Film The Redcafe Movie review thread

Archie Leach said:
There are so many good true stories from WW2, I've never understood the need to make them up.
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True, but even some of the "true" ones have been tampered with in films to the point where they might as well have been made up.
 
R.N7 said:
Mary and Max was decent too.
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Decent? A bit better than that surely? I though it was well worth the oscar. His earlier film Harvey Crumpet is also well worth a watch.

I met Adam Elliott a couple of years ago at a conference. He gave a keynote which was entertaining and then had a good chat with him afterwards. Lovely man and not at all up himself.
 
Just about to watch In The Mood For Love but having checked Wikipedia, it says that it is a loose sequel to Days of Being Wild. Would I be better to wait and watch that first?
 
Breakfast At Tiffany's:

It was ok, but I don't really know what all the fuss is about. I guess it was a bit risqué for its time, with Peppard being a kept man and Hepburn chasing rich men. It was enjoyable enough but I wouldn't watch it again. On a positive note, I thought the Cat was fantastic, probably up there in my top 5 Cat performances of all time.

Final thought; what the f*ck was Mickey Rooney doing? I know times have changed etc, but f*ckin' 'ell!
 
Bill.s.preston said:
Fury:

An interesting war film which focuses on the gritty and horrible side of war, although Brad Pitt borrows a bit of Aldo Raine at some points which I found a bit amusing. It has some cliched characters and the build up to the climax was a bit cheesy, but it just about gets away with it. Even Shia Lebouf didn't annoy me!

There are a couple of very good scenes, a tense dinner scene and a tank battle being particular highlights. Overall It kept me absorbed and tense, so I'd have to say that I enjoyed it.

If you like your war films, you could do a lot worse.
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Mostly agree with this, and Lebouf is actually pretty good in it (I still think he is generally a good actor despite being a gigantic douche). Falls a little into cliches toward the end but a decent film none the less.
 
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The Babadook - I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand it's without a doubt the best horror film since the Orphanage, or the best that I've seen anyway. On the other hand I left a little disappointed and think it just falls short of a classic horror film. The first half is tremendous and a wonderful example of how you can genuinely terrify the audience without any cheap scares at all but sadly a few horror cliches are thrown in there as it builds up to its final act. For me, the relationship between the son and mother was terrifying enough in itself and "the monster" didn't need to appear at all...but I guess that's what puts bums in seats and that's what makes for a good trailer.

The good parts are very, very good though. The two lead performances are brilliant and it really allows you to get sucked into their relationship and feel the anxiety, the helplessness, the growing isolation and the tension that exists in it. As Samuel's strange behaviour continues to alienate them from friends and family, Amelia finds it increasingly difficult to live her life. She can't go to work because Samuel is a danger to his classmates and cousin, she can't go to sleep because he's terrified of monsters and eventually she becomes overwhelmed and becomes a danger to herself and her child. It's been done before but it's executed perfectly. You're genuinely fearful of and fearful for both the mother and child and fully sympathise with what torments them so.

Definitely recommended if you like a good psychological horror story.
 
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Archie Leach said:
It does portray women poorly but every character in the film is some variety of cliche. I can't imagine it's a very good book.
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I just read the book...quite impressed by the way she plotted it, even if it was implausible. I want to see the movie, and I've never known why Ben Affleck has received such bad press over the years. He's a good actor. I blame JLo. Anyway...can someone point me in the direction of the book thread. Probably staring me in the face but I can't see it.
 
John Wick

A all out shooter movie. No frills, no thrills, just bullets, guns and thumping background music. A plot line, that literally is a single line long.

What is different is this movie been made in a comic book way. Villains still have a hotel hangout, use (and earn) gold coins to identify each other and have a secret underground club to meet and hangout with each other. Not realistic, but interesting nevertheless. Filled with cheesy dialogues, OTT gun killings..but overall not bad at all. A standard you kill mine, I'll kill all of you movie with a clichéd 'super' hero who can singly take out hordes of villains. What else do you want? Maybe popcorn and coke.

If you are looking for a way to kill time, this is it. If you are looking for a critically acclaimed movie that will change you, look elsewhere.

I liked it!

6.5/10
 
Bill.s.preston said:
Breakfast At Tiffany's:

It was ok, but I don't really know what all the fuss is about. I guess it was a bit risqué for its time, with Peppard being a kept man and Hepburn chasing rich men. It was enjoyable enough but I wouldn't watch it again. On a positive note, I thought the Cat was fantastic, probably up there in my top 5 Cat performances of all time.

Final thought; what the f*ck was Mickey Rooney doing? I know times have changed etc, but f*ckin' 'ell!
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It was a less enlightened time. They hadn't yet realized that racial stereotyping was worse than genocide.
 
Under The Skin. Deeply unsettling and disturbing, I'm still not quite sure if I love it but there's no doubt that some of the images will linger in my mind for quite some time. It genuinely felt like a bad dream that you can't wake up from, and when you do not even a cold shower and cup of coffee can eliminate all traces of it. This is not to say that I didn't admire it and, quite possibly, I'll eventually end up loving it because it was a visceral experience and that's quite rare really. Every shot seemed so deliberate and I loved the ambiguity and sense of dread of the whole piece.
 
CrashDavis said:
Under The Skin. Deeply unsettling and disturbing, I'm still not quite sure if I love it but there's no doubt that some of the images will linger in my mind for quite some time. It genuinely felt like a bad dream that you can't wake up from, and when you do not even a cold shower and cup of coffee can eliminate all traces of it. This is not to say that I didn't admire it and, quite possibly, I'll eventually end up loving it because it was a visceral experience and that's quite rare really. Every shot seemed so deliberate and I loved the ambiguity and sense of dread of the whole piece.
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Amazing movie. The scenes with Scarlet Johansson and her victims (combined with that score) were mesmerising. I kept thinking about it for a couple of weeks after watching.
 
Stringer said:
Amazing movie. The scenes with Scarlet Johansson and her victims (combined with that score) were hypnotic. I kept thinking about it for a couple of weeks after watching.
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Yeah same. Shall we call it the 'shedding' scene (under the water) was especially freaky. And the one on the beach was just horrible.
 
Coherence (2013) - 6.9/10

Absolutely nothing here for the cinephiles in terms of technicals/aesthetics. But if you stick with it through the 'Please not another indie movie shot with a _________' visuals you'll get a well-executed story squeezed out of a shoestring budget.

Tracks (2013) - 7/10

Very pretty. Worth a watch on a 'slow' night.

Memories of Matsuko - ?/10

Watched this again recently; still don't get the extreme praise. Probably worth a watch if you've never heard of it and are into Asian cinema.
 
Fury - 10/10

This movie is so fantastic. My roommate, a world War II buff and avid movie watcher says its the best war movie ever. It was incredibly emotional, and the realism was utterly shocking. The acting is great and the characters are all very interesting. I recommend everybody watch it, but go into it with the idea that it is going to affect you emotionally.
 
The Babadook
Been looking forward to this for a few years but was left quite disappointed. The film was pretty good, good story, great acting (especially the mother), good build of tension from a domestic and supernatural point of view and some excellent cinematography BUT the film just wasn't scary. I can see why this has got critical acclaim but to me it concentrated too much on the drama and not enough on the horror, which would be fine if they didn't market the film as a horror film. Also, the ending was flat and anti-climatic. Good first attempt and hopefully the director kicks on from here and makes some decent titles 6.5/10

TMNT
What a pile of shit. Wasn't funny enough, wasn't entertaining enough, the action was mediocre, Michelangelo was a pervert, Donatello was TOO dorky, Leonardo didn't feel like a leader and Raphael was just too moody without reason. They wasted William Fichtner, who is a great character actor but was just a generic evil suit. The comedy didn't work and the funniest bit (Batman joke) was in the trailer. I guess kids might like this but I definitely didn't. The soundtrack was ok 5/10

Left Behind
A film about a bunch of people who vanish from earth leaving behind others who try to figure out what is going on. Waaaay too pious and preachy for my liking. Seems like a direct to VHS, (yes VHS not even DVD) film. Plus points for having the great Nic Cage though 3/10
 
Rooney in Dublin said:
Bit of a movie weekend:

Rewatched Blood Diamond, and it confirmed my very good impression from a while ago. Really solid movie all around, great acting from Di Caprio and good scenario I thought. Engrossing film with loads of interesting stories developed throughout.

Watched Frozen this morning, perfect lazy Sunday morning Disney film. I enjoyed it and thought it was very good looking, with good themes, songs and just the right amount of comedy to keep it going. I think I enjoyed Tangled more, but in any case both good "Disney princess movies".

Finally watched Prisoners this evening, and I loved it. I seem to recall some had been a bit annoyed about the running time or the last part of the film, I have to say I was really absorbed through the 2hrs30 of the film and wasn't bored once. Jackman and Gylenhaal are both superb, as is Dano, and the rest of the cast is fine as well. Thought Villeneuve's directing was great, gave it a somber, cold and gloomy feel which was just right for the film. Not quite at the level of Mystic River or Zodiac (I actually chuckled when Gylenhaal couldn't solve the maze!), but very good film nonetheless.

One (very) minor disappointment:
right at the end, I would've loved the film to stop with Gylenhaal scoffing after hearing the faint whistle noise, suggesting he was going to follow through. Would've had a slightly more nihilistic feel to it, and would've been more ballsy. Still very good though, and it was nice they didn't finish it with him being discovered and the follow through to all that
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How dare you highlight Leo's good acting!? :)

The guy's probably one of the best in the business. Him and Tom Hanks are...:drool:
 
On the recommendation of Nilsson and Pete I watched Ida. Wonderful, stark little film. Every shot looks like it could be hanging in a gallery. It's a dark roadtrip, very sad. Unusual to see a film that's so quiet and still. Agata Kulesza is terrific as Wanda and Ida is so lovely I'm considering Catholicism. Good call, fellas.
 
Nightcrawler - Been looking forward to this one since seeing the trailer a while back, but it sadly it seemed to fall a little flat of my expectations. Jake Gyllenhaal follows on his progression from films like Zodiac, End of Watch and Prisoners and puts in another excellent performance - all be it a very dark and slightly psychotic one this time around, a good way to showcase his range. There was bound to be comparisons of Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Louis Bloom to De Niro's Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) due to the slight similarities in tones & setting, but more so each characters personalities, and as I admitted it is a great performance but it never quite reaches De Niro's level. I think what let the film down most was some of the plot - it's got a solid enough spine to the story but then some of it just seemed a little too far fetched and unrealistic in my eyes - especially how far Louis Bloom is able to push things to further himself & his career. Overall a safe 7/10
 
Lego the movie - 9/10

Yes, I'm a grown up Lego collector (is there a thread? :D ) but loved the movie not only cause of the great Lego animations but cause the story is also very good or the message movie sends. Also pshidoelic song - Everything is perfect - is brilliant too. :D
Loved the script too, loved the jokes, loved everybody about it.

All in all an excellent movie.
 
Bill.s.preston said:
Fury:

An interesting war film which focuses on the gritty and horrible side of war, although Brad Pitt borrows a bit of Aldo Raine at some points which I found a bit amusing. It has some cliched characters and the build up to the climax was a bit cheesy, but it just about gets away with it. Even Shia Lebouf didn't annoy me!

There are a couple of very good scenes, a tense dinner scene and a tank battle being particular highlights. Overall It kept me absorbed and tense, so I'd have to say that I enjoyed it.

If you like your war films, you could do a lot worse.
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I hope its not '5 Americans kill 200 Germans' kind of movie? :)
 
Mine Games
A bunch of friends go to a resort and then to explore an abandoned mine where they see their own dead corpses and things spiral out of control. Started off like a standard teen horror but the story was just about interesting enough for you to want to know how it will end 6/10
 
I really liked Nolan's films but hated Inception and Dark Knight Rises so not sure how to feel about this. Will he be back to his best or will this be an overrated pretentious pile of cack? We'll see...
 
Planet of the Apes (1968 version)

Had never seen this before and was pleasantly surprised by the focus on ideas and dialogue rather than special effects. (This may have a lot to do with its being adapted from a novel by Pierre Boulle.) It's hard to take the "foreign planet" landing at the beginning seriously when it looks exactly like Lake Powell. Heston's clothes are more off than on, which was part of his typecasting. 8/10
 
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