Friday, February 10, 2017

Thursday Movie Picks #135: Prodigy/Genius



Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.


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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Prodigy/Genius

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A very late post...sorry and a quick one too.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
My favorite Wes Anderson movie. It's about a dysfunctional family consisting of three grown up prodigies.

Proof (2005)
I've talked about this one too before. I really loved it when I saw this, a long time ago. Preferred it to the other movie about mentally ill mathematician, A Beautiful Mind. Anyway Proof follows the daughter of a brilliant but mentally ill mathematician, as she realises that she too may have inherited his illness.  

Ex Machina (2015)
One of the main characters is a young tech ceo / mad scientist who creates intelligent androids and conducts disturbing psychological experiments in his secret secluded home/lab.

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14 comments:

  1. The Royal Tenenbaums is such a great film!

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  2. I love that you went with Ex Machina. I don't remember Proof, and The Royal Tenenbaums is one I need to rewatch. I didn't like it when I first saw it, but my taste has also evolved since then.

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    1. If you like Wes Anderson's recent films...I think you'll enjoy TRT.

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  3. Love The Royal Tenenbaums-such a great film. Ex Machina is inspired and the creepy guy is a genius. I have not seen Proof but it is now added to the list

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  4. I forgot about Proof, I loved that one. This is my first week joining.

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  5. Interesting selections. I never would have thought of Ex-Machina for this. I didn't love the film but that's a different way to look at it.

    Even with Paltrow, who I'm not of a fan, in the lead Proof was an involving film with good work by all.

    Again I'm not much for Wes Anderson films but The Royal Tenenbaums was one of his more entertaining entries. Great cast overall.

    I did a bit of a theme within the theme since all three of mine are about musical prodigies.

    The Legend of 1900 (1998)-In the year 1900 Danny Boodmann, a stoker (Bill Nunn) on an American ship discovers an abandoned baby left on board. Taking him in to raise as his own he gives him a long unwieldy name eventually shortened to 1900 as the pair live their life at sea. As 1900 grows his musical genius becomes apparent and he becomes the ship’s mascot. After a tragedy befalls Danny 1900 remains on board growing to manhood (where he is played by Tim Roth) never touching dry land but continuing to hone his skill (including a fantastic sequence where he plays a waltz during a storm at sea). In time he befriends Max, a trumpeter in the ship orchestra (Taylor Pruitt Vince) and it is through his reverie we learn 1900’s story.

    Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)-Starring Shirley Temple, one of Hollywood’s premier musical prodigies (in terms of dollars & cents THE musical prodigy) as the rich girl of the title. Barbara (that would be Shirl) on her way to boarding school is left to her own devices when her nanny is killed in an accident. Barbara unaware of this but not wanting to go to the school wanders the city until she becomes acquainted with and is taken in by a pair of down on their luck performers Jimmy & Jerry Dolan (Jack Oakie & Alice Faye). Thinking she’s an orphan and realizing that she’s a musical prodigy they put Barbara in their act as their daughter. Soon they hit the big time with their own radio show overseen by ad exec Margaret Allen (Gloria Stuart of Titanic fame) where they’re heard by Barbara’s widowed father who has been searching for her frantically. One of the better Temple vehicles with a first rate supporting cast, both Oakie and Alice Faye get several chances to strut their stuff, and no matter how you feel about her Shirley was a bundle of talent.

    Amadeus (1984)-Multi Oscar winning story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and Antonio Salieri (an Oscar winning F. Murray Abraham) and how Salieri’s jealousy of Mozart’s genius lead to great tragedy for both. Amazing music, performances, set design and direction. An essential film.

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    1. I've only seen like half of Amadeus. Did not enjoy it as much, but will probably revisit and see it in full.

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  6. Love TRT!! Should have picked it but I think I've used it too often.

    Haven't seen Proof but my gad was i annoyed wth Ex-Machina. I thought the ending was a cop out and the final ending was just typical. But enjoyed it almost all the way through.

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    1. TRT - good films should always get repicked :)
      Ex-Machina - ending a a cop-out........no.......I thought it was pretty good. Why was it a cop out?

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  7. We have one pick in common---Proof! I have watched all from your list and I'm definitely in love with Ex Machina. Gleeson and Isaac were all amazing in portraying two different kind of genius!

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    1. Isaac's character a genius, while he does mess up, yes I think he is because he created intelligent artificial life. Gleeson's character, I definitely do not think is a genius. He only got invited to the house (under the pretense of winning some contest) to be a lab rat in the movie and got played by Isaac's and Vikander's character throughout.

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  8. I've only seen Ex Machina, which I absolutely love. Great pick!

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  9. Reading the description of these movies I didn't think I'd like them but after watching the trailers I, especially enjoyed "The Royal Tenenbaums". I found all three movies on YouTube. I added them to my Watch Later List and I plan to watch TRT first. Thanks for the recommendations and have a fantastic weekend!

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