Movies Rate and Discuss the Last Movie You Saw v.16

[BisexualMMA]

Django is another one where a lot of people have an issue with his performance there but I actually like him in that one quite a bit too. I just think the issue is more than Waltz, Leo, and Sam are chewing scenery and absolutely stealing scenes so Foxx’s stoic lead is sort of less dynamic by comparison. But I feel he did pretty much exactly what needed to be done with the character.

I get the vibe that Django is supposed to be more of the strong, silent type not some ultra-charismatic lead.

By the way, I feel that scene with Tarantino and Michael parks is the real nadir of that movie and slows it to a near halt right before the finale. Someone on here recently said the movie should have ended with that big Django vs. entirety of candieland showdown but with him ultimately triumphing and leaving with his wife then and there.

Never thought of that lol. But it very well might have been the better way to go. Big fan of that film though. One of my top five favorite Tarantinos.

I think it was the writing that let Jamie Foxx down in Django. He was done a disservice by the movie not ending when it should have and his being made to carry a lesser part of the story with his character for what felt like a long time thereafter. He also wasn't written very well in terms of it being a hero's journey if that's what was intended. He kind of just goes in Rey Skywalker fashion from straight up noob as a gunfighter to Billy the Kid. I could have used a training montage or something like in Kill Bill. It would have made it a little more justified when he seems like a quick draw sniper in the later going.

 

[BisexualMMA]

In hindsight, Colin Farrell was also the wrong person for the film too. I may have the order wrong (and lots of projects are signed and/or shot out in a different sequence to their release) but I feel like this was close to the last of the "Colin Farrell as handsome leading man" roles (except for the terrible Total Recall re-make) and then he started making things like In Bruges and is now one of the most fascinating actors working today.

I understand why they cast both leads but they were both wrong for the actual roles.

I still don't think that the film would have been very good but maybe it would have been better?

Farrell and Foxx had zero chemistry so I'd gladly roll the dice and see what we got with any other pair of appropriate actors. There is one point near the end where they're in a car and they do a fist bump before going after the bad guys. I was like...the fuck you fist bumping for, you don't even seem like friends.

I'm not sure who I would suggest instead for the roles and the writing was still not really there for them to work with, but I have seen actors do more with less. Take something like the personality Lance Henriksen put into the bad guy for an action movie like Stone Cold...or Thomas Ian Griffith in Karate Kid 3.

 

[HenryFlower]

I haven't seen The Insider or Ali since the first time I watched them. They have both been in the back of my mind to give another go around.

I really didn't like Jamie Foxx in Miami Vice. He dragged the whole movie down by being dour and boring. He's a guy kind of like Bill Paxton where if you're gonna cast him don't handcuff his energy (or let him choose to handcuff himself in an attempt to be super serious).

i can def agree that Foxx was a glaring weak spot in Miami Vice. he was sleepwalking through the entire movie as if he didn’t want to be there.

 

[HenryFlower]

Farrell and Foxx had zero chemistry so I'd gladly roll the dice and see what we got with any other pair of appropriate actors. There is one point near the end where they're in a car and they do a fist bump before going after the bad guys. I was like...the fuck you fist bumping for, you don't even seem like friends.

I'm not sure who I would suggest instead for the roles and the writing was still not really there for them to work with, but I have seen actors do more with less. Take something like the personality Lance Henriksen put into the bad guy for an action movie like Stone Cold...or Thomas Ian Griffith in Karate Kid 3.

Farrell (he doesn’t deserved to get canned in this hypothetical scenario imo) and Lakeith Stanfield

but if we’re dead set on replacing Farrell, it’s gotta be Robert Pattinson. or Jim Cummings (Thunder Road, The Wolf of Snow Hollow)

 

[eddymotto]

Lone Star (USA, 1996)

American independent neo-Western film starring Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, and Elizabeth Pena.

Frontera is a Texas border town filled with an uneasy mix of Mexican, White, Black, and Native people. It is the sort of place that locals sometimes refer to it being on a stretch of road that runs between nowhere and not much else.

Sam Deeds (Cooper) is the sheriff and the son of legendary lawman, Buddy Deeds (McConaughey). Sam was estranged from his now deceased father, largely because Buddy objected to Sam's high school romance with Pilar (Pena), a Latina.

An old skeleton is discovered partially buried in some grassland. It turns out to be the body of Charlie Wade (Kristofferson), the sheriff before Buddy Deeds took over. Wade was widely known as a corrupt psychopath. Buddy's reputation was partially built on him standing up to Wade. Wade was thought to have left town after stealing $10,000 but the discovery of his skeleton proves that he was killed instead. Sam suspects that his sainted father was the killer and begins investigating the 40 year old murder despite the studious disinterest of most of the townspeople. At the same time Sam reignites his relationship with Pilar.

There are many other sub-plots as this film meanders though a wide cast of characters and explores all sorts of family secrets, parent/children relationships, small town politics, and racial issues.

On the surface there should be too much going on in this film but it all works under the sure hand of director John Sayles.

The character who really holds this film together is Chris Cooper as the laconic sheriff. I have always been a big fan of Copper and he is magnificent in this film.

I saw this film in the late 90's and many of the themes seem just as relevant today. More importantly, the twisty murder mystery remains as gripping and murky as ever.

Rating: 8/10

 

[HenryFlower]

May December 4/5

seriously, how the heck did Charles Melton (especially) & Julianne Moore not get acting nominations. it’s still crazy to me that Melton is so inexperienced, & really only has cut his teeth acting on the show Riverdale, yet gives such an incredible, assured performance in May December.

 

[ufcfan4]

May December 4/5

seriously, how the heck did Charles Melton (especially) & Julianne Moore not get acting nominations. it’s still crazy to me that Melton is so inexperienced, & really only has cut his teeth acting on the show Riverdale, yet gives such an incredible, assured performance in May December.

yeah, I was very surprised he didn’t get nominated. His performance was easily the best thing about that film in my opinion and he was outright winning several film critic association awards for that category. Very nuanced and natural performance. Some of the scenes where he was interacting with the actors playing his kids came across as really authentic.

 

[llperez22]

Draft day (2014)
6/10

Not a bad film but I found Kevin Costners character annoying and I was actively pulling for him to fail.

Also the trades were dumb. Costner bullied the Seahawks so badly I can’t see how a team could really swallow their pride so badly. The jags manager came off as a weak ass pussy that was ripe for being taken advantage of. And despite Costner ultimately winning by getting his guys and taking advantage of other teams, the fact remains he traded 3 first round picks to use the first pick on an edge rusher who would have been there later in the draft. Pure foolishness by everyone in the film by real life stakes.

 

[HenryFlower]

The Super Mario Bros Movie 1.5/5
didn’t even like it a little bit. outside of the dog shit needle drops that made my entire body cringe, this just simply bored me for 90min straight. completely uninteresting.

Showing Up 4/5
another fantastic quiet banger from Kelly Reichardt. & yet another great performance by Michelle Williams in a Kelly movie.

Petite Maman 4/5
this was so friggin adorable & heartfelt. a very sweet lil exploration on grief & family through the lens of an 8 year old who just lost her grandmother & whose mother left abruptly the next morning.

 

[revoltub]

Thunderheart (1992)

-

Another one that's been on my list for a while, and another murder/mystery crime film.

I thought it was good. Kilmer carried the film well and I liked his character growth even though it is a bit predictable as to where his arc is going. He his helped by very good support including Sam Shepard, Ted Think Elk, and Graham Greene, who gets my MVP in this movie.

the plot isnt anything crazy or original (based on a true story though I guess) But you do get a lot of good scenes, scenery, and most of all likeable characters.

There was a sort of supernatural aspect to the film I wasnt sure would work, but I thought it ended up flowing into the movie well and felt natural.

The tone of the movie is serious but it never takes itself too seriously, and there are plenty of moments that ease the tension a bit, but not too much.

Overall it was an enjoyable western with well done scenes, good scenery, and well done characters. And by the end I was glad I watched it.

7/10 range.

 

[HenryFlower]

Quo Vadis, Aida? 4/5
a brutally honest depiction of events leading to the Srebrenica Genocide of almost 9000 Bosniak Muslim men during the Bosnian War, all of which are atomized within this constant cacophony of rising tensions caused by volleying anxieties, fears, crises, incompetence, & powerlessness. QV,A? wants to ensure that these atrocities & war crimes do not disappear into history’s shadow of obscurity, while also serving as an unapologetic document of man’s inherent ability to dissociate from their humanity & empathy during wartime. a total bummer of a movie, but gawdamn it was really good

The Holdovers 3/5
it was aight!

 

[revoltub]

out of africa (1985)

-

One of those movies that I've been meaning to watch, because it is one of those best picture winners that nobody ever seems to talk about or mention.

Plus I was kinda in the mood for an "epic" type of film today.

And to be honest, I wasnt the biggest fan of it. I mean, from a Cinematography and Acting perspective it is very good. But the story is overall pretty mundane and the film can be a bit of a chore and a bore to get though.

Streep is the MVP obviously. Acts circles around Redford who I think is a good actor just outmatched in the film. To be fair a lot more was asked of Streep in the film.

So yeah. I cant really think of a reason to recommend this film beside Streep or the Cinematography. It is pretty uneventful and I cant think of many standout scenes.

But it won best picture so maybe it's just one of those films that I dont vibe with.

5.7 range

 

[ufcfan4]

out of africa (1985)

-

One of those movies that I've been meaning to watch, because it is one of those best picture winners that nobody ever seems to talk about or mention.

Plus I was kinda in the mood for an "epic" type of film today.

And to be honest, I wasnt the biggest fan of it. I mean, from a Cinematography and Acting perspective it is very good. But the story is overall pretty mundane and the film can be a bit of a chore and a bore to get though.

Streep is the MVP obviously. Acts circles around Redford who I think is a good actor just outmatched in the film. To be fair a lot more was asked of Streep in the film.

So yeah. I cant really think of a reason to recommend this film beside Streep or the Cinematography. It is pretty uneventful and I cant think of many standout scenes.

But it won best picture so maybe it's just one of those films that I dont vibe with.

5.7 range

Yeah it seems there were at least a couple of best picture winners from the 80s that sort of have that reputation of having stellar production values and strong acting but just don’t really emotionally resonate with the audience. The Last Emperor is usually mentioned in that context too. Some people say the same of Attenborough’s Gandhi biopic, but I disagree. I feel that one is pretty great and has a terrific performance from Kingsley.

 

[revoltub]

Yeah it seems there were at least a couple of best picture winners from the 80s that sort of have that reputation of having stellar production values and strong acting but just don’t really emotionally resonate with the audience. The Last Emperor is usually mentioned in that context too. Some people say the same of Attenborough’s Gandhi biopic, but I disagree. I feel that one is pretty great and has a terrific performance from Kingsley.

Yeah Ghandi is another one I want to get to since I've heard mostly good things about it here.

Plus I'm a fan of Kingsley.

 

[eddymotto]

Sollers Point (USA/France, 2017)

Drama about a 26 year old named Keith (McCaul Lombardi) who is finishing his prison sentence in home confinement while living with his dad, Carol (Jim Belushi). They live in a blue collar suburb of Baltimore.

Keith gets his ankle monitor removed and struggles to re-start his life. Keith makes some effort to go straight but he mostly seems lost about what to do next. He half-asses starting a vocational training program, mostly at his dad's insistence, but fails to show up on time and gets booted from the class. In addition to lacking direction, Keith is not very smart and lacks practical job skills. Being stuck in a racially segregated, economically depressed part of Baltimore does not help. His former drug dealing companions present both temptation and the threat of violence.

The film unfolds at an unhurried pace and skips from scene to scene without exposition. We get no insight into Keith's inner life other than what we see. Both the cinematography and the dialogue is naturalistic, which I found to be the right choice. This is not a standard Hollywood movie where the plot moves from A to B to C and at each inflection point we get Keith writing his thoughts down in a letter or something so that we know what he is thinking. Instead we see Keith simply drift into bad decisions and self sabotage. The ending is ambiguous but fitting.

Keith's relationship with his dad is a microcosm of the film. Carol is a retired steel worker living a modest retirement and stuck in a toxic cycle with his son. Carol's tough love is met with instinctive resistance from Keith, as if it is a threat to his own masculinity. Carol meticulously waxes his beloved car and buys 3 different flavours of cat food for his pet but can't remember to buy milk for Keith. Carol is funny and gracious with his retired steel worker friends at their weekly card game but turns competitive as soon as Keith joins. Carol is not a bad man by any means. He is just stuck. He does not know how to talk to his son and likely cannot understand why Keith cannot make something of himself. Yet the blue collar life that Carol enjoyed is long gone. The steel plant has closed and the local employment scene now revolves around run down restaurants, strip clubs, and hauling scrap metal. Both men want a better relationship but neither of them have any idea how to achieve it.

I am not sure that the film adds up to all that much in the end but I enjoyed it well enough and will credit it with avoiding the cliche that it could have become.

Rating: 6/10

 

[HenryFlower]

Society of the Snow 3/5
The Creator 3/5

both of these were solid movies that were able to hold my attention w/ minimal bouts of boredom through their 130-140min runtimes. they were (mostly) nice to look at as well. i will probably forget about both of them within a month.

 

[the ambush]

CIA vs Bin Laden: First In

At first the sequence of terrorist attacks on the United States in September 2001 is discussed. In counter response the U.S. government sends CIA Federal Agents and U.S. Special Forces to Afghanistan to recruit and train the Northern Alliance forces. And then to use the Northern Alliance forces to battle the Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists.

Tips and cues lead to surveillance of a Bin Laden compound in Pakistan. The architecture design and layout of the compound was intriguing. The final 30 minutes of the documentary is when things become really good.

 

[ufcfan4]

The Big Short

Second time watching it and I really enjoy it. It's an entertaining movie that happens to also be very unsettling. I won't lie, there are certain more intricate aspects of the subprime mortgage crisis that I still can't wrap my mind around. And the cute cutaway cameos to Margo, Bourdain (RIP), Selena Gomez, etc. don't exactly make it much more clear. If anything, it made me want to read Michael Lewis' book to get more details. Still, the essentials of the plot are easy to digest and I thought the cast was uniformly good. Bale and Carrell gave the best performances. I'm not sure if Carrell had the most screentime or just had the most commanding performance, but I think he was in the best scenes in the film- when he and his team go to Florida and speak with Billy Magnussen and Max Greenfield as the mortgage broker bros, interrupting the presentation (Zero! There is a zero percent chance that your subprime losses stay at five percent). He really conveyed righteous indignation well in his performance.

Bale is almost always great and I thought he did a really good job despite not being in much of the film. McKay did a good job of having Bale's initial efforts contribute to the motives of the other principal characters. It almost struck me as similar to the film adaptation of Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff. You have the first part of the movie focus on Chuck Yeager because his action facilitates the rest of the plot, even if he is no longer central to the action after that.

It's a well-made, effective film. I found some of McKay's stylistic touches a bit distracting, but I thought they worked better in this film than in Vice.

8.3/10

 

[ufcfan4]

Bram Stoker's Dracula

It has its flaws but I think this is pretty easily one of FFC's better post-1985 films. I guess someone can argue that it's style over substance, but I don't think there's really anything wrong with that in this type of film. The aesthetics, the production design, the makeup, the practical effects are all very impressive and memorable. If that's all the film had going for it, it would still be pretty solid, in my opinion. Factor in, too, though that you have a notably good performance by the awesome Gary Oldman, and that just enhances the experience. One of the things that always sticks out to me when I watch this movie is that opening scene. To me, it's one of those opening sequences that is extremely effective in setting the tone for the film. Blade, another solid vampire-themed movie, also had an opening scene like that. In both cases, despite being very different, I would argue that the opening was the ideal manner to introduce the main character.

As for the drawbacks, they've been discussed ad nauseum. I never found Keanu bad enough in the film that he really took away from my enjoyment of it, but it's obvious that he was miscast. I really do feel that there are certain actors who are just too modern for period pieces. He fits that bill. The pseudo-British accent he's doing, too, is sort of odd because it uneasily fuses with his more typical surfer dude sound. At the end of the day, Reeves is involved in one of the coolest sequences in the film- when Harker visits Dracula in Transylvania. But the awesomeness of that scene is really due to Oldman and to the distinctly unnerving look of the character in his elderly form.

This probably isn't the best adaptation of the novel, but I think it's pretty damn good. Recommended.

7.5/10

 

[BisexualMMA]

The Big Short

Second time watching it and I really enjoy it. It's an entertaining movie that happens to also be very unsettling. I won't lie, there are certain more intricate aspects of the subprime mortgage crisis that I still can't wrap my mind around. And the cute cutaway cameos to Margo, Bourdain (RIP), Selena Gomez, etc. don't exactly make it much more clear. If anything, it made me want to read Michael Lewis' book to get more details. Still, the essentials of the plot are easy to digest and I thought the cast was uniformly good. Bale and Carrell gave the best performances. I'm not sure if Carrell had the most screentime or just had the most commanding performance, but I think he was in the best scenes in the film- when he and his team go to Florida and speak with Billy Magnussen and Max Greenfield as the mortgage broker bros, interrupting the presentation (Zero! There is a zero percent chance that your subprime losses stay at five percent). He really conveyed righteous indignation well in his performance.

Bale is almost always great and I thought he did a really good job despite not being in much of the film. McKay did a good job of having Bale's initial efforts contribute to the motives of the other principal characters. It almost struck me as similar to the film adaptation of Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff. You have the first part of the movie focus on Chuck Yeager because his action facilitates the rest of the plot, even if he is no longer central to the action after that.

It's a well-made, effective film. I found some of McKay's stylistic touches a bit distracting, but I thought they worked better in this film than in Vice.

8.3/10

Yeah it is one of the best movies of the last 20 years that has already been kind of forgotten. Same with stuff like Spotlight.