I went to see Maverick a couple of months ago. I haven't been to a theater in 2 yrs. Loved the movie! Nothing since then looks interesting to me ...
The Good House Sigourney Weaver gives a very good performance as an alcoholic realtor who takes a very long time to realize she has a problem. Kevin Kline is also good in a smaller role as her love interest. Where has he been in recent years? I’ve missed him. But this was Sigourney’s movie. I think she was in every scene!
Ticket to Paradise I’m sure this movie is not for everyone, but I loved it. George Clooney is hilarious, Billie Lourd is great, the scenery is gorgeous, and…. er….Julia Roberts inexplicably had costumes consisting mostly of unflattering jumpsuits.
Tár This was overall a very good film, but it was far too long at 2hr 38 min. The first hour could have been cut to 40 minutes. I was actually looking at my watch and wanting to leave after 40 minutes, and I don’t think the next 20 minutes added anything significant to the exposition, which was all that first hour was. Cate Blanchett was great and inhabited the role, but I really did get tired of hearing her talk after the first half hour. As I said, that first hour could have been trimmed. The film really picked up after the first hour, although I didn’t find the ending satisfying at all. So, a great performance by Cate Blanchett, and 2 hours of a very good filmed stuffed between a too-long intro and a not very satisfying ending.
The Banshees of Inisherin If I did not have plans to meet with my movie group tomorrow to specifically discuss this movie, I would have walked out after the first hour. I was crying in the theater Spoiler when the donkey died. This was a devastating film, emotionally, but it was all over stupid crap that maybe could only happen to bored people on an isolated island. Good performances and some very nice scenery, but I really disliked this story.
Decision to Leave Park Chan-wook's latest. Totally engrossing. Now I'm looking forward to Hirokazu Koreeda's Broker whose trailer preceded Decision.
Just screened Triangle of Sadness tonight ("Sans Filtre") by Swedish director Ruben Ostlund, a black comedy involving the privileged. The title refers to the way a model holds their face. Basically, a collection of well-off people you wouldn't want to be stuck on an island with. And I was stuck with them far too long. Nothing to learn here, nobody on screen to learn from. Woody Harrelson plays a ship captain who should never ventured out of his stateroom...and for the longest time, does just that. Hopefully he was shooting a different movie in there. For some reason, reaction was moderately positive. Premiered at Cannes, won the Palme d'Or. All I can say is, don't try the octopus.
She Said Very well done account of how two NY Times reporters broke the Harvey Weinstein story. I was completely engrossed in the story. I did not recognize any of the actors in this film other than Zach Grenier, whom I knew from The Good Wife, and Ashley Judd, who played herself.
Counterpoint: "SS" badly wants to be "All the President's Men" for the 2020s but it just feels turgid and slow. The pacing is inconsistent and there's not much real drama. The movie never does much to give the leads actual personalities, and it drops in/out supporting characters almost at random. At times the film feels more like a lecture about sexual abuse than a story of the investigation and journalism. The narrative occasionally grinds to a halt so we can get monologues. Really, my biggest issue remains that although this should become a tense, tight tale, it just wanders and meanders with little to stir the blood - beyond the nature of the abuse, that is. Those stories curdle, but the primary plot related to the journalists simply plods when it needs to zing. Perhaps one could argue that the film lacks tension because we know how it ends. Weinstein sits in prison - spoiler alert? I guarantee virtually the entire audience for the film knows what happens, especially because it covers such recent events. This isn't a movie that gets into a scandal from the 1950s, for instance. It's only been 5 years. But "All the President's Men" came out with even less distance between its release and the events involved, and it came with an even more famous/better known ending. Nonetheless, it couldn't possibly be more engrossing and thrilling than it is. I can't fault a movie about journalism because it falls short of "ATPM". If I did so, every one would pale, as "ATPM" remains the masterwork of the genre and almost certainly will never be topped. But "Spotlight" showed there's ample room for good movies in the genre. "She Said" doesn't compete with those and becomes a disjointed disappointment.
Saw an early showing of "Devotion" this week, limited tickets. While perhaps hitting some obvious plot points and heartstring-pullers, I really enjoyed this movie. And it was sophisticated enough to not be too much by the numbers. Visually was outstanding. Really worth the time.
I agree that the two leads could have been more fleshed out. However, I think the stories of the women who were abused was the most compelling thing about the movie. I could feel their pain, their shame, and understand their hesitation and conflict about coming forward on the record, or even talking about it at all. For me, the journalism was secondary to the women’s stories. I definitely do not think it felt like a lecture. I don’t think the movie is as good as All the President’s Men, but I also don’t think it’s trying to be the same exact kind of film.
I haven't seen a movie in the theater since before covid hit. Not that I don't want to, I just haven't really been interested in anything enough to go see one. Last I saw was Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker.
Wakanda Forever I saw it in IMAX and I think I may have to see all Marvel and Star Wars movies in IMAX form now on.
I was recently in Paris for a couple of days - one of the best places in the world to be a cinephile. I saw the following eclectic mix: M. Butterfly (1993) - not an obvious project for David Cronenberg! Heavily flawed but worth seeing Somewhere in the Night (1946) - wow! Fantastic noir. I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't even heard of this one previously. 'Round Midnight (1986) - new 4K restoration. Unless they have a loathing for jazz, I think every member of the forum would enjoy this film.
Glass Onion It was great! I’m sorry this film is only getting one week in theaters! It’s a beautiful film to look at, and I feel this is meant to be seen on the big screen. I won’t say much more, since most people won’t get to see this until it hits Netflix on Dec. 23, but Janelle Monae stole the show, and Daniel Craig is great at subtle comedy. (I loves the first Knives Out as well.)
Agree to disagree, I guess. I thought "SS" desperately wanted to be "ATPM". My issue with the integration of the stories of abused women wasn't an indication I thought those moments lacked merit. Instead, they simply felt shoehorned in to me. At its core, "SS" is a store about an investigation. The leads and many of the main supporting characters were journalists. That's why I found the scenes with the stories to veer away from the movie's purpose. If "SS" was intended as a movie about the victims of abuse, then it would've made one or more of those women the center, not journalists.
No Bears - film completed by the Iranian director Jafar Panahi prior to him being sentenced to six years' imprisonment
The last movie you've watch thread has been closed, so rather that starting another thread (or try to find one similar), I will post here. I just watched (from home) Fifty Dead Men Walking: Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008) - IMDb It only cost $1.99 to rent through Amazon. If you like gritty, brutal and tense, and have a strong stomach, go for it. It's a loose adaptation of Martin McGarland's 1997 autobiography of the same name, about a young Irish lad who is feeding intelligence to his British handlers while being active in the IRA. Jim Sturgess is outstanding in the lead role, with Ben Kingsley (with a full head of hair!) playing his handler. Okay, the director took some artistic liberties; it's a damn fine movie and it will grab you and draw you into the story. I wish Hollywood still made movies like this.
Please don't post movies you watch at home in this thread. It's not meant for that. It's intended to be a refuge for those who love the theatrical experience.
Just found out a sequel to 2014s Left Behind is coming out with Kevin Sorbo replacing Nicholas Cage. I'm hoping to see it on January 28th at the theater.
