it was sheer rubbish with a rubbish villain. I can't wait to see how they screw Moriarty up and find more excuses to get Holmes to punch things and Irene to be the Token Action Hero Barbie.

I am in total agreement with you Booky. They totally missed the boat when it came to Holmes on this version. Watson was fine. Holmes and Irene Adler... *weeps*

I've been reading Sherlock Holmes and listening to the old time radio episodes since I was 9 or 10. I didn't even recognize Holmes in that version.

I really didn't think the Irene Adler in the new movie was all that bad. I thought she was a pretty decent character. Sure, there was the scene where she had to be saved by Holmes and Watson, but she held her own instead of just being a damsel in distress all the time.

I totally agree about the zero chemistry between her and Holmes though...like, ZERO.

And I thought it was a fun movie with a fairly interesting plot, that had lovely art direction and the Victorian-London-foggyness and all that good stuff.

I haven't read any Sherlock Holmes stories and have no previous knowledge of him so thankfully I have no idea if it's completely butchered the original tales. But all the same, I liked it.

Ok, just saw a GREAT movie that I'd got to reccomend.

"My Family and Other Animals" Lovely, lovely, just lovely. And is apparently based on a book. About a English family who go to live on the Greek island Corfu (spl?) and all their adventures. Sort of told from the point of view of the youngest son, who's into nature and collects animals and bugs and things. Unfortunatly there were quite a few shots of...*coughcaterpillarscough* and I had to keep screaming and looking away.

It's been 24 hrs, ish, so I'm double posting

Best movies I've seen in 2010? Here's a tentative list:

I've seen a LOT, a LOT of films in the past year...so I'm going to try and put only my very very favorites on here.

You Can't Take it With You
It Happened One Night
Shutter Island
Mermaids
Keeping Mum
How to Marry a Millionaire
The Virgin Suicides
Rebecca
The Lady Vanishes
Casino Royale
An Education
Inglorious B******s
Never Let Me Go
Marie Antoinette
Glorious 39
Cracks
Pirate Radio
The Constant Gardener
Defiance

I'll probably think of some more, but that's what comes to mind first.

Val, the reason Holmes always referred to Irene Adler as "the woman" is because in many ways she was his equal. She actually bested him as she went on to marry another man and used Holmes as the witness to her wedding. Irene Adler in the movie is not Irene Adler in the book.

Give me Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson any day of the week.

Guess I'm just too much of a book purist when it comes to Holmes. (I've seen one episode of the modern Sherlock adaptation and thought they did a pretty good job on it.)

starkat said,
Give me Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson any day of the week.

Guess I'm just too much of a book purist when it comes to Holmes.

I really disliked Nigel Bruce as Watson, why in the world did they turn a thirty something year old into a 60ish buffoon who was as much of a hiderance to Holmes as help. The new Watson is much closer to the book if you can overlook the fistfighting and the tension.

I will give you that. However, I liked the way Rathbone and Bruce worked together as actors. That's why I like their version of Holmes and Watson the best to date.

I re-watched Lorenzo's Oil tonight, after not having had seen it since four or five years ago. One of our sons and his friend first introduced us to this very moving and powerful true story when they did a project on adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) in high school. Definitely a favourite movie of ours! The acting is superb: in fact, I hesitate to even call it acting because of the strongly realistic portrayals brought to each main character: the determined and loving mother (Susan Sarandon), the persistent and dedicated father (Nick Nolte), the key doctor (Peter Ustinov), and the very ill young boy (Zack O'Malley Greenburg). Highly recommended ('though it's not for young children because of some disturbing images of the illness).

EDIT: Ditto, Booky and kat, about the new Sherlock Holmes film. Watson was the only character who came close to representing Conan Doyle's creation.