You’ll dig Generation Kill. Ever seen The Hurt Locker? Definitely has a detached vibe about a very specific element of the war.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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It's excellent. Drags slightly in parts, but overall it's fascinating.
Yeah I saw that too, Pearl, about one of the characters in X, it's gonna serve as a prequel. I didn't hate X, without finding it particularly good, but it seemed weird they had this lined up so quickly after. Mia Goth is quite good in the role though, so it's the kind of film I'll probably end up watching at some point when I have nothing better to do, and I'm pondering whether to re-watch Mulholland Drive or finally getting to Vertigo, and laziness takes over and I end up watching this shite.
Cheers.
Did but it was such a long time ago, I can't remember that much about it. I did try to get into Jarhead, it was alright.
MUD
Read McConaugheys bio last week. Very good read. While I like the guy, I've never really followed him as an actor until the goodbye scene in Interstellar. I cried during that scene, as a father myself I recognised and empathised totally with his performance in that scene and since then I've had a bit of a man-crush on the guy.
Anyway, MUD, what a great film. Excellent acting from everyone involved, especially the two young actors who played Ellis and Kneckbone but also the McC himself. The story reveals itself at its own pace and when it does, the payoff is well worth it. Brilliant ending too. As someone whose favourite films growing up included Stand by Me, this was a very good film in a similar vein.
8/10
Read McConaugheys bio last week. Very good read. While I like the guy, I've never really followed him as an actor until the goodbye scene in Interstellar. I cried during that scene, as a father myself I recognised and empathised totally with his performance in that scene and since then I've had a bit of a man-crush on the guy.
Anyway, MUD, what a great film. Excellent acting from everyone involved, especially the two young actors who played Ellis and Kneckbone but also the McC himself. The story reveals itself at its own pace and when it does, the payoff is well worth it. Brilliant ending too. As someone whose favourite films growing up included Stand by Me, this was a very good film in a similar vein.
8/10
Agree with most of that, it's a good watch.
I'm also a sucker for the setting, southern US is pretty fascinating.
Watch Killer Joe!
Its spectacularly inappropriate.
After a quick search on the Google, I’ll check it out. Ta.
The Worst Person In The World
Watched this the other night. It’s a Norwegian film that chronicles four years in the life of a woman in her late twenties to early thirties. To be honest, I thought this film was going to be one thing but turned out to be a lot more. On the face of it, it sounds like a romantic comedy, which I’m not averse to when it’s done well, but it was a lot more than that. It avoids all the usual cliches and resolutions you would typically expect from a film of this nature.
Excellently written, superbly acted, and also very moving at times. This is another reason why I love going into movies blind. I knew the basic synopsis of the film, saw that it was getting great reviews, so went in with no expectations and it turned out to be superb. In hindsight, it feels like the marketing really undersold the film and made it sound like something it's not.
There’s also one particular sequence in the film that dips into the fantastical that is so well done that I won’t spoil it here. But suffice to say, it’s superbly executed.
If I had to stick an arbitrary score on it, I would give it a 9/10. Maybe a ten, but whatever. It’s just numbers. The film’s great.
Watched this the other night. It’s a Norwegian film that chronicles four years in the life of a woman in her late twenties to early thirties. To be honest, I thought this film was going to be one thing but turned out to be a lot more. On the face of it, it sounds like a romantic comedy, which I’m not averse to when it’s done well, but it was a lot more than that. It avoids all the usual cliches and resolutions you would typically expect from a film of this nature.
Excellently written, superbly acted, and also very moving at times. This is another reason why I love going into movies blind. I knew the basic synopsis of the film, saw that it was getting great reviews, so went in with no expectations and it turned out to be superb. In hindsight, it feels like the marketing really undersold the film and made it sound like something it's not.
There’s also one particular sequence in the film that dips into the fantastical that is so well done that I won’t spoil it here. But suffice to say, it’s superbly executed.
If I had to stick an arbitrary score on it, I would give it a 9/10. Maybe a ten, but whatever. It’s just numbers. The film’s great.
What platform is it on?
Top Gun: Maverick A bit pointless and predictable but decent cheesy popcorn action fun. 7/10
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
I think it was going to be impossible for me to love this movie because it was so over hyped. I thought it looked great, some good themes and was funny. Plus the action scenes reminded me of really cool martial arts films that I grew up on. Also loved the whacky nature of the film but this was also the problem. It was too much wacky for way too long. And the core narrative was kind of average plus the acting by most (not Michelle Yeoh but definitely the daughter) was a bit ropey. But still, I prefer filmmakers that try something different and not just churn out the next cookie cutter movie 6.5/10
I think it was going to be impossible for me to love this movie because it was so over hyped. I thought it looked great, some good themes and was funny. Plus the action scenes reminded me of really cool martial arts films that I grew up on. Also loved the whacky nature of the film but this was also the problem. It was too much wacky for way too long. And the core narrative was kind of average plus the acting by most (not Michelle Yeoh but definitely the daughter) was a bit ropey. But still, I prefer filmmakers that try something different and not just churn out the next cookie cutter movie 6.5/10
I think i gave it a 10, which wasn't entirely honest. I didn't think it was that good, i just found it kind of refreshing basically. Can definitely see how it would oversell a fun movie rather than a truly great movie.
I rented it on Amazon
Prey
Better than I expected it to be and a welcome return to form from this franchise.
7/10
Better than I expected it to be and a welcome return to form from this franchise.
7/10
Yeah I’ll have to watch a few more times but it’s already one of my favourite films all time.
I would highly recommend Oslo, August 31st(Trier second film in the Oslo trilogy) and a South Korean film called Microhabitat.
It’s also on mubi(You can get free week if you haven’t signed up before)
Yeah, I'm definitely going to give this a watch soon. Anders Danielsen Lie was superb in Worst Person In The World.
I thought it was trash. Stopped halfway through. I love Michelle Yeoh and I appreciate that it was different, but I just found it really boring, too in your face, trying too hard to be special. I didn't find it refreshing, it felt like it was posing.
And yes, I can see why people feel that way to be honest. I suppose it does resonate a bit more with the Asian audience though as there are so many relatable things.
It's boring even for me Asians. Yes i can relate to their seemingly hectic family but it's mostly the norms to be hectic it doesnt symbolise failed marriage for most Asians.
I felt the movie is too long and alot of stuff could have been trimmed
This was my biggest gripe with it.
Prey
This might be my favorite Predator movie since the original. Prey managed to capture a lot of what made the first one such a classic. I love that the predator itself is novel and not just a replica paint job of the first.
The coming of age and defying her patriarchy role was also done much more tactfully than I expected.
Thought it was nice that they paid homage to quite a few bits from the original in some subtle and other more direct ways.
Think I'm liking it more and more as I think back on it. Raising my score by 0.5 for that reason.
8.5/10
This might be my favorite Predator movie since the original. Prey managed to capture a lot of what made the first one such a classic. I love that the predator itself is novel and not just a replica paint job of the first.
The coming of age and defying her patriarchy role was also done much more tactfully than I expected.
Thought it was nice that they paid homage to quite a few bits from the original in some subtle and other more direct ways.
Think I'm liking it more and more as I think back on it. Raising my score by 0.5 for that reason.
8.5/10
Just finished it myself and am so so pleasantly surprised. Loved it and felt it was much more an all around good film than anything since the original
Spiderhead
MilesTeller and Thor star in a movie about criminals that agree to a relaxed sentence in a chilled facility in return for being test subjects for a drug that controls their emotions. Started off decent but didn't really go anywhere and a very forgettable movie. Hemsworth also is difficult to take seriously as a scientist 4.5/10
MilesTeller and Thor star in a movie about criminals that agree to a relaxed sentence in a chilled facility in return for being test subjects for a drug that controls their emotions. Started off decent but didn't really go anywhere and a very forgettable movie. Hemsworth also is difficult to take seriously as a scientist 4.5/10
nope.
that's a nope for me.
peele has certain qualities in his favour. he knows what the genre of horror and mystery feels like. he knows how to accomplish a stylistically effective picture. he knows how to accomplish impressive sequences. what he does not know how to do, as far as i can tell, beyond get out, is to create interesting characters and a coherent plot which has a compelling thesis to it. it's all just gibberish. us was terrible. nope was like a b movie with major funding. get out was very good.
i think directors often make the mistake of staying within the same genre after they have their breakout hit. that's what peele is doing imo. what he should try and do is look to make a character driven film with a cohesive plot. he's this generation's m night shyamalan except he hasn't given us a film as good as the sixth sense though you could argue get out was far more important for other reasons, furthering confidence in black artists being given a chance to make good films being one such reason that shouldn't be dismissed. still early in his career but he has been involved in producing a film which is better than anything he's written or directed, which is blackkklansman by spike lee.
in fact, nope reminds me a bit of signs. i think they're both equally terrible in proportion to the hype and expectation that preceded them.
that's a nope for me.
peele has certain qualities in his favour. he knows what the genre of horror and mystery feels like. he knows how to accomplish a stylistically effective picture. he knows how to accomplish impressive sequences. what he does not know how to do, as far as i can tell, beyond get out, is to create interesting characters and a coherent plot which has a compelling thesis to it. it's all just gibberish. us was terrible. nope was like a b movie with major funding. get out was very good.
i think directors often make the mistake of staying within the same genre after they have their breakout hit. that's what peele is doing imo. what he should try and do is look to make a character driven film with a cohesive plot. he's this generation's m night shyamalan except he hasn't given us a film as good as the sixth sense though you could argue get out was far more important for other reasons, furthering confidence in black artists being given a chance to make good films being one such reason that shouldn't be dismissed. still early in his career but he has been involved in producing a film which is better than anything he's written or directed, which is blackkklansman by spike lee.
in fact, nope reminds me a bit of signs. i think they're both equally terrible in proportion to the hype and expectation that preceded them.
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The White Ribbon
Mentioned in the Redcafe Movie Club thread, this is a Michael Haneke film depicting a series of disturbing events in a small rural village in Germany before the outbreak of WW1. It's shot in black and white and has narration from the school teacher of the village. It's 2½ hours long but is well paced.
Essentially the film's overarching theme is that the unfortunate events (who we only have the school teacher's recollections and suspicions to rely on) were caused by the children of the village, especially the eldest son and daughter of the local Lutheran minister, and that this was (in hindsight) the forewarning of the complicit population that allowed unimaginable cruelty to thrive under the Nazis.
I think it's a good film. The performances by the children are superb. Haneke does a great job of portraying the brutal patriarchal hierarchy and the subjugation of the females in the village with deftness and subtlety. There is some physical punishment meted out to the children in the film but most of it is off camera, so you're spared much of the violence. However, the psychological damage is very much on show, and it's this that Haneke appears to want to highlight as the main culprit in the moulding of the young minds who would go on to either cheerlead or turn a blind eye to the horrors of the holocaust.
It's not a family film. You're not going to be entertained, as such. But it is thought provoking and one that you might want to suggest to your more cerebral friends and have a discussion about afterwards.
7.5/10
Mentioned in the Redcafe Movie Club thread, this is a Michael Haneke film depicting a series of disturbing events in a small rural village in Germany before the outbreak of WW1. It's shot in black and white and has narration from the school teacher of the village. It's 2½ hours long but is well paced.
Essentially the film's overarching theme is that the unfortunate events (who we only have the school teacher's recollections and suspicions to rely on) were caused by the children of the village, especially the eldest son and daughter of the local Lutheran minister, and that this was (in hindsight) the forewarning of the complicit population that allowed unimaginable cruelty to thrive under the Nazis.
I think it's a good film. The performances by the children are superb. Haneke does a great job of portraying the brutal patriarchal hierarchy and the subjugation of the females in the village with deftness and subtlety. There is some physical punishment meted out to the children in the film but most of it is off camera, so you're spared much of the violence. However, the psychological damage is very much on show, and it's this that Haneke appears to want to highlight as the main culprit in the moulding of the young minds who would go on to either cheerlead or turn a blind eye to the horrors of the holocaust.
It's not a family film. You're not going to be entertained, as such. But it is thought provoking and one that you might want to suggest to your more cerebral friends and have a discussion about afterwards.
7.5/10
The Figo Affair
On Netflix and it obviously is a documentary about Luis Figo, Barca, and Real Madrid.
I enjoyed the back and forth with key stakeholders being interviewed and understanding the complexities/timing of it all. Presidential elections for those clubs are very cut throat and when you're away from your club during a Euro campaign, lots of things are going on that you don't have the energy or time to focus on, so your ultimate trust is in your representatives.
Fun film and recommend.
7/10
On Netflix and it obviously is a documentary about Luis Figo, Barca, and Real Madrid.
I enjoyed the back and forth with key stakeholders being interviewed and understanding the complexities/timing of it all. Presidential elections for those clubs are very cut throat and when you're away from your club during a Euro campaign, lots of things are going on that you don't have the energy or time to focus on, so your ultimate trust is in your representatives.
Fun film and recommend.
7/10
Nope
I can see this being a polarizing movie. There were so many almost literary applications in the movie, the story within a story of the monkey, the setup with the first moving picture with the black horse rider, etc. Visually it was a tour-de-force and many concepts were fresh and original (the UFO itself). But there was something about it where it became a little less than the sum of its parts to me. Hard to really put a marker on it but something about it didn't come together quite as solidly as I was hoping. But that said, I thought it was a great movie and definitely something that will be studied in film schools for multiple reasons. Definitely not a horror movie but more a sci-fi thriller, which is a good thing. I thought some of the set pieces were amazing. I will definitely watch it again and maybe even watch it multiple times.
7-7.5/10
I can see this being a polarizing movie. There were so many almost literary applications in the movie, the story within a story of the monkey, the setup with the first moving picture with the black horse rider, etc. Visually it was a tour-de-force and many concepts were fresh and original (the UFO itself). But there was something about it where it became a little less than the sum of its parts to me. Hard to really put a marker on it but something about it didn't come together quite as solidly as I was hoping. But that said, I thought it was a great movie and definitely something that will be studied in film schools for multiple reasons. Definitely not a horror movie but more a sci-fi thriller, which is a good thing. I thought some of the set pieces were amazing. I will definitely watch it again and maybe even watch it multiple times.
7-7.5/10
Loving Adults (Netflix)
Danish drama/thriller just released on Netflix yesterday.
Plot: The thin line between love and hate turns deadly when a woman discovers her husband's affair. They both take extreme measures to get what they want, but both of them quickly realize that they are heading towards a dark place.
--
Recommend watching in Danish with English subs.
Well worth the time. 8.5/10
Danish drama/thriller just released on Netflix yesterday.
Plot: The thin line between love and hate turns deadly when a woman discovers her husband's affair. They both take extreme measures to get what they want, but both of them quickly realize that they are heading towards a dark place.
--
Recommend watching in Danish with English subs.
Well worth the time. 8.5/10
State of Play
Surprisingly good political thriller. Interesting twist at the end.
Surprisingly good political thriller. Interesting twist at the end.
Good flick.
Aloners 2021
Nice touching film about the isolation and disconnect we face in the 21st century. Gong Seung-yea puts on a brilliant performance as a young woman living alone who only wants to see the world through screens or communicate by telephone. Also a bit left field but there is one scene that reminded me of the Italian film - Only The Working Class Go To Heaven, but instead of a factory it's set in a call centre
Very impressive first film by Hong Sung-eun, will look out for future work by her.
8/10
Nice touching film about the isolation and disconnect we face in the 21st century. Gong Seung-yea puts on a brilliant performance as a young woman living alone who only wants to see the world through screens or communicate by telephone. Also a bit left field but there is one scene that reminded me of the Italian film - Only The Working Class Go To Heaven, but instead of a factory it's set in a call centre
Very impressive first film by Hong Sung-eun, will look out for future work by her.
8/10
The Horror at 35'000 Feet
An invisible demon in the cargo hold of a jet airliner terrorizes the passengers.
Typical 70's B movie, with a very decent cast, Shatner, Ebsen, Chuck Conners, Roy Thinnes.
"The Exorcist" meets "Airport" in a very entertaining made-for-TV movie, there was a ton of these made in the 70's and I have watch most of them, love this sort of film, very much like the Asylum films made now but 1000% times better, all it needed was Charlton Heston and George Kennedy
Not really scary, but had its moments.
6/10
An invisible demon in the cargo hold of a jet airliner terrorizes the passengers.
Typical 70's B movie, with a very decent cast, Shatner, Ebsen, Chuck Conners, Roy Thinnes.
"The Exorcist" meets "Airport" in a very entertaining made-for-TV movie, there was a ton of these made in the 70's and I have watch most of them, love this sort of film, very much like the Asylum films made now but 1000% times better, all it needed was Charlton Heston and George Kennedy
Not really scary, but had its moments.
6/10
Nope.
Rubbish.
Rubbish.
I quite liked Nope. Wasn't a classic by any means and I can definitely see the M. Night Shyamalan compirson but it had some cool ideas, some creepy, cool stuff. Low expectations will serve you well i'd say.
Easter egg in this for the true football fans.
They played the song I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles. Guess what club the character was a fan of?
I think that's pretty fair and balanced - it's masterfully executed, and I had so much fun watching it, but it does feel like there's a little something missing to really elevate it to something more. The criticism of exploitation and "spectacle", while a bit on the nose, doesn't really get old in this day and age, and worked pretty well. Also, Daniel Kaluuya is fecking amazing, and Keke Palmer brings amazing energy to his sister's role in this. They're a great duo and carry the film well.
Enjoyable ride, fun film and a good addition to Peele's already impressive catalogue.
Here's the thing, he is, absolutely, one of my favourite actors.
But his character was crap. He had no depth, and was completely underdeveloped. Keke's character was far more fleshed out, and in an annoying way! Even the IT guy was a better character, it was so odd. The whole film felt like a mish mash of different ideas from Peele, one minute it's horror, then satire, then Western, then Hollywood blockbuster, then sci-fi, and none of it ever came together to form anything memorable, really. Stephen Yeun was great and so was his character (and that sequence and flashback), that's about the best thing I can say about it.
Yeah I disagree with about all of that. I'm also pretty sure Daniel's character was "underwritten" as a sort of nod to former western anti-heroes, who would often have pretty much no backstory, and would just mumble their way through films, riding on their natural charisma. I mean, Eastwood was the Man With No Name after all - I felt OJ was developped as an hommage to that.
I disagree with you as a person.
