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 »

I saw The Killing of a Sacred Deer a little under two months ago, calling it the film Prisoners should have been. I also found it more of a critique of the traditional middle American family than a horror film.

I also asked a question that no one answered as I had been the only one here to see it. I'll repost it as it's been buried by other reviews.

Who do you think Martin really is? I came up with four possibilities. 1. He is the Angel of Death or maybe even Death himself, taking the appearance of an unassuming teenager while his mother was another fallen angel or avatar. 2. He is a demon and so is his mother. 3. Martin was an alter ego of Kim and only the family could see the surviving Langs. However, the father was real. 4. They're ghosts that died in the car accident that killed Martin's father.
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Ron Burgundy
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Ron Burgundy »

i thought option 1 for sure

the other possibility, though less plausible since nothing of it was seen: is that he made a deal with the devil after his father's death
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numbersix
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by numbersix »

There is no answer to your questions, Boosch. You can come up with infinite ideas but the film is intentionally ambiguous.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

I wouldn't say that. I'm sure the director has an intent, whether on paper or in his mind. Otherwise, you wouldn't have much of a story or a drive.

Meanwhile, I find it hilarious that the film has a 2/5 rating on Amazon. It seems like people who rate things on Amazon (usually the same kinds of people who will comment on anything and everything and it's usually how everyone sucks but them) hate any media that makes them think (I seem to recall these types loved that anti-vaxxer propaganda film as that thing has more ratings than a lot of the Amazon Originals).
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

All the Money in the World 3/10

The last-minute casting of Christopher Plummer can't rescue Ridley Scott's latest from being a dull, uninteresting film that bites off way more than it can chew. Instead of focusing on Paul Getty's ordeal, most of the film chooses to focus on the uninteresting subplot on getting the ransom. I have no idea why anyone at Sony thought that Michelle Williams would compete for an Oscar because this might be the worst performance she's ever given, with her attempt at an East Coast accent being all over the place. Mark Wahlberg is hopelessly miscast and much of the script feels like a Simpsons episode played completely straight, as J. Paul Getty is written less as Scrooge (yes, a character Plummer just played) and more as Mr. Burns. Timothy Hutton might have improved the film but he's only given three scenes to do anything. Behind the camera, the film is a dull blue the whole time (looking less like the 70's and more like Scott forgot to give proper color correction) and the score doesn't fit. Incredibly, the film might have been much worse had the original cut been released with the Spacey footage (mainly in his death scene, where things would have quickly gotten uncomfortable knowing the circumstances of what Spacey did).

This is the fourth Scott film in a row that I didn't like and seems to suggest I should just give up on him. It also suggested that his brother's Man on Fire is the best film inspired by the Getty kidnapping.
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Buscemi2
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Downsizing 9/10

I fail to see why people hate this film so much. This is the rare case of a studio-made sci-fi film actually being smart and focusing on humanity's effect on the world instead of resorting to the typical cliches. Maybe audiences were expecting the wacky comedy the trailers promoted instead of feeling bad for themselves (which they should as film shouldn't reward the audience's narcissism). But interestingly, despite the themes, it also has a feel-good aspect that works to the film's advantage and makes it more rewarding than most of the mass market Christmas entries this year. The view of the future Alexander Payne has created is an interesting one that is more rooted in classic sci-fi than today's "military vs. aliens" premise that overpopulates American cinema but with some sleek and colorful production design. And though Matt Damon is top-billed, the real star is Hong Chau's breakout performance as a Vietnamese activist turned cleaning lady whose tireless work helping others helps our main character at his lowest point. The film runs over two hours but with a few small dragging points, feels a lot shorter. The tone may shift often but personally, I don't think that's a bad thing. It's better to be a rollercoaster than a Los Angeles commute to work.

In the end, another victim of a poorly-thought release campaign that deserves attention.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Shrykespeare »

Enjoy your rave reviews, Boosh. It seems like everything you watch either gets a 2, a 3, or a 9. (The last 9 before this one was Coco, I believe.)

What was your last 10, out of curiosity? And your last 1/10?
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

I've given some 6's and 7's (those are usually reserved for movies that are watchable but aren't quite 8 level, couldn't find very many of those this year) and 4 and 5's not so often (I don't have a high threshold for disappointment or crap), I admit. A 2 is usually me finding one redeemable quality (maybe I'll like an actor or some ideas or praise the technicals) and a 3 is when I find two or three redeemable qualities. Sometimes, I'll absolutely detest a film but love the music. Thankfully, you can separate a score from the film via a CD or MP3 so I'll still give the film a 1 despite listenable music (an example is 2011's Priest, awful film but great score).

My thresholds tend to be 2/3's and 8/9's, with some 6/7's mixed in. I don't like to give 1's but sometimes, you just have to. Meanwhile, a good 10 is hard to find.

My last 10 was Your Name and my last 1 was The Disaster Artist (great book but the movie deviated too far from both it and the facts and became another Franco egofest).
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Shrykespeare »

I watched Valerian on the flight from the US to the Philippines. I enjoyed it very much. I give it 8/10. The visuals were stunning. I really didn't care for Dane DeHaan, but I loved Chloe Delevingne.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by transformers2 »

CHIEN-ESQUE REVIEW DUMP TIME:
The Shape of Water 8/10
Guillermo Del Toro is the only director on the planet that is capable of making a movie about a woman falling in love with a mysterious sea monster this warm and moving. The specifics of the plot are often nonsensical (Secret government projects! Russian spies! Regular people committing elaborate kidnapping jobs!), but the stunning visuals/production design, excellent acting (Sally Hawkins should be a strong contender for Best Actress) and del Toro's unrivaled knack for creating magical, fairy tale-esque atmospheres makes The Shape of Water a captivating, completely unique viewing experience.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi 7/10
his holiday season's most controversial movie left me in a state of relative indifference. In its attempts to distance itself from the "IT'S A RETREAD OF THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY" complaints that surrounded The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi ends up feeling like a soulless product of Disney focus groups. Cringeworthy, out-of-place Marvel-esque humor, "cute" creatures that seem like they're only there for merchandising purposes (the kids of the world need a plush toy to snuggle with after all) and a collection of shoddily-constructed story arcs that purposely go out of their way to disregard a vast majority of the events of The Force Awakens make the proceedings of this film feel almost comically inorganic. The Last Jedi's savior from reaching Phantom Menace/Rogue One-levels of tedium comes in the form of its terrific action sequences and the performances of Daisy Ridley as Rey (aka the only protagonist that remains interesting this time around), Adam Driver as the moody, conflicted Kylo Ren and Mark Hamill as an emotionally-and-physically drained Luke Skywalker. It'll be very interesting to see how J.J. Abrams goes about closing out this trilogy.

Bright 8/10
After spending much of the last two years building an original film library centered around quirky indie fare and Adam Sandler comedies, Netflix has successfully dove into the world of blockbusters with the deliriously entertaining Bright. David Ayer's latest project turns his signature gritty LA-based cop movies on its head with an injection of fantasy mythology. Adding orcs, elves and magic into a movie about a pair of constantly-clashing police officers (Will Smith and Joel Edgerton, who have one hell of a rapport) could've easily turned this into a jumbled mess, but the mythology is so interesting and well-realized that it seamlessly fits into and bolsters the police procedural part of the story. Hopefully the success of Bright will help Netflix emerge as an oasis for filmmakers to make experimental, unsanitized blockbusters without having to deal with the burden of profit-conscious studio heads meddling with the final product.

I, Tonya 9/10
Making an unbiased biopic about a controversial figure like Tonya Harding is no easy task, but director Craig Gillespie and writer Steven Rodgers pulled it off beautifully with the sensational I, Tonya. Gillespie, Rodgers and their actors led by Margot Robbie in a career-best performance treat Harding as the human being that the 24-hour news cycle never bothered to. While I, Tonya certainly doesn't bury the former figure skating champion's slew of character flaws, the film does an excellent job of detailing who Harding truly was underneath all of the negative media attention as well the extent of her involvement with the Nancy Kerrigan knee-clubbing incident that derailed her career. This boldly objective point of view combined with a sharp, clever script that delicately weaves bursts of dark comedy into Harding's largely tragic backstory and awards-caliber work from all four of its primary actors (Robbie, Allison Janney, Sebastian Stan, newcomer Paul Walter Hauser) makes I, Tonya a tour-de-force in fact-based filmmaking.

Pitch Perfect 3 7.5/10
Was Pitch Perfect 3 a necessary sequel? Probably not. Did that fact prevent me from having a good time with it? Not at all. The immense likability of its ensemble cast, another round of rousing musical numbers and a surprisingly heartwarming climax is enough for the final installment of this unlikely smash hit franchise to overcome its smaller volume of laughs and a bizarre, completely off-brand subplot involving Fat Amy's criminal father (John Lithgow, rocking a weak-ass Australian accent).
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numbersix
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by numbersix »

Funnily enough, the more I think about The Last Jedi the more I like it. Maybe I'm just cherry picking the things I liked and am ignoring the length, but in many ways it's a great "fuck you" to The Force Awakens, undoing some things it set up, including the legacy of certain characters and the heritage of others. For what it's worth, almost everything about Luke Skywalker was great and the fanboy backlash about his character is nonsense - Luke was always naive and it makes sense that his naivety caused his undoing of his good intentions (not spoiling anything here, this was all mentioned in TFA).

Sure, I didn't like the amount of subplots involving the rebels, and splitting Rey and Finn was perhaps the biggest mistake in the film (mostly because Rey was left to the side for way too long), but it's interesting to make a film like this about failure and desperation. I think folks will look back and appreciate the bravery of its themes and decisions, because there's no way JJ's Part 9 will do anything besides service the fanboys.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by JohnErle »

I had 10 days off work over Christmas, so I was able to catch up on some movies I'd missed over the past year. Here's some capsule reviews, from best to worst.

Get Out – I'm not sure the racial themes really hold up to scrutiny, but it's massively entertaining, clever, and full of surprises if you've managed to stay spoiler-free. I think the climax would have worked better if it had been more about rich vs. poor than black vs. white. You can't make a movie where the bad guys are Arab terrorists without throwing in one sympathetic Arab character, so it's a bit disappointing that every single white person in the movie turns out to be evil. Having one rich black family equally willing to exploit Chris would have made the big reveal much more complex and interesting. 9/10

Lady MacBeth – A memorable bodice-ripper that eventually morphs into a slow-burning thriller. Florence Pugh gives a wonderful, breakthrough performance. 8/10

Lucky – It's definitely an actors' movie, and plays out like a series of vignettes without much in the way of a plot. Actors like Tom Skerrit and Ed Begley Jr. each show up for one memorable scene, and I was pleasantly surprised to see James Darren in an important supporting role. Harry Dean Stanton is about as good as you could expect for a fragile 90 year old who died before the movie hit theatres, so it's a fitting swan song for the beloved character actor. 8/10

The Big Sick – I avoided this for a long time because of Zoe Kazan, who is the living embodiment of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Luckily she spends 2/3 of the movie in a coma, and The Big Sick is at its best when Kumail Nanjiani is trying to navigate an awkward situation with her parents, and deal with the cultural expectations of his own. For a movie based on real life it's surprisingly full of cliched rom-com plot points, but it's better than most rom-coms. 8/10

Kedi – A documentary about stray cats in Istanbul. For such a crowded metropolis, there's a surprising number of stray cats underfoot in every shop, market, and back alley. It doesn't dig deep enough into what makes Istanbul's relationship with stray cats unique, but the cat's eye POV cams and interviews with cat lovers does provide a nice snapshot of the type of person capable of forging a strong bond with animals, and shows the distinct personalities of the felines in their lives. 7/10

A Dark Song - An effective debut horror film, even if the scary bits are a disappointing array of images lifted from a Silent Hill video game. There's an interesting dynamic in the first hour when we think the occult expert might simply be an exploitative con artist/burgeoning cult leader taking advantage of a desperate, grieving mother. I felt the main character was underdeveloped, and the performance a bit one note, but it does pretty well with what I assume was a very limited budget. 6/10

Downsizing – A movie full of fascinating ideas presented in the dullest way imaginable. The movie gets too caught up in the details of how downsizing works and how it affects society while falling well short in the human element. It's like listening to an academic with no ability to engage an audience deliver an important but tedious speech. Structurally it's a mess too, with characters who are so important in the beginning suddenly disappearing, never to be heard from again, and characters who are integral to the climax aren't even introduced until the movie is an hour old. Maybe it should have been a Netflix series where these ideas could have been explored more fully and the main character could have been given some personality. 5/10

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by undeadmonkey »

At the moment, i think The Last Jedi is my favorite Star Wars film

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

Post by W »

I thought Downsizing would have played much better as a series as well. It’s also like they made Damon’s character so cardboard they decided to go all out on the main character that appears halfway through. It’s pretty scattered tonally going from comedy to hitting you over the head in 2.3 seconds.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

Post by Buscemi2 »

Personally, I think some movies need to hit you over the head, violently and multiple times even. Society as a whole has become so narcissistic that if you do things subtly, it ends up getting ignored in favor of "did you see that explosion?" or "it would be cool if I could do that and get away with it". Look at the typical sci-fi film nowadays. So many of those are blatant anti-immigration propaganda pieces but they make money because they aren't subtle and appeal to those who can't think outside of what the media tells them to think. Meanwhile, a film like District 9 goes for an anti-racism message (whether it was successful is a matter of debate) but said message gets overshadowed to most audiences in favor of shit blowing up.

We kind of need to do that because it's already being done, just not in the way we wish it could be done.

And Downsizing wouldn't have worked as a Netflix series. It would simply feel like a Fox series where people say fuck a lot that ends up getting overpraised because it's on Netflix.
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