What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Mon January 25th, 2010, 6:29 pm

[quote=""Ash""]He was amazingly good in that role - I haven't liked him in anything since.[/quote]

My best friend sent me a copy of "Hamlet" done by David Tennant (the previous Doctor Who) and Patrick Stewart that aired on British TV and it's the longer version, and I thought watching Gibson's would make Tennant's a little easier for Harm to understand.

SM

Eigon · Post by **Eigon** » Mon January 25th, 2010, 8:27 pm

I liked the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet, too - but I watched the David Tennant version in awe at the performances, and I think I finally understood the nuances of the different characters, the way Claudius was trying to hang on to power in the face of Hamlet's anarchic behaviour, and how it all kept spiralling out of control for him.
In contrast, I never liked the Kenneth Branagh version, though I've enjoyed watching him live on stage in both Midsummer Nights Dream and King Lear (on consecutive nights! In a tent in a park in Norwich) with Richard Briars as Bottom on one night, which is not exactly a stretch of his comedic talents - and King Lear the next, which certainly was, and he was brilliant!

But last night I settled down to wallow in nostalgia with Leslie Howard in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Wonderful, fun stuff - and Merle Oberon really was beautiful (but didn't Marguerite mess things up for Percy?). I was quite struck by a line from the Prince of Wales, bearing in mind that the film was made in the late 1930s when Hitler was in power in Germany. The Prince was asked if he could do anything about the aristocrats being sent to the guillotine, and he said something along the lines of there being nothing one could do with a nation which had gone mad inside its own borders.

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Tue January 26th, 2010, 4:34 pm

Branagh's Hamlet was ambitious and didn't really work, though he added some interesting bits for Ophelia. I like Zefferelli's (aka Mel Gibson's). Haven't seen David Tennant's version yet. Must check Netflix.

Watched It Happened One Night. Nice movie.

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Tue January 26th, 2010, 5:02 pm

Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds"...a bit revisionist....but very enjoyable and likeable.....the (nasty with a smile) Gestapo officer stole the show.....well paced and interesting soundtrack....numerous hammy cameos and Brad Pitt was a hoot with the OTT Tennessee drawl and attitude......Keeper

Eigon · Post by **Eigon** » Tue January 26th, 2010, 9:06 pm

I followed up the Scarlet Pimpernel with the sequel The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel - with a completely different cast! Still. Barry K Barnes was a likeable Pimpernel, and Chauvelin was fun, if completely unlike Raymond Massey. I have a feeling that Leslie Howard would have been over in Hollywood making Gone With the Wind about the time this sequel was made.

Now I'm waiting for DVDs of The Black Pirate with Douglas Fairbanks Sr, and The Black Swan with Tyrone Power to turn up. I'm in a seriously swashbuckling mood at the moment (though I think it's interesting that the Scarlet Pimpernel films are swashbucklers, but the hero never once picks up a sword - and generally runs away from the fights, too!)

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Wed January 27th, 2010, 1:29 pm

[quote=""Eigon""]
But last night I settled down to wallow in nostalgia with Leslie Howard in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Wonderful, fun stuff - and Merle Oberon really was beautiful (but didn't Marguerite mess things up for Percy?). I was quite struck by a line from the Prince of Wales, bearing in mind that the film was made in the late 1930s when Hitler was in power in Germany. The Prince was asked if he could do anything about the aristocrats being sent to the guillotine, and he said something along the lines of there being nothing one could do with a nation which had gone mad inside its own borders.[/quote]
Still far and away the best version IMO. It was made in 1934, and has an unmistakeable atmosphere of menace which I'm sure has to do with the (then) current events in Germany... And no-one beats Howard as the Pimpernel, mainly because he's not afraid to camp it up as Sir Percy Blakeney.

Went to see Avatar yesterday in all-singing, all-dancing IMAX 3D. Have to swallow my scepticism and say I was utterly blown away by it.

4ever Queen · Post by **4ever Queen** » Wed January 27th, 2010, 10:04 pm

Last night I watched The Hurt Locker. Great movie, makes you think and appreciate life and freedom

LoveHistory · Post by **LoveHistory** » Thu January 28th, 2010, 12:00 am

Australia

Beautiful film. Hugh Jackman is one of very few men who can look really good with a beard. Very impressed with Brandon Walters.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Thu January 28th, 2010, 1:34 am

I didn't care for Branaughs Hamlet, but absolutely loved him in Much Ado about Nothing.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Thu January 28th, 2010, 6:01 am

I must be the only person who liked Branaugh's Hamlet. He gave the character nuances that I'd never seen before -- the famous 'to be or not to be' speech, aimed at his uncle, (in the scene, Hamlet knew the uncle was watching him) suggesting that suicide was one way out of the uncle's guilt -- was fantastic.

Mel Gibson as Hamlet struck me as wimpy and confused. Lawrence Olivier gave all kinds of Freudian overtones that I'm sure were very popular at the time, but completely put it out of context for me.

Hated Branaugh in Love's Labor's Lost. Loved Much Ado about Nothing.