Films you've seen lately

[Stunsworth]

Yes I saw a preview a couple of months ago. Great stuff. I especially loved Jason Isaacs as Field Marshal Zhukov - some of his lines, delivered in broad Yorkshire, had me crying with laughter. The mix of accents (i.e. no cod Russian) among the Soviet 'élite' was a nice touch, reflecting the wide mix of origins among that gang.

I though Zhukov stole ever scene he was in. Wonderful stuff.

[Conchis]

Has anyone seen the Donald Crowhurst film (forgotten the title) yet?

It looks interesting, yet the leads have been made too glamorous.

[Constantbee]

Blade Runner 2049

Watched this grim, grey, dystopian epic back-to-back with the 1982 version over the weekend 2049 will make a whole lot more sense if you refresh your memory about the plot. There are 7 original early versions to choose from, but the international cut and the director’s cut are the most widely available. We watched the former on an old VHS tape

2049 has been criticised for being too long (2h 44m). I didn’t find it so, although maybe it’s slow moving in places, so that you get impatient for the story to develop. It’s been nominated for Oscars this year in the following categories:

Cinematography
Production Design
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Visual Effects

As you might expect from the above, it’s quite stylish, and the VFX form a big part of the characterisation. Look out for Ryan Gosling’s holographic girlfriend I don’t think much of its chances in any other category, mind you. There's stiff competition this year. The score btw is, well, disappointing imho, and certainly not a patch on the Vangelis soundtrack to the original.

What’s creepy about watching the 1982 movie now is how many of the sci fi predictions have entered the everyday: video conferencing, iris recognition technology, personally targeted advertising to name just three. Now, this movie was made just 36-7 years ago, and 2049 is only 31 years round the corner. Must confess 2049 made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but maybe that's a good thing See what you think.

[Stanfordian]

On Sunday afternoon 'Journey's End'. OK, but very claustrophobic as it is almost all filmed in the officer's quarters in a trench.

[johncorrigan]

Blade Runner 2049

I saw 2049 at the cinema, my first experience of IMax, Constantbee. I love the original film - certainly in my all-time top 10. I'm one of those who found 2049 far too long. However I had been really taken by one of the shorts that were made and released ahead of it. This made me hope for more of the same which may have disappointed me more. Here Dave Bautista is terrific as replicant on the run in LA 2048, and about to have his cover blown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ9Os8cP_gg

(Bautista was a real star in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movies, I thought).

[DracoM]

'Journey's End'
OK. Toby Jones stole it IMO.

[Dave2002]

'Journey's End'
OK. Toby Jones stole it IMO.

Pretty good, though not a barrel of laughs as you might expect.

I’m not quite sure which bit of the trenches the film was supposed to represent. We visited the trenches at Vimy ridge some years ago - very compact and it was possible to walk from one side to the other in a minute or two. Presumably there were miles and miles of trenches in various parts.

Miss Sloane - courtesy of Amazon Prime - rather odd film.

[Conchis]

'Journey's End'
OK. Toby Jones stole it IMO.

Once 2018 is out, can filmmakers promise us a 100 year moratorium on films about WW1?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Once 2018 is out, can filmmakers promise us a 100 year moratorium on films about WW1?

Well, bearing in mind 2019 is the eightieth anniversary of the start of WW2, you may well get your promise ... but not necessarily in the way you might have wished.

[gradus]

Dulcima with Sir John Mills on Talking Pictures, a film that had previously escaped my notice. Very charming H E Bates story with a particularly lovely score by Johnny Douglas. I hope that someone like John Wilson rediscovers it and gives it an airing.

[Dave2002]

A Little Chaos - on BBC Two.

Sadly I’m inclined to agree with this Guardian critic -
https://www.theguardian.com/film/fil...-of-versailles - a heap of compost.

[gurnemanz]

Seen four Oscar Best Picture candidates this time around. More than we usually manage, ie some years none: Lady Bird, Three Billboards, Phantom Thread, Shape of Water. All excellent and very different from each other. Hard choice.

[Belgrove]

... Shape of Water. All excellent and very different from each other. Hard choice.

What did you think of Shape of Water Gurnemanz? I'm unsure what all the fuss is about. I enjoyed it's well executed fantastical elements, and although freighted with the allegorical significance associated with the 'outsider', I don't think it went sufficiently beyond the bounds of its B-movie setting. I found the score (for which it is Oscar nominated) instantly forgettable compared with Johhny Greenwood's ravishing score for Phantom Thread. I've seen this a couple of times now, and would be more than happy to go see it again - it's sublime.

[gurnemanz]

As with Pan's Labyrinth, I wasn't sure I was going to go for it but very much did. I enjoyed the blend of fairy tale and everyday reality. Beautiful images and set design, fine acting performances, humour, the thriller element, --- spoiler --- the song sequence, snappy editing.

[Nick Armstrong]

It's funny, having seen The Shape of Water on Friday, I was going to post here yesterday evening but other things happened. I got as far as checking that no one had yet mentioned the film - but now two have!

Belgrove, I know what you mean - and we agree (##376 & 383 above) about Phantom Thread which I too would place on a different level entirely, and one I prefer (not least as you say the score).

I did find The Shape of Water an intriguing and unique (in my experience) mix of fairy tale / monster movie / espionage caper. The performances by the leads were pretty captivating - no one does a brooding, screwed-up villain like Michael Shannon, and Sally Hawkins did great things in the main role. Nice humorous touches from the actors playing her neighbour friend, and her work buddy.

Plus I thought the film built up to a climax of real grandeur aided by the score.

But save for some parts in the last third of the film, it left me detached, it felt like a whimsical exercise de style. And quite a lot of the earlier part seemed to be trying for the sort of fey charm (abetted by the tinkly score) which I personally find a turn-off - reminded me of the Jeunet film Amélie, which I couldn't stomach.