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

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Possessor Uncut (2020) Directed by David Cronenberg

You wish

 

[kihei]

You wish

Fixed it. Apologies to Brandon.

 

[nameless1]

I just noticed that Norway has submitter Hope as it international film entry at the Academy Awards. I gave it a rave review after seeing it at TIFF in 2019, and it made my top four for the year. It is about woman with a serious illness and her relationship with her partner. I moaned at the time what a crime it was that no one would ever get a chance to see this film as it didn't get picked up for distribution, likely because of its subject matter. But it is a masterful work of art, brilliantly acted by Andrea Braein Hovig and Stellen Skarsgard. Hopefully now it may get picked up by one of the movie streaming sites. At least, it is getting some recognition that it certainly deserves.

I concur. It is a very honest look at a couple's relationship in the wake of life-and-death news, buoyed by the best female performance of 2019. The subject may be heavy, but I never feel overwhelmed. It is one of the better films from 2019, and I highly recommend it too.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Possessor (Cronenber, 2020) - The thematic lineage is indeed very clear, but Brandon's film has a pace that's more contemplative than most of what his father's done. Not always as mastered or consistent as one would expect from a Cronenberg, but still a very interesting film. From the son controlling and making his robot puppet dance, to the control of the organization over the narrative ("What's the narrative?") and the rehearsals for the part to be played, there's a lot of reflexivity elements that come punctuate and complexify this possession tale. I particularly appreciated the projection of victims close-ups, rendering the carnage as abstract works of art. 8.5/10

 

[kihei]

(seen and liked, in some cases very much)

First Cow
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Babyteeth
Saint Maud
Dick Johnson Is Dead
Shirley
Relic
The Portuguese Woman
My Little Sister
Cuties
Time
Ordinary Love
The 40-year-old Version
Queen of Hearts
An Easy Girl
One Night in Miami

(haven’t yet seen--but well reviewed)

Nomadland
The Earth Is as Blue as an Orange
Promising Young Women
Lost Girls
The Assistant
Crip Camp
Proxima
Emma
Black Is King
Kajillionaire
The Lodge

What do they all have in common? They are all directed by women.

 

[kihei]

Possessor (Cronenber, 2020) - The thematic lineage is indeed very clear, but Brandon's film has a pace that's more contemplative than most of what his father's done. Not always as mastered or consistent as one would expect from a Cronenberg, but still a very interesting film. From the son controlling and making his robot puppet dance, to the control of the organization over the narrative ("What's the narrative?") and the rehearsals for the part to be played, there's a lot of reflexivity elements that come punctuate and complexify this possession tale. I particularly appreciated the projection of victims close-ups, rendering the carnage as abstract works of art. 8.5/10

Yeah, I thought you would like it.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Kes (1969) - 7.5/10

Solid Ken Loach film but like usual, too one-note in its grimy English bleakness but interspersed with some great scenes here and there. When they say you need subtitles, they weren't exaggerating though, the Yorkshire accent of the 60s is absolutely nonsensical.

Dial M For Murder (1955) - 9.5/10

Such a classic, had to rewatch it after that embarrassment of a 90s remake I posted earlier. Still think it's Hitchcock's best.

 

[Osprey]

Dial M For Murder (1955) - 9.5/10

Such a classic, had to rewatch it after that embarrassment of a 90s remake I posted earlier. Still think it's Hitchcock's best.

This makes me curious about what you found wrong with it to knock off half a star. Was Hitchcock's cameo disappointing?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Kes (1969) - 7.5/10

Solid Ken Loach film but like usual, too one-note in its grimy English bleakness but interspersed with some great scenes here and there. When they say you need subtitles, they weren't exaggerating though, the Yorkshire accent of the 60s is absolutely nonsensical.

Dial M For Murder (1955) - 9.5/10

Such a classic, had to rewatch it after that embarrassment of a 90s remake I posted earlier. Still think it's Hitchcock's best.

Even though he called it a failed experiment, I always thought Rope is Hitchcock’s best work and basically the masterpiece of his genius.

Rope basically threw out the old rules of filmmaking and inspired a new generation of continuous take cinema.

Hitchcock giving a big middle finger to polite society was also cutting edge and comical as hell if you understood his quirky sense of humor.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964). A

I just found out HBOMax has a bunch of top-tier international films available, which is good news for me as it allows me the opportunity to take myself to school and catch up on some classics.

Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a damn fun viewing experience. While the plot and proceedings are fairly standard stuff, the film is both visually and aurally a scrumptious treat to take in. The art direction is exquisite, and Legrand's score even moreso: these are the real stars of the film, and they serve to elevate what would be fairly rudimentary (though in some cases, surprisingly funny) dialogue into something special and unique, especially in cases where the music doesn't quite match the mood you'd typically apply to the content of the dialogue, a juxtaposition I will almost always have time for.

The singing is uniformly excellent, as dialogue-through-song is no easy feat to deliver well (I in particular enjoyed the voices for Madame Emery and Roland Cassard). The music, combined with the lithe delivery of the singers (as well as the beauty of the French language), creates an effect in which the words themselves almost threaten to fly away offscreen they float so effortlessly.

Back to that lush score. Although the main "lover's theme" was laid on a bit too thick for my tastes (I even may have exclaimed out-loud "another key change?!" at one point) make no mistake, this is ear-candy of the highest order, equal parts innocent, enchanting, and mysterious. I particularly enjoyed the use of music to inform signature character cues. For example, when Roland first introduces himself, he says his name in a simple ascending-descending chromatic progression. This progression often works itself back into the music whenever Roland is onscreen. So, later in the film when transition music between scenes employed an ascending chromaticism, I thought to myself "Ah, I guess we're about to see Roland!" and sure enough to my delight, there he was in the next scene.

While not exactly revolutionary, I still very much appreciated the use of blue and pink colors to indicate whether or not a principle character was "in the mood for love," for lack of a less derivative phrase. This was usually illustrated through shirts. The blast of colors throughout the film ensured that this technique blended in quite nicely, and as such, was subtle enough never to feel heavy-handed, and we are rewarded with a great payoff at the end.

While Umbrellas of Cherbourg may not be an all-time great film, it's not too far off either, and I'm hard-pressed to think of many more entertaining ways you could spend 90 minutes.

Sidenote: in looking through the film credits, I was surprised to see Demy's first feature film, Lola, also starred the same actor who played Roland Cassard in this film, playing who else, but Roland Cassard! So it dawned on me that film must be the full, fleshed-out backstory that Roland gives when asked about himself in Umbrellas. Though the DCU (Demy Cinematic Universe) may only span two films, this is now one I feel compelled to watch when the opportunity to stream it is available, and I'm left wondering if there are any other instances in classic film where a director has brought back the same character in films which (that particular character aside) have no relation to each other.

Man, outside of the sets and a couple of shots, I utterly hated that one but lots of (smart, tasteful) people love it. I'd be so curious to know what a native french speaker besides I thought of it. I absolutely hated the sung dialogue (and the body language) and thought it came across as so gauche and corny. @Pranzo Oltranzista have you seen this one?

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The King of Comedy (Scorsese, 1982) - Not a big Scorsese fan, but this is one of a small handful of films from him I think have to be mentioned amongst the best of American cinema, and might be the cringiest comedy of all times. 8.5/10

One of the greatest American films of all-time and probably his best with only Raging Bull coming kind of close (Mean Streets a distant third but still a superb film in its own right). Greatest comedic female performance of all-time, although Kaitlin Olson from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a worthy contender).

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Possessor Uncut (2020) Directed by Brandon Cronenberg 7A

Possessor Uncut is a nifty body horror/techno science fiction movie about a female assassin who works for a large corporation that uses futuristic technology that allows her to transfer her entire being into her victim’s body and take control of his actions. Not your average job, and one that comes at great personal cost as the physical and psychological side-effects are not exactly minimal. Possessor Uncut is a movie that goes to extremes in interesting ways, both visually and in terms of notable gore content. Director Brandon Cronenberg is a case of the acorn not falling very far from the tree. He has a sense of style not dissimilar from his father David, and he shares Dad's knack for intelligent horror. Parts of this movie have a slight Videodrome feel, though with an updated sensibility. Both Christopher Abbot and Andrea Riseborough possess major league acting chops, so that adds another dimension to Possessor Uncut’s effectiveness. Definitely worth checking out for fans of this sort of thing.

TIFF.net

Christopher Abbott is one of the best actors in America today. Don't know if you've seen it, and it's a film that I could have easily disliked, but he was great in James White.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Man, outside of the sets and a couple of shots, I utterly hated that one but lots of (smart, tasteful) people love it. I'd be so curious to know what a native french speaker besides I thought of it. I absolutely hated the sung dialogue (and the body language) and thought it came across as so gauche and corny. @Pranzo Oltranzista have you seen this one?

Hard to answer... I don't think I've ever seen it from start to finish, mostly because it was too boring for me (I haven't tried to watch it in 25 years, so maybe my older self could appreciate it). I understand that there's great value in art direction and as an exercice de style, but I would still tend to agree with you. I remember a character saying about opera something like : "too many people singing, I prefer cinema", which is just brilliant, especially considering it was made in the early 60s.

@Tasty Biscuits : if you haven't seen it, try to find Christophe Honoré's Les Chansons d'amour. It's kind of an hommage to les parapluies, with (IMO) better acting and better songs (built as real songs - which fit in tone better too - not wall-to-wall sung dialogues). It's one of my favorite post-2000 films.

 

[kihei]

The Nest (2020) Directed by Sean Durkin 4B

“It looks like a horror movie, swims like a horror movie, and quacks like a horror movie, but it isn't a horror movie. So then what the hell is it?” –Oliver Jones, Observer

I ran into a similar quandary when I started to write my first sentence for this review: “The Nest is a very slow-burn…”, which is as far as I got. A slow-burn what, exactly? I’m still not sure. The movie makes several feints like it’s going to be a horror movie, but the horror tropes are like a couple of sprigs of parsley on a full dinner plate. Just there for show. The focus is on a remarkably unappealing couple whose story is a sad one, but there is no arc to it. They are a dysfunctional couple at the beginning of the movie and they are still a dysfunctional couple at the end of it. I mean, in terms of “slow burn,” The Nest is really a slow burn. it’s like a very long safety fuse is lit in Montreal and it must sizzle its way to Halifax to explode. The movie just takes a long-ass time to get where it’s going, and I slowly realized the journey isn’t worth the trip to begin with. Jude Law as huckster Rory and Carrie Coon as his long-suffering, semi-nasty partner Allison are just fine, and the totally irrelevant spooky house provides a nice setting for some of the, ahem, action. However, The Nest never finds a useful purpose, never really seems to try. We are just stuck with two people for a couple of hours whom we would avoid like the plague at a party.

TIFF.net

 

[Puck]

If you have not seen Nomadland yet, get it. This should be first on your to be seen list.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Escape Room (Robitel, 2019) - I give 3/10 to films that are nothing special and only do what they aimed to do, like a dumb action film being a dumb action film. This, I don't know what this is. It's no horror (beyond an obvious debt to the Saw franchise, it doesn't even try), it doesn't work as suspense, there's no comedic elements - it can't even really work as dumb entertainment, being so bland... There's a sequel in the work, maybe I'll understand then . 2/10

 

[kihei]

My Little Sister (2020) Directed by Stephanie Chuat and Veronique Raymond 5A

My Little Sister is a family in crisis drama that is one of those potentially good movies that just seems to lack something. The film is about a woman who is forced to look after her brother while he struggles with a various serious cancer prognosis. She is busy enough as it is, but she makes time when their none-too-capable mother can’t cope with the situation. The movie is well acted, but I just couldn’t get into it. When watching foreign language movies, I sometimes play a thought game before coming to a conclusion about the work. To whit, if the exact same movie was with English actors, would I still like the movie as much? Sometimes subtitles are the savior of a problematic script (I’ve always had nagging doubts about whether Ingmar Bergman’ movies would have been so successful if his films’ dialogue had been in English). My conclusion, if My Little Sister were an English-language film, I would find it too melodramatic and too pat by a good margin. There is nothing terribly wrong with My Little Sister, but that’s not much of a recommendation.

subtitles

TIFF.net

 

[kihei]

If you have not seen Nomadland yet, get it. This should be first on your to be seen list.

Get it where, though? It doesn't even come out in Canada until February 17.

 

[Osprey]

Get it where, though? It doesn't even come out in Canada until February 17.

According to justwatch.com, it's playing in theaters in Berlin. I expect your review by Monday morning at the latest.

 

[kihei]

According to justwatch.com, it's playing in theaters in Berlin. I expect your review by Monday morning at the latest.

Traurig, nein.

 

[OzzyFan]

Pinocchio (2019/2020, Italy live action movie)
2.85 out of 4stars

Well made retelling of Disney's famed Pinocchio animated morality promoting adventure flick. Don't see it in english dubbed if you have the choice, the subtitles are definitely the better choice. Refreshingly bizarre at times with some great cinematography. That said, it's PG-13 this time and I honestly think there's some visuals(and events) in here that pre-elementary school kids shouldn't see and elementary school aged kids who watch better not be ''soft'' minded, because there is nightmare material in here. Not to ruin it, but for those curious SPOILERS BELOW:






-Pinocchio hanging from a tree limp by his neck in the dark like he's dead
-Drowning a donkey by throwing a giant stone into the ocean
-Scary humanoid animal creatures, some with 'scary' faces or actions
-A debate between pallbearers and a fairy about whether to shove a live Pinocchio into a casket or not
-Pinocchio's feet being burned off offscreen
-Children getting whipped by a wooden stick in school

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Thoroughbreds (2017) - 7/10

This does nothing to dispel the notion that horse bitches be crazy. Detached acting outside of maybe Anton Yelchin in one of his last roles who actually shows a decent bit of believable emotion, ironically it's his drug dealer character who feels the most human in the entire film. The two female leads Olivia Cooke and the girl from Queen's Gambit mostly play it cool and have good chemistry with each other but mediocre scenes with everyone else.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Death of Me (Bousman, 2020) - I don't usually do this, but here's the premise: a couple wakes up after their last night in a secluded island, not remembering the celebrations of the night before and assuming they must have been very drunk - but they have a video, on which they've filmed themselves having rough sex ending up in him killing and burying her. Now, I'm a sucka for reflexivity, so even though the actors are pretty bad and the pace and tone seem all wrong (the film is, after all, directed by the guy who made Saw II, which had a pretty interesting narrative twist), at that point I'm a little turned on. Sadly, apart from a reference to The Wicker Man and one occurence of distantiative dialogue, it doesn't amount to anything more than a straight-forward poor distant cousin to The Serpent and the Rainbow. I guess it's another miss for these old rituals and primitive beliefs/magic based horror films... 3.5/10

 

[kihei]

The Entertainer (1960) Directed by Tony Richardson 6A

Lawrence Olivier plays Archie Rice, a fading music hall entertainer who has seen better days and who has already become irrelevant. His daughter comes home to find a family in disarray as Archie's various infidelities have taken a toll on her mother and his comeback schemes only add to the stress. Broke and not very talented in the first place, Archie flounders just barely keeping the ship afloat but who knows for how much longer. The Entertainer is a showcase for Olivier. Great Shakespearean actor though he was, he always seemed something of a snob in non-Shakespearean roles, too often giving off the slight scent that movie roles were beneath his station. Yes, there are some fine examples of acting here and there, but he mailed in a lot of performances and, especially late in his career, hammed up many others. Archie Rice, though, was his kind of challenge. The actor of Hamlet, Richard III, and King Lear playing a non-talented, desperate, working-class has-been would tax the skill of any actor. Olivier is great in the role. However, The Entertainer is not about much of anything. We just watch the family struggle, and Archie grow more pitiful as he sours on life. Some critics at the time suggested that Archie was a metaphor for the decline of the British Empire and where it was heading in its last days. I think that may give The Entertainer too much credit, but it is an intriguing insight.

Criterion Channel

 

[Fripp]

If you have not seen Nomadland yet, get it. This should be first on your to be seen list.

It was pretty fantastic. Zhao and McDormand will be getting some Oscar looks.