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What I Watched This Week #48 (Nov 26 – Dec 2)

Daguerreotypes
dir. Agnes Varda/1975/1h20m 

Agnes Varda explores the day in the life of the people who work and shop at the variety of stores in the Rue Daguerre in Paris, the street that has also been her home for decades.  Varda is the kind of filmmaker who finds stories everywhere she looks, with a style that is intimate and probing but always with a care for and love of her subjects.  There are several lingering shots of the elderly wife of one of the store owners who appears to be suffering from dementia as she looks vacantly around the room that are just so beautifully sad it breaks your heart.  There are also some brilliant match cuts between a local magician performing tricks and the workers performing various tasks in their stores that just embodies the magic that Varda sees in everyday life.  Seeing the world through her eyes is always an inspiring experience.  8/10

Mysterious Skin
dir. Gregg Araki/2004/1h45m 

Two eight year old boys are sexually abused by their little league coach (Bill Sage), and ten years later we see how this has affected their lives.  Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is prostituting himself to older men while Brian (Brady Corbet) is obsessed with UFOs, having repressed his memories so much that he thinks he was the victim of an alien abduction.  When he starts investigating the truth about what happened to him he meets up with Neil and the two confront their past.  This is a brilliant film that I'll never watch again because it's just so brutal.  The scenes of Coach grooming Neil, and the effects that has on him as a young child – in one scene Neil placates a special needs kid after setting off fireworks from his mouth by performing a s*x act on him while cooing “that's a good boy” - are horrific.  The performances are excellent all round especially the two leads – the whole film is basically building up to the meeting between the two - and the final scene where they finally meet is heart-breaking but also tender and full of care and love for these two broken young men.  Hats off too to Sage who is an absolutely repulsive monster who is also full of charm, which allows his abuse to happen.  This must have been a hard role to play but he nails it.  A hard watch that deals with a harrowing topic with sensitivity and honesty.  9/10

A Page of Madness
dir. Teinosuke Kinugasa/1926/1h11m 

 

This silent Japanese horror film stars Masuo Inoue as a man who gets a job as a janitor in an insane asylum in order to free his wife (Yoshie Nakagawa), who is being held there.  This is a very impressive film stylistically, with practically every scene being a surreal, nightmarish blend of fantasy and reality, with some fantastic visuals, I especially liked the expressionist dance scenes.  Technically this is good too, with some excellent editing that adds to the dream-like feeling of the film.  This film also takes the bold step of having absolutely no intertitles explaining the plot or giving exposition which, coupled with the surreal imagery, makes the plot really hard to understand or follow.  This may just be me being a big ol' d*mmy though.  But I still really enjoyed this just for the atmosphere and the inventive visual design and direction.  7/10

Nanook of the North
dir. Robert J. Flaherty/1922/1h19m 

Director Robert Flaherty spent a year with the Inuit people of northern Quebec, particularly the family of Nanook, for this ground breaking documentary.  While there is the stench of British Imperialism and condescension in talking about the “quaint little people” that doesn't get in the way of the incredible scenes that Flaherty captured, despite several of them being staged.  We follow Nanook and his family as they are always on the move, following the food.  There are several graphic hunt scenes – fans of walruses should stay away – but even when he's s*cking the flesh straight off the bone of a fresh kill Nanook is still an endearing and charismatic subject.  There are some really interesting scenes of survival here, my favourite was watching him construct an igloo, carving up snow blocks with his walrus bone knife, and it's very cute when he makes a tiny little igloo for the puppies.  A landmark in documentary filmmaking that is still fascinating today.  8.5/10

Rabbits
dir. David Lynch/2002/42m 

It what was originally an exclusive four episode series for his website, David Lynch gives us his version of a sitcom.  Set in a bare set – a sofa, an ironing board – viewed from a static, unmoving shot, giant rabbits have strange conversations and maybe summon a great evil?  For the most part Suzie (Naomi Watts) irons clothes while Jack (Scott Coffey) walks in and out – always to a huge round of applause – and Jane (Laura Harring) sits on the sofa.  The last two episodes are Suzie and Jack singing the same song.  This is pure Lynchian, a nightmarish, surreal yet strangely banal, peek beneath the surface of everyday America.  You will either love this or hate it, and I am firmly in the love it camp.  The growing sense of unease and the feeling that there is something awful just around the corner is utterly gripping.  9/10

The Miseducation of Cameron Post
dir. Desiree Akhaven/2018/1h32m 

After being caught with another girl, teenager Cameron Post (Chole Grace Moretz) is sent to a Christian conversion camp in order to “pray away the gay”.  The camp is run by the Nurse Ratched style Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and her brother, Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr.), who is himself a convert.  While at the camp she forms a friendship with Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forrest Goodluck).  I was expecting this film to have the main character get to the camp and immediately start sticking it to the man, leading a rebellion and all that stuff, but what I got was a much more honest, real, introspective film that tackles its subject head on and gives real depth to all of the characters.  Grace Moretz gives her best performance to date in the lead, her confusion over her feelings is palpable in every scene, and the moments where she decides to act on what she feels is right are given more meaning thanks to the struggle she so clearly goes through to get there.  Lane and Goodluck are brilliant as her friends, particularly Lane who I just want to see more of, and even the “villains” are fleshed out thanks to the fantastic writing and direction from Akhaven and the performances of Ehle and Gallagher Jr.  There is one particular moment where Reverend Rick is alone eating breakfast after a major plot point, and the camera just lingers on him, and there is so much going on just in his posture and expression that it's kind of amazing.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for gay teens, I loved this.  9/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

The Immigrant
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1917/24m 

The tr*mp is on a ship bound for New York, immigrating with hundreds of other people, including the beautiful Edna Purviance, who was one of the biggest female stars at the time.  The journey is rough, and there are several brilliant scenes where the ship seesaws from side to side to great comic effect.  After being in New York for a while The tr*mp bumps back into Edna, and tries to take her out to dinner, but a brutish waiter (Eric Campbell) isn't making things easy for him.  This marks a real evolution in the character of The tr*mp, who up until now had been just a cheeky troublemaker.  It is here where Chaplin first starts to inject some real pathos and social commentary into his films.  Needless to say that this is brilliant, and Chaplin is in top gear as a performer here, his every movement in service to the character and the story.  One of, if not the best early short of his.  9/10

The Rink
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1916/24m 

The tr*mp is a waiter in a fancy restaurant where he causes the expected mischief.  On his lunch break he goes roller-skating – at which he is really good – and you can imagine the shenanigans that ensue.  Again, like most Chaplin films, this is full of charm and humour with some really impressive choreography for the skating gags.  If you want a massive grin on your face for twenty minutes then you should check this out.  8/10

The Short & Curlies
dir. Mike Leigh/1988/17m 

In this short film from Mike Leigh we witness the relationship between Joy (Sylvestra Le Touzel) and Clive (David Thewlis), who communicates mostly in dad jokes – what's round and really violent?  A vicious circle – from their first flirtations through to the morning of their wedding day.  Throughout we also get scenes of Joy getting her hair done by Betty (Alison Steadman), and we get some of the relationship between her and her daughter Charlene (Wendy Nottingham).  This is a delightful film that retains the social realism typical of Leigh films while also having a light, whimsical touch to it.  8/10

Beau
dir. Ari Aster/2011/7m 

This short horror film from the director of Hereditary and Midsommar sees a man, Beau (Billy Mayo) set off to visit his mother, but having his keys stolen out of his door as he's about to leave.  He quickly descends into paranoia as he imagines he is being stalked by some unseen threat, and his neighbours start to act aggressively.  There are some good ideas in here, and the feeling of paranoia are expressed nicely this ultimately feels a bit empty.  Maybe if it had a longer runtime to explore its ideas more fully would have helped.  The lead performance by Mayo is well done, and you can feel his unease, but it all kind of goes nowhere.  6/10

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X (2022) dir Ti West

2 strippers, their boyfriends, a student film maker and his girlfriend rent a house on a rural Texas farm to make a p*rn film. The very elderly, and quite scarily ugly looking, farmer and his wife do not take kindly to what these degenerate city folk are doing, with inevitably bloody consequences. The film starts with the local sheriff arriving at the farm after the bloodbath, then it skips back 24 hours. So we know right from the start most, if not all, the characters are not coming out of this alive. Mia Goth was the only cast member I recognise, playing one of the strippers and, with a lot of prosthetics and makeup, the farmer's wife. The suspense is built up very well. Right throughout the film it hints at ways one of the characters is going to die but as they don't the first time you are never sure when they are going to get killed. Also there are off-screen horrors suggested, just waiting for someone to discover later. So it's not predicable. It keeps you guessing and when the killings do occur they are somewhat of a surprise. There are some clever scenes where it shows in split screen the p*rn film (nothing that explicit) they make alongside the characters doing something else. And makes much of the contrast between the free and easy film makers and their very strict religious hosts. The TV in the farm house is almost constantly on showing some TV evangelist preaching about his idea of morality. It is quite bloody and gory at times, obviously, and is probably right at the limit of what I personally can stomach. Overall it's on the suspense-thriller side rather than gore-fest side of the horror film genre divide.

 

8 / 10

 

Edited by djw180
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What I Watched This Week #49 (Dec 3 – 9)

Skyfall
dir. Sam Mendes/2012/2h23m 

The past comes back to haunt M (Judi Dench) in the form of a former agent she left for dead, Silva (Javier Bardem), so Bond (Daniel Craig) has to protect her.  Sam Mendes' first of two Bond films is very well directed, and it looks gorgeous thanks to Roger Deakin's photography.  Bardem, when he finally turns up, is a great villain, and the scenes where he threateningly flirts with Bond are brilliant.  Where this film stumbles for me is in the last act where they go to Bond's childhood home and fill it full of traps Home Alone style.  Every time that Bond's past is delved into always feels unnecessary to me and takes away from the character.  It's not too egregious here but it becomes a huge problem in the next film, Spectre.  However, I did really like the little coda at the end where Mendes seems to reset things to classic bond style.  We'd already met the new Q (Ben Whishaw), who I think is perfect casting, but at the end we also get the new Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and a brand new M (Ralph Fiennes) settled in an office that looks just like the classic one.  A much more entertaining film than Quantum of Solace.  8/10 

Only God Forgives
dir. Nicolas Winding Refn/2013/1h30m 

Ryan Gosling plays Julian, living in Bangkok and running a Thai boxing club as a front for his family's drug smuggling business.  When his brother is killed by the father of an underage girl he r*ped, his mother Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) expects him to go and get revenge.  Like other films by Winding Refn – Bronson, Drive – this is a stylish, neon drenched experience with a pulsating soundtrack that seems, at times, like it's covering up a lack of substance.  Gosling, nearly mute, had never seems like a physical threat to me before, but he actually pulls it off here.  Scott Thomas is repulsive as Crystal.  She is a total c*nt of a human being and I bet she had a blast doing it.  This is a divisive film – it was both booed and received a standing ovation when it was shown at Cannes – but if you're in the right mood you will be totally drawn into a seedy underworld where everyone is an *sshole.  I do prefer Bronson but this is still a very good film.  8/10

Carry On Don't Lose Your Head 
dir. Gerald Thomas/1966/1h30m 

The Carry On team sends up the French Revolution and the tales of The Scarlet Pimpernel.  Sid James plays lisping toff Sir Rodney Ffing, who is secretly The Black Fingernail, determined to save the French aristocracy from the chopping block.  This is one that didn't really click with me.  I'm firmly on the side of the people when it comes to revolutions of this type, and the more aristos who lose their heads the better.  Also, this is a character that doesn't suit James, he just doesn't come across as posh at all.  I did enjoy Kenneth Williams as Citizen Camembert, the Fingernail's biggest enemy, and Charles Hawtrey is as insane as ever as the Duc de Pomfrit.  The worst entry in the series since Regardless.  4/10

The Unbelievable Truth
dir. Hal Hartley/1989/1h30m 

Josh (Robert John Burke) returns to his small hometown after being released from prison.  He meets Audry (Adrienne Shelly) and the two become close, but he doesn't want a relationship.  She moves away, becoming a successful model in New York, and her father (Christopher Cooke) sends Josh after her.  This is a very idiosyncratic film with deadpan performances all round, and it really works for me.  This feels like a cross between a Yorgos Lanthimos and Kevin Smith film, all done in the French New Wave style.  This film really captures that small town feel, with gossip – and misinformation - spreading fast, and everyone knowing everyone else's business.  This is also very funny, with a hilarious running gag where every fight is just a shoving contest.  A little gem of American independent cinema.  8.5/10

His Prehistoric Past
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1914/22m 

 

Chaplin's Little tr*mp takes a nap on a park bench and he dreams of a life in prehistoric times, where he is a caveman – albeit still with his trademark hat, cane and oversized shoes – called Weakchin, living under the rule of King Lowbrow (Mack Swain).  The plot sees Weakchin falling in love with one of the King's wives, so he has to take the crown for himself.  It ends with him getting bonked on the head, waking up to find a policeman moving him on.  This is a decent early short from Chaplin, but compared to his films from just a couple of years later it is very underdeveloped.  The character of the tr*mp hasn't yet found his final form, lacking the empathy that would make him loved by the whole world.  6/10 

The Cup
dir. Khyentse Norbu/1999/1h33m 

 

At a monastery for exiled Tibetans in India excitement is spreading among the young students for the 1998 World Cup.  They are desperate for a TV to watch the final and football mad Orgyen (Jamyang Lodro) will do almost anything to get one, even risking the ire of Lama Geko (Orgyen Tobgyal).  There's a real authenticity to this film, thanks to the fact that Norbu is himself a Tibetan Lama.  The insight into the lives and rituals of the monks is fascinating, and is beautifully shot.  The performances all have real depth because everyone was basically playing themselves.  Lodro is brilliant as the precocious kid who, at the end, realises his actions have consequences.  The best thing about this film to me is how it shows people coming together over a shared love of football, and the scene where they all gather round the TV to watch the game was a real emotional high point.  9/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

21 Up
dir. Michael Apted/1977/1h40m 

 

Michael Apted returns with the Up series, and the subjects have now reached adulthood since we last saw them at 14.  This feels like a true beginning for the series, with the other two films acting as a prologue.  This feels more analytical, with the subjects able to reflect on what they had said before, and like more of a leap forward, even though each entry is seven years after the last.  There is just so much change here compared to the difference between the first two films.  Some things are the same, like the toffs are still entitled, and Suzy is still a c*nt, but it's mad that the conversations now turn to things like marriage and divorce (there's a lot about that here), birth and death.  The longer runtime really helps this feel more impactful, and I can't wait for the next entry in this fascinating chronicle of life.  8.5/10

Bambi
dir. David Hand/1942/1h10m 

Bambi is the story of life and death across the seasons in a forest through the experiences of young deer Bambi (Donnie Dunagan).  After being born he is taught about life thanks to his family and his friends Thumper (Peter Behn) and Flower (Stan Alexander).  He then learns about death thanks to man, as his mother is shot and killed by a hunter.  We then skip forward in time as an adult Bambi looks for love.  This second part of the film is something I knew nothing about, and honestly I found it kind of boring.  I would have liked to see Bambi learning to live without his mother, as dark as that sounds, but it would have been much more dramatic.  The first half of the film is still Disney magic though.  The animation of all the forest creatures is beautiful, and every single one of them has character.  The Golden Age of Disney (Snow White to Bambi) started stronger than it ended, but this is still a very good film that I'm sure is still traumatizing young children to this day.  7/10

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A couple of films watched so far this Xmas holiday.

 

Minataur (2006) dir Jonathan English

 

 

A young-ish Tom Hardy stars in this very unimpressive version of the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minataur. It's an action movie, not meant to be anything too serious. But that sort of film still ought to have a better script and acting than this has. Even the special effects and sets are underwhelming and would have looked dated in the 60s. The Minataur itself is OK and done as a sort of Zombie bull rather than the half-man half-bull it is usually depicted as. But overall, not really worth watching.

3/10

 

 

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) dir Ridley Scot

 

 

 

Ridley Scot's medieval crusader epic, set in the 12th century Kingdom of Jerusalem. I saw this at the cinema but wanted to watch it again having just finished a historical novel that covers many of the events this film is loosely based on. It's not historically accurate, and not meant to be. Most of the main characters existed, but were not all quite as portrayed here. The film ends with a reasonably accurate depiction of the Saladin's re-capture of Jerusalem, savagely taken from the Muslim inhabitants a generation earlier in the first Crusade. Orlando Bloom plays Balian d'Ibelin, in this a French blacksmith who discovers he is the illegitimate son of a lord (Liam Neeson) with lands in the Holy Land. In reality he was born and raised in the Holy Land and I'm not sure inventing a humble background, and other fictitious plot elements, really adds to the story. But I guess that is Holywood for you.

As with all Ridley Scot films on this sort of grand scale, it is visually stunning at times. The battle scenes are great and the outcomes as happened in reality. It is true to the spirit of what the main characters were like, even if they didn't quite do what they are portrayed doing. King Baldwin had leprosy and died young, his sister Sybilla succeeded him but as this was medieval times her husband, Guy de Lusignan, took control, made massive mistakes, lost a crucial battle that wiped out most of his army and it was Balian d'Ibelin who lead the defence of Jersusalem. The cast is great and includes Jeremy Irons, Eva Green, Edward Norton, Brendan Gleeson, and and excellent performance by Syrian Actor Ghassan Massoud as Saladin.

8/10

 

Casualties of War (1989) dir Brian de Palma

 

Based on a true story, a squad of American soldiers in the Vietnam War abduct, r*pe and murder a Vietnamese woman, Phan Thi Mao (played by Thuy Thu Le). One member of the squad, played by Michael J Fox, does not go along with the crime and makes futile attempts to convince the others not to. Back at base he reports it, but the officers are not interested. Eventually a chaplain notices something is wrong, talks to him and the murder is investigated with the others eventually jailed by a court martial. It has a good cast. Sean Penn plays the sergeant in charge of the squad who plans the crime. John C Reily, John Leguizamo and Don Patrick Harvey play the others who, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, go along with it.

For me the main impact of this is that it is a true story. It says that apart from names, as little was changed as possible. Without that I do not think it would be as good a film. It's anti-war, and hard to see how with the subject matter it could not be, but mainly because none of the soldiers want to be fighting there. It also gives the impression that maybe the sergeant and definitely the corporal (Harvey) would haver been capable of committing similar crimes in civilian life. Not surprisingly it is not an action war film, but more a story of someone wanting to do the right thing even when it appears no one else thinks he should.

Ennio Morricone wrote the music. The main theme is very good, but the rest fairly average, too much pan-pipe for my liking.

7/10

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What I Watched This Week #50 (Dec 10 – 16)

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
dir. Guillermo del Toro/Mark Gustafson/2022/1h57m 

The latest in a long line of adaptations of Pinocchio – the third this year alone – comes from the mind of Guillermo del Toro, and he earns his name in the title as this is totally his film.  He adds some very unique touches to the story, including the rise of fascism in Italy under Mussolini, who wants to recruit the little wooden boy as an indestructible soldier.  This is a stop-motion animation with some beautiful character designs that are also in del Toro's style, as seen in films like Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water.  This is also a musical, although I feel that the songs are the weakest part of the film.  This has a great voice cast who all do a great job.  I love David Bradley and his distinctive voice is a perfect fit for Geppetto, and Ewan McGregor is just as good as Sebastian J. Cricket, also the narrator of the film.  The real star of the show though is Cate Blanchett, who I didn't realise was in the film until the end credits because she plays a monkey who just makes monkey noises.  A singular version of a much told tale that is nearly as good as the Disney classic.  9/10

Frank 
dir. Lenny Abrahamson/2014/1h35m 

Fellow Brits of a certain age will remember Frank Sidebottom, a comedian and musician with a distinctive giant papier-mache head.  This is not a film about him, but about his spirit, using his head as a symbol for individuality and creativity.  Domhnall Gleeson plays Jon, a wannabe musician who lands a gig as a keyboard player in a band with an unpronounceable name – The Soronprfbs – and an enigmatic frontman who is never seen without his giant papier-mache head on, Frank (Michael Fassbender).  This is a film about the freedom that comes with creativity and collaboration, and the therapeutic qualities of art, as Frank, as well as every member of the band, all have some mental health issues.  This is all handled in a very real way that doesn't go over the top nor feel exploitative, and leads to some raw and emotionally charged moments later on – I was tearing up during the song I Love You All.  The performance of Fassbender is entrancing, and having a giant papier-mache head on doesn't hinder him at all, if anything it makes his emotions even more readable in some strange way.  The music in this film is all brilliant, and played live by the cast which gives it a raw, shambling feel to it that fits the film perfectly.  I was a bit disappointed at the start of the film as I was expecting a biopic of Frank Sidebottom, but the more it went on the more I was falling in love with the fictional Frank as much as the real Frank.  9/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

Carry On Follow That Camel
dir. Gerald Thomas/1967/1h35m 

After being accused of cheating at cricket, Bo West (Jim Dale) does the honourable thing and leaves the country to go join the French Foreign Legion in North Africa.  Once there he falls under the command of strict Commandant Burger (Kenneth Williams) and the not so strict Sergeant Nocker (Phil Silvers), who would rather spend his time drinking or getting his end away with local bar owner Zig-Zig (Joan Sims).  This feels like the least Carry On film so far just for one thing, Silvers.  Having an American as the lead in this most British of film series just feels weird, also he's just playing a version of his popular Sergeant Bilko character from the Phil Silvers Show.  Just not as funny.  This isn't awful, but it isn't great.  A step up from Don't Lose Your Head, but still very much middle of the road.  6/10

The tr*mp
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1915/26m 

After saving a farmer's daughter (Edna Purviance) from robbers, Chaplin's tr*mp – given his name here for the first time – gets a job on her farm, as well as instantly falling in love with her.  Later on, he foils another robbery attempt, this time saving the whole farm, but after discovering that the farmer's daughter has a fiancée he leaves, returning to his life on the road.  This is where Chaplin's most famous creation comes into full bloom.  Now, more than just a slapstick machine, the tr*mp shows pathos and empathy, and the film has a bittersweet ending, tinged with sadness.  That final image of him walking into the sunset down an unknown road, swinging his cane and ready for another adventure is one of the enduring images of cinema.  In my opinion this is the first great Chaplin film, and the real start of his incredible career.  8.5/10

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for some reason i cant copy/paste my reviews here (403 error) so here's a boring list of what ive been watching.

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet 7/10

Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story 9/10

Black Girl 8/10

Saludos Amigos 6/10

TAR 9/10

Armageddon Time 8/10

Beau Travail 9/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

Meshes of the Afternoon 7.5/10

Othello (1951) 8/10

Simple Men 7/10

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 9/10

Edited by LimeGreenLegend
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Happy new year!  That can only mean one thing, my top ten films of 2022 list.  

10. Argentina, 1985 

9. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 

8. Brian and Charles 

7. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story 

6. The Banshees of Inisherin 

5. TAR 

4. All My Friends Hate Me 

3. Triangle of Sadness 

2. Moonage Daydream 

1. Everything Everywhere all at Once 

 

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Bugsy (1991) dir Barry Levinson

 

 

This was a multi Oscar nominated film, including best picture, director, screen play, leading and two supporting actors plus Ennio Morricone's score. It won for Art Direction and Costume. So I was surprisingly unimpressed. Warren Beatty plays the title character, real-life 1940s gangster Ben “Bugsy” Siegel. Bugsy (who hated being called that), was sent by his New York mob boss (Ben Kingsley) to LA to set up operations there, which he did with existing LA gangster (Harvey Keitel). But then having discovered a little Nevada town where gambling was legal, realised the potential to set up a legitimate money making enterprise for his organisation that would eventually become the modern day Las Vegas. Along the way he falls for an actress (played by Annette Benning), eventually leaving his wife and kids for her. It all ends badly for Bugsy, being killed by some of his investors after his casino project costs spiral out of control and he is suspected of siphoning off the money for himself.

The problem for me is, and I have said this before, I do struggle with films where the central character, and this case pretty much all the characters, are not likeable. Bugsy Seigel was a thief and a murderer. He also felt his money gave him the right to do whatever he liked. If he saw a car or house he liked, he just bought it, for a very generous price, but making it quite the clear the present owner didn't really have a choice in the matter. Clearly things like this are always going to be the case in gangster films, but they can be done in way that makes the gangsters mostly likeable or makes not liking them OK, e.g. Once Upon A Time in America, Reservoir Dogs, etc. This though has more the style of a, at times, sentimental, feel good film where it seemed to me you are meant to be rooting for Bugsy to succeed. But actually I couldn't care less what happened to him and his friends who all knew what kind of man he really is.

 

The acting is good; you can't really go wrong with Ben Kingsley and Harvey Keitel playing mobsters. Ennio Morricone's score, the main reason I wanted to see this, is another of those that I would say is good, but not his best and contributed to the feeling that we were meant to like Bugsy.

 

6 / 10

Edited by djw180
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The last round of reviews from 2022, 437 films watched and they're all in this thread 🙂 

What I Watched This Week #52 (Dec 24 – 31)

Au Hasard Balthazar
dir. Robert Bresson/1966/1h35m 

Au Hasard Balthazar is a French drama about a donkey called Balthazar.  We watch him as he is passed from owner to owner, some more caring than the others.  His life parallels that of his occasional owner, the young woman Marie (Anne Wiazemsky), who is in an abusive relationship with Gerard (Francois Lafarge).  An austere film that is at times quietly devastating, especially the ending.  I did find this cold at times, and would have liked more of the donkey, but it is still a beautifully shot film that I enjoyed watching. 7.5/10

News From Home
dir. Chantal Akerman/1976/1h25m 

Chantal Akerman presents us with shots of New York City, where she lived at the time, while reading letters from her mother at home in Belgium.  A fascinating time capsule of the New York of the 70s – this would make an interesting double feature with Taxi Driver which was released the same year – this is a testament to the bonds of family.  I love how we never hear any of Akerman's replies, just the letters from her mother, so we just get this one sided conversation.  The way the sound of the city occasionally drowns out the words – perhaps symbolising the way that her life in New York is the main focus for her now – is really well done.  And that long take shot out of a car window as it travels what seems the entire length of 10th Avenue is incredible.  9/10

Ugetsu Monogatari
dir. Kenji Mizoguchi/1953/1h36m 

During the Japanese Civil War in the 16th century two peasants who let their greed and ambition blind them get more than they bargained for when their dreams seem to come true.  Genjuro (Masayuki Mori), a potter goes off to the big city to make his fortune, but is enchanted by the mysterious Lady Wasaka (Machiko Kyo), while his friend Tobei (Eitaro Ozawa) dreams of becoming a feared and respected samurai.  This is a expertly paced film that gives due attention to each story, and the ending is haunting.  It is beautifully photographed, comparable to anything by Kurosawa or Ozu, and it has some real haunting sound design.  8/10

Too Far from the Norm
dir. Brett Morgen/1987/4m 

A film school short from the director of last years incredible David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, Too Far From the Norm stars a skinny, 18 year old Jack Black as a student who disagrees with his teachers thoughts on post-modernism, shoots him in the head, then sings a punk song in an alley in black and white.  This isn't great.  A typical student film that tries way too hard to be edgy.  The only reason to watch this is to see a young Black.  Even though he looks totally different, he also looks totally the same.  Even that young he has the same charisma and personality – and dance moves.  4/10

Autumn Sonata
dir. Ingmar Bergman/1978/1h33m 

Ingrid Bergman stars as concert pianist Charlotte who, after an absence of several years, is visiting her daughter Eva (Liv Ullmann).  Things start off well, but when Charlotte learns that Eva has been caring for her disabled sister Helena (Lena Nyman), whom she dumped in a home and never visited, past issues start to come up.  This is a heavy drama with one particular scene, where Eva lets all of her emotions out in an incredible monologue, that left me emotionally exhausted.  I needed to take a nap after this film because I was so drained.  The performances by Bergman and Ullmann are two of the best I've ever seen.  I could've watched them argue for another hour and a half but I don't think my blood pressure could take it.  10/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

A Matter of Life and Death
dir. Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell/1946/1h44m 

A mistake in heaven leads to RAF pilot Peter Carter (David Niven) surviving jumping out of a plane with no chute, so angel Conductor 71 (Marius Goring) is sent to convince him to not be alive anymore.  This leads to a tribunal where Carter argues that he deserves a second chance at life because he has fallen in love with American radio operator June (Kim Hunter).  A totally charming film with Niven at his charismatic best.  This is also a visually interesting film.  I love the decision to have the scenes in heaven in black and white and the scenes on Earth in colour representing the vibrancy of life after Carter finds love.  The tribunal does drag somewhat, but this is still a delightful watch.  8.5/10

The Three Caballeros
dir. William Roberts, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, Harold Young, Norman Ferguson/1944/1h11m 

The second of Disney's Wartime Era films is another South American anthology, just like the previous film Saludos Amigos.  I just learned recently that all six of the Disney films from this era are anthologies due to lack of resources and manpower to make full length films because of the war.    This time the documentary footage of the animators on holiday has been replaced with scenes of Donald Duck and his friends Joe Carioca the parrot and Panchito the rooster interacting with live action singers and dancers.  These scenes are really well done for the time, and nearly twenty years before Mary Poppins.  I was gonna score this the same as Saludos Amigos because they're basically the same film, but the last twenty minutes of this film are more of a trip than the pink elephants scene of Dumbo and all of Fantasia combined that I bumped it up a couple of notches.  8/10

A Woman is a Woman
dir. Jean-Luc Godard/1961/1h23m 

JLG takes on the romantic comedy in his own inimitable way with this film about a stripper, Angela (Anna Karina) who wants a baby with her boyfriend Emile (Jean-Claude Brialy).  He's not so keen, so she makes moves on his friend Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo) in order to make him jealous.  Everything about this film screams playfulness.  Godard is always looking for a way to make his films fun, and have a sense of spontenaity.  Even the opening credits are an assault of text and colours that its almost shocking.  Karina is luminous in the lead role and Belmondo is still cool as f*ck despite playing a bit more of a nerd here.  The scene where they mirror each other's poses is so cute.  I like Godard's later, more political and experimental work, but I love his early, playful period, and this may be the most playful film he's ever made.  9/10

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What I Watched This Week #53 (Jan 1 – 7 2023)

Coco
dir. Lee Unkrich/2017/1h45m 

Young Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of being a musician.  The only problem is that his family has banned all forms of music ever since his great-great grandfather abandoned his wife and young daughter Coco – now a very elderly woman – to chase his dreams of being a famous musician.  After discovering who his great-great grandfather was, Miguel ends up in the Land of the Dead, where conman Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) tries to help him get back to the land of the living.  Pixar doesn't have the reputation is used to, but this film deserves to be placed alongside the likes of Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.  They always push the boundaries of computer animation, but their vision of the Land of the Dead may be their most spectacular achievement to date.  The mass of lights and colours is beautifully overwhelming.  The music is fantastic and I really appreciated that they took the time to animate the correct fingerings when anyone plays the guitar.  The story is the standard fare about learning the importance of family, and while it doesn't reach the emotional high points of earlier Pixar films it is still very well done with compelling characters.  9/10

War Requiem
dir. Derek Jarman/1989/1h30m 

This WWI film takes the poetry of Wilfred Owen, a soldier and poet who died in the last week of the war, and sets it to composer Benjamin Britten's War Requiem.  Over this we see artistically staged scenes from the conflict, with the main character being Tilda Swinton, who at the start plays a nurse caring for an elderly soldier – Laurence Olivier in his final film role – but also appears caring for the wounded during the war, and seems to transform into an angel.  Sean Bean also appears as a German soldier who just wants a snowball fight.  Unlike any war film I've ever seen, this really does feel like a requiem mass, mourning for everyone who ever died in battle.  The most startling thing about this film is a montage of real footage from various wars and it is graphic, stuff you'd never see on the evening news.  The sight of a US soldier in Vietnam with the top of his head blown open is something that will stay with me.  It does get a tad too artistic at times, but this is still a powerful anti-war film.  8/10

Carry On Doctor
dir. Gerald Thomas/1967/1h34m 

In what is basically a remake of Carry On Nurse a group of zany patients cause havoc on a hospital ward.  They include Frankie Howerd, a snake-oil salesman who spends his time traveling the country espousing the benefits of mind over matter, and Sid James who has nothing wrong with him, but wants time away from his nagging wife.  The plot doesn't turn up until the last fifteen minutes when the patients band together to get likeable Dr. Kilmore (Jim Dale) reinstated after he was fired after false accusations from egotistical Dr. t*nkle (Kenneth Williams).  If you want an example of the most typical Carry On film it would be this.  The characters are one-note but charming, it's b*wdy without being gross and the gags are cheap but cheerful.  It's great to see Hattie Jacques returning after an absence of seven films, and Barbara Windsor is gorgeous as the ditty Nurse May.  7/10

One A.M.
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1916/25m 

Charlie Chaplin is a tuxedo clad gentleman who returns home after a night of drinking and struggles to make his way upstairs to bed.  This one man, one joke film is a prime example of Chaplins genius as he takes a simple premise and executes it with perfection.  The escalation in his pratfalls, to the point of near violence, is hilarious, and things don't get any better when he finally makes it to bed.  I usually don't like these shorts that are purely gag based without any story or emotional connections, but this is so funny that it didn't bother me at all.  8/10

In The Mood for Love
dir. Wong Kar-wai/2000/1h39m 

This melancholic romantic drama stars Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung as a man and a woman who move into neighbouring apartments in 60's Hong Kong.  They soon discover that their spouses are cheating on them with each other, and feelings start to develop between them.  This is a visually gorgeous film with amazing use of both colour and darkness – red and green has never looked better – and slow motion.  The scenes where they pass by each other in slow motion while the main theme plays are so beautiful and full of longing.  What kills me most about this film is the restraint, which makes the final act all the more devastating.  This left me with a dull ache in my chest when it was done that might just be heartbreak.  9/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

Vertigo
dir. Alfred Hitchcock/1958/2h8m 

Jimmy Stewart plays a former San Francisco detective – retired due to his crippling fear of heights – who is hired by an old friend to tail his wife Madeleine (Kim Novak), as she is not acting like herself.  But the more he watches her the more he falls for her.  This is a film all about voyeurism and obsession, two of Hitchcock's favourite themes, and they are presented here masterfully.  The turn that Stewart's character takes in the third act  which turns him into a monster is brilliant, and you suddenly realise he's been the antagonist all along, even though he's being played himself.  This is one of Hitchcock's best shot films – he even invented the dolly zoom here to represent Stewart's acrophobia – with some excellent photography, and the Technicolor really pops.  One of the master's best works.  9/10

Make Mine Music
dir. Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney, Robert Cormack, Joshua Meador/1946/1h15m 

Make Mine Music is another anthology film from Disney, this time made up of nine segments each set to a different song.  It features a number of popular musicians from the time like Benny Goodman, Dinah Shore and The Andrews Sisters, but the animated shorts themselves feel like cast offs from Fantasia for the most part.  There are a couple of good ones, my favourites being All The Cats Join In, which is a very un-Disney style cartoon about a bunch of teenagers meeting up at the hop for a boogie, and The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met, which is about a whale with dreams of singing opera.  If you're into jazz and big band style music you may enjoy this, but for the most part it's pretty forgettable.  5/10

Thoroughbreds
dir. Cory Finley/2017/1h32m 

Two teenage girls, Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Olivia Cooke), who were friends when they were younger but grew apart after the death of Lily's father, bond over a plan to kill Lily's stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks).  This is a film that builds up its feeling of suspense and tension in an insidiously deliberate way, assisted by some fantastic sound design.  Neither of the two main characters are likeable, but they are intriguing, particularly Cooke as Amanda.  It is rather cold at times – like a Yorgos Lanthimos film – and that is occasionally to its detriment as it makes it harder to sympathise with the sad little rich girl, but the performances of the two leads makes sure that that is never much of a problem.  A compact slow-burn thriller worth checking out.  8/10

Edited by LimeGreenLegend
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Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) dir George Miller

 

 

Tilda Swinton plays Alithea, a '”narratologist” (someone who academically studies stories and story telling). While at a conference in Istanbul she buys a small glass bottle from the bazaar. Back at her hotel room she opens the bottle and a Djinn (genie) appears, played by Idris Elba. Most of the rest of the film is conversations between Alithea and the Djin as the latter narrates his story. He tells how he spent 2500 years locked in a bottle, then after a brief spell of freedom spent another couple of hundred years invisible and powerless after the woman who freed him from the bottle failed to ask for the three wishes he is bound by the laws of his nature to grant. The two leading actors are great. It's modern fantasy, obviously. I won't spoil the story further but just say it features some very good special effects and great sets as we see the story the Djinn is narrating.

8/10

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Watched some movie on Netflix the other day called Smile or some crap like that. Supposed to be a horror movie but it was anything but. Had some blood and the usual jump scare or two. Ending was the typical BS that makes the entire movie f*cking pointless. Zero stars, don't watch.

 

Lost interest in movies a couple years ago but still give one a try every now and then, they never fail to disappoint me,

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2 hours ago, Sinister said:

Watched some movie on Netflix the other day called Smile or some crap like that. Supposed to be a horror movie but it was anything but. Had some blood and the usual jump scare or two. Ending was the typical BS that makes the entire movie f*cking pointless. Zero stars, don't watch.

 

Lost interest in movies a couple years ago but still give one a try every now and then, they never fail to disappoint me,

What about TV... What shows do you like?

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I'll try not to spam this thread with reviews for the past nearly two months, but I can't promise I won't 😛

What I Watched This Week #54 (Jan 8 – 14)

Aftersun
dir. Charlotte Wells/2022/1h42m 

Set in the 90s, Aftersun is a drama about a father and daughter, 30 year old Calum (Paul Mescal) and 10 year old Sophie (Frankie Corio), on holiday in Turkey.  While Calum is a loving father he is immature and struggles with his mental health, evidenced by his self-help books, tai chi and one devastating scene where we watch him sob helplessly in the night.  Sophie is an observant girl, the film uses a lot of camcorder footage shot by her, and glimpses her father's sadness at times, but never fully comprehends how deep it runs.  This is not a film about big, emotional outbursts and is all the more affecting for it.  The two lead performances are outstanding, especially Corio who is so natural in every scene.  An honest, raw film that would have made my best of 2022 list if I watched it a couple of weeks ago.  9/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

The Searchers
dir. John Ford/1956/1h59m 

After his young niece is kidnapped by Indians, Civil War vet Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) sets out on an epic, years-long journey to find her.  But the longer the search goes on, the more his hatred and obsession threaten to overtake him.  In terms of natural beauty alone this is one of the best films ever made.  The stunning, wide open vistas of the American West never looked as good as they do here, and that final shot, from inside the family home as Ethan walks away into the wilds framed by the doorway, is so achingly symbolic of a man that the world has outgrown that it's worth watching just for that.  John Wayne is John Wayne, he's one of those personality actors who never gets fully lost in a role and always seems to just play themselves, but that's not always a negative and he fits the persona perfectly.  I don't rate this as highly as other people seem to, but this is still a really good western made by one of the masters of the genre.  8/10

The Menu
dir. Mark Mylod/2022/1h47m 

Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult play Margot and Tyler, a couple who are lucky enough to be dining at the super exclusive restaurant Hawthorne, overseen by the intense head chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes).  However, when the dining starts things take a dark turn, and the guests get more than they bargained for.  This is much like the recent Triangle of Sadness, a blackly comic social satire in which a bunch of rich *ssholes get what they deserve, and like Triangle of Sadness I think it's brilliant.  Hoult's character is one of the most insufferable c*nts I've seen in a long time, and he does a really good job at making me want to see him die a horrible death.  Taylor-Joy is also good, as she usually is, but the star of the show is Fiennes.  He plays this character as a restrained madman who only has to hold it together for a few more hours but, by the time the end of the film comes around, you're kinda on his side and part of his cult, “we love you too, chef!”.  Plus, the food looks really good.  9/10

Carry On Up The Khyber
dir. Gerald Thomas/1968/1h28m 

Charged with protecting the Khyber Pass in India, the kilted Third Foot and Mouth regiment's whole reputation for being a bunch of hard b*stards is all based on the rumour that they don't wear any underwear.  But, when one of the men, Private Widdle (Charles Hawtrey), is caught with his pants up the British Consul Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond (Sid James) has to quell an uprising of the natives led by the Khasi of Khalabar (Kenneth Williams).  If you can look past the swathes of White actors playing non-White characters then you'll find a very middling Carry On entry.  The most memorable thing about this film is the ending, where the Brits all sit down for a dinner party while their mansion is destroyed around them by the Indians, a very British response to a problem.  I've mentioned this before but I don't buy James as an upper-class character, but I was glad to see Hawtrey getting a bigger role in this entry.  A weird film and something that is very much of its time.  6/10

Flux Gourmet
dir. Peter Strickland/2022/1h52m 

At the institute for sonic catering, a group of artists who make music with food are preparing for a performance, with us seeing the rehearsals and the dynamics between the members of the group and the head of the institute Jan Stevens (Gwendoline Christie).  The trio, led by Elle di Elle (Fatma Mohamed) clash with Stevens constantly, and the whole thing is documented by writer Stones (Makis Papadimitriou) who has a flatulence problem.  Like his other films – Berberian Sound Studio, In Fabric – this is a very stylised film with an amazing use of colour and especially sound.  Strickland is himself a long time member of a group who make music with food so this feels like a very personal statement about artistic integrity and what you have to go through to maintain that.  At times this is truly terrifying, at times more ridiculous than a Monty Python skit, this is a very distinctive film from a very distinctive filmmaker, and while I prefer his other films this is another idiosyncratic notch on his belt.  8/10

Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical
dir. Matthew Warchus/2022/1h57m 

Adapted from the stage show which was adapted from the book by Roald Dahl, and not a remake of the fantastic Danny DeVito version from the 90's, this is the story of a brilliant and brave little girl (Alisha Weir) who takes a stand against her school's brutish bully of a headmistress Ms. Trunchbull (Emma Thompson) and her negligent parents, Mr and Mrs Wormwood (Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough).  What really sold me on watching this was the fact that the songs are all by Tim Minchin who I have been a fan of for years, and in this film they all have his trademark style of incredibly clever wordplay mixed with surprisingly hard hitting emotionality, When I Grow Up being the prime example of this.  The best song though, and honestly one of the best and most clever songs in any musical ever, is The School Song, which, when the lyrical trickery was revealed and you see what's been happening all along, left me with my jaw on the floor (I'll post a video of it below this review, it's truly astonishing how well written it is).  The performances are great all round, Weir is adorable in the lead role, Lashana Lynch is the sweetest Miss Honey you could hope for and Thompson is having a blast as the school bully, (“check to see if that child is still alive”).  One of the best modern musicals I've seen. 9/10 

How clever was that?!

Easy Street
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1917/26m 

Chaplin plays a homeless person who, after being inspired by the words of a preacher – and the beauty of the congregations piano player (Edna Purviance) – becomes a police officer in the warzone that is Easy Street, which is controlled by a behemoth of a bully (Eric Campbell).  However, with the help of a gas streetlight, Chaplin is able to defeat him and bring peace to the street.  I've not much to say about this, this is standard early Chaplin.  The big street brawls with the bully beating up a whole squad of coppers on his own is funny, and Chaplin is always a delight to watch.  It lacks the emotional depth of his best work, but isn't short on laughs.  7/10
 

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What I Watched This Week #55 (Jan 15 – 21)

A Shock to the System
dir. Jan Egleson/1990/1h31m 

Michael Caine plays New York advertising executive Graham Marshall who, after being passed over for promotion, accidentally kills a homeless person by pushing them in front of a subway train.  And he gets away with it.  Finding murder pretty easy, he decides that he may just get that promotion after all.  This is a blackly comic satire on corporate greed in the same vein as American Psycho, but with some severe tonal inconsistencies.  There are times when the film wants to be taken as a serious drama, which it most certainly isn't.  It's always at its best when it leans into the dark humour, with the ending being an excellent example, as are the scenes between Marshall and his wife Leslie (Swoosie Kurtz).  The film also has running narration from Caine, but in the third person, which is just weird, but does speak to the way psychopaths perhaps put psychological distance between themselves and their actions.  Caine is, as usual, great in the lead role, particularly when he's being a naughty boy, even though his occasional attempts at a Transatlantic accent do falter.  A fairly average film that is buoyed by Caine's performance and the moments when it dares to bare its teeth.  6/10

Fun and Fancy Free
dir. William Roberts, Hamilton Luske, William Morgan, Jack Kinney/1947/1h14m 

This Disney film is made up of two animated shorts.  The first concerns Bongo the bear who escapes from the circus to return to nature, where he finds his attempts at love stymied by a brutish bully bear, and the second is Jack and the Beanstalk with Mickey Mouse – being voiced here by Walt himself for the last time – taking on the role of the giant slayer.  This is really forgettable stuff, but the quality of the animation is better than it has been in the last few films.  The second part is better than the first, with some funny scenes where Mickey, Donald Duck and Goofy try to split a single bean between the three of them, and I liked the meta ending where the giant lifts up the roof of the house of Edgar Bergen, who had been telling these stories to his daughter/granddaughter (I'm not sure which), to talk to him.  The absolute worst thing about this film though are the puppets.  It seems that Bergen is a ventriloquist, and a bad one at that, and his annoying f*cking puppets interrupt the story every thirty seconds with an unfunny joke or remark or stupid noise.  It's actually obnoxious.  The worst Disney film so far, by far, and only worth watching if you're a completionist.  3/10

The Quiet Girl
dir. Colm Bairead/2022/1h34m 

A shy young girl, Cait (Catherine Clinch), whose parents aren't abusive but unloving and neglectful, is sent to stay with childless relatives for the summer while her mother gives birth.  While staying with Eibhlin (Carrie Crowley) and Sean (Andrew Bennett) she discovers what it means to be loved and cared for and needed.  This Irish language film is a masterclass in empathy and the power of kindness with a staggeringly mature and assured lead performance from the young Clinch.  The direction matches the empathy of the two leads, Clinch and Crowley, with every frame carefully composed around them, the love and care for these characters shining through.  Maybe my favourite character though is Sean, Eibhlin's husband, who at the start of the film is the typical stoic old Irishman of few words and a tough exterior.  But over time we see him open up, and a small, wordless scene between he and Cait is one of the most beautiful scenes in the film.  As he is leaving the kitchen after doing the dishes he leaves a biscuit next to Cait who's sitting at the table and that tiny gesture of love made me burst into tears.  These small moments of banal, everyday caring are the moments that really matter, much more than the big, grand gestures, and this is a film that celebrates that to the full.  9/10

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
dir. Martin McDonagh/2017/1h55m 

Frances McDormand plays Mildred Hayes who believes that her local police department aren't doing nearly enough to find the person who brutally r*ped, tortured and murdered her teenage daughter.  To that end, she hires space on three billboards just outside her small town of Ebbing, Missouri, and uses them to call out the chief of police, Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson).  Being from the same writer/director as In Bruges and last years The Banshees of Inisherin I was expecting dark humour, but I wasn't expecting this to lean so heavily into the comedy side of things, considering the subject matter.  I did find this quite jarring to begin with, but McDonagh is a master at walking that fine line between comedy and tragedy and it never really feels inconsistent.  The biggest offender in that regard is Sam Rockwell's character of Officer Dixon, Willoughby's right hand man, who is just a full on cartoon character of a racist, moronic, redneck, po-dunk, violent cop.  There are times when it feels like he's walked in from a totally different movie, but again, Rockwell is such a good actor that it just about works.  Thankfully McDormand is there to emotionally anchor the film, and her rage and pain and sense of injustice are palpable in every scene.  I think it would've served the film to take itself more seriously, but this is still a fantastic piece of work from one of my favourite filmmakers working today.  8.5/10

Caravaggio
dir. Derek Jarmam/1986/1h33m 

Nigel Terry takes the lead in this biopic of the 16th Century Italian artist.  The film is told in dreamlike flashbacks as Caravaggio lies on his deathbed looking back over his life.  The main thread of his life concerns the love triangle between himself, Ranuccio (Sean Bean) and Lena (Tilda Swinton), and this is a triangle where everyone is banging everyone.  The best thing about this film – and any film about an artist, the David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream and the Francis Bacon biopic Love is the Devil are two other great examples of this – is that the filmmaking evokes the work of the subject.  This film is full of frames that are composed and lit like Baroque works of art, deep shadows contrasted with flashes of bright detail.  Some good performances here from Terry in the lead as well as Dexter Fletcher as the young Caravaggio, Robbie Coltrane as the Pope's nephew Scipione Borghese and Michael Gough as Cardinal Del Monte (he say yes), as well as the professional debuts of Bean and Swinton.  I also like the use of anachronisms like typewriters etc.  My main issue with Jarman after seeing a few of his films now, and it is totally my issue, is that he is clearly a very cultured and intellectual person, which sometimes puts some distance between his work and me because I am not.  That doesn't stop me enjoying them, I just get annoyed because I'm not enjoying them as much as I could be.  7/10

Caprice
dir. Joanna Hogg/1986/28m 

Caprice is a student film from Joanna Hogg, now a critically acclaimed director, made as her graduation piece for the National Film and Television School.  It stars Tilda Swinton in her first ever role – credited as Matilda Swinton, which was just weird to read – as a nerdy young woman who lives vicariously through the articles of her favourite glossy magazine, Caprice.  In a very Alice in Wonderland/Wizard of Oz moment she finds herself transported into the pages of the magazine where she travels through a variety of articles and advertisements.  This film is stuffed full of ideas and enthusiasm and playfulness and it is totally infectious.  The design of each of the different articles – a fashion spread, moody black and white advertisements, an interview with a Billy Idol style pop star – is distinct yet cohesive and just bursting with colour.  Swinton is adorable as the innocent swept up in all the glamour before discovering the dark heart at the centre of it.  A brilliantly fun little film that is well worth watching if you have a spare half hour.  8.5/10

The Small World of Sammy Lee
dir. Ken Hughes/1963/1h47m 

Sammy Lee (Anthony Newley) is a fast talking compere at a seedy Soho str*p club who ends up owing a lot of money to the sorts of people you don't want to end up owing a lot of money to, and he only has a few hours to pay them back.  He therefore spends the day rushing between his job and various hustles, incompetently aided by his right hand man Harry (Wilfrid Brambell).  This is like the prototypical Uncut Gems or The Killing of a Chinese Bookie – sleazy *sshole has the worst day of his life.  There is a constant building of tension as, just when it seems like he's making headway, another obstacle falls in his way.  There is also an unnerving kinetic energy to the direction, taking cues from the French New Wave, that gives the film a restlessness that doesn't let you stop to breathe.  Newley is great in the lead, he's not a good guy but you root for him all the same.  I love how every time he has to go back to his job he delivers the same patter with less and less enthusiasm, before just losing it the last time and letting the clientele know exactly what he thinks of them.  This is a film that was well ahead of its time, especially for British cinema, and it still feels modern today.  I loved every anxiety inducing minute of this.  9/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

Mirror
dir. Andrei Tarkovsky/1975/1h47m 

A dying middle-aged poet has dreamlike recollections of his life, particularly the pre-war and wartime periods.  Memories of his childhood on a farm are presented in an unconventional, nonlinear way, and are mixed with dream sequences shot in gorgeous black and white.  This is a highly critically acclaimed film from one of the most revered filmmakers of all time and I honestly found it a bit of a slog to get through.  First the things I liked.  The dream sequences are the best thing about this film, there is one in particular where a room is being deluged with water pouring down the walls and through the ceiling, which is crumbling from the watery onslaught, that is just mesmerising.  The whole film is gorgeous looking and incredibly well crafted.  What I didn't like is the overly literary style where the film is mostly told in narrated poems that just went right over my head.  I also found it emotionally dethatched, despite the fact that this is largely autobiographical and stars several members of Tarkovsky's family.  To me this is like an Ingmar Bergman film without the heart or humanity.  6/10

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What I Watched This Week #56 (Jan 22 – 28)

Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told
dir. Jack Hill/1967/1h21m 

Lon Chaney Jr. plays Bruno, the surprisingly sweet and loving caretaker to three sinister siblings in this absolutely demented horror film.  They are visited in their spooky Addams Family home by distant cousins Emily and Peter (Carol Ohmart, Quinn K. Redeker) who are due to inherit the house.  This is an over the top film with its tongue firmly in its cheek but is still able to deliver some real thrills and chills thanks mostly to the performances of the three siblings, particularly the spider obsessed Virginia (Jill Banner) who always feels like a threat.  Chaney is fantastic as the sweet old man trying to contain the madness, and he has a genuinely emotional monologue near the end of the film that actually had me tearing up a little.  This is a cheap and economical little b-movie that absolutely makes the most of what they had at hand and they over-deliver.  I don't know why this isn't a cult classic because I had a blast watching this, and I think is a must see for any horror fan.  9/10 

Melody Time
dir. Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney/1948/1h15m 

Melody Time is another mostly forgettable musical anthology film from Disney's Wartime Era.  Out of the seven segments that make up the movie I only enjoyed two.  First, Bumble Boogie which is a dialogue free, slightly surreal story of a bee buzzing around through some flowers set to a criminally jazzy arrangement of Flight of the Bumblebee.  The second is the last segment of the film, Pecos Bill, which is bookended by live action scenes of legendary film cowboy Roy Rogers – and his trusty steed Trigger – telling the American folk story of Pecos Bill, a boy raised by coyotes who grew up to become the greatest cowboy to ever live.  Unless you're a completionist skip this and just watch the two good bits on YouTube.  4/10

Carry On Camping
dir. Gerald Thomas/1969/1h28m 

Carry On Camping  is one of the most iconic entries in the series, and also a bit of a watershed moment where they started leaning more heavily on boobs and bums and it becomes a bit more b*wdy.  Sid James plays Sid who, hoping to go all the way with his new girlfriend Joan (Joan Sims), books them a camping holiday at a nudist colony.  Of course they end up at the wrong place, but just as Sid is about to leave a bus full of St. Trinians style naughty schoolgirls, including the bubbly Barbara Windsor who plays Babs (they didn't try very hard with the names did they?), pulls up.  This is an hour and a half of s*x jokes and innuendo with a main plot of a man trying to have s*x with a girl thirty years his junior behind his girlfriend's back, but James has enough roguish charm that he just about pulls it off.  Very dated, and as James gets older this formula will start to get plain creepy, but it's still funny.  Plus, who doesn't love seeing Barbara Windsor's bikini top flying off?  7/10

A Dog's Life  
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1918/34m 

Chaplin's Little tr*mp – jobless, homeless and hungry – saves a dog in a similar situation to himself from being attacked by some mean dogs and the two become best friends in this charming and heartfelt silent comedy.  There's a lot more to it, like Chaplin falling in love with Edna Purviance's down on her luck cabaret singer and the matter of some hidden loot, but the star is the dog.  This is like a prototype for his later film The Kid and it works just as well here as it does there.  Some brilliant gags here, my favourite being the scene where he tries to smuggle the dog into a bar by hiding him down his trousers (it's less creepy than it sounds).  Classic early Chaplin, guaranteed to make you smile.  8.5/10

Isle of Dogs
dir. Wes Anderson/2018/1h41m 

In the near future city of Megasaki, Japan, an outbreak of canine flu leads the authoritarian mayor (Kunichi Nomura) to send all dogs to Trash Island, including his nephew Atari's (Koyu Rankin) beloved guard dog Spots (Liev Schreiber).  Atari travels to the island to rescue him, and once there is assisted by a pack of dogs led by the stray Chief (Bryan Cranston).  This is Anderson's second stop motion film after Fantastic Mr. Fox and is just as delightfully quirky as that was.  His direction is always very controlled and deliberate, and stop motion animation gives him the ability to control every single movement down to the minute detail.  That gives this film the feel of a beautifully intricate machine which is just a joy to watch operate.  The cast is full of Anderson regulars like Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand and they are all great, giving very idiosyncratic, deadpan performances as is his style.  If you're not a fan of that style he doesn't do anything here to win you over, but if you are you'll eat up every single frame of this.  8/10

Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
dir. Questlove/2021/1h57m 

 

Summer of Soul is a documentary and concert film detailing the Harlem Cultural Festival in Mount Morris Park, Harlem, which took place the same summer as the much more well known festival, Woodstock.  Even though the festival was filmed they couldn't find anyone who wanted to distribute it at the time – three guesses as to why – and the footage sat in a basement for nearly fifty years.  But now it's out there and it is fantastic.  Being the directorial debut of Questlove, drummer for The Roots, the focus is fully on the music and this card is loaded.  B.B. King, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & The Pips and a teenage Stevie Wonder playing the sh*t out of a drum kit!  This is a soundtrack that I'm going to revisit time and time again.  But this is also a celebration of Black culture and history and that is evidenced just from the clothes that the festival goers are wearing.  The usual 60s fashions are paired with traditional African clothes and it's a feast for the eyes.  If you like good music – and who doesn't? - then you need to check this out.  One of the best concert films ever made, and it makes Woodstock look boring.  9.5/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

Death on the Nile
dir. John Guillermin/1978/2h20m 

Peter Ustinov stars as legendary sleuth Hercule Poirot in this Agatha Christie adaptation.  While taking a luxury cruise down the Nile wealthy newlywed Linnet (Lois Chiles) is found murdered, with the prime suspect being her former friend Jackie (Mia Farrow), who was once engaged to Linnet's new husband Simon (Simon MacCorkindale).  There are, however, many more suspects on board including Bette Davis as a wealthy socialite who has a brilliantly b*tchy relationship with her maid, played by Maggie Smith, and, best of all, Angela Lansbury as a permanently drunk romance novelist.  David Niven also lends the film his trademark raffish charm as Colonel Race, Poirot's old friend and temporary Watson to his Holmes.  This is a fun whodunnit that I think is slightly let down by its obvious resolution.  Thankfully the film lets its star studded cast do the heavy lifting and they are all fantastic.  Ustinov is great in the lead, his Poirot being brash but with a twinkle in his eye and I actually prefer him to Albert Finney, who played him in the earlier version of Murder on the Orient Express.  The direction is very workmanlike and never really gets the most out of the exotic location.  Not the best Agathe Christie film, but still a fun ride.  7/10

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
dir. James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney/1949/1h8m 

We're now at the end of Disney's Wartime Era and the last of their anthology films.  Like Fun and Fancy Free this is made up of two separate shorts, the first is a very truncated version of The Wind in the Willows and the second, more famous part, is Disney's telling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  What I really like about this film are the narrators for the two tales.  For The Wind in the Willows they got the very English Basil Rathbone – most famous for playing Sherlock Holmes – and for Sleepy Hollow they got American crooner Bing Crosby.  But there you also have the biggest problem with this film, the two halves just don't go together at all.  The tonal shift between a charming story set in the English countryside to a gothic horror about a headless horseman is pretty jarring.  The animation is getting better film by film, and there are some really good sequences in the second part, which is the better half by far.  This still isn't close to top-tier Disney though, but thankfully they're about to enter a brand new age, and this one has films I've actually heard of!  6/10  

Poltergeist
dir. Tobe Hooper/1982/1h54m 

Poltergeist is a horror film from the director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre about a family home haunted by malevolent spirits.  Produced by Steven Spielberg, this film wasn't nearly as horrific as I had hoped, and that is probably down to his involvement.  A lot of this film I found quite cheesy and tame like E.T, and a lot of the effects haven't really aged well.  There are some things I liked, like all of the iconic moments – the television blasting static, “they're here”, “this house...is clean” - and the muddy pit full of rotten corpses was actually pretty gross, something I wish there was more of.  My favourite thing is probably the ending where, instead of defeating the evil entity they just pack up the car and f*ck off.  Maybe my expectations for this were too high, but for the most part I found this to be very middling.  6/10

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What I have been watching while the site was down. I could have sworn I have posted the first one of these already, but maybe somethings got lost.

24 Hour Party People (2002) dir Michael Winterbottom

 

The story of TV presenter, record label owner and nightclub owner Tony Wilson, although part way through the Wilson character says it isn't about him but about the music. He was the man who started the Madchester music scene in late 70s and 80s Manchester, co managing bands like New Order and The Happy Mondays. By day he was doing local TV reports for Granada, the TV station covering the Manchester area, by night he was at gigs for upcoming bands, presenting a music TV show or later running club nights. He is played by Steve Coogan, most famous as a comedy actor. And whilst this isn't a serious film much of time, it's not exactly a comedy either. Coogan seems perfect for the role, although I have acknowledge never having seen the actual Wilson on TV.

The supporting cast includes Paddy Considine, Shirely Henderson, Andy Serkis and host of actors more recognisable from British TV such as John Simm, Ralf Little, Simon Pegg, Peter Kay and Rob Brydon. There are very good performances from two relatively unknown actors playings lead singers; Sean Harris as Ian Curtis of Joy Division (later New Order after his death) and Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder of The Happy Mondays. Also many of the characters depicted appear in little cameo roles as well. It's shot in documentary style at times with Coogan and other actors talking directly to you the viewer. The best example, which kind of sums up what sort of film this is a scene where Wilson finds his wife having s*x with a man called Howard in the toilets. He isn't that bothered as she just caught him getting a bl*w job in the car park. As he leaves we see a man cleaning the wash basins. Wilson / Coogan says to us '”this is the real Howard”, cleaner / Howard says “ I don't remember any of this happening” then Wilson / Coogan explains why a depiction of a true story does not have to stick to the actual facts, quoting some other films maker. The music obviously plays a big part and some of the film is, I think, footage of the actual bands rather than the actors playing them in this.

I saw this at the cinema when it was released. This is the first time I have re-watched it. It's brilliant. I was never that into the Madchester music. It was a little bit before my time and my clubbing was all done in Sheffield which is the other side of the Pennines from Manchester. But I remember New Order and Happy Mondays songs being played for years and years after they were released. The beauty of this, for me, is the film makes you care about the subject matter even though it's not something you were personally that into in reality.

10 / 10

 

Holiday (2018) dir Isabella Eklf

 

 

A strange and at times disturbing film. A young Danish woman, Sascha, arrives in Turkey for a “holiday” with her drug dealer boyfriend at the home he shares with some of his men and couple of their wives / girlfriends and one child. He treats her appallingly but she seems to put up with it in order to enjoy the easy life. It's not even that luxurious a home he has, not exactly a mansion, just a nice, big house in a nice location. She meets a Dutch tourist who she appears to be starting a relationship with and you think she is going to leave her boyfriend or he is going to find out and kill his rival, but it doesn't quite work out like that. This is no thriller, there is no mystery or suspense. It's just a story that, I guess, must reflect someone's real life, quite unpleasant, experience. It's a hard watch at times with two r*pe scenes, one of which is very sexually explicit. It reasonably well acted, directed and shot without being outstanding in any respect.

6/10

 

Immortal Beloved (1994) dir Bernard Rose

 

 

Biopic of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, played by Gary Oldman. It is told in flash back after his death as his friend, Anton Schindler (Jeroen Krabbe), tries to find the woman who has been left his fortune, as the composer only described her in his will as “My Immortal Beloved”. I don't not much about Beethoven, other than some of his music. Apparently this isn't meant to be a true story. There was no such bequest in his will, but he did once write a love letter to an unknown woman described as the title of the film. He never married but had a number of women in his life and Schindler interviews some of these to try and trace the beneficiary of the will. It's quite a good film, set to Beethoven's music which if you like it, as I do, makes the film better. But if you don't like his music then I'm not sure what impact it would have. It also deals with disabilities. Beethoven was famously deaf later in life. The film has us hear as, we assume, he must have heard things as his condition worsened. He tried to hide the fact he was losing his hearing, becoming reclusive but still composing. When he became completely deaf he had to eventually acknowledge that. Oldman is good and certainly looks the part. The support is mixed but the actors playing the main women in Beethoven's life stand out, Johanna ter Steege is especially good as his sister-in-law, but also good are Isabella Rossellini and Valeria Golino as two of his lovers. Miriam Margolyes is also very funny as the owner of a hotel he allegedly trashed, in true early 19th century rock-star-style.

7/10

 

A Fist full of Dollars (1964) dir Sergio Leone

 

Sergio Leone's first Western, and for me it's the least good. Nice Ennio Morricone score, but again it's not in the same league as at least two of the others. Clint Eastwood plays gun-for-hire Joe who earns a small fortune selling himself to both sides in a feuding Mexican town. I do find annoying how, in all o the Leone-Eastwood-Morricone trilogy, Clint Eastwood's character manages to almost single handily defeat any number of enemies just with a single Colt .45 revolver which he never misses with and hardly ever has to reload. Whilst that seems forgivable in the other films, in this one it seemed a bit sillier. Maybe it was because some scenes are almost comedy. e.g. one where he hides behind pillars, firing into the ground to confuse a bumbling guard, then when the guard is positioned in the right place, shooting a rope to release a door that fall on the guards head knocking him out.

6 / 10

 

Elvis (2022) dir Baz Luhrman

 

Baz Lurhman brings his distinctive glitzy, glossy, all singing, all dancing style to a biopic of Elvis Presley. Austin Butler plays the title character and is well deserving of the award wins and nominations he has received for this. The story is mainly told from the point of view of Elvis' manager, “Colonel” Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. He is far from my favourite actor, I often find his characters a bit annoying, but he too is very good in this. There is a lot of Elvis' music in this, no surprise there. It pretty much covers his entire life so is a long film at 2hr 39 min, probably a bit too long for me. The plot is a little repetitive a times, Parker repeatedly gets Elvis to agree to do what he (Parker) wants him to do not necessarily what Elvis wanted to do. But I guess if that is what happened in reality then fair enough. I do like Baz Lurhmans films and this is certainly very good. What, for me, makes it even better is the final scene depicting Elvis' last ever performance. It starts with Austin Butler, great makeup and prosthetics adding the necessary extra weight and age to him, but then blends into footage of the actual Elvis Presley.

10/10

 

Theorum (1968) dir Pier Paolo Pasolini

 

A very arty, unusual Italian film. The original music is by Ennio Moricone, my main reason for watching this, but it has a fair bit of Mozart as well. There is quite contrast between those as the Morricone music is of his modern, often discordant type, as opposed to his big, melodic, sentimental type of scores. It was good, but also very weird.

The family of a Milanese factory owner have a handsome young visitor, never named, played by Terrance Stamp. I think his character is meant to be British but he mainly speaks in Italian (dubbed). Maybe he is a student studying there - they never explain properly, it's not relevant. He seems to know the daughter already and takes an interest in art, which the son is studying. The point is all members of the family; mother, father, daughter, son and their house-keeper find him very attractive and are seduced by him. Not all the seduction is s*xual, for the father it's more him admiring the young man's character and perhaps seeing him as a role model for his own children. After an opening scene at the father's factory that seems like a news report, it switches to black and white with no sound, mimicking the style of much older silent films. It then changes back to colour with sound and dialogue as the visitor arrives. When he leaves, about half way through, the rest of the film is how the five Italians react to his departure. For some of them he had a very positive effect and their life improves, others can not cope with him not being there. Even after the initial silent scene it is quite low on dialogue and a lot of things we just watch happening.

It reminds me a little bit of The Killing of Sacred Deer, maybe that was partly inspired by this? But it is in no way a horror film, no one gets killed. The visitor is never violent, a little bit sinister maybe and he does sleep with half the family. It's is well acted, especially Stamp and Silvana Mangano as the mother,

8/10

 

The Night of The Hunted (1980) dir Jean Rollin

 

 

French mystery drama, very 80s in style and looks a bit dated. In centres on a strange clinic in Paris where patients with severe memory loss are being treated by a somewhat creepy doctor. They are kept in by armed guards but there has been an escape. The film starts with a young man, Robert, driving at night, finding a very frightened young woman, Elysabeth (one of the escaped patients), running along the side of a country road. He takes her back to his Paris apartment and the scale of her memory loss becomes clear as she seems to forget things almost as soon as they have happened. She gets taken back to the clinic but makes another escape attempt with Robert's help. It's definitely not your standard thriller. There's isn't much action or suspense. It's much more about the interactions between the patients (many in the clinic, the odd and at times very violent things they do. An explanation is eventually given for what caused their memory loss, and it's the stereotypical “exposure to strange radiation”, completely devoid of any scientific fact, which seemed to be overused at the time this was made. They would have better not trying to explain it. Some of the acting is a bit poor too. Overall quite average, but watchable if you have nothing better to do.

5 / 10

 

 

 

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@djw180 I actually watched Holiday recently, I'll leave my thoughts for my review but it sounds like I enjoyed it more than you, if enjoy is even the right word.

Also, A Fistful of Dollars was an unlicensed remake of an Akira Kurosawa samurai film, Yojimbo, and he was sued for making it.

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Black Metal Veins (2012)….3/5…exploitative documentary about heroin addicts. Made me so glad I never used heroin.
Every now and then I watch heroin addiction documentaries because I find that drug scary. It’s like watching horror knowing the monster can’t hurt me or get to me. There isn’t much to learn from the documentary, only accepting just how delusional these addicts are about how much in control they are of their addiction. We see one girl who uses heroin but also uses crack when she wants to take a break from heroin for a few hours. 
We see her looks diminish within six months and it’s jarring to see her transform into a full time crack head. 
 Of course the doc ends in tragedy for a few of the users we meet. 
If you really want to take your mind to a dark place where heroin is king, then you might enjoy it. My healthy morbid curiosity drove me to watch it and with the deepest sigh in my soul, I once again thank the universe for me never touching that stuff.  I gave it a high score of 3/5, not because it’s amazing in any constructive way, but because it’s fn real. And the users are real and their wasted lives are real. I may have been directionless all my life but at least I didn’t add a heroin addiction to the situation. These young folks, yikes. 

Edited by Con
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Aniara (2018) dir Pella Kagerman & Hugo Lilja

 

 

 

Swedish sci-fi set in the not-too-distant future on the space ship Aniara, on, what should have been, a routine Earth-Mars run carrying thousands of tourists and settlers. A few days into the scheduled 3 week trip there is an accident that leaves the ship heading off course with no means of steering. In other-words the ship will just keep on heading in a straight line forever or until it collides with something, unless they can figure out a way to turn round. This isn't a suspenseful disaster movie. It's not about whether they do or don't get back to Earth. I won't spoil it by saying what exactly happens. But the passengers and crew know they are going to be stuck on the ship for many years at least. It's exploring how people would or would not cope in that situation.

The main character (Emelie Garbers), is known only as Mimaroben which I took to be her job title. She runs a kind of VR-psychic machine, called Mima, which is there as an entertainment. It picks up on what people like or miss and projects calming images based on those into their minds. Initially only a few passengers want to try it out, but as the weeks turn into months and years more and more people come to rely on Mima and it becomes a therapeutic aid for people suffering from anxiety.

It is good. It's very well acted and the sets and special effects are impressive. They convey the futuristic environment without being over-the-top or taking away from the dialogue and acting, a bit like 2001. The one problem I have with it is the things isn't doesn't deal with or even mention in passing. In the situation they are in, spending years in outer space, there are going to be lots of problems for the people stuck on Aniara. The food situation is explained by them growing a form of algae which was always meant to be their main food supply, and can, in principle, last forever. They set up schools to educate the children, some of course born on board, and some being picked out to the next generation of crew, should that be required. But there's other things no mention is ever made of. Most men remain clean shaven – how do they continue to shave when their supply or razors must surely get blunted or run out eventually? Throughout the film everyone's clothes remain in reasonable condition, surely they would wear out after a couple of years? There's plausible explanations for why these are not problems, they could have futuristic alloys and fabrics they never wear out, but no mention is made of them. And other than one event later on, the exact nature of which is never properly revealed, there is no mention of any rescue attempt from Earth.

So overall good and definitely worth watching, but the story needed a little bit more for me.

7/10

 

 

House of Gucci (2021) dir Ridley Scott

 

 

Essentially this is a biopic of Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) but the story is also about the Gucci brand / family company as well. The whole cast is impressive; Lady Gaga is great as Maurizio's wife Patrizia, Jeremey Irons as his father Rodolfo, Al Pacino as his uncle Aldo (who ran Gucci in the 70s when the film starts), Jared Leto as Aldo's son Paolo (a wannabee fashion designer, lacking the required talent), Salma Hayek as a psychic who becomes close friends with Patrizia, and Jack Huston as Domenico De Sole the company lawyer who ends up with a much bigger role eventually.

You don't need to have any interest in fashion to appreciate this, I certainly don't have. It come across very like a 80s soap opera such as Dallas or Dynasty, as it's about a bunch of very rich people, mostly related to each other, all in the family company and all double crossing and back stabbing each other at every opportunity. I didn't have any sympathy for them or care much about the bad things that happen, but it's entertaining to watch them.

It's a little bit long, but biopics often have to be long to fit everything in. It's obviously well made, being co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott. The music is great; not much in the way of any original music, instead they use a medley great pop songs; George Michael's Faith, Blondie's Heart of Glass, David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes, and many more, plus some opera.

8 / 10

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What I Watched This Week #57 (Jan 29 – Feb 4)

Alan Partridge Live: Stratagem
dir. John L. Spencer, Neil Gibbons, Rob Gibbons/2023/1h24m 

Alan Partridge has been one of my favourite comedy characters ever since his days as a sports reporter who knew nothing about sports.  Every single format that you can slot him in – chat show, sitcom, action movie, autobiography, podcast – he is constantly, cringe-inducingly hilarious.  So you'd think a live show with Partridge as a motivational speaker who will teach you the strategy to turn yourself into a gem, which is just an elaborate excuse to prove that he does in fact have the strength to lift a woman above his head like that bit in Dirty Dancing, would be a no brainer, but I found it sadly lacking in the laughs department.  There is stuff I liked, like the awkward song and dance routines, and his slowly escalating spat with his dance troupe, which reminded me of his relationship with Glenn Ponder from his chat show, but nothing goes as wrong as it should, and if you've seen anything else of his you know how bad things can go.  He's also too funny here, Alan Partridge should never actually tell a funny joke, it just doesn't suit him.  His comedy comes from how unfunny he is, and how seriously he takes himself, and there's not enough of that here.  But even the worst Partridge project is funnier than most other shows, and if you're a fan of the character you'll still get a few decent laughs here, especially when we get to see his long suffering assistant Lynn (Felicity Montague).  6/10

Evil Under the Sun
dir. Guy Hamilton/1982/1h57m 

Peter Ustinov returns as master sleuth Hercule Poirot, this time living it up in a fancy hotel when actress Arlena Marshall (Diana Rigg) is found murdered while sunbathing on a secluded beach.  Among the suspects are theatrical producer Odell Gardener (James Mason), b*tchy writer Rex Brewster (Roddy McDowall) and even her step-daughter Linda (Emily Hone).  This is a very good Agatha Christie adaptation with all of the key ingredients in place, a gorgeous location, an intriguing mystery, and a star studded cast.  My big let down is that I didn't find any of the characters – apart from Poirot and the hotel's owner, Mrs. Castle (Maggie Smith) – to be very interesting or entertaining.  McDowall came the closest but even then he pales in comparison to Angela Lansbury playing a similar character in Death on the Nile.  This makes up for that by having, in my opinion, a more satisfying murder mystery and conclusion, one that had me guessing right up until the end.  A solid whodunnit, but one that never reaches the heights of Murder on the Orient Express.  7.5/10

The Duke of Burgundy
dir. Peter Strickland/2014/1h44m 

The Duke of Burgundy is an er*tic drama from Peter Strickland.  It stars Sidse Babett Knudsen as Cynthia, a lepidopterist who is in a sadomasochistic relationship with her maid Evelyn (Chiara D'Anna).  Cynthia expects Evelyn to adhere to a strict set of behavioural rules, punishing her if she fails to meet her exacting standards.  However, we soon learn that it is Evelyn who is orchestrating all of these things while Cynthia is merely playing along, wishing for a more conventional relationship.  This is a simple story, but Strickland turns it into this complex web of power dynamics with some amazing imagery, particularly his use of mirrors.  This is also surreal and, at times, feels like a horror film, something that Strickland does really well.  The two lead performances are excellent, particularly Babett Knudsen who reveals her emotions in such a beautifully controlled way.  For me this is one of his best films, almost as good as In Fabric, and well worth watching if you want to experience the twisted world of one of the most unique voices working in film today.  8.5/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

Pay Day
dir. Charlie Chaplin/1922/22m 

Pay Day is Chaplin's last short before he started exclusively making feature length films.  He stars as the tr*mp, this time employed on a construction site.  On pay day he argues with his wife about how much money he gets to keep, but he manages to keep enough to go drinking with the boys.  This is Chaplin in sparkling form, especially the scene where catches bricks which are being thrown at him in increasingly elaborate ways.  The whole thing was shot backwards and played in reverse, but it's so well choreographed that it's hard to tell.  There's nothing remarkable about this film, it's just twenty minutes of top tier slapstick by one of the all time greats.  An instant pick-me-up.  8/10

Cinderella
dir. Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson, Clyde Geronimi/1950/1h14m 

We have now entered Disney's Silver age after the money saving efforts of the Wartime era.  They now have enough saved up to make their first feature film since Bambi in 1942.  But they were still on the verge of bankruptcy and hoping that their new film, Cinderella, would be a hit.  You can probably guess how that went.  The film tells the classic story of Cinderella (Ilene Woods), the young woman kept in servitude by her jealous step-mother and abused by her ugly step-sisters.  But thanks to her Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton) she attends the royal ball and falls in love with the prince.  After some shenanigans with her glass slippers they marry and live happily ever after.  The first thing that stands out about this film is the jump up in quality from their previous films, you can really see the budget.  The character animation has also been levelled up with a real smooth and natural motion to them.  I didn't really like the little mice sidekicks, their voices are annoying and we spend way too much time with them.  Prince Charming is also kind of bland, more a symbol of Cinderella's dreams than a fleshed out character.  Other than that, this is a delightful fairy tale made by masters of the craft, and you really get the feeling that they're just now hitting their stride.  8/10

Kingsman: The Golden Circle
dir. Matthew Vaughn/2017/2h21m 

Julianne Moore plays Poppy, a psychotic, 50's obsessed drug lord who has infected her supplies with a lethal virus and only she has the antidote.  Thusly, she takes the world hostage, and to show she means business she blows up every single Kingsman safehouse, killing nearly everyone in the secret spy organisation.  The two survivors, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong), have to team up with their American counterparts, The Statesmen, in order to bring her down.  This is the kind of sequel that doubles down on everything that made the original great, and by doing so makes it much worse.  The first one was over the top and silly but this takes that to a ridiculous degree, totally taking away any sense of danger or tension.  The film lost me pretty early on when Poppy unleashes her killer robot dogs on a poor henchman, and then later when we see the cure for a bullet to the brain.  It reminded me of the Wallace and Gromit short A Close Shave, just the dog bit.  The song Country Roads is also a big part of the film and I f*cking hate that song.  I do like the idea of The Statesmen, and they have a good cast to play them including Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum and Pedro Pascal, who all do a great job.  There are also some pretty good action set pieces, but the direction, like the rest of the film, is just too much.  Vaughn just can't let the camera stay still for half a second, and the impossible, CGI assisted camera movements are ridiculous.  The thing that sums up this film the most is the extended cameo by Elton John.  If it were contained to one, maybe two scenes then it would be hilarious.  But it isn't.  It's dragged out to such a degree that it just becomes boring.  A disappointing follow up to a fantastic film.  4/10

The King's Man
dir. Matthew Vaughn/2021/2h11m 

Just to finish off the trilogy I decided to watch the prequel to the Kingsman franchise, The King's Man.  Detailing the events that led to the creation of the secret spy organisation, which is tied into the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and World War I, it stars Ralph Fiennes as the Duke of Oxford, aristocrat, Red Cross ambassador and very protective father.  Harris Dickinson – who was excellent in Triangle of Sadness recently – plays his son, Conrad, and the cast is rounded out by Gemma Arteton and Djimon Honsou as Oxford's faithful assistants Polly and Shola, and Rhys Ifans as the mad monk Rasputin.  The tone of this film is much more serious than the previous entries, which is a good call since they're dealing with a real event and it would just feel disrespectful otherwise, but it still has its tongue firmly in its cheek when it comes to the rest of the plot that doesn't involve young men dying in the trenches or getting cut down by machine gun fire.  The direction is also more restrained, thank god.  Fiennes is great as always, and has great chemistry with Arteton.  I'd be much more interested in seeing another Kingsman film in this universe than the modern one.  6.5/10

Edited by LimeGreenLegend
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Benedetta (2021) dir Paul Verhoeven

 

 

Apparently inspired by a true story. In 17th century Italy Benedetta becomes a nun as a child after her devout parents give her to a convent to thank God for her surviving an illness. She soon escapes unharmed from a what could have been a fatal accident and as the years go by starts to have visions of Jesus. As an adult she is involved in another miraculous event and the town's priest senses a chance to cash in by playing up the miracle. The mother superior, played by an excellent Charlotte Rampling, is very sceptical and thinks Benedetta is tricking them. This leads to an inevitable showdown with accusations and counter-accusations of blasphemy and heresy. The local Bishop gets involved, bringing an inquisitor to sort matters out. There's a fair bit of s*x and nudity in this; Benedetta and another nun are lovers, but to me nothing was gratuitous. Nothing that gruesome happens to anyone on screen. It's good film, well acted with some nice settings. It's quite different to any other Paul Verhoeven films that I have seen (well apart from the s*x and nudity that some of his are famous for).

7/10

 

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) dir Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert.

 

A very good, Oscar worthy film, although maybe not best picture for me personally. I would imagine most people already know about this and at least vaguely what it is about. But for those who don't, it's a bizzare, sci-fi comedy. Michelle Yeoh and Key Hu Quan play Chinese-American laundry owners Evelyn and Waymond w*ng. During a visit to tax inspector Diedre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis), Evelyn is contacted by another version of Waymond, from an alternative reality. He tells her there are many, many alternate universes, each differing due to one person there having made a different decision at some key point in their life. He is from the original, Alpha, universe and there Evelyn discovered how to move from one universe to another and to pick up abilities that your other-selves have in those universes. But Alpha-Evelyn has been killed and all the universes are under threat from an entity known as Jobu Tupaki. She, our universe's Evelyn, is the only one who might have the power to save them.

It is very cleverly made, really well shot and edited. The acting is top notch. The special effects just the sort I like, good without being the main attraction. The only thing that lets it down a little is I think it is a bit too confusing at times. Whilst it remains very, very watchable, there are things I did not understand. It does have some great scenes though; how can you top a kung-fu fight using d*ldos as weapons!?

 

9/10

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What I Watched This Week #58 (Feb 5 – 11)

The Mirror Crack'd
dir. Guy Hamilton/1980/1h45m 

This is another Agatha Christie murder mystery, but instead of Poirot this time we're following her other great detective, the elderly, gossip-loving busybody, Miss Marple, played here by the fabulous Angela Lansbury.  The plot sees a film crew descend on her sleepy village to make a movie, but when the star, Marina (Elizabeth Taylor), becomes the target of an unknown killer and the bodies start piling up Miss Marple is the only one who can crack the mystery.  This is a very well crafted mystery, as expected from the greatest mystery writer of all time, with some great performances from both Lansbury and Taylor as well as Kim Novak who plays Marina's rival, with the two having some great b*tchy exchanges.  Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Geraldine Chaplin round out a fantastic cast.  My big problem with this film is that Miss Marple is side-lined pretty early on with a leg injury and for the middle third of the film it's up to her nephew and Scotland Yard inspector Dermot Craddock (Edward Fox) to do the leg work before she swoops in at the end to tie it all together.  I love me some Angela Lansbury, so when I sit down to watch a Miss Marple movie starring Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple I expect to get my fill of Angela Lansbury, and I just didn't.   That aside this is still a well made and engaging film.  7.5/10

Bedknobs and Broomsticks
dir. Robert Stevenson/1971/1h57m 

Disappointed as I was with the distinct lack of Angela Lansbury in the previous film I decided to watch an old childhood favourite, and something in which she's in just about every scene, Bedknobs and Broomsticks.  Set during World War II, she plays apprentice witch Eglantine Price who takes in three orphans who were evacuated from London.  With their help, and that of snake oil salesman Emilius Browne (David Tomlinson), she travels to the cartoon island of Naboombo and learns the magic of substitutionary locomotion, with which she animates a museum full of medieval armour in order to f*ck up the invading n*zi forces.  It's a pretty wild ride.  I love everything about this.  Lansbury and Tomlinson have amazing chemistry together, the songs all slap and the final fight between the armour and the n*zis is genuinely metal as f*ck.  This is my favourite live action Disney film and even though I've seen it about fifty times it's still as enchanting now as it was when I was six.  10/10 Lime's Film of the Week!

White Noise
dir. Noah Baumbach/2022/2h16m 

White Noise stars Adam Driver as the professor of Hitler studies at a college in Ohio, and he shares a profound fear of death with his wife Babette (Greta Gerwig), who is secretly taking part in trials for an experimental drug.  Their fears are tested when a train carrying toxic chemicals derails near their home and they have to evacuate.  This is a very strange movie that doesn't really know what it is, so it doesn't try to be anything.  The performances are all very good, with great support from Don Cheadle as a professor of Elvis studies.  This is also a well directed film, with bone dry humour, which I love.  It's just that the story meanders so much that it loses any momentum that it builds up pretty much instantly.  A very idiosyncratic film that totally won't be for everyone, but I think is pretty decent, and I really dug the supermarket set ending.  7/10

I Saw the Devil
dir. Kim Jee-woon/2010/2h24m 

Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) is an agent in South Korea's intelligence service who seeks revenge on serial killer Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) after he brutally murders his girlfriend.  But when Soo-hyun catches him, instead of killing or arresting Kyang-chul he plants a tracker inside him so that he can follow and listen to him and further torment and torture him.  This is an excellent example of the intense revenge thrillers that Korea does so well – like Oldboy, which also stars Choi Min-sik – and is well worth watching if that's your jam.  The direction is gorgeous, with some really interesting camera movements and framing, and all of the performances are fantastic.  Lee is amazing as the lawman who becomes twisted into that which he hates, his cruel obsession making him more of a threat than the actual serial killer and Choi is totally his equal as the cold and uncaring – until the last scene that is – killer.  Brutal, bloody and brilliant.  9/10

Big Trouble in Little China  
dir. John Carpenter/1986/1h39m 

Big Trouble in Little China is John Carpenter's comedy-action-fantasy film starring Kurt Russell as idiotic, egotistical trucker Jack Burton who gets caught up in a mystical fight between the forces of good and evil when he helps out his friend w*ng Chi (Dennis Dun), whose girlfriend was kidnapped by ancient sorcerer Lo Pan (James Hong).  This is totally over the top and tongue in cheek with a lot of stuff I like, but I found the whole to be quite uneven and incohesive.  I like the idea of Jack Burton, someone who thinks they're the hero but is actually the bumbling sidekick who's so inept that he knocks himself out just before the climactic fight, but his character is just so unlikeable that I wish he knocked himself out at the start of more scenes.  Even the almighty charisma of Russell isn't quite enough to redeem it, but he does make it more bearable.  It's a shame because Lo Pan is a fantastic villain, with a brilliant performance from Hong, who deserves someone better to go up against.  I also really liked the design of the film.  Not a bad film but Carpenter has done much better.  6/10

Alice in Wonderland
dir. Hamilton Luske, Wildred Jackson, Clyde Geronimi/1951/1h15m 

Disney's version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass is a wonderfully surreal film full of memorable characters and iconic imagery that even Tim Burton's turd of a remake can't tarnish it.  Tumbling down a rabbit hole following a White Rabbit (Bill Thompson) who's late for a very important date, young Alice (Kathryn Beaumont) finds herself in a nonsensical world where nothing is what it seems.  The animators at Disney were having fun with this film with every scene bursting with colour and full of imagination when it comes to characters like the Cheshire Cat and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee.  This is also quite dark, particularly the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter.  A wonderful animation that revels in the freedoms of the form.  9/10

The Titfield Thunderbolt
dir. Charles Crichton/1953/1h24m 

The Titfield Thunderbolt is a British comedy from the famed Ealing Studios.  The plot concerns the community of a small village banding together to buy and run their local train line after it is threatened with closure.  When they attempt to get their operating licence they face sabotage from the local bus company.  What I like about this whole thing is that it is being bankrolled by wealthy local Walter Valentine (Stanley Holloway) who only has an interest in trains because you can serve alcohol on them as early as you like.  This is a quaint and charming film that epitomises the Ealing films of the time, while also being quite strange.  I'm not quite sure why, but at one point there is a game of chicken between the train and a steamroller being driven by Carry On regular Sid James.  While never coming close to the greatness of The Ladykillers or The Lavender Hill Mob, this is still a fun film that I thoroughly enjoyed.  7.5/10

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TAR (2022)

I love a film that allows me to feel pretentious, as that is fully contradictory of my usual modus operandi. And sure I can spew random facts about my favorite composers like Joseph Haydn, Liszt, and of course Mr. Bach, or as I refer to him, Professor Bach, because his music is what I play when I’m doing anything academically inclined. So I appreciated hearing names of other artists I had never heard of before like Edward Elgar and Jaqueline du Pre and have been enjoying their work all morning. This is the power of an exceptionally well constructed film, a character study that mere decades ago, I would have scoffed at the notion of watching a 2 hour film about a fictional female composer. But TAR did just that, it pulled me in thanks to the amazing performance by Cate Blanchett, but in general, everyone is tremendous in this film. 
I recommend this if you enjoy classical music sprinkled throughout your film. Also if you have a passion for anything in this world and have a drive to be the best or take up spaces usually not reserved or unwelcoming to you and how that desire, uncontrolled, can consume you. But I feel, more importantly, that the film is how in our modern world, things you say and do will be held against you for longer and to a higher regard than any other time in our lives. For example, say you don’t like certain types of people as a group, in todays world, I would resist any urge to share my disdain for those people on any media than can be recorded or saved. People have always been cancelled in our society, it’s just that today we have social media that allows anyone to join and and despise you or your actions no matter how dated your view point is or was, impervious to how much you may have changed or grown as a person. 
There is a lot that can be discussed in TAR because I came out feeling like Lydia Tar (Cate Blanchett) was destined to immense greatness and sad demise. There is so much that can be unpacked when discussing this film, like how her early life was a catalyst for her to never abandon her dream and get as far as away as possible from her roots and this we see, not through some over-elaborate scene or boring monologue, but through fine brush strokes, I don’t think I have ever seen a character study handled so deftly and delicate, yet still powerful. This is a film about a music composer, people. It shouldn’t be this captivating, but it is. 
I’m leaving so much out because i could probably write two pages for this review. 
There are some slow moments but they are essential in telling the full story. 
The cinematography is beautiful and the set designs are characters in themselves as they serve to show us the degeneration of a career. I went into this thinking, well even if the script stinks, at least I’ll enjoy the music. I enjoyed everything. Especially how they avoided the cliches that were dangled throughout. There is so much I didn’t even touch upon, like the eerie scenes with the neighbors that very much reminded me of Pet Semetary (1989)’s Zelda moments, which I found curious and just haven’t had time to process it’s allegory. 
This was an entertaining character study that doesn’t rely on violence or huge shock moments, it just jabs away one scene at a time until you and TAR are left a pummeled mess, in the best way possible. 
Final Verdict….4/5….I can’t give it a perfect score because honestly, it didn’t have any gore and I’m pretentious like that. If listening to a piece of classical music on purpose is the last thing you will do this entire year, then this film will most likely fail miserably at entertaining you through any aspect of it, so skip it.

Edited by Con
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