Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Movie-mber Edition

[Chili]

Thanks for this. I am tempted to pick up the book now.

Just finished the book, definitely worth the time for Sergio fans.

Interesting that his next big project after America was to be an epic on the WWII siege of Leningrad where an estimated 800k civilians died. He worked years trying to put everything together. The Soviet government was on board because Sergio's films were very popular there and it would have been filmed in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) . Mickey Rourke and Richard Gere were to be leads.

But he passed away before it could be filmed. There is a film I watched awhile ago (Attack on Leningrad 2009 Mira Sorvino, Gabriel Byrne) which has a very similiar theme (foreign journalist trapped there), don't know if he got credit for the original idea.

 

[OzzyFan]

Wonder Woman 1984
2.50 out of 4stars

A good but not great superhero sequel. Feels a little bit too all over the place and unsure if it wants to be fun, dramatic, light, romantic, or preachy. Probably a mix that just isn't smoothed out or blended like it should. That said, it's got visual flair, a fun entrance, good acting/chemistry among the actors, a nice message(s), some interesting pieces, and on a similar note, Pedro Pascal steals the show as Max Lord. For the record, Wiig is underwritten(albeit doesn't nail her part imo), Pine is still charismatic, and Gadot is good but I don't think as deep as she should be for the character.

It's a Wonderful Life
3.75 out of 4stars

Probably my new favorite christmas movie. Has so many layers and hits all the right notes.

Klaus
2.85 out of 4stars

Great, albeit not x-mas classic cannon, different 'new' Santa/christmas origin story with heart and charm thrown in.

Tokyo Godfathers (rewatch)
3.25 out of 4stars

Quirky heartwarming comedy drama adventure/japanese anime tale about 3 homeless people finding an abandoned baby on christmas eve and trying to return it to it's family. Hits all the right notes in a mostly unorthodox way still.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Servant (1963) - 7/10

A bit Parasite-like in premise but without any of the excitement. Focuses more on tension and builds it well then it goes flat. The final scene just feels undeserved if that makes any sense. There's a leap that happens somewhere which isn't shown on screen or implied well enough.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) - 6/10

Just a bloated mess as I said in another thread. Makes Marvel films look much better, I'm sure Black Widow will be refreshing to watch after this.

 

[Pink Mist]

Just finished the book, definitely worth the time for Sergio fans.

Interesting that his next big project after America was to be an epic on the WWII siege of Leningrad where an estimated 800k civilians died. He worked years trying to put everything together. The Soviet government was on board because Sergio's films were very popular there and it would have been filmed in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) . Mickey Rourke and Richard Gere were to be leads.

But he passed away before it could be filmed. There is a film I watched awhile ago (Attack on Leningrad 2009 Mira Sorvino, Gabriel Byrne) which has a very similiar theme (foreign journalist trapped there), don't know if he got credit for the original idea.

Would have loved to see this Leningrad project of Leone

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Mank (2020)

C

Honestly don’t know much about the backstory which the movie is based on but it’s passable as a Fincher film I guess

Still salty that he’s moved on from Mindhunter now and that’s history considering they had 5 seasons planned

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Man of Steel

with Super people, dammit!

The modern reboot of Superman which combines the plots of the first two Richard Donner movies from two or three thousand years ago. General Zod has come to Earth to rebuild Krypton out of the ashes of the genetic codex implanted in Henry Cavill's Superman before he was sent out to Earth (this time not in a giant chandelier) by Russel Crowe, managing to unsurprisingly be a big step down from Marlon Brando. Various people show up to add gravitas and stand around in awe at all the demolished buildings that result from Superman and General Zod battling for supremacy. Man, you do *not* want to own an insurance company in this version of Metropolis.

All of the VFX, none of the soul. Yawn.

Also, I foolishly bought my wife the Sims 4 for Christmas, so this is probably the last time I'll get with the desktop until about June-ish. Laters...

Behold! The lens flare of heroism!!

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Don't know where to post this:

 

[kihei]

Don't know where to post this:

They are like a breath of fresh air, which, lord knows, we could use right now. Can't wait for this to come out.

 

[OzzyFan]

Soul
3.25 out of 4stars

A 'spiritual' reflection on life and meaning and dealing with the important and unimportant things within it, as told through an animated children's form medium. . Great addition to the Pixar catalogue. But as I've said previously with Inside Out, I am not sure how many "children" under the age of 12 or 10 will understand and enjoy what's going on at numerous times throughout the film. Some heavy existential material is in here for an animated movie. That said, still loved it.

 

[Chili]

Would have loved to see this Leningrad project of Leone

For sure. The Soviet military would have been involved and an idea of the scale: Sergio wanted 2000 tanks available.

It's a heckuva story to squeeze into a couple of hours, would have been very interesting to see his version.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

Soul: 8/10 One of the best movies of the year.

 

[Pink Mist]

I Am Not A Witch (2017) directed by Rungano Nyoni

In rural Zambia, a young girl is accused of witchcraft and goes through a modern-day witch trial. Being found to be a witch, she is sent to a government run witch camp where she is attached to a white ribbon that is grounded (so she can’t fly away) and made to adjudicate trials and perform rituals for local and foreign tourists. The first two thirds of the film are a satire of Zambian society in which witch trials do occur (something which was new to me until I saw this film), before becoming a tragedy in the third act as the it examines the impact of stigmatization and the bureaucratization and touristization of mysticism and witchcraft. I was really surprised by how funny this film was, it was totally unexpected to me going into this film after reading a synopsis of the film that this would be a black comedy, but it has great absurdist deadpan humour throughout. Great performances by the mostly silent and stoic child Shula (Maggie Mulubwa) and the Mr. Banda (Henry B.J. Phiri) the government official who is exploiting her. A great social satire and as a very confident first-time feature, director Rungano Nyoni is someone to keep an eye on.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Since I was crabby about Christmas movies this past week or so (though I did watch two legit holiday offerings in Remember the Night and The Family Stone) I unearthed a pair of Christmas adjacent, but decidedly non-Christmas “Christmas” movies.

The Silent Partner. Never heard of this before. A 1970s Canadian-noir with Eliot Gould as a Toronto bank teller who outsmarts a bank robbing Santa played by a pretty vile and menacing Christopher Plummer. A surprisingly and enjoyably nasty little piece of work. Clever crime flick. The Christmas setting and Santa suit is all the holiday justification you need though it’s decidedly not a Christmas movie.

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. Look, it’s got CHRISTMAS right there in the title. The holiday does factor into two key scenes, but also definitely not a Christmas movie. Oshima is one of my favorite filmmakers though I’d never seen this one before despite it being one of his more prominent films. A cultural clash, to say the least, in a WWII POW camp. As with some of his other work, themes of obsession and an almost tragic, destructive nature to sexuality are here too. I’d stop short of calling David Bowie a good actor, but he makes for a hell of a presence when used right. (see also: The Man Who Fell to Earth). It’s a haunting and hypnotic film with much of that sense driven by the anachronistic synth score by Ryuichi Sakamoto who also stars as one of the main characters.

And some non-holiday viewing.

Wonder Woman 84. I’m not about to say it’s good BUT I feel like it’s getting killed on the internet way more than it should. It’s not an A, but it’s not an F. It’s a solid C. The biggest positive I’ll say is Chris Pine’s charm does a lot of heavy lifting here. I kinda like both of the villains too but I feel like they both really come off the rails in the last third. There’s a universe where they could have been better. Not bad, but definitely feels like a wasted opportunity. The two biggest negatives are that it’s really bloated. Being a big IP potential blockbuster shouldn’t equate to an automatic 2.5 hour runtime but damn if it doesn’t often feel that way. The other big issue, at least for me, was the FX were bad. Something this expensive shouldn’t look this poor. We have the technology. Everyone and everything is too weightless ... hey there’s probably a metaphor there!

Capone. Perhaps I’m in a forgiving mood re: WW84 because I also happened to watch Capone the same day. In any year where The Last Thing He Wanted didn’t come out, this would be a shoe-in for the worst movie I’ve seen. Those two are like the 2007 Oscars when There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men faced off, but for absolute head-up-the-ass garbage. I know Tom Hardy is one of the precious, beloved children on this board (I am a fan more often than not) but he gives what may be one of the worst, most obnoxious, most masterbatory “actorly” performances I’ve ever seen in a movie here. He mumbles and rasps in a voice that sounds like he’s auditioning to be a CGI Star Wars alien. He bugs his eyes and droops his jaw and farts and shits himself (hey there’s probably a metaphor there!) and absolutely sabotages what MIGHT have been a decent concept (Last days of Al Capone, is he or is he not crazy?). I’d almost feel bad for writer-director Josh Trank and accuse Hardy of running roughshod over the poor guy, but he also opens with a ham-handed Godfather homage that they probably both thought was “f***ing sweeeeet” but plays anything but. I hated this movie deeply. Some might argue Hardy’s batshit performance is a reason to watch this but don’t fall for it. Can’t wait for some young take master to inevitably write “Why Josh Trank’s Capone is Actually a Masterpiece ...” five years from now.

Edit: Dear GOD I forgot to mention the hall of fame level bad makeup job on Hardy in the movie too. It's right up there with Johnny Depp in Black Mass. Dan Aykroyd would have thrown these concepts out while making Nothing But Trouble for being too ridiculous.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Amadeus (1984) - 7/10

The best Oscar winner is a disappointment because frankly it's a nice looking bore. I'm not saying it's because it's a long period piece, I was captivated during Barry Lyndon (which imo is also the better looking of the two with more picture-esque scenes). The costume design is on point, the acting from the villain is worthwhile, but everything else just feels mediocre. I could really care less about the opera, the conflict is one-note, and the character of Mozart is pretty much the same throughout the entire film. I just found it to be more forgettable than most I guess.

 

[Osprey]

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. Look, it’s got CHRISTMAS right there in the title. The holiday does factor into two key scenes, but also definitely not a Christmas movie. Oshima is one of my favorite filmmakers though I’d never seen this one before despite it being one of his more prominent films. A cultural clash, to say the least, in a WWII POW camp. As with some of his other work, themes of obsession and an almost tragic, destructive nature to sexuality are here too. I’d stop short of calling David Bowie a good actor, but he makes for a hell of a presence when used right. (see also: The Man Who Fell to Earth). It’s a haunting and hypnotic film with much of that sense driven by the anachronistic synth score by Ryuichi Sakamoto who also stars as one of the main characters.

You may've missed my review of it a few weeks ago. I made the same observation that it's definitely not a Christmas movie. I could've saved you the bother, though it sounds as if you liked it better than I did.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

You may've missed my review of it a few weeks ago. I made the same observation that it's definitely not a Christmas movie. I could've saved you the bother, though it sounds as if you liked it better than I did.

I went in knowing enough to know it wasn't going to be especially Christmasy.

I missed your review but will track it down. I do remember your review of Remember the Night however and that spurred me to rewatch it. Thanks!

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Kajillionaire (2020) - 7/10

The buildup is bigger than the ending but it ends up being a cute weird little movie.

 

[kihei]

Hello Destroyer (2016) Directed by Kevan Funk 7A

When Tyson Burr, a junior hockey player attempting to hold on to a 4th line position as an enforcer, severely injures an opponent, the act has both expected and unintended consequences. First off, his hard-as-nails, General Patton-type coach (anyone who has played team sports will recognize the type) refuses to take his calls, his team's management forces Tyson to sign an "apology" absolving the club of any responsibility, his teammates treat him like he is a communicable disease, and his passively aggressive, emotionally distant father only makes the situation worse. He quickly becomes a pariah within his already restricted community and can only deal with his guilt, anger and depression through a forlorn stoicism that leaves him unable to reach out for help. As well, his lack of education means that his life will have no second act. Don Cherry would not approve of this hockey story which underscores the damage caused by the toxic masculinity evident in too many aspects of the game and the society.

Indeed first-time director Kevan Funk is a little too on-the-nose with some of his condemnations. For instance, surely Tyson would have gotten his own lawyer at some point--his isolation would not have been so complete. That the perpetrator of the violence is also one of its victims, however, is a good insight, one made only in biographies of hockey goons like Bob Probert, Dave Schultz and Stu Griimson where the point seems a little too self-serving for comfort--but maybe not. What makes this movie a memorable work is its minimalist mise-en-scene, its oblique direction (we see as much of the back and sides of people's heads as we do their front), and a deeply internalized, extremely powerful performance by Jared Abrahamson as Tyson. Hello Destroyer makes its points well or too obviously, but it is Abrahamson who elevates the movie significantly above its genre . With only sparse dialogue to work with, he makes the damage reeked upon Tyson's tortured psyche tragically apparent.

CBC Gem

 

[Pink Mist]

Body [Ciało] (2015) directed by Małgorzata Szumowska

A young woman (Justyna Suwala) suffering from an eating disorder following the death of her mother is sent to a psychiatric hospital by her father (Janusz Gajos). Her hospital psychiatrist (Maja Ostaszewskais) able to communicate with ghosts. A weird little film that is confused about how it wants to convey its story about grief. Much of the film is told through absurd humour which I didn’t find really worked for this story, I think it would have worked better as a straight drama. Funny enough, I have the same criticism about the film Ghost, which is another ghost story about grief and moving on from a loved one’s passing. The film aesthetically looks good and is well shot but I think it is unsure about what it wants to say and leaves its themes severely underdeveloped.

 

[nameless1]

Body [Ciało] (2015) directed by Małgorzata Szumowska

A young woman (Justyna Suwala) suffering from an eating disorder following the death of her mother is sent to a psychiatric hospital by her father (Janusz Gajos). Her hospital psychiatrist (Maja Ostaszewskais) able to communicate with ghosts. A weird little film that is confused about how it wants to convey its story about grief. Much of the film is told through absurd humour which I didn’t find really worked for this story, I think it would have worked better as a straight drama. Funny enough, I have the same criticism about the film Ghost, which is another ghost story about grief and moving on from a loved one’s passing. The film aesthetically looks good and is well shot but I think it is unsure about what it wants to say and leaves its themes severely underdeveloped.

This one went over my head. I had no idea what the movie wants to do, and it just did not make sense to me. The psychiatrist is a nice comic relief though.

 

[kihei]

Body [Ciało] (2015) directed by Małgorzata Szumowska

A young woman (Justyna Suwala) suffering from an eating disorder following the death of her mother is sent to a psychiatric hospital by her father (Janusz Gajos). Her hospital psychiatrist (Maja Ostaszewskais) able to communicate with ghosts. A weird little film that is confused about how it wants to convey its story about grief. Much of the film is told through absurd humour which I didn’t find really worked for this story, I think it would have worked better as a straight drama. Funny enough, I have the same criticism about the film Ghost, which is another ghost story about grief and moving on from a loved one’s passing. The film aesthetically looks good and is well shot but I think it is unsure about what it wants to say and leaves its themes severely underdeveloped.

Sounds intriguing. Would make a good double feature with Soul. I can just picture it on the marquee.

 

[nameless1]

Sounds intriguing. Would make a good double feature with Soul. I can just picture it on the marquee.

It is a while back, but I can tell you that it is two different genres.


I have mentioned before that Polish films are hit-and-miss, and I consider this one a miss. It could be a cultural issue, but I do not get this one at all.

 

[Pink Mist]

Sounds intriguing. Would make a good double feature with Soul. I can just picture it on the marquee.

That certainly would be an interesting double feature since they're very different films. As nameless said, I think a lot of what made it a miss for me as well is that the humour just didn't connect (aside from a few moments). It's competently made but the script just felt weak. The first scene of the film teases a surreal Roy Andersson type of film (police come to investigate the corpse of a man who hung himself, only for the man to get up and walk away after they arrive but the surrealism kind of peters out after the beginning.

If you end up watching it, I'm curious for your thoughts

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Man Who Sleeps (1974) aka the saddest film I've ever seen

No rating because it isn't exactly a film. Actually it would've made an excellent short-film. I've seen films like Lilja 4 Ever or Come And See which are more graphically devastating but they don't hit you over the head with the existential futility of this film as it follows a man who's gone dead inside for 77 minutes with a female narrator pointing the whole thing out for 77 minutes.

Also it's apparently on Youtube with English subs

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

The Man Who Sleeps (1974) aka the saddest film I've ever seen

No rating because it isn't exactly a film. Actually it would've made an excellent short-film. I've seen films like Lilja 4 Ever or Come And See which are more graphically devastating but they don't hit you over the head with the existential futility of this film as it follows a man who's gone dead inside for 77 minutes with a female narrator pointing the whole thing out for 77 minutes.

Also it's apparently on Youtube with English subs

Written by the legendary Georges Perec and winner of the Jean Vigo award, I love this film. 10/10 !!