johnsonisjohnson
30Mar12
waaaaa-?
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Displaying wall posts 1 - 30 of 42 in total
mondotempesta
14Feb12
3/5. Vistose difficoltà nel valutarlo: crudo, morboso, viscerale, teatrale, "secco e disumano" (cit. MK) ma in fondo umanissimo, e spietato, folle, prevedibile, amaro, volgare ma raffinato... E marcio. Profondamente, deliziosamente marcio.
Cinematic
7Feb12
The beautiful and edgy contrast between the ugly and the sublime. The timeless and painful depth of Shakespearean romanticism. The everchanging colours of passion... A revolutionary masterpiece.
Harry Rossi likes this
Sean
15Nov11
When this film finished I had goosebumps all over and all I could say was "wow" over and over again. Why it took me this long to watch this film is beyond me, I'm blown away by it and I think perhaps another watch would make it a 10. Michael Gambon was absolutely terrifying, and truly terrific in this film as was Helen Mirren. Greenaway's direction, the style of the film and the colour, Fantastic film.
Francisco R.
11Nov11
Peter Greenaway seems to be more comfortable working as a film engineer rather than a film artist, the concept design is immaculate and his handling with actors and witty, cynic dialogue is top notch as well, but I think there is a difference between being uncompromising and artificial, and the fact that I had found this film so irresistably charming is entirely due to its virtuoso, robotic-like realization.
Trey Mosley
22Oct11
For fans of David Lynch and Shakespeare, these 2 hours blow by quickly. Excellent source for Kristeva's study of the abject.
Trevor Moffatt
11Oct11
I adored this movie when I first saw it back in the early nineties. I loved the references to Rembrandt's Nightwatch, Nyman's haunting score and the juxtaposition between food, sex and death. It seemed as if Greenaway, through his distillation of fine art, theatre and contemporary orchestral music had created something radically new yet strangely old. Additionally, I was sympathetic to the film's central political critique of 1980S excess. However, after a recent viewing I've changed my view has the film seems to suffer from the same gaudy excess Greenaway is criticizing. The designer costumes, the flashy sets, the stylized performances are all now looking a little dated. To this extent, the cook, the thief, rather like New Romanticism in pop music, is the cultural expression of Thatcherite decadence: not its antithesis. Moreover, in making 'working class' gangsters the vile antagonists and 'middle class' intellectuals the saintly protagonists - isn't Greenaway being sniffy about the nouveau riche? After all - weren't the 80s an assault on the proletariat: not bookish bourgeois librarians? Which runs counter to one of the films main influences - Chabrol's 'The Beast must Die' (incidentally Micheal Gambon made his debut in a hammer house flick with the same name). Chabrol's 'beast' - Paul De court - is a s despicable as Albert Spica - but the great French auteur wisely juxtaposes him with a vapid bourgeois acquiesces. Even the apparent hero of the piece who loses his son in a hit and run car crash is portrayed has machiavellian and self satisfied. So in my view this casts Greenaway has a great visual showman - the arty equivalent of Spielberg and Ridley Scot - not a great director and interpreter of the human condition a la Chabrol, Herzog, Kubrick, Visconte.
slaepwerigne likes this
Harry Rossi
8Oct11
After just one viewing, I think this might be one of my new all time favorite films. Not sure about that yet, but it is goddamn incredible and Michael Gambon is truly fantastic.
Matthew_Lucas
24Jul11
Helen Mirren and Michael Gambon star in this erotically charged drama about a ruthless mob boss whose wife takes up an affair with a mild mannered book keeper in order to escape her husband's boorish cruelty. Lavishly produced (notice how the color of the characters' costumes change to fit the room they are in), lurid, and even darkly funny, the film puts a wicked modern spin on Jacobean revenge dramas.
Christopher Taylor
20Jul11
Arguments about high art and obscenity aside, this film has a world of it's own and is populated by a story that is both shocking and fascinating. Truly one of my favorites.
Gylfi Reynisson
19Jul11
Brutal. Gambon is amazing, not many times that you meet a character that you truly love to hate. See it and be prepared to be shocked
Joaopa
31May11
"Com poucos closes, até a sonoplastia lembra um espetáculo teatral, muito bem montado e milimetricamente pensado com uma única finalidade: a beleza. Além disso o filme é repleto de passagens belíssimas relacionando comida e ser humano: comer é dominar, é antropofagizar, é se mostrar superior(...)" www.cinemadebuteco.com
Christian Depken
14May11
I hated it up until the main plot element. Found it self-indulgent, pointless and shallow, though pretty. However, it improved dramatically once that element came into play, and the message seemed less blatant and petty, and these characters became less silly caricatures and more tragic metaphors. A surprisingly beautiful film.
slaepwerigne likes this
Barbara Wiśniewska
26Mar11
the scenography, design are perfect...but I guess I failed to understand the most importatnt thing! message!?maybe because I was too young then I was watching this film.
sami
13Mar11
Gorgeous cinematography and set designs — my favourite moments being when at the start of each act, the camera would pan across restaurant “Le Hollandais“‘s opulent kitchen and onto the lavish, baroque dining room. Also, worthy of note are Mirren and Howard’s naked bodies, Bohringer’s thick French accent, Jean-Paul Gaultier’s costumes, Michael Nyman’s dramatic score, and Giorgio Locatelli’s prop food.
Adrian Mendoza
28Feb11
every time i think about this film i have this stale taste in my mouth. it's that good.
Colton Bose
10Jul10
Bar none, one of the most fascinating, polarizing, uncomfortable, and life changing films I have ever experienced.
There Will Be Josh Schasny
27Jun10
One of the most uncomfortable films I have ever seen strictly due to dialogue.
VENIMOS LOS JODIMOS Y NOS FUIMOS
19May10
Ciertamente, Greenaway es un mamilota (yo tuve oportunidad de comprobarlo en persona en una de las visitas que ha hecho a Mèxico, durante una conferencia previa a la exhibiciòn, precisamente, de esta cinta). Tambien se ha dicho que su cine no es màs que violencia de Tècito por las tardes; no obstante, esta, junto con The Belly of an Architect, son dos de las màs visual y anecdoticamente interesantes cintas de los 80`s.
Jose Sarmiento Hinojosa
19May10
I support Dimitris on this one. Is such an overwhelming film, full of great imagery and a strong subject matter.
Dimitris Psachos
19May10
Don't be fooled by the negative comments here, the whole film thrives from political insanity and decadence and I could name dozens of real-life examples but I won't: I'd rather let the new viewers comment upon that degradation of masculinity in a contemporary classic such as this is.