Rate the last film you saw partie deux

[Leicester Ram]

Deadpool- 8/10

Saw it a while back, seen it twice now. Exactly what the comic book genre needed before we jump head first into this comic book heavy year of BvS, Civil War, Dr Strange, X-Men etc.

Don't like the talk that the lesson Hollywood are taking from this is that people like R-rated superhero movies, not that they like ORIGINAL content from a harmonised creative team. Deadpool is lightning in a bottle in that it combined the correct writers, a driven star in Ryan Reynolds, a self-aware take on a genre that's quickly becoming tired and one of the most inventive marketing campaigns of all time.

A lot of studios are probably about to waste a lot of their money and our time on trying to re-capture what Deadpool's done.

[Duracell]

Watched Searching For Sugarman again last night, 9/10.

No point explaining the plot too far as it would spoil it, but basically it's about tracking down a dead American singer-songwriter who apparently unknowingly found success in South Africa.

 

[Wolfie]

Fight Club

Finally caught up with this after 20 odd years of not being bothered (Not a Brad Pitt fan). Read an online thing last week about it having a good twist ending, so decided to give it a go.

Not what I expected at all & pretty good. Nice acting from Pitt, Edward Norton & Helena Bonham Carter. Not blown away by the ending - probably because I was waiting for the reveal but a decent watch all the same.

7/10

[Carl Sagan]

On 26/02/2016 at 14:39, Wolfie said:

Oblivion (2013)

Sci-Fi with Tom Cruise as a drone repair man on a post-apocalyptic earth.

Starts off as Wall-E, then turns into Moon, 2001 and Independence Day later on.

Story an average 6/10  - seen it all before really but absolutely stunning to look at in terms of concept design and visual effects, so for me a very good 8/10 over all.

Any film that spends the first 15 minutes as voice over trying to explain what's happened (telling instead of showing) is ultimately a failure. But after the tedious opening, it did pick up and was far better than expected. Without Tom Cruise it would have been way better, but that's the compromise of funding that the conservative studios think he adds a lot of box office. My opinion is that viewers endure him to see the film, rather than enjoy watching him.

[Carl Sagan]

Anomalisa - 8/10

Charlie Kaufman who wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovitch, and wrote and directed Synecdoche NY, is my favourite writer. He wrote and co-directed this stop-motion animation based on a "play for voices" he'd done a few years ago. It was Oscar-nominated for best animated film.

Kaufman introduced the screening I went to, which obviously makes you even more keen to like it.

One of the review quotes was something like "The most human film you'll see this year, and it doesn't feature a single human".

The animation is superb and innovative. It took a kickstarter campaign to get this off the ground, and the animators had to produce 48 frames (or 2 seconds) a day. If you like Kaufman's earlier ventures you'll like this, in that it's one of those movies you will spend months pondering what it's really about. For clay models, there's quite a lot of sex, exquisitely and painfully done.

Main voices from David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Only 8/10 because I don't think it quite has the extraordinary depth of imagination that the other three films I've mentioned brought to the table. This wasn't written intended to become a feature film. Kaufman said that part of the attraction was for it to only be performed live a couple of times and never heard again, and that was part of the artistic process behind it.

[TrueLou]

Mad Max - Fury Road

Super cool trucks, and awesome explosions, is literally all I need to be entertained. 

9/10, docked one point for Tom Hardy's stupid voice throughout. 

[Rev]

Spectre - law of diminishing returns, underwhelming set pieces loosely linked by a fluffy plot, never once made me care enough about the characters to give much of a toss.

5/10.

[AmericanRam]

Goodfellas:

 

Just a brilliant movie.

9.5/10.

[StaffsRam]

No Way Out - think this one is from the backend of the 80s - thrilled starring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman and Sean Young. Seen it before, but not for a while. One of Costner's best films IMO. 8.5/10

Black Widow - another late 80s one I think - thriller starring Theresa Russell and Debra Winger - 7/10

[Kernow]

Just got back from seeing Grimsby. I found it quite funnily personally, but that's my sense of humour. I could easily see why people would like it, but also why people may hate it and give it a 1/10.

Storyline was a bit weird. Not really anything like the other Sacha Baron Cohen films I've seen. It was nice to get a bit of an insight into @Daveo's life up there. I've been to Skegness before and I'd say the representation of the area is pretty much spot on 

[Wolfie]

Crimson Peak

Love Guillermo Del Toro as a director & this one is visually stunning. It's a gothic thriller with ghosts in it, rather than a ghost story or horror. Good cast & performances but the real stars are the set design, costumes & non cgi detail. 

8/10

[Day]

8 hours ago, Kernow said:

Just got back from seeing Grimsby. I found it quite funnily personally, but that's my sense of humour. I could easily see why people would like it, but also why people may hate it and give it a 1/10.

Storyline was a bit weird. Not really anything like the other Sacha Baron Cohen films I've seen. It was nice to get a bit of an insight into @Daveo's life up there. I've been to Skegness before and I'd say the representation of the area is pretty much spot on 

Not seen it yet, for me it's ruined by being filmed in Essex, makes no sense when we have plenty of dodgy areas it could have been filmed at up here

[Dimmu]

On 1.3.2016 at 16:48, Duracell said:

Watched Searching For Sugarman again last night, 9/10.

No point explaining the plot too far as it would spoil it, but basically it's about tracking down a dead American singer-songwriter who apparently unknowingly found success in South Africa.

 

Great documentary film! Story is so good that you couldn't write it.

[AmericanRam]

The Wild Bunch-

Brilliant Western with great cast,great score,etc.

9.5/10.

[Carl Sagan]

High-Rise, based on the JG Ballard novel of the same name and starring Tom Hiddlestone, Luke Evans, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Reece Shearsmith. Set in the 1970s, a futurustic new tower block starts out as a beautiful vision of the future but descends into anarchy and chaos, with an awful lot of sex and violence. And then more sex. Any film with a soundtrack that features Abba and The Fall pretty heavily has to get high marks. Ben Wheatley the director tried to be pretty true to the book, but that rules out a traditional narrative arc, so it felt slightly disjointed. But very well done and thought-provoking. Quite Clockwork Orange. I'd say 8/10.

[wixman1884]

Zootopia (Zootropolis in Europe) - 10/10 

[SantosHalper]

On 07/03/2016 at 13:13, Carl Sagan said:

Anomalisa - 8/10

Charlie Kaufman who wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovitch, and wrote and directed Synecdoche NY, is my favourite writer. He wrote and co-directed this stop-motion animation based on a "play for voices" he'd done a few years ago. It was Oscar-nominated for best animated film.

Kaufman introduced the screening I went to, which obviously makes you even more keen to like it.

One of the review quotes was something like "The most human film you'll see this year, and it doesn't feature a single human".

The animation is superb and innovative. It took a kickstarter campaign to get this off the ground, and the animators had to produce 48 frames (or 2 seconds) a day. If you like Kaufman's earlier ventures you'll like this, in that it's one of those movies you will spend months pondering what it's really about. For clay models, there's quite a lot of sex, exquisitely and painfully done.

Main voices from David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Only 8/10 because I don't think it quite has the extraordinary depth of imagination that the other three films I've mentioned brought to the table. This wasn't written intended to become a feature film. Kaufman said that part of the attraction was for it to only be performed live a couple of times and never heard again, and that was part of the artistic process behind it.

I agree Charlie Kaufman is a great writer, but one who needs a controlling influence on him. For example, Synechdoche, New York, which I think he wrote and directed, is a fascinating film that is at least half an hour too long and over-burdened by the weight of Kaufman's ideas, whereas the Gondry-directed Sunshine is wonderful. 

Anomalisa is much tighter and more focussed on its key themes, and I enjoyed it, but I have a couple of problems with it. I've seen it described as deeply misogynistic, and I can understand that. Michael is a dick, and he sexually exploits Lisa. That wouldn't be an issue if the film commented on that fact and critiqued it, but I don't think it does. 

Otherwise, its very impressive. The animation is amazing, and the attention to detail is mind-blowing. Its interesting to consider it in relation to existentialism, with its themes of alienation and anxiety. 

7.5 for me. 

[sage]

Watched Hail Caesar 8/10. I loved it but I think it's for Coen Brothers fans only, not a mainstream success like No Country for Old Men

[SantosHalper]

Bone Tomahawk. 8/10.

Interesting spin on the western -- could be described as a horror-western. 

DO NOT WATCH if you're of a delicate disposition. There is a scene towards the end that is perhaps the most shocking thing I have seen in an extremely long time. 

[Carl Sagan]

On 15/03/2016 at 23:23, SantosHalper said:

Bone Tomahawk. 8/10.

Interesting spin on the western -- could be described as a horror-western. 

DO NOT WATCH if you're of a delicate disposition. There is a scene towards the end that is perhaps the most shocking thing I have seen in an extremely long time. 

My review from the premiere:

On 12/10/2015 at 15:00, Carl Sagan said:

Bone Tomahawk

Kurt Russell as the town sheriff when a lost tribe kidnap the deputy and Banshee's Lili Simmons. A ragtag posse head off in pursuit. Western meets horror, some might say it's too slow paced, until a lot of action in the finale, but I like the building of the suspense. Probably 7.5 as it's a little unpolished in parts, though on the whole does a good job. It is very, very violent - not for the squeamish. Did I say it was violent? And then some...

That scene at the end you mention was quite extraordinary. Oh my! Meanwhile, onto Charlie Kaufman:

On 07/03/2016 at 12:13, Carl Sagan said:

Anomalisa - 8/10

Charlie Kaufman who wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovitch, and wrote and directed Synecdoche NY, is my favourite writer. He wrote and co-directed this stop-motion animation based on a "play for voices" he'd done a few years ago. It was Oscar-nominated for best animated film.

Kaufman introduced the screening I went to, which obviously makes you even more keen to like it.

One of the review quotes was something like "The most human film you'll see this year, and it doesn't feature a single human".

The animation is superb and innovative. It took a kickstarter campaign to get this off the ground, and the animators had to produce 48 frames (or 2 seconds) a day. If you like Kaufman's earlier ventures you'll like this, in that it's one of those movies you will spend months pondering what it's really about. For clay models, there's quite a lot of sex, exquisitely and painfully done.

Main voices from David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Only 8/10 because I don't think it quite has the extraordinary depth of imagination that the other three films I've mentioned brought to the table. This wasn't written intended to become a feature film. Kaufman said that part of the attraction was for it to only be performed live a couple of times and never heard again, and that was part of the artistic process behind it.

 

On 15/03/2016 at 23:20, SantosHalper said:

I agree Charlie Kaufman is a great writer, but one who needs a controlling influence on him. For example, Synechdoche, New York, which I think he wrote and directed, is a fascinating film that is at least half an hour too long and over-burdened by the weight of Kaufman's ideas, whereas the Gondry-directed Sunshine is wonderful. 

Anomalisa is much tighter and more focussed on its key themes, and I enjoyed it, but I have a couple of problems with it. I've seen it described as deeply misogynistic, and I can understand that. Michael is a dick, and he sexually exploits Lisa. That wouldn't be an issue if the film commented on that fact and critiqued it, but I don't think it does. 

Otherwise, its very impressive. The animation is amazing, and the attention to detail is mind-blowing. Its interesting to consider it in relation to existentialism, with its themes of alienation and anxiety. 

7.5 for me. 

Anomalisa is the first film anyone's let Kaufman direct since Synechdoche NY because it flopped and (bizarrely marketed as a comedy) I don't think it met audience expectations. For me it's the most brilliant depressing movie about getting old that I've ever seen, and showed Kaufman was a genius like no other. I'm glad it wasn't a moment shorter. But the people I forced to watch it with me did reckon it was a bit bonkers. I can't decide whether my all time favourite film is Eternal Sunshine or SNY.

I'd say Anomalisa is nowhere near as ambitious in terms of ideas - it feels throwaway as though Kaufman was playing around, which I think it was because it was intended to be performed live twice and then consigned to history.

Spoiler

It's an interesting point about Lisa and Michael's treatment of her. I've not really had the head space to try and work it all out yet, but at a total guess I'd suggest Michael and Lisa are also manifestations the same person and the disappearing plane in the opening sequence reinforces the view that absolutely nothing is real or as it seems, reinforced by the face-off dream sequence.

I feel I really need to read the script and then watch it again (and again and again)! Which of course is the brilliance of any film Kaufman's associated with. And again that animation is amazing. We had some of the models at my screening - Duke Johnson was there too and even after doing the film he still seemed every bit as much a fanboi as me!