# List the films you've seen at the cinema: 2014



## belboid (Jan 7, 2014)

It would appear we dont have one of these yet, so here it is.

_Hunger Games: Catching Fire_

It may not be as high quality as Buffy, but it's still very entertaining, better than the first one in our wee groups opinion, and some half decent V for Vendetta style politics. Good fun.


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## _pH_ (Jan 8, 2014)

American Hustle.

Maybe a bit long but the plot is easy enough to follow and visually it's great. 8/10


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## Lea (Jan 8, 2014)

Watched 47 Ronin which was better than I thought it would be as it got really bad reviews.


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## moonsi til (Jan 8, 2014)

Secret Life Of walter Mitty: a sweet film with a great soundtrack and scenary.

47 Ronin: I didn't really know what I was going to watch and hadn't read the reviews. I enjoyed it and BFs 12 yr really enjoyed it.

Harry Hill The Movie: well I didn't actually go & see this just BF & his son but worth a mention as they walked out after 45 mins saying it was just so awful!


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## belboid (Jan 10, 2014)

Blue Jasmine last night

Cate Blanchett reminds us again why she is far and away the greatest living actor, just brilliant. Sally Hawkins very good too.  But...

I just couldn't care that much about such an unpleasant character.  I saw no reason not to dislike her immensely, and the sexual politics were.....dubious to say the least. As a riff on Tennessee Williams, very clever, as a film with a point to make, hmmmm.


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## friedaweed (Jan 10, 2014)

The wolf of wall street on xbmc last night.

It's tha fuckin mutz nutz. Loved it. 
Fear and loathing meets Rogue Trader


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## pennimania (Jan 11, 2014)

TT Closer to the Edge 

One of the best films I've seen for some time - and I have zero interest in motorbikes, racing or men in leather, but it was great

Highly recommended.


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## Sue (Jan 12, 2014)

belboid said:


> Blue Jasmine last night
> 
> Cate Blanchett reminds us again why she is far and away the greatest living actor, just brilliant. Sally Hawkins very good too.  But...
> 
> I just couldn't care that much about such an unpleasant character.  I saw no reason not to dislike her immensely, and the sexual politics were.....dubious to say the least. As a riff on Tennessee Williams, very clever, as a film with a point to make, hmmmm.


 
Felt much the same. Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins were both very good but I didn't really care about anyone in the film or what happened to them.


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## Sue (Jan 12, 2014)

American Hustle -- pretty entertaining (and the hair is ) but a bit much being nominated for a load of Golden Globes.

Nebraska -- low key, black and white road movie. Looks great and the acting is excellent. The ending's a bit sentimental but overall thought it was very good.


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## Manter (Jan 12, 2014)

American hustle
Couple of amazing performances- Jennifer Lawrence particularly


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## belboid (Jan 12, 2014)

American Hustle also.  And, as above. Very entertaining but lets itself down a bit by not quite knowing if its a drama or a comedy, and whether the Mayor is actually a good guy or not.


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## Gramsci (Jan 13, 2014)

Twelve Years a Slave. 

On at Ritzy (London). Its been selling out despite being in Screen One.

Steve McQueen , the director , started out in video art/ installation. Which he was very good at. I have seen some of his more gallery based work. He is now establishing a fine body of work. Hunger ( about Bobby Sands), Shame ( about sex addict) and now this film based on the life of Soloman Northup, born free but kidnapped and sold as a slave.

Like Hunger and Shame this film deals with the darker sides of human nature. It has been criticised as being like a "torture porn" film. It does remind me of horror film. The best horror films explore the hidden aspects of humanity. This film makes you watch what you know to have been real. In that way its more successful that Hanekes "Funny Games". Which he made to unsettle the viewer into questioning voyeuristic aspect of cinema.

It is an uncomfortable film to watch. Northup goes from the relative harmony of New York to the horror that is Louisiana. Northup is no hero. It shows the compromises he has to make to survive. It also shows how slavery degrades humanity. Both the slaves and the slave owners.

The films power comes from its look at the psychology of slavery. The different ways the slave owners and slaves deal with it. Slaves in the Southern States were property. However much the slave owners try using other human beings as beasts it is not possible. This leads to the slave owners either trying to make out that they are humane or irrational sadism. Both the "humane" slave owner and the sadistic one try to distance themselves from the actual reality of what they are doing.

This film is definitely Oscar winner material. Be interesting to see if this film does get an Oscar. I would think its unlikely. Its to unflinching a look at a major part of US history.


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## nomibucha (Jan 17, 2014)

A Clockwork Orange wasn't particularly nice, but awesome storyline and satire. Cannibal Holocaust was pretty bad, but it was quite funny at the same time.


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## Virtual Blue (Jan 17, 2014)

Lea said:


> Watched 47 Ronin which was better than I thought it would be as it got really bad reviews.



Half of London's chinese community was in that.


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## belboid (Jan 18, 2014)

12 Years a Slave

Bloody hell that was harsh, and quite brilliant. The first lynching scene is just shocking. Especially as you kept expecting it to end, but it didn't. And still didn't. And still didn't.


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## Sue (Jan 19, 2014)

Fill the Void -- Orthodox Jewish family drama set in modern-day Israel. Know very little about Orthodox Judaism -- despite living only a few miles away from a big Orthodox community -- so found this very interesting. And a very good film too I thought, if a bit depressing.

The Wolf of Wall Street. Where to start. Far too long, utterly exhausting, funny parts but overall, I didn't like it. The man it's about and whose book it's based on -- which showed a lot I thought -- was an utter scumbag but is presented here as a glamorous figure with pretty much no mention of the people he ripped off. Guess he has to be presented at some level as charismatic, but found it all quite depressing really. And don't get me started on the depiction of women.

Don't know, really struggling to think of the last Scorcese film I saw that I thought was good.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 19, 2014)

_The Railway Man_ - OK but a bit clunky in places and some of the casting is a little peculiar (Stellan Skarsgard) , worth seeing if your a fan of Colin Firth. 

_Short Term 12_ - drama set in a short term care home for kids, main character (Brie Larson) is a worker at the home. Very good, hadn't heard a great deal about it before going to see it was I was impressed by it. I guess if you wanted to be critical you could claim that the ending is a bit too up beat and resolves everything too completely but I think the rest of the film means that it can get away with it. Brie Larson is excellent (probably her largest role previously was as Toni Collette's daughter in _United States of Tara)._

_Drinking Buddies - _comedy/drama about two colleagues at a micro-brewery who are attracted to each other but both are involved with someone else. It's not bad but IMO suffers from the fact that the Kate (the female character) is incredibly annoying, selfish and stupid, besides the fact that she's played by Olivia Wilde (and thus is very good-looking) you can't really see why anyone would want to be around her.

_Inside Llewyn Davies_ - new Coen brothers, I should imagine must people know the plot. Probably doesn't quite the cut as one of the top Coen films but still very, very good. Oscar Isaacs is excellent as the lead and Carey Mulligan and John Goodman both give good support in performances. I guess it's quite a 'Coen brothers film' so if you like them you'll probably like this and if you don't you won't.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 19, 2014)

Sue said:


> Don't know, really struggling to think of the last Scorcese film I saw that I thought was good.


While noting to compare with his best output _The Departed_ was decent and enjoyable enough, _Hugo_ was also OK for what it was.


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## Sue (Jan 19, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> While noting to compare with his best output _The Departed_ was decent and enjoyable enough, _Hugo_ was also OK for what it was.


 
Didn't see Hugo and The Departed just didn't really do it for me. Felt like it was trying too hard and it didn't quite come off. Also difficult not to compare it unfavourably with Infernal Affairs. Be interested to hear what you reckon to TWOWS if/when you see it.


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## MellySingsDoom (Jan 21, 2014)

The Wolf Of Wall Street (dir. Martin Scorsese) - this was much better than I was expecting it to be.  The plot is engaging and moves along at a fair old place, it's frequently very funny in places (the Quaaludes freakout scene especially so), and Leonardo DiCaprio acquits himself pretty well and has quite an engaging presence.  My only criticism is that the film lacks a strong female character (although DiCaprio's 2nd wife begins to show some mettle right towards the end), which it needs really to balance out the testosterone on show.  All in all, a solid effort from Scorsese, though not quite up to his golden period films.


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## MellySingsDoom (Jan 24, 2014)

Two films for me at the cinema yesterday:

12 Years A Slave (dir. Steve McQueen) - As other Urbz have already said, this is a powerful, outstanding and very affecting film. Not as relentlessly violent as I thought it might be, but still with plenty of uncomfortable scenes on offer, and a film that leaves you with much to think about. I really want to see more Steve McQueen films on the strength of this.

Black Water Vampire (dir. Evan Trammel) - Basically a rehash of the themes and ideas already covered by "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Last Broadcast". Shot on digital video, and with an all-amateur cast, this was a deeply predictable and disappointing film, though it did have a couple of entertaining moments to break up the boredom. Not one I would recommend to followers of horror film, unless you're a fan of the barrel-scraping end of Jesus Franco's oeuvre.


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## blossie33 (Jan 25, 2014)

Journal de France, an excellent documentary film about French filmmaker and photographer Raymond Depardon.

Interesting footage of  film he shot when he was reporting various conflicts abroad over the 50s to the 00s interwoven with his recent travels around France in a van photographing old  villages and local characters


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## Boppity (Jan 25, 2014)

Devil's due - forced by the OH to watch it, fucking terrible. Characters behave implausibly even for a paranormal horror film and the 'found footage' is so shaky that I got motion sick.

1/10


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## colacubes (Jan 25, 2014)

12 Years a Slave - what everyone else said.  Just astonishing.

Gravity - saw it at the IMAX and it was visually spectacular.  I'm not a huge fan of 3D but it really worked for this; the only other film I've seen where I thought it added anything was Life of Pi, but this was on another level. The script is a bit cheesy in places but that can be forgiven.  I thought Sandra Bullock was great, but George Clooney seemed to be playing the live action version of Buzz Lightyear 

The Wolf of Wall Street - I really enjoyed it but it was at least 30 minutes too long.  Could have done with some judicious editing.  I'm not usually a fan of Leonardo di Caprio but thought he was excellent.  The characters are enormously unsympathetic, which is as it should be cos they're really shitty people on the whole.


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## belboid (Jan 25, 2014)

_Inside Llewyn Davis_

I was really looking forward to this, as a Coens fan and knowing about that sixties Gaslight scene reasonably well. And it is no surprise that the look and tone of the film got it spot on, beautifully shot, matching the melancholic mood of the film perfectly. But, beyond that, there was very little to it. So slight, with largely uninteresting characters left wholly undeveloped, all the criticisms of the Coens' coldness came to the fore. Some great scenes (Adam from Girls is very funny, 'where's its scrotum?' a magnificent line), but ultimately a bit disappointing.

oh, almost forgot my favourite line (being a saddo):
Llewyn - is it because I'm a communist?
Union man (whispering) - Shachtmanite?


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## Dillinger4 (Jan 25, 2014)

I haven't been to the cinema yet this year, but so far I have watched:

12 Years a Slave
Wolf of Wall Street
Inside Llewyn Davis
Her


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## RaverDrew (Jan 26, 2014)

The Wolf of Wall Street - Best film I've seen in ages. Such a tight script with so many memorable and unique lines. 

Autochthonous1 and I just watched it together and both said to each other "no doubt this film will totally piss off all the feminists on Urban75". Judging by the comments about it from some on here, it looks like we were right


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## Autochthonous1 (Jan 26, 2014)

How anybody could be pissed off by the film is beyond me, I'm trying to recall the last time I was so utterly impressed with a script, genius script, had us in stitches. Loved the editing and witty visuals which were unashamedly graphic. Acting and soundtrack pretty blinding too. As for some of the femmie type comments here, well, the film was about a shallow, money/power obsessed stock broker addicted to drugs, debauchery and excess; that shit ain't gonna be fluffy or tame is it. I'd like to see a version made by Lukas Moodyson or Lars von Trier. The film was unapologetic in delivery, just like Belfort himself. Jona Hill rules as always. I want to marry him. I'd agree with someone above that the last part of the film dragged out, even though I enjoyed it heaps I was waiting for it to end (towards the end), seemed so long.


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## felixthecat (Jan 26, 2014)

After years of having to travel 10 miles to the nearest cinema, I've been in heaven since Odeon opened one opened 5 mins walk away. We've been going every Tuesday as its a fiver.
Inside Llewyn Davis - Oscar Isaacs excellent, as others have said very Cohen brothers, loved the soundtrack
Devil's Due - what a load of complete tripe. I love horror films but these days I'm almost always disappointed.
Wolf of Wall Street - really enjoyed it. Leo diCaprio did a damn good job of making you interested in a wholly unlikable character, some very funny bits.

Trying to decide what to see this coming Tuesday now.


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## emanymton (Jan 27, 2014)

So far this year

The Hobbit

47 Ronin

The hunger games

12 years a slave

And pretty much echo what has already been said about them. Except I don't accept that 12 years a slave is realy anything like a torture porn movie.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 29, 2014)

_The Wolf of Wall Street_ - I pretty much agree with Sue's post earlier in the thread. The film itself has some funny moments and Di Caprio and Hill are watchable, but it's far too long and self-indulgent. And the idea that it's some sort of criticism of Wall St is absurd, Belfort, and indeed the whole ethos of his lifestyle, is portrayed in an incredibly sympathetic manner, even after his abuse of his wife the film wants you to root for him (after all he didn't rat out his friend). And the portrayal of women is terrible, I mean I have no doubt that the culture it is showing is hugely misogynistic but that doesn't mean that the film has to illustrate that with it's own misogynistic portrayals of women. That's incredibly lazy/poor directing especially from someone such as Scorsese, who quite clearly has the talent to do something a lot more intelligent and subtle.

_American Hustle_ - Utterly amazed at the amount of praise that this is getting, it's not _bad_ but it's very, very ordinary. The average episode of of _Leverage_ is probably better than this. I've always thought Bale was something of an overrated actor and he definitely is phoning it in here, the one interesting thing in the movie is Jennifer Lawrence who is pretty great.

_Her - _miles, miles better than the previous two films. I've never been a big fan of Spike Jonze (_Being John Malkovich _is IMO one of the most overrated films around) but this is excellent. Far more depth and intelligence to it than what I've seen of his previous previous work. The plot is that in the near future humanity will start to create operating systems possessing artificial intelligence. The central drama is that Joaquin Phoenix's character, who's broken up from his wife, begins a relationship with his OS Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), but that's just the starting point, and the film is much more an examination of how humanity interacts (or doesn't) with these new intelligences as well as with each other. Amy Adams is also in this, and is about a millions times better than in _American Hustle_. Johansson is pretty much playing herself but that's OK and Phoenix is good as the central character. I'm not sure if it's being released in the UK yet? But I definitely recommend it.


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## MellySingsDoom (Jan 31, 2014)

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - dir. Joel and Ethan Coen - All round decent effort from Joel and Ethan Coen in their latest film, in which folk singer/guitarist (Oscar Isaac) navigates the early 60's Greenwich Village scene, and one by one burns his bridges as he struggles to get gigs, gets a female folk singer (Carey Mulligan) pregnant, and surfs from couch to couch as he attempts to establish himself as a folk musician. An ill-fated trip to Chicago sees him sharing a car with a heroin-using jazz pianist (John Goodman), and eventually he decides to rejoin the merchant navy, but even this doesn't work out for him. Thje film ends as Issac's set at a folk club is followed by that of a somewhat well-known emerging protest-folk musician, and Isaac (after taking another beating) sees his life going absolutely nowhere.

Oscar Isaac acquits himself well as the dissolute musician who just can't seem to get anywhere. Carey Mulligan is striking and mean-mouthed at the same time, and John Goodman's role is brief but still convinving. The plot moves along at a fair old pace, and there are one of two laugh out loud moments amongst the more sombre scenes of the film. The folk music soundtrack is overall fairly decent, and the film looks very good - Greenwich Village of the time being evoked pretty well. There's a long-running meme about a runaway cat, and Garrett Hedlund's short role as a near-silent, chain smoking beat poet is certainly textbook Coen territory.

So, "Inside Llewyn Davis" is a nice addtion to the Coen oeuvre, and worth seeing, even if folk music doesn't particularly interest you. One slight issue, however: in the recording session scene, an electric guitar can clearly be heard on the soundtrack, even though the scene in question has acoustic guitars only. A bit early to be citing Dylan's electric period, methinks!


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## belboid (Jan 31, 2014)

you know, the big problem with Inside Llewyn Davis -they all have too many records!  Carey & Justin have a good two hundred, and the uni lecturers have thousand.  But the LP - and they were all LP's you could tell  by the spines - had only been available for a few years, there simply hadn't been that many released. Ruined the whole film for me


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## belboid (Jan 31, 2014)

.


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## MellySingsDoom (Jan 31, 2014)

belboid said:


> you know, the big problem with Inside Llewyn Davis -they all have too may records!  Carey & Justin have a good two hundred, and the uni lecturers have thousand.  But the LP - and they were all LP's you could tell  by the spines - had only been available for a few years, there simply hadn't been that many released. Ruined the whole film for me



I hadn't thought of that point, actually!  Well spotted.  Goes well with the "electric folk" clanger, eh?


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## Buddy Bradley (Feb 2, 2014)

belboid said:


> you know, the big problem with Inside Llewyn Davis -they all have too many records!  Carey & Justin have a good two hundred, and the uni lecturers have thousand.  But the LP - and they were all LP's you could tell  by the spines - had only been available for a few years, there simply hadn't been that many released. Ruined the whole film for me


Maybe they were all remaindered stock like Llewyn and Adam's boxes of albums?  They say everyone has an album in them...


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## Gramsci (Feb 2, 2014)

"The Wolf of Wall Street"



What a bizarre film I thought at the end of it. Leonardo DiCaprio excels himself as the Salesman/ Broker who realizes that he can sell people worthless investments. He holds this rambling long movie together. Its borders on self indulgence on the part of Scorsese. There are some great set pieces where DiCaprio "motivates" his workers. 

The film is ambiguous. Is it a criticism of Wall Street? Or is there a sneaking admiration for DiCaprio and the small group of loyal guys he recruits?

The FBI agent says to Jordan he is not the usual person he he is after. Jordan was not born into money. Him and the half a dozen friends he starts off with are blue collar chancers who seize an opportunity to make big money. Does it have parallels with Goodfellas and Casino? Yes it does. 


Talked about this on the Brixton film thread. Someone mentioned the way that drug taking was portrayed in a non moralistic and honest way. Which I agree with and thought was a good point.


Scorcese got away with that. No criticism that I have seen of that aspect of it.

As Jordan says near the beginning of the film its the money thats the drug. One of the things one realizes is that initially these were hard up guys who wanted to be rich. Like in his other film Casino they made enough money ( as Jordans dad said) to never work again. But they continued despite knowing the Feds were after them.

Now I have thought about it the film is an indictment of Capitalism. This is how it works. Money does not create anything real like housing or things people need. Its exactly right for Scorsese to show the link with getting high and money. Money is not some neutral socially useful thing to make our lives easier.The film works for me as its not banging me over the head Loach style.

Another thing about the drug taking was that it was not recreational. Something to do partying on the weekend. Or to wind down. It was an integral part of there lives. Same with the sex. It was most telling when the went to that foreign place "Europe". Suddenly there boorish antics were not socially acceptable. I thought the funniest scene was with the Swiss banker. Jordan was trying so hard to fit into this weird "European" politeness.

It has been criticized for its portrayal of women. Which I think is harsh. That is how it was. I talked to someone who worked in the city a while back. Hiring escorts for parties to entertain clients was normal. Probably still is now the City has been bailed out.

You could tell in the early days of financial crisis it was really hitting the City as I used to see the Lapdancers out giving out tickets for a free dance at the clubs near the City.

I liked the sprawling length of the film. It fitted into the chaos of there lives. I thought it got better as it went along.


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## Cheesypoof (Feb 6, 2014)

Autochthonous1 said:


> How anybody could be pissed off by the film is beyond me, I'm trying to recall the last time I was so utterly impressed with a script, genius script, had us in stitches. Loved the editing and witty visuals which were unashamedly graphic. Acting and soundtrack pretty blinding too. As for some of the femmie type comments here, well, the film was about a shallow, money/power obsessed stock broker addicted to drugs, debauchery and excess; that shit ain't gonna be fluffy or tame is it. I'd like to see a version made by Lukas Moodyson or Lars von Trier. The film was unapologetic in delivery, just like Belfort himself. Jona Hill rules as always. I want to marry him. I'd agree with someone above that the last part of the film dragged out, even though I enjoyed it heaps I was waiting for it to end (towards the end), seemed so long.



I also liked 'The Wolf of Wall Street' - (have written more about it on the Oscars thread http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/oscars-2014.319514/#post-12893577) but a riot and a half wasnt it!!! . Also massive crush on the unbelievably sexy Jonah Hill


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## Cheesypoof (Feb 6, 2014)

Saw 12 years a slave tonight, loved it. Harrowing but in an effective, non-blood curdling (ie, not like Django Unchained), and sparing way. It's an artistic film that leaves a deep impression on you, which i do think sets Steve McQueen apart from other directors. (Shame, which i also liked and didnt find pretentious or gratuitious at all, affected me in a similar way...it is good and quite rare if a movie can leave a lingering impression afterwards, i think).


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## Gramsci (Feb 6, 2014)

Sue said:


> Fill the Void -- Orthodox Jewish family drama set in modern-day Israel. Know very little about Orthodox Judaism -- despite living only a few miles away from a big Orthodox community -- so found this very interesting. And a very good film too I thought, if a bit depressing.



Definitely a film worth seeing. Did well here in London. I think due to a largely Jewish audience. ( at my afternoon screening at Renoir it was mainly Jewish ladies of a certain age).

I thought it was well made film. Good performances and also emotionally got more involving as it went along.

Its set in Tel Aviv. I used to know an Israeli. He had no time for Orthodox Jews. He was secular Tel Aviv.

It was clear the film was a labour of love by the director to portray her community in best light. But also be accurate about the portrayal.

The director apparently is a convert to Orthodox Jewish tradition. Which surprised me. I thought there whole society was claustrophobic. They only mixed with other Orthodox. Despite living in a liberal Tel Aviv they seemed to have no connection with anyone outside them. Also men and women had totally separate roles.

I think that why was it was a bit depressing. As much as it was about a growing love affair I could not but help think the two had been under subtle (and at times not so subtle) social pressures. Also the men and women were brought up not to mix naturally but always under supervision. 

I would recommend this film as one of the more emotionally intelligent films I have seen recently.


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## Sue (Feb 8, 2014)

Finally psyched myself up to see 12 Years a Slave and feel kind of disappointed. Not quite sure what I was expecting but it felt like a very standard 'historical' film and I'm not sure it said much we didn't already know.... (Obviously people being aware of the evils of slavery is good but I'm not sure I get the whole 'outsider tells it like it is and as an American director couldn't' thing.)

I really liked Steve McQueen's last two films and this is by no means a bad film -- I'd probably class it as quite good -- but I was expecting something really, really good. Don't know, is it getting the reception it is because of the subject matter..?


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## Sue (Feb 8, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Definitely a film worth seeing. Did well here in London. I think due to a largely Jewish audience. ( at my afternoon screening at Renoir it was mainly Jewish ladies of a certain age).
> 
> I thought it was well made film. Good performances and also emotionally got more involving as it went along.
> 
> ...


 
I saw this a few hours before I saw the Wolf of Wall St -- talk about going from one extreme to the other...


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## Sue (Feb 9, 2014)

Lift to the Scaffold -- Louis Malle's first feature from 1958(!) Man kills his lover's husband, things spiral out of control. Smart, slick, very enjoyable. Highly recommended, especially for those who like noir/Nouvelle Vague films. Also has a Miles Davis soundtrack for any jazz cats out there.


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## belboid (Feb 9, 2014)

Wolf of Wall Street. 

A truly astounding film. Astounding in just how bad it actually is. Unpleasant and unsympathetic people behaving badly. Oh look, they're taking drugs and abusing prostitutes. Again. Haha,they're ripping people off! Oh look, more drugs and prostitutes. The portrayal of women was appaling (what was the point of that woman's little story at his 'farewell'? Her story didn't make sense (5k tuition for an 8 year old??) and her whole demeanour just deeply unconvincing. All the women were shallow morons, tho the men weren't much better. All simple minded and utterly uninteresting. 

Worst of all, it was often just boring.


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## emanymton (Feb 9, 2014)

belboid said:


> Wolf of Wall Street.
> 
> A truly astounding film. Astounding in just how bad it actually is. Unpleasant and unsympathetic people behaving badly. Oh look, they're taking drugs and abusing prostitutes. Again. Haha,they're ripping people off! Oh look, more drugs and prostitutes. The portrayal of women was appaling (what was the point of that woman's little story at his 'farewell'? Her story didn't make sense (5k tuition for an 8 year old??) and her whole demeanour just deeply unconvincing. All the women were shallow morons, tho the men weren't much better. All simple minded and utterly uninteresting.
> 
> Worst of all, it was often just boring.


This is why I haven't been to see it as I think I would agree 100%. It looks awful to me, I think I would just sit there for 3 hours building up my anger.


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## DexterTCN (Feb 10, 2014)

emanymton said:


> This is why I haven't been to see it as I think I would agree 100%. It looks awful to me, I think I would just sit there for 3 hours building up my anger.


I laughed my arse off at it.

Comedy requires bad characters, these are very bad.   The women may have been shallow (they were not morons) but not as shallow as the men.

It's a comedy and has plenty of laughs.


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## belboid (Feb 10, 2014)

what?  tosh!!

Comedy does not require 'bad characters' - it requires funny characters. Preferably ones you can have some sympathy with, even if you don't actually like them. these are just unpleasant cunts. The women had absoluitely no agency, they were mere conduits for men and their spunk, there was nothing to indicate they were anything but shallow money hungry morons. And it just wasn't funny. Boring, old jokes, debauchery scenes that Scorcese (and many others) have done lots better before.

he appears to have taken Belfonts book at simple face value!  No recognition that it was almost definitely a pack of self-aggrandising lies. And there is just no satire on Wall Street itself, nothing, its politics are trite beyond belief.


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## RedDragon (Feb 10, 2014)

Got forced into seeing Philomena, an okish film although couldn't help thinking how much better it would've been had Mrs Brown played the Judi Dench part.


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## belboid (Feb 10, 2014)

I was planning on watching that later today


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## RedDragon (Feb 10, 2014)

belboid said:


> I was planning on watching that later today


TBH, It's actually a good film and well worth watching.


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## ringo (Feb 10, 2014)

Dallas Buyers Club. First trip to the cinema for 12 years, bar High School Musical with the littlun. Great film, McConaughey and Leto were both great. Remembered why I hate the cinema though - all that waiting about, the tall twat wriggling in front of me so that I could see his head all the way through, two am dram types nattering throughout, people eating and drinking noisily and you can't pause it to go for a piss


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## redsquirrel (Feb 12, 2014)

Sue said:


> Lift to the Scaffold -- Louis Malle's first feature from 1958(!) Man kills his lover's husband, things spiral out of control. Smart, slick, very enjoyable. Highly recommended, especially for those who like noir/Nouvelle Vague films. Also has a Miles Davis soundtrack for any jazz cats out there.


Excellent film.


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## Yuwipi Woman (Feb 12, 2014)

Monument Men.

Sappy, but enjoyed the story.  Clooney wasn't quite as annoying as usual.  He should keep the beard, it hides a smirk.  Liked the performances by the supporting cast.


----------



## braindancer (Feb 12, 2014)

Lego: the movie.

Superb!  I took the kids, expecting the usual dross, but was massively impressed.... 

The animation is fantastic and it's got a genuinely funny dry sense of humour.  We all loved it, but I think I enjoyed it even more than they did


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## fen_boy (Feb 16, 2014)

braindancer said:


> Lego: the movie.
> 
> Superb!  I took the kids, expecting the usual dross, but was massively impressed....
> 
> The animation is fantastic and it's got a genuinely funny dry sense of humour.  We all loved it, but I think I enjoyed it even more than they did



Agreed, it's 1984 with bum gags.


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## Cheesypoof (Feb 19, 2014)

Saw Philomena on holiday last week, it was really great. Heartbreaking, heartfelt and genuinely funny! I know a few Irish old ladies like that! 

Going to see Dallas Buyers Club tonight. Can't wait.


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## Cheesypoof (Feb 19, 2014)

Dallas Buyers Club was great, it was bittersweet, very sad but funny at the same time. Excellent performances too. Jared Leto looked so sexy in drag....you would do him whether you are a man or a woman


----------



## Gramsci (Feb 21, 2014)

Sue said:


> Lift to the Scaffold -- Louis Malle's first feature from 1958(!) Man kills his lover's husband, things spiral out of control. Smart, slick, very enjoyable. Highly recommended, especially for those who like noir/Nouvelle Vague films. Also has a Miles Davis soundtrack for any jazz cats out there.



I was going to see "Bastards" at Renoir but got the time wrong so went to Cine Lumiere to see "Lift to the Scaffold".

Saw it on by chance as that was what was on at the convenient time for me. 

What a wonderful film. Looks as fresh now as when it was made back in 58. Great soundtrack. And I am not a jazz cat. 

It is wonderfully shot. Particularly liked the way he filmed Jeanne Moreau walking in the city night. 

Its also not imo classic film noir. I felt sympathy for both the ex soldier and the youth. The film was more a Greek Tragedy. As one of the police, almost joking, says at one point. Both the ex soldier and the youth are outsiders in post war France. The ones who are doing well are the self satisfied German businessman and the French arms dealer. So those who do well out of post war France are the cynical businessmen.


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## Orang Utan (Feb 21, 2014)

braindancer said:


> Lego: the movie.
> 
> Superb!  I took the kids, expecting the usual dross, but was massively impressed....
> 
> The animation is fantastic and it's got a genuinely funny dry sense of humour.  We all loved it, but I think I enjoyed it even more than they did


I saw it this afternoon and agree. 
Very witty dialogue and amazing visuals - I love how they represented water and explosions. Cloud cuckoo land was well trippy.
Loved the quasi-anarchist subtext and big business = evil message, even though it is essentially an advert for Lego.
LOL at the micromanagers and the minions in business suits.


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## Dr. Furface (Feb 21, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Her - _miles, miles better than the previous two films. I've never been a big fan of Spike Jonze (_Being John Malkovich _is IMO one of the most overrated films around) but this is excellent. Far more depth and intelligence to it than what I've seen of his previous previous work. The plot is that in the near future humanity will start to create operating systems possessing artificial intelligence. The central drama is that Joaquin Phoenix's character, who's broken up from his wife, begins a relationship with his OS Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), but that's just the starting point, and the film is much more an examination of how humanity interacts (or doesn't) with these new intelligences as well as with each other. Amy Adams is also in this, and is about a millions times better than in _American Hustle_. Johansson is pretty much playing herself but that's OK and Phoenix is good as the central character. I'm not sure if it's being released in the UK yet? But I definitely recommend it.


Yes I really enjoyed this. It's not exactly believeable (not yet anyway) but it's not totally absurd either and it gets a lot of mileage - and a fair few laughs - out of the idea that some human beings might just be needy enough that they could become emotionally involved with an artificial intelligence. And why not? - it's inevitable that artificial intelligence will become more intelligent and seem less artificial as technological development advances ever more rapidly, potentially to the point of superceding humans in the evolutionary chain. However, that's not really the point, and in a way it's really just a romcom with an imaginative twist. Anyway, Phoenix is excellent in the lead role, as ever, and enhances his reputation as perhaps the best and most versatile contemporary screen actor, and a strong supporting cast too (would've liked to have seen more of Rooney Mara though, whose part as Phoenix's ex was little more than token). And it looks great.


----------



## Gramsci (Feb 23, 2014)

Another film related to HIV/AIDS is being shown at Tate Modern. 

Its Derek Jarmans last film "BLUE"

There is a retrospective of his films at BFI and an exhibition about him at Somerset House.

IMO one of the best recent British film makers. Should be better known. He had AIDS and was starting to lose his sight. So he made this film "Blue". Thats what it is 75 mins of a Blue screen with music and voiceover by him and his collaboraters. 

Its on at Tate Modern in one of the galleries for free. With back to back shows of the whole film. 

Sounds tedious for a cinephile to watch. I was at Tate and started to watch it on the offchance. Ended up watching the whole film. 

I am still trying to work out why its mesmerising. It build up to be a emotionally powerful film about approaching death. Its not a spiritual film but somehow by the end the Blue of the screen takes on meaning. Quite what meaning I am not sure. What it reminds me of is painting. Somehow the Blue starts to hover in front of ones vision like an abstract painting. 

The dialogue by Jarman works well with this idea of Blue. There are details of his hospital visits, poetry ( not his ) and music. It all builds up as it goes along. 

Its also an unromantic view of someone nearing death. Thinking of how they will meet there end. At one point he recounts how many of his friends ended there days. 

This film is how Jarman worked out the way he would deal with death. You need to see the film to get the point. As all good films its not easy to describe only in words.


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## DJWrongspeed (Feb 23, 2014)

Dr. Furface said:


> Yes I really enjoyed this. It's not exactly believeable (not yet anyway) but it's not totally absurd either and it gets a lot of mileage - and a fair few laughs - out of the idea that some human beings might just be needy enough that they could become emotionally involved with an artificial intelligence.


re: Her
Agree with this but the jump from a speech recognition computer to AI was a jump too far for me. Brings up lots of interesting themes for sure especially towards the end.  No idea why it's up for any Oscars????  it's just a little indie movie playing around with some ideas? Nothing particularly stands out.

Finally saw 'Act of Killing' this weekend which is up for an Oscar. Not a film that would be shown in Indonesia perhaps. You can tell this as the end credits roll all the Indonesian film crew are just 'Anonymous.' It's not the truth but an insightful way of looking at past atrocities.


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## belboid (Feb 23, 2014)

Dallas Buyers Club

Very good indeed, top notch performances, a smart, understated, script. Thankfully lacking in sentimentality, and undidactic, almost _casually _devastating about the effects of the pharma industry.


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## Sue (Feb 23, 2014)

The Stranger by the Lake. A body is found at a lake used for gay cruising. Built the tension and sense of menace very nicely, ambiguous ending. Thought this was good.


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## redsquirrel (Feb 25, 2014)

_12 Years A Slave_ - very good, though not as good as _Hunger._ Very good performances all round, everybody praises Fassbender, and he is excellent, but Ejiofor has the harder role in many ways and is excellent too. Benedict Cumberbatch (as the "enlightened" salve owner) and Sarah Paulson (playing Fassbender's wife) also do very well in their parts. 

_Utopia_ - John Pilger's new film about Indigenous Australian's in present day Australia. It's clearly still a massive issue (as Pilger shows) and deserves to be highlighted but I have to say that this is far from being Pilger's best work. It was shown on the TV in the UK and it really feels much more like a TV docu than a film, it's pretty disjointed. I also have problems with some of the assumptions Pilger makes. 

_The Great Beauty_ - absolutely fantastic, one of the two best films I've seen so far this year (see below for the other). I wasn't that keen on Sorrentino's previous film, _This Must Be The Place_, but I loved this. Part of the reason is probably Toni Servillo who I'm a fan of, but it's also absolutely gorgeous. If I wanted to be hypercritical it just be a touch too long, I found the part with the nun lacking something compared with the previous two hours. But overall it's absolutely wonderful, I'm very tempted to go see it again, I think it will be one of those films that you get something different out of every time you watch it.

_Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom_ - What is it with biopics (and music documentaries) that makes directors so unwilling to try anything other than the usual. Like so many this is filmed strictly by the numbers, it's perfectly competent but just doesn't break out from the traditional format. That said it's decent enough, Idris Elba is pretty good in it, though I think the decision to use make up to age him was a poor choice. Like a lot of accents in film it's just distracting and Elba is a good enough actor that he can play age without it. Noami Harris steals the show for me, in the far less sympathetic role.

_Blue is The Warmest Colour_ - my other film of the year so far, deserved to win at Cannes, an absolutely excellent piece of work. Everything works: performances, script, acting, plot, cinematography. As she's in virtually every minute of the film Adele Exarchopolous needs to be great and she is. In what must have been a really demanding role due to the explicitness, not just of the sex scenes but also the scenes where she's sleeping, crying, fighting - all of it must have been draining. There's loads of beautiful moments in the film and for something that's three hours it doesn't feel nearly that long, it just swept me along. (the English title is better as well)

_The Past_ - Asghar Farhadi's follow up to _A Separation_, this is set on France with a husband returning to Paris from Iran to divorce his ex, who intends to marry someone else, in person. It has a very similar feel to _A Separation_ so if you liked that there's a good chance you will like this, though I think this is probably a slightly "warmer" film. It's good, well acted, with the plot, thoughts and secrets of the characters all revealed slowly.


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## belboid (Feb 26, 2014)

finished my pre-Oscars viewing with _Her_.  And, pretty much what everyone else has said, very funny and touching. Takes a standard sci-fi idea and runs with it cleverly, Phoenix & Adams are both great and Johanssen is spot on with the voice, just the right squeaky clean and perky until she switches to squeaky clean soft and empathic) tone. I could probably have done with one less date scene, Phoenix's goofy grin only has so much charm.  A very good couple of hours tho.  And I was glad to see the music was by Arcade Fire, as I kept thinking 'this sounds like Arcade Fire.'  Also glad that I didn't talk the in-laws into going to see it with us at the weekend.


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## marty21 (Feb 26, 2014)

Sue said:


> The Stranger by the Lake. A body is found at a lake used for gay cruising. Built the tension and sense of menace very nicely, ambiguous ending. Thought this was good.


Saw this tonight, enjoyed it, agree about the ending - thought it was also very funny in parts as well.

First film of the year!

1.  Stranger by the lake  (_L'Inconnu du lac)_

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_by_the_Lake


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## goldenecitrone (Feb 28, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Utopia_ - John Pilger's new film about Indigenous Australian's in present day Australia. It's clearly still a massive issue (as Pilger shows) and deserves to be highlighted but I have to say that this is far from being Pilger's best work. It was shown on the TV in the UK and it really feels much more like a TV docu than a film, it's pretty disjointed. I also have problems with some of the assumptions Pilger makes.



I wonder what those assumptions could be, Mr 'the aborigines destroyed Australia'.


----------



## Sue (Feb 28, 2014)

Only Lovers Left Alive, Jim Jarmusch's latest. Hmm, bit torn over this. Looks stylish, it's quite funny in parts, Tilda Swinton is great as ever and there's real chemistry between her and Tom Hiddlestone. But...it's so fucking pretentious, with heavy handed references to scientists and writers and a 'plot' involving the John Hurt character that's just cringeworthy. However, each time it all got a bit too much, something happened that made me not hate it. I would say though that it promises more in the trailer than it delivers.


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## redsquirrel (Mar 1, 2014)

Sue said:


> Only Lovers Left Alive, Jim Jarmusch's latest. Hmm, bit torn over this. Looks stylish, it's quite funny in parts, Tilda Swinton is great as ever and there's real chemistry between her and Tom Hiddlestone. But...it's so fucking pretentious, with heavy handed references to scientists and writers and a 'plot' involving the John Hurt character that's just cringeworthy. However, each time it all got a bit too much, something happened that made me not hate it. I would say though that it promises more in the trailer than it delivers.


Shame I was quite looking forward to this, doesn't come out here for another month.

_Nebraska_ - Alexander Payne's latest, excellent. Like belboid said over in the DVD thread the script is excellent, and the acting not only from Bruce Dern but also June Squibb and Stacy Keach hits all the rights notes. It also looks fantastic, the decision to film in black and white suits the wide flat scenery. Indeed in some ways it's as much a western as a road movie, certainly the score (which is great too) is clearly evoking past westerns. 

_Le Week-end_ - Another film with an excellent script and performances, Lindsey Duncan doesn't seem to have got a lot of recognition unfortunately. The ending might just be a little on the pat side but the style which Duncan and Broadbent pull it off means they very, very nearly get away with it. Not quite in the class of some of the stuff I've seen this year but still very enjoyable.


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## Dr. Furface (Mar 3, 2014)

belboid said:


> Dallas Buyers Club
> 
> Very good indeed, top notch performances, a smart, understated, script. Thankfully lacking in sentimentality, and undidactic, almost _casually _devastating about the effects of the pharma industry.


Yeah I really enjoyed it. Matthew McConaughie isn't an actor I've had much time for previously but he's excellent in this.


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## belboid (Mar 3, 2014)

Philomena. 

Had seen it already, but it was a good reason to take the in laws to the Tuschinsky in Amsterdam (2 hours without speaking,glorious!) and they enjoyed it greatly. As did I once again, probably more so than they first time.  Fucking catholic bastards.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 3, 2014)

I saw Penny Woolcock's One Mile Away at an LSE literary festival. Great film about a pointless post code war in Birmingham that is brought to an uneasy truce by the riots of 2011. Even though it appears to have been produced by James fucking Purnell!
Should have just watched it at home though. The wallies who organised it played it on a lecture room white board on VLC and failed to put the film into full screen, which was very distracting. And the speakers weren't up to the job either. But the worst aspect was the LSE audience, sniggering at some rather depressing scenes. There's a slightly awkward scene in which some gang members meet Purnell and Jonathan Powell (who oversaw the Good Friday Agreement) in Whitehall, and the audience were laughing at this, like it was a chimps' tea party. Made me want to strangle them all.


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## belboid (Mar 5, 2014)

after it won the Oscar, mrs b decided she did want to go and see Her after all.

And I must say that on second viewing, it really disappointed. Phoenix, Adams & Johanssen all very good, but the plot-holes were gaping, the more interesting bits of background story just ignored, the repetitious scenes of Phoenix goofing just annoying (wow, you can smile AND spin around, amazing). There's a decent basic gist of a story going on, but it doesn't really make as much of it as it should.


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## quimcunx (Mar 6, 2014)

Wolf of wall street.  Steaming pile of shite.

e2a:  a 3 fucking hour long steaming pile of shite at that.


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## quimcunx (Mar 7, 2014)

Should have gone to Dallas Buying Club instead.

The trailer for Her looks dreadful.  And loads of people have been having relationships or strong connections with people they got to know online or only know online for a long time now.  So what.

I also saw American Hustle this year. It was ok, but nothing more.

And a film called Leviathan - a documentary about fishing.  It was an endurance test.

And another film that I can't remember the name of about a unit for disruptive/disrupted teens and a woman who works there.  It was good.  Would recommend.  E2A: Short Term 12.

I think that's all I've seen this year so far.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 7, 2014)

Isn't that more films than you've watched in your lifetime previously?


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## quimcunx (Mar 7, 2014)

I have had little phases throughout my adulthood of  going to the cinema but even then its not usually the 'everyone has seen' films. 

In the last couple of years I've been to whirled art more often than big cinemas which tends to show less well known films.


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## Belushi (Mar 8, 2014)

*The Grand Budapest Hotel* (Wes Anderson 2014) I'm not a huge Anderson fan but this is one of his more enjoyable films, and looks beautiful of course.


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## MellySingsDoom (Mar 8, 2014)

"Only Lovers Left Alive" (Jim Jarmusch, 2013) - a decent entry into the vampire stakes, though it's actually more of a love story than anything.  Also has one laugh-out-loud line about the music industry, and a band called White Hills in the rock club segment (wonder what the actual US band White Hills will make of that one?).  The Lebanese song done towards the end (in the Tangiers segment) is great too.  Recommended!


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## Sue (Mar 9, 2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel. Very entertaining, looks very stylish, bit distracting that everyone who's anyone's in it. Storyline was a bit all over the place but not sure that's what you go and see Wes Anderson's films for. Fun.

Rome, Open City. Know very little about the German Occupation of Rome so found this interesting. Great film, now want to see the other two films in the trilogy.


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## ruffneck23 (Mar 12, 2014)

Just came back from the new 300 film, it was very violent , not really my cup of tea tbh, but it was actually pretty entertaining.

It's not a sequel but set in the same time line, so what was going on in the first film the second is parallel to it.


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## marty21 (Mar 12, 2014)

1.  Stranger by the lake  (_L'Inconnu du lac)_
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Hugely enjoyable, looked fantastic, and ripped along at a furious rate.


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## blossie33 (Mar 15, 2014)

Went to see The Rocket today, set in Laos it's about a young boy and his family who have to leave their village because of a dam being built in the area and him trying to make a rocket which might bring much needed rain. Some quirky characters and quite dark in parts but also humour and some lovely moments. The child actors were excellent. Enjoyed it.


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## oryx (Mar 16, 2014)

Finally got to see _Inside Llewyn Davis_ tonight. Overall very enjoyable (though it had its bleak moments) and beautifully and atmospherically shot. I could almost feel the cold of the snowy freeways and NY streets.

The best bit is the dinner party/wrong cat scene. Absolutely hilarious.
Especially as in one shot it looked just like the I'm poopin' LOLcat.


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## Sue (Mar 16, 2014)

Under the Skin. Visually stunning, original, erotic. However, not sure what you'd make of it if you hadn't read the book/knew nothing about it going in and it is a little bit slow at times. Overall though, excellent film.


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## Gramsci (Mar 16, 2014)

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" 

Wes Anderson s latest film. The opening credits name the writer Stefan Zweig as the influence. I had to look him up afterwards. He lived in Vienna in the interwar period. So saw the final days of that centre of European culture. 

Piece here on Wes talking about Zweig.

After reading that interview and this article on Zweig the films take on a darker tone in hindsight. 

The plot is not the main interest. The Hotel and Gustave the concierge are what the film revolves around. 

The first third of the film I loved. Its wonderful. Starting in the near present then going back to the last days of the hotel is brilliantly done. Ralph Fiennes, as usual, shows himself to be a top notch actor. A real presence on screen. 

It is good to see a film that so inventively uses special effects. He creates scenes which hark back to early cinema and magic lanterns. 

The film sags a bit in last half. However the final black and white scene shows the beginning of the end for the Europe as WW2 starts. 

I did find it amusing that the fictitious country its set in is called Zubrowka. This is the name of a famous Polish Vodka.

Thinking more since I wrote the above (Brixton Ritzy film thread) I feel there is something missing from the film. Considering that Wes does foreground the influence of Zweig I feel he could have done a more involved film. Nothing wrong with using humour or surreal take on events. Its just that once I looked up the background to the film (Zweig and the history of the period) I think he could have made it more explicit in the film. Definitely in the beginning it looked like he was going to do that. But half way through the film it turned into chases and slapstick. Probably why Iiked the first half best.


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## Gramsci (Mar 16, 2014)

ruffneck23 said:


> Just came back from the new 300 film, it was very violent , not really my cup of tea tbh, but it was actually pretty entertaining.
> 
> It's not a sequel but set in the same time line, so what was going on in the first film the second is parallel to it.



I remember seeing the first one by accident. It was what was on at the time.

I liked it because it was so bonkers. It was a combination of a piss take on the war on terror and so hyper masculine that it tipped over into being homo erotic. 

I was rooting for the "decadent" Persians against the clean living American Spartan beefcakes. 

Most amusing was the scene when the Persian king shows the clean living Spartans the life of decadence they could have if they surrendered and joined him. So the Spartans choose to die like real men so they can go back to a life of back breaking work on there farms. Sorry Id surrender straight away.  A life sloth and decadence please.


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## Gramsci (Mar 16, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Utopia_ - John Pilger's new film about Indigenous Australian's in present day Australia. It's clearly still a massive issue (as Pilger shows) and deserves to be highlighted but I have to say that this is far from being Pilger's best work. It was shown on the TV in the UK and it really feels much more like a TV docu than a film, it's pretty disjointed. I also have problems with some of the assumptions Pilger makes.



Not seen it yet. Ur are Australian I think?

Not criticizing but what are the problems with Pilgers assumptions?

I do find Pilger a bit predictable. Not always wrong. But I did not pay a cinema ticket for it as I kind of know he is going to say how terrible it was. How the colonists/ settlers have always and still oppress the Aborigines. Probably throws in for good measure that all Australians are complicit in this. Whether they say so or not. I do find him unrelenting and totally humourless. He makes a good point then is so totally puritanically moral about it that it puts me off.  

Or am I wrong?


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## Gramsci (Mar 16, 2014)

Sue said:


> The Stranger by the Lake. A body is found at a lake used for gay cruising. Built the tension and sense of menace very nicely, ambiguous ending. Thought this was good.



One of the best films I have seen recently. And worth seeing in a cinema rather than on DVD.

Its not to long and well shot. A few recent films I have seen have been imo self indulgent in there length. This film shows how its done.

Its a film that is still in my head. Not sure what to make of it. Its very odd film. ( I like odd films.)Not sure whether its critical of aspects of gay life or whether that is the point of the film at all.

Well I propose the following as the point:

The point is imo that its a discussion about the differences between sexual desire , love and friendship. Aspects of life that affect "straights" and gays.

Friendship wins hands down. In that sense the film is not ambiguous. The ending is the horror (like Brando in Apocalypse Now).

Thinking on it the gay aspect of the film is a way to build a closed world to enable this to be portrayed.

There is a feeling that this all takes place outside everyday life. ( I had to remember that in France basically no one works in August).

It kind of reminded me of Greek plays. It is stylized. The lake, beach and woods all have there role to play in the film.


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## Dr. Furface (Mar 17, 2014)

Sue said:


> Under the Skin. Visually stunning, original, erotic. However, not sure what you'd make of it if you hadn't read the book/knew nothing about it going in and it is a little bit slow at times. Overall though, excellent film.


I wouldn't go as far as to say it's visually stunning - although some scenes are - but it's very well filmed and it does look good. Scarlet Johanson certainly looks good which is important because she holds your attention and does much to give the film an air of mystique - she was excellent. I read the novel it's based on some years ago and this is only a very loose adaptation of it - but I'm glad I had read it as it did give me a basic understanding of what was going on (and seeing this has made me want to revisit it). I liked how it managed to be both mundane and other-wordly at the same, and I think it's one that will stay in my mind for quite some time. Definitely well worth seeing.


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## belboid (Mar 17, 2014)

Grand Budapest Hotel

Anderson's best for years, imo. Top notch all round, possibly my favourite Fiennes performance ever.

the most surreal thing tho, wasn't in the film, it was one of the trailers.  For the Common Agricultural Policy.


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## redsquirrel (Mar 17, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Not seen it yet. Ur are Australian I think?
> 
> Not criticizing but what are the problems with Pilgers assumptions?
> 
> ...


I'm British but I've lived in Aus for the past 6 years.

You're kind of on the money, maybe a little harsh but I definitely wouldn't bother going to the cinema to see it.

Regarding my criticisms of Pilger's assumptions, a lot of it covers the same stuff that was gone over in this thread, so I won't go into a lot of detail but basically it's another case of multiculturalism being used to undermine class/material based analysis. IMO you see this a lot with Indigenous Australian issues, there's a focus on cultural respect (sorry rubbish term but I can't think if better one ATM) rather than on sorting out the dreadful material conditions that many IA's live in. For example one of the best bits in the film is where someone points out the cost of providing decent accommodation for all the IAs living in the NT would be peanuts in the federal budget, however, I've heard people (not in the film just in conversation) argue against the government providing such accommodation as it would be imposing "our culture" (whatever that means) on IAs, and "they" don't want that. Hope that answers your question.

-------------------------------------

_Dallas Buyers Club_ - Pretty good, it's largely a one man show for Matthew McConaughey but I'm a fan of his. There's good support from Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner (who does very well with what is rather a nothing part). There's not too many surprises but it's entertaining enough.


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## Gramsci (Mar 17, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> -------------------------------------
> 
> _Dallas Buyers Club_ - Pretty good, it's largely a one man show for Matthew McConaughey but I'm a fan of his. There's good support from Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner (who does very well with what is rather a nothing part). There's not too many surprises but it's entertaining enough.



Thanks for getting back on Pilger. Thats a lively thread you linked. . Interesting discussion.

I have just realized I did not put up my comments on Dallas Buyers Club here ( on the Brixton Ritzy thread). So here they are:


Two great performances from Matthew McConaughey as Ron and Jared Leto as Rayon. They held the film together.

There was interesting review in Evening Standard.

This points out that the real life Ron was a married bisexual. This has been written out. Ron in the film is a hard drinking homophobic redneck. It would have been interesting to have done a film about how a bisexual married man dealt with this illness. It would have been a more complex story.

The Big Pharma part of the plot did not work for me. I had friend who had AIDs in that period. I used to used visit him in hospital etc. So know about this subject.

AZT was not simply foisted on doctors by "Big Pharma". In the early days there was no treatment for AIDS. The treatments were for the opportunistic infections that people got due to weakened immune system.

I used to visit my friend in the AIDs ward at Middlesex hospital ( now demolished). I have nothing but praise for the doctors and nurses. It was crisis management of illness in that ward.

AZT did not go through full clinical trials. It was gay groups who campaigned for it to be offered as treatment. There is a bit in the film of TV footage of Act UP protestors with placards demanding AZT to be given to people. People were dying in hospital.

AZT in early days was offered with advice. There were side effects. Effectively patients and doctors were testing the drug as they went on. My friend did not take it. After a few years the combination of different drugs including AZT was developed.This is used now and means people can live relatively normal lives.

I think the Big Pharma plotline is more modern concept that has been overlayed on this story.

The most interesting character was Rayon ( Jared Leto). Accurate portrayal of how some people dealt with prospect of death. People did not want to die. Having seen people near death I can guarantee that its not something people embrace.

Watching the film to me brings back memories. But for the mainly younger audience its not something that they have directly experienced. Wondered what people made of it.

AIDS is now manageable illness. Jared Leto as Rayon had to lose a lot of weight to play the part. Its accurate but not something one sees now with better treatments.

  The actual portrayal of the effects of the illness was accurate. In case its thought that some of it might have been exaggerated for purposes of drama. There is one bit were Ron has to stop his car in the street and has to be helped by his policeman friend. Thats how it was. Suddenly someone would collapse and you would have to get them to hospital.

It was something that I thought was one of the good things about the film. To clarify what was being portrayed was how the illness affected people before effective treatments were developed.


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## DrRingDing (Mar 17, 2014)

belboid said:


> Grand Budapest Hotel
> 
> Anderson's best for years, imo. Top notch all round, possibly my favourite Fiennes performance ever.
> 
> the most surreal thing tho, wasn't in the film, it was one of the trailers.  For the Common Agricultural Policy.



It was alright, the film not the trailer.


----------



## Gramsci (Mar 17, 2014)

Under The Skin

I like Sci Fi films. This is particularly good. Reminded me of the writing of Gene Wolfe "The Fifth Head of Cerberus" in the way that it shows the weirdness of alien culture and how it might interact with humans. In Gene Wolfe part of the underlying story is that the humans might not have supplanted the alien culture they found on a planet but it might still be living among them. 

Most Sci Fi is basically like our present social and political problems discussed in a future history. Or taking an issue of our time ( over population, environmental catastrophe ) and taking it to extreme. This , like Gene Wolfe, takes it that an alien culture might not be understandable to us. 

This film shows an alien culture interacting with ours. Scarlet is excellent in this. Particularly chilling is the scene on the beach. One realizes how the aliens have a completely different moral standpoint. 

Why the aliens do what they do is never explained. I liked this. The film is not an alien invasion film. They have no wish to take over. 

What it does say about the present is the general feeling of alienation of people. Quite disturbing. 

And I agree with previous posters it strangely erotic. In a way that links eroticism with death.


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## belboid (Mar 19, 2014)

Just out of The Zero Theorem. 

It's a Gilliam movie, so it looks great. Enjoyable performances, Matt Damon especially, and several really good little bits. But, overall it was insufficiently engaging and just Brazil lite.


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## belboid (Mar 21, 2014)

Under the Skin.

I haven't read the book, but it wasn't as hard to follow as I feared it might be - got a little confusing around the middle, but then made sense again. Even when it was rather perplexing (ie, most of it) it was engrossing. I dont think it entirely worked, it was so bloody dark for one thing, but when it was good it was great. The hidden camera bits with 'real' Glaswegians were great, a marvelous advert for the city.


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## Idaho (Mar 21, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Under The Skin
> 
> I like Sci Fi films. This is particularly good. Reminded me of the writing of Gene Wolfe "The Fifth Head of Cerberus" in the way that it shows the weirdness of alien culture and how it might interact with humans. In Gene Wolfe part of the underlying story is that the humans might not have supplanted the alien culture they found on a planet but it might still be living among them.
> 
> ...


"Strangely erotic"? Scarlet gets her kit off every 15 minutes. Mystery solved.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 22, 2014)

I have just seen Under The Skin also.
I thought it was stunning.
I loved the book but the film is only a very loose adaptation.
Scarlett Johansen is great but really not how I imagined the girl to look like. 
The score is so good that it almost feels like the film hangs around it rather than the other way round.
My friend didn't like it as much and found it boring and confusing, so maybe you need to read the book first.


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## DrRingDing (Mar 22, 2014)

Nightmare on Elm Street 2 @ the BFI

Twas grand


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## DrRingDing (Mar 22, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> I have just seen Under The Skin also.
> I thought it was stunning.
> I loved the book but the film is only a very loose adaptation.
> Scarlett Johansen is great but really not how I imagined the girl to look like.
> ...



I'm boycotting the racist Johansen so, I hope she starts getting shit films.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 22, 2014)

Racist?


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## ash (Mar 22, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> One of the best films I have seen recently. And worth seeing in a cinema rather than on DVD.
> 
> Its not to long and well shot. A few recent films I have seen have been imo self indulgent in there length. This film shows how its done.
> 
> ...


 The person I went to see it with  said; 'it's not often you get to see a 6 foot cock ' which I think sums it up nicely. : )


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## DrRingDing (Mar 22, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> Racist?



She supports Israeli apartheid.

Well, she's getting paid (probably vast sums) to support apartheid.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 22, 2014)

I did not know that. I shall Google.


I would still get in the van.


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## belboid (Mar 22, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> The score is so good that it almost feels like the film hangs around it rather than the other way round.


I know what you mean.  I thought the score was stunning and so important to the film. The way you couldn't tell sometimes whether it was soundtrack or 'actual' sound just added to the whole air of confusion and uncertainty.


----------



## Wilf (Mar 22, 2014)

belboid said:


> Grand Budapest Hotel
> 
> Anderson's best for years, imo. Top notch all round, possibly my favourite Fiennes performance ever.
> 
> the most surreal thing tho, wasn't in the film, it was one of the trailers.  For the Common Agricultural Policy.


Saw it tonight, was excellent - and the CAP advert was truly wtf!


----------



## redsquirrel (Mar 23, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> Racist?


She a spokesperson for Sodastream who's main factory is the West Bank. 

I'm really looking forward to _Under The Skin._ _Birth _is one of my favourite movies of the last decade, is UTS as good?


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## Orang Utan (Mar 23, 2014)

I have only seen Sexy Beast which I wasn't a fan of due to another woeful miscasting.


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## _pH_ (Mar 23, 2014)

I saw Grand Budapest Hotel last week but there were no CAP adverts. Disappointed  It is an amazing film though, LOVED IT.

Going to see it again in April at the wonderful Rex in Berkhamsted. I rang 377 times yesterday morning before finally getting through to the box office! *REDIALREDIALREDIALREDIAL*


----------



## Gingerman (Mar 23, 2014)

Wolf of Wall Street a few weeks ago,really enjoyed it,not a big fan of the guy but DiCaprio has really matured as an actor impressed by his performance,def left his Titanic teeny idol days behind.....


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## Sue (Mar 23, 2014)

Orphee and La Belle et la Bete double bill. The only version of LBELA I'd seen before was really scratched and with ropey sound so seeing a restored version at the cinema was great.


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## Sue (Mar 23, 2014)

_pH_ said:


> I saw Grand Budapest Hotel last week but there *were no CAP adverts.* Disappointed  It is an amazing film though, LOVED IT.


 
Likewise. Feel like I've been done.


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## lolo (Mar 24, 2014)

Grand budapest hotel - acers
Yves - less so
The borderlands - yet to submit my review


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## Wilf (Mar 24, 2014)

_pH_ said:


> I saw Grand Budapest Hotel last week but there were no CAP adverts. Disappointed  It is an amazing film though, LOVED IT.
> 
> Going to see it again in April at the wonderful Rex in Berkhamsted. I rang 377 times yesterday morning before finally getting through to the box office! *REDIALREDIALREDIALREDIAL*


 Amongst many other things, I loved the contrast of the wonderful hotel building with the gruesome 1960s orange wallpaper.  Whole thing was beautifully filmed, beautifully acted.


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## DrRingDing (Mar 24, 2014)

Sue said:


> Orphee and La Belle et la Bete double bill. The only version of LBELA I'd seen before was really scratched and with ropey sound so seeing a restored version at the cinema was great.



I recommend this nonsense..... La Bete (1975) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072752/

I was amused.


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## Gramsci (Mar 24, 2014)

_pH_ said:


> I saw Grand Budapest Hotel last week but there were no CAP adverts. Disappointed  It is an amazing film though, LOVED IT.
> 
> Going to see it again in April at the wonderful Rex in Berkhamsted. I rang 377 times yesterday morning before finally getting through to the box office! *REDIALREDIALREDIALREDIAL*



I did not see the CAP advert mentioned by other posters at my local cinema either. Do not know why.

The link to the Rex is most interesting. Looks like a wonderful restoration. There are not many cinemas left that have not been chopped up into multiplex cinemas.

Sadly the Renoir in London is next to be chopped up into multiplex.


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## Gramsci (Mar 24, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> I would still get in the van.



According to director they did go around Glasgow in a van with Scarlet in a wig picking up men ( not actors). Director did not say which bits of film are non actors. They had to get signed consent for scenes to be used in film. Not surprisingly most of the men did not give consent. 

Yes I would get in the van.


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## belboid (Mar 24, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> I did not see the CAP advert mentioned by other posters at my local cinema either. Do not know why.


you go somewhere groovier than Cineworld I guess



> Sadly the Renoir in London is next to be chopped up into multiplex.


that's terrible


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## Gramsci (Mar 24, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> I'm really looking forward to _Under The Skin._ _Birth _is one of my favourite movies of the last decade, is UTS as good?



So "Birth" is that good. I did not know about this film. Maybe in UK it was not widely shown. "Sexy Beast" was big hit in UK. Will have to check it out. 

UTS is imo better than Sexy Beast. In sense that its worth a second look. 

However my friend thought it was disappointing. Whilst it looked good he was expecting more after the rave reviews. I think he meant that the story was a bit thin. He compared it to unfavourably to "The Man who Fell to Earth" which he has seen recently on big screen. Which he reckoned had more involving story. Cannot judge myself. Never seen that film in a cinema.


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## Sue (Mar 24, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Sadly the Renoir in London is next to be chopped up into multiplex.


 
What's happening with that? They were talking about splitting it into five screens IIRC though really can't see how that would even be possible.


----------



## redsquirrel (Mar 24, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> So "Birth" is that good. I did not know about this film.


I really rate it and I know Reno and David Thompson of the Guardian are also fans. Lots of critics hated it though, and that combined with the silly "pedophile" nonsense meant that it kind of died on release unfortunately. Got a a very good cast Nicole Kidman, Lauren Bacall, Danny Huston (who's managed to get a role where he doesn't just play a sleeze/pyscho for once) and some interesting ideas.

I think it might be one of the films that will be "re-discovered" eventually.


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## redsquirrel (Mar 24, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> According to director they did go around Glasgow in a van with Scarlet in a wig picking up men ( not actors). Director did not say which bits of film are non actors. They had to get signed consent for scenes to be used in film. Not surprisingly most of the men did not give consent.
> 
> Yes I would get in the van.


Would you have signed the consent form though?


----------



## _pH_ (Mar 24, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> The link to the Rex is most interesting. Looks like a wonderful restoration. There are not many cinemas left that have not been chopped up into multiplex cinemas.



Supposed to be really good (Guardian cinema of the year or something), have been trying to get tickets for ages. Weekend showings sell out very quickly which is why I spent so long on the phone trying to get tickets for GBH - it sold out soon after I got ours. Going on April 19th so I will let you know what it's like then.


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## Gramsci (Mar 24, 2014)

Sue said:


> What's happening with that? They were talking about splitting it into five screens IIRC though really can't see how that would even be possible.



They have put in a planning application.

I have been promised it will mean that it can show more independent less commercial films and one screen will be for documentaries.

Now Picturehouse are part of Cineworld I guess Curzon are looking ahead to see how they can survive. As one of the last small chains I think they are feeling the pinch. They are stuck between the large chains and also find the growing sector of small cinema clubs as competitors. I have been told they are finding the growth in small cinema clubs affecting them. So maybe the Renoir conversion is way to make Renoir more like the small cinema clubs. 

Depends on how they do the conversion. If its like some of the plush preview cinemas Ive seen it could work. If its chopped up with poor seating it would put me off. 

I wish them well. They are not in an easy position. They also try to keep at least some performances at cheaper rates.

Picturehouse for example had the small cinema in Rupert street for art films. But they gave up on it. Its still empty. Its not an easy market to do commercially.

To look on the positive side they are trying to run a commercial operation ( Unlike BFI and Cine Lumiere which are not commercial enterprises) that does provide the cinema goer with an alternative to run of the mill commercial film.

Artificial Eye is part of Curzon. Under Artificial Eye they release films here. Artificial Eye brings films to UK that the larger chains would not.

Curzon also release film on there website where they can be watched online. I have never tried it. My computer struggles a bit with streaming films. Its old. But my friend says it works well.

The Curzon may lose the Chelsea cinema as the owner wants to redevelop the whole site.


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## Gramsci (Mar 24, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> Would you have signed the consent form though?



If Scarlett offered me a lift in her Transit van I would give her lecture on her association with Sodastream and politely turn down her offer. 

Well I doubt it really.

I am camera shy. I was filmed once without my knowing it by film crew making an advert. They asked me to sign consent form. I said no.


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## Gramsci (Mar 24, 2014)

Idaho said:


> "Strangely erotic"? Scarlet gets her kit off every 15 minutes. Mystery solved.



There is little actual sex in the film. Its what happens after she has given the them a lift. Do not want to give to much away. Also the scene with the guy who is disfigured worked well.


----------



## mwgdrwg (Mar 27, 2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Thoroughly enjoed the caper. Ralph Fiennes comic timing was perfect throughout, and it looked amazing as usual.


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## redsquirrel (Mar 30, 2014)

_Nymphomaniac _- Lars von Trier latest four hour spiel on sex. The plot is that Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård) finds Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) lying beaten on the street and takes her back to his place to recover. She then narrates her life story which is interspersed with interruptions by Seligman.

You could generalise and say that the first half is a comedy while the second is a tragedy. (Although one of the most moving scenes in the entire film is the death of Joe's father (Christian Slater - I can't remember the last thing I saw him in but he's good here) which occurs in volume 1). Personally I much preferred volume 1, and judging form the comments I overheard from other people I think that was the general consensus. The film does show that von Trier is a talented film maker, there are some very funny moments as well as some scenes that really did get to me: the death of Joe's father, a scene where Joe leaves her young son alone in the house while she goes out for a meeting with a man, the sadism scenes with Jamie Bell. I even liked many of Seligman's digressions which I know a number of critics found annoying.

There's a lot of talent and effort that is present in this film, not just from von Trier but most of the actors have obviously worked really hard. Which makes it all the more depressing that IMO it's all been used to produce something that is fundamentally so cynical and empty. At the end of the day when I left the film my main feeling was a combination of "is that it?" and boredom. That ultimately it's nothing more than yet another attempt by von Trier to try and provoke people. One of the most obvious examples of this is a part in the film where Joe talks about 'negros', and when Seligman points out that this is 'un-pc' she replies with a justification that modification of language due to political correctness is an assault on democracy (this is from memory but it's pretty close IIRC). But any validity in this "debate" is undermined that von Trier has clearly just shoehorned this episode in to try provoke people through the use of the negro.

Ultimately LvT's juvenile foot-stamping undermines a lot of the very good stuff present, making the film less than the sum of its parts. I'd only recommend it to film buffs and/or von Trier fans, and even then I'd recommend that if possible you try and see the two volumes over two sittings rather than back-to-back as I did.


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## Belushi (Mar 30, 2014)

*Under the Skin* (Jonathan Glazer 2013)  Superb. Hypnotic, erotic, disturbing and moving.   Some stunning cinematography, a great score and an unearthly performance from Johansson. A memorable and thought provoking film.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 30, 2014)

It made me reread the book, which is also awesome


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## Belushi (Mar 30, 2014)

I never read the book if I really rate a film, I don't want to discover my ideas are completely at odds with what the author intended


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## Orang Utan (Mar 30, 2014)

It's quite different. The film adaptation is very loose. We know a lot more about the alien's inner life. And she has colleagues. Her interactions with them are key scenes in the book.


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## Belushi (Mar 30, 2014)

Ah you see I don't want to know; I felt the same with Let the Right One In, the film is enough, anything else would just lessen it for me.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 30, 2014)

Aw no! You have to read both!


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## Onket (Apr 1, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> It's quite different. The film adaptation is very loose. We know a lot more about the alien's inner life. And she has colleagues. Her interactions with them are key scenes in the book.


I wondered how close it was to the book.


----------



## youngian (Apr 2, 2014)

I didn't have any expectations of Starred Up and anticapated it was made by some hack like Nick Love who watched Alan Clarke films as a kid. It is in that tradition (Jimmy Boyle, Scum's Carling and Tim Roth's Trevor can all be evoked in the central character) but is very exciting and never lets up due to all the frenetic performances which keep you guessing what their motives are. There are some stock characters including a Harry Grout who runs the wing but they have a lot more to do than your average Brit crime picture. Plenty of cockney prison mumbling and Danny Dyer take your noteboook you can also update your rhyming slang. The screws are now kangas apparently, I see what they did there. But its a very character centred thought-provoking piece, well worth a butchers.


----------



## youngian (Apr 2, 2014)

DrRingDing said:


> I'm boycotting the racist Johansen so, I hope she starts getting shit films.


She was very good in Matchpoint playing an obnoxious self-centred narcissist.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Apr 4, 2014)

*The Past*. French film about a man returning to Paris to get divorced and acting as a catlyst for a series of revelations that will shatter his ex-wife and her new lover's relationship, and the lives of their children. As you'd imagine, it isn't an easy watch, but it's a very rewarding one - I doubt that I will see a more intense, emotionally charged movie this year, or a better acted one either. More and more is revealed as the film delves deeper into the details of a tragic event which proves devastating for all concerned. I was engrossed from start to finish - it will easily be one of my films of the year.

*The Double*. Interesting and amusing, if not brilliant, film about an insecure office geek whose humdrum existence is disturbed and gradually transformed by a man who looks like he could be his identical twin, but whose personality couldn't be more different. It's based on a short Dostoyevsky story (which I haven't read) but for me it had strong echoes of Kafka's The Trial. I probably wouldn't have bothered with it except that the 2 main roles are played by the ever-excellent Jesse Eisenberg, whose casting for this was a masterstroke - and I suspect that without his involvement this project would never have even got into production.


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## youngian (Apr 6, 2014)

Dr. Furface said:


> *The Double*. Interesting and amusing, if not brilliant, film about an insecure office geek whose humdrum existence is disturbed and gradually transformed by a man who looks like he could be his identical twin, but whose personality couldn't be more different. It's based on a short Dostoyevsky story (which I haven't read) but for me it had strong echoes of Kafka's The Trial. I probably wouldn't have bothered with it except that the 2 main roles are played by the ever-excellent Jesse Eisenberg, whose casting for this was a masterstroke - and I suspect that without his involvement this project would never have even got into production.


 
Eisenberg does good work and its directed by Richard Ayoade. I liked his previous effort and saw him promoting the Double on Graham Norton. It was a refreshing juxtapositon to Russell Crowe and Cameron Diaz talking a load of tosh and touting films that looked even bigger tosh.


----------



## MellySingsDoom (Apr 6, 2014)

Forgot to add this from a couple of weeks ago:

"Bloody Homecoming" (dir. Brian C Weed, 2012) - An amusing, if albeit predictable and somewhat clunky, take on early 80's US horror tropes.  Various cast members get bumped off by a masked, covered figure ("borrowed" obviously from George Mikhalka's 1981 clunker, "My Bloody Valentine"), and the "shock" ending is no surprise at all.  Whilst not quite as self-referential as Wes Craven's "Scream", I can't escape the feeling that the audience is meant to know each trope thrown into the mix....also, the female characters are somewhat more than stereotyped, even for a genre where said stereotyping is sometimes "key", it seems...

"Bloody Homecoming" is worth seeing once, I guess, if you're into this genre, but otherwise seek out something like the former "video nasty" "Dead And Buried" (dir. Gary Sherman, 1981), where horror tropes are employed to sometimes stunning effect (& this film also features some great over-acting from James Farentino!)


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## oryx (Apr 6, 2014)

Dr. Furface said:


> *The Past*. French film about a man returning to Paris to get divorced and acting as a catlyst for a series of revelations that will shatter his ex-wife and her new lover's relationship, and the lives of their children. As you'd imagine, it isn't an easy watch, but it's a very rewarding one - I doubt that I will see a more intense, emotionally charged movie this year, or a better acted one either. More and more is revealed as the film delves deeper into the details of a tragic event which proves devastating for all concerned. I was engrossed from start to finish - it will easily be one of my films of the year.



Really want to see this next weekend. Sounds like it's as good as _A Separation_.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 7, 2014)

_Tracks_ - An Australian biopic about a Robyn Davidson who walked from Alice Springs to the coast of WA in the late seventies. It's not bad, nothing special but Mia Wasikowska is pretty good in the lead role and makes it enjoyable enough.

_Rear Window - _One of my two favourite films of all time, this is the first time I've seen it at the cinema. It's absolutely brilliant in every way of course.  James Stewart and Grace Kelly are fantastic leads while Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr are good in the supporting roles.  Looks great, fantastic plot, if you haven't seen it then go out and watch it asap.


----------



## Sue (Apr 7, 2014)

The Past. French-set Iranian film by the same director as A Separation. Turned out to be a different film than I thought it was going to be at the start and very good it was too.

Starred Up. Violent youngster is sent to an adult prison. Thought the script was good (if the ending was a bit meh) and excellent performances from Jack O'Connell (who I don't remember seeing in anything before) and Ben Mendelsohn (as ever). The ensemble acting's really good too. Definitely worth catching.

ETA And, even better, got to see the CAP ad I managed to miss for Under The Skin.


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## Sue (Apr 7, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Tracks_ - An Australian biopic about a Robyn Davidson who walked from Alice Springs to the coast of WA in the late seventies. It's not bad, nothing special but Mia Wasikowska is pretty good in the lead role and makes it enjoyable enough.
> 
> _Rear Window - _*One of my two favourite films of all time,* this is the first time I've seen it at the cinema. It's absolutely brilliant in every way of course.  James Stewart and Grace Kelly are fantastic leads while Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr are good in the supporting roles.  Looks great, fantastic plot, if you haven't seen it then go out and watch it asap.


 
What's the other?


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## Sue (Apr 7, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Tracks_ - An Australian biopic about a Robyn Davidson who walked from Alice Springs to the coast of WA in the late seventies. It's not bad, nothing special but Mia Wasikowska is pretty good in the lead role and makes it enjoyable enough.
> 
> _Rear Window - _*One of my two favourite films of all time,* this is the first time I've seen it at the cinema. It's absolutely brilliant in every way of course.  James Stewart and Grace Kelly are fantastic leads while Thelma Ritter and Raymond Burr are good in the supporting roles.  Looks great, fantastic plot, if you haven't seen it then go out and watch it asap.


 
What's the other?


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## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2014)

Sue said:


> What's the other?


John Sayles _Lone Star, _I don't know if you've seen it?

It's set on the Texas-Mexico border, with Chris Cooper (in a lead role for a change, and just as good as he usual is) investigating a possible crime committed by his father (Matthew McConaughey), but it's as much a political film and drama as a mystery. Sayles manages to balance the different strands/themes in the film perfectly. Like _Rear Window_ I've probably seen it 6+ times and each time a I see it I get something new. It's probably not as _good_ a movie as _Rear Window_ but on a personal level it's equal to it.


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## Pickman's model (Apr 8, 2014)

the double. thought it was very good.


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## redsquirrel (Apr 8, 2014)

Sue said:


> Ben Mendelsohn (as ever). The ensemble acting's really good too. Definitely worth catching.


Glad to see Mendelsohn is getting more work outside Australia, he deserves it.


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## Sue (Apr 8, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> John Sayles _Lone Star, _I don't know if you've seen it?
> 
> It's set on the Texas-Mexico border, with Chris Cooper (in a lead role for a change, and just as good as he usual is) investigating a possible crime committed by his father (Matthew McConaughey), but it's as much a political film and drama as a mystery. Sayles manages to balance the different strands/themes in the film perfectly. Like _Rear Window_ I've probably seen it 6+ times and each time a I see it I get something new. It's probably not as _good_ a movie as _Rear Window_ but on a personal level it's equal to it.


I saw it when it came out and really enjoyed it. Maybe need to rewatch it though as that was quite a while ago. Also love Rear Window if Perry Mason/Ironside being the baddie seemed kind of wrong the first time I saw it...


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## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 8, 2014)

Pickman's model said:


> the double. thought it was very good.


yes, i went to see this yesterday and also enjoyed it (i think).


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## MellySingsDoom (Apr 11, 2014)

The Double (dir. Richard Ayoade, 2013) - Overall, a decent, solid and entertaining  effort by Ayoade, with Jesse Eisenberg impressing as both doppelganger characters.  Didn't realise that this is actually based on a Dostoevsky novel, until the end credits rolled.  The only slight caveat I have is that I felt the film slightly lost its focus in the final 15 minutes, but certainly it didn't affect "The Double" overall.  Cameo appearances include those by Chris Morris, and Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis (!).  Certainly worth seeing if you get the chance.


----------



## belboid (Apr 12, 2014)

The Raid 2

Unbelievably OTT kickass flick, even more so than the first one. There was an actual plot involved this time too, which was a bit of a surprise. Highly entertaining, and it was amusing to watch it amidst the malest cinema audience I've ever been at. At various points there were 300 blokes tightly crossing their legs and protecting their bits while the three women in attendance just laughed. The mud battle scene was just hilarious.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 17, 2014)

_All Is Lost_ - Robert Redford plays a yachtsman in trouble in the Indian Ocean, Redford's the only actor in the film and he barely says a word. The film really rests on Redford's performance and it's a good one, far, far better than one's he phones in in the films he's directed recently. The plot is nothing out of the ordinary, another survival tale, but it's directed well and keeps the tension going, though the ending is a bit of a cop out. Also I never really fancied yachting before, now I know I'm not going to take it up. 

_Gran Budapest_ _Hotel _- A huge wedding cake of a film, very much Wes Anderson, with painstakingly designed sets and chock full of cameo's. Ralph Fiennes is great as the concierge who romances old women, he keeps the whole thing moving, but pretty much the whole cast is good, Harvey Keitel supplies a very weird performance. It's very funny but there are also some touching moments, I don't think it's quite as good as _The Royal Tenebaums_, which remains my favourite Anderson film but it's still very good.

_Barry McKenzie Holds His Own_ - Saw this as part of a retrospective 40th Anniversary of a bunch of Australian films, wish I hadn't. An absolutely appalling piece of shit, not just totally unfunny but also horribly racist. The scene where immediately after arriving in the UK a bunch of Indian immigrants head straight for the benefits office stands out as a particularly nasty example. Avoid at all costs. 

_The Lusty Men_ - Newly restored print of Nicholas Ray's 1952 film starring Robert Mitchum. Mitchum plays an ageing rodeo cowboy who starts to coach a younger man (played by Arthur Kennedy) and his wife (Susan Hayward). It's not in the top drawer of Fray films but Mitchum and Hayward are both very good playing off each other and Kennedy provides decent support in a pretty dry role. It has similarities, not just in subject matter but also in tone, to Sam Peckinpah's _Junior Bonner_, though with less dirt under the fingernails.


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## Badgers (Apr 17, 2014)

Anyone seen Calvary yet?


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## MellySingsDoom (Apr 17, 2014)

Noah (dir. Darren Aronofsky, 2014) - Aronofsky's take on the biblical story of....well, surely everyone knows the story of this one by now?  As expected, this is a big-budget effort, with a fair amount of special effects work, and a big-name cast heading up the whole thing.  What could have been an entertaining effort is hampered by the script (far too much exposition going on), and a running time that could easily have been cut by 30 minutes.  Messrs Crowe and Winstone have presence indeed, but come across as surprisingly muted much of the time, and the female cast seem to simply act as foils for the men. 

There's two moments of amusement - the character Shem trying to engage sexytime mode with his beloved (and getting absolutely nowhere), and Winstone's initial appearance, where he mugs at the screen shamelessly.  The moment where Emma Watson seemingly gives birth in record time also made me chuckle.  But that aside, everything is played straight, almost to the point of po-facedness.

"Noah" could have been a big budget Biblical b-movie per excellence, but it ultimately doesn't hit the mark.  And to be frank, what "Noah" really needed was a script written by someone like our very own DotCommunist  - at least that way, we would have been assured of a film full of Old Testament-style fire-and-brimstone chest-beating by all and sundry!


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## DotCommunist (Apr 17, 2014)

they just don't do films like 'The Ten Commandments' anymore. Cast of thousands, that disturbingly inaccurate and bright blood, the stark colours as parodied to fuck in 'Hobo With A Shotgun'

There was a same era follow on to Ten Commandments as well, it depicted the judean revolt where the Romans had so many dissidents to crucify they ran out of wood for the crosses and nailed people to walls, or sometimes just pinned them to a wall with a big spear. That was a grim scene. It did make me feel better about my pidgeoun chest though, when they were spearing people to the wall most of them had a chest that resembles mine. Don't get that in modern films do you. Every man or woman viewed topless by the camera has magnificant chests.


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## MellySingsDoom (Apr 17, 2014)

DotCommunist said:


> It did make me feel better about my pidgeoun chest though, when they were spearing people to the wall most of them had a chest that resembles mine. Don't get that in modern films do you. Every man or woman viewed topless by the camera has magnificant chests.



Yep, know what you mean here - remember seeing the re-make of "The Amytiville Horror" a couple of years back, and I couldn't believe that the male lead kept showing off his buff chest/torso at every available opportunity.  I mean, obviously I enjoy the male form, but that was frankly ridiculous.  I think myself and the mate I was with ended up laughing at all the buffness business, and wishing we'd just re-watched the original instead.


----------



## MellySingsDoom (Apr 20, 2014)

Girlfriends (dir. Claudia Weil, 1978) - this one is a drama film, with touches of comedy, and is based around the life of Susan Weinblatt (Melanie Mayron), a Jewish photographer based in the West Side of New York City, who struggles to gain success and acceptance with her work, whilst having to struggle to keep up her apartment, and all the situations that happen in her life.  Initially apartment sharing with her best friend Anne (Anita Skinner), Susan soon finds herself alone, when Anne gets together with the guy who later becomes her husband.  Going through a number of loveless encounters, and having to deal with various sleazebags, Susan finds some happiness when she begins to fall for an older married guy.  Already being in a relationship with Martin (Bob Balaban) though, she becomes conflicted about what she wants from her love life, and eventually falls out with Martin.  By the end, Susan finally achieves professional success, and gets her first full photography exhibition; however, she is still to find true happiness at the end...

"Girlfriends" is essentially a study of one woman's desire to be happy and successful, whilst still maintaining her own sense of identity.  Susan is seen to be a funny, aware and thoughtful woman, yet one who is also prone to secret desires and feelings - she has an unrequited crush on Anne, for example, and seems to be in conflict about her being at times.  Although her Jewish background isn't heavily prominent in this film, it does get touched upon at times; for instance, there's a (sweet) moment when she recounts her Orthodox Jewish upbringing, and her desire as a seven year old to become a rabbi.  She also insists at the exhibition that a particular bar mitzvah photograph is displayed, even though the gallery owner argues against this.  There's an appearance by Eli Wallach as Susan's older lover, and he comes across as a funny, considerate but ultimately un-commited partner.

This film is only one of three made by Claudia Weil, who moved onto TV work for the rest of her career, and I knew nothing about her when I saw this - in fact, I literally walked in off the street with no knowledge of this film at all!  On this showing though, Weil could have cut a decent career in making films depicting the lives of contemporary people, and how they deal with these lives and those within them.

Although "Girlfriends" is essentially a low-key film, it is nonetheless a decent and enjoyable effort.  This is well worth checking out should you get the chance to see it.


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## Belushi (Apr 20, 2014)

*Kiki's Delivery Service* (Hayao Miyazaki 1989) at the BFI as part of their Studio Ghibli season. Really glad to have finally seen one of his wonderful films on the big screen.


----------



## Sue (Apr 20, 2014)

The Double. Richard Ayoade's second film, based on a Dostoyevsky short story about a man and his doppelganger. Thought this was really good -- the look and feel, the way it was shot, the acting -- and definitely makes me want to see what Ayoade does next.

Calvary. Priest in rural Ireland is threatened with murder. Again, liked this -- funny, dark, though maybe the whodunit thing was a bit too contrived -- and Brendan Gleeson is excellent.

Last Year at Marienbad. Had never seen this before and found it a bit meh. Wasn't really very interested in what happened or who these people were or anything else tbh.


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## Wilf (Apr 21, 2014)

Transcendence (Johnny Depp).  The couple of reviews I looked at were okay, but it was predictable and stocked with not very engaging characters.


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## blossie33 (Apr 21, 2014)

I saw Last Year in Marienbad recently too. Not quite sure what I thought about it, it was interesting in a wierd way - must have been very avant garde for  the time and I think it was quite cleverly done.
It did seem a very long 90 minutes though!


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## Sue (Apr 21, 2014)

I can see it would've been very original in its time but didn't find that enough to keep me interested. I also found it a very long 90 minutes...


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## belboid (Apr 21, 2014)

Sue said:


> The Double. Richard Ayoade's second film, based on a Dostoyevsky short story about a man and his doppelganger. Thought this was really good -- the look and feel, the way it was shot, the acting -- and definitely makes me want to see what Ayoade does next.


saw this on saturday. I quite enjoyed it, and there is a lot to like in it, but it all felt a bit of a clever cut up of a dozen other movies. I found it oddly long for a 100 minute movie. A very interesting step for Ayoade after Submarine tho, and his next one will undoubtedly be worth seeing too.



> Last Year at Marienbad. Had never seen this before and found it a bit meh. Wasn't really very interested in what happened or who these people were or anything else tbh.


Good thing you weren't interested, cos there is no way we are ever gong to find out. I do like it, but it really is a pretentious load of old tosh that is very of its time. Quit funny in places, tho who knows whether that is intentional.


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## Dillinger4 (Apr 25, 2014)

I am going to see Movement, Magic and Mirrors: Five short films by Maya Deren at the Cornerhouse, on Sunday.


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## redsquirrel (Apr 26, 2014)

_Only Lovers Left Alive_ - I liked this more this a lot more than Sue did, I admit that it doesn't really have much of a plot and the Marlowe/Shakespeare stuff is a bit wince inducing but the style, and Tilda Swinton, carried it through for me. Swinton is just great in it, Hiddleston was ok and Mia Wasikowska is good in a bit role. It's not a masterpiece and could do with a bit of cutting but it's good fun.

_The Invisible Woman - _Ralph Fiennes' second feature about Nelly Ternan the mistress of Charles Dickens. I really loved ralph Fiennes' _Coriolanus_ and so I had high expectations for this. Unfortunately it didn't manage to fulfil them, it's not a bad film and very well acted, Felicity Jones is particularly good as Nelly, but compared with _Coriolanus, _which I found so exciting, it lacked a bit of energy for me.

_The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie_ - Never seen any Buñuel before so this was something else I was looking forward to, there are a couple of funny moments but overall I have to say it didn't blow me away. Always nice to see Stéphane Audran though.


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## MellySingsDoom (Apr 26, 2014)

Under The Skin (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 2013) - this is the latest effort from the "Sexy Beast" director, and features Scarlett Johansson in the lead role. The plot, such as it is, involves Johansson (who has no name in the film) going around an un-named part of Scotland, first within a town, and later on into the countryside.  She wanders around in an almost random at times fashion, and has intimate encounters with a number of men she picks up - mostly just hinted at, but the last encounter is more candid.  Eventually she ends up in some woodland, where a woodland officer attempts to rape her.  She fights off this attacker, only for her then to literally shed her skin and transform into an alien-like creature.  The rapist returns and sets Johansson on fire, and the film ends with her demise.

"Under The Skin" has no real narrative form, so depends on the visual aspect to keep things going, and I have to say it really doesn't work.  Whilst Johansson has presence indeed, and comes across as an empathetic, confident woman, there simply isn't enough going on to keep things engaging, and I have to admit to finding myself becoming somewhat distracted in parts.  There's some nice visual touches at times (harking back to Glazier's previous career as a music video director), and the thematic and and incidental music works well, but there's also moments where the pace really does slow down too much, and the sci-fi element only really comes into being right at the end.  In addition, I didn't particularly enjoy the message that this film seems to convey, which is that if you're a confident, engaged and sexually active woman, you can expect to end up abused and dead!  Hardly a cheery or positive thing to take on board, is it?

This is the first film that Glazier has directed in nearly 10 years (following on from 2004's "Birth"), and to be honest, he really could have done a much better job here.  Such is the general ennui and lack of focus in "Under The Skin", that not even Johansson can save it, and ultimately this is a more miss than hit affair for me.  The first truly disappointing film I've seen on the big screen so far this year.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 26, 2014)

I really loved it. Did you understand what these 'intimate encounters' were though? I'm not sure i would have had I not read the book


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## belboid (Apr 26, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> Never seen any Buñuel before




Viridinia & Exterminating Angel are musts


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## Belushi (Apr 26, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> I really loved it. Did you understand what these 'intimate encounters' though? I'm not sure i would have had I not read the book



I haven't read the book as you know but understood.  It's a real marmite film, I loved it.


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## Belushi (Apr 26, 2014)

Hoping to go and see the new Lukas Moodysson film 'We are the Best!' this week.


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## Orang Utan (Apr 26, 2014)

Belushi said:


> Hoping to go and see the new Lukas Moodyssons film 'We are the Best!' this week.


Yeah, that looks great


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## Sue (Apr 26, 2014)

MellySingsDoom said:


> In addition, I didn't particularly enjoy the message that this film seems to convey, which is that if you're a confident, engaged and sexually active woman, you can expect to end up abused and dead!  Hardly a cheery or positive thing to take on board, is it?


 
I didn't take this from the film at all. More that she's exploiting the fact the men really believe they're so desirable that an attractive woman would randomly pick them up like that and have sex with them. Which isn't specially flattering as far as the men are concerned but is kind  of the opposite of what you took from it.


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## Sue (Apr 26, 2014)

Locke. Tom Hardy driving as his life goes into meltdown. Didn't know anything about this -- went to see it a bit randomly -- and it's actually really good and a lot more engaging than it sounds like it would be.


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## MellySingsDoom (Apr 26, 2014)

Sue said:


> I didn't take this from the film at all. More that she's exploiting the fact the men really believe they're so desirable that an attractive woman would randomly pick them up like that and have sex with them. Which isn't specially flattering as far as the men are concerned but is kind  of the opposite of what you took from it.



I kinda take your point there, but still think that the whole premise of the film - a woman effectively being punished for her own sexuality at the end - hit a sour note, and overall the film didn't work for me at all.  Did you enjoy this one yourself?


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## MellySingsDoom (Apr 26, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> I really loved it. Did you understand what these 'intimate encounters' were though? I'm not sure i would have had I not read the book



Haven't read the book myself, as it goes, and yeah, I kinda "got" the reason behind the encounters, but in the end the film simply didn't work for me at all.  A real shame, as I've certainly enjoyed Glazer's other output.


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## Wilf (Apr 26, 2014)

Sue said:


> Locke. Tom Hardy driving as his life goes into meltdown. Didn't know anything about this -- went to see it a bit randomly -- and it's actually really good and a lot more engaging than it sounds like it would be.


We saw it too - also a bit randomly (thought the 'life unravelling' bit in the adverts was going to turn into a thriller ).  Really enjoyed it, Tom Hardy's acting, his face, the pace of it. Excellent.


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## redsquirrel (Apr 26, 2014)

belboid said:


> Viridinia & Exterminating Angel are musts


I saw DCotB as part of the Melbourne Cinematheque, which shows classics, it was actually a double bill of _Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie_ with _Exterminating Angel_ but because of public transport had to leave after the first half. 



Belushi said:


> Hoping to go and see the new Lukas Moodysson film 'We are the Best!' this week.


Looking forward to that loved Moodysson's early work (_Show Me Love_ is one of my favourite films of the 90s) but I'm less keen on his more recent stuff. This is supposed to be more like _Show Me Love_ or _Together._


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## mwgdrwg (Apr 28, 2014)

Amazing Spider-Man 2.

I'm a big Spidey fan, and I hated it


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## blossie33 (Apr 28, 2014)

Unrelated a 2006 film directed by Joanna Hogg which I can't say I particularly enjoyed, there was nothing wrong with the acting etc I just found the story quite boring and the characters irritating - but that may possibly have been just me. Fortunately I hadn't paid to see it!

Guardian write up for anyone interested www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/19/drama1


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## DJWrongspeed (Apr 28, 2014)

Caught Calvary with the excellent Brendan Gleeson. Black comedy which slides into just dark drama. The financial crash and the catholic sex abuse scandals jostle around in discussions on morals. The  scenery is stunning.


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## marty21 (Apr 30, 2014)

1.  Stranger by the lake  (_L'Inconnu du lac)_
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Russ Meyer classic released the year I born - 2 good things came out that year  violent, sexy, funny, what you'd expect from Meyer - not sure if this is being re-released all over  - they were showing it at the Barbican.


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## colacubes (May 3, 2014)

I should join this to keep track as I've seen loads this year but have probably forgotten some   From memory thus far:

1. The Hobbit 2
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. August:  Osage County
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. The Lego Movie
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel
8. The Muppets Again
9. Locke
10. Calvary

All were really good apart from The Hobbit (meh) and Wolf of Wall Street which was an hour too long at least.  I saw Calvary yesterday and it's well worth seeing.  Brendan Gleeson is ace, and the rest of the ensemble cast are terrific.


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## Belushi (May 3, 2014)

*We are the Best!* (Lukas Moodysson 2014) A joyful coming of age flick with some great laugh out loud moments and a trio of brilliant performances from the leads.  Like his early films it's both moving and heart warming.

"Hate the Sport! Hate the Sport!"


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## redsquirrel (May 5, 2014)

_Fading Gigolo - _John Turturro's new film, he not only directs but also stars in it. He plays an underemployed bloke who gets into the gigolo business through his friend Murray (played by Woody Allen), and ends up falling for a Hassidic widow. I guess you'd call it a comedy-drama, with some deeper moments in amid the comic parts. It's not a masterpiece but I rather liked it, Turturro is good, Woody Allen plays himself but then I've always rather liked that, Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara are quite good in comic roles.


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## DexterTCN (May 5, 2014)

MellySingsDoom said:


> Under The Skin (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 2013) ....


Not cool to spoil the ending though.


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## Paulie Tandoori (May 6, 2014)

Locke yesterday, Tom Hardy, as reviewers have suggested, does give a good performance but not enough to cover up a script that was lacking and a plot which also lacked dramatic tension, found myself getting a bit bored towards the end and the finish was pants quite frankly, one to wait for the tv showing methinks.


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## gosub (May 6, 2014)

Frank, nice story really well done, very little to do with Frank Sidebottom


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## redsquirrel (May 8, 2014)

Went to a screening of Buster Keaton films at the Melbourne Cinematheque, they showed two shorts _The High Sign_ and _Neighbours, _both enjoyable though the first was probably the better of the two, as well as two longer films _Steamboat Bill Jr._ and _The General_.

This was the first time I'd ever seen any of Keaton's work (outside of clips), just a fantastic evening. _The General_ was probably my favourite, IMO it worked best as a overall film. _Steamboat Bill Jr._ has some amazing stunts and very funny moments but it didn't feel as "whole" to me as _The General_ which just clicked together.


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## editor (May 8, 2014)

OK, it wasn't in a cinema so perhaps the lack of monster screen size was an important omission, but fucking hell Elsyium was a crock of predictable shite, right down to the inevitable one against one showdown of the two main protagonists at the end. Awful.


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## belboid (May 13, 2014)

Frank.

Surprised at just how good this was, both very funny and very touching, as well as insightful about 'creativity', mental illness, and the link, or lack of, between the two. It seems odd to say Fassbender is so good when we don't really see him, but he is, as is Gyllenhall & Gleeson. Their musical performances are damned good too.  Best film from the British isles this year.

Oh, and other than a head, it clearly has bugger all to so with the actual Frank Sidebottom, but is marvellously inspired by him.


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## gosub (May 13, 2014)

belboid said:


> Frank.
> 
> Surprised at just how good this was, both very funny and very touching, as well as insightful about 'creativity', mental illness, and the link, or lack of, between the two. It seems odd to say Fassbender is so good when we don't really see him, but he is, as is Gyllenhall & Gleeson. They're performances are damned good too.  Best film from the British isles this year.
> 
> Oh, and other than a head, it clearly has bugger all to so with the actual Frank Sidebottom, but is marvellously inspired by him.




Most reviews i read gave it the good review it deserves, apart from the Sunday Times who clearly went expecting a film about Frank Sidebottom to the point where she even points out that him being form US rather than Timperly is 'wrong' and Jon Ronson didn't go to Ireland after doing 1 gig, so it needs pointing out, as he was aquired taste so could put people off, or b sidebottom fans feel disappointed

to creativity& mental illness I would add band dynamics


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## belboid (May 14, 2014)

gosub said:


> to creativity& mental illness I would add band dynamics


or even small group dynamics, more generally, I concur.


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## redsquirrel (May 16, 2014)

_Hiroshima Mon Amour_ - Again showing as part of the Melbourne Cinemathque. Absolutely stupendous, this just blew me away right from the great opening scene. Emmanuelle Riva is both brilliant and absolutely gorgeous, and the whole movie is beautiful, the restored print is top notch. The script is marvellous, poetic repititions.  Totally recommend this to anyone.


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## belboid (May 17, 2014)

The Two Faces of January

Patricia Highsmith is the best crime writer going (even now, despite being dead). Ripley is her greatest creation, a truly contemptible genius, who, somehow, has never been really succesfully portrayed on screen (I do like _The American Friend_, but its not really my idea of Ripley, so its a Wenders/Hopper movie, not a Highsmith one). So, The Two Faces, which features highly Ripleyesque characters, was always going to be a bit hit and miss. But it pulls it off excellently. There's nothing flash or fancy in the cinematography or direction, its a straight, fairly conservative telling of the tale. But, oh, what a good tale. You're never quite sure whether you know more than the characters or not, the twists and turns are nicely revealed, and all the locations are gorgeously shot. 

Not having read the book, and thus knowing how it all pans out, probably helped a lot toward my liking of it.


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## Betsy (May 17, 2014)

belboid said:


> Frank.





belboid said:


> The Two Faces of January


Both sound like my kind of films!

Films I've seen:

Philomena...which was excellent
Her
12 Years A Slave
The Wolf Of Wall Street worth seeing for one scene alone which I won't describe.
American Hustle ..a bit disappointing as far as I was concerned.


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## Dr. Furface (May 18, 2014)

belboid said:


> Frank.
> 
> Surprised at just how good this was, both very funny and very touching, as well as insightful about 'creativity', mental illness, and the link, or lack of, between the two. It seems odd to say Fassbender is so good when we don't really see him, but he is, as is Gyllenhall & Gleeson. Their musical performances are damned good too.  Best film from the British isles this year.
> 
> Oh, and other than a head, it clearly has bugger all to so with the actual Frank Sidebottom, but is marvellously inspired by him.


Yes, it was daft but no too daft, amusing and, as you say, ultimately quite affecting too. I liked too how it had a swipe at the SXSW scene and how they'd lap up any old band if they've got enough of a youtube/twitter buzz about them, even if what they get to see is a complete shambles and actually quite sad to witness.


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## Sue (May 18, 2014)

Double bill of Walkabout and Wake in Fright. Hadn't seen Wake in Fright before -- thought it was very good -- but God, if anything would make you give up drinking...


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## belboid (May 18, 2014)

I got my 'Frank' review (pretty much the same one as above) read out on Kermode & Mayo. Mark didn't even disagree with me. Much.


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## Badgers (May 19, 2014)

Anyone seen Godzilla yet? 
I have heard nothing good so far.


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## belboid (May 19, 2014)

Mark Kermode loves it. I'm a bit dubious meself.


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## DotCommunist (May 19, 2014)

its got to be an improvement on the one where jameriqai did the soundtrack


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## Idris2002 (May 19, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Hiroshima Mon Amour_ - Again showing as part of the Melbourne Cinemathque. Absolutely stupendous, this just blew me away right from the great opening scene. Emmanuelle Riva is both brilliant and absolutely gorgeous, and the whole movie is beautiful, the restored print is top notch. The script is marvellous, poetic repititions.  Totally recommend this to anyone.



Tu voit rien a Hiroshima.


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## Orang Utan (May 19, 2014)

belboid said:


> I got my 'Frank' review (pretty much the same one as above) read out on Kermode & Mayo. Mark didn't even disagree with me. Much.


That's got one of the best examples of a drunk with a bottle throwing it away after seeing something so awesome it cures him of his alcoholism.


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## redsquirrel (May 20, 2014)

belboid said:


> The Two Faces of January
> 
> Patricia Highsmith is the best crime writer going (even now, despite being dead). Ripley is her greatest creation, a truly contemptible genius, who, somehow, has never been really succesfully portrayed on screen (I do like _The American Friend_, but its not really my idea of Ripley, so its a Wenders/Hopper movie, not a Highsmith one).


I rather like _Ripley's Game_, but I agree that Malkovitch isn't playing the Ripley of the books. What did you think of Ian Hart in the R4Extra adaptations?	

Looking over the stuff I saw this weekend it's quite weird but the three new films I saw all have some themes in common - coming of age, relationships between parents and children. 
_
Young and Beautiful_ - François Ozon's new one, it's ok, the plot is that a young girl, Isabelle, decides to take up prostitution, more for the experience rather than for the money. The lead, Marine Vacth, is pretty good and Charlotte Rampling pops up. For me the best part of the film was the interactions between Isabelle and her younger brother which had a lot of depth, unfortunately I don't think that relationship was explored as much as it could have been. If you're an Ozon fan probably worth going to see otherwise I'd wait for it to come on TV/DVD.

_Child's Pose_ - part of the "Romanian New Wave", the story is ostensibly about the, almost pathological, relationship between a mother and her son, though it uses this to highlight the corruption of modern Romania. Both major characters are pretty repellant (the son even more so than mother IMO) but the quality of the film is such that they never become caricatures. It doesn't have the sheer power or brilliance of _Beyond the Hills_, but it's still a strong piece of work.

_52 Tuesdays_ - Australian indie film, with the story being told using the events of 52 Tuesdays occurring to the central character, Billie, over the course of a year where her mother is undergoing gender transition, and she is exploring her own sexuality. There's a lot of very good stuff, the acting is mostly top notch, especially the young actors, and for the first two thirds the events unfold in a really natural way. The main problem is the last third which just seemed very artificial to me with the events forced to fit the story rather than arising sympathetically, I think part of the problem is one character in particular, Billie's uncle, who IMO always felt rather fake having a greater role in the events towards the end. In fact, I think the film could easily lose his character altogether and be much stronger for it. That said despite those problems and the rather hipster 52 days theme the overall film is very strong and worth going to see. 

Also there's a samurai film festival on here, showing a bunch of classics so I went to see

_The Seven Samurai_ - great of course, tot sure I really need to/can say much more.

_The Wages of Fear_ - unlike _The Seven Samurai_, I'd not seen this before, really enjoyed it, the print wasn't in quite as good condition as _The Seven Samurai_, but it was still pretty good and the quality of the film made up for any blemishes. The initial setup, showing the boredom and squalor of their lives is done very well indeed, while he scene where they have to blow up the rock blocking their path I found particularly tense.


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## moonsi til (May 21, 2014)

Saw Pulp Fiction earlier as it's 20 years old and now in the classic screening section. It was fab seeing it large again plus the cinema was totally full with a great atmosphere.


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## blossie33 (May 21, 2014)

Anyone else seen the new Miyazaki animation film The Wind Rises yet?

I saw it last week and loved it - I'm a big fan of the Studio Ghibli films anyway.
It's supposed to be Miyazaki senior's last film.


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## moonsi til (May 21, 2014)

No not seen it yet but will look out got it. I read it was his last film too.


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## Gramsci (May 22, 2014)

A Touch of Sin



On limited release in London. Should be given bigger release.

I thought it was a bit far fetched. Its several character in modern China who finally lose it and go over the edge in bloody violence.

Couple of days later, however, read this in Evening Standard. Full text in paper edition says:



> China has suffered a series of attacks on schools as well as violent communal disputes. Experts have warned of a mental illness crisis, with huge levels of stress and anger in society.



So its not farfetched. The film is banned in China. Not surprising at it takes a swipe at Communist party officials who enrich themselves at expense of the communities they are supposed to govern.

As a state of the nation film it works well. It also shows what rampant soulless capitalism does to a society. It also works due to the way the characters are not just cardboard cutouts. I mean by this it works on small scale as well. Its four stories that take one through Chinese society. In fact any society where money rules.

The director Zhangke Jia himself says:



> We have no language to express these new troubles. In the past there would have been systems to give people a sense of meaning. There was potential to find spiritual fulfillment through Buddhism, or a place and support through the family. These traditional sources of personal meaning are gone, and they have been replaced by money - and violence.


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## redsquirrel (May 22, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> A Touch of Sin


I quite fancy this, unfortunately and somewhat surprisingly, AFAIK it doesn't have a release date here yet.


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## Gramsci (May 22, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> I quite fancy this, unfortunately and somewhat surprisingly, AFAIK it doesn't have a release date here yet.



I wonder if the Chinese government are hindering its release in other countries. They have form on interfering in film festivals if a particular film is considered critical of China government. 

Chinese film market is potentially huge and if upset the government they could make life difficult for distributors and film companies wishing to show in Chinese market.


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## DotCommunist (May 22, 2014)

I'll post a link to a torrent when I find it. Particularly interested in this. That cleaver attack on children just days ago is the latest in a sequence of horrific stabby flip outs and maybe this can give me some insight as to whats going on.


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## belboid (May 24, 2014)

Godzilla

Reasonably entertaining smash em up. Starts well, then takes a bloody age before they show us any monster, and Edwards overplays the 'just show a tiny bit, tease, tease' thing a bit when they finally do show them. The plot is absolutely ludicrous, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Even my 10 year old niece was going 'this is just silly.'  But then they got to the really big scraps and much mayhem ensued. Some nice touches, and far better than the last one, but that's as much as can be said for it. 3D was utterly pointless.


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## Ranbay (May 24, 2014)

Rio 2

one was better


----------



## Dr. Furface (May 25, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _The Wages of Fear_ - unlike _The Seven Samurai_, I'd not seen this before, really enjoyed it, the print wasn't in quite as good condition as _The Seven Samurai_, but it was still pretty good and the quality of the film made up for any blemishes. The initial setup, showing the boredom and squalor of their lives is done very well indeed, while he scene where they have to blow up the rock blocking their path I found particularly tense.


One of my fave films ever, and IMO one of the greatest. I was going through some old dvd's yesterday with a view to selling them, and I found I had a copy of Wages of Fear that I'd never even opened that I'd forgot about, so I was well chuffed about that and I'll be watching it again soon. Definitely one I won't be selling!


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## gosub (May 27, 2014)

Edge of tomorrow - calling it the UDF and putting Brendan Gleesan in charge, really?  I suspect the ending was what American audiences wanted, otherwise really enjoyed it.  Not really worth bothering with 3d


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## DexterTCN (May 28, 2014)

X-Men: Days of Future Past.

If you've seen the trailers, you've pretty much seen most of the plot.  It's pleasingly well done though.  The effects fit well and the acting is more than above par for this kind of thing.   The action sequences are good enough (more in a second) and you may find a weird kind of paranoia setting in as it progresses when you start thinking 'holy fuck...Mystique/Raven could be ANYONE!' and that's cool too.

They successfully delete the shit X-Men movies with the story-line.

Hugh Jackman has the most muscular figure ever seen in any movie.

But there's a gem.   And it's not Jennifer Lawrence in blue semi-nakedeness, Fassbender, Picard and McKellen espousing hope and wisdom,  McAvoy overcoming his demons.  It's not Dinklage (not given a lot to do, sadly), Page or Paquin.

...

Evan Peters, Todd from Kick-Ass,  playing a young Quicksilver, steals the entire movie in about 10 minutes and gives us probably the best action in any super-hero movie, ever.  There is no reason, none, not to immediately do a Quicksilver movie, based in that time with that actor.


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## Tankus (May 31, 2014)

Edge of tomorrow , matrix ,groundhog day and saving private Ryan in one mash ......one of Cruises better ones.....

I enjoyed it.....for mindless mayhem .... worth a punt .


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## belboid (Jun 1, 2014)

DexterTCN said:


> X-Men: Days of Future Past.
> 
> If you've seen the trailers, you've pretty much seen most of the plot.  It's pleasingly well done though.  The effects fit well and the acting is more than above par for this kind of thing.   The action sequences are good enough (more in a second) and you may find a weird kind of paranoia setting in as it progresses when you start thinking 'holy fuck...Mystique/Raven could be ANYONE!' and that's cool too.
> 
> ...


 I endorse this review


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## colacubes (Jun 2, 2014)

belboid said:


> I endorse this review



As do I.  Was pretty good fun and the Quiksilver bit was fab   List now for this year:

1. The Hobbit 2
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. The Wolf of Wall Street
4. August:  Osage County
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. The Lego Movie
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel
8. The Muppets Again
9. Locke
10. Calvary
11.  X Men:  Days of Future Past


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## Gramsci (Jun 3, 2014)

Jimmys Hall by Ken Loach and Paul Laverty

Not my first choice to see this weekend. I saw Polanski "Venus in Fur" about S&M relationship as first choice. Film is a good medium to explore the politically incorrect sides of human nature. Jimmys Hall takes a more optimistic view of human nature. An interesting contrast.

Then heard Loach interviewed on radio about Jimmys Hall. Turned out that the interviewer Grandfather had fought for the IRA. In civil war had opposed the treaty. The interviewer said that the film resonated with what she had heard about that time.

This is very good film. I do hope that its not Loach last film. As he said he might retire after this one.

What I liked about it is that its a popular film that manages to say a lot without slipping into Hollywood melodrama. What I mean is that its format with love interest etc is fairly standard one but its message is not. Im not always keen on Loach as he sometimes verges on social realism. One of his best recent (underrated) films is Looking for Eric. A really odd film that works and tells a message without being didactic.

I say its film by Loach and Laverty as Laverty is long time collaborator with Loach as a scriptwriter. This is a joint film. Directors traditionally get the main credit. But imo the best of Loach is when he works with Laverty.

Its set in 1930s republic. Jimmy comes back to Ireland from USA and restarts up a hall ( basically a community centre in modern language). This is seen by the church as a rival for influence.

Its not just an historical film it also is about the importance of a popular culture as a radical force. How ordinary people can build a culture for themselves. In that way the film has an optimistic view of the human spirit. Shows how left politics can tap into peoples emotional needs for community and joy- "If I cant dance its not my revolution". An important point to make when UKIP are managing to present themselves as a populist party. Its does not have to be like this. Reminded me of "Red" Kens GLC of the 80s.

It also does not paint a black and white picture of the opposing view. The priest is an interesting character. The arguments for and against are both put.

Its also wonderfully shot. Loach is often regarded as a political film maker first. Its not acknowledged enough that he really knows the craft of cinema.


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## Tankus (Jun 3, 2014)

hobbits awful ....bloody time went backwards ....and I was 6 hours in the cinema Im sure


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## Gramsci (Jun 3, 2014)

Venus in Fur directed by Polanski



Polanski take on the notorious S&M novel Venus in Fur.

What makes this film work is the two top notch actors  Emmanuelle Seigner, Mathieu Amalric 

Its a pleasure to see these two work together. 

Its based on a play about this novel. A writer ( Mathieu) seeks "Venus" for his stage version of the novel. Its a play within a play. 

Very odd and surreal. Its an austere intellectual film. There is little or no actual sex. If you are into S&M it will be a disappointment. Also the play its based on has , to my surprise , a fairly standard view of S&M as about objectifying women and male desire. Even if the women is supposedly the dominant one. 

It also looks at Greek theatre in contrast to the view of women from a 19c central European book. This was interesting as its saying that Greek view gave women more agency that 19c novel. I do not know enough about this. This is what I like about film when it proposes different ways to see things. 

I am guessing but I expect Polanski stuck fairly closely to the original play. 

As I expect from Polanski its well shot. The beginning is a long shot taking one into the theatre. What I like about the film, that goes along with its austere quality , is the way its shows the artifice of film/ theatre. Goes along with some feminist thinking that gender is constructed not the natural order of things. Kind of surprising considering its Polanski. 

What is very Polanski is that its a dark film. Builds up and gets darker as it goes along. A disturbing film. Not sure I liked it. Always got that feeling from Polanski films from his first one Knife in the Water. 

He was born and grew up in a particularly dark part of Polands history. Not for him the optimism of the will of Loach. An interesting contrast seeing Loachs and Polanskis films on the same weekend.


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## Ponyutd (Jun 7, 2014)

Recreate the joy of buying cinema popcorn by pouring some melted butter over polystyrene and setting fire to a £20 note.


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## redsquirrel (Jun 9, 2014)

From last weekend

_Ida_ - Pawel Pawlikowski's latest, about a young woman meeting her aunt before she takes her vows to become a nun in 60s Poland. A lot of the film deals with the consequences of the Second World War and the Holocaust and lingering anti-semitism still existing. It's beautifully filmed in black and white, the acting is very good.

_Shane_ - classic Western starring Alan Ladd, excellent of course with only the appalling saccharine Joey being a negative.

_Under The Skin_ - I'm another you hasn't read the book, but I didn't think that mattered at all. I still think _Birth_ is Glazer's best film but this is really good. She's been in so much Hollywood recently that I'd forgotten that Johansson is actually a decent actress and she's really good in this. It really well shot and (barring one exception) well edited. If there's one complaint that I'd make it's that I think it's missing a scene between the aborted sex attempt and the forest, not so much because anything is unclear more that I think adding an extra scene there would have made the film work better.

This weekend

_The Babadook_ - low budget Australian horror film. The set up is that single mother Amelia, who's husband died the night their son was born is struggling to bring up their child, Samuel, alone. Samuel is a pretty strange child who suffers from nightmares every night and constructs weapons to fight the monsters from his nightmares. One night he finds a book about a particular monster the Babadook and things go from there. The best parts of the film are in the first half IMO which does a fantastic job of portraying Amelia's utter exhaustion and part resentment of Samuel as well as Samuels fit's and violence. The scenes with violence between mother and son (and vice versa) are really chilling, the second half goes more down the killing the monster stuff and is less original. Essie Davis, an Australian actress who's probably best known in the UK for playing the title role in the _Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries, _is excellent as Amelia and the kid playing Samuel is great too.

_My Sweet Pepper Land_ - A western set in modern day Kurdistan, a bit of a mixed bag. At it's best dealing with the situation of trying to build a new country using comic touches (the farcical execution that opens the film being a good example), the western set up is rather nice and developed pretty well. The major problems are some of the acting (I'm guessing that a number of the actors are non-professionals and it rather shows) and the editing, with weakens the overall film (there's a couple of scenes that I think are shown out of order).


----------



## gosub (Jun 9, 2014)

Chef-great sound track, some good looking good and a story line that didn't come across as smaltzy as it would if I explained it. Really enjoyed it


----------



## agricola (Jun 16, 2014)

_Belle_ - loved it, the only minor gripe was the music being a bit intrusive at some stages.


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## gosub (Jun 26, 2014)

Secret sharer, doesn't quite work, the supporting cast is excellent but the scences between captain and stowaway don't work too well. pity.


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## Gramsci (Jun 27, 2014)

Saw director Bruno Dumont "Camille Claudel 1915" at the Rio in Dalston

Based on the true story of the sculptor who spent most of her life in a mental asylum. 

I did not know the actual history of Claudel nor had heard of her before. So came to this film with no expectations of how it should portray her life. 

It is a riveting watch despite the uncompromising way its made. I found it one of those films that I wished did not end. 

This is because it takes one into a different world. There is something surreal about the film. The asylum is set in stark mountainous countryside. The harsh but beautiful landscape takes on a significance as the film progresses. Its just there in an existential sense. 

There is a heavy religious element to the film. Particularly after her brother appears.  Both Camille and her brother ,in the film, climb a hill and look back over the countryside. Its hard to ever be sure what Camille is thinking about though we see what she observes. The tree in the wind and the shadow of the sun crossing the room she sits in for example. For her brother the landscape is evidence of the presence of God. 

She is a lost soul. Her brother has certainty through belief. But I could not help thinking that his faith is forced. He is harsh and judgemental. He keeps his emotions in check. Her humanity has been crushed. She clearly had strong passions. Its not said in the film but seems to me that her brother has reacted to her mental distress by adopting a rigid faith. 

The film does not give easy answers. Its a film that shows rather than tells. Its a film that raises one above mundane reality.


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## Gramsci (Jun 27, 2014)

The Rio is an excellent cinema ( in London) where I saw Camille Claudel. 

One of the last independent cinemas. It has good screen. It feels like stepping back in time to the 70s and 80s rep cinemas like Scala at Kings Cross. 

Unlike the latest fashion for upmarket cinemas this is the kind of cinema I feel comfortable in. Slightly scruffy and down at heel. 

Now the Renoir is closed for "refurbishment" I reckon I will use the Rio. They also still do Sunday double bills.


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## quimcunx (Jun 27, 2014)

I want to see under the skin and Grand Budapest hotel. 

I went to see Nymphomaniac weeks and weeks ago and I'm still depressed. It has some amusing moments but it's mostly unrelentingly drear.  Uma did a good turn in it. 

21/22/23? Jump street was fun and a good foil to Nympho. I haven't seen the first one.


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## redsquirrel (Jun 29, 2014)

_The Rover - _David Michôd's previous film _Animal Kingdom_, was truly excellent, meaning that my expectations for this were high (especially as it stars Guy Pearce one of my favourite modern actors). The plot is that ~10 years into the future, Australia has basically broken down, Pearce plays a man pursuing his stolen car alongside Robert Pattinson (the brother of the thief). Overall, I have to say it was a bit of a disappointment, but then much of that is probably because my expectations were so high after _Animal Kingdom. _Even so there's a lot that's good in the movie, I like that fact that the reason for this breakdown (The Fall) is not explicitly laid out, and Pearce is good. Pattinson is more of a problem, he plays an American and for some reason has decided to go with the Brando route of mumbling his lines, I'm not sure whether that was his idea or the directors but it's a mistake whosever it was. There's more than enough there to make it worth watching but it's not in the same league as _Animal Kingdom.

Palo Alto_ - Youth in revolt/despair film from Gia Coppola (grand-daughter of Francis, niece of Sofia) based on a book of short stories by James Franco (who stars in this). Again rather mixed feelings about this, it's done pretty well with some decent performances from Emma Roberts and Jack Kilmer but I don't really feel it brings a great deal new to a genre that's been mined pretty extensively already. In particular, I couldn't help but comparing it against Sofia Coppola's work as it mirrors it so closely, and compared with _The Virgin Suicides_ and _The Bling Ring_ it's left wanting. 

_X-Men: Days of Future Past_ - Mediocre blockbuster, definitely inferior to _First Class_ and _The Avengers, _it's not bad but it's flabby, there's more cast members than there should be and it's rather too in love with itself at times (an example being the Nixon stuff), also it's just so clearly set up for a sequel that it's irritating. Lawrence is good again and Jackman shows he's nailed this type of role. As mentioned able the Quicksilver scenes are good fun but you do think afterward that if he can do all this why in gods name are they taking him with them to Paris.

_Frank_ - Very, very loosely inspired by Frank Sidebottom. It's much more a comedy of modern indie bands, one that is funny in places. I guess it's unfair to criticise it for not being the film I wanted it to be but I can't help thinking that I'd rather have had Micheal Winterbottom in the directors seat. It was co-written by Jon Ronson, who I've never been a fan of.

_The Two Faces of January - _I've always loved Highsmith's plots (although her writing has always turned me off the actual books strangely) so I was looking forward to this. It's definitely an above average thriller, though not in the first division. All three members of the main cast are good, Mortensen is always a pleasure to watch, Dunst good and Oscar Isaacs delivers another good performance after _Inside Llewyn Davis_. It looks good too, taking place in Greece, in fact the general mood of the piece and it's location put me in mind of Michael J. Bird's _The Lotus Eaters _(70's BBC television series pretty good in itself but also worth watching for curiosity value in the fact that they really don't make them like that anymore).


----------



## gosub (Jul 1, 2014)

Begin Again,  liked it - even James Corden wasn't annoying


----------



## Lea (Jul 3, 2014)

I saw the Fault In Our Stars last night. It was the saddest tearjerker of a film about 2 teenagers both with illnesses who fall in love. I cried all the way through the film like a big baby. The lady next to me was almost hysterical!


----------



## Lea (Jul 16, 2014)

Finally got to to see The Grand Budapest Hotel. Really enjoyed it. Good story telling. Great to see Ralph Fiennes in a comedy role.


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## Dr. Furface (Jul 17, 2014)

Boyhood, the new one from Richard Linklater following a boy growing up in Texas over a 12 year period, an ambitious project given that it was filmed at various intervals over that timeframe. I can't argue with the reviews this has received, because it's cast are excellent - esp Ethan Hawke and Ellar Coltrane as the father and son - and it's a moving and generally believeable story with some memorable scenes. However I did find it a little stereotyped and trite in some ways (bitter drunken asshole stepfathers again anyone?) and at almost 3 hrs l-o-n-g the last half hour - which was the weakest part for me - had me itching for the end. But overall, one of the better films this year.


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## 8115 (Jul 17, 2014)

Chef. Bit basic but very good nonetheless. Spent the whole time scheming how to run away to California to work in a restaurant.


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## Dr. Furface (Jul 20, 2014)

Finding Vivian Maier. Excellent documentary about an amateur New York photographer who nobody knew anything about until a chance discovery of some of her photographs in an auction shortly after she died in 2009. She worked as a nanny but took over a hundred thousand photos (and films) of the highest quality chronicling life in NYC, Chicago, France and other countries, and never even had the vast majority of them developed. It's a fascinating portrait of a woman who was clearly driven to record the world around her but was also strangely reluctant to show her work to anyone. Wonderful - in the truest sense of the word.


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## Fez909 (Jul 20, 2014)

First film of the year for me, Boyhood. 

100% agree with Dr Furface's assessment of it, so I've nothing to add.


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## redsquirrel (Jul 20, 2014)

_Jane B. par Agnes V. - _showing as part of the Agnès Varda season at the ACMI, I've wasn't really aware of her work before and was mostly attached to this one due to the involvement of Jane Birkin. Nominally it's a documentary about Jane Birkin but that's doesn't explain the film at all, the brochure describes it as "a kaleidoscopic film made of vapours fictions" which is a pretty good description,. Having seen quite a few, rather ordinary, by-the-numbers docs about artists over the years this at least had the interest of approaching the subject from a different angle. Not min-blowing but decent enough, and it does have Serge Gainsbourg turning up, smoking of course, and basically being Serge Gainsbourg in one scene. 

_Calvary_ - Excellent, even better than _The Guard._ Very funny, the build up of the horror is slow but brilliant I know BA and copliker didn't think that it worked for me I totally went along with it. Gleeson is excellent as is Kelly Rielly, and Dylan Moran and Chris O'Dowd rare good in the support in roles. I did think that the Aidan Gillian character didn't really work, Im not sure whether that was due to the acting or the script/directing. 

_Reaching for the Moon_ - Biopic about the relationship between poet Elizabeth Bishop and architect Lota de Macedo Soares, it's ok, most of the effort seems have to been put in the the customs/sets, it looks good, and acting. But it's very, very by the numbers, also the lack of background and establishment of a timeline weakens the film, particularly when after ignoring all events going on in the outside world for most of the film the coup by the Brazilian military is supposed to be the cause of a major development within the relationship.

_Venus in Fur_ - Roman Polanski's latest, like his previous film _Carnage_, this is another adaptation of a play, and like so many play-to-film adaptations it feels very much like that. It's better than _Carnage_, with Polanski getting back some of that undercurrent of cruelty that his best films had, but it's still a pale shadow of his earlier work. It's a two header with Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric being the only cast. In the past I've not been a huge fan of Amalric but I have to give it to him here, both actors are good.


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## Dandred (Jul 20, 2014)

Dawn of Planet of the Apes.

Meh, Liked it but left felling empty, humans are cunts and so are apes.


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## belboid (Jul 21, 2014)

Dandred said:


> Dawn of Planet of the Apes.
> 
> Meh, Liked it but left felling empty, humans are cunts and so are apes.


not far off my opinion.  

The apes look great, but plotwise, its mostly obvious from the off, no real twists or turns, and quite a few 'eh,  how did that happen/they learn that?' moments.  But enjoyable enough entertainment. The 3D was an absolute waste of time and money.


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## redsquirrel (Jul 27, 2014)

_Charlie's Country_ - the third collaboration between director Rolf de Heer and actor David Gulpilil after _The Tracker_ and _Ten Canoes_. I've not seen _The Tracker_ but _Ten Canoes_ is brilliant, probably the best Australian film of the last decade, _Charlie's Country_ isn't a patch on that unfortunately but it's pretty good. The story is pretty simple, it's a portrayal of the life of Charlie, an ageing Aboriginal living in the Northern Territory and dealing with the present day situation there after the intervention. Although it's fiction it deals with a number of the same issues that Pilger's _Utopia_ did, loss of cultural identity, poor accommodation, poor healthcare, the alcohol problems present in Indigenous communities, etc. There are some parallel's Charlie's story parallels Gulpilil's, who is excellent in the title role, own life in a number of ways, de Heer starting making the film after Gulpilil was released from jail and trying to recover from his own alcohol problems. I guess that all makes the film sound very depressing and much of it is but there are some bits of really brilliant dark humour and it's at these points when the film is at it's strongest, other parts of the film don't seem so successful to me. de Heer has done some very strange films over the years and I wished he'd been added a bit more of that weirdness to the mix at times. That said it's still a good film it's just, unlike _Ten Canoes_, not a must see.

_The French Minister_ - Bertrand Tavernier's latest, it's a comedy in the vein of _In The Loop, _it's based on memoirs of someone who worked in the office of Dominque de Villepin during the build up to the invasion of Iraq. It is very funny and well worth going to see but I do think that it pulls it's punches, maybe _Yes, Minister_ is a better analogy, as while it's mocking the political class it's very much still an establishment piece of work.


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## redsquirrel (Aug 6, 2014)

It was the start of the Melbourne International Film Festival last week so busy week film wise for me

_The Selfish Giant_ - I really enjoyed Clio Barnard's _The Arbor_ so I had pretty high expectations for this (very) loose social realist adaptation of the Oscar Wilde story, and I wasn't disappointed. It's a brilliant movie, like _The Arbor_ it's set and shot in Bradford with two young boys, excluded from school, try to get scrap metal to earn money. I know there have been comparisons with Loach's work and you can see why but this is much better than most of his recent stuff. It looks absolutely gorgeous, I know Reno (sadly not around much these days) has criticised Loach's recent work for their lack of cinematicness I'd love to know what he thought of this The two young boys are both excellent and it's both funny and heartbreaking. One minor flaw for me was the change in the 'giant' at the end, that felt more like a conceit of the film than something that character would naturally do, but that aside it's absolutely spot on.

_Catch Me Daddy_ - another social realist film set in Yorkshire, this time about honour killings. Laila, a girl from Scotland's Mulsim community, has run away with her, white, boyfriend Aaron to the Yorkshire Dales and her father has paid a bunch of thugs - some Asian, some white - to hunt them down. It's well made and well acted, bleak and the violence is raw and horrible, the ending in particular set my teeth on edge. Unfortunately I think it suffered a bit from me watching it straight after _The Selfish Giant_, that said it's still a very good film, just make sure you're in the right mood for it.

_Pulp: A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets_ - the final in a Yorkshire trilogy, I was somewhat nervous about this, I love Pulp but I've got really bored of most music documentaries, nine times out of ten you can write out the film before you even start - a bunch of talking heads explaining why the band is so influential, some old live footage, rise and fall and rise again type story. Thankfully this was different, it was made in just a few weeks, right before Pulp were due to play their final gig ever in their hometown, and rather than wanky music journalists the director interviews the people of Sheffield. Jarvis is his usual charismatic self, the rest of the band talk about about what they've been up to in the years following the first break up of the band, and Richard Hawley turns up. It's by far the best music documentary I've seen for ages.

_Some Velvet Morning_ - Neil LaBute's latest, I know _In the Company of Men_ is very highly regarded but the only thing I've seen of LaBute's is his adaptation of A S Byatt's _Possession_, which is just utter rubbish, a totally inept piece of film making. This isn't quite that bad but it's still pretty crap. It's a two-header with Stanley Tucci turning up at his former mistress', Alice Eve, house having left his wife and wanting to restart things. I saw the trailer afterwards and it opens with "The newest film from _Controversial Director ..._" which kind of sums up the whole thing. It's just trying so fucking hard it's painful, Tucci is a good actor but he deserves much better than this, and it goes round in circles for what seems like forever (which I know is the point but that doesn't make it either enjoyable or good). The "twist" at the ending is particularly cheap.

_We Are The Best - _ Lukas Moodyson's latest and an absolute joy. It's about three 13/14 year girls in 80's Stockholm who decide to set up a punk band. I guess it covers a lots of similar themes to Moodyson's debut _Show Me Love _a film which I just love. I defy anyone to watch it and not come out without a big smile on their face, just thinking about it kept me happy for the next couple of days. Despite that it's not sentimental at all, and like _Show Me Love_ doesn't back away from showing the sometimes selfish actions of people. Everyone should go see this, and as Belushi said Hate the Sport! Hate the Sport!

_Jacky in the Kingdom of Women_ - daft French comedy being a spiny on Cinderella set in a fictional dictatorship, part old Eastern block, part Islamist theocracy, where women are in charge and men discriminated against, by among other things being forced to wear burquas. I thought it was going to be a _lot_ more subtle than it was and explore the gender swap idea. As it is most of the jokes go for the easiest targets possible and there are some funny moments in it, but it's pretty average.


----------



## mwgdrwg (Aug 11, 2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy!

Loved every minute of it, probably the best Marvel film yet. It looked and sounded amazing, lots of action and was really funny. Proper popcorn fun


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## redsquirrel (Aug 14, 2014)

_10,000 km _- Spanish Indie film about a couple in the long-distance relationship. Lots of attempts to try and explore what effect modern technology can have on a relationship. Just two actors in the whole film and they both do a pretty good job but the plot and script aren't good enough to raise the film above average really.

_God Help The Girl_ - Indie Musical written and directed by Stuart Murdoch of _Belle and Sebastian._ It's basically the very worst of their music in film form, self-obsessed, up-it's own arse twee shit. The characters seem to be self-insertion or wish-fufillments of Murdoch, and the way the female characters are portrayed is pretty shitty.  However, the biggest flaw is that the songs are just rather crap, they might work as songs on an album but they totally fail as songs within a film. 

_I Hired a Contract Killer - _deadpan black comedy from Aki Kaurismäki, very good, similar to _Le Havre_ (the only other film of Kaurismäki's that I've seen), like that it's very simple but beautiful. There's an purposeful sort of naiveté about it which is just great, and the actors, Jean-Pierre Léaud and Margi Clarke are the leads, really embrace that.

_Jimmy's Hall_ - Ken Loach's latest and the best I've seen of his for some time. As he normally does Loach gets excellent performances from his cast, even Andrew Scott, someone who I think overacts dreadfully, is good in this. There are some really moving scenes in it (like the dance in the night) and unite the last few films of Loach the ending actually works (maybe because it's based of a real story), and wasn't as sad as I was expecting. Definitely worth going to see.


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## Belushi (Aug 17, 2014)

*Show Me Love* (1998) Lukas Moodysson's beautifully observed depiction of small town teenage life and the pain of growing up. I love this film so jumped at the chance to finally see it on the big screen this evening as part of the BFI's Teenage Kicks season.


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## Gramsci (Aug 17, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Jane B. par Agnes V. - _showing as part of the Agnès Varda season at the ACMI, I've wasn't really aware of her work before and was mostly attached to this one due to the involvement of Jane Birkin.



Her most well known film is Cleo from 5 to 7.

I saw this autobiographical film by her a while back . Its not quite what one would expect. Worth seeing. Its also about growing old. She is a French film maker who should be better known.


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## Belushi (Aug 17, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Her most well known film is Cleo from 5 to 7.
> 
> I saw this autobiographical film by her a while back . Its not quite what one would expect. Worth seeing. Its also about growing old. She is a French film maker who should be better known.



I was lucky enough to see her introducing Fellini's 'Amarcord' at the BFI a couple of years ago. She must be pushing Ninety but still got all her marbles.


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## Gramsci (Aug 17, 2014)

Belushi said:


> I was lucky enough to see her introducing Fellini's 'Amarcord' at the BFI a couple of years ago. She must be pushing Ninety but still got all her marbles.



Comes across as a likeable character.  I want to see her doc "The Gleaners and I".


----------



## Gramsci (Aug 17, 2014)

Been economising recently so no films in cinema. I did not go to Ritzy for a while as there was a boycott on due to the workers there striking for Living Wage. I realised how much money I was saving not going every week. Its been getting more and more expensive to go to cinema in London.

Saw "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" a few weeks ago. This had good reviews but I was disappointed. Do not understand why some films get such good reviews. Some of the plot was so predictable. As were the fight scenes. Special effects were good but its how they are used that’s important. Also I have seen so many action films that I find that I become used to having good special effects. 3D I am also finding does not add to a film.

The original Planet of the Apes is a classic film that still works. Despite the advances in special effects.

The one scene in this new film that stuck in my mind was when the lights suddenly came on in a petrol station/ shop almost buried by being overgrown with trees. The Apes look on in wonder as the humans dance around the lit up store. A moment when their old world comes back to them. If there had been more scenes like that it would have been a much better film.


----------



## 8115 (Aug 17, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> It was the start of the Melbourne International Film Festival last week so busy week film wise for me
> 
> _The Selfish Giant_ - I really enjoyed Clio Barnard's _The Arbor_ so I had pretty high expectations for this (very) loose social realist adaptation of the Oscar Wilde story, and I wasn't disappointed. It's a brilliant movie, like _The Arbor_ it's set and shot in Bradford with two young boys, excluded from school, try to get scrap metal to earn money. I know there have been comparisons with Loach's work and you can see why but this is much better than most of his recent stuff. It looks absolutely gorgeous, I know Reno (sadly not around much these days) has criticised Loach's recent work for their lack of cinematicness I'd love to know what he thought of this The two young boys are both excellent and it's both funny and heartbreaking. One minor flaw for me was the change in the 'giant' at the end, that felt more like a conceit of the film than something that character would naturally do, but that aside it's absolutely spot on.
> 
> ...


I absolutely loved The Selfish Giant. Amazing.


----------



## redsquirrel (Aug 18, 2014)

Belushi said:


> *Show Me Love* (1998) Lukas Moodysson's beautifully observed depiction of small town teenage life and the pain of growing up. I love this film so jumped at the chance to finally see it on the big screen this evening as part of the BFI's Teenage Kicks season.


Really love this film.

_Queen and Country_ - John Boorman's latest and a sequel to _Hope and Glory_ (which I've not seen). It's about a couple of young men called up for their National Service in the 50s. It has some nice moments, there's plenty of cameos which turn up Richard E Grant, David Thewlis and the excellent, and criminally underrated David Hayman (who isn't in enough of it). Nothing amazing but worth going to see.

_A Most Wanted Man_ - Anton Corbijn's adaptation of John le Carré's novel with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing a German spy in Hamburg. The casting is slightly weird with most of the main roles being American stars and the minor parts being German actors. That said I think this Corbijn's best film yet, Hoffmann is good, the plot is tight and tense and the ending nicely cynical. 

_Breadcrumb Trail_ - Documentary about the band Slint, it's nothing like as imaginative as the _Pulp_ documentary I saw a couple of weeks ago but the band are fascinating and the music is great. If your a fan of the band it's a must see, if your not then it's probably one to pass on.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Aug 21, 2014)

*Welcome to New York*, Abel Ferrara's take on the Dominique Strauss-Khan affair - if you remember he was the head of the International Monetary Fund who was accused and arrested (though predicatably not convicted of) sexually assualting a hotel maid in New York in 2011. Gerard Depardieu is brilliant in the lead role as this bloated, morally bankrupt sex pest whose wealth, power and privilege have given him a sense of invincibility, that nothing and nobody matters apart from his own gratification. It doesn't really matter how close this is to the actual events, because Depardieu's charismatic repulsiveness is both believeable and compelling - it's unlikley he'll win any awards for it, on grounds of taste and decency, but it's a bravura performance by any standards. It might not quite be the best film I've seen this year, but it's probably the one I've enjoyed most - there are some wickedly funny scenes in it - and the one that'll live longest in my memory.


----------



## redsquirrel (Aug 23, 2014)

_20,000 Days on Earth _- a sort of biographical film of Nick Cave, in which NC chats to various people - Kylie Minogue, Ray Winston, a psychologist, Warren Ellis - about life, art and other subjects. It's a handsome looking film and good fun, not too long. Interesting I've just finished reading _On Human Bondage_ and I saw a connection between the book and this film, both having a theme of making an order within your own life despite life having no meaning. A bit like _Breadcrumb Trail_ above it's probably a film more for the fans than for the general audience.

_Fell_ - Australian indie film about a man trying to make sense of the loss of his daughter in a hit-and-run accident and his relationship with the driver. It's set in the Victorian forests (not a side of the Australian countryside you see a lot) and Nature is one of the themes running through the film. Daniel Henshall (who was terrific in _Snowtown_) plays the driver responsible for death and is good. There's some really good stuff in there, and you get the feeling that everybody has bout a lot of effort into it, unforunately it also feels like it's trying a little too hard at times and doesn't quite work IMO. That said it's the director's (Kasimir Burgess) debut feature and I'd definitely keep a eye on him for the future.


----------



## Gramsci (Aug 23, 2014)

Back at the Ritzy ( London) today. Went to see the Dardenne brothers latest film "Two Days, One Night"

Its about a women who wants to come back to work after being ill to find that her job has just been voted out by her fellow workers. They were given a "choice" of voting her out or keeping her on and losing a bonus.

The two days and one night take place over a weekend as she visits her co workers to persuade them to change their minds.

It sounds like a grim piece of worthy social realism. Its much better than that. Its has a great performance from Marion Cotillard as Sandra. It also has dramatic tension. I did wonder what reaction she will get every time she rang a doorbell. Nor does it go into rousing speeches about the horrors of capitalism and the unity of the workers. Its a film that shows rather than tells. Its more damning for that of the alienation of the contemporary workplace. How people struggle to just get by.

I also found it a humane moving film. The emotional side of the film is gradually built up. One important aspect of the film is her repeated assertion in the film is that she does not want pity. What she wants is more than a job. Its meaningful connection with others. The film shows how the individual workers have to put themselves and their families first before their solidarity with others. In her they see what it has done to them.

The film is deceptively simple in the way its shot. Their is no soundtrack. Except for everyday noise. The camera concentrates on Sandra face a lot. Everything seems very bright and overwhelming. At one point she says she wishes she could be a like a bird see hears singing nearby. Carefree and happy. The clean tidy town looks prosperous on the surface. But in fact the people in it are not carefree. They are anxious about their future.

Definitely a film to watch.

Without giving away the ending this is a film that has a message. Its is heartwarming.

My only gripe is that the Ritzy now charges full price on weekend afternoons. This limits how often I can go.


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## Dr. Furface (Aug 24, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Back at the Ritzy ( London) today. Went to see the Dardenne brothers latest film "Two Days, One Night"



Cheers Gramsci, you've made me want to go see it.


----------



## redsquirrel (Aug 24, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Back at the Ritzy ( London) today. Went to see the Dardenne brothers latest film "Two Days, One Night"
> 
> My only gripe is that the Ritzy now charges full price on weekend afternoons. This limits how often I can go.



Looking forward to this, _L'Enfant _was exceptional.


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## marty21 (Aug 25, 2014)

1.  Stranger by the lake  (_L'Inconnu du lac)_
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
4. Two Days One Night  (_Deux Jours, une nuit_)  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Days,_One_Night

found  it depressing  , a woman spends the weekend trying to convince  fellow  workers at a solar panel factory to vote for her rather than a bonus, if she stays in the job they lose their bonus, or don't get  the bonus


----------



## Sue (Aug 25, 2014)

The Rover, second film of the director of Animal Kingdom. Which it's not as good as -- which would be expecting a lot -- but pretty decent nonetheless. Guy Pearce is menacing, Robert Pattinson is mumbling (though better than expected). It does feel a wee bit slow at times but overall it's good. This and Wake in Fright, the last Australian film I saw, haven't exactly made me feel like going to small town Australia though...

Guardians of the Galaxy. Wouldn't have bothered if I hadn't been in a small town with nothing else to do. Not terrible and a few funny references but just always feel the storyline doesn't really hang together whenever I see one of these films based on a comic maybe because I'm not familiar with the original comic.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Aug 25, 2014)

Lucy, the new Luc Besson one with Scarlett Johanssen. Only went bc Mrs F wanted to do something and we had a 2 for £12 Odeon ticket - and even at that price we felt ripped off. Considering the premise of this film is that humans only use 10% of their brains, I reckon the writers can only have used about 1% of theirs creating this nonsense. There's not much of anything here - story, suspense, laughs - the action's tedious and the fx are nothing u haven't seen before. I can only assume Scarlett got paid very well to persuade her to appear in this drivel.


----------



## rubbershoes (Aug 27, 2014)

Inbetweeners 2.  It was v funny

I can't believe I'm the only person on here to have seen it.


----------



## Part 2 (Aug 28, 2014)

Gramsci said:


> Back at the Ritzy ( London) today. Went to see the Dardenne brothers latest film "Two Days, One Night"
> 
> Its about a women who wants to come back to work after being ill to find that her job has just been voted out by her fellow workers. They were given a "choice" of voting her out or keeping her on and losing a bonus.
> 
> ...




Just back from seeing this. It really is excellent. I love Dardennes films.


----------



## Utopia (Aug 29, 2014)

rubbershoes said:


> Inbetweeners 2.  It was v funny
> 
> I can't believe I'm the only person on here to have seen it.


 

Is that maybe due to you being 14 years old?


----------



## rubbershoes (Aug 29, 2014)

Utopia said:


> Is that maybe due to you being 14 years old?



yes.  me and everyone else in the cinema was 14


----------



## redsquirrel (Sep 1, 2014)

_Predestination_ - relatively low budget Australian film about time travel, based on the Heinlein story _All You Zombies _(which I've not read so no idea how it compares). Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook are the leads and both are good. It's written and directed by Michael and Peter Sperig (who previously made _Daybreakers_), it's by no means perfect, but it's got some decent stuff in it, and considering the limited budget the must have they've done really well making Melbourne look like Boston/New York.

_Magic in the Moonlight_ - latest Woody Allen and he's really phoning it in this time, it's set in the south of France in the 20s with Colin Firth playing a magician who's trying to debunk a spiritualist. Firths performance is pretty much the whole film, there's a couple of funny lines but the plot is both paper thin and has some massive holes. For someone who's supposed to be a specialist in exposing fake mediums it takes Firths character an absolute age to work out the 'mystery'.


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## belboid (Sep 6, 2014)

finally made it back to the pics last night, for the wonderful _Two Days, One Night_

As others have said, it really is just bloody brilliant. Cotillards portrayal of depression is probablyh the best I have ever seen, absolutely note perfect. The tales itself is depressing, but all too real, and marvellously told, capturing the day to day misery of low paid work, but also the pleasures and value to be found in it (having a 'connection' which is almost as important to Sandra as the money). If I was going to be ultra-quibbly, I'd say that I'd have liked at least one longer conversation about the vote, and that I dont like the use of black and white titling.  That that last quibble is so tiny should let you know just how good the whole film is.  May as well congratulate MC now on her next Oscar.

And the version of Needles & Pins is excellent.


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## Dr. Furface (Sep 7, 2014)

The only thing I found implausible about the otherwise excellent *Two Days, One Night* is the basic premise that an employer could make his workforce vote on keeping their bonuses or sacking a colleague - but maybe they have even more cuntish employment legislation in France than we do?! - but that aside I can well imagine that some employers would happily do so. This device also nicely works (albeit in an extreme way) to show how employers use divide and rule tactics to subjugate and control their workforces. As already noted by Gramsci and belboid Cotillard is brilliant in the lead role and the film is worthy of all the 5* reviews it's received in the press.

*Obvious Child*, indie film set in New York about a budding stand-up commedienne who gets knocked up on a one-nighter and then goes for an abortion. The adverts claim this is something of a statement film, mainly because much of America still has ludicrously reactionary opinions on the issue, but really it's just a romcom with a bit of a twist. I thought I was going to hate it for about the first 20 mins but then I warmed to it thanks mainly to the performances of the two lead roles who are both charming and funny - Jake Lacy as the male lead Max in particular.


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## Sue (Sep 7, 2014)

Dr. Furface, think it's set in Belgium. IME, French employment stuff is much better than it is here.


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## belboid (Sep 8, 2014)

Sue said:


> Dr. Furface, think it's set in Belgium. IME, French employment stuff is much better than it is here.


The law doesn't really come into it. The owner can ask the employees what they'd rather do in any country, tho no one could insist on their vote being binding. 

Guardians do the Galaxy for us last night. More entertaining than I thought it would be, a good laugh. Not enough Karen Gillan tho.


----------



## Sue (Sep 8, 2014)

belboid said:


> The law doesn't really come into it. The owner can ask the employees what they'd rather do in any country, tho no one could insist on their vote being binding.
> 
> .



No, pretty sure in France they'd have to go through the staff representative body before anyone gets laid off which takes ages. Was certainly the case when I worked in France.


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## lolo (Sep 9, 2014)

*obvious child* is v funny, real and a great example of a low budget film doing good, made for <1 million by women
*god help the girl* - unless you are 14, or nostalgic for your 90s shoegazing days just don't bother, i wanted to punch all the leads and cut my own ears off


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## belboid (Sep 9, 2014)

Sue said:


> No, pretty sure in France they'd have to go through the staff representative body before anyone gets laid off which takes ages. Was certainly the case when I worked in France.


oh yeah, they have a shitload of bureaucracy to go through (at least in big orgs, not sure about small businesses), but I would be fairly sure a decision like that in the film wouldn't have to be taken in the way it was - that'd be a tactical decision on the part of the employer.


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## belboid (Sep 11, 2014)

Night Moves

The latest from Kelly Reichardt who brought us the excellent Meek's Cutoff a couple of years ago. Like that movie, this spares the dialogue and builds up the tension slowly and quietly, as three radical environmentalists go off to blow up a dam. The first half is excellent, with the three (Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning & Peter Sarsgaard) gradually getting the kit together and going off to carry out the deed. Thereafter they have to deal with the consequences of their actions. This section is a bit predictable, but well carried off, until the last fifteen minutes which just didnt work for me, not well enough set up. The preceding 90 minutes are good enough for that not to matter too much tho.


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## rubbershoes (Sep 15, 2014)

Yesterday I saw *Pudsey: the movie
*
I will make no further comment


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## gosub (Sep 15, 2014)

rubbershoes said:


> Yesterday I saw *Pudsey: the movie
> *
> I will make no further comment


 Death squads rounding people up and forcing them into the cinema?


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## marty21 (Oct 9, 2014)

1.  Stranger by the lake  (_L'Inconnu du lac)_
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
4. Two Days One Night  (_Deux Jours, une nuit_)  
5. Wild Life (Vie Sauvage)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3480164/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

3rd French language film of the year 

Saw it at the London Film Festival, based on a true story, hippy parents split up as mother wants a more conventional life for her and her 3 kids, father takes his 2 sons away (Eldest son was his step son) and they disappear for 10 years living an alternative life style in communes in the south of France -  thought it was excellent, really well acted.


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## Silent Whisper (Oct 10, 2014)

rubbershoes said:


> Yesterday I saw *Pudsey: the movie
> *
> I will make no further comment



It's hilarious


----------



## Silent Whisper (Oct 10, 2014)

Maleficent - Angelina Jolie is amazing throughout, beautiful backdrop world for thecharacters to play out and definitely  recommend for anyone.

Mr.Peadbody & Sherman - computer animated, brainy dog is cute, travel through time, didn't understand much of the plot but quite good fun anyway, but nothing particularly new and a lot of these "cgi" films just become much of a muchness.

Pudsey The Movie - Yay! My favourite film of the year so far by far, it's hilarious and don't pay any attention to the critics who panned it as it is a film for all the family and doesn't pretend to be anything but.

David Walliams does Pudseys voice to great comic effect and the entire film is so silly with adorable Pudsey, you can't help but just laugh and take it in as it is what it is.

I rate the above in the following order of my personal preference:

1.  Pudsey The Movie 
2.  Maleficent 
3.  Mr.Peabody & Sherman


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## Spanky Longhorn (Oct 11, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _A Most Wanted Man_ - Anton Corbijn's adaptation of John le Carré's novel with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing a German spy in Hamburg. The casting is slightly weird with most of the main roles being American stars and the minor parts being German actors. That said I think this Corbijn's best film yet, Hoffmann is good, the plot is tight and tense and the ending nicely cynical.



Just seen this, brilliant film absolutely believable and Hoffman makes what would have been a generic and slightly tedious role come alive and real before your eyes.


----------



## Belushi (Oct 12, 2014)

*Gelin *('The Bride' Omer Lutfi Akad 1973) at the NFT as part of the London Film festival last night. Interesting film about Anatolian peasants moving to the City, a bit clunky at times but enjoyable nonetheless.


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 12, 2014)

The Purge - dystopian thriller set in a near future USA in which there are 12 hours every year in which nothing is illegal. 
I heard about this film from some children who kept going on about it as if it was a real thing. 
I was expecting poor quality DTDVD bobbins. It has Ethan Hawke and Cersai off of Game Of Thrones in it so it had all the markings, but in fact it was really rather good. TIP!


----------



## Orang Utan (Oct 12, 2014)

Oops. Wrong thread. Well, it was a film and I saw it in my 'home cinema'.


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## belboid (Oct 13, 2014)

*'71*

Taut, engrossing, and terrifying. A poor Derbyshoire squaddie gets trapped behind enemy lines and has to make his way back to barracks, amidst splits in the IRA, between uniforms and undercovers, as well as the religious one. You know it wont end well.

Also a certain parochial pleasure to be had in the use of Sheffield's Park Hill flats to stand in for the Divis


----------



## Dr. Furface (Oct 14, 2014)

*20,000 Days on Earth* - the Nick Cave biopic. I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this yet, given the adulation and adoration that Mr Cave usually receives on U75 (well on the music forum anyway). It's a fictionalised day in the life of our man as he drives his Jag (black, vintage, obvs) round Brighton with Ray Winstone and Kylie, meets his analyst and lays down some tunes with Warren Ellis et al - you get some live performances of a few songs from his last album. I'd have liked a little more about his Birthday Party days - the anecdote about a concert they did in Germany was one of the funniest bits in the film. All in all if you're a fan it's a pretty enjoyable 97 mins.

*Gone Girl. *I didn't read the book so I can't compare it to that but as a film it delivered pretty well - however I couldn't gush about it like Kermode and some other reviewers have done. David Fincher's always an interesting director and this is no exception. I can't really find anything to fault it except it's a bit too long - it's well acted, witty and insightful blah blah. But even so I still came away feeling a little bit disappointed. Perhaps I was hoping it would be as good as Zodiac (fat chance of that!) or maybe it was because just before it I'd seen...

*Maps to the Stars*, which I absolutely loved and I wonder if it might just be David Cronenburg's best ever? It's a very smart and incisive black comedy satire - and a genuinely funny one too - on Hollywood greed, selfishness, flakiness, cynicism, phoniness and excess with an excellent cast and fine performances, esp from Julianne Moore and Mia Wasikowska. It's one of those films I think I'd get more out of and enjoy even more if I see it again. Undoubtedly one of this year's best films for me.


----------



## marty21 (Oct 18, 2014)

1.  Stranger by the lake  (_L'Inconnu du lac)_
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
3. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
4. Two Days One Night  (_Deux Jours, une nuit_) 
5. Wild Life (Vie Sauvage)
6. The  Tales  of Hoffman   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tales_of_Hoffmann_(film)

restored  version showing the London  Film  Festival   -  It   is  amazing! Not my normal cup of tea,  an  opera!   But   it is  an amazing  film.


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## belboid (Oct 19, 2014)

marty21 said:


> 6. The  Tales  of Hoffman
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tales_of_Hoffmann_(film)
> 
> restored  version showing the London  Film  Festival   -  It   is  amazing! Not my normal cup of tea,  an  opera!   But   it is  an amazing  film.


mm, would love to see this at the pics.  Wonderful film, it just looks magnificent. Again, not normally my cup of tea (opera type stuff), but ToH really is just awesome to watch.

If, by any chance, you can ever get to see Powell's Bluebeard's Castle, that's also surprisingly great (even more surprising as I really don't like Bartok normally).

Anyway, yesterday I went to see *Ida*.  Paweł _Last Resort/My Summer of Love _Pawlikowski. Set in Poland in Polish this time, in 1962, about a young woman in a nunnery who discovers she is actually Jewish, and goes off with her - priest death sentencing - aunt to find out what happened to her parents. As you might imagine, it isn't really a barrel of laughs.

If you see it, do try and avoid the BBFC 'consumer advice' on the certificate, as it gives away a rather key bit of plot


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## belboid (Oct 19, 2014)

What We Did On Our Holiday

Only because a friend is an extra in it (a very clear shot of her too) and we have cineworld cards so it didnt actually cost us anything.

Scotland looked very pretty, and it made us chortle a few times, with a couple of proper laughs. There are many far worse 95 minutes.


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## FiFi (Oct 19, 2014)

I took the Resident Teen to see Pride this afternoon 
I really enjoyed it, funny and moving and a couple of proper teary moments (if you're a soppy old lefty like me) especially the women singing "Bread and Roses", and also when the Miners turn up to join the Pride march.

The film also provoked a LOT of questions about life and politics in the 80s which just reminded me how far away it all seems to a 15year old!


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## belboid (Oct 19, 2014)

FiFi said:


> I took the Resident Teen to see Pride this afternoon
> I really enjoyed it, funny and moving and a couple of proper teary moments (if you're a soppy old lefty like me) especially the women singing "Bread and Roses", and also when the Miners turn up to join the Pride march.


Spoilers!!


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## FiFi (Oct 19, 2014)

belboid said:


> Spoilers!!


We'll to be fair the ending is obvious from the beginning - even to me!


----------



## belboid (Oct 19, 2014)

FiFi said:


> We'll to be fair the ending is obvious from the beginning - even to me!


Yes, but you remember it! Resident Teen (charming expression ) wont do.


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## FiFi (Oct 19, 2014)

belboid said:


> Yes, but you remember it! Resident Teen (charming expression ) wont do.


Oh I see your point. 
No it was all new to her. She entered the cinema completely unspoilered!


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## marty21 (Oct 19, 2014)

belboid said:


> mm, would love to see this at the pics.  Wonderful film, it just looks magnificent. Again, not normally my cup of tea (opera type stuff), but ToH really is just awesome to watch.
> 
> If, by any chance, you can ever get to see Powell's Bluebeard's Castle, that's also surprisingly great (even more surprising as I really don't like Bartok normally).
> 
> ...


it is magnificent, didn't have a clue what was going on a lot of the time, totally bonkers, but enjoyed it immensely - I wondered if Elton John got his idea of his 'whacky' glasses from this film will check out Bluebeard's  Castle


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## Sea Star (Oct 19, 2014)

Under the skin
Before I Go To Sleep
The Grand Budapest Hotel

And tomorrow I'll be seeing Withnail & I for the first time on the big screenl


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## Sue (Oct 20, 2014)

Seen a few things recently.

Pride -- really enjoyed this.

Northern Soul -- the plot's a bit predictable but the music, dancing and 70's feel were great. Was sold out too.

Maps to the Stars. Felt more traditional than a lot of Cronenberg's films but very enjoyable.

Gone Girl. Hadn't read the book but reasonable enough.

Ida. I was blown away by this. The best film I've seen this year. The atmosphere, the acting, the sadness, the cinematography, the understated script. A great film.


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## Orang Utan (Oct 26, 2014)

The Babadook, at The Ritzy.
Creepy Oz chiller about a tired mum and her disturbed child who find a scary book about a monster.
Well Freudian.
I wouldn't want watch it if I was a parent.


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## belboid (Oct 30, 2014)

Also, The Babadook. A very good modern horror indeed. Plays with the genre traditions well, has a couple of cracking performances, and some real inventiveness and intensity. 

I think all parents should see it. Just not with their children.


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## Orang Utan (Oct 30, 2014)

belboid said:


> Also, The Babadook. A very good modern horror indeed. Plays with the genre traditions well, has a couple of cracking performances, and some real inventiveness and intensity.
> 
> I think all parents should see it. Just not with their children.


I told my sister not to see the film!


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## Dr. Furface (Nov 1, 2014)

Nightcrawler. Believe the hype and the reviews, Jake Gyllenhall is terrific as the psychopathically ambitious LA deathchasing videotaper. Dark, disturbing, exciting and very fucking funny too. Loved it.


----------



## fakeplasticgirl (Nov 2, 2014)

Just back from seeing Babadook. Thought it was excellent - scary and thought provoking.


----------



## Gingerman (Nov 2, 2014)

Mad Max 2 at the BFI......


----------



## redsquirrel (Nov 3, 2014)

Not posted to this in a while so there's a load of stuff

_Felony _- Australian film written by Joel Edgerton, who also stars in it alongside the always excellent Tom Wilkinson. The plot is that Edgerton plays a cop who is involved in a hit and run which Wilkinson helps cover up. A drama rather than a thriller, it's pretty good. The first two thirds are nicely tight but the last third lets it down a little with one too many dramatic incidents. Wilkinson is top notch and the rest of the cast solid.

_Snowpiercer_ - I know that a lot of people on here really related this but it didn't do it for me at all. It all felt like a collection of bits and pieces that someone thought would be really cool stuck together, rather than a coherent whole. For example the dumb guy with the tattoo's - no attempt to give any development to the character he was just supposed to work based solely on the idea. The cast is reliable - John Hurt, Ed Harris - and does an adequate job, it's the plot and direction that didn't work for me.

_Joe_ - Nicholas Cage plays a ex-con becomes a father figure for a teenage boy in the South of the USA. The boy is played by Tye Sheridan who was in _Mud, _which has a number of similarities with this film (for my  money _Mud_ is the better of the two). It's done well but I felt that it wasn't really anything I hadn't seen before. Cage is still too scenery chewing for me, but Sheridan shows again that he's an actor to watch.
_
Cut Snake_ - Another Australian film, set in the 70s, it's about an ex-con being tracked down by his cell mate and falling back into violence and crime. It could have been like any other of the hundreds of films on that theme but it goes in different, and far more interesting, direction. I didn't have huge hopes on it when I went it but it really impressed me, if it does make it to the UK I recommend people go see it.
_
My Mistress - _After the death of his father a boy meets up and forms a relationship with a dominatrix, played by Emmanuelle Béart. It's the debut film of the director and you can tell, it misses the right note occasionally. It's not bad at all but unlike _Cut Snake_ it feels doesn't take the plot into new territory. The actor playing the teenage boy is decent, but I'm wasn't entirely convinced by either Béarts performance or the sub-plot involving the child or her character.

_Night Moves_ - the new film by Kelly Reichardt rather than the brilliant Arthur Penn classic. By and large I think belboid got it right in his review. Thought I thought the ending worked better than he did. I like both Fanning and Eisenberg and I thought they were both good, though I would have liked more Fanning in the second half. One thing belboid neglected to mention was the credits - which are just superb - totally recalling those of the 70s neo-noir that influenced this film without being wanky and ironic. Seriously it's worth going to see it for them alone.	   	 

_Boyhood - _Rather disappointed IMO, I guess it was always going to be pretty tough to live up to the hype. For all the noise about filming over X years etc it's actually a very conservative film, both in terms of plot and politics - coming of age of a white, middle class boy.  I liked seeing Patricia Arquette who doesn't seem to be around so much these days, never been a big fan of Ethan Hawke's and I'm not really that keen on his performance here, far too knowing in comparison with the much more natural preface of Arquette.   

_Godfather, Godfather II, Godfather III_ - The ACMI in Melbourne has worked out a deal with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to bring restored prints of classic films out to Australia, there doing one film each quarter and started of with the Godfather Trilogy. In fact not only was the print restored but it was actually virgin, having never before been through a projector before these sessions. It'd been some time since I last saw any of the films and re-watching them again over one weekend was just fantastic, I particularly enjoyed Diane Keaton's performances this time round, in the relatively small amount of time she's actually on screen she absolutely nails the role. Anyone I'm not sure what the next films in the project are going to be but I would absolutely recommend that any urbanites in Melbourne come see them 

_The Little Death -_ An Australian sex comedy, like Allen's _Everthing you wanted to know..._ it's based around a number of different stories/characters, all with different sexual fetishes. Some of the parts work, some don't, the best scene is the last one where a deaf bloke calls up phone sex line via a signing service. For Australians a good number of the faces in it will be recognisable but they probably won't be to those overseas, glad to see Kate Mulvany turning up in something else, an excellent Australian actor who needs more recognition.

_Vertigo_ - What can I say, absolute classic. Great to see it at the cinema. 

_Careful He Might Hear You_ - Adaptation of Australian book about a young boy growing up in 30s Sydney who gets caught in the middle of a custody battle between his two aunts. Showing as part of a mini-season of films starring Wendy Hughes by the ACMI. Hughes is excellent in it, lighting up the screen whenever she appears, and the rest of the cast are good two. 

_Late Autumn - _Again showing at the ACMI with a restored print, it's the first Ozu film I've seen. Really enjoyed it, it looked absolutely gorgeous, the colours in it reminded me of Powell and Pressburger. It's both funny and sad, the performances are all spot on, but I particularly like Mariko Okanda as the best friend.

_The Infinite Man - _Australian film about a bloke who invents a time machine so that he can give his girlfriend a perfect holiday, it's a comedy-drama about their relationship rather than a science fiction film. It reminded me strongly of _Ruby Sparks, _using a fantastic plot device to explore how a man relates to, and trys to control, his girlfriend. The filmmakers have done a really great job on what was obviously a very tight budget, using the small cast (just three actors) and single location to excellent effect. Sadly it doesn't seems to have a lot of impact here. 

_Life of Crime_ - latest adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel, it's not the best adaptation of his work I've seen but it's good entertainment. Jennifer Aniston plays a wife who is kidnapped and held for ransom, only her husband, Tim Robbins, is about to divorce her anyway. I think Aniston is better than anything I've seen her in since _Friends, _Isla Fisher is very likeable as the mistress and John Hawkes is good.	  

_Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train_ - second in the Wendy Hughes season by ACMI. Hughes plays a teacher who makes up the extra money she needs to feed her brother's heroin habit by acting as a prostitute on the train between Sydney and Melbourne. The first two thirds, which use her interactions with a number of different punters to explore her characters as well as other themes are pretty good. The last third just didn't work for me, it's clearly not meant to be realistic and it's not the plot which lost me just that I don't think it gelled with the previous parts of the film.

_Pride -_ Absolutely fantastic, I guess with the subject matter I was always going to be partial to it but it's actually a very well made film. Script is good, there's very little fat in there and the cast are good.  It might be retreading some of the same ground as _Brassed Off, _and doesn't quite reach the quality of that film, but it's still a wonderful film. Despite the sadness of it - the loss of the strike, the impact of HIV/AIDS - I found it a really uplifting film, solidarity can be a victory in itself. It was showing to virtually a full house here (lots of ex-poms I'm guessing) and got a round of applause when it finished. I've seen better films this year but I don't know if I've seen a more enjoyable one.


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## Geri (Nov 3, 2014)

Can't see what all the fuss is about with The Babbadook. It wasn't scary at all and was very clichéd and predictable, I thought.


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## Orang Utan (Nov 3, 2014)

Geri said:


> Can't see what all the fuss is about with The Babbadook. It wasn't scary at all and was very clichéd and predictable, I thought.


It was the Freudian aspect that intrigued me, the depiction of an exhausted mum's exasperation with and resentment of her own child that i thought was very wel drawn. And the Expressionist visuals were ace. It really stays with you too, meaning i like it the more I think about it.


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## heinous seamus (Nov 4, 2014)

I saw Still The Enemy Within on Sunday. The story of the miner's strike told by miners who were involved, with lots of archive footage. Thought it was excellent.


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## belboid (Nov 4, 2014)

heinous seamus said:


> I saw Still The Enemy Within on Sunday. The story of the miner's strike told by miners who were involved, with lots of archive footage. Thought it was excellent.


Just back from that, and wholeheartedly agree. Easily the best documentary I've seen this year, a simply, brilliantly, told story, with no recourse to pseudo-experts (Owen Jones was interviewed, but then dumped) or official leaders. Just miners, their wives, and support group members (one of whom crops up in another film from this year) talking straight to camera.  Ohh, and a couple of amusing recreations.

What was really great was that it wasn't all bleak brutality, it showed them having a fucking great time and a laugh on many occasions.  Even us old lefties forget that quite often.  

I may have liked it more because it turns out I knew a fair few of the interviewee's.

Finally, fucking NACODS, who was bought off there then


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## heinous seamus (Nov 4, 2014)

belboid said:


> Just back from that, and wholeheartedly agree. Easily the best documentary I've seen this year, a simply, brilliantly, told story, with no recourse to pseudo-experts (Owen Jones was interviewed, but then dumped) or official leaders. Just miners, their wives, and support group members (one of whom crops up in another film from this year) talking straight to camera.  Ohh, and a couple of amusing recreations.
> 
> What was really great was that it wasn't all bleak brutality, it showed them having a fucking great time and a laugh on many occasions.  Even us old lefties forget that quite often.
> 
> ...



The Scottish guy who was in it did a Q and A at the showing I went to and he was surprisingly sympathetic to the NACODS union leader - saying he was under tremendous pressure from the right-wing media.

Yeah, there were some great laugh-out-loud moments.The interviewee's all came across superbly - would love to go for a pint with any of them!


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## belboid (Nov 4, 2014)

It's hard to believe it was that simple, partly cos of what else we know now about MI5 involvement I guess, but it is hard to understand what kind of pressure they must have been under as well.

We had rounds of applause for the stories of the single picket, and Jools Holland.


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## belboid (Nov 9, 2014)

Dr. Furface said:


> Nightcrawler. Believe the hype and the reviews, Jake Gyllenhall is terrific as the psychopathically ambitious LA deathchasing videotaper. Dark, disturbing, exciting and very fucking funny too. Loved it.


yup, I'd agree with this. A top piece of entertainment, although if I'm being picky, there wasn't really much of an ending. Not one that wasn't in the bloody trailers, anyway.


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## Sue (Nov 9, 2014)

belboid said:


> yup, I'd agree with this. A top piece of entertainment, although if I'm being picky, there wasn't really much of an ending. Not one that wasn't in the bloody trailers, anyway.


 
I'd agree too. The scene in the Mexican restaurant made my skin crawl. Thought the sociopath hiding behind business bollocks was...interesting too. Debut director.


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## Gramsci (Nov 18, 2014)

As its Ritzy (London) cheap day on Mondays I saw "Nightcrawler" and "Leviathan". 

Two contrasting films. One fast paced American the other slow meditative Russian. What they had in common is that they both featured men on the edge living in nightmarish societies. 

Jake Gyllenhaal character Lou in Nightcrawler has been compared in reviews to Travis from Taxi Driver. I think that there is a definite reference to that earlier film about USA by the director of this film. This time it revolves around the news in US. Without spoiling the end of film its more nightmarish than Taxi Driver. This film goes beyond the media as an indictment of the ruthless nature of present day American society. I also liked it as its got a sense of (very black) humour and verges on B movie sordidity at times. Stops the film being to worthy. 

Its also a film about voyeurism. As Nina ( Rene Russo as the hot older woman) the TV news director says car crashes and bloody crime is what makes the news. It reminded me of Haneke film "Funny Games". Which Haneke made to criticize violence onscreen. The aftermath of violence shown in Nightcrawler and the way Lou gets so engrossed in filming it does not glamorous it in any way. One of the good things about this film. There are elements of horror in Nightcrawler despite it being rooted in reality. 

"Leviathan" is very very Russian. Russian films like this are like marmite. You either like them or loath them. I like them. Its long ( surprise surprise) with slow long takes. I bumped into another cinephile at Ritzy who had just seen it before I did. He noticed that for a long slow film the audience settled down and were gripped by it. I would agree. It did hold peoples attention. It held mine even though I am not quite sure what it was about. Starts out as film about political corruption and ends with a discussion about faith. In particular the story in the Bible about Job. In between its about father/ son relationship, Russian masculinity ( drinking and shooting), the Kafkaesque legal system ie the small town is a microcosm of present day Russia. I do not mind not being sure exactly what a film is about if it grips me like this film did. The visuals are wonderful. Like Nightcrawler the heavy nature of its story is lightened by streaks of black humour.


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## Orang Utan (Nov 18, 2014)

Is the boycott off then?


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## Spanky Longhorn (Nov 18, 2014)

belboid said:


> Just back from that, and wholeheartedly agree. Easily the best documentary I've seen this year, a simply, brilliantly, told story, with no recourse to pseudo-experts (Owen Jones was interviewed, but then dumped) or official leaders. Just miners, their wives, and support group members (one of whom crops up in another film from this year) talking straight to camera.  Ohh, and a couple of amusing recreations.
> 
> What was really great was that it wasn't all bleak brutality, it showed them having a fucking great time and a laugh on many occasions.  Even us old lefties forget that quite often.
> 
> ...



On a related note have you seen BACM-TEAM have just transferred their undertakings to Prospect?


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## belboid (Nov 18, 2014)

Spanky Longhorn said:


> On a related note have you seen BACM-TEAM have just transferred their undertakings to Prospect?


I hadn't, but it surprises me not.


Just got back from seeing _*David Bowie IS*_. The film of the bestselling, uhhh, exhibition. It's a good documentary, concentrating on the man's costumes over the years, but throwing plenty else in as well.  It'd be well worth watching if it came on the telly, but really quite a waste of money to go and see at the pics. A few bits I'd never seen before, including a section of the unrealised film of Hunger City.


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## Gramsci (Nov 19, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> Is the boycott off then?



Yes its off.

Had a chat with a Ritzy worker on the day I went to cinema. Told them that I had emailed Picturehouse directors about the proposed redundancies. Ritzy mge have backed down. For now. I actually got a reply from Picturehouse to say so. 

Ritzy worker thought that they might try again at later date.


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## Orang Utan (Nov 19, 2014)

Yeah, I texted a mate who works there after asking that and they said it's off (for now) too.


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## Sue (Nov 19, 2014)

Orang Utan said:


> Yeah, I texted a mate who works there after asking that and they said it's off (for now) too.



Thanks for that. I've been boycotting the Hackney PH and wasn't quite sure what the story was. Sounds like it's okay to go back though. (Never did get a reply from PH management to the irate mail I sent about this months ago.)


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## Maltin (Dec 6, 2014)

Went to see The Theory of Everything yesterday. Eddie Redmayne is very good as Stephen Hawking but overall I felt the film was a bit uninvolving and not that interesting.

Worse bit was a scene in a hospital where I was just thinking "I'm sure that doctor is French footballer Frank Leboeuf" rather than listening to the bad news he was giving.


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## MellySingsDoom (Dec 6, 2014)

Been a while since I've posted here, so here goes:

"Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story Of Cannon Films" (2014, dir. Mark Hartley) - a truly entertaining, and at many points, uproarious documentary covering the late 70's/80's production outfit Cannon Films, and the irrepressible moguls Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.  Too many highlights to mention, but what we have is an extraordinary tale of two men with a vision to take on Hollywood at their own game and win, and if it wasn't for the sheer amount of their output, might have done so too.  There is a downer moment when the documentary covers the shit/objectionable "Death Wish" sequels, but fortunately that doesn't last too long.  Talking heads include Franco Nero and Pete Walker (!?!), and some good films (really!) are covered, including the truly awe-boggling musical "The Apple", and the maybe under-appreciated "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2".  Although the end of Cannon Films was a financially messy one, and they did launch the likes of Chuck Norris as 80's star names (err....), the good news is that Golan and Globus are reconciled (and have just done their own documentary on Cannon Films!).  Highly recommended to those with an interest in high-budget trash cinema.

"Kristy" (2014, dir. Oliver Blackburn) - a decent low-budget effort from the "Donkey Punch" director, this is a horror-themed take on internet cults and knowing referencing of the genre.  Haley Bennett convinces as Justine, the woman who has been targeted as being "Kristy", the female manifestation of Christ, and there is some good pacing and action throughout.  Films referenced include "Scream", "Halloween" and (of all things!) "Last House On Dead End Street", and although the ending was no real surprise (and the end credits sequence a bit cliched), overall this is an agreeable entry into the modern US horror canon.

"Robot Overlords" (2014, dir. Jon Wright) - a family-friendly sci-fi dystopia piece, where robots have taken over the world (again!), and forced everyone to stay indoors, on pain of evaporation.  The young leads come across convincingly as helping lead the fight-back, Gillian Anderson is good as the mother figure who has to choose sides, and Ben Kingsley hams it up effectively as the robot's collaborator.  Some good/decent CGI work here, and the ending sees battle truly commence between the invaders and the resistance.  Although not quite as powerful as the likes of "District 9", I found this to be an endearing effort by British director Wright, and this deserves to get a widespread audience once the jolly old BBFC have classified it.

"Fury" (2014, dir. David Ayer) - Yet another entry in the WW2 films cycle, and here Brad Pitt leads a tank battalion taking on the Nazis in France in the last stages of the war.  I'm afraid to say that this one didn't do much for me at all.  Pitt gives a one-note, tiresome "I love mah country" performance, and the usual WW2 film cliches abound, to diminishing returns.  This almost made me want to re-watch one of Luigi Batzella's awful/unbearable war films again!  Not recommended at all.


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## Sue (Dec 7, 2014)

Stations of the Cross. Teenager from an ultra-Catholic family acts on what she's told to believe in and it goes horribly wrong.

Interesting, well acted, sad. Would be interested to know what someone not brought up Catholic makes of it.


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## belboid (Dec 8, 2014)

Interstellar, finally.

The bits on earth were ludicrous and totally non-sensical, but the space bits looked good, and were quite fun.  No need to amend my ten best films of the year tho.


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## Sue (Dec 14, 2014)

Miracle on 34th Street.


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## belboid (Dec 15, 2014)

Hobbit, Battle of the Five Armies

Fight, fight, battle, battle, fight, fight, battle, battle. It's fairly non-stop, and generally looks good, but it is (shock horror) poorly paced, and would have worked much better as two films (at most). The death of Smaug feels almost thrown away and anti-climactic. Good when Freeman's on tho


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## articul8 (Dec 15, 2014)

Twelve years a slave (was that this year?)
Stuart Hall project (was that?)
The Enemy Within
Concerning Violence (excellent this one).


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## belboid (Dec 15, 2014)

articul8 said:


> Twelve years a slave (was that this year?)
> Stuart Hall project (was that?)


Yes. No.  Sounds interesting the Stuart Hall one, was it?


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## redsquirrel (Dec 16, 2014)

_The Immigrant - _James Grey (_Two Lovers_) latest starring Marion Cotillard as a Polish immigrant to the US in the 1920s who gets caught up in a prostitution racket. Cotillard is good as is Joaquin Phoenix who plays her pimp and gives a pretty nasty character a sympathetic touch. 
_
Two Days, One Night - _People have already talked about it on the thread so I've not really got a lot to add, nit my favourite Dardenne's but still very good.

_The Drop_ - another adaptation of Dennis Lehane's work, and James Gandolfini's last film, also starring Tom Hardy who's more in check than sometimes (though still overacts a bit IMO). They play the former owners/current managers of a bar that is used as a drop off point for illegal money, which is then robbed one night. The links into the other plot of Hardy's burgeoning relationship with Noomi Rapace. Not as good as the excellent _Gone Baby, Gone_ but worth watching.

_White Reindeer_ - a sort of black comedy xmas movie about about a woman who's husband is killed i the run up to Xmas, her discovery of his affair and how she copes with her grief. It's very american-indie but the lead, Anna Margaret Hollyman, is excellent and deserves to get a lot of work on the back of this.


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## benedict (Dec 16, 2014)

Here are some of the films I've enjoyed at the cinema - for a variety of reasons.

Birdman - I felt this dragged a bit in the second half but the idea was pretty great and the execution - cinematographically - was stunning.

Whiplash - Intense student-teacher psychological abuse flick. A little bit of a cliched parable on ambition. But it has some lovely jazz and delicious close-ups of players, kit etc.

Tracks - Incredible story of a young woman's solo hike across Australia and beautiful shots of Aussie outback

The Drop - Gandolfini's last film. Fun Brooklyn-based mob story. Tom Hardy was pretty good here. Some nice plot twists.

Skeleton Twins - Really endearing sibling reuniting film with some fun scenes.

Calvary - Contemporary Irish noir focused on a priest who is finding himself irrelevant. Slightly melodramatic ending. Surreal elements give the setting a disturbing edge.

Night Moves - Great indie thriller set in the northwest US. Environmental terrorism plot. Very tense.

The Rover - One man against bandits and authorities in a disturbing and violent post-apocalyptic Australia.

Locke - Interesting concept: Welshman confined to a car during crucial hours in engineering project; personal mission means sacrifice of career in construction.


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## redsquirrel (Dec 21, 2014)

_Nightcrawler_ - Agree with what Sue, belboid, Gramsci and Dr Furface have said. A  very, very good piece of work. Gyllenhaal is absolutely fantastic, he seems to have managed to change his physical appearance. Sue's right about the shoot out at the restaurant, but also the scene where he takes Nina to the restaurant is skin crawling too. It was well shot too, and I the only one that thought that parts of it were shot to evoke the neo-noirs of the 70s (particularly _Chinatown_ and _The Two Jakes_), likewise the choice of Lewis's clothes? Definitely worth going to see.


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## Sue (Dec 21, 2014)

redsquirrel said:


> _Nightcrawler_ - Agree with what Sue, belboid, Gramsci and Dr Furface have said. A  very, very good piece of work. Gyllenhaal is absolutely fantastic, he seems to have managed to change his physical appearance. Sue's right about the shoot out at the restaurant, but also the scene where he takes Nina to the restaurant is skin crawling too. It was well shot too, and I the only one that thought that parts of it were shot to evoke the neo-noirs of the 70s (particularly _Chinatown_ and _The Two Jakes_), likewise the choice of Lewis's clothes? Definitely worth going to see.


 
ActualIy was more talking about the him and her in the restaurant scene (which still makes my skin crawl when I think about it) but the shootout was very well done too I thought.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 1, 2015)

Sue said:


> ActualIy was more talking about the him and her in the restaurant scene (which still makes my skin crawl when I think about it) but the shootout was very well done too I thought.


Ah, got sorry, too many restaurant scenes.

Anyway last two films of 2014

_Whiplash_ - This has got great reviews, I don't think it's quite as good as many are making out but the two central performances J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller, are excellent and it's well directed which makes up for the somewhat unoriginal plot.

_Mr Tuner_ - while _Another Year_ was clearly an excellent piece of film making I didn't like it, this is every bit as good a piece of film making and I enjoyed it a lot more. Spall is excellent managing to make his grunts have more depth than most films speeches, the rest of the cast are good too especially Dorothy Atkinson as Turner's  housekeeper and Paul Jesson as his father. It's wonderfully shot and bits of it are very funny, like Queen Victoria dismissing Turner's pictures as a "vile yellow mess". One of the best films of the year.


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## DaveCinzano (Jul 26, 2015)

not-bono-ever said:


> The Legend of barney Thompson at the Ritzy
> 
> enjoybable dark hokum- not universally liked by the critics, but I can deal with that
> 
> *posted on the 2013 thread by mitsake


This is the 2014 thread btw


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