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Definitely, Maybe (2007)




I'm continuing on my quest to watch a few classics that everyone but me seems to have watched, as I head towards completing my "favourite 100 movies list". Last night it was:

'Badlands'



Whilst it isn't the most 'riotous' movie given its' content, it's typically beautiful and Malick makes sure that there are plenty of lovely shots of the landscapes for us to focus on. The brazenness of the two leads is what makes the movie so chilling and given it's based loosely on real happennings it gives an eerie quality to it.

I was struck by how much of the film is "borrowed" by others. Right from the beginning you learn that 'True Romance' ripped this movie off and 'Natural Born Killers' basically wanted to be it! That is a massive compliment to this movie, and neither really manage the feat because they're trying too hard. What makes Badlands so good is that it seems effortless in it's depiction of evil. There are no huge violent battles, no explosions, no gore - the shock and awe is driven home by the mere lack of remorse and the stone cold nonchalant demeanour of the killers - it makes you really feel that there are people that are just very different out there. Holly's lack of emotion was terrifying. Yes it in turn borrowed from Bonnie and Clyde but there is a far more psychological edge to this movie. A must watch,

8.5 / 10



-KhaN-'s Avatar
I work for Keyser Soze. He feels you owe him.
The Town


Fantastic movie, both dialog and atmosphere are very realistic and spot on, It shows how different people act in different situations, for example - those guys Doug kills at the end, he could have done it sooner, but he just ain't easy on the trigger, while some other guys from his team are. It also shows loyalty among the people and how everyone knows everything but still stays silent in smaller communities. Making me care about romance is really hard, because in most movies romance is just so unrealistic and plane stupid, but this movie made me care because I could see how that situation can happen. I seriously enjoyed this movie, giving it a 9 might be too much but it's for sure one of my favorites.

8.8/10
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Patlabor 2


Mamoru oshii and kazunori ito take political issues a movie to far?

I love the patlabor movies and the anime series too.
Nice to see this here.



the samoan lawyer's Avatar
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Sunflower (1970)


Possibly one of the most touching and emotional drama's I've seen. Directed by Vittorio De Sica and starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni who both put in really powerful performances.
Highly recommended.


+
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matt72582's Avatar
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Sunflower (1970)


Possibly one of the most touching and emotional drama's I've seen. Directed by Vittorio De Sica and starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni who both put in really powerful performances.
Highly recommended.


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20 seconds of straight chills when I saw your review. I saw this last year -- probably the best in it's class.

Have you seen "A Special Day" with Sophia and Marcello?



Moonlight -
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I've purposefully avoided reading about this as much as i could so i didn't know what it was about or what to expect. It was fairly slow and low-key but i was never bored or distracted mostly due to the performances and visuals. I liked part one alot. Juan was a great character and his relationship with Chiron really worked. Despite his profession he was extremely likable and i really believed he had a genuine bond and care for Chiron. The scenes with Juan and his girlfriend who was also very good at playing the caring, gentle mother-figure were excellent, the one where he was finding out about his mother was outstanding. The way he wasn't completely understanding everything he was being told and how much you could tell Juan was tearing up from giving honest answers was surprisingly powerful, i mean it was a very quiet, calm scene with long pauses before Chiron would ask another question worked very well though. I kind of thought while watching that Juan shouldn't be tearing up here, they haven't actually built the relationship up enough but man it worked, fantastic performance from Mahershala Ali.

Part two was good as well, but it was my least favourite. Mostly because teenagers are naturally awkward and he was even more so as that was how he was. It was tough seeing him be so quiet at this age, it was less peculiar when he was a kid and his mumbling made some scenes pretty uncomfortable. That's not to say this part was without its merits, it felt to me like it was building to Chiron exploding with all the harrassment from his classmates and his mum; i really felt for him during this, he reminded me of people i knew from my school years; the very quiet people who seemed to just want to make it through their school life without confrontation. His beach conversation with Kevin was beautiful and the kissing/handjob scene was strangely intense; i kept thinking someone was going to catch them because the camera was focused on them in a way that you couldn't see behind or to either side of them. The beating scene was gutwrenching; the fact that Kevin was the only person he could say more than two words to even before the beach scene, horrendous but coupled with his breakdown in the office and the chair scene with it going in and out of sound again it was powerful stuff.

Part three was the best. Definitely wasn't expecting that change in Chiron; it fits with the story and themes but it was still a shock to see that near-mute kid and timid, awkward teenager as a confident drug dealer. Man Trevante Rhodes was great that phone conversation with Kevin at the start alone is one of the best pieces of acting i've seen from last year, how quickly he transformed from the hardened intimidating criminal we saw two minutes ago back into the scared kid he was was amazing. I really don't want to continue repeating myself so i'll just say that the parts with Kevin and his mum here were beautiful and god that last shot was stunning. Very good film not in my top five but it had excellent visuals and performances. I really loved the way it was structured examining three characters: Chiron, his mum and Kevin in three different stages of their lives with focus on Chirons relationship with the other two, i wouldn't have minded seeing more of Juan but then i think his role was kinda perfect.



Solaris (2002)

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A much easier first time watch than the Russian version, but I don't think it comes close to that level. Quietly haunting and intense, I thought it was somewhat thought provoking, a rarity for me. It's very well made with strong visuals and an appropriate musical score. I have nothing bad to say about it, but I still wasn't all that into it.



"I smell sex and candy here" - Marcy Playground
Solaris is definitely a 2 and a 1/2 stale bags of popcorn rating for me.
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Well, needless to say, it was more entertaining and much more fast-paced in its original form without the commercials. When I'd watched it before on cable in 2015 and 2016 (on TVLand and Hallmark, respectively), I knew I loved it, but I couldn't quite put my finger on all the reasons. I was immediately dazzled by its performances and its story both times. But this time, watching it on Blu-ray, I saw (more of) its depth, and not just in the video and audio departments. What I saw this time wasn't just a very good movie, but a very human movie, one that dealt with the human spirit and the human condition, something not many romantic comedies do (something those commercials distracted me from). If you want my honest opinion, Jerry Maguire certainly warrants rewatching again and again; Sony's new Blu-ray is perfect for that if you're a longtime fan or if you think it's right up your alley. If you fall into either category, then what are you waiting for? Go get yourself a copy.



"I smell sex and candy here" - Marcy Playground
Mad City (1997, multiple rewatch)
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As far as acting is concerned, this is another hidden gem that I enjoy watching. It's the one where Hoffman plays a gay guy and Travolta a dimwit. Overall, the movie is serious, with a lot of backstabbing and self-interest at every turn. In other words, it puts reporters in the appropriate light. Great 50 million dollar budget cast, but, only 10 million dollar appreciation at the box office. Needless to say, it didn't make up the difference in action figures. I'd call it a decent flop.
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28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Secret In Their Eyes

(Billy Ray)




An American remake of an Oscar winning film from Argentina with a decent cast misfires and bores the audience to death with a misguided effort. I've never seen the original film, but I know it has to be better than this wreck.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the watch on terror is at an all-time high. Two counter terrorist agents, played by Julia Roberts and Chiwetel Ejiofor are called to a crime scene because it is suspiciously close to a mosque they are keeping tabs on. The crime scene involves a dead body in a dumpster and coincidentally the dead person is the daughter of Roberts. Ejiofor becomes obsessed with tracking down her killer. Plastic face Kidman also stars.

The film is split between two timelines. 2002, when the body is discovered and more than a decade later when Ejiofor is still on the case, off the books. He's no longer part of the unit, but he seems to be the only one who cares about finding the guy who once got away. Ejiofor sells the obsession of the case, but fails to connect with Kidman when the film forces a love story between them. Kidman doesn't do much to help him in this situation, she delivers a wooden performance in an underwritten role.

The film tries to be clever and pull a fast one on the viewer, but anyone who has seen a film before can connect the dots well before the film ever reveals anything. Poor writing aside, the director, Billy Ray doesn't seem to be able to thread a suspenseful case with this story. One scene in particular takes place at a baseball game and a chase ensues. How is this not even the little bit suspenseful? Poor camera work and editing come into play as well, they seem amateurish.

At no point, did I care about either timeline, nor the character decisions. I can see an interesting story here and I can only assume it was told masterfully in the original film, here it is uninspired. A real shame, since American remakes haven't fared to well.
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Suspect's Reviews



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
The Fly

(David Cronenberg)




Why have I been putting off Cronenberg's The Fly? Maybe I thought it was a little too goofy, not scary or the fact that The Simpsons parodied it enough for me to think I saw it, but I never bothered. Huge regret, as this is one slick body horror flick from the master of the genre. Cronenberg delivers a cringe worthy horror flick that will make your skin crawl. Kudos for his wild imagination in the human transformation to creature feature.

Seth Brundle has created a revolutionary machine that can transport one item from a pod, directly to the other. Telepods he calls them and he's really excited to show the beautiful Veronica, not knowing she is a journalist looking for her next story. They finally come to an agreement that she will document everything leading up to the first human experiment. Brundle plans on using himself as the test subject and things do not go according to plan.

I knew Cronenberg was into body horror, but I guess I underestimated the amount of fun I would have watching Goldblum slowly transform into a grotesque creature, aka Brundlefly. The Fly has some really unique humour that fits perfectly in with the bizarre subject matter. The special effects are hilarious, in a good way. I think the slick computer driven effects of today would ruin the authenticity of such a transformation. Goldblum sells every moment of it.

I didn't buy into the relationship aspect of Davis and Goldblum, it felt too rushed and didn't develop naturally. It needed to be more concrete if they wanted me to believe that she would get near him again when he looked like a monster. Yet, the overall experience of this film is extremely positive and yes, can be considered a horror classic.



'Moonlight' - 8.5/10 - Tremendously acted. There is not one actor or character that even skips a beat in this movie. It is something else in that respect. The subject content is raw and not one that is often portrayed on film, so in that respect it was a brave movie. The 3 sectioned acts are utilized brilliantly as a 'plot' device.

I'm not fussed about the Oscars, but given the furore over last years awards - I expect this to clean up in several categories. 8.5/10