Film 2016

[Meade's Ball]

I popped to see The Revenant this late morning and, my god, what a visual spectacle. Like Acker, i didn't take to Birdman enormously well, and yes you could see certain editing in The Revenant that has scenes look to be choreographed and spliced together in a similar way, but this has some shockingly astonishing parts to witness, made all the more absorbing by the sheer frozen beauty of nature as the background. It risked at times to go into Terrence Malick territory with its dreamy yet brutal mysticality, but that happens briefly as the seemingly impossible to survive incidents pile up, with a background to bedazzle. DiCaprio is good and tearfully brave in his vengeance and Tom Hardy mildly, but fittingly, absurd as the fiend who'll do anything to deceive his way to personal gain and survival himself. But, for all their occasional, not always easy to work out, dialogue, their performances are secondary to what the director wanted to put together visually - i was impressed to hear that Inarritu shot it all in natural light, allowing raw and untampered with land and weather form a magisterial canvass. The whole cast, though, although mainly Leonardo, looked to have gone through torture in the making of this in the most awful, but stunningly beautiful, conditions, and respect is due.
Quite a watch, and sound plays a fearsome part too. And that ruddy big bear. Good stuff.

 

[Meade's Ball]

So, with a slight urge to see the main players in this year's Oscars, i bought a voucher or two to get into a Vue a little cheaper this afternoon and see Room. Now, the director, Lenny Abrahamson, i had wanted to like the previous films of, but only a little did, and it sort of continues here. The story is horribly disturbing, and as a subject matter not generally used in cinema an awful lot, or in general human conversation. I thought for a while of the film "Michael" from a few years ago, and that was horrific from start to finish, but a better film, i loosely remember. The problem i had with this one, other than the kid in it who was painfully shrieky sometimes, was really the music that went with it, particularly in the second half, and some scenes which over-cheesified something that should never have been. So, it was all discomforting, but didn't quite hit the right notes in being so.
Still, Brie Larson was good and worthy of praise.
Suppose it's just the Big Short and Spotlight to go now. And A War if i can catch a place that'll play it in London on a suitable evening this week - looks like Tuesday at the ICA.

 

[Easy 10]

Just watched The Revenant. Unrelentingly brutal, and I have to agree with [MENTION=282]Meade's Ball[/MENTION], the cast look like they must have gone through hell making it. I actually had to go and put the heating on at one point, I've not felt this cold watching a film since Sly Stallone's t-shirt rockclimbing antics in Cliffhanger. I'm not entirely convinced a human being could endure everything Hugh Glass is put through (quite apart from every other gory physical trevail he has to cope with, how would you ever dry out after clambering from a frozen river into the snow??). It is a stunningly bleak spectacle. Not what I would call enjoyable, but certainly compelling. Tom Hardy looks like he enjoyed having a little more dialogue to play with after his utterly nondescript passenger role in Mad Max. Good, but not great.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Lamb:

Starts off on a slightly dodgy and unlikely 'middle aged guy going through mid-life crisis decides to set off camping with an 11 year old girl he met in a car park', develops the (innocent) relationship a bit before getting a touch lost with the message amongst a mash-up of emotions.

Ends on an emotional spike, with a lovely end tune from Angel Olsen.
.
Not sure what I think tbh.

Although harmless, I did feel a tad uncomfortable at times. Thought provoking though.

 

[matthew]

The Revenant

Serious spectacle, didn't think I would like this sort of film but the landscapes are like nothing I've ever seen before. Dicaprio deserves his oscar but he's had roles which are more worthy that's for sure, The Aviator, The Departed etc.

The Big Short - awesome film, backed up the lecture I had on the financial crisis the other day but actually manages to explain it better. Chritian Bale is good too.

Steve Jobs - Fassbender brilliant, another really watchable film

Spotlight - It's alright definienlty doesn't deserve best picture if it gets it though

 

[Acker79]

https://youtu.be/mMb-RrhTxIE

 

[skipper734]

Meads Ball of course is in the wrong job, we are lucky to have his insights. Hey,em back to The Revenant. The book is more harrowing than the film, well worth a read. The difference is making the film...... Man against Man instead of Man against nature. The differences would be spoilers, so I will leave you to read the book if you wish.

 

[BBassic]

Loved Creed.

I'm a big Rocky fan so I was a bit cautious about how they'd go about injecting some new blood into and for me they pulled it off perfectly.

Favourite scene was Creed's first proper fight with that blonde fella. The way that was shot, either was or was made to look like one continuous take, really worked. It made me forget there was a wider film going on; that fight was the entire film in that moment.

Really hoping they give it at least one more film. Would honestly like it to be another three or four films.

 

[Easy 10]

Loved Creed.

I'm a big Rocky fan so I was a bit cautious about how they'd go about injecting some new blood into and for me they pulled it off perfectly.

Favourite scene was Creed's first proper fight with that blonde fella. The way that was shot, either was or was made to look like one continuous take, really worked. It made me forget there was a wider film going on; that fight was the entire film in that moment.

Really hoping they give it at least one more film. Would honestly like it to be another three or four films.

I liked Creed, and I actually think it would be a fitting end to the saga. The series really has run its course now, and without giving out spoilers, I just cannot see how they can possibly eek another Rocky film out of Sly, let alone another 3 or 4 !! I agree on the single continuous take Creeds first proper fight though, that was a stunning and memorable piece of camerawork that knocked the kitchen/nightclub scene from Goodfellas into a cocked hat.

I watched Legend last night, the up to date take on the Kray twins. The film was a bit "meh" - for a gangster film, it really didn't have very much gangstering in it, just the occasional scrap and of course the two murders that they went down for. It looked great though, 60's London was perfectly depicted (well, not that I'd know, but it looked authentic to me). What elevated the film beyond the slightly humdrum was Tom Hardy's performance in playing both Ronnie and Reggie. Its a superb performance, especially the very odd, totally unhinged, volatile and unpredictable persona of Ronnie. He fills both roles brilliantly and is hugely watchable.

Decent enough, but don't expect any fireworks. 6.9.

 

[The Clamp]

I saw The Revenant at The Odeon in Brighton. It was a full cinema. I had seen it on a naughty screener over Christmas but I wanted to see it on the big screen cos the scenes looked like they'd be epic. I wasn't wrong, it was brilliant. I think it stood up to a second viewing but the CGI on the bear didn't hold up to the big screen, looked a bit pony. Mrs Clamp actually got a shiver on because it all looked so cold, which I thought was both funny and also made me think she's a bit of a dick. I didn't tell her that and a good evening was enjoyed by us both.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I liked Creed, and I actually think it would be a fitting end to the saga. The series really has run its course now, and without giving out spoilers, I just cannot see how they can possibly eek another Rocky film out of Sly, let alone another 3 or 4 !! I agree on the single continuous take Creeds first proper fight though, that was a stunning and memorable piece of camerawork that knocked the kitchen/nightclub scene from Goodfellas into a cocked hat.

I watched Legend last night, the up to date take on the Kray twins. The film was a bit "meh" - for a gangster film, it really didn't have very much gangstering in it, just the occasional scrap and of course the two murders that they went down for. It looked great though, 60's London was perfectly depicted (well, not that I'd know, but it looked authentic to me). What elevated the film beyond the slightly humdrum was Tom Hardy's performance in playing both Ronnie and Reggie. Its a superb performance, especially the very odd, totally unhinged, volatile and unpredictable persona of Ronnie. He fills both roles brilliantly and is hugely watchable.

Decent enough, but don't expect any fireworks. 6.9.

Agreed but I think Emily Browning was the best thing about the film. She is absolutely Gorgeous

 

[Easy 10]

Agreed but I think Emily Browning was the best thing about the film. She is absolutely Gorgeous

Aye, she's quite a canny boiler and plays a decent supporting role. But Hardy totally carries that film from start to finish - I'd have struggled to give it a 5 were it not for his performance.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Aye, she's quite a canny boiler and plays a decent supporting role. But Hardy totally carries that film from start to finish - I'd have struggled to give it a 5 were it not for his performance.

I agree Tom Hardy was superb. I particularly liked the scene when he was beating himself up

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I popped to see The Revenant this late morning and, my god, what a visual spectacle. Like Acker, i didn't take to Birdman enormously well, and yes you could see certain editing in The Revenant that has scenes look to be choreographed and spliced together in a similar way, but this has some shockingly astonishing parts to witness, made all the more absorbing by the sheer frozen beauty of nature as the background. It risked at times to go into Terrence Malick territory with its dreamy yet brutal mysticality, but that happens briefly as the seemingly impossible to survive incidents pile up, with a background to bedazzle. DiCaprio is good and tearfully brave in his vengeance and Tom Hardy mildly, but fittingly, absurd as the fiend who'll do anything to deceive his way to personal gain and survival himself. But, for all their occasional, not always easy to work out, dialogue, their performances are secondary to what the director wanted to put together visually - i was impressed to hear that Inarritu shot it all in natural light, allowing raw and untampered with land and weather form a magisterial canvass. The whole cast, though, although mainly Leonardo, looked to have gone through torture in the making of this in the most awful, but stunningly beautiful, conditions, and respect is due.
Quite a watch, and sound plays a fearsome part too. And that ruddy big bear. Good stuff.

Won't even ATTEMPT to add to MB's most excellent appraisal of The Revenant other than to add a resounding... THIS. WITH KNOBS ON. Fully deserving of all the Oscars about to come it's way. 9/10.

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

I saw The Revenant today and would appear to be in the minority based on the reviews of others on this thread. Let me start with the positive:

It is beautifully, and I mean beautifully shot. From start to finish every scene is gorgeous. The vastness and bleakness of the environment captured perfectly, and for that alone it is probably worth the price of admission. If you want to see this film, see it on the big screen, anything less would be doing it a disservice. The opening half an hour whisked along as well, setting up the main protagonists, the tension between the interested parties for the land and some fantastically exciting action sequences were making it clear why there was so much buzz around this film. Unfortunately it started to lose it's way from there for me.

The journey of redemption became all a bit repetitive, one grunt and groan after another. With little in the way of character interaction for the most part, I found myself looking at the landscape rather than watching Glass crawl and wail from one place to the next. I'm not adverse to long movies but there wasn't enough plot to stretch it across two and a half hours, if it had been tighter by around 45 minutes I think I would have enjoyed it far more. Hardy's dialogue was also a source of frustration, often difficult to make out, at times accent waning also.

As a cinema experience it was breathtakingly brilliant but the script and plot didn't do it justice.

6/10

 

[Ron Manager]

Youth:

A feast for the eyes and ears. Beautifully shot mostly in a posh Swiss mountain hotel and accompanied by a glorious soundtrack, Michael Caine and Harvey K are great. Philosophical, funny, some tidy nudie scenes/attractive persons and a bit quirky at times.

Right up my straße, certainly one to watch a few times. Caine is really good I think, even if his accent goes a couple of times.

Loved it.

 

[Meade's Ball]

So a trip to Brighton a day before matchday and picking up my Christmas presents at long last, had me hide from the rain a tad, and go for the first time into the Dukes at Komedia. I rather liked it there. Comfy, and little chatter. During the daytime show at least. Anywho, what i saw was The Big Short. I didn't have many expectations of the films narrative-wise, reading very little about it, but the cast - mainly Brad Pitt and Steve Carell, who i don't like to look at or listen to - had me thinking i wouldn't be a huge fan. I was sort of right in not liking it vastly, but Carell did a little better than i expected. Pitt was his usual self, meaning "a dreadful actor", but he was only in this ensemble piece a little. It was, for me, a film that had a storyline necessary to tell of the financial crisis and those who predicted it and made their fortune from doing so, but the manner in which they did it, more than not, didn't appeal to me. Not every film has to have clear heroes and villains within, and some can play on the grey and murky inbetweeery to great effect, but this seemed to want to make out that those who spotted the collapse, and profited from it, were outsiders and misfits, different to the elite and fundamentally stupid established members of Wall Street, and therefore a little more like us, and we're to wish in part for their success. Well, i wasn't really in on that. Or to entirely believe in the satire.
Some bits annoyed, with the camerawork doing sharp and speedy zooms like i'd watch in Canadian mumblecore flicks, and others were intriguing and darkly amusing. Was ok at best and asked me to feel the wrong things, which grates. And had Brad Pitt, which just means they don't get what and who make a film with. Ryan Gosling was ok.

 

[MattBackHome]

So, with a slight urge to see the main players in this year's Oscars, i bought a voucher or two to get into a Vue a little cheaper this afternoon and see Room. Now, the director, Lenny Abrahamson, i had wanted to like the previous films of, but only a little did, and it sort of continues here. The story is horribly disturbing, and as a subject matter not generally used in cinema an awful lot, or in general human conversation. I thought for a while of the film "Michael" from a few years ago, and that was horrific from start to finish, but a better film, i loosely remember. The problem i had with this one, other than the kid in it who was painfully shrieky sometimes, was really the music that went with it, particularly in the second half, and some scenes which over-cheesified something that should never have been. So, it was all discomforting, but didn't quite hit the right notes in being so.
Still, Brie Larson was good and worthy of praise.
Suppose it's just the Big Short and Spotlight to go now. And A War if i can catch a place that'll play it in London on a suitable evening this week - looks like Tuesday at the ICA.

Just finished Room. I remember being upset by the book and kind of dreaded watching this; either it would rekindle the absolute horror of total confinement or it would schmaltz it up too much.

For me the balance was struck pretty well. The performances were convincing and I was certainly moved. I agree that Brie Larson deserves a big pat on the back.

I actually liked the musical bits, but I'm a sucker for that play Sigur Ros over extended shots of bare trees stuff.

 

[Acker79]

The Big Short
With success at last night's Producers Guild Awards, The Big Short has become the frontrunner for the best picture oscar. This hasn't really changed my mind on the weakness of the Oscar field this year.

It's another 'yeah, it's good, but it's not that great'. It took me a long while to really get into the film. For the first 90 minutes or so, I found myself completely uninterested, it wasn't until late on that I started to be interested in how it would all play out. Like Meade's Ball, I had no interest in the success of these people who were being just as greedy as the banks. I was kinda hoping that they would lose out in some way, too.

I thought they did a good enough job of making sense of some complex finance things, at least to allow you to understand the film (I've pretty much forgotten all their explanations now).

I've liked Carell in the past, but with this and Foxcatcher he seems to be going in the "character" direction, which I don't enjoy as much and is starting to put me off him.

 

[Tarpon]

The Revenant: a fine fine looking movie with some breathtaking action sequences that more than carry the basic revenge plot and rather anti climatic, somewhat predictable ending. It won't stretch your grey matter but is stunning viewing on the big screen.