What have you watched recently: Electric Boogaloo

Barna77

poundapunnet wrote: »

The Skin I Live In I like Almodóvar, but after a while he can get a small bit samey; visually, character-wise, thematically. I guess it's the sign of an auteur (if you're into that kind of thing), but a few years after watching I find it can get hard to remember which psychotic transsexual dressed in bright colours murdered which priest dressed as his mother, or something.

Not a problem with TSILI, sticks out from the main body of work without being an incongruous blip. Much closer to a horror than any of his other works, while still addressing core concerns: the complexity of loss and desire and the inward and outward radiation of their destructiveness, the fluidity and artificiality of the identities we impose on ourselves or

in this case very literally

have imposed upon us. Right down to the midway switcheroo it's typical Almodovar but a pretty unique film. A few brilliant bits, one that's particularly sticking with me is

a rape scene which I found to be uncomfortably eroticised, but which punishes the (presumed male, heterosexual) viewer for engaging with it in that way by later revealing the victim to be a transsexual, the bloodstained bed that results from Robert shooting the rapist in the act acquires a different significance in light of later revelations too

. I'm dying to watch this again, the references to art and literature are very deliberate and I'd like to able to pay a bit more attention to them without being distracted by the plot. 9/10

It got very mixed reviews, more negative ones, when it was released in Spain. Any new Almodóvar movie is always welcome and you know you're in for a treat. But this one, wow. Agreed that his usual themes and characters can get somehow tiresome. Saw it for the first time a few months ago. I was speechless, what just happened there. So I watched it again a few weeks ago. And yeah, so many complexities there.
Almodóvar and Banderas took a ride to the dark side and well worth it.

ButtersSuki

Rampart, if you've watched The Shield you'll know of the infamy of the Rampart branch of the LAPD as it and this movie are both based on them (The Shield was originally going to be called Rampart). This is an extension of that broad storyline of a corrupt cop and Woody Harrelson's character lives a broadly similar life to The Shield's Vic Mackey. It's slow and subtle where The Shield is in your face, but regularly delivers body blows. There are varying degrees of cameos from Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Ned Beatty, Ice Cube etc., but this is essentially Harrelson's movie and worth watching for his performance alone. 7.5/10.

krudler

Olympus Has Fallen on netflix, dumb as a bag of hammers but it was a better Die Hard movie than the last actual Die Hard movies. A modern action film with a rake of violence and casual swearing, just like it should be.

ButtersSuki

For those of you who missed it in the cinema and would be interested in seeing it, Blackfish is on BBC 4 tomorrow night at 9pm.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

the life and death of colonel blimp


about as excellent a piece of propaganda as you can get. you could play it for gerry adams and he'd leave the theater proclaiming a love for all things british.

--edit

spring summer autumn winter and spring

probably going to have to watch this one again. it could have done without the magic imo

ReacherCreature

krudler wrote: »

Olympus Has Fallen on netflix, dumb as a bag of hammers but it was a better Die Hard movie than the last actual Die Hard movies. A modern action film with a rake of violence and casual swearing, just like it should be.

Refreshing and an almost throwback to the 90s in terms of fun action movies. The gunplay in it is also superb.

Fysh

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

spring summer autumn winter and spring

probably going to have to watch this one again. it could have done without the magic imo

I love that film for its visuals and atmosphere, and for the way that it's not afraid to have scenes unfold with little or no dialogue.

I know what you mean about the magic, but I think it gets away with it because it's presented in such a way that it could just be the monk having tricks that the kid doesn't know about (in the same way that there are a couple of bits where it's unclear how the monk could have gotten ashore without getting wet, for example).

That being said, while it does demand some attention I've generally found it rewarding on repeated viewing, so I'd definitely recommend watching it again at some point.

pookiesboo

ButtersSuki wrote: »

For those of you who missed it in the cinema and would be interested in seeing it, Blackfish is on BBC 4 tomorrow night at 9pm.

Is it hard to watch though?I like documentary films but not the ones that bum me out

briany

Sherrybaby (2006)

Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as a young, troubled woman finishing a long stint in prison and attempting to reintegrate into society and reconnect with her estranged daughter.

Very good little film. A tough watch at times, I thought. It kind of alternates between quite bleak and quite warm and tender. Slice-of-life fans would enjoy it, I'd say.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

pookiesboo wrote: »

Is it hard to watch though?I like documentary films but not the ones that bum me out

It depends on your knowledge of this issue. If you take any interest in animal rights and the issue of captivity then there isn't really all that much here that you wouldn't already be aware of or that would surprise you.

If you are going into it completely ignorant of the issue then yeah, it's probably hard to watch.

To be honest though, as I said in previous discussions about this film, I found it more of an anti SeaWorld film than an anti captivity film, so apart from a bit at the start where they explain how they captured Tilikum in the first place there's nothing that upsetting in it. Some of the bull s**t SeaWorld pedals might shock you though.

pandapi

Hello! My name is Anais, I am student in France and I shall like deepening my bases in English and I think that the forum is the best way to reach there.
Recently I saw a movie in the cinema "En Solitaire" as its name indicates it a French movie it is a fantasy movie for the lovers of the sea, that shows us as well the magnificence as the dangerousness of the oceans. We navigate at sea unknown to the highly-rated of the biggest champions; François Cluzet is very convincing in his role. A great success on a rather rare subject, movies about the solo deckchairs are not legion, and so how I you are not fascinated, and well this movie will allow you to discover a new sport!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

love letter

cant believe it took me an hour to realise both itsuki and watanabe were played by the same actress...
i say realise, i found out by accident on imdb while i was making a cup of tea

wonderful film. sweet without being sickening, more melancholy than depressing. a bit like rainbow song without the urge to take a blade to my wrists by the end. took a while to get going but I guess it had groundwork to lay and it laid it well. That's another iwai film solidly in my top 10 although i'll have to think later which other gets knocked out.

Alfred Borden

Watchmen for the first time, never heard of it before and dont know how i have not, brilliant film, proper super hero film but dark too. probably watch again soon! Great soundtrack too.
7/10

SirDelboy18

Let Me In

I've not seen the other one, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. Refreshing story and decent performances. Sets an intriguing tone and atmosphere - delves into the psyche more than any similar movie I've seen - I'll look at the other version in the coming weeks.

Midnight in Paris

This I absolutely loved. A brilliantly warm, charming movie that hits all the right spots. Marion Cotillard is an absolute vision, never got the attraction before but I do now! Acting was good, and the whole love for Paris thing really translated over well on screen.

The People v Larry Flynt

Some great performances and a fairly entertaining story. Often hilarious and sometimes sad - a pretty good look into a polarising figure

Three Kings

Another movie I enjoyed - Great pacing and pretty intelligent - certainly wasn't expecting the movie I got from the opening few minutes.

The Master

Easily one of the most intriguing movies I have ever seen. Easily one of the best acted too. JP is pretty much sensational, PSH not far behind, that scene in the mall just one of a number that blew me away. Doesn't hand you anything on a plate - encourages you to think and question. Definitely would need more than one viewing to fully process but I think this is one of the best I've seen in a long time.

ButtersSuki

pookiesboo wrote: »

Is it hard to watch though?I like documentary films but not the ones that bum me out

Hi, as Tickle put it, yes and no - depending on your prior knowledge. It's no "The Cove" though, if you've seen that? Sometimes we need to be bummed out though, unfortunately.

bullvine

Die Hard 5 - Easily one of the worst films I have seen. Not even in a cheese way. Terrible Terrible movie. Also, watched The Imposter. Fantastic Doc!

poundapunnet

bullvine wrote: »

Die Hard 5 - Easily one of the worst films I have seen. Not even in a cheese way. Terrible Terrible movie. Also, watched The Imposter. Fantastic Doc!

The Imposter is great! Really good story to start with, very well made documentary too.

I watched The Kids Are All Right the other night, it was pretty good. Not a story where the sexuality of the couple was as central as the fact that they've been married for a long time. There were details that were specific to the make up of the family, but not endless discussions of being gay. Definite first world problems vibe to the whole thing, if you find that kind of thing annoying it might not be for you.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

satantango

only about halfway through.. but im taking a little break to decide if i'm going to continue with it or not

why did I just watch a cat being tortured and poisoned to death. That was without a doubt the most horrible thing I have ever seen in a movie.

johnny_ultimate

Don't quit now, the whole thing is absolutely worth sitting through. Some really emotionally and visually powerful stuff in there. An experience like no other.

Bullseye1

The Great Dictator and Modern Times double bill. Highly recommended to those who have not already seen both of these wonderful movies.

ButtersSuki

Saw Parkland last night and really enjoyed it. It's way better than the scores most reviewers are giving it and is a nice accompaniment to Oliver Stone's JFK (on RTE 2 tonight if anyone wants to record/watch). Starring Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Marcy Gay Harden amongst others…..oh, and Zac Efron (!), it builds tension nicely throughout and gives a lot more of the back story an after-story of the JFK assassination. A good 7.5/10.

Call Me Jimmy

Bullseye1 wrote: »

The Great Dictator and Modern Times double bill. Highly recommended to those who have not already seen both of these wonderful movies.

Dat speech... Had no idea what a good writer he was!
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johnny_ultimate

Drug War - smart, compelling action thriller from Johnnie To. Generic title, familiar story, somewhat simplistic characterisation etc... but To makes the limitations an asset. The film is full of terrifically handled setpieces, and is generally pacy and playful, full of quirky detail, people and scenes. The plot becomes a touch confused in the second act, but it builds to a stunning finale: a visceral, bloody gun fight that doubles as a cynical yet powerful indictment of China's excessive force in terms of drug enforcement. A superior thriller all in all, that should appeal to fans of To's earlier work and the likes of Infernal Affairs.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

satantango

only about halfway through.. but im taking a little break to decide if i'm going to continue with it or not

why did I just watch a cat being tortured and poisoned to death. That was without a doubt the most horrible thing I have ever seen in a movie.

just finished it

hmmm....

--edit

right

so.. three things really

why the hell were the police/military transcribing irimias notes? its not like the gang are national or international terrorists.. they're just a bunch of dumbass farmers. is it just totalitarian information gathering state being a totalitarian information gathering state? seemed a bit of a wasted scene if that's the case

what the hell was irimias doing with them (the farmers). i initially thought.. nothing. was just taking their money and had secured jobs for them while he buggered off.. but then why did he want the dynamite.. and why did he say in his notes to the police he was scared of futaki.. scared he'd expose him? I really thought we'd get to see whatever it was irimias had planned, feel like i'm missing something obvious by wondering why we didn't

wtf was up with the bell at the end. I get the point of it.. doctor is a dead man, boarding himself up in his coffin etc etc and ties in with the bell futaki thought he heard at the start of the film... but there is no bell at that church so is it just "art"? am I not meant to be wondering where the bell came from and instead go "ooh, that's clever" ?

upstairs for coffee

The Secret in their Eyes:

Very good story. Deals with the theme of love and revenge.

Two major weaknesses which detracted from it's overall quality:

1: There is no way, surely, that they would have let Benjamin's rival cop to execute his revenge on Benjamin by releasing a brutal murderer rapist in return for coopertaion? No matter the politics, there can be no way this could realistically happen or am I being naive?

2: Finding Gomez in the stadium. A stadium full of 35 - 30,000 thousand and they manage to find Gomez by just attending 4 matches. This inspite of it being a year after the case, so appearances could have changed. I thought it was very lazy writing considering how sharp the script is overall.

Strong points:

The touching relationship between Benjamin and his relationship - his partner turning over the photograph's of Benjamin was a touching moment.

The relationship between Irene and Benjamin wasn't cheesy or corny. They got the balance right.

The overall story, how the loss of the man's wife absolutely crippled him. How he got his justice but how it will never ever be enough to fill the emotional blackhole left by the death of his wife

7/10

On amazon for 5 euro - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B005OJCQ40/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1385165315&sr=1-1&keywords=the+secret+in+their+eyes&condition=new

joseph brand

Just watched 'The Messenger'. Superb film.

I'm a big Harrelson fan, but Ben Foster was terrific, in this attempt at a different perspective of war. As the name suggests, they are the army's messengers, bringing the bad news to the deceased's next of kin. An unenviable task, made blatantly apparent. And rarely seen in any film.

This film is well put together and well worth a look.

8/10.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

upstairs for coffee wrote: »

The Secret in their Eyes:

Very good story. Deals with the theme of love and revenge.

Two major weaknesses which detracted from it's overall quality:

1: There is no way, surely, that they would have let Benjamin's rival cop to execute his revenge on Benjamin by releasing a brutal murderer rapist in return for coopertaion? No matter the politics, there can be no way this could realistically happen or am I being naive?

2: Finding Gomez in the stadium. A stadium full of 35 - 30,000 thousand and they manage to find Gomez by just attending 4 matches. This inspite of it being a year after the case, so appearances could have changed. I thought it was very lazy writing considering how sharp the script is overall.

#1 i never really thought the prick cop released gomez to piss off esposito, always picked it up that esposito just figured it was that way and the prick cop played along in the office to play the hard man in front of hastings and to irritate esposito.

#2 yeah that was pretty ridiculous but the preceding 'passion' speech/scene makes it all ok

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Rabbit Proof Fence

True story of 3 Aboriginal girls taken from their families and put in a "school" to teach them how to be house maids as part of the great plan to bread the native out of Australia. They escape and begin a long journey home travelling 1500km along the Rabbit Proof Fence that ran from the North to South of Western Australia.

I read the book a few months ago. It's written from the memories of a very old lady who experienced this a very long time ago, so the book is quite threadbare. It felt like a book aimed at kids to introduce them to the very dark part of Australian history.

I wondered if the film would flesh it out more? It did and it didn't.

The film does a much better job of addressing the wider issue of the Stolen Generations and some of the people behind it, although it still just barely touches on it. On the other hand I don't think the scale of the journey these girls undertook comes across as well on screen as it does in the book. I know they couldn't show hours and hours of pretty much the same thing to show how long it took them and how far they went but it just didn't feel like it was that big a thing to walk all that way.

Another issue I had was the scene about 5 minutes in where the girls are first removed from their mothers. It's the most hard hitting and emotional scene of the whole film. It's really powerful and everything after it feels almost lighthearted in comparison.

Seedy Arling

I watched Special this evening. Never heard of it before. I knew Michael Rapaport from being in some crap American sitcom, but his performance in this was amazing.

It was surprisingly good. Its about a guy who has a crap job as a parking warden, who decides to take an anti depressant drug that is on trial. Same sort of vigilante premise as Super with Rainn Wilson, but i found this to be far superior.

The drug makes him think he is a super hero, with some funny and sad situations arising. Raises a few points about individuality and existence in general accompanied by some really nice music.

Whole thing was a bit melancholic. but all the better for it.

8/10

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Brazil... not as good as I remember it being. I did enjoy it but i was kinda... underwhelmed. i was probably high as a kite the last time i saw it.


watched synecdoche, new york afterwards. loved it. got pretty confused towards the end as I just lost the run of what was going on, will definitely be watching again soon