Gaybutton Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 The following is an excerpt from a weekly newsletter I receive: _____ In Limbo Here’s the current status on some other Oscar contenders of note which were scheduled at one time for Pattaya, then withdrawn. I think it would be nice if they all showed up here eventually, but it looks as though we’ll have to fight to get them. And given the dreadful reception of Revolutionary Road here, it doesn’t seem to make much sense from the point of view of the movie chains. Except possibly for Slumdog Millionaire. * Milk: US, Biography, Drama – 128 mins – The assassination of Harvey Milk, with Sean Penn, who won the acting Oscar. Nominated for Oscar best picture and best director – eight nominations total. A second Oscar was won for best writing for a screenplay written directly for the screen, given to Dustin Lance Black. The story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, a San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone by San Francisco Supervisor Dan White. Directed by Gus Van Sant. Rotten Tomatoes: Anchored by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America's first openly gay man elected to public office. Rated R in the US for language, some sexual content and brief violence. Reviews: Universal acclaim: 84/83 out of 100. Was scheduled for Feb. 26 here, but now not in the planning for Pattaya; playing now at the Apex Lido and three other cinemas in Bangkok. * Slumdog Millionaire: US/UK, Crime/ Drama/ Romance – 120 mins – Improbably (a third of the movie is in Hindi, after all), this film won Oscar best picture and best director – and awards for adapted screenplay, original score, film editing, original song, sound mixing, and cinematography. At the present time not to be shown in Pattaya; now playing at only one cinema in the whole of Thailand: the Apex Scala at Siam Square in Bangkok. A brief and wholly inadequate summary of the plot: The life of an impoverished Indian teen who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?” wins, and is then suspected of cheating. Trailer available here, just click. Roger Ebert: This is a breathless, exciting story, heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time, about a Mumbai orphan who rises from rags to riches on the strength of his lively intelligence. It tells the story of an orphan from the slums of Mumbai who is born into a brutal existence. A petty thief, impostor and survivor, mired in dire poverty, he improvises his way up through the world and remembers everything he has learned. High-spirited and defiant in the worst of times, he survives. He scrapes out a living at the Taj Mahal, which he did not know about but discovers by being thrown off a train. He pretends to be a guide, invents "facts" out of thin air, advises tourists to remove their shoes and then steals them. . . . The film uses dazzling cinematography, breathless editing, driving music, and headlong momentum to explode with narrative force, stirring in a romance at the same time. For Danny Boyle, it is a personal triumph. Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting (1996), The Beach (2000), 28 Days Later (2002), Millions (2004), Sunshine (2007)). Rated R in the US for some violence, disturbing images, and language. Reviews: Universal acclaim: 86/83 out of 100. * The Wrestler: US Drama/ Sport – 115 mins – Mickey Rourke whose portrayal of an over-the-hill athlete has already won him a wheelbarrow full of accolades, including a Golden Globe, received a best-actor Oscar nomination. I think it’s quite a wonderful performance of a loser of a professional wrestler – Randy the Ram – that you wouldn’t ordinarily care about. But you end up caring about this man considerably. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Rated R in the US for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use. Will have to be heavily censored for release here, I think. Reviews: Universal acclaim: 81/81 out of 100. Was once on the schedule for Pattaya, but has been withdrawn; now playing only in Bangkok, at the Apex Lido and two other cinemas. * Doubt: US, Drama/ Mystery – 104 mins – With pathologically severe nun Meryl Streep, as a hatchet-faced authoritarian who sows doubt about the relationship of a priest and a boy. The priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) denies the innuendoes, and much of the film’s quick-fire dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality, and authority in a battle of wills between the two. The film held me captivated; I think it a dizzying and dazzling display of dramatic fireworks, and you should end up with a variety of doubts. Nominated for 5 Oscars (no wins), 5 Golden Globes, and 3 BAFTA awards, including best actress. Directed by John Patrick Shanley, and adapted by him from his play which won several awards for outstanding dramatic play including the 2005 Pulitzer Prize, the 2004-2005 Drama Desk Award and the 2005 Tony Award. Generally favorable reviews: 70/70 out of 100. Not now on the schedule for Pattaya; it’s in Bangkok, and at only one cinema, the Apex Lido. * The Reader – US/ Germany, Drama/ Romance – 124 mins – Directed by Stephen Daldry. Kate Winslet won her Golden Globes award #2 for best supporting actress for her role in this film, and won the Oscar for best actress. Fine fine film! I recommend it. No one expected The Reader to get a best picture nod, along with nominations for director Stephen Daldry, actress Kate Winslet, screenwriter David Hare and cinematographers Chris Menges and Roger Deakins. David Hare, who was nominated for adapting the screenplay for The Reader from the novel, noted that it’s about "an unrepentant Nazi war criminal having an affair with an underage boy. It puts a lot of people off. . . “. Not now on the schedule for Pattaya; it’s in Bangkok, and at only one cinema, the Apex Lido. Quote
Guest laurence Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 I did see MILK in the US; Sean Penn was excellent, the movie was not. Quote
Gaybutton Posted March 6, 2009 Author Posted March 6, 2009 I did see MILK in the US; Sean Penn was excellent, the movie was not. That's your opinion. I thought the movie was excellent and I also thought Sean Penn was excellent and was truly deserving of his Oscar win. What idiot makes these decisions? I have no idea, but apparently it's someone who has some sort of control over what will or will not be shown in every movie theater in Pattaya. I'm also surprised that in all of Bangkok only these few Apex theaters will be running any of these movies. Maybe whoever makes these decisions has concluded that Thai people simply won't be interested in these films. Who knows? It's just one more item on my "I Don't Get It" list. The consolation is that the DVD vendors have all of these movies and the DVDs are high quality. Maybe you can't see them at a movie theater, but at least you can see them at all. Quote
Guest laurence Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 That's your opinion. I thought the movie was excellent and I also thought Sean Penn was excellent and was truly deserving of his Oscar win. Sean Penn's performance outshone the other actors and the movie itself which had a documentary style to it. For me there was too much lisping by many of the gays which, may or may not, been in style at that time. Yes, that is my opinion, a good movie, but not an excellent one. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 I have to agree with GB. I thought the movie was extremely well done and Sean Penn certainly deserved the Oscar. My bf had his eyes opened watching it. He had no idea that the US was so homophobic at that time. And still is, but not as much. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 Slumdog Millionaire . . . now playing at only one cinema in the whole of Thailand: the Apex Scala at Siam Square in Bangkok The billing for the one cinema states that it is "on limited pre-release". I saw it at an evening show last Wednesday and every seat was taken. Re the others, The Reader is on at several cinemas. I got Copies of Milk and Valkyrie on Sukhumvit the other day If it's any consolation, the quality is better that any I have previously purchased in the last few years. Quote
Guest laurence Posted March 7, 2009 Posted March 7, 2009 Anyone see Slumdog? While waiting to see Milk, I slipped into the adjacent theater to view first 10 minutes of Slumdog and after, saw the last 10 minutes. It looked interesting. The slums of Mombai make Pattaya look like a paradise. Quote
Guest MonkeySee Posted March 8, 2009 Posted March 8, 2009 Anyone see Slumdog? While waiting to see Milk, I slipped into the adjacent theater to view first 10 minutes of Slumdog and after, saw the last 10 minutes. It looked interesting. The slums of Mombai make Pattaya look like a paradise. I saw Slumdog on DVD. Probably much better on the big screen. I would recommend seeing it. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted March 8, 2009 Posted March 8, 2009 Anyone see Slumdog? While waiting to see Milk, I slipped into the adjacent theater to view first 10 minutes of Slumdog and after, saw the last 10 minutes. It looked interesting. The slums of Mombai make Pattaya look like a paradise. I have a DVD of Slumdog and found it to be a very good , well acted movie. I highly recommend it. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted March 8, 2009 Posted March 8, 2009 I saw Slumdog on DVD. Probably much better on the big screen? I definitely recommend the big screen for this movie. It has much more visual and emotional impact. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted March 8, 2009 Posted March 8, 2009 I definitely recommend the big screen for this movie. It has much more visual and emotional impact. Personally, I prefer all movies on the big screen, but when a movie is not playing in the area, the DVD is the best choice. Quote
