Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

So I finished watching this today. I must say the last half hour was kind of fun but it still didn't make up for the overall disappointment of being a very poor movie. In addition to what I said earlier, I will add that it will not stand up very well against the earlier trilogy despite the constant references to the source material. The monologuing was just tedious and very distracting and the antagonists offered very little by way of threat and menace. The film was too dark and really should have stuck with the same lighting and filters that they used in the earlier movies to give it that other-worldly look. Continuity was also hit and miss and while they did have to move the story forward, you get the impression they just settled on a make-do outcome that struggled for any real coherence. I sincerely hope they're not thinking of doing another one.

I'm giving this a 5/10.
 
calodo2003 said:
Kinda wish they’d left a masterpiece alone.
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I like the first Chase movie (the second is awful), but they broke the back of the novel to make it Chevy’s BEVERLY HILLS COP movie. The new Hamm movie is based on a different novel so there should be no direct comparison.

The books are actually funnier than the movie. Plus the spin-off Flynn books.
 
Loon said:
I like the first Chase movie (the second is awful), but they broke the back of the novel to make it Chevy’s BEVERLY HILLS COP movie. The new Hamm movie is based on a different novel so there should be no direct comparison.

The books are actually funnier than the movie. Plus the spin-off Flynn books.
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Yep, the second is unwatchable.

The books are mint.
 
Debating whether to watch:

Father Stu
Fantastic Beasts The Secrets of Dumbledore

Both seem to be rated around 6, which doesn't fill me with confidence to spend time on it...

Fans seem to love it though. Much higher audience ratings from RT for both.
 
So Friday night after getting the kids to bed my wife informed me she wanted to watch an “erotic” movie with me, what she had heard was “the Polish Fifty Shades”. Personally I wanted to watch The Fugitive for about the fiftieth time as it was on but obviously was a bit intrigued so went with it. It turned out to be 365 Days which is basically a 90 minute kidnapp/rape fantasy about a Sicilian mafioso who falls in love and becomes obsessed with a Polish girl he meets briefly on a Mediterranean Island. Five years later he bumps into her again, so obviously he drugs her and imprisons her, advising he will be keeping her for 365 days to give her a chance to fall in love with him. Won’t spoil anything that follows, except to say that this is without a doubt the worst movie I have ever sat through, put the two of us in a bad mood. 1/10 not even the nudity could salvage this one.
 
I was in the mood for something a bit different last night, so watched The 39 Steps by Alfred Hitchcock for the first time. Never seen it before, didn't know a single thing about this one. Really enjoyed it. It's got a great pace to it and there are little humorous lines here and there which are nice touches. The ending was pretty satisfying, despite it being a little 'out there', but I enjoyed that. You can definitely tell that this film was more than a little influential for future films in the genre. I can imagine that it was groundbreaking at the time. Just overall great storytelling and film-making.

Quite fancy watching Vertigo or Rope, but neither are on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Neither is The Birds. Booooooooooo.
 
2cents said:
So Friday night after getting the kids to bed my wife informed me she wanted to watch an “erotic” movie with me, what she had heard was “the Polish Fifty Shades”. Personally I wanted to watch The Fugitive for about the fiftieth time as it was on but obviously was a bit intrigued so went with it. It turned out to be 365 Days which is basically a 90 minute kidnapp/rape fantasy about a Sicilian mafioso who falls in love and becomes obsessed with a Polish girl he meets briefly on a Mediterranean Island. Five years later he bumps into her again, so obviously he drugs her and imprisons her, advising he will be keeping her for 365 days to give her a chance to fall in love with him. Won’t spoil anything that follows, except to say that this is without a doubt the worst movie I have ever sat through, put the two of us in a bad mood. 1/10 not even the nudity could salvage this one.
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And what have we learned from this?
 
Superunknown said:
I was in the mood for something a bit different last night, so watched The 39 Steps by Alfred Hitchcock for the first time. Never seen it before, didn't know a single thing about this one. Really enjoyed it. It's got a great pace to it and there are little humorous lines here and there which are nice touches. The ending was pretty satisfying, despite it being a little 'out there', but I enjoyed that. You can definitely tell that this film was more than a little influential for future films in the genre. I can imagine that it was groundbreaking at the time. Just overall great storytelling and film-making.

Quite fancy watching Vertigo or Rope, but neither are on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Neither is The Birds. Booooooooooo.
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One of my favourites. With Hitchcock being for me the greatest film director of all time, no question.

The Lady Vanishes is also a good one from his british time.

Psycho is another brilliant one as is north by northwest. Them two along with Vertigo would be in my top ten favourite films of all time.

Notorious is another brilliant one.
 
Hugh Jass said:
One of my favourites. With Hitchcock being for me the greatest film director of all time, no question.

The Lady Vanishes is also a good one from his british time.

Psycho is another brilliant one as is north by northwest. Them two along with Vertigo would be in my top ten favourite films of all time.

Notorious is another brilliant one.
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I would add Dial M for Murder, excellent film.
 
2cents said:
So Friday night after getting the kids to bed my wife informed me she wanted to watch an “erotic” movie with me, what she had heard was “the Polish Fifty Shades”. Personally I wanted to watch The Fugitive for about the fiftieth time as it was on but obviously was a bit intrigued so went with it. It turned out to be 365 Days which is basically a 90 minute kidnapp/rape fantasy about a Sicilian mafioso who falls in love and becomes obsessed with a Polish girl he meets briefly on a Mediterranean Island. Five years later he bumps into her again, so obviously he drugs her and imprisons her, advising he will be keeping her for 365 days to give her a chance to fall in love with him. Won’t spoil anything that follows, except to say that this is without a doubt the worst movie I have ever sat through, put the two of us in a bad mood. 1/10 not even the nudity could salvage this
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I haven't watched a film that just my wife wanted to see since I let her persuade me to go and watch Mama Mia at the cinema years ago.
 
The Corinthian said:
And what have we learned from this?
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That choosing the Friday night movie should be a cool, sober, dispassionate process, divorced from whatever repressed urgings we may be harboring, with me ultimately getting my way?

Having said that, she’s suggested watching the sequel tomorrow night, and I may go along with it on the off-chance the fecked up plot and shitty acting doesn’t ruin my boner.
 
Disobedience

Nice lesbian Jewish drama directed by Sebastian Lelio, starting Rachel Weiss and Rachel McAdams. Very plainly shot without almost any flair but really works for the situation. Both actors put in subtle but touching performances and the tension and affection real comes out in certain scenes.

Near the end the film bottles it, it wants to have its cake and eat it too, which undermines the feminist message the film is going for. Also the focus should have been on McAdams character and a longer running time.

Still it’s worth a watch.

7/10
 
Lucy (2014):
Awful in every way except the 89 minute runtime. With biology logic much worse than X-Men, philosophizing much worse than Matrix 2, and a laughably insane ending, the second half reached so-bad-it's-good status.
 
Reiver said:
I haven't watched a film that just my wife wanted to see since I let her persuade me to go and watch Mama Mia at the cinema years ago.
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That doesn't sound that bad. Not my go to type of film but I've seen far far worse.
 
Wibble said:
That doesn't sound that bad. Not my go to type of film but I've seen far far worse.
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Objectively, you're right, there are far worse films. It was more the experience of a packed cinema singing along to every song and people on their feet dancing. I also don't particularly like ABBA.
 
Beautiful Boy

Good film. It was really odd to watch Steve Carell angry.

7/10
 
berbatrick said:
Lucy (2014):
Awful in every way except the 89 minute runtime. With biology logic much worse than X-Men, philosophizing much worse than Matrix 2, and a laughably insane ending, the second half reached so-bad-it's-good status.
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Never seen it but surprised if this bad. A likeable cast and a decent RT rating.
 
Reiver said:
Objectively, you're right, there are far worse films. It was more the experience of a packed cinema singing along to every song and people on their feet dancing. I also don't particularly like ABBA.
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That doesn't sound good.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Same. One of my biggest movie beefs is how often trailers are full of spoilers. Just lack the self discipline to not be nosy!
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This is what annoys me about cinema's. Easy to avoid trailers for films I'm interested in outside of the theatre, but I had to sit through half a dozen the other night because I wasn't sure if IMAX showings actually started on time.

SPOILER - they don't. 7.30pm start time. The film started at 8.06PM
 
Nocturnal Animals (2016)

For some reason I had never gotten around to seeing this until yesterday, but thought it was really good. Exactly my type of movie: Thriller/psychological drama with interweaving plots, a clear visual identity, really good acting and plenty to think about afterwards. The plot keeps rolling along nicely and the run-time of 2 hours goes by really quickly. Even though there are basically three storylines with some of the same actors showing up in several of them, it doesn't become confusing. Rather you spend the time pondering how the fictional story will end and how it is used to symbolize the real life story. Also, there are some scenes where the tension build-up is really good. The acting is good across the board, but the standouts are definitely Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Michael Shannon. Especially the latter is really excellent, and you wonder why you don't see him more often.
The themes are generally interesting, and the message of the movie is relatively original - or at least delivered in an original way. My main gripe would be that the symbolism is a little ham-fisted at times, to the point where one of the themes of the movie is literally written in capital letters on a painting - real subtle. There was also a jump scare that felt a little out of place in a movie like this (it got me good though).

Overall, highly recommended. 8/10.
 
Watched Bergman's Island at the cineplex yesterday and my verdict is that it's okay. I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a must-see or anything.

The best parts were in early in, seeing the couple's relationship in its morose moments. Tension built by subtly exploring their insecurities and differences. Will she cheat on him with the handsome student? Oh it'd be so easy and normal, right?!

Then the film gets to the Mia Wasokowski dream-in-a-movie section and my god it goes on and on. Like it was an interesting idea for 5 minutes that the director thought she'd pad out for 40 because it had a recognizable actress.

If it were a Hong Sang Soo movie - which it's quite similar to tbh - he'd have those parts interweave through the story and only focus on the awkward exchanges. Though of course it would've been about the guy.

3/5
 
The Last Duel:
Fantastic. Can't believe people were saying it's anti-feminist - despite the Rashomon setup, the movie is quite explicit about whose point of view is to be believed. Only criticism is that the 1st 20 minutes or so can easily be condensed to a few shots.
8/10

Green knight:
TYiaOVN.png

Wtf was this about.
3/10


The Tomorrow War:
Vomit/10. Avoid. Garbage. Not even entertainingly bad garbage.
 
berbatrick said:
The Last Duel:
Fantastic. Can't believe people were saying it's anti-feminist - despite the Rashomon setup, the movie is quite explicit about whose point of view is to be believed. Only criticism is that the 1st 20 minutes or so can easily be condensed to a few shots.
8/10

Green knight:
TYiaOVN.png

Wtf was this about.
3/10


The Tomorrow War:
Vomit/10. Avoid. Garbage. Not even entertainingly bad garbage.
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On the last duel
I found the first 2 points of view redundant. Especially when its so explicit about which point of view is the truthful one. You could cut cut the first hour or so of the movie and lose nothing, it'd be a much better film actually
 
oneniltothearsenal said:
I just want to riff on the bolded. I think Marvel has a much greater negative societal influence than you acknowledge here. The reason is that it mostly influences the worldview of kids when they are malleable. We haven't fully seen the long-term negative impact but I think it greatly contributes to America's general mindset on guns. It 100% reinforces the whole "good guy with guns" narrative by consistently presenting the audience with the view that there are big bad evil people and the only thing to stop those big bad evil people are good guys that are heavily armed (with superpowers). They completely overlook any sort of institutional reform or collective means of problem-solving for this whole charismatic superhero as the solution narrative. It reinforces these cognitive frames way before people grow old enough to vote. It's essentially training kids to accept many of the narratives you hear from the worst of the conservative politicians.

Wanton destruction and in the next movie everything is rebuilt and the casualties and even daily stresses of the average person are overlooked, completely shoved into the background, because the effects on the average person are ultimately unimportant. The narratives in Marvel movies craft a worldview where people don't have to think because the superhero will save them. We can see variations of this exact mindset in Trump and his followers. How they idolize him like he is a superhero because he is rich. In many ways, Marvel movies train these people that become mindless Trump (or Elon Musk) fanatics. It removes a nuanced way of viewing how the world works.

There have been some comic books that actually deconstruct this phenomenon and essentially portray what the world would really look like if people had superpowers and it wouldn't be anything like Marvel movies. Miracleman: The Golden Age from Neil Gaiman is one that is remarkable in pulling back this curtain and examining what the superhero narratives really mean.
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Out of interest, how many of the Marvel films have you watched? Because it seems to me that your idea of their narrative is not particularly close to what I've picked up on, and I think I share your outlook on how that would be a damaging message. More and more in these films they've steered clear of having out-and-out "villains" and have increasingly shown consequences of escalation, which I think has contributed to their success as a vehicle for story-telling on a mass scale.
 
I quite liked Green Knight too. First off I think the set design was incredibly strong and it had a very distinct style and look. I think the performances and monologues were brilliant, kind of mad but poetic and brilliant.
I think it was a knights tale, it was about virtue and honor and strength but with modern, relatable sensibilities. Gawain isn't virtuous because hes a virgin, whipping himself in prayer for hours every day. He isn't virtuous at all really. But he sets out on a quest to complete an oath that no one expects him to fulfill, thats going to kill him. Hes tested, repeatedly. He's 5 minutes into his quest when hes beaten, robbed and left for dead and is given a vision of himself dieing in a ditch. He fails repeatedly too but at the moment of truth he shows strength and makes a decision that shapes his life for the better presumably.
I like to imagine that he goes home, marries his lowborn girlfriend and becomes a voice of decency, compassion, honor and bravery in the court. And his great quest is fulfilled.
Not a very traditional portrait of a knight but a strong one i thought.
 
caid said:
I quite liked Green Knight too. First off I think the set design was incredibly strong and it had a very distinct style and look. I think the performances and monologues were brilliant, kind of mad but poetic and brilliant.
I think it was a knights tale, it was about virtue and honor and strength but with modern, relatable sensibilities. Gawain isn't virtuous because hes a virgin, whipping himself in prayer for hours every day. He isn't virtuous at all really. But he sets out on a quest to complete an oath that no one expects him to fulfill, thats going to kill him. Hes tested, repeatedly. He's 5 minutes into his quest when hes beaten, robbed and left for dead and is given a vision of himself dieing in a ditch. He fails repeatedly too but at the moment of truth he shows strength and makes a decision that shapes his life for the better presumably.
I like to imagine that he goes home, marries his lowborn girlfriend and becomes a voice of decency, compassion, honor and bravery in the court. And his great quest is fulfilled.
Not a very traditional portrait of a knight but a strong one i thought.
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The Northman worked better for me as a hero myth in that vaguely related space, but I should probably give Green Knight another chance.
 
Organic Potatoes said:
The Northman worked better for me as a hero myth in that vaguely related space, but I should probably give Green Knight another chance.
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Northman reminded me more of a gladiator. I can see the comparison though. Green Knight really reminded me of seventh seal, I think partly because i watched it about a week before.
 
Green Knight is more mystical/dreamlike, a proper interpretation of an Arthurian tale on the screen, which isn't the vibe Northman is going for. Both great films though. Green Knight was probably the best "under the radar" film of 2021.
 
Mike Smalling said:
Nocturnal Animals (2016)

For some reason I had never gotten around to seeing this until yesterday, but thought it was really good. Exactly my type of movie: Thriller/psychological drama with interweaving plots, a clear visual identity, really good acting and plenty to think about afterwards. The plot keeps rolling along nicely and the run-time of 2 hours goes by really quickly. Even though there are basically three storylines with some of the same actors showing up in several of them, it doesn't become confusing. Rather you spend the time pondering how the fictional story will end and how it is used to symbolize the real life story. Also, there are some scenes where the tension build-up is really good. The acting is good across the board, but the standouts are definitely Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Michael Shannon. Especially the latter is really excellent, and you wonder why you don't see him more often.
The themes are generally interesting, and the message of the movie is relatively original - or at least delivered in an original way. My main gripe would be that the symbolism is a little ham-fisted at times, to the point where one of the themes of the movie is literally written in capital letters on a painting - real subtle. There was also a jump scare that felt a little out of place in a movie like this (it got me good though).

Overall, highly recommended. 8/10.
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I love this movie. It's also one of the few adaptations where I think the movie is an improvement over the novel it's based on (even though Tony and Susan is still a very good novel). Have to give Tom Ford credit.

decorativeed said:
Out of interest, how many of the Marvel films have you watched? Because it seems to me that your idea of their narrative is not particularly close to what I've picked up on, and I think I share your outlook on how that would be a damaging message. More and more in these films they've steered clear of having out-and-out "villains" and have increasingly shown consequences of escalation, which I think has contributed to their success as a vehicle for story-telling on a mass scale.
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Maybe 10? I just can't do them anymore. I tried to watch that Infinity War in the last few years and turned it off after an hour or so because it did nothing for me. I might have seen a Spider-Man too with family after that too but I barely remember it because I had to drink a lot. I'm sure they've gotten better to some degree but they are nowhere near the depth of some of the comic writers I've read like Brubaker, Gaiman, Moore, Morrison, Ellis which isn't surprising I suppose since they are written for 12-year-olds rather than grad students.
 
Superunknown said:
I was in the mood for something a bit different last night, so watched The 39 Steps by Alfred Hitchcock for the first time. Never seen it before, didn't know a single thing about this one. Really enjoyed it. It's got a great pace to it and there are little humorous lines here and there which are nice touches. The ending was pretty satisfying, despite it being a little 'out there', but I enjoyed that. You can definitely tell that this film was more than a little influential for future films in the genre. I can imagine that it was groundbreaking at the time. Just overall great storytelling and film-making.

Quite fancy watching Vertigo or Rope, but neither are on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Neither is The Birds. Booooooooooo.
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Not sure if it was mentioned, but Rear Window is excellent, my all time Hitchcock favourite. It is on Netflix I believe. Or was..
 
berbatrick said:
The Last Duel:
Fantastic. Can't believe people were saying it's anti-feminist - despite the Rashomon setup, the movie is quite explicit about whose point of view is to be believed. Only criticism is that the 1st 20 minutes or so can easily be condensed to a few shots.
8/10
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I was a bit bored by the end and I usually like Ridley Scott films. 3 chapters telling the same story made is hugely repetitive.
 
Memories of murder

I've seen it before and it still holds up , in fact i would go as far to call it his best film (haven't seen okja but doesn't look promising to me), the story works really well for me and the little eccentricities of the characters add a touch of humor that I appreciated, it also works its way really well into the climax.

The ending could be a bit of breaking point for some folk especially how jarring it could seem when he (kinda) breaks the 4th wall but I say it did the job right, I found it even more intriguing now that the guy has actually been found compared to the first time watching it when it was a mystery.

To compare it to his more well known piece *parasite* I felt this one was a lot more focused compared to parasite where I felt it kinda jumbled up some themes over it's runtime, there are some shared themes among the two movies so contrasting them is interesting i think.

Score : i don't know what to give it but I definitely recommend it, go see it if you haven't.
 
caid said:
On the last duel
I found the first 2 points of view redundant. Especially when its so explicit about which point of view is the truthful one. You could cut cut the first hour or so of the movie and lose nothing, it'd be a much better film actually
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I disagree - the PoVs didn't just disagree about the
rape
itself, but about a ton of smaller details too. Even though Matt Damon and the lead woman agree on that main incident, their memory is otherwise totally different. I thought it was nice world- and character-building.
Agreed that a lot of it could be cut though.
 
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