Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[OzzyFan]

Chinatown (1974)
3.60 out of 4stars

“A private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.”
An excellent neo-noir mystery that triumphantly stands on its own while being a tremendous ode to the genre. Chock full of dark cynicism, intricacy, crime, toughness, moral ambiguity, old-school brutality, shadows and lighting contrast, and a surprising amount of heart. It even includes a femme-fatale or 2 to add to it’s list of genre tributes/characteristics. And the significance of Chinatown itself within the film (alongside its titular product overall) is the definition of film noir. Excellent work from all involved: Polanski’s direction, Towne’s screenplay, Nicholson’s (superb) and Dunaway’s and Huston’s acting, Goldsmith’s memorable score, the period detail throughout, etc. Incredibly twist-filled with an expanded grand ending that is shocking and almost entirely unpredictable. I shall not ruin any of the unfolding story and the players inside it, but it balances all of it so well with not a plothole in sight from my point of view. I’ll leave everyone with the comment that many declare it to be the greatest neo-noir of all time, and on the same tier as the greatest noir films of all-time.

Cape Fear (1962)
3.35 out of 4stars

“A lawyer's family is stalked by a recently released man he helped put in jail for committing rape 8 years prior.”
An excellent psychological thriller is as darkly tense and chilling as it is clever, while being headed by a tremendous Mitchum performance as the sadistic vengeful villain. It can’t be understated how powerful Mitchum is here. Prowling around with his unrelenting gazes and ominously cool calmness, as he delivers taunting and frightening lines as predetermined fact or undisputable truth. This controlled psychotic turn of a burningly animalistic rapist with bad boy charms is ingeniously evil. The atmosphere is smotheringly tense throughout as it deals with the heavy subject matter of rape, including the proposed possibility of revenge raping our protagonist Gregory Peck’s 14year old daughter. Some mind games ensue. The main themes here seem to be justice, revenge, and suffering. The criminal justice system from our government here is shown to have inherent weaknesses that allow protections for criminals/aggressors and create vulnerabilities for average/moral citizens. The revenge possibility aspect is the most serious flaw here, any criminal who is not in jail for life, or even posting bail for that matter. For witnesses, victims, and lawyers (and that doesn’t even get into an intimidation factor or the veil of public scrutiny/image fallouts). Not that I am condoning or suggesting the vapid use of life long jail sentences, but it’s possible nightmare fodder for anyone who took part in sending someone to jail for notable time without obvious protection. The scary truth is for the vast majority of the unguarded world, if someone wants to kill another specific person, there is very little stopping them. The suffering, “free man”/life years lost, and worldly life altered or destroyed is something not inconsequential that happens when a person is put behind bars for years. And how often does this incarceration style punishment lead to remorse and reformation versus anger and continual criminality? Which leads to the obvious theme here on revenge, “revenge being a dish best served cold”. Killing Peck is too quick and simple, the man responsible for Mitchum’s jail term and conviction. Making Peck and his family suffer for the length of their existence is his viciously diabolic plan, similarly to the prolonged suffering Mitchum lived and continues to experience in his existence. That is what Mitchum believes to be true justice. Now Peck in the defensive throughout the film has to figure out what is his best plan of action and form of tactics to use in this complicated situation, moral gray areas and all, as Peck’s family and greatest importance in his life becomes his biggest susceptibility. And last but not least, Hermann’s orchestral score is great and accentuates the menacing material throughout.

The Night Stalker (1972)
2.80 out of 4stars

“A wisecracking abrasive Las Vegas newspaper reporter investigates a series of murders committed by a vampire.”
A great made for TV mystery thriller horror that is a fun funny investigation with a couple chills and well done action scenes. And much thanks go to a very charismatic Darren McGavin in the lead role, and a great turn from Barry Atwater as our villain. Non-stop pacing and entertaining in some way the majority of the time. And an extended ending you really don’t see coming. Very well done for a TV film all around behind and in front of the camera. Highly successful, resulting in a sequel and a TV series. While I don’t think the police portrayal or “vampire” in this film is 100% accurate, it feels close to being a true to life and realistic style type of writing with it's material, which is a nice rare touch with vampire material.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Tar (2022) - 7/10

I said how empty calorie Ticket To Paradise felt....this on the other hand is trying very hard to be a gourmet meal. It's an exploitative film in the end with an average script and it's more entertaining in its second half when it puts the pretension aside. I know Cate Blanchett is supposed to play a sociopath in this but her character's downfall feels like more of a series of unfortunate events, the ending certainly doesn't have the same weight as a Whiplash. Also whoever made this REALLY likes the clean cold grey colour palette.

 

[shadow1]

Rumble in the Bronx (1995) - 7/10

A Hong Kong man visiting New York is hunted by a vicious street gang following an altercation at a convenience store.

Jackie Chan stars as Keung, a Hong Kong police officer visiting New York to attend his uncle's (Bill Tung) wedding. Keung decides to extend his stay to help out Elaine (Anita Mui), a woman who has purchased Uncle Bill's convenience store located in a tough area of the bronx. Things quickly go south after a gang of thugs threaten the employees of the store, forcing Keung to use his martial arts skills in self defense. Gang leader Tony (Marc Akerstream) instructs his thugs to get revenge on Keung at all costs...

Rumble in the Bronx was directed by Stanley Tong and was a big success in Hong Kong, becoming the country's highest grossing film ever at the time. More importantly, the film marked Jackie Chan's breakthrough success in the United States after multiple failed attempts in the 1980's. Filmed for only $13M dollars, Rumble in the Bronx made its money back several times over in the USA alone thanks to earning $76M during a 1996 theatrical run. It should be noted the film is a rare Jackie Chan movie that's rated R; it's a little darker and bloodier than his average film.

Jackie, age 40 at the time of filming, has some of his most famous sequences in Rumble in the Bronx. These include a convenience store fight, warehouse fight sequence, and an extended chase scene involving a hovercraft. Most famous of all is a scene in which Jackie jumps off the roof of a building onto a fire escape of another. This scene alone sold tickets; I remember as a kid watching the American TV show "Entertainment Tonight" which did an entire segment on this jump. The action in this film is iconic.

Rumble in the Bronx - famously filmed in Vancouver, rather than New York - had a lot of injuries behind the scenes. Four people broke an ankle or leg, including Francoise Yip, who co-stars as love interest Nancy. Jackie broke his ankle on a relatively low risk stunt where he jumps from a platform onto a hovercraft. They used the shot of his ankle-breaking landing in the movie, and Jackie had to wear a sleeve that looked like a sneaker for the rest of the shoot. Jackie says his ankle was broke during morning filming, but he was back working on set in the afternoon!

Plot wise, Rumble in the Bronx is your standard Jackie Chan fare. You get a nice mix of comedy with a peppering of darker moments, and a story that's just there to set up the action set pieces. It's not bad, but you're not too invested in what's going on either. With that said, there is a pretty big plot shift at the midpoint. The story suddenly changes to focus on a new narrative, a plot thread that the audience can only faintly overhear during a news broadcast at the very beginning of the movie; it's a little jarring. The acting in this film can be hit or miss too. A lot of this had to do with the fact that everyone acted in their native tongue, and were later redubbed. This isn't uncommon at all with Hong Kong productions, but here even the English speaking actors were redubbed by different voice actors. Needless to say, this didn't help the performances.

Overall, Rumble in the Bronx is a classic action movie. The film has barely aged in nearly 30 years thanks unbelievable fight scenes and action sequences. It's not Jackie Chan's best movie, but it's one of his most well known and arguably his most important due to turning it gaining him worldwide fame. Almost everyone in the world knows who Jackie Chan is, and this movie is the reason why.

 

[kihei]

White Noise (2022) Directed by Noah Baumbach 4B

White Noise, an adaptation of Don DeLillo's famously ungainly novel, has no shortage of ideas, but that's all it's got. Focuslng on Jack (Adam Driver), a pioneering Hitler Studies prof at a small college, his pill-popping wife Babette (Greta Gerwig) and a collection of precocious children from different marriages, White Noise is essentially a satire of things that don't go together: smug intellectualism, the rise of mood altering pharmaceuticals, environmental disaster, marital infidelity, eager consumerism, and the celebration of violence. This slinging around of ideas may have worked in DeLillo's novel; I wouldn't know as I have never managed to complete one of his works. However, the scattershot approach certainly doesn't work in the movie which lurches from one genre to the next, shape-shifting as it goes, now a college spoof, now a disaster movie, now Scenes from a Marriage. The characters don't seem real; rather, they seem like instruments of the source material's agenda--there, not to come to life but to make a point....well, several points. Driver manages to handle the stuttering rhythms of his character fairly well, but Gerwig often seems lost, Babette being hung out to dry until the third act comes around. White Noise not only made me less enthusiastic about DeLillo than I was to begin with, but now I would just as soon avoid Baumbach movies for a long time, too.

 

[shadow1]

Mr. Nice Guy (1997) - 6/10

A chef is hunted by two groups of drug dealers who believe he holds evidence of their crimes.

Jackie Chan stars as Jackie, a chef with a TV show in Melbourne. Jackie has a chance encounter with Diana (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick), a reporter who is being chased by a group of criminals she got caught recording for her TV show, "The Big Story". Jackie defends Diana from the thugs and the two part ways, but her recording is mixed up with a recording of one of Jackie's cooking shows, leading to ruthless kingpin Giancarlo (Richard Norton) hunting Jackie and his friends...

Mr. Nice Guy was directed by action star and frequent Jackie Chan collaborator Sammo Hung. The film marked Jackie's second consecutive film set in Australia and was a moderate box office success worldwide, earning $12.7M in the United States.

The movie has a typical Jackie Chan plot, where Jackie is a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time and has to use his martial arts skills to take down the wrongdoers. Mr. Nice Guy tries to change things up a little by making Jackie a chef, but this character background doesn't have a huge influence on the plot. I thought it was a missed opportunity that there wasn't a big action scene in a kitchen.

The film has a number of strong sequences though, the most famous of which is a fight in a construction zone where Jackie has to avoid a circular saw and other power tools. The action-comedy is on point too, and there is a really funny cameo by director Sammo Hung, who plays an unfortunate cyclist. There's also a funny cameo by famous pop singer and actor Emil Chau, who plays an ice cream man (just as he did in 1995's Rumble in the Bronx).

However, I also thought it was huge missed opportunity not to have a fight between Jackie and Richard Norton, an accomplished martial artist who worked with Jackie in two previous films. The two do fight, but it is very brief and Jackie's arms and legs are tied up, so it's very gimmicky. The worst part of this film, though, is the acting and dialogue. The performances are very rough, but it's hard to blame the actors too much when some of the dialogue seems like it was written by aliens. The film also doesn't explain at all how Jackie can fight so well. There is a throw away line from Jackie's older cooking partner about him forbidding Jackie from being a cop, but that's all we get. Yeah, I know he's Jackie Chan, but still.

Overall, Mr. Nice Guy is an okay movie. It gets the Jackie Chan formula right, but the acting and plot being worse than usual hold the film back compared to his other works. Mr. Nice Guy is not a movie to avoid by any means and there is still a lot of enjoyment to be had, but it's one of Jackie's more average 90's efforts.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) - 8/10

Quite enjoyed the slice-of-life with a slab of humour for the first half of the movie. The second more emotionally heavy half is what probably wins over the critics but I found that harder to take as because it's a bit like the modern equivalent of edgy melodrama. There is an argument that a braver film just keeps that more sedated tone from the first half throughout rather than feeling the need for a bigger climax. Also commend it for making basically every one of the four main characters relatable at least to me at some point in the film. Good year for Colin Farrell with his third solid film I've seen this year and I know Gleeson will get praise but the actress playing Farrell's sister was the best in her role here imo.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Spirited - 8/10 … I’m not a big musical guy but the chemistry between Ferrell and Reynolds plus the non-serious tone they take with the movie made it really entertaining and funny. Will definitely be on my annual Christmas movie watch,.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Rewatched Last Night For The Gazillionth Time Because It’s That Time Of Year:

9/10

 

[ItsFineImFine]

White Noise (2022) Directed by Noah Baumbach 4B

That was my most anticipated film of the year after Knives Out noooooooooooooooooo

 

[kihei]

The Academy Award short list of 15 movies eligible to be nominated for an Oscar in the International Film category comes out on Wednesday. Here is my ranking of the 17 such films that I have seen so far.

Should make the short list

Decision to Leave (South Korea)
The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
Return to Seoul (Netherlands)
Saint Omer (France)
Close (France)
Bardo (Mexico)
Corsage (Austria)
EO (Poland)
Utama (Bolivia)
You Won't Be Alone (Australia)

Deserve to make the short list

The Box (Venezuela)
Holy Spider (Denmark)
Cinema Sabaya (Israel)

Might make the short list

Carmen (Malta)
Argentina 1985 (Argentina)

Will make the short list, but shouldn't

All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) my pick for most overrated movie of the year

Should not make the short list

Alcarras (Spain)
Nostalgia (Italy)

Should never have been submitted

One for the Road (Thailand)
Nice View (China)

It has been an incredibly strong year for international film.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

A Special Day (1977) - 7/10

I like this one for the scenes between Sophia Loren and the guy but it sinks into its self-pitying melodrama in the final third and slowly fades out like a boring outro to a decent song minus one fantastic scene where her spoiled family blabber on while she looks at the apartment across the window. It's touching yes but not the same emotional impact as it thinks it's carrying imo. Also casting the biggest on-screen womanizer in classic Italian cinema as the male lead who's supposed to be gay....maybe not the most convincing of casting choices.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Finally got around to watching "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zisseou" (2004) this weekend.

7/10 because its the season of giving.

It was definitely a movie. Strong opening, then about 90 mins of paint drying filler, then a pretty fun ride for the last 25ish mins. I did laugh out loud at several scenes which is why I rated it so high, but honestly if I hadnt been playing video games with the movie on the background I dont think I would have even made it to the halfway point.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Meet Me In The Bathroom. Documentary look at the late 90s/early 2000s NYC music scene (The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem, etc.). Probably only interesting to true heads. The when-they-were-young footage and early performances are interesting to a point but there isn't a whole lot of depth here. I think it was Dostoevsky who said "All happy bands are alike, but all unhappy bands are also all alike."

Irma Vep (the TV series). This had me grinning like a big dumb idiot. Funny, sexy, lovely look at the clashes between creators, creating and creations, loves lost and found, the healing abilities and communal joys of art. Super playful. Playful is definitely the right word. Writer-director Olivier Assayas again riffs on the classic silent French serial but also on his 1999 movie (a version of which clearly exists in his world). It's a rich and rewarding watch for those familiar with both of those. Among the best things I've watched this year.

The Great Silence. A Quentin Tarantino favorite. Spaghetti Western pitting a silent Jean-Louis Trintingant against a blonde haired bounty hunting Klaus Kinski in the snowy hills of "Utah." Bleak and memorable. Does a couple of clever things including its ending. I see why it has a culty following.

TAR. I don't know what Michelle Yeoh did to Cate Blanchett but it's really cruel of Cate to do this to Michelle's Oscar chances. Extremely cruel. A cold and darkly funny portrait of a master-of-their-universe gradually seeing their world (and themselves) come apart. It's a patient, almost clinical take down. I know there are some hot-button political arguments that circle some of the circumstances in this one, but the whole thing felt pretty clear and well-observed to me.

Malibu Express. It's no Hard Ticket to Hawaii.

 

[OzzyFan]

TAR. I don't know what Michelle Yeoh did to Cate Blanchett but it's really cruel of Cate to do this to Michelle's Oscar chances. Extremely cruel.

 

[shadow1]

Twin Dragons (1992) - 6/10

Identical twins - separated at birth - who have a slightly telepathic connection are reunited and use their unique upbringings to deal with each other's problems.

Jackie Chan stars as twins Ma Yau and Bok Min. Due to a hospital incident shortly after their birth, the brothers were separated and unaware of each other's existence. Ma Yau grows up in the USA and becomes a famous pianist, while Bok Min grows up in Hong Kong becomes a mechanic and street racer. During a trip to Hong Kong, Ma Yau encounters Bok Min and the two become entangled in each other's problems: Ma Yau's classical music concert and Bok Min's debt to a criminal gang.

Twin Dragons was directed by all three of Jackie Chan, Tsui Hark, and Ringo Lam. The reason this film has so many directors is because it was made for a very small budget (according to Jackie Chan, $1.3M), as it was produced by the newly formed Hong Kong Film Director's Guild in order to fund their organization. Jackie handled the action scenes, Tsui Hark the drama scenes, and Ringo Lam the explosion/special effects scenes. Jackie has stated in interviews that the film was so low budget, the cast and crew had to bring their own meals and water to the set.

Despite its paltry budget, Twin Dragons manages to entertain. As can be expected from the premise, the film features lots of situational humor that puts the brothers in uncomfortable situations outside of their skill set, like pianist Ma Yau involved in a high speed car chase, or mechanic Bok Min conducting a concert. The film does have a few good action sequences, but not the huge stunts you'd expect from a early-90's era Jackie Chan film. In fact, this is a rare Jackie Chain movie that doesn't feature a blooper reel during the credits. The needle is decidedly tilted more towards comedy than action in this one.

Jackie Chan is very funny in the joint role, especially as wimpy Ma Yau who can't fight at all. The budget definitely shows at times when both Jackie's are on screen, as one "Jackie" looks like a hologram in or or two sequences; this only adds to the cheese factor though. Maggie Cheung (who plays a night club dancer) and Nina Li Chi (who plays a woman from an affluent family) both turn in good performances at the love interests too. Additionally, as Twin Dragons was a production of the Hong Kong Film Director's Guild, there are loads of cameos from notable Hong Kong directors. These include the likes of Gordon Chan, Mabel Cheung, Eric Tsang, and John Woo, as well as the Twin Dragons directors Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark.

Overall, Twin Dragons is a fun way to kill 90 minutes. It's a popcorn movie that bathes in the salt and butter, and will please audiences looking to turn their brain off for a little while to enjoy surface level fun. Twin Dragons maybe has one or two moments that are slightly too cheesy, but I don't think the filmmakers were shooting for a "10" when they made this movie. The easiest way to conclude this review is to say: if you like the synopsis you'll like the movie, but if you don't then stay away.

 

[kihei]

This year's Academy Awards shortlist of 15 eligible films in the International Film category:

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

Argentina, Argentina, 1985
Austria, Corsage
Belgium, Close
Cambodia, Return to Seoul
Denmark, Holy Spider
France, Saint Omer
Germany, All Quiet on the Western Front
India, Last Film Show
Ireland, The Quiet Girl
Mexico, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Morocco, The Blue Caftan
Pakistan, Joyland
Poland, EO
South Korea, Decision to Leave
Sweden, Cairo Conspiracy


Can't complain--that's a pretty worthy list.

 

[Sentinel]

Wifelike (2022). In the not-so-distant future, a robot-hunter (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) obtains a robot companion (Elena Kompouris) modeled after his late wife. Various tense and uncomfortable situations ensue. This is a piss-pour mix of Blade Runner and Ex Machina, without the grip, the action, or the depth of either. Had the director James Bird heard of Victor Pelevin’s novel “SNUFF,” he could have been tempted to make this movie more original. It’s hard to tell whose acting is more robotic: Rhys-Meyers’ or Kompouris’. At least she has a nice аss, which is prominently displayed throughout the film, reminding me of the mid-1990s late-night Cinemax and Showtime programming. 3/10

Solomon and Sheba (1959). Another epic from the era of great epics. Not nearly as good as Cleopatra, Samson and Delilah, or Spartacus, it’s still quite watchable, although, naturally, it upset a lot of people from substantially deviating from the Bible. Yul Brenner, the most successful Hollywood actor of Russian origin, is great as the ancient Hebrew king. I am not a big fan of Gina Lollobridgida (in both looks and acting chops), so she is OK. The plot involves various twists, schemes, and conspiracies around the throne of Israel that are just interesting enough to commend a 140 minute runtime. The fans of the genre will enjoy it. 6/10

Three Days of the Condor (1975). This movie was a hit in the USSR but I was too young to watch it then, so I finally filled that gap. The “betrayed man on the run” story is all too cliche to be enjoyed in the earnest, but it’s quite solid (even if a little slow, by today’s standards). The three main actors are all great: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway (I hadn’t realized how beautiful she was), and Max von Sydow. 1970s NYC shots are excellent and bring out the nostalgia for the time and things I never experienced. Not the most exciting movie ever but worth watching for the reasons stated. 6/10

The Outfit (2022). Mark Rylance was no spring chicken when, after Bridge of Spies, his star rose high. Ready Player One and Don’t Look Up solidified his status. Now he is given his first lead role: a tailor (who insists on calling himself “cutter”) in 1950s Chicago, caught in the middle of gangster wars. This film is set up like a theater play, with all events taking place in a tailor shop over the course of one night (with some flashbacks). It’s well-acted but slightly less well executed, and gets worse towards the end, becoming progressively more heavy-handed and featuring some of the worst cliches in the genre. The final scene is ludicrous, and the final twist is absolutely unnecessary. The dialogue is uneven: some lines are clever, some are not. It feels fresher than most of the modern cinematic drivel but I would hesitate to recommend it indiscriminately. 7/10

 

[Langdon Alger]

Rewatched Last Night For The Gazillionth Time Because It’s That Time Of Year:

9/10

Have you ever watched Siskel and Ebert’s review of this movie? It’s infuriating since they seemed to miss the point of the movie.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Have you ever watched Siskel and Ebert’s review of this movie? It’s infuriating since they seemed to miss the point of the movie.

Nope.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Nope.

It’s on YouTube if you’re interested.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Rewatched Last Night:

8/10

 

[Ceremony]

White Noise (2022) Directed by Noah Baumbach 4B

White Noise, an adaptation of Don DeLillo's famously ungainly novel, has no shortage of ideas, but that's all it's got. Focuslng on Jack (Adam Driver), a pioneering Hitler Studies prof at a small college, his pill-popping wife Babette (Greta Gerwig) and a collection of precocious children from different marriages, White Noise is essentially a satire of things that don't go together: smug intellectualism, the rise of mood altering pharmaceuticals, environmental disaster, marital infidelity, eager consumerism, and the celebration of violence. This slinging around of ideas may have worked in DeLillo's novel; I wouldn't know as I have never managed to complete one of his works. However, the scattershot approach certainly doesn't work in the movie which lurches from one genre to the next, shape-shifting as it goes, now a college spoof, now a disaster movie, now Scenes from a Marriage. The characters don't seem real; rather, they seem like instruments of the source material's agenda--there, not to come to life but to make a point....well, several points. Driver manages to handle the stuttering rhythms of his character fairly well, but Gerwig often seems lost, Babette being hung out to dry until the third act comes around. White Noise not only made me less enthusiastic about DeLillo than I was to begin with, but now I would just as soon avoid Baumbach movies for a long time, too.

It's been a while since I read this (and it's the only DeLillo I have) but it didn't strike me as something that should or could be a film.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

A trio of Walter Hill flicks ...

The Long Riders. An early career Western from Hill that is perhaps most notable for the gimmick of casting real life brothers as the real life outlaw siblings (Keaches as Jameses, Carradines as Youngers, Quaids as Millers, Guests as Fords). Mixed bag of results on that front. James Keach is s pretty uncompelling Jesse James. David Carradine and Randy Quaid (of all people!) leave positive impressions. Christopher Guest just sounds like a dramatic Harland Pepper. The centerpiece shootout is really something to see ... a very Wild Bunch execution (pun intended?) that Hill would revisit to much better effect a few years later with Extreme Prejudice.

Dead for a Dollar. A late career Western from Hill (new this year!). It pulls in too many directions to really gel into something truly good (the escalating climax manages to be both predictable at every turn and a bit of a mess), but it's a solid cast of pros who know their way around material like this. It's dedicated to Budd Boetticher, which made me wish it was a leaner story more fitting that dedication. Hill is far from his best game, but he still has SOME game.

The Driver. Now here is a lean story. Another early career effort from Hill. More proof that my love language is movies about Lone Wolf Drivers Who are the BEST at What They Do. Spectacular car stunts and driving. It's just cool dammit. Is there a middling actor who has benefited more from director's knowing perfectly how to use him than Ryan O'Neal? Maybe I'm being unfair to him? I don't remotely think of him as a good actor and yet he fits perfectly at the center of four legit great films — this, Barry Lyndon, What's Up Doc and Paper Moon.

 

[Chili]

Get Carter-1971

Jack Carter (Michael Caine) learns that his brother has died, listed as a suicide. He returns to his hometown to find out what happened. It helps that he knows his way around the local underworld. Michael Caine plays nasty well here. Love the way the story is told mostly by the camera, some great shots including an overhead view of a chase in the streets below. Sexy, stylish, violent, mystery/thriller as Carter seeks the truth. Gripping, methodical, scenic, very well done.

Time Limit-1957

In what seems like an open and shut case a former prisoner of war, Major Cargill (Richard Basehart) is accused with treason. Colonel Edwards (Richard Widmark)'s job is to determine if a court martial is warranted. The Major insists that he is guilty. Early on thought this was going to be a dated film but it kept getting better as the real story unfolds. Enjoyed the two leads as well as an actress who only made a few feature films, Dolores Michaels. This was the only film that Karl Malden directed, too bad because this one was well done.

Seven Samurai-1954

A 16th century village, tired of being plundered by bandits, hires warriors to defend them. Have watched The Magnificent Seven numerous times and always intended to getting around to this film. Was worth the wait, especially since I probably would have watched a shorter version. A timeless story of honour and helping those in need, I love Kurosawa's pacing in his films that I have seen, 3hrs20m seemed just right. As well as the two contrasting leads, Kambei (Takashi Shimura), the confident, sage leader of the Samurai and Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune) the peasant, over the top energetic and wannabe Samurai. Staging the battle in the rain and mud made it seem all the more real. Can relate to the praise the film has received.

 

[Puck]

The Guardian's top 50 list is out. I don't necessarily agree with all their choices this year for instance I would put Banshees of Inisherin higher like in Kihei's list. I can't really complain though, I have not seen many on that list to be able to make a valid judgment.

The 50 best films of 2022 in the UK

The No 1 film is a stunning directorial debut, one of the finest cinematic moments of any year – see which other movies you may have missed

www.theguardian.com