[Film] Film 2015

[piersa]

I agree - saw it with the family on Xmas Eve Eve, and we all loved it. It got a resounding 8.5/10 from us, and that would have been higher we it not for the low score the wife gave it because Paddington didn't look like he does in the books. Kidman was as always very sexy in her jumpsuit (not that that was the purpose in this film)

I loved it

 

[jimhigham]

Can strongly recommend Ex_Machina but with a caution. It is slow and some might say antiseptic. Think of Gattaca but with malice. I personally really enjoyed it. It's part of a scifi lineage that is thought provoking and stylish. However, the pacing might well put some off.

 

[shaolinpunk]

Can strongly recommend Ex_Machina but with a caution. It is slow and some might say antiseptic. Think of Gattaca but with malice. I personally really enjoyed it. It's part of a scifi lineage that is thought provoking and stylish. However, the pacing might well put some off.

I was captivated by Ex Machina, and I found myself thinking about it long after watching. It's kind of like watching Black Mirror: The Movie.

 

[Meade's Ball]

So Lincoln, that drab and unchallenging few hours of wet Spielbergery, gets 12 nominations and walks off with an Oscar or 2, whilst Selma, a piece following a particularly difficult to watch spell of the civil rights movement with less style than Lincoln, but so much more substance, gets a total of 2 nominations. Also, this year Bradley Cooper gets nominated for best actor for the ugly pappery of American Sniper, whilst David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King jr gets no partial nod at all. Questions have been rightly asked about such selections. I suppose i get wound up by the Oscars every year so shouldn't be so surprised.

The story itself feels necessary to watch, some of the barbaric and ungodly moments of monsters of too recent a past shocking to witness, whilst others propel one's thoughts into how one could help be involved in change even now, that with organisation and hope and a sense of togetherness it can happen. The film was reasonably well made - nothing new or stunning about it or its style, but it carries the tale through effectively and makes the right move in getting good enough actors on board. Oyelowo is very good as Luther King jr, delivering the enthralling speeches of the peaceful demander for change with authority and feeling, and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B Johnson is suitably exaggeratedly fiendish.

Whilst watching it i thought of the brilliant film No about the uprising in Chile, and this doesn't match it, but it still has enough power in its soul to shiver the average bone and pump a heart with purpose. Worthy of greater recognition than its being offered, if not quite of being victorious.

 

[Bombadier Botty]

The trailer for Selma does it no favours imho and makes it look like a TV movie with some pretty poor acting and low budget production and certainly didn't make me want to go and pay to see it.

 

[vegster]

Saw Boyhood at the DoY's this morning/afternoon. This much hyped film failed to live up to its billing as far as I was concerned. There are some moments of drama and some witty dialogue but most of the film was quite slow without ever going anywhere. About 2 hours in to the film father and son( now almost a man) are talkng and we get something like " Dad , whats life all about anyway ? " "Son, no one really knows the answer to that, we are all just winging it ". Therein lies an accurate summation of the film, with a minor tweak." No one really knows what this film is about, we are just winging it "

We follow his hero as he lightly touches upon bullying,abusive relationships,smoking, smoking dope,drinking,sex,studying and work. For much of the later stages I was watching with my eyes closed and nodding off praying for the end.

A dissapointing numbed bum 6.2

 

[jimhigham]

I'm in for Selma tomorrow. Post West Wing I also want to see what the lapsed Jed Bartlet is up to. Meade's Ball has done more than enough to sell it to me.

 

[Wilko]

Saw Boyhood at the DoY's this morning/afternoon. This much hyped film failed to live up to its billing as far as I was concerned. There are some moments of drama and some witty dialogue but most of the film was quite slow without ever going anywhere. About 2 hours in to the film father and son( now almost a man) are talkng and we get something like " Dad , whats life all about anyway ? " "Son, no one really knows the answer to that, we are all just winging it ". Therein lies an accurate summation of the film, with a minor tweak." No one really knows what this film is about, we are just winging it "

We follow his hero as he lightly touches upon bullying,abusive relationships,smoking, smoking dope,drinking,sex,studying and work. For much of the later stages I was watching with my eyes closed and nodding off praying for the end.

A dissapointing numbed bum 6.2

Errm, isn't that kind of the whole point, it is a depiction of suburban life, the monotony of family life along with some of the difficulties of growing up. I thought it was absolutely superb.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

So Lincoln, that drab and unchallenging few hours of wet Spielbergery, gets 12 nominations and walks off with an Oscar or 2, whilst Selma, a piece following a particularly difficult to watch spell of the civil rights movement with less style than Lincoln, but so much more substance, gets a total of 2 nominations. Also, this year Bradley Cooper gets nominated for best actor for the ugly pappery of American Sniper, whilst David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King jr gets no partial nod at all. Questions have been rightly asked about such selections. I suppose i get wound up by the Oscars every year so shouldn't be so surprised.

The story itself feels necessary to watch, some of the barbaric and ungodly moments of monsters of too recent a past shocking to witness, whilst others propel one's thoughts into how one could help be involved in change even now, that with organisation and hope and a sense of togetherness it can happen. The film was reasonably well made - nothing new or stunning about it or its style, but it carries the tale through effectively and makes the right move in getting good enough actors on board. Oyelowo is very good as Luther King jr, delivering the enthralling speeches of the peaceful demander for change with authority and feeling, and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B Johnson is suitably exaggeratedly fiendish.

Whilst watching it i thought of the brilliant film No about the uprising in Chile, and this doesn't match it, but it still has enough power in its soul to shiver the average bone and pump a heart with purpose. Worthy of greater recognition than its being offered, if not quite of being victorious.

I think most people thought that Daniel Day Lewis deservedly won for Lincoln. I Have not seen Selma so can't comment and he may well have deserved it more than Cooper, but to make out Cooper as a sh*t actor which you did on your review of American Sniper is a bit silly imo

 

[Meade's Ball]

I think most people thought that Daniel Day Lewis deservedly won for Lincoln. I Have not seen Selma so can't comment and he may well have deserved it more than Cooper, but to make out Cooper as a sh*t actor which you did on your review of American Sniper is a bit silly imo

We warmly agree to disagree, I hope.
I 'd give Cooper a modicum of respect for trying a reasonable variety of roles, but, heavens, he's horrendously limited in all of them, from my point of view. He's in that pretty-boy Brad Pitt league in which everything is on the surface, with not a lot going on beneath the glitter and smirks. Him, Cumberbatch and even Steve Carell up for Best Actor are a very bad selection. I am not a fan of Eddie Redmayne, but he was excellent as Hawkings, and deserves to bag the trophy.

Day-Lewis, for me, only really turns up for gigantic ham-offs nowadays. That's fine, but the wish to play with any level of subtlety seems to have been given up.

 

[shaolinpunk]

Him, Cumberbatch and even Steve Carell up for Best Actor are a very bad selection.

Is that in the sense that there were other actors you have in mind as more deserving of being nominated, or that it's just a damning indictment on the industry?

 

[portlander]

I haven't seen the trailer, but I have seen the movie. Don't be put off - the acting is excellent, especially Oyelowo, the story is powerful, and it will make you think. In some ways the US has moved on from the 60s, but in many others it hasn't. Go see it.

The trailer for Selma does it no favours imho and makes it look like a TV movie with some pretty poor acting and low budget production and certainly didn't make me want to go and pay to see it.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

We warmly agree to disagree, I hope.
I 'd give Cooper a modicum of respect for trying a reasonable variety of roles, but, heavens, he's horrendously limited in all of them, from my point of view. He's in that pretty-boy Brad Pitt league in which everything is on the surface, with not a lot going on beneath the glitter and smirks. Him, Cumberbatch and even Steve Carell up for Best Actor are a very bad selection. I am not a fan of Eddie Redmayne, but he was excellent as Hawkings, and deserves to bag the trophy.

Day-Lewis, for me, only really turns up for gigantic ham-offs nowadays. That's fine, but the wish to play with any level of subtlety seems to have been given up.

Look it pisses me off as much as you when a bloke gets dealt all the aces, looks, talent, wealth, fame but you have to be fair and say, " Cooper, you bstard, at least you have the talent to back it up " and for that I respect him as an actor

 

[Meade's Ball]

Is that in the sense that there were other actors you have in mind as more deserving of being nominated, or that it's just a damning indictment on the industry?

Perhaps a bit of both. Along with some snarling pet hates probably. Cumberbatch can act well on occasion. Cooper can not. Carell is not an actor and was he really the lead in that film?
A film I didn't rate highly was The Grand Budapest Hotel, yet the whole affair was made attractive by such an expert show by Ralph Feinnes. It gets a number of nominations, but nothing for Ralph. Ridiculous.
Oyelowo, as mentioned before, put on a good show and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler was darkly good. They're the ones that initially spring to mind as worthy. Timothy Spall too.

Every year without fail, two things definitely happen. The first is that I am a year older than I was, and the pool of curmudgeonliness deep within his filled. The second is that the Oscar nominations are published and that lake of pure grumpiness bubbles to a new level of dangerous gaseousness.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Perhaps a bit of both. Along with some snarling pet hates probably. Cumberbatch can act well on occasion. Cooper can not. Carell is not an actor and was he really the lead in that film?
A film I didn't rate highly was The Grand Budapest Hotel, yet the whole affair was made attractive by such an expert show by Ralph Feinnes. It gets a number of nominations, but nothing for Ralph. Ridiculous.
Oyelowo, as mentioned before, put on a good show and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler was darkly good. They're the ones that initially spring to mind as worthy. Timothy Spall too.

Every year without fail, two things definitely happen. The first is that I am a year older than I was, and the pool of curmudgeonliness deep within his filled. The second is that the Oscar nominations are published and that lake of pure grumpiness bubbles to a new level of dangerous gaseousness.

Have you seen Silver Linings Playbook ?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Perhaps a bit of both. Along with some snarling pet hates probably. Cumberbatch can act well on occasion. Cooper can not. Carell is not an actor and was he really the lead in that film?
A film I didn't rate highly was The Grand Budapest Hotel, yet the whole affair was made attractive by such an expert show by Ralph Feinnes. It gets a number of nominations, but nothing for Ralph. Ridiculous.
Oyelowo, as mentioned before, put on a good show and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler was darkly good. They're the ones that initially spring to mind as worthy. Timothy Spall too.

Every year without fail, two things definitely happen. The first is that I am a year older than I was, and the pool of curmudgeonliness deep within his filled. The second is that the Oscar nominations are published and that lake of pure grumpiness bubbles to a new level of dangerous gaseousness.

My judgment of your reviews are they are very predictable, probably the same as mine at the other end of the scale, as soon as I see you review a mainstream film I KNOW it will be negative without fail, sometimes ridiculously so. If I see a review of an obscure arthouse film, no one has ever heard of, I KNOW it will be full of praise and wonder at such magnificent acting performances. I like your reviews but anything mainstream is default, sh*t and your assessment of Cooper is a point in fact, ok he may not be the greatest actor of all time but to simply say " he cannot act " is absurd and does you a disservice imo. I am probably the opposite as I said with mainstream cinema before my preferred option, each to their own

 

[Meade's Ball]

Look it pisses me off as much as you when a bloke gets dealt all the aces, looks, talent, wealth, fame but you have to be fair and say, " Cooper, you bstard, at least you have the talent to back it up " and for that I respect him as an actor

I am not wound up by his prettiness. Johnny Deep is a deeply handsome man, but here and there, he's actually been a good actor. George Clooney too. Pitt and Cooper aren't in that occasionally alright league. They're consistently in the "I can think of someone straight away who could play this part better" league, and the mistakes they make are appearing in the vicinity of higher quality performers instead of being a sidekick or nemesis for Kevin James in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, where they belong.

 

[Meade's Ball]

My judgment of your reviews are they are very predictable, probably the same as mine at the other end of the scale, as soon as I see you review a mainstream film I KNOW it will be negative without fail, sometimes ridiculously so. If I see a review of an obscure arthouse film, no one has ever heard of, I KNOW it will be full of praise and wonder at such magnificent acting performances. I like your reviews but anything mainstream is default, sh*t and your assessment of Cooper is a point in fact, ok he may not be the greatest actor of all time but to simply say " he cannot act " is absurd and does you a disservice imo. I am probably the opposite as I said with mainstream cinema before my preferred option, each to their own

We are at different ends of the scale, filmwise, yes. Saying that, I love a good Die Hard and found 21 Jump Street rather amusing indeed, so it's not a total hatred of the mainstream. If something is well-made, in any genre, I think, then i'll be pleased with it at least in part. There is a lot of dross out there. And rather foolishly I seem to see it.
Or did. If it wasn't for the Cineworld on Shaftesbury Avenue being redone into a Picturehouse and my Cineworld Pass apparently getting me in there without further charge for a year or so, I think I would have given up the Pass around now.

Yes, I did see Silver Linings Playbook, and for the much part I found it an unpleasant experience. I generally feel that with David O. Russell and his shouty films, though.

 

[brighton_girl87]

Big Hero 6 -Absolutely brilliant! Funny, emotional, geeky and beautifully animated.

I'll give it an 8.5

 

[shaolinpunk]

Big Hero 6 -Absolutely brilliant! Funny, emotional, geeky and beautifully animated.

I'll give it an 8.5

I don't know why that came out here so much later than it did in America, if only because Baymax could have been the number one Christmas toy.

Very enjoyable film though.