List the films you've seen at the cinema: 2019

[Orang Utan]

I Lost My Body
Visually arresting French cartoon about a disembodied hand searching for its owner. It did verge on Amelie-twee, but the animation and score dispelled the slight nausea enough to carry you along with its magic. 3 manky body parts of 5
(this is a Netflix film but I caught it on the big screen at Leeds Film Festival)

 

[Orang Utan]

Fire Will Come
A middle-aged man returns to his mother's farm in Galicia after serving time in prison. Filmed in 16mm, Galicia looks beautiful, though far from bucolic, as natural (or not?) events threaten the area's peaceful existence. 3 Harry Dean Stanton lookalikes out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

The Irishman
Scorsese's gangster epic made for Netflix, so tragically destined to be viewed on small screens. Glad I saw it on a big one - it would probably take me several sittings at home. Despite misgivings about its length, it speeds along compellingly and there are some fantastic performances, Pacino aside (he just shouts). Anna Paquin is underused though. 4 stupid nicknames out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

Ghost Tropic
Enigmatic, often tedious Belgian oddity about a cleaner who falls asleep on the last train and has to make her way home on foot. En route, she meets various characters, and that's about it. 2 irritatingly elliptic cutaways out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

The Kingmaker
Illuminating documentary on monstrous shoe-hoarder Imelda Marcos, wife of Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Her egotism and self-delusion is portrayed deftly, with moments such as her handing money out to people in the slums, money she and her family stole from their country. There's a telling moment when she is simpering about being the mother of her country, and when she mentions her own mother she accidentally says 'money' instead.
3 (thousand) ugly pairs of shoes out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

The Days Of The Bagnold Summer.
Simon Bird off of Inbetweeners' directorial debut, starring the amazing Monica Dolan and Earl Cave (son of Nick, and the spit of him) as mother and son. She's lonely, he's a typically horrible adolescent. Absolutely loved it - funny, tender and a spot on observation of those difficult teenage years. Would work well in a double bill with Submarine. 5 unwashed stroppy teens out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

Ordinary Love
Romantic drama about a middle-aged couple facing serious illness. Lesley Manville is not surprisingly brilliant, but I was surprised to see that Liam Neeson is more than a match for her in the acting department, having got used to him growling and shooting people in the face in recent years. It's a bit of a weepie but the couple's relationship and the struggles they face are very convincingly played.
4 wig tea cosies out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

Adam
Heartbreaking Moroccan drama about a pregnant young woman who is taken in by an aloof female baker with a young daughter. An unexpected friendship develops. Seriously good. Must watch director Maryam Touzani's other films now.
5 delicious pastries out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

Dead Dicks
First film in the Day Of The Dead mini horror festival.
An interesting premise - doppelgangers, time-loops - let down by amateurish acting and dodgy treatment of mental health.
3 curious wall blemishes out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

Darlin'
Risible and tasteless feral cannibal child tale from Polyanna Mackintosh, also starring. While necessarily far-fetched, it has no internal logic whatsoever. Shame as Darlin' herself, played by Lauryn Canny, is the only good thing in it
1 perverted priest out of 5

 

[Pickman's model]

bait

 

[Orang Utan]

bait

And?

 

[Orang Utan]

Come To Daddy
Wacky, though slow to get going gorefest starring Elijah Wood, visiting the father who abandoned him when he was small. The ever dependable Michael Smiley supports, but it's not as funny as it wants to be. 3 hideous haircuts out of 5

 

[Pickman's model]

And?

This is the list the films thread

 

[Orang Utan]

This is the list the films thread

Sure, but it's kinda pointless if you don't say what you think about it.

 

[Pickman's model]

Sure, but it's kinda pointless if you don't say what you think about it.

by no means

 

[Orang Utan]

by no means

Not sure what good it does just to list things lol

 

[The39thStep]

Not sure what good it does just to list things lol

You keep it up pal, I read your short but succinct reviews to find films I might like.

 

[Orang Utan]

Extra Ordinary
Hilarious Irish comedy horror about an ex ghost-buster driving instructor drawn back in despite tragic past events. I think this could be an audience favourite (I'm at a film festival if you haven't already guessed)
5 barfed up ectoplasms out of 5

 

[Pickman's model]

Not sure what good it does just to list things lol

You do it your way and I'll do it mine

 

[Orang Utan]

Little Monsters
Another very funny comedy horror, this time from Oz and starring a spirited Lupita Nyong'o as a school teacher defending her class from zombies in a theme park. Think Zombieland but with even more laughs.
5 foul-mouthed drunk Mr Tumbles out of 5

 

[cybershot]

Midway. Really enjoyed it and for once a war film that is pretty accurate historically.

 

[Orang Utan]

Judy & Punch
Period retelling of the traditional seaside show. Mostly fun, but let down by a jarring modern score and other anachronisms. And the mostly Australian cast needed better dialogue coaching as their accents were all over the place. 3 strings of sausages out of 5

 

[blossie33]

Judy & Punch
Period retelling of the traditional seaside show. Mostly fun, but let down by a jarring modern score and other anachronisms. And the mostly Australian cast needed better dialogue coaching as their accents were all over the place. 3 strings of sausages out of 5

I didn't think that was released until the 22nd - I've seen the trailer and thought it looked interesting.

 

[Orang Utan]

I didn't think that was released until the 22nd - I've seen the trailer and thought it looked interesting.

It was a screening at Leeds Film Festival

 

[Orang Utan]

The Report
Dry and uncinematic film about the US Senate investigating the use of torture by the CIA. The most star-studded of the films I've seen so far but this sort of thing works better on the small screen. 2 redacted files out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

Mirror
Seen as Tarkovsky's masterpiece by many, this went above my head and made me feel stupid It's rather opaque - will have to read about it later. There are some dazzling compositions in but Solaris and Stalker affected me way more than this. 3 impossible shots out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

The Nightingale
A dark revenge thriller from The Babadook's Jennifer Kent. This gruelling story, about an Irish indentured servant teaming up with an Aboriginal guide, is a bit of a slog but it addresses Australian's violent origins head on. 4 despoiling poms out of 5

 

[Orang Utan]

Here For Life
Odd documentary about marginalised Londoners coming together for a vague arts project/play and talking about their troubled pasts and presents. Spotted a few familiar Brixton/squat types in it and there are some nice shots of Brixton Market. You can tell it was made by posh people. 2 Common People out of 5

 

[Dr. Furface]

The Irishman
Scorsese's gangster epic made for Netflix, so tragically destined to be viewed on small screens. Glad I saw it on a big one - it would probably take me several sittings at home. Despite misgivings about its length, it speeds along compellingly and there are some fantastic performances, Pacino aside (he just shouts). Anna Paquin is underused though. 4 stupid nicknames out of 5

I thought Pacino's performance was outstanding (there's a lot more to it than shouting) but agree about Paquin - it's baffling that they felt they needed an A-lister for a role that involved hardly any acting and who only speaks about 4 words. But that's a minor quibble in what is generally a gripping film, surely the last of the great mafia epics.