The World Cinema Recommendation Thread!

[morris]

Originally Posted by STFUDonny

Hidden is fantastic. As is La Haine. As is Thirst.

Elaborate please. What is fantastic about them? Movie critic approval, even festival awards don't mean a film is enjoyable or entertaining or enlightening.

I attempted to say what I didn't like about Thirst. Hidden I have discussed many times before you joined, in a nutshell: slow moving to the point of stagnant and extremely pretentious with dreary characters. Like most Haneke films in other words.

[Ancient One]

Hidden is fantastic. As is La Haine. As is Thirst.

Not funny
As punishment you have to watch all three back to back

[Jonesy]

Originally Posted by STFUDonny

Hidden is fantastic. As is La Haine. As is Thirst.

Oh god...Don't tell me, you're also a Wenders fan, and think that Warhol's Sleep is full of excitement and tension.

[MrSilly]

I utterly adored Thirst.

[morris]

Again, I ask - why? Can we discuss? present your case.
wait a minute, you're young and a student and possibly geeky. There's a lot of sex in that movie. Enough said, son.

[STFUDonny]

Originally Posted by morris

Again, I ask - why? Can we discuss? present your case.
wait a minute, you're young and a student and possibly geeky. There's a lot of sex in that movie. Enough said, son.

Sorry cat freak, I have a job and a life so I really don't have the time to monitor the TotalFilm forum page 24/7. I wasnt going to bother elaberating since I didnt realise I was entering into fully blown discussion. I've used this site long enough to know that you guys arnt likely to change your mind based on anything I have to say. (And I am not a student but I am perhaps a little geeky.)

I actually think that the three movies would make great back to back viewing. An excellent night in that I may now have to take you up on. Though I'll probably start with La Haine and finish with Thirst.

La Haine is just an old favourite of mine. It may have been the first time I saw Vincent Cassel in a movie and he was excellent (as are his two co-stars) and has raely let me down (I even enjoyed him popping up in Guest House Paradiso). I really don't understand how it can be viewed as being pretentious. If anything it was an honset portrayal Paris in that time and place.

As for Hidden (yes, 'Hidden'. Thats what it says on my DVD); it had me gripped from the start to the finish. Its a fantastically tense and mysterious thriller. The footage of the couples' house at the start of the movie created a tension (and that creepy feeling of being watched) that lasts for the movies duration. The ambiguous nature of the movie (and its conclusion) kept me and my friends conversing for days. It is a masterclass in direction.

And Thirst. This, for me, is Park Chan-Wook's best movie to date. It is unfortunate that people are still comparing his work to Old Boy when his post Vengance movies have been very different (far less bleak and depressing). Thirst is more akin to, and a good companion piece to I'm A Cyborg. A kind of darker brother/sister movie. To say that it lacks style is absolutely redicularse, it has Chan Wooks stylistic flourishes from start to finish (the sea of blood shot is sublime). While it isnt all warm and fuzzy, is undoubtably beautiful and heartfelt. And anyone whos ever been in a loving yet tempestuous relationship will identify with the characters to some extent. I love Old Boy and the vengeance movies, but this is one of my favourite movies of late and it a shame it is not getting the love it deserves on this forum.

For all the time spent discussing wether Piranha 3D or the latest Saw movie is worth seeing (I can tell you that without actually seeing them) it is a shame that genuine movies are dismissed as being boring or pretentious or a waste of time (this is not constructive critisism). Shame on you.

A couple of you regulars really need to reign in the condesention and accept that sometimes your opinions that you value so highly are going to be disputed. It is an open forum.

[Kiba.]

Originally Posted by STFUDonny

A couple of you regulars really need to reign in the condesention and accept that sometimes your opinions that you value so highly are going to be disputed. It is an open forum.

Asking someone to elaborate is not condescending, it is simply asking you to share your opinion. You've said you didn't realise you were entering into a full discussion, then say that others don't realise their opinions will be disputed. I think they are fully aware there will be dispute and are asking you to engage in this, but politely and respectfully.

[MrSilly]

I am a student, I am young, but my credentials as a geek is under dispute, as nerd-porn Sucker Punch made me feel bad to be alive.

So then, why do I utterly adore Thirst? Call it an appreciation for the gleefully dark, the tone of the film was a note perfect evocation of what I get the most enjoyment out of. The scene I always like to reference is the game of Mahjong; both parties excuse themselves and instigate a liaison downstairs, away from everyone else. When finished one walks back up the stairs while the other goes outside and jumps up to the bathroom window (WTF MON). So far, so standard (well, not standard, but not particularly special). It was the Carry On-esque bawdy innuendo in the following game that captured me, a seemingly serious film throwing in some knob gags. Genius.

It's seen again in the finale, which takes a turn for the farcical (the good kind). It's my favourite Park film, that element of comedy worked really well for me. Unlike the laboured stuff seen in I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK, Thirst strikes a neat balance, largely due to its refreshing perspective on the vampire story.

[morris]

Originally Posted by STFUDonny

Sorry cat freak, I have a job and a life so I really don't have the time to monitor the TotalFilm forum page 24/7. I wasnt going to bother elaberating since I didnt realise I was entering into fully blown discussion. I've used this site long enough to know that you guys arnt likely to change your mind based on anything I have to say. (And I am not a student but I am perhaps a little geeky.)

That post was in fact addressed to Mr Silly, who is a student, is young and would probably admit to being a bit geeky. I didn't think I had to quote him as his post was directly above mine.

I did a longer post trying to debate some more about these films: Hidden and Thirst, but I think essentially I'm just repeating what I've already said. There's no point in doing that, so it is one of those agree to disagree times.

I have watched a few films by Haneke, as he is a bit of a critic's favourite and have never been able to enjoy any of them, even though I find some of his ideas interesting (eg, Benny's Video) I find his execution of them stilted, disjointed at times and yes - pretentious.
I'm sorry you don't feel that using the word pretentious is a constructive criticism because with Haneke it is actually a perfect fit. He's one of those directors who tosses things in just to be arty, and really wants to strain your patience in the hope that when you do finally get to what he's saying, it will feel that much deeper and profound. For some people perhaps it does. I am not one of them.

I wouldn't say Thirst is not getting any love on this forum. As far as I know, I'm the first person to say anything negative about this film.
It sounds as though you've got a chip on your shoulder about your opinions not being respected on the forum. That's too bad, but why lose your rag about it here and now?
Why are world cinema films genuine movies, and horror films like Saw and Pirahna less worthy of discussion, if we feel like discussing them? As you said it's an open forum and so it is.

There is a lot of hypocrisy in your post. You dismiss the criticisms of others as not constructive, but who's to say which words are and aren't constructive? If the boot fits, then pretentious is the right word, or boring.
You say you can dismiss certain films as rubbish without even seeing them. If you haven't seen a film, you don't know what it's like, end of story. You can only surmise.
I have edited this post extensively because I found your attitude difficult to reply to, and be polite. I think there are times when it is hard to be polite and get your point across and this has certainly been one of those times.

[morris]

Originally Posted by MrSilly

So then, why do I utterly adore Thirst? Call it an appreciation for the gleefully dark, the tone of the film was a note perfect evocation of what I get the most enjoyment out of. The scene I always like to reference is the game of Mahjong; both parties excuse themselves and instigate a liaison downstairs, away from everyone else. When finished one walks back up the stairs while the other goes outside and jumps up to the bathroom window (WTF MON). So far, so standard (well, not standard, but not particularly special). It was the Carry On-esque bawdy innuendo in the following game that captured me, a seemingly serious film throwing in some knob gags. Genius.

It's seen again in the finale, which takes a turn for the farcical (the good kind). It's my favourite Park film, that element of comedy worked really well for me. Unlike the laboured stuff seen in I'm A Cyborg, But That's OK, Thirst strikes a neat balance, largely due to its refreshing perspective on the vampire story.

Thanks, Silly. I understand now what it was you liked and realise it was not to my taste and also my expectations were possibly off base, I was expecting it to be more overtly horror and vampire-y.

Originally Posted by MrSilly

I am a student, I am young, but my credentials as a geek is under dispute, as nerd-porn Sucker Punch made me feel bad to be alive.

That just means you're growing up.