Good films I watched this weekend (Vol 2)
Discussion
American Sniper
Must admit I didn't know this was based on a book/true story until the credits.
Bradley Cooper plays an American Sniper enlisting after the US embassy bombing in Kenya and from there on out follows his exploits in Iraq. Good film. 8/10
Unbroken
Follows an Italian American who's a famous distance runner prior to WW2. Fights in the Pacific theatre serving as a Bombardier. Plane gets shot down, eventually captured by the Japanese and sees out the war in a POW camp. Directed by Angelina Jolie, very enjoyable film that looks at the strength of the human spirit in this guy. Pulls it off without being too sentimental IMO.
8.5
Must admit I didn't know this was based on a book/true story until the credits.
Bradley Cooper plays an American Sniper enlisting after the US embassy bombing in Kenya and from there on out follows his exploits in Iraq. Good film. 8/10
Unbroken
Follows an Italian American who's a famous distance runner prior to WW2. Fights in the Pacific theatre serving as a Bombardier. Plane gets shot down, eventually captured by the Japanese and sees out the war in a POW camp. Directed by Angelina Jolie, very enjoyable film that looks at the strength of the human spirit in this guy. Pulls it off without being too sentimental IMO.
8.5
Adam B said:
BlackST said:
Sorry, i'm pretty awful at describing and writing reviews. Only thing I can say is I thought it was brilliant. Bradley Cooper played the role really well and I will be seeing it again when it comes out
RESSE said:
The Fault In Our Stars (2014) very moving film and outstanding performance from Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort.
7/10.
I was expecting this to be hatefully mawkish but found myself really enjoying it, probably because of the likeable lead characters as much as the story.7/10.
Manages to be quite uplifting and funny in places despite the bleak subject matter.
8/10 from me
toasty said:
The Theory of Everything - Biopic of Stephen Hawking. Unfortunately focused more on his physical state than his mind but not a bad film overall. Well acted and Felicity Jones was rather moreish. 6/10
I disagree, I thought it was utterly fantastic!Film of 2015 so far for me! Not that it has much competition though! 9/10
Unbroken
Something didn't click with me. Not sure what it was exactly, I thought o'connel was good, nothing special. Very 'cheesy' in parts for lack of a better word. I didn't really get any sense of comradeship from the fellow prisoners, and I had no attachment to any of the characters including the lead. Very average. 6/10
Something didn't click with me. Not sure what it was exactly, I thought o'connel was good, nothing special. Very 'cheesy' in parts for lack of a better word. I didn't really get any sense of comradeship from the fellow prisoners, and I had no attachment to any of the characters including the lead. Very average. 6/10
I watched Kes again recently. I think the last time I saw it was when I was about 15.
For those that don't know, it's the story of a young boy living in a poor mining village in Yorkshire during the late 60's. He leads a grim, lonely existence and his only future is to follow his older brother down the pit. That is until he finds salvation in the form of a kestrel, which he trains and forms a strong bond with.
The film is gritty, harsh and quite bleak, with an almost documentary feel,but equally there are some wonderful, touching scenes and some genuine laugh out loud moments (the football match segment is brilliant and will resonate with any man over 35).
The acting is superb, particularly from David Bradley as the boy, and Brian Glover, who is spot on as the sadistic PE teacher.
Even the powerfully built Red Bull swiggers of PH may find that the room is suddenly very dusty at the end of the film
For me, it's one of the great British films and a great antidote to the usual crash bang "America, f
k yeah" Michael Bay bks
For those that don't know, it's the story of a young boy living in a poor mining village in Yorkshire during the late 60's. He leads a grim, lonely existence and his only future is to follow his older brother down the pit. That is until he finds salvation in the form of a kestrel, which he trains and forms a strong bond with.
The film is gritty, harsh and quite bleak, with an almost documentary feel,but equally there are some wonderful, touching scenes and some genuine laugh out loud moments (the football match segment is brilliant and will resonate with any man over 35).
The acting is superb, particularly from David Bradley as the boy, and Brian Glover, who is spot on as the sadistic PE teacher.
Even the powerfully built Red Bull swiggers of PH may find that the room is suddenly very dusty at the end of the film
For me, it's one of the great British films and a great antidote to the usual crash bang "America, f
k yeah" Michael Bay bksTREMAiNE said:
toasty said:
The Theory of Everything - Biopic of Stephen Hawking. Unfortunately focused more on his physical state than his mind but not a bad film overall. Well acted and Felicity Jones was rather moreish. 6/10
I disagree, I thought it was utterly fantastic!Film of 2015 so far for me! Not that it has much competition though! 9/10
A Beautiful Mind was better than both imo.
Imitation game spoiler
You know when he realises that 'oh we shouldn't be checking every combination', anyone think: yes, like duh!. And that running back to the machine scene was OTT.
Preferred A Beautiful Mind's don't go for the prettiest girl epithany.
Edited by Yazar on Monday 12th January 23:30
Edited by Yazar on Monday 12th January 23:34
Watchman said:
As for the previous reviews, I have been looking for films that I can watch with my wife, and the latest is:
Good Year
Russell Crowd, Albert Finney, Marion Cotillard.
Cut-throat London trader/banker inherits his uncle's home in France - the place he spent his summers as a child. The house, the people and the surroundings soften him and provide a different future to that he would expect to receive in his profession.
Unchallenging film filled with an idyllic lifestyle, good feelings and sentiments and gentle humour. Quite enjoyed it.
8/10
One of my favourite films, I watch it over and over again.Good Year
Russell Crowd, Albert Finney, Marion Cotillard.
Cut-throat London trader/banker inherits his uncle's home in France - the place he spent his summers as a child. The house, the people and the surroundings soften him and provide a different future to that he would expect to receive in his profession.
Unchallenging film filled with an idyllic lifestyle, good feelings and sentiments and gentle humour. Quite enjoyed it.
8/10
Yazar said:
Both this and the Imitation Game were enjoyable on the surface but too much in your face 'lets try to get an oscar out of this'.
A Beautiful Mind was better than both imo.
Imitation game spoiler
You know when he realises that 'oh we shouldn't be checking every combination', anyone think: yes, like duh!. And that running back to the machine scene was OTT.
Preferred A Beautiful Mind's don't go for the prettiest girl epithany.
I think any film where you are trying to highlight someones mind working needs to delve into the personality more than trying to film their brain working. Probably why films about genius' tend to be over cooked a bit.A Beautiful Mind was better than both imo.
Imitation game spoiler
You know when he realises that 'oh we shouldn't be checking every combination', anyone think: yes, like duh!. And that running back to the machine scene was OTT.
Preferred A Beautiful Mind's don't go for the prettiest girl epithany.
Edited by Yazar on Monday 12th January 23:30
Edited by Yazar on Monday 12th January 23:34
Would be a bit boring if it was just a bunch of guys solving puzzles.
a311 said:
American Sniper
Must admit I didn't know this was based on a book/true story until the credits.
Bradley Cooper plays an American Sniper enlisting after the US embassy bombing in Kenya and from there on out follows his exploits in Iraq. Good film. 8/10
Unbroken
Follows an Italian American who's a famous distance runner prior to WW2. Fights in the Pacific theatre serving as a Bombardier. Plane gets shot down, eventually captured by the Japanese and sees out the war in a POW camp. Directed by Angelina Jolie, very enjoyable film that looks at the strength of the human spirit in this guy. Pulls it off without being too sentimental IMO.
8.5
Watched both of these Must admit I didn't know this was based on a book/true story until the credits.
Bradley Cooper plays an American Sniper enlisting after the US embassy bombing in Kenya and from there on out follows his exploits in Iraq. Good film. 8/10
Unbroken
Follows an Italian American who's a famous distance runner prior to WW2. Fights in the Pacific theatre serving as a Bombardier. Plane gets shot down, eventually captured by the Japanese and sees out the war in a POW camp. Directed by Angelina Jolie, very enjoyable film that looks at the strength of the human spirit in this guy. Pulls it off without being too sentimental IMO.
8.5
American Sniper - (I'm sure it was the twin towers that made him sign up) didn't know that story behind it, was genuinely gutted at the end credits, good watch. 8/10
Unbroken - Probably could have been 30 minutes shorter, quite depressing to watch I found. Jack O'Connell puts in a good performance though (still think Starred Up is his best performance to date) can't have been easy to get the POW 'look' It did highlight what a sadist bunch the Japanese were, even though it was toned down a lot in this film. 7/10
I guess this short can be classed as a film? It's good, but more importantly shows how storytelling in a film should be done.
Cornetto Cupidity, Kismet Diner (Film): http://youtu.be/iz38FbEycms
Cornetto Cupidity, Kismet Diner (Film): http://youtu.be/iz38FbEycms
jogger1976 said:
I watched Kes again recently. I think the last time I saw it was when I was about 15.
For those that don't know, it's the story of a young boy living in a poor mining village in Yorkshire during the late 60's. He leads a grim, lonely existence and his only future is to follow his older brother down the pit. That is until he finds salvation in the form of a kestrel, which he trains and forms a strong bond with.
The film is gritty, harsh and quite bleak, with an almost documentary feel,but equally there are some wonderful, touching scenes and some genuine laugh out loud moments (the football match segment is brilliant and will resonate with any man over 35).
The acting is superb, particularly from David Bradley as the boy, and Brian Glover, who is spot on as the sadistic PE teacher.
Even the powerfully built Red Bull swiggers of PH may find that the room is suddenly very dusty at the end of the film
For me, it's one of the great British films and a great antidote to the usual crash bang "America, fk yeah" Michael Bay bks
My most hated film, I'm convinced it's purpose is to simply paint the North as being rubbish and bleak so that everyone else can feel superior, but it's little more than a chav lad who steals an endangered bird of prey where his brother then kills it with a brick.For those that don't know, it's the story of a young boy living in a poor mining village in Yorkshire during the late 60's. He leads a grim, lonely existence and his only future is to follow his older brother down the pit. That is until he finds salvation in the form of a kestrel, which he trains and forms a strong bond with.
The film is gritty, harsh and quite bleak, with an almost documentary feel,but equally there are some wonderful, touching scenes and some genuine laugh out loud moments (the football match segment is brilliant and will resonate with any man over 35).
The acting is superb, particularly from David Bradley as the boy, and Brian Glover, who is spot on as the sadistic PE teacher.
Even the powerfully built Red Bull swiggers of PH may find that the room is suddenly very dusty at the end of the film
For me, it's one of the great British films and a great antidote to the usual crash bang "America, f
k yeah" Michael Bay bksThe fact that it's regarded by some as being one of the great British films just pisses me off further, America will happily paint themselves as being brilliant and wonderful, just and noble in the media they export. But all us Brits seem to do is make bleak as f
k films that paint the picture of nasty, gritty hardship with no future or opportunity. If you don't live in a rose garden you're scum. Make something grim then it's regarded as a wonderful work of drama and story telling. Everything is st, let's celebrate that.I'm from a working-class background grew up in the North of England, fatha worked down t'pit, the film represents nothing I can relate to. The illustration of the PE lessons however were bang on
Black Annie - Not ginger Annie but the one with the black kid. Utter ste 3/10, it scores better than the original as the songs aren't half as annoying. The other half seem to enjoy it.
equalizer - 9/10 I honestly loved this film, ticks all the boxes for me, a well spoken gentleman that you expect to be a push over turns out to be a right bad bd. Not taken good but pretty good.
te 3/10, it scores better than the original as the songs aren't half as annoying. The other half seem to enjoy it.equalizer - 9/10 I honestly loved this film, ticks all the boxes for me, a well spoken gentleman that you expect to be a push over turns out to be a right bad b
d. Not taken good but pretty good. Sabotage
Finally - a really decent Arnie film.
He's the leader of a group of DEA hit squad police who attack the Mexican cartels on US soil.
This is properly gorey, but shot professionally - like a Michael Mann film (they even turned up the volume for the guns, like in "Heat"). Some scenes are shown non-linearly which takes a bit of getting used to. It throws you a little, which might be to stop you from guessing what will happen next and getting bored/surfing PH. It works too.
I suspect the story is actually quite simple but it was presented with far higher production values than many modern action films that it looks "expensive" and as such, the story works and keeps you entertained to the end, where most modern action films are overly simplistic and leave you surfing PH instead of concentrating on the film.
Quite a few well-known actors in it too including Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terence Howard, and two guys from "Lost".
Makes "The Expendables" seem very expendable.
8/10
Finally - a really decent Arnie film.
He's the leader of a group of DEA hit squad police who attack the Mexican cartels on US soil.
This is properly gorey, but shot professionally - like a Michael Mann film (they even turned up the volume for the guns, like in "Heat"). Some scenes are shown non-linearly which takes a bit of getting used to. It throws you a little, which might be to stop you from guessing what will happen next and getting bored/surfing PH. It works too.
I suspect the story is actually quite simple but it was presented with far higher production values than many modern action films that it looks "expensive" and as such, the story works and keeps you entertained to the end, where most modern action films are overly simplistic and leave you surfing PH instead of concentrating on the film.
Quite a few well-known actors in it too including Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terence Howard, and two guys from "Lost".
Makes "The Expendables" seem very expendable.
8/10
qube_TA said:
jogger1976 said:
I watched Kes again recently. I think the last time I saw it was when I was about 15.
For those that don't know, it's the story of a young boy living in a poor mining village in Yorkshire during the late 60's. He leads a grim, lonely existence and his only future is to follow his older brother down the pit. That is until he finds salvation in the form of a kestrel, which he trains and forms a strong bond with.
The film is gritty, harsh and quite bleak, with an almost documentary feel,but equally there are some wonderful, touching scenes and some genuine laugh out loud moments (the football match segment is brilliant and will resonate with any man over 35).
The acting is superb, particularly from David Bradley as the boy, and Brian Glover, who is spot on as the sadistic PE teacher.
Even the powerfully built Red Bull swiggers of PH may find that the room is suddenly very dusty at the end of the film
For me, it's one of the great British films and a great antidote to the usual crash bang "America, fk yeah" Michael Bay bks
My most hated film, I'm convinced it's purpose is to simply paint the North as being rubbish and bleak so that everyone else can feel superior, but it's little more than a chav lad who steals an endangered bird of prey where his brother then kills it with a brick.For those that don't know, it's the story of a young boy living in a poor mining village in Yorkshire during the late 60's. He leads a grim, lonely existence and his only future is to follow his older brother down the pit. That is until he finds salvation in the form of a kestrel, which he trains and forms a strong bond with.
The film is gritty, harsh and quite bleak, with an almost documentary feel,but equally there are some wonderful, touching scenes and some genuine laugh out loud moments (the football match segment is brilliant and will resonate with any man over 35).
The acting is superb, particularly from David Bradley as the boy, and Brian Glover, who is spot on as the sadistic PE teacher.
Even the powerfully built Red Bull swiggers of PH may find that the room is suddenly very dusty at the end of the film
For me, it's one of the great British films and a great antidote to the usual crash bang "America, f
k yeah" Michael Bay bksThe fact that it's regarded by some as being one of the great British films just pisses me off further, America will happily paint themselves as being brilliant and wonderful, just and noble in the media they export. But all us Brits seem to do is make bleak as f
k films that paint the picture of nasty, gritty hardship with no future or opportunity. If you don't live in a rose garden you're scum. Make something grim then it's regarded as a wonderful work of drama and story telling. Everything is st, let's celebrate that.I'm from a working-class background grew up in the North of England, fatha worked down t'pit, the film represents nothing I can relate to. The illustration of the PE lessons however were bang on
Kes summed up the very bottom run of life there. And the PE teacher was surely based on Mr Ratcliffe our PE teacher who was identical Brian Glovers character, but harder and less forgiving.
And as for your comments on American films, yes they do razamatazz, but they also do good soul searching films highlighting the problems of race, crime and bigotry.
qube_TA said:
My most hated film, I'm convinced it's purpose is to simply paint the North as being rubbish and bleak so that everyone else can feel superior, but it's little more than a chav lad who steals an endangered bird of prey where his brother then kills it with a brick.
The fact that it's regarded by some as being one of the great British films just pisses me off further, America will happily paint themselves as being brilliant and wonderful, just and noble in the media they export. But all us Brits seem to do is make bleak as fk films that paint the picture of nasty, gritty hardship with no future or opportunity. If you don't live in a rose garden you're scum. Make something grim then it's regarded as a wonderful work of drama and story telling. Everything is st, let's celebrate that.
I'm from a working-class background grew up in the North of England, fatha worked down t'pit, the film represents nothing I can relate to. The illustration of the PE lessons however were bang on
Films should be judged on how good they are as a film , not how accurately they may portray a place or an era . Kes , however was not only a superb film but also portrayed the West Riding as I knew it - I too grew up in industrial Yorkshire . Your charge of our making only bleak films is also very wide of the mark- just look at the phenomenal success of Richard Curtis films ; or Ghandi, Gregory's Girl or Chariots of fire. We do grit well I agree- Saturday Night and Sunday Morning was arguably the template The fact that it's regarded by some as being one of the great British films just pisses me off further, America will happily paint themselves as being brilliant and wonderful, just and noble in the media they export. But all us Brits seem to do is make bleak as f
k films that paint the picture of nasty, gritty hardship with no future or opportunity. If you don't live in a rose garden you're scum. Make something grim then it's regarded as a wonderful work of drama and story telling. Everything is st, let's celebrate that.I'm from a working-class background grew up in the North of England, fatha worked down t'pit, the film represents nothing I can relate to. The illustration of the PE lessons however were bang on
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