tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post7969525571495087057..comments2023-10-24T01:19:24.492-04:00Comments on Little Worlds : Loved The Godfather - Hated Animal KingdomRichard Bellamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-21783273580788369402010-11-30T20:55:24.286-05:002010-11-30T20:55:24.286-05:00Thanks for the comment, Anonymous. Glad you liked ...Thanks for the comment, Anonymous. Glad you liked it.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-66543902524390352302010-11-30T19:46:49.917-05:002010-11-30T19:46:49.917-05:00Could possibly be the Most excellent subject that ...Could possibly be the Most excellent subject that i browsed through all month?!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-5287417572253182682010-09-19T18:13:41.122-04:002010-09-19T18:13:41.122-04:00Thanks for the comment, Jason, and I can see how A...Thanks for the comment, Jason, and I can see how <i>Animal Kingdom</i> is "only moving in spaces." I only felt moved in spaces as well, but the other times I was gripped by the grittiness of the realism and the character of Pope, who gets more and more sinister as the story evolves. If I have a reservation about this film, it is the performance of (James Frecherville) as J. I can see how he was supposed to be passive and mumbly, but sometimes I wished he had a little more oomph to his character.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-74975647651880385102010-09-18T21:45:19.400-04:002010-09-18T21:45:19.400-04:00I'd been saving this until I saw Animal Kingdo...I'd been saving this until I saw <em>Animal Kingdom</em>. What a terrific read. As others have said, you've done a great job of weaving the personal into this -- related to the specific film and to moviegoing as a whole. Nice job.<br /><br /><em>Animal Kingdom</em> is as you described it, but I found it only moving in spaces and not on the whole. I'm not quite sure what I disliked about it, to be honest, it just didn't grab me -- except when it did. You know what I mean.Jason Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18150199580478147196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-9695008821406697032010-09-17T22:35:06.263-04:002010-09-17T22:35:06.263-04:00Fletch, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yes, it&...Fletch, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yes, it's hard to see family members decline mentally or physically. It makes you appreciate life and drives you to get as much out of it as possible.<br /><br />Although I love the sentimental 30s classics and the sweeping historical epics, I'm glad I can enjoy many kinds of movies. I love powerful movies - so I had no trouble with the starkness of <i>Animal Kingdom</i>.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-65146416548332185562010-09-17T18:36:27.084-04:002010-09-17T18:36:27.084-04:00As with Daniel, I love the personal history woven ...As with Daniel, I love the personal history woven into this review. My recently deceased grandfather also suffered from macular degeneration, so this hit me a bit harder than it probably should have. It is indeed a cruel irony that those that are still sharp mentally are the ones that get their senses taking away - on the flipside, I have a father-in-law that's pretty damn good, health-wise, but with Alzheimer's. You just can't win either way.<br /><br />It doesn't surprise me either, though, that she didn't take to Animal Kingdom - it's like the inverse of my reactions towards the movies that she loves. I <i>want</i> my stories told with gritty realism instead of sweeping fantasy - especially crime stories like this one. Lucky are the ones that can appreciate both, I suppose.Fletchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17299302086449086987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-28489263241691471542010-09-15T18:02:35.752-04:002010-09-15T18:02:35.752-04:00Thanks for the praise, Daniel. I think you're ...Thanks for the praise, Daniel. I think you're right. I think Hollywood owes her one last great movie experience. That's why I was imagining a film in the tradition of David Lean's epics. She LOVES <i>Doctor Zhivago</i>!Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-4053464685036682192010-09-15T15:00:43.528-04:002010-09-15T15:00:43.528-04:00What a terrific piece, Hokahey! I love when people...What a terrific piece, Hokahey! I love when people are able to review a film within the context of a personal experience. You've said everything that needs to be said about Animal Kingdom (of course I agree with your praise), while also conveying fascinating insights about your mother's relationship to the movies. <br /><br />I hope this isn't the last movie she goes to, physical difficulties aside. Hollywood owes her at least one more pleasant experience, for old time's sake.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05222052132452709301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-63491369532907854792010-09-12T20:34:54.176-04:002010-09-12T20:34:54.176-04:00Thanks, FilmDr. Yes, I think 1939 is definitely th...Thanks, FilmDr. Yes, I think 1939 is definitely the Golden Year as far as the quality of the films released and how many of them became classics, but apparently the years between 1940 and 1947 were the most successful financially and "two thirds of the population went to the movies every week." So, the Great Depression was great for drawing moviegoers to escapism, but World War II was an even stronger impetus. The 30s and 40s prospered before the arrival of competition in the form of TV. (We can blame the 3D gimmick on TV.) Then it was all downhill - VCRs, DVDs, Blockbuster, Netflix, Pay-per-View, laptops, iPhones. But the big screen still holds a big thrill for me.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929352816561809263.post-79480636460402348852010-09-12T20:14:12.669-04:002010-09-12T20:14:12.669-04:00I hadn't heard of Animal Kingdom. Thanks for ...I hadn't heard of <i>Animal Kingdom</i>. Thanks for pointing out its strengths. Your mother was an avid viewer at a key moment in movie history. Wasn't 1939 one of the most successful (in more ways than one) years in Hollywood history?The Film Doctor https://www.blogger.com/profile/03073505923746994988noreply@blogger.com