Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

The Tournament- it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be to be honest. A couple of really annoying flaws in it though; for starters these are supposed to be 30 of the worlds best assassins, so why do 25 of them look like they would feel fail a job application to be a henchman at Terror Mountain in any 1960's Bond film? And why does only one of them have the obvious of idea of doing what the French lad did with his chip? I mean come on. Not to mention the fact that 'the best assassin of his generation' actually appears to be a bit thick and a pretty rubbish assassin if he couldn't even figure out the whole wife thing.

Also the Priest thing was annoying, they could have made this film so much better if they didn't try to make it something it isn't and just have the assassins kicking the shit out of each other for 90 minutes. They should have got rid of any pseudo-message they were trying to impart, and just had non-stop Street Fighter-esque punch ups which would have improved the film immeasurably.

On the plus side, Kelly Hu is perfection. I can't believe she is in her 40's, Asian people have the best skin. 6/10
 
SmashedHombre said:
The Tournament- it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be to be honest. A couple of really annoying flaws in it though; for starters these are supposed to be 30 of the worlds best assassins, so why do 25 of them look like they would feel fail a job application to be a henchman at Terror Mountain in any 1960's Bond film? And why does only one of them have the obvious of idea of doing what the French lad did with his chip? I mean come on. Not to mention the fact that 'the best assassin of his generation' actually appears to be a bit thick and a pretty rubbish assassin if he couldn't even figure out the whole wife thing.

Also the Priest thing was annoying, they could have made this film so much better if they didn't try to make it something it isn't and just have the assassins kicking the shit out of each other for 90 minutes. They should have got rid of any pseudo-message they were trying to impart, and just had non-stop Street Fighter-esque punch ups which would have improved the film immeasurably.

On the plus side, Kelly Hu is perfection. I can't believe she is in her 40's, Asian people have the best skin. 6/10
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Sounded interesting, so I looked it up on IMDB.

This bit of the plot summary made me chuckle:

40 of the world's greatest assassins gather every seven years in a randomly picked Small town somewhere the world, where they battle to the death in a 'last man standing' competition, all for the entertainment of the world's richest people. This time The Tournament takes place in the English town of Middlesbrough
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Middlesbrough?!? Bit of a fecking disappointment that must have been for all the "worlds richest people"...
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Sounded interesting, so I looked it up on IMDB.

This bit of the plot summary made me chuckle:



Middlesbrough?!? Bit of a fecking disappointment that must have been for all the "worlds richest people"...
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40? That doesn't sound right, I thought it was 30. To be fair though Middlesborough has never looked better. Maybe next they could get a beautiful Chinese Ninja Assassin and a token massive black bloke to tear up half of Stoke.
 
Suspiria - Lots of nice bright colours, had an engrossing score that got a bit overwelming at times. Other than that, not much to write home about.

Frost/Nixon - Well executed, solid acting, compelling enough and gave a decent insight.
 
Just about to start episode 4 of the Dekalog, it's fantastic. Harrowing right from the start, but brilliant. I know dumbo's not a fan (I don't know anyone else on here who's seen it) but I'm mesmerised.

EDIT: So far there's been adultery (and the choice of abortion based on the potential death of the unknowing husband), the death of a primary school kid, suicide decided by a 'game', incest...it approaches it from a completely different angle to Visitor Q but it's still mental, and that's not even the point of it.
 
Watched Paprika Spoons...If any film was the epitome of noodle's "Animes always go bat shit in the last 20 minutes" theory, it's this. I was really enjoying it for the most part, very innovative and (unlike Spirited Away IMO) genuinely beautiful to look at....But then, well, then it all went bonkers. And, like, really bonkers. I know it's about dreams and shit, but...well, give me Inception and it's boring too life-like dreams over a 50ft baby being born out of a robot's stomach to suck off a giant evil black paraplegic smoke monster any day....But that's just me.

Rashomon was on my list of classics to watch. Liked it, but didn't love it. Another of those ones I feel is incredibly seminal because of it's early use of a pioneering technique rather than being an actual lasting classic. Considering it's only 2 years apart from Ikiru and 4 years from Seven Samurai, I can't really dismis my misgivings as it being such an early or period piece. I wouldn't watch it again, whereas Samurai I've seen 3 times already, and that's a bloody long film. I wasn't expecting Ran of course, but I was a little underwhelmed given it's reputation. Didn't really get the ending either.

Attack the Block - Like Brophs said, it's very oddly preachy. Seemingly determined to make an "Estate of mind" social commentary on the demonisation of youths. This involves Grange Hill level "He's only bad because.." cliches, painting the police in a consistently malevolent light, even though they're hardly in it at all, and including the 90s stock character white posh bloke trying to speak street...Which seemed ever so slightly too earnest considering it was made by a very posh white public school boy....Alien effects were alright, and the kids were quite good.
 
Yeah, I didn't think much of the ending of Paprika either...and there's about 6 or 7 Kurosawa films that I prefer over Rashomon.

Picnic at Hanging Rock - Quite fantastic, really liked it. Beautiful, eerie, atmospheric, hard not to be captivated by it. Didn't mind the ending at all, quite liked it actually.
 
Just finished Dekalog, the fact I watched 7 even episodes in just over a day should say it all about how much I enjoyed it. Unique is probably the best word to describe it, I doubt I'll watch much else that is so emotionally involving. Amazingly, from the 25+ different main actors/actresses, there was maybe one performance that wasn't really excellent IMO. Standout performances from Adrianna Biedrzyńska, Piotr Machalica and Olaf Lubaszenko...and yet from what I can tell the only films they've been in that's gained any sort of critical acclaim are Three Colours: Blue and Schindler's List, and only in bit-part roles. Over 25 different key characters and 10 different cinematographer's for each part is quite something. The score's also excellent by Zbigniew Preisner who did the score for the Three Colours Trilogy among others.

I love Rashomon. Seems like a movie that's appreciated for it's effect on future movies and the fact it was Kurosawa's first movie to attract a worldwide audience, and so it's highly rated by critics but not movie fans...but it's one of my favourite movies and I guarantee always will be, it was the first movie I really got into to get me started on the movie-spree.
 
Brwned said:
Just finished Dekalog, the fact I watched 7 even episodes in just over a day should say it all about how much I enjoyed it. Unique is probably the best word to describe it, I doubt I'll watch much else that is so emotionally involving. Amazingly, from the 25+ different main actors/actresses, there was maybe one performance that wasn't really excellent IMO. Standout performances from Adrianna Biedrzyńska, Piotr Machalica and Olaf Lubaszenko...and yet from what I can tell the only films they've been in that's gained any sort of critical acclaim are Three Colours: Blue and Schindler's List, and only in bit-part roles. Over 25 different key characters and 10 different cinematographer's for each part is quite something.
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Sounds interesting. Must give that a go.
 
Just watch the first one and you'll know straight away whether it's to your liking, it follows the exact same theme throughout the series(?) right up until the last one which takes a different approach (black comedy with two of the main actors in Three Colours: White). Has some of the best shots in the series and one of the more emotionally gripping scenes/developments, so it introduces all of the key features very well. The best one's probably 5, which is a shorter version of A Short Film About Killing, with 4 not far behind.

The series is known for being what Kubrick called the only masterpiece in his lifetime.
 
Grinner said:
I get what you're saying about the zither but surely if they'd used bog-standard orchestration it would be completely forgettable. As it is, the weird, jarring sound of the zither fits in with the skewed camera shots, odd-looking characters and bombed-out cityscape that when all put together generates the unsettling atmosphere of the film.

There's so much in this film to admire and I really can't imagine it without that score TBH.
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Yeah I know. I'm aware i'm in a minority and it's seen as hugely seminal and one of the best uses of period music in film, there were just a couple of scenes where it really jarred for me. Particularly when they were running away from the mob and it was playing this up beat, slightly nursery rhyme like melody.

D'you know what it most probably is? Being so accustomed to the music before seeing the film, that it just takes it completely out of the setting for me. I had the same problem with The Sting. I found the Entertainer really annoying (cos it is an annoying song) and couldn't help but think "What's this stupid fecking song doing in this con-caper movie?"..But if you aren't so accustomed to it separately, it probably works perfectly..

Mockney said:
I'm going to watch Taxi Driver again tonight, cos I wasn't blow away the first time I saw it and I think I want to give it another chance.
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Yeah it was better 2nd time around, though there are still bits where it dragged for me. Great film though. I also watched Raging Bull again cos I always give Scorsese a hard time for being overrated in these movie threads.

I appreciated the directing a lot more this time. I think it's a brilliantly made film, but I just can't get that into it. It doesn't help that LaMotta's a complete twat, and that his later life stand up, semi-quick witted lyricism schtick jars with the dumb, meat headed bore he his for the rest of the film, but De Niro's fantastic, as is Pesci, and it's a wonderfully made, shot, edited and soundtracked film.

There is loads to admire, but it's essentially fight - argument with wife - fight - bit rapey - fight - argument with new wife - fight - argument with wife - fight - argument with wife - fight - beats up Joe Pesci - fight - fat stand up. There isn't a whole lot to like for me between the fights, and I don't really like how Scorsese is obsessed with dumb, violent people. They're just dumb and violent, it isn't really all that interesting the 10th time around.

I'm conflicted on it for my 100 movies cos I think it's a great movie, but I don't really like it very much beyond how it's made and shot and looks and's acted...The story basically, I don't like the story. I think LaMotta's a twat. But not an interesting enough twat for someone to have made a movie about him. If he wasn't a boxer, he would've just been a twat. But an uninteresting twat.
 
I should've watched the Station Agent last week but I somehow managed to dow..erm..purchase a copy in Spanish. It took me 5 minutes to work out why there wasn't any subtitles, why it was being acted by American actors I recognised, and that it wasn't, actually, supposed to be in Spanish.

I might watch Ran again too as there's a 720p 7Gig version out.....at the video shop... and I want to compare it to Seven Samurai to see which one I rank higher.
 
I've seen it, I did love it. I just want to watch it and Samurai back to back and see which is better. I haven't watched either for a few years. I got a Kurosawa box set when I was in my mid teens when my mum was working in Japan...But it was in Japanese and I couldn't work out the DVD menu for ages
 
Snowtown- true story about some crazy Australian killers, really good performances 7-10.

Attack the block - predictable stereotypical characters situated in a stereotypical alien invasion init. 6-10

Pearl Jam 20 hard to describe without bias, but i could have easily watched it 4 or 5 times in a row, due to being a massive fan of the band.Gives you real insight into the whole Seattle scene during the late 80's early 90's and the how the band has grown and changed over a twenty year period.
 
Lenny - Biographical film about comedian Lenny Bruce, played by Dustin Hoffman. Thought it was brilliant. Really stood the test of time.

Midnight Cowboy - 70's cult film with Jon Woight and Dustin Hoffman. Interesting story about two lowlives, a hustler and a cripple, trying to survive in NY with some weird shit thrown in for good measure. There's some of that disgusting 60's/70's forced "coolness" though, which is a huge pet peeve of mine, but not enough to ruin the film. Not as bad in that respect as some other films of the time.

The Pope of Greenwich Village - Pseudo Sicilians (?) Mickey Rourke and especially Julia Roberts brother Eric do some comical acting in this criminal drama.
I've heard TPOGV regarded as some great cult classic and I really tried to like it, but it was decent at best in my opinion. Not even that, it was shit tbh. Spoiler warning here, but if you don't care just have a look at this scene they took my thumb - Full scene - Eric Roberts & Mickey Rourke - The Pope of Greenwich Village

Insidious - Just no. There was a fragment of an interesting idea in there somewhere, but the acting, costumes and general stupidity ruined it completely for me. Felt like one of those shitty scary movies from the eighties you watched as a kid.

Reindeerspotting - Incredible but sad documentary about a likeable drug addict and his friends in Rouvaniemi, Finnish Lapland (What a dump). Somewhat depressing, but it was really really good.

Spoony Youngblood said:
Got it on BR? Has anyone for that matter?
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I haven't, although I'm thinking of buying it now that I know it exists.
 
I watched Goodfellas last night. It was pretty good. I've seen much better films, but it was better than the Departed and a few other mob films with big reputations.
 
Cedar Rapids - I really don't know what it was supposed to be. It wasn't funny, it sort of went down the quirky route like Juno or The Royal Tenenbaums without ever getting close to what made those movies good. Ed Helms is reasonably funny in some of the stuff he's in but he's not nearly funny or engaging enough to carry an entire movie. Particularly not one that doesn't even seem to know whether it's playing for laughs or trying to be down the line.
 
I did watch a film this week. Blue Valentine, it was terrific, waited years to see it really, then it came out and I took forever to see it. Gosling and Williams both superb and hugely absorbing in it, both deserved nominations last year(Williams should of won, smh snubbing indies). It's a real romance film, it's smartly written, complex characters with depth to them, and just an all round great film if you enjoy watching real drama, and not hollywood drama. 8/10
 
The Godfather Part III - Average, and a bit implausible at times. Lots of dodgy acting and sometimes the actual story of the film escaped me. At times it almost bordered on being a spoof and I half expected a laugh track to appear. Joe Mantegna almost slipping into Fat Tony a few times didn't really help. I'm convinced that the real Al Pacino actually died in the late 70's and was replaced with his less desirable twin.
 
Mockney said:
Mockney's Godfather III rant
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Very entertaining review, and bang(erang)-on in most respects. I kinda disagree about the Connie Corleone character in III though - I think it's natural that, in unison with the inner corruption that's spread through Michael's soul (so to speak), Connie has in effect become a 'bride of Death.' Her bad experiences and neuroses now give bloom to scattershot vengeance for her suffering and even her former timidity.
 
Bad Teacher - terrible. I generally make a conscious decision not to watch any Cameron Diaz films (how she keeps getting cast as 'attractive' lead roles is beyond me) but this was the only thing on. Don't bother, not funny- not anything. Except annoying.
 
Mockney said:
Yeah I know. I'm aware i'm in a minority and it's seen as hugely seminal and one of the best uses of period music in film, there were just a couple of scenes where it really jarred for me. Particularly when they were running away from the mob and it was playing this up beat, slightly nursery rhyme like melody.

D'you know what it most probably is? Being so accustomed to the music before seeing the film, that it just takes it completely out of the setting for me. I had the same problem with The Sting. I found the Entertainer really annoying (cos it is an annoying song) and couldn't help but think "What's this stupid fecking song doing in this con-caper movie?"..But if you aren't so accustomed to it separately, it probably works perfectly..
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I don't like The Entertainer either and I don't particularly care for The Sting although I do find Robert Shaw to be one of the most watchable actors. He can convey menace as well as anybody else I've seen. The Sting has a cracking cast and it's a fun caper but it's not worthy of top 100 for me.
 
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