THE IDES OF MARCH (George Clooney - 2011)

Avarice wrote:

6of1 wrote:

Avarice wrote:

I always find a machine gun helps in this sort of debate.

Perhaps that's why you still have such debates. Take a grenade and a phone box, chances are that settles the argument in your favour.

A somewhat humorless escalation I'd say. I may have to park my tanks on your mother's lawn.

You already did.

But no harm done, she wanted to redecorate it as downtown Kabul anyway.

I've always remembered something that Ambler said, "Quality is a minority pursuit." I think life is too short to get stuck in mediocrity. Oddly, this is coming from somebody who's been watching Superman movies.

Most people don't seem to care about greatness. Many couldn't recoginze it if they saw it. Sometimes few can until years pass and people die.

When it comes to film, the more you see the harder it can be for you to be truly impressed. That can be taken for cynicism.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

When it comes to film, the more you see the harder it can be for you to be truly impressed. That can be taken for cynicism.

I'm not sure I see it like that. That's almost like comparing it when you develop a tolerance to something. i.e. in the past I've had to come off many meds, due them losing effectiveness over time. For some reason my brain tends to shake them off after a while, more than most.

I just think think the more films you watch, and the wider variety of them, the higher your standards get.

Sharky wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

When it comes to film, the more you see the harder it can be for you to be truly impressed. That can be taken for cynicism.

I'm not sure I see it like that. That's almost like comparing it when you develop a tolerance to something. i.e. in the past I've had to come off many meds, due them losing effectiveness over time. For some reason my brain tends to shake them off after a while, more than most.

I just think think the more films you watch, and the wider variety of them, the higher your standards get.

Not sure if that isn't the exception rather than rule. Most people watch films the whole week through but their standards don't change a bit.

Kennon wrote:

Sharky wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

When it comes to film, the more you see the harder it can be for you to be truly impressed. That can be taken for cynicism.

I'm not sure I see it like that. That's almost like comparing it when you develop a tolerance to something. i.e. in the past I've had to come off many meds, due them losing effectiveness over time. For some reason my brain tends to shake them off after a while, more than most.

I just think think the more films you watch, and the wider variety of them, the higher your standards get.

Not sure if that isn't the exception rather than rule. Most people watch films the whole week through but their standards don't change a bit.

Depends what films they're watching.

Sharky wrote:

Kennon wrote:

Sharky wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

When it comes to film, the more you see the harder it can be for you to be truly impressed. That can be taken for cynicism.

I'm not sure I see it like that. That's almost like comparing it when you develop a tolerance to something. i.e. in the past I've had to come off many meds, due them losing effectiveness over time. For some reason my brain tends to shake them off after a while, more than most.

I just think think the more films you watch, and the wider variety of them, the higher your standards get.

Not sure if that isn't the exception rather than rule. Most people watch films the whole week through but their standards don't change a bit.

Depends what films they're watching.

All kinds evidently. Never before was it so easy even for small films to find THEIR audience. Nothing's obscure, stupid, perverse or degraded or elitist enough that there wouldn't be peeps to watch and praise it. There is no universal definition of quality that could not be debated. It always comes down to preferences. Sure, everybody can see when something is just rubbish done by idiots and dilettantes. But a standard of undisputed greatness just doesn't exist. So it comes down to the average of public opinion. Which is a definition of mediocrity. I find it somewhat irritating that this simple fact is even lamented here. What's all this self-pitying whining about the bad taste of the masses meant to change? It never was different and the current situation at least allows us to enjoy ourselves with snide remarks.

Kennon wrote:

All kinds evidently.

Doubt it. Only a small minority's interested in quality, or even knows what quality is. Most just watch the latest blockbusters, the blockbusters of the past, what got nominated/won Oscars, or whatever's on Sky Movies (almost always crap).

Nothing's obscure, stupid, perverse or degraded or elitist enough that there wouldn't be peeps to watch and praise it.

I'm not doubting there are folks watching the films of Carl Theodor Dreyer somewhere in Old Blighty. I just doubt there's very many.

Kennon wrote:

There is no universal definition of quality that could not be debated.

Another truism. Anything can be debated and disputed, just look at this forum. Last night I was discussing Naomi Watt's painful wank in MULHOLLAND DRIVE.

Kennon wrote:

But a standard of undisputed greatness just doesn't exist.

Nothing is undisputed. That's the great thing about free thought. . .

In my view, it's up to the guardians of culture (scholars, critics, intellectuals etc.) to determine quality. Whether or not the plebs will listen is another matter.

Sharky wrote:

I just think think the more films you watch, and the wider variety of them, the higher your standards get.

That's basically what I meant. :)

it's a pretty good film. great cast and screenplay, and while the corruption of the innocent (Wall Street isn't a bad comparison point, actually) stuff is pretty obvious, it's well played out. Oscar front-runner for sure. The other Ryan Gosling movie out is far better, of course.

Ryan Gosling. FFS.

Avarice wrote:

Ryan Gosling. FFS.

http://www.virtualffs.co.uk/

"I grew up with my mother and my sister so I've just been programmed to think like a girl."

Gosling is a shoe-in as the next Bond.