28 Years Later
Mickey 17
Avatar 3
The Bad Guys 2
The Running Man
The Monkey
Thunderbolts and F4 I will probably see but I'm not expecting too much.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
- Thread starter golden_blunder
- Start date
Mickey 17
Avatar 3
The Bad Guys 2
The Running Man
The Monkey
Thunderbolts and F4 I will probably see but I'm not expecting too much.
The Monkey
28 Years Later
Him
Until Dawn
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Presence
Death of a Unicorn
Sinners
I Know What You Did Last Summer
A Soderbergh horror? Colour me intrigued.
Yeah and it's a haunted house film from the POV of the ghost. I'm really looking forward to it.
Billion Dollar Baby was probably the last one I could stand. He’s a moron and now his movies are proud to display it.
Trying to watch The Northman now. What in the feck is up with these accents? I like that Amleth says “My father, my king” he must be a Mogwai fan. But seriously what the feck, Ethan Hawke and Nicole Kidman? Look, I get it: people get their favorites and they keep watching their films year after year. Why though? Hawke and Kidman are shit. I’ve been stuck with these two cnuts for decades. Ethan Hawke better die soon (in the movie). Robert Eggers is out of his mind.
Looked terrible, terrible accents, terrible actors, terrible performances and overall a movie I hated (until I stopped watching)
So I saw Queer last night, and while I expected a sensual romance with tones of Call me by your name set in Mexico, it's anything but that.
The film starts by following Lee, an American living in Mexico in the 1950s. He is a confident queer man who tries flirting with any guy with a pulse, but beneath the façade, you can immediately sense it's masquerading to hide deep feelings of loneliness and sadness. It explores Lee's romance with Eugene, who Lee becomes enamoured with and progressively obsessed with, while Eugene always remains noncommittal and aloof.
It's a rather basic storyline, adapted from Burroughs's novella of the same name (which, as I understand, is largely autobiographical), but it's explored masterfully by Guadagnino, broken down into 3 main segments (the part in Mexico, another when they travel across Central America, and finally a trippy third act in the jungle). I thought it was a beautiful film about loneliness, the otherness that comes with being queer, insecurities, but laced with true moments of poetry, vulnerability and sensuality - I've got to say, I don't think there's any director that films sex as well as Guadagnino does. In that regard, Lee and Eugene's first sexual experience is great in juggling the pure sensuality and desire of the moment while also building on the characterization of both Lee and Eugene - the former's earnestness, desperation, lust and excitement, his joy at finally getting with Gene, and the latter's aloofness nicely underlined by the handjob he gives Lee after almost lighting a cigarette, as a complete afterthought - he doesn't care, he never will, and the crumbs he feeds Lee will only deepen his misery ultimately. It's perfect.
I also love how the locations of his films feel like full-blown characters (Pantelleria in A bigger splash, Lombardy in Call me by your name, Berlin in Suspiria...), and it's the same here, from the pastiche cardboard cut-outs of Mexico City, the playful perspectives of Central America, and the lush moistness of the jungle. Each segment of the film has a true visual identity and feel, supported by a wonderfully diverse soundtrack and score. Importantly, these decors never feel real in the same way those in his previous films do, they are figments of the characters' imaginations and emotions. Overall, it all feels like a fever dream materialized on screen.
All of the above would be enought to make it a great film in its own right, but it's further elevated by 2 elements: Craig's performance, and the bonkers 20 last minutes.
I've always felt that Craig was a little underrated as an actor and this feels like a seminal moment for him, to an extent. His portrayal of Lee is heart-wrenching, fun, oozes charisma and pathos, and enables you to connect with this tortured soul trying to find his way in the world (in the form of this one true love that eludes him). The only negative about Craig's performance is that it's so towering, it sort of eclipses Drew Starkey, who feels somewhat miscast here - he does well to convey the desirable, mysterious archetype that was bound to catch Lee's desire, but he lacks depth at times. Across him is the rawness of Craig's best performance to date, emotionally and physically sharp, and he just feels a bit bland in comparison.
And as for the ending, it's hard to discuss too much without giving away any details, so...
I don't know if it's my favourite Guadagnino film (I truly love all of his work, and there's 3-4 that I would pick as my favourite depending on the day), but I'd say it's definitely his most daring and while he walks a tightrope during the conclusion of Queer, I believe he pulls it off perfectly.
So, going from my initial "expectations", or ideas of what the film might be, I ended up with something completely different, more exciting, a sort of Call my by your name meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas meets 2001 meets Aguirre, with some Dali, Portinari, Kahlo and so many others imagery thrown in for good measure. There's some Tarkowsky, Kubrick, Herzog vibes/inspiration in there but all these influences, callbacks or things I'm just completely pulling out of my arse importantly never intervene in a way that would eclipse what is a truly unique director's vision. Take a bow Luca, you've entered my pantheon of favourite directors for good now (yeah ok I know he doesn't care).
@Sweet Square go see it!
The film starts by following Lee, an American living in Mexico in the 1950s. He is a confident queer man who tries flirting with any guy with a pulse, but beneath the façade, you can immediately sense it's masquerading to hide deep feelings of loneliness and sadness. It explores Lee's romance with Eugene, who Lee becomes enamoured with and progressively obsessed with, while Eugene always remains noncommittal and aloof.
It's a rather basic storyline, adapted from Burroughs's novella of the same name (which, as I understand, is largely autobiographical), but it's explored masterfully by Guadagnino, broken down into 3 main segments (the part in Mexico, another when they travel across Central America, and finally a trippy third act in the jungle). I thought it was a beautiful film about loneliness, the otherness that comes with being queer, insecurities, but laced with true moments of poetry, vulnerability and sensuality - I've got to say, I don't think there's any director that films sex as well as Guadagnino does. In that regard, Lee and Eugene's first sexual experience is great in juggling the pure sensuality and desire of the moment while also building on the characterization of both Lee and Eugene - the former's earnestness, desperation, lust and excitement, his joy at finally getting with Gene, and the latter's aloofness nicely underlined by the handjob he gives Lee after almost lighting a cigarette, as a complete afterthought - he doesn't care, he never will, and the crumbs he feeds Lee will only deepen his misery ultimately. It's perfect.
I also love how the locations of his films feel like full-blown characters (Pantelleria in A bigger splash, Lombardy in Call me by your name, Berlin in Suspiria...), and it's the same here, from the pastiche cardboard cut-outs of Mexico City, the playful perspectives of Central America, and the lush moistness of the jungle. Each segment of the film has a true visual identity and feel, supported by a wonderfully diverse soundtrack and score. Importantly, these decors never feel real in the same way those in his previous films do, they are figments of the characters' imaginations and emotions. Overall, it all feels like a fever dream materialized on screen.
All of the above would be enought to make it a great film in its own right, but it's further elevated by 2 elements: Craig's performance, and the bonkers 20 last minutes.
I've always felt that Craig was a little underrated as an actor and this feels like a seminal moment for him, to an extent. His portrayal of Lee is heart-wrenching, fun, oozes charisma and pathos, and enables you to connect with this tortured soul trying to find his way in the world (in the form of this one true love that eludes him). The only negative about Craig's performance is that it's so towering, it sort of eclipses Drew Starkey, who feels somewhat miscast here - he does well to convey the desirable, mysterious archetype that was bound to catch Lee's desire, but he lacks depth at times. Across him is the rawness of Craig's best performance to date, emotionally and physically sharp, and he just feels a bit bland in comparison.
And as for the ending, it's hard to discuss too much without giving away any details, so...
I loved everything from the moment they finally reach their goal in the forest and go on their ayahuasca trip (beautifully shot). The conclusion of the film, heavy with symbolism - the crying snake as an infinity ouroboros, the disembodied Eugene with his midriff covered by a glass panel, the room of his initial encounter at the beginning of the film, the William tell shot (which is from what I read a direct transposition of Burroughs's life), the sudden aging... - is pretty disheartening in what it suggests for the rest of Lee's life, but the final shot might be a little ray of hope? I'm not sure, but I left the film reeling from it all, trying to come to grasps with the sensorial experience and more intellectual/interpretation parts.
I don't know if it's my favourite Guadagnino film (I truly love all of his work, and there's 3-4 that I would pick as my favourite depending on the day), but I'd say it's definitely his most daring and while he walks a tightrope during the conclusion of Queer, I believe he pulls it off perfectly.
So, going from my initial "expectations", or ideas of what the film might be, I ended up with something completely different, more exciting, a sort of Call my by your name meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas meets 2001 meets Aguirre, with some Dali, Portinari, Kahlo and so many others imagery thrown in for good measure. There's some Tarkowsky, Kubrick, Herzog vibes/inspiration in there but all these influences, callbacks or things I'm just completely pulling out of my arse importantly never intervene in a way that would eclipse what is a truly unique director's vision. Take a bow Luca, you've entered my pantheon of favourite directors for good now (yeah ok I know he doesn't care).
@Sweet Square go see it!
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Kidman was trying to sound like Dracula, Hawke was trying to sound like Lemmy from Motörhead. I realized I didn’t have two hours patience for the rest of this. Might give it another go with the sound off and fast forward until Amleth is all growled up.
Brilliant post and you’ve sold me on the film. I’ve got my ticked booked
I hope you enjoy it! I know you weren't a massive fan of Challengers, but have you seen other Guadagnino films? What did you think of them?Brilliant post and you’ve sold me on the film. I’ve got my ticked booked
Drive Away Dolls (2024)
Written & Directed by Joel Coen, formerly one half of the greatest filmmaking team of the last 40 years. Apparently Ethan was the talented one, as Joel usually just produced, and it fecking shows!
Starring Margaret Qualley, whose career will probably recover from this stupid pile of shit, but fortunately she had The Substance already in the can, or she would have had to go back to waiting tables. The Coens were brilliant and I’m sure everyone trusted Joel, including financiers and actors, and alarm bells must have been ringing from the first set of dailies.
Ostensibly this is some kind of road movie, bad guys chasing two naïfs, and the trailer makes it look like same vibes as Burn After Reading. However, if you think Vince Vaughn talks too fecking much, you will long for his sweet aural embrace after spending 20 minutes with her [Qualley] in this film.
There are some weird flourishes like scenes end with the image tilting up on its edge like a box and smashing into the next scene with a sound effect. Midway through one scene it suddenly goes super colorful and Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain plays, then before any of this makes sense they go back to MQ and her uptight friend in a lesbian bar. We made it about 25 minutes, before the constant attempts to shock the audience with sex talk just broke us.
See, the big subversion of genre tropes is that both Qualley and her road companion are lesbians, they have a wall dildo, they show Qualley going down on some big girl, then next scene she’s getting her ass eaten by the same girl, they go to a body shots competition where Qualley says they can take shots from her vagina, they go to a lesbian bar, they talk about cunnilingus, blah blah blah. It’s an assault. And it’s like something that would have been shocking in 1980. Oh, none of these scenes are hot or shot sexy, in case you were somehow tempted: you don’t actually get to see anything racy, just the top of Qualley’s head between someone’s thighs, then she sits up with wet cheeks - really committing to the bit.
Shiiiiiiite.
1/10. The only point goes for using Funkadelic.
Written & Directed by Joel Coen, formerly one half of the greatest filmmaking team of the last 40 years. Apparently Ethan was the talented one, as Joel usually just produced, and it fecking shows!
Starring Margaret Qualley, whose career will probably recover from this stupid pile of shit, but fortunately she had The Substance already in the can, or she would have had to go back to waiting tables. The Coens were brilliant and I’m sure everyone trusted Joel, including financiers and actors, and alarm bells must have been ringing from the first set of dailies.
Ostensibly this is some kind of road movie, bad guys chasing two naïfs, and the trailer makes it look like same vibes as Burn After Reading. However, if you think Vince Vaughn talks too fecking much, you will long for his sweet aural embrace after spending 20 minutes with her [Qualley] in this film.
There are some weird flourishes like scenes end with the image tilting up on its edge like a box and smashing into the next scene with a sound effect. Midway through one scene it suddenly goes super colorful and Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain plays, then before any of this makes sense they go back to MQ and her uptight friend in a lesbian bar. We made it about 25 minutes, before the constant attempts to shock the audience with sex talk just broke us.
See, the big subversion of genre tropes is that both Qualley and her road companion are lesbians, they have a wall dildo, they show Qualley going down on some big girl, then next scene she’s getting her ass eaten by the same girl, they go to a body shots competition where Qualley says they can take shots from her vagina, they go to a lesbian bar, they talk about cunnilingus, blah blah blah. It’s an assault. And it’s like something that would have been shocking in 1980. Oh, none of these scenes are hot or shot sexy, in case you were somehow tempted: you don’t actually get to see anything racy, just the top of Qualley’s head between someone’s thighs, then she sits up with wet cheeks - really committing to the bit.
Shiiiiiiite.
1/10. The only point goes for using Funkadelic.
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I’ve only seen a couple of his works.
First was his remake of Suspria which I’ve come round to liking more. At first I wasn’t into draining Suspria of all its colour(Although I understand it’s a good way to separate itself from the original) but 70’s West German was a great setting and showing an American crying at the mention of free rent was a beautiful way to open.
It definitely more of witch film than the original which was nice and so are close ups of faces. Tbh overall the body horror is pretty excellent(Although minus point for cgi blood!). I’ve got to say Guadagnino is great at filming the movements of bodies.
It definitely captures the paranoia and guilt vibe of a society which contains people who have horrific pasts. Although I don’t know if it says more than that. Also to the film credit it’s full of beautiful naked women but it never comes across as sexual or vulgar which speaks to Guadagnino as a director.
More recently Mubi added Guadagnino first movie The Protagonists. I really enjoyed it. Crime thriller but shot almost as a tv documentary. Guadagnino nails 90’s London and the film has the energy of someone first work as he is chucking everything at the screen.
I’ve also watched a short film he did called - The Staggering Girl which had a great cast of Julianne Moore, Kyle MacLachlan).
Get Away - Nick Frost and Aisling Bea comedy/horror. Over the top ridiculous but funny enough so worth a watch if you're a fan of Nick Frost. I thought it was much better until the twist about 2/3rds in so id only give it a 6.5/10
Same here, I love Argento‘s Suspiria - and totally agree about the setting being perfectly captured there - so stayed away from the remake for a couple of years. Only after meeting a photographer who also acts a bit and who has a small role in it (the remake) did I watch it and it‘s an extremely satisfying watch. So yea, pretty cool to have both movies now and I‘m usually not that interested in remakes.
Brilliant review(Includes spoilers)of Anora -
https://angelfoodmag.com/romance-labor
https://angelfoodmag.com/romance-labor
The original is my favourites. I love how relentlessness of it. It’s the only horror film that captures the strangeness of nightmares.
Are there actual Nick Frost fans?
I'm a fan of his kung fu style
I absolutely, categorically refuse to believe any of that was in your head until you read that “review” and then decided “actually yeah, I don’t like this”.
I read some of it but stopped here…
…as I wouldn’t need to abandon any past experiences as a sex worker to enjoy the film, so the review is completely irrelevant to me. I also wouldn’t want to read a fighter pilot’s review of Top Gun.
That's a bit bloody flippant. Your analogy falls on it's arse when you start categorising fighter jet pilots with a whole section of society who are treated pretty appallingly yet are omnipresent across the globe.
Hey check out this review!
Cafe member 1 - I refuse to believe any of these thoughts entered your head.
Cafe member 2 - This review is rubbish and I didn’t read it.
Cafe member 1 - I refuse to believe any of these thoughts entered your head.
Cafe member 2 - This review is rubbish and I didn’t read it.
Except that's not what I said, also, don't compare me to grumps over there.
This is a strange cloud to yell at, even for you.
I watched Conclave last night. The best film of 2024 imo, absolutely captivating from start to finish.
Love the shout-outs for the Suspiria remake in here. My favourite horror movie from the last 15-20 years.
until you read that “review”
hey listen, if Sweet Square can embody the mind and thoughts of a real life sex worker and writer when watching a movie then fair play!
Anyway, I wouldn't call it a brilliant review at all. Ok, fine, the movie doesn't do enough to highlight the challenges sex workers face in the US, but it's also not trying to? It feels a harsh criticism to label at it. I can understand why the reviewer is writing it as it's probably the most attention a film with a sex worker has gotten in a very long time, but it seems to be arguing against the film for no good reason. I thought the film had a pretty simple point which was that we should be very careful of objectifying these young women because they have feelings and emotions and can get hurt just like like the rest of us.
I love it too. I even prefer it to the original, which I adore. The geo-political grimness, evoked as much by the setting as anything, really envelops you. It's tremendous.
I think the way sex workers are portrayed, and how the matter is often dealt with in media is general, is likely to feck you off if you have any understanding of the reality, and it's fair game to point that out, even if that's not what the film is trying to discuss, especially if it makes power imbalance a core theme in the movie. I don't think it's just pedantry like, for instance, criticising the accuracy of cockpit dynamics in Top Gun.
Again I did not make that analogy so don’t lump me in with him
(You make a fair point)
It’s definitely flippant. Which is hopefully a nice antidote to a lecture on the history of oppression of sex workers as a review of a film that is clearly not intended to be taken very seriously.
And I feel like you’re being a little unkind in your marginalisation of fighter jet pilots. They deserve a voice too. Who’s going to keep our skies safe without them? Hookers?
Again I did not make that analogy so don’t lump me in with him
(You make a fair point)
I can’t believe the way you’re distancing yourself from me after all the supportive PM’s you sent me about that post.
I'll preface this by saying that I haven't seen the film and won't read the entire review. But the review starts by pointing out that the director has now made four films focused on sex workers. If that's an ongoing focus of his, surely at some point you can expect him to be a bit realistic about the realities of sex work? Again, this is surface interaction on my end, but overall, the point seems valid for this particular director.
Geostorm. A 2017 disaster film by Roland Emmerich collaborator Dean Devlin. A network of satellites protects the earth from disastrous weather, but when it goes rogue, its developer (Gerard Butler) has to save the day. It's an absolutely terrible film. Nothing makes sense in the plot, the science (it's just too dumb and ridiculous to suspend belief), or the dialogues. The only saving grace here is that the film is so stupid that it's funny sometimes. Especially the closing monologue by the daughter is outright hilarious. Eye-roll/10
Bumblebee. A 2018 Transformers film set in 1987, when Bumblebee first comes to earth, loses his memory and voice in battle, and then gets 'adopted' by a 18-year old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) while Decepticons are looking for him. In contrast with Geostorm, this is blockbuster action fare done right. It's as vacuous intellectually, but it's got a heart, it's fun, and it keeps going nicely. Fun soundtrack, too. 7/10
A Man Called Otto. A 2022 comedy drama (with emphasis on the drama; it takes a while for the upbeat parts to show up) where Tom Hanks plays a grumpy, bitter guy who is done with life, but gets drawn back in by new neighbours (especially a woman played by Mariana Treviño) and ensuing circumstances. The sentimentality is laid on rather thickly, but it's enjoyable enough and works well. 6/10
Joy. A recent drama about the work by three scientists (Jean Purdy, Robert Edwards, and Patrick Steptoe; played by Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton, and Bill Nighy) in the 1960s and 1970s that led to the invention of IVF and the first IVF baby, and the societal discussion around that (it was the work of the devil, of course). Despite that dramatic element, which the film shows mostly through Purdy's life, the story is rather straightforward and the film is therefore also a little plain. But it's a good story that merits telling this way. Especially the focus on Purdy as the core character is welcome, as it took decades until her role was properly acknowledged (even if her colleagues fought hard for that). One of those (many) films to watch if you think women have nothing to complain about and feminism is unnecessary. 7/10
Whisper of the Heart. A 1995 romantic drama film by Studio Ghibli about a teenage girl who is about to go to high school and discovering her true interests. It's a little more complex than that, but I don't want to give away too much. It's a funny subject for a Ghibli film; it seems a little plain or mundane, even if there are various interesting elements to the story. But as always, it is superbly done, the emotions are not stereotypical, and the characters are just so alive. The ending seemed a bit absurd to me though: aren't they rather young for that? Or is that young impulsiveness? Or something Japanese I don't understand? Anyway - not one of Ghibli's highlights, but very enjoyable. 8/10
Bumblebee. A 2018 Transformers film set in 1987, when Bumblebee first comes to earth, loses his memory and voice in battle, and then gets 'adopted' by a 18-year old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) while Decepticons are looking for him. In contrast with Geostorm, this is blockbuster action fare done right. It's as vacuous intellectually, but it's got a heart, it's fun, and it keeps going nicely. Fun soundtrack, too. 7/10
A Man Called Otto. A 2022 comedy drama (with emphasis on the drama; it takes a while for the upbeat parts to show up) where Tom Hanks plays a grumpy, bitter guy who is done with life, but gets drawn back in by new neighbours (especially a woman played by Mariana Treviño) and ensuing circumstances. The sentimentality is laid on rather thickly, but it's enjoyable enough and works well. 6/10
Joy. A recent drama about the work by three scientists (Jean Purdy, Robert Edwards, and Patrick Steptoe; played by Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton, and Bill Nighy) in the 1960s and 1970s that led to the invention of IVF and the first IVF baby, and the societal discussion around that (it was the work of the devil, of course). Despite that dramatic element, which the film shows mostly through Purdy's life, the story is rather straightforward and the film is therefore also a little plain. But it's a good story that merits telling this way. Especially the focus on Purdy as the core character is welcome, as it took decades until her role was properly acknowledged (even if her colleagues fought hard for that). One of those (many) films to watch if you think women have nothing to complain about and feminism is unnecessary. 7/10
Whisper of the Heart. A 1995 romantic drama film by Studio Ghibli about a teenage girl who is about to go to high school and discovering her true interests. It's a little more complex than that, but I don't want to give away too much. It's a funny subject for a Ghibli film; it seems a little plain or mundane, even if there are various interesting elements to the story. But as always, it is superbly done, the emotions are not stereotypical, and the characters are just so alive. The ending seemed a bit absurd to me though: aren't they rather young for that? Or is that young impulsiveness? Or something Japanese I don't understand? Anyway - not one of Ghibli's highlights, but very enjoyable. 8/10
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I watched a q&a with Sean Baker after the screening of Anora I went to.
He apparently consulted very widely with sex workers, interviewed sex workers, and had on-set consultants throughout filming. In his own words, he made yet another film about sex workers because he “wasn’t seeing any films being made about sex work”. I take this to mean he’s generally disappointed by the lack of representation.
He specifically said in the interview that Anora is not attempting to wholly capture the experience of all sex workers. He attempted to tell an acute, concentrated story about the experience of just one sex worker. From what I gather, he tried his level best to educate and entertain in equal measure. He clearly cares deeply about the subject matter.
The experiences of sex workers are not uniform. Fairly harsh to accuse him of failing to capture the nuances felt by all sex workers all the time. I get the thrust of that review, but can our audiences and critics not be a little charitable?
He apparently consulted very widely with sex workers, interviewed sex workers, and had on-set consultants throughout filming. In his own words, he made yet another film about sex workers because he “wasn’t seeing any films being made about sex work”. I take this to mean he’s generally disappointed by the lack of representation.
He specifically said in the interview that Anora is not attempting to wholly capture the experience of all sex workers. He attempted to tell an acute, concentrated story about the experience of just one sex worker. From what I gather, he tried his level best to educate and entertain in equal measure. He clearly cares deeply about the subject matter.
The experiences of sex workers are not uniform. Fairly harsh to accuse him of failing to capture the nuances felt by all sex workers all the time. I get the thrust of that review, but can our audiences and critics not be a little charitable?
The GOAT.
Tbf Baker has won a ton of awards for this film(It’s got 94% on RT) and it’s also done well at the box office. It’s almost universally loved.
The review I posted is one of the few with a different view(One of the reasons I put in this thread).
That's fair enough as well.
Wicked
Been avoiding this as I couldn't imagine how it would compare well against the west end play but my daughter kept asking so we went. She loved it and so did I. Great sets, performances, musical numbers... Everything was on point. The scene in the disco pulled at the heart strings even more than in the play and loved the way they did the finale. Just hoped it would be 20 minutes shorter and I'm curious to see how they tackle the second film but on its own, this was fantastic 8/10
Been avoiding this as I couldn't imagine how it would compare well against the west end play but my daughter kept asking so we went. She loved it and so did I. Great sets, performances, musical numbers... Everything was on point. The scene in the disco pulled at the heart strings even more than in the play and loved the way they did the finale. Just hoped it would be 20 minutes shorter and I'm curious to see how they tackle the second film but on its own, this was fantastic 8/10