Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Cinema at the End of the World Edition

Puck

Ninja
Jun 10, 2003
10,772
421
Ottawa
Some of you may not be fans of Ben Affleck. I'm not but I seem to be able to watch a film including some of Hollywood's other bad boys (Woody, Mel Gibson etc.), without it tarnishing my impression of the movie they are in. I just watched Tender Bar, a coming of age flick co-starring Affleck. The main role is played by Daniel Ranierias as the young JR and Tye Sheridan, the college-aged JR. Perhaps I am a sucker for heart-felt coming-of age movies but I enjoyed this one too. Another film about kids growing up in the dysfunctional patriarchy. The film, directed by George Clooney, is based on a memoir by J. R. Moehringer, a novelist and journalist for the LA Times.

From IMDB: A boy growing up on Long Island seeks out father figures among the patrons at his uncle's bar. 6.8

 

Chili

Time passes when you're not looking
Jun 10, 2004
8,787
4,922
redviolin_600.jpg

The Red Violin-1998

If a 400+ year old classic violin could tell it's tale...from it's origins with a skilled craftsman, making the instrument for his unborn son to a present day auction, the many hands and several cultures it has passed through along the way. Told in five languages, in some beautiful settings in several countries. Found the story original and compelling and some good music.

Hachi%2B7.jpg

Hachi:A Dog's Tale-2009

Story of a faithful dog and his master, some of it told through the eyes of the dog. Retelling of a 1920's real story from Japan. The real dog has a public statue which still stands in Tokyo. Enjoyed it.


491.jpeg

49th Parallel-1941 (aka The Invaders)

Early in WWII a German Uboat enters Hudson's Bay and lands 6 sailors on shore. Subsequently the submarine is bombed and sunk leaving the sailors stranded. They approach the nearby trading post taking the occupants by surprise. There is a fatal skirmish and 5 of the 6 manage to get away. They are now on the run across Canada as they are hunted. There is alot of politics in the film, the best moment for me was a speech by Anton Walbrook on what it means to be Canadian. I'd like to believe it still applies. Wish it was in colour for many great shots from the north, the Prairies, the Rockies to Niagara Falls. Great film.
 

OzzyFan

Registered User
Sep 17, 2012
3,653
960
Riders of Justice (2020) (Subtitles)
3.20 out of 4stars

"Markus, a soldier in Afghanistan, goes home to his teenage daughter, Mathilde, when his wife dies in a tragic train accident. It seems like an accident until a mathematics geek, who was also a fellow passenger on the train, and his two colleagues show up. Then the personal investigation begins."
Excellent comedy drama action thriller mash up. Albeit, I'm not quite sure there's enough action in it to consider it an action movie per say, but I find it comforting to say that this is a movie where the action feels 100% realistic imo. As Kihei stated, there is plenty of smart quick wit that's laughter worthy throughout. That in itself would have been enough popcorn entertainment for viewer to be satisfied, but the film is full of layers and food for thought mixed in. The biggest themes by far are fate, time, grief, revenge, and family/friends. Fate is the culmination of small and large scale events, circumstances, and interpersonal actions creating the situation and existence one is currently at in an immediate and accumulated fashion. Time is invaluable for no one knows what fate brings because nothing in this world, nor tomorrow is guaranteed. Grief is something everyone deals with differently, but is unquestionably easier to deal with if you have caring people around you/a good support system. Revenge never resolves the damage or pain it's initial wrong caused and is ultimately pointless, that said, for certain types of people in a certain mindset and situation, it still can be gratifying and meaningful (if that oxymoron makes sense). And obviously, family and friends are the most important and most timeworthy things in our lives. And, I know this isn't a 1 to 1 comparison, but it reminded me a lot of Martin McDonagh's projects, which bring levity, honesty, heart, and depth to darker subject matter.

The Mist (2007) (Rewatch)
3.20 out of 4stars

"A freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives."
This for me was a great horror movie that I will never forget. It's a layered horror movie with as much on it's mind as it does visibly, and it has a lot visibly/physically going on. Visually, there is a good amount of imaginative creatures with nightmarish abilities amongst other violence/touches of gore going on. Psychologically, where should I start. Fears of a primitive, unknown, religious, political, mob/tyrant, and even familial nature all are explored plentifully. And while this isn't as great as The Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile which Darabont also did, I still think Darabont gets about the most he possibly can out of the script and adds one hell of an unforgettable gut punch of an ending to Stephen King's original story with a haunting musical piece tied to it.

City of the Dead (1960)
2.65 out of 4stars

"A young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft, where a condemned witch was burned at the stake a couple hundred years ago. During her stay at an eerie inn, she discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants."
A good supernatural horror film. Does an excellent job of creating an uneasy mood all around with it's talk of satanism/witchcraft, sinister set pieces/settings, creepy townfolk, and fog, lots and lots of fog. I'd categorize this movie as more uneventful/slow burn in style, but once the ending "begins" that label for this movie is undone. Without ruining any of it, the 'grand finale' ending delivers excellently.

The 355 (2022)
2.15 out of 4stars

"When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, a wild card CIA agent joins forces with three international agents on a lethal mission to retrieve it, while staying a step ahead of a mysterious woman who's tracking their every move."
Well, movie releases in theaters are kind of expected slow this last couple of weeks, so this action spy thriller was the lesser or evils/things I haven't seen to watch. Without question it has a great highly accomplished cast, but the script is no where near their quality of caliber. Expectedly it's illogical on so many levels, but the question is, was it fun and entertaining with quality action sequences? The cast definitely elevates the material, but I'd say at best it was slightly above average in action and fun caliber relative to contemporary peer films.
 
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Pink Mist

RIP MM*
Jan 11, 2009
6,779
4,905
Toronto
The Many Saints of Newark

with various people doing impressions of their favourite characters from The Sopranos.

Sopranos prequel movie that exists for no reason other than milking nostalgia money out of the mob movie crowd. It's mostly about Dickie Moltisanti, Tony Soprano's childhood mentor. He was mentioned in the show a few times, mostly as an excuse for Chrissy being annoying because his daddy got whacked once upon a mob time. Now we get to watch him have family troubles against the backdrop of racial strife in late 60's New Jersey. Among other things, he runs numbers in the black neighbourhood, and eventually his black lieutenant gets uppity and goes out on his own. Tony Soprano goes from cherubic child to obnoxious teenager, and Jon Bernthal is wasted as Johnny Boy Soprano. Assorted people do impressions of the Sopranos cast. Tedium happens.

I was really looking forward to this, but was hugely let down. Reminds me a lot of the totally superfluous post-Breaking Bad movie they did to give Jesse Pinkman's character a decent send-off; totally unnecessary cash grab that adds very little to the story. The earlier versions of the Sopranos cast blow. Sylvio Dante is a lot closer to a parody than a presursor. The DiMeo mob guys' behaviour is similar to real mobsters only in that they cheat on their wives without thinking twice and hate black people. Oh yeah...who's Don DiMeo? Still don't know. Yeah, trivia note: it never was the Soprano family, it was always the DiMeo family. Livia Soprano is a pale shadow of the horrible, manipulative harpy she was on the show, and Junior Soprano is still a putz. The guy who played Artie Bucco on the show did him; he finally got his wish to be a Made Guy and he still sucks. The ending falls very flat. Yawn.

It's amazing Tony Soprano didn't become a shoe salesman if these guys were his inspiration.

The-Many-Saints-of-Newark-Song.jpg

Pictured: exactly zero saints.


I also just watched this after waiting a while for it - it just dropped on Crave after I missed it in theatres - and yeah your review is spot on. It feels like a series of just bad impressions of the characters from the TV show and doesn't come close to even the worst episodes of the Sopranos
 

Tasty Biscuits

with fancy sauce
Aug 8, 2011
12,598
3,948
Pittsburgh
Elevator to the Gallows (1958). B
A wonderfully splashy introduction to our film's stars, and we're off! The movie has a well-paced and engaging first act. Where it really starts to drag is when extended time is devoted to the subplot involving the young couple. There is a fine line between "cool/disinterested" and "flat" and Georges Poujouly as Louis falls mostly into the latter category. There are a few distracting plot holes (all forgivable, save one). The handling of Florence and Julien's relationship was very interesting and well-executed.

As previously stated, the film drags big time in the latter 3rd and ultimately feels longer than its 91 min runtime. Still though, there are few finer uses of film than a forlorn Jeanne Moreau wandering around beautiful rain-soaked streets at night to Miles Davis' mournful trumpet.

Promising Young Woman (2020). B-
This is a tough nut to crack. On one-hand, it's important subject matter to tackle in a mainstream film. On the other hand, a more subtle and realistic, for lack of a better word ("human" maybe?) approach would've allowed for a stronger emotional connection to the proceedings, which in turn would help the POV deeper ingrain itself in the viewer. On the other hand, subtle hasn't exactly gotten us very far with progress regarding the subject matter, so isn't it time for a snazzy, all-out, devil-may-care approach that shouts so loud you can't ignore it? On the other hand, I came out of the movie more focused on its tonal inconsistencies and high-wire balancing act of pulp and poignancy than anything more substantial Fennell was trying to convey. And now you and I are out of hands.

I've seen some criticisms that it doesn't show "both sides" of the issue, to which I say, the filmmaker doesn't owe you anything. You'll take whatever POV they want to give you, and that's what you'll get. The only time you can argue you deserve both sides potentially is in a documentary, and even then....you're usually not getting that. You want both sides of something, do extensive research about a real-life occurrence. Movies are for the filmmaker's perspective.

Black Widow (2021). D
Oof. Starts off on the wrong foot via the painful "slow-cover" trend, with Smells Like Teen Spirit being the latest victim, and doesn't get any better. Marvel at its worst. At least the accents help deadpan to land.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). B-
Now that's more like it. Action that is creative and you can actually follow. Fun sets and visual effects. There are many overt references to fight choreography from classics, which I am fine with (when it's popular, it's homage; when it's obscure, it's theft. Not necessarily my beliefs, but that seems to be the going rate as far as film referencing is concerned). It does drag hard a little past the midway point before picking up again. Cut 15 mins to get this baby under 2 hrs and then we're in business.

The Power of the Dog (2021). A-
I've been bemoaning films for pacing, especially on the backend. No such issues here. The film is like a locomotive on an increasingly steep downhill angle, continuingly picking up steam, and then, once it ends...gaining even more momentum -- a rare feat. Just all facets -- story/cinematography/acting/score are expertly put together to create an engrossing experience that slowly sucks you in and will keep you thinking about it long after it's over.
 

Pranzo Oltranzista

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
3,981
2,900
I haven't seen a Woody Allen movie in years; I watch Mel Gibson movies but it's not the same. I'd like to say this personal stuff doesn't bother me but it sometimes does.

I've never really watch Mel Gibson movies, so that I wouldn't know! You know Paul Bateson is in The Exorcist? I mean, it really doesn't change anything.
 

Pink Mist

RIP MM*
Jan 11, 2009
6,779
4,905
Toronto
I haven't seen a Woody Allen movie in years; I watch Mel Gibson movies but it's not the same. I'd like to say this personal stuff doesn't bother me but it sometimes does.

Some of you may not be fans of Ben Affleck. I'm not but I seem to be able to watch a film including some of Hollywood's other bad boys (Woody, Mel Gibson etc.), without it tarnishing my impression of the movie they are in. I just watched Tender Bar, a coming of age flick co-starring Affleck. The main role is played by Daniel Ranierias as the young JR and Tye Sheridan, the college-aged JR. Perhaps I am a sucker for heart-felt coming-of age movies but I enjoyed this one too. Another film about kids growing up in the dysfunctional patriarchy. The film, directed by George Clooney, is based on a memoir by J. R. Moehringer, a novelist and journalist for the LA Times.

From IMDB: A boy growing up on Long Island seeks out father figures among the patrons at his uncle's bar. 6.8



Stuff that is not related to the movie I'm watching has zero impact on my appreciation of it.

Normally this stuff doesn't bother me either, but I watched Dragged Across Concrete a couple months ago starring Mel Gibson. In this crime thriller Mel Gibson plays a detective and he has multiple lines complaining about "cancel culture" and how going after racists is like going after suspected communists in the 1950s and so on, and I don't think my eyes have rolled further back in my head
 

ItsFineImFine

Registered User
Aug 11, 2019
3,745
2,389
The Worst Person In The World (2021) - 7/10

Made of several vignettes so it'll always be mixed. The ones at the beginning and end tend to work better. Another 'modern life is rubbish for young people' film from this director but Oslo August 31st worked better as a whole. I find it really unfortunate that a film like this has the perfecrt setting but fails to take more advantage of the city through its cinematography, though I never deduct points from a movie for what it is not. I will say that both the male protagonists end up being far more interesting than the female lead unfortunately.
 
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Spring in Fialta

A malign star kept him
Apr 1, 2007
27,302
16,112
Montreal, QC
Elevator to the Gallows (1958). B
A wonderfully splashy introduction to our film's stars, and we're off! The movie has a well-paced and engaging first act. Where it really starts to drag is when extended time is devoted to the subplot involving the young couple. There is a fine line between "cool/disinterested" and "flat" and Georges Poujouly as Louis falls mostly into the latter category. There are a few distracting plot holes (all forgivable, save one). The handling of Florence and Julien's relationship was very interesting and well-executed.

As previously stated, the film drags big time in the latter 3rd and ultimately feels longer than its 91 min runtime. Still though, there are few finer uses of film than a forlorn Jeanne Moreau wandering around beautiful rain-soaked streets at night to Miles Davis' mournful trumpet.

Promising Young Woman (2020). B-
This is a tough nut to crack. On one-hand, it's important subject matter to tackle in a mainstream film. On the other hand, a more subtle and realistic, for lack of a better word ("human" maybe?) approach would've allowed for a stronger emotional connection to the proceedings, which in turn would help the POV deeper ingrain itself in the viewer. On the other hand, subtle hasn't exactly gotten us very far with progress regarding the subject matter, so isn't it time for a snazzy, all-out, devil-may-care approach that shouts so loud you can't ignore it? On the other hand, I came out of the movie more focused on its tonal inconsistencies and high-wire balancing act of pulp and poignancy than anything more substantial Fennell was trying to convey. And now you and I are out of hands.

I've seen some criticisms that it doesn't show "both sides" of the issue, to which I say, the filmmaker doesn't owe you anything. You'll take whatever POV they want to give you, and that's what you'll get. The only time you can argue you deserve both sides potentially is in a documentary, and even then....you're usually not getting that. You want both sides of something, do extensive research about a real-life occurrence. Movies are for the filmmaker's perspective.

Black Widow (2021). D
Oof. Starts off on the wrong foot via the painful "slow-cover" trend, with Smells Like Teen Spirit being the latest victim, and doesn't get any better. Marvel at its worst. At least the accents help deadpan to land.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). B-
Now that's more like it. Action that is creative and you can actually follow. Fun sets and visual effects. There are many overt references to fight choreography from classics, which I am fine with (when it's popular, it's homage; when it's obscure, it's theft. Not necessarily my beliefs, but that seems to be the going rate as far as film referencing is concerned). It does drag hard a little past the midway point before picking up again. Cut 15 mins to get this baby under 2 hrs and then we're in business.

The Power of the Dog (2021). A-
I've been bemoaning films for pacing, especially on the backend. No such issues here. The film is like a locomotive on an increasingly steep downhill angle, continuingly picking up steam, and then, once it ends...gaining even more momentum -- a rare feat. Just all facets -- story/cinematography/acting/score are expertly put together to create an engrossing experience that slowly sucks you in and will keep you thinking about it long after it's over.

I think the major problem that films like Promising Young Woman have is that the stake and appeal to the zeitgeist are so obvious and banal (although of course ultimately correct) that it ends up being void of emotional impact, and that's where craftmanship becomes ultimately important. It's how a skilled artist like Campion will have a scene where a horse getting slapped and insulted by a frustrated crumeddgeon - ultimately a lesser affair than a woman being raped and murdered - ends up holding x3000 the emotional impact of Promising Young Woman, which ultimately I don't think was a very good film at all. Precisely because the awfulness of it all doesn't hold the weight that it should.
 
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Tasty Biscuits

with fancy sauce
Aug 8, 2011
12,598
3,948
Pittsburgh
It still scores points for me for its sheer chutzpah in just going for it, but it ultimately works best as "shut off your brain and enjoy it" type fare. Which of course would seem to be at odds with the filmmaker's intent. But since when has authorial intent ever mattered? :P
 
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Tkachuk4MVP

32 Years of Fail
Apr 15, 2006
14,848
2,787
San Diego, CA
Some of you may not be fans of Ben Affleck. I'm not but I seem to be able to watch a film including some of Hollywood's other bad boys (Woody, Mel Gibson etc.), without it tarnishing my impression of the movie they are in. I just watched Tender Bar, a coming of age flick co-starring Affleck. The main role is played by Daniel Ranierias as the young JR and Tye Sheridan, the college-aged JR. Perhaps I am a sucker for heart-felt coming-of age movies but I enjoyed this one too. Another film about kids growing up in the dysfunctional patriarchy. The film, directed by George Clooney, is based on a memoir by J. R. Moehringer, a novelist and journalist for the LA Times.

From IMDB: A boy growing up on Long Island seeks out father figures among the patrons at his uncle's bar. 6.8




:huh:
 

Tkachuk4MVP

32 Years of Fail
Apr 15, 2006
14,848
2,787
San Diego, CA
Elevator to the Gallows (1958). B
A wonderfully splashy introduction to our film's stars, and we're off! The movie has a well-paced and engaging first act. Where it really starts to drag is when extended time is devoted to the subplot involving the young couple. There is a fine line between "cool/disinterested" and "flat" and Georges Poujouly as Louis falls mostly into the latter category. There are a few distracting plot holes (all forgivable, save one). The handling of Florence and Julien's relationship was very interesting and well-executed.

Love, love, love this movie.

the painful "slow-cover" trend

Hate, hate, hate this trend.
 
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Spring in Fialta

A malign star kept him
Apr 1, 2007
27,302
16,112
Montreal, QC
Normally this stuff doesn't bother me either, but I watched Dragged Across Concrete a couple months ago starring Mel Gibson. In this crime thriller Mel Gibson plays a detective and he has multiple lines complaining about "cancel culture" and how going after racists is like going after suspected communists in the 1950s and so on, and I don't think my eyes have rolled further back in my head

I think a fair rule of thumb is unless the artist is making the disconnection impossible to make, try and separate. Like, Allen's personal tribulations aren't going to affect my viewing of Sweet and Lowdown but if Mel Gibson wants to make a movie where the plot is the main character being accused of making anti-semitic statement and how unjust it all was, well, I'll just say that the film itself isn't asking me to separate art from artist.
 
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Pranzo Oltranzista

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
3,981
2,900
I think a fair rule of thumb is unless the artist is making the connection impossible to make, try and separate. Like, Allen's personal tribulations aren't going to affect my viewing of Sweet and Lowdown but if Mel Gibson wants to make a movie where the plot is the main character being accused of making anti-semitic statement and how unjust it all was, well, I'll just say that the film itself isn't asking me to separate art from artist.

still could make for a hell of a movie!!
 

Pranzo Oltranzista

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
3,981
2,900
I know you love a so bad it's good movie more than the next guy but there's few filmmakers I've found as dumb and derivative as Gibson. :laugh:

Oh, directed by Mel Gibson?...

if Mel Gibson wants to make a movie where the plot is the main character being accused of making anti-semitic statement and how unjust it all was

I imagined that film directed by Lars Von Trier, or by early Harmony Korine.

The only film I've seen by Gibson was the bleeding Jesus one, wasn't really good, but not close to be a SoBIG movie.
 

Spring in Fialta

A malign star kept him
Apr 1, 2007
27,302
16,112
Montreal, QC
Oh, directed by Mel Gibson?...



I imagined that film directed by Lars Von Trier, or by early Harmony Korine.

The only film I've seen by Gibson was the bleeding Jesus one, wasn't really good, but not close to be a SoBIG movie.

He's never made a SoBIG movie (though I personally think Hacksaw Ridge gets close) but I can't imagine someone as unreliable and unself aware as Gibson making a movie about something that personal not sending it to the stratosphere on that front.
 
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Osprey

Registered User
Feb 18, 2005
27,922
10,805
The only film I've seen by Gibson was the bleeding Jesus one, wasn't really good, but not close to be a SoBIG movie.

Maybe that's the one that Spring was referring to. After all, what's more derivative than an adaptation of the most read and adapted literary work? :sarcasm:

Seriously, if you haven't seen Gibson's bleeding Scotsman or bleeding Mayan movies, you're missing out on a lot of good blood.
 
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Sentinel

Registered User
May 26, 2009
13,259
5,057
New Jersey
www.vvinenglish.com
Elevator to the Gallows (1958). B
A wonderfully splashy introduction to our film's stars, and we're off! The movie has a well-paced and engaging first act. Where it really starts to drag is when extended time is devoted to the subplot involving the young couple. There is a fine line between "cool/disinterested" and "flat" and Georges Poujouly as Louis falls mostly into the latter category. There are a few distracting plot holes (all forgivable, save one). The handling of Florence and Julien's relationship was very interesting and well-executed.

As previously stated, the film drags big time in the latter 3rd and ultimately feels longer than its 91 min runtime. Still though, there are few finer uses of film than a forlorn Jeanne Moreau wandering around beautiful rain-soaked streets at night to Miles Davis' mournful trumpet.

Promising Young Woman (2020). B-
This is a tough nut to crack. On one-hand, it's important subject matter to tackle in a mainstream film. On the other hand, a more subtle and realistic, for lack of a better word ("human" maybe?) approach would've allowed for a stronger emotional connection to the proceedings, which in turn would help the POV deeper ingrain itself in the viewer. On the other hand, subtle hasn't exactly gotten us very far with progress regarding the subject matter, so isn't it time for a snazzy, all-out, devil-may-care approach that shouts so loud you can't ignore it? On the other hand, I came out of the movie more focused on its tonal inconsistencies and high-wire balancing act of pulp and poignancy than anything more substantial Fennell was trying to convey. And now you and I are out of hands.

I've seen some criticisms that it doesn't show "both sides" of the issue, to which I say, the filmmaker doesn't owe you anything. You'll take whatever POV they want to give you, and that's what you'll get. The only time you can argue you deserve both sides potentially is in a documentary, and even then....you're usually not getting that. You want both sides of something, do extensive research about a real-life occurrence. Movies are for the filmmaker's perspective.
I didn't understand a word of these reviews, as in "whattaf*** are these movies really about and if they are any good."
 
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Sentinel

Registered User
May 26, 2009
13,259
5,057
New Jersey
www.vvinenglish.com
Midnight Cowboy (1969). A very unpleasant and depressing film about a young Texan John Buck (Jon Voight) coming to NYC to become a professional gigolo and failing unspectacularly. I, on the other hand, fail to see any appeal in Dustin Hoffman’s character (other than that he invited Buck to stay with him). I also felt the character change was not well defined or justified (what exactly made Buck change his ways? His lack of success in the gigolo field? His final altercation with a client is not exactly a moment of epiphany, rupture, or redemption). In short, I fail to see what makes this such a great movie, an Oscar winner, and a national treasure. The best parts are the flashbacks and dream sequences, but even those are too in your face to be considered “artistic.” I felt like the story of Buck and his girlfriend back in Texas would make a better film. In short, I didn’t like this movie. C+

Old (2021). M. Shyamalan Night’s latest “twist film” is so ridiculous, I would need five faces and five palms to do it justice. It’s a neat idea (like a visualization for the fans of Strugatsky’s “Beetle in the Anthill” pandemic of rapid aging on a distant planet) but Night doesn’t know what to do with it. It could make a nice short film, if only actors played a little more convincingly. The “escape” at the end is so sudden, the final “explanation” is so bizarre, and the finale is so abrupt, there is really nothing going for this movie. Many things go unexplained, “problematic marriage” angle is beaten to death, and much of what’s happening on screen is very unpleasant. Spare yourself. D

The Russia House (1990). The fact that it was filmed on location in Moscow, Leningrad, and Lisbon is this film’s only merit. Otherwise, it’s incredibly dull, and not even a duo of Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer can make me care about any of its characters or the clumsy story (TBF, neither has particularly interesting dialogue or character depth to work with). Plus, as we all know, less than a year later USSR dissolved, so all these spy passions did not make any difference to anybody. Couldn’t even finish it. D-

The Tambourine of the Upper World (2020). A short film based on a short story by Victor Pelevin. The best screen adaptation of Pelevin I’ve ever seen (and I loved Generation Pi!). Pelevin’s trademark blend of the natural and the supernatural is transported to screen perfectly. A small clandestine operation revives dead foreign soldiers in the USSR (the story takes place in 1989) so they would marry Russian girls for the purpose of emigration. The ending is slightly different from Pelevin, surprising those who remember the story. I haven’t felt the atmosphere more mystical and the emotions stronger in a long time. A
 
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Tasty Biscuits

with fancy sauce
Aug 8, 2011
12,598
3,948
Pittsburgh
I didn't understand a word of these reviews, as in "whattaf*** are these movies really about and if they are any good."

:dunno:

I don't bother with any type of plot summation since that's something anyone can easily find if they're interested in a movie. I also prefer reading reviews that touch less on the "what" and more on the "how/why" since it lets me come into the film as fresh as possible, so I share my own reactions with a similar mindset.
 

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