UKH

Three cinematic outings (not including Best of Banff Film Festival)

Moonlight. 6/10. Rather disappointing. Some fine performances but none of it made me "feel" anything. Given that it's being sold as a hard hitting emotional powerhouse, I was let down by this. I didn't really have much invested in our lead character; of course some empathy as he is having a rubbish childhood and a rubbish adolescence, but so are millions of others. And the repeated "helicopter view" camera movement that served no narrative purpose at all, really began to jar.

Logan. 8/10. It's fair to say that aside from Deadpool, I was suffering from superhero movie ennui already a few years ago - ESPECIALLY with the X-Men franchise (I have not seen the two previous Wolverine "standalone" offerings). This one however was pretty good, and for about an hour it was on for a very very high score. Lost some points for a few character actions / decisions that were the result of lazy screenwriting, but on the whole it is still highly recommended. Very good performances from the four principals.

It's Only The End of the World. 6/10. Pretty, and well acted, but empty and with no characters that you can be expected to care about. My first experience seeing something from French wunderkind Xavier Dolan, and I admit I was lured in by the stellar cast. But it just wasn't very good.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Not a film, but a play. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Enjoyed the book, several years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed the play last Saturday at The Grand in Leeds.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Logan. I'm a Marvel fan from the 70's, Wolverine my favourite. Logan's still got me digesting. Felt like a Western, clue in the Shane clips I guess. I'm still reeling a bit from the brutal graphic violence, strongest ever in a Marvel film?

In reply to aln:


I would need to check Deadpool again, but probably yes. I wasn't reeling because it was pretty obvious what was coming, from the trailer and the certificate.

These threads died a quick death didn't they!

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Start one on box sets and it'll run and run.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

(I have not seen the two previous Wolverine "standalone" offerings)

Lucky you.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

As usual my film of the week is something off the telly. Recorded High Rise on Weds and have high hopes for that but haven't got round to watching it yet, so my pick goes to Sightseers - also directed by Ben Wheatley. Great writing, great naturalistic acting, good editing, no padding, very very dark and very very funny (still smiling now at the giant pencil scene)

In reply to Blue Straggler:

How can you be so insensitive as to celebrate films at a time like this? Devastated.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/03/29/brian-pern-last-ever-interview-pro...

In reply to Blue Straggler:

(hope you didn't take my comment to heart)

In reply to Blue Straggler:

I agree about Moonlight. Very uninvolving. 5/10. Film of the week for me has been Fences. 9/10. Only thing one could criticise it for, I suppose, is not being filmic enough (being based on a play). Viola Davis absolutely outstanding.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I didn't manage to see Fences. For all its star power and critical acclaim and awards everywhere before UK release, it seemed to get a very low distribution. Maybe also a coincidence of timing and other commitments, but I got to a point where I would have to move hell and high water to get to a viable screening of it. Moonlight seemed easier to "find". Even 20th Century Women, Certain Women and the not-very-good French film "It's Only the End of the World" felt slightly more accessible.

I thought Fences would have at least some screenings in mainstream cinema, even if just single showings at 17:15 each day.

It is the one "major Oscar" film that I have not yet seen.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Ghost in the Shell. 8/10 Saw this on an IMAX screen and thought it was visually quite amazing. The visual impact of the film is what sets it apart for me. I think it would lose a lot of that on a small screen. The story is engaging all the way through though it lacks a really good climax and is a bit predictable - especially if you've seen the trailers. The subject matter, cybernetics, is really interesting though it's not really explored very deeply in this film. I'd say it's more of an action movie than philosophical sci-fi. The film takes itself seriously which I like. No cheesy jokes to shatter the dark atmosphere. Scarlet Johannson was good as were the other actors and actresses.

Rogue One 6.5/10 Saw this on the telly. Another very visual film and I'm sure I'd rate it higher had I got to see it on IMAX. Pretty good for Star Wars but taken as a whole it seems like they've run out of ideas. Each film seems like a mere variation of what's gone before.

Fantastic Beasts 6/10 Not Harry Potter but not bad. Not really amazing either.


Also went on a bit of an Everest bender earlier in the week and maybe last week too. Watched loads of Everest films starting the the 2015 blockbuster. Lot's of interesting true stories of people in difficulties. There's a load of Everest and mountaineering films on the Mountain Springs channel on Youtube.

In reply to stp:

I think your scores match mine very closely!
GitS was really good. Beautiful rendering and attention to detail in every corner of every frame. Story hung together well enough, effects almost all perfect, acting fine throughout (and Johansson DID carry it). Only really lost points for the bloody spider tank sequence and (associated) the wayward acting of the bad guy.
Rogue One was choppy and muddled for most of it and was on for 5 or 5.5/10 but it redeemed itself with an epic 30+ minute climax with splendid cross-cutting, which made the clumsy editing etc of the first hour even more puzzling to behold.

FB I gave 7/10, I never saw or read any HP and I kind of dislike Redmayne irrationally, but this film was good, really created a "world", and was interesting in that it didn't try to be any sort of "origin" story, but simply "a Newt Scamander story"

In reply to Blue Straggler:

I agree with STP on Fantastic Beasts. 6/10. Surprisingly weak tale, superbly rendered.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

In what way was the weakness of the tale surprising?

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Because it's by J K Rowling.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

The source material was not classed by Rowling as a complete novel though.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I remember now that you were surprised that "Steve Jobs" was a boring film, and I wondered then what it was that you had expected from that one :-D

In reply to Blue Straggler:

The Salesman. 9/10. Outstanding, almost perfectly formed film that hooked me right into all of the protagonists. Best film I've seen in a very long time.