# List the films you've seen at the cinema: 2018



## metalguru (Jan 2, 2018)

*Molly's Game*

Despite rave reviews in the Guardian, this is mixed. It's rather slick rather than gripping, overlong and could have done with better editing. The scenes with Kevin Costner as Molly's father are mostly sentimental, and extremely poor at the concluding part of the film.

The good parts of the film are Jessica Chastain's performance and her interaction with Idris Elba. The poker elements of the film fall curiously flat and there are some ill-advised attempts to bring them to live with on-screen graphics.


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## Pickman's model (Jan 2, 2018)

star wars last jedi

the idea of space bombers struck me as utterly ludicrous. as were many other elements of the plot.


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## Badgers (Jan 2, 2018)

Not gone yet but booked


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## Kesher (Jan 2, 2018)

*Molly's  Game*

Great performances by Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba.  Interesting story told slickly that did not seem overlong. Very enjoyable; my only difficulty was trying to understand some of the terms used by Molly (Chastain) when describing the various techniques  that can be used  at a poker game. Nevertheless, well worth seeing.


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## Kesher (Jan 6, 2018)

*Hostiles
*
Smouldering performance by Christian Bale as reluctant  US Cavalry Captain tasked with escorting seriously ill Cheyenne  Chief and his family across dangerous territory back to Montana  homeland. Beautifully filmed; although it's brutal at times.  Film's sometimes languid pace  may not be to everyone's taste, but provides a platform for much contemplation.


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 9, 2018)

All the Money in the World. Ridley's best in some time, and he makes a compelling and tense thriller that had touches of The Godfather about it at times. It's a A lovely looking film.

Michelle Williams is fantastic. Christopher Plummer towers over everyone else as the money monster, Getty, and I can't see how having another Spacey baddie dialled in performance could have been any better at all.

Romain Duris is also brilliant at the kidnapper turned sympathiser. Wahlberg does a perfectly good Wahlberg.


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## Maltin (Jan 9, 2018)

Nanker Phelge said:


> and he makes the a compelling and tense thriller that had touches of The Godfather about it at times.






> Wahlberg does a perfectly good Wahlberg.




I really wish I felt the same about the film. I thought it was uninvolving and Wahlberg and his character were largely pointless.


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 9, 2018)

Maltin said:


>



It looked liked the Godfather during a lot of the scenes with Plummer, and he was a very Godfather like character.....


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 13, 2018)

*Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri*

Very entertaining and darkly funny film full of great performances that will likely win lots more awards in the coming months.

It's quite a small film, and easily Martin McDonagh's best to date. It does stretch credibility on more than one occasion, but that doesn't really get in the way unless you let it.  

Lovely score by Carter Burwell.


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## belboid (Jan 14, 2018)

*Star Wars - The Last Jedi
*
As per usual with a Star Wars film, it has some great bits, some idiotic bits, and it goes on too long. Needed more del Toro
*
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
*
Now that's more like it. Funny, moving, and surprising. After that thing that happens half way through, the ending becomes fairly obvious. Except it doesn't actually end like that. Brilliant stuff.


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## Sue (Jan 14, 2018)

Nanker Phelge said:


> *Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri*
> 
> Very entertaining and darkly funny film full of great performances that will likely win lots more awards in the coming months.
> 
> ...


Really enjoyed this. Frances McDormand's character is proper kickass. More of this sort of thing.


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## Sue (Jan 14, 2018)

Jupiter's Moon. Syrian refugee gains special powers after being shot while trying to cross a border. Well shot but a bit muddled. 

The Florida Project. The trailer really put me off but finally went to see this after rave reviews from a friend. An interesting, if ultimately depressing, view of low/no wage families struggling to get by. Very good, with excellent performances.


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## Grandma Death (Jan 14, 2018)

Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri

I know its only Jan-but it's hard to even imagine a film beating this throughout 2018. Cracking dialogue, powerhouse acting...and beautifully shot. I left the cinema feeling emotionally drained. Superb


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## gosub (Jan 16, 2018)

Darkest Hour Good film but won't win best picture Oldman probably will get best actor


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## Orang Utan (Jan 17, 2018)

The Disaster Artist
I went to the bother of watching The Room beforehand. Unbelievably terrible. Wiseau is like an alien in human skin trying to live amongst us and not quite getting it.
The Disaster Artist itself is excellent. Very very funny (esp the arsecrack moment, proper bellowing laughter at that).
Tommy is a monster for sure, but he's treated with a certain amount of sympathy - something must have happened to him to make him like that. He reminds me of certain people I've encountered who have no idea how to act around fellow human beings. 
Great use of Corona's Rhythm Of The Night too


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## Pickman's model (Jan 17, 2018)

Badgers said:


> Not gone yet but booked
> 
> View attachment 124426


they've got barbarella on next week, and i know it's one of your favourites.


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## Badgers (Jan 17, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> they've got barbarella on next week, and i know it's one of your favourites.


A classic  

I had to move my Blade Runner booking to the 23rd of March


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## Sue (Jan 20, 2018)

The Post. The editor/owner of the Washington Post have to decide whether to publish classified papers in the face of legal threats.

Curiously old -fashioned feeling film. Quite slow and lacking in tension at the start when it really shouldn't have been, though it did get better. Streep and Hanks were both good, if it didn't feel like much of a stretch for either.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 20, 2018)

Sue said:


> The Post. The editor/owner of the Washington Post have to decide whether to publish classified papers in the face of legal threats.
> 
> Curiously old -fashioned feeling film. Quite slow and lacking in tension at the start when it really shouldn't have been, though it did get better. Streep and Hanks were both good, if it didn't feel like much of a stretch for either.


I saw the trailer for that and it looked very dull, or at least not what I want from a Spielberg film. If it doesn't have a pit of writhing snakes, sympathetic space aliens and/or impossible stunts and car chases, then I'm not interested


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## emanymton (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> I saw the trailer for that and it looked very dull, or at least not what I want from a Spielberg film. If it doesn't have a lot of writhing snakes, sympathetic space aliens and/or impossible stunts and car chases, then I'm not interested


What about a big shark?


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## Sue (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> I saw the trailer for that and it looked very dull, or at least not what I want from a Spielberg film. If it doesn't have a lot of writhing snakes, sympathetic space aliens and/or impossible stunts and car chases, then I'm not interested


It wouldn't have necessarily been my first pick but a friend has an Odeon card and it was the only thing we both hadn't seen/were vaguely interested in seeing.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 20, 2018)

Sue said:


> It wouldn't have necessarily been my first pick but a friend has an Odeon card and it was the only thing we both hadn't seen/were vaguely interested in seeing.


My only new year resolution is to go to the cinema once a week, and have to admit I'm struggling to find a film I want to watch this week.


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## emanymton (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> My only new year resolution is to go to the cinema once a week, and have to admit I'm struggling to find a film I want to watch this week.


Have you got an unlimited card or similar or are you paying for each film? If you are not having to buy a ticket just pick something you are not sure about, you never know you might like and can just walk out if not.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 20, 2018)

emanymton said:


> Have you got an unlimited card or similar or are you paying for each film? If you are not having to buy a ticket just pick something you are not sure about, you never know you might like and can just walk out if not.


No, my local cineworld is too far away, so have to make do with paying £3.99 every Monday at a Vue cinema.
I picked the only one I hadn't heard of before, a Russian sci-fi called Attraction, though now I wish I'd booked Coco instead


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## 8115 (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> No, my local cineworld is too far away, so have to make do with paying £3.99 every Monday at a Vue cinema.
> I picked the only one I hadn't heard of before, a Russian sci-fi called Attraction


Coco looks good, if you like animation.


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## emanymton (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> No, my local cineworld is too far away, so have to make do with paying £3.99 every Monday at a Vue cinema.
> I picked the only one I hadn't heard of before, a Russian sci-fi called Attraction, though now I wish I'd booked Coco instead


Thats not bad, price wise it works out about the same. To be honest if there was nothing else I fancied I probably would go.for post.


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## Grandma Death (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> No, my local cineworld is too far away, so have to make do with paying £3.99 every Monday at a Vue cinema.
> I picked the only one I hadn't heard of before, a Russian sci-fi called Attraction, though now I wish I'd booked Coco instead




Odeon have one too


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## Orang Utan (Jan 20, 2018)

Grandma Death said:


> Odeon have one too


I know, but the nearest one is in another city


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## gosub (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> I saw the trailer for that and it looked very dull, or at least not what I want from a Spielberg film. If it doesn't have a pit of writhing snakes, sympathetic space aliens and/or impossible stunts and car chases, then I'm not interested


Wot, like Schindlers List


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## Orang Utan (Jan 20, 2018)

gosub said:


> Wot, like Schindlers List


would rather see Schindler's Fist


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 20, 2018)

*Darkest Hour*

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Oldman was quite captivating. The tube train scene was rubbish, but I am sure American audiences will lap it up.


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## Grandma Death (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> I know, but the nearest one is in another city




Couldnt live without mine. Had one years ago at the old UGC chain. Havent had one for 16 years. Then Odeon started doing one-and it paid for itself within 6 weeks. I love the freedom of going to see what I want knowing if its shit the card has paid for itself anyway so it doesnt matter


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## Grandma Death (Jan 20, 2018)

This week I saw All The Money In The World. For me it was interesting because of the fact Scott completely re-shot spaceys character with Christopher Plummer in 10 weeks. There was no way of telling to be honest and Im a big fan of Plummer-he's superb in The Insider

The film was so so. Whalberg was being himself by numbers. It dragged somewhat and I had no sympathy for any of the characters so didnt give a shit whether the boy lived or died. I thought the bad guys were a bit by the numbers too. Set pieces were good and great cinematography. 

Ridley Scott hasnt, in my opinion, made a great film for ages.


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## gosub (Jan 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> No, my local cineworld is too far away, so have to make do with paying £3.99 every Monday at a Vue cinema.
> I picked the only one I hadn't heard of before, a Russian sci-fi called Attraction, though now I wish I'd booked Coco instead


Finally worked out how to get them... Vue don't make it easy


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## DexterTCN (Jan 21, 2018)

Coco.   Top class Pixar.  Music, family, memory, loss.   You will cry.

The Shape of Water.  A love story with the creature from the black lagoon, handled really well.  Incredible palette.  Sally Hawkins is great as Elisa.  Touches of Pan's Labyrinth here and there.


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## Sue (Jan 21, 2018)

DexterTCN said:


> Coco.   Top class Pixar.  Music, family, memory, loss.   You will cry.
> 
> *The Shape of Water.  *A love story with the creature from the black lagoon, handled really well.  Incredible palette.  Sally Hawkins is great as Elisa.  Touches of Pan's Labyrinth here and there.



Thought that wasn't out until February? Was it a preview?


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## DexterTCN (Jan 21, 2018)

Sue said:


> Thought that wasn't out until February? Was it a preview?


solar movie dot net


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## metalguru (Jan 21, 2018)

Coco - Preview last weekend (2D only). Nice use of colour and visually interesting, but the story takes just a bit too much time to get going . The ending is quite sentimental - but just about works, I think.	7/10

3 Billboards Outside  Ebbing, Missouri. Very strong performances, especially from Frances McDormand. However the script needed a bit of work in my view including the Police just giving up on trying to work out who firebombed the police station, and a couple of the characters misguidedly played for laughs - the 19 year girlfriend and James  (aka 'town dwarf'). 8/10


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 21, 2018)

DexterTCN said:


> solar movie dot net



So not at the cinema then


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## chilango (Jan 21, 2018)

*Coco*

I was trying to tease out the allegorical narrative about the tension between Guevarist and more anarchist currents within the Mexican guerilla movements, but I kept getting bits of grit in my eye or something...

Great film.


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## cybershot (Jan 22, 2018)

Molly's Game.

I usually like court based stuff, but the court part of this isn't really until the end and by the time it get's there the film has already been going for 2 hours so you just want it to end. The story is ok involving an illegal poker game, it's been done before. Its enjoyable, but I wouldn't go out my way to watch it again.

7/10


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## Kesher (Jan 22, 2018)

*All The Money In The World*

Enjoyed it; maybe a bit overlong. Christopher Plummer does a fine job and so does Romain Duris as the kidnapper


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## gosub (Jan 22, 2018)

Sue said:


> The Post. The editor/owner of the Washington Post have to decide whether to publish classified papers in the face of legal threats.
> 
> Curiously old -fashioned feeling film. Quite slow and lacking in tension at the start when it really shouldn't have been, though it did get better. Streep and Hanks were both good, if it didn't feel like much of a stretch for either.


Acting isn't a stretch but probably a shoe in for best picture


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## Sue (Jan 22, 2018)

gosub said:


> Acting isn't a stretch but probably a shoe in for best picture


No doubt. I yhought it was pretty average but that doesn't necessarily mean anything when it comes to the Oscars...


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## gosub (Jan 22, 2018)

Sue said:


> No doubt. I yhought it was pretty average but that doesn't necessarily mean anything when it comes to the Oscars...


A story that needed telling and wasn't told badly... But a bit like a star wars prequel (to All the Presidents Men)


Not smokey enough.


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## Kesher (Jan 23, 2018)

*Insidious: The Last Key*

Disappointing especially when compared to the first film,  though it picks up in the last 20/25 minutes.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 23, 2018)

Coco - lovely Mexican-influenced Pixar story about death and remembrance, which left me in bits. If you've recently lost a loved, beware!  
Had to go back to get my cycling helmet and caught the end of the credits and glad I did. Stay to the end if you want to get your full value!


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## Kesher (Jan 24, 2018)

*Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*

Excellent. Great cast: especially Woody Harrelson


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## Pickman's model (Jan 24, 2018)

Barbarella


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## Grandma Death (Jan 25, 2018)

Just got back from downsizing. I'm a huge fan of Paynes movies. Quirky and all have a indie quality about them all. This is probably his biggest in scope. But still having those big huge themes running through it. I adored it. A really wonderful journey and I felt completely wrapped up so much by the last 15 minutes I felt completely serene and had a huge smile on my face. Some great performances with Hong Chau completely bossing it. 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk


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## marty21 (Jan 27, 2018)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 

Haven't been to the pictures for about a year , glad I finally went , absolute stunner of a film.


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## Kesher (Jan 27, 2018)

*The Post
*
You have to put up with the slow  1st hour to enjoy the 2nd hour which greatly accelerates in pace and is well worth watching


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## Mrs Miggins (Jan 27, 2018)

Grandma Death said:


> This week I saw All The Money In The World. For me it was interesting because of the fact Scott completely re-shot spaceys character with Christopher Plummer in 10 weeks. There was no way of telling to be honest and Im a big fan of Plummer-he's superb in The Insider
> 
> The film was so so. Whalberg was being himself by numbers. It dragged somewhat and I had no sympathy for any of the characters so didnt give a shit whether the boy lived or died. I thought the bad guys were a bit by the numbers too. Set pieces were good and great cinematography.
> 
> Ridley Scott hasnt, in my opinion, made a great film for ages.


I didn't know about that and thinking about it, even without recent events, I am much more interested in Christopher Plummer in that role than I ever would have been in Kevin Spacey doing it. Funny how things turn out.


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## SpookyFrank (Jan 28, 2018)

Darkest Hour

Oscar bait at its most transparent and least convincing. Oldman's Harry Enfield-grade impression is an embarassment, the story adds nothing we haven't seen a hundred times before and the script is full of bum notes and hollow schmaltz. Ben Mendelsohn's George VI is about the only highlight.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 28, 2018)

_Lover for a Day - _French film about a young woman who's just broken up with her boyfriend, her father and her father's new girlfriend who's her age. It's a contained piece, concentrating the relationships of these three characters but that's all for the better, the characters are well drawn, acting is good, is nicely shot in black and white, and actually has a narration that works. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be getting much a release but I would definitely recommend seeing it if you get the chance.


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## Kesher (Jan 28, 2018)

*Coco*
Nice  film though I prefer The Book of Life which is, for example, visually far more impressive.


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## Mrs Miggins (Jan 28, 2018)

SpookyFrank said:


> Darkest Hour
> 
> Oscar bait at its most transparent and least convincing. Oldman's Harry Enfield-grade impression is an embarassment, the story adds nothing we haven't seen a hundred times before and the script is full of bum notes and hollow schmaltz. Ben Mendelsohn's George VI is about the only highlight.


I'll give that one a wide berth then!! Entertainment opportunities are scarce in Blenheim and I sometimes get desperate but I was already thinking "oh god do I really need to see another film about Churchill/WW2?". You've convinced me that I do not! Bloody Dunkirk was almost a bridge too far for me (d'you see what I did there ).


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## BlueSquareThing (Jan 28, 2018)

The Darkest Hour - OK on the whole, although skirted over anything very negative about Churchill far too quickly. Reasonable to watch though with some quite nice period details.

The Post - slow start, but some decent moments, especially in the second half. It helped to have watched the Ken Burns Vietnam documentary series last year.


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## Mrs Miggins (Jan 28, 2018)

I finally got to see Loving Vincent on a flight and it was beautiful. I absolutely loved it.
It's now coming to the cinemas here and I have to decide whether I will see if again on a big screen....I think I might as it is all about the visuals after all.


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## cybershot (Jan 28, 2018)

Darkest Hour - Echo what pretty much everyone else here has already said. 7/10


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## 8115 (Jan 28, 2018)

Downsizing - ok, I liked a lot of the commentary about people's attitude to the environment but I felt that one of the main character's foreign accents was played for laughs and that really made me uncomfortable. 

Coco - I liked this film, an easy watch. The set-up is the best thing about the film and I slightly lost interest in the second half but it wraps up nicely in the end.


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## metalguru (Jan 28, 2018)

All The Money in the World

Agree with Grandma Death upthread that is dragged rather a lot. The cinematography was pleasant, but the film was not very gripping or involving. In fact, I even nodded off at a couple of points briefly. 

5/10


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## gosub (Jan 28, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Darkest Hour - Echo what pretty much everyone else here has already said. 7/10


Gary Oldman was not channelling Harry Enfield, he will deserve the Best Actor he will undoubted get, unless it's Day Lewis again(not seen Phantom Thread)


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## Sue (Jan 28, 2018)

Happy Ends. I generally really like Haneke's films but this was disappointing and pretty dull. A load of characters I really couldn't care less about doing things I wasn't interested in. Waste of an excellent cast.

Private Confessions. Liv Ullman directed film based on a Bergman script. So they decided to show the Swedish tv version rather than the advertised cinematic release so 3.5 hours rather than 2 hours 10 of unrelenting misery. Very well shot, interesting narrative arc and use of an unreliable narrator but the version I saw was way too long and ponderous. And very miserable indeed.


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 29, 2018)

All the Money in the World
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
Darkest Hour
*Downsizing - *Well, this is an Alexander Payne film through and through, so if you don't like his style of bittersweet downbeat satire then you are likely to think this is not much cop. It's probably a bit too long, but there's much fun to be had in the detail, and there's some great performances from Christopher Waltz, Hong Chau and Udo Kier along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it on a wet January afternoon and the message that it's alright to be average and not have to change the world is one that is often missing from the world these days.


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## Kesher (Jan 29, 2018)

*The Commuter
*
A bit like Non-Stop; but on a train. If you like Liam Neeson action films then you'll probably like this.


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## gosub (Jan 30, 2018)

Three billboards - Really enjoyed it. Cinema was full even though its been out 3 weeks. Engaging plot and three solid performances.  Middle America hasn't moved on that much from the days of in the heat of the night


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 30, 2018)

8115 said:


> Downsizing - ok, I liked a lot of the commentary about people's attitude to the environment but I felt that one of the main character's foreign accents was played for laughs and that really made me uncomfortable.



Hong Chau has had a lot to say in various interviews about her role in the film.

...She has expressed frustration over having to defend the character, and, by extension, her performance, to the journalists who have questioned her about it: “I have to sit there and explain to another human being why somebody who looks like me and sounds like my parents deserves to exist onscreen,”

More here:

‘Downsizing’ Breakout Hong Chau On Her Controversial Accent and Playing a Disabled Character Respectfully


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## cybershot (Jan 31, 2018)

The Post

The golden age of the press, all star cast. Reporters, whistle blowers, stuff that's probably almost the norm these days, and perhaps because of that this fails to make an impact on you. People take risks, but not at any point does it feel like anyone is in any kind of danger. For a Spielberg film, it feels flat.

6/10


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## gosub (Jan 31, 2018)

cybershot said:


> The Post
> 
> The golden age of the press, all star cast. Reporters, whistle blowers, stuff that's probably almost the norm these days, and perhaps because of that this fails to make an impact on you. People take risks, but not at any point does it feel like anyone is in any kind of danger. For a Spielberg film, it feels flat.
> 
> 6/10


I'd thought about that, and I agree, BUT Spielberg clearly wants it to work as a companion piece to All the Presidents Men where the scope and ruthlessness of the Nixon White House is slowly revieled as the tension builds.. Too much menace in this would muck that up and probably not be historically accurate either.. But there's enough jeopardy to colour in 'when Bradley and Graham grew a pair' which adds to a rewatch of All the Presidents Men


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## Kesher (Jan 31, 2018)

*12 Strong*

Based on true story: Chris Hemsworth plays the captain of  a US special forces unit who teams up with a warlord to fight the local Taliban.  Jingoistic though exciting with well staged battle scenes, wry humour  raises a few  laughs as well. Also impressive cinematography and an interesting look at a clash of cultures.


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## Nanker Phelge (Jan 31, 2018)

Kesher said:


> *12 Strong*
> 
> Based on true story: Chris Hemsworth plays the captain of  a US special forces unit who teams up with a warlord to fight the local Taliban.  Jingoistic though exciting with well staged battle scenes, wry humour  raises a few  laughs as well. Also impressive cinematography and an interesting look at a clash of cultures.



UK critics have given it a proper slating


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## Sue (Jan 31, 2018)

Nanker Phelge said:


> UK critics have given it a proper slating


And, tbf, it does look bloody awful.


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## Kesher (Jan 31, 2018)

There's a big difference between what critics think and audiences think according to Rotten Tomatoes:  12 Strong


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## Sue (Jan 31, 2018)

Kesher said:


> There's a big difference between what critics think and audiences think according to Rotten Tomatoes:  12 Strong


I'm sure there is. It still looks bloody awful.


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## Mrs Miggins (Feb 3, 2018)

Just seen Phantom Thread - an excellent movie. Daniel Day Lewis was brilliant but the stand out performance for me was from Lesley Manville. She was superb.


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## DJWrongspeed (Feb 3, 2018)

Mrs Miggins said:


> Just seen Phantom Thread - an excellent movie. Daniel Day Lewis was brilliant but the stand out performance for me was from Lesley Manville. She was superb.



Agree, Manville is excellent. Bizarre story. Greenwood's scored bits were over bearing otherwise great performances all round.  Fascinating to see into one of those London town  houses.


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## krtek a houby (Feb 4, 2018)

Three Billboards... Is McDormand up for an Oscar? She should be...


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## gosub (Feb 4, 2018)

krtek a houby said:


> Three Billboards... Is McDormand up for an Oscar? She should be...


Tough category though... Teenage girl coming of age movie a woman falling in love with a bucket of water (seen neither but reckon there both acting challenges)


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## BlueSquareThing (Feb 4, 2018)

Three billboards - after having tried to see it twice when it was sold out. Sold out again last night but we'd got our act together and actually booked tickets. Good performances all round, especially from Woody Harrelson. Felt almost like an old fashioned western in some ways - in a good way. Enjoyed the music as well.


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## Nanker Phelge (Feb 4, 2018)

gosub said:


> Tough category though... Teenage girl coming of age movie a woman falling in love with a bucket of water (seen neither but reckon there both acting challenges)



I'd wager Margot Robbie is in with a massive chance of winning. I think Ronan won't get it (she's young, she'll get another chance). I think McDormand is odds on favourite, but there could be an upset.

Please don't give it Streep again, she's got 3 already and The Post was hardly a stretch.

I reckon Sally Hawkins will be left out in the cold this time. Oscars don't go to female leads in fantasy films.


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## Mrs Miggins (Feb 4, 2018)

Padmaavat.

Big Bollywood production controversial due to religious types getting upset about a scene they imagined but that wasn't actually in the film ( ).
Beautiful women, beautiful costumes, fine moustaches, battles, singing and dancing, an awesome baddy....great stuff.
It was a special screening in Blenheim and a sell out which is unheard of - the local Indian community were out in force! I was the only non-Indian in the audience.


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## Kesher (Feb 6, 2018)

*Downsizing
*
Main characters are excellent. Loved the party scene: Matt Damon really impressed in this. Interesting story and worth seeing.


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## Mrs Miggins (Feb 7, 2018)

I, Tonya.

About Tonya Harding - highly entertaining - especially her mother who is a magnificently foul-mouthed evil bitch


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## Kesher (Feb 8, 2018)

*Den of Thieves
*
Intense action. A really authentic performance  by Gerard Butler it's probably the best he's done in years. Derivative yes; but the film has a twist. If you're into heist films with blazing shootouts  then see this on the big screen.


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## belboid (Feb 10, 2018)

*The Phantom Thread*

Danial Day-Lewis' final role, supposedly, about a dressmaker and his latest muse. A story about obsession, manipulation, and more than a hint of Oedipus. It's all beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, and has some very clever, and occasionally funny, dialogue. But Day-Lewis' Woodcock is no Lermontov, his obsession is slightly sad and already past. He just isn't at all sympathetic. And Alma, his victim/muse, while she is more interesting, and somewhat sympathetic, never quite becomes fully rounded, there's just something missing that makes her not ring wholly true. And then the ending....still not quite sure what to make of that


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## Kesher (Feb 11, 2018)

*Darkest Hour*

Top performance by Gary  Oldman. Well produced,  although some scenes looked like they could have been taken from a music video. Part of the scene where Churchill meets the passengers on the tube didn't work too well: looked like it was going  to turn into some corny musical. Apart from that interesting and  very enjoyable. Better than the one with Brian Cox.


----------



## toblerone3 (Feb 11, 2018)

Mrs Miggins said:


> I, Tonya.
> 
> About Tonya Harding - highly entertaining - especially her mother who is a magnificently foul-mouthed evil bitch



I would like to see this one. Trailer trash ice skaters what is not to like.


----------



## gosub (Feb 12, 2018)

The Mercy
Reasonable telling of the story and well acted... But filming sailing clearly hasn't progressed since the Onedin line, sailors will giggle in an irritated fashion


----------



## Dr. Furface (Feb 13, 2018)

*Loveless*

Maybe not quite as brilliant as his previous film Leviathan, nontheless this is another staggering work of heartbreaking genius from Andrey Zvyagintsev, centred around a Moscow couple going through an acrimonious break-up, and their child who goes missing. A cold and bleak winter's tale of everyday folk from Putin's Russia.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Feb 13, 2018)

Black Panther. 

Strong performances and great afrofuturist design.
More serious than a lot of the MCU.
Plot is decent. Some interesting points raised if not explored that deeply. 

And it has rinos.


----------



## cybershot (Feb 15, 2018)

Fifty Shades Freed.

Awful, just awful. 15 minutes of plot, the rest may have been a weeks worth of episodes of Neighbours. Also for a couple that get married at the start, there seems to be a lot of questions they discuss that you'd normally have had BEFORE you get married. Utter toss.

3/10 and that's being kind.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Feb 15, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Fifty Shades Freed.
> 
> Awful, just awful. 15 minutes of plot, the rest may have been a weeks worth of episodes of Neighbours. Also for a couple that get married at the start, there seems to be a lot of questions they discuss that you'd normally have had BEFORE you get married. Utter toss.
> 
> 3/10 and that's being kind.


Why did you even bother??


----------



## cybershot (Feb 15, 2018)

Mrs Miggins said:


> Why did you even bother??



Sometimes you take one for the team, rather than being a stuck in the mud.


----------



## Wilf (Feb 16, 2018)

Just seen the Shape of Water. Enjoyed it, visually pretty good, but not quite as good as the critics have it...


Spoiler: just a bit spoilery, not much...



10% anti-racism, 40% nice love story and 50% rather predictable 'spooks have an exotic creature that treat appallingly' tale.  Sally Hawkins was great. Real rival to McDormand for the Oscar (for anybody who gives a shit about Oscars), it was just that the whole thing lacked intensity, was a bit predictable and maybe a bit cluttered.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Feb 17, 2018)

God forgive me I went to see The Greatest Showman last night. Exactly what you'd expect. No more no less. Hugh Jackman's face must have been killing him after all that smiling.


----------



## gosub (Feb 17, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Sometimes you take one for the team, rather than being a stuck in the mud.


who are you trying to convince? us or you


----------



## cybershot (Feb 17, 2018)

gosub said:


> who are you trying to convince? us or you



I couldn’t give a toss what anyone thinks to be honest. I replied with what film I’ve seen at the cinema. I guess no ones seen a bad film at the cinema before with someone who really wanted to go to see said film.


----------



## Maharani (Feb 17, 2018)

Loved, loved, loved Black Panther. Thought it might be too long at 2.14 mins but I was entertained throughout. Stellar performances all round and so much fun to watch.


----------



## ginger_syn (Feb 17, 2018)

cybershot said:


> I couldn’t give a toss what anyone thinks to be honest. I replied with what film I’ve seen at the cinema. I guess no ones seen a bad film at the cinema before with someone who really wanted to go to see said film.


I did once, it was awful and they went to sleep twenty minutes into the film.


----------



## Orang Utan (Feb 17, 2018)

That's why I always go to the cinema on my own.


----------



## belboid (Feb 17, 2018)

Dr. Furface said:


> *Loveless*
> 
> Maybe not quite as brilliant as his previous film Leviathan, nontheless this is another staggering work of heartbreaking genius from Andrey Zvyagintsev, centred around a Moscow couple going through an acrimonious break-up, and their child who goes missing. A cold and bleak winter's tale of everyday folk from Putin's Russia.


Went to this last night and was also very impressed. Not quite sure about 'staggering' but it is immensely powerful and beautifully made. But it is just so motherfucking bleak, everything about it is so depressing, without a hint of hope. And, sadly, that is most likely an all too true portrait of Russia today.


----------



## komodo (Feb 18, 2018)

‘Three Billboards outside Ebbing Misouri’, brilliant- and did not realise until I read yesterday that Frances McDormand is married to Joel Cohen. Also it’s got Lester from the Wire in it doing a Mr Tibbs from Heat of the Night.


----------



## Thimble Queen (Feb 18, 2018)

The shape of water and Black Panther back to back last night x


----------



## Dr. Furface (Feb 18, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> That's why I always go to the cinema on my own.


You sure that's the only reason?


----------



## Orang Utan (Feb 18, 2018)

Dr. Furface said:


> You sure that's the only reason?


Aye, I try and avoid going with others. Not a worthwhile pursuit.


----------



## gosub (Feb 19, 2018)

Wilf said:


> Just seen the Shape of Water. Enjoyed it, visually pretty good, but not quite as good as the critics have it...
> 
> 
> Spoiler: just a bit spoilery, not much...
> ...


Liked it too. Wouldn't have seen it on the back of it being called sci fi / fantasy. But it was the only intelligent choice on offer on £4 night. It's not, Its a beauty and the beast that felt French ... Hard to pigeon hole.  If you've spent the year having to watch comic book adaptions and the merch exercise that is Star Wars,, i can see why the critics liked it    That said cinema more than half empty.... Probably do alright on Dvd

And she has a shot at best actress


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Feb 23, 2018)

I saw The Shape of Water last night. Agree with what's been said above. It was enjoyable and lovely to look at but I think my expectations were too high.


----------



## cybershot (Feb 23, 2018)

Aliens.

Yes, A film from 1986. And it was bloody brilliant on the big screen!


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Feb 24, 2018)

The Shape of Water. I loved it.


----------



## DexterTCN (Feb 24, 2018)

Black Panther.  Very good.  Coogler continues to impress.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Feb 25, 2018)

Lady Bird.

About halfway in I realised that I wasn't going to provided with any sort of reason to give a shit about any of these people, and I was just going to have to get used to that fact and use the rest of the time to contemplate exactly who it is that's responsible for showering such thin material with award nominations.

I can only assume the screenplay was copied straight out of the director's own teenage diaries, with a few selfconsciously deep lines thrown in for good measure. It's even set in 2002, although if you miss the one line about it being 2002 you could easily not notice this.

I'm sure everyone involved truly believed in the film they were making though, the worthiness practically drips from the screen. A movie that would joyfully sniff its own farts if you gave it half a chance.


----------



## Grandma Death (Feb 26, 2018)

So tonight Ive been to see:

Black Panther.

Superb. I can see why its doing well and some black people are flocking to see it. Its definitely a celebration of African and black culture. I had a big debate with my mate who said this film was unique-and initially he said it was because of the largely black cast. I argued otherwise-that this had been done with blaxploitation movies, Shaft even a movie like Coming To America. He argued it was much different to those movies. After coming out I can see why. Its a slow burner. A standalone to the Marvel series and everything about it I simply adored. Sumptuous to look at it-real depth to the characters. Real emotional impact and unlike some Marvel movies quite earnest. And I really dont think Ive seen a movie with so many strong female characters in it. Michael Jordon bossed that movie to be fair. I think upon second viewing its likely to be my favourite Marvel movie of all time. Roll on Infinity come April


After that screening I went to see I, Tonya

Its been described as the Goodfellas of ice skating and I can see why. The B2B soundtrack, rapid editing, monologues and breaking through the third wall... I was very impressed with Margot Robbie in the lead role. Ive only ever seen in her Wolf Of Wall Street. I actually had no idea it was even her til about half way through-and it took me half hour for me her character to start that 'I know her from somewhere' narrative in my head. She was so downplayed from that role in Wolf and she pulls it off perfectly. But Alison Janney who players mother is the real revelation. A brutal matriarchal abusive individual, a foul mouthed abusive mother that beats her daughter on a regular basis. I left the cinema feeling invested in Tonya and quite sad at her outcome and how she was the centre of a group of really quite unscrupulous people who eventually brought her down.


----------



## Kaka Tim (Feb 26, 2018)

Shape of water - agree with what Wilf says in his spoiler.
ITs good - but not as good as its been made out. Lacks the intensity, tension and sheer emotional punch of _pan's labyrinth_. Its more like _ET_ meets _City of the Lost Children_. Looks beautiful though.


----------



## Wilf (Feb 26, 2018)

Grandma Death said:


> So tonight Ive been to see:
> 
> Black Panther.
> 
> Superb. I can see why its doing well and some black people are flocking to see it. *Its definitely a celebration of African and black culture. I*


 I must have a nose around to read some black political responses to the film. I was running a temperature when I went earlier in the week, so probably didn't really take it all in. However I'm not sure the relationship between Wakanda and the rest of Africa would be regarded as very positive (it's late, can't be bothered to do the spoiler code and give details. Might do that tomorrow).


----------



## Grandma Death (Feb 26, 2018)

Wilf said:


> I must have a nose around to read some black political responses to the film. I was running a temperature when I went earlier in the week, so probably didn't really take it all in. However I'm not sure the relationship between Wakanda and the rest of Africa would be regarded as very positive (it's late, can't be bothered to do the spoiler code and give details. Might do that tomorrow).



Its interesting that. Because Wakanda are exploiting the natural resources-but surely thats balanced out by the actions in the end sequence. A realisation by the main protagonists they need to share what they have?


----------



## Grandma Death (Feb 26, 2018)

Wilf said:


> I must have a nose around to read some black political responses to the film. I



What Black Panther Means To African Americans in 2018 - Black Panther Audience Style


African audiences are having a very emotional response to Black Panther: 'We were humanised, and that matters'

Theres just two. I accept these are opinions. It is quite clear though the film is having a resonance with some black people and I can see why


----------



## Wilf (Feb 26, 2018)

Grandma Death said:


> Its interesting that. Because Wakanda are exploiting the natural resources-but surely thats balanced out by the actions in the end sequence. A realisation by the main protagonists they need to share what they have?


Yeah, it's precisely that. Admittedly, I shouldn't try and look for precisely lined up pan-Africanist politics in a Hollywood film, but it's the fact that for all of it's history till that point, they _don't_ share/help out. It's an unenlightened enlightened regime.


----------



## Pickman's model (Feb 26, 2018)

lady bird, pretty good


----------



## Pickman's model (Feb 26, 2018)

SpookyFrank said:


> Lady Bird.
> 
> About halfway in I realised that I wasn't going to provided with any sort of reason to give a shit about any of these people, and I was just going to have to get used to that fact and use the rest of the time to contemplate exactly who it is that's responsible for showering such thin material with award nominations.
> 
> ...


i think that people paying attention would note that not all of it's set in 2002, being as the gulf war itself in 2003, as per tv reporting in film.


----------



## Virtual Blue (Feb 26, 2018)

Lady Bird - shite. switched off in 20 mins.


----------



## Orang Utan (Feb 26, 2018)

Virtual Blue said:


> Lady Bird - shite. switched off in 20 mins.


So you a) didn't watch the film and b) didn't watch it at the cinema


----------



## Virtual Blue (Feb 26, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> So you a) didn't watch the film and b) didn't watch it at the cinema



wrong thread!


----------



## belboid (Feb 26, 2018)

*I, Tonya*

It is a magnificently entertaining two hours. Margot Robbie is superb as Harding, as is Alison Janney as her mum. The two main fellas are utterly ridiculous, but so they should be. It plays with the line between 'what really happened?' and 'we know you did it' very nicely, just a few lines here and there to undermine (but not totally destroy) the denial. It's impossible not to feel massive sympathy for Harding, struggling to overcome a shitty lie and rigged system. Even though,she almost definitely did know what was going on, really.


----------



## chilango (Feb 28, 2018)

Went to the Banff Mountain Film Festival tour last night.

Personal highlights:

Into Twin Galaxies



Stumped


----------



## cybershot (Feb 28, 2018)

The Shape of Water.

Think everyone else already nailed it. Strong start that just turns into a starman remake.

6/10


----------



## metalguru (Mar 3, 2018)

A Fantastic Woman - 9/10

Really loved this Chilean film about a transgender woman coping with the aftermath of the death of her older lover. The lead performance is incredible, but the film is actually very trance-like with a subtle hallucinatory soundtrack and camerawork.

Ultimately an uplifting film, and best one of the year for me so far.


----------



## Wilf (Mar 4, 2018)

belboid said:


> *I, Tonya*
> 
> It is a magnificently entertaining two hours. Margot Robbie is superb as Harding, as is Alison Janney as her mum. The two main fellas are utterly ridiculous, but so they should be. It plays with the line between 'what really happened?' and 'we know you did it' very nicely, just a few lines here and there to undermine (but not totally destroy) the denial. It's impossible not to feel massive sympathy for Harding, struggling to overcome a shitty lie and rigged system. Even though,she almost definitely did know what was going on, really.


Saw it tonight, really enjoyed it. I normally hate films that breach the 4th wall, but it really worked in I, Tonya.  As you say, great performance by Robbie. Thought they might have included a bit more of Kerrigan, but still loved it.


----------



## krtek a houby (Mar 4, 2018)

Black Panther. Looks marvellous, great cast but a bit flabby in parts and BP is all a bit straight and noble. 3/5.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 4, 2018)

*Game Night*


Top cast, great chemistry between Jason Bateman and Rachael McAdams. Jesse Plemons who plays the creepy cop and their next neighbour is great. Funny, clever and lots of twists.


----------



## belboid (Mar 4, 2018)

Black Panther


Just bloody brilliant. Best Marvel film yet, great script, great performances, looked fantastic, well paced, and even had decent politics! All it lacked was a bit of Sun Ra.


----------



## Pickman's model (Mar 4, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> lady bird, pretty good


Black panther *****


----------



## Pickman's model (Mar 4, 2018)

belboid said:


> Black Panther
> 
> 
> Just bloody brilliant. Best Marvel film yet, great script, great performances, looked fantastic, well paced, and even had decent politics! All it lacked was a bit of Sun Ra.


It had bast


----------



## Kesher (Mar 5, 2018)

*I, Tonya*

Highly competent performances by Margot Robbie and Allison Janney. But I  can't say overall I really enjoyed this film as there aren't enough  breaks from the depressing,  nastiness of the main characters. However; Paul Walter Hauser is a scene stealer: he plays Tonya's  bungling,  delusional bodyguard and brings some much needed comedic relief.


----------



## Wilf (Mar 6, 2018)

Kesher said:


> *I, Tonya*
> 
> Highly competent performances by Margot Robbie and Allison Janney. But I  can't say overall I really enjoyed this film as there aren't enough  breaks from the depressing,  nastiness of the main characters. However; Paul Walter Hauser is a scene stealer: he plays Tonya's  bungling,  delusional bodyguard and brings some much needed comedic relief.


 Yep, even though you know he's a chronic bullshitter and saddo - and is being portrayed as exactly that - he's still  very amusing.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Mar 6, 2018)

The Shape of Water

Excellent. The story is a pastiche of other stuff but the design, direction, acting, world building, dialogue and basically everything else about the movie is pretty perfect. Visually it reminded me of Delicatessen which can only be a good thing. The shifts in tone and mood are well handled and it works as a piece of entertainment as well as a piece of drama or visual art. 

Still not as good as Pan's Labyrinth though, and I doubt I'll watch it as many times as I've watched Hellboy 2 but those are two very high bars.


----------



## SpookyFrank (Mar 6, 2018)

krtek a houby said:


> Black Panther. Looks marvellous, great cast but a bit flabby in parts and BP is all a bit straight and noble. 3/5.



T'Challa himself is arguably the least interesting person in the movie but sometimes that's the job of the protagonist, to be a fixed point around which everything else revolves. Wakanda itself is the real star.


----------



## TheHoodedClaw (Mar 6, 2018)

SpookyFrank said:


> Still not as good as Pan's Labyrinth though, and I doubt I'll watch it as many times as I've watched Hellboy 2 but those are two very high bars.



I think GDT got his masterpiece in relatively early with Pan's Labyrinth, but Shape of Water is a worthy Oscar winner for him. Gawd, I really wish he'd been able to do The Hobbit.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 6, 2018)

*Black Panther
*
Very disappointed: main character dull. The villain played by Andy Serkis was probably the most interesting. Anyway,  generally boring I had trouble trying to stay awake. Also  confusing choreography and overlong. One  the  worst Marvel films  I've seen.


----------



## Orang Utan (Mar 6, 2018)

Kesher said:


> *Black Panther
> *
> Very disappointed: main character dull. The villain played by Andy Serkis was probably the most interesting. Anyway,  generally boring I had trouble trying to stay awake. Also  confusing choreography and overlong. One  the  worst Marvel films  I've seen.


Hahah it's surely the best - you can actually tell what's going on and why people are doing the things they do and the villain is actually complicated with nuanced motives. And he's played by Wallace off of The Wire.


----------



## belboid (Mar 6, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> Hahah it's surely the best - you can actually tell what's going on and why people are doing the things they do and the villain is actually complicated with nuanced motives. And he's played by Wallace off of The Wire.


Blates. 

The highest grossing film _ever_ in West and East Africa.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Mar 7, 2018)

Just been to see Lady Bird and ended up loving it. I was not sure at all for the first half of the film then it just started to tug at me. Tug at my own memories and feelings about that part if my own life. I got quite emotional towards the end. So yeah....I liked it very much.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 7, 2018)

*Lady Bird
*
I also wasn't sure for the first  third to half of the film; but it creeps up on you and turns out to be a heart warming film. Saoirse Ronan as usual is excellent.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 7, 2018)

*The Shape of Water*

Style over substance indeed: fine cinematography with  impeccable attention to era detail. Unfortunately let down by a sub standard plot.  Michael Shannon and  Michael Stuhlbarg were the stand out actors, although the rest of the main cast were good. But taken as a whole,  I just don't understand  how this won the Oscar for  best picture over Three Billboards or Get Out


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Mar 7, 2018)

Kesher said:


> *The Shape of Water*
> 
> Style over substance indeed: fine cinematography with  impeccable attention to era detail. Unfortunately let down by a sub standard plot.  Michael Shannon and  Michael Stuhlbarg were the stand out actors, although the rest of the main cast were good. But taken as a whole,  I just don't understand  how this won the Oscar for  best picture over Three Billboards or Get Out


Me either. Three Billboards is a much better film IMO. And Lady Bird. I liked Get Out but I don't think it's the best film of the year.
But then the Oscars are a load of old nonsense anyway.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 8, 2018)

*Red Sparrow*

Dark and gritty spy thriller. Jennifer Lawrence does a great job as the Russian Ballerina who has a career change and becomes a spy but not before undergoing a sadistic training regime. Good supporting cast as well. Be prepared for scenes of torture and sexual violence. This is a 15 cert; but if I hadn't known I would have thought I was watching an 18 cert. Can be slow burn at times; but it's never boring. Somewhat complicated story line always keeps you guessing, and it's got a good ending.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 10, 2018)

*Gringo*

Despite the messy plot it's entertaining


----------



## Pickman's model (Mar 10, 2018)

Taxi driver. Good film


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Mar 11, 2018)

Went to cinema to see Shape of Water for the second time and it had lost none of its charm for me. It's a lovely fairy tale, that looks fantastic, has some really good performances, great score. That relationship between Eliza and Amphibian Man is made believable, and the world is made believable, and that is great fantasy film making.

I did spot a lot of plot holes second time around though....but they were all trivial points...although my main issue was if the Neighbour guy was narrating the story to us, how did he know about Eliza's 'private time' in the bath?????

This happens a lot with films that are narrated.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 11, 2018)

*Finding Your Feet
*
Let down somewhat by it's predictable storyline, though saved by it's first-rate cast.


----------



## Gramsci (Mar 13, 2018)

I, Tonya

I didn't know the story. I did think some of it was far fetched. Then the credits came up and real life footage of some of the main characters was shown. ( I'm assuming it wasn't clever imitation).

Tonya , played by Margot Robbie, always wanted to skate. Problem is she's working class. This film has a lot to say about class. From the off, when her mother takes her to skate, they don't fit. It's a criticism of a country where individual merit and hard work are supposed to be paramount. What I particularly liked was that Tonya ( and her mother) just refused to play the snobby game.

I did start to root for Tonya. Its a film that gripped me.

There is a lot of black humour in the film. This worked to stop the film being unrelenting grim. A lot of it is. Allison Janney puts in a great performance as the awful mother. The film is about abusive relationships.

I did like the way the film didn't just portray Tonya as a victim. She is subject to domestic abuse. But she comes across as tough. Violence and hardship are all she has known. It sets her apart from the rest of the figure skating world. The "good" mother is her first coach.

Tonya and her family are a bunch of driven desperate characters. The film reminded me of heist movies. They almost pull it off. Making it in a world that's not theirs.


----------



## Gramsci (Mar 13, 2018)

"The Shape of Water"

Saw this just before it won at Oscars.

Its a beautiful touching fantasy. I did wonder afterwards whether it was a story made up by Giles, the artist/ illustrator, as he narrates the film. His way of coping as a gay man with living in right wing Cold War USA. The sea monster being his alter ego. The film could be seen as wish fulfilment. An escape from a harsh society.

The water is freedom. 

The film is a fantasy. But has references to the present day. The creature is tortured in a secret facility. As happened in Abu Ghraib. The film sets it's faith in ordinary people. Not the important or the powerful. Which I liked. It was the cleaners not crack under cover agents who are the heroes.


----------



## cybershot (Mar 13, 2018)

Red sparrow. 

Better than the reviews are saying in my opinion. Good build up, middle bit perhaps a bit slow and a decent double cross ending. But what did you expect from those pesky Russians.


----------



## Wilf (Mar 13, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Red sparrow.
> 
> Better than the reviews are saying in my opinion. Good build up, middle bit perhaps a bit slow and a decent double cross ending. But what did you expect from those pesky Russians.


Saw it last night. Hadn't read any reviews but enjoyed it even if it was a bit long. The sets, buildings and even the attitudes and plots made it feel like you were watching a film from the 80s or 90s, it was just when you saw them using mobiles you remembered it was contemporary. Not sure if that was the intention of the film makers, some kind of homage? Good supporting cast but Jennifer Lawrence carried it really. She has one of those faces you can just keep watching. It's partly just the thing you get watching any very attractive person, male or female. But it's also about her alternating between showing her feelings and deep hurt, to going into deception mode (which is of course key to the plot).


----------



## Kesher (Mar 16, 2018)

*Fifty Shades Freed*

Never seen the first one; but this was a lot better than the poor second film. More interesting storyline: Dakota Johnson's character  was more confident and opinionated. Better plot with more variation and  it at least attempts to be a thriller.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 16, 2018)

*Tomb Raider*

Indiana Jones like; however, film overall  ends up seeming quite bland. Too much focus on father-daughter relationship as well. Not much humour either. Alicia Vikander looks the part though deserves better than this.


----------



## T & P (Mar 18, 2018)

Another nod for I, Tonya. Watched last night- really enjoyed it. I hope the American Skating Association or whatever they might be called are feeling like right cunts at the moment.


----------



## Wilf (Mar 18, 2018)

T & P said:


> Another nod for I, Tonya. Watched last night- really enjoyed it. I hope the American Skating Association or whatever they might be called are feeling like right cunts at the moment.


Indeed. In any tv prog or film, there's almost a template of old style governing bodies in sport - blazers, sneery expressions, class prejudice, willingness to put 'the right sort' above winning with the 'wrong sort'.  US skating bods get all the ticks (by which I mean they play up to the cliché, not that the film _uses_ clichés, iyswim).


----------



## Wilf (Mar 18, 2018)

Saw Mary Magdalene yesterday. The reviews were at best mixed and it is slow certainly, maybe lacks dramatic punch. But it certainly works as a 'feminist retelling' and Rooney Mara gives a good - cliché alert - 'strong but vulnerable' performance.  Some beautiful landscapes. 3.5/5


----------



## Dr. Furface (Mar 18, 2018)

*Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story*

Fascinating documentary about the extraordinary (there's no other word for it) life, loves and legacy of the Austrian girl turned Hollywood star and inventor. Highly recommended.

*The Square*

Black comedy and satire set in the modern art world, centred around the travails of a Stockholm contemporary museum director. It's both occasionally very funny and excruciating to watch - one grandstanding set-piece in particular - but the longer it went on (and it does go on) the less satisfying I found it. Conceptual art and those involved in it are easy targets for sending up, and this mines a lot of cliches and stereotypes for laughs, but it's also trying to make some grander comments about modern society, injustice, inequality etc. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's increasingly very obvious throughout the film, and then towards the end it pretty much explains itself to you - you know, just in case you haven't quite got the message yet (you fucking dummies!). So although I wouldn't put you off going to see it - if you really fancy it - I wouldn't try to persuade you to go either, because it really isn't all that original or profound, and at 2 and a half hours running time, its early entertainment value has worn pretty thin by the end too.


----------



## metalguru (Mar 18, 2018)

*I, Tonya
*
Really liked this. Interestingly done - with a dark humour and great skating scenes.

I was also routing for Tonya during this film.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 24, 2018)

*Pacific Rim Uprising
*
Compares poorly with the first film. Looks a lot more like Transformers with more fights on land and far less swirling seascapes. Also the plot is not that interesting and somewhat muddled.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 24, 2018)

*Unsane
*
Claire Foy plays a blinder as the recovering victim of a stalker. After a revealing session with her therapist she inadvertently ends up in a claustrophobic,  secure mental institution, and the nightmare gets properly started. This is a right edge of your seat experience: stressful to watch; but hugely entertaining, particularly in trying to work out what's real and what's imagined.   The  best film I've seen so far this year with the possible exception of Three Billboards.


----------



## chilango (Mar 24, 2018)

*Peter Rabbit*

That's not Windermere Station.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 25, 2018)

*Peter Rabbit
*
The best thing is probably the faultless mixture of animation and live action


----------



## Kesher (Mar 26, 2018)

*A Wrinkle in Time*

Meandering, too much tedious  dialogue  and   not much action. Eye candy which to some extent seems trippy at times.


----------



## moonsi til (Mar 29, 2018)

Saw Peter Rabbit the other week & enjoyed far more than expected. 

Tonight I went to see Ready Player One which was quirky, funny with fantastic visuals. Would be great in 3D.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 30, 2018)

*Blockers
*
Much of the humour is crude even so its funny


----------



## chilango (Mar 31, 2018)

*Isle of Dogs*

Enjoyed it a lot. Hard to describe really. It's Japan not London. Lots of drumming.


----------



## not-bono-ever (Apr 1, 2018)

chilango said:


> *Isle of Dogs*
> 
> Enjoyed it a lot. Hard to describe really. It's Japan not London. Lots of drumming.



Good fun. Lots of references to all kind of stuff tucked away in it as well for the nerd


----------



## Wilf (Apr 2, 2018)

Just been away to Edinburgh and a combination of not being able to walk very well and having ugc monthly card meant we went to the pics 3 times - but even in 15 or so cinema complex, there wasn't much we hadn't seen or would have seen normally:

*Ready Player One* - haven't read the book and I didn't grow up on videos. Just about watchable, much more so if it had a degree of nostalgia for you.
*Proud Mary* - female hit woman with a heart of gold. Not great, runs through every clichés, but Taraji Henson is pretty good in it.
*Pacific Rim Uprising *- hadn't seen the first one, that's my excuse. Appalling shite. Just weak.


----------



## Part 2 (Apr 3, 2018)

*Journeyman *- Very disappointing second film as director for Paddy Considine. Aside from Jody Whittaker who was believable, the performances were terrible. Even PC wasn't that good aside from one scene which nearly made me feel a bit emotional but by that point I wasn't that arsed. I'm shocked at the good reviews it's getting tbh


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Apr 7, 2018)

Popped along to Peckham Plex and caught I, Tonya.

I really enjoyed it, it's very funny, and bleak, and almost unbelievable...

Harding had a shitty life, but is never portrayed as the victim, even when they take away the one thing she has that offers any chance of breaking free of her shitty life. She is trapped from day one in a spiralling violent whirlpool and the people that could have reached in and pulled her our resented her for being in it in the first place, so they did nothing but put their foot on her head and tried to drown her....

...but she wasn't for going under.

I'm glad they made it a 'black comedy' because if they'd made an earnest, gritty film about this story it could have ended up like a crappy tv tru-movie....

If you go look at any of the real footage of the story and news on youtube, lots of it comes across as tragi-comic parody, which makes it all even sadder.....

All the actors gave great performances, and it's a technically brilliant and clever film. The Ice Skating scenes actually impressed me...they were exciting and tense and riveting.


----------



## T & P (Apr 7, 2018)

Nanker Phelge said:


> Popped along to Peckham Plex and caught I, Tonya.
> 
> I really enjoyed it, it's very funny, and bleak, and almost unbelievable...
> 
> ...


Agree entirely. The footage at the end credits was great as well, both the images of the real people involved, which makes you realise how well cast the actors for the film were, and the footage of the real Tonya Harding skating, which was mind-blowing. Apparently only six women have since been able to perform a triple axel (though according to Wiki she wasn’t the first woman ever to do it but the second). An extremely talented skater.

The appalling class prejudice portrayed in the film reminded me of that story a few years ago about Katie Price being banned/ forced out of show jumping competitions because she is ‘the wrong sort’.


----------



## chilango (Apr 8, 2018)

*Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*.

Excellent. Nice to go to see a proper film for a change. Great acting allround


----------



## belboid (Apr 8, 2018)

*Isle of Dogs*

It’s a Wes Anderson movie, so there’s  all his usual deadpan, winsome, charm. It’s beautifullt drawn, even if the story makes less sense than usual. A somewhat cliched view of Japanese culture tho


----------



## Part 2 (Apr 8, 2018)

*A Quiet Place *- Horror film following a family fighting for survival against creatures that detect only by sound. Loads of jump scares and with most of it being silent it added a new twist. It's had good reviews but I wasn't quite in the mood for suspending belief and found myself asking questions that didn't really need answering, so I sort of spoilt it for myself if anything.


----------



## Pickman's model (Apr 8, 2018)

The good the bad and the ugly

Sergio Leone Western set against backdrop of American civil war starring Eli Wallach, Lee van Cleef and Clint Eastwood out of rawhide and fistful of dollars

Very good


----------



## mwgdrwg (Apr 9, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> The good the bad and the ugly
> 
> Sergio Leone Western set against backdrop of American civil war starring Eli Wallach, Lee van Cleef and Clint Eastwood out of rawhide and fistful of dollars
> 
> Very good



Jealous. Bet that was amazing on a big screen with a good speaker system.


----------



## Sue (Apr 9, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> The good the bad and the ugly
> 
> Sergio Leone Western set against backdrop of American civil war starring Eli Wallach, Lee van Cleef and Clint Eastwood out of rawhide and fistful of dollars
> 
> Very good


Don't know if you saw this article -- I'd really like to go and have a look...

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly's graveyard comes back from the dead


----------



## Pickman's model (Apr 9, 2018)

mwgdrwg said:


> Jealous. Bet that was amazing on a big screen with a good speaker system.


there's a sergio leone season on at the bfi atm, have a look


----------



## mwgdrwg (Apr 9, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> there's a sergio leone season on at the bfi atm, have a look



A bit far for me to visit, which is a shame. They are playing my favourite, Once Upon a Time in the West.


----------



## chilango (Apr 11, 2018)

*Ready Player One
*
Largely fun. Not as good as the book.


----------



## Wilf (Apr 12, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> The good the bad and the ugly
> 
> Sergio Leone Western set against backdrop of American civil war starring Eli Wallach, Lee van Cleef and Clint Eastwood out of rawhide and fistful of dollars
> 
> Very good


Can't remember which one of the trilogy it is, but does tgtbatu have the 3 way stare out/shoot out at the end? Anyway, regardless, a superb film.


----------



## Pickman's model (Apr 12, 2018)

Wilf said:


> Can't remember which one of the trilogy it is, but does tgtbatu have the 3 way stare out/shoot out at the end? Anyway, regardless, a superb film.


Yes it does


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Apr 13, 2018)

Distant Sky - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Live in Copenhagen

Beautiful, moving, spiritual, biblical, epic, heartbreaking....

"And some people say it’s just rock and roll

Oh but it gets you right down to your soul

You’ve gotta just keep on pushing

Push the sky away"


----------



## belboid (Apr 15, 2018)

A Quiet Place

Proper edge of the seat scariness. Overwhelmingly silent, the beast lurks behind every potentially snappable twig. Plot holes are plentiful, but not big enough to get in the way. You will think ‘shut that fucking door’ at least a dozen times. 


The trailer for Hereditary made that look pretty good too.


----------



## MickiQ (Apr 15, 2018)

So far this year.
Jumanji 2 Welcome to the Jungle, funny witty and entertaining, The Rock as always is great and the rest of the  cast do as well. (best one film so far this year)
The Greatest Showman, the songs are really good but if you watch it on video fast forward through the non singing bits
Black Panther, enjoyed it but while good it is by no means the best thing Marvel has done.
Pacific Rim Uprising like the first but louder and with more explosions, lots of giant robots fighting monster and/or other giant robots, all the bits between the fight scenes let it down.


----------



## Mapped (Apr 15, 2018)

Captain Underpants, Co-Co, Trolls, Boss Baby, Ferdinand - Can you tell I look after a toddler on a weekday?


----------



## Mapped (Apr 15, 2018)

I've seen all the other good stuff at home, when he's in bed. It's an extremely rare night that we go to the cinema. I've got Secret Cinema Blade Runner tickets booked for early May, looking forward to that, but less so on the outfit organisation as I never have any bloody time.


----------



## cybershot (Apr 16, 2018)

Blockers (2018) - IMDb
Me and OH decided to go cinema but didn't want anything too taxing, so ended up watching this teen comedy, which, if you like that genre, is actually quite good. Several laugh out loud moments.
6/10


----------



## Grandma Death (Apr 16, 2018)

A Quiet Place. To be honest I don't think I've ever seen such an emotionally tense and scary movie in my life. The first half was tense. The second half was off the fucking scale. I don't think I drew a breath during the second half. Great performances. Loved the FX. But what made this film was, at its very core, a film about the power of family and the bond of the family unit... In the face of adversity. I came out of the cinema and I was shaking like a leaf. Be prepared to gave your nerves shredded like nothing else. Superb 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk


----------



## chilango (Apr 18, 2018)

Second Installment of the Banff Mountain Film Festival last night.

Standouts were this beautiful simple film about a Finnish Ice Diver:

*Johanna*



and this climbing film:

*Safety Third
*
_(for which I can't even find a trailer for online )_


----------



## Pickman's model (Apr 18, 2018)

Fistful of dollars - a grand 'spaghetti' Western with Clint Eastwood and a score by one Ennio Morricone, who is likely to go far


----------



## Sue (Apr 18, 2018)

No mention so far of 120 BPM. Follows members of Act Up in 90s Paris trying to shame/embarrass/force government-run bodies, the pharmaceutical industry and society in general to give a fuck about AIDS.

Funny, interesting, sad. Highly recommended.


----------



## 8115 (Apr 20, 2018)

Pitbull. Ostatni Pies. Polish police/ gangster film. Really enjoyed it, it's quite gripping even if some of the plot twists are a bit hard to follow.


----------



## Sue (Apr 20, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> Fistful of dollars - a grand 'spaghetti' Western with Clint Eastwood and a score by one Ennio Morricone, who is likely to go far


Saw this tonight. I agree about EM though his music would be even better if played even louder.

(Been a while since I saw any SL films. I'd forgotten the frequent, slightly crazed laughing thing )


----------



## metalguru (Apr 20, 2018)

A Quiet Place

I thought this was a really effective, unusual and well-acted horror film.

Some people who I know seem to overanalyse it and finding 'flaws' in the plot - but I'm not sure what the point of that is.


----------



## Mab (Apr 21, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> The good the bad and the ugly
> 
> Sergio Leone Western set against backdrop of American civil war starring Eli Wallach, Lee van Cleef and Clint Eastwood out of rawhide and fistful of dollars
> 
> Very good


Loved it since I was four.


----------



## Cloo (Apr 28, 2018)

Just seen Beast... I'm not sure I would have chosen to see it except that my mate produced it. But glad I did see it - very dark, very intense. Much has been said about the two leads - interestingly my mate said neither actor was quite who they imagined for the party and took them in directions they didn't expect because they knew they were the right ones.


----------



## DexterTCN (Apr 30, 2018)

cybershot said:


> Blockers (2018) - IMDb
> Me and OH decided to go cinema but didn't want anything too taxing, so ended up watching this teen comedy, which, if you like that genre, is actually quite good. Several laugh out loud moments.
> 6/10


Not really what it's called though, is it.


----------



## belboid (Apr 30, 2018)

*Funny Cow*

One of those films about comedians without many laughs in it.

While it's not based on Marti Caine (a hero to my mum), it is very much inspired by her. The bleak loneliness and shiteness of trying to make it as a working class, female, comic in the (white) mens world of northern clubs is bitterly and brutally laid out. There are a few classic tropes of the mini-genre, the brutal homelife, the oddball at school, the being told 'women just aren't funny,' and paddy Considines incredibly fey middle-class love interest. But these can be ignored in the face of some brilliant performances, especially from the ever marvellous Maxine Peake & Christine Bottomley as her mum (when younger, her mum when older looks about the same age as Maxine). Richard Hawley is quite amusing in his little role, as is Kevin Rowland.

I did get distracted a little by trying to work out which bits of Sheffield it was filmed in (as it's set here and Rotherham), only to finally go 'that's bloody Saltaire' when I worked it out. That wasn't as bad as the scenes set in Paddy's 'bookshop' tho, where you could actually see the library classification stickers still attached to the spines of the books!  Really, really, obviously, all along the neat, library, shelves.


----------



## Virtual Blue (Apr 30, 2018)

*you were never really here* - always admired ames, particularly his short stories. enjoyed this movie though it is a million miles from his usual style. a good rethink on a straight forward thriller. think i will watch this gem again.


----------



## rekil (Apr 30, 2018)

The tagline for A Quiet Place should've been _"They're all ears." 
_


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 30, 2018)

I recently saw A Quiet Place, Ghost Stories and Isle Of Dogs
A Quiet Place reminded just how much better watching films in a cinema, with an audience, is. Glad no one seemed to be a eating crunchy snacks during it but annoyed that some people slightly distracted me by leaving and coming back throughout the film.
Can't quiet believe Michael Bay has produced a lean film that is predicated on staying quiet. 8/10

Ghost Stories
Not quite as scary or impressive as A Quiet Place, and nowhere near as clever as it thinks it is. Some nice Yorkshire locations (it's a Warp film)*** but there's no escaping it's stage origins with its telegraphed scares. The leads are great. Paul Whitehouse is a fine actor, Tim from the Office is surprisingly good as a smarmy businessmen, and Alex Lowther, who was also great in one of the better Black Mirrors, is going to be a big star.
6/10

Isle Of Dogs
A delight to look at from start to finish, but it doesn't quite work for me - which is how I tend to find Anderson films anyway. Glad I saw it on the big screen.
7/10

** *belboid Ghost Stories also has a few scenes filmed at Saltaire


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 30, 2018)

Virtual Blue said:


> *you were never really here* - always admired ames, particularly his short stories. enjoyed this movie though it is a million miles from his usual style. a good rethink on a straight forward thriller. think i will watch this gem again.


I fell asleep during that


----------



## Virtual Blue (Apr 30, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> I fell asleep during that


----------



## Fez909 (May 3, 2018)

Went to the cinema for the first time in literally years last night. A Quiet Place. Really enjoyed it and I think seeing it in a cinema is defo the way to go. Wish it had been IMAX with their ridiculous soundsystem, though.

It was genuinely tense and though the creatures suffer the same problem as most horrors (they're shit when you get to see them) it was much better than most in this.

Also learned something about one of my friends, that I should've probably known anyway: don't go to see stuff with her that requires 100% attention. She checked her phone 3 times, shuffled about constantly and coughed/sighed/cleared her throat etc 

Few plot holes, like someone else mentioned up thread, but nothing major.

Felt the inspiration from loads of other films...Jurassic Park, Signs, Predator, etc etc.

Well worth a watch 

One bit I didn't get for anyone who did see it:



Spoiler



Towards the beginning, they were lighting the fires on the towers and there were lots of other fires in the distance/on other towers. I assumed that meant there were other farms/families nearby, but there clearly weren't. 

What was that about?


----------



## marty21 (May 6, 2018)

(1) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
(2) A Cat in Paris 


A Cat in Paris - Wikipedia

Saw this at The Rio in Dalston this morning , it was a fund raiser for a local cat rescue charity. It's an excellent animated crime caper.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (May 7, 2018)

Soooo....one of my last nights in NZ and I went to see new Kiwi comedy The Breaker Upperers. Trailers looked good but it was a truly awful film almost completely devoid of laughs. Pray it never makes it to England and if it does, avoid.


----------



## marty21 (May 13, 2018)

(1) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
(2) A Cat in Paris
(3) Lean on Pete 

Based on the Willy Vlautin book , loser America/coming of age /road trip /western . I loved it , Mrs21 thought it was depressing


----------



## chilango (May 16, 2018)

*I feel pretty*

A nihilistic destruction of entertainment. This film ruthlessly strips away humour., narrative, acting and meaningful dialogue from the movie until all the viewer is left with is the spectacle of capital pissing on their dreams and selling it back to them. The denouement of the closing "empowerment" monologue actually being a sales pitch deftly encapsulates capital's ability to commodity and recuperate reform, leaving the viewer no choices left.

That said, I had eaten about half a kilo of chocolate mice from the pick n mix...so it could be it was just a really shit film.


----------



## Grandma Death (Jun 17, 2018)

Herediatry

A case of a hype being bigger than the movie. Good points first...collett is fucking outstanding in it. I mean REALLY outstanding. Her performance of a mother struggling with things going on outside of her control are surely worthy of an oscar. Her grief after the losss (plot spoiler) is all too real and you feel the pain. Her characters efforts to hold the family together or so brilliantly composed-I was completely sucked in by her effort.

The film has some real memorable sequences that will forever be seared onto my brain in the same way Paranormal Activity and Blair Witch did for days, weeks and years after. Byrne also excels as a supporting role.

But ultimately the film is directionless. It struggled with where it was going and the direction it was going in. There were long protracted sequences that seemed to fizzle out quickly. And whilst it started out incredibly promising with an early plot twist that literally came from leftfield and really shocked me-the film started to veer between psychological horror mixed with good old slasher flick. It started out promising-and just got more and more typecast with the usual tedious tropes-and settled back into your run of the mill horror flick

Purely on performance alone and some of the unsettling imagery I'd give it a 7. Thats being generous. It had little scary moments. Wasted opportunities after building up the audience and ultimately fell back on the usual run of the mill storylines you find it most horror films.


----------



## keybored (Jun 18, 2018)

The scariest thing about it was how much the girl reminded me of Piers Morgan.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 18, 2018)

I also saw Hereditary. I loved everything about it, apart from the direction it went it, which completely spoiled it for me. The score and use of small noises is incredible, but the way it was resolved was a real let down. There were even sniggers from the audience at one ludicrous scene towards the end - maybe that's why there's been so many comparisons of this film with The Exorcist.


----------



## Wilf (Jun 19, 2018)

Re Hereditary, if they'd sorted the plot out and made it a bit scarier (in the sense of the psych horror and really building the tension) it would have been a genuine classic. Saying 'sort the plot and make it scarier' sound like major criticisms, they are I suppose, but there was a lot there that was really good.  Looked like it almost needed someone else to come in and re-edit the thing - a good first draft situation.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 19, 2018)

There's one real moment of horror which made me react physically. Felt like it took a few minutes just to breathe after seeing it.


----------



## Wilf (Jun 19, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> There's one real moment of horror which made me react physically. Felt like it took a few minutes just to breathe after seeing it.


I must be a really insensitive sod, I've seen a similar claim in a review but didn't notice anything watching the film. What was it (if you can say it in a non-spoilery way)?


----------



## Orang Utan (Jun 19, 2018)

Wilf said:


> I must be a really insensitive sod, I've seen a similar claim in a review but didn't notice anything watching the film. What was it (if you can say it in a non-spoilery way)?





Spoiler



When the 'little girl' is killed


----------



## Wilf (Jun 19, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> When the 'little girl' is killed


Ah, yes, cheers! Must admit, I was more affected by the reactions to that from the rest of the family than the 'event' itself.


----------



## emanymton (Jun 19, 2018)

Wilf said:


> Ah, yes, cheers! Must admit, I was more affected by the reactions to that from the rest of the family than the 'event' itself.





Spoiler



It might have been more effective if I didn't see it comming a mile off. Urmm so to speak.  

Overall I thought it started well but in the end just felt like a better version of paranormal activity, without the found footage aspect.


----------



## Grandma Death (Jun 22, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> There's one real moment of horror which made me react physically. Felt like it took a few minutes just to breathe after seeing it.




yeah this. I was completely and utterly gobsmacked. And the silence and the way it was handled seemed to be in complete sync with my utter shock and gasps of horror. It almost felt like the shock was being carried for several minutes after that scene-such a shame the film didnt live up to that scene


----------



## felixthecat (Jun 22, 2018)

Hereditary
Just seen it and thought it was the biggest pile of poo I've seen in a long time.  The wee lass was awesome - shame she wasn't around longer. Toni Collette overacted her pants off and Gabriel Byrne was - well Gabriel Byrne. There was the one shocking moment but after that it descended into a muddle of ridiculous toss.

 Glad I didn't pay full price to see it. When are we going to get a new really thumping scary film?


----------



## Dragnet (Jun 29, 2018)

*Hereditary
*
I have to agree with what Grandma Death said up-thread; started off well, but not long after the 



Spoiler



decapitation


 it started to run out of steam fairly quickly, reaching in to the bog-standard horror bag-of-tricks. 

I actually didn't mind the final scene, 



Spoiler



the 'crowning' in the treehouse


 one that I've seen a few reviews elsewhere criticise, but they had to tack on a load of exposition that really wasn't needed in the last 30 seconds. Waste.


----------



## 8115 (Jul 6, 2018)

Leave No Trace. Really good, better than I thought it would be.


----------



## May Kasahara (Jul 8, 2018)

Jurassic World 2, with my 9yo. He's the perfect company for such a big, dumb action flick - we thoroughly enjoyed it


----------



## chilango (Jul 9, 2018)

*Duck Duck Goose.*

I'd make some daft claim that it was about the tension between individualism and collectivism in modern China, bit I suspect it really is....


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Jul 16, 2018)

8115 said:


> Leave No Trace. Really good, better than I thought it would be.



I loved this. A heart-wrenching tale of love, solidarity and growth.


----------



## porp (Jul 18, 2018)

Dragnet said:


> *Hereditary
> *
> I have to agree with what Grandma Death said up-thread; started off well, but not long after the
> 
> ...


I saw this too -  I very rarely get out to see a film, so I expect it be perfect. At least half the pleasure is in moaning abut the ticket price (£11.50?)

I was genuinely unsettled and scared for some parts of the film, particularly early on. But the reversion to the 'horror bag of tricks', as Dragnet puts it, really revealed that this story had no where to go. I even noticed it while it was happening -  far too many scenes of folk slowly approaching doors with creepy music. Then close up on horrified face. Gabriel Byrne was dialling in his performance. Also another outing for 'US teen party where no one seems to be enjoying themselves' but that's by the way.

Am I wrong for thinking that the 'crowning' was fairly wholesome and life affirming?


----------



## Grandma Death (Jul 20, 2018)

Calibre | Netflix Official Site

Watched this week on Netflix. Really enjoyed this. It took some usual themes already played out in various other films. And it nearly veered into a rehash of some of those movies. But the performances were great-the mood and atmosphere was quite unsettling too. Supporting performances were great and I felt uncomfortably paranoid in some of the scenes. Worth a watch


----------



## metalguru (Jul 29, 2018)

*Mission Impossible 6:*

Quite slick and watchable, but found it about half an hour too long. Paris looks fantastic in it, but sadly London looks a bit drab.
It's certainly entertaining, but instantly forgettable and not really worth the rave reviews it been getting.

*Incredibles 2:*

Liked this a lot. Really inventive animation style and entertaining. Not a great deal to say about it overall - but it looks great.


----------



## Wilf (Jul 30, 2018)

metalguru said:


> *Mission Impossible 6:*
> 
> Quite slick and watchable, but found it about half an hour too long. Paris looks fantastic in it, but sadly London looks a bit drab.
> It's certainly entertaining, but instantly forgettable and not really worth the rave reviews it been getting.
> ...


Saw MI6 tonight. Can't stand Cruise but we've got one of those ugc monthly passes and there was nothing else on. Yes, slick and good visuals as you say, but I just lost interest in the motivations of the various baddies. Simon Pegg is good, but Cruise really should give up on those roles, he's looking old.


----------



## belboid (Sep 3, 2018)

I'm glad it's not just me who hasn't been to the flicks in ages 

Saw *Blackkklansman *last night, which was bloody good. Surprised at just how soft Spike was on the cops, there's only one really bad dude amongst them. It's lightness of touch (yes, really) counterbalances the ferocity of the actual story (that the Klan really are murderous bastards, not just cartoonish figures of fun). The modern day allusions are all very obvious, but no less necessary for that. And includes the most unexpected instance of Emerson, Lake & Palmer I've come across!


----------



## Wilf (Sep 3, 2018)

belboid said:


> I'm glad it's not just me who hasn't been to the flicks in ages
> 
> Saw *Blackkklansman *last night, which was bloody good. Surprised at just how soft Spike was on the cops, there's only one really bad dude amongst them. It's lightness of touch (yes, really) counterbalances the ferocity of the actual story (that the Klan really are murderous bastards, not just cartoonish figures of fun). The modern day allusions are all very obvious, but no less necessary for that. And includes the most unexpected instance of Emerson, Lake & Palmer I've come across!


I enjoyed as well and picked up many of the same points, particularly how soft he is on the cops (and the Lucky Man things was certainly... unexpected).  The modern day allusions were there throughout as you say, but because the dominant tone of the film was comedy, even farce, the contemporary footage at the end sort of hits you like a sledgehammer.

In retrospect it's odd how soft he is on the cops. Before you are hit with the contemporary footage, the message is almost 'one good man can make a difference'.  Maybe of course building that up and then knocking it down with images showing nothing has changed *is* the message.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Sep 5, 2018)

Wilf said:


> I enjoyed as well and picked up many of the same points, particularly how soft he is on the cops (and the Lucky Man things was certainly... unexpected).  The modern day allusions were there throughout as you say, but because the dominant tone of the film was comedy, even farce, the contemporary footage at the end sort of hits you like a sledgehammer.
> 
> In retrospect it's odd how soft he is on the cops. Before you are hit with the contemporary footage, the message is almost 'one good man can make a difference'.  Maybe of course building that up and then knocking it down with images showing nothing has changed *is* the message.



 I also throughly enjoyed the film and it was very powerful at times, but I agree that it's softness on the police was a downside. Boots Riley (directer of upcoming Sorry to Bother You) wrote an interesting 3 page critique of it on twitter in which he pointed out, amongst other things, that the protagonist Ron Stallward played a much bigger roll in infiltrating black radical groups than the movie let on.


----------



## sleaterkinney (Sep 10, 2018)

Cold war, Polish film about a tortuous  relationship after ww2. Very good, and sad.


----------



## moonsi til (Sep 20, 2018)

King of Thieves: watched this on Sunday mildly hungover after a lovely family wedding. It was the perfect film for that day. I laughed a lot.

Crazy Rich Asians: truly awful film, I read somewhere it was funny. It really isn’t. I haven’t cringed so much in ages.

American Animal: saw this evening, fab quirky film with good soundtrack too.


----------



## metalguru (Sep 20, 2018)

Yes I saw Crazy Rich Asians on Sunday after reading a 4 star review from Peter Bradshaw in the Guardian. Unbelievably bad, cliched, stereotyped, offensive and unfunny film


----------



## Kesher (Sep 21, 2018)

*The Nun*

Gothic, retro horror film set in a convent, a former castle built by a Duke who was into the occult,  in Romania. Well produced and a lot better  than most  critic reviews  would have you believe


----------



## friedaweed (Sep 23, 2018)

Waiting for Nae Pasaran at the World transformed festival. Not been this excited to see a fillum since Digby the biggest dog in the world.


----------



## Rebelda (Sep 24, 2018)

sleaterkinney said:


> Cold war, Polish film about a tortuous  relationship after ww2. Very good, and sad.


Saw this today. Beautifully shot. Proper old school romanticism that no one seems to be doing this century. Loved it.


----------



## belboid (Sep 25, 2018)

*The Little Stranger*

Every other Sarah Waters adaptation has been brilliant, so this had to be seen, despite the fact that it seems to be a bit of a box office bomb (there was only one other person in our showing tonight). God knows why, probably because there is only the merest hint of lesbianism in it, and it is utterly different to other Waters novels.

But it is so very worth seeing. Domnhall Gleeson takes a bit of getting used to at first - he's surely not old enough, not _straight _enough, to play that kind of role. But it only took about ten minutes to get used to him. Will Poulson was also a bit 'problematic' and I don't think he ever quite got it right, but it wasn't too distracting. Ruth Wilson is just out of this world good, though, utterly convincing in her performance as someone both a victim and absobloodylutely not a victim, someone trapped by the mores and duties of her time. 

The ghost story takes a while to come to the fore, and is always handled, well, tenderly is the best word I can think for it. We, the audience, are undoubtedly educated middle class folk who know there's no such thing as ghosts. But a spectre is undoubtedly haunting them...


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Sep 26, 2018)

Ooh I'll go to see that. I love Domnhall Gleeson.


----------



## Stash (Sep 28, 2018)

*Climax*
Saw this last night; it's pretty intense. When Mrs Stash saw it at the weekend, half the audience walked out


----------



## Badgers (Sep 28, 2018)

Stash said:


> *Climax*
> Saw this last night; it's pretty intense. When Mrs Stash saw it at the weekend, half the audience walked out



Certainly looks interesting  

Climax review – Gaspar Noé's satanic dance-troupe freak-out of sex and despair


----------



## Reno (Sep 28, 2018)

I thought Climax was a bit of a mock-shock snooze. Lots of walkouts during my screening by people who I assume just got bored with it. There is nothing in the film which is especially shocking, despite Noe‘s reputation. The first half is inane sex talk at a crappy party, the second half is mostly people staggering around after the punch got spiked, with the odd bit of violence. No real characterization or tension. There is an early dance sequence which shows promise and then the film flatlines and becomes endlessly repetitive.


----------



## krtek a houby (Oct 6, 2018)

Went to see _A Quiet Place_ last night. Impressed, didn't realise John Krasinski was directing it as well. I could see bits of_ Alien, Tremors, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds_ (Spielberg version) and _Cargo_ in there but overall an entertaining and superior horror. The kid actors were fantastic, too.

Slightly annoyed with the lads who came in 5 mins late and munched a lot of popcorn with their feet up on the seats but I guess that's the height of teen rebellion round these parts.


----------



## metalguru (Oct 6, 2018)

*Miseducation of Cameron Post
*
Enjoyed this a lot. It’s about a young female teenager who’s sent to a Christian gay conversion centre. Very well acted by all - and a slightly old-fashioned feel to it (it’s set in 1993 I think). Very uplifting without being melodramatic

(The comedy ‘But I’m a cheerleader’ is the classic film to see in this subject area - highly recommended)


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 15, 2018)

A Star Is Born.

Bradley Cooper directs and stars with Lady Gaga.  You know the story.

This was really good and will get an Oscar I'm sure.  Cooper took voice lessons (to pretty much turn him into Sam Elliot) and is absolutely convincing as a rock star with an empty life with his world just about to fall out from under him.

He sees Ally (Gaga) in a drag bar and sees something in her, they have some beautiful moments and her star starts to rise (is born).

Really well done, Gaga is convincing all the way.

This is the sound to the opening of the film and yes it's Cooper singing.  Turn the volume up to 11.


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## metalguru (Oct 15, 2018)

Yes - I enjoyed A Star is Born a lot. Lady Gaga's performance is charismatic and amazing. The photography (cinematography ?) interesting as well in terms of a lot of close ups on faces during key scenes (the acting is really good) and the live performances captured really well.

The only slight criticisms I'd make are that it goes too fast from Lady Gaga as a singer new to the concert area and rock lifestyle to grammy award winner - and the last part of the film does drag a bit. But overall, it's very good.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 15, 2018)

Yup I'd agree.  The sound (and soundtrack) obviously was also really good and Shallow will be up for Best Song.

I was surprised at



Spoiler



Gaga having a brief nude scene


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## moonsi til (Oct 17, 2018)

Watched ‘bad times at the el royale’ , I read a small bit  before I saw it, had no real clue what it was going to be. I left feeling that I had just been at the film version of a rollercoaster with a soundtrack to match. 

Loved it.


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## Mrs Miggins (Oct 17, 2018)

moonsi til said:


> Watched ‘bad times at the el royale’ , I read a small bit  before I saw it, had no real clue what it was going to be. I left feeling that I had just been at the film version of a rollercoaster with a soundtrack to match.
> 
> Loved it.


I fancy that but was slightly put off by it's length and mediocre reviews. I'm still quite keen though.


----------



## Grandma Death (Oct 17, 2018)

So Sunday I watched First Man which I thought was immense. Loved everything about the film. Set pieces. Cinematography. Acting. This is not a film about neil armstrong and his mission to the moon. This is a film about loss and the family unit. That just happens to have the moon backdrop. I thought Gosling was superb in it. The sense of danger leading up to the mission (as in some of the practice sequences) was palpable. Its definitely one of my films of the year.

Tonight I watched Bad Times At The El Royale'. Really enjoyed this film-but I felt it tried too hard at times. What held this film for me was the music. Set pieces. And the acting was superb. Bridges was hypnotic and the singing was fantastic in it (was the erivo actually singing in it?). I did feel the film was slightly overlong. And appeared to run out of steam for the last 10 minutes-overall an enjoyable romp


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## moonsi til (Oct 18, 2018)

I was fine with the length, was worried before I went about being bored, uncomfortable & tired but I came out buzzing. I esp loved the colour, singing/soundtrack.


----------



## hash tag (Oct 22, 2018)

Saw Dogman last night; terrific thriller, quite violent. Beautiful photography and the two leads were superb, even though one had never acted before.
it's in Italian with subtitles though.
Dogman (film) - Wikipedia
Dogman review – Matteo Garrone's terrific portrait of a criminal dogsbody


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## DexterTCN (Oct 24, 2018)

Halloween.  Sadly I was disappointed with it, it has lots of callbacks to the original and sometimes promised with good build-up but all I left the cinema with was the song stuck in my head and a bit of annoyance.


----------



## Kesher (Oct 24, 2018)

hash tag said:


> Saw Dogman last night; terrific thriller, quite violent. Beautiful photography and the two leads were superb, even though one had never acted before.
> it's in Italian with subtitles though.
> Dogman (film) - Wikipedia
> Dogman review – Matteo Garrone's terrific portrait of a criminal dogsbody



I've never let subtitles put me off going to see a film; quite the opposite really.  I tend to think if it's a subtitled film there must be a good reason why the cinema is showing it.


----------



## Reno (Oct 25, 2018)

Mandy, the new film by Panos Cosmatos who previously made the ultra-stylish, micro-budget sci-fi/horror film Beyond the Black Rainbow. This time he has a bigger budget and Nicolas Cage and the new film has all of the virtues and some of the flaws of his previous film.

Cosmatos has a very distinctive retro-style and in terms of looks, audio and atmosphere the film is gorgeous. He takes trash cultural influences and reconfigures them into something beatiful and strange. Some shots here look like fantasy infused heavy metal record covers from the 70s and 80s.

The evil cult leader played by Linus Roache is reminiscent of the alien, hermaphrodite Jesus from Larry Cohen‘s God Told Me To. There is a biker gang who are like demons out of a Clive Barker movie. Andrea Riseborough as the title character is unrecognisable, part feral, part ethereal looking and apparently traumatised by a violent past. Characterisation is minimal, the revenge plot is frustratingly overfamiliar and while the pacing is better than for Beyond the Black Rainbow, neither film needed to be over two hours long.

That said, Cosmatos‘ films have such a distinctive look and feel, I’ll always check them out. This is one of those rare idiosyncratic Nicolas Cage films like Wild at Heart or Vampire’s Kiss which he didn’t just do for the money and which fit his gonzo personality perfectly.


----------



## Sue (Oct 25, 2018)

Thanks for that, Reno. I'd written this one off without knowing a great deal about it because of Nicolas Cage... Sounds like it might be worth a look though.


----------



## seventh bullet (Oct 25, 2018)

Saw this the other night. I liked it a lot. Roache as the pathetic, insecure cult leader was particularly good.


----------



## Part 2 (Oct 26, 2018)

Possum. Showing as part of Film Fear at Home in Manchester.



I love Sean Harris. He and Alun Armstrong give great performances in this. Armstrong's dirty old man in run down old house is the stuff of childhood nightmares. Very creepy, some beautiful shots and locations. Don't want to say too much but generated lots of discussion with my son afterwards.


----------



## Part 2 (Dec 14, 2018)

Saw Roma last night. 



Very limited cinema release although showing next week at Curzon cinemas I think. Although it's on Netflix from today it's very much worth seeing on the big screen. Some of the most intense scenes I've seen in any film and absolutely beautiful to look at.

A quite amazing film and worthy of the high placings it's getting in end of year lists.


----------



## ash (Dec 15, 2018)

Three identical strangers was really powerful and played with the emotions. Limited release again 

Three Identical Strangers: the bizarre tale of triplets separated at birth


----------



## Part 2 (Dec 15, 2018)

I thought that was really poor. 

Most of the film is in the trailer (and probably that Guardian article) and just doesn't ask any difficult questions other than there was some experiment/conspiracy that they had no answers for come the end. (Not that I agree with the reports being locked away for 50 more years because I imagine it would be an interesting read.) I had no idea really what their lives were like before they met other than the manufactured class systems they were made out to be from and one of them had a nice dad where they other had one who looked a bit weird. It's potentially a great story but a really bad film about it.


----------



## metalguru (Dec 15, 2018)

I've fallen a bit behind in updating this thread:

*No Ifs and Buts  *(the story of the Cuts hairdressers in Soho) - saw this as part of the London Film Festival. Very moving, funny and tragic in places.

*MIrai* - Japanese animation. Quite enjoyable - but didn't have the overall beauty of some Studio Ghibli films such as Kiki's Delivery Service.

*Widows* - thought this was dire and plodding. Really slow place, uninteresting direction and photography, and some of the wider interest such as the political sub-plot were just caricatures.

*Sorry to Bother You *- a really individual film - part social commentary on capitalism, part dystopian satire. Enjoyed it a lot - but disappointed that no one else I know has seen it.

*Ralph Breaks the Internet *-fairly disposable. Quite well-done for what it is (cartoon), if a bit mawkish on the theme of friendship at times. 

*Spider-Man: into the Spider-Verse *- really liked this, and I'm not a comic book or Spider-Man fan. It's visually beautiful, and the humour is fast and furious. Recommended.


----------



## Reno (Dec 16, 2018)

belboid said:


> *The Little Stranger*
> 
> Every other Sarah Waters adaptation has been brilliant, so this had to be seen, despite the fact that it seems to be a bit of a box office bomb (there was only one other person in our showing tonight). God knows why, probably because there is only the merest hint of lesbianism in it, and it is utterly different to other Waters novels.
> 
> ...


I agree with most of this, but don’t understand why Domnhall Gleeson is too young or not _straight_ enough. Like Ruth Wilson he’s in his mid-30s and they are the right age in terms of the timeline of the plot. His character would have been a little boy in 1919. I thought he was very god and there is supposed to be something incomplete (thanks to a formative experience which dominates his life) and out-of-place (in terms of class and class aspirations which are a central theme) about him. He is the enigma at the heart of the film.

I think this may be the most underrated film I’ve seen this year, mismarketed as a horror film when really it’s more of a melancholy drama with sinister undertones.


----------



## belboid (Dec 16, 2018)

Part 2 said:


> Saw Roma last night.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Saw this tonight, well worth going out for, even on a miserable night when I could have just watched it on telly. Stunning to watch, and gripping even when it was just watching washing. Could arguably have done with slightly less dog shit though.


----------



## belboid (Dec 16, 2018)

Reno said:


> I agree with most of this, but don’t understand why Domnhall Gleeson is too young or not _straight_ enough. Like Ruth Wilson he’s in his mid-30s and they are the right age in terms of the timeline of the plot. His character would have been a little boy in 1919. I thought he was very god and there is supposed to be something incomplete (thanks to a formative experience which dominates his life) and out-of-place (in terms of class and class aspirations which are a central theme) about him. He is the enigma at the heart of the film.
> 
> I think this may be the most underrated film I’ve seen this year, mismarketed as a horror film when really it’s more of a melancholy drama with sinister undertones.


I just always think of DG as young and wide eyed. I’ve only ever seen Ruth Wilson as an adult, playing an adult, so she just seems much older than him, even tho she isn’t. And his characters are rarely as... _formal_ might be a better word. So it just took a few minutes to decide he was perfectly right for the role. Perhaps even that absence of wide eyed youthfulness even added to it.


----------



## Jeff Robinson (Dec 17, 2018)

Two recent films I've seen

*Shoplifters: *A beautiful movie about a family unit living on the margins of Japanese society. A masterfully directed movie that is both very tender but also underscored by great tragedy.
*
Sorry to Bother You: *The directorial debut from Oakland rapper Boots Riley of The Coup fame. A surrealist horror-comedy about capitalist exploitation and worker solidarity. Thoroughly enjoyable cinematic experience that manages manages to balance humour and social commentary well. A bit rough around the edges and maybe a little baggy in terms of focus, but in some ways this adds to its indy charm.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

The best thing I've done all this year is watch a shitload of films at the cinema. I saw most of these at the Leeds Film Festival, which I thoroughly enjoyed - planning on going every year from now on and taking the time off work. 

1.* Peterloo*

It's a bit long with much table thumping speech making but there are some great over-the-top performances (Tim McInerny's in particular as the odious Prince Regent) and the attention to period detail is fantastic. Rather abrupt ending, mind. 3 miserable frowns out of 5.


2. *Sorry To Bother You*

This is brilliant. The less you know about the consistently surprising and startlingly original plot the better. A hilarious satire of modern day wage slavery made all the funnier by watching with a huge audience at a sold-out Town Hall. Utterly bonkers and unique visual style. Can't wait to see more from The Coup's Boots Riley - a talent to watch. 5 horse cocks out of 5

3. *The Guilty*

Tense psychological thriller about an officious cop on telephone duty taking a call from an abducted woman. Quite effective considering its single location, but I give it just 3 999s out of 5

4. *Happy New Year, Colin Burstead*

Ben Wheatley's Brexit film. A dysfunctional family gather in a rented mansion on NYE to tear strips off each other. Fantastic cast, very funny, but there's not much to it really. Never before seen a film featuring the director and crew dancing to techno though. 3 and a half bitter resentments out of 5.

5. *Possum*

Sean Harris skulks creepily about dismal Norfolk Broad locations, in Matt Holness' (him off of Garth Marenghi) debut. 3 and a half disturbing puppets out of 5.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

6 *Styx*

A doctor goes sailing on her own and encounters a sinking boat crammed with African refugees and is ordered by the authorities not to help. Moral dilemmas ensue. Minimal dialogue as they show instead of tell. I would have preferred they'd told the stories of the people on the other boat. 3 white saviours out of 5

7 *All Is Good*

Gloomy relationship drama, mostly dealing with toxic sexual politics. Great performance by Aenne Schwarze and a promising directorial debut from Eva Trobitsch. 3 sternes out of 5

8 *Loveling*

Well, it's a shit title, but a lovely bittersweet Brazilian film about a mother and family coping with the imminent departure of the oldest son. Karine Teles shines as the mother. 4 pieces of grit in the eye out of 5

9 *Inuyashiki*

Ikiru meets Tetsuo in a rather unsuccessful adaptation of a popular Manga
2 metal innards out of 5

10 *Border*

A very interesting horror film - it has a rather distasteful subplot that I thought rather unnecessary, but its originality and the committed performances of the two leads made me rise above that. It's a film that has stayed in my mind and I am compelled to watch it again, despite it being a rather disgusting experience. 
4 trolls out of 5


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## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

11 *Widows*
Implausible yet powerful thriller - a heist movies that defies conventions. Excellent performances from an ensemble cast and some lush trademark McQueen camerawork. 4 bags of cash out of 5

12 *Suspiria*
Not a patch on the original. Completely different film though. Can't really review it properly as I didn't understand the plot. I might have understood it better if the English had been subtitled as well as the German, but that's probably down to my poor hearing rather than poor sound. I dunno though, I've understood all the other films in English. I've also had to take one star off for having a poor soundtrack by Whiner-in-chief Thom Yorke, which, again, I can't help comparing with the original OST by Goblin. 2 bloody witches out of 5

13 *The Kindergarten Teacher*
Loved this. Maggie Gyllenhaal has never chosen a bad role, and she excels here in making a character who makes such poor choices so sympathetic. 4 haikus out of 5

14 *In Fabric*
Very enjoyable and funny tribute to Tales Of The Unexpected. Lush production, costume and sound design - all the hallmarks of a Strickland film, along with a hauntological score by Cavern Of Anti Matter. 5 weird shop assistants out of 5

15 *Miracle Mile*
1988 oddity about people's behaviour when they think the world's about to end. Anthony Edwards (him off of ER) and Mare Winningham, dressed as the 80s, star in what starts as screwball romcom, but ends up as a tense thriller. Another plus is a Tangerine Dream score. It should be shit but it's so unusual that I give it 4 mutually assured destructions out of 5


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

16 *Utoya July 22*
I'm don't know what this film is for - to entertain us? It's very compelling and is clearly a great technical achievement (seems to be mostly one take), but the subject matter makes me uneasy to be compelled by it. 3 out of 5

17 *Fail Safe*
Gloomy cold war Sydney Lumet thriller that fails to thrill. The 'computer graphics' (in fact animations) that drive the plot, and the intense but extended discussions have dated the film to the point of boredom. I'm sorry to admit that I nodded off a few times. 2 armageddons out of 5.

18 *Dredd*
Brutal violence in a brutalist skyscraper. At least Dredd doesn't take his helmet off like Stallone did in the previous version. Three exploding bullets out of 5

19 *Superman*
40th anniversary screening. Still stands up, despite the now dated SFX. Reeve plays the dual role brilliantly, esp as the awkward and clumsy Clark Kent, and John Williams' score os exhilarating. It's a second to Superman 2 in the rankings of best superhero movie. Marvel Schmarvel. 5 underpants-over-tights out of 5

20 *Nightshooters*
Funny, fast-moving comedy action flick. The Raid in a London council block with no budget and lots of jokes. It's not all brilliant but they do a lot with very little. 3 squibs out of 5.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

21 *Nightmare Cinema*
Enjoyable daft anthology comedy horror in the vein of Masters Of Horror. Bit patchy. 3 ludicrous twists out of 5

22 *Knuckleball*
Home Alone with more weapons, but not as scary or funny . 2 Michael Ironsides out of 5

23 *You Might Be The Killer*
Weak Scream rip off. I was very tired (it started at 4am), so am possibly being unfair to it, but it's all been done before, trying to make a virtue of this by calling itself a meta slasher. I tweeted this and the film-maker responded, so felt bad about slagging off something that takes a lot of commitment and hard work to produce, but fuck em, they should have made a better film.  2 hockey masks out of 5

24 *Capernaum*
Harrowing portrayal of kids living in poverty in Beirut. This is tipped to win the audience prize and it should. Seeing children suffering like that was hard to watch, but its emotional impact was only intensified by this. 5 crying toddlers out of 5

25. *One Cut Of The Dead*
Another funny comedy horror with very little horror, clever though, with ingenious plotting - pay attention though as most of the laughs come from callbacks. 4 rubber arms out of 5


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

26 *Violence Voyager*
Weird as fuck cardboard cutout animation about children being lured into a theme park/torture chamber. 4 mutated eyeballs out of 5

27 *A Field Guide To Evil*
Patchy anthology of international folk tales. The one with the mouse is good but the others not so much. Again, not very horrifying. 2 cursed goats out of 5 

28 *Being Natural*
Bonkers and genre-defying, reminded me of the unpredictable insanity of a Takeshi Miike film. 4 bongos out of 5

29 *In The Aisles*
The films I liked the most at the festival were all hard to pin down genre-wise and had consistently surprising plots. This German comedy/drama is one of them. 4 overloaded pallets out of 5 

30 *Beautiful Boy*
Some stellar acting from Carell, Chaloumet and the rest of the cast, this addiction drama's stark message, that even love and a hell of a lot of expensive therapy might not be enough to conquer addiction, is a bitter pill to swallow. Great soundtrack too (and loved the posters in Nic's room) 4 broken promises out of 5. <<< i must have been tired and emotional when I wrote that. I am downgrading it to 3 stars this in retrospect, it didn't dive enough into Chaloumet's descent in addiction. it's not a bitter pill, it's sugar coated.


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

31 *Daughters Of The Sun*
Wanted to like this more, but feel insulted by Western filmmakers' tendency to assume that a Western audience needs a white character in a film for them to empathise with. Would have been a better film if it had only focused on the Kurdish women in the film, instead of the experiences of the war reporter. 3 eyepatches out of 5 #

32 *The Travelling Cat Chronicles*
A nice young man tries to get his cat adopted, to his cat's consternation. 
Sentimental to the point of triteness. I'd give this two stars if it didn't have cats in it. 3 hairballs out of 5 

33 *Killing God*
Spanish black comedy that tries to do what Inside No 9 does brilliantly, only three times as long and not as well. 2 terrible human beings out of 5 

34 *Euthanizer*
Finnish black comedy about a loner who puts people's pets down crossing swords with some fool neo-Nazis. Paper thin plotting and characterisation with some very funny deadpan one liner. Very Finnish. 3 Death Metal Band Generators out of 5

35 *Tampopo*
Mouthwatering Japanese foodie movie about ramen, with Western elements. A group of men go Gordon Ramsay on a woman's failing ramen restaurant. 4 mansplains out of 5


----------



## Orang Utan (Dec 17, 2018)

36 *Arctic*
Mads Mikkelson, compelling as always, trying to survive a plane crash in the frozen North. With barely any dialogue at all, this had me rooting for Mikkelson throughout. 5 frostbitten toes out of 5

37 *The Docks Of New York*
Josef Von Sternberg silent melodrama, which zipped along entertainingly, especially with the piano soundtrack performed live by Jonathan Best 4 pugnacious dockers out of 5

38 *Pond Life*
Well-observed and delicate 90s-set drama about youngsters in a Yorkshire mining village messing about and fishing. Brilliant cast, esp the two youngest kids, who provide most of the laughs. Lots of future stars here! 4 monstrous carps out of 5

39 *Shoplifters*
Touching and subtle drama about a Japanese family living in poverty. They're not a 'legitimate' family but they understand what family means. 5 street urchins out of 5

40 *Mandy *
Another film that has reaffirmed to me recentlty how necessary it is to go see films on a big screen with an audience (esp the Hyde Park Picturehouse in Leeds). We get the Full Nicolas Cage here, with a lot of red lighting, Hellraiseresque biker gang and a thundering Jonas Johannsen score. I think Panos Cosmatos saw the Lamott cinema ad as much as I did in the 80s. Four demonic bikers out of 5


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## Orang Utan (Dec 19, 2018)

*The Old Man & The Gun*
Robert Redford's supposed last film. He plays a very crinkly but charming criminal who just can't help robbing banks. Almost a Christmas movie as it has a great scene with Tom Waits as a fellow robber telling the gang why he hates Christmas. It all looks great, set in 1981ish - such attention to detail, even down to the titles.  
Excellent soundtrack too. And there is Sissy Spacek. 4 laugh lines out of 5


----------



## blossie33 (Dec 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> View attachment 156112
> 
> *The Old Man & The Gun*
> Robert Redford's supposed last film. He plays a very crinkly but charming criminal who just can't help robbing banks. Almost a Christmas movie as it has a great scene with Tom Waits as a fellow robber telling the gang why he hates Christmas. It all looks great, set in 1981ish - such attention to detail, even down to the titles.
> Excellent soundtrack too. And there is Sissy Spacek. 4 laugh lines out of 5



Saw that last week  
Based on a true story too.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Dec 20, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> View attachment 156112
> 
> *The Old Man & The Gun*
> Robert Redford's supposed last film. He plays a very crinkly but charming criminal who just can't help robbing banks. Almost a Christmas movie as it has a great scene with Tom Waits as a fellow robber telling the gang why he hates Christmas. It all looks great, set in 1981ish - such attention to detail, even down to the titles.
> Excellent soundtrack too. And there is Sissy Spacek. 4 laugh lines out of 5


Haven't seen it yet, but I intend to make it my Christmas movie.


Orang Utan said:


> 39 *Shoplifters*
> Touching and subtle drama about a Japanese family living in poverty. They're not a 'legitimate' family but they understand what family means. 5 street urchins out of 5


Yes. Seen it twice and loved it even more the 2nd time. Probably my film of the year.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 21, 2018)

*Nae Pasaran!*
An exhilarating documentary about Scottish Rolls Royce workers who refused to maintain jet engines for the Chilean airforce after Pinochet's coup d'etat, when the air force bombed its own government buildings, killing the democratically elected socialist President Allende. Inspiring for highlighting the emotional and material support international solidarity can bring, but depressing because the Scottish workers' actions were backed by a strong union and other unions, which seems impossible nowadays. 5 rusting engine parts out of 5


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## redsquirrel (Dec 22, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> esp the Hyde Park Picturehouse in Leeds


You know it's going to be closing for a year for refurbishment and an extension?

The closure will be crap (no real arthouse cinema in Leeds) but the refurbishment should be good.

PS Nice to see you posting again


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## Orang Utan (Dec 22, 2018)

They are supposed to be having an alternative venue while the refurbishment happens. Not sure where yet.


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## redsquirrel (Dec 22, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> They are supposed to be having an alternative venue while the refurbishment happens. Not sure where yet.


I think it's supposed to be a kind of pop-up venue(s). We'll see how it goes.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 23, 2018)

Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Ploppins more like.
Horrid musical celebrating unpaid domestic servitude.
1 creepy nannies out of 5


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## Epona (Dec 23, 2018)

Orang Utan - thank you for the wonderful short reviews, very enjoyable reading 
I don't get to the cinema much as I find it difficult (Ok, painful) to sit in a cinema for too long - I did get to see Sorry To Bother You which I thought was fucking awesome and very enjoyable at the same time.


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## Wilf (Dec 23, 2018)

Epona said:


> Orang Utan - thank you for the wonderful short reviews, very enjoyable reading
> I don't get to the cinema much as I find it difficult (Ok, painful) to sit in a cinema for too long - I did get to see Sorry To Bother You which I thought was fucking awesome and very enjoyable at the same time.


It also reminds me that, having got an annual ugc pass, I've been restricted to pretty mainstream output.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 23, 2018)

I'm thoroughly addicted now. I have two independent cinemas within walking distance and a nearby Vue that costs only a fiver, so it's very convenient and inexpensive. I also started going again partly cos I was having such trouble concentrating at home. I can't get my phone out to see if that actor was in The Wire or not, so I properly get into the film at the cinema.


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## redsquirrel (Dec 23, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> I'm thoroughly addicted now. I have two independent cinemas within walking distance .


What's the other independent in Leeds? Cottage Road?


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## Steel Icarus (Dec 23, 2018)

Solo


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## belboid (Dec 23, 2018)

redsquirrel said:


> What's the other independent in Leeds? Cottage Road?


Cottage Road is lovely. 

I think it's where I walked out of Empire of the Sun


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## redsquirrel (Dec 23, 2018)

belboid said:


> Cottage Road is lovely.
> 
> I think it's where I walked out of Empire of the Sun


Space is lovely but the film selection these days is a bit patchy. Catering for retirees and kids mostly.

The Lounge in Headingley was great (first place I went to a cinema) before it was sold off and converted.

The new cinema in Ilkley is rather nice but it is pricey.


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## redsquirrel (Dec 23, 2018)

On the subject of Leeds cinemas anyone tried out the Everyman? 
I've not been since I've come back, with Vue or HPPH half the price doesn't really seem worth it.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 23, 2018)

redsquirrel said:


> On the subject of Leeds cinemas anyone tried out the Everyman?
> I've not been since I've come back, with Vue or HPPH half the price doesn't really seem worth it.


Not really worth the expense. Comfy sofas and footstools, aye, but small screens and conspicuously unobtrusive waiting staff bringing drinks and food to customers during the screening. I went to a few short film screenings during the festival and found myself having to share a two seater sofa with a stranger, which felt too intimate for my personal space.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 23, 2018)

redsquirrel said:


> On the subject of Leeds cinemas anyone tried out the Everyman?
> I've not been since I've come back, with Vue or HPPH half the price doesn't really seem worth it.


Aha, i thought you were in Oz, so was puzzled by your local knowledge!


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## redsquirrel (Dec 23, 2018)

Orang Utan said:


> Not really worth the expense. Comfy sofas and footstools, aye, but small screens and conspicuously unobtrusive waiting staff bringing drinks and food to customers during the screening. I went to a few short film screenings during the festival and found myself having to share a two seater sofa with a stranger, which felt too intimate for my personal space.


Cheers, that pretty much confirms my suspicions. That said it does show some some movies that don't get much a showing elsewhere.


Orang Utan said:


> Aha, i thought you were in Oz, so was puzzled by your local knowledge!


I was but moved back to UK about 16 months ago and then Leeds 10 months ago.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 23, 2018)

redsquirrel said:


> Space is lovely but the film selection these days is a bit patchy. Catering for retirees and kids mostly.
> 
> The Lounge in Headingley was great (first place I went to a cinema) before it was sold off and converted.
> 
> The new cinema in Ilkley is rather nice but it is pricey.


There's others in Ripon (Curzon, I think) and Harrogate (Everyman), but both too far to travel to for me. Shame, as I think the only place i could have seen Roma was at one of these, can't quite recall which.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 23, 2018)

redsquirrel said:


> What's the other independent in Leeds? Cottage Road?


Yup, but it is as you described. I have to admit i haven't been for ages even though it's five minutes walk away.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 23, 2018)

* 
Cold War*
This is on a lot of people's top ten lists, so thought I'd better catch it. Have to say it left me cold. Some beautiful monochrome photography and music, but the characters' behaviour didn't make much sense, especially towards the end. I've never found such stories convincing, but maybe I have a heart of stone and have never been in love.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 30, 2018)

A Star Is Born
Very impressive directorial debut from Bradley Cooper, with fantastic performances from Gaga and Cooper, but especially Sam Elliot. Rubbish American MOR music though. 3 washed-up rockers out of 5


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## Orang Utan (Dec 30, 2018)

Free Solo
Documentary about Alex Honnuld, a climber who attempts to climb the 3000 feet El Capitan in Yosemite without using ropes. Felt sick watching this - one of the tensest, most gripping films I've seen at the cinema. 4 bitten nails out of 5


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## Dr. Furface (Jan 1, 2019)

Orang Utan said:


> Free Solo
> Documentary about Alex Honnuld, a climber who attempts to climb the 3000 feet El Capitan in Yosemite without using ropes. Felt sick watching this - one of the tensest, most gripping films I've seen at the cinema. 4 bitten nails out of 5


Just seen it - now having a beer to calm down. ‘most gripping’ - haha yes in every sense!


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## Yuwipi Woman (Jan 3, 2019)

Spiderman:  Into the Spiderverse - of the movies I've seen this year, I actually like this one quite a lot.  I especially enjoyed the Spiderpig version and the anime versions of Spiderman.  It follows some of the newer Spiderman material from Marvel.

Aquaman - a little over the top, as expected.   Momoa was made for the role.


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