Netflix is really putting out some shite for Christmas this year
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
- Thread starter golden_blunder
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You seen the series? Unfortunately cancelled after 2 very good (imo) seasons.
Season 1 was excellent, some of the best TV I have watched, loved the way the worked in some of the film, season 2 was just meh.
Elephant Song (2014)
A psychiatrist is drawn into a complex mind game when he questions a disturbed patient about the disappearance of a colleague.
I enjoyed this, although it's quite a sad film. Xavier Dolan was very good in it.
8/10
A psychiatrist is drawn into a complex mind game when he questions a disturbed patient about the disappearance of a colleague.
I enjoyed this, although it's quite a sad film. Xavier Dolan was very good in it.
8/10
Attack the Block (2011)
It's been years since I saw this excellent piece of British filmmaking and even though I've seen it before, I found myself just as gripped as the first time I watched it. Brilliantly cast and brilliantly executed, this low-key horror-comedy with blockbuster aspirations just delivers on every level. In one of his early roles, a young John Boyega portrays the anti-hero in a South London block of flats suddenly overrun by a bunch of not so pleasant aliens. Assisted by his band of hoodlums and with only his streetsmarts to keep him one step ahead of the game, he somehow manages to negotiate an action packed and thoroughly engaging 90 minutes of mayhem and carnage as the villain becomes the hero, the boy becomes the man. The tables are soon turned as the hunter becomes the hunted and this is where the film excels as it peels away the different layers of the complex relationships intertwined within inner city life. The film covers the character's redemption without going over the top and the body count is just right. Whoever cast the kids in this film deserve an Oscar because they were absolutely brilliant and probably elevated the film to a level that perhaps even the producer didn't expect when s/he started the project. I wonder what the North American audiences would make of it but for me it's one the films I've enjoyed the most this year.
I'm giving this a 9/10.
It's been years since I saw this excellent piece of British filmmaking and even though I've seen it before, I found myself just as gripped as the first time I watched it. Brilliantly cast and brilliantly executed, this low-key horror-comedy with blockbuster aspirations just delivers on every level. In one of his early roles, a young John Boyega portrays the anti-hero in a South London block of flats suddenly overrun by a bunch of not so pleasant aliens. Assisted by his band of hoodlums and with only his streetsmarts to keep him one step ahead of the game, he somehow manages to negotiate an action packed and thoroughly engaging 90 minutes of mayhem and carnage as the villain becomes the hero, the boy becomes the man. The tables are soon turned as the hunter becomes the hunted and this is where the film excels as it peels away the different layers of the complex relationships intertwined within inner city life. The film covers the character's redemption without going over the top and the body count is just right. Whoever cast the kids in this film deserve an Oscar because they were absolutely brilliant and probably elevated the film to a level that perhaps even the producer didn't expect when s/he started the project. I wonder what the North American audiences would make of it but for me it's one the films I've enjoyed the most this year.
I'm giving this a 9/10.
Moving On (2019) - Enjoyed this with a few caveats.
It's a slow drama about a Korean family who move into their ageing father's house and decide to sell it. The story revolves around the eldest daughter, Ok-ju, who's at a crossroads in life, somewhere between oldest sibling maturity and classic teenage angst.
There's not a lot of action as it's basically a subtle portrait of a family suffering from the tribulations that come with every family. Ok-ju goes through the film learning to begrudgingly accept that the things happening aren't as abnormal as she thinks. It's very coming-of-age in that respect.
If I'm being harsh, I found it maybe a little too subtle. It likes to drive the story through piecemeal moments - scenes like people eating dinner and having arguments on the top floor landing. It didn't always draw me into their internal worlds and they always felt a little distant.
3/5.
It's a slow drama about a Korean family who move into their ageing father's house and decide to sell it. The story revolves around the eldest daughter, Ok-ju, who's at a crossroads in life, somewhere between oldest sibling maturity and classic teenage angst.
There's not a lot of action as it's basically a subtle portrait of a family suffering from the tribulations that come with every family. Ok-ju goes through the film learning to begrudgingly accept that the things happening aren't as abnormal as she thinks. It's very coming-of-age in that respect.
If I'm being harsh, I found it maybe a little too subtle. It likes to drive the story through piecemeal moments - scenes like people eating dinner and having arguments on the top floor landing. It didn't always draw me into their internal worlds and they always felt a little distant.
3/5.
Worth. A new Netflix film starring Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan, and Stanley Tucci about the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
After the event, the US government was worried that survivors and the families of those that died would sue airline companies for compensation (apparently that could have been successful), putting a number of them out of business and crippling the US economy. Therefore, they set up a government to pay out people, and lawyer Ken Feinberg was in charge of the fund. The film follows him as he tries to get things done within the timeframe and rules given to him - with obviously a heavy focus on the question of what's fair when determining what a person's lost life is 'worth'.
Given the theme, it's often a pretty emotional film; they tell a lot of personal stories of 9/11 victims (not sure if those are all real, but the overall story is). But I think it's very well done, I really liked it (insofar as 'like' is a good word for a film like this). I wouldn't say it's a brilliant film, but it was a really good watch, well paced, well acted, well told.
After the event, the US government was worried that survivors and the families of those that died would sue airline companies for compensation (apparently that could have been successful), putting a number of them out of business and crippling the US economy. Therefore, they set up a government to pay out people, and lawyer Ken Feinberg was in charge of the fund. The film follows him as he tries to get things done within the timeframe and rules given to him - with obviously a heavy focus on the question of what's fair when determining what a person's lost life is 'worth'.
Given the theme, it's often a pretty emotional film; they tell a lot of personal stories of 9/11 victims (not sure if those are all real, but the overall story is). But I think it's very well done, I really liked it (insofar as 'like' is a good word for a film like this). I wouldn't say it's a brilliant film, but it was a really good watch, well paced, well acted, well told.
I saw this recently. Really good. Micheal Keaton is always excellent and I liked that it was a different angle to most 9/11 movies.
Yeah, 9/11 was almost just like a good context to bring up the issue.
Michael Keaton has been enjoying a kind of renaissance, hasn't he. I can't say I remember much from him from the 90s or 2000s, but more recent roles like Birdman, The Founder, and now this have all been excellent, in good films.
Finch Tom hanks is Tom Hanks ft. cute dog and funny robot = how can it possibly not be an eminently watchable but instantly forgettable film
The Exorcist 3
A police Lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward..
I skipped 2 because it is a complete bag of shite.
This is the sequel the original film should have had.
Its not perfect, but it has its moments.
7/10
A police Lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased Gemini serial killer, leads him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward..
I skipped 2 because it is a complete bag of shite.
This is the sequel the original film should have had.
Its not perfect, but it has its moments.
7/10
Zola | A24 Film
I really wanted to see this. I love A24 films - they've distributed many of my favorite movies of the last 8-9 years (Florida Project, Climax, Under the Silver Lake, Mid90s, Eighth Grade, Midsommer, The Lighthouse, American Honey, Moonlight and a ton more). I followed the original Zola twitter thread when it first came out. I like Riley Keogh and a handful of the other actors in this. But it quickly became my least favorite A24 movie. It narrates the entire twitter thread word for word and offers little more than a low-budget style docu-drama recreation of each scene. I wasn't expecting Florida Project or Climax quality but at least I thought I'd get something as entertaining as The Bling Ring or Spring Breakers. But nope. Reading the original twitter thread is more entertaining than spending an hour and a half on this garbage.
3/10
I really wanted to see this. I love A24 films - they've distributed many of my favorite movies of the last 8-9 years (Florida Project, Climax, Under the Silver Lake, Mid90s, Eighth Grade, Midsommer, The Lighthouse, American Honey, Moonlight and a ton more). I followed the original Zola twitter thread when it first came out. I like Riley Keogh and a handful of the other actors in this. But it quickly became my least favorite A24 movie. It narrates the entire twitter thread word for word and offers little more than a low-budget style docu-drama recreation of each scene. I wasn't expecting Florida Project or Climax quality but at least I thought I'd get something as entertaining as The Bling Ring or Spring Breakers. But nope. Reading the original twitter thread is more entertaining than spending an hour and a half on this garbage.
3/10
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Hadn't heard of this, but yeah in general A24 films are excellent
Bad Genius
It's the first Thai film I've seen. It got hyped up by a YouTube creator who "specialises" in Asian cinema so I had high expectations going in.
It's a fun concept and it manages to create a great deal of tension at times, but overall it's a pretty average film. You have to suspend your disbelief a lot and the acting isn't very good. Oh, and if you thought the foreign actors in Squid Game were bad just wait until you see the foreign actors in this one. There's one guy in particular who's so bad that I couldn't stop laughing. It's especially fun because he takes the role so seriously and his scenes are supposed to be super intense.
It's the first Thai film I've seen. It got hyped up by a YouTube creator who "specialises" in Asian cinema so I had high expectations going in.
It's a fun concept and it manages to create a great deal of tension at times, but overall it's a pretty average film. You have to suspend your disbelief a lot and the acting isn't very good. Oh, and if you thought the foreign actors in Squid Game were bad just wait until you see the foreign actors in this one. There's one guy in particular who's so bad that I couldn't stop laughing. It's especially fun because he takes the role so seriously and his scenes are supposed to be super intense.
I saw this the other day and thought it was great overall. Thought Norton was great too. Although I feel the underlying mystery wasn’t as deep as it could / should have been? Otherwise I really enjoyed it. The cast was excellent.
Yeah!
I'm not sure what you with deep, but if in the sense of 'consequential' - I agree. In the end, all we have is one count of corruption by a minor character and some moral issues. A bit of an anticlimax.
Oh man I'm with you I HATED this film.
Do yourself a favor and "unhear" your awareness of that movie
Yea, I was being generous with a 3 mostly because I like some of the actors.
If you like Michael Keaton, check out ‘Dopesick’ on Hulu.
Don't have Hulu but I'll look for it. Thanks!
Yea that’s what I’m getting at. The actual underlying mystery didn’t have enough depth or gravitas for me. But overall, I loved the style of the movie. The aesthetic, music, acting was all top notch. I’m surprised it only got in the high 60s % wise on Rotten Tomatoes.
Watched Once Upon A Time In America again last night. Obviously one of the great movies, despite some seriously dodgy acting from the kids. That section is definitely the most interesting and evocative though:
Anyway the acting really doesn’t matter it’s just such a beautiful and atmospheric movie:
Anyway the acting really doesn’t matter it’s just such a beautiful and atmospheric movie:
De père en flic (Fathers and Guns). A Quebec comedy in which feuding father and son police officers are forced to re-evaluate their relationship when they are paired up on an undercover assignment in a father-son adventure therapy camp. (Summary shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia.)
It's ok. Not as good as Menteur (Compulsive Liar), a more recent film by the same director, and it takes a while before it gets funny; but then it works. Especially Louis-José Houde's little monologues are funny (but not sure how they'd come across if you don't get the French). Surprised to see that this is apparently "highest-grossing French-language film in Canadian history", but eh.
It's ok. Not as good as Menteur (Compulsive Liar), a more recent film by the same director, and it takes a while before it gets funny; but then it works. Especially Louis-José Houde's little monologues are funny (but not sure how they'd come across if you don't get the French). Surprised to see that this is apparently "highest-grossing French-language film in Canadian history", but eh.
Totally agree on all of that!
Fitch Tom Hanks is a likeable as ever and the dog and robot are terrific. Charming and well worth a watch but where this film falls down is that it constantly reminds you of various other post-apocalyptic movies and does nothing original or interesting in the main. 6.5/10
Double Jeopardy - 1999
A woman framed for her husband's murder suspects he is still alive; as she has already been tried for the crime, she can't be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills him.
Great cast with Tommy Lee jones and Ashley Judd and a pretty decent film. Had never seen it until last night and even though a slow start it builds up to a great finish. Not too many twists but the overall premise of the film is very good.
8/10
A woman framed for her husband's murder suspects he is still alive; as she has already been tried for the crime, she can't be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills him.
Great cast with Tommy Lee jones and Ashley Judd and a pretty decent film. Had never seen it until last night and even though a slow start it builds up to a great finish. Not too many twists but the overall premise of the film is very good.
8/10
I'd like to check out both of these. Wonder where they are available?
"Ashley Judd in peril" movies were a genre of their own. It was a Hollywood gag.
Come Play
The parents of an autistic child have to protect him from Larry, a demon that manifests through screens. I enjoyed the short film this was based off of and always wanted to see a film that tackles the themes of loneliness and screen-time. I wondered why this hadn't been done before and now I have my answer. Technology + Supernatural = Bullshit. Maybe it's because supernatural is meant to be otherworldly and technology is man-made, there just is a disconnect between the two... especially newer technology, which this film relies on.
Whilst I was interested in the concept and there were some neat scare tactics peppered throughout, this film lacked originality. A lot of the big moments are taken from other films/short films and it has that old cliche of stupid characters doing stupid things to move the plot forward. That's ok in the 90s but not in this day and age. Example: The parents refuse to believe the child when he says he's seeing a monster. Then the mother experiences it and tells the dad how the lights on the screens all go nuts and a monster comes. He tells her she needs more sleep. Then this exact thing happens to him and he thinks it's just the wind etc etc...
There is a good movie in here somewhere, just needed a few re-writes to actually make the narrative flow organically 5/10
The parents of an autistic child have to protect him from Larry, a demon that manifests through screens. I enjoyed the short film this was based off of and always wanted to see a film that tackles the themes of loneliness and screen-time. I wondered why this hadn't been done before and now I have my answer. Technology + Supernatural = Bullshit. Maybe it's because supernatural is meant to be otherworldly and technology is man-made, there just is a disconnect between the two... especially newer technology, which this film relies on.
Whilst I was interested in the concept and there were some neat scare tactics peppered throughout, this film lacked originality. A lot of the big moments are taken from other films/short films and it has that old cliche of stupid characters doing stupid things to move the plot forward. That's ok in the 90s but not in this day and age. Example: The parents refuse to believe the child when he says he's seeing a monster. Then the mother experiences it and tells the dad how the lights on the screens all go nuts and a monster comes. He tells her she needs more sleep. Then this exact thing happens to him and he thinks it's just the wind etc etc...
There is a good movie in here somewhere, just needed a few re-writes to actually make the narrative flow organically 5/10
Here in Canada, Netflix added a dozen or so of Quebec comedies recently. That's what we've been going through and I still got a couple on my list. It's good for me - in general it's a sense of humor that works for me. Where are you located?
Your mum's chest hair.
Mosul. A 2019 Netflix action thriller about a SWAT unit in Mosul that does its own mission, fighting ISI during the 2016 Battle of Mosul. American-produced, but all acting is done by people of Iraqi or nearby origin, and all dialogue is in Arabic.
It's a very gritty and tense film, where stress, destruction, and death are everywhere. At the same time, various key moments show the ambiguity of characters and situations (e.g., these hardened, cynical fighters taking a lot of time in a potentially dangerous spot to save a child), and particularities of the Iraqi context. I really liked it. It's well acted, some good shots, and does a good job of showing the physical, social, and psychological damage this war brought, both to people and the city of Mosul. Reviews I read mentioned that the film uses too many tropes (like typical urban warzone scenes), but I didn't notice that. I'd really recommend this.
It's a very gritty and tense film, where stress, destruction, and death are everywhere. At the same time, various key moments show the ambiguity of characters and situations (e.g., these hardened, cynical fighters taking a lot of time in a potentially dangerous spot to save a child), and particularities of the Iraqi context. I really liked it. It's well acted, some good shots, and does a good job of showing the physical, social, and psychological damage this war brought, both to people and the city of Mosul. Reviews I read mentioned that the film uses too many tropes (like typical urban warzone scenes), but I didn't notice that. I'd really recommend this.
Erm. I won't judge. Whatever floats your boat dude!
Sad you haven't seen Mean Girls.
I guess.
I'd probably give it a 7/10, but agreed, a good film. It is also on My4 right now for free if anyone is in the UK:
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/attack-the-block
UK, but I have a VPN…