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Miller's Girl - (2024)

Almost fell asleep halfway through. Aside from Jenna Ortega, there's little to like here. 5/10
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from what i've seen from Jared Masters, when he's trying to make something goony it never actually feels like it but unfortunately this one does come off as kind of gross. has a bit of charm in spots but nah this ain't it.



Vice (2018)


This is my first time seeing this since many of the reviews from when the original movie came out seemed very lukewarm, and my opinion of it is similar. Kudos to Bale for trying to become Dick Cheney, but I found nearly all of the acting to be subpar. There is a story to be told here, but I don't think McKay and his style worked well for this (I actually only liked Big Short by him now that I think of it).





Powerful movie that still holds up after several viewings. My favorite kind of movie: a woman on a journey.



Good movie. Ralph Fiennes excellent as he always is.
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The last movie I saw was Venom: The Last Dance. Sony's live action movie Venom Three wasn't bad, but it had pacing issues. In my opinion, highlight moments of Sony's Venom Three movie was seeing Marvel's Sadie and the Payback symbiote.



Vice (2018)


This is my first time seeing this since many of the reviews from when the original movie came out seemed very lukewarm, and my opinion of it is similar. Kudos to Bale for trying to become Dick Cheney, but I found nearly all of the acting to be subpar. There is a story to be told here, but I don't think McKay and his style worked well for this (I actually only liked Big Short by him now that I think of it).
I thought Bale was amazing in this and was robbed of a Best Actor Oscar. JMO.



4:44: The Last Day on Earth (2011)... the sam year as Melancholia, Ferrara made the saddest hangout movie. It's minor but effective, considering all he has going for him here, which is Willem Dafoe (Abel's avatar in his own films?) and a bunch of other actors, f*cking and fighting and loving and awaiting the end of the world. Doesn't say much beyond "cherish the moments you have with those you care about" but it's nakedness appealed to me. The world is broken, you're part of it, and eastern philosephy might make your last hours more bearable.

He doesn't want to over-complicate things in the least, but I can sense sincerity here... generous 6/10.




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Nickel Boys (2024) I have mixed feelings about this film. I respect what they are trying to achieve with the first person point of view, but sadly it didn't work for me. It didn't feel organic or natural and I found it distracting. It took away from the story and the actors performances. The performances were good, but I couldn't fully connect with the characters. There are some beautiful shots and powerful moments, but the film felt too long and much of it wasn't as effective or as engaging as it should have been.



Siberia (2020)... Now this one just ran through me. I should dig what Ferrara is doing here (a man in total isolation remembers his past and regrets) but it's a prime opposition of the "show. don't tell." rule in cinema (we're told he loved his family, we're told he had to leave etc.) and thus is robbed of much of the weight that it could have. I think of Bergman's Wild Strawberries (1957) but there the protagonist had actual conversations and encounters with real people (one of them being his daughter in law, if I'm not mistaken); whereas Ferrara's character not only has left his past life behind, he's cut off from life in an icy landscape where he has nobody to talk to and all he can do is to see visions... Maybe there's comfort at the end in this film but I was so unengaged throughout that I didn't care. Might give it a revisit in the future since it leaves one in some kind of a mood..... A generous 5/10 for now.




Captain Fantastic (2016)



The title can be read in different ways and I guess that's what the story is all about, but at least it's appropriate for a The Incredibles family in the wilderness.

It starts with a healthy, resourceful family being relatively happy in their outlook on life and human's place in the world but since I didn't even know what kind of film it would be I could only cautiously root for this situation.
The clash of societies shows the pros and cons on both sides but I never got the impression that the film wanted me to agree or disagree with the story or its characters.
The real strength of Captain Fantastic is in its confident and uncompromising narrative, just like the Cash family itself.
There are lots of charming moments but these are counterbalanced by awkwardness especially the parts about the mother. They're eccentric but it doesn't really feel that way because they play it straight.

The whole cast is terrific, no need to pick a favourite, and Viggo wears some truly hideous outfits except when he isn't wearing anything.
Funniest scene:
she said "interesting!"
.






The Girl with the Needle
I was familiar with the case it's based on, but even going in with eyes wide open, this was difficult to watch. The B&W photography is a wonder and its overall well crafted, just very, very harsh, though not without nuance.

At MUBI




Victim of The Night

Holy crap.
It's not like this is the first Russ Meyer film I've ever seen but it is the most explicit.
I've finally seen the film that Roger Ebert wrote. And I can't believe it.



I forgot the opening line.

By Peter Duncan, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47180331

Unfinished Sky - (2007)

A sex slave from Afghanistan escapes her captors in a small Australian town and finds refuge with a man who needs saving in a spiritual sense. The fear and distrust that has to be overcome is epic, and language barriers add a sense that our two characters, John Woldring (William McInnes) and Tahmeena (Monic Hendrickx) can only really express what they're feeling, not thinking - but Hendrickx, a Dutch actress who also starred in the same role in the original version of this (The Polish Bride), is eminently watchable and the real takeaway from this pretty average but reasonably decent Aussie movie. It's always nice to see something with actors you've never seen before - although David Field, who shows up as the questionable Sergeant Carl Allen, is an Australian staple and favourite of mine. Hendrickx won a very deserved AFI Award for Best Actress, and I'd say she beat her competitors hands down.

6/10


By All Movie Guide [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12485563

Walking on Water - (2002)

I didn't initially take to all of the characters in Walking on Water - of which there initially seemed to be too many. The film starts with the death of Gavin (David Bonney) from AIDS - promised a dignified death, his family and friends are much aggrieved when multiple overdoses of morphine simply don't do the trick, so his close friend Charlie (Vince Colosimo) puts a bag over his head - a decision that will haunt him during the messy grieving process all of Gavin's friends and family go through. About how different people handle grieving, it's a movie that I felt really pulled itself together during the final stretch after leaving me unimpressed during it's first two-thirds - and that makes me wonder, how much do I rate a movie that had me feeling "Bravo!" at the end but kind of "Oh, I am so bored and fed up with these characters" for a good while before that? I think a significantly higher rating would have been in order if we'd have been able to see a little deeper into what was going on earlier instead of watching people dance and have sex, but perhaps shallow attempts to distract ourselves from the recent death of a loved one is the point. Anyway, this isn't a complete waste of time and anyone with the slightest interest should perhaps give it a chance. You'll get a few renditions of "Under the Milky Way" for your trouble (The Church and Sarah McGregor) which is quite a haunting song, and made for a movie like this - one which won 5 AFI Awards in it's day.

6/10
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The Girl with the Needle
I was familiar with the case it's based on, but even going in with eyes wide open, this was difficult to watch. The B&W photography is a wonder and its overall well crafted, just very, very harsh, though not without nuance.

Going in unaware about what it'll be about, this was pretty shocking. What do you think about the first hour which is not about a certain case though? I'm surprised it takes this long for our protagonist to encounter her.



I thought it was a good set-up, that nightmarish opening scene sets the stage smartly,
WARNING: "Needle plot point" spoilers below
and while it doesn't excuse what Dagmar did, after witnessing all of that ugliness and knowing this is happening to women all over (not to mention what the men went through during the war and its aftermath), you can see how that might break and twist a mind, the "This world is a hell, they're better off not living in it", type of thought process.



@chawhee
“This is my first time seeing this since many of the reviews from when the original movie came out seemed very lukewarm, and my opinion of it is similar. Kudos to Bale for trying to become Dick Cheney, but I found nearly all of the acting to be subpar. There is a story to be told here, but I don't think McKay and his style worked well for this (I actually only liked Big Short by him now that I think of it).”

I thought Vice was a crappy movie; it was just another typical Leftwing Hollywood hit job against Conservatives/Republicans (and I’m saying this as someone who’s always loathed Richard the Lyingheart.) Bale’s performance is the only good thing about it.
With all that being said, Adam McKay is a talented director. Don’t Look Up is one of my favorite movies; that’s an example of political satires done right.

Mark




Broken Arrow (1996)

This film by hit-and-miss action helmer John Woo is mildly entertaining but ultimately forgettable. Woo did a much better job the following year with Face/Off.