Films II : The Filminator

[Jimboxy]

I'd still argue that Nolan is one of the best current directors around, and would always go out of my way to see a film he's made. I think I like TENET more than most, but it was also Nolan's worst qualities put together and alounf to run riot. The sound thing is frustrating, I don't think I've had issues with it at the cinema (although I'm pretty sure I've seen all his films since Rises at IMAX or equivalent) but at home it is impossible without subtitles and I think that is something he needs to do something about, it's the most common criticism leveled against him.

 

As for Barbie, I'll watch it at home at some point. The people behind it make me curious enough to see it

[mmmark]

I’ll wait for Oppenheimer at home. The subject just doesn’t appeal. I’m sure it’ll be great because it’s Nolan. I might try TENET again.

[OCH]

Which reminds me I don't think I've seen TENET yet? I think the last Nolan film I saw was Dunkirk (which I enjoyed).

[Jimboxy]

1 minute ago, mmmark said:

I’ll wait for Oppenheimer at home. The subject just doesn’t appeal. I’m sure it’ll be great because it’s Nolan. I might try TENET again.

If you do watch it again, but the subtitles on, it makes much more sense

[radiofloyd]

Watched the new Ghibli film, “How do you Live?” It was ok. It’s weird. I can’t say I was very moved. It’s a very fantastical film in the vein of Howl’s Moving Castle or Spirited Away, but not as good as those. Nor would I say it’s as good as When Marnie Was There, which I was much more impressed by. But it’s worth a watch I guess, especially seeing as it will probably be Miyazaki’s last film.

[mmmark]

It’s his third retirement isn’t it 😆 Interesting it’s had zero promotion or trailer made. Although I guess you could argue doing interviews is promotion itself.

 

Looking forward to seeing it despite not enjoying the last few ghibli films I saw, Ponyo, the wind rises and Arrietty (which I know Miyazaki only produced).

[radiofloyd]

I think Ponyo and The Wind Rises are much better than How Do You Live?, especially Ponyo.

[Jimboxy]

Wasn't it his son directing Tales of Earthsea that brought him out of retirement first time around because he thought he did such a shit job of it? Thanks dad

 

Edit

 

https://kotaku.com/hayao-miyazaki-is-the-toughest-critic-1736009858

 

Quote

An hour into Tales from Earthsea, Miyazaki bolted from the theater to have a cigarette, saying, “It feels like I was sitting there for about three hours.”  Miyazaki returned and watched the rest of the film. When it finished, he was asked for what he thought. He replied, “I saw my own child. He hasn’t become an adult. That’s all.”  Then, he paused and said, “It’s good that he made one movie. With that, he should stop [making movies].”

 

[Maryokutai]

I think Le Guin's feedback to the movie is a really interesting read as well: https://www.ursulakleguin.com/adaptation-tales-of-earthsea

 

She doesn't go all Alan Moore ("I hate it") but rather explains in detail what she thinks of certain elements and adaptations and accepts that a different art form from a different continent will always differ greatly in the way themes and ideas are portrayed.

[mmmark]

His son did the studios first cgi animated film Earwig and the Witch and it looks awwwwwful. Like British cgi animation bad. 

[shinymcshine]

Don't Worry Darling (2022)

 

Starring Florence Pugh, Olivia Wilde, Harry Stiles and Chris Pine - the idyllic 50's America isn't quite all that it seems in this intriguing thriller.

 

I knew very little about it before I watched and got drawn into the life and mystery around Alice (Pugh) and the events of the town.

 

Enjoyable, with a nice twist.

 

The critics didn't like it, 38% on Rotten Tomatoes but the audience score of 74% is much more balanced.

 

A very broad summary - no real spoilers more a suggestion of other films/themes that it's a bit like :

 

Spoiler

It's a bit like Stepford Wives, crossed with the Truman Show and Black Mirror.

 

[DANGERMAN]

Yeah, I thought it was decent too. Maybe not enough happens but it's an enjoyable watch, those scores seem harsh 

[OCH]

On 12/07/2023 at 21:13, OCH said:

I haven't seen anything (again) since Evil Dead Rise. I do want to see Oppenheimer, whether I get around to it...🤷‍♂️

Booked in to see Oppenheimer tomorrow! 4.20pm is as early as I could manage, post-work.

[OCH]

Oppenheimer

 

Ok, let's get the negative out of the way: The OST. Specifically those audio tracks that have been synonymous with Nolan films since The Dark Knight. The tension music, I guess you could call it? I find them kind of grating and I don't think they really work here. Outside of just being a Nolan-ism.

 

As for the rest of the film. For mostly entirely different reasons, this is one of the best films I've ever seen since Everything, Everywhere All at Once. The entire cast is solid. Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey JR are exceptional. Just like that other film, this definitely isn't for everyone. But for those interested in this and it's three hour runtime, you won't be disappointed. 9.5/10

[Maryokutai]

Saw Wolfwalkers just now. It's been on my watchlist for ages but me being that oddball who waits for the exact right state of mind to watch something, well, here I am three years later.

 

It's technically the third film in a thematic trilogy of animated movies centered around Irish folklore. I haven't seen the first one (The Secret of Kells) but really liked the second (Song of the Sea). Wolfwalkers is basically a new, and almost literal, take on the "Dancing with Wolves" template, but packages it nicely in a child-friendly exterior that still doesn't shy away from subtly tackling themes like environmentalism, colonialism and whatever happened between Britain and Ireland in the 17th century (need to look that up, wasn't on our history program over here).

 

The hand-drawn style is incredibly effective, with some deliberate brush strokes and pencil lines accentuating certain elements, while some shots are occasionally drawn as complete flat areas without any kind of proper perspective, giving the movie a very unique, fairy-tale look. It's all wrapped up nicely with a wonderful soundtrack and a great cast – shoutouts to the actress who voiced Mebh, it was apparently her first role and she did a fantastic job.

 

If I recall correctly, the movie rightfully did receive a couple of awards, but it wasn't really talked about much on an international scale due to its production background. It's a co-production between Ireland and Luxembourg, but as is the case with most of these, "we" only pumped some money into it. It's really an Irish production through and through.

[DANGERMAN]

not sure if this is the thread for this or not, but I watched The Flash last night. got to say I quite enjoyed it. I watched Flashpoint either this christmas or the previous one and enjoyed that, it's a good story, probably the best of the multiverse stuff. The Flash is a slimmed down, slightly butchered version of that. It's kind of a shame that a couple of the interesting takes on familiar characters are one and done. Also I think it's a fair criticism that the problem with The Flash is that his character just isn't that appealing, Miller is a very good actor, but he's not a likable one, and the writing doesn't help

[mmmark]

Check the DC thread for other opinions. Think most liked it. 

[DisturbedSwan]

Saw both Barbie and Oppenheimer this weekend.

 

Thought both were excellent. Oppenheimer is a brooding political thriller charting his early life right until his later life and everything he went through, from learning about physics with a Professor he hated at Cambridge to the Manhattan Project and Trinity Test itself to lingering questions about his Communist-links in the new post-WWII Cold War arms race with the Soviets. 

 

I like how it subverts expectations really, I fully expected it to be solely about his early life right up until the Trinity Test and then the bombs dropping on Japan and then that's in really but

Spoiler

the film continues on after that is over to show the systematic destruction of his character and reputation due to his concerns over further Nuclear development.

 

Cillian Murphy is absolutely fantastic in it, he's almost ghoulish in his appearance and fades away into the character he's portraying as all great acting performances tend to do. Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. put in great performances too with far less screen time than Murphy.

 

Barbie is an irreverent absurdist fantasy comedy about Barbie losing her mojo (come to think of it is is a bit like Austin Powers in general), having to leave Barbie-Land and go to the real world to meet the little girl who's playing with her to try to set things back to how they were. Ken tags along for the ride but things don't exactly go to plan, when she eventually returns to Barbie-Land things are far different there from how she left them and the rest of the movie is essentially about getting Barbie-Land back to the way it was.

 

Ryan Gosling as Ken steals pretty much every scene he's in, it's an absolutely phenomenal performance, an actors dream really to just be so over the top and go all out without any shackles to keep the performance more modest or anything like that, it's very full on and over the top but that's what essentially makes the film. Especially when paired with Robbie's more subdued performance as Barbie, Ken really does bring the energy (or Kenergy) to the entire film. 

 

It's just got such a pep and spirit to it that you can't help but smile, the soundtrack helps with this as well with a load of cheesy pop music and a few musical numbers performed by Ken, Barbie and the myriad other Kens and Barbies which are absolutely amazing. 

 

It's just so incredibly smartly written from start to finish, as you'd expect with Baumbach and Gerwig at the helm. None of the dialogue feels superfluous, pretty much every joke lands, every performance is spot on and fits. The plot, the overarching messages from the film (which I won't spoil), the cast, the performances, the lavish sets and handmade feel of the film, nothing could of been done any better. 

[Jimboxy]

33 minutes ago, DisturbedSwan said:

Kenergy

You're lucky I don't ban you

[one-armed dwarf]

The 'barbieheimer' mashup thing is so weird to me considering one of those films is about how 1000s of civilians got incinerated and horrible radiation sickness in what is historically speaking not such a long time ago.

 

I dunno, irreverent memes are weird sometimes