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

[Puck]

I'm in Ottawa, but I thought I might get a chance to watch Tiff movies online this year. Registering online was not easy to figure out. After checking the line-up though I decided to forget it in the end. Didn't really see anything that stood out and besides, I didn't know enough to make good decisions on the available options. They are taking a chance though by airing online, someone is bound to circumvent the DRM and copy the films. If the films suddenly appear on the bit-torrents or Kodi next month, it may be the first and last time they air films online.

Tenet is a good action film IMHO, good action sequences but I wasn't impressed by the writing. Looked like a screenplay written by committee. I found the plot discombobulated (if that's a word). But people love time travel flicks, I'm sure the box office for this will be good.

I've been watching mini-series lately. Perry Mason (HBO) is well done, even though they didn't really follow the storyline from the old tv series. I do recommend it though. You can see they spent big bucks on this production. THere are also 2 new episodes of the Cormoran Strike series (JK Rowlings as Robert Galbraith) out (BBC), this one based on The Lethal White book. Two more episodes will be aired thru September. Her new Strike book is out on Sept 15th (if anyone is interested).

p.s. almost forgot, the Japanese mini-series Giri/Haji on Netflix is also pretty good. (police crime drama)

 

[Devilsfan992]

Ad Astra - 3/10

I couldn't get into it at all. The cinematography was good though.

 

[kihei]

p.s. almost forgot, the Japanese mini-series Giri/Haji on Netflix is also pretty good. (police crime drama)

I really enjoyed this series.

 

[kihei]

Tehran Taboo (2017) Directed by Ali Soozandeh 7A

It is interesting how some Middle Eastern movies—Waltz with Bashir; Peresopolis; and now Tehran Taboo—rely on animation to tell their stories. Perhaps the animation helps distance the audience slightly from the human rights abuses that the film’s display, accounts of lives in these countries that might be unbearable to depict in a more conventional manner. Shot in the rotoscope format like I Lost My Body and A Scanner Darkly, Tehran Taboo focuses on several characters in Tehran: a prostitute with a young, mute son, a married woman who longs for a little freedom and self worth, and a young man trying to finance a hymen replacement operation for a girl with whom he had a one-night stand. Their stories interrelate and none of their problems are fixable in any rational way. The real villain is the highly sexist, insanely oppressive regime under which Iran is governed where it is a crime to play rock music or even to hold hands with your wife in public. Bleak as the movie is, Tehran Taboo is highly watchable and engaging. The movie does an excellent job of helping us to understand what hell it must be like to live in a society such as Iran.

subtitles

MUBI

 

[ORRFForever]

Frozen (2010):

After watching and being disappointed by Centigrade, a friend recommended 2010’s Frozen and I’m glad he did.

3 young people get stuck on a ski lift - the 2 guys are real "douche-bags" (that's the first time I've ever used that word in a review) but all three characters grow on you.

While a little far-fetched, Frozen is intense and fun.
7.5/10

 

[ORRFForever]

Looper (2012):

Looper is a time travel movie that doesn’t make sense once you’ve thought it through… or does it? I really didn't care because I was, for the most part, entertained – minus the endless plot holes and Bruce Willis' acting - or lack thereof.

I'm still curious why young Joe always had a "Les Nessman" band aid on his ear but I guess I'll have to go to my grave NOT knowing.

5/10

 

[Osprey]

Frozen (2010):

After watching and being disappointed by Centigrade, a friend recommended 2010’s Frozen and I’m glad he did.

3 young people get stuck on a ski lift - the 2 guys are real "douche-bags" (that's the first time I've ever used that word in a review) but they grow on you.

While a little far-fetched, Frozen is intense and fun.
7.5/10

I saw that years ago. I'm drawn to movies that take place in confined locations, in this case, a ski lift chair. I'm curious to see how the writers manage to make something out of almost nothing. I thought that it was only decent, but I think about it every now and then, so I guess that it made an impression. Disney's remake was better, though .

 

[nameless1]

If anyone wants to see something unique, check out the Indonesian movie Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017). It is referred to as the first Satay Western, and it may be the only movie in that sub-genre.

 

[ORRFForever]

I saw that years ago. I'm drawn to movies that take place in confined locations, in this case, a ski lift chair. I'm curious to see how the writers manage to make something out of almost nothing. I thought that it was only decent, but I think about it every now and then, so I guess that it made an impression. Disney's remake was better, though .

It was better than I hoped, and I actually started rooting for the characters. It's certainly better than Centigrade - which is the same story in a car.

 

[ORRFForever]

Sputnik (2020):

An “Alien” creature has found its way to earth in the body of a cosmonaut in 1983's Soviet Union. But, unlike the Hollywood version that expels itself through the belly leaving its host dead, the Russian creature leaves the host's mouth when he's asleep and returns before he wakes – just like the "Ripley" alien, when it's out, it’s a lean, mean, killing machine with a taste for human blood.

A female psychiatrist battles for the creatures / cosmonaut’s survival against government forces that want to turn the alien into a weapon.

Sputnik is many things : a horror, a romance and a science fiction thriller. Unfortunately, it doesn’t excel in any area.

While I enjoyed Sputnik, there are huge plot holes and the movie is 30 minutes too long.
6/10

The spoken language is Russian.

 

[ORRFForever]

Just watched Sputnik, a sort of Russian "Alien." Logic was not a strong suit but it was atmospheric and the creature was interesting. I'd give it 6.5/10.

I agree - post above.

Spoiler

The biggest plot hole : Why did they move the cosmonaut into a hotel room? What if he takes a nap and the creature comes out? That made no sense.

 

[Osprey]

The Third Man-1949

A mystery that held my interest throughout. The Vienna scenes add to the story. Interesting that the sewer system there apparently ran ~3,000 km through the city, lots of places to hide. Great cast including Joseph Cotten in a part that was at one point slated for Cary Grant. Nice use of shadow imagery. Memorable music theme. Classic.

I just finished this. What a great film. I suspected that I'd seen it, but I didn't remember anything and still didn't for at least the first hour... until that memorable carousel scene brought everything back. The middle section felt a bit slow as not a lot happens and Orson Welles still hasn't made an appearance, but my, the last 40 minutes are film artistry.

Speaking of Welles, I was expecting "more" of him, if you know what I mean...

Spoiler

The Third Man, 1949

Touch of Evil, 1958

It's hard to believe that that's the same actor, only 9 years apart.

 

[kihei]

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020) Directed by Charlie Kaufman 5B

The latest navel-gazer from Charlie Kauffman is a movie almost slavishly in search of interpretation, an exercise for advanced film students to ponder with wrinkled brows. The movie consists of six long scenes. On a very snowy day and snowier night, a young woman drives with her somewhat strange boyfriend to meet his parents, who live on a farm, for the first time. They have a rather perplexing, surreal dinner because they are rather perplexing, surreal people. At the girl's insistence, they drive home. On the way they make a couple of weird pit stops that add to the self-conscious strangeness of the movie. Then there is a coda that annexes more layers of bullshit to the narrative. I'm Thinking of Ending Things has some sizeable attributes. Kaufman has become a confident film director. The movie has a neat atmosphere somewhere between creepy and melancholy, And the four principal actors--Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette, and David Thewlis--are terrific. But the overall effect, stylish though it is, is like being stuck at a party with a drunk philosophy student intent on playing sleight of hand with the meaninglessness of life. Most of this movie is talk and more talk, the young woman nattering on about her feelings or lack of them regarding the relationship, the young man somewhat defensively trying to hold his ground, the parents just being weird as everything subtly shifts around about their reality. There is much musing of a literary, philosophical, and psychological nature. Wordsworth, Foucault, Freud, Bette Davis, David Foster Wallace, and Paulene Kael all have their names dropped. To quote the King in Amadeus referring to a Mozart opera, there are just too many notes. It is not that I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a conventional bad movie. But it is long-winded, rambling and rather taken by itself in a manner that nullifies its assets.

Netflix

 

[nameless1]

The Third Man-1949

A mystery that held my interest throughout. The Vienna scenes add to the story. Interesting that the sewer system there apparently ran ~3,000 km through the city, lots of places to hide. Great cast including Joseph Cotten in a part that was at one point slated for Cary Grant. Nice use of shadow imagery. Memorable music theme. Classic.

If you ever get to travel again, apparently there is a The Third Man Museum in Vienna. It might be worth a trip to check out.

 

[Chili]

If you ever get to travel again, apparently there is a The Third Man Museum in Vienna. It might be worth a trip to check out.

Cool.

There's a website that has a bunch of info on filming locations for films, including this one.

Filming Locations for The Third Man (1949), in Vienna.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

The Wretched (Pierce & Pierce, 2019) - The trailer had me believing that this would be somewhat efficient. There was some potential, but in the end it's just pretty banal and almost boring. Had me thinking about The Burbs, and Fright Night, and The Guardian, all better films. 3/10

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Suburra

with Italian people. Including, for some reason, the Pope.

One rainy week in November 2011, shit went down in Rome. The Italian federal government is on the verge of falling apart, but a politician is doing his best to arrange the passage of a zoning law allowing the development of Ostia into a beachfront casino/vice mecca like Las Vegas, thereby making a lot of crooks a lot of money. But of course a few wrinkles arise; the politician has a rendezvous with a couple of hookers that turns deadly, and cleaning up the mess reverberates throughout the Italian underworld. A revered boss figure tries to keep the situation from spiraling out of control, and a gypsy family, the surviving hooker, her swishy enabler, a mob lieutenant in Ostia and his junkie girlfriend all do their best to spiral out of control. Violence and swoopy synthesizer music ensues. The guy who did the soundtrack goes for Vangelis a la Blade Runner in every scene.

Oh yeah, and the Pope is stepping down. Not that it matters.

Definitely in the same vein as Gomorrah, but not as ugly or stupid. Rome is a more sophisticated and much better decorated setting than Naples, but the people are just about as pleasant to be around. You certainly can't accuse it of glamorizing mob life, that's for sure. Spawned a series that can't possibly include the same characters. Will probably watch it this weekend.

On Netflix.

Just another day shopping for groceries in Ostia.

 

[kihei]

Cuadecuc, Vampir (1971) Directed by Pere Portoberlla 4B

Spanish avant-garde director Pere Portobella has taken black and white outtakes from Christopher Lee’s original Count Dracula, messed with them in various ways (or not at all), combined them with outtakes from another movie, included footage that shows the technicians and stage hands in some shots, and created a new reading of the Dracula story. New-ish, anyway, as Christopher Lee and Herbert Lom both still figure prominently in the tale. Portobella has dropped the dialogue completely in favour of miscellaneous sound treatments, often electronic and sometimes annoying. The end result looks way, way better than the colour version of the original film and the transformed version emphasizes the artifice of the story telling. That’s about it. Chalk this one up as “art for art’s sake.” Cuadecuc,Vampir is neat to look at, but it would have been more fun in a smaller dose.

MUBI

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Portrait of A Lady On Fire (2019) - 7.5/10

First half was much better than the second imo. Once the mystery subsides and it gets comfortable with itself then it becomes a bit meh. I never really felt much of the tension in the final third which it was trying to convey. Great looking colours though.

 

[ORRFForever]

Tenet (2020) :

What if James Bond was black and had the power of time travel, but was played by an actor with ZERO charisma? What if that same spy movie's plot was (beyond) convoluted and void of any emotion or feeling? What if the film was 2.5 hours long, LOUD, and inaccessible?

Answer : You'd have Tenet.

3.5/10

 

[nameless1]

If there is one word to describe Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020), it has to be subtle. A story about a pregnant teenager's journey to get an abortion, it is as straight forward as can be, and there are no obvious moments of conflict that is typical in an American drama. Yet, somehow, through a very routine questionnaire, which is where the movie gets its title from, the atmosphere changes, and the main character, a very moody teenager, suddenly becomes very sympathetic. One catches a glimpse of her back story, and one has a greater understanding of who she is. That is a sign of a great script, because through a few words, it evokes a very strong emotional response from the audience, and the movie can be seen in a different light.

Of course, Sidney Flanigan deserves a lot of credit, and she is great in her role. She is very even-kneel, and it can even be seen as repressed, throughout the movie, but it only highlights the change in her emotions. Like the movie itself, it is very gradual and subtle, and thus, it reinforce the sense of authenticity. She is a standout, but all the other supporting actors are great too. They are not required to do too much, but they all deliver what is required.

Americans say that they live in the greatest country in the world, but increasingly, their own artists churns out work that only begins to show the deep cracks within their society. Abortion is a very divisive issue in North America, especially in the States, but one cannot deny that government policies make the process unnecessary difficult and complicated. Different states have different rules, and different clinics will have different processes, which largely depends on the personal beliefs of the director. No matter what one's stance is, it is clear that the system in the States is broken. The movie does not seek to criticize, as it mainly observes, but I do appreciate the secondary aspect it quietly brings up. It simply makes the movie multi-dimensional.

While there are a lot of things to like about the movie, the main character, with with the tragic background, is so unlikable, that I am rather turned off by her. Everything she does is very self-centered, and it is hard to be invested in her. While that is part of what makes the movie realistic, because everyone has flaws, I become conflicted as a result. I really want to like this very well-made movie, but I did not care for her at all. For now, I have the movie at a 7/10. I do recommend it, but I am really not sure I actually like the movie all that much.

 

[Osprey]

House of the Long Shadows (1983) - 5/10 (Didn't like or dislike it)

An American writer (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) visits an old Welsh manor to try to write a novel, but strangers keep showing up and then dying one by one. This horror mystery, which is a remake of Seven Keys to Baldpate and also bears similarities to The Old Dark House, is notable mostly for bringing three horror legends together in one film: Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. Those three make watching it worthwhile, but the rest of the actors (especially Arnaz) are pretty bad, which makes for a strange contrast. At least the film has a bit of an 80s campiness to it, so strong acting isn't exactly required all around. The first two thirds are more mystery and creepy situations, while the final third is a lot more horrific, but just PG horror. The story felt like it was filled with plot holes, but two big twists at the end revealed that they weren't plot holes, after all. It tries to be a fun movie, and the poster suggests as much, but isn't as successful as it wants to be. It's not a "bad" movie, especially if you like horror/mysteries set in old houses and with twist endings, and it's fun to see three great actors all together in the genre that made them famous, but it's also disappointing because it had potential to be better.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Predators is on again; apparently it's become one of the go-to action reruns on tv. I know I've reviewed it before, so I won't do it again. It's actually got not bad rewatchability. It can be on and I'll say: Yeah, I'll leave it on and do stuff. The Predator race is really an evolutionary bottleneck, though. The lore has been built up now through the AvP movies that they've been coming to Earth for thousands of year; like, really? This is what you're doing with your time? You think you're badass because you can hunt and kill a smaller, weaker, less advanced race than yourselves? I mean, whoop-de-f***ing-do, man. That's like us hunting...I dunno, pygmies? Hobbits? Where's the sport? Here's a race that's clearly inferior one on one, and hunting them becomes what your entire society is based around for millennia? And for the expense of travelling across the interstellar gulf, the return is skulls? Just doesn't seem like a cost-effective return on the investment.

I won't bother with spoilers because I know anyone reading this thread has already seen the movie if they have any interest in doing so, but the Topher Grace character doesn't make any sense. I get that poetically having him be a serial killer makes him technically a "predator" like the others and therefore fair game to be hunted, but think about how long they'd have to watch him to know that. Months? Years? Like...they've got nothing better to do that follow Topher Grace around for extended periods of time? Why not just grab a Kodiak bear or something. Also, why grab the Walter Goggins character from prison? Like they're going to know he's a serial rapist? Or care? Again, why bother? There's plenty of soldiers on the planet. They grabbed the American merc with the automatic shotgun, the Israeli sniper chick, African warlord dude, Mexican cartel dude, Russian heavy gunner guy, then Japanese Yakuza guy? Once again, how long did they follow this guy around to know that? Japan isn't known for having lots of gory shootouts; were they hiding in his closet or something?

Must be boring to be a Predator species guy most of the time. You're sitting around watching surveillance footage for months or potentially years on end. And you're cloaked on an alien planet, so you can't even order a burger or whatever these guys eat. And best case scenario is at the end of it, you can say you killed a guy who isn't even close to being a physical or technological match to you. Someone who presents no real threat at all.

It's almost like they didn't think this through, or something.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Thief (1981) - 7.5/10

The one where I learn John Belushi and James Belushi are two different people. Not as good as Heat but f*** does it look good.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Villains

with people.

Mickey and Jules are young, vibrant, twenty-something-ish morons who are robbing gas stations to finance their trip to Florida. Or something. They definitely want to do all the drugs on their way there...but gassing up the car before the job slips their minds. D'oh. They're in some weird rural area where people only live in houses ten miles away from each other, so they find the nearest one and break in to steal supplies for the road. They're in full outlaw idiot glory...right up until they go into the basement, where they find a little girl chained to the wall. Um...not cool. Really. But then the homeowners come back and quickly reestablish control of the situation. Turns out the insanity runs deep in these particular woods, and the cocky robbers are soon wishing they kicked open the door of another house. Psychological terror ensues.

Not bad, actually. When you're going to take a piss or going to the fridge for another beer, you pause it. You don't say: "Yeah, just let it go. Pause it if something interesting happens." You're involved to that degree. At least.

On Prime.

Shepherd's Pie? Seriously?