What movie did you watch last night? (20 Viewers)

[7 - No tomorrow]

Unbelievably pretentious, over long, horribly acted, beatifully shot, equal parts tedious and entertaining.

Von Trier? You sure??

 

[Cormcolash]

Liam Neeson beats people up on an aeroplane.
This film had pretty much exactly what I wanted this film to have, and therefore was amazing.

Just to add to this:

Liam Neeson's character has a drink problem = check
Liam Neeson's character has family issues = check
Liam Neeson's character doesn't really like flying = check
Liam Neeson's character beats up a bunch of people = check
Liam Neeson's character has to interrogate people = check
Liam Neeson's character has a particular set of skills which make him a nightmare for some people = check

Film rules.

 

[nooleen]

rules of a belfast person

 

[nooleen]

where 'skills'=annoying personality traits

 

[nooleen]

just watched The Red Balloon, a sweet classic tale of a small boy and his big red magical balloon

but what i really want to post is this brilliant review from the washington post:

"[The film takes] place in a world of lies. Innocent lies? Not necessarily. The Red Balloon may be the most seamless fusion of capitalism and Christianity ever put on film. A young boy invests in a red balloon the love of which places him on the outside of society. The balloon is hunted down and killed on a barren hilltop–-think Calvary–-by a mob of cruel boys. The ending, a bizarre emotional sucker punch, is straight out of the New Testament. Thus is investment rewarded-–with Christian transcendence or, at least, an old-fashioned Assumption. This might be sweet. Or it might be a very cynical reduction of the primary impulse to religious faith."

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

 

[Kermit McDermott]

Watched a few things that had been on the DVR for months. I needed the space.

An adventure in space & time: A dramatization about the creation of Dr. Who - Good stuff. Solid acting and early 60's period detail.
The battle of midway - I like these old potboiler war films from the 60's and 70's and this was okay as they go. Bit too long.
The Towering Inferno - Again I like these 70's disaster blockbusters. Bit too long, but a quality film. I like these old ones but can't be bothered with new blockbusters. Funny that.
Jules Verne's Rocket to the moon - Another guilty pleasure. Old fashioned sci fi adventure films from the 60's & 70's. This one was pretty bad. Trying to funny but failing. Tiresome, didn't even make it to the moon.
The secret war of Harry Frigg - WW2 escape film with Paul Newman. This would have been good if they played it straight, but they went for lighthearted comedy, and failed. Pity

 

[Hector Grey]

I still can't get over the fact that I saw Olympus has Fallen. i don't think i've been this affected by a movie since The House of the Yellow Carpet.

 

[travispickle]

Nebraska

There s nothing quite like an Alexander Payne movie. A friend of mine once described Amalie as one of the most rare things in cinema. A film which is funny in spite of the fact that it is never offensive. I had really never thought abut it before but on re-watching that film I did see what he meant. It's a rare thing these days, sure, the gross out comedy where the hero is a dyslexic sex addict and his best friend is an quadriplegic autistic is going to have a few good gags and if you believe in it yes you are probably going to hell for watching the trailer but what Amalie and all of Alexander Payne's films have in common is that unlike those extreme examples where the humour is crude and the laughs superficial the gags in Payne's films have real depth. And they aren't at someones expense. That's maybe the key thing to understand and in a sense this is Payne's real genuine gift. He doesn't just know his characters, he loves them. He makes every second of their existence on screen an elegy to humanity. whether it's the pro or antagonist you never feel that the gag is "on" them. You are with his characters because you can feel his warmth in them. His films are funny but there is never schadenfruede, in watching his films you can see your own embarassment and your own mistakes but you are still not the butt of the joke, he's not interested in the Ricky Gervais school of savage comedy. This is a gentle film which is often very funny and even more so very touching, brilliantly observed and perfectly performed. Every character here is well rounded and even in their most awful or idiotic moments there is a dignity which is inherent in their actions. This is everything that Wes Anderson tries to do but ultimately gets too clever and fucking smug to really pull off (If only he manage to curb his need to put all the oompf in his third act.... If only)

Similar in tone and content to David Lynch's masterpiece (Yes I do believe it may well be his greatest achievement) The Straight Story Payne's film is a simply wonderful film, bubbling over with affecting performances hugely entertaining moments and ultimately a real clarity of purpose. This is a bittersweet feel good American movie which bears all the hall marks of what a gift American cinema is to the world. The perforemances by Bruce Dern is simply perfect. Utterly believable, understated and ... fuck it just perfect. The support from Bob Odenkirk as a successful son and June Squibb as his larger than life wife is excellent and of course, as is my habit, I reserve my greatest plaudits for Will Forte who as I've said many times before is performing the hardest role in films of this sort. The straight man. He is the quite centre which holds the family and indeed the film together. Too loud and it fails, too quite and he becomes boring and no one cares and the film fails. To sweet and the film fails on the basis that it becomes saccharine and unbelievable. He gets his role spot on, drawing the audience to him with a warm and personable performance which sits with apt quietness between Dern and Squibbs more emphatic turns.

Possibly Paynes best movie (which is saying a lot) and one which had stayed with me in the days since I've seen it in the same way that his other two equally affecting films - About Schmidt and The Descendants (I'm on the fence about Sideways, to be honest)

Well worth a look.

American Hustle

Last week I was raving about Martin Scorsese's latest - The Wolf Of Wall Street. This week I get to rave about Marty's even latest American Hustle...... Wait what do you mean he didn't direct it ?

Yeah I know David O Russell is the man behind this but it's very easy to see that this film could not exist if Marty hadn't made Goodfellas, Mean Streets, King Of Comedy and in particular After Hours. Here O Russell - is doing a cover version of his favourite Marty moments and doing it right.

I've always said that originality is over rated. It's true. Movies, music, art whatever it doesn't have to be original to be interesting it just has to be performed with a degree of skill and a degree of talent and above all a degree of belief in ones ability to bring something new to the blueprint. This is a perfect example of my thesis.

American Hustle is basically a Scorsese picture, O Russel is seemingly trying to break Marty's record for Slow motion, still frames, voice overs, classic rock and more than anything else the length of dolly track laid by a film crew. He whips his camera around with impunity and must surely be aware that he is creating something of a cover version. However this is one which Marty would be proud of and what's more O Russell manages to stamp his own style on everything here. It's high energy it's quirky, the characters are somewhere between deluded and unhinged and the whole thing is played for the fun of it's own ridiculousness. This should be a failure. It should succumb to the weight of the Scorsese comparisons. But it doesn't. It flies along at a crazy speed (I'm going to stop mentioning Marty but this is Goodfellas/The Departed pace) the dialogue is clever and the acting is excellent.

Bale is great as the straightest man in the film, though to be honest everyone here is dysfunctional on a massive level. Bales character is the one trying to hold everything together and make sure they don't all end up either in jail or coffins. He does a fine job although you can tell that subtlety is not his strong point. Jeremy Renner is great as a corrupt-ish politician and Jennifer Lawerence is her usual brilliant self as a simply bonkers wife. Best of all is Amy Adams who is amazing as a character who is as internally damaged and lost as any ever committed to film and yet it's her reserved understated performance that hoists the film to the heights that it gets to.

Ultimately this is a little bloated, eventually the cracks do show and it's fair to say that O Russell isn't quite Scorsese just yet. The coda possibly is a little rushed and without Scorsese's ability to slow the locomotive to really land the emotional punches it really won't stay with you after you see it. All in all though it's a highly entertaining film with some of the years best moments. Including a masterclass in upstaging each other set in a bathroom.


Oh yeah And fans of women's breasts will not be disappointed, or actually, they might be ... but in a good way. If you get me.

Misogynist or nay I couldn't not mention it , I mean look at the fucking poster for christ sake. I'd be remiss as a film viewer not to mention it. .......I mean have you seen Shame ? ... Like..... that's got mickey right ? C'mon ? I mentioned the mickey right ?

So Basically between the "lemons" in Wolf Of Wall Street and the "Science Oven" here you've basically got all the in jokes you need for the water cooler for 2014.

Worth a look

2 great films there. Bradley Cooper was terrific in AH; completely crazy acting. Dern was fab in Nebraska, as was June Squibb. She shudda won the Oscar.

 

[travispickle]

Watched The Matrix over Christmas and loved it; so watched Matrix Revolutions last night. Holy jaysis, what a pile of crap (well ok, mostly the latter half).
What was all that with the machines? When did they come into it?
(haven't seen the 2nd one)

 

[David Kronenbourg]

BBC News - Lost joys: Directors reveal searches for missing movies

I'm going to see Wake in Fright at BFI next week.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Layer Cake. Hadn't seen it in years. Still pretty good.

 

[washingcattle]

BBC News - Lost joys: Directors reveal searches for missing movies

I'm going to see Wake in Fright at BFI next week.

Really looking forward to that one

 

[Jill Hives]

Layer Cake. Hadn't seen it in years. Still pretty good.

I can't recall one thing about that film but I can recall pretty much ever detail of the day I saw it.
Weird how the brain works.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

I can't recall one thing about that film but I can recall pretty much ever detail of the day I saw it.
Weird how the brain works.

I couldn't tell you the last time I saw it. At least 6 or 7 years ago. Holds up for the most part.

I don't think I got the ending properly the first time I saw it.

 

[Jill Hives]

May 21st 2005. Kendall Cinema. It was raining. I could barely walk. The person I was with had two tea bags of English Breakfast in one to-go cup. Surely my brain should be utilised for better things, like remembering the film for instance.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

May 21st 2005. Kendall Cinema. It was raining. I could barely walk. The person I was with had two tea bags of English Breakfast in one to-go cup. Surely my brain should be utilised for better things, like remembering the film for instance.

I know who that was!

 

[travispickle]

Watched Of Time and The City. Twas nice.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

The Grand Budapest Hotel. Absolutely loved it. What a beautiful, funny and charming film. The best I've seen this year. Willem Dafoe cracked me up. Up there with The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic as his best.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

The Grand Budapest Hotel. Absolutely loved it. What a beautiful, funny and charming film. The best I've seen this year. Willem Dafoe cracked me up. Up there with The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic as his best.

You don't sound drunk.