Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

I've been busy as well lately, although mostly light stuff.

Christmas As Usual is a Norwegian Christmas film about a woman who's living in the US and brings her Indian (i.e.,.from India) fiancee home for Christmas. Cultural misunderstandings, embarrassing situations, and a lot of bigotry ensue. I'm tired of those clichés and the irritating characters they require. The few good jokes from the Indian dude didn't save this. 1/5

Single All The Way is a Canadian film that goes the opposite way. The main characters are all gay and it's for once not an issue at all; the story is just about their search for love when Christmas displaces a guy and his best friend from Los Angeles to the former's family home in New Hampshire. All characters (well, maybe not so much that one aunt) were also nice people, which is a plaesant change. 3/5

Then two Colin Firth movies. The Accidental Husband is about a random dude who's pissed off at a radio host (Umma Thurman) that unwittingly convinced his fiancee to break up with him, so as one does, he takes revenge on her by using a hacker to fake their marriage certificate and thus get in the way of her marriage (with Colin Firth) as well. They then have to fix the mess together and of course romantic complications follow. Far-fetched, not very funny, and severely lacking chemistry. 2/5

In What A Girl Wants, Colin Firth is an English nobleman and politician who finds out that he has a daughter with an American woman when she comes to visit him (aged 17) out of the blue. She messes up his life, he tries to make her fit into his world, and so on. Fun nonsense if you switch your teenage mind on. 3/5

In Just Like Heaven, Reese Witherspoon is a doctor that doesn't realize she died as she appears as a ghost in her old apartment, which is now inhabited by Mark Ruffalo who's fighting off his own trauma. It's very sweet stuff, but it's got some nice drama and bite here and there, and I enjoyed it. 3/5

Finally, Family is a 2018 supposed comedy that's more of a drama really. An ambitious but socially blind businesswoman has to take care of her socially isolated niece for a week. Everything goes wrong and yet right, they bond yet fall out, and somehow the Insane Clown Posse and their Juggalo fans save everything. Yes, it's weird, and very rarely funny. Unfortunately, the drama isn't good either. 1/5

Much better and much more worth anyone's time: Psychokinesis. A 2018 South Korean superhero action comedy by Yeon Sang-ho, in which an estranged dad whose life is a sad mess somehow obtains telekinetic powers, and then gets involved in a company's violent attempt to evict his daughter and her neighbours from their shops and restaurants. It's a nice take on superhero films in which nothing is shiny, cool, or smoothly done and the action is fun. 4/5 (A superhero movie you might actually enjoy, @Sweet Square. They're even fighting capitalistic bullies to protect the common (wo)man!)

And then, Barbie. I was a little disappointed actually, after all the raving reviews I had read - but that's probably just because I had built it up too much in my mind. (And maybe also because I don't know Barbie much, so I probably missed about 95% of the kind of references that I mostly did get in The Lego Movie.) Either way, it's a strong parody which is stylistically close to perfect (and so much to see!), features some good acting and camerawork, and really has something to say. Even Will Ferrell didn't irritate me this time (some feat!). Unfortunately, the message was mostly old hat for me, so that wasn't as interesting as I had hoped, although I promise that I will try and mansplain movies (and everything else) less to my wife from now on. (It held up quite a powerful mirror in that regard...) I wonder if we could have more blockbusters like this - but please don't milk the Barbieverse now. (That second Lego movie was also quite crap without its heart and message.) Anyway, 4/5.
 
Cheimoon said:
Much better and much more worth anyone's time: Psychokinesis. A 2018 South Korean superhero action comedy by Yeon Sang-ho, in which an estranged dad whose life is a sad mess somehow obtains telekinetic powers, and then gets involved in a company's violent attempt to evict his daughter and her neighbours from their shops and restaurants. It's a nice take on superhero films in which nothing is shiny, cool, or smoothly done and the action is fun. 4/5 (A superhero movie you might actually enjoy, @Sweet Square. They're even fighting capitalistic bullies to protect the common (wo)man!)
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Nice. Cheers for the recommendation. I’ll give this a watch.
 
Alek M said:
Scarface 5/10

i rewatched it over the holidays. Wow. This movie did not age well. Too long. Too boring to develop. His rise is taken for granted and all of a sudden he is the boss.
Great acting by Pacino but the plot is so meh.
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It's always been a boring overrated movie.
 
Sweet Square said:
Nice. Cheers for the recommendation. I’ll give this a watch.
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Let me know what you think when you get round to it.

Is there someone on the forum who speaks Korean btw? There is a news program somewhere with all those rolling texts at various corners of the screen. It's a fairly hilarious/ridiculous segment, so I'm curious what those rolling texts say.
 
What's your Top 10s of 2023?

(Or should that be a separate thread? Or is there already one?)
 
jderbyshire said:
What's your Top 10s of 2023?

(Or should that be a separate thread? Or is there already one?)
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10 top movies of 2023 may be difficult! In no order:

Oppenheimer
Super Mario
Across the spiderverse
Blackberry
Tetris
Dumb Money
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Air
Creed 3
Good Burger 2

Clutched at straws in the end. Maybe I’ve forgotten a bunch.

Not seen Killers of the flower Moon.
 
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The Boys in the Boat

Based on a true story from 1936 of the underdog eights rowing crew from University of Washington, Seattle, who bested more fancied elite college crews to represent USA at the Berlin Olympics and then beat Hitler's boys to the gold. A well-made feel good movie with interesting social context from the depression-era poverty in parts of the USA to the overbearing Nazi attempts to attain sports supremacy. 8/10
 
The Holdovers (2023).
With Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa.
Watched last night with the family. Stylistically this movie recreated the coming of age movies of the early 70s/late 60s, like Harold & Maude, The Graduate, Breaking Away, The Great Santini, etc. Used a squarer aspect ratio, gave it a grainy film stock look, zooms, camera movement, composition of shots, music, and so on. More importantly, it had a 1971 sensibility (not only set then) but the way the story slowly unfolds and we see this asshole teacher and feckup kid slowly reveal their inner selves (or however you want to phrase it). Pacing and plot points very unhurried. One or two really funny lines but definitely not a comedy. More slice of life than anything. Giamatti’s eye VFX to make him walleyed were distracting, this condition literally made no difference to the story (he also sweats profusely and stinks of fish because of a medical condition). In every way this would be like a movie from 1971 that had stayed hidden in someone’s garage. It won’t blow you away, the acting is decent but not showy/Oscar bait, the story has been done before. Quality production but just not very moving or engaging.
Decent but average 1971 Bildungsroman.
6.5 /10, D+/C-.
 
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Had a bit of a flurry of movies...

Groundhog Day - Never actually saw this movie despite hearing loads about it, and using the term 'Groundhog Day' many a time. Crazy how influential that this movie is given that's entered every day lexicon. Bill Murray plays a sarcastic, and deflated news reporter reporting on the Punxsutawney groundhog that predicts the winter. What ensues is that he relives this day, everyday until he eventually becomes appreciative of his job, life and the people in it (and falls for the lovely Andie Macdowell). The movie never explains the reason he relives the day, but it does throw up some interesting philosophical questions. If time wasn't a significant factor in pretty much every decision in our lives, would we as humans revert to grace and goodness? Because that's what happens to Bill Murray's character and how he gets out of the loop. He becomes a positive force for Punxsutawney, and tries to go out of his way to have a positive and happy impact in everyone he meets. Reading up on the movie, it's estimated he had to live that day for over 34 years (such is the time needed to become an expert in the various skills Bill Murray picks up by the end of the movie such as ice sculpting, piano etc). I really enjoyed the movie - had that early 90s charm and heart that's missing from movies nowadays. 8/10

Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse - sequel to the 2019 animated flick, and it was great. Didn't take itself too seriously, built on the world, lore, and characters from the first movie. The voice cast are all great, and some nice little tie ins with the wider Spiderman flicks over the years. There were some genuinely funny moments as well. It didn't make sense in certain parts (or maybe I didn't understand it). Isn't Miles Morales' uncle dying in the last flick his canon event? So why is he an anomaly? The Spiderman 2099 was a great addition too. I didn't like the intentional cliffhanger ending as well. 7/10

Asteroid City - I'm a fan of Wes Anderson usually, and this was an interesting movie, certainly better than the French Dispatch, but not quite hitting the heights he did during that run with The Darjeeling Limited - Moonrise Kingdom - The Grand Budapest Hotel. The cast was all great and worked well with each other, and it was a novel way of presenting the tale (re Bryan Cranston and Ed Norton's roles). It dealt with trauma, grief, and the relationships left behind (in this case father & son in law) in a very subtle and heartfelt way. I really enjoyed the ending as well. Basic premise is a group of gifted stargazers and their parents meet in the desert town (Asteroid City) for an annual astronomical convention. 7/10

Super Mario Bros Movie - disappointed with this, as I thought it could have (and should have) been a lot funnier. Also not sure why they made Mario American? It hit all the right notes in terms of fan service, and nostalgia. The animation was great, but it just felt like someone had asked ChatGPT to write a Super Mario movie and this is what it churned out. It was just very by the numbers, but I guess they want to turn this into a movie franchise as well. 5/10

Die Hard - another movie I've heard lots about but never watched. Bruce Willis' John McLane saves the Nakatomi building (and his marriage) from Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber. A classic 90s action movie, and a really nice bromance between McLane and Powell, the LAPD guy on the outside. It was great fun without being anything fantastic. Nice to see Rickman in his element as well. 6.5/10

John Wick - nice tight revenge flick starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character. Really good action choreography, nice world building elements (the hotel, the gold coins, the killers for hire system) and a great role for Willem Defoe as well. It's whetted my appetite sufficiently to watch the rest of the series. 7.5/10
 
Just finished Oppenheimer. Thought it was terrible no idea why it's so highly rated it's one of the worst high profile films I've ever seen.
 
Will be interesting to see how Oppenheimer is viewed in a few years time when most are watching on home tvs. I thought the first half was very good but so much of that was down to the sound and seeing it on a massive screen.

The genius of the nuke scene is the sound. The silence followed by the loud rumble was incredible in the cinema. I can’t imagine it hits anywhere near the same at home.


Cheimoon said:
Let me know what you think when you get round to it.
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Will do.
 
Sweet Square said:
Will be interesting to see how Oppenheimer is viewed in a few years time when most are watching on home tvs. I thought the first half was very good but so much of that was down to the sound and seeing it on a massive screen.

The genius of the nuke scene is the sound. The silence followed by the loud rumble was incredible in the cinema. I can’t imagine it hits anywhere near the same at home.



Will do.
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Yep, the scientists & military men had no idea that the sound would be so deafening & physically impactful if it finally reached them. It was portrayed very well on the big screen.
 
jderbyshire said:
What's your Top 10s of 2023?

(Or should that be a separate thread? Or is there already one?)
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In no order:

Godzilla Minus One
Leave The World Behind
No One Will Save You
The Moor
When Evil Lurks
Talk To Me
Spider-Verse 2
Gran Turismo
Fast X
Creed 3
 
Sweet Square said:
Ferrari

“Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past.”

Ferrari is another banger made by the God.

Adam Driver & Penélope Cruz put in brilliant performances as the broken married couple. Cruz is by far Mann best ever female character. Driver role as Enzo has all the classic workings of a Micheal Mann lead.

The racing scenes are intense and you get a sense at how little of a shit these blokes cared about safety. As usual with Mann films his characters are fighting against their ideals, their past, their economic position and the ability to change the world they live in for better or for worse.

The test track scenes have the same feel as the bank preparation scenes in Heat. Also Mann gets rid of all the nerd bollocks about needing a bridge long imax film stock in order to create something cinematic. Ferrari is shot on digital and is easily the best looking film of the year.

Incredible film worth seeing on the big screen.
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Aw man I can't wait!

Have you seen Saltburn?
 
Sweet Square said:
Ferrari

“Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past.”

Ferrari is another banger made by the God.

Adam Driver & Penélope Cruz put in brilliant performances as the broken married couple. Cruz is by far Mann best ever female character. Driver role as Enzo has all the classic workings of a Micheal Mann lead.

The racing scenes are intense and you get a sense at how little of a shit these blokes cared about safety. As usual with Mann films his characters are fighting against their ideals, their past, their economic position and the ability to change the world they live in for better or for worse.

The test track scenes have the same feel as the bank preparation scenes in Heat. Also Mann gets rid of all the nerd bollocks about needing a bridge long imax film stock in order to create something cinematic. Ferrari is shot on digital and is easily the best looking film of the year.

Incredible film worth seeing on the big screen.
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So defo worth an IMAX visit to view?
 
CassiusClaymore said:
Really enjoyed Saltburn last night both visually and politically. Any film that makes me root for the villain is a winner by me. Cast are all fantastic as well.
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Watched it today. Really liked it. Visually beautiful, interesting characters, great acting. Very unsettling at times, but I enjoyed the class messages. The Oxford scenes reminded me of my earlier Trinity memories.

I thought the twist that Oliver had a perfectly pleasant middle class family was much more shocking than the “he planned the whole thing” twist/reveal. I was pretty convinced all along Ollie was the one who sent that email, anyway. But didn’t see the rest of it coming. A little reminiscent of Behind her Eyes. Rethinking how we view Ollie throughout is fascinating. A lot of nuances to his arc change of course, but a lot may still remain
 
Charlie Foley said:
Watched it today. Really liked it. Visually beautiful, interesting characters, great acting. Very unsettling at times, but I enjoyed the class messages. The Oxford scenes reminded me of my earlier Trinity memories.

I thought the twist that Oliver had a perfectly pleasant middle class family was much more shocking than the “he planned the whole thing” twist/reveal. I was pretty convinced all along Ollie was the one who sent that email, anyway. But didn’t see the rest of it coming. A little reminiscent of Behind her Eyes. Rethinking how we view Ollie throughout is fascinating. A lot of nuances to his arc change of course, but a lot may still remain
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Behind Her Eyes had a hell of a finish to it! Have to watch it again to savor the moments.
 
Bank Of Dave (2023)
Rory Kinnear in the "true-ish story" of a good guy in Burnley who wants to start a local bank to help the little guy, with all profits going to charity. An amazing idea. Not sure what the real story is, but they show the real guy at the end of the film. Love Rory Kinnear, his Burnley accent was pretty broad, basically the only person in Burnley doing that accent (including his niece). Def Leppard features in this, and I thought there was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too much talk of them and footage of them. Kind of one of those meet-cute rom-coms, but a little less twee. Decent. Inoffensive.
7.5/10, a C+.
 
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The Last Right (2020)
Prime video has our number now: anything remotely regional involving the UK and Ireland, we will watch, and watch gladly. By regional I mean not set in London.

This one is about an American who is listed as next of kin by a stranger on a plane, who then dies during the flight. In Ireland, this American fella is tasked with seeing the dead man’s body up to somewhere on the tip of North Ireland. Some twee hijinks ensue.

The man’s younger brother is autistic and it’s a fairly sympathetic and realistic portrayal, credit. The movie is gummed up by Colm Meaney hamming it up, alongside his new rookie Garda. There is also a love interest, her character is presented as flighty and ditzy, but you are supposed to love her at the end. I didn’t. I would have preferred the chick playing the new Garda, but I was not involved with casting.

Mostly a road movie, as they drive from Cork to Kilkartlin (?). A lot of fecking swearing but still felt made for TV. Decent enough, good message, no Def Leppard appearance, thank feck.

Of the 3 movies I’ve watched this week (The Holdovers, Bank Of Dave, The Last Right), Holdovers was the best made film in terms of filmmaking skill and directorial vision, but it was the least interesting in story terms, and the least emotionally involving. Bank of Dave was the crowd pleaser, and Last Right had the most realistic portrayals despite Colm Meaney’s efforts.

7/10, middling C.
 
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Three Thousand Years of Longing - Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is an academic -- content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both. (snipped from RT).

It's a really interesting and unique flick. The co-stars are both fantastic. When the Djinn recounts his life, it's engaging but not as engrossing as it could (or should be) however, there's still enough there to keep you hooked to the end. The cinematography is gorgeous as well. There's plenty of subtext and meaning hidden in the stories themselves, which really hit home in the film's 3rd act. Although I wouldn't quite place it in the fantasy genre (although there's elements where it is fantastical, it doesn't let itself fall into any silly elements that break the connection the viewer has with the story. It's a rich tale, and something I really enjoyed overall. 8/10
 
Rooney in Paris said:
Aw man I can't wait!
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Imo it’s very much a movie for us Mann devotees. I’ll have to know your opinion after you’ve seen it.

Rooney in Paris said:
Have you seen Saltburn?
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Just finished it. It took me a while to get over my deep hatred of everyone and that time period. As I couldn’t stop picturing the younger characters ending up working for David Cameron Tory Party or the Tony Blair institute. Which I think means the film is doing it’s job. It did remind me of a lot of The Talented Mr. Ripley.

The twist with Keoghan character was a interesting surprise although it undermines the class conflict elements. It’s less eat the rich and more old money vs new money but kind of confusing since it’s set in 2006. The divide is more cultural - not wearing the correct clothing for dinner rather than anything material. Which isn’t a negative but definitely different.

I did really like the contrast between the old money rich people and them watching super bad. Same with the soundtrack which is very standard indie music. Some of their cultural taste is at odds against their old money wealth. The parties scenes did have vibes of the tv show Skins.

Bonus points for “erotic” scenes. Everyone complains about the lack of eroticisms in cinema so at least Saltburn tries. But…..it didn’t hit for me. Felt like it wanted to be shocking but unfortunately everyone today has internet access so bathtub drinking isn’t going to cut it. Also I can’t tell if the grave scene was meant to be shocking but it was so fecking funny.

The performances are good. Carey Mulligan terrible tattoos were great. Barry Keoghan has a brilliant weird evil face, Jacob Elordi plays the hunk well and Rosamund Pike is solid(Also nice seeing Richard E Grant again).

The twist at the end I saw coming almost from the start but was still enjoyable enough. Overall I had fun with the fun.

What did you think of it ?

calodo2003 said:
So defo worth an IMAX visit to view?
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I don’t think it’s like Oppenheimer where it was designed for IMAX and tbh I saw it on a standard screen and it was still great. But I could never argue against seeing a Mann film in IMAX.

calodo2003 said:
Yep, the scientists & military men had no idea that the sound would be so deafening & physically impactful if it finally reached them. It was portrayed very well on the big screen.
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Cheers. Had no idea about this.
 
Sweet Square said:
Imo it’s very much a movie for us Mann devotees. I’ll have to know your opinion after you’ve seen it.


Just finished it. It took me a while to get over my deep hatred of everyone and that time period. As I couldn’t stop picturing the younger characters ending up working for David Cameron Tory Party or the Tony Blair institute. Which I think means the film is doing it’s job. It did remind me of a lot of The Talented Mr. Ripley.

The twist with Keoghan character was a interesting surprise although it undermines the class conflict elements. It’s less eat the rich and more old money vs new money but kind of confusing since it’s set in 2006. The divide is more cultural - not wearing the correct clothing for dinner rather than anything material. Which isn’t a negative but definitely different.

I did really like the contrast between the old money rich people and them watching super bad. Same with the soundtrack which is very standard indie music. Some of their cultural taste is at odds against their old money wealth. The parties scenes did have vibes of the tv show Skins.

Bonus points for “erotic” scenes. Everyone complains about the lack of eroticisms in cinema so at least Saltburn tries. But…..it didn’t hit for me. Felt like it wanted to be shocking but unfortunately everyone today has internet access so bathtub drinking isn’t going to cut it. Also I can’t tell if the grave scene was meant to be shocking but it was so fecking funny.

The performances are good. Carey Mulligan terrible tattoos were great. Barry Keoghan has a brilliant weird evil face, Jacob Elordi plays the hunk well and Rosamund Pike is solid(Also nice seeing Richard E Grant again).

The twist at the end I saw coming almost from the start but was still enjoyable enough. Overall I had fun with the fun.

What did you think of it ?


I don’t think it’s like Oppenheimer where it was designed for IMAX and tbh I saw it on a standard screen and it was still great. But I could never argue against seeing a Mann film in IMAX.


Cheers. Had no idea about this.
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Great review of Saltburn, although I have to disagree a smidge on the bathtub drinking. It's not everyday that we see the protagonist lapping up the semen of another man that had accumulated on the bathtub drain.
 
My 2023 saw 60 visits to the cinema.

Some of the absolute highlights:
  • Mission Impossible DR1
  • Wonka
  • Till
  • Empire of Light
  • The Fabelmans
  • A Man Called Otto
  • Missing
  • Creed 3
  • God's Creatures
  • Air
  • Saltburn

Some lowlights:
  • Asteroid City
  • Ant Man & The Wasp QM
  • The Marvels
  • Sumotherhood
  • Haunted Mansion
  • Blue Beetle
  • Aquaman & TLK
  • Five Nights at Freddy's

Oppenheimer was OK but nowhere near worth raving about.
It's been a terrible year (or more) for Marvel who look like they've given up and are just churning out the same rubbish every three months.
There were some films which came out that were more entertaining (funny in this case) than I was expecting - Cocaine Bear and Strays being a couple of examples (just don't take them in any way seriously).
Special mentions for The Whale which is a complete one man show and may as well not have anyone else in the cast, Napoleon (which made its historical story much easier to watch on screen than Oppenheimer) and Killers of the Flower Moon as well.
 
Didn't realise Saltburn was already on Prime Video. Tonight's viewing sorted.
 
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Wing Attack Plan R said:
“You’re lucky I’m a vampire.”
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Watched "Saltburn" after reading this message.

Until it was evidently not, I thought it was about this creepy vampire family...

Disappointed to say the least. Decent movie but nothing special. 5/10

Something like "The talented Mr Ripley" will make you feel proper emotions.
 
Watched Saltburn today

Really enjoyed 2/3s of it but felt disappointed in how the end played out.

Not really a spoiler but addresses the end

When a film ends with none of the characters having a single redeeming quality between them I'm always left a bit cold. Felt the same about Wolf of Wall Street - I need more comeuppance
 
calodo2003 said:
Great review of Saltburn, although I have to disagree a smidge on the bathtub drinking. It's not everyday that we see the protagonist lapping up the semen of another man that had accumulated on the bathtub drain.
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Thanks. Tbh my lack of reaction to that scene speaks less about the film and more about my disgusting viewing habits. Which I’m probably burning in hell for.
 
VeevaVee said:
That’s the one. I can see how it could be quite fun if after that old school disaster movie type vibe but I didn’t rate it.
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I watched it blind tbh so didn’t have high expectations. I thought it was a solid 6/10 movie though. What you see is what you get kinda thing.
 
Made the fatal error of getting sucked in last night to The Silence of the Lambs whilst flicking through the channels. That was it. Evening gone. It's one of those films that I have to watch if it's on. It's too freakishly fecking good. It's perfect. Every second of it. The introduction to Hannibal Lecter still gives me goosebumps and has to go down as one of the most memorable moments in film history. What a perfect villain. His escape in the closing third of the film is magnificent. I know I love this film, but it's only when I sit down to watch it that I realise just how much I actually do adore it. It's the pacing of it all, with the super-tight and clever script, and the claustrophobic camerawork. The amount of times where you're faced with a shot of a sole person in the middle of the screen directly facing and talking to the camera must near a hundred, if not more, but it's so powerful and intense, as if the viewer is the one being interviewed. It's particularly evident in the first half of the film, especially during the Lecter/Clarice scenes, and it sets up the tension and the stakes really well.

Feck sake. I might watch it again tomorrow. I love this style and type of film. It's the era, the look of the buildings, the clothes, the acting, the whole lot.
 
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