Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

I watched Nobody tonight, a 2021 action romp with Bob Odenkirk, which eventually becomes a shoot 'm up with.a huge body count. The story is paper thin and the main characters are basically invincible but who cares, if you're in for some old-school action (or a much simpler variant on the John Wick theme), this is it. Neatly kept to about 1.5h, too. A good 3/5.

(Funny how all the pointless killing bothered me less here than in John Wick 2. I guess it's because the violence isn't made into 'art' the same way. We're not being asked to appreciate the beauty of it all, or at least it didn't feel like that to me.)
Sweet Square said:
@Rooney in Paris

Within in 5 minutes Mann talks about how Thief is about Marx’s labour theory of value. Don’t watch after 50 minutes because it has Ferrari spoilers.

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I only got to watch this until halfway through the Ali segment, but that was quite interesting.
 
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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This has been so long in development, with so many actors, it's great to see the terrific writer Troy Kennedy Martin (THE ITALIAN JOB (the only one), EDGE OF DARKNESS (the only one) get a screen credit for an original fourteen years after his death.
 
Cheimoon said:
I only got to watch this until halfway through the Ali segment, but that was quite interesting.
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The level of detail and thought he puts into his film is in imo far beyond many other directors.

Loon said:
This has been so long in development, with so many actors, it's great to see the terrific writer Troy Kennedy Martin (THE ITALIAN JOB (the only one), EDGE OF DARKNESS (the only one) get a screen credit for an original fourteen years after his death.
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Cheers. I knew it was a long time project but didn’t know it was that long. Nice for the guy to get a credit. It’s a great screenplay.


@TheReligion
 
Sweet Square said:
The level of detail and thought he puts into his film is in imo far beyond many other directors.


Cheers. I knew it was a long time project but didn’t know it was that long. Nice for the guy to get a credit. It’s a great screenplay.


@TheReligion
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That’s really cool :lol:

Mr Mann doesn’t realise how lucky he was not to be bombarded by you though.
 
Sweet Square said:
@Rooney in Paris

Within in 5 minutes Mann talks about how Thief is about Marx’s labour theory of value. Don’t watch after 50 minutes because it has Ferrari spoilers.

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This was a great watch, I watched up until he started talking about Ferrari. I love how methodical he is in explaining his stuff. Interesting chap - not the warmest or most fun but very interesting
 
TheReligion said:
Mr Mann doesn’t realise how lucky he was not to be bombarded by you though.
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:lol:
Rooney in Paris said:
This was a great watch, I watched up until he started talking about Ferrari. I love how methodical he is in explaining his stuff. Interesting chap - not the warmest or most fun but very interesting
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Yep Mann is such a great methodical nerd. I imagine instead of blu rays of Fellini, Wells or Tarkovsky it’s dvd boxsets of the tv show How It's Made.
 
Sweet Square said:
:lol:

Yep Mann is such a great methodical nerd. I imagine instead of blu rays of Fellini, Wells or Tarkovsky it’s dvd boxsets of the tv show How It's Made.
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:lol:

And btw to answer concerning Saltburn! I really enjoyed it, I thought it was a fun film full of energy and ideas. It was aesthetically very pleasing which helps, and the casting was great. Barry Keoghan is a star in the making and the whole cast is wonderful, I particularly loved Richard E Grant I have to say.

I got your point about the twist somewhat undermining the eat the rich theme, I agree to an extent but I feel like eat the rich films are fundamentally about exposing the 1% for their ridiculousness, their level of disconnection, how everything they do is gauche and uncomfortable... And to that extent, the film succeeded. I also kind of appreciated that while the rich family were, you know, pretty bad people, they weren't evil evil either (not Succession levels of hateability). Felix seemed like a nice guy deep down, Venetia was struggling with anorexia bulimia, the dad despite his bumbling ways was pretty turned on when he wanted and cared about his family... They were detestable, but they didn't necessarily deserve everything that happened to them, I guess? I liked the ambiguity of it. I also adore when a film makes me root for the most evil character of the lot, so by that standard, I loved it.

Keoghan's performance was pretty mesmerizing, it reminded me somewhat of Fassbender's in Shame, when there's a total trust and abandon between actor and director. I find it admirable, and the performance oozed charisma.
 
Rooney in Paris said:
Interesting chap - not the warmest or most fun but very interesting
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Part of that is that he might be giving his well-established answers here to questions about his older work. Like, the host asks who decided to include the Phil Collins song in Miami Vice, and Mann instead launches into a long explanation of how they got to make and create the series. It's much more interesting but doesn't answer the question.

I saw the same in an interview with Jon Anderson (singer of Yes), who was being asked rather technical questions by a guy who really knows music and music production, but who instead gave more general answers about songs and albums and told anecdotes that I've seen him tell before.

That way, it's not really a natural conversation and the interviewee ends up appearing kinda distant. I suppose neither Mann nor Anderson are like that in a more natural conversation.
 
Cheimoon said:
Part of that is that he might be giving his well-established answers here to questions about his older work. Like, the host asks who decided to include the Phil Collins song in Miami Vice, and Mann instead launches into a long explanation of how they got to make and create the series. It's much more interesting but doesn't answer the question.

I saw the same in an interview with Jon Anderson (singer of Yes), who was being asked rather technical questions by a guy who really knows music and music production, but who instead gave more general answers about songs and albums and told anecdotes that I've seen him tell before.

That way, it's not really a natural conversation and the interviewee ends up appearing kinda distant. I suppose neither Mann nor Anderson are like that in a more natural conversation.
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Yeah true, that could be it. The Phil Collins part was funny, I think he didn't understand her question, she was somewhat fangirling but he went in a total different direction :lol:
 
Rooney in Paris said:
Yeah true, that could be it. The Phil Collins part was funny, I think he didn't understand her question, she was somewhat fangirling but he went in a total different direction :lol:
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Yeah, the whole thing was a little cringe but he's probably used to that kind of setting. :D
 
TheReligion said:
That’s really cool :lol:

Mr Mann doesn’t realise how lucky he was not to be bombarded by you though.
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Saltburn - very enjoyable once you get past Keoghan’s dreadful accent. A bit of style over substance and too long, but that’s ok.
 
Rooney in Paris said:
I got your point about the twist somewhat undermining the eat the rich theme, I agree to an extent but I feel like eat the rich films are fundamentally about exposing the 1% for their ridiculousness, their level of disconnection, how everything they do is gauche and uncomfortable... And to that extent, the film succeeded.
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Yep the little details were great. I was watching a interview with the director who herself is from a very rich background and it was interesting listening to her describe it all.

She made the point that these rich types are always trying to disarm people through their manners or ritual games(The breakfast scene or Keoghan coming back to his room and his clothes are out of his bag).

Imo the twist would have worked better well if the film was set in the 80’s. Keoghan playing a young Thatcherite from the suburbs going into the old Tory land in order to destroy it and bring in a new world. Also……New Order makes for a better soundtrack than Bloc Party!
Rooney in Paris said:
I also kind of appreciated that while the rich family were, you know, pretty bad people, they weren't evil evil either (not Succession levels of hateability). Felix seemed like a nice guy deep down, Venetia was struggling with anorexia bulimia, the dad despite his bumbling ways was pretty turned on when he wanted and cared about his family... They were detestable, but they didn't necessarily deserve everything that happened to them, I guess?
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Yep no one is ungodly evil which was a nice change. I felt sorry for the likes of Carey Mulligan character. Unless I missed it the family of Saltburn are old money/aristocratic types. The old money aristocratic society seems to be deeply restrictive compared to cut throat city life of a Succession

Still when the revolution happens. They will be put into a gulag and their enormous home turned into a Peoples Republic Of Greggs.
Rooney in Paris said:
Keoghan's performance was pretty mesmerizing, it reminded me somewhat of Fassbender's in Shame, when there's a total trust and abandon between actor and director. I find it admirable, and the performance oozed charisma.
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The Shame comparison is great. Keoghan was able to very subtlety completely change the tone of a scene into something more sinister.

Very similar to subway scene in Shame or the scene where Fassbender and Mulligan are playing fighting on the coach but then he starts to hurt her by squeeze her arms. God Shame is such a fecked up and brilliant film.


Wing Attack Plan R said:
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TheReligion said:
@Sweet Square

:lol: :lol:
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:lol::lol:

Brilliant!
 
I watched 2019's Sound of Metal tonight, with Riz Ahmed playing a metal/punk drummer who's in a two-person band with his girlfriend (Olivia Cooke) when he loses his hearing. I won't add too many details, cause I enjoyed watching this film with little idea as to what actually happens beyond this premise; but it's generally speaking a drama with touches of hope - but mostly a drama.

It's quite good. It tries hard to convey the main character's experiences (especially the auditory side of it all) and emotions, and I think it succeeds really well at that. The Oscar for sound design makes total sense. More generally, there's a lot of great acting and filmmaking happening. Definitely worth it. 4/5
 
Sijjin
Indonesian remake of a Turkish film (that spanned a franchise) about a woman who falls in love with her cousin and turns to black magic to get rid of his wife. A few decent jump scares and one creepy scene aside, this was generic and boring with an absolutely awful ending. The acting and set design were pretty good though but none of that overrides how shit the script was. Why the hell did I watch this in the cinema :lol: Unlikely you'll come across this but if you do, probably worth avoiding 4/10
 


Young Sinner is a political thriller set in Washington, D.C. The heroine, a young staffer who works for a powerful Senator, is drawn into a web of international intrigue and danger, and of course there is also a little sex.
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Cheimoon said:
I watched 2019's Sound of Metal tonight, with Riz Ahmed playing a metal/punk drummer who's in a two-person band with his girlfriend (Olivia Cooke) when he loses his hearing. I won't add too many details, cause I enjoyed watching this film with little idea as to what actually happens beyond this premise; but it's generally speaking a drama with touches of hope - but mostly a drama.

It's quite good. It tries hard to convey the main character's experiences (especially the auditory side of it all) and emotions, and I think it succeeds really well at that. The Oscar for sound design makes total sense. More generally, there's a lot of great acting and filmmaking happening. Definitely worth it. 4/5
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I couldn’t get through this movie. The style of camerawork and some other things made me turn it off about halfway through. The trailer looked amazing for it.
 
Dirty Schwein said:
Sijjin
Indonesian remake of a Turkish film (that spanned a franchise) about a woman who falls in love with her cousin and turns to black magic to get rid of his wife. A few decent jump scares and one creepy scene aside, this was generic and boring with an absolutely awful ending. The acting and set design were pretty good though but none of that overrides how shit the script was. Why the hell did I watch this in the cinema :lol: Unlikely you'll come across this but if you do, probably worth avoiding 4/10
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This actually sounds like a really fun horror.
 
The boy and the heron - 8/10.

Thought it was a beautiful movie aesthetically and the soundtrack was glorious. I agree with a review I read in here previously that the story was a bit messy but the overall magic of Ghibli won me over.
 
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Fantastic sequel. Could've done with some semblance of a third act before the cliffhanger, but taken as the first half of one movie there's little to complain about.

There were a couple of instances where the freneticism of the action and the dialogue overlapped and became a bit overwhelming, but 99% of the time it was a treat for the senses.

I'd still rank the first one as my favourite, the story had closure and it also had a slightly better soundtrack (though ATSV gets bonus points for Guess Who's Back).

Looking forward to Beyond the Spider-Verse. Hopefully it gets a release date soon.

8.5/10
 
Wing Attack Plan R said:
I couldn’t get through this movie. The style of camerawork and some other things made me turn it off about halfway through. The trailer looked amazing for it.
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I didn't see a trailer, that probably helped me go in without much knowledge of the plot. (I didn't even know what kind of band he was in, or with whom.) I enjoyed that actually. But what was it specifically that turned you off? I didn't notice much special in that regard - except a few short 'peaceful nature' shots that didn't seem to serve much purpose.
 
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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Glad you liked it. Its been his least successful film in terms of box office since the 80s and is calling into question how his technical filmmaking rigor isn't properly connecting with mass audiences, and never really has.
 
Raoul said:
Glad you liked it. Its been his least successful film in terms of box office since the 80s and is calling into question how his technical filmmaking rigor isn't properly connecting with mass audiences, and never really has.
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Ah thats a shame it isn’t doing well at the box office. I’m guessing Heat(Mainly due to star power)is his only big hit.

I watched it in a almost half full room. The people next to me came in 5 minutes after the film had started, talked throughout and kept checking their phones.

I’m not sure what they got from the film as they treated it almost like background noise. Which is weird because the tickets cost like £20! Honestly the biggest argument against Scorsese we need to save cinema stuff is audiences are terrible.

Have you seen it ?
 
Sweet Square said:
Ah thats a shame it isn’t doing well at the box office. I’m guessing Heat(Mainly due to star power)is his only big hit.

I watched it in a almost half full room. The people next to me came in 5 minutes after the film had started, talked throughout and kept checking their phones.

I’m not sure what they got from the film as they treated it almost like background noise. Which is weird because the tickets cost like £20! Honestly the biggest argument against Scorsese we need to save cinema stuff is audiences are terrible.

Have you seen it ?
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Haven't seen it yet, but the trailer looked great. May wait until it hits digital streaming, which I'm guessing won't be very long given that Flowers of a killer moon is already available now.
 
Raoul said:
Haven't seen it yet, but the trailer looked great. May wait until it hits digital streaming, which I'm guessing won't be very long given that Flowers of a killer moon is already available now.
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Yep just checked January 23rd. I’m hoping the directors cut of Napoleon comes out soon. Considering the bad reviews(All incorrect)Napoleon did far better at the box office than both Flowers Of The Killer Moon and Ferrari).

People love big hats!
 
Saltburn - I enjoyed the Brideshead Revisited vibe and all that but the ending made me burst out laughing. Although I was really fecking stoned by then
 
Sweet Square said:
Ah thats a shame it isn’t doing well at the box office. I’m guessing Heat(Mainly due to star power)is his only big hit.
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I was looking at his films on Wikipedia, and looks like The Last of the Mohicans, Collateral, and Public Enemies also did well. Collateral is probably his biggest hit in terms of revenue - but I see he's had a few serious box office bombs as well, Blackhat being the worst. I'm surprised Miami Vice doesn't seem to have made much money either. But good for him (and for you especially ;) ) that he gets to continue making fairly big films anyway!
 
Cheimoon said:
I was looking at his films on Wikipedia, and looks like The Last of the Mohicans, Collateral, and Public Enemies also did well. Collateral is probably his biggest hit in terms of revenue
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Cheers. That’s good to know. Of the newer Mann films Collateral seem to get the most mentions(Might be my favourite Tom Cruise performance).

Cheimoon said:
I'm surprised Miami Vice doesn't seem to have made much money either.
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I think it came out just before nostalgia era really hit(The trailer doesn’t play into any nostalgia). Plus I think it was really hatred by critics at the time.

Cheimoon said:
But good for him (and for you especially ;) ) that he gets to continue making fairly big films anyway!
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:)
Rooney in Paris said:
Can't wait!!
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Apparently the lead character will be a Evangelical woman. With Benedetta Veroheven did Christian Universalism/revolutionary Jesus(If the pope has any taste then Benedetta should be projected 24/7 in the vatican)so seeing his take on Evangelicalism and current American politics is going to be very interesting.
 
Wing Attack Plan R said:
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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Your summary is pretty much spot on but I thought the Def Leppard part was fine. Dave’s accent cracked me up especially as I’d last seen Kinnear in The Diplomat where he was quite posh sounding.
I didnt know it was based on a true story till the end which made it even better.
It has the classic poor vs rich/north vs South heartstring pulls which they played up fairly well. The London lawyer storyline was a bit much but overall it was easy entertainment for a Friday night. 7.5/10 too.
 
Anybody seen The Creator? Is it worth watching? The guardian gave it good reviews, but rotten tomatoes wasnt as good.
 
From the way Miami Vice was talked about when released it was treated like a parody. Colin Farrell's hair was almost a meme.
I'd say it would be a way easier sell now than it was then. Critics and general discussion around it were pretty brutal.

Sweet Square said:
Honestly the biggest argument against Scorsese we need to save cinema stuff is audiences are terrible.
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Always was. If you could have the cinema to yourself it'd be an easy choice.
 
Just got done with Saltburn, what a trip :lol:

Keoghan is the man. Fairly predictable quite early on but BK was mesmerising and Mulligan/Pike is the comedy double-act I didn't know I needed in my life. The fact that their 1st year at uni coincided with mine also made the soundtrack a pure 10/10. Incredible final scene. Not sure what the fuss was all about with the bath bit, grave humping was clearly the GOAT moment.

8/10
 
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Dream Scenario - Enjoyed this one. It's a quirky little horror comedy with an understated but pretty decent Nic Cage performance
 
Saltburn. Seen very different reviews for this, some absolutely love and it and some absolutely hate and I can genuinely see both sides.

It's a good film and I'd watch again, but it's let down but certain scenes that aren't really needed, that are there just to shock and not much substance.
 
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