Rate the last movie you saw

[kosis]

I liked Manchester by the Sea. Thought it was really tight direction with quality writing. Humor was perfect.

To me, Moonlight was the most overrated Oscar winner in recent memory. Especially looking back at it now after a partial second viewing. Liked the first two parts well enough, but mainly because of Mahershala's performance and Janelle Monae's loveliness.

 

[czvo]

Disaster artist was everything I thought it would be. Franco does portray him in a slightly more positive way than the book. All in all, really fun. Had my brother and I quoting lines at all hours.

 

[Sebastian]

Disaster artist was everything I thought it would be. Franco does portray him in a slightly more positive way than the book. All in all, really fun. Had my brother and I quoting lines at all hours.

 

[David.]

FYI; she can change the future and the past, everyone can... that's the whole point.

Spoiler

To understand the alien's language, one begins to think in their language. This means one begins to perceive reality the way they perceive reality. In this case, such perception leads, invariably, to perceiving time bidirectionally/spatially. This is explained a few times in the film through exposition.

She changes the future several times in the film in order to actually effect the end result of the movie; i.e., having the Chinese General give her his phone number and his wife's dying last words so that she would know them in the past and then stand-down as a result.

This is why her husband will ultimately leave her; because she knew their daughter would die of an incurable illness that she could not find a way to prevent even given her ability to jump through time. She decided to have the child anyway, to get married to this particular man anyway, without telling her husband what would happen - knowing how he would feel about it, knowing he would leave her.

Why did the aliens fuck with China at all if they could see the future? Why spend any time anywhere outside of Montana for that matter? Why not just spooge out the transcript earlier, or at least after Amy adams had figured out their language?

 

[David.]

I saw disaster artist.

It was in this weird area where it wasn't quite funny and not quite a spell binding dramatic representation of the room etc.

Only reason it worked for me whatsoever is because I felt nostalgic.

Arrival was amazing though

 

[-Akronite-]

This is one of my favorites at midnight showings: "What candles? What music? WHAT SEXY DRESS?"

 

[gourimoko]

Why did the aliens fuck with China at all if they could see the future? Why spend any time anywhere outside of Montana for that matter? Why not just spooge out the transcript earlier, or at least after Amy adams had figured out their language?

Spoiler

Because the aliens didn't know what to expect when they first got to Earth. Amy's character changes future events in real-time during the movie.

 

[David.]

Spoiler

Because the aliens didn't know what to expect when they first got to Earth. Amy's character changes future events in real-time during the movie.

Spoiler

but they can see the future? [/QUOTE]

 

[TyGuy]

Christmas at the cranks. Damn, Tim Allen sure loves doing Christmas movies. I didn't really like this movie. I couldn't imagine living in a neighborhood that cared that much about how you decide to celebrate Christmas. The comedy didn't really land with me. The few slapstick scenes they had we're a giant whiff. I watched Christmas vacation immediately after which gave a good lesson on how to properly execute slapstick. Dan Akroyd was far and away the best part of this film.

 

[gourimoko]

.

Spoiler

Right but the future isn't fixed.. There are an infinite range of potential futures.

The protagonist makes future-informed decisions that .. create .. her present context.

For example, she decides to have a child that she knows will die, and as a result, her husband leaves her because he couldn't understand why she would put him through such a thing knowing that he couldn't handle it. She does it anyway, and the reason she does it is because she experiences the love she has for her daughter in the future, as well as the acceptance that her relationship with both her husband and daughter will be temporary (just like, well, life in general -- it's all fleeting).

So this is one example of the protagonist (and aliens) making decisions based on how they perceive their own futures, which again, are not set in stone.

 

[David.]

Spoiler

Right but the future isn't fixed.. There are an infinite range of potential futures.

The protagonist makes future-informed decisions that .. create .. her present context.

For example, she decides to have a child that she knows will die, and as a result, her husband leaves her because he couldn't understand why she would put him through such a thing knowing that he couldn't handle it. She does it anyway, and the reason she does it is because she experiences the love she has for her daughter in the future, as well as the acceptance that her relationship with both her husband and daughter will be temporary (just like, well, life in general -- it's all fleeting).

So this is one example of the protagonist (and aliens) making decisions based on how they perceive their own futures, which again, are not set in stone.

At the very least, it's not presented like that. It's implied that entire time line is certain. "she knew he would leave".

It juts feels like a huge plot hole. On one hand we're predicting futures with certainty (we will need you in 3k years) and but they couldn't see China flipping shit and ultimately Costello dying. There would be no reason whatsoever for the other 11 ships to fuck around outside of Montana if it was consistent.

I get what you're saying, but it seems a little weak. Trying to have it both ways

 

[gourimoko]

At the very least, it's not presented like that. It's implied that entire time line is certain. "she knew he would leave".

Well, they do present it, it's just very subtle.

Think about it. The movie is about choices, acceptance and impermanence. With that being said, regarding her husband leaving her; he leaves her because, as she says, he couldn't understand a decision that she made. That decision was the decision to have a child that she knew would die, and without telling him until it was too late; even though, she knew before she even got pregnant.

She has agency over the decision as to whether or not to marry the scientist guy, or to have a child with him. She's not destined to do either of those things.

What is close to certain is that, if she does marry him, and they have a child: then he will leave her, and their child will die, and as a result they will suffer.

She made the decision to go through with this anyway, because in her view life is worth living, even if it's only for a moment. She made the decision to have the child with him, because she loved him and their daughter and she knew both of them from the future context.

Again, think about it. If she chooses not to marry him, or not to have a child with him, her daughter that she loves, would never exist. So she chose to go through with it. And that's why he leaves her, because of the choice that she made.

It juts feels like a huge plot hole.

You should probably watch it once more, they do explain some of this expositionally.

On one hand we're predicting futures with certainty (we will need you in 3k years)

Again, they're seeing their own future.

For example, what if they realize their sun will nova in 3,000 years because of an unexpected astrophysical phenomena? Or, their planet will get hit with a gamma-ray burst, something 100% out of their control. While the future may be hazy and malleable within their own lives; they would all immediately be able to realize that every one of them dies in 3,000 years since no one would be able to see past that point.

Once someone had the idea to contact humans for help, their future context may have opened up and changed.

This dilemma is analogous to the protagonists dilemma as to the death of her daughter; the only difference being she accepts that death, whereas the aliens are trying to survive.

and but they couldn't see China flipping shit

They did realize that might happen. That's why they sent so many ships -- to force humanity to form a cooperative to solve this problem... Conflict would be virtually inevitable and the only way humans could achieve the end that both species needed would be to work together.

and ultimately Costello dying.

I think it was Abbott that died? But, he sacrifices himself. If you remember Costello split.. They knew immediately what was happening, and this is why they eject Louise and Ian from the ship just in the nick of time.

There would be no reason whatsoever for the other 11 ships to fuck around outside of Montana if it was consistent.

Again, they wanted to establish a relationship with the entire human species. If they only land in Montana, given how the world was during Arrival (and frankly, how it is today), that wouldn't work.

That's why they purposefully divided the message into 12 parts, for 12 ships, with each one having only a piece of the puzzle. They wanted humans to share the parts of the message, solve the puzzle, start thinking in their language, and by consequence immediately realize they were on a peaceful mission to share both knowledge and power with no hostile intent.

I get what you're saying, but it seems a little weak. Trying to have it both ways

Try to think about it from Ian and Lousie's perspective first. Then, reinterpret the film from that view. You'll see how it makes sense.

 

[Pioneer10]

Thor Ragnorok: 9/10. Great movie: funny and entertaining. Thor like Superman isn't all that interesting to me as a superhero (demi-God - too powerful) but they finally made it work.

Also Loki is such a great villain/anti-hero - never quite sure where they're going with him

 

[Jack Brickman]

Dunkirk - 6/10

For a movie that's basically all action and has about six lines of dialogue, it was kind of boring. I love WWII movies/games, but I just struggled to get into this one. It's well shot and has great visuals and audio, but I wasn't invested in any of the characters because there's so little dialogue giving them any kind of personality. And if you can't get invested in the characters in a war movie, it's tough to care about what happens to any of them.

Not a bad movie, but you're probably better off just re-watching Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers or even Enemy at the Gates if you want a WWII fix.

 

[David.]

Again, they're seeing their own future.

im trying to make this as specific as possible. it seems like there is a tent under which events and decisions are made - some of them predictable and some not. you are saying the aliens did not know EXACTLY how theyd die? so they went through with it? but that that specific alien did know that he was going to die?

For example, what if they realize their sun will nova in 3,000 years because of an unexpected astrophysical phenomena? Or, their planet will get hit with a gamma-ray burst, something 100% out of their control. While the future may be hazy and malleable within their own lives; they would all immediately be able to realize that every one of them dies in 3,000 years since no one would be able to see past that point.

this contradicts the implication in my previous paragraph. in your example, they know concretely what would happen and they made their decision based on that information. im asking how that makes sense in that example (seeing their specific demise and making decisions based on that vision), but they didnt slightly adjust their behaviors according to the fruitless missions to the other 11 parts of the earth, and the negative consequences (which.. would be 'seeing their specific demise and making decisions based on that vision)

like they should have known that at a certain point they would have worn out their welcome. should have given the message before then. didnt need to go to china. could have left a day earlier too.

I think it was Abbott that died? But, he sacrifices himself. If you remember Costello split.. They knew immediately what was happening, and this is why they eject Louise and Ian from the ship just in the nick of time.

why didnt they know sooner? thats the entire point of the movie, they can see the future.

Again, they wanted to establish a relationship with the entire human species. If they only land in Montana, given how the world was during Arrival (and frankly, how it is today), that wouldn't work.

That's why they purposefully divided the message into 12 parts, for 12 ships, with each one having only a piece of the puzzle. They wanted humans to share the parts of the message, solve the puzzle, start thinking in their language, and by consequence immediately realize they were on a peaceful mission to share both knowledge and power with no hostile intent.

ug ill at least humor that idea when i watch it again. i just think the us military was cool with amy doing her shit on her own. they trusted her evetnually. she could have done her work without everyone getting involved. i know the film wants to send that message, but realistically i dont think all of that is necessary. countries take shit from each other all the time. they build off ideas. amy adams had no way of restricting other people to learn the language (which im under the impression was the weapon/tool, that she disseminated to the rest of the world)