"La règle du jeu (The Rules of the Game)" (1939)

-one of the first instances of 'hyperlink cinema'

-extraordinarily written and devised; but also executed, which of course is most important

-if its Renoir, its got to be well shot- which it was

-acting was so very natural and human-based; nothing overboard or unrealistic- actors are humans too you know....

-Christine represented the prize everyone longed for but its interesting who she ends up with

-for 1939 it was rather raunchy with the many affairs going on and how the characters were SO bourgeoisie that some didnt even care

"Umberto D." (1952)

-Vittorio de Sica truly is a master of exploring the human condition; "Ladri di Biciclette" (1948) is done in a very similar way- instead of a dog there is a young boy

-moving performance from Carlo Battisti who plays Umberto- he carries and introduces himself as if he own Italy himself and he should; he must present an image of success at all times

-i think the dog Flike represents our possessions. even though we try to leave them, they don't want to leave us- it is a truly beautiful companionship although an inordinate one

-there are many heart wrenching and heartwarming scenes; many surprised me and moved me

-Maria, the servant of the flat, represents our friends who are trapped themselves but do everything in their power to help us

-the owner Antonia represents any higher power in any society that is corrupt and cruel

-there is a world within "Umberto D."

-last scene shows truths in our relationships; we really cant just leave each other, we have to keep holding on

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1957	Nominated	Oscar	Best Writing, Motion Picture Story Cesare Zavattini

"Ran" (1985)

-impeccably shot and pristine direction

-breathtaking art direction and costume design

-Tatsuya Nakadai playing Lord Hidetora delivers an incredibly powerful performance that really tied the movie up

-the locations for the palaces and ruins were eye candy making this one of the most visually dazzling films of all time

-for me, "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro" were still better, even "Rashomon" was. this was still visually his most impressive work

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1986	Won	Oscar	Best Costume Design Emi Wada
	Nominated	Oscar	Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Yoshirô Muraki Shinobu Muraki
			Best Cinematography Takao Saitô Shôji Ueda Asakazu Nakai
			Best Director Akira Kurosawa

"Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot (M. Hulot's Holiday)" (1953)

-a funny and warm French comedy

-it works as a silent film; Jacques Tati's (writer, director and M. Hulot) comedic moments are as funny and work as Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd tricks. ironically there is very little necessary dialogue like "La Ballon Rouge" of 1956

-excellent character development. we get to know all the characters as Hulot gets to know them

-the music is wonderfully present providing a cozy and warm feeling a throughout the film

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1956	Nominated	Oscar	Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Jacques Tati Henri Marquet

"Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie)" (1972)

-revolutionary surrealist filmmaking from the master of surrealism himself Louis Buñuel

-i have never seen something, other than 'Obscure Object', so ingeniously constructed and conformed. so different and unique with an idea that could only be thought of by a true surrealist

-they never eat a single bite of food until one breaks

-like "Inception" but obviously better, there are dreams inside of dreams inside of dreams inside of dreams inside of dreams inside of dreams....

-the cinematography and color pallet were astonishingly beautiful; just in these two pictures you can feel the warmth that only Almodovar or Fellini can emit

-shocking and surprising masterpeice that resonates in our minds a long time after viewing

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1973	Won	Oscar	Best Foreign Language Film France
	Nominated	Oscar	Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced Luis Buñuel (screenplay/story) Jean-Claude Carrière (collaboration)

"Sideways" (2004)

-one of the best written films of the past 10 years

-organic performances; for some of thee actors its the best they will ever do (not Giamatti)

-it is shot and scored in this feel-good semblance but there are scenes that are quite disconcerting- it is reallyy about reaching a boring and lost time in our lives; but there is something, yes that costs money, but there is something that makes it all worth living and working through. for Giamatti's and Virginia Madsen's characters its wine

-so its not really a film about wine- you dont need to even know what wine is to understand the film

-there are scenes of great pain and of great passion; the ending is....

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
2005	Won	Oscar	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Alexander Payne Jim Taylor
	Nominated	Oscar	Best Achievement in Directing Alexander Payne
			Best Motion Picture of the Year Michael London
			Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Thomas Haden Church
			Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Virginia Madsen

"Akmareul boatda (I Saw the Devil)" (2010)

-one of the best revenge films since the "Kill Bill" series; raw and gut-wrenching violent

-excellent character development; we could feel every emotion of even the smallest character who doesn't even speak; which obviously means the performances were pitch-perfect

-cinematography was visually stunning; it had this floating feeling and we got a real sense for the action- loved the long takes

-yes the violence was excessive but like a Tarantino film: it works!

-the title is expertly misleading- who is the devil: the serial killing psychopath or the ruthless-revenge seeking lover- and the ending is a perfect realization of who is who


 

"La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (The Passion of Joan of Arc)" (1928)

-an absolutely revolutionary film; deeply moving

-i saw the film with no sound or music because it was not accompanied with any- for good reason. it was too emotional and music would have only been a distraction

-cinematography was some of the best EVER. some shots looked as if they were bouncing according to what the characters were saying; some were upside down shots and they way some shots utilized Maria Falconetti's (Joan of Arc) face was extrodinary

-moving performance from Falconetti; one of the first strong female performances

"Being There" (1979)

-Wonderfully unconventional dramedy

-Peter sellers gives such a moving performance i dont like that he didnt win the Oscar (he says it was over the whole 'end credits dispute' because it broke his character; i, for one, agree)

-i think it was symbolic of those we can and cant trust; who is being candid and who is being jovial; in this case we cant tell the difference

-location was near my hometown and served its purpose excellently

-last shot was beautifully executed; it makes us ask ourself- was he really there, or was he just there- if you know what i mean

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1980	Won	Oscar	Best Actor in a Supporting Role Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas was not present at the awards ceremony. Co-presenter Liza Minnelli accepted the award on his behalf.
	Nominated	Oscar	Best Actor in a Leading Role Peter Sellers

"La Jetée" (1962)

-strikingly beautiful and original

-every photo was gorgeously taken and thought through

-story was ingenious; great twist ending (obviously inspiring "12 Monkeys")

-music was nothing short of haunting (whole film really)

-interesting as a love story and sci-fi at the same time

"Au Revoir Les Enfants" (1987)

-one of the final moments in this beatiful film

-i would have never guessed Louis Malle directed this one; his films are usually darker

-it is deeply affecting and daringly written

-coming of age is and often explored subject; ive never seen it surrounding the Holocaust except for "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"

-cinematography was beatiful; colors were dim and dark- fitting for the time and subject

-friendship was wonderfully explored, and broken; shows that there are really no bounadries between race or religion

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1988	Nominated	Oscar	Best Foreign Language Film France
			Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Louis Malle

"Kakushi-toride no san-akunin (The Hidden Fortress)" (1958)

-exceptional action dramedy from Kurosawa

-Toshirô Mifune delivers a strong but unusually humane performance; he has come a long way from "Rashomon" of 1950

-Usual splendid cinematogrphy; smooth and atention-holding

-great but unique story from Kurosawa; not ronin samurai helping the poor

"Ansiktet (The Magician)" (1958)

-Of course well shot; dark and smooth showing every facet of the faces.

-Ingrid Thulin, Max von Sydow and Gunnar Bjornstrand give their usual thrilling and provacative performances. interesting to see how they all morph from character to character; Gunnar playing a father in "Through a Glass Darkly" and a mad man in this.

-Sydow has his usual stunning 'tortured man' perfromance

"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967)

-first film with graphic violence; but unlike todays film has wonderful storytelling and a compelling adventure

-very well acted: Faye Dunaway was her usual enthralling, spunky and wild. she was looking for adventure and got it.

-Warren Beatty was wild and wacky as well. he had little heart and when something went wrong he would get incredibly fiery. he was annoyingly nervous when it came to robbing banks

-Hackman, Pollard and Parsons were perfect. Gene Wilder makes a funny appearence which i really enjoyed.

-very well shot; i loved the opening sequence with Dunaway. loved the shots within the car bofore and after robberies- and of course the last scene.

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1968	Won	Oscar	Best Actress in a Supporting Role Estelle Parsons
			Best Cinematography Burnett Guffey
	Nominated	Oscar	Best Actor in a Leading Role Warren Beatty
			Best Actor in a Supporting Role Gene Hackman
			Best Actor in a Supporting Role Michael J. Pollard
			Best Actress in a Leading Role Faye Dunaway
			Best Costume Design Theadora Van Runkle
			Best Director Arthur Penn
			Best Picture Warren Beatty
			Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen David Newman Robert Benton

"The Last Picture Show" (1971)

-A true American classic. a beautiful film. simple and beautiful. there is no real message or lesson that we experience in the film. most who are watching have already experienced this: loss of innocence. this film, like "American Graffiti", has a very nostalgic feeling. this is a boring Texas town in the 50's. nothing has happened and nothing really does happen. it's not like the town will experience something that will change it forever. it has happened through prior generations; death, growing up and relationships. that is the genious of it all. we can tell that this has happened before. the characters for the most part are one deminsional and monochramatic. for some, that changes.

-characters find out about social barriers and become more adventurous and for some, thatbecomes dangerous.

-ending is incredibly poigant and true; a painful film to watch, but again, real

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1972	Won	Oscar	Best Actor in a Supporting Role Ben Johnson
			Best Actress in a Supporting Role Cloris Leachman
	Nominated	Oscar	Best Actor in a Supporting Role Jeff Bridges
			Best Actress in a Supporting Role Ellen Burstyn
			Best Cinematography Robert Surtees
			Best Director Peter Bogdanovich
			Best Picture Stephen J. Friedman
			Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Larry McMurtry Peter Bogdanovich

"Jules et Jim" (1962)

-Really a wonderful film. the french strike again with their expert story telling. a wanton woman going back and forth between man to man because she cant make up her mind. she's unhappy and always will be. nothing man can create will satisfy her. this is a smart and truely innovative film. we see expert writing style and human emotion. Truffaut is one of the greatest directors ever. his forthwright style is captivating; as is this film. the acting is as incredible as the plot.

-natural storytelling; very relatable and and shockingly candid

"The Earrings of Madame de..." (1953)

-a gracefull masterpeice from visual master Max Ophuls

-excellent long takes and tracking shots

-costume design was brilliant. perfect for all characters

-locations were beatufully constructed

-unorthodox story; very complex and deals with coincidence, chance and consequence

-wonderful chain reaction story

-profound performance by Danielle Darrieux

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1955	Nominated	Oscar	Best Costume Design, Black-and-White Georges Annenkov Rosine Delamare

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958)

-great familial drama

-well acted from the three leads (Burl Ives, Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman)

-wonderfully shot with great colors

-loved how it took place in one location

-Newman was exceptional and my faorite of his performances; great last scene when he poured out the truth about 'Big Daddy'

-Taylor was perfectly cast; sexy, vibrant and strong willed

-truthfully human and raw; Tennessee Williams wrote a wonderful play

-my favorte next to "Glass Menagerie"

Academy Awards, USA
Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1959	Nominated	Oscar	Best Actor in a Leading Role Paul Newman
			Best Actress in a Leading Role Elizabeth Taylor
			Best Cinematography, Color William H. Daniels
			Best Director Richard Brooks
			Best Picture Lawrence Weingarten
			Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Richard Brooks James Poe

Ok

alright i havent posted anything in a while because of my persistent film watching i will opst eveything i \ve seen and some notes i liked about them...this will take a while