I freely admit to seeing First Man in a theater and loving it. It sounds like the exact opposite of Babylon—quiet, contemplative, and inspiring. Much as I love a good showbiz story (I read TWO books on Buster Keaton this year!), Babylon sounds like it deserves a pass. Bummer.
Really enjoyed Glass Onion, though, and looking forward to a third one.
Well, I have seen all of Damian Chazelle's films, most in the theater. I saw LALA LAND twice and still feel it deserved the Oscar as much as MOONLIGHT....I read some reviews of BABYLON which focused on the "scatological" elements so I was not looking forward to it, but still wanted to see it on the big screen. I am glad I did and feel it is at least a 2 1/2 if not 3 star. I loved the score, and yes some reminded me of LALA LAND, which obvi makes sense....I felt it was a "dark" LALA LAND, so was surprised to read that Emma Stone was his first choice. I think it was better she was not available. Margot Robbie is as always a true actor....so all in all, I was glad I did not dismiss it based on varied reviews. Seems like many movies now are "love letters" to a dying big screen audience, )ie, EMPIRE OF LIGHT. By the way, I am the person still in the theater watching ALL OF THE CREDITS....these films are made by hundreds and beyond. They deserve our attention.
At first, the trailer made me went to see Babylon. But when I was about to go I asked myself. Do I really want to go to a THREE hour film by the man who directed Whiplash and La La Lal La La La Land? The answer was no. Of all the movies I've seen in the last 22 years (and by now you ought to know that I've seen a lot) there are NO two movies that I despised more than those. Whiplash makes me feel sick just remembering it. Keep in mind that I have a master degree from renowned conservatory, much like the one in the film, having been a professor of music (as well as a composers and leader of jazz orchestras) for over 30 years, and that I have been around some of the absolute best college big band leaders there have been: Herb Pomeroy. Jim McNeely. Ken Schaphorst....and I've known a LOT of world class music students, some of who have gone onto fame and fortune. And I'm telling you: Whiplash is so full of crap that I don't even know how to measure it. I was excited to see La La land, as it claimed to bring us back to great Hollywood musicals. It did not.
I will not go into detail about Whiplash. Unless you ask me to, in which case I have a LOT of very specific things to say about that offensive worst movie I've ever seen (I mean, out of movies that have real budgets, good actors, skilled directors, etc: Plan 9 from Outer space is to be judged differently) Ugh.
Sigh. When I can watch Babylon in the safety of my living room, I probably will.
I suspected I would like The Glass Onion, because I liked the first film. But I LOVED the Glass Onion. I thought it was much cleverer than the first one and especially the performance(s) of Janelle Monáe. Definitely a film I will watch again and again! Thoroughly enjoyed it!
I’m definitely putting Living on my list. Ikiru is a heartbreaking movie built on understated performance, and Bill Nighy is a great choice for a remake. We just saw him in Emma (also from your family holiday list) and his ability to act and convey both emotion and the inability to express it with the smallest of gestures is amazing.
The review of Glass Onion was right on. I didn't care for the first Knives Out and never would have watched Glass Onion if not for this review! Can't get over how much tighter, well cast, and fun this one was.
Re "Babylon": I'm still trying to figure out how I can both agree with almost everything Ty says about the film and still enjoy it very much. I'm wondering if without the first 30 minutes (elephant shit, orgy) the whole picture might have been far better received. Once I got on the wavelength of the film, during an extended scene on a movie lot with multiple movies in progress, I found "Babylon" to be a very funny satire about Hollywood interspersed with some poetically stated ideas about Dream Factory that is Hollywood's best face. And the jazz numbers!
I freely admit to seeing First Man in a theater and loving it. It sounds like the exact opposite of Babylon—quiet, contemplative, and inspiring. Much as I love a good showbiz story (I read TWO books on Buster Keaton this year!), Babylon sounds like it deserves a pass. Bummer.
Really enjoyed Glass Onion, though, and looking forward to a third one.
Thanks and happy new year!
Well, I have seen all of Damian Chazelle's films, most in the theater. I saw LALA LAND twice and still feel it deserved the Oscar as much as MOONLIGHT....I read some reviews of BABYLON which focused on the "scatological" elements so I was not looking forward to it, but still wanted to see it on the big screen. I am glad I did and feel it is at least a 2 1/2 if not 3 star. I loved the score, and yes some reminded me of LALA LAND, which obvi makes sense....I felt it was a "dark" LALA LAND, so was surprised to read that Emma Stone was his first choice. I think it was better she was not available. Margot Robbie is as always a true actor....so all in all, I was glad I did not dismiss it based on varied reviews. Seems like many movies now are "love letters" to a dying big screen audience, )ie, EMPIRE OF LIGHT. By the way, I am the person still in the theater watching ALL OF THE CREDITS....these films are made by hundreds and beyond. They deserve our attention.
At first, the trailer made me went to see Babylon. But when I was about to go I asked myself. Do I really want to go to a THREE hour film by the man who directed Whiplash and La La Lal La La La Land? The answer was no. Of all the movies I've seen in the last 22 years (and by now you ought to know that I've seen a lot) there are NO two movies that I despised more than those. Whiplash makes me feel sick just remembering it. Keep in mind that I have a master degree from renowned conservatory, much like the one in the film, having been a professor of music (as well as a composers and leader of jazz orchestras) for over 30 years, and that I have been around some of the absolute best college big band leaders there have been: Herb Pomeroy. Jim McNeely. Ken Schaphorst....and I've known a LOT of world class music students, some of who have gone onto fame and fortune. And I'm telling you: Whiplash is so full of crap that I don't even know how to measure it. I was excited to see La La land, as it claimed to bring us back to great Hollywood musicals. It did not.
I will not go into detail about Whiplash. Unless you ask me to, in which case I have a LOT of very specific things to say about that offensive worst movie I've ever seen (I mean, out of movies that have real budgets, good actors, skilled directors, etc: Plan 9 from Outer space is to be judged differently) Ugh.
Sigh. When I can watch Babylon in the safety of my living room, I probably will.
I suspected I would like The Glass Onion, because I liked the first film. But I LOVED the Glass Onion. I thought it was much cleverer than the first one and especially the performance(s) of Janelle Monáe. Definitely a film I will watch again and again! Thoroughly enjoyed it!
I’m definitely putting Living on my list. Ikiru is a heartbreaking movie built on understated performance, and Bill Nighy is a great choice for a remake. We just saw him in Emma (also from your family holiday list) and his ability to act and convey both emotion and the inability to express it with the smallest of gestures is amazing.
The review of Glass Onion was right on. I didn't care for the first Knives Out and never would have watched Glass Onion if not for this review! Can't get over how much tighter, well cast, and fun this one was.
Re "Babylon": I'm still trying to figure out how I can both agree with almost everything Ty says about the film and still enjoy it very much. I'm wondering if without the first 30 minutes (elephant shit, orgy) the whole picture might have been far better received. Once I got on the wavelength of the film, during an extended scene on a movie lot with multiple movies in progress, I found "Babylon" to be a very funny satire about Hollywood interspersed with some poetically stated ideas about Dream Factory that is Hollywood's best face. And the jazz numbers!