What films have you watched recently?

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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    Cold Hell

    Austrian thriller about a Turkish-immigrant taxi driver (and Thai boxer) who finds herself the target of a killer when she witnesses a murder.  Starts out quite grim and dark but the mood gets strangely lighter as the film introduces a series of increasingly eccentric characters.  Not brilliant, but I enjoyed it.

    On Shudder.
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  • MoominpapaMoominpapa Frets: 1649
    edited February 2021
    Re:Born (2016)  - thoroughly silly Japanese action movie which rehashes an idea that goes back to Schwarzenegger's Commando (1985). I'm fairly tolerant of silliness in action films but this really doesn't justiy the time spent watching it, especially as there are many better films along the same lines. Here I'll take the opportunity once again to recommend Sammo Hung's The Bodyguard (2016), one of my absolute favourite recent action movies and just a delight to watch - 1000 times better than this cheesy mess.
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    Re:Born (2016)  - thoroughly silly Japanese action movie which rehashes an idea that goes back to Schwarzenegger's Commando (1985). I'm fairly tolerant of silliness in action films but this really doesn't justiy the time spent watching it, especially as there are many better films along the same lines. Here I'll take the opportunity once again to recommend Sammo Hung's The Bodyguard (2016), one of my absolute favourite recent action movies and just a delight to watch - 1000 times better than this cheesy mess.

    Is that the one where Tak Sakaguchi works his way through a forest and single-handedly defeats about 150 opponents (one or two at a time, obviously).  I got so bored during that scene I had to fast-forward it.

    The same team have a film coming out called Crazy Samurai: 400 vs 1.  In that one Tak plays a swordsman taking on 400 opponents.  Apparently it's all shot in one 77 minute take....

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  • Philly_Q said:

    Is that the one where Tak Sakaguchi works his way through a forest and single-handedly defeats about 150 opponents (one or two at a time, obviously).

    It is indeed, sir. If I had a pound for every moment where someone could have just shot him from a safe distance and ended the absurdity as it should have ended, I would be a very rich man by now.

    I believe I'll give Crazy Samurai a miss . . .

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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    The Personal History of David Copperfield, on Prime. Feelgood comedy drama with Dev Patel as the title character who meets up with various other Dickens characters throughout his life. It’s all rather clever and very well done. Patel is excellent and there’s good performances from all the support actors, particularly Hugh Laurie and Peter Capaldi who are both superb. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    The Midnight Sky

    George Clooney post-apocalyptic sci-fi, in which he’s apparently the last person alive on Earth, trying to communicate with a returning space mission.

    Somewhat implausible in several different ways, and perhaps because of that I didn’t find it emotionally compelling, but fairly well-done given that, and pretty impressive visually - although there’s also a bit too much that’s recycled from other films. But overall trying a bit too hard and not quite convincing.

    6/10

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • boogieman said:
    The Personal History of David Copperfield, on Prime. Feelgood comedy drama with Dev Patel as the title character who meets up with various other Dickens characters throughout his life. It’s all rather clever and very well done. Patel is excellent and there’s good performances from all the support actors, particularly Hugh Laurie and Peter Capaldi who are both superb. 
    Ahh that’s the Armando Iannuci film. I knew it existed, I was very impressed with The Death of Stalin so I should have a look at that. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • HaychHaych Frets: 5595
    The Next Three Days (Prime)

    Russel Crowe is a family man whose wife is convicted of a murder she didn’t commit. After three years in jail and after the appeals process is exhausted and has failed he hatches an elaborate escape plan to get her out. 

    He’s forced to bring his plan forward in a hurry after he learns his wife is being moved to a different prison in three day’s time - hence the title. 

    Quite a decent idea let down singlehandedly by Crowe. It feels more like a Liam Neeson kind of movie and ironically he makes a brief appearance as the author of a book on prison escapes who Crowe’s character seeks out for advice. 

    Had Neeson been in Crowe’s role it would probably have been a much more tense film. Crowe’s acting was non-existent. 

    The escape plot was beyond the realms of plausibility, too, and despite all the last minute things that go wrong it all goes a bit too well. 

    6/10 could have been much better. 

    There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife

    Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky

    Bit of trading feedback here.

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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I care a lot - Prime

    Rosamund Pike plays a ruthless guardian of old people who eventually picks on the wrong old women, because she has a powerful gangster son played by Peter Dinklage

    A fair romp to be fair, could have been better but still worth a watch


    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    edited February 2021
    boogieman said:
    The Personal History of David Copperfield, on Prime. Feelgood comedy drama with Dev Patel as the title character who meets up with various other Dickens characters throughout his life. It’s all rather clever and very well done. Patel is excellent and there’s good performances from all the support actors, particularly Hugh Laurie and Peter Capaldi who are both superb. 
    Ahh that’s the Armando Iannuci film. I knew it existed, I was very impressed with The Death of Stalin so I should have a look at that. 
    It's very good.  If you're a fan of Dickens' books then, as always, it's a little frustrating how "rushed" it feels, and how certain characters are left out or their roles minimised.  And it certainly is feelgood, the darker moments of the book are sort of glossed over.

    But the cast is great.  Hugh Laurie, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton are excellent.  Ben Whishaw and Peter Capaldi are fine with what they're given but don't really match my mental images of Uriah Heep or Mr Micawber.  I really liked Morfydd Clark as David's wife Dora.  As for Dev Patel, I've never particularly been a fan before but at last someone has made a Dickens adaptation where the "juvenile lead" isn't a wooden, boring, humourless stuffed shirt.  Well done.
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  • SPECTRUM001SPECTRUM001 Frets: 1553
    edited February 2021
    The Barefoot Contessa - 1954

    Don’t bother - it never gets going (even Humphrey Bogart looks bored)

    4/10
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23941
    Bohemian Rhapsody 

    Finally got round to watching it. Not bad but not as good as Rocketman. The band were well cast but it seemed to take more than a few liberties with the real story.

    6/10
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  • BrioBrio Frets: 1789
    Had an action movie weekend with back to back last night with Face Off and Broken Arrow. Two John Travolta as a bad guy delights. Who needs a plot when you have hammy acting. Awesome action from John Woo.
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    edited March 2021
    Philly_Q said:
    boogieman said:
    The Personal History of David Copperfield, on Prime. Feelgood comedy drama with Dev Patel as the title character who meets up with various other Dickens characters throughout his life. It’s all rather clever and very well done. Patel is excellent and there’s good performances from all the support actors, particularly Hugh Laurie and Peter Capaldi who are both superb. 
    Ahh that’s the Armando Iannuci film. I knew it existed, I was very impressed with The Death of Stalin so I should have a look at that. 
    It's very good.  If you're a fan of Dickens' books then, as always, it's a little frustrating how "rushed" it feels, and how certain characters are left out or their roles minimised.  And it certainly is feelgood, the darker moments of the book are sort of glossed over.

    But the cast is great.  Hugh Laurie, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton are excellent.  Ben Whishaw and Peter Capaldi are fine with what they're given but don't really match my mental images of Uriah Heep or Mr Micawber.  I really liked Morfydd Clark as David's wife Dora.  As for Dev Patel, I've never particularly been a fan before but at last someone has made a Dickens adaptation where the "juvenile lead" isn't a wooden, boring, humourless stuffed shirt.  Well done.
    I didn’t think Ben Wishaw was convincing either ( he also made me think of Jim Carey in Dumb & Dumber with that hairstyle) but I thought Peter Capaldi was great as Micawber, although he was very different from the usual interpretation. The one I thought was the worst bit of miscasting (or maybe just guilty of some bad acting) was Paul Whitehouse, he really hammed it up and was very obviously acting. I kept thinking “oh it’s Paul Whitehouse in a wig” and expecting him to go into a Fast Show sketch, whereas the rest of the cast were pretty natural. 
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  • HaychHaych Frets: 5595
    The Notebook

    Romantic drama based on a Nicholas Sparks book. It was Mrs Haych’s turn to choose the movie tonight, she likes his books so wanted to see how the film compares to the novel. 

    Not bad in all honesty. 

    Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams take the leads as young lovers before, during and after WWII America. 

    Typical kind of thing really, they fall in love, break up, lose touch, she finds somebody else and then they get back together again. 

    It flits between then and now as the older Ryan Gosling, played by James Garner, reads their life story to his sick wife. 

    For all its syrupy romance, it’s predictability from the outset and the fact that nothing really happens, it’s a pretty decent movie. 

    7/10 - on Netflix in case anyone wants to see it. 

    There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife

    Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky

    Bit of trading feedback here.

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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    Saint Maud

    British psychological horror about a deeply religious - and deeply disturbed - young woman working as a private nurse to an older, terminally ill woman. 

    This has been getting a lot of praise so I was interested to see it. There's nothing in the story I found surprising, but it's all about the atmosphere, which is very effective.

    I watched it on Blu-ray, but I think it's available on Amazon and BFI Player.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    boogieman said:
    Philly_Q said:
    boogieman said:
    The Personal History of David Copperfield, on Prime. Feelgood comedy drama with Dev Patel as the title character who meets up with various other Dickens characters throughout his life. It’s all rather clever and very well done. Patel is excellent and there’s good performances from all the support actors, particularly Hugh Laurie and Peter Capaldi who are both superb. 
    Ahh that’s the Armando Iannuci film. I knew it existed, I was very impressed with The Death of Stalin so I should have a look at that. 
    It's very good.  If you're a fan of Dickens' books then, as always, it's a little frustrating how "rushed" it feels, and how certain characters are left out or their roles minimised.  And it certainly is feelgood, the darker moments of the book are sort of glossed over.

    But the cast is great.  Hugh Laurie, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton are excellent.  Ben Whishaw and Peter Capaldi are fine with what they're given but don't really match my mental images of Uriah Heep or Mr Micawber.  I really liked Morfydd Clark as David's wife Dora.  As for Dev Patel, I've never particularly been a fan before but at last someone has made a Dickens adaptation where the "juvenile lead" isn't a wooden, boring, humourless stuffed shirt.  Well done.
    I didn’t think Ben Wishaw was convincing either ( he also made me think of Jim Carey in Dumb & Dumber with that hairstyle) but I thought Peter Capaldi was great as Micawber, although he was very different from the usual interpretation. The one I thought was the worst bit of miscasting (or maybe just guilty of some bad acting) was Paul Whitehouse, he really hammed it up and was very obviously acting. I kept thinking “oh it’s Paul Whitehouse in a wig” and expecting him to go into a Fast Show sketch, whereas the rest of the cast were pretty natural. 
    Death of Stalin was almost like a filmed play so it’s surprising how filmic and full of visual playfulness this is. Having never read the book I’ve no idea how true or in the spirit of it is it. 
    I get the issue with Paul Whitehouse playing Paul Whitehouse in a wig and Hugh Laurie seemed to have stumbled in straight from Blackadder at times. Dev Patel was great, quite nuanced performance in a film that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to that. 
    Some fine moments, some great performances, some humour, I just wasn’t entirely gripped. I don’t know if that’s down to Dickens, Iannuci or me. As Dickens and Iannuci were/ are both considerably smarter than me I’m willing to accept the blame. 

    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    Some fine moments, some great performances, some humour, I just wasn’t entirely gripped. I don’t know if that’s down to Dickens, Iannuci or me. As Dickens and Iannuci were/ are both considerably smarter than me I’m willing to accept the blame. 

    Nah, you're entitled to your opinion, blame Iannucci.  But definitely not Dickens.

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  • rze99rze99 Frets: 2261
    A Most Wanted Man. 

    Hamburg. Post 9/11. A deniable spy ops group has a wanted Chechen man who may lead them via a secret bank account to a much bigger fish. Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final lead screen role is beautifully played. Rachel McAdams provides some much needed loveliness. Bleak and world weary. Understated and intelligent adaptation of John Le Carre original. 8/10. 
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    Philly_Q said:
    Some fine moments, some great performances, some humour, I just wasn’t entirely gripped. I don’t know if that’s down to Dickens, Iannuci or me. As Dickens and Iannuci were/ are both considerably smarter than me I’m willing to accept the blame. 

    Nah, you're entitled to your opinion, blame Iannucci.  But definitely not Dickens.

    Agreed. Dickens is a brilliant storyteller and a superb character imaginer, although I’ve honestly struggled to read the books. The storyline in the film has been tweaked and edited down heavily, which I suppose it had to be to get it to a decent running time. The tv dramatisations would have been four or five times the length. There’s lots of modern bits that’ve been smuggled in to the film too, to make it work better for a modern audience.
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