Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Sweet Square

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Trying to... In fact I've watched loads of films over the past couple of months, though I haven't posted much here.

Interesting trivia - surprised to read the King Lear inspiration only came later, the Shakespeare inspiration seems super strong. Not surprised by how meticulous the preparation for it all was, it transpires in every shot. Gorgeous film.

Which other film by him do you recommend? I have only seen Seven Samurai.
Just to jump in - Throne Of Blood is another brilliant Shakespeare inspired Kurosawa film(It's a samurai Macbeth).

Also I think it's only like £2:00 to rent out on Amazon.
 

Dirty Schwein

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Gretel & Hansel

A long time ago in a distant fairy tale countryside, a young girl leads her little brother into a dark wood in desperate search of food and work, only to stumble upon a nexus of terrifying evil
This is one of those films that should have been excellent, but did not fulfill its potential.
In the end it was just dreadful, horror !! I was more scared watching Boris give his speech.
Avoid at all costs.

2/10
Ah crap. Was gonna watch this tonight!

Bloodshot
Vin Diesel smashes things after using an infinite lives cheat. Some of the action set-pieces were really stylistically shot but apart from that, this was awful. Flat pacing, awful 'acting', stupid dialogue, too many edits in the action scenes, Vin Diesel, a mess of a plot and just a dull movie. One of the rare films where I spent a chuck of it staring at my phone because I was so bored. Considering it's a dumb superhero-action movie, this should never have been the case. Surprised the same guy who wrote Arrival wrote this garbage. Toby Kebbell has some sick dance moves though. 2/10
 

Dirty Schwein

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Dora And The Lost City Of Gold
Rough start but eventually finds its groove. Fun for kids. Man Eva Longoria has turned proper fat 5/10

Sonic

Probably the best video game movie since Mortal Kombat (viewed through nostalgia glasses). Fun, simple story. Likeable characters. Jim Carrey. Nice nods to the game. An enjoyable movie 7/10
 

Wibble

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Dora And The Lost City Of Gold
Rough start but eventually finds its groove. Fun for kids. Man Eva Longoria has turned proper fat 5/10

Sonic

Probably the best video game movie since Mortal Kombat (viewed through nostalgia glasses). Fun, simple story. Likeable characters. Jim Carrey. Nice nods to the game. An enjoyable movie 7/10
She started filming that 1 month after giving birth so hardly suprising.
 

RedPed

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Ma (2019)

Just caught up with this on Sky Cinema and to be honest it wasn't a complete waste of my 90-odd minutes. I was more intrigued by what they could do with Octavia Spencer in a psychological horror and whether I could be convinced that she can be some kind of deranged killer. By all intents they almost pulled it off. I just reckon if you're going to go against type with an actor that is usually associated with strong, positive roles you have to go all in.

Unfortunately, the script came up a little short and I cant help feeling there was a missed opportunity here. Don't get me wrong it's not a bad film. It just lacked the intensity that a good psycho-horror should have. I'll forgive the ridiculous and completely implausible plot as they are usually essential ingredients for these types of films but it was great to see Juliet Lewis again. She still looks great. Spencer did her best as the twisted loner who hooks up with a bunch of teenagers who end up with a bit more than they bargained for. Great story but just in the end very predictable. The runner scene was the stand out moment and the 'whiteface' line was hilarious. I think that kid got off lightly all things considered.

Anyway, not a bad attempt but just standard fare to be honest. If only Spencer's character had been given more depth it could have been a great little movie. She must have had lots of fun making it though.

I'm giving this a 6/10.
 

R.N7

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Trying to... In fact I've watched loads of films over the past couple of months, though I haven't posted much here.

Interesting trivia - surprised to read the King Lear inspiration only came later, the Shakespeare inspiration seems super strong. Not surprised by how meticulous the preparation for it all was, it transpires in every shot. Gorgeous film.

Which other film by him do you recommend? I have only seen Seven Samurai.
I know you've watched a few WKW what else?

Rashomon is worth a watch just cuz of how iconic it is. Throne of Blood is another Shakespearean take and Ikiru of course.
 

Sweet Square

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My Blueberry Nights

Wong Kar Wai only English speaking film to date. The story follows a young women traveling America after a break up.

For some reason this has a bad rep with both reviewers and the audiences but I'm honestly not sure why. Wong Kar Wai style crosses over to Western cinema with ease, Khondji(Might be the first film which Wong didn't have Doyle as the cinematographer) perfectly captures late night drinking in bars and also managing to turn a Las Vegas car sale into a work of art(One particular shot of Natalie Portman, really stands out). The soundtrack is of course brilliant.

But the real highlight for me was just how different it is towards Wong other works. While it still has the usual shtick - certain uses of colour, slow mo shots and limited dialogue. There isn't any of the pure romantic fantasy elements that are normally so common in his films(Chunking Express or Fallen Angel for example,) there's no shoot outs(No one fires a gun which is a rare thing in Wong film), no odd ball characters or conversations in empty football stadiums. It's instead all bars or casinos full of shitty and depressed characters.

In particular Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz, both go through certain events(Trying not to spoil it for anyone)and there's no ironic wise wisdom to be learned at the end and no nostalgic longing, the characters take the hit life gives them and they move on, mostly entirely unchanged. Oh and David Strathiirn character is having some little difficulties. Norah Jones acting and her overall character seem to get brought up as the low point in the film but I think people misunderstand her role. She playing everyone in their earlier 20's, idealistic, native and while moving through life meeting older and more damage people than herself, with her take away again being again no real personal change.

It's road movie that ends up finishing up where it started, a 90 minute character piece where nobody changes or learns anything, which doesn't sound like a massive seling point for the film but somehow it works. It's not up there with the very best of Wong works but it's still worth you're time.

Oh and Jude Law has a Yorkshire accent for some reason and there's a nice short appearance from the singer Cat Power.

8/10
 
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R.N7

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I've rewatched a few early, iconic horror films. It's the first time I've seen them as an adult so they kinda felt like completely new films, especially seeing them in crisp blu-ray quality. Brief assessments:

Frankenstein (1931) - Boris Karloff was just fantastic.
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - A bit striking to watch it straight after the original whatwith the change of tone and everything. Dr Pretorius walks into the universe and it still works.
Dracula (1931) - I'm with Christopher Lee on his assement of Bela Lugosi, not really a fan of his performance. Rather anemic film but like Frankenstein the lack of a musical score produced some sporadic arresting scenes.
King Kong (1933) - I had forgotten just how high the body count was in this. People eaten by dinosaurs and thrown off buildings, a real bloodbath. The human drama was hilariously inept at times.
Godzilla (1954) - It wasn't really about Godzilla at all. I almost forgot about that giant lizard seeing as it was all about nuclear war.
 

dumbo

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I like Lugosi's shtick but Dracula is quite a naff film. The Spanish version is a much better tale, although the actor playing Dracula isn't very distinct.

My standouts are Bride, Invisible Man, Wolfman, Dr Jekyll (talkie), Phantom (Silent).

The homunculi in Bride and the Hyde transformation in the silent version are still amazing effects, whilst Dracula's bat on a string can't have ever looked good.
 

Rooney in Paris

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I've rewatched a few early, iconic horror films. It's the first time I've seen them as an adult so they kinda felt like completely new films, especially seeing them in crisp blu-ray quality. Brief assessments:

Frankenstein (1931) - Boris Karloff was just fantastic.
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - A bit striking to watch it straight after the original whatwith the change of tone and everything. Dr Pretorius walks into the universe and it still works.
Dracula (1931) - I'm with Christopher Lee on his assement of Bela Lugosi, not really a fan of his performance. Rather anemic film but like Frankenstein the lack of a musical score produced some sporadic arresting scenes.
King Kong (1933) - I had forgotten just how high the body count was in this. People eaten by dinosaurs and thrown off buildings, a real bloodbath. The human drama was hilariously inept at times.
Godzilla (1954) - It wasn't really about Godzilla at all. I almost forgot about that giant lizard seeing as it was all about nuclear war.
I like Lugosi's shtick but Dracula is quite a naff film. The Spanish version is a much better tale, although the actor playing Dracula isn't very distinct.

My standouts are Bride, Invisible Man, Wolfman, Dr Jekyll (talkie), Phantom (Silent).

The homunculi in Bride and the Hyde transformation in the silent version are still amazing effects, whilst Dracula's bat on a string can't have ever looked good.
What about Nosferatu? I remember that making a very strong impression on me when I was younger.
 

dumbo

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What about Nosferatu? I remember that making a very strong impression on me when I was younger.
Well I'm sorry if I failed to specify that I was referring to Universal horrors. I'll be more precise next time:

Top 5 French beauties and their beasts:

1. La Belle et La Bete
2. Esmeralda and Quasimodo
3. nth wife and Barbe bleue
4. Of Age Red Riding Hood and The Wolf
5. Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre
 

Rooney in Paris

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Well I'm sorry if I failed to specify that I was referring to Universal horrors. I'll be more precise next time:

Top 5 French beauties and their beasts:

1. La Belle et La Bete
2. Esmeralda and Quasimodo
3. nth wife and Barbe bleue
4. Of Age Red Riding Hood and The Wolf
5. Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre
:lol:

I watched a bit of a shit film last night Nilssy, it was called La migliore offerta, by Tornatore, and was a bit of a damp squid and highly predictable. It had Geoffrey Rush and Donald Sutherland in it which made it somewhat watchable, but overall very meh.

Apart from that, and to answer your earlier question, I've been watching loads of stuff, with more or less success:
- loads of TV shows of course
- Once upon a time in America, Pulp Fiction, Good Time, Call me by your name, A bigger splash, Matchstick Men, The New World, Contagion, Logan Lucky were all re-watches
- Miracle in cell 7 was decent but rather forgettable
- Ingrid goes west was charming
- I loved Chungking Express as I told you and need to get to Days of being wild
- I enjoyed Miller's crossing which I hadn't seen before, quite meta but fun
- I watched this random film Woman in gold about a Klimt painting (based on a true story), it was ok
- Mother! had some interesting things going on but ultimately was a huge mess
- I've been going through The Rock's filmography, I have no idea why but it fascinates me; I also don't understand how Alexandra Daddario is meant to be his daughter in San Andreas
- I watched Gaspar Noe's Love, I'm not a massive fan of his and I thought that while there were some interesting things in it, it turned out a bit shit; but at least, he's trying
- Paterson was cute and enjoyable, I have no bad things to say about it
- I really loved Midsommar
- in the romcom genre, One Day was acceptable thanks in large parts to Anna Hathaway's charming ways

On my list are Barry Lyndon, Days of being wild, Rear Window, Vertigo, Silence, The man who killed Don Quixote, Melancholia, The Beach Bum, Before Sunset and Before Midnight, Don't look now, The Yards and Little Odessa.
 

R.N7

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That's neato.

I also made the mistake of watching that Tornatore film, can't even remember what possessed me to watch it.

You should watch some Spanish films as well in order to tap into the cultural nerve some more.
 

Rooney in Paris

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That's neato.

I also made the mistake of watching that Tornatore film, can't even remember what possessed me to watch it.

You should watch some Spanish films as well in order to tap into the cultural nerve some more.
Oh yes actually I have, a couple. They were meh, I can't even remember the names.

Any you recommend?

EDIT: on Tornatore, is he a recognized director, generally speaking? It's the first film of his I've watched, and I have to say it doesn't make me want to discover any others.
 

R.N7

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Oh yes actually I have, a couple. They were meh, I can't even remember the names.

Any you recommend?

EDIT: on Tornatore, is he a recognized director, generally speaking? It's the first film of his I've watched, and I have to say it doesn't make me want to discover any others.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is the first film that springs to mind when I think of Madrid.

I think he's mostly recognized as a director of maudlin foreign films for people who wants their foreign films to be very easily digestible.
 

Spoony

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Trying to... In fact I've watched loads of films over the past couple of months, though I haven't posted much here.

Interesting trivia - surprised to read the King Lear inspiration only came later, the Shakespeare inspiration seems super strong. Not surprised by how meticulous the preparation for it all was, it transpires in every shot. Gorgeous film.

Which other film by him do you recommend? I have only seen Seven Samurai.

If you loved Ran then Kagemusha is a must.
 

Ubik

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Trying to... In fact I've watched loads of films over the past couple of months, though I haven't posted much here.

Interesting trivia - surprised to read the King Lear inspiration only came later, the Shakespeare inspiration seems super strong. Not surprised by how meticulous the preparation for it all was, it transpires in every shot. Gorgeous film.

Which other film by him do you recommend? I have only seen Seven Samurai.
@Rooney in Paris check out 'High and Low', its fantastic
Second this, Mifune AND Nakadai :drool:
 

Sylar

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Code 8 - Finally saw this. The concept behind this is very intriguing for me. But I feel like this needed to be a series rather than a movie.
It feels like it just ended. The world building is quite cool. but it needed more time to flesh out some characters.
It felt like 4400, Heroes type of thing but just needed more time. Not sure if there will be a sequel, but if there is, need more time spent on the characters and their powers
 

dumbo

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Titus. A wild Andronicus adaptation. Era-bending, theme blending, surreal operatic mayhem reminiscent of Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain or Jankovic's The Tragedy of Man. It seems amazing that it was a big budget studio release, it's so mad and ungainly. Looks real lush and the direction is quite stunning. More Julie Taymor for me.

Frida. Glossy Kahlo biopic produced by Hollywood slebs. The script is as bad and as shallow as I expected but Taymor again crafts those delightful visuals to make it worthwhile.

Immortals. Rehashing of the tales of Theseus and the Titanomachy. Like Tarsem Singh's previous films The Cell and The Fall there is a good amount of style to it. It also has a couple of fine set pieces, with a great fight sequence at the end. The story though is needlessly confusing with mythical staples rewritten and famous names bearing no resemblance to their previous incarnations. It's very long and frequently boring. Maybe skip this one @SteveJ unless you have time on your hands.

The Painted Bird. One of those war through child's eyes films. Finely composed photography but too clinical and lacking in texture for my tastes. It does have a couple of very nice shots, particularly one featuring the titular painted bird. For all its supposed brutality I was left fairly unmoved by the violence and I felt a distinct lack of atmosphere due to the contrived nature of the thing. The presence of Udo Kier, Harvey Keitel and even a Wilhelm scream really weren't helping. Come and See, Ivan's Childhood, Diamond's of the Night and the films of Jancso and Tarr are the most obvious comparisons/imitated, I don't think Painted Bird has the weight to be in the same class. Everyone else has gone gaga over it though.
 

SteveJ

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I love Titus, partly because of the madness you mentioned. And because certain scenes are unforgettable.
 

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The Assistant

Its rave reviews are something of a mystery; I was utterly bored throughout its duration. While the premise is no doubt important these days, there's no plot to speak of, very little character development and it was just a slog from beginning to end. Had a quick look at other user reviews and like mine, they're completely at odds with those of the critics. A waste of a tenner.

Avoid
 

VorZakone

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The Assistant

Its rave reviews are something of a mystery;
I was utterly bored throughout its duration. While the premise is no doubt important these days, there's no plot to speak of, very little character development and it was just a slog from beginning to end. Had a quick look at other user reviews and like mine, they're completely at odds with those of the critics. A waste of a tenner.

Avoid
I tend to experience this a lot with modern movies. 90% is just utter crap.
 

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Lars von Trier Weekend

When I think of this dude, for some reason I always also think of Gaspar Noe at the same time. I don’t know why. It’s not because they have any similarities or anything like that. But they are both controversial directors in their own right, that’s for sure. I’d say Noe is probably more out there and more of a shock merchant, whereas von Trier is more cerebral and refined.

So, I thought I would have a von Trier weekend and visit/revisit some of his films. Lars von Trier is a Dutch filmmaker who has made a name for himself by ripping up the rule book and doing things his way. He tends to work with the same actors in many of his films and is usually able to exact commanding performances from them. If he was to be described as having a distinctive style, I would say it’s probably his use of camera, close-up facial shots and lighting but certain elements like long running film times, splitting the films into chapters or acts, using narration and having strong female leads also crop up quite regularly in his films.

What I would also say is that where other directors may cut away or fade to the off-camera stuff, von Trier is not afraid to keep the cameras rolling. But this is done at the time right time rather than just for baseless gratification. But then again, I haven’t seen all of his films. But I have made a start and review a few below (on Prime Video):

Dogville (2004)

Dogville is a compelling drama from the visionary director von Trier. Set entirely on what can only be described as a very basic stage with no walls and a few props and incorporating mime and sound effects, it has the look of an amateur stage production but is definitely far from it. But thanks to the interesting characters, great story and clever direction, von Trier manages to pull off something very unique and spectacular here.

It centres around Grace, portrayed by Nicole Kidman as a high society woman seemingly on the run from some gangsters. She seeks sanctuary in the very small and secluded town of Dogville and befriends Tom, played by Paul Bettany, who manages to persuade the locals to take her in and protect her from the mob. As payment for the town’s protection and silence, Grace agrees to carry out chores for each of the inhabitants. Things appear fine to start with. However, as the FBI start sniffing around and with Grace’s secrets coming to the fore, things take a more sinister turn as the townsfolk begin to make more extreme demands of Grace.

As the town’s treatment of Grace becomes more abusive and oppressive, Tom finds himself powerless to intervene and conflicted as he watches the town taking advantage of the enslaved Grace with whom he had formed a close bond. However, this is a von Trier film and of course there is a twist as nothing is ever as it seems. Everything all comes together in the final chapter and without giving anything away, I can’t remember the last time I cheered as much as I did at the end of this film. Very powerful and deliciously satisfying!

I’ve never seen a film shot in this style before and I didn’t think I would take to it. But it works. It’s bold, thought-provoking and completely engrossing as the changing dynamic within the town begins to take hold and control of Grace. Most of the actors are on the stage throughout the whole movie and there is clever use of lighting to depict night, day and outdoors. The stage is marked out to show the various houses and buildings (like on a Monopoly board).

Lars von Trier is a great storyteller who is able to coax great performances from his cast. Nicole Kidman did a great job, but I think this would also have been perfect for his go-to gal Charlotte Gainsbourg. The film is just under 3 hours long but completely worth it once you get acclimatized to the environment. It’s one that will stay with me for a long time.

I’m giving this an 8.5/10.

Nymphomaniac Vol I & II (2014)

I’ve reviewed this film before but have since come to appreciate it a bit more over the years. It’s one of von Trier’s more controversial pieces of work with some of his trademark styles and actors that featured regularly in previous projects. Most people would have heard of Nymphomaniac already and although I’ve seen it a few times now, I still find it a hard watch in places.

Narrated by Charlotte Gainsbourg, it chronicles her story of Jo, a self-proclaimed nymphomaniac and the destructive impact the condition has on her life, family and relationships from childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood. Von Trier certainly pushes the envelope in what he shows on screen but hey, that’s just what he does. If you’re going to watch this, you may as well go all in with the Director’s Cuts by the way.

You’d think that being a nymphomaniac would be great, right? But when you see the effect that it can have on a person’s mental, emotional and physical well being it’s certainly not something to be envied. Von Trier certainly highlights this as Jo stumbles through sexual experience after sexual experience each becoming more extreme as she searches for that certain something that will give her life fulfilment and meaning that she so desperately craves. I’m not really sure whether I enjoyed watching a woman pushing her body to its limits just to find sexual relief.

Although the film is sexually explicit throughout and very graphic, the scenes may titillate for a brief period but soon become cold, mechanical and uncomfortable as the affliction begins to take real hold of Jo. I will say though that Charlotte Gainsbourg’s nipples are the 8th and 9th wonders of the world! The chapter with Jamie Bell who is very convincing as a sadist was particularly grim.

With a very strong supporting cast, stand out performances, some very realistic scenes and a compelling story, Nymphomaniac will mean different things to different people. Von Trier is not afraid to push the boundaries and again does so here in a film that will no doubt get more appreciation as years go by. I’ll have to revisit my earlier review.

I’m giving this an 8/10.

Dancer In The Dark (2000)

I’d always had Björk down as a bit of a bitch but she is so endearing in her breakout role as a Czech immigrant trying to make her way in the US in order to give her son a better life. Compounded by the fact that she is suffering from a hereditary condition which will render her blind, time is against her as she does everything she can to save up enough money for her son to undergo the life-changing op that will cure him before it is too late.

Dancer In The Dark, is a gut-wrenching story with depth, intensity and passion. Von Trier goes for the musical style with Björk lending her very distinctive musical talents to the proceedings with the musical score. I’m not usually a fan of musicals but von Trier uses the musical segments to symbolize Selma’s daydreams through song, which are frankly, hit and miss efforts, mostly miss if I’m honest. Thankfully they’re not overblown affairs though. Von Trier also has a knack of flipping the mood and turning a story on its head when you least expect it and we get the same treatment here, with positivity, optimism and hope rapidly descending into despair, misery and hopelessness as Selma’s fortunes take a sudden turn for the worse after she is done dirty by her neighbours/landlords. Portrayed with integrity by the brilliant Björk, Selma for all her vulnerability manages to maintain her dignity and show great strength in the face of adversity as her life begins to unravel and spiral out of control. Dancer In The Dark is an intimate portrait of friendship, loyalty, courage and the ultimate sacrifice in one of the most intense endings I’ve seen in a long time. The lack of accompanying soundtrack only adds to the intensity in the final scenes. I defy anyone not to get through the last 20 minutes of this film unmoved.

Again, most of von Trier’s regulars are present with Stellan Skarsgård, Siobhan Fallon Hogan and Udo Kier along with a couple of others reprising their regular film collaborations and a great supporting role by Catherine Deneuve. Björk was absolutely brilliant and completely authentic as the defiant Selma. She won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination and rightly so. She also has one of the most sweetest accents ever.

I’m giving this a 8/10.

Melancholia (2011)

Probably my least favourite of the day but an intriguing film nonetheless and with an original premise to boot. Yet again with most of his regular actors on call and this time including Kirsten Dunst, Alexander Skarsgård and Kiefer Sutherland, von Trier directs this doomsday drama about the last days on earth. Although the film opens with the joyous wedding of Justine (Dunst) and Michael (Skarsgård), it ends up being a very gloomy affair and a bit of a disaster to say the least, leaving a gloom that will carry throughout the rest of the movie.

Uplifting it isn’t and although we are not privy to any circumstantial facts that explain why Justine is so depressed and how the planet Melancholia came to pose such a threat to the earth, the sense of foreboding becomes more palpable as time goes on. The film mainly centres around the dysfunctional relationship between the two sisters Claire (Gainsbourg) and Justine as they also navigate their own inner struggles; Justine’s constant state of morosity and Claire’s increasing anxiety about the approaching blue planet, despite the constant reassurances from her husband John (Sutherland) that all is well. We also see a clever shift in dynamic between the sisters towards the ends of the film as Justine up until this point receiving all the physical and emotional support from Claire ends up being the tower of strength on which the family will come to depend on.

The film actually leaves you with more questions than it does answers, which I always find frustrating but again von Trier is able to get the most from his cast with good supporting performances. Some excellent visuals and cinematography takes your mind off the monotony at times but ultimately the film just peters out into mediocrity until the final act when it really comes back to life again. Nothing too controversial in this film but still quite poignant and with an ending that will stay with you for a long time. Could have been great and just lacking the sharpness of the other films I’ve watched today, I can just say it was ok.

I’m giving this a 7/10.

The House That Jack Built (2018)

Once again, we get the usual common von Trier film elements; narration, film chapters and the usual cast members (boy, they must really love working with this guy) in this graphic psychological thriller about a serial killer called Jack, played by Matt Dillon. From the opening few minutes when the first victim gets in his van, you just know this ain’t going to be a fun movie.

The story sees Jack recounting his murders or ‘incidents’ over a 12 year period. We only discover who Jack is talking to during the commentary at the end but during their musings we get to hear Jack’s perspective on each murder with references and comparisons to works of art and nature. It’s as if Jack is striving for that perfect piece of art by any means and will go to any lengths to achieve it. Jack is one seriously fecked up individual, not really helped by his OCD and other personality traits. Early on we see how one coincidental event caused him to believe that perhaps his work was being blessed by a higher power but to be honest he was already taking big risks up to this point anyway and just a bit lucky.

As his compulsion begins to take over, he becomes more brazen and extreme in the murders being committed. Some people may find some of the murders shocking and upsetting, especially incidents 3 and 4. You can try and get into the mind of a serial killer but at the end of the day they are just twisted psycopaths who don’t give a feck with warped senses of reality. I found the apparent ease in which Jack was able to commit his crimes and the naivety of his victims (who ended up feeling kind of disposable anyway) a bit hard to take in although von Trier does attempt to explain this during the commentary.

Dillon is very convincing in his depiction of a cold, calculating, unsympathetic killer compelled to satisfy his appetite for murder and von Trier does a great job in committing that to the screen. Unbelievable acts of cruelty intertwined with moments of dark humour. I felt myself feeling guilty at chuckling at the most inappropriate times (sorry victims!). The film loses it’s momentum somewhat in the Prologue and is just a little too abstract in keeping with the rest of the film. A more conventional ending would have sufficed though some may argue the final outcome is just as satisfying.

Again, great use of visual imagery, symbolism, cinematography and musical score come together to create a film that will certainly evoke emotions in all who watch it. Graphic but not gratuitous, shocking but not sensationalist, grim but not gross, von Trier has managed to produce an intelligent thriller that could easily have gone down the slasher route but thankfully stayed on the right side of the tracks.

I’m giving this an 8/10.
Would be interested to know what you think of Breaking the Waves if you ever get round to it. I think it's the best Von Trier film - oddly restrained.
 

RedPed

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Would be interested to know what you think of Breaking the Waves if you ever get round to it. I think it's the best Von Trier film - oddly restrained.
I vaguely remember a film with Emily Watson years ago but can't remember if it was Breaking The Waves? It was on my list along with Antichrist but couldn't get hold of those two.

Are you a von Trier 'fan'?
 

Vidyoyo

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I vaguely remember a film with Emily Watson years ago but can't remember if it was Breaking The Waves? It was on my list along with Antichrist but couldn't get hold of those two.

Are you a von Trier 'fan'?
More a fan than not a fan but I find some of his films hit and miss. Haven't been a fan of his recent works at all.

I will say though that he seems to be effortless in his ability to make movies. Like he has an innate natural talent for it. You can see that in Europa which somebody mentioned above - just a really cool film (his debut, I think?).
 

Donaldo

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A Fist Full of Dollars

I'm trying to work my way through the trilogy as I've only ever seen the third movie. It's obviously not as good as as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, but it also doesn't require an entire evening to watch coming in at around an hour and forty minutes. Eastwood is excellent as the cold calculating gun slinger playing two sides off against each other for his own gain. Also his hair is phenomenal. Overall it's a good way to spend an hour and a half. It's some bad men outsmarting and outshooting each other.

7/10

Project A


I think I saw this once back in the 90's and for some reason didn't like it much back then, but upon watching it again it's actually great. The stunt work is absolutely phenomenal, the bar fight/kung fu battle/slap stick comedy section was amazing. The bike chase is a work of genius. The stunt work is ridiculously good. How in the name of feck is Jackie Chan still alive? The slow motion fall from the clock tower where he lands on his head was bad enough, but then they showed a replay and it looked very much like he did it several times because those were not the same fall. Yuen Baio's agility is unreal. I remember seeing an interview where someone said Sammo before a scene told them to hit him as hard as possible and not hold back because he would do the same in return to make the fight look better. There were a few times in this film where Sammo was just levelling people, one in particular where he drop kicked someone in the back and you could tell it fecking hurt. There seemed to be a noticeable difference between him hitting people and the others hitting them.

The story is pure ridiculous 80's Hong Kong nonsense, but it's all in service to the action.

8/10

Extraction


A bit like Project A in that the story is pure nonsense and doesn't stand up to much scrutiny, but it's in service to 2 hours of almost non-stop action. Most of which is very good. Chris Helmsworth is a drunk dude hired to rescue a drug dealers son by another dude. There's a woman involved and some other dudes. So half the city gets shot up, car chases ensue, there's brutal hand to hand and knife combat. Explosions and crashes galore. It's a lot of fun, but the story bits were a bit pants and it could have used a bit of a trim to the run time.

Some of the explosions and crashes looked a bit computer generated. It felt at times like it was supposed to be a movie for the Indian special forces guy(who was awesome), but then they decided they needed an international lead to sell it outside of India. That might not be what happened and just a weird way of saying the Indian special forces guy felt like he could have carried this film just as well as Helmsworth if given the chance. I dunno his name and looking it up feels like effort that I'm not prepared to make.

7/10
Randeep Hooda. Try and watch Highway by Imtiaz Ali. Probably his best performance. Decent film too.
 

VorZakone

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Anyone know some good movies that take place in the Deep South? Watched Cool Hand Luke & A Soldier's Story a while ago and I just really enjoy how 'hot' it feels as well as the slow laid-back culture (not the racism obviously).
 

RedPed

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Anyone know some good movies that take place in the Deep South? Watched Cool Hand Luke & A Soldier's Story a while ago and I just really enjoy how 'hot' it feels as well as the slow laid-back culture (not the racism obviously).
Mississippi Burning is a great movie....and obviously A Time To Kill.

Mississippi Masala is a bit leftfield as well.
 

Organic Potatoes

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Anyone know some good movies that take place in the Deep South? Watched Cool Hand Luke & A Soldier's Story a while ago and I just really enjoy how 'hot' it feels as well as the slow laid-back culture (not the racism obviously).
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for another Newman flick. Deliverance is a must. In The Heat of The Night. Steel Magnolias or Fried Green Tomatoes for ‘chick-flicks‘.

Or S1 of True Detective for some modern HD stuff, but you’ve probably already seen that.
 

Stringer

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Anyone know some good movies that take place in the Deep South? Watched Cool Hand Luke & A Soldier's Story a while ago and I just really enjoy how 'hot' it feels as well as the slow laid-back culture (not the racism obviously).
You have probably already watched it but just in case, 'O Brother, Where Art Thou' is a good film. It recreates the setting and atmosphere of that region very well.
 

Invictus

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Anyone know some good movies that take place in the Deep South? Watched Cool Hand Luke & A Soldier's Story a while ago and I just really enjoy how 'hot' it feels as well as the slow laid-back culture (not the racism obviously).