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 »

The Little Stranger 8/10

Worthy follow-up to Room from Lenny Abrahamson involving a doctor (Domnhall Gleeson looking like a younger Donald Sutherland), a well-off but fading family, and a manor that may or may not be haunted. But I can see why the film was such a flop this weekend. Universal had a hard time marketing this film. Choosing to focus on the supernatural elements, those do not really kick in until the last half. If anything, it's more of a romantic drama focusing on class divide in post-war England and the protagonist stuck between his past and trying to form a future that gradually stands on shaky ground. This has one of Gleeson's better performances but I thought the stand-out was Ruth Wilson as the object of Gleeson's affection. Her character, multi-dimensional and able to stand on her own, carries the film and allows it to go past your typical ghost story or Anglophile lovefest.

In short, it's an interesting film but it's going to have many detractors expecting The Conjuring instead of Phantom Thread with an apparition.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Searching 7.5/10
The feature length debut from Annesh Chagnaty is a well-constructed mystery thriller with some very interesting observations about the complex parent/child dynamic in the digital age, subsquent lengths parents will go to protect their kids from harm, etc. and a pretty clever 3rd-act twist that I honestly didn't see coming. On the downside, its (relatively) grounded nature largely keeps it from being super tense and the acting outside of John Cho's pretty terrific turn in the lead role isn't particuarly good.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Meg 8/10

Jason Statham takes on a giant shark is more like the international star-studded extravaganzas of the 1970's than the camp that people are bound to expect based on the promotional material. It's also relentlessly fun and surprisingly violent for its PG-13 rating. Sure, there might be too many characters for this kind of story and it's not all that original (sure, it's based on a book but also a lot of the elements of Jaws show up here) but the set pieces and visual effects really show off the big budget this film had.

Another happy ending for a long-in-development hell film. I wouldn't be surprised to see The Meg 2 happen at this point.
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numbersix
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by numbersix »

Movie roundup time

Blackkklansman: 6/10
Gotta disagree with Boosch on this one. It's a good story, but weakened by poor editing, over-indulgences, a heavy-handed epilogue, and OTT references to Trump and his neo-Nazi followers. The film works best when it's trying to be a fun caper about a black cop infiltrating the KKK. There's some poor editing, odd score choices, and a slightly under-developed lead character, but when it works it's entertaining.

The Guilty: 7/10
Simple but incredibly effective thriller about a cop who's busted down to answering Emergency 911 phone calls. One particular call involves a woman being kidnapped, so the ex-cop goes beyond protocol to help rescue her. All told from his office, what starts as a taut thriller becomes a more meaningful drama about guilt and responsibility. An impressive debut film.

Border: 7/10
Incredibly odd but memorable film based on a book by the author of Let the Right One in. In a way, this is another twisted love story. This time, a rather unattractive border guard who can literally smell the fear from passing passengers, realises that she may not be just a normal person, especially when a man passes her that she can't help but be deeply drawn to. To explain any more would ruint he experience, but it's a sort of bizarre grounded fairy tale.

U- July 22
A retelling of the Anders Brevik attack that left dozens of teens shot dead. Here, the film follows the POV of one girl as the attack happens, and as she and her fellow teens try to run from an armed terrorist on a tiny island where hiding is virtually impossible. Unlike elephant, which at times teases motive, this is more about being immersed in a sickeningly disturbing scenario. It's powerful, although has little else to say. It will be interesting to compare this with Paul Greengrass's Netflix film, which deals more with the aftermath.

Mom and Dad: 5/10
A fun but forgettable comedy horror in which adults go crazy and start murdering their children. There's a good pace and both Selma Blair and Nic Cage are great as the posh but disstisfied parents who become psycho killers. But it doesn't quite justify its already short running time.

Diamantino: 5/10
Another strange film, this time a Portuguese comedy based on a Ronaldo-like footballer who loses an important game afther the death of his father. His manager sisters conspire to clone his brain ina process that may kill him, while an anti-fraud agent pretends to be a teen refugee that the footballer adopts. It's a very silly film, perhaps too much so if it's trying to be satirical.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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I had no idea what Mom & Dad was trying to be. This was hyped as the ultimate Cage gone crazy fest and it was said to be this big dark comedy but the end result was basically a less ridiculous version of Cell (that dreadful movie Stephen King co-wrote where cell phones make people zombies). It's one of those films that so desperately wants to be a cult film but doesn't work at all. But I'm sure that the guy in our local Film Club who requests nothing but these kinds of movies (he won't stop asking for Summer of '84 and Let the Corpses Tan) loved it.

Anyway...

Whitney 9/10

Sobering documentary that is more or less 2018's Amy. Before this, I didn't know much about Whitney Houston's life and career but I feel like that I've learned quite a bit (I still need to see Nick Broomfield's documentary, which is supposed to be a much darker take). Her life might be one of the great American tragedies: someone who had all the talent and fame in the world but let the demons around her take over and lead her to an early demise. Kevin Macdonald makes the film in a way that he really gets us not only getting to know Whitney through interviews of those around her and home movies, but also weaves a lot of footage from the time frame with concert footage and interviews. The film at times is kind of like those time capsules you see on YouTube but with a big screen and a bombastic sound mix.

The documentary made me wish I'd paid more attention to Whitney's career and legacy.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Predator - 2/10

What a waste of time. Shane Black's ham-fisted attempt to broaden the Predator species' mythos falls flat on just about every level.

The original Predator was badass incarnate because the Predator himself was barely shown, the most unrepentant killing machine this side of The Terminator. His motives were clear, as were the unfortunates trying to survive. Predator 2 was still decent, attempting to recreate the tension of the original in an urban setting. Predators did a fair job recreating the tension of a small group of warriors from different backgrounds thrust into an "arena" of sorts with yet another of the creatures. (I won't even go into the AvP tie-ins.)

The Predator sucked in pretty much the same way Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom sucked - shadowy bad guys with hidden agendas who want to exploit alien technology. Sterling K. Brown's foul-mouthed baddie lacks any charisma at all, and Boyd Holbrook and his impromptu squandron of "loonies" tried way to hard to be silly without having any real depth. (The one exception was Thomas Jane, who actually had a few funny lines. I've always liked him, and it was good to see him again. He's the only reason this film didn't get a 1/10.)

The ending set up more possible sequels (natch), but I won't be seeing them. The magic is gone, the bloom is off the rose. Even Arnold couldn't save this turkey.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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A Simple Favor 7.5/10
An engaging, very well-acted mystery thriller with a dark comedy edge that falls just short of greatness. Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick both give career-best performances, the script does a pretty job of dealing with heavy subject matter while retaining a breezy tone and like he did with Spy, Paul Feig proves to be adept at directing a genre he didn't have any previous familiarity with. Overdone plot twists are sincerely the only thing that kept me from loving it. The surprise revelations get piled on such at an insane rate in the last third of the movie that it honestly becomes disorienting and as a result, the ending is pretty lame.
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Ron Burgundy
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Ron Burgundy »

Really?! 2/10. That totally sucks :(
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Operation Finale 7/10

Slight but interesting historical drama about the hunt for Adolf Eichmann. Some of the acting is quite good with the often hit-or-miss Oscar Isaac giving one of his better performances as the leader of the pursuit. And it was nice to see Melanie Laurent in another English-language film as it seems some of her films don't get big releases here. Even Haley Lu Richardson wasn't bad. The film however did feel a bit minor compared to other films of its subject and I'm not sure if that was because of the choice of director or because the actual events wouldn't really make for a big, crowd-pleasing studio film but there was a bit of a feeling that could have been a tad better. But it is important that filmmakers made more of these films before some of these events get forgotten in favor of the hate currently surrounding us in this world.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Mandy 8/10

Mission: Impossible - Fallout 8/10

Two movies over two hours seen back-to-back. But other than that, they have nothing in common.

The first one was better, a batty horror/revenge film where Nicolas Cage fights a Manson-like cult of Jesus freaks after the murder of his girlfriend. The film is very graphic (I can't say I'm surprised it was released unrated) and Panos Cosmatos creates an interesting visual flair that's seen in few films today, it seems like. Though Cage got the attention, I think Andrea Riseborough gave the better performance. And this might be the first film I recall to have a character who has a knife for a penis.

The second was another stellar Mission: Impossible installment since the series' reinvention in recent years. Ghost Protocol is still my favorite entry but Christopher McQuarrie keeps things exciting in its near two-and-a-half-hour run time. And now I've realized that I want a Mission: Impossible movie told from Luther's point of view.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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A Simple Favor - 1/10

If it weren't for the Gabrielle Union opposite-Home-Alone remake, this would be the worst movie of the year. Overacting by everyone, a terribly cliche plot that has terrible "surprises", and plain awful "comedy" inserted randomly that takes away any suspense.

And I don't know if Paul Feig really wants to be a fashion designer or what, but the outfits he puts on Blake Lively are absolutely ridiculous. Sure, she and Anna both look great, but it's nowhere near reality. Sure, a PR VP would walk around a graveyard in what looks like something straight off the Gucci runway show.

This movie is incredibly dumb and I feel like it's an insult to both Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.
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Buscemi2
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Anna Kendrick's never been a good actor to begin with. She's been able to get by on her singing ability but otherwise, she always seems to have the exact same expression, like she's about to gnaw on a piece of cheese.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by undeadmonkey »

Anna Kendrick was fantastic in Up in the Air. Though i will admit she hasn't stepped up to that level since

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

The Bookshop 7/10

Stellar performances from Emily Mortimer and Bill Nighy elevate your typical PBS Masterpiece/Alamo Drafthouse Afternoon Tea fare to something a bit more. Though an adaptation, the concept of a village bookshop being used as the concept of a personal turned legal battle between a lonely widow and a well-off figure with political ties is an original one for the screen. It's certainly not the kind of film you'd see a studio making (which may explain why it had a hard time getting a domestic release). Isabel Coixet has made better films but it's a well-directed piece that rewards the patient filmmaker and makes for a good lazy Sunday afternoon watch.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Night School 2/10

Six writers (including the star) combined to write this laughless comedy where Kevin Hart has to return to school after an incident at his old job leaves him unemployed and broke. The problem with this film is that this needed to be a raunchy ensemble comedy, not a neutered star vehicle focused on a single character that we're supposed to feel sorry for really can't as many of his problems are from his own undoing. Some of the other dropouts have interesting stories but are so underdeveloped that they are a step above one-dimensional. A better film would have allowed Mary Lynn Rajskub to steal the show as the promotional material promised. A better film would have done something with the teenage girl who does code and understands physics. And a better film would have given the tacked-on villain plot a reason to exist (you just know that guy did some awful things to children with the bat).

Instead, we get another film that gets people to become even more annoyed with Hart's exposure and wastes the potential of Tiffany Haddish. Haddish could be the generation's version of Lily Tomlin but chooses to redo her character from Girls Trip again and again. She can play restrained.

The only other positive I can say is that it's a better comedy than The Happytime Murders.
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