Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Ship of Fools (1965) ++

Glocken: One of the saddest things in the world must be to see two people who feel so much for each other and who feel that they belong together and, yet, they really don't belong together at all.

My initial interest, MyGirl! Simone Signoret and what would be one of oh so many reasons for my appreciation to rise and rise for this ensemble cast on a 26-day ship voyage in 1933 from Veracruz, Mexico to Bremerhaven, Germany. The tagline's description of EXPLORER, MISTRESS, VAGRANT, LOAFER, ARTIST, TRAMP ... THEY ARE ALL AT THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE! Setting the bar for both the ship's officers and the guests. Along with 600 Spanish workers picked up in Cuba, stuffed like cattle on a separate, lower section of the deck.
Along with Simone's La Condesa, playing the Ship Docter with such a genuinely subtle mastery is Oskar Werner. Quite the captivating performance.
Sharing equal time to fully explore their characters are Lee Marvin's wreckless, ill-tempered, belligerent drunk veneer attempting to hide the fractured soul beneath. Vivian Leigh, a lady of cynical memes of hard-earned wisdom named Mrs. Glocken. Along with George Segal, the emotionally lost artist, there is José Ferrer, whom I so RARELY see beyond my countless rewatches of Cyrano de Bergerac, playing a Nationalist German.
ANNND those always delightful surprises of beloved characters from a favorite show appearing in a film. Mine was Michael Dunn --

from guest appearances on the Original Star Trek and notably on Wild, Wild West as the iconic arch-villain Dr. Miguelito Loveless. Our opening and closing host and participant of this cruise.
The second surprise was Colonel Klink from Hogan's Heroes Werner Klemperer --

as a lower officer on the ship making moves on a disinterested Vivian Leigh.

Each character, every personal story of inner turmoil, and vented passion is beautifully interwoven with an orchestration that is so sublime; there is never a bump or awkward shift; we glide through each variance of emotion and the actions that illuminate and, at times, ignite them with equally regarded and engaging supporting characters. All of which is visually enhanced by a well-earned Oscar for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White by Ernest Laszlo. (F@ckin BRAVO, sir).

So, yeah, very much an instant favorite and a wondrous find.

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What I actually said to win MovieGal's heart:
- I might not be a real King of Kinkiness, but I make good pancakes

~Mr Minio

By Distributed by Castle Hill Productions. - Scan via Posteritati., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/inde...curid=90684902

Mikey and Nicky - (1976)

I've been hearing good word about this film on this forum recently, so I decided to check it out, as I'd never seen it. I really don't regret making that decision. Although it's directed by the ill-fated Elaine May, Mikey and Nicky does have the feeling of a Cassavetes/Falk collaboration, and both actors are in absolute top form. This is the recent cut I'm talking about. The pair play gangsters who are/were devoted friends whose close partnership has been torn asunder, but that fact is unknown to one of the men. It all takes place in one night, and also features Ned Beatty in a supporting role. It has a gritty, easy, uninhibited feel, and it's a shame May was shafted by Paramount instead of the two working out their differences to get the best version they could out to the public at the time - but we all know that age-old story, where studios meddle and artists become unmanageable. Anyway, loved this and it's a firm recommendation to any film fan. It's wound tight, and enthralls from start to finish.

9/10

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The mainstream, corporate-branded version, Nike and Mickey, about a basketball playing mouse and his anthropomorphized shoes, should exist, but doesn't.


Maybe if Space Jam: A New Legacy had done better.

But I do also endorse Mikey and Nicky. Definitely one of May's top 4 movies.

Woah. Didn't even known it existed.
Just looked it up. Despite it's obvious bad ratings, I have to watch that now.

That's where we differ - I think it's one of her bottom 4 movies.

Just finished watching The Gray Man (2022) on Netflix. This big budget attempt at a blockbuster is bland, derivative, predictable and generic. It feels like a rip off of several other better action films. It fails to be entertaining or fun. The screenplay is cliched and poorly written. It has a good cast who try to do what they can with the material, but no one is able to save this thing. The Gray Man is one of the worst films of the year. My rating is a

Nope -


Appreciate the ambition, cinematography and cast, but couldn't help but feel the script was lacking and it was pretty slow which made me really feel the 2+ hr runtime.

Barcelona, 1994

Ted (Taylor Nichols) is a Chicago native who has been assigned to his firm's Barcelona branch. His cousin, Fred (Chris Eigeman), is a naval officer who arrives for a surprise visit. The two spend a few days and nights out on the town together, where they experience romantic entanglements--most notably with a woman they both like called Montserrat (Tushka Bergen)--and encounter some hostility from the locals regarding the American military presence in Spain.

This was an interesting, kind of low-key film. It's a movie where the dialogue feels very written, if that makes sense, but for the most part it manages to find a rhythm and pace that pulls it through that sense of artifice.

A lot of the film concerns Ted and Fred trying to navigate how they are perceived, both themselves as individuals and more generally as Americans. In particular, they are frequently antagonized by a man named Ramone (Pep Munné) who has little patience for their lack of understanding or interest in the impact of America's political activities and "interventions" abroad.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time finding anything to grab hold of in this film. The scenery was beautiful, and some third act developments are interesting, but I found the first two-thirds a bit of a slog. Ted and Fred are, at the end of the day, two kind of entitled men making minimal effort to understand the culture or point of view of those around them. The acting is fine, but the characters themselves don't inspire much interest. Bergen, along with Mira Sorvino, provide some texture as the love interests, but neither is given a lot of dimension by the writing.

Nice to look at, but I found it lacking in the character department.

Yeah that’s it temper my expectations because I’m seeing it tonight in IMAX and I’m way too hyped.

Well, it is my opinion. I still enjoyed the movie.

Black Hawk Down - I really did not like this movie. I really do not like war movies very much. I was so bored while watching this, and was super confused as to what was happening. I saw a ton of action scenes, and then I kind of liked how this was based off a military raid in Somalia. I had to get up a couple of times and stretch around while watching this. My rating does not describe the movie, but my viewing experience.
As for the movie
This movie was good enough that I would better rate it, but this movie was just so difficult to watch with all of the madness going on in it.

I'm not a Stillman expert, but I enjoyed Damsels in Distress and especially The Last Days of Disco. The latter really warmed me up to Kate Beckinsale's comedic talents. I'd sort of assumed (perhaps unfairly) that she wasn't much of an actress (blame those drab blue vampire werewolf movies), but she pretty much runs away with the movie anytime she's onscreen.

I've only seen this one and Love & Friendship (which also stars Beckinsale who was really good in her lead role) from Stillman, and I gave that one the same rating.

I have Last Days of Disco on my radar. What I've gathered from looking at a few other reviews of the film is that I was meant to be more taken by the conversations.

There were some really strong moments, like a scene where the two leads declare that it's not "too early to dance", start up a limbo, and then endure the blank stares from almost the entire rest of the party. But for the most part I felt a real lack of spark.

It’s always better to go in with low expectations. Especially when dealing with a filmmaker that’s aiming to deliver something specific to his interests, which may not (and probably won’t) align with your predictions and wants.

That said, I think it’s Peele’s best work. I explained why on Twitter and Peele liked it.

I’m now a fanboy.

HYPE FOREVER, BABY! I GOT VALIDATION!

Lilting, 2014

Richard (Ben Whishaw) has just lost his partner of four years, Kai (Andrew Leung) to a horrible accident. Kai had been on the verge of coming out to his mother, Junn (Pei-Pei Cheng), who lives in a nursing home. Feeling responsible for Junn's well-being, Richard hires a translator, Vann (Naomi Yang), in part to help Junn with her fledgling romance with Alan (Peter Bowles). But sitting behind every interaction is the weight of the secret of Richard and Kai's romantic past.

This movie may have flaws, but this was one of those viewings where everything just seemed exactly as it should be.

First of all, the color palette and lighting--everything a bit pale and washed out--set the perfect emotional tone. In the flashback sequences, the lightness adds a dreamy tone, especially several scenes between Kai and Richard that take place in their bed. In the present day scenes, the colors convey a muted tone that mimics all that must stay unsaid between the main characters.

The central and blatant theme of the film is communication, and specifically the danger of speaking and the danger of not speaking. The relationship between Alan and Junn serves as a microcosm of this idea as their pleasant romance hits a few speedbumps once they are able to more explicitly communicate via Vann's interpretation.

Richard's plight is particularly moving. This isn't a story about someone coming out--this is a story about someone being forced to reckon with the idea of outing someone else. It might seem like a no-brainer that this isn't Richard's information to give, but as long as he keeps Kai's sexuality a secret, he must pretend and confine himself to the role of "friend". And friends don't get a say in funeral arrangements. Friends don't get to make a claim to the bedroom. Friends don't get to keep the ashes. When Junn asks why Richard is so invested in her well-being, Richard must dance around the answer.

Junn is an interesting character, and I loved the way Cheng played her. At times you think that she must know. At other times you think she has no idea. It would have been way too easy to make Junn a stereotype of a homophobic, controlling Asian mother. Instead her true feelings are kept close to the chest, disguised behind both the language barrier and the lack of honest conversations.

Whishaw and Leung do a good job of sketching out both a loving and passionate relationship in their flashback scenes together. The film is not at all graphic, but there's an intimacy between the characters that feels genuine and serves to drive our understanding of Richard's grief. At the same time, the flashbacks show us that the question of how and when to tell Junn about their relationship---and whether or not to invite her to live with them---hangs over them. Telling Junn about their relationship isn't just some matter of principle or pride for Richard, it's unfinished business that defined a lot of their conflict as a couple.

I also enjoyed the character of Vann, who becomes increasingly invested in the lives of the others and the choices they are making. Vann is frequently told something, then immediately told "Don't translate that!". And as she draws closer to the people whose intimate conversations she's translating, she starts to put more emotion into her work.

Overall I thought this was a really lovely and moving film, and it managed to be both sad and hopeful in its final act.

No notes!

I think you've summed up this movie pretty effectively here.

Yeah just got back from it. It was great, totally my type of movie. All about filmmaking and aliens. My only complaint is not enough Keith David.

By C@rtelesmix, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17641817

All About My Mother - (1999)

A lot of joy and sadness is mixed together in All About My Mother, a film Pedro Almodóvar made during the last few months of his mother's life. All of the main characters are women, and it delves so deeply into their world that I'm very surprised Almodóvar wrote and directed it, somehow getting a genuine feel for such feminine (and trans) viewpoints - but that seems to be a theme that runs through most of his films. Instead of the sadness of losing a mother though, the reverse is true, and Manuela (Cecilia Roth) has to deal with the loss of her teenage son through most of the film. I prefer Talk to Her, but I think All About My Mother is the better film - if that makes sense. The only other film of his I've seen is The Skin I Live In. I really should have seen his most famous late 80s/early 90s films by now, being aware of them all this time, but I will eventually.

7.5/10


By http://impawards.com/1987/predator.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7285261

Predator - (1987)

Needed an easy watch, so turned to this classic sci-fi/action movie which took a great idea and skillfully molded it into something fun and exciting. Instead of coming to conquer the world, these extraterrestrial beings come to Earth to hunt humans - and one comes across groups of commandos who provide an appreciated test for it's combat and hunting skills. It's no match for Arnold Schwarzenegger though. Of course.

8/10


Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5716619

The Castle - (1997)

Many Australian films carefully follow international trends, but this comedy is as Australian as it gets, and adds a lot of feel-good charm, with warm and funny characters. This film gave Eric Bana his first role in feature films after being a star on television, and became a national favourite in the late 90s. Always enjoyable.

7/10

That’s the only valid complaint I’ve read about the film.

Here’s my review/analysis if you wanna give it a gander:

https://boxd.it/32Qs7Z