I don't often watch movies I know nothing about, but I had a free afternoon this week and thought I would go by synopsis alone. I settled on Boss Level because it's a Groundhog Day premise, and because I really like Joe Carnahan movies.
Story is about a guy stuck in a timeloop who gets murdered by a variety of contract killers by 4pm every day and he doesn't know why. Honestly, now I write it, I am not entirely sure I know why either, and I saw the whole film. At least, we do find out why he's in a time loop.
It's got a fairly low-budget sensibility about it while not looking particularly cheap (nobody with a budget puts Frank Grillo or Mel Gibson in a lead role these days!). It also has a video game theme going on, mostly visual, and I am not entirely sure that the movie needed it. For long periods it wasn't relevant, at least until it wanted to be a bit more Guy Ritchie with character intros or montages.
The final reel didn't go anywhere clever, it just sort of fizzled out. But a fun journey nonetheless which I think is the point, and Grillo was very good in the lead. The action was adeptly handled and Gibson made a very punchable villain. 5/8 from me!
Stars Timothy Spall but the central character is played by Leanne Best, who is excellent. These two carry the film, which is not a cheery one. Not predictable but a bit bleak, and a lot of the background to the story of the main characters comes out in one speech about three quarters of the way through.
Wasn't really on my must watch list but I'd dropped the car off for a minor service and there's only so many cups of coffee you can drink - it was the first film of the day. 6/10.
Based on the true story re Gamestock, a couple of years ago, where the price got pumped high, by the average Joe buying in and trying to take on the traders who had taken short positions (wanted the price to go down).
Interesting story about greed, and how people react to it, it was ok, but I preferred the big short.
Not overly impressed. Very ordinary. OK watch but nothing special.
Same here. Watched it this afternoon. Some slight scary moments but the "conclusion" wasn't anything spectacular or jaw dropping (trying not to reveal anything that could be called a spoiler). 6 out of 10.
Oppenheimer - saw in TCL Theatre Hollywood - probably the most iconic cinema around the globe. IMAX presentation - very loud, very long, interesting, but expecting more bang for my buck… 7/10
Bluebeetle - amusing, pretty fresh and some solid action sequences. A fair DC addition 6.5/10
Strays - found this very amusing, perhaps I need to grow up, but a great mix of sad moments and some real lols! 7/10
Oppenheimer - saw in TCL Theatre Hollywood - probably the most iconic cinema around the globe. IMAX presentation - very loud, very long, interesting, but expecting more bang for my buck… 7/10
Bluebeetle - amusing, pretty fresh and some solid action sequences. A fair DC addition 6.5/10
Strays - found this very amusing, perhaps I need to grow up, but a great mix of sad moments and some real lols! 7/10
Bloody hell @Pavoren007 how much more bang do you want than an atomic bomb?? 🤷🏻♂️😉
I saw the film 'Brooklyn' on Netflix a few weeks back. About an Irish girl in the 50s moving to New York.
Probably the best film i've seen all year. Was fantastic. Think it came out in 2015 so a few of you have already probably seen it.
Really enjoyed this film.
Agreed - a lovely film. I saw it at the pictures a few years back. I found the scene of the Irish guy singing a cappella during a Christmas day lunch at a soup kitchen particularly poignant.
Colm Tóibín's novel on which the film is based is excellent and well worth a read. He's publishing a sequel, Long Island, in May 2024. It's set in the 1970s and revisits the main character, Eilis Lacy, 20 years after the the events in Brooklyn. I expect the sequel will be made into a film but, unless that's in many years hence, I fear it won't feature the outstanding Saoirse Ronan. That said, I suppose they can do great things with make up and she's a big box office draw.
Speaking of Netflix films, I rewatched the 2007 Ang Lee film, Lust, Caution, last week. The female lead is Tang Wei, who starred recently in Decision to Leave.
It's an erotic period espionage film, set in Hong Kong in 1938 and in Shanghai in 1942, when the city was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army and ruled by a puppet government. A group of Chinese university students plot to assassinate a high-ranking special agent by luring him into a honey trap.
I saw the film 'Brooklyn' on Netflix a few weeks back. About an Irish girl in the 50s moving to New York.
Probably the best film i've seen all year. Was fantastic. Think it came out in 2015 so a few of you have already probably seen it.
Really enjoyed this film.
Agreed - a lovely film. I saw it at the pictures a few years back. I found the scene of the Irish guy singing a cappella during a Christmas day lunch at a soup kitchen particularly poignant.
Colm Tóibín's novel on which the film is based is excellent and well worth a read. He's publishing a sequel, Long Island, in May 2024. It's set in the 1970s and revisits the main character, Eilis Lacy, 20 years after the the events in Brooklyn. I expect the sequel will be made into a film but, unless that's in many years hence, I fear it won't feature the outstanding Saoirse Ronan. That said, I suppose they can do great things with make up and she's a big box office draw.
Thanks for that, I shall read the sequel. I loved Brooklyn. One of those films I can watch over & over.
Equalizer 3 last night- very good little film this; 8/10 for me. It's a bit formulaic as if built around a template of how to make an efficient, feel-good film, of the right length, and with the essential plot details, but i was grateful for that as i didn't have to work the brain too hard, and it was well paced, and was all over in what felt like 90 minutes (but was actually 1hr 49, i now see).
On Off_it's point about the reason for him being in Italy- that held up well for me; the whole film is a bit of a stretch, in it's romanticising of Italy and it's village life v mob culture, the CIA, let alone Denzil's nose for trouble and how to fight it - a broad poetic licence granted.
Equalizer 3 last night- very good little film this; 8/10 for me. It's a bit formulaic as if built around a template of how to make an efficient, feel-good film, of the right length, and with the essential plot details, but i was grateful for that as i didn't have to work the brain too hard, and it was well paced, and was all over in what felt like 90 minutes (but was actually 1hr 49, i now see).
On Off_it's point about the reason for him being in Italy- that held up well for me; the whole film is a bit of a stretch, in it's romanticising of Italy and it's village life v mob culture, the CIA, let alone Denzil's nose for trouble and how to fight it - a broad poetic licence granted.
Good point. Just what were the CIA doing openly in Italy?
Helping out the Italians no doubt because you know how those Europeans can't do anything without the Americans!
Comments
I don't often watch movies I know nothing about, but I had a free afternoon this week and thought I would go by synopsis alone. I settled on Boss Level because it's a Groundhog Day premise, and because I really like Joe Carnahan movies.
Story is about a guy stuck in a timeloop who gets murdered by a variety of contract killers by 4pm every day and he doesn't know why. Honestly, now I write it, I am not entirely sure I know why either, and I saw the whole film. At least, we do find out why he's in a time loop.
It's got a fairly low-budget sensibility about it while not looking particularly cheap (nobody with a budget puts Frank Grillo or Mel Gibson in a lead role these days!). It also has a video game theme going on, mostly visual, and I am not entirely sure that the movie needed it. For long periods it wasn't relevant, at least until it wanted to be a bit more Guy Ritchie with character intros or montages.
The final reel didn't go anywhere clever, it just sort of fizzled out. But a fun journey nonetheless which I think is the point, and Grillo was very good in the lead. The action was adeptly handled and Gibson made a very punchable villain. 5/8 from me!
I watched Soft and Quiet at home last night, has to be one of the most harrowing films I’ve ever seen.
The Electrical life of Louis Wain.
Oh my days what a wonderful, heartbreaking, cat worshiping film it is.
Cumberbatch is fabulous in it.
I loved it 😻
Not overly impressed. Very ordinary. OK watch but nothing special.
Quite interesting and poignant in places but, for me, it didn't justify the raft of 5-star reviews.
Based on the true story re Gamestock, a couple of years ago, where the price got pumped high, by the average Joe buying in and trying to take on the traders who had taken short positions (wanted the price to go down).
Interesting story about greed, and how people react to it, it was ok, but I preferred the big short.
Was alright. More of the same really - Denzil being a bad ass.
Not as good as the first one, but better than the second one.
Probably the best film i've seen all year. Was fantastic. Think it came out in 2015 so a few of you have already probably seen it.
Bluebeetle - amusing, pretty fresh and some solid action sequences. A fair DC addition 6.5/10
Strays - found this very amusing, perhaps I need to grow up, but a great mix of sad moments and some real lols! 7/10
Colm Tóibín's novel on which the film is based is excellent and well worth a read. He's publishing a sequel, Long Island, in May 2024. It's set in the 1970s and revisits the main character, Eilis Lacy, 20 years after the the events in Brooklyn. I expect the sequel will be made into a film but, unless that's in many years hence, I fear it won't feature the outstanding Saoirse Ronan. That said, I suppose they can do great things with make up and she's a big box office draw.
It's an erotic period espionage film, set in Hong Kong in 1938 and in Shanghai in 1942, when the city was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army and ruled by a puppet government. A group of Chinese university students plot to assassinate a high-ranking special agent by luring him into a honey trap.
It's very good and comes off Netflix soon.
I saw this, bored me to tears, felt like it was about 9 hours long.
I loved Brooklyn. One of those films I can watch over & over.
Just watched ten minutes of Barbie and turned it off. I just knew I wouldn't be interested. I'd rather watch a cartoon movie...
It's a bit formulaic as if built around a template of how to make an efficient, feel-good film, of the right length, and with the essential plot details, but i was grateful for that as i didn't have to work the brain too hard, and it was well paced, and was all over in what felt like 90 minutes (but was actually 1hr 49, i now see).
On Off_it's point about the reason for him being in Italy- that held up well for me; the whole film is a bit of a stretch, in it's romanticising of Italy and it's village life v mob culture, the CIA, let alone Denzil's nose for trouble and how to fight it - a broad poetic licence granted.
Helping out the Italians no doubt because you know how those Europeans can't do anything without the Americans!