GRcade

Mother - not sure / 10

Yeah, this is a weird one. I went in spoiler free and not really knowing what to expect.

I'll go spoiler free but mention other movies it reminds me of, so if you know those movies then you'll go on knowing what to expect...

So it's an art house character piece but with big themes and music.

The movie follows a couple who are visited by house guests who alter the relationship dynamic and cause the female lead's world to fall apart.

It has a very strange tone and the camera is almost always behind the shoulder of a character. The sound is cranked up to 10 so every pan wash or paint brush on a wall is as loud as the dialogue.

Then as things build towards an ending, the movie moves away from an Hollywood take on dogma filmmaking towards something very different.

Spoilers on themes but not the actual events.

It all goes a bit, In the mouth of madness, dogville, (Them) think that's what it's called (French film) , silent Hill, rosmarys baby, trouble every day and Martyrs. Also a sped up camera create a very annoying and fake feel for later scenes.

It's a very odd change with some very out there moments at the end which will shock and upset those who are expecting a JL drama or a Hollywood thriller/chiller as the trailer suggests.

Hard film to review as it's not a fun watch but it is interesting and very well filmed and acted.

After viewing I read up on what it all means.... Now it makes more sense.

A film that is more interesting to talk about than it is to watch.

Which probably sums up the film more eloquently than a score could.

Godzilla wrote:American Assassin - 7/10

Michael Keaton is brilliant as always, good supporting cast, enjoyable action scenes and good pacing. Pretty forgettable but worth a watch.

Having read all of the Mitch Rapp novels (RIP Vince Flynn) I'm really intrigued to see how close this is to the source material. I always struggle to actually imagine what Rapp would look like, either during his younger days or as the grizzled veteran of the later books. I guess...Sam Fisher? Something like that.

Training Day 8/10
A Bridge To Far 9/10

Get Out

I really enjoyed it and it was a great film.

Mother!

Enjoyed this. I'm a bit of a sucker for Aronofsky.

Becomes bloody disturbing as it screams its crescendo towards the denouement. Do not watch if you are a sensitive pregnant woman.

Cracking performances from JL and JB.

Won't be for everyone (or most, probably).

Wind River - 9/10

I love this kind of film. Up there with It Comes at Night, with the way it builds tension and has this kind of undercurrent of strangeness and hostility. I remember thinking of Jeremy Renner as a B-list action guy, but between this and Arrival (and American Hustle actually, though the film itself was pretty gooseberry fool) I now really like him.

Alien covenant. I wasn't expecting much after reading lots of bad stuff about it but I thought it was great. Bender was his usual fantastic self and I enjoyed the story. I could live without the alien CGI though.

A solid 14/18

Legend.

Not as good as The Krays, (Kemp brothers).

6/10

Mother! 6/10

Metaphorical retelling of the Bible thatstarted well but ultimately disappoints due to a messy last hour that takes the story in a direction that I didn't really want it to go. The first hour was fantastic and really set up the intrigue thanks to Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer playing the role of unruly house guests very well. The last hour pretty much rendered all that came before it redundant which was a huge disappointment for me.

The ending didn't really shock me as I'm a hard nut when it comes to graphic cinema. It will upset a lot of people, but I reckon that's to the studio's credit. It's good films like this get a wide release still, but it's just not that great a film.

Think it would have irked me to have the premise spoiled like that before going in... might be with covering up the first part of your post.

I can't stop thinking about the film now that I've seen it. It was marvellous and I'll definitely be watching it again.

Can see why it is so divisive across the board, but bloody hell if that 10 minute odd sequence in the house where everything is going insane was not a majestic piece of cinema...

Much like Requiem for a Dream, it just stays with you...

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:Think it would have irked me to have the premise spoiled like that before going in... might be with covering up the first part of your post.

I can't stop thinking about the film now that I've seen it. It was marvellous and I'll definitely be watching it again.

Fair point - covered now. Sorry!

Dunkirk.

Excellent. Superb use of plane and Ocean/ sea based view.
Amazing cinematography but oh my - the sound design and music. Jaw dropping st times.

Loved it. Need to see it again as I tired early on.

9/10

Kingsman 2 - I see it’s being getting a fair amount of hate from the critics but I thought it was really enjoyable. Not a classic by any means, and not quite up to the first film, but provided a fun sugar rush for a couple of hours. Did drag a little at times as it was a bit overlong.

Solid 8/10 but gotta be in the mood.

IT

Bit disappointed to be honest. I found myself getting a bit bored, just watching one kid have a creepy experience after another but I think I went in with my expectations too high after reading so many positive impressions.

Surely it didn't need to be as long as it was.

Great performances from the cast, though, which is no mean feat considering the average age.

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:IT

Bit disappointed to be honest. I found myself getting a bit bored, just watching one kid have a creepy experience after another but I think I went in with my expectations too high after reading so many positive impressions.

Surely it didn't need to be as long as it was.

Great performances from the cast, though, which is no mean feat considering the average age.

By the size of the book, I thought they done a brilliant job of bringing it to the big screen! And brought justice to the book after that 1990 version! And to be honest, there was so much more they could have put in, so at 2 hours and 15 mins, I don't have any issues with it.

Alien: Covenant - 5/10

Mostly shite with the odd half decent bit here and there.

You know a film is not very good when Danny McBride is one of the better things about it.

Gandalf wrote:

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:IT

Bit disappointed to be honest. I found myself getting a bit bored, just watching one kid have a creepy experience after another but I think I went in with my expectations too high after reading so many positive impressions.

Surely it didn't need to be as long as it was.

Great performances from the cast, though, which is no mean feat considering the average age.

By the size of the book, I thought they done a brilliant job of bringing it to the big screen! And brought justice to the book after that 1990 version! And to be honest, there was so much more they could have put in, so at 2 hours and 15 mins, I don't have any issues with it.

And that dancing scene has become a meme.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 - 7/10

Not as good as the first but still pretty enjoyable.

Training Day - 8/10

Not seen this in years and surpised how well it holds up and just how strawberry floating great this film is. So much better than I remember it being.