Thursday Movie Picks: Conversation Movies

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you're having a wonderful time with your families and friends! This is the last theme of Wandering Through The Shelves' Movie Meme this year (and if you missed some of my entries, you can check them out at the links at the end of this post). I think conversation movies are not everyone's preferred movie choice, no matter how beautiful and powerful some of these movies are. There's very little action and a lot of talking involved, but when conversations can enhance a film to stand out, or be intriguing, or produce a beautiful work of art, it's saying something. So, my picks for the week are:

I know this was given as an example, but it was impossible not to put it on my list! Are you familiar with the depiction of children being glued to the screen? That was me when I was watching this captivating film about the justice system at work. It was amazing how Henry Fonda just debunked coincidental evidence down one by one, until the picture of the crime scene is much clearer. It was never about finding the murderer, but rather how one man's thinking can save another's life. It's fantastic stuff, and the pressure to release a verdict becomes real because of the setting. Even you can feel the tension in the room. 

One of my recent favorite minimalist films, this takes place in an apartment when two sets of parents confront each other about the squabbles of their children. This film is pure talent. Who knew putting Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reiley, and Christoph Waltz in one room would result an orgasmic of performances, each complimenting one another, and yet trying to overshadow each other. Fantastic film in due of a re-watch!

The recent entry on the list, Locke is the most minimalist one yet. It's basically a one man show, with Ivan Locke (played by the dashing Tom Hardy) in a car driving to London, on a series of phone calls that are about to change his life. He can go from one persona to the next, and despite the panic that the people on the other line are receiving, he was eerily calm about the whole ordeal. Hardy played Locke with the right amount of conviction that doesn't result to the film being a bore or overly dramatic.

12 comments:

  1. When I think of conversation pieces, the first film that comes to mind is Scenes from a Marriage, which is basically a 4 hours conversation between a husband and wife at various points in their relationship. I love it.

    This further reminds me that I really need to see Locke.

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    1. I haven't seen that one yet, but it sounds like something I'd like to watch!

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  2. 12 Angry Men is pine of all my all time faves. Great choice. Haven't seen the other two, though I'm anxious to see Locke. Great work.

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    1. Locke is fantastic. It's not flawless, but Tom Hardy manages to carry the movie and not make it look boring or draggy.

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  3. I haven't seen Locke yet, but I keep hearing such wonderful things about it. Carnage was good too, and omg I loved 12 Angry Men. My favorite Blindspot of last year.

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    1. 12 Angry Men was amazing; I did not expect to love it, but it was hard not to!

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    2. 12 Angry Men is on my inaugural Blind Spot Series list. Can't wait. Been a long time coming. Haven't seen your other two picks, but both look great.

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  4. Such great picks for conversation movies! I'm big fans of all three. The acting really shows how a dialogue-based movie doesn't have to be boring.

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    1. Conversation movies might not be everyone's cup of tea, but even these simple films make powerful performances come out from talented actors.

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  5. Dialogue heavy movies are exactly the kind of movies I like so I'm wandering through everyone's entries to discover something I've never heard off. 12 Angry Men is of course a classic. Heard of Carnage and Locke, have yet to see them but they are definitely on my to-watch list.

    Wandering through the Shelves

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    1. I hope you get to see Carnage and Locke soon. They both have their different strengths that make the movies worth to watch.

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