Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It

[ProstheticConscience]

High Fidelity is on again.

I never realized what an amazingly self-centered wanker Jon Cusack is in this movie. I must have grown up since I read the book.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

The 13th Warrior (1999)
Starring Antonio Banderas

Yeah, I need to catch up on 2016 and 2017 films, so I decided to start by watching a nearly 20 year old movie instead.

Despite its uneven action sequences and character development, I always had a soft spot for this one. Really felt like the film did a great job in building up a terrifying adversary, though I wish there were more shots detailing the Wendol culture in the second half of the film. Also, where do they keep all their horses?

Dialogue is hit and miss, with clunky cliches sprinked in with inspired moments. Really liked a lot of the performances, wish there were more scenes of where the warriors would be fleshed out. Couldn't help but notice certain plot threads were also dropped, further suggesting there was a lot more content to be had than what was ultimately presented.

Overall, probably shorter than it should have been. Give this one another half hour of character development and lengthier action sequences, and I think you've got yourself a pretty remarkable entry in the historical fiction genre.

5/10

 

[karnige]

snowpiercer 7/10

what a unique movie. end of the world and the last suvivors are on a 60 cart train that never stops Chris Evans and company are poor and at the back and fight to the front. crazy ride for sure. very intense.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Blade Runner 2049

just got the Blu-ray today.

Much like the original, it's a box office flop that will go down in cinema history as a classic of its genre and era. Book it.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

The 13th Warrior (1999)
Starring Antonio Banderas

Yeah, I need to catch up on 2016 and 2017 films, so I decided to start by watching a nearly 20 year old movie instead.

Despite its uneven action sequences and character development, I always had a soft spot for this one. Really felt like the film did a great job in building up a terrifying adversary, though I wish there were more shots detailing the Wendol culture in the second half of the film. Also, where do they keep all their horses?

Dialogue is hit and miss, with clunky cliches sprinked in with inspired moments. Really liked a lot of the performances, wish there were more scenes of where the warriors would be fleshed out. Couldn't help but notice certain plot threads were also dropped, further suggesting there was a lot more content to be had than what was ultimately presented.

Overall, probably shorter than it should have been. Give this one another half hour of character development and lengthier action sequences, and I think you've got yourself a pretty remarkable entry in the historical fiction genre.

5/10

13th Warrior is one of my all time favorite movies, even though it wasn't received that well by the masses.

It does a fantastic job in the first half building suspense, including the fireworm scene... once you know they are human that is what ultimately hurts the movie in the final few acts, but I still loved it anyway.

I believe the movie was based on "Eaters of the Dead", so they weren't going to change the Wendol into something that wasn't human I suppose.

Lots of great lines that have stuck in my head until this day that I often think of or say out loud as a joke...

"Long fight to get free of here"

"It's a small matter"

"Honey! It's made from honey!"

"Did she finish you? Or bring you back to life?"

"Merciful Father, I have squandered my days with plans of many things. This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only to live the next few minutes well."

"I cannot lift this!" - "Grow stronger!"

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Phantom Thread - 9/10

Gets more and more interesting, bizarre, and creepy as it goes on, to great effect. Also, PTA has an ability to transport you to a time and place as well as any director working today, and that's certainly evident here. The great performances from the three lead actors are the icing on the cake.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Lots of great lines that have stuck in my head until this day that I often think of or say out loud as a joke...

"Long fight to get free of here"

"It's a small matter"

"Honey! It's made from honey!"

"Did she finish you? Or bring you back to life?"

"Merciful Father, I have squandered my days with plans of many things. This was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only to live the next few minutes well."

"I cannot lift this!" - "Grow stronger!"

Agreed, despite some of those meh moments I did find some lines to be pretty good, and I really liked how they were performed.

My favorite is when Ahmad displays his ability with his curved sword, and the jokester he speaks to calmly says: "When you die, can I give that to my daughter?"

Great line delivery, and I enjoyed the reactions of everyone involved. Really displayed the chemistry between the performers.

Really enjoyable movie despite its flaws.

 

[clunk]

Mom and Dad - 6/10

Nick Cage. Nick Cage. Nick Cage. Only reason this movie is any good. Nick Cage at his best.

Just watch it for Nick Cage.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

Phantom Thread: 6.5/10 Good cinematography, great acting from Day-Lewis but terrible ending. The ending is an insult to the intelligence of the public.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Just Watched:

5/10

 

[sdf]

Interstellar

I thought it is something overrated and pretentious, and finally I saw this movie ... well, that was f***ing impressive

 

[kook10]

Hostiles - C
Beautifully shot, and actually really well acted by Bale and Mund, but the whole thing was actually boring. I am a fan of Native American history and stories but this movie just was overly simplistic and didn't have much arc or twist. It's too bad since I was excited to see it.

Lady Bird - B/B-
OK movie, but for my taste it was more towards the drama side of dramedy than comedy. I'm can't quite tell if that was because the way Saoirse Ronan played the role, was directed, or if the script was just kind of flat. I think it is more the latter two, but in any case the title character's quirks didn't play as funny, and I think that is what a lot of the film hinged on. Tracy Letts was great, and I really wish they would have given Laurie Metcalf more in this one. She is excellent, but was given no range.

The Big Sick - A
My wife and I both really liked this. It succeeded where Lady Bird failed (or had mixed results). It was really funny, and well acted too. Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, and Holly Hunter were all great.

Downsizing - F
Very disappointing. I think we were expecting a comedy, but if it was that it failed miserably. If it was a drama, who knows what the heck they were going for? I was very surprised to find out it was an Alexander Payne movie. Maybe he was going for a Wes Anderson type thing? I dunno. The plot didn't make sense, even in retrospect. We turned it off in the middle, but started again to see if it turned around. It didn't.

Molly's Game - B-/C
Entertaining subject matter, but the implementation wasn't so great. Presumably that was because it was Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut. It also had his trademark verbose voiceover to it. In and of itself that is not a bad thing, but I think the way he chose to pace this was too quick and dense. Maybe 20/30 mins more would have allowed for some scenes and storylines to develop further. Instead, the whole thing seemed like it just glossed over everything and we didn't get to form attachments (good or bad) for any of the characters.

 

[nameless1]

That is an interesting take on Lady Bird. I thought the script is great, because the dialogues and situations are very realistic and easy to resonate with, and both Ronan and Metcalfe give wonderful performances. Metcalfe's character does not have any scene chewing moments, but she is not supposed to, because one of the the movie's highlight is the realistic portrait of a mother-and-daughter relationship. She certainly shows a lot of range, in the very beginning when she turns calm and then very passive aggressiveness in a matter of seconds, and then at the very end, when she is rather distant, but only to slowly breakdown and show her true emotions during the drive. Those two scenes alone warrants her an Oscar nomination, if not the award altogether.

That said, I do agree with the grade. While it is one of the better films I have seen last year, coming-of-age films are dime a dozen, and I have seen better ones.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Saw the new Jumanji flick yesterday. Actually pretty solid. Lots of funny moments and pretty enjoyable throughout. Wouldn't remotely include it in any all-time great comedy lists, but well worth the price of admission. 4/5

 

[kook10]

That is an interesting take on Lady Bird. I thought the script is great, because the dialogues and situations are very realistic and easy to resonate with, and both Ronan and Metcalfe give wonderful performances. Metcalfe's character does not have any scene chewing moments, but she is not supposed to, because the movie is mainly to showcase a realistic portrait of a mother-and-daughter relationship. She certainly shows a lot of range, in the very beginning when she turns calm and then very passive aggressiveness in a matter of seconds, and then at the very end, when she is rather distant, but only to slowly breakdown and show her true emotions during the drive. Those two scenes alone warrants her an Oscar nomination, if not the award altogether.

That said, I do agree with the grade. While it is one of the better films I have seen last year, coming-of-age films are dime a dozen, and I have seen better ones.

Maybe "range" was the wrong word. Perhaps "depth" would be better. I do agree that the mother/daughter relationship in the moment is well presented. We have a young daughter, and some parts were very resonant but a lot were over the top. That said, I think Lady Bird herself and her development as a young woman is what is showcased. The parents are presented more as shaping forces.

Some of Metcalfe's actions were a little charicaturish in terms of mother/daughter conflict though - it was a little unclear where the level of unrelenting criticism comes from. She hints at emotional baggage from her childhood but doesn't really get into it. It seems like borderline mental illness, but that is something they gave to Tracy Letts' character (who seemed to have more depth). Metcalfe did great with what she had, but IMO the mother deserved more examination and to be more of an equal partner in the story.

 

[Shareefruck]

Yeah, I think Ladybird was a nice little movie, but with these coming of age movies, I feel a little bit like the same movie is being done with only slight variation over and over again, year after year, and the praise heaped on them never seems to drop.

 

[nameless1]

Maybe "range" was the wrong word. Perhaps "depth" would be better. I do agree that the mother/daughter relationship in the moment is well presented. We have a young daughter, and some parts were very resonant but a lot were over the top. That said, I think Lady Bird herself and her development as a young woman is what is showcased. The parents are presented more as shaping forces.

Some of Metcalfe's actions were a little charicaturish in terms of mother/daughter conflict though - it was a little unclear where the level of unrelenting criticism comes from. She hints at emotional baggage from her childhood but doesn't really get into it. It seems like borderline mental illness, but that is something they gave to Tracy Letts' character (who seemed to have more depth). Metcalfe did great with what she had, but IMO the mother deserved more examination and to be more of an equal partner in the story.

Thank you for the clairfication.

I am still fine with Metcalfe's performance, because like her character says, she just wants her daughter "to be the best version of herself". Plus, all parents are like that, and children never understands why. That said, I do see your point of view.

You are also right that the film is about Ladybird's growth. I should have wrote that the highlight of the movie is the portrait of the mother-and-daughter relationship. Thus, I am perfectly fine that the reasons for Metcalfe's character are not completely explained, because the eponymous film title clearly indicates that it is mainly about Ladybird and her growth.

 

[nameless1]

Molly's Game is all over the place. It is filled with inconsistencies, from the narrative, to the dialogue, to even the main character's motives. As a result, it is very hard to become invested in the movie, because everything is hard to believe.

It starts off well, with a great opening scene, but then the narrative starts to jump all over the place. The story does not exactly become hard to follow, but Sorkin always seems to utilize flashbacks at the weirdest moments, when the movie does not need one. As a result, it ruins the pace of the movie, and the entire thing feels off.

Spoiler

One of the worst scene in the movie is during the discovery process, when Sorkin did a play on word with "Molly". That feels like an unwarranted comedic moment, and it made the prosecutor look amateurish, which is just unrealistic.

The same can be said for the dialogue. Again, it starts off well, with Sorkin's signature fast-paced hard hitting quotes, but soon, it becomes really wordy and burdensome. A lot of times, I find myself tune out, due to how long the lines were. Finally, the eponymous character is also all mixed up. Sorkin wants to portray her as a hero with strong morals who only falls from grace because of moments of weakness, but it did not feel real, and the reasons she sprouted out makes no sense.

Spoiler

When asked why she will not give up the names, Molly refuses, and exclaims that she wants to protect her name, because it is all she has. What does that even mean anyways?

Jessica Chastain did a great job, but even she cannot complete save a poorly written character.

There are two things I learn from Molly's Game. One, Sorkin should stick to only screenwriting, because when he is given the freedom to do whatever he wants, the man just loves to hear his own voice, and the whole thing unravels quickly, and becomes a convoluted mess. Now, Sorkin is a great writer, but he needs someone else to rein in, because like a good desert, he is only good on occasion. Any more will just make one sick to the stomach. Two, Jessica Chastain is awesome. She never gives a bad performance, and at this point, I believe she can play anything, and I will watch no matter waht.

I give this one 5/10, only because Chastain lifts this mess into mediocrity, and somewhat watchable.

 

[karnige]

ghost in the shell - 7/10
well done, stunning visuals. far better then I expected

 

[Winger98]

Wormwood - 9/10

You get pretty much exactly what you expect from an Errol Morris movie. It seems ever since he has shifted his focus to the political world a bit that his work has become darker, more cynical. It's still a great watch, though.

 

[nameless1]

I am happy that for today's Google Doodle, it chose Sergei Eisenstein. Ivan the Terrible Part I remains one of my favourite films of all-time.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - 8/10

You know when you see a bunch of shitty and disappointing movies in a row and then you finally get something that's vibrant and fun. This was an average Marvel film full of all those cheesy lines but it was also by far the funniest, I love that Kiwi humour, can't get enough of it, yeah.

Something needs to be done about Benedict Cumberbatch's American accent though, it's unlistenable to me.

 

[CycloneLaunch]

Wormwood - 9/10

You get pretty much exactly what you expect from an Errol Morris movie. It seems ever since he has shifted his focus to the political world a bit that his work has become darker, more cynical. It's still a great watch, though.

I found myself far more interested in the interview portions compared to the speculative re-enactments. The interview with Sy Hersh in particular was a highlight for me.

 

[SirKillalot]

The 13th Warrior (1999)
Starring Antonio Banderas

Yeah, I need to catch up on 2016 and 2017 films, so I decided to start by watching a nearly 20 year old movie instead.

Despite its uneven action sequences and character development, I always had a soft spot for this one. Really felt like the film did a great job in building up a terrifying adversary, though I wish there were more shots detailing the Wendol culture in the second half of the film. Also, where do they keep all their horses?

Dialogue is hit and miss, with clunky cliches sprinked in with inspired moments. Really liked a lot of the performances, wish there were more scenes of where the warriors would be fleshed out. Couldn't help but notice certain plot threads were also dropped, further suggesting there was a lot more content to be had than what was ultimately presented.

Overall, probably shorter than it should have been. Give this one another half hour of character development and lengthier action sequences, and I think you've got yourself a pretty remarkable entry in the historical fiction genre.

5/10

I think this movie was somewhat better, but understandable that it was given not the highest remarks. It was destroyed from it's original in the cutting room, I think it went like four years or something before it came out and the director didn't even wanted to have his name on it anymore.

Last movie I saw was Bright...and not good, not terrible, just not particularly engaging into the content of the movie. It did a poor job making you care about any of the characters.

 

[Arizonan God]

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Oh dear. What a mess of a film. I'm honestly at a complete loss as to how this is getting so much Oscar buzz. Super disappointing from McDonagh, whose last 2 films I loved. I found it tone deaf, bloated, far too on the nose. The third act is where it really went off the rails for me.

4/10