Film 2016

[Prince Monolulu]

Last Cab to Darwin

Based on a stage play. a touching, funny and emotional ride through the scenery of Oz.

Brings up the moral 'euthanasia' discussion again, but will strike a chord with anyone ever affected by somebody with a terminal illness.

Lovely film.

Emma Hamilton certainly adds to proceedings too.

 

[Easy 10]

Bridge of Spies

There's really not an awful lot "going on" in this movie, other than a lawyer having lots of conversations with his client, the FBI, the judge, and various eastern bloc officials. It could have been a complete borefest, but thanks to a sharply written script and a beautifully realised 50's/60's feel to the film, including a fascinatingly recreated early-60's Berlin just as the wall was just being built, it remained enjoyable and engrossing throughout. Tom Hanks, as the lawyer Jim Donovan who is tasked with defending a captured soviet spy, slips comfortably into his familiar, likable "everyman" persona that he does pretty much in his sleep these days. That's not to say its a bad performance - it isn't - but its just the usual reliable no-frills stuff from him.

Far more interesting was Mark Rylance and his understated, nuanced portrayal of the Soviet spy Rudolph Abel, who Hanks defends, who has deservedly been nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actor. His is an excellent performance which pretty much steals every scene he is in (although the repeated line "would it help ?" in answer to the question "aren't you even a little concerned ?" wore a little bit thin after the third time of asking).

As long as you're not expecting a thrill-ride with twists and turns, this is good solid entertainment.
7.9

 

[Worthingite]

I went to see the Big Short last night with the other half and her sister. They were bored within minutes, however I enjoyed it immensely. Sometimes a little over complicated to the layman, but the crucial points were very well illustrated.

Cineworld in the marina however has gone rapidly downhill since I was last there. Maybe ive been spoilt by the charm of the Dome, or the High Techness of the Crawley cineworld, but screen last night was musty and the seats bloody uncomfortable. Total rip off of a place

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Bridge of Spies

There's really not an awful lot "going on" in this movie, other than a lawyer having lots of conversations with his client, the FBI, the judge, and various eastern bloc officials. It could have been a complete borefest, but thanks to a sharply written script and a beautifully realised 50's/60's feel to the film, including a fascinatingly recreated early-60's Berlin just as the wall was just being built, it remained enjoyable and engrossing throughout. Tom Hanks, as the lawyer Jim Donovan who is tasked with defending a captured soviet spy, slips comfortably into his familiar, likable "everyman" persona that he does pretty much in his sleep these days. That's not to say its a bad performance - it isn't - but its just the usual reliable no-frills stuff from him.

Far more interesting was Mark Rylance and his understated, nuanced portrayal of the Soviet spy Rudolph Abel, who Hanks defends, who has deservedly been nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actor. His is an excellent performance which pretty much steals every scene he is in (although the repeated line "would it help ?" in answer to the question "aren't you even a little concerned ?" wore a little bit thin after the third time of asking).

As long as you're not expecting a thrill-ride with twists and turns, this is good solid entertainment.
7.9

Disappointing mark. I thought you rated it ?

 

[Easy 10]

Disappointing mark. I thought you rated it ?

I did. 7.9 is a very decent score in my book, that's almost 8 out of 10.

Got to leave some room for the stuff that really is absolutely BRILLIANT though.

 

[Acker79]

Youth
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. On the one hand, I liked the melancholic retrospective of the two old men looking back on their lives. The performances were good, and it's great seeing a film carried by people who aren't in contention of teenage spot cream endorsements. It was touching and funny. Then on the other hand, there were a lot of artsy obscurely meaningful shots that kinda took you out of the film as they didn't feel like they were in keeping with the tone of the 'regular' scenes.

Spotlight
I thought this one was very good. The performances were good, the story, while head-scratching in the sense of 'how could this happen?', was well told. Personally, I found it weird seeing Brian d'Arcy James play a regular person having listened so often to the recordings of the stage shows Shrek (where he played shrek) and Something Rotten (where he plays the inventor of musical plays and tries to pre-empt Shakespeare's biggest hit with a play called Omelette), but that only came out in a few scenes.

Probably my favourite of the Oscar contenders, so far.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Well, i'm back from Spotlight this afternoon and i have to say that i expected a little more from it. Or less of it's big statement dialogue which felt a little unnecessarily cheesy, and some of it poorly delivered by Mark Ruffalo who spent the film angular-headed and a touch hammy. It was an alright film, with the subject matter of course disconcerting, and thoughts provoked of how the truth was handled by a newspaper business so important just 15 years ago, and how the church can govern a city with so much of its efforts spent concealing a rotten truth that seemingly runs to its core. But there was not a huge amount of construction of character to our heroes of the piece and i felt some of the key scenes were let go when they could have been concentrated on more and built around. I thought a little about All the President's Men, which a review i read mentioned in this being another story that captures the feeling of a newspaper room, and it does that well at times, whilst the performances were a little ordinary in comparison, but i also thought about Zodiac, and what a chillingly effective film that was and how Spotlight didn't keep the right tone to it to make it as haunting as i feel it should have been.
Michael Keaton's eyebrows remained in check, so he was a little better than usual, but of those on show Liev Schreiber gave the most measured performance. Ruffalo i generally like, but he didn't do well here.
For an Oscar best picture, it's not in my top 3 of The Revenant, Brooklyn and Mad Max. That doesn't suggest a great year for film, really, but sadly Carol was left out of the list, and there were good flicks from elsewhere to treasure.

 

[vegster]

Forgot to post last week that I went to see The Danish Girl at The Dome, because the screening started before 6pm it only cost £5.00 to see !

That was the highlight. 5, avoid.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Rarely can I remember returning from the pictures and reviewing the same film as @Meade's_Ball so I must be well up with the times because I too have just been to see Spotlight this afternoon down the Marina.

Older readers will remember All The President's Men the 1977 classic which won (according to imdb) four Oscars. This was a film I can never resist watching when it is infrequently on TV that is full of drama as the journalists unravel the mysterious hidden goings on in Washington.

Spotlight is similar, but without the tension, the drama, the performances or the proper ending. A story worth telling for sure, but for me this film was very disappointing.

And it won't win an Oscar for sound (like ATPM) because the sound was bloody awful,muffled and vague.

3/10

Incidentally I used to avoid Cineworld at Brighton Marina because of the sticky carpets and overpowering smell of popcorn and worse, but today I was pleasantly surprised today. Its obviously been cleaned up, and not before time.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Much against my better judgement but because I have heard good reviews i just saw Dad's Army at the Odeon in Brighton.

I need to try and remember who's reviews I listened to, because they were talking ballcocks. It only gets 3/10 because the quality of some of the writing was good and the actors were well cast, but apart from that..... I can hear you thinking what was he expecting? That's what I am asking myself right now believe me.

And as a footnote I returned to my preferred cinema today after last week's Cineworld Marina, but the experience was spoiled by the juvenile prats I had the misfortune to share the place with. I wasn't the only one who told them to shut up to no effect. I hoped in vain for someone to spot them on the cctv and throw them out, but no.

So all in all, not a happy experience.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

2016

Joy 76
The Big Short 74
Room 84

 

[Acker79]

Triple 9
This was last night's Cineworld Unlimited Cardholders' Mystery Screening. A quite audible groan went up when the BBFC certificate came up. There was a hope among a lot of people it would be Deadpool. I'm going to see that anyway, so while I hoped that it was that, I'm not totally upset it wasn't.

A couple of people did get up and leave right away, though there was a big exodus around the 45 minute mark, which should give an idea of how good the film is, I suppose.

It has a good cast; Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, but it just felt like a typical bent cop story. It felt like a cross between Training Day, Street Kings, and Rampart.

There were some good scenes, some moments of well shot action, and tense moments, but generally it was hard to connect with or care about any of the cast, so hard to invest in their story.

 

[looney]

Watched the 5th wave.

Lo budget sci-fi, more plot and suspense than special effects. Starred the bird from Tomorrowland. Surprisingly enjoyable with plot twists. Open ended for TV series or sequals but cant see it being that popular. Worth watching imo.

Ii've watched two recently, horror,that need to be avoided. JeruZalem and Lake Eriee.. The former was better, cloverfield style but doesn't get going till the second half and then barely.

The later was 90% gash, sort "ooh what was that noise?" suspense in a strange house.

 

[Acker79]

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies
I went to a preview screening this evening, and I have to say I quite enjoyed it. I was expecting it to be funnier, but not as action packed. There were a few cute scenes juxtaposing the outdated sexual politics in old stories/society, with modern action woman visuals.

I've not read P&P, nor have I seen any of the film versions of it, so maybe I missed a lot of references, but I still enjoyed it as a zombie action/romance film.

I may well check it out again when it is officially released.

Watched the 5th wave.

Open ended for TV series or sequals but cant see it being that popular.

It is based on a series of books that are planned to be a trilogy. The second one is out, the third book comes out in a couple of months. I guess it depends on the success of the film whether the sequels get made.

 

[Meade's Ball]

As i mentioned elsewhere, i've been on a Bruno-led healthkick with manuka honey not far from my eager tongue each morning, but in doing so i was growing a little annoyed with not being off sick at all for an excessively long spell - about 2 and a half months for the sake of Dr Thadeus Jesusbones! My wish was met though, last week, by being coughed at relentlessly by two colleagues for 48 hours solid. Come Saturday and Sunday and up until this morning, i felt facial pain and general knackeredness. Now, where this unfascinating report leads us to is today and this afternoon feeling just well enough to stroll along to an Odeon and see Deadpool.

In recent weeks i've found the advertising for this film a tad annoying, and the clips for it a smidgen grating too. It seemed like a film that found itself funnier than an audience might, and i went in with a slight sense of 'this might get my goat a little'. Anywho, the opening credits led me that way, but when the action started i was lightly thrilled. Deadpool we have seen before played by Ryan Reynolds in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which was mostly lame, but in this we see Deadpool's origins for a slightly more adult - not mature, i hasten to add - audience, filled with bloodshed and humour. Reynolds is like he was when uttering the unforgettable CJTC line we all still cherish from his brief stint in the Blade series, throwing more one-liners than punches, but, unlike his bullets to the head only some hit home. A number of the gags are about the Marvel universe, DC, Ryan Reynold's dreadful Green Lantern, of mocking the formula and yet being a part of it, sometimes even talking to camera to let us be a part of the in-joke. Some hit the spot, but others are leaden and repetitive. As in all Marvel films, Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance. I was wondering some way in if he'd given that up, but when he appears, it had me chuckling.

Ed Skrein as the main enemy was flat and poor. And the inclusion of a CGI-ed Colossus from the X-Men - a joke about him and fellow X-lite Negasonic Teenage Warhead, who i'd never heard of, being all the budget could afford seemed painfully true - wasn't good. The rest of it all was ok, but i had a constant feel of Kick-Ass and Guardians of the Galaxy as i went through it. I don't suppose originality is a requirement in the comicbook film universe though. But viewers seem to fail to tire.

 

[Worthingite]

You really don't like "populist" films do you @Meades Ball!!!

That said, just got home from Worthing Domes 20:15 screening of Deadpool, along with, it appears, every 15 year old Marvel fanboy in the world. I don't know if it was the gurning audience or whatever, but I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I hoped. Too many plot holes (although saying a Marvel film has a plot is being over generous), and, if I'm honest, the humour was too crude for me (words I never ever thought I would write!)

I'm not a marvel fan, but the trailers looked promising. It just fell flat to me though. Some amusing parts for sure, but nothing that would make me watch it again any time soon. Overall a sub par 4/10

 

[Acker79]

Deadpool
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Again I qualify that with mention of my general love of superhero movies. I found it fun, and there were some clever references. The villain wasn't the most dynamic or cinematic, but this is an origin story, so he shouldn't be.

I also really loved the post-credit sting.


Zoolander 2
I remember not enjoying the original as much as many of my friends. I did like it, I just didn't feel like it was the classic some hold it up as.

I laughed a few times, but overall, this felt a notch below the first film.

 

[Acker79]

Trumbo
Having seen Triple 9 and having no interest in the finest hours or alvin and the chipmunks road chip, I decided to actually pay for a ticket and go see Trumbo at the duke of york's. It was accompanied by a short film wherein we are given the names of several breeds of birds, then the camera just pans around a tree-scape. One of those films that leave you thinking 'the lotto funded this?!'

The main attraction itself was something I enjoyed very much. Bryan Cranston disappears into the role. I often still see the dad from malcolm in the middle in his performances, but not once in this film. I often like films that take a look behind the scenes of the the movie business, and perhaps that played into my enjoyment, but I thought it was generally very good.

 

[JCL666]

Went to see Deadpool.

BRILLIANT!!!

If you have a good understanding of Marvel, DC particularly X-men and pop culture from the 80s through til now, then it is non-stop hilarious.

Even if you don't (my mate who came with me had no idea). It is still fun.

The humour is incredibly vulgar and the violence is gore fuelled cartoon style, but tame compared to the actual Deadpool comics.

Ryan Reynolds has found the role he'll be associated with forever, his Hannibal King could almost be a backstory for Wade Wilson if Marvel chose to retcon it that way.

Ed Skrein was a bit flat, and doesn't carry off the stereotype camp violent UK villian 100%. But his fight scenes are pretty good, which isn't surprising considering martial arts legend Bob Breen trained him for the role.

If you can, watch it with a few beers. It's that kind of film

 

[Meade's Ball]

I seem to be of an age in which i am tickled a little less. Alright, in real life i hate being literally tickled, wanting to punch any potential light fiddler with my underarms, but comedies themselves seem to be fewer in number that have me thoroughly laughing. Today was one of those days in which i, and the girlfriend beside me, needed a mild break from certain stresses, and i suggested we go along to an early-day showing of Grimsby, and it had that combination of working as bringing us into heavy laughter in some set-pieces, and feeling very tired afterwards for letting any sort of emotion out and sewing all feeling back up again for now. Alright it's not a classic and the "storyline" was awfully patched together and i didn't find the stereotype mockery amusing, but some bits were stupidly funny to watch and what we needed, really. A nonsense, but one i appreciated.