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

TCE said:
District 9

First time ever seeing this movie. Literally just got done watching it a couple hours ago. I'm shocked I haven't seen it until now.

I rewatched Chappie on Netflix beforehand, because I remembered I enjoyed it and hadn't seen it again since it came out. After the movie, I looked at other movies Neill Blomkamp had directed and wrote, and came across his first feature film also on Netflix. And what a film it was...

Peter Jackson also produced the movie, reportedly giving Blomkamp 30mil to direct any movie of his choosing, after the Halo feature film fell through.

Everything about this movie was bang on - the story, the characters, the "prawns", the action, the humour, the special effects. The lead actor was amazing. Awesome writing and directing.

Why has there never been a sequel, District 10?

9/10 for me.
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The Mechanic (USA, 1972)

American crime thriller directed by Michael Winner and starring Charles Bronson.

The opening scene is 15 fantastic minutes without dialogue where we observe Arthur Bishop (Bronson) set up an elaborate assassination in NYC. It is a great way to start the film. It plays to Bronson's strengths and it both sets up the story and leaves us with all sorts of questions that we want answered.

Bishop returns to his home in LA. We quickly learn that he is an expert assassin (referred to as a "mechanic" in underworld parlance) who receives contracts from the mysterious Organization.

Bishop lives in solitary luxury. He is surrounded by art and music but socially isolated. He pops pills, appears to be depressed, and has a panic attack.

Bishop takes on an apprentice, Steve McKenna (Jan-Michael Vincent), the narcissistic son of a senior mobster who Bishop had recently assassinated.

The beginning of the film shows so much promise. I love the extended opening scene in NYC. Back in LA, the film continues to build with
Bishop's interaction and then murder of Big Harry McKenna. The way Bronson stands there as Harry laughingly recounts the casual cruelty that Bishop's dad displayed towards his son is a great scene. As is Bishop's cold blooded murder of Harry a short time later. When Bishop later visits the blonde we get an amazing twist when we find out that she is a prostitute paid extra to pretend to be in love with him. These are all great scenes and give depth to Bishop's character. Later on I also loved the scene where Bishop accompanies Steve to the girl's house and patiently watches as she bleeds out after slashing her wrists. As a psychopath, Bishop can appreciate those same qualities in Steve.

Unfortunately, for me, the film gets bogged down in a middle part that highlights bad dialogue and terrible acting by Vincent. The action scenes may have been ok in the 70's but they mostly look lame now. The various explosions are comical. A dirt-bike flies off a cliff and then explodes into a massive fireball right before it hits the ground. Not good, Bob. I do have to give a shout out to the bike helmet game. In a life and death chase scene both the pursuer and the pursued take time to put on their motorcycle helmets. Safety first! I get it that they wanted to make it easier to hide the stunt riders but the fact that the director could not come up with a better way of doing it speaks to the overall poor direction of the film.

I should also note how ugly the early 70's were. Bishop supposedly lives in luxury but the decor looks comically absurd in the present. Such is the cycle of fashion and aesthetics.

The rather forced inclusion of the karate scenes also have incredible THIS IS THE 70'S vibes.

The film finishes strong with a great ending.

This is a frustrating film because Bronson is pretty good, there are lots of elements in place for a really interesting character, the beginning is excellent, and they pulled off a good ending. Yet the other parts are so meh. I was expecting a middling genre film. What I got was a limited genre film that could have actually been really good. That is the frustrating part.

Rating: 5/10


 
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Started watching Vin Diesel Bloodshot (?) and paused when he was about to do some fighting after getting his super powers.

Started watching Indiana Jones Dial of Destiny and also paused because it's quite long.

Watched entire Timecop and it's rare they credit the token naked actress. Wasn't crap movie. Felt like an old movie alright.
 
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (Hong Kong, 1972)

Shaw Brothers wuxia film directed by Chor Yuen.

Ainu (Lily Ho) is kidnapped and forced into prostitution at the high end Four Seasons brothel. The establishment is run by the smart and vicious Madam Chun Yi (Betty Pei Ti). Madam Chun's management style is shown early on when she discovers that one of the kidnapped girls was recently deflowered by a guardsman. She forces the girl to give up the name of the man via torture (hot candle applied to the genitals) and then Chun murders the perpetrator using her dreaded yin-yang Ghost Hands technique.

Ainu is a spirited girl who fights against her captors. Madam Chun attempts both pleasure and pain as potential inducements for compliance but Ainu persists in resisting. Despite this, the brothel auctions off her virginity among a group of old, rich, powerful men. The winning bidder drugs Ainu so that he can rape her. They eventually pass Ainu around to the other local men as well.

The story revolves around whether Ainu can be tamed into accepting the life of a high end prostitute or whether she will continue to fight back and seek vengeance.

Chor Yuen brings much more flair to the cinematography than what is usual for 70's Shaw Brothers' kung fu movies. Where Yuen really differentiates himself is in centring the story on female characters and including a lot of sexual content. Ainu and Madam Chun are strong characters with tremendous agency. The film examines dark topics like sex trafficking, forced prostitution and rape. I have read there are different cuts of the film with varying levels of censorship. I am not sure what version I watched but the film included female nudity, kissing, and fairly obvious sex. There is also a strong queer element to the film.

Comparing Courtesan to Chang Cheh directed films from the same era, Cheh films (in)famously have very few notable female characters of any importance. The male leads occasionally have vague romantic desires but the films are usually exceptionally chaste. Cheh's male characters are usually shown as part of male only institutions. We are left to assume that these all male environments are filled with chaste, asexual, or homosexual men. Meanwhile in Courtesan, lust is the primary driving force for most of the characters.

As is the tradition of kung fu movies, the protagonist (Ainu) is driven by her desire for vengeance. Importantly, she learns to use her enemies' lust against them. One man's fetish for bondage leaves him helpless when Ainu starts a fire. Another man's ego is challenged to the point where he takes so much herbal viagra that he has a heart attack. Yet another man finds himself trapped in his own rape room with his guards unable to break in. Madam Chun is the ultimate victim despite being by far the smartest of the antagonists. She falls in love with Ainu's refusal to be broken and then fools herself into believing that Ainu will love her back, rather than just see Chun as another one of her rapists. Even Ainu ultimately succumbs to the same temptation. Somewhere along the line Aimu developed enough feelings for Chun that she graces her with a final kiss before dying. This seals Ainu's fate too. Ainu turns out to share the same weakness as the people who she murders; a willingness to believe that somebody you have wronged so terribly can be trusted to love you.

This film is more of a drama and a murder mystery then a straight martial arts film but there is still lots of very good kung fu action.

The ending is incredible.

Ratings: Shaw Brothers' classic!

 
Jerry Maguire (1996)

I had not watched this one in a while and decided to revisit. It's very entertaining. This is just one of those signature Cruise performances that highlights his charisma and his commitment While Cameron Crowe's screenplay and direction are very good, they seem necessary but not sufficient to this film being a slam dunk. The film's success seems very much contingent on the effectiveness of the lead actor, since Maguire is not just the titular character but is also front and center for virtually the entire runtime. There is barely a scene without him.

The cast is uniformly strong. Cruise sells the crisis of conscience that his character faces very well. Zelwegger is very good as the employee who takes a risk because she believes in his mission and mindset. Gooding is dynamic and entertaining in the scene-stealing role as the only client who opts to continue to work with Maguire after his determination to give more personal attention and more empathy to clients gets him canned by his firm. The consistently great Regina King delivers every time she is onscreen as Gooding's smart, assertive wife. Kelly Preston (RIP) has some funny scenes. And Bonnie Hunt is utterly convincing, and funny, as Zelwegger's protective older sister.

At the end of the day, this is a romantic comedy that is broadly appealing. It functions on multiple levels- as a star vehicle for Cruise, as an inspirational sports film, as a romantic dramedy. To its credit, though perhaps a bit unrealistically, there is an utter niceness to the whole proceedings. There is bad behavior, backstabbing, egomania, etc. displayed in the movie so its certainly not as though all characters are unrealistically likable but, philosophically, Crowe infuses the film with an underlying optimism. It's refreshing to see.

Additionally, the film never really descends into schmaltz. The Cruise/Zelwegger relationship is handled in an interesting and endearing manner. I went into this viewing vaguely remembering that they have a falling out and that Cruise shows up, professes his love for her to win her back, leading to the (one of many) famous quotes: "You had me at hello." But, actually, they don't really have a fight at all. Dorothy, portrayed as highly pragmatic and empathetic, merely perceives, quite accurately, that Maguire married her because of respect and a sense of obligation rather than out of love. So she figures they shouldn't force the relationship and hinder their lives just because they want to be polite.

I think that this was a cool choice by Crowe because there could have easily been some sort of plot element that led to a big squabble and a need for reconciliation. Instead, it focuses more on Maguire's journey to realizing what truly matters in his life. Fun film.

8.4/10
 
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Up in the Air (2009)

Funny and poignant Jason Reitman film starring George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, and Jason Bateman, with a lot of well-known actors in small, supporting roles. Clooney's character works for a company that other companies hire to do the dirty work of laying off employees. Clooney is cynically desensitized to the work. He doesn't seem to like the job itself but he loves how the perpetual travel around the country allows him to have his ideal type of lifestyle, uncommitted, untethered, simple. Kendrick plays a new employee to his company who is introducing video conferencing as a means of cost-cutting. Clooney hates the notion because it will take him off the road. Their boss, Bateman, pairs the two for Clooney's final in-person run so that Kendrick can really get a sense of the nature of the work and learn from him.

I do not think I've seen all of Reitman's films but I have seen the bulk of them. To me, this is the best of the ones that I've watched. I don't know if the character was written with Clooney in mind but it certainly feels like that because the role just seems tailor-made for him. He is great in it, as is Kendrick as the young ambitious corporate type whose intelligence and zeal do not prepare for her the more grim aspects of the work that they do. The scenes where employees are fired are actually quite tough to watch, particularly because the actors so effectively convey the pain, uncertainty, and helplessness of the scenario. The great J.K. Simmons plays one such character in a very memorable scene. Vera Farmiga delivers typically compelling work as a sort of kindred spirit for Clooney, a businesswoman who travels a lot and is looking, much like Clooney, for a relationship of convenience.

But the film is far more optimistic than bleak. The humor, while rarely laugh-out-loud funny, is sharp and helps to offset the more sad moments. Entertaining film with a good premise, solid dialogue, and strong performances.

8.4/10
 
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ufcfan4 said:
Jerry Maguire (1996)

I had not watched this one in a while and decided to revisit. It's very entertaining. This is just one of those signature Cruise performances that highlights his charisma and his commitment While Cameron Crowe's screenplay and direction are very good, they seem necessary but not sufficient to this film being a slam dunk. The film's success seems very much contingent on the effectiveness of the lead actor, since Maguire is not just the titular character but is also front and center for virtually the entire runtime. There is barely a scene without him.

The cast is uniformly strong. Cruise sells the crisis of conscience that his character faces very well. Zelwegger is very good as the employee who takes a risk because she believes in his mission and mindset. Gooding is dynamic and entertaining in the scene-stealing role as the only client who opts to continue to work with Maguire after his determination to give more personal attention and more empathy to clients gets him canned by his firm. The consistently great Regina King delivers every time she is onscreen as Gooding's smart, assertive wife. Kelly Preston (RIP) has some funny scenes. And Bonnie Hunt is utterly convincing, and funny, as Zelwegger's protective older sister.

At the end of the day, this is a romantic comedy that is broadly appealing. It functions on multiple levels- as a star vehicle for Cruise, as an inspirational sports film, as a romantic dramedy. To its credit, though perhaps a bit unrealistically, there is an utter niceness to the whole proceedings. There is bad behavior, backstabbing, egomania, etc. displayed in the movie so its certainly not as though all characters are unrealistically likable but, philosophically, Crowe infuses the film with an underlying optimism. It's refreshing to see.

Additionally, the film never really descends into schmaltz. The Cruise/Zelwegger relationship is handled in an interesting and endearing manner. I went into this viewing vaguely remembering that they have a falling out and that Cruise shows up, professes his love for her to win her back, leading to the (one of many) famous quotes: "You had me at hello." But, actually, they don't really have a fight at all. Dorothy, portrayed as highly pragmatic and empathetic, merely perceives, quite accurately, that Maguire married her because of respect and a sense of obligation rather than out of love. So she figures they shouldn't force the relationship and hinder their lives just because they want to be polite.

I think that this was a cool choice by Crowe because there could have easily been some sort of plot element that led to a big squabble and a need for reconciliation. Instead, it focuses more on Maguire's journey to realizing what truly matters in his life. Fun film.

8/10
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Yeah, I love this movie. It's another one of those where the pop culture status and famous lines kind of overshadow what is really a great film imo.

I think Jerry as a character undergoes some great development. Starts out as a sociopathic adjacent kind of character, a guy who puts on an act to succeed at his job, then slowly becomes more and more human and relatable as it goes on.

Little scenes like where he is talking to Zellweger and eventually finds himself in a hand holding chain with her and Lipnicki as Lipnicki uses them as support to swing around are the little moments that really make the film imo.

The role was originally written for Hanks I've heard. And I'm sure Hanks would have killed it but I cant imagine anyone else in the role beside Cruise.
 
ufcfan4 said:
Up in the Air (2009)

Funny and poignant Jason Reitman film starring George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, and Jason Bateman, with a lot of well-known actors in small, supporting roles. Clooney's character works for a company that other companies hire to do the dirty work of laying off employees. Clooney is cynically desensitized to the work. He doesn't seem to like the job itself but he loves how the perpetual travel around the country allows him to have his ideal type of lifestyle, uncommitted, untethered, simple. Kendrick plays a new employee to his company who is introducing video conferencing as a means of cost-cutting. Clooney hates the notion because it will take him off the road. Their boss, Bateman, pairs the two for Clooney's final in-person run so that Kendrick can really get a sense of the nature of the work and learn from him.

I do not think I've seen all of Reitman's films but I have seen the bulk of them. To me, this is the best of the ones that I've watched. I don't know if the character was written with Clooney in mind but it certainly feels like that because the role just seems tailor-made for him. He is great in it, as is Kendrick as the young ambitious corporate type whose intelligence and zeal do not prepare for her the more grim aspects of the work that they do. The scenes where employees are fired are actually quite tough to watch, particularly because the actors so effectively convey the pain, uncertainty, and helplessness of the scenario. The great J.K. Simmons plays one such character in a very memorable scene. Vera Farmiga delivers typically compelling work as a sort of kindred spirit for Clooney, a businesswoman who travels a lot and is looking, much like Clooney, for a relationship of convenience.

But the film is far more optimistic than bleak. The humor, while rarely laugh-out-loud funny, is sharp and helps to offset the more sad moments. Entertaining film with a good premise, solid dialogue, and strong performances.

8/10
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Yeah, this is another one i really liked. The job Clooney and Kendrick have is one that would usually be regulated to a villain, and I think it does a good job of taking that and delving a bit into the struggle and emotional turmoil being a professional firer can have.

Really well done ending too.
 
As Good as it Gets (1997)

This was a weird experience for me, as I recall watching this film, which I quite liked, with my siblings in the late 90s, probably about three times. I was very familiar with it and there were no real narrative surprises. But, I hadn't seen it in so long and associated it so much with that 1998 period that it was outright jarring to watch it again.

Once that weird time lapse feeling passed, I just enjoyed the film. It is a typical James Brooks sort of movie, which is a good thing in my book. The real essence of the success is the screenplay, the characterizations, and, perhaps most notably, the three lead performances. Nicholson, Hunt, and Kinnear all do a really good job of embodying these characters and making them feel like real people. I suppose one could say that Jack is just such a distinctive type of star, who, by this point, was just too well-known to sort of disappear into a character that his Melvin Udall might be a bit too Jack-esque but I don't think that's a problem at all. His interactions with Kinnear and Hunt are really compelling. There is a lot of tension, difficulty, sadness in the way these characters relate to each other but I really liked how Brooks and co. make Nicholson's gradual change into a more compassionate person subtle and organic. And you really need that transition and growth for this film because Nicholson is pretty atrocious in some of his early scenes. The dialogue is zippy and Jack is funny but damn, some of the stuff he says. Yikes.

Hunt blew me away with her performance. In some critical moments, she hits all the right notes. There is one scene, perhaps her first in the film, where Nicholson says something particularly meanspirited about her ill son and the look that she gives him conveys pain and anger in a manner that really struck me.

1997 was a quality year for movies. Among the best picture nominees- Titanic, Good Will Hunting, LA Confidential, and As Good as it Gets. Boogie Nights was that year too and could have easily had that fifth spot over The Full Monty. Titanic is an entertaining film and a massive technical achievement from Cameron and the crew but I personally prefer Confidential, Hunting, and As Good as it Gets over it.

This film had humor, heartfelt scenes, and great acting. Definitely held up for me.

8.3/10
 
Swept Away (UK, 2002)

Romantic drama written and directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Madonna and Giancarlo Giannini.

Amber Leighton (Madonna) is a rich bitch on a private cruise from Greece to Italy. She is travelling with her husband and a two other rich couples. Amber is c*nty to everybody but she takes a particular dislike to a crewman named Giuseppe (Giannini).

A mishap at sea results in the two antagonists being trapped on a proverbial deserted island.

Giuseppe uses his superior survival skills and physical strength to deny Amber food and shelter until she agrees to act like his slave. He frequently slaps and kicks her as well. Finally, after being sexually assaulted, Amber hits rock bottom and transforms into a trad wife. They start fucking and fall in love. Existence on the island becomes an idyllic life. They both fear that their love will not survive a return to the normal world.

This movie came up in my queue based on a debate on whether it could really be as bad as its reputation. Believe me, it is that bad. The best that I could say about it is that the movie was made by people who knew how to operate cameras. Otherwise, the dialogue is terrible. The pacing is terrible. The acting is bad. The film never explains why we should care about a love story between two people who are both sociopaths.

The ending was the best part of the film but that is mostly because it meant that the film was finally over.

Rating: 1/10

 
ufcfan4 said:
Up in the Air (2009)

Funny and poignant Jason Reitman film starring George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, and Jason Bateman, with a lot of well-known actors in small, supporting roles. Clooney's character works for a company that other companies hire to do the dirty work of laying off employees. Clooney is cynically desensitized to the work. He doesn't seem to like the job itself but he loves how the perpetual travel around the country allows him to have his ideal type of lifestyle, uncommitted, untethered, simple. Kendrick plays a new employee to his company who is introducing video conferencing as a means of cost-cutting. Clooney hates the notion because it will take him off the road. Their boss, Bateman, pairs the two for Clooney's final in-person run so that Kendrick can really get a sense of the nature of the work and learn from him.

I do not think I've seen all of Reitman's films but I have seen the bulk of them. To me, this is the best of the ones that I've watched. I don't know if the character was written with Clooney in mind but it certainly feels like that because the role just seems tailor-made for him. He is great in it, as is Kendrick as the young ambitious corporate type whose intelligence and zeal do not prepare for her the more grim aspects of the work that they do. The scenes where employees are fired are actually quite tough to watch, particularly because the actors so effectively convey the pain, uncertainty, and helplessness of the scenario. The great J.K. Simmons plays one such character in a very memorable scene. Vera Farmiga delivers typically compelling work as a sort of kindred spirit for Clooney, a businesswoman who travels a lot and is looking, much like Clooney, for a relationship of convenience.

But the film is far more optimistic than bleak. The humor, while rarely laugh-out-loud funny, is sharp and helps to offset the more sad moments. Entertaining film with a good premise, solid dialogue, and strong performances.

8.4/10
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This is a movie I really enjoyed but have never been interested in re-watching. Perhaps I should re-think that stance.

I agree that the part seemed written for Clooney. I cannot imagine a better choice for that role. Kendricks was great as well. It was one of the first roles where I really noticed her.

I used to work at a large professional firm where many people were so called "road warriors". Nothing like the Clooney character, of course, but I could relate to the concept of a person who actually comes to enjoy the white collar road life. I worked with people who were away Monday - Friday for years at a time. It seems like a nightmare existence to me.
 
revoltub said:
Yeah, I love this movie. It's another one of those where the pop culture status and famous lines kind of overshadow what is really a great film imo.

I think Jerry as a character undergoes some great development. Starts out as a sociopathic adjacent kind of character, a guy who puts on an act to succeed at his job, then slowly becomes more and more human and relatable as it goes on.

Little scenes like where he is talking to Zellweger and eventually finds himself in a hand holding chain with her and Lipnicki as Lipnicki uses them as support to swing around are the little moments that really make the film imo.

The role was originally written for Hanks I've heard. And I'm sure Hanks would have killed it but I cant imagine anyone else in the role beside Cruise.
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I am the opposite in that I think Hanks would have been much better in that role. Hanks would have struggled a bit to match Cruise as the slick amoral agent at the beginning of the film but I think he would have been much better for the rest of the role.

Just a personal preference.

Cruise is a bona fide movie star but I have never cared for him that much as an actor. Or, to put it another way, I can usually think of somebody who I would have preferred to Cruise for most of his films. Made in American and maybe Collateral are exceptions that come to mind.
 
The Rope-1948 9/10
One of Hitchcock's most experimental movies in theme and the way it was shot. A psychological crime thriller, about two longtime friends that were influenced by their old teacher (Jimmy Stewart) and his opinion on murder and life views. They decide to commit a murder and think they are intellectual enough to get away with it, including hosting a party with their friends and old teacher at the scene of the crime. It was shot in one long continuous shot, all in 2 rooms. It feels like a stage play and is acted to perfection. This is pretty straight forward with themes of moral entitlement, Nietzsche-esque ideologies, and class. There is also a hint that these friends might be a couple which for 1948 was a taboo thing. Controversial and split critics back then. It is now regarded as a groundbreaking classic.
 
Madame Web-3/10
After watching some classic films, my wife wanted a brainless background movie. We knew what to expect going in. No expectations. It was worse than we thought. We had fun laughing at how bad it was. the casting director should never work in Hollywood again, and neither should the director. The lead hero Dakota Johnson is wooden and awful. How she has a career, I will never know. Her horrible performance is matched by the villain Tahar Rahim....this dude has the charisma of a stick. I think they may have even dubbed his voice in, sounded weird as hell. The plot was filled with so many holes, but that was fun---to laugh at. This was just like The Marvels in it's diversity woke BS---Get all female heroes, and make sure each one is a different race, yay! But they amounted to annoying teens screaming "But like, you guys.....I have no parents"..."You guys, we have to run", "You guys, lets like listen this time". Weirdest of all was all these big name cast members who were squandered in obscure weird plot points. Emma Roberts, Omar Epps, Adam Scott.....all wasted.
 
Batjester said:
Watched the new Road House.

Really liked it. Thought Jake Gyllenhaal played the roll of Dalton really well. Good popcorn flick, which is what I want in this type of movie.

7.5/10
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I agree. This is the type of movie that you don't hold to the same standard....you just want action and fun and this delivered that.
 
eddymotto said:
I am the opposite in that I think Hanks would have been much better in that role. Hanks would have struggled a bit to match Cruise as the slick amoral agent at the beginning of the film but I think he would have been much better for the rest of the role.

Just a personal preference.

Cruise is a bona fide movie star but I have never cared for him that much as an actor. Or, to put it another way, I can usually think of somebody who I would have preferred to Cruise for most of his films. Made in American and maybe Collateral are exceptions that come to mind.
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I can't really see Hanks being able to play the unlikable aspects of certain roles that Cruise can. One thing that if I was nitpicking Hanks' career would be that.
 
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