Step into Liquid/Masked and Anonymous


sorabji.com: Last movie you saw: Step into Liquid/Masked and Anonymous
By semillama on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 01:54 pm:

    I saw both of these this weekend. Step into Liquid was gorgeous. It was quite simply some of the best camerawork I have ever seen and it deserves an Oscar nomination. I can't talk to the depcition of surfing, though, since I don't surf. (Although this movie would likely make anyone wish they were a surfer).

    Masked and Anonymous was odd. It seemed to lack direction or message. It just seemed like a series of events. That being said, it's one of the better movies the Coen Brothers never made. John Goodman is fantastic, as is Jessica Lange. Val Kilmer has an interesting cameo and Ed Harris's cameo is unbelievable. Adn it's good to see Christian Slater working again. Bob Dylan's character was interesting but you don't really get to figure out much about the character through the movie. It's just great to watch him though, and there's a lot of good musical performances. Overall, worth a trip to the theatre.


By Spider on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 03:46 pm:

    I had wanted to see Masked and Anonymous....thanks for the review.

    I saw Mystic River this weekend and was disappointed. I felt that there was so much potential there, but it was wasted. The characters were kinda thin for all their rich sources of angst, and I thought the ending was flat. Sean Penn and Tim Robbins were awesome, though.

    But their two characters.... those (like I said)_ are two people that embody my favorite theme -- people who think they have escaped their past but are wrong -- but only Tim Robbins' character got into it. Why was Sean Penn not eaten alive by what he did at the end? Was his wife's (almost out of left field) speech really that convincing? Really? What was up with her look to Marcia Gay Harden at the very end? Are we supposed to believe she could be such a hardass just because Harden didn't act with the freakish family loyalty she herself (Laura Linney) has?

    I bought the book yesterday to see if everything's better explained there.


By sarah on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 03:59 pm:

    i saw step into liquid twice. the behind-the-wave camera shots were so beautiful, so surreal. i think the film did an excellent job of capturing all the different aspects of surfing and definitely the spirit of a surfer. and the soundtrack rocks.

    i loved the custodian from CA who has been surfing every single day for like 15 years, and is going for 20. he's my hero.

    in terms of the hawaii surfing scene, the movie was dead-on accurate. man what a great film. made me homesick as hell.



By semillama on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 04:42 pm:

    Cool! I was wondering what a real surfer thought of it.

    I loved the last bit after the credits - that was SUPER ACCURATE.


By sarah on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 04:45 pm:


    yeah, weren't those guys from wisconsin hilarious!



By Spider on Monday, October 27, 2003 - 05:21 pm:

    Sem, what did you think of the Mystic River ending? I tried to find the thread in which you mentioned seeing the movie, but had no luck.


By moonit on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 - 05:04 am:

    I think I have read that book Spider - is it by Dennis Lehane?


By J on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 - 09:17 am:

    I saw Mystic River and I liked it,not that it's a feel good movie,but it was well done and Sean Penn should get an Oscar for it. I also had to get a new computer.


By Spider on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 - 09:45 am:

    Yep, Dennis Lehane. I started reading the book last night, and I really like the guy's style.

    I agree, J -- Sean Penn was fantastic.


By semillama on Tuesday, October 28, 2003 - 10:01 am:

    Penn's in an interesting looking new indie film, 21 grams. I'm not sure what it's a bout but it looks good.

    Spider, I talked about Mystic River on whatever thread it was that we were discussing depressing movies. But I agree with you about the ending.