Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Psycho

First Hitchcock movie, and it was kind of exactly what I'd suspected. Lots of suspense, slow revelation/panning type shots etc, but it got more disturbing than I expected towards the end.

The murder scenes with the dramatic music felt slightly over the top, but then that's probably because of how iconic and recognisable they've become...especially the shower scene. Moments I wasn't really anticipating had a lot more tension.

8/10
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
The Martian

Could have been better. The movie lacks the drama and gravitas (which Sandra Bullock's Gravity had) and kinda takes everything as normal. They rarely touch upon the emotional pressures that Damon should have faced and made him look like a standard movie hero. Not realistic at all.

Rating: 6/10

Damon gets abandoned in Mars and I don't see no reaction or meltdown to it. He just cracks on as if it's normal.
Jeff Daniels realized Damon is alive and first thing he says is "he'll die of starvation", wtf?
And that disco music. Seriously they can't make a decent soundtrack for that movie? Kinda reduces a serious situation to a comic relief.
And that dust storms like the ones that lead to his abandonment never returns?
The climax where it's shown live on Times Square is so cinematic.

most importantly, Gravity. Mars is about 1/3rd of earth's gravity. Pretty sure you just can't walk and climb ladders like normal.
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You are kind. The idea was great but the movie was crap.
 
Mciahel Goodman said:
7/10 for me.
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I really enjoyed the book, but thought the movie was a little bland.

Maybe the issue was unavoidable in moving from book to film. Much of the drama in the book lay in the detailed, scientifically accurate, description of the astronauts plight, and his resourcefulness in meeting the challenges Mars threw at him. His occupation of the red planet was a long litany of life-threatening problems solved.

Most of that was lost in the movie. The one perilous incident shown in some detail, the aftermath of the explosion, was simplified and a bit lacking in drama.

They did alter the the book's ending and introduce a big bang Hollywood finale; which was quite effective, and gave Jessica Chastain a chance to earn her huge fee; but if I were in Matt Damon's place, I'd have preferred a big, strong guy hauling me in, rather than an 8 st. woman, however good-looking or big a star she might have been.

I thought the epilogue was a bit pointless as well. Apart from Damon, did we really know these people well enough to care what happened to them afterwards?

Good but not great, I think.
 
Steve Jobs

I quite liked it overall. It's generally very well-written, and starts off at an excellent pace. Fassbender's excellent at Jobs; enough of a dick to dislike him, but comes across as innovative and creative enough to begrudgingly like him all the same.

Wasn't too keen on the ending though, which felt a little bit cheesy.

The uplifting music, and the "I did it all for you" kind of implication with his daughter. I'd have actually preferred a more ambiguous, downbeat ending, more akin to the ending of The Social Network (which was a very similar film in certain respects).

Still though, entertaining overall, and a good cast which managed to make it exciting enough.

7/10
 
Have just watched the original Star Wars trilogy to get my daughter up to speed before taking her to TFA. And I hate to say it, but they're actually a bit shit. Okay, maybe that's pushing it, I grew up on them so loving them is mandatory and I'll never physically be able to give them less than an 8, but it's the first time I've realised just how poor they are. About 80% of the actors in each film are pretty damned awful, like they decided to bump background artists up to key roles. American daytime soap standard. Each film actually really drags in places (and it's not like I have a poor attention span). There were lots of criticisms about the prequels spending ages on Anakin staring off into the distance and tedious exposition. But the originals have their fare share. I remember the lightsaber fights being these amazing spectacles when I was a kid, but watching them now, especially the one between Vader and Obi Wan, it's like two pensioners poking each other with walking sticks. ROTJ, which to my shame used to be my favourite, is unbelievably camp. It's like Flash Gordon meets Wizard of Oz. And as much as I love ESB, it just kind of fizzles out. It all leads up to this big ending. That never happens. Because obviously there was going to be a third, but it just kind of peters out. And you're left with this huge sense of anti climax. So, everything that I know and believe is a lie! I have a feeling that my (second) viewing of TFA will result in it having a higher score now. On a positive, my daughter insisted on going to school today with Princess Leia buns.
 
Dirty Schwein said:
Mad Max is what it is and that is a visual spectacle. Sometimes, that's all you need. It's an experience when seen on the big screen and anyone that did see it on the big screen will probably agree that it looked absolutely gorgeous. Not sure how I would feel about it if I had seen it at home on a smaller screen though.
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I watched it at home. Still thought it was the shit.
 
Tarrou said:
Has anyone seen Knight of Cups yet? Malick's new movie. Worth checking out?
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Yep I saw it, this is what I said:
Just watched Knight of Cups, thought it was ok. A big improvement on To the wonder but not as great as Tree of Life, but it's reaffirmed I don't believe he's pretentious as such. Sure it's high brow stuff but ultimately the themes he talks about are quite straightforward. He just does so in an unconventional way (for the cinema medium) which leads to this pretentious tag, but I really don't agree with it.
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The Voices - Well, that was pretty dark... even for a black comedy.

Rather enjoyed it though... Ryan Reynolds is actually really good in it, which is a strange thing to be saying.
 
Edgar Allan Pillow said:
A good movie won't suspend reality for entertainment. I mean anyone human will get flustered in that situation. He wakes up abandoned, his potato farm blows up and it all gets the same reaction (or lack of). I just felt it was fake. Never really connected with the movie.
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It touched upon the mental strain a number of times, mostly when his base blows up and his crops die. Maybe not as much as you'd like, but it's there.

I see your point, but it was kind of refreshing to see a character with a nothing to lose attitude. Aside from the occasional moment where he thought he was fecked, he preferred to try and survive rather than mope around. That's clearly just the kind of man he is.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
I fell asleep during it, even as a big Christian Bale fan.
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Do you like Malick's other stuff?

I don't think being a fan of a specific actor for a Malick film matters much, they're very much secondary to what's going on (even though Bale is very good in this, unlike Affleck who was looked out of his place in To the wonder).
 
As a non Christian Bale fan I'm not sure if I wanna see it, didn't like him in Malick's The New World for example. Can't say I like Natalie Portman much either. I think his big name casts can be quite distracting sometimes (The Thin Red Line!).
 
Spotlight

Very well made and a chilling (real) story. Can't really find any faults. Great cast too (Tucci was my favourite). 8.5/10
 
Donut said:
Spotlight

Very well made and a chilling (real) story. Can't really find any faults. Great cast too (Tucci was my favourite). 8.5/10
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Its not a ground breaking film, but its a must watch, well paced story with an excellent ensemble cast.

I think 2015 was a poor year for films, but this is one of the better films I've seem.
 
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AkaAkuma said:
Its not a ground breaking film, but its a must watch, well paced story with an excellent assemble cast.

I think 2015 was a poor year for films, but this is one of the better films I've seem.
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Yep, my top10 had to be top8, and even then I struggled. Would probably have Spotlight in my top5, but as you say 2015 was a rather poor year for movies.
 
Donut said:
Yep, my top10 had to be top8, and even then I struggled. Would probably have Spotlight in my top5, but as you say 2015 was a rather poor year for movies.
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Out of interest whats your list? There must be a few decent non mainstream films Ive missed.
 
Spectre

James Bond, action, cheese, birds, one shot kills, baddie takes his sweet time to kill him so he escapes, beats baddie, closing credits.

7/10
 
Its been the year of the big summer blockbuster. 5 films have made over $1b. The downside is the lack of quality films released.
 
Badunk said:
Spectre

James Bond, action, cheese, birds, one shot kills, baddie takes his sweet time to kill him so he escapes, beats baddie, closing credits.

7/10
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I seen this a couple of days ago. Thought it was very boring.

3/10

Chorley1974 said:
Spectre: My wife fell asleep at the cinema.
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Irrational. said:
Spectre: I fell asleep and missed half an hour of the film, woke up, thought it was shite and went back to sleep for the rest of the film.
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Donaldo said:
Spectre - 2/10

My god, that was execrable. They just couldn't be arsed with a plot at all so resorted to, hey, this is why this is the way it is, and we don't care to bother with any actual connections.

Laughed out loud when Bond said "It's not over yet" 2 hours into the movie (after blowing up the arch-villains 20 year project with a single bullet). At that point, everyone in the cinema groaned in unison at the prospect of more of that turgid shite.

What a waste of 2 and a half hours.
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CassiusClaymore said:
Spectre

Specturd
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:lol: exactly
 
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The Martian

Funny, smart, clever film with brilliant acting from all involved.

8/10
 
Badunk said:
Spectre

James Bond, action, cheese, birds, one shot kills, baddie takes his sweet time to kill him so he escapes, beats baddie, closing credits.

7/10
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Exactly, that's what Bond is all about and the only bit that changes over the years are the guys who play him. I really enjoyed Spectre for what it was.
 
R.N7 said:
Tangerine - Brash, frenetic and superb, and shot with just using iphones.
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Had no idea until I checked online after watching it. Really great film and the end scene is brilliant, also for a film set in sunny LA it still had that Christmas vibe .
 
The Revenant - 9/10

I loved this film. It wasn't without fault but I can only think of one obvious problem with it, but it still wasn't enough to bring it lower than a 9/10. The fault was Hugh Glass being completely indestructible. I've got no problem with him surviving against the odds, since that is what the film is about, and that is also why I haven't let it affect my score much, but it took it too far. Below is a list of all the times I sat then thinking "He definitely should be dead here":

  • Standing right in the open during that attack at the beginning
  • The bear scene
  • The bit where he falls down the waterfalls
  • The other bits in the freezing water where he definitely would've died of hypothermia
  • The bit where he's chased by like a dozen Indians but they all miss him with arrows
  • The bit just after where he falls off the cliff but happens to land on a tree
  • When they just walk straight past him at the end - but that might be because he saved thar woman's life, but it never makes that obvious
The acting however is phenomenal, and visually it is one of the best films I've ever seen. There were lots of moments that captivated me and the bear scene in particular was incredible - if a bit unbelievable. I can see why it was such a hard film to make, and it should be nailed on for the cinematography Oscar as well as having a good chance in both the Best Actor (Leo) and best supporting actor (Hardy) categories.

Very very good film.
 
You are aware that it's based on a true story?

Also...
Revenant: noun : A person who has returned;especially supposedly from the dead.
 
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CassiusClaymore said:
You are aware that it's based on a true story?

Also...
Revenant: noun : A person who has returned;especially supposedly from the dead.
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Nope, I actually didn't know either of those things! I suppose that helps to justify my high score.
 
I thought The Revenant was excellent for the first hour or so, but then like all auteur films these days, just didn't know when to bloody end. There's only so much Malik-esque faux spiritual padding that can justify a near 3 hour film from a one page outline.
 
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