Disagree in part with the first bolded, but doesn't really matter.
I don't mind Ridley Scott. Wouldn't say I'm a mega fan.
So, Gladiator 2
There's an interesting thing that happens in everyone's life - as you get older, you seem to give less and less shits about what people think of you, how your behaviour might be perceived, your impact on others... We witness it in the streets, in the supermarket, probably at Sunday lunches at grandparents (I wouldn't know, but I've heard) - old people just don't care that much.
This is what's happening with Ridley Scott these days, and it's rather enjoyable. Once a director that was quite focused on conventional narratives, storytelling, filmmaking, and which gave us absolute classics like Alien and Blade Runner, he's decisively entered his old man phase and it shows. I loved his interpretation of Bonaparte, focusing on the most relevant part of the guy and angering all the military and history nerds (who are usually about as bad as video game nerds), and with Gladiator 2, he basically remakes the original film, but with even less care for structure, character motivation, common sense, coherence, or all those other pesky details - the shackles are absolutely off.
I rewatched Gladiator recently, and it's a really good film. It's gotten some weird backlash over the past few years, maybe because it doesn't feel like a logical Oscar-worthy film or something, but it's genuinely very good - it's a revenge flick set in ancient Rome with solid story telling, clear character motivation, great all round performances (particularly Crowe's intense interpretation which makes it all hold up) and excellent set pieces. It's not necessarily the kind of film I'd watch over and over again, but it's objectively very well made.
This one... Well, it's well made. Scott is an amazing filmmaker. But it's super messy. He clearly knows where he wants to go with it, but he doesn't really care that the journey to get there is coherent or holds up (spoilers: it doesn't, really). The motivations for most characters are blurry at best, their interactions seem forced and fake for the most part, the emotions seem more like concepts in the script than actually fleshed out on the screen, and the set pieces are... strange. The monkey scene is strange. The boat battle in the Coliseum is strange, not because of its look, but because it's cool, seems like it should be a massive set piece in the middle of the film, and then half way through the scene, it seems like Scott got bored with it and just phoned it in. In lieu of Crowe's brooding, dark rage, we get Paul Mescal's lightest performance yet (and I'm a maaaassive Mescal fan, and everything he's done so far has shown he's capable of intense brooding), with Denzel chipping in every so often to talk about his "rage" and his "mist" to let us know that Paul Mescal is, erm, super angry. Even though he actually seems like he's having a hell of a time! His character also keeps getting these revelations that are grasping at straws, putting it kindly, and gets a payoff he's not really deserved, as an on-screen character.
The most delicious part about it all is that Ridley found the perfect vessel to channel is old-man-don't-give-a-feck energy in Denzel - everyone else is playing it so straight faced, so serious, so actors have a script and actually do their job, while he's just gangstering his way through it and having a hell of a time. It's quite the sight, and he's fecking awesome.
I don't usually do ratings, but this one is a clear we-need-to-protect-our-elders-at-all-costs-they're-national-treasures/10
Are you not entertained?
Also, I'm hoping there will be a 4h director's cut version released some time down the line with Denzel's character progressively morphing into Alonzo Harris.
He was, it was his weakest performance yet I'd say though, so not representative. I'd say it was more of an issue with Scott not really knowing (or, as I suspect, giving a feck) what he wanted from this character, but Mescal is a wonderful actor.
There's a moment with the woman (Shelly Duvall) running away, the scene is supposed to be all scary and tense and then she looks into a room, and a random guy is getting a blowy from a person in a bear suit? Come on man.
Yes!
The trailer for this was so good, I saw the movie in the cinema. I thought it was ok, probably like a 6.5/10. I might give it another go.
6.5 might be too low and 8 too high. I think this film could have used some ambiguity, some sense that maybe a “bad” guy wasn’t really bad, or somehow not telegraphed every plot point. I still think a film like To Live And Die In L.A. shits on most/all crooked cop movies.
Could have been worse. It always could have been worse:
A big ask to be compared to Russell Crowe in what was possibly the role of a lifetime for him. I love the original. Cheesy in many way but really well made, great storytelling and great performances combined. The hand dragging through the wheat is my all time favorite bit of cinematography.
Triple 9 was really really bad.
To imagine that the studio were trying to force the director to do it sequentially
I'm glad the director stuck to their guns on this.As soon as I saw it wasn't sequential I basically figured out the "twist" immediately
felt like the film was trying too hard, but I did like it. how did they convince Cate Blanchett to start in this? Why is Kevin Hart playing the male action hero? Why do the visual effects look like they're from the 90s? Why do the characters look like they're cosplaying? One of those films that do stupid you can actually have fun laughing at it. At least this should be the end of Eli Roth's blockbuster career 2/10Or Moana for the North Americans (and I don't know where else). I really like this film. It lacks a lot of the usual clichees and a couple of the songs are really fun, especially Maui's You're Welcome (also in French and Flemish
).I'm quite out of the loop regarding Disney stuff but I think I've seen Zootopia with the kids and it was fine and I recall especially The Princess and the Frog (..dunno, maybe mix this up with a Grace Jones classicOr Moana for the North Americans (and I don't know where else). I really like this film. It lacks a lot of the usual clichees and a couple of the songs are really fun, especially Maui's You're Welcome (also in French and Flemish
Disney was on a good run with its own animation division. Zootropolis especially is also quite strong.
/ Tiana) being quite cool.Is that the one set in Louisiana? I didn't like it as much. I can't stand Encanto either somehow; just not a fit for me I guess. It's really that stretch with Wreck-it Ralph (a bit superficial but fun), Frozen (not my favorite but well done), Big Hero 6 (really good as well), Zootopia, and Moana/Vaiana that I meant.I'm quite out of the loop regarding Disney stuff but I think I've seen Zootopia with the kids and it was fine and I recall especially The Princess and the Frog (..dunno, maybe mix this up with a Grace Jones classic
New Orleans, yes. Haven't seen Disney kids flics for decade(s) - maybe Mulan was the last, and only had the omnipresent Anna / Elsa in mind (having two daughters) so maybe the Lousiana setting and Tiana as a character was surprisingly different . Wreck it Ralph and the other stuff I have no idea about and little interest in watching it. Just came across those characters lately as I started to spend some time and obscene amount of money on the new Disney trading card game. But yea, Vaiana / Moana seems well rounded and interesting enough. Even read a nice enough interpretation on reddit yesterday about it (re her getting killed the first time she tried to go across the rift and the way the rest was unfolding after that event).
Well, to be honest, I wouldn't watch them myself either. But we have a Friday pizza/movie night with my kids, so I see a kids movie every week. (Too often something we've seen already, but anyway!)
Yeah it’s crazy. Tbh I had no idea is was sick.
It’s not probably not the best one but Rocky 4 is my favourite.
I’m one of the few people who cheers when Drago knocks the piss out of that freedom loving Apollo! Killing a man in what is the equivalent of a soccer Aid match is true hater mindset.
Apollo's face when they touch gloves is brilliant though
