This movie got a lot of hate from people I know but I loved it. Thought Tommy Lee Jones was superb too. It’s a really nice novel take on the Heart of Darkness trope.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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Definitely, given how short a time he had on screen TLJ was great.
Lair
A fractured family are forced to face their demons, metaphorically and literally, as they unwittingly become embroiled in a man's attempt to prove the existence of the supernatural in order to overturn a friend's murder conviction.
It has its faults, but the story was decent, but I wanted more from it.
The ending was disappointing.
4/10
A fractured family are forced to face their demons, metaphorically and literally, as they unwittingly become embroiled in a man's attempt to prove the existence of the supernatural in order to overturn a friend's murder conviction.
It has its faults, but the story was decent, but I wanted more from it.
The ending was disappointing.
4/10
Really enjoyed the first half and just when I expected it to get better it went nowhere and took forever to get there. Which was a shame.
One of my all time favourite films. Apparantly it costs an absolute bomb to use those ships which contributed to the decision not to make a sequel. I should really read the books.
I really enjoyed that. Loved the setup. Not sure it holds up now but I see it at the cinema knowing nothing about it and had a blast.
Finch
As a post-apocalyptic movie I enjoyed it, but to be honest I won't watch it again.
The story is depressing and there's no perspective. Is there a hidden message or a deeper meaning? Protect the ones and things you love (in this case the dog) at all costs as that makes us human?
The rocky relationship between Finch and the machine at the start of the movie is kinda hard to watch and quite unfair to the machine. Later in the movie the relationship improves, but then Finch dies, what the heck?
The movie mentions other people scavaging for food and surviving, but, apart of the car chase-scene, I haven't seen a single living person apart from Finch.
There are many things unexplained. Unfortunately, I don't think there will be a sequel.
Score: 7,5
As a post-apocalyptic movie I enjoyed it, but to be honest I won't watch it again.
The story is depressing and there's no perspective. Is there a hidden message or a deeper meaning? Protect the ones and things you love (in this case the dog) at all costs as that makes us human?
The rocky relationship between Finch and the machine at the start of the movie is kinda hard to watch and quite unfair to the machine. Later in the movie the relationship improves, but then Finch dies, what the heck?
The movie mentions other people scavaging for food and surviving, but, apart of the car chase-scene, I haven't seen a single living person apart from Finch.
There are many things unexplained. Unfortunately, I don't think there will be a sequel.
Score: 7,5
We could do with this sort of radical and punchy storytelling on a number of overlong and unnecessarily complicated films over the last few decades....
The Sting (1973)
The Real FBI agents were outside the building and arrested all the miscreants as they tried to leave. All received fair prison sentences and the seized money was redistributed to gambling charities and a shelter for retired racing horses.
Pah, India has been doing shit like this for decades.
84 Charing Cross Road. A struggling New York author (Anne Bancroft) contacts a London bookstore by letter in the late 40s to find some second-hand books. A correspondence that last two decades follows, in which the bookstores employees (first just one (Anthony Hopkins; Judy Dench plays his wife), then the others also) correspond with the author and they become good friends. There are a few other developments that I won't spoil here, but that's the plot really. Oh, it's all based on true events - this author really corresponded with that bookstore, etc.
And yes, that's it. There is no more story, and barely anything else to say. So no, it's not an action film, there is no mystery, there is also very little drama (until near the end). It's just an extremely calm and friendly film (and fairly short) about people bonding over books and life through letters. I enjoyed it, but you should really head into this in the right state of mind, otherwise it'll just be a huge bore.
I'm not sure what this film's genre really is, but I'd give it a 7/10 in there. It's rather nice, but I think a bit too 'nothing-y' for a higher rating.
And yes, that's it. There is no more story, and barely anything else to say. So no, it's not an action film, there is no mystery, there is also very little drama (until near the end). It's just an extremely calm and friendly film (and fairly short) about people bonding over books and life through letters. I enjoyed it, but you should really head into this in the right state of mind, otherwise it'll just be a huge bore.
I'm not sure what this film's genre really is, but I'd give it a 7/10 in there. It's rather nice, but I think a bit too 'nothing-y' for a higher rating.
The one and only
On another note, can anyone recommend any good vlogs about filmmaking? I am thinking about something in the style of Every Frame A Painting on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFqcJQXGZ6T6sxyFB-5i6A
I really love that channel - it has given me in a lot of insights into what to look for in films from a really visual perspective. They have stopped making new videos so I would love to find something similar, but no luck so far.
To be clear: I am not as interested in deep analyses of single films, that's a different perspective.
(Also-also: I am aware of Nerdwriter, but I don't like that one (too full of himself for me), and I also don't like videos in which the narration is heavily edited so that the speech flow becomes unnatural. It irritates me.)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjFqcJQXGZ6T6sxyFB-5i6A
I really love that channel - it has given me in a lot of insights into what to look for in films from a really visual perspective. They have stopped making new videos so I would love to find something similar, but no luck so far.
To be clear: I am not as interested in deep analyses of single films, that's a different perspective.
(Also-also: I am aware of Nerdwriter, but I don't like that one (too full of himself for me), and I also don't like videos in which the narration is heavily edited so that the speech flow becomes unnatural. It irritates me.)
Thanks, I'll check it!
Btw, for anyone that also liked Every Frame A Painting, the people behind it (Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos; they explain how they made it here) have also contributed to Voir, a new Netflix series in which every episode discusses a certain film or an aspect of cinema.
Downton Abbey. The 2019 film. Well, 'film'. It's about a royal visit and an excellent addition to the series, with all the usual characters, storylines, machinations, and overall feelgood atmosphere. Like one of their holiday specials, but distributed in cinemas. And that's where it goes wrong, cause this is nonsense as a film. There are no stakes, a very thin story, and I imagine this is completely impenetrable for people that have not seen the series because of the few dozen characters you're supposed to know already. And I read there's another film coming out soon - so why didn't they just do another season and work out all these plotlines properly?
Anyway, a great watch for Downton fans, but anyone new to the series should probably just start in season 1, or watch another feelgood period drama instead.
Anyway, a great watch for Downton fans, but anyone new to the series should probably just start in season 1, or watch another feelgood period drama instead.
The film is an amalgam of several of O'Brien's books. The Acheron in the film was based on an American ship in the book and the enemy was the fledgling United States Navy. It's been years since I read any of the Aubrey books (I was at school at the time) but at the time, I liked the Hornblower books better.
Recently rewatched the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy. Didn’t seem to fully appreciate them first time around but thoroughly enjoyed them.
Watched the lot over the course of a week and was left wanting more - not often I say that after three movies.
The way they did Caesar is incredible. Poignant in parts, some terrific scenes, excellent soundtrack too. Well worth a first or repeat viewing.
Watched the lot over the course of a week and was left wanting more - not often I say that after three movies.
The way they did Caesar is incredible. Poignant in parts, some terrific scenes, excellent soundtrack too. Well worth a first or repeat viewing.
Westworld
It was on BBC tonight thought I would watch, 49 years old, stood the test of time very well I though.
Strange, I enjoyed it more than ever this time, 9 years since I last watched i, gave it a 7 then, going to up it.
8/10
It was on BBC tonight thought I would watch, 49 years old, stood the test of time very well I though.
Strange, I enjoyed it more than ever this time, 9 years since I last watched i, gave it a 7 then, going to up it.
8/10
Stopped watching Don't look up after the first15 minutes. The president scene was the last nail in the coffin.
0/5
0/5
A little in-joke between me and the wife is that we refer to this film as "Dad Astra".
The first two thirds of the film are brilliant. The depiction of space and off-Earth is great. But, the final third really felt flat to the both of us. I didn't really enjoy the last third of the film and it just petered out for me, which was a shame as I was loving it up until that point.
A little in-joke between me and the wife is that we refer to this film as "Dad Astra".
The first two thirds of the film are brilliant. The depiction of space and off-Earth is great. But, the final third really felt flat to the both of us. I didn't really enjoy the last third of the film and it just petered out for me, which was a shame as I was loving it up until that point.
Agreed. Fell off a cliff.
Gunpowder Milkshake. Both fun and crap. It's basically a variant of John Wick, where the criminal underworld has an entire parallel society with its own institutions, and you don't really see the 'normal' world at all. Except this film has a lot more humour, and the good side (the three main characters and three people helping them) consists of all women, while the bad side are all men. That's a nice touch for a change.
Kinda as with John Wick, the story is a mix of revenge and evading getting killed by small armies sent by underground bosses because of some weird mix-up. This is also a very stylish film in terms of colours, camera angles, shots, and so on. And of course there is a ton of gratuitous violence and a good few cool fight scenes.
So that's the fun part (if you're into that sort of thing), but it's all very unbalanced. The big shoot-out with some tension comes about half an hour before the end, and the rest just features the main characters breezing through what also could have been be tense action scenes. The pacing is also off, as quick action sequences are followed by slow scenes that take too long and add little. Further, some stylistic touches don't work at all, such as music fading in and out at (what I thought were) the wrong moments, and slow-mos at weird moments.
So: fun, but also crap. Fine if you're in for stylish violence and have low expectations. 5.5/10?
Kinda as with John Wick, the story is a mix of revenge and evading getting killed by small armies sent by underground bosses because of some weird mix-up. This is also a very stylish film in terms of colours, camera angles, shots, and so on. And of course there is a ton of gratuitous violence and a good few cool fight scenes.
So that's the fun part (if you're into that sort of thing), but it's all very unbalanced. The big shoot-out with some tension comes about half an hour before the end, and the rest just features the main characters breezing through what also could have been be tense action scenes. The pacing is also off, as quick action sequences are followed by slow scenes that take too long and add little. Further, some stylistic touches don't work at all, such as music fading in and out at (what I thought were) the wrong moments, and slow-mos at weird moments.
So: fun, but also crap. Fine if you're in for stylish violence and have low expectations. 5.5/10?
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Regarding the bolded part, he has that 'breathy' dramatic delivery.
Maybe this fellow?
https://www.youtube.com/c/LessonsfromtheScreenplay
I thought it was rubbish. I couldn’t figure out what all the hype was about.
Watched a few movies on the plane recently so here are my quick reviews:
Shang chi and the ten rings:
I thought it was ok, nothing special but decent enough to pass the time. Did not like the main actors performance, thought it was incredibly one note. 5.5/10
Drive my car:
A japanese film based on a Murakami novel apparently. Strong acting and the cinematography and directing I quite liked. The plot wasn't the greatest but it's meant to be an emo vibe thing and i think it suceeded. 7/10
9 days:
An interesting movie where a guy is selecting souls to inhabit a body and asks them questions about life and stuff to pick a winner. They kind of attempt to break down parts of a persons personality into individuals so you have the cynic, the do gooder, the anxious one etc Decent acting but fell a little flat for me for some reason. 6/10
Fortune favors Lady Nikuko:
Very ghibli esque. Story is about a girl being raised by a single mom in a small japanese town by the ocean. She has to deal with growing up, her mothers issues, school, puberty etc. Really beautifully animated and some laugh out loud and tears fall down your face moments. Loved it, highly recommend. 8.5/10
Shang chi and the ten rings:
I thought it was ok, nothing special but decent enough to pass the time. Did not like the main actors performance, thought it was incredibly one note. 5.5/10
Drive my car:
A japanese film based on a Murakami novel apparently. Strong acting and the cinematography and directing I quite liked. The plot wasn't the greatest but it's meant to be an emo vibe thing and i think it suceeded. 7/10
9 days:
An interesting movie where a guy is selecting souls to inhabit a body and asks them questions about life and stuff to pick a winner. They kind of attempt to break down parts of a persons personality into individuals so you have the cynic, the do gooder, the anxious one etc Decent acting but fell a little flat for me for some reason. 6/10
Fortune favors Lady Nikuko:
Very ghibli esque. Story is about a girl being raised by a single mom in a small japanese town by the ocean. She has to deal with growing up, her mothers issues, school, puberty etc. Really beautifully animated and some laugh out loud and tears fall down your face moments. Loved it, highly recommend. 8.5/10
Same for me! During the vomit scene. By then, I was ready to vomit, too!
These are not scientists and this is not how science works. The whole thing (at least the 15 minutes or so that I watched) was completely stupid, just trying to "impress" us with each implausible scene. Calculations on the blackboard? Really? Everyone uses software today. Finding zero on the blackboard, after (silly) calculations, what a shock! The army wanted to transport them to DC or someplace and they used a huge plane for two people? And no other scientific team in the world was verifying or cross checking anything before informing the president?
I wonder why Hollywood does not hire a couple of PhD students to serve as "consultants" for each movie. It would be cheap. And they'd help construct a realistic depiction of the scientific world. Most of the time this would improve their movies.
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A Hero (2021)
Iranian movie, available on Amazon Prime in the US. About social situations, misunderstandings, bad luck, and bureaucracy. I recommend the movie, it is very good in my opinion. The main character Rahim is very likable. The story has some plot holes, but it is interesting. A surprise for me was that Rahim seemed to be more worried about "his honor" than about going to prison. No happy ending, but it is not a dark movie.
8/10
Iranian movie, available on Amazon Prime in the US. About social situations, misunderstandings, bad luck, and bureaucracy. I recommend the movie, it is very good in my opinion. The main character Rahim is very likable. The story has some plot holes, but it is interesting. A surprise for me was that Rahim seemed to be more worried about "his honor" than about going to prison. No happy ending, but it is not a dark movie.
8/10
Tragedy of Macbeth was pretty good. Incredibly beautiful as well.
8/10
8/10
Yeah good points. The chalkboard thingy was the first hit. During the stupid annoying scene where the main characters call their friends / families after hanging outside the Oval Office for hours I thought I'll give this movie 1 more chance. It was blown in the next 20 seconds xD
Looks interesting - I'll check it out!
Yeah, I also expected much more given the high praise it got. Instead, it's like a Top Gun for snipers - but without the dramatic arch and an anti-ending.
Tbh I haven't seen the film yet but isn't it a satire on our failure to face climate change ?
If I was to guess, the using a huge plane to transport two people scene is mostly a joke. Although it's really not far from reality
Starting to come around to the idea that the star wars prequels are the best ones.
Dune. The Villeneuve one. I had been looking forward to do this a lot, so naturally I'm a bit disappointed. 
It looks fantastic of course, and I like how it's uncompromising in its art; there is no hurry to get to the next action scene or anything like that, it takes its time to let everything play out patiently. I suppose it also does justice to the story, although it's been a few decades since I read the book and I really don't remember much of it.
But I felt the film lacks the narrative, intellectual, or emotional depth that its slow pace and style suggest. As presented, it's really a rather straightforward story, and Villeneuve is never very good in the emotional side (at least not in his films that I've seen, except Incendies). So I feel the film can't really support its own suggested weight, and hence drags on a bit.
Still, I'm happy I saw this. You can trust Villeneuve to make a sci-fi epic that feels leisurely and majestic, and not like just another wild blockbuster. And I'm really looking forward to part 2, which I'd expect to be a lot less bleak!
It looks fantastic of course, and I like how it's uncompromising in its art; there is no hurry to get to the next action scene or anything like that, it takes its time to let everything play out patiently. I suppose it also does justice to the story, although it's been a few decades since I read the book and I really don't remember much of it.But I felt the film lacks the narrative, intellectual, or emotional depth that its slow pace and style suggest. As presented, it's really a rather straightforward story, and Villeneuve is never very good in the emotional side (at least not in his films that I've seen, except Incendies). So I feel the film can't really support its own suggested weight, and hence drags on a bit.
Still, I'm happy I saw this. You can trust Villeneuve to make a sci-fi epic that feels leisurely and majestic, and not like just another wild blockbuster. And I'm really looking forward to part 2, which I'd expect to be a lot less bleak!
Dune. The Villeneuve one. I had been looking forward to do this a lot, so naturally I'm a bit disappointed.
But I felt the film lacks the narrative, intellectual, or emotional depth that its slow pace and style suggest. As presented, it's really a rather straightforward story, and Villeneuve is never very good in the emotional side (at least not in his films that I've seen, except Incendies). So I feel the film can't really support its own suggested weight, and hence drags on a bit.
Still, I'm happy I saw this. You can trust Villeneuve to make a sci-fi epic that feels leisurely and majestic, and not like just another wild blockbuster. And I'm really looking forward to part 2, which I'd expect to be a lot less bleak!
Agreed about being a bit underwhelming. As for the bolded bit I though Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 have very satisfyingly emotional endings.
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Yeah, I agree, the emotional depth is there; Bladerunner has other emotional moments too. Maybe I should have phrase this better.
I think Villeneuve has a rather clinical style (which I otherwise love visually) and has fairly anonymous-sounding soundtracks, which together don't really make those moments come out very well, I find. For instance, I think a key part of the emotional aspects of the ending in Bladerunner was the reuse of Vangelis's Tears in Rain music - while the rest of the 2049 soundtrack was nothing like that in terms of its feel. In Dune, there is less emotional depth, and so combined with Villeneuve's style, I feel the whole film is a little flat in that respect.
I do think the Dune soundtrack was a lot more interesting that the Bladerunner 2049 soundtrack actually. Both done by Zimmer, but there was more identity and less bombast in the Dune one; sometimes it actually distinctly reminded of Vangelis in some of its melodic touches.
Bad Guy. Movie by Korean filmmaker Kim Ki Duk, about a guy who forces a woman into prostitution. The characters and events are all completely dislikeable but somehow it gets you to go from absolutely hating them to sympathising with them. The whole thing is akin to an experiment in stockholm syndrome, replicated at viewer level in a way that just screams Michael Haneke. At its root I think is a message about how systematic abuse of power damages people. It's also unclear what's real and what's not - though being a film it could be argued it's all a dream. Is that too meta? 3/5
A scumbag of the highest order.
Yeah I read about that yesterday... horrible. Some reviews suggested the film was partly autobiographical based on the themes.
Great filmmaker mind.
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