List the films you've seen at the cinema: 2012

[Reno]

I wrote about it a few posts up.

 

[Orang Utan]

I wrote about it a few posts up.

yeah, i read that. it got me excited, but as i said, the trailer, and something else a friend said about it, made me dither in my resolution to see the film.

 

[Reno]

This is another French wheelchair film currently out and it looks like the type of film about disability that makes me run a mile:

 

[Orang Utan]

Have you seen Ultraa? at least i think that's what it's called. it has the fella from Man Bites Dog playing a total arsehole who gets disabilised (yes i know it's not a word) by a tractor during a silly argument with his neighbour, who is also a dick and also paralysed by the accident. They decide to blame the manufacturer of the equipment involved with the accident instead of themselves and set on a hilarious road trip to visit the factory. It's sick as fuck but very funny and could never ever be accused of being schmaltzy and feelgood

 

[sim667]

have you seen the diving bell and the butterfly reno? thats a fantastic film.

 

[Reno]

have you seen the diving bell and the butterfly reno? thats a fantastic film.

I wasn't a fan, but realise that many people were blown away by the film. I didn't even like the book, which made me feel sort of guilty as the poor sod had written it by blinking his eye. There was something too precious (in a particular French way) about both the book and the film. I realise that the film was trying to interpret his inner life, but to me it looked too much like the director showing off and ultimately it was the type of "triumph of the spirit" stuff which I find cheesy, even if it was artfully packaged.

 

[sim667]

I wasn't a fan, but realise that many people were blown away by the film. I didn't even like the book, which made me feel sort of guilty as the poor sod had written it by blinking his eye. There was something too precious (in a particular French way) about both the book and the film. I realise that the film was trying to interpret his inner life, but to me it looked too much like the director showing off and ultimately it was the type of "triumph of the spirit" stuff which I find cheesy, even if it was artfully packaged.

Oh I dont think so at all....... It wasnt quite on a par with free willy, or long way home for pukingly triumphant spirit.

Goodybe lenin is worth a watch too, thats quite uplifting but with a bit of a dark humor to it. I love that film.

 

[Sue]

I thought it was merry visceral romp. Come on, the scene in the brothel was beautiful. Perhaps a bit low on substance but didn't all the flesh, meat and joie de vivre make up for that ?

Saw 'On the Road', didn't know what to think.

Was so boring -- was looking at my watch 15 minutes in. Felt like the director was checking off his 'making an Indie film' list.

' Shakey, nauseau-inducing camera work? Check. Non-professional actors? Check. Dubious CGI metaphor stuff? Check. Global warming/environmental disaster thing? Check. Obligatory Southern whorehouse scene? Check...'

 

[belboid]

Skyfall. Which I enjoyed very much, until the Harry Potter ending. Cracking villainy from Bardem.

 

[Reno]

Silver Linings Playbook, the new film by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Three Kings, Flirting With Disaster, Spanking the Monkey) who I think is always worth checking out. It's a romantic comedy with a little more bite than usual where the two leads aren't just kooky, but struggle with serious emotional and mental health issues. Bradley Cooper is very good as the bipolar lead, as is Jennifer Lawrence, who for one gets to play an adult instead of a plucky teen.

 

[belboid]

Jennifer Lawrence, who for one gets to play an adult instead of a plucky teen.

to be fair, she was a plucky teen when she made her other movies (THG excepted)

 

[Reno]

to be fair, she was a plucky teen when she made her other movies (THG excepted)

True, but she will be known as a teen for a while yet, as the THG films get rolled out over the next few years. In any case, it's good to see her in a role very different to the ones she is famous for and she is excellent as a permanently pissed off, promiscuous widow with poor social skills. I was impressed with her in Winter's Bone, but when I saw THG I wondered whether she could do anything else.

 

[mauvais]

I thought it was merry visceral romp. Come on, the scene in the brothel was beautiful. Perhaps a bit low on substance but didn't all the flesh, meat and joie de vivre make up for that ?

Saw 'On the Road', didn't know what to think.

Saw BotSW last night, and thought it was ace. Just bought the soundtrack.

 

[Gramsci]

It's a film that manages to be touching without ever feeling forcefully manipulative and like all of Audiard's films its gritty and yet lyrical. It's a love story that never goes down the expected path and it's characters are complex and feel true. It's a wonderful film.

Totally agree now Ive seen it. A wonderful film. Life affirming without being overly sentimental. As you say he takes the Melodrama genre and makes a great film out of it.

For some reason its the character of Ali played by Matthias Schoenaerts that sticks in my mind. As a film about masculinity it is most interesting. The film gradually becomes more about him and the way he changes. Particularly his relationship with his son.

It also has parallels with the Prophet. These are both about characters that grow and develop throughout the film. The characters that the director writes about and the milieu they live in is on the edges of straight society. Out of necessity rather than choice.

 

[Gramsci]

Anyone seen Haneke latest "Amour"?

Saw it today. Starts off like its going to be like a lot of French films of the problems of the well to do Parisians. But after a while it becomes gripping and mesmerising. When it ended I did not want it to stop. There is something about the way its filmed ( all in one flat) that starts to lead one to a slightly different world out of kilter with the "real" world. But its a film about ageing and death (well its Haneke its not going to be a happy clappy film). Showing how two people gradually disconnect from the world of the living. It does show that only the old can deal with there ageing. The young cannot ( or will not ) comprehend it.

So I would say its a proper film. Not a play on film. As I at one point thought it would turn into when it started. Its , in a understated way, wonderfully shot. A lot also depends on the 2 main actors. Who are superb.

Im not going to say to much as the film, to my surprise, went in a direction I was not expecting.

This is an austere film. Its about subjects people would rather not think about- ageing and death. Surprisingly ,for Haneke, its a humane film. It does have Haneke unflinching look that he shares with you . The indignities of ageing and illness.

And Love. But you need to watch the film to the end to see how.

I saw it in Screen 5 in Ritzy. Pretty full. But the film clearly had peoples attention all the way through. No fidgeting or popcorn eating. And silence throughout .Sign of a good film imo.

Some reviewers have said it won the Palme D or due to the two actors. And it was a bit light for Haneke.

I totally disagree. For me this is now my favourite film by Haneke. Its a mature work of a master film maker.

 

[Reno]

Totally agree now Ive seen it. A wonderful film. Life affirming without being overly sentimental. As you say he takes the Melodrama genre and makes a great film out of it.

For some reason its the character of Ali played by Matthias Schoenaerts that sticks in my mind. As a film about masculinity it is most interesting. The film gradually becomes more about him and the way he changes. Particularly his relationship with his son.

It also has parallels with the Prophet. These are both about characters that grow and develop throughout the film. The characters that the director writes about and the milieu they live in is on the edges of straight society. Out of necessity rather than choice.

Have you seen Audiard's Read My Lips ? It's still my favourite film of his and Rust and Bone feels like a companion piece.

 

[Reno]

Lincoln. Very good and intelligent historical film which feels strikingly authentic in its recreation of the period. This is the most un-Spielbergian Spielberg film since Munich and its actually very low key and neither sentimental nor especially patriotic. It's a long film and you have to pay attention as it assumes a certain familiarity with the historical facts, which are part of any curriculum in the US but are less familiar here.

I liked that it concentrated on Lincoln's last four months and the vote on the 13th Amendment, rather than it being a cradle to grave biopic, it gave it focus. Because its written by playwright Tony Kushner it's mostly dialogue based and apart from a few brief battle scenes, there is little action (or vampire slaying

). Daniel Day Lewis gives another flawless performance, he is an actor who completely disappears into a role and he is strikingly different every time. Apart from an also very good Sally Field as his mentally unstable wife, the film features just about every great US character actor, all rendered slightly grotesque by their hair and costuming, which closely keeps to its sources.

 

[Reno]

Sightseers, the new film by Ben "Kill List" Wheatley. This is a black comedy about a seemingly sedate British caravan holiday that turns into a killing spree, which is a bit like a Mike Leigh flick crossed with John Waters (especially Serial Mom). It's amusing in places and Wheatley has a very distinctive style but it get's a little repetitive by the end. The characters are too caricatured for me to actually believe their actions or care much about them and the satire is a bit obvious at times. Mind, this has been getting rave reviews everywhere and it has a great soundtrack, so I seem to rate it a little less highly than most. I preferred Kill List.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

About Elly, an Iranian fIlm directed by Asghar Farhadi who won the best foreign langauge movie oscar for the excellent 'A Seperation'. It was really good social realist character drama full of moral complexity but still nowhere near as good as A Seperation.

 

[Gramsci]

Have you seen Audiard's Read My Lips ? It's still my favourite film of his and Rust and Bone feels like a companion piece.

Yes in the cinema when it came out. Just watched the trailer for it to remind me. Didnt realise that was one of his films. See what mean about companion piece.

 

[Orang Utan]

Sightseers, the new film by Ben "Kill List" Wheatley. This is a black comedy about a seemingly sedate British caravan holiday that turns into a killing spree, which is a bit like a Mike Leigh flick crossed with John Waters (especially Serial Mom). It's amusing in places and Wheatley has a very distinctive style but it get's a little repetitive by the end. The characters are too caricatured for me to actually believe their actions or care much about them and the satire is a bit obvious at times. Mind, this has been getting rave reviews everywhere and it has a great soundtrack, so I seem to rate it a little less highly than most. I preferred Kill List.

Have you seen Down Terrace? Both that and the Kill List suffer from unbelievable plots based around some sort of kitchen sink gritty realism. Such a jarring contrast. Doesn't really work.

 

[Tankus]

Just seen Skyfall ...somewhat underwhelmed ...I thought that Casino Royal was better ......irritating ending

 

[Reno]

Have you seen Down Terrace? Both that and the Kill List suffer from unbelievable plots based around some sort of kitchen sink gritty realism. Such a jarring contrast. Doesn't really work.

I've got it on DVD, but haven't yet watched Down Terrace.

Kill List worked a lot better for me the second time round and I think it's rather good. I'm not sure it aspires much to being believable, it has a nightmarish slightly surreal quality. It goes less for kitchen sink realism than for Pinteresque stylisation and the surprise ending is set up quite early on.

I think Ben Wheatley is a developing film-maker with an interesting and unique voice and while I didn't like Sightseers as much as many critics did, there is much about it that is interesting, especially in terms of style. He hasn't made a really great film yet, but I think he'll get there.

 

[Reno]

Seven Psychopaths. Having liked In Bruges and there being quite a bit of buzz around this I was expecting more. It's not bad, but it never becomes more than a string of amusing moments and performances which don't amount to much. Charlie Kaufman meets Tarantino, only not quite as good as either.

 

[Kaka Tim]

Saw Skyfall last night. Entertaining enough I 'spose, but after the gritty realism (for bond anyway) of Casino Royale I was expecting something in a similar line - but this was pretty daft all the way through. Like the way the villain could freely roam across Britain whistling up a private army (from 'henchmen are us'?) with the state security forces, army etc having nothing to say about it.

.

 

[DexterTCN]

Saw Skyfall last night. Entertaining enough I 'spose, but after the gritty realism (for bond anyway) of Casino Royale I was expecting something in a similar line - but this was pretty daft all the way through. Like the way the villain could freely roam across Britain whistling up a private army (from 'henchmen are us'?) with the state security forces, army etc having nothing to say about it.

***********************.

Spoiler!

 

[Kaka Tim]

edited.

 

[Jeff Robinson]

"Even The Rain" / "Tambien La Lluvia"



The script is by Paul Laverty who has worked on many of Ken Loachs films. As I expected from Laverty it is a highly political film. It also a good introduction to the histoty and politics of South America. It is based on the opposition to the water privatisation in Bolivia by the indigenous people.

Unlike Laverty/ Loach film "Route Irish" this does work as an action film and as a political film. The plot revolves around a Spanish film crew who are making a film about Columbus and the Spanish colonalisation of South America.

There are some very effective scenes were the (Spanish) actors practise there parts in front of the bemused Bolivians. They gradually see that they are recreating the kinds of power structures that the Spanish conquistadors did 500 years earlier. The Spanish crew also start to see that the conflict over water is still one between the remaining indigenous people and the political European descent elites.

Before I saw the film I read a little about it wondered if it would be embarrassingly heavy handed. It does work better than I thought it would. Partly I think due to the high quality of the acting in the film. Also due to the script showing more moral complexity than I thought it would. Though it is the Spanish who are most troubled (and most interesting) whilst the Bolivian indigenous characters are all shown as brave and honourable. Well thats Laverty.

Not so sure about the last minute car chase ending and reconciliation. I thought it could have had a darker ending. Like "Route Irish" did - though that is an inferior film to this one.

ps

Its only on at a few places. Thought it deserves a wider showing. Saw it at Panton street Odeon. It was hot in there as the air conditioning is not up to much in that cinema. And I did go late evening to see it. Wish some of these chains would sort this stuff out. It was bearable as the were only 7 people in the cinema. Its not cheap to see films in cinema anymore.

I largely agree with this review. I was worried from the trailer that it was going to be embarrisingly heavy handed too. It still was a bit, but ulitimately it would be hard not to be given the subject matter. Anyway, the film is now available on BBC iplayer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b019h75h/Even_the_Rain/

 

[Sue]

Amour. Very good, if not exactly cheery.

The Master. Hmmm. Not enough happens and it's v slow so feels far too long. Don't know, bit of a waste as feels like this could've been a much better film. Philip Seymour Hoffman was excellent as usual. Joaquin Phoenix (who's been really good in various other things) is Acting with a capital A. Which I found really annoying.

 

[dynamicbaddog]

The Master,
- story of a self destructive Naval veteran who after leaving the Navy drifts into a strange cult 'The Cause' who promote the idea of reincarnation, believing that through “processing” people may recall past lives (bit like Scientology) it's visually stunning, quite funny in places and very original.