May 2013
10 posts
7 tags
345. Iron Man 3
I’m glad I had a little time finishing other drafts before I got to write this, as my opinion has changed somewhat. I’m not quite on the side of those who claim it is some kind of masterful film, in the same way that I don’t celebrate Shane Black as most seem to. After the first few scenes, the movie gets into its stride and manages to balance comedy, thrills and mystery with...
4 tags
344. Evil Dead (2013)
*some spoilers*
It’s weird to say so, but as a fan of Raimi’s original Evil Dead series, I’m grateful that this reboot isn’t awful. It could have given me that sinking feeling that comes with something I love is mistreated (see: Spider-Man 3), but instead it was merely problematic. The tree-rape scene is still gauche enough for it to be worth removing altogether;...
5 tags
343. Lincoln
I don’t see how I forgot to make a post about this since it was one of the biggest films released this year. This reminded me of how good Steven Spielberg still is, and how somehow he seems to be the most underrated and yet well-known director working today. Everyone knows him as ‘the’ movie guy, yet people always seem to talk of him as undeserving of that role. This...
6 tags
342. The Place Beyond The Pines
It’s really wonderful to see a film that consistently surprises you throughout, not necessarily through shocking scenes or twists in the story, but by taking it in a direction at once unnerving and satisfying. Derek Cianfrance’s first movie was Blue Valentine, which I loved on its release and continue to do so. Pines doesn’t quite reach those heights, maybe because the inherent...
3 tags
341. Marley
Marley could have been your average documentary of the life and works of a music legend, but got right to the core of who Bob Marley was in a way that I never could have expected. The approach taken was to take a detailed look at the times before he was a house-hold name, look at the country and conditions that made him who he was and talk to the people that shaped him into what he became. The...
7 tags
340. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2nd Viewing)
It’s strange that I first saw this 240 movies ago, and yet my opinion of it hasn’t changed much. I guess what I’m thinking of more this time, in the light of my response to Iron Man 3 (up shortly) compared to those that sing its praises, is how big a persona Shane Black has within the industry. I mean that as in, he basically redefined action movies by writing the Lethal Weapon...
6 tags
339. Pitch Perfect
It’s really nice to see a good comedy with a mostly-female cast, and one which remains (fairly) clean in its humour. There’s no cynicism here. Or rather, there’s no cynicism at the heart of it - it’s kept at the edges to be ignored by the end. At the centre, there’s just fun and hope - as terrible as that sounds and felt to write, it’s true - it’s a...
7 tags
338. Fargo
By now the Coen brothers staple is clear, but here it’s at its purest. I still hold that No Country For Old Men is their best movie, partly because it’s an adaptation of an excellent book, but Fargo has a distinct melancholia to it that takes it into a much more personal direction. There’s plenty of petty criminals and pathetic characters (Steve Buscemi and William H Macy in...
6 tags
337. Blockheads
Though it’s one of Laurel & Hardy’s most successful films, I’ve laughed more in other movies of theirs. Blockheads is still funny, very funny at times, but the laughs are quite far between and it ends up feeling a little dragged out. Regardless, they are masters of their craft.
B-
5 tags
336. Raging Bull
This is another that I forgot to write about back in February, but this time the movie is amazing. This is one of those movies that I love, but find difficult to express the elements that make it so great - so I turn to the late great Roger Ebert’s review for a little clarification. Raging Bull is easily the best sports movie I’ve ever seen, and it may because of how what happens in...
April 2013
17 posts
5 tags
335. Salt
I actually watched this about three months ago but I didn’t post it for some reason. Well, maybe the reason I forgot is because the movie is very forgettable itself. I kind of admire it for being ballsy enough to follow twists without wrapping everything up neatly, but it goes to such extreme lengths without any particular reason for doing so. Plus, once you actually try and connect...
5 tags
334. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
I loved this movie so much. It delivered all I wanted while remaining unpredictable. The lack of predictability in the story is one of the best things about it, there’s plenty of movies where the protagonist goes through a lot and yet the threat is never truly felt. Every blow Nausicaa takes I felt, and every time she was in danger I was genuinely worried for her safety. The movie...
4 tags
333. Mars Attacks!
I taped this because the image of those brain-aliens has been burned into my brain ever since I was a kid, saw the trailer but wasn’t allowed to see it (I was 3 years old when it was released so that was probably wise). Once I started watching it for the first time I found it was kind of amusing. Then it got strange. I don’t mean strange as in there’s a brain-alien-thing sewing...
5 tags
332. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
I was told by fans and non-fans alike that this was extremely different to the television series (which I am a HUGE fan of), but what I didn’t expect was that it would be a lot different to most of Lynch’s work. It’s relieving in a way - despite loving everything he’s done I was aware that Lynch does ‘his thing’ and maybe he was limited to that. In Fire Walk...
5 tags
331. 5 Broken Cameras
My reviews are pretty short anyway but here’s a shorter version:
Go watch this movie now.
I’ve seen some great documentaries before, but never before have I seen something that follows such a movie-like narrative without lacking in some authenticity. I have the highest respect for a non-professional like Burnat can capture such wonderful scenes as well as deal with the hardships he...
4 tags
330. Limitless
Limitless has been something people have urged me to watch countless times, and I got the impression that it was a movie that surprised people by being better than decent and taking what could have been a standard star-driven thriller in slightly more interesting directions. My intuition seems to be close to the truth in this case, and it serves as another reminder for me that a movie is really...
3 tags
329. Argo
I can’t help but think of Argo in contrast to the new Oz movie. Clearly, they’re very different movies - in tone, style, and aim. Argo is a better made movie, Affleck has a real eye for directing and I’m looking forward to whatever he does next; the acting all around is great, the editing, the story…but I genuinely enjoyed Oz more. However much weight we put into certain...
5 tags
328. Oz: The Great and Powerful
I got exactly what I wanted from this movie - some purely fun cinema with no pretension of being anything more than that. It’s not perfect - it’s a little too long, there’s a bit towards the start of the third act where it becomes dull and predictable, but by the end it gets it right again. I hope a lot of kids see this, because I imagine a lot of them won’t sit down and...
5 tags
327. Carrie
Further proof for me that if I want to see a great horror movie, it’s always a great idea to head straight to the classics. Most of the horror oddly enough comes from the tension, as I (and most people I imagine) knows the way Carrie White’s prom ends up. I wasn’t disappointed, and was pleasantly surprised that there were quite a few scares along the way, and the dynamics of high...
4 tags
326. Wreck-It Ralph
Man I loved this movie. If I hadn’t seen the opening credits I would’ve thought it was a Pixar movie. It’s not ground-breaking, both in story and animation, but it’s funny, exciting, not too long, and it nails the emotional moments. The game references are balanced very well too, it never feels like it’s just filling in it’s quota for game nerds and it always...
4 tags
325. Night of the Living Dead
If you want further proof of the exponential excess of the zombie movie, just look back to 1967. While there are hundreds of zombie movies, franchises, books and video games out there by now, the most effective of them all is Romero’s original movie. It’s a zombie movie that is actually scary, it stays with you, it’s believable and it’s minimalistic; it’s low-budget...
4 tags
324. Army of Darkness
I watched this for a feeling of completeness to the story (though there is a sequel in the works now) and as a sort of refresher before the remake of the first movie came out. One of my friends holds the first movie in the highest regard, and believes that the more self-aware and tendency to approach the material comically the worst it got. I disagree, as Evil Dead II is my favourite, but I can...
6 tags
323. Les Miserables
This movie is incredibly uneven, which is not what I expected. I thought the general response would be to buy into the overblown melodramatic ridiculous experience or scoff at it. Instead, my feeling towards it was that about a third of it I was ambivalent to, a third I absolutely loved, and a third bored me. It’s a little frustrating when the good is this good, because I was emotional at...
4 tags
322. Cría Cuervos (Raise Ravens)
I think it would be easy to turn away from this film - it doesn’t take the time to introduce characters; it alternates between flashback and fantasy without differentiating between the two; the protagonist is, while brilliantly played by Ana Torrent, extremely introverted and a bit odd which can be alienating for the audience. Plus, the movie doesn’t really have much obvious...
4 tags
312. The Breakfast Club (3rd Viewing)
It’s strange how I wasn’t that into this movie when I first saw it, yet now it excites me just to think of it. As soon as I try and mark its place within John Hughes’ filmography I struggle, Pretty in Pink is the only movie of his that doesn’t completely work. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is probably my favourite, and yet this brings such sincerity and relevancy to people...
4 tags
320. Darling
This is a difficult film to review for me, because it belongs to the group of movies in which I can see great work has been done yet I don’t particularly enjoy the result. I think a lot of this is intentional, as Julie Christie’s character is developed as an unreliable narrator and frustrating to no end. The music is fantastic, and the sixties sexual revolution vibe is always fun, but...
4 tags
319. Life of Pi
I practically dragged myself to go see Life of Pi, despite all the good reviews and awards it has been getting there was nothing about it that appealed to me; the trailer came across as a little too smug. I only watched it in the end because I always have a thing with watching all the Best Film Oscar nominees. I’m glad I did though, because it was pretty damn great. It’s ridiculous...
March 2013
7 posts
5 tags
318. Aliens (2nd Viewing)
I still don’t understand the excessive amount of attention this movie gets from fans of the series and general movie fans. Clearly there’s something about it that people love, but for me it’s not even a competition between this and the first film. There’s a similarity in the structure, but most of the horror of the sheer power of the xenomorph is lost when hundreds are...
5 tags
317. The Man In The White Suit
I had a lot of fun with this movie. It’s a comedy, but in a very old-fashioned, British sense. Basically, there’s very few moments that I laughed out-loud, and when I did it was mostly because of the ridiculous nature of a scene rather than a joke as it is known in the modern day. It’s satirical, but only very lightly, and even as it mocks institutions and the state of Britain...
5 tags
316. La Battaglia di Algeri (The Battle Of...
When I was set to watch this for one of my seminars, my teacher called it ‘the best war film ever made’. I’m not sure I entirely agree with that, but it’s definitely a movie that gives great insight into a period of history I didn’t know that much about beforehand. It feels very much like a documentary in the way it’s shot and the lack of a conventional...
5 tags
315. A Good Day To Die Hard
I went to see this for three reasons:
I love Die Hard. I even like Die Hard 4
It was Valentine’s Day, so me and my friend thought it would be amusing to watch it with a beer or two
I don’t mind watching stupid movies sometimes
Any entertainment the movie gave me had been completely lost by the end, but for the first half an hour or so I experienced something I never have before - I...
4 tags
314. What Richard Did
I loved this movie, and I highly recommend it. It was pretty much exactly what I expected from the title and trailer, which artfully avoids giving away any plot spoilers, yet still had an impact on me. Jack Reynor’s acting is spot-on, wonderfully understated and yet when he has to act big it doesn’t seem out of place or over the top. The writing is fantastic too, especially in how it...
6 tags
313. Seven Psychopaths
After the sublime In Bruges, I’d have expected more from McDonagh. That’s not to say it’s not an entertaining movie - just that it makes its aim in terms of tone and character progression clear and then fails to attain it successfully. Sam Rockwell is great and so is Walken, and I love seeing those two together - it’s just that the script isn’t that witty, and when it...
5 tags
312. Anchorman (7th Viewing)
Anchorman epitomises what comedy is to me with regard to my reaction to it. It’s hysterical, but after about the third viewing I stopped laughing as much, and by time it got to the sixth time I had stopped laughing all together - I was amused, and I knew it was funny, but knowing every line and detail took the fun out of it for me. I have this problem with a lot of comedies; the only ones I...
February 2013
21 posts
7 tags
311. Funny Games
Now for a Haneke film with a very different tone.
I was fully expecting to be impressed with the mechanics of the production, but perhaps come away offended as Mark Kermode did. I didn’t in the end, I felt it wasn’t gratuitous or too mocking of the audience to get in the way of it as an experience. The process of convincing an audience at great length that everything is okay (or going...
5 tags
310. Amour
Amour simultaneously gives you exactly what is expected from an award-winning French movie about coping with old age and death as well as something that is genuinely touching - hitting in waves even a few hours after watching it. Both Trintignant and Riva are fantastic, but Riva had to put so much into her role she definitely deserves the BAFTA she won last week. Haneke makes the most of a limited...
5 tags
309. My Brother The Devil
Similar to the The Kid With The Bike last year, it’s really nice to see a social realist movie that deals with the cycle of crime and violence within the working class that has an optimistic ending - we’ve had enough of pessimism with this sub-genre, it’s okay for things to (mostly) work out. This is summed up for me in a lovely scene near the beginning where scene of gang...
4 tags
308. Zero Dark Thirty
I was worried that even Bigelow’s knack for moral ambiguity in her characters wouldn’t save this production falling into ‘America fuck yeah’ sentiments. On the contrary, the movie is so neutral to the whole affair it’s disarming, and leaves moral judgements completely up to the audience - and therefore doesn’t utilise emotional manipulation nor is it problematic...
3 tags
307. The People vs. George Lucas
A beautifully balanced take on the strange relationship between George Lucas and his fans. I think towards the end it was a little to lenient with Lucas’ ridiculous actions, but otherwise it drew a picture of the cultural phenomenon that was Star Wars in a way that is theraputic to watch as a fan of the original trilogy, and I imagine it would be accessible to people who know little about...
7 tags
306. Django Unchained
Django Unchained has problems that are worth a debate, both sides seeming convincing a lot of the time. But one thing that I don’t see as anything but fact is that the last half an hour or so is entirely pointless and for the most part badly made. The movie is taken into its natural conclusion, tension has been built slowly, and the hatred for DiCaprio’s character has too both in...
5 tags
305. Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves)
The final shot still haunts me, and since I had to study it for a new module I’m studying (Post-War European Cinemas) I got a better understanding of the situation that created such a masterful piece of cinema. The sense of insignificance, struggle in the lower classes, the cycle of of crime, the failure of institutions to help those in need is so skillfully woven together into a depressing...
5 tags
304. The Last King of Scotland (2nd Viewing)
The shock value of certain scenes added a lot to my enjoyment of it the first time around, I’ve discovered, since now they have much less of an effect on me. It’s always good to see a movie with a protagonist we’re used to liking, but acknowledging his flaws to the point of him becoming a figure of hate for his selfish actions. Forest Whitaker is why the film works the way it...
6 tags
303. Gangster Squad
I like Sean Penn, I like over-the-top villains, I like basic plots if they’re fun, I like Emma Stone, I like Ryan Gosling, I like Giovanni Ribisi, I like Josh Brolin. But this was pants. This is the first time I’ve ever nearly fallen asleep during a climactic shoot-out. It was so shamelessly clichéd I started noting down the tropes it embellished in.
Crooked cops (in the most unsubtle...
6 tags
302. Silver Linings Playbook
I was a huge fan of this movie for the majority of it, and though I felt that a happy ending would be enough to cap it off for me, it left me feeling confused. It’s the best work I’ve seen of David O. Russell, while Cooper (surprisingly), Lawrence and the rest of the cast are on great form. Mental illness is approached as something extremely harmful to relationships, little understood...
4 tags
301. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
I was looking forward to this after hearing good things about it from Mark Kermode for years, and I’m glad to say that it had a profound effect on me. It’s so horrifying, tense, bizarre and unconventional I’m surprised more noise isn’t made about it. It’s remarkable how it can instil so much fear in me and shock me with barely any blood or gore, it’s a testament...
5 tags
300. The Shining (2nd Viewing)
I had the pleasure of seeing a re-release of Kubrick’s classic at my local cinema, and the astounding sound and visuals make it an experience I highly recommend. I still have slight problems with the movie, but they are overcome with some excellent scenes and a cinematography that few movies can compete with. It’s also worth noting how much can be read into it, with interpretations...
4 tags
299. Aguirre, Wrath Of God
The full effect of the movie took an hour or two to sink in, but once it did I have great admiration for it. I’m a little concerned about the treatment of animals during the production, though as far as the movie is concerned that only enhanced my emotional response to the slow and fruitless journey into the heart of darkness. Francis Ford Copolla was apparently influenced by this movie in...
6 tags
298. Despicable Me
If I hadn’t had this praised by so many people I know I would have been really surprised by its quality. The voice acting is distracting for the most part, and the humour doesn’t always quite work, but it’s funny enough to be a pleasant watch. When I really think about it, I don’t remember much about it other than the little girl being cute (not quite to Boo or Setsuko...
5 tags
297. There Will Be Blood (2nd Viewing)
I can barely explain this film, it’s just so perfectly composed. Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction and writing, Daniel Day-Lewis’ acting and Jonny Greenwood’s music is all on top form; an expert collaboration that feels so chaotic and yet so driven. It’s such an experience that it feels pointless to give a plot synopsis, or describe why it’s so good other than to...
6 tags
296. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (3rd Viewing)
I’ll admit that this and Aliens are the only Cameron movies that I like, and though I used to love this movie it has far less of an effect on me now. The blending of horror, humour and above all action is a skill Cameron should put to use more often (instead of pandering to audience wants), and it’s nice to see a movie where a father-son relationship between a boy and a killer robot...
