What are the best films you have seen this year? Why did you like them so much?

BLACK AND WHITE

This is the first time I really like a Hallmark (style) movie.

I had a gander at Leviathon and thought it was very insightful. Dark, yes, but I like dark sometimes. Thanks for the recommendation.

Last night we all went to see the Globe's 2006 production of Titus Andronicus. Very gory and well worth it. It was only shown once, and the cinema was not exactly packed either.

Don't think I've even read that one.....

It's the equivalent of a blockbuster written early on in his career, lots of blood and guts, adultery and rape. It drew them in back then. When filming this version, some of the audience fainted during some scenes, (although that's not shown.)

I thought it was late in his career?

I thought it was late in his career?

Edit: Oops. Not late. But thought to be a collaboration. I think of it as being one of the Jacobean revenge dramas only worserer.

They were probably all collaborations to a certain degree.

My biggest problem is all the events happening so quickly at the beginning. He arrives in Rome, sacrifices a prisoner, refuses the crown, supports one brother for the crown, pledges his daughter to that brother who instead runs off with the other brother and Titus then kills one of his sons for dishonouring him by supporting her in her escape. And he's only been on stage for about ten minutes

I saw Mr. Holmes last night. It is wonderful.

I am thinking about acting largely because Ian McKellan is so amazing in Mr. Holmes.

It sometimes helps to see an actor speak with an interviewer. Of course, a television interview is a different kind of acting but . . . I have a fond memory of Sir Ian on The Daily Show, saying "I am Gandalf and Magneto" and the way he and Patrick Stewart are enjoying vigorous and humorous seniorhood.

McKellan's superhero status is particularly funny because he is not physically imposing.

The year Forest Whitaker won his Oscar for playing Idi Amin in the The Last King of Scotland, it helped that he appeared on talk shows as his teddy bear self. He couldn't be further from the dictator. That was the same year that Peter O'Toole was nominated for what was his last picture, Venus.

O'Toole was one of the prettiest-to-look-at actors to ever grace a stage and did fine work in many films. I think he ought to have won the Oscar for The Lion in Winter but not for Venus, which was a somewhat lousy film. It was a good thing sentimentality did not deprive Whitaker of his Oscar but he is actually still rather young at 54.

However, when I think of some of O'Toole's roles, he never seemed to shake the element of baroque that he carried with him. Lawrence of Arabia was baroque because of its epic sprawl and The Ruling Class and My Favorite Year were just simply baroque in their subject matter.
Sir Ian's work in Mr. Holmes shows him playing the detective in two periods: just after WWI and WWII.

In the WWI flashback, he is a vigorous 60 and very nattily dressed. As a woman, I love to see an actor well turned out. Men's clothes are deplorable most of the time. At the end of the film, in 1947, his character is a crumbling 90+, aware of his diminishing power, often in pajamas and a robe.

I just saw a live transmission of The Merchant Of Venice by the RSC at Stratford. It was brilliant.

I saw The Woman In Gold on Demand. It was very sobering.

Great! I'd love to see it.

More detail?

I'm off to see my loved Ian McKellan in the Holmes film on Saturday. Not a great Holmes fan, but I've been ridiculous about McKellan since seeing him as Richard II as a weelowan.

Snap!

The epitome of excess! Ben Jonson would have been turning like a spinning top in his grave!

Next up is Othello which will be broadcast to cinemas across the World on 26th August. This time Iago is black as well.



Here's a link to the webpage which tells you your nearest cinema.

http://onscreen.rsc.org.uk/othello/

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I remember the fight going on regarding the rightful owner of the Klimt painting. Im horrified that personal property was conficated by the Master race completly ignored the actual owner of the painting. The Jews who had the painting commissioned were robbed at their home and had to watch as the Nazis confiscated the beautiful picture and it wound up in Hitler's collection. Hitler had even more deadly plans for Jews who had high technical abilities, were
gifted musicians, gifted artists, gifted singers. As far as Europe, they have have had a diffficult time in Eastern Europe to re-home these masterpieces. There are many many paintings considered masterpieces that Nazi sympathizes claim as their booty, and have become beloved treasures for the local population. Stolen Property can never be ripped from their homes of the people who paid KLIMT, to create a masterpiece of their loved ones.

Inside Out is so far my favorite film of 2015. It's impeccably done.

Lovable characters and original character design. Very moving story. Gorgeous visuals!