Let's have a films thread.

[RoboFox]

Finally got around to seeing Terminator Dark Fate last night. Fun action set pieces, but that’s about it... Disappointing overall, full of plot holes and

a T800 living as a drape salesman with a family after murdering an entire police station and John Connor was really fvcking daft 

[Suzie the Fox]

1 hour ago, RoboFox said:

Finally got around to seeing Terminator Dark Fate last night. Fun action set pieces, but that’s about it... Disappointing overall, full of plot holes and

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a T800 living as a drape salesman with a family after murdering an entire police station and John Connor was really fvcking daft 

 

I also watched it last night, felt it was a mashup between the original and T2, except John Connor was a girl. It was ok, but nothing more.

[RonnieTodger]

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Was ok, quite predictable.

 

Lily James is nice 

[mabrah]

8 minutes ago, RonnieTodger said:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Was ok, quite predictable.

Yes, a pleasant film. I'd recommend it for a gentle, non-taxing watch.  

[MC Prussian]

Hellboy 2.

 

What a lame piece of kitsch.

[Guest seanfox778]

1917 - 7/10

 

Loved the way it was shot. Film reminded me of Lord of the Rings and I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be. 

[Alf Bentley]

1917: 7.5

 

Positives:

- Enjoyed the "continuous journey" structure, which worked well

- Brilliant scenes of life in trenches & no-man's land (rats, horses, mud, carnage, silence & noise, dark & light)

- The simple fact that most of the soldiers looked so young rang true

- Good soundtrack: atmospheric, but not intrusive

- Good moments of tension

- Well-acted by main 2

 

Negative:

- Some plot elements in 2nd half got a bit cheesy B-movie (chase & knife-fight in occupied ruined town, French woman & baby, river scene)

 

Question mark:

- Couldn't they have included a bit more of the back story of the main 2, esp. Schofield (their lives & character back home) via dialogue between them?

[Blarmy]

Avengement on Netflix. Was in the mood for a crap British gangster film but actually really enjoyed it for different reasons.  Good fight scenes, acting and score and over the top enough to not take itself too seriously (which is why I usually enjoy crap British gangster films).

 

So I enjoyed it, but not because it was crap. Happy camper. 

[urban.spaceman]

3 hours ago, Alf Bentley said:

1917: 7.5

 

Positives:

- Enjoyed the "continuous journey" structure, which worked well

- Brilliant scenes of life in trenches & no-man's land (rats, horses, mud, carnage, silence & noise, dark & light)

- The simple fact that most of the soldiers looked so young rang true

- Good soundtrack: atmospheric, but not intrusive

- Good moments of tension

- Well-acted by main 2

 

Negative:

- Some plot elements in 2nd half got a bit cheesy B-movie (chase & knife-fight in occupied ruined town, French woman & baby, river scene)

 

Question mark:

- Couldn't they have included a bit more of the back story of the main 2, esp. Schofield (their lives & character back home) via dialogue between them?

*spoilers*

 

They got the balance just right for me. Blake was very talkative from the off, telling stories about his mum's garden and his brother, which pay off emotionally when he dies holding the photo and when we meet his brother. Schofield got emotional when even breaching the subject of home, and how things were - which ties into what it was like for the men when they returned from war. The last two thirds after Blake died, Schofield only had the woman and the child to talk to but with the language barrier and time running out he doesn't answer her when she asks if he has children. He talks about his medal twice, about how he gave it away for a bottle of wine - he's not interested in being recognised for his achievements, he just wants to survive.

 

As a screenwriting geek I loved how efficient it was with his back story and the way it withheld information in favour of being involved with his journey in the moment. For me, this is what makes the emotional impact bigger at the end when he's resting against the tree and takes out the tin that he's been checking is safe throughout the film, and the message reads 'Come home to us'. We don't really need to know the details; many millions of men in the war had very similar stories and many millions never lived to see their families again. Schofield ends the film the same way he began it, resting up against a tree. What was an extraordinary story of bravery turns out to be just another day. The insanity of the First World War defined.

 

Man I ****ing loved this film and I can't wait to see it again.

[Alf Bentley]

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

*spoilers*

 

They got the balance just right for me. Blake was very talkative from the off, telling stories about his mum's garden and his brother, which pay off emotionally when he dies holding the photo and when we meet his brother. Schofield got emotional when even breaching the subject of home, and how things were - which ties into what it was like for the men when they returned from war. The last two thirds after Blake died, Schofield only had the woman and the child to talk to but with the language barrier and time running out he doesn't answer her when she asks if he has children. He talks about his medal twice, about how he gave it away for a bottle of wine - he's not interested in being recognised for his achievements, he just wants to survive.

 

As a screenwriting geek I loved how efficient it was with his back story and the way it withheld information in favour of being involved with his journey in the moment. For me, this is what makes the emotional impact bigger at the end when he's resting against the tree and takes out the tin that he's been checking is safe throughout the film, and the message reads 'Come home to us'. We don't really need to know the details; many millions of men in the war had very similar stories and many millions never lived to see their families again. Schofield ends the film the same way he began it, resting up against a tree. What was an extraordinary story of bravery turns out to be just another day. The insanity of the First World War defined.

 

Man I ****ing loved this film and I can't wait to see it again.

 

A good justification of the film makers' decisions.

 

I got the 2 different personalities & Schofield bottling up intense emotions about life back home and just wanting to survive. I also got the fact that the film was mainly about their war experience & their journey that day, not their life stories.

 

Maybe my expectations were too conventional in wanting to know a bit more about their background. I just felt that they could have thrown in a bit more - about Schofield, in particular - without undermining the focus of the film.

If they wanted to depict Schofield as a character who found it too painful to talk about such things (a very reasonable decision), they could have had the more garrulous Blake make the odd comment that revealed snippets about Schofield's life.

To be fair, another character did advise Schofield that it "didn't do to dwell on things" (or words to that effect) - reinforcing his existing attitude and supporting your stance.

 

Anyway, I did say it was a "question mark" rather than a negative, as such - and I thought it was a successful and original film overall. The scenes crossing no-man's land were stunning.

The only reason I didn't give it a higher mark was that a few of the later scenes stretched credibility for me, suddenly shifting from hard reality to adventure story.

[urban.spaceman]

45 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

A good justification of the film makers' decisions.

 

I got the 2 different personalities & Schofield bottling up intense emotions about life back home and just wanting to survive. I also got the fact that the film was mainly about their war experience & their journey that day, not their life stories.

 

Maybe my expectations were too conventional in wanting to know a bit more about their background. I just felt that they could have thrown in a bit more - about Schofield, in particular - without undermining the focus of the film.

If they wanted to depict Schofield as a character who found it too painful to talk about such things (a very reasonable decision), they could have had the more garrulous Blake make the odd comment that revealed snippets about Schofield's life.

To be fair, another character did advise Schofield that it "didn't do to dwell on things" (or words to that effect) - reinforcing his existing attitude and supporting your stance.

 

Anyway, I did say it was a "question mark" rather than a negative, as such - and I thought it was a successful and original film overall. The scenes crossing no-man's land were stunning.

The only reason I didn't give it a higher mark was that a few of the later scenes stretched credibility for me, suddenly shifting from hard reality to adventure story.

Perfectly valid points Alf. I'm very easy to please to be honest! In screenwriting you're always told to get rid of anything that doesn't serve the story - I don't necessarily agree with that as, like you say, some things might not add to the story but might add to the character. Writers very often write fully detailed biographies for most of their characters (see Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's Flipchart notes on their films) that barely 1% of which makes it into the film. (Usually it's given to the actors to help fully embody the character). I agree too that credibility stretched a bit in some places, though like I said I'm so easy to please I tend to just ignore that if the cinematography is as beautiful as this. 

[Guest seanfox778]

Little Women - 8/10

 

Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh steal the show, can't say I've seen the former put in a bad acting performance so far. Lovely film that's heartwarming, heartbreaking and humourous. 

[theadmans]

I am from Leicester originally but I had never seen this:-

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sekLKU2BUiQ

 

"The Girl With Brains In Her Feet" is set in Leicester...

 

Filmed in 1997 but set in 1972...

 

It is a weird kind of "Kes" (substituting Leicester for Barnsley).

 

The aspiring athlete girl goes to the fictional St Bradgates School with a view of Old John!

 

...she uses the hill for training (and also the odd bit of nookie at the top - next to the monument). 

 

Full marks for the authentic Leicester references throughout - you get:-

 

- Red Leicester Cheese

- Melton Mowbray Pork Pie

- Leicester Council Houses

- Leicester Mercury

- Leicester Market

- Going Skeggy for your holidays

- People calling each other Me Duck

- Saffron Lane Athletics Track (where I attended my Lancaster Boys Sports Days)

 

...it is actually better than I expected.

 

Although having a teenage female lead - it dwells rather too long for my tastes on the murky subject of menstruation.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 22 January 2020 by theadmans

[Guest seanfox778]

The Irishman - 6/10

 

Had put this off until I could do it in one sitting. I purposely went into it not knowing the plot and I personally was never interested in the whole Jimmy Hoffa union politics affair so that already was a bit annoying for me, the whole CGI ageing thing didn’t really work for me either, was a bit of a distraction and I couldn’t really tell what age range they were supposed to be. I’ve seen Goodfellas and Casino a fair few times but I think that this will have no rewatch value. Nothing that memorable really happened. A bit disappointing overall but considering the ages of all the main players involved, you can’t fault the acting, though it was a bit funny seeing what I presume is DeNiro’s character in his 40s shuffling around like an elderly gent.

[urban.spaceman]

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote - 10/10

 

I'm a huge Gilliam fan so of course I'm biased. Plus, I've legitimately been waiting for this film for 20 ****ing years. 

 

He tried to make it in 2000 but the shoot only managed 5 days before the entire ****ing set being washed away by freak flash floods, one of the main actors developed a catastrophic back problem from sitting on a horse and couldn't do it any more, then the money got pulled. The 'making of' documentary ended up being very successful in its own right.

 

He then went on to make other projects just to keep himself busy, including The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus with Heath Ledger, who died in the middle of the shoot. He recast the film and got close again, before the money failed to materialise.

 

Then he finally managed to make the ****ing thing, before he was sued by a producer of the original project which delayed release.

 

Needless to say I was trepidatious coming in.

 

And it took a few minutes to get going, so I was a bit worried. But after the 20 minute mark or so, it descended into the kind of chaos only Terry Gilliam can do.

 

And it was brilliant. It was the most Terry Gilliam film of any Terry Gilliam film ever.

 

Absolutely hilarious, beautiful, absurd, chaotic and gloriously shot. 

 

I loved every minute of it, and I can't wait to see it again!

[UpTheLeagueFox]

Finally got around to watching "Yesterday"

Very, very good

 

Never been a huge Beatles fan but listening to their music in the film finally made me realise they were actually pretty special.

[Izzy]

I dunno about 1917 - not really sure what I expected.

 

Afterwards the wife said "What did you think to it then?" and the only word I could muster was "Grim"

[ithuriel]

Watched 1917 and thought it was a sombre and grim but beautifully shot first world war movie that should make people think.

The bit where they  are going through the wire kind of brings home why you would never get far when going over the top and other parts reminded me of pictures and paintings I've seen in books.

 

[MC Prussian]

8 hours ago, ithuriel said:

Watched 1917 and thought it was a sombre and grim but beautifully shot first world war movie that should make people think.

The bit where they  are going through the wire kind of brings home why you would never get far when going over the top and other parts reminded me of pictures and paintings I've seen in books.

 

The most striking and beautiful painting depicting the horrors of WWI I know of is The Ghosts of Vimy Ridge.

 

Look it up, it's stunning.

Edited 24 January 2020 by MC Prussian

[Guest seanfox778]

A Ghost Story - 8/10

 

I really liked this, thought it was quite moving and melancholy. Looked up the reviews on IMDb and it seems very hated, lot’s of 1 star reviews. Maybe they were expecting a straight up horror but it’s just a focus on the ‘life’ of a ghost. I loved the use of time in the film.

[Guest MattP]

On 24/01/2020 at 00:17, seanfox778 said:

The Irishman - 6/10

 

Had put this off until I could do it in one sitting. I purposely went into it not knowing the plot and I personally was never interested in the whole Jimmy Hoffa union politics affair so that already was a bit annoying for me, the whole CGI ageing thing didn’t really work for me either, was a bit of a distraction and I couldn’t really tell what age range they were supposed to be. I’ve seen Goodfellas and Casino a fair few times but I think that this will have no rewatch value. Nothing that memorable really happened. A bit disappointing overall but considering the ages of all the main players involved, you can’t fault the acting, though it was a bit funny seeing what I presume is DeNiro’s character in his 40s shuffling around like an elderly gent.

I absolutely loved the film but the scene where De Niro beats up the shopkeeper was embarrassing. He could barely move.

[Guest seanfox778]

Last Action Hero - 9/10

 

I bloody love this film. There's so many little moments of brilliance that pass by in every scene. It takes the absolute piss out of itself and still ends up being a great action film because it mashes together all the cliches of big action films. Corny one liners, decent bad guys (the yellow ripper guy used to scare the s*** out of me) and a great soundtrack too. It loses a point because the kid is really annoying. 

 

Currently available on Netflix.

Edited 26 January 2020 by seanfox778

[ithuriel]

News on one of the upcoming MCU movies

 

[lgfualol]

I saw 1917 last night. Thought it was brilliant but wish I never had to witness the trailer (was advertised before another film), as it would have been 10 times better going into it blind. I hate trailers.

 

Anyway, thought it was bonkers. The scenes in the destroyed French town and flares were incredible. 

 

I think if I never saw the trailers, it'd be a 8.5/10. But will give it a 7.5. 

[egg_fried_rice]

Dolomite Is My Name

It was ok. Good performances from Eddie Murphy and a wonderfully camp Wesley Snipes. Having not really been familiar with the original Dolomite film or the true story it is based on, I don't think I got the most out of it. Struggled a bit to understand what was funny about the African American folk jokes that the Dolomite character's act was based on, but then I suppose it was a very different period for comedy and the origins of the jokes were not relevant to mine or my ancestor's life experiences. 6/10.

 

Marriage Story

Superb Performances form the two leads. Shows the raw, up and down emotions of uncoupling from marriage, and the ludicrous nature of the US family courts. Well worth a watch. 8/10.

 

El Camino

Like a long episode of Breaking Bad, and therefore pretty damn enjoyable. Couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bit pointless and didn't add anything to Jesse's story. 7/10.