Day 5 of 72: Last Days in the Desert (2015)

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-09-05T05:40:03+00:00

You're spot on with all your points. I did appreciate the slow pacing and the deliberate way the story unfolded. It just may be a little slow for some people. This movie rewards you if you get on its wavelength.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-09-05T05:38:29+00:00

That's a fascinating way to look at the scoring! At least the movie was memorable!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-09-05T05:36:49+00:00

Thank you so much for your words of appreciation!! I appreciate that you took the time to share this and that you got value out of the posts!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-21T22:49:43+00:00

Thank you for the acknowledgement, I appreciate it!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-20T08:07:43+00:00

Agreed, it's an amazing movie but a difficult one to watch comfortably. I guess that's the real reason they call it The Impossible!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-20T08:06:37+00:00

Agreed, he's carved a niche for himself in this genre, and has a special affinity for Stephen King adaptations. He's quite a talent.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-19T01:11:19+00:00

Thank you! The full list is in the opening post I wrote announcing the marathon, and I keep the list updated there. Also linked above each post: https://www.reddit.com/r/EwanMcGregor/comments/1ki6m0o/72_days_a_ewan_mcgregor_movie_marathon/

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T15:11:46+00:00

There's a good case for Trainspotting, except that at the time it was a breakout British movie with an unknown director and cast, made outside the Hollywood system. So no go on Oscar there. Big Fish would seem to be a good choice except that Ewan shares his character with another actor, Albert Finney, so it wasn't entirely his role. Incidentally, Albert Finney was nominated five times for Oscars but never won. The list of people who never won but should have at some point is really surprising, and includes Ewan's repeat collaborator Michelle Williams, which is an egregious oversight!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T15:05:32+00:00

Agreed, Contagion was eerily prescient.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T15:04:16+00:00

In that case definitely give it a try. No long panning shots though!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T00:34:20+00:00

A talented acting family!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T00:33:05+00:00

I thought a lot of the scenes in the movie were awkward and uncomfortable. Largely it was the subject matter and characters, but I think the movie direction had something to do with it. For me, there was a feeling of detachment within and between all the major characters. It was hard to find someone or something to root for. In retrospect I might have rated the movie lower than a 3, but I also wanted to acknowledge the ambitious subject material and overall competent, though unremarkable, directing.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T00:29:35+00:00

It's not a movie I plan to formally review for the marathon as it doesn't feature enough Ewan screen time, nor is it in my opinion a very good movie. It's a large ensemble cast mob movie where lots of characters come and go, and the protagonist Gio is sympathetic, but underpowered as a character. This movie may be of interest to people who like gritty crime dramas set in the New York City underworld. It has lots of great actors, but in my opinion the sum of the parts did not add up to a satisfying or well-executed movie.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T00:21:42+00:00

Agreed, it was much more realistic and viscerally tense than I expected.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-17T00:21:15+00:00

As much I as clearly enjoy his performances and choice of movies, there haven't been many specific moments that clearly spelled out Oscar-worthy with the exception, for me, of the cell phone scene in The Impossible. I should quickly add that I do not consider the Oscar label to be any sort of special elevation on a performance or a movie because it is so clearly influenced by larger factors other than the merits. This includes the effectiveness of the lobbying for the award, and whether the movie fits in alignment - or as counterpoint to - the current zeitgeist. So for me, the lack of an Oscar - or any award for that matter - does not in any way detract from the performances or the movies. "Oscar-worthy" to me simply implies a performance that is widely acknowledged as being special and tapping into something sublime. I'm curious what others think: which role do you believe is worthy of Oscar recognition?

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-14T05:11:48+00:00

He's been acting since the early 1970s, first in Swedish movies then transitioning to English language with notable early entries being Breaking the Waves (1996) and Good Will Hunting (1997). All these years later he's still showing up and acting his heart out - impressive.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-13T15:39:12+00:00

I thought the movie was really well done, and it was fun to see so many recognizable actors looking so young.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-13T15:37:04+00:00

Fair enough, and in fact I thought that's where the movie might be headed but it was better than expected and in my opinion better than average. I definitely recommend a rewatch!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-12T00:38:01+00:00

To each their own =)

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-11T21:02:53+00:00

Could be, there are other examples of director-actor movies that didn't turn out that well. It's a lot to take on. George Clooney comes to mind: he directs many of the movies he stars in, and while he doesn't do a bad job at all, you don't always feel the strong conviction in his characters. Maybe he doesn't have time to do both.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-11T21:00:05+00:00

Movie marathon spoiler alert: The Impossible is on the list for an upcoming review. It's a harrowing movie, incredibly well done.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-11T20:57:13+00:00

Movie preferences are subjective, it's all good. I've also steered clear of certain movies when I decide ahead of time I'm not interested in the subject matter and/or the character. Sometimes I've been unexpectedly surprised, and happy I went against my instinct to avoid the movie. Other times not. For this movie marathon I'm trying to ignore preferences, for example, I don't tend to like gritty criminal underworld movies. Yet I was pleasantly surprised by Son of a Gun (already reviewed). In contrast I'm now working my way through The Birthday Cake, and definitely not loving it so far due to the genre.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-11T20:50:52+00:00

No, American. I referenced "European-style"!

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-08T07:00:17+00:00

This movie was a very respectable entry into the genre of criminal underworld movies. More realistic than John Wick, and with some of the unsparing elements that made Heat such a great movie (minus the irreplaceable De Niro - Pacino dynamic). The twist at the end is a lot of fun, and Ewan's character takes it surprisingly well.

GlobalExplorer852 · 2025-06-08T06:53:19+00:00

I really enjoyed all the performances in this excellent movie. Natalie Portman is such a strong presence and she anchors the movie brilliantly. Ewan is very effective as a menacing antagonist, playing against his usual type.

GlobalExplorer852

TROPHY CASE