What films have you watched recently?

CaseOfAce

Clerks III

Easy enough watch - and fun to see the original cast in the present day. It's just a shame that Kevin Smith is hamstrung these days in having to balance the gags and sketches with the heavyweight drama that's expected of him now he's a grown up. There's the odd line in there that reminds you of his brilliance ("how long is this fable, Aesop") but nothing matching the brilliance of the independent contractors working on the Death Star bit from the original film.

ICBM

Emily

An imagined interpretation of the life of Emily Brontë, trying to explain how an apparently sheltered, quiet upper-middle-class young woman could possibly have written such a powerful, dark, and intense book as Wuthering Heights. It’s one of my favourite books and that has always struck me as remarkable. But perhaps she wasn’t as quiet and sheltered as has been assumed…

As a film it’s an interesting concept, but how well it really works I’m not sure - it has no documented basis and seems a bit unlikely in many ways - it’s sometimes clunky and annoyingly anachronistic in places, but some of the imagery and the emotive power it brings is absolutely brilliant. Top-notch acting, although I’m not convinced how close to the real Emily - or Charlotte - the casting is.

As a film - 8/10

As a believable back story to Wuthering Heights - 5/10

(Local cinema)

JEM

Another Round (Druk) Netflix

Danish comedy drama about a group of teachers who experiment with the idea that being slightly drunk all the time actually improves all aspects of your life. Watched it with my daughter, I think I enjoyed it rather more than she did. Probably a middle aged bloke thing.

8/10

Blaendulais

Glass Onion

9/10

Enjoyed it. Not a Daniel Craig fan since Our Friends in the North days but hes excellent

EricTheWeary

JEM said:

Another Round (Druk) Netflix

Danish comedy drama about a group of teachers who experiment with the idea that being slightly drunk all the time actually improves all aspects of your life. Watched it with my daughter, I think I enjoyed it rather more than she did. Probably a middle aged bloke thing.

8/10

Basically this then:

https://youtu.be/VTSCppeFzX4

Brio

Anna. 2019
Luc Bresson's somewhat dubious killer babe fetish movies continue. Sasha Luss is obviously stunning to look at but the highly unrealistic fight scenes are well choreographed and the plot although not the most original works well with the nested flashbacks. Great cast and a good brain off, high carnage espionage film.
8/10.

Stratavarious

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Perhaps one more for fans of the cinematic art.  It’s all quite off beat.  Half a dozen wild west vignettes, some better than others, some excellent.. all pretty dark and tragic.  Some great scenery.

7/10…. but 9/10 if you love cinema.

boogieman

Troll (Netflix). Switch-brain-off monster movie, sort of a Nordic take on King Kong. Complete nonsense but not too bad. 6/10. 

LPManic

Just re-watched Django Unchained after 10 years or so.One of Tarantino's better ones.

hollywoodrox

Well it’s that time of year again when I watch hallmark Xmas films ,my one guilty pleasure 
  Very Festive slices of middle/upper class romantic tosh  but it’s really uplifting 

hollywoodrox

rze99 said:

THE GHOST WRITER

2010 Netflix

Ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) agrees to finish the memoirs of former Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan in what is basically a Tony Blair role). He gets sent to Adam's super secure home on an island and while working there begins to uncover evidence that ensnares him in danger as he uncovers mysterious elements of Lang's past and present. Gradually builds up tension and well played by all.

Recommended

7/10

Flipping heck that sounds great I’ll have to write it down & watch it ,also that one where he is a security guard in a hospital that’s a bit spooky ,can’t remember what it’s called 

Philly_Q

Hellraiser (2022)

Well it has a puzzle box and it has Cenobites, but that's about the only connection with the 1987 film or the original Clive Barker story.  Objectively, it's the best Hellraiser movie for decades, but I still thought it was rubbish, with too many "rules" in the plot and none of the perverse atmosphere of the first two films.  Barker was involved though, so I guess it has his approval.

boogieman

Philly_Q said:

Hellraiser (2022)

Well it has a puzzle box and it has Cenobites, but that's about the only connection with the 1987 film or the original Clive Barker story.  Objectively, it's the best Hellraiser movie for decades, but I still thought it was rubbish, with too many "rules" in the plot and none of the perverse atmosphere of the first two films.  Barker was involved though, so I guess it has his approval.

Where did you see that @Philly_Q ? I loved the original. 

LastMantra

boogieman said:

Troll (Netflix). Switch-brain-off monster movie, sort of a Nordic take on King Kong. Complete nonsense but not too bad. 6/10. 

I was pretty disappointed. Hoped it might be a bit more quirky and original but, apart from being about a troll rather than an alien or godzilla type thing, was really very formulaic.

ICBM

equalsql said:

The Wonder. 2022 Netflix
In 19th centry Ireland  an English nurse is hired  by the elders of a small community to assist in watching a young girl for two weeks to see if she is secretly eating. The elders believe they are witnessing a miracle as the youngster has apparently not eaten anything for four months. 
A very slow burn, intense, anguishing drama that gives an insight on just how truly damaging blind religious beliefs can be.
Amazing performances from Florence Pugh and the young Kíla Lord Cassidy.
A solid 9/10

Just watched this last night - it's a great film.

However, I did find the framing scenes at the start and end annoying. Pretentious bollocks which adds nothing to the narrative or the film - and it takes you out of the realism of it even in the middle of the film, when you realise you're thinking about what you can see through the gaps in the shutters (which would have never crossed my mind otherwise).

Take off the first and last couple of minutes and I'd give it another point.

Philly_Q

boogieman said:

Philly_Q said:

Hellraiser (2022)

Well it has a puzzle box and it has Cenobites, but that's about the only connection with the 1987 film or the original Clive Barker story.  Objectively, it's the best Hellraiser movie for decades, but I still thought it was rubbish, with too many "rules" in the plot and none of the perverse atmosphere of the first two films.  Barker was involved though, so I guess it has his approval.

Where did you see that @Philly_Q ? I loved the original. 

@boogieman Amazon Prime, but with an additional charge of £1.99 (that's about as high as I'll go when paying extra!)

Shrews

Plebs: Soldiers Of Rome (ITVX)

Love Plebs and really enjoyed this!  The final ever episode and a great ending 8/10

Confessions Of A Window Cleaner (Talking Pictures, last night)

1970's sex comedy nonsense with Robin Asquith and Tony Blair's father-in-law, plus various women in with their baps out and a little bit of bush (well, it was the '70's). Legendary classic 11/10

Reach For The Sky 

Kenneth More as Douglas Bader and one of my favourite acting performances ever. Apparently, Bader was much more of an arsehole than presented on film, but nevertheless he was an incredible man and really the film doesn't tell half the story.  10/10

A Matter Of Life and Death (BBC2)

David Niven survives his plane crashing, but he wasn't meant to survive. The heavenly court rules that he must die but when he gets calls he appeals because in the time between the crash and the calling he falls in love with a girl. I always thought this film was in black and white because I saw it as a child and must've watched it on a black and white TV! It is actually filmed in B&W and colour to separate the heaven scenes from the earth scenes. Good film, I don't think there's been a remake which I'm surprised about. 8/10. 

Blueingreen

hollywoodrox said:

rze99 said:

THE GHOST WRITER

2010 Netflix

Ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) agrees to finish the memoirs of former Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan in what is basically a Tony Blair role). He gets sent to Adam's super secure home on an island and while working there begins to uncover evidence that ensnares him in danger as he uncovers mysterious elements of Lang's past and present. Gradually builds up tension and well played by all.

Recommended

7/10

Flipping heck that sounds great I’ll have to write it down & watch it ,also that one where he is a security guard in a hospital that’s a bit spooky ,can’t remember what it’s called 

Maybe worth mentioning that Robert Harris, who wrote the novel The Ghost Writer was based on and co-wrote the screenplay, was a friend of Blair and knew him well.  He later turned on Blair and became a serious critic of what he viewed as Blair's narcissism and "Messiah complex".

Grangousier

Amsterdam

Basically, if you saw the trailer and thought "that would annoy the hell out of me", it would annoy the hell out of you. If you thought it looked quite fun, you might enjoy it. I loved it. Insanely, the Nazi plot (spoilers!) seems to have been real. 

If you've ever wanted to see Taylor Swift pushed under a truck, though, this might be your only chance. 

Snap

The Northman - crap. 3/10
Ludicrous over the top Viking thing. Strangely good cast. I can't help wonder if the whole thing was a massive piss take.