I do like the fact there's a popular movie about the future of humanity that doesn't feel the need to fill every other scene with masses of space lasers and explosions. (well, apart from 2001)
There are some very touching scenes in this, and I like the overall premise, but towards the end, the whole thing starts to feel very hammy and preposterous. There's a lot of Chekov's gun action going on here, mysterious plot points that get forgotten and magically fix everything at a later point.
I particularly liked the use of time dilation as a plot device. It made sense, it was clever, it's mostly accurate scientifically, and I definitely haven't seen it done as well as this before.
It's a good, but flawed, movie, which is sad because Nolan is obviously capable of better.
I put this on at Christmas the other year. My mother was reading on her Kindle for the majority of it, and at the end raised her head and said "well, that was cheerful".
I'm a big fan of The Muppets, but mostly when they're mucking around doing ridiculous things rather than acting all gooey and emotional, as the last film seemed to focus on.
Thankfully, this film focuses on the former rather than the latter - this is an extremely silly caper film, and better for it. It's just wall-to-wall jokes, with scarcely a breath until the next one. Constantine's Russian accent, in particular, never failed to make me laugh.
One of the nice things about watching a Wes Anderson movie is I can be pretty sure I'm going to enjoy it.
Wes puts his trademark cinematography to hard work here - every scene looks perfectly, intricately laid out. Just like I imagine The Grand Budapest would be in real life, every shot of this movie feels expensive.
Ralph Fiennes is obviously the standout in the cast - the script is well-written but he brings it to life, proving he can work well as a comedic talent. A favourite scene is
in the confession box screaming about how the entire ordeal has been a nightmare
. Adrian Brody is excellent too, there's not nearly enough of his character.
So yes, another fine Wes Anderson picture. He seems to be moving from cult hero to becoming genuinely famous now, which is something that can only be encouraged.
Seemingly beginning as a man's series of minute daily observations rather than a cohesive story, this evolves into an analysis on the nature of memory, mental illness and mortality. Occasionally upsetting, often extremely funny, how Don Hertzfeld explores both the macro and the micro simultaneously with such skill is beyond me. An instant favourite as soon as I first saw it.
Poor fare. Very cheesy, very reliant on special effects over genuine emotion, and lacks any feeling that there's a world outside the one which you see rendered in front of you. It just all reeks of artifice.
The one highlight is Tilda Swinton hamming it up as the Ice Queen, but even she can't save this.
This film seems to be relatively disliked because it doesn't contain as much action as the other films, which is a shame, because it's probably the best of the lot so far. There's a lot of subtle commentary on the power of propaganda, and the reality of revolutions. This isn't about a war of firepower, so much as it is a war of mindshare, and it's far more interesting and unique for it.
It's refreshing to see a movie aimed at young adults which has the balls to take on these kind of topics, but I have a sad feeling it'll be punished for it.
Saw this in a live Q&A session with Lawrence and Paul Kelly at the Tricycle in Kilburn some years ago.
This is very much about Lawrence in his current state and the immediate past, and he strikes a tragic figure. There's something of I'm Alan Partridge or This is Spinal Tap about this - he's simultaneously obsessed with fame yet clearly past his best days.
It's a good documentary, though I fear anyone who isn't into 80s indie music may find it hard to penetrate, whereas those who are may be disappointed there isn't more about the height of Lawrence's fame.
Pleasantly surprised by this. Some pretty standard horror tropes (oooooh a haunted mirror!), but a focus on the psychological terror - especially the disconnect between reality and illusion - seem inspired by Philip K Dick.
The best bit of this movie is definitely the mid point, where the antagonist starts to flex its powers in subtle but terrifying ways. The point where the characters rewatch the tapes sent chills right down my spine. Sadly, it starts to get a bit silly by the end - but it's a solid concept and there's some deft execution here.
Deeply immersive, thoughtful, and terrifying. Definitely not for everyone - there is little to no exposition, you're meant to figure out the plot by inference only.
The original book was mostly about vegetarianism, but this is far more about the nature of being a human (and how others would view us), and some subtle observations on misogyny and 'lad' culture.
Given the incredible visuals and great use of sound, this is probably best watched in a cinema!
My first Woody Allen, picked it up from the movie rental store just because I thought I should check him out, and I was blown away. It's funny, thoughtful, and genuinely romantic. Allen also pulls no punches about showing the realities of relationships - there's no creepy grand gestures or statements about being "the one". This is about two people, not typically suited for one another, who start off fond of one another but end up growing apart.
There's also that opening monologue, which always sends a chill down my spine. http://youtu.be/SFu8JRlYGO4
Comments 1 - 11 of 11
Movie comment on Interstellar
burythehammer
I do like the fact there's a popular movie about the future of humanity that doesn't feel the need to fill every other scene with masses of space lasers and explosions. (well, apart from 2001)There are some very touching scenes in this, and I like the overall premise, but towards the end, the whole thing starts to feel very hammy and preposterous. There's a lot of Chekov's gun action going on here, mysterious plot points that get forgotten and magically fix everything at a later point.
I particularly liked the use of time dilation as a plot device. It made sense, it was clever, it's mostly accurate scientifically, and I definitely haven't seen it done as well as this before.
It's a good, but flawed, movie, which is sad because Nolan is obviously capable of better.
Movie comment on 21 Grams
burythehammer
I put this on at Christmas the other year. My mother was reading on her Kindle for the majority of it, and at the end raised her head and said "well, that was cheerful".Movie comment on Muppets Most Wanted
burythehammer
I'm a big fan of The Muppets, but mostly when they're mucking around doing ridiculous things rather than acting all gooey and emotional, as the last film seemed to focus on.Thankfully, this film focuses on the former rather than the latter - this is an extremely silly caper film, and better for it. It's just wall-to-wall jokes, with scarcely a breath until the next one. Constantine's Russian accent, in particular, never failed to make me laugh.
Movie comment on The Grand Budapest Hotel
burythehammer
One of the nice things about watching a Wes Anderson movie is I can be pretty sure I'm going to enjoy it.Wes puts his trademark cinematography to hard work here - every scene looks perfectly, intricately laid out. Just like I imagine The Grand Budapest would be in real life, every shot of this movie feels expensive.
Ralph Fiennes is obviously the standout in the cast - the script is well-written but he brings it to life, proving he can work well as a comedic talent. A favourite scene is
So yes, another fine Wes Anderson picture. He seems to be moving from cult hero to becoming genuinely famous now, which is something that can only be encouraged.
Movie comment on It's Such a Beautiful Day
burythehammer
Seemingly beginning as a man's series of minute daily observations rather than a cohesive story, this evolves into an analysis on the nature of memory, mental illness and mortality. Occasionally upsetting, often extremely funny, how Don Hertzfeld explores both the macro and the micro simultaneously with such skill is beyond me. An instant favourite as soon as I first saw it.Movie comment on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
burythehammer
Poor fare. Very cheesy, very reliant on special effects over genuine emotion, and lacks any feeling that there's a world outside the one which you see rendered in front of you. It just all reeks of artifice.The one highlight is Tilda Swinton hamming it up as the Ice Queen, but even she can't save this.
Movie comment on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
burythehammer
This film seems to be relatively disliked because it doesn't contain as much action as the other films, which is a shame, because it's probably the best of the lot so far. There's a lot of subtle commentary on the power of propaganda, and the reality of revolutions. This isn't about a war of firepower, so much as it is a war of mindshare, and it's far more interesting and unique for it.It's refreshing to see a movie aimed at young adults which has the balls to take on these kind of topics, but I have a sad feeling it'll be punished for it.
Movie comment on Lawrence of Belgravia
burythehammer
Saw this in a live Q&A session with Lawrence and Paul Kelly at the Tricycle in Kilburn some years ago.This is very much about Lawrence in his current state and the immediate past, and he strikes a tragic figure. There's something of I'm Alan Partridge or This is Spinal Tap about this - he's simultaneously obsessed with fame yet clearly past his best days.
It's a good documentary, though I fear anyone who isn't into 80s indie music may find it hard to penetrate, whereas those who are may be disappointed there isn't more about the height of Lawrence's fame.
Movie comment on Oculus
burythehammer
Pleasantly surprised by this. Some pretty standard horror tropes (oooooh a haunted mirror!), but a focus on the psychological terror - especially the disconnect between reality and illusion - seem inspired by Philip K Dick.The best bit of this movie is definitely the mid point, where the antagonist starts to flex its powers in subtle but terrifying ways. The point where the characters rewatch the tapes sent chills right down my spine. Sadly, it starts to get a bit silly by the end - but it's a solid concept and there's some deft execution here.
Movie comment on Under the Skin
burythehammer
Deeply immersive, thoughtful, and terrifying. Definitely not for everyone - there is little to no exposition, you're meant to figure out the plot by inference only.The original book was mostly about vegetarianism, but this is far more about the nature of being a human (and how others would view us), and some subtle observations on misogyny and 'lad' culture.
Given the incredible visuals and great use of sound, this is probably best watched in a cinema!
Movie comment on Annie Hall
burythehammer
My first Woody Allen, picked it up from the movie rental store just because I thought I should check him out, and I was blown away. It's funny, thoughtful, and genuinely romantic. Allen also pulls no punches about showing the realities of relationships - there's no creepy grand gestures or statements about being "the one". This is about two people, not typically suited for one another, who start off fond of one another but end up growing apart.There's also that opening monologue, which always sends a chill down my spine. http://youtu.be/SFu8JRlYGO4