It's not a masterpiece but at a similar level as a lot of Allen's pictures the recent decade or so, which has a fine standard considering his productivity though. It was a very Woodyish experience in style, flow, mood, story and themes - Some philosophy but not too deep (not trying or wanting to be either), some murder mystery and a large portion of dark and joyful humor.
I had a weird feeling during the first part, because I found it a bit rushed, which makes the whole romance between Phoenix & Stone unnatural and forced to some degree. It's like something is missing. After the first 20 minutes or so, the movie settles and get that familiar Woody-feeling we like. The feeling of a director who's comfortable in his own style and know what he’s doing.
A feeling which also sometimes, in the recent years, seems to be a secure and safe platform for a certain standard of films from Allens enormous productivity. It's a bit of a shame, I would like to see Allen explore his own skills more, and experiment a little bit.
I miss a truly noteworthy film from his hands, which we know he is capable of, and I fear he is getting a bit too comfortable in his work - hence unfortunately a bit trivial with such a production-rate. As I understand, he is working on a TV Mini-series. (aren't they all). That sounds exiting, and I'm looking very much forward to this. He is, all in all, a great director in my opinion and maybe this project will once again really show us, what he is capable of..
J.C. Chandor continues to amaze me. He shows a extremely high standard in his, now 3 feature films (All is Lost and Margin Call). Like its 2 predecessors, A Most Violent Year is very well-written and based on the simple idea to use only exactly what's needed with great timing in all the aspects of the film - very well-balanced pace and tension, and solid cinematography and camerawork. Topped with fine acting performances it makes ‘A most Violent Year’ a very fine piece and one of the better ones from 2014 in my opinion.
I really look forward to follow this upcoming director (Which is already better than most) in the years to come.
I think Fury is what it attempts to be. David Ayer wrote and directed a raw, unsentimental and explicit war movie without bullshit. I don't see the lack of background stories as a bad thing. There is none, because Ayer doesn't want there to be. It's war in its rawest form "Dont get to close to anyone" as Pitt aka. ‘Wardaddy’ tells ‘Norman’ in the beginning. This goes for us too. Even though we don't know the crews childhood background Ayer and the fine acting performances manage to establish both repulsion, sympathy and understanding for the 5 main characters.
This movie is not propagandic or patriotic, as some comments suggest, when all the killing, badmouthing and so on aren't objectively justified in the movieplot. We simply just see the war from the view of a single American tanks crew. That's it! And my guess is that such a crew really wasn't fund of German Soldiers in real life either, but that's doesn't mean they are right about everything they say and that the Germans weren't humans. We are just shown what possible could have happened in a American tank. Nothing else is insinuated.
I agree that it is not a deep movie full of character-development and well-written dialogue, but it doesn't tries or needs to be. It has its flaws and weaknesses, but basically fulfills its goal. Fury is in the end, and in all its simplicity, a good and entertaining war movie in in my opinion.
Had high hopes, but unfortunately to sum it up; annoying characters, badly written, boring and extremely predictable right to end. Way to many hints along the way to every part of the main-plot. Nothing! was left for the audience to sort out or to give the big 'ohhh!-feeling' in the end. That’s bad crime.
Unfortunately just what I feared/expected. A basic idea with very interesting potential, but horribly executed in terms of plot(holes). Hollywood-superficial, and not at all exploring it's own world. Too bad...
What a surprisingly exquisite piece of film this is. All Is Lost shows you don’t need big budgets, action or fancy dialogue to make a movie.
Forget the last couple of minutes, which are sort of cliché, and then you have a highly intense experience made possible only through the simple, fundamental buildingblocks of filmmaking and executed with uncontaminated crafmanship. All Is Lost perfectly pictures one of the oldest of tales – the divided and brutal relationship between Man and the sea. Nothing more, nothing less. A purity rarely seen in film these days.
Well the continuation of the legend is not so legendary. Anchorman 2 has lost the originality, which made Anchorman the hilarious cult-comedy it is. No surprise, cause that's often what happens with sequels - Building on old jokes instead of reinventing. The curse of heritage.
The story is also messy and unstructured with too many side plots in a desperate hunt for the laugh of audiences.
It reeks the fear of failing the popularity of its predecessor, but that's exactly what happens.
However, if you love Will Farrel and the news-gang, the exaggerated black humor, the vulgar and foolish jokes, and last but not least Carell's absent-minded, or just retarded, character, Bric -
THEN you're going to be entertained in some parts of the movie and you are absolutely going to laugh a lot - problem is, that it's mainly out of nostalgia.
Normally a fan of Stiller, so I was looking forward to this one - God dammit I'm disappointed. So much unfinished business, which means a lot of plot holes. It feels like Stiller can't decide whether to make a Hollywood or an indie so it just becomes this weird, deformed hybrid, and fails completely.
Went down like this I imagine:
Stiller got a pile of money > wanted to experiment and to be indie > forgot Hollywood expectations > went rogue and spent the money on whatever the f..k he could imagine > remembered Hollywood expectations > discovered he's out of cash > felt producer pressure > mixed everything together while blindfolded > Movie done
Script, directing, cinematography, casting, acting - everything spot on. A dark, mesmerizing, underrated gem of cinema and one of the best from the Coens.
"Captain Phillips" is a decent, entertaining and well-shot movie. Not outstanding, but watchable. A reversed David and Goliat story, where the good Goliat(USA) draw the longest straw. Classic(some might say cliché) propaganda viewing of US as the greatest nation known to man, but not as visual, as feared. As far as I know, Greengrass are quiet true to the real events, even though there are so many layers of the whole pirate problem that aren't taken into consideration.
Hanks best performance in many years even though he still is Hollywoods poster boy. Great to see him out of the dull, predictable Langdon- like roles.
The CGI is very good and you can sense that the book behind Ender's Game is a fantastic Sci-Fi story. Unfortunately it's not unravelled in this movie. Everything is going to fast, and there isn't time to dwell and breath in, or time for character development. Should have been an hour longer or so. Too bad, because this one could've been fantastic. Instead it ends up being just another drop from the, at the moment, very Sci-Fi productive Hollywood.
"She Done Him Wrong" is boring and trivial. Lousy plot, and not at all funny when it tries to be. And how the hell did Mae West manage to be so fuckin annoying? Can't stand her. Furthermore she's not at all the big, hot mesmerizing beauty she's supposed to be in the movie. But she wrote it herself of course, so what can you expect.
Well Its on list and stuff, so it gotta have something, right? Blaaah. not really...
Well "The Quiet Earth" starts out great when Bruno Lawrence are 'alone' in whatever world it is. It is also okay when he meets the girl (except for at few signs of weakness). But when they meet the Indian dude it starts, and it just never stops. The script, dialogue and acting escalates and gets so bad and corny towards the end, that you don't know if you should laugh or cry - so I just got pent-up with anger. It is also impressive to cast 2 out of 3 characters so terrible.
I will never understand how this movie got a 6.9 score at IMDB. And don't say it is because it is cult. Just don't...
"Dallas Buyers Club" is a classic fighting-for-a-cause movie with BIG focus on character development. Due to a good story and especially superb performances by McConaughey and Leto, this movie is lifted to a level above a lot of similar flicks. Worth a watch.
Keatons physical talent for silent movie acting is truly unfolded to its greatest. In the amazing scenery of "The General" Great Stone Face show that he is the often underestimated king of silent comedy.
I've watch it uncountable times, and still can't stop laughing.
My favorite silent era comedy and one of the best comedies to this day.
Simply just funny as hell throughout the whole movie. The dream-sequence is fantastic and the The billard-scene together with the motorcyle-part is just brilliant, turning Keaton into a surreal mix of early James Bond and Sterling Archer.
Beautifully filmed and directed for its time. Eisenstein knew what he was doing. Propaganda at its best. You can only imagine the influence of such a wellmade piece at the time, in the post-revolution years. Good (silent era)acting, experimental and revolutionary in terms of camerawork, editing and scenery. A silent masterpiece.
It's beautiful solid camerawork on this one and good choice of music to go with it - setting the right mood. BUT I must say i wasn't impressed by the script-work and in terms of the acting I was also quiet disappointed. Although the two main characters, especially the boy (Florya), stepped up their game in the last part. I get the whole learn-it-the-hard-way-Boy-to-Man-transformation but just not a outstanding masterpiece in my opinion. Seems like it gets a few cheap (critic)points for its brutality and explicitly.
Better than I expected. A decent movie without to much bullshit. Just keeping it simple. it is about sport, respect and rivalry. Just as is should be (and was in real life).
I enjoyed it. Absolutely worth a watch.
Good performance by Bale. Beside that, this is made in hope of winning Oscars, which isn't surprising considering O. Russells last couple of movies. Seems like that is the reason why he directs.
I knew it was to much to ask for, but I had hoped for much, much more, like maybe old-Scorsese style. Instead it reminded me of post 2000-Scorsese (haven't seen "Wolf of Wall-street" yet. I might be surprised, but doubt it.) which is too bad.
You don't have to cry if you miss out on this one...
Very good cinematography and directing. This is truly a fine film. However I do not think it is a masterpiece. It is raw, beautiful and brutal but there is a lack of development in characters which left me irritated. No doubt impressive performances by Ejiofor and Fassbender, but unfortunately for them, their characters and talents doesn't get challenged enough. So even though they put up very good performances you kind of feel like they got away with it easy. Which is too bad. There is to much "look how slavery was on the outside" instead of telling us the story through the characters and their development.
Before I sound too grumpy I will say that its definitely one of the better films this year.
Just to clarify - this movie is not any kind of porn at all.
Well you're not bored through any of the two parts. But then again, Trier is always man for a good show, whether you like him or not. Audience better ready themselves for one hell of a trip around the darkest and brightest corners of human sexuality. It is somehow spellbinding with its many references and provocations which at the same time praise and ridicule art, religion, politics, great men and women of history, human intellect, as well as you and me as audience. There's even time to make fun of "The Cannes Incident"
The story is told to us through the conversation between the characters of Gainsbourg and Skarsgaard. There is no doubt that Skarsgaard represent the audience. We see it through his eyes, he ask our questions, and everything is explained to us, so it feels like the movie is mocking us, and expecting that we can't think for ourselves. It is clearly on purpose, because Trier wants to provoke, and wants us to think "what the hell!" But Skarsgaard is also the complete opposite of Gainsbourg and that is why he ask the questions for us. Like him, we want to know more, and to understand this divided nymphomaniac because it is simply different, unknown and fascinating.
The movie has several good scenes, especially the one with Uma Thurman, which is fantastic, extremely grotesque and actually hilarious. That counts for several of the other too as well as the Skarsgaard/Gainsbourg conversation. Nyphomaniac is actually a very funny film - not "haha funny" but witty and furtively funny. Probably the funniest Trier has made since The Kingdom.
But there is no doubt that a lot could be cut out without loosing any of the plot, but the length of the movie is also a big part of the mood and film-experience. You just have to wonder, if any parts of the 90 minutes which was cut out of Triers original version (yes, his version is five and a half hours long) could have made the theatrical experience better.
No matter what Triers films are definitely always and experience, and this on is too. I think I like it, but I am still digesting. It not a masterpiece but a great example of a classic auteur, where the director do whatever he wants to do and I was greatly entertained. Crazy as it may sounds, I actually look forward to watching Triers five and a half hour "Directors Cut" after its premiere at The Berlin Festival.
Comments 1 - 25 of 30
Movie comment on Irrational Man
Ressa
It's not a masterpiece but at a similar level as a lot of Allen's pictures the recent decade or so, which has a fine standard considering his productivity though. It was a very Woodyish experience in style, flow, mood, story and themes - Some philosophy but not too deep (not trying or wanting to be either), some murder mystery and a large portion of dark and joyful humor.I had a weird feeling during the first part, because I found it a bit rushed, which makes the whole romance between Phoenix & Stone unnatural and forced to some degree. It's like something is missing. After the first 20 minutes or so, the movie settles and get that familiar Woody-feeling we like. The feeling of a director who's comfortable in his own style and know what he’s doing.
A feeling which also sometimes, in the recent years, seems to be a secure and safe platform for a certain standard of films from Allens enormous productivity. It's a bit of a shame, I would like to see Allen explore his own skills more, and experiment a little bit.
I miss a truly noteworthy film from his hands, which we know he is capable of, and I fear he is getting a bit too comfortable in his work - hence unfortunately a bit trivial with such a production-rate. As I understand, he is working on a TV Mini-series. (aren't they all). That sounds exiting, and I'm looking very much forward to this. He is, all in all, a great director in my opinion and maybe this project will once again really show us, what he is capable of..
Movie comment on A Most Violent Year
Ressa
J.C. Chandor continues to amaze me. He shows a extremely high standard in his, now 3 feature films (All is Lost and Margin Call). Like its 2 predecessors, A Most Violent Year is very well-written and based on the simple idea to use only exactly what's needed with great timing in all the aspects of the film - very well-balanced pace and tension, and solid cinematography and camerawork. Topped with fine acting performances it makes ‘A most Violent Year’ a very fine piece and one of the better ones from 2014 in my opinion.I really look forward to follow this upcoming director (Which is already better than most) in the years to come.
Movie comment on Fury
Ressa
I think Fury is what it attempts to be. David Ayer wrote and directed a raw, unsentimental and explicit war movie without bullshit. I don't see the lack of background stories as a bad thing. There is none, because Ayer doesn't want there to be. It's war in its rawest form "Dont get to close to anyone" as Pitt aka. ‘Wardaddy’ tells ‘Norman’ in the beginning. This goes for us too. Even though we don't know the crews childhood background Ayer and the fine acting performances manage to establish both repulsion, sympathy and understanding for the 5 main characters.This movie is not propagandic or patriotic, as some comments suggest, when all the killing, badmouthing and so on aren't objectively justified in the movieplot. We simply just see the war from the view of a single American tanks crew. That's it! And my guess is that such a crew really wasn't fund of German Soldiers in real life either, but that's doesn't mean they are right about everything they say and that the Germans weren't humans. We are just shown what possible could have happened in a American tank. Nothing else is insinuated.
I agree that it is not a deep movie full of character-development and well-written dialogue, but it doesn't tries or needs to be. It has its flaws and weaknesses, but basically fulfills its goal. Fury is in the end, and in all its simplicity, a good and entertaining war movie in in my opinion.
Movie comment on Top of the Lake
Ressa
Had high hopes, but unfortunately to sum it up; annoying characters, badly written, boring and extremely predictable right to end. Way to many hints along the way to every part of the main-plot. Nothing! was left for the audience to sort out or to give the big 'ohhh!-feeling' in the end. That’s bad crime.Movie comment on Transcendence
Ressa
Unfortunately just what I feared/expected. A basic idea with very interesting potential, but horribly executed in terms of plot(holes). Hollywood-superficial, and not at all exploring it's own world. Too bad...Movie comment on All Is Lost
Ressa
What a surprisingly exquisite piece of film this is.All Is Lost shows you don’t need big budgets, action or fancy dialogue to make a movie.
Forget the last couple of minutes, which are sort of cliché, and then you have a highly intense experience made possible only through the simple, fundamental buildingblocks of filmmaking and executed with uncontaminated crafmanship. All Is Lost perfectly pictures one of the oldest of tales – the divided and brutal relationship between Man and the sea. Nothing more, nothing less. A purity rarely seen in film these days.
Movie comment on Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Ressa
Well the continuation of the legend is not so legendary. Anchorman 2 has lost the originality, which made Anchorman the hilarious cult-comedy it is. No surprise, cause that's often what happens with sequels - Building on old jokes instead of reinventing. The curse of heritage.The story is also messy and unstructured with too many side plots in a desperate hunt for the laugh of audiences.
It reeks the fear of failing the popularity of its predecessor, but that's exactly what happens.
However, if you love Will Farrel and the news-gang, the exaggerated black humor, the vulgar and foolish jokes, and last but not least Carell's absent-minded, or just retarded, character, Bric -
THEN you're going to be entertained in some parts of the movie and you are absolutely going to laugh a lot - problem is, that it's mainly out of nostalgia.
Movie comment on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Ressa
Normally a fan of Stiller, so I was looking forward to this one - God dammit I'm disappointed. So much unfinished business, which means a lot of plot holes. It feels like Stiller can't decide whether to make a Hollywood or an indie so it just becomes this weird, deformed hybrid, and fails completely.Went down like this I imagine:
Stiller got a pile of money > wanted to experiment and to be indie > forgot Hollywood expectations > went rogue and spent the money on whatever the f..k he could imagine > remembered Hollywood expectations > discovered he's out of cash > felt producer pressure > mixed everything together while blindfolded > Movie done
Movie comment on Barton Fink
Ressa
Script, directing, cinematography, casting, acting - everything spot on. A dark, mesmerizing, underrated gem of cinema and one of the best from the Coens.Movie comment on Captain Phillips
Ressa
"Captain Phillips" is a decent, entertaining and well-shot movie. Not outstanding, but watchable. A reversed David and Goliat story, where the good Goliat(USA) draw the longest straw. Classic(some might say cliché) propaganda viewing of US as the greatest nation known to man, but not as visual, as feared. As far as I know, Greengrass are quiet true to the real events, even though there are so many layers of the whole pirate problem that aren't taken into consideration.Hanks best performance in many years even though he still is Hollywoods poster boy. Great to see him out of the dull, predictable Langdon- like roles.
Movie comment on Ender's Game
Ressa
The CGI is very good and you can sense that the book behind Ender's Game is a fantastic Sci-Fi story. Unfortunately it's not unravelled in this movie. Everything is going to fast, and there isn't time to dwell and breath in, or time for character development. Should have been an hour longer or so. Too bad, because this one could've been fantastic. Instead it ends up being just another drop from the, at the moment, very Sci-Fi productive Hollywood.Movie comment on She Done Him Wrong
Ressa
"She Done Him Wrong" is boring and trivial. Lousy plot, and not at all funny when it tries to be. And how the hell did Mae West manage to be so fuckin annoying? Can't stand her. Furthermore she's not at all the big, hot mesmerizing beauty she's supposed to be in the movie. But she wrote it herself of course, so what can you expect.Movie comment on Alice in Wonderland
Ressa
Another one destroyed by Disney and their only criteria for success: adding Johnny Depp wearing a funny-looking hat.Movie comment on The Quiet Earth
Ressa
Well Its on list and stuff, so it gotta have something, right? Blaaah. not really...Well "The Quiet Earth" starts out great when Bruno Lawrence are 'alone' in whatever world it is. It is also okay when he meets the girl (except for at few signs of weakness). But when they meet the Indian dude it starts, and it just never stops. The script, dialogue and acting escalates and gets so bad and corny towards the end, that you don't know if you should laugh or cry - so I just got pent-up with anger. It is also impressive to cast 2 out of 3 characters so terrible.
I will never understand how this movie got a 6.9 score at IMDB. And don't say it is because it is cult. Just don't...
Movie comment on Dallas Buyers Club
Ressa
"Dallas Buyers Club" is a classic fighting-for-a-cause movie with BIG focus on character development. Due to a good story and especially superb performances by McConaughey and Leto, this movie is lifted to a level above a lot of similar flicks. Worth a watch.Movie comment on The General
Ressa
Keatons physical talent for silent movie acting is truly unfolded to its greatest. In the amazing scenery of "The General" Great Stone Face show that he is the often underestimated king of silent comedy.I've watch it uncountable times, and still can't stop laughing.
My favorite silent era comedy and one of the best comedies to this day.
Movie comment on Sherlock Jr.
Ressa
Simply just funny as hell throughout the whole movie. The dream-sequence is fantastic and the The billard-scene together with the motorcyle-part is just brilliant, turning Keaton into a surreal mix of early James Bond and Sterling Archer.Group comment on WTF?
Ressa
This comment's contents are private.
Group comment on WTF?
Ressa
This comment's contents are private.
Movie comment on Bronenosets Potemkin
Ressa
Beautifully filmed and directed for its time. Eisenstein knew what he was doing. Propaganda at its best. You can only imagine the influence of such a wellmade piece at the time, in the post-revolution years. Good (silent era)acting, experimental and revolutionary in terms of camerawork, editing and scenery. A silent masterpiece.Movie comment on Idi i smotri
Ressa
It's beautiful solid camerawork on this one and good choice of music to go with it - setting the right mood. BUT I must say i wasn't impressed by the script-work and in terms of the acting I was also quiet disappointed. Although the two main characters, especially the boy (Florya), stepped up their game in the last part. I get the whole learn-it-the-hard-way-Boy-to-Man-transformation but just not a outstanding masterpiece in my opinion. Seems like it gets a few cheap (critic)points for its brutality and explicitly.Movie comment on Rush
Ressa
Better than I expected. A decent movie without to much bullshit. Just keeping it simple. it is about sport, respect and rivalry. Just as is should be (and was in real life).I enjoyed it. Absolutely worth a watch.
Movie comment on American Hustle
Ressa
Good performance by Bale. Beside that, this is made in hope of winning Oscars, which isn't surprising considering O. Russells last couple of movies. Seems like that is the reason why he directs.I knew it was to much to ask for, but I had hoped for much, much more, like maybe old-Scorsese style. Instead it reminded me of post 2000-Scorsese (haven't seen "Wolf of Wall-street" yet. I might be surprised, but doubt it.) which is too bad.
You don't have to cry if you miss out on this one...
Movie comment on 12 Years a Slave
Ressa
Very good cinematography and directing. This is truly a fine film. However I do not think it is a masterpiece. It is raw, beautiful and brutal but there is a lack of development in characters which left me irritated. No doubt impressive performances by Ejiofor and Fassbender, but unfortunately for them, their characters and talents doesn't get challenged enough. So even though they put up very good performances you kind of feel like they got away with it easy. Which is too bad. There is to much "look how slavery was on the outside" instead of telling us the story through the characters and their development.Before I sound too grumpy I will say that its definitely one of the better films this year.
Movie comment on Nymphomaniac: Vol. II
Ressa
Just to clarify - this movie is not any kind of porn at all.Well you're not bored through any of the two parts. But then again, Trier is always man for a good show, whether you like him or not. Audience better ready themselves for one hell of a trip around the darkest and brightest corners of human sexuality. It is somehow spellbinding with its many references and provocations which at the same time praise and ridicule art, religion, politics, great men and women of history, human intellect, as well as you and me as audience. There's even time to make fun of "The Cannes Incident"
The story is told to us through the conversation between the characters of Gainsbourg and Skarsgaard. There is no doubt that Skarsgaard represent the audience. We see it through his eyes, he ask our questions, and everything is explained to us, so it feels like the movie is mocking us, and expecting that we can't think for ourselves. It is clearly on purpose, because Trier wants to provoke, and wants us to think "what the hell!" But Skarsgaard is also the complete opposite of Gainsbourg and that is why he ask the questions for us. Like him, we want to know more, and to understand this divided nymphomaniac because it is simply different, unknown and fascinating.
The movie has several good scenes, especially the one with Uma Thurman, which is fantastic, extremely grotesque and actually hilarious. That counts for several of the other too as well as the Skarsgaard/Gainsbourg conversation. Nyphomaniac is actually a very funny film - not "haha funny" but witty and furtively funny. Probably the funniest Trier has made since The Kingdom.
But there is no doubt that a lot could be cut out without loosing any of the plot, but the length of the movie is also a big part of the mood and film-experience. You just have to wonder, if any parts of the 90 minutes which was cut out of Triers original version (yes, his version is five and a half hours long) could have made the theatrical experience better.
No matter what Triers films are definitely always and experience, and this on is too. I think I like it, but I am still digesting. It not a masterpiece but a great example of a classic auteur, where the director do whatever he wants to do and I was greatly entertained. Crazy as it may sounds, I actually look forward to watching Triers five and a half hour "Directors Cut" after its premiere at The Berlin Festival.
Showing items 1 – 25 of 30