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

[redsquirrel]

I questioned it's historical accuracy about what information Germans knew about the holocaust straight after the war. I guess I couldn't work out whether the 15yr old was a metaphor for the German nation or was her story just one singular experience.

I didn't think it was problematical at all.
There were Germans (and others) who didn't (or refused to) believe the reports about the death camps. And I'm not sure how having some of the characters refuse to accept the truth makes the film problematical? It's not like the film is endorsing that point of view.

How so? I was considering going to that this weekend

I totally recommend it, very good film, with some excellent performances from the child actors.

 

[bolshiebhoy]

Seeing Ken Loach on BBCQT made me fantasise about a Loach remake of Argo. Very short film. The USA sends the Shah back to Iran to face justice for his crimes. The embassy hostages go home. The End. Running time ten minutes. Wouldn't win an Oscar but a much better film

 

[Reno]

Seeing Ken Loach on BBCQT made me fantasise about a Loach remake of Argo. Very short film. The USA sends the Shah back to Iran to face justice for his crimes. The embassy hostages go home. The End. Running time ten minutes. Wouldn't win an Oscar but a much better film

Judging from Loach's recent films, which were about as subtle as a sledge hammer and as cinematic as an episode of Coronation Street, it would be less commercial and far more worthy, but I doubt it would be a much better film.

 

[pennimania]

No - Pablo Larrain.

About the campaign against Pinochet. Excellent.

 

[Reno]

Stoker by Chan-wook Park, which is more proof that when Asian directors go Hollywood, most of them make films so bad, it makes me question whether they were ever any good in the first place. And yet the fans of the director were ready to love this long before it came out and have convinced themselves that it is great, hence this dross has a 7.9 rating on Imdb.

Taking Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt as a jumping off point, without understanding how it works formally, emotionally or as a thriller, it's an empty, airless film which just lies there to be stylish. You may just as well leaf through an issue of Elle Decor and get the same result. The screenplay is basic and totally predictable for anybody who ever has seen a psycho thriller. Wentworth Miller the TV actor turned screenwriter of the film basically replaces Hitchcock's and Thornton Wilder's rite-of-passage heartbreak with glib misanthropy and otherwise gets out of the way for the life style magazine images.

The characters are as thin as cardboard and none of them seem to have interior lives or a single recognisably human emotion. Everything they do is to fit into the visual design which is really just an aesthetic overfamiliar from the type of commercials which in turn have borrowed liberally from David Lynch and Tim Burton.

Fuck off back to Korea Chan-wook Park and make more vengeance films.

 

[redsquirrel]

When I heard that this was using Shadow of a Doubt as a sort of template I was looking forward to seeing it, but pretty much every review I've seen of it has been at best mediocre.

 

[Reno]

...and 'mediocre" is being kind.

 

[redsquirrel]

Anna Karenina - I love the book (it's probably my favourite of all time) but I'm realistic enough to realise that no film adaptation is ever going to manage to really do justice to it, so I was prepared to (or at least try to) judge the film for itself. Unfortunately, even this fails even on that level.

The device of setting the film as a play on the stage was an interesting idea but it doesn't work either on a cinematic level (it makes the film seem very busy and annoying) and thematically (it removes the books greatest strength - it's amazing subtly). What's even worse is that at times Wright seems to forget the theatre idea and sometimes simply switches between scenes in a normal manner. While I think they should have jettisoned the theatre idea, if they wanted to use it I think they should have gone all the way using it half the time just makes more of a mess.

The casting is also problematical, the bloke playing Vronsky was pretty bland and while she gave a good try Kiera Knightly didn't manage to convince me as Anna (though in fairness I think it's an incredibly difficult part to play, I can't think of many actresses who could pull it off).

The best bits of the film are the Kitty and Levin parts, which IMO capture the essence of that part of the book. Unfortunately, they account for only a smallish part of the film.
I kind of wish I could be positive about the film as the cast and crew obviously put a lot of effort into a difficult project but the result just doesn't work.

 

[Sue]

Stoker by Chan-wook Park, which is more proof that when Asian directors go Hollywood, most of them make films so bad, it makes me question whether they were ever any good in the first place. And yet the fans of the director were ready to love this long before it came out and have convinced themselves that it is great, hence this dross has a 7.9 rating on Imdb.

Taking Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt as a jumping off point, without understanding how it works formally, emotionally or as a thriller, it's an empty, airless film which just lies there to be stylish. You may just as well leaf through an issue of Elle Decor and get the same result. The screenplay is basic and totally predictable for anybody who ever has seen a psycho thriller. Wentworth Miller the TV actor turned screenwriter of the film basically replaces Hitchcock's and Thornton Wilder's rite-of-passage heartbreak with glib misanthropy and otherwise gets out of the way for the life style magazine images.

The characters are as thin as cardboard and none of them seem to have interior lives or a single recognisably human emotion. Everything they do is to fit into the visual design which is really just an aesthetic overfamiliar from the type of commercials which in turn have borrowed liberally from David Lynch and Tim Burton.

Fuck off back to Korea Chan-wook Park and make more vengeance films.

Saw this earlier. Very disappointing.

 

[Reno]

Saw this earlier. Very disappointing.

Glad to see that I'm not alone. I can't believe the generous reviews this has been getting and on another forum I got a lot of hate for stating that the film isn't any good. Some people seem to be determined that this is a good film thanks to the director and they stick to it despite all evidence to the opposite.

 

[Sue]

Glad to see that I'm not alone. I can't believe the generous reviews this has been getting and on another forum I got a lot of hate for stating that the film isn't any good. Some people seem to be determined that this is a good film thanks to the director and they stick to it despite all evidence to the opposite.

Thought it started out reasonably well but then there just wasn't anything there (or not anything that wasn't quite predictable). Felt very 'was that it?' at the end which is disappointing when you know the director can do so much better.

 

[Silverghost]

Cloud Atlas.

 

[Reno]

...and ?

 

[pissflaps]

Cloud Atlas.

easily the worst film anyone will see this year. like watching 7 shit films at once. All with Tom Hanks in them.

torturous.

 

[Callie]

...and ?

tbf the thread title is 'list the films youve seen in the cinema:2013' doesnt say owt about having an opinion

 

[Silverghost]

easily the worst film anyone will see this year. like watching 7 shit films at once. All with Tom Hanks in them.

torturous.

Damn. I was going to say it resembled some of the recurring fantasies in my mind.

THANKS FOR TELLING ME MY MIND IS MADE OF 7 SHITE FILMS. I guess it speaks for me being a horrible director of my own life. Mmph.

[Though, I'll've to agree with you on the Tom Hanks not being particularly suitable a cast, but I'm grateful it isn't another Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds - I did, however, enjoy Tom Hanks in 'The Green Mile', I must say.]

 

[Reno]

tbf the thread title is 'list the films youve seen in the cinema:2013' doesnt say owt about having an opinion

Who gives a shit what you've seen without letting anybody know what you though about it.

 

[pissflaps]

and 'yellowing up' is the new 'blackface'.

 

[Silverghost]

Who gives a shit what you've seen without letting anybody know what you though about it.

..AND I wondered as I always had if all our faith and what we worshiped isn't simply another fallen leftist hero[in], after and as I was watching the film.

[Cheers for wanting to know my opinion, still.. why would you subject yourself to such torture, Reno? Tsk.]

 

[pissflaps]

I wonder if tom hanks signs all his cheques with " T.hanks" ?

 

[Callie]

Who gives a shit what you've seen without letting anybody know what you though about it.

ANGRY

 

[Silverghost]

Damn. I was going to say it resembled some of the recurring fantasies in my mind.

THANKS FOR TELLING ME MY MIND IS MADE OF 7 SHITE FILMS. I guess it speaks for me being a horrible director of my own life. Mmph.

[Though, I'll've to agree with you on the Tom Hanks not being particularly suitable a cast, but I'm grateful it isn't another Ryan Gosling or Ryan Reynolds - I did, however, enjoy Tom Hanks in 'The Green Mile', I must say.]

Oh! OH! There was a fairly satiating soft-porn-esque scene which I was highly anticipating knowing the courtesy of the Wachowski brother - yes, it was mildy enjoyable because it made my sex life look amazing.

 

[Sue]

easily the worst film anyone will see this year. like watching 7 shit films at once. All with Tom Hanks in them.

torturous.

Haven't seen it (don't fancy it at all) but a friend said the makeup was the worst she'd ever seen in a film...

 

[pissflaps]

Haven't seen it (don't fancy it at all) but a friend said the makeup was the worst she'd ever seen in a film...

see point about yellowing up.

 

[Reno]

ANGRY

I see little point in speaking if you have nothing to say.

BTW, Cloud Atlas does look horrible from the trailer, but it has been getting some surprisingly good reviews in the UK. I'm mildly intrigued by the film, so I'm interested by what people make of it.

 

[pissflaps]

I see little point in speaking if you have nothing to say.

BTW, Cloud Atlas does look horrible from the trailer, but it has been getting some surprisingly good reviews in the UK. I'm mildly intrigued by the film, so I'm interested by what people make of it.

really? who. name and shame.

 

[Reno]

really? who. name and shame.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cloud_atlas_2012/

It can't be worse than the "well reviewed" Stoker though which is an early candidate of worst film of the year for me.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

I didn't think it was problematical at all.
There were Germans (and others) who didn't (or refused to) believe the reports about the death camps. And I'm not sure how having some of the characters refuse to accept the truth makes the film problematical? It's not like the film is endorsing that point of view.

My problem was with the 15yr girl making a very clear rejection of her elders in light of the holocaust. That didn't seem plausible with the scant information she'd picked up during her journey. I'm not sure things could be so resolved in the days and weeks after the war.

 

[Silverghost]

I see little point in speaking if you have nothing to say.

BTW, Cloud Atlas does look horrible from the trailer, but it has been getting some surprisingly good reviews in the UK. I'm mildly intrigued by the film, so I'm interested by what people make of it.

I enjoyed it, in spite of all the flaws one couldn't begin to end pointing out. I suppose it might be because it represented something from my mind - give it a go.

 

[Reno]

I enjoyed it, in spite of all the flaws one couldn't begin to end pointing out. I suppose it might be because it represented something from my mind - give it a go.

I didn't realise the film-makers had access to your mind.