Rate The Last Movie You Saw

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Alone in Berlin - (2016)

I thought I'd already seen this one, but it turns out I hadn't - and it was really good. A German couple living in Berlin, 1940, lose their son in the war and become embittered - launching an anti-Hitler campaign. They leave postcards throughout the city protesting against the Nazi government, and the authorities have a devil of a time trying to find out who they are. Featuring Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson as Anna and Otto Quangel (both husband and wife have names that are palindromes - cute coincidence) along with Daniel Brühl as Inspector Escherich. It's a wonderful ode to the fight against totalitarianism and really captures the mood of 1940s Berlin really well. Hysteria and paranoia abound, with the oppressive shadow of the regime everywhere you look. Thompson and Gleeson - perfect casting, and my only criticism would be that you know what you'll be getting and how the story will progress. Based on the story of Otto and Elise Hampel - a memorial plaque marks the site of their residence in memory of their brave resistance against the overwhelming and violent momentum of history, so to speak.

7/10


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Priest - (1994)

A new priest arrives at St Mary's parish in Liverpool - Father Greg Pilkington (Linus Roache) is a pig-headed pretentious conservative that only Margaret Thatcher or Ronald Reagan or MAGA could love, and there's a whole heap of friction when he constantly chides and criticizes the ultra-progressive Father Matthew Thomas (Tom Wilkinson). Pilkington's world will be rocked in 3...2...1...Okay, first a girl comes to confession and tells the priest that her father is raping her - the old confessional dilemma arrives like the breaking of a melodramatic storm over Priest, but it's followed by the revelation that Father Greg Pilkington is gay. He starts having an affair with local hunk Graham (Robert Carlyle - with an ever-present grin) and it's not long before he's caught having gay sex in a car. I wonder how the parish will react to this? I'm giving too much away, but I just want to illustrate how hard Priest goes at setting up the conditions for stormy bouts of emotionalism that somehow feel more genuine than the pat lessons we learn in today's films. Father Thomas decides to fight an almost impossible fight with Pilkington by his side, confronting prejudices and turmoil with what he sees as the true meaning of Christianity. Some genuine passion on display here, and real humanism.

8/10


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The Burbs - (1989)

I saw this at the movies way back in the day, and walked away liking it quite a bit. It now feels like a cultural artifact displaying (as if in a museum case) American suburbia during the 1980s, with the men on Mayfield Place (Ray played by Tom Hanks, Mark played by Bruce Dern and Art played by Rick Ducommun) looking for an outsider or "other" to basically attack. Luckily there are foreign people who have moved in next to Ray's place - the Klopeks. Suspicions and paranoia spin out of control - events are misinterpreted and mildly amusing hilarity ensues. The ending kind of ruins the whole message which irks me to this day - but they had to squeeze a twist in, whether it wrecks the thrust of the film or not. Carrie Fisher and Henry Gibson are the other significant inclusions in the cast, but Corey Feldman is there too - I'll leave you to make your own judgement about that.

6/10

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Commando Ninja - (2018)

10/10, a blast from the past.

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You don't remember me? We spoke on the phone two days ago. I told you I would find you.

(MILLS, 2008)

The Bridge at Remagen (1969)

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[ J ] - [ S ] - [ F ]

Snow White (2025) Did we need another Snow White adaption? No. Does this movie deserve the hate it got? Absolutely not. This is not a bad movie. Some of the reviews and ratings are ridiculous. There is a fair amount to like it. Although Rachel Zegler would not have been my first choice, she does a fine job as Snow White. The songs are pretty good and I enjoyed the musical numbers. The costumes and sets work well. There are some changes to the story, but I can understand why they made them. This version is never going to measure up to the classic animated film and wasn't really necessary, but judged on its own merits, it made this viewer Happy and not Grumpy.

Pieces of April (2003)

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Away From Her - (2006)

I've just arrived at a stage in life where my 85-year-old father's dementia is starting to bite - there are moments where a loss of memory or moment of paranoia/delirium really hurts, even if it shouldn't be taken personally. Here Fiona (Julie Christie) decides mostly on her own that her condition is such she should make the transition to a nursing home, and her husband of 50 years, Grant (Gordon Pinsent) takes her and must leave her without a visit for 30 days during a mandated "settling in" stage. When he returns, she's forgotten who he is completely, and has taken a shine to another man at the home - becoming devoted to him. In the midst of his pain Grant must concede that at times he let Fiona down badly, and that perhaps he's now paying for his marital lapses. This was a really good film directed by Sarah Polley - I've been seeing quite a few great films directed by women and I keep checking to see if they're on the Top 100 Films Directed by Women list here - usually ending up disappointed they're not. This one was however, so aside from being able to check it off I felt gladdened that other people here had seen this and thought highly of it as well.

7/10


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The Good Earth - (1937)

I kind of expect that a 1937 Hollywood film featuring all Chinese characters would have it's lead actors be Europeans made up to look Chinese. When introduced to Wang (Paul Muni), this is still a bit of a shock however - the transformation isn't all that successful, and Wang doesn't look like any nationality or ethnic group I've ever seen before in my life. Luise Rainer (who won an Oscar for this role), playing Wang's new wife O-Lan, fares a little better - but still. Not great. In this tale, which features Wang and O-Lan raising three kids, the family goes through some brutal downs (famine which sees them abandon their home temporarily to beg and scrape in China's South) and dubious highs (their ascent is brought about by a sack of jewels O-Lan finds while a wealthy clan's house is being looted during political turmoil.) Throughout, it's Rainer who outperforms and outshines Muni to a greater degree, although she does have the more dignified role. Other actors are a white American of Irish descent (Walter Connolly), an Austrian (Tilly Losch), another American Caucasian (Charley Grapewin) and a white lady from an old Massachusetts family (Jessie Ralph). You have to get down to 7th on the billing until an actual, real, Chinese actor is encountered (the beautiful Soo Yong). This was a big production - it took three years to make, and ended up being nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars along with it's win for Rainer, nom for Best Director (Sidney Franklin), nom for Best Editing and win for Best Cinematography.

Quite watchable - for it's literary qualities (based on a Pearl S. Buck novel that was later adapted for the stage) and the pure endeavour which shines through during climactic and scenic moments.

6/10

The Passanger - (2023)

7/10