Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

[Nanderson]

Prisoners

Just wow....breathtaking. This the closest we will probably get to the Seven.

Movie of the year, absolutely.

Watched this the other day and loved it. I'd heard it was very good from a lot of people, but I still couldn't get excited by it. Thought it would be over-rated, but I really enjoyed it. I think what makes it so interesting is that some of the characters are ridiculously creepy.

Also watched The Place Beyond the Pines last night, for the second time. When I saw it in the cinema I had no idea what to make of it. Didn't dislike it, didn't love it. I was kind of mind-fecked because I had no idea what I had just watched. But watched it again last night and it's infinitely better on second viewing. A kind of gritty but touching story, very well told and with some very good performances.

 

[Keenst]

I did not know that, I thought it was one of his films, he is credited has one of the producers, that's why I was expecting more from it.
It was Troy Nixey's first outing has a director, for a first film it was pretty good.

He did co-write it too though, I think.

 

[pauldyson1uk]

Just watched Try Nixey's short film that got him the job on Dont Be afriad, it was strange but I thought very good.
It is called Latchkey's Lament and you can watch it here, http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4261583897

 

[pauldyson1uk]

He did co-write it too though, I think.

Yes he did with 2 others.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

He did co-write it too though, I think.

Yes he did with 2 others.

Yeah I checked that at the moment I wrote my post, but again in the interview I read of him this summer, he was clear that he often got a screnwriting credit even though he only chipped in with some ideas, on quite a few projects. But as I said, I don't really know much about this specific film so it's possible he was more involved!

 

[George Owen]

Prisoners (2013)

good movie... some nice twists but the obvious ones where too early on, so it just put me really impatient for the last 30 min as i was pretty sure how it all was going to end. I would like it more if i my guessing of the ending was wrong. Only the acting make it possible to hold in there for the last 30 min of the movie. Not on the level of gone baby gone or mystic river, but good overall, just 30 or 40 minutes too long. Oh and the casting for the creeps was excellent...

6.5/10

 

[Nanderson]

Prisoners (2013)

good movie... some nice twists but the obvious ones where too early on, so it just put me really impatient for the last 30 min as i was pretty sure how it all was going to end. I would like it more if i my guessing of the ending was wrong. Only the acting make it possible to hold in there for the last 30 min of the movie. Not on the level of gone baby gone or mystic river, but good overall, just 30 or 40 minutes too long. Oh and the casting for the creeps was excellent...

6.5/10

Yeah, that's what made the movie for me. Kept me interested.

 

[pauldyson1uk]

Insidious 2

Best horror I have seen this year, I liked it better than the first one, a few good scary bits in it.
Acting was generally good, apart from Dumber and Dumber, what a pair of idiot and do nothing for the film.
This was more like the first hour of the first film and did not descend in to stupidity.
The end of the film leaves it wide open for another sequel.
Well worth watching.

7/10

 

[surf]

Zorba the Greek (1964)

OK, so it's old, in black and white, and adapted from an even older book. It's also a classic in which Anthony Quinn gave the performance of his career as the larger than life Zorba. Set in a village in Crete, it has two weird and disturbing scenes that do not show the locals in a good light. 9/10

 

[R.N7]

Fruitvale Station - Where the feck is Wallace? He's in this fantastic, moving film that will make you seethe.

 

[Archie Leach]

Gravity

Superb. I was told it was visually incredible but sentimental and a bit corny, which is bullshit. It played out perfectly. Loved it.

 

[Archie Leach]

To alleviate boredom at work, here's my top ten of the year.

1. The Hunt (Jagten)
2. Gravity
3. Before Midnight
4. American Hustle
5. Prisoners
6. A Hijacking
7. Frances Ha
8. Ain't Them Bodies Saints
9. Side Effects
10. Pacific Rim

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Good list, though how Pacific Rim isn't at the top is beyond me.

Of this year's films, I still have to see Hunger Games, All is lost, Frozen, Prisoners, Walter Mitty, Don Jon, The Hobbit. Don't know if they'll make it into a top 10 list but I'd fancy seeing them.

Also, I'm curious about Zulu and Mandela. For the Mandela film, the trailer I saw was incredibly shit, I've rarely seen such a poor trailer, but it has Idris Elba in it so I'm wondering whether it's worth seeing...

 

[Archie Leach]

Three films being released relating to Mandela around the time he passes away from a long illness. Hmmmm.

 

[Goooose]

Definitely foul play, 95 is too young.

 

[buckooo1978]

watched the Internship today - pretty standard from Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn with some laughs as two guys try to redefine themselves as Interns at Google.....very watchable with some laffs

6.5/10

 

[Goooose]

Hell Baby - Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb move into a haunted house. Some excellent characters in this, mainly the neightbour and the coppers. Probably only for fans of Reno 911, even though it's not as good as the show.

6/10

 

[R.N7]

The World's End - Good stuff. I'm dying for a pint now.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Hell Baby - Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb move into a haunted house. Some excellent characters in this, mainly the neightbour and the coppers. Probably only for fans of Reno 911, even though it's not as good as the show.

6/10

I don't get it. Is it a horror film?

The World's End - Good stuff. I'm dying for a pint now.

Yeah it had that effect on me too!

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Open Grave
Pretty decent film starring Sharlito Coppley (?). Yes there was some bad dialogue and mistakes here and there but the premise was very interesting and had me hooked for majority of the film. I really wanted to get to the resolution and the ride was intriguing. The characters needed to be fleshed out more and the conversations between them could have done with adjustments but a really enjoyable 90 mins. I would definitely recommend 7.5/10

Contracted
Good idea but awful execution. Too slow paced, most of the 'acting' was terrible and the film was just quite boring. There were some gross out make up work which was cool and like I said, the idea of the actual film was decent, just that it was poorly executed, which is a shame 4.5/10

Evil Dead
I used to love this film as a youngster, it scared the pants off of me. Watching it again now, it was pretty badly made but that really adds to the charm as this accidental 'so bad its good' hammy scenes led to Evil Dead 2, and that is one of my favourite horror films. Still enjoyed it a decade after I watched it the first time 8/10

The Hobbit 2
Enjoyed this a lot more than the first one. It seemed to flow better and less padding so to say. Was pretty long still but overall I really thought it was quite awesome.

Spoiler

Orlando Bloom's character was epic!

Overall a very enjoyable film in my opinion 7.5/10

 

[Goooose]

I don't get it. Is it a horror film?

Comedy horror.

 

[Castia]

The Spectacular Now -

They aren't for everybody but I do love a good drama/romance film and I was expecting this one to rank up there with 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' and 'Silver Linings Playbook' but it doesn't quite reach that level. The acting is good, both Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley look to have big futures but I didn't really connect with the story, infact I thought the main character was a complete douche which makes it hard to feel sympathy for the situation he's in. 7/10

 

[Rooney in Paris]

Hunger Games - Catching Fire

Enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Takes a bit of time to get going I felt but overall I was quite invested in the film right til the end. Surprisingly, when it finished I thought there was still 20 minutes or something left, when I usually tend to get a bit bored by these films by the end. In the first part, I thought all the stuff leading up to the Hunger Games was good, but the games themselves were pretty shit, in this one I thought that the build up was excellent but that the games didn't really feel like a let down. I think they were a bit shorter and especially I felt they managed to instill a bit of tension and suspense which was lacking in the first one. Overall, I really enjoyed it and thought it was great entertainment.

Tomorrow morning, off to see some homoerotic hobbits!

 

[Sally Cinnamon]

Fruitvale Station -

Great film though.

 

[Vato]

To alleviate boredom at work, here's my top ten of the year.

1. The Hunt (Jagten)
2. Gravity
3. Before Midnight
4. American Hustle
5. Prisoners
6. A Hijacking
7. Frances Ha
8. Ain't Them Bodies Saints
9. Side Effects
10. Pacific Rim

Here's my attempt, probably forgetting a few.

1. Prisoners
2. World War Z
3. Oblivion
4. My brother the devil
5. Stoker
6. The Hunt
7. Killer Joe
8. The Evil Dead
9. Side Effects
10. Mud

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Anchorman was brilliant, for me. If you enjoyed the original, you'll love it. I was apprehensive at first but honestly thought it was an improvement. Classic.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Top 10 of 2013, not in any order and probably leaving some out by mistake:

1. The Conjuring
2. This Is The End
3. Prisoners
4. Elysium
5. The Evil Dead
6. The Hobbit
7. Captain Phillips
8. Fast & Furious 6
9. Side Effects
10. Frozen Ground

Haven't seen 47 Ronin and Rush yet, they do look good though...

 

[Wibble]

Don Jon A modern version of Don Juan set in New Jersey. Largely focusing on porn and wanking. Not terrible with a few laughs but with a suprisingly sweet ending (if a tad unbelievable). I'm not sure the demographic this was aiming for as it seems to be a chick flick aimed at blokes. Worth a watch if you want a few laughs on a Friday night at home with a "DVD".7/10

 

[dumbo]

Everyone I know was going on about Prisoners so I watched it. Pretty decent on the whole. The story suffered slightly from being a patch work of other films (Spoorloos, Zodiac, Lady Vengeance, seven, etc. etc.). As a result it was tonally uneven, particularly the last 15 minutes when it

Spoiler

became Hansel and Gretel

I would have liked more script and fewer cheap twists and red herrings but the thrills and the tension are well done.

Despite Gyllenhaal's character being totally unbelievable (not least that haircut), he was probably the best thing about the film. The blinking may have been too much for some but I liked the slightly overcooked character and thought his frustrations were played well. The obvious and excessive use of procedural platitudes was a nice little touch too and something I personally don't recall seeing before in a film.

When Mel Gibson makes this type of thriller they usually come in at around 2 hours, no way should Prisoners have been as long as it was. Also surely the title is

Spoiler

a plot spoiler?

 

[Brophs]

Grown Ups 2

Unsurprisingly one of the worst films I've ever seen. It starts with a really bad CGI deer going into Adam Sandler's bedroom as he's waking up and somehow manages to get worse from there. It just seems made up of a load of first draft sketches which don't seem to go anywhere. There's no plot to speak of, they don't bother explaining most of what goes on, though they seem to sort of embrace that with things like throwing an enormous party at short notice at which a famous band turn up and play "because they were in the neighbourhood". That's the level of effort they put in. If you like this movie you and I can never be friends.

1/10

 

[Minkaro]

Grown Ups 2 was awful, but I have to admit I laughed at Steve Buscemi's costume at the party. It's OK, I'm putting my official "Brophs's friend" card in the shredder now .

Anchorman 2

Yeah, it was good. Didn't think it was anywhere near as good as the first one, but I wouldn't say it pales in comparison either. Some very funny moments, and there was one thing that I was pleased about, which I'll put into a spoiler. I'd give the film a 7/10.

Spoiler

During the big news team vs. news team fight, I was pleased that I didn't feel they were just retreading the joke from the first one. Obviously it pretty much was the same joke, but I think the cameos helped it out a lot, as did the addition of the future gun, the Minotaur, and the werewolf that I'm pretty sure didn't actually appear again after the transformation.

 

[Vato]

8. Fast & Furious 6

Are you sure this isn't your 'worst 10 films ever made' list?

 

[R.N7]

Everyone I know was going on about Prisoners so I watched it. Pretty decent on the whole. The story suffered slightly from being a patch work of other films (Spoorloos, Zodiac, Lady Vengeance, seven, etc. etc.). As a result it was tonally uneven, particularly the last 15 minutes when it

Spoiler

became Hansel and Gretel

I would have liked more script and fewer cheap twists and red herrings but the thrills and the tension are well done.

Despite Gyllenhaal's character being totally unbelievable (not least that haircut), he was probably the best thing about the film. The blinking may have been too much for some but I liked the slightly overcooked character and thought his frustrations were played well. The obvious and excessive use of procedural platitudes was a nice little touch too and something I personally don't recall seeing before in a film.

When Mel Gibson makes this type of thriller they usually come in at around 2 hours, no way should Prisoners have been as long as it was. Also surely the title is

Spoiler

a plot spoiler?

Just watched it. I agree with most of this.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Top 10 of 2013, not in any order and probably leaving some out by mistake:

Haven't seen 47 Ronin and Rush yet, they do look good though...

Gravity? Iron Man 3? Despicable Me 2? Monsters University? Man of Steel? Star Trek Into the Darkness? World War Z?
I'd still rate Pacific Rim, G.I Joe retaliation, Riddick, over F&F6

Anyone seen American Hustle? or Di Cap's Wolves of Wall Street?

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

The Hobbit - Desolation of Smaug

My first IMAX movie, so was more impressive than normal. Good special effects, but just a too damn long and the elf/dwarf romance scenes just drags down the film. PeterJ has gone for action/CGI over story and it just fails to match standards. The strory moves just a couple of inches over the whole movie and just when it starte to get interesting movie ends.

Worth a watch for the effects. 7/10

 

[pauldyson1uk]

The Hobbit - Desolation of Smaug

My first IMAX movie, so was more impressive than normal. Good special effects, but just a too damn long and the elf/dwarf romance scenes just drags down the film. PeterJ has gone for action/CGI over story and it just fails to match standards. The strory moves just a couple of inches over the whole movie and just when it starte to get interesting movie ends.

Worth a watch for the effects. 7/10

They want to to rush out and watch the next film when it is released.
Your review has slightly put me off wanting to watch it.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Your review has slightly put me off wanting to watch it.

Don't get put off. It's still worth a watch as I mention. My gripe is more on story not moving on in the trilogy more than this film alone. If this movie never happened the whole story will Not suffer much imho. But as a standalone film don't miss it.

 

[R.N7]

The Place Beyond the Pines - Ambitious, well-crafted, good soundtrack (Bon Iver, Morricone) and even though it didn't hit the spot quite enough with it's ambitions I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Are you sure this isn't your 'worst 10 films ever made' list?

I really found it very entertaining, I love mindless action and car stunts, both of which were here

Gravity? Iron Man 3? Despicable Me 2? Monsters University? Man of Steel? Star Trek Into the Darkness? World War Z?
I'd still rate Pacific Rim, G.I Joe retaliation, Riddick, over F&F6

Anyone seen American Hustle? or Di Cap's Wolves of Wall Street?

Gravity was good visually but I found it otherwise boring. Didn't like Iron man at all. Haven't seen Despicable me 2, Monsters uni was ok but not THAT amazing, hated Man of Steel, star trek was ok, world war z was actually my 11th fan film of the year. I'm a fan of the f&f series

 

[Archie Leach]

Gravity? Iron Man 3? Despicable Me 2? Monsters University? Man of Steel? Star Trek Into the Darkness? World War Z?
I'd still rate Pacific Rim, G.I Joe retaliation, Riddick, over F&F6

Anyone seen American Hustle? or Di Cap's Wolves of Wall Street?

Yep, it's absolutely terrific. Very funny.