Last Film You Watched? VI

All non-Nolan related film, tv, and streaming discussions.
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natalie wrote:
February 7th, 2018, 6:06 pm
Black Panther
8.5/10
Can I PM you a brief question about this?

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Bacon wrote:
February 7th, 2018, 7:10 pm
natalie wrote:
February 7th, 2018, 6:06 pm
Black Panther
8.5/10
Can I PM you a brief question about this?
Shoot

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Get Out (2017)

Good film with a very original horror idea at the centre but there are some things that hold it back from greatness just a little imo. One of such things is that characters on occasion will voice out loud thoughts and realizations they have in a way that people generally don't, which takes me out of the scene because I realize that I was being fed information, rather than just enjoying the scene in the moment. Some of the dialogue on occasion felt also strange in a way that I don't think people generally talk. Daniel Kaluuya is great as Chris but some of the acting of the secondary characters comes off as a bit over-the-top (Rose's brother comes to mind here).
I also found myself not really scared throughout the film, maybe because the situation seemed weird to me from the start and hence I did not take what some of the characters were saying at face value early on. The film however manages to build up a lot of tension regardless and the mystery is very engaging because the main character is well-developed and interesting. However, I don't really think it entirely lived up to my expectations as a horror film but that is not the film's fault necessarily.
Thematically, I find the film interesting but there again, I think it could have explored the idea and its implications a bit more. I get what it's going for but to me that point about the thing that the film describes to me did not appear as deep as the film likely thinks it is. Nevertheless, it is rare for films like this to tackle that kind of subject matter so making a relevant political statement in itself I find very commendable. I also enjoyed the score immensely and I was intrigued the entire time but sadly never really scared.

8.5/10

Lady Macbeth (2016/2017)

Based on Nikolai Leskov's novella, this is a wonderful, disturbing film full of long silences, magnificent landscapes, lots of atmosphere, and a compelling protagonist in Katherine Lester, played brilliantly by Florence Pugh who is a both understandable and detestable character at various points of the story. The audience might root for her initially, given her husband's and father-in-law's deplorable treatment of her and her confinement indoors. Her fight for a new life is understandable but the film also plays with the audience's sympathies to turn that on the audience at a very specific moment, as the twisted extremes to which she is willing to go to defy her situation become ever more apparent.
The film is beautifully shot, which the story emphasises even more by setting up the contrats betwe the prison of the house and the utter freedom of the vast landscapes. The dialogue is kept to a minimum, allowing the viewer to take in every small visual detail and every nuance of Pugh's facial expressions. The writing is impeccable, the acting superb and it is one of the best films of 2017 I have seen.

9/10

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If you don't cry once during the last 30 minutes of this movie, then you have no soul.

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The Quiet Man (Ford)

Yes.

Kong: Skull Island (Vogt-Roberts)

No.

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Phantom Thread

What a remarkable film.

I love that PTA has managed to tell a love story in a new way. He offers a whole new perspective on the meaning of love. The two main character and their tempestuous dynamic felt like watching a symphony. Their strong-willed personality is what causes them to clash but is also what connects them. The way PTA frames the power dynamic and slowly unveil the insanity of it all was, weirdly, a pure delight to watch.

While sound was an intricate part of the film, at times, I felt this could have been a silent film. The way the actors used their expression and posture to act, I was anticipating for their physical reaction to each other, not the words being spoken. The story was dependent on these exchanges.

I want to note how odd the first act was. Literally everything about it felt foreign to me. Like, I’m not sure if I ever seen anything like that before. The pacing, the interactions, the cinematography, all of it felt jarring. As the film progresses, I came to appreciate the quiet and nuanced approach of it. It wasn’t about who Reynolds and Alma are on a superficial level but our engaged perception of these characters. I loved how attentive and effortful PTA wanted his audience to be about character development.

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This was such an emotionally riveting experience. Normally with coming of age movies, I'm used to identifying with the titular character, but it was different in this case because I did not see any of myself in the character of Lady Bird. Instead, the person I identified Lady Bird with was my sister, because they are nearly the same person. Going in, I was expecting something explosively quirky, but instead I got something that was funny yet had a tragic sense of realism to it. Never once did the movie feel like it was aiming than it could ever reach because Gerwig knows how to make these moments feel natural and personal; it's so impressive to see a first-time director be so confident in their understanding of these very familiar themes.

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it's her second feature, first as solo director

And yeah it's pretty good

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BlairCo wrote:
February 10th, 2018, 7:40 pm
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If you don't cry once during the last 30 minutes of this movie, then you have no soul.
I agree. The moment with Hardy and Nolte on the bed is destroying, but very beautiful. Makes you reflect.

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Gun Crazy (1950)

Apart from being a noirish couple on the run movie, it's a decent character study also. Second half is all about the robberies unlike the first half when the story flowed really organically. Superb direction. Need to check out more of this guy.

4/5

Army of Shadows (1969)

Melville is unquestionably a cinematic genius for ages. It's astounding to see how every set piece was constructed with clinical precision. His characters feel cold and distant but then also he manages us to empathize with them. This is just other world stuff. Brilliant. Easily ranks in the upper echelon of best war films and best films ever made.

Masterpiece/5

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