Rate the last film you watched out of 5

[kthxbliz]

Interesting to see that one of the films I planned a short review on today has had some very polarising feedback elsewhere and that seems to be similar here too.

 

Dont Look Up (2021)

 

i went into this with no more expectation than what the brief biopsy offers. 
 

Now I can see in some ways why it has split opinion. It’s not an out and out comedy. If your hopes are for something that will genuinely evoke laughter you might most likely be disappointed. However I have a terrible sense of humour but I appreciated the approach, I appreciated the way the movie brings the proprieties of the Twitter generation into sharp focus and I think the strong moral message is clear. I enjoyed it for what it was, I’ll accept its label as a comedy yet the overriding message was the moral one. Plus Cate Blanchett was pretty tasty.

 

3.5/5

 

Prospect (2018)

 

Just chose this at random from Amazon tonight. I’m a sucker for sci-fi but this had little in the way of true sci-fi. It was really more of a drama and for what it was it had some redeeming qualities but was ultimately ruined by some poor production, sound engineering and directing. Interesting concept and strong acting performances were not enough to salvage this overall despite it held my attention pretty well.

 

2/5

 

The Judge (2014)

 

Some strong performances but overall for me just had too much emotion and drama to make it feel any more than a movie aimed at the opposite gender. 
 

2/5

[glb]

The French Dispatch - 3/5 

 

Gorgeous to look at with some fine performances but found the film slight overall.

 

Amazing Grace - 3/5 (BBC2 / iPlayer)

 

Difficult one this. In terms of capturing a moment in time that’s a significant part of music history it’s worth far more than a 3. Yet as a documentary, I didn’t find it captivating in a way I thought I would. A valuable piece but not one I’d rush to rewatch.

[cavalcade]

Don't Look Up 4/5

 

I thought this was great. A remarkable amount of people commenting about it online about how "obvious" it was seem to have totally missed the skewering of virtually every subject beyond Trumpism, e.g. performative woke activism, blind tech reverence, scientists turning from peer review to celebrity, Hollywood both-sidesism etc. There's an alarming amount of people moaning about how simple the messages of the movie are while missing the fact they fall into one of the categories of arsehole themselves....

 

I'd say the only area it falls down in, is religion. I appreciate the table scene is partially something of a rebuttal to the fact that all Democrats are godless heathens (and a general appeal to find commonality in purpose), but as a finisher I think it had less impact in non-US territories and undermines some of the core themes of the movie. 

 

Generally though I thought the movie was pretty good and set out to do what it wanted to do. I didn't find it over long, and I think much of my interest was sustained in the final third as they ramped up everything to farce levels. The FX were also pretty impressive in bits with some very striking shots. 

 

 

[fasteasyfree]

Don't Look Up - 3.5/5

 

Had no idea what to expect with this one. The parodying of American politics is shamelessly on the nose (nepotism and MAGA hats), with the undercurrent of desperate realism that pervades keeping things grounded. The whole notion of not wanting to upset the apple cart, along with the idea that 'someone else must know how to fix things, so I'll keep taking the blue pill', is shoved down your throat.

 

Regardless of how you feel about the movie itself, the acting is spot-on. Streep and Hill do such a fantastic job of making you absolutely loathe them, whilst DiCaprio's panic attacks and general nervousness gave me second-hand discomfort. 

 

Few actual laughs though: The plane bit and face-eating were pretty much it from my part.

[Mawdlin]

Wrath of Man

 

I enjoyed the ribald humour and trademark Guy Ritchie energy of The Gentleman so went into this movie with positive expectations. But after a decent start this quickly becomes predictable and turgid. The 'twist,' if you can call it that, is telegraphed and once the set up is over there's only the whiff of stale testosterone to keep you company until the flaccid end.

 

A humourless and po-faced misfire from Ritchie.

 

2/5

[Bazjam]

3 minutes ago, fasteasyfree said:

Don't Look Up - 3.5/5

 

Had no idea what to expect with this one. The parodying of American politics is shamelessly on the nose (nepotism and MAGA hats), with the undercurrent of desperate realism that pervades keeping things grounded. The whole notion of not wanting to upset the apple cart, along with the idea that 'someone else must know how to fix things, so I'll keep taking the blue pill', is shoved down your throat.

 

Regardless of how you feel about the movie itself, the acting is spot-on. Streep and Hill do such a fantastic job of making you absolutely loathe them, whilst DiCaprio's panic attacks and general nervousness gave me second-hand discomfort. 

 

Few actual laughs though: The plane bit and face-eating were pretty much it from my part.

I thought there were quite a few good laughs. Ron Pearlman’s character broadcasting his thoughts on the hard working white man had me in stitches.

[fasteasyfree]

4 hours ago, Bazjam said:

I thought there were quite a few good laughs. Ron Pearlman’s character broadcasting his thoughts on the hard working white man had me in stitches.

 

Heh, I missed most of that monologue because the neighbours were outside screaming at each other. Don't get me wrong, I smirked on quite a few occasions (the retreading of the free snacks thing for instance) but rarely was there a genuine chuckle.

[Benny]

The 39 Steps

 

Having never seen this but being somewhat familiar with the book, I was quite interested to see how a Hitchcock adaptation of a straightforward adventure story would present itself. It turns out: surprisingly funny with a devilish bit of wit to spare. Classic Hitchcockian visual framing still abounds, but wrapped around a playful little caper. More actors should boil a haddock for their breakfast on screen.

 

4/5

[Jamie John]

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

 

 

I didn't think this was very good. Some of the set design and action sequences were striking, but it lacks the atmosphere and gravitas of the original. A lot of the time it just felt a bit cheap, sort of like a Blade Runner knock-off punching above its weight. The stuff they added to make Mikoto  Motoko appear more human was also unecessary. It's not terrible, but it's another example of a remake that didn't need to be made. For the amount of CGI that's used on screen at any one moment, they may as well have just done another anime.

 

2/5

 

[ZOK]

12 hours ago, Jamie John said:

Mikoto

 

Yes, it’s garbage.

[neoELITE]

I rewatched Thor (the first one). 

I didn't realise Hawkeye was in it the first time I saw this.  I've only seen it twice.  

It's one of my favourite Marvel films and Thor's my favourite character. I enjoyed how tight the narrative was in this and unlike Endgame and the newer stuff you can bascially watch this as a standalone film without any knowledge of anything.  It's two hours-ish but it flies along at a great pace and it's fun.  One thing I noticed though was there was absolutely no reference to his sister who appears in the third Thor film - that's a bit weird. Unless I missed it. 

4/5 

[Jamie John]

1 hour ago, ZOK said:

 

 

Whoops. I blame the film.

[Delargey]

1 hour ago, neoELITE said:

 One thing I noticed though was there was absolutely no reference to his sister who appears in the third Thor film - that's a bit weird. Unless I missed it. 

4/5 

 

Odin banished his sister and then covered up her existence so we didn't hear about her til the 3rd movie.

[Vimster]

Nightmare At Noon (1988)

This fun bit of daftness has bits and bobs from all over the place, bit of a zombie film, bit SF, bit of a western, but never quite settles down or gel. Despite that it was enjoyable, contains gratuitous flame-throwers, and had stunts that I assume consumed most of the budget. The out-of-nowhere chopper chase at the end went on for what felt like a week.

 

2.5/5

[Vimster]

Patriot Games (1992)

Not read the novel so can only comment on the film on its own merits. It's a difficult one to pin down, a decent enough thriller with great direction from Philip Noyce, the overall production oozes quality, Harrison Ford is who I automatically think of when the name Jack Ryan is mentioned and is convincing as the have-a-go CIA analyst who enjoys a bit of excitement. The cast has other heavy-hitters doing their bit too. There were tense bits but somehow they didn't seem to work as a whole, plenty of cliches. It did succeed in keeping the Tom Clancy tradition of presenting an utterly ridiculous cliched Great Britain consisting of central London, guardsmen in busby hats and posh people with titles being very important. A good example of a well-made film that you come away from feeling like you had a good time but when reflecting on it the flaws become more apparent.

 

3.5/5

[sandman]

Hook

 

An interesting if flawed movie. Spielberg has spoken of his problems with the film and seems most dissatisfied with it. I think it has two major problems, Julia Roberts being utterly diabolical and John Williams overbearing score. The premise is excellent and the two leads are both at the top of their game. Hoffman in particular is a joy to watch. 
 

The film doesn’t work in many ways but there’s just enough Spielberg magic to keep it being a disaster. 

 

3/5

 

 

The Adventures of Robin Hood 

 

I saw this in the early 90s and didn’t think much of it at all. Fast forward 30 years and, after a rewatch, I now think it’s pretty much flawless. Flynn basically IS Robin Hood and the supporting cast are all pitch perfect. It looks lovely in HD and it has a wonderful buoyant flow. Pure fun from start to finish.

 

Definitive, perfect movie making. 
 

5/5

 

 

[englishbob]

Ron's Gone Wrong (20th Century Fox animation) - Disney +

 

I'm glad my children are older now - I'd hate this to be the template of all future children's animated films. Pure guff and far too long! 

 

1/5

 

Dug Days - Disney +

 

5 part animated series with the dog from Up! from Pixar in it. Classic 2021 twist here though, like when Dug realises that he is in a position of privilege by being a "pet" and therefore letting others take something from him. Whatever happened to sharing? Dreadful

 

1/5 

 

Matilda - C5

 

This is more like it, classic

 

5/5

 

[kthxbliz]

Black Mass (2015)

 

Been a few years so watched this again last night. From many perspectives it’s not doing anything original, the production and direction style is either a nod to Scorsese or a lazy copy depending on your perspective. There are some pacing issues too. That aside both Johny Depp and Joel Edgerton are fantastic, although Cumberbatch again proves that mastering accents is not his strong point. Look beyond seeking originality and you can enjoy this film and some solid performances for what they are. 
 

3.5/5 (Rewatch)

[iknowgungfu]

On 28/12/2021 at 20:43, fasteasyfree said:

 

Heh, I missed most of that monologue because the neighbours were outside screaming at each other. Don't get me wrong, I smirked on quite a few occasions (the retreading of the free snacks thing for instance) but rarely was there a genuine chuckle.

Saw this last night myself. Solid 3/5 for me. The main characters really do a lot of heavy lifting I think. 
 

I found some of it a bit too on the nose at times such as the mother daughter nepotism. I started out against the amalgamation of tech giant caricature as the BASH CEO was essentially a hippy idealist -  it maybe that is actually the point. All that money and power but no real knowledge behind it - just lots of yes people and pointless use of potential. 
 

Jennifer Laurence easily the most interesting character in this for me. Lots of subtle-ish nods to male female inequalities:

 

Spoiler

I liked how over the course of the film she was referred as the comet discoverer less and less by the media and Leo himself as his character changed. 

Leo’s anxiety panic attacks were very convincing and I love to see movies where he gets to scream and shout a lot. 
 

Spoiler

Particularly enjoyed his ranty

monologue on his last TV appearance. It doesn’t go unnoticed that when Jenifer Laurence’s character did that she was branded a a crazy women with mental illness. 

At the end of the day I think it could have been so much more though. Sort of film I’d like to see Armando Iannucci or Chris Morris make instead. 

[iknowgungfu]

Forgot to say.

 

Spoiler

The constant return to the free snack bit was the funniest thing in the movie considering they are facing potential oblivion. 

 

[glb]

A Second Chance - 2/5 (aka Bottom of the Ninth, Sky Cinema)

 

Baseball melodrama starring Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara. Starts out as very much a TV movie, picks up in the middle, then peters out by the end.

 

604 for the year and think I’m done. Saved a few films to hit the ground running in January, then should have a few festival screeners in Feb and March. Been an okay year for film, not spectacular imo. Certainly haven’t seen anything I’d give 5/5. But there are about 10 or so films I’d give that score, so guess it’s not a huge surprise.

[Stig]

6 minutes ago, glb said:

A Second Chance - 2/5 (aka Bottom of the Ninth, Sky Cinema)

 

Baseball melodrama starring Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara. Starts out as very much a TV movie, picks up in the middle, then peters out by the end.

 

604 for the year and think I’m done. Saved a few films to hit the ground running in January, then should have a few festival screeners in Feb and March. Been an okay year for film, not spectacular imo. Certainly haven’t seen anything I’d give 5/5. But there are about 10 or so films I’d give that score, so guess it’s not a huge surprise.

 

When I read the title I thought I'd found someone else who'd be subjected to this shite. My daughter is into Gymnastics so obviously made me watch this horrible gymnastics film with her.

 

 

[glb]

2 hours ago, Stigweard said:

 

When I read the title I thought I'd found someone else who'd be subjected to this shite. My daughter is into Gymnastics so obviously made me watch this horrible gymnastics film with her.

 

 

Oh that looks bad! I have seen a similar gymnastics film this year and can’t for the life of me think what it’s called. Which is a good illustration of its quality. Good old TV movies and their low budget ways.

[Monkeyboy]

The Karate Kid Part III

 

Never seen it and only decided to watch it ahead of Cobra Kai season 4. It's absolute shit and drags and drags and drags. Then rushes the last twenty minutes. It gets one star for bad guy Terry Silver who's wandered in from a buddy cop movie by accident.

 

1 out of 5

 

This is the best bit.

 

 

[iknowgungfu]

I have a soft spot for part 3. 
 

https://youtu.be/YhtwTe2G5e0

 

Then again Mr. Miyagi looks a bit like my dad.  So, there may be something in that. 

[sandman]

 Million dollar Arm

 

A sweet and exquisitely made family film. Utterly predictable of course, but the film has real heart. This totally failed to find an audience which is a shame. Hamm is great in the central role and it’s nice to see the late, great Bill Paxton. Disney obviously have a formula for these films and this follows it to the letter. But it’s heartfelt and nicely shot. 
 

Recommended as feel good family entertainment.  
 

4/5

[KartoffelKopf]

Limbo (Mubi)

 

Wow, this floored me. A beautiful and poetic little film about a bunch of refugees on a remote Scottish Island waiting for news on whether they have been accepted for asylum. 
 

Hilarious at times and deeply moving at others, this is one of the best of the year for me with some breathtaking cinematography set against the bleakness about the refugee experience in the UK today. It never felt like it had an agenda though, it’s a small, character-driven, bittersweet tale and even though my defences have been a little lowered this week with C***D, this fully choked me up at the end and will stay with me for quite some time. 
 

5/5

 

PSA - make sure you turn the subs on for at least the parts where Omar phones his family. Watching on the Prime app, these didn’t automatically turn on. 

[Pekoe]

3 hours ago, sandman said:

 Million dollar Arm

 

A sweet and exquisitely made family film. Utterly predictable of course, but the film has real heart. This totally failed to find an audience which is a shame. Hamm is great in the central role and it’s nice to see the late, great Bill Paxton. Disney obviously have a formula for these films and this follows it to the letter. But it’s heartfelt and nicely shot. 
 

Recommended as feel good family entertainment.  
 

4/5

Yes, it's a great feel good wholesome movie.

[Jamie John]

Soul (2020)

 

 

I thought this was moving and funny, but I couldn't really figure out who it was aimed at, certainly not young children, and I'd have thought that even 7-12 year olds would have found it a bit too cerebral, whereas teenagers would probably have turned their noses up at it, or not understood a lot of the references. A lot of Pixar's output is truly aimed at adults while being disguised as kids' films, but the façade was probably the thinnest it's ever been here. Still, I enjoyed it a lot.

 

4/5

[Monkeyboy]

Bloody New Year (1987)

 

This film is nuts. For a horror movie, quite unpredictable.

 

3½ out of 5