What's the Latest Thing You've Seen at the Cinema II

Kevin-W posted:

 

I saw this (They Shall Not Grow Old) at the pictures last night. Commissioned by the Imperial War Museum to mark the centenary of the end of the Great War, it's one of the most moving films I have ever seen. And an incredible technical achievement as well.

Normally I have no time for the work of Peter Jackson, who after a promising start degenerated into a technocrat and hack movie-maker (a kind of Antipodean James Cameron). But credit where it's due - he and his team have done an extraordinary job.

I'm also a huge opponent of 'colorisation' and dubbed on sound effects; but again both have been done with extraordinary sensitivity and skill by Jackson & Co. The original footage was converted to 'true' enhanced black and white and then colour, while forensic lip readers were used to discover what the soldiers were saying and actors used to voice those words.

Much of the original film was shot on hand-cranked or clockwork cameras, so it has always looked a bit jerky. State of the art technology was used to fill in missing frames and to achieve consistent, realistic movement. Finally, the team trawled through 600 hours of BBC recordings (most made in the 1950s and '60s) to add in the soldiers' testaments.

The result is something incredibly vivid and powerful. There is no narration, no history, there are no talking heads; just the men themselves talking. This, along with the superb restoration, makes the men truly come alive - no longer are they distant, jerky figures but very real people who could be you granddad, neighbour or teacher. Although everyone in this flick is now long dead of course, they come over as still very much alive, and the eternally young men most of them were when they were filmed.

A very powerful piece of movie-making, and a testament to what the imaginative and sensitive use of technology can do. It deserves every award going.

It's doing the rounds at the cinema now, but BBC1 is showing it on Arminstice Day - well worth a watch.

 

Thank you for this review, Kevin. You've made it a must see film for me.

Interesting stuff @Kevin-W. Definitely on my to see list. 

There’s an interview with Peter Jackson on the Empire podcast and its worth checking out as he discusses the (technical) process of making the film.

https://www.empireonline.com/m...n-interview-special/

Thanks kevin w for the heads up on this, it sounds like a fitting tribute to commemorate the centenial anniversary of the First World War. 

Saw 'First Man' this weekend and left with very mixed feelings. I love the space race stuff and have seen most of the movies and documentaries so was really looking forward to this, my wife less so!

Good things, the leads are brilliant. Playing a character who is so tightly focussed and emotionally guarded is no mean feat and Gosling does a fine job. In fact (apart from a couple of sentimentally manipulative scenes; one towards the end made us both groan) it was the domestic and personal side of the film that we both enjoyed most. Claire Foy is quite brilliant and the heart of the film for me.

Problems; it was just too long! It tries to do too much of the space race history and this makes it very episodic. Talking of jumpy the action scenes are kinetic but overlong, and the jerky handheld camera usage spills into other scenes where it is just inappropriate and annoying. The action scenes are oddly repetitive too, each using similar devices and camera techniques. All this meant that by the time of the (spoiler alert) moon landing it did not feel as climactic as you might hope.

I will definitely see it again at home, but this felt like one movie where the director's cut should be shorter and tighter.

Bruce

I was up in Edinburgh earlier in the week and took my daughter and a friend of hers to see Venom on Wednesday evening. They both loved it, and I have to admit, I enjoyed it too - well, mostly.  The penultimate showdown was all a bit of a mindless smash up, as seems de rigour for so many superhero films these days, but Tom Hardy triumphed overall by bringing some acting ability along for the ride. 

What are the odds on a Venom 2...?

Richard Dane posted:

.... Tom Hardy triumphed overall by bringing some acting ability along for the ride.

What are the odds on a Venom 2...?

In some reviews he was castigated for hamming it up. I was n't convinced of his reporting chops, but I did enjoy the dichotomy once the film kicked into gear.

Venom 2 is very probable. Against expectations it has been a hit, and is still to be released in the Middle Kingdom, where it does have a release date.

I do wonder whether some of its success it that it is told using standard stereotypes?

M

Three weekends, three films at the Abbeygate, independent cinema, Bury St Edmunds.

First Man

A Star is Born

Bohemian Rhapsody

We enjoyed all of them even though I don't like Ga Ga and was never a fan of Queen. Cooper was good in the Kris Kristofensen role but he was eclipsed by Rami Malek's performance as Freddie.

Ray

I was lucky enough to be backstage at Live Aid just before Queen came on, it was pretty dead. Then Queen came on and just LIT UP the whole event - superb.

A Star is Born.

A one to see at the cinema.

Big screen and big noise makes this one come alive.

went through a few hankies....

Really good.

Widows

Smart, punchy and intelligent thriller. Excellent ensemble cast

Not my usual fare but I was away and this was the only thing showing, glad I saw it.

Bruce

winkyincanada posted:

Really good.

Just got home from seeing this film this evening. Agreed, it was really good. I so wish I'd been at Live Aid.

100% Agree with Bohemian Rhapsody. Respectfull to Freddie and tries not to take itself too seriously. Just an escapist movie to loose yourself in the world of Queen for a few hours. 

Bohemian Rhapsody - easy to criticise it, but why when it was a couple of hours of good fun. Thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly the clever Live Aid scenes.

Yes the Live Aid piece is great.

You’re right, there are some flaws(!)

But it is great entertainment and Freddy is somehow resurrected by Rami Malek.

Followed my Christmas break habit and saw this movie this afternoon. I liked it, while it never got super exciting. But this special world in 3D is quite a thing.

Hope to see some more things in the coming weeks.

Bumblebee

After five mediocre-to-atrocious Transformers films, they made a good one. Who knew?

I was sold when during the opening scene, Soundwave appeared in full G1 glory, with his ‘Decepticons, attack’ quip. The film stayed true to the mid-80s cartoon style until the end, and the ending is unique: for once, I wasn’t looking forward to it.

You probably need to be born in the 70s to enjoy this as much as I did, but as nostalgia trips go, this did really well.

cheers

EJ

I went to see Mary Poppins Returns last evening. I prepared for it by watching the original movie day before. I suggest you do the same if you want to get more out of this new movie.

Very enjoyable movie for children and anyone who wants to find one's inner child again. 

perttu posted:

I went to see Mary Poppins Returns last evening. I prepared for it by watching the original movie day before. I suggest you do the same if you want to get more out of this new movie.

Very enjoyable movie for children and anyone who wants to find one's inner child again. 

Took my 2 daughters for a matinee showing yesterday, it was very good indeed. Authentic in spirit and style to the original. The big dance number with the gas lighters particularly impressive. 

Just saw The Favourite last night

What a deeply odd film! Olivia Colman is magnificent and the whole thing is infused with bizarre humour and deep pathos but must confess we both left scratching our heads a bit. Might need another viewing.

Reminded us of Love and Friendship which we really only 'got' on second viewing and then loved.

'Isle of Dogs' possiby my favourite film of 2018.

Bruce

Aquaman

My wife enjoyed this more than she expected, it reminded her of the lighter touch of Ant Man. This lighter touch is in keeping with the film, lacking the darkness and portentousness of other DCEU films.

On the whole the film works well, with only a few obvious narrative non-sequiturs, but nothing that pulls you out of the film.

The film follows the standard archetypes, thank goodness, as did Venom.

I think the undersea VFX were excellent, and so I am surprised that it has not been included as a possible recipient of an Oscar.

This film follows what is fast becoming a pattern, popular with the public and a critical bomb.

If superhero fare is your thing then recommended.

M

Wreck it Ralf 2 - Breaks the Internet

Oh dear. Turgid with a couple of stand out moments - see the trailer and save yourself the entry fee.

M

Quite good end-of- the-world type movie although the cause of the apocalypse is never explored (Where did they come from? How could they be defeated). I did sort of guess the ending though (I was joking about it with my wife and it turned out to be true!)

This is one of the best film I've seen in a long time!

You might get dust in your eye near the end of the film though.

I was looking forward to my son's visit during the holidays, in part, so we could see this together in the theater. While its no "Million Dollar Baby" or "Grand Torino" (my son's favorite Eastwood movies), "The Mule" is was no let-down for either of us. Well paced, the film constantly moves forward and holds interest. Clint plays the proverbial cantankerous old man perfectly and once again demonstrates his directing prowess, even at age 88. If you don't catch this one in the theater, it's well worth renting once it emerges on DVD.