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I don't mind the idea of moving away from the gritty noir into the procedural. But it felt like the film, at times, wanted to enjoy being gritty. It is, as you say, a fascinating and important movie. But the way it sometimes feels as if it's pulling in different directions kept me from ever really sinking into it.
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International House (1933) on the Criterion Channel. 
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring W.C. Fields, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bela Lugosi, Cab Calloway, Rudy Vallee, and more. Silly shenanigans featuring a fun cast and some funny dialogue.
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring W.C. Fields, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bela Lugosi, Cab Calloway, Rudy Vallee, and more. Silly shenanigans featuring a fun cast and some funny dialogue.
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By Filmow, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61691615
Babyteeth - (2019)
There could have been many worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than watching Babyteeth, Shannon Murphy's directorial debut, that won me over with the charisma of young actors Eliza Scanlen and Toby Wallace, not to mention favourite Ben Mendelsohn returning to an Australian feature after some time overseas. Milla (Scanlen) is 16, and is fighting cancer in a battle she knows she'll eventually lose. When she meets 23 year-old drug addict Moses (Wallace) she knows he's the love of her life, despite his abhorrent behaviour. Her parents Henry (Mendelsohn) and Anna (Essie Davis) are unconventional, and know what Moses means to her, so, Henry offers to support his drug-addled lifestyle if he'll stay with them until Milla passes. Every character in this is going through some kind of immediate life crisis, so the way they all interact with each other is quite interesting, and the performances here are quite good - not to mention the story and screenplay. A pleasant surprise.
8/10
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from film's distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64246866
Relic - (2020)
Relic is pretty good at creating an atmosphere of dread, but don't expect a straightforward horror film. Instead Natalie Erika James wanted to fill her movie with meaning and purpose, which means at a certain stage in the film's final act, all narrative drive is given over to metaphor and pure expression. "It's not Nana anymore!" Nana's daughter and granddaughter shout, which has meaning in a horror-like possession sense, but also inasmuch as this film is about our dread concerning old age and dementia. I'm sure for some people the themes will be a little too stark and obvious, but if you love being spooked out by dream-like surreal imagery and things that go bump in the night (literally) this film at least expertly constructs that kind of ambience.
7/10
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Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)
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My Favorite Year, 1982
Benjy (Mark Linn-Baker) works at a live sketch comedy television show with his girlfriend, KC (Jessica Harper). When the guest star for the week is one of Benjy's childhood heroes, an alcoholic movie star named Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole), Benjy ends up assigned to keep Swann out of trouble in the week leading up to the show.
Much like the central character of the film, I found this movie to be relatively charming, though it never kicked into top gear for me.
There's nothing really wrong with the film. Linn-Baker is a fun and sympathetic lead as he tries to juggle his love life, his professional life, and keep his mother happy. O'Toole looks as if he's having great fun as the ageing, egotistical actor who has a habit of ending up in outlandish situations, coasting on the goodwill he earned during his hayday as an Errol Flynn-style swashbuckling actor.
The supporting cast also does a great job, especially the running joke of silent writer Herb (Basil Hoffman) only ever whispering his ideas to Alice (Anne de Salvo) who then delivers them. Selma Diamond is also very funny as grouchy costume designer Lil.
There were certainly some moments that sparkled, but a lot of the film stayed just under the threshold between fun and funny. Some of the one-liners were excellent, but the film as a whole lacked a bit of punch for me. I thought that the finale, which largely relies on sprawling physical comedy didn't quite hit the climax that the film needed.
Despite not loving this one, there is undoubtedly both a pace and a warmth to it (such as in the scene where Benjy tries to coach KC about how to deliver a joke) that I could see how it would be someone's favorite, or at the very least one of those movies you go back to again and again as a comfort watch.
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It was worth it?
And I get it. The suit is unwieldy, impractical and uncomfortable. You want to see your actor’s face and I can’t even begin to fathom trying to shoot a fight scene in it. But still, it’s always disappointing how little Batman is actually in Batman movies.
In The Batman he’s Batman the entire time. Like B:TAS he’s only Bruce Wayne when a scene specifically calls for it, otherwise he’s in the suit, even when he’s just standing around doing nothing, On top of that it’s gorgeously shot and thrillingly paced. Nothing we haven’t seen before from a Batman story but it’s told damn well. I don’t know if it’s the best Batman movie but it’s definitely the most Batman movie and I’m very satisfied.
The King's Man - Matthew Vaughn loves writing these types of potboilers. Elaborate concoctions they may well be but there's usually a common thread running throughout. Here he doesn't appear to know what he wants this prequel to be with the common thread being the same outlandish component involving the clandestine Kingsman spy agency. Is it a historical epic? Or a grim anti-war polemic? How about a father & son requiem?
It does eventually pick up steam but by that time the movie is half done and once they've moved past Rhys Ifan's Rasputin it sort of gets bogged down again in Vaughn's geopolitical discourse. I've always had a soft spot for history so I knew a lot of the names Vaughn throws at us but I have to wonder if it affected people's enjoyment of it. The audience score at RT is almost double that of the critics score so I guess not.
Ralph Fiennes is the main saving grace. The man has an effortless way of selling anything he's in. He and Ifans don't really steal the movie. They're just the redoubtable stars. I think there's been a perceptible downward trajectory with the Kingsman franchise. But then I suppose it was never exactly my favorite to begin with.
70/100
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from film's distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64246866
Relic - (2020)
Relic is pretty good at creating an atmosphere of dread, but don't expect a straightforward horror film. Instead Natalie Erika James wanted to fill her movie with meaning and purpose, which means at a certain stage in the film's final act, all narrative drive is given over to metaphor and pure expression. "It's not Nana anymore!" Nana's daughter and granddaughter shout, which has meaning in a horror-like possession sense, but also inasmuch as this film is about our dread concerning old age and dementia. I'm sure for some people the themes will be a little too stark and obvious, but if you love being spooked out by dream-like surreal imagery and things that go bump in the night (literally) this film at least expertly constructs that kind of ambience.
7/10
Except for one thing, which maybe I just didn't understand.
WARNING: "some spoiler" spoilers below
I didn't understand what the daughter getting trapped in the seemingly endless attic-space thing had to do with anything. I'm thinking it's a metaphor I missed.
My Favorite Year, 1982
Benjy (Mark Linn-Baker) works at a live sketch comedy television show with his girlfriend, KC (Jessica Harper). When the guest star for the week is one of Benjy's childhood heroes, an alcoholic movie star named Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole), Benjy ends up assigned to keep Swann out of trouble in the week leading up to the show.
Much like the central character of the film, I found this movie to be relatively charming, though it never kicked into top gear for me.
There's nothing really wrong with the film. Linn-Baker is a fun and sympathetic lead as he tries to juggle his love life, his professional life, and keep his mother happy. O'Toole looks as if he's having great fun as the ageing, egotistical actor who has a habit of ending up in outlandish situations, coasting on the goodwill he earned during his hayday as an Errol Flynn-style swashbuckling actor.
The supporting cast also does a great job, especially the running joke of silent writer Herb (Basil Hoffman) only ever whispering his ideas to Alice (Anne de Salvo) who then delivers them. Selma Diamond is also very funny as grouchy costume designer Lil.
There were certainly some moments that sparkled, but a lot of the film stayed just under the threshold between fun and funny. Some of the one-liners were excellent, but the film as a whole lacked a bit of punch for me. I thought that the finale, which largely relies on sprawling physical comedy didn't quite hit the climax that the film needed.
Despite not loving this one, there is undoubtedly both a pace and a warmth to it (such as in the scene where Benjy tries to coach KC about how to deliver a joke) that I could see how it would be someone's favorite, or at the very least one of those movies you go back to again and again as a comfort watch.
I’m a big Batman fan but I’ve preferred B:TAS over the live action movies. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the Burton flicks and TDK but even those have their problems, the big one for me is it’s not enough Batman.
And I get it. The suit is unwieldy, impractical and uncomfortable. You want to see your actor’s face and I can’t even begin to fathom trying to shoot a fight scene in it. But still, it’s always disappointing how little Batman is actually in Batman movies.
In The Batman he’s Batman the entire time. Like B:TAS he’s only Bruce Wayne when a scene specifically calls for it, otherwise he’s in the suit, even when he’s just standing around doing nothing, On top of that it’s gorgeously shot and thrillingly paced. Nothing we haven’t seen before from a Batman story but it’s told damn well. I don’t know if it’s the best Batman movie but it’s definitely the most Batman movie and I’m very satisfied.
And I get it. The suit is unwieldy, impractical and uncomfortable. You want to see your actor’s face and I can’t even begin to fathom trying to shoot a fight scene in it. But still, it’s always disappointing how little Batman is actually in Batman movies.
In The Batman he’s Batman the entire time. Like B:TAS he’s only Bruce Wayne when a scene specifically calls for it, otherwise he’s in the suit, even when he’s just standing around doing nothing, On top of that it’s gorgeously shot and thrillingly paced. Nothing we haven’t seen before from a Batman story but it’s told damn well. I don’t know if it’s the best Batman movie but it’s definitely the most Batman movie and I’m very satisfied.
I’m a big Batman fan but I’ve preferred B:TAS over the live action movies. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy the Burton flicks and TDK but even those have their problems, the big one for me is it’s not enough Batman.
And I get it. The suit is unwieldy, impractical and uncomfortable. You want to see your actor’s face and I can’t even begin to fathom trying to shoot a fight scene in it. But still, it’s always disappointing how little Batman is actually in Batman movies.
In The Batman he’s Batman the entire time. Like B:TAS he’s only Bruce Wayne when a scene specifically calls for it, otherwise he’s in the suit, even when he’s just standing around doing nothing, On top of that it’s gorgeously shot and thrillingly paced. Nothing we haven’t seen before from a Batman story but it’s told damn well. I don’t know if it’s the best Batman movie but it’s definitely the most Batman movie and I’m very satisfied.
And I get it. The suit is unwieldy, impractical and uncomfortable. You want to see your actor’s face and I can’t even begin to fathom trying to shoot a fight scene in it. But still, it’s always disappointing how little Batman is actually in Batman movies.
In The Batman he’s Batman the entire time. Like B:TAS he’s only Bruce Wayne when a scene specifically calls for it, otherwise he’s in the suit, even when he’s just standing around doing nothing, On top of that it’s gorgeously shot and thrillingly paced. Nothing we haven’t seen before from a Batman story but it’s told damn well. I don’t know if it’s the best Batman movie but it’s definitely the most Batman movie and I’m very satisfied.
I was just suspicious because the name seemed to be uncreative for a 2022 batman movie, but I'm glad you liked it. I'm not much of a theater goer these days for reasons unrelated to covid
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This is actually one of my favorite movies of my entire life.
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Uncharted (2021)
I thought this was stupid, charmless and made Red Notice look like a masterpiece. My 11 year old thought it was 'a good movie with no boring bits'. Teenage girls in the screening seemed to enjoy Tom Holland's shirtless scenes. I do not think I was the target audience.
I thought this was stupid, charmless and made Red Notice look like a masterpiece. My 11 year old thought it was 'a good movie with no boring bits'. Teenage girls in the screening seemed to enjoy Tom Holland's shirtless scenes. I do not think I was the target audience.
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Uncharted (2021)
I thought this was stupid, charmless and made Red Notice look like a masterpiece. My 11 year old thought it was 'a good movie with no boring bits'. Teenage girls in the screening seemed to enjoy Tom Holland's shirtless scenes. I do not think I was the target audience.
I thought this was stupid, charmless and made Red Notice look like a masterpiece. My 11 year old thought it was 'a good movie with no boring bits'. Teenage girls in the screening seemed to enjoy Tom Holland's shirtless scenes. I do not think I was the target audience.
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