2,583 posts
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Post by viserys on Nov 30, 2023 8:20:31 GMT
The studio obviously were not confident enough in this to make it a two parter, because there is such an obvious split opportunity moment that I legit thought the thing was ending. And then somehow we got another hour. Very relieved this was NOT a two-parter, as it was ONE book. I hate those cynical cash-grabs where a book is split in two just to make it two movies and by the time the second one comes around you have half forgotten the plot of the first and they often feel very bloated. This felt tight as it was all plot and very little stuffing. It wasn't as gripping as the original Hunger Games trilogy with its criticism of the modern media circus, but still very solid fare that stood heads and shoulders over most of today's dross. Surprised to read so little about it here, considering it stars a budding musical star, who gets to sing so many songs, it did feel almost like a musical at time. I couldn't stand Rachel Zegler in West Side Story and don't find her very likeable in anything I've witnessed of her off-screen, so I had been very worried about her here (especially since the original trilogy relied so much on Jennifer Lawrence being fantastic), but she was surprisingly good and engaging, as was Tom Blyth as young Coriolanus. He just kinda lost me in the last part with his new short and very blonde hair, he seemed to have turned into Draco Malfoy. The Hunger Games: Snakes and Songbirds **** from me
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Post by amyja89 on Nov 30, 2023 20:28:12 GMT
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - *****
A mammoth endurance test, but I'm happy to be part of the club now! A bore-core meets whore-core masterpiece that I will probably never have the patience to watch again, a classic of the "more fun to talk about than to watch' genre.
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Post by amyja89 on Dec 1, 2023 23:09:46 GMT
The Bad Seed (1956) - ****
A great early camp thriller filled with memorable performances, with one of the most hilariously clunky and out of place Hays Code enforced endings I've ever seen!
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1,877 posts
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Post by Marwood on Dec 2, 2023 19:15:37 GMT
Eileen: I missed out on tickets for this when it was on at the London Film Festival and Edgar Wright has given it a glowing recommendation on his Instagram, telling people to know as little about his as possible before seeing it: it’s had next to no promotion that I’ve seen so apart from a couple of photos when it was screened at the LFF I knew next nothing about it.
It features another tour de force performance from Thomasin McKenzie in the title role (with this, Jojo Rabbit and Last Night In Soho she is really making a name for herself), strong support from Anne Bancroft and Shea Whigham (Bancroft plays more of a supporting role than you would expect from looking at her billing on posters): I don’t want to give anything away apart from it’s a period noir (set at Christmas but it’s one of the least festive films I’ve seen) and it kind of trundles along nicely with a few bumps and surprises but there was one revelation in the closing stretch that I thought was a bit too much and the ending just kind of happens, leaving the viewer to put together the pieces in their head.
Glad I saw it but disappointed by that ending: 6.5 out of 10
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6,363 posts
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Post by Jon on Dec 2, 2023 23:58:11 GMT
The studio obviously were not confident enough in this to make it a two parter, because there is such an obvious split opportunity moment that I legit thought the thing was ending. And then somehow we got another hour. Very relieved this was NOT a two-parter, as it was ONE book. I hate those cynical cash-grabs where a book is split in two just to make it two movies and by the time the second one comes around you have half forgotten the plot of the first and they often feel very bloated. This felt tight as it was all plot and very little stuffing. It wasn't as gripping as the original Hunger Games trilogy with its criticism of the modern media circus, but still very solid fare that stood heads and shoulders over most of today's dross. Surprised to read so little about it here, considering it stars a budding musical star, who gets to sing so many songs, it did feel almost like a musical at time. I couldn't stand Rachel Zegler in West Side Story and don't find her very likeable in anything I've witnessed of her off-screen, so I had been very worried about her here (especially since the original trilogy relied so much on Jennifer Lawrence being fantastic), but she was surprisingly good and engaging, as was Tom Blyth as young Coriolanus. He just kinda lost me in the last part with his new short and very blonde hair, he seemed to have turned into Draco Malfoy. The Hunger Games: Snakes and Songbirds **** from me I saw it today and I liked it. It was a tad long but I wasn't bored. I like Tom Blyth and Rachel Zelger but they are somewhat overshadowed by Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage especially the former who looked like she had a blast playing Volumnia Gaul, I did find it funny that the character is named after the Shakespeare character of the same name.
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3,482 posts
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Post by showgirl on Dec 3, 2023 4:42:35 GMT
I enjoyed Maestro more than the reviews led me to expect; well worth seeing. It is an idiosyncratic treatment in places, with dream/imagined sequences & some time shifts, though too many of those. Also, some scenes are unusually long, though again, not excessively so and some reviewers have praised that aspect as not only unusual but more satisfying. The music was wonderful, too, though not the main draw for me and once more, others have complained that it's more about the personal relationships, which it is. For me a very engrossing, interesting and rewarding visit.
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Post by amyja89 on Dec 3, 2023 11:41:07 GMT
The Elephant Man (1980) - *****Not sure why I chose this particular December weekend to break my own heart, but here I am and there it went. I had seen certain snippets of the film before but never the whole thing. I think a more modern version of this would go a little harder on the symmetry Anthony Hopkins character placing Merrick in just another freak show type situation, but the point still comes across just fine. John Hurt's performance is so sensitive and delicate, my heart really did ache.
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Post by solotheatregoer on Dec 3, 2023 14:02:22 GMT
I enjoyed Maestro more than the reviews led me to expect; well worth seeing. It is an idiosyncratic treatment in places, with dream/imagined sequences & some time shifts, though too many of those. Also, some scenes are unusually long, though again, not excessively so and some reviewers have praised that aspect as not only unusual but more satisfying. The music was wonderful, too, though not the main draw for me and once more, others have complained that it's more about the personal relationships, which it is. For me a very engrossing, interesting and rewarding visit. I don't see how this would be as interesting if they didn't focus on personal relationships, unless you were a genuine fan of Leonard Bernstein. I did enjoy this but mainly because of Carey Mulligan's outstanding performance (probably one of the best I have seen in film this year). I'm glad I got to see this on the big screen as the cinematography was incredible. I agree some parts were excessively long and drawn out but it did manage to pull me back in eventually. It was just a bit of a slog to get through but I would say it was worth it in the end.
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539 posts
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Post by jek on Dec 3, 2023 15:48:12 GMT
Like showgirl I enjoyed this. We saw it at the Barbican Cinema which felt appropriate given that the London Symphony Orchestra is resident at the Barbican Hall. As a regular at LSO concerts I especially liked spotting the current Barbican orchestra members playing the Mahler symphony - lots of wigs and period appropriate glasses. I thought it sounded and looked beautiful. It also cleverly circumvented what is so often a problem with biopics - introducing characters in a slightly clunky manner. There was a tiny bit of that with Jerome Robbins and Betty Comden and Adolph Green, but nowhere near as much as in old movies like the Gershwin story. It must have been very difficult to decide what areas of an eventful marriage to focus on - there was nothing about their involvement with 'radical chic' and hosting a party for the Black Panthers, for example. I'm now home and looking forward to listening to some Bernstein CDs.
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Post by amyja89 on Dec 3, 2023 22:04:01 GMT
Nightmare Alley (1947) - *** 1/2
Watched the remake when it came out and didn't like it very much, so thought I'd check this one out to see whether or not it worked better for me. Interestingly, it did. Shorter run time telling almost exactly the same story, and extra points for being this thematically gnarly under code rules.
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1,184 posts
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Post by joem on Dec 4, 2023 0:46:08 GMT
I've enjoyed Maestro tonight. I have been interested in Bernstein for many years - I recommend the Humphrey Burton biography for anyone wanting a broader perspective - and thought this film captured his character and persona pretty well. It isn't a straightforward biopic from cradle to grave but that's how they've chosen to do it, playing up the drama of character conflict to appeal to a broader audience, and I don't have a problem with that. End of the day it even has time to muse on creativity and what it is to be an artist (genius?). The music sounds pretty good too. It wasn't heard on the soundtrack but Bernstein's last concert, where he was seriously ill, is compelling listening, especially the awesome Seventh Symphony by Beethoven. Highly recommended.
Also went to see Fallen Leaves. If you've never seen a Finnish comedy (no it's not an oxymoron), try this one!
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Post by amyja89 on Dec 4, 2023 18:04:26 GMT
Maestro (2023) - *** 1/2I have this thing with Bradley Cooper, where I can't help but physically feel the fact that he is trying really hard. And like, that's what somebody is supposed to do, right? Try hard at their job? It's just tough when you are sharing your scenes with someone like Carey Mulligan who is really quite amazing in this, and doing the required hard work without it looking as such. As for the film overall, I liked it but didn't love it. {Potential spoilery discussion of the ending...} One of the final sequences, that scene of the elderly Lenny dancing flirtatiously with the younger student, what were we supposed to make of that? There was something about the framing of it that made me consider whether the connotations of it were negative, almost embarrassing for Lenny to be socialising in that way with the very deliberate choice of modern music as the accompanying soundtrack, but it would be a rather odd way to end what was otherwise a pretty loving (albeit unafraid of flaws) tribute.
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Post by theatregoer22 on Dec 5, 2023 19:39:05 GMT
I also saw Maestro the other day at the Barbican but wasn't overly impressed. It seemed very choppy - like a montage of clips that didn't flow together very well and left me trying to join the dots (with the emphasis on trying, as I'm not overly familiar with Bernstein's life and work). So 2 1/2 stars from me.
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4,599 posts
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Post by Mark on Dec 5, 2023 23:44:18 GMT
Just out of a double cinema evening.
Saltburn - I thought was great. I’d avoided any spoilers and some of the plot points really surprised me! How it describes itself as a comedy thriller - absolutely get that.
Femme - quite a dark (and sad) story. Not to spoil anything but very interesting how the relationships develop and can totally see how it could happen like that.
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1,294 posts
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Post by mkb on Dec 6, 2023 1:48:32 GMT
Scarface (1983) ****
Films directed by Brian de Palma are often a guilty pleasure of mine, but this one is actually good and there is no shame in admiring its qualities, thanks in no small measure to the screenplay from Oliver Stone.
I had not seen Scarface since its initial 1983 opening, and I was surprised at how little I remembered watching the 40th anniversary re-release. The clever updating of the 1932 version -- co-director Howard Hawks and co-writer Ben Hecht are thanked in the 1983 credits -- resets the action to contemporary Miami and concerns Cuban rather than Italian-American mobsters.
Surprisingly, only two actors of Cuban heritage feature. Al Pacino is not one, but nevertheless pulls off the lead role of Tony Montana with astonishing realism in a powerhouse performance. That he and the movie were unforgivably overlooked by Oscar, demonstrates how political those awards have ever been.
Montana's belief that "the world is yours" if only you are ruthless enough to take it, sees his rise from commie-hating Cuban exile to capitalist-loathing drugs warlord. It's the American Dream writ large, and the set-piece finale is iconic.
While the influence of the earlier Godfathers cannot be ignored, de Palma's contribution stylistically, a heady mix of profanity, uber-violence and hedonistic drug culture set to an 80s Giorgio Moroder disco/synth-pop soundtrack, arguably had the greater impact in shaping the output of Tarantino and others.
Such a pleasure to re-evaluate this classic on the silver screen, and so good to see it being very well attended at my local Odeon.
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1,294 posts
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Post by mkb on Dec 6, 2023 2:18:15 GMT
Eileen ***
New Zealand actress Thomasin McKenzie -- so good in Last Night in Soho -- is equally adept as the American titular character here. She is matched by Anne Hathaway as the new psychologist in the 1960s Boston prison where Eileen works. The story -- which feels like a lesbian fever dream -- centres around their growing relationship
The narrative is engaging and the performances from the leads knock-out, but the plot lacks cohesion and a clear direction. I wanted to like this more, but there were too many failings to go above three stars.
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1,294 posts
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Post by mkb on Dec 6, 2023 2:34:25 GMT
There's Something in the Barn ****
After November's Thanksgiving forensically took the mickey out of one American holiday, hot on its tails is another comedy/horror in There's Something in the Barn, and this time the target is Christmas.
It is to snow-covered rural Norway that an American family relocate, unaware of what lurks in their barn, and the biggest clue to subsequent events is the credits disclaimer "No elves or animals were harmed in the making of this film".
The style is pure Gremlins -- and also uses Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the soundtrack -- with a strong nod towards E.T. thrown in for good measure. The laughs and the (fairly gentle) horror land well. This is good, escapist fun, and perfect as dark, seasonal entertainment right now.
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Post by amyja89 on Dec 6, 2023 11:48:18 GMT
May December (2023) - ****
I don't know how anybody can watch this and follow along the sentiment of it being a story about what happens when a more experienced underage person seduces a naive adult, that didn't come across to me whatsoever.
You can tell almost from the off that Gracie has created this illusion for herself, and it feels like the film almost solidifies that by having Joe's sexual encounter with Elizabeth be so brief and underwhelming. He's hardly showcasing the kind of mature experience and prowess that we had been led to believe was an intrinsic part of his character.
The score is definitely intentionally marmite, but I ended up loving it. I took kind of the inner monologue emotion of Gracie, seemingly always playing a character in her own life with true emotions swelling up as forcefully and randomly as the music seems to.
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Post by amyja89 on Dec 8, 2023 15:15:26 GMT
David And Lisa (1962) - ***
A curious little drama, a treatment facility romance between a teen boy who thinks he will die if touched and a teen girl who has multiple personalities and can only speak in rhyme.
The setup is interesting, but I'm not entirely sure what the film is trying to say in the end, particularly with the outcome of Lisa's story. It's like a whole portion of her character development is left off screen which makes the arc feel kind of light. Potentially quite daring with its themes in the early 60s, but not quite as affecting as it wants to be on modern viewing.
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539 posts
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Post by jek on Dec 15, 2023 22:30:48 GMT
Just back from a preview of The Boy and The Heron. We're big Ghibli fans in this house (my children are now in their 20s and have grown up watching them). I think this is up there with the best. Moments of great beauty, humour and - for reasons I can't work out - incredibly moving. Lots of it doesn't make any sense but I think with Ghibli you just have to go along for the ride. The wartime setting reminded me of Grave of The Fireflies which I made the mistake of letting my kids watch when they were far too young!
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3,482 posts
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Post by showgirl on Dec 16, 2023 19:48:44 GMT
Saw a preview of Sweet Sue today, which wasn't quite as good as I hoped, though held my interest. In a way I wish I hadn't read immediately beforehand that the director, Leo Leigh, was the son of Mike Leigh (& of course of Alison Steadman), as I couldn't help comparing the work of father and son and thinking throughout that Leigh junior had made a film exactly like Leigh senior's earlier ones, ie with some characters and scenes so quirky and bizarre as to border on the grotesque. Apparently also there had been a lot of improvisation on set, another Mike Leigh similarity.
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1,877 posts
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Post by Marwood on Dec 17, 2023 21:58:25 GMT
Well I had a ticket for a Lord Of The Rings all dayer at BFI IMAX today but after having my works Christmas party on Friday then seeing Leftfield last night I wasn’t in the mood to be sat in a cinema all day, so I gave up on that and went to the singalong screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol at the Prince Charles Cinema instead this afternoon: I haven’t seen it in 30 years or so but I thoroughly enjoyed it (I didn’t remember Michael Caine doing so much singing, the audience singing was a bit subdued by the time he burst into song but I think I did just as good a job as he did vocals wise) but it was a nice thing to see so close to Christmas
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3,482 posts
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Post by showgirl on Dec 22, 2023 4:15:14 GMT
Saw a sparsely-attended early evening preview of Priscilla yesterday and it wasn't at all what I expected. It may have been historically accurate but I was left wondering why Sofia Coppola had bothered to make it - and being even more convinced that she's not all she's cracked up to be as a director. As I was leaving, a man following me out remarked "Well, that's the most depressing film I've seen in a while" and though I wouldn't go that far, it certainly took a progressively downbeat note, then petered out. I'm not sure I'd have bothered to see it had I waited for the reviews, so will be interested to see what they say.
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3,482 posts
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Post by showgirl on Dec 24, 2023 4:20:01 GMT
Yesterday I saw a slightly better-attended preview of One Life which, unlike Priscilla, was a more satisfying film - apart from the inevitable but oh-so-frustrating melodramatic and sentimental treatment in places. If only writers/directors (or those who are responsible) would trust that they have a genuinely dramatic and moving story and believe that it's enough on its own and that the audience will accept this. However, even with this strong reservation, it was still well worth seeing and understandably gut-wrenching at times.
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Post by danb on Dec 24, 2023 20:16:30 GMT
There's Something in the Barn **** After November's Thanksgiving forensically took the mickey out of one American holiday, hot on its tails is another comedy/horror in There's Something in the Barn, and this time the target is Christmas. It is to snow-covered rural Norway that an American family relocate, unaware of what lurks in their barn, and the biggest clue to subsequent events is the credits disclaimer "No elves or animals were harmed in the making of this film". The style is pure Gremlins -- and also uses Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the soundtrack -- with a strong nod towards E.T. thrown in for good measure. The laughs and the (fairly gentle) horror land well. This is good, escapist fun, and perfect as dark, seasonal entertainment right now. Where is this available to watch Mkb? I’ve heard lots of good stuff!
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1,294 posts
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Post by mkb on Dec 25, 2023 2:47:32 GMT
There's Something in the Barn **** After November's Thanksgiving forensically took the mickey out of one American holiday, hot on its tails is another comedy/horror in There's Something in the Barn, and this time the target is Christmas. It is to snow-covered rural Norway that an American family relocate, unaware of what lurks in their barn, and the biggest clue to subsequent events is the credits disclaimer "No elves or animals were harmed in the making of this film". The style is pure Gremlins -- and also uses Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the soundtrack -- with a strong nod towards E.T. thrown in for good measure. The laughs and the (fairly gentle) horror land well. This is good, escapist fun, and perfect as dark, seasonal entertainment right now. Where is this available to watch Mkb? I’ve heard lots of good stuff! I saw it at Coventry Showcase where it played from 1-7 December. It had a very limited release.
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Post by theatregoer22 on Dec 25, 2023 23:02:32 GMT
Saw Godzilla Minus One on Friday and I can't recommend it highly enough. An almost perfect combination of emotional human story and action with a wonderful score puts it right up there as one of my films of the year.
I just wish there hadn't been three young children sat behind me, as they kept talking and getting up mid film.
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Post by solotheatregoer on Dec 26, 2023 16:38:29 GMT
Ferrari. I knew absolutely nothing about the backstory and I was nervous going into another movie with Adam Driver playing an Italian after the horror that was House of Gucci but he more than redeems himself here. Some great racing scenes. I have no interest in racing or cars in general but there was plenty here to keep me entertained, especially another incredible supporting performance from Penelope Cruz. She plays this type of character so well and I really felt for her at the end (whether we were meant to or not I’m still not sure). Packed theatre on Boxing Day too. Well worth a watch.
Four stars.
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539 posts
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Post by jek on Dec 26, 2023 17:36:02 GMT
Just back from a preview of The Holdovers. What a lovely movie with some great performances. Such a shame that it wasn't released a little earlier as with its Christmas setting that would seem appropriate. There were five in our party - aged from 22 to 61 and we all really enjoyed it. For those of us old enough to remember, the period details are spot on. Highly recommend.
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3,482 posts
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Post by showgirl on Dec 27, 2023 4:01:01 GMT
jek I am longing to see The Holdovers & am glad you all enjoyed it. Presumably you saw it at a PH preview? I was gutted with them for putting this on on a BH with no trains & few buses as it meant that I, along with many other members, had no chance of reaching one of their sites. Also, their long-awaited new cinema reasonably near me, which was due to open last year, has yet to do so. I did contact them to point out that lack of public transport excludes many members from Boxing Day previews but they didn't respond.
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