Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Part#: Some High Number +3

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Osprey

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Feb 18, 2005
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I'm pretty style over substance on this.

I'm very much not a "style over substance" kind of person (I feel that you should start with substance and then add style, not use style in place of substance). In The Lighthouse's case, however, I liked the style enough that I still liked the film in spite of the substance being disappointing to me, which hardly ever happens.
 
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Pranzo Oltranzista

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The Wailing (Hong-jin Na, 2016) - suggested in the horror polls, really can't say I liked it. The film really never can find its footing, messing around with different genres and never mastering any. It's neither scary nor funny, but it over-tries at both. A horror film of that length better establish a hell of a setting/atmosphere to work well, not the case here. 4/10 (with one whole point for being a little different)
 
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Osprey

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Jojo Rabbit (2019) - 7/10 (Really liked it)

A 10-year-old aspiring Nazi (Roman Griffin Davis) has his loyalty to his country tested when he discovers a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding in their home. I really wasn't sure if I'd like this and was very pleasantly surprised. The whole "imaginary Adolf Hilter" part of the film is actually smaller than I expected, which I was happy about, because those scenes didn't work so well for me. In fact, much of the more overt humor (like that and Rebel Wilson's character) didn't seem as funny to me as it was supposed to be, which was disappointing. Fortunately, there is a lot of subtle humor, too. Also, there are serious (and even powerful) moments and the film ends up being very touching, which I was not expecting and loved. The film is carried by the two young actors, especially Davis, who is quite amazing in his acting debut. Johansson was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role, but, honestly, I'm not sure what the big deal is, though her performance is perfectly fine as far as the film is concerned. There are some points in the story that had me scratching my head and felt like plot holes, but they weren't enough to ruin it for me. Overall, I enjoyed the film more than I thought that I would. It's not the polarizing or niche film that it seemed from the trailers and clips, but more of a crowd pleasing one that most people should be able to find something to like about it.
 
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Trap Jesus

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The Wailing (Hong-jin Na, 2016) - suggested in the horror polls, really can't say I liked it. The film really never can finds its footing, messing around with different genres and never mastering any. It's neither scary nor funny, but it over-tries at both. A horror film of that length better establish a hell of a setting/atmosphere to work well, not the case here. 4/10 (with one whole point for being a little different)
I liked it a bit more than this but in general I agree. A lot of people seem to put it up there as one of the better recent horror movies but I don't see it. Outside of the exorcism sequence, it didn't do a whole lot for me.
 
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Pranzo Oltranzista

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I liked it a bit more than this but in general I agree. A lot of people seem to put it up there as one of the better recent horror movies but I don't see it. Outside of the exorcism sequence, it didn't do a whole lot for me.

Lots of foreign horror films being overrated when presented as minimally serious works. My opinion, of course.
 

Trap Jesus

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I watched Horse Girl on Netflix. Seems like the reception to this has been pretty negative but I actually thought it was a really interesting look at mental illness, and told in a really effective way. It could be really tough to watch at times, and it doesn't completely make sense, but that's the point of it all. I thought Alison Brie was really good in this as well.
 

GlassesJacketShirt

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I liked it a bit more than this but in general I agree. A lot of people seem to put it up there as one of the better recent horror movies but I don't see it. Outside of the exorcism sequence, it didn't do a whole lot for me.

Lots of foreign horror films being overrated when presented as minimally serious works. My opinion, of course.

Y'all are SO WRONG. :teach2:

Nah, I got nothing to teach, to each their own.
 
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McOilers97

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Jan 10, 2012
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I watched Being John Malkovich for the first time tonight, and was blown away by it. It was equal parts hilarious, creative and terrifying. The dangerous level of obsession that Cusack and Diaz’s characters developed over the course of the movie was written brilliantly.

One of the best movies I’ve seen in the last couple years.

9/10
 

ItsFineImFine

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Aug 11, 2019
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Platoon (1986) - 6/10

The heavier/impactful scenes couldn't distract from this not being a very good movie. Pretty bad acting here as well, doesn't hold up any weight compared to Full Metal Jacket.
 

Osprey

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Feb 18, 2005
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Leave No Trace (2018) - 9/10 (Really Loved it)

An Iraq War veteran and single father (Ben Foster) living homeless in the woods with this teenage daughter (Thomasin McKenzie) faces pressure to give up their nomadic lifestyle and integrate with society or risk losing her. I was watching this and thinking of how the only other film that I could recall that felt anything like this was Winter's Bone. It turns out that it's from the same writer and director, Debra Granik, and is her only film since (quality over quantity, I suppose).

This is an intimate, character-driven film that is very slow and uneventful, so don't expect action or even excitement from it. At times, it even feels more like a documentary about homelessness that follows a two-person family from place to place than it does a movie. Though not a whole lot happens, I was hooked because I empathized with the characters. It's also a perpetually sad and heartbreaking film, not because bad things happen, but because it's obvious that the father's PTSD holds him and, especially, his daughter back. Most other films might grapple with PTSD or homelessness, but this one manages to do both and do it in a way that doesn't feel like too much and doesn't judge the characters or beat the viewer over the head with messages. Foster does a good job as the semi-vacant father, but it's really McKenzie (who more recently played Elsa in Jojo Rabbit) who's the star of the film and for whose character my heart slowly broke. I'm starting to think that she's one of the best young actresses today and has a great future ahead of her. Granik must have an eye for talent because she gave Jennifer Lawrence her big break, as well.

Anyways, it's been a long time since I was last moved like this and I lost it at the end. I haven't yet given a rating above 8/10 here, but I think that I have to for this one, since it just really worked for me and felt like such a pure, distilled example of filmmaking. Rather than take my word that it's worth watching, though, have a look at the 100% score at RT from 224 critic reviews: Leave No Trace (take that, Parasite, with your measly 99%!) Just heed my warning that, as I said, it's a very slow, uneventful and melancholy film, so don't watch it if you're not ready for that or are easily bored. It's available on Amazon Prime (among other places).
 
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Trap Jesus

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Feb 13, 2012
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Leave No Trace (2018) - 9/10 (Really Loved it)

An Iraq War veteran and single father (Ben Foster) living homeless in the woods with this teenage daughter (Thomasin McKenzie) faces pressure to give up their nomadic lifestyle and integrate with society or risk losing her. I was watching this and thinking of how the only other film that I could recall that felt anything like this was Winter's Bone. It turns out that it's from the same writer and director, Debra Granik, and is her only film since (quality over quantity, I suppose).

This is an intimate, character-driven film that is very slow and uneventful, so don't expect action or even excitement from it. Though not a whole lot happens, I was hooked because I empathized with the characters. It's also a perpetually sad and heartbreaking film, not because bad things happen, but because it's obvious that the father's PTSD holds him and, especially, his relatively normal daughter back. Most other films might grapple with PTSD or homelessness, but this one manages to do both and do it in a way that doesn't feel like too much and doesn't judge the characters or beat the viewer over the head with messages. Foster does a good job as the semi-vacant father, but it's really McKenzie (who more recently played Elsa in Jojo Rabbit) who's the star of the film and for whose character my heart slowly broke. I'm starting to think that she's one of the best young actresses today and has a great future ahead of her. Granik must have an eye for talent because she gave Jennifer Lawrence her big break, as well.

Anyways, it's been a long time since I was last moved like this and I lost it at the end. I haven't yet given a rating above 8/10 here, but I think that I have to for this one, since it just really worked for me and felt like such a pure, distilled example of filmmaking. Rather than take my word that it's worth watching, though, have a look at the 100% score at RT from 224 critic reviews: Leave No Trace (take that, Parasite, with your measly 99%!) Just heed my warning that, as I said, it's a very slow and uneventful (not to mention melancholy) film, so don't watch it if you're not ready for that or are easily bored.

This to me was the most well acted movie of 2018, definitely a top 5 movie overall for me that year as well. Both leads were exceptional. Foster is a well known "underrated" actor but Thomasin McKenzie was definitely the standout for me as well. Haven't seen Jojo Rabbit yet, but this movie really put her on the map for me.
 
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kmart

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Jan 23, 2008
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lighthouse 6/10

u realize early on that there is no real storyline... and u just watch two crazy dudes doing crazy stuff. i am sure there is deeper meaning in every scene for people who like to analyse that stuff. for me it was just enough to hang on and wonder, what will they do next. acting was super.
 
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tealhockey

@overtheboards
Jun 2, 2012
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High-Rise (2015)
Dir. Ben Wheatley

29906170001_4887605526001_video-still-for-video-4887497726001.jpg


Cris Collingsworth: Now here's a movie that bored me to tears.

Score: 3/10
this movie is not amazing by most standards but I enjoyed it. I love Ballard so it was nice to see an adaptation, shots like the one you've included were great and it was a very different type of movie, liked the ambitious tone and effort
 
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KallioWeHardlyKnewYe

Hey! We won!
May 30, 2003
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Recent watchings:

The Train. A John Frankenheimer-Burt Lancaster WWII jam from the 1960s. A straightforward, non-nonsense action thriller about a train of priceless art the Nazis want to move from Paris to Germany right before the Allies invade and the resistance fighters trying to stop them. Great setup, great execution. I loved it fully and without reservation.

Cache. An effective and unsettling mind-****. Every time.

Under the Shadows. Thanks for the recommendation @kihei ! Irainain spin on a haunted house story (of sorts). A nice slow burn (some shades of The Babadook) with a few legit startling scares and a pervasive menacing atmosphere that builds wonderfully.

The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. I know Judd Apatow was a dear friend and in that respect, this is a loving send-off. Now I'm going to be a jerk. Why this needed to be nearly 4-and-a-half hours is beyond me. Longer than The Godfather (and Part II), longer than Gone with the Wind, not that much shorter than the long cut of Fanny & Alexander or the old Tinker Tailor Solider Spy miniseries. Longer than the current favorite run-time whipping boy The Irishman. Definitely some interesting bits and interactions, but the revelation that Shandling was neurotic and had low self esteem (and the time dedicated to these facts) is a tad excessive since this is basically the book on every stand up comedian ever.
 

GlassesJacketShirt

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this movie is not amazing by most standards but I enjoyed it. I love Ballard so it was nice to see an adaptation, shots like the one you've included were great and it was a very different type of movie, liked the ambitious tone and effort

Agree about the shots, liked the setting, but as I said, got bored early and the boredom stayed throughout. Wasted potential is my assessment.

The movie reminded me of mother! in it's delivery for some reason; only difference is that I merely disliked High-Rise, while mother! stands as one of the worst viewing experiences of my life.
 
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Puck

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Jun 10, 2003
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Leave No Trace (2018) - 9/10 (Really Loved it)
I just realised from looking at the pic you provided that the daughter in Leave No Trace is the young Jewish girl hiding in the attic in Jojo Rabbit. Had not linked it together until now. Good, young actress, I'm impressed. Two good roles already at her age.
 

Osprey

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Feb 18, 2005
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I just realised from looking at the pic you provided that the daughter in Leave No Trace is the young Jewish girl hiding in the attic in Jojo Rabbit. Had not linked it together until now. Good, young actress, I'm impressed. Two good roles already at her age.

Yeah, I liked her in Jojo Rabbit (which I watched for the first time last week) and looked up where I remembered seeing her. It turned out to be a small part in The King, but it led me to Leave No Trace, which I had to watch if only to see why it has a 100% critic rating at RT.
 

ItsFineImFine

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Aug 11, 2019
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Uncut Gems (2019) - 6/10

Couldn't watch the whole thing at once. While Good Times had a rhythm to its uncomfortableness and a level of unpredictability and batshit insane-ness, this film is just a stressful mess.
 

OzzyFan

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Sep 17, 2012
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Question, anyone know if there is any accessible way to see/rent "The Lodge" 2020, with Riley Keough anywhere?
The Lodge (2020) . Haven't seen it on the major streaming services to rent, which feels odd because it appears to be a pretty limited theatrical release.

MV5BNDQ2YWVmZjEtMTE1ZS00MDk1LTg5ODUtMDVlODk0OTM2ODMwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_.jpg


Closest theater it's playing in is over an hour away, so not sure I want to make that push to see it, but it was on my radar for this month.
 

Thucydides

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Dec 24, 2009
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I just saw 1917. I liked it - but I thought it was missing something..not sure what.

What did you guys think of it?
 
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