Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Part#: Some High Number +2

[member 51464]

The Good Liar was kind of a waste of time. The acting was top notch, but there were plotholes galore that came to mind during the film. Not even the kind that only surface after later reflection.

Spoiler

I'm glad we're getting far enough past World War II that we won't always have the silly trope of "secret Nazi past" reveal. it's been done better before.

Also, when searching this film to see if others saw, almost all the posts were from ORRForever complaining about metoo and the male characters all being bad people. That's not true on the face of it due to Helen Mitten's grandson and significant other. As for the other men looking bad. Well....it's a movie about con men, lol. Not the place to look for role models. It was fine in that regard.

Though the depravity of the main flashback was unexpectedly dark for the tone of the rest of the film.

All in all, I'd rather just have rewatched Mad Men and Inside Man.

 

[guinness]

Ad Astra - I watched this on the flight home to Detroit last week. While I get that it was more the story of a guy trying to reconnect with his distant father, the physics made no sense, but that, and the slow pacing were distracting and frankly boring.

Based on the critical reviews, I feel like they only exist to self congratulate the industry, because otherwise they watched a different film than I did. 4/10

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

Jojo Rabbit - 9/10

Taika!! Love that man. This subject matter was difficult to work with, but he absolutely pulled it off.

 

[kihei]

1917 (2019) Directed by Sam Mendes 7A

Set during World War I, 1917 tells the story of two British soldiers ordered to find another group of British soldiers and warn them off of a planned attack that is a trap. To the extent people will like this movie depends on what they make of how it is presented. Director Sam Mendes with the aid of genius cinematographer Richard Deaken constructs the movie to make it appear like the action is occurring in one-long continuous take. This is technically impressive as hell, but it also means that the end result resembles a video game in which not much is going on much of the time. Having very little experience with video games, I didn't mind the technique, but obviously some other people might. As war movies go, 1917 is measured and pensive, saying more with its visuals than with its relatively spare dialogue. While there are a couple of fine action sequences, the emphasis is on atmosphere, dread, weariness, and the ever present possibility of sudden death. I found 1917's muted approach very effective, something in a war movie that I hadn't seen since maybe Terrence Malick's Thin Red Line (1998).

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

Thought I'd share this, as his list from last year was impressive as hell too.
I think I'll be checking out everything on this years' list I haven't seen yet

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

The Two Popes: 8/10 One of the best movie of the year Hopkins and Pryce are great in it.

Ford v Ferrari: 7.8/10 Very good movie.. Bale and Damon are also very good.

 

[nameless1]

Thought I'd share this, as his list from last year was impressive as hell too.
I think I'll be checking out everything on this years' list I haven't seen yet

It is a very good list. He is definitely a film lover, if not a film buff. I was curious about Souvenir, but just missed it due to a busy schedule, so I may check it out now. Atlantics also got great reviews.

The only one I am unsure about is Just Mercy. It does not have a great score on most sites, and nobody at the film festival talked about it.

 

[Fripp]

I'll flatter myself thinking you watched it following the few comments I made about it. Don't mind me.

Very glad you liked it.

I, however, *am* going to go watch it again since you guys brought it up. One of my recent favorites.

 

[David Dennison]

Just watched the original Fast and Furious for the first time. It's similar to the rest of the films in that they are so bad that they are entertaining. It was basically Point Break but with car racers instead of surfers.

2 minor quibbles with the plot
1. They jack moving 18 wheelers while in transit to steal...DVD players?
2. Race Wars was a bold choice for the name of the drag racing competition.

But it also had moments of good cinematography, in-between the constant shifting and boost cutaways. Nobody in this film can act their way out of a paper bag.

6/10

 

[Trap Jesus]

I'll flatter myself thinking you watched it following the few comments I made about it. Don't mind me.

Very glad you liked it.

It may have been haha. It's kind of odd that I never even heard of it or knew what it was until recently lol.

 

[Trap Jesus]

Ad Astra - I watched this on the flight home to Detroit last week. While I get that it was more the story of a guy trying to reconnect with his distant father, the physics made no sense, but that, and the slow pacing were distracting and frankly boring.

Based on the critical reviews, I feel like they only exist to self congratulate the industry, because otherwise they watched a different film than I did. 4/10

I really liked it. I think a lot of the action set pieces take away from it overall though, they just felt shoe-horned in to appease general audiences. To me, I loved it for the sci-fi elements feeling distant enough for it to seem fantastical, but still really grounded in a way. I also absolutely loved the reveal at the end in terms of extra-terrestrial life, and how it ties in on a character level.

 

[Mimsy]

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976):

Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen

Foster plays Rynn, a savvy 13-year-old girl living in her absent poet father's leased house in a small, rural town (Quebec doubling for Maine). Rynn's neighbors take a more than curious interest in the independent girl's mysterious lifestyle. Chief among her suspicious neighbors is Frank, local creep/pedo, played convincingly by Martin Sheen. The film is set primarily on the main floor of Rynn's rented house, with only occasional forays outside for Rynn to do banking and other necessities.

This is a small movie and cast. It is dialogue heavy, although there's nothing deep here -- all the conversations are surface level, but with a healthy dose of psychological manipulation among protagonists. The movie is part drama, part thriller. Some of the suspenseful moments feel improbable, but the movie is watchable for what it is (and it isn't much). The plot is sparse, but performances are commendable. Pacing is decent, apart from a few relationship-building scenes between Rynn and a local boy who takes an interest in her.

The movie could as easily have been a stage play, so I wasn't surprised to read that it was conceived as such. Foster was on a roll during this period in her career. I never heard of this movie before and assume it's a lesser known film of hers. I spied it on a movie network yesterday while channel surfing.

Foster is primarily the reason to watch. I'd argue it's a tour de force performance of hers, as she's required to do the heavy lifting for the entire film and outshines her handful of co-stars. Martin Sheen is also a presence here, and is young enough to remind audiences of Charlie. The story has several twists to keep viewers engaged, but the payoffs aren't particularly surprising. The viewing experience is mostly about watching Foster mature as an actress, taking on more challenging roles.

Foster objected to a nude scene in the film. A body double was used (Foster's adult sister). The scene serves no purpose, so I don't know why the director insisted on it, and particularly against Foster's wishes. There is uneasy sexual tension between Rynn and Frank throughout the film. I'm not sure what a gratuitous nude scene adds to the story, other than feeling exploitative for Foster's teenaged character. Stranger still is that the movie has a PG rating. If you cut the scene, then yes, it's a PG film.

I'm giving the movie a 7/10 for Foster's performance and for the cultish vibe of the movie (I wouldn't argue with somebody rating it between 1 and 4). Foster's hair gets a 10.

 

[kihei]

Little Women (2019) Directed by Greta Gerwig 7A

Like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is an old chesnut that has been played many times before. Director Greta Gerwig's version is true to the spirit of the novel, though it is her aim also to underscore the limited choices available to the four sisters and their awareness of their social predicament. She uses an interesting framing device, one that may possibly infuriate the easily infuriated, that focuses on Joe trying to get her writing published, a framing device that in the end allows Gerwig to have her cake and eat it as well. Little Women is a sumptuous production, full of sunlight, charm and humour and the acting is uniformly excellent. Saoirse Ronan as the plucky Jo unwilling to settle for the life that is set out for her and Florence Pugh as the sister who always seems to come in second are standouts, but, really, every character is vividly realized. People with fond memories of the book from their childhood might find Gerwig's interpretation challenging here and there, but for most people, I suspect Gerwig's take will do quite nicely.

 

[Trap Jesus]

I saw Logan Lucky. Overall, I'd just say it was average. Not the biggest fan of Soderbergh, I think this was one of his more solid efforts. It wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it would be, although it still had its moments. Pretty decent heist flick I guess... I dunno, I'm stretching for things to say, it was just kind of passable with nothing remarkable about it.

I also saw The Last Black Man in San Francisco. I think a lot of movies get pinned with the "too artsy" label more than they should, but I had genuine concerns about that for this movie going in. It's definitely an "artsy" movie, but not quite as artsy as I thought it would be, there was more story and heart here than I thought there would be. Still though, I think the main supporting character came across as that to me, and there's this gang that loiters outside of their house that DEFINITELY felt that way to me as well. Like I don't think those characters felt grounded in reality at all, you could tell they were in a movie. That's the point for some of it, but still... didn't quite work for me. It took me a while to warm up to the lead, but overall I think he did a really good job.

Cinematography is excellent, although some of the direction behind it was just trying to show off at times. I think this is one of the best scores of the year as well. Absolutely excellent use of music throughout.

I feel like I'm nitpicking this one. It was still a good movie, just nothing great.

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

The Tale (2018), directed by Jennifer Fox

The director's autobiographical story of herself in her late 40s (played by Laura Dern) who begins to recollect about the relationship she had at 13 years old with an older man. The Tale's portrayal and depiction of suppressed/altered memories after a trauma were done about as well as I've seen. This was hard to watch at moments but would recommend. Laura Dern was excellent. This movie didn't get a theatrical release (HBO only), so that's why it seemed to have flown under the radar last year.
3.5/5

 

[PK Cronin]

Uncut Gems - 8.5/10

The description of this movie as one, long adrenaline rush/panic attack is apt. Whether one wants to sit through 2+ hours of that is another story.

was gonna give this movie the same exact rating so figured might as well quote you to agree with you

definitely like it more the more I think back at it too. was fun. not a lot of movies like that

also his girlfriend was insanely hot holy ****

I agree with both of you. Just saw it the other day and halfway through I wasn't sure if I even liked it, then it really picks up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sometimes I can't tell if movies are doing something intentionally or if it's just a mistake, and this was 100% intentional on the first half.

I've never seen that girlfriend before, but I said the same thing to my wife.

I watched CATS last night for work (free admission). I can't even rate it. I don't know what the **** I watched.

I did really really like one song. But aside from that I have no opinion because I .. don't understand what I saw.

The reviews like this for Cats makes me want to see it, even though I have no interest in seeing it.

I watched Nocturnal Animals. Not sure how this one slipped past me, I'm a big fan of Gyllenhaal's acting, I usually try to seek stuff from him out. Easily one of the most well structured movies I've seen. The device they have set up with how the two stories play out works really well and it's really interesting how they become intertwined as the movie goes along. The book part of the story on its own is such an entertaining piece of work, but when you view it through the lens of everything else going on it just gives it a whole new dynamic. Really interesting commentary on the masculinity and how being a romantic can be perceived as weakness. It has an ending that you can read in a few different ways as well. Overall, fantastic movie.

I really loved that movie too. Gyllenhaal did a great job and I don't remember him being recognized much for that performance.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

A few recent releases of note:

The Two Popes. Months ago, I watched The Highwaymen which isn't very good, but has the great benefit of two old pro actors who are capable of elevating just about anything with their sturdiness and charm. This is a much stronger version of that point. A good, enjoyable two-hander that just clears out the space and lets a couple of legends go at it. My complaint is that I wish the director gave them even more room, more space to breathe and work. Feels too hectic and over edited at times. If you just want to be in the presence of a couple of pros operating near peak though, this is it. What could be dry and stodgy otherwise, is lively and charming in their hands. Best possible scenario for prestige-y, Oscar-bait-y historo-drama.

Uncut Gems. A well conceived and cruelly executed thriller. Adam Sandler just relentlessly, painfully doubling down bad bets on his life and the lives of those around him. This movie moves. Like it's protagonist, it rarely pauses for breath. Sandler once again shows a keen eye for the type of dramatic role that fits him well. That's a bit of a backhanded compliment. He IS a good actor, but that's partially due to his excellent self-awareness. This role (as with Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish, to name couple other "dramatic" turns) isn't really that far a turn on the dial from his comedic personas. The movie is lived-in, peppered with familiar and unfamiliar faces that all feel part of the world. A great character study of a deluded, self-destructive schmoe.

Her Smell. Ok, not recent per se, but just popped up on streaming. I much prefer a fictitious rock story like this than a real one like so many others. Structured almost like a play with about five long, distinct scenes and characters moving in and out. Elisabeth Moss plays Becky Something a very Courtney Love-esque rawk chick spiraling out of control (if she was ever in control). The arc is the arc of every artist movie ever. But it's well done here. Moss is the tricky part for me. I'm not sure if she's giving one of the year's best performances or one of the worst. I came down on the positive side thanks to the arc of the whole movie, but the first hour or so when she's in full-blown destructive mode, she's a lot to take. I know that's the character, but Moss does this drunk/druggy sing-songy thing that was driving me batshit. A weird pet-peeve I have is when actors act drunk or high but do so in a way that seem like they've never, ever been drunk or high. It's like an impersonation of an impersonation. Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut will forever be my north star on this rant. I got a lot of that here. That's a few demerits. But overall it works. Good, strong supporting cast here too.

Cats. Look, yes, it's bad. It's poorly conceived -- why ANYONE thought this was adaptable is beyond me — AND poorly executed. The CGI is comically awful. It's gross and weirdly sexual. Being a musical that is so heavy on movement and dance, one would think those sequences would be important, but they're edited all to hell so you get no real appreciation for anything on that front, which might have been a chance for some redemption. BUT, I'll mount at least a teeny, tiny defense here. I wasn't bored. It's so bizarre and the persistent question of "But why?" kept me engaged throughout. So yeah, its ... uh, positives?... are more in spite of the movie than because of it, but there's something to be said for sticking uncompromisingly to a big, dumb idea and boy does this do that. I can name several ostensibly "better" movies this year that weren't nearly as interesting. And hey laugh all you want, at least Cats has the stones to explain how resurrection works in its universe (**cough** Rise of Skywalker **cough**).

 

[kihei]

A few recent releases of note:

The Two Popes. Months ago, I watched The Highwaymen which isn't very good, but has the great benefit of two old pro actors who are capable of elevating just about anything with their sturdiness and charm. This is a much stronger version of that point. A good, enjoyable two-hander that just clears out the space and lets a couple of legends go at it. My complaint is that I wish the director gave them even more room, more space to breathe and work. Feels too hectic and over edited at times. If you just want to be in the presence of a couple of pros operating near peak though, this is it. What could be dry and stodgy otherwise, is lively and charming in their hands. Best possible scenario for prestige-y, Oscar-bait-y historo-drama.

Uncut Gems. A well conceived and cruelly executed thriller. Adam Sandler just relentlessly, painfully doubling down bad bets on his life and the lives of those around him. This movie moves. Like it's protagonist, it rarely pauses for breath. Sandler once again shows a keen eye for the type of dramatic role that fits him well. That's a bit of a backhanded compliment. He IS a good actor, but that's partially due to his excellent self-awareness. This role (as with Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish, to name couple other "dramatic" turns) isn't really that far a turn on the dial from his comedic personas. The movie is lived-in, peppered with familiar and unfamiliar faces that all feel part of the world. A great character study of a deluded, self-destructive schmoe.

Her Smell. Ok, not recent per se, but just popped up on streaming. I much prefer a fictitious rock story like this than a real one like so many others. Structured almost like a play with about five long, distinct scenes and characters moving in and out. Elisabeth Moss plays Becky Something a very Courtney Love-esque rawk chick spiraling out of control (if she was ever in control). The arc is the arc of every artist movie ever. But it's well done here. Moss is the tricky part for me. I'm not sure if she's giving one of the year's best performances or one of the worst. I came down on the positive side thanks to the arc of the whole movie, but the first hour or so when she's in full-blown destructive mode, she's a lot to take. I know that's the character, but Moss does this drunk/druggy sing-songy thing that was driving me bat****. A weird pet-peeve I have is when actors act drunk or high but do so in a way that seem like they've never, ever been drunk or high. It's like an impersonation of an impersonation. Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut will forever be my north star on this rant. I got a lot of that here. That's a few demerits. But overall it works. Good, strong supporting cast here too.

Cats. Look, yes, it's bad. It's poorly conceived -- why ANYONE thought this was adaptable is beyond me — AND poorly executed. The CGI is comically awful. It's gross and weirdly sexual. Being a musical that is so heavy on movement and dance, one would think those sequences would be important, but they're edited all to hell so you get no real appreciation for anything on that front, which might have been a chance for some redemption. BUT, I'll mount at least a teeny, tiny defense here. I wasn't bored. It's so bizarre and the persistent question of "But why?" kept me engaged throughout. So yeah, its ... uh, positives?... are more in spite of the movie than because of it, but there's something to be said for sticking uncompromisingly to a big, dumb idea and boy does this do that. I can name several ostensibly "better" movies this year that weren't nearly as interesting. And hey laugh all you want, at least Cats has the stones to explain how resurrection works in its universe (**cough** Rise of Skywalker **cough**).

Great stuff, as always.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Cats (2019) Directed by Tom Hooper 4B

I had momentarily considered smoking a joint before going to this film, and maybe I should have. I'm not here to pile on; this is not the worst movie ever made or anything close to it (my afternoon audience in a theatre about three quarters full clapped happily at the end of the movie). However the experience of watching it is definitely on the unsettling side. While I thought that my well-trained suspension of disbelief would kick in eventually, it never did. The cats started out looking weird, and they stayed looking weird. Some of the costumes looked practically painted on, so that the slimmer cats like newcomer Francesca Hayward and Taylor Swift look quite dishy, but their being cats and all, dishy cats seems kind of a perverse combination. Then there is the movement--sometimes the cats move on all fours; at other times they stand up like no cat in history. The close ups continue the weirdness--Judy Dench looks like Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Ox in drag, a resemblance that is aided by the strange fact that she is wearing a big fur coat over her fur. To think of these odd inconsistencies began to hurt my head. The bad cat is of course black, giving the movie an odd racist feel that I am sure was not intentional, but what are you going to do? It's another unsettling point. I might have survived this stuff, though, but Cats has two shortcomings that seem to have been magnified by transferring the stage musical to the screen. There is no story to speak of--just a lot of cats getting to do their bit to show off their individuality. An even worse problem is that there is only one memorable melody in the entire movie, provided by the song Memory, which is a shlockmeister's wet dream but hummable. Of course, Jennifer Hudson gets to sing it because Hollywood has reserved her almost exclusively for the purpose of belting out Broadway show-stoppers. Every other song is instantly forgettable. In the end, Cats did not quite leave me catatonic. I didn't think it was a catastrophe, but I certainly didn't find the tunes catchy. Perhaps they just did not cater to my taste. Nor did the movie catapult me into a fantastic realm. I certainly wouldn't categorize the film as cathartic on any level, though I wouldn't categorically dismiss the film as my audience found Cats very much to their liking. I may have missed fifteen minutes or so having a catnap.

Your unwavering commitment to the bit here is the best possible tribute to Cats.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Your unwavering commitment to the bit here is the best possible tribute to Cats.

One might even call it commendable.

 

[McOilers97]

Not a new movie, but yesterday I watched In Bruges (2008) starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson - sort of a black-comedy crime-drama.

Really good movie - often very funny, but also dramatically potent with a few twists and effective use of Chekhov’s gun.

8/10

 

[kihei]

A Hidden Life (2019) Directed by Terrence Malick 8C

I debated long and hard about going to Terrence Malick's latest movie. I've found his last four or five movies, everything since but not including The New World, virtually unbearable to watch, pretentious movies beautifully photographed about vapid, boring people. Yes, he developed a distinctive style, but the content sucked. Till now. Malick has finally found a story, based on fact, suitable for his lyrical, contemplative, deeply ambitious, unique brand of cinema. A Hidden Life is about Franz Jagerstatter, an Austrian farmer, who refuses to give allegiance to Hitler during World War II. His idealized existence and that of his wife and children, previously living uncomplicated lives in the midst of the beautiful Austrian Alps, is quickly transformed into a hell as both villagers and military try to beat him into submission. If the movie is about anything it is about suffering for a cause that is important, with the movie shifting back and forth between his ordeal in prison and his wife's ordeal back in their village. In contrast, the natural world's beauty exists beyond human suffering, somehow a condemnation of the folly of humans. The movie is about faith (not religion, as the silence of God is resounding) and commitment to an ideal larger than oneself. A Hidden Life is as beautiful to behold as it is challenging to sit through. At nearly three hours in length, it will be too much to ask for probably most viewers. The movie manages to be visually exquisite but thematically austere from virtually start to finish. Still for a director who has been reaching for the profound, I think he finally nailed it this time around. By the way, the title A Hidden Life is taken from a statement by George Eliot "the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs." That really sums up this demanding movie in a nutshell. A Hidden Life is definitely the best English-language film that I have seen this year.


Best of '19 so far

1) Parasite, Bong, South Korea
2) Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Sciamma, France
3) An Elephant Sitting Still, Hu, China
4) Hope, Sodahl, Norway
5) Pain & Glory, Almodovar, Spain
6) A Hidden Life, Malick, United States
7) Vitalina Varela, Costa, Portugal
8) The Irishman, Scorsese, United States
9) The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, Tailfeathers/Hepburn, Canada
10) The Lighthouse, Eggers, United States

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

The Two Popes (Netflix) - 9/10

Wow, thoroughly enjoyed this film. Very well done. Some great messages throughout. Great acting. Definitely recommend.

 

[Puck]

Ford v Ferrari, Dir. by James Mangold, 8.0

American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.

This film won't make the top ten lists from the art-house cinema crew here but this was definitely in my top ten entertaining films of the year. The script writers were obviously fans of Carroll Shelby, Ken Miles and Lee Iaccoca. They put the bad guy logo on Leo Beebe, VP of Ford, the bureaucratic marketing guru who micro-manages the racing team via corporate committee decision-making. The good guys are the racing mavericks, who just want to go fast and win. I had read quite a few articles complaining about accuracy in the film (mostly friends of Ford, Beebe and Enzo Ferrari) and have provided a link of one example below. No matter how much artistic license was taken in this biopic, it's still highly entertaining.

What’s Fact and What’s Fiction in Ford v. Ferrari

p.s not in the film that takes place in the 1960's, but in real life, the guy with a heart condition (popping nitro pills like candy), that you surely think would die first (Shelby played by Matt Damon) actually wound up outliving most of them (to age 89).

 

[Ralph Spoilsport]

I debated long and hard about going to Terrence Malick's latest movie.

I know the feeling! I saw this movie at TIFF but believe me it wasn't on my A-list. I only saw it because it kept showing up in my ticket package's afternoon time slots. (I posted here before the festival that Malick makes a great movie once every 20 years, and the arthouse gods made me pay for the snarky remark.) In a way it is a cross between Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line: an agrarian, pastoral paradise setting and a conscientious, morally courageous hero. I don't think I liked it quite as much as you did, but yeah--it's a bounce-back film for him for sure.