Films you've seen lately

[duncan]

Glass Onion (Netflix, after a limited cinema release). An enjoyable contemporary take on the classic Agatha Christie formula: gentleman detective and disparate suspects in a gilded cage. Daniel Craig chews the scenery, Janelle Monáe has little more depth. Tech. bros, everyone's current favourite baddies, get a good shoeing.

[johncorrigan]

Glass Onion (Netflix, after a limited cinema release). An enjoyable contemporary take on the classic Agatha Christie formula: gentleman detective and disparate suspects in a gilded cage. Daniel Craig chews the scenery, Janelle Monáe has little more depth. Tech. bros, everyone's current favourite baddies, get a good shoeing.

I enjoyed it - not quite as much fun as the first 'Knives Out' film, though I saw that one at the pictures, duncan, so might have had something to do it. That Daniel Craig accent is wild, mind you.

[Beresford]

BFI has a pretty good selection of French films

https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscripti.../french-cinema

Thanks. Looks just the ticket.

Edit (after a few days) - The French films on BFI are mostly very old, dreary, and stiffly acted. The only exception for me was "The Clouds of Sils Maria" starring the excellent Juliette Binoche. Very modern and very subtle (IMHO) commentary on celebrity culture, and people not knowing quite where they stand. Patience required.

[RichardB]

I think Forumites will all love this movie which is so steeped in Music

I found it too full of annoying and avoidable solecisms, like the mispronunciation of Furtwängler's name which no musician who supposedly speaks German would do, etc. etc. etc., and I have the greatest respect for Cate Blanchett as an actor but her hand-waving in front of the orchestra couldn't be mistaken for actual conducting... but that's probably just me, my OH who is an experienced orchestral musician was quite able to overlook all those things.

Last film we watched was The Wonder, which is an understated masterpiece and has absolutely first class music by Matthew Herbert.

[jayne lee wilson]

Good to see that recommend, I have The Wonder lined up for tonight or soon, and the latest Cruz/Almodovar collaboration, Parallel Mothers....
The older I get, the harder to please I am, so I hope these work out....

Anyone else tried the Del Toro Pinocchio? I found the songs too twee and sentimental...gave up last night after an hour (at the point of the abduction by the impresario)...
Maybe it gets better as the storyline darkens..... I'll try to go on...
(I loved Roberto Benigni's version...)

[richardfinegold]

I found it too full of annoying and avoidable solecisms, like the mispronunciation of Furtwängler's name which no musician who supposedly speaks German would do, etc. etc. etc., and I have the greatest respect for Cate Blanchett as an actor but her hand-waving in front of the orchestra couldn't be mistaken for actual conducting... but that's probably just me, my OH who is an experienced orchestral musician was quite able to overlook all those things.

Last film we watched was The Wonder, which is an understated masterpiece and has absolutely first class music by Matthew Herbert.

It is a movie. Of course it isn't going to be accurate. Still there aren't to many of them about Classical Music and I was surprised that it wasn't much worse

[RichardB]

Anyone else tried the Del Toro Pinocchio? I found the songs too twee and sentimental...

The songs seem unnecessary, but the little one liked it.

[RichardB]

It is a movie. Of course it isn't going to be accurate. Still there aren't to many of them about Classical Music and I was surprised that it wasn't much worse

You're right of course. But don't movies about the medical profession sometimes make your hair stand on end?

[richardfinegold]

You're right of course. But don't movies about the medical profession sometimes make your hair stand on end?

Yes of course. Most of them are insanely unrealistic. However there are a few that get it perhaps 60 % right that are somewhat worthwhile.

[seabright]

What infuriates me, and it happens on most channels, is that when we get to the end of a movie and want to see the closing credits, these are insultingly shunted to one side and some impertinent continuity announcer, in a voice usually several decibels louder than anything in the film, tells us what's on next. Since everyone is perfectly capable of finding out what's on next anyway, from the RT or wherever, these unnecessary announcements should cease forthwith!

[richardfinegold]

The Banshees of Inisherrin. Perhaps it was an odd choice for New Years Eve but I found it compelling. Fantastic performances. It raises many questions about the nature of friendship, the value of being remembered for eternity for achievements versus just being nice to other people, and what Karl Marx referred to as the idiocy of rural life

[pastoralguy]

We’ve just been to see Empire of Light. Lovely performances from an excellent cast led by Olivia Colman. Set in Margate, it explores racial tensions as well as mental illness. Some great projection room scenes!

[smittims]

I agree, seabright. There have been many complaints; but as usual, the TV companies don't care a straw for their viewers, as long as they get their revenue from advertisers.

Soem channels, e.g. TalkingPicturesTV, freeview channel 82, make a point of showing the closing credits (and, importantly, the music) uninterrupted. TPTV is almost the only TV channel I watch these days.

[Bryn]

I agree, seabright. There have been many complaints; but as usual, the TV companies don't care a straw for their viewers, as long as they get their revenue from advertisers.

Soem channels, e.g. TalkingPicturesTV, freeview channel 82, make a point of showing the closing credits (and, importantly, the music) uninterrupted. TPTV is almost the only TV channel I watch these days.

And it's not only films. The closing credits for The Big Bang Theory comedy television series always had a jokey text within them which was usually difficult to read, even if recorded and paused, due to the imposition of advertisements for the next programme, etc.

[RichardB]

The Banshees of Inisherrin. Perhaps it was an odd choice for New Years Eve but I found it compelling. Fantastic performances. It raises many questions about the nature of friendship, the value of being remembered for eternity for achievements versus just being nice to other people, and what Karl Marx referred to as the idiocy of rural life

Yes, brilliant film, one of the year's best I think.