What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Albino Rover]

Judith Of Bethulia

Made in the early 1910s, by D.W. Griffith, and released in 1914, this isn't the same kind of Biblical epic we may associate with the genre. It was Griffith's first multi-reel film, and the first starring role of silent star Blanche Sweet.

The Book of Judith is a simple story: impoverished after the siege of Bethulia, Judith becomes the city's heroine by disguising herself and gaining the trust of a Babylonian general, whom she almost falls for, before beheading him. It's a 60-minute-long film but the truth is that, 100 years on, it drags. The story could have been told in half the time. It is, however, a landmark achievement, and the gateway to much bigger things for almost everyone involved on the film. It was necessary for Griffith to make an hour-long movie, and this film's importance and sentimental value are why I've given it a passing score.

6/10

[banana]

Kind Hearts And Coronets

8/10

One of my favourite movies, absolute class yet largely forgotten when people are talking about good old movies.

[banana]

The Rover (5/10)

Expected more. Post-'collapse' yarn set in the Aussie outback, starring the very good, edgy Guy Pierce. Started off well, never took off, 'the landscape as the story' and 'the dull and boring bleakness of post-apocalypse' taking a front seat to actual story. Uninspiring reveal in the ending. Would've worked better as a 20 minute short.

Edited September 3, 2014 by banana

[Albino Rover]

How Green Was My Valley

John Ford's drama, set in the mining community of 19th century Wales. It follows a working class family and their idyllic country lifestyle, troubled by miners' strikes, which turn the father into a scab and breaks a happy family, and a close community, apart. Coal was these people's blessing, and their curse, and the film is right to spend a lot of time on that, but my favourite things about the film are the love stories. Bronwyn and Angharad, played by Anna Lee and Maureen O'Hara, are my favourite characters - both have interesting romances, one idolised by the narrator, Huw, as a child, and the other in love with the village preacher but forced to marry the mine owner's son. Those actresses are the best acting talent in the film.

Indeed, it's hindered by some acting of mixed ability, particularly some really dodgy accents, ranging from Irish- to German-sounding. That inconsistency really put me off. The story, although enjoyable, isn't the most moving or compelling, but what outweighs that is the oustanding cinematography. Visually this, in my opinion, is John Ford's second best film. It's famous now as the film that beat Citizen Kane, arguably the biggest-ever Oscar snub. While I much prefer Kane to this, I think there's a bigger gulf in class between Ordinary People and Raging Bull.

7/10

[Albino Rover]

The Magic Box

In 1951, for the Festival Of Britain, this film was commissioned to pay respect to one of the United Kingdom's greatest inventors, William Friese-Greene, who worked as a photographer and was taken over by the obsession to alter the technology of photography to create moving images. After decades of very costly experimentation he invented the first celluloid film camera, and although Thomas Edison and the Lumiere brothers share most of the credit as the inventors of cinema, this man predated them. His patent lapsed, he bankrupted himself and died a poor man. He's played by Robert Donat.

The ensemble cast is extraordinary- a number of great actors crop up throughout, but Donat, one of my favourite actors, is sublime in the lead role. In the best scene in the film, Friese-Greene, giddy with excitement in the middle of the night, grabs a wary policeman off the street and invites him to his flat. There are tears on his face as he reels off a few seconds of film. I didn't even recognise that the policeman was Laurence Olivier.

After watching this film I was amazed to read that it was a flop, and that a few years after its release Friese-Greene's birthplace was demolished into parking spaces. Even more so after learning that, The Magic Box was a real inspiration to me. I understand it idealises its protagonist, including a few exaggerations, but it's a classically-made British film, full of talent, which managed not only to make me feel so strongly about someone I had never heard of, but to make a hero of him.

9/10

Edited September 3, 2014 by Albino Rover

[Raidernation]

Kind Hearts And Coronets

A dark comedy about aristocracy, class wars, family and serial murder. After his mother's death, a poor man realises that he is a distant heir to the D'Ascoyne fortune. You can guess his plan, but nobody could predict the circumstances or manner of the deaths. Of course, he is also torn between two lovers, a childhood sweetheart and a gold-digging seductress.

Made at Ealing, by Robert Hamer, and very ahead-of-its-time, this film is a bizarre mix of satire, wit, eccentric farce and superb comedy acting. Dennis Price plays the twisted hero to perfection but Alec Guinness steals the show with an incredible one-man revue, which challenges Peter Sellers' work in Dr. Strangelove as one of the best multi-role performances ever. Two lovely English actresses, Joan Greenwood and Valerie Hobson, support the male players wonderfully.

What makes this film strange is that, right from the start, the first person narration comes from a condemned murderer writing his memoirs on death row- even for a black comedy there is a very strange, grave tone the whole way through. Even once the flashback story is complete there's yet another unique twist, a worthy finale to one of the great original British comedies.

8/10One of the best films ever made. A 9.667/10 surely?

[banana]

Lone Survivor (3/10)

Military mission goes tits up and turns into a rescue.

Largely cliched, substanceless Goodies v Baddies pew-pew-pew fare threaded with borderline cringeworthy jingoistic meathead 'brotherhood' moments. Plenty of sweeping shots of American chaps with hi-tech military looking cool with uplifting musical score to boot. Lots of getting shot and taking it in their stride, falling off cliffs onto rocks and into large trees, then getting up and fighting with precision as if they're in a video game. Virtually no character development/characterization to make us feel anything for the protagonists, and no acting performances of note (actually disappointed in Walberg).

The closing scene played out to a cover of Bowie's Heroes perfectly underlined the intended message of this nonsense. Overall, a macho mythologization of the military that too often reads like a recruitment video.

To be fair I'm not huge of action or war movies, but I am a fan of those that really hit the mark. This is nowhere near.

Edited September 4, 2014 by banana

[tongue_tied_danny]

The Congress

Robin Wright plays herself in this shambolic, part live action, part animated tale of an ageing actress who finds herself in some kind of surrealistic nightmare. Boring as hell and not engaging in anyway. I lost track of this pretty quickly.

2/10. (1 point because some of the animation was pretty cool and another point because Robin Wright is milf-fucking-tastic at the start.)

[Biscuits]

The Wolf of Wall Street

8/10

Really enjoyed it - Jordan is the man! Thought di caprio was awesome, best I've ever seen him.

[Ira Gaines]

The Congress

Robin Wright plays herself in this shambolic, part live action, part animated tale of an ageing actress who finds herself in some kind of surrealistic nightmare. Boring as hell and not engaging in anyway. I lost track of this pretty quickly.

2/10. (1 point because some of the animation was pretty cool and another point because Robin Wright is milf-fucking-tastic at the start.)

It gained points from me pre-animation for being, to that point, really fucking good. The concept was a strange one, but they played it well, and the scene with Keitel getting the emotions needed from Wright was incredible.

Then it went a total different direction and became a total clusterfuck. If it weren't for the first part, this would be the worst movie I've seen in a long time.

[~~~]

Amazing Spider-Man 2

4/10

So utterly disappointed, It felt half done and rushed at that.

If you didn't know anything about Spider-Man walking in to see this, you'd be scratching your head wondering how Harry and Peter could be "best friends" 5 minutes after not speaking to each other for almost 10 minutes

Electro, pointless.

They'd have been better making a Spider-Man Storting dealing in dept with the trouble Peter Parker has living two different lives, you'd have a much more emotional connection to the character

[Blootoon87]

Next Goal Wins - 8/10. I can safely say I never thought watching highlights of a Tonga v American Samoa football match could bring me to tears. Some film.

[andyh]

Watched a few films recently

The wolf of Wall Street -enjoyable film. Thought Jonah hills performance was outstanding. An easy watch. 8/10.

Flight - truly an incredible film. Watched it 3 times now and could easily put it on again right now. Denzel Washington is a great actor. 9/10.

The grandbudapest hotel - didn't think I would enjoy this one but it was really funny. 7/10

Non stop - meh. Just meh. Killed a few hours without being exciting. Liam neeson playing the same roll again. Basically was cluedo on a plane. 4/10

The amazing Spider-Man 2 - pish. Not much else to say. Spent most the time i was on dicking about on p&b. 2/10

The Lego movie - held my attention for a while and had a few funny moments but I eventually lost interest. A few cheap laughs so I'll give it a 5/10.

Watching lone survivor just now. Well I'm 3"5 minutes in and I doubt I'll last another 20

[Co.Down Hibee]

True Grit (2010)

The Coen Brothers re-make of the John Wayne classic is a great watch, loved Jeff Bridges take on the lead, although sometimes it was a little tricky to make him out, Matt Damons plays a good role too, some stunning scenery and the usual quirky offbeat characters that are the Coen trademark who pop in to the story make this a worthy re-make of a classic, and that isn't something you often say.... 8/10

[Stuart]

Watched a few over the past few days.

No Country for Old Men - 9/10

Coen Brothers at their best I'd say. One of the films where you can tell just from watching for a couple of seconds that it's a Coen Brothers film. i don't know how they do it.

Fargo - 7/10

Second time watching it. Great film but from the second viewing I have to say I preferred the series.

They Came Together - 5.5/10

Rom-com parody starring Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler. It felt like watching an 80 minute long sketch. Had some peaks and troughs all the way through however it made me laugh out loud more than enough times.

The Spectacular Now - 8/10

I was dragged along to see That Awkward Moment with my girlfriend and afterwards said that Miles Teller was a terrible actor. I take that back now. Brilliant performance and he carries this film from start to finish.

[Jambo99]

Red State

Directed by Kevin Smith, and "known" as a horror movie. It isn't a horror movie. It's a mix of stuff, and at the end - disappointing and pointless. 4/10

[Christophe]

Been getting stuck into a Woody Allen boxset:

Interiors 8/10

Dark, Bergman homage about an arty family coming apart at the seams. Really atmospheric and affecting. Woody isn’t in this one and I don’t think it would have been as good with his silly face popping up everywhere. Enjoyed it hugely.

A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy 6.5/10

Farcical comedy drama about three couples who join up at Woody’s hideaway in the country and are conniving and contriving to bang each other’s partners behind each other’s back. It’s quite a good laugh but there’s so little chemistry between the relationships it’s hard to become really immersed in.

Crimes and Misdemeanours 8/10

Again, quite a dark one with some comedy touches. All about relationships, infidelity, unrequited love etc. Absorbing.

Edited September 10, 2014 by Christophe

[banana]

^ Crimes and Misdemeanors is truly one of Allen's great IMO.

A Room for Romeo Brass (7/10)

One of Shane Meadows' early full features about nothing much in particular, random dark/funny scheme life with the familiar 'characters' and high jinx. Good twitchy performance from Paddy Considine and surprisingly good performances from the two young actors, especially the title character.

Edited September 10, 2014 by banana

[BFTD]

Red State

Directed by Kevin Smith, and "known" as a horror movie. It isn't a horror movie. It's a mix of stuff, and at the end - disappointing and pointless. 4/10

Pretty much all true IMO, although I think I enjoyed it more than you. Kev's original ending would've been way more fun...

The original script was the same up until the trumpet sounds, at which point it becomes apparent that the apocalypse is actually happening, complete with CG angels and Four Horsemen tearing across the sky. it would've ended with a horrified John Goodman watching the slaughter. It obviously wasn't practical to staple in a big CG sequence at the end of a low-budget movie, so he had to come up with something more sensible (and, as you said, disappointing).

Would've had everyone soiling themselves, a la The Mist.

[Ira Gaines]

What If ( 2014 )

A proper charmer of a movie, and a slightly pleasant surprise.

8/10