The WHF Film Club

[Frank Harvey]

I think 4 as a maximum is probably best, though the option is there to nominate 3 if you wanted. If you wanted to initially propose more films (like I did) to see if others have seen them before, that's ok, but to nominate more than 4 and have some films not getting any points wouldn't work IMO.

No problem, just a thought

 

[Frank Harvey]

Amores Perros - 5 pts

Gomorrah - 3pt

Biutiful - 2 pts

The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears - 1 pt

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Thanks. Just Richard to vote

 

[richardw42]

Sorry all. Went to watch The Vanishing on YouTube and neither of the two streams I tried had English subs. So I've ordered the DVD from Amazon.

 

[expat_mike]

Sorry all. Went to watch The Vanishing on YouTube and neither of the two streams I tried had English subs. So I've ordered the DVD from Amazon.

The link in #3375 has subtitles.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Sorry all. Went to watch The Vanishing on YouTube and neither of the two streams I tried had English subs. So I've ordered the DVD from Amazon.

The link in #3375 has subtitles.

I checked that link earlier and it didn't work, but I just tried it again and it did. *unknw*

Can we have your vote for this month's film when you're ready, Richard?

 

[richardw42]

Biutiful - 5

Amores Perros - 3

Gomorrah - 2

The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears - 1

 

[expat_mike]

Biutiful - 5

Amores Perros - 3

Gomorrah - 2

The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears - 1

That means that we have a clear winner 'Biutiful'.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm still going to watch them all this month anyway

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Quick reminder for everyone to watch 'The Vanishing' if they haven't already, me included. *blush*

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I've finally watched 'The Vanishing'. From memory, Mike and Richard have definitely watched it, but I'm unsure about David.

I'll start the discussion tomorrow evening.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

OK. Firstly, the reason I nominated 'The Vanishing' was because it's just one of those foreign language films that everyone should see, and when you all said you hadn't seen it............

I think it's a great film, a film about obsession, true love, and it makes you think about how far you would go to find out the truth of someone you love's disappearance.

I've read reviews that absolutely hate the ending, and question whether someone would willingly allow themselves to be drugged unconscious, just to find out the truth. It's a hard question to answer, because if you haven't been in that situation, and felt love that deeply, you can't possibly know if you wouldn't do the same thing.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I hadn't seen this before, but I was sitting watching it with a strong sense of de ja vu. Turned out I had seen the 1993 English language remake by the same director. I don't remember too much about that version though after the initial scenes at the gas station.

Glad I bought this one and not the remake...

 

[expat_mike]

I think it's a great film, a film about obsession, true love, and it makes you think about how far you would go to find out the truth of someone you love's disappearance.

I've read reviews that absolutely hate the ending, and question whether someone would willingly allow themselves to be drugged unconscious, just to find out the truth.

The film did not immediately grab me during the first few minutes, like some films do. However once past that point, it became a film where you never quite felt at ease. It was clear that the girl had disappeared, and who the main suspect was, but for a long time there was the background suspicion that she may not have disappeared, and that maybe Raymond is a 'red herring'.

I also felt frustrated at Rex, because he had a lovely new girlfriend, but drove her away because she could not live with his obsession.

Gradually Raymonds true nature unfolded, and yet there was still the nagging doubt that Saskia had not been seen dead, so maybe she was still alive, and Raymond was maybe just playing games with Rex. The possibility of this type of end to the film, did seem more plausible, as it became clear that there were only a few minutes remaining of the film, and we had still to discover if Saskia had died (or not?), and what would happen to Rex.

And then in the space of just a couple of minutes, it became clear that Saskia had died, and Rex was entombed in the coffin, waiting to die. I did find this rapid ending unsatisfactory, because it felt like the director had spent great effort, trying to build, and sustain, the suspense, and then run out of ideas/budget, to make the death scene interesting.

In hindsight the focus of the film is Rex's obsession for Saskia, and what it drives him to do - in many respects, it is unimportant how she died. The film was well regarded by other directors, for the mechanics of gradually building and maintaining the suspense, without needing to resort to blood, great violence, or explicit sex. Certainly the later 'remakes' seem to be regarded as pale imitations of this the original version.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

And then in the space of just a couple of minutes, it became clear that Saskia had died, and Rex was entombed in the coffin, waiting to die. I did find this rapid ending unsatisfactory, because it felt like the director had spent great effort, trying to build, and sustain, the suspense, and then run out of ideas/budget, to make the death scene interesting.

Rex wants above all, above even his own well-being, to know what happened to Saskia, and he finds out by suffering exactly the same fate.

I honestly don't know how any Director could've done it any better, it's perfect. Actually, it's not perfect, because I would've ended the film with the final flick of his lighter, but otherwise, it couldn't have been done better. The drugs take hold, Rex falls unconscious, we're plunged into darkness, which is broken by the light from Rex's lighter, and at exactly the same time as Rex, we realise his fate. Stretching it out would've diluted the impact of the ending IMO.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Certainly the later 'remakes' seem to be regarded as pale imitations of this the original version.

As far as I know, there is only one remake, and they changed the ending to a totally unrealistic, ridiculous happy one. It's truly awful.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I hadn't seen this before, but I was sitting watching it with a strong sense of de ja vu. Turned out I had seen the 1993 English language remake by the same director. I don't remember too much about that version though after the initial scenes at the gas station.

And pray that you never remember, because if you do, you'll want to put your foot through the tv screen.

 

[expat_mike]

I'll never understand how an English langauge remake of a film can be so bad compared to its foreign language version when they're made by the same director!

Was the english language version set in england as well?

 

[expat_mike]

My copy of Biutiful has arrived today, so maybe I will get a chance to watch it this weekend.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'll never understand how an English language remake of a film can be so bad compared to its foreign language version when they're made by the same director!

 

[Frank Harvey]

Was the english language version set in england as well?

Sorry, too long ago to remember!

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I'll never understand how an English langauge remake of a film can be so bad compared to its foreign language version when they're made by the same director!?

Was the english language version set in england as well?

U.S I think

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

My copy of Biutiful has arrived today, so maybe I will get a chance to watch it this weekend.

I'll try too, but I'm working tomorrow.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Didn't get to watch 'Biutiful' over the weekend, will try to watch it this weekend.

We didn't get any input from Richard about 'The Vanishing', just wondered if he had any thoughts on it?

 

[richardw42]

Sorry.

I've been back up to Scotland helping sort my mums house. I did try watching The Vanishing a few times but never got further than the first 10 minutes or so. Just seemed I couldn't concentrate on it with the subtitles and all. I will call catch up with it in the coming months and let you all know my thoughts.

Ill watch Biutiful this weekend.

Could I pass on my next round of nominations as I haven't really been thinking about it recently.