This pleasantly surprised me on rewatch at what a subtle and delicate film it often is. Powered by a remarkable naturalistic and understated performance by Stallone, who creates a lovable loser with the drive to go the distance. The strongest parts of the films are actually the quiet scenes that depict the loneliness and awkwardness of this wounded character. That said, The fight scenes is brutal and brilliant, though the whole thing is let down slightly by an overly abrupt ending.
Home Alone succeeds in finding the perfect tone to blend what should be a bizarre mix of soppy Christmas comedy and deeply violent revenge fantasy. It’s the stylisation that does it - the knowing looks to camera, the OTT screams of realisation, and of course the subliming executed violence, which takes a leaf out of the LoonyToons book by making it both cartoonish and absolutely mercilessly brutal. As Tarantino understands, if you want the audience to enjoy brutal pain being inflicted on characters, they need to be unmistakably ‘bad’. As loony toons understood, they also need to be stupid and arrogant. And it’s the violence that is the real draw here (other than the most iconic child star in the world), which works so well because it all feels more or less plausible. In fact, The simpler the better. Few things are better than watching Joe Pesci get a paint can in the face.
The sequel really gives nothing new, taking exactly the same template as the first and relocating it. But it does it just as well as the first, an opportunity to see more inventive pain being inflicted.
The softer side of the films are also effective at times though somewhat shallow. Ultimately these are films of moments rather than wholes. But there are some brilliant moments.
A strong entry to the Small Axe series, much longer than the others but takes the common structure of having a first half build up and second half courtroom drama, which always allows a film to be longer without feeling too long because of the radical change in nature of what we’re watching. Steve McQueen handles it well, it’s stirring and detailed. Would actually like something longer with even more context to better build the suspense and jeopardy of the courtroom sections, as it is I felt there were some missed opportunities. But an impressive and memorable. part of the series nonetheless.
After the fact it’s actually difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s so great about Education. On paper it might sound overly preachy and political but in practice it’s a sincere and heartfelt personal tale. McQueen achieves a masterful filmmaking balance that affected me without realising why. And while I could have done with a little less handheld, it was still one of the best looking films I’ve seen in ages.
Competent throughout but by the end feels like less than the sum of its parts. The family element was the most successful for me, even if much of the conversation between family members felt like they were just going through the motions instead of really connecting.
Some good action scenes, though sometimes overlong and repetitive. Much of the essential story exposition also feels rushed or simply not set up sufficiently to deserve the payoff. Likely this was initially a much longer script that was cut as Disney to have started imposing 2hr 15 limits on their recent straight to Disney plus films.
Throughout I felt something disconnecting me, getting in the way of me engaging more, which I largely put down the the very conventional use of music and sound, putting a buffer between me and the actual sound of the film world - but this is a very common issue I have with mainstream films, and is particularly noticeable in the David Attenborough wildlife documentaries, which can be otherwise incredible but I find my brain switching off with the music. It tells me not to pay attention and instead saps the tension from scenes. Why it’s more of a problem here than in many other marvel films, I don’t know, but it would be interesting to study.
There’s nothing mind-blowing here but it’s all very well put together and of course the songs are brilliant. I’m not sure there’s much to satisfy non-fans but then if you’re not a fan of The Velvet Underground, you should be, and surely most people would have at least a passing interest in this period of music and art? Kudos to Haynes for using my favourite Velvet track - the demo version of Ocean.
This holds up better than I remembered and is really only let down when Tarantino indulges in references and in-jokes. As always Tarantino is at his best when he plays it straight, or if not straight then working in service of the narrative rather than winking at the audience. Because he is undoubtably a master filmmaker when he’s not being self indulgent, capable of bringing more joy to an audience than virtually any other filmmaker working today. With Django he works very well with the troopers off the genre, always making sure to exceed them as with his never-more-violent shootouts.
Really interesting and engaging. Oddly the prep episodes are almost the best bit, the footage from the trip itself is quite fragmented but there’s some astonishing stuff, some of it really quite dangerous. I’m sold enough to watch the sequels.
A completely original film. The only other films it even remotely resembles are some of Kubrick’s own. Although some elements of the cinematography and design can feel slightly clumsy and dated, they are still used to great effect and work with the overall tone. Malcolm McDowell is perfect and is above all else what makes this a great film, shaped by Kubrick’s audacity in pushing away from realistic performances into something far more interesting, he sears images into your eyeballs. As a result, almost every scene is memorable to the point of becoming iconic.
Largely a disappointment, The Big Red One doesn’t live up to its reputation. There’s nothing particularly bad about it but as someone else pointed out, it lacks a spark. It feels like a collection of personal reminiscences of the war - many of them interesting but none really gelling together as a cohesive whole, with most of the individual segments themselves feeling rushed to get to the next one. There’s probably enough material here for a Band of Brothers style series, which I could see working much better.
The hype is baffling.
I’d say that Anya Taylor Joy does her best porn teen performance, except that I don’t think she actually acts here, instead simply flirting with the camera for seven episodes. Which isn’t necessarily unpleasant but it doesn’t exactly make for a deep character. It’s a perfectly watchable series, except when it isn’t - it’s often painfully slow and tends to follow a pattern of dull first halves that eventually build up some sort of flow, usually culminating in her winning or losing a chess match. Much of this is extremely repetitive filler; this is a 2 and a half hour by-the-numbers feel-good sports movie stretched out into a series. The biggest problem for me is probably the chess itself. While they make the matches watchable and emotionally involving, we’re not given the chance to engage in the sport itself. As someone who has only causally played chess but would be interested in learning more about it, I took absolutely nothing from this regarding chess, nor could I follow any of the moves the characters were making or how they might impact the game. When you think about how much of this series is people playing chess (there’s a LOT of chess), that’s absolutely shocking.
Perhaps not quite as good as the original but it holds up well. The problem perhaps with both films are that they are essentially just riffing off one joke, and while they do this brilliantly, the plots themselves don’t really add much depth. Which is a shame because beyond that I can’t flaw either of the films: brilliantly cast and genuinely funny throughout. The actors all nail their roles and find just the right tone - you won’t find anyone here taking it too seriously. Huston and Ricci transcend the silliness of their roles to create sublime, immortal characters.
A fun and silly throwback to paranoia horror sci-fi like Bodysnatchers and Quatermass. In my mind both Halloween 2 & 3 succeed for completely different reasons. 2 has absolutely no plot of its own, simply extending the plot of the first film by a few hours - but it does it with panache, and there’s a real command over the filmmaking. Yes it’s sometimes clumsy, but so’s the first one. It gets away with this clumsiness better however because of a radically different tone that takes itself less seriously, clearly influenced by giallo, and frankly nailing it, though some of the deaths could do with being a bit more grizzly. If only there was a little more substance to it, or at least a plot. That’s where Halloween 3 comes in: it’s all plot, and makes a good fist of it too. It may lack the intoxicating style of 2 and the characters and iconography from the rest of the series, but it’s a memorable stand alone film that’s iconic in its own right. Again, it’s very silly and not to be taken seriously, but that’s perfect for Halloween viewing.
A very impressive film in some ways and surprisingly subtle for Shyamalan - maybe detrimentally so as kept looking for bigger twists than were actually delivered. Although I enjoyed it, there are several big flaws that stopped this from being a great film for me. First of all, I didn’t buy the logic of the whole situation - I mean they really hadn’t thought about what to do when people got sick? But more problematically, the use of disabled characters is quite troubling and manipulative at times, used entirely for genre purposes in a way that is at times quite uncomfortable, particularly in regards to a big reveal that I won’t spoil here.
That said, The filmmaking itself is some of Shyamalan’s best; it has atmosphere, rhythm and strong performances.
Excellent. The film the overrated High Noon could have been, should have been. If only it had High Noon’s cinematography. I agree black and white would have been a better choice, it felt televisual. However, that’s more than made up for by everything else.
Absolutely brilliant film - currently available on Kanopy in the UK.
I didn’t think I was eligible for Kanopy because my county library doesn’t have it, but I found out that I’m able to join the neighbouring county’s library too - all very easy to do so worth checking even if you think you don’t have access to it.
As a counterpoint to all the glowing reviews, and as someone with a cochlear implant, I want to say that this film was so disappointing. There are some great scenes and some nice details but it’s an incredibly problematic film that’s full of inaccuracies and misleading ideas. Worst of all, there’s a deeply ugly ideology that ends up essentially underpinning the whole thing. I kept waiting for a reversal to challenge the bigoted notion stemming from the deaf community depicted here (which is probably deeply unfair and insulting to most deaf communities in itself), but not only did the film not challenge this, its last shot seemed to actively agree with it. An extra half an hour exploring the nuances of the character’s life could have made up for this to some degree, as it is it’s not only an unsatisfying ending but an ideologically damaging film that wastes a great opportunity for improved representation on screen, instead taking a big step backwards.
Also it’s 2021. How do you not cast a deaf actor in this role? Perhaps casting someone who actually had the experience of a cochlear implant would have prevented the damaging aspects of this portrayal.
Comments 1 - 25 of 32
Movie comment on Downsizing
imokaylarry
I don't understand the hate for this but it's been there since the beginning (a friend at the same screening as me did not like it at all)But I'm going on record to defend Downsizing as a masterpiece and can only hope it gradually gains cult status or something.
Movie comment on The Set-Up
imokaylarry
Really great for most of its short runtime but the poorly judged ending takes the sting out of it right at the endMovie comment on L'agent a le bras long
imokaylarry
Slightly better quality and in English:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ymTLJli_Sc
Movie comment on Le déshabillage impossible
imokaylarry
Actually very funny and somewhat disturbing...Good link (plus the score works well):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTwViCOjKHM
Movie comment on Rocky
imokaylarry
This pleasantly surprised me on rewatch at what a subtle and delicate film it often is. Powered by a remarkable naturalistic and understated performance by Stallone, who creates a lovable loser with the drive to go the distance. The strongest parts of the films are actually the quiet scenes that depict the loneliness and awkwardness of this wounded character. That said, The fight scenes is brutal and brilliant, though the whole thing is let down slightly by an overly abrupt ending.Movie comment on Home Alone
imokaylarry
Home Alone succeeds in finding the perfect tone to blend what should be a bizarre mix of soppy Christmas comedy and deeply violent revenge fantasy. It’s the stylisation that does it - the knowing looks to camera, the OTT screams of realisation, and of course the subliming executed violence, which takes a leaf out of the LoonyToons book by making it both cartoonish and absolutely mercilessly brutal. As Tarantino understands, if you want the audience to enjoy brutal pain being inflicted on characters, they need to be unmistakably ‘bad’. As loony toons understood, they also need to be stupid and arrogant. And it’s the violence that is the real draw here (other than the most iconic child star in the world), which works so well because it all feels more or less plausible. In fact, The simpler the better. Few things are better than watching Joe Pesci get a paint can in the face.The sequel really gives nothing new, taking exactly the same template as the first and relocating it. But it does it just as well as the first, an opportunity to see more inventive pain being inflicted.
The softer side of the films are also effective at times though somewhat shallow. Ultimately these are films of moments rather than wholes. But there are some brilliant moments.
Movie comment on Small Axe: Mangrove
imokaylarry
A strong entry to the Small Axe series, much longer than the others but takes the common structure of having a first half build up and second half courtroom drama, which always allows a film to be longer without feeling too long because of the radical change in nature of what we’re watching. Steve McQueen handles it well, it’s stirring and detailed. Would actually like something longer with even more context to better build the suspense and jeopardy of the courtroom sections, as it is I felt there were some missed opportunities. But an impressive and memorable. part of the series nonetheless.Movie comment on Small Axe: Education
imokaylarry
After the fact it’s actually difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s so great about Education. On paper it might sound overly preachy and political but in practice it’s a sincere and heartfelt personal tale. McQueen achieves a masterful filmmaking balance that affected me without realising why. And while I could have done with a little less handheld, it was still one of the best looking films I’ve seen in ages.Movie comment on Black Widow
imokaylarry
Competent throughout but by the end feels like less than the sum of its parts. The family element was the most successful for me, even if much of the conversation between family members felt like they were just going through the motions instead of really connecting.Some good action scenes, though sometimes overlong and repetitive. Much of the essential story exposition also feels rushed or simply not set up sufficiently to deserve the payoff. Likely this was initially a much longer script that was cut as Disney to have started imposing 2hr 15 limits on their recent straight to Disney plus films.
Throughout I felt something disconnecting me, getting in the way of me engaging more, which I largely put down the the very conventional use of music and sound, putting a buffer between me and the actual sound of the film world - but this is a very common issue I have with mainstream films, and is particularly noticeable in the David Attenborough wildlife documentaries, which can be otherwise incredible but I find my brain switching off with the music. It tells me not to pay attention and instead saps the tension from scenes. Why it’s more of a problem here than in many other marvel films, I don’t know, but it would be interesting to study.
Movie comment on The Velvet Underground
imokaylarry
There’s nothing mind-blowing here but it’s all very well put together and of course the songs are brilliant. I’m not sure there’s much to satisfy non-fans but then if you’re not a fan of The Velvet Underground, you should be, and surely most people would have at least a passing interest in this period of music and art? Kudos to Haynes for using my favourite Velvet track - the demo version of Ocean.Movie comment on Django Unchained
imokaylarry
This holds up better than I remembered and is really only let down when Tarantino indulges in references and in-jokes. As always Tarantino is at his best when he plays it straight, or if not straight then working in service of the narrative rather than winking at the audience. Because he is undoubtably a master filmmaker when he’s not being self indulgent, capable of bringing more joy to an audience than virtually any other filmmaker working today. With Django he works very well with the troopers off the genre, always making sure to exceed them as with his never-more-violent shootouts.Movie comment on Long Way Round
imokaylarry
Really interesting and engaging. Oddly the prep episodes are almost the best bit, the footage from the trip itself is quite fragmented but there’s some astonishing stuff, some of it really quite dangerous. I’m sold enough to watch the sequels.Movie comment on Trust
imokaylarry
Very late 80s/early 90s in the best ways. Existential, ironic, deadpan. Hal Hartley had his own unique style and tone, and I’m into it.Movie comment on A Clockwork Orange
imokaylarry
A completely original film. The only other films it even remotely resembles are some of Kubrick’s own. Although some elements of the cinematography and design can feel slightly clumsy and dated, they are still used to great effect and work with the overall tone. Malcolm McDowell is perfect and is above all else what makes this a great film, shaped by Kubrick’s audacity in pushing away from realistic performances into something far more interesting, he sears images into your eyeballs. As a result, almost every scene is memorable to the point of becoming iconic.Movie comment on The Big Red One
imokaylarry
Largely a disappointment, The Big Red One doesn’t live up to its reputation. There’s nothing particularly bad about it but as someone else pointed out, it lacks a spark. It feels like a collection of personal reminiscences of the war - many of them interesting but none really gelling together as a cohesive whole, with most of the individual segments themselves feeling rushed to get to the next one. There’s probably enough material here for a Band of Brothers style series, which I could see working much better.Movie comment on The Queen's Gambit
imokaylarry
The hype is baffling.I’d say that Anya Taylor Joy does her best porn teen performance, except that I don’t think she actually acts here, instead simply flirting with the camera for seven episodes. Which isn’t necessarily unpleasant but it doesn’t exactly make for a deep character. It’s a perfectly watchable series, except when it isn’t - it’s often painfully slow and tends to follow a pattern of dull first halves that eventually build up some sort of flow, usually culminating in her winning or losing a chess match. Much of this is extremely repetitive filler; this is a 2 and a half hour by-the-numbers feel-good sports movie stretched out into a series. The biggest problem for me is probably the chess itself. While they make the matches watchable and emotionally involving, we’re not given the chance to engage in the sport itself. As someone who has only causally played chess but would be interested in learning more about it, I took absolutely nothing from this regarding chess, nor could I follow any of the moves the characters were making or how they might impact the game. When you think about how much of this series is people playing chess (there’s a LOT of chess), that’s absolutely shocking.
Movie comment on Addams Family Values
imokaylarry
Perhaps not quite as good as the original but it holds up well. The problem perhaps with both films are that they are essentially just riffing off one joke, and while they do this brilliantly, the plots themselves don’t really add much depth. Which is a shame because beyond that I can’t flaw either of the films: brilliantly cast and genuinely funny throughout. The actors all nail their roles and find just the right tone - you won’t find anyone here taking it too seriously. Huston and Ricci transcend the silliness of their roles to create sublime, immortal characters.Movie comment on Halloween III: Season of the Witch
imokaylarry
A fun and silly throwback to paranoia horror sci-fi like Bodysnatchers and Quatermass. In my mind both Halloween 2 & 3 succeed for completely different reasons. 2 has absolutely no plot of its own, simply extending the plot of the first film by a few hours - but it does it with panache, and there’s a real command over the filmmaking. Yes it’s sometimes clumsy, but so’s the first one. It gets away with this clumsiness better however because of a radically different tone that takes itself less seriously, clearly influenced by giallo, and frankly nailing it, though some of the deaths could do with being a bit more grizzly. If only there was a little more substance to it, or at least a plot. That’s where Halloween 3 comes in: it’s all plot, and makes a good fist of it too. It may lack the intoxicating style of 2 and the characters and iconography from the rest of the series, but it’s a memorable stand alone film that’s iconic in its own right. Again, it’s very silly and not to be taken seriously, but that’s perfect for Halloween viewing.Movie comment on The Village
imokaylarry
A very impressive film in some ways and surprisingly subtle for Shyamalan - maybe detrimentally so as kept looking for bigger twists than were actually delivered. Although I enjoyed it, there are several big flaws that stopped this from being a great film for me. First of all, I didn’t buy the logic of the whole situation - I mean they really hadn’t thought about what to do when people got sick? But more problematically, the use of disabled characters is quite troubling and manipulative at times, used entirely for genre purposes in a way that is at times quite uncomfortable, particularly in regards to a big reveal that I won’t spoil here.That said, The filmmaking itself is some of Shyamalan’s best; it has atmosphere, rhythm and strong performances.
Movie comment on Silver Lode
imokaylarry
Excellent. The film the overrated High Noon could have been, should have been. If only it had High Noon’s cinematography. I agree black and white would have been a better choice, it felt televisual. However, that’s more than made up for by everything else.Movie comment on For Sama
imokaylarry
Devastating, unfathomable.Movie comment on Sleeping Dogs
imokaylarry
Clumsily constructed and loses steam towards the end but it’s nice to watch a young and skinny Sam Neill doing his wilderness thing.Movie comment on The Eagle
imokaylarry
Sprightly and witty, full of likeable performances.Movie comment on Salt of the Earth
imokaylarry
Absolutely brilliant film - currently available on Kanopy in the UK.I didn’t think I was eligible for Kanopy because my county library doesn’t have it, but I found out that I’m able to join the neighbouring county’s library too - all very easy to do so worth checking even if you think you don’t have access to it.
Movie comment on Sound of Metal
imokaylarry
As a counterpoint to all the glowing reviews, and as someone with a cochlear implant, I want to say that this film was so disappointing. There are some great scenes and some nice details but it’s an incredibly problematic film that’s full of inaccuracies and misleading ideas. Worst of all, there’s a deeply ugly ideology that ends up essentially underpinning the whole thing. I kept waiting for a reversal to challenge the bigoted notion stemming from the deaf community depicted here (which is probably deeply unfair and insulting to most deaf communities in itself), but not only did the film not challenge this, its last shot seemed to actively agree with it. An extra half an hour exploring the nuances of the character’s life could have made up for this to some degree, as it is it’s not only an unsatisfying ending but an ideologically damaging film that wastes a great opportunity for improved representation on screen, instead taking a big step backwards.Also it’s 2021. How do you not cast a deaf actor in this role? Perhaps casting someone who actually had the experience of a cochlear implant would have prevented the damaging aspects of this portrayal.
Showing items 1 – 25 of 32