Fine actor?

Affleck is perfectly fine, and was great in the role

he's part of that DDL school of Angry Over Acting.

I didn't hate Argo. I think 2012 was one of the greatest years ever in terms of movies and it kind of blows my mind Argo would win over so many of those. It's not anything I have any intention on watching again.

Second time you hit this note re DDL. It seems horribly misplaced to me. DDL is not Pacino. Maybe you're confusing them? Like at what point in Lincoln was DDL remotely angry? That one sudden argument with his wife? Same question for Affleck in Argo. Guy played his character like an emotional cipher.

Or this a running joke you've got going?

I preferred the previous version of your post, but who am I to argue with greatness.

hahaha

Argo was very good apart from the lack of ¨truth¨ behind some important parts of the story. The ¨true¨story could of been just as good.

Without reading any media, there would be no way I'd have guessed Argo was up for any awards even though it was really enjoyable.

I really hated the last scene with the cop cars chasing the airplane though. I mean I don't know a lot about airplanes, but it didn't seem very realistic that they didn't stop/notice when 10 cop cars are racing right next to you.

Thanks for the recommendation Dominic, Thieves was great. Kim Hye-su is now the third love of my life (after Penelope Cruz and Audrey Hepburn). I ended up watching a couple other Korean movies afterwards. Villain and Widow and Soom. Both were pretty good. Villain and Widow stars Kim Hye su and Soom was just a random.

Sounds like you've seen 2 of his movies.

Boy was he angry in My Left Foot

Sinister

It was dumb and I do not recommend anyone watch this movie.

My only complaint about DDL is that his characters tend to be much more interesting than the movies they're in. Which I suppose isn't his fault.

Yes, I can't wait for the Iranian version of Argo

+1 to this, it made it feel like a weak Hollywood movie that needed some car chase to make the end more dramatic. I'd even go one step further to say they could have built the tension more for the airport scenes without the OMG will they manage to get through to air traffic control before the plane takes off?!

Small Apartments

It's one of those movies that doesn't have a clearly defined plot, so it's hard to describe. It's about the residents of a ****ty apartment complex in LA. Billy Crystal is great as the fire inspector.

8/10

Argo

Fully expected this to be a flaming turd because:

1. Ben Affleck
2. it won best picture

Honestly I only watched it because I saw Bryan Cranston was in it and he might make it watchable.

Turns out I liked it all the way up until the end when it suddenly became a cheapass action movie. Maybe Charles Bronson should've played the security guy at the airport.

6/10

Happy to see some Holy Motors love itt. Holy Motors thread? I think it's the most under appreciated film of 2012. Not comparing it to 2001, but I had the same feeling I had after u watched 2001 for the first time. A sense of holy **** what did u just watch? I want to watch 1000 more times!

Last night, I had my last film class with this group of students, and I had them watch In the Mood for Love as prep. I was prepared for a lot of "WTF" and "that was really slow" and "I didn't get it."

But what a pleasant surprise! Out of a class of 20, 16 of them LOVED the movie and the other 4 merely liked it quite a bit. Some even said they wished it never ended...and I was pleased to tell them that they can watch both 2046 and Days of Being Wild then.

This is a class that mostly hated me for making them watch Funny Games and was exasperated with Mulholland Drive. To their credit, they all thought The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Double Indemnity were great...but those are hardly difficult films.

We spent the class dissecting the shots and camera movement and editing. They were really into it. One big, hairy, motorcycle-riding dude even said, without shame, "that was the most romantic movie I've ever seen. It made me cry." A bunch of the other men wanted to get a Facebook petition going to try and make women wear the kind of outfits Maggie Cheung does in the movie. LOL Me too!

It was interesting, because a few of the students thought the two main characters had actually "gotten busy" at one time, and then when I showed them they actually hadn't, they were upset. "That's heartbreaking." was the reply.

They understood how the rushed editing in the scene where Maggie Cheung rushes to Tony Leung at his hotel room because he's ostensibly sick was showing her state of mind at the possibility of making love with him. No one was confused about the play-acting the two characters were doing, either! They got it immediately.

I feel like a proud papa. <sniff>

Okay, they're ready for Black Narcissus now!

lol...the last class I ever teach will have to watch Salo.

I say go for Eraserhead.

Side By Side, Christopher Kenneally, 2012

This is an absolutely fascinating documentary on the history and emergence of digital technology in the art of filmmaking. It's produced and narrated by Keanu Reeves, and his involvement probably made it possible for the astounding number of great interview subjects and budget that allowed for some incredible footage.

It's got Keanu sitting down with film artists like Soderberg, Lynch, Lucas, Storaro, Fincher, Rodriquez, Cameron, Ballhaus, Scorsese, and other directors, cinematographers, editors, actors, visual effects artists, and even color timers.

I was transfixed from the first frame forward. Great stuff. It's new on Netflix.

LOL "new on Netflix". That was so 10 days ago, Dom.

Kidding. Also really liked this one.

Finally saw Murderball. I loved it. The scene where Keith is learning about murderball and sitting in Mark's chair was extremely powerful to me.

I also watched and loved The Interrupters. Sometimes I feel like I don't even need fiction in my life because documentaries and non-fiction books can come so correct.

Dom, I use this one every semester to examine mise-en-scene since the use of screen space and costume seems to convey entrapment throughout. My students have a bit of trouble with the chronology at times, and they do get fooled when they assume a scene isn't play acting and turns out to be.

When I introduce the movie, I tell them, though, to excuse my sexist nature, but I really like to watch Maggie Chueng walk in slow motion in those dresses. No one seems to mind that comment because I ask them.