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Post by Tim on Mar 17, 2023 12:11:32 GMT
I've not heard of that one Martin, I'm pretty much 100% BFI, MUBI and the local arthouse cinema now, so if it doesn't pop up there it flies under my radar.
I'll keep an eye out though.
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Post by Tim on Mar 17, 2023 14:34:39 GMT
These are the films of the last 12 months or so, that I felt worthy of a nomination for best film - a little different to Hollywood's.
In no particular order, apart from Aftersun.
Aftersun
Living
Decision to Leave
Saint Omer
Top Gun: Maverick
The Innocents
The Banshees of Inisherin
Tár (despite finding it somewhat offensive for it's undeniable similarities to Marin Alsop as the central protagonist, it's still an excellent film & performance by Blanchett - but I do question it's need to exist in it's current guise)
Triangle of Sadness
The Quiet Girl
All Quiet on the Western Front
Enys Men
The Academy doesn't get a lot of love from me as they don't IMO reward on merit - it's all so fake. This opinion was furthered this year when I read an interview with one of the judging panel, who openly admitted they didn't watch Triangle of Sadness 'as they didn't want to watch another sad film' How ironic as it's a black comedy, taking a pop at celebrity culture, entitlement, power and the super rich! I found it absolutely hilarious, especially the central act.
The most disturbing thing about the above though, is not so much that they didn't watch the film before voting, but that they felt totally comfortable admitting that.
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 17, 2023 17:47:19 GMT
Glad to see you enjoyed Top Gun!
I thought it was a proper old fashioned blast and immaculately made for what it is.
Thanks for your list, looks like I have the wknd viewing and more sorted - plenty available on Prime Video.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 17, 2023 19:14:51 GMT
I've seen Marin Alsop twice in performance and she's good, but I didn't find her particularly demonstrative. How is she like the character in Tar?
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Post by Tim on Mar 17, 2023 21:27:45 GMT
Used to see Marin Alsop a lot in Poole with the Bournemouth Sympony Orchestra. I volunteered for them and got free access to final rehearsals, so got to see her non performance side and gained a lot of respect for her.
As for the character, lesbian female conductor, teaches at Julliard, worked under Bernstein, in a relationship with a member of an orchestra and they have a child. If you do some research, you can't or I couldn't find any other top level female conductor to fit that profile, so to say it wasn't based on Alsop or that she wasn't an influence is total BS. The smart arse director even tries to be clever and deflect that, with that interview near the beginning where they actually name Alsop. So they knew it was likely to be controversial and insulting, but they did it anyway.
Alsop was very offended and I totally agree with her. It's a good film, with great attention to detail, but they didn't need to write Blanchetts character that way.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 17, 2023 21:32:43 GMT
As for the character, lesbian female conductor, teaches at Julliard, worked under Bernstein, in a relationship with a member of an orchestra and they have a child. Ah, thanks for that. I hadn't connected the dots. Got it now. |
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Post by Tim on Mar 17, 2023 21:43:21 GMT
Here's a quote from an interview with Marin;
“So many superficial aspects of Tár seemed to align with my own personal life,” Alsop told the Times. “But once I saw it I was no longer concerned, I was offended: I was offended as a woman, I was offended as a conductor, I was offended as a lesbian.”
Because “Tár” attributes the stereotype of an overbearing, pretentious virtuoso to a female character, Alsop continued, she worries that the film is “slightly dangerous because people may get confused about what’s real and what’s not.”
She's right IMO.
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Post by Tim on Mar 17, 2023 22:17:49 GMT
Drat, I left a film out of my best of the last 12 months.
Enys Men by Mark Jenkin. Seen it twice and I'm still in the dark about it, which I love about his work, it makes you think.
(post updated)
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 18, 2023 10:45:49 GMT
The Innocents.
A barrel of laughs. The performances from the kids are chilling.
Seems to be firmly rooted in 1970's psychological terror movies both visually and thematically. It even has a gratuitous 70's slow zoom on the camera.
Gruelling. Disturbing much. I was hiding for much of the time. I left the fridge door open and the sound of the high pitched alarm freaked me out ...
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Post by Tim on Mar 18, 2023 10:55:51 GMT
Haha, that's a very good summation Jules. It is a surprisingly disturbing film, I saw it blind so had no idea of the plot. But as you rightly identify and what made me choose it, are the performances of the young cast. Quite astonishing really. I think there were times I forgot to breathe and I was on the edge of my seat a lot. It totally immersed me and you could have heard a pin drop in the cinema. Glad it wasn't a dud for you  |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 18, 2023 12:25:00 GMT
Is this the Scandi one?
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Post by Tim on Mar 18, 2023 12:39:22 GMT
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 19, 2023 1:15:14 GMT
It's so strange tbh, it is good, but there are small sections that seem comical. For example Ben Affleck's inclusion is slightly odd sometimes but other times it's good. But watching Jodie Comer's performance is worth it, there were a few moments so intense I was literally gripping a blanket that was near me. I'd give it 7/10 Watched it last night and was impressed ... Difficult to "enjoy" a film like that of course given how brutal it is. Excellent performances all round - I was particularly impressed by Adam Driver. It's funny - I was a bit shocked to see Ben Affleck was in the film as I watched the closing credits; didn't recognise him during the film and he did a pretty good job. I think Scott should have got more credit for this film but at the end of the day, the subject matter isn't particularly "commercial" - it's not a Friday night popcorn film or the historical romp like Gladiator that some probably hoped they were getting. I also think people take it for granted how great his historical films look, there's a huge amount of detail in them coupled with the always excellent lighting and cinematography that nobody else can pull off with quite the same success. |
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Post by rfan8312 on Mar 19, 2023 3:25:33 GMT
Agreed. I've given a lot of thought to which Scott film is my favorite and I gotta say it's Body Of Lies, with Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Scott film that makes me the most uncomfortable is The Counselor.
This film here, The Last Duel, is the one that showcases the most real looking performance, by Jodie Comer, and Matt Damon is very good in this.
Wow. The production budget for The Last Duel was 100 million. It made 30 million at the box office.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 19, 2023 8:05:20 GMT
For sheer quality and attention to detail, it would be hard to beat Blade Runner.
For discomfort, The Counselor for sure.
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 19, 2023 9:20:16 GMT
Wow. The production budget for The Last Duel was 100 million. It made 30 million at the box office. Herein lies the problem - he was making a serious, medieval #MeToo film on a blockbuster budget, so in a way it was doomed from the off. It was never going to capture the imagination of a mainstream audience. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 24, 2023 22:14:51 GMT
Look Away It seems on the surface like a standard horror genre. Shy girl sees another 'her' reflected in the mirror, who promises to put things right in her rather sad life. That promise is carried out far too literally. Creepy, dark and very watchable due to the excellent acting (India Eisley is superb) and wonderful cinematography. Why is Jason Isaacs always so believable as the bad guy? A bit more than the sum of its parts.
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Post by MikeMusic on Apr 8, 2023 10:10:27 GMT
Operation Fortune: Ruse de GuerreWe really liked this Not perfect but much better than the 6.3 it has on on Imdb We're Guy Ritchie fans so easily persuaded to watch. Give it a go
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Post by mikeyb on Apr 8, 2023 14:44:41 GMT
Operation Fortune: Ruse de GuerreWe really liked this Not perfect but much better than the 6.3 it has on on Imdb We're Guy Ritchie fans so easily persuaded to watch. Give it a go Hugh Grant appeared and did his best Jimmy Saville or was it a gurning Landoner impression, gave it about a minute after that. When will they realise that we don't want action, crime comedy. Any Genre listing such as action, mystery, crime, Sci fi that adds comedy is a no no no and ends up mostly cringe worthy. It's either a comedy or it isn't. |
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Post by MikeMusic on Apr 8, 2023 14:53:01 GMT
Operation Fortune: Ruse de GuerreWe really liked this Not perfect but much better than the 6.3 it has on on Imdb We're Guy Ritchie fans so easily persuaded to watch. Give it a go Hugh Grant appeared and did his best Jimmy Saville or was it a gurning Landoner impression, gave it about a minute after that. When will they realise that we don't want action, crime comedy. Any Genre listing such as action, mystery, crime, Sci fi that adds comedy is a no no no and ends up mostly cringe worthy. It's either a comedy or it isn't. I thought our Hugh was doing his best Michael Caine as Cockney Agree that almost anything - and comedy is a failure before they start |
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