<p>“The Queen of Versailles”, a documentary that was originally supposed to be about what it’s like to be insanely wealthy. A billionaire timeshare developer and his wife start building their 90,000 square foot (!) dream home. Then the 2008 financial meltdown hits, and the film becomes much more about the effects of the crisis. There are lines that you can’t imagine saying yourself, like when the mother relates how her children get on their first commercial flight and say “what are all these other people doing on our plane?”. There are lines that are hilarious because both regular parents and billionaire dads yell at their kids to turn off the lights. And there are lines that will make you go home feeling very fortunate about your life.</p>
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<p>Not sure why, unless you’d run out of popcorn…</p>
<p>But I did find myself thinking, dear God please tell me real children don’t live like that.</p>
<p>Also – I’d hate to be the set designer on that film: We need more dirt here! Who washed Hush Puppy’s cup? It’s supposed to be filthy! C’mon people!</p>
<p>I can’t stand Woody Allen but I did think Match Point was great – clever, suspenseful, sexy – largely because he stayed out of it. It was like a movie made by someone else.</p>
<p>We just watched “Tom Jones” again on DVD. Always liked it, still like it.</p>
<p>But interestingly, my daughter and her friend–both dependable eggheads–were totally bored by it, and didn’t finish watching it. There’s some generational barrier there that I haven’t figured out.</p>
<p>Oh, my DH has it on a DVD and we watch it at least once per year. You have to love Fielding and have a thing (speaking for myself, not DH) for Albert Finney. I also generally watch “Two for the Road” every year, mostly for Finney but Hepburn is also heartbreaking in it.</p>
<p>And our kids also find “Tom Jones” to be a yawner.</p>
<p>This strikes me as a good vein of discussion for this thread – slightly obscure or very obscure oldies that you watch with your significant other repeatedly, and don’t know really why. :)</p>
<p>Two others for this 32-year married couple: “Children of a Lessor God” and “Last of the Mohicans” (the Michael Mann version). Both strike us as astoundingly romantic films.</p>
<p>I also recommend Queen of Versailles. They gave the filmmaker amazing access and the film unflinchingly deals with the high and then the struggle after the financial crisis. You come away with a very bad feeling about banks and the financial industry. The film draws very nuanced portraits of the people. I actually think more highly of them.</p>
<p>Like EK I’m a John Sayles fan. My favorites are:</p>
<p>The Return of the Secaucus Seven, a sort Big Chill like film set in a town I’ve frequently vacationed in.</p>
<p>Lone Star, a modern day Western romance/mystery with a great cast led by Chris Cooper.</p>
<p>I think the problem with Tom Jones is that it’s a 60s version of Fielding that’s all about naughtiness and tease, concepts that barely register with my kids. Look at the more recent Tristam Shandy: A **** And Bull Story for a take on Fielding that is more contemporary AND (I think) a lot more faithful to Fielding. Tom Jones would probably bore my kids, too, but Tristam Shandy is right up their alley.</p>
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I agree with this (except that Tristram Shandy is by Laurance Sterne, not Fielding–did you, perhaps, take Charles Long’s 18th c. novel course, JHS?). My D liked the movie of Tristram Shandy.</p>
<p>The Rabbi’s Cat-- animated movie. I stumbled on the book last week and read it, oddly enough the movie was playing this weekend.</p>
<p>Just saw Ruby Sparks. Interesting, touching, sad, moving, and sometimes funny. Zoe Kazan wrote it and starred in it. I want to compare it to Celeste and Jesse Forever once I see it – Rashida Jones wrote that one and stars in it.</p>
<p>I also just saw Ruby Sparks. To me it reminded me of the movie Stranger Than Fiction with Will Farrell. I thought it was a very sweet quirky movie, and had I not seen Stranger Than Fiction I would have thought it was very clever.</p>
<p>Loved “Ruby Sparks.” Paul Dano is the other lead in it. I’ve always liked him, but he often plays weirdos. In “Ruby Sparks” he’s so cute and appealing.</p>
<p>I loved Beasts of the Southern Wild and thought Moonrise Kingdom was trying too hard to be quirky. Ended up kitchy.</p>
<p>My Husband loved Stranger than Fiction. Maybe I can get him to see Ruby Sparks.</p>
<p>Saw Farewell, My Queen. Fabulous to look at; story was weak.</p>
<p>Robot and Frank is wonderful. </p>
<p>Near future, Frank is old - Frank Langella plays him - and has memory problems. His son gives him a robot assistant to keep him healthy. Very well plotted, well acted, funny and surprisingly emotional. With Susan Sarandon, Liv Tyler and James Marsden.</p>
<p>Highly recommended.</p>
<p>Wag the Dog, with Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro, Anne Heche and Woody Harrelson (and Willie Nelson). Really funny but also thought provoking satire. It’s from 1997 but probably available on Netflix or On Demand.</p>
<p>Two 2011 movies I recently saw on DVD, both with really great acting:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>“The Deep Blue Sea,” a Terence Davies film with Tom Hiddleston and Rachel Weisz.</p></li>
<li><p>“Private Romeo,” based on the play “Shakespeare’s R & J.” Hale Appleman was particularly amazing in this.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>NJTheatremom – thanks for Deep Blue Sea – now I remember hearing about it at the time and filed it away under “I’ll rent that sometime” but of course when I browse movie titles, if I can’t remember the name of the movie, I can’t find it. Good to know that’s worthwhile.</p>
<p>Lafalum84 – I liked Wag the Dog – much better than whatever similar movie was made recently that was just like it.</p>
<p>Lergnom – good to hear about Robot & Frank. I saw the preview and it felt like the story was taking an implausible turn, but sometimes previews are not reliable. Worth a shot.</p>
<p>I rented Shame – Michael Fassbender was great – the nudity wasn’t gratuitous – he gave such an intense, layered performance.</p>
<p>H wants to see Neighboring Sounds this weekend. I want to see Celeste and Jesse Forever. We’ll have to toss a coin – heads, I win. Tails, he loses. I think that’s fair, don’t you?</p>
<p>We had a dollar show many years ago that would get Fox Searchlight Pictures after they were run in markets outside of our city.</p>
<p>Got to see some great movies there many years ago, and I think some of you would really like them:</p>
<p>Sliding Doors-Gwyneth Paltrow </p>
<p>Opposite of Sex-Christina Ricci</p>
<p>Don’t know if this was a Fox Searchlight, but I absolutely loved this movie. Wonderful story, and the scenery of Lake Tahoe was absolutely breathtaking:</p>
<p>The Deep End-Tilda Swinton, Goran Visjnic</p>
<p>I’m kinda looking forward to Zero Dark Thirty.</p>