In a way it is similar to Pan's Labyrinth although the fantasy is a far smaller proportion of the film. I've heard people comparing the fantasy bits to the dinosaur in Malik's Tree Of Life but I haven't seen that so I can't say if I agree.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
In a way it is similar to Pan's Labyrinth although the fantasy is a far smaller proportion of the film. I've heard people comparing the fantasy bits to the dinosaur in Malik's Tree Of Life but I haven't seen that so I can't say if I agree.
Chasing Mavericks
Biopic about two surfers chasing the big wave near Half Moon Bay in California. Spectacular surfing footage, compelling story, tragic ending.
8/10
Biopic about two surfers chasing the big wave near Half Moon Bay in California. Spectacular surfing footage, compelling story, tragic ending.
8/10
The Five Year Engagement 2/10
Not funny. Not interesting. Most of the characters come across like self-absorbed cocks. No idea how or why this got made. It gets a two simply because it did have around three reasonably funny gags. Or a laugh every 41 minutes or so.
Avoid.
Not funny. Not interesting. Most of the characters come across like self-absorbed cocks. No idea how or why this got made. It gets a two simply because it did have around three reasonably funny gags. Or a laugh every 41 minutes or so.
Avoid.
I found a film I didn't hate Jason Sudiekis in Brophs. The Campaign. Then again, this almost certainly because he has almost absolutely nothing to do in it, and seems only to be there purely because he's mates with the rest of them and had a couple of weeks off.
A mate of mine recommended that a while back and I wrote it off due to its inherent Sudiekis-ness. I may have to reconsider.
Yeah you hardly see Sudeikis in it, he's very peripheral in The Campaign. It's an okay film, not my favourite with Ferrell in it, but there's a few laughs in it and a not uninteresting satyrical take on American politics (even though it lacks subtetly).
Agree with your take on the Five Year Engagement Brophs, hated that film when I saw it at the pictures, the only good thing I could say about it is that you forget it very quickly. Emily Blunt's a right bitch in it.
Saw Sinister last night, it's an ok genre film, nothing very new in it but the atmosphere is pretty good, they use efficient music and the ending was okay. If you like horror films, it's worth a watch.
Right now I'm in the middle of Dogpound, a film about kids sent to juvie and how they fare within the system. Am enjoying it so far, the actors are all very good.
Agree with your take on the Five Year Engagement Brophs, hated that film when I saw it at the pictures, the only good thing I could say about it is that you forget it very quickly. Emily Blunt's a right bitch in it.
Saw Sinister last night, it's an ok genre film, nothing very new in it but the atmosphere is pretty good, they use efficient music and the ending was okay. If you like horror films, it's worth a watch.
Right now I'm in the middle of Dogpound, a film about kids sent to juvie and how they fare within the system. Am enjoying it so far, the actors are all very good.
American Gangster.
What a cracking film, up there with the Godfather.
The best film I have seen Denzel Washington in, played his part extremely well.
Russell Crowe has the cop in charge of taking him down was just as good.
I went in to the film knowing nothing about it, apart it was a a cop/gangster film.
Got to be a must watch film
8.5/10
What a cracking film, up there with the Godfather.
The best film I have seen Denzel Washington in, played his part extremely well.
Russell Crowe has the cop in charge of taking him down was just as good.
I went in to the film knowing nothing about it, apart it was a a cop/gangster film.
Got to be a must watch film
8.5/10
Ta.
I enjoyed this film very much too. Excellent acting
I agree it's a good film and the acting is very solid, but 'up there with the Godfather' seems well over the top for me. I enjoyed watching it, it's a well executed film, but it's nowhere near a classic and not even amongst the best gangster films.
Forgot to say here I saw 'From dusk till dawn' the other night, a 90s Rodriguez film that holds the status of a cult movie for many of my mates but that I had not seen, funnily enough. It was pretty good, some funny one liners ('What's in Mexico?' 'Mexicans'), and I enjoyed the actors: Tarantino in his usual 'hi I'm Quentin Tarantino and I'm gonna overact so badly just so you know how much I'm glad to be on screen and I'm happy to be able to say I'm an actor' self, Harvey Keitel was impeccable and I very much enjoyed Clooney's performance even though I'm not really a fan of his most of the time. The first part of the film was well executed, but the second part was brilliant in its over-the-topness which just made it hilarious.
And Salma Hayek's dance!!
Forgot to say here I saw 'From dusk till dawn' the other night, a 90s Rodriguez film that holds the status of a cult movie for many of my mates but that I had not seen, funnily enough. It was pretty good, some funny one liners ('What's in Mexico?' 'Mexicans'), and I enjoyed the actors: Tarantino in his usual 'hi I'm Quentin Tarantino and I'm gonna overact so badly just so you know how much I'm glad to be on screen and I'm happy to be able to say I'm an actor' self, Harvey Keitel was impeccable and I very much enjoyed Clooney's performance even though I'm not really a fan of his most of the time. The first part of the film was well executed, but the second part was brilliant in its over-the-topness which just made it hilarious.
And Salma Hayek's dance!!
I agree it's very good.
Denzel Washington films generally are though in all fairness, but the charisma he has in that film is epic.
Not up there with The Godfather for me, but very good nonetheless.
The Amazing Spiderman
Not as good as The Godfather but not nearly as shit as I thought it would be. And he's (can't remember his name without googling) a much better Peter Parker/Spiderman than Toby Maguire.
Not as good as The Godfather but not nearly as shit as I thought it would be. And he's (can't remember his name without googling) a much better Peter Parker/Spiderman than Toby Maguire.
Think the author was very annoyed when they cast Cruise as Lestat is supposed to be tall with black hair....
What I meant, is that I enjoyed it has much as the Godfather, maybe I should of worded it better.
I agree it's a good film and the acting is very solid, but 'up there with the Godfather' seems well over the top for me. I enjoyed watching it, it's a well executed film, but it's nowhere near a classic and not even amongst the best gangster films.
Forgot to say here I saw 'From dusk till dawn' the other night, a 90s Rodriguez film that holds the status of a cult movie for many of my mates but that I had not seen, funnily enough. It was pretty good, some funny one liners ('What's in Mexico?' 'Mexicans'), and I enjoyed the actors: Tarantino in his usual 'hi I'm Quentin Tarantino and I'm gonna overact so badly just so you know how much I'm glad to be on screen and I'm happy to be able to say I'm an actor' self, Harvey Keitel was impeccable and I very much enjoyed Clooney's performance even though I'm not really a fan of his most of the time. The first part of the film was well executed, but the second part was brilliant in its over-the-topness which just made it hilarious.
And Salma Hayek's dance!!
It's been a long time since I've seen it, but I loved it. It's like two films in one, and Clooney was superb. I loved the way it went from serious to batshit crazy madness.
Cure - Very disturbing psychological horror. It was superby directed, edited and the use of music was great, the underlying ambient music was a nice touch. Good film.
Argo
Really enjoyed it, the tension created really amps up towards the end. Really liked the casting for the main players, Arkin, Goodman, Cranston and obviously Affleck who did a nice job directing. I think the 6 fugitives were a little weak but that shouldn't take anything away from it.
8/10
Really enjoyed it, the tension created really amps up towards the end. Really liked the casting for the main players, Arkin, Goodman, Cranston and obviously Affleck who did a nice job directing. I think the 6 fugitives were a little weak but that shouldn't take anything away from it.
8/10
Amour
Not a love story but a horror movie from Haneke. He glacially and brutally dissects the humiliations and tragedies of old age. Brilliantly done but a painful watch, I've never heard a cinema so quiet. Leave time for a drink afterwards, you'll need it if you're over 40.
9/10
Not a love story but a horror movie from Haneke. He glacially and brutally dissects the humiliations and tragedies of old age. Brilliantly done but a painful watch, I've never heard a cinema so quiet. Leave time for a drink afterwards, you'll need it if you're over 40.
9/10
The Sweeney.
When I found out they was making a film remake of this I was looking forward to it, but what a let down, it was dreadful.
The story behind the film was decent enough and there was enough there to make a really good film, this was not it.
I loved the 80's series and still watch it now, the way Regan and Carter were done in this was just wrong, the bit at the start that implied Regan was bent was way out, Regan would never be a bent cop.
Plan B is a very poor actor and should stick to singing, at which is be a bit better.
I have never liked Ray Winstone and this film did not improve that and one thing he should never ever do again is a sex scene.
This was a remake that should never of been done, yes it set in London in 2012, in nice plush offices but the rest of it was still in the 80's, they way they spoke and did there job.
Please god I hope they dont make another one.
There was a few good bits in it,mainly the car chase at the end.
3/10
When I found out they was making a film remake of this I was looking forward to it, but what a let down, it was dreadful.
The story behind the film was decent enough and there was enough there to make a really good film, this was not it.
I loved the 80's series and still watch it now, the way Regan and Carter were done in this was just wrong, the bit at the start that implied Regan was bent was way out, Regan would never be a bent cop.
Plan B is a very poor actor and should stick to singing, at which is be a bit better.
I have never liked Ray Winstone and this film did not improve that and one thing he should never ever do again is a sex scene.
This was a remake that should never of been done, yes it set in London in 2012, in nice plush offices but the rest of it was still in the 80's, they way they spoke and did there job.
Please god I hope they dont make another one.
There was a few good bits in it,mainly the car chase at the end.
3/10
Stuart: A life backwards - 9/10
Thought it was brilliant and probably the best Tom Hardy performance I've seen. It gets really dark at times and some parts are very disturbing especially since it's all based on a true story. It isn't all doom and gloom though and there is quite a bit of comedy in it.
Also has anyone noticed that Hardy uses his voice really well to portray characters...if that makes any sense? In this film, when he was Bane, in Lawless, Bronson etc
Thought it was brilliant and probably the best Tom Hardy performance I've seen. It gets really dark at times and some parts are very disturbing especially since it's all based on a true story. It isn't all doom and gloom though and there is quite a bit of comedy in it.
Also has anyone noticed that Hardy uses his voice really well to portray characters...if that makes any sense? In this film, when he was Bane, in Lawless, Bronson etc
Burnt By The Sun (1994)
Was pretty good, though perhaps a bit long for my liking. There's also a really naff CGI floating red ball that appears during the most dramatic scenes, which is a bit unfortunate. The director/lead actor, Nikita Mikhalkov, made an apparently atrocious sequel a couple of years ago...
Anyway, 6.89/10.
Was pretty good, though perhaps a bit long for my liking. There's also a really naff CGI floating red ball that appears during the most dramatic scenes, which is a bit unfortunate. The director/lead actor, Nikita Mikhalkov, made an apparently atrocious sequel a couple of years ago...
...despite the main characters dying at the end of this one. That doesn't stop big Nikita, he ploughs on through pretending he didn't kill them off.
Anyway, 6.89/10.
Gonna watch that one for sure Scrumpet.
Watched "Chasing Ice" last night. About the efforts of a National Geographic photographer to document the receding Glazers around the world. He sets up a mess of cameras all over creation to take a picture every hour. Quite the chore and plenty goes wrong. In the end though, he gets some great footage. It's also got the inevitable commentary on global warming, and it's done very well. There were a couple of very well presented graphs which I found very telling, even after seeing so many previously. Interesting interview with the head of a German consortium that insures insurers around the world.
At the end of the movie, they also caught live video of the largest ever filmed calving event. It was breathtaking. If you haven't seen Glazers up close, they are a sight to behold. Moreso, if you can get to Antarctica for an excursion, it's absolutely stunning.
Watched "Chasing Ice" last night. About the efforts of a National Geographic photographer to document the receding Glazers around the world. He sets up a mess of cameras all over creation to take a picture every hour. Quite the chore and plenty goes wrong. In the end though, he gets some great footage. It's also got the inevitable commentary on global warming, and it's done very well. There were a couple of very well presented graphs which I found very telling, even after seeing so many previously. Interesting interview with the head of a German consortium that insures insurers around the world.
At the end of the movie, they also caught live video of the largest ever filmed calving event. It was breathtaking. If you haven't seen Glazers up close, they are a sight to behold. Moreso, if you can get to Antarctica for an excursion, it's absolutely stunning.
Boogie Nights - Good film. PT Anderson is a skillful director but it felt like he botched up the ending. It was on it's way to becoming really good but the end result was a bit underwhelming, should have gone in another direction. Wahlberg was pretty rubbish but the supporting cast was good. I keep mixing up John C Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman and William H Macy with each other and it doesn't help that they often seem to be in the same film together. For me they all sort of blend into one unconventional-looking character actor with a middle name.
The Age of Innocence - It felt like Scorsese just wanted to make a period piece without actually bothering to have a good story to go with it. It's a bit of a nothing film that admittedly looked good but it just wasn't good enough in the end. It was refreshing and weird to see DDL play a believable human being for once but he seemed to be stuck doing a Keanu Reeves impression for the entire running length of the film.
I'm Not There. - I basically know nothing about Bob Dylan but I liked this film. A good, well-executed concept that was well-acted and looked great at times.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape - A fairly dull affair, probably hasn't aged that well. Soderbergh must be one of the most overrated directors.
The Age of Innocence - It felt like Scorsese just wanted to make a period piece without actually bothering to have a good story to go with it. It's a bit of a nothing film that admittedly looked good but it just wasn't good enough in the end. It was refreshing and weird to see DDL play a believable human being for once but he seemed to be stuck doing a Keanu Reeves impression for the entire running length of the film.
I'm Not There. - I basically know nothing about Bob Dylan but I liked this film. A good, well-executed concept that was well-acted and looked great at times.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape - A fairly dull affair, probably hasn't aged that well. Soderbergh must be one of the most overrated directors.
Dull as ditch water.
Brilliant film, Cate Blanchett is superb. See the original of her performance in Pennebaker's 'Don't Look Back',
It was crap back in the day too.
Watched S, L & V the other month myself. Didn't even think it even deserved reviewing. The idea that he and James Spader somehow created a fascinating character of real depth is mental. I don't know if Andie Mc Dowell's considered a good actress or not but her character and the husband were dull as feck yet portrayed as having these intriguing idiosyncrasies and Laura Giacomo's just shocking in every way possible. Soderbergh's a plank.
Just re-watched "Equus" the other day. Love that one. An adaptation of a Peter Schaffer play about a shrink working to suss out why a kid working as a stable hand blinded a bunch of horses. Definitely worth a look.
Rust and Bone - French, subtitled and brilliant if you're after something serious and challenging. Couple of moments that will make you squirm in your chair they're so uncomfortable.
It was a nasty little film that spectacularly missed the point of why people like Gene Hunt & the original Regan were liked.
As far as I could gather the only crime of the secondary antagonist (IA guy) was that he didn't want to beat someone up every 35 seconds and wasn't a total bellend. For this we're supposed to dislike him, and root for Ray shagging his bird. Only we don't, cos Ray's a fecking bellend. In fact we not only feel sorry for him, but also for Haley Atwell who gets the thankless job of having to pretend she's implausibly attracted to this fat, wheezing, violent drunken idiot, and struggle for breath underneath his heaving sweaty gut in one of the 3 needless sex scenes that seem to have been inserted entirely in order to persuade Ray to do it.
Thus I can only conclude that this film was aimed entirely at total and utter bellends.
From now on I'm going to identify wankers purely by whether they like this film or not. I'm guaranteed to hate anyone that does.
I agree with everything, I was happy when he got Regan locked up.
Gene Hunt & the original Regan are coppers that did there job bending the rules but one thing you could depend on was they were not bent.
It was a dreadful attempt to remake the Sweeney, they got Regan all wrong on so many levels. Maybe I was expecting more of what the 80's program was about.
Ray Winstone should be banned from doing sex scenes EVER.
If John Thaw has still be with us, he would of hated it I am sure, I would be interested to hear what Dennis Waterman thins of the film.
I dl'd The Sweeney but haven't watched. I think I'll give it a swerve then.
Soderbergh is shite....really shite.
Soderbergh is shite....really shite.
It's decades since I read the book but I think Lestat was a blonde..
Rice wanted Daniel Day Lewis for the role. She probably underestimated Cruise's ability to play outside 'type', and publicly recanted when she saw the movie.
Cruise was actually quite good, but Day Lewis would have been better
Just watched Requiem for a Dream, one of those annoying movies that is extremely good but you know you will never watch again since it is so thoroughly depressing.
Essentially, yes. It's also one of those films everyone in their 20s has on DVD, but never, ever leaves the shelf.
Now, if they hadn't edited that double ended dildo scene in with operation footage, it would probably have merited a re-watch. A short re-watch. Occasionally.
No do, then I can work out whether you're a wanker or not.
Now, if they hadn't edited that double ended dildo scene in with operation footage, it would probably have merited a re-watch. A short re-watch. Occasionally.
No do, then I can work out whether you're a wanker or not.
I like some of Soderbergh's stuff, but I found Sex Lies impossible to watch, if not for the fascination of seeing a young version of Robert California.
I actually watched Requiem 2 1/2 times. 1 1/2 times in 3 or 4 days after I recommended it to mates, then watched it about a year later with another mate. It didn't really leave me cold, disturbed or depressed in any way, probably just because of the glossy nature of it. The subject matter might've been depressing but style of it and the fact it only deals in extremes lessens the impact of it hugely from my perspective.
Spoony hates it. Basically said it was for drug addiction what Crash was for racism. Addiction for idiots. Thinks the only people who like it are those who have no idea about drugs. Never understood the hate for it myself. I liked it. It stretches the truth a bit and only deals in extremes but it's not that bad. It's well acted and directed. Stylish too. I don't think that glosses over any major deficiencies because I didn't think there were any major deficiencies, just minor flaws.
Spoony hates it. Basically said it was for drug addiction what Crash was for racism. Addiction for idiots. Thinks the only people who like it are those who have no idea about drugs. Never understood the hate for it myself. I liked it. It stretches the truth a bit and only deals in extremes but it's not that bad. It's well acted and directed. Stylish too. I don't think that glosses over any major deficiencies because I didn't think there were any major deficiencies, just minor flaws.
Alright, but I'll watch Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown first though.
Guv..guv..guv..guv!
He could've condensed it into a 20 min long video for school kids entitled 'drugs are bad m'kaaay'... I suspect the MTV style would've been appealing too. Talk about using stereotypes and being heavy handed.
I remember enjoying Sex Lies and Videotape when it came out but I haven't seen it again since then. Sodeberh films always strike me as emotionally empty which is a major weakness in a filmmaker IMO
Che was pretty crap, took some major incompetence to make it a totally tedious story.