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Love is Strange, 2014

Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) are romantic partners who, after 39 years together, finally get married. Unfortunately, this loses George his job teaching music at a religious school, and the resulting drop in the couple's income forces them to give up their apartment. Forced to live apart--each man staying with family while they try to find more affordable housing--the two try to remain hopeful even as their circumstances take a toll on them and their loved ones.

This is, in many ways, a very subdued film that looks at an older couple trying to get by in a challenging environment and the difficulty of being forced to live in close quarters with their families.

Something that is interesting about the film is the way that the couple being gay both does and doesn't weigh on the narrative. Half of a couple suddenly losing their job is a thing that could happen to anyone, likewise the stress of multi-generational living has little to do with the sexuality of the leads. On the other hand, there's an added element of tragedy to all of it because of the fact that Ben and George have only just had the chance to make their relationship official. Their lives are still full of "gentle" homophobia, ranging from George's employer having to fire him because it's policy to Ben's grand-nephew, Joey (Charlie Tahan) slinging the word "gay" around, but assuring his uncle that, you know, it just means "stupid". It's a reminder that you don't need hateful slurs or violence to add a weight to someone's every day existence.

Lithgow and Molina do a great job of giving Ben and George a lived-in feeling. You can really believe that they're this old couple that's been together forever. The other actors are also good, including Tahan as Ben's grand-nephew who resents Ben crashing in his bedroom or Marisa Tomei as the wife of Ben's nephew, a woman who works from home and clearly resents Ben's presence in the apartment.

All that said, something about the story feels a bit faint. It's largely observational, noting the way that Ben and George are alternately ignored or treated as objects of annoyance. It would have been nice to see Ben and George living together--a glimpse of their domestic routines as a contrast to where they end up for most of the film. Too much time is given to a strange subplot about Joey and his friend stealing books from the library. There's just a bit of oomph missing, and my sense it that this comes from the way that the film tries to spread attention around all of the characters instead of really honing in on the main couple.




I forgot the opening line.

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Iron Man - (2008)

I have Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 lined up for watches, so the first thing I had to do was go back and watch the original again - the first film of phase 1 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (so I read) - great to start with the first one, but should I watch the others all in order? I had planned to just watch the first 3 Iron Man films in a row - and I think I'll still do that, but keep my eye out for the others. Anyway, I enjoyed this more than any of the other times I've watched it. What did that was my determination to just accept the Tony Stark character as he was so I had some free space to enjoy the film - I think what always got in the way was how unlikeable I found him to be. Rich, super smart and of course heroic - I've always enjoyed supporting the underdog, but this guy has all the gifts. It's a fun film, and of course it looks great. Great casting, getting Jeff Bridges to play Obadiah Stane, and I particularly liked his super-massive Iron Man suit - which of course leads to a David and Goliath final battle. I'm not a huge fan of these kind of films, and haven't seen many Marvel Universe ones, but I'm in the mood to check some of them out - starting with these ones. A shame Iron Man 3 comes after so many others, including the first Avengers one - I feel like I might get a little out of synch when I watch it.

7.5/10


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Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - (2007)

Character actor John C. Reilly is rarely a lead, but here he's perfect playing a slice of every famous 20th Century musician rolled into one (Jim Morrison, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan most notably) in this goofy parody of music biopics. It has a great comedic screenplay, and the whole area seemed to be rich with things to poke fun at. Watching it again, I still laughed at appropriate moments and forgotten jokes. There are quite a few clever songs that you can really get into, but which have very amusing lyrics. If you've seen a few of these biopics, you'll have a better time with it - it seems like every single one has been referenced.

7/10
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Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)



The Yellow Sea (2010)




I really loved this. It's been on my watchlist for like 4 years because a couple of members here recommended it, but I waited because I thought it was some Hunt for Red October thriller set on a boat or something. It ain't about no damn boat. Same director as The Wailing and The Chaser, and he better make some more movies soon. Surprisingly brutal and action packed.



Oh man, I gotta see this...John Lithgow and Alfred Molina? I'm there
They are both great and they are great together. I just wish the movie around them was better. Instead it's so packed with subplots about other characters that don't have half the heft of this sweet older couple facing awful challenges.





Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Movie

Even though it has many of the anime tropes, they are well executed (well enough anyway) and the story is interesting. I wish it had more ties with the series, but it's a good movie regardless.
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I'm still going to watch it...Lithgow and Molina are ALWAYS worth watching.
Definitely watch it. I liked it, but wish it had been stronger. It felt a little like a wasted opportunity.



I forgot the opening line.

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Iron Man 2 - (2010)

Throughout the entirety of Iron Man 2, I kept feeling a sense of having seen it at one time. Who knows where or when - it wasn't a clear memory, and I couldn't flesh out the memory, so it was basically like seeing it for the first time. I enjoyed it, but creeping in to the whole experience was a comic book superhero formula that I'm far too familiar with. Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko I absolutely loved, and it was his performance and character that made the film. Now I'm pretty uncertain of which direction to go in - but I'm thinking more and more about leaving Iron Man 3 until I've seen that first Avengers movie, and revisited some of those that built up to it (most of which I have seen, but quite a while ago.) I'm not a massive fan, but curious enough by this stage to want to see how it all came together with the first big-budget multi-character extravaganza.

6.5/10



The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes (1971) -


Very grisly, but at the same time, the camerawork (framing, close-ups, pan outs, etc.) is top notch and, as a result, it remains interesting from beginning to end. Brakhage captures all kinds of great shots which would be just as technically impressive if he depicted non-grisly imagery. When a film has this much texture to the camerawork, it's indeed something special, even when autopsy footage is being depicted.




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Iron Man 2 - (2010)

Throughout the entirety of Iron Man 2, I kept feeling a sense of having seen it at one time. Who knows where or when - it wasn't a clear memory, and I couldn't flesh out the memory, so it was basically like seeing it for the first time. I enjoyed it, but creeping in to the whole experience was a comic book superhero formula that I'm far too familiar with. Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko I absolutely loved, and it was his performance and character that made the film. Now I'm pretty uncertain of which direction to go in - but I'm thinking more and more about leaving Iron Man 3 until I've seen that first Avengers movie, and revisited some of those that built up to it (most of which I have seen, but quite a while ago.) I'm not a massive fan, but curious enough by this stage to want to see how it all came together with the first big-budget multi-character extravaganza.

6.5/10
I found this film a little confusing and hard to follow



The Voices (2014)




I am of the opinion that despite it's share of gems, the Top 100 Films Directed By Women is the weakest of all the lists we have. This movie came in at #95 on that list and was a random and blind watch. The first 15 or 20 minutes were pretty good as a comedy, but then it lost me as it became a horror/comedy. Just too silly including the talking cat, who was the best part of the movie.



I found this film a little confusing and hard to follow
Same.

Even as I was watching it, it all felt a bit muddled. It's a big reason I never checked out the third Iron Man.



I forgot the opening line.

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The Wolverine - (2013)

Not a huge fan of this character, despite having seen around half a dozen movies with Wolverine in them - and despite having enjoyed Logan quite a bit. This was in my queue though, and at the moment I'm sticking to a strict rule of watching all of the movies in my queue, because it's very often the ones I don't want to watch that turn out to be the hidden gems. This was okay. It didn't leave me with that empty feeling I often have when watching a generic superhero movie, but it didn't strike me as an absolute classic either. There were some elements I really liked, especially having the link it does to Japanese culture, and the action scene on the bullet train was exciting, as was that final scene with the unbeatable giant armoured samurai. I hadn't seen the previous film, but the main important plot point from that was provided for me in the opening scenes of this. It didn't bore me or make me feel I wasted my time, but it just needed that little bit more emotional impact to really stand out more. It needed a little more tragedy and moments of consequence on a grander scale.

6.5/10


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High Road to China - (1983)

I had to pause this after the first 10 minutes because my mind wouldn't stop asking, "What the hell ever happened to Bess Armstrong anyway? Did she die?" because after the 1980s I never saw hide nor hair of her. Turns out she didn't die - every movie she appeared in flopped. This should be far more exciting than it is - how could Brian G. Hutton make Jon Cleary's adventure seem so flat? Well, for starters, he really fell in love with shots of those two biplanes flying - around half of the film is just watching those two planes. It gets dull after the first 3 or 4 minutes, even though it's striking at first - by the time we get to the dogfight we're fly-fatigued. Much better viewed in a cinema, stuff like that - because I'd imagine it being quite beautiful on the big screen. If this did having a showing - I'd be tempted to go. Armstrong and Tom Selleck don't exactly set the screen on fire though, and Brian Blessed is wasted (both figuratively, and literally by the looks of his performance.) The scenes with Robert Morley in them are awful. Also - why do these people keep landing their planes in all of the most dangerous places on their way to China? Just land somewhere peaceful guys. Nice flying - but when they're on the ground this film stops dead.

6/10


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Belle - (2013)

I really love Belle, and that's in spite of it never really bending any rules or departing from a tried and true formula. Tom Wilkinson really puts his all into his role as Lord Chief Justice of England, and likewise Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dido Belle. Belle was a real person, the black daughter of a British Royal Navy officer and the Jamaican slave he loved. She was raised by her grand-uncle after both died, and that person just happened to be Lord Chief Justice, which means she has a dignified and esteemed place in upper class society. Her colour would obviously have been an issue to some, but not her family - and so when the Chief Justice has a case come before him which involves the murder of a group of slaves, and Dido falls in love with a lawyer of diminished class despite being engaged to someone her equal in distinction, this issue of race and slavery becomes pivotal in many people's minds. The way this plays out is so very pleasing that Belle is a film that makes me feel great - especially when looking at the painting that remains depicting the real Dido Belle. I just love it.

8/10


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Gold Diggers of 1933 - (1933)

What a cute little old film this is - and that's despite a lyric or two in it's songs obviously coming from a time when guys could be expected to be a little forceful when it comes to petting in the park. The whole depression era attempt to brighten spirits shines through, and I really like the musical numbers, not to mention how many "awwww"s came out of me when characters (no matter how good or bad, handsome or not so handsome) fell in love with each other. Everyone gets their guy or girl in this film - and there's some breezy and fun comedy in it to boot. I can see myself watching this again. I've seen Joan Blondell in a few films now, and I'm becoming a fan.

7/10



Victim of The Night
Same.

Even as I was watching it, it all felt a bit muddled. It's a big reason I never checked out the third Iron Man.
You were wise. While IM2 is muddled and pretty uninspired, Iron Man 3, frankly, sucks.



I forgot the opening line.
I don't know if it's because I'd just watched the first Iron Man or read a little about it, but Iron Man 2 seemed fairly straightforward to me. I do have to admit though, that it did lack that spark of creativity that makes a really good superhero movie. It spent a lot of time not going anywhere. I enjoyed some aspects - like the Ivan Vanko character.

I'm not really hyped about Iron Man 3 now - it's on the backburner.