Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[Groggy]

4K?

[Groggy]

Decision Before Dawn - 9/10 - Excellent, gritty WWII thriller which remains relatively sober and free of cliche. This is one of the few Hollywood movies I've seen to provide a well-rounded portrait of Nazi Germany, avoiding the fanatical Nazi/"good German" stereotypes: the Germans we meet seem like real people. Use of authentic locations and a mostly-German cast also helps a lot. Oskar Werner is excellent though Richard Basehart and Hans Christian Blech don't have much to do. Klaus Kinski has a tiny role early in the film.

[The Firecracker]

Leprechaun in the Hood - 0/10 - What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

 Alcohol poisoning, perhaps?

[moviesceleton]

Limitless (2011) - 8/10. A scruffy writer seeking inspiration is introduced to a drug that so enhances his mind, the possibilities become . . . limitless. This thriller was a pleasant surprise, partly because at first it wasn't obvious that it was a thriller. And in spite of frequent indications of debilitating side-effects, the film took an unusual pro-drug stance. Then De Niro showed up, sporting some of the greatest neckwear of the 21st Century (who supplied the ties for this film? Zegna?). He even did a little acting. I never knew where this movie was going, and I was very happy that it didn't turn out to have the usual conspiracy angle. The low-key ending faked me out too. A number of optical effects embellished the film (which I saw--and which everyone should see--in 4K), but the best visual was supplied by the face and figure of Abbie Cornish. I'm in love! And I guess since she's in Sucker Punch, that's what I'll be watching next weekend.

I saw the trailer before True Grit and it made the movie look like a pile of shit.

True Grit (2010) - 8/10

[titoli]

Limitless (2011) - 8/10. A scruffy writer seeking inspiration is introduced to a drug that so enhances his mind, the possibilities become . . . limitless. This thriller was a pleasant surprise, partly because at first it wasn't obvious that it was a thriller. And in spite of frequent indications of debilitating side-effects, the film took an unusual pro-drug stance. Then De Niro showed up, sporting some of the greatest neckwear of the 21st Century (who supplied the ties for this film? Zegna?). He even did a little acting. I never knew where this movie was going, and I was very happy that it didn't turn out to have the usual conspiracy angle. The low-key ending faked me out too. A number of optical effects embellished the film (which I saw--and which everyone should see--in 4K), but the best visual was supplied by the face and figure of Abbie Cornish. I'm in love! And I guess since she's in Sucker Punch, that's what I'll be watching next weekend.

Sounds like a mixture of A Scanner Darkly and Memento: who needs sleeping pills?

[titoli]

U-571 (2000) I haven't seen Das Boot, unfortunately. And I don't suppose this can be better. But it is entertaining Hollywood style, based on the principle that you have a dire situation and you manage to get off it. Only to find yourself in another in a worsened condition. I don't like the actors: Harvey Keitel a salty dog? 7\10

[Groggy]

U-571 (2000) I haven't seen Das Boot, unfortunately. And I don't suppose this can be better. But it is entertaining Hollywood style, based on the principle that you have a dire situation and you manage to get off it. Only to find yourself in another in a worsened condition. I don't like the actors: Harvey Keitel a salty dog? 7\10

I saw that one many, many years ago. I don't have any strong memory of it.

[titoli]

MacArthur (1977) Honest biopic (as honest as much a 2 hours flick about such a huge and complex personality can be). I checked on IMDB and there are only 17 users comments and I wonder why. This is maybe just a tick under Patton, which is justly glorified but which doesn't seem to be that much better. I presume the reason may be Peck, maybe not considered as great an actor as Scott. That may be true, but he delivers a huge performance here, maybe his best ever (and this comes not from a fan). Or maybe is the fact that the Korean war remains something rather murky in the conscience of viewers, never knowing what stance to take about it and that reflects also on the story, you don't know who was right, the President or the General (personally, I am with the General). 8\10 

[Groggy]

MacArthur (1977) Honest biopic (as honest as much a 2 hours flick about such a huge and complex personality can be). I checked on IMDB and there are only 17 users comments and I wonder why. This is maybe just a tick under Patton, which is justly glorified but which doesn't seem to be that much better. I presume the reason may be Peck, maybe not considered as great an actor as Scott. That may be true, but he delivers a huge performance here, maybe his best ever (and this comes not from a fan). Or maybe is the fact that the Korean war remains something rather murky in the conscience of viewers, never knowing what stance to take about it and that reflects also on the story, you don't know who was right, the President or the General (personally, I am with the General). 8\10 

8/10, really? It came across as a cheesy TV movie to me, and not a very good depiction of its protagonist either.

[Groggy]

Fury - 7/10 - The first half: Lynching is bad, horrible, rotten, no good. The second half: Revenge is bad, and you should forgive the people who tried to lynch you! Huh?

[dave jenkins]

Sounds like a mixture of A Scanner Darkly and Memento: who needs sleeping pills?

More like a mixture of ASD and Videodrome. No, it was not soporific, in fact, I was mightily entertained

Kill The Irishman (2011) - 9.5/10. A new Goodfellas for a new generation (half-point deduction for occasional sentimentality and/or cheesy Irish music). See relevant thread.

[titoli]

Midway (1976) A great deal is made by producer Mirish and director Smight in the bonus features about the use of Navy's stock footage. But that is exactly what doesn't work with the movie in the first place: the battle scenes suck, they look cheap (and are cheap, in spite of whatever those people may say). In facts they also used footage from Tora Tora Tora and a japanese feature of which Mirisch owned the rights. And the overuse of backprojections in the air scenes makes it all ridiculous.  Add to that the embarrassing love angle and the english speaking japanese and there is little left to make it worth watching. 5\10

[Groggy]

In facts they also used footage from Tora Tora Tora and a japanese feature of which Mirisch owned the rights.

Heck, I've heard that some of the war scenes were borrowed from Battle of Britain. A wretched film though, I agree.

[cigar joe]

Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954) director Jacques Becker A great little Crime Noir about two old gangsters close to retiring Max (Jean Gabin), and Riton (Rene Dary), and their loot (grisbi), which is a temptation to Josie (Jeanne Moreau) in one of her earlier films and her new boyfriend Angelo (Lino Ventura) a rival gang leader. Angelo kidnaps Riton to exchange for loot that he finds out about from Josie. Some very nice location footage and a nice action sequence at the exchange. 9/10

[dave jenkins]

Clean (2004) -7/10. After the overdose death of her rock star husband, a woman (Maggie Cheung) gets off drugs and begins rebuilding her life in the hope of regaining custody of her son. Sounds dreadful, but it's not. In fact, it's Olivier Assayas's attempt at making a Wenders film, with a paripatetic heroine, an estranged parent and child becoming reacquainted, and lots of hipster music. Well, it isn't quite a true Wenders film, but then, even Wenders can't seem to make true Wenders films anymore. Nick Nolte, as the woman's father-in-law (and guardian to her boy) is very good, but Cheung can't always come up with a convincing performance. Lots of cool locale shots, though: Canada, Paris, London, Paris again, and finally, gloriously, San Francisco. Actual recording artists figure in the plot: Metric cameos early in a bar scene, Tricky gets a couple of scenes midway, and at the end Cheung, under the auspices of David Roback, lays down vocals for something resembling a new Mazzy Star album. In the absence of decent new Wenders material, this film provides a moderately effective substitute.