2014 What movies are you watching

[razz]

Amelia Jane's thread was interesting and 36 screens long so thought I would start a fresh one for 2014.
Saw Philomena tonight with Judi Dench. It is based on a true story about how young single girls were forced to give up their babies who were sold off to adoptive parents. Don't want to spoil the story. I enjoy Judi Dench is everything including this movie.

Seems that this was not uncommon as there are numerous incidents that have been filmed on this link.
http://www.originscanada.org/resources/films/

[Lainey]

Watched "Nebraska." Filmed in black and white, wonderfully cast.

Also saw "Promised Land" on HBO. Thought provoking on the fracking issue.

[razz]

Watched "Nebraska." Filmed in black and white, wonderfully cast.

Also saw "Promised Land" on HBO. Thought provoking on the fracking issue.

Trying to decide if I should go and see Nebraska so glad for your post.

[iris lilies]

I definately want to see Philomena and probably Nebraska.

I watched an (Iranian?) film last night called The Attack. It's a movie about an Arab physician, practicing in Tel Aviv, whose wife may have been responsible for a terrorist attack. You get a sense of both sides as he explores her role and tries to understand it.

This film had been banned in all Arab countries, so I guess it's doing something right! But really, it is open ended about cause, effect, and who is right & wrong.

[Lainey]

Rented "In a World ..." from Red Box tonight. It's a fictional peek into the world of voice-overs, written and directed by Lake Bell, who also stars. Very enjoyable. Anyone who loves film generally will enjoy all of the behind-the scenes stuff.

Am looking forward to seeing more from Bell in the future.

[CathyA]

Watched Captain Phillips last week. It was fairly good. I was tense the whole time.

[iris lilies]

This week I watched too much film!

London River, an emotionally engaging film about the London Terrorist Bombings. In it, a mother of a young woman goes to London to find out where her daughter is since she has not heard from her since the bombing. Very interesting character study. She runs into an African man living in France who is also seeking the whereabouts of his son after the bombings.

This is the second film I watched about aftermath of terrorist bombings (the other one I mentioned in a previous post was The Attack) but London River is way better.

I watched part of Tess of the D'urbervilles, the 2008 production, and I got distracted and ended up getting the entire 1998 production from the Library, the one with Justine Waddell. She is beautiful and it is a lovely film, so now I don't want to go back to finish the 2008 film starring someone I don't know. Hardy is so, so, bleak. I used to love him, now--not so much.

Tonight we watched In the Valley of Elah with Tommy Lee Jones playing a father of a returning Iraqi soldier who disappears. Strong cast, acting, great production except that the plot was weak.

[CathyA]

Iris lilies........you watch the neatest movies!

[mtnlaurel]

Nebraska - It moved really slow, but I think that was the point. Glad I saw it. The old coot's wife stole the show in my book.

August: Osage County - I could have lived without seeing this one on the big screen. Neither this movie nor the one above has me in a rush to move to the Great Plains. Thank goodness Peyton Manning is yelling 'Omaha' so much for some good press for the region What WAS fantastic in this movie was the make-up. If you have ever seen someone upclose dying of addiction & cancer at the same time - Merryl Streep's make-up was spot on. It made me grateful for sure, the absence of love in that family was astounding. There was no refuge anywhere for anyone.

American Hustle - Loved, Loved, Loved this!!!! The clothes they wore. The sweat. It was like glazed ham good. And the set details - it was a 70s dream.

Inside Llewlyn Davis
Then I made the mistake of blowing my movie theater budget all in one day and went directly to go see Inside Llewlyn Davis right after American Hustle - mistake. (I don't get much time to myself these days & got too greedy on MeTime - or maybe just overboard winter escapism) So, I kept wanting to compare the 2 films and how they made me feel. One up, the other either completely vacant or down.
I just so can't stand that genre of music that it was hard for me to overcome.
I like seeing how things really work though and the gritty reality of life. Whatever became of Llewlyn in the long run? Did he just end up a bitter washed up alky and that was just his 'folk singing phase'?
The main character's lack of moral fiber was stunning juxtaposed to his beautiful, pure voice.
And then another family that there just wasn't any real love in....... I couldn't get ahold of how Llewlyn was so vacant of decency.



So glad that 2014 thread was started. The other got too daunting.

[AmeliaJane]

I also saw Captain Phillips and agree that it was mesmerizing throughout even though most viewers probably knew the resolution ahead of time. The actor who played the lead Somali pirate was amazing and I was glad that he was recognized with an Oscar nomination. For those who are interested in such things, I read that the depiction of the final SEAL action was fairly accurate in this movie, as opposed to "Zero Dark Thirty" which was much more Hollywoodized.

Also saw "The Butler" and was a little disappointed by that. The performances were good, to be sure, but I found the whole invented subplot about the son involved in the Civil Rights movement to be a distraction. I was more interested in the main character and his interactions with people at the White House.