Films! good, bad, recomendations, and general film talk

[MDV]

Splice -

I really enjoyed it. It wasnt the horror/fly ripoff I expected it to be by a long shot. More of a (clumsy, but hey its a film) look at human nature and its various influences (nature/genetics, nurture) and morality. Touted as a 'science has gone crazy: more like frankenstien than the fly, really. Good stuff.

I just watched Splice as well.  I'm not sure I enjoyed it exactly, but I was very impressed - it's all very well done, convincing FX too despite the low budget.  I'm not usually a fan of Adrien Brody, but he and Sarah Polley do a very good job of keeping your sympathy even when their behaviour is pretty dubious.  I definitely felt the Frankenstein connection, and I guess it takes that twisted version of parent/child dependence and eventual role reversal to a whole new place...

Vincenzo Natali is a director to keep an eye on, I think.

Indeed. I was especially impressed with how whoeverplayedher, and no doubt the director, made dren a sympathetic character as well. It did a good job of maintaining a sense of threat about her, while imparting strongly human characteristics (by which I mean empathetic/compassionate/generally positive, obviously normal fully human folk can be threatening; also part of the point, I believe). I actually wondered often though the film how they were going to fulfill the horror part aspect of it when it seemed to me that the leads were the 'bad guys' due to their highly questionable decisions and behaviour, and treatment of dren.

spoiler (big spoiler)!















Of course, they eventually did find a way to make it into a full-on monster movie, but I found the 'its a man now, therefore it kills and rapes on sight' massively incongruous to the quite carefull and delicate way they'd spent the rest of the film humanising the character, and really generally very lazy.












/spoiler

[Plexi Ken]

The Experiment - US remake of Das Experiment, unsurprisingly the German version was better. Despite the addition of some well know actors (Adrien Brody & Forest Whitaker) in the lead roles, this new version lacks any real sense of danger... a poor effort.

[Plexi Ken]

Let Me In - US remake of Let the Right One In in and (surprisingly) is realy quite a good film in its own right. It's more of a mainstream horror flic, lacking the subtle touch of the original. The pace is quicker, there is little of the dialogue sparse stillness the typifies the Northern European origin of Let the Right One In in. Having said that Let Me In is a solid piece of work and well worth a watch. Those who don't mind watching films with subtitles should seek out the Swedish predecessor, which is a modern classic.

[Philly Q]

Let Me In - US remake of Let the Right One In in and (surprisingly) is realy quite a good film in its own right. It's more of a mainstream horror flic, lacking the subtle touch of the original. The pace is quicker, there is little of the dialogue sparse stillness the typifies the Northern European origin of Let the Right One In in. Having said that Let Me In is a solid piece of work and well worth a watch. Those who don't mind watching films with subtitles should seek out the Swedish predecessor, which is a modern classic.

I agree with all of that!  :)

One thing I did like about Let Me In is the way it focuses even more on the two kids and plays down the supporting characters (to the extent that Owen's mother is barely even seen, she always seems to be a fuzzy shape at the edge of the frame!).  Fortunately the two young actors were equal to the task.

Both are definitely worth seeing.

[Mr. Air]

The Tourist - Don't go there! I had semi high hopes for this, but was really disapointed. Boring as hell and quite predictable. Shame on Johnny Depp for starring in such a bad movie.

[Plexi Ken]

The Switch - Juliette Lewis and Jeff Goldblum are excellent, the film would have been massively improved with larger rolls. Jason Bateman is good and the script has some witty moments but nothing can save this run-of-the-mill romcom from the film history dustbin... avoid.

[Plexi Ken]

The Kids Are All Right - Brilliant film with some serious acting talent performing a witty script, what more could a viewer want... highly recommended.

[Mr. Air]

Layer Cake - Good stuff. Mob like story the English way. Found it a bit confusing from time to time, but that might be caused by the flu I was attacked by.

Football Factory - Watched most of it. Missed the beginning as it ran on the tele. Seemed decent enough, but I think I preffer Green Street when it comes to hooligans. But boy oh boy does some people miss a purpose in life.

The Kids Are All Right - Brilliant film with some serious acting talent performing a witty script, what more could a viewer want... highly recommended.

Defenitely one heck of a film. Very recommendable!

[_tom_]

Black Dynamite - hilarious throughout, loved the intentional boom in shot and stuff like that :D The diner scene when they figure it all out is so funny, couldn't stop laughing :lol:

The Secret of Kells - great animated film, it's really well made and just enjoyable to watch :)

[Philly Q]

Bodyguards and Assassins - a bit more serious than I was expecting from the title, but this looks great, has a very good cast and features some impressive martial acts action from Donnie Yen.

Moon (aka Man of Violence) - very strange late-'60s low-budget crime thriller directed by Pete Walker.  The Blu-ray also includes another complete film, The Big Switch, which I'll watch soonest.

[Andrew W]

[slightly over emotional evangelising mode]

I've now been to see Werner Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" twice in two days at the cinema because I can't get the damn thing out of my head. Unfortunately, given last night's attendance, I suggest seeing it this week if you want to as I can't see it playing for more than a week.  Which is a shame because it is one of the best things I have seen on a cinema screen and certainly the best thing I have seen in 3D.  If you're familiar with Herzog's other documentaries, especially "Encounters at the End of the World", you'll have a good idea of what stylistically to expect.

The film is about the 30 000 year old cave paintings at Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc and features footage from within the cave as well as interviews with those attempting to investigate and understand them. As with all Herzog documentaries it is more than that though. It's also a philosophical exploration of whether it is possible to even begin to understand a people so distant from us in time and the nature of what being human actually means.

The paintings themselves are stunning works of art, still as fresh and alive today as the day they were made. The use of 3D really helps to emphasise how the artists used the undulating shapes of the cave wall to enhance, complement and structure their art. The artistic impact and educative qualities of this film are strongly enhanced by the decision to film it in stereo.

I have seen many photographs of the Chauvet cave art in the past and none of them can come close to this film in really showing you, as closely as you'll ever be allowed to get, what these paintings are and how powerful as pieces of art they remain.

"Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a wonderfully human, intelligent  and beautiful film and I cannot urge you to see it strongly enough before it disappears. If you're in London try to see it this week, if you're elsewhere keep an eye out for screenings, it's really worth it.

[/slightly over emotional evangelising mode]

[Plexi Ken]

When You're Strange - This documentary about The Doors is well made but is a little light on detail. If you're a Doors fan, you'll know all the information contained in the film. If you're not a Doors fan, then you probably couldn't care less about their story.

Burke and Hare - Despite some of the best British comedy talent (Bill Bailey, Simon Pegg, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Merchant, etc.) the film is rubbish! The script has no jokes in it or at least no good ones! The whole story is just so predictable... avoid.

The Shock Doctrine - Documentary based on the book by Naomi Klein. It's OK but no more than that. I think the problem is, the subject is just too 'large' to compress into 78 minutes. This restraint has resulted in an oversimplification of the theory presented in the book which (ironically) weakens Klein's hypotheses. Much like many political films, preaches to the converted.

[Plexi Ken]

Arn: Knight Templar - As much as I like the genre, this isn't a good film. I was happy to watch all two hours and the cinematography is brilliant, the sets and costume are excellent. The acting or more accurately the reading of the lines is terrible, though that may be caused by poor writing. There also seems to be large missing gaps in the timeline. Having done some reading, it looks like the film has been severely cut, which is a shame.

[WezV]

just watched the green hornet - which was odd.   It could have been really good but something just didnt work.  I think it was the mix of seth rogan comedy with a story not really built for stoner humour.  at moments i thought it was going to be good... just didnt quite work, but i could see what they were thinking (i.e. iron man working purely because of RDJ - as much as i dislike the fella)
rr

also watched submarine last night - quite interesting and felt like a mid 80's environment without being set in any specific time, but it would probaly feel more 60's or 70's to others.  I was botherd by a modern sociology textbook on his bedroom shelf... but apparently it was a conscious decision to not pin it down to anything but a nostalgic era.  cant help but think that was a budget decision. 

Paddy Considine has his worst haircut ever and its not his best film for him, but it is a good film. tend to watch his stuff because he is localish.  I have taught his family members and one of my mates was in a bar fight with him ;)

it is a good film if you remember real teenage angst rather than the twilight variety, i will certainly be looking out for moss's future films and the two teenage mains could go far.  The soundtrack was better than it should have been considering alex turners involvement

[MDV]

[slightly over emotional evangelising mode]

I've now been to see Werner Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" twice in two days at the cinema because I can't get the damn thing out of my head. Unfortunately, given last night's attendance, I suggest seeing it this week if you want to as I can't see it playing for more than a week.  Which is a shame because it is one of the best things I have seen on a cinema screen and certainly the best thing I have seen in 3D.  If you're familiar with Herzog's other documentaries, especially "Encounters at the End of the World", you'll have a good idea of what stylistically to expect.

The film is about the 30 000 year old cave paintings at Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc and features footage from within the cave as well as interviews with those attempting to investigate and understand them. As with all Herzog documentaries it is more than that though. It's also a philosophical exploration of whether it is possible to even begin to understand a people so distant from us in time and the nature of what being human actually means.

The paintings themselves are stunning works of art, still as fresh and alive today as the day they were made. The use of 3D really helps to emphasise how the artists used the undulating shapes of the cave wall to enhance, complement and structure their art. The artistic impact and educative qualities of this film are strongly enhanced by the decision to film it in stereo.

I have seen many photographs of the Chauvet cave art in the past and none of them can come close to this film in really showing you, as closely as you'll ever be allowed to get, what these paintings are and how powerful as pieces of art they remain.

"Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is a wonderfully human, intelligent  and beautiful film and I cannot urge you to see it strongly enough before it disappears. If you're in London try to see it this week, if you're elsewhere keep an eye out for screenings, it's really worth it.

[/slightly over emotional evangelising mode]

That actually does sound interesting, but theres no way I can see it in the cinema: is a release likely?