Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

It looks like option 6 is going to sneek it, the new front runner in the final straight is Rescue Dawn, which I had forgotten about until I got home.

And yes, Spoons, Korean tends to be my preference for Asian cinema, though I havent seen a lot of the films you mention. Ill look into those.
 
Anyone else who was massively disappointed with Memento? I saw it some time ago and even though I liked the movie, there wasn't much in it at all.
 
Cloverfield. Good idea for a film, lousy execution.

It felt like the OC cast starring in 8 legged freaks, shot by a limping cameraman. The acting was shit, the dialogue was shit, the importance paid to emotional archs and the sequence of events seemed way too contrived. The look of the film and lighting was all too slick.

All this made the central conceit feel totally inauthentic. This meant that there was no sense of threat or emotional involvement.

Blair Witch worked because it didn't give a feck if the guy got the girl and it felt grimmy and imperfect. Cloverfield always feels fake.

2/10.
 
dumbo said:
Cloverfield. Good idea for a film, lousy execution.

It felt like the OC cast starring in 8 legged freaks, shot by a limping cameraman. The acting was shit, the dialogue was shit, the importance paid to emotional archs and the sequence of events seemed way too contrived. The look of the film and lighting was all too slick.

All this made the central conceit feel totally inauthentic. This meant that there was no sense of threat or emotional involvement.

Blair Witch worked because it didn't give a feck if the guy got the girl and it felt grimmy and imperfect. Cloverfield always feels fake.

2/10.
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I thought it was brilliant, dont really think that the emphasis of the film was dialogue or the acting.
 
dumbo said:
Cloverfield. Good idea for a film, lousy execution.

It felt like the OC cast starring in 8 legged freaks, shot by a limping cameraman. The acting was shit, the dialogue was shit, the importance paid to emotional archs and the sequence of events seemed way too contrived. The look of the film and lighting was all too slick.

All this made the central conceit feel totally inauthentic. This meant that there was no sense of threat or emotional involvement.

Blair Witch worked because it didn't give a feck if the guy got the girl and it felt grimmy and imperfect. Cloverfield always feels fake.

2/10.
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It was really quite rubbish.
 
dumbo said:
Cloverfield. Good idea for a film, lousy execution.

It felt like the OC cast starring in 8 legged freaks, shot by a limping cameraman. The acting was shit, the dialogue was shit, the importance paid to emotional archs and the sequence of events seemed way too contrived. The look of the film and lighting was all too slick.

All this made the central conceit feel totally inauthentic. This meant that there was no sense of threat or emotional involvement.

Blair Witch worked because it didn't give a feck if the guy got the girl and it felt grimmy and imperfect. Cloverfield always feels fake.

2/10.
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The way it was shot was interesting and I liked it. The direction the movie went in, I didn't care for.
 
olesmyhero said:
The way it was shot was interesting and I liked it. The direction the movie went in, I didn't care for.
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Yeah it could have been interesting, but turning into a pseudolove story was a bit homo, actually it was real homo
 
Rescue Dawn was very good. Awesome performances from Christian Bale, Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies, especially, were the key strength of the film I thought. The characters in it were not always likeable but had plenty of depth, and it was compelling watching their mental states deteriorate as the film went on.

If I had one complaint it would be that the film did not capitalise on the setting, in terms of making the film visually spectacular. Seemed a bit of a waste in that respect.

Kept on thinking about McCain throughout it, being a POW film. BUt then I thought, feck that republican cnut. Its not Obama's fault he wasnt thrown in one himself. And I bet if he had been imprisoned he would have been twice the American hero McCain was.
 
Simon Adebesi said:
Rescue Dawn was very good. Awesome performances from Christian Bale, Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies, especially, were the key strength of the film I thought. The characters in it were not always likeable but had plenty of depth, and it was compelling watching their mental states deteriorate as the film went on.

If I had one complaint it would be that the film did not capitalise on the setting, in terms of making the film visually spectacular. Seemed a bit of a waste in that respect.

Kept on thinking about McCain throughout it, being a POW film. BUt then I thought, feck that republican cnut. Its not Obama's fault he wasnt thrown in one himself. And I bet if he had been imprisoned he would have been twice the American hero McCain was.
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Shit film. Poorly acted which always disappoints me in a Christian Bale film as I rate him very highly, abysmal directing, boring and rather silly storyline and a truly cringeworthy ending.
 
The ending was a bit weak. But I strongly disagree about the acting, which (as I already said) I thought was excellent.

The Kite Runner I am nervous about seeing as the book was so good - it can only be a let down, I am sure.
 
olesmyhero said:
Infernal Affairs shits all over The Departed. Infernal Affairs 2 is also brilliant. 3 is the worst of the trilogy.
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Cole9 said:
Lucky Number Slevin - 9/10

Well worth a watch if you haven't seen it.
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Spoonov said:
Oldboy's the best of the trilogy. Lady Vengeance was very good and all.
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Agree agree agree.

Anyone else seen R-Point? Excellent horror movie. The soldiers looking at the photographs was a great moment.

Korean horror has some underappreciated gems - besides R-Point, I also liked Phone.
 
Simon Adebesi said:
It can be. I read The Godfather after watching the films, and it was most certainly worth it. I think it depends on the film and the book in question though.
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That's why I ask it because it seems that crappy read it.
 
crappycraperson said:
Definitely. I read this book two years ago but I have done the movie first and book later routine with others.
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Sometimes if you read a book after a film, if the film was not that great, do you not find the portrayal in the film affects your own perception of the events depicted in the book?

I do prefer reading a book first, because it gives you a clean slate and lets your imagination do the work. Unless the movie was outstanding, in which case the book utilises that and just gives you extra details. A bit like deleted scenes on a DVD.
 
The first part of the story which takes place in Afghanistan is certainly worth reading in the book. The story from US onwards could get a bit boring if you already know the conclusion.
 
samabachan said:
Shit film. Poorly acted which always disappoints me in a Christian Bale film as I rate him very highly, abysmal directing, boring and rather silly storyline and a truly cringeworthy ending.
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That's what I thought - I'd lay the blame at director Werner Herzog (who's normally great). Tempting to point the finger at 'Hollywood' but I don't think Herzog gets off so easily.
 
Simon Adebesi said:
Sometimes if you read a book after a film, if the film was not that great, do you not find the portrayal in the film affects your own perception of the events depicted in the book?

I do prefer reading a book first, because it gives you a clean slate and lets your imagination do the work. Unless the movie was outstanding, in which case the book utilises that and just gives you extra details. A bit like deleted scenes on a DVD.
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I think if it is a good movie and a book, it does not really matter. Like with Godfather, you can do it either way and you will end up loving both book and the movie. While with Catch 22, the movie was rubbish but the book is ace. If someone were to see the movie first, he should still enjoy reading Catch 22.

Ofcourse this does not apply to stories which are solely revolving around some kind of suspense.
 
Simon Adebesi said:
Sometimes if you read a book after a film, if the film was not that great, do you not find the portrayal in the film affects your own perception of the events depicted in the book?

I do prefer reading a book first, because it gives you a clean slate and lets your imagination do the work. Unless the movie was outstanding, in which case the book utilises that and just gives you extra details. A bit like deleted scenes on a DVD.
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That's pretty much what I think. Books are generally better than the films that are made out of them, quite often the film can be shite and would destroy the book for you if you saw the movie first. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for example is a really brilliant book and just an OK film. The English Patient is good in both media. Crash is fantastic in both media, probably the best example I can think of where the film was true to and amplified the book.
 
peterstorey said:
Crash is fantastic in both media, probably the best example I can think of where the film was true to and amplified the book.
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True and he managed to get the best out of Naked Lunch and even give it a narrative.

Film seems to struggle with the complexities and depth of the best books. And they end up feeling shallow. Apocalypse Now being the major exception, which brilliantly captured the tone of Heart of Darkness and it's as good a companion piece as i've seen.
 
lao said:
I would say good movie, but not interesting. Didn't really engage me, even though it was well made.
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Yeah it needed a little more depth and it could have been great, everything is a little too simple. That said I like the original feel about it.
 
Street Kings:I thought this movie was good and suspense till the end.Keanu Reeves is a cop who goes on to figure out corruption in the police force itself.Well worth the watch.
 
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