While We're Young - it's Ben Stiller and Noah Baumbach again (see: Greenberg). It has the plot of a psychological thriller, but it's pitched as a light-hearted, age-related comedy. I thought it was excellent, although I think it'll hit the nose of anyone slightly older than me (early 40s). Adam Driver was especially excellent. Only drawback is none of the characters are particularly likeable, at least until the end. 4/5
Saw it at Glasgow Film Festival earlier this year- thought it was trying too hard, but maybe I'm too old for it already! Thought the ending especially was corny and predictable. 2.5/5.
I thought the ending was in keeping with the plot;
you knew there'd be a showdown but it played with that convention byhaving everyone react with "so what?" rather than the denouement Stiller's character was after.
Comedian , Amy Schumer is the new big thing in the US at the moment and this is the first time i have got to see her. While i can see the appeal and she has something about her i'm not sure Trainwreck is the film that is going to catapult her into being a superstar. I'm not a fan of director Judd Apatow but this film feels Judd Apatow lite. Which is a good thing. The first half of the film i really enjoyed. Wrestler John Cena is very funny , if not a little disturbing and i really like Bill Hader but as the film goes on , it it turns into it's own title and not in a good way. We get introduced to American footballers and basketball players who i presume are famous in America and because i had never heard of them i felt like i wasn't in on the joke. The end is utterly ridiculous too. There is one scene involving Amy Schumer and some cheerleaders that is so cringeworthy you start to lose the will to live . By no means the worst comedy i have seen recently .
I saw this earlier in the week. Very well made and extremely poignant. What a terrible waste.
The film has now taken over £3.25 million at the UK box office, overtaking 'Senna' - Asif Kapadia’s previous documentary - and it is well on the way to becoming the second highest grossing UK documentary after Fahrenheit 9/11.
I thought the ending was in keeping with the plot;
you knew there'd be a showdown but it played with that convention byhaving everyone react with "so what?" rather than the denouement Stiller's character was after.
Yeah, corny and predictable...maybe I missed the joke?
Well it's a bit of a knowing film. It sticks to the plot conventions of thrillers we've seen before, but finds comedy in each one. If it was in the tone of Kalifornia or Pacific Heights, then the street dance and baby group scenes would've worked just as well when played as uncomfortable or horrific. The ending would've been thrilling or perhaps even shocking. But as a comedy, the joke here was that Stiller and Watts were being idiots and Stiller's dramatic intervention not working was the punchline. But it was resolved positively as they both learned from it, and accepted themselves for who they were.
Copenhagen is the story William an American , William , who is on holiday in Europe and at the same time looking for the grandfather he had never met but he struggles because he has a terrible attitude problem , that is until he meets Effy a young woman who want's to help him. the problem is she's a lot younger than he thought. This is a pretty good indie film that covers a taboo subject very well . The acting is very good , especially from Frederikke Dahl Hansen and although you find yourself really not liking William you do admire the way he handles the predicament he is in.
Everything that needs to be said about Liam Neeson's career path has been said before and with Run All night i was expecting Taken but with a different title. I was wrong. I really pleasantly surprised with this. This looks fantastic. The cinematography was superb as were the special affects. Ed Harris is great ( what's not to like about Ed Harris?) as is Joel Kinnaman and because of these performances , Neeson's growling didn't put me off at all. This is two hours of adrenaline packed fun and is well worth checking out.
I have had to see a number of films through work that I would probably have walked out on in any other context. Vacation is one of them.
I love the original movies. Perhaps to a fault. But this isn't a remake or reboot, or even a sequel. It's a cynical cash grab from a studio scrambling to find a 'property' that could make it some easy cash. It's a string of crap jokes with the occasional nod to the originals. It's more like the writers only saw a trailer for the first movie.
Ed Helms isn't too bad, albeit with one approach to delivering jokes. But the rest of them... the idea of spending 90 minutes in a car with these people is what made me want to leave. The youngest brother is, by far, the most loathsome, reprehensible, spoilt brat child you will ever, ever see in a film. There is no comeuppance that will make up for how much you will hate this child.
The jokes are not jokes - they don't qualify. The gross-out stuff isn't my thing but even still, is delivered so lazily even fans of that sub-genre would not be impressed. The scatter-gun, Seth McFarlane approach to joke-writing is lazy at best. And when Chevy Chase turns up, he actually looks like someone ate Chevy Chase and threw-up the comic timing.
It's the worst film I've sat through since Movie 43. Please, please don't give them your money to see this. Please.
Well it's a bit of a knowing film. It sticks to the plot conventions of thrillers we've seen before, but finds comedy in each one. If it was in the tone of Kalifornia or Pacific Heights, then the street dance and baby group scenes would've worked just as well when played as uncomfortable or horrific. The ending would've been thrilling or perhaps even shocking. But as a comedy, the joke here was that Stiller and Watts were being idiots and Stiller's dramatic intervention not working was the punchline. But it was resolved positively as they both learned from it, and accepted themselves for who they were.
OK, so I did miss the joke - thanks for the explanation ;-)
I have had to see a number of films through work that I would probably have walked out on in any other context. Vacation is one of them.
I love the original movies. Perhaps to a fault. But this isn't a remake or reboot, or even a sequel. It's a cynical cash grab from a studio scrambling to find a 'property' that could make it some easy cash. It's a string of crap jokes with the occasional nod to the originals. It's more like the writers only saw a trailer for the first movie.
Ed Helms isn't too bad, albeit with one approach to delivering jokes. But the rest of them... the idea of spending 90 minutes in a car with these people is what made me want to leave. The youngest brother is, by far, the most loathsome, reprehensible, spoilt brat child you will ever, ever see in a film. There is no comeuppance that will make up for how much you will hate this child.
The jokes are not jokes - they don't qualify. The gross-out stuff isn't my thing but even still, is delivered so lazily even fans of that sub-genre would not be impressed. The scatter-gun, Seth McFarlane approach to joke-writing is lazy at best. And when Chevy Chase turns up, he actually looks like someone ate Chevy Chase and threw-up the comic timing.
It's the worst film I've sat through since Movie 43. Please, please don't give them your money to see this. Please.
1/10
Please don't.
I love National Lampoons European Vacation but as I've got older my sense of humour ( or lack of it) has changed. The idea of a ageing Chevy Chase trying recreate the good times sounds horrible. I Think i will take you're advice and give this one a miss.
To be fair to Chevy he's only in it for five minutes. But he's awful. Really awful. There's loads of people in it for five minutes or less. I dread to think what they get paid for this stuff.
And everyone swears. There's the occasional F bomb in these movies, but this one has a 10-year old kid dropping curses to the extent that it's not a joke, just the way he speaks. Atrocious. Don't get me started again!!
Precinct Seven Five is a cracking documentary. Clever jumps in chronology, twists in the story and absence of a narrator makes it feel like you are watching a crime thriller, but if it were the story would have been a bit too far fetched. Absolutely first class.
The Man from UNCLE is pretty decent but does seem a little unsure tonally - is it played seriously or for laughs or serious but with comedy interludes? It tries all three with the result none are totally convincing. It's also VERY Guy Ritchie with the editing and the shots and editing, though being what it is there is no token cockney character or Vinnie Jones role which I guess is pretty outside the box thinking for Ritchie. If you like his style you'll like this one, if you don't, you won't. Probably a 6 or 7 out of ten - competent but not exceptional.
(Also, it did confirm a sneaking suspicion I've had for a while - I am actually in love with Alicia Vikander. Like, for real.)
Precinct Seven Five is a cracking documentary. Clever jumps in chronology, twists in the story and absence of a narrator makes it feel like you are watching a crime thriller, but if it were the story would have been a bit too far fetched. Absolutely first class.
The Man from UNCLE is pretty decent but does seem a little unsure tonally - is it played seriously or for laughs or serious but with comedy interludes? It tries all three with the result none are totally convincing. It's also VERY Guy Ritchie with the editing and the shots and editing, though being what it is there is no token cockney character or Vinnie Jones role which I guess is pretty outside the box thinking for Ritchie. If you like his style you'll like this one, if you don't, you won't. Probably a 6 or 7 out of ten - competent but not exceptional.
(Also, it did confirm a sneaking suspicion I've had for a while - I am actually in love with Alicia Vikander. Like, for real.)
I went in with very low expectations as 1 it's a Guy Ritchie film and 2 didn't think much of the trailer.
I have to say I thought it was excellent, if you remember the original series then I would say it was spot on.
There's an interesting video on it here. But it's 25 minutes long... Best quote from the director though: "It's a man who decides to leave his mistress to be with his pregnant wife, and it is told from the point of view of his subconscious."
Basically, there was one guy. He loved his wife but shagged his mistress. He felt bad. He wanted to be innocent and change. But he was scared at what that meant for him in the long term. By the end he had accepted his fear and dealt with it (hence why he was nowhere near as frightened of a giant spider as the rest of us were).
I have mixed feelings over storytelling like this. I like it when I find out more about a movie than I realised was there, but I would hope to understand it to a greater degree than I understood this.
EVEREST!!!! Best blockbuster of the year! I'm not supposed to say anything yet, but I keep doing it cos it's that good. I've never experienced an entire audience all coming out saying "holy shit that was good," without at least one dissenting voice. Quite literally, not a dry eye in the house. I loved it.
Copenhagen is the story William an American , William , who is on holiday in Europe and at the same time looking for the grandfather he had never met but he struggles because he has a terrible attitude problem , that is until he meets Effy a young woman who want's to help him. the problem is she's a lot younger than he thought. This is a pretty good indie film that covers a taboo subject very well . The acting is very good , especially from Frederikke Dahl Hansen and although you find yourself really not liking William you do admire the way he handles the predicament he is in.
EVEREST!!!! Best blockbuster of the year! I'm not supposed to say anything yet, but I keep doing it cos it's that good. I've never experienced an entire audience all coming out saying "holy shit that was good," without at least one dissenting voice. Quite literally, not a dry eye in the house. I loved it.
Saw the trailer for it the other day, it really looks good, can't wait to see it on the big screen.
Saw Southpaw at the weekend and, coincidentally, watched Enemy last week. Still can't decide whether Enemy was really rather good, or absolute fucking tripe. Gyllenhaal was great though - as always.
Southpaw much more straightforward, and enjoyable - though a bit 'polished' for a boxing film
Today was another school holidays trip to the IMAX and i have to say i wasn't expecting too much but i think i came away enjoying this more than the kids ! Number five in the Mission Impossible franchise plays out much more like Bond film . The plot involves espionage with the CIA and the British secret service and the predictable bad guy/woman rogue agents and although it's quite a convoluted plot it never got too difficult to understand. The action is superb especially an amazing bike chase that takes you're breath away. I found this thoroughly enjoyable and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon with the kids.
Beds - was this any better than Ghost Protocol, because to be honest I'm pretty sure that movie gave me brain disease in how mind-numbingly stupid it was, and I actually enjoyed MI 1 through 3.
Comments
Then each to their own...
Comedian , Amy Schumer is the new big thing in the US at the moment and this is the first time i have got to see her. While i can see the appeal and she has something about her i'm not sure Trainwreck is the film that is going to catapult her into being a superstar.
I'm not a fan of director Judd Apatow but this film feels Judd Apatow lite. Which is a good thing.
The first half of the film i really enjoyed. Wrestler John Cena is very funny , if not a little disturbing and i really like Bill Hader but as the film goes on , it it turns into it's own title and not in a good way.
We get introduced to American footballers and basketball players who i presume are famous in America and because i had never heard of them i felt like i wasn't in on the joke.
The end is utterly ridiculous too. There is one scene involving Amy Schumer and some cheerleaders that is so cringeworthy you start to lose the will to live .
By no means the worst comedy i have seen recently .
6 out of 10
Proper weird. I'm not sure I really know what it was all about?!?
I saw this earlier in the week. Very well made and extremely poignant. What a terrible waste.
The film has now taken over £3.25 million at the UK box office, overtaking 'Senna' - Asif Kapadia’s previous documentary - and it is well on the way to becoming the second highest grossing UK documentary after Fahrenheit 9/11.
Copenhagen is the story William an American , William , who is on holiday in Europe and at the same time looking for the grandfather he had never met but he struggles because he has a terrible attitude problem , that is until he meets Effy a young woman who want's to help him. the problem is she's a lot younger than he thought.
This is a pretty good indie film that covers a taboo subject very well . The acting is very good , especially from Frederikke Dahl Hansen and although you find yourself really not liking William you do admire the way he handles the predicament he is in.
7 out of 10
Run all night
Everything that needs to be said about Liam Neeson's career path has been said before and with Run All night i was expecting Taken but with a different title. I was wrong.
I really pleasantly surprised with this. This looks fantastic. The cinematography was superb as were the special affects.
Ed Harris is great ( what's not to like about Ed Harris?) as is Joel Kinnaman and because of these performances , Neeson's growling didn't put me off at all.
This is two hours of adrenaline packed fun and is well worth checking out.
8 out of 10
I have had to see a number of films through work that I would probably have walked out on in any other context. Vacation is one of them.
I love the original movies. Perhaps to a fault. But this isn't a remake or reboot, or even a sequel. It's a cynical cash grab from a studio scrambling to find a 'property' that could make it some easy cash. It's a string of crap jokes with the occasional nod to the originals. It's more like the writers only saw a trailer for the first movie.
Ed Helms isn't too bad, albeit with one approach to delivering jokes. But the rest of them... the idea of spending 90 minutes in a car with these people is what made me want to leave. The youngest brother is, by far, the most loathsome, reprehensible, spoilt brat child you will ever, ever see in a film. There is no comeuppance that will make up for how much you will hate this child.
The jokes are not jokes - they don't qualify. The gross-out stuff isn't my thing but even still, is delivered so lazily even fans of that sub-genre would not be impressed. The scatter-gun, Seth McFarlane approach to joke-writing is lazy at best. And when Chevy Chase turns up, he actually looks like someone ate Chevy Chase and threw-up the comic timing.
It's the worst film I've sat through since Movie 43. Please, please don't give them your money to see this. Please.
1/10
Please don't.
And everyone swears. There's the occasional F bomb in these movies, but this one has a 10-year old kid dropping curses to the extent that it's not a joke, just the way he speaks. Atrocious. Don't get me started again!!
(Also, it did confirm a sneaking suspicion I've had for a while - I am actually in love with Alicia Vikander. Like, for real.)
I have to say I thought it was excellent, if you remember the original series then I would say it was spot on.
You're obviously all better judges of a film than me
Basically, there was one guy. He loved his wife but shagged his mistress. He felt bad. He wanted to be innocent and change. But he was scared at what that meant for him in the long term. By the end he had accepted his fear and dealt with it (hence why he was nowhere near as frightened of a giant spider as the rest of us were).
I have mixed feelings over storytelling like this. I like it when I find out more about a movie than I realised was there, but I would hope to understand it to a greater degree than I understood this.
I sussed that there was only one bloke - billy the spider references were very obtuse (to my mind anyway).
Ultimately I think that my general confusion over what was going on made me care less about the characters as the film went on.
I'm a JG fan but I couldn't really recommend this one to anybody.
Southpaw much more straightforward, and enjoyable - though a bit 'polished' for a boxing film
Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation
Today was another school holidays trip to the IMAX and i have to say i wasn't expecting too much but i think i came away enjoying this more than the kids !
Number five in the Mission Impossible franchise plays out much more like Bond film . The plot involves espionage with the CIA and the British secret service and the predictable bad guy/woman rogue agents and although it's quite a convoluted plot it never got too difficult to understand. The action is superb especially an amazing bike chase that takes you're breath away.
I found this thoroughly enjoyable and a great way to spend a rainy afternoon with the kids.
8 out of 10.