Author Topic: Respond to the last movie you watched  (Read 681638 times)

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3910 on: December 03, 2019, 09:21:06 PM »
I think that's one of the reasons I like Casino over other similar Scorsese films as I felt it had the strongest female presence.

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3911 on: December 04, 2019, 01:55:17 AM »
Under the Silver Lake

It's been a long time since a film has gotten its hooks into me like this one did.
Same. There's a huge divide between the choices made that I would call missteps and how little I care about it because the overall experience is like no other. A story this frustrating should not be so inviting to watch over and over again.


I think that's one of the reasons I like Casino over other similar Scorsese films as I felt it had the strongest female presence.
Lorraine Bracco as Karen Hill in Goodfellas. Sharon Stone is all over the place in Casino, though I'm about to give it a fresh watch.

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3912 on: December 05, 2019, 08:24:05 PM »
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
★ ★ ½
I went in knowing this was a high school, zombie comedy with a Christmas theme. I didn't know it was also a Musical. In a small way, the songs are the best part. Perhaps a little too polished and pop sounding, but that's kind of strange for an indie film to be at the level of a High School Musical. Also, Ella Hunt has a great deal of presence as Anna. I say 'presence' because the character isn't that strong. That's the problem here. Most of the characters are under-written and the jokes are rarely clever. Too bad because this had a lot of promise.

Bondo

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3913 on: December 05, 2019, 08:53:24 PM »
Yeah, the second half de-emphasizes the music and that is where it falls apart.

oldkid

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3914 on: December 05, 2019, 09:11:49 PM »
Knives Out
Yep, Rian hasn't let great success get to his head.  Although his cast is deeply populated with top stars now, he still knows how to pick his cast perfectly.  And why hasn't he written a whodunit before?  And when is the next one coming out.  Truly twisty twists, honest performances that are true to character and no sneaky things to get in the way of a really good time.  He didn't even let a really good point about prestige and immigration ruin a good time.  I guess, unless you are an immigrant under the gun of an evil government.

4/5

Parasite
I'm not ready to write about Parasite.  Other than it's my favorite movie of the year so far.

4.5/5
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

smirnoff

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3915 on: December 06, 2019, 11:07:32 PM »
The Report (Scott Z. Burns, 2019)   ---   8/10

This strikes me as a challenging story to tell. At its core is an investigation, but in this case the investigator is not a detective, spy, journalist or whistle-blower. Instead the investigator is a rule following senate staffer. There's no hidden agenda, no sneaking around. The target of the investigation is fully aware they are being investigated. It doesn't seem like there's a lot there to draw drama from... and yet the story is highly compelling.

philip918

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3916 on: December 07, 2019, 01:14:44 PM »
I Lost My Body (2019)

Manages to be both melancholy and extremely suspenseful. One of my favorite films of the year.

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3917 on: December 09, 2019, 10:14:47 PM »
Yesterday
★ ★ ★ - Okay

Perhaps Danny Boyle is a poor choice to bring Richard Curtis' whimsy to the screen. His dramatic skills enhance the usual rom/com breaks in reality that are so easily swept aside when the humor and heart are working. There's so much unexplored territory, like a true modern reaction to Beatles songs we know as classics - "She was just 17/You know what I mean" wouldn't go over so well today - and the jealousy of Ed Sheeran (playing himself) being pushed aside for this new phenom. Kate McKinnon's sketch comedy performance only gets broader and more embarrassing as the film goes on.

And yet... Boyle is such a good director that it still works. The editing and cinematography are occasionally the best I've seen this year, many performances are really strong, there are a couple of scenes where Boyle perfectly captures that first listen to a tune you know will be seen as a classic, and there's a brief detour involving John Lennon that's so perfectly handled emotionally it single-handedly justifies the film's existence.



Ad Astra
★ ★

I want to talk about 3 scenes, because the rest of the film is a really simplistic oft-told tale of fathers and sons stretched real thin and containing some really obvious visual metaphors. The 3 scenes are fascinating because it hints that James Gray is wasting his talent. They are a moon buggy chase out of Mad Max, a scene of horror involving a killer baboon and a fight between Pitt and the crew late in the film. These scenes are expertly shot, using the low gravity of space with great imagination, and clearly occurred when philip918 wasn't looking. I think most people would say these scenes are out of place with the rest of the film, but for me they hint at the film I wish I was watching, and I'm just really impressed by how well-executed they are.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2019, 10:17:21 PM by 1SO »

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3918 on: December 09, 2019, 10:57:10 PM »
Of course you love the one scene of Ad Astra I thought didn't work. ;D

I enjoyed the pensive nature of it all and certainly think Gray is working in a space that is not for everyone. Still one of my top 3 working American directors.

1SO

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Re: Respond to the last movie you watched
« Reply #3919 on: December 10, 2019, 12:08:39 AM »
Of course you love the one scene of Ad Astra I thought didn't work. ;D
I admit it doesn't work within the larger framework. I can't think of a solid reason for the buggy chase and the reason they use to tie in the horror scene - that it reflects the anger Pitt has internally - is an incredible reach. However, I think the rest of it about Pitt feeling abandoned and how he's turning into his bad father is really dopey, especially with the narration about sins of the father. (And yes, I did read the Spoiler thread, where you make a good point about the ending.) Given the scenes that don't work for me, I much prefer the ones that don't belong but work in a way that has me wanting Gray to make something less written and more pulpy.