Movies Blonde, Starring Ana de Armas - Coming to Netflix on September 28

[Keyser_Soze]

 

[Greatoneshere]

Been excited for a long time for this one. From amazing writer/director Andrew Dominik, responsible for Chopper, The Assassination of the Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (maybe one of the best movies ever made) and Killing Them Softly (underrated and beautifully made), this is his first feature length film in 10 years after Killing Them Softly's poor reception (well, critics liked it, audiences didn't). Word of mouth is this is really good, but is getting an NC-17 rating or close to it.

[Keyser_Soze]

8 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

but is getting an NC-17 rating or close to it.

 

Pretty much confirmed at the end that it is. However, I don't think that type of rating is as much of a death knell as it used to be. Tons of "unrated" versions of movies come out all the time, this one isn't going to theaters so you don't have to deal with the shock of dealing with an NC-17 movie in a movie theater. If the movie is good people will show up to see it regardless of the rating (and they'll show up if it's bad too )

[thewhyteboar]

19 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

Been excited for a long time for this one. From amazing writer/director Andrew Dominik, responsible for Chopper, The Assassination of the Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (maybe one of the best movies ever made) and Killing Them Softly (underrated and beautifully made), this is his first feature length film in 10 years after Killing Them Softly's poor reception (well, critics liked it, audiences didn't). Word of mouth is this is really good, but is getting an NC-17 rating or close to it.

The train robbery in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of the most beautiful and eerie things I’ve ever seen. 

[Greatoneshere]

51 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Pretty much confirmed at the end that it is. However, I don't think that type of rating is as much of a death knell as it used to be. Tons of "unrated" versions of movies come out all the time, this one isn't going to theaters so you don't have to deal with the shock of dealing with an NC-17 movie in a movie theater. If the movie is good people will show up to see it regardless of the rating (and they'll show up if it's bad too )

 

I don't think it's a death knell, I'd rather Andrew Dominik put out the version he wants and he fought for the NC-17 version, I was just noting there was mild controversy awhile ago about that is all. 

 

45 minutes ago, thewhyteboar said:

The train robbery in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of the most beautiful and eerie things I’ve ever seen. 

 

It really is - and it was cool to see it recreated in Red Dead Redemption 2. 

[Brick]

Had my eye on this for a while since de Armas is an interesting choice given she is a Cuban actress, and not a native English speaker (she lied about knowing English, and having to learn it fast to keep a role early in her Hollywood career) with a noticeable accent. I wonder why we don't see a lot of non native English speaking actors play roles where they have to not use their own accent, and put on an American accent. Then again I wonder how common it is in other markets to see a non Hindi speaking actor have to put on an accent and speak Hindi, a non German speaking actor put on an accent and speak German, a non Japanese actor have to put on an accent and speak Japanese, etc., etc. 

[TheLeon]

I think there’s something to the fact that this isn’t a straight biopic, but is based on a novel that’s a fictional account of Monroe’s life (at least that’s how I understand it). That maybe allows for some creative casting. 
 

And as I’ve said before, one of the best things a modern filmmaker can do is put as much Ana de Armas in their movie as possible, so I fully support this choice. 

[SoberChef]

Big fan of both Adrien & Bobby but OMFG! Ana is impeccable as Norma/Marilyn!! Truly had tears welling in my eyes watching that trailer, I FEEL for her so deeply in those moments. Like it isn't even the bias of "ERMAHGERD ITS ANA DE ARMAS!" but I felt like I was watching who she is portraying. Truly remarkable to be sure, can't wait to watch!

[SoberChef]

8 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

Been excited for a long time for this one. From amazing writer/director Andrew Dominik, responsible for Chopper, The Assassination of the Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (maybe one of the best movies ever made) and Killing Them Softly (underrated and beautifully made), this is his first feature length film in 10 years after Killing Them Softly's poor reception (well, critics liked it, audiences didn't). Word of mouth is this is really good, but is getting an NC-17 rating or close to it.

 

Killing Them Softly was marketed as something it entirely was not. Pitt's role is sort of small really & Gandolfini killed it, I remember really loving it when I saw.

[Greatoneshere]

Just now, SoberChef said:

 

Killing Them Softly was marketed as something it entirely was not. Pitt's role is sort of small really & Gandolfini killed it, I remember really loving it when I saw.

 

Yeah - I mean, Brad Pitt is really good but the film is an ensemble - there's plenty of scenes with Ben Mendelsohn and separately James Gandolfini for lengthy scenes without Pitt. The movie is more high-minded than the marketing made it look which took audiences aback for sure.

[SimpleG]

Anytime I mention Killing Them Softly , I am met with crickets. 

Fantastic film.

[johnny]

yes we are getting more ana de armas sex scenes 

[Keyser_Soze]

This is out now if you dare to watch it

[Brick]

Just now, Keyser_Soze said:

This is out now if you dare to watch it

 

Why do you say dare to watch it? 

[TheLeon]

2 hours ago, Brick said:

 

Why do you say dare to watch it? 

Early word makes it sound like an overlong, miserable experience. 

[Keyser_Soze]

4 hours ago, Brick said:

Why do you say dare to watch it? 

 

1 hour ago, TheLeon said:

Early word makes it sound like an overlong, miserable experience. 

 

I don't know about any word on the street but I'm merely commenting on it's NC-17 rating and how watching any type of movie with nudity or sexuality makes you a perv and if you watch the movie you'll be labeled as such but it's perfectly fine to watch John Wick murder a thousand people in a movie.

[EternallDarkness]

1 hour ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

 

I don't know about any word on the street but I'm merely commenting on it's NC-17 rating and how watching any type of movie with nudity or sexuality makes you a perv and if you watch the movie you'll be labeled as such but it's perfectly fine to watch John Wick murder a thousand people in a movie.

 

it is an odd line people draw. When it comes to nudity/sex in a movie, I'm of the opinion that if it fits the story fine, but if it's there for no real story reason then it's pointless. In a movie like Basic Instinct the sex/nudity played a central role to the story and Sharon Stones characters. But Halle Berry being naked in Swordfish was pointless. Yeah, Swordfish is a weird example but with the Jackman Deadpool news it's what just jumped into my head  

 

As for Blonde. While I love Ana, I can't claim the same about MM, so at some point I may watch it but I'm in no rush. 

[Greatoneshere]

I will say that the movie appears very divisive, which intrigues me more. Killing Them Softly similarly got raked over the coals by audiences, and I enjoy that movie more each time I watch it. This is the first time critics have been split on an Andrew Dominik film, which is worrisome, but I'll be watching Blonde, not going to skip a Dominik film at this point.

[stepee]

Even if the movie isn’t great, at least it made for a fantastic trailer.

[Zeluge]

I cannot fathom why — why — one would commit 10+ years of their life to make a fictionalized account of a massively famous icon that essentially mounts to a continual flogging with no material purpose in sight. It’s so strange to me that Dominik also adapted this because it stinks of someone trying a lot of different formal approaches because they’re trying to combat their complete disinterest in the material. Honestly, the only thing I’m left with is a sense of disdain from Dominik for Monroe. For god’s sake, Bresson made a movie about a fucking donkey that had more humanity and compassion than what’s exhibited here. This hits exactly one note and does so for almost three hours. Very handsome production, but to what aim?

 

De Armas is pretty good, but the movie boxes her in tremendously. I would estimate she cries for 70% of the runtime. There’s a point where she says “i’ve been happy my whole life” and the only way it makes any sense in the context of the whole movie is as a joke.

 

I like the audition scene. And the transition to Niagara. First Arthur Miller scene is cool I guess. There’s a blatantly bad edit in the following scene between them in the diner. JFK scene made me laugh at how crass and tasteless it’s executed, even though I'd read about it beforehand. Really, there's a litany of these baffling stylistic choices throughout.

 

And now I'm going to seek out the 5-plus-hour cut of Nymphomaniac to cleanse my palette.

[Greatoneshere]

6 hours ago, Zeluge said:

I cannot fathom why — why — one would commit 10+ years of their life to make a fictionalized account of a massively famous icon that essentially mounts to a continual flogging with no material purpose in sight. It’s so strange to me that Dominik also adapted this because it stinks of someone trying a lot of different formal approaches because they’re trying to combat their complete disinterest in the material. Honestly, the only thing I’m left with is a sense of disdain from Dominik for Monroe. For god’s sake, Bresson made a movie about a fucking donkey that had more humanity and compassion than what’s exhibited here. This hits exactly one note and does so for almost three hours. Very handsome production, but to what aim?

 

De Armas is pretty good, but the movie boxes her in tremendously. I would estimate she cries for 70% of the runtime. There’s a point where she says “i’ve been happy my whole life” and the only way it makes any sense in the context of the whole movie is as a joke.

 

I like the audition scene. And the transition to Niagara. First Arthur Miller scene is cool I guess. There’s a blatantly bad edit in the following scene between them in the diner. JFK scene made me laugh at how crass and tasteless it’s executed, even though I'd read about it beforehand. Really, there's a litany of these baffling stylistic choices throughout.

 

And now I'm going to seek out the 5-plus-hour cut of Nymphomaniac to cleanse my palette.

 

Yeah sounds like it's almost a torture porn-esque film, which isn't my bag, so I'm curious what I'll think of the film. Always appreciate you're in-depth thoughts. What would you rate this and Dominik's other films?

[Phaseknox]

On 9/28/2022 at 4:42 AM, Keyser_Soze said:

I'm merely commenting on it's NC-17 rating and how watching any type of movie with nudity or sexuality makes you a perv and if you watch the movie you'll be labeled as such but it's perfectly fine to watch John Wick murder a thousand people in a movie.

This reminds me of a time back when I was working video game retail and a soccer mom came up to me with an M rated violent gore fest of a game that I can’t remember the name of asking me if it contained any nudity or sex, and I said no and she said good because she doesn’t care about her kid playing bloody and violent games but she won’t let them play any with nudity and sex in them. I let out a sigh because I’m one of those weirdos that thinks that graphic violence is worse than nudity and sex.

[skillzdadirecta]

On 9/28/2022 at 4:42 AM, Keyser_Soze said:

 

 

I don't know about any word on the street but I'm merely commenting on it's NC-17 rating and how watching any type of movie with nudity or sexuality makes you a perv and if you watch the movie you'll be labeled as such but it's perfectly fine to watch John Wick murder a thousand people in a movie.

This is still a thing in 2022? With how overtly sexual primetime TV has become and how popular pornhub is I would think that this sentiment has gone the way of rotery phones and blockbuster video.

[stepee]

11 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

This is still a thing in 2022? With how overtly sexual primetime TV has become and how popular pornhub is I would think that this sentiment has gone the way of rotery phones and blockbuster video.

 

Now I think it’s all about if things have sexual content it’s grooming children to become sex slaves for the clinton’s in the pursuit of eternal life.

[skillzdadirecta]

1 minute ago, stepee said:

 

Now I think it’s all about if things have sexual content it’s grooming children to become sex slaves for the clinton’s in the pursuit of eternal life.

What's even crazier is that teens and young adults of today are FAR less sexually active than the teenagers of my and my parent's generations.

[stepee]

12 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

What's even crazier is that teens and young adults of today are FAR less sexually active than the teenagers of my and my parent's generations.

 

Well also the people who are in a huff about grooming children are super into having sex with teenagers so it’s all a bit confusing.

[TheLeon]

In this case, it sounds like they barely earned the NC-17 anyway. You hear about movies getting an NC-17 at first, then they make changes, sometimes tiny, barely noticeable changes, to get an R (or similarly to go from R to PG-13). 

[Keyser_Soze]

29 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

This is still a thing in 2022? With how overtly sexual primetime TV has become and how popular pornhub is I would think that this sentiment has gone the way of rotery phones and blockbuster video.

 

I made the first comment in jest and brick asked me to explain and I explained the joke. If it still happens or not I do not know.

[Zeluge]

18 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

Always appreciate you're in-depth thoughts. What would you rate this and Dominik's other films?

 

'ppreciate the appreciation!

 

James/Ford is marvelous. Probably a top-20 of its decade, certainly for American films.

 

I remember really liking Chopper, though it's been ages.

 

Killing Them Softly is a tough one for me, and deeply in need of a rewatch. Recall being very excited to see Higgins adapted again, but the bluntness of the political angle and that damned Heroin needle drop really stuck in my craw. Also remember being uneasy with the slow-motion abstraction of that Ray Liotta scene. But the milieu, dialogue and performers? All good. I think it's still on Netflix, so that'll be getting a revisit soon.

 

Haven't seen his two Nick Cave docs yet, but I've been getting into him since seeing him live back in March, so I'll be checking those out soon.

 

As for Blonde? Yeah, that don't rate too highly at all.

 

However! That does remind me that I wanted to shout out Nick Cave and Warren Ellis's score. Haunting and beautiful and much too good for the movie it's in.

[Bloodporne]

On 7/28/2022 at 11:59 AM, thewhyteboar said:

The train robbery in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of the most beautiful and eerie things I’ve ever seen. 

I know I'm way late to the party here but this is one of those scenes I frequently have pop up in my head. I still think that movie is incredible and I've straight-up gotten mad at my one movie nerd friend who trashed it after I lent it to him when it originally came out. The score absolutely kills me as well. Never bought a soundtrack faster than this in my life and I still consider some of it some of the most sad and gorgeous film music I've ever heard and damn I've seen a lot of movies.

 

 

[Bloodporne]

Regarding the topic on hand, I watched Blonde for about 45 minutes and turned it off. I didn't even know it was the same director as my deeply-cherished Assassination. I don't have anything interesting to contribute beyond it being obnoxious tragedy porn that apparently is loaded with bullshit after reading up on it further. I also don't get the point whatsoever. "What she might have thought and felt" to quote a press release. But this was a real person, why do we need this? I really find this kind of thing tasteless, maybe I'm going soft. 

 

PS: Chopper is a great film. Probably ironic of me to praise that considering what I just wrote. 

[Greatoneshere]

5 hours ago, Zeluge said:

Killing Them Softly is a tough one for me, and deeply in need of a rewatch. Recall being very excited to see Higgins adapted again, but the bluntness of the political angle and that damned Heroin needle drop really stuck in my craw. Also remember being uneasy with the slow-motion abstraction of that Ray Liotta scene. But the milieu, dialogue and performers? All good. I think it's still on Netflix, so that'll be getting a revisit soon.

 

Thanks for the breakdown! And I'd definitely give it a rewatch, I'm in the minority but it gets better every time I see it.

[Bloodporne]

24 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

Thanks for the breakdown! And I'd definitely give it a rewatch, I'm in the minority but it gets better every time I see it.

I've never seen Killing... after the poor reception. Not that it usually sways me too much but I actually wasn't aware it was this director. Again. Wanna sell it to me in a sentence??

[Greatoneshere]

8 minutes ago, Bloodporne said:

I've never seen Killing... after the poor reception. Not that it usually sways me too much but I actually wasn't aware it was this director. Again. Wanna sell it to me in a sentence??

 

Badass mafia/hitman movie that is super well made. Long dialogue scenes between characters that all seem unrelated but in fact are all saying something. And the ending fucking nails it, it's quite an indictment of American capitalism ultimately. I think people expected some straightforward action movie but this is not that. It's a mostly contemplative, talky film about the various musings of a slight criminal underworld. The movie was well rated by critics, its audiences that didn't like it (unlike Blonde which is getting divisive ratings by everyone), but I have found audiences in general rate low esoteric, slow, contemplative films inherently, which is where a unanimously good critical rating comes in handy. 

 

For future reference, the writer/director of these films is Andrew Dominik, and he almost always uses Nick Cave and Warren Ellis for his soundtracks. He's made:

 

-Chopper (excellent Eric Bana performance that made Bana famous)

-The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

-Killing Them Softly

-Blonde

 

He also made two very good Nick Cave documentaries, but I haven't seen those yet.

[Bloodporne]

13 minutes ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

Badass mafia/hitman movie that is super well made. Long dialogue scenes between characters that all seem unrelated but in fact are all saying something. And the ending fucking nails it, it's quite an indictment of American capitalism ultimately. I think people expected some straightforward action movie but this is not that. It's a mostly contemplative, talky film about the various musings of a slight criminal underworld. The movie was well rated by critics, its audiences that didn't like it (unlike Blonde which is getting divisive ratings by everyone), but I have found audiences in general rate low esoteric, slow, contemplative films inherently, which is where a unanimously good critical rating comes in handy. 

 

For future reference, the writer/director of these films is Andrew Dominik, and he almost always uses Nick Cave and Warren Ellis for his soundtracks. He's made:

 

-Chopper (excellent Eric Bana performance that made Bana famous)

-The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

-Killing Them Softly

-Blonde

 

He also made two very good Nick Cave documentaries, but I haven't seen those yet.

Sounds exactly like people expecting a Western with Assassination so I'll definitely give it a go. It sounds really interesting based on your description. I like talky films if the talk is good. Jackie Brown is one of my favorite movies, so. 

 

I actually saw Chopper right when it was released on video in the States. Rented it three times. I've also seen one of his Cave docus which was certainly pretty good as far as I recall but nothing that particularly stuck out. I've actually been into select albums by Nick Cave for ages but I think his stuff with Ellis actually ended up being my favorite. Tender Prey would be a fantastic album by Cave if the mix wasn't so monumentally fucked up, still some great tracks on that if you can do his idea of "singing".