The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

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MoonlitKnight
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#26 Post by MoonlitKnight » Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:39 am

Not a cheap shot; I'm a fan myself. But he's always struck me as another one of those 'acquired taste' filmmakers.

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domino harvey
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#27 Post by domino harvey » Fri Aug 11, 2017 4:26 pm

Release date is October 14

John Shade
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#28 Post by John Shade » Fri Aug 11, 2017 4:59 pm

MoonlitKnight wrote:Does anyone who isn't already a Baumbach fan even watch a Baumbach film? :-s
I was decidedly not a fan. I could even toss out some of the by now cliche cheap shots against him, and yet I still watched Mistress America. One of my favorites from this decade. Been meaning to write something in its thread. I'll watch his latest because of that.


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The Elegant Dandy Fop
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#30 Post by The Elegant Dandy Fop » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:30 am

I can't be the only one who was filled with happiness to see Dustin Hoffman on the screen again, am I? I find Noah Baumbach to be inconsistent, but this piqued my interest. It's giving me a better vibe than Mistress America ever did.

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Ribs
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#31 Post by Ribs » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:33 am

I'm looking forward to this film more than pretty much anything else this year, it's just a shame it probably won't ever get released.

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mfunk9786
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#32 Post by mfunk9786 » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:35 am

Ribs wrote:it's just a shame it probably won't ever get released.
Huh? The description for the teaser that was posted says October 13th.

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Ribs
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#33 Post by Ribs » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:38 am

I live in an area with an iPic, Netflix's partner distribution chain, and they didn't even bother to screen Okja once, so I have very little hope that it'll be given any better a treatment.

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mfunk9786
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#34 Post by mfunk9786 » Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:56 am

Oh. I mean, it's unfortunate that you may not be able to see it in the theater, but "it probably won't ever get released" is pretty overly dramatic.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#35 Post by The Narrator Returns » Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:26 pm

I thought this was terrific, a fine mixture of the all-encompassing bitterness of Squid and the Whale and Margot at the Wedding and the sweetness of the two Gerwig-led movies. The hype about Sandler is very real, and I think he's even better here than he is in Punch-Drunk Love, and the rest of the cast is equally terrific (special commendation going to the less-known Elizabeth Marvel and Grace Van Patten). And this is so full of small appearances from Baumbach cast members from all eras of his career that it's a lot of fun to watch on just that level.

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dda1996a
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#36 Post by dda1996a » Sat Oct 14, 2017 9:33 am

The sound of pre-Gerwig Baumbach has my interest. I'm rather fond of Frances Ha but his two follow up were bland.

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mfunk9786
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#37 Post by mfunk9786 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 11:24 am

I mean, he made it after those films, and make other pictures during that period, so...

Rupert Pupkin
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#38 Post by Rupert Pupkin » Sun Oct 15, 2017 12:41 am

The Narrator Returns wrote:I thought this was terrific, a fine mixture of the all-encompassing bitterness of Squid and the Whale and Margot at the Wedding and the sweetness of the two Gerwig-led movies. The hype about Sandler is very real, and I think he's even better here than he is in Punch-Drunk Love, and the rest of the cast is equally terrific (special commendation going to the less-known Elizabeth Marvel and Grace Van Patten). And this is so full of small appearances from Baumbach cast members from all eras of his career that it's a lot of fun to watch on just that level.
When I read "Squid and the Whale" I was expecting something much more funny (it is, but I didn't expect to be moved that much by the third part). The acting is amazing. Sandler is amazing (I recently rewatched the blu-ray "Punch Drunk Love"; but all the scenes in the hospital between Sandler and Ben Stiller are terrific. It starts a bit like the "Squid and the Whale" with all this Art and ego-thing about being "underrated", but I was quickly taken by surprised...
It made me think about Woody Allen's Interiors (there's more than phyical similarities between Elizabeth Marvel and Mary Beth Hurt) and W.Anderson The Royal Tenenbaums for the dark humour (or whatever you would call it in this "reunion" (the third part - kind of "Husbands" - is really moving) - the scene with Ben Stiller's speech during the art-reunion is very moving (Ben Stiller is really amazing).
This is the closest Noah Baumbach movie to the Woody Allen's universe. But it has the Noah Baumbach's touch. It's perfectly well balanced between bitterness, sadness, humor, and tenderness.
The last Baumbach movie which hooked was Frances Ha. (Greta Gerwig :oops: ) - I was kind of disappointed with the other movies (despite the fact that I was beginning a sucker with Greta Gerwig movies)
The music as always, is great. I really like that Noah Baumbach used in the past a lot of Harry Nilsson's music (and I love how he could put a small excerpt of McCartney II ("Sway" in Frances Ha. or a bit of some underrated T-Rex/Marc Bolan ("Explosive Mouth") without being sued (cf:the other thread "Baby Driver") . He could have put "Nilsson Sings Newman album". Randy Newman's music is just perfect for this movie. And the "Old Man" song was the perfect choice. He could have used Nilsson's version of "So Long Dad".
Now, it's a pleasure to see Dustin Hoffman - it reminds me - if necessary - how I love him; and missed him in cinema - he looks and is so familiar to me that I have the feeling that he belongs to my family (I rewatched "Straight Time" a week ago - [-o< Criterion Blu-Ray)
No need to say that he is great.

I loved "the jacket scene" :oops:, all these movies quotes...
and Grace Van Patten :oops: there's a great tenderness between Sandler and her. The songs composed and (some) cowritten with Randy Newman are great.
Eliza Meyerowitz's movies are really special, but well it's Art. Existential question is it CGI ? for some reason I hope that because of budget limitation Noah Baumbach couldn't afford CGI post-treatment...

IMHO this would be a great addition to the Criterion catalogue. It's Noah Baumbach finest movie with "Squid and the Whale".

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All the Best People
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#39 Post by All the Best People » Sun Oct 15, 2017 3:45 am

I found this mid-range Baumbach, so still Very Good. Hoffman was wonderful; his character is basically the same one Jeff Daniels played in The Squid and the Whale, just in a different profession. Stiller and Sandler were both quite good, and Emma Thompson nearly unrecognizable. Grace Van Patten, whom I first spotted in a little movie called Tramps on Netflix, is also a standout, and gives off a Shailene Woodleigh vibe. I did like the way it was shot in places, particularly the passage where Jean relates a story.

I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen with a big audience. I'll actually need to see it again as laughter drowned out more than a few lines.

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rohmerin
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#40 Post by rohmerin » Tue Oct 17, 2017 3:30 pm

It's a very good film but the dialogues are not remarkable, and it's a film spoken and spoken ad infinitum, I mean, It looks very Woody Allen (NYC and a family) but without Allen's genial and immortal phrases (Hannah and her sisters is full with).

And they hug and hug and hug (my cultural gap in a kissing country with no hugs).

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hearthesilence
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#41 Post by hearthesilence » Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:23 pm

Just out of curiosity, for those who've seen it in a theater, how did the audience react when we see Danny's daughter's first student film?

I thought it was hilarious, but it got NOTHING from the audience I was with - I don't think anyone even moved, much less laughed.

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Ribs
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#42 Post by Ribs » Wed Oct 18, 2017 5:45 pm

There was literally one other person there, because no one's interested in paying to see a movie they get at home for free. So low sample size, but as far as I can tell - no reaction.

John Shade
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#43 Post by John Shade » Wed Oct 18, 2017 7:20 pm

hearthesilence wrote:Just out of curiosity, for those who've seen it in a theater, how did the audience react when we see Danny's daughter's first student film?

I thought it was hilarious, but it got NOTHING from the audience I was with - I don't think anyone even moved, much less laughed.
I found it really grating to be honest. I loved Mistress America, the only Baumbach film I've ever liked, and I tried this one but it just didn't click with me. Some funny scenes, some good moments from the actors. But the student film stuff really seemed to throw off the tone, especially after some nice moments between the daughter and Sandler. I think rohmer's phrase warmth is spot on--somehow it's just lacking in this film, which tended to drag in some sections. The crying scene though was one for the ages that I might have to watch again. Any other great crying scenes in movies to compare that to?

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zedz
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#44 Post by zedz » Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:01 pm

John Shade wrote:The crying scene though was one for the ages that I might have to watch again. Any other great crying scenes in movies to compare that to?
I haven't seen this film (and probably won't) so I have no idea if they're comparable, but for me "great crying scene" immediately evokes the ending of Tsai's Vive l'amour.

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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#45 Post by Rupert Pupkin » Thu Oct 19, 2017 1:18 am

since we were talking about Eric Rohmer :

2 crying scenes- which were totally unexpected for me :

- at the very end of "L'Amour L'après-midi" (the most Truffaut'esque movie (kind of "L'homme qui aimait les femmes") - very moving scene - and the forgotten scene, which was away from the whole movies since its beginning ends to be the center of the movie as if we discover she has her thoughts, her soul, etc... (as if we could have a made another movie now from the POV of the this woman- the kind of "moral" like at the end of "La Dentelière" (Isabelle Huppert character ("La Dentelière" - what a magnificient movie which should be on Criterion IMHO)

- the most daring crying scene of Eric Rohmer in "L'amie de mon ami" - one of the most tender, moving with this lovely character Blanche. The whole scene, when she comes at home in this new city in her almost empty building saying how stupid she is, and burst into crying... I've seen this movie 10 times perhaps and I'm still touched by this scene...
On the other hand, this is apparently one of the lighter movie of the "comédie et proverbe" series (funny, with an happy ending) but I'm totally amazed how Eric Rohmer did a perfect - realistic - documentary - but with a whole plot - of this "ville nouvelle"/its architecture and how it interacts with the plot and people feelings.
Godard did it with "2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle" and a lot of other movies... But Rohmer approached "l'air de rien" is IMHO much more powerfull (that said, I have absolutely nothing with Marina Vlady blue eyes and had to buy it in Blu-Ray in Japan to get the blu upgrade :oops: )

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hearthesilence
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#46 Post by hearthesilence » Thu Oct 19, 2017 10:33 am

John Shade wrote:I found it really grating to be honest. I loved Mistress America, the only Baumbach film I've ever liked, and I tried this one but it just didn't click with me. Some funny scenes, some good moments from the actors. But the student film stuff really seemed to throw off the tone, especially after some nice moments between the daughter and Sandler.
That explains it. I liked Mistress America too, and while I do find his recent films with Gerwig charming, my favorite is The Squid and the Whale, easily his best film in my book, and I think I may enjoy it for reasons you don't - it balances (or some would say undercuts) its sentimentality with some pretty cruel and harsh realities. I liked those warm moments between Danny and his daughter too, but if every scene they had was like that, it would be a little much. A good bit of that joke is puerile. In fact, it wouldn't be too out of place in one of Adam Sandler's own movies, which is one reason I found Sandler (as Danny)'s uncomfortable reaction amusing. The fact that it's a terrible short film is pretty funny because it's one of the brutally honest (some would say cruel) bits of humor that I like in Baumbach's films. Any 18-year-old who tries to do something edgy and ambitious in their first time out is flirting with the strong possibility that they're going to make something horrible, especially with the subject matter she's exploring, and that's what we have here. It doesn't mean she's going to be a terrible artist, but she's 18, barely knows the world, and is just learning how to make art on her own.

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Roger Ryan
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#47 Post by Roger Ryan » Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:30 am

I feel that the perceived quality of art vs. the act of creating it is a major theme of this film. Eliza's films aren't very good, but neither are grandfather Harold's sculptures. The humor and the warmth comes from the characters' attempts to justify what they do and their need for someone else to find value in it.

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MoonlitKnight
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#48 Post by MoonlitKnight » Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:23 pm

dda1996a wrote:The sound of pre-Gerwig Baumbach has my interest. I'm rather fond of Frances Ha but his two follow up were bland.
"The Squid and the Whale" is still his best. "Margot at the Wedding" is his weakest. "Greenberg" is decent but not great by any means. His 20th century efforts are the most underrated, IMO. "Kicking and Screaming" is like a Gen-X take on "I Vitelloni." Despite its lame title, "Mr. Jealousy" is the film Woody Allen tried to make - but failed to so do - when he was trying to translate his sensibilities though a Gen-X cast 15 or so years ago. "Highball," despite the fact Baumbach has disowned it, is an enjoyable toss-off of a film with a lot of the same acidic humor that would ultimately inform "Squid."

I've yet to see this film, but look forward to the opportunity where I can.

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hearthesilence
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#49 Post by hearthesilence » Fri Oct 20, 2017 10:58 am

Some high praise from Richard Brody and Glenn Kenny.

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All the Best People
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Re: The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017)

#50 Post by All the Best People » Sun Oct 22, 2017 9:33 pm

hearthesilence wrote:Just out of curiosity, for those who've seen it in a theater, how did the audience react when we see Danny's daughter's first student film?

I thought it was hilarious, but it got NOTHING from the audience I was with - I don't think anyone even moved, much less laughed.
It was met with much laughter at the screening I went to.

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