Good films I watched this weekend (Vol 2)
Discussion
Watchman said:
The Thirteenth Floor
I remember this from years ago but didn't remember the twist until it presented itself. Think of it as a conflation of The Matrix or Tron, and Inception. It predates The Matrix and Inception though, and might have been written on the back of the success of the original Tron.
The story is pretty good although the lead actor is a bit hammy. Ultimately the story wins over the hamminess and dated presentation of future-tech to provide a decent flick.
6/10.
The Thirteenth Floor as actually in cinemas around the same time as The Matrix.I remember this from years ago but didn't remember the twist until it presented itself. Think of it as a conflation of The Matrix or Tron, and Inception. It predates The Matrix and Inception though, and might have been written on the back of the success of the original Tron.
The story is pretty good although the lead actor is a bit hammy. Ultimately the story wins over the hamminess and dated presentation of future-tech to provide a decent flick.
6/10.
The only reason I know this is that I spent Easter to Summer 1999 living in Hollywood, and spent a lot of time going to the various cinemas which were in walking distance.
Considering the similarity of The Thirteenth Floor to The Matrix, it's a co-incidence they arrived at the same time, and also the same time as:
Existenz - David Cronenberg film starring Jude Law, where a terrorist affects the testing of a virtual reality test and the protagonists are sure, yet unsure whether they are in the 'game' or not.
For me, someone who really enjoyed Hollywood's touching on cyberpunk stuff, it was a breath of fresh air. When I watched it, it was one of the only times where the ending of a film froze the entire audience for ten seconds at the end of the film.
Also, if you liked The Thirteenth Floor check out the original mini-series it was based on. It's German, and from the 70's, but the idea itself is identical, and really was ahead of its time: World on a Wire. It's available on Lovefilm.
Adam B said:
Might be given a run by Michael Keaton in Birdman
Very original, some very funny bits, but also some surreal bits that many won't like - very much a critics film, fantastic acting, but some bits are plain weird 7/10
Went and saw this last night. Like the previous poster says, the surreal bits won't be for everyone but I really enjoyed. Good 9/10 for me.Very original, some very funny bits, but also some surreal bits that many won't like - very much a critics film, fantastic acting, but some bits are plain weird 7/10
JustinP1 said:
Watchman said:
The Thirteenth Floor
I remember this from years ago but didn't remember the twist until it presented itself. Think of it as a conflation of The Matrix or Tron, and Inception. It predates The Matrix and Inception though, and might have been written on the back of the success of the original Tron.
The story is pretty good although the lead actor is a bit hammy. Ultimately the story wins over the hamminess and dated presentation of future-tech to provide a decent flick.
6/10.
The Thirteenth Floor as actually in cinemas around the same time as The Matrix.I remember this from years ago but didn't remember the twist until it presented itself. Think of it as a conflation of The Matrix or Tron, and Inception. It predates The Matrix and Inception though, and might have been written on the back of the success of the original Tron.
The story is pretty good although the lead actor is a bit hammy. Ultimately the story wins over the hamminess and dated presentation of future-tech to provide a decent flick.
6/10.
The only reason I know this is that I spent Easter to Summer 1999 living in Hollywood, and spent a lot of time going to the various cinemas which were in walking distance.
Considering the similarity of The Thirteenth Floor to The Matrix, it's a co-incidence they arrived at the same time, and also the same time as:
Existenz - David Cronenberg film starring Jude Law, where a terrorist affects the testing of a virtual reality test and the protagonists are sure, yet unsure whether they are in the 'game' or not.
And another batch, including:
A Walk Among The Tombstones
One of the Matthew Scudder books turned into a film, starring Liam Neeson.
I liked it, although not some of the parts surrounding the kidnapping of a young girl. Overall, Scudder is a sort of slightly less super-heroic Jack Reacher, and in this film they are setting the scene for him returning in a sequel (I hope).
It's pretty popcorn viewing with a dark turn.
7/10
Bad Country
I watched this in two slices some three days apart which made the story slightly confusing, however the Deep American South setting led to a menacing thriller with MattDamon Dillon and Willem Dafoe playing rather unsympathetic characters - each side of the law. As the story played out, and the characters sunk into more and more violence, it became more about revenge which is a powerful motivator, and you start to root for the characters you previously disliked. The final shoot-out scene was quite satisfying.
7/10
Bound
This is an oldie, about a couple of lesbians trying to steal money from the mob. The girls were slightly less erotic than I'd been led to believe by a friend however the story was fun, with some of the characters being rather cartoonish. Satisfying ending too.
6/10
Cold In July
Whilst this was a hateful subject (the making of snuff movies), the characters were strongly motivated by it and with Don Johnson even playing a supporting role, you could bet he would win-out in the end giving you some hope for a satisfying conclusion.
7/10
Flawless
Michael Caine and Demo Moore partner up to steal a shed load of diamonds but how did they do it? This has a "not especially clever" reveal but the film was an enjoyable caper set in the 1960s which was fun to watch. Sometimes we forget what life was like before modern comms and computers.
6/10
In the Blood
Gina Carano (the ex MMA fighter) plays a newlywed on her honeymoon on a small South American island where her husband goes missing, so she sets out to "sort people out" in a search for him.
She was really good in Haywire but she's clearly no natural actor, so when called upon to show some emotion (as opposed to a cold killer like in Haywire) she was less convincing. Also, she looks like she's heftier than she was previously and looks less like a stone-cold killer. Still, I wouldn't argue with her.
Some other good actors in this but the film felt cheap and the story very predictable.
4/10
The Maze Runner
I was expecting another "Hunger Games" or some other trite rubbish (I am no fan of that film, if you couldn't guess) however, even though this has elements of a dystopian future where people have to struggle to live like Mad Max and any number of 1970s films, in fact it was thoroughly modern with good effects and a lead into the next 2 or 3 films in the series of books it was taken from.
8/10
Non Stop
Liam Neeson plays Liam Neeson again as a drunk Air Marshall on the flight where only he knows someone will be killed every 20 mins until the blackmailer gets the chunk of cash they want.
As it's set entirely on a plane in a mid-Atlantic flight, there's not a massive amount of movement however the "whodunnit" aspect mixed with you guessing who would be next was entertaining enough.
6/10
Outcast
Nick Cage and new kid playing Darth Vader as crusaders with Vader-kid having too much a thirst for blood in the beginning, then regretting his decisions and actions later in China where he tries to redeem himself by supporting the legal Royal succession hunted by the evil Royal brother.
Not a bad film despite Nick Cage being in it for a mercifully brief time, even though he did his best to ruin it with a frankly ridiculous accent and his typical over-acting style.
5/10
The Drop
Tom Hardy and The Supranos lead man (Sorvino) in (I believe) his last role before his death.
They work in a bar which is a "drop" for money from local hoodlums destined for the Chechen mob bosses. Lots of "threat" and menace, and Tom plays a slightly Forrest Gump-like character who clearly is more than he chooses to show. The story builds nicely, and although there is another satisfying conclusion, the twist was obvious from the very start.
7/10
The Railway Man
Colin Firth plays a man once captured by the Japanese then tortured and forced to work on the Burmese railway in WW2, as he seeks confrontation with his torturer in the modern 1970s.
I don't normally like "prison" type films (I must be one of the few who severely dislikes Shawshank) however this was really good. As before, I like the representation of an age I vaguely remember but the way you see the characters develop was satisfying as they seek redemption/forgiveness for their previous actions.
8/10
What We Do In the Shadows
A mockumentary about Vampires set in New Zealand. This should have been utterly rubbish, and I wonder if I'd caught on another night whether I'd have liked it, but I went at it open minded and really enjoyed it. It's a film about cheesy quotes from the characters really I suppose, and an exploration of the way people open-up and say far too much about themselves in documentaries.
8/10
In addition to these I have tried, and failed, to watch the following:
Autómata
Antonio Banderas plays a robot maintenance man in a future where the earth is damaged by solar activity and people rely on robots for help.
I got no further than 15 mins before the low-key depressing setting made me reach for the remote controller.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
I normally like Sam Rockwell but perhaps he is one of those actors that always plays himself - a character which is always slightly unhinged and talks too much. He irritated me for about 20 mins before I turned him off.
Implanted
Read quite well in the synopsis (kid wakes up, not really knowing himself, suggestion that his father has implanted some tech into his head) but looked very low budget. I can forgive that if a film has some pace but this didn't so after noticing that I was reading PH instead of watching the film, I switched off.
Jinn
I kind of knew this would be a stinker, so when I stopped watching after only 10 mins, it was no surprise. The tale is supposed to be one where a third race was created after Humans and Angels but beyond that I really lost interest.
Nymphomaniac
I should have known better that a film made by Lars von Trier which is supposed to be the third in his trilogy of "depression" films or something like that, and which follows Antichrist and Melancholia would be a hard viewing, and although I stuck it out to the end, I found myself skipping through much of both the slow talking scenes AND the exploitation stuff as it really isn't my thing.
I was amazed at the sheer number of famous actors in this film though as none of them played characters likely to win them over with audiences, and in fact they exposed themselves in very degrading ways to the point where I wondered how much was really filmed like that, or was it done with SFX (I don't want to know BTW).
Order of Chaos
Stars that chap our of the "Heroes" series (Milo Ventisomething) so I thought it might have some merit. It doesn't. It's tedious and dull.
The Zero Theorem
I suspect other people will like this as it's another typical Gilliam film in its style, and stars the always-fabulous Christoph Waltz, however I'm just not a fan of Gilliam movies in general (although I liked 12 Monkeys but not Brazil), and this was typically "odd" like all of them but didn't grab me enough in the first 20 mins to keep me any longer.
A Walk Among The Tombstones
One of the Matthew Scudder books turned into a film, starring Liam Neeson.
I liked it, although not some of the parts surrounding the kidnapping of a young girl. Overall, Scudder is a sort of slightly less super-heroic Jack Reacher, and in this film they are setting the scene for him returning in a sequel (I hope).
It's pretty popcorn viewing with a dark turn.
7/10
Bad Country
I watched this in two slices some three days apart which made the story slightly confusing, however the Deep American South setting led to a menacing thriller with Matt
7/10
Bound
This is an oldie, about a couple of lesbians trying to steal money from the mob. The girls were slightly less erotic than I'd been led to believe by a friend however the story was fun, with some of the characters being rather cartoonish. Satisfying ending too.
6/10
Cold In July
Whilst this was a hateful subject (the making of snuff movies), the characters were strongly motivated by it and with Don Johnson even playing a supporting role, you could bet he would win-out in the end giving you some hope for a satisfying conclusion.
7/10
Flawless
Michael Caine and Demo Moore partner up to steal a shed load of diamonds but how did they do it? This has a "not especially clever" reveal but the film was an enjoyable caper set in the 1960s which was fun to watch. Sometimes we forget what life was like before modern comms and computers.
6/10
In the Blood
Gina Carano (the ex MMA fighter) plays a newlywed on her honeymoon on a small South American island where her husband goes missing, so she sets out to "sort people out" in a search for him.
She was really good in Haywire but she's clearly no natural actor, so when called upon to show some emotion (as opposed to a cold killer like in Haywire) she was less convincing. Also, she looks like she's heftier than she was previously and looks less like a stone-cold killer. Still, I wouldn't argue with her.
Some other good actors in this but the film felt cheap and the story very predictable.
4/10
The Maze Runner
I was expecting another "Hunger Games" or some other trite rubbish (I am no fan of that film, if you couldn't guess) however, even though this has elements of a dystopian future where people have to struggle to live like Mad Max and any number of 1970s films, in fact it was thoroughly modern with good effects and a lead into the next 2 or 3 films in the series of books it was taken from.
8/10
Non Stop
Liam Neeson plays Liam Neeson again as a drunk Air Marshall on the flight where only he knows someone will be killed every 20 mins until the blackmailer gets the chunk of cash they want.
As it's set entirely on a plane in a mid-Atlantic flight, there's not a massive amount of movement however the "whodunnit" aspect mixed with you guessing who would be next was entertaining enough.
6/10
Outcast
Nick Cage and new kid playing Darth Vader as crusaders with Vader-kid having too much a thirst for blood in the beginning, then regretting his decisions and actions later in China where he tries to redeem himself by supporting the legal Royal succession hunted by the evil Royal brother.
Not a bad film despite Nick Cage being in it for a mercifully brief time, even though he did his best to ruin it with a frankly ridiculous accent and his typical over-acting style.
5/10
The Drop
Tom Hardy and The Supranos lead man (Sorvino) in (I believe) his last role before his death.
They work in a bar which is a "drop" for money from local hoodlums destined for the Chechen mob bosses. Lots of "threat" and menace, and Tom plays a slightly Forrest Gump-like character who clearly is more than he chooses to show. The story builds nicely, and although there is another satisfying conclusion, the twist was obvious from the very start.
7/10
The Railway Man
Colin Firth plays a man once captured by the Japanese then tortured and forced to work on the Burmese railway in WW2, as he seeks confrontation with his torturer in the modern 1970s.
I don't normally like "prison" type films (I must be one of the few who severely dislikes Shawshank) however this was really good. As before, I like the representation of an age I vaguely remember but the way you see the characters develop was satisfying as they seek redemption/forgiveness for their previous actions.
8/10
What We Do In the Shadows
A mockumentary about Vampires set in New Zealand. This should have been utterly rubbish, and I wonder if I'd caught on another night whether I'd have liked it, but I went at it open minded and really enjoyed it. It's a film about cheesy quotes from the characters really I suppose, and an exploration of the way people open-up and say far too much about themselves in documentaries.
8/10
In addition to these I have tried, and failed, to watch the following:
Autómata
Antonio Banderas plays a robot maintenance man in a future where the earth is damaged by solar activity and people rely on robots for help.
I got no further than 15 mins before the low-key depressing setting made me reach for the remote controller.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
I normally like Sam Rockwell but perhaps he is one of those actors that always plays himself - a character which is always slightly unhinged and talks too much. He irritated me for about 20 mins before I turned him off.
Implanted
Read quite well in the synopsis (kid wakes up, not really knowing himself, suggestion that his father has implanted some tech into his head) but looked very low budget. I can forgive that if a film has some pace but this didn't so after noticing that I was reading PH instead of watching the film, I switched off.
Jinn
I kind of knew this would be a stinker, so when I stopped watching after only 10 mins, it was no surprise. The tale is supposed to be one where a third race was created after Humans and Angels but beyond that I really lost interest.
Nymphomaniac
I should have known better that a film made by Lars von Trier which is supposed to be the third in his trilogy of "depression" films or something like that, and which follows Antichrist and Melancholia would be a hard viewing, and although I stuck it out to the end, I found myself skipping through much of both the slow talking scenes AND the exploitation stuff as it really isn't my thing.
I was amazed at the sheer number of famous actors in this film though as none of them played characters likely to win them over with audiences, and in fact they exposed themselves in very degrading ways to the point where I wondered how much was really filmed like that, or was it done with SFX (I don't want to know BTW).
Order of Chaos
Stars that chap our of the "Heroes" series (Milo Ventisomething) so I thought it might have some merit. It doesn't. It's tedious and dull.
The Zero Theorem
I suspect other people will like this as it's another typical Gilliam film in its style, and stars the always-fabulous Christoph Waltz, however I'm just not a fan of Gilliam movies in general (although I liked 12 Monkeys but not Brazil), and this was typically "odd" like all of them but didn't grab me enough in the first 20 mins to keep me any longer.
Edited by Watchman on Thursday 8th January 09:56
Dr Jekyll said:
I saw Theory of Everything the other night.
VERY good performances from the two leads, but a bit slow and overlong with lots of meaningful glances and arty photography. It was about the relationship between Stephen Hawking and his wife rather than about his theories.
Given that the tagline was 'The incredible story of Jane and Stephen Hawking' that shouldn't have been a surprise.VERY good performances from the two leads, but a bit slow and overlong with lots of meaningful glances and arty photography. It was about the relationship between Stephen Hawking and his wife rather than about his theories.
For what it's worth, I thought it was wonderful.
Watchman said:
Autómata
Antonio Banderas plays a robot maintenance man in a future where the earth is damaged by solar activity and people rely on robots for help.
I got no further than 15 mins before the low-key depressing setting made me reach for the remote controller.
That's a shame. A non-Hollywood exploration of AI would be something quite interesting. I've been trying to get this on Lovefilm with no joy.Antonio Banderas plays a robot maintenance man in a future where the earth is damaged by solar activity and people rely on robots for help.
I got no further than 15 mins before the low-key depressing setting made me reach for the remote controller.
Tactfully speaking... Ahem... Do you know of a way I can see this from a mainstream source?
Watchman said:
The Zero Theorem
I suspect other people will like this as it's another typical Gilliam film in its style, and stars the always-fabulous Christoph Waltz, however I'm just not a fan of Gilliam movies in general (although I liked 12 Monkeys but not Brazil), and this was typically "odd" like all of them but didn't grab me enough in the first 20 mins to keep me any longer.
I've stopped watching no more than a handful of films in my life. This one I went to the effort of getting from Lovefilm only to stick it back in the envelope after 15 minutes too. And sci-fi is my favourite genre. I suspect other people will like this as it's another typical Gilliam film in its style, and stars the always-fabulous Christoph Waltz, however I'm just not a fan of Gilliam movies in general (although I liked 12 Monkeys but not Brazil), and this was typically "odd" like all of them but didn't grab me enough in the first 20 mins to keep me any longer.
JustinP1 said:
Watchman said:
Autómata
Antonio Banderas plays a robot maintenance man in a future where the earth is damaged by solar activity and people rely on robots for help.
I got no further than 15 mins before the low-key depressing setting made me reach for the remote controller.
That's a shame. A non-Hollywood exploration of AI would be something quite interesting. I've been trying to get this on Lovefilm with no joy.Antonio Banderas plays a robot maintenance man in a future where the earth is damaged by solar activity and people rely on robots for help.
I got no further than 15 mins before the low-key depressing setting made me reach for the remote controller.
Tactfully speaking... Ahem... Do you know of a way I can see this from a mainstream source?
JustinP1 said:
Watchman said:
The Zero Theorem
I suspect other people will like this as it's another typical Gilliam film in its style, and stars the always-fabulous Christoph Waltz, however I'm just not a fan of Gilliam movies in general (although I liked 12 Monkeys but not Brazil), and this was typically "odd" like all of them but didn't grab me enough in the first 20 mins to keep me any longer.
I've stopped watching no more than a handful of films in my life. This one I went to the effort of getting from Lovefilm only to stick it back in the envelope after 15 minutes too. And sci-fi is my favourite genre. I suspect other people will like this as it's another typical Gilliam film in its style, and stars the always-fabulous Christoph Waltz, however I'm just not a fan of Gilliam movies in general (although I liked 12 Monkeys but not Brazil), and this was typically "odd" like all of them but didn't grab me enough in the first 20 mins to keep me any longer.
It's a bit like Tim Burton, or movies with JOhnny Depp in them - you just know up front what sort of style you're likely to get into, and I simply can't get on with them.
JustinP1 said:
I've stopped watching no more than a handful of films in my life. This one I went to the effort of getting from Lovefilm only to stick it back in the envelope after 15 minutes too. And sci-fi is my favourite genre.
I actually really enjoyed Automata. In a world of sequels, prequels and rehashes it was a refreshing change. Nicely filmed, Banderas is good, Griffiths is massively miscast.I recommend it.
Try Kick Ass Torrents and Vuze...
Watchman said:
And another batch,
Now that is a batch! I was pleasantly surprised with Maze Runner, watched it on the plane coming back from holiday recently. Apparently it was quite low budget (relatively) but never felt it IMO.Imitation Game
Fancied for BAFTA's and Oscars, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing tasked with breaking the Enigma code in WW2. I think Cumberbatch is superb-plays 'odd' very well but has great range as an actor. I'm not a huge fan of Kiera Knightly-she tends to always look ill to me and a funny colour. Anyhow I digress. I really enjoyed it and didn't appreciate the dark/disturbing way homosexuals were treated in those days.
8/10
Saw the Theory of everything the other night and absolutely loved it. The two leads were superb and Maxine Peake had a lovely part near the end. Deserves lots of awards and I preferred it to the Imitation games.
saw a film called Whiplash before christmas, about a drummer, which does not sound that good but was superb. Got free tickets for it again next week and free tickets for American Sniper which looks good
saw a film called Whiplash before christmas, about a drummer, which does not sound that good but was superb. Got free tickets for it again next week and free tickets for American Sniper which looks good
OldSpice said:
Adam B said:
Might be given a run by Michael Keaton in Birdman
Very original, some very funny bits, but also some surreal bits that many won't like - very much a critics film, fantastic acting, but some bits are plain weird 7/10
Went and saw this last night. Like the previous poster says, the surreal bits won't be for everyone but I really enjoyed. Good 9/10 for me.Very original, some very funny bits, but also some surreal bits that many won't like - very much a critics film, fantastic acting, but some bits are plain weird 7/10
Found it refreshingly different and very well acted, although it can be quite intense sometimes as it's filmed in very long single camera multiple angle shots( hope that makes sense
) agree the surreal bit's may divide opinion, best film I've seen in a while 8.5/1022 Jump Street
I thought the first one was ok but I actually thought this was funnier. It takes the P out of itself very successfully. The partners/relationship stuff was funny the getting to 22 jump street was funny and some of the best end credits I have seen. yes the plot is paper thin and it's pretty obvious where the plot was going all the way through but it was played well by the leads and I enjoyed it.
7.5/10 recommended.
I thought the first one was ok but I actually thought this was funnier. It takes the P out of itself very successfully. The partners/relationship stuff was funny the getting to 22 jump street was funny and some of the best end credits I have seen. yes the plot is paper thin and it's pretty obvious where the plot was going all the way through but it was played well by the leads and I enjoyed it.
7.5/10 recommended.
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