What's the Latest Thing You Saw at the Cinema?

Life of Pi at the Empire Leicester Square. Huge screen and Dolby Atmos.  A really intriguing film and all the better for the size and sound which was far better than the humble Odeon in Lincoln. 

That's a fun movie. I took our kids to it and we really enjoyed it.

Got to say that it sounds like Oscar winning stuff to me, having just endured:

Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings

What I put myself through to spend time with my godchildren.

In fairness it is fine - if you are a four year old girl, for the rest of humanity it is AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

So sweet it has put me off chocolate ....OK, let's not go completely overboard.

M

Brilliant movie. May also lay a claim to being the best looking movie ever made.

Reacher.

I went to see this in a moment of weakness due to bad weather and a complimentary movie pass.

If you enjoy the books then the movie will induce some scoffing.

Tom Cruise is not Jack Reacher. And the movie suffers for it.

EJS, based on your Taken 2 post above, I think you'll like this movie.

I have read Child's first Jack Reacher novel, a bit of a chore (story's OK; prose isn't), but thought at the time what a great low budget TV movie or serial this would make. And now they've made it a big budget movie, a recipe for mediocrity! Thanks for the endorsement - you may be right

EJ

Ground work is in place... secured a friend, tickets and a decent quantity of liquor for tomorrow evening!

EJ

Jack Reacher

Well, I went in with rather low expectations based on James' post above, but what I got was a cool, exciting, intelligent crime thriller, which was also good for some seriously good laughs. Well acted, some great stunts and confirmation that American muscle cars just aren't made for corners.  In tone, closer to 70s/80s action films (notably, Dirty Harry with a touch of Lethal Weapon) than a current block buster. In short, I found this to be a really good film.

Cheers,

EJ

Jack Reacher

Was going to write something fuller - but it is easier to just endorse EJS's comments above.

Thoroughly enjoyable adult thriller.

M

We finally got round to seeing The Hobbit yesterday, in "normal" 3D. Some scenes were a bit drawn out & my addled brain got a tiny bit confused during some of the more frenetic fight scenes but nevertheless we both really enjoyed it.

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan this certainly won't disappoint & we're looking forward to the next episode. Then the BluRay Director's Cut box set of the three films (if I'm still around then...)

Glad you enjoyed it Tony.

I can understand people who don't like fantasy, or PJ's take on Tolkein, not liking this, but I am baffled by the negative reviews.

It is funny how a film that will be making more the one billion dollars is being talked of as disappointing and a lesser son of a greater sire; personally I would rank this as No 2 in the PJ Tolkein pantheon, after The Fellowship of the Ring.

I am sure you will be around for the BR release, and then the BR extended edition, and then the 4k BR ....ad infinitum!

M

Les Mis

Bloody hell!!!

Now, I love the musical, and have seen it numerous times live, but the movie? Well, I think it is the most powerful rendition I have seen. I think it is the best musical feature film I have seen.

Is the singing superb? Not consistently. I can understand why some people have looked down their noses at Mr Crowe, BUT, within the context of the film large voices filling an auditorium aren’t what is required.

What about the direction? Mr Hooper has been roundly criticised in some quarters for sweeping shots that then focus on the actors in close up.

Here is where I think the director has been brilliant. The actors have all sung with their hearts, and emotions, fully on their sleeves. What we get in the audience is un-alloyed pain, grief and occasional shafts of love and light. This being conveyed in there faces, and those windows into their souls, their eyes.

Bravo.

M

Thanks for the positive review of Les Mis Mr Underhill (I guessed you might be a LOTR fan...)

Both of us are fans of the stage musical (I've seen it six times) & we'll trot off to see this next week. I assume you've got the BluRay of the 25th Anniversary Concert? If not, I can heartily recommend it for the music, picture and sound quality.

Lontano,

   thats a ghreat story. Nice to hear good posts every now and then,

well done her !!

Lontano:

Superb! And she was excellent.

Tony:

BR = Yes.

Be interested in your thoughts when you've seen it.

Lincoln

Saw this last night. Excellent.

I think the biggest complement I can pay Daniel Day Lewis is that I didn't see him in the film at all, I felt as though I was watching the man himself, which also speaks for the quality of the supporting cast.

What is the truth of this version of events? Who knows, Gore Vidal in his biography of Lincoln paints a somewhat different picture, but this account resonated.

What I LOVED about this portrayal is that Lincoln felt so real, so very human, and was tussling with the same uncertainties and bureaucracies that plague us today.

M

Lincoln +1

Saw it last Tuesday ie just over a week ago. I really felt as if I was part of the times. It left a very vivid but thoughtful impression of the times.

Mrs D enjoyed it also, but felt it was a bit slow and ponderous at times.

Overall, a very worthwhile outing.

Cheers

Don

Hi Don,

Yes, one of the friends I went with felt it was too long, and that they could have cut some of the length covering the gathering of the Democrat votes. Have to say that I disagreed, I felt this added weight to the struggle being portrayed, and paid off in the final voting scenes.

M

Flight

Although the crash is over and done with quickly, wow. I had tears in my eyes through this. Powerhouse directing and acting, and a complete absence of music, as I remember.

The remaining film is a portrayal of a man fighting, or perhaps just lying to himself, about his personal demons.

I think I heard the ending of this film described as a bit sugar coated? Can't say I found it so.

A shame that such a great central performance was delivered in the same year that Daniel Day Lewis won his third Best Actor Oscar.

M

Argo - brilliant  - quite a humorous take on movie making and Hollywood - apart from the antics of the CIA and the great Satan

Django Unchained, at my wife's suggestion. Good for the first 2/3rds but than the suspension of disbeleif, which has been stretched somewhat up to this point fails as it degenerates into the usual Tarantino cobblers. Brought to mind Blazing Saddles by the end of it but not nearly as funny.

Yeti,

One review I watched said that the film should have ended when Tarantino himself enters stage right.

Haven't seen it yet, but I will.

Got to say that the only Tarantino that I have really enjoyed is Pulp Fiction.

M

This

Which was absolute rubbish, despite the usual star turn from Dame Helen M.

Hopkins was completely inert under his prosthetics and the script was a hodge-podge of cheap amateur psychology which does nothing to advance our understanding of the Master or his films.

Avoid, or better still, watch a Hitchcock move instead.