What film(s) did everyone watch today? Redux Trois!

[MidnightAngel]

5/10

[sarah1980]

watching on bluray



8/10

[Mr.HyDe807]

A great film for this reviewer is when the story and characters are winding down a strange rabbit hole, like Alice in Wonderland. Moments get eerily creepy, the situation gets darker, and it seems a dynamite spark may go off at any moment that will blow away the brimming tension. Kill List has two and a half of these moments, but the final half is just that something that never gets the explosion that the film seems to promise throughout the film’s first two acts.

Despite a bit of a disappointing final act, there is still a lot to love about Kill List. The film establishes its characters and plot with kinetic energy, as director Ben Wheatley jumps cut scenes with a sense of control and purpose for the intense plot. It follows disheveled former soldier and ex-hit man Jay (Neil Maskell) who is struggling to provide for his family’s finances and his wife Shel (MyAnna Buring) becoming increasingly impatient toward his lack of action to the financial problem. Enter Jay’s friend Gal (Michael Smiley) who offers his best friend a chance to make money again by assassinating three people for a mysterious employer, which Jay reluctantly agrees to. However, this decision causes Jay to go down a road that begins to personally burden his morality, as well as pulling him and Jay into hit jobs that become increasingly surreal and violent.

If there were a movie that Kill List could certainly tip its hat, it would certainly be Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. While the film doesn’t utilize Kubrick’s typical tracking shots, there is certainly the use of his establishing shots, as well as the use of soundtrack to give the film a foreboding feeling. Kill List’s soundtrack is the film’s heart, giving a sense of suspense or despair that becomes more despairing as the film’s runtime continues. There are also the lack of pop-out scares, instead utilizing establishing shots that give an aura of creepiness that will unsettle the viewer even after its over. It’s also to director Wheatley’s credit that he, like Kubrick, believe that exposition should be more to the point and beneficial to the plot, not jamming it down the viewer’s throat so that they will understand the characters.

The film’s actors understand that notion of a character’s exposition, as the director allows certain scenes where some of their dialogue is improvised in order to give a certain authenticity to the situation at hand. The actors also don’t have that stereotypical “cool hit man” vibe going, as they feel like characters that have layers to their gruff exterior. Neil Maskell does a superb job as the family man Jay, trying to be a loving father but still has a anger street that feels like he wants to brings his violent hit man persona out. Michael Smiley is also excellent as Gal, displaying his desensitized and isolated view to the world of carrying out hits, but also a concerned friend when he realizes what sort of burden it begins to have to Jay. The support cast is also solid, with Buring as Jay’s despairing wife Shel. There are always films that have the wife who is always one dimensional in order to simply be there to belittle the husband character, but while Shel gets angry and belittles Jay, the viewer can still see the love that she has for him, despite his stubbornness.

There are great ingredients in this film that work like gangbusters; it’s just a shame that the film sort of drops the ball in the final moments of the film. The moments certainly feel deserved for the film’s tone, but there’s divisiveness to how it all comes at the end. Does it break the film for what it was? No. Still, there’s a hint of predictableness that makes the film go down a bit sour, rather than smooth. When all is said and done, it’s something that would probably require a second viewing.

Overall, Kill List is definitely a solid dramatic horror film that has been needed in a recent stale genre. It oozes suspense and utilizes the violence to make a point for the plot and a character’s state of mind, rather than being senseless. The actors and direction are all excellent; it’s just those final minutes that don’t sit right for this reviewer. Despite that, a recommendation is certainly in order for filmgoers that love a good slow-burn horror show.

8/10

[JCR]

I loved Kill List, probably in my top five for last year.

[Bourne101]

I dug Kill List as well. I think it definitely has some flaws, but those last 30 minutes are terrifying.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - 10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - 10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 10/10
Bridesmaids - 8/10

[echo_bravo]

Shame

8/10

Really wish I would of went to see this with my parents.

[Puck Bond]

The Artist(2011)-9/10

[UseYourIllusion]

Good Neighbours - 7.5/10

Enter The Void - 9/10

Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star - 8/10

[viceus]

Originally Posted by JCR

I loved Kill List, probably in my top five for last year.

Funny, I'd say it was the worst film I saw last year. I don't understand the heaps of praise it's getting.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - 7/10

Fincher's films are always easy enough to watch. They're snappy, glossy, and absorbing. And whilst this ticked those boxes, it never really fully satisfied in any other way. One of its main downfalls...there was no suspense. Not a bad film from him by any means, but it felt like a filler.

Also, there was no need for that heart-breaker of a final scene. Poor lass.

[urbanlegend23]

The Social Network (10/10)
Gets better and better with every viewing. What an electrifying film.

[BadCoverVersion]

I missed Kill List at the cinema but watched it last night...I agree that the final act is flawed but I DIDN'T hate it...and for the most part it is dynamic, chillingly unsettling and genuinely frightening.

It gets a solid 8/10 from me.

I also really liked Down Terrace.

[UseYourIllusion]

Drive - 9.5/10

Wow, what a film...

[DrJellyfingers]

Straw Dogs
7/10

[Natty]

Moneyball (Bennett Miller, 2011)

Yeah this was a great movie, I'm pretty sure we can say that Brad Pitt as the best actor of his generation now, exceptional performance.
8/10

[Puck Bond]

The Darkest Hour(2011)-5/10

[Digifruitella]

Young Adult



7/10

[ilovemovies]

Young Adult - ***

Liked but didn't love it.


The Darkest Hour - **

A really bad movie. Of all the alien invasion movies we've been getting the past year or so, this is easily the goofiest. In fact, it's so goofy that I have to admit, it was kind of enjoyable at times. It almost works in a so bad it's good kind of way. But still not worthy of a recommendation because I think it's only available in 3D and the 3D sucks and it's not worth extra money. But when it hits DVD, it might make for a guilty pleasure.


Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - ***

Much better than the trailer makes it out to be. It starts strong but then starts to get a little too silly. Fortunately it then gets back on track when Moriarty proves to be a rather ruthless villain. The action is largely enjoyable although I could have done without the slow motion stuff in the chase scene through the forest. The ending is also pretty silly. But all in all, good times.

[viceus]

The Interrupters - 8/10

[UseYourIllusion]

Portlandia: Season One - 9/10

[rugbyp45]

Originally Posted by JCR

I loved Kill List, probably in my top five for last year.

LOVED Kill List as well! Definitely going to become one of those indie horror cult classics!

[smacaskill]

Yesterday I saw the final three Thin Man films: Shadow of the Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home, and Song of the Thin Man. While not as good as the previous films they are still fun and I give them all a 7/10.

I would definitely recommend everyone see at least the first two films of the Thin Man series as they are classics and then if you like them check out William Powell and Myrna Loy in the rest.

Bachelor Mother with Ginger Rogers and David Niven - Rogers is a salesgirl who is mistaken for the mother of an orphan. All sorts of screwball mixups occur after that. Rogers and Niven are good together and there are a few laughs to be had. 7/10

Bundle of Joy with Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher - A musical remake of the previous film. Reynolds was pretty good but Eddie Fisher just sucks. That was the big difference for me between the two versions of this story. 5/10

[echo_bravo]

Manic

7/10
JGL was pretty damn good in this but not really much else is going on with this movie.

[Frosty_86]

I liked this movie. It's far from perfect. The real strengths for the movie are the performances especially by Stevenson and D'Onofrio. I wish they would have given Walken more to do.

[Cronos]

Urban Gothic S01-S02 (end) - 8/10
One of the only good things to come from Channel 5's existence. Hopefully the proposed third season comes to fruition and they don't fuck it up.

[Bourne101]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - 6/10

Disappointment of the year. Any time Tom Hardy isn't on screen, the movie is flat as can be.

[Natty]

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Brad Bird, 2011)



It was awesome, not sure about best in the series though as it was slightly more routine and cornier (Russian with a shit reason for blowing up the world) than the third movie. But it was Tom Cruise kicking ass repeatedly so I enjoyed every minute of it. And my oh my Paula Patton is fine.
7/10

[Smiert Spionam]

Originally Posted by Mr.HyDe807

A great film for this reviewer is when the story and characters are winding down a strange rabbit hole, like Alice in Wonderland. Moments get eerily creepy, the situation gets darker, and it seems a dynamite spark may go off at any moment that will blow away the brimming tension. Kill List has two and a half of these moments, but the final half is just that something that never gets the explosion that the film seems to promise throughout the film’s first two acts.

Despite a bit of a disappointing final act, there is still a lot to love about Kill List. The film establishes its characters and plot with kinetic energy, as director Ben Wheatley jumps cut scenes with a sense of control and purpose for the intense plot. It follows disheveled former soldier and ex-hit man Jay (Neil Maskell) who is struggling to provide for his family’s finances and his wife Shel (MyAnna Buring) becoming increasingly impatient toward his lack of action to the financial problem. Enter Jay’s friend Gal (Michael Smiley) who offers his best friend a chance to make money again by assassinating three people for a mysterious employer, which Jay reluctantly agrees to. However, this decision causes Jay to go down a road that begins to personally burden his morality, as well as pulling him and Jay into hit jobs that become increasingly surreal and violent.

If there were a movie that Kill List could certainly tip its hat, it would certainly be Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. While the film doesn’t utilize Kubrick’s typical tracking shots, there is certainly the use of his establishing shots, as well as the use of soundtrack to give the film a foreboding feeling. Kill List’s soundtrack is the film’s heart, giving a sense of suspense or despair that becomes more despairing as the film’s runtime continues. There are also the lack of pop-out scares, instead utilizing establishing shots that give an aura of creepiness that will unsettle the viewer even after its over. It’s also to director Wheatley’s credit that he, like Kubrick, believe that exposition should be more to the point and beneficial to the plot, not jamming it down the viewer’s throat so that they will understand the characters.

The film’s actors understand that notion of a character’s exposition, as the director allows certain scenes where some of their dialogue is improvised in order to give a certain authenticity to the situation at hand. The actors also don’t have that stereotypical “cool hit man” vibe going, as they feel like characters that have layers to their gruff exterior. Neil Maskell does a superb job as the family man Jay, trying to be a loving father but still has a anger street that feels like he wants to brings his violent hit man persona out. Michael Smiley is also excellent as Gal, displaying his desensitized and isolated view to the world of carrying out hits, but also a concerned friend when he realizes what sort of burden it begins to have to Jay. The support cast is also solid, with Buring as Jay’s despairing wife Shel. There are always films that have the wife who is always one dimensional in order to simply be there to belittle the husband character, but while Shel gets angry and belittles Jay, the viewer can still see the love that she has for him, despite his stubbornness.

There are great ingredients in this film that work like gangbusters; it’s just a shame that the film sort of drops the ball in the final moments of the film. The moments certainly feel deserved for the film’s tone, but there’s divisiveness to how it all comes at the end. Does it break the film for what it was? No. Still, there’s a hint of predictableness that makes the film go down a bit sour, rather than smooth. When all is said and done, it’s something that would probably require a second viewing.

Overall, Kill List is definitely a solid dramatic horror film that has been needed in a recent stale genre. It oozes suspense and utilizes the violence to make a point for the plot and a character’s state of mind, rather than being senseless. The actors and direction are all excellent; it’s just those final minutes that don’t sit right for this reviewer. Despite that, a recommendation is certainly in order for filmgoers that love a good slow-burn horror show.

8/10

I pretty much completely agree with your assessment. I loved the style of the film, the naturalness of it all. The quiet moments interlaced with screaming arguments and scenes of brutal violence. The grim mood that casts over the entire film, even during moments of peace. I did find some of the dialogue a little hard to understand, and I'm a huge fan of British film/tv, so I dunno if it was just because the characters seemed to be mumbling/whispering at times or if it was due to bad sound mixing. Either way, a very tense film that will draw you in and is very well made, especially for its minimal budget.



8/10

P.S. The wife is absolutely stunning. Not particularly her acting (which is good), but just her face. Sweet Jesus haha

[KcMsterpce]

HOMELAND: SEASON 1 - 6/10

I think I should like this more than I do, but it felt like what should have been 5 episodes of material was stretched out, farther and farther until they finally reached a whole season.
Good acting, though.

[Hubbs]

Hugo

I will be totally honest here and say that for much of this film I really didn't quite see what was suppose to be going on, a boy who lives in a railway station working the clocks befriends a young girl who is the goddaughter of a miserable old toy maker who also lives within the station, together they try to make an old automaton work simply because his father never finished it.

I simply couldn't quite fathom out what the point was and where the film was going, I had read allot of good reviews for the film but was lost. There is a huge amount of dialog and not much else going on throughout the film which admittedly is rather dull making it slow going, there are inclusions of attempted humour with Sacha Baron Cohen as Inspector Gustav (Frenchman with London accent) who merely comes across as a poor blend of Kenneth Mars character Inspector Kemp from 'Young Frankenstein' and the silly tall French policeman from the British comedy 'Allo Allo'.

It is only towards the end of the film that you finally discover the film is actually a biopic about cinematic legend Georges Méliès (had a clue but couldn't see it up to this point) and everything you have been watching is snippets from his life into the world of film. From this point on the film changes from being rather dull to a fantastic homage to the great man and his wonderful silent movies with a sublime montage of actual footage and the way it was probably created.

Don't get me wrong the film isn't poor by any means, its a visual masterpiece capturing France 1931 and comes across like a dreamlike fantasy with surreal images and very good performances from a stellar cast. Kingsley as Méliès is of course the highlight with a lovely contrast between his youth and old age.

In all honesty the film is pretty boring up to about the last 30mins where you finally see the film for what it is, this last part of the film is amazing as it highlights a long forgotten craftsman and genius whilst also highlighting how good modern films can be if they try. Scorsese certainly surprises with this outing as from the look of the film you would never have guessed he directed, beautiful to look at and with historical accuracy to boot! may require another viewing.

[Alchemy]

Suspiria 6/10

First time seeing this cult classic. Repeat viewings might be instore. I loved the dream like atmosphere throughout and the score which I thought was annoying at first, but grew on me as the film went on. The dialogue was quite poor and I thought the acting was so so, although the main girl was quite cute. Not the best film, but I am glad I finally watched it.

[Cronos]

Gladiator Days: Anatomy Of A Prison Murder - 8/10
Big Helium Dog - 4/10
Probably for the best this is unreleased.

[MidnightAngel]

The Devil's Double 7/10
Point Blank 8/10

[DrJellyfingers]

Rubber
7/10

[Country1969]

Just got done watching The Hangover Part 2.

[Murph]

Glory (1989)

9/10

[ilovemovies]

Originally Posted by KcMsterpce

HOMELAND: SEASON 1 - 6/10

I think I should like this more than I do, but it felt like what should have been 5 episodes of material was stretched out, farther and farther until they finally reached a whole season.
Good acting, though.

I'm half way into the season and I'm LOVING it so far! I placed it at #2 in my top 5 for television of the year so far.

[Puck Bond]

Attack the Block(2011)-7/10

[Le_Big_Mac]

The Artist- 6.5/10

[Digifruitella]

Mission:Impossible - Ghost Protocol



Solid entry, some insane sequences, overall enjoyable film. Though I still prefer the third film next to this. I don't think it's the best of the series either, but definitely up on par with the rest, except the second.

Oh and I'm a sucker for ballroom scenes set to awesome music, this one was great. Giacchino's tune was so good and fitting

8/10

[MidnightAngel]

The Man Who saved The World(a.k.a. Turkish Star Wars) 5/10

So awful you'll see it many times!