Films you've seen lately

[Nick Armstrong]

The Coen Brothers' latest HAIL CAESAR - I loved this. Sat for most of it with a grin on my face. Some have hated it (inc. a numbskull reviewer in the Daily Mail) but I thought it was a great, affectionate romp of a tribute to 'the movies' - specifically post-war Hollywood studio movies. Sublime cameo from Ralph Fiennes, and I especially liked the skit on the classic 'sailors on leave' dance routine - increasingly camp (and more) and almost out-Mel-Brooks-ing Mel Brooks.

[gurnemanz]

The Coen Brothers' latest HAIL CAESAR - I loved this. Sat for most of it with a grin on my face. Some have hated it (inc. a numbskull reviewer in the Daily Mail) but I thought it was a great, affectionate romp of a tribute to 'the movies' - specifically post-war Hollywood studio movies. Sublime cameo from Ralph Fiennes, and I especially liked the skit on the classic 'sailors on leave' dance routine - increasingly camp (and more) and almost out-Mel-Brooks-ing Mel Brooks.

Yesterday we went to an 11 am "pensioner" screening of Carol yesterday (£3 and free coffee). A useful chance to catch up on this very good movie. We had noticed that the Oscar winning Spotlight was on 1pm and thus had an excellent double bill for not much outlay. There was a trailer for Hail Caesar which did look like fun.

[Belgrove]

We had noticed that the Oscar winning Spotlight was on 1pm ...

Its an enthralling film that is worth seeing. There were gasps from some in the audience as the scale of abuses was slowly revealed, albeit in a totally unsensational way. It naturally recalls All the President's Men and Zodiac in showing journalists at their work and the painstaking graft and courage required of them in exposing the establishment's dirty linen.

[ardcarp]

I'm not a huge watcher of films, and haven't checked to see if The Revenant has been discussed. I watched it at the behest of my g-kids. Apart from some amazing film shots, I thought it was tedious in the extreme, and found it difficult to understand why anyone should enthuse about it. I don't think the g-kids enjoyed it that much either, apart from ogling at Leonardo DiC, (They are female, BTW)

[jayne lee wilson]

THE MARTIAN.... Great watch, like Interstellar or Gravity (ref. Silent Running, 2001, Moon, gleaming white rotational vehicles in the deep dark vacuum of space, Trumbull, Kubrick etc.), but, like, the science? Sandstorms on Mars...?

Trouble really is that once Matt Damon says "I'm not gonna die here" you know he won't; all-around good American spaceman-egg-hero that he is, growing potatoes in his own poo, no-one's allowing HIM to die in a decompressing airlock or starve to death. So somewhat of a lack of tension in the denouement (blank sad faces at NASA, solarday saved by cybernerd, plot twist to allow those who abandoned to rescue etc.). Still, the scene where he lifts off in an older rocket, patched together with "a tarp" (last act, spacecraft disintegrates around hero, straight outta GRAVITY), to make it into Mars orbit for the rescue rendezvous is a thing of stunning beauty: the gunmetal of the ship, the blazing orange flame beneath it against the crags and sands of the Martian terrain, viewed from the middle distance; we've been here before but never with such intense visual wonder. I even said to my dozing cat, "Wow, Mizzy, look at THAT..."

[Jonathan]

There are sandstorms on Mars, some have been observed through telescopes. I would take issue with the strength of them in the film though - the atmospheric pressure on Mars is really low and, even if the surface regolith was fine enough to be disturbed by a slight breeze, I'm not sure the particles would have enough force to destroy things.

Despite this, we enjoyed the film when we saw it!

[jayne lee wilson]

There are sandstorms on Mars, some have been observed through telescopes. I would take issue with the strength of them in the film though - the atmospheric pressure on Mars is really low and, even if the surface regolith was fine enough to be disturbed by a slight breeze, I'm not sure the particles would have enough force to destroy things.

Despite this, we enjoyed the film when we saw it!

Quite right J, it was the sheer destructiveness that seemed so dubious....
here it all is...http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/...an-dust-storms

[johncorrigan]

I'm not a huge watcher of films, and haven't checked to see if The Revenant has been discussed. I watched it at the behest of my g-kids. Apart from some amazing film shots, I thought it was tedious in the extreme, and found it difficult to understand why anyone should enthuse about it. I don't think the g-kids enjoyed it that much either, apart from ogling at Leonardo DiC, (They are female, BTW)

Had a different take on it, ardcarp.

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?7170-Films-you-ve-seen-lately&p=539643#post539643

[johncorrigan]

Caught 'Arrival' last night with my son. Really enjoyable and thought provoking, keeping you guessing. I was glad I knew virtually nothing about it before I went to see it.

[Tevot]

Caught 'Arrival' last night with my son. Really enjoyable and thought provoking, keeping you guessing. I was glad I knew virtually nothing about it before I went to see it.

Arrival is definitely on my to see list and Denis Villeneuve is definitely a director to look out for. He's French Canadian and only relatively recently has begun to make films where the majority of the dialogue is in English. His last film was Sicario, a revenge thriller partially set in Mexico which starred Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro which I'd recommend. Prior to that there was "Enemy" which for me required too much suspension of disbelief. To say that the ending was very strange is an understatement. Villeneuve first came to prominence for his French Language film "Incendies" which is set in the Middle East and is about violence begetting violence. A gripping and haunting film which I highly recommend.

Best Wishes,

Tevot

[Stanfordian]

I saw 'La La Land' this week. I thought it was very poor. I'm still amazed that I managed to sit through it. It was a real relief when the final credits rolled on the screen. For me there were not enough dancing sequences or singing to describe it as a musical!

[Nick Armstrong]

I was absolutely enthralled by Lion last week.

A story drawn from real life which could have been sentimental, or the stuff of an afternoon TV film - but which was a grand and moving experience, by dint of superlative cinematography, deft script and gripping performances (from the two male leads - the younger one, heartbreakingly so with minimal dialogue - and from an almost-unrecognisable Nicole Kidman). One of those films where a visit to the cinema was fully justified by the scale and impact of the visual means employed to tell the story and augment the emotional impact. Thoroughly recommended, unforgettable film.

(The title of the film is explained right at the end, so don't leave too hastily!)

I saw 'La La Land' this week. I thought it was very poor. I'm still amazed that I managed to sit through it. It was a real relief when the final credits rolled on the screen. For me there were not enough dancing sequences or singing to describe it as a musical!

This was the other option last week - I'm so glad to have decided against seeing it, in favour of Lion!

[gurnemanz]

Arrival is definitely on my to see list ...

Best Wishes,

Tevot

Thanks for the reminder. We missed it first time round but I have spotted a random showing via "Empire Seniors" on Feb 15 (£3.50 incl tea & biscuits!).

We have recently seen:

Jackie - excellent portrayal by Natalie Portman with a nice cameo from the late John Hurt. Unusual but effective narrative style.

Manchester By the Sea - quite bleak but well told and very atmospheric with a great performances and script.

[Richard Tarleton]

We watched Denial on the small screen last night - I'm a sucker for courtroom dramas, this the story of David Irving's libel suit against Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books over DB's remarks on Irving in her book on the Holocaust. Rachel Weisz plays Ms Lipstadt in a high-octane performance (based on close observation apparently), Andrew Scott is solicitor Anthony Julius, and Timothy Spall is brilliant as Irving. QC Richard Rampton is played by Tom Wilkinson who is uncannily like the original according to Rampton's son.

An absorbing story - a lot of the drama centred on the legal team's strategy not to put any Holocaust survivors, or indeed Ms Lipstadt herself, on the stand, but to concentrate entirely on dismantling Irving as a historian, something DB only gradually comes to accept is the best strategy - Harriet Walter plays an anguished survivor anxious to testify. Irving represented himself; DB's legal team's expert witness was Professor Richard Evans. This is the one area which I'd like to have seen more made of in the film, both the trawl through Irving's work by Evans and two assistants in preparing the case, and the cross-examination of Evans (played by John Sessions) by Irving. In fact on the strength of the film I've ordered Evans's and Lipstadt's books. Sadly you only have to scroll down the reviews on Amazon to see a couple of one-star reviews of the latter by, you've guessed it......

[Ferretfancy]

THE MARTIAN.... Great watch, like Interstellar or Gravity (ref. Silent Running, 2001, Moon, gleaming white rotational vehicles in the deep dark vacuum of space, Trumbull, Kubrick etc.), but, like, the science? Sandstorms on Mars...?

Trouble really is that once Matt Damon says "I'm not gonna die here" you know he won't; all-around good American spaceman-egg-hero that he is, growing potatoes in his own poo, no-one's allowing HIM to die in a decompressing airlock or starve to death. So somewhat of a lack of tension in the denouement (blank sad faces at NASA, solarday saved by cybernerd, plot twist to allow those who abandoned to rescue etc.). Still, the scene where he lifts off in an older rocket, patched together with "a tarp" (last act, spacecraft disintegrates around hero, straight outta GRAVITY), to make it into Mars orbit for the rescue rendezvous is a thing of stunning beauty: the gunmetal of the ship, the blazing orange flame beneath it against the crags and sands of the Martian terrain, viewed from the middle distance; we've been here before but never with such intense visual wonder. I even said to my dozing cat, "Wow, Mizzy, look at THAT..."

I saw it in 3D, once in the cinema and once at home on a 3D Blu Ray disc which was the preferred option for me. It was a great entertainment and visually superb. It doesn't do to look carefully at the plot or the scientific reality. Unfortunately poor Matt Damon would have been subject to intense solar radiation, both on his way to Mars and while wandering around unprotected on the Martian surface.He certainly would have died a painful death fairly early on. This is a problem that real Mars explorers must be equipped to solve and it's probably the most difficult challenges the mission planners will have to deal with.

Incidentally, who watches the Internet Movie Database? If I watch a film I enjoy looking it up to see reviews and comments plus masses of background information. Most of the viewers reviews are American, some crass but others perceptive. Perhaps this thread might become our own version.