Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Discuss past, present, and future releases. This is the place for news, reviews, and your 'best' lists.

Moderators: Buscemi, BarcaRulz, Geezer, W

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Then you haven't seen Best Picture winners at their worst.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Nobody 8/10

Basically, it's John Wick: Chapter 4 but it's entertaining at least.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Falling 4/10

Viggo Mortensen's directorial debut (he also wrote, produced, and did the music) is a massive disappointment. With a pair of capable leads (he and Lance Henriksen), this might have been interesting but the end product is basically a lesser version of The Father than turns into a lesser version of the James Coburn scenes in Affliction. Also, the film is just an unpleasant watch with Henriksen's character being a remorseless asshole. It could have been much better than it actually was.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Saint Maud 3/10

This is more or less a short film expanded way beyond what its premise gives it. The end result is a boring film where little in the way of the genre happens and it's basically a buzzkill of a character is convinced she's an angel and is trying to save her patient. It was like watching a bad Shudder pickup.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Watched the Oscar nominated animation shorts today and it was a pretty disappointing lineup.

Burrow 8/10

Pixar's yearly entry in the Oscar race (and the short intended to play with Soul back when that was planned as a theatrical release) is the best of the lot, focusing on a rabbit and her plans for a home constantly being thwarted by the other woodland creatures. Soon, a major event during this frustration leads to an ultimate realization. It's cute and funny and even in 2D animation, is a nice return to the classic Pixar style.

Genius Loci 2/10

This one, the worst of the lineup, begins a big issue with the nominees: too many of them feel like bad student films. Outside of the beautiful animation, little in this short makes sense and it simply feels like something that only design students could enjoy. How this was nominated I don't understand.

Opera 3/10

This short about a feuding empire at war is nothing more than a screensaver. Next.

If Anything Happens, I Love You 4/10

Blatant awards bait that tries too hard to be Pixar make worse by becoming borderline offensive with the decision to incorporate school shootings into the story. Subtlety is not this short's friend. The cat was cute, though.

Yes, People 3/10

One-joke premise with tenants of an apartment building going on with their day. Animation looks cheap.

The compilation had three extra shorts, of which I initially though that would be worse considering the ones that were nominated. However, two of them managed to be better than I expected.

Kapaemahu 3/10

The only interesting thing of note is that the short is in native Hawaiian languages. Otherwise, there's no point to this short about native legend that has no ending.

The Snail and the Whale 7/10

At least the last two were decent. This one is the longest of the set and features a snail (voiced by Sally Hawkins) who desires to see the world and ends up hitching a ride with a humpback whale (voiced by Rob Brydon). The short was narrated by Diana Rigg in one of her final performances. This one had what most of the shorts lacked: entertainment value. If you liked The Gruffalo, you should enjoy this.

To: Gerard 8/10

DreamWorks' entry focused on a lonely man at a post office, living in regret over not fulfilling his dream of an illusionist, who while reliving his past glory from his childhood meets a little girl who becomes impressed by his skills. Years later, the girl has grown up to become a famous magician and invites him to one of her shows, giving him the chance to live his fantasy. This is one of the better copies of Pixar and it reminded me of a lot of Cat's in the Cradle.

Maybe 2021's lineup will be better.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

And now the live-action Oscar short nominees:

The Present 9/10

The best of the five shorts (but probably the one least likely to win) focuses on a father and daughter living in a town on the Israel/Palestine border who decide to surprise the mother with a new refrigerator bought on the Israeli side. However, getting the fridge home is another story due to the heavily guarded borders that can make a simple trip into a matter of life and death. By depicting an endless conflict with innocence and a non-violent idea feels original and shows that not everything needs to be violent and chaotic.

Feeling Through 7/10

A young New Yorker, seeking a place to stay for the night, meets a blind and deaf man who is waiting for his bus and while in his company, realizes that there is more to life than himself. Oscar baity, sure, but likeable.

Two Distant Strangers 3/10

This is such a heavy-handed imitation of Black Mirror that I expected to see "written by Charlie Brooker" or at least "inspired by Charlie Brooker" in the end credits. This short also shows that the Groundhog Day time loop premise is officially overdone and cliche. And yet, this probably ends up winning the Oscar because of its themes (that and it's in English).

White Eye 5/10

Guy wants his bike back and ends up destroying another guy's life. Next.

The Letter Room 8/10

The short with the most star power ends up being the second best of the shorts. Oscar Isaac plays a prison guard who gets transferred to the letter room of the facility and begins to become involved with the private life of a death row inmate. After the ex-lover (Alia Shawkat) of the inmate threatens suicide after his exoneration is denied, the guard has to step in to stop her from hurting herself. Isaac gives one of his best performances here, being looser than usual, and there's a certain appeal that makes it light despite the heavy themes.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Herself 8/10

Compelling social drama from an unexpected choice of director (Phyllida Lloyd, the director of Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady), elevated by a really good performance from Clare Dunne, who also co-wrote the film, as a single mother who seeking to escape the abuse from her ex-boyfriend and from the public housing system, decides to build a house for herself and her two daughters and along the way, finds the courage to fight for herself and her children. The end product reminded me a lot of the works of Ken Loach and early Andrea Arnold but with a more hopeful theme hiding beneath its heavy subject matter. Had the film gotten more attention, Dunne might have gotten some awards notice.

It might seem a bit melodramatic to some but it's a well-made drama.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Flora & Ulysses 3/10

Basically it's one of those lame Alvin and the Chipmunks movies but this time, the rodent is a superhero. The end result is a film that seems to have complete contempt for its target audience as all of the adult characters seem to have a combined IQ that's lower that the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. I only watched it for Kate Micucci and she's given very little to do as the love interest of the villain. I'm not surprised Disney dumped this one onto Disney+ as it's nothing more than a big-budget Disney Channel movie.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by numbersix »

Impetigore: 6/10
Decent Indonesian horror about a young adopted woman who discovers the village her parents are from, and after being attacked by one of the villagers, is convinced to investigate her past. It's a pretty decent film, that while not exactly original, has enough interesting elements (particualrly the dynamic between the main character and her best friend who accompanies her) to be worth the watch.

Quo Vadis, Aida? 7/10
Films about the murky conflict in Bosnia in the 90s tend to be dull, dreary affairs. It's nearly impossible to create the clear-cut tension from, say, stories about WWII. But this film manages to be a tense, unnerving, moving film. Set during the Serbian invasion of a Bosnian town, where the thousands of Muslim residents flee to a UN bunker for safety, the story is told through a translator who tries to get her famiyl into a base not designed for so many refugees. Her struggle is clear and simple, and the reality around this story is brutal and disgusting. Powerful, angering stuff.

The Father: 6/10
Better than expected, this isn't quite a cheap shot at poignancy through depicting dementia. Rather, this adaptation of the play puts us int he POV of an old man who gets lost in time, with family members looking completely different and their behaviour not making sense. The acting is solid if not a little OTT from Anthony Hopkins, but it's largely a classy movie.

Anything for Jackson: 6/10
A horror that has a great premise, even if the execution lets it down. An old couple kidnap a pregnant women in an effort to bring back their recently deceased grand-child by doing a ceremony they don't quite understand. The supernatural elements aren't handled as well as they could, with a few being ridiculous, but it's a good idea that just needed a bit more subtlety in its direction.

The Kid Detective: 6/10
An off-centre neo-noir that would be an interesting companion to Brick. But while Brick was all style and tension, this is more about loss and failure, as it follows a detective who was considered to be a genius as a kid but now has no real work or prospects, until he's offered the case of a murdered teen. It's a downbeat affair with some great scenes (including one where our hero has to hide in a closet for hours), although the whodunnit aspect is rather underwhelming.

Son: 5/10
A disappointing horror about a mother who realises her son has a terrible condition tying her to the cult she escaped from. Its directed with intensity but it's really just an assemblage of great ideas from classic horrors - The Exorcist, The Omen, etc. Nothing new or particularly exciting here.

The Feast: 5/10
Another underwhelming horror, this time in the Welsh language, which makes it intriguing. A rich family prepare a dinner and hire a local girl to assist, who starts acting strange. The film is more about the slow build-up and unsettling mood, but the reveal is obvious and doesn't quite excite in a way it should. Great cinematography though.

The Dissident: 7/10
Powerful doc that shows just how sinister and terrifying the Saudi Arabian "government" really is. While detailing the case of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi it also smartly follows arother Saudi dissident to prove just how overbearing and controlling the Saudi crown prince is, not just at home but globally (it's no surprise the film struggled to get distribution). Some of the creative choices don't work, as it veers towards cinematic melodrama, but it's a shocking story of corruption and how the world bows to a dictator.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

In the Earth 2/10

Maybe it's time for Ben Wheatley to just quit before entering Hollywood hack territory much like past fallen auteurs have. His latest bust is an incompetently-made COVID-themed (though that gets ignored after the first ten minutes) horror film where a pair of moronic campers are taken in by a photographer who turns out to be insane and stumble onto a conspiracy involving a local legend. The film makes almost no sense at all, with entire sections taken from films such as The Blair Witch Project and Midsommar, and the shoddy cinematography makes the film look like it was made fifteen years earlier, back when digital cameras were still using tapes. The end result felt like one of those shot-over-a-weekend amateur films designed to trick people into thinking they were renting the next Friday the 13th movie.

But somehow, it's not Wheatley's worst film (that goes to Free Fire). But anyway, it might be time to eulogize Wheatley's once-promising career.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Another Round 5/10

The likely winner of the Oscar for Best International Feature Film is underwhelming, overrated, and simply feels like an apology to those who found The Hunt too dark and depressing. The premise is as one-joke as you can get, four people who test a hypothesis by seeking happiness through near-eternal drunkenness, and the end result feels less like a feel-good, thought-provoking story and more like a ripoff of The Hangover or some dumb American bro comedy. There is something here that might have made for a better movie but I simply felt cold as I couldn't develop much empathy for these people.

At least Mads Mikkelsen's next film looks quite good.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

My Octopus Teacher 5/10

How did this win an Oscar? Sure, the underwater photography is quite fascinating but it's less about the octopus and more a vanity project for Craig Foster, who is to nature what Mark Cousins is to film: a narcissist whose love for the octopus borders on bestial. Foster is uninteresting and with a grating voice, the antithesis of David Attenborough, but we're forced to sympathize with his rather than the octopus. There is more focus on him rather than what we're led to believe is the subject and that really hurts the documentary. Otherwise, it's nothing you haven't seen before in various Disney and Discovery Channel documentaries.

Netflix had to have bought this Oscar. Because in no way is this better than Time or Collective or even Crip Camp.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

The Mitchells vs. the Machines 2/10

If angry boomers made an animated feature, this would be the result. This overly chaotic and long Netflix film is nothing more than a "technology is evil" tract with stereotypical characters and a tired theme where family should be put first. But if this were your family, you'd eagerly anticipate the robot apocalypse. Hard pass.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Happy Happy Joy Joy - The Ren and Stimpy Story 8/10

Part celebration, part expose, this documentary covers the rise and fall of The Ren and Stimpy Show and its creator, John K. Though for the most part of a well-made documentary, I did take some issues with its depiction of John K. in a positive light when the documentary shows otherwise. I also felt the documentary could have focused more on Robyn Byrd and her relationship with John that led to his career ending. But ultimately, I appreciate that the documentary opens up and destroys the myths about John being this brilliant artist that defies criticism that have been created by a gullible animation fan community that will believe anything just to push a narrative. It's that it could have been more.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

User avatar
Buscemi2
Mad Max
Posts: 6664
Joined: July 25th, 2017, 9:13 pm
Location: Neither here nor there.

Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

The Truffle Hunters 8/10

Interesting documentary focusing on truffle hunters and their dogs in the Italian forests, seeking day and night for the most prized truffles, as well as the people they encounter. The reason to watch this documentary is for the human aspect of the story, why the hunters do it and the relationships with their dogs. The dogs are more than just pets, they are equal partners in this journey. I actually wished we got to see more of them but I can't complain.
It's like what Lenin said...I am the walrus.

Post Reply