Cinema - Latest Comments

Page 10 of 25 : Previous : Next :

Member	Movie		Comment / Review
mikewn 17th Dec 2023		Send No Flowers (2013)	Preview... [YouTube Video]
Magic Marmalade 16th Dec 2023		Universal Soldier (1992)	Rated 8/10 Still a stone cold classic! ...And from the period right before Independence Day, when Emmerich still had to earn his lunch, and so had some restraint, and made excellent movies like this, and Stargate - just the right side of bonkers, and great iconic fun. (I hate the populist, jingoistic, "Am-e-ric-eeer" (<Team America reference for you there :) pander-fest of independence day, and everything he has done since, as it seems the success of that meant he could do whatever he wanted, and spend as much as he wanted, and so did... and made all those God-awful, paint by numbers, schlock movies he is now most known for. A wild horse of a director like him, and others are at their best when a tight rein is kept on them - budgetary constraints or editorial / studio supervision... otherwise they go barmy, and run you straight of the nearest cliff). Never bothered with the sequels, as it is just franchise building crud, but this is firmly a fave, if not a guilty pleasure :) >Also of special note, is Dolph Lundgren's completely unhinged performance here, which steals the entire show! :) < ✔︎ Helpful Review?
mikewn 14th Dec 2023		The Black Dove (2012)	Preview [YouTube Video]
mikewn 14th Dec 2023		The Republic (2010)	Preview: [YouTube Video]
mikewn 14th Dec 2023		Until The Night (2004)	Preview: [YouTube Video]
Magic Marmalade 10th Dec 2023		Barry Lyndon (1975)	Rated 8/10 A study in nobility. Finally watched this, having found the DVD in the charity shop, having always been somewhat put off by it, based on what I could glean from impressions and reputation... (It always just seemed a rather bland prospect, of nothing in particular - Kubrick, oddly deciding to do a period piece - quite against what I would expect of him - but therein lies the fascination and intrigue!) ... And it is, of course, all those things I'd heard about it: Sumptuously shot, long (three hours - with Intermission!), and very slow moving. But it is, once you let it go along a while, a film with a point... (After all, someone like Kubrick wouldn't make a movie of this kind unless there was a reason to do so, would he?!!!) ...And the point (it seems to me), is this: This is a study of a man, with certain inherent qualities, which you might describe as "noble", or gentlemanly, but born to low social status, and is somewhat out of kilter with the plebs and peasants he finds himself dwelling among, so seeks to find his proper place in the world (as he believes it to be) - among the upper "nobility", where the forms and manners to be found there more closely approximate what he feels himself to be: A Gentleman. The thrust is, as we follow him on this journey to become "noble", is that he must do ignoble things to get there, and in seeking honour, must be increasingly dishonourable. The portrait painted here is of a man, who once he achieves his aim, he has effectively compromised himself to such an extent, that almost none of that inherent gentlemanliness, honour and true nobility, remains. The higher he climbs, the worse he gets. For as this movie shows, "nobility", as with honour, and the condition of being a gentleman, is not something a man can "achieve", acquire, purchase, or can be bestowed, or conferred on someone... It is not a title, but a condition of being, and the substance of one's character. There are many times Barry (Redmond Barry) Lyndon, displays the polar opposite characteristics almost at the same time, where he does things truly despicable, then almost immediately displays a moment of extraordinary grace, and honour... he is a walking contradiction by the end, with this inner conflict playing out in his contrary behaviour, and in his regard for himself, and others. The final scene, in this sense, seems to be an analogy for the entire movie - he presents himself to satisfy the honour of another, because of his dishonourable conduct, then does something truly gentlemanly, honourable and indeed, noble. (It may. also, be him in such despair at himself, that he is presenting himself for his own final destruction, as if this is no more than he deserves.) The question that lingers after, is has he achieved some kind of redemption. But although it is long, slow, and all the rest, it is engrossing, fascinating, and very ponderable. Pleased I've watched it at last, and very much enjoyed it. Not sure it's as truly great as everyone makes it out to be, or whether that's as much because it has that magical moniker: Kubrick, attached to it. But very very good, nonetheless. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 9th Dec 2023		Kattorna (1965)	font used for title looks suspiciously like the later logo for the the band: The Cure.
Magic Marmalade 8th Dec 2023		Pig (2021)	Rated 8/10 This is a wonderful, beautiful movie. To characterise it, it is like a beautifully shot, slow-burn, lo-fi, poetic, and non-violent (relatively speaking) / pacifist John Wick. Man in woods with truffle pig has said pig stolen, in a violent raid one night, so he sets out to get it back, with the aid of his young flashy truffle buying entrepreneur associate. Given how prolific Nicolas Cage is these days, and how a certain amount of stereotyping, and therefore self-perpetuating type-casting means he more often than not turns up in the nuttier end of the movie spectrum, and being nutty and extreme in his performances... You forget he is capable of this kind of deep, understated, subtlety in his acting, which here, is sublime. ...He really captures the essence of a man who has been alone too long in the woods, without much, if any human contact, and so has become a little glacial and non-communicative, or at the very least, non-expressive. (So the polar opposite of what you have come to expect from him - Needs to do more of this kind of role!) But the movie, and the story itself, is brilliantly told, starting, as it does, with that Wickian style of simple motivating factor, to set the man in motion, and by degrees, as he goes back into society, and we see him and the character he has become, now set in stark contrast against the world he left behind long ago, and also, the revelations that this brings, as he goes... We learn who he once was, and how and why he went wild in the first place. The story, therefore, is not about the pig, it's about him. (The pig is just the reason for him to continue to exist) And other than the obvious Wick set up, for some reason, Jack And The Beanstalk popped in to my head, as if the Giant succeeded in coming down to earth to retrieve his goose that laid the golden eggs... so a slight suggestion of this being a fable, or modern Neo-Noir (as they call this kind of mood movie these days) fairy tale. But this is a very artistically shot and made movie, that would probably, in terms of texture, and tone, sit happily alongside something like *Drive, or You Were Never Really Here*. Brilliant, and I shall certainly be watching this one again. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
henry29 7th Dec 2023		Napoleon (2023)	Title Image from the Film added. H.
zabadak ● 7th Dec 2023		Barbie (2023)	Interview with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto :read:
zabadak ● 7th Dec 2023		Barbie (2023)	Wasn't using it! :thumbsup:
Juke Jules SUBS 7th Dec 2023		Wish (2023)	Thanks - Loughrey is more accepting of the 'Frozen' side of Disney, but she also pays credit to their classics style that I applaud.
Magic Marmalade 5th Dec 2023		Filth (2013)	Rated 8/10 Disgusting, depraved, tragic... Brilliant. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
zabadak ● 3rd Dec 2023		Saltburn (2023)	Review Ilford Recorder review :read: ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 2nd Dec 2023		Doc Hollywood (1991)	Rated 8/10 I think the only way to review this properly is to state the basic premise: Fish out of water "big city type" doc gets stuck in smalltown USA for life re-evaluation experience... (Not new, or original, perhaps, but perfectly executed) ....And then, perhaps, offer some words, with which an informative word-cloud can be composed: Wholesome, warm, charming, fun, funny, sweet, witty, 90s, Michael J. Fox, Chesney Hawkes (You know the one! :), Woody Harrelson, Bridget Fonda, Julie Warner, The dude from M.A.S.H, The grandpa from The Lost Boys, Summer Squash, Car, Fence, Judge, Smalltown, quilt. ...Or just watch it, it's awesome :) (Having now seen: Local Hero, there are striking similarities in plot - but even that is nothing really new - just great). 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 1st Dec 2023		Top Gun: Maverick (2022)	Rated 8/10 Excellent sequel... In fact, Excellent movie in it's own right! This ranks alongside Blade Runner 2049 in the standard of what a sequel can do, and, if you are going to do it (and accept the baggage of expectation that comes with living up to an original classic movie), should be. There's a great nod to the original in the opening scenes, looking, feeling and moving like a mere continuation of that first movie - they've really captured the feel of that here, to the extent that it gives you mild chills! ...And the last twenty minutes found me grinning like an idiot with a suggestion of a tear or two in my eyes. ...But everything in between is fantastic in it's own right, and is it's own, well crafted, and engaging story, brilliantly told. This one gives you a lot of what you'd want from it, a lot you didn't realise you wanted, and sends you away happy as Larry :) ✔︎ Helpful Review?
zabadak ● 27th Nov 2023		The Last Duel (2021)	Review Independent review :read: ✔︎ Helpful Review?
zabadak ● 27th Nov 2023		Wish (2023)	Review Independent review :read: ✔︎ Helpful Review?
zabadak ● 27th Nov 2023		Napoleon (2023)	Review Independent review :read: ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Juke Jules SUBS 26th Nov 2023		Wish (2023)	Review Had an hour to kill today so I stopped by a cinema and chose "Wish" as I often like a bit of Disney. I didn't really enjoy it for two reasons: it was excessively "cutesie", nearly all its characters, especially the animals and the heroic little emoji-"Star" were insufferably cute. The only characters I found remotely credible were King Magnifico and Queen Amaya until they went downhill and were deemed 'baddies'. Second, the storyline didn't engage me, just as the storyline of "Phantom of the Opera" didn't; I just didn't care what happened to any of them. Pity really, and I was pleased to leave early to meet my friends. 2 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
zabadak ● 24th Nov 2023		Operation Mincemeat (2021)	Rated 7/10 Not bad, Colin Firth lifts it above the ordinary :happy: ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 23rd Nov 2023		Near Dark (1987)	Rated 8/10 Getting in with the wrong crowd! A triumph of economy. Just got a super-cheapo charity shop DVD copy of this, and watched it again... ...And what struck me most is how lean this is... everything about it, from budget, to script, performances and pacing. It basically jumps straight in, with a lonely cowboy dude guy noticing a mysterious girl, "wooing" her, getting bitten by her, trying to get home, while noticing he's not feeling so great, the girl's "companions" - vampires by their proper name (never referred to as such in the movie) - decide they don't want him bitten, so catch him in order to kill him, realise they might want him bitten after all, so long as he proves himself a proper vampire, he decides he does, then he doesn't, they don't like this, and decide to kill him anyway, and so chase him down and persecute him while his family (Father and sister) are looking for him, after this initial mysterious disappearance. ...Well, that's the plot taken care of! But this wastes zero time in set up, back story, origins for each of the characters, there are no "character arcs" (They are what they is), no sets to speak of, no special effects (except the masterfully shot and presented fiery finale. There are no stakes to break the vampires' hearts. no garlic, no crucifixes or holy water, or any of that old jazz... ...This is literally, a handful of actors and crew who have driven through a sparse southern US state at night, looking for moody, deserted locations to grab a shot or film a scene... in the can, and thank you very much! (The budget appears to have mostly been spent on a smoke machine and a flood light to back light it by - tremendously effective in the otherwise empty nightscapes) The lack of back story or characterisation works perfectly for these vampire characters, as it gives them the air of the unknown, and and therefore a mystique, which makes them horrifying. Only their actual characters (Characteristics / personalities) and the occasional line from each, alluding to some origin and story is given, and what these allude to, as well as the implications of how they not only came to be individually, but how they became a group, are, though not explicitly stated, even more horrifying for it. Bill Paxton is is the real star of the show, hamming it up to the max as a deranged psycho -biker vampire (say that when you're drunk! :), and is incidentally, the only one of them who doesn't even give one clue as to where he came from, or came to be... not one line - which makes him even more terrifying even than the rest! The most disturbing character is the kid vampire - apparently may be the oldest of the lot, stuck in a child's body, and this character seems to imply things in places we just don't want to go to! PC it ain't, Twilight it ain't, and these are not swoon-able romantic figures, although they are tragic - but not in a way that elicits from the audience any sympathy for these particular devils... ...No, these are proper monsters, tragic in a pathetic, horrifying way, eliciting only disgust and fear. Just shows you, with such meagre resources, a great idea, properly utilised, a great, moody horror movie, in the Carpenter-esque style can be achieved. Bags of atmosphere, all making for an ideal late night watch. (Would make a great study piece for film students, in this regard). 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 21st Nov 2023		Unbreakable (2000)	Rated 10/10 The best superhero movie ever made. ...Bar none. This is how you do it, and this is what superheroes and their movies are supposed to do for their audience: Evoke the basic feeling of the truly wonderous, within the everyday, in such a way as to allow the viewer to feel that such things are within the bounds of the possible, and so inspire them at the deepest level. Mmmmmm... Night's genius in this regard is to realise that in order to do this, you've got to pull this kind of movie, and the characters down, out of the clouds, allow the physics of it to be close enough to reality that the audience is willing to stetch their suspension of disbelief out to meet you half way. And then, strip away the fantastical, convoluted, plots that plague more recent cinema superheroes, as well as the primary coloured spandex costumery... Show us the man... ...The man burdened with extraordinary circumstance, and how he struggles to make sense of it, and already you have the essence of the movie - the drama, the plot, and the wider story taken care of, in a way that allows the audience to sympathise, empathise, even with his exceptional abilities. Being so lean, and focused, and with the story, along with cinematography, score, performances and direction conspiring to make the everyday grandiose, epic, and significant, while at the same time being the most intimate, personal portrayal, we can believe in the dash of the extraordinary in that everyday as we really want to, until the finale, where we are given that moment of relief of the tension created in the drama in a thoroughly transcendent, euphoric release. Because it is this very feeling that you evoke in the audience is why they go to the cinema to see superhero movies, and when they work, the feeling that the film-makers tap into successfully, and when they don't, because they have gotten too far away from it, and concentrated too much on the superficial - the dazzle, the CGI, the excessive plotting and knots they tie themselves in to desperately try to sell the ever more unbelievable physics, and fantastical nature of what is shown. Stripped down to bare wood, this is the purest portrayal of a superhero you will ever see, an ordinary man who is struggling to reconcile himself to the fact he might not be so ordinary after all. And it's got all the feeling. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 18th Nov 2023		Antichrist (2009)	Rated 5/10 Sweet Jesus! I know some film-makers gather a reputation through being bold, daring and offensive, in order that we should bow our heads at how little understood they are, and therefore we must bow our heads in reverence... after all, if we don't understand it, it must be genius... right? And while Dear old Lars certainly has a flair, even a vision in film-making, it feels like he just wants to see how far he can push that unquestioning, and unqualified worship, by being as deliberately offensive as possible. (I'll never forgive him for putting an image of my sweet, lovely Bjork dangling from a rope in my head in Dancer In The Dark!) ...For this is bleak, grim, and nasty. I'm sure others will pontificate about the deeper meanings and such, but it seems only to inform us of the perils of home-therapy, in the wake of a tagedy. (You may be married to a psychiatrist, but that is what Defoe's character comes to realise at his cost, is the very thing that should disqualify him from attempting to fix his wife) Some truly nasty scenes, and images in this you just don't need in your brain. Shocking... absolutely. ...art... possibly. .....Good..... not so much. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 18th Nov 2023		Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes (1984)	Maybe not the most brilliant movie ever made, but I like it. (Still the best Tarzan movie made though, albeit that's not saying much, given the repeated failed attempts to properly nail this character on the big screen)
Magic Marmalade 18th Nov 2023		A Serious Man (2009)	- And let's not linger too long on: Burn After Reading...(yikes!) I think the problem with this one is they've struck gold in capturing that quirky, odd tone in Fargo, and tried to replicate it here without success. Difficult to do, as the quality that makes Fargo so brilliant is created through the sum of it's parts, with no individual element - script, performances, aesthetic etc. being the sole essence of it.... It's movie making alchemy, magic that you feel perhaps they wouldn't know if they'd achieved it until they saw what came out the other end, and while you're doing it it, there's no way to know if you have it or not. Very fine line between brilliance and boredom.
alexlincs 17th Nov 2023		快活林 (1972)	Title screen added from blu-ray
alexlincs 17th Nov 2023		A Serious Man (2009)	@Magic Marmalade I agree it is one of their weaker movies, but they did raise the bar incredibly high with Fargo, Barton Fink and The Big Lewbowski. I think their worst are Intolerable Cruelty and the remake of The Ladykillers.
Magic Marmalade 16th Nov 2023		A Serious Man (2009)	Rated 6/10 Only mildly amusing, and mildly interesting from Coens, and probably one of their weakest movies. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 16th Nov 2023		Gwoemul (2006)	Rated 8/10 This was great, as I remember... ...Very much like District 9 or Monsters, with respect of the quality of the production, and that it is punching well above it's weight, budget wise, and also like them (Although this is horror / creature feature) it has a great story idea to propel it and well told too! ✔︎ Helpful Review?

Page 10 of 25 : Previous : Next :