[Film] Film 2021

[The Clamp]

Mrs T and I have booked an 11.00 am showing in Ashford tomorrow, followed by a late slap up lunch in a swanky restaurant. What could possibly go wrong?

I hate the cinema, because of various issues related to my mental make up, but am very much looking forward to this (small room, few punters owing to the strange time of day for it, et cetera )

That's interesting, I don't like being around too many people (not a Covid thing, just something I've developed as I got older) and so a prime time cinema screening isn't something I would do either. Always do a mid morning screening.
Enjoy the film and the lunch, sounds good mate

 

[Acker79]

Second visit this afternoon to No Time to Die. In the meantime, I had rewatched the Craig era in order.

Still 5* from me, and today was with a more critical hat on. Spectre and QoS I had only seen once apiece, unlike Casino Royale and Skyfall which I have probably now seen dozens of times. It just feels like an epic and meant for the big screen. I think it will lose a lot without the cinema audio/visual experience, unless you have a very fancy set up.

I didn't really pick up on anything I missed, but having things like Mr White's relevance to the overall plot and Bond's relationships with Vesper Lynd and Felix Leiter fresh in my mind - and their arcs comprehensively covered with some retcons which genuinely work - gave the rewatch experience extra interest for me. It gives fanservice while making the story arc thoroughly complete.

And that is what the movie is - thorough. It works on its own, but the threads through it are there to be enjoyed off the back of the other movies in the Craig era. They are the sprinkles on the ice cream, which make a perfectly great stand alone movie that bit more special.

The length wasn't a problem for me at all. There are no do-overs for the closing of this Bond universe, they had to get everything packed away. And I feel the writers and director did it beautifully.

My one criticism? While not bad, Rami Malek still feels like he is just doing Rami Malek from Mr Robot again, but with an accent and make up. The same big wide-eyed stare, the same slightly gormless broody pout and effeminate lisp... If you could swap out Javier Bardem's character and performance as Silva, you'd have one of the great action movies of all time.

I had a second viewing today, too. I still enjoyed it, and found the finale more impactful, because you know the outcome is what is and not a set up for ... something else.

I do still have some small problems - some lines of dialogue just feel too computer game-ish. We know why they're going to the island, what gadgets they've been given, what their targets are, so to have Bond approach a door and Q say something like 'might be a good time to use your watch bond' like a prompt in a computer game, was a bit irritating, and like they felt they had to over-explain a bit too much. Never been much of a fan of Remi, but then I've only seen him in this and Bohemian Rhapsody.

 

[jcdenton08]

Incidentally and without meaning to go O/T, was a first visit to the new Cineworld in The Beacon, Eastbourne. Fantastic, just about the best little multiplex I've ever been in. Well staffed (numbers), spotlessly clean and great screen (number 6), loads of legroom, comfy seat, amazing picture and sound. Colour me impressed.

 

[dolphins]

Incidentally and without meaning to go O/T, was a first visit to the new Cineworld in The Beacon, Eastbourne. Fantastic, just about the best little multiplex I've ever been in. Well staffed (numbers), spotlessly clean and great screen (number 6), loads of legroom, comfy seat, amazing picture and sound. Colour me impressed.

You might not be able to answer this but IF you've been to the refurbed Cineworld at Brighton Marina, how does it compare? And for anyone who has been down there over the last few days, what's the traffic situation like during the day? I've avoided it, going to Crawley Cineworld instead, in case it was a nightmare with the Asda petrol station!

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Never been much of a fan of Remi, but then I've only seen him in this and Bohemian Rhapsody.

He was excellent in the TV series "The Pacific"...the follow up to Band of Brothers.

 

[Stat Brother]

Just back from that there Bond film.

Still kinda processing it, my initial response is:-

Where it's good - feck me it's the best.
But
In places I did find it rather jarring.

Some of the Basil Exposition was a little clunky and overblown.

 

[jcdenton08]

You might not be able to answer this but IF you've been to the refurbed Cineworld at Brighton Marina, how does it compare? And for anyone who has been down there over the last few days, what's the traffic situation like during the day? I've avoided it, going to Crawley Cineworld instead, in case it was a nightmare with the Asda petrol station!

I'm afraid I haven't been yet - but my next visit will be to go there and compare. I've heard great things

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Just back from that there Bond film.

Still kinda processing it, my initial response is:-

Where it's good - feck me it's the best.
But
In places I did find it rather jarring.

Some of the Basil Exposition was a little clunky and overblown.

We are too just back (we had a nice late lunch too).

Well.....I thought it was magnificent. Resonance with OHMSS, my previous favourite.

I know people are being waspish about the length but this was serious business, cinematic history. It was important for people like me, who have been fans since the 60s, love the books more than the films, and have a sense of occasion, to be given the necessary care and attention. I'll say no more (spoilers) except that this is the first time I have actually sobbed in the cinema.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

That's interesting, I don't like being around too many people (not a Covid thing, just something I've developed as I got older) and so a prime time cinema screening isn't something I would do either. Always do a mid morning screening.
Enjoy the film and the lunch, sounds good mate

Just scrolling up the thread and came to your post again. The cinema was perfect. The room can hold around 400 and there were a dozen people in attendance. I was able to relax and enjoy.

I'll comment about a couple of the peeves from others, above; I don't play computer games so Q prompting Bond once was not ruinous for me; I am not a movie 'buff' or 'bough' so I don't care about craft, only impact; the villain was excellent and he didn't remind me of Freddie Mercury whatsoever.

Mrs T is a movie boeuf, and she rates that as 'excellent, 'a bit too long', 'one of the better Bond films' (she's a Connery fan and thinks Simon Templar is a wooden tit) and '9/10'.

The King's Head in Wye was a nice venue for the post-match meal. All good

 

[Acker79]

You might not be able to answer this but IF you've been to the refurbed Cineworld at Brighton Marina, how does it compare? And for anyone who has been down there over the last few days, what's the traffic situation like during the day? I've avoided it, going to Crawley Cineworld instead, in case it was a nightmare with the Asda petrol station!

I was down there at 7.30ish, and the petrol station was closed (and still closed heading out about 10:45). So no traffic issues.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I think i might write to the London Film Festival people and advise them to change the time of year it is on. Meade Jr has started primary school and has been felled with 3 viruses in 4 weeks, and the rash-caked diamond brings such ailments home, occasionally approaching me for emotional comfort and me not quite able to batter his requests away for fear of infection. So i'd prefer it if the festival moved itself to August. Hot days sauntering around the Southbank, in and out of dour filmic fare, gallons of cola keeping me awake and cool. Nice.

But yesterday, with hand, foot and mouth disease settling a little on his person, i went along to see the film Titane. The festival has been shrunken in terms of venue numbers, and this was at the ROyal Festival Hall. I quite liked it. Not the film so much, which was horrendously foul, and mostly meaningless, but the seating, and the place itself. The film was of a psychopathic woman, injured in a care crash as a child, ending up being impregnated by a car. I thought when briefly reading of it that i would find it challenging and see how this horrid Cronenburgian idea panned out, but it was more ludicrous as it went along, and didn't repulse with much reason attached. The lead had at one point to look to reform her face a tad whilst on the run, and went through a number of self-punches to the schnozzle to break that nose and be in disguise. When she decided her fist was not strong enough and thought she'd back her head against the corner of a sink, myself and a man 2 seats to my right, with an empty seat betwixt, looked away and only at each other, a little sickened with the thought of staring at the screen, and uncomfortable in having nowhere to look other than each other's eyes or masks. WALLOP, we heard, and looked again at a bashed face. Some elderly folk walked out. I didn't, but didn't long to stay and see more.


Today, though, i am very glad i went to see A Hero. It reminded me a lot of the director's true classic, A Separation. I was utterly transfixed as i was wound again and again different directions, the truth reiterated and tampered with by opinion and perspective. It sometimes stretched the reality it tried to sit itself firmly in, but i was in for the ride and was mildly torn of an outcome that i would expect for a character labelled heroic. The price of celebrity butted our main character, Rahim, having his goodness exaggerated in a flash, whilst viewpoints of him as a jailed criminal quickly soured the public's taste of him. And now within this maelstrom of hope and despair we have him trying to control damage to the fantasy veneer that might save him.
I do love the director, Asghar Farhadi, and these semi-political, Hitchcockian twisters of his send me into an enthralled twist.

 

[bhafc99]

Watched the Velvet Underground documentary last night. Highly recommend it.

Some good interviews and footage, all mixed up in a suitably impressionistic style - lots of split screens, overlays and so on. The music is always there, but don’t expect a ‘straight by the numbers’ use of the songs, they’re more part of the overall canvas.

Particularly liked the anecdote about Rudolf Nureyev and the entire Bolshoi Ballet plus Jackie Kennedy coming to a Velvets show.

https://youtu.be/hWq7a8Tin8g

 

[Gabbafella]

Sat and watched Halloween Kills with the Mrs tonight and we both agreed that it is absolute horse shit.
It was never going to be a thought provoking blockbuster but we were hoping a bit of nostalgia would make the film somewhat enjoyable. How wrong we were. The whole film is flashbacks to the 70's explaining the first film in the series, or people discussing the past and how Myers became a killer. There is absolutely no story whatsoever and the ending is laughable, and not in a good way. I really hope they stop rehashing old horror movies, I hate to imagine what Scream is going to be like.

 

[Gabbafella]

Watched Dune this evening, absolutely loved it. It's beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted. Almost 2.5hrs long but you wouldn't notice as the story is very well told and held our attention throughout. Very much looking forward to the sequel already. 10/10.

 

[dolphins]

Watched Dune this evening, absolutely loved it. It's beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted. Almost 2.5hrs long but you wouldn't notice as the story is very well told and held our attention throughout. Very much looking forward to the sequel already. 10/10.

Do you need to already know about the world of Dune? All I know is there are some humunguous worm thingies...

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Finally got around to watching Seaford based film Hope Crap (Hope Gap) yesterday. Filmed on beautiful summer days, it showcases Seaford nicely, some lovely sweeping aerial shots along the coast and up the headland and must have been great viewed on a big screen. The gripes - Bill Nighy has one default delivery he deploys in every single role he plays, mumbling and dour, with hangdog face thrown in for good measure. Anette Benning also wasn’t great. Finally, we are told they live in a town called ‘Hope Gap,’ and yet as the outdated Southern Rail rolling stock pulls into the train station the camera fixes on the station sign ‘Seaford’

One for Seaford and Bishopstone residents only.

 

[schmunk]

Do you need to already know about the world of Dune? All I know is there are some humunguous worm thingies...

This explains it perfectly:

https://youtu.be/9ipNxb4X_fA

Edit: except House Ordos was invented for the game, so probably isn't in the film. You can probably ignore them.

 

[Gabbafella]

Do you need to already know about the world of Dune? All I know is there are some humunguous worm thingies...

No, they do a decent job of explaining things without it being noticeably shoehorned in. It might be worth just familiarising yourself with the different houses/races as they're referenced quite early on with little backstory, although by the end you'll know who everyone is and the role they play.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I went to a cinema last night, and sat bubbling with wasteful rage. I chose The French Dispatch, by that ghastly annoyance Wes Anderson, and maybe thought that as The Grand Budapest Hotel was alright this one would be too. His mix of supposed cartoonish eccentricity and quaintness grates through the all of me, and my main hope was to set myself ablaze and run at the screen. It's just the utterly shit version of the Coen brothers. I'm sure that actors enjoy it, and there was quite a cast - Jeffrey Wright was good, in spite of the whimsy he was to be fed - but i now hereby swear, with all of my living might, that i will never watch one of these/his films again. Never.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I went to a cinema last night, and sat bubbling with wasteful rage. I chose The French Dispatch, by that ghastly annoyance Wes Anderson, and maybe thought that as The Grand Budapest Hotel was alright this one would be too. His mix of supposed cartoonish eccentricity and quaintness grates through the all of me, and my main hope was to set myself ablaze and run at the screen. It's just the utterly shit version of the Coen brothers. I'm sure that actors enjoy it, and there was quite a cast - Jeffrey Wright was good, in spite of the whimsy he was to be fed - but i now hereby swear, with all of my living might, that i will never watch one of these/his films again. Never.

Thanks, that's probably made my mind up. I saw Frances McDormand and got a little excited. I'll take on board your comprehensive critique and bin it!