CraigFowler Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 On 12/01/2024 at 10:29, accies1874 said: 3. Priscilla - Cinema Not sure if this counts as a 2024 release here. A few places have it as being released in the UK on January 1st, but I'm pretty certain there were screenings before New Year. I'll go with Google though and put it as 2024. I really liked this. The plot kicks off immediately with Priscilla sitting in a diner before some guy asks her if she wants to go to a party at Elvis' gaff. I can sometimes find this a bit off-putting when they don't give you some necessary time getting to know the main character's normal life before it gets turned upside down, however it worked really well for me here as the first chunk of the film feels like a dream - a kind of fictionalised whirlwind romance between a star and a normie. It's clear that Priscilla thinks that being attached to Elvis gives her life value and she becomes lost when that's taken away from her, kind of like a drug. When she moves to Graceland with Elvis longer term, it becomes obvious that that whirlwind romance was just that. Life is suddenly much more boring (Coppola's speciality) and there are a bunch of visual things to indicate that she doesn't belong there. Firstly, she looks absolutely tiny compared to Elvis and his posse, who are perfectly empty characters, something that is drawn attention to when the maid comes into the room and is the only one in that scene to meet her at the same eye level. It also uses colour nicely to make Priscilla pop or blend into a frame, giving off the impression that she doesn't really belong there. There's one scene where Elvis destroys an old house in Graceland because it's bringing down the vibe, and Priscilla is, from what I remember, the only one wearing a white and black outfit which is the same colour scheme as the house's exterior, drawing a connection between her and this other thing that Elvis carelessly destroys once he's bored of it. I could be wrong about that but it sticks out in my mind. Finally, the cinematography gives a haziness to a lot of the interior scenes and strong backlighting through the windows, and Graceland itself is a gated place closed off to the world. These things made me think that Priscilla is both letting a world full of life pass her by to live this one with Elvis, and also that she's getting to experience a world that so many dream to experience - and it's really dull. I know those are kind of conflicting ideas, but they're the crux of Priscilla's development as she learns to forge her own path. I watched May December the night before I saw this and that's actually an interesting counterpoint depicting what could've happened to Priscilla if she stayed with Elvis. They're two really different films with completely different qualities, but they also link up well in terms of subject matter. I hadn't seen Jacob Elordi in anything until Saltburn, but I like the confident creepiness he has in both that and Priscilla. Again linking to May December, he gives off a slightly similar vibe to Charles Melton's character in that film; both of their lives have been greatly affected by their environments and that has bred these men who have the veneer of cocksureness but have a real immaturity bubbling underneath. Cailee Spaeny is, as far as I remember, in every single scene of the film, which is no mean feat given that she needs to both hold her own while blending into the superstardom of Elvis Presley. Both performances really worked for me, even if Elordi's accent reminded me a lot of Nic Cage in Raising Arizona. This is an excellent review and gave me a better appreciation of the film than I initially got out of it. To be fair, I did respect it as a work of art and was impressed by how it was put together and the leading performances. But for me it was one of those films that you sit and quietly respect rather than be entertained by. Sophia Coppola did a terrific job in bringing the story to the screen in the most true-to-life way possible and still making it entertaining enough across 110 minutes, but purely as a means of entertainment I was a little underwhelmed. But I concede that's down to my own preference when it comes to movies. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigFowler Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Had no idea this thread existed until now, but having looked back over the last couple of pages at the lengthy, knowledgeable and excellent reviews, I'm going to dive right in. 1 - Priscilla As outlined in my above post, there was a lot to like about this film. It drew you in very quickly and kept hold of your attention for 2/3rds of the running time. But I felt the pacing was a bit off. The last act, in particular, felt very rushed and it's rare that I complain a movie should be 10-15 minutes longer, but I felt it needed a bit of time to let us care a bit more about the conclusion. I also don't know if it felt a little out of time with the reality and the message competing against each other. Through a 2024 lens, it's easy to see the patters of emotional abuse, the alienation, the fact that it just isn't worth it to be married to the most famous man in the world if he's going to treat you that way. But the film did a great job of pulling you into the time it was set, with perhaps the exception of exactly why Priscilla felt the way she did other than the initial infatuation. I also felt it just didn't quite fully work as a piece of drama, as it was light on the drama. 2 - The Squid and the Whale Eventually got around to watching this after it felt like it was on my Netflix list forever. Again, similar to Priscilla, it was a film I looked at and appreciated for what it was but didn't feel the emotional connection that I wanted to from this type of story, and as a child of divorce I was surprised at how disconnected I was from it all. I guess, at the end of the day, I just didn't enjoy spending time with the characters, which I know is part of the point. They're all so completely wrapped up in their own shit after the break down of the marriage, which is exactly what happens in the midst of a traumatic life event like this, but they were all so awful to each other in their own way, with little redeeming qualities otherwise, that again I just didn't really care about any character arc. What I did appreciate, however, was how every line out of Jeff Daniels' mouth reminded me of Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums. Though it did just make me wish I was watching that movie instead, at times. 3 - Book of Love Catch this on Sky Movies as I was flicking through. Truth be told, I only ended up watching it as my partner said "this is shite!" about five minutes in and I kept it on out of stubbornness as I felt it was too early to judge. (Funnily enough, despite saying she was heading for a shower five minutes later, she stayed and watched the rest of the film with me.) This is, almost objectively, a rubbish movie. If I see something so predictable the rest of this year I'll be surprised. I was even able to predict, beat by beat, exactly how it would end before we'd even reached halfway. But having said all that, I appreciated for what it was. It was a romcom that was purely about comfort. A decent amount of laughs, nothing in the way of distressing drama and characters who, although admittedly one-dimensional, didn't make me want to climb through the screen and punch them. The definition of a hangover movie for me. I've got a review for Godzilla Minus One coming, but it's too good to type away about at 2.30am while I'm half-pished, so I'll leave that till next time. (Spoiler: I think it's f****ng brilliant) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigFowler Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 4 - Godzilla Minus One How to Have Sex was my favourite movie released in 2023, but this might eclipse it. I'm a sucker for blockbuster movies done well and this fits that to a tee. Not only does it nail the action set-pieces, with every scene featuring Godzilla being just brilliant, including one right off the bat, but it also gets the emotional element just right. It's as much a war film as it is a disaster movie, with themes of PTSD, nationalism and family dynamics woven into the fabric of the story. The side characters were distinct and added their own charm. I was never bored when the giant dinosaur-like creature wasn't destroying cities or smashing through boats and I really cared about the fate of the protagonists as the movie reached its climax. If I see a more entertaining film in 2024 I'll be surprised. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFTD Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 2 hours ago, CraigFowler said: 4 - Godzilla Minus One How to Have Sex Here's how this post came up on the forum sidebar. Brief split-second of, "wow, that's not the direction I was expecting from the sequel". 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accies1874 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 As good as How to Have Sex was, I can't help but wonder what it would've been like with Godzilla kicking about Malia. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA Baracus Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 Next Goal Wins Not the touching and emotional documentary but the film of said documentary starring Michael Fassbender. First thing to be aware of is that this is directed by Taka Waititi, although if you were unaware he pretty much tells you immediately in the first scene. So your expectations should be set accordingly that this will (mostly) be a comedy movie. Thankfully I love his stuff, and I also loved the original documentary, so I very much enjoyed this film. Fassbender is excellent but there's a brilliant supporting cast, most notably the assistant coach and some featured players (Jiayah, Rambo and Simon especially). The actual emotional moment was good albeit too brief. The film also suffers from the same every film that features football does, that being the ludicrous sound effects of a ball being kicked. However, a film I'd definitely recommend. Lots to like and lots of laughs. The Marvels I think I've said this before on here before (although not entirely sure, thus this post!). I can see why this film got the massively over the top nonsense it did, and it isn't due to the quality of the film. Its actually pretty enjoyable. Good concept, good cast and good pacing. It's better than quite a few Marvel films although, like most films in this phase, isn't as strong as (most of) the previous ones. Definitely has flaws, like an instantly forgettable and defeated bad guy, although I suspect that wasn't really a focus and it was more a film to set things up (which itself can be a criticism). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSU Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 009 All of Us Strangers -- There's a thing about movies that feature Paul Mescal that break me. When he teams up with Andrew Scott, turns out I'm essentially reduced to rubble. Scott plays Adam, a writer who occupies one of two apartments in an otherwise empty London tower block. The other flat belongs to Harry, Paul Mescal, and the two of them meet, don't exactly hit it off, and then meet up later and hit it off rather better. In the meantime, Adam is trying to write about his parents who died when he was 12. He goes to visit their old home and is surprised to meet them as they were when they died, round about the age he is now. This sets up a longing aspect of the movie that will be felt by anyone who has lost a loved one, and especially so if there were things left unsaid. Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal's chemistry is crazy good here, as is the relationship between Adam and his parents played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell. Everything about it is so real, and so heartbreaking, as Adam has the chance to come out to his folks and be his full self with them. Added to the mix are so many touchpoints of my childhood; Frankie Goes to Hollywood and The Power of Love play an important role, Now That's What I Call Music 10 (which I somehow had three copies of) features, all there to bring it all even closer to home. Andrew Haigh's writing and direction is tender and sweet and beautifully done without being overly sentimental. There's an overt twist in the tail, and there may well be a covert one too depending on your interpretation. All in all, just like After Sun, it's a movie that broke me down into pieces and when I put myself back together again, hopefully, it was in a better order. Also like After Sun, it's the sort of movie you want other people to watch, and want to hear what they think. For me, it's an absolute triumph. 10/10 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaboz Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 Lift Utter utter nonsense as some people do something with 2 planes and hi tech bullshit. 3/10 Next Goal Wins Loved it. Grateful they called out that it wasn't accurate from the start but really enjoyed this. If you haven't seen the documentary, go find it. If you don't know what this is, see Baracus' post further up who summarises far better than I can. 8/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accies1874 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 1 hour ago, MSU said: 009 All of Us Strangers -- There's a thing about movies that feature Paul Mescal that break me. When he teams up with Andrew Scott, turns out I'm essentially reduced to rubble. Scott plays Adam, a writer who occupies one of two apartments in an otherwise empty London tower block. The other flat belongs to Harry, Paul Mescal, and the two of them meet, don't exactly hit it off, and then meet up later and hit it off rather better. In the meantime, Adam is trying to write about his parents who died when he was 12. He goes to visit their old home and is surprised to meet them as they were when they died, round about the age he is now. This sets up a longing aspect of the movie that will be felt by anyone who has lost a loved one, and especially so if there were things left unsaid. Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal's chemistry is crazy good here, as is the relationship between Adam and his parents played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell. Everything about it is so real, and so heartbreaking, as Adam has the chance to come out to his folks and be his full self with them. Added to the mix are so many touchpoints of my childhood; Frankie Goes to Hollywood and The Power of Love play an important role, Now That's What I Call Music 10 (which I somehow had three copies of) features, all there to bring it all even closer to home. Andrew Haigh's writing and direction is tender and sweet and beautifully done without being overly sentimental. There's an overt twist in the tail, and there may well be a covert one too depending on your interpretation. All in all, just like After Sun, it's a movie that broke me down into pieces and when I put myself back together again, hopefully, it was in a better order. Also like After Sun, it's the sort of movie you want other people to watch, and want to hear what they think. For me, it's an absolute triumph. 10/10 Comes out here this week. Really looking forward to it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 Lift abandoned after about half an hour. Kevin Hart is the leader of a mission impossible style team that does art heists that blah de blah de fucking blah. Utter crap. 1/10 -point gained for some nice shots of Venice. The Creator Action with sci fi lite themes. Looked good. Good performances by the leads and Chris Finch. Silly plot. with one of the least surprising twists I’ve seen. The AI theme was wasted but the whole “what does it mean to be human” bit that goes with an AI film wasn’t as heavy handed as it often is. The level and quality of visual spectacle made this feel a bit like a nineties manga. 6/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 On 17/01/2024 at 15:20, BFTD said: Here's how this post came up on the forum sidebar. Brief split-second of, "wow, that's not the direction I was expecting from the sequel". Fucked by Godzilla! You’re getting fucked by Godzilla Fucked by Godzilllla… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Poor Things Some very witty lines. Incredible visuals and quite the accent by Mark Ruffalo as the caddish Duncan Wedderburn. I think he’s meant to be English but inadvertently nails a sexy Aberdonian voice now and again. Quite disconcerting. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Sanchez Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Jaws (1975) What is so captivating about fiction about men who go out to sea to capture some impossibly large and inhuman beast? I don't know what it is, but it am. Music could have been better. Immaculate besides. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 On 15/08/2023 at 11:01, Lex said: Watched Hell or High Water at the weekend, one of the best movies I’ve seen for years. So much so that when it finished and the Mrs went to bed, I rewound it and watched it a second time. Only 1 hour 40 long but packs plenty into it. The extreme violence never seemed frivolous either. I watched that this week. A really magnificent film. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accies1874 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 5. The End We Start From - Cinema My thoughts on this are a bit all over the place, and I think that's because the film itself is quite disjointed - perhaps intentionally so. I slowly but surely felt myself getting quite stressed out by it: there are sudden jolting sound effects, a lot of movement of the camera or within a frame, characters (some of whom are pretty big actors) drop out as quickly as they drop in, and it moves from scenes and locations quicker than you might anticipate. These are all quite prominent staples of this genre - apocalyptic drama - especially the latter couple as they help to flesh out the world with stories that make it feel alive while also showing the stakes that come from an apocalypse, though these gradually become more about the character's choices than the nature of the world. There's a section in a refuge centre with a lot of insert shots of folk coming to terms with their new normal which kind of felt like you were viewing the world through the eyes of Jodie Comer's baby who's born just as the apocalypse kicks off. However, I began to get frustrated with it due to the fragmented story and understated main character. I was actually still thinking about it when I went to bed last night and that's when I considered it more as a sort of dreamlike/nightmarish allegory for coming to terms with having a baby. A lot of what Jodie Comer's character encounters feels like it speaks to a lot of those anxieties (avoiding a toxic upbringing, providing food, being a single mum, balancing work and your baby) and even if I began to lose the feeling of going on that journey with her, I still found retrospective pleasure in it, especially when considering the water as a Jaws-like metaphor for embracing your fears. Every chance I could be talking shite though. This was also the closest I'll ever get to a 4DX experience given that I saw it during the current mental weather and was still damp throughout. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigFowler Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 5 - Poor Things After about 15 minutes I thought to myself "mmmmm, really not sure about this" but by the time they got to Lisbon and the screen started exploding with colour at regular intervals I had very much done a 180. I'm pleased I watched it on the big screen because many of the shots leave you gaping at the screen in wonder. This is an absolute feast for the eyes - and not least because a fully nude Emma Stone goes for it in just about any sexual position you could imagine! But while I say that in jest, the sex is a strength of the film and is played as much for comedy, arguably more so, than to titillate the audience. It's a movie about someone learning how the world works, piece by piece, so sex is obviously a huge part of that. It's about questioning social norms, structures and hypocrisies. So it's very fitting the film takes such a broad and liberal view of the human race's oldest pastime. It's seen it described as a sex-comedy. I don't disagree with that, but the comedic aspects of those moments play on our in-built discomfort with what has traditionally been a taboo subject outside of closed doors. Emma Stone, after she gets out of her tantrum-throwing toddler stage of the performance, is incredibly charming as she always is. William Defoe plays his part to a tee. But, and kinda similar to Barbie in this regard, it's a supporting male costar in a production which revolves around a female lead who (almost) steals the show. Without wishing to give away too much, Mark Ruffalo runs the gambit from pompous to pathetic and is going for it 100 per cent every time he's on screen. He's just brilliant. It is over two hours long and shouldn't necessarily be. It does drag in the middle with the chapter aboard the boat, which isn't entirely necessary in itself and certainly goes on for too long, but the shots at sea were those which I marvelled at the most, so I can forgive the movie for taking its time here. I don't tend to rewatch many movies these days, but when I do I end up sticking them on 5, 6, 7, 8 times in the span of a few months. I can see Poor Things being one of those when it comes to streaming. 6 - One Life I knew I would like this film when, in the very early stages, the younger Nicky Winton makes a series of phone calls. It's cuts to two or three times where he's trying to get his point across but the unseen character on the other end hangs up - and it wasn't followed by a dial tone! There are so many Hollywood and TV directors who should take note of that and dispense with one of the oddest cliches there is on screen. While I'm kidding (to an extent, it does irrationally annoy me), I think that attention to small detail is what helps make the movie as good as it is. It packs so much story into its tighter-than-tight one hour and 40 minutes, but at no point do you feel lost or not fully given the information to grasp the severity of the situation or the motivations/emotions of the leading characters. It could so easily have slipped into melodrama but, much like its main character, it remained restrained and didn't unnecessarily draw attention to itself. And speaking of which, props to Johnny Flynn for quickly allowing me to fully believe that he and Anthony Hopkins were playing the same man. I was also really impressed with the structure of the film, which very much helped its pacing. It follows two timelines but didn't go with the common usage of doing five minutes here and then five minutes there and then back again. It cut it into chunks of varying sizes which made perfect sense for the story to flow seamlessly until you get to the emotional wave of an ending. (Needless to say, tears poured out of me in the cinema.) It's an incredible real-life story and congratulations to James Hawes and the rest of the filmmakers for doing it justice. Not even into February yet and I've got two films that I'll be hugely surprised if they aren't in my top 10 at the end of the year. Adding to that, I saw Godzilla Minus One as the last film at the cinema before Poor Things, so it's a helluva run I'm on right now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accies1874 Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 I suppose the benefit of the UK often getting films later is that we get to watch the awards stuff in January while America have to make do with stuff like The Beekeeper and Night Swim. Sorry @MSU 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101 Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 All of Us Strangers 9/10 Absolutely incredible film, story is really clever and nicely worked. Very very sad though. Not sure you can say much about it without giving it away, just go to the cinema and enjoy it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMoore Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Just watched Slumdog Millionaire (seen it plenty) Top top film, my top 10 usually changes but this is solidly in my top 5. I'm not articulate enough when it comes to films to do any description justice so I won't try but it's got everything imo. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSU Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 (edited) Doing my best to see all the movies nominated for an Oscar. Going into this week, I'm 14 out of 53. 010 NYAD -- Aquatic-based true-story sports movies continue, following George Clooney's attempts to get us interested in historic rowing. This is better than The Boys in the Boat, but not a whole lot better. A woman in her sixties, Diane Nyad, wants to swim a ridiculous distance through open water from Cuba to the US, and she has a few attempts at doing so. The subject matter didn't grab me all that much -- and in fact swimming in those conditions is my worst nightmare -- but the performances from Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, the latter in particular, are what makes this an enjoyable couple of hours. I don't remember seeing Foster so at ease in a role as she is here, playing the friend, coach, and old flame to Diane, and she is incredibly cool in doing so, so much so that Bening's performance as Nyad kinda takes a back seat for long periods. I imagine Da'Vine Joy Randolph will win Best Supporting Actress, but if she doesn't, it had better go Jodie Foster's way. It's a good movie to watch at home on a Sunday, curled up in a comfy chair, preferably when it's raining outside. 6/10 011 Elemental -- Pixar's Obvious Metaphor department does it again. The animation outside of the actual characters is amazing but the story is so bland and the humor very juvenile, which, yes, it's a kids' movie but does Pixar not throw in any jokes for the parents anymore? I dunno, despite the actual point of the movie, I found it quite hard to connect with. 4/10 012 Nimona -- I loved this, and not just because of Metric featuring in the soundtrack. What a fresh piece of storytelling that was cute, sassy, delivered its message far more effectively than Elemental and was genuinely funny. I adored the science-fantasy setting which made sure that pretty much every frame was interesting to look at and the animation itself was just perfect. And how refreshing to have two gay knights whose sexuality has no real influence on proceedings. They're gay, just because, like people are straight, just because. My only complaint is the path the story took was a little predictable in places, but I'm nit-picking. Brilliant stuff. Nominated for Best Animated Feature. 9/10 013 Flamin' Hot -- Okay, so it's clawingly overly sentimental. And okay, so large sections of it may or may not have been made up. And okay, so it paints a rather optimistic rags-to-riches story that hopes to cover up its corporate, commercial, capitalist angle, but goddamit, Richard Montañez's story of inventing the Flamin' Hot Cheeto flavor while working as a janitor in a Frito-Lay factory still managed to tug on these old heartstrings and it's funny enough frequently enough for me to nod along and say, yep, this feelgood movie did, in fact, make me feel good. Nominated for Original Song at 2024 Oscars. Can't say I noticed it specifically, but the soundtrack was spot on. 7/10 014 American Fiction -- Cord Jefferson's debut is a sharp and assured social satire that focuses on a talented but underappreciated Black writer who resorts to a pseudonym and a parody of the racial poverty porn that invigorates the white masses, only for the joke to go over everyone's head, and the money and movie offers to come in. Which is lucky, as his mother's Altzheimers demands expensive, round-the-clock treatment. Jeffery Wright is as captivating as ever in the role of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison and he's supported by talented actors who deliver Jefferson's hilarious script brilliantly. As the conceit progresses, though, it loses prominence to the family drama aspect of the story, meanders through some obvious detours, and then has a few attempts at finding a decent ending, none of which really land as a worthy resolution. It's nominated at the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, and a Best Supporting Actor for Sterling K Brown. I doubt that it'll convert any of those to a win, but it's still entertaining, funny, and knows how to get you in the feels from time to time. It'll be interesting, and probably fun, to see where Cord Jefferson goes from here. 7/10 Edited January 28 by MSU 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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