[Film] Film 2022

[Acker79]

I spent most of today at the cinema, watching three films that had more in common than I expected going in.

Halloween Ends
The story of this film isn't what one might expect from the trailers. Where the second David Gordan Green Halloween film tried to make a point about mob justice and the insidious nature of fear and paranoia, this third entry seems to focus more on fear, trauma and hate, and the way previously innocent people can be driven to nastiness, the idea of evil as an infectious thing that gets under your skin and ruins lives.

Smile
This one is more like what you would probably expect from the trailer. Similar to other curse films like Ring, this one sees a psychiatrist with unresolved issues from childhood who has a patient kill herself. The patient claimed they were being tormented by an unseen entity, which gets passed on to the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist then has to work out what it is and how to clear the curse. Again, there is a thread of trauma and infectious thoughts and ideas that ruin lives.

Don't Worry Darling
This is a film that has got more coverage for behind the scenes drama, and mostly written off on that basis. It's not the disaster the early word suggested it would be, but it's not vbery good. Harry Styles is still learning his trade as an actor, so that doesn't help. Florence Pugh is the main character living in a seeming perfect stepford wives-esque life, until a neighbour's breakdown leads to her to question the life and community they live in. Again the theme of an idea being planted and infecting a main cahracter. While there isn't a string of murders resulting in it, it does upend her life. The audience did try to make it more fun by celebrating victorious moments, but there were quite a few 'that was so bad'-type comments being uttered as people left.

As well as the recurring motif of ideas being planted and infecting a character, all three featured someone committing suicide in front of the main character. Much more appopriate a triple-header than I expected going in.

As a triple bill it was pretty hard work, but I've done worse.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Like the look of this.

 

[Easy 10]

I watched NOPE tonight.
Kind of an odd movie, hard to categorise but essentially an alien sci-fi slow burner. Really hard to figure which direction it was going, but its well acted, nicely shot, with a good score and very well put together. I liked the characters, and while its not a thrill-ride, its an intriguing watch.

68%.

 

[dolphins]

I watched NOPE tonight.
Kind of an odd movie, hard to categorise but essentially an alien sci-fi slow burner. Really hard to figure which direction it was going, but its well acted, nicely shot, with a good score and very well put together. I liked the characters, and while its not a thrill-ride, its an intriguing watch.

68%.

Pretty much my view on it. Probably the weakest Jordan Peele film for me, but still decent and as you say, an intriguing watch.

 

[Acker79]

I watched Hatching this evening. Well, technically yesterday evening now.

Finnish fantasy/fairytale horror in which a 12 year old girl finds an egg, and it grows, feeding off her stresses (perfectionist, self-absorbed, mother, who is obsessed with pushing the girl into a gymnastics career, mainly), until it eventually hatches a hideous creature with a connection to the girl. It has murderous tendencies when she is upset, and each incident sees the creature evolve into something else.

There's a certain coldness to it, making it hard to really connect and care about characters. But narratively it was fun, some good body horror and scares. I quite enjoyed it.

I can't tell if the people behind me in the cinema enjoyed it with it playing into their humour, or if they thought it was prepoosterous, but there was a fair bit of laughter coming from them.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Um, where was i?
So, the festival. A bit meh, or ok not bad. My favourite of the few i saw was Close. Really quite moving drama of 2 Belgian teens so entwined and attached that it seems nothing can separate them. But time and development and a single comment begins a divide. The awfulness of puberty, i suppose, of masculinity, of the small societies in schools wrapped in judgement and the theft of innocence. Tender and heartbreaking, overall.

I found The Whale rather annoying. There seems quite a bit of hype about it, and yes Brendan Fraser gives a better than usual performance, more physical than emotional, but christ on a dinglebat i found the style and acting a pain to sit through. Fraser is enormous in it, eating himself to death, ravaged by experienced and guilt and distress. The director, Darren Aronofsky, said he'd seen it as a play 10 years ago, and shot it as that, all in one room for the most part. And in doing so, along with having Fraser with a slightly juvenile centre, it had a hammy immaturity to it, which grated more than moved. The end was a matter of cheese too

Banshees of Inishiren was my last film of the festival. I liked it, and found it funny at times, but i upped and left at the end without a lot of thought left in me over it. Maybe it had too much Farrell and not enough Gleeson.

Non-festival, but yesterday i went to see All Quiet on the Western Front, and that was a necessarily gruelling 2.5 hours of anti-war drama. The torture to begin with is this set of 18 year olds signing up for service, patriotically rejoicing over an adventure that would soon unfold. What follows is how they survive, or not, the first world war on the frontline. It's to be on Netflix in a week or two, and is the first German film adaptation of it, but i am glad, if that is the right word, to increase the trauma uninterrupted by seeing it on a bigger screen. Not a perfect film, but heartfelt and graphic and the villains of it all are quickly enough seen.

 

[Gabbafella]

Me and Mrs G have just watched Pearl, written by and starring Mia Goth (also starred in X) and we both agreed it's just as shit as X.
The trailer built Pearl up to be tense, sinister and dark, and the reviews I read backed that up so we hunkered down for a thrilling, tense evening with pizza, beer and chocolate and were left very disappointed.
It's sometimes interesting, occasionally entertaining but mostly dumb and boring. Just as pointless and shit as X, would not recommend. 2/10

 

[keaton]

Me and Mrs G have just watched Pearl, written by and starring Mia Goth (also starred in X) and we both agreed it's just as shit as X.
The trailer built Pearl up to be tense, sinister and dark, and the reviews I read backed that up so we hunkered down for a thrilling, tense evening with pizza, beer and chocolate and were left very disappointed.
It's sometimes interesting, occasionally entertaining but mostly dumb and boring. Just as pointless and shit as X, would not recommend. 2/10

I watched X last night. I thought it was fine, if a little predictable

 

[southstandandy]

Going to see Black Adam with the grand kids tomorrow. Not looking forward to this one bit. Looks pretty pants from the trailer but if it keeps the grand kids quiet for a couple of hours it might just be worth it.

 

[Acker79]

Had a doublebill earlier

The Banshees of Inisherin
The latest from Martin McDonagh reteaming with the stars of one of his previous movies 'In Brugge' focuses on Colin Farrell, who discovers his hitherto best friend, Brendan Gleeson, has decided he doesn't like Farrell anymore. The trailer made it seem like a constant string of jokes, which it is not, but it was really good, and there were still plenty of jokes, some heart and tenderness hidden within a depressing and almost nihilistic outlook.

Black Adam
I've noted many many times before my love of superhero movies. I'm not sure I can name any that I actively dislike, so my opinion of the film isn't worth much, except perhaps my lack of full throated love might indicate if you're not into superhero movies you probably won't have your mind changed by this. Dwayne Johnson plays Teth-Adam, an earlier version of Captain Marvel/Shazam whose choices led him down the path of evil (and occasionally back to anti-hero). Originally a vilain of Shazam, his popularity led to him getting his own comic (and frequent forays into anti-hero territory, occasional ally of the Justice League). After years in a deep sleep, Teth Adam, supposed former champion of fictional middle Eastern country Kahndaq is awakened when some bad people try to find an evil mcguffin. The Justice Society (and older team up of now considered lesser superheroes from before Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman forming the Justice League) visit to try to convince him to peacefully enter their custody, but he isn't too keen, especially with the bad people trying to find the evil mcguffin for nefarious reasons.

A handful of funny lines/exchanges. Lots of CGI action. I don't think it will be pushing anyone to re-evaluate their 'best DCEU superhero movies' list. But could have been worse.

 

[Gabbafella]

I watched X last night. I thought it was fine, if a little predictable

It had been a while since I'd watched X at the cinema and I had blocked it out, but a work colleague said that Pearl was a prequel to X, and he's right, Pearl and Howard are the old couple who own the farm where the porn is filmed. It never twigged until he mentioned it. Obviously Mia Goth playing both Maxine and Pearl makes a bit more sense now.

 

[dolphins]

Just back from The Banshees Of Inisherin, and whilst I knew it was going to be fairly sober fare, I was surprised at how sombre, quiet and introspective it was. The trailer gives an unrepresentative hint at the film (but then that can be common with trailers). I was very pleased to have seen it, but I think you need to go into it with the right expectations.

 

[keaton]

Thoroughly enjoyed Decision To Leave

Korean film noir by director of Oldboy and The Handmaiden. Twisty, steamy, looks amazing

 

[Popeye]

Finally got around to watching the finally Halloween movie last night.

Even worse than the second one and I really hope they do not reboot the series once again down the road, just leave it alone.

2/10.

 

[Acker79]

I went to see Triangle of Sadness last night. After seeing the trailer.




It's a film in three parts. The first is an introduction to a main duo - a male model and his influencer girlfriend. This was an interesting segment, that could have formed its own film including discussions on gender roles and transactional relationship. The second section follows them on a luxury yacht where we meet more of the main characters. This section was funnier, and more of a satire on the very wealthy. With better writing it could have been its own short film, but as it was it felt like an overstretched short skit. The final section sees those who survived when the ship goes down trying to survive on an island. This kinda combined the first to parts - it was an interesting idea, but felt a little overstretched.

It has some good ideas, some laughs (particularly the middle third, that bit felt like a comedy whereas the first and last segments less so). It felt every bit a 2.5 hour film. I don't mind long films that feel like they are moving along, but this didn't always feel like it waqs moving you on, so it felt longer to me than some 3+ hour films I've seen.

 

[dolphins]

Just back from a windswept Marina after seeing the horror/thriller Barbarian, which was a lot of fun, pretty jumpy, and a number of surprises against certain expectations. Here's the trailer:

 

[The Clamp]

Bullet Train.

I was entertained. It’s a good, fun film. All cartoon violence and whiz bangery.

Pitt is great in it. He’s 58! He’s looking in good shape. He has some funny asides and lines.

The pair of mockney Guy Ritchie type characters are rather annoying but the don’t ruin the film.

Good, fast paced and really rather fun.

6.5/10

 

[Pevenseagull]

Got around to seeing 'Banshees Of Inisherin'.

Grand phil-m indeed so it was.

Fully expect original screenplay, cinematography and best supporting actress gongs/ noms aplenty.

Stunning landscapes, genuine laughs, plenty of despair about the futility of existence and a lovely horse.

 

[knocky1]

Got around to seeing 'Banshees Of Inisherin'.

Grand phil-m indeed so it was.

Fully expect original screenplay, cinematography and best supporting actress gongs/ noms aplenty.

Stunning landscapes, genuine laughs, plenty of despair about the futility of existence and a lovely horse.

Glad you enjoyed it. Saw the sets being built on holiday driving by Achill Island last September. Built all the houses on an old quay from scratch. The ones below were built round portakabins. Then was denied access to a 20 mile headland walk due to filming but we've now an excuse to return.

 

[Acker79]

Barbarian
It was certainly something. I liked the sudden changes in direction/tone. Not convinced the ending worked for me. I can't decide if I liked it or I think it was ridiculous.