Good films I watched this weekend (Vol 2)
Discussion
obob said:
Moneyball - think you need to understand baseball. I haven't got a clue.
Politely disagree. Of course, those into the sport will find lots of technical and statistical enjoyment, but the conceit of the film, the true story behind it, is twofold:- there are people in sport, in business, in politics, whatever, and they operate by instinct, by feel, by nuance....and there are those who work with the facts, with numbers, detail. Analytics. The former are dying out. The latter are the norm, now.
- the status quo and trends can be bucked. Successfully.
It's classic business turnaround strategy. When delivery, return is down, then rationalize, optimize, focus on what you can achieve, and then drive unerringly on that path.
So, not really a film about baseball. More a film about a seismic shift in business strategy.
Animal Kingdom
Abit of an unknown Australian gangster film, a young lad called J has to live with relatives when his mum dies who turn out to be a criminal family involved in armed robbery and drug dealing(family he had nothing to do with when his mum was alive)He then finds he is caught in the middle of the ongoing battle between the police and his relatives
While there are strong performances(mum and pope were very good) J barely says a word or even batters an eye lid which i find odd considering what he has just been through! this is meant to be a shy and timid guy but this is to the extreme and ruins it slightly for me, otherwise a strong and powerful storyline that is bleak/gritty throughout and emotional in places.For a gangster film there isn't much 'gangster stuff' going on so you only know they are involved in drug dealing and armed robbery because you are told so but the gun and body count is average for this type of film
well worth a watch and should keep your attention throughout, slightly more emotional than most in this genre and it could of been very moving and powerful if more thought was given to the character J and possibly the actor aswell
7/10
Abit of an unknown Australian gangster film, a young lad called J has to live with relatives when his mum dies who turn out to be a criminal family involved in armed robbery and drug dealing(family he had nothing to do with when his mum was alive)He then finds he is caught in the middle of the ongoing battle between the police and his relatives
While there are strong performances(mum and pope were very good) J barely says a word or even batters an eye lid which i find odd considering what he has just been through! this is meant to be a shy and timid guy but this is to the extreme and ruins it slightly for me, otherwise a strong and powerful storyline that is bleak/gritty throughout and emotional in places.For a gangster film there isn't much 'gangster stuff' going on so you only know they are involved in drug dealing and armed robbery because you are told so but the gun and body count is average for this type of film
well worth a watch and should keep your attention throughout, slightly more emotional than most in this genre and it could of been very moving and powerful if more thought was given to the character J and possibly the actor aswell
7/10
vixen1700 said:
Watched this Tim Vine live show yesterday and the absurdity of it together with the rapid fire stupid gags had me laughing all the way through it.
Well worth a watch if you're in the mood for a laugh every few seconds. 'Flag Hippo'!
His downfall is being Jeremy Vine's brother as he gets on everyone's wick and the family reesemblance is offputting.
K12beano said:
Original with the excellent Nyqvist? He really looks the part of the slightly seedy journo, and generally an excellent portrayal of the book.... along with the sequels of the other books.
Or the "slightly too clean-but brilliant" Craig?
With either film there's so much story to pack into a film that they both disappoint. Both handled the "heavy" scenes quite well (thankfully not as cringingly brutal as the books portray!) Both were a little disappointing in the chase scene, but the newer film branched a little too far from the book for my liking.
Came here to post about this, I watched it as well. I knew there was a 'new' one but wasn't sure if that's what I was watching (It was the one with Nyqvist), now you've mentioned it i'll maybe give the Daniel Craig version a watch. Thought it was brilliant, the only thing I didn't get (although I might have missed it as I was on the internet at the same time) was why was she was still interested in him and kept hacking his computer after she had finished the job?Or the "slightly too clean-but brilliant" Craig?
With either film there's so much story to pack into a film that they both disappoint. Both handled the "heavy" scenes quite well (thankfully not as cringingly brutal as the books portray!) Both were a little disappointing in the chase scene, but the newer film branched a little too far from the book for my liking.
Flight. A drama surrounding a long-serving airline pilot, his significant personal flaws, and the events before and after a major accident. Denzil Washington is fast becoming one of the most lauded actors in recent times, and he adds another excellent portrayal to the list. My slight gripe with him though is that I feel over the years his performances have bettered the actual film he's in. Take Deja Vu. Training Day. Crimson Tide. Amongst others, mediocre films with a central powerhouse performance, that elevates them. But in 'Flight', paradoxically, his moments of saturnine reflection, and the interplay with Kelly Reilly, are the weakest parts. So, demerits there, but overall a fine film, really exploring the nitty gritty of NTSB work, and the first 35-40 minutes are outstanding. The film runs lean in the last third, but the interjection of Don Cheadle, the stable Bruce Greenwood, and the ninety second cameo by the company Chairman pitch the film for a higher grade. I'd have written out John Goodman's part and that upsets the films dynamic - it's odd considering the overall tone - but the movie is highly recommended.
Hart's War. Small mention of the Tuskegee Airmen (as also referenced in 'Flight'), but an overall fictional story of a ingenue junior officer, shielded from any of the searing action of war, but when settling into the stalag, is pressed to do the right thing. Farrell stars, with a smaller but no less important part for Cole Hauser as the deeply sinister racist. Terrence Howard makes a powerfully emotional speech which exposes the painful truth, and for the informed moviegoer, adds real interest behind the dynamics that led to him not repeating his part in Iron Man 2. He's a good actor. The film bombed at the box office, and is little seen. The title is a bit of a misnomer, and for all of Willis's star power, it probably needed better marketing at the time. But watchable.
White Squall. Ridley Scott reunites Jeff Bridges and John Savage (think the classic 'Cutter's Way') in this true story of the loss of the brigantine Albatross. I read somewhere that one of the survivors of the event plays a father in the film, so only adds to the ambience. A slow-ish burn, but one of the films that highlights that whilst I don't believe Scott to be a 'great' director, he's certainly got range and has an impressively wide portfolio of finely crafted films.
Royal Flash. A fun, cracking yarn that skips through late 19th century European politics and farcically pulls together random strands to make a picaresque rogue central to German unification. Alan Bates and Oliver Reed provide steady (and stout) support to Malcolm Macdowell in the title role. No nudity for Britt Ekland, which is a shame, but catching Henry Cooper, David Jason and Rula Lenska in bit parts is fun.
The Day the Earth Stood Still. Crap.
Prometheus. Turgid. Soporific. Morbid. Moribund. C+.
Superbad. Jonah Hill is fantastically funny at times. A good comedy.
In Harm's Way. Drudging. I'm waiting for the time when there's a retrospective done on John Wayne's career, and the iconoclastic dissection begins. He was a leaden actor, who walked funny, and espoused overtly patrotic views too shield some uncomfortable facts. There are only so many ways to tell the story of Pearl Harbor and anything that happened before or since, so it's oft used as a launch event to allow a film to digress, but for me the telling scenes are where Henry Fonda and Wayne share screen space. Henry Fonda enlisted in the Navy, tellingly commenting, "...I don't want to be in a fake war in the studio...".
Hart's War. Small mention of the Tuskegee Airmen (as also referenced in 'Flight'), but an overall fictional story of a ingenue junior officer, shielded from any of the searing action of war, but when settling into the stalag, is pressed to do the right thing. Farrell stars, with a smaller but no less important part for Cole Hauser as the deeply sinister racist. Terrence Howard makes a powerfully emotional speech which exposes the painful truth, and for the informed moviegoer, adds real interest behind the dynamics that led to him not repeating his part in Iron Man 2. He's a good actor. The film bombed at the box office, and is little seen. The title is a bit of a misnomer, and for all of Willis's star power, it probably needed better marketing at the time. But watchable.
White Squall. Ridley Scott reunites Jeff Bridges and John Savage (think the classic 'Cutter's Way') in this true story of the loss of the brigantine Albatross. I read somewhere that one of the survivors of the event plays a father in the film, so only adds to the ambience. A slow-ish burn, but one of the films that highlights that whilst I don't believe Scott to be a 'great' director, he's certainly got range and has an impressively wide portfolio of finely crafted films.
Royal Flash. A fun, cracking yarn that skips through late 19th century European politics and farcically pulls together random strands to make a picaresque rogue central to German unification. Alan Bates and Oliver Reed provide steady (and stout) support to Malcolm Macdowell in the title role. No nudity for Britt Ekland, which is a shame, but catching Henry Cooper, David Jason and Rula Lenska in bit parts is fun.
The Day the Earth Stood Still. Crap.
Prometheus. Turgid. Soporific. Morbid. Moribund. C+.
Superbad. Jonah Hill is fantastically funny at times. A good comedy.
In Harm's Way. Drudging. I'm waiting for the time when there's a retrospective done on John Wayne's career, and the iconoclastic dissection begins. He was a leaden actor, who walked funny, and espoused overtly patrotic views too shield some uncomfortable facts. There are only so many ways to tell the story of Pearl Harbor and anything that happened before or since, so it's oft used as a launch event to allow a film to digress, but for me the telling scenes are where Henry Fonda and Wayne share screen space. Henry Fonda enlisted in the Navy, tellingly commenting, "...I don't want to be in a fake war in the studio...".
im said:
motorizer said:
SWoll said:
Dredd
Shallow plot is my only complaint. A proper, adult film that was clearly made by someone who loves and understands the character and world he inhabits. Karl Urban is perfect as Dredd and the supporting cast do their jobs well.
Had the feel of a late 70's John Carpenter flick such as Escape from New York or Assault on Precinct 13, which is perfect IMHO. As an avid 2000AD fan in my youth it delivered what I was looking for and I hope they can get the green light for a sequel.
8/10
Watched this last night...brilliant 8/10 Karl Urban is a great actor, you'd never think it was the same bloke who played McCoy in star trek and Eomer in lord of the ringsShallow plot is my only complaint. A proper, adult film that was clearly made by someone who loves and understands the character and world he inhabits. Karl Urban is perfect as Dredd and the supporting cast do their jobs well.
Had the feel of a late 70's John Carpenter flick such as Escape from New York or Assault on Precinct 13, which is perfect IMHO. As an avid 2000AD fan in my youth it delivered what I was looking for and I hope they can get the green light for a sequel.
8/10
I downloaded 'The Story of Cinema: An Odyssey' from iTunes. It was expensive at £25, but I had a vouncher so didnt sting so much.
That said, it's a 14 part doc, each episode an hour long and it is truly fantastic! So well worth a look. If you're a studied film student there might not be too much new to learn, but for your average film fan like myself, it's an eye opener. It made me want to watch my entire film collection again, from Citizen Kane to Oceans 12!
That said, it's a 14 part doc, each episode an hour long and it is truly fantastic! So well worth a look. If you're a studied film student there might not be too much new to learn, but for your average film fan like myself, it's an eye opener. It made me want to watch my entire film collection again, from Citizen Kane to Oceans 12!
I think it's this!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above_Us_the_Waves_%2...
Misremembered it as a Ken More film instead of a Jonny Mills film.
I recalled the above as Cockleshell Heroes!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above_Us_the_Waves_%2...
Misremembered it as a Ken More film instead of a Jonny Mills film.
I recalled the above as Cockleshell Heroes!
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