Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

50/50
I liked this one. Definitely recommend it and finally a Seth Rogan film that he didn't annoy me in.

Friends With Kids
I didnt like any of the actors in this and found it a little annoying. Don't recommend this one.
 
I actually enjoyed that 50/50 too. Wasn't how I expected it to be, and certainly not any kind of a powerfully moving film but a decent story.
 
Just watched the Hobbit. A lot of criticism for this was to harsh. The film flew by for mea and had some great moments. The Riddles in the dark being the highlight. Loved the way it was played. Martin Freeman did an outstanding job as Bilbo.
 
John Carter:

Flash Gordon mashed up with the Star Wars prequels. Kids would probably enjoy it.
 
Gambit said:
Just watched the Hobbit. A lot of criticism for this was to harsh. The film flew by for mea and had some great moments. The Riddles in the dark being the highlight. Loved the way it was played. Martin Freeman did an outstanding job as Bilbo.
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Can you believe that was the first scene Freeman shot as Bilbo!
 
Bill.s.preston said:
John Carter:

Flash Gordon mashed up with the Star Wars prequels. Kids would probably enjoy it.
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I watched this yesterday. I can't see how kids would enjoy it to be honest... there is far too much talking and far too many meaningless words... the action is few and far between and when it occurs, it's nothing mind-blowing. Thought it was pretty shit overall.
 
Wolf Children Ame and Yuki 8/10

Plucky girl falls in love with a werewolf, has its children. Embarks on a journey of motherhood. Made by the team behind The Girl Running Through Time.

(Some innocent nudity and mild graphic violence in case anyone's thinking it's something to turn on for the kids to keep them busy.)
 
Flight-7.5/10

Good movie. The major scene towards the start was up there with some of the best film scenes I've seen recently. It was done very well and had you on the edge of your seat. Dragged a little bit at times after that but Denzel Washington really elevated it. Fantastic performance from him throughout.
 
The Imposter - 8/10

Though it's not a movie as such, it does have recreated scenes etc. so I'll chuck it in here.

For anyone not in the know, it's the story of a young conman who turned up in Spain and claimed to be the missing son of an American family. The documentary then tells the story of how he went to live with the family for months while passing himself off as their missing son, through interviews with almost everyone involved.

It's a very good documentary about a really odd story and some extremely strange people. In a lot of ways it's almost a character study of the central character and what he was thinking, though in the end it feels almost like a performance on his part, which adds to the bizarre nature of the whole thing.

It does stop a bit short on a number of fronts, namely going far enough into why he did what he did, why the family never satisfactorily answers the question of why they took him in when it should have been apparent to anyone that he wasn't their son and the issue of the half brother apparently being aware he was a fraud but it's an interesting piece nonetheless. Definitely worth a watch.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
I watched this yesterday. I can't see how kids would enjoy it to be honest... there is far too much talking and far too many meaningless words... the action is few and far between and when it occurs, it's nothing mind-blowing. Thought it was pretty shit overall.
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My son saw it when it came out early last year (he was 13 at the time) and he thought that it was utter rubbish and he doesn't mind the odd bit of mindless entertainment.
 
When the Lights Went Out.

A ghost story set in Yorkshire in 1974.
Not the best ghost film I have seen, but also not the worst.
It was billed has a horror film , but forget that, there was no horror in it, just your run of the mill ghost story.
It was well written and the story itself was OK, the acting was OK.
The ending was very predictable, which did let it down.
Could of done with some scary stuff in it.

4/10
 
Got through a fair amount of stuff in the past few days

Goon - Very funny I thought... but then I quite like Sean William Scott. If you don't, you'll probably hate this, but if you don't mind the guy, and are in the mood for some humour based around violence/ice hockey, I'd give this a watch.

What Women Want - Shit. Noteworthy only for a scene in which a Jewish lad gives Mel Gibson a yamaka, which was the 2nd most unintentionally hilarious thing I saw this weekend...after Arsenal's defending.

Leon - For some reason, I had never seen Leon before this weekend. Thought it was pretty great overall. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and turned out to be a very different take on the assassin/hitman, which I enjoyed quite a bit. Also, Jean Reno is excellent.

John Carter - Shit, see above.

District 9 - Fantastic film (best Sci-Fi film for the past 4 or 5 years for me) and it looks tremendous on Blu-Ray, which was a nice bonus.
 
What Women Want is the GOAT. Not cool hating on any Mel Gibson film.
 
This weekend, I watched :

- Both OSS117 films, very good French comedies which really kickstarted Jean Dujardin's career. They're more or less spoofs of spy films with some stylistic references to James Bond. OSS117 is France's 'best spy', a mysoginistic, racist and ignorant guy who loves his country above all. In the first film, he's sent to Cairo to thwart plans of several factions of spies (Germans, Russians, etc.) and is meant to bring peace to the Middle East. In the second film, his adventures take place in Brazil, Rio mainly, where a former Nazi is blackmailing France. Very funny films, Dujardin is brilliant in them, I've seen them many times now but still as funny.

- The Possession: a horror film with the guy who played the Comedian in Watchmen. He's recently divorced and he's finding it hard to relate to his two daughters. In a yard sale, one of them picks up an engraved wooden box which turns out to be a box containing a 'dibbuk', a demon in Jewish folklore. Of course, weird shit starts to happen. Some mild scares, a pretty shit ending and an annoying ex-wife make it a very easily forgotten film that pauldy might enjoy.
 
Alex Cross Enjoyed it mroe than I thought because I expected it to be one of the worst films of all time! Mildly entertaining but a lacklusture performance from Tyler Perry and an over-the-top one from Matthew Fox hindered the film. The plot was thinner than Kate Moss and there was absolutely NO character development or chemistry between anyone in the film 4/10

Hansel & Gretal Put the 3D glasses on and take the brain out popcorn flick. The missus enjoyed it far more than I did. Some good 3D scenes and Gemma Arterton looked hot. That's all of its redeeming feature there for you 4/10

Stoker Brilliantly directed by Chan-Wook Park and impressive performance from Mia Wasikowska. The cinematography was of the highest calibre and often kept me glued to the screen despite some scenes of pure boredom. The film built itself up really well but in the end, you are left wondering "what was the point of this?". Quite predictable story with questionable motifs from its characters, but the technical aspects of the film save it from being a complete let down 6.5/10
 
Holy Motors - Leos Carax (2012)

Very original and interesting idea on acting and character transformation and development. Carax definitely has that proverbial circus going on inside his gulliver. Can't think of many other actors besides Denis Levant who could've pulled that off. Thought it kind of lost its mad steam toward the end and the final scene was a bit laughable. Very enjoyable watch with loads of WTF moments. Carax has his signature madness going on.

8 1/2 cocks up
 
Gambit said:
Just watched the Hobbit. A lot of criticism for this was to harsh. The film flew by for mea and had some great moments. The Riddles in the dark being the highlight. Loved the way it was played. Martin Freeman did an outstanding job as Bilbo.
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I enjoyed it too. Felt that Jackson might struggle to get 3 films from the book though. Yeah the riddles bit was great but CGI orcs for me were a bit crap. The Goblins were enough in the book and while orcs were mentioned they were never really in it.
 
Cloud Atlas:
Visually dazzling, and thought provoking. Unfortunately the majority of those thoughts are in a bewildered state ofconfusion.

A very ambitious film, and complex stories that are slightly intertwined, but I am not quite sure what I spent close to three hours watching.

Shame, because I was looking forward to this one.

4/10
 
Rooney in Paris said:
This weekend, I watched :

- Both OSS117 films, very good French comedies which really kickstarted Jean Dujardin's career. They're more or less spoofs of spy films with some stylistic references to James Bond. OSS117 is France's 'best spy', a mysoginistic, racist and ignorant guy who loves his country above all. In the first film, he's sent to Cairo to thwart plans of several factions of spies (Germans, Russians, etc.) and is meant to bring peace to the Middle East. In the second film, his adventures take place in Brazil, Rio mainly, where a former Nazi is blackmailing France. Very funny films, Dujardin is brilliant in them, I've seen them many times now but still as funny.

- The Possession: a horror film with the guy who played the Comedian in Watchmen. He's recently divorced and he's finding it hard to relate to his two daughters. In a yard sale, one of them picks up an engraved wooden box which turns out to be a box containing a 'dibbuk', a demon in Jewish folklore. Of course, weird shit starts to happen. Some mild scares, a pretty shit ending and an annoying ex-wife make it a very easily forgotten film that pauldy might enjoy.
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Seen it. This is what I posted.

The Possession

Thought I would start the year watching a horror film, the film is about A young girl who buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl's father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.

It was a decent enough film, music added to the nature of the film.
There was a subplot about a divorce, which was not really needed and contributed to a very predicable ending.

Not the best horror I have seen but it was way better then the Devil Inside from last year.

5/10
 
See No Evil: The Moors Murders (2006): '...tells the story of the Moors Murders, which were committed during the 1960s by Myra Hindley and Ian Brady, from the view of Hindley's sister Maureen Smith and her husband David.'

Maxine Peake (Myra Hindley) is really excellent, as are Joanne Froggatt (Maureen Smith) & Matthew McNulty (David Smith). Sean Harris plays Brady as both evil and pathetic; there's truth in that depiction, of course, but the portrayal is so overcooked that steam seems to rise from him. Brady, as Harris plays him, is at once both a weedy, sad little man and someone who's so obviously sinister one can't believe that Hindley & others didn't just laugh at him, let alone become so tragically enthralled.

A non-graphic drama made with the permission & cooperation of victims' families, this is a very good and insightful tv movie (available to view on Youtube).

8/10
 
Nobby style said:
Holy Motors - Leos Carax (2012)

Very original and interesting idea on acting and character transformation and development. Carax definitely has that proverbial circus going on inside his gulliver. Can't think of many other actors besides Denis Levant who could've pulled that off. Thought it kind of lost its mad steam toward the end and the final scene was a bit laughable. Very enjoyable watch with loads of WTF moments. Carax has his signature madness going on.

8 1/2 cocks up
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I'm glad to see that someone else on here enjoyed it!
 
Just found out that John Candy died on this day 19 years ago so I've downloaded a copy of Planes, Trains & Automobiles, haven't watched it in years but remember it being brilliant and very entertaining. Will educate my two eldest children by showing them this comedic masterpiecs on Saturday night.
 
Walter

Old film about a guy with learning difficulties who ends up in an asylum when his parents die, starring Ian McKellen. Brutal, in a Scum sort of way. The system used to be barbaric and human beings were treated worse than animals. Thank feck we're a bit more enlightened these days. One of the only things I'll give Thatcher credit for is pushing through Care in the Community. Hiding people away in institutions is not the answer.

McKellen is great in it. It isn't a film where you're entertained. More like appalled and educated. 8/10
 
Nialler said:
Just found out that John Candy died on this day 19 years ago so I've downloaded a copy of Planes, Trains & Automobiles, haven't watched it in years but remember it being brilliant and very entertaining. Will educate my two eldest children by showing them this comedic masterpiecs on Saturday night.
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It's still a good film, as is Uncle Buck.

Do not watch Wagon's East though. It's the last film he made before he died and it stinks!
 
Silver Linings Playbook - Pretty decent but I couldn't help but feel that some of the quirkiness in it took some of the realness out of it, thus trivialising the illness.
 
Darkman

Directed by Sam Raimi and starring Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, this movie had been recommended to me for a long time. It was okay I guess. Neeson is a scientist who gets fecked up by bad guys after his girlfriend discovers some Top Secret Whatever The feck. His skin gets all fecked up and burnt but after an operation leaves him unable to feel pain and super strong (?) he becomes a mentally unstable dark avenger type.

The effects of Burnt Neeson looked suitably hideous and there were some good off-kilter Raimi visuals but the story wasn't very interesting.

6/10
 
Red Dawn Gun ho american yoof take on the invading red hoards (North Korea :lol: with a few Russian's thrown in later.) A labotomy is needed to sufficiently suspend your disbelief for this one although they could have made it sillier if Nicholas Cage was in it. And the young brother seemed to be imitating a character from Goodfellahs by the end for no apparent reason. Paul will enjoy it but find it a bit silly. 3/10
 
Zero Dark 30 Excellent, tense, semi-historical drama about the hunt for Bin Laden. Jessica Chastain is particularly good as the female lead. 8/10
 
Undefeated : A typical inspiring sports drama documentary with a pretty generic story line but very well acted and the unassuming cast adds to the realism of the story. An academy award winning documentary that is definitely worth a watch. 7/10

P.s - Found it on netflix.
 
R.N7 said:
Silver Linings Playbook - Pretty decent but I couldn't help but feel that some of the quirkiness in it took some of the realness out of it, thus trivialising the illness.
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I thought it way more enjoyable than I expected. Hard to comment on portrayals of mental illness given how unique individual experience is but I agree with what you wrote, in the film it felt like contrived nonsense added to give the usual romcom plot & characters a bit of colour. Any attempted comment on mental illness, like the weird substory with the friend's marriage, felt intelligence insulting. But then I read an article with a psychiatrist who praised the depiction, so what do I know.

The role of the parents was the one thing that I thought was really well & meaningfully observed that elevated it above other entertaining romcoms. So judging it by romcom standards means the award nominations seemed undeserved for anyone who cares about awards, but I do think it was really enjoyable for what it was.
 
Wibble said:
Red Dawn Gun ho american yoof take on the invading red hoards (North Korea :lol: with a few Russian's thrown in later.) A labotomy is needed to sufficiently suspend your disbelief for this one although they could have made it sillier if Nicholas Cage was in it. And the young brother seemed to be imitating a character from Goodfellahs by the end for no apparent reason. Paul will enjoy it but find it a bit silly. 3/10
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If the great Cage had been in it, it would have been amazing. Cage makes anything amazing!
 
Wibble said:
Red Dawn Gun ho american yoof take on the invading red hoards (North Korea :lol: with a few Russian's thrown in later.) A labotomy is needed to sufficiently suspend your disbelief for this one although they could have made it sillier if Nicholas Cage was in it. And the young brother seemed to be imitating a character from Goodfellahs by the end for no apparent reason. Paul will enjoy it but find it a bit silly. 3/10
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OH god it is dreadful, I could only manage about 20 mins and had to turn it of.
 
LoveInTheAsylum said:
I thought it way more enjoyable than I expected. Hard to comment on portrayals of mental illness given how unique individual experience is but I agree with what you wrote, in the film it felt like contrived nonsense added to give the usual romcom plot & characters a bit of colour. Any attempted comment on mental illness, like the weird substory with the friend's marriage, felt intelligence insulting. But then I read an article with a psychiatrist who praised the depiction, so what do I know.

The role of the parents was the one thing that I thought was really well & meaningfully observed that elevated it above other entertaining romcoms. So judging it by romcom standards means the award nominations seemed undeserved for anyone who cares about awards, but I do think it was really enjoyable for what it was.
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De Niro probably put in his best performance in years and years and I enjoyed the technical aspects of it.
 
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