Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Part#: Some High Number +5

[Osprey]

Scare Me. Interesting idea. Two (eventually three) people stuck in a cabin tell themselves scary stories. Ultimately feels more like it should have been a 30 minute short than an hour and 40 minute movie. Just not enough there there so it gets a bit tedious. I laughed a few times (definitely a comedy more than horror) but it feels more like a prolonged improv exercise than a movie. I do like where it goes ... but it's hard to recommend given how long it takes to get there.

Aside from the plot, that sounds exactly like the movie that I just reviewed (Sightseers).

Raging Bull (1980) - 7.5/10

Wait I've seen this one before! Well not really but if I hadn't seen Casino or Goodfellas or The Wolf of Wall Street then I'd probably rate this higher. It's a fairly compelling drama on its own but this gets a bit repetitive. The storyline gets is fairly cyclic too, it feels very much like a biography on a one-dimensional character and there's something slightly tedious about that. Angry Joe Pesci on the other hand never gets old.

I, too, didn't see it until I'd already seen many other Scorsese and De Niro films, which made it harder to appreciate. I imagine that it would've seemed a lot more fresh in 1980, when it was likely viewed as the "anti-Rocky." I think that I liked it a lot less than you, though, because I generally don't like stories about self-destructive, one-dimensional characters (unless there's some real redemption to be gained from it). I hated Casino because of it. I'm also rather tired of movies about angry, yelling Italians (which seems to be all that Scorsese ever makes movies about). The exception is angry Joe Pesci, though. As you said, he doesn't get old, probably because it's just amusing when a short little man pushes others around.

 

[Thucydides]

Primal Fear (1996)

Edward Norton's debut. I thought it was well done.

8/10

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Primal Fear (1996)

Edward Norton's debut. I thought it was well done.

8/10

I had maybe two complaints. One was that final scene in the jail-cell, I could've done without it. I would have preferred the air of mystery. The film could've ended on the scene before and been perfectly good. The other was that maybe it was a tad overacted in spots but that's maybe to be expected from this sort of film from that era.

 

[Langdon Alger]

I had maybe two complaints. One was that final scene in the jail-cell, I could've done without it. I would have preferred the air of mystery. The film could've ended on the scene before and been perfectly good. The other was that maybe it was a tad overacted in spots but that's maybe to be expected from this sort of film from that era.

But if you don’t have the scene in the jail cell, we don’t get the twist ending. How did you want the movie to end?

 

[Thucydides]

American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020):

If you've ever looked at a friend's life and thought, "Wow! Their life is so perfect and so much better than mine. I wish I had his/her life", this documentary proves the grass isn't always greener and how so much of what people project on facebook / instagram is a lie.

American Murder: The Family Next Door is NOT an easy watch - especially knowing the little girl's fate.

May he rot in Hell.
6/10

finished this, too. guy was a moron. why not just get a divorce? mind bogglingly senseless & tragic.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

You guys are wild. Raging Bull is a great film. Beautiful choreography and cinematography.

 

[ORRFForever]

finished this, too. guy was a moron. why not just get a divorce? mind bogglingly senseless & tragic.

I agree.

I get that his wife was not easy and he fell out of love but... your kids? It boggles the mind that anyone could cross THAT line. It literally makes me ill to think about it. Shame on him to Hell.

 

[Thucydides]

I agree.

I get that his wife was not easy and he fell out of love but... your kids? It boggles the mind that anyone could cross THAT line. It literally makes me ill to think about it. Shame on him to Hell.

A selfish, selfish man.

 

[Thucydides]

The Voyeur

A creepy old guy constructs his hotel to enable him to spy on his guests over decades through ceiling vents, and then decides he wants to become famous for what he did and reaches out to journalist Gay Talese to get his story out.

I thought it was just ok.

6/10

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Aside from the plot, that sounds exactly like the movie that I just reviewed (Sightseers).

I really dug Sightseers! Scare Me not so much.

 

[kihei]

Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease (2000) Directed by Krzysztof Zanussi 8A

I am really getting into Poland’s far lesser known Krzysztof, Krzysztof Zanussi, who actually has a few things in common with his more renowned compatriot Krzysztof Kieslowski (The Double Life of Veronique; The Decalogue; Blue). Both make attractive, perceptive movies about ordinary lives that draw a viewer ever deeper into their character's story. Both explore big questions without letting these reflections compromise their story telling. While the title of this movie is facetious, it is the only aspect of the film that is. Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease is about a doctor (Zbigniew Zapasiewicz) in late middle-age coping with the realization that he will die soon of an inoperable cancer. (No, I am not on a death kick this week, just luck of the draw). With Zanussi’s skill, we get to know Tomasz very well, flaws and all. (I had never heard of Zapasiewicz but this is a towering performance. He would make a great King Lear). Tomasz is a curious, compassionate, occasionally cantankerous man, and he would like to better understand what is happening to him but in the end, he simply decides to rely on himself. Director and actor create a very particular person coping with his mortality in a convincingly authentic fashion. It is interesting to me how in humanist narratives of virtually any kind, specificity leads to common ground. Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease is filled with personal touches and little insights that make Zanussi’s films such emotionally rich and intellectually satisfying experiences.

subtitles

MUBI

 

[McOilers97]

Inherent Vice - Paul Thomas Anderson 2014
Interesting movie. It definitely stands out among PTA's filmography as being very different. The aesthetic and mood of the film were pretty cool, but I really don't know what PTA was trying to say here. I think the plot is purposely very obscure and elusive, being based on Pynchon's novel (which is apparently quite difficult itself), but I had a hard time discerning what the intention of the movie was at any level. There just didn't seem to be any kind of rhythm/flow from scene to scene, and whatever the "message" was seemed to be very, very subtextual. Definitely (at this point) my least favorite of his stuff. Maybe a re-visit in a few years will make me feel a bit different about it, but I generally have a hard time with movies/tv that are both obscure AND impersonal (I just couldn't be remotely interested in any character in this film - felt like I was being kept very distant).

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? - Robert Aldrich 1962
I'd been curious about this movie ever since watching "Feud" on FX back in 2017. It really is very good, and knowing some backstory about Crawford and Davis' real hatred for one another gives it a bit of extra juice IMO. Really effective movie that may not be "scary" by today's standards, but it is definitely unsettling, and more thought-provoking than it appears on the surface.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Far From Heaven (2002) - 6.5/10

Eugh it's too late-90s to mid-00s Hollywood (and not as compelling as Shawshank or The Green Mile). This movie could've been directed by Steven Spielberg and I wouldn't have known the difference.

 

[ORRFForever]

Faith Based (2020):

Luke and Tanner are losers - all Luke has going for him is his pastor father, and all Tanner has going for him is a nice head of hair. Together they decide to make a Christian movie for all the wrong reasons. As you'd expect, everything goes wrong.

There are a lot of laughs in Faith Based - like the Ernie and Burt painting that hangs on their wall. That's the good.

As for the bad :

* I could have done without all the swearing - it was unnecessary and mostly done for shock value.
* The Jason Alexander segments feel tacked on. They're also NOT funny.

At 92 minutes, Faith Based is long (there is only about an hour of quality material) but its heart is in the right place.

7/10

Faith Based is currently at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

 

[kihei]

Romance (1999) Directed by Catherine Breillat 7B

About romance only in the most ironic sense, Romance is a look at sex from the point of view of Marie, a young woman who can’t get her self-absorbed boyfriend to have sex with her. Bit of a gender-reversal move that, as the complaint is usually the other way around. Such reversals are a feature of the film as Breillat examines male sexual behaviour when practiced by a woman. Deliberately director Catherine Breillat is playing around with double standards about sexuality. Marie has a complicated, not always very healthy view of sexuality, one that gets played out in often vivid detail. She is into meaningless sex because it is a way of coping with the disappointing relationship that she has with her boyfriend. Her dalliances are not always healthy ones as playing out some of her male-type fantasies is dangerous, but she motors right on, occasionally in graphic detail. To say the least, Romance views traditional male sexual values from a highly skeptical female perspective. To that end, Marie frequently provides helpful monologues of what is going on inside her head. The easily shocked will be easily shocked. Breillat has made a career out of exploring her characters feelings about sex, and Romance is one of her best and most challenging films...not because it is difficult to follow but because her depictions of sex as well as her conclusions are not designed to make everyone in her audience feel comfortable.

subtitles

Criterion Channel

 

[Arizonan God]

La Belle Noiseuse (1991) dir. Jacques Rivette

Wow, that was exhausting. More thoughts later on once I think on this one a bit longer. No score for now.

Streaming on The Criterion Channel

 

[Puck]

From the Vine (2019), Directed by Sean Cisterna, 6.5

From the Vine is a Canadian drama film, directed by Sean Cisterna and released in 2019. Based on the novel Finding Marco by Kenneth Canio Cancellara, the film stars Joe Pantoliano as Marco Gentile, a burned-out business executive from Toronto who gives up on the corporate rat race, and travels to Italy for a break. There he finds new purpose in reviving his grandfather's old vineyard, offering the small town of Acerenza a sustainable future, and reconnecting with his estranged family in the process.

I'm not Italian but felt Italian watching this. The storyline reminded me a bit of Diane Lane's Under the Tuscan Sun. Found the movie delightful to watch. Technically a low-budget Canada-Italy co-production but well made, still manages to punch above its weight.

Apple TV, Video on Demand

 

[nameless1]

Romance (1999) Directed by Catherine Breillat 7B

About romance only in the most ironic sense, Romance is a look at sex from the point of view of Marie, a young woman who can’t get her self-absorbed boyfriend to have sex with her. Bit of a gender-reversal move that, as the complaint is usually the other way around. Such reversals are a feature of the film as Breillat examines male sexual behaviour when practiced by a woman. Deliberately director Catherine Breillat is playing around with double standards about sexuality. Marie has a complicated, not always very healthy view of sexuality, one that gets played out in often vivid detail. She is into meaningless sex because it is a way of coping with the disappointing relationship that she has with her boyfriend. Her dalliances are not always healthy ones as playing out some of her male-type fantasies is dangerous, but she motors right on, occasionally in graphic detail. To say the least, Romance views traditional male sexual values from a highly skeptical female perspective. To that end, Marie frequently provides helpful monologues of what is going on inside her head. The easily shocked will be easily shocked. Breillat has made a career out of exploring her characters feelings about sex, and Romance is one of her best and most challenging films...not because it is difficult to follow but because her depictions of sex as well as her conclusions are not designed to make everyone in her audience feel comfortable.

subtitles

Criterion Channel

Some of my high school classmates back in the day talked about this one. They laughed at the sex scenes.

I might have to check it out one of these days.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

not designed to make everyone in her audience feel comfortable

There. This film is agressive towards its (male) spectator. I wrote something a long time ago about it, won't go through everything, but at some point, one of the characters say: "If you take 10 guys in the audience, you cut their dicks and put them in a box, none of them would recognize his". I don't know how it was put in subtitles or received with subtitles, but this goes under everybody's nose in the dialogue - you hear it and don't notice the blatant threat.

Some of my high school classmates back in the day talked about this one. They laughed at the sex scenes.

I might have to check it out one of these days.

This is to me Breillat's best film and a high 10/10.

 

[kihei]

There. This film is agressive towards its (male) spectator. I wrote something a long time ago about it, won't go through everything, but at some point, one of the characters say: "If you take 10 guys in the audience, you cut their dicks and put them in a box, none of them would recognize his". I don't know how it was put in subtitles or received with subtitles, but this goes under everybody's nose in the dialogue - you hear it and don't notice the blatant threat.

Sounds like an observation, not a threat to me. But I do agree with your point about an aggressive stance. Perfectly fair game, too.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Sounds like an observation, not a threat to me. But I do agree with your point about an aggressive stance. Perfectly fair game, too.

It would be an observation if he talked about men... He says in the audience.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Non Stop - 2014

Liam Neeson on a plane. He needs to find a person who is texting him saying they will kill someone every twenty minutes unless Neeson can arrange 150 million dollars be given to them. Fun enough movie. Not super realistic, but hey, that’s cool. Neeson is fun to watch, and I’ve always liked Julianne Moore very much. It entertained me, so I’ll give it a positive review. I’d never even heard of this movie until I saw it was on Netflix. Not sure how I hadn’t heard of it, but whatever.

7/10

 

[Osprey]

Gattaca (1997) - 6/10 (Liked it)

In this ethical sci-fi, a young man learns that being himself will get him nowhere in life, but lying to everyone (including loved ones) and cheating the system will help him achieve his lifelong dream. An inspiring film.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Day of the Jackal. 9/10. Excellent movie in my opinion. Very well acted (Fox and Lonsdale were excellent), brisk pace, and an interesting look at France in the De Gaulle era. It's a film (and book) where the "bad guy" should have come out on top.

 

[kihei]

The Hustler (1961) Directed by Robert Rossen 9B

I’m surprised that The Hustler has sort of fallen off the radar and has never become part of the discussion about the best Hollywood movie ever. I mean, I don’t think it is, but I do think it certainly deserves consideration. Casually arrogant “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman) is a pool hustler extraordinaire and the only thing he wants in life is to be beat the legendary Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). His initial effort, a wonderfully edited opening sequence of over half an hour, finds him possessing the skill but lacking the character to do so. But he is nothing if not determined. Along his way to a rematch he picks up an alcoholic, down-in-the-gutter girlfriend (Piper Laurie) and a shady, cruel business manager (George C. Scott). The look of the movie is wonderfully, authentically seedy, thanks to an almost neo-realist approach to setting. You can sense the grime on your fingers and practically feel the bed bugs bite. The ensemble acting is without parallel in any Hollywood film from this period that I can think of. And the story, uncompromisingly bleak, is never less than riveting. Any way you want to cut it, The Hustler is a terrific movie and an even more terrific morality play.