Great thread by the way. Downloaded and watched Cell 211. Great movie.
Great thread by the way. Downloaded and watched Cell 211. Great movie.
Thanks. Good stuff.Originally Posted by blackening
51) The Great Buck Howard (2008)
A young man, much to the chagrin of his father, becomes the new assistant to an illusionist in decline.
5/10 - It was an inoffensive, enjoyable film, but remained too bland to really capture my attention. Emily Blunt needed a much larger role in the film, and less airtime to be given to Colin Hanks who just seemed to suck the life out of every scene he was in.
Hahaha it's almost impossible to imagine what you're about to see before you begin. I think Film 4 were doing one of their foreign film weeks and they stuck this one in amongst it.
50) Taxidermia (2007)
Three generations of men, including a pervert that constantly seeks for new kinds of satisfaction, an obese speed eater and a passionate embalmer.
7/10 - I don’t really know what I just watched. This film is all kinds of strange. I’m unsure if there is supposed to be some political or social parallel to this film that I just don’t get. It is not a film for the faint hearted, as it exceeds not only in it’s bleakness but also in it’s excellently shot vulgarity.
Thanks SOB for the suggestion.
This film will affect your brains for a while afterwards, the ending is head scratchingly mental.
Good on you for watching it all the way Clive, it starts of weird and doesn't get any less so.
I recommend the Broken Circle Breakdown if you haven't seen it already. Just watched it at the weekend there after ignoring it for a while, glad I did watch it eventually. It's a Belgian film about a couple who are in a bluegrass band and the effect on their relationship when their daughter is diagnosed with leukemia. It's pretty heart-wrenching as you might imagine with that plot. Also it helps to enjoy bluegrass music. Apparently it's been nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar this year.
I saw that nominated and had it added to my list. Looking forward to it.
52) The Armstrong Lie (2013)
A documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong’s improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace.
7/10 - I still don’t believe a word this man says. It is an interesting documentary which shows Armstrong either side of his imfamous admission of guilt. Starting in 2009 whereby he was due to stage a ‘comeback’ and prove all of his critics wrong. Fast forward to 2013 and he’s sat on a sofa with Oprah admitting to the world that he cheated. A lot.
With a man that was that convincing when lying about doping in the first place, it becomes hard to take anything else he says seriously. We learn about the wider doping scandals in cycling, and what ‘pushed’ him to do it, but ultimately it was his decision to do so.
There is no real conclusion or huge revelation to this documentary, it was set out for one purpose and ended up with another. It’s not the filmmakers fault. But it lacks a punch. All the big parts of the storyline are out in the open and this documentary adds very little extra to the tale, but does wrap it up in a nice 2 hour film.
53) Moneyball (2011)
Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
9/10 - I should probably preface this by saying that I know next to nothing about Baseball, I knew nothing of this story and don’t enjoy watching Brad Pitt spit chewing tobacco into a cup every 90 seconds, and yet I found this film incredibly entertaining.
It is apparently riddled with chronological inaccuracies, but I don’t care. It is a smart film with a great cast (Brad Pitt, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt), featuring very little Baseball and possessing enough of a ‘human’ element to appeal to even the most uninterested of sports fans
54) A Better Life (2011)
A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while trying to give his son the opportunities he never had.
7/10 - A touching father-son story caught in the midst of gangland LA, sensitively highlighting a section of the immigrant situation in the USA. It was authentic, at times heartbreaking to watch, but it was somewhat predictable and cliched. The saving grace of this film was Demian Bichir’s performance, which was flawless throughout.
Last edited by Clive Plasma; February 22nd, 2014 at 4:36 AM.
55) Homefront (2013)
A former DEA agent moves his family to a quiet town, where he soon tangles with a local meth druglord.
6/10 - Classic Statham. His accent goes from sort of American to straight up East End thuggery as he does his nonchalant “I don’t want to fight you but OK then I’ll fight you and break all your bones” shtick. It’s a predictable but enjoyable watch, with the excellent James Franco in his limited supporting role as the slimy drug dealer.
Worth a punt if you’re hungover and want to watch something that requires very little attention. It would probably rank in the bottom half of my Top 20 Statham movies.
latest film i watched that really blew me away was "a face in the crowd." andy griffith plays a southern drifter who gets discovered by a small town radio station and becomes the most influential media figure in the nation and his power and influence turn him into an unhinged narcissist. a couple over written characters and needless explicit moralizing but griffith's performance is an all time great one and the first half especially is incredible.
Nice. Thanks. Can't say I've heard of it before. I'm keen to start watching older films. I'll have a proper session on them all this week. If you have any others you think are worth a watch then let me know as I do plan on getting round to watching all the suggestions.
Moneyball is one of the best sports movies ever made and I'm glad it made it into this experiment.
You are becoming the Julie & Julia of the forum with this
Demian Bichir is just so damn likeable in "A Better Life". It's a fairly standard story but it's very easy to get invested in their struggle. Pretty sure I shed a few tears when I watched that.
Dunno what it is, but there seems to be something about Baseball and Boxing that makes for lots of good sports movies, moreso than the usual sport.Moneyball is one of the best sports movies ever made and I'm glad it made it into this experiment.
You are becoming the Julie & Julia of the forum with this
56) White House Down (2013)
While on a tour of the White House with his young daughter, a Capitol policeman springs into action to save his child and protect the president from a heavily armed group of paramilitary invaders.
6/10 - From the director who brought you that film where the country freezes over and not a lot else happens, and that film that’s sort of similar but has John Cusack running, driving and flying about as the Earth conveniently crumbles 2 feet away from him at all times. Roland Emmerich goes back to his roots with the White House under attack, only this time it’s not aliens.
This has to be as ridiculous as any of the previous 3 films I’ve just mentioned. Trying to essentially be Die Hard but at the White House, it throws every single clichéd action movie plot and twist at us. We have hackers, traitors, patriotism, guns, explosions, more guns, fights, guns, grenades, more fights, nukes, hostages, car chases… for 2 whole exciting hours! If you want your action movies serious, then this isn’t for you.
Watch it. Enjoy it. Laugh at it. It’s ludicrous.
its one of the dumbest fucking films i've ever seen. i loved it.
The Spectacular Now
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Drive
Warrior
Some movies I've recently watched and loved
57) Snitch (2013)
A father goes undercover for the DEA in order to free his son who was imprisoned after being set up in drug deal.
6/10 - First convincing performance by The Rock that I have seen on film. He was about the only good piece about this though, as the film wandered between a drama, thriller and action movie, it never really seemed to find it’s footing. Whatever message was intended whether it be about the war on drugs, family values or the prison system, was so far lost that there was an actual ‘message’ put up at the end.
That being said, it was a good watch. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but it’s definitely one of The Rocks better movies.
Rocks best movie is a tossup between tooth fairy and pain & gain
Haven't seen either. Haven't see F&F, Empire State or Hercules too.
I was basing that statement on Scorpion King, Faster, G.I Joe, Planet 51... hardly his best work.
Wrong fast 5 & 6 are stupidly great fun and undoubtably his greatest performances.
Best performance is in The Other Guys.
Definitely in my top five movies where The Rock plays a father who goes undercover for the DEA in order to free his son who was imprisoned after being set up in drug deal.
Hahaha! Has there ever been an actor that literally has about 4/5 films that are exactly the same but not sequels?
Barring a couple (Click, Funny People, Punch Drunk Love/Anger Management I forget which), Adam Sandler plays the same character in more or less every movie. Immature but kind-hearted man gets put into a situation where he has to grow up, singularly fails to grow up, then grows up at the end. Actually Click falls into this category as well, but veers away with the incredibly depressing final third.
Jason Statham plays the same role most of the time. He normally loses something whether it's his heart, his replacement heart, a Japanese girl, his daughter, some money, a girl he likes, a briefcase... and he kills, stabs and kicks everyone until he gets it back.
Not all of them are films, but I think Cuban Fury is the first role Olivia Colman's had since the early series' of Peep Show where she hasn't played a downtrodden, depressed housewife. Tyrannosaur, Broadchurch, The 7:39, Run...give the poor cow a break.
Danny Trejo always ends up being some Mexican Badass in every film he does, but at least the storyline sort of changes.
I guess there's a difference between being typecast, and actually doing the same film every time in the same role.
Someone recommended this to me the other day via the 'blog'. Painfully awkward, but very funny.
WINNER:
Discovery Award Best Short Film (LoCo – The London Comedy Film Festival 2013)
Special Jury Mention & 2nd place Audience Choice Award (Bermuda International Film Festival 2012)
Best Foreign Short & Best Director Short Film (LA Comedy Festival 2011)
Grand Prize Best Comedy (Rhode Island International Film Festival 2011)
Jury Prize Best Short Film (Friars Club Comedy Film Festival 2011)
Best Comedy (Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2011)
Award of Merit (The Accolade Competition, Autumn 2011)
yes to all, wonderful films
58) Intacto (2001)
Intacto is a 2001 Spanish thriller film, it depicts an underground trade in luck, where fortune flows from those who have less to those who have more; the premise purports that luck can be amassed and transferred as any other commodity. The story follows several participants as they engage in literal games of chance, each one more risky than the last, to eliminate the unlucky.
7/10 - A dark, original concept that built slowly in an uncomfortable way. It’s one of those films that doesn’t justify the rationale behind what is happening, but instead just throws you straight into it and leaves you to enjoy the ride. For some that would be a little annoying, and could easily be viewed as having a great concept but lacking in providing some potentially needed context. But what it lacked in that sense, it made up for with style and intrigue.
Doing a 365 Day Movie Challenge myself, along with my other half, done it for the last two years. I've been following your thread Clive, great stuff, thanks for keeping a diary of this, gives us some ideas of stuff to check out that we might otherwise not have known about or bothered with. Good stuff.
firewall you should post some of your findings either in your thread or in the "this movie wasn't worth its own thread" thread
Cool, I'll do that mate, thanks
Yeah? Nice one. Cheers.
Do you keep a log of yours anywhere? Would be good to see what you're watching too.
Cool, I'll do that mate, thanks
True. I cannot be arsed watching baseball but the stats and the players always interest me. Cant say the same for american football films besides Remember The Titans
Anyone see the kermodes last night? There was plenty of films he mentioned that looked brilliant. If anyone watched could you tell me what he gave best picture to?
Good Vibrations, which I think was his number one from 2013 anyway.
The Selfish Giant is great by the way.
That's the one cheers ringo
59) One Hundred Mornings (2009)
Set in a world upended by a complete breakdown of society, two couples hide out in a lakeside cabin hoping to survive this crisis.
5/10 - This slow building, well acted, visually endearing post-apocalyptic drama had it’s moments. But at only 85 minutes long, and with very little actually happening throughout, or any real conclusion either, it just didn’t do enough for me.
Watching this now. For those who are interested here are the results...
Best Actor : Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips
Other mentions:
George MacKay from 'For Those in Peril'
Toni Servillo from 'The Great Beauty'
Best Actress : Emma Thompson in Saving Mr. Banks
Other mentions:
Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos from Blue is the Warmest Colour
Oprah Winfrey in The Butler
Best Cinematography: 12 Years A Slave
Hair & Make-Up: American Hustle
Best Screenplay: Saving Mr Banks
Other Mentions:
Love is all you Need
A Field in England
Worst Film of the Year: Pain & Gain
Best Foreign Language: Wadjda
Other mentions:Beyond The Hills
Like Father Like Son
Fill The Void
Best Director: Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips) and Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant)
Best Film: Good Vibrations
Other mentions:
Kings of Summer
The Act of Killing
The Mayo and Kermode podcast would be great if they edited out all the crap banter and just had the reviews.
fast forward
That's how I feel about Top Gear. Edit out all the middle aged smelly chat in the studio and just have the videos they put together.
Wrong.
Definitely not wrong. All their battycrease in-jokes do my head in. The first half an hour of the show is invariably of no worth. Sometimes even the reviews are a bit irritating as well because of Kermode buying into his own hype and 'performing' them (especially the negative reviews) rather than just doing the review. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy the podcast in chunks but they need someone in the studio telling them to cut the shit.
They used to do that. Listen to their earlier shows. The shows got immensely more popular when it stopped being just a straight review show.
Popular doesn't mean better though. If that's what the people want then fair enough, but I find it very very very annoying. Wittertainment, fuck off.
It is better. You said the same thing about Dotun Adebayo on the World Football Phone-In, you autistic prick.
Dotun isn't anywhere near as bad as these two.
Dotun is class.
Bet you ring him up to try and get a Brazilian nickname you gay bastard.
You probably submit articles to Tim Vickery and ring him up asking how to be a football journalist.
You're that mad old woman who rings up to babble on about fuck all to make up for not being able to sleep since her husband died, and that's your real life voice.
I have a heavy podcast schedule, and so I let Kermode and Mayo go and just watch the reviews from their Youtube thread on my PS3. However it is a radio show, and the whole idea behind a good podcast is the personal relationship. Simon is mad.
It's great and Simon Mayo is a lovely man. I listen to it every week and it makes me feel at home.
I agree that Simon Mayo is a nice chap, and I like Kermode as well. I just don't want to listen to them being pals.
Aye, well everyone else does, so...unlucky.
We'll see. I'm going to start a vigorous letter-writing campaign.
FTWLTL?
I don't know what that means. A brief Google suggests...fuck two-way left turn lanes?
60) Coriolanus (2011)
A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.
5/10 - This modern take on the Shakespearean play of the same name failed to tick the right boxes for me. It seemed cluttered, overacted and dragged out far too long. The only exemption was Vanessa Redgrave, who excelled in each scene she was in. The dialogue was not a factor for me in scoring this either. While it was in it’s original ‘Shakespearean language’ and at times it was hard to understand, it was quite simple to join the dots. It’s worth a watch if you’re into modern adaptations, have read or seen the play, or enjoy War movies. But overall, it just was not for me.
Last edited by Clive Plasma; March 2nd, 2014 at 11:40 AM.
61) Any Given Sunday (1999)
A behind the scenes look at the life and death struggles of modern day gladiators and those who lead them.
7/10 - What an odd synopsis. Call it what it is, it’s a sports movie about an aging Al Pacino who is trying to break a losing streak, while balancing the stress of on and off-field politics. With a good cast, an eclectic soundtrack and about every single camera effect you could get your hands on in 1999 it makes for a fun movie. It does a sound job of depicting the personal challenges everyone faces, as we get a glimpse into what drives the players to put themselves in harms way, and how money can cloud both the managements and players better judgement.
Clichéd and over the top, but a satisfying watch.
Probably one of the most motivational speeches in that.
Pacino looks like Sandler in that poster.
I love a good movie speech.
62) Stone (2010)
A convicted arsonist looks to manipulate a parole officer into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife in the lawman’s path.
6/10 - I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It is shrouded in negative reviews but I was compelled to watch it based on the cast alone. Ed Norton plays the desperate convict extremely well, with an accent that did not detract from a fine performance. De Niro is the Parole officer, a job in which he gets to judge to fate of others, but he has no-one there to judge him and his inner demons. Finally, Milla Jovovich embraces the slightly disturbing but equally desperate wife of Nortons character, and gives an unnerving display.
It was a slow paced film, a thriller without the thrill you could say. The tight cast and individual performances carry this film through to the end, but in terms of a compelling, conniving and action packed story-line viewers expected based on the marketing of the film, I can understand some level of disappointment.
63) A Bittersweet life (2005)
Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn’t proceed by his boss’s orders.
8/10 - Inspired by Scarface, compared to Tarentino and holding an impressive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, this bloody and brutal mob story brought to you by Kim Jee-Woon ('Tale of two Sisters', 'The Quiet Family', ‘I Saw The Devil’) is as violent as they come.
It is acted and choreographed superbly, with a simple story to tell, where an enforcers decision to do what he believes is right is challenged by a hierarchy of egos and vengeance. It is effective, realistic and gripping, and yet another fine example of South Korean cinema.
Last edited by Clive Plasma; March 3rd, 2014 at 7:00 PM.
I do love Tartan video, they release some ballsy stuff. Bundy was a favourite.
Bundy, if you're referring to the 2002 film, was one of the most fucked up films I saw as a kid. 13 years old, grabbed it on a whim from the 'rental store' and watched it knowing nothing about it. Immediately looked it up to see how true it was, I was astounded that someone had a) made a film about this bloke and b) that he actually did the things they said he did. It's such an accurate portrayal of one of the most messed up people ever to grace this planet.
Clive you must be the same age as me. Yeah it's pretty messy...there's some edgy dark comedy in there too. Me and my Buddy used to break it out when we were baked.
13 in 2002? I suddenly feel old.
Nah he would mean 04 or so surely given time between theatre and dvd release.
Actually he must be a good bit younger than me.
I was drunk when I wrote that last night and couldn't work out my age. Must have been 15 when I got it because I'm 26 now. I remember it was on VHS though and I got some random guy on the street to get it for me, because I clearly was not old enough.
Sort of NSFW Poster
64) Nymphomaniac: Volume I (2013)
A self-diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating.
9/10 - Controversial, funny, absurd and interesting. I’m genuinely puzzled as to where the claim that this film is boring comes from? The 2 or so hours flew by and at the end I could not wait for Volume II to start. Aside from Shia LaBeoufs accent in which he portrayed a sort of cockney South African, it was pretty flawless. The gratuitous nudity that you come to expect from the adverts was not as frequent as anticipated, but once it graced your screen Von Trier did not hold back. It was used effectively and became ‘normal’ as Stacy Martin carried out the sexual explorations of the Nymphomaniacs younger years, interspersed with some fond family memories and dry dialogue with her ‘rescuer’ played brilliantly by Stellan Skarsgård. But where does it go from here? Volume I only covers half of the Nymphos life…
Another sort of NSFW poster...
65) Nymphomaniac: Volume II (2013)
The continuation of Joe’s sexually dictated life delves into the darker aspects of her adult life and what led to her being in Seligman’s care.
7/10 - Volume I is great on it’s own, but does leave you with a half finished story. You are inclined to see it through because the first one is not that bad. It was actually quite funny and the nudity was all in good taste (most of the time).
Volume II by contrast is bleak and hard to watch. It is so far the opposite of Volume I it gives off an almost Requiem for a Dream vibe, as it spirals into these darker aspects. I could go into more detail, but one thing that irks me are reviews that essentially describe the plot and there’s a difference between describing the plot, and the film itself. With that being said, most of Volume II’s appeal sits within shock value, and if you can see this through to the end, you will not be disappointed.
Bottom line, ignore the negative reviews calling this ‘glorified porn’, that it’s boring and that it should be x-rated. See it for yourself. Make up your own mind. I loved it. Unless of course you are offended by the sight of tits, penises, vaginas, blood, semen, violence and fully penetrative sex - then this won’t be for you. Ignore all of the above.
66) Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2004)
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
8/10 - Absolutely staggering that something like this was able to take place. This documentary is certainly worth watching, even if business and finance are not what you would go to first when choosing a documentary to watch. It’s easy to follow, well presented and tells a compelling story.
67) Too Big To Fail (2011)
Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
6/10 - A concise look at the economic crisis in 2008. It was actually quite in depth, but from a personal standpoint it raises more questions than answers. Fundamentally, I can’t understand how they can afford to bail out large corporations like that? A ridiculous amount of money was spent on Wall St, and from the little blurb at the end is seemed like very few either learned their lesson or actually used the cash wisely.
Otherwise, it was relatively easy to watch. William Hurt, James Woods and Paul Giamatti were all excellent, and carried the movie for the most part. It was nothing special, but worth a watch.
68) Craigslist Joe (2012)
In a time when America’s economy was crumbling and sense of community was in question, one guy left everything behind to see if he could survive solely on the support and goodwill of the 21st century’s new town square: Craigslist.
6/10 - Joe Garner, associate producer for The Hangovers and Due Date, decides it would be a good idea to live off the goodwill of others for a month using Craigslist. It’s an interesting challenge, but the outcomes strike me as being all to convenient. For starters there’s the general notion, that people would be more inclined to help a brutha out if he has a cameraman following him everywhere he goes. Secondly, the day-by-day happenings get skipped through quite quickly when we’re lead to believe he’s on a roll. What’s to say he didn’t kip in a hotel one night? Finally, a lot of the people he meets have their own IMDB pages with multiple appearances elsewhere - were these meetings purely coincidental considering he is in the film industry?
Fabricated or not, it makes for good viewing. Just take what you’re watching with a pinch of salt.
69) Welcome To The Punch (2013)
Ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood is forced to return to London when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives his nemesis, detective Max Lewinsky, one last chance to catch the man he’s always been after.
3/10 - I wanted something mindless to watch, and I think I got more than I bargained for. An empty action movie with gunfight after gunfight that was all over the place. I have nothing more to say on it. Not worth watching.
Yeah I watched that the other week and it was fucking shit.
(INSERT SIGNATURE HERE)
Yeah I thought it was utter shit i'm a fan of McAvoy but I've hated the last two things i've seen him in as I thought Filth was a steaming pile of shit as well.
Filth was shite. Absolutely hated it. Trance though was fantastic
Not got round to watching that yet only just watched Philomena after your recommendation a few weeks back. I thought Philomena was a great film I actually got a little emotional which rarely ever happens.
It was great. Dame Judy was magnificent and the story is lovely. I would recommend it to anyone.
Agreed on Dame Judy being great I was actually a bit disappointed she didn't win the Oscar but then it seemed to be generally accepted that Blanchett was a lock for best actress. I've not seen Blue Jasmine so couldn't say if I agreed.
The oscar was absolutely deserved this year. The only one I would say wasn't close by any margin. Dame Judy certainly would have won I think if not for blanchetts performance.
I haven't seen Filth yet. It's down there as one to watch, maybe I should give it a miss.
Going to go and see Grand Budapest Hotel and Under The Skin this week. Some great releases along with Starred Up and The Double too.
This is the one I'm most looking forward to...
Starred Up:A troubled and explosively violent teenager is transferred to adult prison where he finally meets his match - a man who also happens to be his father.
Stars Jack O'Connell from Eden Lake, Harry Brown, This is England and Skins. Did amazingly well on the festival circuit too.
Last edited by Clive Plasma; March 12th, 2014 at 4:59 AM.
Few of my mates loved filth. I just thought it was a really poor interpretation of the book. I was massively disappointed.
Starred up is getting great reviews. The new Scum by all accounts.
It looks fantastic. Really like o'connel he's a great actor.
He really seems to be shaping up to be. He also stars in the Angelina Jolie directed film that looks like one of the favourites for next year's Oscars already, Roger Deakins cinematography and the Coen brothers script. Unfortunately he seems to be an absolute tool anytime I've ever seen him interviewed, so I'm hoping that is changing as he's getting older/getting bigger roles. Starred Up I couldnt decide whether it looked Scum Great or Noel Clarke/Nick Love terrible, it sounds like its more the former than the latter though.
I loved Philomena, liked Filth and thought that Welcome to the Punch was good looking fluff for what it was. I thoroughly enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ralph Fiennes is fantastic and I'm also greatly anticipating The Double. The reviews look excellent and I loved Ayoade's debut film Submarine.
I met O'Connell at a festival in London once. Nice bloke. Haven't seen any of his interviews so can't comment on that.
Ah well, thats encouraging. I particularly remember his Soccer AM interview, where he just came across like a complete gimp, but then its hard to do anything but on that show.
70) Revanche (2008)
Ex-con Alex plans to flee to the South with his girl after a robbery. But something terrible happens and revenge seems inevitable.
8/10 - This is the second Austrian film I’ve watched on this challenge after Michael, and I’m glad to report this slow-paced thriller is substantially easier to digest. And much like The Silence (German), the cinematography was fantastic. A great example of European cinema. It’s restrained and unpredictable, not your typical cat & mouse thriller. It spends more time intimately developing the characters, and lets the story-line unfold naturally and gradually, rather than deliver a huge predictable twist right at the end. Highly recommended.
71) The Son of No One (2011)
A young cop is assigned to a precinct in the working class neighborhood where he grew up, and an old secret threatens to destroy his life and his family.
3/10 - I don’t think they even knew where they were going with this movie. The plot was about as thin as Channing Tatums mustache, which just looked ridiculous. As was the film. Just chopping and changing between the past where Tatum was a small lad in a bad place, to the present where he’s a big lad being shouted at by Katie Holmes and Ray Liotta, all the time. Poor guy.
It’s hard to feel anything else for this movie because while the acting wasn’t that bad, none of the characters were even bought into the story. At least 3 of them repeatedly said, “I don’t care” when referring to this ‘secret’. But if nobody cares, then why should we? It was all over the place, over edited and trying overly hard to be as good as The Departed.
Not even close.
Korean film Breathless was on film 4 and was excellent, get on it Clive I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Got it on DVD and watched it a while ago. The kids/teenagers in Korean films are always so clever, strongminded and play off the leads so well, and they don't dumb them down to create this obvious divide between adults and children. Loved it.
72) Man On Wire (2008)
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit’s daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City’s World Trade Center’s twin towers in 1974, what some consider, “the artistic crime of the century.”
8/10 - Excellent fun to watch. Philippe is such an animated storyteller it is hard not to be drawn into the intensity of the situation, even though the outcome is known. The archive footage and photographs are unbelievable to see, and more so considering that the towers are no longer around. Worth a watch, and the book of the same name is just as good.
You are brilliant Clive
73) The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) [De Battre mon Coeur s’est Arrêté]
Will Thomas still lead a life of crime and cruelty, just like his thuggish father, or will he pursue his dream of becoming a pianist?
8/10 - 2005 Bafta Award winner ‘The Beat The My Heart Skipped' is a gritty and realistic portrayal of man caught between two worlds: one fueled by a hapless devotion to his father, and the other a passion of piano. Romain Duris's performance is gripping and powerful, in particular his scenes with his Piano tutor played by the instantly likable Linh-Dan Pham. Stylish, well directed and extremely enjoyable. Highly recommended.
Can I make a recommendation, Clive? Either on the list on your first post or on the blog can you put your ratings out of 10 at all? I'm using your list as a guide to watch new stuff but have to find the post to see what you thought.
Entirely selfish and lazy but it'd be massively helpful to just see what you gave a certain film without having to find the post.
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