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

[Reza]

College Swing (Raoul Walsh, 1938) 5/10

Silly vaudeville routines interspersed with song, dance and comic sequences played by a mostly delightful cast. The jokes come fast and furious with many falling flat but a few involving Gracie Allen (as a dimwit student at college trying to pass an exam to inherit the place) and others - George Burns, Bob Hope and Martha Raye, which click. The musical sequences involve John Payne romancing Florence George and a brief bouncy appearance by Betty Grable. Both Raye and Fields get to sing most of the songs and have standout comic moments. But it's all rather silly and only worth watching to see most of these stars in their early film appearances.

[Reza]

Springtime in the Rockies (Irving Cummings, 1942) 7/10

Typically upbeat and colourful Fox musical with a whiff of a plot - an estranged couple (John Payne & Betty Grable) try to make each other jealous by pretending to be involved with debonair Cesar Romero and a bouncy, over-the-top Carmen Miranda. Set at a resort in the Rockies (all painted backdrops) the entire cast converges singing and dancing to the music of Harry James and Count Basie. Charming froth is stolen by old reliables - droll Edward Everett Horton and whacky Charlotte Greenwood. Great fun with one outstanding dance performed by Romero and Grable not unlike Astaire and Rogers. Miranda manages to upstage the two leads with her crazy antics although both Payne and Grable make a very handsome couple on screen.

[Reza]

Three Identical Strangers (Tim Wardle, 2018) 8/10

Bizarre but incredible true story about three strangers who discover they are identical triplets who were separated at birth 19-years before. The boys, when reunited, became a media sensation during the 1980s with tv appearances and even going into the restaurant business. This riveting documentary starts off like a joyous sitcom and gradually turns into something very sinister, disturbing and tragic as the brothers discover why they were separated by the jewish adoption agency at the behest of a psychologist as they became his subjects under a controversial study which today remains unpublished and locked up at Yale university. The film builds on the story piece by piece through interviews with relatives, staff who worked with the psychologist and the brothers themselves leading up to its shocking but inconclusive ending which hints somewhat at Nazi physician Josef Mengele and his experiments at Auschwitz. The irony of it all is appalling considering the psychologist was a Holocaust survivor. A gripping but disturbing documentary.

[Reza]

Illegal Entry (Frederick De Cordova, 1949) 5/10

Good cast in dull crime programmer with noir overtones courtesy of William Daniels' shadowy cinematography. The chief of the Immigration bureau (George Brent) has a former pilot (Howard Duff) go undercover to investigate human trafficking in Los Angeles. His lead is the beautiful widow (Mårta Torén) of his dead army buddy who may or may not be involved with the smugglers. Gruff Duff and lovely Torén make an appealing couple although its pretty stale stuff.

[Precious Doll]

It was Cukor, as of course you know.

Golly, that was foolish of me given that Cukor & Minnelli are worlds apart as directors and during that period Minnelli was making a whole lot of luridly entertaining films with The Web probably being the pinnacle and in which A Star is Born does not fit into.

My only excuse apart from the close relationship between Garland & Minnelli was what I wrote was very late last night having taken an obscene dose of sleeping pills as I'm battling a bad cold. Thankfully I've made a speedy recovery and am currently enjoyed a couple of gin & tonics which I find as one of the best treatments for a cold.

[ITALIANO]

It's an American association. But even if they were Italian, whores are everywhere, Big Magilla. The problem is being a whore and not being paid for the job... Lady Gaga's acting "sublime"? Not even her press agent would say that, come on

I said she herself was sublime which means "of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe" - I said her acting was "strong" but what made the performance sublime was her way of putting across a song.

Here's my actual comment, which comes after my somewhat mixed assessment of the film and her co-star:

"Lady Gaga, though, is sublime throughout. Her acting is strong and no contemporary singer can put a song across in a way that is as pleasing to fans of any and all musical genres as she can. I think it's safe to say that her Oscar nomination is in the bag, though a win may be a bit of a stretch."

Oh ok. Well you still liked her acting alot. Which by the way isn't a crime
But unlike the young film critics (and fans) who treat her with the same kind of blind admiration once reserved for Eleonora Duse, my point is that you should know better. Just this.

[Big Magilla]

It's an American association. But even if they were Italian, whores are everywhere, Big Magilla. The problem is being a whore and not being paid for the job... Lady Gaga's acting "sublime"? Not even her press agent would say that, come on

I said she herself was sublime which means "of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe" - I said her acting was "strong" but what made the performance sublime was her way of putting across a song.

Here's my actual comment, which comes after my somewhat mixed assessment of the film and her co-star:

"Lady Gaga, though, is sublime throughout. Her acting is strong and no contemporary singer can put a song across in a way that is as pleasing to fans of any and all musical genres as she can. I think it's safe to say that her Oscar nomination is in the bag, though a win may be a bit of a stretch."

[ITALIANO]

Funny, but the only award the film has won so far was in ITALY!!!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/aw ... tt_ql_op_1

Venice Film Festival 2018
Winner
Smithers Foundation Award
Collateral Award
Bradley Cooper

It's an American association. But even if they were Italian, whores are everywhere, Big Magilla. The problem is being a whore and not being paid for the job... Lady Gaga's acting "sublime"? Not even her press agent would say that, come on

[Big Magilla]

Funny, but the only award the film has won so far was in ITALY!!!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517451/aw ... tt_ql_op_1

Venice Film Festival 2018
Winner
Smithers Foundation Award
Collateral Award
Bradley Cooper

[ITALIANO]

A Star is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper 2/10

Yeah. Sad but true. Now just read - if you have the courage - what the Americans on this board think of this movie (in the Star is Born thread). The way they reacted to it (or they say they did - some of them clearly didn't really like it but have to pretend they did) is, I believe, extremely interesting, and a sign of the times.

I'm really amazed at the critical response to the film, particularly from Venice & Toronto but I am of the opinion that professional film criticism is in decline. I think one of the problems facing young critics is that it is impossible now to see all the films of importance from the past as we are talking about over 100 years of cinema. There is also a 'fan-boy' mentality than didn't seem to exist prior to the internet that is playing a part in the overrating of so many mediocre to downright terrible films. Also, some people who see films first tend to overpraise them and in an awful lot of cases I think that has to do with the fact that they are seeing them before anyone else.

I must admit that I went to this with a degree of optimism, primarily due to all the raves. But I found the find a complete mess, unenaging and as a result boring as hell. I looked at my watch an awful lot. On the plus side Lady Gaga was a pleasant enough presence and she can certainly sing (I'm not familiar with her musical career) and I was impressed with Bradley Cooper's accent which was very close to that of Sam Elliott's. Something overlooked so often in cinema is that siblings can actually sound similar and this film pulled that off. I really don't get the acclaim. I can understand that fans of Lady Gaga would probably love it by her presence alone but one could say the same for the 1976 version for fans of Babs & Kris K. Though, I'm the exception. I love Babs but boy most of the films she has made are beneath her talent and ASIB is one of them.

I did though get a kick seeing a credit for great William Wellman on a 2018 film. I certainly don't object to a remake as its a timeless story but this like the 1976 brought nothing new to the table. I don't see any future for Cooper as a director. That scene where he embarrasses Gaga at the Grammys was straight out of a John Waters' film @1970s. But than I think its impossible to top James Mason 'slap' in the Minnelli version. One really feels Garlands utter humiliation.

Ultimately this film is a mess.

It was Cukor, as of course you know.

I think if you are American you are surrounded by so much enthusiasm for this movie (but this can be applied to other movies in the recent past) that you MUST like it. You can express doubts on specific aspects - as some even on this board have tried to do - but in general you have to like it. The amount of praise is so uniform - and let's say it, Americans aren't exactly champions of individual thinking - that nobody, or almost nobody, can rebel to it.
The result is, of course, embarassing. But while the movie is, as you say, a mess, and a bland mess I'd add, as a cultural phenomenon, and a proof of how easily infuenceable people - even expeienced cinemagoers - have become, it IS fascinating.
I won't name names, but if someone who grew up with Katharine Hepburn suddenly finds Lady Gaga's acting "sublime" (not even good, sublime!) you know that there's something wrong, very wrong even, in our perception of today's movies.
Someone else here loved the movie because in some ways it mirrored his past addiction problems. I respect, obviously, such problems which can be terrible and painful. But if someone who's gone through all that can be satisfied by this movie's banal, supeficial treatment of something which is actually very serious, sorry, but I become suspicious. Because anyone who truly experienced any kind of addiction should instantly recognize how easily the movie deals with this theme.

[Uri]

But than I think its impossible to top James Mason 'slap' in the Minnelli version. One really feels Garlands utter humiliation

Oops. Understandable one, but still an oops.

Other than that, I co-sign your post.

[Precious Doll]

A Star is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper 2/10

Yeah. Sad but true. Now just read - if you have the courage - what the Americans on this board think of this movie (in the Star is Born thread). The way they reacted to it (or they say they did - some of them clearly didn't really like it but have to pretend they did) is, I believe, extremely interesting, and a sign of the times.

I'm really amazed at the critical response to the film, particularly from Venice & Toronto but I am of the opinion that professional film criticism is in decline. I think one of the problems facing young critics is that it is impossible now to see all the films of importance from the past as we are talking about over 100 years of cinema. There is also a 'fan-boy' mentality than didn't seem to exist prior to the internet that is playing a part in the overrating of so many mediocre to downright terrible films. Also, some people who see films first tend to overpraise them and in an awful lot of cases I think that has to do with the fact that they are seeing them before anyone else.

I must admit that I went to this with a degree of optimism, primarily due to all the raves. But I found the find a complete mess, unenaging and as a result boring as hell. I looked at my watch an awful lot. On the plus side Lady Gaga was a pleasant enough presence and she can certainly sing (I'm not familiar with her musical career) and I was impressed with Bradley Cooper's accent which was very close to that of Sam Elliott's. Something overlooked so often in cinema is that siblings can actually sound similar and this film pulled that off. I really don't get the acclaim. I can understand that fans of Lady Gaga would probably love it by her presence alone but one could say the same for the 1976 version for fans of Babs & Kris K. Though, I'm the exception. I love Babs but boy most of the films she has made are beneath her talent and ASIB is one of them.

I did though get a kick seeing a credit for great William Wellman on a 2018 film. I certainly don't object to a remake as its a timeless story but this like the 1976 brought nothing new to the table. I don't see any future for Cooper as a director. That scene where he embarrasses Gaga at the Grammys was straight out of a John Waters' film @1970s. But than I think its impossible to top James Mason 'slap' in the Minnelli version. One really feels Garlands utter humiliation.

Ultimately this film is a mess.

[ITALIANO]

A Star is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper 2/10

Yeah. Sad but true. Now just read - if you have the courage - what the Americans on this board think of this movie (in the Star is Born thread). The way they reacted to it (or they say they did - some of them clearly didn't really like it but have to pretend they did) is, I believe, extremely interesting, and a sign of the times.

[Precious Doll]

Private Life (2018) Tamara Jenkins 7/10
22 July (2018) Paul Greengrass 7/10
Operation Finale (2018) Chris Weitz 5/10
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2017) Sophie Fiennes 3/10
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018) Ben Lewin 2/10
A Quiet Place (2018) John Krasinski 5/10
Place Publique (2018) Agnes Jaoui 2/10
Polyxeni (2017) Dora Masklavanou 2/10
The Last Note (2017) Pantelis Voulgaris 4/10
The Great Buddha (2017) Hsin-yao Huang 7/10
Apostay (2018) Daniel Kokotajlo 6/10
Champions (2018) Javier Fesser 4/10
A Star is Born (2018) Bradley Cooper 2/10

[Reza]

First Man (Damien Chazelle, 2018) 8/10

The American Space Program and the race with Russia to be the first to reach space is told from the perspective of the man who ended up being the first man to walk on the moon. Chazelle's film is an
exhilarating ride as it traces the period 1962-69 covering the various failed NASA launches, disastrous tests and the tragedy of Apollo 1 in 1967 which harrowingly blew up after a fire started and killed all three astronauts on board. The main thrust of the story revolves around the quietly introspective astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) who has a fierce determination to conquer space and reach the moon but it comes at a terrible cost to his neglected family. The movie hints at growing tensions in the marriage, caused by the stresses of the job and Neil’s withholding of emotions. The usually thankless role of the wife left waiting on earth while the husband is away on a dangerous mission is here played with a simmering intensity by Claire Foy who gets a number of moments to shine as the proud but increasingly hapless woman who can't seem to penetrate through to her workaholic husband and realises with bitter sadness that she and their children will always hold second place in the man's heart. This is the first film to show the mission purely from the astronauts' perspective with Chazelle putting the audience right inside the spacecraft beside the astronauts. We get to view and feel the flight along with the characters as the incredible sound design, the soaring music score and seamless visual effects take over. The jaw dropping moon-landing sequence, the absolute silence (there is no sound in space) when Armstrong first comes out and steps onto the moon, his initial step as his shoe leaves its print on the surface, the view of earth in the far distance and the camera panning across the desolate crater filled moon surface are all spectacular set pieces which bring on a sense of awe and wonderment. Armstrong's famous words while he stepped onto the moon - "That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" - truly encompasses the enormous achievement.