What was the last film you watched?

[mattc]

Stan and Ollie.

A very british production! A quiet, charming film. (The best gags were given to the WAGs - who were both excellent.)

it's a looooong time since I've watched the originals, but I'd say these two managed pretty good impressions.

[there were a lot of train journeys round the UK early on, so there MUST be something there for the transport pedants to feast on  ]

[Torslanda]

The Transporter

Less said the better... And, before that

The Hatton Garden Job

Ditto.

I guess that's around four hours I won't get back.

[citoyen]

Red Sparrow, I had the misfortune to see on it a plane once, and it's pretty awful and exploitative and, to be honest, a bit discomforting.

I was mostly just bored while watching it but the more I think about it, the more I actively dislike it.

Slightly ironic that it’s portraying this as the kind of thing Those Damn Russkies would do (and I imagine certain factions of the audience probably believe the Sparrows are a real thing), yet it was conceived by an American writer.

Anyway, I gave up after about an hour of it so I probably missed the empowering feminist message in the finale.

And let’s not even mention the Russian accents.

[T42]

What we do in the Shadows which tickled somewhat. A documentary about four vampires sharing a flat in Wellington, NZ.

We're werewolves, not swear-wolves. Snort.

Thanks for that.  A couple of months ago I watched about 20 seconds of it when I wasn't really in the mood, then baled. Watched it again last night & enjoyed it.

[ian]

Red Sparrow, I had the misfortune to see on it a plane once, and it's pretty awful and exploitative and, to be honest, a bit discomforting.

I was mostly just bored while watching it but the more I think about it, the more I actively dislike it.

Slightly ironic that it’s portraying this as the kind of thing Those Damn Russkies would do (and I imagine certain factions of the audience probably believe the Sparrows are a real thing), yet it was conceived by an American writer.

Anyway, I gave up after about an hour of it so I probably missed the empowering feminist message in the finale.

And let’s not even mention the Russian accents.

I don't think there was an empowering message, other than I suppose she could kick and generally kill anyone that got in her way. Erm, go girl. Helen Mirren did it better with a 50 cal rifle in Red. The comedy Russian accents were the best bit, comrade. She seems to pick those movies – Passengers, I mean come on, that guy's balls would be orbiting a distant star. There's a thing on the Youtube were someone re-edits Passengers to make it into something rather sinister and a lot better.

[spesh]

Red Sparrow, I had the misfortune to see on it a plane once, and it's pretty awful and exploitative and, to be honest, a bit discomforting.

I was mostly just bored while watching it but the more I think about it, the more I actively dislike it.

Slightly ironic that it’s portraying this as the kind of thing Those Damn Russkies would do (and I imagine certain factions of the audience probably believe the Sparrows are a real thing), yet it was conceived by an American writer.

Actually, it was (and probably still is) the kind of thing Those Damn Russkies would do - take it from a former KGB officer:

"In your world, many times, you ask your young men to stand up and proudly serve their country. In Russia, sometimes we ask our women just to lie down.”

It may sound like the start of an “In Soviet Russia . . .” joke, but that’s Oleg Kalugin, Vladimir Putin’s old boss at the K.G.B., talking. And he’s expertly authenticating one of the most intriguing, and surprisingly historically accurate, products of his old enemy: The Americans, the FX series that wraps up its second season on Wednesday.

Though as Kalugin and former CIA officer Christopher Burgess note, the use of honey traps on foreign assignments was more a forte of the USSR's Warsaw Pact allies/vassals:

Sex definitely came in handy.

Though maybe not as much as it might seem on the show. “Sex was authorized for some specific purpose,” allows Kalugin. “But generally sex was not allowed and was punished. In Russia, it was used, really, 100 percent. But outside, I was authorized to court some young ladies in the hope that they will, at some point, join the F.B.I. or C.I.A. But that was authorization from Moscow, I wouldn’t do it on my own.”

But the East German Stasi (security and intelligence organization) took “sexpionage” to another level. “The East Germans would marry as many West Germans as they wanted. They had an entire gigolo car,” says Burgess.

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/05/the-americans-real

[Torslanda]

Think Mel Brooks summed that one up best.

'I want you to seduce and abandon the Sheriff of Rock Ridge!'

YMMV

[citoyen]

Actually, it was (and probably still is) the kind of thing Those Damn Russkies would do - take it from a former KGB officer:

Using honey traps I can easily believe, but a elite spy-whore 'Sparrows' division as portrayed in the film? Not so credible.

[mattc]

I loved the Keeley Hawes spook in er ...  Spooks; she kept moaning "typical, another bloody honey-trap" and the blokes would shrug sheepishly and stare at their polished shoes.

They seemed to develop a few more plot ideas in later series 

[djrikki]

Over the weekend I watched the dystopian sci-fi movie from 1927, Metropolis.  Definitely worth the watch if you get over the fact it's a silent Black and White movie with purposefully exaggerated acting.

A good film is a good film. 

[rogerzilla]

Mary Poppins Returns.  Darker than the original, nice cameo by Dick Van Dyke, scenes pretty much follow the original (dancing sweeps replaced by dancing lamplighters, laughing uncle on the ceiling replaced by mad-as-a-box-of-frogs cousin on the ceiling, etc).  Jack the lamplighter's Cockney accent is as bad as Bert the sweep's was.  Emily Blunt not quite as good as Julie Andrews, interesting role for David Warner (who normally plays villains or creepy types) as Admiral Boom.

[T42]

Legend - Tom Hardy being Reg & Ron. Good.

[Redlight]

Mini-Redlight was away at scout camp yesterday so Mrs Red and I had a cinematic indulgence day and saw three films back-to-back…

STAN AND OLLIE - Lightweight but charming, with some strong period detail. The two lead actors have, I think rightly, been praised for their performances but to my mind it's the two supporting actresses who steal the show, particularly the one playing Ollie's wife, whom I barely recognised as Moaning Myrtle from the Harry Potter films.  It's worth seeing for the opening take alone. I shan't spoil it for you. 

THE FAVOURITE  - Great, bawdy fun and just a bit weird around the edges. The interplay between the three female leads is wonderful; there are some great verbal and visual gags* and it's a pleasant change to see an historical film in which the men are merely props for the main characters.  Olivia Coleman stays just the right side of hysterical to make her character believable and Rachel Weisz manages to be both scary and vulnerable at the same time. Emma Stone is fine, but I don't think brings anything to the part that a dozen other young actors could have offered, other than some box office recognition over the pond. *She does have the best gag though:

"So are you going to seduce me or rape me?"
"Madam, I am a gentleman!"
"Oh. Rape then."

and finally…

VICE -  See it!  Christian Bale does a very good line in pure Machiavellian malice but, to my mind, Amy Adams deserves as many plaudits for her performance as his equally manipulative wife. Their contrasting reactions to their younger daughter's announcement that she is gay - and their subsequent behaviour towards her - give the film an emotional depth that might otherwise have been lacking, rather than being a sideline to the main story.  Sometimes the film can be a bit irritating, in that there are lots of "symbolic" interjections - a beating heart, a stack of teacups, etc - that can make it feel a little like a film school project, but overall it's compelling and deeply unsettling. The final scene is magnificent and I'm not committing a spoiler if I warn you not to get up and leave when the credits start to roll.

[rogerzilla]

it's the two supporting actresses who steal the show, particularly the one playing Ollie's wife, whom I barely recognised as Moaning Myrtle from the Harry Potter films. 

She plays the other one's wife (Steve Coogan as Tony Wilson) in "24 Hour Party People".  The best line in that film is just after she leaves him:

I think it was Scott FitzgeraId who said:
''American Iives don't have second acts.''
This is Manchester.
We do things differentIy here.
This is the second act.

[T42]

Night of the Generals, which has not aged well in the last 52 years. Donald Pleasance and Philippe Noiret act the rest of them into a cocked hat.

[Legs]

I'm partway through watching The Jackal on iPlayer.  I'd forgotten in the 20 years since I first saw it just how it combines the curious qualities of being dreadful (especially Richard Gere's Irish accent) and quite entertaining.  Give me Edward Fox any day, though.

[L CC]

Last of The Mohicans
I'd forgotten how sexist, racist and downright naff it is.
Great music though.

[Legs]

I'm partway through watching The Jackal on iPlayer.  I'd forgotten in the 20 years since I first saw it just how it combines the curious qualities of being dreadful (especially Richard Gere's Irish accent) and quite entertaining.  Give me Edward Fox any day, though.

This preposterous film benefits enormously from the presence of Sidney Poitier, whose name I cannot say without impersonating Chef from South Park in the Mecha-Streisand epsiode.

[T42]

Spotlight. Exposée of institutionalized priestly kiddie-fiddling cover-up in Boston no America no the whole bloody world. Excellent.

[Kim]

Last of The Mohicans
I'd forgotten how sexist, racist and downright naff it is.

The helicopters are good though.

[Graeme]

How to talk to girls at parties

That was hilarious. And made me cry. What an excellent movie - I love that moment when you see a movie you've heard nothing about and are completely surprised by something so ludicrously perfect. This is now in my top three faves.

[Robh]

Roma

Nothing to do with the Roma of central Europe, it's a B/W film set in the Roma district of Mexico City in the 1970s. Seemingly slow to set the scene it draws you in, and in, and in. Absolutely stunning: visually, emotionally, and aurally.

Agreed. Just watched it tonight on Netflix. Beautiful cinematography. Lovely subtle storytelling. Highly recommended.

[T42]

Last of The Mohicans
I'd forgotten how sexist, racist and downright naff it is.

The helicopters are good though.

In the 80s there was a serialization of Shogun with a long zooming shot of an early 17th-century ship. Just at the end of it you could see the shadow of the helicopter crossing the poop.

Deck, that is. What a miserable bloody world it is when you have to differentiate. As ever, Google only knows the shit.

[mattc]

Fantastic Beasts (the first one)

Utterly charming in places, a bit generally all over the place, way too long; overall a pleasant experience, but you felt it could have been a lot better at little cost.

[TimO]

The Girl with All the Gifts

This is an original take on a zombie film.  Using the concept of "zombie as a disease" is far from original, it's been used in many many films and books, but the viewpoint of the main character in this one, is quite different.

This certainly isn't what I'd call a fun film, it's quite dark, but it does have a relatively positive end to it, unlike many other zombie films.  Sennia Nanua does a very good job of playing the lead role, probably a better portrayal than the older leads, Glenn Close, Paddy Considine and Gemma Arterton.  None of them do a particularly bad job, but their characters are a little one dimensional, and don't particularly surprise.  Paddy Considine's sergeant Parks was actually more interesting than that sentence gives him credit for, insofar as I expected him to be a typical cliched slightly psychotic military type, but he develops just on the other side of that, a bit more realistically human.

I think this is an original and good film, although it had quite a moderate budget, and doesn't seem to have done very well at the box office.  Worth seeing, even if science fiction / zombie movies are not your thing.  This definitely isn't a typical running around being chased by zombie adventure film, although clearly there has to be an element of that.