The Redcafe Movie review thread

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by reelworld

Better than Heat?

I thought Heat was average.

Watched Seconds(Thriller, Mystery) last night. Fantastic film, really enjoyed it. Worked on so many different levels. Another oldie that has influenced a number of films. Yet this one, seems to be a forgotten classic.

Spammy · 14th June 2007, 12:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by cinc

Just seen Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee(late 80s). fantastic - I've seen it before, but never really realised who great it is.

Collateral is Mann's best film.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reelworld

Better than Heat?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoony

I thought Heat was average.

Watched Seconds(Thriller, Mystery) last night. Fantastic film, really enjoyed it. Worked on so many different levels. Another oldie that has influenced a number of films. Yet this one, seems to be a forgotten classic.

Heat is one of my favourite films, of all time. It's incredible. As much as I loved Collateral, it's not better than Heat if you ask me.

Wibble · 14th June 2007, 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoony

I thought Heat was average.

Agreed.

Cinc won't agree but Collateral was far worse due to a silly unbelievable plot.

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 13:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wibble

Agreed.

Cinc won't agree but Collateral was far worse due to a silly unbelievable plot.

I probably won't burn it on DVD. I hate Tom Cruise anyway.

FlawlessThaw · 14th June 2007, 15:14

Collateral was shit in my opinion. Haven't seen Heat but will see it soon enough.

cinc · 14th June 2007, 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spammy

Heat is one of my favourite films, of all time. It's incredible. As much as I loved Collateral, it's not better than Heat if you ask me.

Collateral is one of the most beautifully shot movies around, with a great director in top form and a great Jamie Foxx.

Miami Heat on the other hand was disasterous.

FlawlessThaw · 14th June 2007, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by cinc

Collateral is one of the most beautifully shot movies around, with a great director in top form and a great Jamie Foxx.

Miami Heat on the other hand was disasterous.

If you mean Miami Vice (Miami Heat is a basketball team) then that was officially the worst film I have ever seen in my life. And that is an understatement.

cinc · 14th June 2007, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlawlessThaw

If you mean Miami Vice (Miami Heat is a basketball team) then that was officially the worst film I have ever seen in my life. And that is an understatement.

Yeah, I meant that.

Spammy · 14th June 2007, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by cinc

Collateral is one of the most beautifully shot movies around, with a great director in top form and a great Jamie Foxx.

Miami Heat on the other hand was disasterous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlawlessThaw

If you mean Miami Vice (Miami Heat is a basketball team) then that was officially the worst film I have ever seen in my life. And that is an understatement.

Fuck off, Thaw my friend, you obviously haven't seen many films if you think Miami Vice was bad. It wasn't fantastic, but it was nowhere near as bad as the way people talk about it.

cinc, I loved Collateral, you don't have to worry about that, but Heat is an epic.

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 15:49

Miami Vice looks really awful. I'd rather not even watch it for free.

FlawlessThaw · 14th June 2007, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spammy

Fuck off, Thaw my friend, you obviously haven't seen many films if you think Miami Vice was bad. It wasn't fantastic, but it was nowhere near as bad as the way people talk about it.

cinc, I loved Collateral, you don't have to worry about that, but Heat is an epic.

I still stand by what I say, maybe because I was annoyed at spending a fiver to go watch it and I spent most of the time trying to figure out Farrell's accent but in my opinion it was dreadful.

I shouldn't have described Collateral as shit, it was ok, quite tense and entertaining at times.

Spammy · 14th June 2007, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoony

Miami Vice looks really awful. I'd rather not even watch it for free.

It's got classic Mann Characters, and is shot very nicely. There's a decent shoot out which people compare to Heat's shoot out and call it shit. Mann uses a few of the same tricks he's used before, particularlly with lighting, but all in all it's decent if unspectacular. A long way from awful though.

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 15:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlawlessThaw

I still stand by what I say, maybe because I was annoyed at spending a fiver to go watch it and I spent most of the time trying to figure out Farrell's accent but in my opinion it was dreadful.

I shouldn't have described Collateral as shit, it was ok, quite tense and entertaining at times.

Basically, you're saying that Spammy's got a hard on for the vastly overrated Mann.

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spammy

It's got classic Mann Characters, and is shot very nicely. There's a decent shoot out which people compare to Heat's shoot out and call it shit. Mann uses a few of the same tricks he's used before, particularlly with lighting, but all in all it's decent if unspectacular. A long way from awful though.

I've seen the Aviator, though, which was very good, aesthetically. . . but I think he produced it, and not directed it. He's gay.

Spammy · 14th June 2007, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoony

Basically, you're saying that Spammy's got a hard on for the vastly overrated Mann.

I have a hard on for him yes, he's not overrated though. Cnut.

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 15:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spammy

I have a hard on for him yes, he's not overrated though. Cnut.

He's not overrated in my housed old. You have to rated to be overrated in the first place.

Spammy · 14th June 2007, 16:07

Oooooh, get you!

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 16:14

I still keep thinking that I've quoted myself, each time, I quote your posts.

Spammy · 14th June 2007, 16:16

Then you read it and realise that I wouldn't be calling LFC2IDIE a tit all the time.

mehro · 14th June 2007, 16:42

I think I'd only watch Miami Vice if my life depended on it.

reelworld · 14th June 2007, 16:55

I agree with the scouse bastard.
Collateral was good, but Heat was a better movie. I enjoy Heat much more than Collateral.
That scene where Pacino and DeNiro character met for the first time was fantastic.

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 16:55

Pacino is God.

Salvation · 14th June 2007, 17:28

At World's End

Tried to compensate an extensive screenplay through dialogues which not only made the first half completely theoretical but more importantly compromised on characterisation. The climax is where it probably earns its money

5.5/10

Give me 1 and 2 anyday

Simon Adebesi · 14th June 2007, 17:33

I dont know if it has already been mentioned on here but one film I saw recently which i thought was excellent was Apocalypto. I was expecting it to be a bit toss to be honest. I had no intention of liking Mel Gibson as a director, but as it turns out I think he is pretty good. That one about Jesus was alright, and then his latest effort was very good. Not the most original of plots, but I loved the originality of the setting. And the cinematography was awesome.

In all, next time Mel brings a film out I will not pre judge and will endevour to watch it quickly.

mehro · 14th June 2007, 19:06

Just saw The Fountain. And here's good review I found of it.

Author: warren-10 from San Francisco, CA

This is one half of a review. Some films need to be seen more than once to be fully grasped. This is one of them.

I would like to read Paul Schrader's review of this film. Not because he wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver, but because he wrote a book about "Transcendental Style in Film" and "The Fountain" is certainly in this category of film-making.

Because of Schrader's book, I've been viewing as many films by Dreyer, Ozu, and Bresson, that I can lay my hands on – especially those by Robert Bresson. There are many parallels between Aronofsky's film and Bresson, and yet their style is completely different – it's like comparing a Tintype photograph with a Van Gogh: Bresson is understated while Aronofsky is over the top. Yet, both directors create films that are best viewed more than once. Both styles leave a lot to the imagination which can be frustrating on the first viewing. I certainly was. This is why I consider this to be one half of a review. I've only seen this film once.

The Fountain has three story lines: one set in the past, one in the present, and one set ostensibly in the future. The three timelines weave in an out of each other like a Chinese puzzle. The past is poetic, the present is realistic, and the future is plausible. Moreover the future be either a real future (as cinematic futures go) or merely a dream of the future. So, this could be a very subjective story that takes place now. It is ambiguous, mysterious, and subject to personal interpretation. In this regard, The Fountain, is very much like the films of Bresson.

Bresson once mentioned that he intentionally avoids the obvious in his film; it is the mystery that propels the viewer's interest forward. Often later scenes reveal the mystery of that earlier enigma. This is a very literary form of film-making. Last night, I was surrounded by people in the audience who wanted every plot detail handed to us on a silver platter. As this was a sneak preview, we all got in for free. Some were probably expecting the extremes of "Requiem for a Dream". A group next to me left early. As I was leaving, I heard a teen say into her cell phone "don't bother to pay for this film – wait for it when it is on TV … for free". And I agree: if you can tolerate a lot of commercial TV and prefer magazines to books, then you may not like this film. If you read some of the reviews, for Bresson, you'll get some of the same impatience. These are films which break with what you'd expect from a film. Forget that you're in a movie theater; this piece will reward an open mind.

The acting in The Fountain is very dynamic but there was not enough breathing room for empathy. There is only one break in the tension when there could have been more. Instead, to serve the three story lines, the tension feels like one continuous climb. A tearful moment, from one storyline, leads to another tearful moment in another storyline. The group next to me – the one that ultimately left – were snickering. It feels like overacting, even though each performance is convincing, on its own. So, I felt my empathy in suspension. A different edit would have added more power to the emotional timbre of the acting. I find myself wishing for another 20 minutes of story to draw me in.

The music blended very well with the story – they never stood apart, which is ideal for a cinematic score. The visuals, however, did break the suspension of disbelief, on a few occasions. In one case, there was a tracking shot that uses a unique point of view that took me out of the story, thinking "wow, cool shot!", instead of thinking "I wonder where he is going". There is a certain amusement ride feel to some of the cinematography and Special Effects which detracts from the story. But, these shots are not gimmicks. They're premonitions and echoes of action in other sequences. They are crazy bold, like Van Gogh's brushstrokes tracing out a landscape. These bold strokes are the first thing that I notice, about "The Fountain". But, upon reflection, they paint a picture that is rather calm.

I look forward to seeing this movie again.

-------------------------------------------

I think I'm going to watch some of Bresson's movies.

Spoonatov · 14th June 2007, 19:11

I've just downloaded 1984.

CounterStrike · 15th June 2007, 03:43

Exciting movie, but where the fuck was the plot?

300 Spartan spazzers go up against 1 million Persians. What else would you expect?

Shit movie. It's laced with lots of slow motion fighting scenes and blood with the constant shouting of "SPAAARRRTTAAANNNS"

What did you guys think of it?

RUnited · 15th June 2007, 03:56

first you said it's exciting, then you said it's shit... once you make up your mind i'll tell you my opinion..

Spammy · 15th June 2007, 03:58

I thought it was crap.

15th June 2007, 03:43	#1107 (permalink)
CounterStrike Banned Join Date: May 2007 Location: In Drogba's Hair Grease Posts: 1,281	300 Exciting movie, but where the fuck was the plot? 300 Spartan spazzers go up against 1 million Persians. What else would you expect? Shit movie. It's laced with lots of slow motion fighting scenes and blood with the constant shouting of "SPAAARRRTTAAANNNS" What did you guys think of it?

14th June 2007, 15:14	#1085 (permalink)
FlawlessThaw most 'know it all' poster Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London Posts: 10,628	Collateral was shit in my opinion. Haven't seen Heat but will see it soon enough.

14th June 2007, 15:49	#1090 (permalink)
Spoonatov El Presidente - Voted best poster 2007 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Number 17. (Laura's got a cellulite arse). RIP Jermaine Stewart. Posts: 27,965	Miami Vice looks really awful. I'd rather not even watch it for free.

14th June 2007, 16:07	#1097 (permalink)
Spammy IQ of 18.5 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: I'm going to make this pencil...disappear... Posts: 12,690	Oooooh, get you!

14th June 2007, 16:14	#1098 (permalink)
Spoonatov El Presidente - Voted best poster 2007 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Number 17. (Laura's got a cellulite arse). RIP Jermaine Stewart. Posts: 27,965	I still keep thinking that I've quoted myself, each time, I quote your posts.

14th June 2007, 16:16	#1099 (permalink)
Spammy IQ of 18.5 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: I'm going to make this pencil...disappear... Posts: 12,690	Then you read it and realise that I wouldn't be calling LFC2IDIE a tit all the time.

14th June 2007, 16:42	#1100 (permalink)
mehro President of the Kick Smashed Out Movement Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 19,437	I think I'd only watch Miami Vice if my life depended on it.

14th June 2007, 16:55	#1101 (permalink)
reelworld Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: "I was never a great player" - Roy Keane, after being reminded that great players rarely make great managers. Posts: 5,193	I agree with the scouse bastard. Collateral was good, but Heat was a better movie. I enjoy Heat much more than Collateral. That scene where Pacino and DeNiro character met for the first time was fantastic.

14th June 2007, 16:55	#1102 (permalink)
Spoonatov El Presidente - Voted best poster 2007 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Number 17. (Laura's got a cellulite arse). RIP Jermaine Stewart. Posts: 27,965	Pacino is God.

14th June 2007, 17:28	#1103 (permalink)
Salvation Damnation Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Fictional seduction on a black snow sky Posts: 5,983	At World's End Tried to compensate an extensive screenplay through dialogues which not only made the first half completely theoretical but more importantly compromised on characterisation. The climax is where it probably earns its money 5.5/10 Give me 1 and 2 anyday

14th June 2007, 17:33	#1104 (permalink)
Simon Adebesi Reserve Team Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Sanctity, like a cat, abhors filth. Posts: 2,607	I dont know if it has already been mentioned on here but one film I saw recently which i thought was excellent was Apocalypto. I was expecting it to be a bit toss to be honest. I had no intention of liking Mel Gibson as a director, but as it turns out I think he is pretty good. That one about Jesus was alright, and then his latest effort was very good. Not the most original of plots, but I loved the originality of the setting. And the cinematography was awesome. In all, next time Mel brings a film out I will not pre judge and will endevour to watch it quickly.

14th June 2007, 19:06	#1105 (permalink)
mehro President of the Kick Smashed Out Movement Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 19,437	Just saw The Fountain. And here's good review I found of it. Author: warren-10 from San Francisco, CA This is one half of a review. Some films need to be seen more than once to be fully grasped. This is one of them. I would like to read Paul Schrader's review of this film. Not because he wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver, but because he wrote a book about "Transcendental Style in Film" and "The Fountain" is certainly in this category of film-making. Because of Schrader's book, I've been viewing as many films by Dreyer, Ozu, and Bresson, that I can lay my hands on – especially those by Robert Bresson. There are many parallels between Aronofsky's film and Bresson, and yet their style is completely different – it's like comparing a Tintype photograph with a Van Gogh: Bresson is understated while Aronofsky is over the top. Yet, both directors create films that are best viewed more than once. Both styles leave a lot to the imagination which can be frustrating on the first viewing. I certainly was. This is why I consider this to be one half of a review. I've only seen this film once. The Fountain has three story lines: one set in the past, one in the present, and one set ostensibly in the future. The three timelines weave in an out of each other like a Chinese puzzle. The past is poetic, the present is realistic, and the future is plausible. Moreover the future be either a real future (as cinematic futures go) or merely a dream of the future. So, this could be a very subjective story that takes place now. It is ambiguous, mysterious, and subject to personal interpretation. In this regard, The Fountain, is very much like the films of Bresson. Bresson once mentioned that he intentionally avoids the obvious in his film; it is the mystery that propels the viewer's interest forward. Often later scenes reveal the mystery of that earlier enigma. This is a very literary form of film-making. Last night, I was surrounded by people in the audience who wanted every plot detail handed to us on a silver platter. As this was a sneak preview, we all got in for free. Some were probably expecting the extremes of "Requiem for a Dream". A group next to me left early. As I was leaving, I heard a teen say into her cell phone "don't bother to pay for this film – wait for it when it is on TV … for free". And I agree: if you can tolerate a lot of commercial TV and prefer magazines to books, then you may not like this film. If you read some of the reviews, for Bresson, you'll get some of the same impatience. These are films which break with what you'd expect from a film. Forget that you're in a movie theater; this piece will reward an open mind. The acting in The Fountain is very dynamic but there was not enough breathing room for empathy. There is only one break in the tension when there could have been more. Instead, to serve the three story lines, the tension feels like one continuous climb. A tearful moment, from one storyline, leads to another tearful moment in another storyline. The group next to me – the one that ultimately left – were snickering. It feels like overacting, even though each performance is convincing, on its own. So, I felt my empathy in suspension. A different edit would have added more power to the emotional timbre of the acting. I find myself wishing for another 20 minutes of story to draw me in. The music blended very well with the story – they never stood apart, which is ideal for a cinematic score. The visuals, however, did break the suspension of disbelief, on a few occasions. In one case, there was a tracking shot that uses a unique point of view that took me out of the story, thinking "wow, cool shot!", instead of thinking "I wonder where he is going". There is a certain amusement ride feel to some of the cinematography and Special Effects which detracts from the story. But, these shots are not gimmicks. They're premonitions and echoes of action in other sequences. They are crazy bold, like Van Gogh's brushstrokes tracing out a landscape. These bold strokes are the first thing that I notice, about "The Fountain". But, upon reflection, they paint a picture that is rather calm. I look forward to seeing this movie again. ------------------------------------------- I think I'm going to watch some of Bresson's movies.

14th June 2007, 19:11	#1106 (permalink)
Spoonatov El Presidente - Voted best poster 2007 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Number 17. (Laura's got a cellulite arse). RIP Jermaine Stewart. Posts: 27,965	I've just downloaded 1984.

15th June 2007, 03:56	#1108 (permalink)
RUnited Gold Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Back in the 'hood Posts: 5,100	first you said it's exciting, then you said it's shit... once you make up your mind i'll tell you my opinion..

15th June 2007, 03:58	#1109 (permalink)
Spammy IQ of 18.5 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: I'm going to make this pencil...disappear... Posts: 12,690	I thought it was crap.