Films you've seen lately

[LMcD]

It seems to me that the most difficult thing in a film is to find a good ending. I often enjoy a film but feel I'd have done the ending differently.

Could anybody suggest a better ending for 'Dr. Strangelove', 'Gone With The Wind', 'The Wicker Man' or 'Amadeus'. I wonder? (No, I thought not).

[Ian Thumwood]

But it is fair to say that many films are predictable these days. They seem to be following some sort of trope which maybe comes frim.the fact that most films get a pre-release audience viewing which can have an effect of producing predictable endings.. Even films deemed to be thought provoking often end up as rote.

[smittims]

Also, I suspect too many cooks spoil the broth; the original writer may have a good ending,but then the production men step in and say 'no,this will get more sales'. One of the most disappointing for me was 'Notes on a Scandal' where the ending of the film spoilt the plot of the original novel. I noticed that the novelist was not mentioned in the film credits and wondered if she' d disassociated herself from it.

[Belgrove]

Megalopolis is an incoherent megamess. A mishmash of the Catalinarian Conspiracy, Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and The Nutty Professor. The sumptuous design and visual splendours do not compensate for the multiple, unconnected, plot-lines that peter out with no resolution. The acting is embarrassingly bad, but little can be done with a screenplay that makes no sense and with a script containing either portentous utterances or banalities. Francis Ford Coppola’s vanity project brings him crashing to earth.

[johncorrigan]

Saoirse Ronan put in a stunning turn in 'The Outrun', the film based on Amy Liptrot's book of the same name, her story of addiction and the road to recovery. Set in London and Orkney, I found Scorcher's performance emotional, and the film poetic. Orkney, and in particular Papay, looked beautiful, whatever the weather, and the scenery spectacular. I read the book and enjoyed it very much, and the film did not disappoint me.

[vinteuil]

Saoirse Ronan put in a stunning turn in 'The Outrun', the film based on Amy Liptrot's book of the same name. / ... / I read the book and enjoyed it very much, and the film did not disappoint me.

My wife loved the book, and took me to the film. Yes, Orkney and Papa Westray spectacular - also a special mention for Saskia Reeves and Stephen Dillane as Saoirse Ronan's parents.

Mme v so beguiled by the Orkney scenery that I suspect she's saving up for a trip...

.

[richardfinegold]

Megalopolis is an incoherent megamess. A mishmash of the Catalinarian Conspiracy, Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead and The Nutty Professor. The sumptuous design and visual splendours do not compensate for the multiple, unconnected, plot-lines that peter out with no resolution. The acting is embarrassingly bad, but little can be done with a screenplay that makes no sense and with a script containing either portentous utterances or banalities. Francis Ford Coppola’s vanity project brings him crashing to earth.

My son who had tried a few times to be a writer in Hollywood just returned from visiting his friends there. They discussed Megalopolis there and saw a premiere screening. He was non pluses. He said Coppola sold his very profitable wine business to finance this.

[Dave2002]

We went to see 'Lee ' last week and I thought I was nowhere as near as good as it was made out. The problem is that she is not very sympathetic and the film navigates her famous photos in a way that is quite clunky. The English colleague from Vogue is really played in a really hammy fashion.

Sorry to hear you didn't like it. We went to Farleys in the summer [what there was of it] and that prepared us quite a bit for what was to come in the film.

I'm not quite sure who you think is "not very sympathetic" - the subject "Lee" or Kate Winslet. Lee herself was a bit of an oddball, and the film didn't go into other details in her life. She had several different careers, and the film mostly dealt with the war photography, which clearly motivated her, but also was likely to have disturbed her even more than she had been already.

The interview - was an interesting subterfuge. So I still think it was a very good film. It was not a feel good film - clearly.

[Dave2002]

More on Lee Miller here - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histo...-it-180985139/

Probably distorted,- reporting on others always is - but at least a different view.

Claims to be another "real" story - whatever that is.

[Xerber]

I don't think we've ever had a thread about cinema-going, and recommendations for films to see on the big screen. This occurred to me the other day when I saw a post somewhere else about Quartet, Dustin Hoffman's new film with Maggie Smith et al. Maybe the reason there's not been a cinema-going thread is that Forumistas are not great cinema-goers, in which case this thread will be dead in the water.

But it occurred to me again today that it might be fun to have a place where we can exchange recommendations, pool reviews &c.

It occurred to me because I would most enthusiastically recommend 'LIFE OF PI', Ang Lee's film based on the award-winning (Booker 2002) Yann Martel novel.

Enthralling, dazzling, gripping, sometimes funny - and not too much of the 'religiosity-lite' I'd slightly feared beforehand.

I'm not by any means a 3D enthusiast - too often, it seems to sap real-life action of reality, paradoxically - but it adds hugely to the impact of this film, especially of course the scenes in the Pacific, but also the early scenes in India.

The visual splendour of the film would in my view reward anyone sufficiently to warrant a trip to the cinema. It won't have the same impact on a small screen. I wouldn't be surprised if I go and see it again, just to experience the 'ride' again...


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I recently watched *Barbie* and *Oppenheimer*—both were fantastic in their own ways! *Barbie* had a vibrant aesthetic and clever humor, exploring identity and societal expectations. In contrast, *Oppenheimer* offered a gripping historical narrative with outstanding performances, particularly by Cillian Murphy. Both films sparked engaging conversations and were visually striking, making them memorable experiences. Highly recommend!

[Nick Armstrong]

It seems to me that the most difficult thing in a film is to find a good ending. I often enjoy a film but feel I'd have done the ending differently.

Those with frustrations about predictability & poor endings (they include me!) could do much worse than watch this film, available on iPlayer for another 2 weeks or so:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002326c/the-outfit

Very satisfying indeed in those respects. A slow-burn film repaying concentration and delivering spot-on pay-offs. Plus Mark Rylance is mesmerising in the lead.

One of the best movies I’ve seen in recent years