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Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Rubbish
This is not good. The action sequences are just terrible CGI messes. This could have been grounded, practical fun, instead it's just like every other Marvel/DC punch-fest. For some reason the villain is basically Robocop. The jokes...it's literally just dick jokes. And not good ones. Not boring but nowhere near as fun as it should be. Waste of a decent cast. Good to watch if you're quite drunk.
Devs (2020)
Engrossing and ponderous
This is a very engrossing series, that feels often like Garland is expressing himself as purely as possible without having to conform to or pander to broader market, studio based conventions. This means it is very slow, very deliberate, meditative, often very stilted and more than once veers dangerously close to self parody, particularly the performances of Sonoya Mizuno and Alison Pill. Nick Offerman never falters and gives his best performance to date. The cinematography, score, all of the constituent elements of the series are superb. If you like Garland, you will like this. It is one of the most distinctive and thought provoking things I've watched this year.
The Homesman (2014)
Chilly classical western
Having not seen Tommy Lee Jones previous directorial effort, The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada, and seen many notices from the films run at Cannes labelling it "weird", I really didn't know what to expect from The Homesman. The film is a slow burning tale of Hilary Swank's frontierswoman and Jones' claim jumper as they escort 3 insane women across country. The story telling is in no rush, and often dawdles along very long scenes. The music, and the beautiful photography, elegant in composition and rich in colour, do a lot to build an authentic sense of atmosphere. Unfortunately, they also lend the film a chilly, slightly detached feel. I never felt empathetic enough with the characters to be as swept up in their journey as I should, they are frequently annoying and I found my patience wearing thin.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
"Keep the change Bob"
I saw this was on TCM the other night and I recorded it, merely because I knew it was supposed to be good and I hadn't seen a Peckinpah film before. Despite how massive TCM's black screen banners are, and despite how quiet the film was, it still kept me engaged. James Coburns' masterful performance as wrinkly bandit Pat Garret was smouldering, his lawman bubbled with a mix of sadism, violence, and broken honour. He was far and away the best actor in the film. Comparatively, Kris Kristofferson just didn't hold up, I just plain didn't like him, and he didn't come across strongly enough as anything. It seems to me he's grown more expressive and nuanced as he's gotten older, though it may just be that against a giant like Coburn he seemed like little more than a distraction.
Though his performance was woeful, Dylan's soundtrack is a thing of beauty and joy, setting the tone of the movie, perfectly complimenting some scenes and brilliantly offsetting others. The scene in which Knocking On Heavens Door is used is possibly one of the most beautiful and moving sequences in any film I've seen, it was utterly breathtaking.
Much of that is done by the cinematography, which is frequently fantastic. There are several shots that had my mouth wide open, agape. Peckinpah is also well versed in directing shoot-out's,and building tension before and after. Though the make up and special effects look laughable now, the brutality and voyeurism of the violence haven't faded one iota.
The print was very quiet though, so it was often hard to decipher what people were saying. As such, there were various moments when I was just waiting for the next scene, as the one playing was too quiet to enjoy.
This is a film that I can't wait to watch again, and will certainly be buying on DVD, along with the soundtrack on CD. A brilliant, moving western from a great director.
Limitless (2011)
Good Fun
Though not perfect, and a bit of waste of an interesting concept that put to better use could have been a far more wide reaching sci-fi about the power of human consciousness and ambition in a society without limits, Limitless is a perfectly enjoyable thriller. Bradley Cooper makes for a charismatic star, the visual tricks employed by director Neil Burger are flashy bordering on trippy, and the supporting cast all do reasonable jobs. The dialogue however, is very clichéd, especially when Cooper is on ezt and talks as though he googled, "how to sound clever" The result is the kind of thing a gang of pretentious teenage boys might blurt out before being mocked incessantly for sounding pretentious, and kills the illusion that Eddie is as smart as the film thinks he is. There are also various issues with the people that follow the main character, as they seem to pick and choose when to threaten him, and when to simply wait in plain view. The whole film is oddly weightless, it left no emotional impact and I didn't particularly care about any of the characters, Coopers charisma and my need to see the next twist were all that kept me watching. Overall, a good, fun thriller, but one that could have used a slightly stupider premise, as the smart one it uses is utterly wasted
Haywire (2011)
If you've seen the trailer, save yourself the bother
This is literally a trailer film. I saw the trailer months ago, and on the strength of that I watched the film. What a waste of time. The trailer told in 2 minutes a more impressive, involving and exciting version of the story that the 90 minute film tells. It was very, very dull, and had no x factor to keep me glued to the screen. The soundtrack was a terrible mismatch to the film, and there were only a few decent performances, which were of course underused. I didn't care about any of the characters, so there was no real incentive to keep watching. The fight scenes are good, but few and far between, and not long enough. It also felt contrived that Gina Carano, who is a seasoned mixed martial arts fighter, was seen to be fighting with pussy ass Hollywood actors who she could have easily wiped the floor with in 2 seconds flat. Totally broke any kind of suspension of disbelief. A poor effort.
The Avengers (2012)
They did it! Fantastic blockbuster
When I first heard of the idea to actually produce an Avengers film I was of course intrigued, as the idea of making a super-team movie had never been accomplished before. But the Marvel Universe films had all been cleverly inter-connected and the stage was ripe for the Avengers to be made. Naturally in a film with so many A list actors, so many hero's and so many ego's, the potential for disappointment was vast, but I'm happy to say The Avengers was thoroughly enjoyable. The script is funny, the action comes thick and fast, and is choreographed much better than in any of the other Marvel films, and all the things you liked or cared about the characters before has been carried on. A very enjoyable summer movie, easily living up to the weight of expectation.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
A fantastic film
Lumet has never been constrained by the demands of genre, and just as Serpico was far more character piece than thriller, as Dog Day Afternoon is more drama than comedy. Pacino's passionate performance is awe inspiring stuff, not only does he have the conviction and passion to deliver a performance that feels like a real man, but as in Serpico, he fully embraces the real life character on screen. The drama is thoroughly involving, as Sonny becomes an icon of rebellion and a symbol of the power of the common man as the media circus unfolds, and the bank robbers situation becomes more and more certain. The Cinematography is dull, as frankly all of Lumet's films are, but the performances are spellbinding. Overlong, underwritten and visually staid, it is still a must see.
Half Nelson (2006)
One of the finest dramas I have ever seen
Half Nelson is genuinely one of the best films I have ever seen. The premise sounds attention grabbing, and under another director could have been hammy and tasteless, but Fleck directs with such subtlety, craft and beauty that from the moment the picture starts, there is no chance of you losing interest. Gosling is, as the rest of the cast are, superb. Everyone is giving it their best, yet also playing things cool, there's no overacting here, just a great display of how simple human drama can be so powerfully affecting. I've seen a lot of films where the lack of budget is clear, yet the meagre $700,000 Fleck and his team were given to work with is exacted perfectly. Nothing looks cheap, or botched, just expertly put together. In a period of cinema where millions flock to see shiny robots beat the crap out of each other in shiny buildings with the sun glinting off their shiny mechanical backsides, Half Nelson proves that there is still a great deal of heart in cinema. In the truest sense of the word, a masterpiece.