Movies

[seven]

Gone girl opens friday. Looks very good.

 

 

(The other huge  moviethread - "three obscure..." is a little misleading talking  new or any type of movies, maybe?. 

If we wanna keep going on that thread , pls delete this one.)

[TEXASMAC]

Strange I have not seen a movie here in the states in many years. The only movies I see are on air planes or in Pattaya with LB's.

[pdogg]

87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

 

I only go to the movies a handful of times a year and want to make sure it's something both me and the teerak will enjoy.

 

[stoolpusher]

I never go to the movies, I get all the latest from someone who downloads them

and I watch them at home in my comfy chair for free with no assholes making noise

around me.

 

Very cool. 

[pacman]

Gone girl opens friday. Looks very good.

 

I will go see Gone Girl, advance reviews are very good. Plus Gillian Flynn, the author of the book has also written the screenplay. That doesn't guarantee success but she has used the same narrative device from the book. It means the movie won't be a re-imagined creation by someone who is not on the same wave length as Ms Flynn.

 

I only go to the movies a handful of times a year and want to make sure it's something both me and the teerak will enjoy.

 

I venture to guess that what you want is at odds with the movies available. I think there are few films that appeal to both Thais & farangs. I suppose a Block Buster action flick is the closest you can hope for but a constant diet of films that are starved of an intelligent plot would grow rather wearisome after a while.

[pacman]

Since I quit the rat race I have had time to see more movies than I ever did when I was working seven days a week. This thread got me thinking about the films I've seen this year. There have been the usual mix of the good, the bad & the ugly. And despite reading reviews & watching film programs I still saw more dogs than I ever wished to. Part of the reason is because I am mentoring a young guy still in his teens & we often go together. Most of the worst choices were films he was particularly interested to see. I don't mind, I always keep an open mind that I will find something new & interesting & to his credit, he has watched films I suggested that he never thought he would see. And he really tries to get into them, even when they aren't that good.

 

Here's a couple I saw this year with a comment about each:

 

Dallas Buyers Club. Great film with some excellent acting, both McConaughey & Jared Leto won Academy Awards for their roles. It's a variation of the action man flick with much more heart. And it really happened.

 

Her. As good as any film I saw all year. Joaquin Phoenix becomes infatuated with the voice of his computer operating system. A clever premise brilliantly done. 

 

The Wolf of Wall Street. Just a great romp. Three hours carried completely by Leo DiCaprio who I felt should have won the Oscar for his performance. It's completely debauched with more drug taking & sex than I've seen in a long time & it's all based on fact. Or rather the facts as presented by Jordan Belfort who I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw him.

 

The Monuments Men. The Second World War as seen through the eyes of Hollywood. It really happened but this doesn't do the story justice. It could have been so much more.

 

The Armstrong Lie. A doco about a narcissistic bike rider who destroyed the careers of every other bike rider in the world for a long time. And even when he was exposed he was still so self centred he wanted to come back & do it again. It must be a good documentary because it brought up such strong feelings of anger in me. All I wanted to do was stick a 44 Magnum up his arse & keep pulling the trigger. And I am not a violent person.  

 

Wadjda. The first film ever made inside Saudi Arabia. At face value it is completely lame, it is all about a ten year old girl wanting a bicycle. Once I had watched it I realised it was the most devastating attack on Islam & the repressed lives of Saudi women. I rate it almost the best film I saw all year. I can't get enough of this fly-on-the-wall type expose of what goes on in places like this. It's almost as good as A Separation, the Iranian movie I saw a few years ago.

 

Half of a Yellow Sun. Set in Nigeria at the time of their war with Biafra where they starved the Biafrans & added the country to their own. It could have been so much better, the producers did their best with a limited budget. Plus much of the dialogue can't be heard, I guess they couldn't afford good microphones.

 

Nymphomaniac. Four hours of Lars Von Trier, not for the faint hearted. Plus it is pornography disguised as art. Not that there's anything wrong with close ups of genitalia being both sucked & fucked but you wouldn't want to take your mother. It actually has a half decent plot & comes to a shocking conclusion but I find it hard to recommend to anyone. Even to our bunch of perverts. If you're after sexual thrills, save hours of your life by googling porn. 

 

Noah. Apparently God can hear you if you yell loud enough. Russell Crowe does his best to sound deeply religious but in the end this is just trite.

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel. It's good. Very good but I didn't enjoy it as much as some critics who raved about it. It's the perfect movie for couples, especially older couples. Ralph Fiennes is perfect in his role. All sense of reality is discarded when the acclaimed director Wes Anderson resorts to two dimensional cartoons to portray some scenes. I don't know what to make of that, it fits the artificial edifice of the entire production but the film is reduced to farce.

 

The Invisible Woman. The story of Charles DIckens' mistress who was unacknowledged her whole life. For those who like period pieces, it's great. And Ralph Fiennes shows again what a fine actor he is. He brings old Charlie to life.

 

Fading Gigolo. Woody Allen back on form. I don't know exactly why I liked this, it's not my usual cup of tea but there's an honesty about the participants that is moving. And I never saw Woody as a good actor before as he always plays the neurotic New York Jew but here he changed my mind. He completely dominates his scenes & I doubt there's an actor on Earth who could have taken the limelight from him. That's really saying something but that's my opinion of how good he is in this.

 

Young & Beautiful. More like young & stupid. I know what the aim was but the lead girl in this just doesn't have the physical presence to really carry it off. I can imagine a young Brigette Bardot playing the part of the 17yo student who turns to prostitution. She had the look that would have you squirming in your seat desperate to save her from herself. This young lady, as nice as she is, left me thinking if she's that silly, she can have it. 

 

Chef. Why would anyone want to put themself through this? It is as dramatic as a bad episode of the Brady Bunch. The only reason why I went is because my young friend was interested to see a film written by Jon Favreau who also takes the lead role. Favreau is the director of the Iron Man series plus other films but this was as far removed from that genre as it is possible to get. Anytime he criticises me for a movie choice I can remind him it was his call to see Chef. Pitiful rubbish.

 

The Zero Theorem. Weird but great. Terry Gilliam's first film in a long time & this is exactly what he does so well. Christoph Waltz was an inspired choice for the lead role. It's not for everyone (please note it is sci-fi based) but it worked for me. Funny I can't remember much about the end but I do know I didn't regret taking the time to see it. I think Waltz can take much of the credit for that, I can't take my eyes off him when he is on screen.

 

That takes me half way into the year. I will come back & comment on some of the more recent films I saw later. 

[pacman]

If you think there were some poor choices in my last post, check this lot out.

 

The Trip To Italy. Rob Brydon & Steve Coogan take a gourmet tour of Italy where Coogan isn't as nasty as he was in The Trip. He's still a pain in the arse though & the writers take their revenge on him by having the pretty girl he fancies sleep with that Welsh sex symbol Rob Brydon. (That's sarcasm in case you have never heard of him.) I didn't see that twist coming (how could you?) but not even that can save the franchise. I expect to see another Trip movie made one day but I won't be going. It was line ball that I went to see this & it was only because I love Italy that I made the effort.

 

Under The Skin. Scarlett Johansson cruises the streets of Scotland in a van picking up locals. It is all unscripted with the dialogue ad-libbed. I can quite believe that but I am sceptical they didn't know they were stepping into a movie. In fact I don't buy that at all but it has a certain home made feeling about it. She seduces each of them then she "consumes" them. Scarlett is an alien & her partners fall into dark liquid & disappear. Before that each of them gets naked with Scarlett, I could deal with that, I could deal with them sporting erections, but I was put off with the last guy running through the outdoors naked, erect & deformed. I'm not a prude but I felt uncomfortable with this unfortunate looking bloke (when the camera first turns on his face, everyone in the theatre flinched) being exploited like that. It felt very voyeuristic & it didn't add anything to the film. If you like your sci-fi "weird", this is for you. Oh & Scarlett gets her gear off also. Bless her.

 

Edge of Tomorrow. If it wasn't for the fact that Tom Cruise wouldn't be in a low budget film I wouldn't have been talked into seeing this. I was fairly confident it would be entertaining & even a bit exciting. It turned out to be a military version of Ground Hog Day but Tom is no Bill Murray & there wasn't a hint of humour or irony which might have elevated this to something enjoyable. All that money spent only to see Tom shot dead 100 plus times. Hmmm, Tom being killed over & over, that has got to be the silver lining.

 

Frank. Rhymes with wank, how appropriate. I commented on this in the previous thread, it has some redeeming features but again, it's a struggle to recommend it. It's a movie about a guy with mental health issues who thinks he is musically talented but is just a delusional idiot. Sounds like a few recording stars we all know.

 

22 Jump Street. This is considered hilariously funny by Gen Y & the kids coming after them. Fuck me, I despair for the future when anyone can consider this even remotely amusing let alone "good". My young friend tells me the scene in the police station where Channing Tatum carries on like a pork chop is regarded highly by his peers. I found that scene to be utter torture which dragged on way too long without any humorous merit whatsoever. If this makes me a grumpy old man I will wear the badge with pride. It's about the worst film I've ever seen & only the execrable A Million Ways To Die In The West saves it  from the title of Worst Film Ever. Dozens of shocking reviews for that saved me the horror of watching it.

 

Calvary. I enjoyed this. Brendan Gleeson is perfect as the Catholic priest who is told in the confessional box he is going to be killed within a week. He is chosen because he represents the church that wrecked this man's life. We aren't shown who the would-be killer is & the film introduces us to all the possible suspects. Everyone of them has an issue with the church. The suspense builds to the film's shocking conclusion. Films this good don't come along nearly often enough. Recommended.

 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. This is better than OK, I really liked it. The film is a metaphor for any conflict involving a clash of civilisations. It could have been ridiculous but it's intelligently made with the sympathy vote going firmly in favour of the apes. It's a prequel to the original Planet of the Apes being set centuries before that movie. Obviously things didn't go so well but that happens long after this film concludes. I have no doubt there will be another film to fill in the gap. And I'll be there if it is as good as this.

 

Snowpiercer. An improbable action/sci-fi flick from South Korea. An all star cast & a large budget makes this something to see. It's not for everybody but I liked it.

 

Lucy. Luc Besson in top form. He really has the most fertile imagination & it starts off with so much promise. I wish he could have maintained his focus for the entire film, it could have been a great movie but finishes up being silly. Another sci-fi film only for the fans.

 

A Most Wanted Man. The last movie made starring Philip Seymour Hoffman & the major reason why I went to see it. I was shocked at how unhealthy Hoffman looked who smokes throughout the film. It's another film based on a John Le Carre novel who once again is employed as an advisor. I don't know if it is his input but his films move so slowly & lack the intensity a good action flick needs. Hoffman is great, the movie should be better than it is. Still worth a look.

 

Guardians of the Galaxy. More like Guardians Against Quality. This is supposed to be Marvels new approach to making movies where they use wit & irony to take a self deprecating look at their heroes. With a wink to the audience, they mean to offer us a fun experience where they acknowledge how ridiculous their plots are but we are all in on the joke. At least that's what I think their plan was because it doesn't come out like that. I can deal with the idea that a talking raccoon is the smart guy in the group but without any of the promised humour, the idea gets lame fast. He does crack one joke about getting some unfortunate prisoner to remove his artificial leg but when he reveals he was only asking for it in jest, not only couldn't I laugh, I was thinking of how much better the movie would be if he finished up intergalactic road-kill.  Any sci-fi flick that relies on 1000's & 1000's of CGI space ships & the good guys are attacked by another bunch of attackers while they are attacking the enemy & it is completely impossible to tell who is who is a major fail in my book. Ridiculous.

 

What We Do In The Shadows. A New Zealand made faux documentary about the lives of three vampires who share a house has so much promise & comic potential. I really wanted to like this & I don't like to condemn it too much. It almost succeeds in its aims but in the end it just wasn't funny enough & it lacks the polish a bigger budget would have allowed. If only there were more & better jokes I could forgive it for anything but I can't recommend it.

 

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. Nice to look at but utterly ridiculous & lame. I have never seen any movie with so many cliches all piled on top of each other. It really was a test of my patience. There are some attractive girls in it & plenty of nudity but that doesn't come anywhere near to compensating for the cliche-ridden dialogue or the the 1950's misogyny. If anyone suggests watching this run for your life.

 

I think that's all so far this year. There are some regrets about films missed but I'm in no hurry. Most of them arrive on TV at some stage. And I can always buy the DVD. I would just as much prefer to see a new movie, there are good ones released all the time. 

[JaiDee]

I may go see Gone Girl,  Affleck did a great job with The Town and Gone baby gone.

[seven]

Thanks for the reviews . paccers! 

I watched the excellent Lance Armstrong documentary, and what a repulsive man he is. I don't care he beat cancer, its most likely coming back. Karma!

 

Probably only you and me here who have seen Nymphomaniac. Its certainly not for everyone , but i enjoyed it.

 

The Trip is fantastic! Highly recommended! British sarcastic dry humor at its best!!

[Hefe]

Yes, thanks for this rundown paccie, I didn't see any new movies this year, this helps filter them. I do want to see Calvary now but I'm waffling about Nympho.

[pacman]

Thanks for the reviews . paccers! 

I watched the excellent Lance Armstrong documentary, and what a repulsive man he is. I don't care he beat cancer, its most likely coming back. Karma!

 

Probably only you and me here who have seen Nymphomaniac. Its certainly not for everyone , but i enjoyed it.

 

The Trip is fantastic! Highly recommended! British sarcastic dry humor at its best!!

 

The simple fact that Armstrong had the gall to appear in this documentary gives a clear indication of just how detached he is from reality. That he alone was responsible for two generations of the best bike riders in the world from ever being able to achieve their dreams should see the bastard locked up for life. And the removal of his remaining testicle if I had any say about it. And he doesn't see that he did anything wrong. He is the most narcissistic megalomaniac who ever competed at anything.

 

It is so hard to recommend Nymphomaniac. Not because it isn't well filmed or well directed or well acted but because it is a test of endurance to sit through it. I have no regrets whatsoever about seeing it, I walked out of the cinema happy but I knew there was no one I could go & say to them they should see it. My non-movie-going friends would think I had finally lost the plot. And if they did go see it with their wives, OMG, I would never be invited anywhere again. The sex is shocking.  AND REAL!!

 

The original Trip, The Trip, was well done. The Trip To Italy doesn't have the same....   what's the word I'm looking for?..........     awkwardness. When Coogan attacks Brydon in the first movie, Brydon's response is real. Or he acts like it is. In the second film their interchange is more "acted". At least that's the impression I came away with. I thought the idea of having Brydon scoring with the pretty girl was a nice touch. The writers wanted to give Coogan a message. Subtle but clever.

 

Yes, thanks for this rundown paccie, I didn't see any new movies this year, this helps filter them. I do want to see Calvary now but I'm waffling about Nympho.

 

A shame Calvary didn't get a wider release in the US. I'm sure it would have succeeded with some money spent promoting it. Maybe the Catholic Church saw to that. Please watch it & tell us what you think. I do not claim to have special insight with movies, sometimes I like things others hate.

 

As for Nymphomaniac, watch it by all means but just remember when you are somewhere in the third hour wondering where it's all heading, remember I said it's a test of endurance. And it does help to be familiar with Lars Von Trier. Those who love him will go see anything he's made, some approach his work with caution. I'm starting to get him but I'm still not convinced to go back & watch some of the weird stuff he was so widely criticised for. Anyone here see Dogville? 

[pacman]

Gone girl opens friday. Looks very good.

 

I saw Gone Girl this week. It's good. Very good actually, I enjoyed it very much.

 

I'm not a fan of this genre of movie, the "happy" marriage that goes wrong but this is no Kramer Vs Kramer. You need not be concerned about being stuck in a "chick-flick" melodrama about a relationship that hasn't worked out. I have just deleted a comment I wrote comparing this to two other films because I don't want to raise expectations. It is best viewed with zero knowledge of what's to come.

 

For the first part of the movie I found myself groaning at the banal dialogue wondering when it would shift up a gear. But it does, in a long film, the slower the build-up, the more effective it is when something happens. I'm not a big fan of Ben Affleck, he's a bit the same whenever I see him in something. By that I mean he doesn't change anything about himself when he appears in a film. Ben Affleck is a leading man not a character actor.

 

But it's his on-screen "arrogance" that makes him perfect for this role. Likewise Rosamund Pike is excellent in a first class production. She could actually win a Best Actress award for her role.

[seven]

"At best, it will cause a country to be free, and at worst, it will cause a nuclear war. Big margin with this movie." — Seth Rogen

 

Cant wait to catch this one.
 

 

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/seth-rogen-interview-north-korea-controversy-cover-story-20141217

[Lefty]

Last time I went to the cinema was xmas 2012 to see Django Unchained. Going again today xmas 2014 to see Unbroken.When I read the Jap nationalists want to permanently ban director Angelina Jolie from entering their country again, I knew I had to see it. 

[Lefty]

After going to see Unbroken on Xmas, I have to say I considered it an excellent movie. I had an emotional feeling in one scene at the end where I wanted to stand up and start clapping, but instead just clapped softly to myself. The movie was about Louis Zamperini who was of Italian descent, but the role was played by Jack O'Connell who is Irish-English, though I thought he did a very believable job. I did not even think about that until someone else mentioned it afterward. Louis' mother did not even speak English, so he was like the 1st generation born in the US I guess. Actually none of the family spoke English until after they moved to Torrance CA from Olean NY. but Louis was only 2 when they moved.    There were some details of the time leading up to his plane crashing into the Pacific that were left out, but it really did not detract from the general story line of the movie to me.   The plane was a B-24 Liberator, which was a crap plane compared to the great B-17 Flying Fortress. Both left side engines on the B-24 quit working due to mechanical failure, and that led to the plane crashing into the ocean. The B-17 was known for being able to stay airborne and cover considerable distance with only one functioning engine. Based on some articles I've read anyway. The worst thing to me is that the prison guard who so severely abused Louis and numerous other prisoners, was never prosecuted. He was on MacArthur's most wanted list, but went into hiding until US occupation of Japan ended and prosecutions stopped. The worthless scum never apologized and was very wealthy when he died in the early 2000s. 

[seven]

Saw American sniper tonight and can't decide if its pro- or antiwar. Mr Eastwood being a republican i'm afraid its pro.   Then again, with that end, how can it be. Its a true story though, so maybe hes not taking any side. It was ok, but i expect more from Clint Eastwood.

[Jimslim]

Saw American sniper tonight and can't decide if its pro- or antiwar. Mr Eastwood being a republican i'm afraid its pro.  

 

That was my thoughts , good ol' America being a force for good amongst the savages .

 

A bit like the old cowboy and indian movies .

[Kahuna]

I too saw American Sniper....I enjoyed it...I thought Cooper gave a remarkable performance........But was it an

Oscar winning film...Not in my book..............

 

I felt that the film was very anti-war...In fact it has been stated publically by Eastwood that it was his intent to make

an anti-war film...

 

It is very difficult in two hours to give us much more than a glimpse of Chris Kyle and his life...I suspect reading the book - reading Kyle's own words - might give us a better feeling for the film and for Kyle...

 

As an old soldier, the film simply said to me, a soldier can be true, even if the war isn't...............

[xyzzy]

I didn't really see it as pro or anti war so guess I missed the point. It was a good movie but I've seen so much Iraq/Afganistan + PTSD stuff in recent years I'm a bit desensitized/overloaded. So maybe I didn't get the full impact.

[seven]

I too saw American Sniper....I enjoyed it...I thought Cooper gave a remarkable performance........But was it an

Oscar winning film...Not in my book..............

 

I felt that the film was very anti-war...I

This movie has stayed with me all day, thinking about it, and can't  forget some terrible scenes, the kid and the woman with a grenade, and i think i agree with you now. How fuct up Kyle is,  at the bbq party or watching his newborn girl at the hospital.

 I have to re evaluate Cooper. He  was good in this and also in The place beyond the pines.

 

I didn't really see it as pro or anti war so guess I missed the point. 

Well, since its a true story ,how could it really take sides, so to each and his own, kinda..? 

Its not as clear cut as Platoon,  Full metal jacket or Born on the 4th of July , leaving no doubts what Stone or Kubrick think about war.

[Torurot]

Former Marine on Chris Kyle, American Sniper, and Social Implications

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Robert Barsocchini

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/01/former-marine-chris-kyle-american-sniper-social-implications.html

Ross Caputi, a former marine who participated in the US’s second siege of Fallujah, writes that the reason the American Sniper book and film have been so successful is that they “tell us exactly what we want to hear”: that US America is “benevolent” and “righteous”. That, he says, is why the book and film are so popular; their popularity speaks volumes about US society, and signals more danger ahead for the rest of the world.

The killings for which Chris Kyle is idolized, Caputi notes, were perpetrated during his participation in the second US siege of Fallujah, which Caputi, from firsthand knowledge, calls an “atrocity”...

and

Confused About How You’re Supposed To Feel About ‘American Sniper’? Here Are 20 Thinkpieces That Can Help You Put Things In Perspective

http://www.clickhole.com/article/confused-about-how-youre-supposed-feel-about-ameri-1771

[xyzzy]

writes that the reason the American Sniper book and film have been so successful is that they “tell us exactly what we want to hear”: that US America is “benevolent” and “righteous”.

He must have watched a different movie than I did. I didn't get that at all.

[bubba8221]

Some people can find meaning in an orange sitting on a table.

 

I thought it was an ok, movie, found the battle scenes exciting and the sniper shots awesome (so, someone read something into that!).  But it was no Das Boot or Saving Pvt. Ryan.

I didn't see any great meaning to it.  It's a guy's story of part of a tragic war.  But what war isn't tragic?

[bubba8221]

I saw Interstellar and enjoyed it.  Long movie, though, don't drink a lot before going in!  I love sci-fi, and the whole space/time concept is so difficult to grasp.  Definitely not a movie for everyone, but if you like sci-fi, gotta see it.

 

Oh, for something completely different, Saving Mr. Banks.  Just a great story with some great actors.  And some classic British/American culture clashes.  Very enjoyable.

 

Back to sci-fi, Europa Report.  You know, sci-fi is really tough to do when you think about it.  If you show some alien creature, you run the risk of being ridiculed for it being ridiculous, or something else.  Or, you may get it right (Alien).  This one does a pretty good job of walking that tightrope.  I found it well done, had a "cool" aspect to the space mission, and kept you on the edge of your seat.  If you like this stuff, go for it.

[SiamSam]

Savings Mr. Banks was terrific. The best part of it for me was the score by Thomas Newman. He's my favorite all time movie music composer. A real talent.