Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

It was superhero movie for film ponces. Or just for people who read the comics themselves. Complete mess of a movie I thought.
 
Kandahar - Mohsen Makhmalbaf (2001)

Partly true story of an Afghan/Canadian woman going from Iran over into Afghanistan just prior to 9/11 during the Taliban's reign of terror over women. Surreal and mind numbing, another absolutely brilliant poetic film by Makhmalbaf. Couldn't believe how good this was, and how fecking weird this world can be.

In a bizarre twist, there is this disillusioned doctor in Afghanistan in the film who turns out to an American, hiding behind a false beard. In reality, this actor was a black radical from New York who had converted to Islam and in 1980 had been paid by the Revolutionary government in Tehran to assassinate an Iranian in the US, had done so, and escaped to Iran through Canada and has been working over there ever since. I guess the assassinated Iranian's brother was watching the film years later and recognized him when he'd taken off his beard for a moment during the movie. Here's his story: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/20...-hit-man-actor-and-journalist-living-in-iran/

Can't recommend this film enough.

9 1/2 cocks up
 
Watched Dredd the other day. Really enjoyable. Not much other to say apart from our violence and killings. 7/10.
 
Brwned said:
It was superhero movie for film ponces. Or just for people who read the comics themselves. Complete mess of a movie I thought.
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I'm constantly confused by my own opinion of it, by virtue of knowing the comic well. It's basically shot for shot, and I love the comic, so I don't know whether I think it's a great faithful rendition of a classic work (with an understandable ending change) or a soulless, pointless Departed like vacuum of originality.

I don't think I'll ever decide which it is. So I just try and ignore it.
 
Nobby style said:
Kandahar - Mohsen Makhmalbaf (2001)

Partly true story of an Afghan/Canadian woman going from Iran over into Afghanistan just prior to 9/11 during the Taliban's reign of terror over women. Surreal and mind numbing, another absolutely brilliant poetic film by Makhmalbaf. Couldn't believe how good this was, and how fecking weird this world can be.

In a bizarre twist, there is this disillusioned doctor in Afghanistan in the film who turns out to an American, hiding behind a false beard. In reality, this actor was a black radical from New York who had converted to Islam and in 1980 had been paid by the Revolutionary government in Tehran to assassinate an Iranian in the US, had done so, and escaped to Iran through Canada and has been working over there ever since. I guess the assassinated Iranian's brother was watching the film years later and recognized him when he'd taken off his beard for a moment during the movie. Here's his story: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/20...-hit-man-actor-and-journalist-living-in-iran/

Can't recommend this film enough.

9 1/2 cocks up
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They actually made a documentary on this American assassin discovered by chance in the film. Absolutely fascinating stuff: http://hotdocslibrary.ca/en/detail.cfm?filmId=8545

Adds more to the fire of Reagan's treason in sabotaging the negotiations with the Iranians in 1980. What's sort of ironic is that this film Kandahar would've probably been scene by very very few people, basically just the film snob festival crowd, but since 9/11 happened right after the film came out, then loads of people, including Bush, suddenly wanted to check it out. It was this growing exposure that got this American geezer discovered by a chance viewing from the victim's brother.
 
Wibble said:
My Brother The Devil The best British film in at least a decade. If you like The Prophet then this might be the film for you. Not a cookie cutter for that film but the multicultural themes are there. That said this film is more about family and is probably less cliched. If James Floyd isn't a huge star in the next decade then something is very wrong. 9/10
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Just watched this, thought it was very good. Fantastic performance by the guys who played the brothers.
Would give this one 7.5/10
 
Yeah it's a good film, but not quite the masterpiece, owing to the fact it's still a bit like the 75 other films or TV shows we make every year about people being in gangs (95% of which involve the "good" member who wanted out dying while 80% include a subplot about wanting to be a rapper) though plus points for it not starring Ashley Walters.

The brothers were indeed brilliant, and James Floyd (who's not even arab) has star quality, but I actually thought the other brother was better.

It's far more my frustration with the genre than this particular example of it (which is certainly high end) but it seems like the only multimedia depiction of young lower class boys we ever get is the same remake of Boyz N The Hood we've been making every year for 15 years, and because of this the trope restrictions stick out to me. The good friend always has to die for the main character to "grow", there has to be a slightly over the top use of slang - but only in offhand chatter, and not pivotal exposition moments - there's a well meaning but powerless mum and/or a disapproving & out of touch dad and girls have to all be presented as either aggy chattberbox slags, or tarts with a heart, unless it's about girls, in which case all the boys have to be presented as cocky, wannabe tough (but actually not) and in a gang - because EVERYONE on estates is in a gang - except for one, nice, well intentioned boy, who doesn't like being tough (but actually is) and nevertheless caught up in it. etc etc rinse and repeat and cast a rapper.

Though tbf I suppose someone has to give Ashley Walters something to do.
 
Jack The Giant Slayer

Utter garbage as expected after seeing that Bryan Singer directed it. Amazing effects cannot hide the fact that the plot was all over the place and the lack of a real antagonist made the film's bizzare story arc even worse. The giants looked decent but the film was utter garbage. Added a point for the fact that you see Ewan Mcgregor as a human sausage roll :lol: 4/10

A Resurrection

Fairly decent plot at the start but heavily let down by the acting (mainly because of Mischa Barton) and the ridiculous resolve. Shame that this had to be Michael Clarke Duncan's last performance, and his 10-15 minutes of screen time is the only thing I enjoyed about this film 3.5/10

G.I. Joe: Retalliation

Promised so much but delivered so little. A film with The Rock, Bruce Willis, Ray Parks and Byung Hun Lee should have been so much better but it was instead directed like a 100 minute long music video. The plot was completely nonsensicle and the action was edited too fast. There were some great scenes (the mountain fight scene and the ninja fight scene) but overall, it was just silly and boring. Should have expected this after reading that John M Chu directed this (the director of Step Up 2 & 3). Very dissapointed. 5/10

I Saw The Devil

Finally saw a good film after the three pieces of shit listed above. Directed by Jae-Woon Kim (The Good The Bad and The Weird, A Tale Of Two Sisters) and starring Byung Hun Lee (Bittersweet Life, G.I. Joe) and Min-Sik Joi (Oldboy). A Film about revenge and the human morals being blurred in exacting vengeance. Very well shot, paced, acted and the violence in the film had a place in it, whilst also being horrific despite not showing as much as a film such as Hostel. Very well directed and a plot that keeps the viewer on edge at all times... after three crappy hollywood films, I had to resort back to asain cinema for a decent film... says it all really. 8.5/10
 
I saw The place beyond the pines this weekend and very much enjoyed it. The trailer gives you an idea of what the film is going to be and it isn't that at all so I was a bit taken by surprise, but as I enjoyed the film I actually saw, that was fine. Don't want to go into too much detail cos I think it's quite an original film, but for anyone who doesn't mind slow paced films, you should see it. Good performances by Gosling and Cooper, and I also thought the kids were impeccable as well (especially the one who was in Chronicle, can't remember his name).

Also re-watched the Hannibal Lecter films the other day, cos my girlfriend hadn't seen them. Silence of the Lambs is still brilliant and I feel it's aged very well. Despite it being over 20 years old, it's still very watchable. Interesting to see how many elements of the psychological thriller genre were defined by this film as well, must have been amazing to see it at the pictures when it was released. I hadn't enjoyed Hannibal on my first viewing, but liked it a lot more this time around. It's pretty ridiculous at times and a bit over the top, but Hopkins' performances manages to keep it altogether, more or less. I really like Red Dragon especially thanks to its stellar class, but overall I like how it's directed, the story, the feel of the movie... Good re-watch.
 
She is out of my League - Really funny movie and Alice Eve is just :drool: I would it a 7/10 and would recommend it.
 
Nobby style said:
Kandahar - Mohsen Makhmalbaf (2001)

Partly true story of an Afghan/Canadian woman going from Iran over into Afghanistan just prior to 9/11 during the Taliban's reign of terror over women. Surreal and mind numbing, another absolutely brilliant poetic film by Makhmalbaf. Couldn't believe how good this was, and how fecking weird this world can be.

In a bizarre twist, there is this disillusioned doctor in Afghanistan in the film who turns out to an American, hiding behind a false beard. In reality, this actor was a black radical from New York who had converted to Islam and in 1980 had been paid by the Revolutionary government in Tehran to assassinate an Iranian in the US, had done so, and escaped to Iran through Canada and has been working over there ever since. I guess the assassinated Iranian's brother was watching the film years later and recognized him when he'd taken off his beard for a moment during the movie. Here's his story: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/20...-hit-man-actor-and-journalist-living-in-iran/

Can't recommend this film enough.

9 1/2 cocks up
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I remember seeing that on channel 4 a few years ago. Good movie.
 
Don't comic book fans usually get really arsey when they change things/do things different in the film adaptations?

It looked great, had a superb soundtrack and was a refreshingly mature and dark take on the superhero genre. It's certainly no masterpiece but I don't understand all the flak it gets.
 
I reckon it's because it's not a regular superhero flick. Forget comic book fans for a minute, but the majority want to see the likes of Superman be all superhero like and kick some arse. I love anti heroes though, why can't Superman be less.. well...righteous? He's so stuck in the past. I want grey shades goddammit.
 
It's a strange parallel universe thing. And does he really need an S on his chest? Well perhaps folk would find it difficult to recognise him without it.
 
The Impossible (2013)

Not really sure how to review a movie like this. It's a "true story" based on the Tsunami that hit Japan in 2004 so naturally it's pretty devastating. If you want a tear-jerker then this'll do the job nicely. Naomi Watts was a little annoying on a couple of occasions but in general I thought her and Ewan McGregor played the roles well. The kids were great. Some of the initial cinematography of a really scenic part of Thailand was great and some of the underwater shots during/after the tragedy were brilliantly done (besides a cringeworthy reach for the heavens moment).

Worth a watch but not my kind of movie really. Celebrating a happy ending when 220,000 people were killed in a really tragic event just isn't for me.
 
Something about the story of the wealthy good looking white people and their struggles with the tsunami doesn't sit well with me, even if it is based on a true story.
 
Oh yeah, I forgot the annoying part. It started off by introducing the story in Spanish so - knowing nothing about the movie going in - I assumed it was going to be a Spanish movie. Then Naomi Watts came on and I forgot all about it. At the end of the film it came up with the movie title "El Imposible" and then a picture of a Spanish family. It's just a tad absurd that Naomi Watts and co. took the place of this Spanish family. Hollywood.
 
Wonder Pigeon said:
Something about the story of the wealthy good looking white people and their struggles with the tsunami doesn't sit well with me, even if it is based on a true story.
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I haven't seen it, but my mother, (naturally, being the daughter of a feminist Labour MP and a champagne socialist activist) went on a massive rant upon seeing this on a plane last friday about how utterly and fumingly disgusted she was by this exact manipulative hollywood plot focus in a disaster that killed hundreds of thousands of local people in the Sumatran area, that it took almost half an hour of her being home for easter before anyone could ask her how her trip was.

I decided this was probably what it's like to be on the end of one of my pointless righteous Caf rants (it's where I get it from afterall) and considered for all of 2 minutes whether I was an insufferably boring and annoying person for doing it so often, and whether I should care less about trivial things and just be generally nice to people instead.

I decided I shouldn't. Because my mummy's right.

As for Watchmen, the story is fantastic, and brilliantly subversive of the whole superhero genre, but I think the hate towards it is more to do with Hollywood appropriating a well liked and revered work, a la The Departed, than audiences being unable to process a deep hero film.
 
Mockney said:
I haven't seen it, but my mother, (naturally, being the daughter of a feminist Labour MP and a champagne socialist activist) went on a massive rant upon seeing this on a plane last friday about how utterly and fumingly disgusted she was by this exact manipulative hollywood plot focus in a disaster that killed hundreds of thousands of local people in the Sumatran area, that it took almost half an hour of her being home for easter before anyone could ask her how her trip was.

I decided this was probably what it's like to be on the end of one of my pointless righteous Caf rants (it's where I get it from afterall) and considered for all of 2 minutes whether I was an insufferably boring and annoying person for doing it so often, and whether I should care less about trivial things and just be generally nice to people instead.

I decided I shouldn't. Because my mummy's right.

As for Watchmen, the story is fantastic, and brilliantly subversive of the whole superhero genre, but I think the hate towards it is more to do with Hollywood appropriating a well liked and revered work, a la The Departed, than audiences being unable to process a deep hero film.
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What did your mam think of The Departed?
 
I don't think she's seen either. She likes films where one person dies very slowly. As opposed to my dad, who like films where lots of people die very quickly.
 
The worst part of the Watchmen was the like 8 minute awkward sex scene set to "Hallelujah." Watching non-porn sex scenes gets awkward after a bit.

I loved the book, but the movie could have been better. It could be turned into an amazing film, imo, with the right director.
 
I've always thought that sex scenes in general are odd. There's so few things that actually need a sex scene in it. Only things that deal in sex thematically do. So I've always been quite suspicious of them in mainstream or non-sex focused films, especially ones that linger too long. I always just assumed it's due to the director being a bit of a pervert or the studio knowing a particular naked actress will be a selling point.

This is really a whole new thread topic tbh. Films that actually warranted a sex scene.
 
They should've made Watchmen into a mini-series, more time to get all the source material in there. I really like the film though, the ending was much better than the book and Dr. Manhattan's voice over is class.
 
Oh, and the blue penis. Blue penis everywhere. I think Zack Snyder has some unresolved issues.
 
I wish to comment on two things from the last page

I like the Watchmen... it's a bit of a mess, but there's a ton of stuff in there to get enjoyment out of, not just the opening credits.

I hated almost every second of The Impossible. The fact that all the members of this family were actually alive (and you're told this from relatively early on in the movie) means you find it bloody hard to have sympathy for them whilst almost everyone else in the film has a loved one who's died. This is at its very worst when Ewan McGregor is the one to break down into tears after some poor German bloke tells him that his family are dead.

So yeah, that annoyed me... as did the fact that it didn't even really bother to talk about the local impact... and then there was the film itself, it's full of lazy, shortcut film making/story telling... it's a bag of shit basically.
 
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