List the films you've seen at the cinema: 2013

[Gramsci]

I saw the documentary "Stories we Tell" at Ritzy. Looks like last chance to see it at Ritzy on Thursday.

It is very good. And I am not a fan of autobiographical docs. There are serious issues in the world that need coverage ( see "The Art of Killing") not navel gazing.

However this is more, at times, philosophical look at how we construct stories and the past.

It starts with quote from the writer Margaret Atwood. Saying that a novel/story starts as chaos. It is the act of writing that brings it to coherent narrative. But whilst one is in the process it is not coherent. A writer does not start with a finished story in the head.

One thing that one learns from this is that people do not lie. They construct and reconstruct there past and present. Sometimes through choice and often by chance.

I found this documentary more interesting than I imagined it would be. It is definitely more than just the director unearthing her family secrets.

 

[redsquirrel]

I'm really looking forward to that, unfortunately it doesn't come out here for a while.

 

[Sue]

I saw the documentary "Stories we Tell" at Ritzy. Looks like last chance to see it at Ritzy on Thursday.

It is very good. And I am not a fan of autobiographical docs. There are serious issues in the world that need coverage ( see "The Art of Killing") not navel gazing.

However this is more, at times, philosophical look at how we construct stories and the past.

It starts with quote from the writer Margaret Atwood. Saying that a novel/story starts as chaos. It is the act of writing that brings it to coherent narrative. But whilst one is in the process it is not coherent. A writer does not start with a finished story in the head.

One thing that one learns from this is that people do not lie. They construct and reconstruct there past and present. Sometimes through choice and often by chance.

I found this documentary more interesting than I imagined it would be. It is definitely more than just the director unearthing her family secrets.

Just saw this. Hmm. Quite a lot to like but ultimately left me feeling a bit bleargh. The two strands -- the actual story and the 'exploring how people remember stuff' thing -- didn't really add up to anything that interesting. Could see her sister's point about who would be interested in it apart from their family and there didnt seem to be that many differences in the way people remembered things for the second strand to really work. Also could've lost 15 minutes but I almost always think that .

 

[Sue]

The Act of Killing​

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I saw this at the BFI today on screen one.​

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It is coming to Ritzy in London from 28th June. So I guess its will be on release in other parts of the country.​

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The opening night at Ritzy will show the extended version 159 mins ( the version I saw at BFI) with Q&A with director.​

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Thought I would flag this up now as its a must see on the big screen rather than TV/ computer.​

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It is the best film I have seen for ages. Riveting if gruesome viewing.​

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It is a documentary about those who killed communists during military rule in Indonesia. The military encouraged local gangsters to kill communists.​

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The director got a few of these now old men who were killers to talk. These killers have never been punished. In fact they are publicly lauded for there actions even now. So they were very open about how they killed people.​

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The two gangsters the director focuses on were smalltime hoods who used to sell tickets at the local cinema. One of them loved films. Particularly Hollywood. So the director got them to re enact there murders by using scenarios from films they liked. Musicals, Cowboy, gangster and police films.​

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The film starts turning into a surreal nightmare that one cannot get out of. But that is the position of the main "gangster" in the film. He , whilst hating the communists, confesses he still has nightmares about what he did.​

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Using scenarios from fictional film genres provides a way to show what happened. Its like film is a distancing technique.​

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The documentary makes one question film as well.​

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They discuss at one point a famous Indonesian propaganda film , still shown , that is about how terrible communists are supposed to be. The main killer in the film said watching that film always made him feel better about what he did. Even though he knows its a blatant piece of propaganda.​

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There is something particularly scary about watching someone direct a scene of an interrogation and killing of an alleged communist who is a killer.​

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Some of the most amazing bits are when the killers talk amongst themselves about how the cope with the memories they still have of what they did.​

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It does show how relatively ordinary people can end up doing monstrous things.​

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At one point it reminded me of the history of the holocaust I read a while back. The Germans found it difficult to kill lots of people in cold blood so developed less bloody ways of doing it. So did the Indonesian killers.​

Just saw this. God. The casual way they talk about killing people is quite surreal. And there seems little understanding of how this will be viewed by others outside Indonesia. Also assume the 'Anonymous' credits are to protect those involved in making the film which tells its own story. Really worth seeing.

 

[Sue]

The Bling Ring. Enjoyed this, thought it was funny if it did make me roll my eyes at stupid celebs -- when was not even bothering to lock your door a good idea? -- and the whole vacuous culture of celebrity. Think that was kind of the point though. (Also what was the whole 'Emma Watson pole dances' outrage about? Thought she was pretty good in this.)

 

[Reno]

Saw a preview of Only God Forgives, Nicolas Winding Refn's follow up to Drive, again with Ryan Gosling. I loved Drive but this was pants. While Drive was a minimalist film everything here is reduced so much further, it ends up as a 'nothing' film. There are no characters here. While Gosling was an enigma in Drive, here he is so inactive, he simply is a total blank and the same is the case for his opponent, a Thai cop. Kristen Scott Thomas as his drug lord mother is the closest to something like a character by the virtue of being totally one dimensional. She is defined by being vindictive and vulgar, but there is no depth there either. In terms of looks she is reminiscent of Anjelica Huston similar character in The Grifters, but that was a complex character out of a Greek tragedy compared to this cartoon harpy. Otherwise the revenge plot of the film is predictable and overfamiliar from so many other films.

There is something questionable about how the film exploits its Thai backdrop for its exoticism and as an excuse for lots of mega-violence. I don't mind a bit of mega violence, hut only when there is something at stake. As there are no characters to care about, there is no nothing to invest in. The film does look and sound stylish, but even there I was a little underwhelmed. There is an attempt at Kubrick style editing and composition, but despite its neon night Bangkok setting it doesn't even look as good as Drive did. Cliff Martinez brooding score is interesting, but again, not a patch on the score for Drive. Biggest disappointment of the year.

 

[Sue]

Just saw this. God. The casual way they talk about killing people is quite surreal. And there seems little understanding of how this will be viewed by others outside Indonesia. Also assume the 'Anonymous' credits are to protect those involved in making the film which tells its own story. Really worth seeing.

Was talking to a friend of a friend last night whose family are Indonesian Chinese. Her parents and much of her family left in the 60s and 70s and many of those left 'Indonesianised' their names. She's keen to see this -- warned her it wasn't easy viewing and suspect she may find it more difficult than those of us with no connection to the country -- and was wondering about trying to send copies to her family there. Said I thought there had been some screenings there which she was quite surprised about. Anyway, rambling a bit but just found it interesting that she says she knows little of those times, I think because her family (understandably) didn't want to talk about it and apparently books on that period are quite difficult to find.

 

[Sue]

We Steal Secrets, the Wikileaks documentary. Found this quite fascinating. Was already aware of most of it but didn't know how Bradley Manning was found out -- he comes across as extremely vulnerable, naive and pathetic (in the true sense of the word). Pretty balanced and interesting on the differentiation (or not) between Wikileaks and Julian Assange who really doesn't come out of this very well. Also interesting to see what those involved at the time think about it/him now.

 

[blossie33]

I went to see We steal secrets about Wikileaks on Friday, thought it was fascinating.

Eta posted the same time as Sue!

 

[Superdupastupor]

The Deep - Icelandic fillum about fishers and the briney wet stuff. You know what it is like as a human- we feel like conquerers of the globe but most of it is water- we know nothing really. quite understated and full of emptiness

 

[Reno]

The Deep - Icelandic fillum about fishers and the briney wet stuff. You know what it is like as a human- we feel like conquerers of the globe but most of it is water- we know nothing really. quite understated and full of emptiness

I've got a chance to see this next week. You are not selling this to me.

 

[pissflaps]

has anyone seen Specific Rim yet? it looks fucking ace.

 

[Superdupastupor]

I've got a chance to see this next week. You are not selling this to me.

erm I just meant the sea is a pretty barren place- I seem prone to daft wordplay when I have taken a drink.

I thought it was pretty good- I am glad I saw it. A bit wierd seeing it in the summer heat though- it would've mad more sense at winter time

 

[redsquirrel]

Saw a preview of Only God Forgives, Nicolas Winding Refn's follow up to Drive, again with Ryan Gosling. I loved Drive but this was pants. While Drive was a minimalist film everything here is reduced so much further, it ends up as a 'nothing' film. There are no characters here. While Gosling was an enigma in Drive, here he is so inactive, he simply is a total blank and the same is the case for his opponent, a Thai cop. Kristen Scott Thomas as his drug lord mother is the closest to something like a character by the virtue of being totally one dimensional. She is defined by being vindictive and vulgar, but there is no depth there either. In terms of looks she is reminiscent of Anjelica Huston similar character in The Grifters, but that was a complex character out of a Greek tragedy compared to this cartoon harpy. Otherwise the revenge plot of the film is predictable and overfamiliar from so many other films.

There is something questionable about how the film exploits its Thai backdrop for its exoticism and as an excuse for lots of mega-violence. I don't mind a bit of mega violence, hut only when there is something at stake. As there are no characters to care about, there is no nothing to invest in. The film does look and sound stylish, but even there I was a little underwhelmed. There is an attempt at Kubrick style editing and composition, but despite its neon night Bangkok setting it doesn't even look as good as Drive did. Cliff Martinez brooding score is interesting, but again, not a patch on the score for Drive. Biggest disappointment of the year.

Just saw this agree and by and large I agree, disappointing and I think you're right about the Thai background, definitely something a bit dodgy there IMO. I did like Kristen Scott Thomas' performance though, it took me a while to recognise her.


Also seen

Look of Love - I'm quite a Winterbottom fan, I think that even when his films don't total work there's normally at least something interesting there. Unfortunately that's not the case here, a very boring by the numbers biopic, rags to riches to the pain of fame story. Coogan's performance is dialled in and I felt it was rather too sympathetic to a bloke who made his money exploiting women.

To The Wonder - Not impressed by this either, I saw some reviews saying that it's almost a pastiche of Malick's work and I have to say I agree. It just seems to be a much inferior version of Tree of Life. I don't have the dislike of Affleck that a lot of people seem to have but I don't think he has the screen presence that the part requires for the film to really work IMO.

Much Ado About Nothing - I didn't go into this with particularly high expectations, as I thought it wouldn't be able to compare with the Kenneth Branagh version, and while this version is probably not quite as good as that it's certainly very enjoyable. The two lead performances from Alexis Densiof and Amy Acker are both very charming and it looks good shot in black and white and set in modern upper class LA. Not amazing but very solid and enjoyable.

Before Midnight - I've not seen either to the two earlier movies but I still found this to be excellent, two top notch performances and well developed characters. The kids are also insanely cute (and I say that as someone who can't stand cute children).

 

[little_legs]

To The Wonder - Not impressed by this either, I saw some reviews saying that it's almost a pastiche of Malick's work and I have to say I agree. It just seems to be a much inferior version of Tree of Life. I don't have the dislike of Affleck that a lot of people seem to have but I don't think he has the screen presence that the part requires for the film to really work IMO.

I've only seen Malick's Tree of Life (yes, yes, a ciné-ignoramus here), which I thought was excellent, so I expected much of the same from To the Wonder. I know exactly what you mean about Affleck. The whole time whilst watching To the Wonder, I kept thinking if it would work better had Malick picked a talented but less known actor, I kept thinking that it could have been a great breakthrough role.

Women, on the other hand, were very good and carried the film for me. I especially liked Rachel McAdams, hers was the only character that I didn't need to say more than she did to be able to understand the strength of the woman she played and the pain she was going through. Same goes for Romina Mondello of whom I wasn't ever aware of before this film. A fleeting appearance, but my Gosh so beautiful: Life is a dream. In a dream you can't make mistakes. In a dream you can be whatever you want.

 

[butchersapron]

Saw a preview of Only God Forgives, Nicolas Winding Refn's follow up to Drive, again with Ryan Gosling. I loved Drive but this was pants. While Drive was a minimalist film everything here is reduced so much further, it ends up as a 'nothing' film. There are no characters here. While Gosling was an enigma in Drive, here he is so inactive, he simply is a total blank and the same is the case for his opponent, a Thai cop. Kristen Scott Thomas as his drug lord mother is the closest to something like a character by the virtue of being totally one dimensional. She is defined by being vindictive and vulgar, but there is no depth there either. In terms of looks she is reminiscent of Anjelica Huston similar character in The Grifters, but that was a complex character out of a Greek tragedy compared to this cartoon harpy. Otherwise the revenge plot of the film is predictable and overfamiliar from so many other films.

There is something questionable about how the film exploits its Thai backdrop for its exoticism and as an excuse for lots of mega-violence. I don't mind a bit of mega violence, hut only when there is something at stake. As there are no characters to care about, there is no nothing to invest in. The film does look and sound stylish, but even there I was a little underwhelmed. There is an attempt at Kubrick style editing and composition, but despite its neon night Bangkok setting it doesn't even look as good as Drive did. Cliff Martinez brooding score is interesting, but again, not a patch on the score for Drive. Biggest disappointment of the year.

Read a lot of reviews that seemed to be trying to excuse/explain the reception its got as being due to viewers not understanding the allusions to asian film and the blurring of the more straightforward bits (seen as american) and the more abstract bits (seen as asian - i know, just 'asian' as if one homogeneous lump!). I really don't buy that, i've been seriously watching 'asian' films for 25+ years (thanks to tartan and other similar distributors before the internet) and that just doesn't work for me, it's a bit desperate actually.

 

[Gramsci]

has anyone seen Specific Rim yet? it looks fucking ace.

"Pacific Rim"?

As much as I tried to like it its not as good as Hellboy or the directors other work. Has its moments. But I would say its patchy.

Director said unlike his other films this time he had a big budget. Which he liked as it was not a struggle to make. Money was no object on this film. A tight budget gets the best out of Del Toro imo.

 

[Gramsci]

I've only seen Malick's Tree of Life (yes, yes, a ciné-ignoramus here), which I thought was excellent, so I expected much of the same from To the Wonder. I know exactly what you mean about Affleck. The whole time whilst watching To the Wonder, I kept thinking if it would work better had Malick picked a talented but less known actor, I kept thinking that it could have been a great breakthrough role.

My favourite Malick film is his philosophical war film ( I kid u not) The Thin Red Line

Like all his films really needs to be seen on the big screen. But u might find it interesting if u like "Tree of Life".

 

[Gramsci]

Was talking to a friend of a friend last night whose family are Indonesian Chinese. Her parents and much of her family left in the 60s and 70s and many of those left 'Indonesianised' their names. She's keen to see this -- warned her it wasn't easy viewing and suspect she may find it more difficult than those of us with no connection to the country -- and was wondering about trying to send copies to her family there. Said I thought there had been some screenings there which she was quite surprised about. Anyway, rambling a bit but just found it interesting that she says she knows little of those times, I think because her family (understandably) didn't want to talk about it and apparently books on that period are quite difficult to find.

There have been some screening in Indonesia. But for invited audiences. The film was not attempted to go on general release there as the director thought it would be banned completely.

 

[Gramsci]

Scandinavian crime film "Shabba Cash"


Renamed as "Easy Money" for english speakers. I liked this a lot. Student moonlights as taxi driver to try to make money to keep up with his posh mates. Gets involved in drugs gang who need him as a front to launder the proceeds. His education in business administration comes in handy. Ha Ha. Some interesting tips on how to run a drugs business.

What I particularly liked about this film was the emphasis on the characters rather than on violence or car chases ( though its got good action scenes). The Student, the Serbian and the South American all have reasons to do one final job to set themselves up and get out of this industry. Even though they were all double crossing each other I could not but help feel sympathy for all three of them. Particularly the Serbian and his young daughter. He is clearly is sick of the violence and brutality. To make it clear the film manages to get ones sympathy for the characters without getting mawkish.

And the drugs business is a business. The film is about how peoples relations with others is warped by money. The film is a critique of a world in economic crisis of capitalism. As the students lecturer say a crisis is also an opportunity.

Two hours but did not feel like it. Worth seeing in the cinema as the cinematography is good. See before the Hollywood remake. Yes there is already one up for production. For people who cannot read subtitles.

 

[Sue]

There have been some screening in Indonesia. But for invited audiences. The film was not attempted to go on general release there as the director thought it would be banned completely.

Actually, since posting this, read an interview with the director. Apparently they've had 500 screenings in Indonesia so far and have provided versions in various formats throughout the country. Next step is to provide it in downloadable format so anyone who wants to can access it. One of the 'Anonymous' crew is cautious but says thus far, some of the perpetrators are at least no longer openly boasting about their part in this. Was really pleased to see they're making a real effort to get it out there locally.

 

[Gramsci]

Just saw this. Hmm. Quite a lot to like but ultimately left me feeling a bit bleargh. The two strands -- the actual story and the 'exploring how people remember stuff' thing -- didn't really add up to anything that interesting. Could see her sister's point about who would be interested in it apart from their family and there didnt seem to be that many differences in the way people remembered things for the second strand to really work. Also could've lost 15 minutes but I almost always think that .

Thinking on this.

The second strand was about Fatherhood. Or her ( the directors) search for a Father. Or rather what her Father meant for her. Which I thought was sad and moving for the two , now, old men. It moved from being about her Mother to the two men.

Still think it was a moving documentary.

 

[Gramsci]

We Steal Secrets, the Wikileaks documentary. Found this quite fascinating. Was already aware of most of it but didn't know how Bradley Manning was found out -- he comes across as extremely vulnerable, naive and pathetic (in the true sense of the word). Pretty balanced and interesting on the differentiation (or not) between Wikileaks and Julian Assange who really doesn't come out of this very well. Also interesting to see what those involved at the time think about it/him now.

I really wanted to see this but it was only at Ritzy for one week. I like Gibneys work. Seen this on DVD:

Taxi to the Dark Side

His docs are not just rants for or against but go into a subject in depth.

Heard Gibney talk about Wikileaks and documentaries. He defended docs as a form of film making to be shown in a cinema not on TV. As he said people go to watch a film in a cinema and concentrate on it for one and a half or two hours. Not like watching a news report at home on TV. The cinema length documentary can also go into a single news item in depth. Which in modern news media is less and less likely due to rolling 24 hour news, Twitter etc.

 

[Sue]

I really wanted to see this but it was only at Ritzy for one week. I like Gibneys work. Seen this on DVD:

Taxi to the Dark Side

His docs are not just rants for or against but go into a subject in depth.

Heard Gibney talk about Wikileaks and documentaries. He defended docs as a form of film making to be shown in a cinema not on TV. As he said people go to watch a film in a cinema and concentrate on it for one and a half or two hours. Not like watching a news report at home on TV. The cinema length documentary can also go into a single news item in depth. Which in modern news media is less and less likely due to rolling 24 hour news, Twitter etc.

Agree with all this. Definitely worth catching if you get the chance. I also rather childishly laughed at the 'wank worm'.

 

[little_legs]

Many thanks Gramsci

 

[Reno]

Frances Ha, which was a joy from beginning to end and the rare film these days that clocks in at just under 90 mins, which made it even better. I suppose the things to say are that it's a bit like a Woody Allen film when he was still good (somewhere between Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters) and that it's reminscent of Lena Dunham's Girls, in that it also deals with a 20something New Yorker who struggles to pay her rent and who hasn't found her path in life yet. It even co-stars Adam Driver from Girls. But it has its own feel and Greta Gerwig is great, reminding me a little of Buffy's Willow in her mannerisms and akwardness. She's likeable, funny, flawed and feels too real to ever get twee (which I'm sure some people will accuse the film of being)

It was directed by Noah Baumbach whose films have never quite clicked with me, but this one is very different, probably because he co-wrote it with Gerwig. It's by far the best thing he has done. It's shot in beautiful black and white, has a great soundtrack and features a really shit trip to Paris, which distinguishes it from the phoney mush Woody Allen comes up with these days. Greta Gerwig starred in Allen's To Rome With Love, but like all his European jaunts, that film appeared to be financed by the tourist board of the countries he shoots in these days.

I first noticed the film when I saw the poster while I was in New York this spring. It looks like posters for 70s independent films did, like something for a John Cassavetes film, so I was intrigued:



Footnote, probably only of interest to me: it features US indie music legend Dean Wareham (Galaxy 500, Luna) and his wife and musical partner Britta Phillips in small roles and they also did some of the music. But I nearly yelped "That's Dean Wareham !", which would have been a Frances Ha thing to do.

 

[Dr. Furface]

Frances Ha, which was a joy from beginning to end and the rare film these days that clocks in at just under 90 mins, which made it even better. I suppose the things to say are that it's a bit like a Woody Allen film when he was still good (somewhere between Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters) and that it's reminscent of Lena Dunham's Girls, in that it also deals with a 20something New Yorker who struggles to pay her rent and who hasn't found her path in life yet. It even co-stars Adam Driver from Girls. But it has its own feel and Greta Gerwig is great, reminding me a little of Buffy's Willow in her mannerisms and akwardness. She's likeable, funny, flawed and feels too real to ever get twee (which I'm sure some people will accuse the film of being)

I just saw this and I loved it too, Greta Gerwig is an absolute delight to watch, which means the film as a whole is too as she's in every scene. At first I thought it was going to be a bit too wet but it changed when her flatmate/best mate tells her she's moving out, which reminded me of when something similar happened to me once and left me in similar circumstances. You feel as betrayed and dumped as if you were in a 'real' relationship - out of the blue it throws your life into turmoil as you have to quickly find yourself somewhere new to live while the other person's got their life sorted out, so you have all that resentment to deal with too, while you try to seem all cool about it at the same time. I thought that was brilliantly done and I don't remember seeing that in a film before, but it's something that must happen to so many people, especially in cities like London or New York. Yes, it is slightly reminiscent of Manhattan era Woody but it's much more of a 'real' film simply because Frances is skint - which has never been a problem for anyone in a Woody Allen film!

 

[magneze]

The World's End
Excellent end to the trilogy that no-one knew was a trilogy until the end. Probably the best of the lot too with drinking, action, aliens, pathos and silliness aplenty. I laughed a lot.

 

[pissflaps]

^ thanks for that, mister S.Pegg of North London.

 

[magneze]