A little while back, a friend asked me for some recommendations for great spy films. He'd seen all the Bonds and Bournes and was looking for something a little more nuanced.
I told him to see "The Lives of Others," "Burn After Reading," "Munich," and "The Conversation." And I said "Spy Game" wasn't spectacular but had some fun moments.
The topic sparked my own interest and I looked up some highly rated spy flicks that I hadn't seen yet, and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" was on every list I looked at.
I finally got around to watching it last night... and wow. I loved every second of it. Unbelievable casting and performances, gorgeous period design, tense and realistic dialogue, and a story that kept me guessing the whole time.
I've always loved Gary Oldman and respected his incredible range (how the same man can play over the top lunatics like Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, the psycho from "The Professional," and also this reserved and stately gentleman is beyond me) but this performance was simply perfection. It was the pauses, I think, that did it for me. Someone would ask a question and he would just look at them and they understood (and I understood) what he was communicating without saying a word.
The other performances were incredible too, and what a cast: Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, and CiarΓ‘n Hinds. It was like a supergroup of top British actors.
I'm often accused by friends and family of being too critical of films and looking too closely at minor flaws, but I'm truly struggling to find any here. The cinematography was gorgeous (the scene with the plane landing in the background was a stunner), the story was absolutely gripping, and the performances were all some of the best I've ever seen from an ensemble cast that large; there was no weak link.
Am I missing something? Did I view this film through rose colored glasses? Was it really that good?!
I finally just watched this.
This film is what M. Night Shyamalan wants his films to be but with proper (Alfred) Hithcockian execution.
What I probably love most about the film is its commitment to reality: a working class man looking after a middle class family, the burden of employment and debt, family relations, emotional and financial stability, and of course the linchpin of the film - What's happening? Are these visions from God? Is this psychosis? Is he insane?
Films like this would not have resonated with me before I became an "adult man".
What I mean is its great to see films that are aimed at the working class with families where the struggle to survive and keep it together is the epitome of the movie.
This film is about family, love, financial security, and if you're American, health insurance.
The trailers were almost perfect, confuscating what you would walk into - is it a horror, a suspense, a drama, something supernatural?
I want a film that is perfect to watch during 1 am. Typically this type of movies has a very soothing and amazing soundtrack and cinematography to match the tone and the mood Im looking for
Looking for the best quality version of this soundtrack so I can listen to it while driving to the store to get beans.
Patton
Chariots of Fire
Ghandi
Out of Africa
English Patient
Chicago
The Artist
I mean I know thereβs been some βmassβ emigration of Americans to other countries, like the thousands of southerners emigrating to Brazil after the civil war, 100k or so people moving to Canada or Mexico during the Vietnam war to avoid conscription etc..but as far as I can see thereβs no βAmericatownβ in any of those countries. Why?
From what I understand, what is considered a small town in China is still at least several hundred thousand people. I quizzed my Chinese partner about this and her answer was that any place with the population of a regular western town would be pretty much hicksville, but she's middle class Chinese and they're not exactly the most open-minded.
For example, I'm Australian, our country is pretty spread out. I come from a place that is defined as a small town, roughly 9000 people. It still has modern amenities, urban features, wealthy residents, some large chain stores, modern, low density housing, a small nightlife, some farmland on the outskirts and is an hour or so by train or car to the capital of my state. It could easily be mistaken for the outer suburb of a large city.
Do such places exist in China? Or is a town this small basically going to just be a farming village?
Thanks in advance
Hey folks, I just want to bring a little attention to Sleep Tight. Looks like its been a year or two since this sub has had a topic for it which is a shame.
Sleep Tight is a Spanish horror film following a Stalker as he follows his dream girl. As a concierge at a fancy apartment complex he has access and familiarity which is exploited to great effect. A truly uncomfortable movie. It doesn't need gore or special effects to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere. It doesn't feel cheap, restricted, or low budget. Its one of those horror movies that makes you feel dirty yet remains an entertaining watch.
Honestly, I feel its the best horror centered around a stalker situation I've come across. Well made technically, well thought out plot, believable characters, and great acting. All the pieces are there and sound. Its even an attractive movie visually despite being stuck almost entirely in a single apartment complex.
Being put in the perspective of the 'bad guy' for the entire movie goes a long way toward making this a fresh and nail biting experience. Usually this sort of movie is from the victims perspective, but Sleep Tight plays this alternate viewpoint in a way that amps up the atmosphere. We see his scheming, planning, execution, damage control, misery, desperation, and the tedium of his life he barely tolerates to make it happen. We see his madness subtly escalate in intimate detail. Its hard to stress how different this movie feels from similar entries simply because of the alternate perspective.
Somehow the movie keeps the viewer grounded and attached to the victim which couldn't have been an easy feat when operating so closely to the perp's perspective. An important feature as sympathy towards her predicament is critical to keeping the movie from feeling exploitative.
The movie strikes a steady pace while controlling the tension well. Its not a fast pace exhilarating thrill ride from start to finish, but I can't call it a slow burn. It takes its time where its needed without inefficiency. A healthy middle ground to be in and unlikely to turn off any who favor one side of the spectrum.
In some ways Sleep Tight is a more refined version of Creep. Grounded and almost painfully plausible.
So, does anyone else hold a deep appreciation for Sleep Tight? If you haven't tried it I highly recommend it.
This video shows you first hand how outrageous the building boom has been in China. Keep in mind it is over 5 years old, so this has been brewing for quite a while. After watching this, it is no surprise that all of these large real estate companies are tumbling down at the same time. All it took was one to lean in the wrong direction and it started pulling all the others with it.
My summary of the video is that developers are constructing large numbers of high-rise buildings in areas where nobody wants to live. The buildings go unfinished and unpopulated for years yet people are still buying and selling them. Chinese residents will take out loans to buy more property and even get divorced to circumvent government regulations on the number of properties a married couple can own. The apartments/homes remain unfinished because they are more valuable that way as future buyers will almost always want to renovate a home for themselves if they decide to actually live there. The existing owners keep the properties as barren as possible (if not completely unfinished).
The video shows dozens of 30 story buildings which are nearly empty and goes on to show just as many new buildings being constructed directly behind them as well as off on the horizon. The hosts of the video also discuss how farmers are getting incredibly rich by building apartments on their land as quickly as possible, selling them and then moving to a big city with their money.
I think this is worth a look for anyone that has any interest in Evergrande's potential impact on the global economy. It helped me visualize a problem that I have been only reading about thus far.
I tried to be a good ape and skip the 16 second intro for you - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcyYyyaPz84&t=17s
**edit**
The first 6+ mins is a good intro and gives some nice background information but doesn't show the ghost city. If you want to skip to where they enter the city use this link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcyYyyaPz84&t=407s
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