# List the films you've seen at the cinema: 2017



## Kesher (Jan 1, 2017)

*Ballerina
*
Girl runs away from an orphanage to  Paris where she hopes to become a ballerina. Animated film set in late 19th century. It's really enjoyable and  looks great. As one film critic said about it: _"Take the kids; take yourself; take everyone you know"._


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## chilango (Jan 2, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Ballerina
> *
> Girl runs away from an orphanage to  Paris where she hopes to become a ballerina. Animated film set in late 19th century. It's really enjoyable and  looks great. As one film critic said about it: _"Take the kids; take yourself; take everyone you know"._



Saw that a few days ago. It was much better than I feared it would be


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## chilango (Jan 2, 2017)

My first this year: Rogue One. Which was ace.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jan 2, 2017)

A Monster Calls 

I found that review fairly accurate 
Maybe it's just the introspective time of year but I found it quite affecting


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## krtek a houby (Jan 3, 2017)

Silence - Scorsese puts religion under the lens again. This time in 17th century Japan. I preferred Last Temptation of Christ. Or Kundun; which I can't remember anything about.


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## Sea Star (Jan 3, 2017)

Have seen Rogue One. On NYD.


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## Kesher (Jan 3, 2017)

*Silence
*
Thoughtful, powerful and although 3 hours long did not seem like it


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## belboid (Jan 5, 2017)

Rogue One

Cracking stuff, despite the familiarity of many scenes.


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## TruXta (Jan 5, 2017)

Trolls. Whatever else the music was upbeat.


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## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2017)

Miss-Shelf said:


> A Monster Calls
> 
> I found that review fairly accurate
> Maybe it's just the introspective time of year but I found it quite affecting


The book is fantastic.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jan 5, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> The book is fantastic.


I hadn't heard if it before but my nephew has it so I might borrow it.   I thought it was going to be a bucolic take about a tree cos I just saw a pic if a tree.  I was unprepared for the wringing out if the emotions


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## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2017)

Miss-Shelf said:


> I hadn't heard if it before but my nephew has it so I might borrow it.   I thought it was going to be a bucolic take about a tree cos I just saw a pic if a tree.  I was unprepared for the wringing out if the emotions


It wrung me out too. 
I visited a school where the librarian there was reading out to Y9 English classes and I thought to myself that I wouldn't have been able to do that as I'd blub.


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## belboid (Jan 14, 2017)

*La La Land*

You've probably seen the advance publicity - Gosling & Stone in a hymn of praise to the MGM musical, tender and witty and bound to win every award going.  And that isn't too far from the truth.

Stone has the perfect light touch to convince, and can sing and dance more than adequately. Gosling is a bit uptight, and not as good at either singing or dancing, but he isn't bad, and definitely pulls it off.  While there is no doubt that the film _is _a hymn of praise to the MGM musical (_An American In Paris _especially, and massive doses of the stupendous _Young Girls of Rochefort_) it is more than that too. Like the fight that Gosling tells us goes in within jazz, there is a tension within this film as nostalgia and anti-nostalgia fight it out, the pure and principled but staid and unchanging v fusion and modern techniques - that can sometimes end up as utter wank. The 'golden age' jazz Gosling listens to may well be the height of the genre's history, but it is still dead and gone, those who want to simply relive it will end up locked away in underground caverns missing what goes on in the rest of the world.

When I first came out i thought that Stone had been superb but Gosling a little underwhelming, his face being too monotone.  In the almost final scene he displays such a light touch, an elegance and grace that had been missing from the rest of the movie, and I thought it was a real shame he hadn't let any of that into the earlier scenes.  But, of course, with a bit of thought, he had played it exactly right.  That lightness was precisely what he was missing, that was his (characters) problem. So, well played that man.

Minor criticisms- sometimes the music drowned out the lyrics, which should never happen in a musical, and the 'modern' jazz was mid-eighties synthy crap, which everyone now knows is awful, actual modern stuff wouldn't have fitted with the theme tho. 

Despite those quibbles - A cracker, go and see it.


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## emanymton (Jan 14, 2017)

belboid said:


> *La La Land*
> 
> You've probably seen the advance publicity - Gosling & Stone in a hymn of praise to the MGM musical, tender and witty and bound to win every award going.  And that isn't too far from the truth.
> 
> ...


Saw it this morning, yeah a great film.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 14, 2017)

belboid said:


> Despite those quibbles - A cracker, go and see it.


Yeah, absolutely excellent. As you say Stone is great.


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## Miss-Shelf (Jan 14, 2017)

Three good reviews - going to watch this I reckon 

I saw I, Daniel Blake the other week, loads been said about it in urban already, most I'm in agreement with.  Much overt sobbing from the audience.   
the film club showing it arranged a talk from the local food bank plus a collection, useful to do a small thing with the angst raised but such a small gesture


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## Sue (Jan 15, 2017)

Silence. Thought this was a bit of a strange one. Felt like it would'be been controversial and debate-provoking 50 years ago but the dilemma at the heart of it is pretty shoulder shrugging these days.

There's some interesting stuff in there about faith and belief but it really dragged in the middle -- it would've been much better if it'd lost a good half an hour -- and lacked tension. A bit more context round events in Japan at that time would also have made this more interesting. Still, think it's  the best film he's made in quite a long time.

Jezebel. Spoilt Southern Belle Bette Davis scandalises New Orleans society and fiance Henry Fonda by wearing a red dress to a ball. Strangely old fashioned look and feel to this -- especially when compared to Gone With the Wind which was made round the same time -- but the Southern manners and Davis' flouncing make this enjoyable enough.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 15, 2017)

_The Handmaiden_ - Park Chan-Wook's version of Sarah Waters _Fingersmith,_ moving it to Korea. Very good if slightly over the top in places (but then you kind of expect that from the director), the humour, horror and thriller elements are all blended together very well. I'm less sure about the erotic parts, the sex scenes seemed a bit salacious  (particularly the one at the end). I'm not sure if that was the point - a sort of comparison of the viewer with the uncle , if so I don't think it completely worked. Still, very much worth watching.


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## belboid (Jan 15, 2017)

Really want to see The Handmaiden, but it's not out here till bloody April. 

Just back from Manchester by the Sea, two and a bit hours of bleakness and general sadness. You spend the first half wondering why Casey Affleck is so miserable, and then you find out, and it turns out to be for a bloody good reason. But life goes on, messily and without neat happy endings. Bleak but engrossing. I didn't like the soundtrack.


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## marty21 (Jan 21, 2017)

La La Land 

Thought it was wonderful , did remind me of 50s American musicals ,Gene Kelly type.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 21, 2017)

belboid said:


> Really want to see The Handmaiden, but it's not out here till bloody April.


Really? Weird. Sue saw it last year.

_Arrival_ - Good, Amy Adams is one of those actors that I always find enjoyable even if the film isn't much good overall and this is much better than average. The aliens are done very well, there's a tense nervous creepiness about them that keeps you guessing. There's a couple of plot elements which jar a little but overall I found it a very enjoyable and interesting film.
_
Paterson_ - Jim Jarmusch's latest, with Adam Driver as a but driver and poet. Beautifully shot it's a lovely movie, just taking it's time to explore people's interactions. Goldshifteh Farahhani is great as Driver's wife with a love of black and white.


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## Sue (Jan 22, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Really? Weird. Sue saw it last year.


Saw it at the London Film Festival (with Park-chan Wook doing a Q&A ) but it's not on general release for a bit.


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## redsquirrel (Jan 22, 2017)

Ah, weird it's been on general release here for a good will now (beginning of Nov probably) I thought that I might have missed it.


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## Kesher (Jan 22, 2017)

*Manchester By The Sea
*
Great performance by Casey Affleck. Michelle Williams is also very good.

Manchester by the Sea


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## Kesher (Jan 22, 2017)

*The Bye Bye Man
*
Creepy


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## Addy (Jan 22, 2017)

Asassins Creed - Shit!

Passengers - Great


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## RubyToogood (Jan 22, 2017)

belboid said:


> Just back from Manchester by the Sea, two and a bit hours of bleakness and general sadness. You spend the first half wondering why Casey Affleck is so miserable, and then you find out, and it turns out to be for a bloody good reason. But life goes on, messily and without neat happy endings. Bleak but engrossing. I didn't like the soundtrack.





Kesher said:


> *Manchester By The Sea
> *
> Great performance by Casey Affleck. Michelle Williams is also very good.
> 
> Manchester by the Sea



Just got back from this. REALLY liked this film. I haven't cried so much at a film in ages, but it wasn't manipulative at all. The writing and acting were outstanding and it never takes the Hollywood way out. I'd like to see it again at some point because there are just so many great bits in it and although it's very harrowing it's also quite funny. It reminds me a lot of Ordinary People, which is one of my all time favourite films.


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## Kesher (Jan 23, 2017)

*Live By Night
*
Enjoyable Prohibition era gangster film led by Ben Affleck


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## bi0boy (Jan 23, 2017)

Underworld: Blood Wars - some good actors in the cast including Charles Dance wasn't enough to make this anything more than an average vampire flick


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## kabbes (Jan 23, 2017)

A Monster Calls was brilliant.


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## Reno (Jan 23, 2017)

bi0boy said:


> Underworld: Blood Wars - some good actors in the cast including Charles Dance wasn't enough too make this anything more than an average vampire flick


That explains so much !


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## bi0boy (Jan 23, 2017)

I'm glad you found it useful


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## Kesher (Jan 25, 2017)

*Assassins Creed*

Impeded by  excessive exposition


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## Kesher (Jan 26, 2017)

*Split
*
James McAvoy is on top form in this M. Night Shyamalan abduction thriller about a man with dissociative identity disorder who's shown 23 personalities.


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## Grandma Death (Jan 27, 2017)

Trainspotting 2 today. Great movie . Not as fresh as the first but a great film neverthless. Begbie is terrifying in it


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## belboid (Jan 27, 2017)

Grandma Death said:


> Trainspotting 2 today. Great movie . Not as fresh as the first but a great film neverthless. Begbie is terrifying in it


Going later tonight.  Can't decide what I should imbibe beforehand...


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## Yuwipi Woman (Jan 27, 2017)

Hidden Figures.

Best movie I've seen in the last year.


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## Sue (Jan 27, 2017)

belboid said:


> Going later tonight.  Can't decide what I should imbibe beforehand...


Buckie?


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## belboid (Jan 27, 2017)

Well, I thought there were a couple of minor missteps, but all in all I think it's in the lust with Empire Strikes Back and Godfather 2

It may well have brought a wee tear to my eye at the end.


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## Kesher (Jan 28, 2017)

*La La Land
*
Very good bearing in mind you are not watching the excellence of past masters such as Gene Kelly. I thought the film dipped a bit around the middle part; but apart from this well worth seeing.


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## Idris2002 (Jan 28, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Manchester By The Sea
> *
> Great performance by Casey Affleck. Michelle Williams is also very good.
> 
> Manchester by the Sea





RubyToogood said:


> Just got back from this. REALLY liked this film. I haven't cried so much at a film in ages, but it wasn't manipulative at all. The writing and acting were outstanding and it never takes the Hollywood way out. I'd like to see it again at some point because there are just so many great bits in it and although it's very harrowing it's also quite funny. It reminds me a lot of Ordinary People, which is one of my all time favourite films.



Just saw this one. It is the genuine article and the real deal, and the film you mustn't miss this year (unless you've recently suffered a bad bereavement, like the main characters in this one).

Affleck is as good as everyone says. Blink and you'll miss him cameo from Matthew Broderick. The only thing wrong with it - if I have to say that there was something wrong with it - is that the nephew character was a little too good to be true. But with a film this good, I really don't care.


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## Reno (Jan 28, 2017)

Idris2002 said:


> Just saw this one. It is the genuine article and the real deal, and the film you mustn't miss this year (unless you've recently suffered a bad bereavement, like the main characters in this one).
> 
> Affleck is as good as everyone says. Blink and you'll miss him cameo from Matthew Broderick. The only thing wrong with it - if I have to say that there was something wrong with it - is that the nephew character was a little too good to be true. But with a film this good, I really don't care.


I didn't think the nephew was too good to be true, he struck me as quite realistic. He was generally a good kid, reminded me a lot of my younger brother when he was that age, but he had flaws too and was in no way saintly.


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## May Kasahara (Jan 28, 2017)

Sing. It was brilliant!


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## Kesher (Jan 28, 2017)

*XXX: Return of Xander Cage*

Ludicrously enjoyable: makes the Fast and Furious films look subdued


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## chilango (Jan 29, 2017)

*Sing!
*
Fire to the banks! Fire to the prisons! with singing animated animals basically.


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## Kesher (Jan 30, 2017)

*Lion
*
A bit too long; but good with a very emotional ending


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## Orang Utan (Jan 30, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Lion
> *
> A bit too long; but good with a very emotional ending


I saw that Dev Patel was nominated for best supporting role, but after a quick Google, I am mystified as to why. It sounds like he's the lead. Why is he only deemed to be a supporting actor?


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## belboid (Jan 30, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> I saw that Dev Patel was nominated for best supporting role, but after a quick Google, I am mystified as to why. It sounds like he's the lead. Why is he only deemed to be a supporting actor?


Blame Weinstein. 

Dev Patel is the star of 'Lion'. So why is he nominated as a supporting actor? Gives a reasonable overview of the issue


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## Dr. Furface (Feb 1, 2017)

Manchester by the Sea - thoughtful and moving grief-pic, great performances by Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges, flawed only by the lousy, lazy choices of whoever was responsible for the music in it. 

Jackie - brilliantly cast and executed portrayal of Jackie Kennedy's life following JFK's assassination, with Natalie Portman putting in an Oscar-worthy performance in the central role, and a nice cameo by the late John Hurt. The only brain missing in this production is the President's.

T2 Trainspotting - better than I thought it would be. Some of the plot devices stretch credulity, but the characters carry it - they're all the same as before, but now with 20 years of regrets and resentments inside them. Some great scenes, often really funny, but with more depth than the original, and a nice twist to finish it off.


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## Kesher (Feb 1, 2017)

*Sing
*
Better than I thought it might be which resulted in an  enjoyable film. I particularly  liked the Cockney, gorilla crime family.


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## Sue (Feb 1, 2017)

The King of Comedy. Hadn't seen this before. De Niro is excellent, as is Jerry Lewis. Slightly disconcerting that the audience was belly laughing all the way through -- didn't feel like that kind of funny to me -- though the 'I made a mistake.' 'So did Hitler' exchange did make me laugh and think of this place. 

To Have And Have Not. Casablanca does Martinique. Not as good as Casablanca but I could watch Bogart and Bacall all day.

La La Land. Think this is probably a controversial view but... I enjoyed it and thought the leads were likeable and charming and all that but I didn't think it was a very good musical. Reckon it would've been better as a straight film.

The songs just aren't strong enough (I'd go so far as to say they're not very good at all) and it seemed to forget it was meant to be a musical for quite a while halfway through. And really obviously referencing Singin' In the Rain seems like a very brave move...

I'm pretty surprised by all the superlatIves this is getting. It's enjoyable and all that but I just don't think it's a very good musical.


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## redsquirrel (Feb 1, 2017)

Sue said:


> To Have And Have Not. Casablanca does Martinique. Not as good as Casablanca but I could watch Bogart and Bacall all day.


Yep. Even _Key Largo_ and _Dark Passage _which aren't very good films TBH are watchable because of them


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## Kesher (Feb 2, 2017)

*T2 Trainspotting 
*
Well worth seeing and  very funny in parts.


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## Kesher (Feb 3, 2017)

*Rings*

Samara gets a digital upgrade. Starts off well enough; but  a overall a  bit disappointing. 
*
*


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## Nanker Phelge (Feb 4, 2017)

T2....enjoyed
Lego Batman.....fucking great


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## redsquirrel (Feb 4, 2017)

Are people incapable of posting in non-twitter bollocks now? You know actually providing some information or thoughts on the films rather than than "xxx ... yyyy". 

Reno this thread needs you back


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## Looby (Feb 4, 2017)

Saw T2 last night. I loved it, I thought it was really well done. The song, fucking hell. [emoji23] There were also parts that were so fucking tense I couldn't take a breath. 
I'd like to go and see it again actually. [emoji4]


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## killer b (Feb 5, 2017)

I went to see Toni Erdmann tonight, which was beautiful and funny and strange, and perhaps a bit too long. Definitely worth seeing though.


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## redsquirrel (Feb 5, 2017)

killer b said:


> I went to see Toni Erdmann tonight, which was beautiful and funny and strange, and perhaps a bit too long. Definitely worth seeing though.


Comes out here next week, it's definitely on my "to see" list.


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## TheHoodedClaw (Feb 6, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Comes out here next week, it's definitely on my "to see" list.



Good analysis of the film. More of this please.


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## moonsi til (Feb 6, 2017)

Saw 'Hacksaw Ridge', it was funny, cute, brutal, sad, brave. I laughed and cried and felt on the edge of my seat. And I have a new hero in Desmond Doss.


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## Pamy44 (Feb 6, 2017)

2017, I watched so far, XXX- Return of Xander Cage, Resident Evil and the Great Wall. 
Awaiting more.


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## Kesher (Feb 6, 2017)

*The Lego Batman Movie *(2D)*
*
Consistently funny


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## 5t3IIa (Feb 6, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *The Lego Batman Movie *(2D)
> 
> Consistently funny


As funny as The Lego Movie?  Because I laughed every 1.3 minutes at that but Batman trailers are leaving me underwhelmed


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## moonsi til (Feb 6, 2017)

My partner and stepson went to see Batman Lego without me and I was all 'what even though you know how much I laughed during The Lego movie''. They said it wasn't as funny!


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## Kesher (Feb 6, 2017)

5t3IIa said:


> As funny as The Lego Movie?  Because I laughed every 1.3 minutes at that but Batman trailers are leaving me underwhelmed



Whether it's as funny as the first one or funnier I'm not sure; but the ending is much better in  the latest film


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## Kesher (Feb 6, 2017)

*Hacksaw Ridge
*
Brilliant: based on the true story of the bravery and faith of a conscientious objector. Funny as well; but later followed by battle scenes which are probably the most gory  I've ever seen in a war movie. It's the type of film that demands to be seen on the big screen.


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## Steel Icarus (Feb 6, 2017)

Sing.
Utterly generic and predictable, and in no way less enjoyable for it. Lots of fun, great voice acting and animation, and loads of songs. Fab Sunday-out-with-the-kids movie.


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## rubbershoes (Feb 6, 2017)

Lego Batman Movie

Pointless and lacking the spark of the first.  At least the kids liked it


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## MrSki (Feb 6, 2017)

Last film I saw at the cinema was Gladiator at Camden Parkway in the 90's I think so have not got much to add to this thread but am a bit pissed. Sorry.


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## PoliticalHound (Feb 7, 2017)

Star wars (Rogue One) Milton Keynes. December last year. Pffffttttt


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## Wilf (Feb 7, 2017)

Going watching this tonight:
Hidden Figures
... about three black women who were key figures at NASA but written out of history.  I'm only going as it's freebie off one of those preview sites, though it does look fascinating and important. Same time, while the reviews for it look good, one described it as a 'feelgood film', which rings alarm bells for me.


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## friendofdorothy (Feb 7, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Going watching this tonight:
> Hidden Figures
> ... about three black women who were key figures at NASA but written out of history.  I'm only going as it's freebie off one of those preview sites, though it does look fascinating and important. Same time, while the reviews for it look good, one described it as a 'feelgood film', which rings alarm bells for me.


I want to see that - don't spoil it for me


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## Maharani (Feb 7, 2017)

Lots!

This week I've seen:
T2- loved

Loving - was a nice, slow film. Cried a bit 

Lion - really, really sad. I just cried from start to finish. Really beautiful film. Dev Patel was excellent as was the young boy. Take tissues. 

Going to watch Toni Erdman tomorrow. 

I'm making good use of my ritzy membership.


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## Wilf (Feb 7, 2017)

friendofdorothy said:


> I want to see that - don't spoil it for me


 [Note to self: work out how to use the spoiler code]


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## Reno (Feb 7, 2017)

I had not realised that Trainspotting 2 is also called T2 and was wondering why everybody is suddenly running to see Terminator 2.


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## redsquirrel (Feb 7, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Going watching this tonight:
> Hidden Figures
> ... about three black women who were key figures at NASA but written out of history.  I'm only going as it's freebie off one of those preview sites, though it does look fascinating and important. Same time, while the reviews for it look good, one described it as a 'feelgood film', which rings alarm bells for me.


TBH I thought the trailer made it look absolute appalling, nauseatingly sentimental tosh. But as you say the reviews have been decent so it could just be the another case of shitty trailer.


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## brogdale (Feb 7, 2017)

Maharani said:


> Lots!
> 
> This week I've seen:
> T2- loved
> ...


Saw Lion this afternoon; such impressive performances in the 1st act from those gifted child actors...that speaks of very sensitive and careful direction...for me, they were all so utterly credible and engaging.
Dev Patel is good, but I thought some of the 2nd act musing was a little drawn out.
Overall; really good stuff for a 'weepie', and tackling some important and challenging themes, including the absolute poverty of many, at a time when that is needed more than ever.


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## Kesher (Feb 7, 2017)

*Loving*
It's  1958 and a couple gets married (out of state) in contradiction of Virginia's racial segregation  law. The judge offers exile from Virginia state for 25 years or jail. Civil rights lawyers later appeal the case finally ending up in the Supreme court. Based on a true story. Don't expect fireworks, the film takes a subtle approach focusing on their family life. Quality acting.


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## Maharani (Feb 7, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Loving*
> It's  1958 and a couple gets married (out of state) in contradiction of Virginia's racial segregation  law. The judge offers exile from Virginia state for 25 years or jail. Civil rights lawyers later appeal the case finally ending up in the Supreme court. Based on a true story. Don't expect fireworks, the film takes a subtle approach focusing on their family life. Quality acting.



SPOILER ALERT.


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## Wilf (Feb 7, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> TBH I thought the trailer made it look absolute appalling, nauseatingly sentimental tosh. But as you say the reviews have been decent so it could just be the another case of shitty trailer.





Spoiler



"No, you're right. A case of sass, mathematical genius and persistence overcoming ingrained racism and all of the former racists eventually come round and apologise - all in the name of beating the Russians in space. There's also an explicit rejection of militant civil rights activism."


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## Wilf (Feb 8, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Loving*
> It's  1958 and a couple gets married (out of state) in contradiction of Virginia's racial segregation  law. The judge offers exile from Virginia state for 25 years or jail. Civil rights lawyers later appeal the case finally ending up in the Supreme court. Based on a true story. Don't expect fireworks, the film takes a subtle approach focusing on their family life. Quality acting.


FFS!


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## Kesher (Feb 8, 2017)

If you think my little review of Loving spoils it for you  then you're best off avoiding critic websites like Rotten Tomatoes or professional, individual film  critic reviews.

And whatever you do, don't click on anything like this: Loving v. Virginia - Wikipedia


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## Sue (Feb 8, 2017)

Kesher said:


> If you think my little review of Loving spoils it for you  then you're best off avoiding critic websites like Rotten Tomatoes or professional, individual film  critic reviews.
> 
> And whatever you do, don't click on anything like this: Loving v. Virginia - Wikipedia


And I do, until I've seen the film.

It'd be fair enough including your first sentence, for example, then giving your overall view of the film. But if you're going to include spoilers, use the spoiler code.


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## Orang Utan (Feb 8, 2017)

Fwiw, I didn't think the review was particularly spoilers


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## Maharani (Feb 8, 2017)

I becetcread reviews before I watch movies at the cinema. Ruins the film. I read them after so I can disagree with them.


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## Orang Utan (Feb 8, 2017)

I don't think there's anything wrong with sketching the basic premise of the film. and I personally don't think knowing about the plot matters much unless it's a whodunit or it has a big twist. A film about a historical event can't be really be spoilered, imo. I know the plot of Lion, for instance, and have a good idea how it might end, but that won't stop me enjoying it when I watch it (if it's any good, that is)


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## Wilf (Feb 8, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> I don't think there's anything wrong with sketching the basic premise of the film. and I personally don't think knowing about the plot matters much unless it's a whodunit or it has a big twist. A film about a historical event can't be really be spoilered, imo. I know the plot of Lion, for instance, and have a good idea how it might end, but that won't stop me enjoying it when I watch it (if it's any good, that is)


Well, people no doubt vary in terms of how much they are happy to know about a film before watching.  Generally, I might go to a newspaper review to see if it's worth going, given that they are usually spoiler lite.  I have even clicked on Wikipedia before when a film is based on real events or a book, just to check the film is really about the same thing - though reading the first couple of sentences but not the rest of the plot.  But the bottom line (on here)  is that it's best to err on the side of caution and use the spoiler thingy.  Not having a go at Kesher, have a feeling I overstepped the mark on some film or other in the past.


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## baldrick (Feb 8, 2017)

So far in 2017

T2
Manchester by the sea
A monster calls
Lion

Most of those made me cry uncontrollably.

I haven't seen Arrival yet but they're showing an extended version at the cinema on Monday 

I want to see Fences. When is it out, does anyone know?,


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## Orang Utan (Feb 8, 2017)

baldrick said:


> So far in 2017
> 
> T2
> Manchester by the sea
> ...


17th Feb


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## redsquirrel (Feb 8, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> I don't think there's anything wrong with sketching the basic premise of the film. and I personally don't think knowing about the plot matters much unless it's a whodunit or it has a big twist. A film about a historical event can't be really be spoilered, imo. I know the plot of Lion, for instance, and have a good idea how it might end, but that won't stop me enjoying it when I watch it (if it's any good, that is)


People obviously shouldn't reveal details but any film that is 'ruined' by knowing the plot is by definition a film that doesn't stand up to a second viewing and so clearly not a good film.


----------



## Orang Utan (Feb 8, 2017)

I dunno about that. I prefer not to watch a film more than once, generally.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 9, 2017)

*Gold*



Spoiler



It's about gold



Sterling performance by Matthew  Mcconaughey just about saves the film.


----------



## Maharani (Feb 9, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> I dunno about that. I prefer not to watch a film more than once, generally.


I've never understood that.


----------



## Orang Utan (Feb 9, 2017)

Maharani said:


> I've never understood that.


Too many other films to watch to watch things repeatedly.


----------



## Reno (Feb 9, 2017)

Many films change a lot for me on revisiting them. Much of the time I notice things I didn't before and films often get better (and sometimes worse). On a first watch I mainly pay attention to the plot, but on a second watch I notice a lot of stuff which can be more important than plot.

I rather watch a great film for the tenth time than one which looks not so promising for the first time and there aren't that many really great films. After watching several underwhelming new films in a row, I need to watch an old favourite to revived my faith in films.


----------



## Maharani (Feb 9, 2017)

Reno said:


> Many films change a lot for me on revisiting them. Much of the time I notice things I didn't before and films often get better (and sometimes worse). On a first watch I mainly pay attention to the plot, but on a second watch I notice a lot of stuff which can be more important than plot.
> 
> I rather watch a great film for the tenth time than one which looks not so promising for the first time and there aren't that many really great films. After watching several underwhelming new films in a row, I need to watch an old favourite to revived my faith in films.


This much-ly^^^^.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 10, 2017)

*Fifty Shades Darker*

I chose not to see the first instalment; but as there was nothing else on my local cinema that I had not already  seen I went to see this.
Well in many ways it's awful. I've never seen a film so full of cliches. If I did not know it was meant to be a serious film I might have thought it was an 80's influenced soap satire. It was so bad I almost started enjoying it. The dialogue is  poor and every time there was an emotional moment some awful pop sing kicked in. The only good things are Dakota Johnson looks hot; but she deserves better than this,  and the use of colour was nice especially the colour matching.

If you look at Rotten Tomatoes there is a huge disparity between the professional critics' score and the audience score, well I say the critics have got it right.
Fifty Shades Darker


----------



## Casual Observer (Feb 13, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Gold*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good film but, as you say, might have been shit without McConaughey. I wonder how many films he's single-handedly saved - Killer Joe from a few years back was another.

A passing note, Gold also features a worthwhile Johnny Cash impersonation from Iggy Pop on the soundtrack.


----------



## sarahjo (Feb 14, 2017)

Dr. Strange
Split
been so busy only managed to watch these two, hope i have time to spare to watch more.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 14, 2017)

*Under The Shadow*

Iranian horror film loved by the critics and a Bafta winner; but I thought is was somewhat over rated: It had a low budget look to it and could have done with  more cultural exposition. However, it does have scares and the  acting is good.


----------



## Reno (Feb 14, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Under The Shadow*
> 
> Iranian horror film loved by the critics and a Bafta winner; but I thought is was somewhat over rated: It had a low budget look to it and could have done with  more cultural exposition. However, it does have scares and the  acting is good.


Cultural exposition ? I'm glad the film didn't do a lot of handholding and expected a rudimentary knowledge of Iran's recent history. And apart from a couple of ropey effects shots I thought the film looked very good for what was indeed a very low budget film.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 14, 2017)

I was referring to supernatural beliefs


----------



## Reno (Feb 15, 2017)

Kesher said:


> I was referring to supernatural beliefs


The Jinn/Djinn/Genie is a well known Islamic supernatural entity who turns up in anything from The Arabian Nights/Aladdin, to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, to Dr Who, to I Dream of Jeannie and who can be benign or malevolent. I thought the film explained enough to get the idea.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 17, 2017)

*The Founder*

The 1950's story of  the ruthless, greedy and super ambitious Ray Kroc played by Michael Keaton who turned McDonald's into a mass franchise. Really interesting as well as great acting.


----------



## redsquirrel (Feb 17, 2017)

Really very by the numbers Weinstein flick IMO. 

Keaton was pretty decent but you could really see ever step of the plot from 20 minutes in.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 18, 2017)

I don't know about you; but I did not know the story of Ray Kroc so for me it certainly wasn't  by the numbers. Nick Offerman and John  Carroll Lynch who play the McDonald brothers also put in an excellent performance

The Founder is  highly rated on Rotten Tomatoes: The Founder

And Mark Kermode gave  a good, accurate review. He definitely didn't think it was  by the numbers either


----------



## redsquirrel (Feb 18, 2017)

But my point is you didn't have to know the story - the it was obvious because you'd seen the same thing many, many times before - struggle, inspiration, idea, etc, etc.


----------



## belboid (Feb 18, 2017)

Toni Erdmann

A jolly old japer tries to instill some fun into the life of his dull careerist daughter. I found her so unsympathetic, for the most part, that it didn't grab me as much as it did most reviewers.  It has some interesting things to say about families, Europe (seemingly 'Team Meeting' translates as _Team Meeting_ in many languages) and life, and it has there are quite a few laugh out loud moments in the first two hours, but they do drag a bit.  The lat half hour tho, especially the song and the party, and really very funny indeed, and just about make the preceding inaction worth it. The yankee remake will cut at least 40 minutes tho, betya


----------



## Kesher (Feb 18, 2017)

*John Wick: Chapter 2
*
Well produced, action packed with humour


----------



## Maltin (Feb 19, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> But my point is you didn't have to know the story - the it was obvious because you'd seen the same thing many, many times before - struggle, inspiration, idea, etc, etc.


Where the story was going was obvious because there are thousands of McDonalds around the world. I still enjoyed it because I like Michael Keaton and found out interesting things in the McDonalds story I wasn't aware of, not least how much of a wanker Kroc was to the McDonald brothers.


----------



## Maltin (Feb 19, 2017)

belboid said:


> Toni Erdmann
> 
> A jolly old japer tries to instill some fun into the life of his dull careerist daughter. I found her so unsympathetic, for the most part, that it didn't grab me as much as it did most reviewers.  It has some interesting things to say about families, Europe (seemingly 'Team Meeting' translates as _Team Meeting_ in many languages) and life, and it has there are quite a few laugh out loud moments in the first two hours, but they do drag a bit.  The lat half hour tho, especially the song and the party, and really very funny indeed, and just about make the preceding inaction worth it. The yankee remake will cut at least 40 minutes tho, betya


I was surprised by the critical response to this film. It was far too long. I think you could reduce it by an hour.  I didn't have an issue with the daughter being unsympathetic. That was the type of character she was meant to be. My main issue was that I didn't find Toni that funny. He seemed more to be pitied. Very bizarre towards the end, especially with him dressed up in the kukeri outfit. A very strange movie overall.


----------



## redsquirrel (Feb 19, 2017)

Maltin said:


> Where the story was going was obvious because there are thousands of McDonalds around the world. I still enjoyed it because I like Michael Keaton and found out interesting things in the McDonalds story I wasn't aware of, not least how much of a wanker Kroc was to the McDonald brothers.


No, the story was obvious because the plot and script were unimaginative. The fact that the the audience 'knows the ending' doesn't mean the journey there has to be obvious and predictable.


----------



## A380 (Feb 19, 2017)

Saw the Great Wall by mistake last night.

It's fucking brilliant. Completely and utterly stupid, mad as mad Mike McMad winner of last year's Mr Mad competition. It is also very pretty. Go and see it, preferably in 3D, leave your intellect at the door. Best time I've had at the cinema so far this year.

The bungee jumping Chinese amazons aren't even the best bit.

Why are you still reading this, go and see it.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 20, 2017)

A380 said:


> Saw the Great Wall by mistake last night.
> 
> It's fucking brilliant. Completely and utterly stupid, mad as mad Mike McMad winner of last year's Mr Mad competition. It is also very pretty. Go and see it, preferably in 3D, leave your intellect at the door. Best time I've had at the cinema so far this year.
> 
> ...



Will be seeing it this evening. I had intended to see it in  2D; but OK, I'll  give the 3D a go.


----------



## killer b (Feb 20, 2017)

Maltin said:


> I was surprised by the critical response to this film. It was far too long. I think you could reduce it by an hour.  I didn't have an issue with the daughter being unsympathetic. That was the type of character she was meant to be. My main issue was that I didn't find Toni that funny. He seemed more to be pitied. Very bizarre towards the end, especially with him dressed up in the kukeri outfit. A very strange movie overall.


He wasn't meant to be funny. It isn't a comedy, I don't think.


----------



## A380 (Feb 20, 2017)

Kesher said:


> Will be seeing it this evening. I had intended to see it in  2D; but OK, I'll  give the 3D a go.


Great take 3D glasses but leave critical faculties.


----------



## Argonia (Feb 20, 2017)

T2: trainspotting
Manchester by the sea
Silence

Enjoyed all three in different ways.


----------



## belboid (Feb 20, 2017)

killer b said:


> He wasn't meant to be funny. It isn't a comedy, I don't think.


Mm, it really is, y'know.


----------



## Cheesypoof (Feb 20, 2017)

Sully
Jackie
Loving
La La Land

All very good, I particularly liked Jackie. Will go and see Trainspotting 2 this week, and The Founder over the weekend.


----------



## Maltin (Feb 20, 2017)

Cheesypoof said:


> Sully
> Jackie
> Loving
> La La Land
> ...


Jackie's another film that I didn't like. I couldn't get over Natalie Portman's accent in it. It was really offputting to me. Maybe if I watch it again I might be able to ignore it and enjoy the film more.


----------



## Cheesypoof (Feb 20, 2017)

Maltin said:


> Jackie's another film that I didn't like. I couldn't get over Natalie Portman's accent in it. It was really offputting to me. Maybe if I watch it again I might be able to ignore it and enjoy the film more.



Yes, Mark Kermode says he had the same experience and enjoyed it more second time round. Jackie _did_ actually talk like that though. Natalie Portman nailed it.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Feb 20, 2017)

Fifty Shades Darker.

For real (the OH loves it). It wasn't as terrible as I'd imagined. I preferred it to La La Land anyway.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 21, 2017)

skyscraper101 said:


> Fifty Shades Darker.
> 
> For real (the OH loves it). It wasn't as terrible as I'd imagined. I preferred it to La La Land anyway.



You preferred  Fifty Shades Darker to La La Land. Really?


----------



## skyscraper101 (Feb 21, 2017)

Kesher said:


> You preferred  Fifty Shades Darker to La La Land. Really?



Yes. I don't particularly rate either, but if I had to watch one again I'd choose the one which didn't keep breaking out into cheesy musical numbers.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 21, 2017)

A380 said:


> Saw the Great Wall by mistake last night.
> 
> It's fucking brilliant. Completely and utterly stupid, mad as mad Mike McMad winner of last year's Mr Mad competition. It is also very pretty. Go and see it, preferably in 3D, leave your intellect at the door. Best time I've had at the cinema so far this year.
> 
> ...



*The Great Wall (3D)*
A visual feast: great costumes; beautiful rich colours.; spectacular battle sequences and the female	commander played by Tian Jing is gorgeous.


----------



## redsquirrel (Feb 22, 2017)

belboid said:


> Mm, it really is, y'know.


Not according to the director. Well at least that's her claim.


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Not according to the director. Well at least that's her claim.


Pah, i thought we'd stopped listening to author's telling us what their work meant years ago


----------



## Kesher (Feb 22, 2017)

*Hidden Figures
*
Interesting and enjoyable overlooked  story


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Hidden Figures
> *
> Interesting and enjoyable overlooked  story


I was trying to decide whether to go to the pics for that or just to grab a screener. Looks an interesting story, for sure, but the bits I've seen didn't make it look especially cinematic. What dya think?


----------



## Kesher (Feb 22, 2017)

belboid said:


> I was trying to decide whether to go to the pics for that or just to grab a screener. Looks an interesting story, for sure, but the bits I've seen didn't make it look especially cinematic. What dya think?



I think films lose so much if they are not seen in the cinema. However, Hidden Figures is no John Wick nor The Great Wall; but it does have outside scenes involving rockets launching, entering orbit and returning to earth. There are also some nice looking 50s/early 60s era cars in it


----------



## Maltin (Feb 23, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Not according to the director. Well at least that's her claim.


In this article she seems to recognize that it is (at least partly) a comedy/ funny film, and that the "comedy comes with the father", although she tried not to focus on the comedy. 

Maren Ade: ‘Toni Erdmann’s humour comes out of a big desperation’

Wikipedia notes the lead actress stating that she doesn't believe that it's a comedy though. 

Why Toni Erdmann is no laughing matter - Entertainment - NZ Herald News


----------



## Kesher (Feb 24, 2017)

*Patriots Day*

Riveting


----------



## belboid (Feb 24, 2017)

Jesus


----------



## Kesher (Feb 25, 2017)

*Fences*

Outstanding performance by Denzel Washington and rest of main cast are excellent. Adapted screenplay and that's what it mainly  looks  like: it should have been more cinematic. Nevertheless, great  film.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 25, 2017)

*Jackie
*
This Arthouse influenced  film might not be to some people's taste; but Natalie Portman's portrayal of Jackie Kennedy is a class act. Bleak and beautiful.


----------



## Orang Utan (Feb 25, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Jackie
> *
> This Arthouse influenced  film might not be to some people's taste; but Natalie Portman's portrayal of Jackie Kennedy is a class act. Bleak and beautiful.


----------



## killer b (Feb 25, 2017)

*Ballerina* - A french (I think) animated kids film, about an orphan child's quest to become a ballerina at the Paris Opera. The story is essentially _Rocky_ in tights, with a bit of _Annie_. Animation is a bit clunky in places, but it's engaging enough.


----------



## Argonia (Feb 25, 2017)

*Moonlight
*
Hugely enjoyable coming of age drama. Might see it again.


----------



## felixthecat (Feb 25, 2017)

Sing
Made me laugh a lot


----------



## Sue (Feb 25, 2017)

Manchester by the Sea. Excellent (bar the annoying and intrusive music).

Moonlight. Very, very good.



Spoiler: Spoiler



Given the depressing nature of everything that'd gone before, was convinced the meeting between Chiron and Kevin was going to go horribly wrong. Instead, it was sweet and poignant and ultimately hopeful.


----------



## bluescreen (Feb 25, 2017)

Hidden Figures. Hollywood appeal without losing its edge. Sharp, pacy, affecting. It's called a feel-good movie but it's as much a feel angry one. A story worth telling, and brilliant how it's pulled together into such a compelling scenario, without the mathy mise-en-scene ever dragging. Now I want to read the book.


----------



## A380 (Feb 25, 2017)

bluescreen said:


> Hidden Figures. Hollywood appeal without losing its edge. Sharp, pacy, affecting. It's called a feel-good movie but it's as much a feel angry one. A story worth telling, and brilliant how it's pulled together into such a compelling scenario, without the mathy mise-en-scene ever dragging. Now I want to read the book.


Just got back from this. Very very good, the everyday understating of the normality  of segregation made it even more shocking.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 28, 2017)

*Toni Erdmann*

Eccentric, sad and very funny


----------



## Wilf (Feb 28, 2017)

Saw Denial at the weekend (about the Deborah Lipstadt V David Irving trial).  Timothy Spall is good as the loathsome Irving, though they don't give him enough of a back story.  Otherwise, it was affecting, given the subject matter, but somehow a bit predictable and clichéd about buttoned down British lawyers and the like.  In fact, bizarrely for a film that is ultimately about the holocaust, it was actually a bit _twee_.


----------



## Kesher (Feb 28, 2017)

*A Cure For Wellness*

Visually striking; meandering at two and a half hours long  could have been at least 30mins shorter. Similarities to  Shutter Island and even The Shining; however there are  some grotesque scenes in it. Good acting.


----------



## hash tag (Mar 1, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Fences*
> 
> Outstanding performance by Denzel Washington and rest of main cast are excellent. Adapted screenplay and that's what it mainly  looks  like: it should have been more cinematic. Nevertheless, great  film.



Yup, just seen it. Some stunning and moving performances. Could almost be a well written fild as opposed to a play


----------



## DexterTCN (Mar 1, 2017)

Logan.

It's awesome.   Certainly the best of the Wolverine movies.  There's a shitload of bad language and graphic violence, all of which follows the narrative.   

I won't spoil the story.


----------



## redsquirrel (Mar 2, 2017)

_Manchester by Sea_ - Kenneth Lonergan's follow up to the very good _Margaret, _this isn't as good a film as that but there's enough here to recommend it. Affleck is very good (though I'd argue his best performance is still in _The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford_) but Michelle Williams is underused IMO, Matthew Broderick also pops up in a cameo. There are also some funny moments within the film which are vital, otherwise the depressing nature of plot and theme could just make the film end up as misery porn, if fact despite the anguish of the protagonist it Lonergan makes sure it never falls into that trap. 

_Toni Erdman_ - Really loved this, unlike belboid I could sympathise, or at least empathise, with Ines (while hating what she does). There are some absolutely hilarious bits (especially towards the end) as well as some moments of real pathos, and politics. I can understand why some might think it just a little too long but I wouldn't cut any of it. It should have won at Cannes, it's a much better film that _I Daniel, Blake.

Moonlight_ - Again as good as the reviews have said. Horribly painful at times and often with a menacing undercurrent there's also some really beautiful and even hopeful parts. Cast in general is good, Mahershala Ali and Trevante Rhodes excellent in their roles, and both the kids and teenagers good, not quite as sure about Naomie Harris but that could just being a bit picky. 

_Perfect Strangers - _a sort of Italian comedy of manners where during a dinner party all the participants agree to place their mobile phones on the table and share any text/calls/etc with the rest of the party. First half has some mildly amusing parts and the set up is ok but the attempt to make things more serious just falls flat on it's face with a load of trite banalities. Maybe one to watch on a rainy Sunday.

_T2: Trainspotting_ - slightly nervous about whether this would just feel flat but credit to Boyle and co they've pulled it off. There's flaws, such as the criminal underutilisation of Shirley Henderson and Kelly MacDonald, but it's a rather good look at both how life passes you by and modern life in the UK in 2017. I suppose it was made pre-referendum but it to me it felt like a post-referendum film. And it's always good to see Robert Carlyle in stuff.


----------



## Sue (Mar 2, 2017)

Elle. A 'rape-revenge' thriller that could've done with way less rape and way earlier revenge.

Isabelle Huppert is excellent (as ever) but I pretty much hated this. Most of the characters are hateful, the sexual politics are fucking awful and even the funny bits felt manipulative.


Spoiler: Spoiler



So this could've been an interesting exploration of female sexuality (see Huppert in The Piano Teacher). Instead it felt like it was peddling rape myths -- she really does want to be raped and enjoyed it and wants it to happen again and all while being punched in the face. Ffs. 

And even the revenge involves her implicating her son. Full circle and all that but again, hateful of her to do that and takes the power away fom her and imposes it on someone else.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 3, 2017)

*The Innocents (Les Innocentes)*

French Red Cross doctor played by Lou de Laâge helps deal with the aftermath of a convent invasion by Russian soldiers  resulted  in a number of the Polish Nuns becoming pregnant after being raped. Explores deep ethical and faith issues. Based on true events at the end of the 2nd world war.

Should have been Oscar nominated.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 4, 2017)

*Fist Fight*

Ludicrous and quite funny


----------



## Argonia (Mar 4, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Fist Fight*
> 
> Ludicrous and quite funny



Mark Kermode hated it, went off on a rant about it.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 4, 2017)

Argonia said:


> Mark Kermode hated it, went off on a rant about it.



I'm not in the least surprised


----------



## Kesher (Mar 5, 2017)

*Viceroy's House*

Very interesting, clear telling of how British India was partitioned and Pakistan formed along religious lines in1947; but also includes a romantic subplot. Nice cinematography, well paced and well worth seeing.


----------



## belboid (Mar 5, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Viceroy's House*
> 
> Very interesting, clear telling of how British India was partitioned and Pakistan formed along religious lines in1947; but also includes a romantic subplot. Nice cinematography, well paced and well worth seeing.


Aah, you're the one person who liked it. Looks unbearable sub-Downton shite.


----------



## belboid (Mar 5, 2017)

*Logan*

The final Wolverine film, and easily the best of the three, not that that's saying much. There is absolutely nothing surprising to see here at all, not one moment when you think 'I wasn't expecting that'. It's elderly X-Men and a kid, with all the necessary heart and pathos. there's a funny road trip for the first half, then Bradley Wiggins turns up, loaded to the gills on TUE's, and there is some kick arse fighting. And it does kick arse, easily the best kid killer since the film of the (almost) same name. 

So, nothing to be really blown away by, but a very entertaining couple of hours nevertheless.


----------



## Orang Utan (Mar 5, 2017)

belboid said:


> *Logan*
> 
> The final Wolverine film, and easily the best of the three, not that that's saying much. There is absolutely nothing surprising to see here at all, not one moment when you think 'I wasn't expecting that'. It's elderly X-Men and a kid, with all the necessary heart and pathos. there's a funny road trip for the first half, then Bradley Wiggins turns up, loaded to the gills on TUE's, and there is some kick arse fighting. And it does kick arse, easily the best kid killer since the film of the (almost) same name.
> 
> So, nothing to be really blown away by, but a very entertaining couple of hours nevertheless.


I was surprised to see Stephen Merchant in the trailer


----------



## belboid (Mar 6, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> I was surprised to see Stephen Merchant in the trailer


He was much less annoying than he might have been. Perfectly fine, even.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 6, 2017)

belboid said:


> Aah, you're the one person who liked it. Looks unbearable sub-Downton shite.



Mark Kermode described Viceroy's House   as a _"Gripping political drama"  _and it's currently his film of the week.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 8, 2017)

*Logan*

Very violent, possibly a bit too long; but it's  better than the other Wolverine films


----------



## Kesher (Mar 9, 2017)

*Kong: Skull Island
*
Kong's monster battles look well impressive on the big screen


----------



## Sue (Mar 11, 2017)

Le Trou. Jacques Becker prison escape drama. Believable characters, tense story. Excellent.


----------



## redsquirrel (Mar 11, 2017)

_Jasper Jones_ - Based off a very well loved book (that I've not read) down here, a kind of Australian _To Kill A Mockingbird_, with teenagers growing up and the feeling the effects of racism (set in 1960s). Basically the main character Charlie, a 13 year old  boy, becomes involved with the title character who's aboriginal in looking for a murderer in their small WA town. Toni Collette stars as the mother, Dan Wylie (a good actor, well know does here but probably not familiar to many in the UK, he played the lawyer in _Animal Kingdom_) as the father and Hugo Weaving also has a role. It's a well made film, and Wylie and Collette are good but I just felt it was a little 'insert slot A into gap B' and something that's really been done a number of times before, there one action in the plot that was very clunky and cliched*. Overall decent enough for TV but probably not worth a trip to the cinema.

*



Spoiler



there's a child abuse plot 'twist' that you can see coming from a mile off, while at the same time not being built up at all. Just feels like an easy option, and how it's dealt with in the end is rubbish."


----------



## Kesher (Mar 12, 2017)

*The Time of Their Lives*

Twee pensioner comedy which had just one genuinely funny moment in it.


----------



## belboid (Mar 12, 2017)

Kesher said:


> Mark Kermode described Viceroy's House   as a _"Gripping political drama"  _and it's currently his film of the week.


Just listened to that episode. His FotW was Logan.  And he made VH sound awful.


----------



## marshall (Mar 12, 2017)

*Elle *- I imagine this is going to divide audiences, but it's an incredible performance from Huppert, quite disturbing, but also very funny in places, laughter in the dark admittedly, still; gripping, inventive, twisted, hard to get out of your head.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 12, 2017)

belboid said:


> Just listened to that episode. His FotW was Logan.  And he made VH sound awful.



Viceroy’s House review – gripping political drama with a populist edge


----------



## chilango (Mar 12, 2017)

chilango said:


> *Sing!
> *
> Fire to the banks! Fire to the prisons! with singing animated animals basically.



Went to watch it again.

Bankers being assaulted, prison breaks and a squatted self- managed social centre!

Well, if you squint a bit and let your mind wander...


----------



## belboid (Mar 12, 2017)

Kesher said:


> Viceroy’s House review – gripping political drama with a populist edge


Yup, he makes it sounds awful


----------



## Kesher (Mar 13, 2017)

belboid said:


> Yup, he makes it sounds awful



Kermode does not make it sound awful as it was his film of the week; it's you who tries to make it sound awful


----------



## Dr. Furface (Mar 13, 2017)

Certain Women - Really this is 3 short films in one, very tenuously connected, revolving around the lives of 3 women - played by Laura Dern, Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart - in a small north west American town. In terms of action not a lot happens, but in its low-key subtle way it holds your attention and is ultimately very affecting. A real pleasure to watch and spend time with.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 13, 2017)

*Moonlight*

Good acting; however melancholic and overrated


----------



## belboid (Mar 14, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Moonlight*
> 
> Good acting; however melancholic and overrated


While I do admire the fact that you go and see so many movies, you really do have the worst taste of anyone in the world ever, and wouldn't recognise quality if it was eight foot high and right in front of your eyes.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Mar 14, 2017)

Logan - The Wolverine film we've been waiting for all along.....almost


----------



## yield (Mar 15, 2017)

Just saw Moonlight. Expected to see more of Mahershala Ali. 

Loved it. Beguiling beautiful love story. Need to see it again.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 16, 2017)

*Free Fire
*
Tarantinoesque  comedic shoot-out in a warehouse. Worth seeing for Sharlto Copley's performance. Sam  Riley displays his versatility.


----------



## trabuquera (Mar 16, 2017)

*Moonlight *. Yes: it's a little one-note, a little po-faced, maybe 5-10 minutes too long. The odd note of wry humour might have been welcome here or there. But it's also devastatingly moving and the acting is 98% superlative. Personally I was in bits by the end. A properly adult film about real emotions and real dilemmas. Amazing to think it even got made, never mind nominated, never mind won the Oscar - all of which are Very Good things imho.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 17, 2017)

*Get Out*

Clever, highly effective thriller, comedy and social commentary. Superb.


----------



## Casual Observer (Mar 18, 2017)

marshall said:


> *Elle *- I imagine this is going to divide audiences, but it's an incredible performance from Huppert, quite disturbing, but also very funny in places, laughter in the dark admittedly, still; gripping, inventive, twisted, hard to get out of your head.


Just seen it. Very good film. Harrowing one minute, hilarious the next. My only gripe is that there are perhaps more strands to the story then are really needed. Could have ditched the unnecessary and over sensational father backstory and shaved 20 minutes off the film.


----------



## Maltin (Mar 18, 2017)

Casual Observer said:


> Could have ditched the unnecessary and over sensational father backstory and shaved 20 minutes off the film.


isnt the father back story one of the main reasons for her actions in the film? She doesn't act like how I would expect a normal person to behave so it's useful to have some explanation for her actions.


----------



## Casual Observer (Mar 18, 2017)

Maltin said:


> isnt the father back story one of the main reasons for her actions in the film? She doesn't act like how I would expect a normal person to behave so it's useful to have some explanation for her actions.


You're probably right. I just thought the film was sufficiently gripping without the father's gruesome deeds being plonked upon us half-way through. Also, on a personal front, I get irrationally antsy if a film lasts more than two hours and start thinking of scenes to remove to get it back to 1 hr 45 mins.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 19, 2017)

*Beauty and the Beast
*
It's OK not great though a bit slow


----------



## Orang Utan (Mar 19, 2017)

Kesher said:


> Kermode does not make it sound awful as it was his film of the week; it's you who tries to make it sound awful


Sometimes a critic liking a film confirms to an individual that they wouldn't like it. 
If Paul Ross like a film, for instance, it's a cast iron guarantee that it is shit.


----------



## rutabowa (Mar 20, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Get Out*
> 
> Clever, highly effective thriller, comedy and social commentary. Superb.


WICKED film. Great with an evening Holloway Odeon crowd, proper drive-in vibes.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 24, 2017)

*Life
*
Intense Sci-Fi horror draws a lot on   Alien


----------



## Sue (Mar 26, 2017)

Abel Gance's Napoleon. Absolutely blown away by this -- an epic masterpiece.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 28, 2017)

*CHIPS
*
It's alright


----------



## Dr. Furface (Mar 29, 2017)

*The Age of Shadows*. South Korean drama following members of the Korean resistance movement fighting the occupation by the Japanese in the 1920's. Surprisingly there's no martial arts involved but if you fancy lots of action, intrigue, tension, shootouts, bloodshed and some really nasty torture, I think you'll enjoy this. I did.


----------



## Sue (Mar 30, 2017)

Z. Thinly-fictionalised account of the assassination of an opposition MP in 1960's Greece. Interesting to see the corruption of a regime so clearly presented and the lack of/need for physical action when the opposition are kicking the shit out of you. 

Now want to find out more about the Greek military coup which took place not long after the events depicted.


----------



## Kesher (Mar 30, 2017)

*The Lost City of Z*

More Zzzzzzzzzzzz than Z; although it picks up in the last third of the film


----------



## Kesher (Mar 31, 2017)

*Ghost in the Shell*

Hugely impressive visuals reminiscent  of Blade Runner and The Fifth Element; lots of action well done. Scarlet Johansson is good.


----------



## Sue (Apr 2, 2017)

Fear Eats the Soul. Older German woman and much younger Moroccan man fall in love and meet prejudice and racism at ever turn.

I'm woefully ignorant of the films of Fassbinder -- seem to recall Reno is a big fan -- so thought I'd try and catch a few in the retrospective that's just started at the BFI. 

I'm very glad I did. Intelligent, interesting, realistic and by turns uplifting and utterly depressing. I'd really recommend this.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Apr 2, 2017)

Sue said:


> Fear Eats the Soul. Older German woman and much younger Moroccan man fall in love and meet prejudice and racism at ever turn.
> 
> I'm woefully ignorant of the films of Fassbinder -- seem to recall Reno is a big fan -- so thought I'd try and catch a few in the retrospective that's just started at the BFI.
> 
> I'm very glad I did. Intelligent, interesting, realistic and by turns uplifting and utterly depressing. I'd really recommend this.


Brilliant film.


----------



## Kesher (Apr 3, 2017)

*Power Rangers*

There are some laughs; but it goes downhill after the group become  fully fledged Power Rangers  which is quite a way into the film. Starts to look like  Transformers  towards the end. Needs a better villain,  and the film  could have done with  tighter editing.


----------



## Kesher (Apr 4, 2017)

*American Honey
*
Carpool karaoke with unpleasant characters. The first sing a long I could just about stomach but  by  the time of the  umpteenth one those insufferable songs were starting to do my head in as well as the looks on the faces of the sales crew  as they sung them.

The film (2hours 45 minutes)  is at least 1 hour too long.  A number of wasted opportunities were obvious where  the story presented risk  when  it wasn't  in the claustrophobic atmosphere of the crew's people carrier. The crew's manager Krystal played by Riley Keough was good and the most interesting character: the film should have involved her much more. 
Shia LaBeouf played his part well.


----------



## belboid (Apr 4, 2017)

Get Out

As almost everyone says the first two thirds is sharp and sassy, great performances from Kaluuya, Williams, Whitford and, especially, Catherine Keener. Some complain the last third goes off, but it doesn't really. It doesn't really carry the not very sub subtext through but, hey, it's a horror movie not a political treatise. Umpteen plot holes, but it zips along at such a pace it doesn't really matter.


----------



## Kesher (Apr 6, 2017)

*Smurfs: The Lost Village
*
Apart from some parts of the dialogue, it's mainly aimed at  young children


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 6, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Smurfs: The Lost Village
> *
> It's mainly aimed at  young children


well i never


----------



## Kesher (Apr 7, 2017)

*The Boss Baby*

Top notch animation, inventive and funny: really enjoyed it.


----------



## The39thStep (Apr 7, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *The Lost City of Z*
> 
> More Zzzzzzzzzzzz than Z; although it picks up in the last third of the film


The book is a fascinating read


----------



## brogdale (Apr 11, 2017)

*"*_*I am not your negro"*; _Raoul Peck's Baldwin documentary.
See it.


----------



## Kesher (Apr 12, 2017)

*Table 19*

Wedding reception romcom: Stephen Merchant perks it  up


----------



## chilango (Apr 12, 2017)

*The Boss Baby*

Butt plug joke moments into the opening credits.

Fantastic Elvii scene.

Good pisstsking of Gandalf.

Nice running joke about class divisions on transport.

...and an unresolved plot about the clash between monopoly capitalism and its inherent self-destruction versus social democracy as a sustainable model for capitalist development.


----------



## Sue (Apr 12, 2017)

chilango said:


> *The Boss Baby*
> 
> ...and an unresolved plot about the clash between monopoly capitalism and its inherent self-destruction versus social democracy as a sustainable model for capitalist development.



Slipping hidden political messages into mainstream films..?


----------



## Sue (Apr 12, 2017)

Dp


----------



## Kesher (Apr 13, 2017)

*Going in Style*

After their   pension fund takes a beating   three retirees decide to hit back and rob a bank.
Not particularly funny, bland.


----------



## Kesher (Apr 14, 2017)

*The Boss Baby (3D)*

I wanted to see The Boss Baby again and decided to give the 3D version a try after reading this review:

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right The Boss Baby Ticket - CINEMABLEND

Normally I prefer 2D particularly with animated films because of the darking effect of 3D glasses. Well there are some great 3D effects in this version some of the best I've seen. For example:  in one scene multiple  colourful objects are tumbling from a great height and it really seemed  like these were pouring out of the screen;	and the glasses don't affect the colours too much.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Apr 14, 2017)

*Ghost In The Shell*

Basic background is completely changed from the manga (if you've read it or seen the OAV you'll see that within a couple of minutes) but that's okay.

Cast is generally good but wasted on really dumb lines, which may have been meant to be philosophical and mysterious but just come off as facile. I appreciate that plots get simplified but you can have a dumb plot with sharp dialogue. This increasingly irritates me about films, particularly now that TV has proved that you can have successful action/sci-fi which is actually well written.

The whole thing about whitewashing: I didn't mind the main casting decisions so much as the weird setting. It's meant to be Tokyo, or at least a Japanese city, but it is really just Blade Runner (maybe with _more_ westerners) and that was meant to be set in LA. In other circumstances I might think it was meant to be a suggestion that a near future Tokyo would be much more multicultural but it felt more like a clumsy mishmash, particularly as parts of it are patently Hong Kong. It does look good though, even if the Blade Runner thing is pretty retro nowadays.

Action is satisfying and fans of the OAV will be pleased that the classic scenes from that are replicated in fine form.

Needed more Takeshi Kitano, but what doesn't?


----------



## tommers (Apr 14, 2017)

Boss Baby. 

Tell your kids that the cinema has burned down.  Ask somebody to break your arm. Whatever it takes. Avoid this film. 

A kid's film about middle management. They don't know what that is. I try to forget. Awful on every level.

It didn't help that a lady sat behind me went "awww!" every time a baby appeared on the screen. Which is an awful fucking lot of the time. 

God, even writing about it makes me angry.


----------



## Sue (Apr 16, 2017)

1900. Bertolucci's five and a half hour epic of life in the Po Valley in the first half of the 30th century. Interesting politically, well shot but pretty flawed. 

Very black and white and would've massively benefitted from more grey. And for all its length, left feeling I learned very little about the characters involved, especially De Niro's.


----------



## gaijingirl (Apr 16, 2017)

The Handmaiden.  Fabulous. Quite pornographic.  Beautiful film. Great story. Wouldn't want to say more as I went knowing nothing whatsoever about it and profited.


----------



## Gramsci (Apr 16, 2017)

Neruda

Neruda (2016) - IMDb

Saw this with my Spanish partner.

A few asides. My Spanish partner when she heard about this film said we had to see it. For someone from her background. A grandfather imprisoned by Franco. A family background which is still socialist. Like South America where which side you are on has consequences, Neruda is a towering figure.

I came to it knowing nothing about Neruda. He was a great poet and also  a politician. In Spain and South America art and politics go together.

I would call this an "art film". It's not a straight forward bio of Neruda. It's quite a surreal film. It about a real event in Neruda's life when he ,as a leading member of the Chilean Communist Party, had to flee an oppressive right wing government in late 40s.

A policeman is give the task of hunting him down.

Nothing is quite what it seems. Is the cop a figment of Neruda's imagination? Are we watching not reality but a mixture of reality and imagination?

It's one of those films that makes one want to know more.

My first impression from seeing the film was that the cop was the internalised figure of the right wing oppressive state one is in dialogue with. The cop is not some kind of stereotypical fascist. (Pinochet makes a brief appearance in the film as the head of a prison camp for leftists. Historically accurate I read later). The tragedy of the film is that they never meet.

My Spanish partner wished more for a film showing him as a great man of the left. For people like her he is up there with heroes like Che. Neruda's connection with Spain is that he was a diplomat in Spain during the civil war and helped Spanish communists get asylum in Chile. It was his experience in Spain that led him to being a committed Communist.

Does it work as a film? Yes imo. I liked the way it was not a standard biographical film nor a realist one. This isn't Ken Loach. It's also not uncritical of Neruda.

I read a few interviews with the director afterwards. Here is most illuminating one.


Omnipresent Poet: How Pablo Larraín Captured the Essence of Neruda Without Simplifying His Humanity | Filmmaker Magazine

Here the director says he was influenced by the writing of Borges. I haven't read Borges. I have read Bolano ( his novel 2666). Which is a mixture of true life events and fictionalised characters. Done in a way that does not pretend to be a linear narrative. In the film there are moments when the illusion of reality is undercut when the cop has it explained to him that he is a figment of Neruda's imagination. Something he counters by thinking he can still create his own destiny.

The film is also about the illusion we create of our own lives. How we fit others to play a part in the drama we create.

I would recommend seeing it. It's not an easy film but one worth following up with further reading. And that's not a criticism.


----------



## Kesher (Apr 17, 2017)

*Fast & Furious 8*

This is the first one in the series that I've seen in the cinema, previous to this I've only seen 5 and 6 on the TV so I'm bound to say 8 is much better than 5 and 6. Jason Statham really entertains.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Apr 17, 2017)

gaijingirl said:


> The Handmaiden.  Fabulous. Quite pornographic.  Beautiful film. Great story. Wouldn't want to say more as I went knowing nothing whatsoever about it and profited.


Yes it's excellent - did you see the long version, the directors cut? I only saw the shorter version, but even that clocks in at 144 mins, which was long enough for me - not that it felt overly long, but I didn't feel that I'd missed out on anything, except maybe... 



Spoiler



a lot more nasty torture!


----------



## gaijingirl (Apr 17, 2017)

Dr. Furface said:


> Yes it's excellent - did you see the long version, the directors cut? I only saw the shorter version, but even that clocks in at 144 mins, which was long enough for me - not that it felt overly long, but I didn't feel that I'd missed out on anything, except maybe...
> 
> 
> 
> ...



oh I don't know!  I'll try and find out. eta - although 144 mins sounds about right.


----------



## oneflewover (Apr 18, 2017)

*One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest*
Reminded how powerful a film it is again, those close ups, every twitch, grimace and scowl in your face. Happiness, sadness and futility. The acting, the characters, everything is absolutely top notch.


----------



## Sue (Apr 18, 2017)

oneflewover said:


> *One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest*
> Reminded how powerful a film it is again, those close ups, every twitch, grimace and scowl in your face. Happiness, sadness and futility. The acting, the characters, everything is absolutely top notch.


Going to see it on Thursday. Never seen it on the big screen so looking forward to that.


----------



## oneflewover (Apr 21, 2017)

Sue said:


> Going to see it on Thursday. Never seen it on the big screen so looking forward to that.



What did you think? How good was the copy? 

The copy I saw in Huddersfield wasn't that good, but not bad enough to spoil it. Or maybe we are just used to digital. (guessing the copy was on acetate)


----------



## Sue (Apr 21, 2017)

oneflewover said:


> What did you think? How good was the copy?
> 
> The copy I saw in Huddersfield wasn't that good, but not bad enough to spoil it. Or maybe we are just used to digital. (guessing the copy was on acetate)


It was really good, as was the print.


----------



## campanula (Apr 21, 2017)

Dunno why I torture myself reading this thread. I can't do films. Or indeed, any moving screen stuff at all. No matter how thrilling, gripping or gorgeous, within the first few minutes, it's like a sort of visual hay fever - a positive storm of sniffing, foot tapping, ear-pulling, twitching and grunting erupts...while my brain goes instantly AWOL. What the fuck is the matter with me?


----------



## Dr. Furface (Apr 21, 2017)

campanula said:


> Dunno why I torture myself reading this thread. I can't do films. Or indeed, any moving screen stuff at all. No matter how thrilling, gripping or gorgeous, within the first few minutes, it's like a sort of visual hay fever - a positive storm of sniffing, foot tapping, ear-pulling, twitching and grunting erupts...while my brain goes instantly AWOL. What the fuck is the matter with me?


ADHD?


----------



## oneflewover (Apr 21, 2017)

campanula said:


> Dunno why I torture myself reading this thread. I can't do films. Or indeed, any moving screen stuff at all. No matter how thrilling, gripping or gorgeous, within the first few minutes, it's like a sort of visual hay fever - a positive storm of sniffing, foot tapping, ear-pulling, twitching and grunting erupts...while my brain goes instantly AWOL. What the fuck is the matter with me?



Was you sat next me seeing Rouge One? 

Sorry to hear of your problem.


----------



## campanula (Apr 21, 2017)

Dr. Furface said:


> ADHD?



Late onset ADHD? I used to watch films...in fact, I liked nothing better than to slope off in the middle of the day and catch a matinee...but sometime in my 30s, I just started losing the ability to concentrate (I don't do TV either). Or loud music. Or parties. Or people, in groups of more than one.

I think I am just a miserable old bastard.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Apr 21, 2017)

campanula said:


> Late onset ADHD? I used to watch films...in fact, I liked nothing better than to slope off in the middle of the day and catch a matinee...but sometime in my 30s, I just started losing the ability to concentrate (I don't do TV either). Or loud music. Or parties. Or people, in groups of more than one.
> 
> I think I am just a miserable old bastard.


I know what you mean. In my 20s I was down the trendy cinemas all the time, watching the latest Japanese import oh it's pretty obscure you probably haven't heard of it. Now you have to basically lock me on a train or a plane to get me to sit still for long enough to watch anything, and for the first 20 minutes it's torture. Same with books tbh. I blame work.


----------



## Kesher (Apr 23, 2017)

*Unforgettable*

Katherine Heigl plays a psycho, blonde divorcee  with ultra straight hair and immaculate dress sense   who's jealousy is unleashed when she finds out her  ex husband has a new girlfriend.
Cliched; but enjoyable. Heigl excels in this role


----------



## A380 (Apr 23, 2017)

Their Finest.

It's brilliant. Probably the best British Film for the last couple of years. Go and see it. It's got almost everything.


----------



## Sue (Apr 23, 2017)

A380 said:


> Their Finest.
> 
> It's brilliant. Probably the best British Film for the last couple of years. Go and see it. It's got almost everything.


It looked bloody awful from the trailer...


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 23, 2017)

Bill Nighy? WW2? Fuck off!


----------



## A380 (Apr 23, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> Bill Nighy? WW2? Fuck off!


That's what I thought. Till I saw it.


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 23, 2017)

Is it anything like The King's Speech, Calendar Girls, Love Actually, Four Weddings etc?


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 23, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> Is it anything like The King's Speech, Calendar Girls, Love Actually, Four Weddings etc?


I've not seen it but the director is the same bloke that directed the much superior _An Education_, so maybe it has something more than those you list.


----------



## A380 (Apr 24, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> Is it anything like The King's Speech, Calendar Girls, Love Actually, Four Weddings etc?


Far better.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 24, 2017)

Great, thanks for that info, very informative. FFS the Paul Ross's have destroyed this thread.

If fact would anyone else be interested in a new film thread? I've been thinking of starting one for a while now, one of the problems with this thread this year is that we've lost people like Reno, who are tending to watch more stuff at home than at the cinema, while gaining the Paul Ross's. 

So I was thinking about a new thread that would be for films but not make any distinction between the cinema or home, and with provision that people should at give at least some fucking f the films they've seen in their posts. I'm not asking for posts as long as Gramsci's above (though that would be very welcome) but just the type of posts people used to make in previous years. Anyone else interested? Or should we just continue with this thread and try to tune out the "Great!" wankers?


----------



## Gramsci (Apr 24, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Great, thanks for that info, very informative. FFS the Paul Ross's have destroyed this thread.
> 
> If fact would anyone else be interested in a new film thread? I've been thinking of starting one for a while now, one of the problems with this thread this year is that we've lost people like Reno, who are tending to watch more stuff at home than at the cinema, while gaining the Paul Ross's.
> 
> So I was thinking about a new thread that would be for films but not make any distinction between the cinema or home, and with provision that people should at give at least some fucking f the films they've seen in their posts. I'm not asking for posts as long as Gramsci's above (though that would be very welcome) but just the type of posts people used to make in previous years. Anyone else interested? Or should we just continue with this thread and try to tune out the "Great!" wankers?



I also dropped off this thread for various personal reasons. Main one being straightened circumstances and increasing cost of seeing films in cinemas in London has meant I haven't been seeing that much. 

I'm now back. But seeing films in cinema more like once a month. Ticket prices in London are excluding a section of the population. Been using the Peckhamplex. But that's now under threat.

There are several good posters who seem to be missing.

There is already thread on DVDs seen at home?

I still think thread for film seen at cinemas is still worth a go.

But will think on it.


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Great, thanks for that info, very informative. FFS the Paul Ross's have destroyed this thread.
> 
> If fact would anyone else be interested in a new film thread? I've been thinking of starting one for a while now, one of the problems with this thread this year is that we've lost people like Reno, who are tending to watch more stuff at home than at the cinema, while gaining the Paul Ross's.
> 
> So I was thinking about a new thread that would be for films but not make any distinction between the cinema or home, and with provision that people should at give at least some fucking f the films they've seen in their posts. I'm not asking for posts as long as Gramsci's above (though that would be very welcome) but just the type of posts people used to make in previous years. Anyone else interested? Or should we just continue with this thread and try to tune out the "Great!" wankers?


we've already got a thread for that.

I think there's room for the Rosses as well as the Kaels. I find both ways of reviewing films instructive and amusing.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 24, 2017)

Gramsci said:


> There is already thread on DVDs seen at home?





Orang Utan said:


> we've already got a thread for that.


That's for everything tho, films, TV series whatever, and it suffers from some of the same problems this one does. I was thinking of a thread just for film discussion but not specifically for films at the cinema so that we could attract people who, for the reasons who mentioned, don't go to the cinema that often.



Gramsci said:


> I still think thread for film seen at cinemas is still worth a go.


Maybe, but this one isn't.


----------



## Sue (Apr 24, 2017)

A new thread's maybe worth a go. This one's gone a bit rubbish.


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> That's for everything tho, films, TV series whatever, and it suffers from some of the same problems this one does. I was thinking of a thread just for film discussion but not specifically for films at the cinema so that we could attract people who, for the reasons who mentioned, don't go to the cinema that often.
> 
> Maybe, but this one isn't.


i think one size fits all is cool - there's room for all sort of discussion. it's not up to anyone but the posters themselves on how they contribute. tweet length reviews should be able to sit alongside cahiers du cinema epics. i think it's a bit snobbish to say this thread is ruined cos you expect everyone on it to write essays.
I don't always want to spend more than a couple of sentence talking about a film I've seen. Sometimes I've got the time and inclination to go into more detail. Sometimes I haven't. I'm sure it's the same for others. The other thread has one sentence reviews on it as well as more eloquent reviews from people like trabuquera 
They're all of value.


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> That's for everything tho, films, TV series whatever.


So? I don't really understand why we need to distinguish between things we've watched on screens. I usually post on the dvd/video thread even if I've seen it at the cinema.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 24, 2017)

I'm not asking for essays, I just want some fucking content rather than twatter shit. A380's posts above are a perfect example.


A380 said:


> It's brilliant. Probably the best British Film for the last couple of years. Go and see it. It's got almost everything.





A380 said:


> That's what I thought. Till I saw it.





A380 said:


> Far better.


3 posts full of nothing. What is it about _Their Finest_ that they like? How is it different from the films you listed? It's the best British film for the last couple of years and they can't say anything more than the empty shit above. It's the same in politics, people posting empty twitter rubbish is ruining threads. As I said I'm not asking for posts like Gramaci's one on _Neruda_ (though that is great if people want to do that) but I am asking for some content.


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2017)

it's not _nothing_ - people are saying what film they've seen and what they think of it. whether they choose to be verbose or concise is up to them


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2017)

it's very easy to skip over the posts that you perceive to be contentless, you know


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 24, 2017)

It is nothing, there are words but they tell nobody anything about the film. It's makes the thread into a nothing more than a list. Older years weren't like this.

And it's not easy to ignore them if most of the thread consists of them.

Really having people say _why_ they like something is hardly asking for a essay.


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 24, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> It is nothing, there are words but they tell nobody anything about the film. It's makes the thread into a nothing more than a list. Older years weren't like this.
> 
> And it's not easy to ignore them if most of the thread consists of them.
> 
> Really having people say _why_ they like something is hardly asking for a essay.


sure, but complaining about the nature of a thread that has been started by the person you seem to be particularly vexed by seems a bit churlish.
What's wrong with a mix of posts? That's what I like about this place. 
You could always start a What film have you seen at the cinema (INTELLIGENT THOUGHTFUL REVIEWS ONLY) thread but you'd get short shrift


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 24, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> sure, but complaining about the nature of a thread that has been started by the person you seem to be particularly vexed by seems a bit churlish.
> What's wrong with a mix of posts? That's what I like about this place.


The "Films You've Seen at the Cinema: XXXX" has been a stable for ages, the fact that this year the OP happened to twitter wanker is neither here nor there. There's nothing wrong with_ a_ mix, it's the current mix - 10 tweets to every decent post that is the problem.



Orang Utan said:


> You could always start a What film have you seen at the cinema (INTELLIGENT THOUGHTFUL REVIEWS ONLY) thread but you'd get short shrift


 And thats why I asked the question, to see if there was any appetite for starting a new thread and how it should be done. If it's just me I guess I'll just have to post on this thread but if there are other people that feel the same way maybe we can come up with something to do about it.


----------



## Gramsci (Apr 24, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> That's for everything tho, films, TV series whatever, and it suffers from some of the same problems this one does. I was thinking of a thread just for film discussion but not specifically for films at the cinema so that we could attract people who, for the reasons who mentioned, don't go to the cinema that often.
> 
> Maybe, but this one isn't.



Just had a look at DVD thread and ur right its about everything.

Considering that people often watch films online and DVD as its cheaper and convenient could be idea to have thread for film that covers that as well as cinema. I don't watch much outside cinema myself.

Also, in place like London, there is gallery based film. Which is free. May put up review of one I saw to show what I mean.


----------



## A380 (Apr 24, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> I'm not asking for essays, I just want some fucking content rather than twatter shit. A380's posts above are a perfect example.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok.


----------



## bluescreen (Apr 25, 2017)

A380 said:


> Their Finest.
> 
> It's brilliant. Probably the best British Film for the last couple of years. Go and see it. It's got almost everything.


I've just come back from seeing this and came on here to see what others thought. I am disappointed in you.

The film was a load of sentimental clichéd toss. It _could_ have been good, dealing with truth/propaganda, working people/elite, women's equality, war. And a dog. But it was a barrage of zingers held together with slop. Maybe I missed the point and it was all supposed to be terribly knowing and ironic, mocking the war story genre, with every clichéd camera angle and detail, plotting and music. And patronising towards the skills of people who actually made films at the time. There certainly were a few intentional laughs, but it was no Grand Budapest Hotel, or Berberian Sound Studio. At least Bill Nighy was convincing, playing an actor embarrassed to be taking part. 

I could go on, but it's late and I'm feeling too pissed off.


----------



## bluescreen (Apr 25, 2017)

Oh, and if it was so important to the plot that the main character be Welsh, couldn't they at least have had a Welsh actor?


----------



## TheHoodedClaw (Apr 25, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Great, thanks for that info, very informative. FFS the Paul Ross's have destroyed this thread.



Have you, even for a second, considered that you might be a colossal arsehole? The thread is titled "List the films..". Perhaps you *should* start another film thread where you can post "neoliberal" and "Blairite" with the frequency of the spatterings on a plasterer's radio, like you do on every other subject.


----------



## killer b (Apr 25, 2017)

I didn't recognise the thread you were complaining about redsquirrel, so I looked back a few pages. I still don't. Reckon you probably need to chill a bit.


----------



## A380 (Apr 25, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> I'm not asking for essays, I just want some fucking content rather than twatter shit. A380's posts above are a perfect example.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The thread is titled 'List the Films you hve Seen at the Cinema 2017'.

It's not called 'write a detailed analysis on the film in context of the wider cinema - preferably focusing on obscure references to other films only released in four cinemas all operated by men with ironic beards' .

I feel I'm probably stepping outside the brief slightly by stating whether I liked them or not.

If you don't like short posts, skip over them. That's quite easy with short posts.


----------



## A380 (Apr 25, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Great, thanks for that info, very informative. FFS the Paul Ross's have destroyed this thread.
> 
> If fact would anyone else be interested in a new film thread? I've been thinking of starting one for a while now, one of the problems with this thread this year is that we've lost people like Reno, who are tending to watch more stuff at home than at the cinema, while gaining the Paul Ross's.
> 
> So I was thinking about a new thread that would be for films but not make any distinction between the cinema or home, and with provision that people should at give at least some fucking f the films they've seen in their posts. I'm not asking for posts as long as Gramsci's above (though that would be very welcome) but just the type of posts people used to make in previous years. Anyone else interested? Or should we just continue with this thread and try to tune out the "Great!" wankers?



*/*****


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Apr 25, 2017)

Get Out - a satirical horror film with nods to Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, nicely summed up here:

"Peele’s film is using a well-worn horror-movie narrative (specifically, the narrative of The Stepford Wives – a paranoid 1970s chiller in which a women discovers that the men of her suspiciously-perfect small town are replacing their “difficult” feminist wives with obedient, submissive 1950s-style robot duplicates) in order to needle a very specific subset of White racism: “Nice” Liberals who are insistent of their non-racism because they admire an abstract ideal of Blackness while not actually engaging or regularly encountering any actual Black people."

The cast were all excellent, but Daniel Kaluuya lead performance really made the film for me.

Catherine Keener, as always, is excellent too.


----------



## redsquirrel (Apr 25, 2017)

killer b said:


> I didn't recognise the thread you were complaining about redsquirrel, so I looked back a few pages. I still don't. Reckon you probably need to chill a bit.


Sorry not sure what you mean. Are you saying you can't see how this years thread differs from past years? If so we'll just have to disagree, IMO past years had a much smaller ratio of twitter posts, or see the theatre thread. 



A380 said:


> It's not called 'write a detailed analysis on the film in context of the wider cinema - preferably focusing on obscure references to other films only released in four cinemas all operated by men with ironic beards'.


For the fourth time I'm not asking for anything like that I'm saying that you're an empty vessel if you can't even say _why_ you think a film is the best British film of the last two years. 

Nanker's post below doesn't have any obscure references it just has some content.


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## killer b (Apr 25, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> Sorry not sure what you mean. Are you saying you can't see how this years thread differs from past years? If so we'll just have to disagree, IMO past years had a much smaller ratio of twitter posts, or see the theatre thread.


I don't see that many content free posts. I'm not going to do a post-by-post comparison to previous years though - I suppose there probably is a trend towards shorter posting. Not sure what shouting at posters about it is meant to achieve though.


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## The39thStep (Apr 25, 2017)

Sue said:


> 1900. Bertolucci's five and a half hour epic of life in the Po Valley in the first half of the 30th century. Interesting politically, well shot but pretty flawed.
> 
> Very black and white and would've massively benefitted from more grey. And for all its length, left feeling I learned very little about the characters involved, especially De Niro's.


I saw that when it first came out lol and I had never seen a film that lasted more than two hours . I remember trying to talk about it at work ( I was working in an engineering factory at the time) and people sort of looked at me with glazed eyes.


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## Kesher (Apr 25, 2017)

*Rules Don't Apply*

Set during the period 1958 to 1964 mostly in Hollywood. Story revolves around an aspiring actress whose  under contract to Howard  Hughes,  and his personal assistant.  The story seems to meander at first and initially left me wondering where's this going; but it improves and is  funny at times  even farcical  particularly when Hughes'  behaviour becomes increasingly demanding and erratic. Warren Beatty does a fine job of  playing Hughes.  The film has something of a Coen Brothers feel to it.  Overall I enjoyed it.


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## The39thStep (Apr 25, 2017)

Could we have a watermark for posts/ reviews that redsquirrel thinks are of a sufficient standard? It could simply be a smiling squirrel or a frowny one and perhaps two rutting squirrels for those of a particularly high standard .


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## bluescreen (Apr 25, 2017)

brogdale said:


> *"*_*I am not your negro"*; _Raoul Peck's Baldwin documentary.
> See it.


Seconded. Powerful and shocking. Very artfully and thoughtfully put together with historic and contemporary footage, and Baldwin's words voiced over by Samuel L Jackson, and intercut with some actual footage of Baldwin on a chat show and at the Cambridge Union. It's not an easy watch, especially as this shit is still happening.

ETA: this review gives a good account. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/movies/review-i-am-not-your-negro-review-james-baldwin.html


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## redsquirrel (Apr 25, 2017)

The39thStep said:


> Could we have a watermark for posts/ reviews that redsquirrel thinks are of a sufficient standard? It could simply be a smiling squirrel or a frowny one and perhaps two rutting squirrels for those of a particularly high standard .


Get me the app and I'll use it. Has to be red squirrels though, not grey ones.


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## Kesher (Apr 26, 2017)

*The Belko Experiment*

80 staff in an isolated corporate, office block  are  locked in and a voice informs them  that they have 30 minutes to select two colleagues and kill them or repercussions will follow. Reality sets in and the nightmare begins.  B-movie gore, interesting  because it raises the obvious question, lots of suspense.  Let down by the ending and certain scenes lack viability. Acting is quite good.


----------



## Sue (Apr 26, 2017)

Raw. Young vegetarian woman, forced into eating meat in a university initiation, develops a lust for blood. 

Not a horror fan but thought this was really good, if I did gasp and watch bits of it through my fingers. Reckon being a veggie didn't help...

Low key, intelligent and interesting take on a horror standard.


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## A380 (Apr 28, 2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy 2:


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## Kesher (Apr 29, 2017)

*(3D) Guardians of the Galaxy 1*

Didn't  see this in 2014  and had only recently seen it on TV left me thinking that this would look good on the big screen, and so I had the chance to see it as part of a double bill with Vol  2. Seeing it at the cinema  gave me the impression   that I hadn't really seen the film recently such was the auditory and visual upgrade.


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## Sue (Apr 29, 2017)

Free Fire. Cillian Murphy and Michael Smiley play 1970s IRA men trying to buy guns from a South African arms dealer. Naturally it all goes horribly wrong.

Essentially it's an hour and a half of people shooting at each other. Very well shot (I know) and choreographed but ultimately a wee bit dull. Some of the dialogue is good but really more dialogue and less shooting would've made for a much better film. 

I still think Kill List is the best film Ben Wheatley's made but this is better than High Rise (which I thought was a mess). Still, feels a bit like he's just cycling through the genres because he can. Guess that's his Tarrantino one done.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946). Bit of classic noir. Slightly strangely, the woman sitting next to me was eating boiled cabbage. Definitely a cinema first...


----------



## ginger_syn (May 1, 2017)

Guardians of the galaxy 2,totally enjoyed the unabashed escapism of the film, also first time I've been to the cinema since 2008, might go again soon.


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## Gramsci (May 15, 2017)

Saw it today. Alien Covenant.

	I like sci fi and liked Aliens one and two.

	After reading the Independent review was intrigued and thought I would give it a go.

	It's a frustrating film. There were patches were I could see this could have been a much more interesting film.

	The beginning is great. A philosophical discussion between the android and his creator. Fassbender makes this film worth seeing. The best scenes are him. Some really weird scenes between Fassbender and himself. Weird in a good way. A homo erotic relationship between the two Fassbender s. (He is the android on the colony vessel "Walter"and "David" the first android marooned on the planet.)

	"David" is a Colonel Kurtz figure. The scenes in his cave reminded me of Brando in Apocalypse Now. A flawed genius who had taken the path to the dark side. The film uses Wagner as well.

	David names himself after the statue by Michelangelo. The perfect human. In his discussion with Walter he asks Walter why his helping the human race. David sees there wish to start again and colonise another planet as a desperate attempt and a sign they are finished as a species.

	This goes through all the Alien films. The human race are the cause of there misfortunes. It's a dark view of the future of humans.

	The aliens are amoral and perfect. A perverse "David". The Renaissance put the human race at the apex of creation. This is hubris. The aliens are pure existential life force. But not one that one leads to finding the meaning of life. Which Davids creator wanted.

	A plotline that was not developed was the Captain. Early on its let known to us he has a Christian faith. I thought this would be used later on.

	The planet can be seen as Hell. With David as the fallen angel. But it's not followed up. The planet looks perfect but it's not right somehow. This worked well imo. Genuinely creepy in an understated way.

	I wished for more of this. The action is good but it repeats a lot of scenes from previous Alien films.

	I would still say go and see this film. It's better than Prometheus. It's that there was a much better film trying to get out of it.

	Still it's great to see a popular film quoting Shelley at length.


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## Orang Utan (May 15, 2017)

Did you mean Alien Covenant Gramsci ? There IS a film called It out, but it looks like you've reviewed the new Ridley Scott film.


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## Gramsci (May 15, 2017)

killer b said:


> I didn't recognise the thread you were complaining about redsquirrel, so I looked back a few pages. I still don't. Reckon you probably need to chill a bit.



I think redsquirrel has a point. I used to post on this thread on previous years. There was a group of posters who did post up interesting short and longer reviews. I always liked reading them. It has gone downhill.

But see after red squirrel post some better posting now.

Good to see Sue back.

I haven't been here as seeing films in cinema just got to expensive. (In London).


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## Gramsci (May 15, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> Did you mean Alien Covenant Gramsci ? There IS a film called It out, but it looks like you've reviewed the new Ridley Scott film.


Sorry for confusion. Yes it's the new Ridley Scott film that has just come out in cinema.

Amended post.


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## redsquirrel (May 20, 2017)

_The Childhood of a Leader_ -hmmm, bit mixed on this one. You have to give real credit to the director, for a debut film the vision and ambition is really bold. Moreover, sometimes the vision does come off, there are some really powerful set pieces. The attention to detail is also very strong, the sets and costumes give a real atmosphere and even the credit sequences have been thought about the put together with intention. Most of the cast give good performances though I'm wasn't entirely convinced by Robert Pattinson, I especially liked seeing the the excellent Liam Cunningham in something.

However, despite all that I have to say I don't think it really worked. Firstly, the references and nods to fascism are just trite, and revel an ignorance of what fascisms was/is. Second, that bleeds through to the plot in general, it doesn't work as a political allegory but I also don't think it worked as a family drama. Individual scenes are powerful but the characters seem more like ciphers than real people and so I didn't feel any emotional connection to the events. Bit harsh to call it an interesting failure but it's good points are more for what it could have been rather than what it is.

_Things to Come_ - Mia Hanson-Løve's new film, starring Isabelle Huppert as a philosophy lecturer dealing with a number of difficulties in her personal life - divorce from her husband, an ageing mother, her job. My main problem with it was that the central character is pretty much the sort of Macron loving, second home owning, liberal 'intellectual' wanker that I want to bury an icepick in. 

For example, there's a scene where students are trying to stage a college strike, Huppert's charater walks right though the "picket" and takes other students across, then in classical liberal arrogance the film/character makes the classical liberal assumption/implication that her actions weren't political, she just wanted to teach! It was the strikers that were political. So my sympathy for the character wasn't really there anyway, but even the events she has to deal with are really pretty benign. Ok, so her husband leaves her (after ~20 years of marriage) for another woman but she doesn't have to move out of her, extremely nice, apartment. Her mother has dementia but she can afford a carer to visit and then to send her to a private nursing home. She loses a book contract but she still has a very high paid job.  

_Berlin Syndrome_ - Australian film by Cate Shortland (_Somersault, Lore_) set in Germany about an Australian traveller, Clare (played by Teresa Palmer) who meets and has a two-night stand with a local, Andi, only to find he's locked her into his apartment won't let her leave. It's got that same washed out look and feel that Shortlands previous films have. It's a drama rather than a horror film, though there are a couple of (pretty cliched) horror set pieces, that it makes use of. 

The first two thirds of the film are the best, with the set up done well and good performances from the actors. It loses it way at bit towards the end, and final 5-10 minutes are very stupid and make no sense.  

Strangely, there's another 'woman kidnapped and locked up' Australian film released in a few week times, _Hounds of Love, _which has been getting very good reviews.


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## DaveCinzano (May 20, 2017)

Gramsci said:


> Still it's great to see a popular film quoting Shelley at length.


----------



## AnnO'Neemus (May 20, 2017)

Go and see Lady Macbeth and Get Out. That is all.


----------



## Maltin (May 21, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> _The Childhood of a Leader_ -hmmm, bit mixed on this one. You have to give real credit to the director, for a debut film the vision and ambition is really bold. Moreover, sometimes the vision does come off, there are some really powerful set pieces. The attention to detail is also very strong, the sets and costumes give a real atmosphere and even the credit sequences have been thought about the put together with intention. Most of the cast give good performances though I'm wasn't entirely convinced by Robert Pattinson, I especially liked seeing the the excellent Liam Cunningham in something.
> 
> However, despite all that I have to say I don't think it really worked. Firstly, the references and nods to fascism are just trite, and revel an ignorance of what fascisms was/is. Second, that bleeds through to the plot in general, it doesn't work as a political allegory but I also don't think it worked as a family drama. Individual scenes are powerful but the characters seem more like ciphers than real people and so I didn't feel any emotional connection to the events. Bit harsh to call it an interesting failure but it's good points are more for what it could have been rather than what it is.
> 
> ...


Tldr


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## redsquirrel (May 29, 2017)

Robert Mitchum retrospective at Melbourne Cinematheque, with three double bills over three weeks kicked off with
_
The Night of the Hunter_ - Probably his greatest film and an absolute masterpiece, it's been some time since I've seen it so it was good to re-watch it, for example I'd forgotten how good Shelly Winters is in it. 

_Pursued_ - a noir-western by Raoul Walsh, with Mitchum playing a character haunted by his past. As a boy he's orphaned and then adopted by a woman with two children of her own, he and his foster sister fall in love while his relationship with his foster brother is antagonistic, all the time he's troubled by something he can't fully remember. It's not a bad film, and there's some nice cinematography but its a little too melodramatic, and the ending is just naff. 


_The Sense of an Ending_ - A reasonably interesting mediation on memory and the tricks we play on ourselves, adapted from the Julian Barnes book, which I've not read so no idea how it compares. Decent cast, Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walters, Michelle Dockery, and a pleasant enough way to spend two hours but doesn't really say a lot that hasn't been said before. 

Also the ACMI is have a Kurosawa festival so 
_Seven Samuari _ - Not sure I can say anything about this that hasn't been said before. If you haven't seen it you should. 

_Ikiru_ - This was totally new to me, set in then present day (1952) Japan it's the story of a bureaucrat who suddenly finds out he only has six months to live. It seemed like an interesting film but unfortunately I had a stinker of a cold and probably didn't get as much out of it as I should have. The ending is nicely melancholic though.


----------



## belboid (May 29, 2017)

_The Other Side of Hope
_
New one from the magnificent Aki Kaurismaki, with familiar themes and stylings. Something of a cross between Le Havre and Drifting Clouds, following Syrian refugee Khaled and former shirt salesman Wilkstrom as they each try to start new lives. Told with his trademark deadpan humour, the generosity and kindness of individuals over the pious indifference of the state shines through. Go see it.


----------



## A380 (Jun 9, 2017)

Wonder Woman:			:|


----------



## Kesher (Jun 22, 2017)

*Gifted
*
Cracking film about a single man (Chris Evans) bringing up a child genius, and  how he  wants her to have a normal life despite be being under pressure to do otherwise. This was a lot better than I thought it would be: very engaging and humorous in parts. Brilliant acting by  Mckenna Grace who plays the child prodigy. A minor criticism is the music that accompanies the film is clichéd; nevertheless well worth seeing.


----------



## Kesher (Jun 24, 2017)

*Churchill*

Based around the lead up to the Allied landings in Normandy and Churchill's arguments with their  military leaders. Interesting,  well made and edited  with a solid performance by Brian Cox as Churchill.


----------



## Kesher (Jun 27, 2017)

*Hampstead*

Twee romcom involving Diane Keaton and based on the true life story of   Harry Hallowes played by Brendon Gleeson who built a shack on Hampstead Heath,  and then  got into a battle with property developers. Only touches on the housing crisis. Gleeson is well suited to the rule but it hardly stretches him. Bit of a Richard Curtis Notting Hill feel about the film.


----------



## Kesher (Jul 1, 2017)

*Transformers: The Last Knight*

Convoluted storyline involving King Arthur; nevertheless better than the other Transformer films, more humour and less fighting


----------



## Kesher (Jul 1, 2017)

*Baby Driver*
Directed by Edgar Wright. Teen getaway driver has to listen to music to drown out his tinnitus. Very exciting, very stylish, not a single boring second in the film. Great cast as well.


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jul 1, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Baby Driver*
> Directed by Edgar Wright. Teen getaway driver has to listen to music to drown out his tinnitus. Very exciting, very stylish, not a single boring second in the film. Great cast as well.



I saw it this evening and thought it was very boring. Very lame story and gratutitous action scenes which went on and on. I had hoped its saving grace would be the soundtrack but it was just meh.


----------



## Wilf (Jul 1, 2017)

Berlin Syndrome.

Very uncomfortable.


----------



## redsquirrel (Jul 1, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Berlin Syndrome.
> 
> Very uncomfortable.


In a good way or bad one?


----------



## Wilf (Jul 1, 2017)

redsquirrel said:


> In a good way or bad one?


Wasn't a fantastic film, but a 3.5/5 type thing, certainly watchable.  The discomfort was about the conventions of the genre - a genre suggested by the title ... 



Spoiler: very spoilery



It's a woman kidnapped by an abusive psycho type thing. The discomfort is her, _seemingly_, having moments where she normalises her capture and gets into a 'routine'.  Well acted, uncomfortable, but a rubbish ending


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## redsquirrel (Jul 2, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Wasn't a fantastic film, but a 3.5/5 type thing, certainly watchable.  The discomfort was about the conventions of the genre - a genre suggested by the title ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah, I pretty much agree with all that, especially about the ending.


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## Kesher (Jul 2, 2017)

skyscraper101 said:


> I saw it this evening and thought it was very boring. Very lame story and gratutitous action scenes which went on and on. I had hoped its saving grace would be the soundtrack but it was just meh.



Baby Driver has a very high rating on Rotten Tomatoes: Baby Driver

It's Mark Kermode's film of the week. He gives it 5 stars out 5: Baby Driver review – boy racer hits all the right notes

Even The Guardian's other film critic Peter Bradshaw who is often very critical with his reviews gives Baby Driver 5 stars: Baby Driver review – Edgar Wright puts pedal to the metal for wildly enjoyable heist caper


----------



## skyscraper101 (Jul 2, 2017)

yeah fine.. I just thought it was bollocks.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Jul 2, 2017)

skyscraper101 said:


> I saw it this evening and thought it was very boring. Very lame story and gratutitous action scenes which went on and on. I had hoped its saving grace would be the soundtrack but it was just meh.


Me too. It started off well with a great car chase - easily the best action in the whole film, and that was all over in about 5mins - but it went downhill fast after that. The first 20-30 mins were alright, there were a few amusing lines but after that it got gradually more tedious. The plot is wafer thin and the characters don't engage you at all. This was like sub-sub-sub-sub Tarrantino - and I'm not a big fan of his either. 

I quite liked the girl who played the waitress but I was so bored that my main point of interest was trying to figure out if she was Beth Cosentino the singer of Best Coast - until disappointingly I realised she wasn't. Still, for me she was the best thing in it - but she didn't have much competition, which from a film containing A-listers like Jon Hamm
(awful) Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey is  pathetic.

I can't remember seeing another film that has so many songs in its soundtrack and yet the choices are mostly so well known and obvious. However, towards the end I did get a small thrill when I realised there was a Boards of Canada track playing - and it wasn't one of their better known ones either - and that, sadly, was just about the highlight of the whole sorry thing for me. I actually got more pleasure from taking a shit about half way through the film.


----------



## Orang Utan (Jul 2, 2017)

Kesher said:


> Baby Driver has a very high rating on Rotten Tomatoes: Baby Driver
> 
> It's Mark Kermode's film of the week. He gives it 5 stars out 5: Baby Driver review – boy racer hits all the right notes
> 
> Even The Guardian's other film critic Peter Bradshaw who is often very critical with his reviews gives Baby Driver 5 stars: Baby Driver review – Edgar Wright puts pedal to the metal for wildly enjoyable heist caper


Just cos other people like a film, it doesn't mean skyscraper101 has to like it.
IMDb's top films has some proper shite in it, like The Shawshank Redemption


----------



## lefteri (Jul 3, 2017)

Kesher said:


> Even The Guardian's other film critic Peter Bradshaw who is often very critical with his reviews gives Baby Driver 5 stars: Baby Driver review – Edgar Wright puts pedal to the metal for wildly enjoyable heist caper



Peter Bradshaw's notorious for giving pedestrian fare five stars


----------



## Ranbay (Jul 3, 2017)

Baby drive .... Wow


----------



## Kesher (Jul 8, 2017)

*All Eyez On Me*

Entertaining and engaging biopic about the complex and at times contradictory Tupac Shakur. At 133 mins long it packed in a lot; but   still seemed rushed in parts. Even so  worth seeing.


----------



## chilango (Jul 8, 2017)

*Despicable Me 3*

A bit like the Jesus Jones reunion tour this shameless cashing in on nostalgia for the recent past only succeeds in reminding us that actually it was pretty shit in the first place.

Not even up to the low standards set by the *Minions* spin off movie, this film starkly illustrates the unsustainably of recirculating commodities with little use value and the rapidly diminishing returns its gaining from exchange value.

The protagonists attempt to sell out, find themselves alienated and exploited by a system that has little interest in their dreams and desires and discards them once it has extracted all the labour it needs from them.

Their response is disappointingly a half-arsed rebellion that only manages to be a fading mirror image of the system that they are trying reject. 

Rooted in the same marketised paradigm, the protagonists quickly surrender and return cap in hand to the drudgery of their previous lives, tugging their forelocks eagerly.

A bleak film that seeks to underline the futility of resistance.

The cheese grating slide was a nice touch though.


----------



## tommers (Jul 8, 2017)

chilango said:


> *Despicable Me 3*
> 
> A bit like the Jesus Jones reunion tour this shameless cashing in on nostalgia for the recent past only succeeds in reminding us that actually it was pretty shit in the first place.
> 
> ...


Disappointed, as I think that Despicable Me is one of the best films of its genre. I guess that with hindsight it was clear to see that things were already in decline with the sequel, and the execrable Minions, but I hoped against all evidence that this would be a return to form. 

I imagine I will still sit through it about twenty times.


----------



## DaveCinzano (Jul 12, 2017)

_War For The Planet Of The Apes_

Really good, really enjoyable, with great characters, performances and production. Superb score, too.



Spoiler: Quibble



On the downside, for some reason Woody Harrelson didn't really gel in his role. Odd, because you could cut out his performance in _Out OF The Furnace_ and paste it in here and it would work better than what there is, which is a sort of meant to be a Marlon Brando in _Apocalypse Now_/Matthew McConaughey in _Reign Of Fire_/Jeffrey Dean Morgan in _The Walking Dead_ kind of vibe. A shame, because they give him this big chunk of expositional nonsense to spout, and it fucks with the rhythm and the interplay between him and Caesar. Oh well.


----------



## LiamO (Jul 15, 2017)

Orang Utan said:


> IMDb's top films has some proper shite in it, like The Shawshank Redemption



Wash your mouth out!


----------



## seventh bullet (Jul 20, 2017)

War for the Planet of the Apes.

As Dave said above, as really good and relentlessly bleak as a film with gun-toting primates riding on horseback can be. The trilogy of Caesar's story ended well.



Spoiler



The bad stuff first.  The score was a bit hit and miss, but great in the army base/concentration camp scenes.  Woody Harrelson was the worst thing in it, but not his character so much as his poor portrayal of a tortured madman. The climactic battle scene which didn't happen in the way the trailers hinted at (a fight between rival human remnants of the US Army which became obvious before it was explicitly revealed about halfway through) had moments clearly made with 3D showings in mind.   I sat there thinking _Enough of helicopters spinning out of the sky already! _

The good stuff. It wasn't the fighting that was the most impressive thing about this (and there was surprisingly little). It was the wholly-ape perspective and their struggle for survival in the face of extermination.  The allusions to real-life human atrocity were not clumsily done in the camp, scenes not just between ape prisoners and human guards, but the kapo-like traitors who survived by accepting a degraded existence. Andy Serkis had Caesar 's grizzled, grief-stricken facial expressions down to perfection, but also the CGI had seemingly improved since even Dawn. I thought about adding Bad Ape into the above paragraph, but even though he was the oddball comic relief, he was no Jar Jar Binks. The scene when he was discovered and his loneliness revealed was one of the best parts of the film, and where the score also worked well.



Worth a second trip to the cinema.


----------



## belboid (Jul 22, 2017)

Baby Driver

Only just got round to it, but well worth it. It is, of course, light and trite, full of cliches (some pleasantly screwed with) and has absolutely nothing to say, but it does so with a glee and gusto that carries it through. 

I find it hard to believe he wouldn't have known the Carla Thomas song though.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Jul 22, 2017)

War for the Planet of the Apes. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole trilogy, and this final film probably make this one of the most consistently good trilogies ever. 

With nods and links to the originals and other classic films it does everything an intelligent summer blockbuster should in delivering an excellent story with some stirring thrills and spills along the way.


----------



## Maltin (Jul 22, 2017)

I'm sure there may be websites where you can watch the whole movie but they officially released the first six minutes of Baby Driver which, if you enjoy car chases, I think is pretty fun. Overall I had a good time watching the movie and want to watch it again to focus more on the choreography of the action to the music.



I also watched War of the Planet of the Apes the other day, which I think is good but felt would have been better and more exciting if it was shorter as I felt they dragged it out too much. I just think it's incredible that you are watching a bunch of computer generated monkeys and it looks so realistic. I was also impressed for a summer blockbuster that there was so much subtitled dialogue. As Nanker Phelge notes, I also enjoyed the nods to the original films.


----------



## Grandma Death (Jul 22, 2017)

So after splitting with my partner of 13 years Ive gone and invested in an unlimited cinema pass (as I did when I was last single).

In 9 days Ive seen Baby Driver (twice), War for Planet of The Apes, Spiderman Homecoming and tonight Dunkirk

Baby Driver I loved and more so second time. Apes was so so. Overly long, overly mawkish and irritating film score but some great battle sequences. Spiderman was great fun. Well funny and really enjoyable. Dunkirk-well Im still in shock. Simply the best war movie Ive ever seen and I think quite possibly Nolans best ever work-Han Zimmers score is fucking brilliant and I havent heard a score that good since There Will Be Blood. Im going back in the week to digest it even more


----------



## A380 (Jul 23, 2017)

Dunkirk 5*


(Actually I have written a bit more on the Dunkirk thread...)


----------



## ViolentPanda (Jul 23, 2017)

Dispossession - The Great Social Housing Swindle.


----------



## lefteri (Jul 23, 2017)

My Cousin Rachel

Period Daphne du Maurier adaptation.  Very nice to look at and holds your attention but somewhat predictable and linear until it reaches an abrupt and somewhat pat ending.  The establishment of the relationship between the two leads is rushed and doesn't feel plausible.


----------



## belboid (Jul 28, 2017)

War for the Planet of the Apes

aka

Ape Ocalypse Now

Which would have been a brilliantly insightful and witty comment if it hadn't been for the graffiti in the tunnel reading 'Ape Pocalypse Now'. _Pocalypse_. That shows everything wrong with the film, close but doesn't quite cut it. Plenty of stuff totally stolen from AN, Woody playing Kurtz throughout, especially his final scene. Some bits of Bridge on the River Kwai too, and maybe even a hint of The Robe right at the end.

A superior summer blockbuster, with all the usual twists and turns, superbly realised, but no more than the sum of its carefully conceived parts.


----------



## chilango (Jul 31, 2017)

*Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
*
Openly anti-authoritarian from the outset this film quickly draws parallels between the disciplinary functions of schools and the prison system.

Initial hits are made on current educational practice and its impact both on children and on education workers.

The classic "Uranus" gag is deployed early on. It will attain more significance during the film's climax later on.

The main protagonists of the movie, George and Harry eschew collective resistance to the system however and instead embark on a guerilla campaign of "pranks" or propaganda of the deed.

Drawing for allusions to the 1970s armed struggle movements we see this strategy and its reliance upon a militant vanguard laid bare as their control of Principal Krupp threatens to go all Martin Schleyer but instead morphs into the Patty Hearst like character of the red banner (or cape) brandishing Captain Underpants.

Increasingly isolated,  George and Harry face defeat as the system personified by Principal Krupp recognises that atomisation is the key to maintaining discipline within an increasingly alienated population.

Is the naming of Principal Krupp after the German industrial conglomerate that supported Hitler and the use of forced labour a coincidence? You tell me.

There's some awkward shoehorning of a confused message about teacher recruitment and the watering down of safeguarding practises in the face of increasing teacher dropout rates, but the whole "evil science teacher" storyline feels like a late addition to the core message.

There's a chuckle from some farting.

A neat joke about teachers' pay.

George and Harry belatedly recognise that community solidarity is key with echoes of the move from the factory to the social factory but the sadly the film, after a return to the "Uranus" riff, bottles the ending with an appeal to cross-class compromise and liberal values in the form of a burgeoning romance between Principal Krupp and Edina the Lunchlady.

Overall, 3 stars. Some good ideas with flawed execution. But the ending is a real let down, the school is not abolished or self-managed but is now run by a kinder, gentler Principal Krupp.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Aug 16, 2017)

Saw Baby Driver last night. The first third works great as an action musical, with a classic pop and soul packed bop-along soundtrack stuffed with enough familiar tunes to immediately immerse viewers in a comfortably upbeat playlist that makes Radio 2's look dangerous by comparison; Stunts are great, Ansel Elgort is annoyingly likeable, Spacey is Spacey, dialogue 'zippy' and 'quippy' enough to not feel too much like a Tarantino tribute (but really is).

The 2nd third descends into caper movie cliche faster than the Subaro used in the opening chase. The robbers are all beyond caricature, Lily James gets to play a waitress waiting for the guy to turn up and take here away to another life, while the main character gets sucked 'deeper' into the underworld when the obvious screws are turned and his loved ones comes under threat. The music thins out, and the choreography that gives spark to films opening sequences all but vanishes.

The final third is typical action movie carnage, but with some great chase scenes (on foot). All the obvious stuff happens, everything goes to shit, bad guys act bad, loads of people get killed, cars get trashed, more cliches pile on top of more cliches....and the music theme seems to have been forgotten and replaced by a stupid revenge plot which sees Jon Hamm's career criminal act inexplicably, and unbelievably. Lily James continues to hover in the back ground in her waitress outfit looking nice, and a little scared.

It passes time, the crash and burn is fun, it's probably a bit smarter than a fast and furious movie, but it runs out of petrol too quickly and the devices which gave the film charm in the first 3rd seem to fall away as the films sinks further and further in to bog standard actioner...


----------



## RubyToogood (Aug 19, 2017)

The Big Sick. Bland rom com. Funny in parts.


----------



## Grandma Death (Aug 20, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> Saw Baby Driver last night. The first third works great as an action musical, with a classic pop and soul packed bop-along soundtrack stuffed with enough familiar tunes to immediately immerse viewers in a comfortably upbeat playlist that makes Radio 2's look dangerous by comparison; Stunts are great, Ansel Elgort is annoyingly likeable, Spacey is Spacey, dialogue 'zippy' and 'quippy' enough to not feel too much like a Tarantino tribute (but really is).
> 
> The 2nd third descends into caper movie cliche faster than the Subaro used in the opening chase. The robbers are all beyond caricature, Lily James gets to play a waitress waiting for the guy to turn up and take here away to another life, while the main character gets sucked 'deeper' into the underworld when the obvious screws are turned and his loved ones comes under threat. The music thins out, and the choreography that gives spark to films opening sequences all but vanishes.
> 
> ...




My mate argues something similar. He said it was great at what it does but he felt the movie didnt know what it wanted to be.

I'd argue the entire film is a homage to so many different films and like Pulp Fiction its the way its put togetherm makes it works. I loved the slow build and yes it fell back to predictable-but I was so marveling at the movie I didnt care-even though I was aware it was flitting inbetween different moods.


----------



## Grandma Death (Aug 20, 2017)

I watched the Emoji movie. Listen I get kids movies. And it being summer holidays when Ive had my pair over we've done a fair bit of movies. So I know what works (at least I think I do)....Emoji movies is shite. Beyond even that. I asked my 6 year old what it was about-she genuinely looked baffled. 'I dont really know' was her response. Its utter drivel. Some realy flat jokes in there. Too overly complicated. Annoying characters. Aimless. Oh and I didnt laugh once. I fell asleep actually.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Aug 24, 2017)

Atomic Blonde - Way better than I expected. Charlize Theron is fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if her character is reprised. 

It's total nonsense spy thriller action in a Bond(ish) vein, and thoroughly entertaining, and makes no sense whatsoever, but for thrills and spills, it kept me interested, and I have no time for car chases and explosions normally.

Watched because I was stranded in Northampton for work, and it was the only film on I hadn't already seen, but glad I did.


----------



## moonsi til (Aug 24, 2017)

ooh I like Atomic Blonde esp the music but I like it all.


----------



## gaijingirl (Aug 24, 2017)

Grandma Death said:


> I watched the Emoji movie. Listen I get kids movies. And it being summer holidays when Ive had my pair over we've done a fair bit of movies. So I know what works (at least I think I do)....Emoji movies is shite. Beyond even that. I asked my 6 year old what it was about-she genuinely looked baffled. 'I dont really know' was her response. Its utter drivel. Some realy flat jokes in there. Too overly complicated. Annoying characters. Aimless. Oh and I didnt laugh once. I fell asleep actually.



I had exactly the same experience at Captain Underpants - although loads of people seemed to love it.  I fell asleep.  My kids are aiming for the Emoji movie atm - it's got 1/10 on IMDB.  I'm gonna make sure it's not me taking them to this one.


----------



## not-bono-ever (Aug 27, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> War for the Planet of the Apes. I thoroughly enjoyed this whole trilogy, and this final film probably make this one of the most consistently good trilogies ever.
> 
> With nods and links to the originals and other classic films it does everything an intelligent summer blockbuster should in delivering an excellent story with some stirring thrills and spills along the way.


Not seen a film with as many references to other films in as this before


----------



## belboid (Aug 27, 2017)

*Detroit*

A true story which manages to be both gripping and massively disappointing. It's gripping because of the story (police racism and quite possibly murder in riot hit Detroit) and a couple of cracking performances. Will Poulter is superb as the pyschotically racist main cop, and Hannah 'Gilly' Murray as one of the white women who accidentally kicks off the incident at the heart of the film (by committing the heinous crime of being in the company of s black man).

But...John Boyega apart, the black characters are almost archetypes rather than individuals - the talent, the naif, the angry guy, the veteran. While the 'corridor scene' is genuinely tense, there is always a lurking question of 'wtf if Boyega actually doing there, and why do the cops let him stay?''  Apparently they did, but any rationale behind it is omitted. The courtroom scenes which conclude the film are poorly done, mrs b didn't even realise one of the guys was on trial!

And, when you google what actually happened, the divergences from the truth are annoying. The 'angry' guy looks about thirty whereas he was actually a 17 year old kid, the abuse the two white women faced was far far worse than depicted, and everyone retains their real name - except for the racist cops! One of whom should definitely not have been on the streets, and quite how he was still allowed to is almost entirely passed over.

Still worth seeing, but prepare to be slightly frustrated.


----------



## DexterTCN (Aug 27, 2017)

The Hitman's Bodyguard. (on the net, HD)

It's Ryan Reynolds so it does exactly what it says on the tin. Salma Hayeck and Sam Jackson also get free rein.   I laughed out loud a fair few times and snickered at least as many.  The plot just gets in the way, it's 15 minutes too long.

Great, great soundtrack, kicking songs all the way.  But I think they stole the score from Usual Suspects.


----------



## Grandma Death (Aug 28, 2017)

So I had a double bill the other night Logans Lucky and American Made. Im a fan of both directors. Logans Lucky was basically a redneck version of Oceans 11. It held my interest-it was very slow paced and dry and it was marketed as a comedy-when there were hardly any laughs. I really enjoyed American Made. One of those films you know what the film is about from the trailer but worth watching to see how out of control the CIA were.


----------



## Grandma Death (Aug 28, 2017)

gaijingirl said:


> I had exactly the same experience at Captain Underpants - although loads of people seemed to love it.  I fell asleep.  My kids are aiming for the Emoji movie atm - it's got 1/10 on IMDB.  I'm gonna make sure it's not me taking them to this one.




Its painfully bad. Dont do it!


----------



## krtek a houby (Aug 29, 2017)

Split - M Night gets his mojo back,kinda. James McEvoy corners the market in screen psychos.
Kong: Skull Island - superior B movie channeling Apocalypse Now.
Spiderman: Homecoming - didn't think the world needed another Spiderman movie. I was wrong. It was charming.
Wonder Woman - unusual setting, so that was good. A bit Captain America Fist Avenger (with the war) but then it got a bit Thor-ish in parts. Still the best of the recent DC output.


----------



## Wilf (Aug 31, 2017)

belboid said:


> *Detroit*
> 
> A true story which manages to be both gripping and massively disappointing. It's gripping because of the story (police racism and quite possibly murder in riot hit Detroit) and a couple of cracking performances. Will Poulter is superb as the pyschotically racist main cop, and Hannah 'Gilly' Murray as one of the white women who accidentally kicks off the incident at the heart of the film (by committing the heinous crime of being in the company of s black man).
> 
> ...


Just seen it and enjoyed it (well, y'know, given the subject matter etc.). What you said above almost persuades me it wasn't as good as I thought it was! I know what you mean about the archetypes, but I don't think it detracted from the film once the 'corridor scene' began. I thought the different levels of racism in the police and willingness to look the other way - or even get the fuck away from where murder was being done - was well handled. I also thought the integration of contemporary footage worked well also.  A 4/5.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Sep 1, 2017)

Detroit - Great performances all round in this tense and horrifying drama. Left me cold though. As much as I was shocked and disgusted by what I'd seen, I left the cinema feeling very little about it all. I'd preferred a documentary instead.

American Made - a portion of Catch Me if You Can, Wolf of Wall Street and Goodfellas stylings all mixed up into a high flying Tom Cruise flick. Entertaining fluff that makes gun running and drug smuggling seem like a bunch of laughs......until it's not. Nothing new here. Entertaining enough.


----------



## Maltin (Sep 6, 2017)

I thought Wind River was very good with strong performances from many of the cast, especially Jeremy Renner. A good story well told. 

Pretty impressive filmography for the writer-director Taylor Sheridan who previously wrote Sicario and Hell or High Water, which I both thought were above average.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Sep 6, 2017)

Has anyone seen A Date for Mad Mary? I have a choice between that and Wind River tomorrow. I believe Wind River reckons to be pretty good.


----------



## Wilf (Sep 6, 2017)

Going watching the film based on Peter Ackroyd's Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem tonight. The clips I've seen in adverts look like it deploys every known cliché of Victorian underworld London, I'm just hoping it's actually better than that. Can't remember much about the book, other than I enjoyed it.


----------



## lefteri (Sep 6, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Going watching the film based on Peter Ackroyd's Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem tonight. The clips I've seen in adverts look like it deploys every known cliché of Victorian underworld London, I'm just hoping it's actually better than that. Can't remember much about the book, other than I enjoyed it.


what's it called?


----------



## Wilf (Sep 6, 2017)

lefteri said:


> what's it called?


The Limehouse Golem.


----------



## Wilf (Sep 6, 2017)

Wilf said:


> The Limehouse Golem.


Entirely watchable, not much wrong with it - if pretty unmemorable.


----------



## emanymton (Sep 6, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Entirely watchable, not much wrong with it - if pretty unmemorable.


I thought it was ok, but totally predictable.


----------



## Wilf (Sep 6, 2017)

emanymton said:


> I thought it was ok, but totally predictable.


Yep and the Marx and Gissing characters were underused (though it may have been like that in the book as well, can't remember).


----------



## emanymton (Sep 6, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Yep and the Marx and Gissing characters were underused (though it may have been like that in the book as well, can't remember).


I really wanted more Marx!


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Sep 7, 2017)

I went to see Wind River last night and found it to be quite dull and predictable. There was one good scene which was a massive gun stand off but apart from that, really not great. I got particularly annoyed by the fact that the Great White Male Hunter, all strong and silent, was portrayed as the only one who could sort everything out for the female FBI agent and the native American commuity around which the story centres. Don't waste your coin.


----------



## moonsi til (Sep 13, 2017)

Went to see screening of Dave Gilmore 'Live In Pompeii' from 2016. I managed to stay seated but it was close when 'One of these days' was played.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Sep 14, 2017)

Mrs Miggins said:


> I went to see Wind River last night and found it to be quite dull and predictable. There was one good scene which was a massive gun stand off but apart from that, really not great. I got particularly annoyed by the fact that the Great White Male Hunter, all strong and silent, was portrayed as the only one who could sort everything out for the female FBI agent and the native American commuity around which the story centres. Don't waste your coin.


Fair comment.


----------



## Wilf (Sep 14, 2017)

Mrs Miggins said:


> I went to see Wind River last night and found it to be quite dull and predictable. There was one good scene which was a massive gun stand off but apart from that, really not great. I got particularly annoyed by the fact that the Great White Male Hunter, all strong and silent, was portrayed as the only one who could sort everything out for the female FBI agent and the native American commuity around which the story centres. Don't waste your coin.


Aye, know what you mean. The native American cop in particular played the 'cynical but under-resourced' role to a T. I thought the FBI woman was being initially portrayed as out of her depth and unaware of the area - another film cliché - but would ultimately come good, which didn't actually happen.  I did though think the atmospherics and acting were good.


----------



## Sprocket. (Sep 14, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Yep and the Marx and Gissing characters were underused (though it may have been like that in the book as well, can't remember).



Thought it was reasonable though I have doubts regarding some of Jane Goldman's screen writing, I saw similar faults in the Woman in Black. I don't know if she tries to make events too obvious sometimes.


----------



## hash tag (Sep 14, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Going watching the film based on Peter Ackroyd's Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem tonight. The clips I've seen in adverts look like it deploys every known cliché of Victorian underworld London, I'm just hoping it's actually better than that. Can't remember much about the book, other than I enjoyed it.



First cinema film I've seen in ages. A bit of Jack the ripper in there. Bill Nighy was good as the copper. A great showcase for Wilton's Music Hall. Interesting for it's portrayal of Leno. Enjoyable.


----------



## bubblesmcgrath (Sep 14, 2017)

Cant believe it....I've not seen any film in a cinema this year...and it doesnt seem that long since my last visit which was last November.

The year is going way too fast altogether.


----------



## Maharani (Sep 17, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> Atomic Blonde - Way better than I expected. Charlize Theron is fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if her character is reprised.
> 
> It's total nonsense spy thriller action in a Bond(ish) vein, and thoroughly entertaining, and makes no sense whatsoever, but for thrills and spills, it kept me interested, and I have no time for car chases and explosions normally.
> 
> Watched because I was stranded in Northampton for work, and it was the only film on I hadn't already seen, but glad I did.


I thought the trailer looked awful but I do like Charlize...is it an action film?


----------



## Maharani (Sep 17, 2017)

'It' was great. Only thing was the bloody audience were mainly teens (went to peckhamplex) and mostly talked the whole way through and when not talking, someone's phone kept going off. 

Best bit was someone from the audience let a couple of red balloons go at the end. Nice touch.


----------



## belboid (Sep 17, 2017)

mother! last night.

Undoubtedly it is being promoted as a devastating metaphor for the destruction of the planet, and/or the creative process, delivered with Aranofsky's usual visual flair and dramatic sensibilities.

Actually, it's just rubbish. Although there is one brilliantly shot scene. The rest of the audience didn't seem to enjoy it either - 'what a load of wank' was the comment from the bloke sat beside us as it finished.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Sep 17, 2017)

Maharani said:


> I thought the trailer looked awful but I do like Charlize...is it an action film?



It's kind of Bond meets Bourne....


----------



## Dr. Furface (Sep 17, 2017)

belboid said:


> mother! last night.
> 
> Undoubtedly it is being promoted as a devastating metaphor for the destruction of the planet, and/or the creative process, delivered with Aranofsky's usual visual flair and dramatic sensibilities.
> 
> Actually, it's just rubbish. Although there is one brilliantly shot scene. The rest of the audience didn't seem to enjoy it either - 'what a load of wank' was the comment from the bloke sat beside us as it finished.


That's pretty much what my other half and her friend thought about it too. I'd seen and heard enough shit reviews so I decided to give it a miss


----------



## Maharani (Sep 17, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> It's kind of Bond meets Bourne....


Don't mind either but don't love either either.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Sep 17, 2017)

Maharani said:


> Don't mind either but don't love either either.



She does look like Debbie Harry for most of it.

Soundtrack is fun.

Otherwise it is a Bourne/Bond flick


----------



## Maharani (Sep 17, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> She does look like Debbie Harry for most of it.
> 
> Soundtrack is fun.
> 
> Otherwise it is a Bourne/Bond flick


Debbie Harry now or then?


----------



## Sue (Sep 17, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> She does look like Debbie Harry for most of it.
> 
> Soundtrack is fun.
> 
> Otherwise it is a Bourne/Bond flick



Charlize Theron kicks ass.
I liked the scene where



Spoiler



the bloke's beaten with that symbol of Western decadence aka a skateboard while 99 Red Balloons plays.


----------



## Nanker Phelge (Sep 18, 2017)

Maharani said:


> Debbie Harry now or then?



Then, dummy


----------



## Maharani (Sep 18, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> Then, dummy


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Sep 22, 2017)

Went to see "It" last night. I haven't seen the original  (believe it or not!). It's very horror by numbers to start with but I got sucked in by the terrific performances from the kids and ended up quite genuinely scared towards to end. Good stuff! 8/10.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Sep 22, 2017)

lefteri said:


> My Cousin Rachel
> 
> Period Daphne du Maurier adaptation.  Very nice to look at and holds your attention but somewhat predictable and linear until it reaches an abrupt and somewhat pat ending.  The establishment of the relationship between the two leads is rushed and doesn't feel plausible.


I agree with that. I really wanted to like it but it just felt like it skated over what could have been a good story. I'm not sure what was missing but something was.


----------



## Wilf (Sep 24, 2017)

belboid said:


> mother! last night.
> 
> Undoubtedly it is being promoted as a devastating metaphor for the destruction of the planet, and/or the creative process, delivered with Aranofsky's usual visual flair and dramatic sensibilities.
> 
> Actually, it's just rubbish. Although there is one brilliantly shot scene. The rest of the audience didn't seem to enjoy it either - 'what a load of wank' was the comment from the bloke sat beside us as it finished.


Yep. Saw it yesterday having seen your comments on here before, so wasn't expecting much.  But yeah, 'wank' covers it, especially the last 30 minutes.  I suspect there was a bit of emperor's new clothes going on in the audience. Nobody actually saying anything or admitting it was shit.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Sep 24, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Yep. Saw it yesterday having seen your comments on here before, so wasn't expecting much.  But yeah, 'wank' covers it, especially the last 30 minutes.  I suspect there was a bit of emperor's new clothes going on in the audience. Nobody actually saying anything or admitting it was shit.


Or it's just amazing to people who normally watch Vin Diesel and are impressed by a film that doesn't have a car chase and a talking dog?


----------



## Wilf (Sep 24, 2017)

<------------ I find your rejection of talking dogs... _disappointing_.


----------



## Ranbay (Sep 25, 2017)

Kingsman 2 - just fucking amazing.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 3, 2017)

Ranbay said:


> Kingsman 2 - just fucking amazing.


Really?  It looks awful.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 3, 2017)

You may not get this one at the cinema in the UK but last night's cinematic entertainment was a new Kiwi film The Changeover which is based on a YA fiction book by Kiwi author Margaret Mahy.

Interesting mainly because it stars a skinny (well skinnier) Timothy Spall who is fabulously creepy. The film as a whole was a bit meh sadly. It all seemed to happen too quickly with little to hold it all together. Then I read about the book and it is written very much in the head of the main character so that could explain the lack of substance. Difficult to translate that onto film. Shame because I wanted to like it more.

Also sadly, I was the only person in the cinema. Everyone was watching some stupid action movie rather than the home grown film. Or actually not sadly as having a whole cinema to yourself is awesome   And I say "everyone" - I am living in the arsend of nowhere now and you're lucky if there's ever more than 6 other people there.


----------



## Ranbay (Oct 3, 2017)

Mrs Miggins said:


> Really?  It looks awful.



Yeah.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 3, 2017)

Off to see Detroit in an hour or so


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 3, 2017)

Flatliners....I'm at a loose end tonight again. No other excuse. I'll let you know. Expectations are low


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 3, 2017)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Off to see Detroit in an hour or so



Bloody Hell. That was good. Didn't know whether to clap or cry at the end.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 3, 2017)

Mrs Miggins said:


> Flatliners....I'm at a loose end tonight again. No other excuse. I'll let you know. Expectations are low



Remade??


----------



## belboid (Oct 3, 2017)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Bloody Hell. That was good. Didn't know whether to clap or cry at the end.


Didn't you wonder wtf Dismukes (Boyega) was doing there?


----------



## catinthehat (Oct 3, 2017)

I saw SamiBlod a couple of nights ago and it was excellent.  About two Sami sisters sent away to be 'tamed'.  One returns to her Sami family and life herding reindeer but the other enters mainstream Swedish society and becomes a teacher denying her Sami origins.  Beautiful cinematography and a captivating story.  Although it is set around mid 1930s at the start its a similar story to ones I have heard in Romania with Roma people today.  Sami Blood


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 3, 2017)

belboid said:


> Didn't you wonder wtf Dismukes (Boyega) was doing there?


Doing where??


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Oct 3, 2017)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind.


----------



## belboid (Oct 3, 2017)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Doing where??


in  the corridor, watching.


----------



## Throbbing Angel (Oct 3, 2017)

belboid said:


> in  the corridor, watching.


Oh..yes..I did wonder.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Oct 5, 2017)

Borg vs McEnroe - if you've no interest in tennis then this film won't change your mind, but for those of us who remember this rivalry and the great Wimbledon final they contested in 1980, this is an interesting portrait of two great players, at the moment of Borg's career apex, but whose trajectories are crossing in the opposite direction. The film looks behind the popular media-fed image of these two champions - the Swedish Iceman and the brash New York Super-Brat - and suggests that their personalities were not always that dissimilar, but that Borg had been coached to contain and channel his emotions on court, while McEnroe openly used his frustrations and sense of injustice to spur him on. This is a better movie than some reviews I've seen suggested; the production team have done a great job in making the patina of the film and the clothes styles etc true to the era, but most remarkable are the likenesses of the actors to the characters - Sverrir Gudnason is an uncanny likeness for Borg, and Shia LaBeouf does a decent McEnroe (right down to getting his serve action right) but most of the other supporting characters such as Vitus Gerilaitis, Peter Fleming, McEnroe's dad and Borg's chain-smoking girlfriend are all believably well-cast too (not so Jimmy Connors, but he's seen only briefly on the opposite side of the net). However, for a Scandinavian production which is heavily skewed towards Borg, the irony is that, as in reality, the film only really comes to life when McEnroe's on screen.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 5, 2017)

Throbbing Angel said:


> Remade??


Yes and suprisingly entertaining. If completely fucking stupid. So much like the original. Keifer Sutherland chameos.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 5, 2017)

Tha


Dr. Furface said:


> Borg vs McEnroe - if you've no interest in tennis then this film won't change your mind, but for those of us of a certain age who remember this rivalry and the great Wimbledon final they contested in 1980, this is an interesting portrait of two great players, at the moment of Borg's career apex, but whose trajectories are crossing in the opposite direction. The film looks behind the popular media-fed image of these two champions - the Swedish Iceman and the brash New York Super-Brat - and suggests that their personalities were not always that dissimilar, but that Borg had been coached to contain and channel his emotions on court, while McEnroe openly used his frustrations and sense of injustice to spur him on. This is a better movie than some reviews I've seen suggested; the production team have done a great job in making the patina of the film and the clothes styles etc true to the era, but most remarkable are the likenesses of the actors to the characters - Sverrir Gudnason is an uncanny likeness for Borg, and Shia LaBeouf does a decent McEnroe (right down to getting his serve action right) but most of the other supporting characters such as Vitus Gerilaitis, Peter Fleming, McEnroe's dad and Borg's chain-smoking girlfriend are all believable too (not so Jimmy Connors, but he's seen only briefly on the opposite side of the net). However, for a Scandinavian production which is heavily skewed towards Borg, the irony is that, as in reality, the film only really comes to life when McEnroe's on screen.


That sounds good. We've got "Battle of the Sexes" opening down here and I'm quite keen to see that.


----------



## hot air baboon (Oct 5, 2017)

Nanker Phelge said:


> Atomic Blonde - Way better than I expected. Charlize Theron is fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if her character is reprised.
> 
> It's total nonsense spy thriller action in a Bond(ish) vein, and thoroughly entertaining, and makes no sense whatsoever, but for thrills and spills, it kept me interested, and I have no time for car chases and explosions normally.
> 
> Watched because I was stranded in Northampton for work, and it was the only film on I hadn't already seen, but glad I did.



I was going to write more or less this about Kingsman 2 which I'm sure is EVEN dafter & which I liked despite the stinky reviews. Frankly far better entertainment than some po-faced Daniel Craig boreathon & only really marred by the over-use of profanity. Am I the first to notice that the lead character owes far more to the heritage of Harry Palmer than Bond ofcourse - probs why Sir Michael was in the first one.

ETA - I should make clear I wasn't actually in Northampton


----------



## Dr. Furface (Oct 5, 2017)

*In Between.* Two hip partying Palestinian young women living in Tel Aviv take in a third female flat-sharer, a hijab-wearing Muslim student with whom they have virtually nothing in common except their gender. Admittedly it doesn't seem a very likely scenario, but it works well as a plot device as the film explores each woman's contrasting outside relationships and the repression, violence and consequences they confront. Great characters, excellent acting, believable and genuinely moving - and it's even more remarkable for being the (female) director Maysaloun Hamoud's first feature. And it's totally _cool - _no not bullshit Hollywood trying-to-be cool bollocks like Baby Driver, but proper sex n drugs n techno cool from the real world. Brilliant.


----------



## DexterTCN (Oct 5, 2017)

Mrs Miggins said:


> I went to see Wind River last night and found it to be quite dull and predictable. There was one good scene which was a massive gun stand off but apart from that, really not great. I got particularly annoyed by the fact that the Great White Male Hunter, all strong and silent, was portrayed as the only one who could sort everything out for the female FBI agent and the native American commuity around which the story centres. Don't waste your coin.


Sorry that's not right.  Lambert (Jeremy Renner) identifies with the natives, lives like/with/as them, speaks their language.  He, like them, points out the way they get fucked over and left to rot.   You can't judge his character by his colour.

The great white males are the bad guys in this movie.

The story is predictable and very linear but I think the movie is very much worth watching.   There are heart-breaking moments in it.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 6, 2017)

T


DexterTCN said:


> Sorry that's not right.  Lambert (Jeremy Renner) identifies with the natives, lives like/with/as them, speaks their language.  He, like them, points out the way they get fucked over and left to rot.   You can't judge his character by his colour.
> 
> The great white males are the bad guys in this movie.
> 
> The story is predictable and very linear but I think the movie is very much worth watching.   There are heart-breaking moments in it.


Thats not the way it came across to me but that's how you read it.  I've since read at least one review that shares my perspective but hey, it's just a movie.


----------



## cybershot (Oct 8, 2017)

Just watched Mother!

Very few places still showing it, so I expect this will be it's last week if you can find it, thou, I'll spare you the effort. Don't bother.

4/10


----------



## belboid (Oct 8, 2017)

Blade Runner 2049

Do bother


----------



## Sue (Oct 8, 2017)

cybershot said:


> Just watched Mother!
> 
> Very few places still showing it, so I expect this will be it's last week if you can find it, thou, I'll spare you the effort. Don't bother.
> 
> 4/10


I really enjoyed it. Not my usual kind of thing and it's turned up to 23 for half the film but thought it was very funny and knowingly absurd.


----------



## Grandma Death (Oct 9, 2017)

So yesterday watched the new Lego movie. Loved it. Laughed out loud throughout the movie much to my daughters embarrassment (although why we had the entire theater to ourselves). Today Ive been to see Bladerunne 2049 which blew me away. Last week I saw IT which I thought was superb. And last thursday I watched Mother which was intense but I adored it


----------



## Wilf (Oct 9, 2017)

belboid said:


> Blade Runner 2049
> 
> Do bother


Yep. As well as being an excellent film , it had the right balance of carrying on from the original and telling its own story.


----------



## Wilf (Oct 9, 2017)

cybershot said:


> Just watched Mother!
> 
> Very few places still showing it, so I expect this will be it's last week if you can find it, thou, I'll spare you the effort. Don't bother.
> 
> 4/10


Towards the end it was just ridiculous.


----------



## cybershot (Oct 9, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Towards the end it was just ridiculous.



I was close to walking out. About 10 minutes later...



Spoiler: one couple did



Once the baby got crowdsurfed and ultimately killed.


----------



## Sue (Oct 9, 2017)

Wilf said:


> Towards the end it was just ridiculous.


But funny.


----------



## belboid (Oct 9, 2017)

Sue said:


> But funny.


Not particularly. Beautifully made, but utterly shallow and trite, without being redeemed by something like interesting characters. I was bored.


----------



## hash tag (Oct 10, 2017)

Maharani said:


> 'It' was great. Only thing was the bloody audience were mainly teens (went to peckhamplex) and mostly talked the whole way through and when not talking, someone's phone kept going off.
> 
> Best bit was someone from the audience let a couple of red balloons go at the end. Nice touch.



Like Stephen king but not a fan of horror per se. The secret seven confront their demons...5/10.


----------



## hash tag (Oct 10, 2017)

BTW the scariest thing about the film was Beverly Marsh played by Sophia Lillis. She is only 15


----------



## moonsi til (Oct 11, 2017)

I went to see 'Home Again! yesterday at 11am as I needed to be out the house & nowhere to go! (I have a Cineworld card). This is I think a feel good coming of age (age 40) sort of comedy. It was slightly less than alright. Didn't make me walk out but meh overall.

Today again being out of the house I went to see Mother at 11am which I overall enjoyed despite wondering if it was all going to be a epic psychotic event due to the yellow powder. But it wasn't it was whatever it was.

I then returned at 14.30 for Abdul & Victoria which made me think we need a referendum on whether we have the monarchy as many of the people were rather grotesque. 

I'm saving Blade Runner for the weekend. Will prob do Goodbye Christopher Robin tomorrow.


----------



## Wilf (Oct 12, 2017)

Going to watch The Death of Stalin tonight. We've just got one of those monthly passes for the cinema, so are watching all kinds of shite at the moment to make it worth having, but looking forward to this. Sometimes 'black comedies' go horribly wrong, but Armando Annuci (sp?) usually gets it right.

edit: sounds like somebody else has got a similar pass ^


----------



## moonsi til (Oct 12, 2017)

We have a Cineworld card as we started taking my stepson to the flicks back when Toy Story 3 came out. My use varies but prob average is twice per month. This week I have been 5 times so far as I saw Flatliners & Goodbye Christopher Robin today. Will be 6 with Bladerunner tomorrow.

There is also a reduction on the live theatre screenings & with a Meerkat code (the new orange thing) you can get someone in for free on a Tues/Wed.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 15, 2017)

Just been to see an absolute cracker - Lady Macbeth.
Set in the north east of England in the 1860s, a young woman is married off to an older man. The marriage is cold and loveless so she starts an affair with a younger man....consequences ensue.

Most compelling film I've seen in a while and for me, it beats the pants off bloody Bladerunner 2047.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Oct 15, 2017)

The Party. British comedy-drama set around a middle class house party to celebrate a female MP's promotion to the shadow cabinet, during which secrets are reveled that lead to the inevitable catastrophic consequences. It has a great cast including Timothy Spall, Kristin Scott Thomas, Cillian Murphy as well as, surprisingly, Bruno Ganz and Patricia Clarkson (particularly good) and it does deliver a fair amount of laffs. However, it's really more of a play than a film - the 'action' never moves from the house - and for some reason it's filmed in black and white, and it's also very short, clocking in at just 71 mins. You may think that's a good thing, as it isn't long enough to get boring, but if you want vfm then you might feel a little short-changed - I worked it out that this film cost me 12.4 pence per minute (and that was with a cinema membership discount), whereas Bladerunner cost me 11.50 pence per minute - and that was at the Imax. So I reckon that pro-rata this was the most expensive film I've seen this year!


----------



## belboid (Oct 15, 2017)

Reds

Bloody hell, it’s long. But it’s still bloody good, how it captures the thrill and passion of the pre-war radical movement, the arguments about how to organise, how to vote (with or without illusions), about bureaucracy and self organisation. In a mainstream Hollywood movie. The Russian Revolution itself is the highlight, but the hour and a half that follows still fascinates and engrosses. 

And I’d forgotten how damned good looking Warren Beatty used to be.


----------



## blossie33 (Oct 16, 2017)

Loving Vincent - loved it, amazing animation, 100 artists working to produce 65,000 frames for the film.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Oct 16, 2017)

blossie33 said:


> Loving Vincent - loved it, amazing animation, 100 artists working to produce 65,000 frames for the film.



Ooh I read about that. Not sure if I will get to see it here as arts cinemas are few and far between.


----------



## Steel Icarus (Oct 28, 2017)

Went as a family to the flicks on Tuesday - wife and daughter went into screen 5 for the My Little Pony movie, me and son went into 3 to watch GeoStorm. It was entertainingly shit, a real stupid Saturday night movie. Nice to see Richard Schiff in it, even if he only had two minutes at the start.


----------



## ginger_syn (Oct 29, 2017)

Thor Ragnarok, very enjoyable bit of entertainment,funny but not too over top, worth the four quid i paid to see it.


----------



## belboid (Oct 30, 2017)

Thor: Ragnarok

Hard to go wrong with a movie staring Queen Cate. And we don’t. It’s silly, very silly, all the stuff with Jeff Goldblum is ridiculous. But it’s also ridiculously good fun. Great use of the Immigrant Song too.


----------



## 8115 (Oct 30, 2017)

blossie33 said:


> Loving Vincent - loved it, amazing animation, 100 artists working to produce 65,000 frames for the film.



I want to see this.


----------



## chilango (Nov 11, 2017)

*Paddington 2*

Is this the most middle class movie ever made?

The film opens with a crude allegorical justification for paternalistic interventions.

It then moves towards a depiction of some idealised liberal metropolitan fantasy London. The only proletarian characters being an aspirational black bin man and a security guard who drinks his tea from a Le Creuset mug.

Multiculturalism is crudely pushed as a central feature of this fantasy London and the story somehow tries, and fails, to examine the role of prison and rehabilitation - where we meet the film’s only other working class characters, deviants and criminals all, who merely need to acquire social capital to be gifted to them in the form of a Great British Bake Off style makeover.

He does at least clean his ears with toothbrushes again though. So it’s not all bad.


----------



## toblerone3 (Nov 11, 2017)

Has anybody seen The Florida Project yet?


----------



## blossie33 (Nov 12, 2017)

No but I'm tempted - seen some trailers for it.


----------



## Wilf (Nov 12, 2017)

chilango said:


> *Paddington 2*
> 
> Is this the most middle class movie ever made?
> 
> ...


 I remember reading one of the Paddington books as a kid and being very confused that the family had a servant who did all their cooking and cleaning. Just didn't get it. Admittedly,, the fact that my mum gave me the book to read says something about the class transition _we_ were on as she trained to be a teacher...


----------



## chilango (Nov 12, 2017)

Wilf said:


> I remember reading one of the Paddington books as a kid and being very confused that the family had a servant who did all their cooking and cleaning. Just didn't get it. Admittedly,, the fact that my mum gave me the book to read says something about the class transition _we_ were on as she trained to be a teacher...



In the movies liberal guilt over employing a housekeeper is somewhat assuaged by vague references to Mrs Bird being a “relative” of the Browns. The implication being made that she was “taken in” after being widowed.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Nov 12, 2017)

*The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.* Greek writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos serves up another intriguing and disturbing affair, which won't surprise anyone who's seen any of his previous darkly brilliant films Dogtooth, Alps and most recently The Lobster. This one uses an old moral philosophy conundrum to raise questions about responsibility, guilt and justice, as a surgeon and his family are threatened by a teenage boy who inflicts a kind of paranormal revenge on them. It's not quite as absurd or as funny (although it has its moments) as The Lobster, but is probably more of a complete film and it certainly held my attention for the full 2 hours. Strong performances from Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman as the parents, but especially from Barry Keoghan as the creepy, vindictive youth. Definitely one of the more arresting films I've seen this year, although it's one of those that I imagine as many people will hate it as like it.


----------



## Casual Observer (Nov 15, 2017)

toblerone3 said:


> Has anybody seen The Florida Project yet?



On the strength of that trailer, I watched *Tangerine* from a few years ago - a previous film by the same director (Sean Baker). I was expecting the subject matter might be a bit much (the film is about two transsexual LA prostitutes) but it's a seriously funny tragicomedy.  All the more amazing for only costing $100,000 and being shot on three iphones.


----------



## belboid (Nov 15, 2017)

Casual Observer said:


> shot on three iphones.


with a super flashy attachment that cost several thousand


----------



## belboid (Nov 15, 2017)

I'm off to see Dispossession tonight, which looks to be a fascinating documentary on how council housing has been shafted over the last thirty years.

Only minor issue will be having to stay for the Q&A, to which the director isn't actually showing up, but which is being 'hosted' by a certain irritable hippy who spends far too much time pissing about on the internet instead of doing something useful...


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 15, 2017)

belboid said:


> a certain irritable hippy who spends far too much time pissing about on the internet instead of doing something useful...


are they on Urban75?
eta: yes


----------



## Idris2002 (Nov 15, 2017)

chilango said:


> In the movies liberal guilt over employing a housekeeper is somewhat assuaged by vague references to Mrs Bird being a “relative” of the Browns. The implication being made that she was “taken in” after being widowed.


That feels even worse,  somehow.


----------



## hash tag (Nov 16, 2017)

chilango said:


> *Paddington 2*
> 
> Is this the most middle class movie ever made?
> 
> ...



At least it was a children's film and Disney did not have a hand in it.
The film was stretching the formula of the original fim and was not as good as the original Paddington film. Hugh Grant looked to be having lots of fun though.


----------



## 8115 (Nov 17, 2017)

toblerone3 said:


> Has anybody seen The Florida Project yet?



I've just seen it, it's pretty good. I really got absorbed in the story, it feels really real. Nicely told. It's bleaker than I was expecting though.


----------



## toblerone3 (Nov 24, 2017)

Finally saw The Florida Project at a really nice new cinema near Tower Bridge. Kino Bermondsey | Kino Digital
Its very good. Its pretty grim but the colour scheme and some aspects of the setting (set in a sink housing project near Disneyland painted pink and near lakes and plentiful supplies of scavenged sugary foods) help to hide this as does the energy and brilliance of the child actors. Visually stunning.


----------



## cybershot (Nov 29, 2017)

Do we do a poll for an Urbs film of the year?

Empire's list, is erm, interesting!

Empire's Top Ten Films Of 2017 Led By Get Out

Get out was good, but wouldn't make my top 10.


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 29, 2017)

Get Out was only ok really. Good premise, not particularly well executed. Rubbish denoument.
Good Time should be in there somewhere, but it's Empire, and they're a bit popcorn. Would like to see the Sight & Sound list.


----------



## toblerone3 (Nov 29, 2017)

The Florida Project should be number one.  Sorry.  Do you have to get a big release and box office to win an Oscar?  Do you have to get above a certain threshold to even get in the game?


----------



## Orang Utan (Nov 29, 2017)

toblerone3 said:


> The Florida Project should be number one.  Sorry.  Do you have to get a big release and box office to win an Oscar?  Do you have to get above a certain threshold to even get in the game?


Nope.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Nov 29, 2017)

cybershot said:


> Do we do a poll for an Urbs film of the year?
> 
> Empire's list, is erm, interesting!
> 
> ...


We did one a few years ago when someone volunteered to collate the votes, though I don't think it was anything like as well subscribed as the end of year albums poll is. Other times we've just listed our top 10 or whatever without adding them up, which probably works better for films.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Dec 9, 2017)

After enjoying Thor Ragnarok, I agreed to go see Justice League. I think it's probably quite a feat to make a superhero movie boring but somehow, they managed it. Terminally fucking dull. Even Kiwi Boyfriend who likes this sort of codswallop nearly fell asleep.


----------



## Mrs Miggins (Dec 9, 2017)

I'll keep an eye out for The Florida Project as I loved Tangerine.


----------



## belboid (Dec 9, 2017)

Went to the NTLive showing of _Young Marx _on thursday, the first production in the Bridge Theatre, by the dudes who did One Man, Two Guvnors.

It was enjoyable, fast moving, proper funny in places, and not terrible politics. But it was odd watching Rory Kinnear playing a role which quite often turned into something you'd expect from James Corden. I haven't seen One Man... but it becomes obvious that his entire act must have been based on what he learnt in that role, and can't do anything else. Kinnear, obviously, can do a hell of a lot more than that, so it seemed just odd to see him channelling the buffoon. The rest of the cast are all excellent, it's worth a see when it's back in the cinemas on December 30th.


----------



## Maltin (Dec 9, 2017)

toblerone3 said:


> The Florida Project should be number one.  Sorry.  Do you have to get a big release and box office to win an Oscar?  Do you have to get above a certain threshold to even get in the game?


You have to have been seen by enough Academy members to stand a chance. It’s up to them individually which films they choose to see and which films they vote for.


----------



## Kesher (Dec 14, 2017)

*The Disaster Artist
*
Very enjoyable  and great acting by James Franco who plays Tommy Wiseau the eccentric Hollywood outsider who  made the cult film _ "The Room"  _which some claim is the best worst film ever


----------



## chilango (Dec 17, 2017)

*Ferdinand*

*spoilers*

A crude, liberal propagandist allegory for Catalan independence provocatively employing bullfighting, that symbol of Spanish patriotism, as it’s central motif.

Ferdinand (Catalonia) is a bull who just wants to be free to do his own thing. The Matador El Primero (The Spanish State) is determined to prevent this. 

Ferdinand is also determined that his path to freedom should be a peaceful one and points out the errors of fights by to the other more militant bulls -  Guapo (Galicia), Valiente (The Basque Country) and Angus the highland bull who seems utterly incongruous until you consider the failed Scottish referendum.

Eventually in the climax of the film El Primero faces off Ferdinand in the ring desperately trying to provoke him into a violent response. Ferdinand refuses - despite the painful memory of the murder of his father (the Spanish Civil War). 

Ferdinand’s non-violent resistance eventually embarrasses El Primero and wins over the crowd (Spanish public opinion) who call for him to be set free. They shower him in red carnations, a clear nod to the Portuguese revolution of 1974 and the relationship between the people and the army.

Oh, and there’s an “amusing” goat.


----------



## Casual Observer (Dec 18, 2017)

*Bunker 77*

The live fast die young true story of Bunker Spreckels, surfing genius and non-stop partying lunatic,  heir to the Spreckels sugar fortune and stepson of Clark Cable. LSD and yoga in the morning, surfing the big ones in the afternoon. Beautiful women, kung fu, cocaine, heroin and guns also make an appearance. Bunker checked out at 27. This is his story.


----------



## Dr. Furface (Dec 18, 2017)

Casual Observer said:


> *Bunker 77*
> 
> The live fast die young true story of Bunker Spreckels, surfing genius and non-stop partying lunatic,  heir to the Spreckels sugar fortune and stepson of Clark Cable. LSD in the morning, surfing the big ones in the afternoon. Beautiful women, yoga, king fu, cocaine, heroin and guns also make an appearance. Bunker checked out at 27. This is his story.


Sounds great!


----------



## Kesher (Dec 20, 2017)

*Ferdinand
*
Entertaining; but nothing special


----------



## kalidarkone (Dec 20, 2017)

I have seen moonlight and blade runner.  Wow!


----------



## Dr. Furface (Dec 22, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *The Disaster Artist
> *
> Very enjoyable  and great acting by James Franco who plays Tommy Wiseau the eccentric Hollywood outsider who  made the cult film _ "The Room"  _which some claim is the best worst film ever


Just seen it - one of the funniest films I've seen for a long time


----------



## DexterTCN (Dec 22, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *The Disaster Artist
> *
> Very enjoyable  and great acting by James Franco who plays Tommy Wiseau the eccentric Hollywood outsider who  made the cult film _ "The Room"  _which some claim is the best worst film ever


Tommy's on twitter now.

And is doing another movie.


----------



## metalguru (Dec 23, 2017)

Enjoyed the Disaster Artist last night.

Minor irritation was that two seats away was a 'performance laugher', who had to not only enjoy the film but demonstrate how much they are enjoying it.


----------



## A380 (Dec 27, 2017)

Just seen Pitch Perfect 3.

As good as the first. Even more knowing but also fun. Should banish the ghost of the dire second one.

Of the 50ish people in the audience I was the only man... I don't know if that says more bout me or the film.


----------



## Kesher (Dec 27, 2017)

*Justice League
*
Good chemistry between the leads supports the levity.  Had to laugh when Bruce Wayne finds out that Flash AKA Barry Allen is into Black Pink


----------



## Kesher (Dec 28, 2017)

A380 said:


> Just seen Pitch Perfect 3.
> 
> As good as the first. Even more knowing but also fun. Should banish the ghost of the dire second one.
> 
> ...



*Pitch Perfect 3* 

I haven't seen the second one; but I thought this one was possibly better than the first. I can't say I'm into the music and the dancing was  too  punchy for my taste and so took a bit of time to acclimatise to. However, overall it was worth seeing.


----------



## A380 (Dec 28, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Pitch Perfect 3*
> 
> I haven't seen the second one; but I thought this one was possibly better than the first. I can't say I'm into the music and the dancing was  too  punchy for my taste and so took a bit of time to acclimatise to. However, overall it was worth seeing.


If you liked the first one (and anyone who didn’t is dead to me) and this one then don’t watch the second one. 

Still, at least they never made any sequels to the Matrix...


----------



## sovereignb (Dec 28, 2017)

What Happenned To Monday

after being truly disappointed with films recently I really enjoyed this


----------



## Kesher (Dec 30, 2017)

*Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
*
This is far better than the first one. It's  very funny :  Kevin Hart  is really good,  and so is Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black.  Better action as well.


----------



## mwgdrwg (Dec 30, 2017)

Kesher said:


> *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
> *
> This is far better than the first one. It's  very funny :  Kevin Hart  is really good,  and so is Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black.  Better action as well.



2D or 3D? The kids want to see this.


----------



## Kesher (Dec 30, 2017)

I saw it in 2D. This site may help you decide: To 3D Or Not To 3D - Buy The Right Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle Ticket


----------



## cybershot (Dec 31, 2017)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

All the fanboys are throwing their toys out the pram, I thought it was good, but clearly setting up for another 10zillion films.


----------



## donkyboy (Dec 31, 2017)

nothing. no trips for me. i use other avenues...


----------



## Kesher (Jan 2, 2018)

*Star Wars: The Last Jedi
*
Better than the last two instalments. The interactions between  Kylo Ren and Rey are the most enjoyable thing about this film.


----------



## Kesher (Jan 3, 2018)

*The Greatest Showma*n

Enjoyable. although not a big fan of the style of dancing: proficient; but not elegant.


----------



## Wilf (Jan 3, 2018)

Dr. Furface said:


> Just seen it - one of the funniest films I've seen for a long time


Couldn't persuade my significant other to go and watch this. It looked really good. 

Any road, saw 3 Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri last night. Fantastic. Great performances by Frances McDormand and Woody Harleson. One of those films that might get the odd nomination for this, that or the other - perhaps Harleson as best supporting actor.  However it's not going to be on any all time greats list (a point made in a review I saw) and I doubt I'll remember it in 5 years, it's just not that sort of film. Same time, it really was great. One of those films where not everything get's neatly tied up or even _resolved_. Even if it is dealing with extreme events - the follow up to a murdered daughter - it still plays out with all the messiness of real life.  It's also very funny.


----------



## Maltin (Jan 8, 2018)

I went to quite a lot towards the end of the year

Pitch Perfect 3 - was about 4th choice to watch but only one with seats not in the front row. It’s stupid and the same as the others but I thought it was pretty funny, especially Rebel Wilson. John Lithgow was not very good in it as her dad. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - was disappointed but mainly because I didn’t think it was exciting enough. The Kylo Ren, Rey and Snoke fight scene was the best thing in it and I thought the film might pick up momentum then but alas, it didn’t. What I thought was the Carrie Fisher farewell scene was touching and well done but then turned out not to be her last scene!

All the Money in the World - was bored watching this as well after Last Jedi. Christopher Plummer was good and probably more suited to the role than Kevin Spacey with heavy make up. Mark Wahlberg did nothing. It’s a film about a kidnapping. Surely they could have made it exciting. There was a chase scene at the end but after two hours, I didn’t care. 

The Post - I enjoyed it and it has good performances but the first half was too slow and it’s odd that it focuses on The Washington Post when The New York Times were the ones to break the story so it feels a secondary story to the main one but ties in neatly with the later Watergate scandal so would be good to watch it as a double bill with All the President’s Men, which is a much better film. 

downsizing - quite different from what I expected from the trailer. It is not as good as other Alexander Payne movies but was still interesting. Hong Chau stole the movie in a great performance. 

I, Tonya - this was good but a bit unusual as it’s told in the format of a documentary. Allison Janney as Tonya’s mum is excellent and very funny. Margot Robbie is very good too. Other than the incident, I didn’t really know the story. Tonya is from a poor family and is a redneck with a horrible mother who becomes involved in the snooty world of ice skating. Her husband is abusive and he and his idiot friend help plot the attack on Nancy Kerrigan. The criminals in this are potrayed as complete idiots and it’s pretty funny watching them. 

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - the last film I saw in 2017 and one of the best.  Great performances from the 3 main characters - McDormand, Harrelson and Rockwell. Despite the story being about the rape and murder of McDormand’s daughter, it is very funny and imagine that this might put people off. I didn’t fully believe one of the developments that happened in the movie but accepted it and it worked for me.


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## Casual Observer (Jan 11, 2018)

Maltin said:


> Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - the last film I saw in 2017 and one of the best.  Great performances from the 3 main characters - McDormand, Harrelson and Rockwell. Despite the story being about the rape and murder of McDormand’s daughter, it is very funny and imagine that this might put people off. I didn’t fully believe one of the developments that happened in the movie but accepted it and it worked for me.



Watched it yesterday without reading any reviews apart from yours. A good fusion of dark drama and black humour. Funny parts happening when you least expect them makes them all the funnier. As you say, some of the plot developments are a bit clumsy but it doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment. This film reminded me of the previous year's Hell Or High Water - another great film, similar vibe though not as overtly funny.


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## Idaho (Jan 11, 2018)

chilango said:


> *Ferdinand*
> 
> *spoilers*
> 
> ...


You are either very witty or mad.


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