Last Film You Watched

[McBain]

- Portman played it with one-note timidity, plus she was miscast (too old).

- Stranger Things reignited Winona's career.

- being a critical or commercial smash doesn't mean i'm gonna love it.

- the shock tactics are hiding behind the artistry. it's too prevent such tactics being labelled cheap. it's art, darling...shock is allowed. See also bumhole play in Last Tango in Paris. it's an old trick of perverted male directors.

- a mesmerising set of characters? hahahaha

- deconstructing is a favourite critic's-word, but often doesn't mean anything concrete. which genres did the film 'deconstruct' and how did it do it?

- i agree on The Fountain. Nice idea, but boring & overly-emotional. 3/10.

You can hate a film - nothing wrong with that, but your criticisms of its story, it's technique and its reception are baffling.

- Portman played it with one-note timidity, plus she was miscast (too old)

So Wrong. An Oscar. A Bafta. A Golden Globe. You don't clean sweep every award ceremony with a one-note performance. What are you smoking? Every single person (bar you obv) sees one of the of the most mesmerising performances ever. Perfect. If you can't see how good she is - then there's no point debating it. You are literally the one guy at the back of the auditorium fuming Yannick Bolaise didn't get the Ballon D'Or here.

- Stranger Things reignited Winona's career.

Wrong again. A simple look at IMDB will tell you her last major starring role was 1999's Girl Interrupted. She was found shoplifting and didn't find her feet again until this film.

- being a critical or commercial smash doesn't mean i'm gonna love it.

Absolutely. You are more than welcome to your opinion, and people can hate anything and everything nowadays. I just take umbrage with you calling it [Poor language removed], when it's actually brilliant.

- the shock tactics are hiding behind the artistry. it's too prevent such tactics being labelled cheap. it's art, darling...shock is allowed. See also bumhole play in Last Tango in Paris. it's an old trick of perverted male directors.

Yeah I don't think you understand the World he is portraying here. I don't, because I'm not in that world, but to lay that claim when it's literally a cinematic reflection of 'Swan Lake' is blinkered.

- a mesmerising set of characters? hahahaha

Again, not sure what you're watching here. I watched a cast so bound in a unrelenting, uncompromising world steeped in its own tradition they play them to grim perfection.

- deconstructing is a favourite critic's-word, but often doesn't mean anything concrete. which genres did the film 'deconstruct' and how did it do it?

Well I'm glad you asked, because you kind of missed it slapping you in the face, or it must have been during your multiple eye-rolling groans as you were forced to sit through it. You don't like the word deconstructing? It's common because that's the signature style of the times. Where the idea is to construct a story, the fashion is to deconstruct the same story and look at it in a new light. That's what it means. Even the soundtrack is a deconstruction of the classic Tchaikovsky score. It's very concrete and happens across every media platform. The genres used in the film were horror, romance, drama, fantasy and thriller. Here's a review from the NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/movies/03black.html which sums it up more perfectly than I could.

 

[dholliday]

Blood father with Mel Gibson.

what's your rating out of 10?

its definitely worth a rewatch, I’ve see it a dozen times over the years, one of my fav 80’s flicks, showcasing Mann’s immense talent as a director.

You can see the residue of Manhunter in Heat, another tour de force by Mann.

i do love me 80's synths.

Iceman (2017) - decent film about the Otzi mummy. Bit of a cross between a Liam neeson film and The Revenant set thousands of years ago. No real dialogue but I enjoyed the film.

that sounds ace.

A prophet is brilliant.

any far-eastern recommendations you discovered recently?

You can hate a film - nothing wrong with that, but your criticisms of its story, it's technique and its reception are baffling.

- Portman played it with one-note timidity, plus she was miscast (too old)

So Wrong. An Oscar. A Bafta. A Golden Globe. You don't clean sweep every award ceremony with a one-note performance. What are you smoking? Every single person (bar you obv) sees one of the of the most mesmerising performances ever. Perfect. If you can't see how good she is - then there's no point debating it. You are literally the one guy at the back of the auditorium fuming Yannick Bolaise didn't get the Ballon D'Or here.

- Stranger Things reignited Winona's career.

Wrong again. A simple look at IMDB will tell you her last major starring role was 1999's Girl Interrupted. She was found shoplifting and didn't find her feet again until this film.

- being a critical or commercial smash doesn't mean i'm gonna love it.

Absolutely. You are more than welcome to your opinion, and people can hate anything and everything nowadays. I just take umbrage with you calling it [Poor language removed], when it's actually brilliant.

- the shock tactics are hiding behind the artistry. it's too prevent such tactics being labelled cheap. it's art, darling...shock is allowed. See also bumhole play in Last Tango in Paris. it's an old trick of perverted male directors.

Yeah I don't think you understand the World he is portraying here. I don't, because I'm not in that world, but to lay that claim when it's literally a cinematic reflection of 'Swan Lake' is blinkered.

- a mesmerising set of characters? hahahaha

Again, not sure what you're watching here. I watched a cast so bound in a unrelenting, uncompromising world steeped in its own tradition they play them to grim perfection.

- deconstructing is a favourite critic's-word, but often doesn't mean anything concrete. which genres did the film 'deconstruct' and how did it do it?

Well I'm glad you asked, because you kind of missed it slapping you in the face, or it must have been during your multiple eye-rolling groans as you were forced to sit through it. You don't like the word deconstructing? It's common because that's the signature style of the times. Where the idea is to construct a story, the fashion is to deconstruct the same story and look at it in a new light. That's what it means. Even the soundtrack is a deconstruction of the classic Tchaikovsky score. It's very concrete and happens across every media platform. The genres used in the film were horror, romance, drama, fantasy and thriller. Here's a review from the NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/movies/03black.html which sums it up more perfectly than I could.

i don't hate it, Mac...it's a 5 or 6/10. just disappointed as i see such promise in his films.

regarding not understanding the world of the film, i tell you who doesn't understand it: Aronofsky. Ask anyone in the real world who's involved with pro ballet about Portman's character and they'll all tell you the same thing: no one that timid & fragile would win such a prime role.

it's true the film used genre-formula from horror, fantasy and psycho-thriller, but using isn't the same as deconstructing.

 

[Zatara]

what's your rating out of 10?




i do love me 80's synths.




that sounds ace.




any far-eastern recommendations you discovered recently?




i don't hate it, Mac...it's a 5 or 6/10. just disappointed as i see such promise in his films.

regarding not understanding the world of the film, i tell you who doesn't understand it: Aronofsky. Ask anyone in the real world who's involved with pro ballet about Portman's character and they'll all tell you the same thing: no one that timid & fragile would win such a prime role.

it's true the film used genre-formula from horror, fantasy and psycho-thriller, but using isn't the same as deconstructing.

Nothing recently, ive been watching a lot of spanish language stuff...

What type of films do you like with an Asian tint?

 

[MrD]

Bohemian Rhapsody

Really enjoyed it. The guy playing Brain May nailed it (apart from the guitar miming)

 

[McBain]

i don't hate it, Mac...it's a 5 or 6/10. just disappointed as i see such promise in his films.

regarding not understanding the world of the film, i tell you who doesn't understand it: Aronofsky. Ask anyone in the real world who's involved with pro ballet about Portman's character and they'll all tell you the same thing: no one that timid & fragile would win such a prime role.

it's true the film used genre-formula from horror, fantasy and psycho-thriller, but using isn't the same as deconstructing.

Granted the character should have been around 22-25 I think you just can't say no when someone like Portman is on board. That would have guaranteed his funding for the movie IMO.

I did read this though - and this made me laugh. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2011/jan/05/black-swan-natalie-portman-tamara-rojo

"I hated the ballet director. He was ridiculously patronising and bullying. That scene when he comes into the class and starts telling the story of Swan Lake, then taps the shoulders of the dancers he doesn't want to use – if I tried that, my company would tackle me to the ground and send me to the hospital."

 

[tonyhorne]

Just about to finish on Sky. I enjoyed this. It dramatises the build up to the invasion of Iraq from the viewpoint of the handful of American journalists who saw through the WMD lies of the Bush administration. Pretty similar to All The Presidents Men in many ways and still worrying that the same film could be made 40 odd years after Watergate...

 

[Nymzee]

Anyone braved Overlord yet? Tempted tonight.

 

[COYBL25]

Anyone braved Overlord yet? Tempted tonight.

Saw it on the cinema.

Remove brain and enjoy.

Takes a while to get going, but when it does it`s one hundred miles an hour and very graphic / brutal.

 

[Philw]

that was one of my problems with it...total cringe that scene. Aronofsky has form with showing us hardcore content he has little idea about himself: drug use in Requiem for a Dream was also cringe, and he couldn't resist showing us baby-torture in Mother.

A shock-tactic director hiding behind artistry. A shame, really, as his pictures are well-made with bags of potential. Pi is arguably the best director debut film out there.

I still have to see The Wrestler, hoping he pulls one back there!

The Wrestler is really good. Lead actors are both great in it, and story is really touching and hard hitting.

 

[Nymzee]

Saw it on the cinema.

Remove brain and enjoy.

Takes a while to get going, but when it does it`s one hundred miles an hour and very graphic / brutal.

It looks like one of those films I've absolutely love or massively hate. No middle ground.

 

[Nymzee]

You know what I did watch last week though that was super intense? Whiplash. Awesome film.

 

[Kenshin]

Finally got chance to see ready player one.

Fantastic film in my opinion. Had everything you want from that sort of movie and kept me interested throughout without going overboard with the plot.

Very simple movie premise executed perfectly . You can tell it has the speilberg direction on it.

 

[stony]

Journey's End. Really gritty WW1 drama about a company of British soldiers in the trenches awaiting a German attack. Very good cast and really well acted. Just a shame they chose to name the film what they did, as it rather gives away the ending.

 

[COYBL25]

It looks like one of those films I've absolutely love or massively hate. No middle ground.

If you like full on war films and Zombie films you`ll like it.

The ending is full on too

 

[Professor Toffee]

Bohemian Rhapsody

Really enjoyed it. The guy playing Brain May nailed it (apart from the guitar miming)

Is dirty Den in it?