Kelly Reichardt’s gentle and soulful frontier tale is set in 1820s Oregon and is essentially a story of friendship between ‘Cookie’, who cooks for a group of irascible fur trappers, and Lu, an ethnically Chinese man who’s on the run from some Russians. The two protagonists set up a venture together but the sense of peace is laced with tension and the fear of impending violence, as they surreptitiously milk a cow belonging to the wealthy landowner (Toby Jones) in order to bake their best-selling cakes.
I enjoyed this one and I do like Reichardt’s quiet, understated style (also evident in her previous film, ‘Certain Women’).
Surge - 4/10
An airport security operative (Ben Whishaw) has a breakdown at work and runs amok, robbing (and trying to rob) banks, vandalising hotels, stealing a motorbike and generally creating havoc.
Contrary to the publicity material, I found it far from “a gripping and exhilarating thriller”; on the contrary, I thought it was predictable and, transparently, a vehicle for Whishaw to demonstrate his acting range of angst and distress. It was BBC funded and, in my view, a waste of licence payers’ money.
Apples (Greece) - 6/10
The film depicts a pandemic that leaves its victims with severe memory loss. The government have devised a treatment programme for people like the protagonist, which involves performing daily tasks prescribed by doctors and then capturing his new memories with a Polaroid camera, whilst paired with a fellow amnesiac, Anna.
The film is highly unusual, quirky, interesting and, in parts, gently comedic. It is also at times enigmatic and perhaps a little over-stylised.
Has anyone been to the pictures since they reopened btw? There's been zero I'd be up for seeing but was wondering how the experience was.
Nomadland at The Depot in Lewes. Very comfy in a sofa in the back row. Good film. Well made. The real nomads were the true stars of the film, good as the two leads were. Not a patch on Three Billboards or Fargo, though.
Really enjoyed this, thought it was filmed really well - especially the audio which really helped you get into the mind of Riz's character and feel more connected to the experience of his deafness and his struggle with his new reality. Would definitely recommend seeing - I saw it in a small indie theater which I think helped you feel more involved but a quality film whatever the setting
I’m very, very late to this one, but watched Starred Up last night, as noticed it was on All 4.
Admittedly found it a tough watch at times, but the acting was absolutely incredible, as was the editing. The fact they mostly used the sounds of prison life as the soundtrack, rather than any music really added to the tension and dread of something bad happening scene by scene.
Probably the best performance I’ve seen Ben Mendehlson in since Animal Kingdom (personally think this is one of most underrated films around) and Jack O’Connell is a great talent, only 30 now so will be great to see what else he comes out with in the future.
I’m very, very late to this one, but watched Starred Up last night, as noticed it was on All 4.
Admittedly found it a tough watch at times, but the acting was absolutely incredible, as was the editing. The fact they mostly used the sounds of prison life as the soundtrack, rather than any music really added to the tension and dread of something bad happening scene by scene.
Probably the best performance I’ve seen Ben Mendehlson in since Animal Kingdom (personally think this is one of most underrated films around) and Jack O’Connell is a great talent, only 30 now so will be great to see what else he comes out with in the future.
Jack O’Connell is a special actor, and so much more to come.
A fascinating documentary about disability activism in the US from the 70s onwards. Some incredible footage and amazing characters. Inspiring and uplifting watching the protests and battles.
My daughter who has a physical disability was really moved by it.
I’m very, very late to this one, but watched Starred Up last night, as noticed it was on All 4.
Admittedly found it a tough watch at times, but the acting was absolutely incredible, as was the editing. The fact they mostly used the sounds of prison life as the soundtrack, rather than any music really added to the tension and dread of something bad happening scene by scene.
Probably the best performance I’ve seen Ben Mendehlson in since Animal Kingdom (personally think this is one of most underrated films around) and Jack O’Connell is a great talent, only 30 now so will be great to see what else he comes out with in the future.
Really thought this was great, surprised it went under the radar.
A true story about an American unit based in a remote valley in Afghanistan, under constant attack by the Taliban. 2005/6 I believe. A good watch, stars Orlando Bloom and Clint's son Scott Eastwood. I personally like these true story films, particularly when at the end they show the real person and likeness to the actor portrayed to play them.
Enjoyed Prime's documentary on Alex Ferguson aptly entitled Never give in.
Thoroughly enjoyed a 2009 film starring Hoffman and Emma Thompson on Prime entitled "Last chance Harvey" . Obviously a good cast and very heartwarming/uplifting. Not sure how I missed it first, second or even third time around.
Have recently watched Cruella (another good film), Stalker (not bad, not brilliant), Woman in the Window (good thriller) and a few others that have escaped my mind
Really enjoyed this, thought it was filmed really well - especially the audio which really helped you get into the mind of Riz's character and feel more connected to the experience of his deafness and his struggle with his new reality. Would definitely recommend seeing - I saw it in a small indie theater which I think helped you feel more involved but a quality film whatever the setting
Really enjoyed this, not what I was expecting.
Off to see conjuring 3 tonight should be good if I can stay awake
Really enjoyed this, thought it was filmed really well - especially the audio which really helped you get into the mind of Riz's character and feel more connected to the experience of his deafness and his struggle with his new reality. Would definitely recommend seeing - I saw it in a small indie theater which I think helped you feel more involved but a quality film whatever the setting
Really enjoyed this, not what I was expecting.
Off to see conjuring 3 tonight should be good if I can stay awake
That's on the watch list for tonight's living room movie
Really enjoyed this, thought it was filmed really well - especially the audio which really helped you get into the mind of Riz's character and feel more connected to the experience of his deafness and his struggle with his new reality. Would definitely recommend seeing - I saw it in a small indie theater which I think helped you feel more involved but a quality film whatever the setting
Really enjoyed this, not what I was expecting.
Off to see conjuring 3 tonight should be good if I can stay awake
That's on the watch list for tonight's living room movie
Everyman cinema for me, looking forward to a couple of cocktails and then a solid hour of sleep curled up on the sofa
Conjuring 3 - pretty good I thought. Not spectacularly scary with only a few jump scares, and obviously the "true story" is stretched to the absolute to limit, but all the same very creepy with strong performances. Worth seeing of you are into the Conjuring universe, but as a stand alone, probably not
Conjuring 3 at cineworld 02. Decent film, strong perfomances form Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmega(spelling?). Seen alot of comments saying its more of a crime thriller than traditional horror but still a decent film.
A couple of idiots kept chatting for about 40% of the film which was annoying but i shouldn’t be too surprised as it seems to be a common occurrence at that cinema.
Started watching Page Eight on Netflix. I liked the idea of it, and the cast, but the only thing I can take away from it is that Bill Nighy has produced arguably the most bored performance in the history of cinema. It's like he doesn't know what's going on in the film, hasn't really read the script, and is bored of asking the other actors what they're talking about. That he manages to stay awake I suppose is to his credit. It's genuinely funny to watch him sleep walk through this.
A true story about an American unit based in a remote valley in Afghanistan, under constant attack by the Taliban. 2005/6 I believe. A good watch, stars Orlando Bloom and Clint's son Scott Eastwood. I personally like these true story films, particularly when at the end they show the real person and likeness to the actor portrayed to play them.
Me too. Thanks for the recommendation. I watched it last night and really loved it. Can't believe I had never heard of it before reading your post.
I was quite surprised that Bloom's character died so early in the film. Also I can't understand what was the point of building an outpost in such a dangerous location? It was almost like the soldiers were simply sent there to die. So tragic.
Just finished the King of Staten Island. I nearly gave up as the characters were all irritating, but it grew on me. It had Bill Burr who I like as a comedian, and he did an okay job here. Overly too slow but okay
Cruella was last week and enjoyed it a lot. Good characters and a bit overlong, but a good addition to the Disney catalogue.
It was okay - the best thing about it was the performance of Millicent Simmonds. A bit too formulaic after the first film.
I thought it was really disappointing. Aliens that can’t swim . What nonsense
I thought the whole premise for the first film was nonsense.
How did the aliens get here? If they can see how did they construct a space ship? Without weapons how would they knockout a noisy tank that they must have been attracted to?
I managed to get perhaps a third of the way into the first film before giving up. Utter dross that was so predictable with the kid having been given a noisy toy.
In all fairness, @TellyTubby, you not knowing the answers is not the same as it being nonsense.
Where they came from isn't relevant to the story, and isn't something you should get hung up on. But if you really need to know in order to enjoy the film, they reference a meteor landing (and that's visible in the sequel briefly) thus implying they arrived on that, possibly by accident rather than design. But this isn't Independence Day. The monsters don't need to have motives. The style of storytelling the movie is going for is more show-don't-tell which is why I like it so much.
Also, given their speed and near-indesctructable form, what good would a tank do? Sure, someone would be safe from them in a tank, but good luck shooting them. And I don't remember the kid being given the toy, I thought the kid took it when he wasn't supposed to - although it has been a while since I've seen it.
Ultimately, you're picking holes in a film because you chose to dislike it. Which is a shame for you really!
In all fairness, @TellyTubby, you not knowing the answers is not the same as it being nonsense.
Where they came from isn't relevant to the story, and isn't something you should get hung up on. But if you really need to know in order to enjoy the film, they reference a meteor landing (and that's visible in the sequel briefly) thus implying they arrived on that, possibly by accident rather than design. But this isn't Independence Day. The monsters don't need to have motives. The style of storytelling the movie is going for is more show-don't-tell which is why I like it so much.
Also, given their speed and near-indesctructable form, what good would a tank do? Sure, someone would be safe from them in a tank, but good luck shooting them. And I don't remember the kid being given the toy, I thought the kid took it when he wasn't supposed to - although it has been a while since I've seen it.
Ultimately, you're picking holes in a film because you chose to dislike it. Which is a shame for you really!
I thought someone might disagree but I didn't expect to be patronised.
I didn't CHOOSE to dislike the film, I just thought it was poor and don't worry about me, I will get on with life fine without seeing the light that doesn't exist in a dull film that has more holes than a colander.
I feel happy for you that you enjoyed the film, feel happy for me that I found the off switch at an early stage. Same as I did for the overhyped Lord of the Rings bore fest.
Let's agree that in this instance, we like different things.
I saw these (and a number of other films) at recent previews and they're now on general release:
Father - 7/10
A chamber piece, which reflects its adaptation from a play. Set almost exclusively in the flat where the father lives, which increases the sense of claustrophobia, the audience is presented with his confused and deeply troubled perspective. The cast is, as you’d expect with Hopkins, Coleman, Rufus Sewell and Mark Gatiss, very impressive.
The result is a powerful but ultimately rather predictable film.
Gunda (Norway/USA) - 5/10
A wordless, black and white Norwegian documentary about farm animals, which has been critically acclaimed.
Charming in parts - notably, the piglets - but I personally found it a little boring, although I did feel for Gunda when a distressing event occurs towards the end of the film. Soothing in its own way and the camerawork is very good but I thought it was very average overall and a strange choice of subject matter.
Mandabi (1968, Senegal/France) - 6/10
This 1968 film (recently restored and rereleased) was the first feature ever made in an African language.
Set in Dakar, it tells the story of Ibrahim and the effect that a money order from his nephew in Paris for 25,000 Francs has upon his fortunes. Beset by numerous bureaucratic obstacles, he is also a soft touch and enters into a number of ridiculous arrangements and loan deals whilst trying to cash his money order.
The film feels very dated and I found the man’s idiocy and the level of endemic corruption a little disturbing.
Not impressed, its basically a romcom (which i normally enjoy fyi) just felt it was very predictable, tried to be heartwarming in spots. The main actors were ok but one to miss for me.
Watched Ben Wheatey's 'In the Earth' yesterday. Could have been called 'Another Field In England' with it's small cast, woodland setting and psychadelic folk horror stylings. I found it alright, like most of his films, I enjoy the knowing dark humour, striking imagery and fun gore, but I always find his films just trail off into weird meaninglessness. I mean, I love weird but I just wish he would land a film with an ending that's more than just a blender full of acid, kaleidoscopes and folklore.
Comments
First Cow - 8/10
Kelly Reichardt’s gentle and soulful frontier tale is set in 1820s Oregon and is essentially a story of friendship between ‘Cookie’, who cooks for a group of irascible fur trappers, and Lu, an ethnically Chinese man who’s on the run from some Russians. The two protagonists set up a venture together but the sense of peace is laced with tension and the fear of impending violence, as they surreptitiously milk a cow belonging to the wealthy landowner (Toby Jones) in order to bake their best-selling cakes.
I enjoyed this one and I do like Reichardt’s quiet, understated style (also evident in her previous film, ‘Certain Women’).
Surge - 4/10
An airport security operative (Ben Whishaw) has a breakdown at work and runs amok, robbing (and trying to rob) banks, vandalising hotels, stealing a motorbike and generally creating havoc.
Contrary to the publicity material, I found it far from “a gripping and exhilarating thriller”; on the contrary, I thought it was predictable and, transparently, a vehicle for Whishaw to demonstrate his acting range of angst and distress. It was BBC funded and, in my view, a waste of licence payers’ money.
Apples (Greece) - 6/10
The film depicts a pandemic that leaves its victims with severe memory loss. The government have devised a treatment programme for people like the protagonist, which involves performing daily tasks prescribed by doctors and then capturing his new memories with a Polaroid camera, whilst paired with a fellow amnesiac, Anna.
The film is highly unusual, quirky, interesting and, in parts, gently comedic. It is also at times enigmatic and perhaps a little over-stylised.
Really enjoyed this, thought it was filmed really well - especially the audio which really helped you get into the mind of Riz's character and feel more connected to the experience of his deafness and his struggle with his new reality. Would definitely recommend seeing - I saw it in a small indie theater which I think helped you feel more involved but a quality film whatever the setting
A fascinating documentary about disability activism in the US from the 70s onwards. Some incredible footage and amazing characters. Inspiring and uplifting watching the protests and battles.
My daughter who has a physical disability was really moved by it.
A true story about an American unit based in a remote valley in Afghanistan, under constant attack by the Taliban. 2005/6 I believe. A good watch, stars Orlando Bloom and Clint's son Scott Eastwood. I personally like these true story films, particularly when at the end they show the real person and likeness to the actor portrayed to play them.
Enjoyed Prime's documentary on Alex Ferguson aptly entitled Never give in.
Thoroughly enjoyed a 2009 film starring Hoffman and Emma Thompson on Prime entitled "Last chance Harvey" . Obviously a good cast and very heartwarming/uplifting. Not sure how I missed it first, second or even third time around.
Watched Nobody yesterday. Absolutely brilliant. Great action , funny and an amazing soundtrack.
Have recently watched Cruella (another good film), Stalker (not bad, not brilliant), Woman in the Window (good thriller) and a few others that have escaped my mind
Off to see conjuring 3 tonight should be good if I can stay awake
It was okay - the best thing about it was the performance of Millicent Simmonds. A bit too formulaic after the first film.
Cruella was last week and enjoyed it a lot. Good characters and a bit overlong, but a good addition to the Disney catalogue.
How did the aliens get here? If they can see how did they construct a space ship? Without weapons how would they knockout a noisy tank that they must have been attracted to?
I managed to get perhaps a third of the way into the first film before giving up. Utter dross that was so predictable with the kid having been given a noisy toy.
Where they came from isn't relevant to the story, and isn't something you should get hung up on. But if you really need to know in order to enjoy the film, they reference a meteor landing (and that's visible in the sequel briefly) thus implying they arrived on that, possibly by accident rather than design. But this isn't Independence Day. The monsters don't need to have motives. The style of storytelling the movie is going for is more show-don't-tell which is why I like it so much.
Also, given their speed and near-indesctructable form, what good would a tank do? Sure, someone would be safe from them in a tank, but good luck shooting them. And I don't remember the kid being given the toy, I thought the kid took it when he wasn't supposed to - although it has been a while since I've seen it.
Ultimately, you're picking holes in a film because you chose to dislike it. Which is a shame for you really!
I didn't CHOOSE to dislike the film, I just thought it was poor and don't worry about me, I will get on with life fine without seeing the light that doesn't exist in a dull film that has more holes than a colander.
I feel happy for you that you enjoyed the film, feel happy for me that I found the off switch at an early stage. Same as I did for the overhyped Lord of the Rings bore fest.
Let's agree that in this instance, we like different things.
I saw these (and a number of other films) at recent previews and they're now on general release:
Father - 7/10
A chamber piece, which reflects its adaptation from a play. Set almost exclusively in the flat where the father lives, which increases the sense of claustrophobia, the audience is presented with his confused and deeply troubled perspective. The cast is, as you’d expect with Hopkins, Coleman, Rufus Sewell and Mark Gatiss, very impressive.
The result is a powerful but ultimately rather predictable film.
Gunda (Norway/USA) - 5/10
A wordless, black and white Norwegian documentary about farm animals, which has been critically acclaimed.
Charming in parts - notably, the piglets - but I personally found it a little boring, although I did feel for Gunda when a distressing event occurs towards the end of the film. Soothing in its own way and the camerawork is very good but I thought it was very average overall and a strange choice of subject matter.
Mandabi (1968, Senegal/France) - 6/10
This 1968 film (recently restored and rereleased) was the first feature ever made in an African language.
Set in Dakar, it tells the story of Ibrahim and the effect that a money order from his nephew in Paris for 25,000 Francs has upon his fortunes. Beset by numerous bureaucratic obstacles, he is also a soft touch and enters into a number of ridiculous arrangements and loan deals whilst trying to cash his money order.
The film feels very dated and I found the man’s idiocy and the level of endemic corruption a little disturbing.
Not a recent film but an excellent documentary on the W Indies cricket team of the 70s and 80s. Some great footage and interviews.
8.5/10
Not impressed, its basically a romcom (which i normally enjoy fyi) just felt it was very predictable, tried to be heartwarming in spots. The main actors were ok but one to miss for me.
5/10