Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Tools    







Suspicion - This is a perfectly solid Alfred Hitchcock entry up until the closing minutes. From what I've read RKO studios
WARNING: spoilers below
forced the Hollywood happy ending on the director and basically ended up negating the entirety of the film. I'm not sure of their exact motivation but up until that point
Cary Grant's Johnnie Aysgarth is an unsympathetic creep and a borderline sociopath IMO. An inveterate liar and conman who thinks nothing of embezzling or stealing outright to bankroll a lifestyle that he has neither earned nor deserves. Into this life comes shy and reserved Lina McLaidlaw (Joan Fontaine in an Oscar winning performance). She is immediately smitten with the brash and handsome Johnnie and it isn't long before they're married. It doesn't take much longer for her to realize that her new husband is a ne'er do well, financing his extravagant spending by borrowing heavily from friends and acquaintances. Lina however, in a destructive cycle of denial, forgives his character flaws whenever he shows signs of changing or trots out another convenient lie. The arrival of Johnnie's old friend Beaky Thwaite (Nigel Bruce) serves to reveal more of Johnnie's darker side. Hitchcock does his usual masterful job of not only keeping the story moving but of keeping the audience in the dark and on their heels. We can see the guy is no good but to what degree? Is he capable of murder? The red herrings and supposedly plausible explanations don't do enough to convince the audience otherwise nor were they apparently meant to. And that's why
WARNING: spoilers below
the incongruous 180 degree ending came off as so jarring. There have been suggestions that the ending is yet another of Hitchcock's red herrings and that Johnnie will simply kill Lina at another time but the final shot of the couple driving away and back to their home is pretty much straightforward and includes no foreshadowing. So I'm more apt to buy into the idea of studio interference than I am any calculated head games.

Pretty much; I mean, even if the film didn't betray the original story (and even its own characterizations) at the end, it still would've been a fairly drawn-out and uneventful Hitchcock, with
WARNING: spoilers below
a total doormat of a female lead insisting on sticking it out with this suspicious *sshole.of a husband the whole time (it speaks to Joan Fontaine's skill as an actress that she was somehow able to make it an Oscar-worthy role), but then in the span of a five minute conversation at the end, we're supposed to turn around and feel happy that they're going to stay together, even though, again, Grant's been a total *sshole to her almost the entire time, partly because the studio just couldn't stand to make him really play a bad guy? Damn you and your forced happy endings, Classical Hollywood!



I forgot the opening line.

By http://blogs.crikey.com.au/cinetolog...-art-designer/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25219645

Balibo - (2009) - DVD

I've been meaning to get around to giving Balibo another watch for years. I've noticed a good reaction here to The Dry, which was written, produced and directed by Robert Connolly. Balibo is one of his earlier films - and probably his first really big film as director. It also features a 'before-he-was-really-famous' Oscar Isaac, playing a young José Ramos-Horta.

In 1975 the small Portuguese colony of East Timor declared independence after 400 years of colonial rule. 9 days later, Indonesia, under the brutal dictator Suharto, invaded East Timor. The film Balibo tells the story of journalist Roger East. Invited by José Ramos-Horta to tell the world what was happening in his country, East instead becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to five other journalists who disappeared around the town of Balibo as the Indonesians attacked. Roger East then becomes part of the story he's covering.

The film has a nice 'bookends' segment which introduces us to the intimate story of the East Timorese, and the pain most of them have been through. The country was completely destroyed by the Indonesians as they left - and the scars are still evident. The film was shot on location for the most part - the first ever on East Timorese soil. Anthony Lapaglia is very good as Roger East - in a role he describes as the best he's ever had. He's kind of dwarfed by the talents of Oscar Isaac - and the dream role of the charismatic José Ramos-Horta. Horta's story is told in the 1999 documentary The Diplomat if anyone is interested. The story itself unfolds in two narratives that shows us what happened to the five journalists and what happened to Horta and Roger East in the days leading up to the Indonesian capture of the capital Dili.

It's a really solid, if not great, film. Excellent reviews for it abound, which is ironic, as I want to really promote it yet I'm unsure as to it's merits as 'entertainment'. It's an important film however - without films like this, the story of East Timor would be a cry that nobody can hear. The recreation of the Invasion, not to mention the fashion and journalism of the 1970s, is wonderfully rendered. It still gets a recommendation from me.

Special Features - Six documentaries? I hate when DVDs do that. It's one documentary in two parts. One of those two parts is a documentary in 5 parts. It's one documentary - stop trying to beef up your special features to make them seem more plentiful. It's a good behind-the-scenes doco though, introducing us to many of the real figures involved. All of the news footage the journalists recorded shows us just how uncanny the filmmakers were in accurately depicting what happened visually. That's appreciated. There's a CD-ROM study guide. Trailers. A really decent commentary by director Connolly and half a dozen or so deleted scenes.

7/10




The Vanishing (2018)

Drama based around 3 lighthouse-keepers, one an old warhorse looking to retire soon, one younger and relied of for his strength of mind and body and a new lad who has never been on the island before. An intriguing little tale about fools gold and what each of them are willing to do to attain it, with dire consequences of course.
p.s after watching this, The Lighthouse (2019) and the Welsh the Lighthouse (2016) I am in no hurry to change my career to lighthouse keeper!!!



'Pig' (2021)


Lovely piece focusing on the grieving process. Some rather clumsy scenes early on but Cage is great and it is an extremely well written film. Tender and poignant.

7.5/10




Blow Out -
CONTAINS SPOILERS

When I first saw this movie, it didn't leave much of an impression on me. Whether it's because I simply picked up on something I didn't before or the last 4 years changed me that much, I got a lot more out of it this time. I now see it as a powerful story about feeling powerless in the face of evil and corruption. Firstly, how good is John Travolta in this? He's totally convincing as a working-class guy who goes from just wanting to do his job to putting it aside to right a wrong. I also like the always-good Nancy Allen, who on the other hand is more willing or has no choice but to accept that it's just the way things are. The supporting cast are no slouches either, especially John Lithgow, who plays one of most devilish villains. Regardless, it's the look and feel of De Palma's movies that make me want to watch them all. From the repeated use of red and blue to serving as a Philadelphia travelogue to of course that star-spangled finale, there's no mistaking this as a truly American story. As for that finale, aside from being such a nail-biter, what could possibly drive the point home better than a crowd staring in awe at fireworks while a heinous crime is taking place? I realize that coincidences are a tool of the trade for storytelling, but the ones in this movie made me raise an eyebrow a few times. For instance, was Nancy Allen's hairstyle just that popular at the time or was Burke just that lucky at spotting lookalikes? I still consider it one of De Palma's best now, and if anything, it provides comfort - albeit cold - that reckoning with evildoers was just as much of a dilemma 40 years ago as it is now.



Blow Out -
CONTAINS SPOILERS

When I first saw this movie, it didn't leave much of an impression on me. Whether it's because I simply picked up on something I didn't before or the last 4 years changed me that much, I got a lot more out of it this time. I now see it as a powerful story about feeling powerless in the face of evil and corruption. Firstly, how good is John Travolta in this? He's totally convincing as a working-class guy who goes from just wanting to do his job to putting it aside to right a wrong. I also like the always-good Nancy Allen, who on the other hand is more willing or has no choice but to accept that it's just the way things are. The supporting cast are no slouches either, especially John Lithgow, who plays one of most devilish villains. Regardless, it's the look and feel of De Palma's movies that make me want to watch them all. From the repeated use of red and blue to serving as a Philadelphia travelogue to of course that star-spangled finale, there's no mistaking this as a truly American story. As for that finale, aside from being such a nail-biter, what could possibly drive the point home better than a crowd staring at awe at fireworks while a heinous crime is taking place? I realize that coincidences are a tool of the trade for storytelling, but the ones in this movie made me raise an eyebrow a few times. For instance, was Nancy Allen's hairstyle just that popular at the time or was Burke just that lucky at spotting lookalikes? I still consider it one of De Palma's best now, and if anything, it provides comfort - albeit cold - that reckoning with evildoers was just as much of a dilemma 40 years ago as it is now.
WARNING: spoilers below
Been a while since I've seen it, but I assume he was looking for similar-enough looking women? Enough to make Nancy look part of a pattern.*I don't remember the exact hairstyle being that important. It's worth noting that Lithgow is a dirty tricks operator, so it's fair to assume he's good at this kind of thing regardless.*




Stuntman (2018)

I've always been fascinated by the stunt profession. It amazed me to learn that when a car careens up into the air or off a cliff, and tumbles end over end, there was someone actually in that car and driving it! Anyone who is interested in the stunt profession would enjoy this documentary about the legendary stuntman Eddie Braun. His ambition was to perfect and successfully complete his boyhood idol Evel Knievel's failed 1974 Snake River Canyon jump.

During the film's 90 minute runtime, Braun's stunt history is highlighted, as is the 2016 jump at the same site as Knievel's. There is also interesting commentary about the stunt profession in general. I came away marveling at Braun's talent, courage, and determination.

Doc's rating: 8/10



WARNING: spoilers below
Been a while since I've seen it, but I assume he was looking for similar-enough looking women? Enough to make Nancy look part of a pattern.*I don't remember the exact hairstyle being that important. It's worth noting that Lithgow is a dirty tricks operator, so it's fair to assume he's good at this kind of thing regardless.*
WARNING: spoilers below
Right, Burke was looking for similar-looking women and carving Liberty Bell figures into their skin to make it look like a serial killer was doing it. The editing could make one assume that he was just lucky at coming across these lookalikes, but he was probably spending all day scanning high-traffic areas for them.
But anyway, I'm glad I rewatched it. It's not my favorite Blow Up-like movie - that would be The Conversation - but it's now up there. One Hour Photo and The Final Cut aren't bad, either.



Victim of The Night
Blow Out -
CONTAINS SPOILERS

When I first saw this movie, it didn't leave much of an impression on me. Whether it's because I simply picked up on something I didn't before or the last 4 years changed me that much, I got a lot more out of it this time. I now see it as a powerful story about feeling powerless in the face of evil and corruption. Firstly, how good is John Travolta in this? He's totally convincing as a working-class guy who goes from just wanting to do his job to putting it aside to right a wrong. I also like the always-good Nancy Allen, who on the other hand is more willing or has no choice but to accept that it's just the way things are. The supporting cast are no slouches either, especially John Lithgow, who plays one of most devilish villains. Regardless, it's the look and feel of De Palma's movies that make me want to watch them all. From the repeated use of red and blue to serving as a Philadelphia travelogue to of course that star-spangled finale, there's no mistaking this as a truly American story. As for that finale, aside from being such a nail-biter, what could possibly drive the point home better than a crowd staring at awe at fireworks while a heinous crime is taking place? I realize that coincidences are a tool of the trade for storytelling, but the ones in this movie made me raise an eyebrow a few times. For instance, was Nancy Allen's hairstyle just that popular at the time or was Burke just that lucky at spotting lookalikes? I still consider it one of De Palma's best now, and if anything, it provides comfort - albeit cold - that reckoning with evildoers was just as much of a dilemma 40 years ago as it is now.
I agree with you completely. It's my favorite DePalma and is also, clearly, Travolta's best performance. What happened to that guy?



I agree with you completely. It's my favorite DePalma and is also, clearly, Travolta's best performance. What happened to that guy?
I know, right? Saying yes to everything after Pulp Fiction resurrected his career? Battlefield Earth damaging his reputation? Scientology? I'm not sure, but I can count on one hand the things he's done lately that I've liked. The People Vs. O.J. Simpson series that was on FX a few years is pretty good, but he's far from the best thing about it.





Very tricky subject so not gonna go there.

More like a TV movie, but the lead actress was very good.
__________________
I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.



Victim of The Night
I know, right? Saying yes to everything after Pulp Fiction resurrected his career? Battlefield Earth damaging his reputation? Scientology? I'm not sure, but I can count on one hand the things he's done lately that I've liked. The People Vs. O.J. Simpson series that was on FX a few years is pretty good, but he's far from the best thing about it.
Yeah, but his actual performances, his acting itself, seemed to actually become bad. Like, really not good. How does that happen?



Yeah, but his actual performances, his acting itself, seemed to actually become bad. Like, really not good. How does that happen?
I will say that his work in The Fanatic is the kind of bad performance that only a very talented person could give. Lots of amazingly wrongheaded, deeply committed choices.



Welcome to the human race...


Very tricky subject so not gonna go there.

More like a TV movie, but the lead actress was very good.
Of all the movies to actually watch from start to finish...



I love this film so much. Emotionally-driven sci-fi is my favorite kind of sci-fi. I also think it's gorgeous.

Yeah, but his actual performances, his acting itself, seemed to actually become bad. Like, really not good. How does that happen?
I enjoyed his performance in the Hairspray remake, but it's the only thing I've seen from him in the last 20 years I've enjoyed.