Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Big Magilla wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 3:39 am
Reza wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:23 am
Ferrari (Michael Mann, 2023) 8/10

There is clearly a sense of doom and gloom that prevades across this film. Could be why a film by Michael Mann failed to get the attention it deserved. It is a look-in at the life of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) - Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque - a life that is filled with conflict and sadness. The screenplay covers the period during 1957 when he prepares his racing team for the Mille Miglia, an open road, endurance-based race lasting one thousand miles. His life is in a chaotic mess - the Company is facing financial ruin, marriage to his wife (Penélope Cruz) has all but collapsed - both are grieving over the death of their only son a year before and she is fed up with his string of affairs - and his mistress (Shailene Woodley) is pressurizing him to give his name to their illegitimate son. He needs his wife, who holds half the shares in the Company, to hand them over to him so he can negotiate a deal with Ford - she agrees but at a huge cost that not only involves the business but also the matter with his bastard son. Meanwhile during the race he has to contend with his temperamental and flamboyant drivers - British racing car driver Peter Collins (Jack O'Connell) whom he admires and treats like family, Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey) who wins the Mille Miglia, and the playboy sex symbol Spanish aristocrat, racing driver, Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone), who was famously having an affair with the ex-wife of Tyrone Power - actress Linda Christian, who famously kissed him before the Mille Miglia which got labeled the "kiss of death" as during the race his renowned Ferrari 335 S crashes near the village of Guidizzolo when a tyre burst while driving along a dead straight road at 150 mph, killing him, his navigator, and nine spectators. Ferrari is blamed by the media for de Portago's lethal accident. Superbly produced film brilliantly recreates the era. The casting of American actors is a tad suspect - Driver is coldly aloof in his portrayal which I thought was the right touch to this complex self-absorbed man. Although Shailene Woodley is badly miscast in the thankless and underwritten role of the mistress, the film comes to life with a powerhouse performance by Penélope Cruz who looks ravaged throughout - a woman deeply grieving the loss of her son and marriage but totally in control of her business acumen as she negotiates with her husband completely to her own advantage and which he has the sense (and maybe deep affection) to completely agree to. Mann superbly stages the gritty racing scenes which are riveting, full of dread and suspense, and he captures the beauty of the iconic red vehicles with their bright yellow trademark logo as they growl their way across the winding roads.
Agree, the sense of doom is pervasive even if you don't know the outcome of the 1957 Mille Miglia. The film, which is easily Mann's best since The Insider, gives Adam Driver a role that is Al Pacino in The Godfather trilogy comparable, and Penélope Cruz her best role ever, certainly her best in English by far. I think the film's biggest problem was opening on Christmas Day - it's not a Christmas movie, and Christmas Day releases if they don't immediately take off are pretty much branded flops. However, there's no reason the film shouldn't have done better with critics and Oscar voters.

The film definitely deserved at least two Oscar nominations for Cruz in the week supporting actress category and the film's sound. It should have also been a contender for visual effects, cinematography, and editing. Five nominations would have been about right and probably would have happened if the film didn't have the stigma of being a flop like Napolean which managed three Oscar nods anyway.
I have both Driver and Cruz on my own list for the year. In fact Cruz in lead â la Lily Gladstone. She has quite a prominent role in the film and a certain section of the plot hinges importantly on Cruz. Yes, pity the film was ignored by the Academy.
Big Magilla
Site Admin
Posts: 19312
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 3:22 pm
Location: Jersey Shore

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Big Magilla »

Reza wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:23 am
Ferrari (Michael Mann, 2023) 8/10

There is clearly a sense of doom and gloom that prevades across this film. Could be why a film by Michael Mann failed to get the attention it deserved. It is a look-in at the life of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) - Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque - a life that is filled with conflict and sadness. The screenplay covers the period during 1957 when he prepares his racing team for the Mille Miglia, an open road, endurance-based race lasting one thousand miles. His life is in a chaotic mess - the Company is facing financial ruin, marriage to his wife (Penélope Cruz) has all but collapsed - both are grieving over the death of their only son a year before and she is fed up with his string of affairs - and his mistress (Shailene Woodley) is pressurizing him to give his name to their illegitimate son. He needs his wife, who holds half the shares in the Company, to hand them over to him so he can negotiate a deal with Ford - she agrees but at a huge cost that not only involves the business but also the matter with his bastard son. Meanwhile during the race he has to contend with his temperamental and flamboyant drivers - British racing car driver Peter Collins (Jack O'Connell) whom he admires and treats like family, Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey) who wins the Mille Miglia, and the playboy sex symbol Spanish aristocrat, racing driver, Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone), who was famously having an affair with the ex-wife of Tyrone Power - actress Linda Christian, who famously kissed him before the Mille Miglia which got labeled the "kiss of death" as during the race his renowned Ferrari 335 S crashes near the village of Guidizzolo when a tyre burst while driving along a dead straight road at 150 mph, killing him, his navigator, and nine spectators. Ferrari is blamed by the media for de Portago's lethal accident. Superbly produced film brilliantly recreates the era. The casting of American actors is a tad suspect - Driver is coldly aloof in his portrayal which I thought was the right touch to this complex self-absorbed man. Although Shailene Woodley is badly miscast in the thankless and underwritten role of the mistress, the film comes to life with a powerhouse performance by Penélope Cruz who looks ravaged throughout - a woman deeply grieving the loss of her son and marriage but totally in control of her business acumen as she negotiates with her husband completely to her own advantage and which he has the sense (and maybe deep affection) to completely agree to. Mann superbly stages the gritty racing scenes which are riveting, full of dread and suspense, and he captures the beauty of the iconic red vehicles with their bright yellow trademark logo as they growl their way across the winding roads.
Agree, the sense of doom is pervasive even if you don't know the outcome of the 1957 Mille Miglia. The film, which is easily Mann's best since The Insider, gives Adam Driver a role that is Al Pacino in The Godfather trilogy comparable, and Penélope Cruz her best role ever, certainly her best in English by far. I think the film's biggest problem was opening on Christmas Day - it's not a Christmas movie, and Christmas Day releases if they don't immediately take off are pretty much branded flops. However, there's no reason the film shouldn't have done better with critics and Oscar voters.

The film definitely deserved at least two Oscar nominations for Cruz in the week supporting actress category and the film's sound. It should have also been a contender for visual effects, cinematography, and editing. Five nominations would have been about right and probably would have happened if the film didn't have the stigma of being a flop like Napolean which managed three Oscar nods anyway.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Slow Horses: Dead Lions (Jeremy Lovering, 2022) - Season Two 10/10

The group at Slough House - an offshoot house for a bunch of disgraced MI5 agents - are led by the scruffy, smelly, chain smoking Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman). Based on the series of novels by Mick Herron the plots go on to show that the spy game is not glamorous like the James Bond arena but more like the John le Carré oeuvre - downright dirty, brutal and disheveled, not unlike Lamb himself. The riveting dots here cover assorted murders, a Russian defectee who may or may not be still working for his bosses back home, a Russian sleeper spy who "wakes" up by flying a bomb to be dropped over London, and a nail-biting chase on a train. The group has to band together, overcome their individual failings and get down and dirty to get to the bottom of things. Oldman is a delight throughout especially in his terse (but very funny) interactions with the MI5 Deputy Head (Kristin Scott Thomas) who in turn has to kowtow to the odious Home Secretary (Samuel West) who has his own political aspirations. A must watch.

Slow Horses: Real Tigers (Saul Metzstein, 2023) - Season Three 10/10

An MI5 agent in Istanbul is murdered when she tries to leak a secret file. Her lover kidnaps one of the Slough House agents (Saskia Reeves) and holds her to ransom in exchange for the file. The entire team at the House - under the leadership of Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), "a bigoted, philistine, morbidly obese, spectacularly flatulent, alcoholic chain-smoker" - gets in on the attack when they find themselves as collateral damage during a power struggle at the top of MI5, between "Second Desk", the Deputy Director General (Kristin Scott Thomas), and "First Desk", the Director General (Sophie Okonedo) who try to cover up their fuck-ups. Also playing a part in the proceedings is a senior retired MI5 officer (Jonathan Pryce), grandfather of a House agent (Jack Lowden), who knows exactly how to play the "game" in order to survive. Superb series marvelously balances suspense and humour throughout all its seasons. Oldman makes for a wily agent and a most amusing one and his interactions with the equally droll Scott Thomas are brilliantly played moments.

Five Days at Memorial (John Ridley, Wendey Stanzler & Carlton Cuse, 2022) 7/10

Disastrous situation at a New Orleans hospital during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina catastrophe ending with lawsuits and arrest of a senior surgeon (Vera Farmiga) and assistants accused of killing patients who could not be evacuated by giving them a lethal dose of drugs. Case was later thrown out of court.

Hell is a City (Val Guest, 1960) 9/10

Gritty, very violent police procedural is a cross between the British New Wave and American film noir. A crook (John Crawford) escapes from jail, robs a bookie (a superb Donald Pleasence) and murders his secretary who was carrying the money. While hiding out he is relentlessly pursued by the cop (Stanley Baker) who had first put him in jail. Striking performances by the supporting cast - Billie Whitelaw (in her debut - Bafta award) as Pleasance's slutty wife and the crook's former mistress, Maxine Audley as the cop's shrewish wife, and Vanda Godsell as the mature and sensual barmaid who has a thing for the cop. Superbly directed drama shot on location in bleak Manchester. A must-see.

Violent Playground (Basil Dearden, 1958) 5/10

Another of Dearden's hard-hitting films on social issues - juvenile delinquency. A tough cop (Stanley Baker) in Liverpool is assigned to see to it that wayward kids try to keep on the straight and narrow. While looking after twin kids he falls in love with their bitter older sister (Anne Heywood) - dad away at sea and mum run off to London - and discovers their other brother (David McCallum) is involved in a series of arson attacks. The tense ending involves a classroom of children held at gunpoint as the local priest (Peter Cushing) and the cops try to save them. Rock 'n' Roll is shown to be a negative sequence - there is a wonderful scene showing teenagers swaying trance-like to the music. Unlike many of Dearden's films this is stiffly played out, and McCallum as the Brando-Dean character has no sense of danger about him. The dreary Liverpool backdrop is very authentic though none of the characters speak with an accent.

Criminal Law (Martin Campbell, 1988) 2/10

An erratic screenplay replete with overwrought moments along with bad direction totally paralyzes this slow murder-mystery courtroom drama. An impetuous defense lawyer (Gary Oldman) successfully defends the cocky son (Kevin Bacon) of a wealthy, prominent family who has been charged with murder. He wins the case by manipulating the judicial system. When a second murder occurs a cat and mouse game ensues between them forcing the lawyer to try and find proof that the man did indeed kill again. Red herrings, massive potholes in the plot, characters acting strangely and repeated false alarms which keep signalling a shock ending eventually becomes a bore. Oldman sports an American accent that comes and goes, Bacon smirks, both Jo Don Baker and Tess Harper are wasted with underwritten parts as cops on the case, and Karen Young covers the scream quotient as the roommate of one of the victims and Oldman's lover. Skip this crappy film.

From the Terrace (Mark Robson, 1960) 6/10

Old fashioned soap opera is based on the best selling book by John O'Hara. Writer Ernest Lehman condensed the mammoth book and cut out almost all the sex to appease the censors back then, although the characters do manage to have their cake and eat it too. Navy veteran (Paul Newman), son of a verbally abusive steel factory owner (Leon Ames) and an alcoholic mother (Myrna Loy), marries into a prestigious family and moves swiftly up the corporate ladder in New York working for a famous financier (Felix Aylmer). As work pressures increase he spends more and more time away from home and his neglected but flighty wife (Joanne Woodward) re-starts an affair with her ex-boyfriend (Patrick O'Neal). Since divorce is looked down upon in the corporate world he continues to live with his wife although is attracted to the compassionate but lonely daughter (Ina Balin) of a coal miner. Lots of heartache (and unseen sex) in this precursor to all the tv soaps ("Dynasty", "Dallas") during the 1980s where dirty trysts in both the boardroom and the bedroom were the order of the day. A chic Woodward, dressed to her teeth in Travilla gowns, steals the film as the seething wife who likes sex and is not afraid to flaunt herself. Newman stiffly goes through the motions - he is clearly not having a good time stuck in such a film. Myrna Loy, cast against type, is very good in a brief role as the sad neglected alcoholic mother involved in one night stands. Long rambling film is ploddingly directed, looks good but isn't very interesting. Maybe the book needs to be made into a mini-series without censor restrictions to capture the true spirit of the book.

This Woman is Dangerous (Felix E. Feist, 1952) 3/10

Very minor noir has Joan Crawford playing a tough female gangster going blind. She brings zero nuance to the character playing her like a prim and proper lady posturing at a garden party. Since the plot veers more towards soap opera she has serious man troubles along the way. Her boyfriend (David Brian) is a brutal psychopath and she falls in love with the doctor (Dennis Morgan) who performs an operation on her eyes. This is absolute rubbish given a slight sheen via Ted McCord's shadowy cinematography which is appropriate to all noirs. Crawford is stoic throughout with not a hair out of place.
User avatar
gunnar
Assistant
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:40 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by gunnar »

I guess that I should probably update here a little more often, but it slips my mind. Here are some selections from the past month, including a number of Oscar nominees.

Ivy (2015) - 9/10 - The crew on a somewhat dilapidated cargo ship in the Mediterranean start to get worried when they haven't been paid for at least 2 months. Just before docking in their next port of call, the captain receives word that the shipowner has declared bankruptcy and is nowhere to be found. This leads to the ship being held outside the port with only a caretake crew onboard, including three newcomers to the ship. As the days and months pass, the interactions between the people get a bit more tense as tempers flare and madness starts to creep in. This is a very nice psychological thriller.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023) - 8.5/10 - Sandra Hüller portrays a writer whose husband dies in a fall and she finds herself on trial as a murder suspect, though the fall could have been suicide or an accident. The trial dredges up their marital issues which include an accident that left their son visually impaired. Hüller is excellent in her role and it is a very good film.

American Fiction (2023) - 8.5/10 - A black professor/writer hasn't sold very many books because they are too literary. He gets mad and writes a trashy book about the 'black experience' under a pseudonym and is shocked at the book's success. I don't think they quite stuck the landing, but this was a very funny movie with some nice performances from Jeffrey Wright in the lead role and from the supporting cast as well.

Perfect Days (2023) - 8.5/10 - Hirayama cleans toilets for a living. He gets up early in the morning, drives his van to work, listens to music on cassette tapes, and does his job. He takes pictures of trees, goes for bike rides on his day off, stops at a restaurant for dinner, and reads books before bed. He has his routines, doesn't speak much, and seems fairly content. The film follows Hirayama over a number of days with various encounters and routine days. Koji Yakusho does a great job as Hirayama and I also enjoyed the supporting cast.

The Holdovers (2023) - 8/10 - Paul Giamatti stars as a teacher at a private boarding school in Massachusetts as Christmas approaches in 1970. He is tasked (punished) with chaperoning the few boys who remain on campus over the Christmas holidays. One of the boys in particular stands out and the two butt heads at first. Giamatti is good in these types of roles and this one is no exception. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is really good as the school's cook and Dominic Sessa isn't bad as Tully. It's a nice film and there is plenty of humor along wit the more dramatic elements.

The Beaches of Agnès (2008) - 8/10 - Agnès Varda looks back on her life and career. She narrates and uses photos, clips from her films, recreations of past events, and more to tell the story. It's pretty good and I enjoyed it.

Monsoon Wedding (2001) - 8/10 - A big wedding is about to take place in New Delhi and family is coming from many places around the world. It turns into a big, expensive, elaborate affair and there is a lot of personal drama along the way, though more than balanced by the better times and humor. The music is also used to good effect.

Outrage (1950) - 8/10 - A young woman gets engaged, but is raped on her way home from work shortly thereafter. This traumatizes her and she tries to escape from her problems. Mala Powers gives a nice performance.

A Goofy Movie (1995) - 8/10 - Max is embarrassed by his father, Goofy. Goofy is worried about his son getting son getting in trouble so he takes Max on a cross country journey with plenty of obstacles along the way. I've never seen Goof Troop before, but like Goofy from the comics. This was a lot more fun than I expected.

The Day I Became a Woman / Roozi ke zan shodam (2000) - 8/10 - Three stories are told here about women in Iran at different stages of life. In the first story, a little girl is told on her ninth birthday that she must cover her hair and stop playing with the boys. In the second story, a twenty-something woman is competing in a bicycle race, but is pursued by her husband and family members on horseback. They want her to stop and come back to the village. The third story features an elderly woman who arrives by plane and sets out to purchase all of the things that she never had. It's a very nice film.

Nimona (2023) - 8/10 - The kingdom has survived for 1000 years with their traditions. They have a lot of modern amenities, but also have knights who are supposed to keep the kingdom safe. Ballister Boldheart is about to become the first commoner to join the ranks of the knights, but he is set up for a crime and ends up on the run where he is befriended by a shapechanging girl named Nimona. This was quite a bit of fun, especially the antics of Nimona as voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz.

To Kill a Tiger (2022) - 8/10 - In 2017, a 13 year old girl was raped by three men in a rural village in India. Many of the villagers wanted it handled within the village and some suggested having the girl marry one of her rapists, but the girl's parents stood by her and filed a police report. This film starts a few weeks after the rape and follows them through the 14 month trial of the three perpetrators. The family stood strong even with threats, pressure, and other issues that could have derailed everything.

Robot Dreams (2023) - 8/10 - In 1980s New. York, Dog is lonely so he purchases a kit to build a robot pal. Dog and Robot become fast friends and they spend a great summer together. Circumstances force them apart, but each dreams of being reunited with their friend, but life moves on. There is no dialogue, but dialogue isn't necessary to tell the story here. It's a very nice and entertaining film.

Terribly Happy (2008) - 7.5/10 - Robert is a police officer who has been transferred from Copenhagen to a small and rural town as punishment for an unspecified transgression. He finds the inhabitants of that town to be somewhat insular. There is one violent man who stands out from the crowd, though, and Robert soon finds himself involved through that man's wife. I've seen this described as a black comedy, but I didn't find it particularly funny. It is a decent drama which is a bit off kilter.

Io Capitano (2023) - 7.5/10 - Two Senegalese teenagers save up for a long time so that they can make the journey to Europe where they hope to make a living as musicians. The journey does not go as planned and is filled with a lot of hardship, but the magical vision of Europe remains their goal. Seydou Sarr is very good in the lead role

Drifting Clouds / Kauas pilvet karkaavat (1996) - 7.5/10 - A married couple in Helsinki seem to be getting by okay. He drives a tram and she is the head waiter at a restaurant. However, they soon run into difficulties when each loses their job over a couple of days. There is a recession and jobs are hard to find. Their situation keeps getting worse, but they keep trying to find a way out. Kati Outinen in particular was pretty good as Ilona.

The Zone of Interest (2023) - 7.5/10 - Rudolf Höss and his family live in a villa just outside Auschwitz, the camp that he commands. Life proceeds normally for them as the war and the Holocaust goes on. It's pretty good, but didn't wow me.

Past Lives (2023) - 7.5/10 - Nora moves to the United States from Korea with her family when she is 12 years old, leaving behind the boy that she liked and the rest of her friends. The two reconnect over the internet 12 years later and then meet in person for a few days in New York City 12 year after that. Nora can still speak Korean, but is fully acclimated to American life after living most of it there. The reunion is a bit awkward at times, but also serves to help answer the 'what if' thoughts that have gone through each of their minds over the years.

Pähkähullu Suomi (1967) - 7.5/10 - A film crew is making a documentary about Finland for Finland's 50th Anniversary. The story soon shifts to an American millionaire who is returning to the country that his father left in 1920. The film is a comedy and doesn't really linger too long on any one segment. The humor doesn't always quite land, but there are plenty of bits here and there that are pretty funny.

Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) - 7.5/10 - A man tries to help his aunt get the pension that she is supposed to receive after the death of his uncle. However, the person they deal with insists that she needs her late husband's worker card to receive the pension and the card was buried with the man. The nephew sets out to try and get the worker card by having the body exhumed briefly, but runs into red tape at every stop. This leads to increasingly farcical situations at times.

Poor Things (2023) - 7.5/10 - The production and costume design were top notch and Emma Stone gives an excellent performance. I ended up liking, but not loving the film, though.

American Honey (2016) - 7.5/10 - Star (Sasha Lane) is an 18 year old living in a crappy situation in Oklahoma. One day, she decides to join a group of young people who travel the country in a van selling subscriptions to magazines, living in motels, and drinking a lot. The situation may not be all that improved, but at least it's different. She also falls in with Jake (Shia LeBeouf), a charismatic man who ranks high in the pecking order of the group, which is run by Krystal (Riley Keough). The film is long and episodic with plenty of scenes of the group driving in the van to their next target area. I ended up liking it more than I expected.

Boats Out of Watermelon Rinds / Karpuz Kabugundan Gemiler Yapmak (2004) - 7.5/10 - Two teenage boys from a small village dream of having their own movie theater in their village. One boy works as an assistant to a watermelon seller in town and moons over an older girl that lives nearby. The other boy works as an assistant to a barber. Since projectors and cameras are too expensive for them, they set out to build their own projector and use discarded film that they salvage from the town's theater. It's a good coming of age film.

Adventures of Captain Vrungel (1976) - 7.5/10 - A sea captain and his student decide to join an international regatta. The regatta turns into quite the adventure, especially after a thief joins them onboard, along with their stolen goods. The animation is a bit different, but good. There are plenty of fun twists and turns.

The Color Purple (2023) - 7/10 - I liked the songs and generally thought the performances were good. The costumes, scenery, etc. all seemed pretty good as well. However, the songs weren't really memorable and seemed to take away from the strength and impact of the story. I did like the film, but it seemed rather light.

Inspector Palmu's Error (1960) - 7/10 - A wealthy man is found dead in the bath with the door locked. This was after having a number of guests over the night before. Inspector Palmu investigates in the mystery comedy. I was enjoying it quite a bit early on, but I started losing interest around the midpoint.

Elina: As If I Wasn’t There / Elina – som om jag inte fanns (2002) - 7/10 - In the 1950s, a young girl has been at home recovering from tuberculosis for a year and is finally well enough to go back to school, though she will be in a class with her younger sister. The girl likes to spend time in the nearby bogs and misses her late father. The family is part of a Finnish speaking minority in Sweden and the girl soon runs afoul of the strict head teacher who insists that students only speak Swedish. This is a fairly simple, but decent film.

Lapland Odyssey (2010) - 7/10 - Janne's girlfriend is tired of his lack of effort in a number of areas so she gives him an ultimatum to get a new digibox by morning or she will leave him. She even gives him the money, but he didn't go to the store before they closed. Janne and two friends set out on a quest to get the digibox and save the relationship. There are plenty of antics, some funny, some not as funny, as the quest takes them to a number of places to try and get the digibox.

Fallen Leaves (2023) - 7/10 - Ansa and Holappa each have their struggles keeping a job. They meet one night and are each interested in the other, but Holappa immediately loses her number and time passes before they meet again. A number of obstacles seem to crop up to derail their relationship. This is done in Kaurismäki's usual deadpan style and the two lead actors are each pretty good.

Oink (2022) - 7/10 - A girl meets the grandfather that she never knew when he shows up one day and takes over the cabin outside the family's home. He gifts her with a cute little pig, but does he have a secret agenda? There are some funny moments on occasion, especially toward the end.

Nyad (2023) - 6.5/10 - Annette Bening stars as Diana Nyad, a long distance swimmer who made a number of attempts to swim between Cuba and Key West in the 1970s and 2010s. Jodie Foster co-stars as Bonnie, Nyad's friend who supports her in this quest. I don't really know enough about Diana Nyad to determine the accuracy of Bening's portrayal, but it seemed kind of artificial to me. The character of Nyad was the least interesting and likable member of the cast. I did like Foster's performance and Rhys Ifans as navigator John Bartlett. There were long stretches in the film that were pretty dull.

The Eternal Memory (2023) - 6.5/10 - Paulina and Augusto have been together for 25 year. Augusto has had Alzheimer's for a number of years now and Paulina takes care of and loves her husband each day through this. She worries that the day will arrive when he will no longer recognize her. Paulina is an actress and Augusto was involved in film, television, and other activities that kept him in the public eye so there is plenty of archival footage of each of them along with home movies mixed in.

Flamin' Hot (2023) - 6.5/10 - The 'true' story of how Richard Montañez rose from being a janitor at Frito-Lay without a high school diploma to inventing Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The story is formulaic and seems highly exaggerated, but is still fairly entertaining. Not a great film, but it is certainly watchable.

May December (2023) - 6/10 - Natalie Portman stars as an actress who inserts herself into the lives of a couple (Julianne Moore and Charlie Melton) who have been married for 23 years in a relationship that started when the wife was 36 and the husband was 13. The actress stirs things up quite a bit just as the high school graduation of the couple's twins is approaching. The performances are okay, but I didn't really enjoy the film all that much.

El Conde (2023) - 6/10 - What if Augusto Pinochet didn't really die, but was instead a 250 year old vampire who was once a French Royalist soldier. Now he wants to die once and for all. This was pretty dull for the most part with only a few bits here and there that were a little more interesting.

Zombie and the Ghost Train (1991) - 6/10 - Zombie is a misfit who likes to play bass guitar, but doesn't seem to have too many other interests. He also has a problem with drinking and has been sleeping on the streets of Istanbul for a while. It's kind of a dull film, though Zombie is an interesting looking character.

Make Mine Music (1946) - 6/10 - This Disney package film contains a number of shorts, though most are only mildly interesting.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023) - 6/10 - Ruby wants to go to prom with the boy she likes, but it's being held on a party boat and her mom refuses to let her run the risk of going in the ocean because she's really a kraken in human form. I thought the trailer didn't look too bad when I saw it in the theater. The movie is kind of simple, though, and a bit of a disappointment. It's not bad and I did like the animation, but I was expecting better.

The Element of Crime (1984) - 5/10 - This was Lars von Trier's first (non-student) feature film and there were things that I did like about it, including the general mood and visuals. I didn't care for the story or for the film as a whole, though.

Born American (1986) - 5/10 - Three American idio...tourists arrive in Finland, travel near the border with the USSR and start shooting arrows, playing in the snow, and taking photographs. They see a sign that the border is only a kilometer away and think it would be a great idea to sneak into the USSR, take photos, and act like jackasses. Things don't go as planned and they end up in a gulag. The acting and story were pretty dumb, though it is still sort of watchable. It was supposed to be a Chuck Norris vehicle, but when he backed out, his son Mike ended up getting the lead role.

Joulubileet (1996) - 5/10 - This is a pretty weird movie. Mike gets out of prison after serving 4 years for bank robbery and his friends/partners throw him a Christmas party (in the summer) to welcome him home. There's a lot of strange stuff that goes on and a few of them are kind of funny, but overall it's just odd. I can see some people really loving it, though I am not one of them.

Ripa ruostuu (1993) - 5/10 - Ripa drinks a lot and picks up a number of women. He calls himself a film director, though his two films have been panned for sex and violence and he can't sell a script. He owes his ex a lot of money and his life takes a nosedive during one fateful week. I didn't like the first half of this film, though it got better in the second half and did have one laugh out loud moment.

Open Season (2006) - 5/10 - A tame bear finds himself stranded in the woods just three days before open season begins. His only companion is a misfit deer. This was pretty dumb for and not very funny most of the time.

Back to the USSR (1992) - 4/10 - Reima is an outcast in his village, partly because he is a communist. His life changes when a vampiric Vladimir Lenin shows up at his home one day. This was a weird movie and not one that I really got into.

Hyvä poika / The Good Son (2011) - 4/10 - A young sociopath gets upset when his mother shows some interest in a guy she met at a party. It isn't very good.

The Asthenic Syndrome (1989) - 4/10 - This is a weird film and not one I really enjoyed, though it's evident that a lot of thought and work was put into it.

The Idiots / Idioterne (1998) - 3/10 - A group of people try to embrace their inner idiot by going out in public and acting as if they are mentally disabled. I didn't like it at all, though I can see why some might.

Arabesk (1989) - 3/10 - Two people who have loved each other since childhood are kept apart due to misunderstandings and through the actions of others. It’s pretty dumb.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023) 8/10

By turns outrageous, hilarious, wise and sad, this film, based on the novel by Alasdair Gray, sort of echoes Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. A medical student (Ramy Youssef) becomes an assistant to an eccentric doctor (Willem Dafoe) and falls in love with his child-like ward (Emna Stone) and wants to marry her. It appears that the doctor ressurrected a dead pregnant woman - a suicide - and replaced her brain with that of the brain of her unborn foetus. As the woman progressively moves towards normalcy and discovers her sexuality - hooray for masturbation - she runs off with a debauched lawyer (a hilariously hammy Mark Ruffalo). The rest of the plot follows the two on their journey which goes from Victorian England to Lisbon to Alexandria and finally to a brothel in Paris. Bizzare and often very funny film is a marvel of production design and cinematography with sporadic weird fish-eye views. Stone gives a fascinating physical performance, all limbs akimbo at first, and then gradually finding grace in her movements. This flamboyant fairy tale is the coming-of-age of a woman who from awkward childhood builds herself into a very modern woman totally in control of her life.

American Fiction (Cord Jefferson, 2023) 10/10

I just love that one shocking moment here that is clearly lifted off from Sidney Lumet's "Network" and just like it this too is a bold and unflinching film that refuses to soft peddle the underlying brutal sarcasm that runs throughout the screenplay. A frustrated black novelist-professor (Jeffrey Wright) decides to write a grossly unconventional satire of stereotypical "Black" books which to his horror becomes the toast of literary circles and wins him a multi-million dollar movie deal as well. It is also a story about a black family and the dynamics within which are no different from any other family out there - his over achieving sister, a doctor (Tracee Ellis Ross), his gay brother (Sterling K. Brown), a plastic surgeon with a massive chip on his shoulder, and their Mom (Leslie Uggams) recently diagnosed with Alzheimers. The perceptive screenplay, based on the book "Erasure" by Percival Everett, touches on race, class, loyalty to family, the theory of language, sexual identity and anger about the African-American literary establishment. Superbly acted film received 5 Academy Award nominations - Best Picture, for the performances of both Wright and Brown, the screenplay and score.

The Holdovers (Alexander Payne, 2023) 8/10

Sass and a foul mouth will invariably bring you close to an Oscar. If additionally you have a tragic past - son dying in Vietnam - you have it in the bag. Needless to say being African-American along with the above combo also helps greatly. Da'Vine Joy Randolph is the sassy school cafeteria manager who trades quips with disgraced classics professor (Paul Giamatti) and troubled teenager (Dominic Sessa) over the winter break at a New England boarding school for boys. The teacher, a strict and stubborn disciplinarian, ends up bonding with the neglected and lonely teenager after initially starting out in antagonistic mode. Payne's film reminds one of Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" grappling with sad pasts and broken dreams during the Christmas season. A real sleeper the film received 5 Oscar nominations - Best Picture, for the performances by Giamatti & Randolph, the screenplay and editing. Randolph is poised to win the Oscar for her supporting performance.

Dune: Part 2 (Denis Villeneuve, 2024) 5/10

The second installment finally arrives - it was postponed from last year due to a Hollywood strike. I was not a fan of the first part and here too my main disappointment is to only hear Charlotte Rampling who mostly remains hidden under a veil and can barely be seen. Ok, I agree that's no reason to not like the rest of what is on screen. Yes, it all looks very grand with most of the scenes set in spectacular Wadi Rum in Jordan. The desolate sand dunes and giant rock formations allow the characters to play hide and seek as they battle it out with each other and the giant worm-like creatures. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) takes on the mantle of a messiah, "Muad'Dib", after he joins with the leader of the Freman tribe (Javier Bardem) and learning their ways which includes riding a sandworm. He ends up subduing the fundamentalist southern region of the planet (with help from his mother (Rebecca Ferguson, now a Reverend Mother) before a fight to the death with the Baron's young nephew (Austin Butler) resulting in the defeat of the Emperor (Christopher Walken) and a planned forced marriage with his daughter (Florence Pugh). This angers the Freman woman (Zendaya) he loves and who leaves him. There is too much plot crammed into almost three hours of running time and most of the time is spent with characters making dull philosophical speeches. The action scenes are few and boringly repetitious. There is going to be a third installment with the action shifting from Paul to his unborn sister (Anya Taylor-Joy) who appears here as an apparition.

Cone of Silence (Charles Frend, 1960) 6/10

An investigation into the structural integrity of the Phoenix 1 jetliner - the film was based on a novel which in turn was loosely based on a 1952 de Havilland Comet crash in Rome. When after a few close calls an airliner fails to lift off and crashes, the pilot (Bernard Lee) is blamed. His daughter (Elizabeth Seal) is convinced that there is a fault in the plane and urges another pilot (Michael Craig) to investigate. Interesting film which today is probably rather outdated in detail but nevertheless has many suspenseful aerial cockpit scenes. The film has a good cast of British actors - Peter Cushing as an arrogant pilot,
Noel Willman as the plane designer, André Morell and Gordon Jackson as co-pilots, and George Sanders as the crash investigator.

Allonsanfàn (Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, 1974) 7/10

Long rambling story about an unlucky revolutionary (Marcello Mastroianni) in post-Napoleonic Italy. Released from prison he returns to his family home and is reunited with his sister (Laura Betti). Now matured he views his idealistic youth in a much more realistic light but the arrival of his mistress (Lea Massaril) plunges him back within the brotherhood who arrive at his estate. Betrayed by his sister most are killed including his lover. He manages to escape, meets up with his young son and again ends up being tracked by the surviving Brothers. The harder he tries to get away the more entrenched he becomes with them. When he finally decides to join up again his life comes full circle during the ironic ending. Giuseppe Ruzzolini’s cinematography and Giovanni Sbarra’s production design are immaculate, as are the stunning costumes - the revolutionaries start out dressed in pointy-hooded KKK lookalikes who later change into natty red-jackets. The memorable score is by Ennio Morricone.

Body Double (Brian De Palma, 1984) 10/10

Fantastic homage to Alfred Hitchcock - ok, let's get real here, De Palma outright steals from the Master taking major plot points from "Vertigo" (obsession & claustrophobia - a substitute for the original's vertigo), "Rear Window" (voyeurism), and "Dial M for Murder" (husband plotting to kill wife). Struggling actor (Craig Wasson) is offered a place to stay by a friendly stranger (Gregg Henry) in a house where a telescope is set up to spy on a distant house where a sexy woman dances erotically at a specific time every night. One night while spying on her he sees an Indian enter the woman's house and start to brutally attack her. He rushes to get there but is too late to save her as she is killed with a hand held drill. The plot thickens when a porn star (Melanie Griffith) enters the picture and who's life is similarly threatened. Will he manage to save her or will his claustrophobia stand in the way? Illusion and reality play a major part in the film as De Palma superbly creates tension and suspense using his camera in highly inventive ways, tracking, crane shots and zooms to dizzying effect which clearly reflect the debilitating nature of the main protagonist who goes from one crisis to the next. Melanie Griffith is hilarious as the porn queen describing in graphic detail what she will not do during sex but at the same time has a no-nonsense quality overiding the seemingly bimbo personality that is attached to her little girl-like voice. This is an underated gem from De Palma and a must see.

Man Afraid (Harry Keller, 1957) 7/10

During a house break-in a young robber almost blinds a woman (Phyllis Thaxter) before he is accidently killed by her minister husband (George Nader). Soon after the dead man's disturbed father starts stalking the couple's little boy (Tim Hovey). Tension filled B-noir moves at a fast pace and has an outstanding performance by the child actor. Also memorable are Reta Shaw as a sassy nurse and Mabel Albertson as the alcoholic neighbor of the stalker. Both actresses would go on to play hilarious characters on the sitcom Bewitched, and Albertson was also very funny as the old woman who's jewels are stolen in What's Up Doc?
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Murder is Easy (Meenu Gaur, 2023) 6/10

Agatha Christie's latest adaptation has a twist in its casting. The original story's lead protagonist is changed here from a white English police officer to a Nigerian attaché which totally changes the dynamics of the story but in a good way. With black actor David Jonsson in the lead the film's central theme of murder also takes on race and class warfare. An attaché just arrived from Nigeria for a job at Whitehall meets by chance an old lady (Penelope Wilton) on a train. She is on her way to Scotland Yard to report three murders in her village and she is sure there will be more. But she gets killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident. Intrigued by her story the young man turns up at the village and under the pretense of a researcher tries to investigate. The serial killer seems to be in overdrive as people keep ending up dead with the usual Christie suspects galore - the vicar, the doctor, the lord of the manor and a number of other disgruntled men and women, some from a neighbouring village of poor people who resent how the rich are treating them. The screenplay also takes on feminism - the local secretary (Morfydd Clark) teams up as a detective observing details about shoe heels and hat colour which only a woman would notice. The killings come fast and furious - funny how easily the murderer gets to do the deed - and along with all the topical subjects the screenplay touches upon, the plot gets top heavy with ideas typically playing to the modern woke gallery in the audience. The period - a shift from the novel's 1930s setting to the early 1950s - is superbly evoked.

D.O.A. (Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel, 1988) 6/10

Why is there no air conditioning in this movie? There are table fans in every room while the leading man - a college professor (Dennis Quaid) - sweats profusely throughout the film. But then he has many reasons to sweat. He has been poisoned and has 36-hours to live. One of his students has committed suicide, his wife hands him a divorce notice and soon after she is brutally murdered in his presence and the police think he did it as his wife had been having an affair with the dead student. So what is a man to do when put through such a scenario? He goes on the run forcing another student (Meg Ryan), who has a crush on him, to accompany him. He glues his hand to her wrist - an homage to Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" - so technically he is kidnapping her. Who has put him in this predicament? Could it be the rich mentor (Charlotte Rampling) of the dead student on whom she also had a crush? Other suspects are the rich woman's daughter (also having an affair with tge dead student), her chauffeur and a disgruntled college professor colleague. Fast moving, stylish neo-noir is inspired by a similarly titled noir from 1948 starring Edmond O'Brien. While the clumsy plotting seems all too pat there is a sense of urgency and desperation in Quaid's performance which matches the overall tone of the film which feels like an MTv video. Rampling plays yet another imposing, icy character which seems to have been the only kind she was being offered by Hollywood during the 1980s & 1990s.

Wuthering Heights (Daniel Petrie, 1958) 8/10

Emily Brontë's tale of love seen through a lens of great passion but also deep hatred and jealousy. Rare television adaptation (a live episode from the DuPont Show of the month) about foundling Heathcliff (Richard Burton) who grows up in the Earnshawe home loved by Cathy (Patty Duke/Rosemary Harris) but hated by her brother Hindley (John Colicos). When she decides to marry her rich neighbor Edgar Linton (Denholm Elliott) all hell breaks loose. Heathcliff runs away but returns years later as a "gentleman" of wealth who takes his revenge on everyone who wronged him. Superb cast - also with Bernard Miles as the loyal servant Joseph and Cathleen Nesbitt as Ellen Dean the housekeeper - led by Burton at his raging best who uses his memorable voice, superb diction and flashing eyes to create a terribly tormented character.

Stormy Crossing (C. M. Pennington-Richards, 1958) 6/10

When a swimmer disappears during a swimming contest across the Channel her friend suspects it was murder. Later he is also attacked by the suspect and his brother (John Ireland) tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. Minor British thriller is well acted and shot on location in Dover. Director John Schlesinger appears in a bit role as a garage mechanic.

Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016) 8/10

During a Zombie apocalypse a divorced fund manager and his young daughter try to survive on a train from Seoul to Busan. Riveting action-horror film that builds slowly but then never lets up right to its poetic ending.

Woman in Hiding (Michael Gordon, 1950) 6/10

Melodramatic noir is about a damsel in distress at the hands of no-good husband. Rich heiress (Ida Lupino) falls for sleazy manager (Stephen McNally) against the wishes of her mill owner father who soon mysteriously falls to his death. On her honeymoon she discovers her husband plans to kill her. Trying to escape she discovers the car has no brakes and crashes into a river. Hiding out in a small town she runs into a soldier (Howard Duff) who helps her. Striking photography full of shadows - courtesy of the great William Daniels - creates the appropriate mood of dread as she runs, gets caught, escapes, and gets double crossed by husband's slutty mistress (Peggy Dow). The climax is set in an abandoned warehouse where the four characters frantically chase each other up and down stairs eventually leading to two violent deaths. Often contrived, although there are some suspenseful moments in the plot which has a few too many potholes. Ida Lupino is terrific.

Tum Milo Toh Sahi (Kabir Sadanand, 2010) 5/10

Two beautifully written middle-aged individuals are lost within a screenplay that surrounds them with a bunch of moronic young characters. Two very diverse people - terse Law Clerk (Nana Patekar), recently retired, and a boistrous Parsee café owner (Dimple Kapadia) instantly clash during a funny encounter inside a grocery store. It's hate at first sight which gradually changes as the two develop a platonic friendship. When a Corporation attempts to buy her café and she refuses to sell they use legal tactics to evict her. Her friend stands by her and takes on the Corporation in court. They are surrounded by a boring set of peripheral characters - the clerk's tenant who is in love with a script writer, an employee of the Corporation (Suniel Shetty) battling with his wife, a bunch of noisy students who keep breaking into song and dance which the screenplay inserts in order to capture the youth audience. At the center of the film stand the two superb performances of Patekar and Kapadia - longtime co-stars - who in each of their films worked magic courtesy of their great chemistry.

Cattle Empire (Charles Marquis Warren, 1958) 5/10

Good looking Western courtesy of Cinemascope but the slow pace all but kills it. Ex-con (Joel McCrea) survives a lynching by townfolk and is hired to lead a cattle drive. He agrees and plans to take his revenge on all the men who had him jailed and almost killed him upon his return. However, during the drive various incidents and interactions - with a former lover (Gloria Talbot) and a hero-worshipping teenager (Phyllis Coates) - change his mind. While McCrea is good the film is no "Red River".

The Hunt For Red October (John McTiernan, 1990) 5/10

The first Jack Ryan-Tom Clancy film and it painfully becomes obvious why Alec Baldwin was booted out of the franchise and Harrison Ford played the part going forward. Baldwin (who is so incredibly young & slim) comes off totally insipid here - it's not only an underwritten part but he comes up against the mighty Sean Connery who totally dominates the film playing a rogue Russian submarine captain who speaks both Russian and English with a Scottish accent. Whenever a plot involves the USA vs Russia it always boils down to a schoolboy competition between the two countries as to who has a bigger cock. The cock here being a mighty submarine which the Russians have, and through technology a very silent one, which threatens USA security as they can be nuked in their beds without even knowing what hit them. However, the Captain has a different plan which is guessed by CIA analyst and former marine Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) - he gets to do a pithy one action sequence being lowered onto a sub while dangling from a helicopter. Lots of confusion ensues as the Russian and USA governments try to nuke the "rogue" sub before it reaches mainland America. Incredibly talkie film with men scurrying about the floating machines. An incredible supporting cast is mostly wasted in bit parts - James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill (the only actor who manages a faux Russian accent), Peter Firth, Courtney B. Vance, Joss Ackland, Tim Curry, Jeffrey Jones, Richard Jordan, & Stellan Skarsgård. The film received Oscar nominations for editing and sound and won for sound effects editing. Kinda boring.

If a Man Answers (Henry Levin, 1961) 5/10

Sandra Dee graduates in this Ross Hunter production to play the lead with nary her usual co-star - Lana Turner - in sight. Desperate to marry - her conservative dad (John Lund) agrees but her former showgirl Mom (Micheline Presle) is french so would rather see her have fun with the opposite sex before taking the plunge. First day in New York she meets cute on 5th Avenue with a photographer (Bobby Darin) who wants to continue sowing his oats and hires her to be his model. Ofcourse that plan goes out the window and they get married only for her to discover that he now does not want her to model but become a dutiful housewife. The shit hits the fan when her friend from college (Stefanie Powers) hits on her husband and french mom advises to train hubby like a dog and get an imaginary lover to make him jealous. However, the husband conjures up an actual lover (Cesar Romero) adding to the confusion. With any Ross Hunter film the success of the film depends on the costume designer and here Jean Louis creates for the female stars a truckload of them in all shape, colour and sizes. This is all meant to be cute and light though the term "silly nonsense" also crops up glaringly in one's mind. Sandra Dee is perky and annoying as usual but chic Presle and Romero steal the film.

The After (Misan Harriman, 2023) 7/10

After a harrowing incident involving his family a London executive (David Oyelowo) goes underground refusing to meet friends or colleagues. He starts driving a taxi cab and one day a chance encounter with a young passenger sharply brings into focus the incident resulting in a catharsis that allows him to confront his past. Emotional, hard-hitting drama uses sound and music to show the psychological impact of grief. Nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Live Action Short Film category.

Little Big Horn (Charles Marquis Warren, 1951) 6/10

Solid B Western which begins with a love triangle - a Captain (Lloyd Bridges) discovers his bored wife (Marie Windsor) is having an affair with his fellow colleague (John Ireland). Both men find themselves part of a troop on a suicide mission which is trying to reach and warn General Custer about an impending attack by the Sioux at Little Big Horn. One by one the soldiers are picked off by the Indians. Unconventional Western for its time in that the characters are shown as real individuals and not types as often depicted in such films. These are men who are disgruntled, angry, scared, wanting to defect, critical of army policies yet willing to work as a team and stand up for each other. Gritty film is loosely based on fact.

Red River (Howard Hawks, 1948) 10/10

Classic film about the first cattle drive (fictional) from Texas to Kansas along the Chisholm Trail. Leading the drive is a rugged Texas rancher (a memorable John Wayne) who clashes with the cowboys on the way by being a relentless and unforgiving task master. Also part of the drive are his adopted son (Montgomery Clift), an old friend (Walter Brennan), a professional gunman (John Ireland), and two wranglers (Noah Beery Jr. & Harry Carey Jr.). As the drive continues the boss drives the men harder and harder which finally results in a mutiny led by his son. They all band together against the boss and take over the drive leaving him behind. Many hardships follow - crossing major rivers and innumerable smaller creeks, as well as handling the topographic challenges of canyons, badlands and low mountain ranges. They save a wagon train of gamblers and dance hall girls from an Indian attack. A dancer (Joanne Dru) shows an interest in the son and she later proves instrumental in healing the intense rift between father and son - the only sequence in the film that doesn't ring true. This is one of Hawks' most famous films and one of Wayne's signature roles. All his scenes with newcomer Clift sizzle as both create sparks on screen. It was Clift's first film - shot in 1946 but released two years later. The film's famous homoerotic moment - Ireland fondling Clift's gun while discussing the merit of a Swiss watch. One of the great Westerns and a must see.

Paatal Lok (Avinash Arun & Prosit Roy, 2020) 10/10

Gritty police procedural digs deep into the vast cultural landscape of India tackling issues of caste discrimination, honour crimes, poverty, child abuse, gun violence, corruption, journalistic ethics, Islamophobia, and political game play. The cops catch four criminals who are suspects in a case where an assassination was being planned on a famous tv journalist. A disillusioned Hindu cop (Jaideep Ahlawat) is handed the high-profile case and he, along with his Muslim partner (Ishwak Singh), gets dragged into the dark recesses of the underworld. The series explores the complex backgrounds of the four suspects which reveal shocking truths about class structure and petty power politics that shape individuals. Superbly acted drama is shot on authentic rural locations using natural dialogue rhythms which perfectly capture the multi-cultural outlook of India where individuals either get consumed and destroyed for no fault of theirs, and where they in turn consume and destroy others. Riveting, edgy drama series is a must watch.

Locked Down (Doug Liman, 2021) 4/10

Years ago there was a charming heist movie set in Paris - "How to Steal a Million" - with Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn and directed by William Wyler. Well this is nowhere near that classic. A disgruntled couple (Chiwetel Ejiofor & Anne Hathaway), long past their relationship as partners, are stuck living together during the COVID-19 pandemic lock down in London. He can't get a proper job due to a past assault conviction while she is a CEO at a marketing company and tasked with clearing inventory at Harrods department store. By coincidence he gets a job at the same store and on the spur of the moment she decides to steal a diamond and switching a fake one in its place. Will they both manage the heist and will it change their relationship? The couple spend too much time arguing about silly things and after a while it just becomes annoying. A waste of time, talent and energy.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

The Beekeeper (David Ayer, 2024) 7/10

Nobody comes close to being as kick-ass on screen than Jason Statham. Not even Bronson, Stallone or all those dweebs from the Marvel & DC Universe. When his old landlady (Phylicia Rashad) gets taken for a ride in a phishing scam and commits suicide, a beekeeper (Jason Statham) living in her barn decides to take revenge. It's a return to form for Statham - the fighting machine - as all hell breaks loose when he puts up his fists, picks up his guns and knives and leaves a bloodbath in his wake. Nothing really new here but pure unadulterated mayhem of the kind where you root for the protagonist even though you know he is breaking all rules and not being fair. Rules be damned as Statham with his familiar deadpan brow goes through his moves. Great fun and the screenplay leaves it open at the end for a sequel.

New in Town (Jonas Elmer, 2009) 4/10

Hotshot city slicker consultant (Renée Zellweger) is sent to Minnesota to oversee the restructuring of a food manufacturing plant. She immediately comes into conflict with the freezing weather, the town inhabitants and the staff at the plant - including the scruffy union leader (Harry Connick Jr) and the plant foreman (J. K. Simmons). It's only a matter of time before they all learn to understand each other, and instead of firing fifty percent of the staff as she was directed to do, she turns the whole enterprise around by marketing and preparing tapioca pudding. Corny predictable plot is uninspiring while Zellweger is extremely annoying throughout.

Ferrari (Michael Mann, 2023) 8/10

There is clearly a sense of doom and gloom that prevades across this film. Could be why a film by Michael Mann failed to get the attention it deserved. It is a look-in at the life of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) - Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque - a life that is filled with conflict and sadness. The screenplay covers the period during 1957 when he prepares his racing team for the Mille Miglia, an open road, endurance-based race lasting one thousand miles. His life is in a chaotic mess - the Company is facing financial ruin, marriage to his wife (Penélope Cruz) has all but collapsed - both are grieving over the death of their only son a year before and she is fed up with his string of affairs - and his mistress (Shailene Woodley) is pressurizing him to give his name to their illegitimate son. He needs his wife, who holds half the shares in the Company, to hand them over to him so he can negotiate a deal with Ford - she agrees but at a huge cost that not only involves the business but also the matter with his bastard son. Meanwhile during the race he has to contend with his temperamental and flamboyant drivers - British racing car driver Peter Collins (Jack O'Connell) whom he admires and treats like family, Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey) who wins the Mille Miglia, and the playboy sex symbol Spanish aristocrat, racing driver, Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone), who was famously having an affair with the ex-wife of Tyrone Power - actress Linda Christian, who famously kissed him before the Mille Miglia which got labeled the "kiss of death" as during the race his renowned Ferrari 335 S crashes near the village of Guidizzolo when a tyre burst while driving along a dead straight road at 150 mph, killing him, his navigator, and nine spectators. Ferrari is blamed by the media for de Portago's lethal accident. Superbly produced film brilliantly recreates the era. The casting of American actors is a tad suspect - Driver is coldly aloof in his portrayal which I thought was the right touch to this complex self-absorbed man. Although Shailene Woodley is badly miscast in the thankless and underwritten role of the mistress, the film comes to life with a powerhouse performance by Penélope Cruz who looks ravaged throughout - a woman deeply grieving the loss of her son and marriage but totally in control of her business acumen as she negotiates with her husband completely to her own advantage and which he has the sense (and maybe deep affection) to completely agree to. Mann superbly stages the gritty racing scenes which are riveting, full of dread and suspense, and he captures the beauty of the iconic red vehicles with their bright yellow trademark logo as they growl their way across the winding roads.

The Greatest Night in Pop (Bao Nguyen, 2024) 8/10

Fascinating look at how so many stars came together during one long night and created magic while singing "We are the World". It was written by Lionel Richie & Michael Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones as an American benefit single for African famine. The lyrics and melody were completed a day before the actual recording on January 22, 1985. The documentary follows the singers as they arrive at the studio, are provided the lyrics which they rehearse - some get solo moments during the song while others sing in harmony - and after numerous takes that lasts the whole night the song gets recorded. The song was inspired by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in the UK, and the American entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte decided to organize it as a US equivalent. Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner and Billy Joel sing the first verse; Michael Jackson and Diana Ross sing the second chorus; Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson and Al Jarreau sing the second verse; Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry and Daryl Hall sing the second chorus; Jackson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, and Kim Carnes sing the bridge. "We Are the World" concludes with Bob Dylan and Ray Charles singing a full chorus, Wonder and Springsteen duetting, and ad libs from Charles and Ingram. The following people sang in the chorus: Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper, Jackie Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, John Oates, Jeffrey Osborne, Anita Pointer, June Pointer, Ruth Pointer, and Smokey Robinson. The record became the fastest-selling American pop single in history.

Jewel Robbery (William Dieterle, 1932) 9/10

Kay Francis plays a Viennese Baroness whose mantra is, "In the morning, a cocktail. In the afternoon, a man. In the evening, Veronal". Witty pre-code film about the pleasures of the rich - alcohol, sex and drugs. Bored with her latest lover she pleads with her rich husband to buy her a 29-carat diamond ring. While he haggles with the store owner a suave jewel robber (William Powell) enters the store with his gang of crooks and holding them all at the point of a gun not only robs the store but also her ring. While getting robbed she gleefully flirts with him and later encounters him again when he steals into her bedroom, kidnaps her and pleads with her to run away with him. She is tempted but does not want to forsake her society ties. Fast moving fluff relies on the incredible charms of both Powell and the delicious Kay Francis who is sexy and hilarious. And check out all the funny scenes with characters getting stoned on marijuana. The mood here is very Lubitsch.

Night of the Eagle / Burn, Witch, Burn (Sidney Hayers, 1962) 9/10

Superb, eerie film gradually builds suspense and terror and never lets up right till the end. A woman (Janet Blair) practices witchcraft which she learned during her honeymoon in Jamaica. She tells her disbelieving husband (Peter Wyngarde), a psychology professor dealing with superstition, that she has been doing it to help his career advancement and to keep him safe. When he forces her to destroy all her magical paraphernalia things start going terribly wrong for him. He almost gets run over by a van, a hysterical student accuses him of rape and her jealous boyfriend almost shoots him with a gun. In addition the faculty envy him and one of the wives (Margaret Johnston) places a voodoo doll in their house to create harm for him. This low budget B horror film, based upon the 1943 Fritz Leiber novel "Conjure Wife", is atmospheric, superbly directed and photographed, with outstanding performances.

Ride Vaquero! (John Farrow, 1953) 7/10

Nobody was ever more welcome on screen - in and out of the realm of MGM - than Ava Gardner. Always such a gorgeous presence with her lilting voice and perfect diction. Ofcourse she was often miscast, and here too she is so out of place on the prairie - as a ranch owner's wife - but one can easily live to ignore that. A Mexican bandit (Anthony Quinn in full-on boistrous mode) resents settlers on the prairie and burns down their homes with his gang. Newly arrived rancher (Howard Keel), with beautiful wife (Ava Gardner) in tow, faces carnage at the hands of the gang. Since this is MGM we get the full star treatment in the cast with Robert Taylor playing the lead as Quinn's mysterious henchman who leads the gang on their destructive outings. When the rancher captures him during a raid a business deal is struck between the two men much to the disgust of the wife. Needless to say disgust quickly turns to desire as Gardner and Taylor make goo-goo eyes at each other. While Gardner managed to retain all her allure - despite wrinkles & weight gain - right to the end of her life, Taylor completely lost the bloom of youth shockingly early in his career. He was at his peak during the 1930s but by the mid 1940s he started looking old and by the 1950s and beyond he always played scowling mature characters with nary an ounce of that original bloom. He is here glum and scowling - never a great actor it was probably a defence mechanism. The plot revolves around a series of romantic crushes - Keel for Gardner, Gardner for Keel & Taylor, and Taylor maybe for Gardner - but the one that dare not speak its name is the strong one Quinn has for Taylor. It becomes so obvious towards the end that it actually makes this otherwise turgid and very talky Western quite palatable. An over-the-top Quinn is great fun and totally steals the film as the ruthless bandit with a deceptively soft heart for "brother" Taylor.

Le trio infernal (Francis Girod, 1974) 6/10

The plot borders on grand guignol - a French lawyer (Michel Piccoli) and two German sisters (Romy Schneider & Mascha Gonska) engage in a series of insurance-bilking scams. Often the scam involves murder. Old men - preferably ones who are on the verge of death - are seduced in marriage to one of the sisters. Once they die of natural causes an insurance scam results in a big monetary payoff which the trio share. However, if the victim does not die he is helped towards his maker via murder followed by a sulphuric acid bath to dispose of the bones. Elegant macabre black comedy has a witty Schneider looking stunning in 1930s attire and as always she has great chemistry with Piccoli.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Silent Night (John Woo, 2023) 2/10

A major misfire by John Woo. We really did not need yet another vigilante revenge thriller just to see Woo choreograph different ways to attack, kill and die. Over the past decades we have seen enough of such carnage from the likes of Charles Bronson and Sylvester Stallone. A young child dies in the crossfire of a gang war and his father (Joel Kinnaman) becomes obsessed with trying to wipe out all the gang members along with their leader who shot him in the neck. He destroys whatever relationship he has with his wife (Catalina Sandino Moreno) by turning away from her in order to pursue his revenge. Excessively violent film has minimal dialogue and just a lot of noisy guns blaring and human flesh being torn apart by bullets and knives.

Un amour de pluie / A Love of Rain / Male d'amore (Jean-Claude Brialy, 1974) 3/10

Inconsequential, stupefyingly boring romantic film has shallow characters wafting across the screen moving to the beat of Francis Lai's swooningly dull score. Rich Parisienne matron (Romy Schneider) is accompanied by her teenage daughter at a resort in Vittel. While she has an affair with a mysterious Italian (Nino Castelnuovo) her daughter hopes to lose her virginity to fellow teen working as a cook at their hotel. Even the latter part of the plot is sort of thrown away and we don't get to see or hear of it again. There is actually no plot, no action and nothing happens to the characters - the one lively person in the entire film is the flamboyant hotel owner (Suzanne Flon) who briefly sings a song. And nobody makes love in the rain. Lovely Schneider wafts through this piffle dressed mostly in white by Yves Saint-Laurent, although she wears black while twirling on a staircase of the Grand Hôtel as she sips champagne. Director Brialy, who appears in a cameo flirting with his star, totally wastes her talent.

Max et les ferrailleurs (Claude Sautet, 1971) 8/10

Cold, meticulous, and obsessive cop (Michel Piccoli) plans to trap an acquaintance (Bernard Fresson) who is a small-time crook. The man deals in petty crime and surrounds himself with a coterie of prostitutes. The plan is to lure the man and his gang into a bank robbery, capture them redhanded and get recognition and a promotion within the police force. All goes according to plan as he, posing as a rich banker, manipulates the crook's prostitute girlfriend (Romy Schneider) to get him to rob a bank. However, there is always one slip-up - the cop falls in love with the prostitute which leads to a shocking twist ending. The two stars have crackling chemistry - he plays it understated while she is a gorgeous vision - and work in perfect sync under Sautet's astute direction.

Les Choses de la vie / The Things of Life (Claude Sautet, 1970) 8/10

Images of a car crashing in slow motion are interspersed throughout this film. An architect (Michel Piccoli) drifts in and out of consciousness as his life flashes before his eyes. He is estranged from his wife (Lea Massari), has a grownup son and is now living with his beautiful mistress (Romy Schneider) who he although loves but is not fully committed. They are planning to move to Tunis for a new job but he keeps procrastinating and does not sign the job acceptance documents. He decides to call off their affair in a letter to his mistress but at the last minute decides not to send it. Then the car crash takes place. Piccoli is superbly understated as the man who is caught at an emotional crossroads - happy with his mistress but guilt for being a failure as a husband and father. This was the first of five collaborations between director Sautet and Romy Schneider. Based on the 1967 novel "Intersection" by Paul Guimard which was remade by Hollywood in 1994 with Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and Lolita Davidovich.

Le Mouton enragé (Michel Deville, 1974) 7/10

Deville's satirical black comedy follows a man's journey towards success in life. Dull, introverted bank teller (Jean-Louis Trintignant) scores with a prostitute (Jane Birkin) and is then trained by his close friend (Jean-Pierre Cassel) - a handicapped failed writer - to become a seducer, social climber and an opportunist who manipulates businessmen to his own advantage. The writer hopes to write a book about his friend's climb up the ladder. Along the way he scores with a bored housewife (Romy Schneider) and a tough corporate head (Florinda Bolkan). However, things don't quite end smoothly for everyone. All five stars are exceptional.

Yeh Vaada Raha (Kapil Kapoor, 1982) 8/10

Bollywood adaptation of Danielle Steele's romantic novel, "The Promise", which Hollywood tackled in 1979. This version has turned out to be an enduring classic of Hindi cinema. It was a combination of the stunning Kashmir locations, the young trio of beautiful stars, and especially the outstanding R.D. Burman score with the iconic song, "Tu Tu Hai Wahi, Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha" - sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle - which played a major part in the often very melodramatic plot. A rich student (Rishi Kapoor), on holiday in Kashmir, meets and falls instantly in love with a poor singer (Poonam Dhillon). They vow to stay together forever but his mother (Rakhee in full-on bitch mode) objects to the union. Enroute to the temple to say their vows they have an accident. He goes into a coma while her face is badly scarred by shattered glass. His mother persuades the girl to go away and in true dramatic fashion a doctor (Shammi Kapoor) "repairs" her face via plastic surgery and she gets a new face (Tina Munim). With two different actresses playing the same role it was decided that they would both be dubbed by one voice - Jaya Bhaduri spoke all the dialogues for the two actresses. The rest of the plot has the girl encountering her lover who does not recognise her until the song they sang together plays a part in their reunion. A smash hit at the boxoffice the film did wonders for the careers of both leading ladies and it further consolidated Rishi Kapoor as the very successful romantic antidote to all the action stars in vogue then - Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna.

Midnight Bayou (Ralph Hemecker, 2009) 6/10

Harlequin novel - actually one by romance novelist Nora Roberts - meets Haunted House ghost mystery. When Harvard-educated lawyer (Jerry O'Connell) buys a New Orleans based renovated plantation he gets more than he bargained for. The walls and rooms literally come alive with the ghosts of the inhabitants from over a hundred years before - empty rooms appear fully furnished, the nasty lady of the house holds sway over her twin sons both of whom have it on for a maid until murder strikes. In the present he falls for a local Cajun barmaid (Lauren Stamile) who, along with her old psychic grandmother (Faye Dunaway), seems to have some connection to the old ghostley inhabitants. Moody story is shot on stunning locations.
User avatar
gunnar
Assistant
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:40 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by gunnar »

Skammen / Shame (1968) - 8.5/10 - Jan and Eva used to be violinists, but now live on a remote farm on an island as a way of avoiding the ongoing civil war in their country. They don't have a working telephone or radio and live somewhat in isolation, hoping the war will just leave them alone. However, it isn't long before trouble arrives for them from both sides of the conflict.

Jalla! Jalla! (2000) - 8/10 - Roro and Mans are best friends who work for the park service. Roro's family wants him to get married and has arranged for him to meet (and marry) a girl named Yasmin who will be sent back to Lebanon if she doesn't marry. Roro is in love with a girl named Lisa, but is afraid to introduce her to his lively family. Mans has been having his own issues with love for a few weeks. This movie was a lot of fun and I found myself laughing quite a bit.

Lilja 4-ever (2002) - 8/10 - Lilya is a 16 year old Russian girl who is excited about moving to the United States with her mother and her mother's boyfriend. Then her mother abandons her, leaving Lilja behind under the authority of an aunt who doesn't care about her. Thus begins a downward spiral. This is a very good movie, though not a happy one most of the time.

River (2023) - 8/10 - Another time loop story from the group that brought us Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. The setting this time is a Japanese Inn where the staff and guests discover that they are repeating the same two minutes over and over again while retaining their memories of each loop. At first it is kind of fun, but soon they would like to get out of the loop. This was a fun outing and I would put it on par with the previous outing. The cast is fun and does a nice job, especially Riko Fujitani who has the lead.

Soldaten og Jenny / Jenny and the Soldier (1947) - 8/10 - Jenny and Robert meet in a bar one night when he comes to her aid. They start to see each other and fall in love, but an incident in Jenny's past comes back to haunt her and threatens their relationship. This was well acted and is a nice film. It won the first Bodil Award for Best Danish Film.

Society of the Snow (2023) - 8/10 - This film about the 1972 Andes flight disaster is pretty well done with good acting and special effects. Surviving a crash high up in the mountains and then having little food while rescuers are unable to find them is pretty daunting. I'm pretty sure that I saw the movie Alive 30 years ago, but didn't remember much from it.

Man on the Roof (1976) - 8/10 - A police officer is murdered while a patient at a hospital and a detective is assigned to the case. He discovers that the police officer was known for brutality, but that it was covered up. The film takes a turn from police procedural to thriller when a sniper using a high powered rifle starts shooting policemen from the roof of a downtown building. It was pretty entertaining throughout.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) - 8/10 - The story of the Osage Murders from the 1920s is told here in what I thought was a very good film, but one that was longer than it needed to be. The film started to lag a bit around midway through. It wasn't bad, but just not quite as compelling as the first 90 minutes or so.

A Hijacking / Kapringen (2012) - 8/10 - A cargo ship in the Indian Ocean is hijacked by Somali pirates. The pirates demand a large ransom from the company and the company responds with a lowball offer. The negotiations continue over a long period of time with the captives suffering some mental and emotional abuse as things drag on. It's a good drama with the Danish cook being one of the focal point as the pirates use him as a middleman at times to try and get what they want.

Polite Society (2023) - 7.5/10 - Ria Khan is a British teenager who wants to be a stuntwoman. She practices martial arts and makes stunt videos with the aid of her older sister, Lena. When Lena seems to be ready to throw away her dreams of being an artist and marry Salim, a man she only recently met, Ria thinks that Lena needs to be saved. Is it only Ria's selfishness at play or something more? There is some decent action and a fair amount of humor here.

Ang.: Lone (1970) - 7.5/10 - Lone is a 16 year old girl who runs away from a girls home because she can't stand it there. She hitchhikes and steals, making her way first to visit her foster parents and then to keep wandering. She falls in with various groups along the way, eventually irritating them or getting irritated herself and leaving. Lone doesn't seem able to conform or fit in. Amateur actors are used here and they generally do a good job. The soundtrack is also used to good effect at times.

Girl with Hyacinths (1950) - 7.5/10 - A young woman named Dagmar commits suicide in her apartment one night. She played the piano, but was kind of a loner and had nobody really close to her. One of her neighbors decides to investigate and try to find out why she committed suicide. He asks people who knew her about what they know of Dagmar. The story rolls out in flashback for the most part as each person tells their tale. It's a pretty good film overall.

Menneskedyret / The Beast Within (1995) - 7.5/10 - This is a pretty strange film. It starts with the baptism of a boy named Frederick and then jumps ahead to when Frederick is in grade school. The father works in a place that butchers cows. The mother works as a masseuse and may have a thing for the boy's teacher. Frederick sees a lot of what goes on around him and when the kids hold a play ritual one holiday where Frederick is to become the human beast, he slowly starts to adopt that role for real. It's weird, but I still liked it.

Gummi-Tarzan / Rubber Tarzan (1981) - 7.5/10 - Ivan is a young boy who is shy, dyslexic, and not very good at most things. He is bullied at school by a small gang of students and is ridiculed at home by his father. The father is obsessed with Tarzan and wants Ivan to be more like Tarzan. Ivan makes a friend in a crane operator at the harbor who helps Ivan change his outlook. This is a decent kids movie.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) - 7.5/10 - There is plenty of action and I like Hayley Atwell's character here. The story is decent, but not as entertaining as some of the earlier entries in the series. Still, it is a fun movie.

The Creator (2023) - 7/10 - Set 40+ years in the future, the U.S. is at war against AI and are pursuing the last holdouts in Asia. One of their agents is out to find and destroy 'The Creator', an AI that poses a big threat, but this agent is also searching to see if his wife is still alive. The agent ends up escorting a young AI girl while being pursued by both sides. The visuals are great and the acting of the agent and the girl are pretty good, but the story is a little dull and feels kind of like a missed opportunity. I still liked the film, though.

Clara Sola (2021) - 7/10 - Clara is a 40 year old woman who lives in a remote area of Costa Rica with her mother and niece. Clara is a bit odd, simple in some respects, but in touch with nature. Clara's spine is curved, but her mother refuses to let Clara have surgery to correct it, even though it is free. Clara is treated in many respects like a child. This is a slow watch, but interesting at times.

American Symphony (2023) - 7/10 - Jon Batiste works on composing his American Symphony while also supporting his wife who is undergoing treatment for leukemia. He also has his job as a tv bandleader, the Grammys, and more. The music, people, and story are all interesting, but I thought the pacing and editing were off at times.

Fish Out of Water / De frigjorte (1993) - 7/10 - Viggo is a middle aged man who is worried that he is about to be laid off, but has trouble expressing his feelings at home. He likes to argue in favor of trade unions and socialism when his adult son and daughter are over for dinner. His wife puts up with his crap and also likes to research family genealogy. This is a decent comedy and I enjoyed it.

A Haunting in Venice (2023) - 6.5/10 - Poirot is retired and living in Venice when an author he knows brings him to a Halloween party in a mysterious building where spooky things may be happening. It was adequate, though not great. I liked it about as much as Death on the Nile.

Barnförbjudet (1979) - 6.5/10 - A little girl wants a party for her birthday the next day. Her parents seem to fight a lot, though, and she isn't sure that it is going to happen. This is a strange film, but is also pretty entertaining at times, perhaps more for the unusual costumes and settings than the story. The daycare center has some interesting color schemes and furniture. The apartment the family lives in seems kind of spartan, though there certainly are a lot of empty bottles of alcohol to walk around.

Napoleon (2023) - 6.5/10 - Visually the film is excellent. I think it is lacking narratively, though. It felt like a Cliffs Notes version of Napoleon's story at times. I wasn't that impressed with Phoenix as Napoleon.

The Adventures of Picasso (1978) - 6.5/10 - This surrealist comedy about the life of Pablo Picasso seemed kind of dumb at first, but I soon started to enjoy it and found a number of the antics amusing. It went on too long, though, and I started losing interest in it, though some of the gags did land.

En fremmed banker pa / A Stranger Knocks (1959) - 6.5/10 - In 1947, a woman has lived alone in a home near the sea since her husband died during the war. One day, a stranger knocks on her door and says that he has been walking for some time. She gives him some food and lets him rest. This leads to them getting intimate, but there are secrets that may come out and affect their relationship. The first half of the film is kind of dull, but it gets better after that and has a good ending.

Silent Heart (2014) - 6/10 - A family gathers together to celebrate Christmas early with the understanding that the elderly mother will be committing suicide after they leave due to her terminal disease getting worse. It's a serious subject, but the film is overly melodramatic and the two daughters are kind of annoying.

Force Majeure (2014) - 6/10 - A family of four is at a ski resort when an incident at the resort's restaurant leads the wife to question how her husband reacted to the situation. The film had some nice scenery when it was outside, but the story (and the repetitive nature of it) didn't do much for me.

Maestro (2023) - 5.5/10 - Bradley Cooper portrays Leonard Bernstein in this biopic which focuses more on the famous composer/conductor's personal life than his professional life. Unfortunately, I found most of the film to be pretty tedious and I was not enamored with Cooper's performance. There were bits here and there that I liked, but mostly it was a chore getting through the film, even though the production values, etc. seemed fine.

Hvor kragerne vender / Persona non grata (2021) - 5.5/10 - Laura grew up in rural Denmark and had a miserable childhood. She moved away to Copenhagen as soon as she could, changed her name, and never returned. Laura is now Irina and is a pretentious author who finally returns home to attend her brother's wedding only to discover that he is marrying the girl who bullied her when she was growing up. She can't let it go and preaches on it throughout the film. The film feels pretty cliched and while it is somewhat watchable, it isn't really very good.

Golda (2023) - 5/10 - Helen Mirren plays Golda Meir during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and its aftermath. It's not really all that interesting a film.

Holiday (2018) - 5/10 - Sascha is the young girlfriend of a drug kingpin. They are on holiday in Turkey where they spend time just hanging around or out on the water. There isn't a whole lot going on through much of the picture, though a couple of short scenes have some action. Sascha meets a tourist and they seem to hit it off, but her lifestyle could get in the way. I didn't really enjoy this one all that much.

Kira's Reason: A Love Story (2001) - 4/10 - A woman returns home after two years in a psychiatric ward. She finds it difficult to integrate back into her family and life, including with her husband and sons. I'm not a fan of the Dogme 95 style and this story didn't do very much for me, either.

Weekend (1962) - 3/10 - A group of boorish and annoying people (3 couples and a bachelor) gather together for a weekend getaway near a beach.

People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart (1967) - 3/10 - This is a sex comedy about a man who follows a dancer to Brazil. It jumps in and out of role play and fantasies with different characters ending up suddenly in bed. The plot jumps around a lot and is fairly nonsensical. Visually it's fine, but I didn't care for the film.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Reunion (Jerry Schatzberg, 1989) 8/10

The friendship between two teenagers - the son of a jewish doctor (Christien Anholt) and the aristocratic son of an Ambassador (Samuel West) - in Germany during the rise of the Nazis. The film, in flashback, covers their travels within Germany as they discuss their lives, the existence of God, what it means to be jewish, the rise of Hitler and their personal interests. During the present the jewish boy, now an ageing doctor in the United States (Jason Robards), returns to the Germany of his youth in search of the friend he lost touch with as they both went their separate ways once war broke out and the prosecution of the jews began. Harold Pinter's screenplay evokes an elegant period - early 1930s Stutgart - which is superbly produced via outstanding production design and cinematography. The dramatic revelation about the Aryan friend and of his whereabouts comes right at the end. One understands after watching and reading about the jewish experience how as a race they have been reviled as a nation and as individuals throughout history. What the State of Israel is now doing to the country of Palestine and to its people is a direct result of years of abuse. The sad irony, ofcourse, is that their present actions have taken on the semblance of the very same Nazis who condemned, gassed and annihilated them during WWII.

Roman Holiday (William Wyler, 1953) 10/10

Lovely Rome, a charming Princess and a solid as a rock American journalist join to create a classic comedy. A bored, overworked - and under the effects of a sedative - Princess (Audrey Hepburn who is absolutely magical) steals out of the Embassy in Rome and embarks on an incognito adventure through the eternal city. Found asleep on the street side by a journalist (Gregory Peck) she ends up in his tiny apartment. When he discovers who she is he plans on getting her interview and takes her on a tour of Rome accompanied by his photographer friend (a wily Eddie Albert). By the end he gets his scoop while she falls in love with him. The film made Hepburn into an instant star, won her an Oscar and gained the lifelong friendship of co-star Peck. Wyler's light touch to the proceedings created an enduring classic still recognised as one the most romantic films ever to come out of Hollywood. Rome and its sights, ofcourse, also help to a very large extent - Piazza di Spagna at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Pantheon, a ride on a Vespa, and a very funny moment at the Bocca della Verità / Mouth of Truth add to the film's many delights. Edith Head's costumes and the witty story (by Dalton Trumbo) also won Oscars, while the film, Eddie Albert, director Wyler, the screenplay, editing, cinematography and production design were nominated. A must-see.

Romeo and Juliet (Carlo Carlei, 2013) 6/10

Exquisitely produced adaptation of Shakespeare's play - shot almost entirely in Italy, with Mercutio's death shot on the iconic bridge in Verona itself - made the grave mistake of dispensing with the original text - a crime (?) - although truth be told the story still manages to flow quite beautifully. The familiar plot - "Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean - concerns a young boy from the Montague clan, Romeo (Douglas Booth), who falls head over heels in love with a young girl from the Capulet clan, Juliet (Hailee Steinfeld). With a plot so heavily influenced by love and romance one wants the young couple to be equally good looking. Unfortunately that "perfect" balance is not maintained here as one actor far outshines the other in the looks department. However, all is forgiven as both have the intense bloom of youth upon them. Unfortunately because the 15-year old Steinfeld was finally cast when the original older choice Lily Collins could not make it, the nude scenes originally planned got nixed. The tragic outcome - spoiler alert - involves suicide by poisoning followed by a stabbing. Writer Julian Fellowes simplifies lines, invents new ones and reconstructs phrases, not really to the detriment of the story, although Shakespeare's original lyrical words do beautifully impact the romantic tone of the story. The two young actors are surrounded by a superb cast of character actors playing the Nurse (Lesley Manville), Lord Capulet (Damian Lewis), Lady Capulet (Natascha McElhone), the Prince (Stellan Skarsgård), Friar Lawrence (Paul Giamatti) - and Kodi Smit-McPhee appears as Romeo's cousin Benvolio. The best screen version of the play was by Franco Zeffirelli in 1968 with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as the star-crossed lovers.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

All of Us Strangers (Andrew Haigh, 2023) 9/10

Stunning memory piece - a man's journey of self discovery about life and sexuality through relationships with a lover (Paul Mescal), his father (Jamie Bell) and mother (Claire Foy). Nothing is as what is shown yet every moment rings true for him. Words which remain unsaid between family members and between partners gradually fall into place. In life often one is at a loss about speaking openly to loved ones but here we see a man (Andrew Scott) get a second chance which ends up being a cathartic moment for him. Heartfelt, eerie film about loneliness, loss and love, and how redemption and peace is achieved while wafting through what seems like a world where fantasy and reality merge. The film is an adaptation of the Japanese novel "Strangers" by Taichi Yamada. All four actors give exquisite performances.

The Great Escaper (Oliver Parker, 2023) 7/10

An 89-year-old Royal Navy veteran (Michael Caine) sneaks off from his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary of D-day commemorations in France in June 2014. Caine and Glenda Jackson reunite on the big screen after almost 50 years in this heartwarming little fluff as a devoted old couple living out their last years together. Nothing much happens - he makes it across the Channel with help from another veteran (John Standing) as they both share their inner demons while she holds fort back home cleverly hiding his "escape" from the staff at the nursing home. Despite her advanced age the actress is in sharp command as her tart-tongued responses bring forth happy memories of all her past performances. This was Jackson's last film - she died after completing her part - and soon after Caine announced his retirement so their reunion here becomes a poignant farewell to both stars.

The Last Rifleman (Terry Loane, 2023) 5/10

Seems like a remake of the recent Michael Caine-Glenda Jackson film "The Great Escaper" coming just a month after the first. Based loosely on the same true events the story revolves around the stubborn efforts of a Northern Irish World War II veteran (Pierce Brosnan in heavy old-age makeup) who, after his wife passes on, sneaks off from his care home in Ireland to make the difficult journey - with an expired passport - to France in order to participate during the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. He is helped along the way by a french tourist (Clémence Poésy), an American veteran (John Amos), a German veteran (Jürgen Prochnow) and an Irish journalist (Desmond Eastwood) as he comes to terms with the losses he suffered during the War. Brosnan is moving as he struggles through this road adventure while battling ghosts from the very distant past.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (James Wan, 2023) 6/10

First sequel to the 2018 film although I could swear there was another one in between as well....maybe the Hawaiian hulk appeared in one of the other DC films. The sequel takes on climate change as part of its "serious" subject and becomes an action packed buddy comedy with Aquaman (Jason Momoa) teaming up with half brother, Orb (Patrick Wilson), to take down Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who has become possessed by a black trident - which threatens to overheat the world - during his quest to discover and rule the lost seventh kingdom of the seas. Also wants to kill Aqua and family - kidnaps baby Aqua. More colorful nonsense with Momoa the only one around with a relaxed sense of humour. Everyone around him is so tight-assed - even the exotic fishes and monsters. Nicole Kidman makes a brief appearance as his mother most probably pocketing big bucks for her few minutes on screen - but Wtf has this stupid, stupid woman done to her face with all those cheek & lip fillers making her look so fugly. Must have woken up off the right side of my bed as I kinda enjoyed this nonsense which positively strains at the seams with all the CGI. Most disgusting moment - Patrick Wilson munching a live cockroach. Ugh!!

Les bonnes causes / Don't Tempt the Devil (Christian-Jaque, 1963) 8/10

A nurse (Virna Lisi) administers an injection to her patient and he dies. His wife (Marina Vlady) accuses her of murder and later it is revealed that the deceased gifted his nurse an expensive bracelet and has left all his money to her in his will. The woman continues to deny being his mistress as the case goes to trial and she is defended by a lawyer (Umberto Orsini) and a judge (Bourvil) who is not quite convinced that the woman is guilty. The mood of the plot somewhat resembles Billy Wilder and Agatha Christie's "Witness For the Prosecution" although here the murderer is revealed very early on - the bitchy wife who plots against the innocent nurse with help from the cynical prosecuter (Pierre Brasseur) who is also her lover. Superbly played drama - lovely Lisi is more than just a pretty face, Vlady plays her part as completely virtuous while the audience is aware of the raging demon beneath her facade, Bourvil is brilliantly cast against type and is subtle and understated in comparison to the deliciously over-the-top Brasseur who plays to the gallery. And like the classic Wilder film there is a twist ending here as well.

Fool Me Once (David Moore & Nimer Rashed, 2024) 7/10

A British combat pilot (Michelle Keegan), released from service after a traumatic wartime incident, finds herself in the midst of two murders - her sister who is shot dead at her home during a robbery and a month later her beloved husband (Richard Armitage) who is shot dead in front of her by two men in a park. The plot takes on a double twist when it is discovered that both murders were committed by the same gun and a recent video recording that reveals her husband could be still alive. The plot involves a number of eccentric characters - a quirky detective (Adeel Akhtar) who suffers mysterious blackouts, his gay talkative cop partner, an imperious upper class mother-in-law (Joanna Lumley) who may or may not be hiding behind some evil plan, two kids who decide to investigate their mother's murder, and several more deaths from the very distant past that could be related to present events. This 8-part series has one twist after another and the rather ridiculous, but gripping, premise where the pilot starts to investigate the murders like an older version of Nancy Drew. Based on one of many books by Harlan Coben commissioned as movies by Netflix.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Indochine (Régis Wargnier, 1992) 8/10

Interesting to re-watch this film in the very country it is set in. Epic film recreates a time and era long gone and set against the backdrop of the rising Vietnamese nationalist movement. An imperious French rubber plantation owner (Catherine Deneuve) gets caught up in dramatic events when her adopted Vietnamese daughter (Linh Dan Pham) falls head over heels in love with her own intense lover, a French Naval officer (Vincent Perez). The story covers a period of twenty years from the 1930s to the 1950s when the country finally won its much sought-after independence. Very long, sometimes rambling, but exquisitely produced film - shot by François Catonné - perfectly captures the French colonial era in all its outward elegant beauty and its internal truth steeped in human savagery. The drama covers intense sex, opium addiction, murder, life in the wilderness as part of a theatrical troupe, imprisonment, child birth, and a suspected suicide. At the center of it all stands the stunning Catherine Deneuve - tall, slim, impecably attired - a vision of beauty as tough boss-lady, friend, doting mother, torrid lover, and finally a strong grandmother who survives despite all the odds. Dreamlike film keeps the characters at a remote distance and the screenplay more or less jettisons the actual horrors the local people were subjected to by their French rulers and merely scratches the surface of the horrors inflicted. Deneuve won her second César award and was nominated for an Academy Award. The film won in the Foreign Film category.

The Statement (Norman Jewison, 2003)

Interesting subject - the Catholic Church protecting Nazi collaborators who helped round up and executed jews during the Vichy government in France during WWII - gets a rather bland treatment. One such man (Michael Caine), who betrayed seven jews during the War and escaped capture, is on the run now in present day France with an army cop (Jeremy Northam) and a judge (Tilda Swinton) in close pursuit of not only him but also trying to discover the person high up in government who has allowed him to be provided asylum away from justice. The old man being chased is a guilt-ridden repentant Catholic, who is sick, bitter and hiding in monastries and abbeys while being provided protection by priests. Caine gives a one-note performance as he snivels, grovels and tries to stay alive while being confronted by assassins and cops. He is surrounded by a superb British/Irish supporting cast (all playing french characters but speaking with British accents) - Frank Finlay, Alan Bates, John Neville, Ciarán Hinds. The film's best moment is a brief vignette where he arrives to hide out at the doorstep of his estranged wife (Charlotte Rampling) and the two go at each other with bitter hatred, goading and accusing each other which reveals the true character of the old man as a sadistic bigot. Jewison's last film is adapted by Ronald Harwood from Brian Moore's novel.

Dhak Dhak (Tarun Dudeja, 2023) 6/10

Four disparate women - a young YouTuber (Fatima Sana Shaikh), a spirited Punjabi grandma (Ratna Pathak Shah), a skilled entrepreneur with stifled dreams (Diya Mirza), and an underconfident young woman trying to escape her overbearing mother (Sanjana Sanghi) - join together and embark on a road trip on bikes to Khardung La in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The women come with predictable baggage but the screenplay allows them to banter in a playful manner as they in turns abet and support each other through the exhilarating journey. Female empowerment is the underlying theme of the plot as each woman comes into her own as they navigate through the spectacular terrain. Dudeja won the debut director Filmfare award and the film's story, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Ratna Pathak Shah were nominated for their performances.

Three of Us (Avinash Arun, 2023) 9/10

If Ingmar Bergman had been Indian this would have been one of the films he would have come up with. This is not to say that director Arun is copying Bergman. He has created here a drama about life, its regrets, memories - both happy and bittersweet - as characters delve into their long suppressed past. A woman in the early stages of dementia (Shefali Shah) suddenly expresses a desire to visit a town where she spent her childhood. She is accompanied by her willing and supportive husband (Swanand Kirkire) and she reconnects with a childhood friend (Kadambari Kadam) who is now married to another friend (Jaideep Ahlawat) on whom she had a crush all those years ago. With her fractured memory she visits places from her past reminiscing about the good and bitter times, reflecting on how much has changed since then. Her gradual proximity towards her crush results in deep conversations where he too expresses life's regrets - the trauma of an abusive father who suddenly walked out on his family never to be seen again. This growing closeness begins to cause a strain with her husband. The reflective screenplay does not wallow in misery but takes the unexpected path of showing the strength of the human spirit as each character discovers the beauty in their everyday life, valuing memories and accepting the often painful roadblocks life often throws. The film ends with the two friends seated on a ferris wheel, symbolizing the circle of life, as they contemplate a future they know cannot be what they desire. As with most choices in life one ends up taking the pragmatic route even if it is not the one that is desired. Both Ahlavat and Shah are quietly devastating. The film, Ahlavat, the screenplay, dialogue, score and sound design received nominations for the Filmfare award. Director Avinash Arun won for his cinematography as did Shefali Shah for her sharply nuanced, yet understated, performance. A must-see.

Animal (Sandeep Reddy Vanga, 2023) 7/10

Toxic Masculinity screws Misogyny and an Animal is born. The subject is nothing new as Vanga displayed it in spades during his previous films - the Telegu "Arjun Reddy" and its Hindi remake "Kabir Singh". Daddy love, or rather lack of it from a busy industrialist (Anil Kapoor), results in posturing progeny (Ranbir Kapoor) behaving like the entitled brat he is while continuing on his quest of hero worshipping his often absent but ever glowering dad. Boy likes to wave and shoot an AK-47 in class when his sister is ragged in school, later gets into a vicious argument with her husband, usurps his childhood sweetheart (Rashmika Mandanna) just as she is getting engaged to a person of her family's choice, gets married to her, and then turning backs on their families they both move to the USA. When his father is threatened he returns to avenge the perpetrators, one of whom is his sister's husband whom he kills. However, the assassin (Bobby Deol) he seeks turns out to be his own distant cousin as the convoluted plot uncovers assorted family intrigues that have been simmering for decades. Over-the-top characters and situations, once the bane of Bollywood during the 1980's, appear to be still in vogue as this incredibly overlong film has not only become one of the year's most successful films in Bollywood but has also won 5 Filmfare awards including one for Ranbir Kapoor's testosterone induced performance - the film, director Vanga, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Tripti Dimri were also nominated. With everyone playing to the gallery it is surprising to see Bollywood veterans Shakti Kapoor and Prem Chopra in very understated roles as the voices of calm. Ranbir totally outdoes Al Pacino in his scenery chewing "Scarface" role as he brandishes the biggest fucking gun that looks like a canon slaying a never-ending army of goons. The screenplay comes up with corny jokes about underwear, cocks of the black variety, several ingenious methods of killing human beings, and last but certainly not least creates a bizarre but memorable cameo role for Bobby Deol who, in a comeback of hysterical proportion, plays a vicious mute killer. He is first seen dancing to the iconic Iranian wedding song "Jamaal Jamaaloo" - but here given the title "Jamal Kudu" - who during his own wedding kills a man and then calmly goes to his bride and proceeds to consummate the marriage in front of all the guests while covered in blood. The film's bloodbath quotient has to be seen to be believed with the final shirtless confrontation taking place between the two protagonists on an airfield which is then followed by yet more brutal violence presented during the end credits which blatantly hint at a sequel.
User avatar
gunnar
Assistant
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:40 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by gunnar »

Scarecrow / Chuchelo (1984) - 9/10 - Lena is a 12 year old girl who is being bullied by her classmates at school. She moved to a msall town to live with her grandfather and tells much of the story in flashback. The bullying started on the first day of school, but got worse when she covered for a boy she liked. The students in her class can be very cruel. It's very well acted, especially by the girl who plays Lena.

We'll Live Till Monday (1968) - 8.5/10 - Ilya is a middle aged high school history teacher who is well respected by students and coworkers, but appears to be suffering a bit of a personal crisis in terms of his profession. He may be disturbed, in part, by the rumors floating around about the young new English teacher, Natalya, who was once one of his students at the school and is thought to be in love with him. I enjoyed this one quite a bit and the performances by the students and the teachers were each pretty good.

Werewolf by Night (2022) - 8/10 - Ulysses Bloodstone is dead and a group of monster hunters have come to compete for the Bloodstone itself. This is a fun, short film, done mostly in black and white.

The Green Knight (2021) - 7.5/10 - It took me a while to warm to this one. It was certainly atmospheric, but it wasn't until almost halfway through that I actually became interested in the story.

Blue Beetle (2023) - 7.5/10 - That was a lot of fun and better than I expected. Jaime, his family, and Jenny were all great. The villains were a bit cardboard and there probably should have been a bit more explanation about One Man Army Corps for those who don't read the comics, but the action and humor were good and I enjoyed it. It would be nice to get a sequel, but that seems pretty unlikely.

Fate of a Man (1959) - 7.5/10 - A Russian father of three has a happy life before WWII. He goes off to fight after the war starts and ends up spending a couple of years as a prisoner of war before escaping. His life back home is forever changed due to the events of the war.

Five Evenings (1979) - 7.5/10 - It's the late 1950s and Sasha is back in his old hometown on business when he recognizes the apartment building where a woman he once loved lived before they got separated by the war. On a whim, he goes to the building to see if she still lives there and the two slowly rekindle their relationship.

Jules (2023) - 7.5/10 - Ben Kingsley stars as Milton, a 78 year old widower who lives alone, frequently attends and speaks at city council meetings, and whose daughter is worried that he may be showing early signs of senility. A spaceship crash lands in his back yard and a friendly, but mute alien starts living with Milton. When Milton tries to tell people about it, his daughter and others see it as a sign of his diminished mental capacity. It's up to Milton and two friends (Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin) to help their new alien friend. This is a pretty laid back comedy and I enjoyed it.

July Rain (1967) - 7.5/10 - Lena is a twenty-something who hangs out with her boyfriend and other friends when she's not at work or home. A man loans her his coat during a rainstorm one day and the two start talking regularly on the phone. It's a good film and the influence of the French New Wave on it is pretty evident.

Nine Days of One Year (1962) - 7.5/10 - Two nuclear physicists are friends, but each loves the same woman. One of the men is close to reaching his goal in experiments involving neutrons, but he has already received large doses of radiation in the past and his health could be further threatened if he does succeed. I enjoyed the scientific background to the film, the characters, and the occasional humor that is mixed in.

The Lady with the Dog (1960) - 7/10 - A banker on holiday in Yalta meets a woman who walks her dog every day. Each is married, but they begin a brief affair before heading to their respective hometowns. The banker can't get her out of his mind, though.

Little Vera (1988) - 7/10 - Vera is a young woman who lives in a small apartment with her parents. Her parents want her to go to university, but she's more interested in hanging out with friends and partying right now. Her life gets more complicated when she gets a new boyfriend who soon moves in with her and her parents, but there is a lot of tension.

Cloud-Paradise (1990) - 6.5/10 - Kolya lives in a small Soviet town. He struggles to make small talk and finds most people to be fairly indifferent about whatever he tries to discuss. He suddenly bursts out to a friend that he plans to move to the far East thaht day and finds himself the center of attention with a lot of people supporting his 'plan' to move. It's an odd film. I liked it more as it went along.

The Red Snowball Tree (1974) - 6/10 - A thief needs to hide out for a while so he heads to the country where a woman lives that he exchanged letters with while he was in prison. He is tired of the criminal life and enjoys life out in the country, but his past life might not be done with him. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this one very much.

Trial on the Road (1971) - 6/10 - In 1942, a former Red Army soldier who went over to fight for the Germans now wants to come back and fight with the partisans against the Germans. I found it difficult to remain engaged with the characters and story at times.

Twenty Days Without War (1977) - 6/10 - A Soviet Major/war correspondent is given a 20 day leave after the Battle of Stalingrad and he uses the opportunity to return to visit Tashkent where a film is being made based on his stories.

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) - 6/10 - This film jumps ahead a few years to a world where dinosaurs are living in the world around us. A genetically altered plague of locusts threatens crops (and people). The film is pretty boring during the first half hour and gets a little better after that when the action starts. It's another step down for the franchise.

My Friend Ivan Lapshin (1984) - 5.5/10 - Ivan Lapshin is the head of police in a 1930s Russian town around the time of 'The Great Purge". He is friends with a journalist named Khanin, and even takes him along on a raid in search of the leader of a gang of criminals. Pretty bleak looking at times and only occasionally interesting.

Moonshot (2022) - 5/10 - Walt is a college student who is hung up on Mars and wants adventure. Mars has been terraformed and colonized, but his applications to go there have been rejected. He sneaks on board a flight to Mars and gets some help from a girl who he convinced to follow her boyfriend to Mars. It's a dumb film, but does get a bit better toward the end.

Family Relations / Rodnya (1982) - 4/10 - A mother comes from the country to visit her daughter in Moscow and to try and help mend her marriage. I suppose the mother is meant to be endearing and funny, but I found her loud and annoying much of the time.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

China Moon (John Bailey, 1994) 6/10

Woman (Madeleine Stowe) married to an abusive husband (Charles Dance) meets a cop (Ed Harris) who falls head over heels in love with her and they begin an affair. During an altercation with her husband she shoots him dead in self defence and the cop helps her dump the body and she uses an alibi to clear herself of the homicide. Matters come to a head when the cop's young partner (Benicio del Toro) becomes suspicious during the investigation which leads to a twist ending. Sultry but routine neo-noir has lovely Stowe going the femme fatale route â la Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner and Kathleen Turner although she kinda fails to generate much heat as she seems to be sleep walking through most of the film. Steamy Florida is once again the setting and the mood is set by the blues songs sung live by Sam Myers during a sequence in the bar where the two lovers first meet. Harris is superb as the sap who finds himself twisted around the little finger of Stowe.

The Man Who Cheated Himself (Felix E. Feist, 1950) 6/10

Bitchy socialite (Jane Wyatt) kills her fortune-hunter husband and urges her cop lover (Lee J. Cobb) to help her. They dump the body, hide all clues but are pursued by his younger brother (John Dall) who also happens to be a rookie cop and his partner on the murder case. Formulaic B-noir is fairly gripping with a rare romantic lead role for character actor Cobb. Jane Wyatt, one of Hollywood's most wholesome actresses, is here cast totally against type as the femme fatale. The film was later the inspiration for the neo-noir China Moon (1994).

The Pilot's Wife (Robert Markowitz, 2002) 6/10

A woman (Christine Lahti) is informed by an airline employee (Campbell Scott) that the plane her pilot-husband (John Heard) was flying from London to Boston has exploded over the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Ireland. The plane's black box reveals there might have been a bomb in the cockpit. When the FBI arrives and starts asking awkward questions she makes a trip to London where she is shocked to discover another nasty secret he had been hiding from her for over five years. Her marriage appears to have been a sham which she tries to process by making a trip to the site of the crash. Based on a romance novel the film overcomes its soap opera origin and works for the most part due to the understated performance by Lahti and the lovely location filming which is apparently Nova Scotia doubling for both Boston and Northern Ireland.

Nothing But the Truth (Rod Lurie, 2008) 6/10

A government agent (a fiery Vera Farmiga) discovers that the United States wrongfully bombed Venezuela after an assassination attempt on the President. A reporter (Kate Beckinsale) outs the agent and writes the sensational story for her newspaper leaving the government exposed and in an awkward position. She is brought to trial and asked by a special Federal prosecutor (Matt Dillon) to reveal her source as under law if a government employee rats on a covert agent it is treason. When she refuses to divulge the name of her source she is jailed for a year and eventually sentenced to prison for two years. Her action results in the covert agent's divorce and later assassination, followed by her own marriage breaking down and. The film comes to life in all the scenes the two women confront each other but their individual home-life moments border on soap opera and keep bringing the film to a hault. While Angela Bassett is underused as the editor of the paper, the film perks up each time the forceful and relentless Matt Dillon appears, and Alan Alda turns in a great performance as the vain but sensitive attorney for the defence. The film reveals the journalist's source right at the end which is a complete surprise although makes complete sense why she was willing to risk prison and also sacrifice her personal life to hide the name of the person.

Erste Liebe / First Love (Maximillian Schell, 1970) 4/10

The star of this film is the cinematographer Sven Nykvist who creates gorgeous images of not only the actors but of birds, clouds, vast rolling fields, blades of grass and every object that comes in the way of his camera. The plot is strictly out of a Mills & Boon romance novel although it is based on the classic 1860 novella by Russian writer Ivan Turgenev. A 16-year old boy (John Moulder-Brown) gets infatuated with a 21-year old woman (Dominique Sanda) who has moved into the farm next door to the country estate belonging to his family. He lives with his father (Maximillian Schell), whom he looks up to, and a disdainful, irritable mother (Valentina Cortese). While the boy is serious in his love for her she merely flirts with him and enjoys his company as she does with a stream of other men around her. As is often the case, most first loves are doomed, but here there is a tragic whammy for the young, gooey-eyed teenager, something he does not see coming. Lovely Sanda was on a roll then playing the object of desire in back to back films - Robert Bresson's "Une femme douce", Bernardo Bertolucci's "Il conformista", Vittorio De Sica's "Il giardino dei Finzi Contini" - in all of which her character is like that of a will-o'-the-wisp. An object of yearning who is difficult to completely grasp. Schell tries a bit too hard to stretch the thin plot creating mood with repetitous scenes of the boy oogling the woman while she annoyingly plays hot and cold with him. There are other characters that float in and out of the main plot - British playwright John Osborne plays a poet who recites to a bunch of pigs and sheep on the estate, Dandy Nichols plays the young woman's eccentric mother, off-screen couple Marius Goring and Lucie Mannheim also make appearances. Schell's debut as a director inexplicably managed to get an Academy Award nomination in the foreign film category. Sitting through this was quite a tedious experience.
Reza
Laureate Emeritus
Posts: 10029
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 11:14 am
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan

Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

Post by Reza »

Maestro (Bradley Cooper, 2023) 8/10

Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper), one of the most important conductors of his time, often comes off here like a wilful child - wants to have his cake and eat it too. Both male and female - but with a special preference for the male sex. This gorgeous looking film - shot both in black & white and in colour by Matthew Libatique - is not really a straightforward biography of this genius who became the first American-born conductor to receive international acclaim. It is an intimate (and at times very flamboyant) look at his relationship with people close to him - very briefly with friends, colleagues, lovers (the more the merrier) - but in depth with his very complex and tempestuous marriage to Costa Rican actress, Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), with whom he had three children. Cooper directs this tormented love story and makes it seem like we are watching a ballet on stage with the two main characters swaying and twirling to soaring music as they come together in a duet of clashing cymbals. A complex relationship that is driven to despair, hurt and anger, yet remains unbreakable despite the gross excesses - both sexual and cerebral - that one member indulges himself in while the other bears it with bitter and loving forebearance. Great art doesn't come easily and often a great emotional price has to be paid to achieve it which Cooper presents in vivid strokes through the lives of these two souls - one who is at turns childish and volatile but also extremely magnetic who is provided emotional balance by the other. A love story for the ages brought to the screen painted with bright urgent strokes. Cooper is both jarring and real under the prosthetic makeup - the notorious fake nose caused a lot of silly controversy but it is the body part that actually vividly transforms him into Bernstein. Mulligan, at first appears miscast and seems to initially tread softly around Cooper's edgy performance, but she quickly grows into her character and stands tall creating a strong woman who manages to hold her own next to the genius. She gets a stunning scene where she unleashes years of suppressed anger and verbally goes at him hammer and tongs while he tries to arrogantly defend himself. Despite all his selfish antics Bernstein maintains a deep love for his wife which he tenderly displays when she is gravely ill with cancer. Cooper has dressed his film in topnotch fashion - the outstanding costume and production design, the editing, makeup and hairstyle, the constantly moving camera, and ofcourse the stunning Bernstein music interludes that provide the dramatic backbone to the story. Thankfully the screenplay does not go the route of a standard biopic connecting each dot and moment in his life although it could have maybe spent a wee bit more time on some of the important supporting characters - his lovers and sister, and their children who we get to see so fleetingly. The film is a stunning ode to a narcissist, albeit one who has loads of charm.

The Blacklist (2013-2014) Season One 8/10

Mysterious criminal - Raymond Reddington (James Spader) - gives himself up to the FBI, demands immunity and in return promises to provide information on wanted criminals just as long he has direct access to rookie FBI agent - Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). The series uses the tone of "The Silence of the Lambs" in its interactions between the two leads. Spader takes the role and runs with it creating a hugely compelling character who drips sarcasm and vicious bon mots who is not afraid to kill with steel-eyed precision if the occasion calls for it.

High Plains Drifter (Clint Eastwood, 1973) 6/10

Eastwood directs his first Western and brings to the genre his apprentice training from his Spaghetti days as he channels Sergio Leone. The silent man with no name, cheroot stuck in his clenched teeth, rides into town, shoots dead three men, gets accosted by the town trollop, who he then rapes after dragging her to a barn and pushing her down onto a haystack. And this is only during the first ten minutes. So politically not correct? Or is it? Well she does start by struggling which quickly turns into a passionate embrace as she pulls him to herself while in the throes of what seem like multiple orgasms. Whatever the case may be this scene would never pass muster in today's over-sensitive woke climate in Hollywood. The stranger is hired by the bickering townfolk to protect them from a bunch of critters who were jailed and are now being released. It also appears the town is guarding a dark secret from the past. Eastwood looks very cool squinting his eyes and makes his gunslinger a mythical combination of Dirty Harry and Jesus Christ.
Post Reply

Return to “Other Film Discussions”