Albino Rover Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Whiplash This film is very interesting. It's excellently written, shot, cut and acted, without an unintentional false note to be seen or heard, but it goes deeper than that- designing a unique teacher-pupil relationship within the setting of an ambitious jazz orchestra. The pupil is Andrew, a talented young drummer who won't settle for just being talented- he wants to become the best. He earns a trial in said orchestra, conducted by Mr. Fletcher- an extreme disciplinarian with no code of morals, who will do anything to make his students achieve greatness, including severe personal abuse, physical violence and strategic lies. Fletcher makes his players' lives hell, but Andrew doesn't even settle for that: he's just as hard on himself- he draws blood on a nightly basis trying to make himself great- and makes the personal sacrifices he sees necessary, devoting his life to the drum kit. If you've ever wanted to become great at anything, this film is a vivid interpretation of what it must be like. Some people have likened Mr. Fletcher to the gunnery sergeant from Full Metal Jacket; I saw him more like Sir Alex Ferguson, hair-drying and boot-flinging his team to success. In any case, J.K. Simmons, the master of bit-parts, handles his substantial role exceptionally well: his character gets all the good lines, and he weaponises every one of them to perfection. But that's as far as the film's message really goes. It's a great premise and it arrives at a very satisfying conclusion, but almost nothing is left to the imagination; I wanted it to go further and try more. I hope writer-director Damien Chazelle can do that with his next film, as this showed a lot of promise. The film seems to work for a lot of people but, while I can't fault the cinematics, it didn't hit me as hard as it could have. 8/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurph Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Ted 7/10 Project X 7/10 Horrible Bosses 6/10 Blue Valentine 8/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1320Lichtie Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Jackie Brown - 7/10 - Pulp Fictionesque and Samuel Jackson is unreal. Funny as f**k and easy to watch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1320Lichtie Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Fresh - 8.5/10 - great watch, very easy going, liked the whole gangster element with the kid and the way it plays out is very very clever. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBud Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 City of God: 10/10 Exodus, Gods and Kings: 2/10 The Ultimate Gift: 2/10 Jackie Brown: 10/10 Foxcatcher: 9/10 Godfather Part Two: 10/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Joseph Stalin Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hitler, the greatest story never to be told. 10/10 An interesting view on Hitlers life without the propaganda and demonisation. Banned in a lot of countries, well worth a watch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 American Sniper. 7 out of 10. Would have scored higher if it wasn't for Cooper holding a doll in one of the scenes. Looked very naff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hitler, the greatest story never to be told. 10/10 An interesting view on Hitlers life without the propaganda and demonisation. Demonisation, you say? http://www.reelz.com/trailer-clips/49175/the-producers-clip/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Gaines Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 It's arguably one of the most interesting things I've ever watched, but still in places totally ignores his rationalisation, when it comes to specifics. It's fucking fascinating. And I'd recommend it to every single person to watch. It won't change your views on him. He's a murdering scumbag. But you get insight into him, and his midset. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 He was a shite Austrian painter whos blonde bird cheating on him with a Jew. Simple fact. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Testament of Youth I was going to give this one a miss, but reading the reviews I thought I'd give it a go. It's basically a snap shot of Vera Brittain's life, from around about the beginning of the first world war until shortly after it finished. She was clearly well before her time, outspoken, ambitious and extremely free minded, a feminist without really realising it. The movie itself is quite heavy going in truth, as you'd probably expect from a WW1 movie of this nature. It shows Brittain's evolution from optimist to realist and all the way to pacifist as she is taught some rather harsh life lessons over the course of the war. I've not seen much of Alicia Vikander before this movie, but she was outstanding in her lead role. Very powerful performance and I'm actually quite surprised she wasn't really in the race for an Oscar nomination. Kit Harrington was excellent in his support role - I don't think he's great in Game of Thrones (although the character he plays is quite wooden) and Pompeii is a lot of coblers - but he's definitely got something based on his showing here. Not a film for everyone I don't think, but I enjoyed it. 7/10 Edited January 23, 2015 by Kyle 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Saints Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Too many critically-acclaimed movies are out at the moment. Birdman, Whiplash, Foxcatcher, The Theory of Everything.. I have an obsession with watching all of the Oscar-nominated films before the Oscars actually happen. I'm going to be struggling. Went to see Birdman today, but the cinema had cancelled it because they ''hadn't received it in time.'' Perth is an awful place. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Too many critically-acclaimed movies are out at the moment. Birdman, Whiplash, Foxcatcher, The Theory of Everything.. I have an obsession with watching all of the Oscar-nominated films before the Oscars actually happen. I'm going to be struggling. Went to see Birdman today, but the cinema had cancelled it because they ''hadn't received it in time.'' Perth is an awful place. Is it not even out in Perth yet? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Saints Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Is it not even out in Perth yet? Nope, and neither is Foxcatcher. I miss living in Dundee. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1320Lichtie Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Birdman today, but the cinema had cancelled it because they ''hadn't received it in time.'' Perth is an awful place. wtf?!? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Saints Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 wtf?!? Indeed, it was meant to be Perth's first screening of the film. Embarrassing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Watched "Flight of the Phoenix", original version on telly this afternoon. Probably only sjc would be interested in this, but the belly dancer hallucinated by Sergeant Watson was performed by Barry Chase. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Indeed, it was meant to be Perth's first screening of the film. Embarrassing. Release date: January 1st...what a joke! -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Is it not even out in Perth yet? With any luck it'll be out around the same time as the second Hobbit film so I can have a sesh of films. Edited January 23, 2015 by RandomGuy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AberdeenBud Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 #perthshire #thirdworld 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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