Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Lucky Grandma 9/10

Enjoyable dark comedy about a chain-smoking Chinatown grandmother who after finding her luck run out during an Atlantic City gambling binge, comes across a bag of money belonging to the mob. Now, she must protect herself as the wolves breathe down her neck. It's more original than your typical crime comedy and it goes into directions that you wouldn't normally expect. A fun ride and a nice diversion outside the box.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The King of Staten Island 8.5/10
Easily Judd Apatow's most subdued film to-date. While there are still plenty of laughs, this is more of a beautiful and heartfelt character study about a young man (a soul-bearing Pete Davidson) that finally starts to come to terms with the death of his father after his mother (Marisa Tomei) starts dating a fireman (Bill Burr-who CRUSHES in his most prominent acting role to-date). The script does a great job of building empathy for Davidson's character while also exposing how he weaponizes his pain to treat people who love him poorly and highlighting the roles the supporting characters (Tomei, Burr, Bel Powley as his longtime friend/casual sex partner, Maude Apatow as his forthright sister) play in aiding his steps towards growth. Kudos to Davidson for having the courage to share such a personal story with the world and to Apatow for displaying such a great sensitivity while aiding in the telling of it.

Da 5 Bloods 7.5/10
An endearing yet thoroughly scattershot and sometimes maddening concoction from Spike Lee. There was an opportunity to provide a story about the horrors of war from a perspective that's rarely been put on film (Red Tails and the criminally underrated Dead Presidents are the only films I can think of that centers around the experiences of Black soldiers) and Lee for some completely inexplicable reason shifts focus away from the tale of these 4 black soldiers returning to Vietnam to their showdowns with each other and outside forces to get the gold fortune they came back for out of the jungle in the last 90 minutes.

What's more aggravating is the commentary is mostly limited to some statistics (ex: during Vietnam: Blacks only made up 10% of the US population yet represented 33% of the soldiers on the frontlines) /shots at shitty American presidents (you probably can guess who) told through archival footage and exposition, and admittedly potent nods to the horrific reminders of the conflict that continue to plague the people of Vietnam today. Outside of Delroy Lindo's character's arc, the exploration of the damage the war did to the soldier's psyches is very minimal and the character development outside of Lindo and Clarke Peters' characters is stunningly thin (I'm not confident I could tell you anything about Isaiah Whitlock Jr's character outside of a heroic action he performs in the present day). Despite those sizable flaws, it's an entertaining film with some really tense sequences, a couple of great performances (Lindo, Peters) and enough flashes of real poignancy to make you aggravated that Lee didn't dig deeper.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Only the Animals: 6/10
Domink Moll's latest film may not have the strangeness of his previous work, but it's a solidly diverting story of a missing body, and how several different people with seemingly no connection are all involved. It's not so much clever, but rather well told.

The King of Staten Island: 6/10
Judd Apatow's film is, as per usual, overlong, but it still has enough heart and honesty to make it watchable. It's the kinda true story of comedian/actor Pete Davidson, here playing a young adult with no prospects who still isn't over the death of his fireman father. Like most Apatow films, the characters are likeable and the humour grounded, although it's Apatow's least comic film.

Da 5 Bloods: 6/10
I've realised that Spike Lee is generally both awful and great, usually in the same movie, often in the same scene. Here, the story of 4 Vietnam vets, all African American, return to the country to find the body of a missing friend and the gold buried with him. It's less a political film and more an action adventure. Yet he throws in inappropraite humour and then within seconds photos of actual children's crushed skulls, So what we've got is an incredibly unwieldy film, but there's enough good ideas in there.

The Vast of Night: 6/10
An accomplished debut film. Essentially a b-side to Close Encounters, it's about a radio DJ and a teenage phone operator who discover a strange sound, and embark on a journey to figure out what's going on. Made on a relatively low budget, it looks amazing and boasts some impressive dialogue, compensating for the messy narrative.

Shadow: 7/10
Zhang Yimou's latest is his best film since Hero. Like the 2004 film, it's another martial arts melodrama with a beautiful colour palette. This time it's a Shakespearean tale about a commander who betrays his king in order to reclaim a city lost to his enemies. But it turns out the commander is not who we think he is, leading to a story full of double-crossing. What's impressive is how all the main characters, heroes and villains, all feel somewhat well rounded. And the film, despite a few silly moments (umbrellas made of blades?) is stunning to watch.

Dating Amber
I can't rate it honestly as it's my friend's film, but this lovely film about two teens who pretend to be girlfriend and boyfriend to avoid being outed as gay, is genuinely a lovely film. It's out on Amazon Prime in the UK only, but coming to the US soon.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Vivarium 7/10

It's not The Art of Self Defense 2 but Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots' follow-up to that film is a strange and interesting thriller about a couple that moves into a planned community only to find that they can never leave. And to make matters worse, they find themselves the adoptive parents to a baby left in a box that grows at an incredible rate and is a sociopath. This is the kind of film that makes you wonder what you are watching but strikes up conversation (and apparently, it has since its debut on Prime Video). The film not entirely successful but it's better than other recent cult titles as it knows what it's doing and isn't trying to pander to a certain group of people (see Midsommar or Extra Ordinary).
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Crip Camp 9/10

With all of the anger and sadness in the news, it's important that we get some sort of feel-good documentary with inspiring people out there. And this one, focusing on members of a camp for the disabled and their later work fighting for their rights. Despite what the title might lead you to believe, there is more than just the camp and in fact, the later elements are better as we learn about these historical events that have been basically forgotten. These people are heroes for their tireless efforts and this documentary does justice to their work.

Blue Story 6/10

There's nothing really new in this throwback to 90's gang movies but it's intriguing for the fact that rather than being in South Los Angeles or the Bronx, the action takes place in Peckham, giving a refreshing view of black culture in the big city (unless you've seen Attack the Block but still). The first half, focusing on the relationship of the two main characters, is better than the second half, where it becomes a standard revenge film. Critics might have overrated it a bit but it's better than your typical Boyz n the Hood/Juice imitator.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Scoob! 2/10

No wonder why this got dumped onto streaming (thankfully I didn't have to pay the $25 Warner Bros. was charging). This failed attempt at a Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe is filled with some of the biggest cliches from the worst of 2000's animation (jokes only adults will get, random celebrity cameos, uncanny valley) mixed in with a betrayal of the source material, all just to create a cynical final product. And for a movie about Mystery, Inc., there's a general lack of solving mysteries.

A total waste considering some of the talent involved. The only one keeping this from a 1/10 are the little robots. They should have gotten their own movie.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Never Rarely Sometimes Always 8/10

What begins as the year's most depressing film becomes a realistic film about the desperate measures one will take just to get basic health care. When Hollywood usually makes a film like this, it's always done in a way not to offend anyone (or it's Unplanned and it's designed to offend everyone). But here, we get a film that is built around truth and doesn't turn away. And this is the U.S. in a nutshell: entire pockets of the nation living in the past because some people can't accept what's really out there. Don't shelter your kids.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Arkansas 3/10

Overlong and underwhelming crime drama about two small-time hoods who after being forced into the Southern drug trade, go into business for themselves and run afoul of the head of the organization. A film like this could have used the talents of an S. Craig Zahler but instead we get the Second Life guy from Hot Tub Time Machine directing himself and forcing a romantic subplot for his character. The film also tries to go for a Tarantino feel with the non-linear structure and chapter titles but it ends up just slowing things down and causes the story to derail for long periods of time.

I'm surprised Lionsgate chose to get this into second feature status on the drive-in circuit as it's nothing more than a ego trip meant for the VOD market.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Review dump coming in...

Relic: 7/10
Impressive Australian horror dealing with a woman whose elderly mother disappears, so she and her daughter return home to figure out what happened. Like The Babadook was about the fear of being a bad parent, this is about the fear of growing old and losing your mind, as dark figures hide in the background, and the family home becomes somewhat unrecognisable. Performances and mood are strong. Also like The Babadook the climax is lacking in true genre scares, but it's an accomplished debut.

Palm Springs: 6/10
It's a hipster Groundhog Day, as andy Samberg finds himself stuck in the same day, which happens to be the wedding of a friend of his girlfriend who he kinda hates. But he strikes up a friendship with the bride's sister, and they get involved in ways to break free from the time-loop. It starts off really well, and is funny and quirky enough, but as the stakes rise and the characters grow closer, neither Samberg nor the director know how to inject some emotional authenticity in there.

Archive: 5/10
Underwheling sci-fi boasting a decent premise, but it's slow and psychologically lacking, with a surprise ending that undermines everything about it.

Amulet: 5/10
A disappointing horror by actress Romola Garai. An immigrant from Easter Europe takes a job fixing the house of a strange young woman and her bedridden, disturbed mother. It's all about decay and grossness, and at times enjoyable disorienting. But the tension isn't handled quite well enough.

Alice: 5/10
A festival darling from last year turns out to be a limpid story about the oldest job in the world. A French wife and mother discovers her husband has bankrupt them due to hiring high-class prostitutes, and ends up becoming one to earn some money back. In the right hands this could be a salacious satire (like Ozon's Young and Beautiful), but this comes across as frothy and easy.

Host: 6/10
Effective and brief horror told through Zoom, as a group of friends conduct an online seance that goes wrong. It essentially uses the old Paranormal Activity tricks, but the format and hour-long duration makes it a fun watch.

She Dies tomorrow: 6/10
Not a film for everyone, this is sort of a horror but without any identifiable threat. Instead, a woman is convinced she will die tomorrow, and that dread spreads to all around her. Imagine a film focused on the 90 minutes the character goes through just after seeing the video in the Ring. It's not about what happens, it's about how they feel about this inevitability. It's a simple but effective premise told with some visual flair.

Boys State: 7/10
Very entertaining doc about an organsiation that brings together a thousand teenage boys to form two politial parties and pit them against each other in mock elections. The doc does well to follow the right subjects, with one representing truth and honest, and the other representing politcal games and shit-stirring. But it always keeps track of the underlying humanity, making for a very moving, angering, frustrating, and rewarding story.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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I'm going to be seeing Bill & Ted Face the Music for free on Wednesday. I hope it's not the disaster some think it will be.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Unhinged 2/10

An idiot plot made worse by the fact that the filmmakers seem to think that they have a profound statement on road rage, toxic masculinity, and how major cities need more cops (the last being an idea that makes this film dated before it was even released). This is the kind of concept that needed to embrace its ridiculousness and over-the-top Russell Crowe performance (whose preparation for the role seemed to consist of eating entire sets) but instead, it's all played straight as we get characters making stupid decision after stupid decision and an screenplay that seems to have outright contempt for its main character, a recently fired hairdresser who just wants to get out of traffic. It's also a very ugly film, indulging in its excessive brutality and violence towards women.

The marketing campaign suggested a fun, bonkers ride. Unhinged is anything but.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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The One and Only Ivan 4/10

Basically, it's last year's Dumbo but set in the 90's and in a Florida mall. It's also a lot less interesting than that film despite this one being based on a true story (which seems to have also been the basis for another film, 1995's Born to Be Wild), as not much seems to happen or have many stakes to be raised. It's more or less point A to point B storytelling as the titular silverback gorilla and his friends seek to escape the mall and enter the wild. The effects are mostly good and the cast is full of names but there's not much else that makes it worth watching. Kids should love it, though.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Bill & Ted Face the Music 7/10

It's a sillier installment that isn't at the level of the first two films but it's fun if you can embrace the weirdness at play. Where else are you going to see Keanu Reeves play the theremin and bagpipes, Kid Cudi go through the rules of quantum physics, and Death play hopscotch (and cheat at it)? Also, the actress they got to play Ted's daughter does an almost spot-on impression of Keanu. In the end, it's more of a nostalgia piece but I had fun with it.
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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Tenet: 5/10
I'd give it a 4 but it was just good to be back in a cinema.

Nolan's latest is his worst by a long shot. All of the problems of his last few films are emphasised here. A convoluted plot. A poor attempt at conveying human emotion. Sounds design that muffles the dialogue. Endless exposition. It's Bond meets Timecop but without any of the fun.

I won't get into spoilers, but it reveals aren't that exiciting. What it boils down to is a Roger Moore Bond villain with laughable motivation, and the good guys whho have to stop him. The core idea is interesting, but, without going into detail, it also robs the film of any tension because we're already shown what's going to happen. Nolan's cleverness makes him trip over himself.

Performances are terrible. I mean awful. It's like the actors are baffled and deliver their lines like robots. Or in the case of Brannagh's character, a one dimensional one-note stereotype. Nolan's films rarely have great performances but the actors tend to do their best and get away with it. Here, the acting is Razzie-worthy. As is the dialogue, which is full of cheesy stinkers. And it's not just me saying that, the audience in the cinema were laughing at the film most of the way through.

I've gone off Nolan as of late, but there's usually something to make me rewatch his films at the least. The clever editing and zero gravity sequence of Inception. The soundtrack and visuals of Inception. I will rewatch Dunkirk at some stage. But this film has nothing to motivate any further thought.

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Re: Rate That Movie Part IV: Movies Never Sleep

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Cut Throat City 8/10

I had some reservations over RZA directing a serious film but this was actually a surprisingly entertaining thriller about four friends who decide to take matters into their own hands after the effects of Hurricane Katrina by robbing a casino. But soon, what seemed to be a one-off turns into a series of robberies that lead to the reveal of a conspiracy between the city's gangs and police force. The film is fast-paced and exciting and even if some things are left hanging, the action and direction are done well enough that you can ignore the issues. The attention that Unhinged got this week should have gone to this one instead.

And a somewhat related note: before the movie, the Alamo Drafthouse pre-show showed the video for "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nothin' to Fuck It". The editing on this video is unintentionally hilarious, as it ends up making the song complete nonsense.
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