Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Down With Love

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Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 05-08-2003, 03:30 PM:

I saw this as a sneak the other night (5/6/03) and I should point out that if I haden't been with a date, I probably would not have seen this movie. That being said, I was really suprised as to just how much I actually liked this movie in spite of myself. The best part of this movie is that it never really tries to take it self seriously. The story and performances are all compleatly over the top but in a good way. Ewan Mcgregor continues to impress me in just about any non-StarWars movie he is in. It was kind of nice to see David Hyde Pierce on the big screen. I cannot recall ever seeing him in a movie before. Though he more or less gives a type cast performance, I've always liked his Niles Crane anyway. All in all I'd give it about three out of four stars.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-08-2003, 03:34 PM:

Other films for David Hyde Pierce:

http://us.imdb.com/Name?Hyde+Pierce,+David

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 05-08-2003, 03:47 PM:

Well thanks John (I guess) besides Adams Family Values and Sleepless in Seattle, I haden't seen any of thoses movies. So I will revise my statement to I havent seen David Hyde Pierce in a movie where he had a significant role before. [Wink]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 05-08-2003, 10:30 PM:

You'vr never seen "A Bug's Life"? [Eek!]

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 05-08-2003, 10:55 PM:

What I wrote:

"It was kind of nice to see David Hyde Pierce on the big screen. I cannot recall ever SEEING him in a movie before."

I have seen A Bugs Life and you must have been smoking something pretty strong to have seen David Hyde Pierce on the screen because all I remember seeing were the computer generated bug characters on the screen. [Razz]

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 05-09-2003, 05:02 PM:

He appears eating a leaf for three frames on the super-duluxe mega-widescreen edition DVD.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 05-26-2003, 01:49 AM:

I just saw "DOWN WITH LOVE" at Consolidated's Kapolei 16 today in SRD and was very amused by the look and feel of a Doris Day/Rock Hudson situation comedy they made in the late fifties together. Another clever element the filmmakers gave the movie was the use of the original 20th Century Fox CinemaScope opening to give the impression the film was made in the early sixties. If it was not for the very drabby looking picture quality instead of the eye candy Technicolor dye transfer print quality, I could have easily been fooled into thinking I was watching a movie in the early sixties. The use of the anamorphic split screen techniques which was used a lot in the fifties and sixties in Scope films was recreated very well in "DOWN WITH LOVE". The sound was excellent
and the movie itself was very entertaining.

-Claude

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 05-26-2003, 08:06 AM:

This movie is a lot of fun, especially for those of us who lived through those times. Everything perfectly recreates that era of the early '60's. Things started changing later, but this time was very innocent.

Split screens were very well done. Also, I loved the dialog about socks in the early parts.

One note about the music. All of the incidental music sounds like it was lifted from a Frank DeVol score from this time. Very very good. Marc Shaiman is an excellent composer.

I really liked the music video at the end of the film.

Wife didn't like it as much as me, but we both agreed it was above average.

Posted by Don Bruechert (Member # 1538) on 05-26-2003, 11:45 AM:

I actually saw this in a theater where we had to pay money to see it. It is not playing in too many venues near me so I had to drive to find it as well.

I think they did a pretty good job of reproducing the scenery from the 60's, but overall I think the movie was stupid. We had more fun making fun of what was going on, what people were wearing, innuendos and other stuff than we ever got entertainment out of the actual story of the movie.

I think it was a good choice by our owner not to drop anything we were running at the time to bring this in. I think it would have flopped in our town.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-26-2003, 12:55 PM:

Actually, I think the whole point of the movie is that it is deliberately stupid and we are supposed to laugh at that style of moviemaking. As for me, I think they went just a little over the top in trying to satirize this style to the point of condecension(which no one will be able to appreciate unless they saw some of the 60's films anyway). The score and the opening narration were right on, however. But can ANYONE explain to me the appeal of Renee Zellweger?

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 05-30-2003, 03:36 AM:

I agree that the whole point of the movie was just to be a bit overboard...and it was! I was the one sitting in the theater making fun of the movie with Don so that's pretty much my answer about whether or not I liked it. I was very disappointed too, Ewan McGregor is my favorite actor and I am also a big fan of Renee Zellweger (She's just cute Paul!)...I did enjoy the scenery and acting but the film just didn't do it for me.

Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 05-30-2003, 10:05 AM:

Since my post got lost, I'll try to make a post similar to the one that was here before.

Attendance: 2002/05/27 19:05, Regal Hollywood 18, Huntsville, AL, Auditorium 6, Scope

I loved this movie. The entire thing was light-hearted and enjoyable. I really enjoyed the style of the movie as well, from the Cinemascope logo at the beginning to the "music video" in the credits". The use of the "split screen" effect was put to excellent use in one particular scene. :-)

This was the first scope movie I have seen in one of Hollywood 18's new "fixed" small auditoriums since it's been "fixed". This auditorium used to have an unadjustable 1.85:1-only screen, but now has movable top/bottom masking. The image was the correct aspect ratio and was bright with the focus razor sharp.

There were only about 5 people in the theatre other than me, all older (50-60+ years old).

I liked Ewan McGregor in this movie. At least it wasn't Hayden Christensen. [Smile]

OK, so this post deviated quite a bit from my original that got lost. Oh well.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-30-2003, 02:28 PM:

quote:
But can ANYONE explain to me the appeal of Renee Zellweger?

Having met her in person, I can!!! [Cool]

My wife Betsy is jealous. [Wink]

Here's the video clip of me with Renee:

http://www.film-tech.com/trailers/filmtechpytlak.html