Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Buscemi2
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Lizzie 4/10

A well-made depiction of the actual murder can't ignore the fact that a lot of the material leading up to it is rather dull and uninteresting. Chloe Sevigny (as Borden) and Kristen Stewart (playing an alleged conspirator) do well in their roles but the film is far too slow to really drum up much interest for those who like history or saw this as a horror film (perhaps the whole reason why Lionsgate gave this a semi-wide release instead of the originally planned day-and-date release). The film is definitely missing something to make things better but neither the writer nor director can figure it out.

In short, the rare case where the Lifetime version (the campy and fun Lizzie Borden Took an Axe) is better than the big festival version.
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numbersix
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Movie Bomb!



Burning: 7/10
Lee Chang-dong's latest is even better than Poetry. A curious film that may feel frustrating, but whose enigmatic nature unlocks some interesting themes, this loose adaptatino of a Murakami short story follows an aspiring young writer who comes across a sort of Manic Pixie Dream Girl who he sorta loses to a rich kid with a penchant for burning greenhouses. The dream-like atmosphere is superb, as are key scenes and sequences which tell us about male jealousy, class divides, and even feminism. I'll be watching this again.

Climax: 6/10
Gaspar Noe's latest is probably his least original. It utilises the swirling upside-down cam of Irreversible and the dream-like quality of Into the Void. But I've come around to his provocative yet somewhat shallow films. Here, a bunch of dancers party after a rehearsal, only to realise the drink has been spiked by drugs. There is lots of social crituque, but really it's a woozy, nightmarish 90 mins that is a little too long but certainly memorably fucked up.

Hold the Dark: 6/10
Jeremy Saulnier's latest is a step down from his last two films, but nevertheless powerful. An author of a wolf book is asked by a grieving mother to find the wolves that killed her child, in rural Alaska. But as the author begins his journey not all is as it seems. And this story of revenge soon turns into a dark film about how warpend human nature has become. It doesn't quite balance itself, and the arthouse aspects of the film clash with the genre aspects, giving you a somewhat dissatisfying film with some brilliant sequences.

Girl: 6/10
A moving story about a teenage boy who wants to transition into a teenage girl, all the while training to be a ballerina. She's admirable in her determination, which takes its toll on her mind and her body, despite the support of her father. It's a nice movie, perhaps lessened by its rather OTT climax.

Searching: 5/10
A movie that starts off engrossing, particularly with its innovative (well somewhat, we already have two Unfriended movies) way of telling its story entirely through phones and laptop screens. Here, a father goes in search of his missing daughter. But as the film wraps up and the twists appear, the story makes less and less sense, and the theme of a father realising his mistakes totally misses the mark.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Predator 3/10

Shane Black should just stick to writing screenplays. His third disappointment in a row after his stellar directorial debut, the fourth canonical installment (but third chronologically) of the Predator franchise falls into the same pitfalls that the Alien franchise has fallen into: overemphasis on violence, characters you don't really care for, and a general feel that suggests less trying to make a worthy installment and more "there's money to be had". And the entire concept of Jacob Tremblay's character made me wonder if Black or co-writer Fred Dekker (both who did a better film with child characters in The Monster Squad) understand the concept of having his disorder. Some of the twists were Accountant-level bad (maybe they decided on this once they realized how underwritten everyone else was).

But somehow, it's more watchable than Alien: Covenant (though this one has a ridiculous twist hidden within the film that rivals that film's ending).
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Smallfoot 9/10

Okay, bear with me here.

The concept is not new - an isolated society is taught from birth to do what you're supposed to do, never ask questions, never advocate change. Then one day, something comes along to turn it all upside down. That happens to Migo the Yeti, who must venture down from his mountaintop community' into the world of men to prove that his lone sighting of a human being (smallfoot) was real. There, he meets a guy who hosts a nature show, who is desperate for ratings. The two form an interesting bond, and... that's all I'll say.

Yes, this has been done before (most recently Hotel Transylvania, and the animation looks very similar), but there are moments of sweetness, of triumph, and some that are laugh-out-loud funny. The voice cast is great, the handful of original songs are very good, and I left the theater with a huge smile on my face.

I think this is my favorite animated film of the year (yes, even more than Incredibles 2, though it's apples and oranges), but I'll have to see Wreck-It Ralph 2 before I render final judgment.

Loved this movie. Loved it.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Ron Burgundy »

Bad Times at the El Royale

I wanted to like this much more than i did. Its a mystery flick that hinges on past deed, throw in a baddie and viola! The cast all do their part well, though its not enough to save this. Goddard the director had alot more to work with in his previous effort, you have to ask the question why did he want to helm this? Maybe it sounds better on paper. All in all, nothing here is a revelation, ho-hum.
5.5/10
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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First Man 7/10

Good, engaging story about the Neil Armstrong between 1961 and 1969. How he overcame the death of his very young daughter to become one of the most famous names in history. The space travel scenes are incredibly well done, and the moon landing is spectacular.

One thing I could have done without were the approximately 436 close-up shots of Ryan Gosling's eyes.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Searching 8/10

A much superior movie told from a computer screen than Unfriended (which was nothing more than another one of those "technology is evil" movies). I'd also say that it's a far better coping with loss film than Prisoners as you can actually side with the father and understand his pain (and his "accusing someone who ends up innocent" moment actually makes sense). However, I do think the film could have ended sooner (the scene at the funeral would have served as a strong way to end the film, though it would have changed the outcome of the daughter's fate) and it might have been a slightly more fulfilling and tighter debut from the talented and ambitious director.

Meanwhile, I have to wonder why Sundance is so reluctant to show more thrillers. The last two years, this, Hereditary, and Wind River proved to be among the most financially successful titles and The Tale, American Animals, and Walking Out got pretty good reviews. So why is the name of the game still comedies and dramas that appeal to about five people?
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by JohnErle »

Here's a quick recap of everything I saw at VIFF, from best to worst.

Shoplifters (9/10) – This is the most empathetic, humanistic film I've seen in a long time. It's hard not to root for these characters, even when you can't condone their actions. There's little in the way of plot, but the emotions generated are well earned.

Burning (8/10) – A remarkably subtle thriller shot with a wonderful sense of realism, which helps to mask the expertly woven red herrings and clues. A different director could have turned this into a potboiler, or a sort of Korean Noir, but the documentary level of realism and focus on character really makes it work as a drama.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (8/10) – Everyone's favourite dramatic actress, Melissa McCarthy, does solid work as a bitter, alcoholic, washed-up writer/cat lady, proving once again that she's better off putting herself in the hands of a talented director instead of trying to do everything herself. And Richard E. Grant goes full Withnail as the only person in New York who can tolerate McCarthy's character.

Destroyer (8/10) - She's no Melissa McCarthy, but Nicole Kidman ain't too shabby as an even more bitter and alcoholic LADP detective searching for an old nemesis who's recently resurfaced. The movie jumps back and forth between time frames, and I've never seen a better use of hair and makeup to convincingly make actors look younger or older as need be.

Freaks (8/10) – A locally shot film that starts off much like It Comes At Night, with a young girl and a potentially deranged father who never lets her leave the house because of unseen dangers that may or may not exist. The movie eventually leaves the house and reveals itself to be a low-budget X-Men movie, and that's when it really hits its stride.

Parallel (7/10) – The first English language film from a Mexican director who's a little too obsessed with the Twilight Zone. Four friends find a mirror that gives them access to parallel universes, which they manage to exploit for personal gain since time moves more slowly in the alternate universes, for reasons that never make any sense. There's one epic death scene and a lot of clever ideas here, but some fall flat, and the internal logic of the story is a bit off, especially during the unnecessary twist at the end.

Shadow (7/10) A gorgeous looking film with a distinctive colour scheme full of various shades of grey, but the story isn't terribly engaging, occasionally crossing over into silliness, and the translation I saw was full of wooden, on-the-nose dialogue.

Leto (6/10) – A Russian biopic about the rock scene in Leningrad in the early 80s. The insights into trying to play rock music under an oppressive regime are interesting, but too much time is spent on a fairly generic love triangle. There's a lot of music in the film, most of which isn't any good, especially during the regrettable fantasy sequences built around lifeless covers of Psycho Killer, The Passenger, and Perfect Day.

Mega Time Squad (6/10) – An intermittently fun crime drama about a low-level criminal in New Zealand who discovers a way to travel back in time by a few minutes, creating a new doppelganger each time. He then forms an alliance with the other versions of himself and tries to get out a of sticky situation involving stolen money. The director does a nice job of portraying the character interacting with multiple versions of himself, but the script relies way too heavily on bumbling criminals for cheap laughs.

Vox Lux (5/10) – The Latin title should have been a dead giveaway, but this is a hopelessly pretentious film from an actor turned director who's achingly desperate to be taken seriously as an artiste. It starts off reasonably well, focusing on a young girl who survives a school shooting and is reluctantly thrown into the spotlight, then it suddenly jumps ahead to show her as the next Lady Gaga, with Natalie Portman delivering the worst New York accent this side of Jude Law's, and the movie completely falls apart.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Funny thing is that Natalie Portman actually grew up in Long Island.

I still maintain Miley Cyrus in The Last Song has the worst New York accent ever in a film. She didn't even try.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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One thing I could have done without were the approximately 436 close-up shots of Ryan Gosling's eyes.
Speak for yourself sir! That's worth the price of admission alone!

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Some people will never let go of the "hey girl" meme.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Sisters Brothers 8/10

Please, do not watch the trailer before watching the movie (though I'm sure you all have). This is not a comedy. Rather, it's more like the kind of Western that focuses on the death of the era but set before the often-romanticized era of Jesse James and Wyatt Earp. You could easily have seen someone like Robert Altman making this film once upon a time (funny that the two leads have worked more than once with Paul Thomas Anderson, often viewed as the heir apparent to Altman). Jacques Audiard, making his English-language debut, brings his slow but deliberate style to the genre and proves more than capable with his very good cast and offbeat premise of two brothers tasked to kill a man who has something that could make them very rich and soon go off-track to a bigger journey. You definitely didn't see John Wayne or Gary Cooper making this kind of film.

As mentioned earlier, Annapurna (currently in financial straits, partially over this film) did a terrible job promoting this film. In addition to the misleading trailers (of which I'm surprised more people haven't complained over), it was basically dumped in its wide expansion with no advance word. But outside of the need to make back the $38 million budget (plus I'd imagine $15-20 million for promotion and DCP's), I really can't understand how this was expected to do well wide. It's not your traditional oater. In fact, I'd say it has more in common with something such as The Rider than Django Unchained or True Grit.

In short, it's bound to divide people but if you understand what Audiard was doing with the story, you should enjoy it.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by numbersix »

London Film Festival Roundup

Mandy: 6/10
A real blast. Visually brilliant, and the score, from the late Johann Johannson, is sadly one of his best. But it's all about atmosphere, as essentially it's a very silly revenge movie that almost outstays its welcome, particlarly in the 2nd half when the revenge part is... well.. too easy. But it's fun.

Pity: 5/10
Another Greek New Wave film riding on the coat tails of Yorgos Lanthimos and not doing it very well. Here, a man becomes addicted to being pitied when his wife is in hospital. .But when she starts to get better he realises he prefers his life as it was.

Papi Chulo: 4/10
A comedy drama about a weatherman who has a breakdown and hires a Mexican immigrant to restore his decking. What tries to be a movie about two different people coming together for healing turns out to really be a film about a narcissist who uses an immigrant for his own personal revelation. It's cheesy and vaguely racist.

Thunder Road: 6/10
Promising debut from Jim Cummings, who adapted his short film into this feature, about a police man who suffers from the death of his mother, and whose life falls apart. It's equally awkward and moving, although let down by a very convenient ending.

Happy as Lazzaro: 6/10
Italian film about a rural community who (illegally) live under the ownership of a Marquis, farming the land for survival. Centred on a simple young man who befriends one of the land's "owners", the film takes a huge jump in time to explore ideas of freedom and hardship. It's a very dreamy, magical-realist film that mostly works.

Out of Blue: 5/10
Carol Morley's attempt at a David Lynch film falls flat, sadly. Patricia Clarkson plays a detective on a murder case that asks a lot of philosophical questions. The problem is that the film just sucks in every single scene. Clarkson's character acts like she's sleepwalking, which may be the intention but it makes the film unwatchable, and the ultimate plot reveals amount to very little.

Happy New Year Colin Burstead: 7/10
Ben Wheatley's latest was the highlight of the fest. Surprisingly, it's a rather straight drama, as a famiyl gather together for New Year's celebrations. Wheatley uses a Festen approach to gather together a bunch of mismatched folk who inevitably will clash, but the film is pleasently restrained, and the various members (including Charles Dance as a cross-dresser) are handled well through the quick editing.

Sunset: 5/10
Lazlo Nemes's follow up to the intense Son of Saul uses a similar visual approach to a lesser effect. Here, a young woman in early 20th century Hungary returns to her family's business, being the only one left alive, onyl to discover she may have a brother. She sleepwalks through scenes in this strange journey that leads to a civil uprising. It's a good idea, but drags on with its repetitive wandering.

Wild Rose: 6/10
Completely overhyped, but nevertheless effective. A Glaswegian young woman only wants to be a country singer. But she's just out of prison and has 2 young children preventing her from realising her dreams. The film hits all the right beats, although they are all somewhat contrived and made so easy, and Rose herself (played by the brilliant Jessie Buckley - watch out because she will be winning an Oscar in the next few years) isn't as "wild" as she should be. So we're left with a very soft film.

The Hummingbird Project: 6/10
A very odd but occasionally great film starring Jessie eisenberg as a young man determined to build a cable from one part of the US to another to gain an essentially nanosecond in delivering information tot he NY stock exchange. It's a man-over-nature kind of story as he and his cousin embark on a dangerous, and occasionally illegal, endeavour. It's at times funny, at other times dramatic, and generallty a great film about the battle between our need to suceed and our need to be decent people.

Benjamin: 5/10
Comedian Simon Amstell's debut feature film is a great script that gets muddled by some poor direction.

Cam: 6/10
Effective horror about a cam-girl whose identity gets stolen, driving her to find out what's going on. It's a strong depiction of the sad lives of these girls so desperate for validation. The "horror" aspect is not particularly convincing though, but it's mostly engaging.

July 22
Paul Greengrass's latest is a bit of a disappointment. Greengrass is best at tension, and the opening act of this story about Anders Breivek and his impact on Norwegian society is powerful. But when it comes to dialogue and emotion, it's all a little forced and unconvincing.

Sorry to Bother You: 6/10
A fun and imaginative Michel Gondry-like film about an African American guy who finds his "white voice" so he can be a great tele-marketing worker. It's a bizarre, silly satire that throws a major curveball about half-way through. It's sorta about workers rights, and it's sorta about black identity, but it's really an exploration of Boots Riley's visual creativity, and in that sense it works wonders.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Halloween 8/10

I have to admit I was surprised by David Gordon Green's sequel/reboot to John Carpenter's slasher classic. What could have simply been Michael slashing people up again while giving a new version of Laurie's fate just to bring Jamie Lee Curtis back ends up developing the Strode character (this might also be the closest we'll ever get to a You're Next sequel, Laurie is rather similar to Erin in that film) and giving the franchise some meaning as a way to wrap up John Carpenter's intention for the franchise. Though there are some sequels (like the 1981 Halloween II and H20) that I wish that hadn't become discontinuity, the direction this one takes is a positive one as Green focuses more on tension rather than kills and builds on the action rather than giving us faceless characters to kill off. Green also makes some interesting turns to reduce the predictability (though I'm sure some have hated the reveal of Dr. Sartain being just as evil as Michael). There are some attempts at humor and high school drama (of which I'm imagining was Danny McBride's contribution to the screenplay) that don't entirely work but it's a minor fault of what's truly one of the better Halloween films. You came to see Laurie and Michael duke it out more time and that's exactly what you get.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Old Man and the Gun 8/10

I'm actually surprised that I liked one of David Lowery's films. I've long viewed him as pretentious and overly stylish (like a lot of heavily-hyped directors today) but his newest, based on a true story, might be one of the most authentic 80's-themed films out there. Lowery doesn't force the nostalgia down your throat but instead makes something that might have played in a big single-screen theatre or a small mall multiplex auditorium during that era. The use of 16mm to shoot the film gives it a gritty feel often lacking in period films today. The acting is extremely good (though Casey Affleck felt slightly miscast but on the other hand, I didn't think Elisabeth Moss was too bad) with Redford giving one of his better performances in his swan song. Antiheroes are everywhere in film today but Forrest Tucker is one of the most genuinely likable I can recall and it's really something that he was a real person. And I wouldn't be surprised if Sissy Spacek got Oscar talks.

If I hadn't canceled that New Yorker trial (I didn't feel like paying the $80 price after it ended), I would definitely read the article the screenplay was based on. There has to be some things in there the movie left out.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

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