Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Civil War (2024)

This has to be one of the dumbest movies I have seen in a long time. In terms of plot and character development, it has little to nothing going for it. First of all, the central objective of the protagonists is to get an interview and a picture of the president, before the rebels wins the war. Ok, but why are we supposed to care about that? Feck knows. The movie also doesn't really have anything of value to say. We get very poor character introduction, to the point where it's hard to care about any of them, and in general there is not enough exposition about the overall situation for my liking. For instance, the "Western Forces" seem to be both a super professional army with fighter jets, and also men with rifles and Hawaii shirts. But why?

- The character arc of the protagonist is nonsense. She goes from this badass, seen-it-all war photographer into panic mode in the final sequence, which she then snaps out of immediately without explanation. I get what they were trying to do with her warming to the younger version of herself and taking her under the wing, but then she is killed when her new protege exposes herself needlessly to get a picture of an empty hallway.
- We get introduced to two new characters midway through the movie, who are then killed almost instantly in what is supposed to be really tense and emotional. But we've known these people for five minutes, so it doesn't hit home at all.
- In the final sequence Washington is invaded by a literal army of rebels, but in the end it's five soldiers and three journalists that enter the White House to get the president. Give me a break.
- When the movie ends with Joe getting his quote and Jessie getting the picture, what are we supposed to feel? It seems like it is partly triumphant because the supposed dictator is dead, but it's not really made clear.
- Casting Nick Offerman for 2 minutes of screentime was criminal. I was really hoping we'd get to see what it was all about in the end, but I guess not.

This is a bad movie masquerading as artsy, because it uses silence, black and white stills, and unconventional music. What a load of shite. A few points for decent cinematography and acting, but that's about it. 3/10.

I think it was mis-sold (or at least I thought it was gonna be) as a post-apocalyptic movie about a civil war, but in actual fact it's simply a movie about journalism with that a civil-war backdrop. Although, I guess it's hard to get people down the cineworld for a journalism film.

The final shot is a deliberate call-back to times when military have taken photos of people they've killed. I personally thought it was a film that had a lot to say and it's a sort of parable about the wrong-turns we're taking in society. I found it almost Kubrick-esque in the directness and harshness of it all, and also the coldness of the characters. There isn't supposed to be a hero, a winner or a happy ending, and I've rarely seen a movie ending so utterly devoid of hope or promise. The sound-track was on-point though!
 
In the Land of Saints and Sinners(2023) - thriller set in the troubles in Donegal. enjoyable enough Neeson affair with a good cast and great to see Jack Gleeson again after not seeing him since Joffrey croaked it in Game of Thrones. Brilliant actor hope he does more

Time Cut (2024) - girl accidentally goes back in time and has a chance to save her sister from a serial killer who murdered her. Dumb but interesting premise and nostalgia for the early 00s (crazy that that's a thing now) was the draw here for me but it's just not a very good movie sadly. Fails as a slasher/horror and fails as a sci-fi.

Scarface - really good. Fast paced and so violent! First time seeing a Pacino movie and he's bloody amazing as Tony Montana.

Pulp Fiction - fell asleep about an hour in and don't really have a desire to give it another go. Not for me I don't think
 
In the Land of Saints and Sinners(2023) - thriller set in the troubles in Donegal. enjoyable enough Neeson affair with a good cast and great to see Jack Gleeson again after not seeing him since Joffrey croaked it in Game of Thrones. Brilliant actor hope he does more

Time Cut (2024) - girl accidentally goes back in time and has a chance to save her sister from a serial killer who murdered her. Dumb but interesting premise and nostalgia for the early 00s (crazy that that's a thing now) was the draw here for me but it's just not a very good movie sadly. Fails as a slasher/horror and fails as a sci-fi.

Scarface - really good. Fast paced and so violent! First time seeing a Pacino movie and he's bloody amazing as Tony Montana.

Pulp Fiction - fell asleep about an hour in and don't really have a desire to give it another go. Not for me I don't think
You heathen. How dare you.
 
Civil War (2024)

This has to be one of the dumbest movies I have seen in a long time. In terms of plot and character development, it has little to nothing going for it. First of all, the central objective of the protagonists is to get an interview and a picture of the president, before the rebels wins the war. Ok, but why are we supposed to care about that? Feck knows. The movie also doesn't really have anything of value to say. We get very poor character introduction, to the point where it's hard to care about any of them, and in general there is not enough exposition about the overall situation for my liking. For instance, the "Western Forces" seem to be both a super professional army with fighter jets, and also men with rifles and Hawaii shirts. But why?

- The character arc of the protagonist is nonsense. She goes from this badass, seen-it-all war photographer into panic mode in the final sequence, which she then snaps out of immediately without explanation. I get what they were trying to do with her warming to the younger version of herself and taking her under the wing, but then she is killed when her new protege exposes herself needlessly to get a picture of an empty hallway.
- We get introduced to two new characters midway through the movie, who are then killed almost instantly in what is supposed to be really tense and emotional. But we've known these people for five minutes, so it doesn't hit home at all.
- In the final sequence Washington is invaded by a literal army of rebels, but in the end it's five soldiers and three journalists that enter the White House to get the president. Give me a break.
- When the movie ends with Joe getting his quote and Jessie getting the picture, what are we supposed to feel? It seems like it is partly triumphant because the supposed dictator is dead, but it's not really made clear.
- Casting Nick Offerman for 2 minutes of screentime was criminal. I was really hoping we'd get to see what it was all about in the end, but I guess not.

This is a bad movie masquerading as artsy, because it uses silence, black and white stills, and unconventional music. What a load of shite. A few points for decent cinematography and acting, but that's about it. 3/10.
Why are you so angry?
 
I think it was mis-sold (or at least I thought it was gonna be) as a post-apocalyptic movie about a civil war, but in actual fact it's simply a movie about journalism with that a civil-war backdrop. Although, I guess it's hard to get people down the cineworld for a journalism film.

The final shot is a deliberate call-back to times when military have taken photos of people they've killed. I personally thought it was a film that had a lot to say and it's a sort of parable about the wrong-turns we're taking in society. I found it almost Kubrick-esque in the directness and harshness of it all, and also the coldness of the characters. There isn't supposed to be a hero, a winner or a happy ending, and I've rarely seen a movie ending so utterly devoid of hope or promise. The sound-track was on-point though!
A journalism movie would be fine, if they made it clear why this story was so important to get. But in the end it just comes across as a vanity project for three people that seemingly have a death wish.
 
Alien Romulus
Good enough to get your Alien fix but nothing special.
A slightly darker tone would have made miracles here. This had that generic 2000's "young adults rent a cabin" slasher vibe and the Rook stuff was a straight up Saw rip off.

6/10
 
Zombies are not allowed to go faster than 5 mph?
No, they're the sprinting kind in this film.

I meant there's been an outbreak of an unknown disease/pathogen, authorities are too slow to shut down the borders, before you know it there's zombies everywhere.
 
Blitz (2024)

Very much enjoyed this.

The young lad, Elliott Heffernan who fronts it does a fantastic job leading on his own for large parts of the movie.

Saoirse Ronan is of course fantastic as his mother and there are some great supporting performances as well.

It's quite a harrowing portrayal of life in London during the Blitz and it just boggles the mind how frightening it must have been at the time with the air raid sirens going off and having to cram into tube stations with hundreds of others.

Absolutely one of my favourite films of 2024.

8.5/10
 
Joker: Folie A Deux
I think my expectations were set SO LOW that it was impossible for this film to match it. There is a kernel of a good idea or two in here but every time the film gets interesting, it halts to a stop and we go into a musical number, which doesn't really progress the plot or the character motivations, it just tells you what you already know. I don't know who this film was made for... it's bizzare. Can't deny that the acting, cinematography etc was all on point though 4/10

Strange Darling

A one night stand descends into a violent cat and mouse chase between a man and a woman. The film is told in 6 non-sequential chapters, a narrative structure that really helps the film. It plays on traditional genre tropes in a fun and engaging way and it's nice to see something original. Indie horror has never been so alive and I love it. My big issue with this film was some dumb decisions made by a few characters, which lead to major plot points, but apart from that, it was a really good movie 7/10
 
I really liked Strange Darling. Thought it was one of the better films released in recent years. Its a great looking movie. Lighting, colour and sets are all very distinctive. Good script and very good performances.
 
Joker: Folie A Deux
I think my expectations were set SO LOW that it was impossible for this film to match it. There is a kernel of a good idea or two in here but every time the film gets interesting, it halts to a stop and we go into a musical number, which doesn't really progress the plot or the character motivations, it just tells you what you already know. I don't know who this film was made for... it's bizzare. Can't deny that the acting, cinematography etc was all on point though 4/10
I just can't bring myself to watch it. I dislike musicals at the best of times and this just doesn't do anything for me. Such an idiotic decision and not even in hindsight. Got a whiff of self sabotage about it like the director didn't want to make a sequel but was forced to by the studio.
 
Civil War (2024)

This has to be one of the dumbest movies I have seen in a long time. In terms of plot and character development, it has little to nothing going for it. First of all, the central objective of the protagonists is to get an interview and a picture of the president, before the rebels wins the war. Ok, but why are we supposed to care about that? Feck knows. The movie also doesn't really have anything of value to say. We get very poor character introduction, to the point where it's hard to care about any of them, and in general there is not enough exposition about the overall situation for my liking. For instance, the "Western Forces" seem to be both a super professional army with fighter jets, and also men with rifles and Hawaii shirts. But why?

- The character arc of the protagonist is nonsense. She goes from this badass, seen-it-all war photographer into panic mode in the final sequence, which she then snaps out of immediately without explanation. I get what they were trying to do with her warming to the younger version of herself and taking her under the wing, but then she is killed when her new protege exposes herself needlessly to get a picture of an empty hallway.
- We get introduced to two new characters midway through the movie, who are then killed almost instantly in what is supposed to be really tense and emotional. But we've known these people for five minutes, so it doesn't hit home at all.
- In the final sequence Washington is invaded by a literal army of rebels, but in the end it's five soldiers and three journalists that enter the White House to get the president. Give me a break.
- When the movie ends with Joe getting his quote and Jessie getting the picture, what are we supposed to feel? It seems like it is partly triumphant because the supposed dictator is dead, but it's not really made clear.
- Casting Nick Offerman for 2 minutes of screentime was criminal. I was really hoping we'd get to see what it was all about in the end, but I guess not.

This is a bad movie masquerading as artsy, because it uses silence, black and white stills, and unconventional music. What a load of shite. A few points for decent cinematography and acting, but that's about it. 3/10.
Yeah I gave this a bad comment after watching it a few weeks ago but the more I think about it the more I hate it.
 
I just can't bring myself to watch it. I dislike musicals at the best of times and this just doesn't do anything for me. Such an idiotic decision and not even in hindsight. Got a whiff of self sabotage about it like the director didn't want to make a sequel but was forced to by the studio.
I think from what I read that the studio didn't interfere and this was Todd Phillips' idea and execution. This was his vision. The shame is there are great threads in the film that just aren't explored.
 
The Game (1997)

Gave this a view yesterday. Might have seen it before, but definitely couldn't remember the plot, so felt like a first-time viewing anyway. It's perhaps the least well-known of the David Fincher filmography, but it definitely has that Fincher-feel in terms of the style and themes. In short, a wealthy and egotistical banker is offered a chance to participate in a mysterious game, which gradually takes a hold of his life and becomes more and more threatening.

In terms of the plot, it's probably one you can easily find a lot of holes in, but the pacing of the movie is such that you don't stop and think too much about it. The story accelerates and builds throughout the movie, and it always keeps the audience guessing almost until the very end. With quite a limited number of characters, it is very much the Michael Douglas show, and he puts in a very good performance, that makes you root for him, even though the character is kind of a dick.

Unfortunately, the movie simply can't stick the landing, which drags down the overall experience. There were multiple ways the story could go in the end, and I think they chose the least compelling one.

7/10. Would recommend as a relatively gripping thriller.
 
Black Box Diaries

Gut-wrenching documentary about Japan's (probably) most famous MeToo case (it actually began 2 years before the actual movement). We follow the victim from beginning to end so the documentary covers 8 years of fighting for justice.

Highly recommended, but be ready to sob.
 
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Black Box Diaries

Gut-wrenching documentary about Japan's (probably) most famous MeToo case (it actually begin 2 years before the actual movement). We follow the victim from beginning to end so the documentary covers 8 years of fighting for justice.

Highly recommended, but be ready to sob.
Sounds interesting i love a good documentary.
 
La Chimera ?

If you haven’t I would really recommend. Pretty amazing film making.
One of those where I appreciated the filmmaking more than the film itself. I think the fact that I saw it as the last feature of the local film festival in a place not really sutied for films played a part in it. Josh O'Connor was great though.
 
One of those where I appreciated the filmmaking more than the film itself. I think the fact that I saw it as the last feature of the local film festival in a place not really sutied for films played a part in it. Josh O'Connor was great though.
Nice. Tbh I wasn’t too sure what to think of it on the first watch but for whatever reason it stayed with me. Gave it another viewing today and really loved it.

Yep O’ Connor is great. Would also add in Carol Duarte performance as well.
 
Red One

Basic plot which needs some eye rolls and brain pause to get over, which they have tried to plaster over with CGI and the popular leads which partly works. Rock and Evans carry the movie and they do develop a passable chemistry. Probably about 30m too long leading to uneven pacing.

But then, I'm a sucker for feel good movies, Christmas movies and Dwayne Johnson movies, so I won't complain too much.

6/10
 
In the Land of Saints and Sinners(2023) - thriller set in the troubles in Donegal. enjoyable enough Neeson affair with a good cast and great to see Jack Gleeson again after not seeing him since Joffrey croaked it in Game of Thrones. Brilliant actor hope he does more

Time Cut (2024) - girl accidentally goes back in time and has a chance to save her sister from a serial killer who murdered her. Dumb but interesting premise and nostalgia for the early 00s (crazy that that's a thing now) was the draw here for me but it's just not a very good movie sadly. Fails as a slasher/horror and fails as a sci-fi.

Scarface - really good. Fast paced and so violent! First time seeing a Pacino movie and he's bloody amazing as Tony Montana.

Pulp Fiction - fell asleep about an hour in and don't really have a desire to give it another go. Not for me I don't think

think you need to run for cover, the Caf culture vultures are going to be gunning for you
 
This sounds familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I think I've seen this, but if not, it was remarkably similar. I don't remember there being a ballerina, though!
is this the film with the weird hotel / brothel at the end and lots of shooting? the pharmacist thing does ring a bell.
 
Emilia Pérez
Best movie I've seen all year. Really unique and surprising. Amazing acting performances all around. People who don't watch subtitled movies usually should watch this anyway.

Netflix has done some good movies this year but this really takes it to the next level.
I really enjoyed the Sisters Brothers but this has to be Jacques Audiard's masterpiece.
 
Woman of the Hour.

5/5

This is brilliant. Maybe a bit too violent. But anna kendrick is excellent in it as is the guy who plays the serial killer. So creepy.

Top notch direction from kendrick too.
 
GLADIIATOR

Epic stuff. A worthy successor to a classic. Ridley can still knock it out of the park. 8/10
 
Gladiator 2

A moderately diverting 2 hours. Action, action and more action. It felt like it was missing something throughout, like it had been over-edited and lost all the connective tissue and emotional heft that the movie should have had.

As it was, the 'epic moments' felt undeserved and the protagonist's motivation and likeability were not convincing. The plot moved from beat to beat very artificially in service of getting to the end. Paul Mescal was flat as the lead (he will be compared to Crowe, and was not a patch on him), with my highlight being Pedro Pascal. The action was passable but without the connection to the characters, ultimately fell flat.

It was also far too referential and felt tied to the first movie, almost slavishly.

It's very possible that Ridley might have a Director's cut up his sleeve like Kingdom of Heaven that's twice the movie.

I would not recommend this movie in cinemas. One to be caught on streaming to pass the time.
 
Get Out (2017)

This one had been on my list for a long time, and finally got around to watching it the other day. It's really an excellent film that blends dark comedy, horror, mystery, and social commentary in a way that I haven't really seen before. Going in you already know that it's a horror movie so shit will go down, but the movie still keeps you guessing about what is actually going on until almost the very end. There is so much clever writing in the movie, and a lot of things you will only notice on a second viewing or that makes sense when the plot has been revealed, which is really the mark of an excellent screenplay, in my opinion. On the social commentary part, it's really clever to do a movie that speaks to the more subtle racism of old white liberals - even if some of it is presented a bit heavy-handed. Performances are generally good, with the standout being Daniel Kaluuya in the lead.

- The servants are seen warmly greeting the guests of the party, which makes sense when you realize they are actually the grandparents and therefore old friends of the guests.
- The grandfather is still training his running, since he was originally beat by Jesse Owens back in the day.
- The brother talking about how you need to be three steps ahead in Jiu-Jitsu, which the protagonist ends up using in their fight.
- The girlfriend saying "You won't be chased off the lawn with a shotgun", when that basically ends up happening.
- The family being adamant about not smoking, because it will ruin the body of their new vessel.

Well a worth a watch. 9/10.
 
Lovers On The Bridge

One of the greatest romantic films ever made. 90’s french cinema is pretty incredible.

9/10
 
Black Mass

Plastic Depp playing a real life Boston gangster. Movie starts really strong but soon turns into a snooze fest of disjointed sequence of indifferent scenes.

3/10