Watched, Confess Fletch, last night. Really enjoyed it. It's not a masterpiece but comedy is good and the story isn't that bad.
Jon Ham did a great job portraying Fletch.
Agreed. I thought Hamm nailed the character's smartass humor and brought his own style to the role without trying to emulate Chevy Chase. And the story was an enjoyable, quick-paced whodunit. Hopefully they'll get to make at least one more of these flicks with Hamm in the role.
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Along Came Polly was obviously not the greatest movie but PSH managed to elevate a mediocre (at best) comedy. The guy absolutely steals every scene and has forever made me want to make the throat clearing noise every single damn time I need to present something in a meeting:
“Let it rain!!!”
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I watched The Whale tonight, and I'm a little torn about it. On the one hand the things it has to say about religion, forgiveness and absolution are so incredibly overt and facile I came away feeling very cynical. It felt very much like "awards bait", and it most definitely is that.
On the other hand Brendan Fraser really, truly does give a stupendous performance, and ought to be commended for it. I felt the same way about Joaquin Phoenix's performance in Joker: patently obvious awards fodder, but still utterly deserving of the praise. I felt very much like I did after Joker in that while it was a great performance it was a film that I didn't really ever want to see again.
I've read a few reviews since I got home; seems quite mixed not just in the overall response but in the criticism, in that critics who don't like it seem to not like it for a variety of reasons. I find that interesting. Some are quite disdainful of the film's portrayal of obesity, accusing Aronofsky of "fatshaming" and "fatphobia"; I think the point of the plot sailed right over these critics' heads. The character is slowly but surely killing himself: he wants to die. It's not a "lifestyle" that this movie celebrates, inasmuch as it wouldn't celebrate a "cutter" or a "pill-popper".
I was more surprised that Sadie Sink's performance had mixed reviews, I thought she did a fine job. A reviewer from the Globe & Mail said "Sink turns her petulant teenager into someone impossibly shrill and embarrassing to stomach." No ####, Sherlock: you ever been around a teenage girl? They often are "impossibly shrill and embarrassing to stomach." Of course she's petulant: she's a teenager!
That criticism in particular just seemed so ridiculous when I read it, especially given I had a gaggle of teenage girls sat in the row behind me at the showing I went to. While the first 20 minutes or so kept their attention by the half-hour mark whispering and giggling ensued. You wanna talk about petulant? One had the temerity to dangle her feet over the back of the chair about three seats to my left and kick them about, and I was ---->| |<----- this close to losing my #### on her, but fortunately a particularly emotional scene began and put an end to it. By about halfway through one of the group was quietly sobbing, and definitely had a tough time turning the waterworks off throughout the rest of the movie. She got a brief chuckle out of me when a couple of her friends were softly chattering and she quietly, curtly told them "Shut up!". She was a mess at the end, while most of her friends seemed to think it was funny this movie got such a reaction out of her. I didn't say anything to her, but if she ever reads this forum and deduces I was the fella in the row in front: good on ya kid, for letting a movie make you feel feelings and not being "too cool" to show it like your friends.
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Late to the party here but just watched In Bruges for the first time. Really enjoyed it, although was different than I thought. I thought it’d have a bit more humour (not to say it doesn’t I definitely had some good laughs). Figured it’d be more Guy Ritchie style, but still liked it a lot. Recommend.
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Ambulance is terrible. Ridiculous premise, stupid plot, cringe-worthy dialogue, and Gyllenhaal's worst performance that I've ever seen. I tried my best to power through but turned it off an hour in, which was far more time than I should have committed.
Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are overall shockingly positive.
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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. I love power.
IMO, the strongest Marvel movie post-Endgame. Toughest part about these movies are developing a good villain (while growing the legacy characters) and they did that here but I thought the actor lacked the chops to pull it off completely.
Avatar 2
I went in fairly skeptical being the first was a fairly mediocre story with nice visuals. I also despise 3D. But this is an absolute in-theatre blockbuster spectacle. Took over a decade to get this done and visually, I can see why. Sometimes it felt more like a glorified tech demo but my god what a tech demo it was.
The story was fine. Probably, at best, in the range of your average Marvel film. But you're paying money to SEE it and it's a technological/visual achievement.
Finally watched Three Thousand Years of Longing. I quite liked it, was different than the usual fare. The story and ending felt a bit safe though, I don't think it matches what they were reaching for but it looks amazing and I really appreciate the attempt.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
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Watched Glass Onion last night. Loved it from start to finish. Great casting, scenery, performances and storyline. My personal hot take is that it's the best film of the year. Highly recommend it.
Spoiler!
Best line of the film was near the end when Daniel Craig is smoking his cigar with the stoner, watching the fireworks and chuckles out "Disruption". Epic!
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The Banshees of Inisherin is highly recommended. fantastic acting all around. Gleeson and Farrell are fantastic as are Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. Very funny but also sad and tragic. Probably not for everyone but I really enjoyed it.
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Watched White Noise last night on Netflix. I really enjoyed it though this movie is not for everyone. There was definitely a lot of homages to 1980s action/fantasy movies, which I loved, especially during the Airborne Toxic Event Chapter. Thought it did well to capture the consumer obsessed culture of the era as well with the supermarket scenes highlighted as a rainbow of colors. It's also just a movie that looks like an 80s movie as well which I really enjoyed. It is far from a perfect movie, somewhat disjointed at times, but I walked away entertained.
Also recently watched the Glass Onion. I don't share the same level of enthusiasm for the movie as others, I won't dissect it too much as I just think Rian Johnson's style just isn't for me.
The Menu was really entertaining, funny, thrilling, terrifying and just a compelling watch. Ralph Fiennes is, as usual, incredible. It does a good job of skewering the world of fine dining and the people and culture in its orbit. I recommend.
I must have a personal dislike for murder mysteries, Knives Out was one of the worst films I've seen in years and I have no desire to see Glass Onion. The entire genre is so tired, maybe it was exciting 100 years ago when Agatha Christie was popular but these types of stories are so over convoluted, contrived and forced.
Watched Lightyear and was pretty disappointed, though I can't really tell why. Maybe the overall plot was just too vanilla for Pixar, but really that hasn't stopped them before (i.e. Cars' plot wasn't anything special).
It felt more like an actual kids movie.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
The Banshees of Inisherin is highly recommended. fantastic acting all around. Gleeson and Farrell are fantastic as are Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. Very funny but also sad and tragic. Probably not for everyone but I really enjoyed it.
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Best movie I have seen in quite some time.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
Watched White Noise last night on Netflix. I really enjoyed it though this movie is not for everyone. There was definitely a lot of homages to 1980s action/fantasy movies, which I loved, especially during the Airborne Toxic Event Chapter. Thought it did well to capture the consumer obsessed culture of the era as well with the supermarket scenes highlighted as a rainbow of colors. It's also just a movie that looks like an 80s movie as well which I really enjoyed. It is far from a perfect movie, somewhat disjointed at times, but I walked away entertained.
I enjoyed it too. Lots of commentary and metaphor. Maybe a bit too much, but overall I liked it. Interesting use of the Supermarket for sure.
__________________ I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love." - John Steinbeck
My wife’s favourite movie of all time is ‘Gladiator’. I saw that my local cinema was showing it today, so I took her and my 17 year old son to see it this evening as a treat.
My son was blown away by what a fantastic movie it is.
Edit: also watched in the cinema over Christmas - ‘Elf’ and ‘Its a Wonderful Life’.
Last edited by Barnet Flame; 01-01-2023 at 04:18 PM.
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Finally got out to see "The Fabelmans", basically an autobiographical story about Steven Spielberg directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Paul Dano and Michelle Williams, yeah, I'm gonna see that. Judd Hirsch is incredible if only in a few short scenes.
A bit of a tribute to his parents who he loved in spite of their imperfections but mostly a tribute to becoming an artist and what that requires. It's not perfect but I liked it quite a bit.
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