The other side of film dissonance...

[Barendd Nobeard]

I think I see your point, but in my opinion, this was a case of functional nudity.

I once saw a part of a movie about a whorehouse in the Old West with a very young and very nude Brooke Shields in it. That had me dumbfounded for a few minutes, I must say.

That would be Pretty Baby, starring Brooke Shields, Susan Sarandon, and Keith Carradine; directed by Louis Malle. But Brooke's nude scenes were not actually her--they were shots of her older sister. The plot concerns a mother (Sarandon) who is a prostitute, and who begins "selling" her daughter when the girl is 12.

I have never seen the film, but my connection to it is thus: It was filmed at The Columns hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, where my brother had his (first) wedding reception.

Now, for "critically acclaimed" and/or popular films that I despise:

Risky Business
Trading Places
Sophie's Choice
Men in Black
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

 

[S'mon]

Of course their marriage failed as well. So you'd think they could play a married couple whose having difficulties no problem right? <bleech>

Most likely due to the fact that Tom Cruise is well, you know....

Litigious?

 

[S'mon]

Popular films I paid money to see and hated include Men in Black and Mission Impossible. Independence Day was silly, but enough of a spectacle I didn't dislike it too much.

 

[Fast Learner]

I realize that the message you state was the intention of the director. Horrible, horrible execution. The suggestive flower petal scenes were more than enough to bring us into Spacey's mind on the matter. They didn't need to show Suvari's breasts, or worse, have him wonderfully enlightened with a euphoric grin through the rest of the film upon his epiphany from violating an underage virgin. Did he follow through? And rape her? No.

Suffice it to say that I completely disagree with that characterization of the scene, the film, and most of all your reasoning behind his euphoric grin, a grin that had absolutely nothing to do with Suvari's character or the situation.

 

[G.A. Donis]

If I live to be 150yrs I'll never understand the appeal of E.T.

 

[Storm Raven]

Being asked to relate/identify with a man on the verge of statutory rape. A number of other things, but I was so irritated with the film I haven't watched it since it was released and have for the most part put it out of my mind.

You weren't being asked to identify with or relate to this character. If you think you were, then you weren't paying attention.

Kevin Spacey, like just about every other character in the movie, spends most of the movie on the wrong path, seeking hapiness where it will never be found. Virtually every character in the film is making the wrong choices, and only he finally figures this out, but not until after the scene which apparently offended you. You are intended to realize that he is making the wrong choice at that time, not identify with his choice.

 

[Welverin]

Now, for "critically acclaimed" and/or popular films that I despise:

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

That ones routinely considered the worst of three and a blight on the franchise. Now if you didn't like the other two they would belong here.

 

[jdavis]

Re: Re: Re: Some unneccessary comments...

The latter is me, and he was referring to Happiness.

The film is no where as... let's say "moral" as I would like, helping us understand and yet disapprove, and it doesn't provide sufficient resolution. I didn't feel that kept if from being very powerful, though.

It's not one of my favorite films by any means, but it's still powerful (though not moving).

Oh well that makes a lot more sense then.

On the American Beauty thing, they did walk a real thin line with the underage thing. Yea I didn't like the movie but I did end up watching it twice, and the arguement that he didn't realize he was a complete idiot until the end of the movie doesn't take away fromt he fact that the relationship in question was a focal point of the movie and that several scenes were very suggestive and could be easily be viewed either way (having young daughters myself I really didn't care for any of that part of the movie regardless of the point they were getting across). My main problem with the movie was that many of the bad choices that people were making were just silly, they didn't look like people making bad choices they looked like they were mentally ill. The movie just didn't click for me at all.

Oh yea I hate ET (I recognize it for what it is but I don't care for it at all). and prefer Temple of Doom over the third Indiana Jones movie, the third one was just too silly.

 

[Delgar]

Litigious?

Right, right, that's what I was hinting at.

Delgar

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

That ones routinely considered the worst of three and a blight on the franchise. Now if you didn't like the other two they would belong here.

My bad. I think of IJatToD in the "popular" camp (since it made a bajillion dollars), certainly not in the critically-acclaimed camp, though I don't remember it getting particularly harsh reviews when it came out. Any sequel to Raiders was bound to disappoint, but Temple of Doom--yikes!