What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Ric]

Melancholia - 2011 - Lars von Trier

I could some this review up in three words.. "wow, just wow"

This is a difficult film to summarise, it's effectively 2 films in one; a psychological drama mixed with a disaster movie. While the first hour can be a bit slow going, after the slightly confusing opening minutes, it's needed to expand the emotions of the two women in the second part, which is where the story all comes together. The cast is excellent, and while Kirsten Dunst is perhaps the focus for the first half it's Charlotte Gainsborough's performance that really stands out as a wife, a mother and a sister stuck in the middle of a dysfunctional family and a straight laced husband played by Keifer Sutherland. What Trier has done excellently is create a disaster movie that doesn't involve lots of fast moving media hyperbole, no flustered politicians or religious nut jobs. Instead by avoiding this he can concentrate on the matter at hand; the relationship between the sisters. The effects when needed are subtle and all the better for it.

There are "flaws" if you could call them that. Some characters are not that well developed, the kid seems to be mute at times of stress and ultimately it does feel a little like two movies put back to back, but it's still a cracker of a film and well worth watching.

9/10 8/10 - amended score after reflection.

Edited October 12, 2011 by Ric

[uni]

Earlier today I left work early mainly because I'm a lazy fucker and I'd knew they wouldn't notice. So I went home and watched Groundhog Day.

A good film based on a very odd idea. Easy watching and generally entertaining, I'd consider watching it again minus all the ad brakes you get every 30 seconds on Channel 5.

7.2/10

[HEY_SIDNEY]

REPO MEN

An hour and a half of my life a probably wont get back. Nuff said.

2/10

[the jambo-rocker]

Human Traffic

8/10

not sure why, but cant bring myself to give it any less. story doesnt really seem to go anywhere, but still a fuckin good watch

I'll back that up. Like you other than some sexual tension between two of the mates, there really wasn't anything going on other than enjoying the ride. I think it was more the narration of some of the situations; that they were in both petty and enjoyable and how much you could relate to it. I would certainly agree with the rating, even if danny dyer is in it. NICE ONE BRUVA!

[Ric]

Didn't like Human Traffic at all to be honest. A coming of age film that is all to predictable and lacking in originality. The film starts with a man called Jip and that pretty sums up his character.

The caveat I suppose is that it's a film meant for teenagers who may have not already seen other, much better, films covering the subject. In the same way toddlers find Teletubbies engrossing this film passed me by with a very apathetic, "meh".

Oh, and, their description of drug use is also pretty much simplistic and incorrect.

I would be hard pushed to give it a 4, albeit it does have the rather chucklesome line, "Reach for the lasers.."

Edited October 10, 2011 by Ric

[Gall09]

Inside - 6/10

French horror about a woman who, on the night before she is due to give birth, is terrorised in her home by a woman determined to take her baby from her.

I expected better to be honest. The opening 20 minutes or so are quite unsettling, but as soon as the "baddie" enters the woman's home, the film just goes mental. It turns into a total gore-fest. Heads are blown off, genitals are mutilated and there are countless scenes involving nastiness with scissors and knitting needles. And this wasn't even the unrated version!

I thought it was alright, but i was hoping for a horror, rather than a slasher.

[Satans_Husband]

Tyrannosaur

Written and directed by Paddy Considine so I think most people know what direction it's likely to take. And it did. Not too bad but fairly disappointing. The acting is of a high standard although I don't know how many more times I can watch Peter Mullan being a violent drunk. It's basically alright but I don't think Considine has proven anything about whether his directing skills will match up to those of his acting.

5/10

[Albino Rover]

Melancholia - 2011 - Lars von Trier

I could some this review up in three words.. "wow, just wow"

This is a difficult film to summarise, it's effectively 2 films in one; a psychological drama mixed with a disaster movie. While the first hour can be a bit slow going, after the slightly confusing opening minutes, it's needed to expand the emotions of the two women in the second part, which is where the story all comes together. The cast is excellent, and while Kirsten Dunst is perhaps the focus for the first half it's Charlotte Gainsborough's performance that really stands out as a wife, a mother and a sister stuck in the middle of a dysfunctional family and a straight laced husband played by Keifer Sutherland. What Trier has done excellently is create a disaster movie that doesn't involve lots of fast moving media hyperbole, no flustered politicians or religious nut jobs. Instead by avoiding this he can concentrate on the matter at hand; the relationship between the sisters. The effects when needed are subtle and all the better for it.

There are "flaws" if you could call them that. Some characters are not that well developed, the kid seems to be mute at times of stress and ultimately it does feel a little like two movies put back to back, but it's still a cracker of a film and well worth watching.

9/10

Agree with your 9/10 rating. I'll add: If you miss it on big screen, you're missing out. (A definite Cannes film, certainly won't be for everyone.) My 2nd favourite film of this year so far.

[Ric]

I'll add: If you miss it on big screen, you're missing out.

I don't feel that a big screen automatically adds to a film. I see where you are coming from and certainly the first and last 5 minutes of the film would benefit, but the rest is less about flashy effects and surround sound and all about the relationship between the two sisters. The effects were used very sparingly.

One thing I would say, and I'll be careful not to put in any spoilers, but with knowing the plot and seeing Justine's depression in the first half of the film I thought she knew what was going to happen, hence why she was so depressed.

Still, definitely one of the best films of the year so far for me, although I'd need to check back and see what 2011 releases there have been. I would have liked the relevant husband's characters expanded more though. Sutherland especially had little to do with the film and his final scene in the film (again trying to avoid spoilers) left me feeling a bit like there was a chunk of film sitting on the cutting room floor that they forgot to add back in. It also seemed pretty much out of character.

[SaltyTON]

Robotropolis (2011)

A Syfy-esque film about an island owned by a Petroleum company that has robots living amongst the general populous.

Shit hits fan, robots start killing people, well you know the score.

Imagine Terminator Salvation, but a bit better (mainly for comedy reasons)!

6/10

[Clarko_son]

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Thought it was excellent, only negative marks for maybe being a bit too complex but still a crackin' film

9/10

[HEY_SIDNEY]

THE GODFATHER PART 3:

Finally bothered my arse watching it.

Bleugh. Imo an average film, dare i say quite rubbish film in contrast to the first 2.

I know it was a good few years after part 2 but just lacked in every department. Just didnt feel like i was watching the last part of the Godfather films.

The sexual 'tension' between Andy Garcia and That Coppola burd was at times cringy.

Anyway disappointed to say the least over the film. And apologies to anyone who loved it, just not for me. Feeling they should have left it at 1&2.

4/10

[Satans_Husband]

THE GODFATHER PART 3:

Finally bothered my arse watching it.

Bleugh. Imo an average film, dare i say quite rubbish film in contrast to the first 2.

I know it was a good few years after part 2 but just lacked in every department. Just didnt feel like i was watching the last part of the Godfather films.

The sexual 'tension' between Andy Garcia and That Coppola burd was at times cringy.

Anyway disappointed to say the least over the film. And apologies to anyone who loved it, just not for me. Feeling they should have left it at 1&2.

4/10

I doubt you will ever meet or even hear of a single person with that opinion.

[SaltyTON]

Tempted to watch Godfather 2 and 3. I can't remember anything about the first one, is it necessary to rewatch to understand parts of the next, or does it just stand alone?

Edited October 11, 2011 by SaltyTON

[Satans_Husband]

Tempted to watch Godfather 2 and 3. I can't remember anything about the first one, is it necessary to rewatch to understand parts of the next, or does it just stand alone?

I reckon you could watch the second one on its own but it would probably be a lot more enjoyable if the first one was fresh in your memory. I'm guessing though since I didn't view it like that myself. The first way I actually saw Godfather I & II was the brilliant TV version that rearranged the events of both films into chronological order and showed them in four episodes (if I remember rightly). Think it was a US special that was screened by the BBC. I'd love to see it like that again to see if I still enjoyed viewing it that way as much since I'm a big fan of the films themselves.

[Satans_Husband]

How on earth could you find it boring? How was it a wasted opportunity? It answered nearly every single question it threw up and did so with some style.

It was a wasted opportunity in that it looked to be an interesting story with all sorts of ambiguities and moral questions until...

...it turned to the overdone 'sinister underground society' which has been used so many times before. This delivered nearly a solid hour of tedious ordeal before we got to an unremarkable pay-off.

[Albino Rover]

I don't feel that a big screen automatically adds to a film. I see where you are coming from and certainly the first and last 5 minutes of the film would benefit, but the rest is less about flashy effects and surround sound and all about the relationship between the two sisters. The effects were used very sparingly.

One thing I would say, and I'll be careful not to put in any spoilers, but with knowing the plot and seeing Justine's depression in the first half of the film I thought she knew what was going to happen, hence why she was so depressed.

Still, definitely one of the best films of the year so far for me, although I'd need to check back and see what 2011 releases there have been. I would have liked the relevant husband's characters expanded more though. Sutherland especially had little to do with the film and his final scene in the film (again trying to avoid spoilers) left me feeling a bit like there was a chunk of film sitting on the cutting room floor that they forgot to add back in. It also seemed pretty much out of character.

Big screen certainly doesn't add to film automatically, but as you say, the introduction and finale benefited so much, those moments blew me away on big screen; the difference between good and great, actually. Personally I think looking at films like this and Dogville, Von Trier's genius is in using techniques expertly but not exploiting them. He can tell a story using paralinear techniques, something I admire very much. I love that this story is told "in a nutshell" in the intro before we even see it, I guess this allows us to discover the (main) characters in its two parts rather than concentrate on the bigger (universal) picture. Me and my friend questioned; is Kiefer simply comic relief (and a sign of you-know-what after you-know-when).

Second this year, for me, to Malick's The Tree Of Life. Another very philosophical and artistic film that won't be for everyone. I saw it twice and can say it's my second favourite film of all time. (Incidentally out on DVD -and Blu-ray...that will be cool!- on Hallowe'en. And no, I don't work for them.)

[HEY_SIDNEY]

I doubt you will ever meet or even hear of a single person with that opinion.

Haha i take it then consesus is that it wasnt very good lol.

Saltyton you prob can watch GF 2 without 1 but as Satans Husband says, makes for better viewing if you do

[HEY_SIDNEY]

TRAINING DAY:

Not seen this cheeky little number in a while. Stuck this on yesterday when i got in from work. Not much to say about it except the usual superlatives that everyone uses ha. With the exception of Dr Dre, the acting is excellent. Soundtracks class on storyline excellent too.

10/10

ICE AGE:

Not much difference between the above and this . I absolutely love this film. Because Sid The Sloth it comedy gold haha. Big kid at heart.

9/10

[QP Mental]

LAYER CAKE:

Never seen it before decided I should give it a watch, mate of mine described it as a less funny version of Snatch which was true, great film though all the same some scenes are quite epic the one with the Dragon shooting the sniper was quality.

8/10