This is one of those films that had a very limited release in the UK last year and could be classed a hidden gem. Lily Tomlin plays a grandmother who tries to help her granddaughter raise the money for an abortion after she gets unexpectedly pregnant. They visit various people asking for the cash, all of which she has a very different relationship with. Lily Tomlin is brilliant in this , you first you get the impression that Grandma might not be a very nice person at all. She's blunt , she doesn't mince her words and she has fallen out with loved ones but as the film goes on you begin to realise that she actually has a heart of gold. At only 80 minutes long it's refreshingly short so Grandma at no stage outstays her welcome.
To say that Youth is a little odd would be a bit of an understatement. But not odd in a bad way , odd in a very , very good way. I absolutely loved this film. This is the story of a retired orchestra conductor ( Michael Caine) on holiday in a lavish retreat with his daughter and his film director best friend ( Harvey Keitel) in the Alps when he receives an invitation from the Queen to perform for Prince Philip's birthday. In all honesty this isn't really about the invitation , it's about getting old and how you reflect on life so differently than when you are younger. This looks fantastic . Sure it can be classed as a bit arty but director Paolo Sorrentino hasn't gone over the top with it instead he has got Michael Caine , to produce one of the best screen performance I have ever seen him perform. There are a few surreal moments that don't quite fit , like the cameo from Paloma Faith which seems to have been shoehorned into the film just to get her on screen but on the other hand I loved the scene with a fat Diego Maradona doing keepy uppies with a tennis ball. This won't be everyone's bag but it got me big time.
Room - a very good and, at times, moving film. It focuses on the child's perceptions and sense of wonderment, rather than the darker elements of the story - 8/10.
I tried , believe me. I tried to like this film but deep down i knew it was never going to happen. I don't know why I bother watching films like this anymore. They hardly ever make me laugh. I think I sniggered three times in the whole two hours of Sisters. It's not completely terrible . There is no doubting that there is a chemistry between Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and they are watchable but are they funny? not in my opinion. The whole , party in the parents house , format has been done to death. Just because these are middle aged women and not teenagers doesn't make that any better. In fact it makes it more cringeworthy ( and not in a funny way) . What I think what they tried to do was go for shock value but it wasn't shocking at all and there are only so many jokes about cocks and arses that someone can take in one film. I have no doubt some people will enjoy this kind of movie but it's not for me I'm afraid.
Because of the subject matter in The Danish Girl I wasn't sure this was going to be a film that I would particularly like but I need not have have worried because I thought this was a fascinating movie that justified it's plaudits. This is the story of Danish artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) who realised that despite being born a man he is really a woman and that woman is called Lile. Although Redmayne will quite obviously get all the praise for his role as Lile I think the outstanding performance of this film comes from Alicia Vikander who plays his wife. As an actor she is exposed unlike Redmayne who has the make up to hide behind. Instead of being about Lile this film for me is more about the love of his wife who will do anything to make her husband happy. Even if that means losing him in the process.
Every year on Valentine's day I get dragged along to a rom com type film by my Missus. Last year's crap was 50 shades of grey. Anyway, this time my better half chooses Zoolander2 as my romantic treat - Ben Stiller was in it, therefore it had to be okay on the grounds that I quite liked the Fockers' movies. She did forewarn me that it might be a bit gay... The cinema was almost empty, not a great sign. After about 50 minutes we finally quit. Didn't laugh once. An absolutely appalling turkey of a movie. Can't wait for next year...
Every year on Valentine's day I get dragged along to a rom com type film by my Missus. Last year's crap was 50 shades of grey. Anyway, this time my better half chooses Zoolander2 as my romantic treat - Ben Stiller was in it, therefore it had to be okay on the grounds that I quite liked the Fockers' movies. She did forewarn me that it might be a bit gay... The cinema was almost empty, not a great sign. After about 50 minutes we finally quit. Didn't laugh once. An absolutely appalling turkey of a movie. Can't wait for next year...
Just got out of Hail, Caeser! and frankly, I don't know what to tell you. As with any Coen movie, it's going to take a while for that to settle in. I mean, it was entertaining, it looked glorious and the cast is amazing. The plot was all well and good, but story-wise, I'm really not sure I know what it was all about.
The scarf joke was the most I've laughed in a cinema for years though.
Every year on Valentine's day I get dragged along to a rom com type film by my Missus. Last year's crap was 50 shades of grey. Anyway, this time my better half chooses Zoolander2 as my romantic treat - Ben Stiller was in it, therefore it had to be okay on the grounds that I quite liked the Fockers' movies. She did forewarn me that it might be a bit gay... The cinema was almost empty, not a great sign. After about 50 minutes we finally quit. Didn't laugh once. An absolutely appalling turkey of a movie. Can't wait for next year...
The only film ive ever taken back to the video shop (remember them)
I lasted 25mins of the first one and took it back straight away and said I want another film. They did.
Id rather lick one of my own bollox than watch a 2nd one.
Just been to see Deadpool today. Loved it. Absolutely loved it. I might feel less enthusiastic about it once I've had time to think about it, but I seriously can't remember enjoying a film at the cinema as much as this. Great film.
Just been to see Sing Street, which was excellent -teenage angst and music set in Dublin in the mid 80s, a kind of fluffier version of The Commitments. Written by John Carney of Once fame. Funny and sometimes poignant, very well - observed.
Last night we saw Miles Ahead, Don Cheadle's directorial debut and he also plays the lead, Miles Davis, with Ewan Macgregor as himself, I mean a Scottish Rolling Stone journo. I knew little of the true story and there is some poetic license but also very enjoyable overall.
Re. Sicario, It was more about what you didn't see than what you did!
Ah sounds ideal watch this and imagine the possibilities
I interviewed the director (tricky as he doesn't speak much English and I don't speak French!) and talked about how the desert landscape was reminiscent of the open sea in Jaws, when Brodie is in the beach looking out: it's what lies underneath that's bloody scary.
Just been to see Sing Street, which was excellent -teenage angst and music set in Dublin in the mid 80s, a kind of fluffier version of The Commitments. Written by John Carney of Once fame. Funny and sometimes poignant, very well - observed.
Last night we saw Miles Ahead, Don Cheadle's directorial debut and he also plays the lead, Miles Davis, with Ewan Macgregor as himself, I mean a Scottish Rolling Stone journo. I knew little of the true story and there is some poetic license but also very enjoyable overall.
@Weegie Addick Catch Suburra. That's my film - bloody brilliant!
Just been to see Sing Street, which was excellent -teenage angst and music set in Dublin in the mid 80s, a kind of fluffier version of The Commitments. Written by John Carney of Once fame. Funny and sometimes poignant, very well - observed.
Last night we saw Miles Ahead, Don Cheadle's directorial debut and he also plays the lead, Miles Davis, with Ewan Macgregor as himself, I mean a Scottish Rolling Stone journo. I knew little of the true story and there is some poetic license but also very enjoyable overall.
@Weegie Addick Catch Suburra. That's my film - bloody brilliant!
Will check when it's on - thanks for the tip. Saw UK premiere of Demolition with Jake Gyllenhall last night - a different take on grief after his wife is killed in an accident. Not entirely convinced but some memorable scenes.
Tried to watch Automata at the weekend, lasted about half an hour. Utterly awful film (unless it drastically improved after that!). Do yourself a favour and give this a swerve.
The Rack Pack is right up my street. I was big into snooker in the 80's and 90's . At the time when the sport was massive and it had some larger than life personalities. None larger than the focus of this film , Alex "Hurricane " Higgins. I never liked Higgins very much back then because being from Plumstead I was a big Davis fan . This BBC film doesn't sugar coat Higgins at all. it's quite brutal in it's portrayal and because of that I have to compliment the director Brian Welsh . Probably the most impressive thing about this is the casting. Luke Treadaway is great as Higgins ( the accent strays a little at times) as is Will Merrick as Steve Davis but the inspirational piece of casting is Kevin Bishop as Barry Hearn. Bishop got Hearn down to a T. I absolutely loved this film and if the BBC keep producing dramas like this they can have no complaints from me about the licence fee.
The Rack Pack is right up my street. I was big into snooker in the 80's and 90's . At the time when the sport was massive and it had some larger than life personalities. None larger than the focus of this film , Alex "Hurricane " Higgins. I never liked Higgins very much back then because being from Plumstead I was a big Davis fan . This BBC film doesn't sugar coat Higgins at all. it's quite brutal in it's portrayal and because of that I have to compliment the director Brian Welsh . Probably the most impressive thing about this is the casting. Luke Treadaway is great as Higgins ( the accent strays a little at times) as is Will Merrick as Steve Davis but the inspirational piece of casting is Kevin Bishop as Barry Hearn. Bishop got Hearn down to a T. I absolutely loved this film and if the BBC keep producing dramas like this they can have no complaints from me about the licence fee.
Comments
This is one of those films that had a very limited release in the UK last year and could be classed a hidden gem.
Lily Tomlin plays a grandmother who tries to help her granddaughter raise the money for an abortion after she gets unexpectedly pregnant. They visit various people asking for the cash, all of which she has a very different relationship with.
Lily Tomlin is brilliant in this , you first you get the impression that Grandma might not be a very nice person at all. She's blunt , she doesn't mince her words and she has fallen out with loved ones but as the film goes on you begin to realise that she actually has a heart of gold.
At only 80 minutes long it's refreshingly short so Grandma at no stage outstays her welcome.
7 out of 10
Youth
To say that Youth is a little odd would be a bit of an understatement. But not odd in a bad way , odd in a very , very good way.
I absolutely loved this film.
This is the story of a retired orchestra conductor ( Michael Caine) on holiday in a lavish retreat with his daughter and his film director best friend ( Harvey Keitel) in the Alps when he receives an invitation from the Queen to perform for Prince Philip's birthday.
In all honesty this isn't really about the invitation , it's about getting old and how you reflect on life so differently than when you are younger.
This looks fantastic . Sure it can be classed as a bit arty but director Paolo Sorrentino hasn't gone over the top with it instead he has got Michael Caine , to produce one of the best screen performance I have ever seen him perform.
There are a few surreal moments that don't quite fit , like the cameo from Paloma Faith which seems to have been shoehorned into the film just to get her on screen but on the other hand I loved the scene with a fat Diego Maradona doing keepy uppies with a tennis ball.
This won't be everyone's bag but it got me big time.
9 out of 10
I tried , believe me. I tried to like this film but deep down i knew it was never going to happen.
I don't know why I bother watching films like this anymore. They hardly ever make me laugh. I think I sniggered three times in the whole two hours of Sisters.
It's not completely terrible . There is no doubting that there is a chemistry between Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and they are watchable but are they funny? not in my opinion.
The whole , party in the parents house , format has been done to death. Just because these are middle aged women and not teenagers doesn't make that any better. In fact it makes it more cringeworthy ( and not in a funny way) . What I think what they tried to do was go for shock value but it wasn't shocking at all and there are only so many jokes about cocks and arses that someone can take in one film.
I have no doubt some people will enjoy this kind of movie but it's not for me I'm afraid.
4 out of 10
Because of the subject matter in The Danish Girl I wasn't sure this was going to be a film that I would particularly like but I need not have have worried because I thought this was a fascinating movie that justified it's plaudits.
This is the story of Danish artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) who realised that despite being born a man he is really a woman and that woman is called Lile.
Although Redmayne will quite obviously get all the praise for his role as Lile I think the outstanding performance of this film comes from Alicia Vikander who plays his wife. As an actor she is exposed unlike Redmayne who has the make up to hide behind.
Instead of being about Lile this film for me is more about the love of his wife who will do anything to make her husband happy. Even if that means losing him in the process.
8 out of 10
The scarf joke was the most I've laughed in a cinema for years though.
I lasted 25mins of the first one and took it back straight away and said I want another film. They did.
Id rather lick one of my own bollox than watch a 2nd one.
Solid.
I liked the story.
I liked Ryan Reynolds as deadpool/Wade Wilson.
I love the constant ribbing of the Wolverine films.
I thought Morena Baccarin was quite enjoyable...
And I found the (non overly americanised) jokes thoroughly entertaining.
For a film that had budget cut after budget cut after budget cut it did a very good job.
8.5/10
The point 5 is for the typical Stan Lee appearance.
Just been to see Sing Street, which was excellent -teenage angst and music set in Dublin in the mid 80s, a kind of fluffier version of The Commitments. Written by John Carney of Once fame. Funny and sometimes poignant, very well - observed.
Last night we saw Miles Ahead, Don Cheadle's directorial debut and he also plays the lead, Miles Davis, with Ewan Macgregor as himself, I mean a Scottish Rolling Stone journo. I knew little of the true story and there is some poetic license but also very enjoyable overall.
The Rack Pack is right up my street. I was big into snooker in the 80's and 90's . At the time when the sport was massive and it had some larger than life personalities. None larger than the focus of this film , Alex "Hurricane " Higgins.
I never liked Higgins very much back then because being from Plumstead I was a big Davis fan . This BBC film doesn't sugar coat Higgins at all. it's quite brutal in it's portrayal and because of that I have to compliment the director Brian Welsh .
Probably the most impressive thing about this is the casting. Luke Treadaway is great as Higgins ( the accent strays a little at times) as is Will Merrick as Steve Davis but the inspirational piece of casting is Kevin Bishop as Barry Hearn. Bishop got Hearn down to a T.
I absolutely loved this film and if the BBC keep producing dramas like this they can have no complaints from me about the licence fee.
9 out of 10