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 »

Widows 3/10

Steve McQueen tried to make a David O. Russell film out of Tony Scott's oeuvre and the end result really does not work. Despite the promise of a big heist, it takes far too long to get there and the end result is a confused mess with a series of cliches as characters. McQueen's penchant for long takes doesn't work for this kind of film and a lot of it simply isn't believable (I spent more time focused on how a young woman of 6'3" with the body of a supermodel is struggling to get by instead of being an internationally recognized figure rather than the twist, which was previously done by an episode of American Dad and even then, it sucked). And Gillian Flynn is a hack. She might be the last person who should be writing about the rougher parts of Chicago (even though she lives there). Lastly, why the hell is Jacki Weaver doing an impression of Melissa Leo's character from The Fighter? Her scenes felt like they were in a different movie (less so with Robert Duvall, whose character is also kind of pointless).

It's hilarious that McQueen called this his dream project. I get that he wanted to do something a bit lighter but he didn't have to piss the bed while dreaming up the project.

The Favourite 4/10

The leads are good and there are a lot of cute and fuzzy bunnies. But the end result just feels like a watered-down version of something Ken Russell or Pier Paolo Pasolini did better in the 70's. The problem for me is that it's too focused in these not particularly interesting royals. At times, it even felt like The Death of Stain but with women stabbing each other's back rather than men. Also, why does it look like half the movie is viewed through a peephole?

Maybe I'm not the target audience for this kind of film. I really don't understand the continued fascination with aristocracy when most people cannot actually relate to that lifestyle. I'm sure there many stories about commoners and the impoverished from that time frame that would be interesting but they choose not to tell them.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by silversurfer19 »

Buscemi2 wrote:Widows 3/10

Steve McQueen tried to make a David O. Russell film out of Tony Scott's oeuvre and the end result really does not work. Despite the promise of a big heist, it takes far too long to get there and the end result is a confused mess with a series of cliches as characters. McQueen's penchant for long takes doesn't work for this kind of film and a lot of it simply isn't believable (I spent more time focused on how a young woman of 6'3" with the body of a supermodel is struggling to get by instead of being an internationally recognized figure rather than the twist, which was previously done by an episode of American Dad and even then, it sucked). And Gillian Flynn is a hack. She might be the last person who should be writing about the rougher parts of Chicago (even though she lives there). Lastly, why the hell is Jacki Weaver doing an impression of Melissa Leo's character from The Fighter? Her scenes felt like they were in a different movie (less so with Robert Duvall, whose character is also kind of pointless).

It's hilarious that McQueen called this his dream project. I get that he wanted to do something a bit lighter but he didn't have to piss the bed while dreaming up the project.
Not gonna lie, I actually enjoyed the new Oceans movie a hell of a lot more as a heist movie. At least there was some actual fun to the whole thing. After reading so many reviews praising the movie, its a relief to find some common company on here in finding an element of bemusement to the whole thing.

And I will be disappointed if The Favourite is as disappointing as you make out, I was very excited for it.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

I'm sure you'll like The Favourite. It just really didn't connect for me.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Screen203 »

silversurfer19 wrote:
Buscemi2 wrote:Widows 3/10

Steve McQueen tried to make a David O. Russell film out of Tony Scott's oeuvre and the end result really does not work. Despite the promise of a big heist, it takes far too long to get there and the end result is a confused mess with a series of cliches as characters. McQueen's penchant for long takes doesn't work for this kind of film and a lot of it simply isn't believable (I spent more time focused on how a young woman of 6'3" with the body of a supermodel is struggling to get by instead of being an internationally recognized figure rather than the twist, which was previously done by an episode of American Dad and even then, it sucked). And Gillian Flynn is a hack. She might be the last person who should be writing about the rougher parts of Chicago (even though she lives there). Lastly, why the hell is Jacki Weaver doing an impression of Melissa Leo's character from The Fighter? Her scenes felt like they were in a different movie (less so with Robert Duvall, whose character is also kind of pointless).

It's hilarious that McQueen called this his dream project. I get that he wanted to do something a bit lighter but he didn't have to piss the bed while dreaming up the project.
Not gonna lie, I actually enjoyed the new Oceans movie a hell of a lot more as a heist movie. At least there was some actual fun to the whole thing. After reading so many reviews praising the movie, its a relief to find some common company on here in finding an element of bemusement to the whole thing.

And I will be disappointed if The Favourite is as disappointing as you make out, I was very excited for it.
From what I have seen on here, I was probably the only one here who actually liked Widows.

And I hope that The Favorite is good. I really liked The Lobster.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Shrykespeare »

I liked Widows. Didn't love it, but I liked it. The cinematography was very interesting, and Viola Davis is good in just about everything (looking at you, Suicide Squad...)
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Shrykespeare wrote:I liked Widows. Didn't love it, but I liked it. The cinematography was very interesting, and Viola Davis is good in just about everything (looking at you, Suicide Squad...)
The performances in Widows were all great. In particular, Liam Neeson was good in a very against-type character.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Neeson isn't always the action star seen in Taken or his work with Jaume Collet-Serra. Watch Schindler's List or Love Actually.

Back to the reviews...

Can You Ever Forgive Me? 8/10

The best performance Melissa McCarthy has ever given. If she did more films like this one and less "in it for the money" roles like The Happytime Murders, McCarthy would be respected in the same way Kathy Bates is. Shelving her usual physical comedy formula, McCarthy plays Lee Israel as an abrasive, difficult figure who brings to mind a similar literary figure who was known for similar behavior, mystery novelist Patricia Highsmith (I also had to speculate if Israel had an undiagnosed mental illness much like Highsmith supposedly did). McCarthy also gets to show a knack at doing more sophisticated humor and maybe if she gets an Oscar nomination, she might get the opportunity to do more films of this kind. She's more capable than playing retreads of Megan from Bridesmaids.

Richard E. Grant is also really good as her partner-in-crime and his performance made me interested in watching Withnail & I again. He seems to have a knack for playing boozy, theatrical figures. Marielle Heller's direction is capable and is good at convincing the film that you are watching a film from 1991 rather than your typical nostalgia piece. It's also an interesting crime story that many viewers might not be familiar with.

In short, if you hate the typical McCarthy film, you will enjoy this one.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Buscemi2 wrote:Neeson isn't always the action star seen in Taken or his work with Jaume Collet-Serra. Watch Schindler's List or Love Actually.
True, but I think this is the first movie of his I've seen where he was one of the antagonists, if not the primary one.

As for Can You Ever Forgive Me, I found that somewhat overrated. McCarthy and E. Grant were great, but the film felt kind of dry. It was still a good movie, but I would not say it was as good as people have been saying. I'm a big fan of McCarthy (Bridesmaids is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I even enjoyed The Happytime Murders to an extent), and it was interesting to see her play such an unusual role in her filmography, however.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Got tickets to Roma on Tuesday at the only theater near me (which is still an hour away) Very exited to see it. :D
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Screen203 wrote:Got tickets to Roma on Tuesday at the only theater near me (which is still an hour away) Very exited to see it. :D
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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My message didn't appear. It was basically.. Lucky you. I wish there were cinema screenings of Netflix films in France..
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Chienfantome wrote:My message didn't appear. It was basically.. Lucky you. I wish there were cinema screenings of Netflix films in France..
Isn't this because it's against the law? Doesn't France have some kind of "film purity" law that makes it so you can't release things considered "television" in theaters? Or is that something else I'm thinking about?
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

My local arthouse is getting it on Friday. I still might pass as I'm not a fan of Cuaron.

And yes, another review...

The Guilty 9/10

Hollywood might need to learn a thing or two from Gustav Moller. This thriller is fast, intense, and knows how to do a twist. Told entirely from a single area of a dispatch center, the film brings to mind Steven Knight's Locke or maybe even Hitchcock's Rope. And Jakob Cedergren gives a very good performance as the dispatcher, a character that could have easily been generic but is given dimension by being just as flawed as the people he gets connected with. You will remain glued to the screen watching these events occur and seeing every new element that gets added just to make things more complicated.

See it before the inevitable English-language remake fails to get what was accomplished here.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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W wrote:
Chienfantome wrote:My message didn't appear. It was basically.. Lucky you. I wish there were cinema screenings of Netflix films in France..
Isn't this because it's against the law? Doesn't France have some kind of "film purity" law that makes it so you can't release things considered "television" in theaters? Or is that something else I'm thinking about?
In France films released in theatres have to wait 3 years to get a VOD/digital download release.

In other words, Netflix will never put a film in French cinemas.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Yeah, as soon as a film gets a theatrical release here, be it on 2 screens or on 1000, it cant be available on SVOD, aka on Netflix, before 32 months or something like That.
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