Rate the last film you watched out of 5

[Michael J Glocks]

The Last of Sheila (1973)

 

A really enjoyable whodunnit with an acerbically funny script by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. Rian Johnson cites this as an influence on Knives Out but he lifted the set up almost verbatim for Glass Onion (this is better) - rich bastard invites his parasitic friends to his private island luxury yacht to play a mystery game of his own devising which is derailed by an actual murder. It’s contrived and convoluted but I expect that from the genre and it all comes to a satisfying and cynical conclusion. Deserves to be better known.

 

4/5

[pledge]

The Son

The follow up to The Father. A tragic disappointment in comparison. I've seen Jackman on broadway, he can act better than this. It felt like a daytime TV drama at times.

 

2/5

[pledge]

The Fabelmans

Well made but just didn't hold my interest much.

 

3/5

[Vimster]

The Condemned 2 (2015)

This sequel makes the first one look like a genre classic largely thanks to an overall lack of everything: lack of budget, polish, thought and direction. It just about limps over the line as a last-man-standing thriller, delivering a blend of bland tough guys, pointless explosions and aimless gunfire that would keep the undemanding viewer entertained, yet anyone expecting even slightly more would be left wanting. The desert setting is normally a gift for cinematographers, and yet here they make it feel uninteresting and lifeless. In fact despite some attempts at badass cool in the shape of some sub-Woo slow-mo uninteresting and lifeless goes a long way to describing the whole thing.

 

1.5/5

[Tequlia]

Black Sea 3.9/5 (Netflix)

 

It's satisfying seeing a near 10 year old submarine action film starring Jude Law at Number 2 in the Netflix rankings today, especially as I really like it!

 

Jude's an embittered and recently redundant mariner who jumps at the opportunity to lead a dubious salvage mission to recover Nazi Gold, and so assembles a motley Scottish/Russian crew to do just that.  Surprisingly, everything goes to shit.  And that's pretty much it.

 

I like this film because it gets on with it - it's taunt and there's a distinct lack of waffle/bullshit, which is how it should be.  (Maybe the last 20/30 minutes could have been tighter but that's probably reflecting how good what has come prior is).

 

I love how it is shot - the lighting is fantastic; it feels like they are on a rusty starship...and there is a distinct Aliens/sci-fi feel to it  - including having their very own Burke/company man onboard.  There's hints of Sunshine and The Abyss too - which is neat but you'll likely start feeling like you've seen it before, which lets it down a little, as does reliance on several convoluted moments.  But if you don't take it too seriously it's a decent watch.

 

Jude Law is good in this, but the ever watchable Ben Mendelsohn really stands out in his role as primary shit-stirrer.

 

 

[Dr Nookie]

Alone - Netflix. 

Only discovered as it was on the BFI top 100 and it’s a fantastic kidnap film - incredibly tense at times with fantastic acting throughout 4/5. 

[Ry]

15 hours ago, Dr Nookie said:

Alone - Netflix. 

Only discovered as it was on the BFI top 100 and it’s a fantastic kidnap film - incredibly tense at times with fantastic acting throughout 4/5. 

 

Never heard of this. Will give it a watch this week. Cheers!

[Dr Nookie]

1 hour ago, Ry said:

 

Never heard of this. Will give it a watch this week. Cheers!

Let me know what you think 

[glb]

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania - 2/5 (cinema)

 

Felt long at two hours, I dozed off a one point when things were smashing into each other. My main issue was the film being a big CGI-mulch with so little weight to anything. Obviously all of these films are CGI-heavy, but there wasn’t anything arresting, or impactful bar a few scenes in the opening. Rather than feeling like they were in a quantum realm, with more playful physics, bar one scene they looked like they were on an alien planet not deemed strong enough for a Guardians or Thor film.

 

The previous Ant-Man’s have felt throwaway but still very enjoyable, whereas this often feels laboured, clanking through the motions as it moulded to the usual superhero template. Rudd’s charisma is there but everyone is given so little to do that he doesn’t really get much chance to shine beyond some tired quips. Jonathan Majors is captivating as Kang, but his introduction feels more like a DCU villain’s entry than the careful plotting of previous MCU Phases. The stakes didn’t resonate, which made the mid-credits scene laughable.

 

I’d seen the mixed reception to the film so had low expectations yet this managed to even fall short of those. Barring stellar reviews for a future film, doubt I’ll bother shelling out for another MCU cinema trip anytime soon because the last couple have been so jaded.

 

Spoiler

The MODOK and Bill Murray bits fell completely flat for me. Suspected Darren might reappear but the VFX for him looked awful.

 

And Bill Murray didn’t even appear to be on the same set. The edit looked really odd. Surprised it wasn’t reshot with a less troubled actor because the final version was downright strange.

[Masterbeef]

Bullet Train (sky movies)

 

Highly entertaining if a bit over the top for an oldie like me. Pitt is brilliant as usual and it looks absolutely stunning, the best looking film I’ve seen for some time. The cockney villains are a bit too much at times. 
 

3.5/5

 

 

Rear Window 

 

Haven’t seen this in years. It’s as perfect as I remember with Kelly looking impossibly beautiful. Hitchcock is wise enough to let the cast and the set do most of the storytelling. Incredibly influential, this simply doesn’t put a foot wrong.

 

5/5.

 

No Way Out

 

This, however, has aged rather badly in places. The music choices are abysmal and the less said about the portrayal of the single gay character the better. Luckily, Costner is on fantastic form as is Hackman (has he ever put in a bad performance?). 
 

I could handle a remake with Tatum and either Russell or Downey Junior taking on the lead roles and jettisoning some of the 89s dodginess.  
 

3/5

[Vimster]

3 minutes ago, Masterbeef said:

No Way Out

 

This, however, has aged rather badly in places. The music choices are abysmal and the less said about the portrayal of the single gay character the better. Luckily, Costner is on fantastic form as is Hackman (has he ever put in a bad performance?). 
 

I could handle a remake with Tatum and either Russell or Downey Junior taking on the lead roles and jettisoning some of the 89s dodginess.  
 

3/5

That photo enhancement would take about 3 seconds now though.

[tejinashi]

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Disney+, 3 stars.

 

Marvel does kung fu, and makes not a bad job of it. Good action and decent story fuse together, and Leung and Yeoh elevate things to a more meaningful level.

 

Everyone goes on about the bus fight, but the scaffold fight is where I really started paying attention. 

 

It’s a little too long, and structurally messy with a lot of interrupting flashbacks, but overall one of the better Marvel efforts of recent years, and a decent flick for a Monday night.

[Girth Certificate]

Exodus: Gods and Kings - a 3/5 movie but I found it an enormously entertaining way to spend sunday afternoon.

 

This was much better than I expected, given reactions at the time. Sure Joel Energon was comically mis-cast but I quite liked his performance, switching from petulent to dispairing. Bale was great, ranting at god. The plagues were the main event though, I liked how for the most part they could explained up until the death of the first born. Even the parting of the red sea could have been a tsunami. Absolutely Metal as Fuck, for spectacle and madness you cannot match the bible.

 

I'm sure I'd seen a trailer for this that showed the wall of water with the shadow of a whale within it but it didn't appear in the movie. It must have been for a different film. 

[Festoon]

1 hour ago, Girth Certificate said:

Exodus: Gods and Kings - a 3/5 movie but I found it an enormously entertaining way to spend sunday afternoon.

 

This was much better than I expected, given reactions at the time. Sure Joel Energon was comically mis-cast but I quite liked his performance, switching from petulent to dispairing. Bale was great, ranting at god. The plagues were the main event though, I liked how for the most part they could explained up until the death of the first born. Even the parting of the red sea could have been a tsunami. Absolutely Metal as Fuck, for spectacle and madness you cannot match the bible.

 

I'm sure I'd seen a trailer for this that showed the wall of water with the shadow of a whale within it but it didn't appear in the movie. It must have been for a different film. 

 

Joel Energon 😄

[ZOK]

Revanche - 5/5 (MUBI)

 

This is a really special film, it’s Austrian and I assume the title means ‘revenge’ - a prostitute, a brothel doorman, a cop, his wife and a farmer are thrown together by outrageous fortune, and a thriller ensues.

 

Except this is not a typical thriller at all, and while it deftly crafts a tense and tangled tale the real story is an exploration of human interaction, connection and healing. Some amazing cinematography too.

[Ry]

On 19/02/2023 at 23:57, Dr Nookie said:

Alone - Netflix. 

Only discovered as it was on the BFI top 100 and it’s a fantastic kidnap film - incredibly tense at times with fantastic acting throughout 4/5. 

 

Watched it last night and it was a really solid 90 mins. Enjoyed it. 

 

3.5/5

[Dr Nookie]

38 minutes ago, Ry said:

 

Watched it last night and it was a really solid 90 mins. Enjoyed it. 

 

3.5/5

Great stuff cheers for letting me know 

[Plissken]

Ian Cognito - A Life And Death on Stage (4/5) (Amazon Freevee)

 

Ian Cognito was one of the greatest comedians that this country has ever produced. Ian Cognito was one of the greatest comedians that you've never heard of.  He died on stage - actually on stage, during a gig - in 2019 and this film is a history of a very complex individual, told by the comics who knew him.

 

Out of necessity due to Covid it is a series of talking heads, interspersed with the rare clips of Cognito on stage.  (He was far, far too unpredictable and self-destructive to be let near television.)  It delves into the history of a guy who was a flamethrower on and off stage, an alcoholic, an incredibly talented genius and able to switch between between being kind and doing something that would get him arrested with a single drink. I was lucky enough to see him perform, it was the funniest night of my life (and I've seen Billy Connolly and Johnny Vegas on top form).  I met him a couple of times too, and while he was perfectly pleasant, he had that air of being on a knife edge.  A truly amazing character and this film does what it can to celebrate a man who was an absolute legend of comedy and a hero to comedians.

 

"Mark Lamarr don't drink. Jack Dee don't drink.  Billy Connolly don't drink.  Billy Connolly said drinking made him boring.  Oh fuck me, I wish I had that problem. I've never woken up in a police cell and the copper come over to me and say 'I'm sorry, Mr Cognito, but you were especially tedious last night...'"

[Waggo]

Cocaine Bear (Cinema) - 4 snorts outta 5.

 

Totally ludicrous but in a good way.  Exactly what I expected and wanted from a film called Cocaine Bear!!!!

[Ry]

Tar - 5/5

 

Absolute masterclass in acting from Cate Blanchett. Never seen a performance that is such a shoe in for a best actor award since DDL in There Will be Blood. She's remarkable. 

 

Overall it's a brilliant film but felt a bit disjointed in places (intentionally so I think) and It leaves you with a lot of questions. 

 

I didn't really like the ending though and again it left me with more questions. But I did think it was funny that... *major spoiler*

 

Spoiler

...this genius is now playing cosplay events/composing video game scores because of her fall from grace. 

 

I imagine older cinemagoers were like "eh, what's going on? Why is she playing to a bunch of goblins?"

 

Was also thinking it felt like a horror movie at times and there's a part of that the final third of the film isn't actually real and it's all in her head. There's clues she's losing her mind early on. 

 

It's certainly open to interpretation if you dig a little deeper. 

 

[Qazimod]

The Batman

 

I only recently (well, 2020) got around to the Nolan trilogy and I was expecting boring grimdark moodiness from them, so I was pleased with the spectacle and character in them. I kind of worried that this film would have the dreaded edgy vibe but if anything it feels like more has gone into production to make things more wild and explosive. It felt more like daft popcorn viewing without a whole lot of nuance, but there's nothing wrong with that.

 

I liked some of the use of lighting and colour (orange and teal baby!  ) and reflections, but there were a few "I can't see a fucking thing" moments, and I don’t just mean the one cool use of darkness where 

 

Spoiler

the pitch black is lit up with muzzle flash

 

Overall, I feel like the Nolan trilogy did more with "less" (and I'm not just talking about the fact that this film is around 3hrs), but this was fine for dumb Friday evening viewing.

 

3/5

 

On 13/07/2022 at 00:28, Boozy The Clown said:

The Batman

 

I couldn't see fuck all of what was going on.

 

 se7en/5.

 

Ah, so it wasn't just me.

[Hawklord]

All Quiet on the Western Front 4.5/5

 

My only criticism is that it could have been longer. My grandad was in both wars, he got it semi easy in the 2nd one but I remember him telling me stories of WW1 that horrified me. It was only when I got older and after he'd died that I realised he hadn't made them up. Doesn't matter which side you were on, war never changes.

 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 3/5

 

I didn't not enjoy it, but it did drag. I'm not burnt out on superhero movies but the recent ones have really stagnated. Bloated but not unwatchable and they had to do "something" to honour Chad Boseman

[Minion]

Nil by Mouth - 5/5 Incredible film from Gary Oldman, amazing performances and filmed so well, one of the finest British films ever made imo.

[Laters]

The cabin. Had a lot of promise, failed to deliver. 2.5/5

 

[Vimster]

Tough And Deadly (1995)

It's not going to win any awards for originality but this was actually good fun with tons of action and a couple of likeable leads in Roddy Piper and Billy Blanks who worked well together. Piper was actually properly good here as an over-zealous bail bondsman trying to help Blanks' amnesia-wracked CIA agent remember why someone is trying to kill him. Fights break out at the mere thought of the drop of a hat, with tons of high-kicking and body-slamming, all at a fast pace that honestly doesn't let up.

 

3.5/5

[El Geet]

The Banshees of Inisherin (Disney+)

 

Bit late to the party and have deliberately been avoiding reviews and views.  Excellent movie.  The performances were outstanding - the sister and the supposed village idiot stole the show for me.  (I’d have happily watched a film about how Siobhan gets on on the mainland.)
 

Need to mull it over as a simple story is clearly saying a lot more. It’s great that films like this can still get a proper audience. 

 

Spoiler

The ghoul/old lady says two people will die. Do you think the policeman commits suicide after seeing his son?

 

5/5

[Mawdlin]

The Whale

 

Beyond the fascination of seeing Brendan Fraser in a fat suit this had little to offer or say. Some of the dialogue didn't ring true, probably as a consequence of it being transferred from a stage play to a movie. The Moby Dick and bible references failed to elevate it from shallow melodrama to something more profound. It failed to pull on the heartstrings too.

 

Spoiler

Having said all that there was something morbidly compelling about watching a man eat himself to death in front of your eyes.

 

If Fraser wins an Oscar I'll eat my own weight in fried chicken.

 

2.5/5

[Twinbee]

The Northman (Now TV)

 

Every heavy metal album ever made, condensed into a single movie. Stunning visuals, brutal violence, mad witches and shamen, all sorts of rituals and stuff. 
 

A lot more psychedelic than I was expecting. Would work as a good triple bill with The Green Knight, and A Field in England. 
 

4/5

[g wings]

15 hours ago, Minion said:

Nil by Mouth - 5/5 Incredible film from Gary Oldman, amazing performances and filmed so well, one of the finest British films ever made imo.

Spot on. Every time I'm really unwell I watch this. Don't know why. Anyway, it's brilliant. If it doesn't go dark enough then check out Tyrannosaur if you haven't seen it already. 

[Minion]

7 hours ago, g wings said:

Spot on. Every time I'm really unwell I watch this. Don't know why. Anyway, it's brilliant. If it doesn't go dark enough then check out Tyrannosaur if you haven't seen it already. 

 

I have seen Tyrannosaur, only once though so I should rewatch though I remember not loving it. One of the things I love about Nil by Mouth is how it's all shot on location with life like characters, I love films shot on location and grimy city locations especially so. I might have to watch Hyena for the third time this Friday, just can't get enough of dark gritty Brit films at the moment. I feel like as the film industry is dying we just won't get films like these any longer.

 

Going back to Nil by Mouth even though it is devastatingly dark it also has a lot of love in it, the mum, Gary's sister and Mo in East Enders is such a lovely but flawed character, then you've got Kathy Burke who just knocks it out of the park in an understated performance, actually everyone involved knocks it out of the park it's so fucking good.