Films II : The Filminator

[Maryokutai]

Went to see Ava yesterday, my first visit to the cinema since COVID popped up (the last one was Sonic in February). They played a short clip before the movie thanking everyone for coming back to watch something on the big screen. It was nicely put together but me included there were only four people in the room so it felt rather awkward.

 

As for the movie, I expected more. This was promoted to be some sort of Jason Bourne with a female lead but it's really not that. Well, 50% of it wants to be Bourne but there's no supense at all. Everything just kind of happens, the motivations of the antagonist are paper-thin and you can tell who's going to live and who's going to die about fifteen minutes into the movie. The other 50% it wants to be a family drama as Ava can't deal with being an assassin and a good sister/daughter. On paper it's an intriguing setup but they go nowhere with it and it's very superficial. They also regularly just throw exposition in your face in the most primitive way and the way they tackle Ava's alcoholism is almost insultingly bad.

 

Chastain is fantastic as usual and she really makes the most of the cards she was dealt here but this is just barely average.

[DisturbedSwan]

Booked tickets to see Tenet on Saturday, £4.99 each for the VIP seats. 

 

As soon as I booked the seats I went back on the App and it had locked out the 2 seats to the left of us and the 2 seats to the right. Incredibly empty though, think there were only 6 other seats booked in a big 350+ seat Auditorium. 

 

Not sure how it's gonna be watching with a mask on all the time but we'll see how we get on. Quite a lot of films coming out now with The New Mutants out this weekend too, I might see that next weekend if it reviews well.

[DisturbedSwan]

So, Tenet.

 

Some really great action sequences. Like really insanely good, coupled with some properly bonkers, properly loud sound design. I won’t ruin anything but the opening sequence is definitely one of the most memorable in recent years and a bit of an assault on the senses, you properly get thrown into the deep end and the film barely gives you time to think, which is good in a way but the plot suffers as a result.

 

Similarly to Interstellar, I think it’s just a bit too clever for its own good. The film is relatively straightforward with a bit of a threadbare plot up until a part in the middle when it goes properly bonkers and the time aspect begins to go properly overboard. 
 

It is clever how things work out in the end, and how they go back to certain events throughout from a different perspective shall we say. But aside from the sublime action set pieces and one of the best car chases I’ve seen it’s a little bit too clever whilst having a plot which just isn’t satisfying enough once everything’s concluded and the credits are rolling. 
 

I’d rate it above Interstellar and Dark Knight Rises but it’s worse than every other Nolan film I’ve seen (only seen a bit of Memento and none of The Prestige) really. I just don’t get the point of making a film that was understandable for half of it needlessly confusing for the second half. I do think the editing was a bit jarring too, just very quick Michael Bay type edits even during conversations which felt a little weird.

 

The film is a bit like a whirlwind that blows through your town, you’re left thinking ‘whoa, what the fuck was that I just saw?’ But at the same time confused, underwhelmed and a little bewildered.

 

7/10 

[one-armed dwarf]

A 7/10 from blakey makes me think I won't risk my life watching it lol

 

Nolan movies have that problem with people having conversations. It's too fast and in a hurry to just convey information with no concern to how unnatural it feels.

 

Inception is my least favourite film by him, it's just a film about boring people reading the manual of dream logic at you. Never understood why people enjoyed that, if people feel this way about Nolan now they really need to go back and watch that film cause it's all there.

 

Memento is great tho and its conceit lends itself well to Nolan's style

[Maryokutai]

Without having seen Tenet I think Inception is more of an exception than a rule. That movie is 50% exposition because it has no way of properly explaining itself through the good old "show, don't tell" method. I think it was fine the first time in theaters for the spectacle and for seeing people being utterly confused by it because - gasp - it's actually a movie where you had to pay a little attention so no facebook on your phone in between. Unheard of.

 

Memento is my favourite too, though. Closely followed by Prestige. But I also like his Batmans and Interstellar. He's obviously overhyped but he also makes good movies, I'm okay with that. 

[Jimboxy]

Inception is comfortably my favourite Nolan film and maybe my favourite film of all time, certainly top 3. I've watched it so many times over the years and each time I see something new. I don't really have an issue with the sit and explain method (and it is the exception to the rule) as it feels quite organic in its execution. 

 

I've not seen Tenet yet, but it sounds similar in execution to Inception so I am expecting to enjoy it a lot. 

 

[DisturbedSwan]

I loved Inception, such a fantastic film.

 

For me, I understood Inception's logic, I felt like it took a lot of time to explain itself to you and whilst it was still confusing at times you could grasp what was going on as everything had been explained really well. 

 

With Tenet though things just aren't explained well enough so when it drops you in at the deepend you're still a bit like 'wait, what?' there is exposition in there but I feel its a bit of an afterthought, with the action set pieces the focal point. There's a big conversation where everything gets explained but it comes too late in the film where it's already jumped the shark that it just feels like it's only scratching the surface. 

 

I will say though, if you can, see Tenet in the cinema because the sound in that film is absolutely bonkers and would not be comparable sitting at home watching on a Monitor/TV.

[OCH]

Haven't seen Tenet yet, but I do remember watching Interstellar on a plane and enjoying it right up until the end reveal which, although I don't remember it now, put me off seeing it again. Prestige and Memento are both amazing and Inception was really good. Although I only saw it once all the way through at the cinema years back and I'm a bit hazy on it now. Definitely going to see New Mutants this week though.

 

Meanwhile, while I've been away, I got around to watching some films:

 

John Wick - One of those I've heard of but never got around to seeing. Not knowing anything about it, you'd be forgiven for thinking the opening bit was a lead in to some sappy drama. Much better when the pew-pew's start. Really impressed. 8.5/10

 

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - Back into my Universal Monster collection with film 2(of 8). This is a weird one. The titular character doesn't even appear until the final five minutes of the film. Another scientist is introduced (his opening scene doesn't actually serve any purpose to the plot at all) and they try to make Dr. Frankenstein seem less crazy by proxy. It's still good though and rightly iconic in its set pieces. 7/10

 

Son of Frankenstein (1943) - Post-war(ish) now and things have changed a bit. As you can guess from the title, we have a new lead. Some things have also been changed around. Victor Henry Frankenstein is now named "Heinrich" (I'm guessing some legal reasons) and the formerly used mansion of the Frankenstein family more resembles something Dracula might live in than an actual stately home. Oh and he (Bela Lugosi) is in this one too. As "Igor", a revamped role from the first film. Who I'm pretty sure died in the first film? Anyway this is an interesting take on the idea of nature vs. nurture. As the heir to the castle slowly goes the same way as daddy. Which does create a bit of a plot hole. Given they make a point of saying he isn't a scientist like his father, until he finds his papers and just like that, he is one??? 8/10

[radiofloyd]

I watched Christine, the John Carpenter film based on the Stephen King novel. It was ok. I enjoyed it quite a lot at the beginning but as it wore on I started to tune out. I’d give it 6/10.

[Jimboxy]

Just got back from seeing Tenet. I liked it, possibly really liked it. Although not necessarily that complicated, I think it'll need a second viewing for everything to slot into place. It looks amazing, but you'd expect nothing less from Nolan. The action sequences are great, especially when revisited, but it is also a slow burner. Not sure where I'd put it in the grave scheme of Nolan films just yet, I wouldn't say it would be troubling my top three though. If we're looking at scales, I'd go 82/100 

 

[DANGERMAN]

I've watched a few films this week. I ended up watching both the new Jumanji films, surprised myself and enjoyed them both. The first half of the 2nd one is probably the best part of either of them, fairly well written. The Rock cannot to a Danny Devito impression, it's like he's playing him as an old jewish grandmother or something. Kevin Hart is actually really good, but it did occur to me that I don't know if he's actually capturing Danny Glover or just doing a good job of a slow old man, we don't see enough of Danny Glover's character to know that's how he's played.

 

Decent films though

 

Also watched Bill & Ted Face the Music. It's ok, not a disaster at least. @mmmark seems to like it more than I did. Again, the first half is well written, it's actually pretty funny, but you can tell it's been made on the cheap and I'm not sure it's a story that needs to be sold or makes any sort of sense, but then I suppose who cares. I don't mind especially that they have kids, even that they involve the kids so much, but one of them is just playing her role as girl Ted, which makes no sense because she isn't an early 90s cali metal  head, and very few people are exactly like their parents. Kind of came across as a bad reboot whenever she was on screen, if they do a 4th that's all about them I don't see me watching it

[mmmark]

You’re crazy, she’s wonderful. The fact they have daughters that are just like them and call them both dads is adorable and absolutely part of the charm.

 

 

This film is Bill and Ted as was and not Bill and Ted but with new characters handled in the way other films have and still do. If the original writers hadn’t had done this then yes they’d both would have been into tiktok and drake would have made an appearance. It would have been awful.

 

 

There’s not an ounce of realism or sensibility from start to finish though thankfully. Even the swift hour thirty running time is a blessing that a lot of films need to revert back to doing. This is the film 2020 needed right now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Station

[OCH]

 Hmmm...?

[Maryokutai]

Oh no, Freddy Mercury is Two-Face!

[OCH]

1 minute ago, OCH said:

 

The New Mutants

 

Important to note: No after credits scenes at all

 

It's good. Taking off the nerd glasses, it is a good film with a strong cast that doesn't overstay its welcome. You can tell it has been in production for a while, when Stan Lee is still listed as Executive Producer. Meanwhile, from how it is done, this can easily exist within the timeline of the prior X-Men films or MCU. Much like the first Deadpool could. A solid film that isn't going to set the world on fire, but further proof that even secondary to third tier Mutants are strong enough to star in standalone films. 7/10

 

Oh and it isn't quite the "horror" the initial trailers suggested. There was a scene of hands and faces pawing through the walls, that is absent from the film altogether.

 

[shinymcshine]

Jexi (Amazon Prime)

 

Comedy featuring Adam DeVine, Michael Pena and the voice of Rose Byrne - a socially awkward guy has his life changed when his phone's virtual assistant takes on a role of its own.

 

It's all a bit daft, and predictable, with some reflection on our reliance on mobile devices and compliance with T&Cs / AUPs - but there's enough laugh out loud moments to keep your interest. 

 

 

[mmmark]

Wow. Just watched Venom on Netflix. What a fucking mess. I thought the first 1/3 was alright despite it’s awful editing at times. Especially with sound. Then came the final fight which an hour in I thought was the precursor to an actual finale but nope. I checked the time and almost half an hour left. Short credits roll before a short scene setting up a sequel. Then the final credits which leads to 10 minutes of enter the spiderverse. Tf is going on? So 1/3 of the runtime isn’t the movie. 1/3 is watchable schlock. 1/3 is amateurish crap. 

[mmmark]

 

[mmmark]

[mmmark]