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Me Again wrote:Clyde wrote:Burning and The Wild Pear Tree are quite different but might make a good double feature. They feature young male protagonists who are aspiring authors, both of whom are trying to distinguish themselves from their difficult fathers.Haven't seen the new NBC film yet, but I watched Burning last weekend. Pretty good.*spoiler alert*Am still unresolved as to whether...burning old greenhouses was simply the rich character's euphemism for killing pretty young women. There is just enough ambiguity in the movie to make me slightly doubt if he was guilty of killing the main woman in the film, though. If she was murdered, and he was her killer, for instance, then he would have known well ahead of time that the rendezvous at the end of the film was suspect, and he likely would've shown up armed or at least prepared for a confrontation. He didn't appear to think anything was out of the ordinary. I feel like the film was trying to mislead the viewer a bit, and make the viewer jump to the same conclusions as the protagonist. But I haven't read the book it's based on, so I have no frame of reference outside Lee Chang-Dong's effort.WRT to the spoiler, I haven't read the story either but I think whether Ben murdered Haemi or not is left intentionally ambiguous. Plausible either way. I found it really unsettling. It is equally as plausible that Jong-su's belief is based on jealousy and resentment. And Ben is a weird enough character that I don't think he would have gone to that last meeting feeling too concerned. for example, he was aware that--or was that ambiguous too?--Jong-su had been following him around, but he acted as though he didn't notice. Was that because he was a psycho who enjoyed tormenting Jong-su or because he was a rich kid who found him amusing? BTW, The Wild Pear Tree may have had some ambiguities to it too. I don't want to say too much since you haven't seen it but if/when you do we should discuss.

zircona1 wrote:Redline wrote:Rififi (Du Rififi Chez les Hommes) (1956) - Great jewel-heist / gangster film that really delivers with one of the best break into the building scenes ever. Heroin is also involved. Top notch.You should watch The Red Circle (Le Cercle Rouge) if you haven't seen it, it's another great crime film and features one of the best jewel heist scenes too. Unfortunately, it's out of print, so I don't know where one could see it for now:https://www.criterion.com/films/628-le-cercle-rougeGod, I love all of those French new-wave heist films.* Un Flic is another good Melville one. The helicopter/train heist shot with miniatures is pretty charming.*Yes, I know, Rififi doesn't really count but it was a huge influence on them.

Clyde wrote:Burning and The Wild Pear Tree are quite different but might make a good double feature. They feature young male protagonists who are aspiring authors, both of whom are trying to distinguish themselves from their difficult fathers.Haven't seen the new NBC film yet, but I watched Burning last weekend. Pretty good.*spoiler alert*Am still unresolved as to whether..."burning old greenhouses" was simply the rich character's euphemism for "killing pretty young women." There is just enough ambiguity in the movie to make me slightly doubt if he was guilty of killing the main woman in the film, though. If she was murdered, and he was her killer, for instance, then he would have known well ahead of time that the rendezvous at the end of the film was suspect, and he likely would've shown up armed or at least prepared for a confrontation. He didn't appear to think anything was out of the ordinary. I feel like the film was trying to mislead the viewer a bit, and make the viewer jump to the same conclusions as the protagonist. But I haven't read the book it's based on, so I have no frame of reference outside Lee Chang-Dong's effort.

brephophagist wrote:Saw Chinese Roulette this weekend, and loved it. RIYL any of the following things:- ultramodern Lucite / glass furnishings- creepy kids- stories that take place mostly inside a single room / house- intense psychodrama approaching Greek myth proportions- Anna KarinaI love that movie!

Redline wrote:Rififi (Du Rififi Chez les Hommes) (1956) - Great jewel-heist / gangster film that really delivers with one of the best "break into the building" scenes ever. Heroin is also involved. Top notch.You should watch The Red Circle (Le Cercle Rouge) if you haven't seen it, it's another great crime film and features one of the best jewel heist scenes too. Unfortunately, it's out of print, so I don't know where one could see it for now:https://www.criterion.com/films/628-le-cercle-rouge

Not a good movie, but I watched the much-hyped Leave No Trace. Hopefully lives up to its name when I wake up tomorrow. Needed at least a few more passes before any photography.

I watched a fair chunk of that on a plane after having seen the trailer in the theatre and thinking it looked good. Not good, not well acted. I stopped caring and then watching after a meal interruption. Too bad really, the premise is decent. I saw Ken Jones' Hitchcock/Truffaut a couple days ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

As for new movies, I'm waiting patiently for the trailer of Uncut Gems (the new Safdie Brothers movie) to drop. Might go see it in the theater if it looks good and I can swing it...

I saw Le Cercle Rouge at the Times Cinema, when the restored Rialto print first made the rounds. Had seen Le Samourai on VHS in a film course (taught by a rather boring/bored teacher), but Le Cercle Rouge in 35mm was the film that really sold me on Melville's work.It might not be his best film (I think that would be Le Deuxième Souffle), but it's his most accessible and easily the one I've watched the most. Like 20+ times on DVD. It's a fun action movie! The film's commentary about women is super funny if you don't take Le Cercle Rouge 100% seriously (which is how the film should be viewed). The Ginette Vincendeau book covers some of this but doesn't seem to come to the conclusion that it's as humorous as it is.Pretty much all Melville is smooth sailing save for Magnet of Doom, which is rather turgid. And Two Men in Manhattan and Un Flic feel like weaker efforts as per the standard he set for himself.