Films

moehat said:
I've heard that it's quite scary in places.....
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York Odeon - now a Reel Cinema - is quite smelly in places: the ten or so of us who packed into Screen 2 for the high-tea matinee were welcomed by the timeless odour that only a '50s carpet that hasn't been doused with shake 'n' vac since it was a teenager can emanate. And I was also delighted to find what I'm pretty sure was a Woodbine burn imprinted on the tired but reassuringly creaky back-row upholstery

The peeling cream-and-brown art-deco gentlemen's lavatory was however carbolic fresh, though the urinals were out of order

The whole experience truly was 1965 revisited: we even stole furtive glances whilst sharing a packet of Galaxy Minstrels

City Screen 'Arthouse' eat yer heart out
 
moehat said:
I've heard that it's quite scary in places.....
Click to expand...

York Odeon - now a Reel Cinema - is quite smelly in places: the ten or so of us who packed into Screen 2 for the high-tea matinee were welcomed by the timeless odour that only a '50s carpet that hasn't been doused with shake 'n' vac since it was a teenager can emanate. And I was also delighted to find what I'm pretty sure was a Woodbine burn imprinted on the tired but reassuringly creaky back-row upholstery

The peeling cream-and-brown art-deco gentlemen's lavatory was however carbolic fresh, though the urinals were out of order

The whole experience truly was 1970 revisited: we even stole furtive glances whilst sharing a packet of Galaxy Minstrels

City Screen 'Arthouse' eat yer 'art out
 
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Saw The Theory Of Anything yesterday, and Eddie Redmayne is tremendous in the role. My one small quibble would be that right at the beginning of the film he seems to hold himself as if getting ready to shrink into the position he later could only hold in his wheelchair through no fault of his own, other than that a fabulous story well told. Felicity Jones also very good as his first wife.
 
Just an idle question, would you have any reservations about an able-bodied actor "cripping up" to play a real-life person?
 
Saw the long goodbye today. 35mm presentation with a very decent talk before hand. A new thing at curzons showing classics in original form. Not sure I'm so bothered about the authenticity and you realise how good digital is in truth but it is one of the great films for me. Ok I love chandler but Altman and Elliot Gould make it quite special.
 
Just got back from the cinema. Blown away by TTOE. I was determined not to like it but it was funny and joyous and life affirming. 10/10
 
You could hear a pin drop in the cinema except when people laughed [which was quite often]. When we got home I turned the telly on and Shrek was on. Now, I love Shrek films but I had to turn it off because I wanted to stay 'in the zone' for a while longer. I'm even putting off watching Game of Thrones series 2 for the same reason. There's an interview with Mrs Hawking on Womans Hour which I'd like to listen to if I can find it; she must be a very strong woman. I also agree with what G-G said about the start of the film but wondered if, perhaps he did have symptoms very early on that his wife felt she could have picked up on [?]. [I left the cinema in tears, but not because it was sad; I was just overwhelmed by it]
 
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Apparently hawking has broken up with his latest girlfriend.

she's picked him up and then dropped him
 
icebreaker said:
Just an idle question, would you have any reservations about an able-bodied actor "cripping up" to play a real-life person?
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Watched it myself this weekend and I think only an able bodied actor could have portrayed him as it showed how someone with the whole world ahead of him both mentally and physically (having just met the 1st mrs h) deteriorated and became trapped into this body despite his mind still being fully functional.

The scene at the end displays this casting choice perfectly.

10/10 agreed
 
Fair enough, that's true, ............. otherwise if a disabled actor was to play Hawking the role would have called for two separate actors to portray both the pre- and post- motor neurone person.
But, in future years, I guarantee that able-bodied actors "cripping up" will come to be seen as similar to earlier practice of white actors "blacking up" to portray coloured people which of course is completely taboo nowadays.
I don't want to come across as some politically-correct lunatic, so I'll refrain from taking this further .......... :)
 
Just to add, personally I would have to dragged kicking and screaming to any film biography of a disabled person played by an able-bodied actor.
Not because of any deep held philosophical objection, but because I would be most uncomfortable watching it.
We have all come across at one time some bar-room idiot mimicking a spastic person who thinks it's funny but it is just cringeingly awful to the rest of us.
 
Watched American Sniper the other day. Apart from an unnecessary scene in a sandstorm I thought it was excellent.

Think I will give "The Gambler" a go later.
 
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A beautiful film. Delicate story well told. The key is the performances. He is extraordinary but i thought Felicity Jones was superb as his wife.

Could crab very pickily a couple of aspects but given that it was such a moving story with certain scenes that were perfectly played I can see why its such a huge hit. Deserves to be too. By anyones standards its life affirming
 
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icebreaker said:
Just to add, personally I would have to dragged kicking and screaming to any film biography of a disabled person played by an able-bodied actor.
Not because of any deep held philosophical objection, but because I would be most uncomfortable watching it.
We have all come across at one time some bar-room idiot mimicking a spastic person who thinks it's funny but it is just cringeingly awful to the rest of us.
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Its nothing like that at all ice

That is so far wide of the mark. The key is that his performance is so convincing you see the human being first, second and third. It doesnt hide his faults either. This isn't John mills hamming up for an oscar in the terrible Ryans Daughter
 
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Fair enough, Clive. I'm glad to read that -- that the affliction is treated with delicacy and understanding. And that the portrayal is sympathetic.
I might be persuaded to go and see on that basis.
 
Tho' I still feel that portrayals of disabled people in film should be done by disabled actors -- preferably those actors that suffer the same or similar disability.
You know what, I'm really uncomfortable discussing this topic.
 
G-G said:
Saw The Theory Of Anything yesterday, and Eddie Redmayne is tremendous in the role. My one small quibble would be that right at the beginning of the film he seems to hold himself as if getting ready to shrink into the position he later could only hold in his wheelchair through no fault of his own, other than that a fabulous story well told. Felicity Jones also very good as his first wife.
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Might have been true that his body was collapsing on him before he knew maybe?

my minor quibble would have been the sometimes slushy music and soft focus, but it was nothing to obsess about
 
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