The "last movie I saw" thread

[PaloAltoCougar]

McFarland, USA. As one would expect, it's predictable and sentimental, but it was still a surprisingly pleasant couple of hours. If nothing else, it made me want to give anyone who works years in the fields a very short pathway to citizenship. Nasty work.

[UVACoug]

Kingsman - Loved it.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Still Alice. Pretty much what I expected, with a superb, restrained performance by Julianne Moore (and one by Alec Baldwin as well), but it was still a huge downer; how could it not be, as one watches a brilliant college professor reduced to a mental cipher? I liked the ending of Kingsman better than the way this turns out.

Like Alice, my mission president (who was a very successful trial attorney and, post-mission, the last non-GA to serve as the Church's General YM President) died of early onset Alzheimer's in his early 50s. A horrific ailment.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Still Alice. Pretty much what I expected, with a superb, restrained performance by Julianne Moore (and one by Alec Baldwin as well), but it was still a huge downer; how could it not be, as one watches a brilliant college professor reduced to a mental cipher? I liked the ending of Kingsman better than the way this turns out.

Like Alice, my mission president (who was a very successful trial attorney and, post-mission, the last non-GA to serve as the Church's General YM President) died of early onset Alzheimer's in his early 50s. A horrific ailment.

My wife sobbed through the last hour of Still Alice. Hit too close to home.

[Green Monstah]

A Most Wanted Man - Competing German intelligence agencies track and scheme to use a Chechen immigrant recently (and illegally) arrived in Hamburg. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the head of the agency the film follows; Rachel McAdams is the Chechen's human rights/immigration lawyer; Willem Dafoe is a banker who gets roped in. Well made and well acted, but like all adaptations of le Carre's novels (and the novels themselves), it left me a bit cold. A good movie, but I wouldn't push anyone to go out of their way to see it.

I fell asleep during this movie. I didn't love it.

[Green Monstah]

Jeez, how many times can Luc Besson resurrect La Femme Nikita? Let me count the ways he creates female characters brutally victimized by men who then grow extraordinarily strong and open up a can of whoop on their male dominators:

Le Femme Nikita
Point of No Return
Leon: The Professional
The Fifth Element
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
Bandidas (x 2!)
Columbiana
Lucy

I saw the Fifth Element in high school, but I only mostly remember the alien chick's bare bosoms. If, like me, you haven't seen any of the other films, I liked Lucy. It was thought provoking, and ScoJo (even when she isn't all gussied up) is a great incentive. Morgan Freeman's voice as well.

[PaloAltoCougar]

My wife sobbed through the last hour of Still Alice. Hit too close to home.

I admit I teared up a couple of times myself, as did the missus. Mick LaSalle, our local reviewer, gave a very good review of the film that ends with the following: "For all the movie’s honesty, the reality of Alzheimer’s disease is a lot worse than what you see in “Still Alice.” Perhaps directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland made a calculation as to how much an audience can take. They were right."

[Jeff Lebowski]

I admit I teared up a couple of times myself, as did the missus. Mick LaSalle, our local reviewer, gave a very good review of the film that ends with the following: "For all the movie’s honesty, the reality of Alzheimer’s disease is a lot worse than what you see in “Still Alice.” Perhaps directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland made a calculation as to how much an audience can take. They were right."

Yep. Wait until your mother no longer recognizes you. Or herself in the mirror. Tears your heart out. Death by a thousand cuts.

[Katy Lied]

As I re-read through this thread, I wonder: is PAC retired?

[Pelado]

Yep. Wait until your mother no longer recognizes you. Or herself in the mirror. Tears your heart out. Death by a thousand cuts.

My grandpa started yelling and cursing at the man he saw in the mirror to get out of his house. My grandma covered up the mirrors in the house. There were a lot of mirrors.

[smokymountainrain]

As I re-read through this thread, I wonder: is PAC retired?

No.

[Moliere]

Jack Reacher - I fell asleep the first time I tried watching this, but he concept intrigued me so I watched it again. I actually liked it, but felt the plot as a bit too shallow. It had a "shooter" vibe to it. I think I the right hands the script would have been much better. I did like the way the scenes were shot.

[falafel]

Jack Reacher - I fell asleep the first time I tried watching this, but he concept intrigued me so I watched it again. I actually liked it, but felt the plot as a bit too shallow. It had a "shooter" vibe to it. I think I the right hands the script would have been much better. I did like the way the scenes were shot.

Did you like Rosamund Pike?

I really like the Reacher books, but I didn't love the movie. Maybe it was 5'5" Tom Cruise playing 6'5" Jack Reacher.

[PaloAltoCougar]

As I re-read through this thread, I wonder: is PAC retired?

I wish, although I don't log the billables that I used to, and my church calling demands little. So with an empty nest, Mrs. PAC and I head out to the cineplex pretty much once a week, and occasionally more. She doesn't enjoy movies as much as I do, but she's a willing companion. Last year I saw nearly 60 movies. That's a boatload of popcorn.

[Northwestcoug]

Did you like Rosamund Pike?

I really like the Reacher books, but I didn't love the movie. Maybe it was 5'5" Tom Cruise playing 6'5" Jack Reacher.

My colleague at work said almost the same thing. But the height discrepancy was so much for her that she didn't even watch the movie.

I haven't read the books, but I did enjoy the movie.