kal
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Post by kal on Feb 12, 2024 9:21:02 GMT
It’s one of those films that gets criticised for not being exactly like the vast majority of other films in that genre and not following the same predictable but ultimately satisfying structure. Whereas in fact that’s the very reason it’s a good film.
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Post by zisssou on Feb 12, 2024 9:32:33 GMT
The Wind Rises. Beautifully stunning, with a great soundtrack. Perhaps not Miyazaki's best work, as there's a few weird jumps here and there, but I could watch this again and again.
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Feb 12, 2024 9:32:39 GMT
Quite. It does demonstrate that you don't need to artificially create drama and tension for it to work. It is very procedural and continues moving along, almost as if it were a fictitious documentary.
I do rather enjoy it and it's a more interesting way to go. Fincher handled it well but it's just not his best work. He also got very lucky with the cast and almost everyone in it is a very solid, reliable actor. You don't get the likes of Clea DuVall for just one scene, or Brian Cox for 2, without having some serious pull.
Se777en is still his benchmark but he's got impressive range with Panic Room, Benjamin Button and shoulders a lot of responsibility for Mindhunter.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Feb 12, 2024 9:32:45 GMT
Those early murder scenes in Zodiac are also genuinely terrifying.
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Feb 12, 2024 9:34:10 GMT
Those early murder scenes are also genuinely terrifying. The reason for that is there's no real music and it's very matter of fact. He also used different actors for each Zodiac kill, to add to the sense that people weren't sure who he was. Just very blunt, matter of fact. Doesn't sensationalise it.
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Post by simple on Feb 12, 2024 9:41:48 GMT
Iron claw. Great film. I didn't know the story at all, just saw the good reviews so went to see it. 8/10 There are a bunch of youtube histories about them but I’d recommend the Von Erich episode of Dark Side of the Ring if you’re interested in the whole history of what happened. DSOTR is great for this sort of thing in general, even if every story is a horrendous tragedy, terrible crime or both. Basically wrestling seems to have existed outside the normal laws and standards of society up until pretty much now.
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Post by monkman5000 on Feb 12, 2024 10:43:02 GMT
It’s one of those films that gets criticised for not being exactly like the vast majority of other films in that genre and not following the same predictable but ultimately satisfying structure. Whereas in fact that’s the very reason it’s a good film. Yeah this is fair. I think when I watched it I wasn't aware of the history, so was expecting a more 'traditional' structure. I should watch it again knowing more about it.
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Post by monkman5000 on Feb 12, 2024 10:43:28 GMT
Those early murder scenes in Zodiac are also genuinely terrifying. Yeah they really are. /shudder
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mcmonkeyplc
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Post by mcmonkeyplc on Feb 12, 2024 10:49:03 GMT
Oppenheimer 6/10
Why can't Nolan make a historical movie without jumping around in time?
The start so laboured I stopped and came back to it a month later. The Manhattan project section was the only part that was well done. The rest could have been good build up and epilogue but nope he had show them all in a weird sliced up version cause he has a hard on for time shifting.
Nolan definitely shitter post Interstellar.
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kal
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Post by kal on Feb 12, 2024 11:49:01 GMT
I think Zodiac is probably Fincher’s best imho, or close to it with Gone Girl the other I’d personally have up there. The Killer might also be in consideration but have only seen it once. I like his ones that are more character based.
Seven is a good film but he was still pretty heavy handed in his touch at that point. He’s learned how to be psychologically affective in more subtle and artful ways since then.
Of his proper films Benjamin Button is by far his worst. I actually find getting through it quite a painful experience. I appreciate him trying something a bit different though and most great directors have an “am I that guy? No apparently I’m not” film or two in them. Panic Room is fine but just a very ordinary mainstream thriller. He’s better than that.
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Gruf
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Post by Gruf on Feb 12, 2024 11:49:05 GMT
Wish he would finish Mindhunter on Netflix, but that ship has probably sailed
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Feb 12, 2024 11:52:02 GMT
I think the thing with Fincher is that he's not top tier. In game terms he's AA. A very solid, reliable director but he's never been in the upper echelons.
And that is perfectly fine. If I was him, I'd be very proud of my body of work. He's taken some chances and made some pretty good films. None of them are "bad" and, in many ways, it's more admirable to be someone who is consistently decent than wildly veering all over the place.
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Post by Jambowayoh on Feb 12, 2024 11:57:20 GMT
I think the thing with Fincher is that he's not top tier. In game terms he's AA. A very solid, reliable director but he's never been in the upper echelons. And that is perfectly fine. If I was him, I'd be very proud of my body of work. He's taken some chances and made some pretty good films. None of them are "bad" and, in many ways, it's more admirable to be someone who is consistently decent than wildly veering all over the place. Yeah...acclaimed director David Fincher is not top tier. He's just an equivalent to a AA video game like eurojank from the 360 era...Fucking hell dude what are you talking about?!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2024 12:01:04 GMT
I rewatched Seven recently and Brad Pitt is truly awful in it. Nearly ruins the film his performance is that bad.
I usually like him but in that he's terrible.
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Post by rhaegyr on Feb 12, 2024 12:02:18 GMT
I'd actually plump for The Social Network as Fincher's best film. Didn't think so when I watched it the first time but on subsequent watches I've enjoyed it a little more each time.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Feb 12, 2024 12:04:48 GMT
Fun fact: the ending of Se7en would have been very different if it were not for Pitt. The producers wanted something less bleak, but Brad used his star power to insist on what we eventually got.
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MolarAm🔵
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Feb 12, 2024 12:06:43 GMT
And yeah, Fincher is one of the best living directors, he's barely put a foot wrong since... uhhh... that movie that we can't talk about.
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kal
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Post by kal on Feb 12, 2024 12:08:38 GMT
I'd actually plump for The Social Network as Fincher's best film. Didn't think so when I watched it the first time but on subsequent watches I've enjoyed it a little more each time. It’s the most critically acclaimed for sure. I think Tarantino said it was the best film made so far this century. It’s also been hugely influential in basically creating a new sub-genre of biopic. Fincher is absolutely top tier. Ridiculous.
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Feb 12, 2024 12:10:02 GMT
I think the thing with Fincher is that he's not top tier. In game terms he's AA. A very solid, reliable director but he's never been in the upper echelons. And that is perfectly fine. If I was him, I'd be very proud of my body of work. He's taken some chances and made some pretty good films. None of them are "bad" and, in many ways, it's more admirable to be someone who is consistently decent than wildly veering all over the place. Yeah...acclaimed director David Fincher is not top tier. He's just an equivalent to a AA video game like eurojank from the 360 era...Fucking hell dude what are you talking about?! It's really not that bombastic a thought. If we consider the best directors (Hitchcock, Spielberg, etc) as AAA, could we put Fincher in that same bracket? No. Ergo - AA. He's very very good but not everything has to be "absolutely amazing" or "fucking terrible". Sometimes you can have something that is very competent, enjoyable but not the best thing ever.
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Post by simple on Feb 12, 2024 12:13:20 GMT
I'd actually plump for The Social Network as Fincher's best film. Didn't think so when I watched it the first time but on subsequent watches I've enjoyed it a little more each time. I’d probably second this. Its very watchable. That or Alien3
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Post by Jambowayoh on Feb 12, 2024 12:13:28 GMT
geefe Well I suppose you are fulfilling the remit of the title of this thread.
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kal
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Post by kal on Feb 12, 2024 12:18:07 GMT
Thinking Seven is his best film was the clue.
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Post by darkling on Feb 12, 2024 12:20:50 GMT
Oppenheimer 6/10 Why can't Nolan make a historical movie without jumping around in time? The start so laboured I stopped and came back to it a month later. The Manhattan project section was the only part that was well done. The rest could have been good build up and epilogue but nope he had show them all in a weird sliced up version cause he has a hard on for time shifting. Nolan definitely shitter post Interstellar. I hugely dislike stories told in non-chronological order purely so there can be "shocking reveals" towards the end. It's just lazy.
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Post by Dougs on Feb 12, 2024 12:25:46 GMT
Quite. It does demonstrate that you don't need to artificially create drama and tension for it to work. It is very procedural and continues moving along, almost as if it were a fictitious documentary. I do rather enjoy it and it's a more interesting way to go. Fincher handled it well but it's just not his best work. He also got very lucky with the cast and almost everyone in it is a very solid, reliable actor. You don't get the likes of Clea DuVall for just one scene, or Brian Cox for 2, without having some serious pull. Se777en is still his benchmark but he's got impressive range with Panic Room, Benjamin Button and shoulders a lot of responsibility for Mindhunter. One might suggest that he didn't get lucky with the cast, he got the cast because it was him in the chair. Which perhaps indicates how actors view him and his talents.
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Feb 12, 2024 12:26:07 GMT
Thinking Seven is his best film was the clue. It's the one I enjoy the most
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Post by Jambowayoh on Feb 12, 2024 12:29:39 GMT
You might say that David Fincher is the Greedfall of movie directors.
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Feb 12, 2024 12:30:18 GMT
I don't know what Greedfall is
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Post by simple on Feb 12, 2024 12:30:34 GMT
Yeah...acclaimed director David Fincher is not top tier. He's just an equivalent to a AA video game like eurojank from the 360 era...Fucking hell dude what are you talking about?! It's really not that bombastic a thought. If we consider the best directors (Hitchcock, Spielberg, etc) as AAA, could we put Fincher in that same bracket? No. Ergo - AA. He's very very good but not everything has to be "absolutely amazing" or "fucking terrible". Sometimes you can have something that is very competent, enjoyable but not the best thing ever. I thought you meant AA as in a space where more mature and considered, but still solidly budgeted, films/games are made rather than AAA $400m blockbuster spunkfests. An Alien Isolation rather than a GTA type situation.
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geefe
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Post by geefe on Feb 12, 2024 12:33:26 GMT
Well also that user simple. I don't think Fincher has any interest returning to big budget spectacle after THAT FILM.
Certainly couldn't see him doing an Indiana Jones or whatever.
Different people like different things.
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Post by rawshark on Feb 12, 2024 12:46:20 GMT
I guess directors like Uwe Boll would be those horrible knock off games that lurk around on the Nintendo eshop for 99p.
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