blondeme
Newly Infected
What a piece of work is man!
Posts: 17
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Post by blondeme on Mar 12, 2008 16:11:37 GMT -5
... to me, at least...
I've waited to see the movie for 4 long months and tonight I just got my hands on it... the illegal way, I suppose... because it will not be released in my part of the world like ever...
... and I am totally dissapointed about the plot and the directing.
And about Cillian's character, that does him no good as an actor.
It has no real story and no real conflict or deep emotions, and we all know deep emotions are what Mr. Murphy does best.
I'm sorry to say that this is the worst movie I've ever seen Cillian in, and I am so, sooo sad... probably it's the director's fault, but the script also sucks big time.
I can't wait to hear your opinion on it. Maybe I was just expecting too much, and this is why my reaction to it is so harsh.
Yes, there are some nudity scenes... not much of a passion there, though... again, director's fault... and the American accent just doesn't do Cillian justice, don't know why...
By the way... if any of you want a copy... the illegal way... I'll try to find a way to upload it on a FTP link or something... I'm actually waiting for suggestions on that one because I have no idea how I could do it.
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Post by ashleyrose09 on Mar 12, 2008 17:41:47 GMT -5
I'm sorry to hear you feel that way.  But I still want to watch it for myself, if you could maybe tell me a place where I could see the whole movie I'd be very thankful to you!  I think maybe the reason the plot was weak was maybe because this is a comedy and normally I think our comedy's don't really good that deep with the story-lines. They're more lighthearted and this movie, from the clips I've seen, was probably trying to be sort of different and silly. I think Cillian was trying to go for something different then what he's done before. I've heard some people say they like it and others they don't so I guess it just depends on the person. But anyways, I know I have been wanting to see this movie for so long I would love to know any way I could be able to see it and I will be sure to give my opinion on it too!  |
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Post by misskitten08 on Mar 12, 2008 18:45:35 GMT -5
thank you for your opinion blondeme, i dont know if the movie is going to be released here, i hope so, i want to see it , then i can give my opinion, i have saw clips from the movie but not complete, so i´m gonna have to wait |
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Post by bitterpigs on Mar 12, 2008 21:39:59 GMT -5
I'm sad to hear that some people didn't like it, I hope I do cause I've been waiting for this movie forever!!! The last new Cillian movie I saw was Sunshine and I feel like that was such a long time ago!
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Post by chiariah on Mar 12, 2008 23:50:23 GMT -5
yeah.. me too... and sunshine was soo good... i can hardly believe Cillian would choose a bad script... he said it on an interview.... he always chooses good scripts with a good plot and good direction... i seriously dont believe Watching the Detectives is a bad movie... perhaps i'll just have to see it for myself to give a valid opinion...
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blondeme
Newly Infected
What a piece of work is man!
Posts: 17
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Post by blondeme on Mar 13, 2008 1:05:04 GMT -5
I didn't want to ruin your pleasure when you'll watch it... just don't expect it to be as good as Sunshine or Breakfast on Pluto or Intermission etc.
After watching the small clips on Youtube I also thought it was going to be a nice, funny movie... anyway, maybe it's just me and I honestly hope you'll be happy with it.
Ashleyrose, I can't tell you an address or link where you can watch it, because I don't know any. I got it on a CD. I promise I'll try to upload it somewhere, as soon as I find out how this can be done.
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Post by ashleyrose09 on Mar 13, 2008 13:49:22 GMT -5
Ok, thank you! I can't wait! ;D
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Post by kaliszewski on Mar 14, 2008 1:56:02 GMT -5
We saw it last year at Tribeca, and we loved it. Judging by the laughter in the theatre, so did the rest of the screening audience. I thought the script was very clever, chock full of great pranks and spot-on digs at film nerds (and, believe me, I know what a film nerd looks like: I see one every time I look in the mirror). It was refreshing to see Cillian in something so light and summery. His comic timing is super, as is his chemistry with Lucy Liu. Fun soundtrack, too.
Please don't brush this one off just because it's not "serious." I haven't had this much fun watching a screwball comedy since the last time I screened "Bringing Up Baby." "Watching the Detectives" is a blast.
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Post by Melty_Girl on Mar 15, 2008 1:23:30 GMT -5
... to me, at least... ... and I am totally dissapointed about the plot and the directing. And about Cillian's character, that does him no good as an actor. ...I'm sorry to say that this is the worst movie I've ever seen Cillian in, and I am so, sooo sad... probably it's the director's fault, but the script also sucks big time. Sadly, I have to agree with you completely. The script is full of unrealized ideas that could have been great but don't add up at all. It's hard for me to believe that Cillian chose this script, given his better-than-average track record for picking projects. I was really excited to see him in a romantic comedy, but this project just isn't up to snuff. And because the story doesn't work, and his character and the romance aren't fully fleshed out, it ends up making Cillian look ineffective. I think that smart critics will realize that the fault lies with the writing and direction and not with Cillian, but I think that some people blame everything on the actors, and that's not a good thing for Cillian's career. An average guy role in a movie that doesn't work could help lock him into villain/weirdo roles in mainstream films. I'm actually hoping this will go straight to video, and I never would have believed I'd be saying that about one of his films. There are so many problems with this film. There are a few amusing moments, especially early on, but it's really amateurish and goes terribly wrong in the end. So sad! Well, anyone who's enough of a fan to be on this forum is going to want to see the movie. Some will like it, but I'm guessing that more fans than usual will be disappointed too. |
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Post by kaliszewski on Mar 15, 2008 13:12:03 GMT -5
And here I thought it worked very well as a spontaneous, old-fashioned screwball comedy that added a bit of sparkle to Cillian's dangerously dour resume. Oh, well, as this forum's number-one authority on old films, as well as one of the members of this forum who's literally traveled the world after Our Hero, what the hell do I know...?
Call me an idiot. Or don't. But I've done my fair share of reading and writing, too-- and I thought Soter's script might have a few rough spots but that it was charming in the main.
Too bad Cillian's only "really" acting when he's getting himself shot, stabbed, or burned alive. "Detectives" is a harmless, witty, entertaining bit of fluff, and I think it was a good move on his part.
Sorry to be such a moron. Carry on, wiser ones. I'll drift away again for another six months or so....
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Post by Melty_Girl on Mar 15, 2008 22:58:27 GMT -5
And here I thought it worked very well as a spontaneous, old-fashioned screwball comedy that added a bit of sparkle to Cillian's dangerously dour resume. Oh, well, as this forum's number-one authority on old films, as well as one of the members of this forum who's literally traveled the world after Our Hero, what the hell do I know...? I didn't know there was a number one authority on old films here... did I miss your official swearing in ceremony? Um, no one did. Everyone is welcome to their opinions, including you! I don't believe that anyone who disliked WtD expressed this perspective. Why are you putting words in people's mouths? Right above you, I commented that I was excited about a romantic comedy role for Cillian. I just didn't happen to like this particular movie very much. As I said above, I don't want to see him being typecast either. No one was implying that you're a moron. Some of us simply didn't like a movie that you liked. Does every single member here have to express the same opinions as you for you to stay on this forum? That's a real shame. |
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Post by rukia888 on Mar 16, 2008 22:52:17 GMT -5
Everybody's entitled to their own opinion. I'm still planning on going to see WTD if it ever gets released. I'm excited for it, but at the same time, I'm not expecting anything really spectacular. Romantic comedy is a pretty hard genre to pull off - it's hard not to fall into the trap of being too clichéd and cheesy. I'm sure WTD is going to be light-hearted and entertaining, and I'm not expecting any more than that. It might not be Cillian's best work ever, but I hope it doesn't stop him from tackling more romantic comedies in the future. I love romantic comedies and would love to see him in more of them!
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Post by kaatopp on Mar 17, 2008 0:02:01 GMT -5
I agree with you Rukia! I'm not expecting WTD to be the next Oscar winner but because I love Cillian I am sure I will end up enjoying the film! I am very excited for it, have we heard any new news on the release date or is still just sometime in April?
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blondeme
Newly Infected
What a piece of work is man!
Posts: 17
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Post by blondeme on Mar 17, 2008 3:29:49 GMT -5
"And here I thought it worked very well as a spontaneous, old-fashioned screwball comedy that added a bit of sparkle to Cillian's dangerously dour resume. Oh, well, as this forum's number-one authority on old films, as well as one of the members of this forum who's literally traveled the world after Our Hero, what the hell do I know...?
Call me an idiot. Or don't. But I've done my fair share of reading and writing, too-- and I thought Soter's script might have a few rough spots but that it was charming in the main."
Well, if you thought it worked out very well... I'm sure we can respect that. As the forum's "number one authority" on old films, you probably know that a movie is a form of art, and, like any other form of art, is judged in a subjective manner that has to do with the likes, the education and the cultural patterns of each and every single one of us... so if you like it, it means it worked for you.
As for the directing, this is not only art, but also a little bit of science. I've seen like a dozen mistakes, and I've only watched the movie once. And some of them were truly unacceptable mistakes for someone who wants to do an international production. Childish mistakes.
As for Cillian, I'm sure he did his best under the circumstances. But, come on, you can't compare Neil with John, or Jonathan, or Jim, or Cappa, or Kitten... can you? And I am also sure he can do great comedy, but WTD was not great comedy. Not even good comedy, because I don't remember laughing. But again, it could be just me and my cultural patterns.
As for the script, if you've done your share of reading and writing, you probably know that scriptwriting is a little bit of a science, too. And writing a script that has only one storyline, is totally linear and has the main character in every scene, yet without being a character story, it's a student's job. Try compare it with Intermission... 56 guys and 11 different stories. That was a good script.
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Post by enigmatic on Mar 17, 2008 17:34:40 GMT -5
Just to add my own two cents, I loved "Watching The Detectives". I thought it was very fluid, in some places absolutely hilarious and in the others, just very fun. Within the first minute of seeing Cillian as Neil, I just knew that no matter how badly the movie might turn out in the long run, I'll still love it. Maybe I loved it just because of him and what he did with the role - I don't know. But I did love it. Certainly the premise of the film isn't what you'd call highly original - but does it matter? The main thing, I think, is not to take anything seriously. Every single scene is a parody on a different movie genre. It doesn't even bother hiding it - there's a scene where Neil is driving up to Violet in a car, he's apprehensive and this very cliché horror movie music starts playing in the background. Well, that summarizes the whole film! Even the slightly ridiculous plot-twists, the most predictable lines (and there aren't that many) are there as intentionally ridiculous and predictable, as parodies, and because of that they're incredibly amusing. And as long as you don't try to look into the film too deeply, it's highly enjoyable.  blondeme, what I think you did is expect too much. I expected nothing - and enjoyed it immensely. I know that it must be disappointing to see Cillian in a lighter role after what he's done previously, but we can't expect him to always stick to typically serious and demanding roles . He probably just wanted to take it easy after WTSTB and Sunshine, both of which were demanding parts emotionally (and in the latter's case, all blue-screened). Can't blame him. I don't really understand which directing "mistakes" you've found in the film - I thought everything was exactly as it was meant to be... obviously, this film as a film is little compared to TWTSTB or Breakfast on Pluto, but it's not pretending to be anything more! It's just an odd little comedy, a directing debut. And I see nothing wrong with having a linear plot or one main character (especially if played by Cillian) - so did Breakfast on Pluto, for one thing - as long as it's done well, and it was. And I thought Neil as strong, as a character, as John had been. The cinematography was quite beautiful in parts, I loved the various film references, as a movie geek, Cillian and Lucy Liu seemed to be having a good time throughout, and it brightened up my morning.  That's really all I can ask. There'll be Peac0ck soon, and hopefully Dali & I - intensity isn't going anywhere. This is just a temporary break! Honestly, I think you should give it another shot a little later, when you're really tired or in a really bad mood... I'm sure it'll end up cheering you up. It's happened to me before. And for everyone who hasn't seen it yet, as I said before, just don't take it seriously. You'll get a kick out of it. |
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But I still want to watch it for myself, if you could maybe tell me a place where I could see the whole movie I'd be very thankful to you! 
I think maybe the reason the plot was weak was maybe because this is a comedy and normally I think our comedy's don't really good that deep with the story-lines. They're more lighthearted and this movie, from the clips I've seen, was probably trying to be sort of different and silly. I think Cillian was trying to go for something different then what he's done before. I've heard some people say they like it and others they don't so I guess it just depends on the person. But anyways, I know I have been wanting to see this movie for so long I would love to know any way I could be able to see it and I will be sure to give my opinion on it too! 
That's really all I can ask. There'll be Peac0ck soon, and hopefully Dali & I - intensity isn't going anywhere. This is just a temporary break!