Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It

[nameless1]

I'd definitely check out Dunkirk, the Shape of Water, and I, Tonya if you haven't had the chance already. I liked Baby Driver as well, but Kevin Spacey kind of tarnished it.

Shareef has a different standard from the rest of us, because he relies a lot on feels. He will likely hate those.


That said, I would like to see his review of Baby Driver. I wonder if that movie will pass his litmus test, because it radiates a very strong vibe.

 

[kihei]

Shareef has a different standard from the rest of us, because he relies a lot on feels. He will likely hate those.


That said, I would like to see his review of Baby Driver. I wonder if that movie will pass his litmus test, because it radiates a very strong vibe.

I'm guessing 1.5 at best, but we shall see.

 

[Arizonan God]

It is interesting what you described is exactly what turns me off from this beyond pedestrian movie. Sure, it is very polished, but what is the point of the movie exactly? It is just a weird fairy tale, without any commentary or meaning. As a result, it is just hollow eye candy that does absolutely nothing.

I am glad you liked it, and I certainly do not regret that I watched it, but it is one of the weakest Best Picture winner in the last decade, or two.

I mean, I think there is commentary and meaning in the main story. It has themes about society closing certain types of people off, loneliness, it also pokes a bit at the ridiculousness of the Cold War.

So for me I definitely thought it had lots of meaning.

As far as Best Picture goes, although it wouldn’t be my pick this year, I think it’s better than Spotlight, Argo, The Artist, The Departed (never been a huge fan), Crash, Million Dollar Baby and A Beautfiul Mind for sure, and close with some others. So I suppose I’d put it middle of the pack in Best Picture winners since the start of the 00’s.

 

[nameless1]

I mean, I think there is commentary and meaning in the main story. It has themes about society closing certain types of people off, loneliness, it also pokes a bit at the ridiculousness of the Cold War.

So for me I definitely thought it had lots of meaning.

As far as Best Picture goes, although it wouldn’t be my pick this year, I think it’s better than Spotlight, Argo, The Artist, The Departed (never been a huge fan), Crash, Million Dollar Baby and A Beautfiul Mind for sure, and close with some others. So I suppose I’d put it middle of the pack in Best Picture winners since the start of the 00’s.

Yes, the movie touches on everything you wrote, but it only scratches the surface, and does not go any deeper. That is why it feels awfully thin, and it appears as if the filmmakers simply stretch things out just to fill the runtime.

Personally, I like everything you listed above this movie.


That said, it is all subjective, so we will agree to disagree.

 

[Mantis]

The new Jumanji movie actually is not terrible. Jack Black acting like a 16 year old popular girl is kinda funny and there is a nice nod to Robin Williams character from the original. I give it somewhere between 6.5-7/10.

 

[kihei]

The new Jumanji movie actually is not terrible. Jack Black acting like a 16 year old popular girl is kinda funny and there is a nice nod to Robin Williams character from the original. I give it somewhere between 6.5-7/10.

Me and partner got through about thirty minutes of it and then threw in the towel. Empty calories. A Big Mac.

 

[NyQuil]

Me and partner got through about thirty minutes of it and then threw in the towel. Empty calories. A Big Mac.

I can't believe you missed the diabolical twist ending.

It was all PTSD in the mind of one of the students due to a childhood trauma in a rural setting that the American Dream long abandoned.

It ends with a rusted out Ferris wheel just spinning and spinning, the creaking metal echoing among the bird song as it fades to black.

Can you say, "and the Oscar goes to?"

 

[kihei]

I can't believe you missed the diabolical twist ending.

It was all PTSD in the mind of one of the students due to a childhood trauma in a rural setting that the American Dream long abandoned.

It ends with a rusted out Ferris wheel just spinning and spinning, the creaking metal echoing among the bird song as it fades to black.

Can you say, "and the Oscar goes to?"

....the hippo?

 

[NyQuil]

....the hippo?

The hippo is a metaphor for unrestrained corporate greed.

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

I really enjoyed the new Jumanji. Empty calories to be sure, but it was pretty funny, never boring, and utilized a lot of old 90s video game tropes to good effect. Plus it features a lot of likable characters and a legitimately great performance from Jack Black.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

A Fantastic Woman : 7/10 Great lead actress, good cinematography but the senseless and over the top hate seem a little bit too much.

On body and soul or Loveless should have won the Oscar instead.


Insyriated: 6.8/10

 

[nameless1]

I prefer the 94 Jumanji a lot more. It is corny, for sure, but they do not make fun adventure movies like that anymore.

The new one does absolutely nothing for me. It is not fun at all, and the transition from a board game to a video game, just to make it relevant, is a terrible one, because it just opens up a ton of plotholes and issues.

Spoiler

Why would they try to save Jumanji, when the game wants to kill them? It made sense in the original one, when they have to work together to beat the game.

 

[nameless1]

A Fantastic Woman : 7/10 Great lead actress, good cinematography but the senseless and over the top hate seem a little bit too much.

On body and soul or Loveless should have won the Oscar instead.

I thought the hatred made sense.

Spoiler

After all, the husband did leave his family for the lead actress. To that family, she destroyed their lives, warranted or not.

That said, even though I like it, I have a similar rating for it, and I think Loveless should have won. We should not be surprised though, because this movie is It checks all the boxes of thing this current generation of voters like.

 

[Trap Jesus]

A Fantastic Woman : 7/10 Great lead actress, good cinematography but the senseless and over the top hate seem a little bit too much.

I thought Daniela Vega would have made an interesting Oscar nomination for best actress. Didn't really hear that much buzz around her for that though.

 

[kihei]

White Sun (2016) Directed by Deepak Rauniyar 7A

Movies from Nepal are few and far between, and, this one is a very good one. Though White Sun is culturally specific, few films from anywhere create the sense of universality that this one does. While the peace process is still underway and Nepal is still in chaos after a devastating earthquake, Chandra (Dayahang Rai), a Maoist soldier, returns home to his remote village to find that his father has just died. It would seem a simple task to bury him, except there are no villagers left fit enough to carry the body, and, besides, they resent the affront to tradition that Chandra's represents. So Chandra goes off looking for help. In addition to this woe, his former wife Durga (Asha Maya Magrati) and he confront some thorny issues regarding paternity that still need to be resolved. In the background to all this, two children who have each been dealt tough hands struggle to find balance and peace of mind. White Sun is gorgeously shot with the destitution of the villagers contrasted with the beauty of the vast landscape. Rai and Magrati do a wonderful job portraying two good people for whom life did not turn out as they had planned. But they know there is nothing else to do but to get on with it. The situations and disagreements that the film portrays about burial rituals provide a clever commentary concerning the conflicts within the larger Nepalese society. However, no matter how effectively presented is the political and social dimension of the film, it is the fates of Chandra, Durga and the two children that stayed with me. Critic Roger Ebert believed that movies are machines for creating empathy. He would have loved this one.

subtitles

 

[Natey]

Tomb Raider (2018)
The movie overall was pretty much what I expected. It's one of the better video game movies ever made, but still left a lot to be desired. I tried to hard to make the backstory the most important thing, when in reality the most important thing in Tomb Raider is exploring and kicking ass. There are those things in the movie, and when they happen, they are incredible and easily the best scenes in the movie. The backstory plot has some nice scenes, even some cute scenes.. but it just takes up so much time. And the cliches are crazy in the backstory plot. Alicia Vikander was absolutely fantastic in her role and without her, the movie wouldn't have been able to survive. Give me more Alicia and give me more ridiculous life defying odds exploration and ass kicking and the sequel would be much better.
5-Star Rating Scale: ***1/4

 

[kihei]

Foxtrot (2018) Directed by Samuel Maoz 8B

A well-off couple are devastated to learn that their son has been killed while on duty in the Israeli army. That's the opening act, and a lacerating one, but the second and third acts each come as surprises (there is also a very brief but necessary coda). Director Samuel Maoz is very ambitious. This is a movie about grief, about the fragility of any relationship under enough pressure, about an Israeli army that has lost its moral compass, and about how tricks of fate can often be accompanied by tragic irony. In other words, this is one movie with a lot on its mind. Thankfully, through the use of creative overhead camera angles, disorienting decor, intense performances, surrealistic touches, subtle humour, and an asymmetrical but terrifically effective structure, Maoz has created a work that not only is always fascinating to watch, but kept me as a viewer on my toes from start to finish. The movie demonstrates a sleek but almost uncomfortable restraint, in the sense of being forcefully held back, which creates an uneasy tension that courses through the entirety of the movie. It's the kind of film where the first thing I wanted to talk about after leaving the theatre was its direction, but then I got around to thinking of all the many things Foxtrot is saying about the corrosive nature of war and armies, on soldiers and civilians alike. The title provides the guiding metaphor of the film--a foxtrot is a dance that takes you places but always brings you back to the exact same spot from where you started. The toll of lives increases but nothing really changes except the sorrow.

subtitles


Best of 2018 so far

Foxtrot, Maoz, Israel

 

[ProstheticConscience]

What we do in the shadows

with New Zealanders. Some of the guys from Flight of the Conchords, mainly.

Mockumentary following four vampires living in the suburbs of modern day Wellington as they try to roust up human prey, prepare for the yearly Undead Ball, and bicker about household chores. Viago is a 17th century dandy who's all anal and persnickety about the mountain of unwashed bloodstained cups in the kitchen sink, Deacon is only a hundred and fifty or so and does the moody child bit in between moments of "erotic" dance, Vladimir (no, not *that* Vladimir) is something like 800 years old, supposedly gifted with massive telepathic power but can't get over his last defeat to his nemesis "The Beast", and last but not least, Peter is 8000 years old, lives in a crypt in the basement and is fully Nosferatu-d out. Together they walk us through their daily routines reality tv show-style. Well, not Peter. He doesn't say anything. He hisses sometimes, though.

Quite enjoyed it. A bit silly here and there, but witty and makes you realize that...yeah. Being a vampire would have some definite drawbacks. They can't go to nightclubs because they have to be invited in anywhere (and the bouncers in Wellington are as friendly as anywhere else), Deacon's put-upon human minion Jackie pines for full vamp-dom herself, but Deacon mainly has her hosing blood out of the driveway, and the new guy Nick (who Peter turns after his brief escape from their house) has a whole lot to learn about being a vampire. Flying in through windows is harder than it looks, as is avoiding power lines after you transform into a bat. Add in a couple of run-ins with a pack of werewolves (Watch the language! We're werewolves, not swearwolves!) and vampire-dom isn't looking as fun as Interview with the Vampire made it out to be.

On Netflix now, and well worth checking out if you haven't already.

 

[OzzyFan]

Tomb Raider (2018)
2.10 out of 4stars

Decent origin movie, albeit it feels like everything but the action and acting was underwhelming. Story underdeveloped, characters mostly underexplored, and even the main "search"/"quest" is a good bit underwritten given that it's the main focus for ~75% of the film. Vikander is as good as you can expect in her role though.

Offtopic=I 2nd that What We See in The Shadows is worth a netflix watch.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Ricky Gervais: Humanity.

Jimmy Carr: Funny Business.

Saw both these last night. Ricky Gervais' first standup tour in 7 years, Jimmy Carr's netflix special filmed in London. Laughed more in the first ten minutes of Carr's special than I did through Gervais' entire routine, and even though Carr is the current reigning king of nasty insult humour, Gervais somehow manages to come across as being a bigger dick as a human being.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

El orfanato (The Orphanage): 7.8/10 very good

 

[CycloneLaunch]

What's the best cut of Blade Runner to watch guys?

 

[Nalens Oga]

That Tomb Raider chick looks like a healthier/Latino Natalie Portman. Speaking of which

Annihilation (2018) - 6.5/10 (try to answer questions not just ask them)

Ghost Dog (1999) - 7.5/10

The Shape of Water (2017) - 7/10 (I'm sorry I just can't find it touching watching a lonely woman being touched by a fish person, what is this, water God worship?)

Babette's Feast (1987) - 7/10 (tbh the food looked kinda gross, in fairness, it was traditional French)

 

[Shareefruck]

What's the best cut of Blade Runner to watch guys?

Final Cut.

 

[kihei]

Babette's Feast (1987) - 7/10 (tbh the food looked kinda gross, in fairness, it was traditional French)