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Mike

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Just been to see PEARL today. Ti West's prequel to X starring Mia Goth (again starring in Pearl). She is brilliant. I loved X and I loved this - in fact I would probably go and see it again. Please see this in the cinema if you can, it's quite beautiful, lovely strong colours, great cinematography and a lovely mood to the film, catches the era perfectly. 

Google says this about it but it's much more:

"Plot. In 1918 during the influenza pandemic, Pearl is a young woman living with her German immigrant parents on their Texas homestead while her husband, Howard, serves in World War I. Pearl's father is infirm and paralyzed, and her domineering mother, Ruth, insists that she help care for both him and the farm."

Here's the trailer.  https://youtu.be/L5PW5r3pEOg

Hope some of you go see and enjoy it. One of the best films I have seen this year.

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1 hour ago, Jonko said:

Interesting list though I must admit that I have only seen 6 of these on your list. We probably have different tastes as I watch main independent and foreign language films. Impressive way to make a list using IMDB, I must do a list like that. How is it possible to make a list like that in IMDB? do you have to subscribe to use  that kind of function?

To create a list, all you need to do is have an IMDB account. Once you have that, go to the pages of films you've seen and give them a rating. Those ratings will then make up your list.

My list started with "films I've seen in my life", but I thought that too broad (and it would be a list of 1000s if I could remember everything watched). So, with some exceptions (Ikiru, for example, which I first saw around 20 years ago - a  couple of TV series), I decided to make the list mainly about films I've seen from 2022 onwards. 

What's potentially useful is that your own list will algorithmically determine IMDB recommendations over time - but don't know if that's useful yet as my ratings/list is still relatively new and quite short.

Just added a new one to the list before coming back here to check on any replies. Entre amis - a 2015 French drama/comedy (of which there are so many from France) featuring one of my favourite actors, Daniel Auteuil.

Wow, got to be one of the worst films I've ever seen: a French slapstick buddy movie that failed at every turn. Rating: 1/10!

As far as films go, I do like European cinema, although French movies have been my mainstay of watching. A lot of the French drama/comedy movies remind me of the endearing charm of post-war Ealing/Gainsborough-type of productions and British 'quota quickies'. Those I like a lot.

Euro-cinema recommendations of any genre/style from the last year/this year welcomed.

 

 

 

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13 hours ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

To create a list, all you need to do is have an IMDB account. Once you have that, go to the pages of films you've seen and give them a rating. Those ratings will then make up your list.

My list started with "films I've seen in my life", but I thought that too broad (and it would be a list of 1000s if I could remember everything watched). So, with some exceptions (Ikiru, for example, which I first saw around 20 years ago - a  couple of TV series), I decided to make the list mainly about films I've seen from 2022 onwards. 

What's potentially useful is that your own list will algorithmically determine IMDB recommendations over time - but don't know if that's useful yet as my ratings/list is still relatively new and quite short.

Just added a new one to the list before coming back here to check on any replies. Entre amis - a 2015 French drama/comedy (of which there are so many from France) featuring one of my favourite actors, Daniel Auteuil.

Wow, got to be one of the worst films I've ever seen: a French slapstick buddy movie that failed at every turn. Rating: 1/10!

As far as films go, I do like European cinema, although French movies have been my mainstay of watching. A lot of the French drama/comedy movies remind me of the endearing charm of post-war Ealing/Gainsborough-type of productions and British 'quota quickies'. Those I like a lot.

Euro-cinema recommendations of any genre/style from the last year/this year welcomed.

 

 

 

Good idea - may do this if I can find the time. Is it a paid IMDB account or  Free.

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I was very excited about EVERYTHING / EVERYWHERE, and I enjoyed the film. But it lost me halfway through, somehow, I just didn't care about the ending, but I love Michelle Yeoh, actually I felt much the same way about the last series of Star Trek Discovery, that Michelle Yeoh wasnt in!!  I actually wished Star Trek had all perished, it would have been far more entertaining that the crap storyline they did film.

And who here thinks they really underused John Carpenter, he should have had a far more prominent role...with some far better lines...

That said, and sorry I've clearly gone over to my Trek side, who likes the new Piccard series? I actually think it's very good, but I think I’ve seen that story line before in Discovery??  an entity has taken over star trek headquarters and all that, any thoughts terksters...

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On 23/03/2023 at 17:17, Mal C said:

I was very excited about EVERYTHING / EVERYWHERE, and I enjoyed the film. But it lost me halfway through, somehow, I just didn't care about the ending, but I love Michelle Yeoh, actually I felt much the same way about the last series of Star Trek Discovery, that Michelle Yeoh wasnt in!!  I actually wished Star Trek had all perished, it would have been far more entertaining that the crap storyline they did film.

And who here thinks they really underused John Carpenter, he should have had a far more prominent role...with some far better lines...

That said, and sorry I've clearly gone over to my Trek side, who likes the new Piccard series? I actually think it's very good, but I think I’ve seen that story line before in Discovery??  an entity has taken over star trek headquarters and all that, any thoughts terksters...

I finally saw it and I hated it. Not only did it not make sense but the hollywood style acting made it worse and you couldn't take it seriously at all. Christopher Lolan would have made a finer job of it if the Koreans remade it would be far better. This film is complete pants IMO!

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The Goat and Her Three Kids - a Romanian film from 2022 based on a local folk tale about a mother and her three young sons living all alone in the forest. When a dark stranger shows up, things are never the same again.

Trailer below. Click on the icon to the left of the daisy wheel at the bottom to activate subtitles.

One of the better films I've seen in a good while, and all done on a budget of around €16,000 (about 14,000 quid). It's genuinely quite spooky, there's lots of tension and it's a story very well told in which the mother is the metaphorical goat, her children are the kids, and the stranger is the big bad wolf.

What's quite remarkable is that the film only features five actors: the four in the title, and the dark stranger. That serves to reinforce the family's complete isolation in the lonely forest.

IMDB lists this as a 20-minute short. That's wrong - it's around 80 minutes.

Well worth a watch if you get the chance. My rating: 7.5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9243412/

 

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8 hours ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

The Goat and Her Three Kids - a Romanian film from 2022 based on a local folk tale about a mother and her three young sons living all alone in the forest. When a dark stranger shows up, things are never the same again.

Trailer below. Click on the icon to the left of the daisy wheel at the bottom to activate subtitles.

One of the better films I've seen in a good while, and all done on a budget of around €16,000 (about 14,000 quid). It's genuinely quite spooky, there's lots of tension and it's a story very well told in which the mother is the metaphorical goat, her children are the kids, and the stranger is the big bad wolf.

What's quite remarkable is that the film only features five actors: the four in the title, and the dark stranger. That serves to reinforce the family's complete isolation in the lonely forest.

IMDB lists this as a 20-minute short. That's wrong - it's around 80 minutes.

Well worth a watch if you get the chance. My rating: 7.5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9243412/

 

Where is available to watch?

 

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Saw EO last night and have to say it's a big thumbs down from me. I completely get the film's premise that we see life through the eyes of a donkey, and that life can be both cruel and kind. Fine, but this film borders on the surreal.

The film opens with red strobe light, and this is used for reasons unknown several times during the film. Similarly, everything on screen is at times given the same red hue (but without the strobe effect). Why? What does it signify?

And there's a scene where we follow a robotic creature that's a bit like a dog. It doesn't have anything to with the film that I could make out, and it doesn't appear again. What?

If all the crap was cut out you'd be left with a bitter-sweet tale of a donkey's adventures that could be understood. Clearly I'm not intelligent enough for all the allegory and symbolism.

One word sums this film up for me: frustrating. Rating: 3/10.

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5 hours ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Saw EO last night and have to say it's a big thumbs down from me. I completely get the film's premise that we see life through the eyes of a donkey, and that life can be both cruel and kind. Fine, but this film borders on the surreal.

The film opens with red strobe light, and this is used for reasons unknown several times during the film. Similarly, everything on screen is at times given the same red hue (but without the strobe effect). Why? What does it signify?

And there's a scene where we follow a robotic creature that's a bit like a dog. It doesn't have anything to with the film that I could make out, and it doesn't appear again. What?

If all the crap was cut out you'd be left with a bitter-sweet tale of a donkey's adventures that could be understood. Clearly I'm not intelligent enough for all the allegory and symbolism.

One word sums this film up for me: frustrating. Rating: 3/10.

I don't think you should read too much into it. Just enjoy it for what you get out of it, that's what I did. Really enjoyed it. 

Don't know if this helps from GG.

"Both are bathed in red strobe lights, which characterizes the intimacy of their touch as more than vaguely sexual. In certain images, you're not exactly sure what you're seeing, until it's revealed that EO and Kasandra are part of a Polish circus act."

Did you see the Robert Bresson Au Hasard Balthazar  which is the director's inspiration for this film?  Have a listen to what Mark Kermode says about it 

https://youtu.be/orE-MWRh-Xs

I don't always get certain elements of a film  but as long as I enjoy it then its enough for me, and I can always do the research on a film afterwords to see what I missed Often one needs to see a film twice and you get more out of it the second time. 

Now as for the Everything film that won all the oscars - that was dreadful. Lots of stuff I just didn't get but the acting was just stupid, comic hollywood fashion mixed in with it - you just couldn't take it seriously at all - so coupled with the fact that half the time you wonder what the hell is going on ? It's a farce it won so many oscars, and I wonder if it didn't have the stars and names in it that it had, would it have got the same amount of attention? Probably not! But that's Hollywood for you. 

On 31/03/2023 at 22:53, Amsterdam Russ said:

Limited release on Netflix.

Still got to watch this, hope it is still on Netflix. (The Goat and Her Three Kids).

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29 minutes ago, Jonko said:

I don't think you should read too much into it. Just enjoy it for what you get out of it, that's what I did. Really enjoyed it. 

Don't know if this helps from GG.

"Both are bathed in red strobe lights, which characterizes the intimacy of their touch as more than vaguely sexual. In certain images, you're not exactly sure what you're seeing, until it's revealed that EO and Kasandra are part of a Polish circus act."

Did you see the Robert Bresson Au Hasard Balthazar  which is the director's inspiration for this film?  Have a listen to what Mark Kermode says about it 

https://youtu.be/orE-MWRh-Xs

I don't always get certain elements of a film  but as long as I enjoy it then its enough for me, and I can always do the research on a film afterwords to see what I missed Often one needs to see a film twice and you get more out of it the second time. 

Now as for the Everything film that won all the oscars - that was dreadful. Lots of stuff I just didn't get but the acting was just stupid, comic hollywood fashion mixed in with it - you just couldn't take it seriously at all - so coupled with the fact that half the time you wonder what the hell is going on ? It's a farce it won so many oscars, and I wonder if it didn't have the stars and names in it that it had, would it have got the same amount of attention? Probably not! But that's Hollywood for you. 

Still got to watch this, hope it is still on Netflix. (The Goat and Her Three Kids).

The red strobe used in the intro did convey a sense of intimacy, but that intimacy was her giving a collapsed circus donkey the kiss of life - at least that's what I thought I was watching, and I knew before watching the film was about a circus donkey. And as it was the start of the film, I presumed the strobe lighting was visual effects from the young circus performer's routine. But when the red strobe effect was used in other, unrelated scenes, and the heavy red overlay was used in other scenes it didn't make any sense. Was the donkey experiencing the red strobe effect and the red overlay, or is this another conceit from the director? 

I do believe a film should make sense - or be understandable – for it to be appreciated. Much of EO doesn't make sense to me and Kermode and Mayo don't help as, having given it some thought, and contrary to Mayo's off-target interpretation, I realise the robotic-dog-thing is the director conveying the idea that we humans treat animals like donkeys as robots: they have no feelings/emotions and exist only to do our bidding.

But that's no longer the donkey's narrative - it's the director's view, which breaks us away from what we believe we're watching, which is the world from the donkey's perspective. Likewise the scenes with Isabel Huppert: the donkey isn't witness to what happens in the kitchen. Thus, this film isn't entirely about the donkey's tale (pun intended). Instead, it's a commentary from the director on... what exactly? I've no idea.

Watching EO a second time is not going to improve it.

Au hazard balthazar, I've not seen, but I was aware before watching EO that the former had served as a source of inspiration. Everything everywhere - not seen it. No desire to see it.

As for the Oscars... Banshees of Inisherin and Living: both non-US films. Eleven nominations between them and not a single one given! 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Great to see the 4k restoration of Raging Bull last week. Best film out at the moment, better then any of the current crop of mainstream releases. Looking forward to see Little Richard film when it opens at the weekend. Also at my local looking forward to a couple of classics, Alien (4k restoration) Streetcar Named Desire, Thelma and Loiuse coming up soon.

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Film of the week for me is "Cairo Conspiracy" . Fantastic film, very insightful of the political situation in Eygpt.  A fisherman’s son is awarded a scholarship to Al-Azhar University, a ‘beacon of Islam’, only to be recruited as a government informant by the secret state police. Fascinating. Sadly only 3 of us in the 150 auditorium, shame that people are not going to see it. The film is subtitled and really is a must see if interested in political thrillers.  

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Apparently Marvel return to form with the third Guardians movie. Probably helps the continuity that the same writer/director used throughout. Some of the recent Marvel movies become too formulaic with overuse of CGI effects. Thor God of Love & Thunder was just pants, childish drivel. The earlier movies were better for concentrating on building the characters. The fact they were superheroes was incidental. 

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Just went to see the Little Richard documentary I Am Everything. Anyone else seen it? 

Just learnt so much about Little Richard that I never knew. It’s a pity the filmmaker failed to touch on his Okey recording sessions. But apart from that, a fascinating film.

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My all time fave film is salems lot from the 70’s with David soul and James mason,however there has been talk of a remake in 2023 which promises to equal the original,the film is made but they keep delaying the release!

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18 hours ago, Dobber said:

My all time fave film is salems lot from the 70’s with David soul and James mason,however there has been talk of a remake in 2023 which promises to equal the original,the film is made but they keep delaying the release!

I'll be amazed if equals the original. It scared the life out of me as a kid.

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Watched French movie "You resemble me" last night. A most unexpected and very powerful film! Can't say anything really, except to say it's about how the eldest of two young Moroccan sisters living in Paris copes with life after they are taken into care and cruelly given to separate foster families instead of being kept together. 7/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15131600/

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
3 minutes ago, Amsterdam Russ said:

Euronews has compiled a list of what it considers to be the best European films of the 21st century so far. An interesting selection. I've only seen seven of them, so plenty to catch up on.

What about you?

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/05/15/celebrating-the-best-european-films-of-the-21st-century 

Seen 13 of those. Most memorable are Raw and Son of Saul.

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3 hours ago, Jonko said:

Seen 13 of those. Most memorable are Raw and Son of Saul.

I've also seen 13 of them

I thought Almodovar's "Talk to her" was great but I enjoyed his "The skin I live in " more.

Pans Labyrinth, The lives of others, Son of Saul definitely worthy contenders but no "Parasite". it was No 1 for me.

I've just watched SISU and thought it was the most entertaining, jaw dropping 90 minutes I've had in a long time, 10/10

Edited by Jessie Pinkman
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2 minutes ago, Jessie Pinkman said:

I've also seen 13 of them, I thought "Talk to her" was great but I enjoyed Pedro Almodovar's "The skin I live in " more.

Pans Labyrinth, The lives of others, Son of Saul definitely worthy contenders but no "Parasite". it was No 1 for me.

I've just watched SISU and thought it was the most entertaining, jaw dropping 90 minutes I've had in a long time, 10/10

Sorry I've just noticed they're European Films, that's why there's no Parasite"

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4 minutes ago, Jessie Pinkman said:

I've just watched SISU and thought it was the most entertaining, jaw dropping 90 minutes I've had in a long time, 10/10

Same here , just about to start on John Wick : Chapter 4 ... not expecting anything different to the first three barring a higher body count ... :rolleyes:

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On 24/05/2023 at 13:32, Woodbutcher said:

Same here , just about to start on John Wick : Chapter 4 ... not expecting anything different to the first three barring a higher body count ... :rolleyes:

 

On 24/05/2023 at 13:25, Jessie Pinkman said:

 

I've just watched SISU and thought it was the most entertaining, jaw dropping 90 minutes I've had in a long time, 10/10

thanks for the posts

checked the trailer out and it's now on the schedule for a bit of bank holiday escapism

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  • 2 weeks later...

On 06/06/2023 at 19:53, Woodbutcher said:

If you liked "Sisu" then you'll probably like another new one in a similar vein ... "Blood & Gold" ... :thumbsup:

Been available for a while but only recently popped up dubbed in English .

"Law of Tehran" on the BBC I Player, What a wonderful powerful film, I watched it this afternoon.

Basically it's about an Iranian officer hell bent on finding the drug lord who's supplying all the addicts in his district.

The acting is absolutely brilliant by everybody. Just over 2 hours long and it flew by. 10/10

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  • 3 months later...

The Rat Catcher (2023)

This only about 15 minutes long a well weird, but a fun watch. You’ll never eat liquorish again!

 

Shelter in Solitude (2023)

A death row prisoner with 10 days left to live forms an unlikely bond with a washed up country singer turned prison guard.

Now this is a ‘must watch’ 10/10. It’s not a death row film like ‘dead man walking, the best film I’ve seen for ages.

 

Reptile (2023)

Tom Nichols is a hardened New England detective, unflinching in his pursuit of a case where nothing is as it seems and it begins to dismantle the illusions in his own life.

Far, far too long.  Bored after half an hour and couldn’t care less after an hour.  No likeable characters or decent plot – let’s make two poor films and roll them into one.

 

The Black Book (2023)

After his son is framed for a kidnapping, a bereaved deacon takes justice into his own hands and fights a corrupt police gang to absolve him.

No idea what it is on about. Maybe one for Nigerian film fans?

 

A New Breed of Criminal (2013)

Inspired by Stephen Sayers' rise from the backstreets of Newcastle's West End to the top of the criminal ladder and the authorities subsequent attempt to bring him crashing back down again.

Utter twaddle! Let chance the ‘Mockney’ accents to Geordie. And of course the inclusion of a Kray brother to make it like authentic, like yeah…………avoid

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 18/10/2023 at 21:07, Mal C said:

Brilliant film, called 'God's Crooked Lines'

Cheers for that one Mal, watched it yesterday, as you say a long one but it holds your interest throughout, the woman with the freaky eyes when she first went in set the tone of menace for me 

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  • 3 weeks later...

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