Change Your Image
coulinjo
Reviews
Fight Club (1999)
This is what movie-making is about
Who do you want to be? What are your values? This movie will stay with you long after you have watched it. And watched it. And read about it. And read the book. Astonishing work.
Tully (2018)
Still rhinking about this weeks after
Memorable performances in this nuanced story. Charlize Theron is, as always, understated and believable. Nicole Kidman can wax lyrical about the meaninf of TKOTSD but Charlize connects in a very real way.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
If you dislike someone- recommend this movie and waste their evening too
The critics will no doubt love this and come up with a myriad of depth - none of which the director could explain in his interview. I wish all the characters had shot themselves in the first five minutes and saved me from a wasted $6 and 122 minutes I will never get back.
Les garçons et Guillaume, à table! (2013)
A French Alan Rickman says transgender and gay can be cured by the right romantic partner
This movie is appealing and mesmerising because of the lead actor, and had so many exceptional points (all pointed out perfectly in previous reviews) but is unconvincing in the detail - and absolutely pitiful in conclusion. That a man can be so effeminate, and identify so strongly as being a girl his whole life, only to be 'turned' so completely into a masculine man with no effeminate mannerisms just because the 'right girl' walks in to a room leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. People have fought so long to be recognised for who they truly are, and this movie sends that movement back to the beginning..."all gay/transgender people just haven't met the right person yet". For me, that heavy-handed chunkiness wiped out everything else. Now I just remember the Mr Bean massage scene, and the puzzling end. I don't know why so many French films seem to be overacted to a slapstick level, but it doesn't work for me.
Gayby Baby (2015)
A very ordinary film about really interesting children
I just don't understand why the parents chosen were all such idiotic, ill- informed, seemingly uneducated people who lay far too much responsibility on their children. One set apparently let their child watch unlimited wrestling, and then decided they have a problem with the outcome, another set have an unhealthy attitude to religion, a third couple appears to unaware of the importance of properly helping a child with learning difficulties, while the fourth couple are strangely childish. All of the children are astonishingly interesting and cool, leaving one to wonder if parenting just doesn't matter, or if these children have realised themselves to be the people they are becoming all by themselves. The fact that the parents are gay is a fact that doesn't even matter, but which is belaboured by the ponderous utterances of the parents. Really, really well filmed - it's a beautiful looking film.
The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)
Perfection
The only movie I've ever seen for which I have no criticism at all. Every line, every move, is spot on. I'd always thought of Clooney as a film star rather than an actor so it was a surprise. Amazingly well done. I have been tempted to watch it again, but the only thing that stops me is finding something jarring or irritating in it - and I like the fact that there may be one movie out there with none. Apparently I now have to write ten line of text even though I thought a succinct review might be enough. I don't know why I would have to go into plot lines to rehash what everyone has or will see. but it seems to be a requirement to be able to leave my (obviously important!)review.
Greenberg (2010)
Unlikeable and unbelievable
How on earth people would put this together, look at it, and then say "Yes, let's release it with our name on it" is beyond me. Unlikable characters doing unbelievable things (what 25 year old would even look at an ugly-mannered, mean-spirited, nasty 41 year old? Self destructive is one thing, but this is just horrible to watch. I'm sick and tired of so- called indy movies following the Hollywood line of all the old guys get the young chicks, no question. Ivan and the main girl's friend are the only believable characters in the movie and I'm sad I wasted an evening on it. The cover said "Stunning" - sure, if they mean "to render senseless. There are much better movies covering the same themes.
The Other Woman (2014)
Appalling
This is so very bad that I'm hard pressed to know where to start; perhaps suffice to say that it has taken the women's movement back decades. I sat in a theatre with young women mindlessly laughing at this - and just wanted to knock their heads together. Pointlessly loud, painfully overacted slapstick, ill thought out 'characterisation' (for many characters there wasn't even any), and the ubiquitous cute dog thrown in for no reason - all was dire, but the worst bit of all was having every woman in the movie fall over themselves dribbling at a sleaze bag. Seriously, what young, pretty woman goes gaga for an old man with a bad haircut. If they do, I don't want to know about it - and it should be banned from being shown in modern cinema! I would usually have dismissed it as utter rubbish that people can choose to waste their money on or not, but this one should be destroyed for the messages contained in it.