Terence Davies

[kino]

[RNL]

1. Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) 9/10

[Kino]

^ Knows what's up!

One of the greatest films of all-time.

Hope you can see The Long Day Closes soon, like, now...no, like, yesterday.

[Capo]

1. Distant Voices, Still Lives 1988

[Kino]

admin said:

1. Distant Voices, Still Lives 1988

You'll more than likely like The Long Day Closes more probably by, like, a star or 2. The structure and style is different.

Watched it again about 2 weeks ago, and I think it's a hair better than DVSL. Both, IMHO, are 2 of the greatest movies of all-time. TLDC probably cracks my all-time Top 10 now.

[Capo]

I admired the above film very much, but for a film drenched in such nostalgia and conflicting emotions, I was quite surprised how cold it left me. I didn't really connect on any sort of emotional level. I'd definitely have benefitted more from reading a little before going in; a re-watch (with months in between) will probably affect me more.

For that same sort of post-war memory-tableau of communal songs, I much preferred The Singing Detective; still, I loved its performances (effectively artificial, caricature-like), and its recurring visual presentations like washed-out (not quite sepia) family portraits. Sinbad from Brookside, too!

I'm downloading The Long Day Closes.

[Capo]

By the way, have you seen Davies interviewed? Not the sort of accent or manner I'd have expected to emerge from working class Liverpool. Interesting to listen to, though; much humbler than Greenaway, that other UK experimentalist of the same time.

[Kino]

Did you catch any Bobby?

Damn you! You get a chance to see Yang's The Terrorizers and Pedro Costa.

[Kino]

Holy Shit. And Oshima's The Man Who Left His Will on Film and Marker's A Grin Without a Cat!

[bobbyreed]

Yes, I saw Distant Voices, Still Lives. I liked a lot of things about it - the idea of shifting through the characters' memories of their father and childhoods, the tone, the actors - but, like Capo, couldn't make an emotional connection to it. I do want to see more, especially The Long Day Closes.

I didn't notice the Yang films! Thanks for pointing that out, I just notified my friends. Grin without a Cat should be great too.

Have you seen any of Pedro Costa's films? (Any recommendations, haha?) The only title I recognize is Colossal Youth.

[Kino]

Damn, you and Capo are heartless bastards for not being able to emotionally connect w/ DVSL!

I now think The Long Day Closes is the better film. Wish you saw it.

Haven't seen any Costas. I'd jump at the chance to see his filmography and Portuguese films, though. Most def.

I urge...no, beg, you to catch the Oshima. He's widely regarded as one of the most radical filmmakers ever. The movie being screened is part of his radical period. Catch it. I've read descriptions of that movie and it sounds fuckin' crazy awesome.

(The heartless bastards comment is a joke, BTW.)

[Kino]

Well, Davies' entire filmography will be available by July 21. So no excuses thereafter, folks!

BFI is releasing The Long Day Closes and The Terence Davies Trilogy on DVD.

[Kino]

Children (3.9 stars)
Madonna and the Child
Death and Transfiguration
Distant Voices, Still Lives
The Long Day Closes
The Neon Bible
The House of Mirth (2.8 stars)

[Anasazie]

1. Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) 9/10
2. The House of Mirth (2000) 8/10
3. The Long Day Closes (1992) 7/10
4. The Terence Davies Trilogy (1984) 7/10
5. Of Time and the City (2008) 5/10
6. The Neon Bible (1995) 4/10

[RNL]

Oct 21, 2008 11:46:02 GMT Anasazie said:

4. Of Time and the City (2008) 5/10

Really? That's surprising. I've heard nothing but raves.

[Anasazie]

Yeah me too and was pretty disappointed when i saw it. It's still interesting visually, very entertaining and quite hilarious in places, I just found it a bit superficial. I didn't really gain much insight into the city or Davies' life in it as i found it a bit sweeping in scope. I also couldn't take his plummy English accent seriously while talking about the Liverpudlian working class as though he's one of them. Just a pretty forgettable film for me.

I did find one review after seeing it with a similar apprehension as mine on the Guardian website, by Peter Bradshaw. Can't find it though. I'd be interested to know what you think when you see it, maybe you can convince me i've missed something.

[RNL]

Features
1. The Long Day Closes (1992) _*****
2. Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) _*****
3. The House of Mirth (2000) _*****
4. Of Time and the City (2008) _*****
5. The Neon Bible (1995) _*****

Shorts
1. Madonna and Child (1980) _*****
2. Death and Transfiguration (1983) _*****
3. Children (1976) _*****

[Kino]

It astounds me that Terence Davies as one of film's premier stylists isn't a more circulated notion. The way he presents memory, nostalgia, etc. is phenomenal. It's an emotionally charged use of film's stylistic techniques/properties. His use of music is quite wonderful as well.

[svsg]

Of Time and City

I found it quite interesting.

For those with netflix, it is available on streaming.

[RNL]

Davies in the HOUSE.

He's giving a talk in my college on Thursday morning.

Woop!