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Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| August 2017
- Thread starter Divius
- Start date
brianjones
Member
I didn't know it was pick on the middle aged square day
I have a lot of affection for Forrest Gump.
Inherent Vice (2014): My first rewatch since my initial theatrical viewing. Much like the source novel, it's entertaining on a scene to scene basis, but I don't think it adds up to much. Having a convoluted plot where the plot doesn't actually matter is a tricky thing to pull off, and Paul Thomas Anderson doesn't do it quite as well here as the Coens did in The Big Lebowski. But he's still a damn talented director, so there are scenes of real beauty here.
Inherent Vice (2014): My first rewatch since my initial theatrical viewing. Much like the source novel, it's entertaining on a scene to scene basis, but I don't think it adds up to much. Having a convoluted plot where the plot doesn't actually matter is a tricky thing to pull off, and Paul Thomas Anderson doesn't do it quite as well here as the Coens did in The Big Lebowski. But he's still a damn talented director, so there are scenes of real beauty here.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Hail, Caesar! has to be one of the most pointless, purposeless movies I have ever seen. Jesus Christ, Coens, what the fuck were you thinking?
Vertigo: Been a while since I saw this last, so it was rather illuminating to not only appreciate the ambition that Hitchcock was working with here from a structural standpoint and being even more impressed with how well he was able to pull off all the shifts in genre and how expertly he plays around with our allegiance to Scottie as a protagonist (Jimmy Stewart does a rather good job of playing against type once his obsession turns dangerous), but also to wonder what I must have thought of it back when I originally saw it as a high school student, in which that was an era where I had followed films like the 1998 Godzilla with great zeal. It's possible that I did quite like it even then, but for what reason would be much harder to determine since I didn't have nearly as much of an appreciation for film beyond pure entertainment value. Oh well, if even dumbass me could recognize this as least a very good film even back then, then there clearly was hope for me to turn into the kind of viewer I am today.
Would that it were so simple, though.
HollowCentral
Member
Rewatched about half of Godzilla (2014) to determine if I wanted a copy of it.
I do.
I really need to see Shin Godzilla.
I need to see it again, though, cause it has been a while.
I do.
I really need to see Shin Godzilla.
Aw, I kind of liked it.
I need to see it again, though, cause it has been a while.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
It can go fuck itself.
AngmarsKing701
Member
My teenage sons went to see this when it came out with a group of friends.
They came back from the movie with a "what the fuck did we just watch?" impression of it.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Whether it has "something to say", it's fucking hollow, boring, has no narrative drive, bad characters, is unfunny, is very clunky in its homages to "old Hollywood", and is just a fucking mess.
Ftfy
TissueBox
Member
Pffwah and that is simply where this caravan parts ways. I thought it was competent and charming despite an admittedly lethargic pace, and its overlap with the musical genre were exactly what I wanted from a Coen film -- couldn't help myself. I see where the averse sentiments come from regardless, it is divisive that way.
But you must admit... that
Wes Anderson-esque submarine scene with Channing in the middle of the night
Gold! Or, like a lot of the movie, seemingly overplayed and indulgent, if you took it that way.... but still. It was a movie made for my proclivities I guess.Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Pffwah and that is simply where this caravan parts ways. I thought it was competent and charming despite an admittedly lethargic pace, and its overlap with the musical genre were exactly what I wanted from a Coen film -- couldn't help myself. I see where the averse sentiments come from regardless, it is divisive that way.
But you must admit... that...? I mean that was gold.Wes Anderson-esque submarine scene with Channing in the middle of the night
I appreciated the faux-miniature effect, that's about it. Why it plays out the way it does, why I was supposed to give a fuck, I could not begin to tell you.
Decided to finally see Boogie Nights the other day and went down the PTA rabbit hole just watching his films chronologically from Boogie Nights onward.
So far my ranking goes:
1. Punch-Drunk Love - PTA perfection. Honestly, it gets better with every rewatch. This was my third viewing. Brief and to the point, funny, heartbreaking, intense, romantic. Just so good and underrated.
2. There Will Be Blood - Can't disagree with what most say about this one. It's one of the great American character studies in film, in the pantheon beside Citizen Kane and such. Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano are fucking knockouts.
3. Boogie Nights - Has such a young-filmmaker-pulling-every-trick-in-the-book vibe it's almost distracting, but it's just so exciting and fun as well. Julianne Moore is simply the best.
4. Inherent Vice - haven't seen it since it was in theaters but I remember really liking it. It's a trip. Will rewatch after The Master.
5. Magnolia - was not as high on this movie as most people seem to be. It felt like Anderson was trying to recycle the ensemble-cast narrative he so successfully expressed in Boogie Nights but on the opposite end of the tonal spectrum. It's a good film, and some scenes are pretty amazing, but it really didn't hit me on the level it seemed like it was trying to. Didn't really buy into the singalong but the frogs were great.
6. The Master - watched it a few years ago but didn't pay much attention. Rewatching next.
7. Hard Eight Not a bad debut, but kinda forgettable within PTA's grand filmography.
"Friggin best movie ever"
So far my ranking goes:
1. Punch-Drunk Love - PTA perfection. Honestly, it gets better with every rewatch. This was my third viewing. Brief and to the point, funny, heartbreaking, intense, romantic. Just so good and underrated.
2. There Will Be Blood - Can't disagree with what most say about this one. It's one of the great American character studies in film, in the pantheon beside Citizen Kane and such. Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano are fucking knockouts.
3. Boogie Nights - Has such a young-filmmaker-pulling-every-trick-in-the-book vibe it's almost distracting, but it's just so exciting and fun as well. Julianne Moore is simply the best.
4. Inherent Vice - haven't seen it since it was in theaters but I remember really liking it. It's a trip. Will rewatch after The Master.
5. Magnolia - was not as high on this movie as most people seem to be. It felt like Anderson was trying to recycle the ensemble-cast narrative he so successfully expressed in Boogie Nights but on the opposite end of the tonal spectrum. It's a good film, and some scenes are pretty amazing, but it really didn't hit me on the level it seemed like it was trying to. Didn't really buy into the singalong but the frogs were great.
6. The Master - watched it a few years ago but didn't pay much attention. Rewatching next.
7. Hard Eight Not a bad debut, but kinda forgettable within PTA's grand filmography.
"Friggin best movie ever"
TissueBox
Member
Mrrmm lol, that is fair... still I wouldn't say no to a second impression down the line; you never know if some of the obtuseness would be a little more bearable a second round. *sprinkles post with Hail, Caesar eulogy dust*
Punch Drunk Love #1? Nice. That's my favourite of PTA's too. So tightly paced, great score by Jon Brion, and Adam Sandler is phenomenal.
Magnolia's too low for my liking though, but I will acknowledge that's it's just a sadder and inferior Short Cuts.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I'm currently planning on starting a website/blog where I go through directors' whole filmographies (that I can find, I am but mortal), and the Coens will likely get a series of their own, at some point, when I'm looking for something lighter in between heavy hitters like Herzog and Kubrick and Ozu and all.
Looking forward to it! I selfishly hope you cover Terrence Malick's filmography.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I feel like watching the decline will make me cry, but then, I'm planning on starting with Herzog, which is kinda a similar story.
TissueBox
Member
Ooh that sounds like a good afternoon read, good luck! Nothing like some longform write-ups on film canons, and can't wait to see ya come around on HC. ;p In seriousness, regarding Malick, though his best really was Badlands, can't deny some of the compelling freshness his recent spiritual ventures have provided, even though I really hope he's finished his whole crazy-cam stream of consciousness saga. Tree of Life was never quite topped.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
His best was The Thin Red Line, then Days of Heaven, then The New World, then Tree of Life, then Badlands, then all the recent shite.
I mean if I'm being honest, nothing is topping The Tree of Life. Probably my favourite movie of all time at this point.
After that, it's a tossup between the rest of his work as my second favourite; I'm probably leaning towards The Thin Red Line, but a case can be made for the other films. All of his movies are very, very good.
As for Malick's latter work, To The Wonder and Knight of Cups didn't work for me at all on my first viewings, but in subsequent viewings, I've grown to love them. Song to Song worked me on my first viewing, and is one of my favourite films of 2017 so far.
The New World over The Tree of Life? Nah. I'm cool with the order of the rest, although I kinda love Malick's recent work and how cathartic and bizarre it is.
TissueBox
Member
Okay, Badlands being that low's gotta be some kind of crime. >_< But yeah The Thin Red Line is great, need to give it a long overdue rewatch.
Even with its flaws and meandering impressionistic touches, ToL really is one of the most resonant film experiences I've had the pleasure of undergoing. The kind of ambitious, heart-on-the-sleeve film that you don't see made with the same kind of craft these days, and taken from his more high-concept approaches in stuff like Red Line. I haven't seen Song to Song yet but I liked each subsequent film following Tree of Life a couple notches less... at this point I'm kind of hesitant 'bout Song to Song, but one day perhaps I'll be in the mood and just pop it in.
EDIT: Oh yeah there's also Voyage of Time which genuinely looks fantastic... will take the chance to see it once the opportunity comes.
Song to Song's more of the stuff that To The Wonder and Knight of Cups had, with maybe a touch of Badlands and Days of Heaven (that's a stretch I guess), so I think you'd like it, based on the fact you seem to like those films!
Yep, it was yesterday. RIP.
TissueBox
Member
Well here's to hoping lol, if there's a generous mix of several of his films' good qualities lucky enough to come together in a way that works then it could definitely be something pretty decent.. I'll keep it on the tab.
And oh my didn't know... RIP Eric, was responsible for some real crisp work.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
It's super tough to score this, especially as someone that has their own take on King Arthur I'd love to write one day. There's a whole lot wrong with this. The editing in certain sequences didn't come off as stylistic choices; instead, they came off as sloppy scenes that were edited stylistically to cover up their blemishes. The final act gave me major Burly Brawl vibes, a very CG Charlie Hunnam wistfully semi-hacking and semi-wind-hitting enemies away with a wild camera zipping about.
Most of the characters are just there, occasionally spitting out a witty Ritchie line from time to time, with only a few given something to do. But then you've got the soundtrack, which is a contender of the year for me, some gorgeous tracks in there that really impressed me. And by far the best part of the film, the assassination/street chase sequence. The music and the shots and the pacing brilliantly meet for that whole stretch, and by god it's damn good. It's just a real shame the rest of the movie couldn't meet that quality.
It's super tough to score this, especially as someone that has their own take on King Arthur I'd love to write one day. There's a whole lot wrong with this. The editing in certain sequences didn't come off as stylistic choices; instead, they came off as sloppy scenes that were edited stylistically to cover up their blemishes. The final act gave me major Burly Brawl vibes, a very CG Charlie Hunnam wistfully semi-hacking and semi-wind-hitting enemies away with a wild camera zipping about.
And then there's randomly a massive snake ex machina? What?
Good to see a PTA fan.
I have seen 6 of the 7 films you have ranked (Have yet to see Magnolia). My order would be:
1) There Will Be Blood
2) The Master
3) Boogie Nights
4) Hard Eight
5) Punch Drunk Love
6) Inherent Vice
I do need to re-watch Punch Drunk Love and Boogie Nights though as it's been at least 5 years since I've last seen them.
manfestival
Member
Should I watch arrival?
-Plasma Reus-
Service guarantees member status
Happens when everyone sucks your cock even if your movies are shit from time to time.
True Grit was the last good movie they made.
darkwing-buck
Member
The Neon Demon (2015)
My Review: uh, what?
Beautiful imagery and awesome soundtrack. Anyone feel like the music felt like Jesper Kyd?
Other then that don't know what to say about the film's, "plot", lol.
Was fun just to see
play a creep.
Yes
Amy Adams got robbed of a nomination for her role in Arrival!
My Review: uh, what?
Beautiful imagery and awesome soundtrack. Anyone feel like the music felt like Jesper Kyd?
Other then that don't know what to say about the film's, "plot", lol.
Was fun just to see
Keanu Reeves
Yes
Amy Adams got robbed of a nomination for her role in Arrival!
AngmarsKing701
Member
Not just a nomination but the win. Totally robbed.Yes
Amy Adams got robbed of a nomination for her role in Arrival!
Boogie Nights
Magnolia
Punch Drunk Love
Blood
Vice
Master
Hard Eight
I didn't like the last four. I was completely detached and it doesn't have the emotion (or heart) like the first three to me.
Fancy Clown
Member
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom:
"Indy, let's get out of here!"
"Yeah. All of us."
Temple of Doom is pretty much one Lawrence Kasdan rewrite away from being the best Indiana Jones movie. Of course, Kasdan turned down the offer to write the film for many of the same reasons it seems to be a lot of folks least favorite entry in the series (including Spielberg himself): it's too dark, too nasty, and too mean-spirited. Ignoring the fact that it should be dark because it's the temple of fucking doom, I included the above quote from the movie because the somewhat shocking level darkness this film exhibits actually serves a point beyond just being an Indiana Jones themed horror film: it brutally rips the heart right out of the movie for all to bare.
This is the movie about how Indiana Jones becomes a hero (most people probably don't realize that this sequel is actually a prequel set one year before Raiders), but before he can credibly begin to change paths from "fortune and glory" seeker to "it belongs in a museum!" do-gooder, he has to suffer. A lot. But Indiana Jones never suffers alone, and though much stink has been made about his child side-kick Short Round, I find him to be crucial to the surprising emotional core of the story and entirely endearing in his own right. The surrogate father storyline between Shortie and Dr. Jones is comfortable territory for Spielberg to handle, and he manages to weave a tender tale between the two rogues (touching shades of Jaws are seen when Shortie mimics Jones resting his head in his hands in the background of one scene) that becomes fully exposed once the two have endured the tribulations of the Thugee cult. Shortie is also crucial in that he gives sufficient cause for Indy to become selfless, as he reflects his paternal obligation (that is core to the entire arc of the series) Jones has for not just Shortie, but to all the child slaves. He has seen how his "son" has suffered, and he will allow it no more. The childlike wonder Shortie holds for Indy is the perfect conduit for us to see Indiana Jones as the hero we know him to become, and when he delivers the fateful lines <i>"all of us"</i>, few will be prepared for the monumentally badass sequence of heroics to follow. And it's all earned. Every sequence of sinister atmospherics, heart ripping, voodoo doll stabbing, brain-washing, child-beating darkness that Spielberg and many Indy fans have rallied against earned Indy the right to be a hero, and it's fucking beautiful.
And my god, the action. While I don't think any individual sequence here is as strong as the caravan chase from Raiders, the way they are breathlessly strung together in increasingly tense and wildly creative set-pieces is something that few action movies can compete with. I've seen this movie a bunch of times now and each sequence still gets my blood pumping like you wouldn't believe. And it just keeps going. The finale is three back to back set-pieces in a row, any one of them climactic and impressive enough to cap off a lesser action movie, and that's not even half of the major action sequences in the movie.
But, as I mentioned earlier, it is missing that final bit of polish and charm that Kasdan clearly brought to Raiders to push this one over the edge. Willie Scott, while less disastrous than many purport since her annoying personality is a great source of humor for Ford to react to, is no Marion, and there's some pretty ugly representations of race in here (I mean Indiana Jones at its core is already ethnocentric as hell, but c'mon). Like Kasdan said, it can certainly be mean and nasty at times. I get why it puts people off, but I still love this movie dearly.
I love the opening musical number and back to back to back action sequences that jump start the film. I love the ever increasing sense of dread and atmospherics leading up to the titular Temple. I love the cinematography and use of colored lights to emphasize the hellishness of the setting. I love John Williams score, particularly Short Rounds theme. I love how much of a bonafide badass Indy is in this movie ("You'll see Kali...IN HELL!"). I love Amrish Puri's delightfully sinister work as the villainous Mola Ram. And, most of all, I love how the film dared to be something different. It doesn't repeat what worked in Raiders, but capitalizes on the serial nature of the concept of Indiana Jones and isn't afraid to be something off-putting, even for the man who made it.
"Indy, let's get out of here!"
"Yeah. All of us."
Temple of Doom is pretty much one Lawrence Kasdan rewrite away from being the best Indiana Jones movie. Of course, Kasdan turned down the offer to write the film for many of the same reasons it seems to be a lot of folks least favorite entry in the series (including Spielberg himself): it's too dark, too nasty, and too mean-spirited. Ignoring the fact that it should be dark because it's the temple of fucking doom, I included the above quote from the movie because the somewhat shocking level darkness this film exhibits actually serves a point beyond just being an Indiana Jones themed horror film: it brutally rips the heart right out of the movie for all to bare.
This is the movie about how Indiana Jones becomes a hero (most people probably don't realize that this sequel is actually a prequel set one year before Raiders), but before he can credibly begin to change paths from "fortune and glory" seeker to "it belongs in a museum!" do-gooder, he has to suffer. A lot. But Indiana Jones never suffers alone, and though much stink has been made about his child side-kick Short Round, I find him to be crucial to the surprising emotional core of the story and entirely endearing in his own right. The surrogate father storyline between Shortie and Dr. Jones is comfortable territory for Spielberg to handle, and he manages to weave a tender tale between the two rogues (touching shades of Jaws are seen when Shortie mimics Jones resting his head in his hands in the background of one scene) that becomes fully exposed once the two have endured the tribulations of the Thugee cult. Shortie is also crucial in that he gives sufficient cause for Indy to become selfless, as he reflects his paternal obligation (that is core to the entire arc of the series) Jones has for not just Shortie, but to all the child slaves. He has seen how his "son" has suffered, and he will allow it no more. The childlike wonder Shortie holds for Indy is the perfect conduit for us to see Indiana Jones as the hero we know him to become, and when he delivers the fateful lines <i>"all of us"</i>, few will be prepared for the monumentally badass sequence of heroics to follow. And it's all earned. Every sequence of sinister atmospherics, heart ripping, voodoo doll stabbing, brain-washing, child-beating darkness that Spielberg and many Indy fans have rallied against earned Indy the right to be a hero, and it's fucking beautiful.
And my god, the action. While I don't think any individual sequence here is as strong as the caravan chase from Raiders, the way they are breathlessly strung together in increasingly tense and wildly creative set-pieces is something that few action movies can compete with. I've seen this movie a bunch of times now and each sequence still gets my blood pumping like you wouldn't believe. And it just keeps going. The finale is three back to back set-pieces in a row, any one of them climactic and impressive enough to cap off a lesser action movie, and that's not even half of the major action sequences in the movie.
But, as I mentioned earlier, it is missing that final bit of polish and charm that Kasdan clearly brought to Raiders to push this one over the edge. Willie Scott, while less disastrous than many purport since her annoying personality is a great source of humor for Ford to react to, is no Marion, and there's some pretty ugly representations of race in here (I mean Indiana Jones at its core is already ethnocentric as hell, but c'mon). Like Kasdan said, it can certainly be mean and nasty at times. I get why it puts people off, but I still love this movie dearly.
I love the opening musical number and back to back to back action sequences that jump start the film. I love the ever increasing sense of dread and atmospherics leading up to the titular Temple. I love the cinematography and use of colored lights to emphasize the hellishness of the setting. I love John Williams score, particularly Short Rounds theme. I love how much of a bonafide badass Indy is in this movie ("You'll see Kali...IN HELL!"). I love Amrish Puri's delightfully sinister work as the villainous Mola Ram. And, most of all, I love how the film dared to be something different. It doesn't repeat what worked in Raiders, but capitalizes on the serial nature of the concept of Indiana Jones and isn't afraid to be something off-putting, even for the man who made it.
Fuck that. Inside Llewyn Davis is their best film.
AngmarsKing701
Member
I had forgotten Temple was set before Raiders. If someone had never seen these films, would you start with Temple and then show Raiders?
Fancy Clown
Member
Atomic Blonde: Basically the coolest vodka commercial ever made. As a spy thriller though, it kinda sucks. While oh-so stylish with its chilly aesthetics and very fitting, very obvious pop music soundtrack (they find not one, but two occasions to play 99 Luftballons), there's not a single realized character in the movie and a lot of time is spent on explaining the overly byzantine plot mechanics surrounding the MacGuffin, including a framing narrative that continuously halts the narrative momentum to explain more things. Late in the film one of the characters spikes the lens and asks us "the real question is what the game is, and who's side am I on?" or some such nonsense, and the only answer I could muster was "who gives a shit?". Its tough to follow but even tougher to care.
Unsurprisingly from the John Wick director the film is most confident as an action movie. There's a dazzling centerpiece action sequence that I suspect has been garnering a lot of attention for being executed all in one take (or made to look like one take), and while that is impressive, I found it to be most effective because for its entire duration there's no soundtrack to it and it cuts out almost all extraneous background noise. It's incredible how much tension can be garnered when you cut the sound from a movie that has a pop song playing through almost every other scene.
Charlize Theron is also perfectly suited to the role, able to both credibly kick all sorts of ass, but also slide like a wraith through the coldness this film exudes. It's just unfortunate the film spends far more time to very pretty, very boring, slinky spy machinations and aesthetically driven music-video shots than letting Theron kick ass.
Nah, release order. Although it matters less with the serialized nature of these movies, there's at least one gag that calls back to Raiders.
Unsurprisingly from the John Wick director the film is most confident as an action movie. There's a dazzling centerpiece action sequence that I suspect has been garnering a lot of attention for being executed all in one take (or made to look like one take), and while that is impressive, I found it to be most effective because for its entire duration there's no soundtrack to it and it cuts out almost all extraneous background noise. It's incredible how much tension can be garnered when you cut the sound from a movie that has a pop song playing through almost every other scene.
Charlize Theron is also perfectly suited to the role, able to both credibly kick all sorts of ass, but also slide like a wraith through the coldness this film exudes. It's just unfortunate the film spends far more time to very pretty, very boring, slinky spy machinations and aesthetically driven music-video shots than letting Theron kick ass.
Nah, release order. Although it matters less with the serialized nature of these movies, there's at least one gag that calls back to Raiders.
Messofanego
Banned
I'm not the only one who got pissed off at this overly preachy pseudo-philosopher in frickin' suspenders at the party scene in A Ghost Story, right? Him and Casey Affleck's character in the third act blatantly spelling out the themes of the film like it's about history, nostalgia for a place, and finding meaning in all the time that passes kind of ruins the mostly visual storytelling method that it was going for, which was reminiscent of Apitchatpong-esque magical realist atmosphere. Andrew Droz Palermo's cinematography is the highlight here. For example, there are a couple of scenes where the ghost looks at Rooney Mara's character leaving the house on different days and the new tenants like the mexican kids running around multiple times in the same shot. The natural lighting and wide shots make for painterly visuals. There are some great long shots that make for incredibly intimate moments like early on when the couple is just in bed kissing or Rooney Mara just eating a pie for several minutes to just distract herself from the grief but then ending up crying. I was not expecting to be reminded of Interstellar with the
ghost and time loop
Eddie and the Cruisers Michael Pare as the singer of a Beatles type band that disappears mysteriously. Kind of a cool story that really didn't excel. I mean it has all the elements to make a great story but just doesn't quite get there. Decent enough for a watch though.
Kong Skull Island I think this is bad ass. The opening really sets the tempo nicely and you get some big ass monsters. Loved it!
Kong Skull Island I think this is bad ass. The opening really sets the tempo nicely and you get some big ass monsters. Loved it!
Southside with You (2016): Hey, remember the Obamas? The events of this summer of our discontent continue to bathe the preceding administration in a warmly nostalgic glow, and this earnest depiction of the First Couple's first date in 1989 is a charmer. Southside with You of course predates the Trump Administration, but it's a lovely antidote to it, even if Barack's earnest paean to constructive politics can feel deeply optimistic at this particular moment in history.
Reviewers have pretty much beaten the Richard Linklater comparison into the ground in discussing this film, but that doesn't make it any less apt. This sort of film rests almost entirely on actor chemistry, and Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter ace that test. The writing is frequently engaging, though occasionally it becomes rather heavy-handed in its desire to contextualize both characters' pasts and futures all in the course of a few hours (one doubts that Barack and Michelle immediately dove into such heavy subjects on a first date). Directorially, this is a stylish, confident feature.
The other obvious point of comparison with this movie is Vikram Gandhi's 2016 feature film Barry, to which Southside with You functions as an apt bookend. Whereas that film depicted Obama's 1981 beginnings at Columbia and his turning away from full immersion into white society, Southside with You picks up in 1989 with an Obama who has done a stint in community organizing and is in the process of beginning his legal career and fully integrating into Chicago's vibrant black community. I think the two are of approximately similar quality, though depending on one's preferred style of storytelling, you might have stronger feelings one way or another.
Reviewers have pretty much beaten the Richard Linklater comparison into the ground in discussing this film, but that doesn't make it any less apt. This sort of film rests almost entirely on actor chemistry, and Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter ace that test. The writing is frequently engaging, though occasionally it becomes rather heavy-handed in its desire to contextualize both characters' pasts and futures all in the course of a few hours (one doubts that Barack and Michelle immediately dove into such heavy subjects on a first date). Directorially, this is a stylish, confident feature.
The other obvious point of comparison with this movie is Vikram Gandhi's 2016 feature film Barry, to which Southside with You functions as an apt bookend. Whereas that film depicted Obama's 1981 beginnings at Columbia and his turning away from full immersion into white society, Southside with You picks up in 1989 with an Obama who has done a stint in community organizing and is in the process of beginning his legal career and fully integrating into Chicago's vibrant black community. I think the two are of approximately similar quality, though depending on one's preferred style of storytelling, you might have stronger feelings one way or another.
Head of Vengarl
Banned
Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War
Oh man, this is the best war movie I've seen in quite a while. The story and main characters were compelling and the battle scenes were brutal and riveting. I had to hold back tears at the end, which is rare for me. I've never watched a Korean movie before, but I clearly need to check more of them out because that was a damn good movie.
Oh man, this is the best war movie I've seen in quite a while. The story and main characters were compelling and the battle scenes were brutal and riveting. I had to hold back tears at the end, which is rare for me. I've never watched a Korean movie before, but I clearly need to check more of them out because that was a damn good movie.
Infernostew
Member
I've never stopped a film to post on gaf but in Risk Laura Poitras's follow up to Citizenfour... there's a scene where Julian Assange is being interviewed and having a conversation with fuckin Lady Gaga. WTF?!?! This has gone completely off the rails...
Messofanego
Banned
It feels like Lady Gaga is having her Russell Brand moment of being politically eager and naive at the same time lol. I really liked Risk for the same reason I liked Exit Through The Gift Shop, The Imposter, or Cartel Land where the plot completely changes. Like once Julian has totally lost it and the allegations pile up enough that you can't ignore.
Infernostew
Member
I didn't really like the first half of the film since it was just treading on information that I already knew and was more of a personal profile of Assange. Once she skipped the film to 3 years later then it got really interesting but ended too soon after that. It was just ok. Definitely a decent companion piece to Gibney's We Steal Secrets and Citizenfour (as Snowden's story has a small part in this one) but it's not nearly as engaging as the other two.
Edit: but like you were saying, she definitely had a concrete idea on what this film was going to be like and it completely changed on her.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
(Well, it was just called Alan Partridge on Netflix.)
This one was some good times. A comedy hostage situation is so bizarre, but having Steve Coogan's character, having seen Partridge over the years, turn it into a career opportunity makes it all click. His clueless behavior, his vanity and ego, and his weird asides all add up to a movie that isn't always funny, but it has a ton of fantastic moments that are, and the less funny bits are still entertaining as hell.
The Voices
The movie is good. I'll lead with that. It just made me mega uncomfortable (likely the point). Ryan Reynolds does a perfect job, and the way the movie unfolds is well done. I don't know, something about how sweet and kind Anna Kendrick was in the movie really hit me, haha. The movie took a turn from there. But it's still good, even if I actively disliked it from then onward.
(Well, it was just called Alan Partridge on Netflix.)
This one was some good times. A comedy hostage situation is so bizarre, but having Steve Coogan's character, having seen Partridge over the years, turn it into a career opportunity makes it all click. His clueless behavior, his vanity and ego, and his weird asides all add up to a movie that isn't always funny, but it has a ton of fantastic moments that are, and the less funny bits are still entertaining as hell.
The Voices
The movie is good. I'll lead with that. It just made me mega uncomfortable (likely the point). Ryan Reynolds does a perfect job, and the way the movie unfolds is well done. I don't know, something about how sweet and kind Anna Kendrick was in the movie really hit me, haha. The movie took a turn from there. But it's still good, even if I actively disliked it from then onward.
brianjones
Member
kinda baffled how well received this movie appears to be.. especially post goodfellas and even casino
has zero style and perpetuates every cornball stereotype lol