Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

The final trailer actually does credit Lord & Miller with the screenplay. Seeing how difficult of a production it was, it's possible they were brought back to salvage the project.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Cold War

Slightly disappointing after all the hype. The preview easily shows the best parts of the movie. The cinematography and acting is great (particularly from Joanna Kulig and Boryz Szyc). The music is a mixed bag, the standout easily being "Two Hearts" which is the song featured in the trailer. On a more negative note, the dialogue is very stilted, and the leads have no real chemistry. The sound mix is also ear shatteringly loud.

7 out of 10

Glass

I can definitely see why this movie is so divisive. It is one that's very hard to review, but personally I found it to be an ambitious failure. It doesn't effect the way I see the first two films, however. The acting is amazing, especially from James McAvoy, who is even better than he was in Split. My main problem with the film is the Shyamalan-standard twist. Having Sarah Paulsonbe a leader of an anti-superhero Illuminati-esque group is almost as bad as The Village's ending. Having their group being caught by Mr. Glass and him using the others as pawns was interesting, however.

4 out of 10
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Glass 6/10

The third installment of the Unbreakable/Split franchise doesn't really do anything new but it's not bad at retreading it either. I feel that a lot of the problem was that the film was promoted as this big Infinity War/Batman v. Superman-like crossover but it's more of a slow burn in the tone of the first film. And the funny thing is that is when the film is at its best. With the exception of Sarah Paulson's lispy performance, the film going into the psychological details of being a superhero or supervillain is rather interesting. The action sequences are a bit underwhelming but that's not really what it's about.

I did love that the Hooters guy from Split came back. I hope M. Night makes a comedy about him one of these days.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part 2/10

It's just the first film without any of the charm or inventiveness. Instead, we get more references, various lifts from other and better films, overlong musical numbers, and a misogyny streak that shows that other animation companies are still far behind Pixar. I believe a lot of the problem lay in the long production time, as this is a definite case of too many cooks in the kitchen (both the many screenwriters and directors attached and focus groups wanting their ideas). Also, the Planet Duplo idea was barely utilized as it was decided the plot needed to jump ahead five years. And yet in that time, Emmet is still as stupid as ever. The only good part was the end credits, which used stop-motion again,

I'll be surprised if this does as well as the first. The adults dug it more than the kids at the preview I attended and that was mainly due to the Bruce Willis cameo.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Kid Who Would Be King 7/10
Respectable modern reimagining of the King Arthur story. While it definitely could've benefited from a shorter runtime and smoother action scenes, its sprawling narrative, relatively charismatic group of teenage leads and heaping helping of Goonies-esque cheese made this a nice little adventure movie.

Serenity 7/10
What starts off as a run-of-the-mill campy sex thriller turns into something MUCH stranger thanks to a twist that is so fucking insane and unexpected that I can't help but respect the hell out of it. How Steven Knight was able to convince people to fund/star in this loopy mess is genuinely astonishing.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse - 8.5/10

Really enjoyed this. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I have to hand it to Lord Miller for taking Spidey in a direction they could never have gone with live action. The comic-book feel was prevalent and welcome, and DAMN if they didn't make Gwen Stacy effing HOT. The characters looked so real I almost fogot they were cartoons (except the weird-looking characters, of course). And how cool that Nic Cage got to voice Spider-Man B/W. Nice bit of casting.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Stan & Ollie 8/10

It's a mystery why this film got so little awards attention. The fact that it's a show business movie plus the strength of John C. Reilly's performance (plus the time and effort it took to transform him into Oliver Hardy) should have gotten more notice from voters. But it deserves more attention than other failed Oscar bait. In addition to Reilly's performance, Steve Coogan again shows his ability to do dramatic acting well and director Jon S. Baird is able to balance out the drama with recreations of the Laurel & Hardy bits. It might even give you a newfound appreciation for the original masters.

Burning 10/10

You don't see mystery stories like this one in the US. Part love story, part neo-noir, and part commentary on the world's apathy and ills, the film is much like Terrence Malick and David Lynch had a secret love child that grew up in South Korea. The characters feel real and not like idealized cliches typically seen in films with this age group and none of them are perfect. In fact, the film makes so many turns that even if you know the outcome, you still remain unsure of what to believe. And I never realized that Steven Yeun could act this well.

It's a damn shame this was not nominated for an Oscar. Was the Academy just too enamored with Alfonso Cuaron being boring again?
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Ron Burgundy »

Good reviews u lot, reading up here about unseen movies means much more than a quick % check on RT.com

Im really interested in seeing Stan and Ollie. Ill prob have to see Burning now too.

Did not expect to hear that about Serenity, so my interest has shot up with that one.

Sad that Lego 2 sounds like a skip but at least we have Spidey man to watch Lord and Miller.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Buscemi2 wrote:Stan & Ollie 8/10

It's a mystery why this film got so little awards attention. The fact that it's a show business movie plus the strength of John C. Reilly's performance (plus the time and effort it took to transform him into Oliver Hardy) should have gotten more notice from voters. But it deserves more attention than other failed Oscar bait. In addition to Reilly's performance, Steve Coogan again shows his ability to do dramatic acting well and director Jon S. Baird is able to balance out the drama with recreations of the Laurel & Hardy bits. It might even give you a newfound appreciation for the original masters.

Burning 10/10

You don't see mystery stories like this one in the US. Part love story, part neo-noir, and part commentary on the world's apathy and ills, the film is much like Terrence Malick and David Lynch had a secret love child that grew up in South Korea. The characters feel real and not like idealized cliches typically seen in films with this age group and none of them are perfect. In fact, the film makes so many turns that even if you know the outcome, you still remain unsure of what to believe. And I never realized that Steven Yeun could act this well.

It's a damn shame this was not nominated for an Oscar. Was the Academy just too enamored with Alfonso Cuaron being boring again?
Hope Burning is more Lynch than Malick...
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Sisters Brothers: 6/10
By the time you hit the ending of this film, you're going to feel very unfulfilled. And then you remember it's a Audiard film, who arguably has never had a traditionally satisfying conclusion to any of his films (Dheepan is the only exception). So while this sprawling narrative may feel ambling, the real pleasure is in the characterisation of two bounty-hunter brothers who bite off more than they can chew as they go to murder a chemist who crossed their employer. All 4 main cast members are excellent, but Audiard's English-language debut doesn't quite hold together as well as his other films.

One Cut Of the Dead: 5/10
A rather silly and lighthearted Japanese zombie film. Or at least it is at the start as a film crew are attacked by zombies and shambolically try to escape. The film is more a gentle nod to the fun and frolics of independent film-making rather than a true horror film in itself.

The Rider: 6/10
Stories of those living in the fading wild west of America are the same as those set in UK council flats: they're both poverty porn cliches. Chloe Zhao's film just about manages to avoid being drab. Despite awkwardly casting real people playing themselves (there's a documentary-like campfire story scene that confuses reality from fiction in a very clunky manner), the film manages to be both observational while also having a complete story. It's a very quiet movie with a decent ending.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The Standoff at Sparrow Creek 2/10

Dumb neo-Western where a bunch of moronic rednecks in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan hole themselves in their headquarters to find out who shot up a bunch of cops. The film desperately wants to be like Assault on Precinct 13 and The Hateful Eight but doesn't have the intelligence or story to do so. The script is wordy but has little to say, the cinematography is way too dark, and the twist is a total cop-out. The film runs under 90 minutes but has maybe 20 minutes of actual story. The rest is watching a bunch of idiots bicker about things.

Movies like this one are seemingly why the fast forward button was invented.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Destroyer 8/10

I'm sure this one has divided audiences over its style and not exactly being like the trailers (said trailers also give away much of the last third). But it's another interesting throwback to 70's crime dramas while Nicole Kidman disappearing into the role of an undercover detective who gets too far into her job. The action is brutal, the story is interesting, and the end result is thankfully not an aural assault that leaves you cold. This isn't Aeon Flux-era Karyn Kusama.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Velvet Buzzsaw

Strange follow-up to Nightcrawler that feels somewhat dissatisfying. The film definitely starts off well, however. The acting is great, particularly from (Dan) Gilroy-veterans Jake Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo. The film portrays a world that likely reflects the Brady Corbet-level pretentionism of the upscale art world. The art itself is well made, and the effects of the second half are very impressive. There are definitely some biting lines in the script. My main problem is that it doesn't stay on track long enough to make any real point other than "all art critics are pretentious assholes". The second half of the movie makes a turn into an avant-garte version of Final Destination, and feels tacked on after the stronger Christopher Guest-esque first half.

5 out of 10
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Shoplifters 9/10

Basically, it's Nagisa Oshima's Boy with an anime-like aesthetic. But despite the derivative premise, that doesn't mean it doesn't have its own charm and ideas. The girl who played Yuri is going to steal your heart. When she's not in the film, it slows down a bit. She's like a ray of sunshine on a bleak film with lower class people who have nowhere else to go but down but still have each other. I am noticed that you aren't seeing too many American filmmakers making films like this one. Instead, they are glamorizing the rich because conglomerates are too scared to show reality. That's another positive about this film. The characters are people that exist and perhaps know. It's reality and Kore-eda doesn't sugar coat it.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Shoplifters seems to be one of 2018s must sees.

Bohemian Rhapsody
First let me be clear, i really wanted Sacha Baron Cohen for the role of Freddie Mercury. That said, i dont think it really mattered in the end.
Rami Malek plays Mercury and does well, i still think they didnt delve deep enough into his struggles pre-Live Aid. I have many questions still. And the final stanza at Live Aid was a nice cap off, but Queen didnt end there, and Mercury only dies years later.
The other thing is that i heard the script was re-written because Brian May and Co didnt like it how there was not enough of the other members of the band- too much Freddie. Which caused Sacha Baron Cohen to drop out.
Ok- then why did the whole film still revolve around Freddie? What the first script without any of the Queen band mates in roles with lines? This irriates me.
Overall though, i enjoyed it, Bryan Singer directed well, with energy. Gave some characters some depth in the limited development time.
6.5/10

The Favourite
I loved The Lobster, didnt mind The Killing of a Sacred Deer. So when i found out this was showing straight after the film ^, i had to try see this.
It was pretty good. The set design and costumes, those things immediately impressed me with how real it looked, you could almost feel the atmosphere of smells and sights. Then the story, it gathers steam fast and deliberate, setting up each main character giving them a proper personality, i liked that. In a world from a few hundred years ago, you knew straight away there arent many 'nice and comfortable' jobs.
Emma Stone stumbles into the Queens estate, where her cousin is first maid to the Queen.
I dont want to go into details to much, but a little battle of wits between the cousins ensues. An thats the movie in a nut shell. But the characters actions and re actions are so fun to watch and sometimes nobody can guess what happens next.
Good fun, good performances, good direction. Solid movie.
8/10
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Vox Lux: 5/10
There are some great scenes in this film, which charts two important eras in a pop star's life, but they don't amount to much else. Is the main character meant to be a quintessential millennium, both talented and irresponsible? This film wants to be intellectual but becomes frustratingly indulgent, what with the Lar-Von-Trier-esque voice-over and the 20 minute concert conclusion. Wish I had seen this before I picked it up for my Full Year draft.

Green Book: 5/10
I'm not sure if I should call this Oscar-bait. Even some Oscar bait has a message and tension (even the one-note 12 Years A Slave). This is the opposite. It's like one of those low-calorie chocolate bars - utterly innoculous and you've forgotten about it the moment you finish. Supposed to be a film abour race relations, it sets up a racist Italian-Ameircan who becomes a driver for an Africa-American pianist. Only the racist isn't racist at all, it seems, nor is he a homophobe (despite the NY Italians still having issues with coming out). It's all so easy that I've literally no idea what the film is trying to say. It doesn't seem to want to say anything, and instead keep us going with some light comedy (some of which clashes with this supposedly being a drama).

Destroyer: 6/10
The only thing different about this cop thriller is that the weary, exhausted cop who takes a case personally is actually a woman. Everything else is pretty much familiar territory. Karyn Kasuma admittedly directs some of the key sequences, including an interception of a bank job, with brilliance. But we're ahead of the plot most of the way and Kidman's make-up and performance are quite exaggerated for what should be a more down-to-earth thriller. But it's watchable overall.

Velvet Buzzsaw:4/10
A camp, ridiculous, unscary and obvious horror that tries to poke fun at an industry that everyone person ont he planet knows is both cut-throat and pretentious. It would have been more subversive to have a character who genuinely cares about art. Instead, Jake Gyllenahaal is awful as a bisexual art critic who gets embroiled in the discovery of a brilliant artist who was also a madman wielding a curse. What we get is an extended episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark that thinks its intelligent. Someone should satirise Dan Gilroy instead, for his pretentious exceeds even this nonsense. Go watch The Square instead.
Last edited by numbersix on February 25th, 2019, 6:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

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