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"If you're looking for an item on a slow night, I thought you'd enjoy realizing that Roger Ebert and Lou Lumenick are consistently the two main critics quoted in the ads for Slumdog Millionaire. Both gave it four stars and raved it as being one of the best films of 2008.
"So what?
"Well, you'll recall that their viewing of the movie was interrupted at TIFF when Lumenick whacked Ebert with his binder because Ebert objected to Lumenick blocking his view at a press screening. But obviously the dust-up didn't interfere with the appreciation of the movie. All's well that ends well." -- from Toronto Star's Peter Howell.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 10, 2009 at 9:50 PM
comment #1
ZayTonday
says ...
So, ProTip: If you want Ebert to love your movie, stalk him and find out where and when he's going to see it and hit him with a binder during the movie.
Posted by ZayTonday
at January 10, 2009 11:44 PM
comment #2
MindlessObamaton
says ...
The praise this film continues to get baffles me. It's not a bad movie just not a really good one. I saw it once and it almost feels like the slightest film I've seen in a long time. Not bad, but jsut so barely a movie. Everything about it screams this. Different strokes and all that, I guess.
Posted by MindlessObamaton
at January 11, 2009 2:10 AM
comment #3
BurmaShave
says ...
MindlessObamaton, love it or hate it, "just so barely a movie" does not apply to SLUMDOG. It's more movie than ten other movies put together. Pure cinema. Personally, I thought it was great.
Posted by BurmaShave
at January 11, 2009 3:34 AM
comment #4
JHR
says ...
I am with BurmaShave here...Slumdog is the only film this awards season with pure movie magic.
MindlessObamation, what do you offer in its place? What movie(s) do you find to be "magical" or whatever floats your boat? If you say TDK, or Benjamin Button, I think I will throw up...
Posted by JHR
at January 11, 2009 6:22 AM
comment #5
MindlessObamaton
says ...
"Let The Right One In"
"Hunger (Irish film. not sure if it even opened in 08 or opens in 09, but it is the best, most harrowing prison film ever made. Makes MIDNIGHT EXPRESS look like TOY STORY. Watch the 18 minute one take scene in the center of the film and you'll know what I mean. The director, Steven McQueen is going to be HUGE)"
"Synedoche, NY"
"Man On Wire"
"The Wrestler"
"Wendy & Lucy"
"The Visitor"
"In Bruges"
"Vicky Christina Barcelona (best Woody Allen film since 1999's "Sweet and Lowdown)"
"I've Loved You SO Long"
"Gommorah"
"Burn After Reading"
Those are a few I thought were great in '08, but MAN ON WIRE felt magical, wondrous to me. A shot of pure cinema to my veins. but YMMV.
Posted by MindlessObamaton
at January 11, 2009 7:04 AM
comment #6
JHR
says ...
Well, that is a good list and I agree with all of them, making your dislike for the nontraditional Slumdog even more puzzling...as you say, YMMV, or as I say, "to each his own," but I was blown away by Slumdog and "Doubt" this year, but little else...a bad year for "great" movies...
Posted by JHR
at January 11, 2009 7:32 AM
comment #7
YND
says ...
Agreed with JHR -- for me the only two movies that I felt stood out from the pack were SLUMDOG and WALL*E. And as great as I feel those two are, they'd still rank behind the great movies from the past couple years (THERE WILL BE BLOOD, ZODIAC, NO COUNTRY, CHILDREN OF MEN).
As for SLUMDOG, I guess (as with all things) it just works for you or it doesn't. I just saw it for the third time and was pleased to find it played just as well as on previous viewings. Like a great old Hollywood movie, it plays my emotions like a piano.
Posted by YND
at January 11, 2009 8:54 AM
comment #8
MindlessObamaton
says ...
JNR: I agree that this year was weaker than most and I have no problem with the love that SM is getting, but I just feel like it iis been overdone a bit. There are a few other films (VISITOR, LTROI, HUNGER) that are made far more artfully and without all the artiface of something like SM. I guess I am always impressed when a filmmaker can do more with less.
YND: I agree with you. Most of '08's crop fell FAR short of '07. I'd also add I'M NOT THERE to the greats of last year. TWBB conitinues to get richer and richer for me and I have yet to even open my copy of the DVD. Still savoring the eight times I saw it in the cinema.
Posted by MindlessObamaton
at January 11, 2009 9:34 AM
comment #9
ZayTonday
says ...
There Will Be Blood was robbed last year.
Posted by ZayTonday
at January 11, 2009 12:09 PM
comment #10
lazarus
says ...
At least it was "robbed" by a great film.
Posted by lazarus
at January 11, 2009 1:13 PM
comment #11
YND
says ...
So true, Lazarus. I still kind of can't believe the Academy recognized a film as good as NO COUNTRY last year... even if it was at the expense of, in my opinion, an even greater film.
M.O., I can do nothing but respect someone who got to TWBB 8 times on the big screen. I think I caught it 4... and I wish I could go see it today.
Posted by YND
at January 11, 2009 4:04 PM
comment #12
shanana
says ...
I couldn't agree with you more MindlessObamaton, "Slumdog Millionaire" struck me as such a saccharine film. It's not terrible, but its not great, just average. There is nothing "non-traditional" about it, other than it's set in India.
I haven't seen all the films on your list, but I like "Let the Right One In," Synedoche, NY," and "The Wrestler."
Posted by shanana
at January 11, 2009 11:50 PM
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