Thanks to @Bigbadbozman for recommending this film. Not only was this right up my street it was one of the best films I have seen this year. Nominated at the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year this is the story of a group of young German soldiers held as prisoners at the end of the war , who are ordered to dig up and disarm all of the Nazi land mines remaining on the west coast of Denmark. A Danish sergeant watches over the effort as the untrained soldiers attempt to complete their extremely dangerous punishment. It's probably not the best description to describe what I felt about this film but I really was was blown away. I has no idea about this part of World war II history and that the Germans planted over 1.2 million mines because they though the allies would land via Denmark and not France. This is beautifully written and filmed by Director Pieter Zandvliet and the acting from the group of young German actors is stunning. Sometimes moments of silence says more than words can and the silent moments say everything in this film wether it be when they are unarming the mines or when they are in fear of the sergeant. It's a very sad story that I'm sure the Danes are not proud of but I'm so glad it was told with such expertise. Land of mine is available on Amazon.
Thanks to @Bigbadbozman for recommending this film. Not only was this right up my street it was one of the best films I have seen this year. Nominated at the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year this is the story of a group of young German soldiers held as prisoners at the end of the war , who are ordered to dig up and disarm all of the Nazi land mines remaining on the west coast of Denmark. A Danish sergeant watches over the effort as the untrained soldiers attempt to complete their extremely dangerous punishment. It's probably not the best description to describe what I felt about this film but I really was was blown away. I has no idea about this part of World war II history and that the Germans planted over 1.2 million mines because they though the allies would land via Denmark and not France. This is beautifully written and filmed by Director Pieter Zandvliet and the acting from the group of young German actors is stunning. Sometimes moments of silence says more than words can and the silent moments say everything in this film wether it be when they are unarming the mines or when they are in fear of the sergeant. It's a very sad story that I'm sure the Danes are not proud of but I'm so glad it was told with such expertise. Land of mine is available on Amazon.
The Snowman. Strange euro film set in Norway, with British and American actors playing Norweigans, ala Branagh in Wallander (albeit that was Sweden). Not much wrong with the story or indeed the acting by a very recognisable cast including Michael Fassbender and Rebecca Ferguson....the least to be said about the Val Kilmer cameo (what on earth is/was wrong with him). The editing was a bit off making continuity a bit puzzling at times, but apart from that the story would have made a good film, but this missed the mark somehow. 5/10
I've actually had this film on my planner for a while and have been putting it off for some reason. Maybe a gut feeling that this was going to be lame. I should listen to me gut.. This is the story of Father and son coroners who must perform an immediate autopsy on a "Jane Doe" corpse found in the basement of a home where a family was killed. However, they are attacked by supernatural forces as they examine the extent of her injuries. If you like your gore in a horror film then you might just like this but its just the gore from the autopsy and there is very little horror to speak of. The story is just silly and it's pretty easy to predict what is going to happen next because it's just so formulaic as a lot of horror movies are. If it wasn't for Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch , who hold this film together , this would be a total disaster but thankfully they are quite watchable but it's still not enough for me give this any kind of recommendation.
Only the Dead 2015. Story of Michael Ware an Aussie journalist covering the Iraq war, the most powerful, brutal and graphic film I have ever seen. Seriously not one for the faint hearted as the saying goes, some things cannot be unseen
Bright. Was surprised how good this film was and probably warrants a Bright 2.....its weird, its funny, its brutal, but overall its very good indeed. 7.5/10....look out especially for the Will Smith and fairy scene.
What Happened to Monday. Another excellent Netflix film starring Noomi Rapace playing 7 sisters (not quite to the quality of Tatiana Masiany in Orphan Black, but still very good). Netflix dont hold back on violent scenes and a bit of gore so be prepared. 6/10
Bladerunner 2049. The Murky setting of the future recaptured in this film which was a bit hard to follow in parts but becomes clear towards the end. Excellent casting as youd expect and equally as moody as the first one. 7/10
Well 2017 was a pretty good year for films overall, but Id say the best film overall film for me was.......
"Wind River".
I doubt it will do well at the oscars due to it being tainted by events in the media regarding the producer. However, the story, the actors and acting couldn't be faulted and for that reason its my pick of the year.
Lots of genuine rotten tomatoes and a few disappointments, but overall a good year for film in general.
There was only one non-animated, non-sequel/ prequel/ reboot movie in the top 25 worldwide box office - Dunkirk!
Wow, that definitely tells its own story....you've now got me looking forward to Mays release of Dunkirk II, the one where Winston squeezes some green milk out of Adolf's titties....
Wind River is right there on my 'must watch' list. Land of Mine has joined it. I don't get to see a lot of adult films. Dunkirk was good, murder on the orient express was okay and I liked The Death of Stalin and Baby Driver. At the other end of the scale, Star Wars was dull, and the Emoji movie and Pitch Perfect 3 were unspeakable.
My favourite films of the year are Get Out , Logan , Dunkirk , Killing of a sacred deer and Land of Mine . Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and Jawbone were pretty good also.
Hard to pick a movie of the year. Wind River was up there, Detroit as well.
Blade Runner was probably my blockbuster pick - it was magnificent to see on the big screen.
Thelma was my favourite foreign movie, although I didn't see too many this year.
As for Bright - I thought it was an interesting world that's worth exploring again, but the last act was so generic I was really quite disappointed.
There was only one non-animated, non-sequel/ prequel/ reboot movie in the top 25 worldwide box office - Dunkirk!
I really hoped that the bit I think your referring to was going to end differently. It was probably my only disappointment - also the film reminded me of Fifth Element at times.
Detroit. Hard to watch at times, but a really well made no nonsense gritty film based upon the riots in Detroit in 1967 and no flowery Hollywood ending or over sentimentality...just told as it was. 8/10 and my second best film of 2017.
Stronger.....another film based upon a true story, but sadly the story teller decided to go full on "God Bless America" on us and it really ruined what could have been a better told story. 4/10
I decided to watch The Salesman when I found out that it beat the brilliant Land of Mine to best film in a foreign language at last years Oscars. Was it as good as Land of Mine ? well maybe not quite but I'm really pleased I watched it. It's the story of a couple are forced to leave their collapsing apartment building, when a friend offers them a flat to live in but he doesn't tell them this it was formerly inhabited by a prostitute. While home alone at night and taking a shower, the wife is attacked, and has difficulty coping with the aftermath. This is a film set in Iran but it could be set anywhere. The people in this film are just like you and me and although there are cultural difference you wouldn't really know it in this film. Writer and director Asghar Farhadi has made thought provoking film about disgrace , revenge , and pride and the cast do him proud. The Salesman is available on Amazon.
Unlocked. Another Noomi Rapace film, she was a busy girl in 2017. In this one she plays a sleeping CIA agent racked with guilt over a terrorist attack in Paris. Lots of twists and turns with cameos from the excellent John Malkovich, Michael Douglas and Orlando Bloom. Shot mostly in London tinged the film in nostalgia for me, but it was indeed a good film albeit (as with most films these days) a bit predictable in places. A solid 7/10 from me...worth a look.
If there was ever any doubt that Netflix was a big player in the movie industry it's been confirmed with this big budget film and I for one am pleased they are because if the future of film watching is the latest blockbusters being streamed to your home instead of horrible cinema experience then bring it on! Set in an alternate present-day where humans, orcs, elves and fairies have been coexisting since the beginning of time, this follows two cops from very different backgrounds. Ward, a human and Jakoby, an orc , embark on a routine night patrol that will alter the future of their world as they know it. The first thing you notice about this film is how great it looks. The make up and special affects really are stunning. The second is how old Will Smith is looking. The film itself is pretty good. I'm not a big lover of fantasy movies but because this is set in a modern day, gritty world it feels more relative. I did prefer the first half where we follow the cops and they experience the prejudices amongst the public and their own colleagues more than the second half which is where the fantasy action goes into overdrive. Bright feels like a a cross between the 1988 film Alien Nation and the Underworld series of movies. If I had to criticise it , I would say it has too many clichés that get a little corny after a while but overall I enjoyed it.
Like Netflix a lot, but love going to the pictures more. As an over 60 (you'd never guess of course) I get to be a member of the Picturehouse Silver Screen Club. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I get to see a movie with free coffee (or tea) and biscuits for £6.50
I go at least once a week. The last film I saw there was The Death of Stalin which I really enjoyed. 8/10
It helps to be able to walk to the cinema (it's just across Clapham Common from me). Helps to get me out of the house in all weathers.
Watched Bright yesterday with Mrs D. Completely crazy movie that made some good points about prejudice and racism. 7/10
I'm waiting for the next series of Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime. Should be out sometime in the new year I think?
I’d go to the cinema more often I I had a decent independent one near me . The closest is Cambridge which is 45 minutes away . Sadly I have to put up with the usual multiplexes who show the same film ( usually Marvel or DC ) on half of the screens and think it’s a good idea to sell Nachos to customers to crunch during a film . The people running these places have no idea .
Not sure where abouts in Beds you live @Bedsaddick, but I'm in south Beds and my nearest cinema is actually great independent one in Letchworth (The Broadway), would definitely recommend it!
City of Ghosts is a documentary feature film that goes behind enemy lines in Syria to follow the citizen journalist collective Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently as they attempt to expose the human rights violations by ISIS and fight the terrorist group's misinformation campaigns in their home country. This group of people face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile, risking their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today I was putting off watching this documentary because I wasn't sure the extent of barbarism that was going to be shown on screen and when you think about it that is ridiculous. We should all see what is happening in Syria but sadly most of us turn a blind eye to what it happening. As it happens this film isn't too graphic. It doesn't show the ISIS videos of beheadings or anything like that instead it focuses on this amazing group of people. What I find incredibly sad is that not only are friends and family of this group dying all the time but when some of them escape to Europe to continue their online fight with ISIS , they are treated like lepers by far right wing groups. The documentary itself does fall off a bit in the last third and is a little bit self congratulatory but to be honest these people deserve all the credit they might get.
If there was ever any doubt that Netflix was a big player in the movie industry it's been confirmed with this big budget film and I for one am pleased they are because if the future of film watching is the latest blockbusters being streamed to your home instead of horrible cinema experience then bring it on! Set in an alternate present-day where humans, orcs, elves and fairies have been coexisting since the beginning of time, this follows two cops from very different backgrounds. Ward, a human and Jakoby, an orc , embark on a routine night patrol that will alter the future of their world as they know it. The first thing you notice about this film is how great it looks. The make up and special affects really are stunning. The second is how old Will Smith is looking. The film itself is pretty good. I'm not a big lover of fantasy movies but because this is set in a modern day, gritty world it feels more relative. I did prefer the first half where we follow the cops and they experience the prejudices amongst the public and their own colleagues more than the second half which is where the fantasy action goes into overdrive. Bright feels like a a cross between the 1988 film Alien Nation and the Underworld series of movies. If I had to criticise it , I would say it has too many clichés that get a little corny after a while but overall I enjoyed it.
Like Netflix a lot, but love going to the pictures more. As an over 60 (you'd never guess of course) I get to be a member of the Picturehouse Silver Screen Club. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I get to see a movie with free coffee (or tea) and biscuits for £6.50
I go at least once a week. The last film I saw there was The Death of Stalin which I really enjoyed. 8/10
It helps to be able to walk to the cinema (it's just across Clapham Common from me). Helps to get me out of the house in all weathers.
Watched Bright yesterday with Mrs D. Completely crazy movie that made some good points about prejudice and racism. 7/10
I'm waiting for the next series of Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime. Should be out sometime in the new year I think?
I’d go to the cinema more often I I had a decent independent one near me . The closest is Cambridge which is 45 minutes away . Sadly I have to put up with the usual multiplexes who show the same film ( usually Marvel or DC ) on half of the screens and think it’s a good idea to sell Nachos to customers to crunch during a film . The people running these places have no idea .
Not sure where abouts in Beds you live @Bedsaddick, but I'm in south Beds and my nearest cinema is actually great independent one in Letchworth (The Broadway), would definitely recommend it!
I'm in Biggleswade and yes I've been to The Broadway before . While it is a nice cinema and has lots of character it still doesn't show that many independent small films and why should they because they need to make money.
Just watched The Man with the Iron Heart on Netflix. British made about 2 Czech resistance fighters parachuting in to Prague to kill a senior ss commander, who under Himmler lead The Final Solution purge against Europe's Jews.
Very good with another excellent performance from Jack O Connell. Some horrible gut wrenching scenes of Nazi extermination behaviour.
Comments
Land of mine
Thanks to @Bigbadbozman for recommending this film. Not only was this right up my street it was one of the best films I have seen this year. Nominated at the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year this is the story of a group of young German soldiers held as prisoners at the end of the war , who are ordered to dig up and disarm all of the Nazi land mines remaining on the west coast of Denmark. A Danish sergeant watches over the effort as the untrained soldiers attempt to complete their extremely dangerous punishment.
It's probably not the best description to describe what I felt about this film but I really was was blown away.
I has no idea about this part of World war II history and that the Germans planted over 1.2 million mines because they though the allies would land via Denmark and not France.
This is beautifully written and filmed by Director Pieter Zandvliet and the acting from the group of young German actors is stunning.
Sometimes moments of silence says more than words can and the silent moments say everything in this film wether it be when they are unarming the mines or when they are in fear of the sergeant.
It's a very sad story that I'm sure the Danes are not proud of but I'm so glad it was told with such expertise.
Land of mine is available on Amazon.
9 out of 10
The editing was a bit off making continuity a bit puzzling at times, but apart from that the story would have made a good film, but this missed the mark somehow. 5/10
Also had an extra disc with nearly two hours of extras which is one of the best ‘extras’ discs I have seen.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
I've actually had this film on my planner for a while and have been putting it off for some reason. Maybe a gut feeling that this was going to be lame. I should listen to me gut..
This is the story of Father and son coroners who must perform an immediate autopsy on a "Jane Doe" corpse found in the basement of a home where a family was killed. However, they are attacked by supernatural forces as they examine the extent of her injuries.
If you like your gore in a horror film then you might just like this but its just the gore from the autopsy and there is very little horror to speak of. The story is just silly and it's pretty easy to predict what is going to happen next because it's just so formulaic as a lot of horror movies are.
If it wasn't for Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch , who hold this film together , this would be a total disaster but thankfully they are quite watchable but it's still not enough for me give this any kind of recommendation.
4 out of 10
Utter shite,
"Wind River".
I doubt it will do well at the oscars due to it being tainted by events in the media regarding the producer. However, the story, the actors and acting couldn't be faulted and for that reason its my pick of the year.
Lots of genuine rotten tomatoes and a few disappointments, but overall a good year for film in general.
Blade Runner was probably my blockbuster pick - it was magnificent to see on the big screen.
Thelma was my favourite foreign movie, although I didn't see too many this year.
As for Bright - I thought it was an interesting world that's worth exploring again, but the last act was so generic I was really quite disappointed.
There was only one non-animated, non-sequel/ prequel/ reboot movie in the top 25 worldwide box office - Dunkirk!
At the other end of the scale, Star Wars was dull, and the Emoji movie and Pitch Perfect 3 were unspeakable.
I so have to see Wind River now.
The Salesman
I decided to watch The Salesman when I found out that it beat the brilliant Land of Mine to best film in a foreign language at last years Oscars. Was it as good as Land of Mine ? well maybe not quite but I'm really pleased I watched it.
It's the story of a couple are forced to leave their collapsing apartment building, when a friend offers them a flat to live in but he doesn't tell them this it was formerly inhabited by a prostitute. While home alone at night and taking a shower, the wife is attacked, and has difficulty coping with the aftermath.
This is a film set in Iran but it could be set anywhere. The people in this film are just like you and me and although there are cultural difference you wouldn't really know it in this film.
Writer and director Asghar Farhadi has made thought provoking film about disgrace , revenge , and pride and the cast do him proud.
The Salesman is available on Amazon.
8 out of 10
City of Ghosts
City of Ghosts is a documentary feature film that goes behind enemy lines in Syria to follow the citizen journalist collective Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently as they attempt to expose the human rights violations by ISIS and fight the terrorist group's misinformation campaigns in their home country. This group of people face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile, risking their lives to stand up against one of the greatest evils in the world today
I was putting off watching this documentary because I wasn't sure the extent of barbarism that was going to be shown on screen and when you think about it that is ridiculous. We should all see what is happening in Syria but sadly most of us turn a blind eye to what it happening.
As it happens this film isn't too graphic. It doesn't show the ISIS videos of beheadings or anything like that instead it focuses on this amazing group of people.
What I find incredibly sad is that not only are friends and family of this group dying all the time but when some of them escape to Europe to continue their online fight with ISIS , they are treated like lepers by far right wing groups.
The documentary itself does fall off a bit in the last third and is a little bit self congratulatory but to be honest these people deserve all the credit they might get.
7 out of 10
Very good with another excellent performance from Jack O Connell. Some horrible gut wrenching scenes of Nazi extermination behaviour.