Captain Fantastic. Unusual film about a father raising his six (I think) children in the wilds of NW America in his own way, teaching them classics, philosophy, physics and survival skills. Eventually, of course, they have to interact with the real world and the 'culture clash' plays out with significant consequences. Something in common with little miss sunshine, but darker, though it has its comedic moments. Veggies won't much enjoy the opening scene. 6.5/10
We are certainly eagerly awaiting Anthropoid here, and hope it is good. Those heroes have not been properly buried and there is a campaign to make it happen which requires a lot of public money to be found. A powerful film could make all the difference.
There was a thread recently about favourite films recently - I can't find it - and several people recommended one with a longish,one-word tilte beginning with P. Not much to go on, but does anyone remember it? Also a film from this year about a young model and a murder? A bit film-norish... Beds? Jimmy?
Ta, Jimmy, Neon Demon was the one I was thinking of. Looks interesting to say the least... Edit: it didn't begin with a p, but an s. And there were another two words after it: Synedoche, New York.
That's an opinion-splitter right there! Not my cup of tea but some people love it. What I do know is that it's pronounced sin-ek-de-kee, if that helps.
I had absolutely no intention of going to see Hell or high water . My plan was to see Ben-Hur but at the very last minute after seeing the poster for this at the cinema I changed my mind and I'm so glad I did. This is the story of two brothers who commit a string of bank robberies in order to raise the money needed to protect their family farm from being taken , ironically from the banks they rob , while all the time , an ageing sheriff tracks the heists in an attempt to hunt down those responsible. This film is a modern day western and a brilliant one at that. Chris pine and Ben Foster are superb as the two brothers. Pine's character is the semi responsible one while Foster is the nut job but not for the first time , the actor who steals the show is Jeff Bridges. He is fantastic as the nearly retired sheriff. There is so much that is good about this film . The sound track is perfect , the cinematography makes a baron Texas look almost inviting and the script is first class. In a year when we have been bombarded with substandard superhero movies this is an absolute treat and it's one , if not the best film I have seen in 2016. Highly Recommended.
Not a recent film but finally got to see 'Straight Outta Compton'.
Why this was not nominated for best film Oscar, I have no idea.
Great acting, especially those portraying Eazy-e, Dre and Ice Cube. Compelling with a superb soundtrack. Great insight into the upbringing and background of NWA, a band that had a massive influence.
Agree entirely on Hell or High Water. Excellent film. It has a really compelling banking/ recession subtext along with the death of the old west thing. I found it fascinating as much as thrilling. The performances make it too. I think if we hadn't seen Bridges do the grizzled True Grit thing already he'd be a shoe-in for an Oscar.
Mrs Fiiish dragged me to Bridget Jones' Baby today. In a packed cinema and counted two other men in there. All of the adverts were for bras and tampons.
The film itself was actually OK. Although it made me wonder, in every comedy film with a birth scene, why is it considered 'comedy' for the mother to arrive too late to receive an epidural? What's funny about a woman being in pain?
Mrs Fiiish dragged me to Bridget Jones' Baby today. In a packed cinema and counted two other men in there. All of the adverts were for bras and tampons.
The film itself was actually OK. Although it made me wonder, in every comedy film with a birth scene, why is it considered 'comedy' for the mother to arrive too late to receive an epidural? What's funny about a woman being in pain?
I read this and the only thing that came into my head is why a man that got dragged to watch a chick flick on a Saturday by his missus is posting on CL rather than getting sexual treats from said missus.
Mrs Fiiish dragged me to Bridget Jones' Baby today. In a packed cinema and counted two other men in there. All of the adverts were for bras and tampons.
The film itself was actually OK. Although it made me wonder, in every comedy film with a birth scene, why is it considered 'comedy' for the mother to arrive too late to receive an epidural? What's funny about a woman being in pain?
I read this and the only thing that came into my head is why a man that got dragged to watch a chick flick on a Saturday by his missus is posting on CL rather than getting sexual treats from said missus.
She says she has a headache.
Same headache she got after taking me to see Bridesmaids too. Funny that.
Steven Spielberg has a lot to answer for. Ever since he made Jaws in 1975 there have been countless attempts on the big screen to emulate that film and all have failed. Some have been excruciatingly bad but thankfully The Shallows isn't one of those. This is the story of Nancy who travels to a secluded beach to surf . While in the water , she is hunted by a great white shark and finds herself stranded on a rock with the tide going out . Wounded and with time running out she battles to get away from the shark. Probably the best thing about this film is performance of Blake Lively. She definitely carries this film. The action is pretty good although totally predictable and it looks great up until the use of CGI underwater when it starts to look like a scene from a Sharks Tale. At a pleasant running time of 84 minutes , The Shallows is a good bit of escapism but like every other shark film , it's no Jaws.
Steven Spielberg has a lot to answer for. Ever since he made Jaws in 1975 there have been countless attempts on the big screen to emulate that film and all have failed. Some have been excruciatingly bad but thankfully The Shallows isn't one of those. This is the story of Nancy who travels to a secluded beach to surf . While in the water , she is hunted by a great white shark and finds herself stranded on a rock with the tide going out . Wounded and with time running out she battles to get away from the shark. Probably the best thing about this film is performance of Blake Lively. She definitely carries this film. The action is pretty good although totally predictable and it looks great up until the use of CGI underwater when it starts to look like a scene from a Sharks Tale. At a pleasant running time of 84 minutes , The Shallows is good bit of escapism but like every other shark film , it's no Jaws.
Steven Spielberg has a lot to answer for. Ever since he made Jaws in 1975 there have been countless attempts on the big screen to emulate that film and all have failed. Some have been excruciatingly bad but thankfully The Shallows isn't one of those. This is the story of Nancy who travels to a secluded beach to surf . While in the water , she is hunted by a great white shark and finds herself stranded on a rock with the tide going out . Wounded and with time running out she battles to get away from the shark. Probably the best thing about this film is performance of Blake Lively. She definitely carries this film. The action is pretty good although totally predictable and it looks great up until the use of CGI underwater when it starts to look like a scene from a Sharks Tale. At a pleasant running time of 84 minutes , The Shallows is good bit of escapism but like every other shark film , it's no Jaws.
Sausage Party 6/10 Hilarious last 5 minutes for those with an immature mind.
I mean it's all very immature, but the last 5 minutes made the entire film...
Bad Moms 7/10 Some proper laughs, some cringes. Quite interesting to see another female side of comedy. Plus Mila Kunis.
Finding Dory 3/10 Not near the level of Nemo. Ellen Degeneres has such an annoying voice which coupled with the circles the story goes around in.... actually caused the other half to fall asleep.
Not a recent film but finally got to see 'Straight Outta Compton'.
Why this was not nominated for best film Oscar, I have no idea.
Great acting, especially those portraying Eazy-e, Dre and Ice Cube. Compelling with a superb soundtrack. Great insight into the upbringing and background of NWA, a band that had a massive influence.
A biographical crime drama, based upon the real-life kidnapping exploits of the Puccio family in Buenos Aires in the 1980s. The father and head of the family had been an ex-secret serviceman in the military junta, responsible for disposing of the bodies of the regime's enemies after torture and kidnapping. Following the demise of the dictatorship, he decided to redeploy his skills in a new family enterprise of kidnap and extortion from wealthy families.
As well as being a fast-paced thriller, the film examines the underbelly of 1980s Argentina and the corruption endemic in its political climate. There is a very good soundtrack, while the patriarch (who featured in 'The Secret In Their Eyes') is an extremely chilling villain. Overall, very good - 8/10.
About a man's dealings with the DWP and the Kafkaesque situstion it leads to. He's recovering from a heart attack and his doctors say he can't work. But he fails the test for ESA, has to claim JSA and seek work. Which he can't take if he values his health. Then he tries to help someone else struggling eith the vsgaries of the DWP.
It won the Palme d'or this year and is one of Ken Loach's best films imho.
When I first heard they were remaking The Magnificent Seven my initial thoughts were why ? Then I saw the cast and my next feelings were excitement and anticipation to see if they could get close to the 1960 classic , A film that is one of my all time favourites. The story doesn't stray too far from the original . Instead of Mexican bandits being the enemy . this time it's a mining tycoon and his men. The Seven are a little more multicultural too. We have Denzel Washington playing the Yul Brenner part , Ethan Hawke as the Robert Vaughn character and Chris Pratt playing the Steve McQueen role. There is also a native American Indian , a Mexican and a Korean knife thrower. Despite the varied characters on show they all work really well together and you definitely care what happens to them. There is lots of great action as you would expect and none of the violence is gratuitous . My only gripe is that they didn't use the famous Elmer Bernstein soundtrack until the final credits .I think they missed a trick there. So the big question is , is it as good as the original ? The answer is no but it's still a solid two hours of pure entertainment.
The Infiltrator sees Brian Cranston back on drugs again ( not literally ) where he plays undercover federal agent Robert Mazur who is a money launderer for Pablo Escobar's Medellín Cartel. Instead of focusing on the drugs side of things this film concentrates more on the money and the dodgy bankers and that doesn't always make the most interesting subject in films. Having said that , director Brad Furman does a good job of conveying what it's like to go undercover in such a dangerous organisation. I don't think this is anywhere near as good as the recent Netflix series Narcos which it is inevitably going to be compared to because at times it feels little bit laboured but good performances from Brian Cranston , John Leguizamo and Diane Kruger make it well worth watching.
Beds - re. The Magnificent 7 - is Denzel the smartest man in the west?
I have this theory that every time Denzel gets a script, he has it adjusted so that his character is the smartest man in the movie.
For instance, in The Taking of Pelham, he's a geeky train controller guy in a tank top and glasses. But NOBODY controls trains as well as him.
In Flight he's a drunk pilot. But "Nobody could have landed that plane the way Denzel did".
Or maybe American Gangster - sure he's a super villain, but by the end he's wearing glasses and literally showing the Feds how to do their job.
Inside Man - he's been fooled completely (until the final scene when he figures it all out, cos he couldn't have his character actually be fooled).
Book of Eli? He did all that despite being...well if you've seen it, you know.
And when it comes to The Equalizer, he's so clever and bad ass, his only real enemy is time. Killing people isn't good enough, he has to do it inside his own random time limit to add a bit of peril.
Beds - re. The Magnificent 7 - is Denzel the smartest man in the west?
I have this theory that every time Denzel gets a script, he has it adjusted so that his character is the smartest man in the movie.
For instance, in The Taking of Pelham, he's a geeky train controller guy in a tank top and glasses. But NOBODY controls trains as well as him.
In Flight he's a drunk pilot. But "Nobody could have landed that plane the way Denzel did".
Or maybe American Gangster - sure he's a super villain, but by the end he's wearing glasses and literally showing the Feds how to do their job.
Inside Man - he's been fooled completely (until the final scene when he figures it all out, cos he couldn't have his character actually be fooled).
Book of Eli? He did all that despite being...well if you've seen it, you know.
And when it comes to The Equalizer, he's so clever and bad ass, his only real enemy is time. Killing people isn't good enough, he has to do it inside his own random time limit to add a bit of peril.
Beds - re. The Magnificent 7 - is Denzel the smartest man in the west?
I have this theory that every time Denzel gets a script, he has it adjusted so that his character is the smartest man in the movie.
For instance, in The Taking of Pelham, he's a geeky train controller guy in a tank top and glasses. But NOBODY controls trains as well as him.
In Flight he's a drunk pilot. But "Nobody could have landed that plane the way Denzel did".
Or maybe American Gangster - sure he's a super villain, but by the end he's wearing glasses and literally showing the Feds how to do their job.
Inside Man - he's been fooled completely (until the final scene when he figures it all out, cos he couldn't have his character actually be fooled).
Book of Eli? He did all that despite being...well if you've seen it, you know.
And when it comes to The Equalizer, he's so clever and bad ass, his only real enemy is time. Killing people isn't good enough, he has to do it inside his own random time limit to add a bit of peril.
Comments
Unusual film about a father raising his six (I think) children in the wilds of NW America in his own way, teaching them classics, philosophy, physics and survival skills.
Eventually, of course, they have to interact with the real world and the 'culture clash' plays out with significant consequences.
Something in common with little miss sunshine, but darker, though it has its comedic moments.
Veggies won't much enjoy the opening scene.
6.5/10
I didn't realise it had opened already in the UK
Also a film from this year about a young model and a murder? A bit film-norish...
Beds? Jimmy?
Not sure about the other one I am afraid...
Edit: My collegaue has also seen Anthropoid - "it's good, but not great. Very grim. It's a dark subject." - review here.
Edit: it didn't begin with a p, but an s. And there were another two words after it: Synedoche, New York.
Hell or high water
I had absolutely no intention of going to see Hell or high water . My plan was to see Ben-Hur but at the very last minute after seeing the poster for this at the cinema I changed my mind and I'm so glad I did.
This is the story of two brothers who commit a string of bank robberies in order to raise the money needed to protect their family farm from being taken , ironically from the banks they rob , while all the time , an ageing sheriff tracks the heists in an attempt to hunt down those responsible.
This film is a modern day western and a brilliant one at that. Chris pine and Ben Foster are superb as the two brothers. Pine's character is the semi responsible one while Foster is the nut job but not for the first time , the actor who steals the show is Jeff Bridges. He is fantastic as the nearly retired sheriff.
There is so much that is good about this film . The sound track is perfect , the cinematography makes a baron Texas look almost inviting and the script is first class.
In a year when we have been bombarded with substandard superhero movies this is an absolute treat and it's one , if not the best film I have seen in 2016.
Highly Recommended.
9 out of 10
Why this was not nominated for best film Oscar, I have no idea.
Great acting, especially those portraying Eazy-e, Dre and Ice Cube. Compelling with a superb soundtrack. Great insight into the upbringing and background of NWA, a band that had a massive influence.
9/10
Quite thought provoking & the children were delightful.
And the full frontal of Vigo wasn't bad either.....
The film itself was actually OK. Although it made me wonder, in every comedy film with a birth scene, why is it considered 'comedy' for the mother to arrive too late to receive an epidural? What's funny about a woman being in pain?
Same headache she got after taking me to see Bridesmaids too. Funny that.
Steven Spielberg has a lot to answer for. Ever since he made Jaws in 1975 there have been countless attempts on the big screen to emulate that film and all have failed. Some have been excruciatingly bad but thankfully The Shallows isn't one of those.
This is the story of Nancy who travels to a secluded beach to surf . While in the water , she is hunted by a great white shark and finds herself stranded on a rock with the tide going out . Wounded and with time running out she battles to get away from the shark.
Probably the best thing about this film is performance of Blake Lively. She definitely carries this film.
The action is pretty good although totally predictable and it looks great up until the use of CGI underwater when it starts to look like a scene from a Sharks Tale.
At a pleasant running time of 84 minutes , The Shallows is a good bit of escapism but like every other shark film , it's no Jaws.
6 out of 10
6/10
Hilarious last 5 minutes for those with an immature mind.
I mean it's all very immature, but the last 5 minutes made the entire film...
Bad Moms
7/10
Some proper laughs, some cringes. Quite interesting to see another female side of comedy. Plus Mila Kunis.
Finding Dory
3/10
Not near the level of Nemo. Ellen Degeneres has such an annoying voice which coupled with the circles the story goes around in.... actually caused the other half to fall asleep. Quality film.
A good coming of age film set in gentrifying Brooklyn. Would give it 3 out of 5.
A biographical crime drama, based upon the real-life kidnapping exploits of the Puccio family in Buenos Aires in the 1980s. The father and head of the family had been an ex-secret serviceman in the military junta, responsible for disposing of the bodies of the regime's enemies after torture and kidnapping. Following the demise of the dictatorship, he decided to redeploy his skills in a new family enterprise of kidnap and extortion from wealthy families.
As well as being a fast-paced thriller, the film examines the underbelly of 1980s Argentina and the corruption endemic in its political climate. There is a very good soundtrack, while the patriarch (who featured in 'The Secret In Their Eyes') is an extremely chilling villain. Overall, very good - 8/10.
Very good film even though very depressing.
About a man's dealings with the DWP and the Kafkaesque situstion it leads to. He's recovering from a heart attack and his doctors say he can't work. But he fails the test for ESA, has to claim JSA and seek work. Which he can't take if he values his health. Then he tries to help someone else struggling eith the vsgaries of the DWP.
It won the Palme d'or this year and is one of Ken Loach's best films imho.
Thoroughly recommend it.
The Magnificent Seven
When I first heard they were remaking The Magnificent Seven my initial thoughts were why ? Then I saw the cast and my next feelings were excitement and anticipation to see if they could get close to the 1960 classic , A film that is one of my all time favourites.
The story doesn't stray too far from the original . Instead of Mexican bandits being the enemy . this time it's a mining tycoon and his men. The Seven are a little more multicultural too. We have Denzel Washington playing the Yul Brenner part , Ethan Hawke as the Robert Vaughn character and Chris Pratt playing the Steve McQueen role. There is also a native American Indian , a Mexican and a Korean knife thrower.
Despite the varied characters on show they all work really well together and you definitely care what happens to them.
There is lots of great action as you would expect and none of the violence is gratuitous .
My only gripe is that they didn't use the famous Elmer Bernstein soundtrack until the final credits .I think they missed a trick there.
So the big question is , is it as good as the original ? The answer is no but it's still a solid two hours of pure entertainment.
8 out of 10
The Infiltrator
The Infiltrator sees Brian Cranston back on drugs again ( not literally ) where he plays undercover federal agent Robert Mazur who is a money launderer for Pablo Escobar's Medellín Cartel.
Instead of focusing on the drugs side of things this film concentrates more on the money and the dodgy bankers and that doesn't always make the most interesting subject in films. Having said that , director Brad Furman does a good job of conveying what it's like to go undercover in such a dangerous organisation.
I don't think this is anywhere near as good as the recent Netflix series Narcos which it is inevitably going to be compared to because at times it feels little bit laboured but good performances from Brian Cranston , John Leguizamo and Diane Kruger make it well worth watching.
7 out of 10
I have this theory that every time Denzel gets a script, he has it adjusted so that his character is the smartest man in the movie.
For instance, in The Taking of Pelham, he's a geeky train controller guy in a tank top and glasses. But NOBODY controls trains as well as him.
In Flight he's a drunk pilot. But "Nobody could have landed that plane the way Denzel did".
Or maybe American Gangster - sure he's a super villain, but by the end he's wearing glasses and literally showing the Feds how to do their job.
Inside Man - he's been fooled completely (until the final scene when he figures it all out, cos he couldn't have his character actually be fooled).
Book of Eli? He did all that despite being...well if you've seen it, you know.
And when it comes to The Equalizer, he's so clever and bad ass, his only real enemy is time. Killing people isn't good enough, he has to do it inside his own random time limit to add a bit of peril.