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Finnegan

Let's have a films thread.

By Finnegan, in General Chat

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MikeyT

MikeyT

Posted
Posted (edited)

http://www.independe...expires_in=5888

At a recent screening in New York of Compliance, described by one US critic as possibly "the most disturbing movie ever made", no fewer than eight people walked out.

Director Craig Zobel was not surprised. The film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year prompted almost the exact same reaction, with one audience member accusing the film of trying to make violence against women "entertaining" before angrily vacating the premises, along with several others. Since then it has been called everything from misogynistic to a political allegory. "It's not a breezy charmer, that's for sure," says Zobel.

Compliance, screened across the US to varying degrees of outrage and now due at the London Film Festival in October, is not a gory potboiler. It's a psychological thriller that, in the low-budget claustrophobia of a restaurant back office, teases out the tale, based closely on real events, of a prank caller who convinces seemingly good people to do bad things.

Friday night in a bustling fast-food joint and Sandra (Ann Dowd), a frumpy manageress whose day is going from bad to worse, receives a phone call from a man claiming to be a policeman. "Officer Daniels", played with sinister charm by Pat Healy, tells Sandra that one of her young employees, Becky (Dreama Walker) has been accused of stealing and must be questioned until the police arrive. Sandra, fearful of being uncooperative, duly complies. Panic-stricken Becky, worried that she will lose her job, does too.

The abhorrent events that follow ought to be unbelievable, but a clever, torturously slow script makes them less so. Becky is strip-searched and Sandra is persuaded to leave her, naked but for a flimsy apron, in the hands of several men, including Sandra's own fiancé. At the behest of the caller, the men subject her to increasingly humiliating acts until one final, terrible moment of submission.

The real incident, which happened in Kentucky in 2004 and which was one of 70 similar deceptions, was captured on CCTV footage, so we know that the film is largely faithful to it. It's a powerful look at the psychology of obedience that recalls both the Holocaust and the controversial Milgram experiment, in which subjects were persuaded to administer what they believed to be near fatal electric shocks to their peers, under the supervision of scientists.

There's no doubt that it makes for extremely uncomfortable viewing, however people's hostility, says Zobel, is because they don't believe such things could really have happened. "But they did. The question I hope the film poses is why."

So why? Some have accused the film of being exploitative, but in fact the camera shies away from Becky's nudity, focusing instead on the phone, and the reactions of those on it, on Sandra in particular. Without her easy acquiescence would any of it have happened? Does she envy Becky? Is she a victim or a perpetrator?

"The part for me that's fascinating is how does it happen beat by beat," says Zobel, who adds that he empathised with every character. "The instinct is to distance yourself from that kind of behaviour, to say, 'I would never do that.' But people that say that leave themselves more open. I'm not saying I'm doing a public service but... it's important that we talk about this stuff."

Sandra is both the scapegoat and the villain of the piece, but no one comes away unscathed. Indeed, the only dissenter is someone who has never had much respect for authority.

The most disturbing aspect of Compliance is its implied complicity. What would you do?

'Compliance' is on at the London Film Festival from 18 to 20 October

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1971352/

Edited by MikeyT
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Phube

Phube

Posted
Posted

http://www.independe...expires_in=5888

At a recent screening in New York of Compliance, described by one US critic as possibly "the most disturbing movie ever made", no fewer than eight people walked out.

Director Craig Zobel was not surprised. The film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year prompted almost the exact same reaction, with one audience member accusing the film of trying to make violence against women "entertaining" before angrily vacating the premises, along with several others. Since then it has been called everything from misogynistic to a political allegory. "It's not a breezy charmer, that's for sure," says Zobel.

Compliance, screened across the US to varying degrees of outrage and now due at the London Film Festival in October, is not a gory potboiler. It's a psychological thriller that, in the low-budget claustrophobia of a restaurant back office, teases out the tale, based closely on real events, of a prank caller who convinces seemingly good people to do bad things.

Friday night in a bustling fast-food joint and Sandra (Ann Dowd), a frumpy manageress whose day is going from bad to worse, receives a phone call from a man claiming to be a policeman. "Officer Daniels", played with sinister charm by Pat Healy, tells Sandra that one of her young employees, Becky (Dreama Walker) has been accused of stealing and must be questioned until the police arrive. Sandra, fearful of being uncooperative, duly complies. Panic-stricken Becky, worried that she will lose her job, does too.

The abhorrent events that follow ought to be unbelievable, but a clever, torturously slow script makes them less so. Becky is strip-searched and Sandra is persuaded to leave her, naked but for a flimsy apron, in the hands of several men, including Sandra's own fiancé. At the behest of the caller, the men subject her to increasingly humiliating acts until one final, terrible moment of submission.

The real incident, which happened in Kentucky in 2004 and which was one of 70 similar deceptions, was captured on CCTV footage, so we know that the film is largely faithful to it. It's a powerful look at the psychology of obedience that recalls both the Holocaust and the controversial Milgram experiment, in which subjects were persuaded to administer what they believed to be near fatal electric shocks to their peers, under the supervision of scientists.

There's no doubt that it makes for extremely uncomfortable viewing, however people's hostility, says Zobel, is because they don't believe such things could really have happened. "But they did. The question I hope the film poses is why."

So why? Some have accused the film of being exploitative, but in fact the camera shies away from Becky's nudity, focusing instead on the phone, and the reactions of those on it, on Sandra in particular. Without her easy acquiescence would any of it have happened? Does she envy Becky? Is she a victim or a perpetrator?

"The part for me that's fascinating is how does it happen beat by beat," says Zobel, who adds that he empathised with every character. "The instinct is to distance yourself from that kind of behaviour, to say, 'I would never do that.' But people that say that leave themselves more open. I'm not saying I'm doing a public service but... it's important that we talk about this stuff."

Sandra is both the scapegoat and the villain of the piece, but no one comes away unscathed. Indeed, the only dissenter is someone who has never had much respect for authority.

The most disturbing aspect of Compliance is its implied complicity. What would you do?

'Compliance' is on at the London Film Festival from 18 to 20 October

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1971352/

Sounds like a good film.. if done well!

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purpleronnie

purpleronnie

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Watched a good film/documentary.

Bombay beach - follows the lives of people in one of the poorest communities on southern california. A place that was similiar to the new towns that were built here in the 50's and 60's, but things didn't quite work out.

7/10

Edited by purpleronnie
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Orkneyfox

Orkneyfox

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I saw two films yesterday.

The Hobbit which I enjoyed for what it offered but I had to suspend my need for it to be faithful to the book.

I also loved Midnight in Paris, vintage Woody Allen with Owen Wilson very well cast as the lost writer and of course the beautiful Marion Cotillard (see MILF thread).

Rachel Macadam does a very good turn as the horrible fiancee.

Edited by Orkneyfox
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Unabomber

Unabomber

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I suppose you know that Tom Cruise is playing the lead character don't you? This doesn't bother you? If not ignore me.

No it does quite a lot, or at least it did when I first found out. I am now just accepting of it and am hoping that the film will be a good watch regardless of such a pathetic casting

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Trav Le Bleu

Trav Le Bleu

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Watched a bit of Return of the King and I think I now know what my problem with Jackson's versions of Middle Earth is.

It was the scene of Denethor's death.

In the book, Denethor makes a moving, elequant speech and despite attempts to stop him, looks himself in a tomb with the palantir (an important plot point that reveals the source of Denethor's madness that is merely hinted at in the film (and you have to know where to look to find that!) and throws himself on the pyre.

In the film, Denethor has a scrap with a hobbit (doesn't it sound A LOT SILLIER in text?) before Gandalf rides Shadowfax in (I assume it's Shadowfax, since this doesn't actually happen in the book) makes him rear up, knocking Denethor onto the pyre, who then runs out on fire, before plunging off a precipice in a burning fireball (no doubt falling on citizens below - how nice for them.

Basically, Jackson frequently takes beautifully written scenes with great dialogue and goes, "boooooring!" like some spoiled teenager and instead makes the scene go... BLAM! HOWDYALIKEDEMAPPLES?!?!?! ZOMG!!! WTF!!!?

LotR for the MTV generation.

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Finnegan

Finnegan

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I think, if you take the novel out of the equation, the Hobbit is pretty good. Not quite as good as Towers or King but I thought it was a better start than Fellowship.

I think the dwarves have been fantastically done, very well cast with some terrific performances and I think Freeman makes a great Bilbo.

But, unfortunately, I'm a fan of the book - it was the first (and only) thing my dad ever read to myself or my sister as a kid. Jackson, likely under immense studio pressure, has gone out of his way to make this less about Smaug and his treasure (the book is a fairly simple kid's story about dragon loot) and more a huge money spinning prequel to Rings.

Sauron, Sauroman, the big growing evil in the background, Frodo, Nazghul and all of that stuff has no place in the Hobbit at all. The only link at all is that Bilbo picks up a ring and meets Gollum. That's it. You don't understand the relevance of the ring at all in the Hobbit, it just helps Bilbo sneak around a couple of times.

I can understand, from a marketing perspective, why they've done it and I don't think it ruins the film unless you're a diehard Tolkien nerd but it is a tad disappointing. Definitely worth watching, especially if you liked Rings and haven't read the books.

Solid 7.5.

Edited by Finnegan
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Leicesterpool

Leicesterpool

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Posted

Watched the iron lady early, i thought it was somewhat disappointing, i felt the whole film was a rush. There wasn't as much as i thought there would be about the Falklands. Good acting from Meryl Streep though and Jim Broadbent. I'm not the biggest fan of Margaret Thatcher, but i thought they could have done something better telling the story of her life.

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