The Movie Thread

[Leonormous Boozer]

American Sniper, very good!

 

[big ginger 8]

Taken 3 is unfortunately pretty terrible.

 

[goodNumber10]

American Sniper.

Very good.

 

[ruggabee]

The guy American Sniper is based on looks a lot like Chris Pratt.

Just saw Fury. Fun action but not sure how realistic it is, especially the last fight.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

American Sniper is a real good piece of work. I enjoyed it. Although not all based on the book because of legal reasons ... seems to have caused a storm amongst some too ...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren't heroes. And invaders r worse</p>&mdash; Michael Moore (@MMFlint) <a href="https://twitter.com/MMFlint/status/556914094406926336">January 18, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Case closed. <a href="http://t.co/5AHlC1TRxa">pic.twitter.com/5AHlC1TRxa</a></p>&mdash; Ferrari Sheppard (@stopbeingfamous) <a href="https://twitter.com/stopbeingfamous/status/557026335617724416">January 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also [FONT=Arial, sans-serif]@[/FONT]stopbeingfamous is enjoying playing devils advocate too on Twitter.

 

[munstermuffin]

Must say I'm dying to see American Sniper. Seems to be getting superb reviews.
But watching NFL last night and there was an ad for The Gambler. It looks like it'll be a hit and similar to departed.

 

[big ginger 8]

Must say I'm dying to see American Sniper. Seems to be getting superb reviews.
But watching NFL last night and there was an ad for The Gambler. It looks like it'll be a hit and similar to departed.

Is that just because they used Gimme Shelter in the trailer?

 

[munstermuffin]

Is that just because they used Gimme Shelter in the trailer?

Ha ha no watched few US trailers too. Seems to be good

 

[big ginger 8]

Ha ha no watched few US trailers too. Seems to be good

Yeah it does look good in fairness. Some excellent supporting actors in it. Seems to be getting average reviews in the US though.

 

[SelimNiai]

Its old but watched Spy Hard over the weekend. My type of film, silly but not over the top silly. Steve Carrell at his funy best, Anne Hathaway is, well, Anne Hathaway (ie: phwoar)

Good beer and a pizza film.

 

[big ginger 8]

Its old but watched Spy Hard over the weekend. My type of film, silly but not over the top silly. Steve Carrell at his funy best, Anne Hathaway is, well, Anne Hathaway (ie: phwoar)

Good beer and a pizza film.

Do you mean Get Smart? Spy Hard is a Leslie Nielsen movie.

 

[SelimNiai]

Do you mean Get Smart? Spy Hard is a Leslie Nielsen movie.

Yes, that one

 

[nickdnz]

With my time off I've been watching most of the movies nominated for this years Oscars (most before they were announced). Thought I'd give my 2c as this felt like the best year for good original films we've had in a long while. I haven't gotten around to watch The Grand Budapest Hotel yet - but have heard good things. Same with Interstallar.

Boyhood was an extremely interesting way of telling a story (filmed over 12 years following a boy aged 6-18). Really felt very nostalgic throughout a lot of the film - and the whole cast put in good performances. In terms of narrative there wasn't exactly an ultra-constructed overarching narrative - but like most of Richard Linklater's stuff felt very naturalistic and you got to be a bit of a fly on the wall. It's a very strong candidate for best movie, best director (not surprising for a 12 year project) and best original screenplay (which would probably be a bit of a consolation prize to take away just that). Both Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke have been nominated for female and male supporting roles. I'd say Arquette is probably the stronger of the two candidates, largely due to the Supporting Actor candidates.

Whiplash. For me the film of the year in a very strong bunch. I was excited by some of the film festival hype and managed to drag some mates along to see it quite early in its release and its safe to say it was worth the hype. For those who don't know it follows a jazz drummer (Miles Teller) trying to excel in one of the best music schools in the US. The music instructor (played by JK Simmons), pushes the student to a real borderline between positive pressure and abuse. The performance by Simmons means I think he is almost guaranteed to get best supporting actor. It would be crazy for it not to take away Best Adapted Screenplay as well, if not Best Film. Considering the amount of film which is simply drumming (which I would have assumed would contain little interest to me) somehow was one of the most intense films I've seen.

Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) was another film which if it won best movie I'd be happy. As with the other two it was just an extremely well told story and one which somehow felt very different from any similar ones told before. I think Michael Keaton (much like his character) has sort of come out of obscurity a bit to give an absolutely amazing performance. Again if you didn't know, the story follows a former and somewhat washed up superhero franchise actor (Keaton) as he tries to gain credibility by performing on Broadway. The story follows revolves around the theater and its troupe (which includes Edward Norton, Emma Stone and Zach Galifianakis). Keaton's alter-ego of 'Birdman' plays a large part but I won't spoil anything. Fantastic film and I highly recommend this along with the previous two - all deserve to win Best Film (and are refreshingly non-political candidates). Alejandro González Iñárritu is a strong candidate for Best Director (only Linklater would be up there in my opinion), and with a huge nine nominations it's bound to take away quite a lot of gold.

The Imitation Game. Was a pretty good film. It was nominated for 8 awards including Best Film - but I can't help but feel it is a very political choice. Main character is socially awkward and later depressed? Check. Beat the Nazis? Check. Main character is gay? Check. It was very of form of the Academy to have rated the film so highly, but I can't help but feel its the most overrated film this year (although it is up against another political favorite Selma, which I wouldn't be surprised to see pick up Best Film simply because of the criticisms The Academy has received for a lack of African American actors receiving nominations...). Overall a bit of a 'meh' nomination for me. Worth a watch but nothing amazing. Selma I won't cover in detail - but it's about Martin Luther King and has Oprah, so you know you're going to leave feeling guilty...).

American Sniper was pretty good, probably Bradley Cooper best performance - but he's also the most overrated actor in Hollywood in my opinion, and considering how well the most average movie to win big (Silver Linings Playbook) did - I'm really rallying for a loss. Overall I really have no big complaints about the film other than its similarities to The Hurt Locker. I watched it and was pretty engaged through it all.

Foxcatcher was another film I was dying to see (seems Best Film is the only category it missed out on). Like most Bennett Miller films I did approach it like "Oh, so this is the movie I'm supposed to like...", regardless it was a pretty good film. It's awkward. It follows the real(ish, there were apparently a lot of creative liberties that Mark Schultz was apparently very displeased with) story of John du Pont - the wealthy recluse who funded the American Olympic team. SPOILERS (skip to the next paragraph if you don't want any plot ruined). The part that is an interesting decision is that for such a strange story in which John du Pont (played by Steve Carrell and 50kg of makeup) ends up killing one of the Olympic gold medalists Dave Schultz, but ignores the part afterwards where he had a four day standoff with the police and the massive arsenal he had bought. Regardless a thoroughly watchable if not cringe-worthy film. Carrell may well get a Best Actor from it. Probably not quite worth the hype but its good.

Surprised Gone Girl wasn't nominated for more as I thought it was a pretty intriguing thriller (although Rosamund Pike is probably my pick of candidates for Best Actress). The Theory of Everything (about Stephen Hawking) has done well with nominations but is another one I didn't manage to get around to seeing (hoping to watch GBH, Interstellar and The Theory of Everything in the next week). Thoroughly recommend the first three films if anyone is interested.

Edit:

Having just seen The Grand Budapest Hotel I can say it was a really good film. Very funny, nicely stylized and an interesting plot with an ensemble cast (which my only criticism is that I think that the ensemble cast was a bit overplayed). Beside being very funny it was very sentimental - with all the main cast giving very strong performances. I suspect it will tear up in categories like cinematography, hair and makeup, costume design and production design.

 

[munstermuffin]

Yeah it does look good in fairness. Some excellent supporting actors in it. Seems to be getting average reviews in the US though.

Been honest I find it hard to go with reviews in lots of movies. Most they say are great I don't like and vice versa. Like even Oscar films there's more I don't like than like.

 

[goodNumber10]

Good lord.

Just put myself through the last transformers film.... It's just become the most ridiculous self parody ever.

Utterly awful (didn't expect it to be good) but even so....

 

[big ginger 8]

Good lord.

Just put myself through the last transformers film.... It's just become the most ridiculous self parody ever.

Utterly awful (didn't expect it to be good) but even so....

I haven't seen it but I think I got the gist from these two:

[video=youtube_share;c97NAlvu3n0]http://youtu.be/c97NAlvu3n0[/video]

http://youtu.be/wHZHSt1CSgo

 

[Rich Taff]

Good lord.

Just put myself through the last transformers film.... It's just become the most ridiculous self parody ever.

Utterly awful (didn't expect it to be good) but even so....

#

Took me 4 attempts to get through that (and still not entirely sure I've watched it to the end). Utterly abysmal movie.

First one, I thought, was really good. Had some great lines and was well made. Second one not so great but watchable. Third one, I realised one of the main reasons the second one was watchable, was Megan Fox on a motorbike at the start. Third...no megan fox, the robots were less robotic than the lead actress.

 

[Rugga-lad]

Very good mafia movie, excellent movie overall.

 

[Horacito]

Nymphomaniac, Lars Von Trier

I want to hate him, but I can't. But I can hate Charlotte Gainsbourg, cuz she's rather disgusting. Anyway, a story about somebody who uses sex as an escape from life and a lot of references to european culture, probably because LVT is the most european filmmaker right now.

Akibiyori, Yasujiro Ozu
Lampposts, lampposts everywere, japanese maidens, japanese fathers who went drunk, music, haikus, japanese japanese japanese japanese, and the moon, and the autumn. Great.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya.
One of the greatest achievments in filming. Thirty thousand years ago, when our ancestors rubbed their own **** against the walls to paint mammouths and tigers and horses, they were imagining this motion picture. The entire evolution of mankind from that to the über- developed über-weird japanese society is now worth it, just so I can see this film. It's like a myth come to life. In fact, is exactly that. Thanks Ghibli.

 

[big ginger 8]

Kingsman.

Really good fun. Big fan of Vaughan's movies. Some incredible scenes in it. Especially the Church scene with the Free Bird solo playing.