Films you've seen lately

[gurnemanz]

Me, Mrs C and Master C all revelled in it this afternoon, Belgrove. As well as Keaton, a bravura performance I thought from the excellent Edward Norton and also from Emma Stone as Keaton's daughter. The soundtrack was utterly compelling and drove the film along accompanied by the excellent camera work.

We saw it last night. I agree - an extraordinary experience, but I think I admired it rather than actually liked it. By chance, I went to a lunchtime performance of Mahler Rückert Lieder today, so I got Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen two days running.

[Belgrove]

I also need to see the 'Budapest Hotel' film I think.....

I saw this the other evening for the first time. Plenty of fun, but quirkily amusing rather than outright funny, and it seemed pretty conventional after Birdman (then again, what wouldn't be?). Ralph Feinnes is the best thing in it, despite its being littered with 'stars'.

Most films cause my attention to wander towards worrying about which colour dustbin to put out for collection. Zero bins for this one!

[johncorrigan]

I saw this the other evening for the first time. Plenty of fun, but quirkily amusing rather than outright funny, and it seemed pretty conventional after Birdman (then again, what wouldn't be?). Ralph Feinnes is the best thing in it, despite its being littered with 'stars'.

Of Wes Anderson's films I preferred 'Moonrise Kingdom' to 'Grand Budapest Hotel' although 'GBH' looked better, but I thought 'Moonrise' had the far better soundtrack (brilliant actually). Over the weekend we watched an earlier Anderson effort 'Darjeeling Limited' which the family really enjoyed and it also looked terrific - and it was certainly quirky, Belgrove (though it did have a rather strange prelude featuring Natalie Portman). Anyway, I think I'll dig out a couple more of his movies.

[Flosshilde]

I also need to see the 'Budapest Hotel' film I think.....

Me too - I missed it when it was on at the Glasgow Film Theatre. I also missed 'Mr Turner' 3 times!!! The GFT had it on for two showings in two consecutive months, & I wasn't able to go to any of them, & then again just after Christmas in their 'in case you missed ...' slot - unfortunately it was listed in their January programm & not December's, & I didn't pick it up until after the beginning of January.

[bb]

What about it? Have you seen it? Is it any good?

I saw it again last night in NFT1, so my apologies for the brevity, but Leviathan is very good indeed. Well, perhaps not the sea monster, or Job, but it is not difficult to see our individual and collective fate prefigured by the detritus of wrecked boats and skeletal remains of a beached whale lining the shore.

According to our mutual friend, kleines c, " ... Leviathan charts the conflict between a family living in remote northern Russia and a corrupt mayor planning a coastal resort. Immense, relevant, darkly comic and frighteningly convincing, it boasts the sardonic tonal complexity of a Shostakovich symphony and vivid characterisations reminiscent of classic Russian literature."

BBC News reports that Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel lead Oscars race, although Leviathan (or Ida) could yet win best foreign film. Tonight, Fortitude gets a preview in NFT1.

BFI -TV Preview: Fortitude + Q&A.

If film and television have such a powerful champion in the BFI, what about radio, and BBC Radio 3 in particular? Does it need a champion?

[Nick Armstrong]

#161 & #162: I really need to see this, Messrs B & c. - thank you for your confirmation!

I also need to see the 'Budapest Hotel' film I think.....

'Birdman' and 'Budapest' seem to be the most favoured by the Academy Awards nomination panel too.... for what that's worth

[gurnemanz]

Not seen Theory of Everything yet but pleased to see Felicity Jones get a nomination. We enjoyed her performance Schiller's Luise Miller at the Donmar a few years ago.

[Belgrove]

Damien Chazelle uses the pupil/teacher relationship as the turbo-charged motor of his film Whiplash, which belongs to that tiny genre of dramatic movies about music making. J K Simmons is the Svengali-bully conductor who abuses Miles Teller in order to provoke him into greater and more extraordinary feats of drumming in a New York conservatoire Big Band. Simmons is like the foul mouthed drill-sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, and yet displays a tender side (or does he?) that makes the band members want to excel for him. As a drama it is hugely OTT, but compelling nevertheless. The finale to the film is unconventional, unexpected and exhilarating. Both leads give wonderful performances and clearly know something about music making (much of the cast are musicians rather than actors). Given that Birdman has not been nominated for the Oscar for Editing, this film must be in with a strong chance in that category. The cutting, which indeed has a whiplash quality to it, really gives that thrill of being in the presence of live music making.

[johncorrigan]

Damien Chazelle uses the pupil/teacher relationship as the turbo-charged motor of his film Whiplash, which belongs to that tiny genre of dramatic movies about music making. J K Simmons is the Svengali-bully conductor who abuses Miles Teller in order to provoke him into greater and more extraordinary feats of drumming in a New York conservatoire Big Band. Simmons is like the foul mouthed drill-sergeant in Full Metal Jacket, and yet displays a tender side (or does he?) that makes the band members want to excel for him. As a drama it is hugely OTT, but compelling nevertheless. The finale to the film is unconventional, unexpected and exhilarating. Both leads give wonderful performances and clearly know something about music making (much of the cast are musicians rather than actors). Given that Birdman has not been nominated for the Oscar for Editing, this film must be in with a strong chance in that category. The cutting, which indeed has a whiplash quality to it, really gives that thrill of being in the presence of live music making.

I thought the trailer for Whiplash looked terrible but everything I've read since then makes me want to go see it and you have added to my desire to see it Belgrove.
Mrs C and I went to see 'Wild' tonight. Based on a true story of Cheryl Strayed who decides to walk the Pacific Coast Trail to try to rediscover her life. You talk editing Belgrove - I thought the editing really great in this film - they made what could have turned into a travel movie into a fine exploration of her life. Reece Witherspoon was very good indeed as the main character..

[Belgrove]

You are spot on about the trailer for Whiplash john - I had similar reservations. Likewise it struck me that the trailer for Wild only served to obscure a better film than portrayed. I remember the trailer for The Others, which looked like a trashy overblown horror film from the trailer. It was only my fawning over Nicole Kidman that compelled me to attend, and it turned out to be a subtle and effective chiller.

[aeolium]

I saw Boyhood last week and thought it was tremendously accomplished and ambitious. It's difficult to think of anything comparable being attempted in the history of cinema. Much of the focus was understandably on Ellar Coltrane who plays the child-turning-into-adult over 12 years, but I thought the performance of his fictional sister (played by Lorelei Linklater, the director's daughter) was just as impressive. She, apparently, had wanted to stop being involved at one point in the filming. The interesting thing was that neither of the children saw their screen selves at any point during the gestation of the film until it was completed:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/06/richard-linklater-ellar-coltrane-boyhood-interview-dear-process

[Honoured Guest]

Last night I strode out in high anticipation to see Stephen Daldry's new release Trash which has three charismatic kid leads and is very entertaining and engaging, a fairytale in a favela and street Rio setting.

But I was the only person in the cinema (Bargain Tuesday, later of the two evening screenings) and I see that it came 19th in last weekend's UK box office takings on its opening weekend.

So you'd better rush to your local cinema by tomorrow to be sure of catching this.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I thought the trailer for Whiplash looked terrible but everything I've read since then makes me want to go see it...

Giving a lift to my daughter's Uni friends they said they found Whiplash gripping, and before they had wondered how they would find a film about a drummer of much interest, but took a chance on it.
I've been to more films, mostly British in the last 6 months than for a year or 2. The Imitation Game, Mr Turner, Theory of Everything, Testament of Youth.
Very enjoyable,as long as I can keep away from those who have to rustle their food wrappings....... Now Trash to be added to the list, and yes, to be seen soon.

[clive heath]

I share the views above about the trailer to "Whiplash" which I still don't want to see as my need for drumming on a film soundtrack has been satisfied by "Birdman".. no, not that Bird....which has a random ( apparently) drummer not involved with the plot gently grooving away and contrasting with " Radio 3 Breakfast" type pops e.g. Adagietto during the relatively few sequences that have musical accompaniment. The performances also involve big big egos such as that of the tutor drummer in "Whiplash". I prefer my drummers to be crisp and as light as a feather.

"Electricity" was O.K.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

Whiplash is ostensibly about a young jazz drummer learning and making it in the last few frames ... i found it an extremely perverse acceptance of the psychopathic bullying style of teaching of a pupil who wanted to be Buddy Rich ... it is both morally defective and a paean to an altogether unpleasant man [Buddy Rich] ... a horrible piece of work all round

it is also all male and white like the Oscars this year ...