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What movies or TV shows are you watching (2018)


CharlieH

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On 12/21/2018 at 8:01 AM, 3 minus 2 said:

roma 2018 mexico  dir alfonso cuaron aka 'yu to mama tambien '

 

filmed in  b& w, a  tale of a domestic servant  in middle class colonia roma,   set in the early 70's partly with the 70 wc   as a backdrop

imo up there with the all the great modern day films  

 

9.8/10 

 

This is expected to be a contender, perhaps the prime one, for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award.

 

I liked Cuaron's 2001 "Y Tu Mamá También" starring Gael Garcia Bernal, and was looking forward to "Roma", checking daily for it to appear online, after reading the buzz about it.

 

MV5BMTM2NTY3Njc2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDcx

Y Tu Mamá También

 

Very disappointed.  I thought the plot of each sequence was telegraphed, and it never came together for me.

Interesting all through but didn't work overall was what I was left with.

It does remind one how great black & white films can look.

 

Thus far "The Guilty" is my choice for Best Foreign Film for the 2019 Awards, but I've only seen 3 of the 9 on the shortlist.

 

Here is the Academy's shortlist - the 5 contenders will be chosen from these:

 

Colombia, Birds of Passage
Denmark, The Guilty
Germany, Never Look Away
Japan, Shoplifters
Kazakhstan, Ayka
Lebanon, Capernaum
Mexico, Roma
Poland, Cold War
South Korea, Burning

 

The other film I've seen on the list is "Burning".

Short review - Pass.

Apparently the well regarded novel it's based on is very interesting and hopefully a more coherent whole.

 

I've given up hope to get a satisfying film out of Pawel Pawlikowski, whose 2013 "Ida" won the 2015 Best Foreign Film Academy Award.

It was of some interest but hard to tell what made voters choose it other than the plot involved Nazis/WWII hardship, a favorite topic for Academy vote getting.

But I'm going to take a low expectations look at Pawlikowski's "Cold War" in case there's something there.

 

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Saw a triple feature at T21 with the kid yesterday:

1. Goosebumps 2

2. Mary Poppins Returns

3. Ralph Breaks the Internet

 

Goosebumps 2: Not expecting much, so I was not too disappointed. but I hate movies that depend on all the "heroes" have to be incredibly stupid for the movie to continue, and where sub-plots develop only to be abandoned. Popcorn was great.

 

Mary Poppins Returns: I was expecting kind of a lot from this and was disappointed. Aside from Emily Blunt and great performances from the kids, it was pretty much crap. Evil banker and lawyer, father a bumbling fool blah blah blah. A musical without any real stand-out music. It was better than Goosebumps, but not a whole lot.

 

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Not expecting much from this but was pleasantly surprised. Cute little story and good laughs all the way through.

 

 

 

 

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On 12/26/2018 at 9:09 AM, JimmyJ said:

 

This is expected to be a contender, perhaps the prime one, for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award.

 

I liked Cuaron's 2001 "Y Tu Mamá También" starring Gael Garcia Bernal, and was looking forward to "Roma", checking daily for it to appear online, after reading the buzz about it.

 

MV5BMTM2NTY3Njc2Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDcx

Y Tu Mamá También

 

Very disappointed.  I thought the plot of each sequence was telegraphed, and it never came together for me.

Interesting all through but didn't work overall was what I was left with.

It does remind one how great black & white films can look.

 

Thus far "The Guilty" is my choice for Best Foreign Film for the 2019 Awards, but I've only seen 3 of the 9 on the shortlist.

 

Here is the Academy's shortlist - the 5 contenders will be chosen from these:

 

Colombia, Birds of Passage
Denmark, The Guilty
Germany, Never Look Away
Japan, Shoplifters
Kazakhstan, Ayka
Lebanon, Capernaum
Mexico, Roma
Poland, Cold War
South Korea, Burning

 

The other film I've seen on the list is "Burning".

Short review - Pass.

Apparently the well regarded novel it's based on is very interesting and hopefully a more coherent whole.

 

I've given up hope to get a satisfying film out of Pawel Pawlikowski, whose 2013 "Ida" won the 2015 Best Foreign Film Academy Award.

It was of some interest but hard to tell what made voters choose it other than the plot involved Nazis/WWII hardship, a favorite topic for Academy vote getting.

But I'm going to take a low expectations look at Pawlikowski's "Cold War" in case there's something there.

 

Yeah sort of get where your comin from regarding 'roma'  no 'instant gratification' that has become the expected mainstay of our cinematic exp however going a touch deeper  the film put a story together that dealt  with rascism, class and  gender in  a subtle yet effective way that warrents ALL the plaudits

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5 hours ago, 3 minus 2 said:

Yeah sort of get where your comin from regarding 'roma'  no 'instant gratification' that has become the expected mainstay of our cinematic exp however going a touch deeper  the film put a story together that dealt  with rascism, class and  gender in  a subtle yet effective way that warrents ALL the plaudits

 

I agree to disagree on this one.

 

I skimmed the headings and some reviews on the posts at IMDB to try to understand what others are getting out of this film.

One poster called it a tribute to 60's arthouse cinema (not the most positive review overall), which I found very interesting.

Prior to reading that, my sense was that the social consciousness displayed might have appeared relevant or interesting in the 1960's, but in 2018 I found it making a very strong case over very safe and well trod territory, without any new thoughts or insight.

Maybe not even the 60's but post WWII neo-realism.

 

It's been raking in awards like mad -

"Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 90 wins & 116 nominations." - IMDB

On this basis alone it looks like it'll get the Academy Award.

 

Here's a recent socially conscious film that I found artful and extremely powerful - "The Club", Chilean director Pablo Larrain's best film (2015). Bunuelian irony, dark and disturbing.

 

MV5BMTY2OTE4NTUzMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDY3

 

Larrain regular Antonia Zegers, part of the ensemble cast, is brilliant and really shows what she can do in this one:

 

MV5BZWQ4NTIzMzMtNDcwNS00M2M5LThlYjMtNDA4

 

"Spotlight" was the TV movie writ large version of this issue, this film is the nitty gritty.

 

 

 

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Downloaded and watched the movie "Citizen Kane" as I had never seen it and I'd heard so much about it being the "best film ever made".

 

Well I watched it and couldn't see anything in it which would relate to the "best film" accolade, and in fact what I did see was the poor prosthetics around Orson Welles face which was meant to portray him growing older, and his use of built-up shoes to give him more height in some scenes, both of which were fairly obvious.

 

The story was okay as was the acting, and it wasn't until I researched the movie after I had watched it that I realised the "best movie" accolade was bestowed upon it because of the filming techniques used, many for the first time ever, and pioneered by Orson Welles.

 

Pleased that I watched it, but now that my curiosity has been satisfied, no need to consider it again.

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The Old Man & the Gun.

 

Enjoyed this one.
Robby Redford at 82 has still got it.

Summary: Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker and his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an
unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public.

 

 

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Thoroughbreds usa 2017   off beat tale of 2 dysfunctional teen  school girl freinds re united and  half heartedly plot the murder of bullying  step father and then.!!!  6/10

'American made '  usa 2017   tom cruise 'bounces' this tale along, . twa pilot turns freelance and works for all sides and in doing so plays a part in establishing  and realising the potential in as yet the untapped   drug  market   6.5/10

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14 hours ago, Will27 said:

The Old Man & the Gun.

 

Enjoyed this one.
Robby Redford at 82 has still got it.

Summary: Based on the true story of Forrest Tucker and his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an
unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public.

 

I found it dull and lifeless, totally lacking in any suspense, or even a decent story line.

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11 minutes ago, Will27 said:

Loofer is back gang:smile:

Thank you William; it took me a minute or two before realising what you meant.

 

Then remembered it's that excellent series about bathing.

 

It's on rar & I'm sure the rest too.

 

Btw bill, am enjoying Redford's latest movie you recommended.

 

 

 

 

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Bloom - a decent start to this new 6 part series from Oz.
All 6 episodes available.

 

RARBG

 

Summary: A year after a devastating flood has killed five locals in an idyllic country town, a mysterious new plant appears. The plant's phenomenal ability to restore youth is so formidable that attempting to harness it means re-evaluating values.

 

 

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This has a 4.5/5 rating on Roger Ebert; quite rightly so.

 

It is, in my opinion, amazing. The acting by Jake Gyllenhall, Carey Mulligan & their 'son' Ed Oxenbould is remarkable. Look at them when they're not speaking & see the fine details of emotion.

 

 

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I've been on a "Forbrydelsen" ("The Killing") marathon thru the holidays up till yesterday.

 

I didn't realize until I got into it that "Forbrydelsen I" was 20 episodes, not the norm of 10. Amazed when I got started and then noticed how long it is.

Even more amazed that it held my interest throughout.

Lars Mikkelsen (brother of Mads) excellent, as well as several other cast members (e.g., the incumbent Mayor).

 

Just finished "Forbrydelsen II" - 10 episodes.

Same basic formula of police procedural story intertwining with a political story, but totally different plots.

 

I'm downloading "Forbrydelsen III" currently.

 

Thank you to the person/people here who led me to this - I think someone mentioned the British miniseries remake of this and I backtracked instead to the original.

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1 hour ago, faraday said:

This has a 4.5/5 rating on Roger Ebert; quite rightly so.

 

It is, in my opinion, amazing. The acting by Jake Gyllenhall, Carey Mulligan & their 'son' Ed Oxenbould is remarkable. Look at them when they're not speaking & see the fine details of emotion.

 

 

 

Hadn't heard of it till your post.

 

I see that it's an adaptation of a novel, and the screenplay is co-written and the film directed by Paul Dano aka "David Sweat" from "Escape at Dannemora" which I enjoyed.

 

Gyllenhall is an excellent actor and he has been in many superior films.

 

I'm going to take a look.

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8 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

 

Hadn't heard of it till your post.

 

I see that it's an adaptation of a novel, and the screenplay is co-written and the film directed by Paul Dano aka "David Sweat" from "Escape at Dannemora" which I enjoyed.

 

Gyllenhall is an excellent actor and he has been in many superior films.

 

I'm going to take a look.

 

Carey Mulligan has been someone to watch since her starring debut in An Education (2009)...unfortunately she hasn't had many good roles since then but Wildlife has been described as her best performance...

 

I was mushed out in front of the tube after work in saudi no less a few years ago when An education came on and I sat up and took notice very quickly...also with Alfred Molina...

 

 

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