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Just watched Lanthimos' Favourite. It was a great film, but without deserving any Oscar Award for Best Picture or Director. Olivia Colman was stellar, but what I disliked the most was his insistence on the stereotype of a sybarite and decadent 18th century. Still, great film, although the audience was pretty terrible. Middle-aged couples and immature university students were childishly laughing at the slightest implication of lesbian intercourse.
'In the west, we think as the highest form of magic the art of creating illusions.. for Tibetans, destroying illusions is the highest form of magic..'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuHAp07npiQ
Destroyer of Illusion, documentary about Tibetan Buddhism, narrated by Richard Gere, written and directed by Richard Kohn
Whole documentary can be viewed here
I watched the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and, oh my, was it bad! A childish story, full with plot-holes and one-dimension characters. Brazilian soap operas are less ridiculous than this drama accidentally turned into comedy. The protagonists felt so awkward that I genuinely began to root for the baddies (3rd Reich included). How this film received so many positive reviews is beyond me.
It was not even filmed in Guernsey, but Cornwall posing as Guernsey. The locals will remind you of their disgust over that fact, even though some of the tourist shops will pander to audience who like the movie to make money.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crandar
Haha, really, why? Would the budget be so much higher if it was filmed in Guernsey?
Meanwhile, the movie I watched this weekend was also terrible. Red Sparrow, a spy drama, whose low quality reaches cringe-worthy levels. Firstly, Russians were depicted cartoonishly evil and stupid. A bit too much, in fact, they looked like a parody of the Third Reich. Secondly, the plot was marked by a remarkable number of holes, mainly because the developers were incapable of inventing a solution for the protagonist's problems, beyond making the FSB behave childishly.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
Sometimes, even physics were violated*:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
One-dimensional characters were the norm and, in my opinion, Jennifer Lawrence acted pretty badly (she always had a miserable look, like perpetually sentenced to watch puppies getting tortured), although the critics apparently praised her performance.
*A very minor description of sexual act.
John Wick 3 was actually quite nice overall - the action shots were very well done, and Keanu's dedication to acting and preparation is evident because finally a movie where they reload the guns properly. Not Oscar-worthy, but a very solid movie overall.
1. White Boy Rick: Nice and enjoyable movie. Quite realistic for American standards, as well.
2. Hotel Mumbai: It would have been good, hadn't been for the melodrama and the over-reliance on cold-blooded murders. The film is so fixated on lethal violence that it shows many more deaths occurring in the hotel than those that actually happened. It felt a bit disrespectful towards the victims of the terrorist attack.
3. Churchill (not the Oscar-winning one, the other): Pretty bad, as the reviews had said. Obvious inaccuracies aside, which defied common sense and history, the film was also rather boring. Sloppy mistake I noticed: During a conversation between Churchill and George VI, the latter shows clear signs of his lisp. Thankfully for the king's health and public appearance, the speech impediment disappears completely after the middle, with the monarch speaking more fluently than the greatest British orator. Felt genuine sympathy for Jan "abused domestic servant" Smuts.
I didn't even realize this was in here. I watch a fair amount of movies when I travel for work, so I'll be trying to make regular visits.
I just watched Captain Marvel. MCU's break with historic orthodoxy in the storytelling aside, I was seriously impressed with this film. It was much, much better than expected. Great storyline, great messages, actors were terrific. Samuel L. Jackson in comic relief instead of his usual "badass" stereotype in particular stole the show. Jude Law was a very accessible villian. Bree Larsen showed she has the chops to carry a film as a power lead. And the cinematography was terrific. Except for a couple of very minor exceptions, all boxes checked for me. Highly recommend (unless you're still living out GamerGate).
Frontera Verde on Netflix is a bold reboot of this. :smash:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I've just seen Midway - overall interesting, gives a good account of the battle and the whole implications around it. Nicest touch was giving the IJN a dignified portrayal, not the usual kamikaze only navy.
This is s redo of the one Heston did 35 or so years ago yes?Quote:
Originally Posted by edyzmedieval
Recently I've seen Parasite (2019) and i think this was a throughly engrossing film. Certainly something all movie lovers should seek out and see. Funny, Nuanced, Suspenseful, and poignant. It really has something to say and the performances are all just great. This is why we go to the movies.
If you like Bong Joon-Ho movies you'll probably love it.
Broadly, yes, although it pretends that film never happened in the marketing. To be fair, the film was done on a shoestring - there are instances where pilots take off in one type of plane and land in another due to them using stock footage.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seamus Fermanagh
Knives Out
Good movie. Well-paced and funny enough. The twists are formulaic, but well-executed. Speaking of which, some viewers placed heavy emphasis on the themes in The Last Jedi (Johnson's previous project) as redeeming that film. Well, execution matters and here is an example of doing the themes right. Good work, Johnson.
Unrelated: What is it with Russian movies trying to be artsy with awkward filler scenes?
Just watched the Two Popes and the Irishman and both were excellent movies. Great dialogues, amazing acting, subtle humour and all that. My only complaint is that the last part of the Irishman was unnecessary and it should have been removed. The movie was already too long anyway. Still the best movies I watched in 2019.
Not really a movie but I just started watching Downton Abbey and I love it. I don't want TV, TV shows or movies at all, very rarely, but me picking up 2 streaming services (yes, I know, I'm about 5 years late to the party) called Prime Video and Netflix has allowed me to see some titles I was curious about for a long time.
Downton Abbey gets a big thumbs up. :yes:
A movie which a lot of people seem to be overlooking today is Greyhound, the new Tom Hanks flick about a destroyer escort in WW2. It was released today on Apple+ but Im sure people can find other ways to watch it. I enjoyed it immensely, though its lacking in some areas. Like there really isnt any character development at all which is a bit disappointing since its based off of the CS Forester novel The Good Shepherd which is all about the character development of the captain.
But I will say this: it is an incredible 90 minutes of destroyer vs U-boat action and it is thrilling to say the least. Completely hooked me and I plan on watching it again soon. I highly recommend it for those seeking a war film with a subject thats not covered very often in films.
For all you history buffs, Dan Carlin did an interview on his podcast with Tom Hanks about the film which was very interesting to listen to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNgAZVrf40
I've just finished The Imitation Game - as a fan of Alan Turing and his immense cryptographical work, Benedict Cumberbatch does a fabolous job of portraying him.
Has anyone watched the Snyder cut of Justice League yet? I never saw the original but Im intrigued what all the hype is about.
Edit: I watched it, not a bad film at all. I actually found myself enjoying it.
I saw it with a friend who, like me, was familiar with the actual events of the battle. I can't tell you how many times we cheered, "Yep! That's how it happened." Bruno Guito jumping in the back of that parked plane to shoot at the suicide bomber? That happened, down to the plane being cut in half by the attacking bombers wing! If you've studied the battle of Midway, this movie is full of gems! My friend and I loved it!Quote:
Originally Posted by edyzmedieval
I've watched the other week Outlaw King, the movie about Robert the Bruce and his fight against England.
Decent movie, the battle and fight scenes were rather well done but way too much historical liberty.
Any European folks seen Dune yet? I'm looking forward to the US release. Just finished the audio-book series so keyed up to watch more than the old movie from the 80s.
Also looking forward to the new Bond film, "No Time to Die."
@spmetla Did you manage to see Bond yet? I might be going Friday to check it out, can't wait.
Not yet, hoping this weekend or the next.
Not a movie, but if you arent watching Ted Lasso, you are seriously missing out.
Bond film was wonderful.
I have a hard time picking between Connery and Craig as the best Bond -- the others never had the meaner 'edge' that was part of Fleming's hero.
I have NO problem recognizing this as the best script of the franchise.
Recently watched Coriolanus, the Ralph Fiennes version from 2011. I really enjoyed it! Its pretty much just the Shakespeare play done in a modern setting, Shakespearean language and all. Really quite interesting to hear the Shakespearean language spoken in a natural setting and not the stage. I think it works well, provided you are familiar with Shakespearean language. I think that Fiennes does an incredible job playing Coriolanus, and his "common cry of curs" speech hits in a way that stage versions (which are still excellent) just don't.
The new Dune movie was so good I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning on a work night watching it.
I read the original trilogy when I was 11, so I don't remember anything, but I've heard it said that the new Dune "narrows the scope" too much, succeeding where the David Lynch Dune failed and vice-versa (though I have no idea what that might mean).
I wouldnt say it was too narrow at all, I felt it was perfectly paced. Dune is an incredibly long and complex story, and trying to do too much in too short a time can cripple the story, which is why I think Lynch's version failed (among other things). With a second movie already confirmed for October 2023, I think this iteration of Dune has a much higher chance of becoming a cultural force.Quote:
Originally Posted by Montmorency
Right, I saw House of Gucci, quite excited about it as a fashion and luxury goods fan. I left rather underwhelmed... probably too much hype around it which gave me a skewed expectation.
Good movie to understand the mystique behind Gucci.
I couldn't help but notice in the Matrix sequel, Resurrections, that the threat to humans is arguably the most prominent thematic divergence from the original series.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I haven't seen any commentary remarking on these facts, but they seem pretty significant to me, and can't have been anything but a deliberate directorial choice.
Saw Munich 1938 the other week - solid movie, gives a good impending danger feel of what happened.
The new Top Gun movie is surprisingly excellent. Would highly recommend everyone go see it in theaters, in IMAX if possible.
Watched the new Batman the other day. It was alright, but I didn't get the hype. In general, I appreciated the more realistic perspective (DC's obsession with extraterrestrial threats has become tiresome), but the story had quite a few holes, in my opinion. The last part also felt unnecessary and anticlimactic. Overall, I didn't regret watching it, but I was a bit disappointed, because my expectations were apparently too high.
On the other hand, that Hitler comedy was amazing. Funny, but without making you feel sympathetic towards Hitler, which is the most difficult trap for such movies. I found it much more enjoyable than Jojo Rabbit, whose start was great, but whose second part became too melodramatic and predictable.
Nobody (2021)
What is this, The Equalizer?
6/10
Watched Top Gun Maverick about two weeks ago, wonderful movie. The usual Hollywood cheese sometimes but great cinematography.
Frothy good fun. And less military realism challenged than the original (note, the original did not set a difficult bar for that).Quote:
Originally Posted by edyzmedieval
If you havent watched the new Prey movie, I would highly recommend. Definitely revitalizes the whole Predator franchise.
Going to add a +1 recommendation for The Menu. A really delightful thriller/dark comedy film.